The Complex of Doom (IC) Thread 2

[Cavir]

Kricen hands the broom of flying to the Killoren for better scouting.

[J-H]

Caidacyn floats up on the broom of flying. She doesn’t detect anything large and living nearby, but she does see a couple of areas to the south where the mushroom caps seem to be moving around, similar to the Myconids she’s seen a few times on the surface.

There is one exit, a tunnel, from the northeast corner of the room. A broad but shallow archway exits the east side of the room about midway down, and there’s a large metal door (closed) near the southeast corner.

[RolandDeschain]

Kyron

With a distinct *THUNK* Kyron lands solidly, sweeps his long curly hair out of his face, and hands the broom back to Kricen. In his typical cocksure baritone he grins at the necromancer, "Maybe next time we send one of your meat-puppets....I'm not really cut out for this scouting stuff."

His pale blue eyes sweep the party, "Myconids to the south. Northeast is a tunnel leading out of here." Sweeping his gauntleted finger around, "Some sort of archway to the east, and a large metal door to the southeast. What's the map say?"

[razorback]

Taking a look at the maps, Shim shrugs as he turns them one way or another. "I can't tell. I guess it might be this." as he points at the map.

Spoiler

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Big map


Relevant map

[Cavir]

Spoiler: OOC

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Switching in RolandDeschain's Kyron for Dexam's Caidacyn.

Kricen has ranks in Decipher Script and talked with the map author so I'm assuming he can understand the map.

"As useful as my pets are, they would not have had the success you did, nor could they report their findings. Next time if you'll feel safer I can send the demon with you as long as you bring it back."

Kricen points to the goblin's map as he explains. "Look where things are relative to what we can see from here. We're at an upper passage. There's paths northeast, east, and southeast. Means we are right here and the ogres are through that metal door to the south. Myconids first though. If the ogres are that close and haven't wiped them out then not killing the Myconids should help us with the ogres. Any takers?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Knowledge check (1d20)[20]
+5 for Collector of Stories
Then whichever is valid:
Arcana: +9
Dungeoneering or Nature: +8
Local (Complex): +14

I'll pass the results on to the others.

[RolandDeschain]

Kyron

Leaning in a bit too close, and issuing a smile a bit too toothy, Kyron looks down on at Kricen and rumbles, "You more than most know that 'feeling safe' is merely an illusion." He claps the necromancer on the shoulder perhaps a bit too hard, and barks a laugh that would sound entirely sincere to an untrained ear.

Turning to Shim, "What say you, put that silver tongue of yours to good use and talk to the mushroom folk for us?"

[razorback]

Shim runs his hand through his short-cropped hair as he gives a grin. "Never spoken to an ogre, let along one who spends time in a library, so that's double interesting. Should I go forward and introduce myself, bring you guys up afterwards or we all go in together under a flag of truce?" the silver haired man asks.

[Cavir]

"Myconids first. Maybe they can introduce us to the ogres. Better if I at least hang back at first. They give you trouble and we'll find out if the Complex will reanimate them for me."

[J-H]

Kricen knows that myconids are fungal creatures that usually prefer to be left alone. If provoked, they are capable of releasing spores that spread over a large distance to signal each other, or to disable attackers. Those spores are can also be used to establish telepathic conversation with outsiders, although many authors consider this risky, as it requires a certain degree of vulnerability to the less benign spore types.

Myconids are not known for their intellectual abilities, and no written myconid language has ever been documented.

[razorback]

"Alright, let's see how this goes. If you hear screaming or what sounds like a giant mushroom eating someone, come running. That way..." he says as he points "... seems to be the likely way, eh?" with that, he starts to walk off, taking a white piece of cloth and hanging it on the end of his polearm.

[RolandDeschain]

Kyron

The imposing cleric looks around at the others, then scratches his head, to Matai and Kricen, "I reckon we best follow along.....at a distance mind you. Kricen, you sure these things can't speak?" With another hardy chuckle, he calls after Shim, "Be sure to think pretty thoughts! We'll be right behind you.....more or less."

Spoiler: OC

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We'll give Shim "space" enough to initiate first contact, but definitely want to be within shoutin' distance

[Cavir]

"Haven't figured out how to make them speak yet, but they are good at making others speak... words of pain."

Kricen casts a spell on himself then follows the others, with the undead following him, all quietly.

Spoiler: OOC

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False Life (1d10+7)[17] temp hp for 7 hours for himself and Gandalf (familiar).

[J-H]

Shim proceeds into the forest of mushrooms. His footsteps are muffled, nearly silenced, by a thick layer of soft, decomposing organic matter on the floor of the cave. There are different types of large mushrooms, with their stalks streaked in different colors resembling those of rocks of various sorts. Mushroom caps shade the light of the phosphorescent moss, weaving a pattern of light, shadow, and dark, all strangely colored.

He brushes one of the stalks, and is surprised at how soft it is – denting under a mere touch, shaking the cap above. A few moments later, a puff of air from his right carries a small purple cloud in front of him.

