Pig shrugs, "If you want a stampede, I can get you a stampede..." He pulls out a thunderstone out of his pack and smiles.
Hamilton actually SMACKS Whistle Pig's wrist, then realizes he resorted to hitting his friend.
Sorry. DON'T do that. Please.
Hamilton turns back away from Whistle Pig and extends the dried fruit. One, then two, then three boars approach. They seem reasonably calm at the moment.
Hamilton befriends the boars and then traces some Old Magic sigils in the stone with his fingers, and mutters words derived from Old Druidic...
Speak With Animals
Hello Friends. Are you fed, safe and rested?
"grfgh uhguhguhg grff"
"Life is good. All the mushrooms you could ever want. High up ones left one meal ago. Life better since then. No hitting."
Arn. Grfgh grff grff snrf?
The boars talking with Hamilton all turn east and raise their snoots in the air.
Hamilton considers for a moment how to best phrase his question. Then he snorts twice in quick succession and tilts his head.
Ham looks to the east. Is it a passageway?
Before we move on, I want to forage for mushrooms to replenish my rations. And if those red crystals glow on their own--do they produce light?--I'll collect one. Then I'll head to the east and try to track.
Track:
"Bigger, hungrier things shepherd them away."
Hamilton looks up. There's a passage way, and it leads towards the entrance to the upper level.
The ranger gathers some mushrooms, and some luminescent crystals.
The crystals will become inert about a week after being broken from the cluster. A complete cluster would take days of careful digging. These also work (while still potent) as a power component to a spell with the [light] descriptor. All spells which uses one is automatically Heightened by 1 level.
Dungeoneering, Favored
There's a passage up there. The boars say that their shepherds were led away by something bigger and hungrier. From the way they're talking, it sounds like bigger giants...Hold on.
Hamilton grunts twice and paws the ground.
Raen follows Hamilton and breaks off one of the crystals herself. "Curious," she murmurs, turning it over. "Vael, may I recommend that you collect one or two of these? I anticipate that the luminescent bacteria within the crystal will die off within a few days; however, if used as a focusing device for your daylight spell, I conjecture that the crystal would augment the mystic power substantially, perhaps even enough to counter a deeper darkness spell. Doxon and Ushyle, perhaps you would be interested as well."
"Snort snort."
Vael nods, then breaks off two crystals and stores them in his pack.
Tulia snorts a few times as well, following the conversation with Hamilton and the boars.
Ok... I think bigger Giants. Should we proceed to the east and deeper into the dungeon, or should we keep searching this level?
"Conveniently, I believe that following the tracks east will serve both purposes. Let us follow them for a while. The day grows late, however; I suspect that the sun is near setting over the mountain. If we can discern what lies at the heart of this level and root out its dangers, I advise we then find a place to rest."
Bidding farewell to the boars, the party heads northeast. After a another mile or so, there's an intersection.
Looks like the mud and dung on the bottom of the shepherds has nearly worn off their feet, but there's a faint trail that continues northeast.
I'm including Favored Terrain, just in case I shouldn't. And If this is tracking, it's +4:
Ham points out the dwindling but still present trail of mud and poo from the boar's room.
Same question... Do we explore new areas or follow the trail? We know which way they went, and I can pick up the trail again, I think. And learning more about this place and what they do here can only help us. Perhaps we should head south, explore a touch further and then find a place to hold up and rest before we hit the next level in the morning.
Ham says south and explore.
"I concur," Raen says simply. Her disguise has faded to the familiar Varisian.
The party turns south. Eventually reaching a chamber. It's more a lava tube which slopes gently upward from west to east, with two sets of steep, stair-like ridges. It seems unoccupied based on scouting.
Perception
(See Invisibility)
(Darkvision 60')
---> (Darkvision)
(Darkvision 60')
(Extra +2 if Mountains/Hills)
All right... If I still have my bearings, we should head up the slope, and cut back east.
Hamilton and Sammi ease out into the lava tube, and look down and west, then back up and east. Ham leads her up the tube to the east.
Pogs moved.
Raen enters the room, floating some 20 feet above the floor, and scans the room for magical auras.
The party heads in. The feeling that the giants know they're being infiltrated grows.
Hamilton leads the way with Raen behind him. Something doesn't seem right all of a sudden. Raen's magical detect finds an aura, but by then it's too late. An automaton standing twice as tall as a normal human steps through a potent illusory wall. Its heavy footfalls shake the ground with bone-jarring force!
