Marigold's Round 2
Sickened by the stench rolling off the demodands all Marigold can do is retch and stagger forward through this new cloud that burns her skin.
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Used to fight in the darkness, JJ spins over himself and swings Alakast as a real tornado in a tempest cloud, destroying completely the first demodand.
Then, he wades with difficulty through the acid fog setting himself to flank for Kikinnin.
Maxim, Kythel and Marigold move slowly through the acid fog as if it was as difficult to cross as an actual bad taste marshmallow.
Juraan does same, trying to find an exit "Where are you friends? Are you alright?"
Kikinnin reaches the other kelubar, but the fog is so dense his axe is slowed just enough for him to fail the strike.
The kelubar shrieks outraged by the Watchers surrounding him and attacks JJ.
The young man is ready to dodge the first claw, but the next one and the bite, tear through his skin.
The watchers keep burning under the acidic atmosphere.
Marigold's Round 3
Somewhere amid the pain of the acid and the pain of her dry heaves Marigold has a brief moment of thankfulness for her goz mask in that at least she can see where she's going as she stumbles towards the edge of the cloud.
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"Like you my friend, this spell, it burns and my concentration is hampered!"
Kythel feels along the wall, for now just trying to get out of harms way so he can do something useful!
Grinning JJ slams Alkast into the back of the Demodand, again and again.
-auto miss
His blows are relentless and without mercy. "Go home and stay there."
AC = 33/13/32
HP = 173/184
Weapon Equipped = Eldgammel +1 Holy
Condition(s) = divine bond 13 min, circle vs evil 128 min, air walk 128 min, resist energy (fire 30) 140 min, Prayer
Smite Evil = 6/7
"Found it. This one's still up, JJ. You finish the other one already?"
Kikinnin can't make out much more than the demodand, so he tries again to fell the fiend before it can make any more acid smoke.
While others try to get away from the cloud, JJ and Kikinnin flank the remaining kelubar demodand. Staff and axe break and cut the creature of Carceri, reducing it again to more acid pulp into the cavern's ground.
Juraan, who is more free to cast as the fog does not damage him, says a few arcane words and dispels the more recent cloud!
The acid arrow keeps burning Marigold though.
And perhaps extends to a few more seconds if action is not taken.
The demodands had no valuable belongings with them.
Though inwardly relieved the see the end of the demodands and the acid fog, Marigold finds her stomach is still too upset to make doing anything more than leaning against a nearby wall to steady herself impossible.
But, after maybe 30 or 40 seconds, the nausea finally begins to abate.
"Ughhh....I hate th-those th-things! I hope there aren't any-m-more of them!"
Kikinnin nods his shared hope they're done with the fog-makers. He can still feel the burn on the skin beneath his beard. Reflexively, he moves towards the center of his friends, and tenses the muscles in said neck, triggering a pulse of positive energy, courtesy of Abadar Himself.
Once he's reasonably healed of the acids, the black beard moves down the hall towards the distant door, unsure of the next set of denizens, but uninterested in losing time to his blessings up and running.
JJ nods to the blackbeared rat catcher.
"Back through that nasty fog eh? You're just showing off now." he chirps.
He stops as he goes past the place where he lost the tracks, spending a moment searching again to see where they may have gone. JJ looks up. Then down, then prods the wall.
"That was...unsettling".
With most of the groups wounds healed by the Dwarven channel Kythel searches the walls as well.
Perception
With the remaining cloud covering the corridor JJ can hardly see any tracks left despite his best efforts.
Instead the group backs to the other side of the fog where Kikinnin heals the group with a pulse of positive energy blessed by Abadar.
There, at the end of the corridor, JJ finds on his search what seems another secret door, just by the time Kikinnin opens the doors to the south.
The first object that draws the eye is a massive pipe organ along the west wall. Black iron pipes run up from the large organ, and along the contours of the natural ceiling. The keys are made of what appear to be the fingerbones of various humanoid creatures, and the organ bench is the skeleton of a dwarf, bent into a squatting position with hands raised to support the musician.
A gilded bed sits against the opposite wall next to a carved stone wardrobe that looks to be part of the rock wall of the room. A small shrine sits against the south wall, and the scent of burning incense fills the air.
