Sarainy has no clue what either of the items are. The dagger is magical and seems to be cold to the touch, while the bracelet is even more of a mystery.
"Perhaps I might know the powers of these treasures" Solaria adds as she sees Sarainy look a little perplexed at the things.
Though anxious to head into the cave, Dr Lendaro takes a moment to inspect the tech device.
"Well if we are all going to stop and take a guess.... "
Uran stands guard while the others examine the various tech items they had found. He is still worried about Linpul, and keeps his eyes on the gnome just in case she has trouble.
"If it's a bracelet then is it part of a pair? Not that I could wear it anyway. Yes, I am going to milk this for as long as I can. It kinda hurts, but healing magic takes away the pain. I'm getting a new arm sooner or later, so live in the moment guys."
Looking over at the doors that the chainsaw lady came through. Linpul's gestures with her arm don't change as if she were still using two, the stump wiggling as she was still not used to it was throwing her off balance.
"She came in through over there, we should probably follow suit. We'll just check for traps... whoa... and such along the way so nobody else ends up like me okay?"
"Perhaps part of a matched pair... hopefully we can spend some time to figure out what these items are. Maybe that will informs us as to whether we should try to find the second one."
Sarainy nods in agreement with Linpul's suggestion to head through the door Kulgara came from.
"Let's push on, this place has me nervous and I'm uncomfortable that we have spent so much time here already."
You head through the left door and find a cavern, and a cliff face that leads to another lower cavern about 20 feet down.
Peering down the cliff face, you can see several broken bodies with wounds and a mass of blood that pools along the floor. The lower cavern seems to turn to the east(right).
Dr Lendaro - still bug-eyed - activates his chameleon skin with a few tattoo taps... "I'll take the lead on this." He tugs the rope to test it, then slowly makes his way down.
"Wait Dr. Tetsuda, defend Dr. Lendaro. It's okay boy, I can stand up for a while without my trusty balance beetle."
The tiny gnome points to the Dr and the massive beetle clicks and buzzes for a bit before relenting and flying down.
Lendaro climbs down the rope and reaches the lower cavern.
"Wait. I wish to parley with your gang. If you help me, I will help you defeat Hellion."
Dr Lendaro shrugs, and sends a mental message to Sarainy. "Come, something wishes to parley."
Hearing the Doctor's words in her mind, Sarainy attempts to reply via thinking...
"Err..okay. On my way."
She then blushes, not sure if it even works like that.
"The Doc wants me to head down?" Sarainy says to the others, almost unsure of it herself.
Taking her time, she gets to the bottom and looks around the lower cavern area.
"You spoke of Parley?" she says into the shadows.
"Good Luck Sarainy, if you need help getting down, we could try and lower you down on the rope?" Solaria asks concerned.
"Thank you, Solaria. I have little experience with climbing and rope work. More of the travelling orator than the high flying acrobat!"
Before Sarainy goes down, Linpul views the creatures through Tetsuda's eyes to get a clearer picture.
"Whoa, he's kinda interesting lookin'. Be careful Sarainy, he's got a lot of weaponry, but seems harmless."
"What does it look like Linpul? Should I be ready to climb down myself?" the gnome gunslinger asks, trying to see the creature from the lip of the cliff.
The creature moves more into the dim light, visible to anyone at the top of the cliff and down. You can see places where her flesh is missing, wounds that don't seem to heal. Regardless, the creature seems intimidating.
"I am called Zaagmander. One of the Lords of Rust. But I grow tired of this place, and so far Hellion has not completed his end of the bargain. I am still sick and cursed, unable to leave the confines of this cave, this realm. Remove this curse from me, or promise it, and I will help you defeat the Iron God, Hellion."
Zaagmander is a Xill, a lawful evil creature from another plane. Like other extraplanar creatures, she has the ability to planeswalk.
You believe she is telling the truth.
"I am not immediately opposed to the idea, Zaagmander. What can you tell me about the nature of your curse?
Also... if it is within our means, what will you do after the curse has been lifted, and Hellion has been dealt with?"
"Hundreds of years ago when I first came to this realm, I hunted one of the Kellid tribes. I killed many of their number. But their shaman cursed me with this weakening, this strange curse of flesh. It prevents me from traveling back home. Thus I am trapped here in this realm, unable to escape and reproduce."
"When our business is done and Hellion is dead, I will return to my plane and never return here."
