Doc, I'd prefer to teleport back than ride it out in a sardine can older than my father... But if we must, I'm down for whatever everyone decides on."
Levinson lights up one of the cigars taken from back in Tombstone and helps herself to one of the stakes and a mallet Kate is offering.
"Derrick, if you flip, the big guy can steak. I've read Bram Stoker too many times to pass up this chance."
She hands the slaying gear to her more physically capable doppelgänger before reaching into her shirt to pull out a Star of David pendant holding between herself and the coffins.
Merlin comes down the ladder behind The FOs, and casts detect magic, carefully scanning the coffins....
Amazing! Brilliant little monkeys.... These lightning traps are mechanical in construction.... No magic was used in their making.... The sciences and arts have truly surpassed magic in this new age....
Derrik is shocked especially well considering he is in Metal armor.
He seems to be hit with the full effects and continues regardless.
There within the coffin lies the pale form of Von Ulrik, eyes closed in torpor....
Derrik plunges the sharp steak into the vampire's black heart, and Kepler drives it home with the mallet and a cawroar of glee....
The vampire's eyes fly open and it shrieks, a high, keening wail! Blood sprays from its fanged mouth, and it crumbles into chunks of black ash....
I can channel twice more today.... Let me know when you need healing, Derrik....
Derrik looks to the res of the group, steam flaring out of his various openings in his armor. Visor and such, yet he continues on after what would have clearly killed lesser men.
" Noted Miss Kate... there are 12 more coffins, Im sure the rest are the same as well... When we are done, their coffins can be used for. more deserving purposes. I will tell you when I may need your.. services. "
Scooping up Von Ulrik's Ashes and anointing them in Holy water. After which he proceeds to open up the rest of the coffins, knowing full well they could be trapped various ways.
yingzen goes around to the other coffins and search them for traps
Might I suggest I look at the rest of the coffins before you decide to open them and get someone hurt?
To make a long, painful story short, Derrik shocks himself a few times opening the other twelve coffins, but Yingzen manages to find and disarm roughly half of the traps, and all of the vampire spawn are staked.
Kate uses her healing magic as needed to keep Derrik standing until the grisly job is done....
The FOs recover some valuable loot from Von Ulrik's coffin:
A belt of giant strength +6
A headband of alluring charisma +4
A cloak of resistance +3
A ring of protection +2
I shall teleport us back to Pandora's Box in the Canyon when we are ready, Fierce Ones. Perhaps Captain Kermit will know a thing or two about sailing this fine vessel home another day....
Shouldn't we let the Parliament People and the other survivor groups know that their vampire troubles are over? Or let 'em figure it out after no more attacks come the next few nights?
Yeah, it wouldn't be very nice of us to leave them wondering when the next vampire attack was going to come in the night....
We shall free them from fear, then. Let us use the folding boat and make a tour of the town, proclaiming the end of the vampires!
And so The FOs spend the afternoon spreading the good news of their victory over the undead menace that had recently plagued the survivors of London....
That evening, a great celebration begins at The Glass Onion, which lasts for three days and nights, and The FOs are regaled as heroes.
Cheers for staking those bloody vamps, mates! I'd like you to take a few kegs of my finest with you as thanks! I'm sure you get awful bloody thirsty in the Grand Canyon....
A pretty, pixie-like young woman approaches The FOs during the celebrations at The Glass Onion, a much-decorated guitar in her hands.
Cheers, mates! I'm Angie Banshee, and I'd like to write a song about you lot.... Do you mind if I ask you each a few questions about yourselves, and what part you had in killin' the vampires?
Late in the evening, after nightfall, the three fey musicians who played during The FOs' battles against the monsters of The Lady's Keep in Scotland make an appearance, greeting Kailin Kros as an old friend.
Oy! 'Tis Kailin Kros, finest flautist in Fairyland! Er.... Besides you, of course, my dear Piper in the Hills.... Ah, what say we help yon mortal lass compose her ballad about these fine Fierce Ones? Jolly Duff nods toward Angie Banshee, who has looked up from her guitar to gawk in amazement at the three fairies that have come to join the party....
The Piper nods and grins at Kailin....
Mayhaps a piping contest is in order, to clear old Duff up about which of us is the finest piper in Fairyland? What say you, dear Kailin? Shall we bedazzle these poor mortals with fairy music?
