hmm... I supposed a ranged attack roll to get close, and a reflex save or the like from sankip to catch it.
Exact specifics are open for discussion.
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Sangkip:
Sangkip: Sangkip will see four octagonal slots, roughly prism-shaped, in the center panel, with dials and controls on the panels to either side, many with labels and writing on them, that he can't quite make out from the wall. He is unsure how long it will take to put them into place... though at a glance, doesn't seem too complicated.
The more concerning part, is that there are two levers to turn, both on opposite ends. You will probably need two people up here, to arm or activate the thing... and that's assuming you can make heads or tails out of the various dials and levers. But hey... they're just levers and things, you're sure you can fake it!
Floria:
As far as you can recall, from your research, the wrecker demons have no particular resistance to spells in general, but like most demons, will have some DR... typically easily overcome with cold-iron weaponry.
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Kara:
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Among more scholarly circles, the wrecker demon is known as an abrikandilu... you have not read much that covers these creatures, though what you have seen did not indicate any immunities beyond those typical of all demons... nor any special defensive abilities. Offensively though, as their common name suggests, they are particularly good at destroying things, their attacks tearing at even the sturdiest of structures. These same attacks, directed at flesh and blood targets, can be particularly devastating, and those who survive wrecker attacks often sport hideous mutilated wounds that mar their skins and their minds, for a long long time.
Huni finally manages to shrug his shoulders and arch his back enough, to pull the leather suit all the way up, and throw the strange hood over his head. But years of sitting dormant have gummed up the glass with dust and residue, and he has to scrub at at it furiously for a moment with one leather-clad hand, in order to clear a small space to see through. Alessio is having a little more trouble, though he thinks he has it now, as he manages to get one arm in.
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Kara steps boldly through the door, wracking her mind about what little she recalls of these demons, as she says some arcane words, and suddenly sends a shower of shiny metal shards across the open space. The demon snarls, as it rips loose a section of the stairs, throwing it up in front of itself like a shield, blocking the brunt of the blast. The stairs though, don't fare quite so well, as the metal shards rip into them like flesh, tearing at the risers and supports, and ripping holes through the steps. The entire bottom sections lists forward slightly, as the brackets holding it to the wall almost come completely lose.
The demon howls in delight at the unexpected destruction as it turns, its blackened eyes boring in on the Taldan woman. Spittle flies from its mouth, and it screams in rage, as it raises the piece of stone and metal in its hand and hurls it right at her. Luckily, the damage from the blast seems to have eaten away at whatever was holding that piece together as well, and bits fly in all direction... none of which reach the wizard. The second demon, up on the platform, continues to tear at the console with gleeful abandon. Its hardened claws rip off a panel near the base in a shower of small sparks, bits of silvery wire tearing loose as it does so. Powerful arms bend the panel like it were made of foil, as its teeth tear at it, ripping it in two, as it gives a exulted cry. You hear a shout of warning, from behind you, and Floria sees Ollysta Zadrian and some of the Crusaders rushing through the workshop towards you. They appear to have breached the tower as well. Before you can make out what they're saying though, back in the weapon room, the entire tower seems to bend and bow, as if under extreme pressure. A moment later, the entire back wall explodes outwards, with a deafening screech of metal and stone! A nearly fifteen foot narrow section of the wall there, and part of the stairs attached to it, seems to evaporate before your eyes, bits of debris raining to the floor below. A pair of massive claws reach through the hole, and continue to tear at the edges, trying to widen the gap. As the dust settles, you see a bestial demon larger than any you've laid eyes on before. A gargantuan creature, well over thirty five feet tall, combining the worst aspects of every bear, or wolf or reptile you can think of... your minds almost short out trying to process what you're seeing. It is outside the tower, tearing at the now unprotected walls, trying to get inside. Knowledge (planes), DC 26:
It is a shemhazian demon! One of the apex predators of the Abyss!
Luckily, its size proves your only saving grace at the moment, as the hole it tore in the side of the building is far too narrow for it to pass through. Only the occasional long deformed scaled and furred arm and claw thrusting through... so far. The rest of you hear Ollysta calling out now too, as she and the Crusaders approach from behind. "Beware!" Ollysta shouts, only for her warning to die in her throat, as she realizes the creature she had come to warn you of, has already arrived. She recovers quickly, however, and immediately starts directing her men towards the back of the room. "Iomadae watch over us all." She exclaims, her face grim. "Focus on activating the weapon! I will hold off this beast for as long as I draw breath." Given the size difference, you're not sure that will be as long as you might like.
