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"That was great thanks Eidi!" says a much more energetic sounding JJ.
He looks at the pit and then starts to climb down it with great ease.
Maxim merely steps off as his magical Ring of Featherfalling allows him to drift down to the pit floor...
Kikinnin uses the magical climbing rope to set it on one of the statues, commanding it to knot for an easier descend, and letting it fall all the way down the shaft.
As the ones climbing start to descend, Kikinnin and Maxim let themselves drop down the pit. As they slowly fall pass the ones climbing, Marigold joins them flying.
A ten-foot-wide shaft drops through the ceiling of this thirty-foot-high, forty-foot-wide cylindrical chamber. Carved into the rough walls of the cylinder at various heights are twenty-one shallow alcoves, each niche holding an ancient statue.
Your darkvision allows you to see four half-orc "guards" stand watch in front of the north exit, or so it seems. The half-orcs are actually zombies!
"I will give it a try..." Eidi adjusts his staff to his tunic belt and let's JJ and Kythel go first. Then, the half-elf tenses his elder muscles and tries to brace against the pit's wall.
The advance party makes it down 50' below.
"Seems my time of adventures might still have more fire than I thought" the elder comments as he hangs mid air, sweating from the tremendous effort "Good thing my bones are light and my equipment sparse"
Marigold's Round 1
Unable to see much of anything now that she's down at - or near - the bottom, Marigold conjures some light onto the head of her mace...and gets a surprise!
"ಪವಿತ್ರ ಬೆಕ್ಕುಗಳು - ಸೋಮಾರಿಗಳು!"
"Holy cats - zombies!"
She then quickly moves out of the way for those descending and to also give herself, Maxim, and Kikinnin some room to maneuver.
JJ leaves the ropes to the others and just climbs down the almost vertical walls.
As he descends, one of the stones circling JJs head provides illumination to the rest of the group.
Kythel follows up and double moves hanging from the lower room's ceiling with JJ.
Marigold's Round 1, Again
Thankful for JJ's light, Marigold is quick to step out of the way of the tunnel so those climbing can more easily get to the bottom.
As for the ZOMBIES(!!), she scowls and calls down a holy blast upon them!
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Marigold's powerful blast takes two of the zombies out, yet as they burst on the holy energy, a planar portal opens from inside them and they do explode as a demodand explodes from within the two dead zombies, clawing their way to freedom with a terrible rush of tar and stink.
The two other zombies charge on Kikinnin with their orc double axes!
But the dwarven armor protects him, at the time his feet finally touch the ground of the lower floor.
This demodands (neutral evil outsiders, extraplanar) are Farastus, the most common fodder of demodand armies. They have an adhesive layer around them, they can enter into a rage and are able to easily grab their enemies.
Immune to acid and poison, resistance to cold and fire 10, DR 10/magic and spell resistance. No weak save.
AC = 31/13/30
HP = 142/160
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel +3
Condition(s) = Divine Bond +3 (2m)
Kikinnin's eyes widen as zombies become demodands, though he fails to understand their nature. Erupting from zombies is a whole new level of horror, so he marks them for undead as most likely. It doesn't stop him from laying into the two zombies directly in front of him. He works one, then the other, should his first strike
"Welcoming party. We're on the right path down here."
edit:
JJ skitters across to the wall, down the wall, and then back to his initial position next to Kikinnin.
"ಒಟ್ಟು! ಅವರು ಫರಾಸ್ಟಸ್ ಡೆಮೊಡ್ಯಾಂಡ್ಗಳು! ಅವರು ಜಿಗುಟಾದ ಸೆಳವು ಮತ್ತು ವಸ್ತುಗಳನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿಯಲು ಅಸಹ್ಯ ಪ್ರತಿಭೆಯನ್ನು ಪಡೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ!"
"Gross! They're farastus demodands! They've got a sticky aura and a nasty talent for grabbing things!"
With great effort Eidi completes his descend through the rope in a double move.
The bald half-elf grimaces as Kikinnin cuts down the two zombies only for another two demodands be born of them "As Lady Marigold says, these are demodand cannon fodder. Be aware of their stickiness and magical resistance. Use electricity if you can, acid won't work at all"
Heeding the old half-elf's advice, Maxim moves to a better vantage , then with pistol levelled at the demodands, the gun-mage squints and imbues it with magic;
Sizing up the furthest most demodand he fires! ;
With mighty powerful swings Kikinnin destroy the zombies, but as soon as they fall to the ground their bodies explode and two demodands come out of them!
