The Creation Schema:THE FINAL BATTLE FOR POSSESSION OF THE SCHEMA

[megamania]

EBERRON
10 / 29 / 05
SEGMENT 142
“Guarded Hallway”

Taskerdoo castes Haste on the party and everyone is slow to attack. They remember stories of happened to Cedious’ teammate in Darguun. And these Ogres are armored which suggests training on their part. Web is caste that stops one but the other leaps free and charges. Black sands is hit and hit HARD. Vale suddenly bursts in flames as he decides to try to attack these creatures head on. He is swatted as he comes in and quickly reconsiders the action.

Sharshek and Black sands, Hastened, widdle down the first Ogre quickly. The other has yet to yank himself completely free of the webbing as the others approach with great caution.

He strikes at anyone within his ten-foot reach while trying to tear his legs free. With Cedious at his side, they widdle him down soon also.

They all look at each other- they are all thinking the same thing- “The Hallways are not safe anymore.”

 

[megamania]

"Taskerdoo castes Haste on the party and everyone is slow to attack."

This doesn't sound right.


oh- I'm back.

 

[megamania]

EBERRON
10 / 29 / 05
SEGMENT 143
“Now What? AAAAIIEEEE!”

“Keep digging!” yells Keltis at the three men.

During the night five feet of snow has fallen onto the existing twelve from the week before. The Emerald Claw has discovered they are buried alive within the Giant Antechamber that leads somehow to the mysterious Drogan’s Trap.

The men keep going and suddenly a rumbling sound followed by a thumping sound is heard. Two men are buried alive. The third man turns and with obvious anger on his face screams at Keltis- “NOW WHAT?!?”

Karrion Kold kills him instantly. “Put his body over there, I’ll call it back later to dig. Keltis, we do need a better plan lover.”

The human cleric grumbles. “There has to be a hidden door here. We need to look more.”

The remaining crew continues to look and one discovers something. It is not a secret door per say but something suggesting its location.

Claw marks from Logan.

“We look here.”

Twenty minutes later, they find the secret door but can get in. They need a small sized halfling or child to crawl through the revealed space. They all look at each other trying to figure this out.

“Cut the dead man up to fit. I’ll have it crawl in.” says Karrion Kold, the team’s leading necromancer.

 

[Solarious]

Comming soon, the Emerald Claw and Cedious rematch!

 

[Cedious]

Comming soon, the Emerald Claw and Cedious rematch!

Well it does not seem like it is going to be a fair match considering how much trouble they are having just TRYING to get into the trap

sounds funning looking back how we TRIED to get into a trap. why would anyone want to enter a trap knowing its a trap.. *ponders life, liberty and all that other stuff*

 

[Solarious]

Maybe because the trap was cunningly baited, so that your experience and abilities would be aborbed into the trap collective....

*blarg*

Sorry, wrong story. But the principal stands, no?

 

[megamania]

EBERRON
10 / 29 / 05
SEGMENT 144
“A Guard Dog Unlike Any Other”

“Stop playing with it and lets go.” Says the undead Living Corpse that is now Boddynok Grinkle. The Artificer Gnome was beginning to lose his patience with his warforged companion. They were near the mines where Whitehearth was hidden. He was close to his first goal. Then came the stupid skeletal dinosaur. Asunder dealt with it but now eyed the creature.

“I think this creature was placed here for a reason.”

“No Asunder. This is the Mournlands. Undead are common here. Com’on- lets get back to the earth cart.

Asunder looks over the bones again then drops it. He joins the undead gnome and finally reaches the entrance to the Cannith Facility that was hidden in an out of the way valley where many war machines were tested.

“It looks just like what it did when we were here last”, says the Warforged Fighter.

“Yes. That is good. I feared Cannith, the Claw or even the Warforged of the region would discover it and intrude on my station and future lab area. There is much to explore including the tunnels we skipped outside of the main facility.”

“What could be there?”

The yellow eyes seem to glow with emotion. “Oh I can’t wait to find out. I hope for a Forge. If it exists I can try to improve on you and other forged. I could do other experiments also.”

Asunder is very quiet. He seems to mull over this but if so, there is no sign of emotion. Then he snaps out of it. “We are being followed.”

Boddynoc looks through the hazy hidden window and sees several shadowed figures running along to the cart. “Dogs. Nothing to worry about.”

“Not dogs, Wolves.”

Then as if on cue- She steps into view.

“Rorsa.” They say in unison.

Rorsa is an awaken dire wolf that Boddynoc and Asunder aided many months ago. It appears she has not moved far away from the Foundry.

“I think we have a guard dog for our lab.” Says Boddynoc.

 

[megamania]

EBERRON
11 / 11 / 05
SEGMENT 145
“Stone Golem”

The adventurers decide to rest within the hallway before moving onward. Once rested, they move onto the next room. They hope to end Drogan’s Trap. They will do this even if they do not recover the Schema. It is becoming too dangerous and with the several time related strange events they fear for themselves. They have all heard of traps that age people. They fear they may have been here for over four years. They are fearful that the sailor with a pay voucher that has yet to occur may indeed be current.

