The narrow crevasse runs for about 60' into the dark walls of the underground cavern, then ends surprisingly in a pair of well-crafted stone double-doors.
There are no traps and no sounds heard from the far side of the doors, so the group tries to open them, but is stymied as the doors are locked and held fast.
After several attempts to pound on the door, Orovan finally strikes it just right, and the lock snaps, opening the door. From within, an inky blackness pours out enveloping the heroes and dimming their light sources to non-existent. Even Orovan's natural darkvision does not penetrate this stygian cloud of darkness.
From inside the new room, low moans of pain emanate, but no one can make out the source.
While fumbling around in the inky blackness, Bernard feels the breeze go past, and realizes he just missed being stabbed by something moving around in the darkness.
Fight in the Dark - Round 1
16 Silverback
13 Bernard
12 Ruinor
10 Max
9 Orovan
6 Zoathrias
Fight in the Dark - Round 1 - continued
Silverback may move slow, but in this case he purposefully delays to allow Orovan to reveal the appartus light source, hopefully thereby illuninating their uninvited friend.
Under attack and unable to wait, Bernard steps back and fires his crossbow at the spot he thinks his attackers stands, but not surprisingly, the shot misses.
Fight in the Dark - Round 1 - continued
As Silverback and Ruinor wait for Orovan to bring light to the situation, Maximilan breaks out more verse, and while a bit tacky, it does inspire his allies to do more damage with weapons once they can see.
Orovan sets down the portable appartus and uncovers, but instead of the expected brillant white light, it only gives off a dim glow. The pale light is still enough to make out some features of the room.
Though naturally formed, the walls and floors of this room are secrured and reinforced with additional construction. It appears as though these newer structures were recently partially torn down. At the chamber's center lies a crude and massive machine-like device. It consists of a large stone and iron tank fitted on a crossbar to a disc plated with reflective metals. Strings and cables, threaded through the device in intricate cat's cradles, secure delicate and precisely oriented refractive devices. Bound by rope atop this device is a middle-aged man, who has been stripped to the waist. Protruding from his head, face, neck and chest are dozens of sharp, crystal-like shunts all filled with a green liquid. The man writhes in enormous pain, uncontrollable moans escaping him.
Near where Bernard stands, a single robed figure, tall and extraordinarily thin, with a hood over his face, stands with a pair of short-bladed swords that drip with black, oozing fluid. The figure puts his arm up to cover his eyes from even the dim light.
|
In the dim light, Silverback has a moment of clarity as he observes the creature.
"A dark stalker...the overgrown cousin of the treacherous creature we fought above. Watch for its slowing poison, and an annoying tendency to explode when slain, almost like a fireball! Take care!"
The ancient lorekeeper levels his wand of burning disarm at the creature, hoping it will drop one of the poisoned blades.
|
Trying to make out the creature and fearing what he could do in the current situation, Ruinor feels emboldened to help the group and begins casting a spell as he steps up next to Bernard. Extending his hands, a rainbow of colors emanates in a cone towards the stalker.
Blinded & stunned for then stunned for another rd.
Fight in the Dark - Round 1 - concluded
Recognizing the foe, Silverback shares the pertinent info with his colleagues then draws out a wand that sends a burst of heat at the main-hand weapon of the Dark Stalker. The quick-moving foe drops the weapon before it can burn his hand.
Ruinor moves forward and sends a cone of multicolored lights and swirls at the Dark Stalker. The foe pauses for a milisecond looking around spellbound then drops his other weapon, stunned.
The stunned dark stalker cannot act in this round.
Fight in the Dark - Round 2
13 Bernard
10 Max
9 Orovan
16 Silverback
12 Ruinor
6 Zoathrias (stunned, -2 AC, loses Dex bonus, unarmed)
|
Maximilian circles around behind the dark stalker, continuing to chant his song.
"...You feel dull weirdness below the earth
Be wary! The thought has come
clouded hesitant
never meeting
sun on his face..."
He practically spits the word sun at the light-averse creature, additionally punctuating it with a stab of his rapier.
Fight in the Dark - Round 2 - concluded
Seeing the creature stunned, Bernard fires from point blank range, and because the target is stunned, he is able to score a hit, scratching the Creeper slightly.
Circling behind the stunned Dark Stalker and into a flanking position, Max stabs hard at the light-averse creature, wounding it.
Able to see quite clearly now, even in the dim light, Orovan picks up one of the venom-coated blades and then punches the stunned foe with his other hand.
Moving forward, Silverback delivers a gout of flame that fills a cone around the Stalker. Even stunned the foe seems to avoid some of the damage, coming out mostly unscathed.
