Mool looks up from smelling the construct and the mention of bees. "Bees where"? Then follows behind the rest of the group.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The little clockwork man droops his shoulders, then thinks, "All dead. All of this one's friends are dead. Small building has glass jars, and magic experiments. Most done on the black rocks that stand guard. Will also find broken black rock - very bad."
"In large building, will find many rooms for people to sleep. Also find place to prepare food and drink, and big room with long benches for lectures and sermons. The one heard that hole appeared in the big room and swallowed benches - when the demons came out."
Efwin shrugs "Well lets go see about this small building and the little things master. Perhaps there might be more information to help us there."
If you'll give me a moment, perhaps I can garner some information without risking our necks.
Merten engages in a minute-long ritual that conjures up tiny eyes.
He takes two of them, and whispers, Scout the inside of that building. He points to the smaller structure. Stay hidden. If you are discovered, flee. Return when you are done.
He takes two more eyes and gives them the same instructions as to the dormitory.
Unfortunately, there are also roughly 20 bodies inside the building. Based on the wounds you can see, there are no survivors. Many of the bodies were obviously wounded by something other than the ward stone explosion, though that clearly resulted in some of the injuries.
It does not appear as if there are any living creatures inside the building.
What draws your attention is the massive mound rising up from the wooden floor of the lecture hall like some kind of giant anthill. As your vision pans around the hill, your perspective rises up to catch a glimpse over the rim. What you see both astounds and terrifies you - as the hole comes clearly into view, you see that the interior only extends sixty feet before ending at what appears to be another hole supported by a giant dirt mound.
But that hole does not open into a building - you can clearly make out what appears to be a blood-red sky with swirling green and yellow clouds. Strange lights streak through the sky, and you realize that the light appears to be ambient, you cannot tell if what you look upon is day or night. There is no doubt, the scene before you is of a portal that lies completely open to another plane of existence. Given the context of what you see, you are sure that you view one of the chaotic realms of the Abyss.
As the reality of the image registers, something else catches your attention. Clawed hands reaching over the edge of the distant hole, and monstrous leering chaotic faces peering from their place into the dormitory. The scene changes quickly as the Eyes flee back to your hand. From the brief glimpse you had, it appeared that the creatures looking through the portal were derakni - locust demons.
Merten shares the information gained from the prying eyes with the group in a subdued voice.
The laboratory looks to be the sight of an explosion of ward stones, at least one of which has been destroyed. There are more knocked over, but they might be salvageable. There are at least a score of dead bodies in there, though I do not believe that the explosion killed them all.
He shudders as the second set of eyes brings him news of the dormitory. There is a massive mound in the lecture hall of the dormitory, like a giant ant hill creating a portal into the Abyss. There, are derakni, locust demons, with a horrible drone that causes madness in those who hear it, looking in from the Abyss. I think they can enter. He shudders, This is bad. Very, very bad. We need to seal that portal before the Hordes of the Abyss come pouring through it.
He sends two eyes back to the dormitory with the following instructions.
Hide and watch the mound, if anything comes through, two stay hidden and watch. To the two eyes instructed to hide and watch he says, If anything is already through, one remain, one return to me.
He sends another eye to the lift. Stay hidden and watch the lift. If anything comes up it, return to me at once.
Would it be possible to use the ward stones from the laboratory to seal off the portal in the dormitory?
I might be able to use the wardstones in the laboratory to seal off the ... inclusion in the dormitory. What say the rest of you?
Lets get to it. We'll carve you a path; you get it sealed.
Does Merten have any idea as to how to arrange the wardstones so as to seal the rift? Would they have to be close to the ant-hill, or could they be used to seal the whole building from outside?
I do not doubt that you would, Lothar, but first thing's first. Let's secure the stones from the laboratory, and make sure that they will suit the task. I have eyes on the mound in the dormitory for the time being. They will warn us if danger approaches. If you would be so kind as to help me secure the stones, I think we might have a fighting chance.
-----
Merten has sent his tiny flying eyes all of the compound, they have returned, and he has sent them off again. All of these actions have only taken a few minutes. The group has paused in the courtyard on its way to the laboratory.
For now, despite Merten's warning about locust demons, nothing emerges from the dormitory.
Delgras joins the group, looking to Merten "What can you tell us about killing these locust demons?"
Merten draws himself up, purses his lips and recites as though he were reading from a book. They are fast and tough, Master Hammerfall, Merten replies, with thick hides and good flight capabilities. Like most demons, lightning and poison will not harm them in any way. They see well in the darkness, and have a keen sense of smell. Acid, cold, fire, they resist all but the worst of it. Direct spell casting can slide right off of them unless one is quite accomplished. Their bite, claws and stinger all carry a virulent poison that saps one's endurance quickly. They can summon swarms of insects quite quickly. Those within thirty feet of the demon are subject to its maddening drone, although it must fly to produce the sound. Magical silence or a countersong would be useful against them. As would ranged attacks. One would be a challenge, two, quite even more so.
As Merten explains the situation, a great buzzing arises from the dormitory. The sound is not from a single creature, but hundreds, or thousands, of creatures.
Swarm!
Initiative
Perception
Mool who had been busy overturning objects, and smelling beneath them, jumps into the air, at Mertens warning.
"Bugs"! "Where"!. "I hate bugs"!.
