"It was a lightning elemental from the elemental plane of air. Seeing as how it didn't react until you pulled the lever I would guess it was most likely summoned as a guard. Defeating it should have sent it back home so in a way you did the creature a favor. See to Leven's injuries and then we can go and see if we can find that lever did."
yup says jack ready to move on
"Very well, very well. Keep in mind, however, that I have only one dose prepared," RAU says as she descends on the stricken Leven. The Kellid girl pulls a vial from one of her pockets, uncorks it -- and suddenly grabs Leven by the back of the head and presses the vial right under his nose. "Inhale the essential salts deeply, please," she says in a placid tone of voice. An utterly vile smell enters the Magus' nostrils. It certainly revitalizes him, but the stench is enough to make his eyes water...
Once Leven is done coughing and wheezing and his colour has returned to something more approaching normalcy, RAU tends to the injuries still remaining.
[b]Well, let's get going."[b]
Leven walks back the way they came in here, looking for the effect that the lever had.
Finding nothing but dead ends down here, you all head back through the secret door and into the 'U' shaped hallway. From there, you head to the unexplored Western path, which is the same path the chain from the machine runs down.
This path curves up before ending in a closed wooden door. The door proves to be a bit lopsided, and stuck in the door frame.
Leven dusts his shoulders off and then casually puts his shoulder to the door. As if the door was only waiting for him to try, it opens up as soon as Leven hits it. You proceed carefully and take a look into the next room.
There can be little doubt what purpose this chamber once served. The dank room stores an ancient torture rack, a fanciful brazen bull, and iron maiden, a cauldron, iron chairs with sharp edges and cruel protuberances, and a wooden table upon which sit various implements of torture. A bronze plaque affixed to the western wall depicts a crowing rooster above crossed spears. Underneath the spear, a short phrase is inscribed in Common:
"Confession Cleanses the Soul - Pain Clarifies the Mind"
Shortly after you enter the room, a voice seems to call out from nowhere. It says in a shrill voice:
"Why don't you take a load off? It sure must be tiresome walking about these cold stone floors. Why not take a seat, rest a bit?"
The two of you find it completely reasonable an idea to sit down, and find yourselves compelled to do so. Gentlemen, go ahead and sit down in one of the chairs...
Leven looks around the room, disgusted at its contents. Killing was one thing, he was prepared to end another person's life if it meant saving his or someone else. Torture was the antithesis of what strength stood for. [i]This is horrible. Who would consign their soul to this kind of work.[i]
As he glances around, his eyes set on the chairs. This whole day was making him weary. Maybe if he just sat down for a few minutes and got some rest. "Just gotta sit for a moment. I'm feeling awfully weak from that monster's bite. Let me rest for a bit before we continue searching."
Leven chooses the second chair close to him, ever the thoughtful person, in case someone else needs to relax as well.
Jack will try to see where the voice is coming from
Jack tries to pinpoint where the voice is coming from, but it just seems to be coming from all over due to it echoing throughout the room.
As soon as you sit in the chairs, it becomes obvious that the seat of the chair contains a large number of sharp and painful spikes. You jump up in pain and take damage.
Morkai and Leven eagerly take a seat, and just as quickly jump up in pain. Hideous laughter echoes throughout the room, and a few moments later it becomes clear the source. A large raven appears, perched on top of the iron maiden and cackling like a maniac. It gathers itself and then speaks to you.
"Oh my that is good! Thank you for the blood, chaps! I have been trapped without any sustenance in this chamber for eons and I feels so great to feed again! But where are my manners?! Greetings, fine citizens of our glorious empire! Welcome to my home! I am afraid I don't have any refreshments to offer you... but I assume you are here looking for the treasure stashed here in the tower? Well, I could certainly help you find it, considering you fed me and all, hehe!"
I am jack and who might you be? we are in fact not really looking for treasure but it would be a nice bonus. We are looking for the reason why this building collapsed and why there are kobolds bodies.
"Fascinating," RAU says, looking at the apparition with clinical interest. "Indeed, as my associate said, we did not come seeking treasure. Rather, our enquiries are aimed at investigating the cause of the tower's general collapse.
Prior to continuing such investigations, however, I should like to make enquiries into your own taxonomy. Would you classify yourself as elemental, fey, undead or other?"
