Waedin approaches the figurine on the desk, and digging into her reserves of heroism, smashes it with her hammer.
Ustemir and Kolek circle the desk to surround the living figurine, but kolek is too slow with his bite.
The figurine ◆leaps off the desk and jumps onto Waedin, trying to bite her with needle-like teeth.
A bright green liquid seeps out from the bite mark in Waedin's arm, but she seems unaffected.
The figurine then ◆flies across the room, landing on the headboard of the bed.
Sebastian Strides (or Steps) to better see, Raises his Shield and gives Courageous Anthem!
The Bard seems serious....
Ascaede’s eyes narrow as she tries to remember anything pertinent about the violent flying marionette, then moves to provide a flanking position with Waedin, raising her shield to ward off potential… bitey… violence.
◆Recall Knowledge ◆ Stride ◆ Raise Shield
Stepnik ◆moves into the room to get a clear shot and mentally flings a piece of rubble at the homonculus.
Waedin will use her ↺ to Shield Block the damage away and then follow
◆◆ Stride
and
◆ Strike
Ustemir whistles at Kolek and runs to the creature to grab it. "Stop running, you little..." he grunts as he makes the attempt.
Meanwhile, Kolek approaches from the wall and snaps at the creature.
Piercing
Turns out, Waedin blocks the bite with her shield. She then stomps after the homonculus and smashes it with her hammer.
Ustemir too chases down the flying homonculus, jumps onto the bed and grabs it.
The homonculus' eye flutters back in its head as Ustemir holds it in his hand. It's needle-like teeth begin dripping with bright green liquid again.
Being immobilized, it tries to bite Ustemir's hand.
Sebastian Strides into better position before...Magicks!
Ascaede’s brows furrow as she reaches within the folds of her coat to find a particular pouch or pocket. With a flourish she produces a mannikin made of straw and bone and…well…it’s kind of hard to tell in the poor light and the swift zig-zaggery slash of her blade as she leaps to attack the homonculus…
…and then she sweetly and discreetly raises her shield.
◆ Stride/Step/Leap ◆ Strike/Exploit Vulnerability ◆ Raise Shield
Sebastien flings a pebble directly into the homonculus' one eye! Ouch!
Ascaede follows with a exploitive slash of her blade, and cuts the homonculus in half!
However, before anyone can catch their breath, as the homunculus falls, a strange thing happens. A moaning pale yellow insubstantial mist rises from the fallen homunculus, swirls through the air and merges with the hammer contraption standing over the anvil. Suddenly, the image of a dwarf wielding a massive maul lurches to life, eyes glowing, and begins moving toward our heroes!
Waedin swears and utters a prayer of protection as a free action◇, moves twoards the construct ◆, Raises her shield ◆ and tries to figure out what the heck is happening◆.
As the dwarven mechanism comes to life, Ustemir ◆whistles Kolek into action, then ◆hops off the bed and tries to ◆subdue the construct.
Kolek ◆runs across the room and ◆bites the automoton!
Kolek's jaws crunch through and break the mechanism's armor plating.
The animated anvil pounder turns on its heel and brings its maul down at Ustemir with a crushing blow!
Ustemir takes two hits and comes up battered, bloodied, and bruised.
Stepnik quickly reaches and hurls a Versatile Vial at the possessed construct.
◆ Quick Bomb / Versatile Vial:
Hurl
Acid Damage
+1 Splash Damage
Then follows it up with a barrage of loose items...
◆◆ Telekinetic Projectile
Cast
Bludgeoning Damage
"What is the blazes is that"?
Sebastian does what a Bard does!
He then Raises his Shield.
Ascaede’s eyes widen briefly as the homunculus she just battered seems to leak soul-stuff into the now marauding anvil-device. The acolyte once again scours her memory, looking to recall what might assist her and her allies…she produces a strip of fine silk and wraps it about her blade as she on e again advances to the fray, blade almost spinning in her hand en route to the deadly, if mindless, object…
◆ EV ◆ Stride ◆ Strike
Sebastien lobs a bomb at the broken ghost-inhabited machine. and follows with a broken piece of crockery.
Sebastien follows with his own flying rubble, and before Ascaede can ascertain any weakness, the anvil pounder flounders and falls apart!
A remnant of yellowish animating spirit rises from the mechanism before dissipating into nothingness.
Ustemir is left with more than a few broken bones. As he inevitably gets healed up, you get a good look about the room. On the desk sits a half-finished obsidian statuette of an owlbear, as well as an obsidian tablet with the following engraving (in Dwarven):
"Our people have lost their way.
They flee the shelter of your
great forges. Our fires dim,
my master. We have failed
you. No use to you here, I now
come to you. I shall join you
in the Great Chain, whether
to serve at your anvil or stoke
its flames with my soul."
The broken skeleton on the anvil wears tattered robes, but a pair of bracers defy time's rot. The skeleton's left hand still bears a fire-blackened cold iron gauntlet.
The destroyed anvil pounder was holding a maul, which is free for the taking.