- Round 2 ----
- Round 3 ----
Party is up (minus Alessio)
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As the spirit fades, and the last of the wards finally drop, the tower, which had been sitting in a sort of protective stasis for decades, is finally breached. Alessio and Huni race over to where the strange leather body suits are, the spirit's final words fresh on their minds. They are not so easy to put on, unfortunately, especially given the variability of what someone might be wearing underneath, Huni almost immediately gets his caught in the sword sheathed at his side, while Alessio tries to figure out which way is forward. Kara halts her work on the prism, instead turning her wand on herself, giving some protection from whatever evils might lurk in the room beyond. Floria follows suit, forming a defensive barrier in front of herself. Sangkip seems mostly unconcerned about the spirit's warnings, grabbing the crystal that Kara had placed back in the bracket by the door you came through, before joining Alrik at the door, as the sounds of destruction inside start to get more chaotic.
Huni appears to get his sword untangled, and continues trying to pull the suit up, just as Alessio realizes his is indeed backwards, and has to correct the problem before continuing. Floria concentrates and her form begins to shift into that of a small reptilian kobold, as Sangkip and Alrik pull open the outer door, then quickly move to push open the inner, and final, door to the mysterious weapon room. Finally, you have reached the target of all this trouble, and reason for being here. What you see does not disappoint. The room beyond forms a massive stone cylinder, at least sixty feet across, and rising upwards nearly twice that. A massive column of silver and steel, twenty feet across rises up through the center of it all... smooth metal all the way up, about two thirds of the way, atop which is an large elaborate device much like an astrolabe, made of gold and glass, that shines almost painfully bright. The ceiling, just above the device shines just as brightly, covered in strange silvery panels. A set of metal stairs run along the perimeter of the tower, starting to your left, and proceeding clockwise on the far side of the metal column, before reaching a platform about twenty feet off the ground to your right. A large semi-circular console of some sort occupies most of the platform. The entire room hums with energy... so much so that your teeth almost itch, and the hair on your arms stand on end... an effect that makes Sangkip puff up like like some sort of plush toy. Unfortunately, you are not alone. Two demonic creatures, of a type you have not encountered before, are already here... squat, deformed, hunchbacked fiends, with rat-like tails. One stands up on the platform, ripping pieces off of the console with gleeful abandon. The second stands near the bottom of the stairs, attempting to tear part of its foundation out of the wall with teeth and claws. Knowledge (planes), DC 17:
These are a type of fiend more commonly known as wrecker demons... formed from the souls of vandals and those who destroy in jealous fits. Called that due to their unholy delight in the destruction of anything beautiful.
Even as Alrik and Sangkip enter the room, the entire tower shakes again, like something is smashing against the side of it. - Round 3 ----
Kara can go!
Floria continues her examinations, though its a little trickier given the spirit floating right above the desiccated corpse. It does not seem to object as she removes the scrolls from the remains to examine. Contained thereon, is a spell of align weapon... Though the body has no weapon to have cast it upon. The wards have not completely failed yet... but any moment... The spirit says, its ghostly eyes glancing towards the door to the north. You can barely see the strange bluish lights limning the frame, their glow almost completely extinguished and sputtering slightly. You realize the spirit is getting harder to see too, its form seemingly fading along with the wards. As Kara goes to pick up the empty prism, it turns its head and glances calmly at Floria, as the later asks about the suits. Not all who join the Crusade against the hoards of the Abyss are truly devout and pure of heart. It's hollow voice says in response. But their efforts are no less needed. The suits helped to shield some of our less zealous allies. He doesn't really get to what it shields them from, as the building shakes yet again, greater than before, and its eyes swing around to the door once more. You can't help but follow its gaze, and see the last of the glowing wards finally go dark. It is done. The spirit intones, its voice barely audible. I am free... With those final words, its ghostly form finally fades away... the wards apparently keeping its spirit from moving on, all these years... just as it kept the demons out. As if to remind you of that last, the tower shakes once again, and you hear a great rending sound of stones being torn apart through the northern door. A moment later, it is followed by the sounds of metal scraping against metal in protest. Something is happening inside... something destructive.
