The amalgam trips. It starts laughing!
A Horrible Revelation!
G'nak
The Amalgam, -48 HP
Kyrie -2 HP, stance, shield raised
Guyzer, -12 HP will burn 4 at start of turn (burning 1d4), concealed, fort save needed
Rat --18 HP depending on Ina's flat check, concealed DC 5 Flat check to hit, aura, Grabbed
Cai, -18 HP
Marula, Ina concealed
Marula sends electricity arching between the rat and aberration.
They encourage Ina to continue her pursuits.
Ina grabs the rat again, enjoying the taste of char.
"Put some more tables in front of it!"
G'nack bombs the thing again.
+2 splash, + 2 persistent fire
+2 splash, + 2 persistent fire
And then he moves toward the door.
The rat leaps out of the way. The amalgam judders, laughing on the floor.
G'nak then kills it with a bomb! As its eyes burst and its face burns away, you can hear it muttering in voices… Porridge! Why are you hurting us? Everlight, kill me! Make it stop! Give. Give.
The pathetic creature twitches like a spider on the floor, then sighs in three voices as it finds peace at last.
Kyrie slowly lowers her shield. She cautiously steps toward the amalgam, then kneels down. "I am sorry. I know you did not deserve this. I will kill who did this to you all." She then begins to say a prayer to Iomedae.
Ina gobbles up the rat, savoring every little ember.
"Anger rocks the forest.
Plants and animals agree,
She'll pay with her life."
Marula gives berries to Cai.
The Lab
You look around the lab. G'nak flips through the book on the table. It's a formula book that describes an absolutely lethal disease contracted by inhaling a green vapor called "Viridian Vapor." Viridian Vapor is normally in liquid form but turns to vapor when agitated. When inhaled, it causes a horrific fungus to grow in the victim's lungs, leading to death. The books do not describe a cure, nor does it have any indication the author was seeking a cure. G'nak considers the fungus described in the formula book, then looks at the dwarf floating in the tank, like a grim trophy in a case…
He realizes how very lucky you are that the cauldron Cai flipped was not percolating the liquid that turns into Viridian Vapor.
G'nak spends ten minutes paging through the book and finds a ledger full of ingredients and batch numbers. One ingredient, in particular, stands out to him: Corpse Blood. This was the ingredient Bort was delivering to Etran's folly. He does some quick calculations and estimates this alchemist had enough ingredients for five hundred doses of Viridian Vapor. Worse, none of those ingredients can be found here in the laboratory in any quantity, although there are a number of empty containers that might have stored such quantities of the liquid.
A parchment tucked inside the formula book bears a simple diagram of a round, flat-topped rock with a depression on top. The diagram depicts a procedure for using acid to create a reservoir inside the stone. There is only one note on the illustration, reading:
Mother’s ring will be the key.
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The Prison
You find jailor's keys on the Amalgam. You hear the gruff voice of the amalgam in your head, imagining it pulling a prisoner out of a cell. IT'S TIME.
The prison is divided into three cells by iron bars. Two of the cells are empty but for filthy straw once used for bedding; likely for prisoners. The last cell — the one the Amalgam was sleeping in — has its hay pushed around into a kind of nest. Sitting in a corner is a pitiful shrine of sorts: a toy dragon on wheels, a holy symbol of Sarenrae, a lock of blonde hair, a Wayfinder, a wedding ring. Each item looks to have been chewed on and clawed. You surmise that the consciousnesses inside the Amalgam understood these items once held meaning but no longer had the facility to know what their purpose was.
There are also empty vials — licked clean — in another corner. They smell like the addictive substances uses to control Hallod. Perhaps this jailor was unwilling to do its duty but was controlled with drug addiction. In your mind, you hear the echo of the amalgam's pleading: It hurts. Give. Give.
Marula's foliage shakes with rage. They pull a scroll out and stand by the remaining door, listening for signs of life.
