[AP] Iron Gods by GM Rutseg

Game Master Balacertar

I have just realized that Zzbkgrogk could not have used the arc pistol as a semiautomatic last round.

Zzvkgrogk shots the creature, the electricity fully affecting the color that switches to a different frequency with the ionization!

”Oh, look at that,” he says, not knowing if he should be interested or not, ”Did you see that? It got more diffuse.”

He tries to break the Colour Out of Space up more.
Zzzot!
Arc Pistol+: 1d20 + 16 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 16 + 2 - 2 = 35 Touch, +Rūha,- Semiauto, Touch
For Dam: 1d6 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 2 = 10 Electricity

Arc Pistol+: 1d20 + 16 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 16 + 2 - 2 = 19 Touch, +Rūha,- Semiauto, Touch
For Dam: 1d6 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 2 = 11 Electricity

Arc Pistol+: 1d20 + 11 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 2 - 2 = 27 Touch, +Rūha,- Semiauto, Touch
For Dam: 1d6 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 2 = 8 Electricity

Chaance puts arrow after arrow on the air, most of them harming the color indeed, though partially. half damage bc. incorporeal

Yambul's chainsaw roars, its magic dismissing in part the color as well!

Two of Zzvkgrogk's shots strike, as the color moves too fast for the second one, the electricity further causing ionizing damage to the being!
Oh, right, only a single attack then, adjusted!

Hyrsek steps aside launching quick rapier attacks at the apparent air "It is a huge color, I'll give you that!"
Rapier: 1d20 + 19 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 19 - 4 = 24
Piercing/Magical damage+PA: 1d6 + 4 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 8 = 14

Rapier: 1d20 + 14 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 14 - 4 = 24
Piercing/Magical damage+PA: 1d6 + 4 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 8 = 18

Rapier: 1d20 + 9 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 9 - 4 = 18
Piercing/Magical damage+PA: 1d6 + 4 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 8 = 13
Two get the best of the color, the magic of the sword further harming it.

Color: 121 damage, badly damaged
Parby buffs: Advice (+2)
Chaance: -
Rhoreen: (+19 hp), mage armor 10 h, heroism 200 min, overland flight 10 h
Yambul: 1 damage, barkskin 90 min, heroism 200 min
Rūha: barkskin 100 min, mage armor 10 h, heroism 200 min
Zzvkgrogk: heightend awareness 90 min, investigative mind 90 min, shield 9 min, barkskin 90 min
Round 3: Color, Zzvkgrogk, Rūha, Chaance, Rhoreen, Yambul, Hyrsek

Round 3

Rhoreen tries again, shooting a strong Magic Missile at the creature.

5d4 + 5 ⇒ (1, 3, 1, 1, 3) + 5 = 14 force damage
1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 10 + 2 = 28 SR

Ruha watches the magic missile enviously, thinking how useful it would have been to have an extra wand and the training to use it. Instead she's left retracting and reloading her autograpnel as she maintains her Advice.

Sadly the autograpnel is super slow.

Rhoreen's magical barrage strikes with force this time, causing quite the harm on the color!

Rūha meanwhile takes her time to prepare another attack.

C: 1, Rh: 2, Z: 3: 1d3 ⇒ 3
The alien light keeps trying to absorb you, this time feeding from Zzvkgrogk.
Will DC 23 or suffer madness on the form of 1d4 ⇒ 4 points of Charisma drain and Constitution drain

"That color is getting pale" exhorts Hyrsek trying to gather the team around defeating the being.
Rapier+advice: 1d20 + 19 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 19 - 4 + 2 = 29
Piercing/Magical damage+PA: 1d6 + 4 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 8 + 2 = 15

Rapier+advice: 1d20 + 14 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 14 - 4 + 2 = 19
Piercing/Magical damage+PA: 1d6 + 4 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 4 + 8 + 2 = 19

Rapier+advice: 1d20 + 9 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 9 - 4 + 2 = 22
Piercing/Magical damage+PA: 1d6 + 4 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 8 + 2 = 18
Only one of his attacks seem to do some harm though.

