”A bugbear. A quasit. A goblin warchief. A demon-angel hybrid? Stolen body, gods and fires.”
Aventail muses as she walks with Loth perched on her shoulders reading out loud from the journal.
”I am sure I do not know what to make of it. At least we know that this is all related to a body theft at the crypt.”
@Bumbo: Nothing under special attacks. It does have a special ability, and this time I will count them the same but no details: Poison.
Special Defenses gives you rather a bit more: DR 5/cold iron or good; Immune electricity, poison; Resist acid 10, cold 10, fire 10
Keep in mind that these are the standard quasit traits. Any individual quasit may be slightly different.
@Everyone: You all arrive back at the glassworks. Some few curious locals are poking their heads through open doors, standing near-by and gossiping, that sort of thing. They fall silent and turn to watch you as you approach, some in awe, some in trust, some few in suspicion. Ameiko is no longer in the building, and asking those outside can tell you that she left a few minutes ago and was headed deeper into town. To the mayor's office, no doubt. one woman says. Don't be daft, she's off to check on her Inn. says another.
Making your way back down stairs is easy, and checking the tunnel takes only time. It leads parallel to the cliff before veering off and out. The tunnel exits about 20 feet up from the beach. The more eagle eyed amongst you can see much further down the beach a goblin and a wayang shake hands and more further away from you together, one stooping to pick up something from the sand as they go.
Interesting as this may be, the tunnel's other feature is what probably truly interests you. Not far from where the tunnel curves sharply towards the cliff face, another tunnel leads further into the underground. Not one, but two thick brick walls have been torn down to reveal the entrance to a natural cave.
As they enter the tunnel, Loth reflects on the journal one last time. "Celestial traits, the burning of her father's corpse... And the theft of the tomb. I'm connecting some dots here, and I'm not sure I'm liking the result... Don't you guys think this information is pointing to someone we've heard about?"
Raz touches his shield boss and it begins to glow with an atrificial firelight, he moves into the cave behind Loth trying to not cast the halflings shadow down the hall.
So...this quasit...they can be of different types and thus their attributes may vary quite a bit. But, I can say that the majority of them love to use poison, and they are particularly resistant to most standard weaponry. Cold iron...weapons blessed by a god that is good...they may work. They're very resistant to most energy forms - poison, electricity, fire, cold, acid.
He looks around. Is anyone carrying cold iron? May be a good idea to have some on hand.
He scratches his beard, then tugs at it in frustration. Succubus...heard the name, but no - I'm sorry, I don't know much about'em
Toot follows along, but then moves to the front of the line as they proceed into the cave.
|
"This might be the goblins' cave. If there is a bugbear involved, we might be in over our head."
Looking over the rest of the party, Dol frowns at how wounded everyone still is.
"We need to make sure that we don't get separated. Stay in formation so that any enemies can't get behind our front ranks.
Mizzug and Razvik, come here so I can heal the worst of your wounds. After this, my healing will be nearly expended."
"Loth, I'm sure you are a fine scout. But, perhaps it would be best for the warriors to go in front. Especially if they can see in the dark."
”Alas my vision extends not beyond the visible-light spectrum, but I am happy to go in front...”
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Aventail begins to move, and yet doesn’t. It appears for the briefest of moments to those that are looking, that the ancient adamantian splits, almost into uncounted incandescent versions of herself. As she steps, she leaves behind a multitude of other-Aventails, each an altered distinct copy of herself that then shrink and fade into the past. She begins to glow, now noticeably to all, and a stress appears on her normally inscrutable face - her mien one of...pique? Frisson?
The strange moment lengthens inside its momentary lapse, and Aventail begins to split apart, like a mechanism pulled into a thousand thousand pieces. A light forms at her core, and each piece of her physicality is limned with this aura, of...holy...light. The light grows, until Aventail is so bathed in light she cannot easily be seen.
Then, a flash, a belt of power that mashes through all like a warm heartbeat thunderquake and the moment is gone. Aventail still is, and yet is...more. Her face settles, and she mutters an indistinct word.
Brigh!
@Aventail: With this sudden and strange (time lord-esque) manifestation of power, a fragment of a memory comes back to you. Underground caverns, bunkers and laboratories buried in the earth to escape the passage of time. You don't know what this place is, but you are suddenly, irrevocably, and inexplicably certain that it is not a goblin tunnel.
@Everyone: With the combination of darkvision and Razkiv's light spell, you can see that the tunnel continues almost due north, with two paths branching to the right side at inconsistent intervals.
Which path will you take? Listening in, you only hear the soft drip of water common in many such caves and the heavy breathing of your comrades.
