With a snarl, Reknar moves forward - "What the heck is an Azomi anyway?" - and tries to take the monster down with his flail.
The attack is poorly aimed and timed, so Reknar is forced to drop his weapon, to avoid getting himself entangled.
Turac raises a magic shield and falls back from the deadly monster! Ed batters the creature with magic missiles, but Azomi dodges all of the other attacks aimed at him. Hess is unable to identify what type of monster he might be.
Azomi hisses and attacks Reknar, but the fighter fends off his jaws and claws with his own shield!
Seizing an opportunity, Tol moves to flank Azomi. Again, the doughty martial artist weaves a flurry of blows.
◆ Stride ◆ Flurry ◆ Strike
Ed moves further away from the melee and proceeds to protect himself further, while studying the creature further.
Reknar grabs his weapon with a grumble, and attacks!
Tol maneuvers around to flank Azomi, delivering a solid blow. As the creature turns to face him, Reknar takes advantage of the distraction by retrieving his flail and swinging it down on Azomi's head! The monster's skull splits with a sickening crack! Blood and brains fly as Azomi drops to the floor and lies still!
Ed shies away from the disgusting corpse, showing no desire to search its remains. "Let's get out of here. We have all that we need here and I don't want to run into any more of...those things."
Hess approaches the corpse to see if there is anything interesting there... .
"I say we each take one of those healing thingies. Looks like Tol needs to take his now".
He then begins to compose a new Goblin song.
Ugly, scaley, strong and slimy
Leaves a mark on the floor that's Grimy.
Thought he'd take us for his meal.
But Rek gave him a taste of Flail.
He then begins to repeat his new song ceaselessly and even adds an impromptu dance routine to the lyrics.
Reknar nods approvingly as his flail head crushes Azomi's, then actually chuckles at Hess's song.
He waits for his companion to search the creature, then moves along after the others - "So, there are more of these?" - he asks Vanda.
Still breathing fast after his exertions, Tol nods at Hess’ suggestion.
”Rek - Turac is hurt…or can you heal yourself Turac? And we need…need to find Elder Ordwi. Vanda - where would Azomi keep a prisoner?”
"I sure hope there aren't any more," Vanda says, glaring at Azomi's body. "But you'd better be prepared to face some, just in case. They must have taken your elder down that tunnel. I do not know what awaits you at the far end."
Turac groans. "I've exhausted most of my healing for today. It may be wise to rest before we head down that tunnel."
You all feel stronger for your recent experiences...
”Rek - Turac is hurt…or can you heal yourself Turac? And we need…need to find Elder Ordwi. Vanda - where would Azomi keep a prisoner?”
"Let me take a look at those Turac"
Hess approaches the corpse to see if there is anything interesting there... .
"Let me see if I can heal these wounds now," Ed offers.
Chapter 2: The Rusted Ruin
After resting and healing up, you cautiously begin to make your way through the tunnel in the basement of Stonehome. This long tunnel slopes down and heads southwest, traveling under Iron Harbor. At the path’s lowest point, where it passes under the harbor, the walls drip with salt water and form pools on the floor—up to a foot deep in places—but the tunnel itself is sound and in no danger of flooding.
The tunnel finally comes to an end at a large chamber. A rusted iron door stands in the northern wall of this chamber. A series of symbols are embossed on the door, arrayed around a much larger shape that’s been gouged into the rust: a spiked horseshoe. The door emits a strange brownish-red glow and has no visible handles, latches, or hinges.
Ed is able to translate the Thassilonian runes on the door. They read: "Skymetal Workshop."
Stairs to the west lead up, presumably to the surface of the island upon which the ruins of Rusthenge stand.
"Skymetal Workshop." Ed grimaces here before glancing away from the door. "I don't see a way to open this door, perhaps we should head up the stairs?"
Arcane or occult
Thievery
Hess steps up and uses some of his gathered lore to try and determine more about the door and the means of entering...
Or perhaps Perception to notice any secret latches of anything.
Perception.
Then back to Avoiding Notice.
Tol peers at the great metal portal with curiosity.
”Regardless, even if we *can* open it, let’s scout around up top to get the lay of the…land…We can always come back down later.”
The monk smiles weakly. ”Unless we are dead…”
As Hess approaches the door, he feels a sudden unnerving sensation: a deep ache in his bones alongside a strange, unbidden thought that their blood has caused their bones to rust inside of their body. Despite its appearance, the heavy door seems like it will open easily at a touch.
However, looking closely, Hess discovers hidden runes on the door, a sure sign of a magical trap!
Although not possessed of any particular lock-breaking skills nor very devout, Tol is a student of structures and buildings.
"What do you all think? Stairs or weird... dangerous... rusty door?"
Hess's natural curiosity overcomes his lack of bravery.
"I think I can... I think I can... I think I can".
He then flips his lucky coin which comes up Heads... Hess approaches the door eager to prove his skill.
"Might want to stand back a bit".
Thievery
"It's Okay. We can open it now".
He bows and flourishes his hands toward the door done with his courage for now. If nobody else steps up to open the door he will do so after a pregnant pause.
Ed nods cautiously in agreement, "It should be safe to open it now. We may be able to find the cause of this strange rusting disease in here and stop it...if we do not succumb to this ourselves."
Tol shrugs.
”I think people kind of expect me to go where I don’t belong. Let’s go in. Nice one Hess!”