[razorback]

Shim, trying to be open-minded about his surroundings and who he is about to meet, steps back as he says "My apologies. My clumsiness was not intention." he says in the common tongue, hoping he isn't foolishly talking to something that can't communicate back.

[J-H]

Shim steps back from the cloud, avoiding it.

Another, larger cloud emerges from his left about a half minute later.

[razorback]

Shim, not sure if the mushroom is conscious or not, whether its a reactive or active gesture, moves around the cloud and tries to keep looking for one of the fungoids that is a bit more... ambulatory.

[Cavir]

Kricen whispers to the others in the back with him. "We haven't killed any of them, they haven't tried to kill any of us. A good start."

[J-H]

Shim looks around, but is not able to see any myconids. They can spray their spores from quite a distance away, and whatever myconid (or more than one?) is hiding from sight quite well.

[RolandDeschain]

Kyron

The cleric straightens, tired of skulking in the back, and standing tall strides forward toward Shim. Looking back at the others momentarily he smiles broadly and moves into the mushrooms, doing his best to not bump into the delicate stalks, but actively searching for one of the clouds to breathe in....

[razorback]

Shim continues to search around, not sure what he is exactly looking for in this forest of fungi, but making his presence abundently known.

Spoiler

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Spot
(1d20)[16]

[J-H]

Kyron allows some of the purple cloud to surround him, and sees small, fuzzy purple spores land on his skin. A few are sucked into his mouth. He feels a slight tingling sensation, and a few moments later, hears a fluting voice in his head. "Myconid food-land-home-safe place. Other-intruder-unsafe-foreign-meat-person presence undesired-unwelcome-threatening. Depart-leave-retreat."

[RolandDeschain]

Kyron

In a steady, very uncharacteristic subdued voice, Kyron looks toward Shim's location, "Shim. Stop moving about, then slowly move back by me."

Completely unfamiliar with communicating in this fashion, the warrior cleric repeats the strange words with his 'inner voice' by thinking, "Myconid food-land-home-safe place. Stay-safe-meat-people-no-threat."

Squinting his eyes a bit in concentration, Kyron tries to conjure up an image of the large metal doors that he saw earlier, then projects onto that image the party waving pleasantly at the myconids as they go through the doors, "Meat-persons-look-for.....ogres", he tries to project a picture of a group of ogres. Not knowing what the relationship between the ogres and the myconids might be, he adds one last thing, "Meat-persons-not-hunting-not-enemy. Meat-persons-only-travelers."

[razorback]

Shim, hearing Kyron, stops. turning his head slowly, he sees him enveloped in a cloud and wonders if its having some effect on him. With an internal shrug, he slowly retraces his steps as best he can back to Kyron. "Did you see something?"

[J-H]

“Depart-leave-retreat fungal-forest-home-farm. Travel-move-traverse barrier-wall-stone portals-doors-transit-places."

[RolandDeschain]

Kyron

Understanding the broken speech was difficult, but the supremely arrogant and self-assured Kyron was finding the requisite patience and calm of diplomacy infinitely more taxing. With sweat beading on his brow, he concentrates on projecting feelings of calm and assurance, "Yes-Yes-travel-portals-doors-transit-places."

Opening his eyes again he turns to Shim, "Gather the others, I believe they will allow us to move through the doors I described earlier."

The warrior cleric takes a calming breath and closes his eyes, focusing on feelings of curiosity and confusion, he tries to conjure up a mental image of ogres, "Big-meat-persons-doors?"

[razorback]

Shim, nodding, quietly moves to the others and whispers "Follow... mind your step and keep quiet, eh?" as he leads the group back to Kyron.

[J-H]

Kyron picks up a bit of distress as the others approach. “Travel-move-traverse barrier-wall-stone adjacent, depart-leave-retreat food-land-home-safe place! Builders travel-move-traverse penetrating-through-ghostly barrier-wall-stone.”

[RolandDeschain]

Kyron

Opening his eyes and glowering in frustration, Kyron shrugs and moves back to the others, "I believe they want us to go around their mushroom farm by moving along the near wall to the doors. Seems like they know the ogres as "the builders", and that they move through some sort of "ghostly" door or opening in the wall.....I dunno...maybe an illusory wall or something."

Doing his best to brush the purple particles off of his clothing and skin, the warrior cleric turns and clumps toward the adjacent wall, "Come on, let's see what we find....stay out of the mushroom field, doesn't seem like we'll learn much there anyway."

[Cavir]

Kricen nods in approval. He follows the others and has the undead follow behind him with instructions not to bother the large plant life. If there is a tight spot the necromancer will actually detail the way through for the undead. Don't need to make enemies here.

[J-H]

Working your way along the edge of the room, you come to a large tunnel in the northeastern corner. The tunnel is roughly cylindrical, and clearly not artificial in make. It leads off to the north. You can explore it, or continue south along the eastern edge....