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The stairway descends and the hallway narrows bit by bit until you reach a sharp turn into a small entryway. The scent of blood seasoned with herbal and floral notes assaults the nostrils. This room is laid out for function, not aesthetics, the walls hewn from dark granite and lined with hanging chains and manacles. The floor is bare but for a path of runes laid down the center, painted crudely in a dark brown pigment. A rack on the wall contains several varieties of whips, ranging from simple knotted lengths of rope to cats-o’-nine-tails and knots. Two arches lead to stairs at opposite ends of the room. A southeastern opening overlooks the well shaft, egress blocked by iron bars. From these bars hang three human forms, hands chained above their heads, facing out on the well. Patterns of half-healed runic scars decorate their naked backs.
Keeping watch over these prisoners are three of what might meet Kleetus's description of 'chain devil thingers' all of which appear ready for a fight.
One of the devils moves quickly up to the front and cracks a chain at Rakenlattle as though you would crack a whip.
The face of the creature begins to contort as it gazes upon the party, taking the form of departed loved ones in pain, and bitter enemies sneering.
A gaze special attack takes effect when foes look at the attacking creature’s eyes. The attack can have any sort of effect; petrification, death, and charm are common. The typical range is 30 feet, but check the creature's entry for details. The type of saving throw for a gaze attack varies, but it is usually a Will or Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 gazing creature’s racial HD + gazing creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s text). A successful saving throw negates the effect. A monster’s gaze attack is described in abbreviated form in its description. Each opponent within range of a gaze attack must attempt a saving throw each round at the beginning of his or her turn in the initiative order. Only looking directly at a creature with a gaze attack leaves an opponent vulnerable. Opponents can avoid the need to make the saving throw by not looking at the creature, in one of two ways.
Averting Eyes: The opponent avoids looking at the creature’s face, instead looking at its body, watching its shadow, tracking it in a reflective surface, etc. Each round, the opponent has a 50% chance to avoid having to make a saving throw against the gaze attack. The creature with the gaze attack, however, gains concealment against that opponent.
Wearing a Blindfold: The foe cannot see the creature at all (also possible to achieve by turning one's back on the creature or shutting one's eyes). The creature with the gaze attack gains total concealment against the opponent.
A creature with a gaze attack can actively gaze as an attack action by choosing a target within range. That opponent must attempt a saving throw but can try to avoid this as described above. Thus, it is possible for an opponent to save against a creature’s gaze twice during the same round, once before the opponent’s action and once during the creature’s turn.
Gaze attacks can affect ethereal opponents. A creature is immune to gaze attacks of others of its kind unless otherwise noted. Allies of a creature with a gaze attack might be affected. All the creature's allies are considered to be averting their eyes from the creature with the gaze attack, and have a 50% chance to not need to make a saving throw against the gaze attack each round. The creature can also veil its eyes, thus negating its gaze ability.
Round 1:
Yellow Kyton
Kleetus
Takkit
Gromsk
Rakenlattle
Jaysin
Lore
Red Kyton
Blue Kyton
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Rakenlattle tries to look away as the face shifts, but at the end he sees an image of his brother. He stumbles a for moment as he pushes forward, trying to drive the image out of his mind, clearly affected by what he saw.
Once he gets behind the monster, he takes a single shot at it, close range.
But in the effort to avoid looking at it, he misses his mark completely. He draws a dagger and prepares for a counter attack.
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The kytons all get wounded by the energy channeled by Lore, but one seems to resist most of the effect by sheer force of will.
They rapidly converge on Kleetus and attempt to shred him with their hanging chains before stepping back to maximize the utility of their long chains.
Round 2:
Kleetus
Takkit
Gromsk
Rakenlattle
Jaysin
Lore
Red Kyton (-24)
Blue Kyton (-12)
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Rakenlattle's musket is somewhat lessened in effect by the Kyton's otherworldly hide, but the ball digs deep and leave a clear wound in the outsider. Jaysin's shot however fails to pierce it at all as his nerves cause him to go a little weak as he draws back his bow.
The two Kytons swing their chains to hold off the approaching assailants, but to little effect. Between Takkit's guile and Kleetus's steel, the Kytons have found themselves with their backs to the wall.
Takkit's knife merely serves to harass it's mark, but Kleetus cuts in with with strength and conviction, working hard to vanquish this evil foe.
Round 2:
Kleetus
Takkit
Gromsk
Rakenlattle
Jaysin
Lore
Red Kyton (-24)
Blue Kyton (-43, shakened)
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The chain devils, with their back to the walls, fight back with ferocity. The one in red appears to be using chains animated from the wall of torture devices, however it seems to be a moot point since his most imminent threat is right in front of him.
Round 3:
Kleetus
Takkit
Gromsk
Rakenlattle
Jaysin
Lore
Red Kyton (-53)
Blue Kyton (-43, shakened)
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Jaysin takes a moment to clear his head and collect his nerves as discreetly as the stoic Taldan can muster. Thinking he was able to conceal his fear, Jaysin casually stows his bow as if there wasn't a problem and goes to retrieving his arrows as usual.
