PBEM - Episode 337. Wedges, Doors, On the Move.

Group did the right thing and beat feet. They were outmatched, low on spells, and definitely low on hp. It was time to move on, but it meant heading south into unknown territory. So the party put the pedal to the metal and moved. At the end of each turn, I had a check to see how well the trackers were following them - poorer rolls meant closing in and maybe catching sight.

Follows:

THREE HUNDRED THIRTY SEVEN

(I/C)

“Time to move boys, and Lyra,” Lannis hissed, running for the end of the hall and the south east door.

“I agree, Big Brain,” Kovid echoed, grunting as he stepped lively to the door, a half moment after Wyn reached it first. The elf closed his eyes and twisted his head to the side, turning the handle and…the door opened. “Ugh!” the dwarf grumbled as the reek of goblin, a miasma redolent of rotting bananas and unwashed socks, billowed out although none of the greenskins were present.

Giving the statue a last pat, Lyra muttered, “Sorry buddy, you’re on your own,” before turning to run for the “safety” of the open door. The last ones in were Abraxas and Brendon, the Fighter pushing the door closed a split instant before the hobgoblins entered the hall and saw the lone iron statue walking back to the lab.

“Lock it,” Abraxas mouthed, holding the handle in place while Brendon looked down with horror.

“There’s no lock, Doc!” he exclaimed quietly. Looking around the chamber which was being used by at least a dozen goblins if not more as a makeshift barracks with old blankets, torn up rugs, pillows, bags, and small bits of ratty furnishings, (<Rev Open Lock, +25 no lock makeshift wedge jammed under the doorway, Red 41) Brendon lifted up the base of a stand, snapped the vertical shaft off of it, jammed it under the door, and then lifted the far end further wedging it in place by putting the trailing side on a loose oak drawer braced against the wall. “It won’t hold forever, but we’ll get a few seconds out of it.”

“Tell me we didn’t just dead end ourselves?” Abraxas asked hurriedly as the sounds of angry hobgoblin voices calling (Reaction check: 4+3=7) stop and then the squeal of iron and stomping feet followed. We could hear the crashing sound of combat in the hall (11,3,5 vs 10, 14) and it was too close for comfort.

As for the room, it was maybe 10 x 20, and there was a door on the opposite side of the chamber along the west wall. The chamber might have been a storeroom based upon its size and placement but the goblins had moved in and it was now being used for their purposes. It was foul, stunk to high heaven, and the very air felt heavy with their long time reek. Kovid was having a rough time NOT losing his shit in here, the dwarf taking in deep breaths and sweat beading on his brow as he practically wrung his hammer’s shaft like some greekskin’s neck.

Lyra and Wyn were closest to that door and the lantern had been turned aside to prevent stray light from shining under either portal. They could faintly make out some distant sounds in the chamber beyond as if someone or something was moving, but there was nothing distinct they could tell.

As for the combat sounds to the north, the hobgoblins were retreating and the original voice in charge was repeating, “Break off! Break off I tell you. Back up and get away from it and it’ll leave you alone. Shoulder that spear, soldier, or I’ll string you up by your fucking kneecaps! See? It’s already turning back around.” Sure enough, we could hear the sound of the iron statue once more walking down the hall in the direction of the lab.

“Joe,” the female voice asked, “Where’d they get the rock to start it?”

“I don’t know,” the hobgoblin replied, “but someone find that twisted shit, Smallpox and have him SHOW me that they didn’t find it in his treasures. I wanted it destroyed.”

“You were outvoted.”

“And if THAT thing is once again moving about, it shows that I was right in the matter. Find Corfard’s groupie and tell her she’s needed to do something fucking useful and get that fucking stone out of the fucking statue again.” There was some mulling in the hallway. “We found prints. One set, thin for sure.”

Lots of excited voices followed and it was hard to hear anything definitive but we could make out, “right outside the door” and  “red, milled about” and “probably hiding in the fucking lab somewhere” and finally “6 of you at the north door and 6 of you right here in this fucking hall.”

The group held their breath through all this but (<collective Wis check, White 10) the talk of prints had them looking around. And on the floor in the lantern light they could make out smeared prints of red dye tracing along the floor to…Wyn. The elf looked down at his boots and on the base of each of them, the leather soles were covered in red dye. “Merde,” he cursed quietly, trying to wipe it off on the loose bedding but it was going to take considerable time to do so. Time the group did not have.

Whatever was beyond the door to the west had been quiet for some time now and we couldn’t hear anything in that direction anymore (no roll needed).

The female voices muttered a bit and then we could hear, “Piddles, go and find your Mistress and have her meet us at Corfards.” The sound of a large cat rumbling in reply followed and then, “Come sister. Let’s see if we can find the vermin before the others do.”

“Greisee,” the second female clucked, “we don’t need the 250 crowns for their capture.”

“No, but I don’t want anyone else to get it either.” The two of them cackled as they sounded like they walked further away, leaving just the hobgoblin voices muttering in the hall.

The group realized they had only a short time, if that, before it was discovered where they were hiding…especially if Wyn’s prints outside pointed to this chamber.

Time now is Day 8, 11:32 AM

(OOC)

When Wyn went outside the north door of the Lab, the floor there had a puddle of dye outside of it and the Wyn had stepped in it (there was a roll at that time.). Without light there was no way to know he did it as it does not show up in infravision, and in the hallway fight and fire, no one was looking down at the floor looking for prints in the chaos. But there is a line showing where he went and where he is now. The hobs at the end of the hall haven’t spotted the prints yet as its down the hall some 40 feet but it will happen. You guys go.

PBEM - Episode 336. Duchess, Goblins, and More

THREE HUNDRED THIRTY SIX

(I/C)

“What…the…fuck?!” Abraxas snarled. “Where’s they go?” He went to go to the corner to look down the hall at the “T” but the Iron Statue whirled on the Fighter and his oversized Scythe, its visor flashing red and a series of rumblings coming from its midsection. “Puta. I want to look. Senora, por favor.”

“Come on,” Lyra motioned the Statue, “It’s ok.” It looked back at her and the visor shifted to purple, but the statue started to move back down the hall back to the Alchemist Lab. “No. Wait. Stop.” She held her hands up but the statue was taking one step at a time and pausing long enough for the party to either make way or risk its visor flashing red if they didn’t.

Meanwhile Wyn stepped back through the dark hall to the door, opened it again, and slipped through, shutting it as the sound of the door at the top of the stairs opened up and voices and personages began hitting the stairs quickly. He jogged across the chamber to see the hall had the group in it and the Iron Statue blocking the far end of it, trying to come back this way. “Hobs coming from de west,” he whispered loudly, fingers pointing, “en gobs woth de cat coming from de east.” He then pointed north.

At this point the group was able to head the sounds of armored figures jogging down the hall coming closer to the end of the “T”, and Abraxas STILL could not get past the Statue as each time he tried to, it whirled on him and Lyra had to struggle to calm it down.

“Why won’t you listen to me?!” She was getting frantic, hands on the statue’s shield, hoping to physically stop it, but the construct refused to change, instead it kept heading east.

“I didn’t see dem go south,” Wyn whispered, he pointed at the far door. “They go there?”

“For all the good it does us,” Lannis griped. “Horsey McHorseface’s Iron Vibrator is fucking up our plan.”

“No chance I can go look now and NOT be seen,” the Fighter growled.

At this point we heard VERY loud Hobgoblin voices called out as well as some wavering light most likely belonging to torches, “Who rang their alarm bell!?”

“Optio, fire.”

“I too can smell it.”

Then a bit further away, a female voice sounded, “Fury! Hahah, Come come and see! Hahah!”

“On my way, Greisee,” the first hobgoblin replied. “You three come with me, you eight, search around, find whoever rang their bell, and find out where that fire smell is coming from. The Blessed One does not know how much oil they had already taken before it was destroyed, but it is well known their penchant for setting things ablaze.”

“Yes, Optio Joe.”

With no way to make it further down the passage to either the door the group thinks Duchess had slipped behind, to say nothing for the end of the hall, and the Iron Statue undeterred in its desire to head back to the Alchemy Lab regardless of Lyra’s will or intention, the group had only seconds to make a decision or their presence would be discovered.

Time now is Day 8, 11:27 AM

(OOC)

Iron Statue flashes Red to anyone with a weapon within 10’ of it, or an arcane caster – and it IS heading back to the Lab, only Lyra’s presence slows that possibility down. You have 4 choices – stay in hall, back to Lab, south middle door, or south eastern door. And you need to decide very fast as you have 10 seconds at max before being discovered if still in the hall.

PBEM - Episode 335. Duchess, Goblins, and More

THREE HUNDRED THIRTY FIVE

(I/C)

On seeing the roaring flames, Abraxas dashed across the room for the sand barrels. “Senor Kloverfield, help me.”

Kovid jumped into action, shouldering the one barrel out of the way and helping the Fighter get the next full barrel up high enough for him to wrap his arms about it. "Es tiempo para vamonos, amigos,” he smiled, jogging back across the chamber, rocking side to side with the barrel.

Meanwhile the ringing in the hall stopped but Lyra still bent over grimacing as the flames continued to lick about the iron statue (take 1 hp damage). "Do you think she's trying to get us to follow her?” the dwarf asked, standing right behind Abraxas as he lifted the barrel higher. “Lure us into a bigger trap? What are we doing?"

