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"LOW." Ashlion replies. "COULD WE SIMPLY CLIMB THE OUTSIDE AND FIX THE ORB? OR IS THIS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE RIDICULOUSLY LONG BUILDINGS WITH MANY ROOMS FILLED WITH ENEMIES TOO STUPID TO WORK TOGETHER AND DEFEAT US WHILE WE PICK THEM OFF ONE AT A TIME AND RETREAT TO REST AT OUR CONVENIENCE?"
The barbarian shakes his head and looks a little confused. "THAT WAS STRANGE. IT FELT LIKE A WALL FELL DOWN IN MY MIND..."
Grelda gives Ashlion a knowing smile, as if she is laughing at a joke only she is in on. ”Shall we approach with stealth? When we are closer, I could turn Basil invisible and send him ahead to scout out the tower.”
Tasha nods at Grelda. "More information would be good," she says.
Grelda casts a spell of invisibility on her winged snake and sends him ahead to scout the tower. After several minutes, he returns and appears beside you. "There is a small camp at the base of the north platform. Six xulgaths with javelins. There are four xulgaths on the south tower, where the cooking fire is located. These appeared to be alchemists, with numerous flasks of acid and fire.
"A passage leads inside the tower, past a shrine of Aroden and to a room with a pair of strange constructs comprised of tubes, gears, and wiring on metal and crystal frames. At the top of the tower, some sort of complex magical device seems to be absorbing the power of the aeon stone! I did not see any other creatures."
"Ashlion's argument holds merit," the tiefling says, continuing to gaze at the tower. "It would seem more expedient to simply climb the outside of the tower and attempt the correction of the stone that way. However, that would leave the troglodytes free to tamper with it again." She sighs. "No, we'll have to be thorough. We should start with the alchemists."
You quietly and carefully make your way to the aeon tower. When you are about 100 feet away, Ruine spots a hidden snare just before she steps into it! It is rigged with vials of alchemist's fire, and as you look closer, you can see an entire field of these explosive traps spread in a ring around the tower. Fortunately, you are able to proceed slowly and carefully to avoid triggering the traps.
You are able to avoid notice as you reach the base of the south platform. You quickly climb up the ladder to get to the top of the platform. This stone platform bears the detritus of a longterm camp. Crudely tanned hides create rough nests for a half dozen creatures, and the ashes of a fire ring containing many scorched bones mark a cookfire. A hewn log serves as a rough table, and holds a jumble of powders and vials.
Four xulgaths are here. They hiss in surprise as you crest the top of the platform!
Grelda tries to paralyze one of the xulgaths, but only succeeds in temporarily stunning it. "Spread out so we don't all get blasted by their bombs!" the witch says, moving to do just that.
Ruine calls down a flame strike on the xulgaths, burning them all. One is burned worse than the others, and Tom hurls two knives into his chest as he and the cleric spread out as well.
The xulgaths likewise scatter to the corners of the platform to avoid further area attacks. They hurl alchemists' fire at Ruine and at Tom.
Ruinë is not used to being burned so badly from the flames and recoils in pain "Ahhh!".
She moves to Tom and tries to heal some of his injuries.
Not wanting any of them to have free rein to toss bombs willy-nilly, Tasha chooses one that doesn't have an attacker and races towards it.
{A} Stride
Ashlion rushes in to finish off the most wounded xulgath. Tasha, Tom, and Grelda team up to take out another bomber, leaving two left. They hurl more alchemists fire at Tom, trying to take him down, but only one scores a direct hit. They then draw their great picks as they prepare to enter melee.
Seeing that Tom continues to get wounded and the fact that she was still on fire herself, Ruinë sends a blast of healing among all of her allies.
Despite her healing, the cleric is unable to extinguish the flames on her body.
Grelda invokes a hex to boost Tom's vitality before hurling a fallen xulgath's greatpick at another!
Tasha follows Ashlion's - currently - successful strategy. Stab things until they cease to become a problem.
Ashlion, Tom, and Grelda each land one hit on one of the remaining xulgaths. Tasha moves to engage the other one, but it parries her strikes. Both strike back with their greatpicks, but Ash manages to parry each blow while Tasha nimbly dodges away!
Finally able to take a break from healing, Ruinë pivots and turns to face the enemy. Extending her right hand out toward the xulgath she says "May Sarenrae's divine fires burn the evil from your body!" and unleashes a scorching ray of fire from her fingers.
Ashlion and Grelda take down one xulgath, then Ruine scorches the last one before Tom hits it with a knife. It's up to Tasha to try to finish it off before it can attack again!
Since it worked so well before ...
Tasha finishes off the last xulgath with three stabs of her blade!
The table on the platform contains a greater cheetah elixir, formulas for a bleeding spines snare and a bomb snare, and 67 sp for some game of chance involving chipped pieces of stone.
The six xulgath skirmishers in the camp below have moved to the opposite platform to guard entry to the aeon tower itself. You’ll have to get past them to get inside, perhaps after a short rest.
Ruinë sees most of everyone is uninjured in the fight, only her and Tom taking hits. She sees to the remaining wounds before walking up to Tasha and commenting "Your skill with a blade has grown incredibly. I think you should consider a performance with it sometime. I know you enjoy all the yelling and talking, but people should see you perform, Tasha."