The spirit glances towards Kara, its ghostly eyes seeming to penetrate to her core. If you are here, now, then you must have disabled many of my tower's defenses. It finally says in response, as once again the tower seems to shake slightly from some mighty force. Contingencies that trapped me... all of us, inside when they triggered. But what kept us in, kept them out. Its gaze glances towards the heavy metal door, on the north side of the storage area, as it answers Kara's question. My weapon is there. Such grand designs... but so fundamentally flawed... and now likely lacking the energy it needs to activate properly. It has been dormant so long. One spectral hand motions towards the remains at its feet. The prisms store the essence of Heaven itself. I sought to harvest it... and my hubris sealed my fate... but it does not have to seal yours. The building shakes again, whatever is causing it, becoming more frequent. Even now I can feel the demonic hoards intent on wresting the weapon from the righteous once more. We never got the chance to test it... The ghost's look becomes almost wistful, as it glances towards the leather suit with the body in it. But perhaps it is not too late... you must hurry. The prisms... you will find places to insert them on the main control panel, beyond. Once in place, you should be able to fire the weapon, by turning both the activation keys at once. I can only pray that my creation is powerful enough to banish the scourge of Sarkoris from our door... or your fate will likely mimic my own.
There is another tremendous crashing sound, as the tower shakes once more, even as you look around. Alessio works to remove the one non-empty vial, in order to determine what it might contain, but finds himself suddenly interrupted as for a second time, a ghostly figure rises up from the desiccated remains. For a moment you fear the allip has returned, but you quickly realize that this one seems different. It seems like a proper spirit, without all the chaotic roiling essence you saw in the two allips. The ghostly form seems rather peaceful, as it surveys the room, only looking away, as again the tower shakes. For the second time... demons draw near. It finally says, the voice hollow and calm. It wears a cassock exactly like the one on the corpse from which it rose, and now that you have a good look at it, you realize remarkably similar to the allip that appeared in the same location... just with all the pieces in the right spot, and without the maddening shifting of its ethereal form.
The only place Alessio sees for the prisms, is the one in the workshop by the door to the storage room. And you removed that one already, before putting it back in again. It is still there, fully charged now... but flickering slightly. Floria will note that the desiccated body in the storage room is still cradling what appears to be a fully charged prism, and a second, empty one, lay beside it on the floor. The body itself is wearing a fancy religious cassock with the symbol of Iomedae prominently displayed. A scroll is tucked into a sash around its waist, with a few small vials secured by small loops along side it. All of the vials but one, appear to be empty, whatever their contents lost to time. The rack against the far wall contains the strange leather body suits, in both small and medium sizes, each with a large headpiece with flat glass panels inset.
One of the suits, the one the second allip arose from, appears to have a dead body inside it... little more than dust and bones now.
Finally coming out of his daze, Alessio downs a mutagen, as he tries to get a better look at what is happening in the far room. The rest, quickly focus their efforts on the final spirit, hoping to end its tortured existence before it can cause them more grief. Huni manages to cut a long swatch through its ghostly shell, as he moves around it, trying not to get tangled up in Kara's magical chain. Alrik, on the far side quickly steps in to fill the space the first allip was occupying only moments before, to continue the assault, his axe cutting a second line through the creature. It seems to be having some difficulty holding on to whatever corporeal form it has... But even that is short-lived, as Sangkip dives in again, both daggers flashing, and shreds the last of remaining anchor to the material worlds with two quick strokes. Its babbling quickly dies, as its entire form seems to disperse into the ether. Back in the previous room, Kara was ready to attack, but suddenly finds there is no need. A small intake of breath beside her turns her attention to Floria, who seems to be coming around finally, as the last allip is destroyed.
Party Status:
But even as the second spirit is ended, and its maddening murmurs silenced, you realize the first's words are now actually coherent, though barely audible. There was no time... the wards had to go up... or all was lost.. but then... There is a brief silence, then the words continue, even quieter. We lost it all anyway... and then time was all there was. Have we failed? Has all the sacrifice been for naught? Then the murmuring finally ceases, with two final words... and you have to strain to hear even those. They say simply, But wait... Almost in counterpoint, the entire tower seems to shake yet again, as motes of dust suddenly kick up from the thick layers that cover everything, and flutter down from the ceiling above.
