Bhookaaj quickly figures out the clockwork mechanism indeed controls the crossbows. There is a brief moment where crossbow spin wildly as Bhookaaj manipulates the wrong control, and a pair of bolts fire and bounce harmlessly off the ceiling. Then the correct controls are accessed and the crossbows slide back into their place in the walls.
"Ugh! That was painful!
"Thanks for the healing, Lorelel!"
"You're welcome Bhoo."
Lorelei looks at both doors. "Let's hope that those crossbows were the only traps on these doors and see what lies behind them."
"Impressive that these traps are still functional after all those centuries... Are were they installed recently?" Valdern ponders about it while walking toward the left door. Once next to it, he signals at Rhyfedd to go ahead. The phatom stand in front of the door and then slowly phase through it, leave a white ectoplastic shape of himself on the door.
When, on the other side, Rhyfedd looks around while staying next to the door. Whether he sees anything or not, he crosses back to where the group is.
Bhookaaj moves to the door on the west and checks for any traps and locks and such...
Bhookaaj finds no traps or locks on the doors.
Rhyfedd finds that the next room is some kind of workshop, based on the table covered in tools and mechanical parts. working at the table are a pair of what appears to be metal clockwork humans. They turn and speak to him in a language he doesn't understand, presumably Azlanti.
"The works of the ancients can endure surprisingly well," Elia said, "It can be a combination of craftsmanship and protective magics acting to preserve them."
"That said, working traps generally imply someone is maintaining them."
”Yeah...” Ebirah let out in agreement with Elia. He wasn’t all that happy with them having to contend with a tower full of traps.
Bhookaaj cautiously opens the door he's in front of.
Bhookaaj opens the door to find a workshop of some kind. There is a table full of tools and mechanical parts, but between the door and the table stand two people that appear to be made out of metal. They assume aggressive postures and speak in Azlanti, their voices mechanical and unpleasant.
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Bhookaaj tries talking to the constructs in a reasonable tone:
« কোন অনুমোদিত কর্মী নেই! »
« যারা এই জায়গা সম্পর্কে জানেন তারা সবাই হাজার হাজার বছর আগে মারা গেছেন! »
"Everybody who knew about this place died thousands of years ago!"
Lorelei responds back in Azlanti with Bhoo.
To the group: "They are not happy to see us and called us trespassers. Try not to look aggressive, but be ready."
Bhookaaj addresses the constructs
« আপনি অনেক ধরনের, অনেক ধন্যবাদ! »
Then quickly and quietly and closes the door.
"They told us there are four authorized personnel here!
"Which means there are probably other things here too."
"Did they say if the 'authorized personal' were alive? or living to begin with?" Ebirah asks the Udnines.
"They didn't say, and I wasn't too keen to ask.
"But I assume they don't leave the rooms they're in.
"I don't know how else they wouldn't know about the Skum in here."
Ebirah nods. ”I doubt they’d be the ‘authorized personnel’.”
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"You know, there are some forms of undead that could have lasted this long. Or the authorized personnel could some form of more advanced construct the the ones we've met. Or perhaps even some being we have never seen or heard of before. I also sincerely hope that they don't have four desiccated corpses propped up in some chairs that they still pretend to talk to......"
"Can construct go insane?"
"I don't know that authorised personnel need be immortal," Elia pointed out, "You might be considered authorised based on some talisman, emblem or - judging from the murals - a fancy ioun stone."
"There are any number of possibilities, the end result of which is that we could be dealing with newcomers who have done their research."
"Can construct go insane?"
"Well if they can think, then yeah, probably?" Ebirah replies.
Ebirah thinks for a moment before his eyes widen and his pupils dilate, before promptly returning to normal proportions. "Wait! Those looked like they had a lot of clockwork to them, right? You have to wind those up every now and then to keep them going. There's definitely someone or something else here."
"Maybe that's what Eliza found?"
"I wonder if Eliza was dealt with for being unauthorized?"
The other door also opens to what appears to be another workstation, but one for stone and gemcutting, and one with a somewhat different layout. Inside is another pair of skum with tridents. Unlike the constructs the skum make no attempt at diplomacy and immediately attack with their tridents.
Bhookaaj holds his action for now.
Being greeted by more Skum Ebirah reflexively hacks at its face before crouching.
With Ebirah blocking the door, Elia's options were somewhat limited. Still, she could at least provide some protection, which she did, gathering up a protective ward to help shield those around her.
Stuck in the back, Lorelei gives a suggestion: "Back up and let the Skum come out of the door one a time so that we can surround each and take them out."
The first skum staggers back from Ebirah's fearsome slash but somehow remains standing. It responds with a strong stab from its trident, hitting Ebirah in the shoulder.
The small passageway proves to be something of a double-edged sword, as the second skum is unable to do anything but stand and watch.
"Okay!" Ebirah replies as he back up, taking a parting swing as he does.
Valdern tries to use the reach of his spear to attack the skum, but fail horribly. Rhyfedd, anxious to get into battle, once again phases through the wall in the hope of flanking the Skums.
After consideration, not wanting to block anyone's path or risk starting fires, Elia opted to bedevil and distract the skum, sending a firework shooting at the rear one's face.
After consideration, not wanting to block anyone's path or risk starting fires, Elia opted to bedevil and distract the skum, sending a firework shooting at the rear one's face.
Bhookaaj decides on the bold approach; he dives into the door and tries tumbling through the room to get behind the second skum:
Don't know if Bhookaaj would be allowed to make an attack on top of all that.
But, if he is:
Lorelei hangs back, weapon at the ready, waiting for an opening to attack some Skum.
The first skum sidesteps Ebirah's swing, leaving an opening Bhookaaj to slip past. The skum ignores the nimble undine and instead steps forward to stab Ebirah again with its weapon, pulling him into to attack with its claws. The second avoids Elia's firework and manages to score a hit on Bhookaaj with its trident.
Ebirah snarls as he swings back at the Skum.
Still in the back, Lorelei selectively channels to help her injured friends.
Thankful for Lorelel's healing, Bhookaaj takes a 5 ft step (diagonal) and tries hitting back at the skum he's fighting:
Ebirah's stroke fells the first skum.
Her first effort having had limited effect, Elia decided on a more forceful approach, charging her hands with electricity before stepping up to the remaining skum and zapping it.
With his spear firmly in hand, Valdern stabs at the skum. This time the spear strike true. The sharp tip finds a weak spot in the skum armor and dig deep into its flesh.
On the other side of the room, Rhyfedd walks through the door, only to find his path to the creature blocked again.
Valdern's spear runs the skum through, killing it in an instant.