Rand waits at the stairs, looking more agitated by the minute. As soon as everyone's done, he runs screaming power-walks out of there and to the east.
Astrid doesn't notice anything unusual as she steps into the chamber. She gets *5 feet into the room before V identifies structural inconsistencies in its floor and walls.
V's warning is timely and well-heeded. It finally makes sense to you all: the reason this room is giving off so much heat is because the floor is a thin crust of stone over molten lava . Had Astrid walked much further, there is a good chance she would have broken through. And Loiosh, even shrunk? Almost certain. Good eyes, V.
Before leaving, V and Rand take a closer look at the markings on the wall. V can tell that they are quite old; it's likely whoever painted them is long dead.
---
As you round the corner in the eastern corridor, a pale orange glow begins to supplement your light sources. That... can't be good.
The corridor widens into a chamber nearly as large as the one where you met Kharazhar. Rough-hewn stone forms the walls of this extended cave complex, while the floor consists of broken bits of rock. Insectile body parts litter the area. Smaller nooks, eight to ten feet deep, are dug into the walls, reaching almost to the ceiling.
Waiting for you, floating in the center of the chamber, is a creature of unique horror. Rand is suddenly not so sure if the Great Old Ones don't still have a presence down here, because this tentacled monstrosity can't possibly be native to this plane... can it? Four tentacles emerge from a churning nucleus of multicolored fluid. At the tip of each tentacle is what looks like a gem, each a different color. Plates of rock and metal orbit the floating mass.
Oh this is definitely an ask-your-questions type of creature.
Any illusions that it might be friendly are dashed as it approaches you, waving its tentacles menacingly. The tentacles with red and green gems lash out toward V, and red and green rays of energy fire from them.
Both rays slam into V and his whole body suddenly feels like it is melting and on fire , even through his fire resistance.
Creature (0 damage)
Veldanis (88/125 hp)
Tink (82/96 hp)
Loiosh (87/90 hp)
Kharazhar (120/120 hp)
Randall (105/105 hp)
Astrid (105/105 hp)
V, having never seen anything like this heinous beast before, flies forward, Hoblopper suddenly in hand.
Charging (-2 AC)
Str Damage (1 dmg, effective Str 20)
Power Attack (-3 Atk, +6 Dmg)
AC 26 | 15 Tch | 22 FF
F +13* | R +14* | W +10* (* +2 vs enchantments, +4 vs hot/cold env. effects)
Hunter’s Tricks: 8/8
Guerilla Tactic: Sneak Attack +1d6
HP 88/125
Tink encourages Loiosh to go help V, calling down a flame strike as they go.
Loiosh rushes forward to join V, ignoring how delicious V's seared flesh smells. Once alongside the big man, he swipes with a claw.
V finds the amorphous creature difficult to focus on, and his sword swipes only air. It also avoids the worst of Tink's flame strike, and even the portion that hit it seemed to do less damage than you'd expect, as the red gem-tipped tentacle flashes and seems to absorb some of the flames. It's not all bad news, though; Loiosh's claw finds purchase and tears away some of the creature's... essence?
Kharazhar has not been shrunk like Loiosh, and thus does not really fit through the narrow corridors. By the time he squeezes his way through and past Astrid, he can't quite reach the fray to contribute .
Creature (? damage)
Veldanis (88/125 hp)
Tink (82/96 hp)
Loiosh (87/90 hp)
Kharazhar (120/120 hp)
Randall (105/105 hp)
Astrid (105/105 hp)
Astrid's bow is in hand and she plucks the strings, sending a wave of strength and focus into her allies.
She then moves deeper into the room to try and get a better look at this... thing.
Deadly Aim (-3 to hit, +6 to damage with ranged attacks)
Controlled Inspired Rage (+2 Str, +2 Dex, no Will bonus, no AC penalty)
AC 26 | T 15 | FF 22
F +13* | R +11* | W +11* (* +4 vs bardic, language-dependent, and sonic)
Raging Song: 24/29
Spell Kenning: 1/2
Elemental Blood, Lesser: 3/3
HP 93/105
Rand is spoiling for a fight. He dips into Snake Stance, then rockets forward, vanishing from sight and reappearing behind the creature to viper-strike it at high velocity.
Total: 23
Controlled Inspired Rage (+2 Str, +2 Dex, no Will bonus, no AC penalty)
Charging (-2 AC)
AC 25 | T 25 | FF 18
F +10 | R +17 | W +10
Ki Pool: 8/10
Stunning Fist: 6/9
HP 105/105
Astrid rocks out and everyone (except Tink, though he can't deny how f$$&ing catchy her riffs are) gets a little ragey. Rand is certain his sudden sneak attack will find purchase--after all, it usually does--but this creature proves especially hard to hit.