"Why, what do I look like? I am but a humble raven, at your service. Hmm... not here for gold? I suppose it makes sense, with that awful rumbling not long ago... though I certainly don't know what caused it. But I can tell you, in that wall over there, there is a secret door. But oh my my, it has a very tricksy lock on it. If memory serves, the key is somewhere on that table over there, among the clutter. It is yours to take if you can find it."
"Ravens do not dine solely on blood," RAU says, her pale eyes boring into the raven's as she scrutinizes it from beak to tailfeathers. "They require meat as well. Also, except in the case of familiars, it is not natural for ravens to communicate in the Common language. Therefore, I repeat my question. Rest assured I am unlikely to attach a value judgment to the information."
You search for a few moments, and cannot seem to find the damned key. However, as soon as you turn back to confront the 'raven', you find it has suddenly disappeared.
What an odd encounter says Jack taking his time looking for the key
"A trickster of some sort," RAU says, her voice dispassionate. "Given its dietary preferences, we should be prepared for traps behind this secret door. Likewise, I would suggest that we take its claims of treasure with a grain of salt -- and that we be prepated for the possibility that its feeding has allowed it to depart this chamber."
As Jack and Rau wander about the room, looking for a key, and Leven and Morkai rup their rears and nurse their pride, the hideous laughter suddenly comes back.
Suddenly, from atop the Iron Maiden once more, a fiendish red-skinned creature flies down, striking at Jack with a scorpion like tail! It sure doesn't look like a raven, but the little bastard sounds just like that bird did!
"Ahahaha! This is going to be great! I haven't had a feast this big in a long time!"
plus DC 13 Fort save if hit!
The creature catches Jack completely unawares, and manages to sting him pretty good, and deal 3 damage!
- - - - - - - - - - - -
Jack completely taken off balance swing's widely more trying to get the thing off of him than actually trying to hit
RAU turns to watch the fiendish creature attack Jack, dips one hand into her pocket and firmly grasps her cane with the other. The one hand that was momentarily invisible comes out holding a flask filled with a blackish liquid, which RAU gulps down in a quick, practised movement.
The results are startling, to say the least.
RAU seems to grow a foot in height, her clothes creaking as she fills them out. Muscle swells on her limbs and torso, whereas her eyes take on a dull, feverish look. A darkness seems to fall over her, and her hair fluffs out like an angry cat's tail.
"Enemey," the Kellid... creature says with a deep, husky voice. "Die!"
[ooc]RAU takes her daily dose of mutagen for +2 to AC and +4 to Strength, at a penalty of -2 to Int. I'm not sure whether this counts as a standard action or not. If not, then RAU immediately attacks the Imp with her cane. Attack roll for damage. Oh, dear. Even flanking, that's swing and a miss... ^^;
Surprise Round
Creature - The raven, only no longer a raven, reappears and dives at Jack, managing to get him with his stinger!
_______________________________
Round 1
Jack - fuming with rage, he twirls and tries to swing at the creature with his magically imbued scimitar! However, the dervish spins too hard and hits nothing but air, spinning himself around full circle and loosing his balance! (Critical Fumble: Jack is Flat Footed until his next turn!)
RAU - Seeing they are in danger, RAU grabs a nasty looking vial from her belt and downs it in one gulp. Soon after, she begins to morph and twist into a monstrous version of herself (drinks mutagen)
Leven -
Morkai -
- - - - - - - - -
Creature -
With a low, throaty howl, the RAU-beast lopes forward, the cane the Kellid girl wielded so elegantly ripping through the air as the creature swings at the little beast attacking Jack! Even in its currently low-witted state, the beast is canny enough to attack from such an angle that the monster is sandwiched between it and one of its allies.
Furious at himself for falling for such an obvious trick Morkai is eager to redeem himself. He quickly recognizes the creature for that it is. "An imp! It's a devil and is resistant to normal weapons. Use silver if you can, those daggers we found should work if you don't have any.
Morkai will also summons protective wards giving every ally whiting 10 feet of him (including himself) +1 deflection bonus to ac for 4 rounds.
"Damn you, you little hellspawn! Take this!"
Leven steps up next to Jack and reaches for the imp with a hand crackling with energy.