Hit
Hazel rushes forward and leaps upon the hound's back like she were mounting a horse. It bucks wildly but she brings her starknife down three, four, five times in rapid succession into the base of the thing's skull.
It shakes like a scolded cat, and with a final jolt it shakes the warpriestess free, sending her sprawling against the gate. But the damage is done and after a couple of faltering steps toward her, the hound crumples first to it's haunches and then to it's flank.
There is the sound of muffled cursing somewhere inside and then raised voices.
Vala hurries over to Hazel, helping the younger woman up off the ground even as she casts a worried glance to the factory-like building and the curses coming from within. "Are you alright, dear? That thing got the worse of your exchange, but that looked like a nasty tumble all the same."
Vala casts a deep frown at the building, her brow furrowed. "They're obviously up to no good and we've found sign of them at two of the tragedies we've looked into. I don't think it matters what they may or may not say, it's us who are here now and we need to put an end to whatever devilry Vorkstag and Grine are up to."
Hazel can't hear anything through the thick door but the smell of acrid chemicals is very strong.
Nevertheless she grasps the handle and pushes.
This chamber occupies a whole side of the building, from the cellar level below up to the roof high above. Seven iron vats, each ten feet across, occupy the majority of the room. Furnaces fuel the vats at cellar level, while at the ground floor level a series of planks have been laid across the vats to allow passage to a ladder that leads to an iron walkway on the level above. Two ladders also allow access from the planks to the floor below.
The air in the chamber is cloying and acidic and immediately stings Hazel's eyes and catches in her throat. The fumes are choking and Hazel immediately begins coughing and gagging but she chokes the sensation back.
There are nearly a dozen humanoids in the chamber, working at the vats, the bellows or otherwise engaged. There is a startling variety of deformities between them with malformed limbs, enlarged heads, lizard-like scales, webbed hands and else besides. All of them wear some kind of breathing mask to cope with the fumes.
A patch of unnatural darkness sits like a greasy cloud on the top level walkway and a high pitched laughter emanates from within it.
You shouldn't have come here with your questions. Once we're done we'll dump you in the acid vats. There'll be absolutely nothing left to send back to your families! Hahahaha
Hit
and
Confirmed
The axe come hurtling out of the darkness and lands with a thunk in the meaty part of Hazel's shoulder.
Fail
The pain flares terribly and soon the warpriestess begins to feel a numbing sensation running down her arm.
What are you waiting for? the voice shrieks at the malformed creatures. You want to keep your jobs don't you? Get them!
A few of the creatures looks at eachother unsure, but others begin climbing the ladders up the ground level toward you.
Vermundr brandishes his blade with one hand and performs another sign. A translucent field of runes appears in front of him briefly and then quickly vanishes from view.
Zed raises his arm to his mouth, frowning at the gasses. Oh don't worry, nobody will miss me. As Hazel takes an axe right into the crook of her arm, Zed seethes. "Back out of the room, don't fight them in the fumes. And don't wait for me." Zed puts a hand on his chest. "Rifstejarwim." He words quietly, vanishing into thin air. Zed takes a deep breath and moves into the room.
Unable to get a clear view of their axe-throwing assailant or any of the oncoming workers with Hazel and Vermundr posting up upon the platform, Vala calls a pulsing orb of dancing flame to her palm.
HP: 27/27
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 13
F/R/W: +4/+1/+8 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 0/7
Wand of CLW: 14/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets:
Current Wandering Spirit: Life
Channel Energy (3d6) used: 1/5
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 15: inflict light wounds [ ], know the enemy* [ ], magic missile [ ] [ ], produce flame (CL7) [X]
Level 2 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 16: glitterdust [ ], lesser restoration* [ ] [ ], spiritual weapon [X]
Level 3 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 17: lightning bolt [ ], locate object* [ ], speak with dead [X]
Ongoing Effects
produce flame (1/7 minutes)
Constantin closes his eyes halfway and starts to concentrate.
Success
Fail
Success
Hit
Fail, does not move
Miss
Miss
Two of the mongrelmen begin advancing across the plans that lie between the vats. But they are rushing forward and both lose their balance. One manages to catch himself before he falls but the other plummets and hit the ground with a sickening thump.
Another shouts though;
You want bosses. To hurt bosses or take bosses away. Go away! Good life here! Go away!
Before hurling a vial of alchemist fire that bursts at Hazel's feet and scorches her legs.
