The Dark is Rising - WotW Part I (COMPLETED) (Inactive)

Game Master Darkness Rising

Tkaara looks to the others:
What do you think these metal snakes and shriekers are?

If the way out is opposite the stairway, we shall have to remember that. Or is the trick a trick. Hmmm.

Felrin scans the hallway and door carefully for the presence of magic or any other surprises. As he does so, he says brusquely, ”Decide if we’re bringing him with us, or if it’s safer for him to wait here while we make sure the way is safe. Then let’s get moving.”

”What did the boy say about metal snakes?” Felrin says, still very intent on the short hallway past the door. ”When you all aren’t talking, I can just hear something past the next door, something rustling. It sounds like it might be…metallic.”

With a quick look over his shoulder at Timeon, he asks, ”What else did this woman say about the metal snakes?”

Timeon thinks hard. "Um, she said cobras. Vicious. Metal. Sorry, that's all I can remember." He looks pleadingly at Etna. "Please don't leave me here..."

"Well, looks like we know what's in the next room then." Etna nods at Felrin's mention of metallic noises.
"Don't worry Timeon: we'll go forward, clear the next room of those metal snakes, and then call you when we're done, yes? Wait here for a couple of minutes: with that arm in those conditions, it'll be too dangerous to get in a fight. Just try to stomach this dreadful room for only a little longer, and then we'll get out. We'll leave the door half open so some light gets in." the ifrit says with a comforting smile, looking the boy in the eyes.
Ah, this is much better than gutting guards. Talking, befriending, convincing people...while getting some benefits for yourself. As natural as breathing.

Yes, it would be best to stay back. You are injured and we do not know what might be next. Metal cobras may just be the start of whatever evil may lie ahead.

Tkaara is not really paying attention to the kid.

Timeon looks reassured by Etna's tone and remarks. "You are right, I should keep out of your way." He shudders but does his best to look brave.

Putting an almost reassuring hand on Timeon's shoulder for a brief moment, Erevan moves forward, joining Felrin. "So, what do you think? Perhaps me and the good doctor should take the lead? If we are to be fighting... metal cobras, your injuries could prove problematic." He then adds with a crooked smile, "And it would be a pity to lose our leader so early in the Trial and our new existence." He appears to be joking... possibly. There is a hint of camaraderie in the words, however.

Felrin studies Erevan's face a moment, and carefully considers the tone in the quiet man's voice. It sounds as if he might actually care if I live or die...though he may just be trying to keep me alive to better his own chances for survival. In any case, he's right.

"Yes, that'd be fine," he replies, "thank you for your concern." Turning so his back is squarely to Timeon, he adds, "Going through this place wounded is likely a foolish thing to do. I can't repair my hand here, but I can heal some of the damage I've suffered." He lays one hand on his chest, slipping the other inside his shirt to touch his holy symbol. A brief red glow passes from his hand to his chest, and he feels a searing energy pass through him, healing his wounds. He then steps away from the door to let Erevan lead the way.

As Erevan cautiously opens the door, he hears the same voice - but the mouth itself is not clearly visible.

Erevan and Ottakar can both see the room as the door swings open the rest of the way: another 30 foot by 30 foot chamber, this one has walls of shining brushed steel, and a dark obsidian floor.

The most interesting feature however is the two snakes. They are made entirely of mithral. Even if you haven't seen mithral before, you recognise it: it's what silver wants to be when it grows up, shining, alive - and fast.

Even as you appreciate their beauty and grace, they are upon you. Their quicksilver hoods unfold, just as it does in the true cobras. Truly, constructs of artifice, grace and lethality.

Round 1
Even before she is able to say anything, Tkaara's sparkling eyes roll back into her head so that her eye sockets appear to be windows into the darkest star filled night sky imaginable. As this happens, she speaks in a voice not her own in a strange alien tongue. When she finishes, she motions with her hand causing tiny meteors to appear. These unerringly strike the snakes causing the snakes to sparkle with an unearthly hue, and making the forsaken more sure of the accuracy of their blows.

Then, as suddenly as it began, Tkaara's eyes return to their normal rather unnatural sparkly appearance.

Gang up on one unless someone has a better plan.

With that, she draws her mace and moves to flank with Erevan.

Round 1
"Watch out." Etna says as she concentrates on a spell, quietly chanting the formula. Pointing at the ground where the two cobras are, a slick substance emerges under the constructs, as it was seeping out of the obsidian floor.
Mithral snakes? I've never seen something like this...

Well... crap. Yeah, well aware of the mithral=silver thing... I assume they slithered on through the door then? Can't imagine that Erevan and I just waltzed in to get chomped.