G'nak nudges the dead amalgam with the toe of his boot.
"This is the work of a vivisectionist, not an alchemist. Simply horrific."
He then joins Marula outside the door.
You also find:
- 3 minor elixirs of life
- 2 lesser elixirs of life
- 2 lesser alchemist’s fire
- 4 lesser acid flasks
- 2 lesser tanglefoot bags
- 2 lesser frost vials
- a lesser cognitive mutagen
- a lesser stone body mutagen
- a moderate electricity energy mutagen
You hear nothing. Beyond the door are stairs that descend into a rough-hewn chamber, the far side of which looks like a natural cave. A passageway winds off into the darkness. A sputtering torch is mounted next to the door. In the distance, you can hear the sound of rushing water.
You enter the cave system's winding corridors. Perception notices veins of green in the rock. The formula book mentioned a gree ore, a key ingredient in the creation of the viridian vapor. The green rock deals serious damage to the lungs, allowing an infection to take hold and grow within hours. She calls this rock "flaystone." The abundance of Flaystone here might be the main reason for the laboratory's existence.
The twisting corridor opens into a large cavern filled with large, glistening stalactites and stalagmites. Puddles of brackish water dot the floor, and while the sound of rushing water seems to be close by, the source is not in this room. Marula notices guano on the ground and guides you around the cave in such a way that lets you avoid fighting the vampire bat swarms all together.
You hear the sound of rushing water ahead. This must be the heart of this vile place…
Before the door opens, Marula takes out a scroll and reads it aloud. His scrollstaff gains a certain shillelagh-ness to it.
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I have great concern... no enough foolishness.
Cai Fen drops his goofy accent and mannerisms.
Vilree's plan is nearly complete. The diagram we found earlier shows how the alchemical plague can be loaded into the Plaguestone. The journal we found confirms that this has already happened. We need to stop Vilree and find that ring she mentioned before she has a chance to trigger the stone and spread another plague through Etran's Folly. I only hope that we are not too late, and that she hasn't already sent one of her pet orcs or monsters to finish the job.
"I could be wrong, but judging from the size of her ego, I doubt she would trust anyone else to do the job for her, let alone handle her mother's ring. Odds are we're about to find out one way or another."
Kyrie rises and stands tall.
”I will send her to the Boneyard before she can harm anyone else.”
She takes the electrical mutagen and two of the minor elixirs. She drinks the electrical one before heading in.
You step into a cavernous chamber.
It's split by a chasm — you hear fast-moving water flowing below. A narrow bridge crosses the gap; it looks slick with moisture and mold.
On the far side of the chamber are immense formations of cloudy, green rock, and in front of them is a large black cauldron with a fire burning at its base. Light filters into this chamber from above through a twisting crevasse in the ceiling; the far side of the cavern is lit by glowing green orbs suspended by chains from stalactites.
There is another wretched being on the far side of the bridge — this time, instead of having limbs added, it seems to have had its muscles enhanced. Its its forearms writhe with extra tissue, and its overly-large hands twitch with extra ligaments. Its face is stitched together from various victims, one eye bulging our from the side looks almost ready to burst. Its mouth is so full of fangs that it can;t close. With a sense of relief you realize that the flesh looks chemically preserved — this is only a construct and not a living amalgam of souls. Perhaps it is the culmination of Vilree's experiments on humanoid flesh.
Stepping out from behind the massive cauldron is a thin woman, gently pointed ears rising up from her oily, raven-black hair. She is wearing stitched leathers bearing countless pouches and pockets filled with glass vials. She smiles.
Ahh. You're the ones who came with Bort? Sorry about your friend. She says this casually as if discussing a dull alchemical formula. I couldn’t let anyone piece together what had happened here, and he knew too much.
My concern is with the town of Etran's folly. You're just visitors, passing through. It's really none of your business — none of this. She produces a crossbow that seems to somehow be rigged with bombs. Leave now and never look back. No one need ever know you were here.
