Galahad tries to identify the spell used to create this place, curious to see if one day he might be able to harness it's power for the guild. An engine that could turn spiritual energy into power, what a ridiculous yet frightening creation, casting guidance on himself as he tries it.
"Understood, we'll stay in our positions and do that, if you believe Shere Khan's services won't be necessary then I would like to request keeping him in his room untill needed... that would make us more comfortable."
Cao Guojiu says, but He Xiangu seems to protest.
"B-but, our Lord! We need to help him!" - She says, despair striken across her face
Cao sighs, a bit perturbed, he knows that Xiangu's devotion to their master is incredibly strong, sometimes even going beyond reason
"Xiangu, answer me, the Supreme Beings themselves are saying that they will take care of the situation. Do you doubt their capacity? Or worse, do you doubt their friendship to our master?"
"No! Of course not, but our lord... but the Supreme Ones, huh..."
He Xiangu looks bewildered for a moment, trying to decide her course of action
Cao rests a hand on her shoulder and bows to the guild members
"Worry not, the Immortals will keep watch over the guild and defend it with our lives if need arises"
As you ply your silver tongue the warlord tells about his order of Black Blades of Divinity. He tells of the fight versus the mage kings. So many of them using their magic for power, making armies, constructs, and slaves. His order did the best they could to save what they could from the mages.
Willow's eyes go wide at the announcement, more out of reflex then actual emotion. Intently they listen to what the others say before responding, "I am ready to go when you are Desseer."
"Breaking Dawn can handle the load. I've often ridden him with Peoni or Saffron. Ready when you are, Myriana." So'ren says, although she looks like she's ready to go now.
As people were saying they were ready Myriana nodded and said, "Alright, follow me nya!" She quickly led the way back to where she had arrived and flew up into the air with flaps of her wings. Once she was sure everyone was following her and that she had any protection from the sun up, she began to lead the way retracing her steps yet again.
It took some time to get back to the shore, and then to follow it to delta where the river was, but Myriana eventually managed it, realizing they were there when she smelled the swamp smell on the wind. When they arrived, she flew as close as she could to the area the construct had been in and then began to move back and forth in a search pattern until she spotted it and called out, "There it is nya!"
I see, so you two were something of heroes yourselves then, I hope your groups managed to defeat these mages even without your help. However... mages taking slaves is a bit of a novel thing to me, I take it slavery is allowed in some places of this worl... continent?
He questions.
"Alright," Desseer nods to no one in particular, "I'm ready. Once Fyr is ready, we can head out."
So'ren gathers up Breaking Dawn to help with the trip. Myriana can ride with her if she wants.
Fyr shows back up with silken armor. A heavy crossbow and multiple blades. Next to her is a man sized scorpion that is ready to go as well.
It is nearly dark as the group follows Myriana to the site of the construct in the Mandrake Swamp.
As Desseer approaches, he feels a strange sensation. Immediately he looks around, searching for the origin. He then closes his eyes for a moment and opens them slowly .
He roots through his memory, trying to identify what the strange feelings are.
The elf-fiend then carefully inspects the area for clues as to Galah'ads location.
The gargantuan construct looks like a rusted red crab with two massive claws. It is submerged into the muck but it is hard to determine how much.
Breaking Dawn Will
So'ren Will
So'ren hardly notices, focused as she is on the construct before them, except for a brief hesitation from Breaking Dawn, who shakes his head and snorts as they land.
She draws out her whip, enjoying the sensation of its leather and living steel handle in her grip. Man, that just feels right.
She drops a haste spell over the party. "I've added to our speed, be prepared for anything."
Desseer carefully flies around, inspecting the area around the crab and then the crab itself.
As he flies he shouts to the others, "There are a lot of mandrake around! That could cause alteration to mental faculties to living minds! Be aware!"
Willow moves with the others, nodding their thanks to So'ren for the buff.
