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Garduk reads the graffiti with distaste. "Kneel before Yealek-Vor, King of Jormurdun." He snorts. "A damned soul escaped from the Abyss and crowned itself. Sounds like most of the bastards who decide they ought to be in charge, now that I think about it."
So is this Yealek-Vor just a nobody with delusions of grandeur, or someone we need to worry about?
Garduk is not familiar with the name.
You hear the sounds of metal on metal clicking from the west, echoing in the expansive space. A goat-headed humanoid covered in a mangy gray hide that only partly covers its gaunt but muscled frame strolls out from behind pillars at the far end of the chamber, holding several pairs of manacles. It has a halberd in its other hand.
A strange mechanical servitor made of armor, cogs, springs and other mechanical parts follows closely with a halberd at the ready.
The creature draws itself up and announces, “I am the Keeper of the Doors. My lord is expecting you and asks that you please put these on before passing through the Clockwork Portal.”
It gives the manacles a shake for emphasis.
You may ask one question for each 5 you exceeded the DC by,
Constructs are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). Constructs are not subject to nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. Constructs are not at risk of death from massive damage.
You may ask one question for each 5 you exceeded the DC by,
“Resist and I will gore out your insides with my horns while slicing you up with my weapon.”
Rattling the manacles, it says “Just think of them as proper jewelry when in the presence of my lord.” It seems highly amused by this idea.
Smiling, the creature throws the manacles to the chamber floor, about half way between it and those of you closest to it.
“I’ve been spoiling for a fight, and my lord only needs one of you alive to question.”
It then readies the halberd, waiting to see if anyone will put the manacles on.
Advanced Schir
DR 5/cold iron or good;
SR 15
Special Attacks:
powerful charge (gore)
Disease (Ex) A schir gnaws constantly at the ends of its halberd. This infuses the blades with disease from the demon's filthy spittle. Any creature struck by a schir's halberd must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save or contract gray pox—a frightening disease that causes weakness, gray splotches on the skin, and eventual catatonia
Clockwork Soldier
DR 5/adamantine;
Special Attacks:
Latch (Ex) Clockwork soldiers have specially designed hands that easily grasp and lock onto weapons and objects. A soldier can attempt to disarm or grapple as a standard action without provoking an attack of opportunity, and it receives a +2 bonus on disarm checks. In addition, it receives a +2 bonus to CMD against attempts to disarm it.
When no one moves to manacles themselves, the creature says “None of you wanted to be a defenseless victim? Well, guess that means I have to slaughter all but one of you!”
The tin can moves its halberd into a ready position, waiting for something to strike at.
Bolded may act.
Round 1:
Tin can Readied Attack
Chandrabha
Sha’ar
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga
Goat Head
Brayne
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- In the name of the Redeemer Queen! May your hideous demonic blood be spilled on these stones as a mockery of your pitiful master!
Surprisingly, but now Chandrabha speaks clearly and loudly, without the usual hiss in her voice. On the move with one hand she grabs a whip and the other hand touches the holy symbol on her neck.
When the weapon falls from the hands of the creature, she smiles a little, though none of her companions could see it.
- Goodbye now... 捕まえろ！
Chandrabha rushes forth and with her whip takes the halberd from Goat Head.
When Sha’ar rushes forward, it is surprised as the tin can steps in the way and attempts to skewer it.
Bolded may act.
Round 1:
Tin can
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -24
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga
Goat Head
Brayne
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Garduk barks as much of the information he knows about their adversaries as he can while moving into position to cast a spell.
"Beware the demon's weapon - it carries disease! Oh, good work, Chandrabha! It can also gore you with its horns. You'll want to use cold iron or good-aligned weapons to really damage it - like that, Wolfgang, nice shooting. And the clank, it may try to disarm you or get you into a grapple - try to avoid it if you can. Adamantine weapons work best against it!"
Once he has gotten as close as he dares to the combat, Garduk jams one hand into a pouch hanging at his hip. He barks out a phrase that crackles with arcane power - "Rasvaa lattia!" - and rubs a small bit of wax paper smeared with butter between the thumb and index finger of one hand. The ground under the demon and construct glistens with an oleaginous sheen.
Wolfgang has to fire around Sha’ar, making the shots a little more difficult. The first shot misses, but the second one hits true!
Kulga rushes forward, getting within striking distance of the tin can.
Garduk tells what he knows of the two opponents while moving up. Then he tries to take their feet out from under them with his magic!
The Goat headed one manages to keep hooves firmly planted, but the tin can topples!
Goat head moves out of the grease without issue and then gores Kulga!
Bolded may act.
Round 1:
Tin Can Prone
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -24
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga -12
Goat Head -11
Brayne
Brayne moves forward.
Tin can stands up.
It then attacks Sha’ar.
Round 2:
Tin Can
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -39 AoO on Tin Can
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga -12 AoO on Tin Can
Goat Head -11
Brayne
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The serpent, furious with its wounds, rushes fiercely to the tin can in front of it, filling the room with a ferocious hiss and the clang of metal. Meanwhile, Chandrabha steps to the horned demon.
- Don't let tin can to kill Sssha'ar, Kulga! I'll take care of the chatterboxss.
With one hand she grabs the offspring of the abyss by the horns, and with the other hand she strongly presses the silver wand into the painful point in the middle of the goat's forehead.
