The doll's initial cry starts Kka from her trap-checking and sends her running back to see what's going on. She sees the now animated doll and glares at Lough. "You just had to go and do it, didn't you?" She prepares herself for the doll to continue its murderous rampage, but relaxes after a few seconds when it's clear that this doll is too far gone to be a danger to them.
The doll's caterwauling quickly gets on Kka's nerves though. She shouts at the creature in an attempt to quiet it. "Hey! Shut the fff...rick up you limbless wonder! One more word from you and I'll rip your snotty head off!"
Once the doll has quieted down a bit, Kka proceeds to question it. "Okaay, so let me get this straight. Thaat goblin servant corpse in the other room waas you, but your old maaster Volluk somehow stuck you into a gem and now you caan only do stuff when you're plugged into a doll, right? I guess thaat's what goes for an the employee retirement plaan around here. <Ark ark>"
When Lough reaches over and picks the doll's nose, Kka grimaces and turns away. "Ew! Lough, really? That's gross."
Turning back to the doll. "So, Borbo. You got anything interesting to tell us or do we just drop you into a deep pit somewhere for all eternity? How about you tell us everything you know about your maaster and Belcorra thaat might be useful to us."
Kvit was expecting the doll to come to life but was not expecting this level of sentience. He glances up at the goblin corpse floating in the liquid, putting two and two together.
He was simultaneously annoyed by and was empathetic with the ex-goblin-now-psuedo-goblin doll.
"Borbo, Borbo, calm yourself. We can help. I can probably give you some arms at least."
Kvit looks around for any spare parts or something suitable
Kka looks over at Kvit. "You're kidding, right? The laast time Borbo here haad any arms he nearly tore our heads off with them. I much prefer him without any lethal limbs thaank you very much."
Kvit looks around the room and finds some rusty cutlery you could fashion into limbs. They won't last long, but it's something.
Kka yells at Borbo in frustration, and the doll immediately shuts up. "No please, don't dismember Borbo even more. Borbo likes having a head."
Lough sratches where Borbo's nose is supposed to be. Borbo sighs in relief, but soon turns wistful. "It's just not the same. Borbo loves pickles with booger garnish. Borbo hasn't had pickles in ages. Could you put a pickle in Borbo's stuffing?"
Borbo's head turns 360 degrees as he scouts his whereabouts. "Borbo's room is right over there. Borbo remembers having pickles in a barrel." He waggles with one stump, indicating the door Kka was just inspecting.
Working along with Lough, Kvit helps fashion some rudimentary and temporary limbs. "Don't worry Kka. Without spending more time this body is likely to fall apart any moment."
He speaks directly to Borbo. "But listen. You help us and don't annoy Kka too much, and I'll see about getting you better limbs." He sighs... "And a pickle"
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Kka shakes her head in disbelief. "Seriously! You guys are nuttier thaan I thought, and thaat's saying something."
As Lough and Kvit get started on making Borbo better than he was before - better, stronger, faster - she prepares herself once again to defend against a murderously enraged stuffed doll. When it becomes clear that Borbo has lost his enthusiasm for mayhem, she relaxes.
With nothing else to do, she returns to the door that Borbo identified as his room a little discouraged. She usually approached a new door with a sense of excitement at the possibilities that lay within; like opening a wrapped gift. But "pickles?" She sighs and opens the door to see if she can find Borbo's pickles. Maybe it'll keep the little jerk from trying to kill them again.
Lough and Kvit attach a rusty spoon and a small wrench to Borbo's shoulder sockets, and he immediately goes to town on his nose.
After a few minutes of intense scratching, he calms down. Then, the reality of his situation kicks in and he becomes sullen. "Master Azrinae isn't coming back, is he? Borbo waited all this time for him, scaring away thieves and cleaning up his workshop... Eventually something snapped in Borbo, and Borbo turned angry. But Borbo doesn't want to be angry anymore. Borbo is just tired now. If Borbo helps you out, will you please kill Borbo? Borbo has no use anymore in this world, and Borbo hates being locked in a gem."
His body goes limp, resigned to his fate. He'll readily answer your questions, but the most interesting parts are these:
"There's a secret stash of treasures in Borbo's old room. Just remove the loose brick by Borbo's bed."
"Master Volluk was a powerful mastermind drow occultist craftsman, who had a relationship with a book lady down below. He worked for Mistress Belcorra, who is very frightening and absolutely none of my business."
