Kyffin: 10*
Tenebrynn: 8*
Starflit: 23
Tristain: 22
Albert: 12
Antagonist: 11
Starflit just barely manages to cut into the thing as it reacts a hair slower than her. Al, however, gets jostled, throwing off his aim as Tristain uses his wand to blast it.
It seems to react with rage to the blows, and lets out a roar: "I explained now IS NOT "
Mun: 21
Round 2
Will (+4 more if in Al effect)
With his wand, it doesn’t matter if he’s frightened, and uses it again.
"zee-NOO!”
Wand of Magic Missile (lvl9): 48/50 left
force damage.
HP: 59/59 +18 temp hp
AC: 13
Points: 7/7 left
Spells: Lvl 1:8/8 left (Bless*0,MM*0,IllOm*0,MurdCom*0,Vanish*0) dc 20
Spells: Lvl 2: 7/8 left (ReEn*0,FlsLife*1,SpirW*0,Sugg*0,SeeInvis*1) dc 21
Spells: Lvl 3: 6/8 left (ForPun*0,MagVest*0,DazeMM,Haste*0,Hero*2) dc 22
Spells: Lvl 4 5/6 left (Guard*0,MindThrust*0,DimDoor*1) dc 23
Spells: Lvl 5 4/4 left (Commune*0,Serenity*0) dc 24
Cure Used: 0/4 used
Rod of Reach: 0/3 used
"zee-NOO!”
Wand of Magic Missile (lvl9): 48/50 left
force damage.
[ dice]1d6+1[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d20+15[/dice] CMB to trip vs. CMD
[ dice]1d20+2-4[/dice] to hit; ()
[ dice]1d8-1[/dice] piercing damage
[ dice]1d6+5[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d20+16[/dice] CMB to trip vs. CMD
[ dice]1d6+5[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d6+5[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d6+5[/dice] force damage
[ dice]1d6+5[/dice] force damage
"We heard you the first time!" Starflit growls through gritted teeth, seeming more annoyed than terrified by the construct's outburst. Initiating her bane ability, she takes a couple of jabs at the thing.
for
for
Judgments: protection (+3 to AC, +6 vs. attacks to confirm crits); resiliency (DR 3/-);
hp (current): 73/73;
AC: 27, touch 16, flat-footed 24 (+3 sacred bonus); DR 3/-;
Bane (constructs): Round #1 of 15;
Conditions: Dex -1 (lingering from swarm attack), shaken (1 rd.).
Round 1
Weapon Equipped = Scimitar
Conditions = Magic Vestment (1/10h, +2), -2 dex damage, Air Walk (1/100m), Heroism
Scimitar: Attack: BAB +7/2, Str +5, Magic +1, Focus +2, (Power -2) Damage: Str +5, Magic +1, Specialization +2, (Power +4) Crit: 18-20 DR Magic
Longbow: Attack: BAB +7/2, Dex +1, Magic +1 Damage: Str +4 (adaptive), Magic +1
Cold Iron/Silver Blanch Arrows = 10/10
Cold Iron/Ghost Salt Arrows = 7/10
Blessings (8/8, su) (Holy Strike (std), Battle Companion (full), Fast Healing (std), or Powerful Healer (sw))
Fervor (6/7, su, sw, DC 17, 3d6)
Sacred Weapon (10/10r, su, sw, +2)
Sacred Armor (10/10m, su, sw, +2)
Boots of Speed = 10/10 (+1 attack, +1 on attack rolls, +1 dodge to AC & Reflex, +30’ move)
Pearl of Power (1/1, first)(1/1, second)
Spells (Caster Level 10, Concentration +12)
Zero (12): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Mending, Stabilize
First (13): Command, Compel Hostility, Divine Favor, Divine Favor,
Second (14):
Third (15): Invisibility Purge,
Fourth (16):
(heroism, old man smell) vs DC 19: shaken 1r
Kyffin wishes he had skewered the creature when he entered. Having failed that test, he tries to make up for it with a swift casting of Divine Favor (+4 attacks/damage (luck)) and a pair of quick slashes.
(bull, heroism, favor, shaken, flank) (bull, favor)
(bull, heroism, favor, shaken, flank) (bull, favor)
He enjoys exchanging blows with Starflit, ”Nice shots!”
Her cloak still smoking in some points from the acid spray she’d received, Tenebrynn slips in front of Tristain, putting herself between him and the angry construct. ”Stay behind me, Tristain!”
