Nice blade there, Jayse…”
Ushari looks down the corridor and as the group approaches the body of the pirate, she motions for a halt. While I am happy that pirate has met his end, we need to know what killed him.
Silently she motions for Jayse (and Jofram, if he wants to) to approach the body with her. Once reaching it, she will examine it for cause of death.
Ushari examines the pirate's body.
Also (it can't help but be noticed) most of the dust on the floor, save on the fringes, has been smeared away. The disturbance stops at the pirate's body.
Ushari shakes her head in confusion. ”I am not sure but whatever killed him was pretty big…Jofram what do you make of these tracks?”
As Ushari and Jofram look at the body itself, Jayse takes a slow look around the area in general, hoping any smaller clues might present themselves.
Jayse scours the hall. There are some blocky and inconsistent patterns in the dust along the floor as well as some scratches with a glint of metal in them.
Jayse points at the crushed pirate, the scrape patterns, and the ground-in rock and metal. "Geez… so i'm guessing the wall decided to step out and crush him. How do you fight something that leaves marks like that?"
Straehan looks at the evidence Jayse shows him. "Nah, I don't think it was the wall...but that might be better than the alternative. It looks to me like something came down this hall after the guy. There is something seriously big roaming around here. Let's try not to piss it off."
The little gnome thinks a bit longer. "I'm betting there is another golem or construct around - unlike the one we saw before. Until we see exactly what it is, I can't guess on how best to fight it."
Ushari fixes the gnome with a look, "Perhaps we should try something novel here, like avoiding it, perhaps?"
Still struggling with being called 'adorable', Straehan is unfazed. Might have been worse, she could have called me 'cute'.
He returns her look. "Don't flash those eyes at me, girl. Jayse said 'how do you fight something like that?' and I answered him. I'm planning for possible fights, not looking for one. Shall we press on?"
Jayse nods as he moves back into position, "Hope for the best but plan for the worst, right?"
Jofram investigates the gruesome corpse and the tracks that Jayse points out, following their trail with his Elvish eyes. "I suppose it was foolish to hope the worst was behind us..."
Jofram begins to recognize the odd 'tracks' of the creature. It seemed to propel itself along by stepping with different asymmetric blocks and bits of metal. It moves almost like a lizard but the odd sizes of its 'feet' and strange locomotion pattern makes him fairly sure that it wasn't moving in its normal fashion.
Further, he can see signs that it moved up the corridor, killed the pirate, and then retreated back the way it had come.
"So either this big thing came up on the pirate when he was unable to move, it can move surprisingly quiet for something with huge, stone-and-metal feet, or it can move fast..."
"...or maybe all of the above." Straehan adds, like a bit of sunshine, with a thumbs-up and a grin.
Jayse laughs and looks up and down the corridor, then mentally rebuilds their map. "Well, I can't remember any other entrances into this area of this place, so it's either try to find another way out or continue this way... scary-big stone monster or not. I'd suggest either myself or Jofram for the vanguard, Ushari and Strae take up the center, and the other of me or Jofram at the tail. I'll take point if you want me to Jofram, but I don't have your skills at tracking... in case we come across more tracks."
"Wonderful…” Ushari returns the grin and replies, ”Somehow I have the feeling we are going to find out the answer to that. I just hope it won’t be a painful lesson.”
She nods at Jayse, "I like your idea here, except I think Fin should carry up the rear, while you and Jofram lead the way."
I'll take point if you want me to Jofram, but I don't have your skills at tracking... in case we come across more tracks."
"I'll take point, but I want my normal pay doubled, for the effort... Let's see - nothing, add nothing, carry the 1..."
Nocking an arrow to his ephemeral bowstring, Jofram peers carefully down the hallway, his eyes following the curious tracks.
Jyase looks back at where Porter and Fin are standing with the women, "Good call. Jofram, looks like you and me get a chance to get to know each other."
"Let's see - nothing, add nothing, carry the 1..."
Jayse looks mock-annoyed, pointing with his blade at Jofram's new quiver and arrows, "What the hell do you call all that crap?!"
Your two staggered groups move out. Using his mystical sight (and regular sight too) Jofram sees nothing dangerous... and you follow the 'lizard tracks' around the corner and deeper into the other side of the crypt complex.