Sha’ar manages to grab the tin can as it stands.
Although it hugs and tries to nibble on it, the tin can is very hard.
Meanwhile Chandrabha uses her dan bong to grapple the demon.
Bolded may act.
Round 2:
Tin Can -26 grappled by Sha’Ar
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -39
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga -12 AoO on Tin Can while it was still prone
Goat Head -11 grappled by Chandrabha
Brayne
Bolded may act.
Round 2:
Tin Can -28 grappled by Sha’ar
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -39
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga -12 AoO on Tin Can
Goat Head -11 grappled by Chandrabha
Brayne
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Kulga slams her axe into the construct as it rises, but isn't quite ready to give up on battling its master. She swings her axe in a short brutal chop for the Schir, before whirling to backhand the construct back across the grease!
"Give me some stonecursed room to get around the robot and I'll tear it apart!"
Pathfinders have claimed the Miner's District!
Kulga easily hits the tin can as it tries to stand.
Then she chops at the master with her axe and bashes the tin can again with her shield.
Neither hit on the tin can do full damage and to her surprise the tin can is not knocked back any by her shield strike!
The axe however is fully effective against Goat Head!
Bolded may act.
Round 2:
Tin Can -44 grappled by Sha’Ar
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -39
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga -12
Goat Head -27 grappled by Chandrabha
Brayne
Garduk’s missiles have full effect against the tin can.
Bolded may act.
Round 2:
Tin Can -52 grappled by Sha’Ar
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -39
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga -12
Goat Head -27 grappled by Chandrabha
Brayne
Wolfgang hits Goat Head twice, the second shot causing the demon to pop out of existence.
Round 2:
Tin Can -52 grappled by Sha’Ar
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -39
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga -12
Goat Head
Brayne
Brayne comes up and gives Kulga an encouraging pat on the back.
Tin can attempts to break free of Sha’ar.
It just barely misses.
Bolded may act.
Round 3:
Tin Can -52 grappled by Sha’ar
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -39
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga -12 Guidance
Brayne
Sha’ar is not able to maintain the grapple, the Tin can is free!
When Chandrabha tries to take the Tin can’s weapon away, she also fails. The hands of the Tin can seem locked around the weapon.
Bolded may act.
Round 2:
Tin Can -52
Chandrabha
Sha’ar -39
Wolfgang
Garduk +9 temp hp
Kulga -12
Brayne
Kulga manages to smash Tin can with her axe, evidently hitting something important. It stops moving.
Wolfgang sees it is down and doesn’t waste the ammo.
Due to the supplies Pathfinder teams have discovered, you have an aid token!
As you are recovering from the battle, Kreighton Shaine strides in and says “I need a report on what you have found so far.”
As you start giving the report, he examines the battered remains of Tin can.
He is followed by a few other pathfinders, one of them with a quill and paper ready.
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In his boastful nature, Brayne steps up, takes a deep breath, and begins yapping, "Well you see, if I recall correctly, we first took a look at the temple area, there was some weird statue with magical powers I tell you! But Kulga here managed to retrieve a tome. We came across a weird looking shrine, and kind of made it somewhat whole again. Does that makes sense? Oh, and there was another altar, red liquid flowed everyone! I don't remember much, it seemed to had an affect on my head. Does that sound about right Garduk? Any bits I'm missing?" He looks towards his more thorough Pathfinder partner, hoping he would fill gaps in the information provided.
“Let me see the tome.”
He directs one of his entourage to get a description of the statue from one of you.
He skims the tome, then hands it back. “Use the magic in it if you need it. It is an excellent find.”
Quickly reviewing the statue description, he says “Sounds like The Dweller Below, a malignant representative of the evil found in the Darklands from whence dwarves came.”
He asks a few more questions, then says “We need more agents to secure the area before proceeding. Feel free to examine the portal the demon came through, but do not tinker and with it. Otherwise, you can try to secure more of the area we have already found.”
——
Examining the portal, you find a pair of enormous brass doors blocking the way forward. Numerous plates are missing from the doors' surface, exposing complex clusters of gears, sprockets, springs, and other confusing clockwork innards. Every second a thousand gears twist, click, and whir. For all its complexity, the doors seem to be missing any means of being opened.
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"That's right, Brayne." Garduk hands It Crawls in Darkness to the Master of Scrolls.
Garduk retrieves the vial of crimson oil from his haversack. "We were also able to collect this sample of an ancient oil used by the dwarven seers of this city to enhance their visions. I recommend that if there is to be any testing of this oil, the Pathfinder team assigned should work in a well-ventilated room and take other precautions. I am still suffering some of the effects of just a few minutes exposure to the fumes."
"And then, of course, there was the Abyssal graffiti in the previous chamber. You must have walked past it to get here. A demon named Yealek-Vor, claiming the title of King of Jormurdun. This one -" he kicks the corpse of the schir demon "- was some kind of servant for Yealek-Vor, maybe his steward."
Kreighton nods at the additional details Garduk provides.
At mention of the name, Kreighton thinks a moment, then tells one of his entourage "See if anyone knows something about this demon. I don't recall the name, but there are others who might."
To the group of you, he says "I expect we shall be able to move forward soon."