3,5,8,10, 11
The next door opens on a big man. Over six feet tall and very wide, he looks as if his ancestry is a mixture of demonic and Orcish. He is extensively scarred and tattooed. He sports tusks, and a crown of eight black horns spaced along the rim of his skull. His skin is a reptilian-looking scale with red and green patterning, and his feet resemble something raptor or dinosaurian in shape. The only pleasant thing in his physical makeup is his eyes. Large and luminous, with iridescent lavender irises, they look as out of place as two pearls in a dung heap.
He looks at Justin, almost eye to eye (something Justin isn't used to) and speaks in a Hive-flavored Common
"'Ere now. Are you lot pulling a scarper? I'd appreciate if you'd spring me"
Justin blinks. He is both pleasantly surprised, and a bit 'impressed' (IE=Not afraid, Cautious! Yes, that's it!) at the beefy being looking at him from his own height.
The wizard glances over his shoulder at Martin, then back to the fellow.
The discussion with Sha'Vander, along with running into Swire, a beholder, and now this,... fellow, seems to have reached some sort of equilibrium with his Sigil-bred suspicious nature.
"WHat the hey. Trust but verify. Keep your friends close, your possible enemies closer, Yadda-yadda. And keep your defensive spells up!'
"Well, It DOES seem to be a good day to get the Planes out of here. If you'd like to join the party. You from Sigil mate?" Justin asks with a smirk.
The wizard steps aside and gestures for the (Demorc? Orcmon?!?) to exit the cell.
"You're welcome to join us when we leave. Please do try to keep the noise to a minimum. The ENTIRE keep doesn't know we're here. Yet. Trying to keep it that way."
"I'm looking for a friend of mine. You know anything about a halfling bint being held here? Redhead. Fiesty.?"
The large tiefling(?) smiles. The smile looks friendly enough, even with the ornate bejeweled and scrimshawed orcish tusks
"Yeh, I'm a Cager. Hiver born an' bred. But I do a bit of adventurin' these days. Fell afoul of these berks looking for summat."
He pauses and scratches his scaly chin thoughtfully.
"Yeh, There's a bint in the lockboxes. I've heard her, but these cells don't let sound travel well."
He knocks on the thick iron door for emphasis.
"Leastways I doubt anyone on other floors could hear us even if we fired up some Lazzcore music up here"
"Nice to get outta the Cage every once inna while innit?" Justin smiles sincerely.
The wizard puts a hand on his chest.
"Justin. Our crew came here looking for the bint. She's a friend. Guess it's a full-fledged breakout now. Welcome to the club fellow adventurer."
Justin looks at the iron door more closely.
"You're right. And if sound doesn't travel well, that means she's close. Thanks for that."
"ALthough, While I'm happy to take you're word for it, I'd rather not risk a full Lazzcore Rave down here. Just yet." The wizard winks.
Justin jabs a thumb over his shoulder as the Demorc, (Orcemon?!?) starts to exit the cell. "Crew's got a Pally and a Cleric if you're wounded. Any idea how long you been here? Or what they wanted with you? Just trying to figure out WHY they seem to grabbing apparently rando targets from ,... various,... loca,... Oh. My. Powers. Is it THAT simple?!? C'mon!"
Justin turns and waves at the others.
"Rose crew, Meet our new friend. He's a Cager too. This is beginning to look targeted. Murphy, Swire, , Sha'Vander, and probably that poor Beholder. They're all from Sigil! WHY is a supposedly Vamp group, with a fortress on the lower planes, kidnapping beings from the Cage? And apparently experimenting on them?"
Justin, looking suddenly nervous, calls out Murphy's name as he strides to the next cell door, keys in hand.
The scaly tiefling puts a hand to his broad chest. Unlike the other prisoners, he has nothing but a crude loincloth on, his scaly bright-patterned skin rippling with muscle
“Names Crookshanks. Earned it ‘cause of me cobble pounders”
He points to the backward-kneed clawed-foot legs he stands on.
“I can run fast when I have a mind to, but I ain’t what you call graceful”
He listens to Justin expostulate
“Yeh. I’ve been here about a cycle . These berks are likely nabbing Cagers because they operate out of the Cage. I mean, I don’t think this place is their main kip, if you lann what I’m chanting. “
He looks over at Swire
“There more gear over in that room?”
Swire nods, and the large tiefling heads back. He returns with clothes, a haversack, a breastplate with a prominent Xaositect symbol embossed on it, and a large great sword strapped to his back.
“Much better”
Justin begins calling Murphy’s name out loud and is rewarded with a familiar voice calling out
“Over here!”
"Finally!" The wizard hisses.
Justin all but runs the short distance to the cell he heard Murphy respond from. The wizard flips through the key ring, and finally shoves the correct key in by main force.
The wizard opens the door and squints into the dim cell.
"Murphy?"
