”We were told to seek an Abyssal runestone from the Gauntlet of Fury. That seems like as good a place to start as any. What can you tell us about the increased activity here?”
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The man thinks for a moment before responding, "I have heard of the Gaunlet, but I have never seen the entrance. I have only heard tales - the Gaulet is deep within mountain, much deeper than I would dare tread."
He wanders up to the group, you can now see his hair is covered in soot and dirt, and his metal breastplate has seen better days. The man looks well equipped to be out here in his onw. "If you are looking for a place to start, I would recommend the Forges of Wrath. I believe these forges are a sub-level of a region in Hollow Mountain known as the 'Baleful Repository,' a complex that Runelord Alaznist once used to store weapons and armor. While there are multiple entrances into the Baleful Repository from within the mountain itself, the most direct entrance would be from a long-abandoned armory known as the Bloodstone Bunker, located a 10-mile trek from my campsite, up the mountain's northeastern slope." He points in the direction, and then waves you over to follow him.
You wander for another few minutes before arriving at a small clearing, encircled by a group of trees. A small campfire, barely smoldering lies in the middle. "I saw a ship approach a week ago, and watched from a tall tree as the men debarked - just over a half dozen of them. They seemed to get in an argument, and then the half dozen slaughtered the two sailors before setting off into the forests. I followed them for a time. Their leader was a mutated monster with a tentacle for a back—he'll fit right in here on this isle."
Aye! We saw their handiwork! Fergus says nodding in agreement.
"This place proves to be dangerous before we even reach the mountain."
Remy nods. ”We’ll be cautious. Kelhuud, if you will allow us, we will rest in your camp tonight. Tomorrow, we will head to the Bloodstone Bunker.”
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All of a sudden, you hear the rustling of bushes, before another man, dressed and looking exact in appearance to the Kelhuud before you steps out from the canopy. He seems to be an identical twin of the first, right down to his equipment.
The second man nods at the group of you, and then to himself, "You weren't followed. It will be dusk soon."
The original Kelhuud nods back at his doppelganger, "Very good." He turns to you, "You are welcome to stay the night. I have plenty of food and supplies here to share with you, and I'll take the burden of keeping watch."
An odd sensation rummages in your minds - is it dusk already? We only just got here, didn't we?
Remy simply nods at Kelhuud's doppelganger. Seeing double is nothing new for the monk, and she lets it go without comment. "Thank you."
She settles down to rest.
How many of you are there? Fergus asks, Are you from this world or from 'another world'?
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The island quickly grows dark, and you soon start to hear the sounds of the night. You make small talk with the pathfinder ranger, the pair of them, and discuss a few more things before you decide to settle in for the night. Dinner is a combination of small game rabbit, and some common roots from nearby vegetation.
As people begin to decide on who is staying up on the first watch, Maddie and Remy get a serious headache, and then a horrible screeching and grinding sound permeates through the forest. The trees and ground shake, and you watch some night birds fly away in terror from your location. A flash of blue light directly to your east, and then a similar flash to the west of your camp lights up the dark gradient of the night sky. A portal?
Both of the Kelhuuds take out their swords, and you see some shock energy jump around the metal brace, "Trouble." They seem surprised, as they did not see this coming.
Surprise Round
! Vexion (green, blue)
@ Remy (--)
! Iron Sentinels (blue, orange, red, purple)
+ Kelhuud, Green (--)
@ Maddie (--)
@ Alustria (--)
@ + Audrahni -1 CON (--)
@ Fergus (--)! Mozamer
+ Kelhuud, Blue (--)
@ Borgol -4 CON (--)
@ Flik (--)Everyone may take their actions!
Remy grits her teeth against the headache as she prepares for battle. "Maddie, mage armor!" she shouts as she focuses her ki on a new ability. She pictures the thick scales of a dragon in her mind, and her own skin begins to harden and toughen, taking on a red sheen. "Audrahni, we could use some light!"
"Ugh, that noise!"
Flik steps back and weaves the shadows into the illusion of an impenetrable thicket on the western side of the clearing, hoping to keep the group from fighting on two fronts.
Even while she's incapacitated with a headache, Maddie's right hand is up and casting a spell, dancing of seemingly its own volition. By the time the magic releases, she's recovered, looking around to see what the disturbance is, standing up and brushing off her robes to get ready for what's next.
Fergus will take the opportunity to cast tactical acumen.
Alustira will begin to summon the alligator closer to the water.
Audrahni smiles, "I think I can do a better job of this now! Even through the darkest night, Dawnflower please grant us your light!", as a radiant glow begins to shine from her holy symbol.
Borgol will cast shield of faith on himself and take out his weapons.
One of the Kelhuuds (green) cast's barkskin on himself, as those of you with a keen sense of magic, see that the spell is shared between both of the men. They nod at each other, as the second Kelhuud (blue) dashes into the forest.
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You hear a familiar raspy voice in the distance from the east. Last time you heard this voice, was back underneath Roderic's Cove. "You are so predictable. To think that this is exactly where you camped the first night you ventured into Hollow Mountain. You have something that i want, you do not have to die here."
