Tearing herself away from the beasts, Caro begins inspecting the masks. "I wonder if any of these have inscriptions, or maybe implements to help with sight or smell, or protection from inhalations." Like that fog...
walking into the room, Ileum takes a quick scan of the new area.
then he takes the time to move around the room to observe each display.
"It they are properly clustered up I can knock out up to seven of them at once." Tiasar offers.
Berta Perception (DC 7): You begin inspecting some of the weapons hanging on the walls, which you count approximately seven different types of ancient weapons. Some of the weapons look similar to ones currently being used by your tribe today, but others appear to be unusual to the point that you would consider them weird. The weapons hang between a variety for different tribal masks and ancient helmets, which are spread out along all four of the room’s large walls. Aside from a place card explaining the history of the weapons, nothing seems to be too far out of place.
Caro Perception (DC 15): You begin making your way around the room to the first animal, which is a large beetle that looks to be as big as a cart. Its black and red husk seems to be well preserved and its heavily armored man sized pincer looks menacing. After looking over the area, you see nothing out of the ordinary, so you begin moving to the next animal.
Caro Perception (DC 21): Among the plethora of ancient weapons that hang along the fifty foot high walls of this room are twelve old tribal looking masks. Based on their design, they appear to have been used as a helmet at one point in time. Aside from the uniqueness of the masks, a couple of the older looking variants appear to be splintering and cracking from what you assume is do to age. These masks are hanging further up on the wall then the rest, in order to prevent them from being touched.
Haddek (Perception 17): While Haddek makes his way around the room he spots a number of weapons that reflect ancient Osirion and the history of life in the desert. Out of the collection, he spots at least four unique representations of life back home.
Haddek (Perception 22): Haddek hears nothing from within the first door, which is the door closest to the entrance. The second door, on the other hand, has the sound of someone cackling with mad laughter behind it. The sound leaves little doubt that someone effected by the fog resides within the room. While in the process of inspecting the door, he hears the sound of something cracking in the background.
Ileum Perception (DC 19): Ileum’s first look around the room revels a lot of historical curiosities. Some of which brings him back to his days living in the ice covered lands of the north. In addition to a number of tribal looking masks from the north, he finds a woolly mammoth that appears as real as some of the ones he has seen along his travels.
Sustos Perception (DC 15): Sustos begins a careful inspection of the room, which includes casting a spell to enhance his perception of the room’s magical properties.
Sustos Detect magic: You find the presence of magic both around the braziers that light the room as well as two of the older looking masks that are hanging on the wall. In addition to that, you recognize the presence of magic revolving around the fog that is now seeping into the room.
While the group continues with its investigation, Caro watches as the two older, cracked masks explode into a shower of debris. Emerging from within the masks, two ghoulish faced creatures take flight into the fifty foot tall room. Both creatures have bat like wings that flank what looks like a detached monstrous head. The creature’s long tentacle like tongue continuously darts out of its disgusting tooth filled maw.
Haddek
Green Creature
Purple Creature
Caro
Sustos
As he hears a cracking sound behind him, Haddek turns to see two masks disintegrate and some sort of flying monstrosity come out.
"What in hells is that!"
Without thinking, he pulls an arrow from his quiver and fires at the nearest one.
"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure they aren't fog victims."
Tiasar jerks back on his heels away from the creatures, wracking his brains for any reading he has done on them.
Tiasar jerks back on his heels away from the creatures, wracking his brains for any reading he has done on them.
Wow, those initiative rolls. Legendary.
After receiving the sharpened point of Haddek’s surprisingly fast reaction, the green creature opens its mouth and lets out an ear piercing cream. The scream reverberates off just about everything in the room, causing the three windows to form small hairline cracks. No sooner does the green creature finish its scream before the purple creature mimics its action with a second powerful scream.
Haddek: Fired his short bow at the green creature.
Green Creature: Screamed.
Purple Creature: Screamed.
Caro:
Sustos:
Caro moves to get in closer range for her spear.
On hearing the shrieks from the creatures she winces.
Caro:
Current Status.
Caro:
Haddek:
Sustos:
Surprise Round summary
Berta: Berta feels the ear piercing squeal of both creatures and manages to fight off their ability to stun. Glancing around the room she sees each of her companions standing absolutely still and eventually comes to the conclusion that she is the only one not frozen in place. To make matters worse, both creatures seem to be fixated on her.
