The alarm is disarmed easily by San Xiao.
Savage moves down the staircase, and clears the barricade at the foot. A large room lies beyond.
As you peer into the room, it appears to be some sort of apprentices’ Workshop. Tools and workplaces are broken and scattered millennium ago.
Initiative
You hear shuffling movement to the west and San Xiao thinks he smells something...
Masstterr....you have viiissssiittorrs.
2X DC18 WILL saves: All creatures within a 30-foot radius that see a mummy must make a DC 18 Will save or be paralyzed by fear for 1d4 rounds.
1.San Xiao, Fredrik, Noisy <=== These can go (based upon sound/smell)
2.Welcome wagon
3.Conan, Savage, Luisila
Conan looks to the west and sees familiar pair of undead.
San Xiao flies into the room and opens his mouth to speak...but cannot resist the powerful dispair of the creatures. He plummets.
Noisy removes the fear on the front ranks, but then succumbs to it himself.
Frederick delays, waiting to see what happens.
The two undead charge the party...one on the prone San Xiao and one on Savage.
Stoppppp. Innnntttuuuudddderssss!"
San Xiao
for vs Prone AC26?
Savage
for
vs FF AC22?
They pound the front ranks (Not sure on San Xiao - even prone AC).
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“PARLEY! LORD BADRU, I INVOKE THE RIGHT OF PARLEY!”
Luisila holds her ground to protect Noisy, touches Savage for a bit of luck and copycats.
“According to the Code of the Jeweled Brethren, set down by the sages Ruby and Emerald, you must take me to your Jewelled Leader or explain why you cannot!”
“We serve Tahonikepsu the Diamond Sage as you loyally serve her brother of Violet Quartz. We are scholars NOT thieves! We have heard the half-truths of the traitor Saruna, and would hear your side of the tale.”
Luisila *winces* as Conan tears a strip of his opponent. “Call off your me… mummies, so we can talk. Do the machine-people plague you? Perhaps we can help.”
Conan rushes to San Xiaos' aid and hacks the mummy with his adamantine greatsword.
The blade cuts deep, but not to full effect. The creature is injured but continues to stand.
San Xiao retreats from the combat with the red mummy
Luisila touches Savage with Luck as she calls out to Badru to parley. He is not immediately visible, although there are doors to the west and south (in addition to a gaping hole in the wall).
1.Savage (-20), Fredrick <=== These can go
2.Noisy(paralyzed)
3.Welcome wagon
4.Conan, Luisila, San Xiao(fly, -26)
Savage is able to grab and choke-hold the yellow mummy.
Not all of his damage gets through, but it does a number on the undead.
Fredrick channels to heal the injuries on the party.
The red mummy tries to beat Conan with its fist.
Conan
for
The yellow mummy is pretty tightly held, and tries to hopelessly break free.
vs PIN (looking for a 20)
Meanwhile a door to the south-west opens and a voice is heard.
“I am Badru, Master of the Archives. I am a loyal servant of the great Jeweled Sages.
If you honor your pledge to the Diamond Sage, you will have no dealings with Saruna the Traitor.
She does not remain loyal to the Sages or their will.
I will call off my guardians and parley if you agree to hear my description. Agreed?”
From your position, you cannot see anyone inside the doorway.
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Luisila rushes 15’ to Conan’s six to deliver a bit of luck to help him fight off the Mummy’s curse.
“Agreed. Our banner flies proudly below that of the Diamond Sage. If we are to be allied to the same cause, we would first hear your tale.”
“I say again: call them off, Master of the Archives! Lest my companions consign them to the desert's dust.”
Conan fights off the mummy rot and calls for a truce.
The voice calls out from the door.
Agreed, My faithful servants, retreat to your st..."
San Xiao does not get the memo and hurls a vial of burning flame onto the creature. It immolates and blazes into a pillar of fire then ash (and maybe a few amethysts).
Continuing in monotone voice...
That was very disappointing.
The other mummy, confused by the incomplete order and free of the grip of Savage, futilely tries to punch the monk.
On Savage
for
Round 4
1.Conan(-20), Luisila, San Xiao(fly, -11)
2.Savage (ungrappled, -5), Fredrick , Noisy
3.Yellow(ungrappled) and Daddy (unseen)
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That was very disappointing.
“There are two kinds of people in this world, My Lord. The quick and the undead!”
☠☠☠☠
“THREV, BEHOLD OUR LUST FOR LIFE!”
Luisila channels healing and the pale, ghostly face of a HUGE, toad-faced protean sweeps over the battlefield like a cold comet, leaving an icy trail in its wake.
It dissolves in a silent, wide-mouthed SCREAM as it faces off against Savage’s victim.
“Master Archivist, are you ready for that chat now?”
Savage chokes and squeezes the remaining mummy but it does not quite go down. Luisila finishes it with a blast of divine power, and rags and amethysts fall to the ground as the creature turns to dust.
Noisy can tell the man is speaking from beyond the southern door, but cannot see into the room. Definitely sounded like a spell being cast once the last mummy went down.
Conan and San Xiao have weapons ready (no targets, change actions?)
Very well. What are your terms and what is your purpose in coming to this place if not just to destroy the servants of the Amethyst Sages?
