The Hound considers and finally sets his ground. It seems to prefer waiting here, in semi-familiar territory, to exploring further in the complex!
There is a single exit to the west, aside from the way you came in.
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Mikail dutifully translates as the rest of the group parlays with the big dog and gives a mighty sigh of relief when the dog releases the new chew toy he found without damaging Ferabras too much. Once the dog decides to remain in the room, Mikail moves over to the Western door and pulls another sneak & peek.
Mikail hears murmurs of what sound like arcane syllables, interspersed with sudden violent swearing in a female voice. He also hears a strange dripping sound and smells blood.
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When Mikail relates what he's heard, Fera bares his teeth and says, "This is what we have sought. Let us put an end to this madness, and try to return the lost creatures to their homes - except the ettercap, of course. I do not regret that he was brought here to be slain, except that all of us had to see so starkly what evil can do."
He draws a wand from his belt and holds it ready, looking to the others to prepare for the fight ahead.
Ferabras throws open the door!
An enormous machine takes up the majority of this chamber, its various complex and seemingly illogical components made up of a combination of stone and black wood. Half-engine, half gnarled dead tree, the tendrils from this otherworldly device crawl up the walls in every direction as if to choke the chamber that holds them. A faint sound like that of a breeze rustling through leaves can be heard coming from the machine.
Standing next to the tree is a woman, who by the description the Hobgoblin leader gave you, is Vos's woman, Elessia. She stands studying the tree intently with her back to the door. However behind her, and between you and her, are three bloody bugbear skeletons, dripping blood on the floor!
Round 1:
Bloody Skeletons
Hoshiko
Elessia
Ferabras, Mikail, Zolarus, Soran
The bloody skeletons raise broken scimitars and let out deathly howls. Elessia glances over her shoulder and smiles. "Ah, more corpses for my service!"
Hoshiko's ray hits the nearest skeleton, but it only makes a wet scraping sound.
Elessia laughs. "Rays of light, little girl? You think a little positive energy is going to stop my bloody boys? I take it by your appearance that Vos is dead? Poor stupid tool. Keeping him under my thumb long enough to find this place was sooooo dull. But the ruins of the Arcane Engine was worth it! As soon as I reawaken its power I will be able to pluck minions from any plane to build my army! But we can start with your corpses!" Elessia strolls forward, smiling. "You there, tiefling, would you be so kind as to retrieve Vos's corpse and bring it here?"
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Ferabras laughs off Elessia's suggestion, snarling at her with his obsidian teeth, "I'll stack your corpse with his when we've finished with you, and make a pyre to be sure you're gone from this world!"
He steps into the room, moving along the wall before approaching the nearest skeleton and slashing at it with his sword!
Soran's first shot hits the woman, causing her to grimace with pain. She's still grimacing when Ferabras fails to succumb to her spell! Ferabras steps up and the southernmost skeletons attacks!
for damage!
The swing causes his aim to go awry and he misses the woman!
Zolarus moves up and he, too, is attacked!
for damage!
His strike, however, hits home! Mikail sneaks in!
Round 2:
One skeleton steps around Zolarus (5' step) and the other steps up, while the third attacks Ferabras!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
Hoshiko cuts into the bloody skeleton, but doesn't seem to do as much damage as she hopes!
Elessia steps five feet to the NE, holding aloft her holy symbol and murmurs a prayer! An explosion of unholy energy rushes from her, dealing unholy damage!
Mikail's bag goes awry, hitting the tree and covering it in a gooey mess! Ferabras steps forward! for But he dodges the skeleton's clumsy swipe! He raises his sword and slashes at the woman, now seeing up close that she has two differently colored eyes. She looks puzzled, as her eyes lock with Ferabras and suddenly go dull as she falls to the ground, lifeless and bloody!
The skeletons are dispatched shortly, as they seems to lose all sense of purpose without their creator nearby.
In a few moments the room is quiet, though as Mikail's goo seems to dissolve it reveals the corner of a tome poking out of the tree...
The tome looks quite old, and seems as if the tree has grown around it, but it looks in remarkable shape.
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Fera breathes a sigh of relief and satisfaction as the power of good triumphs over a clearly evil force! "Well, that could have gone worse," he comments. "Nice work, everyone!"
