A couple crossbow bolts each and the rage-filled creature is dropped with an angry sigh.
"I believe we have the king's crown, maybe we should study it though, it does appear to be magical"
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The party progresses quietly into the dark down the stairs, a bubble of light in this ancient place. About halfway down the stairs, a visible line appears across the stairs where the dust thickens significantly and no tracks or marks of any kind are visible. Relan notices a stray centipede on his armor hits that line and is unable to move past it, falling off him as if it hit a brick wall. Looking back, several other small spiders, lice and other insects pile up at that line, not able to cross with you.
The stairs continue down and open through a set of doors into the north side of a hexagonal chamber. A red statue of a beautiful woman armed with a large ranseur stands in the center of this chamber. Slime cakes the floor. There are three other doors exiting the room on each of the cardinal points.
A massive maggot-like creature is coiled around the bottom of the statue and bellows wetly when it sees you, smaller maggots falling from it's gaping maw as it surges forward aggressively.
Initiative:
"It doesn't make sense that there is a barrier to keep insects out. I've never heard of such a thing. Some kind of preservation spell perhaps? Looks like we're able to pass those. Most interesting..." Fulmen pauses a moment as if mentally checking all is well then shrugs and continues down the stairs.
Upon seeing the maggot Fulmen scratches his chin and says "well, if this place was being preserved from insects then how in the world did that thing get down here?"
"My guess is its not just an insect," Braelex mutters, not hiding her disgust at the monstrous maggot. She wastes no time aiming and firing her crossbow at it.
;
;
Vuloo fires at it as well.
Attack:; Damage:
"I am assuming that wall is more to keep that thing in here, then it is to keep things out."
"Seriously though, who breeds something like that, what makes someone think to themselves, 'you know what this place needs, I giant maggot, that spits out smaller maggots.' It's like a guard dog that has bees in it's mouth and when it barks it shoots bees at you...who does that?" Aidon suppresses a shudder
Aidon Init -
Amiculus Init -
"A guard dog that breathes attack bees... that could be helpful. Can you summon one of those?" Braelex snaps a grin.
Summon Eagle -
Aidon will summon eagles right onto the creature.
Eagles will all smite evil on the creature
Claw/Claw/Bite
Eagle 1
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Eagle 2
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Eagle 3
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Knowledge Planes -
"That's an abyssal larva, they are nearly mindless but also quite evil. We should be able to allow my eagles to take the brunt of the attacks and kill it from afar"
Amiculus will stay back
Amiculus hangs back as the party watches the obscene monstrosity move it's way forward toward them, opening it's mouth and firing a spray of maggots directly at Relan.
Braelex plunks a crossbow bolt deep into the fleshy side of the creature, causing some goo to emerge, but its massive bulk prevents it from hitting anything vital and causing extreme pain.
Aidon summons another convocation of eagles that swoop down on the beast, ripping pieces of flesh the color of which only maggots can achieve.
Vuloo's shot goes wide as the others react.
; HIT!; sickened for ; Reflex save DC16 to reduce to 1 round.
21
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Eagle 2
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Eagle 3
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Round 2
Vuloo fires his crossbow again at the creature.
Attack:
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As does Braelex.
;
;
Fulmen moves to flank the giant maggot. If he can attack he will using staff.
I will fire my cross bow at him
To Hit -
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Amiculus will hold as well
[oocInit: Amiculus, Larva, Braelex, Aidon, Relan, Vuloo, Fulmen, Andel[/ooc]
Relan steps forward swinging his sword in a powerful arc that merely bounces off the creature's rubbery flesh. Vuloo fires andFulmen follows suit, moving to flank, but both experience the same resistance.
Amiculus hangs back as the Larva attacks Fulmen biting out with a steaming mouth full of acid-blooded maggots, tearing into the half-elf's leg painfully.
Braelex fires another well-placed crossbow bolt eliciting a squeal from the creature and the eagles finish it off tearing it in half with their divinely enhanced talons. Dying maggots spill out and a putrid steam rises out of the corpse.
Looking around the room quickly, the party notes the pole arm in the statue's hand is magical. It is made of cold wrought iron. The statue's hands are wrapped tightly around it.
; miss
; HIT!; ; damage (partial acid)
"That looks painful, Fulmen. Let me help."
Vuloo will cast two CLW on Fulmen.
Hello?
Assist Knowledge History -
Spellcraft to ID 'crown' -
Spellcraft to ID Polearm -
Andel takes a hard squinting look at the statue, "Looks like the woman in the ones we saw above ..."
"... yup, definitely a statue of Azlanist, last Runelord of Wrath. Which combined with the sinspawn we saw, makes sense that this was some sort of Wrath-based garrison and dungeon. Wonder what you keep below a dungeon/prison?"
He snaps his fingers, "I think I recall something from one of the above chambers with the murals on the wall. When we go back through, remind me. If I'm not mistaken, I think we may have missed something exciting."
Vuloo rubs his chin, "Azlanist? Hmmm, interesting. Probably not too surprising that we're finding runelord relics in these ancient Thessalonian ruins."