The force of the faux-butler’s anger gives her a moment of pause, but she stands her ground none the less and begins to draw the winds in the small antechamber in around her.
HP: 131/131
Nonlethal: 10
AC: 17 (15 T / 12 FF) // 25% miss chance for ranged attacks
Fort: +13 // Ref: +13 // Will: +6 (+2 vs illusion)
Burn Accrued: 1/10
Ki Pool Spent: 0/3
Ongoing Effects:
Warden of Nature: +1 to hit/+2 dodge bonus vs aberrations, oozes, vermin
Foe of the Strange: +1 to saves vs aberrations, -10 to confusion results
Shaken (1/10): -2 to everything
Elemental overflow:
+x to hit, +2x damage, and visual effects on person as long as burn is present (x = current burn, max 2)
Ability Score increases (+2): Dex, Con
"It's always a good time for the Taldan Navy!" Albert returns along with a pair of slashes.
Kyffin: 10
Tenebrynn: 8
Starflit: 23
Tristain: 22
Albert: 12
Antagonist: 11
Kyffin and Tenebrynn join the fight, but the foe still is tough to hit, blades seeming to slide off it . Magic seems to be slightly more effective, Tristain's wand blasting it. Despite its toughness, by the time it strikes back, lashing out with hard fists, it's badly battered and damaged.
Still, it slugs first Al and then Starflit as it fights on undaunted.
Mun: 93
Tenebrynn, after drawing the wind around her into a whirling torrent, explodes into motion and strikes out with three rapid cuts against the shouting butler.
HP: 131/131
Nonlethal: 10
AC: 17 (15 T / 12 FF) // 25% miss chance for ranged attacks
Fort: +13 // Ref: +13 // Will: +6 (+2 vs illusion)
Burn Accrued: 1/10
Ki Pool Spent: 1/3
Ongoing Effects:
Warden of Nature: +1 to hit/+2 dodge bonus vs aberrations, oozes, vermin
Foe of the Strange: +1 to saves vs aberrations, -10 to confusion results
Shaken (2/10): -2 to everything
Elemental overflow:
+x to hit, +2x damage, and visual effects on person as long as burn is present (x = current burn, max 2)
Ability Score increases (+2): Dex, Con
Tenebrynn's blast destroys the construct, and you all slip inside and close the door behind you, hoping no one's noticed your entry.
The now-cozy chamber contains a curiously carved wooden coatrack topped with stuffed stirges, among which hang several fine garments that suggest their wearer is a gentleman of some standing. Numerous fancy bottles, strange alchemical objects, and a hefty cudgel sit on recessed shelves. Directly opposite the door is a fine portrait of a thin man in his fifties, with neat blond hair and immaculate attire -- the two constructs you've faced resemble him very closely.
Doors lead to rooms to the north and south.
Kyffin smiles again as Tenebrynn takes out the construct. ”Probably more of those in here, since we’ve already found two. Strange things. Let’s be delicate if we can, it feels like maybe the guy who lives here might be in trouble and not actually helping them on his own.”
When the group is ready to proceed (I’ll track wand charges, but as usual - heal yourselves up), he’ll open the north door and step through, scimitar out and ready.
Tristain seems ready to blast the construct again, but lowers his wand as the others take the creature down. He hustles inside, following the others.
”Is this the same construct? Repaired? Or a different one? How long to do they take to create? Or does the owner have several on hand and ready to go? It’s strange...” Tristain looks down, trying to figure out how its possible.
Know (Arcana)
He will follow the others after they are healed up. That is, he will bonk patiently against the nearest wall. His bonking pillow is unavailable at the moment.
*bonk*!
*bonk*!
*bonk*!
*bonk*!
*bonk*!
*bonk*!
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Tenebrynn shrugs at Kyffin’s statements and then again at Tristain’s questions, but then taps her lips with one index finger in thought, ”One we found upstairs seemed wracked by sorrow. This one was loud and angry. If there are others, I wonder if they will reflect other emotions of Mun’s.”
Albert searches around the room and takes a moment to inspect the portrait.
One we found upstairs seemed wracked by sorrow. This one was loud and angry. If there are others, I wonder if they will reflect other emotions of Mun’s
"I wonder if the original Mun had anything to do with the constructs? He isn't young in this portrait and it likely wasn't painted yesterday. Maybe someone else is making a career off the man's name and reputation?"
