Shattered Star (IC)

[lostsole31]

The Pathfinders and their companions at the Crow piling of the Irespan, having cleared out the Tower Girls, strange beasts, and a colony of mites, and feuding devils (though making a truce with the Suzerain of Little Erebus), stand ready to delve even deeper into what secrets ancient Thassilon held here. And hopefully ... the Shard of Greed.

Paxre, Shadow Walker of the Dark Tapestry
Ichibod, Fire-Hunter from the Lyrune-Quah tribe of Shoanti (PFS)
Natalya, Thief-Acrobat and former Tower Girl
Dorit Warbear, War Mistress (PFS)
Bessel d'Skaven, Alchemist & Sharpshooter
The Scribe (Speckled Antelope), Martial Scholar (PFS), wielder of the Shard of Pride

[Duce]

Oww my back is killing me.

[lostsole31]

"Congratulations, Paxre, says Speckled. "By actually seeing you give your all in a vicious combat situation, having stealth and ambush qualities exceeding that of Natalya, you have just been promoted, such as it were. Natalya, most of your magic and your mindset are forbbattlefield control and partial offense, with good surprise. Paxre is our healer, but his first-strike capability is top end; if someone desperately needs healing ... because that is one of your primary gifts to this group, you can do what most clerics can't, which is to tumble pretty easily around the battlefield.

"Bessel, are you sure the wand wouldn't be better in your hands? I'm usually on the front lines, bombs might not work, and you have the genius to know when best to employ it. Otherwise, I'm happy to carry it as much as a curio as a combat option since I'm the only person here other than Dorit without any spell ability. I have a curse on my blood in that for all of my mental faculties I am unable to cast magic. But ask me about that later, we have a job to do."

[AtomicBanana]

"If we find ourselves in a combat situation, and it would be best if I were using the wand, then I will take it, but as a scientist, it has no value to me in my experiments."

Bessel shudders inwardly at the blatant disregard a creature of rational thought would have for others to force them to participate in experiments. The most effective volunteer is the willing volunteer after all, and Bessel's best primary test subject has always been himself.

[lostsole31]

Speckled: "I'll hold onto it, then. I'm pretty keen on when the law forbids such magics, so I at least have the discretion. Besides, after my abysmal failure with the scrolls, by the by, I will have to redouble my efforts in feeling the magic rather than just forcing it."

[nasus]

Dorit sits down next to Ichabod, not looking at him as she fiddles with a fingernail uncomfortably. Eventually she mumbles, "I'm...sorry for my overreaction. I did not expect it to...escalate in such a way."

[Duce]

It's OK, I did not realize how sore the subject was.

[nasus]

"I don't appreciate being made a fool." She gets up, clearly uncomfortable with the apology.

[lostsole31]

Speckled Antelope says to Dorit and Ichibod, then the party: "Don't worry, Dorit, few do but the juggling jesters. No, we all acted pretty monstrously just now. We failed to act like a team; we let emotions get the best of us with our own mates; we allowed our petty allegiances or gripes to be let out; we showed the worst kind of violent foolishness; and some even did nothing, not even verbalize a request to stop, when they had that power. No, the only one who did all they could was Clacky. Bessel, the next time the party starts to fall apart get those nets ready on Clacky. That's something you can do.

"Now, are we ready to move out .... as a team?"

[lostsole31]

There are several points of ingress/ egress for this room. Each will be given in roughly clockwise direction.

1). There is a passageway to the north. 50' distance there is a passageway to the west. 10' after is a pwy (passageway) to the right. The sounds of running/ sloshing water come from that direction.

2). 20' to the E along N wall is a door.

3). 20' where you now face is the 30-foot-wide balcony from which you came up into this room.

4). The spiral in the staircase goes down, but you get nothing from there.

5). Speckled Antelope & Natalya find a secret door along the wall to SE (runs NE to SW).

6). At the far south is a door.

7). On the NW wall (runs NE to SW) is another door.

All doors are untrapped and unlocked.

Speckled says "It stands to reason that these doors - three of them might be quarters/ labs for each of the derro. The secret door and spiral are unknown. The passageways to th N are likely the sewer complexes that lead here. I recommend going clockwise on the standard doors."

What say the rest of the group?

[nasus]

Dorit shrugs. "Sounds like a plan to me."

[Duce]

Sounds fine to me. Let me cast my Mage Armor Spell, and the Message spell on Natalya, Speckled, and Paxre, and Bessel Also nocks a regular arrow in his bow.

[AtomicBanana]

Bessel scratches himself, unconcernedly. To Speckled, he says, "If that's what you want, the next time someone falls off the deep end, they'll be netted. To be fair, though, everything seemed moderately well in hand until the end there."

He looks at the first door, draws his pistol, 50% sure there's still a silver bullet inside. "Who's first?"

[Duce]

Speckled, have you felt any stronger tugs on the Shard you carry?

[Duce]

Ichabod stands by the spiral staircase to provide cover.

[lostsole31]

Natalya, Paxre ... do you make any kind of preparation?

