Torphrex talks in a low voice.
"I can set up a couple of traps on one side of the hallway, and we go exploring the other side, with our backs covered. I say we go right first... is closer."
He sets up a couple of tripwire traps on the left side of the hallway.
After he is done, he advances slowly to the right side, trying not to be seen, trying to see if there is something in the right side room.
Talnip decides to accompany Torphex in case he needs the help.
"Very well, I shall take the rear guard then as I am not skilled in stealth and neither is Lamashtu's Herald "
As Torphrex peeks around the corner he sees a long chamber decorated with large carvings of religious ceremonies. Stone benches are lined up before a podium at the southern end of the room. Across the room due east, is still the single door.
You also see a creature shaped like a head with wings flapping up and down at the southern end of the hallway. It's wings are tattered ribbons with light showing throwing many patches of it's purple leathery skin.
As Talnip comes up to help Torphrex, he accidently kicks a loose stone snapping the attention of the monster towards the corner where the two now hide.
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Initiative
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Round 1
Laknir
Talnip
Torphrex
Flapping Head
Stigly
Yulantegoni
This creature is a Vargouille. They are not native to the material plane but are often found near death and decay. They have a number of abilities besides their sharp teeth which they will bite with to shred flesh off enemies
Vargouilles have the ability to poison their enemies with their bite. Their poison counters the ability for healing magic to work on the injury. Their shriek can paralyze opponents which Vargouilles do to set up their deadly kiss. If the inner constitution of a victim of the kiss fails, they begin to turn into a Vargouille themselves.
This vargouille is very different than any you've encountered. Much of his flesh is rotten and it seems extremely clumsy and weak.
Whatever this creature is, it has all the telltale signs of a zombie. However it's flesh doesn't seem to be sturdy enough to withstand normal weapons like a zombies would.
Another foul beast. Herald I will need you on this one. Yulantegoni casts *Guidance on her Eidolon.
The angry Eidolon will rush the thing with wings
Talnip hastily brings his crossbow to bear on the head thingy but shoots too early and hits a wall behind it instead.
Torphrex slaps the back of Talnip's head. He will ready an action to charge the creature if it tries to cast, or attack it as soon as it gets in range.
(+2 if charging)
Stigly stands confused about why his friends are firing errant bolts at the wall.
perhaps they have been infected with a something that has made them go mad
Parasites!!! it has to be parasites... Stigly squeals under his breath excitedly
do they kill Laknir in their fit of madness? no no no Laknir must be the first infected. He has been acting a little strange.
Stigly looks at Laknir thoughtfully Laknir, have you been feeling at all strange lately?
Stigly checks Laknir for any signs of infection or some other reason his life might be slipping away
A creature appears around the corner
AHHHHHHH FLYING SKULL BAT. FLYING SKULL BAT.
Stigly fights defensively.
Flailing his morning-star above his head as though in preparation for a great strike, Stigly unexpectedly continues to flail his weapon once he is adjacent to the creature.
Yes, Stigly, of course. I remember a dream I had last night in fact- he is cut off by the sight of the Vargouille.
Always more to be done. Die in the name of Zon-Kuthon! Laknir yells just a bit too enthusiastically. Charging the creature if it is in melee reach.
As Talnip fires at the wall, convinced it should die, Laknir and Torphrex ready to kill the creature as it comes forward, which it surely does. Rounding the corner it attempts to bite at Torphrex while dodging his attack but gets pierced by Laknir's Rapier.
The damage from the rapier distracts the creature enough so that it can't land any of it's attacks.
Stigly shifts up flailing his weapon around, distracted by possible infections of Laknir. Yulantegoni ushers his herald ahead to join the fray.
Writhing past Laknir and towards the creature, the Herald lands a nasty bite into the flying creature, ripping half a wing off as he jerks his head back.
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Initiative
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Round 2
Laknir
Talnip
Torphrex
Flapping Head
Stigly
Yulantegoni
Stigly begins to question why he packed so many radishes but no polearm.
Does anybody have a long staby stick? Stigly wants a staby stick.
Not quite sure what he is doing, Stigly continues to twirl his morning-star in the air.
The Herald will continue its onslaught, Yulantegoni will hold action.