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The Pathfinders continue to fight on, despite the maddening assaults. Again, Kara tries to wrap up one of the allips with her force chain... but again, her mind isn't quite directing it accurately, and it easily avoids them. She then again, follows that up with another bolt of arcane force, which is far easier to target, and strikes more of the spirit's essence away. Huni, once more finds his inner calm hindering his ability to fight, as he continues to flail about with his sword... all the effort, but none of the accuracy. He still has the presence of mind to step back, as the second allip tries to claw at him again, its touch missing him yet again. Sangkip, realizing he is being far to cautious, relents on some of his defensive stance. This time, his blades strike far more accurately, both of them ripping small tears in the incorporeal creature. Alrik, still trusting in the righteous might of Kelinahat, changes nothing, slashing his axe in a mighty sweep down the center of the allip. But, unlike the previous swings, this time, the divine power of the blade seems to be too much for it... as the spectral essense begins to dissipate, and shred apart, unable to hold its form.
Its random muttering, eating at everyone's thoughts, seems to fade and starts to become almost coherent, although what those words are are currently drowned out by the continued mad babbling from the second allip. It is more than enough to keep Floria's troubled mind in check, but not enough to continue to hold sway over Alessio. The old soldier finally manages to shake himself free of his lethargy, aware of his surroundings once more!
-- Round 5 -------
-- Round 6 -------
Party is up!
In the thick of things, Sangkip slashes out tentatively with his knives... but he is far too worried about leaving himself open to their touch, and both of his blades fail to make any contact with the ghostly figures. Huni seems to be having trouble concentrating, as the cacophonous noise in his head gets louder and louder... but he still has enough presence of mind to draw once more upon Irori, to channel one last mighty wave of holy energy, that tears at the spirit accosting him, its form wavering. The other allip again seems to resist the worst of it, though even that clearly ate away at its form. Neither seems inclined to cease their attacks though. The cacophony in Huni's starts to get louder, as it reaches for him once more, but he ducks back and away, avoiding the creature's grasp. GM Screen:
The stronger allip seems solely focused on Alrik, as if the dwarf's very existence offends it somehow. It again reaches out, attempting to warp the dwarf's mind a little more towards madness, but Alrik has seen a great deal during his time on Golarion... and sometimes, a little light insanity comes with the job. He barely ducks under the blow, and slashes back with his divinely guided axe... the blade tearing away at its ghostly essence. Behind the action, Alessio and Floria continue to stand entranced by the chaotic murmuring all around, while Kara sends a blast of arcane force at the allip in the doorway assaulting Alrik... the attack tearing away a little more at its incorporeal form. -- Round 4 -------
-- Round 5 -------
Party is up!
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Alrik feels his mind twisting under the allip's corrupting touch, but stands his ground, taking another swing at the one in front of him, though misjudges the space, and his blade deflects off the door frame, hitting nothing. A moment later, Sangkip tumbles past, first bounding part way up the wall, and leaping over the dwarf's head. His focus proves to be on the stronger allip in front of him, such that the other one, like Huni before him, manages to get a swing with its ghostly claws... only Sangkip sees it just in time, and twists at the last minute, sliding sideways underneath, to come up beside it, still intact. Huni continues to fight on the far side, now soon to have two allies to flank with. He forgoes the sword for now, one hand going to the holy symbol of Irori around his neck, as he sends a wave of positive energy through the room, intent on purging it of undead. The allip to his left seems to take the full brunt of the energy, its purple misty form shuddering beneath the onslaught. It continues its attacks with renewed vigor, again reaching its incorporeal hand into the living being before it.
The second one though, seems more resistant, ignoring most of it, only a few bits of its form discorporating under the barrage, as it continues to claw at Alrik. It has had a taste of his thoughts, and seems to want more now.
Back in the other room, Kara tries again to command her chains of force to grab the allip, but the chaotic thoughts in her head are making it hard to concentrate, and she is having a hard time making it work. She follows that attempt with a spell of some sort, though it does not seem to do much of anything at all, and a moment later, realizing her blunder, she admonishes herself. GM Screen:
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All the while, Alessio and Floria seem lost in their own disturbed thoughts. -- Round 3 -------
Party is up!
