Nikolay's singing makes the sylph little nervous, though he tries to hide it. The red crystal makes him forget Doc as he stares at it like it could explode.
As the voice echoes through his head, Nikolay leaps to his feet, scowling, and turns to glare at the throne, his voice mocking the inanimate object. "Such a rude automated defense system! 'Don't touch this, Nikolay; don't inject yourself with that, Nikolay; that substance is not safe for human consumption, Nikolay!' You sound like my Ethics Review Committee!"
He gives the throne a (probably futile) kick, then turns to the rest of the group. "This structure has a mind of sorts. It seeks a descendant - likely Drake, if I am any judge, though I will not stop anyone else if they wish to try. It threatened me with debilitative violence because I was not the descendant."
When he sees Drake approaching the inscribed crystal, however, the throne and its rude guardian are forgotten, and he rushes to the open door, peering in after the elderly elf. "This must be the core Drake talked about. I can read the Elven characters, and I have significant arcane expertise - I will decipher what I can from here." He glares at the threshold. "I dare not enter, as this building does not like me, and I have no wish to be bisected by a surly door." His eyes run over the Elvish inscriptions, trying to decipher their meaning and how they connect to this tower's magic.
Valiard watched the doctor leap up from the throne, no worse for wear with a sense of relief. Which quickly left him as the doctor shot across the room towards the open door, somehow missing each of the pressure plates in turn before he makes it to the open door.
"Defenses eh? I wonder if any of elvish blood could use it, or if its looking for a specific family line?" Valiard mused aloud.
Drake is within the throne room and went to the far door. He offered his hand in sacrifice to open the lock. Now he has slipped through the slowly opening door. After a few steps he stopped moving staring at the crystal.
He is clutching his hand.
He is slowly stepping toward the massive red glowing crystal.
The Elvish words you can decipher on the runes are: Descendant, immortal, power overwhelming, spell stitched, and immense core racial heritage.
You believe that any descendant touching the crystal would be granted the crystals power. Though knowing how long it has been down here, there is no telling how many flaws could be associated with it.
You also know you could be here for years to find its true meaning though you do believe that this is the core of the Elven tower and if it was removed the magical energies in the tower would erupt.
The good doctor does actually hit one of the pressure plates. Then the wall behind the throne turns to that of a window rather than the granite. The throne slowly turns around to face the window. Looking out you see a massive open room that is covered in the meat floor. You see all sorts of strange aberrations moving around and some even fighting with each other. You notice that those fighting have very unique colors to them, likely indicating clan or family or something. A strange small looking creature similar but not like the creatures you have seen so far comes into the room very slowly, it stays along the far wall of the throne and window.
Lectrum follows Magdali into the room cautiously. He could try stealth, but it's not really the way of the warrior. If he makes it to the other side, he stands slackjawed in wonder at the Ramada show. "Sly, I think he's gone all of the way round the bend."
He then watches the Drake show and comments, "I don't think you should..." but it's already too late.
He readies his weapon for the first actual threat he can target and mutters, "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into, Sly."
As Børak moves towards Drake he tries to understand what Nikolay was talking about. Raising an eyebrow when the good doctor says the structure was seeking a descendant....Drake. Returning his attention towards his mentor, Børak realizes Drake is clutching his hand. Moving towards his mentor, he asks Drake, "Is your hand ok? It looks hurt." Reaching towards the mentor's wrist he notices it is shriveled and withered. Holding his mentor's wrist with one hand, he grips his mentor's shoulder with the other asking, "Why don't you let the Doctor take a look at this?"
As he speaks with his old friend, Børak realizes the wall behind the throne and turned from granite to some sort of clear material. As he watches he realizes that it's the 'meat floor' and different creatures are fighting. Distracted by the movement from the door, he realizes one of the strange creatures has entered the room. Holding on to his mentor's arm and shoulder, he tries to move Drake away from the crystal and the new creature, asking, "Drake, do you know what's going on?"