Returning to her own senses Linpul shouts down.
"What was Hellion's part of the deal? Just you know, so we have an idea of what kind of bastard this guy is."
Looking over to Uran she shrugs her shoulders before returning to her indoor voice.
"It's a bit hard to describe, it would be better to see this one in person like that."
Her senses return to Tetsuda's so she may keep an eye on whatever it does. She's willing to trust the creature, but not as far as it can throw her... well one of the humans, she's lighter than them.
Solaria spits on the floor as she hears the creature's story, as her eyes narrow.
Zaagmander cricks her neck. "The cleric, Meyanda, was supposed to return and uncurse me after her business in Torch, but she has not returned. Likely, Hellion is keeping her from me to keep me enslaved here to do his bidding." She motions down to the piles of corpses in the cavern. "The dark folk send sacrifices down here to me, and I rip their broken bodies apart. It is displeasing to finish off wounded weaklings. I want to hunt. To breed. What is your decision?"
Solaria strains her ears to hear what Sarainy replies.
"I would agree to that..." Dr Lendaro quickly glances across the group - giving a split second or two to raise an objection,
"So.. which way to Hellion?"
Zagmaander glances up at the cliff and around to each member she can see.
"I want the cleric to answer. She seems the most trustworthy of you all," Zagmaander says, pointing her fire pistol at Solaria. "I am unsure whether I can trust you others."
"Let it be known Zagmaander, I would in normal circumstances want you dead, but to rid this place of Hellion I will put aside my personal feelings. Let it be a contract between us that we will aid your return to your own plane and you will aid us, with all your prowess, to rid this world of Hellion and send this usurper god to its doom. If any of us die, then you will be held accountable Zagmaander." Solaria speaks in solemn tone.
Linpul continues to stare through the eyes of the beetle content to watch and relay information.
Sarainy gives a stiff nod, unsure of the fearsome looking creature.
Well if Solaria thinks we can trust her...
"Very well. So, as the Doctor said - how do we get to Hellion from here?"
Zagmaander nods. She does not stow away her weapons, but keeps them ready, likely for the dangers ahead.
"That is good enough for me. Follow me if you can keep up, fleshlings."
The red insect-like creature moves at a hurried pace to the east. She glances back occasionally waiting for you to follow.
Dr Lendaro's face turns dark and his bulbous eyes narrow when Zagmaander levels his weapon at Solaria. He snarls to himself in response and follows.
"..oh, don't you worry... I won't let you leave my sight."
Uran is surprised when he first sees their new ally. He falls in line with the others and follows them to the east.
"Follow him, but be wary." Solaria as as she prayers to Desna and a pair of translucent butterfly wings of blue and gold carry Solaria forward off the cliff and after Zaagmander.
As she reaches near Zaagmander, she says "Once we are rid of Hellion, I must have some quiet and time to myself to prepare myself to remove the curse that afflicts you. So you my return and never take more of my people. So for Hellion, what weakness does he have and what strengths must we be wary of? We must prepare before we enter into battle."
HPs: 33/33
Channel 0 used of 7 today
Door Sight 0 min of 6 mins today
Liberation 0 of 6 rounds
Spells used today:
1st(5):
2nd(4):
3rd(3): Fly
Scrolls: protection from technology x2, lesser restoration x2, gentle repose, delay poison x2, ghost bane dirge.
Potions: CLW x 6
wands: CLW 42
Cleric Spells Prepared (CL 5th; concentration +8)
. . 3rd—fly[D], prayer, 1 spell slot unused
. . 2nd—aid, burst of radiance (DC 15), remove paralysis[D], 1 spell slot unused
. . 1st—bless (2), expeditious retreat[D], shield of faith, 1 spell slot unused
. . 0 (at will)—create water, detect magic, mending, read magic
. . D Domain spell; Domains Travel (Exploration subdomain), Liberation (Freedom subdomain)
Zagmaander says to Solaria as they walk, "You must have seen his true minions within this place. The metal creatures. He is one of them, and yet not, a being that resides within a metal frame. Adamantine can pierce through his flesh. Maybe lightning as well. As for weaknesses, I do not know. I broke those screens so he would not watch us, but soon we will come upon his lair where he will know we are coming."
"We are nearly there. When you are ready we shall enter his inner sanctum."
She pauses, swings her weapons for good measure and waits for your readiness.
