Davo begins looking through the books scanning the titles, but as he grabs the spine of a book, he feels an odd tingling sensation.....
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The gnome gives a shiver.
"I see someone is sensitive about their book collection" he quips as he gives an annoyed shutter, twitching his nose thrice.
+6 versus language dependent and written spells, +4 versus magic traps
The gnome, huffing and puffing, proceeds to check the contents of the tome for something worth all the trouble.
Searching the room, Davo find three more identical traps hidden among the books.
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The gnome will attempt to disable the annoying defenses, pulling out a handy vial of Professor Flambiniuses Ward-be-Gone, Pat. Pending., along with some tools.
"I do hope all this effort is worth it. I would hate for these tomes to be nothing more then Penny Dreadfuls, or those lurid "Romances" the Chelaxians put out." the gnome snorts.
Davo easily dismantles the baleful polymorph spells, then continues his search.
In the western bookshelves Davo finds an envelope protruding from a hollowed out tome entitled Braving the Wastes. Opening the envelope, he finds a letter that reads-
Syckar,
I have been most pleased with progress thus far in reconstructing the Sultur Mill Outpost. The ore you've processed this last week alone has been enough to complete the construction of the colossal Endermere, which now watches over the main gates of Megator Facient alongside Gurstweld and his minions. Perhaps you will see it one day, but for now, I need you to remain at the outpost and keep things there in order.
Feel free to do whatever you wish with Krauss. She has served her purpose, both in the reprogramming of the Brass Guardians and luring them here with the dwarven artifact, and I no longer have any need for that skittish hermit.
As a reward for your service, I have sent along with this missive a gift-a small token of my appreciation for your continued efforts. Use it wisely.
-Your employer
Davo knows that Megator Facient is an abandoned factory, while he notes the letter is stamped with the seal of the Grand Duchy. He also notes that the hollowed out section of the tome is in the shape of a pistol.
Searching the rest of the room turns up many interesting books and tomes, but nothing else of interest concerning the mission at hand.
Returning to the courtyard, the party descends the steps and enters a square chamber. An amalgam of winding machinery occupies the northeast corner of this basement. It consists of turning tubes and gears that connect to and exit the northern wall as well as the ceiling. A pile of old, rotted hay fills the floor space in the southeast corner. Inside this room you find an ooze composed of gunpowder, but the group easil dispatches the ooze.
Having completed your exploration of the mill, the party turn begins making preparations to travel to next link in the mystery-Megator Facient.
Davo knows the location of Megator and realizes it is within marching distance, downstream from the Mill.
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"Voilà! It's all here and so obvious! I will be a Dryad's nephew - this note calls out the Megator Facient; that factory is but a few hours travel from here - less if Lady Lumikello provides use of her wonderful mounts. I do think we are on to something, gentlebeings. It remains to be seen what manner of engineering monstrosity this Endermere is. I wonder what the name means - is the word root for mere that of "purity" or that of "limits". The most pure or the end of limits?" The gnome quickly becomes lost in his linguistic ponderings, running straight into Shadowpaw while pondering the etymology.
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Shadowpaw turns with a growl at the sudden impact with the gnome but quickly calms down. Tension still runs high with the wolf after these altercations with the mill's inhabitants.
Shahorn chuckles and strokes the scruff of his mounts neck. "Easy, boy. You know how some people get when figuring something out. But perhaps it is not what the name once meant," he offers to Davo, "to indicate what we should expect now. Seems the purpose has shifted with this one. Perverted, you could say. Bastardized? Regardless, we should be wary and be ready for anything."
He checks the skies before they leave, wondering if another of those damn magic storms is something else they should be ready for.
-Posted with Wayfinder
As the party prepares to leave Sultur Mill Outpost, you exit into the courtyard and find a huge giant, which Davo identifies as an ash giant, guarding the eastern gate. You also notice millions of tiny bugs crawling all over the walls in the area, which Davo identifies as tick swarms!
Kaz charges forward on Cookie, impaling his lance into the giant! The giant snarls in anger as the little man with the toothpick.
Lumikello conjures a spray of ice crystals, showering the giant and one swarm of ticks. The giant shows surprising agility as it nearly dodges some of the ice spray, while thousands of ticks freeze solid!
Rouva slicks the ground, underneath the giant, with grease, but the lumbering man keeps his feet!
BTS-
RTS-
OTS-70
Shadowpaw tries to take a bite out of the giant, but misses, too preoccupied with the army of ticks marching toward his hide!
Shahorn then swings hard and cuts deep into the side of the giant, leaving a nasty gash!