JJ gets into position while Marigold gives advice about the creatures.
Eidi and Kythel complete their descend to the room's ground.
Maxim's electrical loaded gun pierces trough the demodand who shakes due to the electrical burst.
The first demodands charge in to Maxim and JJ!
But the claw is deflected by Maxim's chain shirt.
The one over JJ performs a cleave maneuver.
The claw cuts though JJ's shoulder and continues its arch movement over to reach Kikinnin, but the dwarf blocks it with the shield.
Just barely, JJ avoids being grabbed.
"A tactical mistake." suggests JJ to the demodand that has attacked him.
"One I will happily make advantage of."
He swings Alakast at the foul outsider, letting the holy staff lose its power on the fallen creature.
Assuming these are evil outsiders, not demons, so only +4 from FE, not +12
Extra +2 to hit and +2+2d6 damage from evil ousdier bane on Alakast though.
If he drops the first one, he will 5' step up to attack the next.
Marigold's Round 2
"ಅವುಗಳ ವಿರುದ್ಧ ಆಮ್ಲ ಅಥವಾ ಪೋಶನ್ ಬಳಸುವುದು ನಿಷ್ಪ್ರಯೋಜಕವಾಗಿದೆ," Marigold continues to call out. "ಶೀತ ಮತ್ತು ಬೆಂಕಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚು ಉತ್ತಮವಾಗಿಲ್ಲ ಮತ್ತು ಅವು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಮಾಂತ್ರಿಕರನ್ನು ವಿರೋಧಿಸುತ್ತವೆ!"
"Using acid or posion against them is useless."
"Cold and fire aren't much better and they resist magics in general, too!"
Marigold moves to the back of the chamber, trying to stay clear of the melee and of the demodands' grabby hands/claws/whatever they got for grabbing. She then bestows a blessing of fervor on herself and her allies, to speed their work along.
______________
With Marigolds blessing, JJ strikes an additional time- Alakast thirsty for evil-doers blood.
Marigold raises a fervor blessing in the party.
With it, JJ, who is all right about the demodands nature, obliterates the one in front, Alakast roaring with divine power to destroy it in three swings, then stepping forward to shatter with three more hits the lilac one before it can react!
After the fervorous act, only half the demodands remain in the strange basement!
Round 2
AC = 31/13/30
HP = 142/160
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel +3
Condition(s) = Divine Bond +3 (2m)
Kikinnin watches JJ wield Alakast powerfully, and heartens to see the demodands fall away quickly. "A small introduction for what's to come. Steady with your strength. This'll be long march, I think."
The black beard regards Yellow first, hoping to drop it and step forward 5' to strike down Blue behind it.
Kikinnin's front foot slips half way through his attacks, and he only gets a couple of decent swings...
Maxim shifts backward affording himself some space to bring his pistol to bear .
With one barrel still flickering with electricity, the gun-mage once again levels the firearm at the same target, imbuing the other barrel with magical energy , then fires!
"Oh! Mind that floor!" Eidi observes Kikinnin stumbling with his own feet and calls for some sacred help on him.
The two good swings of Kikinnin's axe are not enough to finish the demodand.
Loading the other canon with more electrical energy, Maxim blasts the demodand electrocuting it slightly.
Both the outsider creatures resume to attack the dwarves!
But Kikinnin is well clad in metal and avoids any damage.
Maxim though suffers the pounding and ends up grabbed by the demodand's claws. The lime covered creature shows its viperine tongue aggressively to the blonde dwarf. Fortunately the heroes' breakfast takes most of the damage.
Round 3
AC = 31/13/30
HP = 142/160
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel +3
Condition(s) = Divine Bond +3 (2m)
Kikinnin grimaces as Maxim is laid into, when Yellow failed to fall. "I got this one, JJ. See if you can't cut into that little dance Maxim has going on over there."
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Despite being gouged and grappled, Maxim still manages to see the wry side;
"Hell's Teeth handsome, you normally want to buy a fella dinner afore gettin' all frisky like!"