Nymph Nessa approaches Derrik with languid stride and breathtaking gaze....
I am glad to see you unharmed by the foul vampires, sweet Arthur.... It would break my wee heart to see that handsome face marred by undeath.... And then to have to stake you.... I'd much prefer that you took me into some shady grove and stake me, as you used to.... Nessa smiles seductively and gently caresses Derrik's breastplate and shoulder pauldrons....
Merlin chuckles at Derrik's predicament.
Poor bastard.... We should all have such woes....
Kate finds Grimm sitting with Malcolm the Brewer, sampling his various brews....
Baby.... I need to talk to you for a moment....about my....time of the month....or recent lack thereof....
Grimm sprays beer out his nose and mouth, and looks at Kate with wide eyes, looking spooked....
Kailin gives Jolly duff and The Piper a mischievous smile and begins a wild dance accompanied by his own fluting. Dancing and leaping around the glass onion.
everyone who can hear Kailin must make a DC 18 will save or be fascinated.
Oy, you sly dog, you! Congratulations!
Malcolm elbows Grimm, smiling....
Will save vs DC 18 fascination with Kailin's performance....
Focused on her need to tell Grimm something important, Kate resists getting caught up in Kailin's mesmerizing performance....
Will save vs DC 18 fascinate
Angie is certainly impressed, but too occupied with her own composition at the moment to fully lose herself in Kailin's performance....
Will save
Malcolm sits entranced by Kailin's performance, mouth agape....
Will save
Wow.... How does he dance....like....that.....
Grimm falls silent, completely ignoring Kate to gawk in amaze at Kailin as he pirouettes and jigs to his own lively accompaniment....
A crowd of fascinated Londoners gathers around to watch Kailin dance and hear his wondrous piping....
Jolly Duff takes up his bagpipe and begins a droning pedal tone and strident counter-melody to accentuate Kailin's performance....
Aid another Performance (bagpipe) boosts Kailin's Performance check to 28....
Unable to resist joining in the fantastic impromptu he hears from Kailin and Jolly Duff, the Piper lifts his pipe to his lips and begins to play a second countermelody, weaving a wicked counterpoint that transforms Kailin's improvised impromptu into a gorgeous symphony....
Aid another Performance (woodwind) boosts Kailin's Performance check to 30!
Nymph Nessa takes Derrik's hands and begins to dance, nearly as mesmerizing as Kailin in her movements....
Aid another Performance (dance)
She joins her golden voice to the fey music....
Aid another Performance (sing)
The glorious sound that reverberates throughout the Glass Onion is music fit for the gods!
Derrik does not seem Enraptured by the Music, He does however proceed to Dance as well with Nessa to humor her, a very rhythmic motion even in his plated armor as if it wasn't even there.. You may think he even had.. soul.
Several London lads ask Levinson to dance, pouring on as much English charm as they can muster.... A few of them are quite handsome, and seem rather taken with the charismatic summoner....
She quickly brushed her bangs over to hide the currently present rune on her forehead and regards the English gents with a exacerbated sigh; however, she then turned to look and saw just how dashing they really were.
"Oh fine, why not..."
Acting rather boldly thanks to the intoxicating and powerful melody, she scans over the gaggle of would be dance partners and points to one that reminds her vaguely of David Tennant.
"You, let's dance."
Kepler meanwhile managed to find an unguarded pile of raw steaks and was quite pleased with himself remaining content away from any easily frightened Londoners.
The chap Levinson chooses introduces himself....
Tyler Greene, Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, until the Apocalypse forced me into early retirement.... I'm very pleased to meet a lady of your beauty and charm in this dreadful place, Miss Levinson....
Lt Greene does his best to sweep Levinson off her feet, offering to take her for a ride in a Lear jet he has stashed away in the city nearby....
The lead mummy steps on a pressure plate, triggering a jet of searing flames to blast it from the open mouth of a bas relief hell hound carved on the wall of the passageway!
The flames deal fire damage to the mummy, or half that with a successful DC 20 Reflex save....
Mummy's Ref save succeeds! The fire deals 19 damage to the vulnerable mummy....
Oh, dear! Are you hurt, darlin'? fusses Lavinia, pushing past the other three mummies to smother the flames still leaping off the lead mummy with her cloak....
The lead mummy shakes its head and pats at a rogue flame on its thigh....