Color: 142 damage, badly damaged
Parby buffs: Advice (+2)
Chaance: -
Rhoreen: (+19 hp), mage armor 10 h, heroism 200 min, overland flight 10 h
Yambul: 1 damage, barkskin 90 min, heroism 200 min
Rūha: barkskin 100 min, mage armor 10 h, heroism 200 min
Zzvkgrogk: heightend awareness 90 min, investigative mind 90 min, shield 9 min, barkskin 90 min
Round 4: Color, Zzvkgrogk, Rūha, Chaance, Rhoreen, Yambul, Hyrsek

willdC23: 1d20 + 5 - 4 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 5 - 4 + 4 = 24 - From previously failed Will save attempt, Hero Point for the +4

...Tickles... Zzvkgrogk decides he is interested after all.

"Quit it! Better yet, be gone!"

He aims to scatter the hued ooze.

Zzzot!
Arc Pistol+: 1d20 + 16 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 16 + 2 - 2 = 36 Touch, +Rūha,- Semiauto, Touch
For Dam: 1d6 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 2 = 8 Electricity

Arc Pistol+: 1d20 + 16 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 16 + 2 - 2 = 29 Touch, +Rūha,- Semiauto, Touch
For Dam: 1d6 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 2 = 8 Electricity

Arc Pistol+: 1d20 + 11 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 2 - 2 = 27 Touch, +Rūha,- Semiauto, Touch
For Dam: 1d6 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 2 = 10 Electricity

In the unlikely event it is critable
Crit?: 1d20 + 16 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 16 + 2 - 2 = 36 Touch, +Rūha,- Semiauto, Touch
For Dam: 1d6 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 2 = 13 Electricity

Round 4

"Let's not press our luck, and end this. Before it tries its attack again on someone less able to resist it..."

The elfdroid tries again to damage the entity with her magically-tinged arrows.

Einior...: 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 4 - 2 - 3 ⇒ (15) + 17 + 2 + 4 - 2 - 3 = 33 for 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 2 + 4 + 6 = 19 piercing, magical damage, including Favored Enemy and Roo

Einior...: 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 4 - 2 - 3 ⇒ (15) + 12 + 2 + 4 - 2 - 3 = 28 for 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 + 4 + 6 = 17 piercing, magical damage, including Favored Enemy and Roo

Einior...: 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 4 - 2 - 3 ⇒ (14) + 17 + 2 + 4 - 2 - 3 = 32 for 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 2 + 4 + 6 = 24 piercing, magical damage, including Favored Enemy and Roo

Rūha agrees, firing her autograpnel once more. She maintains her advice for the group.

+1 Autograpnel (grapple, slow-fire): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17 Damage (P, adamantine): 1d8 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

"Indeed, it grows faint. We should be able to disperse it, at least."

Round 4

Rhoreen uses her cool Ring of Forcefangs to shoot missiles at the creature, then she moves out of sight.

5d4 + 5 ⇒ (3, 1, 2, 3, 2) + 5 = 16 force damage
1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 10 + 2 = 28 SR

”Good save Zzvkgrogk! I thought that thing had one of us at last. Glad to see it failed!”

He swings for the rafters to try and end it before it strikes again.

Chainsaw: 1d20 + 17 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 17 + 7 = 29 (hero, studied, advice)
damage S: 3d6 + 19 + 5 ⇒ (2, 1, 2) + 19 + 5 = 29 (studied, advice)

Chainsaw: 1d20 + 9 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 9 + 7 = 19 (hero, studied, advice)
damage S: 3d6 + 19 + 5 ⇒ (2, 4, 1) + 19 + 5 = 31 (studied, advice)

His fore-swing isn't great, but it should be enough, but his back-swing? Ugh. Not even worth speaking of...

Still, he hopes it will be enough - with all the damage the others are piling on!

Zzvkgrogk's electrical arcs strike true, and though he sees no vital spots on the light, the ionizing effect keeps making it smaller and paler.

Chaance similarly puts all arrows on point, their magic partially affecting the alien being.

Rūha's adamantine spike goes wide, but Rhoreen pierces through the magical protections with force, leaving it ready for Yambul who finally dissipates the color from existence with one good magical strike!

Combat is over!

Color: 214 damage, destroyed
Parby buffs: Advice (+2)
Chaance: -
Rhoreen: (+19 hp), mage armor 10 h, heroism 200 min, overland flight 10 h
Yambul: 1 damage, barkskin 90 min, heroism 200 min
Rūha: barkskin 100 min, mage armor 10 h, heroism 200 min
Zzvkgrogk: heightend awareness 90 min, investigative mind 90 min, shield 9 min, barkskin 90 min

"Why, thank you Yambul. That was truly challenging."

For those of us who failed it, are we under the effect still of the failed will save?

"Great work, Zzvkith!!!"

