"A mutation due to exposure to the chaotic roil of interplanar energies, unless I miss my mark! Entirely irreversible by any magical means at OUR disposal I fear... but there's always prayer..."
Alvaster gives Forrest a sad little shrug.
"Of course, one could look at this instead as a physical problem. Unless those new gnashers are inclined to regenerate, we could just pull them out and substitute whatever we like! Quite an opportunity, really."
"Hang on to those old teeth of yours," he advises, "we could probably lacquer and set them in a false palate. Perhaps a little project for when things calm down a bit, eh?"
Unless those new gnashers are inclined to regenerate, we could just pull them out and substitute whatever we like!
"Hang on to those old teeth of yours," he advises, "we could probably lacquer and set them in a false palate. Perhaps a little project for when things calm down a bit, eh?"
Forrest nods glumly. He draws a large black silk handkerchief from his waistcoat, folds it into a pouch and prepares to drop the teeth into it
He pauses, considering the fabric for a moment
Stuffing the teeth into his pocket he draws the kerchief over his face, tosses his hat aside and pulls the hood of his cloak up over his head.
After considering his reflection for a moment in the burnished metal of a bulkhead he turns to his friends; His bright green eyes gaze out from beneath the shadows of his cowl, the rest of his face hidden by the kerchief.
"A ghastly situation I've found myself in...." His alien fangs give his voice a raspy jagged quality, as if he had been gargling shards of broken glass "...but I must say, this new look is quite spiffing don't you think?
Alvaster, of course, already wears a rag concealing his gaping sinuses.
"Works for me."
No way to tell when is midnight in this other-dimensional void, but Alvaster will take the middle watch anyway.
You are all exhausted after your trek through the Darkmoon forest, and the ensuing battle of Timutimu swamp. Occaisonally from the depths of this mysterious metal monolith you's think to hear distant hammering, or a creaking like water pipes from behind the walls, but aside from them there is nought but still air and each other's breathing.
After a long deserved repose, y'all fix your kits and investigate your surroundings.
Kimi leans against the heavy door with an anvil insignia and bathes in it's warmth. "Faaaah must be flames behind here eh! Probly like a furnace or something...maybe it's a dragons lair!" She seems as content as a kitten leaning against the metal portal.
As before the other doors are each marked with a curios stylized insignia...
a) An Anvil
b) A crown or maybe flames?
c) Maybe a box or crate?
d) A teardrop symbol
PICK A PATH!
"Crates would seem to imply storage and perhaps useful salvage" Forest mumbles through his mask "Mind you, a crown could mean treasure, or perhaps the chap in charge of this planar polygon"
Examining the crate door, Alvaster sees a hammer-shaped indentation which matches the amulet taken from the fallen dwarf.
He barely pauses to ponder before slammin' that bad boy home!
Hearing a whirring series of clicks, Alvaster concludes the amulet has connected with some unseen locking mechanism and caring not a jot for the likelyhood of this ancient door being connected to some hideous, jabbing or crushing, most heinous trap, he turns the amulet in its brass indentation as if it were striking the anvil embossed thereupon...
As he removes the Amulet from its niche, the great door laboriously rumbles upwards into some hidden cavity, revealing in the gloom beyond, a short flight of strangely askew stairs, which lead up a brass tiled wall, a few feet away...
Okay Alvaster might've been pretty gung ho about opening the door, but these stairs, given that they are not merely STRANGELY ASKEW but also ITALICIZED AS SUCH, they give him the bronze willies, and he is going to peep them most carefully for evidence of devilment.
Also the stairs just lead up to wall and END, is that right?
Or is there a landing up there with exits to right and left?
"Hmmm, another planar anomaly I suspect"
Forrest strokes his chin thoughtfully
Knowledge:Engineering: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
Looking carefully at the strangely made stairs you wonder if their strangeness is due to some intentional optical illusion...this strange polyhedronical stronghold seems undoubtably of an antiquity that would find it of Torag era construction, so surely these unusual steps couldnt just be the make of some half arsed, dozey tradesman. The steps seem to narrow at the middle and lengthen at the top and bottom. You cannot see any obvious doors or portals at the top landing, unless of course...
Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30
Forrest pokes his head around, peering up into the gloom within the doorway...
Looking up at the curious wall you follow it up through the dim light to what looks to be a heavy door, some thirty feet up above you.
It would seem the odd tiled wall is in fact the floor of a corridor...
Looking up at the curious wall you follow it up through the dim light to what looks to be a heavy door, some thirty feet up above you.
It would seem the odd tiled wall is in fact the floor of a corridor...
"How singular! Well, fortune favors the bold..."
He leaps forward into the room, flicking his feet out in front of him, attempting to land on the wall/floor in front.
He leaps forward into the room, flicking his feet out in front of him, attempting to land on the wall/floor in front.
