A Secret in Merkabah pt 9
Last time in A Secret in Merkabah (part 8)
The battle with the betentacled assimilation engine was joined, with the Jotun prisoner making a good showing of himself, even as the full horror of the Merkaban device was revealed. The adventurers continue to struggle with the products of tampering in the Gods' Domain, ably added to their strength of arms by this new acquaintance, bound in the fight to survive and resist 'Repurposing'.
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Merek A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Morgan Short pixy like half elf with fair skin
Seldan Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.
Serene Glacier meets granite meets strawberries.
Stegosaurus Giant quadrupedal lizard with dark hide and white plates.
Stirling Powerfully built Arvek with enormous chrome gauntlets
Stjepan Big, blonde jotun.
Toha A woman shaped contrivance of leather and steel, with oruch weaponry.
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That horrible, fleshy cylinder that's clearly part of it begins to ... buzz. Lightning begins to arc off it between it and its component parts, the metal tentacles that loop from it up and around to the ceiling and then back down. This might indeed be a major part of it, but it's looking like it might hurt to even get close to it. Then there is a blinding flash.
GAME: Seldan rolls reflex: (6)+21: 27 GAME: Morgan rolls feflex: (18)+feflex: 18 GAME: Morgan rolls reflex: (18)+9: 27 GAME: Serene rolls reflex: (7)+28: 35 GAME: Toha rolls reflex: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 12d6: (40): 40 GAME: Stegosaurus rolls ref: (8)+13: 21 GAME: Stjepan rolls Ref: (11)+8: 19 GAME: Stirling rolls Ref: (7)+18: 25
...the blinding flash is attached to a whole lot of lightning, which briefly blinds Morgan, Toha and Un'eth. All of them are seeing a whole lotta starss at the moment. Notably, it seems to've slowed down a little after expending all that energy.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 13.
It is now Griva Brassbringer's turn! Stirling is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+8: (13)+8: 21
Griva, blinded by the flash as well, staggers back and swears a lot. In dwarven. A spellcaster that can't see, however briefly, doesn't have a lot of good options.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 12.
It is now Stirling's turn! Stjepan is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 15d6: (57): 57 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+12: (19)+12: 31(Caster Check for Stirling)
Stirling unleashes a Cone of Cold on the tendrilled technological terror. (Placeholder pose)
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 11.
It is now Stjepan's turn! Morgan is next!
GAME: Stjepan rolls cmb +2: (2)+21+2: 25 GAME: Stjepan rolls melee: (10)+20: 30 GAME: Stjepan rolls 3d4+11: (5)+11: 16
Stjepan scoops up a tentacle from the floor, and sweeps it up into the controller's body. WHANG. He looks faintly satisfied -- but doesn't yet say: stop hitting yourself!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 10.
It is now Morgan's turn! Toha is next!
GAME: Morgan rolls 1d20+16: (15)+16: 31 GAME: Morgan rolls 10d6: (38): 38
Morgan makes a hand motion as the debre in a pile flys up against the celling tentacles doing some dammage "bloody hell this is taxing."
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Three - Init 6.
It is now Toha's turn! Serene is next!
GAME: Toha rolls 1d20+bloodrager: (2)+8: 10 GAME: Toha casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 8 DC: 16
The ruby flame in Toha's eyeslit flickers in the aftermath of the violent energy discharge, and the construct recoils with a braid-whipping shake of her head. The golem brings her chin up once more, rearing back and then lurching forward as her nutcracker mouth opens in a hateful bellow wafting the mists of her Whitefire.
Even as that occurs, the ruby flame flares to new life, aligned on target with shimmers of kulthian runes orbiting in perpendicular to the line of wrath... and searing rayss of white-cored ruby flame flash out from her pupil sweltering the around along their path before fizzling scant hairsbreadths from the cyllindrical abomination.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 24.
It is now Serene's turn! Stegosaurus is next!
