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Vivian looks around agast. "Where.. what the hell.. it came back? We're too encumbered! Retreat if you need to unload, otherwise hold fast and defend! We can't rush into it's trap this time, first we need to flush it out."
Vivian drops her heavy bundle of new gear and and readies her new, gorgeous Adamantine great sword.
Bel almost smiles as Gad speaks
"I think I know what your talking about Gad, it is not my way but I see now that it may be yours.
With no more words he hold out the sceptre for Gad.
Unless something else happens, Gad will accept the rod with a dark-faced nod of thanks.
"Everybody step back a bit. While I feel you should be fine, I don't want to step on you by accident."
He then activates the Elemental Form ability of the rod and turns into a Huge sized Fire elemental, leaping suddenly into the pit of coins feet first!
A lightning bolt bursts from the pit as the Naga finally reveals itself, the shock of Gad'larr's transformation bringing it out, ready to fight.
Literally twisting in midair to avoid the lightning attack, like some sort of dancing bonfire, Gad immediately jumps upon the now smaller naga.
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Flurry!
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Iterative
-Includes Dragon Style!
The Naga screeches as she is hit by Gad'larr's furious attack, scales charring and beginning to flake off. She snaps at the roaring inferno in an attempt to slow Gad down.
Brezik pulls his axe drops his metal laden pack and raises his axe in preparation to jump into the pit. Then Gad changed forms and layed into the naga....
The dwarf lowered his axe and leaned on it watching...
It looks like he may not need us for this one.
Instead of jumping into the fray the dwarf tucks into his dwindling supply of snacks. He pulls out some sweet bread that has obviously been smashed but was otherwise still fine to eat. He began to enjoy his snack watching the fight ready to jump in if needed.
"FURY! FIRE! YOU WILL BURNNNNN!!...GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Flurry!
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Iterative
-Includes Dragon Style!
The Naga sways back and forth, only being hit by Gad'larr once before hissing sibilant arcane words, while avoiding his blows.
It keeps the spell and laughs once more as its form blurs again.
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Flurry!
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Iterative
-Includes Dragon Style!
The Naga's form shifts and jumps before Gad's firey eyes, opening him up to another assault.
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Flurry!
-Includes Dragon Style!
+ Iterative
-Includes Dragon Style!
As Gad seemingly erupted into flame, Qina froze. Something inside shrieked, it hissed with fury and screamed with rage and Qina suddenly felt cold, colder than she had ever felt before. Some part of her knew Gad was in there, part of that giant, living flame, but she could not accept it.
She staggered backward into the previous room and leaned again the wall. Her breathing was ragged and the cold within her struggled against the heat around her. She was scared and she could feel her heart racing.
Gad'larr's firey form crashes into the Naga, flames flowing around fists and feet and striking fast enough that even its magic cannot protect it. It finally falls and disappears once more.
Seeing the creature's demise, Gad climbs out the other side and quickly looks to see if the dragon has gotten up again too...
"We need to get rid of this thing. Its evil."
As Gad battled the Naga, Brezik just sat back and watched a big grin on his face as he took big bites out of his flattened sweetbread. As Gad finished off the creature Brezik struck Allister on the shoulder with a meaty fist.
Hahaha... Allister you ever seen anything....
The dwarf trails off mid sentence as he turns around to look at his friends and sees Qina in the other room. He drops the last two bites of his sweetbread on the ground and takes a couple steps owards her.
Qina... are you okay?
"I...I don't know. I don't think so. I'm scared. Some...thing, wanted me to kill Gad. It's like he's fire and I'm ice and I don't know. When he turned to fire, I don't know. I felt scared and threatened and wanted to hurt him but I didn't have much magic left and just had to leave. What's wrong with me?" Qina asked, sitting in the sweltering heat and shivering.
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Vivian errupts into hooping and hollaring that is much at contrast to Qina and Brezik's moods. "Whooooo! Gad have you been holding out on us?! I've never seen anything like that!" she calls across the chasm as her claps echo in the room.
She then picks up her bundle and climbs down the ladder, crosses the coins, then climbs up the other side. Vivian stops there to catch her breath for a moment and realizes something is may be the matter with Brezik or Qina. "Are you two alright?" She calls out to them, feeling like she missed something.
Gad looks in Vivan's eyes.
"It's the Artifact's power. We NEED to destroy this thing. It's EVIL. It keeps talking in my head. Praising its creator. Even when I'm not touching it anymore."
Gad shakes his head as if to clear it.
"It won't STOP. I'm still in control, but if it doesn't stop...I...could go insane I fear."
Looking outside the bones of the dragon are still where you left them in pieces.
Brezik walks up to Qina, gently places a hand on her shoulder and takes a knee so that his eyes are on the same level as hers. He takes a long look at her trying to understand what she's going through her mind. It's obvious to him that something out of the ordinary is going on but he doesn't begin to understand how it's effecting her. In the end he puts on a toothy smile to hide any of his own doubts and fears and does his best to support her.
You're talking Crazy Qina. Iv'e known you a long time and I have never met a person as nice as you. Besides Gad is right. The Artifact is evil and is trying to mess with us... And don't you dare forget that no matter what you go through... you'll not have to face it alone if I have anything to say about it. Now what do you say about helping Gad find a nice deep pool of molten gold to throw that thing into so no one will ever see it agin?
Qina nodded. "Thanks Brezik. I guess this place is starting to get to me too. Let's destroy that thing so we can get out of here."