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
The world spins around him yet he lands in a crouch, feet both anchored firmly on what was moments before a sheer wall.
Feeling the disorientation somewhat in his gut, Forrest looks up to see the curious image of the rest of his party, peering from the doorway like a family portrait nailed to the ceiling.
"WOOAH! Out of it!" It seemed Kimi's enthusiasm stemmed from a well that knew no drought. "You're walking on the wall like a gecko, dude!"
Okay, Alvaster follows. He moves forward gingerly, using the steps, with his arms outstretched for balance.
Alvaster follows. He moves forward gingerly, using the steps, with his arms outstretched for balance.
As you progress up/down the steps, it would seem to your perspective that it is the corridor that's moving rather than yourself...
Kimi follows after you both, slowly crawling down the steps with her eyes closed...
Forrest attempts to stealthily move up to the door and have a perceive/listen
Forrest pads quietly along the silent bronze passage, toward the large metal door. You cant help but admire the finely engraved Dwarven patterns on the portal's surface and notice it has two large iron rings at about knee height, which would seem to open the door by lifting it up into the ceiling.
As you place one hand against the engravings you notice that like the rest of the monoliths interior, a slight warmth, but not quite so fierce a heat as that of the Anvil door you inspected earlier.
Pressing your ear to the door, breathing out slowly and concentrating you seem, after a moment, to hear the faint sound of *Cracking* , a rumpus akin to what you might hear when people are chopping firewood.
Alvaster moves up behind Forrest, tamping down a slight sense of vertigo.
He takes several secons to examine the door for any mechanisms or signs of traps (to the best of his ability).
"Lord Velsharoon, unbind my mind!" he mumbles (casting Guidance)
Assuming he sees nothing that sparks his caution, Alvaster will offer to lift the door up a few inches or so to allow Forrest to peer through the gap at the bottom.
(He can even lend him a mirror to poke through and rotate around for a better view if we want to go full 'Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell' on it)
Assuming he sees nothing that sparks his caution, Alvaster will offer to lift the door up a few inches or so to allow Forrest to peer through the gap at the bottom.
(He can even lend him a mirror to poke through and rotate around for a better view if we want to go full 'Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell' on it)
"Sterling plan old chum" Forrest whispers. He draws his ornate elven sword and gestures at the bottom of the door " Lift it up a smidge and i'll have a goosey with the reflection from my blade"
Ham-fisted Play Report 5/3/14
Alvaster deduced (utilizing his savvy knowledge of engineering) that the large door need only be lifted slightly for a hidden mechanism to cause it to rise into a hollow in the ceiling.
With all courage and weapons ready, the party lifted the door only to be set upon by a multitude of disembodied inhuman hands!....
...which weren't animated but just some old prosthesises which had seemingly been piled up against the door.
Over the pile of neglected limbs, they could espy a large storage room of sorts, apparently with three doors of egress. Within there was some small helmeted folks going about the business of cracking open crates (most of which looked to contain more arms) but another bunch was loading a barrow with curious looking tools(?) or clockwork parts perhaps. They were being overseen by another figure, in slightly better looking armour, who upon spotting the doorway of gawking adventurers, pulled out a strange crossbow of sorts, which he leveled at the party, threateningly.
Forrest deduced the strangers were speaking a dialect of draconic and attempted to bluff them with the old scoobydoo routine, but bro in the fancy duds didnt seem to buy it.
Alvaster concluded that these folks were likely to be Kosmic Kobolds, and at this suggestion Kimi began to grind her teeth, the very thought of her most favoured enemy made her triggerfinger twitch indeed.
The group decided to win this fight by a hundred yards so backed off, sealing the door with a web. As they escaped back to the landing Forrest thought to hear words in that reptilian tongue to the effect of "Pull finger you mongrels, get those doo-dads back to the base, on the double!"
Alvaster also snagged one false arm on the way out, which seemed to be part of a more complicated apparatus...he popped it in his pack for further speculation
Seeing as that way was deemed a bit too hairy, Magnun approached the Anvil door, and once again using the dwarven amulet, began to open it up .
"Where there's a Dwarven forge, comrades, there's highfalooting dwarven weaponry....you savvy?" Smiled the argon aura'd sorcerer.
As the Anvil symbol rises up with the solid brass door, the stillness of atmosphere is suddenly beset by a gust of hot dry air.
Before them in the sweltering corridor, another flight of steps, such as before, defying physics and leading to a new wall/floor leading up to an open doorway, from which emanates an orange wavering light...
PLAY REPORT 19/3/14
Sneaking ahead, Forrest scouted the doorway with the shimmering haze. Beyond lay a room which had a layer of ash upon the floor, occaisonally disturbed by a gust of hot wind from another corridor, where the orange light seemed to emanate.
In alcoves around the walls, there were decorative anvils, except above an iron desk, scarred by fire, where there was a larger alcove which accommadated a ugly looking idol of some sort.