He re-approaches the hole and peers in again, compelled by curiosity.

"Let's go and see what jerky things it was up to down there."

”Yeah, ya bastard!” Yambul shouts merrily as the creature dissipates.

"Let's go down and see what jerky things it was up to down there."

Yambul nods, ”Yes, let’s confront whatever else might lie below while my shield is still going.”

Yambul ties his rope to something solid and begins to climb down.
Climb: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 12 + 2 = 23 (heroism)

Once at the bottom, he'll look around while the others climb down behind him.
Perception: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 2 = 9 (heroism)

He struggles to see the hand in front of his face...

Rhoreen is slow to show herself after the creature is dead. She moves up carefully to help examine the area in case there is another one down in the hole.

"That was an abomination," she huffs, still annoyed at the threat.

"What else is down there? Do you see anything?" she asks as she moves up to look for herself.

1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 17 + 2 = 31 Perception

You feel like a heavy weight has left away, feel more optimist and do not care getting far away from the cave again. Indeed, no more lassitude effect!

"That was an abomination," she huffs, still annoyed at the threat.

Hyrsek wipes his rapier and sheaths it with a flourish "I have no interest in being a hero, but I am quite pleased with this riddance. After all, without a world to enjoy my future wealth, what would be the point?"

Hyrsek Climb: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
With the immediate threat gone, the party descends carefully into the hole. The light from Rhoreen’s enchanted rock casts eerie shadows on the cave walls. Bellow, you come across the slumped body of a half-orc against the far wall.

Hyrsek recognizes the figure almost instantly "This is Yegrexi" he says, no solemnity in his voice "He was Therace’s second in command, a magus of some renown. He must have been one of the first to explore these caves"

It must have been the victim of the color for a time, because the slightest touch causes the gray remains to crumble to dust, leaving behind only his gear. Among the remains, you find a few valuable items, including a spellbook.

Hyrsek carefully picks up the strange rod-like technological item, wiping it in the air "This was borrowed by Therace, it might be of use against the most dangerous robots"

Rhoreen helps identify the items, offering them around. She will cast Read Magic and page through the spellbook. It can be sold...after she has some time with it. There might be spells of interest therein.

The Robojack.

"Might be of use, indeed, Hyrsek," Rhoreen says, not sure if it will work. DC 14 Will? I dunno...seems unlikely, but maybe with help from her mercurial skymetal rod, it might work. She doesn't want it and leaves it to Hyrsek.

If there is nothing else to this cave, she is ready to exit and explore further.

"Borrowed? From whom?" Ruha side-eyes Hyrsek "Don't tell me this was yours?"

"No sign of Therace here in the end. But I suppose we managed to disperse that horrible color and that's worth something. I feel better already." She stretches all four arms, hoisting the autograpnel up for a bit before stowing it on her back. "Still this seems something of a dead end."

Zzvkgrogk climbs a boulder and reads over Rhoreen's shoulder as she pages through the spell book. "Oh, I could use that one... and that one..."

"...it might be of use against the most dangerous robots"

Zzvkgrogk focuses his beady eyes onto Hyrsek.

”’Borrowed?’ " he quotes skeptically. ”You know -- that rod right there is exactly the sort of thing we’ve been looking for ever since the Zzvkith started our expeditions (link). Though, maybe it is most useful in the hands of Chaance. Did you see what she did to Binox’s guards?! Oh no, that's right -- you didn't!" Once he has Hyrsek's rapt attention he adds, "Then again – I’ve never seen Chaance wield a rod.”

He shrugs.

”Yea, why don’t you just keep it, Hyrsek – seeing as it was yours anyway.”

"Still this seems something of a dead end."

Zzvkgrogk III looks around to make sure that nothing like a secret door or some such is missed.

Percept: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 17 + 2 = 35

Zzvkgrogk's search around the cave reveals nothing more than the remnants of Yegrexi's final stand. The walls and floor bear the marks of a struggle, but no hidden doors or passages present themselves.

Hyrsek holds onto the robojack, nodding in agreement with Zzvkgrogk's assessment "Very well, I'll keep this for now. It is not mine though, it is one of the items from the bounty. Therace must have taken it without permission"

Climb: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13
Back up to the main cavern Hyrsek looks around "Maybe somewhere in this caves is Therace himself, or a hint of his fate. I would like to keep exploring"

Yambul chuckles at the discussion of the rod, once someone explains, slowly, what it does. I'll just cut 'em to pieces! He thinks to himself, almost subconsciously revving his chainsaw as he thinks. [b]"Rrrrr. RRRrrrr."[b]

If there's nothing more down below, he suggests climbing back up and searching about on the main level. He suspects they'll find nothing - this thing was pretty nasty. But you never know.