While Ustemir gets patched up Waedin stomps around poking at things, with mixed success.
Well these bracers seem useful, Hey, another secret door, this place is lousy with them. Feels real culty if you ask me
Edit: Also using Student of the Canon to get some information about what deity is being talked about.
The reference to The Great Chain points to worship of Kamus, Lord of the Chain, although the imagery of forges and anvils may inform you of some heavy dwarven influence. Makes sense, given the name of this place is The Crucible of Kamus. Given all you have seen so far, you may infer that originally, the dwarves who built this place were joint worshippers of Ferrakus and Linium, and over time became corrupted into worship of Kamus. Eventually, it seems, this corruption ultimately lead to their downfall, and this specific dwarf was possibly the last survivor, and met a rather gruesome end at the hand of his own machinations.
Waedin relays all of this to the rest of the group. It all fits together. I wonder what the clans will want to do about this place.
Sebastian sits down fanning himself. The city halfling not used to all this excitement and exertion.
The history is interesting if a bit dangerous.
Very bloodied and bruised, Ustemir slinks down to the floor in wheezes. He spits out some red saliva, hoping he still has his teeth and spleen intact.
"Sorry to ask again, but... I'll need a minute." he offers a weak thumbs up through the pain to show his approval of everyone's performance before pulling out his medicine kit.
It's pretty general knowledge, especially for a dwarf, that the Kingdom of Asteria is surrounded on three sides, he West, North, and East, by the Crescent Mountains. Currently, you are situated in the foothills of the Western Crescent Mountains. It's fairly well known that there are Dwarven settlements deeper in the mountain range, and they occasionally send caravans down into the valley for trade.
"Here let me take a look at these things".
Stepnik appraises the obsidian items on the desk and identifies the gauntlets.
40 minutes later, Ustemir lets out a loud burp and is ready to go.
Sebastian pens their progress pertaining to their planned exploits as the Alchemist hands out drinks to the orc.
The Halfling dreams of a bourbon, cigar and his comfy chair....
Breaking his reverie, the Bard prepares to further advancement of his home sickness....
"Well. There is some value here. The statuette is worth about 50 Silver, but that tablet... well it's probably worth 300 or so".
He then picks up the gauntlet inspecting the scenes and the quality of the runes engraved on it.
"This Gauntlet now. It's quite the piece of work. Forged from Cold Iron it is and look this is a striking rune, and this is a potency rune. They are a little archaic, but I'm pretty sure that's what they are".
"I don't normally get close enough to punch anything, but those bracers might come in handy. I'll wear them till we decide their permanent home. Let's take another 20 minutes and I'll brew up four more for use if we get in a scrap".
Ustemir dons the magical gauntlet and immediately can feel it's power. At first, the feeling is invigorating, but something quickly changes. Excruciating pain grips Ustemir as the gauntlet forces his hand into a tight fist, the metal fusing into his skin, and his fist transforming into a ball of pure stone. Any efforts to remove that gauntlet prove futile.
Ustemir lets out a series of loud grunts after he dons the gauntlet. Once the process is done, he attempts to remove the glove, then looks at Stepnik. "Well," he sighs "there goes my ability to open doors in silence. Or do proper needlework. You'll have to up your efforts with the healing potions for a while. Hopefully, only for a while."
He smiles, but his eyes betray the expression, showing hints of irritation.
Sebastian walks up to Ustemir. The Halfling studies the gauntlet.
How you go to the bathroom with that on?
Ustemir does a thousand-yard stare for a moment. "I...", the dromaar stumbles over his words. "I don't know."
"I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there."
Gah, should have figured this place would do something evil like that... how do we get it off?
Waedin figures it may require a heightened casting of Cleanse Affliction to remove the cursed gauntlet.
With Balrus, Edgrin, and Verkrik trailing close behind, the group pushes through the secret passage to the west. After a short hallway, the passage opens into an octagonal chamber. Three stone benches line the northeast, northwest, and southwest walls, with conical horn-like devices emerging from the walls at these locations. A strange echoing reverberation fills the room.
At the center of the room sits a small pedestal, with what appears to be a crude map of this level.
Well this is odd. Waedin moves in to look into the horn like devices.
"Maybe they're musical instruments? Sebastien?" Ustemir watches the room quizzically, then looks at the halfling.
Sebastian looks at the conical horn-like devices. He looks at Ustemir. He shrugs.
Walking up to them, the Bard takes out two torches, lights them and begins drumming some Metallica.
Sebastian turns his blue eyes to look directly at...who is the Halfling looking at as he plays drums on all three simultaneously!
Stepnik shrugs at Ustemir.
"Well that was an unexpected benefit. What can I say... Magic... you know".
Crafting
"Hey, rough map on the pedestal seems to show that the horn-like devices in the walls of this room are connected to three other areas through a network of pipes. It appears this entire level was designed to focus sound into this listening chamber. From the north-east wall you'd be able to listen in to the prayer room. From the north-west wall you'd be able to listen in to the ossuary, and from the south-west wall you'd be able to listen in on the mess hall".