Pulling his new cloak around himself, JJ looks around the area. "That ghostly thing gave me the creeps" he admits.
Still, the tunnels are well travelled, and he quickly suggests a passage to take.
Despite JJ's efforts, no clear tracks are found, and navigating the lava tunnels becomes like finding the exit in a very complex labyrinth. At least the seasoned underground scout is well trained enough to avoid the most dangerous accidents of navigating the core of the volcano.
After an hour of almost randomly picking tunnels, you find yourself in a tunnel that branches up ahead. In between you and the branch, the ground ahead gives a sudden lurch, as if in protest to the volcanic activity that has plagued the area for the last hours.
The lurching ground is not like the tremors you faced up in the city. This is likely caused by some sort of creature, probably an earth elemental.
Juraan freezes just at JJ's back. He raises a hand "That is like someone talking!"
The professor lays down in the ground and puts there his ear "Mmmm... yes, that is someone talking Terran! It sounds like someone is saying 'YES!' and then it is replied by 'NO!' then the first one says 'YES!' and the second one says 'NO!', mmm... erm, the first one answers 'YES!' again and the second replies 'NO!' once more, mmm... they are repeating each other... yes... they are repeating again 'YES!' then 'NO!'"
Ahead, past the lurching ground, one passage leads off to the right, sloping up slightly, while the other bends sharply down and off to the left.
"The lurching... its not another tremor like in cauldron... look out... I think there may be an earth elemental nearby."
Looking to Juraaan he adds "I guess that makes sense if they are speaking Terran. Lets try to avoid them, eh?"
The lad does his best to sneak ahead... up the slope to the right.
Kythel follows JJ.
Stealth
When JJ moves forward, Juraan looks at Kikinnin and his famous shinny and tinkering armor "Let's just gather around me, we better avoid touching the ground or they will notice"
Casting dimension door the rest of the group is propelled to the right tunnel without alerting the elementals.
You follow this tunnel for along twenty minutes until you suddenly meet a cul-de-sac. Juraan casts dancing lights and the darkness recedes to show in front the glittering of a magnificent door "People, I think we have arrived! The Fiery Sanctum!"
A monstrous gate of black metal blocks further progress along this smooth, volcanic tunnel. Fully fifteen feet high and eight feet wide, the gate is emblazoned with the Carcerian Eye—the symbol of the Cagewrights. A twisted, leering visage sculpted from the same metal as the gates adorns the lintel over the door. The face seems both calm and entirely insane, if such a thing is possible, and its race or gender is indeterminate. Its glowering eyes have also been carved in the symbol of the Carcerian Eye.
The door is made entirely of adamantine, breaking through will be hard even for an adamantine pick.
You also determine the door is locked.
You determine the symbols are part of an alarm spell, that will trigger if anyone approaches. Someone skilled on dealing with magical traps might be able to block the proximity sensor or you might try to temporarily dispel the magic.
You also determine the Carcerian Eyes are in fact able to shot beams of some kind of magic. Someone skilled on dealing with magical traps might be able to block the aiming device or the beam altogether or you might try to temporarily dispel the magic.
You find 3 different magical auras in the door.
abjuration
abjuration
transmutation
Kythel takes a look at the gate but defers to Maxim as to how to proceed opening it. They are a long way away from breaking into the manse of a noble to lift goods to fence. A lifetime away or not, Kythel could still open such locks, but this, this was something different altogether.
Perception
"O-oh, h-hold up! Those s-symbols, they're p-part of an Alarm spell on the g-gate," Marigold suddenly exclaims, reaching out to grab anyone from approaching too close to the gate. "And th-those eyes...I th-think they'll sh-shot some m-manner of magic, t-too. M-Maxim might be able to h-handle it all or we could m-maybe dispel the effects...t-temporarily, at l-least."
______________
JJ nods to Marigold. "Yeap, that looks nasty. And right up Maxim's alley..." He gives the stoogie toting dwarf a nudge.
