(5.24 PBP) Vault of the Dracolich (IC) Redux

[FitzTheRuke]

Team Caves

The crowd of mercenaries rushed forward, but as they did, they were met with a very strong resistance. A pool of acid appeared, an illusion summoned by Urgan. They had no reason to doubt it, and no time to investigate. As they stumbled around it, they were cut down by Merrick's glaive, before finally being thrown backward by the thunderous roar of a spell cast by Torhak. By the time the echoes of the spell stopped ringing in nearby ears, fully half of the mercenaries were dead on the ground, and the rest were reluctant to press forward.

Shamal was exhausted, unable to cast spells, and near delirious from fighting the influence of the idol. He came forward as if he would throw himself bodily into the fray, but just before he did, the woman commanding the remaining mercenaries ordered them to pull back. She held her head, having been attacked psychically by Urgan. Instead of following, Shamal stood by Merrick, ready to move in if the group needed him to.

The big bearded man, who appeared to be Bardaby, "the Beast" Combs - the mercenary captain that they had heard about, watched his mercenaries fall. He seemed angry that they had been so easily routed, but he adapted quickly, calling to Imani's Agents, "Ho there! Let us talk!"

OOC: I'm not sure what you might want to say to him, so I'll post a round-roller in case you don't want to drop out of combat.

GM: TEAM CAVES Encounter: Scrying Vault Time: ~18:15 on 4 Tarsakh 1483DR

Spoiler: Map

(General Features)
Difficult Terrain None
Cover Walls.
Hazards None
Visibility Bright (Glowing Glass)

Spoiler: Allies

(PCs)
Merrick AC:15/17* HP:25/53 HD:0/4 PP:12 Rg 1/3 InH:0/4 Jump 0/1 C: Jump
Shamal AC:18 HP:32/40 EXH:1 HD:1/4 PP:14 SSdc13 0/3 Bhaal 1/3 CD:0/2 DS:0/1 HI:0/1 LoH:0/20
Torhak AC:15 HP:24/40 HD:4/4 PP:16.DV180 SSdc12 3/3 DA:1/2 HM:2/3
Urgan AC:15(12) HP:26/26 THP:2/2 HD:4/4 PP11.DV60 SSdc14 2/4 1/3 ArcRec 0/1 AR:1/2 MgArm:to 22:10
(NPCs)
Scamp AC:11 HP:5/5 PP:13.DV60 Spd.50'
Ironthorn AC:13 HP:13/13 Res.P/Lning Regen:3/R HD:3/3 PP:15.DV60 MoO:2/2

Spoiler: Enemies

(BGs)
Bardaby AC:16 HP:72 PP:12
Cult Priest AC:14 HP:55 PP:13*
Cult Fanatic AC:13 HP:33ea PP:12
-CF1 33/33 CF2 33/33
Mercenary Unit AC:15 HP:27/64 PP:11
Merc Guard AC:15 HP:12 PP:11
Siobhan AC:17* HP:43/57 PP:11 (-1d4 next Save)

GM: Begin Round Three

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Team Fusion

Stryke the Drow had carried that idol before, and he said, in answer to Copper's question about its curse, "It is a burden to carry, to be sure. You must resist the influence of its master, the Lord of Murder. This one is known as Poison Most Foul and like its name suggests, will push you toward acts of that nature."

He looked as if he would offer to carry it, but thought better of the suggestion, in case it would harm the group's trust in him.

Loklafd spoke up, and asked if he should be returning the kayaks to the water, if they would be pressing northward across the dark lake.

 

[Tonguez]

TEAM FUSION - SUBJECT"SHADE-9 - Moving On

[INTERNAL ACCESSION RECORD UPDATE][ARTIFACT NAME: POISON MOST FOUL]
[ASSOCIATION: LORD OF MURDER][ARCHIVAL MATCH - None]
[RISK PROFILE: HIGH] Reported Psycho-Arcane Compulsion (Curse)> Quarantine Protocols Advised]
[PRIMARY DIRECTIVE: Maintain Artifact Integrity until Mission Objective is achieved]
[CARRY AUTHORIZATION: SHADE-9 — ACCEPTED]

Shade-9 gripped the artifact tightly, turning it over in his hand to study the red pulse of the gem as he logged Stryke the drow’s words and recorded the details of the curse. The Warforged Infiltrator was well accustomed to darkness and though he had no archive entry for the Lord of Murder, the name alone conveyed great clarity of purpose.
For an infinitesimal moment, the aperture of Shade-9’s optics narrowed as targeting subroutines locked on the exposed artery at Stryke’s neck, the seams along the edges of Copper’s breastplate, and the exposed bulk of Bjorn-frogs amphibian mass. It was but a moment that marked the vulnerabilities of each and every member of Team Fusion for future reference.

[COUNTERMEASURES: LOGIC LOOP STABILIZATION: EMOTIVE EMULATION SUPPRESSED]

The moment passed and Shade-9 withdrew the idol, moving to secure it away.

“Corruption vector will be monitored.” he advised with a firm and steady tone “I will retain custody of the artifact while it has mission utility, and ensure countermeasures are maintained."

"We should move on" he continued looking over to Bill the weasel who was excited about something they could not yet see.
“The western ledge is reachable, however probability of mishap is non-trivial and we do not want to provoke the Hydra further” he reported on what he had seen, though he was personally focussed northward "The northern vector remains uncharted and acoustic readings suggest hydrological transition, possibly a falls system. Our Weasel friend Bill also shows signs of curiosity without any predator reactions. Investigation may yield tactical advantage.”

