Grayface, once more, smashes into the metallic armour of the automaton - this time the blow is severe enough to cause a section of the torso to fall away - instantly, the machine starts to spark and crackle with electrical charge...
Seeing the machine starting to fail, Pertreeko shouts encouragement and, using one of the glowing orbs from the necklace he has been wearing, tosses a fiery ball at Grayface's foe - the machine is briefly wreathed in fire before continuing with it's attack...
Yasmin, drained of her most powerful arcane tricks, relies on a simple cantrip to keep up the pressure whilst Rallos, although accurate, cannot land a blow of sufficient power to harm the automaton...
The tide of battle has definitely swung in favour of Grayface and his friends - the automatons, although powerful and well engineered, cannot land a single blow upon their enemies.
Rallos thrusts his rapier at the construct, aiming for a weak spot.
Grayface pulled away his mighty sword from the dying machine in a flourish, sending a large plate and a variety of metal bits flying across the floor. Sensing imminent danger, he threw his body to the side reflexively and avoided what looked like quite a serious jolt of energy that erupted from the foe.
He then turned his attention to the remaining sentinel automaton, once again remaining on the defensive while he took his offensive swings when and where he could.
Yasmin continues to save her last bit of magical energy, relying on her simple magics to attack the dying automaton. ;
Ea strike is awkward, to say the least..
she nearly even injure Rallos, intead of the automaton!
Sorry...
Whether it is the sudden explosion of electricty from the dying automaton, it is difficult to tell, but neither Ea, Rallos nor Gryaface are focussed in their attacks - swords, rapiers and maces all swinging wild and wide...
It take Yasmin's splash of acid to end the critically damaged automaton - it's green light fading as it comes to a standstill - whilst Pertreeko continues to use the necklace of Fireballs to shroud the surviving automaton in flame...
The final automaton swings hard against Rallos - it's blade cutting into the tiefling's thigh...
Rallos dives towards the back of the automaton, trying to set up a killing blow.
Seeing the fresh wound on Rallos, Gray stopped pussy-footing around with his defensive parries and went straight for the heavy sword chops that had felled so many before.
Tumbling past the automaton, Rallos feels a stab of pain as the machine's sword swings down at him...
Shrugging off the wound, Rallos manages to drive his rapier deep into the machine's exposed flank... An arc of electricity runs along the rogue's weapon as the automaton starts to fail..
Whilst Grayface, with newfound determination, uses his sword to great effect.
Yasmin keeps at it with her acid! ;
Hold on, Rallos!
Once more, Yasmin throws a glob of acid... Once more, it hits...
Surrounded, the automaton is less able to fend off blows and it is somewhat inevitable when Ea's Morning Star crashes into an unprotected flank... There is a screech of exploding clockwork mechanisms and then, standing still, the lights flicker out on the machine...
I am really beginning to dislike these....things. I think this Klarkosh is a genuine madman. Gray, check those weapons...are they of any use or value? You know more about those things than I do. I think we should sit and catch our collective breath for a minute or two.. Any dissenters?
"Yeah, you're not looking too good, Rallos. I definitely want to give this Klarkosh some payback!"
Again the warrior's heckles rose, subconsciously sensing the build up of electrical current in the air. With honed reflexes he turned his form at the precise moment, again dodging the burst of shock erupting from the broken automaton opponent.
When the 2nd foe hit the floor, its alloy innards spilled over the dungeon floor - rods, cogs, and plating scattering to and fro. One such cog rolled across the floor toward Grayface, who bent and scooped it up before it could settle motionless on the ground.
"Here's another couple for ya," the warrior said to his necklace. He untied it from his neck and threaded a new shiny cog from each of the automatons onto his talisman, adding to the growing collection.
"You'll get no argument from me, friend," Grayface replied to Rallos' suggestion.