GAME: Serene spends TWO uses of LAY ON HANDS. (Channel heals everyone for 90)
Serene manages to pull her cloak about her as she twists, shielding herself from both the lightning and the blinding flash.. when the fabric drops away, she pauses to once more take measure of the situation. Amidst the chaos of swinging tentacles (some of them friendly, apparently), flying debris, a massive dinosaur (a fairly typical sunday, really), she notes clear signs of injury among her compatriots. So she takes advantage of the chaos to position herself somewhat in the center of the party, draws holy energy within herself.. then releases it in a pulse of healing.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 24.
It is now Stegosaurus' turn! Seldan is next!
GAME: Stegosaurus rolls 1d20+druid+2: (14)+18+2: 34(Caster Check) GAME: Stegosaurus rolls 16d8: (77): 77 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+18: (20)+18: 38 GAME: Stegosaurus casts Stormbolts. Caster Level: 18 DC: 24
So, electricity, is it? Stegosaurus may be wounded and blinded (less so on the former after Serene's blessing), but that doesn't make her helpless. A low thrumming sound begins at her tail, as flashes of blue lightning begin to arc between her spikes. Then, the charge jumps to her spineplates, in a steady sequence. The sound and power build with each jump and the interval becomes shorter.
FLASHTHRUM. FLASHTHRUM.THRUM. THRUM...
And then the power discharges out in a radius around her, spreading out to strike everything -except- her peers.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 19.
It is now Seldan's turn! Merek is next!
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+23+1: (20)+23+1: 44 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+23+1: (1)+23+1: 25 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+23+1-5: (13)+23+1+-5: 32 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+23+1-10: (11)+23+1+-10: 25 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+23+1: (10)+23+1: 34 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d8+9: (8)+9: 17 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d8+9: (2)+9: 11 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d8+9: (1)+9: 10
Instinctively, Seldan throws his arm up to shield himself from the worst of the light, and while electricity crackles around him, leaving the smell of ozone and marks behind, it doesn't appear to impair him all that much. Deciding to discard magic for the moment and go with the old fashioned method, he turns Reunion on the cylinder, opening some significant cuts in the thing.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 18.
It is now Merek's turn! The Converter is next!
GAME: Merek casts Gloomblind Bolts. Caster Level: 12 DC: 18 GAME: Merek rolls 1d20+12: (2)+12: 14
Merek would try and begin to swing the magic into the ceiling, though he doesn't succeed.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 14.
It is now The Converter's turn! Griva Brassbringer is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (16)+24: 40
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (2)+24: 26
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+19: (19)+19: 38
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+19: (11)+19: 30
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (1)+14: 15 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (16)+14: 30
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d100: (46): 46 (vs Toha's displacement)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d8+13: (12)+13: 25
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d6+13: (10)+13: 23
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 2d8+13: (10)+13: 23
GAME: Stegosaurus rolls fort: (10)+19: 29
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 13.
It is now Griva Brassbringer's turn! Stirling is next!
Despite her blindness, Griva recovers in time to resume casting a spell. This time, an ephemeral set of hands under her control grab hold of a pair of the tentacles, holding them in place. All the while, the converter's sawing blades strike Sledan and Toha, while bouncing off Un'eths scales harmlessly. However, those burrowing ... things are still digging into the druid's body.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 12.
It is now Stirling's turn! Stjepan is next!
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+21: (18)+21: 39 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+21: (19)+21: 40 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+16: (7)+16: 23 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+11: (8)+11: 19 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d8+8: (7)+8: 15 GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+8: (14)+8: 22
Stirling goes ham on the creature, hitting twice. (placeholder)
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 11.
It is now Stjepan's turn! Morgan is next!
GAME: Stjepan rolls melee: (9)+20: 29 GAME: Stjepan rolls melee -5-4: (5)+20+-5+-4: 16 GAME: Stjepan rolls melee -10-4: (13)+20+-10+-4: 19
Stjepan swings lustily away with the tentacle, more enthusiasm than tentacle-adriotness. Nothing does more than clang haplessly.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 10.
It is now Morgan's turn! Toha is next!
