Constantin focuses another sharp blast of psychic power in an attempt to finish disrupting the elemental so that his allies can concentrate on the mechanical threat without worrying about being hurled to their deaths.
(Will save DC 15 for half)
Fail
Constantin concentrates once again, sending a spear of mental energy through the elemental. It collapses in on itself and disappears as suddenly as it came.
Without his familiar's protection, Vermundr suffers a pair of deep wounds from the construct's attacks. Heedless of the blood soaking through his fur, Were-Vermundr attacks in a hasted frenzy.
Despite the battering she's suffered in the elemental's grasp, Zelda emerges with only minor injuries. She dutifully buzzes back to Vermundr's side.
Only enraged further by the sight and scent of his own blood, Vermundr tears into the construct, smashing into it with frenzied attacks until the thing resembles nothing more than just a pile of trashed metal and wire.
Finally, the group can enter the manse in peace.
The fire in the hearth crackles away merrily as the unseen servant calmly stokes as if nothing had happened.
Vala rushes to Zed, helping him to his feet and away from the edge of the bridge just as Vermundr's final strikes rip the construct by the door to pieces.
"Well. With a welcome like this, one wonders how the Whispering Way even made it beyond the front door! Let's get inside, quickly, before any more wards trigger and we've got another one of those elementals to contend with." Covered in cuts and gashes of her own, she then ushers everyone inside, her hair a disheveled mess from the blasts of wind she'd suffered.
HP: 12/39
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 14
F/R/W: +5/+2/+9 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 1/7
Wand of CLW: 7/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets: Hazel, Vermundr
Heaven's Leap targets: Zed, Vermundr, Kaz, Constantin
Current Wandering Spirit: Heavens
Stardust used: 1/7
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 15: color spray* [ ], inflict light wounds [ ], magic missile [ ] [ ], produce flame (CL7) [X]
Level 2 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 16: hypnotic pattern* [ ], glitterdust [ ], spiritual weapon [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 3 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 17: daylight*[ ], fly [X], lightning bolt [ ] [ ]
Ongoing Effects
fly (Hazel) (1/6 minutes): 60ft movement (40 encumbered), good maneuverability, +3 to fly checks
Constantin needs no further prodding to hustle inside to presumed safety. "Thanks, Vala, for saving me from an ignominious splat," he says. "I think this castle is really testing our abilities. So far it looks like our teamwork is up to the task."
Vermundr lopes inside behind the others, growling in anticipation of more enemies. In addition to the mud tracked inside by the party, blood from the werewolf's deep wounds splatters on the tiled floor.
Unlike her master, Zelda's injuries mend within seconds.
Vermundr lopes inside behind the others, growling in anticipation of more enemies. In addition to the mud tracked inside by the party, blood from the werewolf's deep wounds splatters on the tiled floor.
Unlike her master, Zelda's injuries mend within seconds.
Kazamir lets the sudden quiet after the battle stretch out for a few seconds before coughing into his hand. Plainly embarrassed, he says, "Friends, I apologize. When the elemental manifested, my first thought should have been to get us inside. Rather than trying to blast the thing, i should have turned my attention to the lock. Without Vala's timely intervention, that thing could have cost us our lives."
"Thank you, Vala, and Zed and Vermundr..."he trails off, eyeing the hulking Ulfen's changed form. He almost starts to say more to Vermundr, but closes his mouth quickly.
As is to cover for his awkwardness, he turns to the walls, beginning a detailed examination of the room.
Zed climbs up, looking around warily. His eyes fall on Vermundr and he doesn't relax. Logen... Zed slowly puts himself between Vermundr and the others. "Vermundr, you with us?"
Constantin looks at the large beast and his nostrils flare slightly as he takes in a deep breath.
"Vermundr, can you understand us?"
Were-Vermundr growls indescribably in reply to Zed and Constantin but the shine in his yellow eyes indicate some level of understanding.
