Damiel raises his eyebrows as he finds the stash of potions, quickly identifying them by taste, smell, and color. "Quite the stash of healing potions. Karn, drink some of these. No sense walking around half dead and bleeding all over."
He hands the angry man the enlarge infusion and a bunch of healing potions, keeping one cure serious for himself.
"I'm sorry..." Enora says to no one in particular. "The slippers... you can climb on walls with them."
"Let's get this over with."
"If you want to use them, it's all yours, Mykel." Enora shudders. "I'd give it a thorough cleaning first, though."
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"Hopefully Grammy didn't have a foot fungus problem to go with her taste for human jerky and flesh golem back massages." He says with as straight a face as possible.
He checks the door carefully for traps and such, hoping Enora will make sure there are no spells at work.
Mykel gingerly removes the slippers from the corpse's feet and slips them on after giving them a good wipe-down for safety's sake. After determining that the coast is clear, you all proceed through the partially-open doorway at the end of the hall and enter into another narrow corridor that leads you around a corner to a large, closed door shaped like a porcelain doll’s head with a disturbingly wide grin. Not only that, it bears an eerie resemblance to the stern woman depicted in the portraits back in the hallway you just came from. The door is affixed with what appears to be a strong, good-quality lock but doesn't seem to be trapped.
You detect an aura of magic on the door that you determine is that of a Magic Mouth spell.
"That magic on the door. It's a magic mouth spell. To keep it simple, it will speak and deliver some kind of message once we get close enough. I don't have a way to dispel it right now, sorry." Enora shrugs.
Maybe Damiel or Karn will just smash the thing before it gets a chance to creep me out with some ironic nursery rhyme. She shudders.
As soon as Karn gets within a few feet of the door it begins shrieking, a litany of curses and vitriol that seems addressed to an unknown party rather than to Karn specifically.
"Filth! Wretched creature! I should have drowned you in the gutter when you were born! Murderer!"
The 'door' continues in this sort of vein for as long as Karn or anyone else stands close to it.
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Enora groans. "Oh, just open the door. I suppose Chrysalis was the runt of the family. You're suppose to avenge things by becoming president of a world-famous company, not tearing out souls and placing them into dolls."
"Oh, it's locked? One moment." Enora pulls out her spellbook, spends an arcane pool point, and swaps Mirror Image for Knock.
"Hopefully this is a simple door." Through unintelligible words, Enora uses magic to undo whatever locks it shut.
"Alright, that should do it."
Enora's spell swirls around the door for a moment and then...all of you hear an audible *click* as the magic does its trick. The door swings open ever so slightly, allowing a sickly green light to shine through...
Damiel looks up at the screeching, and before he even knows the door is locked it is no longer. "Well that is much quicker than my picks usually are." He draws out a wand and prepares for what he expects to come.
Once you all feel as prepared as you're going to be for whatever may lie beyond the door Karn takes the lead and pushes it open...
Tangles of tubes, cords, and wires fill this bizarre room. Black, acrid smoke churns from dial-covered devices that buzz and bellow, and a thick green liquid bubbles within tall glass cylinders that feed a central device resembling a giant metallic coffin. Leading off from this central device are two more tubes, that connect to two giant syringe-like apparatuses mounted on the 15-foot-high ceiling, hanging down a full 5 feet each. To your horror, within each cylinder you see a body, a person, seemingly floating in suspended animation. The floor is densely carpeted with shattered porcelain faces and limbs, with glimpses of more organic gore amid the rubble.
At the far end of the laboratory, a figure maniacally pours elixirs into the syringes that feed the latest masterpiece within the birthing chamber. Instead of the tidily-attired gentlemen that you met, or thought you met, back at the Golemworks this figure wears an old woman’s frock and even from across the room you can see the iron-gray hair that hangs down in messy curls. Hearing your approach, the figure turns to face you and as the light strikes their face it suddenly becomes clear - all the documents you've discovered, written from two different perspectives but by one single hand were just the tip of the iceberg. The real Chrysalis Black stands before you but does not resemble his simulacrum at first glance - the tattered gray curls and the grotesque makeup smeared across his face are almost like a mask, invoking the woman whose face you've seen in paintings and on the door you passed through...his mother.