"Borbo remembers Master Volluk being very cruel, but also very vain. Borbo thinks Master Volluk still lives, as he was obsessed with transferring souls into other bodies. If you find a nice image of Master, you can threaten to destroy it when you meet him. He'll freak out. Borbo once accidentally ate a painting of his, and he went absolutely crazy. If you end up fighting him, he'll probably lose his composure."
"Oh gods, has this thing been trapped in a puppet body for five hundred years? Cleaning up for a drow that is probably dead? Even Drow lifespans aren't that long . . . only Gnomes can live that long and that's only if they manage to avoid the bleaching for five milenia . . . and THAT is saying something. I . . . I mean I hate to say it, but we might wanna give this guy what he wants and finally usher him to Pharasma's final reward."
While fiddling with the door, Kka overhears Borbo spilling the beans. She's excited at the prospect of finding some loot in the goblin's room more valuable than just pickles, but suspects that the bleeding hearts in the group will insist on destroying a valuable gem to free his soul. As far as she was concerned, the murderous little mofo could rot for all eternity in that stone, just as long as she got to cash it in first.
Listening to Giyozara as she fiddles with the door, she laughs. "<Ark ark> I doubt Volluk and Belcorra are still alive, but that doesn't mean thaat they're all the way dead yet. Ask him if he knows where we might find a nice picture of his old maaster. It may come in haandy down the line."
"Thank you for letting us know Borbo," Cherry says after the translation. "Is there anything you want us to do or say in your stead? No promises we'll be able to do them, but we can try."
Cherry looks over at Giyozara. "But think about the 'sleeping' worm, and there isn't anything saying that 'master' didn't transfer his own soul to something unliving as well."
Cherry shakes their head. "I have no idea why someone would want to avoid the natural cycle of life, but it seems a lot of particularly cruel people really want to do so."
"Borbo thinks," the doll says in reply to Cherry Berry's question, suddenly becoming more serious, "Borbo was a good servant, he didn't deserve to be put in a bird body. If you meet Master Azrinae, give Master a good pounding for what he did to Borbo. See how he likes being kicked for sport."
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"Borbo. Do you want to live or die? If you want to live, we will work on getting you a better body. If you want to die, I will crush your crystal now. If you need time to think about it, just say so. All life is suffering, but it shouldn't be needlessly so. Give us your command"
Lough awaits the troubled construct's response, fully ready to carry out the requested option in full...
"Borbo. Do you want to live or die? If you want to live, we will work on getting you a better body. If you want to die, I will crush your crystal now. If you need time to think about it, just say so. All life is suffering, but it shouldn't be needlessly so. Give us your command"
Lough awaits the troubled construct's response, fully ready to carry out the requested option in full...
Giyozara is taken aback by Lough's words.
"That is . . . surprisingly thoughtful and well put Lough. Not the 'all life is suffering' part, but the other bit. Good . . . good thought."
"Er, when you put it like that... Let Borbo think for a while. Borbo has spent long enough in a doll's body, but Borbo also wants to take revenge..."
The doll goes silent. Every now and then you can hear a "Hmmm..." and some muttering under his breath about how much he misses pickles, but otherwise he seems lost in thought.
"Just don't let him out of your sight, Lough."
Kvit follows close behind. "Let's get this cleared out so we can go home."
With Borbo calmed down, you have time to inspect Borbo's room.
This small room has a long‑abandoned straw bed, a dresser with open drawers revealing a jumble of out‑of‑date servant’s clothing, and a large barrel with a ladle atop it.
There's a stale stench coming from the barrel. Sadly, Borbo's pickles seem to have rotten away long ago.
When inspecting Borbo's treasure stash behind the loose brick, you find a shard of jade worth 15 gold, a silver statuette of two women with horns and long tails in a rather explicit pose (35 gold), and a magical rune etched into a stone. The stone is surprisingly slippery to hold.
Cherry looks at the rune for a moment before handing it to someone else. "Sorry, not one I recognize."
Kka calls out to Borbo. "Sorry bub, but your pickles are long gone. You'll haave to wait until we get baack to Otari." She digs out the goblin's stash and looks it over. The silver statuette in particular intrigues her. "Whaat exactly is going on with these two? The waay they're twisted together reminds me of circus contortionists." she takes a closer look and jerks back suddenly embarrassed. "Uh. Never mind. I don't waant to know anymore." She quickly drops it into her backpack along with the jade.
When Cherry fails to identify the magical rune, Kka looks it over...
... but though it seems very familiar, she can't quite place it. She turns to Kvit and Giyozara. "Either of you smaart ones know whaat it is?"
