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The night passes with no interruption, giving everyone in the party much needed rest to refresh their minds and wash away the soreness in their feet from the rough day of travel. Luckily, it seemed, no minion of the queen was yet onto their trek back down to the chamber of liquid rock.
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”Okay” she whispers back picking up the girl and carrying her as then walk into the darkness ”I’ll do something about it tomorrow, for now, we’ll use torches, so we can see even a little, okay?”
Before going to sleep, she still needs to remove the armor. Problem is, she can’t do it alone, and no way is she waking up everyone trying by herself. Normally, she would ask Roland, just to tease the man, but since he was sleeping still holding his weapon, some stones away from where she was, the mage asks for the other one awake for help.
”Hum… well… Can you help me out of the armor?” she asks Crystallius.
”I’ve prepared spells which will allow Roland and Crystallius to see in the dark while we travel, that way, we don’t need to use torches and attract even more unwanted attention.” and if they allow, she’ll cast the spell of the three of them: Roland, Crys and Aersensi.
Roland nodden when Chiro offered a warm fire. He thought that the light would not make much difference in here, specially since the caves where the dragon was were dim with the lava. So they could have some comfort, hell yeah. His fabulous cloak looked even better in the flickering light of the fire.
When Crys boasted about his ring he recalled Gromff also had one, and felt a little empty. He had only one ring. Maybe the queen had a nice one to make his day brighter?
"You mean you can see in the dark?" He raised an eyebrown to the wizard, obviously questioning her way of putting that problem on their shoulders. "And really, we're going to a place of molten rock, or have you forgotten about it? Unless you think we can get into their lair without being noticed, I don't think that will do much good, but that's none of my business." He was probably just teasing the wizard anyway. "Are we trying the direct approach or something different?"
Crys' brow would raise as he senses deception in the child's words. Something was amiss, but be chose to keep it to himself as he knew not of how long the others had known each other.
Upon hearing Catcher's request, Crys would agree politely. "Of course. I doubt one could sleep well within such. I am however unfamiliar with such armor so I'll need you to tell me how I might best help."
"The assistance would be most welcome," Crys would state in acceptance of Catcher's offer of magical assistance to see within the dark. As she goes to cast the spell upon the young elf, he would choose to speak up. "Are you sure she needs such assistance?"
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"You mean you can see in the dark?" He raised an eyebrown to the wizard, obviously questioning her way of putting that problem on their shoulders.
Catcher casually walks toward the moonbeast shaped crystal golem, hiding behind its form and using a cantrip to add some dramatic flair to her voice as she answers the barbarian ”I command power undreamed of, do you think mere lack of light can stop me, flesh child?”
"Are you sure she needs such assistance?"
”Well, I can’t have her walking around blindly into the darkness, even more now that we aren’t using any source of light. Elfs can see well better than humans, but they do need light for that.” she says misunderstanding Crystallius question.
By Gromff's guidance the group continued their downward, forward trek into the depths of the world. Coming to a familiar forest of towering mushrooms, the party paused before the next corridor at a familiar yet unusual sound considering their path - the distinct pounding of a hammer on an anvil rang out from somewhere in the dark passage ahead, between the party and its intended destination.
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”I don’t remember a forge last time we passed here, what do you think, Gromff?” She asks the dwarf, being he, well, a dwarf, so he should know about things as stone, craft and forges, right? ”And I have no spell that can conceal us, but I guess we should just keep on our path, greet anyone we meet, maybe chat a bit and be on our way, since there’s no chance we’ll find a devil-manned forge or evil underworld citizens and a gruesome battle will occur, right?”
"Nay. Don't remember one either." He ponders a bit and strokes his beard. "Ye remember that finely crafted weapon the Salamander had? Think maybe we found the craftsman?" Thinking that the mostly likely explanation is an blacksmith designing weapons of war, Gromff grasps the handle of Mjolvandr and moves forward, ready for a fight.
Roland shakes his head. "Obviously we didn't walk her whole Den. There must be a lot more to explore. Anyway, either that's a trap or some luck on our side. We should take the chance to approach without being noticed." He starts moving stealthily, which is not his forte, but perhaps the noise will conceal them for the time being. "That includes stopping making so much noise, dwarf." He looks at the older-in-the-party dwarf.
