A Secret in Merkabah pt 11

Emblem of Ea - Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 7:08 PM

Further in the Depths of Merkabah...

After their saving a life from the assimilation engine, the Party, and the Jotun, Stjepan, sally further into the guts of the fallen city seeking their prize: A shard of Amimus.

Thus far, elusive, this goal, but many are the horrors of Merkabah the group has dealt with, including fearsome metal devourring sludge that isn't averse to meat, and a grey caustic mist that seems to feed upon magic, with yet more of the dark terror spread about for good measure.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-- Contents --=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
 Merek           A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.          3m   1d
 Morgan          Short pixy like half elf with fair skin               3m   5h
 Seldan          Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.  21s  1h
 Serene          Glacier meets granite meets strawberries.             38s  4h
 Stjepan         Big, blonde jotun.                                    4m   1h
 Toha            A woman shaped contrivance of leather and steel, with 0s   5h
 Stegosaurus     Giant quadrupedal lizard with dark hide and white plates on spine.      
 Whirlpool       I am stinky!                                          39s  3d
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-- Objects =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

"If that is so," Seldan puts in, "then our first task must needs be to remove it from this place, and divine more of it when we have returned to safety. That, in itself, will be no small task." He had been largely silent, following the others, but speaks now, his ice blue eyes on Griva. "I would counsel all of us to caution with a thing of such power."

Morgan takes it all in "well much here is beyond our normal scope." that part she says with a wondrs glee "but how do we go at all this?"

Merek looks about the place, and nods a bit to the party, "That was what I mentioned before, I think they powered it all with the Shard," while he takes a moment to think about it, "The magicite... This, whole thing, we should probably try to either find a way to take care of the cylinders, that or see if we can find any place further in."

Stegosaurus finds this entire city unnatural and uncomfortable, and its bowels even more so. "So these cylinders need removed? Destroyed?" Her tail sways more quickened as she looks to the aberrant equipment.

"Can you guarantee," Serene asks of Merek, "That attempting to destroy these cylinders will not make the situation in this room worse?"

"If you can take care of the magic that's going into all of them, it will be fine. That would take a lot of dispel magic though, and an ability to keep them away from regaining further magic," Merek mentions. "They're a network, magicite all combined in a latticework. If this is a source of power, it might succeed in... Well, we could possibly end Merkabah once and for all, if we do it right. It would not be easy."

Morgan agreas with Merek "In places like this every thing has its use and can cassiad other problems for us. So I hope we find something that can tell us how this all works."

Stegosaurus would be very pleased to see that happen... just not necessarily with the entire group and herself standing at ground zero. She snorts, looking to the other exit points. "We should find the source powering these creations and remove it."

The fortress of Merkabah is indeed an abomination. One that hsa long since been desroyed... or so it was thought .. multiple times. Somehow, according to local legend and lore, it always finds a way to return to function.

In this particulkar case, Griva agrees. "We should do what we can to put down what's going on here. Stjepan, you remember nothing, you say," she murmurs, "But I might be able to help retrace your steps in time. It twould take too long now. I say we get out of this room before --"

A cylinder makes a hissing sound.

"...oh, that's not good," she mutters.

Stegosaurus's head snaps around at the noise to stair at the cylinder in question, at least as her hearing identifies. Whether due to instinctual reflex, or lack of another immediate option, the reptillian hisses threateningly right back at it.

Merek lifts up the magical rod which he keeps with him, "We should probably take care of the cylinders," the man admits, then he takes a look to people.

 GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20: (7)+20: 27 (Caster Check to Dispel via her sword.)

Serene's gaze shifts to the cylinder that starts hissing, to the best of her knowledge... a moment later the steel sliding on leather sound of her sword being drawn herald's its presence as she points it towards the chosen cylinder. "Suppress," she utters, and a moment later the hissing stops. "It is as you say," she then says. "It is time to move."

Stegosaurus was about to ask whether they stay or move, and that seems to answer that concern. That just leaves one question. "Which way?" There are several options, and it might be best they not scatter.

 GAME: Merek rolls craft/artifice+2: (7)+13+2: 22
 GAME: Toha rolls craft/artifice: (4)+16: 20

Merek looks to each of the cylinders while he thinks about it. "This room seems to be central to the place, then that means... What do you guys think, it's possible there are control rooms for each cylinder which powers them independently, and if we took care of that source, we could take care of the cylinder without dealing with the magicite." He then nods to Toha and Morgan and anyone else inclined in Artifice.

Morgan is only a little informed about this stuff "I once read what you just talked about, but I think it might send out what was it called." she paces back in forth "waist of some sort."

There are numerous exits from this camber. As Serene's dispel turns it off, it would appear, the hissing stops. Or perhaps Un'eth intimidated it.

Either way, it's stopped doing so. Still, there are three exits from here and GRiva is looking at Serene, then she casually steps towards Seldan. Just in case, you see, she wants to be near one of the two paldins present. "We only have a metter of time before that intellect we talked to earlier figures out where we are and sends more of those ... things after us. I'm going to try to summon more arcane eyes, see if I canb't get an idea of where they are, but I'll need you to be *my* eyes." She reaches up to grab him by the arm, so he can walk her, while she's busy.