Zzvkgrogk shrugs. "Nope, nope. Nothing here."

He heads back for the rope.

"O.K., let's continue surface level. I suggest we go counter-sundialwise with respect to the way we entered."

Following Zzvkgrogk's counter-sundialwise lead, you enter the western cavern, which is smaller than the central one, but as much dark.

K3. Technic Victims
This chamber is empty save for four heaps of what appears to be discarded clothing and armor, strewn out on the cave floor as if the people who’d worn it had simply laid down and evaporated away, leaving their gear behind.

Upon closer inspection, swaths of gray ash fill these clothes.

"These fragments seem all that remains of the rest of the Technic League team led by Therace" Hyrsek comments as he picks up some of the robes and clothing, all bearing the insignia of the Technic League.

A further search among the disintegrated bodies reveals a metal tube containing three scrolls (wall of fire, obsidian flow, and water breathing), a glass vial containing an elixir of copper dragon breath, a flashlight, a pair of veemod goggles with a green veemod installed, and a skillslot with a skillchip still installed.

KN Engineering: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21

Ruha grimaces at the western cavern "They just ended up here, and then couldn't leave thanks to that color. Not a pleasant fate. Are any of these Therace? Or just his team?"

1d20 + 21 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 21 + 2 = 43 Know (*Engineering)

Rhoreen casts Detect Magic and then Read Magic when the scrolls are found. She will help identify the items, passing them around if people are interested.

She pauses over the veemod goggles, humphing to herself with the find.

”These will make you quick on your toes, I have confirmed,” Rhoreen smugs, able to easily identify the fancy chipset.

The Veemod Goggles. And the Green veemod installation. That’s a pretty sweet bonus.

"Fancy goggles indeed!" Yambul suggests them to Rüha, or maybe Rhoreen - at least initially. 'course if they don't want them, anything goes. It's quite the bonus and someone should have it.

For himself he eyes the skillslot. "This could really help me move around a bit more," he suggests. "Unless you'd rather have this Rüha - you also tend to dance around in combat a bit."

Either way, he would like to have a skillslot installed (the party has two currently). Install DC 30 - is that the Heal check needed to implant it? Geeze, that sucks... Anyone have any heal other than me? I don't have nearly enough either... :(

"There are people in Starfall able to install those chips" Hyrsek offers "Which will give me an interesting company in my way back. It might become dangerous for you if you ever cross with Technic Leaguers or tech arsonists though" after some discussion about maybe visiting Starfall, the group proceeds to the last area of the caverns, to the south.

K2. Benevess’s Grave
Thick, dusty spider webs, some delicate and gossamer and others as thick as a human’s thumb, fill the tunnel and what little can be discerned of the cave chamber beyond. An indescribable color shimmer occasionally ripples along the webbing.

The webs obscure all vision in the cave and makes it difficult to tell if there is anything else here. Explore it thoroughly might take some time, even if no danger is lurking here...

1d20 + 20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 20 + 2 = 32 Know (Nature)

Rhoreen will speak about ogre spiders, and recommend extreme caution in the new area. She offers to burn out some of the area with a fireball if people wish to wait for the fire and smoke to dissipate.

”It’s a good thing that I am so clever and can bend magic to my will…if you’d like I can spend that scroll of the fiery wall inside the room and see what might be baked off,” Rhoreen offers.

She would just do it, but some people are attached to their chain blades and might resent things made easy for them.

The scroll will get us 200’ of 20’ high wall of fire…a chance to remove some, but not all the webbing? Or a nice circle of charred area that we can use as a point of exploration. Thoughts, anyone?

"If the webbing is ashing at a touch, as you say, we shouldn't need fire." Yambul suggests.

He'll begin to make his way in, but he makes a wide arc of cleared webbing around himself. If he begins to encounter more recent webbing, webbing that still has its sticky solidity, he'll fall back and regroup.

I already have a Mk4 Acrobatics chip installed, so feel free Yambul.

"Those goggles would be quite useful indeed. I'll be happy to take them." Ruha nods, looking at the lenses and already pondering if they might fit the old goggles she'd set aside from her initial arrival. Perhaps with a little bit of retrofitting it could make for a reasonable match...

