"Well, that's fun." Javell sighs, "Well, that's why I carry around a dozen daggers, I suppose. And Desna has been with me recently- I didn't even know it was possible to have a blade curve after I throw it."
Kibbo and Jarrdreg point Laro to the western passage, away from the fiery glow of the east, and the halfling stealthily moves ahead, blending into the darkness so well that even his comrades have a hard time discerning his form.
The short passageway to the west ends at a door but the kobolds point north to another passageway heading deeper into the gloom. The party feels their spirits start to dim in this depressing and abandoned shrine to the vile god Droskar. Aelerie does note however that the ruby she carries has started to shine again dimly. Kibbo and Jarrdeg look at the ruby with wild eyes and try to stay away from it while Whisper pads along but sticks close to Albus.
Soon the passage north splits to a four way intersection. To the east the group sees a long passageway, to the west is an open door through which an uncomfortable looking stone bed can be seen.
Just as the kobolds point Laro further north an evil hiss rises from the darkness ahead of the stealthy halfing!
A floating dwarven form shrouded in full plate approaches from ahead. The air about this dwarven specter shimmers eerily, and the walls and floor sizzle and smoke where it passes. The thing’s boots scorn the earth, gliding a full foot above the masonry floor. It drags a cruel bloodletter axe in the air behind it. It glides silently towards the group!
The kobolds yelp in panic and push past the others to the back of the group where they cower in the rear. Whisper joins them and the kobolds are so scared that they don't even hiss or nip at the fox!
The rest of the group faces off against the dwarven specter. Aside from Aelerie they can see something odd about it. Like a... transparent shimmer of some sort surrounding the advancing ghostly armor.
Javell thinks fast, "Wait! We're here to help you!"
If the specter listens, he continues, "We've come to reclaim this temple for Torag." He looks around wildly, "Aelerie! Show him the gem!"
At the same time, in his hand, his starknife glows slightly more, in a more white-gold color.
Aelerie looks at the ruby in her hand as it flares to life once more. Taking note of the kobolds' reactions to it, she is about to ask them what they know of the ruby when the hissing sound fills the chamber. So the legend is true? Poor Druingar... Before she can continue to feel sorry for the loss of the Dwarven hero, his specter advances and the kobolds jostle her in their attempt to hide behind her and Virdel. It isn't until Javell snaps something at her that Aelerie is able to tear her eyes away from the ghost. "What? ...Oh! Here!" she shouts, holding up the dimly glowing ruby over the heads of her taller companions. "We were able to use it to cleanse the altar on the main floor. We hoped to do the same for any shrines we found down here!"
The oncoming specter seems singularly unimpressed by both Javell's words and Aelerie's ruby.
Albus looks at the apparition, thinking I can't fight a ghost. and leans left and says,"Let Aelerie see this... What am I looking at and what do I do about it?"
What does Albus know, if anything? Bonuses supplied by GM.
"It's still coming," Aelerie says as an aside to Javell, uncertainty evident in the tone of her voice. This seemed to her to be a matter best decided by those in touch with the divine. The thought of striking down the ghost of a Dwarven hero left the arcanist conflicted, particularly when said ghost had not, as yet, taken hostile action against them. Still, as her left hand holding the ruby drops back down to rest by her side, her right hand reaches for the wand strung through her belt loop.
As Albus leans to the side, Aelerie tries to get a clearer look of what they were facing off against.
When Albus' points out the odd border travelling with the ghost Aelerie's mind snaps into action.
Straining her eyes against the darkness of the northern corridor, Aelerie can just make out the shimmering aura surrounding the "ghost", but once she does, she gasps in surprise. "Ooze!" she exclaims, perhaps sounding a little mad for a few moments. "It isn't the ghost of Glintaxe, it's an ooze that's, well... digested him. Considering what it's doing to the floors and walls, I think it's safe to say that it's fairly corrosive. But it hasn't eaten Glintaxe's things, so I think your weapons should be safe to use against it."
No longer concerned about the morality of attacking a ghost, Aelerie points a thin finger at the gelatinous cube and sends a blast of icy wind at the thing, more testing for its weaknesses than expecting to significantly damage it.
"Luckily for us, they're fairly slow."
Aelerie's icy blast hits an area near the armor and causes a ripple that seems to make the very air around the armor vibrate for a moment. If it wasn't obvious before it is now that what is advancing on the party is a very large cube of jelly with armor encased in it.
