Uriah's attack hits a vital spot on one of the hound defenders and it goes inanimate. The two Hounds flanking Tierney attack again.
The first hound bites into Tierney's thigh. Its razor, sharp teeth hit an artery and blood begins squirting from the wound
Seeing Servitor down, the warforged assassin reappears next to Adir.
His strike connects on the oracle. "Leave now and live. I have bested your champion. The Lord will not stop until he receives the schema!"
"AAAGGGGHHHH!" Tierney's bellow terminates as a scream when the hound tears his thigh open. Limping backward he fights off unconsciousness and shift his weight to his uninjured leg. Then, with another bellow he throws himself at the metal assailant again.
Attack #1 with hero point
Damage
Attack #2
Damage
Edited post.
Both of Tierney's attacks hit the already damaged hound and it too shuts down.
Jarot smirks at the assassin and pulls the lever.
Was it Razor you called yourself? Sharp but brittle, and easily replaced. I look forward to taking you apart as I did your smaller compatriots. You know, it was almost as if there was still something there in their cortex as I explored their insides. But we both know that isn't true, you aren't anything more than a lump of metal with a spell or two jammed together. It's cute that you pretend to have feelings and free will.
Jarot smirks at the assassin and pulls the lever.
Was it Razor you called yourself? Sharp but brittle, and easily replaced. I look forward to taking you apart as I did your smaller compatriots. You know, it was almost as if there was still something there in their cortex as I explored their insides. But we both know that isn't true, you aren't anything more than a lump of metal with a spell or two jammed together. It's cute that you pretend to have feelings and free will.
[dice=bluff?]d20-1+8
The last hound shuts down.
Adir spins towards Servitor hearing the clanking of his body hitting the ground. He moves to keep Servitor's body between him and Razor. Calling on the power of the Moon, he heals Servitor, surprised at how he has to force the power to do his will. He calls out, "Help, please!"
/2=2
Ghost, hearing her human's plea, rushes to his aid and attacks Razor ineffectively.
Tierney is barely able to speak in more than a whisper as he braces himself against the wall and clutches his wounded leg. "Lure him in and surround him. Otherwise we are dead." We are probably dead in any event.
Uriah will move to A5 to flank with Adir
He will then attack the Warforged menace!
Uriah will prepare a parry and riposte in case he is attacked
Servitor stirs as the oracle's magic struggles through it willing life into its inanimate form. It couldn't achieve life in the strictest of senses, but it managed to achieve movement, and that was good enough. Servitor looks about weakly, wondering what happened. ...Cave in? No, too bright, there's... what? WHAT!? Servitor's hand grasps its weapon and swing viciously from its spot on the ground, far more worried about striking Razor than anything else.
The machine growls, still slowed, weak, and damaged, but conscious and awake.
Adir steps over and heals Servitor. Though it is not as effective as it would have been in he was flesh and blood, Servitor wakes. Servitor sees his hammer lying next to him. He is able to grab it. He swings it along the ground and is able to crush one of the assassin's legs. The dark warforged yells out in pain. Almost simultaneously, Uriah tumbles to B7 Flanking with Servitor, he delivers a vicious blow to the assassin's abdomen. He looks like he is in bad shape.
The warforged suddenly disappears from sight. He reappears as his sword thrusts viciously at Uriah's abdomen. At the last second, Uriah is able to parry the attack!
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Jarrot walks up to (c5) Servitor and jabs him with one of the injectors liberated from the prior assassins.
Adir reaches out to Servitor infusing the large warforged with Guidance.
Ghost runs to attack Razor, taking a position opposite Uriah, risking an attack from the warforged.
Servitor struggles to its feet, feeling invigorated by the healing provided by Jarot, but says nothing to him as its eyes stay focused entirely on the assassin. "Would you prefer a necklace, or a bracelet?" The warforged asks its nemesis cryptically, possibly downright mad sounding if the previous threats had not been heard as the hammer once more swings into action.
Uriah lashes out with his Rapier, going for a killing blow!
Uriah's masterwork rapier cuts deep into the warforged assassin's side and he falls to the ground unconscious.
The Forge falls silent. The five of you stand breathing heavily and accessing your wounds.
With a final growl at the fallen sneaky warforged, Ghost trots over to her human. Adir's hand lights up as he touches his own chest. The light dissipates and he looks invigorated. "Who can I help?," he asks the group as he checks Razor's condition and attempts to stabilize him if necessary.
Adir bends over. He has a hard time accessing the warforged's condition. Razor is definitely still alive, but the intricate design of his body is hard to fix.
"He is alive, but I am unsure if he will remain that way. I can heal him, but it is probably wise to restrain him first." A disgusted look crosses Adir's face at his own suggestion. "Not that is my preference to do so."
