Returned to terra firma Maxim nods in mulled agreement at Kikinnin's question;
"Reckon so Bror. As fir what spells them Eye Tyrant's are packin'... Ain't rightly sure, but iffin' we can mimic them, then stands to reason the doors'll open."
The gun-mage taps his pistol handle warily as the cogs continue to turn;
"Yet both doors need different spells. So out o' the ten stalks. Eight fir the ground floor, and one fir the middling. We know that it "gifted" an eye ta Thifirane Rhiavadi, so that's all ten accounted fir."
JJ thinks about what he has learned of beholders as well.
"Good thinking Kikinnin, but I'm not sure where you get those eight numbers from. One eye he gave away, which is just freaky if you ask me. Two for these two doors, but maybe he gave away the eye so Thifirane could get in, so maybe there is another way in?"
He turns to Marigold. "Could you do that stone trick again, and just bypass the doors?"
"Ooh...I could t-try but who kn-knows how thick these w-walls are? And the d-doors themselves m-might be sp-spelled to protect against st-stuff like that," Marigold frowns. "I th-think we should p-probably t-try to figure out the sp-spell keys b-before we t-try more, uh, out-of-the-b-box solutions."
The halfling also has a think on the matter, trying to figure out what spells a beholder might have have up its' eyestalks...
From what Maxim knows and what you witnessed, you collect the spells tied to the appendages of the beholder you met were: flesh to stone, fear, disintegrate, finger of death, inflict moderate wounds, sleep, charm person, slow, charm monster and telekinesis.
"I could work out the inflict one" words Kythel.
"Mmm... I could handle some of those, but others are just too powerful. I would be able to help us bypass one of the doors, once" says Eidi pensive "Still, there is the question of what spells are tied to each door... I would like to examine the doors more closely. Perhaps I can determine something extra to help us"
"B-bah...n-nothing I can h-help with then," Marigold sighs. "B-but I think Eidi has a p-point, we should p-probably try to all get a b-better look at the d-doors before we st-start throwing any of those sp-spells at them..."
"Hey... anyone else notice these runes are letters... and they... the spell out a word?" notes JJ
"The glyphs are equivalent letters in magical alphabet to: O, B, L, I, V, I, O and N" he explains further.
"Now that isn't ominous. I wonder why letters are repeated?"
"So what's the plan? We need to get past those doors. I'm assuming Eldgammel will hardly dent them."
"W-well, I g-guess we go d-down and t-try to examine the d-doors more c-closely, if we c-can. M-Maxim, is there any r-room at all in f-front of the s-second door or will we h-have to h-hover in p-place to look at it?"
"Let's float down there then" Eidi moves forward and jumps into the pit, snapping his fingers a lot of feathers appear around him and all of you as well, and his body slowly descends to the bottom.
The half-elf eyes the door as you go down, and then examines carefully the other door immediately down "So your riddle said to follow the elder into oblivion?" Eidi comments with a wry smile as JJ translates the glyphs "Such a presure"
The elder poses his hand on the door and says some arcane words.
The door makes some dull grinding noises, then splits into three sections. Each section quickly retracts into part of the adjoining doorframe. Once the three sections have fully retracted, the passage stands open.
"This one required a death spell. By the type of gem on the one in the middle of the shaft, I think that one will require a flesh to stone or similar spell" with a word Eidi's staff gets to light the room.
The half-elf makes a gesture with the hand signaling the open way forward.
JJ edges ahead of Eidi, peering into the gloom ahead.
"Lets hope there are no more surprises down here. Surely he can't be expecting people to get into his inner sanctum here..." mutters the youth.
Kikinnin's divine bond wears off from his axe, as they do Maxim's gun shocking effects.
Lead by JJ the Watchers enter the next room. A group of three powerfully built hounds the size of a large draft horse, with ebony fur and burning, fiery red eyes stand up and growl aggressively at you.
The hounds wear black leather collars studded with diamonds and rubies.