The Doctor hisses in pain at the unexpected, painful bite, but his powerful constitution overcomes the creature's venom. He tries lashing out in response with his quarterstaff, but mistimes the blow and hits nothing but the floor.

Letting out a small groan of pain as the snake's bite finds flesh, he manages to fight off the poison that accompanies the strike. Taking only a moment to get a better look at the strange creature -if a creature it truly is- he strikes back with his spear, the attack a simple thrust at its metallic body.

Felrin has a Round 1 action outstanding, but I'm going into Round 2 now - just post both actions together

Neither Erevan nor Ottakar manage to hit the snakes, which are both small, agile and well-armoured. In reply, the two cobras rear and bite once more.

"Yes, that was foolish of me..." the ifrit mutters to herself in frustration, hurling a ball of acid against one of the snakes.

Frustrated at not being able to get at the snakes, Felrin calls out, "Let's back up, bring them through the door so we can all fight them!" He conjures a viscous, yellow glob into his open hand, droplets of it falling to the floor and sizzling fiercely on contact with the stone. He tosses the translucent yellow mass at one of the metal serpents, then takes a few steps back into the torture room, creating space for the others to back up and bring the fight into the room.

Tkaara also withdraws back to the last room and readies an action to attack the snakes when they follow. She also calls to the kid.

Get behind something, we are bringing the snakes to us.

Ottakar growls in frustration and retreats with the others.

I only used my Standard Action last round: can I take the move action to clear the way?
Like the others, the ifrit falls back to the previous room, into a more favorable position.

ROUND 3

As the party moves to a better tactical position, the snakes follow - they are slowed by Etna's grease spell, but still moving swiftly. However, they lack anything resembling true intelligence and therefore you are able to take full advantage: moving into flanking positions, and thus (hopefully) able to pick them off individually.

Certainly the new plan seems to work at first - the snakes strike out but are unable to hit their targets this round.

Once again the metallic snake's fangs bite deep, once again Erevan manages to fight off the poison before moving back into the corridor along with the rest of his comrades-in-arms. Although the strange constructs give chase, this time they are not as successful with their attacks and the golden-eyed man manages to position himself better and retaliate with a strike of his own.

Round 3

Once the snakes arrive, she helps work on snake 1 with Erevan, and hopefully everyone else.

With her fellow villains wailing on the constructs, Etna tries to aim an arcing shot to avoid hitting them by mistake. Homever, the green orb flies too high, and uselessly splat on the door.

As the metal serpents move into position, Felrin unleashes a furious rain of attacks on them, gritting his teeth and suffering the agony of fighting with his injured hand. He's able to fight quite effectively in spite of the pain - pain which only strengthens his resolve to kill Tiadora.

Missed I had a crit.

Tkaara's mace strikes the metal creature with a resounding thud, partially crushing it's mithril exterior. (Total Damage 19 of a 23 hits).

The Docotor moves into position to strike the nearest serpent that is still active.

Despite their extreme resilience and ability to absorb incredible amounts of punishment (Erevan's spear did barely more damage than Etna's successful acid splash and Ottakar didn't connect at all), your combined efforts and superior tactical positioning enable you to reduce both snakes to scrap metal in but a few moments.

Or seriously overkill one of them, take your pick ;)

Timeon watches wide-eyed from the corner and cheers as the snakes finally stop twitching. "Mitra be praised! What a victory for the Light against vile dark magics!"

"Is everyone still on their feet?" the ifrit asks to her companions. "As soon as everyone catches their breath, we can check the room were the cobra were.". She turns to Timeon, smiling gently "I didn't see anything else, but it's best to be sure. We'll call you when it's all clear."

"O - of course, my lady." Timeon stares at Etna in awe. You get the impression he doesn't see much of the opposite sex.

Tkaara looks down at the crushed forms of the former snakes.
Pretty shiny, anyone know what they were made out of? Looks like it might be worth something. She reaches down and picks up a shiny scale that broke off one when she hit it. Hard but light, might make good armor if anyone knows anything about blacksmithing.

"Well," Erevan remarks as he crouches down and starts taking a better look at the pile of metal that only moments ago was a pair of constructs built to look like snakes, "perhaps it is silver? Their bite did seem to hurt Ottakar more than the guards' arrows back at the prison."

Felrin casts an appraising eye over the metal forms of the snakes, fascinated more by their construction than by what they're made of. Nonetheless, he offers his thoughts on the material to Tkaara, "It's not silver. I don't recall what the metal is called, but I agree, it's very strong and light. I've seen it used in the making of very fine springs, in the most valuable clocks. This much of it would be worth a fortune, I know that."

