Fire and Brimstone (Part 3)
The fiend is dead, laying in a pile of dust amid the traps which you have been so far unable to traverse... save a few of your number for a brief time. Now you are gathered back together at the front door, reveling in your victory and ready to move forward. Granting that you can figure out how.
Durrankar looks about and tilts his head. "Now to figure out how to move forward." he says starting his usual stuff to try and sniff out traps.
The walls, the ceiling, the floor; all of them are covered with the obvious signs of traps. Each of them spaced out so that you can not avoid stepping on them or otherwise bumping into one.
Ga'Elian says, "I don't know. I mean, I can try to disarm it, maybe. But I'd rate the chances at slim to none."
Durrankar says, "Well we don't have anyone to disarm them....unless we set the whole place on fire." he huffs out a bit of smoke...."
"...stupid demon..." Sandy mutters under her breath. "Let's not blow the place up, eh?"
Ga'Elian shrugs. "Well, I can't fly."
"Suggestions?" says Sandy, eyes scanning over the obvious trap-presence. She does not look thrilled.
Durrankar says, "I have none. I can fly over, but unless there's an obvious switch to stop them, Ga'Elian is stuck here."
Ga'Elian looks around for mechanical means of bypass.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Disable Device: (15)+15: 30
Ga'Elian says, "Well, I don't see a switch, but I think I can disarm them safely enough." He sets about the task.
"Get to it, then," says Sandy, giving Ga'elian an odd look. She'll wait for the disarming, body braced just in case it summons more demons or explodes something or someone.
Astaren nods as he looks around and taps his chin, "worse case scenario, I got a few fly's memorized." he offers and glances to Sandy with a nod.
One by one like lights on a line the traps go down, Ga'Elian following behind. As you reach the location where the demon was, suddenly the traps start to turn back on again. Flickering back to life in a spine-tingling rush that lets you know that if you had lingered behind you would have been caught by them. Now you stand before another door, and this one leads you into a beautiful and lavish living space. Its huge, easily the entire circumference of the tower by itself. The floor is covered in a thick plush red carpet, there's a low black table meant for kneeling at with multi-hued pillows thrown around it for sitting on. A brass gong stands beside one of the curved walls with a little stick beside it. On the opposite edge of the tower you can see another door.
"...this wizard is an asshole," says Sandy, firmly, glancing back after Astaren. "No offense," she adds.
Durrankar says, "Or just doesn't want to be bothered. I've seen asshole wizards. They were also taught how to make fire. They were warm for the rest of their lives."
Astaren glances to Sandy, "No offense? Sandy, I think you may need to stop by the temple for a health check, your sounding not yourself. As for this wizard, very antisocial. Not sure about the asshole." Grinning a moment, "I swear, though Cesran’s long lost brother right?"
"What, a girl can't be sarcastic?" says Sandy to Astaren, giving a roll of her eyes. "Ugh. Cesran," she says. "He'd probably be comparing this to his tower and demanding to make his bigger or whatever."
Ga'Elian just tries the next door handle.
The door leads to a spiral staircase, one that leads you upwards. As you travel you find another door, which you open easily out into another floor. This one is oddly empty. A huge mirror hangs overhead, reflecting back the bare floor. There is a door beside you that suggests that there is more staircase, and two other doors on this level both of them equidistant from where you stand.
Astaren glances up to the mirror, peers at it for a moment and suddenly vanishes into it on other side. "Interesting." is all he offers as he continues to glance around.
As Astaren vanishes - into his own reflection which begins to move independently of the now disappeared man, a huge six-legged bug-like creature falls out of the mirror and lands on the floor.
Astaren calls out, "Hey Sandy, I think you are right. This guy is an asshole."
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+36: (19)+36: 55 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+33: (19)+33: 52
The creature that fell from the mirror chitters angrily and turns slightly to shoot a string of silk webbing directly at Ga'Elian, wrapping the elf up neatly.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8-DA: aliased to Weapon8-6: (9)+41+-6: 44 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+12: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (6)+9+12: 27
Ga'Elian thanks his lucky stars for the ring on his finger as he steps out of the silk, drawing his bow from his quiver. He takes careful aim and... his arrow pierces the beast's hide.
GAME: Sandy rolls 15d6: (69): 69 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+25: (8)+25: 33 GAME: Durrankar rolls 8d6: (24): 24 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+24: (8)+24: 32
Sandy slinks closer, picking her angle carefully and then invoking a word in Abyssal and the eldrithc tongue of magic. Swirling cold appears around her fingertips as he lets loost a howling blast of freezing air and shards of ice that pepper its carapace.
Elian goes for the arrows, Sandy goes for the spells, Durrankar decides to SET THE SPIDER ON FIRE! A great inhale and exhale, sending gouts of flame at the huge spider. Even after the initial flames are done, flames still burn the flesh of the spider....
