Quest #21 "Island Hopping"

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche struggles to catch his breath so he can answer Saracen intelligibly. "Nothing ... only a ... maniacal smile ... and laughter ... like ... rolling granite." He turns to look back. "Where is Maag?"

[kruk]

Cresty

The paladin feels the healing power of the warrior priest. Thank you Saracen. He then equips his shield and his sword, ready for battle. He quickly moves past Saracen to get a better look up north. Hearing that the foe can travel through stone he braces for the worst.


Lerrick

Thank you lerrick, shame to have to waste your power on wounds form a trap rather than true combat..

The cleric smiles Your welcome.

Just then Andron make his way back to the party and shouts his warning. The look on Andron's face is all it takes for the cleric to understand how dire the situation is. She being closes her eyes and prays aloud. When she finishes everyone around her (with the exception of Maag) feels ready for battle

Lerrick casts Bless spell

[Jernau35]

Maag

"I'm down 'ere", growls Maag, crouched in front of Alordan.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche looks down in surprise at the large half-orc crouching in the dust laden air, but just nods in silent acknowledgement. He quickly glances at the tunnel passages on either side and notices in particular the blocked off southern tunnel. "We can't stay here. Brutus sealed off the tunnel with molded rock. If he phases through the walls behind us we'll be trapped!" He edges slightly to the north, attempting to see if either branch of the north tunnel opens into a cave.

[Storm11]

Saracen nods to the wizard-priest in understanding.

Come, there looks to be a junction up ahead. At the least several of us can form a line to fight the creature. He phases through rock and melts it too! We are in over our heads it seems.

Saracen will wait for Lerrick to finish her spell and then head for the junction up ahead and when there turn and draw his sword, urging the others to follow swiftly

[OGRE MAGE]

Back To Work
Freeday, 19th of Goodmonth
Early Morning, Partly Cloudy, Warm, Humid

Amid the mass confusion, Lerrick sees a rare opportunity to aid her entire party by blessing them before the oncoming battle. She holds them there, all together, for an entire minute as she intones her divine powers. During this time, the dust settles completely and Cu finally stops his crazed barking, possibly soothed by the priestesses lengthy sermon.

Alordan makes himself a cloth mask to wear over his nose and mouth after hearing Gramble discuss monsters who can breath death upon you. The huge fighter smirks when he sees little Andron running away and shouting about danger. He pats his ax and steps into the tunnel opening, but doesn’t find anything good to fight.

Not taking any chances with a creature that can morph through solid rock, allegedly, a few of the party members spread out, moving north to the next intersection in the tunnels. The passage that continues north reveals no sounds or smells, but the passage to the left is a different story. A large chamber opens up a short distance down the narrow tunnel, it is currently dark, but sounds of dripping water echoes throughout. The earthy smell of something growing in dirt is prevalent, even from a distance.

Actions?

map:

Please stand by for new map.

Sir Crestbrook 9/11 LoH
Gramble 16/16
Tlachtga 8/8 1/4 1st Torch:4.6(40'r)
Cu AC:3 13/13
Lerrick 11/11 1/4 1st Bless:5 Everyone is +1 to hit
Saracen 33/33 2/5 1st 2/2 2nd
Alordan 16/18 Torch:5.3(40'r)
Andronichishche 6/6 1/3 1st CL, DM, RM / 1/1 1st
Maag 12/12

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche pauses at the next intersection for a brief moment to catch his breath. He's definitely not accustomed to physical exertion and the beads of sweat forming on his brow simply emphasizes this fact. He turns to look back, checking if others heeded Saracen's urging to follow them north. While the champion of Pholtus stands guard with sword drawn, Andron peers into the darkness of the two tunnels branching from the intersection. His enhanced elven sight reveals only more bare rock wall leading north into darkness, but from the western tunnel the sound of dripping water and the heavy aroma of loamy earth suggested a natural cavern even before he could see it.

"Saracen ...", he whispers, but not quite sure why. He points down the west tunnel. "A cavern. We can regroup there." He starts to edge along the west tunnel but stops briefly, turning his head to address the half-orc again. "I didn't see its eyes, but I'm certain it can turn us to stone ... I just don't know how, yet. I saw no vapors from its mouth and only its head was visible before we fled." Andron cautiously moves along the west tunnel, carefully examining the walls, ceiling, and floor as he proceeds. He'll stop short of entering the cavern until the others arrive.

[Storm11]

Saracen listens carefully, heartened by the sign of a larger cavern to regroup in.

What did it look like? A Bull like head? Or snakes for hair? What did you see?

