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Jack finally ate a goodberry and, after a few seconds of paranoia at realizing how much ground they had covered without running into anything so far, went ahead and put away his sword to cast instant weapon and shield in case they ran into more ghosts. "Bit of a downgrade, but can always swap to the other if I need it."
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Yuri opens the door to reveal…
…a massive domed chamber, peaking at seventy feet above, is painted with knotted geometric designs in muted reds and golds. Another Medusa Triumphant statue dominates the alcove at the room’s western end. An inscription decorates the statue’s base.
You detect no hidden creatures nor any traps…
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The inscription at the statue’s base reads as follows:
“Come out further on our Ledge
Sheathe in me the Family’s Edge
Take the Soot inside my Core
Scatter Ash past Stony Door
Walk into the Scarlet Light
Witness when the Dead had Sight
Two Sad Tales are both revealed
Truth and Fraud, No more concealed
Newfound Wisdom tastes of Bile
And never shall We reconcile”
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'Newfound Wisdom tastes of Bile, And never shall We reconcile'...perhaps there is something that someone will need to eat or drink here?
Qadathra gives Vladek a momentary sad look, then briefly at Alie, as well; the last time they were asked to consume 'bile' wasn't even that long ago....
...Has anybody got an apple? One of those big, golden ones, maybe?
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You leave this room to check for the sword in the other room…Daathiel opens the door from afar to reveal the following…
From your distance from the door, you can still discern the chamber’s twenty-foot-high ceiling held aloft by pristine granite pillars. The walls are covered in murals depicting battle scenes, while a twelve-foot-tall aquarium occupies the west end of the room, framed in iron and with thick glass. Four elaborate chairs of carved mahogany sit before this water-filled tank. A great Qadiran rug of intricate geometric designs covers the floor.
You detect no traps nor any foes…
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Rokgurn turns to Yuri smiling.
"So what do you think of this rug? Does it complete the room?"
He pushes his smoked colored glasses up to his forehead so he can get a better view. He hovers above the ground looking through the aquarium glass into the tank.
"Perhaps the sword is in the there?"
(Take 10 on Perception is 43)
Whisper rests in his protective satchel for now.
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Rokgurn’s keen eyes pick up the following…
The only ingress into the aquarium tank is a 3-foot-diameter iron entry hatch atop its northeast corner. Turning the locking wheel to open the hatch, hinged on its west side, appears to be the only way to open the hatch.
Front and center in the aquarium floats a bloated, unusually preserved corpse, its arms and legs shackled with chains attached to floor and ceiling, clad in an extraordinarily wrought breastplate emblazoned with the cross-eyed medusa, and bobbing in the green-hued water. The pommel of a sword protrudes from the body’s belly. The floating cadaver’s dead eyes are wide open, and its black hair wafts back and forth, as though cast about by a gentle breeze.
A bronze plaque, green with age, mounted on the glass above, reads:
“‘Then Let Them Drink’—Bartolomae Adella, 4496 –4542.”
A gilded bathtub stands to the corpse’s left, its legs great lion’s paws. Thick seaweed grows at the back of the tank, obscuring whatever might lie at the rear of this grisly aquatic display.
Whisper has a quick look at the body to inform Rokgurn what he knows before returning to his protective satchel.
(Take 10 on K-Undead of 39 with Good Hope active)
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Whisper whispers to Rokgurn that the corpse appears to be just what it looks like, a dead body, nothing more…
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See that it was the sword that they were looking for, Jack took the opportunity to cast bestow grace on himself since he had no idea what how much of an issue he was going to have contending with it. "Sure looks like it. Not that I'm paranoid enough to suggest that we see if it's undead, but do we have a way of decapitating the corpse before trying to remove the sword?
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Rokgurn snorts as Jack struggles with the wheel.
"Best you turn your attention to battle or to the ladies and leave this sort of back breaking work to those better disposed to it."
Rokgurn ushers the party away from the aquarium as he transforms his staff into an enormous plant creature. With a couple of words the Treant begins pounding away at the glass and steel structure.
(Change Staff cast)
Rokgurn is currently flying in the room at an altitude of 30 feet.
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Yuri pauses from his extended meditation on the carpet - which does indeed really tie the whole room together - to observe the others fussing with the aquarium. "I reckon anyone heading in there might want to be able to swim. And breathe. I've got a potion o' touch o' the sea. 'N some air crystals. I'll use 'em and go in an get the sword if yer tree-thingy can't do it." He pushes the smoked goggles back onto his forehead in order to see better.
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@Daathiel - The aquarium has plot armor. That is the best protection around. :)
"Not to worry Yuri. I have a Life Bubble spell prepared for the party in case we all need to go in. But, I have another trick or two prepared before we get to that. I would prefer not to play their game if I can help it."