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Before he can even really get his thoughts back in order, and comprehend what's happening around him, Alessio finds his mind succumbing to the allip's babbling once more. Within moments of nearly recovering, he is gazing off into the middle distance once more, his lips silently repeating the nonsense invading his head. At the front, Huni tries to push himself past the allip to open up more space for someone to come help him. He waits for his moment, then ducks under the nearer creature, narrowly avoiding the ghostly claws from both it, and the second allip, which tries to snag him as he goes past. Now with room to maneuver, he slashes at the nearer one with his sword, the magic in the blade just enough to tear at a little of the allip's essence, but only enough to get it's attention, as it turns its maddening gaze towards him. Of course, a moment later, seeing the space open up, Alrik leaps in to fill it, coming up on the allip from behind, as he calls on the righteous might of Kelinahat, and channels it through his weapon to strike a second blow, this one tearing away even more of the allip's essence. The chaotic murmuring seems to take on a new tone, as it turns again, and swipes one of its ethereal hands right through Alrik's shield and armor, clawing at the dwarf's mind.
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Sankip, seeing no opening to join in himself, takes the time to shake Floria out of her stupor... hoping he manages to wake her first, not the part of her that lurks beneath the surface. For her part, the vanaran's forceful contact does seem to draw her mind back into focus, and Floria finds herself cognizant of her surroundings for a moment. She quickly pushes her darker half down, from where it was trying to crawl its way out once more... only too aware of what the allip's thoughts were doing to it. For allip's they were. She had learned a bit about them, though nothing that Alrik and Kara had not already informed the others of. She did know that where they were now, there was nowhere far enough away she could go to escape the maddening words... not if she wanted to help the others.
Already she can feel its chaotic thoughts crawling back into her head, and she's not sure she can resist. She manages to focus her mind, and conjure a volley of physic force missiles to strike the creature before it overwhelms her once more. Kara, follows suit, sending a more arcane version of the same effect. The missiles tear at the allip's essence, bits of ectoplasmic residue roiling away from it, but not nearly enough to stop it. Again, the chain of force Kara conjured up moments before, lashes out, this time striking at the second allip. The glowing chain manages to wrap itself around that creatures waist, someone making contact with the incorporeal creature. It forcefully pulls it towards the back of the room, away from Alrik and Huni, and eliciting a tortured, but silent, wail from the allip! It finally manages to break free, drifting towards the two Pathfinders nearby, continuing its assault of Huni's senses, as once again, it reaches it and tries to twist his mind.
-- Round 3 -------
-- Round 4 -------
Party is up! (those not drooling that is)
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OK, that one was my fault, sorry. Totally missed the important part of Alrik's post, or this last update would have been out a long time back. 8P
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, Her cheek still stinging as a reminder, Kara manages to ignore the incessant babbling of the two alips, and starts to invoke a spell. As she completes it, small chains of arcane force spring from the ground in the storeroom beyond, behind the two ghostly figures. One of the chains lashes out at the stronger-looking of the two, its arcane makeup able to affect even the alip's incorporeal form. But, even though the magic is strong enough, ,the alip is clearly much stronger as well, as it pulls itself away through sheer force of maddening will. Seeing Kara suddenly acting normally, Alrik follows Sangkip's lead, kicking the alchemist/former soldier in the shins a couple of times, to break him out of his trance as well. Alessio for his part, has the same confused and disoriented look that Kara had moments before... and the alips madness-filled babbling seems to have a strong hold on him, than the Taldan woman. Already he can feel it pulling him back in, before he even has a moment to realize he is out.
And still the alips continue their asssault. The first, continues reaching its ghostly hand towards Huni, again reaching in and sending waves of maddening thoughts racing through the man's head.
The second floats attacks as well, its ethereal claws passing right through the corner of the wall, to grasp at him... it too tearing into his mind.
-- Round 2 -------
-- Round 3 -------
Well, Alrik, technically. =)
I imagine just sits there, looking cool.
Heh. I pondered that when Huni was looking to tumble past there. But could find no rules that indicate incorporeal creatures work any different than corporeal ones in this regard. And you can attack back. There's enough of them there to swing a sword at... just with less effectiveness. Think that's why I described it more as Huni backing off to avoid a counterattack, then it physically pushing him back. If its any consolation, I did readjust its CMD to use its non-existent strength, instead of charisma, like it normally would. So at least Huni had a 'chance' with his meager +2 bonus... but no such luck.
