Baradim will nod, reaching into the pool. His eyes look over the area for any sneaky glyphs or traps that were not seen by him or by Finoan's keen eyes.
Once sure that it was safe to take, he would carefully pull the urn up and out of the water. Lifting it clear of the pool, he would inspect it again for any symbols or markings upon it.
Baradim spots a shimmering layer of arcane magic over the latch, hinting at a trap.
Finoan inspects the doors to the north.
He also notices Baradim taking the urn out of the water pool.
He goes back to looking at the door. "Wait, what are these on here."
"Some sort of curse? Are you sure you don't want to just leave it there?"
"What is what, Fin?" Drake takes a look, wondering what it is the automaton is talking about.
"Whoa! Careful with that. That's an acid strongbox trap. We could either try and disable it, or, find a way to dispel it." Looking to his wife, "Can you do that, Niss? It's either that or we figure out how to set it off without hurting any of us. Or, like Fin said, we can just leave it." He shrugs.
"Afraid not," she answered. "I could try lifting the lid from afar, though? But do we need to open it, if they are ashes? Or did it feel like something else is in there?"
Shaking his head, Drake looks over at the warrior orc. "What do you say, Baradim? Should we just leave it be or do you think we ought to risk opening it? Does it feel like there's something more than ashes in there?"
"Lifting the lid would disperse the ashes. If you could lift the urn itself, then that would be acceptable." He looks between Drake and Finoan for a moment before letting his eyes settle back onto the urn itself. "I have not touched it so I cannot tell if there is more to it. Defeating the enemy's morale or getting to act against their best interests is one of the best advantages we can have. If we do not wish to take it though, I will relinquish it."
Drake knows that triggering the trap wouldn't cause the container to disintegrate or harm the items, it's just a matter of how to set off the trap. The box is otherwise harmless. Carryable, even, you think.
Finoan investigates the north doors and finds nothing notable about them. He can hear no noise beyond the doors.
"Look, if it's not even her ashes and we take it and threaten her mom with it, she's just going to laugh at us. I'll open it from across the room, and we'll see what we're even arguing about. You said it shoots acid? I'll stand back around the doorframe."
Shooing the boys out of the room quickly, Niss will use mage hand to lift the lid, using the doorway as cover and only barely peeking into the room, just enough for line of sight, ready to hop back.
Shooing the boys out of the room quickly, Niss will use mage hand to lift the lid,
Fin lets himself get scooted out of the room. "Hope Drake is right that it just throws acid around. If it summons a cursed mummy or a demon or something, I'm leaving - try to keep up."
With everyone shooed away, Niss's mage hand triggers the trap and sent a cone of acidic spray out, harmlessly, into the air. When they return, all traces of the trap are gone, and the strongbox seems to be intact.
When you open it, it is clear that there are, in fact, ashes stored inside, bits of charred bone shard sticking out here and there. It seems if it isn't Silwyth, it's definitely someone.
"Lovely," Finoan says a bit sourly as he looks over at the urn. "Well, bring it with us, I guess."
He turns his attention to the doorway to the north again, opening the door as quietly as he can. If nothing jumps out at him, he sneaks his way into the room and starts checking it out.
"Well. Seems disarmed now." Niss walks over and closes the lid gently, making sure it's securely shut. "I can probably manage to carry it, unless one of you want to -- I can still fight with something in my hands, yours should be on weapons." She glanced at Baradim. "I'll follow your lead, in terms of trying to use it against Vilree."
Fin opens the door as carefully as he can, but the door squeaks a little bit as it swings open. They open into a long chamber packed full of alchemical gear and experiments. Cauldrons stand next to tables where, even now, volatile mixtures are brewing and bubbling. Four smallish creatures are standing at tables, minding the simmering brews. The scent of the room is acrid, burning, and unpleasant.
A large furnace is opposite the door, containing some kind of molten, coppery metal. Behind the furnace is a long pool of water with a statue of a woman standing at its head. The statue looks similar to Silwyth's, but younger--she is standing in the same pose as the statue from the previous room, but she doesn't have tears streaming down her face. Her expression is cold, hard, and calculating.
To the east, a passageway reveals a set of descending spiral stairs.
As the door squeaks open, the large, wingless homunculi (Finonan recognizes the signs from their previous encounter with Pergy) all turn in unison to spot the automaton. Expressionless, the creatures begin to calmly advance on The Princess Guard.
I've never asked. If any of you are colorblind, let me know if you need me to change the colors to be more distinguishable on the drudges on the map.
"Stupid squeaky hinges."
He sees the homunculi turn their attention on him. "Oh great. More of these things."
"I don't suppose there is any way of just trapping these things in a closet. Destroying them is going to alert someone that we are here."
"Not really much help for it though." Fin takes a moment to recall anything he knows about these larger version of Pergy. Then ◆ darts into the room and casts ◆ Shield.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it, Fin." Drake moves up to the nearest one and strikes at it with his falchion.