The collars are worth 4500 gp each of the three.
These are Nessian Warhounds, lawful evil outsiders from the plane of fire. Immune to fire and vulnerable to cold.
They have a breath of fire.
"Hellhounds!" calls out JJ, as he steps forward to smash the first with Alakast.
The holy staff goes to town on the evil outsider, swinging in an almost gleeful arc as it smashes into the closest hound again and again.
+4 to hit and damage from FE
+2 to hit and +2+2d6 damage from Alakast
"Watch out, they have very bad breath. Hot bad breath. Cool them down if you can."
Marigold's Round 1
"ಉಘ್! ಶೀತವನ್ನು ಬಳಸಿ ಮತ್ತು ಬೆಂಕಿಯಿಂದ ತಲೆಕೆಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಬೇಡಿ!"
"Ugh! Use cold and don't bother with fire!"
To prove her point, she moves forward but stops just inside the doorway and levels a hand at Green directly in front of her and unleashes a blast of icy slivers!
______________
The flatfooted hound has no opportunity against JJ's attack. One after another all the attacks from the young man strike powerfully. With the last swing Alakast roars with sacred power and sends the fire dog to the ground.
Marigold's blast of cold shivers take both the other two hounds in front.
Both are specially damaged by the burst of freezing cold!
Kythel moves in and casts holy ice, a dozen ice javalines appear and hurl themselves to the blue hound.
Maxim does something heroic.
The green hound steps in to attack JJ.
The nessian hound lands a solid bite on one of the young man's legs, but fortunately, his wound with the planes protect him partially from part of the fire in the mouth of the creature.
The other hound steps in and opens its jaws. Flames from the outer planes sprawl out and bath the room entrance and the corridor!
Kythel takes the worst of the hit.
Avoiding the worst of the flames, and somewhat protected by his studies, JJ steps forward to see if Alakast can finish off the other hounds.
The holy staff bursts into a cold holy light as it gives a different kind of burn to the horrid fire-dogs.
+6 to hit
+6+2d6 damage as before
AC = 31/13/30
HP = 144/160
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Heroes' Feast, Blessing of Fervor
With JJ's words ringing clearly between his ears, Kikinnin brings his shield up just in time to shear some of the fire from his frame.
Kikinnin doesn't like the look of the doorway. "Eidi, Maxim, we need to pass through the doorway before it closes, and we need more magic to reopen it, eh?" It's enough motivation for Kikinnin to step forward swiftly, and gives Eldgammel a short but powerful arc against Green.
Marigold's Round 2
Marigold yelps with pain as the fire breath washes over her, but she's not done yet, not by a long shot. If any are left standing after JJ and Kikinnin's barrage of attacks, she takes aim and attempts to deliver a ray of searing light against it!
______________
Marigold brings Sarenrae's prayer into the room.
JJ obliterates one of the hounds until its destruction with multiple strikes of Alakast.
At the same time Kikinnin beheads the remaining one!
3x black leather collars studded with diamonds and rubies (4500 gp each).
With the destruction of the hounds you are left with a calm room to explore. There are 3 oblivion gates in addition to the one you came from, and a set of normal double doors.
You think the northeast gate requires to target the gem with an inflict moderate wounds or similar spell.
You think the southwest gate requires to target the gem with an sleep or similar spell.
You think the west gate requires to target the gem with an charm person or similar spell.
Kikinnin can't help but admire the collars, so he snaps them off, and tosses them to Maxim, who will undoubtedly fetch the best price on the market, should Cauldron stand strong in the face off the rot below its streets.
The black beard waits patiently for the path to open before them, in whatever direction comes next.
JJ, remembering some of the old healing potions he is still lugging around, drinks two of them.
"Shall we try the normal door first? With so many of those magical gates, it looks like this is some type of central nexus..."
"Y-yes, let's g-go with the e-easiest places to g-get to, f-first," Marigold agrees. She glances at the three Oblivion doors but realizes that her knowledge of the arcane arts is lacking just enough to render her unable to decipher the means to open them.
