Ignatius' fusillade of shots devastate the crystalline defender, but it still remains operational. Keene makes it up to the nearest flame cannon, but can't land a solid hit.
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Artemis runs forward, loaded crossbow in hand, and tries to keep up with Keene. His current position puts him in a spot behind the enlarged Magt just as the big tiefling rushes forward into the crystal guardian.
Feeling like a halfling among giants, he glances at his allies.
”Oh, gracious! This is remarkable! The great size of my companions up against that giant crystal guardian. Woahhh!" The hull rumbles under his feet as the large warriors stomp about in battle.
Kyra rushes over to shield one of the guardsmen from the fire shooting automaton.
Two titans clash as Magt slams into the crystalline defense construct, sending it cartwheeling over the side of the ship! It rapidly sinks into the waters below. The surviving members of the Harbor Guard cheer!
Raynor spurs his mount and drives his adamantine lance deep into the workings of the nearest flame projector. The device is badly damaged, but remains barely functional.
The damaged mechanism swivels towards Raynor and unleashes a gout of flame at point blank range! The undamaged flame projector incinerates another of the Harbor Guards, as the overwhelmed troopers try to escape the inferno.
Initiative (Round 3)
Ignatius
Artemis
Kyra
Raynor
Magt
Rondolpho
Flame Projectors
Bold may go!
Kyra moves up to support the others.
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Woohoo!!! That was most excellent, Herr Magt! Artemis shouts as the crystalline guardian goes flying off the edge.
He then sees Raynor charge on his giant lizard at the flame cannon and almost shattering it to pieces.
Woah-hoh!!! Amazing, Raynor! he cheers.
Artemis notices he has a clear shot between his large allies and shoots his crossbow at the flame cannon , hoping he can do enough damage to completely destroy it.
He then loads another bolt.
After Raynor destroys one flame projector, he heavily damages another, and Ignatius manages to blow it into small chunks with a carefully-aimed shot from his magical musket.
One of the Harbor Guard wipes the sweat from his brow. "Thanks Pathfinders! And welcome aboard. The ship was quiet when we first started looking it over. The only access below-decks seems to be through a sealed door, but when one of my men got over-zealous and went at it with an adamantine axe, that's when these magical defences activated and started wreaking havoc through our ranks!"
Anyone hurt? Gather round if you are... Kyra asks before tending to the dead and giving them their last rites.
Yes...their loved ones should be notified. I can get a few of my colleagues from the church to do it.
By the gods, Magt! Let me look at that... she says sharply as she finally notices the wound on the tiefling's arm.
The highest-ranking surviving Harbor Guardsman starts gathering his troops for an evacuation. "Our wounded can get healing at the barracks. Thanks again and, good luck, Pathfinders!"
One of the soldiers leads Keene down the stairs from the abaft deck. "This is where we tried to get in," he says.
The compartment appears empty and sterile except for the crumpled bodies of the two Harbor Guardsmen that lie on the floor--smashed by the crystalline automaton that attacked them so suddenly. The opposite end of the compartment has a single door in the bulkhead, seemingly constructed of a single piece of crystal. Lying beside it is an ornate masterwork adamantine heavy axe with a head of lustrous silverly metal.
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Artemis follows Keene and the others into the entryway with the strange crystal door.
Oh, those poor men. he frowns looking at the two bodies on the floor.
He then points at the finely crafted silvery axe.
Looks like one of you martial types should take that axe.
Well, I do have these magical gloves of reconnaissance that allow me to see through walls and doors once per day. Should I take a peek or wait to use them in another area later on? Perhaps I should just inspect that door for traps, magical or otherwise, first.
Artemis will detect magic in the area first.
Depending on the auras, he will probably then move towards the door and search the first 10 feet in front of the door and will then check the door itself.
Artemis begins searching the room for traps and auras. When he gets to within about ten feet of the door, it takes on a shimmering aspect as if viewed through a rippling pond.
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Kyra, this wound feel... wrong... somehow. Do you think you can fix the damage?
"I agree with.. Jaeger... this wound does not feel natural... nevertheless, if Kyra cannot fix it, no one here can, and we may have to return to the shore to seek the help of one of Absalom's high priests... does any of you have the means to send a message to the Harbormaster or the Venture-Captain?"
Kyra examines the wound, and orays to her goddess for guidance.
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After waiting for the others to heal up, Artemis walks slowly towards the crystal door.
Wait, Keene! Artemis holds up his hand to give Keene a moment to pause as he stares at the strange portal.
Look! It shimmers like a summer's pond. Maybe we can simply walk through? I'm wondering, though, why the Harbor Guardsmen didn't notice this. It must have appeared as just a solid door to them so they hacked at it with that axe.
Artemis glances at his companions as if waiting for a response. He stares back at the portal and reluctantly, yet carefully, tries to put his arm through.
Well. This is quite perplexing. Let's see what's beyond this portal, shall we?
Artemis tries to push his arm through the shimmering door, and the door seems to gives some before stiffening with resistance.
I might be able to see if my spells can mend your wound. Let me see....
Artemis' hand plunges into the door and instantly his whole body is enveloped in a shimmering aura.
After Artemis plunges his hand into the door and disappears, Ignatius tries the same thing a moment later and also disappears!
You find yourself in a small, grey void, but you're not alone! A ghostly apparition is in there with you. You have three choices: 1) You see one rectangle behind you that you could take to return to your allies; 2) a rectangle ahead of you that you could take to pass through to the other side for the door; or 3) you could stay in the void to "hold the door open" for your allies, but then the ghost may be able to escape! What would you like to do? Please place your response in a spoiler.
You're sure that apparition is a ghost--it looks like the ghost of a tiefling! Pressing ahead, you emerge from the door. A strangely shaped cabin stretches forward, but its dimensions are difficult to make out due to its alien features. Odd, man-sized cubicles seem to be stacked into the bulkheads themselves throughout the room, but whether sleeping berths, holding shelves, or simply shelving is unclear. Their true purpose is further masked by the growths of ghostlike plant life that hang throughout the room; like thick tendrils of ivy and great curling leaves, these colorless tangles and shoots mat the walls, twist upon the deck, and dangle in curtains from overhead, shifting in and out of phase as they protrude through solid surfaces and each other alike. It is as if sections of them are wholly present and other parts are mere ghost reflections of the strange plant life. The result is a wraithlike maze of otherworldly growths and tangles. What would you like to do? Please place your response in a spoiler.
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Raynor also pushes his way into the shimmering doorway and disappears, but an instant later, a horrifying, spectral figure glides out of it!
Initiative (Round 1)
Ignatius
Magt
Apparition
Raynor
Keene
Artemis
Kyra
Bold may go!