Surprise Round
25 Merten
24 Efwin
16 Mool
13 Lothar
11 Ciridiel
08 Delgras
Three large demons the size of horses come tearing out of the dormitory. Resembling giant locusts, the demons have scorpion stingers on elongated segmented tails, and almost-human faces with needle-sharp teeth. Their front legs end in hideously deformed clawed hands.
Swarms of shiny black insects twist and swirl about the demons as they charge forward. As the bugs get close to the party, they begin to frenzy, and the sound of their wings ceases to resemble buzzing, changing in both tenor and tone - what was once a cacaphony of millions of tiny wings is now actual speech... the half-formed and slurred words of the Abyss, promising madness and chaos while being devoured alive!
Seeing the demons and swarms Efwin pulls out an odly colored vile. He drinks it down as his already lithe frame becomes a bit more muscular, but very highly toned, particularly around his arms and legs.
Merten sizes up the demons and the hell swarms that accompany them. He snarls and points a finger at them and conjures forth a bloom of blinding, golden sparks, in the midst of the demons.
Luca casts silent image and conjures forth 5 illusory Hound Archons before the demons. The dog-headed angels brandish their swords menacingly.
Delgras winces at seeing the demons coming swarming out of the building.
Having a second to react, he reaches in to a belt pouch and pulls several potions out.
Mool climbs the walls, attempting to get a flanking position on the demons, trying to keep in the shadows as he goes. He will use his immovable rods to assist as needed.
Climb Speed 20
Stealth
Surprise Round
Efwin drinks a particularly nasty-looking (and smelling) vial of formula, while Delgras pulls out two potions of his own.
Merten's voice raises above the demonic chaos and a brilliant burst of golden sparks flash into view amidst the demons. From his shoulder, the strangely musical voice of Luca joins his master. A bright light shines down from the heavens, coalescing into five hound archons that stand between the heroes and the demons. The dog-headed warriors of heaven bring their swords on guard and prepare themselves for battle!
Mat, the tiny clockwork familiar, flies off heading toward the workshop.
Round One
25 Merten
24 Efwin
16 Mool
13 Lothar
11 Ciridiel
08 Delgras
-----
Delgras pulls the cork from one of the vials and pours it contents over the head of his hammer. As he finishes he moves forward to stand in the front line with Lothar.
Round 1 Actions-
Drinking his potion rapidly to become the size of an Ogre, Lothar moved forward a steady twenty feet, planting his feet in his defensive stance. A formidable length of 25 feet lay between him and the closest demon, but he overextended his strike with his Dorn-Dergar so that he could strike it. The ball at the end of the long chain smashed into one the Demons with a satisfying crunch.
Ore followed his master, stood behind him as per his barked orders in Terran.
Merten casts haste and pulls out his scroll of slow as he retreats 30' back from the melee.
Luca casts grease under the remaining Locust Demon's feet, and flies 90 ft. into the air above the fray.
Round One
25 Merten
24 Efwin
16 Mool
13 Lothar
11 Ciridiel
08 Delgras
Merten casts haste and pulls out a scroll of slow.
Luca casts grease under the remaining Locust Demon's feet, and flies 90 ft. into the air above the fray.
Efwin fires two arrows at the nearest demon:
... but both of his shots fly wide.
Mool charges out of the shadows in a frothing rage, attacking the nearest locust demon:
... and his weapon bites deep into the hide of the unsuspecting demon!
Lothar quickly drinks a potion and his entire body expands to the size of an ogre. He pushes forward bringing his weapon to bear upon the demons:
Attack Roll: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28
Damage (Cold Iron Weapon): 2d8 + 11 + 2 + 2d6 ⇒ (8, 6) + 11 + 2 + (4, 5) = 36
... connecting with one as the heavy end of the dorn-derger slams into the head of a derakni!
Ciridiel raises his blade with and charges into the fray with an elven war cry and Answerer leading the way:
Delgras pulls the cork from one of the vials and pours it contents over the head of his hammer. As he finishes he moves forward to stand in the front line with Lothar.
-----
Round One
25 Merten
24 Efwin
16 Mool
13 Lothar
11 Ciridiel
09 Demons
Two of the demons take to the air, drawing attacks of opportunity from Lothar as his dorn-dergar spins around in a wide arc of destruction.
One of the demons fruitlessly engages the hound archons, realizing too late that they were nothing but illusions!
The other joins his ally and flanks the unlucky Ciridiel, attacking with a slashing claw that misses the stout warrior.
The demon standing amidst the grease manages to remain upright and unleashes a number of rapid attacks against the elf, hitting with a bite and two claws. Luckily, the massive stinger atop its segmented tail smashes harmlessly into the ground.
The two swarms caught in the glitterdust flit around wildly, but the other two head directly for the nearest targets - Mool and Ciridiel.
-----
Realizing the second potion he had planned to take is not needed, Delgras drops the unused potion to the ground and moves to place the closest demon between himself and Lothar. Pulling his hammer as he moves, he takes a single swing once in position.
Comfortably in the thick of things, Lothar kept on whirling his ball and chain in long arcs, seeking demonic flesh to strike. Channelling the power of the very stone he was stood upon to add weight to his blows, he fought with stoic resolve.
Ore simply watched his master's back, a little outclassed by the powerful Demons.
Merten disappears from view. A scroll remains in his place.
Cast vanish, invisible for 5 rounds. Drop scroll of slow. Move to Z-2.
Luca swoops down and grasps the scroll.