Quintus delays to move up until Trevor and Kelkzar move up to attack. Despite feeling his muscles slow, Kelkzar manages to step forward and land a blow. Trevor ignores the supernatural effect and lands a series of devastating blows
Jirin and Rauno up before Rowena's trip and retreat.
Roll twice I believe
Round 1
"Rowena!" Jirin cried out in horror at her friend's savage, gaping wounds. Scurrying behind Quintus and Kelkzar, she put all her mystical energy into helping slow the gouts of blood from Rowena's torso.
Round 2
"Dammit, woman, stop moving long enough for me to save your life!" she growled as Rowena attacked the monster.
Status hp 54, AC 15
Rauno begins to cast enlarge person on Trevor while Rowena trips the creatures and withdrawl to the back. Jirin moves to heal here using her innate hexing ability helping to keep Rowena's insides inside.
The creature seems content to continue attacks from the ground, it's strange form connecting twice and ripping flesh from Trevor.
- Quintus, Kelkzar, Rauno, Trevor, Jirin, Rowena, Monster,
AC 18 T 10 FF 18 CMD 31
Round 3:
Seeing that Trevor isn't looking very good, Quintus calls on the healing power of his patron.
Trevor howls in pain, and hesitates, as his arm almost left with the creature, but Quintus' healing arrives in the nick of time, and he feels Rauno's magic grow through him.
Suddenly, the creature looks smaller, and Trevor manages to form a smile and asks Iomedae for Her grace while he whirls his axe blade with increasing speed, aiming for the offending tentacles.
Kelkzar and Rowena up before the creature
Kelkzar steps over and slashes twice with his flachion. His first swing cuts through deeply while the second ends the strange creature's life.
The bleeding at least stopped, Rowena lets herself slide down the wall and slump on the ground, not feeling very heroic despite the ongoing enchantment.
The bookshelves are full of books on anatomy and arcane fusion techniques. The desk contain numerous logs and notes of someone named Zyrxog regarding the creature you just fought (and the three in the other room). They are called Octopins, they have an innate way to slow the reactions of opponents , and can see through solid objects!
There is also a second log/note book that talks about a new experiment that has yet to begin. In the new experiment, Zyrxog plans to create a parasite that will hide inside a host that will make it very susceptible to suggestion. He calls it a 'Mind Worm'.
[ooc]As a reminder there is a single door to the northeast in this room, and a pair of double doors to the north west after a few stairs.
Quintus makes his way to the monk's side, drawing a pair of wands and going to work. "How's that?"
Rowena nods.
"For a moment there, there was more of me on the outside than the inside."
"These things will happen, when you go up and start throwing those things around. I think Trevor and Kelkzar were happy to have it on the ground, though, and Jirin and I have a lot of experience patching people up."
She smiles weakly up at him. "It's what I do."
Healed now, though still wishing Quintus had prepared a couple more lesser restorations that morning, Rowena picks herself up and dusts herself off. She picks at some strange rubbery substance on her pants, but once she realizes it's a piece of her own intestine, she blanches and lets it be.
"Hey Quintus, do you mind practicing on me one more time?" says Trevor with a smile as he cleans his axe and sets his armour back in place.
That dang helmet is STILL too big...
He takes a look at the notes: "Did it mention that it was really tough..? It should..."
"Let's take them then. I've room in my backpack. If everyone's patched up, let's take a look at this door over here." remarks Kelkzar, looking over the single door. "Better to see if we can avoid anyone coming up behind us I think."
You open the door to the northeast.
In the center of a small round chamber is a perfectly calm pool of water, glowing with a faint blue light. There is a bench on either side of the pool.
A reflective green light flows out of a hallway, opposite the entry.
Divination magic from the pool.
It is a shallow pool and the benches seem to be arranged to allow you to look into the pool.
The green light is about the same shade as seen in the tank in the previous room.
"Let's go then?" offers Trevor "But where? Which side?" looking puzzled, yet in some kind of hurry.
