Rena digs her feet into the cliff and continues to climb higher - without the assistance of the rope, hoping to get to the top as quickly as she could and provide Ardan with additional support
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Valestar
Ardan
and Rena all make it to the top of the cliff wall.
Sprig makes it 30ft up
Cathrine makes it 35ft up, anyone on the top of the cliff may make a strength check to pull her up. (DC 13)
Warren makes it 10ft off the ground.
The swarm wave of scorpions hits the base of the cliff wall, they skitter up a ways but seem unable to truly climb particularly high. However they get high enough to swarm over Warren as he makes his way up. Terrel is covered in a matter of seconds.
Terrel, Warren, make me a will save please, DC 14.
You swat and kick at the scorpions as they bite and sting you. However, you notice your hand goes through them. Suddenly, you realize there is no pain. It is an illusion!
You swat and kick at the scorpions as they bite and sting you to no avail, you feel their venom start to seep into your veins as it begins to slow you. Take a -2 on all attack rolls and skill checks.
With his final effort Vale hefts himself up onto the cliff. A heavy breath in his lungs, he spins around to see the scorpion swarm pouring over their allies. "Warren, Terrel, to the rope! Everyone, grab on, we need to haul them up!" He grabs the rope alongside Rena and Ardan, helping to brace it now, but prepared to pull back, hoping to bring the last two of their number to safety.
William begins swatting and kicking the scorpions yelling, "Ow, Ow Ow!"
I don't want to die here. This can't be the end of the story for me already! There was so much I was going to do...
"Wait, Warren! They're not real! They're illusions!" Terrel will hold Warren, and show his hand going through a scorpion.
"That being said, I don't want to find out what can create an illusion this powerful. That's a caster who's probably beyond us."
Sprig continues her climb and rolls over onto the top of the cliff before turning back and looking down just in time to see Terrel and Warren be engulfed. She starts to fish out her rope, but Terrel's call gives her pause.
"I-illusions? You mean like those tricks Lizzy does?"
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As Terrel states the swarms are an illusion, slowly, they fade from existence. With the perceived threat gone. Those of you at the bottom easily make your way up the rope provided. After you collect yourselves and regroup. You find another branch of three tunnels not 100ft down the exit. This time, there is little to use to determine the proper path. The air is heavy and still, the rock and stone barren, and no footprints to follow.
You are almost certain that the middle most passage is the incorrect option. Its a gut feeling, but your guts have lead you right more than once.
You determine, based on your memory of what you could piece together about the layout of these tunnels, that the right most passage would be the least likely to lead anywhere fast, if anywhere at all.
Warren paces across the mouths of the three tunnels. Finally he turns to the group, "It's not the center one, but I can't tell you if it is right or left."
”Can’t say I can make heads or hooves out of any of this. No clues whatsoever as far as I can tell. If it isn’t the center, then we have a fifty fifty chance of going in the right direction. I’m glad that we’re all together. I’d hate to get lost down here alone.”
"I guess we could flip a coin to see where we go," Sprig says. She shrugs her shoulders and peers down the tunnels.
Not sure what I'd see with that roll, even with her suspiciously good nightvision. (Just a reminder that she has darkvision 60ft.)
"I don't think its the right passage, and if we are sure that the middle passage isn't the right option, then I guess that leaves the left one." Rena offers.
"Right, left 'tis!"
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Catherine keeps her eyes open, hopefully seeing whatever is important.
Like pits or dangerous spaces.
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As you make your way down the tunnel, you find this tunnel to be longer than the others. You walk for over three hours until you start to see a blue glow ahead.
Catherine manages to make out what appears to be a crystal of some sort jutting from the roof of the tunnel, she also thinks she can see others further down as well.
What do you do?
The blue crystals radiates a minor aura of magic, of the evocation subschool.
