There are many tracks in this area but they are all old bar the most recent. Its a little similar to a worn path.
To the north, the hills give way to sharp, rocky inclines. A solitary stone structure, a tower at least three stories high, is partially embedded in the rocky cliff wall behind it. The cylindrical edifice is oddly undamaged, however, as if the rock were only the tide lapping at the tower’s lower half, frozen in time. The structure has no windows or rooftop battlements. A metal double door is set in the base of the southern side and is slightly ajar.
Heiek studies the tower with a critical eye. Even though there's no markings on the tower, the party has already confronted technology and magic it didn't fully understand, and it's highly unlikely someone would build a tower so susceptible to a surprise attack.
"Hmmm. I could probably get closer and signal if everything seems safe."
”Be careful. If there are more of those swarmy-monsters, just run, alright?” She said with concern.
When Heiek approach the doors, they can see carved into them in Azlanti.
“Spindlelock Research Facility: a division of the Spindle Solution, making tomorrow’s humanity, today. Authorized Personnel Only.”
In addition, the tower has what appear to be stone posts directly abutting either side of the door, hinting that there was at one time a walkway or some other structure attached to the tower.
"Fascinating, I wonder if those constructs were a long forgotten project. They may have survived for untold ages until we were forced to defend ourselves."
He looks around and the state of his companions, while not quite as bad as the immediate aftermath of the last fight Valto hesitates.
"Maybe we should consider recovering a bit before we go inside though, if they did come from here who knows what else might be inside still."
"Resting may be wise. We have suffered repeated injuries."
After a night resting in the tropical jungle you set out towards the tower.
The front doors are metal and swing open and closed effortlessly despite their weight. As you enter the first room, the entire ceiling begins to
glow, shedding normal light throughout the room.
This spacious chamber appears to have been designed to awe or impress the entrant. Pale gray tiles decorated with faint, intricate geometrical designs cover the floor. The walls of the chamber are pure white, illuminated by unnatural light emanating from the ceiling in a way that makes the chamber appear slightly larger than it really is. A large double door exits to the south, and another double door leads to the north.
"Before we move on, could I avail of healing?", Uzziah asks.
Abiel seems amused and snorts.
Heiek whistles as they enter the spacious chamber. "Color me impressed."
He checks out the room and opposite door for any security measures.
As Heiek examines the room he notices that the walls to the east and west are illussions. Two of the fish people move to attack your group now that their ambush is spoiled.
Valera
Fish Men
Uzziah
Valto
Heiek
Iraska
”Ambush!” Valera called out, even as she sought to freeze the closest fish-man.
”Ambush!” Valera called out, even as she sought to freeze the closest fish-man.
The two fish men move in to try to repell your group. Iraska gets caught in the shoulder with a spear and Uzziah has an up close encounter with one of the fish men as it bites some of his forearm.
Uzziah
Valto
Heiek
Iraska
Valera
Fish Men Red -10
Feeling confident, Valera took a moment to compose herself. She stared at the fishmen, her eyes turning sky-blue as she channeled her power.
Badly injured, Uzziah strikes back, hoping to put down the fish man. Abiel also tries to bite a chunk out of the foe.
Thankful for the room's high ceiling, Heiek swings his lucerne hammer in an arc over Uzziah's head to try and help and drop the fish man attacking him.
Badly injured, Uzziah strikes back, hoping to put down the fish man. Abiel also tries to bite a chunk out of the foe.
Valto combines fire on the fish man fighting Uzziah.
Thankful for the room's high ceiling, Heiek swings his lucerne hammer in an arc over Uzziah's head to try and helps to drop the fish man attacking him.
Feeling confident, Valera took a moment to compose herself. She stared at the fishmen, her eyes turning sky-blue as she channeled her power... her confidence is well founded as he is now frozen solid.
+1 Longspear
+1 Trident
Potion of Cure Light Wounds x2
This room has a simple stone floor and undecorated gray stone walls. The stark nature of the room is interrupted only by a large circle of silvery metal set into the floor in the corner of this room. One wall of this room is mostly transparent, providing a view of a larger, adjacent chamber.
