Imedren nodded to Dramm. "Good idea, TaBog. Uruuna, let's do this."
Delia swings on Dramm again but fails to hit. Joy and Tabog both shoot the statue once, though both their follow-up attacks miss. Dramm's spell causes the construct to crack slightly.
As Imedren falls back, the statue swings on Uruuna, scoring a glancing blow.
Anophth darts in to take Imedren's place, bashing the construct twice with his cane.
With another high-pitched shout, Uruuna thrusts her sword up into the statue's central mass. It shatters into dozens of fragments, destroyed! The compulsion lifts from Delia.
Searching the rubble, you find the shiny gold coin that was in the statue's eye, it bears the profile of a beautiful elf maiden on one side and a staring eye on the other.
The passage ahead is now clear.
Delia groans and puts a hand to her head. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me. I saw that coin and then... I'm glad I didn't hurt you, Dramm."
"Well, we're all okay now, right?", says Joy, trying to convince herself of that.
"For the time being," Uruuna grumbles, rubbing at her latest injury.
Well, let's keep going. Anophth says, heading down the hall.
The hall opens into a large room. The walls, floor, and ceiling of this area are set with countless eyes that move as they watch intruders approach. A staircase at the opposite end leads down.
Joy stares up at the eyes, her own displaying wonder.
The eyes stare back at Joy, some quivering slightly as they track her movements, as if in anticipation.
Joy whispers.
"The eyes above...they're looking at me..."
Let's go back. Maybe these are the reason we saw those tunnels in that other room.
What was behind that third door?
Imedren walked over to Uruuna. "That was dangerous. Are you alright?"
When he saw the room full of eyes, Imedren stopped moving immediately glancing all around the room. "Wait, Joy, don't go in there!"
At Anophth's question he shakes his head. "There was just a long tunnel. Statues at the end with a sloped ramp. Wouldn't be surprised if they sprung to life or some sort of sliding trap would go off."
He thought for a moment, furrowing his brow. "Joy, the coin from the statue. Show the eye on the back to the room. See if they react."
The coin gleams as Joy presents it to the eyes. Seven of the bloated orbs suddenly squirm forth from the wall, scurrying on seven long, hairlike legs! Two have become compelled by the coin's power, falling under Joy's control. The other five fix you with baleful stares!
Ah! What the hell?! Anophth exclaims.
Anophth tries to hide behind Dramm, whacking at any that come after him or Dramm with his cane.
Joy wails, wanting the eyes to stop coming for her!
The warring impulses within her compel the pair of eyes under her control to gang up on one of the uncontrolled.
She desperately fires a sling bullet at the nearest hostile eye...
...for a long-range poke in the eye!
The room had unnerved Imedren in a way few things could. He tried to maintain composure and act rationally and... the eyes... the staring eyes were quavering... "What?!" and squirming... No!" and moving... "Aaagh, too many!" Imedren nearly choked out in shock.
Though he was with his friends, his breath caught. His heart began to beat fast as an eerie crawling sensation came over him.
Frightened for rounds.
He blinked, past his friends and into the room with the eyes. He spun back towards the crawling things lifting both hands out. Intending to blast the things crawling out and as much of the floor and wall with fire as he could.
"Burn damn you all! Just burn!"
Tabog begins to speak but nothing comes out, it seems to orator is speechless, s look of horror on his face.
Wait a minute, we've seen s&$! worse then this and I was fine then! Who cares, just another thing I need to kill.
He shakes his head clear, draws an arrow, and fires at the closest abomination.
"Plucked from the walls by the mother herself. Each gives sight so her tongue may find blood... no more of me, please!" Dramm whispers to himself in fear, pleading slightly as the creatures swarm forward.
With his left hand, Dramm pulls the battleaxe from his back, he cleaves at anything that manages to survive the blast of fire!
[
Imedren's fire blast immolates three of the crawling eyes. Joy strikes one with a sling bullet, and the compelled monsters attack her target, though they fail to hit. Dramm finishes off the wounded eye with his axe, and Tabog scores a lucky hit on another, causing it to burst!
The two compelled creatures mill about, making them easy targets to take down without trouble.