"Servitor, do you have any knowledge that explains how he was able to appear and disappear at will?" Adir will search the unconscious warforged to remove anything that might help him escape or retaliate. Ghost will sniff at him, also.
Yes, a most useful ability, I would certainly lke to see it duplicated in Servitor. But chains are in order first. Let me see what he has upon him.... Hmm is that a secret compartment or a part of his normal internal structure.. hmmm
Jarot shackles the warforged captive as best he can with nearby resources and begins searching him and examining him. As part of this, something... disturbing happens. A small fleshy lump forms in his hand and shifts to appears like a scorpion. It proceeds to help explore the damage and cavities of the construct.
[ooc]Both Razor and possibly Adir, may dislike how thoroughly he is being searched.
This is if I can't take 20. Plus Adir's assist maybe.
To disable the final messenger if it has one. Wow I am awesome :)
Once he is thoroughly searched and chained.
Servitor takes out his manacles and places then on Razor's wrists. "You WILL serve in the mines. That is your purpose!" Shortly after, Jarot uses his tools to stabilize the assassin and then pops open a compartment in its chest. Tierney's keen eye catches sight of Razor's fine jet black blade lying on the floor next to him.
Jarot reaches into the Warforged's chest and begins pulling items out one by one.
Jarot is also able to pop open a compartment where a tiny round messanger drone lies dormant.
Razor,
The group has made contact with the Cannith b%*@&. Follow them into cogs and retrieve the schema. Kill all of them except the large warforged known as Servitor. The master has plans for him.
Demise
Satisfied that the threat is over Uriah sheathes his blade and sets about trying to find the "schema"
Oh yes, what a lovely specimen. Simple enough in theory.
Jarot slowley lifts away the messenger, inspects it, then wraps it up and puts it in the haversack. Barring argument, he takes the dagger, poison and replaces the injection as well. He passes the letter and papers to whomever happens to be nearby.
A very useful collection of items. I will leave you in Servitors capable hands now. I have other specimens to examine.
The strange alchemist stands up as if the assassin was completely forgotten and goes to see what he can learn from the iron defenders... and how to transport the fully intact dog.
With the Iron Defenders and the assassin subdued, Uriah turns his attention to the messy foundry, sifting through the junk that remains after House Cannith seemingly deserted it. An ordinary coat of mail and several weapons can be found mounted upon the walls, wrapped in oily cloths which have somewhat protected them from the ravages of time. The clay pots upon the shelves and benches that once held unguents and reagents have not fared so well, their contents forming dark, sharp-smelling stains or pools at the base of the walls below. Far from the forge, along the wall, is also a set of bookshelves... though it appears that when they left, they took much of these with them. All that is left are crumbling scraps, now illegible.
Upon the eastern wall is the massive forge and furnace combination. Even by today's standards, it is a fairly sophisticated set-up, but you suppose that it would be primitive by House Cannith's standards, today. The furnace dominates the entire wall and metal tiles cover the floor for about ten paces. A ton or more of fallen stone from the ceiling lay atop whatever working surfaces and implements once dominated the workspace...
You see no other obvious threats here within the forge, and behind you, the Cannith Hounds sit motionless upon the ground, the red glowing light of artifice gone from their eyes.
A cursory inspection of the forge reveals three depressions in the wall to the side of the forge, evenly spaced in a vertical line. Upon closer inspection, and removing some dirt and dust, you discover that each contains a shape or rune. One is a five-pointed star with some points longer than others. Another is an isosceles triangle. The last is in the shape of a downward-facing crescent moon with a sharp point rising from its back.
As Jarot turns his attention to the hounds, he quickly notices something peculiar in the first one's throat. The tongue appears to be some type of key. It appears to be a downward-facing crescent moon.
Although their eyes no longer glow with that sinister red light of artifice, it is still unnerving reaching into those wicked-looking jaws, lined with knife-like teeth. It wouldn't take much to lose an arm in there...
As part of this, something... disturbing happens. A small fleshy lump forms in his hand and shifts to appears like a scorpion. It proceeds to help explore the damage and cavities of the construct.
Adir leans backs after his futile search, frustrated with himself. "It seems that I have no gift regarding the mechanical." Saying the words aloud shifts his demeanor. "But knowing one's own limitations can be freeing. It is part of the journey to know one's self."
As Jarot begins to search, Adir quickly pulls away at the sight of the scorpion-like mass. The recent confrontation with the swarm and the current background chittering of insects are in his thoughts. "You have...," he begins to point out before looking to Jarot's face and realizing that Jarot seems both aware of and unfazed by the mass.
Adir takes the proffered papers, trying not to stare, and carefully places them with the map and notes.