Koran shakes off Kailin's enchanting performance. He then walks over to the bear-bird and sits down next to him. You mind if I share your meat Bird-brain? He grabs a piece of meat and takes a big bite.
The celebration lasts for three days and three nights, and strong bonds of friendship are forged between The FOs and the survivors of London.
On the morning of Teusday, April 23rd, Merlin announces that The FOs are needed elsewhere, and calls them all to gather their belongings and prepare to depart for the return teleport back to Pandora's Box in the Canyon....
We can tarry here no more, pleasant as the hospitality may be, for the bravery, strength, and magical might of The Fierce Ones are needed once more, back in that tropical land ye call Florida.... It seems your old mentors at Pandora's Box have tracked the evil that besieged the old Box in the Everglades back to a great, Silver Tower at the heart of the city of Sarasota.... A spawn of Dread Cthulhu himself is said to hold court there, served by insane human cultists and a veritable menagerie of vile monsters not of this world!
"It's 'Professor' Levinson, not 'Miss.'" she replies with a smirk. "And I'd love to see this plane of yours."
And it is safe to assume she is suitably swept off her feet over the next three days as she always had a weak spot for aviation ever since she was little.
Kepler huffs at the insult and regards the brute with a raised eyebrow.
Tyler smiles a rakish smile at Levinson.
Ah, forgive me....Professor Levinson.... None of the professors were anywhere near as attractive as you at Cambridge.... They were all old blokes, mostly.... Anyway, it would be my pleasure to show you my plane whenever you'd like.... Tomorrow morning, after breakfast, perhaps? He flashes another rakish grin....
The following day, Lt Greene takes Levinson aboard a 15-ft motorboat and pilots the craft through the maze of streets-turned-canals of London to a parking garage with four dry levels. Docking the boat, he assists Levinson in stepping out onto the ledge of the parking garage, and down, and they walk up the four levels to the rooftop, where amid several abandoned cars, beneath a huge tarp, lies the Lear jet Greene claims is now his....
There she is.... A beauty, right? Want to go for a ride?
Tyler unties the tarp and pulls it off, uncovering the well-maintained, black-and-yellow Lear, which has clearly been modified and weaponized by the dashing young fighter pilot--a 50-caliber machinegun is mounted under the nose, and missiles hang under both wings.... Stenciled on the cockpit window are several winged monsters.... The Hornet is stenciled on the side beneath a stylized icon of an angry-looking hornet....
There's just enough roof to get her airborne....
"Sounds, delightful. But then I should really get back to the others. Saving the world from unspeakable horror is a full time job after all."
Naomi walks about surveying the vehicle noting the after-market modifications and seeing to the best of her novice ability if it looks in working order.
"Quite the machine... especially impressive to find one in such great condition considering well.... Everything about the world these days."
Entering the passenger door of the plane, she looks about finding bits of trash, maps, several discarded soda cans, and an old fashion set of aviator hat and goggles.
"Could really use a 'rubbish bin' in here. And honestly? Planning on playing some quidditch?" she teases taking the goggle and donning them heroically.
Once they take off, she is able to get a full view of the city in its current state. Flooded streets, wide spread destruction, camps of people on roofs and the like.
Back at Pandora's Box in the Canyon on Teusday, April 23rd, Professor Solomon Dirge briefs The FOs in a conference cave, lit by gas lamps. He has a map of downtown Sarasota tacked to a cork board on a stand, as well as an envelope containing several photographs of The Silver Tower....
Street map of One Sarasota Tower vicinity....
The Silver Tower, formerly One Sarasota Tower, stands at the intersection of Tamiami Trail and Gulfstream Drive....
Dirge points out the tower's location on the map....
Some images of The Silver Tower.... Dirge passes the photos around....
It is a 12-story office building that has been converted into a fortress-temple dedicated to worship of Dread Cthulhu.... The Daemon-Lord of the Silver Tower is believed to be a piscodaemon, and is rumored to have been spawned by the Great Old One himself.... It is known to have dreadfully powerful and unspeakably evil advisors in its service.... We are quite certain that a chimera--a monster once thought to exist only in ancient myths--serves as door guardian....
Yingzen finds himself drawn into the dance as he attempts to dance around the area by himself
Back at Pandora's Box in the Canyon on Teusday, April 23rd, Professor Solomon Dirge briefs The FOs in a conference cave, lit by gas lamps. He has a map of downtown Sarasota tacked to a cork board on a stand, as well as an envelope containing several photographs of The Silver Tower....
