066: Welcome to the machine

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> Past the happy veneer of Whitsunhold's countryside, the party encounters their first real resistance: a squadron of eight knights guards the junction of a couple doors and one mysterious device in a grimly torchlit hallway--most of said guards about to turn on one of their own, whose will has been usurped!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph, you're up. The whole gang's 60 ft on.
<El-Cideon> The greatsword soldiers both bring weapons to bear on their captain, one of them maneuvering round his other side for a flanking position--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{28}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=5 ]4,0{22}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{21}
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6+12 one hit
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d6+12 1,0one hit --> 6,0[ 2d6=10 ]4,0{22}
<Steph> It being her sworn duty to get in the way of armoured thugs, Stephanie pounces at one of the ranseur-wielding creatures and slashes at his joints!
<Steph> roll 1d20+16
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+16 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{26}
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=1 ]4,0{18}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+11 --> 6,0[ 1d20=2 ]4,0{13}
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{18}
<El-Cideon> OOC: first hits
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+1d6+3d6 (I assume this thing is undead. Also I'm lazy and rolling 3d6 instead of 6d6/2 for SA damage vs. these things.)
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d6+7+1d6+3d6 1,0(I assume this thing is undead. Also I'm lazy and rolling 3d6 instead of 6d6/2 for SA damage vs. these things.) --> 6,0[ 1d6=3 1d6=6 3d6=12 ]4,0{28}
<El-Cideon> Marina executes her usual battle plan of immediately hasting the party and Rosey promptly rushes forward to bash at Stephanie's foe. Meanwhile, the enemy officer that yet retains its own will zeroes in on the necromancer responsible for his comrade's subversion and lets fly three arrows!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17 vs Julia
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 1,0vs Julia --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{26}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{22}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+7 --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{15}
<Julia> OOC: AC 22
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+9+1d6 acid
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d8+9+1d6 1,0acid --> 6,0[ 1d8=7 1d6=4 ]4,0{20}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+9+1d6 acid
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d8+9+1d6 1,0acid --> 6,0[ 1d8=6 1d6=4 ]4,0{19}
<Julia> OOC: wait, 23 with haste!
<El-Cideon> OOC: axe second roll
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16 Rosey!
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+16 1,0Rosey! --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{30}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+7+2d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d8+7+2d6 --> 6,0[ 1d8=7 2d6=7 ]4,0{21}
<El-Cideon> Stephanie neatly finds a joint in the knight's armor to slip a blade through...and the wound does indeed draw no blood, though Rosey's follow-up blow leaves the undead warrior staggering on its feet. Meanwhile, the officer successfully retaliates against Julia with one arrow sizzling with acid.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran & ranseur jerks
<Franceska> Becoming a violent bear of legend, Franceska moves in to support Rosemund!
<Franceska> roll 1d20+19+1+4
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+19+1+4 --> 6,0[ 1d20=13 ]4,0{37}
<El-Cideon> OOC: very hit
<Franceska> roll 2d4+10+4 magic
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 2d4+10+4 1,0magic --> 6,0[ 2d4=5 ]4,0{19}
<El-Cideon> The knight collapses into a jangling pile of metal and dead flesh--though not before it's able to get a couple pokes in at Rosemund. Its companion, meanwhile, stabs away at Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17 vs Rosey
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 1,0vs Rosey --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{33}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{26}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17 vs Steph
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 1,0vs Steph --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{32}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{26}
<El-Cideon> roll 2d4+12 vs Rosey
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d4+12 1,0vs Rosey --> 6,0[ 2d4=7 ]4,0{19}
<El-Cideon> OOC: AC, Steph?
<Steph> OOC: 34
<Steph> OOC: that's a lie
<Steph> OOC: it's 32
<El-Cideon> roll 2d4+12 damage
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d4+12 1,0damage --> 6,0[ 2d4=5 ]4,0{17}
<Steph> OOC: also, I have a thing to do
<El-Cideon> OOC: ?
<Steph> As Stephanie is stabbed in the waist, her tail ignites and lashes out to slap at her overreaching opponent!
<Steph> roll 1d20+15 touch, fire riposte
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+15 1,0touch, fire riposte --> 6,0[ 1d20=1 ]4,0{16}
<Steph> OOC: well, I guess not!
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit if it's touch
<Steph> OOC: it's 1 so it misses
<El-Cideon> OOC: right!
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph = sword guard x2 (26) > Marina (22) > Rosey = enemy captain (21) > Fran = ranseur guard (20) > Julia = Alice (13) > Ally captain (11) > axe guard x2 (9) > Istradi (8)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia and Alice
<Julia> Lacking in many ways to really hurt undead, Julia settles for neutralising them before they can cause any trouble, in the case of the two axe-bearers. Plus that archer, since his arrow almost hurt her!
<Julia> OOC: Halt undead, DC 23 will
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+2 axe goons
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+2 1,0axe goons --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{19}, 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{21}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 captain
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0captain --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{20}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph = sword guard x2 (26) > Marina (22) > Rosey = enemy captain (21, paralyzed 12 rds) > Fran = ranseur guard (20) > Julia = Alice (13) > Ally captain (11) > axe guard x2 (9, paralyzed 12 rds) > Istradi (8)'
<El-Cideon> Julia's chosen enemies lock up in place!
<El-Cideon> Alice does something strange--her outfit of bandages simply unravels all around her and falls to the ground. Beneath it she is merely a silhouette in the shape of a person, and in the dim torchlight only barely discernible--her position is now most easily spotted by her weapon, which now flashes ahead to cut at the remaining ranseur-wielder.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+18 --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{32}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+2+2d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+2+2d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=3 2d6=12 ]4,0{17}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17 AoO because reach weapon
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 1,0AoO because reach weapon --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{31}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d100 ???
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d100 1,0??? --> 6,0[ 1d100=54 ]4,0{54}
<El-Cideon> The guard lashes out with a fierce blow that somehow fails to find his enemy.
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia, your flunky's up
<Julia> Dropping his bow, the former captain draws his melee weapon to set about putting his former underlings straight!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+21+2 PA
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+21+2 1,0PA --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{40}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16+2
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+16+2 --> 6,0[ 1d20=2 ]4,0{20}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11-2 (not +2, dammit Cid!)
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+11-2 1,0(not +2, dammit Cid!) --> 6,0[ 1d20=1 ]4,0{10}
<El-Cideon> roll 2d4+13+2
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d4+13+2 --> 6,0[ 2d4=6 ]4,0{21}
<El-Cideon> Istradi charges in to test her new weapon against Alice's chosen foe.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+23
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+23 --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{37}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d10+10+1d6 elec
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d10+10+1d6 1,0elec --> 6,0[ 1d10=4 1d6=5 ]4,0{19}
<El-Cideon> The knight is rocked badly by the blow, but not finished!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph & sword jerks
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+19 flankies mk 1
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+19 1,0flankies mk 1 --> 6,0[ 1d20=5 ]4,0{24}, 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{22}
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+14 flankies mk 1
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+14 1,0flankies mk 1 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{24}, 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{28}
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d6+12 --> 6,0[ 2d6=7 ]4,0{19}
<Steph> OOC: Who's attacking Rosey and I?
<El-Cideon> No one immediately on Rosey, Ranseur jerk is threatening you
<Steph> Stephanie inches towards the ranseur-wielding suit of apparently disembodied armour, and distracts it with a burst of flame before making her assault!
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=2 ]4,0{19}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{25}
<Steph> roll 1d20+18
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+18 --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{21}
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{28}
<Steph> roll 1d20+13
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+13 --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{24}
<El-Cideon> OOC: 24 and up are hits
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+1d6+3d6
<Steph> roll 1d6+7+1d6+3d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d6+7+1d6+3d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=3 1d6=5 3d6=7 ]4,0{22}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d6+7+1d6+3d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=2 1d6=6 3d6=9 ]4,0{24}
<Steph> roll 1d4+6+3d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d4+6+3d6 --> 6,0[ 1d4=3 3d6=5 ]4,0{14}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph = sword guard x2 (26) > Marina (22) > Rosey = enemy captain (21, paralyzed 12 rds) > Fran (20) > Julia = Alice (13) > Ally captain (11) > axe guard x2 (9, paralyzed 12 rds) > Istradi (8)'
<El-Cideon> There is in fact a pile of rotting flesh within the armored shell--one that shall not be moving any longer! Julia's new minion takes one staggering blow this round, but otherwise his armor wards off the attacks.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund moves in to relieve her erstwhile ally, while Marina waits to follow up with a barrage of missiles against any remaining foe.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16+2 flank with captain
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+16+2 1,0flank with captain --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{34}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16+2 flank with captain
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+16+2 1,0flank with captain --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{21}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11+2 flank with captain
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+11+2 1,0flank with captain --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{19}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+7+2d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d8+7+2d6 --> 6,0[ 1d8=3 2d6=4 ]4,0{14}
<El-Cideon> roll 5d4+5 MM
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 5d4+5 1,0MM --> 6,0[ 5d4=8 ]4,0{13}
<El-Cideon> The knight is battered, but not down!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran
* Franceska wades in after Rosemund, lashing out at the sword-wielding armors!