Noting Desseer's warning to the living, Willow will start to quickly search the ground around the area in a grid like pattern.
Myriana was unaffected by the mandrake's cries, one of the benefits of being undead making her immune to such things. She led teh group down towards the construct and to where the enigne was as she said, "Galah'ad was beating on this," she indicated the damaged engine, "nya. The thing stopped moving and the flash occurred and then he was not her nya."
Well, if what you say is truth then I believe once we're out of here we should check the status of your organizations and that of the mage kings. Merely out of curiosity, how many of them used to exist? Were all of them humanoids or some other type of creature entirely?
Upon seeing Myriana and the others approaching Zhang bows towards them
Welcome Supreme Ones. I've been looking into this construct for a while and there seems to be some sort of magic in the engine that has entrapped my master, likely some sealing spell, but I do not know any further than that regretfuly
Looking around the crab you see many broken Mandrake trees with green and white liquid where they are broken. It is not moving at all thus you can assume it is a dormant construct.
The damaged part of the crab is now under the water.
Fyr luaghs and pulls her Sickle. With it she slashes herseld with sadistic glee
[Dice÷Damage]1d8+4[/dice]
"Hello Zhang, did you did you find a way to access this engine? Perhaps I can think something up upon further investigation?"
Willow looks to Fyr with a look of curiosity. "Why are you cutting yourself?"
Myriana gestured and said, "The engine can be accessed over here nya." The question of why Fyr was cutting herself caught Myriana's attention and she considered for a moment what might cause her to do that. She finally just shrugged and decided that wasn't the most important issue at the moment as she focused once more on the stilled engine.
Desseer pauses his investigation of the crab machine and flaps closer to Fyr.
Looking at her with concern he asks, "Fyr, are you alright?"
"I dont know?" Fyr said lucid in the moment. She blinks looking around and sees the sickle bloodied and looks about.
.
"Did we get attacked" She days puttinf away the sickle and pulling out her crossbow to load and looks about for more enemies.
She doesn't speak on the topic.
"Whatever you're doing, stop cutting yourself," So'ren says, channeling her reserve of life energy to provide some healing for Fyr,"Maybe it's an attack, maybe mind control?".
Healing for Fyr ! (Channel Energy 1/12 for day used)
"Be careful around these mandrake," Desseer warns after slowly observing the environment. "Just the spores can cause confusion in the living. It is also possible that if they are disrupted, they could cause paralysis or death."
He then turns to Fyr, "I'm sorry Fyr, but it may be best for you to leave the area for now."
Seeing that So'ren is looking after Fyr, Desseer focuses his attention back to the crab machine. He flaps his fiendish wings to keep away from the mandrakes. He then begins looking for openings in the plating of the monstrosity.
"Excuse me Supreme Ones, if such effect is indeed caused by an aerosol effect and we have no means to remove it currently, I believe we could try to shield Lady Fyr with an air bubble? It would only be a temporary effect, but it'd protect her from the spores in the air for a few minutes at least"
No openings, well except for its open mouth. The others are now under water and muck.
"Yes,Zhang," Desseer responds as he begins approaching the mouth. "If you or somebody else can cast that on Fyr, it might very well help."
Desseer then carefully looks into the open mouth.
It's a machine right? What would be behind the mouth?
Desseer flies up to the crab's mouth and sees there are rows upon rows of teeth, or more precisely razors. Nothing is going to easily get through that.
Seeing the others tend to Fyr, Willow continues their search of the area.
Once Desseer ascends to the top of the crab, they inquire, "Anything of interest?"
Desseer crumples his face in frustration. "Not really. We need to find a way through the plating of this creature. Is anyone good at big strong hits?"
"As you wish, it might not be much, but please accept this from your humble servant"
Zhang says, a bubble of air leaving his hands and enveloping Fyr in a safe pocket of breathable air
Willow will start to move closer to the construct, looking for a way in.
