Pai tries the door and it is locked.
The air in this room is hot, humid, and foul smelling. A mix of
acrid chemicals, burning refuse, and bitter smoke taints the
air. The room itself is cavernous, with a forty-foot-high ceiling
supported by a tangle of wooden beams and walkways. A large
square table covered with bricks and tools sits in the center of
the room, and a network of chains, ropes, and pulleys runs
through the timbers above. Two flights of stairs lead up to the
north to a long room filled with fumes and wisps of smoke.
Raynard sees a floor and a ceiling.
Everyone else notices a number of carrion roaches scuttle along the walls and rafters in this room.
The stench and humidity in the air here is cloying and choking. There is no proper floor in this room, only a series of five-foot-wide middenstone walkways passing along and over a series of pits ten feet below. The ground is obscured by a layer of foul-smelling, bubbling water through which a tangle of violet middenstone pipes weave. Numerous huge metal cauldrons containing a nasty, bubbling violet sludge simmer in the pits, each vat cradled in a nest of steaming pipes. Above, the open ceiling is a tangle of timbers, ropes, chains, and pulleys, many bearing hooks sized for the rings around the cauldron rims below. Ropes and slippery ladders descend into the morass below every five feet along the edges of the slippery walkways, while to the north is a warehouse containing bins of coal, barrels, cages, and other supplies. Beyond this, a huge steaming furnace churns and roars under an upraised observation deck.
Tiny Pebble motions to Pai. Clearly he wants to go forward as well with his new found travelling companion.
Let's go, buddy...no time to rest...work, work, work...ugh! Lini says to Droogi and the head to the stairs to the left.
The stairs prove to be no problem as Lini casts her spell.
Upon climbing the stairs, she sees more of the large building.
The stench and humidity in the air here is cloying and choking. There is no proper floor in this room, only a series of five-foot-wide middenstone walkways passing along and over a series of pits ten feet below. The ground is obscured by a layer of foul-smelling, bubbling water through which a tangle of violet middenstone pipes weave. Numerous huge metal cauldrons containing a nasty, bubbling violet sludge simmer in the pits, each vat cradled in a nest of steaming pipes. Above, the open ceiling is a tangle of timbers, ropes, chains, and pulleys, many bearing hooks sized for the rings around the cauldron rims below. Ropes and slippery ladders descend into the morass below every five feet along the edges of the slippery walkways, while to the north is a warehouse containing bins of coal, barrels, cages, and other supplies. Beyond this, a huge steaming furnace churns and roars under an upraised observation deck, with a leather curtain blocking off the upper deck.
Eight peopel seem to be working in here. A few are in the pits, stirring the sludge, others are stoking the furnace with coal. As you enter, they turn toward you, moan, and drop their jobs. They start to move toward you.
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Having completed her circuit of the building, Pai announces that there's one more door on the other side, just in time to notice that folks are already entering from the door that foiled her. Shrugging, she soars through the entry, gags, and immediately throws up her Air Shroud. This time, seeing the odd, zombie-like reaction of the workers, she grimaces as she accepts Burn to share her Air Shroud with Lini, Droogie, Raynard, Borax, and Igor. It wouldn't do to have them puking from the stench while they're trying to fight for their lives.
Then, as always, she calls out: "Hi! Uh, we're looking for Keeper Myre? Can you tell us where he is?" 'Cause *maybe* I'm misreading their intentions. **MAYBE?** She can't help hoping...
See if we cab draw them out...fighting in there is a death trap! Lini yells to the others. Or let them come to you...the footing is treacherous! Droogi...guard! The big cat snarls and hunches down.
Tiny Pebble moves to guard his master staying slightly in front of him.
(Double Move. The second move into the room (B2) was not at full speed but less than half speed if it is relevant.)
@GM Fuzzfoot: Can Tiny Pebble Earth Glide through this type of rock? I would tentatively say yes as natural soil is going to contain all sorts of natural decayed matter but it is the GM's call. If so can he glide his feet through the stone thus not needing to make an acrobatics check?