[Duce]

IB stands, scanning the room, including the ceiling. He maintains a distance of 10-15 feet back from each door being opened.

[Duce]

Paxre, who don't you hide by the edge of the door and be ready to stab anything that charges out, or slip in and stab anything inside.

[AtomicBanana]

"Clacky, stand in view of the room and ready your nets."

[Duce]

I'm a bit concerned about the two doors, especially the hidden one, by the stair case.

[AtomicBanana]

Bessel Initiative: (1d20+7)[16]

Clacky Initiative: (1d20+6)[20]

[TheCyberwoman]

Natalya draws her sword and stands back from the door. Prepared.

[nasus]

Dorit Initiative : (1d20+3)[8]

[TheCyberwoman]

Natalya initiative (1d20+3)[17]

[Duce]

Ichibod initiative (FT +2): (1d20+9)[26]

[Duce]

I'm going to keep back by this stairway to be able to put it between me and those doors as you open them in case I need cover.

[TheCyberwoman]

That, doesn't sound like such a bad idea.

[lostsole31]

The door is opened.

This twenty-foot square domed chamber contains a jury-rigged pair of low operating tables, complete with leather straps at both ends to hold the patients down.

Standing right in front of the doorway when it is opened is a creature with a terrible reek. It is a hideous patchwork made of equal parts troglodyte, duergar, giant spider, and giant rat, but with the lolling head of a half-shaved dwarf bearing a gaping trepanation to the side of its skull. It is alone.

Round One ...

R1T26: Ichibod is sickened by the smell, and thrown off by it, but he does recognize this creature.

Spoiler

Show

It's a carrion golem, a construct. Constructs are animated materials, and in this case it is an animated group of dead parts of other animals. Carrion golems are the "poor man's flesh golem," the latter of which is a far more powerful monster. Constructs are normally mindless and can't be fooled by any magics which affect the mind, and they are immune to a vast array of physical attacks as well. They do not need to eat, breathe, or sleep.

Constructs have no strength of mind that steels their body, no living animation in that regard. Still, they are very tough, tougher the bigger they get. They are designed to guard or attack and thus are very capable combatants.

As with many golems, carrion golems are resistant to weapons and nearly impervious to most magics.

Ichibod, you are "sickened." What do you do?

Paxre on deck, The Scribe in the hole.

[Duce]

[COLOR="rgb(255, 140, 0)"]It's a carrion golem! Watch yourselves, it is tough as hell and nearly immune to magic![/COLOR]

IC blasts it with an Frost Ray before diving behind the staircase.
ATK (1d20+7)[25]
DMG (1d3+1)[3]

[lostsole31]

Round One ...

R1T26: "It's a carrion golem!" Ichibod warns. "Watch yourselves. It is tough as hell and nearly immune to magic!"

Ichibod blasts it with a frost ray before diving behind the staircase. The force of the blast does nothing, as does the initial burst of cold. However, bits of the various pieces of patchwork corpses freeze and stiffen where they meet.

R1T22: Paxre, knows jack about constructs, other than what has been learned about Clacky. But "tough as hell" and "nearly immune to magic" is still pretty darn usefull information. Not sure if its bizarre physiognomy is vulnerable in areas or not, Paxre calls upon mystical training and martial skill to begin slashing the opponent to pieces while he blocks out the stench of the monster.
The first katana misses entirely as Paxre had to slightly duck Ichibod's spell. His first claw contacts for 11 damage, and the second one misses entirely in sacrificing for the first. His second slash with the katana smacks against overlapping pieces of flesh. It seems that as tough as they're supposed to be, and despite being walking objects, they still have "sweet spots" for the first strike.

Spoiler

Show

Remember, Paxre's position was shifted post-Ichibod slaughter to take front-line with Dorit as first striker.
FAA: Katana, claw, claw, and spending 1 ki for another katana attack.

R1T19: "Wow," Speckled Antelope shrugs wearily as the stench overcomes him. "You actually stumped me on that one, Ichibod. And here I thought it was some bizarre amalgam undead."

"Good first blood, Paxre, and amazing flurry. It also tells me that it isn't invulnerable to a well-placed blow like this..." he says as his ranseur goes right at its 'heart.' But with the stench filling his lungs, he doesn't quite have the power to push it through.

And subsequently, he looks like a jackass for his braggadocio.

R1T17: Natalya, you are in the second rank behind Dorit. There's no room to tumble around the "Carry-On Golem" (though this is one thing you'd rather have in checked baggage. The only thing you could do actively is to tumble through its square to get behind it on the other side to flank, or to cast a spell. The first would be incredibly tough, but would be epic if you succeeded .... then again, you are a thief-acrobat. Then it hits you ... the reek is terrible and might just throw off your balance as you are sickened by the smell.

What do you do?

Bessel, you told Clacky to ready his nets, but really no other stimulus. Like a summoned creature, you can direct him first and then take your turn ... or vice-versa. Be thinking about that while Natalya acts.