D&D 5E The Kalarian Precipice - Chapter Two

[Jeovanna]

Jeovanna- The Stairwell

Jeovanna growled in frustration, and not a little embarrassment. This thing was the size of the side of a barn, and no one could hit it!

Perhaps the fop was right. They should back off.

"Up! Past the trap- and you, girl, set it off once we are clear!" Jeovanna roared. It might not have been her plan, but nobody else was listening to the others when they said it!

She'd swoop up her sword, though it brought her closer to the armor, if only briefly, and would whisk the pommel of her sword at its 'face' as she rose, to at least try and throw it off balance.

<Roll to hit: 15, so no roll for damage>

 

[Otiroth]

Otiroth: The Stairwell

"Will hitting the trap with a spell bolt set it off?" Otiroth asked Annit quickly. He did not much like the idea of the woman being too close to it- or the armor- when it went off.

So far he'd had little luck in hitting the armor, but it seemed he was not alone.

He'd take a step forward. "Construct! You disobey your masters! Do not cross the warding stone!" And he'd throw forward one hand- a glowing symbol appeared on one of the stairs, as far down as he could cast it. The symbol did indeed look quite magical!

<Spell-casting- Prestidigitation to create a symbol. Deception check= 17>

 

[97mg]

Coming up the steps

Set off the trap on purpose?

Annit quite liked the idea, the sneaky and curious part of her definitely didn’t object to this concept.

“I don’t know!” She called back, “force to the plate near the hinges might do it!”

A young woman’s arrows weren’t going to bust it open. Hopefully one of them had something more convincing to work with, a bludgeoning tool or a meaty spell of some sort.

It was unexpected then, the effect of Otiroth’s symbol and deception. The armor actually hesitated. It took a moment to process this new information... before deciding that an appropriate response was missing from the crafter’s instructions. The metal turned back to face it's enemies.

<Otiroth’s move was certainly original Although the Construct would usually be immune to this kind of deception, the cool move and fact the rolls were so far apart (Deception of 17 or 21 vs Insight of 1) warranted some kind of advantage for you. Thus, the Armor is not attacking this round.>

 

[daindarkspring]

Dain - The Stairwell

The healing spell washed over Dain with a feeling of pure elation. The pain he had been feeling, quite acutely, vanished with the cleric's words.

Suru? I thank you, goddess. I will repay the debt, and aid your servant when I can!

As the armor hesitated, due to the ingenuity of the sorcerer, Dain at first contemplated striking at its metallic plates yet again. But Annit's words gave him pause. Despite the fact that his blade had damaged the creature quite badly, it did not seem as bad off as he would have liked. And he could not afford to take another beating from its rusty gauntlets.

So he used his newly-regained vigor for another purpose! The cleric, his old jerky-enjoying friend, had a mace! What better device to smash a door hinge?! Dain waved his sword at the armor, more to get its attention than anything, and took a step backwards. "Get back, comrades! We must hope the immortals are on our side, but let us not make their job too difficult! Suru can guide your mace, friend! Strike true!"

<rolled a 2>

 

[Metea]

Metea: Stairwell

Time to pull back! They had no idea what the trap would do, and it was as likely it would summon another dozen of these creatures as it would do anything that might harm the armor... or just miss it. But it was better than standing against it here!

Metea pulled back enough to give the others time to move back too, though she would loose one more eldritch blast at the armor, to make sure to try and keep it off edge.

<Eldritch blast: 19 to hit, 4 damage>

 

[Carthum One-Tusk]

Carthum One-Tusk: The Stairwell

Carthum kept his shield raised and they'd begin to pull back while the armor hesitated.

The half-orc hoped that Annit had estimated the range of the trap well! If not, he was in for a world of hurt, but they were in for that either way. Once they were on the other side of the trap, taking advantage of the armor's hesitation, he'd turn his attention to the rusty trap pressure plate.

Carthum raised his shield over his head, and then aimed a strike at the pressure plate... hopefully hard enough to set it off without simply shattering and destroy it!