Poking his head out from his pouch he shakes his head, "Nah, he is merely affected by a mutagen, be glad you didn't sit on the throne... wait... no you should go try!"
He quickly retorts, "Hey don't blame me, I have only done my best to protect you. You walked us into this mess."
He doesn't respond to Borak. He seems to be easily impressed as he lets you take his hand and inspect it.
At the request of what's going on He murmurs lightly, "Trials and tribulations for those willing to make the sacrifice."
Then being led away by Borak He comes back to his senses, "No Borak, this is the reason I am here. These 'Zerg' will take the power of the stone and use it for their own means. I must claim it even if it means my destruction! I had a good life my son." His eyes begin to water and tears flow down his cheeks in sorrow. He looks at one of the few people who mean the world to him.
Then in a flurry of movement he pushes Borak, unable to and tries to get back into the room with the crystal.
Ask Drake makes a scene the drone inches forward now about halfway across the throne room.
If someone stares at it or approaches the drone it stops still.
Visayn shakes his head while witnessing the sight on other side of the window. " The mess is partially my fault as well. Its utterly hopeless to defeat them unless we somehow prevent them reproducing."
"So what will happen to those 'zergs' as you call them, if they don't have the power?" he asks Drake while cautiously sneaking toward the drone
Listening as Drake talked about 'reasons' and the 'Zerg' Børak, did not completly understand, but seeing his mentor in tears was heartbreaking. As his mentor tried to push away, Børak drops his bardiche, wrapping his arms around his friend. "I don't understand." He looked towards Visayn, not sure what the sylph meant by it being 'his fault' but hoping Drake would be distracted by Visayn's questions.
As Børak and Drake struggle, Nikolay's eyes remain fixed on the crystal, observing and analyzing. After a moment, he rushes forward again, interposing himself between Drake and the crystal. "Drake, this is madness. The pursuit of power, no matter what the ends, corrupts those who seek it." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his mutagen vial, examining it with what appears to be a look of regret. "I... I would know. I invented the Teratogenesis B compound to give me strength, to heal my ruined lungs. It cured me, but I lost parts of myself along the way - eventually, I stopped missing what I had lost."
He looks back up at Drake, newfound resolve blazing in his blood-red eyes as he points an accusatory finger at the elderly elf. "And what of you, Drake? What will you give up for 'immortality' and 'power overwhelming?' Your hand? Your life? Your son?" The tiefling shakes his head. "If this crystal is so dangerous, it should be destroyed to keep it out of the hands of the wicked. I will help you do this, but I will not stand by as you make the same mistakes I did."
Valiard moved closer to the drone, curious as to why it was in the throne room.
The rest of the group seems to be managing Drake. I need to figure out what this thing is doing. he thought, inspecting the drone as he moved closer.
He would resist for a few rounds then stop as he wasn't going to get free. He responds to Visayn in a sour voice, "The zerg will continue to live as they have. But with direct contact they can evolve more, multiply faster, this is the reason we abandoned the tower. We couldn't control them, not even after developing the hive minds for them."
He simply shakes his head at Nikolay's words, calmly responding, "Do as you choose but no one here has the power to scratch let alone destroy the crystal. It's as fruitless as myself getting free from Borak."
The drone freezes as Valiard and Visayn move towards it. The drone looks like it has scars all over the top of its body. The two claws look like they could do some serious damage. It's eyes look from one of you to the other then back again.
"You seem certain nothing can be done to the crystal. More cautious approach would be in order then, maybe we should even figure out how to make sort of a truce with them so they would allow us to pass." Visayn answers to Drake while trying to understand the drone creature
Having understood Drake intended his own demise to prevent the 'zerg' from using the crystal, Børak glared at Ramada as the man accused Drake of seeking power. Biting his tongue as Drake and Ramada talk, Børak asks his mentor, "What happens to you and the crystal if you touch it?"