Starflit gratefully takes the wand and taps herself once before returning it to Kyffin. Then she examines the next door, looking for any more surprises like the acid trap that was on the outer door.
Not finding any traps on either door, you head north to start, where a small side room contains a quartet of comfortable horsehair seats arranged around a mahogany table. The chamber is crammed with oddments, some of an alchemical nature and some of a more medical bent. An overstuffed bookshelf sits in the corner.
Though many of the books are prosaic and general in nature, there is one fine folio -- Algernon Muthwait’s Diagrams of the Human Form -- a lavishly (if ghoulishly) illustrated book showing the makeup of humanoid anatomy. Among the other oddments is a teak lap desk carved to depict rabbits gamboling in meadows. The lap desk contains a dozen lucky rabbit’s feet , a scattering of teeth, and eyes mounted on platinum pins. There is also a very old wooden leprechaun doll with obsidian eyes, movable arms, straw hair, and a beard. A brass-bound apothecary’s case contains several bottles.
A secret drawer contains a liquid in an amethyst glass spirit bottle sealed with wax.
A door opens to the west, but you decide to head back south first .
The second side room contains a small library, and a number of interesting old maps are framed and hang upon the walls. Two comfortable leather captain’s chairs are drawn up to a curious table made from a small preserved owlbear. A decanter half full of red liquid and a leather case lie on the bizarre table.
You note that one map is missing from the walls here.
The maps depict various regions of the Inner Sea, and two of these are quite old and fine, depicting Ustalav and Osirion. The table is mounted on the distorted form of an owlbear, which has been somehow shrunk and dislocated so that the creature lies on its back and supports the tabletop with its claws and beak. The macabre table is bulky and heavy, but like other things you're finding here, potentially worth money. The decanter is made of exquisitely etched crystal. The leather case contains seven crystal goblets.
As in the first round, another door leads west into a large room (which also connects to the other side room). It has an odd opening in the center of the floor, though a series of worn handrails prevents careless falls to the ground below. The chamber is filled with books and intriguing objects of a medical nature.
The worn books lining this room’s shelves are reference works, most of which are about the creation of constructs and alchemical experiments involving flesh and bone. The entire reference library (weighing in at 250 pounds) is probably valuable to practitioners or collectors. In addition, there are enough alchemical tools and supplies here to count as two complete alchemist’s labs if you were to gather them all up.
The room also contains a straw-lined wine crate labeled “Product of Taldor.” A nearby wooden case is nailed shut but a small pry bar sits nearby. Resting on a shelf is a glass leech bowl with gold tongs depicting frolicking vampires, next to a purse that has been made out of a taxidermic cat.
A staircase leads upward from this room; the final door on this floor opens into a velvet- and mahogany-lined chamber that contains a brass chain-and-pulley hoist. Mold splotches run along the lower parts of the velvet wall covering.
You think someone could lower the entire chamber and its contents to the floor below. It's a wide space with a floor of dingy white tiles and a broad wooden table in its center.
Perception
”Rabbit’s feet? Why? Why is that a thing?” Tristain asks as he looks around and finds some things of interest. He will cast Detect Magic during his searching, and looks for things of interest. ”None of you have heard any buzzing yet?” He looks around wearily for a swarm.
”Kyffin, you wanna pry that box open? Should we?”
The brass-bound apothecary’s case contains a potion of haste. Pasted to the back of another map is a scroll of raise dead. In one of the coats in the front room, you find a silver-stoppered potion of invisibility in one of the pockets. That leads to a further search that uncovers a second coat’s inner pocket contains 3 pp and a small clay pipe.
Nothing else radiates magic.
Tenebrynn shrugs at Kyffin’s statements and then again at Tristain’s questions, but then taps her lips with one index finger in thought, ”One we found upstairs seemed wracked by sorrow. This one was loud and angry. If there are others, I wonder if they will reflect other emotions of Mun’s.”
”Oh. That’s interesting. They’re emotional constructs that’s for sure. Very focused in their purpose.”
vs DC 10
”Oh, hey, I think there’s a map missing here.” Kyffin will examine the area around the map trying to figure out, from context, what it might have been. He probably has no clue, but if he does, he shares it with the group.
He looks at the scroll and other things, ”We should take these things, if only for safe keeping,” he says with a straight face. ”If, er, when we encounter the real Mun, we can give them back.”
He picks up the crowbar, ”Let’s see what’s in here, shall we?” He’ll pry open the case, and try to do it in a way that it’ll be easy to nail shut again.
