IC VIII Lost in the Flood

[CoffeeIncluded]

"No! NO!" Natalia screams, shaking the drow in his chains. "Please! Up! WAKE UP! I only--only--" She starts choking and sobbing, slumping against the dead drow as she vainly tries to rouse him. "PLEASE! NO! I'M SORRY!"

But he's beyond help. He's dead and she wanted to help and he's dead and she killed him and she wanted to free him and help him and heal the poison but he's dead and she killed him and he lied to her he lied to her he lied to her and she killed him and he lied to her he gave them poison and not the cure

"YOU!!!!!!!" Natalia screams, leaping onto the gnome, sobbing hysterically as she grabs him by the neck and forces him to the ground, slamming his head against the dirt. "LIAR!!!! WHY?!?!?!?!"

[CWater]

"Natalia, leave him be", Rhenner says not much emotion left in his voice, "We have more important things to worry about. Besides", he gestures at the room (though being invisible, no one can actually see that), "he's been in here. What more do you think you can do to him?"

The medic walks back to Orgun, though on the way he can't help asking, "Was that really necessary?", the question directed at the deepgnome, but otherwise he directs his attention to treating the badly wounded orc. They need to get out of here, and it would be much easier if everyone could walk.

He takes another look at the potions, studying them carefully before even considering about using them.

Spoiler

Show

I don't know how many rounds he has, but I think this occupies him for a few.

Heal: (1d20+15)[23]
Use for whatever is needed, including treating poison, etc. I'll roll more if needed.

Rhenner will also use the CLW wand on Orgun. As many charges than is needed to get him up on his feet.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia isn't listening to Rhenner. She isn't listening to anyone other than her pain, grief, bitter failure (cant save anyone couldn't save him) and growing red-hot rage.

"WHY?" she screams, slamming his head into the ground again. Some dark part of her hopes it hurts. "Would have helped you all?! What was the point of that?! WHY?!"

[Admiral]

The svirfneblin wheezes out a breath that sounds like it might be a faint attempt at a laugh.

"Guess you'll... never know. What are you going to do?" he whispers. His lips curl back in a twisted smile. Up close, his teeth look longer and sharper than the surface gnomes Natalia is familiar with. "Torture me?"

Natalia feels a small hand grip her shoulder. "Natalia, please don't..." comes a quiet whisper from behind her.

Spoiler

Show

FWIW, Natalia doesn't necessarily have to listen to Shiny and Rhenner. They're just acting in character. She should follow hers.

[CoffeeIncluded]

The svirfneblin wheezes out a breath that sounds like it might be a faint attempt at a laugh.

"Guess you'll... never know. What are you going to do?" he whispers. His lips curl back in a twisted smile. Up close, his teeth look longer and sharper than the surface gnomes Natalia is familiar with. "Torture me?"

The gnome barely finishes his sentence when Natalia plunges her sword into the back of his throat and yanks back, tearing out the back of his throat and ripping his tongue in half. In the same movement she slices his abdomen open, spilling the contents inside him. But he's still alive. The wounds are fatal, but not immediately so. He'll linger several painful minutes before dying

Natalia feels a small hand grip her shoulder. "Natalia, please don't..." comes a quiet whisper from behind her.

Natalia stays there, kneeling over the gnome, shaking ad clenching her teeth. She stays there a moment before a keening noise rips its way out of her throat into a cry as she plunges her dagger into the gnomes chest.

[Admiral]

Shortly after Mithril summons the monstrous tentacles, she hears a shout in Undercommon from the other side of them.

Spoiler: Undercommon

Show

"The reinforcements must be here, they've trapped us in!"

[CWater]

The gnome barely finishes his sentence when Natalia plunges her sword into the back of his throat and yanks back, tearing out the back of his throat and ripping his tongue in half. In the same movement she slices his abdomen open, spilling the contents inside him. But he's still alive. The wounds are fatal, but not immediately so. He'll linger several painful minutes before dying.