Madly playing the pipe organ, there is a man standing about 5 feet tall, and with a thick, barrel-shaped body and arms and legs like the trunks of healthy trees. His eyes protrude from beneath a coarse brow and his bulbous nose is shot through with burst blood vessels. His shaggy black hair is chopped short, and he wears a scraggly black beard.
The performance is not very good, but the player makes up for his lack of skill with sheer exuberance.
The man is so much inside his music he does not even realize about the dwarf's entry in the room.
JJ stares in shocked silence at the scene before him. He blinks once, twice, and then a third time, just to make sure he really is seeing what he thinks he is seeing. Then checks his ears as well.
Quickly he gestures to Kikinnin to close the door.
From her position some feet back up the tunnel Marigold watches with puzzlement as Kikinnin opens the door and then JJ very quickly motions to close it again.
"Wh-what? What is it??" she hisses, trying to keep her voice down.
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Maxim too stands slightly bemused at the macabre scene, as he continues to watch the gun-mage's well versed hands load his double barrelled pistol with powder and bullet...
What in Hell's Teeth we got ourselves here?
Kikinnin spies the macabre seat, and marks the man for death, regardless of the boy's hiss to close the door.
The black beard considers marking the musician with Abadar's righteous ire, but the element of surprise is not to wasted, as the squeaking of the organ covers his metallic grinding.
Kythel watches the scene unfold before him not acting as to not spoil the dwarf's advantage.
Kikinnin takes the initiative and charges on the macabre musician, stabbing his axe deep in the back. The man shouts in pain and almost falls out of the chair.
Kythel heads to the doorway and unleashes a series of Icicle attacks against the outnumbered foe -
Ranged Touch #1 - - Damage
Ranged Touch #2 - - Damage
Marigold's Surprise Round
Eyes wide as she realizes that violence is nigh once again, Marigold hoofs it up the tunnel towards the door as fast as her feet will carry her.
Marigold's Round 1
Marigold manages to make it the rest of the way to the open door and finally gets some small view of what's happening inside the chamber. Hoping to make thing easier, she attempts to weave magic to hold the strange organist in place.
With a sigh JJ quickly turns to follow Kikinnin into the room.
Standing next to the macarbe organist he can't help but ask. "I know it is gross, but are you sure he really is evil?"
Alakast seems to harbour no doubts as it slams into him again and again.
"I mean, he may be able to tell us something helpful.."
"Eldgammel bit deep, if it eases your mind. Not sure you fully understand this Fiery Sanctum, JJ. Everything down here is evil. Everything. Demodand. Cagewright. Dragon. I suggest you strike first, each and every time."
Kikinnin looks over the injured musician, before turning back to JJ. "I won't stay the first strike, but I might stay the last, if you think there's intelligence to pull from him on this side of the Veil." The black beard flicks a thumb at Kythel.
"The pharasmin seems to favor talking to them after they've passed, and I'm alright with that."
Kythel's icicle's easily touch the sit organist, creating a painful frosting over him in a vital spot.
Marigold reaches the entrance and casts a spell. The organist gets frozen playing an ominous sharp La .
JJ closes in, just to full attack on the organist next. Alakast shines with holiness recognizing the evil person. With the flatfooted and paralyzed figure, the staff strikes once after another time until it is reduced to cracked bones and a mass of blood and meat splashed all over the keyboard.
With a stealthy and kick party, the evil foe payed badly for his moment of lonely introspection and creativity.
The man was well armored but it served nothing.
+2 spell storing spiked chain
cold iron spiked chain
belt of strength +4
ring of protection +2
potion of invisibility
scroll of righteous might
23 gp
Decrihni's pipe organ is more than it appears. You uncover a strange set of symbols carved into an obscure corner of the contraption.
The symbols indicate a specific chord on the organ, which can be successfully played by anyone with at least 1 rank in Perform (key board instrument) or with a successful DC 25 Dexterity check.
"W-well...at l-least that one w-went quick and e-f-fficiently..." Marigold remarks as she peers into the chamber.
"L-looks like another d-dead end h-here...m-maybe."
"Look at that chain. I'm glad it didn't end up wrapped around any of us. I guess you were right, again, Kikinnin. But one day... one day I pray we don't find you are wrong."
"Look, there is something odd here." he says, pointing the an odd set of symbols carved into a corner of it.
"I know a dozen languages... but I've never seen that one before."