The creature, apparently not a fan of being surrounded, launches straight up at a shockingly high speed . It has no means of propulsion that you can see, but you can't deny that one moment it was right in front of you, and the next it was hovering near the ceiling, at least 30' overhead. You watch as the red gem at the tip of one of the tentacles shatters, then the green-tipped tentacle takes aim at V again and fires. The ray burns and melts away more of V's poor, poor flesh .
Loiosh absolutely whiffs as the creature moves almost too quickly to track. He blames his short arms.
Creature (? damage, flying [30'])
Tink (82/96 hp)
Loiosh (87/90 hp, controlled rage)
Kharazhar (120/120 hp, controlled rage)
Veldanis (52/125 hp, controlled rage)
Randall (105/105 hp, controlled rage)
Astrid (105/105 hp, raging song, controlled rage)
"Oh, that just won't do." Tink raises his hand to the ceiling, makes a fist, and yanks down, as if on an invisible cord dangling from the ceiling. A jet of superheated water erupts from the ceiling and down onto the creature. Droplets fall onto everyone, but no one gets burned .
This thing, which so deftly avoided Rand's expert strike, must be completely surprised by Tink's spell: the geyser of water slams into it and sends it hurtling to the ground below. It also seems as if the red gem was somehow providing it fire resistance, because now that it's gone, the boiling droplets of water sizzle and sear its amorphous form.
"Better attack it now, while it's still down!"
Loiosh doesn't need to be told twice. He rips into the creature with teeth and claws.
Loiosh's bite and first claw aren't even close , but his second claw finds purchase and rips away a bit more of its weird liquid flesh.
Kharazhar roars and moves past Tink and Loiosh, then swings a mighty fist.
It's kind of like punching jello, but it does seem to hurt the thing, sending globs of alien viscera flying.
Creature (? damage, prone [-4 melee AC, +4 ranged AC])
Tink (82/96 hp)
Loiosh (87/90 hp, controlled rage)
Kharazhar (120/120 hp, regular rage)
Veldanis (52/125 hp, controlled rage)
Randall (105/105 hp, controlled rage)
Astrid (105/105 hp, raging song, controlled rage)
With the creature back within reach, V lets the power of the music take hold. Despite the fury coursing through his veins, he finds his mind is not clouded but hyperfocused on the task at hand. He takes a measured glance then brings Hoblopper down in a vicious overhand chop.
Total: 39
Str Damage (1 dmg, effective Str 20)
Power Attack (-3 Atk, +6 Dmg)
Furious Focus (No atk penalty on first attack with PA)
Controlled Inspired Rage (+2 Str, +2 Dex, no Will bonus, no AC penalty)
AC 29 | 18 Tch | 24 FF
F +13* | R +15* | W +10* (* +2 vs enchantments, +4 vs hot/cold env. effects)
Hunter’s Tricks: 8/8
Guerilla Tactic: Sneak Attack +1d6
HP 52/125
Total: 26
Rand takes a more defensive posture and starts whipping his piercing fingers at the creature's gooey(?) hide.
Total: 20
Total: 24
Total: 26
Total: 23
Total: 28
Controlled Inspired Rage (+2 Str, +2 Dex, no Will bonus, no AC penalty)
Combat Expertise (-3 attack, +3 dodge to AC until beginning of next turn)
AC 30 | T 30 | FF 20
F +10 | R +17 | W +10
Ki Pool: 5/10
Stunning Fist: 6/9
HP 105/105
Astrid continues her song, then mingles in a spell as she strides forward with rhythmic steps toward the battered young Chernesardo, touching his shoulder and pouring magic into him.
Firing in rhythm to her music, Astrid looses a pair of arrows at the fiend.
Point-Blank Shot (+1 to attack and damage with ranged weapons within 30 ft)
Deadly Aim (-3 to hit, +6 to damage with ranged attacks)
Controlled Inspired Rage (+2 Str, +2 Dex, no Will bonus, no AC penalty)
AC 26 | T 15 | FF 22
F +13* | R +11* | W +11* (* +4 vs bardic, language-dependent, and sonic)
Raging Song: 23/29
Spell Kenning: 1/2
Elemental Blood, Lesser: 3/3
HP 105/105
Poor Baby Cthulhu, just trying to exist, peacefully inflicting its horrors on unsuspecting travelers. And now it lies on the ground in a pool of its own goo. It is somehow still alive, probably due to the fact that V and Rand's more exacting attacks don't seem to take purchase in its swirling, amorphous form.