Bumbo looks down the tunnel but makes no move to head down it. Toot, however, nonchalantly trots down the tunnel to look around and down the first branching path, no doubt into total darkness.
Loth follows Dol's instructions. "Yeah, you're probably ri-"
He's interrupted by Aventail's... transformation?
"Aventail, whoa, what was that?" Loth looks around himself for a bit. "Think anything inside the cavern noticed that? Are... are you alright?"
Toot does indeed look into total blackness around the bend. However, he can hear a slight scraping sound. Would he like to investigate?
As the approach, Mizzug smiles. "As long as I has a light, I can see in the dark."
Pausing at the sight of Aventail, Mizzug raises a finger to question, but drops it quickly and pursues Bumbo into the darkness.
"Shh...we shud be quiet. No tewwen what bees hiden in 'ere."
Bumbo hisses slightly and whispers to Toot. Wait for everyone to catch up...you can't even see. Toot humors him and obeys for now, waiting for Raz's light to catch up to them before proceeding towards the sound.
Bumbo nods, and instead gestures at his sling, casing a spell on it to make it a torch of his own.
After recovering from Aventail's surprising actions, Loth also follows suit.
Out of the darkness of the side tunnel, a humanoid shape emerges slowly into the light. It's arms are disproportionately long and end in long claws, its jaw seems to have multiple hinges as it splays open while breathing, its hairless skin shows a milky pallor and its eyes shine red in the light. A moment of wide eyed surprise from both sides, before this thing dashes forward to the attack.
Charge attack bite at Toot
Its long jaw distends as it opens wide to try and take a bite out of Toot, and a forked tongue leaves a trail of spittle along Toot's hide but the creature is unable to find purchase in the boar creature's thick skin.
Stumbling over a rock, Mizzug tries to move around Bumbo to get a better angle as she draws her big warhammer. "Tole ya piggy! Be beasties a-bout!"
for
Bumbo starts at the warning, and rushes forward to see what's happening. He moves around until he can get an eye on this thing, and he wrinkles his face in disgust. He wonders if he's read about or heard of such a thing in his village's stories.
Toot snorts at the attack, and rips into the beast before him with teeth and hooves, ripping and stomping.
|
|
Rushing into the hallway to get a look at what is happening, Dol gasps at the strange creature in front of them. Heeding his own advice, he decides not to get in the way, moves back next to Aventail, and casts Guidance
"Not sure what just happened there, Aventail, but a little more divine help never hurts."
Aventail seems to solidify, and wobbles her head a little. She “smiles” to Loth.
”I am unsure. I feel...inspired!?! The benificence of Brigh is mine own...” Aventail holds a hand out, palm forward, and proceeds to inspect her fingers, hand, arm, chest, legs. As if appreciating her own physiology, a master craftsman’s mastered craft.
Loth clings to the wall, not to get in the way of the others.
"What is that thing?!"
@Mizzug: As I'm sure you can imagine, that 10 did not succeed on your Acrobatics. Attack of Opportunity coming your way....
@Bumbo: I'll give you that this is consider an aberration, but an 11 isn't going to get you anything more than that.
@Aventail: There is space next to Razkiv. Most of the square is available, so it won't count as squeezing.
The sounds of grunts and clangs of metal reverberate through the stone tunnel as combat is joined. So far, lots and lots of swinging weapons around, but only Toot has managed to score an actual hit.
Raz moves forward a ball of fire growing in his hand, as he gets to a place where he can see the creature he hurls the fire at it.
But the flame goes wide.
Aventail nods to Dol.
”Faith is its own reward, Dol” as she moves to attack. She brings her halberd to bear and moves beside Razkiv, chopping at the abomination. Clearly inspiration is just that, as Aventail completely misses, chonking on the stone wall.
Move Action: Move to space east of Raz, south of Toot.
Standard Action: Halberd!
(+3 Str, +1 BAB ; +6 THF)
Its jaw wide, the abomination lashes out with razor sharp teeth and claws...
At the absolute last second, Toot manages to pull his softer spots away from the creature's teeth, and they only score his hide without breaking through. This creature seems frustrated by this and growls deep in its throat. Then, (maybe surprisingly) it speaks words in a guttural voice, in a language none of you understand....
ROUND 2 has begun. Everyone is up.
Razkiv moves around Toot, catching a tail to his face as he does. 'Is that pineapple? What is a pineapple?' he moves and swings at the creature.
The blow lands on the creatures shoulder.
Aventail sets to again with her halberd...