These are arcane crystals, found withing the deeper places of the world, they are of unknown origin and make. They are magical in nature, and come in a variety of different colors each with their own, often unique, effects. They have been used in many creations and even weapons produced by the engineers and magitech engineers from Nasar. The latest being the elemental rifle. Which can be powered by most variants of the crystals, though you heard/read certain colors work better as an energy source than others. Despite many attempts, so far no one has been able to manufacture or reproduce them and their effects. So they are limited in, and once their magical energy is used up it requires time or magical energy from a person to "refill" them. Particular types of crystals are known for being highly unstable and volatile, particularly when split or broken. Which ones specifically however you do not recall
Ardan trotted along. He was used to walking for hours and hours on end, and he did so in silence. But when the monotony of the walk was shattered by the blue crystals ahead, he came to a halt.
"Well, whatever that is it can't be good. Right?" He asked, obviously not knowing either way.
Catherine hadn't commented on anything in particular along the way, but she lets out a soft *shh*, as she hears other people, and points quietly downwards for others to see.
Her attention was irresistibly drawn to the crystals.
Warren looks toward the crystal and shrugs, "It means nothing to me. I'll take point."
Terrel takes a look at the crystals growing on the celling.
Terrel says to the group, but his voice is quiet and hard to hear, "They're magical crystals, infused with evocation magics. They often are used in many new and promising magi-tech fusions, but they're also sometimes unstable. We should proceed cautiously."
As Sir Terrel speaks of the magic infused crystals, she gets a little excited.
"Not just any magi-tech fusions. The crystals are also utilized by the weapons development.", she subconsciously holds her hand on her own gun, her own little piece of development.
"The latest is the 'elemental rifle', using a crystal as a power core.", realizing she might get carried away, Catherine recomposes herself.
"Of course, they are known to be unstable at times, especially in their raw form."
"Sounds...dangerous. We should move through here as carefully as possible, with a good distance between each of us. So if disaster does happen, we all don't get blown up."
"They look pretty big. What if we set 'em all off by settin' one off?"
"Sorry about that. It's just that... well they might not explode in the usual sense. See, if they're infused with raw magical energies, even if they're just evocation, they could do all sorts of things that are worse than just blowing us up. I've read accounts of accidentally ripping holes in the fabric of our plane with powerful enough untamed evocation magics. I'd rather... stay on the safe side."
Correct me if I say anything that you disagree with about your magic system, I'm just riffing here :)
"I'd love to take a fragment with me for study, even if it is the size of a cherry tomato.
However, it may be best to relay this discovery to one of the senior professors, see if they can determine if this specific type of crystal is safe to chip a piece off from."
Hearing Terrel's voice raised is actually enough to make Sprig jump a few feet into the air. A moment after she recovers from the scare she looks at him in shock.
S-sorry! I w-wasn't meaning we do it!
Rena glances at the crystal with an interested look on her face. "I'm sure that these crystals must be known to be here. I'm sure this cave has been explored before. I'd be inclined to take one with me but I wouldn't know how to do so safely without starting a chain reaction. Best to leave it be I think and continue onwards."
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Rena, as you move to inspect one of the crystals a minor electrical current in the air forms between you and it, like a static field, and you feel a tingling run through you.
You feel as if your magical energy has been super charged.
These fluorescent blue crystals are referred to as "mana crystals", their most obvious use has been to amplify magical energy. However each "use" weakens the inherit magical energy in the crystal, and only time or a spellcaster actively channeling their own magical energy back into it will refill it. The size of the crystal directly effects the amount of magical energy it can store. While most smaller versions and shards of these crystals are extremely stable, the larger, magic enriched ones have been known to erupt with magical force at mishandling during harvesting. Also, you have heard there are negative affects from these crystals. The most obvious is the dependence one gains if they are overly used. Where their own spells are dulled or weakened from the reliance on the crystal energy if they cannot access them. You think you could potentially harvest some, though most of the ones here are rather large. No crystal in the tunnel is smaller than a large dwarf. Harvesting requires a successful know. Arcana check, followed by a successful spellcraft or Know. Engineering check. DCs vary.
"Sorry, didn't mean to give you a fright...
I'm against trying to take one with us, but if we do decide to, I will help however I can."
