"Tom's lost his guts again." Ruinë says with a sigh, hustling behind Grelda. "I swear, we can't take that boy anywhere!'
The cleric moves up alongside the group, casting bless again to bolster her allies morale. "Hold on, Tom!"
"Tom, Ruinë says you need to keep a better hold on your guts," Tasha calls out as she dances forward to stab at the stony creature.
Ruine rushes up beside Tom and casts bless. The rogue begins to juggle his knives, lobbing them at the creature and surprising it with the first strike!
As Tasha rushes up to the creature, it reacts by lashing her with a strand, grabbing and weakening her. She strikes out but does not get through the monster's stony hide.
Ash thunders up beside the tiefling, landing two powerful blows!
The monster snarls and snaps its maw shut around the half-orc's body, a critical hit! Ash dodges its follow up, then its remaining three strands lash out at all around it but do not hit.
Ruinë pushes the range of her bless out to all of her allies before throwing a divine lance at the creature.
Grelda’s hurled Projectile bounces off the monsters stony body. She invokes a healing hex on her husband.
Tasha stabs at the creature holding her and then snarls at it. "Let go of me you overgrown doorstop!"
Tom lands two more hits with his knives. Tasha doesn’t hit but does demoralize the monster. Ruine and Grelda come up short, but Ash manages a telling blow!
The creature gives up on trying to lash Ashlion with its strands, settling for chowing down with its jagged maw!
Extending the range of bless again, she is able to catch everyone in its range now.
Seeing that Ash needs her help and Tasha was injured as well, she sends another blast of healing to her companions.
Tom hits with a knife, while Grelda impales the creature with a projectile. Ashlion lands another powerful blow, and at last, the creature slumps over, releasing its grip on Tasha and Tom as its tongue lolls from its mouth.
The creature was guarding a small hoard of treasure, consisting of five aquamarines worth 80 gp each, a diamond worth 500 gp, and a steel flask worth 20 gp that contains a standard potion of flying.
"Oh Tom." Ruinë says, taking a knee beside him. "You're looking a little weak. Hmmm. Okay. Hold on, let me help you with that."
She cast restoration on him, washing away the enfeeblement but not the smell of saliva. She smiles, but makes sure to stay back a little bit away from him. "You stink."
She then moves over to Ashlion to help heal his injuries.
Finally, she makes her way to Tasha and asks "And how are you?"
The tielfling wraps her arm around the half-elf. "I am stinky and sticky, but other than that, I am doing well," she says with a quiet laugh. She presses a quick kiss against the woman's temple and then releases her.
"I have all my guts. What more could one want?" she adds.
Grelda uses her life boost hex to heal Tasha before meditating while Ruine tends to her husband.
When you are ready, you continue up the stairs inside the tower. A wide corridor with cracked masonry leads into the pyramid's central chamber. This central chamber is bare of furnishings, though the floor bears many cracks and bits of broken mud. The corbelled arch of the ceiling rises to a height of 20 feet, and a 5-foot wide opening pierces the apex just south of its center. In addition to the rubble, the floor is scattered with other bits of debris ranging from shards of wood and glass to strange bits of metal and pools of foul-smelling substances.
Tasha leads the way with shield raised. Thanks to Basil's scouting, you expect the pair of alchemical golems that stand in alcoves at either end of the chamber. They resemble collections of tubes, gears, and wiring supported by large, spindly frames composed of metal and crystal. As you enter, they move to attack!
[dice=Acid Damage]
The first golem fires off two poison bombs and a frost bomb. Tasha deflects them with her shield, but they still splash over her. The second one scores a hit with its acid bomb but only splashes her with a fire bomb while the cold bomb misses completely.
"Evil constructs, prepare to be deactivated!" Tasha shouts out as she sashays to the nearest and strikes with her blade.
Ruinë pulls her arms back and thrust them forward with divine energy, blasting one of the constructs.
Ashlion rushes in and bashes one golem. Tasha moves to engage the other one to avoid bunching up when they are throwing bombs. She hits, but her blade doesn’t seem to hurt it much. ”Bludgeoning weapons!” Grelda shouts. Unfortunately, she, Ruine, and Tom all miss!
The golems attack with the syringes in their fingers, stabbing Ash and Tasha and injecting volatile chemicals into their bodies!
"That burns!" Tasha calls out. "And I taste cinnamon. And I don't have a club, thank you!"
She then rolls past the golem to its opposite side.
Deciding Tasha's experienced enough pain, she expends a healing spell on her to help mend her wounds.
Ashlion smashes the golem that attacked him. Tom hits with it a rock, then Grelda hurls a bigger rock directly into its crystalline head! It shatters the crystal and the construct goes down.
Tasha scores a hit on the other golem and tumbles behind it. It turns to follow her, but she dodges its syringe strikes!
"There!" she says, finishing Tasha an surveying her companions before settling her gaze on Ash. "Ashlion, you're hurt badly!" the cleric gasps.
Though he had not been complaining, he is quite severely injured. Moving to his side, she casts a healing spell to help him recover and keep fighting.
