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Caoilte, I was thinking the same thing Tarek examines the bottles, weapons and other contents of the sack for anything useful
Tarek then turns his attention to the slip of paper. Perhaps it has something to do with how we must navigate the levels of the tower?
Tarek looks at the Tower's construction and then back to the parchment
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Well good riddance to that sack. Now this is a curious document, it looks like some form of an equation or something. You know there are some intellectuals that believe that the speed of light is relative to things such as time....although this looks like something about the clock tower.
No what do we have here as far as gear and kit? With Ae-Dee Ate, I have no need of a sword, but some of this other stuff might do in an pinch.
The party takes a moment to regroup after the sack attack.
Caoilte stands guard as Tarek and Isador pour over the contents of the supply sack. They find four longswords among the items that spilled forth from the animated bag, but none appear magical or more than run of the mill weapons. Also among the contents of the sack, Isador spies a few flasks or alchemist's fire, acid, tanglefoot bags and some water with in a vial with some sort of holy symbol. The alchemical items have markings denoting the items were produced in Uringen.
Meanwhile, Kat and Eloriand examine the strange note. Two words appear to be written on the back:
"Alternate"
"Progress in an Orderly Fashion"
The racket from above grows louder as the storm around the tower builds in intensity.
Kat and Eloriand look over the strange clues. As they do another violent burst of magical energy shakes the tower. Several circles of magical arcane energy begin to form about the tower. These circles are roughly the size of a door and take on either a red or blue coloration. For the time being, Kat cannot recall anything that would further aid her in deciphering the note.
Isador collects the spilled contents of the sack and the party continues up the stairway.
The walls of this wooden balcony are filled with shelves of papers. Three-foot-tall fences are all that stands between the balcony and the intricate spire of gears that extends from the floor below, growing thicker and wider as it ascends to an impenetrable tangle twenty feet above. The strange portals are present on the second floor, but the party sees nothing else unusual. Above them, the racket of wrenching and tearing gears and metal grows even louder. Eloriand spots tiny hands dart out in flashes amongst the gears above.
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I wonder of the red portals take us up and the blue portals take us down?
I walk to the nearest red portal
Lets take a red one shall we?
Drawing Ae-Dee Ate out of its scabbard. well, if this is a bad idea, now would be a great time to let me know
I wait for Ae-Dee Ate's response....if nothing...or nothing negative, I head on in right after drinking a potion of healing.
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Havelockk may be on to something about the portals. The parchment does seem to match with the colors of the portals. Tarek thinks for a moment The parchment does mention alternate and orderly fashion. I say we use two different red portals, go in one at a time but alternate which one gets used. This may be what the message is trying to tell us
Kat and Tarek examine the gates while the party magus throws caution to the wind and dives into one of the red portals.
Kat cannot determine any additional information by examining the portal.
With a foolhardy grin, Havelock, black blade drawn, launches himself form the portal He does not reappear within sight of the party.
A moment later, the party hears loud laughter and the echoing sounds of metal rending and tearing from the floors above.
Havelock experiences a flash of light and complete disorientation. His vision is blurred then returns as he emerges from the other side of the portal. He finds himself on the floor above the rest of the party. The magus can now clearly see four gremlins among the gears and workings of the tower. They turn their heads to stare at Havelock and begin to laugh with maniacal delight. They double their efforts and begin to rend and shred the gears and metal, laughing as they work.
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Kat looks over at Tarek, If we want to alternate which red portal to use, we should make sure our heavy hitters go first. Izzy and I should not go together and since El has some knowledge of healing, you and he should not go together, either. Other than that, we should hurry as it sounds like a party is about to start.
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Caoilte, I think you are up. I will use the portal Havelockk just used after you pass through one of the others. It sounds like we may be doing close quarters Combat. I am not sure if ranged weapons will be as effective in the tower but I will leave the choice of weapons up to you all Tarek draws his sword and waits for Caoilte to step through the portal before passing through the one before him
Havelock takes on the pesky gremlins while the party formulates a plan.
Eloriand and Kat attempt to figure out a way to approach the portals.
Havelock attacks the carnage wrecking gremlins. He swings but misses the small thing, but sends a surge of arcane might into his dark blade and connects with another swing. The small fey shakes and wiggles as electric power courses though its small body. The gremlin's vibrations become faster and faster until the fey explodes.
Tarek prepares Caoilte for a portal jump.
The gremlin nearest Havelock continues to cackle and and rend the gears in front of it While the other two gremlins draw bows and take a bead on Havelock. Three tiny arrows quickly lodge into the magus' arm leg and shoulder, drawing small rivulets of blood.
