"See?"
Kenn murmurs to Mardigan.
"Rio's so happy I couldn't say no. Besides, he'd just break out the paladin eyes."
Kenn clasps his hands in front of him, cocks his head to one side, and stares at Mardigan, eyes shining with his best imitation of innocent faith.
Kenn returns to his normal slouch before Rio catches sight of him.
"I'll hold the torches if people have actual torches. A flaming torch is probably better against undead warforged than anything else I'm carrying."
Kenn edges up to the basement entrance and checks it for traps while everyone else gets organized.
Nothing can be seen immediately down the stairs without light, but a shuffling sound and something... rumbling... can be heard intermittently. Rio's focused stare sees nothing within immediate range that is tainted with evil.
Kenn's examination does not find any rigged defenses, but his trained eyes knows how to spot rickety stairs. While they will likely bear even Rio's weight---after all, the warforged whatever-they-are make it up them---running on them would be a risky proposition.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Mardigan gets towards the front of the pack, Shield and Flail drawn. He looks over at Kenn and chuckles lightly at his impression. Mardigan gets himself collected and Absolutely. Nothing I love more than smashing up undead, robots. I didn't even know people could do that. Does that frighten anyone else? Like seriously. I saw some pretty frightening things during the war and in the Northern Continent. But undead,quasi- lifeless things. Thats freaky!!
__________________ my characters: Zook Archizald : currently in Last Words
A bit unnerved, the group beings to descend the stairs. The air is stale with an unpleasant smell of rotting wood and rust. In the flickering light of the torch, a ghastly scene soon makes itself clear. Cobwebs cling to walls and to discarded remains of warforged. In a pile of rubble, a severed 'forged hand scrapes continuously, as if trying to get free. The decaying fibers of the wooden parts of another's leg trails from where it leans against the wall, the rest of it unseen. Bits and pieces, all mangled, litter the rubble filled room.
Clear scorch marks scar the wall and floors here. Whatever caused the destruction above occured down here. Khoros sees tracks from the "zom-forged" came from the set of double doors at the end of the hall barely hanging on their hinges.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
The door is weak and does not show any sign of tampering. Considering the less-than-intelligent nature of the whatever-they-are-'forged, trapping its probably not their main concern.
Moving up to the door, Rio's sweep catches the presence of two tainted auras in the next room, but they are not moving. A peek through the gaps reveals a cramps room littered with bedding and such. Along the ruined north wall Rio catches glimpses of dark forms, but cannot make them out.
OOC: Folks are still in the first room.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
"Bad guys ahead." Rio says quietly. "Everyone ready?"
Rio will wait until everyone is in place and a check for traps has been made (however unlikely traps may seem) before saying "1, 2, 3" and kicking down the door.
Khoros turns towards Mardigan. "Paladin? I?" The shifter seems confused.
He searches the area for traps, sniffing the air as he does so. (Search +3, Disable Device +4).
__________________ Current Campaign:The Shattered Isles Homebrew - Hammer (Minotaur Fighter 8), Kirra (Drow Rogue 8), Shedin (Dragonborn Paladin 8), Zahar (Half-Eladrin/Half Drow Bard 8), and Seahorse (Halfling Rogue 8). Currently the group is in the Feywild, trying to discover who is poisoning the drow.
No traps are found on the busted door. The shifter spells dust and old furniture and rust coming from deeper in, though the low thrumming hum is somewhere beyond the door.
Busting open the door reveals a room of destroyed furniture, mostly beds, scattered around the room. More warforged parts can be found strewn across the room and for the first time, humanoid remains---mostly fragments of skeleons about the room. Four damaged warforged are leaned against the northern wall. Though that group is where Rio sensed the auras, they make no motion to attack when everyone bursts in.
The light from the torch dimly illuminates another room beyond. All that can be made out initially are the shadows of some huge machine. It occasionally gives of blue and purple flashes and seems to be the source of the thrumming sensation in the room. Just looking at makes Rio a bit nauseous for some reason.
OOC: The group is in Room 3 and has not gotten a good look at Room 2 yet.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Rio suggests that the group remain warry, and begins the process of narrowing the focus of his power, attempting to more spefically isolate the evil aura.
Kenn takes a deep breath and activates his mind armor.
"Terrific."
Sliding up beside Rio, he covers the warforged with his pistol crossbow and addresses them.
"Face down! On the floor! Now!!"
Khoros moves forward slowly, keeping his eyes on the inert warforged. He looks at the machine uneasily. "I have a bad feeling about this..."
__________________ Current Campaign:The Shattered Isles Homebrew - Hammer (Minotaur Fighter 8), Kirra (Drow Rogue 8), Shedin (Dragonborn Paladin 8), Zahar (Half-Eladrin/Half Drow Bard 8), and Seahorse (Halfling Rogue 8). Currently the group is in the Feywild, trying to discover who is poisoning the drow.
None of the 'forged move. In fact, none of them seem active. Rio knows two of them are possessed by---whatever---has made this abominations. But they respond to nothing as if dormant. There is no response to Kenn's words either.
Khoros steps carefully into the next room to get a better look. The odd machine dominates it: From ceiling to floor, it hums with a low sound that makes one somewhat quesy. Purple light and dark gas occasionally escape from vents or some such. The scorch marks are strongest her, suggesting whatever caused the destruction of the building was the machine itself---though it seems intact.
More warforged parts lay about the room, and every one of them is animate. They seem to crawl aimlessly until one realizes they seem to be part of the machine... or at least helping it. It makes one shudder thinking about it.
Another destroyed room is off to the side, with more intact but dormant 'forged about it. This one seems to be library or workroom; books and scrolls are scattered about it. But what catches the attention is the door to the west. It is glass, and a dim blue light emerges from it. Coming closer, the shifter's gut clenches at what he sees....
Rows upon rows of warforged with the markings of the others. Waiting....
OOC: Folks are at the gap between rooms 2 & 3.
__________________ stonegod -- LEB judge and spawn of Khyber since 2005 (Blog)
Rio knows two of them are possessed by---whatever---has made this abominations. But they respond to nothing as if dormant.
"That one... and that one. They're possessed. Do we have any way to exorcise these spirits and save their hosts? I don't want to be so cold blooded as to suggest putting a crossbow bolt through each of them as a precaution, but I'm not sure what we can do. Anyone know anything about exorcisms?"
Rio personally has a limited amount of formal training in religion. (+2 Knowledge[Religion], trained.) He'll try to remember something usefull, though his chances are slim.
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