"Well...here you are," Black says, his tone simultaneously high-pitched but also cracked and querulous. "And sooner than my son expected. Such a pity - he really should plan his engagements more carefully!" Then he smiles, a truly crazed, deranged smile. "But that's no matter - I am plenty capable of entertaining guests until my dear son is ready for you. Now, do be agreeable and hold still..."
______________
Round 1
Enora
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Black
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Hanzi
Mykel
Ashara
Damiel
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??????
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Karn
Active Conditions: None
Enora is UP!
Damiel stands and blinks, trying to take in all that this room is. This looks... complicated.
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Right before they enter, Enora uses her Arcane Barrier to protect herself for 7 minutes.
"Hello, mother. I had some questions in mind to ask your son, but I can tell he isn't here anymore." She begins to cast. "It's time for you to sleep."
Enora raises her staff and recalls the power of Haste to cast upon the party. "Hurry up and let's finish this already."
Not inclined to make this easy for Black or 'Mother', Enora conjures a burst of glitter around the deranged man before moving for cover behind the large containment chamber.
And it works! 'Mother' shrieks with anger and outrage as 'she' suddenly finds herself unable to see!
"Sleep? I think not! I still have a few tricks of my own," 'Mother' cries, beginning to cast...
A fan favorite, Black Tentacles!
...and suddenly, black, grasping tentacles spring up out of the floor and attempt to wind themselves around Ashara, Enora, Hanzi, Karn and Mykel!
Both Ashara and Enora are bound by the grasping tentacles but Hanzi, Karn and Mykel manage to evade them...for now.
______________
Round 1
Enora
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Black
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Hanzi
Mykel
Ashara
Damiel
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??????
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Karn
Active Conditions: Black Tentacles (Black Grid), Difficult Terrain (All)
Hanzi, Mykel, Ashara and Damiel are UP!
Enora throws some glitter on the crazy... whatever. "Hopefully that slowed Black down... oh no, Black Tentacles incoming, ya'll! Try to avoid the-" A tentacle wraps around her mouth.
The protective barrier protects Enora from most of the pain, but she's pinned and her staff of embers is lost in the mass.
Ashara flails against the grappling tentacles without much success while Hanzi struggles forward across the part-strewn floor. Mykel, taking advantage of his new-and-totally-not-grody slippers, also advances forward along the side of the containment chamber while Damiel hesitates, unsure of what to do next.
With a great clanking and whirring, the two large syringes near the back part of the laboratory suddenly raise into the air and pivot around to face Mykel...
______________
Round 1/Round 2
Enora
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Black
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Hanzi
Mykel
Ashara
Damiel
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Syringes
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Karn
Active Conditions: Black Tentacles (Black Grid), Difficult Terrain (All)
Damiel, Karn and Enora are UP!
Enora uses her prescience to alter fate.
Enora tries to break free as the tentacles bludgeon her, she calls upon her Prescience to break free.
She can't do much without her staff or without time to concentrate.
Karn too steadily trudges forward, forced to move slowly over the uneven, debris-covered floor. Enora attempts to use her powers to break free of the grasping tentacles but they continue to hold her fast! The tentacles continue working to grip anything that comes within reach...
...while Black continues to struggle against Enora's blinding glitter! Unable to see to target anyone, Black is forced on the defensive as he casts another spell...
...and suddenly, instead of a single Chrysalis Black, there are now eight of him!
Mirror Image, of course.
______________
Round 2
Enora
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Black
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Hanzi
Mykel
Ashara
Damiel
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Syringes
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Karn
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???????
Active Conditions: Black Tentacles (Black Grid), Difficult Terrain (All)
Damiel, Hanzi, Ashara and Mykel are UP!
By the time Damiel looks the entire room over he seems like he's fallen behind. When the grabby squid arms pop out he draws out a bottle and chugs it down..giving the man wings. "Up, up, up and away." Damiel says flatly.
Both Hanzi and Mykel continue to trudge forward while Damiel decides to pass on playing with the tentacles and chugs a Potion of Fly. Ashara continues to struggle against the tentacles...