“Find tu fuerza, ahora es our turn to put them - La Dyke-chess, Los Gobs, Los Roberts, todos de Corflaks minions - on the run.” With that he bent low and lifted high, spilling the sand all over the fire (Extinguish 4/6: Blue 4 – yes!) and smothering the oil blaze instantly with a steaming smoky hiss. “Arriba, andale,” he reached over and grabbed his Scythe and brandished it before heading through the door, “a victory amigos!"

“What he said…I think,” Lannis gave a half hearted cheer and joined the rest of the group.

“Are we looking to follow them?” Lyra asked. “If so I need to burn my last heal on myself. Damage seems to transfer.”

"Want my potion?” Lannis offered with poor grace, “You already gave away my mana stone."

“Wow, look at Lannis being kind of generous,” she shook her head, snapping her fingers and drawing her own healing potion. “That’s weird. But actually, Aine put that spell on hold.” She popped the cork and drank it down swiftly, the cool liquid soothing her hurts (Heal 1d6: White 3 – Heal 3 (up to 12 out of 26)).

Meanwhile Wyn had opened the north door, glanced left and right and saw nothing with his infravsion, and stepped out into the hall (>Half Wis, notice something? Orange 8). With his bow out, he moved quietly, letting the door close behind him, and made his way to the corner, ears perked up (<Hear Noise, +4 bonus elf alone, Orange 4). The ringing of the bell had stopped but he could make out voices and swiftly moving feet…coming from two possible location. South of his position and at the “T” intersection that would lead to the Gardens, and…from behind him and up the stairs in the direction of the Watchtower. Giving it his best estimate, he figured the ringing bell had alerted both sets and they would arrive in about a minute. “Merde,” he muttered, still not seeing the statue, his friends, or any goblins or Duchess in the south hall. “I ‘ave to make a move toot sweet!” (yes, I know it’s not spelled that way)

As for the rest of the group they had come to the South hall, 3 doors all closed, a “T” intersection at the end of the hall…and no goblins OR Duchess. “Where the fuck did they go?” Brendon frowned.

Lannis looked at his dart and shook his head. “I am really starting to hate this bitch.”

Time now is Day 8, 11:26 AM

(OOC)

Only Wyn heard and knows about the 2 approaching groups coming – one from the Garden Hall, and the other from up the stairs at the Watchtower. Rest of you, what do you want to do? Hall? Door? Back? You also note, 3 of you saw Wyn go out the North door (Not Kovid and Abraxas – they were on Fire Marshall Bill duty).

PBEM - Episode 334. Duchess, Goblins, and More

THREE HUNDRED THIRTY FOUR

(I/C)

Replacing his Theystran hammer with one of his original warhammers, Kovid  motioned Brendon to the South door and whispered, "Alright Lyra, let's see what Iron Fist can do. Abraxas, are you still peeking out the north door?”

“No Senor,” he whispered back.

“I’ll go lissen, mon ami,” Wyn offered, swapping places with the Fighter. “Oof, dis is gonna be good,” he muttered while laying one ear against the portal.

The dwarf stood a pace behind the Cleric, giving the Iron Statue a cautious look. ”I'm going to hang back and see what the statue does. Let me know if you need assistance."

The Scout shrugged, “Kovid, maybe direct the light into the door to the south as soon as it’s opened, it might disorient them.”

“It’s a lantern, Brendon,” he whispered back, “Not a spot light.”

Meanwhile Lyra was intently staring at the statue, trying to project her thoughts but getting no reaction from the construct. Nodding to herself he stood right up to it, her head even with the lower end of its chest, and held up a stern finger, trying to give it orders. “Alright buddy. There’s a bunch of guys outside of that door,” she pointed, the statue staring at her with the purple glow coming from the visor. “They’re bad. The guys you can see in this room including me? We’re good.”

Brendon was at the Southern door, the Statue glancing his way and briefly flashed white, but was uninterested in him. “She’s right,” he said with a smile, “we’re the good guys. We brought you to life. The bad guys want to hurt you.” He had the key palmed and was waiting for Lyra to give him to signal.

"If the statue has the goblins covered, maybe we all swing around north?" Kovid looked around hopefully.

Lannis shook his head. "Going around north might attract more unwanted attention, I don't like it." He took out a dart to throw and went to step closer but as soon as he got within 15’ of the statue, it whirled on him, visor going red. “Ah shit, Enough, enough,” he backed up again. “I can’t get to the door to help out, Johnny Five, if you’re going to go all Ed-209 on my ass when I step up.”

“Senor Lastic,” Abraxas sighed, “no one know what you are saying.”

“Not him, NOT him,” Lyra ordered, wrestling to get the statue’s attention once more centered on her, the visor changed back to purple and its stance grew calm once more. Throwing a withering glower at Lannis, she turned back to the statue once more. “When THAT door opens,” she continued with a point, “Your job is to go out and attack anyone out there ready to do harm to us or you.”

 "Go get 'em, Hombre Grande!" Abraxas whispered with a toothy grin.

Wyn had been listening to the door (>Hear Noise, Orange 16) during these few minutes but had heard nothing. He gave a thumbs up to the group and Lyra nodded back in reply. She pointed to Brendon who carefully unlocked the door and stage whispered, “Remember to move quickly and quietly.” He then withdrew the key and took a deep breath…turned the knob…and opened the door just as Lyra gave the Statue a hard shove and it took three deep purposeful strides forward.

As it exited the room the party heard, “Now!” in goblin in a harsh whisper followed by the swoosh of slings and twangs of bows. (>+2 to hit, Black 17) A flask of oil smashed into the Statue full on, coating it with burning fire (1d8 Damage: Red 3 – Take 2 Damage), making it squeal in response. (<+2 to hit, Black 8 – missed, Direction Dice: NW) A second flask of oil smashed into the door frame instead of the iron statue, making fire blow into the doorway as well as cover the hall just outside the door, 5’ flames crackling and burning as they reached up anxious to set the place ablaze.

(<+2 to hit, White 10) An arrow cracked off the statue’s thigh and spun crazily into the dark, (<+2 to hit, White 5) and a second one missed with a whiffing noise, clattering off the stone wall and lost. (>+7 to hit, Red/Black 13) A third arrow followed a moment later and hit the statue with a deep TWANG (1d6 Damage, Red 5, Take 3 Damage), sinking into its chest area and punching through its iron skin.

At the same time it was getting hurt, Lyra spasmed once, and then again, doubling over in pain (take 1 Damage and then 1 Damage), moaning as she dropped to one knee and gasped, “Holy shit, it feels like my skin’s burning up!” Indeed the Cleric still had what appeared to be static electricity coursing through her as her hair was again standing on end and her skin was flush.

Meanwhile from the hall, heard over the sound of the statue squealing and clanging, was the sound of laughter and then the Duchess’ voice. “Oh! Well played, Rabbits. Well fucking played indeed. Hahaha! Ok, this was unexpected.” She swapped over to Goblin and said, “Fade. Don’t engage. Leave it to burn. Reward’s for the infidels, not that fucking thing.”

(Initiative: Statue Steel 3 vs Enemy Red/Black 4)

Amidst the crackling flames and the statue striding through the oil fire, the group could make out the Duchess’s voice call out, “Mirabellis is going to be fucking pissed. Run Rabbits! We’ll try this another time.” And then from down in that direction, the group could plainly hear someone starting to ring a bell.

Time now is Day 8, 11:25 AM

(OOC)

Very exciting! What do you guys want to do. Time is fleeting and decisions need to be made now.

PBEM - Episode 333. Alchemy Lab

I've had manacrystals in my games on and off for decades and their uses are typically to power something that requires a butt load of magic to work. Their uses and make up always change slightly depending on where in the world my party is and what not - but the general purpose and effect is typically the same.

Follows:

THREE HUNDRED THIRTY THREE

(I/C)

Lyra took out the manacrystal and tossed it in the air once before catching it. “So all of that sounds bad, and I’m guessing you’re all next going to tell me we need to turn the murder machine on.”

“Most likely, Lass,” Kovid grumbled. He took the flask of naptha out and handed it to Wyn. "Here, take this. It needs to be thrown and it needs a wick. I don't feel like blowing up today."

The elf nodded. “Ok. I take de fire bottle.” He sets his belongings down by the north door, “I also put my bag down over here. I keep my shield en weapons. Also someone should take my pack wit dem an run nord if shit goes south. Each of you take one of deze goddess keys, too. I take dem back if we make it out of dis, but I don’t want to keep all de eggs in one basket.” He snapped his fingers, “Oh yeah! Everyone eat yer cinnamon.”

The party all took out their various cinnamon sticks and split them in half, dividing them up amongst the party (Wyn and Lannis remove from inventory, Abraxas remove 1 from inventory). While the group was chewing the sticks and choking it down, Brendon had the key out and was waiting while Abraxas suddenly got a concerned look. "It just came to me amigos. If we can Scry on Dyck-chess and Mirabells, maybe Mirabells can Scry on us?”

“And how would that happen?” Lannis asked.

“I dunno,” the Fighter shrugged. “Perhaps, by kissing Byrundes she was able to use that to keep tabs en us. No me gusta este plan anymore amigos, pero hacemos que we must. Let's start the Golem y hacemos Haste. Vamonos amigos!"

“Pretty sure it’d take more than a mouthful of Ol’ Pirate Phlegm to enact a scry,” Lannis shrugged, “But sure – I’ll go with we’re probably fucked before we leave this room if things go real bad.”

