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"Its startin' to look a lot like Yule Tide in here." Stitch comments, doing his best to duck the seize inducing flashing lights now coming from all angles.. except from Pal.
"Hey Pal, you ok? You didn't caught some weird zombo bug and now you're turning into a deadie on us... quietly lurking.. waiting to eat our brains in our sleep?" He gives a half serious, half laugh chuckle under his breath before taking a long lingering eyeball.
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Stitch raises a bushy eyebrow in response to Pal's antics "Almost had me there Pal. I've always told my brother's I've got the biggest, tastiest brains in the family." You can almost feel Meat Wagon roll their headlights at that statement.
"Guess that means we're ready, Bella and Feather's leading the way or you want Meat here up front for now?"
After arming yourselves with plenty of light (in addition to Rain's), you prepare to set off into the eastern cavern. Caves stretch out from several breaks in the walls of the stone complex. Though the cave is mostly damp, patches of permafrost show up regularly within the dug dirt walls. In several places, moisture has come through the dirt, only to be frozen in place. Along the east, several smaller tunnels, too small for even a child, connect to hidden passages beyond.
"Brr...it's awfully chilly to be this close to the surface, don't you think?" Rain remarks as the group begins to move into the cavern. It's right about this point that Bella moves up next to what she at first thinks is a particularly large patch of dirt only to feel the temperature suddenly drop and a painful, biting cold seep into her skin!
At the same time, the strange patch of dirt-but-not-actually expands, pulling in warmth from every direction and spreading its strange chill further into the area. The cold washes over Bella, Khiari, Meat Wagon, and Roark, chilling them to the bone (or metal joint)!
Bella and Stitch now realize that you've stepped right into a patch of brown mold, an unassuming fungus that leeches heat from the air and everything around it. The proximity of Bella's torch caused it to expand but you know that it can only expand like this once a day, so at least this patch won't grow any bigger while you attempt to deal with it.
Besides going around it to avoid its chilling aura, you know that it can be scraped away with some careful work , attacked, or exposed to cold damage to get rid of it.
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Sensing the cold air, Nicole quickly moves to help them remove the mold. Not sure what to do, either kick it lightly or pick it up, maybe? She chooses to scrape it with her bare hands to make it deactivated. Realizing she enters the patch the brown mold expanded into before she works her way with the mold, the cold is now trying to make her numb!
Everyone is quick to back off once you know what you're dealing with, except for Nicole. Opting to brave the mold's cold aura, she moves up and manages to scrap it away with her fingernails and remove the threat.
"Ooh...if there's one patch of brown mold in here there might be more," Rain frets. "Keep your eyes open - if there *is* more and we spot it before someone steps in it, I can use a bit of my power to talk to it and see if it will let us pass."
______________
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Nicole feels the shiver down to her spine and quickly moves away from the expanding mold but it is too late. She quickly draws her minor elixirs of life after she feels that some vitality has left her.
HP restored for Nicole
"Brrr... I was not expecting that it will be that so coldddd..." she says while still shivering, making friction between the palms of her hands. "Maybe that would be a good idea, Rain. Talk to them, unless we turn cold as ice here..."
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"He can talk to plants? Yeesh." Finn stares in disbelief. "Having that skill would've solved me many cases! Teach me your ways, pal."
Stitch hollers down to Pal "Everyone talks to plants, Rain is just the only one smart enough to know what they say back." He shrugs.
Gain of 21 hp.
Concerned about lingering too long, you opt to carefully press forward after those injured have consumed what potions and healing resources the group has at its disposal. Noticing that part of the cavern seems to branch away towards the northwest and back towards the way you came, you investigate that route first and discover that the tunnel empties into another small chamber that was once part of the original ruins, via a partial collapse of the wall. In this small chamber you discover a chest that contains several emerald gemstones and a small, pale pink stone that radiates a magical aura when examined.
Now on high alert for brown mold, you end up spotting two additional patches when you turn back to exploring the cavern. Rain in Cloudy Day is unable to successfully negotiate with the first patch, forcing you to give it a wide berth as you pass by. The leshy fares better in negotiations with the second patch, convincing it that you mean no harm; it allows you to pass by without reacting to your presence.
Continuing onward, you find that the cavern once again opens up in to a section of the original complex. A massive stone column ten feet wide rises from the tiled floor of this circular chamber. Strange glyphs dance along the column, pulsing with dull green light, though many of the glyphs wink in and out of existence as though malfunctioning. The ceiling here ascends twenty feet from the floor. Collapsed stone debris prevents the use of two connecting halls to the west and southwest, while breaks in the eastern walls open the area to an adjacent network of caves. A single five-foot-wide hall exits to the north.