<Franceska> roll 1d20+19+1+4
<Franceska> roll 1d20+19+1+4
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+19+1+4 --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{33}
<Franceska> roll 1d20+19+1+4
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+19+1+4 --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{35}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+19+1+4 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{34}
<Franceska> roll 1d20+13+1
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+13+1 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{24}
<El-Cideon> OOC: all hit. Which target? One is clearly almost destroyed.
<Franceska> roll 2d4+10+4 starting with the nearly destroyed one, then switching to the other
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 2d4+10+4 1,0starting with the nearly destroyed one, then switching to the other --> 6,0[ 2d4=5 ]4,0{19}
<Franceska> roll 2d4+10+4
<Franceska> roll 2d4+10+4
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 2d4+10+4 --> 6,0[ 2d4=4 ]4,0{18}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 2d4+10+4 --> 6,0[ 2d4=7 ]4,0{21}
<Franceska> roll 2d8+6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 2d8+6 --> 6,0[ 2d8=8 ]4,0{14}
<Franceska> OOC: Sorry, that last one should've been +5, not +6
<El-Cideon> Fran's animal fury topples one knight and nearly demolishes the other!
<El-Cideon> OOC: J & A
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph = sword guard (26) > Marina (22) > Rosey = enemy captain (21, paralyzed 12 rds) > Fran (20) > Julia = Alice (13) > Ally captain (11) > axe guard x2 (9, paralyzed 12 rds) > Istradi (8)'
<Julia> The remaining captain can join the team, even if he'll remain useless for the remainder of the battle anyway!
<Julia> OOC: DC 22 command undead
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 will
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0will --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{15}
<El-Cideon> Alice moves in to eliminate the lone foe remaining standing with a will of its own!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+18 --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{25}
<Julia> "The other archer's friendly now!" Julia calls since there's no visible change.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+2+2d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+2+2d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=2 2d6=7 ]4,0{11}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (26) > Marina (22) > Rosey = enemy captain (21, paralyzed 12 rds) > Fran (20) > Julia = Alice (13) > Ally captain (11) > axe guard x2 (9, paralyzed 12 rds) > Istradi (8)'
<El-Cideon> The shadow's sickle neatly slices off the undead knight's head, and the body soon follows it to the ground!
<El-Cideon> OOC: I'm going to call free act at this point, practically speaking you can just surround the two left and just all smash them at once.
<Julia> "Want to destroy these two or shall I try and put them under control?" Julia asks, approaching the axe-bearers as combat ceases.
* Franceska shrugs, and comes over herself in order to help if something goes wrong.
<Steph> "Take them over," says Stephanie. "Some other guys infiltrated this place and got messed up, so let's get whatever help we can get, eh?" She walks over to inspect the strange device in the centre of the room.
<Julia> Nodding, Julia gets to work on casting!
<Julia> OOC: DC 22 will command undead x2
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+2 any natural 20s in the house?
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+2 1,0any natural 20s in the house? --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{8}, 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{22}
<El-Cideon> One of them stubbornly resist Julia's will!
<Julia> "Oh, that one resisted. I'll try again..."
<El-Cideon> Stephanie sees that the panel is superficially quite simple: there is a circular depression about the size of a fist in the center of it, and in a semicircle next to this is a row of six written characters--
<Julia> OOC: DC 22 will command undead
<El-Cideon> OOC: languages, Steph?
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+2 will again!
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+2 1,0will again! --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{10}
<El-Cideon> At last, all the remaining undead are under Julia's control!
<Steph> OOC: Langauges: English, Infernal, Abyssal, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Orc, Celestial, Goblin, Sylvan, Halfling, Gnomish, Terran, Auran, Ignan
<Julia> "Just have to wait a minute on the paralysation to wear off," Julia explains after taking control.
<Julia> Meanwhile the archer grabs his bow and Julia walks over to heal him a bit.
<Julia> roll 1d8+5 negative healing
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d8+5 1,0negative healing --> 6,0[ 1d8=5 ]4,0{10}
<El-Cideon> Stephanie recognizes the twisting, eye-searing script of Abyssal on the device, and translates the labels as: 0 ~ Vivarium; 1 ~ Laboratory; 2 ~ Rendering; 3 ~ Carniplex; 4 ~ Ossuary; 5 ~ Sanguinarium.
<El-Cideon> The knight captain promptly salutes in thanks!
<El-Cideon> "Useful talents you have for such a place as this," Istradi offers in restrained compliment.
<Julia> "Yes, unfortunately I'm not very good at actually killing undead, but this is better when it works," Julia says.
<Steph> "Ugh, this place is demon work," scowls Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "Alice, are you...naked?" Marina wonders uncertainly at the shadow girl. Alice can only offer what looks like an apologetic shrug; she's really a bit of a blur without her bandages to define her form for onlookers.
<El-Cideon> "Is it?" Rosemund wonders, wandering over to look at the panel and ultimately shrugging as the script defies her.
<Steph> "Yep. Who wants to go to the Vivarium? Or the Sanguinarium?"
<Julia> "The vivarium sounds nicer, though I'm certain both are horrible."
<El-Cideon> Marina wrinkles her nose in distaste. "The latter does not sound the nicest destination one could imagine..."
<El-Cideon> "What do they all say?" Rosemund asks Stephanie. "There's six things here..."
<Steph> "Vivarium, Lab, Rendering, Carniplex, Ossuary, Sanguinarium. Let's check out the Vivarium first, it'll have things that are alive in it," says Stephanie, before studying the device to see if it has a method of operation.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie sees no obvious method of activation. There are no levers or dials, switches or buttons. Just an empty cavity surrounded by those labels.
<Steph> "Is this thing magic?"
<Julia> "Hmm?" Julia hums curiously as she comes over to look at it before asking her minion, "Do you know how to work this?"
<El-Cideon> The knight captain turns and points to the door set into the wall next to the platform.
<Steph> Stephanie steps away from the device. "Hey, someone set something up so we know when the fake queen comes back," she says, walking towards the door.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie sees that it is a fairly ordinary door that does not look secured in any way, in sharp contrast to the imposing metal gate at the end of the corridor.
* Franceska finally finds a chance to use her Alarm spell! And puts it on the door they entered through.
<Steph> Stephanie shoves the door open. "Actually, now that I think about it, this floor would be the Vivarium," she notes.
<El-Cideon> Within this long room you find row upon row of camp beds that do not appear to have been utilized for their intended purpose for an age. Dust has settled everywhere. Across from you is an open door leading to a small but private room with a bed of its own and a desk. A book sits upon the desk next to a brilliant opal sphere the size of a person's fist.
<Julia> "Ahh, that does make sense."
<Steph> Stephanie walks into the private room and looks at the book.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie sees that this is a simple log of guard schedules and routines, maintained by a man without much evidently in the way of literacy or penmanship. Casual mention is made of "livestock shipments," and occasional departures and arrivals of one "Master Abuzar" noted with the dull and unimaginative demeanor of professional soldiery. The writer's personal thoughts and feelings on the work carried out in Whitsunhold may best be inferred by the utter lack of mention of such in his logbook. Ultimately, the only evidently significant detail to draw from this log is that formal entries ceased being kept some twenty-six years ago.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund trails after Stephanie. "What did you find?" she asks, picking up the gemstone and holding it up to the torchlight out in the hall.
<Steph> "Hey, how long ago with the Queen get killed, exactly?" Stephanie calls out, as she flips through the book to look for a mention of her.
<Julia> "About twenty five years ago," Julia answers.
<El-Cideon> No specific mention is made of the Queen, but it is common knowledge that Auranelle's death would have shortly preceded the termination of log-keeping in this book.
<Steph> "The logs for this place stopped just afterwards," replies Stephanie, thoughtfully. "Looks like she took over from the previous owners, so I guess that's why there's no actual demons about."
<El-Cideon> "Maybe...maybe she did something right by killing them?" Rosemund speculates without much conviction. She walks over to the platform and compares the gem to the depression in the instrument panel, then tries inserting the sphere. The labels for Vivarium and Laboratory attain a soft blue glow on the panel.
<Julia> "Well, lets see if the Sanguinarium is still in use before making any conclusions."
<Steph> "Why the Sanguinarium?" asks Stephanie. "It's not glowing, by the way."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund tries pressing down on the referred label. Nothing happens.
<Julia> "Well if it's full of blood we can assume it came from the vivarium's inhabitants, can't we?"
* Franceska paws the Vivarium label, unable to stop her curiousity.
<El-Cideon> While the panel looks active now, Franceska finds that nothing happens from pressing this option.
<Steph> Stephanie steps off the platform, and walks towards the big metal gate.
<Julia> Seeing their lack of success Julia once more prevails upon the local, "What do we do now that we have the crystal in there?" she asks.
<El-Cideon> This door looks big enough for a squadron of soldiers to walk through side by side, and it is secured by a very complicated looking lock.
* Franceska tries the laboratory next!
