As you barrel into the harsh winds of this new world you realize quickly that this may have been a bit brash of a decision. The cold of the winds is well within tolerable limits, something you keenly attribute to the 'injection'.
The snow you're standing in it only a few inches and crunches beneath your armored feet. In the midst of the stormy wind you catch a glimpse of something straight ahead.
William looks into the wind as he arrives and shivers a bit. Glad I got that injection or I think I'd be freezing my nuts off right now. What was that?!
Feeling the surging return of her formerly god-given power, Khazia gives Solivagus a smile and a grim nod before following William through the portal.
Hopefully some of my companions will have the means to keep the others safe from the elements. I can only protect one other once these injections wear off. A week is a good window to prepare, but does not bode well for the possible length of our tenure on this harsh world.
After stepping through the portal Khazia reaches out through the invisible web of positive energy and establishes a connection to William, feeding a constant flux of her own life energy into the armored barbarian.
"I am not as quick on my feet as you are, my friend, nor are my eyes so sharp, but stick by me and I will do my best to keep us safe in this hostile place. You may call me Khazia." She gives William a brief bow with a sarcastic smile before glancing into the cold, unfriendly distance.
The Professor sighs at his companions' hurry to put themselves in danger, but goes through the portal. Upon arrival, he nods acknowledgment to the other two, and checks his pockets, making sure that everything is present, and paying extra attention to the vial that contains his mutagen.
One eyebrow goes up as the portal opens and William charges into the breach. From what he saw on the dias', he really did belong to the Conclave. Flint turns back to Solivagus and gives a small salute before sauntering into the breach as well. He feels cold wind but the warmth within from the injection kept it at bay. He could do the same but now he didn't have to prepare that extract. Cool. He lights up a pipe and looks out over the wasteland.
He spies the cave and begins walking towards it. "Guess that's the entrance," he says over the wind to the others.
William looks at Khazia as she comes through the portal, "I'm William and I'll do my best to make sure nothing molests you, unless you want them too that is." He then smiles at her and waits for the others to arrive. "I'm guessing that is where we are going. I'll lead the way in when everyone is ready. If you have any magic you need to use, I'd do it now."
Khazia nods, squinting into the distance, although she can't see what William is referring to. "I am no damsel myself, but I'll be sure to let you know if any such molestation is to be allowed." She gives the big man a wink. "And I've been 'using magic' since we arrived in this desolate place." She pauses from silently establishing a life link to each companion and sprinkles a small circle of powdered silver around herself while intoning & signing various wards against evil.
"Solivagus mentioned these spider-creatures having discovered 'Lolth.' Does this information bear any significance to anyone?"
The professor removes a potion of Heroism from a pocket and pours it onto the lining of his Sipping Jacket .
"You guys are being a little jumpy ain't ya? Haven't seen one yet." That's guaranteed to draw them out if there are any. Been itchin to shoot something.
"Seen one, no, but if we head in there we will probably run into some of them. When you're ready, let's get out of the wind."
Savyon cautiously enters the portal, and arrives on the otherside. Seems he was right in picking his coat for this mission. He readies the sling portion of his staff, and looking around casually.
"You hear that? Quick Draw McGraw says we're being jumpy!" Khazia laughs, nudging The Professor with an elbow before casting a final spell and trudging after the eager gunslinger, her armor sprouting thousands of tiny spikes.
"Not that I'm eager to meet the so-called 'aggressive natives,' but we do need to get off the surface before we stand around in these strange storms too long and Mr. Blackwood sprouts another arm."
Flint considers the option for far too long. "The chance to grow another without extensive research from sheer chance on a world ours could never dream of...is almost worth potentially being disintegrated."
Then as an after thought, "Anyone else feel different since leaving that place?"
As you all brave the cold of the stormy locale, the portals seals behind you with a sudden burst of warm air that washes over you all like some sort of twisted reminder of what you just walked into.
The crunch of the hard snow beneath your feet is drowned out by the screeching gales and you all follow William as he leads you into some sort of cave, a 15ft by 15ft circular tunnel with walls covered in some kind of hardened resin, the substance yielding a bit to your weight as you step on it.
The entrance was covered by a translucent flap of thick, ragged resin. The smell as you enter the tunnel borders on sickly sweet.
You step into the cold and notice William moving ahead slightly and peering through the gusts of white. He seems to have noticed something nearby and nods to you.
In response you reach out with your being and establish a link with the brash warrior, his life and yours now linked as a mother to her child, the thought reminding you of your discussion with Archdruid Kale.
