As Garduk takes his time to look through the spells, Brayne happily wanders into the Hall of Mysteries. "Mysteries?! We must explore!" He exclaims with excited curiosity.
As Garduk is disappointed by the lack of 'real' magic in the Hall of Incantation; Brayne wanders into the Hall of Mysteries. This gallery is a collection of unexplained and bizarre curios. A pickled gnoll fetus catches Brayne's eye, as does a series of twelve quartz crystals carved to look like brains supported by frail humanoid bodies. Then he notices a strange robot lurking, hovering; but before he can react a sudden magnetic pulse briefly disorients Brayne.
Sm. Lightning Elemental (aug. summoning, outsider ties) | HP 15+2/15 | AC 14 T 13 FF 12 | Melee Slam +5/+8 vs metal (1d4+3+1d3 electric) | F +5, R +5, W +0 | Speed fly 100', Acrobatics +6 | Init +6 | darkvision 60' | Perc. +5, SM +0
With a thunderous boom and the smell of ozone, a brightly glowing yellow creature -- shaped vaguely like a bird of prey -- appears directly behind the flying robot. Immediately understanding the target, Lenny slams into the robot, discharging electricity on impact.
A stunned Brayne is rooted to the spot. Garduk summons a lightning elemental that misses it's first slam attack. While Kulga hustles to the battle. The robot hovers away from the elemental and attacks Kulga attempting two slams.
NG half-elf Bard 4 | HP 27/27 | AC:17 T:12 FF:15 CMD: 15 | F+3 R+7 W+4*(+2 vs enchant,+1 morale vs charm/fear,+4 vs bard,lang dependent, sonic)| Init +3| Perc +8, SM+14| Speed 30| Bard Perform: 14/17 | Conditions: | Active effects: Inspire Courage
Veres quickly drops her knocked arrow and starts another inspiring song, all while flexing her wrist to release her wand of cure light wounds to her now waiting hand.
She moves closer to Brayne and the others, ready to activate the wand's healing magic as soon as she can.
Brayne soon shakes off the earlier shock. Realizing what had just happened causes something within him to stir up as his nerves pop. Soon, in a fit of rage, Brayne grows slightly larger in size and lashes out at the robot as he becomes his inner monster! "Grawhhh!"
Did my post seem incomplete? It was! In fact I'm surprised it actually posted, Paizo site went down right as I tried to post. I clicked submit and it timed out, then the I got the goblin's in the computers page (maintenance). So I gave up...apparently though my post went through.
So I'll back up to that point and then consider your actions if they still make sense. And it all worked out thanks to the crit.
One of the slams hits Kulga, it tries to grab her with its pincher claws, which it does, pulling the dwarf closer, a small arm with a pointed end begins to move toward Kulga.
Veres advances providing an inspiring tune and readies her wand. Brayne shifts into a flank with the grappled Kulga and launches an assault. The first claw and bite hit, but have difficulty cutting into the tough metal of the robot; but the third claw finds a weak point and rips through, leaving circuits sparking. The robot suddenly drops Kulga and seems to pause, as if stunned.
Kulga wastes no time, and the slash of the axe finds the same weak point. The robot collapses to the ground.
Combat over
Brayne 15 non-lethal dmg
Kulga 4 dmg
Well that crit really made that a cake walk...they are vulnerable to crits and have to make a fort or are stunned.
After the battle you see some of the other things in the Hall of Mysteries like a colorful folded manual brought back from an empire across the Arcadian Ocean and a clockwork device with no apparent useful function, among other oddities. But none of them are magical or particularly useful.
Upstairs then? @Garduk - sorry your lightning elemental didn't get to do more.
Me too! I figured a flying robot with a stun ray would be harder to kill than it was. Lenny should still have 28 rounds to stick with us, so maybe he’ll still be around when the next combat starts. If not, then lesson learned.
Garduk and the lightning elemental look at each other and shrug. I really need to take a few days to learn Auran, Garduk thinks. He motions for the elemental to follow behind him as they head upstairs.
I was under the impression this would be as hard as those we first met as well!
Brayne shrinks back to normal and shrugs (as well) as the flying golem crashes and burns. "Huh, I really thought that these creature would be much tougher. How odd." He kicks it a few times to be sure.
CLW x 2:2d8 + 2 ⇒ (2, 5) + 2 = 9To heal some of that NL Damage
The sights in the hall disappoint Brayne, but not enough to stop him from exploring this place. "Well, to the top then!"
Upstairs it is! If I can I would stealth scout it!
@Brayne you only need 1 wand charge as any healing heals ALL non-lethal.
Feel free to retcon heal to Kulga
Going to say 1 round for healing and 5 rounds to reach 3rd floor, so 22 rounds of Lenny left.