Indeed, several ephemeral orbs raise from nowhere around her feet and zip into the distance, disappearing through walls and doors.

"Now we move." Stegosaurus does not have any information favoring one door over another, and so begins to move for the nearest (that isn't where they entered from).

 GAME: Toha casts Repair Light Damage. Caster Level: 3 DC: 13
 GAME: Toha rolls 1d8+3: (8)+3: 11
 GAME: Toha used a Tanglefoot Bag.

With the musings, and her more mystically driven companions doing their best to suppress the escaping gas, she steps forward, pulling a small rolled strip of cheap leather from one of the buttoned pouches dangling from her waist chains. She unrolls it, a thing studded with tiny brass armatures, and drapes it along the barrel. She flicks a tiny lever along the strip and the armatures go into a flurry of activity, like a millipede crocheting, their little tips glowing with white light, which mends some breaching in the cannister itself.

The golem looks back to Merek as he muses and nods, "Best we stop the stuff leaking out in case the spell wears off before we come back this way. agreed, let's see if we can find the sources. Even if this ultimately comes from one source, it wouldn't be a bad idea to split the flow to divert as needed, which is probably what's happenin' here."

And, almost basently, in the aftermath, just to make sure, Toha pulls a tanglefoot back from another pouch and splats it over the seam to make sure.

Serene nods approvingly at Toha, then, with her sword still drawn and likely ready to be used again should the need arise, she follows Uneth. "Until Griva finds something for us, we will have to investigate each exit.. we should not delve far, however, until we have investigated them all, in hopes that what we seek is close." Her eyes narrow. "This room.. we may be forced to investigate it further."

Stegosaurus ripples and alters, gaining or retaining humanoid form, yet growing a muscular tail as her body smooths over in fine ebon scales.

Un'eth changes into something more appropriate for the point of egress by returning to her natural form. "Ssa," she agrees with Serene and, with the Silver Guard close at hand, attempts to open the door to see what lies beyond.

With Seldan's watching over, Griva pauses, then says, "Yes, yes. I think I see something. But we're going to have a difficult time getting there."

She lets out a breath. "That door, that way. Follow the path. We take the first right. It'll bypass the agents hunting for us, from there we can ... ahhh!

She grabs her head, suddenly, and drops into Seldan's arms.

Morgan looks to the going on and says "I hope we do not blow this place up." she waits untill the others are ready to move on.

Toha goes back to her rifle to keep an(the) eye on things while people scope potential ways forward. She whirls on her heel, then, as Griva cries out and she calls a concerned, "Hey, y'a all right?"

Serene reaches forward to touch Uneth's shoulder when she Griva makes her declaration, then grunts when the dwarf woman collapses into Seldan's arms. "She has our answer," Serene then tells the Sith druid and adjusts course accordingly. Assuming Seldan has Griva.

 GAME: Morgan rolls perception: (4)+17: 21
 GAME: Toha rolls perception: (1)+13: 14 (EPIC FAIL)
 GAME: Serene rolls perception: (13)+25: 38
 GAME: Un'eth rolls perception: (2)+27: 29
 GAME: Merek rolls perception: (3)+25: 28

With the help of Griva's instructions, you're able to quickly make your way thrpough the halls in the direction she said to go. A right is taken down the hallway and you've definitely avoided *something* given the loud and ominous clanging that passes near hallways to you.

There's a door, which you're able to bypass quickly, and then into another series of tunnels. Now, without Griva's assistance, figuring out where to go is a bit harder. She's starting to come around, but she's clearly been dazzled by something she saw. Perhaps it was the shard? Either way, it's hard for her to talk right now. So, listening is good.

A search around. More chambers on either side of you that look like they were workshops at one time. Most of them appear to be overturned and damaged, dysfunctional. A single blaring klaxon sounds again, followed by what appears to be some kind of indecipherable kulthian code from a voice long dead.

Merek nods a bit to people while they make a way to doors, then he follows along while he will listen to the klaxon and looks about the place.

Morgan is horrified to see a work room is shape like this "any one understand that please fill me in?"

Ahead through the door, then the first door on the right, and now... Un'eth is less certain with no more directions from Griva at the moment, but continues to look about at listen. The latter would be much easier without the blaring klaxon... but as delightful as ripping it down would be, it might also give away their position.

Toha is a little befuddled by Griva's distress, and it takes some outside coaching from her cohorts to keep the golem from getting lost. She cants her head at the sound of the Kulthian dialect and slightly lowers the barrel of Reason, "Chicken blather." she grunts with a shrug, "They're using proper words, but... not'n sentences. Some kinda code. Like Green Three East Epsilon."

Serene ignores the warning klaxon, or at least seems to, as she goes about investigating the workshops. "It would truly help if we had a better idea of what we are looking for."

