Drancis pales as the alien voice floods his mind. "Is...is....that...Vuelib?"
As Rikkan moves into the chamber, Drancis reaches out with his mind and takes control of the bubbles around the globs of fungus and moving it out of the ratfolk's way.
"It must be him, click. Or her. But, I don't have any idea what wrrr tongue it is speaking with!"
As Drancis starts to move the sheets of fungus away from the sarcophagus, it writhes and coils over on itself… it’s movement is not unlike the ‘tumour’ that was implanted on the back of Silam Oddle’s neck…
Illonna draws her longsword "We should purify this place..."
"And how! What is it about gunk monsters in this place? Anyone have any fire?"
Zoreck unholsters his pistol and points it at the sarcophagus, with his other hand on the hilt of his sword.
Does this disgusting goo look familiar...?
Locke grimaces at the living gunk and readies his blade. "Be careful! We don't want what happened to Silam to happen to one of us."
Zoreck racks his brains to see what the fungus might be... and as to whether he has seen anything of the like in Numeria... but he recalls nothing worthwhile.
Rikkan smiles broadly. "Oh, I've got fire," he says, preparing to draw a flask and throw it at the mold. He motions the others back.
RTA w/PBS
Damage w/PBS
The stench rises as the fungus burns... burning, shrivelling and popping in the heat, the vile plant matter dies back all the way to the closed lid of the sarcophagus.
...and the voice in the back of everyone's minds - screams... over and over and over...
Locke rubs his forehead as the voice screams in his mind, but he smiles tenatively at the others, "Could that be it? Could Vuelib really have just been a mindslaver mold infestation?"
"I doubt it, it sounds more angry than anything." says Illonna as the voice shrills in her mind. She starts attempting to push the voice out, disgusted at such a violation of her sanctity.
As Illonna tries to force the screaming voice from her head - everyone else trying to ignore it - it does eventually quieten down... no longer screaming in anguish, it just murmurs to itself...
"Seems as if there are whrrr, two options before us. The tunnel heading south toward the green glow, or click, trying to open that sarcophagus. What's your pleasure?"
"Southward."
Drancis nods in reply. "I don't think the Sheriff traveled down this way. Let's head towards that green glow. Vuelib has to be there!"
Locke tries to calm his nerves, what else could be down here?. He gestures towards the tunnel, "To the glow it is."
Leving behind the sarcophagus that contained the mind enslaving mold and electing to leave that which has been locked away for centuries locked for a little while longer, the friends retrace their steps back to the flooded tunnels... and, this time, head southwards towards the strange glow...
A luminescent-green, gelatinous barrier blocks the end of the water-filled hallway here, separating it from a half-seen chamber beyond. Debris, of a type indeterminable through the translucent substance, lies scattered across the chamber’s floor.
"Er... does anyone know what sort of stuff this barrier's made of?"
"Uhhh..."
Drancis shakes his head helplessly. "I can try to breach the barrier here...but I don't know if that is a good idea...not without knowing more of what this barrier is made of anyway."
Whatever this is, it's new to Astraea, it's new to Zoreck, it's new to everyone...
Perception
"Look closely...there a all kinds of little black things moving around in the barrier, there, click! Nasty!"
"This is certainly unpleasant, but we must proceed."
Illonna will try poking it with her longsword.
Drancis gulps, gripping his spear in a death grip.
"Perhaps I can try...pushing the barrier aside?"
Not wanting to waste a bullet, Zoreck cocks his crossbow and loads a bolt. He fires the bolt at the barrier.
Illonna's sword slides through the barrier with ease, the green membrane providing little resistance to her steel... yet, when she pulls the blade back, the membrane closes back over...
Zoreck and Drancis both experience the same thing, the membrane yielding with ease before reforming... the hole that Drancis manages to make, and then hold, is around a foot in diameter... wide enough to see the rubble and detritus beyond the barrier... and the orange slime that coats every surface.
"Slime, slime and more slime. I see a pattern emerging," Locke comments as Drancis opens a hole in the barrier. He turns to Rikkan, "Should we try burning this barrier? I certainly don't want to take the chance of walking through it."
"Give me a second," Rikkan says as he takes a small vial from about his belt. He throws it to the ground, and a small dog appears in front of the group. Rikkan shoos it through the smile wall, wanting to see how the sludge reacts with the living creature.