“There’s a lot of if’s in the things we do,” Kovid noted.

Wyn rubbed his hand and shook out his wrist. “Tell me about it!”

Lyra approached the iron statue slowly. “Unless there was something sitting around that we can use to help us right now, I think it’s time to see if all our ifs even start up correctly.

“Should I open the door?” Brendon asked.

Shaking his head no, Wyn said, “Not yet. Let’s see if it starts first. Whatever happens, I want to get a spell off when we do go out dere. Hopefully we cen get it to take a step or two forward. Den I hide behind it, en Monsieur du Lac opens de door en hides behind it. Du Lac, we need you to hide dere because de sleep will not affect you. Be sure to hide behind de door. I say dat twice so you dot get shot or burned.”

The Scout straightened his sword belt, nodding. “No getting shot, no getting burned. Open the lock and hide behind the door. Then go north and open that one.”

With a thumb up, Abraxas agreed. “Si, if all goes well, I will lead us out that way. But as had been said, there are a lot of ifs.”

“Maybe if we’re lucky,” the Cleric said, hand with the gem reaching for the statue, “it will be grateful we turned it back on and not kill us.”

“When have we been lucky so far?” Lannis sighed.

“Ok,” she said, stepping closer. As she brought the manacrystal closer to the shield, she could see thin tendrils of purple electricity reaching out between the stone and the socket in the shield. At less than 3 inches there was the faint odor of ozone and a crackling noise. Lyra’s hair began to raise up and then with a WHANG!, at less than an inch away, the Crystal pulled from her hand and slapped home in the shield. A line of electric plasma connected the Cleric’s outstretched hand to the shield. A rising crescendo of squeaks and squeals sounded from the statue in the space a few seconds (=Save vs Death Ray, White 9) and then the statue’s visor took on the same purplish light and Lyra was able to step back and drop her hand.

She looked down, her hand stinging as if burned, but nothing was there. Static electricity still ran up and down the cleric and she could feel it through the hairs on her arms and head. “Aine, holy shit.” She exclaimed.

The Statue looked around the room, sighting each person in here. The purple light in its visor turned white when it looked at each person, except for Lannis and Wyn. For each of them the light took on an ominous red hue and the statue stepped out from the alcove with a hesitant first step but then a confident second.

“Um…,” Kovid spun his hammer looking worried, “Is this good?”

The statue looked at the dwarf, noted his weapon, and the white hue in the visor rolled over to red. It went to step at the dwarf, menace obvious in its approach when Lyra held up her hand and said, “Whoa. Hold on. Can I control you?!”

The statue stopped, looked at her, and then the light turned purple again.

“This is bullshit I want to say on the record,” Lannis groused. “I wanted a golem. I did, it was in MY wish list. Andthat is MY manacrystal, mine. It’s MINE and you were only holding it.” He had approached, along with Wyn, but as soon as either of them got within 15’ of the statue it whirled on them and flashed to red, taking a hard steps towards them, its iron fist raised.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Lyra tried to get the statue to stop but it took a lot of her effort to keep it from going after the magic user and the elf.

“Keep that murder statue under control, would you?!”

“Well, dis is a problem,” Wyn rubbed his chin.

“Ya think?” Brendon asked.

“I cannot hide behind it as I cannot get close, so I am not sure how to do what we were gonna do.”

Abraxas was smiling and giddy. “Senora, you have GOT to send it out rampaging! Tres magnifico!”

Lyra took a heady sigh. “OK, before we do anything, let’s figure out what we’ve got and how to make best use of it.” She shuddered. “I wouldn’t say I have control, merely guidance at best. And it has a hard on for Lannis and Wyn.” She looked over at Kovid, “And anyone with a weapon out that LOOKS like they are going to use it against it,” she glanced at Abraxas and his Scythe, but the Fighter had made no attempts to present it in a threatening manner.

“So what do we do?”

Time now is Day 8, 11:21 AM

(OOC)

Ok! Doors are NOT unlocked as I figured we’d want to get the thing up and running first – and Lyra is right, it’s not under direct control but she can sort of influence or guide it, so far.

PBEM - Episode 332. Alchemy Lab

THREE HUNDRED THIRTY TWO

(I/C)

“What’s the plan folks, more searching, or are we leaving?” Kovid clicked his teeth as he looked around. “It seems quiet to the south, but maybe the hobs have cleared out west of here.” He snapped his fingers and pointed at the Magic User. “Oh right, Big Brain wants to play with his magic ball.”

"What's with the tone?” Lannis said with a withering glare, sitting at the table and setting up the crystal. “It literally is a magic ball. You are a strange man, Kovid."

Brendon rubbed his hands together and made his way across the room. “Since all the commotion has been this way, I’ll listen hear while Mamma’s Boy fingers his ball for 10 minutes.”

As the wizard began trancing over the crystal, Abraxas was going back through the jars and powders and herbs, sniffing each one and either screwing up his face a bit, or holding back a sneeze and grimacing. Wyn was idly flipping through the shelves of books that Lannis had scoured, reading a few paragraphs before putting it back and taking another.

Lyra was giving the statue another once over. She ran her fingertips over the lip of the gem socket, feeling around for any imperfections, gaps, or anything of interest. “I would really love NOT to turn this sucker on,” she muttered quietly. On finding nothing there, she then turned her attention to the helm, back, base, legs, chest, and arms of the statue, hoping to find a gap, seam, or section that could be opened up – but eventually resigned to the fact that it was not the case.

After a rather heady sniff of crushed birch bark, Abraxas was looking back and forth at both doors. “Senor Whistler?” he called out softly.

“Oui?”

“We should sent this thing to el Norte y vamonos a el South,” he pointed back at the Iron Statue where Lyra was examining it. “Let's get some cinn-ah-mon and get the show started! Este es mucho exciting!! I can't wait to wake it up!"

The elf chuckled. “Oui. Lets us see what Monsieur Offop discovers an den we can shake de foundations of de castle.”

Kovid had taken the flask of naptha (5) smiling as he tucked it into his belongings. “Yeah, this’ll be a mean treat for someone,” he laughed, moving back to the south door to listen there. Taking one of his 2 still full flasks of oil, he poured it into his sputtering lantern, adding 6 more hours of light before putting the empty flask back in his pack for later.

(<Int check, Pink 17) “Alright kids, everyone get ready,” Lannis peered deep into the crystal, the interior swirling before pulling back and becoming clearer. “Alrighty, what do we have. And there she is. Duchess.”

“What is she doing?” Brendon asked hopefully.

“Well…fuck this doesn’t fill me with confidence. She is in a hall, with a bow, arrow loaded, and pointing it at a door close to the end of the hall.”

“Oh.”

He moved his hands over the ball. “And she’s not alone either. Two…Five…Eight goblins are with her.”

“Deh all crowded tagether?”

“No.” He frowned and looked closer. “There are multiple doors on the side of the hall she is in, and two of the goblins are far enough away with…slings…loaded with…flasks of some shit with a wick sticking out of it. There are candles on the ground near them.”

“Dat is not good.”

“Two more goblins also have bows and arrows drawn, also pointing at the door.”

“You said 8, Big Brain,” Kovid muttered. “That’s 4.”

“Yeah,” he slid his hands over the front of the ball and tapped it. “The other 4 have spears and…shields. And they are situated nearest the door the others are pointing their weapons at.”

“Does it look the hall we came in from? Can you see stairs?”

“Um, I said three doors on the other side of the hall, the stairs hall had no doors except at the top of the stairs, so no, it doesn’t look like that hall. Looking behind her,” he squinted, “There is a cross hall behind her, might be the main hall we had been in earlier, I can’t tell.”

“What is she doing?” Lyra asked.

“Standing there, smiling, waiting, weapon out. She seems…I would guess the expression is satisfied, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a satisfied expression on a woman’s face before.” The rest of the party laughed briefly, making Lannis scowl. “Whatever, fuck all you all.” He sat up and looked around. “And that’s it, crystal’s gone dark.” He packed it away quickly. “And that’s it for me at all until tomorrow with this.” Standing up and looked at both doors and frowned. “What are we gonna do?”

Time now is Day 8, 11:16 AM

(OOC)

Ok! Nothing more I can tell you. What is the plan?

PBEM - Episode 331. Alchemy Lab

Every party somehow has in in their head that carrying around Green Slime is a great idea and they should do it. That only lasts a little while as it is realized that greenslime is a horrible thing to have on you at any time. So the group knew that a little bit had been take by the Artificer earlier and now they finally had a chance to see where it was. The Discord chatter was pretty much 5 to1 to destroy it and not fuck around. Smart thinking. :)

Follows:

THREE HUNDRED THIRTY ONE

(I/C)

“First thing we do is get rid of the green slime.” Lannis was tracing the maze of glass tubes with an outstretched finger. “And for that I am gonna need a few minutes and the Monsieur Master.”

Abraxas meanwhile wandered away from the door, heading south the look over the statue that Lyra was checking out. "Señor Kovib, que does este hole look like to you?” He got right in front of the shield and fingered the carved out section in the middle. “Que tipo de stone or gem do you think fits here?"

"Hmm, it looks like the gem socket on the shield,” the dwarf glanced back at the stone molds and nodded his head slowly. “is similar in size and shape to the molds by the fireplace.” He looked around and snapped his fingers. “Lady Lyra, you have that Manacrystal still?”