Felrin, with Tkaara's help, is able to surmise that the scrap from the cobras might well be of value. Picking through the wreckage, they are able to discard the dross and end up with around 2 pounds of mithral (or at least, what they're pretty sure is mithral).

As they do so, the fiendish maw reappears suddenly in the centre of the chamber - Timeon gives a strangled scream of surprise as it speaks again:

Following Etna into the room where the cobras were, it looks initially like a dead end: the walls are one seamless facing of brushed steel, which reflect the light from the overhead lamp. After some minutes of careful searching however, Erevan and Ottakar are able to locate the faintest outline of a door.

Between them, Felrin and Erevan manage to work out and activate the mechanism; it swings open noiselessly. Beyond is a passageway. Unlike the others, it is completely unlit; the light from the room extends no more than 20 feet or so. Beyond that, it is dark.

Although clearly able to see the passage, her clouded vision is unable to penetrate to the end of the passage.

Interesting. Another te . . . She glances over at the boy. Another trap of some sort? I would have never have expected Mitrans to have creates such a place. There are some dark secrets in those noble families.

Timeon shudders and clutches at the Mitran sunburst embroidered on his tabard. "Mitra preserve us! What if we're not in fair Talingarde any longer? What if..." he breaks off, staring in mute horror down the dark passageway, as if expecting some nameless fiendish horror to come from out of the Pit and claim him.

Tkaara looks back at the boy:
What if we are still in Talingarde, but it has deserted you? If it deserted you, would you run back with open arms hoping for redemption? Or restitution? Or would you work to fix it? To repair the flaws that fester just beneath the fair complexion the Mitrans seek to propound?

Timeon looks doubtfully at Tkaara, before nodding solemnly. "You are right, my lady - I would stand with Sir Balin and Mitra to crush the enemy and reclaim the land!" He does his best to look fierce. Being the lone hero who saves the kingdom is a reasonably common daydream for the Knights of the Alerion - and squires too, it appears.

Leaving Tkaara to keep the Mitran distracted, Felrin nods to Erevan, gesturing for him to lead the way down the dark hallway. ”I’ll go second, since I can see,” he says quietly. ”Let’s see what’s around that bend.”

"Yes, let's," Erevan agrees as he moves warily forward, spear at the ready. Despite the time constraints associated with these... tests, he is not one to rush carelessly, especially when there is still quite a bit of time left on the clock.

You don't spot any traps as you proceed carefully down the corridor, which (apart from the absence of torches) is very like the previous corridors. The same eyeless paintings seem to follow you with their gaze; this is - somehow - more unnerving in black and white than it was in the flickering torchlight.

In the absence of burning pitch, you can smell the cellar: here, it smells dry, and dusty; the air is cool, but not stale.

As you turn the corner, you see that the corridor continues for another 40 feet or so, before it reaches another doorway. This door looks the same as the previous doors: unremarkable.

Are you moving to the door, going back to report, or something else entirely?

Etna smiles bitterly to herself at Timeon's enthusiasm.
Poor boy. He remembers me of my family: raised by Talingrade and Mitra to have the utmost faith in other human beings, in naivete and weakness, only to be subjected by the stronger and tricked by the more cunning...
"Hold on, I'll make some light-" absorbed in her thoughts, the ifrit is about to cast a spell to shed some light, when she suddenly stops.
"Didn't Timeon said something about a shrieker that raises the dead when it sees light or movement? Felrin, Erevan, if you go in there, watch out. What if we could deactivate this shrieker and prevent it from awakening the corpses?" she warns the golden eyed man and the tiefling, glancing at the paintings on the side.

Tkaara nods to Etna's statement:
Yes. But, do we have to go through the room at all? We have already had to find concealed and secret doors several times. Perhaps there is a way to avoid this shrieker thing, and thereby avoid the undead altogether.

The Doctor stands aloof, waiting for the other two men to come back from scouting.

Timeon looks anxious as Erevan and Felrin disappear into the corridor. "H- how can they see in the dark?"

As the minutes stretch away with no sign or sound from them, he becomes visibly more nervous. "What if they don't come back? What if there's something in the darkness and it's swallowed them up?! Why is Mitra letting this happen to me..."

Tkaara turns aside and smiles, and then absentmindedly says:
Perhaps Mitra has deserted you in your time of need. Perhaps he only protects those of noble standing and leaves the rest to fend for themselves.

Still waiting on Felrin and Erevan. Only so much we can say to mess with the kid's mind.

Timeon looks stricken. "Deserted me?! B- but why?? What have I done? How do I get back in his good graces? Please, my lady, you seem to know much - what must I do?"