One Does Not Simply Walk Into More Doors:Part 4
Log Info
- Title: One Does Not Simply Walk Into More Doors:Part 4
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Gaerth, Jinks, Lyme, Lysos, Skielstregar, Vaera
- Place: Forests of Dragonier, Finally ending door corridor?
- Time: September 29th, 2021
- Summary: Behind the final door is the wizard they are seeking! The gnome greets them cordially, but before introductions can get too far, one of his experiments explodes, and the smoke from it grabs him! The adventurers scramble to free him by striking at the smoky appendage, finding themselves able to strike, something. It reveals itself to be a mass of tentacles, and much more than just one. Invisible tentacles strike out at all present, catching them unaware, and hurting several of them heavily.
"Lotch Twinsday." Jinks offers from the back when Lyme wonders at the diviner's name. He produces a pocket mirror and inspects his appearance in the soft glow of his flitting wisps of light. Lysos is closer to the front, in possession of the Animus pin (and the interesting bad luck) but every hair will be in the right place if someone gneeds a gnome to sweet talk a grumpy arcanist.
Gaerth continues down the hall, in the front rank o th party, stopping when they arrive at another door. He's remaining quiet, but alert. After all, his job on this quest isn't to figure out the uzzles, although he does try to help in his own way. he's here for the seemingly opposing tasks for providing muscle, and to help with peaceful negotiations. And so far, there hasn't been a call for either so far on this mission.
"Ahy did you come all the way through the backdoor, though? The front doors are so much nicer. And that damnable mimic let you past, I'm incensed."
A sniff. "THE INCENSE!"
The door pops a lock, though, and the voice calls out, "Do come in, come in. I've enough to go around."
You're able to make your way into the home of Lotch Twinsday, and he definitely seems harried and busy. There's a lot of laboratory equipment here, yes, scattered along the walls. A great scrying pool sits in the center of the floor in this entirely white and clean room, being maintained clearly by magic, as dust is being swept away invisibly as you observe it floating away in little clouds.
Lotch Twinsday is a middle-aged, overweight gnome with greying hair. His His eyes are covered with a blindfold, but a third eye, of sorts, sits in his forehead. A brilliantly colored sapphire.
"Come in, come in. Oh, you came in."
Either the chubby gnome is a bad diviner or cares little for social niceties. Jinks frowns and crosses his arms when he notices the 'third-eye' sapphire. Sporting as he is his own third-eye onyx set into the crimson circlet he wears. Maybe he won't be soothing any troubled waters after all.
If there were all these massive door. Then... why were they made so large for one so small? Though, Skielstergar doesn't complain, that just mean it saves him the embarrassment of having to crawl around as he enters. He gives a little wave from the hip.
When Lysos realizes she's fingering the pin at her breast, she drops her hand, entangling the fingers in her dress instead as she follows inside to the laboratory/divining chamber/dungeon. She really doesn't know enough to make much of what she sees, so she settles on studying Lotch Twinsday for a moment, seeing if she can get a read on him... which is hard to do without seeing his eyes. And she finds herself struggling for what to say... not having expected to be simply invited in. "Well... hello there," she settles on. "I'm guessing you knew we were coming?"
Vaera brought up the back of the group, and closed the door gently behind her once they were in. Leaving it slightly open, just in case. "Peace on your nest, Twinsday." She greets herself, staying near the back, but still towering over most to the point it wasn't an issue.
"Either you were expecting us, or you are so busy with something or other, you would not mind the input or assistance."
After letting others make intial introducions and greetings, Gaerth gives he gnome mage a respectufl bow. "Greetings, good sir. We apologize for the intrusion upon your privacy, but we are here on a rather urgent mission. We appreciae being given the opportunity to deliver the message to yourself, personally."
"I'm a divine, lady, I'm always expecting someone. I'd be really bad at my job if I wasn't." That's to Lysos. As he speaks to her for the first time, there's a huge explosion of smoke from some of his lab equipment. "What the...?" he says as he turns around to face it, even blindfolded. He pulls the blindfold down to reveal two perfectly good eyes.
"... that's been marinating for MONTHS! Why?!" He wails, apparently having been unasble to predict this explosion.
The smoke swirls upwards and around. the ceiling, coalescing there. He turns back towards Gaereth afterwards.
"Oh! That's wonderful. A message. Who from?" he asks, curiously, as long tendrils of smoke begin toreach down from the ceiling towards him.
Jinks busies himself with inspecting the lab for the moment, careful near any open flames or other volatile-looking equipment. He does a circuit of the divining pool, looking down into it. Quietly hoping no one has noticed the two gnomes in the room are similarly accessorized. The faux pas of it all.
