As Tiffany's flaming sphere rolls back towards the creature it once again proves too slow to move out of the way! The flames leap across the monster and with a pitiful, pathetic shriek it staggers and collapses to the ground, releasing Luurg from its mouth-tentacles as it does.
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Luurg pushes the roasted creature away, wiping the slimy spittle from his face with one hand as the other picks up Leafy. "Dat not fun, Luurg tanks you all fer helpin'."
While he REALLY wants to stab that thing through the face with Leafy, Luurg things better for it, just in case they need this thing alive for the pools. Instead he grumbles in Orcish as he kneels beside it and stops its bleeding and treats it for shock. "Mebe dis need to be 'live fer dem pools. Just in case."
Once that nasty business is done Luurg will turn his own lesser healy apple stick on himself, removing the cuts and bruises from the creature's large claws around his midsection.
It thankfully doesn't take long for everyone to collect themselves and wounds to be mended. Luurg also stabilizes the strange talking aberration, just in case it needs to still be living when you sacrifice it to the quicksilver pools. Once all of that is done, you hasten back to the Quicksilver Graveyard, ready to get on with your business there and be done with it.
Once you arrive and everyone readies themselves, it's little effort to toss the unconscious monster into the pools. It lands with a splash and then slowly sinks below the silvery surface, a few bubbles coming up as it does. The bubbles slowly cease and for a moment, nothing happens. But then the entirety of the pools flashes with a brilliant light as the sacrifice you made energizes the strange magics once more.
With the pools powered once more, you can now call upon the two remaining lectures available to you: those of Ossoryol and Erinthander. You do so, starting with Ossoryol. It proves somewhat difficult to focus on the lecture while remaining on guard for any other hostile creatures or another possible simulacrum attack but you manage it...and even better, nothing happens when this second lecture ends!
Feeling a little more at ease you then conjure the third and final lecture, which also passes without incident. When it's all said and done you feel a little more confident about your chances at repairing the orrery.
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McKieg pays rapt attention to the lectures, eager to learn all he can about the ancient and alien magic.
"Well, Master Luurg, we're all counting on your exceeding prowess to repair the orrery."
The warpriest says a prayer to Yuelral the Wise and does what he can to assist the half-orc succeed in the complex and critical task.
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"Alright Luurg. It's now or never." Sheela pulls out her scroll of Heroism and applies it to the big guy. "I'll be cheering from the sidelines."
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Luurg dusts off his hands after they toss the beast into the pools, he then goes the extra mile and wipes them off on his filthy pants before pulling up a rock chair and a pile of fruit snacks to sit and watch the strange magical lectures. "Dis real borin' stuffs. You watch close Smarty ok? Ok." He taps on his headband as he stuffs a peeled orange into his mouth.
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Back at the Orrery finally Luurg takes a few moments to stretch, urinate, drink some water, then stretch a bit once more. He rubs his belly a few times, picks a couple stray strands of orange pulp out of his pearly white teeth, and finally dons the amulet. "Luurg almost ready." He waves off boss lady Sheelurs scroll "Luurg gut gud potion magiks, save dat paper magiks fer yous."
He drags out his vial of backwash and a lemon and repeats his usual process: a mouthful of fresh lemon juice then the mouth wash of the potion, and back into the bottle. "Mmm. Luurg feel real gud, Smarty feel gud too."
Luurg gets to work! Or more like Smarty and the others guide his hands as he shifts things, aligns things, and resists the urge to eat, fart, and snore.
As if guided by an unseen hand that had a time schedule to keep, Luurg looks back on some of his decisions and makes a few alterations before he hits the big red button.
With your prize of the crystal lens and your newfound knowledge you make haste back to the observatory. Considering the hazardous nature of the broken orrery the rest of you keep your distance as Luurg, wearing the armillary amulet, makes his way to the device - will no ill effects - and gets to work on puzzling it out.
It takes a full two hours and one near miss, but Luurg is finally able to piece together the means to get the orrery working again. Turns out that it was a lucky thing you went ahead and visited the orbiting spire earlier, as Luurg realizes that a replacement lens is needed. The old one lies shattered on the floor, though whether by accident or by sabotage is unclear.
But Luurg is pretty sure that he can replace it, with a little more study of the device...
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It takes further careful study and some rather slick maneuvering that ought to be impossible for someone of Luurg's size and girth, but the half-orc manages to secure the lens! The lens is pulled suddenly into orbit, where it hovers in place and collects starlight in an increasingly tight-focused beam. A single, glowing glyph rises to meet the beam, pulses briefly, then descends slowly to rest, now dark.
And with that, you're certain that the strange mental domination that has held the captive villagers in thrall should now be ended. Of course, the only way to know for certain is to return to the excavation site and see...
