"Stick a fork in him, fellas! He's done!"
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Nigel takes in a deep breath and holds it. The opening appears and he fires his bow. The fires just between Karsk's legs. The tentacles go limp around the half-orc's body as he goes into its death throws. The mimic begins to flail around for a minute then suddenly becomes still. The adhesive dries up and Karsk is able to easily free himself.
Before the party, the passage continues on then turns right.
Karsk lays on the floor for a moment, breathing heavily, secretly thankful his hands are permanently affixed with glue. Once his fatigue has passed, he sits up and looks around. "Can I have my axe back?" He ask Aothan.
"Wow, that battle was gripping! Great job big guy! I knew you could wrestle it. "
Karsk grunts in acknowledgement to the compliment. Standing, he withdraws a wand from his pack. "Can anyone use this on me?"
Aothan nods about the axe as he pries his kukris out of the creature, though shakes his head at the wand inquiry.
Leo sets about gathering and repacking his various cook-ware. He stays quiet when Karsk inquires about the wand.
Karsk stares at the party in astonishment. "No one?.....BAH!! He grumbled before trying it himself.
The half-orc fails several time before managing to activate the wand twice. "Stoopid magic stick!"
"Well. That was fun, of sorts. Now what?"
Karsk shrugs. "Follow passage."
"Well. That was fun, of sorts. Now what?"
"Cook up some bacon?" Leo suggests, holding up his frying pan.
Karsk shrugs. "Follow passage."
Leo lowers his pan. "Well, yeah, I suppose that works too."
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The party rounds the corner. They travel several dozens of feet before coming to another door. Aothan gives a thumbs up and Karsk is able to knock it open after putting his shoulder into the door's swollen frame.
Beyond the door is a ledge—a short extension of rock placed high on the wall of an enormous natural cavern. Far below, a vast mud pit boils and bubbles. A series of wooden disks, each suspended from the ceiling by a massive steel chain, forms a set of “stepping stones” that lead across the cave to another ledge on the far side. There are nine such disks.
Each wooden disk is about 4 feet in diameter and hangs about 3 feet from its nearest neighbors. Each is attached to its chain by a giant ring fixed in its center to the ceiling 50 feet above. The disks swing freely. The disks and chains gives off a feeble phosphorescent glow that provides dim light throughout the room.
Nigel looks around and gives a sigh
"well I say. I all of the sudden miss my friendly Roc. That is a long way down into the bubbling brew."
"That would indeed make things easier. We could go back and try to bring him along, with the understanding that something terrible might happen if he walks down the corridor without speaking the passphrase. I know it's a risk and I wouldn't ask anyone to take that risk, so I'll leave the decision up to you, Master Nigel. Otherwise we'll need to use more cunning. Those chains are slick, that's for sure. . . ."
Aothan removes his cloak and unfurls his black-feathered wings. "While I am no bird of prey, I am capable of mundane flight as well as my intradimensional relocation. I fear some of you would be too heavy for me to carry, but it is an option I wanted to put forward."
"Wow wings? That is amazing. If you want to try to fly across unencumbered, and if no issues return to carry Leo and me across separately then we can see if we can string a rope for karsk to jump or swing across? ."
Leo looks around, clearly embarrassed at the thought of being carried across. "Just don't tell the elves back in Kyonin. I'll never heard the end of it."
"I do not understand; teamwork is a very vital part of any group venture..."
"So, who will be going first, then? Or should I try across myself? I can attempt to hop dimensionally over there or go with a mundane method. Both appear unsafe, as I presume it will at all times..."
Karsk looks around at the party. "So what is the plan. I could probably make it the first, maybe the second, but all of them looks hard...."
Thinking for a moment, he says. "Does anyone have a grappling hook? I have a rope. Maybe we could catch the chains with the hook and pull them near, in order to just step on?"
"No grappling hook or rope here big guy. Usually I just fly where I need to go . "
"I have both a grappling hook, a rope, and the means to deliver the end to each platform. If we tie each rope together and knot it, our less capable allies will be able to climb with ease."
Pending any complaints or better ideas, Aothan will flap his wings and mundanely deliver the grappling hook (with knotted rope) to platform one and secure it to something.
"Works for me if you are willing! " Nigel nods at the plan.