Our heroes follow the corridor and tracks down until they reach a crossroads. Alert to a possible threat, you pay less attention to the frescoes which show a middle-aged man visiting more scenic locations and towns, but none of them ring a bell with any of you.
At the junction it is clear that 'the lizard' has traveled both corridors. It is impossible to tell whether it is coming or going. Of the two paths, the corridor heading West is far more heavily traveled.
"Well, this way is listed on Porter's map, so I'd suggest we try it first. Though it does appear to receive more traffic. Still, he made it that far without incident."
Ushari approaches the front of the group, "I agree with that Jofram, we should see if that golem creature passed there recently."
Your group winds its way quietly through a set of odd rooms that seem purposeless except as a vehicle to display more frescoes. None of them are particularly interesting, though the triangular room's frescoes show the man from the other scenes in a set of occult battles against another man whose paintings are more than a little unflattering - depicting him as a scrawny, sour-faced, mole. Even some women in the frescoes are shown to laugh at him.
Jofram and Jayse approach a much wider hall. The dust here is very disturbed and you can make out Porter's footprints. More alarming than that, the wide, dragging 'lizard trail' is gone... replaced by large, widely spaced, blocky footprints with odd treading on the bottom and 3 claws each. Judging from the claws' scratch marks on the stone, they are made of metal. Whatever this creature is - it is BIG.
Unfortunately, the large footprints can be seen going in both directions. The majority of the 'action' in the dust appears to be coming and going from the large domed room .
Jayse looks left and right considering, "I don't like the thought of leaving something at our back. Let's go right, check out that whole area, then finish up by going the other direction. It'll take a bit longer, but we might lessen the likelihood of us getting sandwiched between two of these wandering things."
Ushari nods in agreement. "Fin, Porter, both of you stay here and watch the other corridor, and make sure nothing sneaks up on us from that way."
Ushari nods in agreement. "Fin, Porter, both of you stay here and watch the other corridor, and make sure nothing sneaks up on us from that way."
"Hmmm… I would urge you to observe, only. Run to us, if you are confronted - after all, it made short work of that pile of meat that once was a pirate."
The advance group makes a quick circuit of the passages and rooms to the West. They find nothing except footprints, one them containing the crushed skull of another dead pirate. The body sprawls away from the grisly kill.
Back with Porter and Fin, they move towards the large domed room . They spread out cautiously beneath the dome, finding another pirate's body. The discarded sword near his lifeless hand indicates he tried to fight. The bloody pulp that is his mortal remains suggest his defense was not great enough.
The frescoes in the room show an aging man standing in a grand library with many students attending his every word.
Jofram leads the group down the hallway; as he approaches the next room, he holds up his hand to signal a halt. Carefully advancing to a bend in the hallway, he tries to get a sense of the chamber beyond.
Jofram sneaks up to the small circular room and peeks in. It is empty. He signals to the others and they sweep into the room, covering the exits. The art on the walls is a panoramic view of the man's funeral.
Straehan studies the funereal art and comments, "Hopefully, this isn't prophetic."
"Seriously." He pause as he looks at the frescoes, "Um... that's weird. I guess I assumed the man in the frescoes also made the frescoes. But if that's the case, who made these of his funeral? I guess that just means he didn't do them right?"
Tryign to dismiss the thought, he looks at the three options, "I say we go in the right-most branch. Logically, that is more likely to attach back into what we've already explored, and we can be a bit more thorough. But I guess in the end any direction is fine."
Ushari glances at Jayse, "I suppose he had whoever constructed this crypt also create the frescoes." She staares uneasily at the frescoe, "It feels like we are getting close to where he was interred. We should be real careful here, his body would be extremely well-guarded, I would think."
"I say we go in the right-most branch. Logically, that is more likely to attach back into what we've already explored, and we can be a bit more thorough.
"Watch out for traps; I've heard some of these tombs are designed to discourage grave-robbers."
"We haven't seen this fellow painting in any of these frescoes so my guess is he wasn't an artist."
Straehan slinks down the agreed upon path looking for traps followed at a discreet distance by the ranger. It is a long corridor ending in yet another empty and small domed room. The gnome looks around briefly and returns to the 'funeral room'.
"Right, so door #2, I suppose?"
"Why am I getting a BAD feeling about this... Yes, Strae, door #2 is OK by me."