______________
With a consensus forming, Kikinnin moves to the double doors, and flings them open, should they prove to be unlocked and passable.
Eidi casts another spell and examines the gates "These first two gates require an inflict spell and sleep one to open"
You open the normal doors and get access to a closed room.
Sconces shaped like stony fists protrude from the walls of this twenty-foot-high chamber at regular intervals, each one grasping an everburning torch. A great fire-scorched throne sits at the north end of the room. The throne is carved in the shape of a fire giant.
In the middle of the room, a tall woman with hair like flames swings her greatsword at unseen foes, seemingly oblivious to your presence. Her body is covered with a layer of rust-colored fur, and her eyes smolder. She is clad in a mithral breastplate, wears metal gauntlets, and has a large shield floating beside her, moving as she moves. A pink,rhomboid-shaped stone orbits her head lackadaisically, and she wears a red-lacquered armband on one upper arm. As she cleaves the air in front of her, fire plays across one edge of her greatsword, ice across the other.
When she notices you she stops, looking barely out of breath. Casting a baleful glance at you, she walks over to the throne and sits down. From behind the throne emerges a sneering wolf with flame-colored fur and red embers for eyes "Flameless Ones, have you come to pay tribute to Ti'irok Coalfire?" the woman hisses.
Ti'irok Coalfire is a fire giant that leads a small legion of mercenaries comprised of haraknin canomorphs (fiery humanoids that can assume hell hound form). This mercenary company is called the Flamewarders.
"What the wh-what? Who's THIS l-lady?" Marigold whispers to the others, about as surprised by this development as she would've been to see her own mother down here.
"Um...n-not really. We h-have business with the m-master of this p-place," Marigold replies. "B-but I'm guessing that y-you're the great Ti'irok Coalfire h-herself? Why w-would you come to such a p-place as this?"
"The name sounds familiar, but I can't quite place is." whispers back JJ.
He takes a hesitant step forward.
"Do we have the honor of addressing the great Ti'rok Coalfire?" he asks.
Kikinnin stands in the doorway, looking up at the woman. "Nice sword."
The woman rings as evil.
The woman chuckles at your questions "Ti'irok Coalfire is the leader of the Flamewarders. I am Aszithef and this is Khetru, and I am here because I wait for Ti'irok's return once the Cagewrights have finished the planar junction ritual" she tabs the flaming greatsword when Kikinnin comments and smiles "You noticed Coldfire. Ti'irok entrusted me with his most prized sword. I have to admit I was not happy when he bought my tribe, but he has demonstrated to be a good leader entrusting me his sword and making me his lieutenant"
The hound, Khetru growls, then Aszithef further speaks up in a lenient tone "I feel charitable today. If you pay a tribute of 10000 gold pieces me and Khetru will let you go alive" she sniffs the air and says "Add 5000 golds for each of the hounds you killed. I do not like those mistreating my hounds"
"Your hounds" says the alarmed young man
"Attacked us. We reacted in self defence. We had heard of this ritual. What was the involvement of the Flamewardens with it? " he asks, curious.
"I had not heard that Ti'irok was such a powerful spellcaster."
"We are mercenaries, we just work for whomever is willing to pay us best. It is nothing personal" the woman grins and soothes the hound next to her while putting her hand on the greatsword's pommel "Thus... shall I take your answer as a negative to pay tribute?"
"That's correct. We're cleaning house. Already took care of the upper floors, and you're sitting here like you belong, when the very opposite is true. I'm calling you a gutter rat, hiding in your hole down here, with your rabid hellhounds. If you have a way of leaving Cauldron for good, right here, right now, then we have no further dealings with you. If you're stuck here, then we're stuck seeing you dead and gone. What's it going to be?"
The woman grins "Well, if I am not getting coin from you, I would at least have some fun spilling your guts out to the floor"
As Aszithef raises her sword, Marigold is already prepared to strike first!
