|
A wide balcony overlooks a spacious atrium here, its low iron railing wrought with geometric symbols. A window high on the west wall is protected by narrow metal slats. Three doors stand in the east wall, but only the central door remains intact, with a short message written above it . The northern door has a hole burrowed through it, while the southern one has been completely smashed apart.
However, Gregory is only able to briefly take this in, as he is distracted by the room's current occupants - two big, bird-like beasts which are mostly head, lunging forward on four scaly legs. Wisps of noxious black vapor trail from their hooked beaks.
Fortunately, neither notices Gregory.
Gregory cautiously avoids the big bird-like creatures, and moves to explore the room with the busted-open doors.
|
|
Both doors to this room are battered outward and hang askew on their hinges. The furnishings within-a pair of large metal cages and a desk-have been smashed to pieces and pushed together into a large nest.
The nest contains the disemboweled remains of a young human male, still wearing a rather well-made leather vest bears numerous shiny metal buttons, which stud a number of bulging pockets.
Achaeierai. Wonderful. Given Xoud's other experiments, I can't say that I am surprised...
Once Gregory identifies the vest, he gleefully strips it from the body, cleans it , and puts it on. He then moves to investigate the next chamber over.
Gregory wisely decides *not* to squeeze through the narrow hole to face whatever bores through stone, and instead investigates the final door.
|
|
Once again, neither creature manages to spot Gregory, although they *do* become flustered when the door apparently opens by itself...
Beyond is a short corridor, leading to the top of a spiral staircase, going down (which Gregory is fairly certain links up with the one on the level below).
Another small hole has been drilled through one of the internal walls, leading back into the other lab...
Right. Another dead-end.
Gregory attempts to slink past the Achaeierais, and up the stairs to the next level.
With a sigh, Gregory pounces on the closest one.
Gregory starts acting... strange.
He then rips into the injured Achaeierai.
Gregory manages to fight off the creatures' bewitching smoke, and attempts, once more, to rip into the injured beast!
Once more, Gregory resists the fumes, and attempts to tear the bird apart.
Gregory starts trying to pluck feathers...
Gregory tries to finish-off the last Achaeierai.
Gregory attempts to rip the bird apart.
Gregory restores his shielding...
...and then heads up the stairs.
|
|
This wide, curved hall ends in a metal hatch to the northwest. A large slate board covered with neat lettering hangs on the east wall. A flight of stairs to the east leads up, while another flight to the south leads down. The door to the southern stairwell appears to have been burrowed or chewed through.
The slate board has the following written on it:
Lab 1: Alchemy
Lab 2: Fluid Siphoning Research
Lab 3: Gaseous Ooze Research: Anada Visk, lead
Lab 4: Animal Research (animals used as needed in other experiments)
Lab 5: Infernal Cloud Research: Genisette Farvastian, lead
Lab 6: Technic Research
Lab 7: Quasi-Gaseous Reseach: Armestor Kelkin, lead. Limit: 100 lbs. of live animals per week - Kelkin, I am NOT running a slaughterhouse here!
Lab 8: Swarm Behaviour Studies: Lors Everenki, lead (monitor activation of bionanites and report full awakenings at once, priority one)
Lab 9: Smoke and Particle Research
Lab 10: Mnemotechnic Recovery
Gregory is also able to easily determine that the metal hatch appears to be locked with an Arcane Lock.
Interesting...
Gregory attempts to open the locked door...
|
|
This large chamber appears to be a combination of bedroom and study. A large window to the northwest, fitted with sturdy metal slats, lets in light and air, while elaborate tapestries depicting gloomy landscapes and Gothic architecture adorn the walls. A large bed sits in the room, its fine coverings frayed and dusty. A small desk against the southwest wall is bare, while doors provide several exits - although no handle adorns the door to the northwest. Instead of a handle or knob, it bears a small plate of coppery metal.
As soon as Gregory steps through the door, a cloud of smoke pours from the tapestries, reforming into Xoud's madly chuckling ghost!
Round 1: Gregory, FX
With a snarl, Gregory pounces forward!
Gregory nearly swoons as he feels something tearing away at the power core of his armoured suit, but he retains his footing, and attackc the ghost with renewed vigor!
|
|
Gregory tears into Xoud's spectral form.
For his part Xoud simply grins.
"This is as the most fun I have had in such a long time!"
He then discorporates back into smoke, which seeps through cracks in the exterior wall, and disappears.
A thorough search of the room reveals that the door to the northwest is trapped.
Gregory breathes a sigh of relief.
"That was most definitely unpleasant!"
He then tries to disable the trap.
Right. Something for later...
Reactivating his chameleonware, Gregory tries to the door to the northeast.
|
|
This room contains a large desk and bookshelves. Metal hatches lead to the east and west. A thick glass window is set into the hatch to the east. Several strange black hoses lead from the door to a large machine against the northeast wall.
The shelves contain medical texts regarding respiratory function and gruesome pulmonary models. The desk contains meticulous notes about years of experiments in suffocating creatures - mostly humans - to death.
Oh, Hell.
Gregory, realising that he can't really deal with haunts, GTFO of the room!
Gregory wisely decides to leave that room alone, and tries the door to the southeast.
|
|
This room was at one time and extremely well-appointed bathroom, equipped with a copper bathtub, sink, and marble toilet. However, it appears that one of the taps has been leaking for some time, as when Gregory opens the door, a three foot high wall of water comes out to greet him!
A search of the room reveals that most of the contents have been ruined, apart from three bottles of rare cologne (worth 40gp each).
|
|
This open space spans the diameter of the tower and, in the southern portion of the room, opens to a room above. The air is stifling due to the operation of three massive forges that burn and vent into the cluster of exposed pipes running through the center of the tower. A tangle of conduits from the southeast cuts through the room to join this cluster, forming a wall of pipes and thick wires.
Three brass-skinned dwarves with flaming red hair toil away at the forges, overseen by a pair of Riot Suppressors.
Fortunately, neither notices Gregory.
Huh. Well, I guess that makes sense...
With a shrug, Gregory continues up to the next level.
Gregory tries the small door to the south.
Gregory collects up the useful equipment, and then goes through the door to the east.
|
|
Raw iron, spools of wire, and sturdy jars filled with colorful liquids line the north and east walls of this large room. A balcony crosses the room from northwest to southeast, looking over a sweltering workshop. A large iron-and-mithral swivel crane perches at the edge of the balcony, its boom long enough to reach the stores and lower them down into the foundry below. Doors exit the room to the north (above which a sign reads "Lab 6: Technic Research"), and the west.
After a cursory search of the room, Gregory heads through the door to north.
|
|
The walls of this laboratory are painted bright white. A partially disassembled Gearsman spreads a cross an otherwise clean desk. The automaton's lower half is intact, but its arms are disconnected from its torso and its torso and head are both spread out in their component parts. The single eye in the middle of the creature's face is dim. Hatches lead out of this room to the west and southeast.
Gregory pockets the expensive stuff, and then heads through the door to the east.
|
|
The upper halves of eight metal creatures hang from hooks in the ceiling of this narrow room, each trailing wires from its torso like mechanical viscera.
Another Nanite Cocoon is glued to the wall near the back, and a strange hand drum with a pitted metal frame, with dark skin bearing furry patches stretched across it, hangs from a hook at the back of the room.
Gregory also notes that the entire room is trapped...