As the fires of battle die down, Vermundr's enormous form rapidly shrinks and the coarse fur covering his visible flesh falls out in tufts. Within seconds the big Ulfen looks like himself again minus his armor fitting poorly due to its bindings having been badly stretched.
"I can hear you but the Wolf interprets words differently when he's in control - he doesn't like you Zed. He's a bit angry because it's been so long since I let him out. I'm sorry you had to see that."
"Um...Vermundr? Have you always been able to do that?" she asks hesitantly, bow half-lowered.
"The Wolf's been part of me ever since I was born", Vermundr explains as he readjusts his armor. "It's the reason I'm down here and why I ended up with the Crooked Kin."
Nobody likes me. They tolerate me out of usefulness. Zed's frowns remains heavy. I won't let this situation get out of hand. I know better.
Kazamir does not detect any traps as he searches the room, the others more concerned with Vermundr's immediate condition.
However, he notes the portrait above the fire.
The portrait is excellent quality and displays an impressive middle-aged man surrounded by bizarre and exotic objects.
He also notices behind the painted figure is a stained glass window through which he can see a stone bridge. Judging by the angle and building the figure is standing in, it is probably a depiction of the now destroyed bridge you noticed from the road.
There are two doors leading north as well as the stairs going up. A door also sits in the east wall.
Constantin approaches the fireplace and looks up at the painting. "The master of the house, I presume?" he says quietly as he scrutinizes the picture.
"If there is another risk, it is beyond me to find..." Kaz answers, smiling ruefully at his earlier failure to detect the previous threat.
"Give me one more moment..." he says, casting detect magic and scanning the room.
There are several auras of magic in the entrance hall that once he concentrates, Kazamir attributes to unseen servants who shuffle about quietly undertaking several mundane tasks
Constantin recognises the man in the portrait as Count Alpon Caromarc in his younger years.
"The Count in his youth," says Constantin to nobody in particular. Then he straightens, turns, and says, "So... if this is built like most castles, the quarters of the master will be upstairs, and downstairs will be mostly servants, kitchen, dining hall, and of course entrance to the basement and possible dungeon. Where to first?"
"Just a few minutes, dear," Vala responds to Hazel's question about the flight. "And I'd rather have wasted a spell than not and watched Zed here fall from the bridge."
When the discussion of Vermundr's alterego comes up, she remains silent on the matter and instead stays focused on treating any lingering wounds amongst the group.
HP: 34/39
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 14
F/R/W: +5/+2/+9 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 1/7
Wand of CLW: 6/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets: Hazel, Vermundr, Vala
Heaven's Leap targets: Zed, Vermundr, Kaz, Constantin
Current Wandering Spirit: Heavens
Stardust used: 1/7
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 15: color spray* [ ], inflict light wounds [ ], magic missile [ ] [ ], produce flame (CL7) [X]
Level 2 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 16: hypnotic pattern* [ ], glitterdust [ ], spiritual weapon [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 3 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 17: daylight*[ ], fly [X], lightning bolt [ ] [ ]
Ongoing Effects
"Just a few minutes, dear," Vala responds to Hazel's question about the flight. "And I'd rather have wasted a spell than not and watched Zed here fall from the bridge."
When the discussion of Vermundr's alterego comes up, she remains silent on the matter and instead stays focused on treating any lingering wounds amongst the group.
[dice=Healing Hex (self)]2d8+6
[dice=Cure Lt]1d8+1
** spoiler omitted **
Zed slides past Vala. "Thank you. I doubt we would be alive without you. That was a nasty trick they used." Zed patches the last of his wounds as he scours the room.
As an experiment, Zed scrapes off some mud from his boots, using detect magic to observe the reaction of the unseen servants to the dirt on the floor.
Nothing happens for a moment but then a small brush lifted from the fire caddy beside the fireplace seems to levitate before sweeping up the mud.
"I'm kinda beat up, again...story of my life..." Hazel sighs as she glances down at her battered and blood-stained armor. "Remind me to look into some better armor or something the next time we have a chance."
