Huh? Argust doesn't seem to get what the deal is. Why we gotta wait? Can't we just go?
Bert shakes his head. "It'd be rude to just barge in without talking first. And we don't want to be rude unless we have to, right?"
The three couriers raise their eyebrows. "Xin will complete his task when he wants to complete it. It is not for any here to ask a timetable of the master."
I could just hack my way through them but I'm thinkin' that'll look bad in the eyes of my liege.
Argust stands at the ready for whatever his friends may ask of him. I hope they ask me to hack my way through them.
"I'm sorry, but we just can't allow you to pass at this time." One of them draws her longsword and the other two follow suit."[/b]
(+2 underground)
Bert yelps in surprise, then retreats and casts his usual opener.
A particular axiomite may look like any humanoid-shaped creature, though the particular form does not affect its abilities in any way. Beneath this form, all axiomites are the same—clouds of glowing, crystalline dust that constantly swirl and congeal into complex tangles of symbols and equations, making them literally creatures of pure mathematical law.
Axiomite society is broken into three divisions, each with its own duty and purpose. One devotes itself to the construction and maintenance of inevitables, another to the expansion and construction of their capital city, and the third to continuing the exploration and calculation of the laws and constants that underlie all of reality. Their leader is a gestalt mind formed by the greatest individuals of their race, forming when needed and then dispersing into its component axiomites to put the god-mind’s plans into action.
Bert offers up some hope against these guards as they leap forward to attack Argust and Karn:
[ooc]Initiative:
"Axiomites! Just hit them really hard, OK?"
Argust takes a single shot from one of the creatures. Hit 'em hard, gotcha! Argust will start on the one that attacked his good friend Karn.
for plus
for plus
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Brelar drops an acid ball on them!
DC 23 Ref for half.
Bert takes a second to recall all he knows about axiomites before stepping back and allowing Argust and Karn to beat up on one of them. Unfortunately they are all extremely quick at shielding themselves from Brelar's blast of acid, which has no effect on them.
Two of them shift into flank around Argust as the middle one backs up and casts haste on himself and his allies.
#3: 163 dmg
Argust doesn't like how fast the enemy is so he decides to match it with his own Haste by clicking his heels! He then continues his assault!
for plus
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for plus and
Brelar will cast scorching (acid) ray targeting #2!
One more hit from Argust sends the injured one toppling to the ground. The dwarf's next three swings nearly drop the other as well, but the axiomites are tough foes who stand their ground. Brelar's acid rays burn the caster's skin but he only scowls and grits his teeth at the pain.
#1: 168 dmg
#2: 65 dmg
Bert calls on his luck and shoots at the most wounded one, moving on to the next if his first target falls.
Bert's first shot drops one of the axiomites and with his other shots he further wounds the remaining one! The axiomite steps back and casts a spell which shoots a bolt of lightning through
Alone, she then stands little chance against the whole party and you quickly overtake her.
See, them wasn't so tough. They shoulda just let us by all nice like, right Brelar?
Bert easily avoids the lightning stroke with his usual agility.
Now clear of adversaries, you let yourselves through the doors (after a little finagling by Bert). A throne of jagged black crystal grows from
the center of this massive hall under a hundred-foot-high cathedral-like ceiling. Two lines of motionless automaton warriors stand at attention to the east of the throne, forming a path up to the ruler’s seat.
Below, the floor is crystal-clear, like glass, allowing observation of a second immense room below. This second room is flooded with seawater but is fitfully illuminated by what appear to be schools of strange glowing fish. The floor is not visible deep below through the gloomy water, but about sixty feet beyond the throne to the west, the floor’s transparent nature is obscured by a twenty-foot-square section of black crystal set flush into the ground. Below, what appears to be a regiment of constructed soldiers of metal and gears seems to float in the water, with successive layers of metal soldiers descending down into the gloom.
When you first enter this room, a bent, wizened, motionless figure seems to sit upon the throne. As you approach you can see the man appears to be mortally wounded—both legs have been blasted away, along with his right arm. The stumps are charred black, and horrible burns mar much of the rest of his body where flesh is visible through his tattered, once-regal robes. Long black hair cascades from his head, and a metal circlet sits upon his brow.
The dead-looking body stirs, as if an old man were suddenly waking from a short nap. Speaking Thassilonian, Xin mutters, “What strangeness disturbs my well-deserved rest? Another assassin?”
Bert stands slack-jawed for a long moment. No! After all this, I get to meet Xin? Awesome! He pulls himself together and addresses the ancient ruler. "Nope! We're here to investigate the island now that it's resurfaced. Um...if you don't mind, I have all kinds of questions for you."
"We don't look like rune giants, do we?" The halfling glances at his companions with a grin.
Giants? Argust seems to have been awakened to attention at the mention of them. I hate giants! If you want rid of giants I'd be happy ta do it!
but Karn's channel covers the 18 damage so it's all good.