"You seem certain nothing can be done to the crystal. More cautious approach would be in order then, maybe we should even figure out how to make sort of a truce with them so they would allow us to pass." Visayn answers to Drake while trying to understand the drone creature
Weakly he coughs and pats Borak's hands hoping he will loosen his grip some, then tries to explain, "Borak you may let me go I promise not to try and run at the crystal again." He shakes his head to Visayn and relays, "No, with the crystal at full power it is nigh invernarable. My memories are fuzzy at best about this place but they are coming back to me. I was not one of the researchers but a guard and kennel tender. My mother was a researcher, thus the reason of know more about this place. You each should try sitting on the throne to see if you are a descendant. The zerg are merely evolved monsters, aberrations, if we could... no... it didn't work before and there are no researchers that know of the process. No, you may let the zerg act but they will eventually eat us. Borak I don't know what will happen to me or the crystal. The goal was to touch it an see. I assumed that touching it would possibly give me strength or it would kill me. Direct contact with the crystal should empower the one touching it but with eons of years of degradation I don't know. Also it should use up some of the power so you may destroy it. If you would let me sit on the throne I could find out more. Also I could look through my mother's old notes."
"Yes... YES! Do both of those things! I don't want to sit on the throne, but I assume the ancestor wasn't a dragon anyway."
Believing his mentor is speaking the truth Børak release Drake. As Lectrum encourages Drak to sit on the throne, Børak asks, "So if each of us touches the stone we can drain it's energy?" Turning towards the stone, he considers it for a moment, asking, "Should we all touch it at the same time, or seperately?"
As Drake explains the situation in greater detail, a sheepish expression comes over Nikolay's face, and he avoids Børak's gaze. "Oh my... I beg your forgiveness. I am afraid that I have a regrettable tendency to extrapolate from incomplete data." When the throne is mentioned, however, the young tiefling scowls and crosses his arms. "I already tried the throne - evidently, the builders of this place did not wish to deal with daemon-get, and all I received for my trouble was threats of physical violence, much like when I spoke with that Iomedaean priest from Mendev." He glances at the massive crystal. "As I said earlier, however, I am an accomplished theoretical arcanist, and I am fluent in Elven. While you experiment with the throne, I can make further observations to ascertain the nature and extent of any damage to the crystal - any irregularities that might impede our work."
True to his word he doesn't make a run for it. If no one stops him he takes shallow steps to the throne and climbs onto it. He first tells the group, "close your eyes until the wind stops." He then taps a few buttons which light up and then the room is covered in a strong wind. When it stops and you open your eyes you see all sorts of magical runes and buttons on a console before the window. The throne room has plenty of the same on it as well. He types quickly as a magical keyboard allows him to input faster. Its all in Elven. He finally stops and reviews some notes, saying, "Yes I was right. We can all access the crystal since we have a descendant in the group. We should all touch it at the same time, or more likely everyone touch me and stand with me then I will touch it. We don't want any protective traps going off. I can also collect the crystal at that point. Oh here, these should be helpful." He touches a few buttons on the throne and a chamber opens on its side revealing six silver or maybe mithril bracelets. He relays, "They have two functions first after seven days it sustains you allowing you to sleep less and not need to eat or drink. The other function works once per day, it is basically the Aid spell with a caster level 7." He pulls up some maps and says, "Yup Zerg everywhere. I think there could be another cache of items in the Core room, Borak please help me," He then goes into the other room and taps a few buttons in a specific order and the granite wall lifts and a massive shimmering chest rolls out. He taps the sequence for the chest and you hear a sizzling sound as it opens. You each see a magical item that has been on your mind most recently, Drake also collects all the crystals in the chest and relays, "These are augment crystals some can be used on weapons others on armor. These beauties are lesser elemental weapon augment crystals, which will attach to a magical weapon and confer 1d6 damage of the element. We have fire, cold, acid, sonic, lightning, and positive energy."
Once everyone has selected and likely had their items identified, thus ready for use. He looks at the group and asks, "Are we ready? Doctor what did you learn?"
The drone slowly begins to creep backwards hoping to leave.