...and allllmost manages it but can't quite get there! The tentacles also continue to tightly constrict her and Enora.
Meanwhile the northern syringe continues to track Mykel but the one closest to him swings around towards Hanzi as the nagaji finally comes past the corner of the containment chamber. And yet, neither one make any other movements besides that...
______________
Round 2
Enora
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Black
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Hanzi
Mykel
Ashara
Damiel
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Syringes
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Karn
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???????
Active Conditions: Black Tentacles (Black Grid), Difficult Terrain (All)
Karn is UP!
The tentacles crush what's remaining of her barrier and begin to crush Enora directly. "What I wouldn't give for a liberatin' command!"
Not wanting to leave his ally to the mercy of the tentacles Karn reaches in a big, beefy arm and attempts to pull Enora free! It's not quite enough on its own but it just might be enough for her to wriggle free under her own power!
As he does, there's suddenly a tremendous *BANG* from the large containment chamber in the center of the room! And then another, and another! From within the chamber come tortured screams, only partially muffled, as whatever lies within attempts to break free!
One of the bolts holding the chamber together suddenly pops free due to the thrashing of whatever horror lies within, whizzing just over Ashara's head and narrowly missing her!
______________
Round 3
Enora
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Black
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Hanzi
Mykel
Ashara
Damiel
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Syringes
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Karn
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Containment Chamber
Active Conditions: Black Tentacles (Black Grid), Difficult Terrain (All)
Enora is UP!
Enora gladly takes Karn's hand and tries to escape!
"I am so embarrassed! Taken down by some gnarly tentacles! I can't even cast- mmmpf!"
Enora continues to struggle, to no avail, even with Karn's help. As the tentacles continue squeezing her and Ashara, Black continues to struggle against all the glitter in his eyes...
...to no avail! With a scream of fury, Black begins casting yet another spell.
Hey, it's Mage Armor!
"Your magics won't outlast mine! I have all the time in the world!"
Meanwhile, Ashara does the only thing she can do at the moment and channels healing energy to mend the lashes she and Enora have received from the tentacles. All of the halfling's wounds disappear entirely and the majority of Ashara's disappear as well!
______________
Round 3
Enora
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Black
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Hanzi
Mykel
Ashara
Damiel
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Syringes
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Karn
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Containment Chamber
Active Conditions: Black Tentacles (Black Grid), Difficult Terrain (All)
Hanzi, Mykel and Damiel are UP!
Damiel watches as Black casts a spell, he responses flatly "Mage armor. Wooo, good one."
He then takes off and flies over and around the contraptions until he's in closer. Hrm, how to deal with all of those copies...
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"Oh, I've read this story before! A woman showed up at your home with a bag full of money. You grew attracted to her and Mother killed her while she was bathing. Now we're the investigators sent to drag your sorry hide in!" Enora coughs as the tentacles squeeze harder.
As the rest of the cavalry continue to move forward - some slowly, some not - the syringes whir and click and buzz as they continue tracking movement. But that still continues to be all that they do. Most strange.
"Hmph! My little boy attract anyone? I highly doubt it dearie," 'Mother' now calls out to Enora. "Now my sweet little girls...oh, what fine matches they would have made..."
______________
Round 3
Enora
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Black
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Hanzi
Mykel
Ashara
Damiel
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Syringes
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Karn
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Containment Chamber
Active Conditions: Black Tentacles (Black Grid), Difficult Terrain (All)
Karn is UP!
Karn tries once more to free Enora from the grasp of the tentacles, giving her arm a hard yank...
...but still can't budge his little friend! Meanwhile whatever lies inside the containment chamber continues to howl with misery and confusion, banging furiously against the sides of its prison!
Another bolt pops loose, screaming past Mykel's shoulder but thankfully missing him!
______________
Round 4
Enora
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Black
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Hanzi
Mykel
Ashara
Damiel
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Syringes
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Karn
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Containment Chamber
Active Conditions: Black Tentacles (Black Grid), Difficult Terrain (All)
Enora is UP!
Enora continues to struggle, but at this point all she can do is wait.