(1d6+1), (1d6+1), (1d6)
The herald makes a poor display of its martial prowess.
Laknir tries to make good use of his ability to appear small and easily injured. Well, appearance and reality are sometimes in sync. Reguardless, he attempts to roll around the flying creature to flank with Torphrex, and stabs at it if he arrives in place.
Ha!
Hoping a last min acid splash can do the trick again Yulantegoni goes for it
Torphrex will try to roll past the creature to flank it without provoking an AoO.
Once there he will attack again.
(+2 if flanking)
(+2 if flanking)
Talnip readies his crossbow once again and hopes to actually hit something this time.
Laknir deftly rolls around the creature but is unable to connect his rapier again. Talnip finally connects with his crossbow as the creature starts reeling. Torphrex also rolls around to make more room for allies to join the melee and lands a fatal blow to the flying monstrosity. It falls to the ground with a sickening plop. The room is once again silent.
The whole group can now see the room clearly, with the door at the northeastern corner closed.
Torphrex investigates what is at the end of the room taking care of checking for traps.
Yulantegoni will give a slight prayer to Lamashtu and ask for forgiveness to killing such a beautiful monster.
"I hope we find our eggs soon, I dislike harming so many of the Mother's Creatures. We will surly make the thieves pay when we find them. "
The podium seems to be empty, and there seems to be nothing of note to be found in the room besides the door to the north east.
Yeah... such a shame that was. Be terrible if something were to keep happening to these abominations. My sword might slip a few more times... really hard. Theft is indeed quite disreputable. Kidnapping moreso. Though, I have a bad feeling we don't know everything we should know.
Don't these doors usually slam shut, or shoot arrows at people who open them Stigly?
Stigly pulls some radishes out of his bag as he looks around the hallway.
Allow me to meditate a moment to ask the great divine one second Laknir . (mumbling to himself) Hmm maybe parasites but maybe not....could be multiple stabbies or zombies. once again out loud Laknir You were telling me about a strange dream I believe. Tell Stigly more so that he can interpret the divine message within.
Torphrex now checks the northeast door, taking care of checking for traps, and tries to hear anything from the other side.
The door seems normal. Although, you do notice it seems to be barred from the other side. When listening, nothing seems to be on the other side of the door.
"Let me set up a trap here, and we continue to the other side."
He sets up a slashing Wounding trap next to the door, in case somebody wants to get out behind them, and then goes to the other side, to remove his own traps.
The Herald and I will continue to follow from behind if that is agreeable." She says as she looks for danger.
As the group walks down the hallway, the two breaks in the wall they first thought as doors are actually openings into circular rooms. These two rooms seem identical. The smooth floor and ceiling have been polished to a glossy shine, and the curving walls appear to be made of a faintly silver reflective material as smooth and flawless as glass.
The double doors still stand to the west, and at the intersection the north-south hallway seems to end in a "T" 35' in either direction.
"This rumbles like an egg about to burst... something magical?"
He tries to detect if there are traps.
Laknir heads into the other circular room.
This is an unexpected feeling. Reminds me of that chair Kalask had commissioned. Anyone of you know what these rooms are for? You're all from here right? He steps out of the room, while he tries smalltalk. The last thing he wanted was to find out was some kind of meat grinder.
Yes, wise one! A strange dream indeed! It was filled with fire. And chains.
Laknir, I will ask the great one about the meaning of your dreams when i pray next
oooo captured and then burned perhaps? Maybe not could just be a strange mating ritual from his clan. Afraid to reproduce perhaps? Impotent?......yes yes must be impotence.
Stigly casts detect magic when he is close to the walls, but is careful to not actually touch them while he tries to discern what this strange affect is
He then searches the area for anything useful or scary
Stigly is almost blinded by light as he casts his detect magic. An overwhelming conjuration aura floods his senses as this might have been blessed by Sarenrae. As Stigly recovers from his brush with godliness, the vibrations start to rise in intensity. It rises to a point that an audible hum fills the entire room. The curving walls seem to move, rotating faster and faster around the circumference of the room. Before anyone can react, everything stops.
Talnip and Yulantegoni realize that Laknir in the southern room and Stigly and Torphrex who used to be in the northern room, have swapped locations.