The gun-mage attempts to wriggle free of the creature's embrace ...
... but to no avail...
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Marigold's Round 3
There's probably more of these things down here - best to deal with their grabby ways right now.
Marigold hoofs it around the backside of the room towards Maxim and reaches out to grant him blessed freedom to move around and escape the demodand's grasp!
______________
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With two powerful swings Kikinnin sends the demodand dead to the ground without his axe sticking, leaving him the opportunity to step forward.
JJ pulls back the weapon from the dead body and moves forward to engage the remaining demodand.
Despite his best efforts Maxim is surprised by the stickiness of the demodand's claw. The dwarf remains far from freeing himself.
But Marigold reaches him with a brisk movement and cast a spell that magically releases Maxim from the demodand's grasp.
Kythel raises a finger and shots a ray of light that strikes the creature, leaving a clear mark.
The demodand, enraged claws and bites at Maxim with everything.
One of the claws cuts through Maxim cheeks as he retreats, but thanks to Marigold's magic, he avoids a critical and it is not grappled.
AC = 33/15/32 BoF
HP = 142/160
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel +3
Condition(s) = Divine Bond +3 (2m)
Kikinnin moves forward, and tries to lop off one of the demodand's arms, hoping it'll give Maxim some wiggle room to slip from its embrace. He swings tentatively, knowing he'll need to take care of the blade's glancing blow and the creature's stickiness.
"Bror, I thought that's why you sport pistols. So you can avoid the grabby hands. Leave the hugging to JJ."
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With just the one creature left, JJ lays into it with Alakast, smashing the creature from behind.
+6 to hit and +6+2d6 damage from FE and Alakast
+2 to hit from flanking
Blow after blow rain down on the horrid creature that is trying to dismember Maxim. And with each blow the holy staff seems to glow brighter. Or maybe that is just how JJ sees it.
He turns to Kikinnin and shakes his head. "I " he says "Have standards. And yes... I confess that once or twice that may have included a succubus... but you are only young once."
Marigold's Round 4
"ಗ್ರಾಸ್ಸ್ಸ್. ಅವರು ಎಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂದು ನಿಮಗೆ ತಿಳಿದಿಲ್ಲ!" Marigold groans as she decides to go ahead and help Kikinnin be grab-proof as well, since he's right there within reach.
"Grossssss. You don't know where they've been!"
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"ಅದು ನಿಜವಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ. ಅವರು ಎಲ್ಲಿದ್ದರು ಎಂಬುದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನನಗೆ ಬಹಳ ಒಳ್ಳೆಯದು. ಅದರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ತಲೆಕೆಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿಲ್ಲ ... ಆ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ." sighs back JJ.
Kikinnin swing goes wide and fails by just a champion dwarven hair.
On the other hand, young but familiar with outsiders tight spots, JJ's Alakast really shines with sacred light as it all but destroys the remaining demodand!
With the resistance destroyed, four orcish double axes lay in the ground, and many niches with statues in the walls.
Kythel channels energy to heal those injured.
The only apparent exit is in the north, where a circular pit 20 feet wide sinks into the depths of Couldron's earth. The dwarven darkvision reaches up to 60 feet down without seeing the bottom. An unsettling echo is the only noise heard from the depths of the shaft.
Kikinnin makes his way to the next pit, and gives it a good look. "Well, that's deep. I can't see the bottom, so it's well below 60'. Lemme see." The black beard takes the time to pull a torch from his backpack, and light it, then drops it down the pit.
"If we only need to drop to the bottom, that's one thing. If we hit any other floors before the bottom, and we don't have a real way of stopping, short of falling, then we can only descend by flying, eh?"
Kikinnin checks the drop of the torch, wondering.
Even with the battle over, Marigold considers the logistics of running into more foes with grabby appendages...and then she thinks of the grasping tentacles they'd faced while seeking the Soul Pillars.
"H-here...b-better safe than s-sorry..." she murmurs as she bestows the magic on Kikinnin anyway. "Especially if we're g-going to go even f-farther down..."
______________
"And, if you don't mind me saying, succubi are a darn sight less ...sticky.. than those creatures." adds JJ, somewhat thoughtlessly.
He peers around the room, checking out the statues to see if any might be people he recognises.
"I'm surprised nobody noticed so many people were missing." he finally concludes.