The giant then lashes out at Kaz and Shahorn, trying to squash the pesky smallings.
BTS-
RTS-
OTS-70
Davo begins to lecture the party on the intricacies of giant physiology as he casts a spell on the hulking brute. The giant's beady eyes widen in terror as it finds itself unable to move!
Marduk then does what Maruk does best, burn things! With a concussive boom followed by a wooshing sound as the air rushes back in, the courtyard is enveloped in flame. The giant is burnt badly and falls to his wounds. Despite the tiny bugs scattering, the arcane fire greedily burns the swarms, dispersing the survivors!
As the battle finishes, everyone notices a squad of three drakes and riders flying off to the south in the direction of Megator Facient.
As you ready to leave the eastern gate, you see an imposing iron portcullis and a dilapidated wooden gate. An industrial flatbed cart is parked near the gate, and a strange arcane machine is welded to the vehicle's iron bed.
After some study, Davo and the party are able to identify the device as a minor artifact called quake cannon. Davo recalls that the quake cannon is a massive earthquake-making machine created by Dongun Hold's engineers. The dwarves used it millennia ago in th ewar between Geb and Nex, when their hold was a hotly contested battleground. When the dwarves created a magic-dead zone on their fortress, naturally the device ceased to function. Rumors were giants had stolen the device in a raid years ago. Studying to device, it appears to have been modified to create some sort of sonic beacon. Maybe a beacon to draw altered Brass Guardians....
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"Should we ensure it is not used again? Or bring it back on our return journey as evidence? Or, as a piece of the land's history, back to the Society?"
-Posted with Wayfinder
Davo finds no traps on the cannon.
Once everyone has rested and readied for the journey, you set out for Megator Facient. As you travel, the skies clear and become a deep blue, the final remnants of the Mana storm dissolving away. Soon, the top parts of the abandonded factory become visible. Soon you are about five hundred yards away and the entire structure is visible. In the distance, flying around the walls, appears to be the squad of flyers you saw flying away from the mill.
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Davoliznakamuska considers their aerial foe. Instead of offering his usual droning commentary, he starts issuing a series of growls and hisses; which turns out to be a very passable wyrm-tongue.
(Draconic)"We have the secretsssss of the world, and all the jewels besides. Come lisssten to tales of our richesss."
As the drakes and their gnoll riders wheel over and approach to inspect the party, Marduk greats them all with a huge ball of flame!
All three drakes wing over as the flames explode, protecting themselves and their riders!
BD-43
GD-43
RG-43
BG-43
GG-43
Shahron kicks at Shadowpaw's flanks and the creature lifts into the air, and attacks the southern drake. Shadowpaw and Shahorn savage the beast, tearing its wing and leaving a huge gash in its underside! The drake rains blood onto the ground, but manages to stay aloft.
RD-43
BD-112
GD-43
RG-43
BG-43
GG-43
Davo begins his well known lecturing on the gnoll riders. He understnad that these gnoll have training in some sort of profession. and have been mutated by the Mana Wastes. He can see pustules that likely are filled with acid like the ogres in the mines.
Marduk unleashes another fireball of the sortie of gnoll ridden drakes!
Once more, the rift drakes wing over, avoiding much of the blast and shielding the riders from any damage. Despite its maneuvers, the southern drake falls from the sky, dropping its rider thirty feet.
Landing hard, the gnolls grabs its weapon and jumps to its feet.
RD-97
GD-70
RG-
BG-
GG-
Lumikello casts a spell, conjuring a weird, bolt of cold lightning, arcing it toward the northern drake, then letting his jump from rider to drake, ect.
The green drake tries to wing over, but it is slammed by the bolt, and goes spiraling to the ground, spilling its rider along the way. The gnoll rider is able to avoid the bolt, avoiding any injury until the ground rushes up to slam it!
The cold lightning then arcs over to the last drake, causing its heart to stop and plummet to the ground. Once more, the rider if able to avoid any damage until it slams into the ground thrity feet below.
The cold bolt then arcs toward the gnoll on the ground, but dissipate right before reaching it!
The two prone gnolls grabs their weapons and stand up, readying themselves for the onslaught.
RG-13
BG-10
GG-8
Kaz darts forward, laying into the gnoll and leaving a deep wound!
Davo fires his crossbow, hitting a the middle gnoll!
Shahorn and Shadowpaw dive downward, attacking the southern gnoll! Shadowpaw bites the gnoll, knocking it to the ground, while Shahorn strikes it as it lays prone!
BG-38 L 38 NL
GG-34