"Cheapskate!"
"Gggggiigigiiiive usss mmmmomomomomooooorre!"
Stonewall eyes the fountain with a suspicious glance but looks appraisingly at the seal they had already used.
Stonewall grumbles throws in the amount of gold he thinks it is worth (if 50 gold or less). If it is more, he grumbles and says, "I'm done with this!", draws his axe and heads toward the door to cut his way through.
Alset attempts to help and thinks deeply (if possible) about what he sees, hears, and knows.
(Dialect of voice for location of origin, i.e., ethnicity and accent)
Alset tosses a gold coin in the fountain as per the voice and detects evil on the source of the voice.
Stonewall tosses in 25 gold pieces.
"Ththththththaaaaaannnnnnkkkkkskkkkkskskssss."
The voices cackle and you see two tiny-sized blue fairy-like creatures with horns and wings swimming and gathering the coins in the basin of the pool.
"For your contribution, we, the great spirit of this place, will tell you some of our history. This place summons elementally infused storms! For fun!"
"Yooooouuouououoou ccccannnonononoooootttt stststststoooopppopppopppp ittt!"
"Nope, you can't stop it. You should flee for your lives! And for the low price of 100 gold pieces, we'll tell you something even more secretive..."
Alset examines the frescoes, and sees that they contain several allusions to Gozreh, the dual-natured Nature god. But Alset sees a small eye surrounded by crackling lightning in one corner - the symbol of Hshurha, the evil Duchess of All Winds.
Alset knows the voices are not of this plane. They are not Evil.
"How about for the low low price of your lives, you just tell us?"
Drawing Stormbreaker she threatens tiny creatures.
Following Achahut's lead and fearing the "the symbol of Hshurha, the evil Duchess of All Winds." Alset speaks diplomatically to the sprites.
Chieftain Shathva reaches under a collection of smaller trophies and pulls out a . "This seal will help you open one of the doors inside. You will need another, but I don't know where it's other half is. Good luck."
She stands and flicks her tongue out, bowing in deference to you.
"Thththththhaaaatttttt'ssss nonnnnnnononooootttt vvvvveeevevveerrryeryryryeryyyyyyy niiiiiccccccceeee."
"You're just a bunch of jerks. Let one rip, buddy!"
A stinking cloud expands in the middle of the room, and Achahut and Mud reel over, vomiting from the stench.
The second creature shoots an acid arrow spell at Achahut. "Wash your mouth out with some bleach!"
Alset's calming words are lost in the noxious fumes from the fountain creatures.
Round 1, AC 17, DR 5/magic, HP 19/19
Round 1 | HP 43/43 | Arrows 33/40
Alset rapidly releases two arrows. One at each of the creatures.
Round 1 | HP 43/43
Stonewall moves north out of the noxious cloud and takes a swing with his axe at the nearest creature.
The creatures, soaked in the water, have their wounds congeal and close slightly.
"Think you're so tough? I bet you're slower than a gelatinous cube!" the creature says and spits a cone of acid at Stonewall.
"Hmm. Maybe not," he says, wiping his mouth.
Achahut's acid burns.
"GGggoogogoogogoooooooo aaawawawawawawaaayyy!"
The other creature shoots his own acid arrow at Alset.
It fizzles in the air.
Mud uses his move action while heaving to point out the mephit Stonewall injured.
Round 2, AC 17, DR 5/magic, hp 19/19 and 13/19
Nauseated Achahut, Mud 4/5 remaining; Achahut acid arrow 1 round remaining
Ood approaches the weakened creature and lets fly a fist
Round 2 | HP 43/43 | Arrows 31/40
Alset laughs at the poor archery from the creature and returns fire rapidly.
Both creatures deftly dodge the attack. Alset wonders if he is pursuing the right career.
Round 2 | HP 42/43
Stonewall shrugs off the feeble attempts to hurt him and focus his attention on the one he’s already attacked.
Seeing the ineffective nature of his axe, Stonewall drops his axe and grabs his flail, hoping it might be more damaging, and takes another swing at the injured creature.
Round 3
With Stonewall's blow, one of the mephits is splattered into globs.
The remaining mephit shoots his last acid arrow attack at Stonewall and his magic flail.
"Uh oh," he says.
Achahut takes another
5 acid damage. The acid has now worn away.
Alset is now nauseated.
Round 3, AC 17, DR 5/magic, HP 19/19
Round 3 | HP 42/43
Stonewall takes a swing at the other Mephit with ruins of the first still stuck to his flail.
Round 3
HP: 51/58
Achahut continues to puke, trying to aim it at the sprite.
"Haven't *bleh* been this *bleh* sick since I produced *bleh* my first clutch *bleh*."
Round 3
Alset joins Achahut in vomiting copiously on the floor. He attempts to noch an arrow, but fails.
Stonewall manages not to slip on the...slick... floor.
Odd let’s loose his fists
"Ood, you always strike at just the right time." Bleeeech. "Good hit."
