Remy turns to the others. ”I don’t think we’re going to get any more out of him. Let’s hand him over to the guard and head on to the Gecko.”
She then fixes Maga with her stern gaze. ”You can’t sit on the fence any more. You’re either with this cult, or you’re dedicated to helping us stop them. If you’re with us, then tell us what you know of this Zincher guy, and anything else that might help us inside the Gecko.”
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Maga walks up, and knocks the thug unconcious, "Let him rot in the streets." Steping back from the scene, the man straightens up, looking at his tentacle growing from his behind his back. "A gift...this is a gift, he said...i'm...i'm a monster!"
The broken alchemist turns to face the group, ashamed of what he is, you can see from his posture this entire journey for his has been a nightmare. "I...I don't know what to tell you. I promise you, i never met Zincher. I've heard the name a few times, spoken in whispers. From what i know, he is a criminal and a sleuth. He hedges his bets wherever he thinks he can make a profit." He pauses for a moment to compose himself, "I've never met the man, i only worked for him. The others, call them what you will, but they were good people. Their minds twisted by this disease."
Stumbling around, he grabs his head in his hands, "The Gecko. I cannot image what is going on in that place. I received orders by owl, scribbles on parchment. I didn't know who they were coming from. Isiah, we worked together to try and stop this plague from spreading. My old friend, i thought we would find him here, but he appears to be gone. To think he is working with scum like Grimfang." A slight pause to catch his breath, he explains himself further, "We went out separate ways, when I heard rumors of a cure somewhere in Hollow Mountain."
He shakes his head, "I don't think Zincher is behind this. No man alone can create something this potent. From what we've seen in the Mountain, this has to be somehow connected to the Runelords, them rising. There has to be a darker force at play here."
Remy nods solemnly. ”Let’s go then. We’ll find a way to cure this disease, Maga. A way to cure you.”
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The piling known as the Gecko bears carvings and sculptures of its namesake creature. Four balconies adorn the corners of the piling, 220 feet off the ground and 30 feet away from the underside of the Irespan above. Each of these balconies is decorated with a human-sized gargoyle with a horned gecko's head. The one on the southwestern balcony appears to be cleaner than the other three.
Along the piling's south face, at the same height as the gargoyles, the images of geckos give way to an eight-foot-wide expanse of smooth stone in the shape of a hexagon. The stone itself has a softly rippled surface, giving it the impression of a swiftly solidified wall of mud.
This portion of the wall seems to have been sealed and opened several times via stone shape spells.
There are numerous tiny vents throughout the walls, likely to allow air to circulate through the piling's interior. A creature in gaseous form would be able to slip through these vents.
Through very grand and impressive, the Gecko’s walls have plenty of handholds, but slippery lichen, bird droppings, and not a few crumbling portions make climbing up to either location a tricky prospect.
Remy points out little vents around the walls. "I don't think we have the magic to get us through there. There may be openings on the balcony, or we can try knocking a hole in the wall there. It's a long way up..."
The monk examines the walls. "I can go up first and lower a rope, unless Maddie has magic that can get us all up there at the same time."
Borgol shrugs, "The climb looks easy enough... If we lower a rope, I would imagine anyone can handle it." He pauses, then says, "Those gaps - the spaces - would allow the passage of air... or something gaseous."
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Lulluby jokes, "This places looks kind if intimidating!" But quickly straitens herself up, "What, I mean that the Gecko looks really impressive!" She watches carefully for what the team decides to do.
The alchemist takes out his extract of fly, but pauses before taking it. Taking his tope out of his pack, he rings it around his body and says, "I can anchor the rope from above if you want. Strange, that the only entrance we can see is so high above. Once we are up there though, getting down might pose a problem."
Maddie shakes her head, "Nu-uh. They cane in right here," she taps the stone, "Buncha geomancy, lots of stone shape spells have been used riiiight here." she notes.
Fergus will wait for someone to fly or climb up with a rope.
”Alright, let’s climb up, knock down that wall, and see what’s on the other side,” Remy suggests.
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Maga nods, drinks his extract and begins to ascend the Gecko. He takes his time, making sure there are no threats as he flies upward. You see him get to the top, and land on the platform, which is only large enough to fit two medium sized creatures comfortably. Inspecting the gargoyal statue, he determines quickly that it is not an actual threat.
The alchemist shakes his head, and flies back down to the group, "Doesn't look like there was an entrance of any kind up there. Maybe it is hidden away, but someone else would have to go up there and check. No point in climbing all that way for nothing."
"I'll go," Remy volunteers. She slowly and deliberately makes her way up the side of the piling.
