Your trek back to the colony resumes its uneventful state. A sea breeze blows in from the south, but it's too slight to keep the mosquitoes quite at bay.
When you arrive you can't help but smile as you spot the familiar chickens pecking around the colony. Some chicks have even been added to the mix. No disturbances seem apparent, and when you eventually locate Delbina you find that she's looking better after her run in with the Shadow from a few days back. Her attention span and memory seem just as patchy as when you first met her, though.
Delbina swats at a mosquito.
"I was beginning to do better... and then these blasted biters started showing up. Even the screens don't seem to keep them out. I'm worried... In the past, when swarms were bad, miners got sick. Some have even died. Our medic used to make this foul smelling mist that would keep them at bay, but..."
Her attention wanders, and she perks up.
"I made you these!" Delbina runs into a back room and carries out several sacks. "It's been boring here with nobody to talk to, so I gathered up what rations I could find and put them in these bags. Should be about ten days worth."
She glances over to the table, "Actually, I made you guys dinner the other day... thinking you'd be back. How long do you think you'll be gone this next time?"
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Calistan rests and recovers overnight, clearly upset by the mosquito bites that have left red welts on his body. He dons his armor and joins Grimdoc at the breakfast table, but is sad that there are no waffles.
He digs into whatever he can find, watching the lips of the dwarf and the woman, smiling at the offered foodstuffs. At Delbina's question, he puts up one finger.
Once he has eaten, Calistan stands, actually hugs Delbina with a smile and moves to the door, expecting the rest to follow him on their overnight journey to Stygia.
Your night goes by uneventfully, but true to Delbina's words some mosquitoes manage to get through the screens. Occasionally as you wake to swat one away you here distant howling.
Delbina manages to scrape together a meager breakfast, but you get the sense that she's used the last of the fresh food available. She hugs you in return as you leave, her strength having mostly returned.
Your trek is rather quiet and peaceful. You even gaze upon a small herd of gazelle off in the distance. You try searching for the tracks that Tammarak told you about, but time and rain seem to have dealt with them already.
As you come to a fork in the road you stop to read a pair of signs with arrows. One points North and reads "Erebus, Malebolge, Caina, Cocytus". The other points West and reads "Stygia".
Just as you step away from the sign to resume your journey you're surprised to see some sort of construct heading directly towards you. Draped over its head is a ruined net of spidersilk, and several spidersilk ropes dangle from its limbs. Bits of metal protrude from various gashes and cracks, suggesting it's been damaged by weapons some time recently.
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, , , , Construct
The mining operations often require the use of heavy machinery. Worker golems have long been a part of the standard mining operations on the island. They are useful both for labor and as protection against some of the more dangerous denizens of the island.
Immunity to Magic: A clay golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature:
• A move earth spell drives the golem back 120 feet and deals 3d12 points of damage to it (no save).
• A disintegrate spell slows the golem (as the slow spell) for 1d6 rounds and deals 1d12 points of damage (no save).
• An earthquake spell cast directly at a clay golem stops it from moving on its next turn and deals 5d10 points of damage (no save).
• Any magical attack against a clay golem that deals acid damage heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage it would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. A clay golem gets no saving throw against magical attacks that deal acid damage.
Cursed Wound: The damage a clay golem deals doesn't heal naturally and resists magical healing. A character attempting to use magical healing on a creature damaged by a clay golem must succeed on a DC 26 caster level check, or the healing has no effect on the injured creature.
Haste: After it has engaged in at least 1 round of combat, a clay golem can haste itself once per day as a free action. The effect lasts 3 rounds and is otherwise the same as the spell.
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Calistan is surprised that he isn't surprised by combat. He is usually terrible at this sort of thing. Shrugging the trade prince decides that defense is probably in order for his good friend, Grimdoc.
He lets the large dwarf stand between him and the golem, choosing to bless the dwarf.
"TENGU BOT 5000 Initializing. Priority ONE designation: Continue pace of game. Alias Marcèl has been inactive for 48 hours."
The metallic surface of the automaton liquefies and smooths. In a manner of moments it changes form to appear like... !
"I shall disassemble you <random opponent>."