Drancis watches with interest as Rikkan uses his alchemy skills to bring forth the animal. He stands ready to shield the animal from the green sludge should it harm the dog.
"I can maintain the hole for as long as you need, but to widen it...will take some effort." Drancis replies.
Rikkan’s alchemical dog, a strange creature with glowing amber eyes, tentatively approaches the barrier. Looking back at the ratfolk, it whimpers before, with a whistle, Rikkan directs it to jump through… as with Illonna’s sword and with Zoreck’s bolt, the membrane parts – with the mildest of resistance – slides over the dog as it walks through and then reforms…
…through the translucent membrane, the dog can be seen… still perfectly healthy and looking back towards Rikkan…
"Well, I guess we press on!" Stowing his crossbow and unholstering his pistol, Zoreck steps through the slimy barrier.
"Rikkan," Astraea says quietly, "why did you have a puppy in a bottle?"
Regardless of his answer, she winces as Zoreck presses on through the barrier of slime. "Wait, I think we should- oh. Well, there he goes." She clutches her shield to her chest for comfort and then attempt to focus on the slime in search of magical properties.
"Zoreck! Be careful in there! I can try to widen the hole if you get stuck here" Drancis calls out.
And if that doesn't work...well let's say I can lift really HEAVY objects now...
"I can't say I expected that Rikkan, I am very glad the little guy seems unharmed." Locke rubs the bridge of his nose, as he contemplates the wall of slime, considering if the puppy was enough proof to walk through. Suddenly Zoreck is walking toward the barrier, Locke attempts to reach out to stop Zoreck, but is too late. "...How does it feel?" he asks after Zoreck crosses through.
Pushing through the barrier, Zoreck is smeared with an extremely thin - and clear - residue that, whilst sticky for a moment, seems to evaporate away quite quickly… as far as he can tell, there are no adverse effects whatsoever. He has a few seconds to consider his surroundings – the crusty pale-orange slime that covers the floor, the rank smell of rotting vegetation and tar, the debris… before something catches his eye, a small snake-like creature – metallic plates interlinked and polished to chrome – moving towards him…
"I like to collect things, Astrea, whrrr. I can call up on a few different animals that way. And he's fine."
Once the cobra rears its metallic head, Rikkan delays to give the ranged attackers a chance to fire unobstructed. After that, he double moves, pulling his dagger and closes to melee with the beast.
Seeing that Rikkan is holding back, Zoreck levels the barrel of his gun at the metal snake-thing and pulls the trigger. There is the familiar , flash, and puff of smoke.
Illonna quickly moves into the room alongside Zoreck and prepares to stab at the cobra if it gets to close.
Zoreck's pistol goes off with a massive retort, the sharp noise echoing around the chamber... when the smoke clears, the slithering construct seems only slightly damaged.
Rearing up, its head swaying from side to side, the cobra suddenly snaps forward...
...from around the corner in the passageway to the west of the chamber, a voice calls... tremendously weak yet familiar... Rexel!!!
"Hello?"
Fort
Drancis sees the metal construct and as it strikes at Rikkan pulls up a chunk of debris and flings it at the cobra.
"Rexel? is that you?"
;
bludgeoning.
Unfortunately the surprise of finding the gnome here and alive is sufficient to cause him to drop the rubble at his feet.
Locke rushes after Rikkan, through the barrier and into the room. He draws his blade, but pauses to catch his breath. Sprinting through waist deep water isn't easy!
Illonna quickly moves to the otherside of Rikkan and hacks away at the snake.
"Hold on Rexel, we're here. Are you wounded?"
The voice, slightly louder now, calls back, "Is that you? My friends from the village? Is it really you? Oh no!!! Be careful, she's waking up..."
Illona's blade crashes down against the mechanical snake... hitting it hard yet deflecting from a steel ring...
Rikkan takes a 5' step forward, giving Illona a flanking bonus to her next attack. He takes a full defense this action, adding to his armor class.
"Rexel! We'll be there as soon as we can!" Astraea shouts. Who's waking up?
Again finding herself unlikely to contribute much real damage to the sturdy iron cobra, she moves in behind Zoreck and casts guidance on him.
Holstering his pistol, Zoreck draws his sword and advances in the iron snake.
Zoreck's blade smashes against the snake - this time, from the squealing of metal upon metal, damaging the internal workings of the construct...
...and then, jerking forward with a hissing of mechanical pistons, it bites at Zoreck...