Dramm cleans his axe blade.
"What are we doing down here? What's worth all the trouble? The deeper we go, the more I think we should boulder the entrance and leave this place to rot." He shudders at the burst eyes around him. "We got the coin, that's something in itself. I'm not sure if it's safe to place it on the Elf's statue."
His fear slowly subsides and he settles down for a moment to rest.
Dramm begins to investigate the wounds of his comrades while he rests.
"You two can't take much more. Maybe I should take the front for a while."
Imedren was breathing heavily but quickly got over it as the room quieted down and no other eyes moved.
He looked to Dramm, "The statue is what held the coin. It's gone now. But that coin alone is something worth having." As Dramm went to heal them, Imedren held out a hand.
"I'm actually feeling okay right now, Dramm. Heal Uruuna, she's our real front line."
He took a moment and flexed his arms, calling to the fire he'd used and felt reinvigorated somewhat. "What sort of purpose does a room like this even serve?" he pondered for a moment.
"I understand your concern, this place is dangerous. But that coin we just found had a definite affect on us and on those two eyes. We've been consistently involved in dangerous things these last few months.
If that was a trap left here by the elves for intruders, then what else is down here that might help us in the future? I think we should press on."
Tabog kicks around some eye-goo searching for his arrow. He considers both points being made, finding worth in both.
"So we cut our losses, leave and seal the ruins or continue down into the unknown with minimal supplies. Hmmm, when do we decided far enough is far enough? What happens when we're limping out of here and get ambushed by more beastmen? We gotta have a solid plan if we want to keep going. I'm all for finding treasure, but I'm even more for selling it."
Let's just keep going. We just need to stop walking into things without a plan.
"Alright... so what is the plan?" Dramm looks around the room. It appears his question was genuine. "I'm up front?"
Imedren crossed his arms.
"Those are some good points you bring up TaBog. We're not out of rations since we managed to defeat those Fomor yet, we had access to tents, axes for fire wood, and their food. It's not ideal but doable, since we raided their camp anyway. We can seal doorways behind us as we come back up and the doorway lading to the surface can be closed, giving us a chance to rest."
He let out a small laugh.
"If we want to sell treasure though, TaBog, we have to hunt for it first. I'd say this is our best place to look for it."
Imedren thought for a moment.
"This place is unlike anywhere else we've been before. Statues may come alive. Rooms need to be examined clearly. There are clearly magical defenses.
Let's assume that the ramp through the eastern door is unsafe for now, but the stairs in this room are. Anophth, you're fast and stealthy. Are you up for going first?
If not, then yes, Dramm you take point. Uruuna and Joy will be right behind you. Joy make sure you keep that coin handy, it could come in handy. Tabog you next with me and we'll support you with what we have. We shouldn't split up.
We'll go until we have nothing left in our reserves or the next fight that proves dangerous. We didn't let ourselves rest up fully from yesterday so I know we weren't at full strength when we started this but we are making good progress so far. Keep to the left wall when we move down the stairs from here. Alright, we have a plan, now lets move."
With that he motioned for Dramm to move first.
The stairs end in a chamber lined with statues carved to resemble warped and mutated humans. All sport strange and terrifying forms, bizarre anatomies, and anguished expressions. The chamber widens at the end, where sixteen more equally horrid statues stand around a golden bowl that emanates a pale light. Three shards of red glass rest in the bowl.
There are no other exits from this room.
Imedren walked cautiously forward through the room eyeing the statues with a healthy mix of mistrust and fear, once the chamber widened he approached more closely to examine the golden bowl.
But as he sees the red bowl, he is confused by the red shards.
"Red glass?"
Nothing happens as Imedren approaches the bowl. He can only guess at the shards' purpose.
Tabog remains in the middle of the group, taking station beside Delia as Imedren moves to inspect the crystals.
He notches an arrow and remains half drawn, ready to fire upon the first statue that moves.
Anophth looks around; does anything look valuable?
Could likely resell those glass shards as something.
The only thing that appears to be valuable are the shards.
"Some sort of red glass?" Imedren says looking at the shards curiously and then at the statues. He stops. "I don't think we should touch those."