Reflecting on his knowledge and experience of ancient Dwarven culture, Alvaster figured it must have been an effigy of Droskar worship.
Searching amongst the ash underneath the iron desk, Magnun discovered some charred bones, in which a iron tube was nestled.
Tentatively he retrieved the tube, and fearing mischief, unscrewed the lid with all delicacy. When no bogey sprung forth, he looked within to see some coloured parchments.
One, a strange diagram on blue paper , was obviously some kind of exploding flute, deduced Alvaster.
The other parchment seemed to be a scathing memo of sorts, addresed to the Chief Smith of this unusual extraplanar outpost. It read thus...
Chief Smith Kettlebell,
Last weeks Ceremony of honour, celebrating the veterans of the recent Krullwar, was vastly sullied due to the malfuctioning Medals of Protection which you supplied. The sight of those heroes of past glory, frothing and stumbling with horrendous bewitchery, was an image of vast displeasure.
As our Chief Smith at the crossroads of our mighty empire, I praise by Droskar, you will curtail these inferior oversights and novice errs, lest you should be melted down to make room for one more skilled than yourself.
Kragesh Endiku,
Minister of Propaganda
With no other obvious booty laying about the party proceeded with caution down the corridor yet unexplored to discover the source of the mysterious radiance.
Forrest snuck ahead with Magnun close behind, the sorcerer sweating and puffing profusely in the ungodly heat.
Peering around the corner, using his polished sword as a mirror, he espied a unused Forge, molten metal still bubbling forth from the heart of this ancient workstation. Atop the forge flickering flames danced in the profound heat.
As Forrest leapt out, arrow nocked in cautious foresight, the strange flame grew suddenly to the height of a man, and a flaming phantom emerged.
Wreathed in fire, this horrible blighter seemed to be most displeased, and voiced his emotion through a frightful scream and set upon FOrrest. The Elf shot his arrow in defence but the Phantom swept it aside and it diminished to mere ash.
The monster set upon pummeling the group with flaming hits, and pressed them back down the hallway. Alvaster smelt a funk he was all too eager to get down with and intuitively attempted to Dominate Undead!
His guess proved true and the phantom stopped attacking, now a thrall of our heroes.
As they advanced into the forge, they were astounded by the sight above them, as the rhomboid monolith's interior opened up they could espy faintly passages and rooms extending across the inner faces of this great otherworldy place. In the centre of the brass monolith, there was a huge white orb, like of polished ivory, around which it seemd the entire outpost was constructed.
The party discovered nought but scorched and broken old tools within the forge, and a wallcarving depicting Dwarf smiths toiling away at their anvils
There was two new paths of egress from the forge, one of which was a large stout looking door. It was obviously locked but without much effort Magnun sprung the lock and swung the doors open.
Inside there was to be observed a excess of ingots! Before there was due time to investigate the mineral nature of each brick a whirring sound drew their attention to some mechanical humanoid unfolding from a heap on the ground, and intent on violence!
The party retreated, letting the Fire Phantom (newly named "Mr Burns") take the beats. Forrest greased up the ramp down to the forge in an attemt to hoodwink the new mechanical menace but as he charged down in pursuit of Mr Burns our unlucky crispy codger instead slipped and his enemy started stamping his iron foot onto Burns's scorched skull.
With deadly aim, Forrest delivered a hail of arrows peppering his foe with damage. The team continued to wail on this fresh menace but he was loathe to fall without reciprocating the pain, walloping Alvaster and Forrest good, while leaving Burns lying crushed in a greasy puddle, the Clocksucker moved towards Kimi who drew her repeating crossbow and with a bolt sent the thing crashing to the floor in a heap.
Regrouping, they took stock of themselves and Alvaster revived the busted to sh!t Mr Burns...
Forrest surveys the stacks of ingots
" Typical. Enough lucre to keep a chap in claret and dancing girls for a lifetime and no way to get it home."
He attempts to heft a metal brick from the nearest pile
"Hmmm, I'm no mineralogist but..."
This side of the room has a rather neat stack, of which you deduce to be of 98 x Bronze ingots and 5 x Iron ingots. They weigh 12 kg each.
Across the far side of room though, there is a big pile of slag and junked iron, amongst that mess there appears to be several other small stacks of metal bricks.
Across the far side of room though, there is a big pile of slag and junked iron, amongst that mess there appears to be several other small stacks of metal bricks.
Ok, well Forrest will go check out the other side of the room, wary for traps or robots or somesuch. He'll also keep an eye out for any sharp little fragments of slag that could perhaps be used as an arrowhead? Forrest is going to need to take "Craft: Arrers" at some point I think.
PLAY REPORT 26-3-14
Poking about in the jumble of abandoned metalwork projects, slag iron and busted tools, the party soon uncover a wealth of valuable ingots! Several Mithril and Gold bricks are stuffed into packs, and the team discard frivolous kit to make room.