As the group approaches the webbed room, Ruha is a step behind Yambul. Her hands won't make for particularly effective web-clearers, but she suspects any creatures hiding within will not take kindly to their habitat being disturbed.

Goggles
~~~~
”You have ‘em, Rūha.” Orange would look better on me, wouldn't it? Yeah! That would be bad.

Webbing
~~~~

”It’s a good thing that I am so clever and can bend magic to my will…if you’d like I can spend that scroll of the fiery wall inside the room and see what might be baked off,”

”Bend?” Zzvkgrogk says a bit theatrically. ”You mean – it doesn’t just do what you command without you having to bend it?”

He peers past the first spider webs into the darkness.

”Hey, before we go too much further – does anyone else feel like they are being led on by a false sense of security? Does anyone else see these weird vibrations of light in some of these webs?”

Perception: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 17 + 2 = 21 Movement, trap finding
Man, these webs make it really hard to see anything.

He cautiously follows behind Rūha and Yambul.

”Bend?” Zzvkgrogk says a bit theatrically. ”You mean – it doesn’t just do what you command without you having to bend it?”

How arrogant. To think that *I* am assumed master of all magic?! No. Not at all. Not yet at least.

”Of course. Do you think magic is free for anyone to use? Can you shoot lightning out of your eyes? Why not? Because you can neither command it, nor can you bend it into doing your will. That’s how magic works. Either you have it intrinsically, study it, or you have the will to make it do what you wish…by force of will,” Rhoreen explains all of magic in the simplest of terms. ”I command some, and I can bend some, but I am not a God. I do not have it all.”

Seeing as her offer to fire and web-cleaning magics was rebuffed, she will move to where she can inspect the webs without going into the webs.

1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 17 + 2 = 34 Perception

Yambul methodically cuts through the dense webs, the chainsaw's growl echoing ominously in the dark cavern. Each sweep of the chainsaw sending thick, dusty webs crumbling into ash, but the tension mounts as the group remains blind to what lies beyond the tangled barrier.

The strange, shifting colors play tricks on Zzvkgrogk's eyes, casting eerie shadows that flicker and dance, while Rhoreen does not appreciate anything worth spending her time to be mentioned.

Hyrsek, follows close behind "You know, Rhoreen, if magic is all about bending it to your will, maybe these webs just need a good stern talking to. Perhaps they'll disintegrate out of sheer respect for your mastery." he quips with a smirk.

@Yambul, could you please give me a spoilered Will save? (no apparent thing happens regardless of the result)

Zzvkgrogk tries to ignore the way the light bounces off of the webs. Always it is the ligtht that is deceiving.

”Can you shoot lightning out of your eyes? Why not? “

Zzvkgrogk takes a short-lived stab at a reply.

”Because you can neither command it, nor can you bend it into doing your will. That’s how magic works… ,” Rhoreen explains all of magic in the simplest of terms.

”I don’t have it all either, Calliope, but I am intrinsically magical. I use it to create things, and it does exactly what I ask of it – just pure, uncorrupted magic.”

...

”Hey!” he barks at the front of the line. ”What’s ahead? How far have we gone, do you think? It isn’t getting any less spooky.”

He look behind the group, back the way they came. Is the entrance even still there?

Perception: 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 17 + 2 = 36

"You know, Rhoreen, if magic is all about bending it to your will, maybe these webs just need a good stern talking to."

Rhoreen turns her heated gaze to Hyrsek.

”Seems like you know about as much about magic as you do manners,” Rhoreen shoots back. ”Why aren’t you out there stabbing the webs to death with your keen wit? Somehow, I suspect they would resist.”

”Hey!” he barks at the front of the line. ”What’s ahead? How far have we gone, do you think? It isn’t getting any less spooky.”

”I have fire, we just need to move back so that we’re not all in danger when I use it,” Rhoreen reminds, staying away from the webs.

"Still this seems something of a dead end."

"Is that humor, Roo? Yegrexi did end up dead, but a tunnel that ends is also considered 'dead', right?"

"Then again – I’ve never seen Chaance wield a rod.”

"Yes, I don't own a rod."

Chaance hears something playful in the exchange between Hyrsek and Rhoreen. Something resembling the beginning of a courtship? She takes note, and speculates about the level of engagement. As their time in the Scar grows, so might their flirtation...

When Yambul enters the next web-ridden cave, Chaance joins him. She listens carefully, and explores the cave for what might lie about.