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McKieg sits down upon some once-priceless rubble, no easy task in full plate armor, and, wishing he had some popcorn, watches the nutty half-orc professor demonstrate his prodigious skill with the ancient magic and technology.
When it's over, he claps, "Well done, friend Luurg."
He rises, keen to find out what effects the restoration has had on the island and its inhabitants.
"Perhaps we should all eat more fruit, eh?"
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Adyr looks at Mckeig as they sit and as he is nibbling on some food turns to the dwarf, "The magics that these old ones posessed are very dangerous. I can see why the Society is so keen on finding out where they are and what that they do. I wonder how many more small islands such as this are plagued with such creatures? Well at least we did our part for now. It is definitely time to get paid."
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Luurg wanders around the room doing what Smarty his headband tells him to do. He's never understood magic or spells or any of that stuff before he bought this headband thanks to the advice of some tall, dark and handsome Elf he met in the VIP section of the Grand Lodge. He said it was a way to repay him for the fantastic mixed fruity drinks he concocted (And secretly a way to get him to leave the Elf to himself.)
Two hours straight Luurg marched around the room, feeling like the third wheel in a conversation between Smarty and the strange device. Not even one snack break! "He dun guys. Smarty say it werk gud now, n yer welcome. Smarty kinda rude me tinks." Luurg immediately shakes the intrusion from his brain and takes a seat and has some fruity snacks.
After taking the opportunity to rest and catch your collective breath for a few minutes - and enjoy some snacks - you decide to head back to the excavation site to see if all of Luurg's tinkering has had any effect on the state of things there. It doesn't take very long at all for you to make your way back to the winding staircase carved into the side of the cliff and make your way down to the cove below.
An entire section of the island has plunged to sea level here, forming a sunken cove far below the streets of the city above. Among the toppled towers punctuating this beach, a rough canal cuts from the shore deep into the interior of the island, disappearing into a dark cave mouth in the cliff wall. Seawater in the trench would seem to rise and fall with the tide.
During your previous visit the villagers you encountered here seemed to be held in some sort of thrall and gave no acknowledgement of your presence as they went about their digging. Now, you arrive to a different sight entirely - what seems to be something of a standoff. The villagers all stand huddled together in a small group, still clutching their digging implements, while a group of about eight skum stand a short distance away from them. Strangely, the skum do not seem to have their weapons drawn and as you approach, you can hear them calling out to the villagers.
"Kindred, free the Master and you can return to peaceful lives!"
"Now is the time to repay the sea's debts!"
The skum seem very sincere and - disturbingly - kind in their requests, as though they do not actually want to harm the villagers.
While you're certain that the villagers are no longer charmed, you can tell that they're scared and confused - and seem to be considering the skum's words.
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Luurg creeps down the steps like before, hiding behind Leafy like an elephant would behind a blade of grass on a rock outcrop. "Dem Skummies seem like dey mean what dey say. Dey not wantin' a big rumble fer sum reason." He whispers as he creeps closer and closer.
He looks to Boss Lady Sheelur if she wants to launch a surprise attack or not.
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"Reminds me of that time I was about to buy a new floral dress, and some girl totally grabbed it off the rack just as I was reaching for it!" Tiffany whispers, peeking over Luurg's shoulder. "I got kicked out of the store after that, but like, what nerve, right?! Hmm. What do these guys mean by free the Master anyway?"
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Sheela is glad to see the villagers are no longer digging mindlessly. But she's not happy about the Skum surrounding them. Even worse are their words.
"What's this about your Master?" Sheela steps forward to address the two crowds. "You have kept these villagers as your- your slaves for who knows how long. Toiling away or serving as breeding vessels!" Her hair seems to burst forth, carried by some unseen wind. Sheela badgers the Skum into silence.
Failing miserably, but she doesn't care.
"Is this how you want people to repay debt? Forcing them to perform heinous acts? If it weren't for us, they would die digging up- whatever that is!" She turns to the villagers. "Do not listen to their words. They tried to kill us as soon as we stepped on this isle and discovered their terrible secrets. One of you broke free of their control and told us everything. Do not listen to them!"
She appeals to the villagers to listen to her and reject the Skum's words.
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McKieg attempts to bolster Sheela's efforts to cow the skum, but his intimidating scowl gets lost in translation.
He attempts to calm and reassure the villagers. "Good people, we have come to free you from your bondage and right the wrongs committed against you. We've broken the spell that compelled your obedience to your oppressors. You're free now."
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Adyr is fully aware that the Skum must be destroyed and begins his bardic performance (+2 hit/damage & saves vs. fear).
"These creatures wish you great harm... they are evil to their very core... (at the SKUM) STAND BACK FOUL CREATURES! (back to the people) come to us, we will protect you!"
"The Laws of Man will guide you... no gods will protect you. Stand on your own two feet, you can do it, if you but try." (Repeated several times).