Not the best at finding things, Albert stands watch while the party investigates the area. "Be on the lookout for more Muns, no telling how many copies he has."
With the place's history of attacking constructs, Starflit gives the leprechaun doll, owlbear table, and kitty purse a wide berth. When she sees the chain-and-pulley system, she whispers that perhaps it's best to explore the lower chamber last, as activating it will likely be fairly loud and warn anyone else still in the place of their presence.
As the group moves through the ground floor, various trinkets, bibs, bobs, rabbits feet, eyeballs mistaken for marbles, and other sparkly oddities find themselves falling into Tenebrynn’s magical bag. The books, however, all somehow remain safe and in their place atop desks and bookshelves.
As the group regards the maps in the small library, the little gnome scoops up the leather case and looks inside.
She purses her lips at Al’s warning to stay alert, then wonders aloud to the group, ”If those false Muns do have emotions in them, do you think Mun himself doesn’t have those particular emotions any more?”
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”Are you calling them undeMUNstrative then?” Tristain wonders as Tenebrynn offers a thought.
”Yes, let’s go up first, to see if the horrors remain.”
After the crate is checked, Kyffin too agrees to go upwards first.
The crate contains 11 bottles of fine wine; you think probably the same as you saw in the decanter earlier. You suspect they'd be worth some money.
Making your way upstairs, you find bookshelves stacked with various books and folders, as well as bizarre curios, line two of the walls of a wide-open room. A sturdy wooden desk accompanied by a stuffed leather chair sits in one corner of the room, while a small table in the opposite corner holds a taxidermic monkey posed like it’s playing a tiny violin. Unnerving paintings cover the wood-paneled walls.
There is yet another version of the now-familiar figure here. It turns around from its study of an anatomical portrait on the wall. "Oh, hello. I hadn't heard there were visitors? Have you come for study? Or treatment?"
Kyffin leaves the wine behind and re-seals the case for now. "Oh, hello back there Mun. Er, uh, how are you doing? What are you working on?"
He tries to see if the creature is flesh and blood or another construct without, you know, stabbing him to see if he bleeds...
Presuming he has no clue, he gestures to Al to check him for evil. He still has his scimitar out.
Tristain pauses at the books, taking a few interesting ones to peruse later. And, of course, to return.
He follows along until they meet Mun. Of course, he will let the others speak first, looking for a good wall upon which to bonk while he listens.
Bonking is good for thinking. Everyone knows that.
Starflit seems puzzled by the endless supply of Mun-like copies in the building. She steps to one side just to make sure the party isn't clumped together in case the thing attacks, pretending to be interested in the violin-playing monkey. In truth, she's scanning the area for potential threats.
"Ah, yes, just a little research. It's fascinating, of course, but I'm certain you wouldn't understand," he replies.
Al doesn't detect any evil as Starflit looks around for any potential threats. None -- except maybe the figure, if it's not flesh and blood -- seems to present itself, though the paintings catch her eye in an unsettling way and she thinks they might be worth further study when there's time.
*bonk!*
*bonk!*
*bonk!*
"I'm pretty certain I would understand. I understand lots of things. Aren't you just..." Tristain replies, putting the pieces together and putting together what he knows so far.
Know (Arcana)
"See? Now what exactly are you doing?"
You think he's far too unfailingly polite to bring up quite how gauche you all look.
He glances up and down at Tristain. "That's a fascinating conjecture, but blah blah blah." He elucidates for several minutes on his research into alchemical experiments and what they might mean for people before looking around at the others. "But I fear we're boring your companions. My most sincere apologies."
Tristain nods in agreement.
”Yes, that theory is interesting until you recall that porcupines are allergic to raisins,” he replies, more interested in the discussion, and caring less that his companions were bored.
[B]”Why do you have so many copies of yourself around here?”
Kyffin listens to Mun and Tristain chatter on about alchemical experiments. when they come back around to the group, he nods at Tristain's last question. "Are you actually working for the navy? Or is all this just a ruse to keep people from bothering you? The trap on your door is very dangerous. You could kill someone by mistake with that thing."
"Yes, of course, your experiments are very complicated, and porcupines do have allergies, and those traps are very dangerous. Now, my friends and I are here for both study and treatment. We may enlist the head bonker to receive treatment." Al gestures to Tristain, "But first we would like to observe and study this treatment, perhaps do you have subjects in treatment that we could observe now?"
Starflit quietly observes this new Mun. She does not seem to find him believable...or amusing.