Round 1:
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Go
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: Go (Needs Bot)
Iron Golem: TBD
Raen hurriedly recalls her reading on the construction of such golems.
Is it lumbering and slow or does it look like it's moving normal speed for a creature of it's size?
Normal speed, and it's coming right for you. The wall is still up, but anyone can make a Will save to disbelieve the wall it emerged from.
What the... It came right through...
"Vael! A lightning strike will weaken the golem, but most other magic will fail!" Raen alerts the dwarf. She flies forward to close distance and begins a lengthy spell.
Raen can't penetrate the illusion at all, so she can't see what else lies on the far side of the wall. She begins casting a complex spell, looking to bring more power to bear.
Hamilton too sees only an empty room...
Round 1:
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Go
Raen: SMVI
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: Go (Needs Bot)
Iron Golem: TBD
"I'll do what I can, but me best tools have been expended!" Vael calls back. He retrieves a Wand of Call Lightning, speaks the command word, and immediately sends down a bolt of lightning atop the golem.
The golem doesn't seem to be damaged at all by the lightning. It does, however, seem to. slow.. down... a.... lot.....
Round 1:
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Elec
Raen: SMVI
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: Go (Needs Bot)
Iron Golem: TBD
Golem: (Slowed Rounds 1-3)
Ushyle studies the golem as he moves forward towards engagement.
Round 1:
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Elec
Raen: SMVI
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Double Move
Doxon: Go (Needs Bot)
Iron Golem: TBD
Golem: (Slowed Rounds 1-3)
Whistle Pig fails to strike the golem with enough force to injure it at all!
Round 1:
Whistle Pig: Miss
Vael: Elec
Raen: SMVI
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Double Move
Doxon: Go (Needs Bot)
Iron Golem: TBD
Golem: (Slowed Rounds 1-3)
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Doxon raises Agrimmosh high and shouts, "Thunder-ska!"
Lightning arcs all along its length.
Doxon then slams Agrimmosh into the ground. Electricity coruscates out across the ground, reaching out to each of Doxon's compansions, invigorating each of them.
Doxon moves forward with vigorous speed.
Doxon, ready for combat like only a warpriest can be, infuses himself with divine power!
Round 1:
Whistle Pig: Miss
Vael: Elec
Raen: SMVI
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Double Move
Doxon: Thunder Ska
Iron Golem: TBD
Golem: (Slowed Rounds 1-3)
The Map needs fixing I think.
Ham guides Sammi away from the golem, putting giving him more time to move and react. He readies his Warhammer.
Hamilton preps for the confrontation as the slowed golem approaches. IT raises its arms, but it's too slow to swing. Still, a noxious gas escapes its nostrils and engulfs Doxon.
Round 2:
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Go
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: Go
Iron Golem: TBD
Golem: (Slowed Rounds 1-3, breath on 5)
Doxon coughs and gags a bit as the fumes envelop him. Glowing with radiance, he bursts out of the cloud, hammer and sword swinging, .
+
<----- Threatens!
+
+
Doxon swings over and over again. He connects with damaging force only twice, but the first hit is a truly powerful one. The electric sparks continue to slow the golem down.
The first hit really rocks the construct, instantly showing severe damage.
Round 2:
Whistle Pig: Go
Vael: Go
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: ATK
Iron Golem: TBD
Golem: 66 (Slowed Rounds 1-4, breath on 5)
1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
All but one of the halfling's stone plink harmlessly off the golem, and even the one that hit doesn't seem to have much effect.
Round 2:
Whistle Pig: Hit
Vael: Go (Needs bot)
Raen: Go
Hamilton: Go
Ushyle: Go
Doxon: CRIT
Iron Golem: TBD
Golem: 71 (Slowed Rounds 1-4, breath on 5)
Raen's tedious spells concludes weaving together threads from the Plane of Earth. A deep rumble heralds the appearance of an enormous elemental, taller even than the golem, made of stone and studded with crystal. Raen speaks to it in the grinding tongue of Terran while flying north.
The earth smashes into the iron.
Ushyle activates his bane ability versus constructs, moves into position (provokes, if applicable) and swings Milani's Thorn.
Seeing that he has room for a charge, Ham spurs Sammi forward...
Charge! (Adamantine): ... Oh yuck. But if it somehow hits... Magic/Adamantine Damage