It's hard to tell if the magical attack did any damage though. It is a very very large cube and the attack was not very damaging.
Laro looks over his should at the group and holds up his hand to stop them. "I don't know how quick that thing is but it may be best to let it follow us as we attack it from range."
Dungeoneering and local +8
"Ok guys. We need to stay forty feet from it and we should be safe as it can only move slowly. It will take a lot of damage from us though and is immune to electricity. If it hits you it can paralyze you so we need to keep moving. Fire and move and keep your distances." Laro instructs the group.
Albus loops his axe back and readies his bow. Two move actions.
Albus sighs, "Well fighting it has to be better than a ghost."
Javell hangs his starknife from his belt and draws a dagger, "True enough, but this will take a while."
Laro moves back ten feet and sheathes his shortswords.
Albus loops his axe back and readies his bow. Two move actions.
Albus sighs, "Well fighting it has to be better than a ghost."
Javell sends a dagger spinning at the ooze, drawing a new one as he backs up.
Albus, now ready, launches arrows at the mindless thing.
Standard arrows, arrow attack, threatens critical on 20. Rapid shot 1
Longbow damage
If threat is made, confirm critical.
Critical damage.
Standard arrows, arrow attack, threatens critical on 20. Rapid shot 2
Longbow damage
If threat is made, confirm critical.
Critical damage.
Longbow damage
If threat is made, confirm critical.
Critical damage.
As per usual, Virdel begins the combat by invoking a blessing upon his companions, then moving as far away towards safety as possible.
The almost transparent cube wobbles furiously as Javell's dagger and Albus' arrows slam into it as the group backs up. The dwarven armor seems to vibrate as the jelly it is encased in soaks up the damage.
Ooze 28
The ooze advances blocking the intersection that Laro was at just a moment ago. None of you are very experienced with such foes but the tears in the surface of the cube and the leaking fluids seem to indicate that it has taken a fair bit of damage from the groups attacks.
"Fire again and move back into the first room." Laro says as he retrieves his short bow while moving back again.
Javell, still backing up, sends another one of his seemingly endless daggers flying at the creature.
Javell's dagger causes another large gash to appear on the cube as it embeds itself deep into the gelatinous monster. More fluid leaks from the cube making large sizzling noises as it lands on the stone floor.
Albus moves back 20' and when the line of fire is clear, fires again single shot.
Standard arrows, arrow attack, threatens critical on 20. Bless
Longbow damage
If threat is made, confirm critical., Bless
Critical damage.
"Yes, fall back into the the obelisk room, be prepare to run out the entrance at need."
In Draconic "Go to the room where we met you. Follow the mighty magic murderer."
"I told the kobolds to follow Aelerie, Master Harg could you also keep an eye on them, please?"
The kobolds are only too happy to flee from the terrifying ghost. Muffled draconic cries of Can't kill Glint Axe! and Glint Axe eat everything jumble together as the kobolds retreat to the obleisk they were mining.
Whisper, yipping constantly, also retreats to the edge of the steps that lead back upstairs. He doesn't like underground places he's discovered.
Albus' arrows lodge deep into the cube, causing a new leak that dribbles fluid all over the floor. It is looking in very bad shape.
Virdel withdraws his crossbow and tries to finish off the would-be ghost.
Virdel's bolt seems to push the cube over some weird internal biological edge as the large creature loses its internal coherence. With a final wobble the whole mass collapses into a gooey puddle. As it goes the armor and axe that were trapped in it fall to the floor with a thud and a clatter.
As the puddle spreads out from the spot where the cube died the fluid that made up its body sizzles and starts to evaporate into thin air. Soon there's nothing left but some goop stuck to the axe and the armor.
Around the corner the kobolds continue to cover next to the ancient monument proclaiming the glory of Droskar while Whisper looks around alertly from the edge of the steps.
Once the ground stops sizzling, Aelerie moves to inspect the axe and armor left behind by the cube. A lilting incantation sets her eyes aglow, allowing the arcanist to perceive any mystical auras surrounding the gear. As she concentrates, she addresses the kobolds in their mother tongue. "The Great Liberators can slay anything," she says, hoping to inspire the kobolds' awe in them and, more to the point, their loyalty. "Now, Jarrdeg, Kibbo, come show us where to go from here."
Aelerie detects an aura of moderate transmutation on the battleaxe. It glows faintly in the dark.
There is nothing magical about the fullplate though it does look remarkably well made. Needs a little cleaning though.
