Return To The Ruins (Warlords Palace)

[hedgeknight]

Ceana

The druid tries to help but feels she is just getting in the way. She will try and follow her companion, Belloc, down the hallway if possible; if not, she will get out of the way and wait for his return.

[Rex]

Drest

Drest does his best to let anyone by who wants to go by. Keeping an eye on the shadow creature if at all possible.

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Seeing that things are not progressing quickly he waits on the far end until its sorted out.

[Belkregos]

Kainaxarthos

He congratulates Belloc. "Those years learning whatever language that was weren't wasted. I think."

Kain continues with the group, intrigued at what the specter was protecting.

Belloc
nods as he moves ahead with the shadow and whispers in reply (common) just a bit more my friend

The shadow figure stops at the end of the tunnel once it reaches an ancient iron door mottled with rust. It shakes it's head around violently a few more times, as if it isnt sure what is actually happening here.

"You wish to exit the complex, my master? Back into the wilds of Underborea? The way......remains locked."

Belloc

Underborea....

Belloc observes the shadow, feeling his control slipping but maintaining a facade of confident authority. He weighs his next action carefully, sensing the shadow is on the brink. More stress could tip it over the edge. Although he would prefer to keep manipulating the shadow, he knows doing so would put his companions in danger. Whatever lies behind this door could make it snap.

statrs again in the foreign language
"You have served me well," he says, his eye piercing the shadow and continues "You are released now."

He waits a moment, then turns and casts an incantation on the door.

casts reduction
Enlargement (reversible)
Lvl: mag 1, wch 1 | Rng: 5 feet per CA level | Dur: 1 turn

Induces unnatural growth in a single object or creature, augmenting ×1.5 the size and mass of organic matter, or augmenting ×2 the size and mass of inorganic matter. Enlarged creatures gain a +50% damage bonus to all attacks (attack damage totalled and then multiplied ×1.5). For objects, the area of effect is limited to 10 cubic feet per CA level; e.g., a CA 10 caster can double the size of an earthen mound not exceeding 100 cubic feet in initial volume. This spell will not increase the magical nature of any object: A portcullis can be swollen shut, a dagger can be doubled to a short sword, but an enlarged potion of healing does not become the equivalent of two potions. The reverse of this spell, reduction, halves the size and mass of a creature or object (no more than 10 cubic feet per CA level). Affected creatures suffer a −50% damage penalty on all attacks (attack damage totalled and then halved). Unwilling creatures are allowed transformation saving throws to resist enlargement or reduction.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus doesn't understand any of the words Belloc is uttering to the spectre. He doesn't understand either why the others won't simply turn back. But luckily something's working here and Drest isn't being attacked anymore.

If he the spectre starts attacking again, he won't hesitate for a second and start violently pushing his companions back towards the way they came

[OGRE MAGE]

Under The Zakath Desert
Sanctum Of The Magus
No Idea On Time Or Day

While the others continue to struggle with the tight confines of this narrow hallway, Belloc, Ceana, and Drest remain towards the front of the line.

Ceana moves forward with Belloc while Drest remains with Akhilleus, who appears ready to simply mow down any still blocking their only route of retreat if things go badly.

Belloc sees his control over the confused shadow slipping, so the Magician takes matter into his own hands. The monster just hisses while the spell is cast, causing even more concern for those in front. Then the iron door suddenly shrinks to half its normal size, falling into the next room with a VERY loud crash on the stone floor.

The head shaking shadow rushes into the room first, before any can pass it by. Once at the threshold where the door once stood, Belloc and Ceana can see what this next dark room holds in store for them.

In the center of the room sits another long bed, though on this one rests a palid skinned Hyperborean, by the looks of him. He appears to be sleeping, though he doesn't flinch a bit after the loud crashing of the heavy door. A wooden desk displaying an ancient manuscript sits in the southwest corner, and a smallish bookcase sits to the right of the open doorway.

The suddenly silent shadow figure stands directly in front of the bookcase, staring at its contents without expression. Albeit tight, at least this room looks large enough to fit the entire party inside, if willing.

Actions?

Underborea 2 - Copy.jpeg (47.46 KiB) Viewed 204 times

Drest (Sc4) FA:3 AC7 16/22
Xenos (DS3) FA:3 AC5 17/17
Akhilleus (F4) FA:4 AC4 19/35
Kainaxarthos (C2) FA:1 AC6 9/11
Magda (W2) FA:0 AC9 8/8 Hooded Lantern
Sik (Ba1) FA:1 AC5 9/12
Cyril (Pr2) FA:0(20) AC8 12/12 CLW, DM Torch
Ceana (D2) FA:1 AC5 13/13 Torch
Taibhse (Sh2) FA:0(20) AC5 11/11 Torch
Belloc (M2) FA:0(20) AC6 14/14 Enlarge

[Rex]

Drest

"Does anyone have anything that can hurt that thing for sure?"