Tasha reaches out and draws her love in for an embrace. "Oh, Milaya, I am performing. And I enjoy what I do. If I were to do tricks like the others ... with the way I look, they would just see a trained demon. I want them to see that I'm a person." She gives the half-elf a quick kiss on the temple. "Come sit and rest with me for a bit."
As you take a short rest, you look down and see that the area between the base of the tower and its two lower platforms forms a low natural basin, the bottom of which is dry, cracked earth with the remains of various stunted grasses. The dusty stream bed exits this basin on the east side. A small hollow leads into the aeon tower, apparently the point from which a spring once issued.
Grelda sends Basil down to search around, and the winged snake returns with a small gold idol of Aroden worth 100 gp. The idol bears an axiomatic rune, which can be transferred to a weapon just as though the idol were a runestone (although the idol isn’t destroyed in the process).
Soon, you are ready to take on the next group of xulgaths. They wait on the adjoining platform, having pulled the ladder up after them. Grelda casts fly on Tasha to help her get over there, and when you are ready, you begin the attack!
Ruinë sits with Tasha for a short while, insisting that she at least try some swordplay performance at least once. "In the circus, they don't see or say those things. They see what amazing talents you have. Not that I'm saying what you do isn't amazing or that you aren't good at it, that's not it at all."
She shrugs "I suppose if you are happy, that's all that matters. I will not push you further on this matter." She leans over and pecks a kiss on her cheek before rising to her feet and offering Tasha a hand. "Shall we?"
Ruinë casts Guidance on Tasha before she flies over.
Once the attack begins, the cleric tries to line up a shot on the xulgath but Tasha blocks her only angle of attack and she fails miserably.
Never having flown before, Tasha enjoys the rush of adrenaline as she sails through the air towards the other xulgaths.
Ash and Ruine miss with their attacks, but Tasha lands one hit and Tom hits with two knives. Grelda nudges her husband's fate and tries to frighten the wounded xulgath to death, but it resists the spell.
Three of the skrimishers step around Ash while the other three circle Tasha, slicing with their scimitars. One lands a critical hit on Ashlion while another cuts Tasha.
Ruinë quickly pivots and dashes alongside of Ashlion. She slaps a salve on his wound and encourages him to keep going!
The tiefling laughs and then snarls at the xulgaths around her.
"It makes no difference how many of you there are!" she says with a sneer. "You'll all fall before us!"
Ashlion crushes the wounded xulgath's skull but misses with his follow up strikes. Ruine leaps across the gap and quickly patches up the barbarian's wounds. Tasha, Tom, and Grelda focus on another xulgath, wounding it badly. The enemies continue to attack, Ashlion taking two cuts from their scimitars.
Seeing how nearly everyone is injured, Ruinë sends a pulse of positive energy across her allies.
The tiefling continues the assault.
Ashlion lands one hit and Tasha finishes off her wounded foe, but everybody else misses! The four remaining xulgaths attack, one scoring a critical hit on Ash!
Tom continues pressing the attack, throwing a fan of knives!
Ruinë tries to fire another ray, but is equally ineffective as she was moments before.
Just stick to the healing! she chides herself, taking stock of Ashlions newest injuries.
Tasha snarls at the next foe, baring her sharp, black teeth.
Ashlion swings his maul with abandon, his wife managing to nudge his fate so that he lands two hits. Tom finishes off that xulgath with a dagger and strikes another one. Tasha lands a confident strike on that one and Grelda bashes it with a hurled rock, but Ruine's fire ray goes wide.
Now there are only three xulgaths left standing. Ash and Tasha both take a hit from their scimitars, but it's clear that their morale is beginning to waver.
"The Dawnflower blesses your blades!"
Since everyone still was in good enough condition to fight, Ruinë casts bless and moves alongside Tasha and Ashlion to help them finish this fight quickly.
Tasha turns to snarl at a different troglodyte and then stabs at it.
Ashlion smashes his foe to paste while the others use Ruine’s blessing to guide their aim and take down a second xulgath. The final enemy scores one last lucky hit on Tasha before he, too, falls to your combined fury!
These xulgaths have mundane weapons and armor. Searching the camp uncovers 12 pp, 47 gp, 355 sp, a silver eel figurine worth 75 gp, a moderate potion of fire resistance, and an oil of keen edges.
The way inside the aeon tower is clear...
Tom tip toes into the tower to scout ahead.
The interior of the tower is dark and cool. A wide corridor extends back 45 feet with a vaulted ceiling 20 feet overhead. A smaller side passage extends to the south. An alcove at the back of the corridor holds a crudely rendered statue. The floor before it bears a scattering of broken rubble and the bones of what appears to have been a freshly killed deer.
As Tom creeps closer, the “statue” opens up a single eye in its center. A jagged maw splits wide as a forest of sticky strands shoots out from the top of the strange monster!
Two of the strands lash out and strike Tom, weakening him and grabbing a hold!
Hearing Tom’s cry, Grelda casts haste on Ashlion and hustles forward!