The door opens and reveals a small female figure. It’s Murph. Her red hair is snarled and lank. Her compact muscular form is draped in that formless prison outfit that the others wear. Her face is a mass of faded bruises. She looks warily at the lanky wizard
“Well dip me in sh!t and call me a Bleaker. Is that Justin?”
. That old joke still works
The door opens and reveals a small female figure. It’s Murph. Her red hair is snarled and lank. Her compact muscular form is draped in that formless prison outfit that the others wear. Her face is a mass of faded bruises. She looks warily at the lanky wizard
“Well dip me in sh!t and call me a Bleaker. Is that Justin?”
Justin sighs in relief, and shakes his head in frustration.
"Well heck Murph. I figgered you'd prefer a soak in a nice, hot bubble bath rather than Ditch water. But Hey! Whatever floats yer boat! I mean, no accounting for taste. Wizard don't judge!"
The grin that follows threatens to split the skinny wizards' face.
"You're a sight for sore eyes Murph. AND a sight. You look like the 7th plane of Pandemonium landed on you. You alright? What the heck is going on here? WHO are these chuckleheads?"
The concern on Justin's face is clear.
Murphy limps to the door. Despite her smile, it is obvious she is in pain
"They're vamps. Nasty ones. I was poking around DeadTown to try and lann the chant on them. I guess I poked a bit too hard."
She groans slightly as she clears the slight rise of the door jamb
"More to the question. What in the 666 levels of the Abyss are YOU doing here? Wherever 'here' is..."
Murphy looks over the group
"Looks like you have a nice lineup here. I'd advise we make a strategic retreat nonetheless."
As Justin greets his bruised friend, Sarastra approaches him
“Ah, this is your friend? Very good. Now that you have her freed, I shall take my leave of you. It has been a very interesting day of travel, and I appreciate our common sojourn, but it is time for us to part ways. I have business elsewhere in this place. Fare thee well, and a safe journey home.”
Sarastra suddenly becomes enveloped in shadows and disappears
As Justin greets his bruised friend, Sarastra approaches him
“Ah, this is your friend? Very good. Now that you have her freed, I shall take my leave of you. It has been a very interesting day of travel, and I appreciate our common sojourn, but it is time for us to part ways. I have business elsewhere in this place. Fare thee well, and a safe journey home.”
Justin blinks at the sudden declaration of immediate exit, then nods.
Sarastra suddenly becomes enveloped in shadows and disappears
"Ah, OK. Thank you for your help,... Saras,...tra?"
But before he can finish, she is already gone.
Justin shrugs. "I guess she isn't the type for long goodbyes?"
The wizard turns back to Murphy. "Mel, Martin? Little help over here?" He calls over his shoulder.
Justin nods at Murphy's comments, and with a half smirk, explains exactly where they are.
The look on Murphy's face is priceless. He does his best to burn it into his memory for future reference.
"What am I doing here? I came to rescue YOU. We can't have the best Harmonium in Sigil being turned into a vamp's lunch!"
"I mean, I THOUGHT they were Vamps. But since we got here we haven't seen hair nor hide of any undead. Just Hiver gangers, and a LOT of strange mutants, intelligent clockworks, and upgraded Golems."
"Apparently they aren't just snatching nosey Harmonium. We've already found a Beholder, What was left of him, A Knight of the Post, an upscale shop owner, a Hiver-turned-adventurer,... and those are just the doors we've opened so far!"
Murphy looks over the group"Looks like you have a nice lineup here. I'd advise we make a strategic retreat nonetheless."
"Yep. ALL part of the plan. Let's get you healed up, see if there's anyone else in these cells who needs rescuing, and go find our exit."
Martin comes over and greets Murphy. They are acquainted with each other, and Martin uses his healing to fix Murphy up. Mel lets him do the honors, pleading a lack of magic backup
“I’d rather save what I have for the push out of here. It’s been a long day. I’d hate to find a place to rest around here. “
He does inquire if anyone is badly injured from the fights they have gone through
Murphy’s bruises fade and she straightens. She smiles crookedly at Justin
“Well, considering the trouble you must have gone through to rescue me, you have my thanks. As for the vamps, I’ve only seen one in the flesh. He seems to run this place, at least the stitched guards deferred to him. He’s a really weird-looking blood who calls himself Taltos. His face is like an aasimars, but the top of his head looks like a bunch of hands all pressed together into a point. I’ve never seen anything like it before “
The party gets the rest of the doors open. Most of the others are empty, and a few contain ‘experiments’ like the goblin they had discovered previously. None of these are hostile, and they all run off when given the chance.
The far room seems to have been the guard station. There are several chests, with various clothing and gear heaped into them. A table with cards sits in the middle of the room
“Well, considering the trouble you must have gone through to rescue me, you have my thanks."
"Ah, no big deal Murph. You'd do the same for me, Right?"