"Either that or we try to just pass through the door, but where is the fun in that?"
He points to the wall to the side of the door.
"Marigold, can you use your stone spell to get through that?"
Marigold knows that if the area where she uses the stone shape spell is too thick, the hole is not going to make it through. Extra castings can do, but if it goes solid for more than a few centimeters it will be lost energies.
"M-maybe...but only if the st-stone here isn't too th-thick," she frowns. "Otherwise I m-might never get th-through it...or it'd t-take a lot of my p-power to do it."
"I... guess I could dimension door us through. But we might end up trapped between the door and the sword" Juraan offers doubtful.
"Well, we are faced with either bypassing the door, or going through it." note JJ.
"Dimension door and Stoneshape both might work with that. Maximum looks like he is busy eyeing up the door. Max... do you think you could open it up without triggering the traps?"
"If n-not, I could t-try to dispel the m-magic on the door long enough for us to g-get through," Marigold offers.
"Would it still allow us to retreat through the door, if the situation warranted it?" asks JJ.
Though what that would mean for the region... or the world?
Maxim examines first the portal itself...
"Hell's Teeth! Adamantine door! Solid. Pretty much unbreakable!"
Before moving on to attempt to disable the magical traps it contains...
"Done. Should be safe fir now..."
Maxim signals a safe way up the stairs where the group cannot be detected, bypassing the alarm.
Then chews a ball of tobacco, and when it has the right consistency he slowly uses it to cover the eye socket in the Carcerian Eye symbol and announces it will not trigger any beam like that.
To re-ensure you, he takes a few tools and starts working in the door lock. A few moments later an audible click arises and the adamantine gates open.
A 15 feet tall tunnel opens in front of you. The corridor is lit by numerous tiny cages (that resemble the soulcage you found but in miniature) containing squirming, glowing fire beetle larvae.
Ahead the tunnel branches in two, but both branches quickly end in a solid basalt wall.
"Are they real, or illusions?" asks JJ.
Closing his eyes he carefully approaches one, and tries to push through it.
JJ pushes through the first branch cul-de-sac and finds out it just a curtain, heavy and with the same touch as the wall, but a curtain nevertheless.
Beyond the heavy curtain is an irregular room. Odd, uncomfortable pieces of furniture lie about the chamber, including several long, narrow beds. Bizarre statuary and paintings adorn the walls and several low pedestals, and a thick, black, tarry substance covers most of the room's surfaces.
Inside, three demodands shriek as welcome to your arrival.
You know these are farastu demodands. Grab, DR 10/good, spell resistance, immune to acid and poison, resistant to cold and fire (10). Bad saves.
They were not expecting you, and aside from their hisses, they are slow to react.
Kythel clings to the wall and crawls to the ceiling quickly, lifting the curtain so that the others can move through or cast effects as they wish at the first foes faced in this fiery hell.
JJ advances slowly into the room, readying Alakast as he does so.
He spits out words in abyssal at them.
"મારી આગળ ગુલામ"
Lets hope that irritates them enough to come to me.
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As JJ presses forward, Maxim follows suit , casting a baleful eye o'er their foes as his steps are impeded by the slimey floor;
"Darned farastu demodands... Bror! Hope yer up for a Flyin' Anvil special!"
The gun-mage grins and brings his magics to bear;
"Telekinetische Lading!"
Reaching out with an arcane force, he latches onto Kikinnin, then propels the armoured warrior across the cavern, over the sticky floor towards one of the demodands
Realise there's been no tactical discussion (again) on this Bror, but figured that with a 50ft. Range, Maxim can heft the flying anvil to near one of the demodands. Note: If your ally lands adjacent to an opponent, he can spend an immediate action to make a melee attack against that opponent with a +2 bonus on the attack roll... So get to chopping Bror! :)
Marigold's Round 1
While Marigold contemplates her next move she steps up to the curtain and conjures Sarenrae's blessing over herself and all of her allies that are still within reach.