Closing his eyes as Drake instructed, Børak felt the wind whip up inside of the room. Already impressed with the magic as he opens his eyes, Børak isn't quite sure what to say as he watches Drake work he magical console. Listening as Drake talks about the crystal, he tries not to look suprised as Drake produces magical items from the chamber on the side of the throne and then from the chest in the other room. Having selected one of the bracelets, he looks at the items in the chest, as he does so, he asks. "So what will happen when we touch the crystal?"
He hesitantly says, "Well, I don't know. I haven't looked through nearly any of the research notes. I will leave the postulating to the good doctor."
At Drake's request, Nikolay pulls down his goggles to protect his sight, closing his eyes so he is not blinded. As the magic coffer appears, he rummages through it for a moment before extracting a protective leather apron in a style favored by chemists across Ustalav. He peers at a name plate set into a discreet corner of the apron, and his eyes go wide. "This find is of immense historical significance! This very apron was once used by Tavian Nistor, the father of modern medicine, in his experiments - I can only imagine how it ended up here, of all places. This will be quite useful to my work."
As Drake speaks, he looks up, a distant, distracted look in his crimson eyes. "Hm? Oh, yes - the apparatus. It appears relatively undamaged - quite remarkable, given its age. Perhaps these hive minds have been performing maintenance on it?" He shrugs. "In any case, it should be safe enough - for Drake at least. I cannot with complete confidence predict how it will react to the rest of us, but the elven culture of this period was notoriously paranoid and insular - their word for human only became distinct from their word for vermin half a century after this crystal was created."
He moves closer to the crystal, examining the runes inscribed on its surface. "This crystal is a power source of sorts, and the most efficient way to transfer power is through electricity, which I have spent my life studying. I have relatively little fear that I cannot handle this material."
Valiard glanced over at the doctor. "Yes, but what about the rest of us? I am pretty sure that I would not react well to being hit by a lightning bolt. That has to be the real question Ramada...do you think that if we all touch it together, could we safely ground out the crystal without getting fried?" he asked the doctor.
"As for those crystals, I think that I would grab a lightning and positive energy augment for each of my daggers...if there are enough of them?" Valiard suggested.
There are only five augment crystals for weapons.
He offers, "I can lock and secure the doors if needed and we could spend a few hours going through notes to find some answers to your questions?" If that is what the group wants he asks Borak to help him again to the throne. There he instructs those who want to help to consoles that you can scroll through.
Visayn listens the discussion regarding crystals powers with growing excitement. "Drake, just one question. Before we apply their magic to our weapons, I'd like to confirm that there aren't any negative effects or curses related to these crystals." he muses while cautiously watching crystals
"I choose sonic! But I um, am bad at research. I'm good with healer's kits, though!"
Frowning when Drake says 'he doesn't know' about the crystal, Børak turns and tries to decipher what the good doctor was saying. But to Børak's untrained mind, it didn't sound like he knew either. Sighing, Børak turned from the chest and helped Drake back to the throne. As he does so he asks, "What does the blue augment crystal do? I think it would look nice attached to the blade of my Bardiche."
"Yes, but what about the rest of us? I am pretty sure that I would not react well to being hit by a lightning bolt. That has to be the real question Ramada...do you think that if we all touch it together, could we safely ground out the crystal without getting fried?"
Nikolay waves a hand dismissively. "No danger, no danger. It should be safer by far than most things I do." The spindly tiefling pauses for a moment, tilting his head to one side as he thinks. "...Perhaps not the most ringing endorsement of safety, but I'm trying to say that the crystal should be quite safe to touch, so long as Drake, the intended user, can monitor us as we work. As for the augmentations, I would not mind a ready source of acid for my experiments, but I understand that others have a more pressing need."
Visayn listens the discussion regarding crystals powers with growing excitement. "Drake, just one question. Before we apply their magic to our weapons, I'd like to confirm that there aren't any negative effects or curses related to these crystals." he muses while cautiously watching crystals
He looks at you a bit confused but then realization comes upon his face, "Well I honestly don't know. The good doctor or anyone else with spellcraft may be able to decipher if they are magical or not."
