IC XVI

[thirdkingdom]

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[thirdkingdom]

The Caves under the Forgotten City
Turns 13-17

The adventurers retrace their steps and find the gold has been undisturbed. Heavily burdened with lucre, they prepare to make their way to the surface.

The Caves under the Forgotten City
Turn 18

Laden with their loot, the adventurers turn a slight corner and come face to face with an utterly bizarre height: a humanoid figure, a foot or so taller than Severi, with the stylized head of a rabbit! The creature's skin is a tarnished silver, reminiscent of the spider creature in the bath-house, but in much worse condition: a blackish, viscous liquid seeps from its articulated joints, and a high-pitched whining sound can be heard emitting from the creature's chest. In one of its hands it grips a short rod, perhaps two feet long, which it raises threateningly.

Both construct and the party is surprised. The thing is twenty feet away. Intentions, please.

[Wyzard]

Guys, I've got nothing here. I kind of suspect we're going to have to fight it, though.

I think Mirror Image lasts an hour. Is it still up?

Severi freezes in surprise. When he recovers, he casts Invisibility upon himself.

[thirdkingdom]

Guys, I've got nothing here. I kind of suspect we're going to have to fight it, though.

I think Mirror Image lasts an hour. Is it still up?

Severi freezes in surprise. When he recovers, he casts Invisibility upon himself.

The spell elapses at the end of this turn.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan, dwarf

Thurgan draws his sword and prepares to fight the beast as he recovers from his surprise.

[phil285]

Vanco Basou, cleric
Bereft of memorised spells, Vanco readies his warhammer.

[Koren n'Rhys]

Quint Kacie
With no useful spells left to him either, Quint simply falls back to give the fighters room. He'll keep checking behind, to be sure nothing else catches up with the group.

[Alethan]

Rhys will draw his sword and attack, once he has recovered from his surprise.

[thirdkingdom]

You guys are in a 10' wide corridor. According to the Standards thread, Tev and Thurgan are in the front row.

Rounds One through Three

Tev recovers from his surprise first and darts underneath the the construct's guard, leaving a small dent in it's armor-like skin. A series of blows are traded back and forth, with no one able to get in a good strike. The thing's baton sizzles through the air, leaving trails of sparks and an acrid odor. Finally, the baton slips past Tev's guard and strikes the warrior in the ribs. Certainly not a blow capable of inflicting much damage, but there is a loud *pop* on impact and Tev feels his muscles go slack.

Tev takes 5 hp and fails his Save v. Paralysis. He is now Held, as per the spell.

[Wyzard]

Severi attempts to drag Tev out of the way and take his place.

[Koren n'Rhys]

Quint Kacie
With Severi and Thurgan to provide some cover, Quint hands his torch to Semele and ducks in behind Severi to drag Tev further back, where Semele can assess his condition. Once clear, he offers to take both torches so that she can have her hands free.

As he does so, he wracks his brain trying to recall if he's ever heard of anything similar to this new automaton. The sparks and distinct smell call to mind the charge of a lightning bolt and he tries to think of a way this might be turned to their advantage. Water perhaps?

I'm riffing off the "standards" page here myself, having settled that Quint & Semele carry torches back in the third row.

Realizing it will likely take a couple of rounds to set up, I'd like to have Quint fish out a water skin and try to spray/splash water on the thing and see if we can maybe short it out. He should understand a bit about electricity & conductivity from his studies and think that it might do something.

[phil285]

Vanco attempts to assist Quint and Semele, while keeping his warhammer in hand should he need to step into the front rank.

[MonsterMash]

Thurgan, dwarf

Thurgan keeps fighting against the creature.

[thirdkingdom]

Rounds Four through Six

The fight continues: Severi drags Tev out of the way, where he is ministered to by those in the back ranks, and multiple Severis step forward to fight alongside Thurgan. The strange construct fights with an unusual grace and dexterity; it scores a minor blow against Thurgan and for an instant the dwarf feels his muscles grow slack before quickly regaining control. With a flash of insight, Quint tosses a full waterskin at the construct; it splits on impact, dousing the creature. A few sparks and a puff of smoke rises from the creature's skin, but it doesn't seem to do much damage.

Severi manages to deflect two more blows from the lagomorphic warrior he brings his blade in for a devastating strike the splits the construct from neck to groin. Dark oil sprays the companions as rusty, toothed wheels and leather straps spill forth from its guts.

Thurgan loses 2 hp.

[Wyzard]

Severi Silvertongue

"Fantastic," Severi deadpans, as he looks down at his oil-soaked tunic.

[thirdkingdom]

Actions?

[Alethan]

Rhys examines the metal rod the robot was using more closely...

[Atlictoatl]

Tev Meren, Fighter

Tev fights against his paralyzation, to no apparent effect.

[thirdkingdom]

Tev Meren, Fighter

Tev fights against his paralyzation, to no apparent effect.

Ha! That is correct. Tev is as rigid as a board, at least for the immediate aftermath.

Rhys examines the rod. It is perhaps two feet in length, and fashioned from a bluish type of steel or metal unfamiliar to him, though it feels heavier than a similar length of steel ought to. There is a small stud about six inches up from one end. The stud is on the end grasped by the construct.

[Wyzard]

Severi says that the group should take the rod, and names it Steely Dan.