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Marigold's Round 1
"ಮಾಡಲಿಲ್ಲ ಮತ್ತು ನಾವು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೇವೆ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳೋಣ," Marigold casually replies as she attempts to weave a spell to hold the giant in place!
"Let's not and say we did."
______________
JJ guffaws at Marigold.
Aszithef barely manages to resist Marigold's magic. The woman's face gets red as she goes angry and her fiery hair roars with extra brightness.
"Cold ones prepare to die!" she then shouts loudly and steps forward out of the throne swinging her sword recklessly at Kikinnin profiting his slow reaction!
The blade burst with freezing flames that also burn Kikinnin as the woman precisely strikes on vital points of the dwarf.
Khetru follows in stepping forward and opening his jaws to let a burst of fire out that converts the place into a hell of flames!
You sense these are some kind of infernal shapechangers (extraplanar, legal, evil, fire) outsiders related to hell hounds or perhaps some kind of infernal werewolf.
These are in fact Canomorphs a type hell hound that has learned to adopt humanoid shape. Created by the Demon Lords to serve them as guardians and intelligent trackers, the canomorphs usually travel to the Material plane to carry missions for their lords.
There are three kinds of ancestries depending on which kind of hell hound they come of: haraknin, shadurakul and vultivor. These ones in front are haraknin, considered the weakest but also the most numerous and tenacious among them.
They have all the same weaknesses, immunities and special attacks of hell hounds, but they also have varied class levels depending on their training.
Kythel raises his holy symbol and channels energy to compensate the burns!
JJ cries out in pain as he is bathed in flames, although even then, his research seems to protect him to a degree.
"That dog is a Canomorph, a shapeshifting hellhound! An intelligent combatant, be careful."
The youth steps up to it and unleashes his own brand on justice on the foul creature. His blows are as quick as ever, but lack some of the precision he is used to delivering.
+4 to hit/damage from FE evil outsider
+2 to hit/+2+2d6 damage from evil outsider bane
AC = 31/13/30, 37/19/36 vs Aszithef
HP = 74/160
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Smite
Kikinnin feels the coldfire deep in his muscles, surprised as he's never been by a blade that seems to find him each and every. He can't decide whether or not to heal his wounds, or call down Abadar to finish Aszithef as quickly as she might finish him. So he does both. With the fighter's overall armored appearance, Kikinnin steadies his swing, and plants his back at the wall, so the she-beast can't sneak around him.
Breathing heavy, Kikinnin confesses. "She's got a powerful blade. I'm not going to last much longer if she can keep that up..."
Marigold's Round 2
Marigold suffers the full brunt of the flames but even that is quickly mitigated by Kythel's channeled healing energy. Still, the lot of them have injuries yet.
Yikes! They're strong...
The halfling pulls her own version of Kythel's god-granted ability and delivers another wave of healing into the area before quickly moving out of the way of the door.
"Lets see if I can finish off her pet dog, and then I'll be right with you." calls back JJ, also somewhat shaken that the rock of the Watchers could be pummeled so effectively.
"Uff, it is getting pretty hot in here" Eidi darts into the room and lunges his hand to reach Kikinnin with his extend rod. The dwarf suddenly seems slightly blurred on his shape.
JJ moves to the side of the hound and delivers multiple swings and the hound howls in pain. The last attack is going to fail when Marigold's prayer guides Alakast that strikes in the side and sends Khetru to the floor dead!
Kikinnin marks Aszithef while his heroic actions are rewarded with Abadar's healing. With mighty swings the dwarf cuts twice through the woman's red skin, that bleeds like the canomorph outsider she is.
Moving away from the door, Marigold is able to heal the Watchers with powerful positive energy.
Eidi increases Kikinnin's defenses with a blur spell.
"You killed Khetru! You are going to pay for this!" Aszithef swings her greatsword with mighty power trying to finish Kikinnin, but it seems with the dwarf moving she cannot cut on vital spots.