Caro: Watching as the masks crumble, Caro finds herself in shock when the artifacts burst into a shower of debris. Just after Haddek’s arrow dives deep into the green one's face, both creatures shriek causing her muscles to go ridged, leaving her stunned.
Haddek: After listening to the cackling laughter beyond the last door, Haddek hears something crack apart behind him. After turning to see what happened, he found himself locked eye-to-eye with the two horrifying creatures. Almost instinctively, he grabbed an arrow from his quiver and fired it at the green creature. The arrow successfully drove deep into its grotesque face.
Ileum: Surprised by the sudden presence of the creatures, Ileum found himself frozen in place by an unexpected ear piercing scream.
Sustos: After spending a brief moment focusing his magic on the masks, Sustos found himself less surprised when the creatures made their appearance. Unfortunately, he was unable to react fast enough to take advantage of his discovery and became stunned when the creatures screamed in tandem.
Tiasar: Slightly after walking into the room, Taiser found himself looking directly at two horrific creatures that he had, at some point, read extensively about. His recollection of these creatures sends shivers down his spine. Just when he is about to mention what he knows about them the creatures shriek. The sound of their scream is shrill and hard to endure; leaving him stunned and unable to act.
Attackers receive a +4 bonus on attack rolls to perform combat maneuvers against a stunned opponent.
ROUND ONE
Haddek:
Green Creature: Fly, double move towards Berta
Tiasar:
Purple Creature: Fly, double move towards Berta
Ileum:
Caro:
Sustos:
Berta:
Both creatures glare at Berta and then say something in a bizarre language.
After making a quick statement, the two slathering creatures fly down and directly towards Berta. They are now twenty feet above the ground.
|
Berta looks around the room, at her frozen allies, then sighs in resignation. You are on your own, for now. Show them the strength of your ancestors. She turns back to face the floating creatures and sniffs derisively at them. She strides forward, drawing the massive hammer from her back, and calls out mockingly in her native tongue.
Haddek:
Berta: Ready action.
Green Creature: Fly up to Berta and attack.
Tiasar:
Purple Creature: Fly up to Berta and attack.
Ileum:
Caro:
Sustos:
Both creatures move up and attempt to bite Berta. The creatures are now five feet from the ground.
On approach Berta brings her long hammer down with devastating power. Its heavy head impacts the green creature with devastating force, which drives the beast closer to the ground. Shocked by the impact, the purple creature continues its advancement and takes a solid hit to the face for doing so.
ROUND THREE
Haddek:
Berta:
Green Creature:
Tiasar:
Purple Creature:
Ileum:
Caro:
Sustos:
The Creature latches onto Beta's arm, sinking its teeth deep into her flesh. The pain, in itself, is excruciating. After releasing the bite, Berta feels the wound begin to fester as her blood mingles with the secretions from the creature's mouth.
|
|
As the strange fluids fester in the open wound, blood rushes into her ears and Berta lets the fury of battle overtake her. All fears, all doubts, all frustrations wash away, leaving nothing but boiling blood and the will to destroy these abominations. She steps back to make room for her hammer and continues bashing away, honing in on the one that looks less wounded.
ROUND THREE SUMMORY
Berta: After receiving a grotesque bit, the barbarian finally takes off the training wheels and fly’s into a battle rage. Her eyes become bloodshot while bringing her Longhammer into a POWERFUL overhead swing. The forged head of the weapon finds it target while burying itself halfway into the purple creature’s face. Upon impact the creature bursts into a gooey puddle of brain matter and flesh.
After seeing the other creature meet a miserable end, the green creature renews its attack with greater abandon.
ROUND FOUR
Haddek:
Berta:
Green Creature:
Tiasar:
Purple Creature: DEAD.
Ileum:
Caro:
Sustos:
Stepping back away from the creature, Berta bellows with a hungering, keening wail that is so intertwined with both rage and sorrow, it is impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins, then brings the hammer to bear on its next victim.
Berta’s hammer makes short work of the last creature just as Ileum finds himself free of the beast’s stun. Shortly after Ileum begins to move again, the rest of the group feels the stun’s grip release.
Berta finds herself winded from the over exhilaration of her rage, while the pain from the creature’s bite continues to fester and throb with pain. Before long both creatures fade into nothingness, leaving behind no remnant of their existence.
|
|
Berta drop's the hammerhead to the floor and leans heavily against the haft, catching her breath. She looks around at the others as they begin to stir, muttering under her breath.
To the others she pants, "Are you all well? Are you okay?" She winces and glances down at the bite on her arm. "Those things have ugly mouths. I think this wound needs washing. It feels... unnatural."