Ea takes a moment to heal Rallos and Grayface's wounds
Despite the regal trappings of this room, the padded chair on a dais, the wall coverings and the - now defunct - automata standing guard, their is little of note or interest within the room. A second look at the lever - capped with black enamel - reveals that it has been wedged into an upwards position with a shard of metal...
Of the two doors in the alcove in the south east corner of the room, listening at either of them doesn't reveal the presence of anyone / anything - and the one in the western wall of the alcove is locked firmly shut.
Gray fished out a piton from his pack to be used as a tool, then went to work trying to dislodge the shard of metal that wedged the lever in place.
"No wonder we couldn't budge the one in the other room."
Seeing the fierce warrior having trouble, Yasmin places a soothing hand on him. "You should take Rallos's advice. Catch your breath, then try it again."
Maybe dexterous fingers would have better chances of success than a feat of pure strenght, Grayface? Let Rallos have a try...
Aye...sometimes finesse is needed. Step aside Gray, I'll handle this. Rallos says as he slaps Gray's shoulder in a jovial manner, a grin on his face as well. He checks the area first.
After confirming that nothing untoward will happen upon interfering with the shard of metal wedged against the lever, Rallos feels around for any movement in the metal or the panel surrounding it… feeling some flexibility, he turns and twists the shard slightly clockwise before, with a sharp yank, he pulls it free. The shard of metal itself seems to be a worthless piece of junk however, a quick exploratory pull on the lever confirms that it is now free.
Rallos adds notes to the map of the level, in particular the position of the levers.
The door awaits us. Shall we proceed?
Gray stands beside Rallos, ready to explore onward.
Swinging the eastern facing door open, Rallos is confronted with a curved bronze wall – a rhythmic ticking noise can be heard from beneath your feet and, touching the wall, there is a very gentle vibration.
Yasmin doesn't like this situation much. "That sounds suspicious. I kind of want to try the south door instead. What do you all think?"
South is fine by me.
- Both coloured levers were jammed shut: 'Black' is no longer jammed and is in an 'up' position.
As you debate the way forwards, you become aware of a voice calling for help - it seems to be coming from somewhere to the south...
"Do you all hear that voice? Sounds like someone needs help. Maybe we finally found those missing scholars? Let's try this locked door to the west."
Sir Rallos, would you be kind enough to open the door, please?
Rallos inspects the door, then goes about trying to pick the lock.
Rallos’ first attempt at opening the door succeeds in little more than bending one of his skeleton keys…. But with a little more concentration, and a relieved confirmation that the lock is not trapped, he eventually manages – with a satisfying click of tumblers - to unlock the door. Pushing the door open reveals someone’s bedquarters, currently unoccupied, this bedchamber is furnished with a closed desk and plush chairs, a large bed strewn with pillows, a thick carpet, and hanging tapestries in scarlet and gold. A fire crackles in an iron stove in one corner.
The voice calling for help, coming from somewhere to the south of this room, becomes more insistent…
Rallis heads to the secret door and tries to see how it opens
The secret door is also locked however, with time and a little finesse, Rallos opens it… out into the corridor that leads between Klarkosh’s trophy room and the ‘throne room’ where you defeated the pair of automatons…
The voice - still pleading for rescue - is coming from the only door in the corridor, to the east, that you haven’t explored.
Gray shook his head as he marveled at the attention to detail and perceptive nature of his tiefling friend. He always seemed to find the secrets, pick the delicate lock, and keep us safe by disarming some diabolical trap. That skill set was something Grayface could only dream of attaining.
Hearing the voice growing more insistent, the warrior took the lead back into the corridor and stood by the door.
Working on the lock until it opens, Rallos ushers Grayface into a room that has clearly been used as a prison of sorts... Rows of iron bars anchored in the floor and ceiling divide this room into three smaller cells. Two of the cells are empty, but a gaunt, black-haired man in the tattered robes of a mage lies on a simple straw pallet in the southern cell - with a weak voice, he calls out, "Thank Nethys, my prayers have been answered... Can you? Can you unlock these doors?"