Forrest pokes around in search of arrowheads but instead finds a few bundles of crossbow bolts and a fine +1 Mithril Shirt!
Searching the adjoining room, they discover more detritous of those slovenly dwarven smiths that once worked this unusual forge.
Alvaster dons a glittering Dwarven breastplate , which after inspection appeared to be enchanted to the +3!
He also shucked off his wooden shield in place of a fine shield, deep black with a steel rim, which was locked in a red box under a pile of junk. With their canny knowledge of spellcraft they deduced this magic shield to be an Absorbing Shield , which was quite the score indeed.
Also recovered from amongst the clutter were several heavy crossbows, the work of a master craftsman. A mysterious piston of strange make was also propped up on a hand trolley. Alvaster thought to make a battering ram with it but left the project to a later date.
There was also, curiously, the waist, legs and foot of some strange human sized effigy, with points of articulation matching the arm that they recovered earlier. Most curious, but they left the apparatus behind for later inspection.
Proceeding into the other, unexpllored corridor leading away from the forge, they opened a door which revealed beyond an onsen of sorts, in quite a state of disrepair, the large bathtub appearing full of stagnant brown muck.
Mr Burns was sent in to investigate the filthy pool, and recovered ( much to his displeasure), a large effigy of Torag, which appeared to have been purposefully submerged by some sacriligeous scallawag.
The room and its filth revealed very little to the adventurers. They poked around for ammo or parts for the mysterious object depicted on the blueprint they found earlier.
They found only a shred discarded newspaper, covered in oil and grease but with a few elligible paragraphs in Dwemer.
THE NOGROD EPOCH
PUGILISM GUIDE.
Darkwater belt, Final match.
The Warrandyke Rockbiter D. Norris "Titan" Trollbane.
TKO to the champ in 7th.
The rest of the scrap is illegible due to filth and oil, but flipping over, part of a front page headline remained readable.
...ARCHON GORAD ZUUL WINS 3RD TERM ELECTION...
...assures that by the grace of Droskar, the Sungate project shall be soon completed...
...treasures of the surface realm will be claimed for the benefit of all...
The party advanced through the onsen, into another corridor which appeared to defy physics as it led to another inner facet of this great bronze rhomboid.
The seemed at the end of a long corridor, a double door to their right and another two doors on either side of the corridor along to their left.
The length of the corridor was filled with strange junk and sheets of mangled bronze and iron. Steam escaped from some busted pipe to obscure more of what lay further down the passage but Forrest advanced boldy across the junk for a better look, unfortunately stepping on a pressure plate which scalded him with a jet of hot steam. Apparently a trap left by some mischievous rascal, probably not of the Dwarven origin...
Scouting further, Magnun peered around a corner with his mirror, spotting a gang of Kobolds in strange armour, all laying in wait with their orange boltthrowers ready to fire. The room beyond appeared to be a large, high vaulted common room of sorts, sunken a few feet, with a fountain in its centre.
Quickly formulating a plan of assault, the party assembled in preparation to storm the gates! Mr Burns charged first, leaping the crude barricade and amongst the frightened space Kobolds. The flaming fellow arched his back and seemed to glow with diabolical intent, before immolating in a huge supernova!
The remains of his foes rained down like boiling blood, the only survivor of the blast being an older Kobold, who ran shrieking to throw himself into the fountain. Remarkably, Burns was still alive after his kamikaze attack, but stood staggered and extinguished, like some emaciated and charred corpse.
More Kobolds appeared, including a handsome looking fellow in fine looking armour and they set to blasting our advancing heroes with a volley from their light throwing pistols.
Magnun threw up a web, entangling the fiends, and Forrest sent a few to sleep, only Burns was hellbent on some raging assault and beat them to death in their sleep.
Predicting their fates, several of the Kobolds escaped from their web and through a passage behind it, leaving but a few mooks to hold off the party of interlopers. These brave few where quickly despatched except for one survivor who was coerced into dropping his weapon...
Looking about at the charred and pulpy remains of his crewmates, the Kobold quickly submitted to the victorious adventurers...
A SUDDEN RECKONING!
All at once, Alvaster's spine jerks ram-rod straight!
He oscillates furiously! Objects come flying off his person and bounce across the floor!
50 foot of hemp rope!
A masterwork heavy crossbow and quiver with 25 bolts!
The rubbery arm of some kind of dwarven construct!
A whole tent!
Kimi leaps to catch the bundle of bolts as it shimmies from amogst Alvasters' shuckin' shapes.
"Keen!" She smirks, menacing the cowering space Kobold by peering at it down the sights of her repeating crossbow. "More of these mean less of those!"
