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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carnifex" data-source="post: 1462715" data-attributes="member: 227">Umbrals ... Nodes ... Emitters ... The words of the Master washed over Wyshira as she stood dumbfounded in the presence of the metallic monstrosity. She wasn't making sense of anything it - or rather he - said, until he mentioned the demon, the Corrupter of Air. She listened attentively then, and soon found herself becoming accustomed to the odd mechanical voice and flashing green eyes. On the surface, the being seemed almost completely, abhorrently inhuman; and yet..... somehow Wyshira managed to overlook all that as the threat that the demon posed to Air became clearer. "What does it do to the air?" she interjected without preamble or introduction. "The demon, I mean. It corrupts the air, but in what way? And how does that fit in with the Hashrukkite's plans to spread their diseases? "No, no, NO! We cannot let them pervert the air!" she went on vehemently. "We must stop them before they finish getting the 'emitter' ready!" Turning away from the door as he began to understand that the mechanical wizard was intent on actually leading them down to the depths, Sebastion laid a hand on Wyshira's shoulder gently. "I don't think there was ever any doubt of that..." he offered, quietly, before clearing his throat loudly. "Uh... I know... I know you said that your knowledge of the tower was incomplete, but do you have any sort of map or chart of the layout down there?"* * *It was strange company, and strange talk about elements and elder gods and devils. The earth was sick. The air was being corrupted. Rumors circulated about the sickening of the oceans and weird fire magics... it didn't leave much room for comfort in the land. One man's trash Wasteland is another elder god's vacation paradise, Kale mused as it became more and more clear that the horrible forces of old were not content to remain the ghost stories and scapegoats of younger years. Who were these elder gods, and how can they be stopped? What do they want? Are other regions being polluted in the same way as the air? Kale was awash with questions, but saw fit to ask none of them. He didn't much relish his present company. Secretive teammates and ambitious fleshtwisters and dark zealots and elder powers and powerful wizards who don't know when to die. Whatever happened next, it likely wouldn't be good for the hapless crew. While he waited for events to unfold, the young mercenary tried his best to remain obscure and out of the way.* * *Mel glanced over at Gaethas. She'd made up a number of heavy-handed lies to cover the reason for her own presence here, but unfortunately that included the ruse that she already knew why he was here, which precluded asking him. Which was frustrating, because now she really wanted to know. Why did the lich fear that the Carthagians would destroy his sarcophagus? Why would any good wizard or Manipulator wish to destroy something before having studied it? What did they fear here? Then she turned to Wyshira. Of course the priestess, part elemental herself, would be especially horrified by what the lich said was happening in the bowels of the tower. Mel herself was horrified as well--even a little sick to her stomach at the thought--but also a little curious. What other kinds of magic could be "emitted" using the "node"? If they could just dispose of the Hashrukkites and the demon, there would be much to learn from the lich and his tower. That would be the catch, though. She added her own request to that of Sebastion. "Well, sir, you're the only one of us who doesn't need to breathe. What kind of protection can you provide us with?"The lich turned to respond to Wyshira's question. "The air in the lower levels of the tower has become befouled, a mixture of dry, lifeless air and miasmas moving amongst the subterranean passages. However, the devil has not, I believe, been here for long enough for it to corrupt the air as badly as it potentially could, and as yet it remains tolerable for living creatures such as yourself - and the Hashrukkite cultists. Futhermore, I believe the devil has managed to corrupt several minor air elementals, though from where they came I do not know." "My knowledge of the way down is sufficient enough for us to reach the subterranean levels and locate the base of the node structure, where the Hashrukkites have based themselves. However, I am unaware of whether they have altered the tunnel structures in any way, perhaps by barricading or blocking some areas. It is possible that they have done this, and certainly they will not be unprepared."For Meg'anna, it was more than stiffling in the room with the large mechanism looking back at her. Ever fibre of her being