Of course I can....Yasmin, if you could check for any sort of magic on the door please?
"There's magic on all these doors," notes the sorceress. But she obliges to see if the door seems different. She calls out to the mage. "Are you one of those scholars from Thornkeep? From the Goldenfire Order? If so, your leader was quite worried about you and one of your companions."
The sorry looking figure within the cell struggles to his feet as Rallos works at the locked cell door – again, it takes a few attempts to work the lock open and the bedraggled fellow starts to fret as Rallos struggles. When it finally opens with a mechanical click, the cell door swings open and the man finally stops panicking and replies to Yasmin, ”Iliara sent you? Then all is not lost… I am indeed Jharun of the Goldenfire Order in Thornkeep. My colleague Tiawask and I came to the Emerald Spire two weeks ago—perhaps three or four weeks by now—to explore the dungeons. We made our way down past the Undine when we were ambushed by a minotaur and dragged before its master, a Numerian wizard named Klarkosh. He accused us of spying on him and threw us in these cells, but Tiawask escaped—she’d managed to conceal a potion of gaseous form in her boot. She promised to go get help, but that was days and days ago, and she hasn’t returned. I don’t know if she even made it all the way out”.
Letting go of the bars of his cell, Jharun suddenly staggers forwards… the exertion of even standing appearing to get the better of him, ”We must get back to Fort Inevitable – I must find out if Tiawask made it back… Will you help me? I fear I am too fatigued to make it back unaided”.
Yasmin offers the man a drink of water to help him get his strength back.
"That minotaur was quite fierce - nearly cut Rallos here in two! But you'll be glad to know we took care of him. We also had this Klarkosh fellow on the run, but he's hidden himself behind a maze of doors. I'd hate to leave, but I don't like the thought of just leaving you here either. Say, do you know anything about how the red and black levers work in this place?"
"The minotaur ambushed us as well. It nearly killed Rallos, there." Grayface subconsciously scratched at his scalp, sympathetically feeling a tingle where Rallos' wound would have been, had it been he in his friend's place.
"Are you a mage? Don't you have a spellbook or other belongings somewhere around here that we should retrieve first? I also do not like the idea of leaving Klarkosh behind, giving him adequate time to heal and regroup."
I think we should put an end to Klarkosh, before we go. You should stay there, Jahrun, where you are safe. We should soon be back.Do you need some healing?
- Jharun appears to be entirely truthful.
Sipping at the water offered by Yasmin, Jharun answers in a shaky voice, "I can walk... Just about... But Klarkosh, he seems more powerful than I would have expected for a fugitive from the technic league - I thought them to be charlatans but he has true power. You should exercise great caution if you seek to end his dominion of the Spire.". With a voice tinged in regret, Jharun admits that Klarkosh has taken his spellbook and that he will be of little use in any battles ahead, "Better maybe that I wait here?"
"As to the doors and levers, I have had little opportunity to examine them - Tiawask supposed that the red lever controlled some of the doors and the black, the others... Moving them upwards or downwards seemed to rotate certain corridors? We only examined one panel before we were ambushed..."
And finally, answering Ea, "Rest and food, that is what I need... and to feel the sun on my face once more... So, thankyou Pharasmin, but save your healing".
The other cells are unlocked and are completely empty other than a small hard bunk in each.
Let's found Klarkosh.Fate will tell.
- the trail that you followed into the 'Throne Room' appears to head eastwards from the room - stopping at the brass wall.
There is probably a lever somewhere that can move this wall... We must find it, the quicker the better.
There is a black capped lever in the 'Throne Room' - it is currently in an 'Up' position and, after Rallos removed the metal fragment that had wedged it in position, can be moved. In the large workshop there are two levers, a black capped one ('Up' and movable) and a red capped one - currently locked in a 'down' position.
How many spells have you three cast? Do you feel confident facing Klarkosh with what you have? Or should we escort Jharun back and tackle Klarkosh fully prepared?