"What was that? This place is very strange. I can see why we were never allowed to enter before."Yulantegoni remarks as she trys to recover from the vertigo
Stigly marvels as he is washed by the light of what he believes to be his divine mistress, Sarenrae.
She has confirmed my suspicions about poor Laknir.
The Divine, She speaks to me!!!!!! Praise be to Sarenrae, giver of divinations.
Stigly leans into Laknir and whispers so as to be discrete
She has shown me the meaning of your dreams Laknir. You may wish to brace yourself for the truth of the portents in your dreams is dire. I regret to inform you that some sort of affliction has left you impotent. Just as it has taken away your ability to create new life, it shall take away your life as well. Fear not my friend, for I shall be here to help you through this. I will help you soldier on through the pain every step of the way until the moment of your imminent death.
Stigly pats Laknir on the shoulder so as to be comforting
Oh dear I think I've gone cross-eyed. I think those rooms had a faster effect than I thought. I know for one that I am not left handed, but now it feels awkward to stand that way. Torphrex? Stigl- He is cut off with a sudden outburst from his cleric "friend"
Stigly marvels as he is washed by the light of what he believes to be his divine mistress, Sarenrae.
She has confirmed my suspicions about poor Laknir.
The Divine, She speaks to me!!!!!! Praise be to Sarenrae, giver of divinations.
Stigly leans into Laknir and whispers so as to be discrete
** spoiler omitted **Stigly pats Laknir on the shoulder so as to be comforting
While visibly holding in a smirk Laknir responds I see. How awful this news is. Truly a battle I must fight alone, though.
How in the nine hells did he manage to get from fire and chains to impotency? This is great. Wait...
Is impotency common for kobolds? I assumed Kalask would have let me know that.
Torphrex check himself, handling his rapier from his right to his left hand and back again.
"Something is wrong here! Is like I changed sides. And Stigly and Laknir were affected too! I don't like it. We don't know what else is different. I say we enter the rooms again, and hope it change us back to normal!"
Stigly clumsily flails his morningstar above his head with his left hand.
Stigly feel the same. Stigly not want to give back his mistress' blessings
to Laknir
NO no not common how you think there so many kobolds? Here perhaps you should drink some water and rest. You look a bit weak.
Stigly pulls a waterskin off of his belt and generously offers it to Laknir
Weak? Heh, that's just how I've always been I'm afraid. It hasn't stopped me yet has it? I appreciate the offer.
He'll accept the waterskin.
Torphrex shakes his head when he realices they don't want to "change back", so he tries to go into the room and activate it by himself.
Let's continue on and find these eggs. Yulantegoni says eagerly wanting to get out of this strange place.
Torphrex steps back in the room and although Yulantegoni can still hear the hum he does not. The room appears to be just an empty room now.
The water from the skin stiggly offered is cool and refreshing.
Torphrex gets out of the room, a sad look on his reptilian face, while moves his equipment for his new left-handedness.
"I am a little confused... where to, now?"
We go left. Right? Laknir says trying to not laugh. He hands the waterskin back.
Buck up, my friend. Of all the things I thought might happen here, this wasn't on my list. Neither was the carnivorous ceiling carpet. I think I'll just pretend that I don't notice the difference to mess with people when I get back.
Torphrex shows a timid toothy smile...
"Let's go check some of those doors we saw before the 4 way?" Yulantegoni suggests still shaken from the odd room.
Torphrex shows a timid toothy smile...
There you go. He claps Torphrex on the shoulder, feeling a bit of kinship.
Yes, Yulantegoni. Do you prefer a nickname? Yul? Yulan? I agree either way. We have more places to look. Who knows. Maybe one of these rooms flips our genders. He says hoping that his statement stays a joke, and not dark prophesy.
hmm flip genders might work........might cure impotence. Good thinking Laknir. Come we must find the gender swapping room for Laknir's sake
Stigly will timidly march into the next room making sure to be hiding behind his shield every step of the way.
"Goni has always been a shortening of my name I accepted from other races that had difficulty saying my name, I am surprised a fellow kobold would, but you are not of our clan so maybe things are different in your lands." Yulantegoni says with a bit of indignation.