Taking in the throne room and Xin's condition Brelar whispers "I've got a bad feeling about this..."
The mighty and yet horribly wounded Xin seems half awake, yet livens up incrementally as he hears your answers and begins to speak again. "Resurfaced?" Xin seems confused by this but waves it off and turns to one of his clockwork reliquaries. "Chamberlain! Fetch my Sihedron!"
There is a moment of silence as the clockwork fails to respond but then Xin turns back to you as if just noticing you. "Ah, you must be chieftains of one of the tribes under my rule. Intrusive, at the best! And impetuous! You stand here before me as equals instead of bowing to your master? Soon my glorious new body of skymetal will awaken my army and all will bow before my might! It would be better if you started the practice now!"
"I think it's Xin, the founder of Thassilon. We've seen enough other wonders in our travels that it wouldn't surprise me one little bit!"
Does he want us to kneel? He ain't a king, is he? He looks dead. Argust scratches his beard, truly perplexed.
Brelar kneels before Xin, and casts detect magic while his head is bowed.
Argust, a puzzled look remaining on his face, does as his liege does and kneels... though without all of the arcane mumbojumbo.
Bert looks around at the rest of the party now at around his height, then bows to the ancient king instead.
Brelar notes that the wizard king does not exhibit many of the auras one might expect from a wizard of his stature and accomplishment. Indeed, the most pervasive aura is an illusory one, indicating that this must be some sort of image of Xin as he was before he fell. Below the image seems to be just another construct legionnaire.
"Excellent!" Xin calls out. A hideous cough wracks his body for a moment before he continues, "Soon you shall see my might for yourselves! I will remake my world out of the ashes of yours, as soon as my body is rebuilt." He turns to one of the clockworks again and asks, "How comes my reliquary-my army cannot reawaken without it! And what is that incessant slithering that haunts my halls below?"
Turning back to you, Xin asks, "So, are you here to lead your savage tribes alongside my clockwork army, to reclaim my kingdom from those runic usurpers?"
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Ooze slurpers? What kinda creatures are them, Brelar?
"I think he's talking about rune giants, Argust." The halfling studies the clockworks around the apparent king, trying to figure out their function and current state of repair.
Oh! Well I done told him I hate giants!
"Bah! Who needs this grovelling and who needs your help, anyways! I'll just take it all for myself in the end, after all!" Xin begins to rise from his chair and there is a strange moment where it seems as though he is standing, even though the bottom half of his legs are missing.
But then the palace walls fade as sunlight streams through a circle of fantastic spires looming over a large courtyard. Thousands of cheering people in extravagant clothing surge forward-many with the distinctive features of ancient Thassilonians, but some looking more like Varisians or Shoanti. A young King Xin holds a huge diamond, its inner facets gleaming with a multitude of glowing runes. His voice booms: "A seed of power is only as powerful as one who plants it!" Thunderous cheers erupt, and the man drops the gigantic diamond to the ground below. The diamond sinks into the earth, and jagged, rune-covered walls of blindingly bright crystal erupt from the earth with lightning speed. The erupting walls dampen the outside cheers, and the man stoops, ages, and burns as the hall returns to its current decrepit state.
Ten thousand years pass in a flash, the vision imparting all the loneliness, madness, despair, and frustration that builds in that time. The vision reveals the island rising new from teh sea, and an endless legion of clockwork soldiers marching from the sea led by a clattering shape with a skeleton trapped inside-a clockwork reliquary. The vision ends with this clockwork army dismantling Magnimar and replacing it with a new city of clockwork and crystal rules by the reborn Xin.
As you recognize this last part as merely the visionary hope and desire of the powerful spirit that surrounds you, your vision begins to refocus and you again see the decrepit hall before you and the clockwork soldiers, which now stand with their greataxes ready to swing.....
(+2 underground)
Finally, all that talkin' is over! Seeing that these things are ready to attack, Argust moves to the closest one and engages it!
for plus
Before the legionnaires can act, Argust leaps over to the nearest one and clobers it! As soon as Argust's sword cleaves through it, a bright rune on the clockwork construct's chest glows and there is a familiar glimmer of magical shielding around the legionnaire.
Three of them close in on Argust as the other two lumber across the chamber towards Karn!
Xin, or his image or spirit or whatever is now standing before the throne, begins casting a spell....
#3: 48 dmg
Argust dodges the first few attacks but is hit by the other two! Seeing these as dangerous opponents, Argust clicks his heels!
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"Watch out! He's summoning something big!" Bert calls on his luck, takes a deep breath, and speaks a word in a voice far deeper and louder than seems possible from a body his size.
Karn's first swing sends gears flying as one of the constructs is broken to bits. His next two swings take town another and his final follow-through takes a large chunk out of the third!
Bert's spell sends a shock to the old wizard and his casting is disrupted!
#2: 50 dmg
Xin: 14 dmg, resonating word, staggered 1 rnd