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As the Treant, using his long reach, grabs the sword and pulls it from the corpse, the corpse suddenly...
...remains dead. However, the three columns to the north of the aquarium morph into rancid-smelling mounds of animated ooze which has about its shifting countenance the hideous shape of a half-melted man...and they do not look happy...
COMBAT! Round 1 - The Bold may post!
Rokgurn
Jack (-1)
Alie
Daathiel
Slimy Melted Men
Vladek/Qadathra
Yuri
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Demons were one of Jack's specialties as well. "Holy is my default anyways. Oh, this is going to suck..." As Tim engaged with the closest one, Jack activated his boots and didn't bother getting into immediate flanking since he suspected it would be pointless anyways and would just leave him open to the same treatment.
Whisper takes a peek at the animated ooze. He educates Rokgurn and then returns to the safety of his satchel.
Rokgurn's summoned Treant responds to his commands. He shifts slightly (5' step) dropping the sword at his feet. He lashes out at the closest ooze creature (Green) with his club-like hand.
@GM Otha - The Treant has 15' reach so the creatures are likely to provoke if they move more than 5'. I forgot about the flanking bonus so you can add 2 to all attack rolls for myself and Jack against Green although considering the rolls I doubt it will make a difference. :)
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Daathiel IDs the creatures, boosts the party's morale, and activates his wand while Alie casts Haste and Whisper does a little recon...
Jack and Tim take a more physical approach...Tim's bite connects but does only sonic damage...Jack tries a tumbling maneuver to avoid a nasty AoO from the creature...but the creature defies its look as it is much quicker than t'would appear and the tries to slam the Ifreeti...
...but his attack goes awry and Jack's sword makes an immediate impact, efficiently cutting through the green demon's slimy substance like butter...
Rokgurn's Treant double-teams the green meanie with one devastating attack with both giant hands smashing the oozy fellow, splattering slime throughout the area...but its third attack misses wildly...
COMBAT! Round 1 - The Bold may post!
Rokgurn
Treant
Jack (-1)
Alie
Daathiel
Omox Demons (green -102)
Vladek/Qadathra
Yuri
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Rokgurn forms begin to shift again as he activates his Sipping Jacket for the last time today. He flies with great speed over the demons landing near the corner of the room. With an enormous punch to the ground in front of him he rips up the floor and perhaps even disrupts the position of the carpeting throughout the room (apologies Yuri). He sends shards of rock in a line through these three vile creatures.
(Displacement activated as a swift action, Earth Tremor (Intensified) cast at Caster level 15. He will cast defensively (automatic). There is no SR check required but DR will apply to the damage. If they save they will not be prone and they will take half damage. These squares are now difficult terrain.)
@GM Otha - Both Daathiel and Rokgurn have Echolocation (Blind Sight 40') active. This may be relevant considering the enemy's SLAs.
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Two demons maintain their feet and shake off the worst of the spell put upon 'em by Rokgurn...but purple gets slammed and slips to the ground...
The green demon moves 5' NW and attempts to slam Jack...
...its first attempt misses badly...
...but its second attempt smashes into Jack, the demon grabs hold of Jack, drawing it into its body where its slime covers his head, to include his mouth and nose, and he finds he cannot breathe...
The orange demon casts a spell...and a fog emerges in a 20' radius around him, obscuring vision and engulfing Rokgurn and Jack whom both feel acid within the fog burning their skin....
Then you see yet more fog extending beyond the other fog and can only assume that the purple demon did the same...and it engulfs both Tim and the Treant...and they feel the acid eating into their skin as well...
COMBAT! End Round 1 / Begin Round 2 - The Bold may post!
Rokgurn (-4)
Treant (-3)
Jack (-23; grappled/smothering)
Tim (-3)
Alie
Daathiel
Omox Demons (green -70, Purple -36, Orange -18)
Vladek/Qadathra
Yuri
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Rokgurn's bat-like radar easily cuts through the acid fog providing excellent detail of his surroundings and the demons' activities (Blind Sight 40' foils the concealment/total concealment aspect of the fog). He concentrates briefly pushing the demon off-balance with a gust of wind in an attempt to deflect the successful (Natural 20) attack against Jack.
@GM Otha - Please re-roll the Demon(Green) attack with a -2 penalty to the die roll. My character is using the Divine Interference feat as an immediate action to force a re-roll and is sacrificing a 2nd level spell to do so. The gust of wind is simply flavor text explaining the re-roll in-game and has no other game effect.
@GM Otha - I think that the demons DR would have been effective against the Earth Tremor spell so please subtract 10 hit points (or its DR if it is not 10) from all damage taken. Also note that Acid Fog/Solid Fog will impose a -2 to hit/-2 damage penalty on all melee attacks and renders missile attacks useless (except magic rays and the like).