Yes, it is still alive. It is also wise enough to know when it is outmatched. It also knows it will almost certainly die if it tries to fly away. It also ALSO knows that it has no way to communicate that it would like to surrender and just leave now, please.
So it tries to fly away, and it promptly dies from the flurry of AOOs.
The gloop creature was obviously not carrying anything, but its latest victims certainly were. Among the assorted insectile body parts littering the room, a distressing chunk of a trox's torso still carries a scabbard which looks to be of duergar make. The belt holds a +1 adamantine construct bane battleaxe and is latched with a golembane scarab.
Kharazhar looks mournfully at the bodies but says nothing.
Seeing as no one else in the party really uses such weapons, she hands the battleaxe to V without even looking up, though she pauses to detach the golembane scarab. "Mind if I take this? I imagine a bow, even a bow as fine as mine, would do piss-poor against the likes of a golem. You two seem like you could probably hold your own. Especially with that." She nods at the fancy new battleaxe.
At Kharazhar's look, she frowns, then realizes there are trox bodies mixed in with the dead. "Tink, can you ask her if there are any funerary rites she'd like us to do for the troxes? I only know a handful of Pharasmin funeral prayers, but I'm happy to employ them if she wishes."
Veldanis, covered in acid burns and still gently smoking, takes the axe and mumbles, "I hurt."
"Right, sorry."
She casts a spell of her own, then tops him off with charges from her wand of cure light wounds.
Tink looks down on the battered creature from atop Loiosh. "What is this thing? It gave you quite a beating, Veldanis." He pulls out a wand and beckons V to his side.
Tink relays Astrid's question to Kharazhar.
Kharazhar doesn't speak for a long time. You have barely known her an hour (plus, you know, insect face), so interpreting her emotions can be a challenge. She looks back and forth between Tink and her comrades' remains several times, then eventually shakes her head, speaks a few subdued words, and walks to wait by the eastern passage.
Tink looks at the others sadly. "She is uncomfortable speaking about it. Let's just move on."
Rough-hewn stone forms the walls of this extended cave complex, while the floor consists of broken bits of rock. Insectile body parts litter the area. Smaller nooks, eight to ten feet deep, are dug into the walls, reaching almost to the ceiling.
You've already found everything here, and it looks like Kharazhar really wants to get out of this chamber.
Astrid yells, "Let's set up camp here!" and begins casting cozy cabin. "Sorry Kharazhar, you're too big to fit inside so you'll have to sleep out here with the corpses."
Astrid glances at the body of the strange creature. "No idea, but it packed a mean punch. How's your clothes, there, V?"
Veldanis, now fully healed save for a couple tender spots where the acid burns didn't quite scab over, shrugs. "I'll have to patch my mantle, but I have a spare undershirt in my pack. I'll be fine." He takes another long look at the bloody mess they left of the beast and nudges it experimentally with his boot.
Rand seems to be the only one of the three clocking Kharazhar's discomfort. "Hey guys? Let's mosey. This place is giving me the creeps." He heads over to stand near Kharazhar by the exit.
"Huh...?" Astrid, who had joined V in staring at the weird aberration, blinks in surprise. "Oh! Right. Yeah, let's get moving."
Glad to be moving again, Rand slips ahead of the group to scope out the area beyond.
Rand discovers why it's so hot down here.
A beach of glassy stone edges a vast lake of lava that stretches out for several hundred feet. An ancient lava tube exits to the west , while to the north an ascending path of rock curves up the sides of the immense chamber. A stone structure floats gently atop the bubbling pool of lava some twenty feet from the shore. The ceiling is shrouded in darkness and rises at least several hundred feet. A few clusters of metal pipe and ceramic tubes descend from above.
The pipes and tubes look like pressure valves, maybe to bleed off any pressure that might build up down here and prevent eruptions? If that's the case, it suggests that you might be directly underneath an advanced civilization, which in this area of the world can only be Kraggodan!
Even with his substantial resistance to fire and heat damage, it is uncomfortable being this close to the lava lake. Rand sees no movement other than the roiling of the lav... wait a minute. There are three huge creatures lurking just under the surface of the lava. They look like enormous gorillas made of fire, and they don't seem to have noticed Rand's arrival.
These are magma elementals. They can move through dirt, stone, and even lava as if they were fish moving through water. They are big and they hit hard--naturally with additional fire damage that won't do anything to this party--but that's about it. Vulnerable to cold.