The wizard gives Murph a sideways glance and an arched eyebrow.
"You WOULD do the same for me, right?"
Martin barks a laugh as the wizard flinches from the halflings' backhand, which comes WAY to close to his Wizard bits for comfort.
As for the vamps, I’ve only seen one in the flesh. He seems to run this place, at least the stitched guards deferred to him. He’s a really weird-looking blood who calls himself Taltos. His face is like an aasimars, but the top of his head looks like a bunch of hands all pressed together into a point. I’ve never seen anything like it before “
"That, IS weird. And considering some of the things we've seen in this place, THAT's Saying something!
As they enter the guard's room, Justin quickly calls up his charm that detects magic, as the others open the chests. He points out any items that glow.
The lanky wizard plops into a chair at the table.
"I'm with Mel. This may be a nice place to visit, NOT, but I wouldn't want to camp here. Anyone have any idea how to find the 'green caves' part of this fortress?"
Justin turns to Alessia, and after a moment, gently adds, "Alessia? Do you remember anything about that?"
"I'm with Mel. This may be a nice place to visit, NOT, but I wouldn't want to camp here. Anyone have any idea how to find the 'green caves' part of this fortress?"
Justin turns to Alessia, and after a moment, gently adds, "Alessia? Do you remember anything about that?"
Alessia looks slowly from one end of the corridor to the other.
"Green..."
Unfortunately when Alessia has been here last, her focus had been dominated by her mental imprisonment to her maker, Saverine. Acererak had had other ways of travel, and had not gone elsewhere than the Citadel
Murphy finds her Harmonium kit, and puts it on. It it not her full Battle Rattle, merely the equivalent of a street uniform of boiled leather armor dyed a deep red. The chests hold several piles of various clothes without obvious owners. Sha’Vander finds his, but frowns to find his belt pouch flaccid.
“It looks as if our captors availed themselves of my jink” , he says dolefully
There is an unclaimed longsword that reads magical, as well as a chain shirt. Everything else is of mundane make
Murphy dresses quickly in her cell, then emerges, tugging her leather vambraces into place
“So, this is your rescue, so it’s your call, Justin. Where to now?”
Justin stuffs the unclaimed magical sword and chain shirt into a side pocket of his Haversack for later examination.
The wizard slips the pack back into place on his back, and turns to the others. He shrugs. Eloquently.
"Unless someone else has any actual or at least rumored information on this iron-cubed Plane in general, and this fortress in particular, I'd say keep heading down."
"Memnon? Anything ringing any bells in that noggin'? Mel, I don't suppose that you were 'lucky' enough to be stationed on this Plane when you were serving?"
Mel shakes his head. Memnon does that odd twirling motion
“Our best bet is head for the wall and look for a green crevice. My two Greens”
Justin nods, and stands, resettling his pack into a more comfortable position.
"You heard the Man with the Plan. He's seen more weird Planes than I have. Let's get outta here before they come looking for another prisoner to mutate or whatever."
As they line up and head toward the door, (resucuees in the middle) Justin looks down and asks Murphy,...
"I don't suppose the megamaniacal master villain, This 'Taltos', happened to monologue on WHY they're grabbing berks? I mean YOU were at least poking around into their business. But WHY are they grabbing Hive-raised adventurers and upscale shop owners for Pelor's sake? Equal opportunity torture?!?"
Murphy shrugs
"They might be vamps, but their patterns are the same as any Hiver gang or Taker company. They are trying to expand their power base. These vamps are using some sort of drug to try and make their move. THey are different thatn any type of vamp, and they are working very political. I'm sure their captives are people they thought they could use or were in their way."
Justin scratches at his currently-scraggly goatee, and realizes that he really DOES need to pay Thomas' shop a visit.
The wizard nods thoughtfully at Murphy's professional opinion of the situation. A sneaking suspicion begins to form in the back of his mind. But for once, he keeps it to himself, instead of blurting it out like copper-dreadful detective would.
"Well, 'political' seems a little unusual for the average Vamp. But not so far out of the realm of possibility that I'd call it 'weird'. And I'M the suspicious type."
Justin smiles down at his friend, who seems much happier now that she is wearing armor once again.
"Either way. Unless we decide to try and take out the entire nest ourselves, and no, that wasn't a suggestion!, we aren't going to be doing much to stop them from here. Besides, that's above my pay grade. YOU and your red-armored compatriots can sort that lot out once we get back!" He winks at Murphy to make sure she knows he isn't knocking her career choices.
The wizard looks to the front of the line, where (presumably) Karrin and Alessia are standing.
"Let's get out of here. After you ladies!" He grins.
Justin reclaims his pack from Memnon. The Wizard and the Paladin tactfully ignore each other for a brief moment as he puts it back on.
'Yep. I see another well-intentioned conversation in my future. I guess the next rounds are on me.'