However, you're not alone here. A strange clacking sound is heard as a serpentine skeleton, but with the head of a humanoid, slithers from behind the column, almost as if it's guarding the pillar!
Constructed from bones harvested from serpents and humans, a necrophidius is animated by occult magic, not unlife. Each necrophidius is built from the skeleton of a large snake, but its skull has been replaced by that of a humanoid creature. If a necrophidius's creator dies, the construct follows the last series of commands it was given.
The necrophidius has a paralyzing bite but even if one succumbs to it, it gradually becomes easier to throw off the effect...provided they survive long enough.
Not only that, but both Rain and Stitch realize that the central pillar contains a weakened, but complex, summoning rune. The pair think that getting too close to the pillar could cause it to activate and conjure...something. Probably nothing good. But they also think that with some careful movements, one could get close to the pillar without activating the rune and then either erase it or remove enough stones from the pillar to deactivate it.
______________
Finn
Roark
==============
Snek
==============
Stitch
>Meatwagon
Rain
Bella
>Khiari
Nicole
Active Conditions:
Environmental Conditions:
Everyone may act!
Roark cautiously moves up and does a little dance for the snek. While it doesn't seem to fascinate the creature - which Roark wasn't really expecting anyway - the tengu still feels a surge of power for his efforts. He then raises his shield, ready to defend himself!
______________
Finn
Roark
==============
Snek
==============
Stitch
>Meatwagon
Rain
Bella
>Khiari
Nicole
Active Conditions:
Environmental Conditions:
Finn may act!
Finn carefully does the patented Gumshoe Shuffle around the creepy snek and moves towards the pillar, circling partway behind it. And his work seems to have paid off, as the rune continues to remain inert...for now. He rolls up his sleeves and readies to attempt a disarm.
The snek seems to pay no mind to Finn, at least for the moment. Instead, it raises itself up and begins to sway, its serpentine form undulating and clattering in a hypnotic rhythm. Everyone except for Finn finds it difficult to resist becoming distracted by the creature's movements!
You easily ignore the snek's attempt at distraction, remaining focused on the task at hand.
You mostly ignore the snek's attempt at distraction, but still find its movements rather unnerving.
You're unable to ignore the snek's attempt at distraction!
You are absolutely transfixed by the snek's movements!
Rain in Cloudy Day winces and shakes his head. "Oh dear, I feel a bit woozy! What kind of foul dance was that??" Still, the leshy rallies and moves forward into the chamber. "This has to be the guardian of this place! Come, friends, and let us put this sneaky snake to rest!"
______________
Finn
Roark
==============
Snek
==============
Stitch
>Meatwagon
Rain
Bella
>Khiari
Nicole
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1
Environmental Conditions:
Finn (1 action), Stitch & Meatwagon, Bella & Khiari, Nicole may act!
Meat Wagon's motor sputters and starts to stall, finally recovering.
Finn attempts to do his own Mean Mug version of a snake dance but the ugly snek thing isn't having any of it and seems unimpressed by his efforts!
Though a bit distracted by the noodling noodle, Bella attempts to carefully sneak her way towards the central pillar. Her first attempt is anything *but* sneaky as she stumbles over bits of rubble, her own feet, and the invisible cats that must be scattered all over the place. She rallies, however, and manages to somehow meld into the shadows and move the last few feet to the pillar as though her feet aren't even touching the ground.
Roark finds the snek's movements rather unnerving but not so much that he can't keep his wits about him. Poor Nicole, on the other hand, is positively transfixed by the snek's swaying and is unable to do anything but stare.
Stitch is somewhat distracted by the snek but not so much that he can't still rattle off some useful facts about what the group is dealing with. Constructed from bones harvested from serpents and humans, a necrophidius is animated by occult magic, not unlife. Each necrophidius is built from the skeleton of a large snake, but its skull has been replaced by that of a humanoid creature. If a necrophidius's creator dies, the construct follows the last series of commands it was given. The necrophidius has a paralyzing bite but even if one succumbs to it, it gradually becomes easier to throw off the effect...provided they survive long enough.
He then gives Meat Wagon an extra kick of juice...but the construct seems extremely distracted by the necrophidius' movements...somehow.
______________
Finn
Roark
==============
Snek
==============
Stitch
>Meatwagon
Rain
Bella
>Khiari
Nicole
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1
Environmental Conditions:
Finn & Roark may act!
