Kufieno flies south, charging the blue arcanist.
Miana punches one of the simulacrum until it flies apart into bits of snow and ice! Thunderpuss sniffs out the mage directly in front of him and Lucian tells Seal to swing, although Seal misunderstands and swings in the wrong direction. On the other side of the room Kufieno blasts another mage into snow and ice!
red: 32 dmg
pur: 17 dmg
Rissi squeals in fear, falling to all fours and skittering away.
If Seal and Thunderpuss didn't move more then 5' (which it looks like to me), they will finish their full round of attacks.
Seal, now knowing where the invisiwizard is, swings hard and sends the slush flying! The last simulacrum is easily mopped up after that.
resistance +2, headband of vast intelligence +2, noble’s outfit
worth 200 gp, spellbook (contains only spells prepared)
Spellbook:
5th—feeblemind (DC 19), shadow evocation (DC 21, 2)
4th—confusion (DC 18), greater invisibility, phantasmal killer
(DC 20, 2), empowered scorching ray
3rd—dispel magic, displacement, extended false life, fireball
(DC 17), major image (DC 19, 2)
2nd—invisibility (2), minor image (DC 18, 2), mirror image,
resist energy, scorching ray
1st—charm person (DC 15), magic missile (2), ray of
enfeeblement (DC 15), shield, silent image (DC 17, 2)
0 (at will)—arcane mark, ghost sound (DC 14), mage hand,
mending, prestidigitation
Fragments of any of the wall mirrors here could function as runeforged weapon components, as Lucian can tell you while your resident arcane master scitters about on the floor. Kufieno and Miana also note a secret door behind a section of mirrors in the far wall.
With the arcane threat gone, Rissi races over and wraps herself around Miana's feet - warily eyeing Thunderpuss.
Sealman and Thunderpuss pad over to Rissi and Miana as the treasure is being sorted out.
"Rissi, you feeling OK? You are acting all weird and mousy."
Lucian contemplates Rissi's fate with a grim look, quickly swept away by the Varisian's natural enthusiasm.
"Fear not my dear Rissi, Desna will take the traveler's burden away and cure your ailment!"
Through the secret door you found lie bookcases full of tomes and scrolls and a reading table with several matching chairs sits atop a thick rug in the center of the room. A peacock made of gold sits upon the table, holding a single stick of incense cleverly positioned in its tail feathers. A heavy wooden door exits the room through the wall to the northwest. A figure lies slumped in the chair in the far corner—the body of a man wearing rich robes and a cloak made of peacock feathers. An elegant mirror is clutched in his hand, and a book and quill sit on the table before him.
This room is filled with religious essays on the subject of the Peacock Spirit, one of the more popular faiths during Thassilon’s height. Unfortunately, the books kept here are maddeningly vague and coy in revealing actual details about the Peacock Spirit, made all the worse by the large volume of material at hand. Very little here can be of use in bringing to light more facts about this maddeningly obscure ancient cult.
The body in the chair looks as if it had only died a moment ago and bears a striking resemblance to the simulacra you just fought.
The book in his lap is an extensive journal written in Thassilonian and would take about a day to study fully. Skimming through you can get a strong impression of the narrative though: The bulk of the journal catalogs Vraxeris’s studies and the development of an improved version of clone that effectively granted him immortality. The drawback was that each time he switched bodies, he lost a portion of his own knowledge and experience, forcing himself to relearn much with each incarnation. At several points in the book, he also speaks of how with each new clone, the debilitating dementia that lurks at the end of his life manifests a little sooner—with each new body, his effective lifespan shrank. It seems obvious that the dementia finally struck soon enough to prevent him from creating a new clone, and thus finally, death claimed him.
Of more immediate interest to you are the journal’s notes on more recent events:
The runeforge pool awoke! I first took this as a sign that Runelord Xanderghul had risen. When I arrived at the pool to investigate, it seemed that the others had come to the same conclusion. The foolish Wardens of Envy thought to disrupt the recrudescence, and with the aid of Azaven, Ordikan, Athroxis, and that lovely creature Delvahine, we were able to defeat them utterly. Their Abjurant Halls lie in ruins. Our treaty was short-lived, though. Azaven absconded with the bodies and that treacherous wench Athroxis nearly burned me to death before I made it back here.