As Natalia stays there kneeling over the gnome, shaking with her weapon in hand, suddenly another cut tears through the svirfneblin's bleeding throat, deep enough almost decapitate him. A moment later a sickle that made the cut and the half-elf holding it fade into view. Rhenner lifts his gaze from the dead gnome to Natalia, and the lines under his eyes look deeper and more numerous than ever. "Now there are two killers here who didn't wish for it", he says with a voice barely louder than a whisper, "I hope you are satisfied."

[CoffeeIncluded]

The gnome is dead before Natalia can finish her blow. Natalia looks up slowly as Rhenner appears. He looks so old, and so sad.

And Natalia's there young and small and covered in blood, furious and scared and the rage drains from her like an opened abscess. She's kneeling there holding a dagger and it doesn't matter that she was going to end it quick becaisw right then and there she wanted to make him hurt for what he did, what he made her do, what she did. What she did.

She sits there in the torture chamber and really, how different is she? How much different is she from them? It was only for a moment, one moment of rage and he deserved it but no.

How is she different? How is she better? How can she call herself that? They're just excuses.

Natalia looks up at Rhenner, and the words finally register. "Rhenner...you didn't...I wasn't...I..." The words are less than a whisper, less than a whimper. She looks down again, unable to bring herself to look at Rhenner, and silently starts to weep.

[CWater]

"We need to leave", Rhenner says, getting up. He wipes the sickle clean of the worst blood and returns to treating Orgun, "Now if I got few moments of peace without anyone dying, we might not need to carry him out of here. Someone check the corridor for what the situation is. If there are still prisoners in the cells, free them." He doesn't look back at Natalia, and who knows where the invisible Shiny is, but concentrates on the healing, shutting away all other thoughts. If he could get the orc to wake up, that would be a start.

Spoiler

Show

He might yet listen to her. But not at this moment.

Sorry he's being a little rude with giving orders to you. Obviously you'll do what you want.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia nods, unable to bring herself to look at Rhenner, or wherever shiny might be. Her movements are almost mechanical as she pulls herself off the ground and walks to the door. Just before she lifts the iron bar, she looks back. "Rhenner, shiny, I...I'm sorry..."

She needs to say it, but honestly what does it matter? How can it possibly atone for what she did?

Natalia slowly walks out of the room, only quickening when she heats the shouts of prisoner that still remain. She has to help (but will they hurt?). She has to save (but do they deserve it?) She has to do something (no way to know, not with people like Stephan and Rook and Orgun here. And even the criminals don't deserve the shredder, what she did).

Spoiler: Couple questions

Show

how many people are left? And what about Zik's room?

[Athedia]

"Stephan, what are they saying? And I am sorry you had to see this... it was the only way I could think of to stop him."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

At Stephan's translation Mithril grimaced, she had been afraid people would think that. "Could you tell them that we are not guards but an invisible guard or someone is trying to escape."

[CWater]

The healing doesn't have the kind of effect on Orgun as Rhenner would have hoped. The worst of his wounds have closed and his skin colour seems a little healthier (he does not have that much experience in treating orcs), but he's not waking up. After ruling out some other possible conditions, the medic concludes that a mind-affecting poison is most likely behind this. Based on those eye movements and the colour of the eyeballs, he'd guess it's the kind that has taken away all sanity, leaving only mad nightmares.

The healer glances at the unknown potions, but identifying them would take time, and after the incident with the drow, he'd rather not test their luck. So instead he retrieves a scroll from his bag, the one that Natalia gave him back in Deldon. A small shadow passes through Rhenner's face, but he quickly directs his attention to the scroll, muttering the words to invoke the divine power stored into it.

Spoiler

Show

Rhenner will put the potions to the BoH if he can.

[Dusk Eclipse]

[SPOILER]

Mithril grimace and clenched her fists as if she was about to pull up weeds. ""<Draconic> Rise and Fight! </Draconic>

At the enterance to the small barracks the ground shuddered and cracked, spilling forth a sea of tentacles. It was as if the gates of some unknown hell had finally opened and those inside were fighting to escape. She wanted to turn away from them, but didn't want to see Stephan's reaction. "I doubt he will be able to sneak past those."