Something advences forward. This blood-red tumorous mass has a shifting cluster of waving tentacles sprouting from its amorphous form, its body pulsating with a horrid vitality, emerges from the bush to your east.
You hear in your minds, a strange language. "O'zingizni topshiring. Siz yeb ketasiz." It will cast slow on the group.
-
Surprise Round
! Vexion (green, blue)@ Remy (Haste, Barkskin, Mage Armor)
! Iron Sentinels (blue, orange, red, purple)
+ Kelhuud, Green (Haste, Barkskin)
@ Maddie (Invis, Haste, Mage Armor, Dancing Lights )
@ Alustria (Nature's Ally III)
@ + Audrahni -1 CON (Daylight)
@ Fergus (Haste )! Mozamer
+ Kelhuud, Blue(Haste, Barkskin)
@ Borgol -4 CON (Haste )
@ Flik (--)Remy may act!
Remy barely manages to resist the slowing magic. She scowls when she hears the familiar voice. "We won't die here, but you will, Mozamer!" she declares as she launches herself through the air, delivering a flying kick to the amorphous creature before following up with a flurry of punches!
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Remy lands a solid flurry of blows on the large red form.
The smaller mechanical creatures move forward.
Those behind the magical illusion move around it, while the one closer to the monk moves through the greenery, and fires a cold bolt.
cold
The bolt hits, goes wide.
Maddie, Alustria and Fergus may act.
Maddie breaks her invisibility to launch a flurry of missiles at the tumor-thing, to help Remy.
Fergus will take a five-foot step and attack one of the sentinels.
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Fergus misses.
Molzamer smiles, as he squints briefly in the sunlight, "Tonight has already been written, young monk. I shall not be laying down my life this night." He holds his halberd over his head, "Mistress, grant me your power." He cast's aura of doom.
The creature in combat with Remy begins to contort and change it's form in a wicked way, opening it's maw and the monk can see the endless abyss inside it. It drops to the ground.
Round 1
! Vexion (green,blue -84)@ Remy (Haste, Barkskin, Mage Armor)
! Iron Sentinels (blue, orange, red, purple)
+ Kelhuud, Green (Haste, Barkskin)
@ Maddie (Invis, Haste, Mage Armor, Dancing Lights )
@ Alustria (Nature's Ally III)
@ + Audrahni -1 CON (Daylight)
@ Fergus (Haste )! Mozamer - (Aura of Doom)
+ Kelhuud, Blue(Haste, Barkskin)
@ Borgol -4 CON (Haste )
@ Flik (--)Flik and Borgol may act!
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Bakrakhan, Gastash, and Haruka, iron sentinels were commonly employed in large platoons to repel organized, armed assaults. They most often begin combat with an icy bolt intended to slow advancing hostiles, who are then easier targets for the constructs’ physical attacks. Immune to cold, construct traits and magic. No dr, and can shoot an ice bolt which slow you, as well as headbutt you to stagger you.
Flik maintains his spell to keep the walls up, and he strikes the rim of his shield, starting his Naturalist performance against Mozamer.
He'll also share everything about the Vexenion.
Borgol feels slower, he steps forward and cast's divine favour on himself.
Somewhere in the undergrowth, Kelhuud lurks waiting for an opportune moment to strike.
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The green red barrelling mould crawls around the forest.
Round 2
! Vexion (green,
blue -84)@ Remy (Haste, Barkskin, Mage Armor)
! Iron Sentinels (blue, orange, red, purple)
+ Kelhuud, Green (Haste, Barkskin)
@ Maddie (Invis, Haste, Mage Armor, Dancing Lights )
@ Alustria (Nature's Ally III)
@ + Audrahni -1 CON (Daylight)
@ Fergus (Haste )! Mozamer - (Aura of Doom)
+ Kelhuud, Blue[/b](Haste, Barkskin)
@ Borgol[/b] -4 CON (Slow, Divine Favor)
@ Flik[/b] (--)Remy can act!
Remy involuntarily gasps as the fear washes over her. She's about to take the fight to Mozamer when one of the iron constructs flies in and scratches her with a claw. She snarls and turns towards it, pummeling it with several punches before stepping back a few feet to force the sinspawn to come to her.
Fergus will attack the one attacking him!
Maddie changes focus as the qlippoth falls, sending her next and final barrage at Morzamer.
Audrahni quickly channels, choosing to select out any enemies in the way. Alustria commands her gator to move and attack Mozamer, while she cast's heat metal and throws another lightning bolt at the sinspawn.
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Even through the effect of the fear, the monk is able to completely destroy the iron sentinel before her with a powerufl combination of blows. Fergus lands one strike on the creature, the drarf has never seen something more so swiftly before.
As the druid cast's her spell, the arcane magic flows towards the monster, and he stands there completely unaffected, smiling. The magic missile and the call lighting both dissipate as they hit his tough skin. The alligator attacks are also ineffective.
