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This chamber might have once been some sort of study, but it has fallen into ruin. The entire northeast corner of the chamber has collapsed, apparently because of some sort of drilling machine that emerged from the southwest corner and is now half-buried under the rubble to the northeast. The debris-choked tunnel from which it emerged is plainly visible. Another wooden door lie to both the south.
As the party approaches the rubble to examine the drilling machine better, suddenly with a faint rumble, a earthen creature arises from the ground directly! Only Baied, who was standing at the back, fails to notice the creature until the rest of the party cries out in alarm.
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Hearing the earth rumble and the creature emerge from the stone floor at his very feet, Gitano whistles, "Lady Lucks's fuzzy dice, that was close!”
What in Asmodeus's privy is that thing?
"That big piece of dirt is an earth elemental. It can glide through the stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water."
Gitano drives his rapier into the potting soil.
Spend 1 panache point and expend 1 AoO to:
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In an ode to the party's camaraderie and its tactical formation, Gitano flashes a ruthless Sczarni grin and belts forth a witty off-world ditty.
♫All standing together for the earth blues coming at you baby
Love love love
Right on
Feel those earth blues coming at you
Yeah yeah
Yeah yeah let me hear it♫
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Gitano's rapier scrapes harmlessly across the stony skin of the elemental. Rogar's axe proves more deadly as it chops off a large chunk of its shoulder, while Ivar's sharp teeth similarly tears off a chunk of the creature's thigh.
Roaring in fury at the severe damage he has taken, the elemental slams a stony fist into Rogar's chest, cracking some of his ribs. Then, it melts into the ground, disappearing from view.
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With a quick glance to the heavens somewhere above this dungeon, Gitano calls upon Fortune's favor, "Desna, don't fail me now."
With a rueful look, Gitano draws a wand from his belt and taps the Ulfen cavalier's nose. "A gentleman has to recognize his limitations."
With the tip of his rapier, the randy bravo traces a rude gesture in the air.
Spend 1 panache point and expend 1 AoO to:
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The room grows eerily silent, uncertain where the elemental will arise. The party desperately reposition themselves and heal up.
Baied, her attention on restoring Rogar, fails to notice the elemental rising out from the ground behind her. It brings both of its stony fists down hard on her head, slamming her unconscious as she collapses to the floor, blood flowing copiously from her nostrils.
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"Alright," Zavubak says, anger welling in his voice as he watches Baied begin to bleed out, "Enough!" He focuses his anger, his hands turning black as draconic blood surges through his veins. They quickly double in size, his fingers elongating, each one now sharp as a dagger. "I won't be needing this anymore," he says as he drops his double axe, then lunges forward and claws the elemental's body.
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Gitano deftly heals up Baied who, seeing the elemental towering over her, decides to play possum until an opportunity to flee opens up. The rest of the party converge on the elemental to save the team cleric. Rogar's axe clangs harmlessly against its stone-like skin, but Ivar's sharp teeth manage to rip out another large chunk from its leg, leaving it tottering. Finally, Zavubak transforms in rage, tearing the elemental into stony pieces which crumbles as it collapses onto the floor.
After everyone has taken a breather, you set out to search the room very methodically . Scattered among the debris in this chamber are a number of ancient tomes, but most of them have all but turned to dust.
However, you do uncover a pair of intact tomes written in Draconic. The books concern alchemy and various bits of esoteric arcane lore. The tomes are worth about 50 gp each.
Near where the elemental first appear, you find the broken remains of what was once a beautiful crystal coffer. Gitano can still detect very dim conjuration magic from it, and it likely had held the earth elemental, until the drilling machine construct had smashed into the room, releasing the elemental. The elemental in turn had destroyed much of the machine construct.
Although covered in rubble, you might be able to dig it out with some effort. What might tempt you to do so is the magical aura that radiates from something hidden within the construct under the rubble.
After digging for minutes, you clear enough of the rubble to to reveal much of the remnants of the construct. Unfortunately, in the process, you have weaken the rubble pile and it starts to collapse around you!