(+3 Str, +1 BAB ; +6 THF)
Toot roars as he feels the might of Dol's god, and leaps upon the creature, biting and stomping.
Bumbo moves within sight of the creature, spits in his hands, and flicks it out...sprinkling some of his allies with his saliva.
Boo-boo whatchado!
Loth, seeing no clear entry into the fight, hangs back for the time being.
"If any of you need to tag out, just let me know!"
@Bumbo: The way I want to run bleed is this: Bleed begins on the turn of whoever caused it (in this example Toot) and ticks on that same turn every round there-after.
Not really relevant for this fight, however, as....
Razkiv sunders meat, muscle and bone with his axe, and Toot smashes with teeth and hoof, his bite landing just barely with the divine aid from another power. Under this onslaught, the horrible creature falls with a gurgling sound as black water mixes with the bright orange blood that leaks from its wounds.
No further creatures appear, but two things of interest:
1) Those of you who are lined up to see down the hallway that this creature came down see that it turns into worked stone further in, though it looks like this tunnel connects with the worked stone through yet another broken down door.
2) A scraping sound similar to what Toot heard before is coming from further down the natural passage to the north.
Razkiv sees the strange fluids leaking from the body and quickly shakes his shield free so he can pull a rag and begin to clean his ax.
"Urgiinkhan, zevsgee ene tsusaar bulaakhgüi baikhyg ankhaar" he reflexivly speaks in Shaonti. As he looks up he sees the worked stone and takes a step towards it.
Aventail turns to Loth, then Dol.
”Thank you both for aid, either offered or given.” The adamantian inspects her halberd for chips or dents, having found stone or missed completely in their recent confrontation.
”Well fought. Though what manner of aberrant creature this is I have no idea.”
Aventail looks down the tunnel.
”This place...it is more than a mere tunnel used by goblins to infiltrate the town. Something as dark as it is deep prevails...”
|
|
"Goblins never worked the stone down that passage. They might take residence in a previously occupied structure, but creation isn't what theu do.
Something tells me we've stepped into something special. I can almost hear it singing..."
Dol, seeing Razvik's hesitant step toward the chamber goes one better and starts walking toward the room.
"Someone keep an eye out for that scraping noise. Make sure nothing sneaks up on us."
Bumbo looks around. Everyone okay? Seeing everyone else intact, he nods to himself and follows behind Dol. Toot, get ready...more challenges ahead.
He makes sure that Toot stays at the front of the line though he, most certainly, does not.
"Yes. Gud jobs all. I no did much but nex I show skill!"
"On wes go."
Weapon still in hand, Mizzug slides on down the hall into the stone room.
Loth follows, sticking close to the others.
@Dol: If it sings, it is a deep song, simmering with anger and pain.
@Mizzug: I mean, hypothetically you should sometime. Or just level up to the point where you have such a high bonus it doesn't even matter.
The original purpose of this chamber is unclear, but large mounds of rubble lie strewn on its floor. The wall to the west has been torn down to reveal a tunnel leading to the west (the direction you came from is the west, so that is the very tunnel some of you are still standing in.)
The door leading north is old, metal, and closed. What next for our brave adventurers?
Razkiv moves forward, hanging his ax on it's ring and reaches out for the stone. "It feels old." his voice trails away before he shakes his head to look at the door. "Loth, can you check the door for us?"
"Sure thing."
Loth will first check the door for traps, try to open it, and if the door refuses to open, attempt to pick the lock.
Bumbo looks on nervously as Loth plies his trade. Toot sniffs at Loth, still in his bloodlust and looking for something to kill. He looks away, dissatisfied.
@Loth: You detect no traps, and the door is not locked. Opening it reveals a hallway of the same worked stone that extends 15 feet forward before turning to your left. The dust here remains undisturbed sans where the door opening has brushed some aside.
Do you venture further?
Loth allows the squad's primary fighters to take the lead again.
With a nod, Mizzug waits briefly for the rest to shuffle into the room before moving forward.
Her heavy ax wresting comfortably on her shoulder, the woman moves down the hallway. 'No foots'n dirt. Mayhaps climbed er flied?'
Aventail follows Razkiv, and switches to her glaive-guisarme to gain reach over the dwarf’s head.
Raz moves to follow Mizzug.
|
|
Following along, Dol runs his hand along the smooth wall, then stoops down to pick up some of the rubble from the ground.
"So melancholy. I don't believe I have ever heard the like. Most structures I visit are places of joy and worship. This place has seen pain. Enough that it has imprinted into the stone.
That creature, whatever it was, may have been a product of that pain. But, based on the dust this structure has been vacant for some time."