Ashlion moves to flank the golem with Tasha, smashing it once. Tom and Tasha each land a hit while Grelda misses. The golem shifts its attention to Ashlion, stabbing the barbarian with its syringes!
"Hang in there, Ash!" Ruinë shouts in encouragement before healing him once more.
Tasha continues to stab at the automata with fervor.
Ash lands one good hit, but Tom and Tasha miss this time. Grelda smashes the golem with a projectile before Ruine heals Ash. The golem stabs Ash twice more, zapping him with electricity and injecting chemicals that threaten to sicken him!
With a final smash, Ashlion destroys the golem!
Once you have recovered from the fight, Grelda sends Basil up the shaft to operate the winch and pulley in the chamber above, allowing you access to the room. This room near the tower’s pinnacle is pyramidal in shape. Its corbelled walls rise at a steep angle to an apex 50 feet overhead, where a cylindrical shaft rises another 10 feet before opening to the sky at the tower’s point. The stuttering light of the tower’s aeon orb swings around the top of the shaft, casting dizzying shadows and occasionally shining its light straight down into the shaft.
The 30-foot-square chamber has four alcoves, one in the center of each wall, and the entire room is cluttered with crates bearing a sprawling contraption of glass-and-metal boxes, mirrors, liquid-filled tubes, and copper wiring. The south alcove has a simple hoist with a winch and pulley for hauling items up through a square-cut shaft that descends through the floor. The northern alcove holds a giant piece of rough-cut crystal three feet in diameter. This crystal rests on the floor and glows with an inner fire. Tubes and wiring from the assorted paraphernalia in this room converge on this giant mineral.
A low humming pervades the room, originating from the connected apparatuses. Every so often, the swinging light of the orbiting aeon orb shines down through the shaft from above, striking the device, which sparks wildly as it absorbs the light. The crystal’s inner light then perceptibly brightens. Whenever the orb’s light is momentarily absorbed, the orb takes on a dull, brownish cast for a few moments before gradually regaining its former sheen.
"This device is siphoning the energy from the aeon orb. That is likely why the wellspring dried up and the plant life in the area has died," Grelda says. "Tom, can you take it apart?"
Tom works carefully and manages to disable the complex device without unleashing the power built up within. The copper wires and high-quality mirrors of Thessekka’s device are worth a total of 200 gp. The crates contain pieces from an early prototype, including crystals embedded in a circular plate of steel that serves as a force shield.
Once the device is deactivated, the aeon orb shines brightly and consistently again! Its energy washes over you, granting you the resonant reflection of water!
Your body is infused with the essence of water and becomes adapted to its presence. You gain a swim speed of 10 feet and can breathe underwater. In addition, you can also focus this affinity to gain an additional effect.
Activate [two-actions] envision; Frequency once per day; Effect You cast control water as a 5th-level innate divine spell. The area of water you control increases by 10 feet in length and width for every 2 levels you have beyond 10th level.
Your recent experiences have made you tougher and more prepared for the challenges yet to come!
Always the cheerleader, Ruinë thanks Ashlion for sticking it out through the pain to finish the golem, Tasha for her amazing swordsmanship, Tom for his work on the device and Grelda for helping keep everyone going.
When the aeon orb's power washes over her, she blinks several times and asks "What was that?"
"That was like the other orb, only different ... cooler and softer," Tasha says.
"Remember when we liberated the aeon tower outside of Abberton? The aeon orb there granted us its resonant reflection," Grelda explains. "This orb has done the same thing. As we learned in the temple to Aroden beneath Escadar, we will need to collect all of the orbs' reflections to undo the damage the xulgaths are causing across the Kortos Isles."
With the aeon tower liberated, you return to your circus’s camp in Matten Cleave to rest and plan your next move...
"Right, that makes sense... Thank you Grelda."
She takes Tasha's hand and as they wind their way back out of this place to return to camp. "I feel stronger than before. This adventuring, it has really increased my capabilities far more than just staying in the circus would have ever done."
"We've taken another step towards our goal," Tasha says as they walk along. "We should celebrate." She turns and grins at her companion. "Just the two of us."
Grelda wanders to the beach north of Matten Cleave, far from the lights of town so that she can clearly see the stars shining the sky. She breathes deep of the ocean air as she makes charts of the constellations, as she does every night.
Her familiar, Basil, has his eyes close in communion with the distant entity that serves as Grelda's patron. He sighs with contentment as he begins to glow with silver starlight. To Grelda's surprise, the winged snake begins to morph and shift, muzzle lengthening as arms and legs sprout from his body! His feathered wings transform into the gossamer wings of a great butterfly, and within a few minutes' time, the familiar completes his transformation into a faerie dragon!
"Basil! This is extraordinary!" Grelda exclaims.
"Your growing power has unlocked my true potential," the dragon says. "And now it is time to unlock yours. The challenges ahead will require stealth and trickery in addition to occult power. Our patron has deemed you worthy to take a measure of her talents. Hearken to the lessons of the Silence Between."
The skies above seem to shift as a winged humanoid shape made of starlight swoops down to meld with Grelda. The witch shivers as she breathes deeply, paying heed to the silence between her breaths, for in that silence, one's true nature can be seen. Her gaudy fortune-teller's robes change to form-fitting garb of diaphanous silks, more suited to stealth than garnering attention. Then the shape flies away, leaving Grelda changed.