"Have you see any kind of opening? I may be able to slip through using my innate gaseous form?"
"I haven't found any kind of opening other than the mouth which is full of teeth."
Willow takes the moment to fly up and join Desseer.
"The size of the opening is not an issue, I can slip through without much issue in my gaseous form."
Viewing the opening, they decide to take the time to investigate the opening with detect magic.
Aquatic Reconstruction (Ex) Whenever a coral golem is touching a body of saltwater of a size equal to or greater than its own size, it gains fast healing 5.
It also has been adjusted to have six massive tentacles that reside under the muck and water.
Breath Weapon (Su) As a free action once every 1d4+1 rounds, an iron golem can exhale a 10-foot cube of poisonous gas. This gas cloud persists for 1 round; any creature within the area when the golem creates it (as well as any creature that passes through the cloud during the remainder of that round) is exposed to the cloud’s poisonous effects. This poison is magically created each time the golem uses this power.Breath weapon—inhaled; save Fort 19; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Constitution damage; cure 2 saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Immunity to Magic (Ex) A coral golem is immune to any spell or spell-like ability that allows spell resistance. In addition, certain spells and effects function differently against the creature, as noted below.
Any spell with the water descriptor heals a coral golem 1d6 points of damage per level of the caster (maximum 10d6).
A magical attack that deals electricity damage slows an iron golem (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw.
Transmute mud to rock increases the golem’s bleed damage to 2d6 for 3 rounds.
Soften earth and stone causes a coral golem to lose its damage reduction for 3 rounds.
A magical attack that deals fire damage breaks any slow effect on the golem and heals 1 point of damage for each 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. An iron golem gets no saving throw against fire effects.
An iron golem is affected normally by rust attacks, such as those of a rust monster or a rusting grasp spell.
Myriana was disappointed that the spot she had seen before had gone under the muck where they couldn't reach it, so she flew up towards the mouth area to look there as they tried to find a way inside of the thing. Shifting to gaseous form would actually be quite effective and she studied the thing intently, casting a spell to see magic as she did so.
Finally recognizing the thing for what it was Myriana began to relate what she knew about coral goems.
Now knowing that the golem is dormant and what it entails,
Myriana, after finishing her explanation, said, "I think we can get in through here as a gas nya." Suiting action to words Myriana shifted into a vapor and wafted her way inside of the construct's mouth.
Shifting back into her solid form Myriana began to examine the engine carefully. It didn't take her long to spot the runes and she made some effort to try and determine what they were. With her extensive knowledge of the construct already it wasn't very hard for her to figure it all out but wasn't sure if any of it would help. She had no idea where Galah'ad was or if any of this would help. Deciding that she should push something, just to see what would happen, Myriana decided on one and activated it.
With a burst of energy and a stream of steam, three panels on the construct fall free except for the hinges holding them. Out of the mist you see Galahad appear and then two more ghostly figures...
"What?!" Galahad asked bewildered as the spell deactivated and he found himself once again in the swamp, this time with the ghostly companions by his side
He looked around and saw his fellow guildmembers, finally understanding what had happened, Galahad gives a sigh of relieve
"I don't think I have ever been happier seeing you all"
He then looks back at the two other ghosts, who are glaring curiously at his friends
"Ah, yes, very well... I happened to make some acquaintances while in my predicament. This lady here is the High concubine of the Asua Clan, Serisha Le Tearsu and this is Warlord John Morgrave of the Black Blades of Divinity. They were trapped inside this engine as well, apparently this construct was made by a group know as the Mage Kings to fight against the undead and their organizations... apparently it served it's purpose."
He says motioning over to them and then to his friends
"And these are my guildmates from the Seeds of Slaughter. I do believe thanks are in order for helping us get out of that engine"
Serisha Le Tearsu appears to be a fine elven maiden as Warlord John Morgrave appears to be human, maybe an assimar. They bow give silent thanks, she curtsies as he bows.