|
"Another 'I'? Isn't the Ismacco family supposed to have built a fair part of this city?" Henry moves up to the symbol and begins to try everything he can think of: pressing his ear to the stone, pushing on it with his hands, kicking it, pressing his lips to the letter, asking it to open nicely, firmly commanding it to open.
While Henry tries multiple things on the "I", Ag'Mira studies the painting once and notices the figure of Aroden poounding on the door, trying to smash it open. Henry's attempts seem to have no effect.
After a few moments of beating against the wall, a hidden comparment opens beneath the "I". Inside is a rolled up piece of parchment.
Ag'mira doesn't notice anything resembling the parchment drawing on any of the paintings.
|
Ceobryrn looks impressed, "Good thinking Henry! If actions and places hold true then maybe presenting a holy symbol at the statue outside the prison? The other location, I don't think we have identified yet. We still need to visit the hall of wonders."
The ranger keeps and eye out as they travel for any place that might match what appears in the unidentified painting.
|
Heccan studies the parchment produced by Henry's deduction, he is unable to offer anything of use and his frustration shows. Bah! I am no cryptologist! If only there were someone I could speak to resolve all of this. In any event, good work Sir Henry, I hope we have similar success at the grand Hall of Wonders.
Heccan shakes off his bout of frustration and prepares to make the next trip.
With little effort, the party gets directions to the Hall of Wonders, which is in the northeast corner of the city.
Smoke and steam pour through many openings of this misshapen building. Gears and gizmos can be heard clicking against one another in a rhythmic cadence. A loud “chunkchunk” sounds as several pistons churn up and down, powering some unknown machine. A cacophonous symphony of grinding metal plays on. An enormous sign, nearly the entire width of the building, declares it to be the Hall of Wonders.
Over the noise, Ceobryrn hears the faint sounds of screaming.....
|
Ag'Mira quickly reaches into her spell component pouch for a small piece of leather then casts a spell on herself before following Ceobryrn toward the screams.
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No
An invisible but tangible field of force surrounds the subject of a mage armor spell, providing a +4 armor bonus to AC.
Unlike mundane armor, mage armor entails no armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, or speed reduction. Since mage armor is made of force, incorporeal creatures can’t bypass it the way they do normal armor.
Focus
A piece of cured leather.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Rushing toward the building, the party finds an obscuring mist lingering around the front of the building. Entering and following the screams, the party finds themselves in the building, but still can't see anything through the fog! The screaming and sounds of a beating seem to come from the southeast, while a woman's manical laugh seems to be coming from above.
|
Ellie dashes through the cloud, searching desperately for the source of the screams. She pokes her head out of the fog to see three thugs crowding around a woman, and, with a scowl and a grit of her teeth, levels her musket at them.
"Let her go or you'll regret it!" she shouts, looking down the scope at them and lining up a shot...
Ag'mira moves into the chamber and readies a hex!
Henry hops off Indiana and begins climbing the ladder to the catwalk.
Ellie fires her musket and clips the shoulder of one ofthe thugs!
Vennoc moves into the room, while Ceobryrn steps in and fires an errant arrow!
Henry sees the woman on the cat walk cast a spell, pointing at Ag'mira and steps backward!
|
|
Heccan darts into the mist after Ag'mira and takes a position near her but behind some cover of one of the walls. Heccan mutters an incantation when he stops drawing forth a protective magical shield that shimmers into life around the sorcerer. Heccan surveys his position and suddenly stops, as if sensing the magical effect taking shape to assault Ag'mira. He shouts a warning Careful Ag'mira, that hag is trying to blind you!
Heccan moves through the mist and casts a spell on himself!
One of the thugs directs his attention to Vennoc, while the other two continue to harry the gnome. All three have no luck connecting with their strikes!
The woman scoffs at the halfling. "You are ones who should be surrendering."
|
|
Ag'mira glares at the woman above.
"Two can play that game my pretty!"
"A place inside my brain,
another kind of pain
You don't know the chances,
Your so blind, blind, blind"
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one living creature
Duration permanent (D)
Saving Throw Fortitude negates; Spell Resistance yes
You call upon the powers of unlife to render the subject blinded or deafened, as you choose.
After Casting she moves near Ellie using a wall as cover from the woman on the catwalk.
Ceobryrn moves up and cuts down the far thug!
Ag'mira casts a spell and the woman claws at ther eyes! "You wretch, you'll pay for this!"
Ellies fires off a shot and clips the southern thug!
Vennoc slashes into the southern thug and takes him down!
The woman, now blinded, steps back and channels unholy energy!
The gnome grimaces in pain, but stays conscious!
|
|
Heccan recoils in pain as the negative energy washes over him. He quickly retreats to Ceobryn's position and removes a wand from his robes. With a hard flick of his wrist, Heccan jabs himself in leg, releasing the wand's magic. Heccan shudders as the powerful arcane energy draws forth his dark nature to the surface.
CASTING
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M (1 drop of devil blood or 1 dose of unholy water)
EFFECT
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 1 minute
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
DESCRIPTION
You anoint a wounded creature with devil’s blood or unholy water, giving it fast healing 1. This ability cannot repair damage caused by silver weapons, good-aligned weapons, or spells or effects with the good descriptor. The target detects as an evil creature for the duration of the spell and can sense the evil of the magic, though this has no long-term effect on the target’s alignment.
Heccan steps back, draws a wand and uses it on himself!
The remaining thugs takes a swing at Vennoc, but misses!
Ag'Mira cast slumber hex on the remaing thug DC 16 -
-Posted with Wayfinder
Henry smacks the woman with the flat of his blade!
Ag'mira puts a hex on the htug, but he resists!
Vennoc swings at the thug, but misses!
|
|
Ellie fumbles around with her black powder for a moment and then aims a shot at the thug... alas, Vennoc shifts slightly just as she pulls the trigger and she is forced to abruptly angle the shot to ricochet off the strange crab-like contraption's claw rather than shoot him in the back. "Aw, nuts..."
Ceobryrn and Ellie both attack and both miss!
The woman, still blind, channels more unholy energy!