Bill follows south and greets the halfling. "Of course, my dear man." he says as he whips his staff around and allows Aiuda to do the honors.
We will, but can you tell us why you're here ? And what happened to your comrade here ?
adds Sven looking at the mute.
The halfing nods to Auida. "Name's Waldat and they plan to kill me! I am a part of the slaves working down here!" He tugs at his chains. "Please! Hurry!"
Zelkin thinks the halfling wants out of the cell.
Sven thinks some of the keys you've found will open the cell.
"Fine, fine, just a moment." Aiuda takes the keys from Sven and unlocks the halfling's chains (unless she suspects he is up to no good).
He not a gnome, so Bill trusts him.
Audia finds the halfing honest enough and unlockes the chains. The halfing grins, rubbing his wrists and walks out of the cage. "I want to thank you! I mean really thank you!" He says as his skin falls away revealing a brawny creature that has had its skin completely flensed from its form, revealing the violent pulsing of its massive, exposed muscles!
"Should have known," Aiuda mutters under her breath as she raises her bow quicker than the human eye is able to spot.
"Well aren't you just the most interesting thing... An ecorche? Down here? I wonder how you found your way here..." Bill ponders as he doesn't give the ecorche time to react.
"Revertere ad obscaenum jumentum os corpore separatum relinquere utentibus." he chants as a coruscating ray erupts from his staff, striking out at the ecorche.
Acting quickly, Auida and Bill combine arrow and spell to reduce the creature to dust!
Searching the ashes, you find nothing of interest.
Well done friends ! What was that ?
What is an "ecorche" ?
Asks Sven intrigued by the creature.
He moves towards the old man and tries to understand his catatonic state.
"Something of no consequence!" remarks Bill with a bit of a grin. "Crumpet?" he says as a steaming hot white muffin appears in front of the wizard, a butter pat melting in the middle.
The wizard deftly takes a bite before tossing the rest over his shoulder, the foodstuff disappearing before it hits the floor. "Mmm.. perfect after a good blasting." the flying man says before urging Aiuda to continue on.
"Indeed, that was well done, Bill. I think I'm starting to appreciate your refined tastes more than I once did. But we have to keep pushing south."
Aiuda starts by following the track to the southwest.
Sven examines the man in the other cell, who nods at Sven. The man's tongue has been badly scarred, preventing him from talking, and his fingers are all broken, preventing him from writing, though it appears his mute condition and broken fingers can be healed with a casting of heal or similar restorative magic.
Sven soon realizes this is Eliza Baratella’s missing assistant Arvanor.
Is someone able to cast a Heal spell ? I'm not, unfortunately.
This man, is Arvanor, Eliza's Baratella's missing assistant !
He turns to the man and says
We have been sent by Eliza, to know what's going on here. I don't think we have the magic to help you right now, but don't worry, we will. If you are able to follow us, says yes by blinking twice, no by blinkong once.
The man looks at Sven then blinks twice.
"If you'd like, I can transport all of us to Alkenstar, including this man. Should be easy enough to find a way to heal the man there." Bill offers to the party.
Is not Alkenstar in a dead magic zone ?
Asks Sven
"Only the portion west of the river, I believe. How else do you think I got here? " Bill remarks with a smirk. "Only the finest teleportation for Bill. Plus riding in a carriage or ship makes me queasy. "
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Aiuda shrugs. "If you can guarantee getting us back here safe and sound, that sounds like a good idea, Bill. We still have a fair amount of searching down here though, I think."
Arvanor's eyes widen as Bill talks about using magic to teleport him to Alkenstar. Shaking his head vigorously, he tries to indicate by motions that he would rather try to walk back to Alkenstar, or wait for you to finish you mission.
Aiuda leads the way southeast.
Bill looks oddly at the mute. "I mean... it would take nearly no effort for me and we could sleep in a bed, but it is your choice, I guess..."
"Oh well." remarks the wizard as Aiuda begins to move on. "Onward!"
*cough*
"Uhh... I did say onward, guys. That means we keep moving!" he says with a wry grin to the party.
Sven seems to get out of sleep and says.
Oh, yes, sorry !
Sven follows Aidua looking around for any danger or sign of recent passage.
Audia leads the way to the southeast. Eventually you come to an unexplored portion of the mine.
A thick vein of viscous magma originates from a narrow chimney in the ceiling to the west and flows down a wall of speckled green mineral stones before seeping through an equally narrow crag in the floor.
As you enter the cavern, portions of the magma begin to move out of the seepage and starts oozing in your direction!
"Moving magma men. Magnificent." Aiuda's bow is in her hands and firing arrows before you even realize it.
"Magma is the result of super-heated rock, so perhaps it is time that they cool down a bit." remarks Bill.
The floating man extends his palm and a gale of ice and snow erupts from his hands, battering down the living magma.
Sven waits for Bill's action then send his friend on the creatures if they still stand.
But before, he casts protection from fire on his friend
Whitestripe, attack !
Graouh !
Says Whitestripe while moving to attack one of the creature.
Auida fires a volley of arrows at the center ooze, nearly killing it!
Bill evokes a cone of ice, pelting the creatures! The creatures wither from the cold, but they also split into smaller fragments! Despite this, the oozes are nearly dead!
As the middle one breaks into frozen chunks, Zelkin and Sven make short work of the remaining oozes!
Moving east to the next tunnel, you see two ogre directing the work of a modified brass automaton. Thr creature see the party and move to attack!
Aiuda's bow is firing rapidly, as usual. "You guys take the machine, I'll get rid of the ogres."
Zelkin nods to Aiuda and casts Burst of Speed, enabling him to reach the automation! He then calls upon is Bane to help defeat the automation!
for
"Zelkin is in fine form today. Very ready to lay waste, eh?" he remarks to Aiuda as the half-elf rushes forward to dole out justice.
As an after thought, Bill snaps his fingers as the party feels invigorated. "I've shortened the cast time on that to just a snap of my fingers!" he remarks, glad to be done with the four page incantation to cast Haste.
Bill casts a spell, hastening the party's movements!
Auida fires a volley of arrows, hitting with three.
Zelkin rushes in to attack the automaton, but his haste makes his strike sloopy and he misses!
Sven calls the Tiger and the Bull to help him in this fight
Then wait for Aiuda to be ready and begins shooting at the creature.
Then he commands Whitestripe to attack
Attack !
At Sven's order, Whitestripe charges one of the creature still standing after Sven's shooting.
Between Sven's and Auida's arrows, as well as Whitestripe's attacks, the two ogre quickly succuumb to their wounds!
The automaton slams Zelkin twice, grabbing the half-elf and injuring him further with its grinding clockworks!
Zelkin casts Litany of Escape in order to teleport out of the grapple.
If I did escape, with Zelkin's move action he'll back away in order to prepare himself for next round.
Zelkin casts Litany of Escape in order to teleport out of the grapple.
Grappled: A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler's CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
"Hang on, Zelkin. We'll get you out of there soon." Aiuda now targets the machine trying to squeeze the party's inquisitor.
Auida fires a volley of arrows, but all of them bounce off the creature's hard exterior!
Bill examines the creature with his special eyes.
Bill studies the automaton and recognizes that it is an advanced form of clockwork golemm and thus immune to spells that are able to be resisted.