Taking Brezik's hand, Qina pulled herself up and away from the wall. She gave Brezik a big hug before moving to leave the room and catch up with the others.
"WE'RE COMING CAPTAIN" she shouted.
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Vivian grasps Gad's shoulder and squares up to meet his eyes. "We will destroy it and get off this cursed island. This thing can't infect anyone else. Do we think the molted gold is enough to destroy it though?"
When Qina calls out Vivian turns and raises her hand in a salute. She moves from Gad and helps with raising the new gear up onto the exiting platform.
Bel, having assisted in getting the materials across, approaches Gad.
"I hear the voice still too. But I don't think a mere pool of gold is enough. The Tyrant King was not a simple mind, nor one without power."
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"Even if molten gold doesn't ruin that thing, it should do well enough to keep anyone else from finding it or using it again, right?"
Allister thinks with blank eyes for a few moments about what he said.
"I would be more comfortable if it were destroyed, though... I can try to throw it at the ground real hard?"
Gad's head falls onto his chin as he contemplates.
"I get the...feeling this thing would find its way back to someone's hand somehow....eventually. We could put it back in the center of this trap-filled maze of gold. My guess is that is what Kessen did originally when he came here. We could then destroy the keys! Nobody short of a god or the lich-king himself could open the gate again then. What do you think?"
The lich-king himself...
"Exactly!"
The outburst sounds strange coming from Bel's normally subdued mouth.
"Tar-Baphon left this thing here in his city of gold, that one day he would return to claim it. We cannot leave it here for him to find. Too many of us died to lay him low the first time. I will not lose you all again!..."
Bel trails off, not really understanding his own words.
The city is quiet as you head back down the path, only the occasional gurgling comes from the molten rivers of gold. You know where the traps are placed and avoid sending more fire elementals after you. It is hard to imagine this entire city will be flooded with molten gold in a little less than 2 days.
As the group moves through the city Brezik munches on some dried fruit trying to keep a positive air., but his thoughts keep returning to the strange scepter the party has and it’s possible effects on his allies. For him it’s a constant battle just to keep positive. Then as the group passes to the outermost ring a thought comes to the dwarf.
Hey.... Do we want to rest before we head back to the beach? We did leave a bunch of unconscious lizard men who may decide to take another run at us not to. Mention all the random warped creatures on the island. It might be safer to just choose a building and bunker down for a rest so that we can be better prepared for what may come.
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"That storm can be exhausting as well." Vivian comments in agreement with Brezik as she remembers the swirling chaos outside. "We have some time in her too before the flood."
Assuming no one objects, Vivian scans the area for a easily defend-able place to camp that's out of the way. Once something adequate is found, she sets down her overburdened pack and stretches her back. "I can take first or last, doesn't matter to me."
Once a suitable rest area is found, Gad'larr will try and get his two hours of rest ASAP if he can force out the voice long enough to do so.
Qina barely spoke as they marched along. She was silent even as they discussed staying on the island longer. Her eyes rarely strayed from staring at the ground and she constant!y kept someone between herself and Gad.
Once camp was set, she quietly made her way to Brezik's pack in search of her cooking supplies. She set about slicing up some carrots and a potato, and mixing them with some beans that she really couldn't remember where they had come from. She scrounged around and found oranges in her magical bag and tossed those into the pot after skinning them too. She mixed it all together for longer than she realized. She managed to warm the pot with the little magic she had left, the result more of a porridge than a stew. Still, it was better than hard tack and bread.
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At their makeshift camp, Allister realized quickly just how hungry and tired he was. As Qina cooked he found himself hovering, and would steal bits and pieces whenever she wasn't looking before the meal was finished.
The warm food was so good that the young paladin found himself nodding off while he still clutched the empty bowl, and was snoring not long after.
The 'night' in the ruins passes by quickly. For lack of a better option the group heaves the scepter, ruby and all, into the molten gold. Comparing the level of the gold in the channel to where it was yesterday, it is noticeably higher. In less than a day everything will be covered in molten gold, and it is probably best to leave now.
Stepping outside the gate feels good, great actually. It's like an oppressive weight has been lifted from your shoulders, your enemies defeated, your quest completed, all that is left to do is return what was stolen. Shifting shoulders and stretching you start to notice something...there's no distinctive clank when Al and Vivian step, no gentle jangle of chain from anyone as you walk.
You examine yourselves and find all of your new gear has been magic'd away from you somehow. Turning and looking back at the gates you see your pile of gear there, sitting as it was when it was first summoned. Along with it are large and small chunks of gold, looking like they flaked off of pieces of artwork.
Gad'larr's necklace of dragon scales looks different. Pulling it out, everyone can see that it is actually blue dragon scales, rather than the gold you thought previously. It appears it was covered in a thin gold film, probably from the molten gold flows in the city.
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Vivian sighs as what was too good to be true comes to an end. She looks back at the door to the City, much relaxed with the weight of the loot gone but now shouldering a new load of broken dreams. "I'm, not surprised I guess.. Kassen, we'll still build it.. I can see how this trap works now. With such promises, Tar-Baphon entraps with greed and then buries with gold." She then looks to Al and worries a bit, "You need to let it go, soldier. The Dawn Guard isn't wealth, it's Justice. I remember what you've said of the Order, 'Defend the defenseless. Be the light in the darkness. Destroy Evil.' You will rise dressed in plate again, as I will still build my school. This Wizard is dead, we can't let him haunt us and still win from beyond the grave."