You could go to towards the green light or backtrack and head down the short flight of stairs to the double doors in the previous room.
"Double doors first? Let's be sure there's nothing left behind us."
Rowena nods towards the double doors. "That strategy has always served us well in the past."
Heading down the short flight of stairs to the double doors you open them up the opens into a large chamber.
In the center of this large chamber is a grotesque ebony statue of a vulture-headed humanoid with large feathery wings and razor sharp talons at the end of avian digits. The rest of the room is taken up by large glass cases, each full of dark twisted artifacts, from a shrunken head to a tome chained shut and a number of jars containing the severed parts of numerous creatures.
There is a pair of double doors on the northeast wall.
Case #1 Sitting on the top shelf of this case is the preserved head of a small black dragon whose eyes glow a faint green. This case also contains an odd black metal cage, covered in thorns, with nothing inside. Resting on a large velvet pillow is a jewel-encrusted dagger. On the bottom shelf are some chains that twitch and wiggle of their own volition.
Case #2 The top shelf of this case contains four books labelled Beneath these is a weathered and tarnished statuette of a griffon. This case also contains four jars, each containing a preserved eye on a stalk. There are six other empty jars behind these.
Case #3 A small, stone dragon sits on top of this glass case. The top shelf of this case contains a stuffed doll that bears an uncanny similarity to Trevor - the doll is pierced with twenty spikes. A 4-inch-thick tome wrapped in chains sits next to the doll. On the bottom shelf is a battered greatsword and a golden gem on a chain.
Trevor stares with confusion and this strange collection. When his gaze falls upon the doll, he tilts his head sideways, pensive, staying there for a long minute.
That can't be good... Yet I don't feel anything...
Kelkzar regards the statues as he enters the chamber. "Big one is a vrock. Nasty demon. Screech would stun you. Produce spores that eat through your skin and if three or more get together they can produce a storm of energy. Let's hope this one is really a statue. That other statue looks like a pseudodragon. Mischievous but usually ok. Can speak with your mind if you know draconic. Like those owlbear eggs we found long ago, their eggs and young are worth quite a bit."
As you enter the room you are wary of the vrock statue, but it does not animate and come to life. The pseudodragon statue is inside the case, but does not move either.
In case #1 the dagger glows magical (moderate evocation)
In case #2 the griffon glows magical (Moderate transmutation), as does something behind the books
In case #3 the doll radiates magic (Strong necromancy)and the sword (Moderate Evocation)and the chain with the gem glow as well (Moderate Abjuration).
You do not find any traps
"Doesn't seem to be an immediate threat here. Shall we look through these cases in order?" Kelkzar opens the first case and uses his ability to detect alignment to examine the items for traces of evil and chaos.
"Let Jirin look for magical traps, first."
"Oh, man! What is all this weird stuff?!" Jirin asks in wondrous horror at the display cases. Mindful of the acid trap not half an hour earlier, she carefully inspects each case.
Quintus holds back Kelkar from opening one of the cases until Jirin has a chance to check them over. After she investigates them she nods that it is ok to open it. However once it opens, the vrock changes from a stone statue to life. Instantly ready to attack!
- Trevor, Quintus, Jirin, Rauno, Kelkzar, Vrock, Rowena
AC 22 T 11 FF 20 CMD 27
Trevor is caught at first by his own depiction. He starts to turn as Kelkzar mentions demons. Nasty indeed! he thinks as he takes in the sight of the great statue.
Somehow, he spies a hint of movement, and his axe drops in his hand in a split second when the Vrock animates itself.
"This thing is real!!!" shouts he as he whirls his axe and steps forward, adding his weight to the blade's to increase its speed and deadliness.
Trevor hits the demon and leaves a wicked gash, yet somehow the axe doesn't penetrate as well as expected
Round 1:
Wary of the vrock's reach, Quintus focuses his attention on the demonic creature before calling out an entreaty to Sarenrae. "Grant your ally's servant strength for the battlefield!"