If you are truly here on behalf of the Jeweled Sages, you may prove your loyalty if you agree to assist me.
The monotone voice pauses.
My master sealed himself in the library below. With your help and the destruction of the traitor, we can reach him.
The voice responds evenly to the question on his loyalty.
I performed my duties to the Sages to the best of my abilities for countless years.
In doing so, I must utilize the tools available to me.
Those 'undead' servants were partially constructs, if it matters to you.
From the doorway,
"I am fully aware that someone is removing relics from the library, yet nobody has used the gateway in many centuries not since the outsiders attacked; clearly Saruna the Traitor is responsible for this atrocity. And she must be stopped and destroyed before she causes further damage.
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Noisy steps forward, to speak to the as yet unseen Archivist.
"You call her a traitor... yet it seems like it was the Amethyst Sage that betrayed her." He responds, frowning slightly.
"The two of you need not fight, Saruna seeks to leave, and you can continue on here in your devotion, without her as a distraction. Your conflict has likely caused more damage to your charge than helped in its preservation."
He glances at the collapsed section of wall off to his right.
"But the looting needs to be stopped. I'm sure that's in all of our interests."
"Assist us in accessing the Beacon, and hopefully everyone can come out ahead, with the archive safe from further harm."
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Luisila’s tone is calm and curious. “Have you actually seen Saruna stealing artifacts? Where would she keep them if she can’t escape the Halls?”
“And there are no machine-creatures? She’s lying about them hunting both of you? Can you explain the strange flickering alarm on the stairs? The tech in that looked quite advanced.”
The priestess holds her hands out in an open gesture. “My companion Noisy makes a good point. Surely stopping the looting should be a Sage Servant’s first priority. Our research using the Library’s Arcane Catalogue indicates its happening as we speak. Why not let us check on that now?”
Agreed! Let us work together to stop the looting.
I ask for your assistance in destroying Saruna and then we can reopen the library.
I can assist you with locating those most important historical objects within the collection.
Come let us eliminate the traitor once and for all!"
You see the door come open and Badru steps into the doorway, ready to make good on the agreement with your help.
Several flickering images surround him.
Badru’s voice is flat and affectless, and his immobile funeral mask gives him a somber appearance.
An amethyst gem embedded in his chest, partly concealed by his ancient formal robes, sends animating energy through his body.
Dark Archive faction PCs are on the lookout for knowledgeable curators, librarians, and archivists to assist Zarta Dralneen in establishing the faction’s credentials and polishing its skills. Recruiting Badru’s assistance as a consultant would be invaluable.
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Noisy frowns.
"I have no desire to re-enact petty revenge fantasies." He says. "We will assist her in leaving these archives once we are done, so you she will no longer vex you so." He rolls his eyes slightly.
"But our desire is to not to destroy either of you."
"Certainly a compromise can be reached here."
Unfortunately, the dwarf is having a hard time reading the man behind the mask.
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He said the Mummies were partially constructs. He’s also evading my questions about technology. Hmm ... I wonder if the purple cystals are some kind of mobile power source?
"San Xiao, what do you call those little alchemical-lightning devices that power Numerian artifacts?"
“Noisy can you tell if Badru is construct, undead or something else?”
“Savage, I cannot quite hear Lord Badru’s answer to your question, perhaps we should move closer?”
Luisila calls out like the matter is settled, drawing a scroll from its case. “So if we are agreed, please move away from the doorway Lord Badru and allow us to hunt down the looters.”
“I am going to cast a cantrip on the funnier half of our front line, to assist him make a stealthy approach to our foes. Fredrik, if Savage agrees he’ll be much quieter wearing a silence spell.”
She smiles widely and bows to Badru. “My friend, I am as confident we are going to solve this diplomatically, as Abrogail of Cheliax is to introduce democracy.”
Luisila *casts* invisibility and Conan fades from view.
You suspect he is some kind of construct.
You suspect he is some kind of construct known as a Soulbound shell.
2 Questions?
To Luisila. Very good. We will hunt down Saruna and stop her from doing more damage to this place.
He replies to Savage's request.
I cannot abandon my duties except for to save my Master. We cannot save my master without destroying the traitor.
If we save him, he may be willing to release me from my duties here to speak with your mistress. Savage sees a wide hallway to the east and another to the south opening into a glowing round chamber.
Badru turns back to you all with his expressionless face.
So we are agreed? Let me get the tools we need to retrieve her heart stone and I will be ready to go.
He steps back into the room, but leaves the door open.
Weaknesses cemented mind (cannot change spells), susceptible to mind-affecting effects
Special Attacks: Spells
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Conan frowns to himself as events unfold, trying to clear his mind of his rising anger. Treachery never sits well with him and he squints at the others, trying to ascertain what the plan is here. He also doesn't particularly like the undead or those who would use them, and finds himself nodding along with Noisy at several points.
He frowns again when Luisila makes him invisible, but unsure if there is some master ploy here that he is still too worked up to grasp, Conan attempts to quietly approach Badru, to be in position. It is not truly HEROIC to strike from unseen, but Conan supposes there is a tactical soundness to this.
Conan O'Brien
Fredrik Greymantle
Noisy
Savage Noble