"Hark, hark, the dogs do bark
The beggars are coming to town
One in rags, and one in tags
And one in a golden gown!
Green-eyes, beloved, your adventures grow more exotic by the second. Silvery dogs for silvery gods. I say, call the beast by the command word."
You think that word you found on the wall is a magical command word or something?
Well, I say go for it, once I get a bit of distance from those steel fangs...
...I call out to Merreck (in Halfing):
"Slam the door shut and make sure it stays shut if a big metal dog tries to run out... I don't think we've talked in Halfing before, have we?"
If I can roll another Animal Empathy, here it is: 10.
"There you are boy, Now what is such a nice dog like you doing all locked up...?"
"It's a magical command - it could do anything. Including closing a door on us. Just make sure we're all one the same side before we say it."
Starlan's attempts to communicate with the creature come to naught, and you begin to realize that the thing is a construct of some sort.
Though it does not respond, it moves as you do, locked into your movements. You get the feeling that it is trying to prevent you from entering the space.
When you call out to it again, a strange buzzing fills the air.
"I don't like the look of this, kid. Err...kids. What are we doing down here anyway?"
"That's a really good question Benefor and I don't know the answer."
"Starlan, get back please. It doesn't want us here and we don't have any dog biscuits. Even if we did, it doesn't look like it'll eat them. Only us."
I step back from the door frame...
Do you still want to try that word, Iri?
I think this is the wizard's secret study, or maybe portal to other places. He might have notes here about the artifact, or perhaps other people he had told about the item or his plan to store it in the vault...?
Plus maybe one of those fancy arcane bath-rooms the best hotels in Sharn have...
Placing her hand on the symbol - "Travistus"
Sillas looks from Irirangi to the metallic dog, keeping a hand on the hilt of his rapier as she speaks.
Iri feels a soft pulse on her hand as the command word activates. The snaking gold patterns begin to light up, dancing along the corridor. The gold sheds light into the dim basement. Moving as quickly as a fuse burns, the surging light frantically spreads across the walls and ceiling of the room, revealing an intricate tracery. This also has the effect of illuminating the entire room.
You're now more clearly able to see that this is quite comfortable room, despite the stone foundation. Shelves of books, an ornate writing desk, a wall of casks, and more importantly, another door, can be found now.
The metal dog is unchanged, and still watches you intently. The same buzzing sound is heard, and you wonder if it is coming from inside the dog.
"Hey! Who turned on the lights down there!" Merreck calls down. "Is it safe yet? Tell me the grinding sound was an old clock, or something!"
"Dear boy, though I can only speak for myself, I do so with the highest urgency. You are in the lair of a powerful wizard. Very probably, there is a great deal of Arcane knowledge to be found here. Tomes and secrets hidden away against the modern world. Please don't use any of these chambers as bathrooms. Don't you people use the bushes, anyway?"
"Since you're around Dahl, how about giving us some clue how to stop the dog buzzing. Or better still, making sure it doesn't attack us. If you want us to see the arcane secrets, a little help would be appreciated. And the bush thing? Not for maybe a few centuries."
"Not exactly a clock Merreck. More of a buzzing dog. It sounds like it might go off at any second. Are you any good with metal animals?"
"Metal animals? You mean like a guardian or something?", Merreck shouts down. "Probably looks like a dog or a wolf? Clichéd things, but they're sometimes created by wizards to protect things. I've seen some badger shaped ones too. I told you I hated Zilargo! I'm just going to stay up here, then. Don't feel like getting bit today! Besides, they don't usually buzz!"
"How should I know what this thing is doing? If the Halfling is right, and it's a guardian construct, then it can be controlled by its master. I know that's out of the picture, but sometimes there's an amulet or something. Wizards are quite predictable sometimes..."
"Not a lot of comfort Merreck." mutters Iri as she looks at those teeth again and casts mage armour on herself.
"Sit!" She does her best to sound authoritative, flexing her fingers in preparation for doing something more damaging than shouting optimistic commands.
"Starlan - did you see any amulets in the house?"
Trying my best to present a happy, friendly, unthreatening appearance to the Dog Construct,
...I'm not sure, but if you have any magical abilities, maybe you could just scan around and see what Magic you Detect? On the top floor I came in thru (don't ask), I know I found a magic watering can, but that's all I noticed.
And for our companion-without-a-Body-to-call-his-own, something you might have missed was that people have separate rooms, some with the most convenient magics, so I was suggesting there might be separate room for... that purpose, not just ...!!! At least if you're ignorant about this I can assume you've left Iri alone while... OH NEVER MIND!
If any of you Detect Magic, you'll certainly notice that the construct registers as magic, as do a number of books on the shelf, a few pieces of parchment on the desk, and something inside the cabinet.
The metal dog doesn't respond to any of your commands.
"Starlan, I've got a tanglefoot bag. Can you move through it if I throw the thing? We need to immobilise the dog until we can find a way of controlling it."
Great Idea Iri! I think something might be in that desk...
"Right. One tanglefoot bag coming up. I can be more destructive if I have to, but let's just try gluing it down first."
Iri dumps the bag as close to the construct as possible and flexes her fingers.
Iri's tanglefoot bag goes wide, and the construct leaps into action, perceiving the eruption of goo beside it as a threat. Starlan, ready to throw his own at the thing, fairs better, covering the creature in sticky adhesive.
The construct can not evade the strands of sticky glue that bind it to the floor. It begins gnawing on the strands, hoping to free itself.
"Now Starlan."
Iri prepares to act as soon as the dog looks like getting free.
What! ME!?