Drake's hit just barely misses, the homonculus mindlessly dodging the blow. It turns its mindless gaze to Drake, taking a swing at the ranger.
The swing barely misses Drake, but then the homunculus twitches violently, opening its mouth wide and making a horrible retching sound. Caustic, acidic chemical reagents come pouring out of its mouth and at Drake's feet, threatening to burn the ranger.
The drudge shuffles forward, heading toward the closest and most immediate threat--Drake. It swings wildly at the ranger with it's fists, but Drake is too fast, and the homunculi are limited.
The drudge attending the bubbling cauldron of caustic material turns and slowly shuffles toward the two who had invaded their laboratory. It makes a beeline for the one all of its companions are hitting: Drake. Surrounded on all sides, Drake is at a disadvantage.
plus
"Better run into the room full of acid," she murmured to herself, as Drake became surrounded. She had magic that could protect him from such elemental damage, but he ran off before she could touch him with it.
"I'll just carve a path to him, then."
She ◆draws her wand of soothe, ready to heal him if he gets hurt any more.
Baradim secures the urn inside of his backpack, stowing it away until it is needed. When the door was opened and the enemy became away of them, a low growl of irritation escaped the towering orc. He would march into combat, flanking the enemy between him and Finoan. He strikes twice at the beast, aiming to destroy it before they could take on more of Drake.
Niss and Baradim's hits to the flanked drudge utterly destroy the creature. It makes no sound as it dies.
The drudge that had been standing up to the northeast trudges over and takes a couple of ineffective swings at Baradim.
Finoan sighs as he watches the first homunculus collapse. "Yeah, there really wasn't much other choice."
He makes a quick plan of attack on the one opposite Drake.
Not wanting to get his feet wet - or disturb the water in the pool, Fin takes a ◆leap across it. When he lands and turns around he finds that the construct had reacted quite a bit differently than he expected. He aborts his attack and instead just casts ◆shield again.
Not wanting to remain standing in a pool of acid, Drake moves up on the table and strikes at the one flanked by Baradim.
Blocks:
Block 1: Finoan, Drake
Block 2: Red, Green, Blue Drudges
Block 3: Niss, Baradim
Block 4: Orange Drudge
Finoan leaps across the water and holds up a magical shield whilst Drake moves out of the pool of acid that was vomited at his feet and attacks one of the drudges twice--unfortunately, only the first attack lands on the construct, the other swinging wide.
The construct swings at Drake in response, but misses. It then vomits a pool of caustic reagents at his feet, just as the other did.
The drudge between Finoan and Drake () swings once at the cat that just landed near it and vomits in his space, too.
plus
Finoan hisses in pain as the constructed hooligan punches right through his shield. Then the thing vomits acidic goo at him. "Now that's vile. What twisted, demented, psychopath decided that would be a cute trick for these things to have?" He glares at the homunculus that is only slightly larger than he is.
Seeing Drake wasn't too badly hurt, she held off on the healing for a moment. Sometimes the best defense was a strong offense. Niss took aim at the nearest living homunculus and sent her borrowed hatchet flying towards it.
The weapon sliced into one of the little creatures, and Niss ◆moved up a bit to get a better view of the room.
Drake maneuvers and places him opposite of Baradim, distracting the enemy in the middle and providing more openings for the experienced warrior to take advantage of. When the drudge goes to block a blow from the falchion-wielding ranger, Baradim slips in with a strike of his own.
If the space is cleared, he would move into the space that the drudge once had before being cut, readying himself for the next engagement.
Niss's projectile destroys the homunculus in between Drake and Baradim. The half-orc, seeing his prey collapse, immediately pivots and brings his blade down onto the creature, finishing it off in two fell swoops. The constructs collapse without much ceremony, although whoever created the creatures surely knows that someone is destroying them.
One final drudge remains, mindlessly gearing up for its next attack.
Finoan watches carefully for an opening.
The creatures seem to be fairly predictable, but they also don't react to being startled or deceived - which makes it hard to induce a weakness in their position.
But tired of standing by while everyone else does all the dirty work, Fin ◆steps carefully out of the puddle of vomit and attacks the remaining creature from behind.
Drake jumps clear of the pool of acid, landing next to Fin before turning his blade upon the vomiting goo creature.
Finoan and Drake attack the remaining creature as one--and it hangs on by a thread.
The homonculus swings out at Drake, who had hurt it the most before, three times, flailing wildly and missing the ranger.
Niss finished the wretched thing off before rushing into the room to check on everyone, Drake especially, avoiding the acidic pools. "Everyone alright?"
"Well, I've certainly been in worse shape than this before." Fin looks around the room quickly. "Well, we need to make a decision. Forward, or back? Staying here is a problem. Someone knows we are here. And knows that we are at least dangerous enough to destroy the construct workers that were here."
Fin goes near the East exit and peers down it.
Niss finished the wretched thing off before rushing into the room to check on everyone, Drake especially, avoiding the acidic pools. "Everyone alright?"