Roark dashes forward and jabs his sword into the snek's nasty hide and then raises his buckler, ready to defend himself. At about that same time, Finn uses his tools and a little know-how to erase the strange and dangerous-looking rune on the pillar. It's tricky work, but he manages it! The magics within are nullified for good, preventing it from summoning whatever it might have summoned to join the battle.
With a target right there, Snek snaps viciously at Roark - once, twice, thrice! The first two strikes connect, leaving painful puncture wounds and a terrible feeling of stiffness that threatens to overwhelm the tengu.
The rest of the group feels the strange fascination inflicted by the snek's dance wearing off, though you're still rather unnerved by it all.
______________
Finn (one action)
Roark
==============
Snek
==============
Stitch
>Meatwagon
Rain
Bella
>Khiari
Nicole
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1
Environmental Conditions:
Finn (one action), Stitch, Rain, Bella, Khiari, Nicole may act!
Sputter. Sputter.
+ 5
Stitch draws out his clan pistol and fires at the snek, but the shot is a clear miss. He then commands Meat Wagon, who seems to be mostly recovered from being stunned, to...
Khiari advances while Bella draws out her mace and attempts to rally herself for the battle, but she has trouble getting her head in the game.
Roark manages to resist the Snek's paralyzing bite and...
Rain in Cloudy Day continues to call out words of encouragement and inspiration to you all as he begins flinging spore pods at the snek. The first one slams into the snek's head with a resounding *CRACK* and seems to do a surprising amount of damage! It's almost as though Rain landed a powerful hit *and* the nature of his spore pod was particularly effective.
______________
Finn (one action)
Roark
==============
Snek
==============
Stitch
>Meatwagon
Rain
Bella
>Khiari
Nicole
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1
Environmental Conditions:
Finn (one action), Meat Wagon (one action), Nicole may act!
Meat Wagon finally rolls closer to the snake creature, pistons firing cleanly and rapidly, ready to ram this thing... soon.
Finn and Meat Wagon both advance on Snek, ready to help Roark and the others pummel it into submission...
______________
Finn
Roark
==============
Snek
==============
Stitch
>Meatwagon
Rain
Bella
>Khiari
Nicole
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1
Environmental Conditions:
Nicole may act!
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|
Now she's with herself now after that mesmerizing moves from Snek, she positions herself close to Snek and quickly draws two lesser alchemist's fires and throws them at Snek.
fire damage, 1 persistent fire damage and 1 fire splash damage
fire damage, 1 persistent fire damage and 1 fire splash damage
◆ Stride
◆ Quick Bomber
◆ Quick Bomber
Nicole moves in closer and rapid-fire chucks two small vials at the Snek. The first one connects, blackening bones and leaving the Snek aflame! The second vial misses the mark, but not by much.
Roark then delivers a powerful strike to the Snek with his sword, before taking a cautious step back and then moving to rejoin his allies.
______________
Finn
Roark
==============
Snek
==============
Stitch
>Meatwagon
Rain
Bella
>Khiari
Nicole
Active Conditions: Inspire Courage +1
Environmental Conditions:
Finn may act!
Finn's words are fitting ones, as his two crossbow shots are enough to finish off the nasty snek-thing for good! It collapses in a pile of bones and the air grows calm and quiet.
Combat Over!
With the last apparent threat eliminated, you're able to take your time mending wounds and exploring the large chamber as well as the rest of the complex. A nearby hallway has a few remaining traps that haven't been set off by other foolhardy adventurers but with everyone on the lookout you have little trouble spotting and removing them. In a small chamber off of said hallway you find several items that look to have been squirreled away by smugglers or the like - a lesser darkvision elixir, two minor healing potions, and a +1 short sword.
More importantly, however, is the central pillar in the large chamber. Now that you're able to get a good look at it, it appears to be covered with an ancient script of some sort. Rain takes a look at it and does a little jig of happiness.
"Oh! It's written in Azlanti! How exciting! Let me see, it says..."
The fungus leshy studies the column for several moments and then whistles. "Well! Folks, what we have here is a series of pleas to ancient Azlanti deities, including many active in ancient eras, like Acavna, Lissala, and Zura! The citizens of Nacar-Azen ask for salvation from the darkened sky - proving that this site was established after Earthfall!"
"This is a truly amazing find! We must return to the Enclave and report this to Chief Thakik at once...and then get back to the Grand Lodge to report this to the Masters!"