"TENGU BOT 5000 Initializing. Priority ONE designation: Continue pace of game. Alias Samuel has been inactive for 48 hours."
The metallic surface of the automaton liquefies and smooths. In a manner of moments it changes form to appear like... !
"I shall disassemble you <random opponent>."
The monstrosity !
...and, due its terribly slow speed, possibly hampered by all of the ropes entangling it, just stops short within Grimdoc's reach.
Tengu Bot 5000 (as Marcèl) comes out of delay.
!
Marcèl successfully parries, ripostes, and makes a small gash in return.
Tengu Bot 5000 (as Samuel) comes out of delay.
Marcèl's readied attack leaves another small gash in the backside of the construct.
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, , Construct (9 damage), Marcèl, Samuel
Rocky chunks of the creature go flying everywhere, though you get the feeling your weapon still wasn't completely effective. Its hide completely absorbs the second blow.
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Grimdoc, , Construct (39 damage), Marcèl, Samuel
The construct shudders and jerks as it steps five feet away from Marcèl. It mindlessly directs its attention to the last creature to damage it: the giant dwarf.
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Grimdoc (34 damage), Construct (39 damage), , ,
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(34 damage), Construct (39 damage), Calistan, Marcèl, Samuel
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As the golem slams Grim, Calistan feels part of the pain. Wincing, he heals himself as even more injuries begin to appear on his body, but leave the dwarf's.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Grimdoc (17 damage), Construct (39 damage), Calistan (17 damage, need to make CL 26), ,
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Grimdoc (17 damage), Construct (59 damage), Calistan (17 damage, need to make CL 26), Marcèl,
Tengu Bot 5000 (as Samuel) 5-foot steps into a flank with Marcèl and swings twice.
Samuel strikes a critical blow, bringing the construct to its knees in time for Grimdoc to finish it off!
As the four of you catch your breath your sweat and warmth attract unwanted visitors.
Each of you are painfully bitten by (and subsequently smack away) a # of mosquitoes...
(has been bitten 4 times now)
(has been bitten 4 times now)
(has been bitten 6 times now)
(has been bitten 4 times now)
Digging through the debris you find broken weapon blades and crossbow bolts lodged in the creature's stone hide in addition to the ropes that were wrapped around its head and limbs. This may have been a tougher fight had you been the first ones to encounter it.
Judging by the size of the metallic bits, these were weapons made more for Halfling-sized creatures.
You also find that the large, faceted sapphires being used for eyes are worth likely worth 5,000 gp as a set.
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"Interesting mess from this heap. We can keep the eyes. Not sure about these small weapons. I did not realize there were many halflings here. Maybe gnomes...They sometimes mine I suppose. Not like a dwarf of course ."
Grimdoc nods in thanks to Cal for the healing of the strange wounds.
Once the eyes are collected, he picks up his hammer and looks for tracks from the thing.
"should we get going? ."
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Calistan feels the transfer of the wounds quite deeply as they almost grip Grimdoc and don't want to let go of him, but Calistan's magic is stronger. With only a few scratches, Calistan uses his wand to heal his own wounds.
The man smiles at Grimdoc, sheathes his wand and claps him on the shoulder and points towards the mine. With that, he starts to walk.
Survival : 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
These tracks are EASY to find! At first they appear to just be coming from down the road. You begin to follow them, but after a short while they veer off into the surrounding hill country. There you come across a scene of destruction: boulders, trees, fallen logs, and the occasional small animal could not escape this golem's wrath. Its path appears to truly be random, going from one target to the next, with occasional intermittent periods of standing still. After a point, however, the tracks eventually fade away. This creature was probably wandering for some time. Weeks, or maybe even a month.
Your trek to Stygia ends just after dusk. It is dark, though the croaking of tree frogs removes any silence. Destroyed mining carts and debris litter the area as you continue, though there really aren't signs of a battle. No bodies or broken weaponry, and no tracks.
It also becomes quickly apparent that Stygia is a strip mine. The surrounding hillsides have been washed away, leaving a giant open pit perhaps 600 feet wide. 15-foot wide pathways wind down the perimeter to the bottom, where a substantial amount of rainwater has collected. There is no mine shaft.