________
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Vala fusses over Kazamir, "Look at you! That thing cut you pretty badly, Kazamir." She tends to his wounds then turns back to Hazel. "And you! You're sliced to ribbons! And you too, Vermundr! Wolf or not, you're not invincible you know."
HP: 34/39
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 14
F/R/W: +5/+2/+9 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 1/7
Healing Hex targets: Hazel, Vermundr, Vala, Kaz
Heaven's Leap targets: Zed, Vermundr, Kaz, Constantin
Current Wandering Spirit: Heavens
Stardust used: 1/7
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 15: color spray* [ ], inflict light wounds [ ], magic missile [ ] [ ], produce flame (CL7) [X]
Level 2 spells (3+1+1*) | DC 16: hypnotic pattern* [ ], glitterdust [ ], spiritual weapon [ ] [ ] [ ]
Level 3 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 17: daylight*[ ], fly [X], lightning bolt [ ] [ ]
Ongoing Effects
Zed searches the room as they do damage control.
If you target an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a monster summoned by summon monster), you make a dispel check to end the spell that conjured the object or creature.
These rooms contain the coal for the manse's fireplaces, foodstuffs, wine and cleaning equipment.
"We might as well see if we find anything other than magical servants down here before we go up," says Constantin with a shrug.
"Agreed," Kaz nods to Constantin, "Lets see what else is on this floor first."
As patched up as they can be, the group move on into the manse, with still no sign of life beyond the artificial presenting itself.
You note how quiet the manse is, with only your footfalls clopping on the oiled wooden floors. You catch sight of the remarkable waterfall through windows and wonder how the whole building must be sound-proofed against it.
Pushing on, the door to the north opens into a kitchen. This large kitchen contains a roaring stove, several workbenches, and a spice cabinet.
Even a cursory glance at the spices show that they are an incredible collection of exotic ingredients from areas some of you have never even heard of.
"Wow. I bet Kendra would love a collection like this," says Constantin of the spices.
"Are we considering the area hostile territory? Should we be looting? It could be rather uncouth."
"If it proves that the Schloss is uninhabited or hostile, we can loot on our way out. I'd leave them for now."
Vala nods twice, first in agreement with Constantin as a warm smile spreads across her face. The second is also in agreement, though this time it's with Kazamir and whatever wistful warmth she'd glimpsed thinking of her dear niece evaporates in the shadow of their present circumstance.
"I wonder again at how the Whispering Way made it even this far. Mysteries for another day, I suppose. Let's press on. If the count is still around, I have a few difficult questions for him."
G4 Library
Shelves crammed with books line the walls of this room. A comfortable leather chair sits in the room's centre.
G5 Smoking Room
Two plush chairs sit around a small lit fire in this cramped, tobacco-stained room. Numerous tobacco jars sit on a shelf next to a pipe rack filled with strange smoking apparatus.
G6 Trophy Room
These two rooms are crammed with taxidermied animals and stuffed heads.
G7 Billiards Room
A billiards table fills most of this chamber and a rack of cues hangs on one wall beside a gold score checker worth 90gp.
G8 Dining Hall
The vaulted ceiling of this large room is adorned with gilt. A pair of halberds hang above a huge lit fireplace in the far wall. A great dining table and twelve chairs take up the centre of the room.
G9a - G9d Storerooms
These rooms contain the coal for the manse's fireplaces, foodstuffs, wine and cleaning equipment.
G11 Guest Bedrooms
White sheets cover the four-poster bed, wardrobe and dressing table in these luxurious guest rooms that seem so rarely used.
G12 Engineer's Quarters
Three simple cots are arranged within this chamber. Numerous drawings and books litter a nearby table.
G13 Master Bedroom
This neat bedchamber holds a resplendent four-poster bed surrounded by oak furniture. The furniture consists of a wardrobe, a dressing table, a chest and a tall dressing mirror.
Throughout the mansion there are six unseen servants that can be occasionally seen busying themselves with their perpetual duties. There is no other signs of anyone and the stillness and deserted nature of the house is altogether eerie.