Fire gorillas sound bad. Rand slinks back to the party. "Lava. Big structure. Path upward. Giant fire gorillas in the lava. Magma? Whatever." He holds up three fingers to indicate how many. "I can probably get past them, maybe V too, but all of us? Ain't happening."
Astrid shakes her head. "I've got a couple invisibility spells left but not enough for all of us. Tink? Any ideas, or are we just gonna have to cut up some fire monkeys?"
"Apes," V corrects absently.
"Apes, thank you," Astrid says, trying hard not to roll her eyes.
Tink shrugs. "I have a potion of gaseous form and could statue..."
[color=maroon]"NO STATUE!"[/color]
"...Loiosh, but do we want to just sneak by? You mentioned a structure; what did it look like?"
Rand shrugs. "I mean, I didn't get a great look at it, but it's crazy tall. I didn't see an entrance. I thought maybe the path upward might lead to one? Hard to tell. The lava gives a little light, but still less than my other senses can see to."
"Oh, and it's floating? Like, in the lava. Magma? Whatever. The burny-juice. And there's like... tubes or something coming down from up above."
Astrid's brow quirks up at 'burny-juice,' but then the other eyebrow follows it up when Rand says the structure is floating in the magma.
"Well now I'm damned curious. We should all go take a look. If these, er, 'fire gorillas' cause trouble, we have protections against flame. Should be fine. Shall we go take a look?"
Assuming Tink and Kharazhar are on board, she heads out with the boys to take a look at this structure and possibly fight flaming monkeys. Sorry, apes.
Tink speaks with Kharazhar for a few moments, relaying the danger ahead and the plan. Kharazhar nods her head and slams her gauntlets together, clearly ready to take out her emotions on something. Tink casts barkskin on the trox, then nods to the others. "Ready. Are we charging in screaming or starting with a sneak attack?"
Astrid shrugs. "I don't think this energy resistance can let Rand dive face-first into magma, so I'd say charge." She waves Rand over and casts invisibility on him. "Now you can still do a sneak attack once they're out of the uh. 'Burny-juice.'" She smirks at the nearly-sightless outline of Rand, then nocks an arrow and waits for the others to be ready.
V grins and hefts Hoblopper onto his broad shoulder. "Sounds good to me!" Once everyone's ready, he leads the way out into the magma room.
The freshly-invisibled Rand slinks ahead a bit to get a better vantage.
As the party enters the chamber, roars erupt from the lava pool.
The pipes and tubes look like pressure valves, maybe to bleed off any pressure that might build up down here and prevent eruptions? If that's the case, it suggests that you might be directly underneath an advanced civilization, which in this area of the world can only be Kraggodan!
These are magma elementals. They can move through dirt, stone, and even lava as if they were fish moving through water. They are big and they hit hard--naturally with additional fire damage that won't do anything to this party--but that's about it. Vulnerable to cold.
Astrid (105/105 hp, fire resist 30)
Creature #1 (0 damage)
Creature #2 (0 damage)
Creature #3 (0 damage)
Tink (82/96 hp, fire resist 30)
Loiosh (87/90 hp, fire resist 30, reduced, greater magic fang [claw])
Randall (105/105 hp, fire resist 30, invisible)
Kharazhar (120/120 hp, fire resist 30, barkskin)
Veldanis (124/125 hp, fire resist 30)
Bold may act.
Astrid kicks herself for using the last of her Kenning already. A cold spell would come in mighty handy right now. Instead, she draws her bow and begins plucking, sending strength and martial focus to her allies through a jaunty tune that sounds similar to a sea shanty. She belts out rollicking lyrics in Skald about an infamous pirate crew and their philandering captain, who was, as they say, fast.
In her heart of hearts, she's kind of excited to see what sort of damage a magically hastened dinosaur can do.
Point-Blank Shot (+1 to attack and damage with ranged weapons within 30 ft)
Deadly Aim (-3 to hit, +6 to damage with ranged attacks)
Hasted (+1 to attack, +1 to AC, +30 ft Spd, extra attack during FAA)
AC 27 | T 16 | FF 22
F +13* | R +12* | W +11* (* +4 vs bardic, language-dependent, and sonic)
Raging Song: 22/29
Spell Kenning: 1/2
Elemental Blood, Lesser: 3/3
HP 105/105
Everyone gets super fast. Loiosh is ready to f~~!ing mosh!