While the magic users look over the rune, Kka looks over the remaining door.
Kvit looks at the rune and shrugs. Looks familiar but I'm not sure. I could probably look it up when we get back.
Kka shrugs in resignation, a little embarrassed that none of them could recognize the rune despite it being so tantalizingly familiar. She looks over at Giyozara. "Any ideas? If not, then I guess we'll just haave it looked at when we go hock it baack in Otaari. It's not like we caan use it anyway."
Turning back to the remaining door, she says, "The sooner we check out the next room, the sooner we'll be baack in our own beds."
Kka checks out the next door, deems it safe, and opens it.
A large metal table fitted with leather straps and iron bands sits in the center of this room. A strange contraption that seems to be part spyglass and part mechanical drill sits near the head of the table. A sparkling black gemstone glitters in a metal framework built into this machine’s side.
On the table lies a big brown rotting log, but as soon as the light hits it, it stirs and puts itself upright and reveals itself to be a giant leech-like creature! With a horrible sucking sound, it slithers you way.
Giyozara
Cherry Berry
Lough
Kka
Kvit
Bloodsiphon
Everyone may act! It's a Religion check to identify.
◆
Not having a clear line of effect, Cherry gestures and points at Kka.
"Give it your best Kka, and accept Erastil's Guidance!"
◆◆Guidance
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”What is a tree doing down here for five-hundre-ohgoditsmoving!”
Giyozara will reflexively cast ray of frost and then shield
Kvit moves up to get a better look before trying to backpedal right into Lough. "Gah! Err uh, trees, uh fire, yeah fire!"
Kka examines the undead leech and fills her friends in on whatever she remembers about such creatures. She then glances at Lough. "You waant to make friends with this one as well, or is it okay if I try to kill it?" Not waiting for an answer to her rhetorical question, she dives past him into the room, runs behind the creature, and takes a swipe at the abomination.
Cherry Berry thinks about what that ugly beast could be, but comes up empty. They boost Kka with a Guidance in the meantime. Giyozara panics and throws a ball of ice at it, but it goes wide. Kvit's ball of fire, on the other hand, strikes true. Lough walks up and manages to slice a big chunk out of the leech-like thing. His slashing claw seems to slice off a little extra flesh. Kka has a think about what this could be, and has no idea what this is. She knows it's a leech of some kind. They tend to stick to opponents and drain the life out of them, but what the zombification has done to it, she doesn't know. She walks up to it and slices it some more.
Lough's slash hurt a lot, so the undead leech tries to attach itself to the strongest opponent.
The leech attaches itself to Lough's arm, and clamps down on it. Then, with a good purchase, it starts to suck Lough's blood from his body and into its own! The leech's long-dried out skin starts producing moisture again and starts secreting slime again. The leech feels much better after that.
Lough turns pale as the giant leech drains a significant portion of his blood.
Lough doesn't survive the man-sized leech's attack, and falls unconscious.
Giyozara
Cherry Berry
Kka
Kvit
Lough, -35, Drained 1, shield block, dying 1?
Bloodsiphon, -34, was bloodied after all those attacks, but its healing put it above half HP again.
Everyone may act!
Kka is surprised and her feelings are a little hurt that the undead leech went after Lough instead of her; getting knocked out at least once in a fight was her thing after all. Realizing that with Lough out for the count she would be next on the leech's menu, she takes one last wild slice at the creature; drops her bow; runs around the creature; pulls out a syringe full of pick-me-up juice; and plunges it into the side of Lough's neck.
Enraged by the loss of her flanking partner, Kka slices a big chunk off the leech. She then patches Lough up and he's awake again.
Giyozara
Cherry Berry
Kka
Kvit
Lough, -17, prone
Bloodsiphon, -55, definitely bloodied now.
Everyone except Kka may act!
"Last heal!"
Cherry moves forward so they can glance into the room and quickly heal Lough.
◆Stride
◆◆
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↺) Shield Block
↺) Attack of Opportunity
~) Whichever reaction triggers first
2) He doesn't
Bracing against the blow, Lough makes the fatal mistake of believing he could survive a second blow, saving his shield, only to be sucked dry as every artery in his body is instantly emptied -
Soon enough, tender leshy tendrils wrap around him, restoring his to a fraction of himself "GuGGhkk! Where am I? Cherry is that you!?"
◆) Stand
◆) Draw Retribution Axe
◆) Strike!
Soon enough, tender leshy tendrils wrap around him, restoring his to a fraction of himself "GuGGhkk! Where am I? Cherry is that you!?"