Another vial flies your way, as does another axe from the gnome on the upper level but these sail harmlessly by.
Success
Both Vermundr and Hazel are able to shrug off the effects of the noxious gas but the numbness in Hazel#s arm continues to grow.
Zed continues silently, trying to get to the far ladder.
[b]"I'm not sure what I can contribute if we want to pull the fight out of the vapors...but maybe we can work around,{b]" kazamir mutters. He moves to the doors to teh east and examines them.
Hoping to find a means to get around the vat-filled manufacturing room, Kazamir moves to the nearby double doors and pushes them open.
This chamber contains numerous boxes, crates, and bales of
straw for packing.
Three more of the deformed humanoids are in here and they snatch up clubs as Kazamir appears in the doorway.
Vermundr stands his ground waiting for the disfigured workers to get in range. His familiar is less patient and begins a rhythmic hum that bores into the scarred gnome's mind.
Fail
Hazel continues to feel the numbness. She knows now she has been poisoned and that it is slowly stealing her strength every moment.
Success
Fail
The fumes circulate around Vermundr and Zed and this time the dhampir has to raise his collar and cough as quietly as he can lest he give away his position but the fumes sting his eyes and burn his lungs.
Below him, he sees three of the deformed men making for the ladder leading up to Vermundr and the others.
Hit
Miss
Miss
One of the flasks of alchemist fire bursts at Vermundr's feet, plastering his leg in scorching liquid but as another axe comes flying out of the darkness, he dashes it aside with a sweep of his greatsword.
Constantin keeps concentrating to try to focus in on one of the enemy leaders.
Meanwhile, the three mongrelmen in the storage room raise their clubs and run toward Kazamir.
Hit
Miss
The third, unable to reach the investigator, instead reaches down and pulls the lid off one of the crates, revealing a number of flasks within.
After patting out the flames licking his shins Vermundr resumes holding his position with his blade held high defensively.
Hoping to find a means to get around the vat-filled manufacturing room, Kazamir moves to the nearby double doors and pushes them open.
This chamber contains numerous boxes, crates, and bales of
straw for packing.Three more of the deformed humanoids are in here and they snatch up clubs as Kazamir appears in the doorway.
"Ah." says Kaz, taken aback. "Yes, that IS a hazard of opening doors, isn't it..."
He braces himself as they rush forward.
After taking a rather nasty crack on the shoulder from one of the clubs, Kazamir steps back and concentrates on the creature opening the crate.
Vala throws a glob of fire at the nearest foe, but she misjudges the arc and it splashes harmlessly against the ceiling.
Frowning, Vala tries again but her aim proves little better.
HP: 27/27
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 13
F/R/W: +4/+1/+8 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 0/7
Wand of CLW: 14/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets:
Current Wandering Spirit: Life
Channel Energy (3d6) used: 1/5
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 15: inflict light wounds [ ], know the enemy* [ ], magic missile [ ] [ ], produce flame (CL7) [X]
Level 2 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 16: glitterdust [ ], lesser restoration* [ ] [ ], spiritual weapon [X]
Level 3 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 17: lightning bolt [ ], locate object* [ ], speak with dead [X]
Ongoing Effects
produce flame (3/7 minutes)
Success
Once again Grine is able to shrug off the magical effect Vermundr's familiar attempts to place on him whilst both Hazel and Vala are unable to land telling blows on the mongrelmen that threaten to overwhelm them.
Fail
Kazamir narrows his eyes and with a tremendous force of will simply cuts off the synaptic responses of the mongrelman's central nervous system, freezing him entirely in place!
The mongrelmen on the ground floor continue clamboring up toward the platform while others continue pelting alchemist fire from atop the vats.
Miss
Hit
Grine seems to have finally run out of poisoned axes and this time begins withdrawing along the platform toward the door in the east wall.
The remaining able-bodied mongrelman, drops his club at the sight of one of his friends blasted back through the room and the other frozen in place like a marionette and he begins cowering in the corner.
You hurt bosses! he says miserably. We just want to work, these only bosses who give us work.
Constantin, meanwhile, rounds on the three attacking Kazamir and sends a series of intensely focussed mental energy pelting toward one, sending it flying backward to crash through the crates.
Success
Success
"What if we help you find better bosses? Bosses that don't ask you to kill? Stop trying to attack us and you have my word we'll help you in turn!" Vala blurts at the mongrelman, obvious anger and frustration in her tone given the threat pressing in upon them.