Uilisfuen's arrow clatters off the beast's metal hide harmlessly.
Cererithil is up!
Gets sneak attack due to the dwarf attacking first.
Arrow for
Cererithil's arrow also deflects off the beast's metal hide.
The beast rears back it's head and a long, metal tongue lashes out at Akmenos, but the tiefling is able to dodge the tongue lashing!
Letting out a hollow growl, the beast circles around Garnult trying to get closer to the tiefling!
Lysander is able to stab the beast as it re-positions going after Akmenos!
Round 2
Uilisfuen
Akmenos
Garnult
Cererithil
Lysander
Clockwork Hound - 7 damage taken
Party is up!
Akmenos hurriedly withdraws.
With the beast practically surrounded by his companions, Uilisfuen knows he must either move to a better location or be extra careful with his timing. Moving down the corridor isn’t too feasible at this point, so he spends a few moments watching the fight’s rhythm before releasing another arrow.
"Hold it back!" Lysander calls out, slamming his sword into the thing again.
Another Arrow flies forth from Cererith.
Attack with Sneak Attack for
If Garnult can move to flank with Lysander he will do so!
What ya think I'm doin elf!
Garnult connects with his warhammer, slamming into the metal hound!
From within the room, the metallic beast's tongue again lashes out, this time at Cererithil, but the elf narrowly avoids it!
*miss*
Round 3
Uilisfuen
Akmenos
Garnult
Cererithil
Lysander
Clockwork Hound - 13 damage taken
Party up!
Uilisufuen takes a calming breath as he sees another of his arrows harmlessly clatter away from the beast’s side. This time, he thinks, clearing his mind of doubts and fear. He pulls back another arrows then fires.
Garnult continues attacking the snake from his advantageous position
Evoking another bolt of fire, Akmenos fires back into the action.
Lysander also strikes the hound, enjoying the benefits of flanking with Garnult.
The hound's luck takes a turn for the worse and it takes a beating from everyone!
Clockwork Hound - 43 damage taken
Cererithil is up for Round 3!
Cererithil fires at the beast, and the force of the arrow sinks it solidly into the metal monstrosity!
*hit*
The beast turns it's head back around toward Garnult and Lysander, snapping at the dwarf with it's mechanical jaws but misses!
*miss*
Round 4
Uilisfuen
Akmenos
Garnult
Cererithil
Lysander
Clockwork Hound - 53 damage taken
All PCs may act!
Akmenos continues an arcane barrage!
Uilisfuen nods in satisfaction as he finally hits the metallic beast. Another and another, he thinks. Calmly despite the battle frenzy in my heart. His fingers snag the next arrow between the fletching. The bow bends and then the arrow flies.
Lysander grunts and slams his sword into the metal monstrosity once again, hoping to bring down the hound before it manages to harm anyone.
It's gotta go down soon! Garnult says
Cererithil shoots it.
for and sneak attack damage.
The metal hound takes quite a beating as metal bits fly off and a few springs and gears clatter to the floor!
Leaking a black, vicsous fluid a loud metallic grinding sound echos in the room as the beast launches it's tongue out at the dwarf, tripping him and knocking the dwarf prone!
*hit*
vs. DC 13 *fail*
Round 5
Uilisfuen
Akmenos
Garnult
Cererithil
Lysander
Clockwork Hound - 80 damage taken
All PCs may act!
Through the doorway, Uilisfuen sees Garnult fall to the ground. ”Garnult!” he calls out, unsure if the dwarf is still living. He moves ten feet closer and tenses for a moment. The blur of an arrow from his bow. ”I can charge it if necessary.”
fire damage
Uilisfuen's quick arrow shatters on the door frame instead of hitting his target, but Akmenos takes a certain pride in catching the clockwork in his fire bolt again as he watches the beast collapse in a smoking, unmoving heap!
The angled northwestern wall of this room is a mosaic depicting numerous different kinds of plants and animals, most of which are immediately recognizable to the characters. The central figure in the mosaic is a dark, human-like figure that was once carrying something, but the glass tiles of the carried object have all been broken away, revealing the plaster behind them. Wet plaster has given way in several other places, most of which are near the ceiling. There is nothing otherwise unusual about the mosaic itself.
Gah! Garnult cries out as he crashes to the floor.
Then the wizard kills the creature and Garnult grumbles
Good Job
Before healing himself
Uilisfuen attempts to retrieve any undamaged arrows from the fight. He isn’t confident there will be many since the creature was made of metal. ”I’m glad you’re better Garnult. Was this a dwarven creation?”
The mosaic holds his attention for a few minutes. The elf admires the work even in the monochrome of darkvision. "This damage seems specific for some reason. Should we know who this figure is?"
Maybe some light? There may be a clue in its colour
S'not Dwarven make, far as I can tell... Garnult says eyeing the remains. Some gnomish madman....or a wizard.
The person depicted in the mosaic is likely a Mwangi tribesman, he could be from the nearby Tomizenj tribe or another older tribe it is difficult to know for sure.
Cererithil heads south, leading the way.
