Connor mentally "heard" from Hero that Sammark had walked through the corridor and into the next chamber. The little psicrystal scurried along the walls of the pillared room, "seeing" in the total darkness, but taking his time.
The room appears to be another of those common areas with decorative columns. It was likely used as an area to congregate and gossip.
There are doors to the south and east.
After the others shuffled in behind Sammark, Connor finally got into the room with the pillars. Taking out his map kit, he compared it with the map of the other side of the underground city. "It's slightly off, and with doors this time, but it would appear to be the other side of the complex." Putting the map kit away, Connor extended his hand, and Hero walked off of the wall onto his arm and up to his left shoulder.
Connor knelt at the eastern door. "What was the name of that male halfling godling?" he said absently as he got out the thieves' tools. Connor leaned the lit torch against the wall, to have use of both hands.
Connor stared at the door, using his detection mindpower to see if he could determine if the area had a magical aura.
"Verin the Talespinner, dear." The voice says over the link. "This is a very handy little thing, Selven. You should bottle it and sell it." A peal of laughter echoes.
Connor doesn't detect any magic or psionics. He does find a trap on the door however.
Connor didn't know if hearing the female's voice over Selvan's Net was as bad as it coming from the walls. "Well, I think I found a trap. Everybody back up. Until I can get Hero to do this for us, I'm going to have to try and disable the mechanism."
Gritting his teeth, Connor manifested the armor and the shield he wanted, even as he felt the wellspring of power within himself draining lower and lower. He had less than half of his energy left now.
Connor maneuvers the lockpicks with grace that surprises even him. The trap clicks, locking itself against deployment. Those around him are surprised to see his neon horns dissapate into fairy motes.
The lock snicks open.
Selvan opens the door. Moving in such a way that e is never exposed to the open entryway with the door acting as cover.
Selvan finds a mostly empty room. There are indentions in the walls that look like alcoves, two (one on top of the other) every 5 ft along the wall, each four ft long and two and a half feet high and three feet deep. At first they look like crypts, but after looking at them for a second, there are carved hand holds in the stone leading to the top 'crypt', and it becomes obvious this is a dormitory set up, with enough room for a good twenty or so halflings to sleep (or more if they are friendly).
The central area has some dusty old tables and chairs. It looks like there were cabinets against the diagonal walls at one point, but they have collapsed into piles of rotted wood.
There are no signs of elementals in the room.
To Alys, Reaghar replies, "do watch out, it'll take some serious magic to bring that back"
Connor let Selvan, and then Sammark, move past him into the room. He picked up the torch again to provide light for the others.
The group finds nothing unusual in the room.
Stepping into the room, Connor looked around. "This might be a nice fallback, but I think the beds are a little small." he opined.
"Make a mental note and move on then." Alys suggests as she walks over to the southern door. About to open it she stops her hand and makes a hesitant step back. "And perhaps check for traps. I have no intention to turn into a giant purple chipmunk."
Connor wondered if the others had any mindpowers to boost skills. He "looked" at Selvan, trying to "see" his powers. Something to replace the psychokinetic screen that had already faded away, fortunately unneeded.
Nothing happened. The "image" was moving too quickly. Connor tried to "see" Reaghar's powers next.
A list of powers "unfolded" from the image of Reaghar in Connor's mind. There. Prescience, Offensive. That sounded like giving him some assistance on jumping away from a trap. Connor "reached" for it, trying to access the power.
And Connor realized it was a combat spell, and therefore, useless in this situation. He sighed. ::All right, all right, time for the next door.:: he said through Selvan's Net. Connor walked back, and went over to the southern door in the room with the pillars. Apart from the talkative deity, nothing here would be of interest back home, and Connor wondered if even the haunted lockpicks would prove to be too volatile to allow onto the flying islands. He grinned as he imagined some of his more conservative instructors' horror if given a deity-touched item while a magic storm klaxon blared inside Atalantius. His multi-hued form would take a far second place in quarantine.
Placing the torch down, Connor again used his detection mindpower first, followed by a careful inspection of the handle, lock, and frame.
"Oh, that's interesting..." The voice says over the link as Connor accesses Reaghar's powers.
No trap, nor even lock, on this door. It looks much like the ones in the common area they were in before, which had no locks. It's more just a door to keep noise from echoing.
When the door is cracked open for Hero to slip through, he reports another long set of stairs back down.
::Just a door leading to more stairs going down.:: Connor reported. He took up the torch again, sending Hero ahead. Make sure you trigger any traps. Jump around, tug on any wires, pull any levers you come across. We've had enough. Connor joked with the psicrystal.