Chiro felt that he was included in the general dwarf comment and stopped moving, trying to be silent, he whispered, "Sorry. Stealth is not my forte..."
He added, "If you're going to go quietly, I'll have to wait behind. But don't go too far."
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Leaving the group a ways behind, Roland sneaked onward down the tunnel in the direction of the pounding hammer sounds. Peaking around a corner he felt the intense heat radiating from this chamber, though it didn't harm his toughened warrior's hide.
The chamber was fairly wide but the ceiling never got higher than about eight-to-ten feet. It was well lit by multiple azers with head and shoulders aflame and by the large snake-like salamander with dancing fires along its spiked spine that ran the length of its body. The light revealed several large roughly-circular patches on the floor of what appeared to be gray ash that rippled ever so slightly as if they were liquid.
The salamander creature was hard at work, pounding away at a large anvil while the azers milled around in close proximity, possibly observing the smithing. A hot orange glow peaked out from behind a rock wall near the anvil, indicative of the presence of magma.
After several long moments of Roland observing the scene, the salamander made a sudden grab for a spear that leaned against the wall, snatched it up and hurled it fiercely at Roland!
The spear clinked harmlessly against the wall, landing mere feet from the barbarian's side.
Roland wondered for just a second if moving after them was really a good idea. Of course it was! He had several flaming targets to strike! After a hard day on the road some exercise would be pleasant, of course. And tey were definitely evil, since they attacked him on sight. "What a lack of manners."
He didn't need to rush at the enemy, tough. Seeing as that spear was thrown over the stadium he could simply wait, both for his companions to arrive and for the enemies to get closer.
Unsure of how his voice might travel in the cavern, and what it might draw to them, Crys chose to refrain from inspiring his companions with his voice. Instead he would opt to pull the bow from his back and take a shot at the salamander.
Having chose expedience and a vital area over patience and a larger target, his strike would not be as accurate as he might have hoped.
Unsure of how his voice might travel in the cavern, and what it might draw to them, Crys chose to refrain from inspiring his companions with his voice. Instead he would opt to pull the bow from his back and take a shot at the salamander.
[dice=Longbow Attack with Deadly Aim]1d20+11-2
[dice=Longbow Damage with Deadly Aim]1d8+2+4Having chose expedience and a vital area over patience and a larger target, his strike would not be as accurate as he might have hoped.
"Shh. Think I heard something."
"Shh. Think I heard something."
Chiro whispered a curse, "I can't be too quiet but I'll try."
The dwarf then adjusted his belongings on his body and slowly took to the air. Not too far above ground but a good foot above the rocks was enough to make him considerably quieter.
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The fiery azers jumped to attention and hustled over toward the cave entrance with a militant efficiency. They stood in a staggered formation, each with a large warhammer and a chest strap of throwing hammers across their fine suits of scale, ready to take on whatever threat had presented itself.
The large salamander smith continued its orginal tactic, though with a flourish -- it grabbed another spear from against the wall and pulled its arm back for a throw. The spear suddenly began to glow red hot and was flung through the air toward Roland once again.
The spear pierced the barbarian's leg and thrust downward into the stone below, pinning him in place. The metal then began throbbing with liquid hot magma seeping out with every pulse, sending searing pain and damage that threatened to increase with every passing moment.
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Well if Catcher was going and not being stealthy about it then Gromff should probably go to. The two of them together was always cause for concern.
With a little kick to the side the spear was simply knocked out of its resting place. Pathetic, really, but he got enraged simply by thinking he would return all that to the poor creature at the back. He took a second to better position his feet and got ready to let it all out on the next round.
Roland -
I'm going to award you a "hero point" instead of reverting my bad guy's action last turn. I forgot to account for the penalties for Range Increments, which would have resulted in a miss.
You may cash in your "hero point" any time you wish to allow yourself 1 reroll of an attack roll, saving throw, or skill check.
Crys' arrow was aimed well though the missile did not manage to penetrate the salamander's finely crafted armor plating that protected much of its serpentine form.
The salamander smith barked a brief command in a snake-like harsh tongue --
"One of you, go inform the commander of intruders!"