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Seeing Caoilte step into the portal, Isador takes a quick inventory of his options.
Well, I don't think staying here is a valid option... from the sounds coming from the second floor, it seems that Havelockk is stirring things up.
He glances at the remaining companions before following Caoilte into the red portal.
If there is a fight going on, I don't want to be too far from our best combatant. I'm going in!
Tarek follows the magus through the portal and is magically transported to the floor above.
Caoilte, cursing all things magical, steps through the portal and disappears! A moment later, he stumbles out of the blue portal in the corner of the second floor.
** spoiler omitted **
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Tarek slips through the portal
If Tarek is able to take actions after traveling through the portal, he will move 15 feet, put way his weapon and cast cure light wounds on the Magus. If he can not reach him then he will try to attack one of the creatures
use roll for either melee or ranged. +3 ranged, +6 melee
The gremlins continue to wreck havoc on the inner workings of the clock tower.
Tarek and Havelock entered a red portal, I have marked it on the map with an S, and did not reappear. Caoilte entered a red portal (the one by Eloriand) and emerged from a blue portal on the same floor.
Havelock has taken an action (his last swing) and I am now catching everyone else up. Tarek is correct as far as movement. Any party member can ascend (or descend if needed) up the stairwell or enter one of the various portals. Remember, climbing into or messing with the areas with gears on them requires an acrobatics roll to avoid falling into the mechanism which looks very painful.
Hope that catches everyone up.
The Pathfinders continue their defense of the tower!
Eloriand follows Caoilte into the red portal and re-emerges behind the fighter across the room.
Kat advances up the stairwell to the third floor.
One of the remaining gremlins continues to absolutely wreck the gears and workings of the clocktower while the other two gremlins continue their attack on Havelock. The gremlin nearest Havelock takes a step back and the two gremlins once again fire a salvo of tiny arrows at Havelock. One of the small dart like arrows sticks into Havelock's neck.
Isador follows Caoiolte into the portal used by Havelock and disappear from the floor, reemerging on the third floor to see Havlock engaging gremlins amid the large clock gears.
Tarek, seeing Havelock being rained down upon with tiny vicious arrows, runs to the magus' aid, drawing upon his uncanny healing power to aid the wounded human.
The fight continues.
Eloriand, getting confused with the portal hopping, follows Kat up the stairs, emerging on the third floor.
Kat fires on a gremlin, but misses her mark.
Havelock dives into his magical reserves and fires off an arcane blast at one of the archer gremlins. It strikes the fey, but it fights on.
The northern gremlin doubles his efforts to rip and rend the working gears of the clocktower, tossing metal shards everywhere cackling as it does so.
The archer gremlins press their attack on Havelock. Three of the mini projectiles breach the magus' armor, sticking forth from skin like extra annoying thorns.
Isador takes aim at the nearest gremlin and plunks an arrow into the tiny clock wrecker. The arrow seems to bounce off the tough little bugger and causes no damage.
Tarek throws a spinning disc of death at one of the gremlins but misses.
Caoilte steps to the gremlin destroying the gears. He strikes the small fey squarely, knocking it from the gear. The creature looks up at Caoilte and hisses. Caoilte can see that the gremlin was about to do some serious damage to the gear it was working on.
VHH21
VG4, RA!
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Isador shakes his head in disbelief upon seeing his arrow bounce off the grinning gremlin.
This bow is not doing any good against these vermin. I do not have any cold iron arrows or any other weapon for that matter. opening the now non-animated sack. I wonder if there is anything in here that will be able to help us defeat them.
He searches the bag for anything that might be made of cold iron or silver.
The Archons continue to battle the wicked fey!
Eloriand fires off an arrow which strikes one the the fey squarely. The arrow does not penetrate the gremlin's skin, causing minimal damage.
Kat attempts to shoot a gremlin but her shot is off the mark.
Havelock draws on his arcane might, launching an acid glob at one of the gremlins. The acid glances off the fey creature, causing a minor burn.
The northern gremlin struck by Caoilte hisses again again flees. The lithe little bugger is able to twirl around what is left of the mechanism of the tower and dart out of the western window.
The bow wielding gremlins continue their barrage of Havelock. Two more arrows imbed themselves in the magus!
Isador searches the defeated supply sack for anything that could be of use. He finds it contains four each of longswords, clubs, and enhanced versions of alchemist’s fire, acid flasks, tanglefoot bags, holy water, and antitoxins.