"Wow, I've never seen Black Tentacles in action before" Stephan can't completely hide the amazement on his voice*

"Stephan, what are they saying? And I am sorry you had to see this... it was the only way I could think of to stop him."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

At Stephan's translation Mithril grimaced, she had been afraid people would think that. "Could you tell them that we are not guards but an invisible guard or someone is trying to escape."

"I can try" Stephan clears his throat before yelling over the mass of writhing tentacles <UC>"We are not guards, someone or something is trying to escape through here." meanwhile he starts to tighten straps, latches and everything in order, it seemed that they would be trapped in there for a few minutes at the least, so there was no reason to fix his armour.

Spoiler: *

Show

Stephan is trained in both Spellcraft and K:Arcana and he should be able to reliably (assuming he can take 10) identify spells up to level 10 and I rolled really well on my previous rolls.

[Admiral]

Spoiler

Show

Natalia doesn't know the state of the rest of the prison from inside the Shredder, she can hear some vague shouts and movements.

At Rhenner's magic the orc roars awake with a crazed bellow, and rattles his chains violently. Suddenly he blinks, confused, at seeing the unfamiliar faces of Natalia and Rhenner. He looks around the Shredder and sees the two other prisoners dead.

"This is.... more of your tricks, torturer?" he grunts, half-crazed. The scroll seemed to have restored his sanity but certainly not his trust.

Spoiler

Show

I believe his chains haven't been unlocked yet. Natalia can use the checks from before: the 29 opens one, but the second one does not (though Rhenner can shatter)

----------

"I can try" Stephan clears his throat before yelling over the mass of writhing tentacles <UC>"We are not guards, someone or something is trying to escape through here." meanwhile he starts to tighten straps, latches and everything in order, it seemed that they would be trapped in there for a few minutes at the least, so there was no reason to fix his armour.
[/QUOTE]

"<Undercommon>Well you can believe we are!" comes an irritated shout back, but then there seems to be some quiet discussion, and deep within the prison he . Then he hears a loud voice, that sounds vaguely like Aldus's. "<Undercommon>Nixar's among us, invisible. Spread out and find him. We'll be leaving here soon, but he won't be.</Undercommon>"

Spoiler: *

Show

Stephan is trained in both Spellcraft and K:Arcana and he should be able to reliably (assuming he can take 10) identify spells up to level 10 and I rolled really well on my previous rolls.

Spoiler

Show

Perfectly reasonable to me

[Athedia]

Spoiler

Show

Natalia doesn't know the state of the rest of the prison from inside the Shredder, she can hear some vague shouts and movements.

At Rhenner's magic the orc roars awake with a crazed bellow, and rattles his chains violently. Suddenly he blinks, confused, at seeing the unfamiliar faces of Natalia and Rhenner. He looks around the Shredder and sees the two other prisoners dead.

"This is.... more of your tricks, torturer?" he grunts, half-crazed. The scroll seemed to have restored his sanity but certainly not his trust.

Spoiler

Show

I believe his chains haven't been unlocked yet. Natalia can use the checks from before: the 29 opens one, but the second one does not (though Rhenner can shatter)

----------

"<Undercommon>Well you can believe we are!" comes an irritated shout back, but then there seems to be some quiet discussion, and deep within the prison he . Then he hears a loud voice, that sounds vaguely like Aldus's. "<Undercommon>Nixar's among us, invisible. Spread out and find him. We'll be leaving here soon, but he won't be.</Undercommon>"

Spoiler

Show

Perfectly reasonable to me

Mithril sighed as Stephan translated. It might have be kinder for Nixar to run into the tentacles that face the horde of prisoners. But it couldn't be helped.

"Most people don't react so well when they see the tentacles. I certainly didn't my first time."