This reveals a hatch on the machine, which Gitano easily manages to pick the lock of, revealing a pulsing yellow crystal that was the source of the magical aura. It seems that the crystal was the power source for the broken construct, and despite the thousands of years that has passed, it clearly still retains magical power. As a gem, it is worth 800 gp.
That done, the party turn their attention to both passages that lead south from the room. The open passage to the southwest appear to be where the drilling machine construct had entered from. Gitano focuses his attention on the door to the south, and is satisfied that it is untrapped. Through both passages, you are greeted by silence. In addition, no magic is detect from either passage.
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Overcome by curiosity, and failing to recall that time-tested adage about what happened to the cat, Gitano tries to clear away the rubble to retrieve whatever is radiating a magical aura within the damaged construct.
After digging for a couple of minutes, he clears enough debris to to reveal the remnants of the construct.
"Uh oh," Gitano says as the rest of the rubble pile collapses around him!
Battered, bruised, and somewhat chastened, he burns another charge of his wand to heal the damage.
While prestidigitation wipes away the dust from his gear, Gitano picks the lock on the machine's exposed hatch. Inside is a pulsing yellow crystal that was the source of the magical aura and the power source for the broken construct. Despite the passing millennia, it still retains magical power.
"This gem has to be worth 800 gold. Drinks at the Grog Pit on me!"
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Zavubak breathes deeply, lets his rage subside and his claws melt back into hands. "I once had to do that in front of a child. I do not think he will ever be the same," he sternly says. "Ooze, goblins, and an elemental. What further experiments lie ahead? Or are we the experiments, and they simple mean to test us?"
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Once the party is ready, Rogar cautiously opens the door to the south. The short passage connects you to a small chamber. Part of this chamber is in total ruin. The western half of this room appears to have mostly collapsed, though jagged openings peer to into a dark cavern. From a quick look at the dark cavern, it is clear that the drilling machine came this way some time ago from the southwest, and drilled its way northeast into the chamber you were in earlier, leaving a passable tunnel in both directions. However, The footing in this debris-choked cavern is treacherous so the party elects to avoid the area.
Instead, you turn your attention to the rest of the room. The eastern half of the chamber is filled with small chests and barrels. Most are covered in dust, but some appear to have been recently disturbed. While much of what remains in this room is worthless or broken, one of the small chests contains 4 vials of alchemist’s fire, while a similar chest holds 6 vials of acid. Finally, inside a large chest lies a small coffer containing a bag filled with diamond dust worth 500 gp.
Once you're satisfied with the looting, the party turns its attention to the passageway that runs south. None of you hear anything except for some faint bubbling and boiling. Gitano's magical examination reveals faint auras of transmutation, conjuration and illusion from that direction.
The party presses on.
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The passage is short and when Rogar enters the chamber, he sees that it appears to still be in use. Its floors have recently been swept, and its three tables appear to be organized and well kept. Arranged across the tables are numerous strange alchemical devices, some of which are suspended over low-burning flames and emit pale ribbons of smoke. Others simply bubble and boil of their own volition.
You do not have much time, however, to examine the room before 3 goblins emerge from the shadows of the tables, screeching maniacally and waving their short swords, concentrating their attack of the first person into the room, Rogar!
Two of the goblins flank Rogar, and one of them manages to stick his short sword into the back of Rogar's thigh through a chink in his armor. The other two attacks, though clank harmlessly against his armor.
Almost immediately, before Rogar can get his bearings, the three goblins strike again!
Again, the same goblin manages to land a strike, piercing through the same chink into the back of Rogar's knee. The other two, however, miss again. Once their coordinated attacks are done, one of them step away, still screeching madly and knocking random alchemical apparatus onto the floor. The other two stay put, keeping their flank on Rogar.
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Gitano calls upon the aid of Lady Luck.
Gitano passes Ivar and Rogar, attempting to tumble between Orange Juice and Red Lobster.
"Girata, distesa, imbroccata!" he shouts as he turns, lunges, and thrusts his rapier into Orange Juice.