If he sees the others following he will intone a spell quickly. Find Traps but only if the others are following.

He will then move towards the cavern scanning the tunnel leading there for traps as he goes.

[ravenn4544]

Alordan follows the group with a little panic rising, "What the hell is going on?! What did you see!?!"

[wolfpack]

Gramble moves with the group Labrys at the ready.

Where is the bastard, are you sure you are going delirious

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche slows his pace even more to allow the others to catch up as he hears and attempts to answer their justifiably pressing questions. His breathing calmer now and nerves relaxing a bit, he changes his tone and manner of speaking back to the customary steady, almost clinical pattern. "We saw a huge node of what looked like cold, melted rock. Very similar to the passage west of the entrance cave. Then his head emerged from this mass of stone ... large, larger even than Maag's. He was completely hairless, with strange markings or tattoos on his skin, and angular, chiseled like features. He's also built of thick, corded muscles ... that which I could see from his neck, at least. I didn't see his eyes, though. We turned away before he opened them. That smile .... an inhuman, maniacal smile ... and the laughter, like an avalanche of boulders deep in a ravine ..."

[Jernau35]

Maag

Maag, mirror still in hand, listens to Andron's eloquent description then chimes in with one of his own. "Yeah, 'e was built like a brick outhouse".

[ravenn4544]

Alordan stands there quietly, torch sputtering, his face slowly turning pale.

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche, still carefully studying the walls and floor, pauses to allow the others to pass by. As Alordan and Maag shuffle fully into view he blinks abruptly, almost surprised to see them. "Wait ... I thought you two were in front? Or, back as it were. Brutus didn't follow?" He absently rubs his still pink chin, deep in sudden thought. "If he didn't press an attack ... that must mean we were indeed lured here. The clue on the wall, the kobold statue. Also the traps, they were more a deterrence than fatal." He suddenly raises a hand, the index finger stabbing at an invisible conclusion only Andron could see. "The amulet ... it must be the amulet. Crestbrook, Gramble, Lerrick, Saracen, Alordan, Maag. You were all present when the amulet was destroyed. He must need you ... or perhaps just one of you ... in this secret area. That doomed fighter back there, he wasn't supposed to be here ... at least, he wasn't useful at the time." He slips into line in front of Maag as they continue onward. "The question is ... what does he need you to do, and why?"

[wolfpack]

or he is some kind of crazed lunatic embued with magic by the wizard and this is all random chaos

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche could only but shrug in response to Gramble's suggestion. "Well, you were correct about the killer trees ..."

[kruk]

Cresty

The paladin shifts his gaze to his left, then right, repeatedly, looking for the foe to appear.
He slowly backs up with the rest of the group, keeping an eye on the northern passages to make sure the foe
doesn't attack from that area.


Lerrick

The cleric moves in the direction of the rest of the party with her shield in one hand and her mace in the other.

[Rex]

Tlachtga

Tlachtga and Cu follow along.

"I didn't see anything and I am not sure what it is you described. Maybe native to the elemental plane of earth. I still think our numbers may be keeping it at bay. Most of the statues are by themselves or seem arranged into a small group. Maybe it is vulnerable when it turns someone? I feel it is hostile for sure."

[Quonundrum]

Andronichishche

"I definitely have no knowledge of such a creature, and if Mr. Maag had not also seen it I may have agreed with Mr. Gramble that I was suffering from delirium. I also concur that its powers over rock suggests an origin from the plane of Earth, yet ... it eats jerky ... and urinates. We know it's the same creature. Your friend Cu confirmed this from its scent. It's likely then vulnerable to normal weapons. Avoiding a direct engagement with a large group would be its best strategy, I agree ... we should therefore commit to staying in close proximity with each other."

"After seeing that hideous smile and hearing that dreadful laugh I have no doubt in my mind of its hostility. It almost certainly crafted these traps, just like it positioned that statue atop the trigger mechanism in the west entry tunnel. The tunnel shaped of molded stone. It's obviously then quite intelligent, crafty, and cunning. We also know it can phase through solid stone, which means it could even now be spying on us from inside the walls."

"Of most immediate importance however, is whether it has the ability of petrification. Considering the statue we just found along with the others I believe it's a near certainty, but we don't yet know how. I caution then that if we see him to immediately avert your eyes, and spread out. If we're in a tunnel then make for the nearest open area. A breath weapon in close quarters would be devastating."

[wolfpack]

Whatever it is If i see it I'm not waiting for one of you long winded types to try and talk to it. I'm killing it, if you want to talk with it find a necromancer.