Knowledge(Nature) v DC20: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16
Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (5) + 17 = 22 -2 if Surprised

An eerie voice emerges from behind the webs as Yambul advances Such far traveled looking for alien life... only to end as alien food...

However, when the Kellid keeps cutting through, he only finds more webs and no source of this painful moan.

With a bit of further exploration, by the end of the webbed cave, you find a skeletal body. This one does not have have any Thecnic League symbology, but wears scholar robes.

The skeleton itself is dusty and gray and crumbles to ash if touched, but the handy haversack at its side remains fully functional, along with its contents: 3 potions of cure moderate wounds, 2 potions of cure serious wounds, a wand of displacement (10 charges), a folded map of northern Avistan (this map contains several locations circled and labeled as “alien infestation sites.” The Scar of the Spider and Silver Mount are both circled), and a journal that covers the quest from someone called Benevess Veskenti.

Rhoreen waits out of the webbing to see if there is any reason to go into the webbing.

"Yambul? You there? How are you?"

Yambul hesitates when he hears the voice. ”Alien food indeed. We killed the alien.” When they come upon the body he shrugs, ”Poor bastard. We should bury him, along with the others.”

He goes to touch the body when it falls apart, ”Or maybe not.” he shrugs again. He does help himself to the loot though, passing the items back for identification and review - though he will claim a potion of cure serious out of the haversack for future need.

"Yambul? You there? How are you?"

”Just hearing voices is all. Probably another ghost or something.” Yambul replies encouragingly - hoping like hell it’s not another ghost.

"We should depart, then. The words of an unseen ghost are ill omen."

You killed the color... the eerie voice reverberates on the cave walls, and after a half a minute or so, when Yambul promises to bury the body, the voice resounds again My revenge is done... I can rest in peace...

There is a fight here against an incorporeal being, a Bhuta, but I feel we can skip this one...

Zzvkgrogk’s eyes widen as he scans the room for the source of the voice.

”Oh, oh – was that you in there?” he gestures to the robe. ”Yeah, sorry this happened. But yes, the Color from Space menace is gone-gone -- ended -- permanently dispersed. Glad we could be of help. Can we be of further assistance? Will you gift us your robe, and satchel? The robe is very pretty.”

Only when the threat is passed does Rhoreen move into the webbed area to help with the burial. She’s not an especially religious woman, but she would say a few words over the grave if there is a known preference for the deceased.

”That was bravely done, Yambul. I would wish to avoid nasty webs, but you seem comfortable with it,” Rhoreen comments after she finishes examining the magics in the area.

She will hold the wand of Displacement, but thinks it should be sold at some point. It might be useful if the party knows of a threat in the future.

Yambul can't bury dust exactly, so he leaves it be. I need a sucking device of some kind for this.

He departs from the cave, "So what's next then?" he peers into the sunlight wondering what kind of time they have.

Ruha nods "A grim place this was as a whole. Past time we depart." She picks up the journal and folded map of Avistan from the long-dead traveler's haversack and pages through them as the group heads out. "It certainly looks like others have been concerned about some of the same things we have... but the alarm wasn't raised in the world at large. They all failed then, maybe. Like Benevess here." She furrows her brow "We'll just have to do better."

Is gone... I'm gone too now... you feel the eerie presence fades away from the cave and disappears.

There is no more magical aura you find here, but you can collect the bone dust with a bit of effort and maybe some magical help.

Outside, the day looks more sunny than ever and the colors of the swamp more bright. You think to see some sprouts even.

Near the other cave opening, by where you entered, you see Rhoreen's frog ice statue is quickly melting under the sun.

"A pity Therace was not here. But maybe I can take one of these dead ones and find someone who can make them talk for some hints of where the Leaguer went" comments Hyrsek "If nothing else works, that is. Where next?"

”Why don’t we head east toward the grove? Once we’re done with seeing who is there to chat with, then we can head back here before heading north.”

"The grove would be a welcome rest, I hope, after the things we've seen here in this swamp. I'm with you Zzvkgrogk."

Yambul nods along with Zzvkgrogk, and starts to tromp northeast to get to areas they hadn't investigated yet and then to turn east toward the grove.

”Why don’t we head east toward the grove? Once we’re done with seeing who is there to chat with, then we can head back here before heading north.”

"Yes, that's a good plan," Rhoreen agrees. She will follow the party that direction and continues to mull the second encounter in the caves with the not-ghost.

Something felt wrong there but I don't know what.