Alset checks the room out.
Alset, still being nauseous, doesn't perceive a thing except the glop on the floor and his beard.
The smell fades away and the frescoes to the south remain impenetrable to Alset. A hallway to the east is the only untested way to go.
”Well, to the east. Lead the way stonewall. I’ll take the rear guard. “
Stonewall peers into the fountain to see it he can find anything of interest.
”Ok Ood, cover me.”. Stonewall moves down the corridor.
Achahut checks out the bodies of the mephits and also attempts to find their stash from other travelers. Oh, and our own deposits.
Alset assists Acha-the-hut in the recovery of any items.
The pool in the fountain contains 199 gp, 124 sp, four citrine gems worth 75 gp each, and a +1 terbutje.
To the east there is a northern and southern passage. The south opens up to a small room with a few pillars to the west, and an opening further south. The north has partially collapsed walls with tattered sheets of canvas hanging from the walls. Random cloth and stone debris litter the floor, and further north the jungle has begun to overgrow the walls.
Stonewall moves north into the hallway, shield at the ready. Assuming nothing jumps out at him, he bypasses the small hallways and goes forward and says, "You guys check out these side rooms, I'm to big to fit down them easily. If you run into something, come out and we'll take care of it in this hall."
"Look at all this gold they left me! I mean, us..."
Achahut moves in to explore the side rooms.
"Were you born like this? Your mannerisms and speech say Dwarf, but you are far too large to be a Dwarf. Are you part giant?"
Achahut goes left first then right.
. . .
"If you would let me rest outside of these manacles, I might be able to aid you in the morning. I need to attune myself with the spirits in this place and listen to their cries for help."
Alset remembers the missing priests comments when he was freed and says, "I think we need to get the missing priest rested up and back with us. There seems to be some things he can do for us regarding this place. I'm worried we'll miss something important."
As Stonewall marches down the hall warily, listening for any other hidden assailants...
...Stonewall responds to Achahut’s query, ”Haha, no, no Giant. We stumbled across a source of magic which made me grow to the size you see before you.”
To Alset, ”I thought Paladins knew no fear. We may not be able to wait for Magdi’s abilities to renew. Better that we go in and neutralize as many threats as possible and have to go back for him later if needed.”
"We do not fear anything or anyone, but it is unwise to ignore the offering of help from a priest, especially one that knows more than we do about this place and the spirits that dwell here. We paladins do not fear, my friend, but we are not foolhardy in regards to religious things."
The jungle has overgrown the stonework here, collapsing portions of the northern and eastern walls. Chunks of stone wall lie toppled over, partially covered by the advancing foliage. Rain pours down from above, soaking you yet again and hindering your vision. Scattered bits of garbage- mostly animal bones and ragged scraps of cloth- cover the floor.
In the center, a shambling mound of plant matter stirs as you enter. Lightning flashes nearby.
Round 1, AC 19, HP 67/67
Round 1 | HP 43/43 | Arrows 29/40
Alset tosses defoliant at the shambling plant.
Round 1 | HP 42/43
Stonewall closes with the creature and shoves the large mound toward the wall with his huge dwarvenly might to make room for the other party members in the room.
Round 1 | HP 43/43 | Arrows 29/40
Alset tosses defoliant at the shambling plant.
The Shambling mound takes 1 splash damage from the defoliant.
Round 1 | HP 42/43
Alset:
The soaring majesty of the falcon widens your eyes. You gain a +4 to Perception checks.Odie:
The keen snout of the boar expands your nostrils. You gain the scent ability out to 10 feet.Ood:
The warm embrace of the bear strengthens your limbs. You gain a +4 bonus to grapple checks and CMD.Stonewall:
The surety of the tortoise steels your bones. You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls when making Attacks of Opportunity, and you gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC against Attacks of Opportunity.
Round 1
Shammy the Shambling Mound is pushed back to the wall.
Shamson then moves to within 10' of Stonewall and double slams him.
Lightning flashes above.
Round 2, AC 19, hp 66/67
Round 2 | HP 42/43
Stonewall takes One slam on his shield and the other on his armor as he closes with shamwow and swings his axe at the mound of vegetation.
Round 2
Ood closed with the plant monster and let loose a fist.
Mid-fight drinking? What has gotten into my head today? I must be going crazy, who would do such a thing?
Who said that?
This temple is weird. I hope we get out of here soon.
Round 2
HP: 58/58
"Aaahhhhh!"
"At least this thing didn't make us puke our guts out!"
Round 2 | HP 43/43 | Arrows 28/40
Alset launches into the fray firing at the heart of ShamWow with a zinging hit from his arrow as it plunges deep into the marrow of the mound.
Damage Total: 1x Full 8+4+1=13 + 2x=7 + 3x=8 = 28
The shabby shambling mound collapses, full of arrows, fists, swords, waraxes, and shame.
Lightning continues to flash.