Stepping across the room and back, Ruinor judges the distance and unleashes jet of flame that envelops the Stalker giving him more low intensity burns.
AS the last of the flames wash over him, the Stalker seems to wake from the dazing effect of the Color Spray. Feeling quite wounded and mostly surrounded, the Stalker steps away from his foes and casts a spell, a cloud of orange-yellow fog enveloping the entire room.
End of Round 2
Fight in the Dark - Round 3
13 Bernard
10 Max
9 Orovan
16 Silverback
12 Ruinor
6 Zoathrias (24hp dmg)
Fight in the Dark - Round 3 - continued
Even in the dim light and facing a foe concealed in fog, Bernard is able to sharpshoot the target, the resounding grunt proof that this missile found the target.
Stepping forward into the fog cloud, Orovan keeps his eyes peeled for the foe, and just as he sees a shadowy form, he strikes out buffeting the stalker once again.
Spraying another cone of fire into the foggy morass, Silverback steers it away from his allies, but hopes to capture the concealed enemy. The stalker ducks below the plane of the flame, taking only a slight charring instead of full on immolation.
Fight in the Dark - Round 3 - concluded
Unable to see much at distance, Maximilian follows the sound of sizzling flesh and gets close enough for a lunge at the shadowy form seen through the thick fog. Unfortunately, the rapier thrust misses connecting with any part of the dark stalker.
His long dark cloak and flesh still burning from Ruinor last jet of flame, the dark stalker cackles above the din of the fight. "You may have defeated me, but I will take a few with me." And with that, a white hot light seems to emanate from the enemy's form, bursting forth in an explosion of fire and heat, as the dark stalker self-immolates, ending the combat.
End of Combat
|
|
Orovan, having been forewarned about the dark stalker's self destruction, covers himself in time to lessen the burns. He still howls as the heat melts the skin on his exposed arms.
"Ah, to the boneyard with you, stupid fire-blooded gutter rat." curses Orovan. "Is everyone okay? Or... alive at least?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
|
Bernard tries, and tries, and tries, but the fire catches him! "Gods damn it!", he complains.
The halfling cleans himself from the ashes and blood, "well... Let's help that man, maybe he can answer some questions", Bernard refers to the man bounded atop the device at the center of the chamber.
"Those crystals protruding from his body seems to hurt a lot. Look at his face! Can someone heal him?", he asks while walks close to the man.
|
|
"Take us where...?!" Silverback responds to the exploding monster, and begins to walk toward the sounds just as it explodes. He walks literally right into it.
"Why didn't you lead it away to explode in some dark corner!" he asks, extremely peeved and crotchety and ignoring the fact that he knew, or at one point knew and then promptly forgot, that it would explode. "I warned you it detonated upon death!"
|
|
Concentrating on another fire jet, Ruinor doesn't really pay attention to what the creature says and steps right into the blast, knocking him to the ground.
"Ugh, that hurts. Can someone give me a hand? I couldn't see what was going on and apparently got too close," he says with a stunned look on his face.
|
|
Orovan moves over and gives a sour look to the wizard. "Well well, looks like Pharasma has a sense of humor. You're still alive." Before he can make a move however, Max heals the fallen wizard. "I was getting to it." Orovan insists.
-Posted with Wayfinder
After the dust settles from the explosion of the Dark STalker, and the healing has kept everyone from an untimely visit with the Lady in Gray, the group has time to look around the now well lit room. The man strapped to the top of the large apparatus is none other than Skeldon Miregrold himself. The crystal needles peppering his body are actually tiny shunts filled with an acid that is slowly torturing the man, dissolving his skin an inch at a time. His wounds seem to burn fiercely and he is apparently in unimaginable pain. It is pretty obvious that the lost VL will die without your assistance.
|
|
"I think I can get these out. Hang on champ." Orovan says as he removes the first needle. "Uh, I mean, stay strong." the orc winces at the untimely pun of the strung-up man.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Together Orovan and Silverback remove the many tiny crystal shunts, sparing Miregrold further pain. He looks on the edge of expiring as it is.
"Thank you, Pathfinders. I hoped someone would come looking for me."he whispers breathlessly.
After healing him a bit, Miregrold is able to follow you out of the caverns and back up to the surface. Back home, the man thanks you effusively, requesting a favor from his confidants and saviors. "Please return these reports to the Decemvirate for me. I was supposed to deliver them months ago, but I couldn't find anyone reliable enough to make the trip to Absalom."
When you return with the reports, it is clear the Decimvirate is going to repossess Karcau Lodge and reassign Miregrold elsewhere, where he will be less of a liability. The Karcau Lodge is turned over to Basia Kalistoff, who makes good on her promise and rewards you for your assistance.
End of Scenario