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As you approach the stand-off, some of you with weapons drawn, the villagers seem shrink away from you while the skum bare their own weapons but make no move to attack.
"Outsiders have no place here!" one of them hisses at you.
"You owe the sea nothing and the Master below even less," croaks another.
Meanwhile the villagers look at each other; some of them are quite scared, some are quite obviously confused, and still others seem deeply disturbed by the predicament they now find themselves in.
"Y-you don't understand," one of them finally manages, his voice cracking with emotion. "They're...they're our kin, they are..."
Another villager, a young woman, nods tearfully and points a shaking finger at one of the skum. "That one there, with the scar over his eye, I'd recognize it anywhere - my grandpa had a scar just like it! He went into the sea years ago but he didn't look like...like that when he did!"
Several of the skum nod encouragingly at this and the one with the scar calls out, "Yes, we are kin, you and I and all of us together, whether you have gone through the change or not! We must dig and work for the Master, to repay our debts, or else the catches will never come again"
"Nearly all of us do owe the sea our lives..." the villagers nod and murmur among themselves in agreement and for a moment it seems as though they might side with the skum anyway. But then as Sheela's words and McKieg's words and Adyr's words ring out in opposition, the demeanor of the villagers slowly but visibly shifts.
"No...no, my grandpa loved me, he wouldn't have done this! Never, never, never!"
"Those people are right...if they had wanted our help they could've asked but they didn't..."
"Yeah! They must be in league with demons or, or, something!"
As these realizations set in the villagers begin to shy away from the skum, falling back behind the group. And now, having failed in their task to keep the villagers on task and digging, the skum turn to face you as they draw their weapons...
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"You should have stayed out of this!" the skum croak, drawing their weapons and moving to attack as the villagers fall back from the dig site.
These are obviously skum; you've encountered them before. You might even remember a thing or two about them...
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Sheela
Tiffany
Adyr
McKieg
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Orange
Cyan
Blue
Purple
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Luurg
Wadi
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Red
Yellow
Green
Pink
Active Conditions: None
Environmental Conditions: None
Sheela, Tiffany, Adyr and McKieg are UP!
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"My cousin Arlen came back from his death, too. He spoke like Arlen, looked like Arlen, even carried the same magical powers. And yet the stench of evil was upon him. He twisted his words and encouraged his friends and family for evil acts. Brother Sigurd finally expelled the evil demon that took his body, and as Arlen finally laid to rest, he thanked us."
She turns to the horde of skum. "Whatever evil has gripped your grandfather and your villagers, know that we will expel it. If we cannot grant them life, then we will grant them rest."
Sheela begins casting Summon Monster 2 to summon celestial eagles, including Rising Astra and Soaring Star.
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Concentrating on his holy symbol of Yuelral the Wise, three crystals of pink, blue and green overlapping in the middle to form a six-pointed star shape surrounded by a golden circle, McKieg holds up one hand, pointing toward the skum.
He fills the area toward the rear of the squad of skum with a brilliant flash of shimmering light.
Then, with a warpriest's fervor, McKieg swiftly casts divine favor and steps forward, extending his dwarven longaxe toward the enemy.
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"Listen skum, you guys really are scum! And I'm not about to let you get my clothes dirty, so STAY BACK!" Tiffany snaps her fingers, and a cloud descends from above, crackling with lightning. It stops just above the yellow-tinged skum, and a bolt of lightning shoots down at the foe.
As she begins summoning some assistance Sheela recalls that skum, while pretty weak compared to some of the stuff you've encountered lately, do actually possess a natural resistance to the cold.
Meanwhile, McKieg conjures a burst of Yuelral's bright light among some of the skum clustered at the back near the rocks!
Only Blue manages to escape the blast without being blinded, but his three companions don't fare quite so well and the flesh of all four withers under the onslaught of holy power.
Luurg, ready to rumble, is rather relieved to recall that skum actually don't have any special attacks or defenses to be wary of!
Seeing that McKieg has already softened up some of the skum in the back, Tiffany conjures an aggressive thundercloud to rain on Yellow's parade...
...but the skum manages to dodge the lightning!
And Adyr fires an arrow at Red, which sinks deeply into the creature's shoulder!
Uninjured Orange advances toward the group and adopts a defensive posture while Cyan blindly stumbles forward and right into McKieg's waiting reach, getting cut down for his trouble. Purple also stumbles forward a bit but proves smarter than Cyan was and instinctively adopts a defensive position as well.
Angered but not stupid, Blue staggers forward and attempts to chuck his trident at Luurg...
...and actually manages to stick the half-orc with it, though it's largely just a flesh wound.
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Sheela
Tiffany
Adyr
McKieg
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Orange
Blue
Purple
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Luurg
Wadi
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Red
Yellow
Green
Pink
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage
Environmental Conditions: None
Luurg and Wadi are UP!