______________
Kythel climbs to the basalt walls with spider ease and holds the 'rocky curtain' for everyone else.
JJ quickly identifies the farastu demodands and insult them readying his offensive as he gets into the slimy cavern.
Maxim profits Kythel is holding the curtain to enter the cavern. Then he propels his dwarven comrade that flies all over the slime and reaches the first farastu with his axe ready.
There is a powerful smack, but the axe has trouble going through the abyssal skin of the demodand and only produces a scratch.
Marigold's prayer reaches the party with sacred luck, while bringing doom to the two closest demodands.
Juraan goes into the cavern and says a few arcane words. A ball of fire bursts among the ranks of the demodands burning them in flames.
Blue emerges unscathed, and green avoids most of it thanks to his resistance and quick reflexes, while the other suffers considerably under the flames.
Kikinnin does something heroic!
The demodand takes revenge on the dwarf trying to rend him down with his claws.
But the flames burning around make his attacks rather weak.
The other two take insult from JJ and go after him, but due to the difficulty of walking through the slime, they only reach half their target.
Then, the first one uses fear and a scary feeling envelopes everyone except for Kikinnin.
The second one reaches the back of the first one and raising his hand towards you, a fog cloud emerges among the party.
Kikinnin notices his weapon get stick at the slimy skin of the farastu.
Will save DC 17 - Kythel resists the fear that begins to well up from his gut.
He then casts a spell of protection upon himself while shifting forward to keep the curtain draped over his back.
For a moment JJ's resolve fades in the face of the two demons descending on him. But only for a moment. Visions of Sara, his brothers and sisters, and friends from Cauldron flood back into him. And Kikinnin, standing firm against the demons further in the cavern. Biting on on the fear he grits his teeth and readies Alakast.
He steps forward.
Alakast blazes with holy fury as is brought to bear against its ancient foes.
Marigold's Round 2
Marigold easily shakes off the feeling of unease that threatens to grip her and laughs outright as the fog springs up all around her because the mask she wears allows her to see just fine.
That goz mask is paying for itself!
Not wanting to deal with the slimy floor Marigold taps into her connection to the heavens above and rises slightly off the ground before moving into the chamber.
______________
Maxim shrugs off the eerie feeling, but is enveloped in the cloud of mist.
Cursing he, attempts to dispel the obscuring cloud;
"Verdrijf magie!"
He then draws forth his Wand of Magic Missiles
Listening to his friends advise, Kikinnin calls upon Abadar and his frar's spirit to make his axe holy.
Kythel creates a circle of protection against the evilness of the demodands.
With devastating precision JJ bursts the demodand ribs after dancing over the slimy terrain.
Seeing good into the chamber, Marigold takes flight and gets into the cave.
Maxim's attempt to dispel the cloud fails, but he nevertheless he finds the wand on his belt.
Kikinnin avoids his axe to get stuck swings his axe at the demondand in front!
The axe cuts clean on the body of the demodand, opening two terrible wounds.
Juraan smiles and those around him can se a couple of membranous dragon-like wings extend on his back. The professor starts to flap them flying over the slimy ground and up to the edge of the cloud where he can properly see. Opening his mouth, he casts dragon's breath and a crackling electrical breath strikes both blue and purple.
Kikinnin's demodand falls to the ground fried by the electric blast, but the other demodand survives.
It steps next to Juraan and attacks him entering into a frenetic rage!
One of the claws nearly cuts the professor's face, but the cloud's concealment plays to his odds in this case.
The other demodand responds JJ with his own attacks "તમે અમારા આગામી કેદીઓ હશે!"
Skillfully, JJ dodges all of the attempts of the foul creature.
"You will be our next prisoners!"
AC = 33/13/32
HP = 172/172 (at least)
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel (Holy +1)
Conditions(s) = Prayer, Divine Bond
Kikinnin steps up behind the demodand assaulting the clouded Juraan , and tries to plant his blade between the shoulder blades of the blasphemy.
"You best deal with me first, fiend. The ones in the cloud are the least of your concern."
