New gear in hand, the party heads back to the cavern. The teachers and staff still have a lot of their efforts on the other tunnels, and there are signs of fighting, though no new casualties. Haibram, posted by entrance opens the door for you and says, "Take 'em through all the hells, lads." He catches himself, nods at Laesah, and adds, "And lass, of course."
Much stands for a moment, the muffled conversation of the guards a counterpoint to the droning bees. Without much thought she scratches a line in dirt floor with her toe, squares her shoulders, and steps over it that much further into the tunnels.
She turns back to the pack, ears popping up and mouth wagging open.
"The first step is always the hardest, just thought I'd get it out of the way."
She looks again towards the bees as her hands begin weaving an intricate pattern.
"I like bees. I dislike leaving an unexplored room behind us even more though. Want to see if we can get through without crushing them?"
Much finishes casting shield, readies her stone rope, and awaits her companions' decision.
Haunt shifts his weight from one foot to the other, drinks his vial of eagle-eye elixir, stashes the empty vial in one of his vest pockets, takes a drink from his waterskin to wash it down, puts it back into his bookbag of holding, grabs his amulet, draws his rapier, lets go of the amulet, wipes some sweat out of his eye, lifts the amulet from where it hangs on his chest from an old leather thong, and nods. “Sure thing, but no promises - none of us need to end up like Ignaci.”
He watches the warrior cast her spell and thinks, Right! He casts the same spell on himself.
“OK, now I’m ready. Let’s get going, I’m getting antsy.” He snorts. “Bug pun. Totally unintentional, but if I’d thought of it I would absolutely have said it anyway.”
Out of curiosity, the party swings by the bees that remain. Without so many gremlins to whip them into a frenzy, they are pretty docile, though still standoffish. Giving them a wide berth, you're able to fully explore that area without conflict. There's nothing of note other than another gremlin sleeping quarter that is currently empty.
Following Binji's direction, the party heads to the southeast of the map. Finding a familiar crease in the rocky wall, Much pushes gently and the wall swings in. At the end of the corridor is a grim discovery.
Three masks and three cloaks are affixed to the south wall of this claustrophobic cave, as though in mockery of people, with arms extended to the sides. All look colorful, but dirty and bloodstained. One of the masks depicts a stern antelope, another a kindly hare, and the last a smiling warthog.
One of the masks depicts a stern antelope, another a kindly hare, and the last a smiling warthog.
I think we've seen that hare before...
Much gives her compatriots a worried glance before readying herself for whatever may be beyond the door. Drawing her weapon, casting shield and applying ghost oil to the head of her stone rope.Comforted by her preparations, Much looks to the group again.
"Good luck, friends."
She steps into the room.
One of the masks depicts a stern antelope, another a kindly hare, and the last a smiling warthog.
“Well, that’s just sick.”
"Good luck, friends."
She steps into the room.
Haunt taps Ot’s Anteater Charm. “The only luck I have around these jerks is bad luck. But let’s take a chance anyway.” Clutching his amulet in one hand and sword in the other, he follows Much into the room.*
Haunt moves forward slowly (max. 300’/minute), checking for secret doors, traps, hazards, and anything else of interest.
Haunt notices that one of the outfits — the hare mask and its bloodstained yellow and white cloak — has been affixed to a secret door ready to easily swing in on its hinges. No traps are visible.
You also notice, when moving the hare mask that it has runes carved into it. Haunt can't make sense of it, but Barnabus recognizes it as a Mask of Mercy. The properties of this mask might be able to move into one of your masks, with effort and a little time, but you can also wear it now and get the benefits.
Looking at the carved runes and the hare masks sparks a memory from Haunt. He remembers seeing it in the Tree Library when he was cleaning out the rooms. It looks like the Smiling Hare was another victim of the Stone Ghost, some time in the past.
Much slinks into the room, flanking Haunt. She sees his eyes flick to secret door, but maintains a readied stance and makes no move to interact with the treasure or the door.
The silence stretches into awkwardness. Much looks around awkwardly, hoping someone else will open the door.
I have to be ready to bash things, it shouldn't be me! she thinks, before admitting to herself that Haunt and Laesah probably bash better than she does.
Fine then. No excuses. Embrace your fear and move forward.
Much opens the door.
“Hold on a second, Much.”
Haunt crouches down by the secret door before Much opens it, to check it for traps.
If he doesn’t spot anything, he stands back up and holds his rapier and amulet ready before giving Much the nod. If he does find a trap, he pulls out his thieves’ tools and tries to disable it.
The door slides inward to a remarkably clean room. This well-appointed bedroom and study almost makes one forget that it’s hidden deep underground. The space is neatly furnished with mismatched items, including a bearskin rug and extraordinarily comfortable-looking chair. A heavy professor’s desk sits off to one side, along with a massive, gently scuffed four-poster bed. Rugs and curtains hang in an inadequate attempt to make the space seem less like a cave, but craggy wall peeks through the gaps.
Most of the furniture looks barely touched; no dust sits on anything, and the bed is neatly made. The only exception is the desk, which bears several papers and journals and obviously sees frequent use. A large clay jug of water sits on the desk as well.