They enter the stone sculpture room and stare at the four walls of posed stone figures and fearsome faces. Seeing no new threats they walk to the closest red “x” on the floor. Taskerdoo puts the crystal formation there and as before it sinks into the floor then returns. This time a rod appears. Cedious is quick to snatch it even though Taskerdoo is there. Twirling it like a marching band baton Cedious looks at the others. They all are giving him the look of “knock it off.” “Here Tasker. I think you misplaced this.” And he hands it to the druid-mage.

The two halflings begin to look it over to identify it when a scrapping sound comes from the wall. They all turn slowly to see a 10 foot tall stone statue of a warrior stand up and begin to walk towards them. “Stone Guardian.” Says the rogue. “Stone Golem” clarifies Taskerdoo.

They begin to circle it and attack. Little by little they chip at it with their weapons. Cedious uses one of his two Rings of Ram against it allowing the heavy hitters to strike it. Vale goes to each of them granting them Bull’s Strength. The druid-mage tries his new toy. Thick vines grow around the Golem that do nothing to hinder him.

A slow vibrating scrapping sound is emitted as the golem opens its mouth. Most of the group grits their teeth in irritation except for Black Sands. He “slows” down as the sound echoes within his mind. The outcome never wavers however as the group take the stone creature down.

“Undead, Warforged and now Constructs …what else will attack us that I can’t attack in my fullest?” grumbles the rogue. (never say such a thing in the presence of the DM)

Taskerdoo takes out the green emerald and walks up to the dragonhead. He takes a deep breath and hopes for the best as he climbs up to it and places the emerald within the empty eye socket. Nothing happens. With another sigh, he takes it back and climbs back down.

Once more they stop within the hallway connecting the magical rooms to rest. They hope to find the next two red cross-shaped crystals the other eye to escape.

 

[megamania]

EBERRON
11 / 11 / 05
SEGMENT 146
“Trolls on Fire and Mini-Beholders- How Cute”

“This is the burning room isn’t it?” asks Cedious as he touches the door and can feel the heat on the other side.

“Yup.”

“And why did we purposely come here again?”

“A room so dangerous must be hiding something. I hope it’s the other Green Emerald and the two red crystal “x” s.

“Riiiiight.” And the halfling rogue slowly opens the door.

Below he sees something large walking around. Peering through the haze of the toxic fumes he thinks he sees a burning troll. He looks again to be sure.

“Just out of curiosity- trolls don’t like fire …correct?”

“Yeah- acid and fire harm them the most.” Adds Sharshek.

“That is bad.”

[ DM NOTES- I have been compiling a template list and this is the beginning results of it]

Black sands peers over the others. “The trolls- they’re on fire….and they LIKE IT!”

“…Trolls….” Cedious looks again and indeed there is more than one. He looks over his shoulder to the druid and smirks then frowns sharply. “Lets go.”

Sharshek drops down first then Cedious as he slowly levitates down using his ring ( 1 of 4 magical rings). The trolls, numbering four, rush towards them. On closer inspection, they are indeed burning and fuming but there is more about them. Black sands crashes down behind them and looks at them. “They look primitive.”

[DM NOTES- Elemental subtype and Feral added to the Trolls multiple templates  ]

Taskerdoo uses his wand on a Troll. A blast of wind hits it with little effect though it annoys the rogue greatly. Then he sees something in the thick haze. Suddenly multiple beams of energy begin to streak out. Most miss but the cleric behind him is hit by one and grunts in pain. The druid-mage looks closer and floating high up are two beholder type creatures. They are much smaller and have fewer eyestalks and these are glowing with flame also.

[DM NOTE- Yup- Elemental subtype added]

The three fighters battle the four Feral Elemental Trolls on the narrow catwalks over the cat walks while the two spell casters battle two Elemental Gauths at range.

“I memorized Flame Strike.” Says the Cleric.

“Me too.”

“Fire Wall.”

“Fire spells yes- need to study Energy Substitution.”

“Energy Substi- ARRRGH! Damn that globe!” and the Cleric blasts it with Searing Light. “Is that all it can do? Blast me?"

“I doubt it.”


Below, Black sands hits the creature hard and narrowly misses a napalm type blood from spilling onto him. “Damn! They bleed fire!” He exclaims. Sharshek gets in a few blows and discovers this also. Cedious lunges and goes to hamstring the creature or at least cut the Iliac Artery on the thigh to critically injure the troll. Nothing.

[ DM NOTES- As warned before- Elemental subtypes are immune to crits also! Evil DM!]

The troll strikes down and grabs the rogue and rends him them slings him to the wall. “CLERIC!” He screams as blood pours out from his serious wounds.

Above, the cleric is hit with his third beam of energy. This one forces him into the hallway due to injuries.

 

[Solarious]

So... when is the next fatality?

Are my premonitions correct and it's right around the corner?