But helped by his loyal shield and Eidi's magic, she only manages to cut him once.
Kythel also goes into the room and tries to touch Kikinnin with some more healing.
"It seems you have already paid." cries back JJ as he steps back and swings Alakast at the flame haired woman.
"You should have negotiated."
Having regained his balance, this time JJ demonstrates a bit more skill with the staff as it crashes into the woman again and again.
+1 to hit and damage from prayer
+2 to hit from flanking
I'm not including FE or Alakast bonuses, as I'm unclear if a canomorph is an evil outsider. If they are then extra +6 to hit and +6+2d6 to damage.
If they are a type of demon then add an extra +8 to each of those.
Possible crit on third attack:
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AC = 37/19/36 vs Aszithef
HP = 132/160
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel
Condition(s) = Smite, Blurred
Kikinnin feels the next injury, but also the next surge of healing, measuring his strength for the fight. When the big dog goes down quickly, and JJ moves into flank, the black beard steadies himself, more confident in the outcome.
"Tirrok will be disappointed that you lost his weapon. All because you wanted to gut someone passing through. My bror here is going to fetch a pretty price selling it off." Kikinnin doesn't normally feel comfortable with baiting an adversary, but he doesn't want anyone else incurring the swordswoman's wrath, so pokes her with words first, then with Eldgammel.
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Marigold's Round 3
Now it's Marigold's turn to guffaw...or at least pause to stare for a moment as Kikinnin taunts the giantess. Usually that sort of thing was Maxim's job or JJ's job or...well, anyone's job but his.
Huh. Maybe the rest of us are being a bad influence?
She tries once again to render Aszithef immobile, if only to keep her from doing more damage while Kikinnin and JJ cut her down.
______________
Aszithef stubbornly barely resists Marigold's magic.
Teaming up JJ and Kikinnin bash and cut the proud haraknin canomorph until she cannot response to the dwarf's provocations.
Coldfire drops to the floor and its flames disappear.
As the dead hound reverts to humanoid shape you can loot its equipment too.
+2 chain shirt
+2 mithral breastplate
+1 adamantine greataxe
Coldburn (+2 flaming frost greatsword)
2x mwk composite longbow (+5 Str)
50 arrows
+1 animated large steel shield
belt of strength +2
ring of protection +1
ring of protection +2
ioun stone pink rhomboid (+2 Dex)
potion of blur
potion of bull's strength
4 potions of CSW
potion of protection from energy (cold)
oil of greater magic weapon +3
red-lacquered gold armband set with an emerald (1000 gp)
red-lacquered gold armband set with a diamond (2000 gp)
1550 gp
Many of you spot a strange section of stone in the western wall. It will require extensive strength to move as it is large and heavy.
"Th-that's a big s-sword," Marigold remarks as the group quickly rifles through their fallen foes' gear. "It'd m-make a nice w-weapon if we h-had anyone with us who c-could use it - or w-wanted to, I m-mean."
"Also some n-nice p-potions for anyone on the f-front lines," she adds, looking at JJ and Kikinnin.
When it comes to the matter of getting the secret stone door open, Marigold stands back and out of the way. Noodle arms like hers won't be much use here.
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"Also some n-nice p-potions for anyone on the f-front lines."
Not interested in delays, Kikinnin nods and pops the potion of Bull's Strength, and drinks it down, before rubbing his hands together, and tackling the Secret Door. "Alright, Stone, show me what you guard."
JJ eyes up the ioun stone and tosses it into the air to join the other circling his head.
"Pretty... although my belt does this already."
Then as Kikinnin pushes open the massive stone he ads "It does mean I could use a different belt to make me almost as strong as Kikinnin"
"C-couldn't hurt," Marigold shrugs as she watches Kikinnin pop the stone door open with the greatest of ease. She can't help but applaud, albeit it briefly and softly.
"N-nice! M-maybe I should try w-working out more..."