 GAME: Stjepan rolls perception: (6)+21: 27
 GAME: Serene rolls perception: (12)+25: 37
 GAME: Morgan rolls perception: (9)+17: 26
 GAME: Merek rolls perception: (4)+25: 29
 GAME: Toha rolls perception: (12)+13: 25
 GAME: Un'eth rolls perception: (11)+27: 38

...Un'eth and Serene are able to deduce some things. First, dust tells them which tunnels have been trafficed more recently. It's not as if there's NO Dust, but the whole place is kept ina little better keeping than any ruined fortress ought to be.

Second, there's a matter of which way GRiva would've wanted you to go. She's still blinded and dazed, it would appear, but she's not really able to help you here.

Finally, you're driven down a tunnel by a ... particular scent. AN odour tinged with sweetness and cloyingly so wafting down one of the passages. Griva mgiht not have been able to detect it with her eyes, but it seems likely there's activity there and you need to keep moving before they catch up with you -- they being the horrible Kulthian abominations.

You emerge into a large chamber, arrayed with crystal outgrowths from the walls. Magicite that seems to've cancerously spread all around. Brilliantly so. That's the first thing you notice. The floor here is full of jagged crystal as well which threatens to crunch under foot.

The amount of magical energy here is *blinding*, which suggests you're in the right palce, but it's making it nearly impossible to see far into the chamber given the light.

Stjepan shields his face from the glow. "Oh, this doesn't bode well at all." He takes a step back, leaning on Morgan's borrowed staff like a walking stick.

"Alright. Spread out. Watch your footing. Be careful of what you touch," Serene advises, her nose wrinkling despite her best attempts otherwise, and turns back towards the entrance to the chamber. "I will make sure nothing gets in."

Morgan covers her eyes "Some times I wished I could see as well as the human side of me." with each step she is carefull to make sure there is ground there "dont forget to use my fly spell if you start to fall.

Un'eth's eyes narrow sharply at the abrupt shift in illumination and she hisses again. Not to challenge the light, but to express her annoyance. "How are we to search -this-?"

Stjepan grunts. "Slowly. Methodically." His eyes are profoundly normal -- no sign of blue glow at all -- as he works his way through and over the magicite crystals.

Toha draws up beside Serene as she makes to guard the door, turning to face the same direction. Just to make sure, she slides forward a lever on Reason to see the steel projectile inside the breach and draws it shut again, "I"ll back ya up." She draws her greatblade with a quiet command for the weapon to return to it's Earthbreaker state, and she stands it, head down beside her close to hand. "I might get four're five shots off at most before they're too close. I'll switch ta Piriona, then."

 GAME: Merek casts Magic Circle Against Evil. Caster Level: 13 DC: 17
 GAME: Merek used a Scroll. (Darkness, CL3)

Merek takes a moment to begin beseeching Eluna to protect them from the place while he will begin to pick up the scroll which he keeps within the potion belt, trying to cast a magical darkness to at least assist with the light, even if that will only be a little.

Griva opens her eyes briefly and then, well... she's in agony. She closes them again.

There's a warmth here that grows ore intense the moment you push inside. And it strts growing hotter the further you attempt to drive in to it. Seems that the magicite crystals everywhere are generating light *and* heat.

On the other hand, there's enough hear growing out of the walls to make someone very rich.

Merek's darkness doesn't work, it looks like it's taken in by that light. "Interesting, I think it's a spell."

Serene gives Toha a nod, though her attention remains mostly upon the passage leading back from whence everyone came. Hopefully towards where any pursuit might come from. She does risk the occasional glance over her shoulder to check on the progress of the search. "It is likely at the centre of whatever power is here," she suggests.

Stjepan continues to search systematically. He's mindful of the heat, even if he can stand it more than most. "Yes. It's just the getting there that's the problem."

Toha can't frown, but her work on fixing that's met with.... complications. She looks back, shielding her eyeslit with a hand, "We do anything ta dim that some?" she wonders, then, on stjepan's remark, she wonders, "Whattaya mean? There a tripwire or something?"

The heat is definitely going to be a problem.

The longer you stand here, the more keenly you're starting to feel it, and the light only intensifies a few steps in as well.

Light and heat, yes.

There's a small crackling sound from under foot.

Then more crackliug sounds from elsewhere as if crystals were shattering. Hard to tell where, though, or even *see* what could be making those noises.

Serene frowns... the sounds are not good, the growing heat even worse. "Hold here," she tells Toha, sheathinc her sword and then turning about. Striding towards where the heat feels the worst.

Toha's awareness pivots toward Serene as she speaks, though her face remains pointed down the hall, "Got't." she answers, just sweeping the corridor with Reason's sights, "I can put on some heat resistance, but it costs me'n reasonin ta do it!"

 GAME: Merek casts Draconic Reservoir. Caster Level: 12 DC: 18

Merek nods a bit while he begins to place a magical spell along while he will watch the place.

 GAME: Serene rolls reflex: (4)+28: 32

...naturally, that's when the a great eruption of crystal bursts from the ground near Serene, blocking her path. There's a crackling sound from deeper within. Serene is able to avoid the crystal *impaling* her when it erupts, though.

... and now? Now you're seeing something moving from deeper within the chamber.

... something *made* of it, vaguely humanoid in shape ...