He draws his ever-useful wand from his belt pouch and taps himself with it, healing the damage done by Elessia and her minion, turning with curiosity as Hoshiko points out the book sticking out of the tree. "Is the book magical?"
A quick detect magic indicates that the tome does indeed radiate magic - ALL magic and strongly at that. You're able to work it loose and discover what looks to be a spellbook - one loaded with low-level spells.
As soon as the book is removed from the tree, there is a sudden feeling as if the air pressure just dropped and you feel lighter. A quick jaunt back to the staircase shows that the gravity-less room is normal once more and the creatures that were here, the barrow hound and the grodair (and whatever else was stuck here) are gone!
Over the course of the next week you rest up and return to a known Nirmathi camp nearby. There you rally troops to hold Fangwood Keep. The Molthuni army makes no effort to re-take it or stop you, almost as if they're glad to be rid of the thing. Akre, feeling much better, befriends the little mephit, Dax, who he remembers as the familiar of his friend and former bunkmate. They thank you profusely and head back toward Molthune to rejoin their own army, though they both profess to be quite tired of warfare and looking forward to mustering out and maybe opening an inn.
You make your way back to Nirmathas, happy to have helped the war effort, but with a nagging feeling that there's somewhere else, somewhere very dangerous, you should be...
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Soran strides into the room, placing his arrow back into its quiver.
Once again, my friend, you've made it known that you're a force to be reckoned with!
He chuckles and claps Ferabras on the back, and inspects the machine.
This thing is unnatural. It needs to be destroyed lest someone else use it to corrupt the world.
He shrugs and looks boredly at the door.
I'm sure wiser men than I will make that decision, though. I'm just ready to be out of this cursed place. Perhaps the society will be kind and send us to a nice forest or something next.
It takes a good week to get back to Nirmathas, but when you do, Forest Marshall Gavirk is well pleased with your performance. But as he reminds you, the quest will not wait. And so you find yourselves back on the boat with Captain Walren, headed toward the mysterious Isle of Terror!
Over the course of the day you see several fishing boats and trading vessels on Lake Encarthan, as well as what you believe is a Razmiran Faith Barge, a boat known for hijacking other vessels for the glory of Razmir. However today they stay away and knowing your time crunch, you don't pursue.
As the evening falls, however, Captain Walren aims the boat toward the stormy horizon and you're soon engulfed by heavy rain and storms. "Should take about a day!" The Captain calls over the noise of thunder and the crashing waves. You head into the captain's cabin to wait out the worst of it. However, you've barely fallen into a storm-tossed sleep when a moan wakes you.
Standing in the doorway is the shape of a man. He's soaked to the skin, pale and shivering. He looks like death, which is appropriate, because you can clearly see that he disappears from the knees down... It raises one hand toward you and water flows from its mouth, disappearing as it hits the deck.
Round 1:
Ghost
Heroes!
The ghost throws its head back and moans loudly, a sound that drips with smothering lake water and despair.
Heroes are up!
Ferabras' sword slices through the ghostly figure, pulling some of the gauzy ectoplasm away, but still it stands!
Hoshiko's slash likewise carves away ectoplasm, but the horrid soul still stands!
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Mikail Quivers with fear in the corner, until Ferabras steps forward and shows the true meaning of courage.. as is his usual custom. Mikail peers through the fingers covering his eyes, and quietly takes a deep breath. I must be stronger for my friends. I need to be more like Ferabras.. he thinks. He hesitantly grabs his rapier from the sheath, and steps in on the other side of the creature with a lunge.
Mikail's brief loss of courage must have spoiled his aim, for he is unable to strike the spectral foe!
The ghost opens his mouth in a silent scream as Zolarus' holy touch hits him!
The ghost, still dripping and shivering with memories of its drowned death, reaches toward Ferabras! It hits for damage! Ferabras suddenly feels his mouth and lungs fill with cold water as he struggles to breathe!
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Ferabras sputters and coughs as he feels the sensation of icy water filling his lungs, but he manages to shake off some of the effect and focus on the fight. He takes a step closer to the drowned undead and attacks with black teeth and silver blade! As he swings, he calls out, "Courage! Let us help this thing die a proper death!"