If you wanted to do any more buffing before entering the room on the 3rd floor you can post that, tick off any additional rounds.
-----------------
You heal up and hustle to the 3rd floor. Brayne scouts ahead and reaches a closed door at the top, after quietly opening the door at the top of the stairs. You find a mosaic of the night sky and winter constellations covers the domed ceiling of this circular chamber. Rich embellishments fill the walls, and a plush carpet covers the floor. Heavy antique furniture has been overturned or broken, much of it incorporated into a series of sparking devices.
A gearsman stands guarding a strange creature. While looking humanoid it's covered in strange technology and seems pained as if every inch of its existence was causing it to hurt. It seems to have transformed the room into some kind of a makeshift workspace. It clear the gearsman has spotted you as he was fixed directly on the door, as you enter it raises and electrifies its spear.
Great stealth roll, but the gearsman was staring at the door, so no way he could miss it opening.
There's no doubt in Garduk's mind, this is Pendleton, Nigel's nephew. And the silvery goo has infested him, like a parasite, transforming him into a part human, part construct monstrosity. He's seen how parasites work in his arcane studies, and in some case the host can be saved, in others it can't.
As for the machinery, that's less clear, but the way things are arranged Garduk almost wonders if it is some sort of communications device.
If there is time Brayne will cast Bless and Divine Favour. Also will use a swift action to activate Boon 'Mantle of the Black Raider' which gives me +1 strength for 1 min. If there is no time, Divine Favour would not have been casted.
"Another one of them?" Brayne notes in a worrying manner. Concerned how the first struggle went, Brayne calls upon as many "divine" interventions as possible. "We'd be prepared this time!"
NG half-elf Bard 4 | HP 27/27 | AC:17 T:12 FF:15 CMD: 15 | F+3 R+7 W+4*(+2 vs enchant,+1 morale vs charm/fear,+4 vs bard,lang dependent, sonic)| Init +3| Perc +8, SM+14| Speed 30| Bard Perform: 14/17 | Conditions: | Active effects: Inspire Courage
No pre-combat buffs from Veres, as she wouldn't start a song until she knows there is a threat. I'll wait till it's her turn in initiative to post an action.
Nodding to Kulga, Garduk murmurs, "Yours and the elemental's, I think. At a minimum, you should have a 'flanking buddy' who isn't me."
He then asks the group, "What about Pendleton? Do we try to subdue him, in case whatever has been done to him can be undone?"
He draws his wand of magic missile, tucks his box of combat scrolls under his arm, and lays down his pack near the top of the stairs so that he can move quickly if needed.
Female Dwarf LN Slayer 7| HP 67/67 | AC 25(26), T 13, FF 24 CMD 25 | F +9(12), R +8(11), W +5(8) | Init +3 | Perc +12 | SM +12 |
Kulga nods, We should probably spare the boy. No need to enrage the Blakroses. Then, sounding as though she's pulling on something very heavy she adds, And your elemental's help would be acceptable.
Garduk points to Lenny, then to the robot, then traces a path in the air from Lenny to the robot around the edge of the room, indicating the elemental should attack the gearsman from the far side to allow Kulga to charge it if that is her plan (flight path shown with yellow dotted line). He cannot speak Auran (yet), but hopes he gets the message across.
If the concept is just too complicated, I think Lenny would simply attack the gearsman from the most direct route instead, so his rolls will be the same.
If he still has a standard action left:
Garduk quickly dips his hand into his component pouch and pulls out another square of waxed paper smeared with old butter and rubs it between his fingers. He growls "Sleppa og renna!" and the gearsman's spear shimmers and drips with an oleaginous coat of grease.
Sm. Lightning Elemental (aug. summoning, outsider ties) | HP 15+2/15 | AC 14 T 13 FF 12 | Melee Slam +5/+8 vs metal (1d4+3+1d3 electric) | F +5, R +5, W +0 | Speed fly 100', Acrobatics +6 | Init +6 | darkvision 60' | Perc. +5, SM +0
Sparking with electricity and rumbling with the sound of thunder, Lenny flies at the robot.
Kulga charges in landing a solid blow against the gearsman, it does take long for her to remember just how thick there armor is. Lenny flies around the room and attempts to slam the robot, but misses. Garduk casts grease on the lightning spear, but the gearsman holds onto it. Brayne joins the fight but also misses his attack.
The gearsman steps away from the lightning elemental and attacks Kulga, jabbing the dwarven princess. While Pendleton also advances, seemingly also away from the lightning elemental and instead slams into Brayne.
Brayne roars as he transforms himself into his inner demon! He seemingly ignores Pendleton and unleashes a flurry of wild and aggressive attacks on the gearsman.