Sangkip crawls up on the nearby countertop, and smacks Kara across the side of the face, trying to knock her out of her confused state. His first attempt seems to have little affect, so he smacks her again, a little harder, leaving an angry red welt across her cheek. It does seem to get her attention though, as her eyes slowly start to focus on the furry cause of the irritation. She still seems a little disoriented, and confused though. The incessant babbling from the two ghostly figures continues unabated, however, and already the tendrils start to work their way back into her head, drawing at her attention once more.
-- Round 1 -------
-- Round 2 -------
Alrik to go (and possibly then Kara, if she can resist the voices in her head!)
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Als:--, Alr: ++, Flo:-+, Hun:++, Kar:-+, San:++
Huni's mind is able to withstand the sudden maddening onslaught, as he pushes the tendrils aside. He is not sure what these things are, but knows that fighting them on his own is not a good idea. He tries to slice the one in front of him with his blade, then push past it, into the room beyond... in hopes of freeing up some space. Unfortunately, the creature easily dodges the incoming sword, its incorporeal form quite agile as it shifts in the air. One ghostly hand reaches for him as he tries to pass, and Huni is forced to abandon his attempt in order to not allow it to tear at his mind once more.
Behind him, Alrik too manages to withstand the initial mental assault. His tortured past giving him more than enough willpower to fight back. He recognizes the effects almost immediately, as those of an alip. The restless spirit of those who succumb to madness... and that same madness driving them in death. The one on the right seems more like the alips he is familiar with. The on on the left though, is different somehow. Stronger. Perhaps it is the place of its death that empowers it. -- Round 1 -------
Sangkip and Alrik to go.
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Als:--, Alr: ??, Flo:-+, Hun:-+, Kar:-+, San:++
The ghostly figures' incessant murmuring seems to take most of the Pathfinders completely unprepared, overcoming minds and actions with terrifying ease! Only Sangkip manages to shake off the effects, and even then, only due to some lingering protection magic emanating from Alessio's earlier elixir. But his reactions are too sluggish to do more than watch in horror as the two ghostly forms glide through the intervening space, both of them converging on Huni in the doorway. Their gnarled spectral hands reaching out, almost as if longing for contact with the living. The first, the one that rose up from the desiccated corpse, reaches out almost tentatively, as if it can't quite trust what its seeing. Two of its fingers pass right into Huni's temple. The muttering sounds seem to invade his mind along with the touch, and he can feel himself losing his grip on what's real and what's not.
The chaotic babbling increases in intensity, as if it it only now realizes the person before it is actually there. The second ghostly figure seems to respond immediately, as it sails in quickly from the side, eager to make contact as well. Its entire incorporeal claw reaches into Huni's head from the other side.
The glazed look on Huni's face contorts into a grimace of confusion and panic, as the creatures' touch seems to snap him out of whatever daze he was in, and he lurches back, momentarily freeing his head from their touch. He manages to push the one voice aside, but the other proves more powerful and harder to ignore. Its murmuring continues to assail Huni's senses, sending its chaotic tendrils into his thoughts. He can feel the torpor trying to draw him back in, his thoughts a jumbled mess!
-- Round 1 -------
Sangkip and Huni can go! (and possibly Alrik, depending on saves)
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Sangkip finds no issues with the door... and in fact it does not even appear to be locked. Huni is easily able to push it open, revealing a short hall, and a second door, just as unprotected, and easy to open, as the previous one. The room beyond looks like it might have been for storage at one point, but repurposed. Against the wall across the room is what appears to be a large wooden wardrobe, one of its doors hanging open. Across from it, to the right of the door you're entering, is a a long coat rack, laden with odd-looking baggy leather suits. A thick iron door is in the northern wall, to your left. Between that door and the wardrobe lay a desiccated corpse, slumped against the wall, cradling another of the strange crystal prisms, this one still glowing brightly in its arms. A second dark prism, lay on the dusty floor beside it. You only have a moment to take in the scene, when you start to hear a strange murmuring sound, almost like someone is talking far off. The murmuring starts to get louder, as a strange ghostly figure starts to rise up out of the corpse on the ground, the remnants of tattered ghostly armor hanging loosely from its shoulders. The first murmur is quickly joined by a second, as another ghostly form starts to step out of one of the strange leather suits hanging from the coat rack. This one seems less formed than the first, its appearance showing no sign of anything but chaotic roiling ectoplasm. The murmuring in your heads seems almost like a living thing, as it crawls into your minds, eliciting strange and distracting thoughts and emotions... despite there being no actual sense to what they are whispering. Floria:
The murmurs are achingly familiar... you've touched the minds that are making them, and you recoil slightly from the sounds!