I was mistaken. Runelord Xanderghul still slumbers. It is that monster Karzoug who quickens and nears rebirth. Damnation! He must not be allowed to precede Xanderghul into the world, for he would rebuild Thassilon in his own inferior image, a testament to his own greed rather than one of pride in the work. He must be delayed or defeated! I have managed to escape this place, to a certain extent. By astral projection I can explore what the world outside has become. It is a brutish place, yet it pleases me to see Thassilon’s mark endures in the shape of our monuments. Still, the wilderness of the world vexes me. Gone is the empire I knew. Karzoug’s city of Xin-Shalast is now hidden high in the mountains, and when I finally discovered it, I found the spires where his body is hidden to be inaccessible, warded against astral travelers by the occlusion field around the peak of Mhar-Massif. As long as his runewell is active, I fear even a physical approach would be impossibly deadly.
I must determine a way to pierce these wardings, and to send an agent in my place. No need to risk my own life before my clone is ready.
The golden peacock is worth 800 gp. The books weigh just over 200 pounds, but as a collection is worth 1,500 gp to a scholar of Thassilonian lore. Vraxeris’s spellbooks sit on the shelves to the north, and contain a wealth of spells between their covers,
The gear remaining on Vraxeris’s body is worth a small fortune. He wears an evil robe of the archmagi, a headband of vast intelligence +6, a ring of wizardry II, and a cape of the mountebank.
Rissi stays in icy silence awhile after regaining her faculties, apart from briefly thanking Lucian. Is it that she dreaded what she became, temporarily... or did she enjoy it? Either way, the wizard remains close mouthed on the issue.
Yet another treasure trove of knowledge, however, asserts her natural curiosity and she falls once again to cataloging and deciphering. She says nothing of the notes on cloning, merely tucking their results away for contemplation later. The rest of the journal, however, she summarizes.
"The spires of Xin-Shalast, high upon a forbidden mount. Talk of a runewell - another source of *squeak* sinspawn. Our enemy is revealed at *chhh* last, and by the divination of another."
The sits back on her haunches, stroking her whiskers. "I wonder what *chhhh* became of Vraxeris' agent. We should finish our exploration, forge our weapons and leave - time grows short. Still, I have little more to offer today. If we progress further do not depend on me for any but the most rudimentary support."
You head through the southern door to the next room. Once a fine library, the books held in this large chamber—along with the bookshelves that once held them—have been destroyed by fire and force. The devastation seems complete—although it’s possible something may survive somewhere under all of the ruin. To the north, a sizable alcove extends from the room into what may have once been a large reading area, but this too has been ruined.
To either side of this chamber are two smaller rooms. These rooms are empty—save for a grisly heap of identical-looking dead bodies stacked in a well-organized pile.
One final room lies to the south. This long room contains only three plain items of furniture—a large bed strewn with silk ropes, a writing desk, and a freestanding armoire.
Lounging about this room are six figures you recognize quite well-the succubus from the Iron Cages of Lust, multiplied into six identical figures, supposedly for Vraxeris' pleasure. They do not look happy to see intruders though.
find.
[b]"Ah, a tome of leadership - fortuitous indeed. I am *chhhh* sure someone here can find a good use for that particular collection of writings.
------------------------
Upon seeing the room of demonic heralds, the ratfolk hisses. [b]"Succubi! Do not *squeak listen to their lies.![/ooc]
The wizard pulls a wand of missiles and flicks her wrist.
Lucian marvels at Rissi's improvement. "I'm glad you're back, Ris'. I thought your mind was gone for good this time. Praised be Desna!"
Upon the ratfolk's discovery, the Varisian once again opens his eyes wide. "What tremendous power lies in that book, I could share with another - like the other tome we recently found. I guess we'll sort this out when we stop to recover."
As the demons attack, Lucian steps to the other side of the door, then projects a flash of pure light in the room to blind the succubi.
"Fiends, be smitten by Desna's starlit grace!"
Evanya flies to Sealman's shoulder, and lays a soft hand on the nape of his neck.
"Feel Desna's luck guide your arm!"
With so many targets to choose from, Sealman gets right to work vanquishing evil.
"Hey ladies, let's party!"
Sealman begins to rage as he starts swings his dorn all over the place, mostly trying to land on the succubi's face!