Who else picked up one of the MWK Crossbows? Kimi now has 65 ammo's for 'em
Who else picked up one of the MWK Crossbows? Kimi now has 65 ammo's for 'em
Forrest contemplates his worryingly roomy quiver. He picks up an iron bolt and considers it carefully
"Hmmm, maybe with a little modification..."
He eyes the discarded crossbow
"...well I swore I'd never lower myself...but I suppose desperate times..."
He hefts the weapon with a grunt...
"Ugh, so inelegant"
..attempts to load a bolt and fails miserably, nearly impaling his foot with a wayward bolt...
" Bah, this is not the weapon of a gentleman!"
...and casts the crossbow to the floor in disgust.
"Desna's Ass! I'm a f#!$ing Elf ! I know Magic ! Surely there's a way I can cheat the system...
He idly scratches under his mask as he cogitates
"Perhaps a novel application of mirror image would work? I'm sure I read about a cantrip somewhere... perhaps when I have time to think...."
Crouched in fear, looking up at the hateful eyes of this human child towering above it, the defeated Kobold begins to whimper and whine in a most piteous fashion.
All around the vaulted commons lie the charred and mangled corpses of its brethren.
It murmers between sobs in its guttural draconic...
<The crew! The crew! We are helpless! We are lost! The crew! We're in some real pretty sh!t now!>
The small beast crumples to lie prone on the ground, quietly weeping in total submission...
While Alvaster is able to surmise the emotional gist from the kobold's whimpering and writhing about, he can contribute little to the interrogation.
"Hrm," he hums, glancing at the thing disdainfully before moving away to examine the dead.
He is intrigued by the creatures' beam weapons and is looking for one to examine, along with any other techno-magical marvels this unusual tribe may be bearing.
Deteck Magick!
"Lord Velsharoon, let the waft of the arcane congeal before mine eyes, just as days-sour milk splashed in a hot cup of tea!"
Seeing the battleground in a light of unholy divination, Alvaster detects several of the small light throwers .
There are some more scattered about the smoking ichor, though seemingly destroyed by Mr Burnses deadly immolation.
Alvaster collects three that still seem to function. In his minds eye he can see an orange flame dancing about the strange weapon, no doubt some form of evocation energy.
Turning it over in his hand, it seems quite light, and sits snugly in his palm. Aiming at a nearby corpse he pulls the trigger and a red flash emanates from the gun, the kobolds body leaps and smoulders.
Alvaster ascertains that these weapons deal 1D4+1D4fire damage and have 6 rounds each, (except for the one in Alvasters hand, which now has only 5).
The mechanism for reloading these things doesnt seem apparent, but there is a mysterious socket in the butt of the weapon.
PLAY REPORT 9/4/14
The three gents take one of the unusual weapons each, while Kimi keeps the tip of her crossbow firm against the captive kobold's snout.
Magnun and Forrest take turns grilling their prisoner and ascertain a few choice nuggets of space Kobold trivia...
1. They seem to be searching/scrapping this outpost for salvage in which they can repair their "ship"
2. They were chased to the "hotwater place" by a rival gang. There they discovered "Squatman" ruins and a mysterious gate which transported them here.
3. The strange weapons are "recharged" at the ship.
4. There is many bad boogeys and weirdos and bad medecines loose in this dungeon.
The party then tossed the Kobold living quarters, finding a few strange starcharts, on which Forrest made a good estimate as to where Golarion was, but not where they were now.
Magnun also found a strange Lute, wired up to a large black box, which seemed to amplify the lute as if by magic!
Strumming an old tune , he aroused the interest of Forrest, who thought wisely to use the lute strings to mend his Harp of modestly decorated temporary domecile
The party then secured Burns in place in a humiliating fashion, then bunkered down for some rest. Their dreams revealed strange and cognitive psychological insight, and they awoke feeling more experienced and driven.
Kimi in her wrath, had shot a few bolts into their Kobold prisoner as the rest of the party slept, and in dispatching the mewling reptoid, monologued on her hatred of these beasts. Thus bonding with her sworn brothers in this mutual favoured enemy.
After recovering their effects, and the hothead Burns, they proceeded through the door where the Commodore Kobold had escaped. Within they discovered a looted kitchen...bottles of vinegar, sacks of salt and other strange foodstuffs were scattered about amongst shattered barrels, burnt pots and eerie chewed Kobold bones.
In one barrel, which was still whole, was the strange corpse of one Kobold, seemingly jellified. Wether they had refused to eat this one of their komrades because of respect or horror was any party members guess.
They continued through the kitchen into a cavernous dark space, its air heavy with humidity. They stood on a platform amongst a long neglected herb garden, now reduced to green muck. Stairs led down onto the dark musty unknown...where only the haunting green glow of giant mushrooms pierced the pitch black...
...Though with his wily Elvish vision, Forrest thought to spot a strange gleam of metal, down amongst the filth, where emanated the sound of running water...