"Oh, th-that's strange," Marigold remarks, peering at the symbols now that JJ has pointed them out. "I've n-no idea what they m-mean, either. N-not in any language I've ever seen!"
Kythel looks as well but shrugs as languages are not his specialty.
Looking up from his tallying of the loot, Maxim eyes the strange flute;
"Ain't got it prepared, but I have magicks to Comprehend Languages iffin' it might help us understand them there symbols an' such..."
"M-maybe we can c-come back then, once we've had t-time for you to pre-p-pare it," Marigold suggests. "Or if we r-run into a b-bunch of dead ends elsewhere d-down here. But if we c-can't figure it out r-right now, then we should p-probably press on."
Kikinnin doesn't envy the musician's fate, dead before he could lift a finger from the keyboard against any one of them, but he can't help but feel a small pride in how swiftly they ended him.
"But one day... one day I pray we don't find you are wrong."
"I pray one day we won't have to." Kikinnin shakes his head, breaking his transient gaze from Marigold, unsure why his eyes had drifted to her while the youth spoke.
The black beard waits for the man to be stripped of his useful possessions, himself needing nothing among the items, then turns back to JJ. "You said something about a secret door? Let's have at it, then."
Kikinnin stands back, and let's the young man show them the way.
With a shrug JJ leads the Watchers back toward the well concealed door.
"The tracks lead up to here.... and if you look, very, very carefully.." He reaches out to the wall and gives it a press in *just* the right place...
Frustrated for not having attended music theory lessons, or not having paid attention, the Watchers decide to look a different path forward. The secret door opens easily under JJ's preassure.
Every surface of this large, rectangular room has been polished to a mirror sheen. Quarter-circle pools of lava in three of the room's four corners augment the light provided by numerous grub cages. Massive double doors carved with the Carcerian Eye exit the room to the east, but the chamber is dominated by an immense, carved stone table, also in the shape of the Carcerian Eye. Thirteen chairs surround the table, the one at the head larger than the others.
This appears to be the meeting chamber of the Thirteen, where they gather when great events must be discussed, or when the group must be informed as a whole of one of some decisions.
A set of double doors exit to the east.
JJ carefully edges into the room.
"You guys see any magical traps? Warnings, etc? Actually... Maxim... maybe you should go first here.." says the youth, all too aware of the magical powers that these cagewrights have at their disposal.
Maxim nods and moves cautiously into the chamber, his keen eyes scanning for traps and the like...
"I'll l-look for m-magical wards," Marigold murmurs as she conjures up a cantrip and begins to look around the room as best as she can.
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Kythel will channel energy to ensure the group is at maximum health.
Channel Energy .
He will assist Maxim in his searches.
Aid Another Perception Find Traps
Aid Another Disable Device, if applicable,
The party spends some time looking for traps and magical clues but nothing is found, other than the usual magic auras. Kythel invokes Pharasma's healing!
Kikinnin's divine bond comes to an end.
Finding nothing else than the meeting point, the group at some point decides to open the doors to the east to find a long long basalt cave corridor leading down to the south. Going through you would find another set of doors. That is, if you decide to venture forward moving away the darkness with your light.
Half-way the corridor you find another of the curtains that resemble basalt rock going eastwards.
Just to the east of the southern doors you find a greatly concealed secret door on the rock.
Kythel Perception DC 20
Kythel Perception DC 35
Kythel takes to the wall to investigate the hall, Kythel points out that half-way the corridor there is another of the curtains that resemble basalt rock going eastward.
"Through this detour first my friends?"
JJ stops were Kythel points. "Are you sure? If so, we should remove any demons from it. They are not much of a threat in ones and twos, but coming from behind when we were otherwise busy... they could be nasty."
He stands ready to go through it.
"Oh! M-maybe so b-but look there, n-next to the s-southern doors there," Marigold points. "There's another h-hidden d-door! Whoever b-built this p-place did a good j-job of hiding that one..."
Like real investigators, the rocky curtain does not pass unperceived. The Watchers easily find it and move through it to warranty they are not catch in their backs by lesser demons.
The walls of this chamber look like melted wax, and the air smells acrid and foul. Various implements of torture occupy the chamber, including a bed of wicked, barbed spikes, some sort of stretching device resembling a rack, and hooks on the wall that hold corpses in various states of decay. A large chest sits in an alcove to the south.
