Seeing Bharak shift to the west and attack the downed terra-cotta soldier, Elathras turns towards the terra-cotta solder attacking Umazura. "Stay back Umazura, I will deal with it." He taps his heals together activating the boots Haste ability. Shifting his keen Guisarme, slashes at the animated statue, following through he lifts the polearm and slashes again.
Axton & Intrepid note that fire doesn't seem to have any effect on baked clay. It matter little as Bharak reduces it to pottery shards with some savage blows.
Reaching past Umazura, Elathras keeps the competition of devastation going with Bharak and smashes the other Terra-cotta soldier into shards as well.
Silence drops over the manse again. By now you should have heard some sign that your invasion was noticed. Are the owners away, or are they being stealthy?
What now?
|
"They're probably laying in ambush... but I don't think we have a choice except to press on. We can't risk them escaping with their prisoner, if that's what they want to try." Elena reasons when the statues are swiftly dealt with. "Elathras or Bharak, would you mind taking point?" She asks, then casts Shield of Faith on the warrior going first.
Still standing with his back to the door in the corner, Elathras nods towards the door behind him. "I'll open this door." He then nods to the other corner, "If we're in a hurry, Bharak can start with that one."
He then turns, shifting his weapon to one hand, he opens the door with the other.
Elathras opens the untrapped door.
A14-KITCHEN
This kitchen appears partially automated, with several spindly mechanical arms extruding from counters and holding rolling pins or chef's knives. To the northwest, a window looks out over a scrapheap and the edge of the balcony. A smaller door stands in the southern corner. By far the largest feature in the room is a potbellied iron stove along the western wall, its several extruded arms holding pots and skillets.
As soon as anyone enters the kitchen, the various mechanical arms snap to attention and await orders.
What are you doing?
Bharak looked in confusion at the automated kitchen, and distrust at the mechanical arms. With a groan, he said "This place feels so unnatural. I could really use a cold ale..."
chuckling at his friend's observation, Elathras closes the door to the kitchen. As he moves towards the next door, he gestures back towards the kitchen then towards the ceramic remains, "Does any of this look like what Pug might be interested in?"
Pausing at the door in the corner, he checks it quickly for traps, and attempts to open it.
The door is untrapped.
A15 Pantry
This small closet is packed tight with sacks, jars, and crates of foodstuffs.
A12 Hallway
One wall of this hallway is covered in an elaborate mural of a pastoral landscape in which every object-trees, animals, and even people-is its own clockwork mechanism of exposed gears and belts.
A13 Library
This room is lined with bookshelves, each packed to bursting with tomes, folios, and scroll tubes. A stuffed chair upholstered with a bear pelt sits in the corner, the bear's head rising from the top of the high back and holding a glowing glass orb in its jaws.
What are you doing? Nothing obvious in these rooms
Carefully opening the door to the Library, Elathras nods towards the books and tomes. "Once we clear the house and rescue the captive, it may be worth our while to investigate the books and glass orb."
Nodding to Bharak, he moves down the hall, pausing for a second to look at the mural, turning towards Elena, he asks, "Elena, do you think we would be able to take some of this mural with us?"
Shrugging he moves on towards the southeastern portion of the house. Pausing at the door on his left he listens at the door while inspecting it for traps, he then attempts to open the door.
Carefully opening the door to the Library, Elathras nods towards the books and tomes. "Once we clear the house and rescue the captive, it may be worth our while to investigate the books and glass orb."
"This is someone's home, not an abandoned lighthouse in the middle of a swamp. If the authorities get involved, I think we could justify rescuing a kidnapped victim, but we could not justify burglary.
"That orb is interesting, though."
Axton casts detect magic and scans the orb and then the rest of the room.
Bharak considered the question of whether the mural could be taken. Or at least if some part of it could. He kept quiet as Axton spoke of the authorities getting involved.
.
A13 Library:
The orb in the bear's mouth is a simple glass bulb with a continual flame spell cast on it, which Berkanin uses as a reading lamp. The books in this room are almost entirely devoted to the crafting, programming, philosophy, and ethical issues involved in creating constructs and intelligent machines. Many are very old and close to falling apart.