Prior to his watch, Forrest scrutinizes the mysterious stringed instrument carefully, plucking each string in turn sand listening closely to the vibrations and resonance.
"Hmmmm,seems good, but will I have enough?" thinks the elf
Removing the strings carefully he measures them against the ancient harp
"Huh....almost perfect...of course there's no chance I'll be able to string it properly..."
The strings slot into the elven harp as if they were made for it
" Okay...well... I doubt the things will carry a tune. The wood is like to crumble to dust after all these eons..
Strumming tentatively the harp produces a clear sonorous trill that seems to fill the room
"...but the magic is surely exhausted..."
He strums with force uttering a series of Elvish syllables
The strings vibrate and blur, a point of light appears in the middle of the room and, with a flash of golden sunlight, expands into a small archaic looking Elven hut. A faint smell of beeswax fills the room.
Forrest approaches the hut and peers through the door. The plain but pleasantly accoutered space seems bigger than it would appear on the outside.
"..huh.."
Forrest just got lucky! His bonus to attack, damage, saves and skill rolls is now 2 when he uses his archaeologist's luck. Also he got a sweet Harp of Secure Shelter!
.. might as well try it out...
He settles into a meditative posture on one of the bunks beds. As he deepens his breathing he enters an altered state of consciousness. Using techniques learnt in his training as a Lore Warden he mentally enters a representation of the sum total of his knowledge: a long line of bookcases stretches to the horizon in each direction, each book representing a quanta of knowledge. In this timeless space Forrest searches for answers to pressing questions: "What is this place? How do we get home? What am I going to do when I run out of arrows? What is the sound of one hand clapping? What about a really big hand clapping really loudly?""
Forrest gains ranks in Know:Planes and spellcraft and learns the spells Abundant Ammunition and Sonic Burst! The more he accesses this mental construct the easier it is to draw out tidbits of esoteric knowledge. He can now take 10 on any knowledge check and take 20 once a day!
Having satisfied his curiosity Forrest comes out of the trance. Smiling contentedly he takes the simple, but definitely elvish, interior of the hut
"Makes one feel like a proper elf again, eh wot?"
Forrest gains ranks in Perception, Acrobatics and Stealth
Spying a small mirror he removes his bandanna and inspects his new set of astrally modified fangs
"Well, not quite a proper elf... mind you,it could come in handy....
Forrest gains ranks in intimidate!
Play reports 16/4/14 & 22/4/14
The party sent their thrall, Mr Burns ahead to scout the murky, abandoned agricultural hall, heading in the direction of the space-kobold tracks. As fire phantom descended a staircase to the fetid mud he was suddenly set upon by some horrendous slug creatures! The fiends began a horrible wailing that nauseated our heroes but they nonetheless began to set to the beasts with their formidable might.
Forrest could ascertain from these abomination that they were likely the result of some sorcerous tampering, as he was aware of certain Dark elven mutagens available on the black market back home in Magnimar.
As Burns crushed the life from his foe, the vile fluids within its sluglike body combined to cause a violent explosion of disgusting filth. Foul smelling ichor rained down on the adventurers, and not all of them managed to avoid reacting with nauseous spasms of regurgitation.
Alvaster sought to outmaneuver the slugbeasts with his spider climbing slipper while the others continued to assault the creatures from a safe distance. Before too long, they had laid waste to the colony of muck dwelling molluscs, and the group gathered to wash their faces of the torrid gunk and examine their surrounds.
Among the giant glowing mushrooms, they discovered some corroded frame of a long forgotten clockwork servant. Its frame was mostly ruined but Alvaster did manage to salvage a length of pipe, which could prove useful in conjunction with the blueprints they had found earlier. The construct had appeared to be carrying a chest at the time of its demise, and without much effort Magnun had sprung the lock. Inside, amongst some rags and soiled, intelligable papers, they found:
1 x Ring of Telepathy 3/day
1 x +2 Adamantine Warhammer of Dragonbane
They cleaned themselves up to the best of their efforts and proceeded on through the mud, to stairs which seemed to lead out of the area. On a high pathway overlooking the garden Kimi once again found the tracks of the Kobolds. They seemed to lead to each of three doors, one which seemed to go back towards their lair (Which the party had just left), the remaining doors, one stout and of solid metal and one which was warm to the touch, both seemed locked.
The Elf examined the metal door, but could find no means of sringing it so Alvaster volunteered to try his new "Shield of Absorption" .
Pressing the matt black of the sheild's face to the robust looking door, he invoked the words thought to activate the disintegrate spell within the magic item, but was startled by a loud *PARP* of rebuke! The sheilds black surface now seemed to have a coruscating aura of green flame about its edge, and a dilating yellow spot in it's centre. Alvaster had little time to contemplate this strange magic when from the shield stepped a wing-ed yet frightfully fetching fraulein! No doubt she was intent on mischief most foul!