Jarrdeg and Kibbo creep forward cautiously at Aelerie's words and the cessation of violence. They peek around the corner and their tails start swishing around madly at the sight of the axe and armor lying on the ground Flying Ghost Dwaf dead dead! and Yes yes come come Great Liberators come the squeaks.
Whisper for his part sniffs at the armor and shies away. This is something he can't eat.
The kobolds motion North again.
"This battleaxe has been enchanted. It looks like the magic used was... oh..." Leaving off further inspecting the fallen Druingar's gear, Aelerie begins to search the floor for Javell's daggers, looking just a bit frantic. "Shoot, shoot, shoot! I thought that since Glintaxe's weapons hadn't been dissolved by the ooze, that yours would be safe to use against it. I didn't realize that they were special-made to resist corrosion."
Javell shrugs, "Ah, it's fine. Mind you, I'm happy they're intact, but I have so many of them it doesn't matter if I lose one or two every now and then. I just would need to buy a few more once we got back in town."
"Oh, okay. Good." With tension she had initially felt between her and Javell just beginning to ebb, Aelerie is relieved to not have been inadvertantly responsible for destroying his daggers. "But if they had been, I would have been glad to pay for your replacements. For future reference," she says with a slight smile, going back to inspect Glintaxe's gear. She uses her cleaning cantrip to clear away the cube jelly from the battleaxe and the full plate armor. "If anyone could use either of these, I think it would be a nice way to honor Druingar's memory. He gave his life trying to cleanse the monastery of evil and Droskar's influence. Otherwise, we might want to consider leaving them for now."
It looks very nice and shiny with the remnants of the ooze cleaned off. The only other thing Aelerie can say is that it seems much... lighter.. than it should be is all she can really say.
Javell, you can tell that this full plate is made from mithral.
"Seems perfect for a soldier like yourself!" cheers Virdel when Javell identifies the armor. "Will anyone wield the axe?"
When the others are ready, he follows them to the north.
Albus shows little interest in the armor, but does check out the axe. He trusts Aelerie but he'll check the feel for himself, if it seems superior he'll take it along, if not it hold little interest for him, personally. Since it's not that heavy he'll haul it for the heirs, though. Albus does not want to be over-weighted, unless the armor is very light he'll leave it, he doesn't care what it's cash value is, if it don't help save the kids, it's trash.
Judge the axe.
"Checking the axe out, if the feel is nice I'll use it until we locate his heirs. How much does that armor weigh? If it's too much, I'll be slow carrying it and I can't afford to do that now. Perhaps Master Laro, can bear the weight, I've noticed you're very strong. His family would no doubt appreciate its return." It doesn't seem to occur to Albus that keeping the items would seem reasonable to others.
Laro shakes his head and says, "While I COULD bear the weight, it's best if I travel light. He helps with sneaking up on things. If needed I could carry back to town if no one can use it. It should bring a pretty penny in town."
Laro, you know this could be sold for around 5000 gold. You are also canny enough to realize that armor belonging to a former Dwarven hero would fetch a higher price from the right merchant.
Javell you know that full plate is very heavy and incredibly good at protecting a person. Mithral makes it much lighter though.
Albus, this is a one handed by battleaxe and you know how it is similar to and different from your great Axe.
It weighs twenty five pounds.
Whatever the group decides to do with the armor they continue on North as the komolds point them up the passage. Just as they pass the point where they first saw the gelatinous cube Laro hears shouting and screaming as he scouts in front. It sounds like a lot of angry kobolds and... Human children!
Albus abandons the armor with the comment, "Still think it should be returned to his heirs if they can be found, but that can wait."
If Albus hears the kids he'll move up to Laro, otherwise he's back waiting for Laro's report.
Aelerie smiles faintly at Albus' comment. It was a noble ambition, trying to return Glintaxe's valuables to his family, but it had been years since Druingar had visited Falcon's Hollow, and the only folks who knew from where the Dwarven hero hailed were likely those who had been carousing the night away at The Sitting Duck with him. Still, although she wasn't particularly hopeful of finding anyone in town who could recall where the Dwarf came from - much less being able to track down his surviving family - Aelerie decides that she will help with the impossible task once they get back to town, for as long as she can convince the others to hold off on selling it.
As she waits for Laro to return with his findings, the kobolds' earlier mention of the children comes to mind. Turning to them, Aelerie says in their language, "Jarrdeg, Kippo... when I asked about the young pink-skins earlier, you called them "bloodbags for the crown". What did you mean by that?"