---
Then he begins again, "As I was saying are we ready to test the crystal or shall I secure the room to research?"
Channel Positive Energy: The sublime creature may channel positive energy as a cleric. Substitute the creature’s racial HD (minimum 1 for creatures with no racial HD) for cleric level to determine how effectively the creature can channel. If the creature has actual cleric levels (or other class levels which grant the ability), the creature’s racial HD and relevant class levels stack when determining the effect of the channeling.
Positive Energy Affinity: The sublime creature’s affinity for positive energy is such that it is immune to any damage caused by positive energy effects or attacks. Additionally, any healing spells, or other effects, derived from positive energy are doubly effective when applied to the sublime creature (roll as normal for the effect, adding any bonuses such as those derived from class level, and then multiply the result by two).
Strong Life-force: In addition to its Constitution modifier, the sublime creature also adds its Charisma modifier each of its HD when determining hit points.
Finding a leather gauntlet, with animal claws and fangs stitched onto it, Børak smiles a toothy smile as he slipped it on his wrist, opposite the mithril bracelet. Turning towards his mentor, he gestures towards the crystal, "I'm ready if everyone else is. We can study more if we survive."
Well, I already have an unknown healing aura, but I assume it's not as good as Fast Healing 2, so I would take that.
"This is...(no) It's not possible. Who would make such a thing? This is a magical adamantine horsechopper!?!
Lectrum roars with delight.
3d20
Yes!
---
Drake walks slowly with the aid of Borak. Standing before the crystal he makes sure each of you are touching, then he reaches out.
He touches it then a massive wave of energy pushes the group and Drake to the back of the room. The crystal is gone, replaced with a small red gem. Drake's body floats into the air and the energy courses over and within him. His withered hand is restored. His hair grows several feet. A glow seems to come from under his skin. The muscles grow thick with cords.
After a few minutes he drops to the ground in a kneeling position, he looks up with a grin and the lines of age have disappeared.
The small crystal locks into place on his dagger accompanied by a "click" and a small spark of magical energy crawling up the blade.
Shocking... he thinks, then grins for a brief moment...levity in the gloom of the prison.
"Well, this will be useful." he said, vanishing the now electrified dagger under his cloak.
"How about we deal with this crystal and get moving? I imagine we have a lot of building left to explore." he said, motioning at the crystal.
"As the good doctor said, we can discharge this if we do it together."
The group gathered round the crystal and as one, placed their hands on it.
Nikolay reaches out and places his hand on the crystal without a moment's hesitation. After the blast of energy knocks the group across the room, he slowly picks himself up off the floor. From the wild, omnidirectional nature of his hair, it would seem he has been rather badly electrocuted, but he seems unfazed, a manic grin on his face as he pulls out his formula book and begins making notes. "I am vindicated! The crystal did function through a galvanic field!" He glances up at where Drake seems to be aging backward. "An inverse Lorenzo field, I suspect - using a galvanic current to effect entropic recursion."
He continues to take notes for a minute or two more, but as his mutagenic compound wears off, he collapses, his pen and notebook clattering to the floor, as his body returns to its normal, rather sickly appearance. He lies on the floor for approximately a minute, his body wracked by coughing fits, before getting to his feet somewhat shakily. "I beg your pardon - it's a side-" The young alchemist's sentence is interrupted by another, somewhat milder coughing fit. "-side effect of the Teratogenesis B compound. When it wears off, the-" Another coughing fit. "-my shearlung returns for a time. I'll be fine." He manages a weak grin. "At least the madness has subsided - I should make more sense now." He glances up at Drake. "For instance, what I said about entropic recursion - I won't bore you with the-" *cough* "-technical details, and they're mostly theoretical anyway, but Drake has temporarily reversed the natural aging process." He glances at Magdali. "I do not know the church's official position, Miss Magdali, but I doubt such a specific, mostly theoretical case would be deemed a blasphemy."
He stands up with a dexterous speed you haven't seen in him before. He walks forward to give Borak a hug. Once they stop the embrace he backs up and offers, "It is good to live healthily again. The data base has now been downloaded." He taps his temple.
