The Undiscovered Frontier (Finished!)

Sarpot notes that the heavier golems were slightly modified, with signs of desoldering and resoldering of the metal near where the weapons are installed. From the signs of stress along the limbs the weapons were installed upon, the weapons that were more recently most likely put on possessed more weight than previous ones.

However, there is no doubt in Sarpot's mind that these golems were always meant for combat as their treads are suitable for fast movement along rough terrain and the external skin is thick armor plating that could only be for shrugging off all but powerful of magics and magical weapons.

Lealani peers over the shorter woman's head as they examine the strange contraption. "I feel very compelled to turn this on," she whispers to her friends, "But I fear it will being these beasts to life and in the process make a lot of noise and attract even more attention here. Still, I feel we could learn so much more."

Deuce Traveler said:

If Mellisande or Lealani makes a DC 14 Knowledge (Arcana) check
[sblock]
At first you believe that some of the dust you notice on the golems is also on top of the some of the tubing. But on a closer glance, you realize that they are inside, and more heavily pronounced closer to the golems. It seems the spores from the fungus have traveled slowly from the golems to the machine on the dais.
[/sblock]

OOC:

If Mellisande and Lealani would like to turn on and observe the machinery on top of the dais at this time, they will need to make a DC 10 Knowledge Arcana roll.

Click to expand...

Lealani follows the strange spores from the golems to the machine on the dais, getting a closer look at that specifically, to see if she can ascertain anything more than Arkos can.

Arkos shakes his head and looks around for Mellisande or one of the others who might be able to piece this out a little better.

"This is beyond me; I'll let you, ah... figure this out. I'll take a look around."

Arkos wanders through the machinery looking around as he goes. The repeated patches of fungus catch his attention and he can't help but feel that they are somehow significant. And this he might know a little about. He'll look around for a relatively small patch and then kneel close to examine it.

[sblock=Mini Stats]Arkos Stoneborn
Initiative: +1
AC: 12 (11 flat-footed, 12 Touch) [15 w/ Barkskin]
AC: (Predator) 16 (15 flat-footed, 12 Touch)
AC: (Aerial) 14 (13 flat-footed, 12 Touch)
HP: 56 Current: 35
Fort: +8 Reflex: +3 Reflex: (Aerial) +5 Will: +9
Speed: 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.
Speed: (Predator) 50 ft.
Speed: (Aerial) fly 40 ft. (good)

Current Weapon in Hand:
Current Conditions in Effect:

Attacks
Spear +9 (1d6+7 /crit. x3)
Sling +5 (1d3 /crit. x2)
Bite (Predator) +13 (1d4+8 /crit. x2; as magic)
Talon (Aerial) +12 (1d4+7 /crit. x2; as magic)
Breath Weapon (1d8; bludgeoning; Ref 15 for half dmg.)
2 Tentacles (while in Predator) +11 (1d8+7) 10 ft. reach

Spells Prepared:
Spell Save: 14 +SL
3rd level: 3; cure moderate wounds, evard's menacing tentacles (PHB2), evard's menacing tentacles
2nd level: 4; barkskin, bull's strength, heat metal, resist energy
1st level: 4; cure light wounds, faerie fire, goodberry, produce flame
orisons: 5; create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, light, purify food & drink

Backpack: healer's kit (x2), sunrod (x2), thunderstone (x2), tanglefoot bag (x2), smoke stick(x2), bedroll, 2 wand CLW, 19 pebbles of CSW & 5 pebbles of Remove Disease. food and water.[/sblock]

Arkos notices that the patch of fungus looks dormant, its colors dulled now but vibrant when fed. He theorizes that when the energy that powers the golems is activated, the fungus will also become active once more. The fungus looks to have been artificially created and is not natural. It has greatly infected the golems and seems to be working its way into the machinery on the dais, though he cannot learn more about it until the fungus becomes active again.

Lealani realizes that the machine on the dais is meant to monitor the status of golems attached to it and has a store of magical energy that can be used to restore their power or to sap them and make them dormant once more. Commands can also be given en masse to all connected golems via the machine on the dais. Lealani can start the machine in order to diagnose each golem's status without activating any of them if need be.

"By the gods, this is one powerful machine. I suppose I'd be able to see just how many of these things are out there working. The real issue is, who runs this thing? If I fuss with this THAT person, or thing, whatever it is, may come to find out what is going on. Could it be that man on the flyer? Either way we should be prepared"

OOC: Lealani won't know until she activates it, though it should be possible between her and the even more knowledgeable Mellisande. The two have incredibly in depth expertise with arcane knowledge and can back each other up.

I just wanted to say that the above post was my 5,000th. Happy day!

Mellisande 'hmms' and follows the fungus from the golem she's studying back along the line to the dais and the machine on it. She gives Lealani a glance and nods, then scrapes at some of the icky brown stuff with her dagger. A thin patina shaves off onto its silvery edge.

"Before we fill the room with crazed death machines," she says, for all the world sounding like the prospect is one she wouldn't mind doing, "Lets see what this stuff does when it's near arcane power, hmm?"

She eyes the dais, then backs away from it, lies the dagger on the floor and casts a spell onto it.

Mellisande uses up one of her cantrips against the fungus on the blade. It pulses slightly and brightens into florescent hues of red and blue before settling down and becoming dormant once more as the magic dissipates. Energy does seem to feed it.