Rissi hits one of them with a set of force missiles and Lucian then lets out a holy blast which leaves four of them blinded! Kufieno then repeatedly knocks one of them with his wildly swinging weapon!
bl: 34 dmg, blind 1 rnd
gr: 16 dmg, blind 3 rnd
pu: 82 dmg, blind 1 rnd
pk: 11 dmg, blind 3 rnd
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"Good grief! I once had another girlfriend who kept coming back. Almost to the point of crazy stalker chick. It appears I attract those sort of women." Kufieno quips as he moves into the room and attacks.
Kufieno strikes one of the succubi and sends her toppling over as a pile of slush.
Two of the blinded succubi suddenly turn into small girls, weeping and wailing for their mothers. The blue succubus calls out, "Go get 'em girls!" The other two near Miana simply try to claw at the Champion.
bl: 34 dmg, inspiring
gr: 16 dmg, blind 2 rnd
pk: 11 dmg, blind 2 rnd
rd: 42 dmg
or: 24 dmg
Rissi waits to see how the efforts of her companions play out against these tantrum throwing tantric monsters.
Kufieno steps southeast and attacks the hot chick in pink! "Sorry hun'."
Lucian is a bit startled by the sudden change into little girls, but tries to keep his wits about him. He shoots three fiery rays at one of the attacking succubi.
Rissi stops dallying and launches a salvo of magic missiles at the southeastern demon as well.
Sealman steps into the room patting his belly.
"Now calm down ladies, there is enough of me for all of you."
He then starts to swing his dorn around like a whirling tornado, making sure nobody feels left out.
Miana continues kicking the snot out of two of the succubi and the crying girl. Fortunately Rissi reassures her that the succubi are just using an alter self effect common to their kind. Kufieno scratches up the girl in the corner, something sure to give him nightmares in times to come. Lucian can rest assured though, because his spell has no effect on the succubi nor the little girls. Rissi hits one with a spell and Seal whirls about hitting three in one swing!
The two crying blind girls whimper and offer feeble words of support to the succubi who continue to fight on. Knowing they would have little effect on Miana, they taunt Seal and Kufieno into taking off their clothes.
bl: 56 dmg, inspiring
gr: 60 dmg, blind 1 rnd, inspiring
pk: 90 dmg, blind 1 rnd, inspiring
rd: 70 dmg
or: 43 dmg
Not fond of the idea of this battle turning into an orgy in the slightest, the wizard attempts to end the fight now.
She launches another salvo of magic missiles against Kufieno's opponent.
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"Ahhh, so the ladies want to see the goods first, eh? Don't worry there is dwarf enough for all of you."
Sealman loops his dorn around his neck as if it was a feathered boa. He then slowly begins to seductively remove his gauntlets clip by clip. All the while, his bulbous back side wiggles from east to west. Out of context, one could mistake this "dance" as a mild seizure.
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The paladin continues her acrobatic attacks, also secretly hoping the constant movement will allow her to not glimpse what her companions of lower willpower are doing to the call of little girl succubi
Unfortunately, Miana is too distracted as she sees the dwarf trying to sexily take off his shirt and her will is broken just enough that her attack fails horribly; however, she manages to keep her last meal safely inside her stomach.
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Kufieno glances at Seal, and lowers his weapon. "Oh, I didn't know it was that kind of party!" Despite feeling a little creeped out at undressing in front of children, he quickly begins stripping naked. Arcs of electricty begin dancing across his...extremeties as he starts exposing himself!
Lucian points at one of the succubi and orders her to betray her sisters.
"Kill them! Prove that you're the most worthy of them. Else they'll slay you first."
Rissi's missiles obliterate the crying girl in the corner! Seal and Kufieno try to liven the place up a bit but this only distracts Miana, who clearly has never seen such licentious acts before. The succubus ignores Lucian's threats and all of the succubi focus their attacks on Miana.
bl: 56 dmg, inspiring
gr: 60 dmg, inspiring
rd: 70 dmg
or: 43 dmg
Rissi cloaks herself in greater invisibility and sheathes her wand; she tightens her grip on the staff of hungry shadows.
Seeing Kufieno and Sealman behaving so strangely, Lucian scratches his head at first, then understands that his help may be needed. He unfolds a scroll, reading it.
"Friends, be freed from their evil influence!"
Kufieno shakes his head and looks down to see his naked form. Shrugging, he holds out his hands and lets his claws grow, then moves over to attack the demon chicks!
As Sealman gets to his grieves, he stops at Lucian's command. Still partially armored, he unwinds the dorn and begins to start to cleave everybody bad b!tch in sight!
"Foreplay is over!