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia turns back from the door when Orgun wakes. She looks back and says, in a quiet and sad voice, "No. We're looking for him. Stephan's with us; were breaking you and Rook and everyone out." She sighs and says, more to Rhenner and shiny than Orgun, "...I'm sorry. I need to help everyone..." before leaving, and leaving the door closed but unbarred, heading to open the remaining cells and search for Zik.

Spoiler: Clarification

Show

we freed Orgun first. Nataloa got a 27 on the open lock check and Rhenner used shatter on the other. Can se use the 29 open lock check on one of the cells? She's going to free the rest of the prisoners and check on Zik and his cell now.

[CWater]

Spoiler

Show

Natalia doesn't know the state of the rest of the prison from inside the Shredder, she can hear some vague shouts and movements.

At Rhenner's magic the orc roars awake with a crazed bellow, and rattles his chains violently. Suddenly he blinks, confused, at seeing the unfamiliar faces of Natalia and Rhenner. He looks around the Shredder and sees the two other prisoners dead.

"This is.... more of your tricks, torturer?" he grunts, half-crazed. The scroll seemed to have restored his sanity but certainly not his trust.

Spoiler

Show

I believe his chains haven't been unlocked yet. Natalia can use the checks from before: the 29 opens one, but the second one does not (though Rhenner can shatter)

Spoiler

Show

We freed Orgun first, right after we came in. So he's lying on the floor, not hanging from the wall.

"A few of us have been tricked here, including a celestial weasel. No, don't ask", Rhenner replies in a tired voice, "And while you really need rest I'm afraid there is no time. Can you get on your feet? We need to leave."

Spoiler

Show

Assuming Orgun is cooperative enough to at least head for the door with us:

Before they leave, Rhenner glances back at the accursed room. "Do you still have the powder that 'enhances the power of fire'?", he asks Natalia, his eyes not leaving the torture chamber, "Can you spread it around here?"

[CoffeeIncluded]

Spoiler

Show

Assuming this happens:

Spoiler

Show

Assuming Orgun is cooperative enough to at least head for the door with us:

Before they leave, Rhenner glances back at the accursed room. "Do you still have the powder that 'enhances the power of fire'?", he asks Natalia, his eyes not leaving the torture chamber, "Can you spread it around here?"

Natalia sighs and turns back. Any other time she'd be grinning with anticipation at this part, and indeed some part of her still is, but as for the rest...too much of the joy has been taken out of the last step. Especially since two corpses remain in the chamber, and only one of them definitely deserved to die. At least they can make sure this room can't be used ever again, or for a long time at least.

"Stand back when you set it off," Natalia says, sadder and tired than she'd like to sound when saying or doing something like this. She takes about a pound or two of flamepowder in a sack and, grunting, lobs it towards the part of the room that contains the most...devices. The bag bursts on the chains and knives and sends gray powder scattering. She then turns and slumps off to the cells.

[Admiral]

Natalia opens the door and steps out. The indistinct sounds of iron doors opening and prisoners moving being more distinct as she leaves the Shredder. She looks down at the guard she had killed on the way in, but his corpse has already been stripped of its weapons, presumably by the former inhabitants of the now empty cells she sees along the corridor. Her darkvision doesn't reach very far down the tunnel, but she can hear the movements of prisoners ahead, and a few scattered words- <Undercommon>...be in a cell, keep the doors closed...", "...quiet I can't hear...</Undercommon> that seem to indicate a search is underway.

Spoiler

Show

CWater can post the "toss the fireball, walk away without looking at the explosion" post if she likes, Shredder is ready to blow.

--------------

Mithril stands her ground with the tentacles, counting off the moments that the writhing appendages remain under her control, as Stephan prepares her armor. She hears a few vague shouts from the direction of the cells. As her magic runs out, Stephan hears a shout- <Undercommon>In there, in there GRAB A HOLD OF HIM-" just as her spell vanishes.