<El-Cideon> The guard captain points silently to the Laboratory option--which, as Franceska presses it, proves to have results--
<El-Cideon> Upon activation of the device, you undergo a moment of transition and are suddenly--elsewhere, yet standing upon a similar platform with an identical control panel. There is no light here, but that which you've brought with you illuminates a broad hall with branches leading off to the left and to the right.
<El-Cideon> To the left, the walls are lined with cages. Some are small, wooden with metal bars, and with the skeletons of small animals--cats, dogs, assorted vermin--lying quietly within. Some of the larger cages--those preserves of human or larger proportion--have been wrenched open from the outside and there is no sign of the former occupants. Beyond this the hall proceeds further toward unseen depths.
<El-Cideon> To the right, the walls are lined with shelves that host a collection of jars, vials and bottles, although most of the shelves are broken and the containers smashed. It looks as though some struggle once occurred here. Centrally, a battered worktable extends further out of sight into the darkness.
<El-Cideon> All here is layered thickly in dust.
<El-Cideon> Behind Stephanie, all her friends vanish and the panel goes dark again.
<Steph> "Hey- oh, what!"
<El-Cideon> "Er, we forgot Stephanie," Rosemund observes, daring Franceska to be happy about it.
<Julia> "Well now we know it works we can go back for her, can't we?"
* Franceska shrugs.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund presses Vivarium--and the group reappears in the first corridor!
<El-Cideon> "Sorry about that Stephanie," Rosemund apologizes. "Of course we would never leave you behind on purpose!"
* Franceska rolls her eyes.
<Steph> Stephanie snorts, and steps back on the platform. "I'd never run away on purpose, either, Rosie! Not even for a man!"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods and presses the Laboratory label again. Then, once in the new floor, she casts a charm upon her mace to better light up the surroundings. "Which way?" she wonders.
* Franceska gestures towards the worktable.
<Steph> Stephanie walks towards the worktable, peering into the darkness.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund holds aloft her mace and leads the way forward. Past racks of dusty, rusting experimental implements, you find an end to the hall. Three exits are apparent here: to your left is a door metal and secure; directly ahead, at the end of the hall, is one heavy and wooden; and to your right is a door shattered to splinters lying on the floor just within the room beyond.
<Julia> "Well... it looks like someone broke the human captives out of here a long time ago," Julia says, giving the empty cages a look over. "Whether they were alive at the time, who knows?"
<El-Cideon> "It does not look as though much of anyone is using this place," Rosemund observes with a frown.
<El-Cideon> "Shouldn't we be happy about this?" Marina challenges, but Rosemund only professes continued confusion. "I suppose that I was expecting everything to be more actively sinister..."
<Steph> Stephanie walkse to the secure door and tries to open it.
<El-Cideon> It's locked. Moreover, as Stephanie fiddls with the handle, a bolt of wicked green energy fires out in protest!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 ranged touch
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0ranged touch --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{15}
<Julia> "Yes, but now we have the unsettling sensation of waiting for the other shoe to drop," Julia explains to Marina.
<El-Cideon> OOC: touch AC, Rat?
<Steph> OOC: More
<El-Cideon> Marina jumps in surprise as the spell flies wild and impacts the opposite wall with a sizzle. "Perhaps it just did," Marina guesses.
<Steph> "Who does this? Who puts traps on their doors? Do they not have to use them?" complains Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "Maybe they can deactivate them later?" Marina wonders, taking up a spot well away from this door in case it fires again on a second attempt at opening it.
<Steph> Stephanie scowls. "Make your goons do it," she complains, walking away from the door.
<El-Cideon> Istradi peers into the room with the broken door. Meanwhile, Alice scans the dusty shelves and starts picking off various flasks and vials.
<Julia> "Alright," Julia beckons for one of the axe skeletons to go open the door.
<El-Cideon> The axe knight obediently tries to open the door. No spell fires this time, but he doesn't have any success in actually opening the door, either.
<Steph> "It discriminates! Who makes a magical trap that only works once?!" snaps Stephanie, turning back to the door and angrily having a go at the lock.
<Steph> roll 1d20+20 locks?
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+20 1,0locks? --> 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{40}
<El-Cideon> Stephanie's rage fuels an astonishing lock-opening prowess! The door opens with ease, and on the other side--
<El-Cideon> Within is what might once have been a sumptuous bedroom, but the furniture has long since succumbed to rot and decay. There is an expansive four-poster bed, a writing desk, and a wardrobe here. A book lies upon the desk, and in the far corner is another room screened off by a tattered curtain.
<Steph> Stephanie stomps towards the book, to give it a good read.
* Franceska approaches the curtain to pull it aside and take a better look ahead.
<El-Cideon> Beyond the curtain is a small room which is occupied principally by a circular stone basin set into the floor. The depression is large enough for several people to comfortably bathe in it at once, and indeed it is in this state that a former occupant appears to have met her demise--a body sits propped up against the wall within the basin. Dessicated and withered, but seemingly undisturbed, the body rests in a pose which does not suggest a belabored or violent death. A stained knife rests on the dry stone basin next to one hand.
<El-Cideon> Stephanie's examination yields the following:
<El-Cideon> The entries in this journal are penned in a neat cursive script, and are first dated some thirty years ago according to Prime reckoning. At a quick glance, most of the early entries constitute descriptions of routine necromantic transformations and unconscionable experiments performed upon living subjects, alternating with accounts of carnal exploits with one apprentice and cruel jokes played upon another. Flipping through to the later entries, one finds that the journal's progress ceases without warning some twenty-six years ago. Of the final year's entries, one might take note of the following:
<El-Cideon> "Master Abuzar brought the queen around for her examination today. Bit soft, in mind and in body, but that's to be expected in a woman of her rank. Put up a bold front but stank of fear. Probably the first time in her life anyone else has dared tell her what to do. Best get used to it. She can act as haughty as she likes, I'm not impressed. We're all bones in the end, and I've as much use for hers as anyone else's. Or perhaps a zombie would be best use for her, I suggested to Abuzar, properly treated and maintained to avert rot? Be a shame not to preserve such a fine bust for posterity, after all. Or maybe just use it as a graft for Karin, girl's always been lacking there.
<El-Cideon> "But no, Master Abuzar's got some special plan for this one, he says. She'll be preserved, he says, it's been seen to, he says. Like my way better, she'd be more obedient that way. It's a cute challenge he gives me, I'll grant him that. Maybe can't be done, if it was feasible they'd all be doing it, right? Had some ideas, told him I'd need a thrall to play with first. Only got the one queen, have to know we're doing it right before she gets her turn."
<El-Cideon> The precise desired outcome is never conveniently explained for a reader without context of conversations between the writer and his master, but the essence of it is summarized as "rendering natural circumstances not inimical to transcendent condition." A complicated regimen of chemical treatments, harrowing tests of physical endurance, deprivation and hypnosis is described once the queen is delivered into the writer's keeping, and grudging cooperation with one "Priestess Belmora" acknowledged for assistance with "psychological conditioning and spiritual instruction." However, shortly after the writer notes that he has begun work on the royal person, the following note is made:
<El-Cideon> "Master Abuzar fuming today. Never seen him so furious. Bit hilarious so long as it's not me he's angry with. Turns out the queen's ministers took some other lady, chopped her up so bad she couldn't be called back, put the pieces in her majesty's bed and called it a murder. Fantastic work, didn't think the Solati had it in them to be so bold. Project's off, of course, but Abuzar says keep at the experiments anyway. It's a worthy challenge and he's in a mood to see someone suffer, might as well be her."
<El-Cideon> This is the last entry of note. The writer's alchemical deliberations persist in evolving iterations for some months further and then abruptly stop.
<Steph> "No way! No fucking way!" exclaims Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> Alice offers Rosemund a potion of a familiar blue hue. Rosemund blinks a bit in surprise, it being difficult to notice the shadow girl's movements now. "Oh! Thank you," she manages, drinking one to heal her wounds before peeking in on Stephanie in surprise. "What? What is it?"
<El-Cideon> roll 2d8+3 heals
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d8+3 1,0heals --> 6,0[ 2d8=10 ]4,0{13}
<Steph> "They kidnapped the queen!" Stephanie says. "The real, actual queen! And then the palace ministers chopped up someone else and pretended she got murdered!"
<Julia> "Truly? My goodness! So that means..." her eyes flick upwards, "That was really her?"
<El-Cideon> Rosemund's horror is manifest for a long moment before she finds words again. "Whyever would they do that? They should have expended every effort to find her again!"
<Franceska> "Because she was a thrall of demons?" Franceska suggests, returning to her human form.
<Steph> "They couldn't," replies Stephanie, whirling at Rosemund. "There was a war going on, like they'd have the resources!" She shoots an angry look at Franceska. "She clearly was not!" she replies, shoving the book in Franceska's face. "But it looks like they tried to break her into being one."
<Franceska> "And succeeded?"
<Julia> "So how did she end up taking over?" Julia wonders.
<Steph> "No idea," replies Stephanie, turning her back to Franceska. "I don't understand exactly what they were trying to do. Conditioning, definitely, but.. 'transcendant condition'? I guess some sort of power up?"