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The snake then grabbed a sort of spear-sheathe that was as tall as a man, slithered a bit closer to the cavern entrance, then tossed another red-hot spear at the group. He changed his words from his native tongue to that of the common tongue of men,
"I can do this all day!"
One of the azer makes a run for it down the passageway behind their line while the remaining four pull hammers from their straps and toss them into the heroes' line.
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Crys curses as he feels the sharp pain of the spear head piercing his skin and the magma burning his side. Thankfully he was aware of the attack and ready to move out of he way to prevent himself from being pinned down.
Years of training help him as he takes a moment to steady his aim, studying his foe as he does so to see if he can remember ever having heard of such a beast.
Quietly he starts to chant, as if whispering to his bow. In response, it seems to start to hum with arcane power as the arrowhead seems to frost over.
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Knowing there's enemies about, Catcher starts her chanting, invoking powers of the arcane, trying to bolster her allies speed, giving them the upper hand on the combat, but the armor, so carefully crafted, disrupts her movements, and the spell is wasted, with no effect at all.
"Oh shit! I'll be dammed." she complains loudly.
Chiro was floating a foot or so above the ground. The low ceiling prevented him from getting away from the melee fighters so he decided to keep the melee fighters away or incapacitated.
He rubbed his hands and what looked like a pea shot from his hands. The green missile exploded amid the azer engulfing them in s sickly yellow-green cloud. The stink was smelled even from their distance.
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The first time Gromff realizes that a fight is on is after the first hammer bounces off the ground near Crys. "Durned tall folk and ther long legs." He never cursed his on height, just the height of others. He hustles forward as far as his stubbly legs will take him, saying a blessing along the way.
The details about azer and salamander have already been revealed in previous spoilers for knowledge checks, though your roll does confirm that this is no ordinary salamander. Typical salamanders are 'medium' sized; this specimen is quite large. Also it is exhibiting some supernatural powers by empowering up those magma-thrown spears that threaten to pin their targets to the ground. That is not a typical ability of your run-of-the-mill salamander.
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With more precise aim and with magical empowerment, Crys' arrow strikes home this time, easily finding an opening in the fine armor plates covering the salamander's body.
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The roiling cloud of wretched fumes burst into existence, growing and spreading forward as a creeping fog bank. The rotten smell filled the chamber though one could only imagine being enveloped inside the phenomenon. Immediate sounds of hacking and retching were followed by vomit splatter hitting the cave floor -- clearly the spell had taken its effects. Also heard were the clanking of armor plates as the militant azer fled from the fog.
The raging warrior made a bee line for the azer troops, running toward the stinking cloud's flank and leaping over the superheated pit of gray ash in his path. Landing deftly, turned on a dime and ran to intercept the fleeing azer, believing that its carried warning could be disastrous to their mission.
While one pair of flaming-dwarves continued to purge the contents of their stomachs, the other ran toward the barbarian chasing down their messenger companion. They charged the raging warrior with flaming warhammers held in two hands, raised high for the coming blow!
The fleeing azer again fled from the melee, leaving his flanking position to follow the order given it.
Seeing a fresh target present itself, the snake-like salamander smith tossed another red-hot spear at the full-plated warpriest of Moradin, though the throw's aim was no match for the enchanted pristine armor. Without hesitation the salamander then slithered into the gray-ash pit next to it, completely immersing itself and disappearing from sight.
Damage taken:
Salamander - 16
Azer 1 nauseated for 4 rounds (3 remaining)
Azer 2 nauseated for 2 rounds (1 remaining)
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Who did this creature thought he were? There was NO escaping the barbarian, and Roland showed that by immediately catching up to the fleeing enemy, even if that meant being hit another couple of times.
Then after seeing the poor creature stare at him in surprise the mighty warrior put the Azer out of its misery. And probably out of history too.
Seeing the creature's unusual powers and increased size, Crys decides to continue to focus the salamander's weakness. Once more he takes the time to empower his shot while aiming for another vital point.
This salamander is an elite solider from the plane of elemental flame. It is from a rarer line of salamander nobles, once infused with magic by hellish lords wanting to breed non-devil soldiers for their armies.
These creatures are clearly immune to any harm caused by heat and have an intrinsic vulnerability to cold. These salamander elites also have a strong damage resistance to physical attacks that are not imbued with magic.
