Rashk will Lay on Hands for Nutmeg, then himself 10 minutes later.
Nutmeg nods her thanks to Rashk. "Yes, I am able to proceed. Let us press on and finish what we came here to do."
"I am Root!" Root agrees resolutely.
"I am fine to press on when you all are. I doubt our foes will continue to be quite so easy to overcome, if this is the most corrupted part of the forest, so we should take our time." Illyria says, sheathing her blade once more after looking around and settling down to wait for the others to be on the mend.
After a few nervous minutes as Rashk patches everyone up the party proceeds, following the footsteps in the mud which mark the most used entrance. Inside the bright light from outside is replaced by flickering torchlight in a narrow passageway cut deeply into the hillside. Suddenly, the passage opens into a broad natural cavern containing a series of large tables on the far side of the room. A series of alchemical experiments, most bubbling and frothing as they cook, are arranged atop the work spaces and two burly orcs look up as Rashk leads the way in.
"Intruders!" One grunts, reaching for a bubbling vial as the other pulls a mask over his face.
Nutmeg raises her shield and fires an icy ray at the orc with the bubbling vial.
The ray strikes one alchemist in the arm and he howls as his entire arm is covered in ice. He scans the table in front of him for a moment and then hurls something at the druid.
The vial smashes just in front of Nutmeg and douses her in something foul smelling but apparently harmless. The other alchemist however launches a bottle of crackling blue energy.
Fortunately the druid dances away once more, taking no damage.
Nutmeg keeps her shield up and fires more frost, but this one misses.
Rashk moves up between the two alchemists, blade in hand. He calls out "SURRENDER OR FACE ETERNAL JUDGEMENT!" With Illyira coming up, he'll strike the one behind the counter.
Illyria rushes into the fray, deciding to focus on the same orc that Rashk had assailed.
Baldur joins Nutmeg in throwing magic around.
Between Rashk, Illyria and Baldur one of the alchemists is felled and the other lets out a mixture of a roar and a scream before pelting the melee characters with explosives. One vial strikes Rashk in the chest, dousing him in flames and scorching Illyria too!
Another icy beam flies from the leshy's palm.
Illyria tries to chase the remaining alchemist down, annoyed that they would be hurling such dangerous devices their way.
Rashk heads up to strike at the alchemist.
Since it isn't broken Baldur doesn't attempt a fix, and throws some of the lab equipment with his mind.
Frozen, stabbed, slashed and stabbed again the alchemist falls under the not-so-tender ministrations of the adventurers and silence falls over the small room. Despite the damage done there would likely be plenty for an alchemist to salvage from this room - but unfortunately you don't have one to do it.
A narrow and winding passageway leads to a refuse pit, where a careful search turns up a low-grade cold iron dagger, a wolf fang talisman, and 8 gp in miscellaneous coins among the bones, but nothing else useful. Returning to the alchemy lab and using the stairs this time leads to a large storage room with a single closed door leading onwards. The tactically astute make use of this time and the opportunity of the closed door to prepare and then Rashk leads the way into whatever awaits beyond.
The door itself is lovingly, if crudely, painted with images of a town in flames and it is clear that said town is meant to be Etran's Folly. The room beyond however is a large and sterile laboratory. The opening door releases a chorus of moans which originate from the center of the chamber, where a human man is strapped to a large rack. His flesh is missing in places, replaced with large glass and metal cauldrons that seem to be extracting blood from him, mixing that blood with reagents to transform it, then pumping the blood back into the poor man. Around the room, it is easy to see the shackles mounted to the wall where previous prisoners must have spent their final moments.
A tall orc, dressed in an apron and goggles, seems to be waiting for you.
"So you're the vandals ruining all my hard work?" He asks with a sigh. "A shame. Now I'll need new assistants. At least you'll provide me with new materials to work on."
The man moans in obvious agony and something ripples unnaturally in his emaciated chest.