<El-Cideon> "But why lie about it?" Rosemund continues to wonder.
<Franceska> "Maybe they turned her into a vampire?"
<Steph> "Because if the truth was known, Rosie, they'd have to deal with people like you telling them to go find her," reasons Stephanie. "If she's dead, then they get to be in charge, and they get to direct all efforts to the war."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund just looks solemnly at the floor.
<Julia> "Maybe we'll learn more by continued exploration?" Julia muses, directing her axe minion to open the wooden door while she looks through the splintered one.
<Franceska> "We should look for more of those gems, to take us to the other levels?"
<El-Cideon> The wooden door is not locked:
<El-Cideon> Beyond this door is a large closet which houses one and only one thing: a golem of fired clay standing at rest. The construct does not appear to have moved for a very long time, judging by the layer of dust upon it. The golem does not presently demonstrate any sign of awareness, and a hexagonal cavity has been bored into its chest plate.
<El-Cideon> Beyond the broken door is a small bedroom. A simple pallet with a chest at the foot constitutes the only furniture apart from a desk just by the door. Assorted scrolls sit thrust into a network of pigeonholes above the desk.
<Steph> Stephanie claps the book closed. "She might be the real deal," Stephanie says, passing it to Julia. "The palace would definitely want to suppress this."
<Franceska> "So when Leah looked into rumors of the Queen being on another plane, they would actually know it is true, back at the capital," Franceska muses.
* Julia stores the book in her haversack for later perusal and goes to look through the scrolls.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund shifts uncomfortably. "So...the King's men might have done something with her?" she concludes miserably.
<Steph> "They might have tried," replies Stephanie. "I think they failed." She frowns. "I mean, she clearly isn't able to rule."
<Franceska> "It was obvious from the start, but now we have discovered a very strong motive!"
<El-Cideon> "I meant Auntie Leah!" Rosemund exclaims.
<Franceska> "I know that! It merely means we definitely know where to go to demand answers."
<El-Cideon> Julia finds that the scrolls are principally spells! Albeit, ones of a level elementary to her, a much less-practiced mage's work. (OOC: post incoming)
<Steph> "Oh. Of course. Yes, almost certainly," replies Stephanie, apologetically. She blinks. "Maybe we should head back right now... now that we've been here, we can easily get here again, right? That's how the spell works? I'm not even sure what we should do, here."
<Julia> "Yes, I'm sorry but it does seem like we took the wrong approach here. Do you want to go back to Solanth and start looking?" Julia asks after sorting through the scrolls.
<Franceska> "Much as I would like to say yes, everyone here is still terrified and some of them continue to disappear," Franceska points out. "We might as well see if any of those demon spawns are still around and kill them. Besides, if we find a way to bring the queen back, it would be a powerful bargaining chip to getting Leah returned."
<Steph> Stephanie frowns. "I suppose we could try and bring her with us... maybe if she saw the real Solata, it would help with her?"
<Julia> "Or she would spark a civil war," Julia feels obliged to point out.
<Franceska> "Not if we handle the negotiations quietly."
<Steph> Stephanie walks to open the chest. "Are you familiar at all with the royal court?"
<Franceska> "Not in person, but I would know who to approach."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods sadly to Franceska. "Auntie Leah is one person...there are lots more people here and they all think something terrible is going on. I think that we have to find out if this is true and stop it first. Auntie Leah is...probably dead, that would be why I could not reach her," Rosemund concludes in a flat tone. "So we should worry about the living first."
<El-Cideon> Stephanie finds, amidst a pile of ratty clothes, a pair of bracers and a headband that look constructed with a degree more skill and care.
<Julia> "That's very noble of you," Julia says sincerely, reaching out to hold Rosemund's hand in a gesture of comfort.
<El-Cideon> "I do not feel very noble right now," Rosemund protests. "We asked her to look into this in the first place!"
<Steph> "We may be able to bargain for her. Even if they have executed her, we can recover her body and get it resurrected..."
<Julia> "Yes, and she's a grown woman of considerable skill and experience. She would have known the risks of anything she got involved with," Julia insists gently.
<Franceska> "What we need to focus on here is getting to the bottom of it, retrieving her in any way we can and then we can exact the right sort of punishment on those responsible."
<Steph> "Agreed."
<El-Cideon> "Alright," Rosemund agrees. "Alright! Mr. Alcembron said soldiers came here from Solata recently...maybe they know something. Why else would someone send them, yes?"
<Julia> "Well if we find them we can learn answers... unless they're already here," Julia gives her minions a speculative look.
<El-Cideon> Julia's minions do not respond to merely speculative statements.
<Steph> "I believe they snuck in here and never came out?" replies Stephanie, dubiously.
<Franceska> "Oh! Julia, want to ask that corpse that committed suicide in the bath just what happened to the queen?"
<Julia> "Oh, there's a corpse? Certainly!" Julia says, going in past the screen and casting speak with dead.
<Julia> OOC: DC 23 will if not neutral
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 will
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+7 1,0will --> 6,0[ 1d20=4 ]4,0{11}
<El-Cideon> The mind of the dead woman opens to Julia's inquisition.
<Steph> "Take a look at these?" Stephanie asks Franceska, passing her the bracers and the headband.
<Julia> "How did you die?" lets start off with an easy one.
<El-Cideon> "By my own hand," the corpse relates.
<Franceska> roll 2#1d20+17 spellcraft
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 2#1d20+17 1,0spellcraft --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{25}, 6,0[ 1d20=18 ]4,0{35}
<Julia> "Why did you kill yourself?"
<El-Cideon> "Escape," the corpse whispers. "Too many spiders. Master dead. Could not fight alone. Refused to starve slow."
<Steph> In the meantime, Stephanie heads back to ransack the bedchamber.
<Julia> "What was planned for queen auranelle?" best get that out of the way before following up on anything just mentioned.
<El-Cideon> "Agent," the corpse whispers. "Undetectable undead. Mother of contagion."
<Julia> "What actually happened to queen Auranelle?"
<El-Cideon> Stephanie finds amidst the bedroom's containers: a fine amulet, cloak, a pair of rings, a fancy bottle, and three hexagonal quartz gems (one black, one white, one red).
<Steph> Stephanie recovers these items and returns with them for inspection.
<El-Cideon> "Complicated procedure," the corpse answers. "Some beyond my expertise." This last sounds an uncertain theorem: "Schism?"
<Julia> roll 1d20+17 arcana
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+17 1,0arcana --> 6,0[ 1d20=13 ]4,0{30}
<Julia> "What sort of contagion was she to be mother of?"
<El-Cideon> "Vampirism."
<Julia> "Where are the crystals to access other levels kept?" Probably moved since then but it's worth a shot.
<El-Cideon> "Masters' possession," the corpse answered. "Master had his when claimed by spiders. Access down to Rendering level." Somehow, the long-dead mind still manages to convey a shred of apprehension about this last part.
<Franceska> roll 5#1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 5#1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{32}, 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{33}, 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{34}, 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{20}, 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{28}
<El-Cideon> Julia also recognizes that the gems are in fact golem power sources, albeit with a degree of programming in them as well: the black stone will instruct the golem to attack all mortal intruders; the white undead intruders; the red research subjects (whatever those might be).
<Julia> "Well... we'd best watch out for spiders, and the queen is *probably* a vampire. Might not be since whatever they had planned went wrong." Julia explains. "Also we probably don't want to power up the golem since it'll either attack us or attack my minions. Or research subjects, which we may want to rescue... or may just be horrible spiders. Keep a hold of the red one just in case?"
<Franceska> "How do you set the golem to attack your minions?" Franceska asks. "In case we just send them all away somewhere and have it attack others."
<Julia> "The white one."
<El-Cideon> Alice shifts uneasily and raises a hand at this suggestion.
<Steph> "Hmm? What's up, Alice?"
<Franceska> "You can lead them far away before we ever do that, of course."
<El-Cideon> Alice points to the white gem, then to herself.
<Julia> "Ahh, it's nothing to be ashamed of, Alice," Julia smiles at their undead friend.
<El-Cideon> She doesn't appear as though she agrees, but admittedly it's quite hard to be sure given how barely visible she is now.
<Steph> "You think this will attack the queen and such, then?" muses Stephanie. "Would they count as intruders or locals, now?"
<Franceska> "Maybe. Or if we find the spiders, we can give the other gem to Alice and she could direct the golem to attack?"
<El-Cideon> "It sounds as though the red one would not endanger any of us," Marina suggests. "Don't you think?"
<Julia> "I say we just leave it. It's too unpredictable and won't follow our orders no matter what we put in it."
<Steph> "We also can't really get it to be where we need it to be easily," agrees Stephanie, with a shrug.
<Steph> "Since that's presumably not here."
<El-Cideon> "Alright," Rosemund nods and turns away from the dead mages' quarters. "Now where to?"
<Steph> Stephanie ties on their appropriated headband a moment later. "Let's explore the other wing."