"તમારા સપનામાં, થોડો કીડો. તારા સ્વપ્નોમાં"
JJ tries to keep a hold of Alakast
But the holy weapon is stuck fast!
With a sigh the youth releases his hold and then... punches the demon square in the face.
bonus is
+15BAB, +6 STR, +1 prayer, +14 FT,
Crit confirm for first blow
Stepping back he surveys his work.
"Okay, so not really a recommended tactic."
Kythel walks along the wall until he gets close enough to see one, then draws his spear and lashes out at it.
Frost Spear - - Damage
Marigold's Round 3
Marigold takes aim with her magic and flings a blast of light at whichever demodand is still standing after being chopped by Kikinnin or punched by JJ!
______________
Before being converted to pulp the demodands manage to shout a few words that extend through the cavern openings "હુમલો કર્યો, આપણા ઉપર હુમલો થઈ રહ્યો છે!"
"Attacked, we are being attacked!"
Kikinnin moves around to reach the remaining demodands and sets a flank for JJ while hacking at the blue one at the same time that Kythel attacks it with his spear. The combined work ends with the farastu dead at the slimy ground of the cave.
JJ gives up Alakast and unfurls a rage of punches at the demodand in front.
The punches wear the Horizont Walker knowledge of the planes and strike heavy bypassing all of the demodand's protection. With broken bones, bruises and a huge commotion in the head, the demodand falls defeated and KO to the ground. Maybe JJ should consider becoming a boxing Multiplanes Champion after all this comes to an end.
Marigold looks through her mask, but sees the situation is controlled, and thus can save her searing light.
The chamber comes back to silence, the lime of the fallen bodies joining that one in the ground.
Kythel will walk the walls searching for any hidden doors that may lead out of this chamber.
Perception
"W-well, guess they kn-know we're c-coming," Marigold winces as the last demodand manages to cry out before being cut down. "N-not that they wouldn't have f-figured it out eventually, but st-still..."
As Kythel quickly sets about searching the small chamber for any hidden doors Marigold begins to scan about for any magical auras.
JJ quickly recovers Alakast.
"Care to do the honors Kikinnin?" he asks the paladin, pointing to the fallen, yet on unconscious, demon at his feet.
Kythel searches the chamber thoroughly, but he does not find anything remarkable aside from the slick substance in the ground and the small holes in the eastern wall. Hearing through the small tubes, probably product of the gasses circulation during the cave's formation, you seem to hear a few more demodands organizing themselves.
Kikkinnin, or maybe JJ, deal with the unconscious demodand in the ground.
Kythel turns to his allies, "I can hear them through these tubes massing on the other side.
Shall we find a new location to battle? This room is not exactly easy to negotiate by foot".
"And we have no easy retreat. If I open the curtain on the next tunnel, can those of you with fireballs and such get ready to drop them on the next group? "
"You can count on me JJ" Juraan smiles while her hand fills with an acid blob.
"Expect t-trouble around every c-corner," Marigold remarks. "That's all w-we can d-do, I th-think..."
She hefts her pack, ready to continue onward.
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"Care to do the honors, Kikinnin?"
Kikinnin wrests the axe head from dead demodand, nodding to the young man. "Don't mind if I do." Eldgammel, still radiant with Pocca's spirit, descends with deadly determination, and ends the unconscious demondand's purpose in the Fiery Sanctum.
The black beard gives the wall a look over. He's never seen gouges in the rock face quite like this. Holding Eldgammel up to the slits, he tries to look through them. "There's something beyond, maybe. Not big enough to walk through, as big as we are, but enough to make noise and alert more of the monsters."
With time wasting, Kikinnin exits their current chamber, and starts investigating the end wall of the second branch, looking for a way to get at the next batch of beasts.
"Kikinnin hold for a moment".
Kythel grasps his Pearl of Power (III) and calls upon Pharasma to recast the Magic Circle vs Evil on the Dwarf, "This will last some time".