Dr Lendaro loads his pistol with an adamantine round, and checks his remaining supply.
He nods, and raises an eyebrow to the others.
"Before we enter Zaagmander, let me see what we face." Solaria says forcefully, as she uses her door sight to take a look at Hellion and his minions by placing her hands on the door.
Uran checks his weapon over, making sure it is loaded and in fine working condition. He readies the ammo that he thinks he will need, and insures his powder is dry.
This ten-foot diameter tunnel is decorated with metal beams that crisscross to form a lattice. Each beam has been decorated with strange writings and images of clawed hands, while on the walls are scrawled depictions of what appears to be a looming mountain adorned with strange spikes. In all of these illustrations, an immense demonic form is shown smashing the spiky mountain to rubble-within the mountain, an even greater demon bears the brunt of devastation.
On the southern wall of this sprawling cavern, a massive wheel of metal buckets lined with sharp edges is embedded, partially buried, in the wall. The latticework of metal girders connects to the wheel. The whole of the device comprises a long mechanical arm ending in a metal wheel far larger than any mill's waterwheel.
Solaria sees this in addition a few metal creatures. A trio of these creatures are familiar, scrapyard robots cobbled together from different parts, buzzsaws and broken metal arms. They are standing in front of a larger arachnid robot with a scorpion tail. It glows with a nebulous blue energy, blue fire and light spews from its tail.
Solaria can sense divine energy coming from the scorpion-thing.
"I see a trio of creatures, some are familiar, scrapyard robots cobbled together from different parts, buzzsaws and broken metal arms. They are standing in front of a larger arachnid robot with a scorpion tail. It glows with a nebulous blue energy, blue fire and light spews from its tail." she stops as she feels the vision, "That bigger robot, it has a godly power, it is the one we must destroy." Her face worried but ready. "There is another possible danger in there, on the southern wall of the cavern, is a massive wheel of metal buckets lined with sharp edges. They appear to be embedded, partially buried, in the wall. The latticework of metal girders connects to the wheel. The whole of the device comprises a long mechanical arm ending in a metal wheel, it is far larger than any mill's waterwheel I know."
She removes some scrolls from her backpack. With one she places her hand on Tetsuda's shell and lets Desna's power protect the small beetle from the technology that pervades this place. The other she places in her pocket, allowing her to easily get hold of it when required.
"Open the door, let us destroy this Hellion."
School abjuration; Level cleric 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (a pinch of powdered copper)
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless), see text; Spell Resistance no, see text
This spell wards a creature from attacks by technological objects and creatures of the robot subtype, and protects against mental control from technological sources. It creates a magical barrier around the subject at a distance of 1 foot. The barrier moves with the subject and has two major effects.
First, the target gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saving throws. Both of these bonuses apply against attacks made or effects caused by technological objects and creatures with the robot subtype.
Second, the target immediately receives another saving throw (if one was allowed to begin with) against any technological effects that exercise mental control over the creature, including the effects of pharmaceuticals such as torpinal. The target gains a +2 morale bonus on this saving throw, using the same DC as the original effect. If the target succeeds at this save, such effects are suppressed for the duration of this spell. The effects resume when the duration of this spell expires. While under the effects of this spell, the target is immune to any new attempts to exercise mental control over her using technological means.
You open the door and see three scrapyard robots and a larger arachnoid robot behind them. It speaks in a metallic voice.
"Well, the apes have reached my inter sanctum-the Lord of Rust, Hellion's inner sanctum. I give you one final chance to kneel before me and follow my divine guidance. If not, I will be forced to crush you with my godly might!" The scorpion robot clacks one of its pincers in the air.
Zagmaander moves to the northern wall and leans against it, waiting for you to finish your discussion.
Dr Lendaro keeps his mouth shut and pistol low as he eyes the foes, and shifts his focus toward the destruction of machinery.
Walking forward with the group, Sarainy replies to the giant scorpion robot mouthing Hellion's words.
"Hellion, stop throwing these pathetic pawns at us. You talk of your divinity and the might that you possess, yet all we see are taunts and jibes. What are you, the deity of weak insults?"
|
Hellion pauses for a moment at Sarainy's words, and points his blue-flame tail at her.
"I see you are to ignorant to believe in my divinity. Let me show you a taste of my power."
1. Everyone
2. Enemies and Hellion
3. Hellion again