Though Wadi attempts to tag Red with a fiery ray the skum has no trouble ducking under the blast!
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Sheela
Tiffany
Adyr
McKieg
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Orange
Blue
Purple
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Luurg
Wadi
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Red
Yellow
Green
Pink
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage
Environmental Conditions: None
Luurg is UP!
As Luurg steps forward and easily skewers Orange in spite of the skum's defensive stance, it occurs to all of you that these guys are probably small fry compared to the other dangers you've faced in the last few days.
Red and Yellow both step forward to challenge Luurg...
...but neither can touch the half-orc! Pink advances and stops behind Red, adopting a defensive position, while Green stumbles forward and attempts to throw his trident in McKieg's general direction!
The trident sails harmlessly over the dwarf's head, missing him by a mile.
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Sheela + Eagles
Tiffany
Adyr
McKieg
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Blue
Purple
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Luurg
Wadi
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Red
Yellow
Green
Pink
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage
Environmental Conditions: None
Sheela + Eagles, Tiffany, Adyr and McKieg are UP!
McKieg maintains his position and continues to cut through the skum, taking down Yellow with a single blow before the creature can even react!
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Sheela + Eagles
Tiffany
Adyr
McKieg
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Blue
Purple
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Luurg
Wadi
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Red
Green
Pink
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage
Environmental Conditions: None
Sheela + Eagles, Tiffany and Adyr are UP!
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Tiffany yawns at her thundercloud, disappointed in its power, and wanting to contribute a little more to the fight.
"And for my next trick..." Tiffany beams, a glint in her eye. "You might judge me for what's to happen to my appearance, but once you see how totally badass I am, you'll see why it's worth it!"
The grippli focuses intensely, and a horn sprouts from her face. She lurches over into quadruped posture and her body suddenly grows, tripling in size, taking on a thick grey hide speckled with pink. Colorful Rhino Tiffany kicks her hind legs back as she narrows her eyes on the skum.
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"Oh, hello there Soaring Eagle! Rising Astra! Oh, and you brought two friends..." Sheela thinks quickly. "Solar Osprey and Orion Hunt, good to meet you. Please attack those monsters for me. And accept Adyr's blessing."
Sheela knows she can't talk to the celestial eagles, but they will attack on her behalf, at least.
Sheela sidesteps and draws her crossbow, loading it.
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Tiffany yawns at her thundercloud, disappointed in its power, and wanting to contribute a little more to the fight.
[dice=Aggressive TCloud vs Green]3d6
"And for my next trick..." Tiffany beams, a glint in her eye. "You might judge me for what's to happen to my appearance, but once you see how totally badass I am, you'll see why it's worth it!"
The grippli focuses intensely, and a horn sprouts from her face. She lurches over into quadruped posture and her body suddenly grows, tripling in size, taking on a thick grey hide speckled with pink. Colorful Rhino Tiffany kicks her hind legs back as she narrows her eyes on the skum.
"Tiffy you gut so big! N Bosslady when you call so many E-Gulls? Dey must really like you!" Luurg patiently waits his turn, pulling Leafy from that skum's belly as he does.
Adyr launches another arrow at Red and manages to stick the skum yet again, leaving the foul creature bleeding profusely but still on its feet somehow!
Tiffany sends her angry raincloud after Green, who...
...manages to dodge it yet again! But not to be deterred she pulls out a trick that none of you have seen from her before as she suddenly expands and grows, morphing into a fearsome rhinoceros!
It's about this time that Sheela's many eagle friends arrive on the scene, promptly heeding her commands to attack the horde of skum!
Soaring Eagle finishes off Red with one good talon right in the eye, allowing him to turn his attention next to Pink whom he savages with his remaining talon and beak.
With Red dead, Rising Astra instead focuses on Pink as well but isn't able to land a strike against the desperately defending skum.
Solar Osprey sets upon Green, ripping and tearing with beak and talons, and the skum collapses dead upon the sands!
Finally, Orion Hunt also attempts to tear into Pink but has a hard time landing a blow through the skum's defenses. He does manage to deliver a sharp bite with his beak, at least.
Given the overwhelming force that you've brought to bear against the skum - six of you and now four eagles as backup - it's ultimately only a matter of seconds for you to make quick work of the remaining skum. Tiffany, in particular, makes a grand show of charging one of the stragglers as he attempts to flee and soundly gores him clean through with her pointy horn!
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"Good to see you and your friends again- oh wow. Hello there, Tiffany." Sheela steps away from the rhino. "Say hello to my little friends!" Several eagles flutter around her before flying off to the skies.
She exhales and turns to the villagers. "You are all safe now. We came from Blackcove. They miss you, and asked us to find them. These... skum... have used your for terrible purposes. But we want to bring you home, and stop the menace behind this."
"Any information you can give us on what you've seen will be useful."