Treasure: A search with a successful DC15 Perception check reveals a cache of pornographic poetry on a bottom shelf, along with a flipbook in which several animated clay golems couple with their creator-a handwritten note on the back reads: "Copied from a student at the Arcanamirium-quite diverting."
The flipbook is worth 50gp. The collected books in this room are worth at least 5000gp as a whole, yet unlike most of the possessions in this house, these are claimed by the Ardoc family as a whole, and the brothers take exception to anyone refusing to turn them over immediately.
One particularly valuable item they don't know about is hidden behind the poetry cache: a clay Golem manual.
Pantry
Treasure: Herifax, being a bit paranoid, believes in
always keeping this pantry stocked with several weeks' worth of food. Most of the jars and bags hold little more than grains, vegetables, and salted meat, though a careful search (and a successful DC20 Perception check) uncovers 200gp in exotic spices from Tian Xia and Casmaron.
A10. PARLOR
This large room has a staircase in the corner and several overstuffed armchairs facing each other on a large and ornate rug. Along the walls stand various cases or hangers displaying an assortment of strange trophies, such as a spear with a glass reservoir at the end, a small mannequin elaborately carved from bone or ivory, a marble lionhead, and a number of framed schematic drawings.
A successful DC20 Knowledge (arcana) check reveals that the marble lion head is actually the severed head of a powerful construct called a Taotieh
The small mannequin goes invisible when you enter the room!
What are you doing now?
Considering Axton's observation as the sorcerer entered the library, Elathras nodded, "True, I am not condoning stealing. But Berkanin is a criminal and we did contract to acquire broken pieces of mechanical parts."
Pausing in the hallway, he continues, "It does not sound like Kaer Maga has a central government but is ruled by gangs, only doing what is in their best interests. That is not law or order."
He shrugs, "In such cases, where there is no law or government, Hellknight's traditionally confiscated the property of bandits or other criminals after they've been dealt with. I see no difference here."
Not finding the orb worth further investigating, Axton leaves it where it is and moves on.
"Kudos to you for considering the higher ethical implications, but that's not what I'm talking about.
"What I mean is this: Later today, or perhaps tomorrow, or sometime before we leave Kaer Maga, if the local authorities -- whether you consider them gang-adjacent or not -- if they confront us based on our actions here, I think we could justify forcing our way inside to rescue a kidnapped person. Our actions will not be viewed upon nearly so justly if we have burgled.
"If we see something particularly potent or interesting, I'm not against considering bringing it with us. But common looting?"
Bhrak literally tripped his way into finding a hidden cache of pornographic poetry. By trying to arrest his fall, he caused the books to tumble out. Blushing as he saw what he uncovered, he said "Looks like these belong to the Ardoc family. Seems like there is a clay golem manual hidden away in the...eh...stash."
Busying himself, he rummaged around until he found a collection of exotic spices from Tian Xia and Casmaron.
He stopped, his hand tightening on his hammer. [b]"Anyone else see that small mannequin? It went invisible as we entered the room!"
Nodding at Axton's comment, Elathras responds, "Vargun id say He has broken their own rules. Take him out quickly without boasting about it, or making it public and the Ardoc's will shrug. It seems like that may give us a little wiggle room, as long as we're only taking what's his and we don't brag about it." He gestures towards the books Bharak stumbled upon, smilng. "Like those."
Shifting left to right, Elathras nods, "Yeah I saw it."
"I saw it, too. It's called a Tupilaq. It's powered by a trapped spirit. Ware of its jaws."
"And that thing," Axton points at the marble lion head, "is another construct called a Taotieh. It can swallow us whole, is made of adamantium, and is resistant to most forms of energy."
Axton rummages in his handy haversack and pulls out his wand of ear-piercing scream. "But not sonic energy!"
What are you doing?
What are you doing?
His eyes resting on where the Tupilaq had been Elathras asks, "Ware it's jaws? If it's trapped spirit, how do you kill?"
Axton and Elathras stand around casually chatting while they wait for Bharak to act on his initiative.
"Well, 'Ware it's jaws' sounded better than 'Its bite hurt more than you would think'. Seriously, the thing's jaws must unhinge like a constrictor snake's when it swallows a baby dear!
"And it's made of solid material, so violence is still a fairly reliable solution. It just has an innocent trapped spirit inside of it. Although I suppose Bharak's hammer is likely to be more effective than your blade."
