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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 1520161" data-attributes="member: 1210">The Mask Gives a Demonstration of its PowerFor quite some time, our heroes have found that one of the best spells for them as a team is Rary’s telepathic bond.  They usually have one going between the majority of the party, at least while they’re adventuring; and now is no exception.  Over the bond, Angelfire comments, I don’t trust this woman.She said she’s a medron, Orbius reminds her.Patyn: She’s neither evil nor undead- but that doesn’t mean we should trust her.  The group follows Cyndea the medron (whatever in the Nine Hells that is) as she leads them deeper into the tower (which she tells them is the Tower of Health).  Their breath puffs in the cold air; she does not appear to breathe.Cyndea leads them to a room shaped like a pie slice with the tip chopped off.  The room is full of beds, and the ceiling is shrouded in shadows over thirty feet above.  “Doctor?” she calls.  “We have a patient...”Suddenly a shape detaches itself from the darkness above, folding downward on a thick tether like some mechanical serpent.  “Ah, Cyndea!” a fatherly voice calls, and our heroes find themselves facing a bizarre meld of humanoid head, torso and arms, and strange mechanical limbs that look designed for surgery, including circular saws that look capable of cutting through bone.I don’t know about this, Lester hesitantly sends over the telepathic bond.“Well, let me examine the patient!” the weird doctor says, all business.“Friends, this is Dr. Tarr.  He is expertly trained by the best of Moil’s great physicians.”The group reluctantly pulls the drooling Lerxst forward for the doctor.  Strong metal arms pull her gently up to a platform near the ceiling.”Hey, wait a sec...” says Horbin.“Just doing some tests!” the doctor affirms happily.  The party can see him lay Lerxst’s form on a bed.  Dr. Tarr then looks in her mouth, eyes and ear, listens to her heart, performs a few magical tests, and frowns.  “I’m afraid I’m going to have to perform a few more tests,” he announces regretfully.  “I need to keep the patient under observation for a while.”“How much of a while?” Horbin demands, obviously getting irritated.Angelfire is nervous about this ‘doctor’ as well, but he has a great deal of faith.  Coila will lead him in the right direction.  So comforted, he casts augury.Will it be beneficial or baneful to let this doctor keep Lerxst any longer?BANEFUL.Attack! Angelfire shouts through the mental link.Thrush is a blur, and suddenly the doctor has a great rent in his side, from which oils and lubricants begin to flow.Patyn draws his blade and cries, “Prepare yourself, Doctor!  You threaten our friend and our mission.  Defend yourself!”  And he casts a furious glance at Thrush for attacking without warning.  Horbin nods sagely, fully understanding Patyn’s little speech.  Sybele moves in as well; with both her and Thrush in the way, Angel can’t reach Dr. Tarr; however-Angel turns and rushes forward at Cyndea, turning partway through the charge to avoid some beds.*  Her falchion slices out, dealing a tremendous wound to the medron, who cries out in pain as her fluids begin leaking as well.  “Why?” Dr. Tarr cries out as a hail of spells from the L and the Eye blast him.  He swings down on his thick tether and fires a cloud of gas out, which rolls over a few of our heroes. Ten Buck Tom inhales some gas, coughing heavily, and falls over, unconscious.“Tom!” cries Horbin.  Londo has been hanging back, talking to the Mask he’s wearing.  “What can you do to help us?””Why should I help you fools?  You’re weak!”“And you’re powerful, right?  Or so you say.  But so far it’s all talk.  If you don’t show some signs of your power soon, nobody’ll believe you anymore.”Cyndea backs away from Angelfire, screaming, “Don’t hurt me!”  She touches herself and some of the damage knits up; but Dr. Tarr is not so lucky.  He shrugs off a Marius’ deconstruction cast by Orbius, but then something terrible happens. In the corner, the Mask says to Londo, ”Fine!  You want to see my power?  Step forward, towards the fool from the roof!”  Londo obeys instantly; he wants to know what’s he’s gotten himself into.The doctor glares as Londo strides forward, but then the Mask cries, ”Now, you fool- I WILL DEVOUR YOU!!!”  And its terrible black maw opens wider, wider, impossibly wide, and in one terrible instant the mouth snaps shut over Dr. Tarr.And then the tether dangles uselessly from the ceiling.  The Mask is humming, making chomping noises.  A few pieces of metal fall to the ground.  Shocked, our heroes stare at the Mask for a moment. Cyndea screams again.  “Oh yeah!” Angelfire beams, and turns to finish the medron off.“No!” Patyn cries, stepping in front of Angelfire.  “She’s done nothing!  I shall protect you, maiden!”“She’s a machine,” Angel points out, amused. “Nonetheless.”Angel shrugs.“Yeah, we should save her,” says Sybele.  “She’s just trying to help.”  And over the mindlink, And maybe she knows something.  Maybe the doctor had some tools we can use to help Lerxst...*This via the Psionic Charge feat. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Next Time: The doctor’s tools!</blockquote>

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