The young martial artist looks to Vanda.
”Know anything about this place? What is skymetal, and what are they making with it?”
Without waiting for a reply, Tol turns to his fellow Osprey Cove villagers.
”Can we free her now!?!”
Hess looks at Tol and smiles and nods.
"Yes! Yes! She could open the door as a sign of her good intentions".
Vanda shrugs her shoulders. "I have no idea. This is beyond anything I have known as an acolyte of Gorum."
The priestess willingly pushes the door open with her shoulder. This wide hallway features a black marble floor and large murals on the east and west walls. The western mural depicts an older, heavyset woman in fancy robes standing victorious and invincible, with fallen enemies all around her. The eastern mural shows the same woman standing triumphant over six other robed men and women who bow before her, groveling and begging for mercy. Another set of massive doors stand closed at the far end of the hallway to the north.
Two suits of rusted metal armor stand in the center of the hallway. Each of the suits have feet that look like hooves and helms that look like bull heads with too many horns. The suits of armor animate with a lurch, creaking as they begin to move towards you with gauntlets clenched!
Ed reacts quickly here as he sends a rusted piece of metal at the closer of the armored suits, and then backing away from them!
◆ Move as far away from suits of armor as practical.
◆ Draw Hand Crossbow
◆ Strike (Surprise Attack, and Sneak Attack).
Crossbow vs. Off-guard AC
Bolt
"BEWARE! Our loot is attacking us".
Reknar raises his shield and gets ready to attack the first animated armor coming at him.
Ed's projectile misses his target. Hess scores a hit, though his bolt doesn't seem to hurt the animated armor much. Reknar gets ready as the constructs move in, and when they are near, he lashes out with his flail! He scores a critical hit, causing one of the suits of armor to immediately collapses into an inert pile of rusted metal! The other one attacks with its gauntlets.
Ed continues his bombardment of the remaining construct, while trying to recall what he knew of these creatures...
Tol grits his teeth and gets to work, moving to flank with Reknar. He makes two quick punches and then moves out of reach of the armor…
◆ Stride ◆ Flurry ◆ Step
Reknar grits his teeth and swings hard, shield raised.
Ed recognizes the armor suits as animated objects. These mindless constructs follow preprogrammed orders.
The wizard misses with his projectile, but Tol delivers two solid blows, setting up Reknar to demolish the second suit of armor in no time flat!
"Nicely done all. Anyone hurt? Rek, you good?"
Tol takes a moment to look at the two murals.
"Is that Gorum? I though he...she...was...is a man?!?
Ed nods slowly, "Yes, that does seem rather unusual." He moves closer to examine the murals more closely...
Vanda snorts. "That is not Gorum. This place was built by the ancient Thassilonians, long before Iron Harbor was here."
With his knowledge of society, Ed recognizes the woman depicted in the murals as Alaznist, the last runelord of wrath before the fall of ancient Thassilon.
"That is Alaznist, the last runelord of wrath before the fall of ancient Thassilon!" Ed exclaims, "This must be one of her ancient strongholds...one I am sure is being used by these cultists for their own purposes. Let's keep moving. We may discover how to undo this rusting process they are using!"
Assuming Ed shares his knowledge... or Hess make his own check (Society +6)
"Wow this is old! Priestess... do you know anything of this room"?
"Hey Ed. Does anything seem magical around these doors"?
Tol’s mouth hangs a little slack.
”B-before Iron Harbor? That seems like a long time ago.”.
He looks closely at the two murals, marveling at the pictured people, arms and armor etc…
"Nicely done all. Anyone hurt? Rek, you good?"
"All good" - the warrior nodded.
He kept watch over his companions and Vanda as they explored the chamber.
"I know nothing of this place," Vanda says, shaking her head.
The doors at the end of the hallway appear to be neither trapped nor magical. Once you are done examining the murals here, you go through the doors.
A soaring domed ceiling, thirty feet tall in the center, gives this massive chamber a sense of majesty. Marble floors and stairs leading up to a centralized dais, drawing attention to the bloody stone altar at the center of the room. A twisted apparatus of strange metals stands atop the altar. Motifs of a seven-pointed star appear on most doorways, and on all sides of the altar, as do images of spiky horseshoes of rusted iron. The room is brightly lit by over a dozen torches. Ed can sense magic in the area.
A dwarf in rusted full plate stands before the altar. Vanda gasps when she sees him. "Lord Ragnulf!" she exclaims.
Ragnulf grins and holds his warhammer high in a salute. "Behold our first supplicants to grace the rusted works of Xar-Azmak!" he proclaims before he starts to charge towards you!
The dwarf reaches you before you can react. Shouting Xar-Azmak's name, he delivers an intimidating blow to Reknar!
Tol grimaces as Reknar is hit, but still has the presence of mind to quip.
"I'm no judge of art, but I know what I like. And that heap is crappe."
The young Osprey Cove villager growls low, and enters a new stance you haven't seen before, loping and lithe. Tol moves to flank with Reknar, then unleashes a couple of quick slashes with his hands...
◆ Enter Tiger Stance ◆ Stride to flank ◆ Flurry
While The others move to engage the renegade dwarf Ed hangs back, casting a defensive spell, and takes a moment to study the magicks here further...
Shaken by the mighty blow, Reknar retaliates - "My turn!" - attempting to disarm the dangerous dwarf.