"You are persistent, but foolish. We know all your tricks! Raaaaaah!" He takes a menacing step forward, "Down, boy." He will cast heightened hold person on the monk who stands defiantly before him.
Round 2
! Vexion (green,
blue -84)@ Remy -1 lethal (Shaken, Haste, Barkskin, Mage Armor)
! Iron Sentinels (blue -13, orange, red -26,
purple -55)+ Kelhuud, Green (Haste, Barkskin)
@ Maddie (Haste, Mage Armor, Dancing Lights )
@ Alustria (Nature's Ally III)
@ + Audrahni -1 CON (Daylight)
@ Fergus -3 lethal (Haste )! Mozamer - (Aura of Doom)
+ Kelhuud, Blue(Haste, Barkskin)
@ Borgol -4 CON (Slow, Divine Favor)
@ Flik (--)Borgol and Flik can act!
Remy's body suddenly locks up as Mozamer's spell paralyzes her! She screams silently, her mind railing as she tries to throw off the magic.
Finally, with a supreme effort of will, Remy manages to shake the compulsion!
With his illusion's work done, Flik ceases concentrating on it. He continues his performance and casts glitterdust on Mozamer. (DC 17)
Borgol will move up to his friendly dward to help him with the sentinels. But then realise that he is slowed.
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Both of the Kelhuuds continue to take out their sentinel.
As Flik lowers his illusion, you see another huge pile of moving flesh move through the forest. As it comes into the clearing, you notice it open its bottomless maw as you struggle to look away.
The creature will cast slow on the group.
The sentinels attack their quarries.
.Fergus
.Borgol
Molzamer growls as the glitterdust hits him. "WHY DO YOU STILL DEFY YOUR FATE! SURRENDER THE ELF!"
You hear rustling in the undergrowth as more sentinels come almost out of nowhere.
Round 3
! Vexion (green,
blue -84)@ Remy -1 lethal (Shaken, Haste, Barkskin, Mage Armor)
! Iron Sentinels (blue -13, orange,
red -lots,purple -55)+ Kelhuud, Green (Haste, Barkskin)
@ Maddie (Haste, Mage Armor, Dancing Lights )
@ Alustria (Nature's Ally III)
@ + Audrahni -1 CON (Daylight)
@ Fergus -18 lethal (Haste )! Mozamer - (Aura of Doom)
! Iron Sentinels (blue, red, purple, green, yellow)+ Kelhuud, Blue[/b](Haste, Barkskin)
@ Borgol -23 lethal, -4 CON (Slow, Divine Favor)
@ Flik (--)Maddie, Alustria, Fergus and Audrahni may go!
Remy resists the second attempt to slow her down.
Maddie works another spell, trying to slow Morzamer before he does too much damage, and creates her time-twisting field to try and slow him.
Fergus swings away hoping to bring down his foe.
Audrahni will cast prayer on the entire team. Alustria will heal Borgol, and send the lighting into the remaining Vexion.
As per sickened, the character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
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The web is cast, on half of the next advancing wave.
Fergus only lands his first attack.
Mozamer steps forward out of the web, angry. He stares down the monk, who he has noticed has gotten out of his spell. "YOU DARE DEFY US?"
Only the first attack lands, as all of a sudden Remy's body begins to move on it's own out of the way of each other glancing swing. It's as if, her muscles are remembering a past combat. "HOW? HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?"
Edit! - The gator turns around, ignoring the summoned spiderweb around him, and attacks the sentinel in the water.
Round 3
@ Remy -18 lethal (Shaken, Haste, Barkskin, Mage Armor)
! Vexion (green -6,
blue -84)
! Iron Sentinels (blue -23 -pray, orange,red -lots,purple -55)+ Kelhuud, Green (Sickened (7), Haste, Barkskin)
@ Maddie (Sickened (7), Mage Armor, Dancing Lights )
@ Alustria[/b] (Sickened (7), Nature's Ally III)
@ + Audrahni[/b] -1 CON (Daylight)
@ Fergus -18 lethal (Sickened (7), Haste )! Mozamer - (Aura of Doom)
! Iron Sentinels (blue -pray, red -ent, purple -ent, green-20 -ent, yellow)+ Kelhuud, Blue (Shaken, Haste, Barkskin)
@ Borgol -4 lethal, -4 CON (Divine Favor, Shield of Faith, Holy Strike)
@ Flik (--)Borgol, Flik can have their turns. Remy may also act for next round.
Edit! -
Remy winces as the sinspawn's blade cuts her, but then she begins to dodge and weave without even thinking, instinctively dodging his other attacks. "This ends here!" she declares as she assaults Mozamer.
The stoic monk resists the sickening gaze of the qlippoth.
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He continues his assault.
Borgol swings his glowing longsword at the skull-beast in front of him, hoping to flatten it so he can go help against one of the bigger threats.
for
The guardian still there, Borgol growls, and swings again, bringing both blade and shield into the fray.
Flik will avert his eyes:
He then cats invisibility on himself and moves to support Remy.