"Blight in one mangrove
Soon spreads to destroy a grove.
It must be excised."
Ina growls, barely holding her hatred of her torturer in check. Marula keeps a hand on her nape, ready to let vengeance take it's ultimate course.
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Kyrie bashes her fist against her shield. ”I may have had sympathy at one point. I no longer do. I have seen what you have done. I will not allow your murder and butchery to continue. I see only one justice for your crimes.” She settles into a battle stance. ”Pick a god and pray.”
Butchery!? That town is a worthless lot of turnip freaks! And so are you! Undeserving of compassion! They let their own suffer and die in agony! They scorn CHILDREN out of spite! You side with them? Die.
Vilree slots a cartridge into her bow; it glistens with electricity. She moves to the side where the chasm is widest and fires a shot at Kyrie.
+ ? Electric resisted.
She sees Kyrie resist all the electric damage. I hope you enjoyed my mutagens, there's a special ingredient in them!
Spite's Cradle: Round 1
Vilree, 1/? electric cartridges used
Guyzer
G'nak
Kyrie, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but electric), -1 HP shield -1 HP
Behemoth
Cai, has panache, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but fire)
Marula
G’nak moves up and tosses a smoke bomb followed by an acid flask at the Behemoth.
+2 splash, + 2 persistent fire
persistent +1 splash
”That should give us some cover while we jump across!”
Kyrie advances, entering her stance and raising her shield, as she prepares to jump.
The Behemoth bellows as it moves 5 feet up and swings at Kyrie, using both massive hands!
The creature pushes Kyrie back 10 feet automatically (she can only move 5, though); she staggers under the blow, and might fall prone!
Spite's Cradle: Round 1
Please review Long Jumping if you want to jump. The water below sounds very fast and leads deeper underground. You may very well be swept away if you fail the jump check. Otherwise, you have to go through Behemoth. It looks like it has long arms (reach), and ready to take AOOs.
Vilree, 1/? electric cartridges used
Guyzer
G'nak
Kyrie, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but electric), -2 HP shield -1 HP, fort save needed
Behemoth, delay
Cai, has panache, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but fire)
Marula
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The air grows still as Cai Fen draws a breath and lets forth a battle cry that shakes the cavern. Taking a hand off his war flail he closes with the creature and shoves with all its might, aiming to push it off its precarious position and down into the rapids below
He then chokes up on his war flail again.
The creature swings at Cai, hitting the swashbuckler, who then knocks it into the chasm!
The creature's large hands grasp the bridge, hanging on!
Spite's Cradle: Round 1
Please review Long Jumping if you want to jump. The water below sounds very fast and leads deeper underground. You may very well be swept away if you fail the jump check. Otherwise, you have to go through Behemoth. It looks like it has long arms (reach), and ready to take AOOs.
Vilree, 1/? electric cartridges used, -5 HP
Guyzer
G'nak
Kyrie, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but electric), -2 HP shield -1 HP, fort save needed
Behemoth, fallen
Cai, has panache, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but fire), -11 HP
Marula
Marula both grimaces and smiles at the sad behemoth's tumble. Then they focus their attention on the real villain.
"Ina hunts for revenge.
You've harmed so many. Senseless.
Predator, now prey."
They touch the cat, channeling primal power into her bite . She runs to get her comeuppance.
Vilree reloads her crossbow and takes a shot at Cai.
+
She then drinks from a flask.
Spite's Cradle: Round 1
Vilree, 1/? electric cartridges used, -5 HP
Guyzer
G'nak
Kyrie, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but electric), -2 HP shield -1 HP
Behemoth, fallen
Cai, has panache, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but fire), -18 HP
Marula
G'nak moves across the bridge and then tosses bombs at Vilree!
+2 splash, + 2 persistent fire
+2 splash, + 2 persistent fire
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Kyrie advances across the bridge, her shield up. She fist bumps Cai along the way. ”I am very impressed.”