Spoiler

Show

Note that your timelines are not necessarily synchronized, which is the least I can do in terms of keeping metagame information out. I know the extent to which they are and if you interact will adjust accordingly.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Maybe she should have paused to pick up the weapons. Natalia allows herself this thought as she heads towards Zik's cell. The conversation makes her pause. Maybe she should help. Then they can free everyone. With that thought she runs ahead and takes a bit more powder into her fists.

Spoiler: Questions

Show

so I guess we should disregard my ooc post.

Should Natalia make a listen check? And don't forget she has whiskers with her, so she can see 120 feet and f Nixar gets within 60 feet of her he's blinded and takes a -4 to move silently.

EDIT: Shrederrs about to blow so Natalia picks up whiskers? Gotta go. Sorry. I'll make a listen check when allowed after surgery.

[CWater]

When they leave the Shredder, Rhenner pauses at the door, looking back. If Whiskers is still inside chasing after the invisible Shiny, he lifts a familiar bottle just a little out of his bag, "Whiskers, you have two options: Jump to the nothing-bag or run after Natalia. Staying here is not on the table, since I don't want your wizard to murder me in some twisted manner only their kind can is capable of. So pick one quick."

Spoiler

Show

If Protection from Energy will also apply to small creatures on ones shoulder/bag Whiskers has a third option of staying with Rhenner.

He can't see Shiny leave, but he trusts the gnome to have that much sense in him.

The cleric casts one of his last spells to grant himself some protection against flames. He is well aware of the radius of a fireball, but he's not sure how the powder will change it. After everyone still breathing have left the torture chamber, he picks up one of the orbs from the necklace in his bag. He throws one last slightly apologetic look at the two dead bodies left in the room. They never got to leave it. He clenches his fist and the fire sphere in it tight and backs away from the door.

Spoiler

Show

As far as he can to still be able to cast the orb through the door. (He's angry, not stupid. And Natalia told him to keep a distance.)

Without further ceremony, he throws the fireball to the Shredder, not taking his eyes off the small orb as it flies towards it.

Spoiler

Show

Sorry, no dramatic walk-aways. He wants to see it.

Fire Damage, I suppose: (5d6)[15] Note that he took this one from the second necklace that he carries in the BoH.

[Athedia]

Whiskers dashed out the door and out of the area. He paused looking back at Rhenner and then when the cleric out of the Shredder and away from the explosion jumped on his leg and climbed his way up.

[CoffeeIncluded]

The explosion still makes Natalia jump, even as she runs to Zik's cell and starts searching. When rhenner and shiny run by she asks, "Please help me look, or find Nixar before they..." she trails off, closing her eyes for a moment before launching back into her search, keeping an ear open for any suspicious sounds. If she hears Nixar, she stop searching to hunt him down, and will then go back to searching the cell.

Spoiler: Is this ok?

Show

did I make things make sense now? Please tell me if I need a listen check.

Search check (add +2 for aid another if Rhenner or shiny decide to help): (d20+16)[34]

Edit: Yes!

[Dusk Eclipse]

Stephan had been mulling on how to deal with an invisible foe, one that most likely was Nixar "I can't let him escape, but how can I catch him?" he knew they didn't have much time left before the tentacles disappeared.... "I don't need to catch him, I just need to slow him long enough for the others to come" he smiled as a plan took form in his mind.

The very moment the writhing mass of tentacles disappeared Stephan threw a small furry ball and suddenly a mule appeared on the hallway connecting the armoury and the other cells. Pleased with this Stephan simply orders the animal "Stay"

Remembering his sister's lessons, Stephan allows the spirits of the world to connect with him. "Don't panic, I just need you to warn me if you smell danger, specially if you can smell something but can't see it."

Spoiler: Action

Show

These are the actions for two different turns, I just figured it would be better to post them together just in case.
1st turn
standard action: use a charge of the survival pouch to summon a Mule in the squares of 22J 22K 23J and 23k (move action to get to there if he can't reach those squares from his starting position at 16N)

Second turn
standard action: use the spiritual connection to cast Speak with animals at CL 2
Free & Move: speak with the mule.