The blast of wind snuffs out your smoke and you follow William into the tunnel, eager to light 'er back up.
The smell of the tunnel reminds you of a butcher's shop and something tells you that's no coincidence.
Your jacket floods with power and helps to insulate you just a bit more against the biting wind.
You follow Flink and William into the oddly circular tunnel, Ham stirring in your subconscious at the prospect of confined spaces...
The coat you brought was perfect for Golarion's cold climes but without that injection you feel that even its mighty insulating fabrics would be no match for this storm you've walked right into.
Noticing the party heading for a strange, circular cave you follow suit.
As you both wander along the winding stone path into a thickly wooded area, the mysterious old man regales you with platitudes and wisdom much like those you had gleaned from your life thus far.
"Lady Nyrazim," his voice is paper-thin and raspy, a reflection of his great age surely,"I am Archdruid Erasmus Kale and this place is called the Woods of Where, our sacellum on a world of metal and artifice. I have a request of you, my child," his aged voice heavy and pleading,"I am dying again and I have no wish to see my efforts fall to ruin. My children here have been tainted by their stay in the city proper, they speak of change and 'progress' but all I hear are the plinks of hammers on nails and the thuds of axes on tree-trunks."
He coughs violently into his hand, a gobbet of blood painting his pale palm,"I would normally be reborn to keep such horrific desecration at bay but I am weary, my child, weary of living so long a life, over and over again."
Kale hands you a small medallion with the half-dead/half-living tree emblazoned on it, the amulet clearly made from lacquered and polished wood.
"I wish to hand the reins of my realm to you, my dear, because you aren't corrupted by the politics here," he waves dismissively as if shooing the idea of corruption away,"Think on this request and tell me of your decision soon, but for now you must acclimate and perform your first task in the name of our Patron."
The word 'Patron' is spoken as if in a whisper and his eyes stare widely into the distance.
"Follow the path back the way you can and simply desire to be where you are needed, the medallion will take care of the rest."
Kale dodders off along the trail and you wander back and wind up emerging into the Command Center...
Flint re-ignites his pipes in the cave, temporarily illuminating his grizzled features. One whiff of the pipe smoke and he can tell something is off. There were so many more levels to the smell than their was before. And only that. Everything else too, seemed to have a unique scent he was never aware of. His own smelled of oil, sulfur and metal. Then he turned his nose to the cave and smelled meat. Dead meat. Like a butcher's shop. A pleasant smell but it did not bode well for them. "Maybe you guys had the right idea." As he says this he looks around cautiously and draws his pistols. He also takes a moment to drink an extract to improve his sight below ground.
Savyon makes sure the sling portion of his staff is loose and ready. He studies the entance his companions seem to be interested in. "Hope no one hates confined spaces.
As you step into the strange tunnel entrance you immediately notice two lengths of resinous material on the floor of the tunnel heading down the path. Closer inspection reveals three more pairs just like them, one pair on each side of the tunnel and another on the ceiling.
These are quite obviously tripwires of some kind, being taught like lute strings, but you've only ever encounter tripwires of fabric or metal, this strange resin unsettles you deeply as you ponder the implications.
As your companions each pass you into the cave you feel the same connection you did with William, something you were afraid had vanished entirely the moment your power had been severed on Hideaway.
Always ready for what's coming, and now quite certain of your eventually opponents, you draw from deep within and an intangible field of energy radiates outwards from you. Nothing evil will get near you all without some sort of warning.
Stepping into the cave sent chills down your spine as the sickly sweet odor brings to mind the eviscerated bodies you have seen on the battlefield. It seems that your companion, Flint has also noticed the scent as his nose wrinkles as the smell.
You instinctively force energy into generating spikes all over your armor. You would be ready when the enemy comes to greet you.
You first few steps into the cave are uneventful and then you notice the Professor kneel down to examine something on the ground and then glance around the tunnel in a very discriminatory manner. He's found something, but what? It all just looks like hunks of wax or maybe hardened sap.
You pause to try and figure it out.
You relight your smoke and the faint red light dances sinisterly along the resin-coated walls.
Without hesitation you draw your weapons and chug a darkvision potable, the need for it quite apparent as you gaze down the steep incline ahead.
Battle is your forte and this place reeks of death the moment you step inside the warm tunnel entrance.
Professor Brooks raises a hand, halting his companions, and points out the lines on the ground.
"Tripwires. I'm unfamiliar with the material, and I'm not sure what they do, but they're all across the entrance here. On the ceiling, as well."