The walkways are listed as middenstone, so I think earth glide is appropriate.
Raynard slices the one closest to him, and it barely reacts to the damage. While these people seem normal, closer inspection shows they are more likely to be zombies. Igor also slams a force missile into one.
The zombies move toward you.
Yellow swings at Reynard.
Orange approaches Droogi, avoiding the readied attack, and tries to grab the cat.
Oh, for the love of....Droogi, get him! Stay here though! Lini says as she lets Droogi do his thing. The overgrown kitten lashes out with tooth and claws and tears at the zombie in front of him.
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"Uh, guyyyys... I don't think these folks are living!" Well, at least we don't have to worry about killing anyone. Anyone alive, that is. Pai is relieved, honestly. As much as she fears hates undead, at least she feels no remorse about ending their existence.
Seeing that Raynard has a bunch of backup on his side of the room, Pai flies over to help Lini and Droogi take out the orange-clothed zombie. Crackling electrical energy blasts toward it.
Tiny Pebble stands at the ready should any of these creatures threaten him or his master.
(Ready an attack)
Crit confirm on the attack that will never happen. :)
Yes, these are plain ol' zombies, disguised to look as normal as possible. Cheap labor, perhaps?
Droogmi, Pebble, Raynard, and Pai each destroy one. The ceilings are 20 feet high, but lots of ropes and pulleys dangling, so the zombies can climb to get almost anywhere. Still, flying in the center should serve you well.
As the remaining zombies push forward, you see an old may peek out behind the leather curtain at the end.
"Die, you filthy mercenaries! You’ve no right to be in here!”
He points a finger at Pai and a ray of negative energy shoots at her. It misses by a mile!
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The ceilings are 20 feet high, but lots of ropes and pulleys dangling, so the zombies can climb to get almost anywhere. Still, flying in the center should serve you well.
Dude! He just shot at me! And he's *working* with *zombies?!* Rrrrgh! Contempt written all over her face, and full of the conviction that this man is, in fact, a bad guy, Pai stretches out her arms to Gather Power. Arcs and bolts of electrical energy form within a 20' radius of her, swirling and accumulating into a tight mass which absorbs into her body. With a righteous yell, she hurtles the blast of collected power at the man who dared to threaten her team.
Empower Spell: 21 x 1.5 = 31.5 Total damage before crit: 31
Empower Spell: 18 x 1.5 = 27 Total damage with crit: 58
Pai fries the newcomer as soon as he pops his head out. You think you hear him grunt "thank the gods" as he drops.
Just as the Keeper dies, you also hear a tremendous voice cry out nearby, its syllables not quite recognizable words save for three ominous syllables: “YOG-SOTHOTH!”
Suddenly, one of the walls of the building explodes inward, spraying blocks of middenstone everywhere. Then you start to see the walkways in that area buckle and collapse, as if an invisible monster’s weight is more than the structure can handle.
Rupman’s Vat begins to collapse—all squares become difficult terrain as the building shakes.
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"Well done...
Igor's congratulation of the gnome's impressive electrical display is cut short by the explosion felt throughout the room.
Tiny Pebble points to the source of the disturbance with a rocky finger.
Igor is quick to smile as his curiosity is peeked.
"Not to worry my excitable friend. Let us see what we are really dealing with here."
He eagerly speaks a few words of power attempting to outline the creature in magical dust and hopefully blind it for a while.
(Glitterdust, Will DC 20 or be blinded. It should automatically negate the invisible effect regardless.)
He looks at the creature attempting to determine its abilities.
"Interesting...but perhaps we should take the fight outside."
He takes a look around at the vats and the collapsing building before moving out of the building.
Knowledge checks (all free actions).
What is in the vats:
What is likely to happen to the building and when?
or
Tiny Pebble easily glides through the rubble as well exiting the building with his master.
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Who should show up at this juncture but Nectanebo, accompanied by a fresh new skeleton salvaged - and from the looks of it, made from - parts unknown?