Mindful of the multiple foes threatening him and his friends, Gitano returns to a guard stance.
Spend 1 panache point and expend 1 AoO to:
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Rogar turns around and cleaves down hard on the goblin who struck at him, slicing deep into his shoulder. It screeches in pain as his blood spurts out. Ivar, however, has difficulty connecting his attack from the awkward corner he is stuck in. Reese, from way back in the room, tries to fire upon one of the goblins but he fails to nock his arrow properly and it clatters embarrassingly onto the floor.
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Gitano ducks and weaves as he squeezes past Ivar and Rogar. He manages to keep himself out of one of the goblin's reach while the other manages to take a swing at him,. Gitano coolly flicks the short sword aside and returns with with his rapier, stabbing through the goblin's stomach. With a final acrobatics flourish, he tumbles onto the table, smashing some of the apparatus and vials on the table in the process. Some of the chemicals start burning through the table. Once on the table, he attempts to stab the goblin again but this time, it manages to dodge the rapier, despite the high ground advantage.
Zavubak similarly pushes his way through. The goblin on the left attempts to strike him as he passes but the sword is deflected by Zavubak's armor. Zavubak attempts to return the favour, but the goblin dextrously dodges the blow.
Baeid takes a step in then fires her crossbow at the goblin. But with her allies in the way and everyone deep in melee, the bolt flies harmlessly overhead.
The two goblins stationed at the entrance continue their 1-2 attack on Rogar, maniacally ignoring the others who have now entered the chamber. Rogar, trying desperately to defend himself against the goblins on both sides, is struck on both sides, with one especially puncturing his lungs. The goblins scream in glee as Rogar collapses, bleeding from his multiple wounds. They remain in place, resolutely guarding the entrance.
The final goblin takes a step to flank Zavubak and stabs him through right through his thigh.
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Seeing Rogar fall to the goblins' blades, Gitano calls for a medic. "Baied, Reese! Can you stabilize or heal Rogar? He's haulin' tuchas to Pharasma, fast!"
He shuffles to the east end of the table , and sweeps his rapier in a downward arc into Orange Juice.
"Ivar, guard Rogar!" The dog will listen to me, right?
Maybe I can pull one of them away from Zavubak.
"Hey, Yellow Belly, come 'n get ya some o' this sweet Sczarni!" The bravo shakes his money-maker at the goblin.
Spend 1 panache point and expend 1 AoO to:
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Gitano scuffles over, breaking more apparatus along the way. He swings his rapier at the orange-clad goblin, but once again the nimble creature hops out of the way, laughing maniacally at his clumsy attacks. Ivar clambers over the still body of his master and tears into the throat of the red-clad goblin, finally ending its life once and for all. Baied races forward, drawing out her wand as she does so, and taps Rogar's unonscious form. The healing is enough to wake him, albeit still leaving him very heavily wounded.
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Ugh, since when did a mere goblin pose an actual threat?
Zavubak spits at the goblin, then grabs his double axe tight enough to deepen the indent of his fingers and thumb on its shaft and swipes the minion across the face.
As the axe spills goblin blood on his armor, he grins wickedly. "You're next," he taunts the remaining goblin.
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Zavubak cleaves into the big skull of the yellow-clad goblin, and it collapses onto the floor, wriggling spasmodically. As Reese races down the corridor his attention on Rogar, the remaining goblin takes advantage of his distraction to stab him in the back. However, without his comrades to back him up, the attack is not particularly deadly. Reese ignores the slight pinprick and bends over to heal Rogar.
Despite seeing his two companions cut down, the remaining goblin continues to screech maniacally in delight. He ducks and weaves, first avoiding Ivar's sharp teeth then running right under the table below Gitano, who reacts fast enough to make a stab at him. He then tumbles to where his fallen comrade lies, deftly dodging Zavubak's massive axes.
The goblin then gleefully charges into the table beside Zavubak and Reese, knocking it over. All the chemicals crash onto the floor, spraying explosive volatile liquids all over Zavubak and Reese! The goblin, ready for it, escapes the brunt of the explosion.