AS you work out your marching order you decide to move forward slowly and methodically, careful to avoid the tripwires.
It's pretty slow going the first 500ft down or so, and every so often the strange resin is filled with a glowing yellow sac of some kind. Closer inspection reveals some freakish coiled worm that tightens its coil and glows a bit dimmer as you look on.
These glow-worms seem spaced every 25ft or so and to make matter worse you notice a number of the flaps you passed through to enter the covering similar tunnels that lead upwards.
As the tunnel levels out you all notice the sweet smell has increased in intensity, whatever is its source must be close...
Savyon tries to move as silently as he can, looking around furtively. Those eerie green glow worms almost make him just want to start blasting the dark corners and crevices, but caution wins out for now. He let's most of the others take the lead, staying ahead of Flint. What I'd give to be half a bottle in on some wine right now.
Flint never was the stealthy type. He much preferred to go in loud and headfirst. But the eerie quality of this tunnel and the strangeness of this planet was more than enough to keep him quiet and on his toes.
William grips his greatsword tighter as the smell gets intense. He tries to silently move down the tunnel to surprise whatever it is.
Equally off-put by the odd glowworms and the strange smells wafting down the tunnel, Khazia focuses instead on the rhythmic pulse of life coming from each of her companions. Noticing the general quiet among the group, she does her best to maintain the silence.
Ham's presence bubbling near the surface of his mind, the Professor tries to maintain total silence, keeping an ear out for anything unexpected.
You notice a large flap of that resin ahead roughly 60ft, and you can tell that something much brighter than the glow worms is beyond it.
The sickly sweet smell has mingled with something else at this point, the new addition earthy and it reminds you of sewage. The crunch of bone from beyond the flap is unmistakable and you know that now would be the time to warn your allies.
As you turn to head back to the party one of the tripwires gets lightly snagged on your foot and you torque your body in such a way that you barely manage to avoid springing it. The motion forces you off-balance and you fall to a knee, the impact causing a light crunch to resound in the tunnel around you.
The crunching from beyond the flap ceases and you hear soft chittering, a head of some sort of grotesque spider creature pokes through the side of the flap and your eyes lock.
"KREEEEEEEEE!" it screeches at you as its body passes the flap entirely, the brighter glow from the next area casting a long shadow into the nearby tunnel.
Covered in thick plates of black chitin with hair-like tufts protruding from joints it cocks it head at you and charges with a bizarre glaive-like weapon.
At the sight of an obvious enemy bearing down on him, Professor Brooks immediately rushes back to the party, then cedes control to his alter ego, grabbing his mutagen from its pocket in his waistcoat and downing it immediately. The Professor's form begins to bulge and shift as he transforms. A pair of monstrous, bat-like wings sprout from his back, his skin crawls and shifts, patches of scales appearing across his body, wicked claws tear their way out of his fingers, and his face elongates into a reptilian snout, which grins viciously, revealing a set of razor sharp fangs.
Ham, excited at the prospect of a fight after staying quiet for so long, throws caution to the wind and flies into a psychotic rage, howling in sadistic glee at the prospect of a kill after remaining silent for so long.
The spider-creature rears up and hisses nastily, gobbets of saliva smacking against the resin-covered walls and floor all around you as it comes.
You all hear a load chittering hiss as the Professor comes sprinting into view a huge spiderfolk shambling along the tunnel behind him! It's wielding some sort of huge glaive-like weapon with four hafts each ending in a wicked bladed head.
As you all contemplate your responses to the imminent threat barreling down the tunnel towards you, you don't notice that two sections of the tunnel behind you have slid away and three more Lolthilk have emerged into the tunnel with incredible stealth.
You feel a sharp pain in your left shoulder as a bladed hook rips into and out of the narrow slit in your shoulder armor. The hook thankfully finds no purchase but you feel that it's grappling ability only compliments something else as your vision swims slightly.
Reaching up to touch the wound you notice a black substance dripping from your fingers as you turn to face your new foes: three much more lithe spider creatures stalking towards the party with incredible stealth!
The 'Whoosh!' of a blade grabs your attention as the larger and heavily armored spider-folk swings at you three more times only managing to cut your left arm, the wound stinging and drawing blood, Ham grins at the prospect.
DAMAGE TALLY: Surprise Round
Khazia: (Failed Grapple Attempt; Roll Fortitude Save vs. Poison DC25)
The Professor: (Missed 3 swings; Blades are not coated in Poison... yet.)