Vuloo takes a closer look at the polearm, "The polearm is of exquisite craftmanship. Can anyone use it? If not, we should take it anyway for it's value."
Vuloo looks for a means to unlock the statues hands.
Outside of breaking the statue's hands, Vuloo doesn't see another way if extracting the weapon.
Aidon and Amiculus will look it over as well
Aidon Perception -
Amiculus Assist Aidon -
"Andel, do you tink the mosaic had a clue for unlocking the statues hands? If so, we can circle back to the statue on the way out. Let's press on."
Vuloo will listen at each door.
Aidon thinks that someone strong enough could rip the ranseur out as well.
The only sounds Vuloo hears are a faint crackling fire from the west. None of the three doors are locked.
Braelex reloads her crossbow and frowns at her dwindling ammunition supply. She walks to the eastern door and waits for the others to proceed.
Answering Vuloo, Andel ponders for a moment and then answers, "I don't think it would be that mundane ... I think the other mural had major historical significance, and I missed it. This statue, though,seems fairly unique as well. I wonder why it's here and why there's a magical weapon in its hands."
Relan attempts to jerk the ranseur out ..and it slips out with a slight crack as the stone splinters slightly.
He stands there with a lop-sided grin on his face. "Mind if I carry this?"
A thirty-foot-diameter, softly glowing circle of runes shimmers on the floor. What appears to be a single flickering flame burns with no apparent source of fuel in the middle of the room.
The bare stone floor of this room overlooks a stair that descends to the south.
A pillar stands at either end of this wide room. The northern pillar is carved with the image of a beautiful woman wielding a ranseur. The southern pillar depicts seven robed men and women, their features eroded with the years. Each of them holds one segment of the seven-pointed star. Strange runes are carved into the floor.
The smell of the sea is strong here.
This chamber is bare save for a statue depicting a regal looking woman wielding a ranseur—she stands in a battle ready pose, with the tip of the ranseur aimed at the northern entrance to the room.
This oddly shaped room retains some of the trappings of its former glory. Remarkably well-preserved tapestries hang at the back of alcoves above stone benches. Both depict a mountain with a woman’s face carved into the peak above an immense bridge that crosses the ocean below, while at the mountain’s base rises a strange city. A single stone pillar stands in the middle of the room, the image of a seven-pointed star with a hole in its center carved into its north face. A brass portcullis stands to the west, barring entry into a hallway leading beyond.
Two vaguely humanoid, deformed figures with waxy, almost liquid flesh that hangs from their twisted bones in ropes stand guard here; each is armed with a spear and stands motionless.
Vuloo cautiously peers at the pillars, "The Northern Pillar is the Runelord Azlanist. The Southern Pillar is all seven Runelords. Andel, can you read the Thassilonian runes on the floor?"
"I hear the sounds of fighting south of the western Antechamber. I suggest we investigate immediately and circle back to the other rooms later."
Braelex struggles to determine the nature of the rune circle and suspended flame.
*
Braelex eyes the statues cautiously, but is careful not to advance too close to the runes.
*
Braelex nods to Vuloo's suggestion, readying her trusty crossbow once again.
*
"Those... things, they don't look too friendly," Braelex warns.
"Have at it, my friend. A superb weapon for a fine warrior."
"What curious sort of magic could be powering that after all these years?" Fulmen will study the room for anything else useful. He'll make copies of as many of the runes as possible using chalk and paper.
...
Fulmen makes note of the runes on the pillars to see if they match any of them found in the Flame chamber. "Looks like this place was the seat of power for Azlanist. The seven shards certainly looks like a reference to this shattered star we've been researching."
"That statue of the runelord pointed north. Is it coincidence or a significant meaning for the runelord or some kind of message..."
"Fighting up ahead. Be prepared."
Fulmen will examine the statue for any signs of being a mechanism for open a secret door.
Fulmen eyes the unmoving figures wearily, "Does that hole match the size of the weapon taken from the other room?"
Let's head towards the Antechamber, unless anyone objects.
The party continues down the hall to the south to where the sounds of clanging weapons, unearthly groans, and the very audible cackles and giggles of at least two entities are apparent.
Turning the corner you see an area where a curving balcony wraps around the east side of the room. A stair descends ten feet to the floor below. In the floor below, the pit if you will, two of the creatures (same as the Gatehouse above) are fighting each other slowly while two other creatures, winged, small with tiny horns and whip-like scorpion tail, lounge on the railing pointing and laughing at the fighting creatures.
Braelex frowns, then whispers, "Attack or parley?"
Vuloo whispers back,"Against my better judgment, I say we try to parley with the creatures. They clearly look evil, but perhaps they can be reasoned with. "
Vuloo looks at the others,"Do you agree?"
"Nupperibo and imps ... devils of the least sort," Andel whispers to the folks up front.
"Be cautious," Braelex repeats the obvious.
"Reason with the foul creatures if you must. I care not. Would be nice to avoid a fight if possible, just don't let me do the talking... I tend to offend everyone."