Uilisfuen is the tail of the group, paying special attention to any sounds coming from behind them. Sometimes their footsteps’ echoes required a pause to make sure the noise was only an echo. If the Tomizenj made this or part of this...it is more sophisticated than I thought they were capable of.
Akmenos lingers to check his reference book of Rappan Athuk lore to try and see if he knows the central figure. If not, he just writes a few notes and moves on.
Diego hangs out on the ceiling behind the group to keep an eye on our tail.
Lysander stands by, keeping an eye on the mosaic but also looking out for danger, as always.
This room is decorated with tapestries, although anyone looking at them immediately realizes that the rough cloth and crude sewing makes them worthless. The tapestries depict the outside of the dungeon—the demon-mouth which conceals the stairway down into this level. Around the demon-mouth, a battle appears to be raging between a small group of (presumably) Tomizenj archers and a larger force made up of ogres, who are led by three pale skinned, black-robed figures wearing helmets decorated with curling ram’s horns. These leaders are apparently human, and each one carries a mace topped with a metal skull.
Akmenos spends some time checking for references that may help identify the man in the damaged mosaic. While nothing specifically jumps out at him, he does understand that the Tomizenj tribes have fought against the evil brought here and struggle to help keep it in the ground. This could be a depiction of Ghana Njanu or his son Ghana Solongo who were key chiefs during that time.
Garnult grunts Eh. Looks like ogres...bigger they are, well you know the rest.
Akmenos scribbles notes and updates his study of the cloth, checking the material construction and color choice to estimate how they have been made. These are worthless but if they were in better condition it would be an impressive antique!
These appear to be around the time of Ghana Njanu or Ghana Solongo, battling the dungeon to keep the evil beaten back. All this history is so interesting!
Human civilisation and history means little to me. Apart from the possible presence of ogres, what other information does it impart?
Uilisfuen studies the tapestries. ”The humans are some of our tribe’s enemies. I try to know all I can about them. Akemenos, I’ve heard of Ghana Njanu and Ghana Solongo. So this is a memorial to the battle. These humans wielding the skull maces look dangerous.”
While Akmenos makes notes, Cererithil notices some scuff marks on the floor just south of where he is standing. After a moment of investigation, he realizes that there is a secret door there with a simple release that appears unlocked and untrapped.
This is a cunning place, wrought with many traps and puzzles - there is a concealed door here!
Cererithil opens the door.
It appears to open into a hallway...that runs a little west before turning south, or runs a little south before turning east. Cererithil takes quick, stealthy peeks around both corners to try and figure out which path is more safe or interesting to follow next.
The western route, turns into a south running hall about 50' long before it turns east again. Just south around the corner in the eastern wall though there is a wooden door.
The souther route, turns into an east running hall at least 60' long past the limits of your darkvision. About 35' down, in the north wall there is a wooden door.
Cererithil points silently to the south and moves stealthy in that direction, before following the corridor east. He checks the door over carefully.
After reviewing the tapestries, Akmenos sees the party moving through the secret door and decides to send Diego out to scout the areas we are leaving keeping a telepathic eye out behind us.
Uilisfuen maintains his silence as well, as he moves down the corridor. As Cererithil examines the door in the northern wall, he stops at the corner, mostly paying attention behind them in case something is following them.
Garnult puffs along behind as fast as his short stubby legs can maintain.
Why you being so quiet like? Garnult says, in his version of a whisper but is really way too loud
As he moves down the hallway, he sees a second doorway further down in the south wall. Cererithil quietly investigates the door in the northern wall and notices two strange things about it. First, the door has a lock but it is unlocked. Second he can seen three different places on the door where small (less than 1") iron points are seen erupting from the wood of the door. They are near the top and bottom of the western side of the door and along the top edge of the door near the center.
Akmenos' eyes roll up in the back of his head as he takes in Diego's senses and orders the lizard to scout ahead. Passing the door and heading further down the hallway, the lizard turns to the east for another 40' before the hallway turns south. There is some light coming from the room to the south. As the familiar is only about half the distance away from Akmenos as his magic allows, he mentally directs the lizard to continue into the room to investigate the source of the light.
This large room contains three rows of pillars running north to south, leading to two deep bronze fire pits that stand against the south wall. Each fire pit contains a wide bronze bowl ten feet across, and these are both blazing with eerie green flames that rise ten feet into the air, throwing emerald sparks toward the chamber’s arching thirty-foot high ceiling. Both bowls are decorated with leering gargoyle heads around the rims, and have two massive handles at the sides. The pillars in the room are also carved with a multitude of small gargoyles.
Akmenos commands Diego to return to the hallway and wait.There appears to be an important location the other direction... some pillars with gargoyles carved in them with matching braziers tossing out green flame plumes... That might be the better first destination for us.
Agreed and the door looks ominous... those spikes protruding from door either speak to something driving iron through all that wood or possibly a trap. Lead on or have your familiar do so.
Cererithil steps back to allow the lizard past.
Fair enough, Cererithil. Intelligence is key to survival sometimes, Akmenso commands Diego to return and continue down the hall Cererithil started down.