"So, the explosion was unexpected." Vaera notes with a chuff. Her gaze turns towards the ceiling. "Is the smoke behaving as expected? It looks like it is trailing towards you. Is that safe?"
Skielstregar scoots a little closer to Vaera. Closer to familiarity, and less towards the madness that was unraveling before him. Anxiety half dead sith was full of anxiety and very much alive. He shifts on his feet and sniffs the air, flinching as explosion off in the distance in the lab. "... isss.... that sssuposssed to happen? Thisss one hopessss... no hingesss were blown...."
Lysos nods at the answer given by the gnome diviner, putting on a smile then. It's almost not even forced! "Well, since you knew we were coming, you know why we're here! So are you all packed and ready to go?" She's doing her best to pretend the explosion didn't happen. If you don't acknowledge things, they can't hurt you, right?
"Hm? What? What about the smoke?"
The Diviner looks more than a little annoyed at these questions. "Listen, I need one of you to tell me who it's from. Visions are unclear, they don't always tell you everything you need to know."
And then the tendril solidifies and grabs him around the neck.
"What?" he says, as it tries to yank him back from you.
(Vaera delays turn)
Vaera squints as the smoke pours downwards. One of the silver arrows is pulled from her quiver, and suddenly it lunges for the wizard they were there for. "We need to get them away from that thing, anyone have any idea what it is?" She asks, drawing the bow and keeping an eye on the creature. She wasn't even sure if arrows would work on it.
Gaerth had et his guard down some, now that they had found Notch and were conversing with the gnome. But then, black smoke starts coalessing from the cauldron, nd tenebrous tentacles reached out for Notch. Drawing his sowd and shield, gaerth rushes over to the gnome's defense, shouting, "DAEUS REBUKES YOU, CREATURE OF EVIL!!"
GAME: Lysos casts Grease. Caster Level: 8 DC: 17
Lysos blanches when what seemed like harmless smoke, that she'd been ignoring, suddenly becomes something she can't ignore. And that inevitable sense of 'why me'? Because she is absolutely sure the explosion and resulting mayhem happening with her arrival is no coincidence. "Starless nights," she breathes out, then grits her teeth as she releases the fabric of her dress so she can raise her hand towards the gnome and tentacle, pressing her thumb against her fingers and rubbing them together as she says, "Lubricatum!" There is little obvious effect, beyond a bit of a sheen upon Lotch that reflects the light when the angle is just right.
GAME: Lyme rolls 1d20+11: (12)+11: 23
GAME: Lyme rolls 2d4+9: (3)+9: 12
Lyme's eyes widen in alarm -- "Oh n--" then he rushes forwards, swinging his falchion at the smoke in desparatio--- THWACK. He looks puzzled as he gets a butcher-cut on one of the tentacles. "At it! It's more than smoke!"'
GAME: Jinks spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE.
GAME: Jinks rolls Knowledge/Dungeoneering: (14)+9: 23
Jinks looses his bow, catches it to ready, and sucks in a deep breath in the same practiced motion. "Something ethereal or invisible hidden in the smoke." The gnome offers.
His eyes close as he begins to hum, opening along with his mouth when he finds the familiar reverberations of the Hymn hiding just out of sight.
"Faceless fall from this life and (ah) if you can't see the stars you've probably gone too far." His tenor fills the room, backed by a basso harmony just a step out of rhythm. The battle draws into sharper focus, the enemy's movements seem to slow just so.
GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon13-1+2: (16)+6+-1+2: 23
GAME: Skielstregar rolls damage13+2: aliased to 1d10+4+2: (8)+4+2: 14
Skielstregar gives a little gasp as the tentacle grabs the one they were supposed to meet. Indecision plagues him as others spring into action, but he shakes his head to clear such thoughts. He glances behind him to ensure Vaera was in a safe place before picking up his halberd. He rushes forward, being careful to ensure that he doesn't step on any small folk. He brings the short polearm up, axe face down, and puts his full body into the blow with a growl.
The timid, tall half dead makari was certainly not one someone would want to make angry.
(Vaera takes delayed turn)
GAME: Vaera rolls weapon7: (9)+6: 15
GAME: Jinks casts Gallant Inspiration. Caster Level: 5 DC: 17
GAME: Jinks rolls 2d4: (7): 7
GAME: Jinks uses an AoO! 0 remaining.
GAME: Vaera rolls 1d8+1+2+2+1: (5)+1+2+2+1: 11
Seeing the others striking and hitting was enough assurance, but Jinks' explanation was even more proof. The arrow is drawn as she steps to get a good angle on the smoke, and she lets it loose, embedding into whatever it was.