Street map of One Sarasota Tower vicinity....
The Silver Tower, formerly One Sarasota Tower, stands at the intersection of Tamiami Trail and Gulfstream Drive....
Dirge points out the tower's location on the map....
Some images of The Silver Tower.... Dirge passes the photos around....
It is a 12-story office building that has been converted into a fortress-temple dedicated to worship of Dread Cthulhu.... The Daemon-Lord of the Silver Tower is believed to be a piscodaemon, and is rumored to have been spawned by the Great Old One himself.... It is known to have dreadfully powerful and unspeakably evil advisors in its service.... We are quite certain that a chimera--a monster once thought to exist only in ancient myths--serves as door guardian....
Quite the architecture... Any chance we have access to the blueprints of the building?
Levinson sits for a moment pondering the term 'piscodaemon' sure she has encountered it before in her more occult readings, but can't quite place it...
Back at Pandora's Box in the Canyon on Teusday, April 23rd, Professor Solomon Dirge briefs The FOs in a conference cave, lit by gas lamps. He has a map of downtown Sarasota tacked to a cork board on a stand, as well as an envelope containing several photographs of The Silver Tower....
Quite the architecture... Any chance we have access to the blueprints of the building?
Levinson sits for a moment pondering the term 'piscodaemon' sure she has encountered it before in her more occult readings, but can't quite place it...
Knowledge (planes) check 27 succeeds.... Levinson recalls that the piscodaemon is a powerful (CR 10) daemon that often acts as a commander of daemon hordes in Hades, and is an aquatic daemon with great lobster-like claws, chitinous exoskeleton, and a head like a squid or octopus, with a "beard" of tentacles. It is known to possess various spell-like powers, as well....
I fear we were only able to acquire the photos of the tower's exterior.... If there was still such a thing as the Internet, we would likely be able to find blueprints, but as things are.... I'm afraid you will be exploring the interior blindly. Most office buildings are more or less similar in design, however.... You can expect a lobby, with elevators that most likely are no longer functioning.... Access to upper levels will be by an emergency stairwell or two, most likely.... The top floor appears to be a single large penthouse room, for the most part....
When all of The FOs are ready to depart, Merlin chooses a location in a secluded alley within a short walk to The Silver Tower as his destination, and instructs The FOs to link hands for a teleport to downtown Sarasota....
They arrive in a debris-littered back alley about 300 ft northeast of The Silver Tower. The cry of seagulls can be faintly heard from Sarasota Bay and the marina to the west and south. Other, less natural sounds occasionally echo from among the city streets and alleys.... Unwholesome cries of otherworldly things....
Before The FOs teleport to Sarasota:
A muscular, scruffily handsome (if I dare say so myself) man wearing a Kevlar vest and a revolver at his side, with a greatsword strapped to his back approaches the heroes, smiling and waving.
Hail, mighty Fierce Ones! My name's Mikey Jay, and I was a massage therapist before the End-of-the-World-As-We-Know-It.... Now I'm living my childhood fantasy of being a wandering swordsman who helps people and has adventures.... Mind if I join your merry band?
Also before teleporting to Sarasota:
Kate and Grimm announce that they will be parents in about 9 months, so they are taking a hiatus from adventuring for the time being.
Taking Kate's place as healer will be Daisy Eagle-Feather, who seems to have had a falling out with her now-ex-boyfriend, Greg Bear-Strong....
Hi, guys! I heard Katie is preggers and you need a new healer? I'd be honored to join The Fierce Ones, if you'll have me....
Eagle-Feather looks at Koran and smiles shyly....
After new party members Eagle-Feather and Mikey Jay have joined, and Dirge has finished briefing The FOs, Merlin teleports the new line-up--Derrik, Eagle-Feather, Kailin, Koran, Levinson, Mikey Jay, Radsworth, and Yingzen--to the alley in downtown Sarasota, some 300 ft northeast of the rear of The Silver Tower.
From here, they can see the top of The ST gleaming in the late morning Florida sun.... A parking garage abuts the rear of the tower, and should provide ample cover as The FOs approach the tower....
Marching order, please.
Levinson spends 66 seconds to summon Kepler and buff him with Mage Armor. He is near the front of the group with Naomi arms reach behind him.