GAME: Morgan rolls 1d20+14+2: (8)+14+2: 24 (Caster check) GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (6)+10: 16 GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (7)+10: 17 GAME: Morgan rolls ranged: (4)+10: 14 GAME: Morgan casts Scorching Ray. Caster Level: 14 DC: 21 GAME: Morgan rolls 12d6: (41): 41
Morgan still hovering in the air hopefully far enough from danger, she makes a few hand movements as 3 large bolts form in front of her "ionsai Bang mor." they launch out as she gives the command word slaming in to the stuff attacking her friends.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Four - Init 6.
It is now Toha's turn! Serene is next!
GAME: Toha rolls weapon6: (18)+16: 34 GAME: Toha rolls 2d6+19: (10)+19: 29 GAME: Toha rolls weapon6-3: (4)+18+-3: 19 GAME: Toha rolls weapon6-8: (1)+18+-8: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
Toha is surging back to the nail driver routine as soon as her vision clears, with Piriona ringing resoundingly against the cyllinder on her first swing, but her second glacnes harmlessly off the shell, while th last, overhead blow buries the hammerhead fruitlessly into the decking.
GAME: NEW ROUND!
Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Five - Init 24.
It is now Serene's turn! Stegosaurus is next!
Serene switches her sword to her shield hand, holding it there while she reaches behind her and rummages in her pack. Clearly a magical thing, for without even having to look she draws forth a long bow, already strung, from a space clearly too small for it. "Stjepan... be ready!" she calls to him, then tosses the bow his way.
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
Round Five - Init 24.
It is now Stegosaurus' turn! Seldan is next!
GAME: Stegosaurus rolls weapon0+2: (17)+19+2: 38 GAME: Stegosaurus rolls 8d6+8d6+strength+3+1d6 acid: (38)+(21)+8+3+(6 acid): 76
Stegosaurus's eyes recover from the lightning flash. Ah, there it is. The ... thing is resilient, and had proven rather resistant to magic. Thus, she resumes the tried and true method of hitting something repeatedly until it stops doing whatever it is doing. That a piece of it is still trying to burrowing its way into her doesn't help her mood nor deep thought processes much, either. She swings her hips and swings her tailspikes into it again, this time puncturing something vital as metal is rent. Hopefully it doesn't get stuck. That might be worse than having mul'niessa bits stuck in her teeth.
"...thank the Gods," says Griva, breathing a sigh of relief. "We've shut that down -- but this clearly isn't the central hub of what's happening here." She turns towards Stjepan, "Maybe you can help, but we can't share that story here. We need to go before backup arrives for that thing." A distant klaxon blares once.
Stjepan catches the bow with a smile. "Thank you." The severed tentacle twitches at his feet. He nocks an arrow as the alarm sounds. "Later. But if we find where they took our gear, I'd appreciate a moment to reclaim it."
Toha, as the target is silenced under Un'eth's wrath, manages to stay her next swing and disables her combat boosts and sags with a heavy clang as the Earthbreaker ends up head-down against the deck as an impromptu support. The mists dispersed, eyeslit dark once more, she weakly starts, "We... should.. cut the rest... of these folk loose."
Morgan hmms "Well I wonder what their armory looks like.... and what wonderfull things are in there." she then looks to Stjepan "DO you want to use my staff its not magical but well made?" she holds what might be seen as a back scratcher for some one almost 4 feet taller then her.
Stjepan nods down towards Morgan. "Thank you," he rumbles, and takes the staff to tuck into his belt.
"Which way do we go?" Griva looks around, her eyes taking on a brief azure hue before she points towards a door. "I'm sensing something powerful that way. I can'y say if it's a shard. THey're harder to detect than you'd think, despite everything, but a lot of this business was supposed to've been shut down previously by adventurers in the past. That it's reactive is a good indication that *something* is at work here and we need to find out what." The stern looking Khazadi moves towards the door, swinging it open and holding it there. "Come on, let's go. We've work to do." There's an edge of excitement to her voice. An adventure. It's been a long time for her.