<Julia> "Until we find another gem it's our only option," Julia agrees, bidding her minions to follow.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods and leads the way back to the platform. It isn't much past this that the atmosphere changes--
<El-Cideon> OOC: roll Perception, anyone who cares to
<Franceska> roll 1d20+23
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+23 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{33}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 Istradi
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+18 1,0Istradi --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{35}
<Steph> roll 1d20+13
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+13 --> 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{33}
<El-Cideon> Shattered cages become laced with fine silk webbing as you progress in this direction. As your light finally reveals the end of the hall, the source of this webbing also becomes apparent--at the center of a tangled net amidst a pile of wrecked cages sits a massive, rust red spider, easily a dozen feet tall when it stands to meet your intrusion. In and around the webbing itself rise three humanoid figures--two the size of a man and one lumbering form of more ogrish proportion, all of them mummylike in aspect but shrouded in silken threads rather than bandages (and, from a chain around the throat of the tallest mummy, hangs a tiger's eye gemstone of appropriate size for the transportation panel). With arms outstretched, each lurches forward in defense of the nest! Franceska and Stephanie are both sharp enough to also spot one spider lurking to their left among the debris, but it's up to Istradi to also point out its partner hiding on the right!
<El-Cideon> OOC: init, avoided any surprises~
<Steph> roll 1d20+9
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+9 --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{25}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+5 Alice
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+5 1,0Alice --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{24}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 Marina
<Franceska> roll 1d20+1
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+1 --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{12}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+7 1,0Marina --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{13}
<Julia> roll 1d20+2
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+2 --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{18}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 Istradi
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+6 1,0Istradi --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{18}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+2 Rosey
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+2 1,0Rosey --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{5}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 axe guards
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+6 1,0axe guards --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{23}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 captains
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+6 1,0captains --> 6,0[ 1d20=4 ]4,0{10}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+10 huge spider
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+10 1,0huge spider --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{20}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+9 large spiders
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+9 1,0large spiders --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{24}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 mummies
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+3 1,0mummies --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{22}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+2 big mummy
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+2 1,0big mummy --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{12}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider x2 (24) > axe x2 (23) > mummy x2 (22) > H spider (20) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran = L mummy (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey (5)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph, you're up. The main group's about 20 ft on and there's a spider to either side of the group 15 ft away.
<Steph> Stephanie pounces at the largest spider, going straight for the intimidating over-large compound eyes!
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{32}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{27}
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{29}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{19}
<El-Cideon> OOC: all hit flatfooted. Not crit immune!
<Steph> roll 1d20+12 oh hey, that's a crit then
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+12 1,0oh hey, that's a crit then --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{15}
<Steph> roll 1d20+17 so's this
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+17 1,0so's this --> 6,0[ 1d20=18 ]4,0{35}
<El-Cideon> OOC: FF AC of 16, so first is not confirmed.
<Steph> roll 1d6+10+1d6+6d6+1d6+10
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d6+10+1d6+6d6+1d6+10 --> 6,0[ 1d6=4 1d6=1 6d6=9 1d6=3 ]4,0{37}
<Steph> roll 1d6+10+1d6+6d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d6+10+1d6+6d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=3 1d6=6 6d6=26 ]4,0{45}
<Steph> roll 1d4+7+6d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d4+7+6d6 --> 6,0[ 1d4=1 6d6=18 ]4,0{26}
<Steph> roll 1d4+7+6d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d4+7+6d6 --> 6,0[ 1d4=4 6d6=24 ]4,0{35}
<El-Cideon> The spider chitters angrily as it's savagely mauled. Limbs crack and carapace shatters, but some supernatural resistance just barely keeps it on its feet!
<El-Cideon> Alice slips away to try and keep one of the smaller (yet still larger than a human) spiders from flanking the group, reaching out to imbue it with a burst of negative energy. It leans forward to bite at her, while its partner scurries forward for Franceska!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16 concentration
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+16 1,0concentration --> 6,0[ 1d20=2 ]4,0{18}
<El-Cideon> OOC: failed :(
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15 vs Alice
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+15 1,0vs Alice --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{25}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d100
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d100 --> 6,0[ 1d100=97 ]4,0{97}
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6+7 hit
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d6+7 1,0hit --> 6,0[ 2d6=10 ]4,0{17}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15 vs Fran
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+15 1,0vs Fran --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{26}
<Franceska> OOC: Flat-footed AC20
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6+7 also roll fort
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d6+7 1,0also roll fort --> 6,0[ 2d6=2 ]4,0{9}
<Franceska> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{15}
<El-Cideon> OOC: oh, this is of course poison. You are not immune?
<Franceska> OOC: Only to disease! Or if I activate a power.
<El-Cideon> roll 1d4 regular damage, BUT you also react to positive/negative energy like Julia does~
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d4 1,0regular damage, BUT you also react to positive/negative energy like Julia does~ --> 6,0[ 1d4=4 ]4,0{4}
<El-Cideon> A strange chemical transformation takes hold as poison floods into Franceska's system--suddenly she feels a little closer to Julia's state of being!
<El-Cideon> OOC: direct your axe goons, Julia
<Julia> With a gesture Julia commands her two axemen to go and sort out the two smaller mummies!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=1 ]4,0{18}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{26}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d12+12 damage
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d12+12 1,0damage --> 6,0[ 1d12=3 ]4,0{15}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 axe knight ref for ???
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+4 1,0axe knight ref for ??? --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{21}
<El-Cideon> The knight lands a strong hit on the mummy--but loses his weapon in the bargain! The axe is strongly stuck in the mummy's webbing and ripped from the knight's hands.
<El-Cideon> Each of the mummies punches out at their attackers, while the mother spider's jaws reach out for Stephanie!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16 vs axe
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+16 1,0vs axe --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{35}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16 vs axe
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+16 1,0vs axe --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{33}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+12 damage
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+12 damage
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+12 1,0damage --> 6,0[ 1d6=2 ]4,0{14}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+12 1,0damage --> 6,0[ 1d6=2 ]4,0{14}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18 bite vs Steph
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+18 1,0bite vs Steph --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{28}
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia's up
<Julia> Julia merely contents herself with firing an enervation over at the big spider!
<Julia> roll 1d20+8 ranged touch
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0ranged touch --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{14}
<Julia> roll 1d4 negative levels
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d4 1,0negative levels --> 6,0[ 1d4=2 ]4,0{2}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider x2 (24) > axe x2 (23) > mummy x2 (22) > H spider (20, -2 lvl) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran = L mummy (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey (5)'
<El-Cideon> The spider slumps in place, exhausted! (OOC: it's still alive, but this puts it at 0hp)
<El-Cideon> Marina fires an array of bolts around the corridor, one to put down the great spider and four more to batter Franceska's assailant!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d4+1
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d4+1 --> 6,0[ 1d4=2 ]4,0{3}
<El-Cideon> roll 4d4+4
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 4d4+4 --> 6,0[ 4d4=9 ]4,0{13}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider x2 (24) > axe x2 (23) > mummy x2 (22) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran = L mummy (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey (5)'
<El-Cideon> The monstrous spider's head cracks and it collapses in defeat--yet its death seems to empower the mummies, as each reaches its fists in the air and bellows in rage!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran and big mummy are up
* Franceska takes a step back and gestures at the larger mummy, wrapped up in spiderweb as it is, as the gaudy crown upon her brow glows menacingly--
<Franceska> roll 1d20+9 ranged touch
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+9 1,0ranged touch --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{25}
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<El-Cideon> OOC: SR, though!
<Franceska> --and a torrent of light and fire assails it!
<Franceska> roll 1d20+15 SR
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+15 1,0SR --> 6,0[ 1d20=18 ]4,0{33}
<El-Cideon> OOC: pass
<Franceska> OOC: Maximized, so 80 fire damage! Before any vulnerabilities are counted.
<El-Cideon> The large mummy is nearly vaporized in holy light, its gemstone tumbling to clatter on the ground--yet from its corpse emerges a spill of tiny, crimson spiders that now swarm all over the nearest living target, Stephanie!
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider x2 (24) > axe x2 (23) > mummy x2 (22) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran = spider swarm (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey (5)'
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph, you can AoO the swarm as it moves into your space
<Steph> OOC: swarms can't be struck by normal weapons
<El-Cideon> OOC: anything with energy attached can still work, yes?
<Steph> OOC: Arguably. Does vampiric count?
<El-Cideon> OOC: Mm. I'd say no, not in this case.
<El-Cideon> OOC: unless it's negative energy?
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6 damage in any case, also roll fort
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6 1,0damage in any case, also roll fort --> 6,0[ 1d6=2 ]4,0{2}
<Steph> rll 1d20+11
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+11 --> 6,0[ 1d20=13 ]4,0{24}
<El-Cideon> The spiders crawl all over Stephanie, under her clothes, biting her everywhere!
<El-Cideon> OOC: direct your captains, Julia
<Julia> Since those mummies make weapons stick to them that makes them ideal pincushions for her archers, so Julia tells them to get to work on that!