Sure boss, just stand where the X is while I tug on this lever.
There is nothing in the hallway that Hero can find. Another door. Maybe you'll grow some mule ears this time.
::Hero says the stairs end with another door.:: Connor relayed to the rest of the party.
Connor started going down the stairs to the next door. Down? He juggled the torch in his hands while he got out his map maker's kit. The last long flight of stairs had been down. It meant they were going further down into the ground.
But Connor couldn't tell how far. ::At least the air is staying fresh. Not that Hero could tell us that, since he doesn't breathe. Somebody get a little bird in a cage for us next time.:: Connor sent through the link.
He did wonder why the common rooms had murals and pictures while the corridors did not. If this was an underground city, wouldn't there eventually be graffiti and markings on all the walls, eventually?
Arriving at the next door, Connor put the torch down again, and with Hero's help, inspected the door for traps and the like.
Another common area door with no trap, leading to another common area room, although this one appears to have been left semi-intact. There are rotting tapestries on the walls. There's also a small shaft off the room diagonally. Hero scoots down the small hallway and finds past the rotting curtains a communal water well.
"A well and another common area, all that's missing are some squirts running around," Sam said, looking around. They still had not found any sign of the missing cat-man and they were running out of places to look.
Connor took out his map maker's kit again, turning it around and around. "How did we end up back at the center?" he wondered out loud. After Sammark's and Hero's reconnaissance, Connor put the board away, and walked over to the well. "If the water's fresh enough, we should refill our waterskins." he declared. "Never pass up fresh water. I was wondering when we would find a water source and a food source down here. When you are this deep, however, I thought maybe it would be a river, with blind fish." Nevertheless, Connor did refill his waterskin.
::If this place has laid out the chambers equally,:: Connor sent through Selvan's Net, ::we've only searched half the available area. Less than half. We've been searching for Snowcoat only two days. So we should keep going.:: He looked around. "Three doors. We know that one goes back to the center room, so that leaves us east and south. Let's try east." Connor stated. With Hero proceeding him, Connor went to the eastern door to look it over.
Connor doesn't find any traps on the door. Also, unlike most of the doors, this one is damaged around the lock, so even though it's locked, there's room enough for Hero to scoot through.
HOLY HORSE PATTIES BOSS! There's four of those things in here, and there's like a hole in the wall that's arcing that purple lightning. Looks like some kind of nightmare on the other side of the hole. Lots of those nasty things too over there. I ain't goin' in the hole, and you can't make me. Hero calms down a bit after that, and describes what sounds like a giant store room with the remains of shelves and crates, probably the community stores house. There are two doors to the north, and one to the south. There's 3 small elementals and one larger one.
"Horse patties!" Connor cursed out loud, then quickly bit his tongue. He actually scooted back from the door as if it had changed into a nest of magical snakes. ::Big, big problem, guys & gal - I think we hit the mother lode. Hero says there's four of those deadly balls of light in the next room, as well as some kind of hole in the wall making purple lightning. You know how these things can sense living beings and fly faster than I can hit them with my constructs. We need a plan, and a good one, before we open this door. I'm down to less than a handful of constructs, and we might get overrun this time.:: Connor started looking around, judging the strategic layout of the room. ::We may want to open the other doors first, so we can run away if needed.:: he added.
Pulling out his bow and stringing it Selvan replies cooly. "We can just shoot them. Does the door lead directly into room or is there a corridor they have to come through? Can your constructs screen for us?"
"Send the mooks in to grab attention, let them shove off if need be. When the death balls are stirred up, they'll come for us on their own."
"Does that hole look like it has anything to do with our spherical friends? The purple lightning this makes sense, maybe that's where they came in through.", Alys decides to stop her train of thought before it speeds off. "If we could take three and make it out with only a few bruises, then we can take on four of them as well. How many big and small ones are there? If we take out the anklebiters first, we should be able to outmaneuver the big ones more easily, so they can't explode in our faces."
"can you collapse that s!@+ in on them? Close the doorway?"
::Hero says there's three small ones, one larger, and the wall-portal-thing. Given how there's four balls of light and a glowing wall, I'd say this must be the room that the 'vermin' are coming from.:: Connor sent dryly through Selvan's Net. Hero, stay put. Look like a rock. Connor told the psicrystal. You're our lookout and if anything bad happens, run back here.