Once there, she takes her time searching the area for secret entrances or other hidden dangers.
If she finds nothing, she'll start punching a hole in the wall big enough for the group to pass through.
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You brake through the stone wall, creating a small enough space for the team to crawl through. After everyone has made their way up, you finally enter the Gecko.
You find yourselves in a large hall. The walls of this long hall have been decorated in a tangle of red-and-green swirling patterns. To the south, these patterns end in fanged mouths, while to the north they all converge into a single gaping fanged mouth within which leers a single bloated eye. You've seen this image before, in Hollow Mountain - a depiction of the qlippoth lord Yamasoth. Doors line the walls of the room, with one in the north set directly under the eye’s glare. Tables fitted with straps to restrain those lying atop them stand here and there in the room, while several empty crates and boxes rest stacked in an alcove to the east.
Remy looks around the room, scowling at the symbol of Yamasoth. "Let's go around and check the doors," she suggests, sweeping around the room clockwise and opening each door in turn to make sure no enemies are lurking about.
"Be watchful for traps. Who knows what these people are capable of. It takes a desperate or deluded person to through in with a qlippoth."
Flik looks around for traps or anything hidden.
Borgol nods, and aids Flik in his search.
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Checking out most of the doors, you find they lead to small rooms that serve as quarters. Most you can tell are in different states of disrepair, but some you can clearly see are being used quite regularly.
The rooms have nothing really of interest, other than you recognizing the traffic in and out of this hall.
Searching the north door, Flik and Borgol discovers a magical trap, a glyph of warding inscribed upon it that will trigger if the door is opened.
Remy can feel the runestone she is carrying start to feel much warmer than it was before. Lulluby, quickly notices the discomfort, and offers the monk some water, "You alright? Don't strain yourself too much, here, have some water and show me those knuckles." The bard offers to examine your hands, checking them for scars, if you allow her.
Remy gratefully accepts the water. ”I’m fine. I’ve hardened my skin with my ki so I don’t feel the pain of the punches. See for yourself.” She offers her hands to the bard.
Maddie keeps close to Remy when possible, but stays invisible and so quiet there's a possibility she wandered off ten minutes earlier and it just wasn't noticed.
But she's probably still there. Probably.
"Ah, a glyph of warding, how interesting!"
Flik can't quite contain his glee at messing about with magical writing.
"You may want to stand back a bit!"
Borgol steps away from the magical trap to give Flik space, then takes a moment to focus his senses before he starts looking for signs of who might have been using the room.
Fergus follows along keeping his eyes open for danger.
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Lulluby chuckles, "Ha, yeah i see. You know, you've definitely toned up. But, i'm glad you're okay." A few more seconds of checking out your forearm, and the bard quickly goes back to examining the room.
Borgol is able to easily identify that the majority of the travel in and out of this large chamber is majorly situated in the western part of the chamber.
Although Flik is able to see the trap, he figures that unless they have a means of dispelling the magic, they would most likely have no other way of disabling this trap.
"Alright, let's follow the foot traffic and see where it takes us." Remy leads the way down the western hall and opens the doors at the end.
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As you turn the corner, you can hear the gnawing sound of chains grating on chains from behind the door. Slowly opening it to peer inside, you find a large chamber. The air is cool and damp, with the ceiling rising to a height of thirty feet above. The northern portion of the room is taken up by a vast pit of darkness, over which five platforms dangle from immense, rusting chains. Each platform is made of old, soaking-wet wood bound in strips of rusty iron. Doors provide exits—two to the west and one to the southeast, while arched openings provide access to other chambers on the far side of the massive pit.
In four spots, haggard-looking men and women dangle from the network of chains and pulleys affixed to the ceiling. Bound in coils of chain, they hang just below the floor, and their groans and terrified sobs fill the pit with an ominous chorus.
"This doesn't look good!" Remy says in a harsh whisper. She looks around the room for danger, allowing her friends to look for traps as well before attempting to rush forward.
Borgol watches Lullaby with a slight pang of jealousy, then shakes his head and pushes it away, No, it's just that she doesn't know any better.... Instead, he turns his focus to what's happening here.
He whistles, "Well, that would explain why they didn't hear us punching through the wall...", and quickly casts Divine Favour on himself. He offers, "If they're waiting in the shadows, I wonder if a decoy could pull them out."
Fergus cautiously approaches the pit hoping his darkvision will allow him to see the creatures.
Remy nods. "That's a good idea. Let's do it." She readies herself for battle!
"That would be helpful Lulluby. I'll conserve my magic in case anyone needs healing."