The gnome creeps forward along the winding path. He finds nothing in the corridor save more of the 'lizard tracks'. He rounds a corner and sees that this side corridor intersects with a well-lit, opulent, 10' wide hall. He slides along the wall and takes just a quick peek...
As Jayse, Jofram, and Ushari follow along at a discreet distance, they jump from the sound of the loud voice ringing off the walls and echoing away in all directions.
Straehan glares at the mouth that appears on the wall opposite him. It's the cleverest trap of all... one that ISN'T a trap. Sister-fv<#ing Mages! I HATE these guys.
Any chance of surprise gone, Straehan examines the corridor quickly. The frescoes are of the highest quality with silver and gold leaf woven into them. He imagines this is the artist's rendition of what the afterlife holds - clouds, beautiful forests, and angelic figures flapping around.
Straehan listens for footfalls or anything else that indicates the Magic Mouth has done its job. He is almost surprised when the echoes die away and something nasty doesn't kill him along with them.
Jayse freezes at the shouted words. When the echoing recedes, and no immediate attack happens, he creeps up to Straehan, "How about I stick with you now that surprise is gone. Keep watching for traps, but I'll be right behind you."
As he listens for any more movement, Jayse fishes around in one of his pockets, pulling out the potion tey found earlier. He smiles at Straehan as he uncorks it, "Wanna have this bad boy ready. What do you think about hitting me up with one of those magical defense spells? They last a while, right?"
He looks back, "Might wanna get any prep spells ready."
"See? There you go being all 'heroicy' and now I can't run away screaming like a little girl without losing face." He gives the monk a thumb's up and casts spells on both of them before they creep out into the lavish hall.
Ushari draws her sword and motions for Fin and the others to stay back. She silently waves Jofram to walk with her as she follows behind the gnome, and his new bodyguard…
As they start down the corridor, she reaches into her pouch and activates Skitter. She utters a few strange clicks and chirps, "Stay on me for now, Skitter."
Jofram calls out in a loud voice, "Yes, we would like to leave this place - but how? We were brought here against our will! Where do we exit?"
The echoing silence mocks him, and he looks at the others, abashed. "Well, it was worth a try..."
Jofram raises an arrow as if to nock it against an invisible bowstring, and thought becomes matter as bow appears in his gauntleted hand, arrow tucked to string.
Vaelos takes wing, hovering nearby.
Straehan and Jayse sneak along the glittering wall. Before he reaches the northward bend of the hallway Straehan stops and stares at something he can see further up, signaling Jayse back. He practically glues himself to the wall and pops his head around the corner very briefly before grabbing the monk and heading back to the others at a lope.
The gnome looks pale. "OK. This is a good news/bad news deal. The good news:
- There are only two of them
- I can see the waterfall we came down and it is gushing a lot less
- I saw some sort of rope hanging down in the water - so I think Jax managed to get us a way out"
Straehan takes a breath, "Now, the bad news:
- The Chair Man isn't our biggest concern
- His 'Friend' is an Alchemical Golem - which is REALLY bad for us
- It's clear they are waiting for us"
The sorcerer forestalls Jayse's next question and launches into a brief but incredibly specific assessment of what makes an Alchemical Golem a total nightmare. "As an aspiring alchemist myself, this thing is a wet-dream and a nightmare. First, I don't think I have a damn spell that will hurt it, and the rest of our spellcasters probably won't fare much better. Second, this things sprays, fires, and throws toxic chemicals of every element..."
AC: Decent
HP: Pretty High
CMB/CMD: Very High
Attacks: Has both Melee and Ranged attacks with additional random elemental effects
Defenses: If you don't have a reach weapon, any successful melee strike will cause a small bit of splash damage to hit the attacker.
Magic: Immune to magic that allows SR EXCEPT Sonic Attacks - Shatter is effective
RND 1: Standard Action - Cast xxxxx, Swift Action - do yyyyy.
RND 2: Standard Action - pray, Move Action - pray again... etc.
Please don't post any attack actions until I say 'go'.
Jayse whispers a quick plan to the team as they begin enhancing themselves arcanically. He keeps his blade in hand, but reverses its grip as he finishes up, ending by drinking the potion. It tastes foul - with the coppery tang of blood - but immediately he can feel his muscles respond as power rushes into them.
He nods seriously, making eye contact with everyone in turn, "Fight smart. Fight together. We can do this."