Artemus recognizes that the centaur-things are some type of inevitable, the clockwork beings that enforce the rules from the Plane of Law. While bearing mechanical bodies, they are sentient although their firm believes in rules and order can make them hard to deal with in mortal frames of references.
Beyond that, Artemus does not know exactly what kind they are, but given the whip-like arms, moving in to engage in melee may be problematic.
Both of the inevitables turn towards the group as Artemus steps up, each of them pointing one of their chains at the frontliners.
The inevitables each cast hold monster on one of the party members.
Both Belcher and Nilfyr find themselves stuck, unable to find the urge to move.
The inevitables then turn to Artemus, their emotionless voices echoing in the chamber in unison. "State your cause, mortal."
Thunderstealer:
(cast yesterday: Spellstaff(Roaming Pit))
Communal Airwalk (All)
Barkskin (Thunderstealer, Belcher, Nilfyr)
Delay Poison (All)
Life Bubble (All)
Longstider (Thunderstealer, Belcher)
Heightened Awareness (Thunderstealer)
Greater Magic Fang (Thunderstealer, Belcher)
Freedom of Movement (Thunderstealer)
Certain Grip (Nilfyr)
Faeros: Standard set of buffs for Faeros, plus an extra Heroism for Thunderstealer and Belcher.
Deadeye's Lore (self)
Percieve Cues (self)
Acute Senses (self)
Heroism (Self, Thunderstealer, Belcher)
Keen Edge (Self)
Nilfyr: Freedom of movement (self) + whatever else you wanted before descent.
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The inevitables then turn to Artemus, their emotionless voices echoing in the chamber in unison. "State your cause, mortal."
As the metal horsemen didn't seem to have heard Artemus' words Thunderstealer speaks very slow and loud:
"We are here on orders of the local Hellknights to explore this dungeon and rid it of any chaotic or evil elements, for the safelty of the villagers."
The two inevitables would be seemingly glaring at the large man in the stairway if their faces could show emotion. However, his words seem to spark further conversation. "If you are agents against chaos and will obey our directives, then you may proceed. Moving further in will thus mean that you are to engage the proteans that have invaded this area and remove them as well as keep the entity down below from escaping. Do you agree to these terms?"
@Thunderstealer: One tilts its head, almost curiously at you. "You have encountered K394-M43. It shall be noted that he required mortal assistance with his designated protocol."
A vague area that Artemus and Faeros both thought held a statue now moves as a familiar form. "Yes, these mortals, despite their chaotic, fleshy forms, have proved themselves useful to me." A metallic humanoid form emerges, although it limps still with some of the damage it received before you first met the being.
With that, the two centaur figures release their magics and lower their arms. The kolyarut asks a more properly worded question to the party, "As you stated previously that you are explorers, what is your end goal to this complex?"
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With that, the two centaur figures release their magics and lower their arms. The kolyarut asks a more properly worded question to the party, "As you stated previously that you are explorers, what is your end goal to this complex?"
"First we want to make sure it poses no threat to the people living nearby. Second we want to learn more about this spire. As we don't know everything about it yet we don't currently have an end goal."
"You may secure this floor of the protean threat within this floor with our approval. The contents of this area are also of no interest. However, descent down below is prohibited as we cannot allow you mortals to risk releasing the being captive there.", the centaur inevitables declare in unison. They then lower their arms and step back, offering the sign of safe passage.
"We unfortunately have little information other than this being's release will result in a massive influx of invariabilities to this area, perhaps all of HS390, or Golarion as you call this world."
The party moves on, undisturbed by the trio of inevitables that watch them turn right from the stairs and enter into more of this mechanical labyrinth. More golden wires lead in a shimmering ribbon from the door you entered from to the next around the corner. The air reverberates with a low hum.
Artemus, having a better look at the wiring, determines that there could be some value to taking the valuable metals, although it would take some time to do so.
Not finding anything else of worth in the small chamber, the party is about to continue on until a metallic voice calls out behind them.
"Mortals, beyond that passageway is the equivalent of what you would call an infirmary for my kind. However, we have setup automated defenses to any non-inevitable that crosses past a threshold. You have been warned."
Deciding to give the inevitables their space, the party goes the other route.
Beyond the other door, the walls of this stone room are covered with shelves holding a wide variety of wires, crystals, cogs, and what look like severed wings or limbs made of clockwork. Tall stacks of similar items — arranged neatly by color, size, and less obvious criteria —clutter the floor, though a clear path runs between the two doors.
A pair of mechanical eyeball whir towards the group's direction. They begin to emit sounds quickly until the kolyarut barks out from the main room, "No need to alarm; these mortals are allowed passage.". The pair of unusual inevitables begin to call down and return to their vigilant positioning.