Elemental #1 doesn't do anything to dissuade you of the notion that these are fire gorillas, as it rears up out of the lava to its full 25' height, pounds its chest, and charges at V. Its massive, barely solid magma fists come down on V's head, but he is able to sidestep it pretty easily. Astrid is not so lucky; #2 rains down literal fire and brimstone on her. Fortunately, she takes absolutely no damage from the lava spraying in all directions, but the fists themselves still make an impression .
Elemental #3 sees that there is no room left for it to get at the party, and goes underneath the surface of the lava lake. You're not sure where it goes from there.
Astrid (77/105 hp, fire resist 30, haste, raging)
Magma Elemental #1 (0 damage, -2 AC [1 round])
Magma Elemental #2 (0 damage, -2 AC [1 round])
Magma Elemental #3 (0 damage)
Tink (82/96 hp, fire resist 30, haste)
Loiosh (87/90 hp, fire resist 30, reduced, greater magic fang [claw], haste, raging)
Kharazhar (120/120 hp, fire resist 30, barkskin, haste, raging)
Randall (105/105 hp, fire resist 30, invisible, haste, raging)
Veldanis (124/125 hp, fire resist 30, haste, inspired rage, raging)
Bold may act.
Tink curses under his breath. He had planned to return Loiosh to his normal size, but the creatures quickly took up all available space. For a brief moment, he is at a loss for what to do; he has no spells that can damage these creatures and there isn't really enough room for him to wildshape into anything large enough to make a dent either.
On the other hand, Loiosh is still a force to be reckoned with at this size, especially while all keyed up by Astrid's sick ass jam. He shrugs, leads Loiosh into the free space next to V, and says, "Attack, Loiosh. Don't worry, their fire can't hurt you."
Loiosh doesn't need to be told twice. Astrid's music usually gets him going, but something about it is different this time. He is ready. To. Rock!
Tink underwhelms, but Loiosh rips at the elemental with every single one of his attacks. These elementals are quite hardy (you might say advanced), so it doesn't go down, but he absolutely devastates it, sending volcanic rock and liquid hot magma flying.
Kharazhar cannot reach the creatures, but she can reach over Astrid to swat at #2. "Tell her get behind!" she yells at Tink, who passes the message along to Astrid that she should use the hulking creature as cover.
Astrid has to duck a little, but it works; Kharazhar fist slams into what passes for #2's face. It does little other than make it angrier, but, hey, full attack next round, right?
Astrid (77/105 hp, fire resist 30, haste, raging)
Magma Elemental #1 (85 damage, -2 AC [1 round])
Magma Elemental #2 (15 damage, -2 AC [1 round])
Magma Elemental #3 (0 damage)
Tink (82/96 hp, fire resist 30, haste)
Loiosh (87/90 hp, fire resist 30, reduced, greater magic fang [claw], haste, raging)
Kharazhar (120/120 hp, fire resist 30, barkskin, haste, raging)
Randall (105/105 hp, fire resist 30, invisible, haste, raging)
Veldanis (124/125 hp, fire resist 30, haste, inspired rage, raging)
Astrid (77/105 hp, fire resist 30, haste, raging)
Bold may act.
Rand steps through the air and appears (well, not really, he's invisible, see--oh nevermind) behind #2 in a charge, already in Snake Stance.
cold iron, magic, piercing, silver
Total: 21
Controlled Inspired Rage (+2 Str, +2 Dex, no Will bonus, no AC penalty)
Charging (-2 AC, +2 to Atk)
Hasted (+1 to attack, +1 to AC, +30 ft Spd, extra attack during FAA)
AC 26 | T 26 | FF 18
F +10 | R +18 | W +10
Ki Pool: 3/10
Stunning Fist: 6/9
HP 105/105
With his flanking BFF in place, Veldanis decides to forego accuracy for a magically-assisted flurry of wild, powerful swings.
adamantine, magical, slashing
Total:
adamantine, magical, slashing
Total:
adamantine, magical, slashing
Total:
adamantine, magical, slashing
Total:
adamantine, magical, slashing
Str Damage (1 dmg, effective Str 20)
Power Attack (-3 Atk, +6 Dmg)
Furious Focus (No atk penalty on first attack with PA)
Controlled Inspired Rage (+2 Str, +2 Dex, no Will bonus, no AC penalty)
AC 30 | 19 Tch | 24 FF
F +13* | R +16* | W +10* (* +2 vs enchantments, +4 vs hot/cold env. effects)
Hunter’s Tricks: 8/8
Guerilla Tactic: Sneak Attack +1d6
HP 124/125