::What does Tenfa say?:: he asked. Without waiting for an answer, Connor looked at the other two doors in the room. ::I want us able to retreat without being crowded into one corridor. I can send in astral constructs but those balls of light swarm the first living thing they see. I want us setting up a crossfire before that happens.:: he stated, going to the southern door.
"Tenfa says, that used to be the community storage room. It's been a bit, but I think the north doors are an armory and the vault. I think the south leads to more living quarters. But as I say, it's been a long time, and I never was very involved in construction. Plus the place changed every few decades, you get to not remembering details after a few millenia."
The door is locked, but there's a small inset door in this one, which is open. Looking in, Connor see's what looks like an old office with two desks.
Hero scoots through the open little door. Yo, boss! This place was made with you in mind. There's 2 doors, one east and one south, like the one you're at. Then there's a cell on the west wall, complete with pot to take a dump in! It's like they knew you were coming!
::This door leads to a small room with two more doors and what looks like a jakes.:: Connor told the others.
::Gardenrobe, whatever. It looks like a small prison cell. Which still doesn't make sense. It's not good for retreating with those balls of light after us.::
Connor moved to the western door. ::This should lead back to the main central entrance.:: he said, inspecting the door.
After we get the door open, get back to the room with the balls of light. We need to know what's going on in there. Connor commanded through the link at Hero.
No lock or trap on the door, and it opens, if grudgingly. The hinges squeak, but not as bad as most of the doors. Looks like someone used it recently, based on the disturbed dust under the sill. Recent being a relative term here.
"Be ready to unleash hell, etc, etc?" Sam ventured, calling his power to hand.
"Okay, One of us opens the door," Alys says pointing at the door to the room fthe elementals are hiding in, “And immediately backs up. We lure them out, fire what we have at them. We can keep distance by moving back into the common area, up the stairs, and in there", she points at the door to the north, then the one to the south, "If we manage to lure only one of them out we can surround it that way, if more follow, those of us having gone up the flanks take on those, while those gone towards the common area will take care of the ball that first came out and then rejoin us to take down the rest. Then we can see what to do about that hole in the wall.", Alys pauses, then smiles innocently, "How's that sound?"
Connor shook his head. ::Those things swarm the first person they see.:: he sent. ::So we're going to have to work pretty fast to kill one before it explodes. If we're ganged up on it, that 'last burst' will catch all of us. Sammark and Reaghar are our long-range fighters, followed by you, Alys, and then Selvan and myself. Once I make the astral constructs, I'm down to a crossbow. And if that portal spits out balls of light as fast as we can destroy them, we'll all run out of energy before we realize what is happening.::
Connor looked around. ::I'll send in four astral constructs to take out the smaller balls of light. One at a time, if I have to. We leave the door open, and after the constructs kill two or three, Reaghar or Alys can peek in as bait and draw the others here for a crossfire kill. If that portal starts spitting out more balls of light, I'll use a construct to close the door, and then have the constructs try to destroy the portal by hitting it.:: Connor put down the torch against the wall and got his crossbow unslung from his backpack. ::Otherwise, we'll be up to our chins in balls of light in just a few minutes. So if we do get overrun, don't use the water well here. Run back to the theatre or the noble's room, and close the doors as you go.::
Connor started to concentrate, his hands twitching as if he held a ball of clay on a potter's wheel between them.
This silvery-transparent mannequin of a winged Humavian stands shorter than a Halvavian. It is ready to move by silent command from its master.
Craft (Sculpting) check:
A result of 10 to 19 creates a creature that is recognizably similar to the desired creature shape.
N Small construct
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception -
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +5 natural, +1 size)
HP 15 (1d10+10)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0; Immune construct traits
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (Average)
(only if changed to attack) Melee slam +2 melee, 1d6+3 damage
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
BAB +1, CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats -
Skills: Can perform any simple task of DC 12 or less for its' duration.
SPECIAL ABILITIES (Two options from Menu A; one option from Advanced Constructs Menu A)
Fly (Ex)
Improved Slam Attack (Ex)
Utility (Ex)
This silvery-transparent mannequin of a winged Humavian stands shorter than a Halvavian. It is ready to move by silent command from its master.
Craft (Sculpting) check:
A result of 10 to 19 creates a creature that is recognizably similar to the desired creature shape.
N Small construct
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception -
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +5 natural, +1 size)
HP 15 (1d10+10)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0; Immune construct traits
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 20 ft. (Average)
(only if changed to attack) Melee slam +2 melee, 1d6+3 damage
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
BAB +1, CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats -
Skills: Can perform any simple task of DC 12 or less for its' duration.