"We do have a task to complete here. Blowing ourselves up is not going to help us complete our goal." Ardan offered.
Rena nods briefly in agreement. "We should push on. Its much too risky to attempt to take one of these gems and risk bringing the entire roof down on us. Lets push ahead."
Sprig nods and takes up her position in the front and follows the more skilled survivalists' lead.
"I will speak to one of the professors about a survey and collecting later. Let us indeed proceed."
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You push on past the corridor of crystals, as you walk through the passage you all feel a tingling sensation as you walk among the crystals.
You continue on the path for several more hours. Finally, you see a light coming from the far end of the tunnel, it appears to open up into a well lit room. As you readjust your eyes, you see a wide 50ft area of floor with several statues placed all around the area. The floor leads to the far wall where you see a raised balcony overlooking the floor. Sitting in chairs apparently having tea, is Sir Alaryn Cedric Rose accompanied by priestess Aria Silvia and Nathan Rellin Arch mage of the Order, looking particularly bored.
When they notice you all, they stand, clearly mildly surprised to see you. Though not unhappy.
Sir Alaryn clears his throat. Before addressing you, his voice seems to boom slightly, as if amplified by magic. Even without the amplification it hold an air of authority, power, and command.
AH, Greetings young ones. I must congratulate you on perhaps the fastest time any group has achieved. That is no small feat. And so, you have finally reached your destination. Likely, bruised, battered, and tired. However, often times we are forced to face our most dangerous foes at such times. For evil does not rest, and so neither can we. Yet, in our perseverance we find preparation. Your first half of the trial has ended, the second half will soon commence. Make your preparations for battle, as now you must face your foe in their lair. Sir Rellin. He turns to regard the arch mage.
If you would please.
Nathan glances up from his book before giving a small sigh. He moves to the edge of the balcony before making several gestures and arcane sigils glow around him. A bolt of electricity shoots from his hand to the ground. It runs down the wall of the balcony all the way to the floor before entering an ornate marble statue of a warrior wielding a sword and shield. Soon, the statue creaks and cracks before it begins to move. It raised its shield and sword to a battle stance before stepping down from its pedestal and moving towards you.
Sir Alaryn speaks once more.
The second half of your final trial, starts now! Show us why you deserve to be counted among the finest warriors in the land! Best of luck recruits!.
Party get majority above, Party goes first.
Initiative order-
Party
Statue
bold may go
Ardan looked at Sir Alaryn with surprise, that gave way to relief, and then to trepidation. It was truly a wild ride of emotions. With about half a minute to prepare themselves, Ardan instead trotted his hooves and rolled his shoulders to prepare himself for the coming conflict. There was not much else he could do but to get his nerves in order.
"Ideally we should surround and flank it. Sprig and Warren, you're with me on the first wave. The most heavily armored of us should be the first in, to try and draw it's attention before the rest of us get there. Ardan and Cathrine, you're our ranged backup, we'll keep it away from you. Rena and Valestar, you know your spells better than I, but I have to ask, do either of you know the enlarge person spell? Increasing the size of me would probably pay off the most, since I think I'm the only one who uses a two handed weapon. Did I miss anything?" Terrel talks quickly, and although his voice is still quiet, he seems to have done his best to come up with a fast solution to the problem and has faith in it.
Upon entering the cavern and seeing their leaders Warren is a bit surprised and then smiles. That smiles leaves his face as their next fight begins.
"Sounds good Terrel. Let's go get him, it. Move together and attack. I'll take the center."
"If possible, leave some room for me to blast it from range without accidently hitting you. I should hopefully be able to soften it up before we swarm it. Rhiannon will help too" Rena mentions helpfully.
"Lovely. A statue."
I'm completely ill equipped for this.
Catherine drinks an extract of shield and of long shot.
"Cone formation. Roger that. Do you have any alchemists fire to amp it up even further?
"Cone formation. Roger that. Do you have any alchemists fire to amp it up even further?"
[looks over at Sir Terrel]
"Ah. That's right, it can be used as a catalyst for spells.
Said spell aught to be potent, solid stone an all."