Chiro smiled but held his breath at the sight of the nauseated fire dwarves or whatever they were.
Seeing that two escape unscathed, he leveled one of his rods and pointed towards them. A pea-sized green pellet rushed to them and exploded in a caustic rain of acid.
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Gromff shifts his shoulder to deflect the spear and begins moving towards the giant lizard. But it disappears into the ash and he has no way to get to it now. Roland had disappeared around the corner. Same direction as all those not-dwarves. Might need help. Taking a deep breath and holding it, he charges through the fog to the other side.
As the barbarian moved to pursue with unnatural speed, the attacking azer swung their hammers at Roland but their draw was too slow. The flames that tipped their weapons hissed through the air, connecting with nothing, in contrast to Roland's telling blow that utterly knocked the life out of his quarry. The retreating azer fell with a crumpled skull, his armor clanging loudly as it hit the floor.
The flame shaman's fingers twiddled with a spell, ready to finish the unusual fire dwarves with a few arcane words. Just as he was about to finish his magic he saw the warpriest run headlong into his conjured cloud of putrid fumes! With signature dwarfy hardiness Gromff emerged from the cloud unscathed, just in time to witness a burst of stinging acid that filled the cave directly in front of him.
Damage taken:
-Salamander - 16
-Azer 1 - 25
-Azer 2 - 12
-Azer 3 - 12
-Azer 4 - 25
-Azer 5 - dead
Azer 1 nauseated for 4 rounds (3 remaining)
Azer 2 nauseated for 2 rounds (1 remaining)
With precision only gained by years of practice the bard put another perfect shot into the flesh of his foe, zipping through the cavern hot air in an instant. The arrow burst out the back of the azer's skull, decorating the wall beyond with a crimson splatter.
Damage taken:
-Salamander - 16
-Azer 1 - dead
-Azer 2 - 12
-Azer 3 - 12
-Azer 4 - 25
-Azer 5 - dead
Azer 2 nauseated for 2 rounds (0 remaining)
With militant discipline, the azer warriors ignored their fallen brethren and closed in on the warpriest with a pincer attack, hoping to find a chink in his armor whilst dividing his attention. Their flaming warhammers rained down again and again...
The salamander makes a reappearance as his head pokes up out of one of the ash pools, its eyes raging in flaming battle lust. Its powerful tail whipped out from the pool toward the spellsword nearby, wrapping her body in a crushing embrace and singeing her skin through her devil-scale armor.
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Why the hell would the barbarian care about what that creature was? He only needed to know that it existed and that it was an enemy, that's all. And of course, he had more pressing subjects to address, like the freaking little Azerbarian who was trying to annihilate the party. He charged the little loser heads one, seeking to show him who was the real barbarian here.
From his current position he saw the wizard - always the wizard - in trouble. Even thought he was completely focused on destroying the enemies, he let his mind drift for a second, wondering how the heavens the girl managed to get so screwed in such a short time. While his mind drifted, his body was moving, empowered by some heavenly force that he never actually questioned, and he leaped the pool back to stand beside the monster. At least now it wouldn't be so easy to take the girl down the lava, or ash, or whatever red room of pain that was.
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"Use ice and magic imbued weapons." The wizard says before turning to the barbarian and telling him to do something about it. "Roland, take this freaking thing off me!"
"Why do I keep you if you can't help me when I need?" she asks the barbarian while retreating away from the monster.
Seeing how the fire dwarves were almost taken care of and the fire salamander grappling with the white-haired woman made Chiro panic. Slightly.
He dug deep inside and cast his most terrible magic on the leader.
The dwarf yelled, "Feel your own skin wither and burn!"
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HP 117/117
Conditions:n/a
Spells used: fireball, stinking cloud, major curse
Flight: 8/9 min
Shapeshift: 9/9 min
Flame touch: 5/5
Channel energy: 3/3
Fire breath: 3/3
Elemental rod: 2/3
Empower rod: 3/3
Ring (swift for move action): 1/1
Round 2
Gromff is seeing stars after the very first hit. The strike hit his helm dead on, transferring all the force right into his thick skull. Might as well have been wearing sheepskin for a hat. "You..." he slurs his words but swings anyway. And not only that, he manages to infuse his hammer with divine power causing to seem much larger an more menacing to those around him.