Kka looks down at the delirious Lough slowly coming around. "Do I look like Cherry to you? Now get on your feet and finish this thing off."
<>Move into position
<><>Ray of frost
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Soon enough, tender leshy tendrils wrap around him, restoring his to a fraction of himself "GuGGhkk! Where am I? Cherry is that you!?"Kka looks down at the delirious Lough slowly coming around. "Do I look like Cherry to you? Now get on your feet and finish this thing off."
Wipes the blood from his eyes "That you Kka? Can't see - are all of my ribs still there?" dropping the Retribution Axe (!), Lough remembers he strapped his shield to his arm, and so, raises it here, scrunching his fingers together into a balled fist as if to recall their might, raring for another swing!
◇) Drop Retribution Axe
◆) Raise Shield
+
↺) Shield Block
↺) Attack of Opportunity
~) Whichever reaction triggers first
Cherry Berry heals Lough some more. Lough gets up and slashes at the leech, but misses. He then raises his shield. Giyozara aims more ice at the beast, but also misses.
Giyozara
Cherry Berry
Kka
Kvit
Lough, -8, prone
Bloodsiphon, -55, definitely bloodied now.
Kvit may act!
"We've got to pull that thing off of him!"
Kvit steps forward to help pull it off and fires another blast of flame at it.
Kvit's ball of fire hits the leech, and the stench of burning flesh fills the room.
Having found a target, the leech happily continues draining the blood of its victim, feeling better in the process.
After its last drain, Lough falls unconscious again, and the leech releases its hold on him.
Giyozara
Cherry Berry
Kka
Kvit
Lough, prone, dying 2
Bloodsiphon, -38, not bloodied anymore
Everyone may act!
Kka looks helplessly into Lough's eyes as the leech sucks the light out of them and he falls unconscious again. "Daang it!"
She starts reaching for another syringe but realizes that her medicine is of no use anymore. Instead, she digs into her pocket and extracts the healing elixir that they'd found earlier. "Good thing I held onto this, eh?" Popping off the cork with her claw, she pours it into Lough's lifeless mouth and slaps him awake once it starts taking effect. "Thaat's the best I can do for you right now Lough." She then raises her voice so the rest of the group can hear. "Lough caan't taake any more of this and without him we've got no chance. We need to get away from this thing and recover before giving it another try."
She looks back down at the slowly recovering changeling. "Make sure to close the door behind you." And without further ado, she heads back into the room next door.
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"GuGGhkk! Cherry is that you again!?" again blood covers his eyes - again our paranoid hero mistakes the touch of soft feathers for soft leaves.
Lough comes to... he sees the Axe on the ground before him... he "feels" the beast next to him... his heartbeat pumps with an uneasy tenuous rhythm... the smell of imminent death spreads through his senses... he feels his muscles tense... he knows he should run... the fear inside welling up... ... every nerve fiber in his depleted body fires at once and our hero finds himself not turning to run, but rising once more with the Axe in his hands! And:
◆) Stand
◆) Draw Retribution Axe
◆) Strike!
...the voices in his mind scatter... ...in the crucible of hopeless odds, here it is that Lough begins finding his Bravery...
As Kka begins heading to the other room, she notices that in his delirium, Lough hadn't heard what she'd said and was planning on staying and continuing his fight against the leech. She's momentarily torn about what to do but quickly shrugs mentally and decides that there's probably no better way to go out than fighting alongside your friends. And, for whatever reason, she's no longer afraid of dying; something tells her that things are not so bad on the other side.
Spinning on her hooves she brings her shortsword down on the leech and then screams at it to catch its attention in the hopes that it attacks her next. " Come at me you oversized worm. Plenty of juicy bird flesh for you to suck on here."
Kka brings Lough back to consciousness, and together they go to town on the worm. Both their attacks hit, and the worm looks worse for wear.
Giyozara
Cherry Berry
Kka
Kvit
Lough, -24, wounded 2
Bloodsiphon, -72, close to collapsing
Giyozara, Cherry Berry, and Kvit may act!
<><><>Horizon Thunder sphere (three action cast, 1/2 damage on miss
Giyozara's ball of thunder grazes the undead monster and it whimpers from the pain, but it's still standing.... Barely.
Giyozara
Cherry Berry
Kka
Kvit
Lough, -24, wounded 2
Bloodsiphon, -78, close to collapsing
Cherry Berry and Kvit may act!
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Kvit grips his staff tightly as he feels some of its power course through his arm into himself. With his other hand he redirects the nearly raw magical force into several blasts of energy.