Holding his position for now.

[subaltari]

Magda

As the slam of the falling door echoes in the hallway, Magda enters behind Belloc and congratulates him again (in Common). "Well done, conjurer. Our undead friend has not left us, so perhaps it will still answer your questions? Is the man on the bed its true master... or perhaps the sleeper and the shadow are the same person?" Magda peers at the body and then at the desk, trying to read the top page of the document without touching it.

Skavi scuttles beneath the bed and then makes a tour of the walls, seeking any holes or anomalies in the wainscoting, as this room is a dead end otherwise.

[Belkregos]

Belloc

surveys the room, weighing his options, and decides to address the more immediate threat directly in front of him. He moves toward the center bed, leveling the tip of his staff at the sleeping Hyperborean's head.

As he advances, he keeps shadow on the periphery of his vision. Whispering to his companions, he warns, "My hold on the shadow is tenuous and could snap at any moment, like holding a tiger with a cord. It could turn on us at any second, likely attacking me first. This gambit may give you enough time to escape, but I won't risk anyone else's safety."

He taps the head of the sleeping Hyperborean, ready to react:

-If there is any sign of animation, he will unleash the staff's power on it.
-If there is no sign, he will try to take any symbols or regalia of command and authority from the body.

OOC: His plan hinges on the possibility that this Hyperborean is the shadow's master. By taking any items that could help him impersonate the Hyperborean, Belloc hopes to strengthen his manipulations and continue the control.

[hedgeknight]

Ceana

The druid has to stifle a gasp upon seeing the Hyperborean. "The only thing I have to perhaps hurt the shadow is the torch I'm holding," she whispers, in answer to Drest.
She holds her breath as Belloc approaches the sleeping man and lets it out slowly as Belloc explains his actions. Her gaze shifts from Belloc to the shadow and back again. Cautiously, she steps into the room, closer to the bookcase. Not trying to upset the shadow, she tries to get a look at the titles on the shelf.

[Karaunios]

Akhilleus

To Drest: "Xenos has a dagger that's probably magical. That could hurt the shadow. I don't have anything else. We're stucking this hallway and there's no much I can do here or in the room. I'm going back to the dormitory and let the priests and magicians pour over ancient scripts and pergaments." he goes back to the previous room.

[subaltari]

Magda

From her position by the corner desk the witch speaks softly: "Those of you that serve particular gods, do they not give you some power to dismiss unquiet shades of the dead? And if that's the case," she adds, mostly to Akhilleus, "we should probably allow this one a clear path of retreat."

"Anyway it seems interested only in that bookcase... or the wall behind it," Magda concludes as she watches the figure halted there.

Skavi soon completes his circle of the room near Ceana, his little whiskers twitching as he sniffs around the bookcase.

[The_Wanderer]

Magda

From her position by the corner desk the witch speaks softly: "Those of you that serve particular gods, do they not give you some power to dismiss unquiet shades of the dead?"

From the back of the line of adventurers, Cyril speaks up. "I believe that is my cue! Azathoth can be quite fickle but should he not approve of this shade's existance, then he will send it away."

With a turning ability of 3, Cyril can't destroy any undead...but he may be able to keep it at bay with a turning.

[silifi]

Sik follows the sorcerers into the next room, keeping his bullets handy in case things go south.

[shaidar]

Xenos

I must admit I'm a little confused as to where Xenos is, my fault. He'll stay in the outer room and get the dagger to Drest by (hopefully) it being passed down person by person.

[Ahlmzhad]

Taibhse

Will hold his position in the outer room.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xenos

I must admit I'm a little confused as to where Xenos is...

I know how you feel.

With the open room available now, let's just allow folks to be where they say they are and we can figure things out in the next update.

I will wait for Kain to act, as his position might be important here.

[Rex]

Drest

Drest will remain with Xenos, wherever he goes. He wants someone he trusts near him when this goes south.

[Karaunios]

And with magical dagger

[subaltari]

If "things go south" at this point it looks only one of the fighter types, and no magic weapon, will be in the latest room! Thankful at least Sik is there to help the sorcerers..