“Well, that’s not what I expected at all!” Haunt casts detect magic and looks around, ignoring his magic items and those of his friends. If he doesn’t notice any auras in the room, he starts flipping through the papers on the desk.
Haunt speaks the words of incantation as he casts his spell and detects an aura under the bed. He begins to move to investigate when the a figure steps out from behind the tapestry near a desk, speaking his own words of magic.
The figure resembles a young man with a body made out of chunks of stone, his faceted skin matching the blocks that make up the Magaambya campus. His hair and face are made of ruined mosaics, and his body is covered in fragmentary runes.
In one hand is a large morning star, his other stretches towards you, finishing the casting of a spell, turning the floor below you all to grease.
Much and Laesah, normally the two most dexterous members of the party, go down. The figure smirks cruelly and says, "Perhaps you were expecting something more like that? Thank you for delivering yourselves to me. There are enough wards on the campus now it was a bit of a puzzle figuring out exactly how I was going to kill you all. On with it, then."
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Laesah thanks Madame Yao effusively. "To the glory of the Magaambya, grand-----chef. Yes, chef." Scampering away, she makes certain to share the cooperative waffles with Much. She then also eats her power journeybread as they pass through the entrance to the catacombs.
"Take 'em through all the hells, lads....And lass, of course."
The anadi almost chokes on her journeybread as she walks past the dwarf. She makes eyes with Much.
Is he racist and sexist against gnolls, or just dimmer than I thought? Much and Laesah smirk wordlessly at the dwarf's gaffe.
At the discovery of the secret door behind the mask/cloak effigy, Laesah takes the opportunity to apply her ghost oil to her handwraps. She perks up at the discovery of the mask of mercy.
"I could use it, if it would be helpful."
Just prior to the secret door being opened, Laesah makes use of her scroll of fleet step.
"I've got a feeling..." she says, her grim visage masked by the alabaster hare mask.
The Stone Ghost extends an arm, palm down, gesturing as though pulling something from the earth. Suddenly a crystalline scorpion appears among the party, stabbing out at Much...
...Striking her in the hip once before Much adjusts and fends off the other attacks.
Then, from under the bed, a tiny gremlin rushes out to join the fight, taking a flanking position against Much and attacking with a (very) shortsword.
Much, distracted by the crystal monster, is open to some extra damage from the gremlin.
Much is left reeling, suffering a total of 17 damage.
Much hits the ground, is stabbed, and stung in rapid succession.
She manages to articulate a solid "Oof!" in retort.
That is followed by a distinct and mournful "Owwww..."
Much pulls herself to her feet and moves to engage her assailants.
She sweeps out at the gremlin with stone falls in the pond.
The stone rope swings in arc beneath the gremlin, rises up, and crashes down at the scorpion in unfolding the fan.
◆Stand
◆Trip
◆Strike
The green gremlin shouts and falls down, but the stone rope glances off the scorpion to no effect.
Then, a gremlin wearing red comes charging out from beneath the same bed, looking to take some cheap shots at the prone Laesah. It underestimates the reflexes of Much, who lashes out to protect her friend with a textbook Boar in the Cattails.
...And smashes the stone rope into the gremlin, crushing it's ribs. The gremlin screams, hastily rethinks its life choices, and quickly shambles out of the room, gasping ragged breaths.
Haunt peers at the crystal scorpion, looking for its weak spots. He yanks a small tuning fork from one of his vest pockets and quickly strikes it against the blade of his sword. The fork peals out a clear, high note, and the amurrun’s rapier quivers with a barely perceptible vibration. He lunges forward and stabs twice at the scorpion.
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"Thunder and gales!" Laesah curses as she falls in the greasy enchantment. She watches, a bit stunned, as her allies engage the barrage of foes, wincing as Much takes a beating. When her wounded gnoll companion maintains presence of mind enough to lash out at a charging gremlin, neatly repelling it, she shakes her head and slowly looks up at the Stone Ghost.
Focus. Your promise to A'mino is in sight.
"Stone Ghost," the anadi pronounces from the ground, "you are a mortal enemy to Magaambya Academy. You are responsible for the murder of my friend, Hatsi. I will now kill you."
The Stone Ghost snaps his head to the side and out of the way of Laesah's first attack, but her second hits him right below the sternum. He frowns slightly, but the hit shows no effect.
"Hatsi?" Stone Ghost says. "The fop from recently? He was childish. Hard to believe he's missed by anyone. You though? I'll bet you will be missed by someone. You will have mourners...
The Phase Bolt smacks in to the crystal beast, sending rocks scattering from its craggy hide. Across the room, The Stone Ghost places a hand on Laesah and pushes her into the floor.
Laesah feels a strange tingling sensation as she is shoved waist deep into the rocky ground and held fast.
He then strides away, out of her reach.
The gremlin facing Much sees the anadi in the ground and takes off after her, provoking an AoO from Much.
...Which it deftly ducks under before stabbing at Laesah
Laesah deflects the first, but without the use of her legs, the second digs in, leaving a bloody gash below her right arm.