"It is done," Basil proclaims. "You have been touched by Desna's Shadow, and received her blessings. As has the child inside of you."
Grelda gasps. "Child? You mean..."
The dragon inclines his head. "Indeed. Already, it quickens within you. In time, you shall give birth to a chosen child. A union of unbridled strength and immense occult power, touched by an empyreal lord. They are destined for great deeds..."
***
Grelda rushes back to the circus camp, seeking out Ashlion. When she finds him, she throws her arms around his neck. "My love! I have wonderful news!" She takes his hands and places them on her belly as she grins toothily at him. "It is early yet, but I am with child!"
Tygrah is likewise thrilled by her sister-wife's news. She embrace Grelda warmly. "A blessed day, indeed! Our son will not have to wait long to meet his brother or sister!" She rubs her own swollen belly with joy.
Ruinë smiles and squeezes her hand. "Oh, that sounds wonderful! I love it when we get to celebrate! What did you have in mind?" she asks.
Later, when news of Grelda's unborn child circulates, Ruinë asks Tasha "Is Ashlion trying to marry and have children with all of the women of the circus?"
|
Later, when news of Grelda's unborn child circulates, Ruinë asks Tasha "Is Ashlion trying to marry and have children with all of the women of the circus?"
Ashlion is actually asked the same question by one of the Flambonni sisters in front of the campfire, amid much ribbing and great shows of virtue by many circus members both male and female.
"NO. EMMA THE ACROBAT! YOU ARE TOO SKINNY AND PALE FOR ME. I LIKE MY WOMEN STRONG AND A HEALTHY SKIN COLOR!" He gestures to his own green skin to demonstrate. "BESIDES I LIKE OUR RINGMASTER, WERE I TO MOVE ON LITTLE FLAME THEN I DO NOT KNOW WHICH ONE OF THEM WOULD GELD ME FIRST!"
There are collective male winces all around the campfire before the questions fly as to who might still fit the barbarian's stated criteria. The consensus rapidly settles on Evora and at least one pot is started around the campfire. Ashlion laughs as heartily as anyone, but any very close observers would note that he blushes a little and doesn't try to catch Evora's eye.
Evora has a similar reaction to Ashlion, trying to avoid eye contact. ”I, uh, have to brush Gigi,” the strong half-orc says, moving to check on her mammoth.
"Oh, that would certainly be me," Tasha says with a laugh as she enters the circle of conversation. "You have plenty of women, Ashlion. Don't begrudge me the company of one of the most beautiful." Her lips curl up in a playful smile as she meets Ruinë's eyes. "Although, I don't think I'll have the same ... effect ... on my love as you have on yours." She mimes a rounded belly to great laughter from the group.
As the laughter calms slightly, the tiefling straightens up and those gathered recognize her 'official' voice when she speaks. "Tomorrow we'll be pulling up stakes and head back to stop in Castinlee. We'll be performing there, but probably not for a couple of days. So everyone will have a chance to relax once we get there."
The next morning, you make your way back to the town of Kerrick. The people are disappointed to learn that you don’t plan to stay long enough to put on a show for them yet, as your main focus is on finding clues to Opper Vandy’s haunting, but they understand that good things are worth waiting for.
However, that night as you make camp, Ruine hears some noise coming from outside the wagon she shares with Tasha. The noise is quiet but distinct: the creaking of wooden planks that are being pried apart. In the dim illumination of the circus’s night lamps, figures are visibly crouched near the wagon that holds the circus’s funds. One is working at the rear hatch with a pry bar while three others skulk nearby.
Ruinë rubs her eyes, making sure she sees what she thinks she is seeing . She shakes Tasha awake and whispers "Tasha! Someone is trying to rob us! There!" she says, pointing to the thieves.
If Tasha heads out, Ruinë will follow her and cast a ring of flames around the thieves once Tasha is ready.
When Ruinë points out the thieves, Tasha shakes her head to clear the cobwebs. They hadn't fallen asleep until it was quite late as focused on 'celebrating' as they were.
She takes just enough time to slip a shift over her lavender skin and draws her rapier from its scabbard before slipping quietly from their wagon.
She moves quietly until she's right behind the men focused on their tasks. She leans casually against the nearby wagon, the picture of a relaxed observer.
"Now if someone didn't know better," she says, loud enough to carry through the night air. "They might think that you folks were up to no good. But you can't be so thick-headed as to try to rob an entire carny family. That would be just stupid ... and suicidal."
She holds her blade in a relaxed fashion, but the tip of the blade moves as if agitated.
"Now would you care to explain why you would disturb the pleasant evening I was having with my girlfriend?"
As Tasha approaches the four figures, she can see that they are indeed the most unruly monsters imaginable--teenagers! One girl is working at the latch while another boy is busy painting the words "Go Home Freaks" on the side of the wagon in red. The other two boys watch their companions.
All four jump with surprise as Tasha calls out to them. When they get a good look at her fiendish features, they quail with terror. "Run!" the girl shouts, and all four begin to flee in different directions!