But lo, the group sprang to action and before the b!tch could react they assaulted her with magics and missile, but this demon seemed nigh impervious to their efforts.
"Thanks for inviting me to your sweet party, lover..." Purred the creature to Alvaster, as she ran her finger along the edge of his shield. "Why dont you lose your mates, so we can have some alone time?"
But the cleric was of sterner stuff, and avoided the obvious enchantment and bashed his shield foward into the creature, but alas it was like bashing a brick wall rather than a wicked waif that he saw before him.
"Yea, it may look like a comely wench but tis a demon most foul! By Velsharoons impotent envoy, let not your eyes or pecker deceive you!" He hollered.
Angered by his fervent dismissal, the Succubus popped from their vision and all was on edge, cautiously preparing weapons for the beasts imminent return. And return it did, materializing next to Magnun, he had time to shower it with glitterdust as it raked at his throat with his claws. The spell illuminated the demon yet it did not seem hindered, it gabbed the sorcerer close and pulled him into a smouldering kiss. Magnun felt all energy drain from his body yet he was compelled by the hot lips of this hellish hussy and wanted nothing more than a second smooch.
The others tried in vain to seperate the creature from their friend but he went in for more like a rat up a drainpipe, and as he succumbed he felt yet more energy sap from his lips
The demon the released Magnun and he staggered back, wiping his mouth on his sleeve as the wicked woman once again vanished between planes, leaving the group totally engorged for action. They waited again in readiness but the thing did not reappear, having no doubt slinked off for some further diabolical exploit.
Moments later as he gathered his strength, Magnun in fact noticed a small switch, grown over by ivy, next to the formidable metal door. Pressing it down the door rumbled upwards, revealing another disorientating passage onto the next inner face of the cosmic rhomboid.
They followed the Sorcerer into a small chamber, strange it was with large glass cylinders lining the wall, two of which were shattered but the others containing liquids, one green, one red and the other black. At the other end of the chamber was a strange apparatus, like a samovar, with 5 taps on its front and a large lever on the floor at its feet.
Kimi detected more Kobold tracks, and while they seemed not to have passed through the door which they'd just came, they seemed to cover the floor of this area.
There was also, half fallen out of one of the broken cylinders, a dead humanoid. It had the appearance of a pickled piglet, or a toe that had been in the bath too long. On closer examination it seemed to be a tall male Elf, no apparent cause of death could be discovered.
Magnun inspected the strange green cylinder, and finding each had a tap on their base, he turned it and out poured a green goo. Upon tasting it and with his innate sense for magics, he figured it to be some kind of ooze derivative which emanated a distinct curative aura. But upon filling a vial and necking the substance he spat out the mixture, feeling his constitution wasnt yet up for suck exotic ingestions.
As the level of green slime oozed out onto the floor it trickled down into a grate. Hearing a strange *Thunk* Forrest looked up to its source and was shocked to see a head appearing from out of the top of the slime. Climbing up on a wheelbarrow he could see it was indeed a strange Elven woman, with grey skin and red hair she was quite the fine looking maiden! Without thinking twice he began to remove the top of the vial, in an attempt to extricate her from her gooey prison.
As the others saw to the fine form emerging form the slop, Magnun still sought succour from the demons kiss and looked to the other cylinders. Trying the tap of the black cylinder, in hope perhaps of a blackcurrant flavoured restoring elixir, he opened the faucet and out poured a viscous black slime. Before his eyes the goop seemed to writhe and wriggle as it was freed from the cylinder, with all his diminished strength he tried to close the tap but it would not budge and a flailing black tendril knocked the tap clean off, allowing the ooze to pour forth unhindered.
The others turned from their project of freeing the Elven woman to see a hideous black menace rise up from the floor in between them and their allies!
-Mr burns exploded himself killing one of two black puddins what threatened our party.
-Alvaster came a cropper so the party split and agreed to meet back at the Kob nest.
-Kimi and Magnun followed the Kob tracks through a frosty old mead hall which seemed to have a corridor leading to a spooky green portal of sorts!
-Unfortunately between them and the portal was a totes spooky Kobold abomination! It was all wobbly and mutarded.
-Kimi screamed bloody murder at the sight and ALvaster and Forrest heard from the adjacent facet of the cosmic Dwarven monolith.
-Magnugn spirited Kimi away from the Kob monster and they soon found themselves back with the others, though it seemed the She-demon had left a defiled corpse as a calling card.
Alvaster: "Yo its that b!tch she still rampant"
The others "Sho nuff"
-They were dismayed to find in the kobold lair a previously undiscovered secret passage. It led to a palatial chamber, which was besmirched by kobold trash and old wankies.
-Forrest found a ceramic covered book which looked plenty fancy but turned out to be full of draconic script.
Forrest "Hey dudes check it out its a Kobold journal!"
- Inside the journal...