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The bard nods, and quickly conjures up an image, the likeness of which is almost identical to herself. Her elegant features match that of the original, and concentrating on the spell Lulluby is able to complicate the duplicates features to present curiosity and fear as she sends it into the room.
You all watch intently, as a the image carefully sneaks into the room, placing each step carefully one after the other to avoid making too much noise. As Lulluby make a few more steps into the room, before she is able to make it too close to the ledge, she is swarmed by a collection of bats which immerge from the ceiling. You watch the image try to fight them off, while shadows crawl from under the ledge, when they stand you can see their dark leathery skin and blood red eyes. They growl, revealing their wicked fangs as they jump straight for the decoy.
Even though you know that its only a magical illusion dressed like Lullaby, the scene in front of you is still enough to make you uncomfortable.
Suprise Round + Round 1!
@ Remy (Ex. MA, Barkskin)
! Derro Vampire (blue, yellow, green, pink)
! Bat Swarm (yellow, red)
! Derro Psychic@ Fergus[/b] (--)
@ Borgol[/b] (--)
@ Flik[/b] (--)
@ Maddie[/b] (Ex. MA)
+ Maga (Fly)
+ Lulluby (--)Everyone may act in the surprise round (single action), and Remy can also act at the start of Round 1 as well to get us rolling.
Remy steels her resolve as she charges across the room and kicks the nearest derro .
***
The monk then unleashes a flurry of blows on the same foe.
In the surprise round, Flik will try to identify those fanged enemies.
And activate Naturalist.
Borgol draws his sword and wills it to burn, even as he reacts to the obvious evil, and calls for Erastil's blessing, infusing the fire with holy light, shifting its red-orange colour to silver and gold.
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"Remy! Get out of there, those bats will tear you apart!" Maga warns, as he is gets ready to throw some bombs at the swarm.
Flik is able to determine that these are all dero vampires.
One swarm of bats flies around the room, and enters the small corridor, harrasing Fergus and Bogol. The other, moves in on Remy.
+ 1 bleed
From across the room, Remy sees one of the door into another chamber open, and an old derro, holding a head points at the monk, "Take them alive. They will make good donor replacements."
One of the derro casts darkness, while the one behind him has a running jump, and unnaturally propells himself over the chasm.
Another derro ignores the monk, and goes straight for your back line.
Remy does not manage to take out one of the derro.
Round 2
@ Fergus -6 {-1} lethal ([I]--) -bleeding
@ Borgol -6 {-1} lethal (--) -bleeding
@ Flik -1 lethal (--)
@ Maddie -1 lethal (Ex. MA)
+ Maga -1 lethal (Fly)
+ Lulluby -1 lethal (--)
@ Remy -6 {-1} lethal (Ex. MA, Barkskin) -bleeding! Derro Vampire (blue, yellow, green -30, pink)
! Bat Swarm (yellow, red)
! Derro PsychicEveryone may act! (..and dont forget a surprise round action for those that didnt take it!)
Remy focuses through the pain of the bats’ bites and continues to attack. Unfortunately, the darkness spoils her aim. She steps out of the swarm to give Maga a clear firing line.
Fergus will attack the swarm.
Fergus will continue to attack the swarm.
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Remy's attacks cannot find their target, the Derros moving in time with the darkness. Even the bats, their eyes completely adjusted to the light level cannot seem to be harmed by Fegus's swings.
Flik recognises these dark creatures, the derro. Though derros dwell deep under most of the surface world’s cities, very few know of the sadistic creatures’ existence. These are also vampires, so they can drain your blood dealing constitution damage from a grappled opponent. Even worse, if they land an attack, they can reduce your player level if you fail a fortitude save. They can summon swarms of bats, and even control their prey as per dominate monster. They resist cold and electricity, but are vulnerable to bright light and you also know that vampires cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic and will not enter an area laced with it. Similarly, they recoil from mirrors or strongly presented holy symbols. They share immune traits as common undead creatures.
Flik, Fergus, Borgol and Maddie may still act!
Fergus will continue to attack the derro right next to him.
Borgol notes the bleeding and shakes his head, No. If I bleed, it's on my terms..., and wills himself to start bleeding from the eyes and hands, stopping the other wounds.
Flik will share that information, cast invisibility on himself, and creep forward into the darkness.
Maddie creeps around the edges of the area, separating herself from the others.
This is followed by a quick casting of Haste as her allies spring into action.
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Maga takes his bomb, and throws it at the bat swarm harrasing the group in the corridor, and then follows it up with another throw at the derro.
Lulluby smiles, "Vampires you say? How about some light then?" as she raises her rapier high in the air above her, and a bright light begins to glow from the blade, bouncing off it's own edges and shinning brightly through the darkness.