Looking at the pit he offers "Want me to go first?"
Maxim shakes his head at JJ;
"Admire yer stones Surabar, but ye ain't got deep-eyes like me an' me Bror. 'Sides could be traps an' such. Best I go."
He beckons toward one of the wands they recovered earlier;
"That there is a Wand of Invisibility. Reckon the Ol' fart zaps me with that. I drift on down the pit all nice an' vanished like. Have a scope an' a sneak. Lil' Miss' magics mean I ain't for being caught neither. Then fly back up to tell everyone what I done seen..."
The mage hands the wand to Eidi, then looks to his fellow watchers;
"So we got a deal?"
JJ shrugs. "Guess that is fair. You seeing in the dark and all will also be less of an obvious target." the youth agrees.
"I wonder why there are two different pits? Maybe just a place to put the guards?"
JJ snoops around the area as much as he can while the group prepares to continue down.
Maxim flashes a wry smile;
"Jus as long as y'all know I ain't volunteerin' to be no hero. Leave such foolishness to Surabar an' my Bror. Means I git me a chance to spy any treasure an' such ye understand."
JJ finds out the statues are covered with a thick layer of dust. They have been here for some years.
The light of the torch dropped by Kikinnin descends for about 200 feet until it crashes on solid floor. The light flickers in the impact. The ground below is quite and the arrival of the torch does not seem to perturb its calm existence.
Maxim uses the wand to turn invisible and descends like a falling feather through the pit. As he descends, at mid-distance he witness in the dark a strange circular door in the wall of the pit, without any landing. The door has strange symbols and a gem on top of it and looks heavily closed.
Below he finds out the room opens to the east to another circular room full of bones and dirt but otherwise empty, while it does open to the west into another door very like the same the dwarf saw while falling down.
Maxim notes the door mid-way down, planning to investigate on the way back up...
Pausing, the gun-mage invokes his Arcane Trickster abilities and attempts to unlock the door at distance;
A closer inspection reveals many details about the door.
A large and intricate circular door measuring nine feet across completely blocks the passageway. The portal has interlocking parts made of composite materials, primarily darkwood, bone, iron, and adamantine. The door's face has been worked into the likeness of a stylized beholder with ten eyestalks. Set into each eyestalk is a different color gemstone, and set into the large central eye is a transparent crystal the size of a human fist. The thick stone doorframe is shaped like a ring and carved with eight strange glyphs.
To most astonishing Maxim sees his trick fail this time. The lock seems overly complex, without no actual lockhole. Instead he determines the lock is magical and your attempt was away from success.
You came to the conclusion after analyzing the door, that the central crystal controls the magical lock. It seems tied to an specific spell, and using that specific spell must automatically open the door.
The glyps are equivalent letters in magical alphabet to: O, B, L, I, V, I, O and N.
Maxim eyes the portal for several minutes, then satisfied of the next course of action he invokes his flight spell and returns back up to the others.
On the way up he pauses at the similarly ornate door flush to the pit wall.
"Jus as long as y'all know I ain't volunteerin' to be no hero. Leave such foolishness to Surabar an' my Bror. Means I git me a chance to spy any treasure an' such ye understand."
Kikinnin snorts. "I'll believe that as much as I'll believe you're only tongue ticklin' a lady love's teeth because you're looking for gold fillings."
As Maxim prepares his descent, Kikinnin cuffs his shoulder. "You see something looking back at you, keep your distance, and backtrack if you suspect you're its next meal." His tone suggests a genuine concern with the pit exploration.
"These pits weren't meant for easy travel for the likes of us. We're in its lair."
"G-guess it's n-no problem if you can j-just naturally f-fly," Marigold remarks as Maxim makes his descent. "Wh-who needs l-ladders or steps? Th-though that d-does make me w-wonder how they open r-regular doors. M-magic, maybe?"
Maxim confirms the worst. The other portal is exactly just the same, but he thinks a different spell might be needed.
Kikinnin pulls on his beard. "Alright, so I'm a beholder. I'm floating down the pits, moving back and forth with no hands, but I can turn folks to stone. How does it get through the doors? It casts spells to do it? Is that right, Bror? Marigold? So what spells does a beholder know? If we can cast the same spells, those doors should open to us as well as it."