Suru, guide his strike!

<Roll to hit: 22>

 

[97mg]

Black on black

<Round 4
Init 9 - Annit
Init 7 - Jeovanna
Init 5 - Otiroth
Init 4 - Armor (-32 hp)
Init 3 - Metea & Dain
Init 1 - Carthum>

Metea’s blast once again sparkles and snaps its energy against the oncoming threat. Perhaps there is some comfort now, in the mysterious armor looking very much worse and worn from the party’s strikes. It isn't finished yet though! A short moment of indecision, and then the metallic mass renews it's climb.

Wisely using the short respite to retreat onto the landing, Annit backs up along with the rest of the team, watching as Carthum proceeds to strike the overhead metal plate. Standing at well over six feet in half-orc height, it is an easy reach for the priest. A great clang! rings out and reverberates off the passage walls, a well placed impact lands on the trap.

A brief moment of silence then, before an ominous creaking is heard from above. The metal upon the ceiling swings free like a loose jaw, and darkness rains upon the top of the steps and the armor below. Black droplets splatter downwards at first, before the sticky mass of viscous ooze flows out like un-lidded tar. It is oil, or grease of some sort, a sticky moving river against the armor’s metal feet, flowing downwards one step at a time.

By instinct alone, taking another step up to face Carthum, the animated monstrosity loses balance. With a sickening plunge it falls backwards, slamming against the steps and sliding down them at speed, thanks to the recent lubrication. Not all armor likes to be oiled, it seems.

Half the distance of the passage it travels, twisting and smashing. Then shockingly it moves to stand back up, and nearby, black oily fingers reach out to touch Dain’s still burning torch.

Annit’s eyes open wide with fear, though it is uncertain if the armor’s endurance or the potential for fire... meeting with miner’s grease is the greater threat. There is only one thing she can do in this instant. Her shortbow is raised and she takes a shot at the armor. Advantage is not on her side, firing off into the looming dark. Her arrow bounces of a wall and clatters to the ground.

<Rolls used:
Armor: Dex save DC 15 to keep footing = 5 Fail.
Distance sliding d6 x 10 ft = 50ft.
Damage per 10ft slide is d4. Damage taken = 13
Annit: Disadvantaged attack = 7 Miss.

Notes: It is likely that you have 1 round left until the torch flames ignite the steps (if the substance is flammable). Walking down the steps at this point will require a DC 15 Dex check to keep footing. The armor is severely damaged but is attempting to stand on its next turn.>

 

[Jeovanna]

Jeovanna- Further Down

They could at least outpace the creature; it was a bit slow, though it felt fast in the enclosed area. Oil poured from the trap; the potential for fire was certainly there, but they were not standing in it, so Jeovanna did not see the threat.

The tall woman grasped Carthum by the back of the armor and hauled him an arm length's back to behind her, before drawing her own bow. She figured Dain had the good sense to move back himself.

It was a hunting weapon, but its arrows still sting...


<18 to attack. 8 damage.>

 

[Otiroth]

Otiroth: Further Down

"Let it burn itself," Otiroth said dismissively. At least, if he attacked it now, he'd light the oil on fire for it, even if he missed.

There was enough air down here to let it burn itself out, but even so. The torch was too far for him to snuff, but he could at least try and minimize the reach of the oil, cleaning it off of as much of the topmost steps near them as he could though it was maybe too big for his spell to do in one go.

<Prestidigitation to clean item on the top step surface.>

 

[97mg]

Further Down

So that's how it is done...

Annit grinned as Jeovanna's arrow was loosed. Down the steps, there was a definite sound of metal eating into metal. What a shot! She'd stuck the thing right in its helm, at which point the whole mass of plate seemed to crumble into nothing more than a pile of greasy, rusty trash. The construct was deconstructed at last!

Otiroth's cleaning skills mixed with a magic wave of the hand seemed to be working wonders too, the top few steps mysteriously scrubbed of immediate threat by an invisible rag.