"Nature will have its vengeance!" Nutmeg declares. Unfortunately, the vengeance will be delayed, as her ray of frost goes wide.
"We have this!" Baldur declares, giving Illyria her favourite spell.
Illyria raises her ensorcelled blade, and trying to ignore the odd motions made by the captive man, she decides to dash around the captor, looking to bring her blade down upon him.
Oops, forgot +1 from Guidance, so 17
Illyria's blow is telegraphed and the orc easily ducks away from it.
"Naughty naughty." He grins. "Guess I'll need a new friend too."
He splashes a liquid all over the writhing man and there is a brief scream before the man begins to bleed from every pore. In seconds he is clearly dead but the bloody mass that poured out of him maintains a shape of sorts, much bigger than the man himself was, and lashes out at Illyria! Not one to miss an opportunity the orc stabs at her with a concealed blade too! Stopping the orc leaves her terribly open and the ooze smashes the fighter into the ground.
Rashk runs up alongside the alchemist and reaches out to Illyria. glowing life energy comes into her. "You have chosen poorly. Make peace with your gods, little man."
Illyria looks rather dazed by the blow, even as Rashk reaches down to shake her back to consciousness She fumbles around to pick her sword up, shaking her sight free of the gory trails left by the ooze. A little unsure what to do after experience such a staggering blow, she desperately tried another strike once more at the orc taunting her.
Baldur advances into the room and reaches out to close some of Illyria's wounds - it isn't enough, but its something.
"Stay away from the ooze!" He suggests. "Make it move, its slow."
Nutmeg casts a spell and raises a protector tree beside Illyria and Rashk!
Illyria lands a powerful blow on the orc and he swears harshly, especially as Illyria's wounds close up before his eyes and a tree sprouts to protect them both.
"That'll do then." The orc sneers. "Enjoy my work!"
He ducks away and sprints for the back of the room, before disappearing from sight somehow. Unfortunately the ooze does no such thing and continues to flail with mindless aggression. The tree interposes itself and is reduced to kindling for its trouble.
Rashk interrupts the ooze striking at Illyria.
He steps up and strikes twice at the ooze.
Illyria groans, after getting slugged by the ooze again, though perhaps not quite as painfully, so, after hearing the advice, she makes to head back towards Baldur after slashing at the creature a couple of times, still just getting back to thinking clearly.
Nutmeg pours more healing magic into Illyria.
Baldur has very little he can do, especially since he doubts the ooze has a mind he can attack. So he closes in and hurls some of the scalpels at it.
The ooze is thoroughly battered but it still seems to have enough fight in it to keep going. It swarms over Rashk, preventing him doing more than glancing at the wall where the orc disappeared. The distraction is nearly lethal though as the ooze smashes him brutally into the floor before it glides on, a second pseudopod reaching out to swing at Illyria, who is just able to parry.
Ooze -55
Nutmeg hustles around the melee, moving behind Rashk to tend to his injuries!
As everyone gets closer Baldur does the only thing he can and tries throwing more things.
Rashk rises to his feet, readies his weapon, and restores himself.
Illyria rejoins the assault on the Ooze, stepping in to make two chopping attacks on the creature, as the healing magic seems to have gotten her to feeling better.
(Step-Strike-Strike)
Ilyria lands two powerful blows, although the ooze's blood clots in the wounds with surprising rapidity. It lashes out violently at her and then does something which causes Nutmeg, Rashk and Illyria to bleed violently from... well, everywhere.
Ooze -86
Illyria staggers as old wounds seem to reopen everywhere on her frame, staining her armour. Managing to stay on her feet, in spite of this, she frantically keeps chopping away with her sword.
(Strike - Strike - Strike)
Nutmeg cries out in pain as she begins bleeding profusely. She holds a hand to her body to try to staunch the flow of sap as she zaps the ooze!
Baldur lashes out with magic and tries to work out what on earth they're going to do if the ooze doesn't die soon - or if the orc comes back...
Rashk will take Illyria's lead.