The darker side of your dark half seems to react to these murmurs as well, aching to be free once more!
-- Round 1 --------
The girls go first (barring poor saves)!
ball's in your court guys.
While Alessio goes back to the workbench, clearing a space for some of his own alchemical gear, and starts mixing an elixir of his own, Kara activates her wayfinder, to study the effects in the room. She detects no evil emanations on any of the items, nor in the corner where Floria insists there is a magical effect of some sort. None of that is completely surprising. Given the people who set the place up... it is highly unlikely that any of them would have been granted such a spell to lay out here. In the minute it takes Alessio to finish his work, you start to feel faint vibrations through the thick stone walls... at first mostly only noticeable by bits of dust wafting down from above. He finishes quickly, quaffing the results, before turning his attention back to the southern room. It takes a few seconds, but the auras on the remaining weapon ammunition light up like small stars, under his enhanced magical senses. The three crossbow bolts each holding a minor enhancement, but bolstered by an additional enchantment intended to disrupt those who oppose order.
That mystery finally resolved to his satisfaction, he turns his sight on the far corner of the room... it is there that the spell fails him. Though he can see the strong aura situated on the floor there, the elixir's magic was not designed for assessing whatever this effect is... and without its aid, his normal knowledge of such things proves unable to learn any more than Floria did.
Floria is able to determine that the sling bullets have been enhanced and enchanted to better hone in on concealed enemies...
But she can not determine the enchantment on the crossbow bolts, nor is she able to figure anything about the magical effect inlaid on the floor. Its magic is well beyond anything she's experienced before. Huni has little better luck.
Floria still seems hesitant to even look at the eastern door, so you try the larger double doors along the southern wall next. The doors here are quite heavy, the wood thick and wrapped with iron bands. Still, it they too are not secured, and it just takes a bit more muscle to pull them open. The room smells of smoke and ash, even after all the years it has remained dormant. A large forge, flanked by bellows, dominates the eastern side. Both it, and a nearby anvil, caked in soot. Half-full weapon racks hold an assortment of daggers, spears, and swords on the right side of the room, while directly across from the door, are shelves with low piles of arrowheads, and metal ingots, along with an open bin, half full of coal. Alessio:
You've seen many a forge during your time as a soldier, and the layers of soot are not normal... you would not normally see that sort of thing, unless the entire area was not venting properly. Other than the thick layers of soot, only the leftover weapons seem interesting, though none stand out, until divinatory magics are used, and you realize some of the ammunition on the selves still has minor enchantments lingering in them.
More curiously, as you can the weapons for magic, you note another strong magical aura, in the western side of the room. You see nothing there, but your divinations clearly pick up a large circular area, on the floor. Knowledge (arcana) avec Detect Magic, DC 24: The aura is strong conjuration magic!
GM Screen:
The northern door does not appear to be secured in any way, and opens relatively easily, though scrapes a trail in the dust on the floor as it does. Inside, you see what appears to be a living quarters, likely for those working in the tower. Five cots line the western wall, and a dusty table, counters, and a hearth share the east side of the room. Here too, everything is covered in thick layers of dust, though is quite tidy and organized, otherwise. The hearth seems an odd addition to a tower, and after examining the layout for a bit, you realize the chimney is venting into a pipe of some sort, that runs along the ceiling and through the southern wall, into the workshop. You do find what appears to be a diary, or journal of some sort, hidden under one of the cot's mattresses. Most of the entries are esoteric thoughts on various projects, or formulae that make little sense... but there is one entry, in the back, that catches your attention. Journal Entry:
Everything! I’ve tried everything, and still my creation defies me! I would pull all the sacred prisms from their sockets to deactivate the defenses if I could, but even now those same defenses I insisted on creating prevent me from reaching the only things that could allow me to stop the defenses, which would allow me to reach them were it not for the defenses, which keep me from reaching them!