I'm glad to see nobody died to these creatures. If you can't help with putting them down I'm glad to see you can at least keep them busy while I do it for you.
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"I concur Jaysin. I'll be wanting to take some tips from you after all of these. I've met a number of exceptional archers working with the Society, all of them I have sought to emulate. You are no exception."
Rakenlattle's immediate attention on the people bound to the wall; checking their wounds, confirming they are not merely extremely devoted cultists, and attempting to free them from their shackles.
"Who are you all? Are you alright?"
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The prisoners bound on the wall are locked in chains which have now gone limp with the death of the Kytons. The lock is difficult to break, but for someone with Rakenlattle's skill it is a minor inconvenience. Upon getting them down off of the torture rack and unfurling the chains that bind them you are able to get a better look at their injuries and their effects. They appear to be Aspis Consortium agents - likely some of the agents previously assumed to be deceased during their initial skirmishes with the cultists. They do not seem to be at immediate risk of death... although that seems to be by design. The Kytons have done an excellent job making sure that they have never put them at risk of death. They are at the moment unconscious, and covered with scars and weeping wounds. Their injuries however appear to have been kept clean of infection. In some ways it is a relief... but in other ways it give you a feeling of dread. The creatures that bound these agents were certainly experts at inflicting continuous harm.
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Ya want me ta make one of them conscious? Ah mean, Ah can..." wheezes Kleetus, who seemed to be ready to start healing himself from some of the damage inflicted by the creatures.
Satisfied with his own health, he gingerly takes the wand offered by Rakenlattle. "Want me ta be the scuury one?" he asks, seemingly unconvinced with the entire process.
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When the agent is awakened, Rakenlattle with start off with a friendlier voice letting Kleetus and Gromsk take over if they are not responsive.
"I apologize for the rude awakening but we are wanting to move quickly. Right now we are looking at getting you lot out of here alive. We have already dealt with those things that were in here with you. However, to be completely open, we are from the Society, which you might be holding some animosity. I was hoping that you could put that aside and tell us what else the cultists have in store for us below and we can make sure you are well tended to in the relatively safer hands of the Society."
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The aspis agent wakes up groggily.
"Who.... Who are all of you. Where are the purifiers? Am I made pure?"
Rakenlattle can tell something is really up with them... They seem to be under some enchantment magic.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Rakenlattle ignores the questions while taking a few more moments to prod and examine the agent. When satisfied he turn slightly back to the party more wary of the agent than before.
"Magic has a hold over his mind. Do any of you have anything to free him? Preferably something you have more than one of. I like to think that the things here did this, but I worry that there is something below that can take our senses from us."
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Rakenlattle shakes his head sadly at Lorelendral. "Should still be useful, but unless this place is far more vast, we best look to resolve everything now."
The gunslinger ponders Jaysin's command and if he can abide by it. At the very least he finds wisdom in the desire for haste.
While the questions dance around the subjects of interest, Rakenlattle slowly relates few questions in a slow calculated manner, wary of inadvertently tripping some effect of the enchantment that may rile the agent.
"What do the purifiers look like? Is there anyone below we can ask? Have you any other companions that have been made pure?"
In so, he spends no more than a couple minutes determining if the kytons were the so called purifiers, if there is a leadership still below that they served and if there are other Aspis members below that serve the cultists.
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Their demeanor is very awkward. They seem to find your help appreciated but at the same time have an overwhelming compulsion telling them that their captors are in fact their friends. They don't appear to be under any domination that prevents them from speaking but their information seems... jumbled by their lack of full control over their mental faculties.
"The purifiers... they cleanse us and make us worthy of the blessings of Lissala. Their chains and claws bind and purge us of our impurities and let us revel in the blessings of wrath! Once we are made pure Miakovna will welcome us into the fold."
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Once others have taken their time with the agent, Rakenlattle will help make sure that they are secure and not going anywhere for the time being.
He looks to others to tend to his wounds with his wand of cure light wounds before taking the lead once again down the stairs, once again watching for traps and things lurking within the shadows.
"Best stay ready. I have a lot to prove to this thing."
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The shaft ends here in a vast circular pool. An open stair descends thirty feet from a stone archway, ending a few feet above the water and becoming a narrow walkway snaking around the interior curve of the well. This path ends three-quarters of the way around the pool where a set of massive bronze doors set with the serpentine goddess in relief stand closed. High above, the opening to the surface seems a dot that could be eclipsed with one hand; even in brightest day any admitted light fades to shadows at the well’s bottom. The only sound comes from the light slapping of water against stone.
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Rakenlattle slowly follows the path trying to capture anything and everything around him. He removes one of his gloves to take a moment to experience run his hand through the pool. He tries to focus on the pool's depths, but eventually returns his attention to the path and eventually the door.
"Any of you feeling like giving the pool a more in depth exploration right now or are we ready for whatever is behind this ominous door?"
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Rakenlattle doesn't detect any traps in the area but does discern that while the chapel door is closed, it does not appear to have any locking mechanism. It is however very large, old, heavy, and will require some muscle to shove open.
The well water is clear to the eye, however testing the water reveals that water drawn from the pool changes its sheen, as as it is deposited on the ground writes like ink.