Logbook of Commodore Husker Black. Kob' Corvette callsign Dogon.
Whipsnake Mercs still on our tail, have diverted to the Reyser system. Red planet seems hospitable so upon entry we made for a some rock tower. Buggers still after us and we took some heat but Pugface managed to shoot the blighters into the sea. I owe that good cvnt a drink!
Landed in a crater which seemed full of old squatman ruins, there were some strange gate which led to one of their old abondoned outposts. Makes for the perfect hideout!
Day #1 of repairs: There's some strange noises in this place, must be some queer beasts about so best be cautious. Sent out the dogs for some scrap and Skinny returned to say theres several bits what are good for an upgrade to the ship. Sent out Brasco and Sal through the gate to find some nosh, looks like lady luck's still got some t!t left for us!
Day#3: Caught Skrull drinking again. A whole barrel of that old Squat liquor that woulda been worth a mint! Its hard to believe he's still kicking! 100 lashes hopes he'll learn his lesson.
Day #8: Sal and Brasco still not back, probably fodder. Makes the cut of this Dwarven treas' better for us I guess but it's hard slog finding any decent chow. Skinny found a suitable dooberyfrippet for the ship but there's firey blokes in the way.
Day #9 Boys come back from a weird room full of colours...that dumb fvck Skrull got stuck into some mystery squat booze and now's looking peaky. He's started to change colour so we'll leave him out in the corridor tonight.
Day #10 Looks like Skrull mixed the wrong poison, he's soft as jelly and bloated like a pig. Have told the fellas to steer clear of him. Skrulls happy to guard the ship in his funny state as long as we dont forsake him. But he's no good to us as an unstable biohazard.
Day #12 Droog reckons he saw some pinkies out by the box room. This place is full of surprises. Better not spend any longer than we need to..
Day #13 Something out by the mushrooms took Panzy and her crew, aint nothing left but slime and teeth. REMEMBER TO STAY FROSTY!
Alvaster you reckon the time is about 1800hrs...
"If that means anything in this place..." Alvaster muses to himself.
"We all need to rest and recuperate," says Magnun, contemplating the life that has been sucked out of him, [b]"Some of us more than others. Perhaps if Forrest watches first, followed by Kimi. Alvaster can do his genuflections and then watch, and I'll take the last watch..."[/b}
For the next few hours the supernatural atmosphere within the bronze Dwarven rhomboid was eerily quiet.
Within the dank boudoir, soiled by Kosmic Kobold filth and jism, the party took turns resting on the large spring filled mattress that dominated the room.
Nosey Norkrungs' midnight blasphemies went undisturbed, yet upon rousing Magnun for his watch, they thought to hear a mysterious *POP!* not far off, followed by some giggling of a most hideous nature.
Nosey and Magnun had moments to speculate on these peculiar pops before Alvasters accursed shield began to tremble, its black polished face now revealing spinning colours and belching green smoke.
Thinking quick they threw the shield face down to pin it to the floor with an immovable rod, Magnun waking the rest of the party to this imminent danger.
Alas their quick thinking was for nowt, as wisps escaped from the shield to form a couple of Krusty Demons who scurried along the walls, ready for a scrap.
A third wisp appeared to form a muscular Brobarian, who immediately took exception to the presence of the other fiendish apparitions.
The party joined forces with this obsidian-skinned warrior to slay the two demon punks, after which the stranger introduced himself as KBAR, an escapee from the unknown depths of hades.
The cordiality of these introductions were interrupted by more of the otherworldly giggling what they heard before.
"Lummy, let's have a butchers then." Spoke Forrest with bold pomp, and he snuck off to investigate.
Out in the rubbish filled common meeting hall, a cloud of steam had appeared, within which several small flying creatures cavorted, exploding Kobold corpses by targeting them with their steam breath.
Forrest took aim and punctured one of the Mephits with an arrow, thus the fight was on. From out of the steam, there lumbered some gargantuan pig demon, distracted from the munchings and crunchings of parbolied kob' meat, it seemed now intent on MOIDAH!
Magnun rolled from nowhere and from his fingers leapt a bolt of argon lightning, which arced through the Pig and 'sploded the mephit adjacent, in a cloud of boiling steam.
THe Huge pig took umbrage at this affront, and charged Magnun, slicing him open with his hideous bladed weapon.
KBAR entered the fray as the others kept up the assault with arrows and ranged blasphemy. The mighty barbarian took a powerful blow to the chest but in his rage cleft apart the beasts head with his freakish broadsword.
The party now found themselves alone in the eerie quietness of the Dwarven outpost...
KBAR would not be true to his roots if'n he didn't sniff around for items of value, and/or hidey holes. So he does that, though only in the rooms he's been in, he doesn't want to go stepping on any traps.
He'd also take this moment to have a decent look at these new-found party-bro's. (i.e. character sheets plx? (exceptin alvaster which i has already))