“MY manacrystal,” Lannis added from the tables, “SHE is holding it. Mine.”

“Whatever, Big Brain,” Kovid chuckled. The Cleric took out the stone and held it near the statue’s shield while the dwarf jogged over and snatched one of the molds and brought it back as well. “Thor’s Mighty Hammer. Ah! It looks similar to the Mana Crystals we have as well.

“See Wyn?” Lyra called back with a smile. “Nothing bad ever comes from impulsively touching strange giant murder statues. We’re safe.” 

The dwarf was rubbing the base of his beard, deep in thought. “I wonder if Corfard is trying to produce more mana crystals. Maybe he is trying to reactivate this statue?”

“Madre de dios... este es una miracle. Amigos, tenemos una situation muy fortunado.” Abraxas spun around with a feral grin and slapped his fist into the palm of his hand. “We should activate the statue and let it loose in the halls to mow down and distract the enemies. Maybe it can even draw out La Dyke-chess or Mirabells. And after it has been used up, we can reclaim the stone.”

Looking at the stone with a frown, Lyra did give a tentative nod. “Well we have one working mana crystal if we want to try to use this thing.”

“I have,” Lannis offered again, working all 4 burners off the alembic set up and lighting them with Wyn’s help. “I. I have. You are borrowing.”

The Fighter snapped his fingers. “Oh, wait, necessitamos cinnamon.” He quickly looked through his backpack, smiling as he pulled out 2 sticks. “Ah! Tengo dos sticks de Cinnamon. Necessitamos media de stick por each gente. Miramos para mas en aqui. Hay has to be more en aqui.” His eyes scanned the room, settling on the shelf of jars that Lannis hadn’t checked yet. “Let's see what else we can find."

Lyra flipped the stone in the air and then put it back in her pack. “Wait, wait, wait. We don’t know for sure this one responds like the ones on the first floor so though.”

“Lyra’s right,” the dwarf nodded. “I get that you want to wake this bad boy. Say he's not like the ones downstairs and cinnamon isn't any protection?”

“Yeah,” she agreed, “They needed cinnamon sticks, what if this one needs something else?”

“The elves that lived here are real silly. Why cinnamon? Didn't the Kobolds choose cinnamon because they eat it? I haven't seen any Kobolds up here. I just think starting up the statue, if that’s what this is all about, is something we discuss and do very much last. If at all."

Still stationed at the south door, Brendon shrugged adding, ““f we’re going to bring the iron giant to life can we do it AFTER we burn the slime and maybe a few of these books?” He looked around with a scowl, “Burning the books and scrolls will hinder their crafting if they have to sift through the debris. There’s more than enough stuff here to ignite it.”

Lannis whirled around and shook his head, pointing an accusing finger at the Scout. "Sure, and then we can go down to the King’s shipwright and burn all his logs and blueprints. Are you mad or just stupid?”

"Brineson, we shouldn’t burn los libros, not until we do a thorough searching primero.” Abraxas held his hand up at the Magic User, hoping to calm him down. “We should see si hay es notes about el Guardian o Manastones. Y que ingredients are in todas los drawers. We activate el Guardian as we get ready to leave. We have things to do before that."

“You'll not destroy a single shred of paper until I figure out what I'm taking with me. We will burn the slime though, that's nothing but trouble." Making sure all the burners were lit, Lannis grabbed two of them and motioned at the other two. “Actually...damn, we have a bigger greener problem. Wyn I need your help to do this safely. Brendon if you so much as touch those books I'll use you to clean up the slime."

Picking up the other two burners, the elf smiled and looked back at the Scout. “Monsieur du Lac, whether or not you be saying just to mess with Offop, I would appreciate if we could wait to threaten de books till we have a chance to review dem.”

“No problem,” Brendon grinned. “Just doing my part.”

The elf chuckled. “Ok Offop, let’s burn dis slime.”

The Magic User started herding the slime from the furthest piping by heating the glass behind it. The slime reacted swiftly by pulling itself through the pipes with some speed. It made its way through the twists and turns and ended up at the middle section where it joined with the next large patch. Meanwhile Wyn was doing the same thing with the slime on the far end the other direction, working it back towards Lannis with a slow cycling of heating the glass. The slime responded similarly until it too ended up in a large beaker area. There was about 2 vials of the stuff in there at this point, questing about and sliding up and down the glass walls, looking to escape the heat (both have Dex>12, no roll needed).

Finally sure there were no stray bits behind, Lannis gave a cruel grin and placed one of the burners right under the slime. It hissed and smoked inside the alembic and crawled towards the wall of the glass to climb away when Wyn caught it on the other side, pressing the fire very close to the glass on that side. It fell away charring some more as it quested and struggled to find an area that was not burning hot and a way to escape the heat. It took a few minutes and the slime grew smaller and smaller until finally there was nothing left but ash coating the bottom of the glass. The two then made sure the ash was inert with some more passes of the burners and then satisfied the work was done.

“And that solves the very terrible no good problem of green slime.”

“Excellent,” the elf nodded, capping the two burners until their fire went out.

Meanwhile Abraxas and Kovid were searching the shelves, the Fighter looking for Cinnamon (Search <Wis check, Blue 5) and the Dwarf for oil (Search <Wis check Yellow 9). In the assorted remaining jars and tins, he did not find cinnamon stick, but did come upon ground cinnamon. “Aha!” he smiled, pulling it down. “Not a lot, but already ground up.” The little clay jar had about 2 ounces of the brown powder in it.

“Ugh,” Lyra cringed, “I HATE cinnamon. Tastes terrible, and now you want me to eat the powder?!”

“Si, it’s for our own good.”

Meanwhile Kovid did not come across any oil. However, 1 glass lined copper flask did have what at first glance was kerosene in it. “Whoa,” he muttered when the smell hit him. “That’s pretty fresh.” But it didn’t behave properly as a liquid and seemed to stick and roll, congealed as it folded into itself as he tilted the flask. “Added…paraffin to it.” He looked around the room and smiled. “Made naptha.” (roughly 1 flask)

“What’s Naptha, Senor Killroy?”

“It’s a highly flammable substance that is the main ingredient in Gnome Fire.” He chuckled. “Crazy bastards love burning shit.”

Lannis pointed to the burners. “It’s the fuel that’s used in here. Soak a cotton wadded wick in it and wham, burns hot, clean, no smoke, and for some time.” He looked around. “Ok, give me 10 minutes, I just want to grab whatever intermediate or advanced alchemy books I can find and then if we’re all still good, I can do the Crystal ball thing and we can discuss what we will do with MY manastone that Lyra is holding.” He proceeded to hit the shelves hard, thumbing through each tome one at a time and handing them to Wyn muttering “Good” or “Fuck this one” after each perusal.

As for Lyra she was studying the statue and the molds. “They made these molds,” she said slowly. “So they had to build them out of something.” She tapped her chin. “Something to copy.” (<Half Wis check, White 4) “You know,” she said a bit louder, “I get that they might have been trying to make a manacrystal, which I can’t imagine some crazy goblin just slapping together just for starters. But, make one, right?”

“Go on,” Kovid prompted.

She pointed to the mold. “So they made the mold and they had to have one to base it one, right?”

“True.” He shrugged. “I doubt they made a mock of clay and then build a mold around it.”

“Right.” So she pointed back at the shield. “And these look like they pried it out of here. Which means it was IN here at one point.”

“Si.”

“Get on with it,” Lannis muttered, “This train is ready to leave your slow assed station.”

She shook her head. “So where is the one that was here?” The party didn’t say anything. “When the one I used had burned out, the stone cracked and fell apart. Couldn’t make a mold of that. But this mold is of a whole stone without breaks or missing anything.” She tapped the stone she had. “Which means they still have a whole manastone somewhere.”

“And it’s not here,” Lannis agreed looking around.

“We didn’t find it when we looked around just now,” Kovid offered and Abraxas agreed.

“So like the Ballista, they have a ‘stone’ and if Abraxas wants to start this up, and the stone is the ammo to make it happen.” She sighed. “I’ll say that for 6 months or so since they’ve been here they didn’t do that, so let’s not give them the idea, but we have to keep it in mind. There is a manastone out there.” She ticked up three fingers, “And it’s most likely in the hands of Mirabellis, the goblin artificer,” she paused, “Or Corfard.”

(WMC: Red/Black 3). During all of this we had heard the occasional distant sound of walking in the hall beyond the north door, but nothing from the south one. Lannis uncovered 2 books and 2 scrolls on intermediate alchemy practices and possible formulas that were worth taking. “Ok, that is lovely and I’m sure it will bite us in the ass when we’re not ready. But we have what we have, am I sitting down to study my ball,” Brendon snickered, Lannis ignored him, “or not?”

Time now is Day 8, 11:05 AM

(OOC)

Explore XP: 45 xp each, except Brendon add 60 (hazard scouting/traps/locks)

Wyn, Add 100 xp for guessing Candella’s situation

Ok! Flask of Naptha (5), 2 Alchemy books and 2 scrolls (15 each and 1 each), 2 oz Cinnamon/clay jar (5)

What do you guys want to do?

PBEM - Episode 330. Alchemy Lab

THREE HUNDRED THIRTY

(I/C)

Brendon motioned everyone to enter the room with a series of sweeping hand waves. Once in, he muttered, “Excuse me,” and took out his lock picks. Crouching low in front of the door he peered at the lock and drew two thin picks from his collection and then worked on trying to lock the door. Abraxas was standing over him, Scythe at the ready while Kovid moved across the chamber, left the lantern on the table, and made his way to the south door, bracing it closed with his foot and glancing back, ear cocked to listen here.

