"Err... gone?" Elvar ventures. "We found his chambers, emptied out a long time ago. Who are you though?"
Knowing he is not the most diplomatic person, and having no knowledge of rock creatures Bones decides to stay quiet.
From what we have seen on our way here, an age has passed since last you were awakened. Your master has not dwelt within this tomb for a very long time.
The elemental relaxes a little when he is answered in his own tongue
"I am Antophanx Fleshling and Naddoc was not my master. My captor perhaps, but never my master."He looks you over apraisingly. "Your kind has come far since I last walked free."
Elvar shifts his feet as Istavan and the tiny earth-egg-man exchange words and thinks to himself that he's got'to get him to teach him terran. And he should try to pick up Auran while he's at it, this place was riddled with elemental ties, learning the language would probably be prudent.
Harold waits patiently, whilst Istvan conducts his conversation in a language that sounds like a granite avalanche...
"You should ask it if it is still locked in and if so, how we can help" suggests Talia.
Istvan thinks your captor no longer resides in this place. Istvan is thinking you be free now to return to your home.
Istvan does, however, request any information on this place you bay be willing to share with Istvan.
Parnell hisses in frustration as the negotiations continue.
I am magically bound to this room and cannot leave. Free me from my imprisonment and I will share with you all the secrets of this tomb.
It sounds like the elemental is caught by a binding spell. Only an antimagic field or some magical disjunction can free him. Needless to say both a well beyond your means.
As none of the magic wielders seem to find a solution, Talia proposes one last thing.
"We are not able to free you right now. This seems beyond my friends' power. However, in the long term, we might be able to help you. Have you got any information that would help us survive so that eventually, we can come and help you ?
Istvan thinks we are done here for now. We should continue on and explore the rest of this place.
"Yeah.. It's like, way, beyond our power right now."
The little elemental grumbles to itself and starts to morph back into the stone egg.
Grabbing the rod from the statue, Istvan will begin walking back towards the elevator. Istvan thinks we should explore down the broken shaft. Istvan doubts much else will have survived those nasty bugs.
Harold nods.
"Let's explore down the broken shaft before we try another one."
"I agree, We can anchor our ropes to the lantern chain. I'll go down first with Elvar as we are the best climbers."
Elvar just nods and follows along. "Let's hope there are no more nasty surprises though. Acid beetles, collapsing walls, gas, the wind tunnel... What next!?"
Istvan shrugs. We are adventurers are we not my friend. Istvan thinks finding out What Next is the reason for being here.
That and making Istvan wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.
You have little trouble negotiating the hole. As you clamber over the broken remains of the elevator you find yourself in a room not unlike the one at the base of the yellow elevator. Dozens of now familiar bas-relief figures stare disapprovingly from the walls here. Many sport crossed arms and stern expressions. A few of the statues' heads are missing, and some have huge chunks torn out of them. Others have a weird melted appearance, as if they'd been sprayed by something terrible. A large glyph that looks like a stylized arrow points down a short corridor that leads to a four-way intersection.
Talia looks at the melted statue. "The acid swarm had fun here, it seems."
She opens her mouth to comment further but suddenly freezes, holding her hand up. After a moment, she whispers: "Insects on the right. We should try to deal with them first so that they don't cut us off the exit."
Elvar nods at Talias' assessment of the statues but frowns and pulls out a torch and lights it at Talias' mention of more swarms. "Do you have more of that oil handy Talia? Bones. You still got the torch I gave you right? And do we have any area effects spells to deal with them this time?"
Istvan has his acid cloud, as he always does.
"Err.. I was hoping for a burning hands spell or sum-such, that last bug swarm was immune to acid if I recall."
Istvan, looks down, inspecting his dirty traveling clothes and swirls of dust that seem to follow him everywhere.
Istvan would love to know burning hands, but it seems he happens to be a geomancer, not a pyromancer. Perhaps Istvan will tomorrow be learning the fire magics, but they are not here today.
Harold tightens his grip upon his weapon.
"Well, hopefully, it will not be another swarm of acid-resistant beetles..."
"Let's move forwards. As we need light, I'm not sure discretion is necessary. Istvan or Elvar, can you light the way?"
Talia moves forwards to the fork and takes the right branch.
"Urr.. Yep." Elvar lights his torch and raises is high but then casts dancing lights and send three globes of light floating 60 feet ahead as he takes the lead with Istvan, keeping the light ahead of them as they go.
"Don't get me wrong Istvan. Geomancy is awesome." Elvar remarks to Istvan as they walk the corridor. "In many respects it has the upper hand on pyromancy, theoretically speaking of course, I just think that a carpet of fire would serve well in our current situation if you know what I mean."
Fire is such an emphemeral thing, easily called, easily defended against. Istvan prefers the more substantial elements
Elvar looks around the corner down a short corridor into another room. The north and south walls of this large chamber taper in somewhat, and in the nook of the far eastern wall rests a wide stone basin backed by a five-foot-tall shelf. A hardened orange paste spills out over the two-foot basin lip and covers much of the shelf. Tiny beetles with bright carapaces skitter and tunnel through the chalky substance and a keening insect chorus fills the room. A huge organic mass completely fills the room's southwest corner. Judging by the beetles spilling from within, it appears to be an enormous nest.
Two giant beetles patrol the hive, clearly agitated by the light. At the sight of movement in the corridor, they hiss a warning and turn towards the intruders.
Round 1:
21 Harold
16 Parnel
14 Talia
14 Elvar
13 Beetle 2
9 Istvan
7 Beetle 1
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+6 natural)
hp #1: 19/19 #2: 19/19
Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2
Harold breathes a sigh of relief.
"Well, at least they are not swarms..."
He then moves to engage the overgrown beetles, drawing his earthbreaker as he does so.
Parnell moves forward, and slings a bullet at the engaged beetle
Sling, Point blank, precise shot
Bullet, Point Blank
Hector slides up behind him ready to defend him.
Talia steps to the side, getting a better view on the Bugs and fires her bow at the Bug 2
Attack vs Bug 2, damage
Elvar lets the torch drop to the ground and approaches the two beatles at Harolds heel, drawing his longsword as he draws near the vermin.
Stones and arrows whizzing by, the beetle attacks Harold.
hits
Groaning at the sight of the beetles, Istvan steps forward and summons his acid cloud.
The beetle is sickend by the spell, but still lashes out at Elvar.
AC 16, touch 10, flat-footed 16 (+6 natural)
hp #1: 13/19 #2: 19/19
Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2
Round 2:
21 Harold
16 Parnel
14 Talia
14 Elvar
13 Beetle 2
9 Istvan
7 Beetle 1 (wounded)
Harold brings his earthbreaker down in a tremendous blow on the beetle adjacent to him, cracking its carapace, spraying ichor, and nearly knocking it off its feet.
The beetle stays standing, but sways drunkenly, clearly only a hairsbreadth away from falling over.
Elvar swings his longsword in an as powerful swipe as he can muster at the beatle Harold near crushed but slips in some ichor and nearly falls flat on his face.
Parnel swings his sling overhead, and releases another stone at the healthier beetle.
Sling
bullet