I jump/ tumble over to the desk, looking for any magic-type controller item. I don't have any Detect Magic myself or Know:Arcana or anything, so after getting it I will return to the other two, evading the sticky area and metal dog.
(I presume I was told where in the desk it is. Otherwise I wouldn't even know about it.)
To clarify, you're not sure there's a specific key or control or anything, but a number of things registered as magic to Iri.
Those were some scrolls on the table, and some items in the cabinet on the other side of the desk. That cabinet, as you'll find, is locked.
The construct continues struggling, managing to free one of his four metal paws from the adhesive.
"Hm. What did Master Magician keep in his study...? Metal Bones for Metal Dogs?"
"Blast. Can we get Merreck's lock picks?"
Iri keeps an anxious eye on the dog.
The desk has a number of scrolls, an inkwell and quillpen, a dirty glass filled with a sour smelling brown liquid, and a book. No keys of any sort, visible.
The cabinet is locked, but it's quite small. You could certainly try forcing the door, pulling it off it's hinges, or using something as leverage to pry it open.
"Hey Merreck, we need your larcenous skills again." Sillas shouts, still looking around for something that could be used to pry the door open.
"Ugh, fine!" Merreck comes bustling down the now lit hallway, and into the room, as you frantically guide his gaze to the locked cabinet.
The construct begins to struggle more, and is quite visibly close to freeing itself.
"You keep that thing busy, and I'll open the cabinet. If I get bit, I'm going back to the bar."
"If it bites you, I'll heal you really fast. Promise. Right after I've melted that thing's legs off."
Calling on her sorcerous powers, she fires acid at one of the construct's legs. "I told you to sit!"
"Hurry up, Merreck!"
I climb up on the desk (E3) & ready my Father's Tangat,
and am Readying an Action if the Metal Dog gets up:
Taking a 5' Step to the edge of desk (D3/E4) if necessary, I attack it:
21 to-hit, 6 dmg + 5 Sneak Attack dmg
"Oh sh*t. You really made it angry now." Merreck says, as he hustles to the cabinet, shakily pulling out his lockpicks. He begins to fumble with the lock.
The spray of acid hits the creature, and Starlan manages to strike a vital point on the immobilized construct. However, some of the damage begins to repair itself. The buzzing is more distinct now, and a strange hummingbird-like construct detaches from the dog, hovering over it.
Still quite stiff from the adhesive, the dog is no longer completely stuck to the floor. It snaps it's jaws wildly at Starlan, but is still struggling against the binding. The glue cracks and falls as it flexes it's powerful metallic jaws. The thing does manage to snap down quite hard on one of Starlan's arms, dealing a mean blow.
"AAHHHH!!!!" I scream as the metal jaws draw blood...
Sillas draws his rapier with a slight flourish, falling into a fighting stance almost like what one would expect from a street fighter. He approaches the dog-golem from behind, making a hasty jab at it, hoping to distract it from Starlan.
"Oh great. Now there's two of them. Let's help ourselves to help ourselves. This won't last long, make the most of it."
Calling on the power of the Silver Flame she serves, Iri invokes the power of purity.
My eyes bulge as the Metal Hummingbird lifts away...
"What's this? I don't think cuter means friendlier in this case...
Please say you've found some way to turn it off, Merreck."
Doing my best to keep out of the way of the Metal Claws I've already crossed paths with,
I decide to switch my focus to the Hummingbird, taking advantage of it's position between Sillas and me:
I'll Tumble away to get away from those Claws, to F-5: Tumble Check: 23 (Phew!)
Merreck appears to be struggling with the lock, and you can hear him muttering: "Damn damn damn damn damn damn damn...". You decide that it's probably his mantra, and it's helping him concentrate.
"I'm trying!" he calls out, in response to Starlan
He flings his lockpicks to the ground, and starts pulling frantically on the door. He braces one booted foot on the side of the cabinet for support as he pulls on the door. It starts to give.
"Almost there!"
Iri's magic helps the rest of you concentrate your blows; a tiny silver flame courses around your weapons, guiding your strikes like a gentle instructor.
It doesn't prove to be quite enough help, for both Starlan's jab and Sillas' graceful thrust meet only air.
The dog lunges at the intruder in front of it, taking a sizeable bit out of Sim.
The metal bird darts through the room, following Starlan as he tumbles around. It zooms in close to his face, and moves to strike with a sharp sting, but Starlan manages to bring his Tangat up to block, and strike back on his own, causing the metal menace to drop to the ground, broken.
"Silver Flame heal us!"
Iri screws up her face,holds out her Holy Symbol and concentrates on calling down the healing power of the gods.
Lurching dizzily as bits of "hummingbird" tumble from my luckily positioned Tangat,
my eyes come to focus on the still-entangled "dog" as it's jaws find Sillas.
I shake off any bits of hummingbird that had landed on me, and rush to Sillas' aid (->D4):
(Attack: 7 (Nat. 1 ), Damage: 8+6 Sneak Attack)
Sillas stumbles back, grunting in pain as he holds a hand to the bloody wound in his side. Looking back to the dog-construct he snarls a little in anger and lunges forward.
Iri sends out a healing wave of power. Thankfully, neither of your foes seem to benefit from the healing.
Sillas strikes a solid blow against the creature, but Starlan's attack fails to find purchase against the creature.
The sound of Merreck struggling behind you ceases, and you can see him running toward your aid. He's got some kind of rod in his hand, which he holds with the utmost authority.
"Stand aside, minion! I am your master, and I order you to desist!"
Merreck strikes the creature solidly on the head with the rod, and it falls lifelessly to the ground.
"There. That did it."
"He just finished it off! Who does he think he's foolin'?"
"Merreck, thank you! Uhhh - what is that thing you're holding?"