The Scout worked quickly (<Reverse Open Locks, Red  02!) and there was a snicking sound as he twisted the lock in place. “Whew,” he muttered and stood up, rubbing his eyes. “Let me go do the other one.”

“I will listen here for the bad hombres here,” the Fighter said.

Giving the accoutrements on the tables a distant look, Lyra followed the Scout to the other side of the chamber where Kovid was positioned and turned her attention to the iron elven statue.

Once at the other door, Brendon crouched low and worked his picks again (>Reverse Open Locks +20% bonus same lock type, Red 72) but after a few minutes couldn’t get the lock to engage. “You ok?” Kovid asked him, glancing back to see Lannis was already checking out the bottles and jars at the tables and shelves, while Wyn was concentration more on the symbols and formulas painted on the walls.

“Yeah, give me a second.” The Scout shook his fingers free and tried the lock again (<Reverse Open Locks +20% bonus same lock type, -10% loss of confidence, Red 21) this time smiling as the lock clicked in place. Standing up he stretched his back out and replaced his picks. “Done. I’ll listen here. How long we staying, you gonna look tat the Crystal, Big Brain?”

“Gimme a minute,” Lannis muttered. “Real nice set up,” he muttered.

Kovid was checking out the fireplace/forge area, noting the embers at the bottom of the shaker bin (<Int check, +2 dwarf, Yellow 13). “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s been 5 hours since this fire was tended. Most everything has burned away. Charcoal and dried timber. Hardwoods.” He looked to the side of the fireplace, noting the wood bind there held the expected woods. “Well stocked too. At least a dozen hours of fuels here.”

He poked through the stone molds stacked up there, every one of them was about the size of the palm of his hand and maybe half as deep, and all were roughly oval and showing faceted sides. “Looks like a mold for...making cut jewel looking rocks?” he frowned.

He turned his attention next to the barrels, finding the tops of them had been just knocked in place and not sealed. They were heavy, two of them, one of them half as much. He pried the lids up on all three and saw that they all held the same thing. Sand. One barrel was more than halfway empty. He reached in and felt around, but it was only sand. He scooped some out and let it run through his fingers, examining it closely (dwarf, no roll). “Silicate sand. Heavy too. Good for glassmaking.” He looked over at the mold again. “No molds for bottles or vials, no glass blowing tubes or tools. But a half dozen molds of making what…glass gems?” He rubbed his beard. “I don’t get it.”

Wyn meanwhile was looking over the formulas and symbols on the walls. “Dere is something here,” he mused giving it a hard look. Some of the symbols he remembered from his time at the academy regarding magical theory (>Int check, +1 elf, Orange 20 – no), but nothing was clicking. “Monsieur Offop,” he asked, whispering to Lannis who was tilting jars and bottles and peering inside methodically, “How much alchemy do you have experience wit?”

“Quite a bit. Most of it was thrown at my head, why?”

“I’m serious, I dunt know wot dese are.”

“How should I know?”

“All dat mage schoolin you always be talkin bout make me tink alchemy may ‘Ave been an elective. It might help to parse through deze formulas, oui?”

Lannis glanced over at them (<Int check, +1 bonus wizard, Pink 12) and nodded. “Yeah yeah yeah, keep your girdle tight. Most of them are short hand formulas for reagent mixing. Like three parts wormwart, 2 parts cedar oil, mix, boil 15 minutes, extract and cool 3 hours. I don’t know all of them, whoever did it has terrible handwriting and truthfully, some of them are abbreviations. Like Sul right there,” he pointed, “Is that sulfur? Sulfurous ash? Sulfide salt? No way of knowing, but the person who uses this area knows what it is.”

“If we deface it,” Brendon whispered, “will that person be screwed?”

Lannis shook his head. “Nah. I’m sure he has it memorized or written elsewhere properly,” he pointed to all the books and scrolls in the room, “This is just at his fingertips shortcut. My own teacher did something similar.” He backed away from the table. “Ok, there are at least 50 different ingredients that I can identify and maybe 10 that I can’t. It’s a pretty well stocked lab here from what I can see.” He pointed at a section of the alembic. “But here? Right here?” he got closer and pointed at three sections with a green thick liquid covering maybe an inch of the bottom of each section. “I would bet all of Lyra’s glue…”

“Fuck you,” she muttered from the elven statue.

Lannis continued, “Whatever My Little Pony. Anyway, this stuff? This is green slime.”

“Burn it,” said Abraxas, Brendon, and Kovid.

“Yeah,” the Magic User muttered, “I figured that. But it’s in the middle of the alembic network and the burners are all off. I’d like to NOT fuck this up and let the shit out or break this set up because it will make a fuck ton of noise and we’ll have the Hobmob two feet up our ass in half a second flat.”

Throughout all this Lyra was giving the elven statue a once over. It was old and had some small rust spots at the joints and along the lower areas but was surprisingly in good shape. She lifted the apron off its gauntlet, “It’s like someone was using it as a clothes rack.” It was heavy, the leather scarred and stained in many places. “Like you do with the big chair in the bedroom, you toss your clothes on it.”

“You could try sitting in it,” Kovid muttered.

“True.” She shrugged. The apron had a smell to it of mixed herbs and faintly the sour scent of goblin. She felt around it and in the side pocket was something hard. She tilted the apron and held her hand under the pocket…and a simple key rolled out. She looked it over and glanced at Brendon. “Hear anything?”

“Not yet,” he whispered back.

She handed him the key. “Try this out.”

He took it, looked it over, and stuck it in the lock. And it fit. A gentle turn back and forth confirmed this was the key for the door. “And the locks are the same,” he sighed. “That’s a good find, Lyra.”

She went back to the statue, Wyn whispering back to her, “Priestesse, I would not move de polishing cloth off de shield…ah fuck it, nevermind.” Lyra had pulled it free and was rolling it up, giving the shield a once over. Like the statue itself, it was larger than normal and the shield was quartered, each field showing an etched area of a stalk of grain, a waning moon, a chimera made of a gargoyle and spider and a snake, and lastly a heart. The middle of the quartering though the shield had been marred. Something had been set in the shield but (<Wis check, -4 penalty, White 10) she was able to tell that it had been hacked out. The marking were flat and wide, “A chisel?” She wondered, “Some sort of awl or wedge?” Whatever had been set in the shield was about 5 inches long at its widest part and was roughly egg shaped.

As for Abraxas (>Hear Noise, Blue 19) and Brendon (<Hear Noise, Black 21), neither one reported hearing anything nearby or approaching. Glancing over at the lantern, Kovid frowned. “Have about half an hour of oil left at this point. What’s the deal?”

Time now is Day 8, 10:50 AM

(OOC)

Alright. Some things learned and discovered. What would you guys like to do? Crystal ball at some point? Anything else? What’s the plan?

PBEM - Episode 329. Trying to find the way

THREE HUNDRED TWENTY NINE

(I/C)

"I would like to reintroduce the motion that we hide in the lab,” Lannis suggested with a harsh whisper. He held his hand up and looked around angrily, “Show of hands?” He lowered it quick and began pushing Lyra to turn around and head back. “Motion passes. I have an extra towel if everyone else wants to go in ahead of me.”

Taking the hint, Lyra began making her way back down the stairs, allowing the elf and dwarf to pass in front of her. “Who names themselves…OR a child Smallpox?”

“Could be worse, could be named Lyra.”

The Cleric shook her head and stepped down hard on Lannis’ heel, making the wizard jerk a moment before she grabbed the back of his robe and yank him back from tripping down the stairs. “Ooops,” she sneered, “You know me and my hooves.”

He rubbed his foot as he kept his comments to himself, following the rest of the group. (Party Move Silent >Red 18) But he did slip off the end of the next step and clattered down two more with a buffeting thumping noise, before coming to a stop at Kovid’s back, the sound of the platemail being hit echoed briefly through the halls.

Brendon whirled around, eyes wide, hands in the air, staring death at the rest of the party as we strained to listen (Enemy sense group -2 penalty distance, +4 bonus too much noise, >Black 15 – still no) but after 20 or so fevered heartbeats there were no untoward sounds or approaching enemies coming.

Abraxas gave the Cleric and Wizard a piercing glower, "Silencio, amigos. Necessitamos muy muy quiet. The Lab is closest, si. Pero we dont know if it will have another exit. It could just be a death trap. Pero if that's our option solo, let's do it, mas rapido."

“Labs?” Kovid whispered to Wyn.

“Oui,” he agreed with a frown, “It’s now or never. Cent go west, nord or down... time fer de lab.”

“Wow, lab huh?” Brendon snickered, “Wish I’d have thought of that.” He tapped the two and motioned ahead. “Let me go and check the door one last time.”

Wyn nodded, “Good luck, Du Lac.”

The Scout gave the door a third look over (no roll needed) confident that it was closed, but not locked (there was a keyhole), opened away from us and to the right, and there were no tripwires, plates, or anything that he could sense from this side. After getting quickly briefed, Kovid draped his towel over his head, Wyn doing the same, and grabbed the handle…and turned it, opening the door into the room.