Am I even making sense anymore? I have resolved to charge the remaining prisms. Perhaps their energy will enable me to override the system. Ideally I could remove the prisms and actually open all of the doors properly. There is no indication on who the journal belongs to, though from that final entry, it is obvious that someone was locked into these back area, after the wards were activated, all those decades before. You find nothing else, and eventually go back to the workshop.
Hmm... need more interaction here, so we can move forward! =)
Huni will not be sure about why Floria has reverted to her darker side... though he remember that aspect of her coming to the fore when under sudden duress in the past. What he can tell, is that she appears to have taken some serious damage to her cognitive abilities.
Sangkip's comment rings eerily possible... though what she might have touched to put her in her current condition, no one is quite sure.
As far as you could tell, Floria was using her usual ability to detect thoughts. You've seen her do it a few times. What happened from there, you've no idea! No other spells seemed to have occurred. Kara, you are not so far removed from events that you don't remember your trip below Thurl's lodge not too long ago... through the destroyed labyrinth ... and the far more dangerous trip back out, with the minotaur ghost. The shrine at the center of that maze was to Baphomet, and Alrik remembers that the holy symbol, the ghost still bore, was to that same god. Floria always seemed a little skittish in that place... whether her current reactions are just more of the same... or related to her current condition is unclear.
I remember once, a number of years back, reading the effect that Floria ran afoul of, and thinking that it made for good flavor, but would never actually come up in any sort of playing session. Fast forward to here... and suddenly it does! Who knew. Ah well... good RP fuel, I suppose! =) (I admit to getting a lot of mileage out of Floria's backstory during these scenarios.)
Floria, moves over to the door along the north wall, concentrating for a few seconds, then goes across to the double doors on the southern side, and repeats the process. With a slight shake of her head, she then moves over to the smaller door to the east, and concentrates in that direction. She stands there a moment longer than the others, then suddenly screams... stumbling backwards, before throwing herself into a fetal position in a corner, her hands curled into claws, as she tears at her hair and face, screaming incoherantly. Floria:
Only the western door, that you entered through is made of metal, so you suspect your divination magic will be able to penetrate the others... enough to tell if there's someone... or something... on the other side. You detect nothing at all through the northern door... not entirely unexpected. You have higher hopes for the double doors to the south, but again, there is nothing there that your senses can pick up. You then try the final door, along the eastern side of the room. As your mind reaches out, your efforts seem to finally pay off! A flicker of a mind, like a light in the darkness. There is definitely something there! In fact, a moment of concentrating later, you think you can sense two somethings! But that's where it all goes wrong. As you reach out trying to touch those two minds, attempting to ascertain what they might be... you suddenly feel them pulling back. Not pulling away... pulling back. They physically latch on to your senses, and drag you in! Before you can react, you find your mind nearly overcome, with what can only be described as madness! Chaos and insanity claw at your brain like ravenous beasts trying to consume it entirely. To make matters worse, you feel a sense of exhilaration deep inside and, without warning, the dark side of your subconscious... the side you usually try so hard to keep in check... is suddenly trying to claw its way out to meet them! It is all you can do to finally pull yourself free, but you feel your mind tear and fracture at the effort. Even free of it, you're not sure about anything anymore. You think you are still in the strange laboratory room, and you think those are the others coming towards your... but at the same time, maybe not. Try as you might, you can't seem to focus your head to sort anything out, much less what just happened! Then, to your horror, you start to realize that maybe you're not in control anymore...
As you rush over to help, and to find out what happened, she lifts her head, and snarls, and you find yourselves staring at her dark side. You've seen this side of Floria before... but for some reason, this feels different.
Huni's warning about removing the third prism comes a little too slowly to stop Kara from doing so. When she tries to put it back, it clicks into the sconce easily enough, and the lights running through the pipes sputter to life a little... but nowhere near where they were before she removed it... despite it being fully charged now. Floria is able to identify the items found on the workbenches without too much difficulty. The two tubes that survived the breakage when the box fell, both appear to confer elemental resistance to fire. The third vial, buried under the broken distiller a healing draught.
The strange devices with the twin funnels, does indeed appear to be a magical alchemical device. This one intended for combining alchemical items.
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