<El-Cideon> Each of the officers focuses on the wounded target and fires away until its defeat (moving on to its partner, should this occur).
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{24}, 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{27}
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=2 ]4,0{14}, 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{18}
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+7
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+7 --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{15}, 6,0[ 1d20=7 ]4,0{14}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+9+1d6 acid
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+9+1d6 acid
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d8+9+1d6 1,0acid --> 6,0[ 1d8=1 1d6=3 ]4,0{13}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d8+9+1d6 1,0acid --> 6,0[ 1d8=7 1d6=5 ]4,0{21}
<El-Cideon> The mummy stubbornly stands! Rosemund aims to finish it with a beam of light--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11 ranged touch
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+11 1,0ranged touch --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{20}
<El-Cideon> roll 10d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 10d6 --> 6,0[ 10d6=34 ]4,0{34}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider x2 (24) > axe x2 (23) > mummy = swarm (22) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran = spider swarm (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey (5)'
<El-Cideon> Unfortunately, like its partner, felling the undead only produces a mass of crawling arachnids!
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider x2 (24) > axe x2 (23) > mummy = swarm (22) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran = spider swarm (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey = Istradi (5)'
<El-Cideon> The silverhaired mercenary steps in with her spear to stab away at the spider that assaulted Fran--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+22
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+22 --> 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{42}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=17 ]4,0{34}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{31}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+22 crit?
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+22 1,0crit? --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{38}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d10+10+1d6 elec
<El-Cideon> roll 1d10+10+1d6 elec
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d10+10+1d6 1,0elec --> 6,0[ 1d10=2 1d6=1 ]4,0{13}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d10+10+1d6 1,0elec --> 6,0[ 1d10=8 1d6=4 ]4,0{22}
<El-Cideon> roll 2d10+20+1d6+2d10 elec
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2d10+20+1d6+2d10 1,0elec --> 6,0[ 2d10=9 1d6=3 2d10=6 ]4,0{38}
<El-Cideon> The spider is badly skewered, but yet stands on its spindly legs!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Steph
<Steph> "Disgusting!" Stephanie yelps, but it's not so great an impediment she needs to flee immediately and take an acid bath. Instead, she steps up to the mummy and lashes out at it!
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{36}
<Steph> roll 1d20+17
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
<Steph> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=1 ]4,0{18}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{26}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{15}
<El-Cideon> OOC: 36/26 hit, however, do make a ref save for both
<El-Cideon> OOC: also note you can flank with axe goon for SA purposes
<Steph> roll 1d6+10+3d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d6+10+3d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=4 3d6=7 ]4,0{21}
<Steph> roll 1d4+7+3d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d4+7+3d6 --> 6,0[ 1d4=1 3d6=13 ]4,0{21}
<Steph> roll 1d20+19
<Steph> roll 1d20+19
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+19 --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{22}
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+19 --> 6,0[ 1d20=13 ]4,0{32}
<El-Cideon> Unlike her unfortunate partner in battle, Stephanie manages to retain hold of her weapons as she strikes!
<El-Cideon> One spider bites at Istradi and another at Alice, who forsakes fancy magical tricks in favor of simply slashing at the monster--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=1 ]4,0{18}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{22}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+2+2d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+2+2d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=3 2d6=7 ]4,0{12}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15 vs Alice
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+15 1,0vs Alice --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{26}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15 vs Istradi
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+15 1,0vs Istradi --> 6,0[ 1d20=5 ]4,0{20}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d100
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d100 --> 6,0[ 1d100=28 ]4,0{28}
<El-Cideon> One spider misses its uncannily evasive foe, while the other's jaws ping off armor.
<El-Cideon> OOC: axe goons, Julia. One presently lacks his axe (it's amidst a spider swarm now)
<Julia> "You, pick up your axe! And keep hitting that mummy!"
<El-Cideon> As directed, the undead warrior retrieves his weapon and marches over to swing at the remaining mummy with his partner!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{28}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 ref :(
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+4 1,0ref :( --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{13}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{26}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 ref :(
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+4 1,0ref :( --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{10}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d12+12
<El-Cideon> roll 1d12+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d12+12 --> 6,0[ 1d12=5 ]4,0{17}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d12+12 --> 6,0[ 1d12=7 ]4,0{19}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider x2 (24) > axe x2 (23) > swarm x2 (22) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran = spider swarm (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey = Istradi (5)'
<El-Cideon> Though each soldier loses his weapon in the process, the mummy is felled! To be replaced of course by another mass of spiders.
<El-Cideon> --Both of which swarm all over Stephanie now!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=6 ]4,0{6}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=4 ]4,0{4}
<El-Cideon> OOC: 2x fort
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+11 --> 6,0[ 1d20=13 ]4,0{24}
<Steph> roll 1d20+11
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+11 --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{26}
<El-Cideon> OOC: carry on~
<El-Cideon> OOC: Julia is up
<Julia> "Er... hmmm..." Julia hums, not sure she has anything that can take care of the swarm without also hurting Stephanie. "Oh well..." she turns her attention to the spider Istradi had attacked, walking over and channeling a bunch of awful negative energy into it by touch!
<Julia> roll 1d20+8 melee touch
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0melee touch --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{24}
<Julia> roll 1d8+3 and DC 23 or 2 negative levels and DC 26 or sickened. Both fort
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d8+3 1,0and DC 23 or 2 negative levels and DC 26 or sickened. Both fort --> 6,0[ 1d8=3 ]4,0{6}
<El-Cideon> OOC: the damage is negative energy, yes?
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11 fort
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+11 fort
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+11 1,0fort --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{17}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+11 1,0fort --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{17}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider x2 (24, -2nl and sickened) > axe x2 (23) > swarm x2 (22) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran = spider swarm (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey = Istradi (5)'
<Julia> OOC: it is
<El-Cideon> Though Julia is successful in weakning the spider...the negative energy also seems to bind up its wounds!
<Julia> "Oh..." Julia looks rather nonplussed at this reaction.
<El-Cideon> Marina looks around for someone else capable of cooking the whole mass of tiny spiders and ultimately decides it's up to her--she scurries up alongside the forward melee and briefly apologies to Stephanie--"Er, look, I'm just thinking this'll hurt them more than it hurts you--" before firing a bolt of lightning that takes in all the various swarms along with the tiefling.
<El-Cideon> OOC: ref, Steph
<El-Cideon> roll 3#1d20+8 spiderssss
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 3#1d20+8 1,0spiderssss --> 6,0[ 1d20=19 ]4,0{27}, 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{16}, 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{19}
<Steph> roll 1d20+19
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+19 --> 6,0[ 1d20=14 ]4,0{33}
<El-Cideon> roll 10d6 elec Steph halves
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 10d6 1,0elec Steph halves --> 6,0[ 10d6=33 ]4,0{33}
<El-Cideon> OOC: 2x swarm made the save, but all take 1.5 so they're toast anyway
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider x2 (24, -2nl and sickened) > axe x2 (23) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey = Istradi (5)'
<El-Cideon> Stephanie takes a bit of a scorching, but not near so much as the swarms, which shrivel and die!
<El-Cideon> OOC: Fran
<Steph> Even the nicest people treat her like a punching bag. Stephanie resolves to trust nobody ever again.
<El-Cideon> "I'm sorry!" Marina professes! "I didn't know how else to get rid of them!"
<Franceska> "It was the only way!" Franceska calls out, before making all those fighting the remaining spiders take another swing at their targets!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17 Alice
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 1,0Alice --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{25}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+22 Istradi
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+22 1,0Istradi --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{30}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17 archery!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+17 archery!
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 1,0archery! --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{23}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+17 1,0archery! --> 6,0[ 1d20=10 ]4,0{27}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+2+2d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d6+2+2d6 --> 6,0[ 1d6=6 2d6=4 ]4,0{12}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d10+10+1d6 elec
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d10+10+1d6 1,0elec --> 6,0[ 1d10=2 1d6=5 ]4,0{17}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+9+1d6
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+9+1d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d8+9+1d6 --> 6,0[ 1d8=6 1d6=4 ]4,0{19}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d8+9+1d6 --> 6,0[ 1d8=5 1d6=1 ]4,0{15}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Steph (25) > Alice = L spider (24) > axe x2 (23) > Julia (18) > Marina (13) > Fran (12) > captain x2 (10) > Rosey = Istradi (5)'
<El-Cideon> The more feeble of the two spiders go down, and the captains continue with their instructions to shoot down the remaining foe!