The chamber was pretty sizable and the lantern light only dimly lit the opposite side of the chamber. Stuffed animals and heads were about the room and there were shelves of books and scrolls. Countless jars, powders, and herbs covered most of the remaining available shelf and table space. Symbols had been painted on the walls as well as charts of formulas. There was an almost 20’ run of tables covered in alembics, glass tubings, scales, burners, braziers, and the likes. The far end of the room had a faint glow of embers coming from a combination glass furnace/fireplace, and there were three liarge barrels stacked against the north wall. A work table had more of the same, a single chair with some extensions nailed to the bottom, making the chair sit about nine to twelve inches higher than normal.

There was another door on the far end of the room, also closed. And dimly seen in the south east corner was a 7’ iron statue of an elven knight, a polishing cloth covering its shield and what seemed to be a dirty leather apron hanging from one gauntlet.

With the group quickly looking around and knowing that wandering goblins or the like could be walking the hall any moment, the decision was simple – in and shut the door, or out and go somewhere else?

Time now is Day 8, 10:35 AM

(OOC)

Shorter turn – 5 minutes elapsed time. Ok – are we all in or not? Decisions. And if in, who wants to do what? Don’t forget, there is another door on the other side of the chamber.

PBEM - Episode 328. Trying to find the way

THREE HUNDRED TWENTY EIGHT

(I/C)

Giving the hall a second look, Wyn backed up and whispered, “I don’t think we cen deal wit any hobs right now, mes amis... let alone more den a dozen.”

“No, and shit,” Lannis groused.

“Best we beat feet to level 1 en wash de bandages now en give dem all deze hobs time to cool off.”

From the back of the group, Abraxas was nodding vigorously, “Si, Señor Wyncenzo, going down for now is un idea bueno. Let the hobs settle down a bit. They are more dangerous when they are on edges.”

“Ok,” Kovid muttered, looking at his map. “I suggest we go carefully to the garden room and make our way back down the chimney.”

Looking over his shoulder, Brendon was pointing at the lower floor marking. “I can set the rope and we can make the trip quickly and safely.”

The other four looked at the two of them and the Magic User shook his head. “Seriously? Put the map away, Drunkard McNally. The Garden is THAT way,” he pointed down the hall to the hobgoblins, “where we can get two asswhoopings for the price of one.

“Aldough, we cen always climb back up through de chimney in de garden if we need to sneak back up to dis floor later.”

Looking at the map and the hall again, Kovid grumbled, “Thor’s Balls, I thought we already made it down the hall.”

“I have got to stop relying on the mapmaker,” Brendon frowned. “Thanks, I’ll take my position as we head back THAT way to the stairs.”

The party turned around and made their way north towards the hall leading to the Watchtower. He clapped Wyn on the shoulder and said, “That bath must have made me loopy. Let’s follow the elf to the stairs.”

“Oui, let’s go disaway.”

The Magic User pitched his voice very low, “You are filling me with such confidence, both of you.” 

“I can listen to the lab as we pass it just to be safe,” Brendon offered, the party nodding in agreement.

“Hmm, I suppose delving into de lab also be an option... if we feelin particularly crazy this morning but going to de first floor is the safe and responsible ting to do I tink.”

 “I’m personally not feeling crazy this morning,” Lyra offered.

“That I don’t believe,” said Lannis sarcastically.

“Go suck a lemon,” she replied. “Not sure the alchemy labs are a good idea. If there’s something in there we run the risk of attracting the Hobmob.”

“Si, we can always try to come up the stairs as normal later today, then check out the Lab then.” The Fighter kept looking behind us, the distant sound of the hobgoblin voices echoing back to him. “Si hay guards, then we can climb through the fireplace. Let's get the ban-dah-ges clean'ed up por ahora. Then we can Scry on La Dyke-chess en paz. Then we can chase her down, antes we start the ritual. Vamonos amigos."

At the door, Brendon stopped a few seconds to listen (no roll needed), hearing nothing. The portal was closed and there was no sounds coming from behind. With the hall to the north and south distantly sounding with Hobgoblins, we moved further down the hall and climbed the stairs towards the Watchtower. “The first floor might be pretty quiet,” Lyra observed. “We massacred or fucked pretty much everything down there.”

“Si,” Abraxas sighed wistfully.

“Ugh, bad choice of words on my part.” She continued, “If we feel fresh enough we can go take a peek at those locusts.” 

“Si, I would like to do that.”

Lannis shook his head no. “They look like a shit load of locusts. Boom, time saved.”

“You are a killjoy, you know that?”

“You have hoof and mouth disease, you know that.”

“Shhh,” Kovid hissed at the top of the stairs. Brendon stepped up and listened (no roll), hearing nothing from beyond the door. He stepped back and the dwarf looked at the door and whispered, “Blessed Corfard…is a fucking loser. Hawhawhaw,” and then opened the portal.

The ceiling had only pictures of scimitars on it and the group entered the trap hall quietly and without worry. The door at the end of the hall was opened a tiny bit and the thief motioned the group to be quiet as he inched closer and listened (>Hear Noise, +15 bonus, Red 99 – haha – fuck no), hearing nothing. Outside of a sliver of sunlight shining through the jamb, he could see nothing with risking opening the door. He gave the dwarf a thumbs up and stepped back in place, sword at the ready.

Kovid pulled the door open (Surprise check: Red/Black 6 – no) and stopped after it swung open only a foot or so. The room was NOT empty. There was a large black panther lounging at the top of the spiral stairs going down, tail flicking back and forth and it looked that way. There were also (2d6: 5+2=7) a half dozen or so goblins in here, unlike the menials we had seen many times earlier, these had stone tipped spears and were sporting wooden shields and leather armor. But it was the two 6’ tall hideously ugly large nosed women looking wistfully out the Glasstone windows, each one sporting the lower half of a vulture, that gave the dwarf pause.

Clamping his teeth shut he pushed the door closed (Sense/spot the party? >Black 9 – MISSED BY ONE), he managed to close it just in time as one of the vulture women was turing her head to glance at the door, maybe seeing the movement out of the corner of her eye. “What is it, Greisee?” a raspy female voice asked.

There was a long enough pause that the group was concerned before an equally repugnant voice replied. “Nothing. Just seeing things.”

“Pay attention, you two,” a goblin voice snapped. “Rampant is convinced the scum are going to try and come back up this way again.”

“Stuff it, maggot,” the female voice replied with a sneer. “Smallpox figures they have a dimension door spell which is how they’ve been getting away from everyone.”

“Smallpox don’t know shit.”

“You don’t know shit!”

“Silence!” the other female screeched. “I don’t care who says what. Our job is to wait here and stop them. You want to end up like Alha? Like the Jailer? Like Travis? These are fucking murders, and they will fucking murder all of us.” There was the sound a snapping finger, “So pay fucking attention.”

“Damn Greisee,” the other female said, “On edge?”

“Yeah. And you should be too if you want to make it through this bullshit alive.”

The sound of conversation ended but now the party was able to hear the occasion rustling sound of something moving now and again. Kovid turned to Brendon, eyebrows lifted high and pointed back at the door to the Watchtower, “How the HELL did you miss hearing them before I went to open the door,” his voice strained but barely above a whispering breeze.

The Scout shook his head as the group backed up down the hall to the other door again at the top of the stairs. “I have no idea. They must have been having a quiet moment.”

Wyn rubbed his forehead and clenched his jaw. “Ok. I am open to ideas. Cause dis is shaping up to be fucked up and we can’t just stay in dis hall.”

Time now is Day 8, 10:30 AM

(OOC)

This was NOT a wandering monster but a placed set of guards after the party’s murder spree. 2 harpies, a panther, and 7 goblins. And you will not get a surprise on them, the dice check was too close so they are on somewhat alert.

PBEM - Episode 327. Trying to find the way

The group had kicked over the hornet's nest and are now trying to find a way through the very crowded halls and rooms. The plan is to go to the first floor and wash the Sclepian bandages and then come back up after the situation has calmed down and re-establish the Rainbow Ward before the reinforcements show up.

But as they learned, the Castle's denizens are looking for them, and they are using whatever items and abilities they have at their disposal to make it happen.

Follows:

THREE TWENTY SEVEN

(I/C)

Giving the noises outside a sharp stare, Abraxas approached the Matron with a wrapped up Elven Ration as well as an iron dagger. "Thank you Señora Candescent. Your kindness has been most appreciated.”

“I live to serve, Honrado Salazar.”

He offered the two items. “For you. For your protection should one of the usurpers minions attempt to harm you again."

She smiled. “I will take the rations. Given the current state of the usurper’s minions, I believe it will be some time before any of the denizens can get around to bringing me anything to eat. As for the dagger, I appreciate it. But my duties prevent me wielding a weapon unless it is of the most dire circumstance.” She placed her hand on his arm and gently pushed the dagger back towards the Fighter. “You keep it, Mighty Warrior. May it serve you well in your time of need.”

He bowed his head low and thanked her again quietly.

With his ear at the western door, Brendon stuck his thumb up at the Matron and said, “Thank you Lady Candella. We’ll see you soon. Stay safe!”

“I shall, Pirateson. You as well.”

“Hobgoblins,” he muttered (no roll needed), can make out the voices. I dunno guys. A dozen? More? Are we ready guys?! Where are we heading off to exactly?”

Kovid relit his lantern and shook it. “Have about an hour of oil left in here, give or take.”