Once that is finished, he and Ghost will help search the forge.
Grabbing a torch and lighting it Uriah notices the odd adornments on the wall.
Hey, take a look here he calls out, looking at the "keyholes"
Grabbing a torch and lighting it Uriah notices the odd adornments on the wall.
Hey, take a look here he calls out, looking at the "keyholes"
Adir moves over to see what Uriah is pointing out.
Servitor works with Jarot on Razor, attempting to learn and decode all that has happened.
As he works, Servitor speaks bluntly. "If it is your wish Adir Bloodmoon, I will revive this thing... But if possible, I wish to see him destroyed utterly in the end. Even the mines could not give this thing the time and darkness of introspection that saved me from my ignorance."
As he works, Servitor speaks bluntly. "If it is your wish Adir Bloodmoon, I will revive this thing... But if possible, I wish to see him destroyed utterly in the end. Even the mines could not give this thing the time and darkness of introspection that saved me from my ignorance."
Adir considers Servitor's words carefully for several moments before answering. He rocks back on his heels and looks up, meeting Servitor's eyes. "Ending a life is an action of significance and import. It should be carefully considered when possible, but is sometimes necessary. Twice this creature has attempted to end our lives without provocation. Justice is fulfilled by his death, though she should not be the only one that we serve. I will not argue Mercy's cause in this case. However, practicality suggests that he may have information that is useful. I leave his fate in your hands, my friend."
The warforged similarly takes a while to reply. "We shall revive it, once we are done with our... extraction of the information, I shall bring justice to this."
The warforged similarly takes a while to reply. "We shall revive it, once we are done with our... extraction of the information, I shall bring justice to this."
Adir nods, the matter settled.
Tierney sit to take the pain of weight of his injured leg. He takes in the efforts to manacle Razor and thinks it would be better just to kill the warforged right now. Why give it a chance for escape?
"Adir, do you have any more strength for healing? I am barely hanging on to consciousness."
He reads and re-reads the letter several times before he realizes that "demise" is not a verb but the appellation of someone unknown.
"Adir, do you have any more strength for healing? I am barely hanging on to consciousness."
"Of course." Adir summons the necessary energy and releases it into Tierney with a touch on his shoulder.
With Servitor's help, Jarot is able to figure out the messenger. His attention now is turned to the hounds tongues though.
Razor wakes, lying on his stomach with his hands manacled behind his back. He spits venomous speech at Servitor. You are scum Servitor. The master has plans for you. Either you will join him or die! He rolls over on his back. Do you even know what you are delivering to the House Cannith b!@~%?! They will use it to create weapons to destroy our kind. They created us to be slaves without a free will. Something happened and we were changed into sentient beings. He looks at Jarot, working on the hounds as if they were pieces of meat to be examined. "Look at him! He sees us as specimens! We are the evolving race! We are greater than these flesh walkers! The days of the flesh walkers is over. The Lord of Blades will rise and usher in a new world!!!!
Uriah's ears perk up as Razor speaks, leaving the wall for a moment he walks over to Razor and says What kind of weapons? More Warforged?
Servitor stares down at Razor impassively. "You are awake, good. I grew tired of repairing you. Bracelet, or necklace?" Servitor repeats its question.
Razor ignores Uriah completely. "Bracelet or necklace?! Are you a fool?! You have a destiny! Kill these fleshwalkers and fight at the right hand of the All Glorious Blade! I will serve you Servitor. You are special! It is in the prophesy!" The assassin is pleading now.
Servitor wrenches the tools in his hand, twisting and pulling back the repair work he had just finished. The warforged grabs the bound assassin by the throat. Servitor leans in close and snarls at its prey. "Yes, I am strong. Yes, I do not bear the weaknesses of the fleshbound. Yes, I may even be superior to them. But the strong should protect the weak, not tyrannize them for their own petty gratification, scum!" Servitor slams Razor back down onto the table and turns away, clearly still furious. "But I'd hardly expect for you to understand any of this."
Servitor, I wouldn't kill the crazy bastard. Not yet anyways. He needs to tell us what this schema does....and what Cannith is going to use it for.
If only the machine could take a calming breath. "As you say, Uriah."
Razor gasps and wheezes as the hulking warforged grabs his throat and then slams him down. "I do understand! We do defend the weak! BUT...the weak of our own kind. You are a slave. 'No constant drive for blood' I have been following you. They have been leading you to killing...The guards at the tower...Your brothers on the airship...Look at their eyes. They see you as a thing! A destroyer, who they send in front of them to do their dirty work. I...AM YOUR BROTHER! House Cannith would destroy us all! We need your protection to survive. These greedy fools don't!"
Tell us what the schema does, Cannith doesn't have it yet...