The survival pouch says to treat the mule as a summoned animal with the exception that it won't fight, I just want to use it as a choke-point and as an pseudo-alarm (they have scent)

[Admiral]

With a sharp intake of breath the elf cleric tosses a sphere of fire into the torture chamber, and moments later the blast springs forth. He had expected the heat but the sound takes him by surprise: he had heard it before in the tunnel trap, but this was far louder, like a dozen simultaneous thunderclaps. Fire and smoke burst forth from the Shredder's door as Rhenner feels the shock wave almost push him back.

Spoiler

Show

I'll say Rhenner takes a small amount of fire damage that is entirely prevented by his protection spell, but needs a Fort save DC 15 or is deafened for a round, and regardless of save has -2 to Listen for (1d4)[2] rounds.

(With a real world explosion it would more plausibly be force damage than fire damage, but this isn't gunpowder, it's firepowder, and I'm making the rules here).

Natalia runs forward counting off cells: she knows Zik's cell was the tenth from the entrance, and therefore the sixth from the back of the tunnel. The cells along the way appear to be empty, and she quickly reaches Zik's cell and tries picking the lock.

Spoiler

Show

Open Lock: (1d20+11)[20]

Natalia's first attempt to get into Zik's cell fails.

[Admiral]

Stephan summons his mule, and few seconds later he hears the sounds of a scuffle on the other side of the cells. "<Undercommon>Bring him down...</Undercommon><Undercommon>I got him!</Undercommon>" followed by what sounds like a series of kicks.

Spoiler

Show

Mule was an excellent idea, but the tentacles managed to keep him trapped long enough they tracked him down (rolled off forum).

Stephan can still cast speak with animals if he'd like to chat or give orders or he can investigate.

[Admiral]

Natalia tries to open the lock to Zik's cell again.

Spoiler

Show

Open: (1d20+11)[23]

[CWater]

The combined effect of heat, sound and pressure push Rhenner slightly off-balance and he has to lean to the wall to steady himself. What the... He instinctively places a hand on one of his ears that have gone deaf. That... did not just empower the spell. It had power of its own, and they say it's not even magical...

The medic is so stunned that it's not until he starts to hear again that he notices Whiskers climbing on him. "Made it away unscathed then", Rhenner mutters, his own voice sounding weird in his hurt ears that won't stop ringing. Well, it could be worse.

"Don't even think about it", he says sternly when the weasel approaches his bag, "If we both get out of here alive we can negotiate about the holy water, but for now, hang on to the shoulder until we find your master." He starts to hurry back towards the others.

Spoiler

Show

If Natalia hasn't opened the lock on Zik's door by the time Rhenner gets there, he'll shatter it.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Natalia tries to open the lock, and she nearly manages it. But every time she goes for the final movement--pulling the picks out, then down--she's reminded of her brutal attack on the deep gnome and jerks her picks out of place. So when Rhenner comes along she's hunched over, and can't fully look at him when she asks, "Help?"

[Admiral]

Once Rhenner has shattered the lock, Natalia rushes in and begins searching the cell. From the appearance of the cell, Stephan had not been exaggerating the kobold's mental state: the floor, walls and ceiling are covered in random, frantic scratchings. The cell is rather bare so appears to be little to find, and Natalia doesn't look forward to searching the wooden bucket in the corner of the room.

...lies the web that catches all souls...

Something catches Natalia's eye as she glances around the room. The stone in the corner of the room is scratched just like everywhere else, but the scratches seem to be swimming and rearranging themselves in front of her eyes, until they form readable words. It takes a moment for Natalia to understand: the scratches are not random, but form badly distorted words in an obscure language, one that the only the spell of Tongues grants her the ability to comprehend. Once she points them out to Rhenner, the elf recognizes the alphabet, but not from his education in the Church. He'd seen the language in the Arachnomicon; the alphabet is Infernal and the tongue Abyssal, the language of the high priests Lolth.