”All fine and good. But if I can’t see it then I can’t ware anything.” The dwarf said as he readied his hammer…
Axton casts mirror image, causing...
... illusory duplicates of himself to appear!
|
|
Elena shrugs off her curiousity at what kind of books Bharak had found to make even HIM nervous when the party enters the room and YET ANOTHER enemy tries to go at them invisibly.
"Hey, this is a good time to try out that new spell I've been working on!" She answers Bharak and begins casting a spell! "Veritas celari non potest cum mendaciis!"
Smiling at Axton, Elathras rests his polearm against the wall, "Thanks Axton, I can fix that." Drawing his Alchemical Silver Warhammer, he grips it in both hands. Nodding as Elena says she's trying a new spell, Elathras waits with baited breath to smack the possessed puppet.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
.
Elena casts her spell and the Tupilq is revealed creeping closer to her. Where Bharak & Elathras turn it into bone splinters with their usual efficiency.
Treasure:
The carpet the chairs are sitting on is from the Empire of Kelesh, and is worth 1,000gp, though it also weighs 30 pounds.
The spear is a +1 injection spear. Familiar to you as the Derro used them.
The schematic drawings range from revelatory illustrations regarding the
construction of a dangerous , fire-bellied guardian called a tophet to partial instructions for building an Alkenstar firearm. Each of these schematics is worth 2,000gp to the right buyer.
Three doors still to check & the stairs going up. What are you doing now?
Returning his Hammer to its 'frog' on his belt, Elathras kicks the shattered remains of the possesed puppet, "Really not much too it is there." As he picks up his Guisarme, he sees the 'injection' spear, "Well isn't that a spear used by the derro?" lifting the spear he inspects it for a moment, then reaches back and tucks it into his handy haversack.
As they move about the room looking at objects, Elathras moves towards the southern door listening carefully and inspecting it for traps.
|
|
Breathing easy as her super-capable friends absolutely destroyed another foe so hard it probably counted as a crime against reality, Elena glances at the complicated schematics and is at first unable to make much sense of them. When her more tech-savvy allies inform her, she frowns. "...A weapon that allows anyone to kill anyone else at a distance by simply pointing at them and pulling a trigger? And it would go through *any* armor and most magical protections?" She shudders at the intensely destructive capacity contained in these pages. "This... doesn't really feel right to make or sell to me. It would make a world of fear where no one is ever truly safe," She follows, but doesn't protest when the obviously valuable print is added to the bag.
”They’re just guns.” Bharaz said, glancing at the schematics. ”I trained to use them. They’re powerful, but they aren’t going to change the world. Not yet.” He said. ”Though…hmm…” Thinking about it, he said ”Perhaps with these I could have someone make me one?”
With these schematics, would it be possible to get a firearm?
There is no sound from A9, the door isn't locked or trapped.
A9. HALL OF JUDGEMENT
The ceiling and two outer walls of this room a remade entirely of panes of glass. The light coming through the windows seems amplified, and the room is as bright as noonday. Several tables and racks stand covered with green, leafy plants in pots, as well as four identical marble busts of the same young, clean-shaven man. A plain wooden chair sits in the center of the room, facing a small desk with a mechanical arm protruding from the top. Part of the wood is scarred and stained.
When Berkanin was still interested in his familial role as one of the governors and peacekeepers of Bis, this was the room he used to hear grievances and try criminals.
The stain on the desk is where he meted out judgment.
(a successful DC 12 Knowledge [local] check reveals that Ardoc brothers pass most of their sentences in terms of finger joints, removing the prescribed number of joints from criminals' hands with their chisels of office).
A8. Privy
This is an ordinary privy, with a stone seat and a small standing wash basin with a copper faucet and drain.
A11. Storage
The storeroom is packed with crates and bins filled with bolts, cogs, chains, tubes, bricks of clay, and other supplies seemingly suited for an artist or mechanic. On a table in the middle of the room lies a pile of three round, eyeball-shaped constructs with spindly arms, all of them broken and battered.
A search ofthis room and a successful DC15 Perception check reveals:
An adamantine dagger,
a mithral chain shirt,
200gp worth of random cogs and other finely machined clockwork parts. There are also 3 doses of clearly labeled universal solvent sitting on a small side table.