The behemoth attempts to swim to a ledge below.
He does so. He stands and climbs…
Spite's Cradle: Round 1
Vilree, 1/? electric cartridges used, -5 HP
Guyzer
G'nak
Kyrie, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but electric), -2 HP shield -1 HP
Behemoth, 10'/30' up
Cai, has panache, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but fire), -18 HP
Marula
Ina advances on Vilree, leaping for her jugular.
Meanwhile, Marula raises their shield and moves into the room.
Guyzer misses. So does G'nak, but he does some splash.
None of the fire damage goes through from Ina.
It looks like she has resistance to fire. Perhaps she drank something after seeing G'nak throwing alchemist fires.
She grunts when Cai damages her, and cries out in pain at Ina's bite. She moves around to the other side and throws a fire bomb at Kyrie (she knows the Champion is resistant to electricity and understands how the mutagens she invented work), and a tanglefoot bag at the speedy Cai!
+2 splash +weak 5
Her fire splashes across the Champion's shield, momentarily wreathing the Kyrie in flame like an avatar of vengeance!
The goo entangles Cai!
Spite's Cradle: Round 2
Vilree, 1/? electric cartridges used, -24 HP
Guyzer
G'nak
Kyrie, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but electric), -4 HP shield -3 HP, burning 2 (DC 15 flat at EoT)
Behemoth, 10'/30' up
Cai, has panache, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but fire), -18 HP , -10 speed
Marula
Kyrie advances up into the alchemist's face. She stumbles slightly on the uneven rocks and her attack lands short.
G'nak steps into the smoke and then throws 2 lesser acid flasks, after seeing she resisted the fire.
persistent +1 splash
persistent +1 splash
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Guyzer prepares to cast, hesitates a moment to look at his friends, and then regretfully calls to something from the fey realm.
..I hope this doesn't backfire...
And from the far side of the cavern a small tunnel opens up. A mean, dog-faced creature pops down onto the floor. It gives a calculating at the battle going before hearing the noise of the Behemoth climbing up. Rushing over and seeing the struggling creature, there is a cruel barking laughter as its shoots it bow at it.
G'nak does some splash to VIlree. Kyrie cannot quite connect and continues to burn. The Pugwampi's too busy laughing to aim straight. Oh, those fey.
The Behemoth climbs laterally to avoid the fey! It climbs 5 feet over, makes no progress, then 5 feet over and up diagonally!
Spite's Cradle: Round 2
Vilree, 1/? electric cartridges used, -26 HP
Guyzer
G'nak
Kyrie, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but electric), -4 HP shield -5 HP, burning 2 (DC 15 flat at EoT)
Behemoth, 15'/30' up
Cai, has panache, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but fire), -18 HP , -10 speed (entangled)
Marula
Marula sends lightning arcing between the behemoth and Vilree...
... and Ina continues to stalk her tormentor, circling around to flank with her packmate ...
... then Marula will move out of the cloud and raise shield.
Vilree nimbly avoids the arc altogether, as well as Ina's jaws. Cai does a good amount of damage, but none of the fire. She seems to understand what's going on here, and had drank a potino last round.
Unable to escape the dangerous Cai, Vilree drops the crossbow and lobs two bombs at the person hurting her — one to make him flat-footed and a second for damage!
The last bomb splashes Cai with 2 acid, but his mutagen makes him weak to the elements! He takes a total of 7 damage.
She then moves away from Kyrie!
Spite's Cradle: Round 3
Cai mutagen (weak 5 vs all but fire), -10 speed (entangled), dying 1
Vilree, 1/? electric cartridges used, -36 HP
Guyzer
G'nak
Kyrie, mutagen (weak 5 vs all but electric), -4 HP shield -5 HP, burning 2 (DC 15 flat at EoT)
Behemoth, 15'/30' up
Marula
Kyrie charges after Vilree and smashes the center of her shield into the woman’s jaw.