Haunt lunges at the scorpion again and again, his sword still vibrating at a frequency high enough to shatter crystal, before turning to glare for a moment at the Stone Ghost. The amurrun peers at their murderous adversary, searching for weaknesses.
Another chuck of quartz flies off the scorpion when Haunt connects, but it still stands, tail swaying threateningly.
Haunt takes a look at Stone Ghost and realizes that somehow he does have ghostly properties and is therefore vulnerable (though not weak, exactly) to force damage and ghost touch weapons.
Stone-rope still weaving through the air around her, Much rushes forward to support her beleaguered companion.
Two long strides around the scorpion and she unleashes Arc of the Moon on the Gremlin.
And then attempts to finish it with The Kingfisher Takes a Silverback.
◆◆Sudden Charge
◆ Strike or oil her weapon
The Stone Rope arcs into the gremlin, hitting it for critical damage and removing its tiny head from its tiny shoulders. The head sails across the room and lands in a bowl on the desk.
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Laesah lets out a low growl at sinking into the ground, but doesn’t respond to the gremlin slashing into her. She also doesn’t respond to the same goblin losing its head.
Concentrating, Laesah draws moisture from the air around her and lashes out from underneath the giant crystalline scorpion, hoping the spout she learned from her classes removes the assailant from the fray so that she and her mates can triangulate on the murderer.
Laesah then struggles to pull herself free from the ground while instructing her comrades.
”The murderer is indeed incorporeal. Regular weapons do not work. Use your enhanced weapons or force damage.”
Tears of anger stream down Laesah’s face as she turns to face her quarry. ”Stone Ghost, this is your end.”
The crystal beast, focused on the fight with Haunt and Much is completely caught off guard by the gout of water from below. It blasts the monster into air where it smashes on the low ceiling, shattering into bits and scattering across the room.
Barnabas and Stone Ghost lock minds for a moment, each probing the other. It feels like banging your head against a rock.
The Stone Ghost's mind does not give way, and he shakes off the mental intrusion.
His attention turns to Laesah, who had just freed herself from the floor.
"You'll end me?" He says to her, coarse voice grating with scorn "I'll put you back in the ground permanently worm. My end was my beginning. Yours will have more finality."
He charges her, and Much lashes out with the Stone Rope to defend her friend.
The stone head of the weapon connects, but the Ghost barely notices. Still, there's enough force behind the blow to put the first crack in the flesh of the enemy.
Then he reaches Laesah and delivers a brutal downswing.
The morningstar crashes into her head, and she drops to the ground, unconscious and dying. The Stone Ghost laughs, a sound like rocks sliding down a hill and steps to the side, disappearing into the south wall.
Much eyes the wall the Stone Ghost disappeared through and then sprints to Laesah's side.
"Wake up friend, you aren't finished yet."
◆Move
◆Administer potion
◆Regrasp weapon
Haunt stares at the Stone Ghost in horror. “What in the Hells are you?”
Haunt tries to figure out what they are dealing with and comes up with two facts:
1. The Stone Ghost is a Stone Ghost. As such, he seems to have high resistances to stone and earth attacks.
2. The Stone Ghost has such elevated control of his general incorporeality that he can flicker between states fast enough to be untouchable one moment but then still fully interact with the physical world the next.
Haunt strides closer to Laesah and Much without getting within reach of the wall and pulls a scroll of magic missile out of his bookbag of holding.
Updating!
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Laesah stands up, her head ringing from the blow from the Stone Ghost. She speaks to her colleagues in the same voice she uses to audibly memorise the endless alchemical reagent combinations taught to her in her attendant classes.
"...walks into stone....corporeal force doesn't damage him...can cause corporeal damage when he wants to do so....leaves stones and gravel behind as evidence of his passage....he's made of gravel! That's it! He's not a ghost at all! He's achieved particulate form! We should counter his stone elemental form with...."
Her eyes dart between her colleagues, awaiting an answer....or perhaps awaiting something else.
Maybe it's some grim prescience, but The Stone Ghost emerges from the wall and heads straight for Barnabas, swinging his morning star...
...and solidly connecting with the Bard's shoulder.
"You would set your will against mine?" He growls. "My will supports the firmament. I am the foundation. You will break against me."
Frustration at her opponent battering the pack with impunity boils out of Much in a low whine.
She dashes forward to support Barnabas, playing out the stone rope in tight ellipse over her head.
Phase through this, you son of b~&*$.
The Stone Ghost hits the ground, hard.
"Ha!"
Much pulls hard to cinch her weapon around the Stone Ghost's ankles.
The Stone Ghost hits the ground, flat on his back, but is able to avoid the grapple.
“Fire and water are opposed, so maybe air? I don’t know, Laesah, I don’t think I can blow hard enough to do any damage.” Letting his rapier drop to the floor so that he has a free hand (while holding his amulet in the other), Haunt unfurls his scroll. “But paper covers rock, so I’m going to try this instead!”
He reads the scroll aloud, stumbling a bit over the unfamiliar phonemes. When he finishes, three translucent darts hover before him, glowing faintly, then speed towards the Stone Ghost.
The darts of force slam into The Stone Ghost, sending chunks of rock flying from his side. He screams in pain and rage.