Kythel then casts Protection from Energy Fire upon himself. In the face of the foes now, the Cleric is looking to avoid any injuries they possibly can as he believes this will be a long, hard road before them.
With the head severed the unconscious demondand dies quickly and painlessly.
While you inspect the area, Kythel casts a few protective spells. Then Kikinnin quickly brings you to the other branch.
The wall does not resist Kikinnin's close examination that quickly proves this is nothing but another curtain well conceived to resemble actual rock.
At the other side a group of another three farastu demodands, these ones well alert and prepared. Await the dwarf.
Juraan casts an unseen servant and commands him "Hold the curtain open for us!"
The curtain opens letting you see the other side of the cave. The floor is covered in slime in the same fashion of the one before.
Knowing his offensive magics are somewhat limited against these foes, Maxim instead decides to provide a boon to his fellow dwarf;
He shifts forward , reaching out to Kikinnin then invokes a spell:
"Steenhuid"
"Have at them Bror..."
He then draws his pistol
The slime in fact covers all the room until the curtain.
Maxim brings some diamond dust and covers Kikinnin with it considerably strengthening its skin.
JJ delays for the demodands approach.
Seeing some sort of magic visibly strengthening Kikinin, one of the demodands attempts to dispel him before advancing a bit through the slime.
Maxim's magic fizzles and collapses, the rocky skin disappearing like if melting on the scaly skin of the black dwarf.
The green one also advances and attacks JJ with a ray of crackling black magic profiting the invisible servant is holding the curtain up for the group.
The black ray strikes JJ weakening him.
The last one moves even closer and emits a cone of fear that feels your spirits with the dangers of Carceri "હુમલો કર્યો, આપણા ઉપર હુમલો થઈ રહ્યો છે!"
"Attacked, we are being attacked!"
All the three farastu enter into a rageful state with a terrible shriek after using their spell-like abilities "Yirrrrr!"
The shouts extend through the gas tubes at both the eastern and western walls.
Marigold's Round 1
"ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಲೋಳೆ ಏನಿದೆ?" Marigold asks with a grimace and a shiver as she shrugs off the brief moment of fear that threatened to take hold of her.
"What's with all the slime everywhere?"
Rather than enter the room herself she conjures forth a spiritual ally to do some of the fighting for her. It appears next to Green and takes a swing...
Gritting his teeth, JJ feels the strength drain out of him, even as the pool of celestial might within him tries its hardest to counter it.
He slogs forward, striking the pink demondand as he does so.
"ಅವರು ಲೋಳೆ ರಾಕ್ಷಸರು. ಅವರು ಅದನ್ನು ಮಾಡುತ್ತಾರೆ.
"They are slime demons. They make it."
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"Kikinnin hold for a moment... This will last some time."
Kikinnin feels a warm tingle encircle him, sensing that the Pharasmin's magic radiates a good distance from his person. "Enduring protection is always welcome. You have my thanks, Kythel."
"Steenhuid"
Kikinnin watches as his skin becomes something greater. His mind briefly remembers a similar skin in Thifirane's Manor, but he focuses on the strange strength now imbued on himself. The black beard takes a gauntlet off, and gives the exposed hand a look-over. Gone are the rough scales, taking their place, a smoothed stone surface. It takes Kikinnin a moment to slip his hand back into the gauntlet, as if he'd be alright looking it over again some time soon.
Before he does, he holds his hand up towards Maxim, a small upturn at the sides of his mouth. "That's an interesting magic you cast there, Bror. Feels like it should do the trick once the beasts start biting. Much appreciated."
AC = 33/13/32
HP = 184/184
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel(Divine Bond, Holy +1)
Condition(s) = Prayer, Divine Bond, Magic Circle against Evil, Stoneskinned no longer
A not-so-subtle look of disappointment crosses the black beard's mug, as he loses the smooth stony skin granted him just moments before by the blond beard. He looks over at Maxim, and shrugs gruffly, before turning his ire against the nearest demodand, with the shortest of charges.