Wringing his hat, Lannis muttered, "It sounds like we won't have time for scouting. As long as no one spots the door opening just go south and make for the ogre room."

“Why there?”

“Quiet, that guy was a dick, and we can hole up long enough for me to use the Ball to find Duchess and not be on this side of the castle where we seemed to have kicked the bees nest over. Onto a family of skunks. And then set it on fire.”

Tightening his belt, Kovid drew his Theystran hammer with his off hand and rolled his shoulders. "Alright I'm ready to leave this weird magic room. Mystical elf/goblins... it's no place for me. Let's get out of Dodge. Ogre room it is, Big Brain."

Stepping to the front with Kovid, Wyn turned to address the group. “Right den... to de ogre room. Hope it gives us enough leeway fer Offop to scry out where duchess might be, den we figure out where to go next. Oui?” He pointed out the door towards the north. “We not be sure where tings be comin from, so de dwarf en I cen be upfront so hopefully I cen hear sometin coming. Salazar en Priestess in de back. Offop en du Lac as de rear guard. I just tink dat we know where de hobs are... en de most armored may need to be behind us as we goin south.”

"Si Señor Wynsworth, I will protect our backs as we head South. Pero, que room estamos or? Alchemist, Gobs, Chapel? Donde? We could go the long way round to the Ogresh room, or all the way around to the Throne Room. If we necesito tranquil then the Ogresh room or Throne Room now that tenemos the only keys."

“That’s the plan, Bandares,” Lannis smiled. “Should be a piece of cake.”

“That would be delicious.”

“Ugh, not that again.”

“Stop offering me cake then, Senor Lupus.”

“Ok, it’s time.” Brendon opened the door slowly, ear cocked and listening. The sounds of goblinoid voices grew louder and we could hear it north of us. A fast look in each direction showed no one within the next dozen paces and he backed up so the dwarf and elf could lead the group out. Kovid kept the lantern shrouded with his body, preventing any light from spilling north as we made our way finally out of the Baths.

Lyra paused before leaving, turning to Candella and placed a warm arm around the goblin Matron. “Thank you kind Matron. Hopefully when we’re done with this place there will be more peace.”

“Go with the Goddesses, Summer’s Child. And be safe. We are all counting on you.”

(WMC @ double: Red/Black: 2, Yes! What? – No roll – Hobgoblins North)

In the hall we moved swiftly south, coming up to the next door on the east wall and past that as well. Meanwhile Lyra and Abraxas kept looking behind us in the gloom (Enemy spot/sense the party? >Black 17 – nope!), pleased that with each pace they drew further and further away from being seen. The hobgoblins were in the Adept’s chamber from what is sounded like, and there were some candles and other small light sources in the halls up there, along with the many shadows of frantic searching and moving figures.

We made our way along, Brendon listening and the group doing their best to move quietly. Since we had already mapped this area we were able to move with some alacrity, but we still kept our eyes peeled and senses sharp. We came upon the hall leading to the Alchemist Lab and the Watchtower (WMC @ double: Red/Black 5 – nope), but was quiet and empty.

Getting closed to the main Western hall our lantern light picked up the hall south of the “T” intersection and the side hall that supposedly led to the goblin area. (WMC @ double: Red 1, Yes! What? No roll – Hobgoblins West) But Brendon reached up and grabbed both Kovid and Wyn and hissed, “Shhhh.” (<Hear Noise +15% bonus, Red 28)

“What?”

“Roberts,” he said.

Shrouding his lantern again, Kovid and Wyn peered around the corned and sure enough, there were (3d6: 5+6+1=12) at least a dozen hobgoblins milling about, going in and out of the north hall that led to the orc chamber. And from the numerous buckets in the hall, the smell of smoke, and the angry sounding recriminations echoing back towards us, it was safe to assume that they had discovered the demise of Alha finally. (Sense the group? >Black 13 – no)

“Well, shit.” Lannis frowned. “Where the fuck do we go now?!? Hobs behind us, Hobs ahead of us. And I don’t trust the fact that no one has spotted us just yet. We need to get out of this hall now.”

“Where are we going?” Lyra asked, hands gripping the flail tightly.

Time now is Day 8, 10:20 AM

(OOC)

You guys need to make a decision and fast. You have 2 groups of militant and angry monsters at either direction. And they are searching for answers as well as you guys. Where do you want to try and go? Tick tock.

PBEM - Episode 326. Bath, Break, and Information.

THREE HUNDRED TWENTY SIX

(I/C)

“I dunno,” Wyn rubbed his chin. “But I tink I ‘ave dis Matron figgered out.”

Lyra was wrapping up her own bathing, Candella making her way over to the washing basin with Lannis’ towel and washcloth, and quickly scrubbed the two towels that were already in there. They made a wumbling noise as they were rubbed vigorously over the washboard, and then once cleaned, she rinsed them clean. Taking them with her back around, she placed the blue gem over each one of them, and the water in the towels wicked away, leaving them dry. She gave each one a flick and folded them swiftly, replacing them on the rack. “Are you about finished?” the Matron asked Lyra.

“Oh yes,” the Cleric agreed, ducking down low enough once more to rinse her hair a last time and then stood up, arms folded across her body. She stepped into the offered towel and sighed as she dried herself off. “Matron, I cannot thank you enough. This was wonderful.”

“I live to serve, Summer’s Child.”

“You know,” Lyra continued, “There are lovely baths on the floor beneath us as well. Are those also your territory?”

Candella smiled. “In some fashion in the past they might have been, but as of these days, the halls are not safe for me to traverse so I limit myself and my time to here.” She tilted her head. “Maybe in one day they will be again.” She turned to the rest of the party, “Would anyone else like a bath?” she asked, already banishing the water in the tub with the blue gem. 

Abraxas looked over at Kovid and then held up his hand. "No se if the bath is el idea mejor por throwing off our scents, pero I'm sure it'll feel good.”

“Terrific, Honrado Salazar. If you wouldn’t mind removing your garments, I can get the water ready for you. By the time you are set, the Lady here should be dressed enough to make room for you.”

“Gracias. Eh, perhaps most of the bath hot, and then the end of the bath cold?”

“If you want, I can do that for you.”

Lyra had worked her shift down her body and had belted it in the middle, sliding her long skirt up. Dressed enough she vacated the area near the bath and the Fighter went next, dropping his equipment one piece at a time as he stripped off his armor plating. Turning to the wizard he asked, “Perhaps, Señor Laffest, you can EsCry on La Dyke-chess antes we leave? Then we can head right for her. Finish her off. Unless she is still gassy.”

“Sure, sure. As soon as I stop looking like a sexy lighthouse I can get right on that, Pointbreak.”

Brendon tapped Lyra on the arm. “Lass, lend me your flail if you can. I’d like to make a loop on the bottom of it. Something to help you keep from losing it in battle.”

She handed the Lolthian weapon over with a grin. “Thank you, Brendon. Something to keep the sling…er…Flail! Flail from flying off will do me good.” He unraveled another section of his rope and then cut it and began to unplait it (Remove 5’ of rope).

Placing one foot in the tub, Abraxas sighed and let his leg sink all the way up to his knee. “That feels muchos wonderful!” He reached over and took the offered washcloth and allowed himself to sink lower into the tub. Once there he sat down on the submerged bench and proceeded to scrub the grime and filth from his body. “Very very nice.”

“Your happiness is mine,” Candella replied.

Looking around, Abraxas asked, “Señora Candessa, theo-rhetoric-ally, como mucho tiempo would it require to charge the Ishtari Eye if someone had it in its box? Minutos, horas, dias?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t know that,” she said with a depreciating wave. “I am not a magic user, nor one of such wonderful brilliance. I would imagine that if there was such a person, she..or he..would know. I imagine it wouldn’t be long though.”

“Ah, gracias.” He glanced over at Lannis who already had the crate once more in his lap. He was running his fingers over the surface of the Crystal and smiling (Int >13, no roll) before giving a thumbs up.

Meanwhile Lyra had fully dressed and was running her fingers through her damp hair, untangling the few knots with her fingers. She held out a bar of the elven soap to the Matron and bowed her head slightly. “Please, Matron. For your hospitality.”

Looking it over, the goblin closed her one eye and bowed her head in return, taking the soap. “I thank you, Summer’s Child. Blessings of the goddesses and your own upon you.”

“I wanted to ask, Abuela,” Abraxas casually pointed his washcloth at the Matron, “How close are you with the goddesses? Which of them do you feel the closest to? How close with Morrigaan are you? Lolth?”

“So many questions, Honrado,” she chuckled, spreading her hands softly. “There was a time that all the goddesses were worshipped and honored equally. I have been privy to their touch, their miracles, and their presence at all different times. I am in a unique position to have been lucky to be so. So as for any that I feel closest to? That’s like asking a mother to pick which child they love the most. I revere and love them all as equally as I can.” She shrugged slightly, “I do feel the most sorry for Lolth. I feel that she was unfairly targeted by the worm’s mother. Dissension was spread and the Ispan made decisions based upon the advice of his most learned theologians, without learning of what the long term effects of such an edict would eventually wrought.”

“Si, si.” He dipped his head and sighed. “What of her children? Have they all been dispatched or sent away? Are any remaining here?”