NG half-elf Bard 4 | HP 27/27 | AC:17 T:12 FF:15 CMD: 15 | F+3 R+7 W+4*(+2 vs enchant,+1 morale vs charm/fear,+4 vs bard,lang dependent, sonic)| Init +3| Perc +8, SM+14| Speed 30| Bard Perform: 14/17 | Conditions: | Active effects: Inspire Courage
Veres warns, ”Be careful of the boy! That thing took him over in just moments from all accounts!”
With her strong voice filled with promise and hope, Veres begins another uplifting song. She inches closer to the battle, some strategy in mind for the coming moments.
Any actions in round 2 that have already been posted should have +1 to hit and damage added in from Inspire Courage.
Sm. Lightning Elemental (aug. summoning, outsider ties) | HP 15+2/15 | AC 14 T 13 FF 12 | Melee Slam +5/+8 vs metal (1d4+3+1d3 electric) | F +5, R +5, W +0 | Speed fly 100', Acrobatics +6 | Init +6 | darkvision 60' | Perc. +5, SM +0
The lightning elemental flies after the gearsman and tries again to slam into it.
Garduk moves around the edge of the circular chamber to get closer to the thing that once was Pendleton. Keeping a table and chairs between him and the transformed youth, he hunches over to maximize its meager cover. Garduk pulls a fist full of colored sand out of his pouch, barks out a few arcane syllables, and blows the sand at the pitiable creature next to the robot.
"Värisuihku!"
Casting Color Spray, DC 15 Will save, angling the effect to avoid Brayne, which means it won't affect the robot either, but I suspect it's immune.
Female Dwarf LN Slayer 7| HP 67/67 | AC 25(26), T 13, FF 24 CMD 25 | F +9(12), R +8(11), W +5(8) | Init +3 | Perc +12 | SM +12 |
If possible, I'd really love to be able to stick in a flank against the Gearsman guys. Kulga might want to do it alone, but I know how sneak attacks work when you can't get a flank!
Kulga moves into the middle of the fray slamming her shield into Pendleton in an effort to clear him out of the way before smashing her axe into the gearsman's chest.
Sm. Lightning Elemental (aug. summoning, outsider ties) | HP 15+2/15 | AC 14 T 13 FF 12 | Melee Slam +5/+8 vs metal (1d4+3+1d3 electric) | F +5, R +5, W +0 | Speed fly 100', Acrobatics +6 | Init +6 | darkvision 60' | Perc. +5, SM +0
Veres again starts up a lovely and inspiring song. As Kulga attempts to brush aside Pendleton, but he agilely sidesteps the attack, but nevertheless her axe slashes through the robot. Garduk launches a color spray at Pendleton, he stops a stunned blinking across his robotic face.
Lenny lands his slam and arcs pop on the gearsman as the electricity seems to somewhat overload its circuits. Brayne goes to another place, attacking wildly, he hits with a bite and a claw that seem to do damage.
The gearsman responds with another step away from the elemental and another spear attack on Kulga, but misses.
Sm. Lightning Elemental (aug. summoning, outsider ties) | HP 15+2/15 | AC 14 T 13 FF 12 | Melee Slam +5/+8 vs metal (1d4+3+1d3 electric) | F +5, R +5, W +0 | Speed fly 100', Acrobatics +6 | Init +6 | darkvision 60' | Perc. +5, SM +0
Moved Lenny adjacent to the robot, flanking with where Kulga is now. He will not take the flanking bonus on the assumption that he got there first so that Kulga could flank.
Sparks spraying around it, the lightning elemental again flies after the gearsman and attempts slam into it.
Garduk takes a cautious five-foot step over to Brayne and rummages through his backpack while the other half-orc catches his breath. Pulling out the rope, he begins to very, very carefully tying up Pendleton.
Lenny moves into a flank with Kulga, but misses its slam attack. Kulga, bolstered by the elemental ally, connects with axe and shield leaving the robot looking badly damaged. Brayne attacks the stunned and blinded Pendleton; a bite and a claw hit, and as he raises the second claw to attack, Pendleton collapses. Garduk retrieves Brayne's rope and begins to tie up him up.
I figured I would need a crit to be able to do enough damage to even mark the thing, so I switched to the rapier, but it doesn't look like I managed it this round. I also wanted to get into melee in case Lenny went down so I could still offer a flank for Kulga.
Veres joins the fray attacking with her rapier and while she hits the gearsman it can't pierce the tough hull.
The gearsman seems to stop entirely, tiny silvery bugs pour out from inside it, repairing some of the damage you have inflicted on it. But more disturbingly, as Garduk begins to bind Pendleton, silvery goo pours out of every orifice, it quickly forms into a giant silvery goo puddle that swarms over the top of Brayne and Garduk, it pinches as you might expect thousands of fire ants might.