"If it is hiding in the smoke, can it be dispelled, or blown away?" She suggests, already moving to draw another arrow.
The 'smoke monster' withdraws a little under the combined assault, dropping Lotch to the ground. He gasps, rubbing his throat. "the hell is that thing?!' he shouts. Some diviner!
He pulls his blindfold down again and then looks up at it.
"Oh. I have no idea what that is, actually."
Round Two
GAME: Gaerth rolls 1d20+10: (13)+10: 23
GAME: Gaerth rolls 1d8+5: (6)+5: 11
Gaerth sets himself against the fulmugous cloud and tenticles. Daeus has shown him the evil that lies within that cloud, and such evil must be purged. "You shall not prevail, foul beast," the up-to-now passive Paladin growls, With a snarl on his lips, he reaches back with his longsword. "For Daeus!" he cries as he swings the blade forward, striking true the evil he faces.
GAME: Lysos spends ONE use of TOUCH OF DESTINY.
Lysos's upraised hand remains stretched out, and she begins to gather power once again... but, perhaps remembering a recent admonishment against using fire.. and recalling that people who delve in alchemy tend to have explosive things in the room.. she swallows and drops her hand. Instead she sidesteps over to the sith archer, tapping her quick on the elbow, lending Vaera a brief if potent insight into the seconds to come.. before pulling back out of the way.
It is now Lyme's turn! Jinks is next!
GAME: Lyme rolls 1d20+11+2-2: (13)+11+2+-2: 24
GAME: Lyme rolls 2d4+9+2+6: (4)+9+2+6: 21
Lyme tries again to cut the tentacle, this time swinging harder! THWACK! His hands vibrate from the hit.
GAME: Jinks spends ONE use of BARDIC PERFORMANCE.
GAME: Jinks rolls weapon1+1+2-2: (4)+8+1+2+-2: 13
GAME: Jinks rolls weapon1+1+2-2: (7)+8+1+2+-2: 16
The song continues, the words lost to the sounds of battle even as its effects continue to strengthen and bolster. Jinks skirts the reflecting pool, lifting up the little recurve bow and plucking two needle-like arrows in rapid succession. They whip past the tangled melee, two heartbeats of high-pitched whistling before one snaps against the wall and the other smashes into a beaker, spilling some sort of crimson powder that flares and sparks-- though the results are sadly temporary.
GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon13-1+2: (14)+6+-1+2: 21
GAME: Skielstregar rolls damage13+3+2: aliased to 1d10+4+3+2: (9)+4+3+2: 18
The half dead sith-makar pulls his longarm back. He sniffs, a lip lifting in a snarl as his fangs show even more. "Come out and fight, if the sssoftskin of the Dragonfather sssays you are to perisssh, then ssso be it!" Empowered by the song, the axehead of the halberd crushes down with tremendous force.
GAME: Vaera rolls perception: (13)+8: 21
GAME: Vaera rolls knowledge/dungeoneering: (1)+5: 6 (EPIC FAIL)
Vaera draws another arrow, then they squint, watching the shadowy tentacle moving. They follow the movements, up. "EVERYONE, WATCH OUT!" She shouts while ducking back to the door and locking it, finding signs of it following them. "There are more limbs around us!"
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (4)+10: 14
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (2)+10: 12
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (15)+10: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (14)+10: 24
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (15)+10: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (14)+10: 24
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2
Now, you can feel it. The nearness of them. You can't see them, but more tendrils like the one that lashed out at the gnome, though this time not revealed by smoke. It must have been a sheer stroke of it to have revealed it in the firt place that way.
Loch is staring.
"Ah, well. This isn't good. I wonder what it is and why it's here?" He gives a short, sharp whistle.
"TRALTO! COME, BOY!"
You can hear a sound in the distance, like a door tearing free of its hinges.
The mimic is on route.
GAME: Gaerth rolls 1d20+3+2+3+2+1: (10)+3+2+3+2+1: 21
GAME: Gaerth rolls 1d8+3+2: (2)+3+2: 7
There's a flinch as Gaerth feels a blow through his armor. But he clears the pain though a shake of his head and concentrates at the evil at hand. "Daeus, grant my arm strength to perform your will," he beseaches as he makes another swing at the smoke cloud, feeling his blade connect with something solid in there again before slashing through the roiling blackness.
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (18)+10: 28
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (4)+1: 5
More of these tendrils are lashing out, now, striking and slicing at you. Their touch is sharp, like razors, and it seems they have little trouble targetting weak spots in your armor or gaps in your defenses, like they can see, even if they're just ... tendrils. You can't really SEE them, but you know they're there.