"I would swap this spear for that trident", says Uzziah, [b]"and drink those potions if no other healing is available."
One wall of this room is mostly transparent, providing a view of a larger, adjacent chamber.
Heiek nods at a healed up Uzziah that the door to the north is safe to open.
A curving ramp along the northern wall of this chamber ascends to the floor above. The east and west walls each have a single door, and a double door stands in the southern wall. Murals cover the east and west walls in this space, depicting kind-looking human adult figures smiling benevolently at children. The children, for their part, are smiling and appear healthy and happy. The figures, both adults and children, have tiny jewels orbiting around their heads in shining rings that resemble halos. Bold words are painted above the door.
The Azlanti text at the top of the murals reads, “Ours is the Great Work to see humanity achieve its greatest potential.”
”Look at those floating jewels! Think there are some of those around here? Maybe it’s trapped? We should find and take them.” Valera said, already forgetting about the ambush. The joy of discovery and treasure was at the forefront of her mind.
"Those would be ioun stones, right?", Heiek confers with Valto about the jewels before inspecting the left and right doors.
As Heiek moves to check the left door he hears a sliding noise and a twang. The bolt digs into his thigh Heiek moves out of the room. A crossbow at the other side of the room tracks him but does not fire again now that he has left the room.
"Gah!"
Eyes on the other bolt, Heiek limps back to the others.
"Well, I definitely want to see what's in that room, now."
”Oh!” Valera exclaimed. ”That looks painful. Are you alright? We need something, like a big shield. So we can get in there without being filled with holes. Unless...?”
She attempted to freeze the crossbow, so that it couldn’t move. Once locked in place, she reasoned that it would no longer be a threat.
Earlier
Uzziah gulps downs one potion:
and then the other:
And finally picks up the trident. With that, he can also wield a buckler, which he equips on his other arm.
*****************************************************
"Perhaps there are hidden doors in this room?"
"Maybe, but I'm also wondering if it doesn't have something to do with those silver circles we saw in the hidden rooms we've already found. Valto, can you take a look with me?"
Heiek goes to inspect the large circle of silvery metal set into the floor of the left hidden room.
"These writings suggest some kind of experiments to improve human subjects. It sounds very strange."
He picks up the fine longspear. "Nice weapon, but a bit unwieldy for my style."
"Iraska, I would be glad of some healing. As I imagine would Heiek after that trap fired."
Valera's attack manages to do some damage to the crossbow but two short clicks later it had returned fire rapidly.
Heiek moves away before any more damage is done. He's unsure what the silver circles do but it is large enough for a medium sized creature to stand inside. He doesn't think it's a summoning circle.
”Ow! Ouch ouch ouch!” Valera said as she staggered away. She pulled the crossbow bolts out, and passed her hands over the wounds. Ice cold water materialized, and where it touched the wounds healed, leaving her feeling numb.
”That didn’t work, at all.”
Heiek will experimentally step into the ring and see if anything happens.
Iraska tends to the wounds he sees as best he can manage.
The ring doesn't seem to react to Heiek stepping into it.
"Perhaps both circles require a person in them? I volunteer to step into the second circle."
”I’ll go in the first. What’s the worst that could happen?”
”What’s the worst that could happen?”
Heiek, already in the first circle, narrows his eyes in challenge.
Having forgotten, she backed off, hands in the air in placation.
When a person steps into the second circle... nothing happens.
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"This is fun."
Uzziah has a look of growing concern at the lack of a response from the circles.
Valto finally speaks up "I don't think it's broken but it might be that they aren't meant for creatures like us. Their have been automated defences and those tiny constructs, it might be these activate in response to them... as to what they do I can't say yet."
"Unless anyone has any ideas that don't involve me getting shot again, let's see if we can get to those stairs and move up the tower."
Iraska shrugs, clearly at a loss. "We could run, but we're low on healing and if one of us falls it seems certain death to a repeating crossbow."
”Well. How about this. Let’s grab the corpses we left behind us. Use them as a shield. The bolts aren’t strong enough to go through. And if we can get to an angle where we can’t be targeted, we can then disable the crossbow.”