The doors to A7 & the stairs up left to do. Which way?
Opening the door to the 'Hall of Judgement' Elathras nods towards the blood stained desk. "Look there Axton, this is where Berkanin and his clan judge evil doers; cutting off finger joints as punishment for minor infractions. This judge is the kidnapper we face. If that is not proof of no law or order, nothing is."
Turning from the 'Hall of Judgement' in disgust, he opens the door to the privy then to the storage room. Leaning his Guisarme against the door frame he enters the storage and looks around. Tucking the adamantine dagger in his belt, he steps out of the closet asking, "Would these cogs and clockwork parts be of any interest?"
Moving to the last door, "No reason to leave a closed door behind us." He listens carefully at the double doors then inspects the door for traps.
"Shows that we'd best not be captured." Bharak muttered, as he likewise checked for any traps.
.
A7. ENTRY HALL
This hall has ornate wooden double doors on opposite walls to the east and west. A third door made primarily of opaque glass stands in the northern wall. On the southern wall, a huge clock ticks off the seconds, its exposed gears and whirring pulleys spread out across the entire wall in a single artistically arranged layer.
Over the western double doors, a tiny mechanical eyeball with wings and arms is mounted on the wall, its limbs pinned out in a majestic pose.
To either side of these doors, a marble podium holds a small potted plant.
This room is the receiving room used for servants, merchants, and others who have business with Berkanin but are not invited in as guests. The clock on the southern wall is unnecessarily complicated and designed to impress and intimidate, counting off everything from seconds and
minutes to days, years, the phases of the moon, and more esoteric measurements.
A successful DC10 Perception check is enough to notice that the plants seem out of place with the rest of the decor-they're a halfhearted attempt to "brighten up the place."
A successful DC15 Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (planes) check identifies the construct above the door as not a creation, but an outsider.
It's a type of inevitable from Axis called an arbiter; these outsiders are sometimes used as familiars by spellcasters. The tiny inevitable is long dead, and today serves as nothing more than a decoration.
Working out what everything is and critiquing the decor have to take a pause as the two Clockwork soldiers that guard the room immediately turn to attack you!
Axton & Umazura may act first!
Not able to do much from his position in the back, Axton helpfully calls out strategy.
"What's there in that room attacking you? I can't see it!"
He makes sure he has his wand of ear piercing scream ready.
Umazura tells a tale of a press-ganged human barbarian who caused a distraction for a fellow shipmate who was taken in the same manner. He bought her enough time to succeed at her endeavor with a magnificent sea shanty.
Red steps forward 5' and swings its halberd at Bharak.
Bharak & Elena may now act.
Caught flat footed, Bharak took a blow to his chest, which thankfully was absorbed by his breastplate. But the second blow took him in the upper thigh, drawing blood. Grunting in surprise and pain, he lashed out at his attacker, focusing on the one who had hurt him.
.
url=https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/constructs/clockwork /clockwork-soldier/]Colckwork soldier[/url]
Bharak hits with his first attack, the the shell of the construct tough to penetrate.
Elena to come.
Looking from the huge clock to the odd mechanical winged creature, to the potted plants, Elathras is caught unawares as the clockworks soldiers move forwards, one striking his friend. Calling back to Axton, "Mechanical soldiers?" Chuckling at Umazura's sea shanty, he turns to Elena, "I'll try, do you know to kill them?"
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Axton moves to where he can see through the doorway better.
"Is that a clockwork soldier? Only adamantine weapons are fully effective, but it is vulnerable to lightning! Watch out for it's hands; they're designed for latching onto opponents or their weapons!"
Despite his own advice, Axton stays with his wand of ear-piercing scream since the others are between him and the construct, but only the construct will be affected.
Yellow steps up and swings at Elathras.
Elathras, Umazura & Axton are up
Hearing Axton say that the mechanical creatures were susceptible to adamantium, Elathras drops his Guisarme drawing the dagger he'd found from his belt. Stepping closer he look towards the mechanical man, "Axton tells me I need to not get too close." He then stabs at the machine that had chopped at him with the halberd.
"You didn't have to tell them my name!"
Now that he can see through the door, Axton decides to cast black tentacles in the center of the room (or as close to the center as he can see).