"Well, there's far too much to be doing myself, and even with the three of us, and the help, the work never seem to get done," Mun says. "Ah, yes, the Navy contract. I can't say anymore about that, of course. You know how it is, perhaps? I'm afraid, in fact, I will have to ask you to not speak of it anymore. You know the saying, loose lips sink ships. That could just be literal in this situation. Why do you think I have my home so fortified? I shouldn't want anyone just wandering in. You never know when you might find a Qadiran spy."
He seems to think that puts an end to questions along the lines of Kyffin and Al's.
Herself unsure if this was the actual Mun or just another unhelpful facsimile, Tenebrynn runs out of patience with the boys’ line of questioning and bluntly asks, ”We’re also looking for Haserton Lowls. You wouldn’t happen to know his whereabouts, would you?”
"Ah, the Count. A good man, indeed. We quite enjoyed his recent visit," he replies. "I'm afraid I don't know where he went, however. He urged me to go with him, but I didn't tell myself our destination. Loose lips, of course, and all that, right?"
He pauses for a moment. "I do hope I will come back soon. I shouldn't want word to get around, but I'm not sure all of us who are still here are quite reliable. I fear some visits with our anomalous friend upstairs may have indeed done some damage."
Kyffin, the Qadiran (and probably a spy), frowns at the unhelpful man. They've had quite a struggle getting to him, if this is in fact him, only to find he doesn't know what they need to know, and might not share it if he did know.
"Look, you don't know where he went? That's why we're here! We need to find the Count, it's important. Please try and remember anything he might have said about where he might be going, or even how he's going to get there."
When he changes the subject, Kyffin follows along, "What anomalous friend upstairs? Who's upstairs?"
”What anomalous friend?” Tristain pauses his bonking to ask. ”We kilt an angry thing in your attic. Sorry about that…maybe…did you know about that?”
What does 'anomalous' mean?
Starflit shakes off her confused ignorance and starts to belatedly use discern lies on the latest Mun.
Tenebrynn nods. ”’I’ is the you who left, ‘we’ is the you and the other you’s the original Mun left behind. That’s helpful at least. Of you and your, would you call them brothers? Of you and your brothers, who is oldest?”
Albert nods at Tenny's assessment. "That does explain a bit. At least we know Mun is with Lowls and this one before us is the third of the constructs."
Addressing the construct with courtesy, Albert implores it to show them the situation. "Please, as we continue this conversation, take us to your anomalous friend, perhaps we can help set things right? And then we could possibly help get things back on track with the experiments, eight sets of hands are better than three of course. Let's not waste time when we could be efficient and multi tasking, productivity is a key metric after all."
"I'm afraid I didn't want to speak in front of us, for reasons I'm sure you can understand. I went upstairs to the laboratory to speak with the count, and we left shortly thereafter," he says. "As for our friend, I'm sure you wouldn't have killed him. It must have been something else. Despite his oddity, he is a most interesting conversationalist. That said, I hardly wish to turn down your offer, but I'm afraid I can't quite get wrapped up in a long conversation. I have much to do."
He pauses for a second at Tenebrynn's question.
"What a fascinating inquiry! Are we brothers? Who was first? It's much like the chicken and the egg, I think. Which came first there? Are they one and the same or different? I think that's certainly worth pondering, and I shall most definitely do so!"
He doesn't appear to be lying as far as Starflit can tell. In fact, while he remains exquisitely courteous, you suspect he simply doesn't have the answers you're seeking.
”Do you mind if we tear through the rest of your home looking for the answers we seek? It’s really important,” Tristain asks, trying to find a path forward.
”There are some angry bees downstairs that we’ll likely need to kill. And whatever else might attack us.”
Kyffin, unsure what to do, follows Tristain's suggestion. He doesn't make a move as yet, not wanting to appear hostile.
"No lies, so far as I can tell," Starflit whispers to Al and Kyffin as Tennebryn and Tristain question the latest Mun.
"..and we can escort ourselves upstairs and not delay you further, thank you for your time." Albert adds to Tristain's request, then looks to the party to move past the construct.
"Yes, please just leave everything as you found it," he says, though he frowns. It would be rude to say no, though the question itself certainly didn't seem very polite. Especially because any bees that may be in the house would be upstairs.
Tristain leaves quietly, almost, but not quite, promising to leave things as they were/are. But they needed to search the place and that’s what they were going to do.
”C’mon, let’s go find answers.”