"Thank you so much Berta. I couldn't move at all but saw everything that you did. You were outstanding. I could take a look at your wound if you'd like but my skills at healing are not quite yet all that good.
"Does anyone here know what those things were? Perhaps that might help understand why her wounds don't seem right."
Caro sits next to Berta while she recovers, waiting for the rest of the group to be ready.
"I think before those things intervened, we'd checked out everything of importance in this room. Haddek, did you hear anything through either of those doors?"
As Sustos regains his ability to move he sighs and slumps before quickly standing straight again and looking somber.
"We up against some powerful creatures here... Berta, I believe without you non of us would have walk out of here. You have my gratitude.
How does everyone fair?"
"That was terrifying! Thank you Berta!" Haddek shudders at the thought of how close to a gruesome death they all were. Well, that's going to give me nightmares. Not being able to move while a grotesque flying head takes its time killing you has to be the worst way to go.
Picking his bow up off the ground, indicates the south-most door with a nod of his head. "Pretty sure there's another fog-affected person behind that door. No sound behind the other one though, but as we just saw that doesn't mean there's no danger." He moves up to stand in front of the door with no sound coming from behind it. "Let me know when you're ready to move on."
"I'm ready for either. Might make sense to do the other door first though. If we can free that person of the fog they might be able to give us some information about the rooms we haven't visited yet."
Tiasar comes out of his stunned state with a gasp. "Vargouilles! It's a good thing you resisted their effects Berta, they can turn helpless targets into more of them." He leans against the wall, heart pounding in his throat. The second time I could have died with little or no warning. "Uhmm, the bite, it resists magical healing. It takes a lot of skill or luck to heal those wounds with magic."
After a careful search of the room, the group finds nothing beyond the archive's normal collection of historical displays.
Haddek: The west door still has no sound coming from behind it.
|
|
Berta waves dismissively at Tiasar with a weak smile. "Then I do not need magic. The bite will heal in time, yes? We should go. More horrors await my hammer."
As the fatigue from her battle fury finally begins to fade, she takes a dirty rag off her belt and begins wiping muck off the hammer's head. It never approaches anything like clean, but she tries to make sure the largest bits of skull and gray matter . "I say we look in the room where another is heard. Perhaps we can knock them out. If I tap very gently with my hammer, I can make them sleep instead of, erm..." She absently nods at the two piles of pulp with wings lying on the floor.
"Yes, you will have to wait for natural healing..." Tiasar marvels at Berta's casual dismissal of the wound. There has to be a certain kind of mindset in order to accomplish that. He makes a mental note to ask about it later.
Tiasar pulls out a scroll of color spray, holding it in anticipation. "Very well, the next room it is."
Caro takes position next to the door, in easy spear range of anything that might be on the other side of it. "If it's an innocent, I can always use my fists. I'm stronger than I look." She grins an oddly disquieting grin.
Haddek nods and moves to open the door with sounds coming from behind it. He takes a deep breath, readying himself, and then pushes it open quickly and steps back, ready to dodge an attack.
As the three take the front, Sustos stands behind at the ready. He remains silent and takes positions just behind Berta's left shoulder.
These public restrooms seem to be for the use of visiting clientele. Several stalls are here and a huge cesspool below collects the offal. Mad laughter echoes in this cramped stone chamber. The stench of sewage battles the cold of the mist, but through the haze can be seen smears of blood across the floor, walls, and ceiling, as well as the doors of several stalls.
Towards the back of the mist covered room you can the bipedal form of a person, hunched over like a primate. As his form dodges in and out of the mist you can hear him laughing in a manic shrill tone. Dodging from one side to the other, he appears to have a snake trapped up against room's back wall. “Quick…quick….don’t let it get away!” He exclaims before bursting into another fit of laughter.
Looking back at the group, Caro outlines a plan. "From the looks of him, he's fallen to the fog. This must be what an extended exposure does. I'll approach on the pretense of helping him with the snake and see how he reacts."
Caro tentatively walks into the room and takes a position out of the maniac's fist range, gesturing towards the snake with her spear and addressing the laughing lunatic. "Good day friend. I'll keep him from coming this way. What is going on here?" She watches both the snake and the man carefully, in case either of them come towards her
Ileum takes a closer look at the two dead creatures, or at least whats left of them...
After he finishes looking over the remains of brain matter and wings, he turns to Berta and nods in gratitude.
ileum follows the group to the next door.
A snake?