GAME: Lysos casts Invisibility. Caster Level: 8 DC: 18
Lysos, sadly, panics rather easily. And when people start getting smacked around by something unseen... unseen save for the one the smoke revealed... well, it paints a picture for Lysos. And she panics. But at least it's a controlled panic. After a startled scream, she quickly traces an oval shape in the air, the power gathering in her leaving the brief image she traces of an eye.. then she stabs it in the center, and as she utters, "Obscurio!" she promptly vanishes.
GAME: Lyme rolls 1d20+11: (12)+11: 23
GAME: Lyme rolls 2d4+17: (5)+17: 22
Jinks, of course, delivers a terrible pun while throwing glitter at the ceiling. He's got a sparkle in his eye or something.
When the sparkles hit, m,ost of the tentacles stand revealed as hanging from the ceiling.
There's also ... something in the middle of the ceiling itself. It's a bit hard to describe, but it's a writhing *mass* of more of them, and it seems that the ones you're fighting have actively detatched from whatever this wiggling, invisible abomination is.
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (19)+10: 29
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (11)+10: 21
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (16)+10: 26
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+10: (10)+10: 20
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d4+1: (3)+1: 4
the injured original tentacle, badly damaged, scurries away from the rest of you and rejoins the mass on the center of the ceiling.
Lotch stares up at it.
"Hm. It appears to be some kind of eldritch abomination. Not the void, no, but definitely sent to kill me in particular. I must rate highly!"
Or just thinks of himself highly.
GAME: Skielstregar RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 4 temporary HP
GAME: Skielstregar rolls weapon13-1+2+2: (14)+8+-1+2+2: 25
GAME: Skielstregar rolls damage13+3+2: aliased to 1d10+6+3+2: (7)+6+3+2: 18
There's a definitive crack that whacks across Skielstregar's head as he's struck, a light gasp coming from him as he staggers about. Wha... what the- Crack! Across the side of his head again. Stars dance in his vision as he tries to keep his head on straight.
Then he sees Veara get bludgeoned repeatedly.
In the middle of the chaos. The deathly scent that wafts from him halts. Then explodes outward as a Forgotten is let loose in the chamber. "GET YOUR CLAWS OFF MY KIN!" he roars, charging forth on all threes, a hand held off to the side to level his halberd at the creature attacking Vaera. Mana filled ichor pools from his maw, talons lengthen, a set of double fangs present. The halberd jams into the being spear end first, him yanking it and pulling it around, inflicting as much damage as possible.
The sith-makar man looks down at Vaera, his once dead eyes gleaming red. And unlike before, he was wholly hale of mind. "This one made a promise. They will keep it," he growls, shoving the tentacle off and batting it away.
GAME: Vaera rolls weapon7+2: (13)+6+2: 21
GAME: Vaera rolls 1d8 +1+2+1+2: (3)+1+2+1+2: 9
Vaera tries to duck out of the way, but the invisible limbs prove too unpredictable to duck and dodge out of the way of. She is repeatedly batters and sliced by them, bleeding from several places, difficult as it was to see against the scales.
Then, as she is recovering, she sees the figure charging towards her. She ducks and rolls to the side, only to see them hewing at whatever was striking at them.
There is noticeable fear, in their movements, and their scent. She returns to her feet quickly.
"Be careful, Skiel." she growls back, before nocking another arrow and sending it into the smoky monster from before. <Draconic>
With Jinks' spell revealing the invisible monsters, Gaerth makes a tactical assessment. He grabs Lotch with his shield hand, pulling the diviner along with hiim as he backs up to the door. He makes sure to give Skiel some space to protect Vaera, as well as room for Lotch and others to get behind him and exit. The Dawnblade croughes low, shield out in front and sword held high and at the ready for any glitter-coated things that dare approach. "Lysos!" he calls out to the mage. "Get behind me. Use me as cover for casting spells and sniping. We'll all get through this together. Everyone else, back out of the door. Skielstregar and I will cover the retreat!"
Combat Notes
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 4 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
20 Gaerth 1 (Smite Evil on Smoke Monster)
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20 Invisible Thing 1
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>> 16 Lysos 1 << (Invisibility spell active)
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16 Lyme 1
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15 Jinks 1
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12 Invisible Thing 1
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12 Invisible Thing 1
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8 Invisible Thing 1
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7 Invisible Thing 1
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4 Skielstregar 1 Raging (2 rnds active)
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3 Vaera 1
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3 Smoke Monster 1
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==============================================================================
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | Name | CHP (T) | HP | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | Gaerth........| 15 | 19 | | Jinks.........| 32 | 34 | | Lyme..........| 35 | 51 | | Lysos.........| 40 | 40 | | Skielstregar | 10 (4) | 18 | | Vaera.........| 19 | 29 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~