Nodding, "Yeah, for the most part, sweetheart. I'll echo what Fin said. We all know I've definitely suffered worse than this," he says with a slight grin.
Looking to Fin, "Forward. I'm for going forward."
On the central table of the lab seem to be a few crates of items ready to be shipped. Within, there are six vials of lesser alchemist's fire and another with 4 lesser acid flasks. There is also a small, velvet-lined box containing a single dose of lesser stone body mutagen. A note on the table in thin, spidery writing indicates that these items are intended for an address in the Chelish capital of Egorian.
Finoan peers down the eastern staircase and sees the stairs spiraling downward, descending about fifty feet into a narrow hallway.
Once the Princess Guard descends , you all see to one side that the stairs go further downwards to an iron door which is barred from opening with a heavy wooden plank, while the hallway continues south to a simple wooden door. Along the wall is a carving of a small farming village surrounded by an immense graveyard. It is easy to see that it is supposed to be Etran's Folly.
"Forward. It's the only way to finish this," Niss agreed. " 'Stone Body Mutagen,'", she reads. "Sounds like something Baradim or Drake should quaff before the next fight? Unless we're keen on not trusting anything she makes, which I get. But if she's shipping this to Egorian and not Etran's Folly, chances are it's not poisoned or anything."
"Sounds good then - forward it is. I'll grab the rest of those bombs too. They sell well enough if nothing else. I might even use them if the opportunity arises."
Fin puts most of the bombs in his pack - keeping only a couple of fire, electricity, and acid ones available on his belt. He heads quietly down the stairs keeping an eye out for hazards. He makes no comment about the carving of the village as he passes it - just shakes his head and moves on.
Finoan opens the door to the south, past the carving, and sees a large laboratory within. This large chamber contains an alchemical lab, but unlike the one upstairs, it is clear that this is a lab for only one alchemist. Everything is meticulously cleaned and well-organized. Two cauldrons bubble alongside a central table covered in alchemical equipment. The walls are lined with shelves that hold old books and orderly rows of glass bottles, each containing reagents and ingredients. Three pits, their contents hidden from view, fill one side of the room; nearby, a tall glass cylinder contains the blackened corpse of a dwarf surrounded by a swirling green mist.
The room is rife with things to investigate, including what looks like a formula book in the middle of the table .
Once the others are at his back, Finoan heads a few steps into the room and takes a look around. "Is it just labs all the way down - getting creepier and creepier as we go?"
Finoan walks over to the table and takes a look at the formula book on it.
Niss hangs behind the others, but when they enter the room and she peers in to see the glass cylinder she grimaces. "Why do I feel like that thing is going to come to life and break out of the tank?" she voices, with concern. She uses detect magic repeatedly as the group descends to see what it might reveal to her as they approach the room.
Baradim would pick up the elixir of stone body from Niss, nodding towards her as he slipped it into the bandolier that he wore. After the battle with the sentient blood at the hands of an amateur alchemist, they could use any advantage against whatever a dedicated one could create. Baradim follows behind Finoan, always close enough to support the man should the situation grow dire.
"I do not like that either. I'll keep an eye on it." Baradim says softly, moving so he is closest to the vat. He scans the room carefully though, watching out for any other dangers that could be lurking nearby.
Finoan picks up the formula book and hears an angry squeaking shriek from underneath one of the bubbling cauldrons. A large, smouldering, charcoal-and-flame rat comes darting out from under the cauldron to attack.
Niss sees the smoke coming off the rat but the tables and things are in her way. Trusting the others to intercept their newest friend before it gets to her (and hoping the creepy body in the glass tube doesn't choose now to wake up), she hurries into the room and lifts an empty vial with her mind, breaking the end of it so the jagged glass presents a threat and hurling it at the rodent.
Drake moves in, locates the critter, and moves to attack.
The smoldering rat emerges, squeaking with rage and earning and irritable sigh from the warrior. How many other creatures had suffered under her experimentation? How many more would need to put out of their miserable existence. He moved across the room, blade and shield in hand, until he could push the table aside and take a strike against the beast.
Niss, Baradim, and Drake all handily dispatch the poor cinder rat, putting it out of its misery. The sound of battle seems to disturb something from the south...and from the room up to the north. From the south, two more of the constructs come shambling forward,
---------------
While skimming through the formula book, Finoan doesn't notice the rat behind the table. He is a bit startled when the others begin attacking something, so he sets the book down and looks under the table to see what they had found - just managing to catch the last couple of seconds of the rat's life.
"Hmm... Well, that's -" His comment gets interrupted by more of the homunculus constructs.
"Great, more of -" He gets interrupted again by some rather concerning sounds of something in the room around the corner.
Deciding to keep his mouth shut and actually do something productive, Finoan runs farther into the room so that he can see around the corner. "Oh, hey there, ugly." He looks back to Baradim and Drake. "Any chance we could take out those two," he points back towards the drudges, "before he gets here?"