SPECIAL ABILITIES (Two options from Menu A; one option from Advanced Constructs Menu A)
Fly (Ex)
Improved Slam Attack (Ex)
Utility (Ex)
This wingless human-like creature is made from a silvery-transparent material. It stands shorter than a Halvavian, its' right hand and arm ridiculously larger than its left.
Craft (Sculpting) check:
A result of 30 or higher creates a construct that looks like a specific individual. (This one looks like Sammark.)
N Small construct
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception -
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +5 natural, +1 size)
HP 15 (1d10+10)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0; Immune construct traits
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
(only if changed to attack) Melee slam +1 melee, 1d6+5 damage with Power Attack (Ex) and Improved Slam Attack (Ex)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
BAB +1, CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats -
Skills: Can perform any simple task of DC 10 or less for its' duration.
SPECIAL ABILITIES (Two options from Menu A; one option from Advanced Constructs Menu A)
Improved Slam Attack (Ex)
Power Attack (Ex)
Utility (Ex)
This wingless human-like creature is made from a silvery-transparent material. It stands shorter than a Halvavian, its' right hand and arm ridiculously larger than its left.
Craft (Sculpting) check:
A result of 10 to 19 creates a creature that is recognizably similar to the desired creature shape.
N Small construct
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception -
DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+2 Dex, +5 natural, +1 size)
HP 15 (1d10+10)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0; Immune construct traits
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
(only if changed to attack) Melee slam +1 melee, 1d6+5 damage with Power Attack (Ex) and Improved Slam Attack (Ex)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
STATISTICS
Str 15, Dex 15, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 10
BAB +1, CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats -
Skills: Can perform any simple task of DC 10 or less for its' duration.
SPECIAL ABILITIES (Two options from Menu A; one option from Advanced Constructs Menu A)
Improved Slam Attack (Ex)
Power Attack (Ex)
Utility (Ex)
Connor mentally directed one of the constructs to open the door and file into the corridor. He also instructed the astral ectoplasmic workers to become fighters if the balls of light moved at all, doing their best to block the hallway. Otherwise, they would take on two of the smallest enemies, working their way up to the largest ball of light. And if the portal disgorged anything, to ignore everything else and destroy the portal by hitting it.
::They're going in:: Connor announced over Selvan's Net. He concentrated, channeling his psionic focus into making a few bolts for his crossbow (Ectoplasmic Trinket).
The two ground units move into the room and walk up to the closest small one. Once on either side of the floating and bobbing ball of energy, they switch to attack mode and attack.
Both units manage to hit, mainly because the ball of energy isn't expecting an attack.
The ball of energy detonates instantly, washing the area with negative energy. The other 3 balls immediately attack, the first adjusting 5 ft, the other two charging.
The medium and small elemental rips construct 4 nearly in half, sending bits of it's ectoplasm to the floor.
Sam waits, power streaming into his hand, ready for a target to show itself.
Reaghar waits for the word to attack.
::They're attacking. The constructs...got one! The other balls of light are moving, but I'll keep following them.:: Connor sent through Selvan's Net. He readied his loaded crossbow, aiming to fire at the first ball of light that came into the room.
Selvan nocks an arrow and gets ready to fire.
The elementals begin attacking again.
One of the small elemental's hit, the one attacking the heavily wounded construct. That construct is almost destroyed.
The medium attempts to finish off the heavily damaged construct, but misses.
The two ground units turn to attack the smaller elementals.
Both units miss, unfortunately.
The small elementals then go again.
The two ground units attack the smaller elementals.
Both somehow manage to hit.
The medium attempts to finish off the heavily damaged construct again, but again misses.
The elementals then go again.
The two ground units attack the smaller elementals, but their luck is fading fast as they are.
The elementals attack again.
Then the constructs, already fading, get in one last swing.
Both of which connect.
Both of the smaller elemental's detonate as the constructs collapse into ectoplasm.
The medium elemental flies over and attacks the flying construct.
But it seems that this elemental is cursed somehow to never ever hit.
::One...two...three!:: Connor relayed to the others from Hero. ::That just leaves the larger ball of light and the shimmering part of the wall. But the constructs, there goes another one, are almost out of time. Even if the last two finish off the bigger ball of light, we'll have to go into the room and look at that strange glowing part of the wall.::
::I think one ball should be managable at this point, if not, I'll take responsibility. And the hits.::, Alys steps past Reaghar and raises the enormous ethereal revolver in her hands, loosing two shots down the corridor.
Reaghar takes a shot at the nearest construct