yearned to lash out at the lich ans all of his mechanical workings. She knew that there was no chance at her even being able to penetrate the liches defenses, nor even perhaps getting close to him. The Arcanofex had dealt all kinds of damage to the girallions earlier that she had witnesses, and she could only assume that this monstrousity was capable of the same. Gritting her teeth, Meg continued to stand at the rear of the others, wincing every time the eye lenses of the machine settled upon her. She could not understand what the machine spoke of, yet there was a dire look in the eyes of all in the room. She could sense the fear, yet there was a sliver of resolve among those more introspective of the group. Meg'anna could only respect the priestess resolve, something which she was not full of at the moment. What was she to do? It wasnt like she wanted to talk to the thing anyhow. However, there was something pressing that needed to be asked. Either no one had thought of it, or no one had the brass to say it to the hulking machine-man. Taking out her notepad, Meg'anna quickly scribbled down a few sentences and thrust it toward Melisande, hoping she would understand. It read: "If you are able to muster these "machines" to protect your tower, why havent you sent the Arcanofex to drive out the demon and its cultists? Machinery is not effected by poisoned air, while we are. If these cultists are beyond your power and resources, then how are we to accomplish this task?" Meg'anna wanted badly to ask about the gnoll she was sent here to find, yet she knew that this was neither the time nor the place. If the lich-thing knew, then she would just have to find out later. The lich took the proferred item with one steel gauntlet-hand and read it carefully. "A wise question, and one to which the answer is easy. When the Hashrukkites first assaulted the tower, I sent a number of my steel sentinels against them, but all were quickly destroyed. The Hashrukkite leader and a wizardly accomplice in the attire of a thaumineer both wove entropic magics that rapidly rusted and damaged my servants to a non-operative level. Were I to attack them myself I would most likely fall victim to the same. Sadly my Crystal Eye, the device most suited to dealing with these intruders, was incomplete and entered into attack routines automatically when you encountered it. I do not blame you for destroying it, but it would have proved useful." DM's Note: Yep, the PC's trashed the Crystal Eye, the crystal construct crafted in mimicry of a beholder. Oh well... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />"I shall accompany you down and support you with what magics I can, but my proficiency in battle magic is not strong, and I fear to approach the leaders of the cultists lest I be reduced to rust. Now, perhaps, if your questions are answered, we should begin to move down, or at least those of you who are coming." "We cannot allow the vile Hashrukkites to corrupt the air of the Drakkath," rumbled the heavily-armoured Toranite warrior, the first words he had spoken since they had met him. "'T'would be a disaster for Carthagia and all peoples of this place. They must be stopped." His armoured visage turned to Gaethras. "Yes," the Manipulator said after a moment's pause, nodding. "We'll aid you with this. It is to no-one's benefit at all for cultists of Elder Gods to gain power and influence." Johanne, the worst of his injuries slightly salved by the healing magic of a potion that Kale had handed to him, also agreed. "I'm not going to stand around doing nothing while Hashrukkites desecrate a place like this with their foul rites. Think of all the precious relics down there, all the remnants of ancient Umbral history! No, I can still stand and I've got a few spells I can use against them, though it wont be much." Burl tapped him on the shoulder. "I didn't have a chance to cast the most potent of my spells back there; the closeness of melee meant I might have injured some of you. This time I'll be ready though, and I think I can help Johanne be of use too." The dark-haired man reached into one of the pouches of his inconspicuous garb, drawing forth a scroll. "Fireball. If you get a chance to light a large group of the cultists up with it, don't hesitate to use it. The combined might of our magical attacks should at least serve to drive back the lesser of the foes that will face us down there." The Drakkath mage nodded thankfully, gripping the arcane scroll tightly in one blood-stained hand.Next Time: The Final Preparations before the band of intrepid adventurers descend beneath the tower, into the shadowy gloom of its subterranean chambers... to face the evil of the cult of Hashrukk, Elder God and Daemonflesh...</blockquote>

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