“Lolth had many children, she is the Mother and that is her aspect. Children are the future and are not dispatched or sent away. A child’s place is to learn from its parents and those who raise and nurture it. A day will come when the child will grow and have to take on adult responsibilities. The best a mentor can do is to shower a child with love and respect for they are hungry for it. And finally to trust that the child would do the right decision at the right time without regret.” She turned to Lyra, her voice growing stronger, and asked the cleric, “Don’t you agree, Summer’s Child?”

“Ah, yeah, um. Sure!” Lyra seemed to be unsure and then casually offered. “I mean take me, right? I regret even coming here. I mean, I could have not taken this job and not had to be abused and go through all of this and been happy in my own little much smaller unfettered world back in Specularum.”

“Priestesse,” Wyn frowned. “Are you serious?!”

“Me?! Maybe. Yeah…No, not really.” She sighed and frowned. “I guess I’m really sorry that I second guessed myself at one point. I mean, the Goddess Aine had offered to give me the power to charm and control snakes, and I like snakes, I do. But I thought, when am I gonna run into snakes? Seems rather limited. So I didn’t take it and then WHAM. We run into them and I’ve regretted my decision ever since.”

“Abuela, can I ask you some questions about the other people in the Castle?”

“You may, but remember, I am not at liberty to reveal anything about the others that might walk the halls. The same way that you would not want your private comings and goings telegraphed.”

“Oh. So…what Mirabelis would want? What she desires more than working for Corfard? Something that could entice her to leave his employ?”

“I wouldn’t know, Honrado Salazar. You might ask her if you wished.”

“Oh..do you know anything about the goblin that teleports around?” he tried to ask next.

She smiled softly and replied, “Again, I could not tell you, Honrado.”

Lannis frowned. "Candella, you won't tell anyone we were here, will you?”

“Not at all, Magister Lannis,” she replied.

“Great, great,” he felt around his backpack blindly, fingers reaching in, “I don't have much to HOLY SHIT I CAN SEE AGAIN!” the light coming from his eyes ended and he blinked a few times marveling at the room. ON seeing the Matron his brows rose in surprise. “Ok, didn’t expect that,” shaking his head he took out two of his elven rations and handed them to the goblin. “Look, I don't have much to offer, but please take this."

She bowed her head low and smiled. “Thank you, I appreciate the effort and gesture.”

“Hmm,” Abraxas was tapping his foot under the water, trying to think of something the Matron could answer him. “Then..What is Nergal to you?" He asked hopefully. “Can you tell me that?”

“He is the great unclean one, Honrado. Foul, decay, and filled with a hunger to devour the world in filth, disease, and pestilence. As for anything else to me, he is a non entity at best, easily dispatched with clean air, sunlight, and warm fire.” She held the yellow gem up. “Are you ready for the cold now?”

“Si, si!” He steeled himself as she lowered the yellow gem and the water cooled rapidly. Shivering he grinned at the party and then ducked uner the water, sputtering as he sprayed water everywhere. “Now THAT is refreshing!” Abraxas spent the last few minutes rubbing the cold water all over his body before making his way to the steps. He climbed out and took the towel the Goblin had offered him, rubbing the cold off his skin. “Abuela, that was fantastico.”

“I am so happy to hear that, Honrado Salazar.”

Sighing deeply, Kovid stepped up and raised his hand. "I guess it's my turn."

The Matron raised her brow in surprise, mirroring the confused and reflective look the dwarf had as he stepped up. “Goodson Manslayer, I am…pleased to hear you say this. Come, you are welcome here.”

Abraxas had gotten his cotton undergarments up and was already getting dressed. Giving the dwarf a thumbs up, he made room for his friend to step closer. Once there, Kovid lowered his three hammers and started to drop his packs and bags. "I apologize Gob... uhm, Matron Candella. My experience with your kind has never been, well kind, but you don't seem....” He paused, searching for the words and then gave up. Shrugging his breastplate off he pointed to the tray next to her. “The red gem please."

“As you wish, Goodson,” she said, fulfilling his wish and refilling the tub with hot water after banishing the filthy water away. “And I can hear the words you said…sas well as those you did not. I thank you for your thoughts.”

Kovid was quiet as he dropped the last of his clothing aside. Giving the water a once over he took a deep breath and then slowly lowered himself inside, groaning with undisguised pleasure as the hot water caressed his skin as he entered the bath. Once submerged, he took the offered soap and began to clean his hirsute body with a strong hand. “I'm no elf,” he began.

“No shit,” Wyn muttered, frowning at seeing that much body hair on any one creature that wasn’t either a wolf or a bear.

Kovid continued unaware of the elf’s comments, “but the prior keepers of this castle, disciples of Ishtari and the other three goddesses, seem to have aided our quest...,” he looked the Matron over with a calculated glance. “and aid us still. Thank you.”

“You are welcome, Goodson Manslayer. But I am a mere Matron here and keeper of the baths and not a great hero or adventurer as you are,” her one eye glinted in the candles that she had relit. “But I do what I can and hope that it is enough to help in some small way.”

“It does,” he said with content. “It does indeed.”

From the western door, Wyn lowered himself down to a seated position and gave Candella an introspective look. “I been thinkin, Matron... ye be born in deze lands, lived here longer than you cen remember, and ye be injured just as de castle be despoiled... may ye be some kind of avatar of dis place? Connected with the core of de castles very being?”

She glanced over at the elf and gave a slow grin. “Why Sieger, what an…odd thing to suggest.”

Giving her a sly smile in return, Wyn continued, “If this be true, I guess it be fitting dat you be de matron of baths for de princess. I suppose Ispen must have been very doting on his daughter.”

Her smile faded and her lone eye grew thick with unspent tears. “That is so very very true. Halgafar was a fair ruler, a wise counselor, and an honorable elf. But he was first and foremost a devoted father. His final thoughts as the rainbow ward snapped into place and then went horribly awry were of his daughter and her safety.”

It grew quiet except for the sounds of Kovid splashing in the water. “I’m sorry,” Abraxas said.

“Pardon?”

“I said I’m sorry.” He was twiddling his fingers slowly. “I totally screwed up when we were facing Seth.”

“Who the fuck was Seth?” Lannis asked.

“De Yailer.”

“Oh. The trog?!”

“Yeah. I should have worked harder to no allow the problem to escalate. We could have dealt with him fairly and given him what he wanted. And then had a deal to borrow it back again.” Abraxas ground his foot against the marble floor. “Also, Senor Lannis, you handled the blinding light spell better than I did and you also seemed to handle the fear spell better than we picked on you for doing. I regret being selfish and questioning my commitment to the group and this adventure.”

“Wow,” Lannis nodded his head slowly. “That’s…that’s really good, Abraxas. Thanks for saying that. And for getting my name right.”

“No problem, I haven’t gotten your name wrong once yet.”

The group chuckled and then it grew quiet again. Wyn turned back to Candella and further asked, “Are ye only de matron of baths?”

“I believe I have said that I am, dear Sieger,” she said with a smile. 

“Non, non. What I mean is, is dere a power source of some kind dat cen be restored in dis castle dat would rejuvenate you in some way, and extend your abilities beyond dis room? Or are you just bound to dis location?”

“Bound here? No, Sieger. I am not. But this is my first charge as impressed upon me by the Ispan so it is in that duty that I can…jettison any other tasks I might have been responsible for in order to…focus all my attention here. I have wandered the halls before but it is with trepidation as the usurpers forces have little love or respect for the Ispan or his charges. And I have been…hurt…often for my trespasses against them. So to answer your question, I can leave, but it is dangerous for me to do so and for the time being, brings with it only hurt and pain for me to do so.”

“I am so sorry.”

“Worry not. If the day comes and the usurper is driven from these halls, that will only help. And one day the Dawnlands might have a new Ispan to wear the mantle and bring green and gold back to Acreage. On that day I will stride the halls without fear once again.”

“I hope to be able to see dat one day.” The elf noted that the time was almost up. “Cen ye tell us more about de night dat de dragon en his minions came to despoil de castle?”

“There isn’t much I can tell. I can say that the Rainbow Ward had been failing after 3 decades and the worm had arrived anxious to plunder the Castle for its treasures. He came with axes and fire, with blood and with pain. His followers dug and struck and hit and worked themselves against the ward until Corfard himself used his own draconic life force to shatter the base of the ward. He then strode the grounds and broke parts of the Castle to make his way to where he wished to go. The halls were…teeming with unsavory types, and they plundered and searched and burned their way through.”

“What was that night like you ask?” she shuddered, her lone eye welling up with tears. “It was, for me, the end of everything.”

In the gathering silence, Kovid finally pushed himself out of the water and approached the Matron. “Candella, thank you.”

She wiped her eye clean. “You are welcome.” She drew herself upright again and looked over the party. “Well, I have enjoyed our time together and I hope you are feeling better and cleansed once again. Goodson Manslayer, please get yourself dressed and then I will unlock the doors. You will have a few minutes to yourself before the doors need to be opened, so be at ease. I am unsure of where your next destination is to be, but I wish you all the best of luck on your further journey.”With that she slid over the steel lock from the south door, and then the same on the west door.

And we could hear LOTS of noises and howling and yelling going on outside. Hobgoblin voices were shouting and there seemed to be strange echoes and banging noises coming through the baffles on the north end of the room. It seemed like there was lots of angry presences in the Adept’s chamber as well as the main hall north of where we were currently holes up

Time now is Day 8, 10:10 AM

(OOC)

Alright! And that’s it! Where are we going? What’s the plan? And you have 5 minutes before the doors can be opened by outside forces from beyond the chamber.