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+17
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+17 --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{28}, 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{26}
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+12
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+12 --> 6,0[ 1d20=8 ]4,0{20}, 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{21}
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+7
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 2#1d20+7 --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{19}, 6,0[ 1d20=18 ]4,0{25}
<El-Cideon> roll 5#1d8+9+1d6 elec
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 5#1d8+9+1d6 1,0elec --> 6,0[ 1d8=8 1d6=1 ]4,0{18}, 6,0[ 1d8=5 1d6=5 ]4,0{19}, 6,0[ 1d8=6 1d6=1 ]4,0{16}, 6,0[ 1d8=2 1d6=1 ]4,0{12}, 6,0[ 1d8=6 1d6=1 ]4,0{16}
<El-Cideon> As arrows batter the pitifully struggling arachnid, Rosemund and Istradi rush forward to try and finish it off!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+15 Rosey
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+15 1,0Rosey --> 6,0[ 1d20=9 ]4,0{24}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+22 Istradi
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+22 1,0Istradi --> 6,0[ 1d20=11 ]4,0{33}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+7+2d6
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d8+7+2d6 --> 6,0[ 1d8=4 2d6=8 ]4,0{19}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d10+10+1d6 elec
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d10+10+1d6 1,0elec --> 6,0[ 1d10=8 1d6=1 ]4,0{19}
<El-Cideon> Finally it collapses into a heap of broken legs and carapace, and the hall is quiet but for the crackling of flames in the web. Surely there won't be any more eggs hatching from this nest.
<El-Cideon> OOC: free act
<El-Cideon> "You aren't TOO badly burnt, are you?" Marina asks Stephanie, hurrying up to examine her closely. "I was only trying to help!"
* Julia goes over to heal up her axemen first thing. "Good work everyone," she commends the group.
<Julia> roll 2#1d8+5 one each
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 2#1d8+5 1,0one each --> 6,0[ 1d8=4 ]4,0{9}, 6,0[ 1d8=2 ]4,0{7}
<Franceska> "I was going to help right after," Franceska muses.
<El-Cideon> "We are still alive," Rosemund says, adding for the sake of Julia and Alice, "or close enough. So that is fine and there should be no hard feelings!"
<El-Cideon> "It was a practical measure," Istradi concludes.
<Steph> "It will heal by itself," replies Stephanie, darkly. "I was going to teleport away once all the bigger things were dead."
<El-Cideon> "Er, I am sorry, but I didn't know that!" Marina protests. "I can't read minds!"
* Franceska snorts. "Leave creepy people who like spiders crawling all over them alone, Marina."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund digs around amidst the scorched debris and retrieves the giant mummy's keystone, scooting away from the stinking, burning mess thereafter.
<Steph> "I don't need that from an animal fetishist!"
<Franceska> "Whine, whine, whine."
<El-Cideon> Istradi raises a dubious eyebrow in Franceska's direction. "A damning accusation."
<Steph> "It's true. I know she doesn't have a spellbook, I've looked through her things while she sleeps. How else do you learn how to be a bear without being with bears?"
<El-Cideon> "Ah, shall we be moving on?" Rosemund suggests, sound eager to stop hearing about this subject.
<Franceska> "Leah taught me."
<Steph> "Lies."
<Julia> "By dissection?" Julia suggests.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund leads the way back to the transportation platform. "Um, Auntie Leah's spells were mostly all about scrying and blocking scrying and communication..." she corrects.
<El-Cideon> "Not that I am taking sides here!" she quickly adds.
<Franceska> "No, of course not. Take the word of someone who just admitted to rooting through our things while we sleep instead."
<El-Cideon> Eventually, along the way, Fran can feel her body's warped chemistry return to normal. She is no longer among the quasi-undead!
<Steph> "Just yours."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund removes the opal from the instrument panel and replaces it with the mummy's tiger's eye sphere. The display is now lit up down to 2 ~ Rendering.
* Franceska shudders. "I'm not interested in you, so stop with those weird-- I don't understand, are you hitting on me? In your creepy roundabout way?"
<Julia> "I am glad my belongings are safe," Julia says, clearly relieved.
<Franceska> "There is a spell to hide everything on another plane and I'll study it."
<El-Cideon> Marina watches with bemusement, but doesn't seem inclined to object to any other romantic entanglements that Franceska may or may not have.
<Steph> "No, I don't want whatever weird diseases you've caught from your bearescapades," replies Stephanie, shuddering.
<El-Cideon> "Everyone will stop talking about liaisons with bears right this instant!" Rosemund commands.
<Franceska> "It's libel," Franceska grinds out, clenching her fists.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund puts her hands on Franceska's arms and holds her back. "Hey, hey! I know that we are all very disturbed right now, but please save any violence for the monsters! There must be more of them here, right? We will not fight over stupid things right now."
<Franceska> "I just can't believe it! That I'm here, on the plane of death! Surrounded by all these horrible things! But what disturbs me the most is my supposed allies stealing my things and-- and spreading lies about me!"
<Julia> "There's certain to be lots of monsters in the..." Julia peers over at the display, "Rendering room."
<El-Cideon> "Hey! I am sure that Stephanie did not steal anything!" Rosemund turns to look at Stephanie. "...Right? Stephanie, please stop looking through Franceska's things and talking about it."
<Franceska> "That you even must ask says more than I ever could."
<El-Cideon> Rosemund just slumps in place. "Both of you please drop this. We have more important things to hate than each other. ...Not that we should even do that at all!"
<Steph> "I can't help it. She's so hateful, all the time," replies Stephanie. "I try, Rosey, I really try to be nice to her, but she's always such a fucking bitch!"
<Julia> "But what of all the times you've stood toe to toe together against impossible odds?" Julia asks, "Hasn't that forged a bond of friendship and cameraderie?"
* Franceska just stares at Julia.
<El-Cideon> "Both of you are making me very angry right now," Rosemund announces. "I do not know whether my aunt is alive or dead, but I am still pressing on and trying to stop all the horror that is going on in this place--whatever that turns out to be! So if I can set aside my feelings then the both of you can stop complaining about why you do not like each other until we have run out of unspeakable crimes to put a stop to. Is that CLEAR?!"
<Julia> "Really all this time I thought your arguments were just adventurer banter," Julia confesses, flummoxed by the apparently genuine hostility on display.
<Steph> "I am so pressing on! Nobody is going to press on more than me!" vows Stephanie.
<El-Cideon> "Okay! Okay," Rosemund says, calming down and looking to Franceska for equal agreement.
<Franceska> "It's not the time or the place. I understand that much, when I'm not provoked past a certain point," Franceska concedes.
<El-Cideon> "Alright!" Rosemund nods. "So, should we keep moving...I suppose it is down?" she guesses, judging by the arrangement of the labels on the instrument panel.
<Julia> "Indeed," Julia says, chivvying her minions onto the platform.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund presses the button for "Rendering," and--
<Franceska> "For what it's worth, no one has come through the main doors yet."
<El-Cideon> Transportation to the next floor is silent and immediate. This level is lit in a sulfurous glow by guttering torches ringing the cylindrical landing area. Beyond the landing are two corridors some thirty feet in width, each of them bisected centrally by a complicated mass of machinery that marches out of sight down the hall:
<El-Cideon> To your immediate left a long and flat metal cage sits cradled in the machine at waist level, this rusted framework of proper and precise proportion for the imprisonment of a single human specimen. This crude iron bed bears shackles to secure a subject at wrists, ankles and forehead, otherwise seemingly designed to allow utmost access to the subject's body. The bed is connected to treads set in the floor by metal struts designed to allow for easy maneuvering of the cage, and a line of flywheels extending to the left suggests the entire device was meant to be conveyed in this direction. Jutting prominently from the ground by the cage is a long lever.
<El-Cideon> To your right is a different sort of mechanism, which does not bear the pervasive and alarming stains of its counterpart. A treadmill forms the central component of this device, and sitting immediately upon its beginning point is a small metal tray with a hexagonal depression set within it, presently empty. Thrusting up alongside the machine's forward progress is an array of metal arms, tools and implements angled over the bed of the treadmill. The device's controls comprise a single button set in a panel next to the empty tray.
<El-Cideon> Both machines are presently motionless.
<El-Cideon> Additionally, along the walls to the right are scrawled messages, mashed in charcoal in the crude jumbo capitals of an auteur evidently possessed of only thumbs. In your immediate vicinity can be read two declarative entries. First:
<El-Cideon> MASTER ABUZAR TELL CLANKTRON KEEP JOURNAL. MASTER ABUZAR SAY WRITE WORDS MAKE BRAIN GROW. CLANKTRON NOT HAVE BRAIN BUT TRY USE WORDS BE SMART. CLANKTRON THINK USE WORDS TOUGH.
<El-Cideon> Somewhat past this is a second statement conveyed with a degree more conviction and excitement:
<El-Cideon> CLANKTRON HAVE BIG IDEA TODAY. CLANKTRON THINK USE WORDS TOUGH MEAN CLANKTRON THINK! MASTER ABUZAR SAY CLANKTRON THINK MEAN CLANKTRON EXIST. CLANKTRON HAPPY CLANKTRON EXIST.
<Julia> "Good for clanktron," Julia says in a chipper voice.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund merely scratches her head.
<Steph> Stephanie walks over to the button and pushes it.
<Franceska> "Let's go right?" Franceska suggests.
<El-Cideon> With a stuttering whir, the treadmill kicks into motion! The empty tray is set upon the production line and eases forward under the array of armatures, starting to proceed in just that direction.
<El-Cideon> Rosemund nods and walks forward, one eye on the production line to see what happens.
<Julia> That seems a good idea to Julia so she tags along!