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+36: (7)+36: 43 GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+5: (2)+5: 7
Astaren pokes at the mirror, "fascinating, going to have to remember this." sitting down as he pulls out his book and starts taking some notes as his eyes glow a faint blue.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2: (12)+41+1+-6+-2: 46 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot-5: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2-5: (16)+41+1+-6+-2+-5: 45 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot-10: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2-10: (19)+41+1+-6+-2+-10: 43 (THREAT) GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot-15: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2-15: (8)+41+1+-6+-2+-15: 27 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2: (12)+41+1+-6+-2: 46 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2: (12)+41+1+-6+-2: 46 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot-10: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2-10: (6)+41+1+-6+-2+-10: 30 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+DAdmg: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (8)+9+12: 29 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+DAdmg: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (8)+9+12: 29 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+DAdmg: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (2)+9+12: 23 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+DAdmg: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (8)+9+12: 29 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+DAdmg: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (1)+9+12: 22 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+DAdmg: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (7)+9+12: 28
Ga'Elian takes a stab from Big Bad Alien Spider, but is already releasing a hail of arrows. A couple miss, but most penetrate the carapace. The archer says, "I'll make a porcupine out of you!"
GAME: Sandy casts Cone of Cold. Caster Level: 20 DC: 27 GAME: Sandy rolls ranged: (6)+16: 22 GAME: Sandy rolls ranged: (20)+16: 36 (THREAT) GAME: Sandy rolls ranged: (7)+16: 23 GAME: Sandy rolls ranged: (16)+16: 32 GAME: Sandy rolls 4d6: (18): 18 GAME: Sandy rolls 8d6: (16): 16 GAME: Sandy rolls 4d6: (18): 18 GAME: Durrankar rolls 8d6: (19): 19
Ice and then fire!
Sandy throws three beams of searing heated light into the creature, looking pleased with the result. "I'm gonna have a word with this fucking wizard," she snaps.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+21: (4)+21: 25
"Keep it going, Sandy." Durrankar says before breathing MORE FIRE on the bug. "POP YOU SHIT!"
Astaren says, "All good."
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+36: (17)+36: 53 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+36: (19)+36: 55 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+36: (6)+36: 42 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+36: (2)+36: 38 GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+5: (9)+5: 14 GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+5: (4)+5: 9
Astaren flips to a new page in his notebook, "Get in line Sandy, I think a few of us want words with him." continuing to study the trap.
GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+5: (2)+5: 7 GAME: Aftershock rolls 2d6+5: (6)+5: 11 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2: (8)+41+1+-6+-2: 42 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot-5: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2-5: (1)+41+1+-6+-2+-5: 30 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot-10: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2-10: (3)+41+1+-6+-2+-10: 27 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot-15: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2-15: (4)+41+1+-6+-2+-15: 23 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2: (18)+41+1+-6+-2: 52 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2: (20)+41+1+-6+-2: 54 (THREAT) GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Weapon8+1-DA-RapidShot: aliased to Weapon8+1-6-2: (16)+41+1+-6+-2: 50 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+DAdmg: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (6)+9+12: 27 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+DAdmg: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (5)+9+12: 26 GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Damage8+DAdmg: aliased to 1D8+9+12: (8)+9+12: 29
The creature lets out a hissing screech and lashes out at Ga'Elian with its forelegs, pecking away at the elf furiously.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 3d8+27+36: (18)+27+36: 81 GAME: Sandy casts Chain Lightning. Caster Level: 20 DC: 28
Ga'Elian gets more serious with the greater wounds inflicted on him, and responds with more anger.
GAME: Sandy rolls 20d6: (65): 65 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+25: (6)+25: 31
This time, Sandy lets loos with a blast of cracking lightning from her fingertips that /sears/ through the creature. Again, it's not quite as sucecsful as she'd like, but it's definitely causing no small amount of harm if the horrible smell eminating from the creature after thge zap is anything to be believed. And then?
Then it falls over. Crash.
“Thank fuck for that," mutters the annoyed elf.
Durrankar takes a deep breath....and belches. "Well.....now let's see what happened to Astaren.”
At Durrankar's words, Ga'Elian looks up.
Astaren taps the mirror, "I would not stare up here, might get caught. Could though try shooting the thing with a few arrows. Suspect this is easily broken from the other side."
Ga'Elian heeds the advice and averts his eyes, then nocks an arrow and looses at the mirror... away from Astaren.
It takes more than one arrow, but after a few from the archer's bow before the mirror shatters. Glass shards rain down from the ceiling and then with it Astaren. The shards glimmer in the light and those that glance up will notice that after a few seconds the mirror begins to slowly restore itself. Though the shards remain on the ground where they are.
Ga'Elian says, "Well, at least we won't have to tell that Foo Dragon that his master's mirror is broken."
Astaren looks to the reforming mirror, grumble and ponders, "So tempted to put a wall of stone up there to prevent anybody from seeing the mirror." glancing to Sandy, "Would that be a proper and reciprocal asshole response?"
-TBC-