Then he continues, "Next step do we want to fight the Zerg, leave them for now, forget them entirely? Once the choice is made or exhausted we can use the waypoint to get back to the prison proper. We are a few miles into the earth and there is no easy way by standard measures to reach the prison which is merely at the peak of the tower. We could use the waypoint to go to the top of the tower or a different level. As no Zerg have emerged they should be safe until after we get stronger."
He walks over to where the crystal was before and stretches out a hand straining a stretch of his fingers. A little red glowing gem lifts up quickly into his hand which closes over it. He then steps up to the hole and collects other red crystals.
Lectrum doesn't touch Drake, but watches him warily as he yanks Ramada back to his feet. "Everybody feeling well? I have never felt better. Killing the zerg is fine. Helping the ghost lady is also fine."
Helping his mentor towards the crystal, Børak watches as the others lay hands on Drake as his mentor reaches for the stone. Feeling the wave of energy Børak stumbles back as he mentor starts to float, righting himself quickly, he looks down at his hands, realizing his reaction was faster than it had been. Returning his attention to his oldest friend, he's relieved to see the withered hand restored. Realizing other things were happening as well, Børak reached out to his floating friend, touching him, asking "Drake are you well?"
Releasing his friends embrace Børak watches and listens. Not entirely sure what 'the data base' was, he was just relieved to have his friend back, whole and hale, seemingly better than ever. Listening as Drake offers options, Børak isn't sure what would be best. Moving to help Drake collect the red crystals, he answers Lectrum, "Yes I am well." Turning back to Drake he asks, "Are the Zerg still a threat? Now that the crystal is in your grasp, will they continue to get stronger, or will their strength subside?"
Borak siphons off another bonus as he touches Drake before he lands.
He looks at Borak thoughtfully seemingly thinking about what he asked. Then he slowly responds to each question, "Yes the Zerg are still a threat. I don't know how many levels they have infested but luckily they haven't left the tower. They will not continue to evolve or get stronger from this crystal, I am sure there are others just none as strong. They shouldn't get stronger but will likely remain as they are for several generations. Give it a decade or two and their resources should have dwindled."
Then he looks at the group with some of the red crystals in his hands as his pockets are filled with them. He calmly suggests, "I suggest we gather wealth and slaughter the Zerg. When they get too strong we retreat to the waypoint. Do you have any time sensitive quests? Anyone have a bag of holding?" He casually walks back by he chest and finds a simple black leather coin purse. Placing the red gems near it, they vanish. He winks at the group, "I believe I have an astral bag."
He then puts the 'coin' purse on his belt. Which it ties itself to his belt.
Type I: 6 spaces
Type II: 10 spaces
Type III: 15 spaces
Type IV: 20 spaces
Type V: 30 spaces
He looks over and asks, "Magdali, you have been awfully quiet, what do you think?"
Visayn is watching with curiosity Drake's hand heal "Can we beat them all though? That last fight was quite challenging and there will be several of such attem if we have to eradicate all of them." he muses "This may last several days and there is more to explore in this prison."
"I suggest we gather wealth and slaughter the Zerg. When they get too strong we retreat to the waypoint. Do you have any time sensitive quests? Anyone have a bag of holding?"
Nikolay holds up the pouch at his side. "I lifted this off a mage when I was with the Sczarni. I use it to store my laboratory equipment." As he takes in Drake's words, however, his face falls. "S-stay here? I hesitate to remind you of this, but we are on a rather strict time schedule! We have precisely one week before the Harrowstone spirits break free and overwhelm the town. If these creatures will grow weaker with time, they are no longer a threat. We must move on to other, more pressing matters, and unless we make the retaking of the upper levels our first priority, Ravengro will fall."
Listening to what the good Doctor was talking about, Børak remembers something about Valiard saying they only had until the wardens wife's name was spelled out. Looking from Ramada back to his mentor he asks, "Maybe we should deal with the ghosts first, then come back and take care of the zerg?"