<El-Cideon> As you go, the mechanical implements flanking the line start to build up a shell of metal plates around the empty tray. Its function is not immediately clear, but it seems initially to riveting together some kind of protective casing.
<El-Cideon> You have not proceeded far alongside the assembly line before the diarist's mode of recordkeeping shifts toward the macabre--a human body dangles from the ceiling by its feet here. The corpse is dessicated and obviously very long since deceased, yet quite well preserved in the stark dryness of Whitsunhold's lower floors. Carved into the dead man's back in the same crude hand are the following words:
<El-Cideon> CLANKTRON HAVE OTHER BIG IDEA TODAY. CLANKTRON WRITE JOURNAL ON PEOPLE. CLANKTRON MAKE WRITING FUN!
<El-Cideon> Beyond this anonymous unfortunate is conveyed a more complicated statement on a series of mutilated men and women:
<El-Cideon> TODAY MASTER ABUZAR GIVE CLANKTRON QUEEN TO PLAY WITH. CLANKTRON GOOD AT HURT PEOPLE MAKE THEM SAY THINGS. CLANKTRON HAPPY TO DO JOB. BUT MASTER ABUZAR SAY HURT QUEEN BUT NO SCAR. CLANKTRON SAY THIS TOUGH. HURT AND SCAR BEST FRIENDS. BUT MASTER ABUZAR SAY IMPORTANT QUEEN LOOK HEALTHY. CLANKTRON SAY OKAY CLANKTRON DO BEST JOB.
<El-Cideon> And more, along the opposing wall:
<El-Cideon> MASTER ABUZAR NOT CARE WHAT QUEEN SAY. MASTER ABUZAR ONLY WANT QUEEN HURT. HURT QUEEN PAST BEG. HURT QUEEN UNTIL EMPTY INSIDE. CLANKTRON SAY THIS BIG CHALLENGE WITHOUT SCAR. MASTER ABUZAR SAY THAT OKAY CHALLENGE MAKE GROW. CLANKTRON UP TO CHALLENGE!
<El-Cideon> The passage continues further in this direction. More bodies can be discerned dangling at the distant end of the corridor.
<Julia> "Oh Clanktron..." Julia shakes her head in dismay at the innocent new life's turn to torture.
<El-Cideon> "I am suddenly very glad it's been a long morning since I ate anything," Marina announces, trying not to look at the butchered cadavers.
<Franceska> "Demons."
<El-Cideon> Meanwhile, the production line whirs away. A vaguely octagonal form has taken shape around the empty tray and the instruments have begun welding on what look like stubby little legs.
<Steph> "Childish demons."
<Franceska> "Do you feel, Rosemund, that this machine is assembling some manner of undead golem for us to fight?"
<El-Cideon> "It looks more like a robot," Rosemund says, eager not to look at the grisly journal herself.
<Julia> "I think it would have if a body had been placed at the start," Julia ponders. "As it is I suspect the end result will be nonfunctional."
<El-Cideon> Near the end of the assembly line, the product takes an obvious shape: it is a small mechanical arachnid with one long glass visor for an eye and a buzzsaw instead of mandibles. The gleaming metal construct is indeed quite motionless and displays no obvious means of activation.
<El-Cideon> Upon remaining bodies flanking the end of the assembly line is carved the following:
<El-Cideon> QUEEN VISIT TODAY TALK TO CLANKTRON. QUEEN NOT BE WITH MASTER ABUZAR. CLANKTRON ASK WHAT HAPPEN MASTER ABUZAR. QUEEN SAY CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT. QUEEN SAY WANT CLANKTRON HURT PEOPLE FOR QUEEN NOT MASTER ABUZAR. CLANKTRON SAY OKAY NOT CARE FOR MASTER ABUZAR SO LONG AS GET PEOPLE FOR HURT. QUEEN SMILE. CLANKTRON HAPPY QUEEN APPRECIATE CLANKTRON WORK.
<El-Cideon> The last message in the hallway is branded into the mortified flesh of two very recently deceased men--relatively fresh bloodstains mar the floor beneath them. These final corpses communicate the following:
<El-Cideon> BAD MEN COME TODAY TRY KILL QUEEN. CLANKTRON KNOW QUEEN TOO MEAN TO DIE. BAD MEN STUPID. QUEEN GIVE CLANKTRON BAD MEN SAY HURT. HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT HURT. HURT LONG TIME. CLANKTRON GOOD AT HURT. CLANKTRON HAPPY TO DO JOB.
<El-Cideon> There are two doors at the end of the corridor: one large and metal directly before you, another to your right, both shut. A wooden chest of drawers sits next to the door at the end of the hall, and from the other side, dimmed and distorted through its passage, twists a scream of primal agony. Upon your arrival this noise stops short in a sharp, guttural shriek, to be followed only by the unnervingly resonant sound of a blade digging into flesh.
<Julia> "There we go," Julia says, satisfied at having proof of the queen's less than innocent nature.
<Julia> "Oh... and we might have something to fight after all," she adds, sending her axemen up front.
<El-Cideon> As directed, the axe guards hurry up and flank the door with weapons ready.
<Franceska> "Not to mention fresh bodies to ask for the queen's weaknesses?"
<Steph> Stephanie walks towards the door and attempts to open it.
<El-Cideon> The door is unlocked--
<El-Cideon> The door squeals back on rusty hinges, and a pungent miasma of blood, sweat and fear assails your nostrils upon opening it. Within this chamber is an obvious torture facility replete with instruments of the trade, but its principal occupant appears to require none of them to do its work. By design and intent it puts them all to shame:
<El-Cideon> This machine in the shape of a man is a lumbering bulk of stained iron some ten feet in height. Crude metal spikes are welded onto its shell all along arms and back, the entire array stained with old blood, and its face is a half-finished affair with two unblinking eyes and no lower jaw. This mechanical menace is attended and assisted in its efforts by four smaller robots, arachnid constructs each the size of a hound and fabricated from some various gleaming alloys.
<El-Cideon> As it turns to acknowledge its visitors, you can see its most recent journal entry freshly dug into the flesh of a man hanging upside down from the chamber's ceiling:
<El-Cideon> QUEEN SAY BIG PLAN AHEAD. QUEEN SAY COUNTRY WANT WAR SO QUEEN BRING WAR TO COUNTRY. QUEEN SAY NEED CLANKTRON HELP WHOLE COUNTRY PEOPLE FOR CLANKTRON HURT. CLANKTRON SAY BIG JOB BUT CLANKTRON HAPPY TO HELP. CLANKTRON WANT SMILE BUT CLANKTRON FACE NOT MOVE. CLANKTRON SMILE INSIDE.
<El-Cideon> The mechanical sadist has just finished carving these last words into the recently deceased with one of its forearm spurs as it becomes aware of your intrusion, and announces to you in bellowed greeting: "CLANKTRON WORK NOW. CLANKTRON SAY YOU WAIT IN LINE. CLANKTRON HAVE ALL TIME IN WORLD FOR HURT HURT HURT. CLANKTRON APPRECIATE PATIENCE."
<Franceska> The only word Franceska has in response is "Crumble!"
<El-Cideon> OOC: init and then we'll pause~
<Franceska> roll 1d20+1
<Rei-chan> 6,0Franceska rolled :6,0 1d20+1 --> 6,0[ 1d20=16 ]4,0{17}
<Julia> roll 1d20+2
<Rei-chan> 6,0Julia rolled :6,0 1d20+2 --> 6,0[ 1d20=18 ]4,0{20}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+5 Alice
<Steph> roll 1d20+0
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+0 --> 6,0[ 1d20=13 ]4,0{13}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+5 1,0Alice --> 6,0[ 1d20=3 ]4,0{8}
<Steph> roll 1d20+9
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+7 Marina
<Rei-chan> 6,0Steph rolled :6,0 1d20+9 --> 6,0[ 1d20=18 ]4,0{27}
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+7 1,0Marina --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{22}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 Istradi
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+6 1,0Istradi --> 6,0[ 1d20=15 ]4,0{21}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+2 Rosey
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+2 1,0Rosey --> 6,0[ 1d20=18 ]4,0{20}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+4 CLANKTRON
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+4 1,0CLANKTRON --> 6,0[ 1d20=6 ]4,0{10}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 shiniest bot
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+8 1,0shiniest bot --> 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{28}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+3 other bots
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+3 1,0other bots --> 6,0[ 1d20=20 ]4,0{23}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 axe guards
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+6 1,0axe guards --> 6,0[ 1d20=2 ]4,0{8}
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+^ captains
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+^ 1,0captains --> error: malformed expression
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 captains
<Rei-chan> 6,0El-Cideon rolled :6,0 1d20+6 1,0captains --> 6,0[ 1d20=12 ]4,0{18}
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Current planar traits: none? | Adamantine bot (28) > Steph (27) > platinum bot x3 (23) > > Marina (22) > Istradi (21) > Julia = Rosey (20) > captain x2 (18) > Fran (17) > CLANKTRON (10) > Alice = axe guard x2 (8)'
<El-Cideon> ~