A couple of beggars lay on the devices dead on terrible pain. Among them is a pair of farastu and one kelubar demodand.
They throw themselves into the attack at first sight of your appearance "જુઓ, અમારા આનંદ માટે વધુ સપાટીવાળા. ખાતરી કરો કે કેજરાઇટ્સને વાંધો નહીં હોય અમે તેમને થોડા લઈશું!"
The kelubar shots an acid arrow at Kikinnin.
The acid hits the dwarf in the chest burning horribly below his armor.
The farastus shot at the leading members of the party.
Both rays hit their target sapping worth vital strength, JJ's one hitting on a vital spot.
The kelubar demodand stenches.
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The weight of the abyss hits the youth like a boulder. His armour, normally light, feels as if it is lead weights attached to his shoulders, legs, wrists... everything. Even Alakast feels heavy and it is with difficulty that he steps forward... only to be hit by the horrid smell.
With the war cry of "Surabar!" he surges forward, Alakast swinging at the green demon.
Marigold's Round 1
Marigold shuffles forward into the room just a bit...
...and this time, she manages to resist the powerful stank of the kebular demodand. She says a quiet word of thanks and calls upon a prayer to Sarenrae, bolstering herself and her allies for battle.
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Kythel covers his face against their awful stench - Fortitude save - he holds on and releases a wave of energy againstthe foes
Alignment Channel Will save DC 24 for 1/2 Damage.
As another combat looms, Maxim presses forward seeking a better vantage , drawing his arcane gun as he goes .
The noxious wave passes o'er him...
... but he holds on to his breakfast!
He levels his pistol at the stinking brute, channeling arcane energy causing one barrel to crackle with electricity...
The gun-mage levels his cracking pistol and fires
Resisting the stench, Kythel damages the demodands with Pharasma's energy!
JJ comes after him and smacks the farastu breaking the right arm that twist in a very strange position.
Marigold comes in and tosses a prayer to bolster the group odds.
Maxim overloads his gun with electricity and with a good aimed bullet, he shocks the central demodand who shouts in pain as the bullet breaks the cheek bones on the right of his face!
Juraan tosses a fireball at the midst of the demodand ranks. The Kelubar seems immune to the professor fires.
He fails to pierce one of their magic resistances, but the first demodand suffers a bit under the flames and falls unconscious and defeated.
Kikinnin does something heroic!
The kelubar turns to attack JJ "અમે તમારી સાથે માંસના ઉદ્ધત ખૂંટો સાથે થોડી વધુ રમીશું!"
"We will play a bit more with you insolent pile of flesh!"
The creature shreds JJ powerfully but between Marigold's prayer and JJ's acid resistance, he barely causes any damage.
The last farastu starts some kind of ritual.
She is summoning more demodands. As normal, damaging him right now will require a Concentration check from him to avoid losing concentration.
Not bothering to reply in the demodands own corrupted language, JJ just snarls back in common. "At least you have the decency to come to me and not make me chase you all around the room!"
With that, his weak limbs twirl Alakast into a blinding series of blows.
mods aside from his normal attacks:
+14 to hit and damage from FT
+1 to hit and damage from prayer
+2 to hit and +2+2d6 to damage from evil outsider bane
+2d6 to damage from holy
-4 to hit and -4 to damage (-2 on off hand) from str penalty
Total +13 to hit
+13+4d6 to damage on primary attacks and
+14+4d6 to damage on off hand
Getting a little too sure of himself, one of JJs blows is way too fancy and he has to duck his own backswing with the staff. The rest though smash into the horrid creature with the vengeful force of a Solar.
Seeing his shot bear fruit, and the Professor's flame fizzle out Maxim continues with his strategy. He calmly reloads the barrel with an alchemical cartridge ...
The gun-mage then draws a bead on the central demodand and fires;
Marigold's Round 2
"ಓಯಿ! ಫರಾಸ್ತು ಸಹಾಯವನ್ನು ಕರೆಯಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಿದೆ! ಅವಳ ಕಾಗುಣಿತವನ್ನು ಮುಗಿಸಲು ಬಿಡಬೇಡಿ!" Marigold warns, having recognized what the farastu is up to.
"Oi! The farastu is trying to summon help! Don't let her finish her spell!"
Taking advantage of the moment, Marigold calls down a blast of holy power upon Red and Blue, before certain other party members close the distance!
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