The shards radiate powerful but unstable magic. The coin Joy carries is also magical, naturally.
Anophth shrugs. Well, let's just grab them and run. Everyone ready?
Once people are in position, Anophth will grab the shards.
"I like the direction you're going in Anophth! Might I suggest we wait on the other side of the threshold and Imedren does the honors? Then if, by chance, something were to seal this room; he could utilize his ability to instantaneously move and rejoin us in relative safety."
Tabog looks to Imedren for confirmation that this is possible and a good idea from his point of view.
That's a better plan! Let's do that. Imedren?
"A good idea, if I hadn't gotten so jumpy with those eyes earlier I could have done that. I'm not sure now."
Dramm will take a moment to inspect the shards himself, carefully pouring over the magical energies to discern their function.
Dramm recognizes these objects as chaos shards--dangerous items prized for their magical properties but feared for their unpredictable effects.
A creature can use a shard by consuming it. When a shard is consumed, roll a d6. On a roll of 1 to 5, the creature gains a number of castings equal to the number rolled. Whenever the creature would cast a spell it has learned, it can expend a number of these castings equal to the spell’s rank in place of expending the casting from the spell. As well, if the spell deals damage, it deals 2d6 extra damage.
Rolling a 6 on the die indicates that the shard has a deleterious effect on the creature. Its body bubbles and warps, causing the creature to become defenseless for 1 minute. At the end of this time, the creature’s body reverts to its normal form but with an odd cosmetic mutation. The creature’s skin might change color, its hair could fall out, it might grow 1d6 inches taller or shorter, gain a useless appendage, and so on.
Dramm pulls away from the objects in revulsion.
"No! No no no! Do not grab the volatile magic!" He exclaims. "Chaos Shards. Artifacts. Very old ones, and powerful. Fae. I read about them in some of the books kept in Ezekia's hut. They are full of magical energy. Ezra noted in his manuscript how he would have liked to find one in hopes that the wild energy could be used to induce..." Dramm watches as several eyes in the room glaze over at the mention of his book again.
"Doesn't matter. They're all that's left of a magical gem broken by the Sword of Sorrows. Almost pure magical energy. Consume them, and spells become chaotically charged and powerful. However, there is a small chance that the magic will go wild. Chaotic energies... they... they horribly warp and damage the body." Dramm begins to look physically ill as he stares at the golden bowl and describes the effects of the shards.
"Do what you want with them. Wouldn't recommend picking them up bare handed. I need to get out of this room. Now." He gives the shards one last look of disgust, then turns to leave.
Dramm will wait in the room's doorway, but no amount of coaxing will draw him back to the crystals or make him pick them up.
"Don't like them." he will state flatly.
Despite Dramm's warning, the shards greatly intrigued Anophth. They're Fae relics. Old Fae relics. That's what he needed. Some good old fashion Fae magic to purge him of this demonic infestation. No New Gods could help. Father Gregory tried and was ripped apart. That other priest was less than useless. Anophth needed to look to something Old.
He grabbed the shards.
The shards thrum with power in Anophth's hands.
Five of the statues suddenly glow an angry red color. The space in front of them seems to warp as five tiny, shrieking demons appear in the room! Shadows radiate from their twisted forms as they move to attack!
The demons shrieking startles Dramm! Fortunately, he keeps his cool. He quickly motions to everyone to run to him.
"We've got the shards, run Anophth! I can seal this door!"
Imedren was intrigued by the possibility even as Dramm paled at the idea. "The risk is undeniable, but the power that could be harnessed...perhaps we should grab the bowl." Even as he turned to consider it, Anopth had already moved for them. Imedren's breath caught.
What? Demons...? No...
No. I am in control. I AM IN CONTROL!
Anophth's mind overloads and he collapses.
"Again with the small demons, do they not need to eat!? Let's move! I'll cover fire!"
Tabog let's loose his arrow at the closet demon and moves toward the exit.
"ANOPHTH!" As the Goblin collapses, Dramm ignores his original idea. He rushes forward, bolts of energy striking the Demon Anophth had attempted to control. "I'm coming!"
Both Delia and Uruuna quail before the demons' horrifying appearance!