 

[Neurotic]

"Warn us if you feel anything particularly evil, there is protection from evil spell that should block such control." Aasimar offers quietly

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Spoiler: Merrick- Team CAVES!

Merrick Thorburn Race: Human	HP: 25/53 AC: 15/17(with shield)	Buffs: Jump 3/10 rounds Inspiration: 0
Rage: 1/3	Inner Healing:0/4	HD: 1/4
Spoiler: Stats(saves) STR: 16+3(+5) DEX: 14+1(+2) CON: 16+3(+5) INT: 8-1(+-1) WIS: 10+0(+0) CHA:11 +0(+0)	Spoiler: Skills Athletics+5 Intimidate: 2/5 Perception: 2 Performance 2 Stealth: 4 Survival: 2	Spoiler: Spells Daily: JUMP: 0/1 At will Thaumaturgy Message

---

"Sure, how's this for a conversation: Or beef is with the Dragon Cult. You mercenaries can leave but I know the reputation of Bardaby and his "Beasts" and we have no issues cutting down rapists and murderers. If the Boss decides to fight with the crazy cultists and he tries to pull rank and force you to fight with him - I don't care how scary you think he is - we'll kill you if you fight us. So if he's up for a fight, maybe this is a chance for all you to decide who's really the boss of you and shake off his shackles for good.

So what do you say Barnaby? You gonna leave these fanatics to their machinations or are you gonna risk losing more? You have 5 seconds to decide. One...two..."

OOC: I'll use my action to use Intimidate. Because Merrick is raging, I can add his strength to the roll. The goal is to get Bardaby to leave. But, more importantly, it's to get his men(and woman) to turn on him if he chooses to stay. Or, at the least, flee. Intimidate: 1D20+5 = [10]+5 = 15 I have inspiration, so I'll use it if a good result will help us. Intimidate: 1D20+5 = [15]+5 = 20 If it's not obvious, I'm not interested in a prolonged negotiation. Edited for grammar and stuff

 

[Lidgar]

Team Fusion - Bjorn
Hearing Shade's words and acknowledging Bill's interest, Bjorn slipped back into the water and swam to the the northwest to scout what looked like another lake-like feature. He noticed the current's swiftness, sensing there may be another set of falls ahead.

He stretched his senses and peered about in the gloomy waters, surfacing occasionally to both look and listen, while using the darkness for cover.

OOC: Bjorn will scout to the NW - Area 5 (North Lake). Perception check: 1D20+6 = [5]+6 = 11 Stealth check (frog form): 1D20+4 = [8]+4 = 12

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Team Fusion
It seemed prudent to stick together as a group, and North was decided as the safest way forward. While Loklafd returned the kayaks to the water (no easy task, as the cave with the ancient obelisk was high above the water, with a rounded, steep slope that plunged almost directly in, with no proper bank), Bjorn splashed into the water and kicked northward, scouting the way.

The lake narrowed northward, and Bjorn saw the the banks there were low and rocky - tripping hazards for those who would traverse the shore, but not the slick deep mud of the Hydra's pool, or the western pool with the teleporter chamber. Surfacing in the middle, he could feel the pull of the water as it wound clockwise to the East, its current growing stronger with each stroke.

As his frog-ears rose above the water, Bjorn could hear a clicking, buzzing noise from the north. His eyes peered in that direction, circling in their sockets. He could only make out several black masses in the upper-part of the northern wall, which was irregular and made of the strange black rock. There was movement there, and though he could not precisely see what they were, he knew from the sound and smell. Stirges. An enormous nest of them.

Bill loved to hunt stirges, but there appeared to be a rather large mass of them.

Spoiler: Map

Key: 1) Lower Lake (back towards the others); 2) Toward the Lizardfolk; 3) Stirge Nest!; 4) Steep slope & waterfall.

 

[Lidgar]

Seeing and hearing the stirge nests, Bjorn dipped his head back under water and headed back to the others.

Ah, no wonder Bill became agitated. Little guy loved hunting those in the beehive caves back home, he thought to himself as he swam.

The water barely rippled as Bjorn-frog emerged from the water near the party. His croaks were barely intelligible, but the party had enough experience now to make out what he was saying.

"Many stirges. Swift waters. Bring fire."

Bill danced in small circles as Bjorn spoke, clearly excited at the prospect of acquiring his favorite snack.

OOC: Fun fact, I only recently discovered that 5.5 Druids can now speak in animal form. I kind of enjoy roleplaying the communication difficulties though, so will make Bjorn's speech in wildshape more halting/limited.

 

[Leatherhead]

Spoiler: Copper: Team Fusion

Copper AC:15 HP:34/31+5 HD:4/4 PP:14 CloudJ:1/2

"Stirges, huh. My Uncle said he saw them suck a cow down to the skin and bones once. It was creepy." Copper explained. "They just flew up and poked in, then they puffed up red like a bellows. Left the poor cow looking like a mummy."

 

[Kobold Stew]

Urgan listens to Merrick, and even he is unsettled.

He realizes how soft his life has been, spending his adulthood locked in a keep, working for another, and staying safe. He also sees to what degree he has been denying his own orcish heritage. He feels the anger burning within him, and is unsettled by the fierceness of his companion's threats. He knows they are outnumbered here, but he also knows that he has made contact with the mind of Siobhan (her thoughts reveal her name to him), and that he has resources to take her down, at least.

The standoff continues, and Urgan holds his action, awaiting a response, even though he knows the delay will cause his grip on her to slip -- he's ready to stab at her mind again, but holds to see if the mercenaries cow, or betray themselves (as he fears he would do himself, were the situation reversed).