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As Aothan rises up to take flight across the muddy maw, a large geyser erupts, creating a cylinder of boiling hot mud that reaches to the roof of
the cavern.
Aothan is able to dodge away from the boiling mud at the last moment. After doing a barrel-roll-of-life-saving, the archon reaches the first platform and secures the rope.
"Well that looks dangerous. What madmen designed such a place I wonder?"
Nigel gulps as he looks down at the boiling mud.
Nigel sits down and starts to unbuckle his armor to help his jump chances.
"I am still capable of flying you across, though let me ensure my translocation power works here to minimize risk."
Aothan tries to teleport a few inches to his left to see if it works. If he can, his current plan for Shorty Delivery is to fly one to the first stop, port back to start, and then fly the other over. As for everyone else, making a knotted rope is doing that +2 thing, which is the best Aothan can do.
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"I am more than happy to take you up on the ride and even the divine blessing if there are more mud bursts ."
Nigel stops with the armor
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Aothan is able to shift back and forth through his teleportation powers. Once Nigel is ready, Aothan takes him into his arms and flies him over to the first mud covered disk without any event.
As Aothan flies back, another pillar of boiling mud shoots up.
Nigel is able to keep a majority of the wooden disk between himself and the geyser.
Geyers of boiling mud seems to frequently erupt up and down the this cavern.
Aothan will repeat the process with the other Small person, though he offer to use Aid to prevent resource drain. If accepted, the passenger gets temp HP.
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"Thank you very much. That was way cooler than falling into a pond of boiling mud ."
Nigel will hold the rope or do whatever helps get their last companion across.
Seeing all of his party safely across, Karsk grumbles to himself and begins attempting to navigate the swinging discs.
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Karsk takes a running start and leaps to the first disk.
Karsk easily lands with his fellow dungeon delvers. Eight more wooden disks lay before him, but each jump will be more difficult since he is unable to gain a running start. In the distance, a geyser burps up and fires toward the ceiling, soaking a wooden disk in mud.
Karsk looks down at the geyser and murmurs to Aothan. ["You mentioned something about aid...."
"It's worked so far, let's keep this strategy up. Let's string the rope to the next platform and Karsk can leap along after us. I don't mind being ferried across, I just hope such a story never leaves these tunnels."
"Persistence will pay off in the end . "
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The party all end at a large landing with a wooden door weathered by the moisture and mud that permeates throughout this cavern. The doorway opens up into a long passageway. Traveling down the passage for 50', it ends at another door. With a good shove, Karsk opens the door into darkness. The Continual Light appears to be muted when its rays try to breach the room beyond.
"Well, as much as I like good mud bath, I am glad to be out of that room. I cannot see diddly in this room though. Karsk, what can you see?"
Karel peers into the room. The flagstone floor is dry and dusty. The room is about 30' by 30' and it does not appear to have any other exits." He says with a shrug.
Aothan will approach to the same distance as Karsk, close his eyes, and focus his on another of his abilities.
Three times per day, a spyglass archon can concentrate its attention as a swift action. For a number of rounds equal to its Hit Dice (4 for most spyglass archons), the range of the spyglass archon’s darkvision is doubled, it gains a +6 bonus on Perception checks, and it gains blindsense out to a range of 15 feet.
If nothing is sensed, he'll move into the room, keeping the focus up for the next 6 rounds.
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Aothan sees nothing else from the door way. He walks into the room and is able to see its edges, but nothing much else of importance.
Within these normally humid tunnels, a cool draft runs through this passage. Nigel turns around and a purple haze rise up from the cracks and crevices within the floor. The gaseous form solidifies into a a pale skinned dwarf, with a well kept coif and burning red eyes. In his right hand is a warhammer. Its shaft is made of a golden wood the is illuminated by the steel head that glows with a soft, silver-black light. He is dressed in black full mail armor.
"Kill Them. Kill Them Friend and Find Peace"
Nigel shakes off that stupid idea.
As a free action, Nigel will call down judgement (protection) against the Ctenmillr
"By the powers...back you foul dwarf!
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"Your gods have no powers here."
Ctenmillr let's loose a deep and hardy laugh. He then slams the hammer's head onto the ground. A flash of silver light is released and ripples from Ctenmillr. The ground rumbles, but party remains stead fast. The shock wave that is loosed however tries to stun the party.
The party may go!
Karsk looks stunned by the creature's power.