The inevitables are arbiters, often guides and scouts for the inevitable forces.
Among the various materials on the shelves, you do spy some usable gear; a greatsword, a breastplate, and a trio of tokens made of a glowing green metal.
You happen to spy the outline of a door along western-most portion of the southern wall.
Nilfyr points out the hidden passage as another potential avenue of continuance.
Nilfyr, the ever vigilant guide, motions the party to follow him, using the blade from his polearm to line the door before giving it a fair push.
A featureless hallway seems to creep alongside what should be the main chambers on this floor. Also unlike the main chambers, there is no circuitry or illumination from them .
Moving slowly, the party heads straight along the path, which janks back and forth once until it leads to a new door. Nilfyr doesn't hear anything from the other side and nods towards the party as he pulls open the door.
This room is shaped like two towering cylinders fused together, with the southeastern wall partially caved in. Etched into the floor in the center of each cylinder is a glowing rune. The northern rune glows green and the southern rune glows red.
These runes are imbued with immense transmutation magic. While the runes are etched permanently, the magic within seems to be extremely chaotic and you cannot properly identify what will happen by touching the rune.
Artemus can't seem to get a full read on these runes. It looks like that they are designed specifically to alter bodies with each rune focused on a different attribute. But what and to what extent escapes the arcanist.
Nilfyr hears raucuous giggling from the other side form three different voices. Ready for anything, he opens the door.
This chamber is large and oddly shaped, with numerous alcoves and protrusions. Instead of stone, many of its walls appear to be curtains of shifting green mist that whirl and twist but always maintain a flat, vertical plane. Through the mist, another room is dimly visible.
Nilfyr briefly sees a serpentine creature with a layer of additional tentacles laughing playfully as it slithers through a mist-laden wall and disappears. It's laughter can be heard elsewhere in the room, though. Two other such creatures turn their heads towards the now open door and reveal toothy maws as they approach with a malicious gait.
These creatures are naunets, serpentine proteans that exist purely to fight against stability as shocktroops of chaos. Their tentacles can elicit total confusion as well as constrict foes, and working together, groups of naunets can temporarily bring forth matter from the plane of Chaos to disrupt foes. Like other proteans, they cannot be bound and their vitals are too random to strike at.
Init Order (bold = up)
Faeros
Nilfyr
Blue serpent?
Black sertpent?
Yellow serpent?
Artemus
Thunderstealer
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Nilfyr makes his way into the room and brings his fauchard to bear.
Nilfyr senses that Desna's will seems to throw off the proteans, making their movements more erratic and less aggressive than they should be. He moves into the room and strikes true against the closest creature, although some of the wound does heal up immediately.
Faeros opens up with a trio of arrows against the wounded target.
The blue serpentine creature retaliates, lashing out with maw, tentacles, and tail!
Nilfyr is bitten once, but manages to avoid the rest of the strikes.
The remaining serpents giggle as they jut their heads and tentacles and into the mist, which strike from the other wall towards Nilfyr!
Despite the surprise from the unusual array of attacks, Nilfyr manages to stave off most of them although a pair of tentacles does batter him up more; he felt his head try to get foggy, but his focus remains clear that these enemies must be dealt with.
Init Order (bold = up)
Faeros
Nilfyr (21 damage)
Blue serpent (59 damage)
Black sertpent?
Yellow serpent?
Artemus
Thunderstealer
Nilfyr cuts once more into the serpent thing, aiming for what would be the heart in any other snake. However, it keeps the creature's attention long enough to be turned into a soft paste from Thunderstealer's massive blow.
Seeing the foes go down easily enough, Art focuses on identifying the foes before they are smashed into unrecognizable shapes.
Art relays his recognition of these strange creatures.
Faeros steps up, eyeballs the creature in the back, and fires a trio of arrows at it!
Two arrows strike true, but one hits the side of the wall, a rare miss for the archer.
The remaining creatures, seeing the dinosaurian smash their brethren, focus their attacks on Thunderstealer. Like before, they strike from safety as they launch their maws and tentacles and tails through the mist which appear on the other side!
[spoiler=Splat of attacks @ Thunderstealer]
Thunderstealer is struck twice, although his enhanced skin absorbs most of the blows.
Init Order (bold = up)
Faeros
Nilfyr (21 damage)
Black sertpent?
Yellow serpent?
Artemus
Thunderstealer
Init Order (bold = up)
Faeros
Nilfyr (21 damage)
Black naunet (23 damage)
Yellow naunet
Artemus
Thunderstealer