"Hello everyone, I-"
He stops short as he abruptly holds his breath starting from his diaphragm.
Judging the situation quickly, and seeing Igor running past him out the door, he stops short of entering further, his servitor moving ahead of him in a protective stance...
...while Nectanebo gingerly draws not his beloved Guidingstar, but the new sword they found, and stares intently at it .
"Let me guess," Nectanebo inquires in an alarmingly even voice under the circumstances. "We've finally met our mysterious civic-engineer-of-the-Brutalist-school?"
For those of you who rolled engineering checks, it is clear that the building is not going to survive... but for how long?
For those that rolled alchemy checks, the toxicity of the vats will likely make you sick. It does not seem to affect this creature, however.
You can't really tell if the blindness took, but you all do now see a glittery outling of the creature. It is large, seems to have 6 legs, multiple heads, and tentacles lashing in all directions. As it steps, the ground crumbles at its feet.
Igor recognizes the beast as something from legend - the Spawn of Yog-Sothoth! The spawn of Yog-Sothoth are begotten upon the world as the results of vile rituals in which cultists call down the essence of Yog-Sothoth, an Outer God from beyond the stars to impregnate a humanoid creature. The Outer God is not of this dimension or world; only by incorporating flesh and bone of a mortal can its spawn exist. Upon death, a spawn’s flesh rapidly melts until nothing remains but a crusty stain. Although the spawn of Yog-Sothoth are naturally invisible, they exude a hideous, unforgettable stench that alerts others to their presence.
Ancient legend holds that the spawn of Yog-Sothoth are inflicted upon a world to clear it of all sane life and to prepare the way for the return of the Great Old Ones. But it’s just as likely that the carnage and mayhem it brings upon the world is due to its ravenous and constant hunger for blood as any agenda from masters beyond the stars.
A spawn of Yog-Sothoth grows quickly to Large size, but if it continues to feed, it also continues to grow, albeit at a lesser rate. A truly ancient spawn of Yog-Sothoth can be the size of a barn or even a small hill.
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Igor looks proud of himself as he remembers so much about the creature before dashing right out of the building.
@GM Fuzzfoot - I will take Resistances and Special Attacks. It looks a lot like a giant extra-planar Gibbering Mouther to me. :) Generally I like SLA for these types of creatures but I just cannot fit it in with two data points.
The little rock man tries to see if he remembers anything of value about the evil spawn while evacuating the building.
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Defensive Abilities natural invisibility, DR 10/magic; Immune
cold, fire; Resist sonic 10; SR 20
Special Abilities
Blood Drain (Ex) If a spawn of Yog-Sothoth establishes or
maintains a pin with a tentacle, it drains blood via tiny
slavering mouths that open along the tentacle’s length,
dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage.
Devastation (Ex) As a full-round action, the spawn can
assault a structure, dealing 4d6+16 points of damage to
the structure in that round.
Natural Invisibility (Ex) This ability is constant—a
spawn is invisible at all times, even when attacking.
This ability is subject to effects like invisibility purge,
glitterdust, and faerie fire, but cannot be dispelled.
Init +6; Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +20
Aura stench (DC 22, 10 rounds)
Defense
AC 24, touch 11, flat-footed 22 (+2 Dex, +13 natural, –1 size)
hp 133 (14d8+70)
As Borax runs, the creature acts.
It starts by lumbering towards Pai at a pretty quick clip. (30 ft move-half due to difficult terain.)
It also has 10' reach, and since it is 10' tall, it is able to reach her.
Pai gets pretty badly beaten and is held fast in a tentacle.
Pai! Noooooo! Go get him, Droogi! Chew his tentacles off! the halfling says as she casts a spell on her pet and he then go to chomp on the beast to try to let the gnome go.
Droogi gets a good bite on, tearing flesh from the creatures leg.
For Round 2, I need DC 15 reflex saves from Igor, Pebble, Lini, and Pai.