"Let's get out of here." Justin confirms.
"If I recall correctly, the cavern of Gormoth-Moktor is about a quarter-mile away from here. And if Swire is right, our escape route, the 'Verdigrised Seam' is on the cave wall. Let's get these people home."
Justin pauses for a brief moment.
He just realized, for the first time ever, he had just referred to Sigil as 'home'. And he meant it.
The party, with new additions, heads out the jail cells and up the stairs
Mr Swire volunteers to walk point, and checks for any traps or wards along the way. Strangely, there seem to be none. They pass the gatehouse and the corpse of the gnome/troll abberation they slew, then head down the hill away from the Citadel of Ruin.
They make their way towards the edge of this enormous metal cave, threading through the heaped piles of arcane machinery that rise in rusty heights. They walk for about an hour before they come to the cave’s edge.
There are a lot of seams and crevices here. The cave seems to have rusted out from the metal substrate over aeons, and the oxidation is not a uniform process. There seem to be other metals mixed into the majority iron walls as well. Strange twisty veins swirl through the rust red surface.
Suddenly, a shadow moves from a dark crevice in the wall. A large golden bipedal form emerges from the shadows. It is large, over seven feet tall, and golden hued. Its form is lumpy, as if roughly shaped. A fine golden haze swirls around it, obscuring its features. It moves towards the party and a rumbling voice like screeching metal emerges from the golden haze
”Meat things. Surrender your gold to me or perish”
Suddenly, a shadow moves from a dark crevice in the wall. A large golden bipedal form emerges from the shadows. It is large, over seven feet tall, and golden hued. Its form is lumpy, as if roughly shaped. A fine golden haze swirls around it, obscuring its features. It moves towards the party and a rumbling voice like screeching metal emerges from the golden haze
"Meat things. Surrender your gold to me or perish"
Alessia lets out a small [disgusted noise] and steps to the front of the group, sword drawn.
"No meat. No gold. Let us pass, or I will cut you in half," she states flatly.
The lumpy thing seems taken aback by the metal-masked wight
"I've always found that when you're at an impasse violence is usually the way to break the deadlock."
Justin blinks, several times, and looks at Memon and back to the golden thing.
Justin stares at the, thing, points, and leans towards the floating crystal skull next to him.
"Um, Did Alessia just intimidate a,... Gold Golem?!? Or whatever?"
"I've always found that when you're at an impasse violence is usually the way to break the deadlock."
Justin makes a gesture for Karrin to precede him.
"Ladies first!"
Justin blinks, several times, and looks at Memon and back to the golden thing.
d20+21
Justin has a wide eclectic reading history, aided and abetted by many hours haunting the book stalls of Ragpicker's Square. He remembers a book called Bourgine's Tome of Elemental Creatures that he had been reading recently in preparation for his trip to visit the enigmatic being Pando on the Paraelemental Plane of Mineral. It talked of the once mighty denizens of that plane, the Gold Elementals. These beings were once some of the mightiest elementals on the Mineral Paraelemental Plane, but they attempted a coup against Crystalle, the supreme ruler of that realm. They failed, and Crystalle cursed them with a wasting disease. They are banned from their home plane, and forced to wander other realms, forever desperate for gold to replace the material that constantly erodes from them and surrounds them in a haze of gold dust
Justin takes a step back.
"No. Not a gold Golem, a Gold ELEMENTAL." The wizard says hoarsely.
At this pronouncement, Memnon floats back TWO steps and hovers behind the wizard.
"Gold Elemental!" Justin repeats, louder.
"They're tough as nails! The soft gold absorbs impacts, blunting weapon damage, and Acid damage. Don't even bother with electricity unless you're an Archwizard. And watch out for the Gold dust! It's from their bodies eroding. It can blind and poison you!"
Justin hastily begins mentally rifling through his prepared spells.
Spells, spell-like abilities, and energy attacks (even non-magical fire) ignore damage reduction.
Sometimes damage reduction represents instant healing. Sometimes it represents the creature’s tough hide or body. In either case, other characters can see that conventional attacks won’t work.
If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction do not stack. Instead, the creature gets the benefit of the best damage reduction in a given situation.
Init
Quotes 'Da Rulez'
"Lucky for me, Gold has a low melting point. THIS is a fire-wizard's Lucky day!" The wizard grins.
"Everyone STAY BACK! I think I can contain it!"
RD 1
21 Karrin:
17 Justin:
Crookshanks:
Mr. Swire:
14 Merle:
12 Alessia:
Avrahim:
Martin:
1 Gold Elemental: VV [Shaken for 1/2 rds]
"Get behind me Swill," Karrin says as she activates her belt of giant growth, "I will shield you!"
Karrin is going to move to P12 and wait to see what Justin has planned, if this thing has a charge attack Karrin will be it's primary target.
Merle will do her usual hasting of the group