Simon will be willing to unlock the chains but will say out loud, "I am more than happy to help but I must insist that we wait for this deadly gas to dissipate."
Eppie hangs back, gagging, while Toa smashes down the door. Vox IV enthusiastically leaps straight through the battered door as soon as it's down, and Eppie follows much more slowly, only as the green poison cloud clears. She shouts through the doorway before she can see the prisoner. "Hold tight, Erik, this is EPI TAXIS, we're here from Command to rescue you, haven't found anyone else yet. And we sure haven't defeated any of these haunted folk. Don't mind the robot. Are you chained? Vox IV, break the chains please."
"Yeah. Chained to the wall for my 'insolence'," the voice beyond the green cloud gasps, "I'm not going anywhere." Then, grumbling to himself, in a lower, rueful tone: "Not that I could even if I wanted to..."
(OOC: I'll respond to the rest once it's clear everyone is through the cloud with no other intervening incident.)
Adams takes the full 20 damage mentioned in post #99, but he gets through the toxic cloud and into the room with Erik.
The cloud continues to slowly move down the hall, at a rate of 10ft/round (away from the cell, either slowly pushing the rest of the party away from the cell or forcing everyone to rush through to join Adams and Erik.
Once you get a clearer view of the figure, you see a man completely covered in plate armor of some sort. His face is mostly covered by his helmet, but there's a glass or crystal visor covering his blue eyes, and it seems to glow slightly. He's chained to a wall, but the chains fastened to his wrists are spaced so far apart that his arms are held straight out to each side. He doesn't have enough slack in the chains to lower his arms or bring them forward from the wall. He certainly cannot sit or lie down. Eppie may be interested to see various gears and wires showing under and around the joints. Both of his hands are covered in thick rubber "boots," like fingerless gloves.
His armor looks well made but dirty. You realize that his armor is smeared with dried blood. There's another one of the mutilated bodies on the floor, several feet away form him. He carefully avoids looking at the body.
As you approach, he says, "Lid Off!", and his helmet parts in the center and then retract into his breastplate somehow. Now you see a human in his thirties, handsome in a rugged outdoorsy way with a fair complexion and blonde hair. His face is covered in the short stubble of a few days. He says, "My name is Erik. I was with the expedition. Have you come to rescue us? Did you find any other survivors?"
As soon as anyone approaches to look at his chains, he starts to sound impatient, but not angry. You get the sense of carefully contained emotion."Sooner. Sooner would be better! I've been stuck here for one -- no -- two days now. My legs are killing me!"He groans as he bends his knees, and you're surprised to see that he doesn't sag down against the chains but instead floats up slightly scraping his back along the wall as his whole body rises slightly. A low rhythmic hum seems to emanate from his feet.
Adams, crying his eyes out, washes his face as best he can. Then he sets to working on freeing the prisoner.
“My names Adams. Back over there is Ben, my bear. What happened to you?”
Erik looks at VOX IV with interest as it attempts to "rend" the chains. When Adams can speak, Erik says, "Pleased to meet you, Adams. I'd shake your hand, but...well, that'll have to wait." He nods his head toward VOX IV's efforts.
In response to Adams's question, Erik tries to answer while he waits to be freed. He looks out toward the sickly green mist and tries to talk loudly enough for the others in his group to hear even if they cannot join Adams and Erik and VOX IV. He says, "My name is Erik Sigurdsson." He pauses for a moment as though expecting you to notice the name before proceeding. "I'm a scientist and have made a study of the ruins and artifacts of the Old World. When this place," his looks around, taking in the entire building, "was discovered and seemed to date back before the Spellplague, I was asked to join the research team that was sent to explore it. That was...it must have been about two weeks ago." He shakes his head, amazed that it was just two weeks ago.
"While we were exploring the facility, cataloguing the site, we found them: the Dark Lord and The Five. We thought it a fantastic discovery when we realized who they were! Historians have never known what happened to them. Imagine our excitement! But that didn't last long..." His voice trails off, and he stares blankly. A look of horror passes over his face, and you're afraid that he might be sick. But he swallows hard and continues, "At first, we thought that they were dead, just perfectly preserved by the freezing, dry air here, but it seems that some forgotten magic had put them into a deep sleep. In trying to learn more, we accidentally woke them up. We learned that they were very much alive. Almost as soon as they were awake, they struck! Several of our people were killed in the Brute's first onslaught. Others quickly fell under the influence of their spells. Powerful magic! Unknown since the Spellplague!"
Erik looks at Adams, trying to remember the original question. Then he continues, "When they realized how long they had slept, they wanted revenge. But the Dark Lord's mind quickly turned to domination. Since the world had changed, they wanted information. And help. When someone was no longer useful to them, they would hand them over to the Vizeer... If you've come through the courtyard, you must have seen his handiwork. They have powerful magic, but they were not familiar with creations like my armor. They tried to take my armor from me. When that failed, they insisted that I teach them. And they tried to force me to make weapons for them. At first, I stalled. Then I bluffed by creating useless things that had no real power. Finally, I refused. I was sure that they would kill me."
Erik finally looks down at the twisted body on the floor. "Poor Karl! They chained me up here. When that didn't convince me, they brought Karl here. A dear friend and colleague. They hurt him, and begged me to help them. But I couldn't. I knew that we were dead no matter what I did, and we couldn't give those monsters any more powerful weapons. When I still refused, the Vizeer forced Karl to...to do that...to himself." He closes his eyes and shakes his head, trying to banish the memories of Karl's screams. "They left his body here, promising a quick and painless death for me if I would make armor like mine for all of them."
Erik glances toward the door and the now-fading poisonous mist. "We must get out of here before they come back! You cannot understand the power they wield!"
Vox IV will continue to attack the chains until Erik is freed. Once he is, Vox IV makes a mechnical whirring sound and tugs at Erik and Adams with its claws, then trots towards the door where the poison cloud is still receding.
Meanwhile Eppie is still drawing back before the retreating cloud... trying to stay hidden as she retreats down the hallway and keeping an eye out for other threats or movement.
With a bit of hacking and slashing, Vox IV and echo-Toa are able to get Erik free of his chains.
Meanwhile, Eppie retreats to the courtyard to avoid the deadly cloud that is creeping down the hall... she doesn't notice anything particularly out of the ordinary as she enters the courtyard, and nothing immediately tries to murder her.
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With a bit of hacking and slashing, Vox IV and echo-Toa are able to get Erik free of his chains.
Meanwhile, Eppie retreats to the courtyard to avoid the deadly cloud that is creeping down the hall... she doesn't notice anything particularly out of the ordinary as she enters the courtyard, and nothing immediately tries to murder her.
Erik says, "Thank you!" The exclamation starts enthusiastically, but his voice breaks at the end, and he gulps down an exhausted sob.
Erik pats VOX IV and gives the machine a curious look despite himself. As it tries to lead them back to Eppie, he says, "Sorry, little one. You can go back, but we'll need to wait for the cloud to disperse." Since there doesn't seem to be any immediate danger, Erik walks unsteadily over to a chair. He sits and then spends the next few minutes alternately stretching and resting his back, arms, and legs, groaning slightly each time he moves to a new position.
Erik looks to Adams and echo/Toa and then peers toward the green mist. He tries to project as he talks so that those still in the hallway can hear him. "If the Dark Lord and his allies are still here, we're not safe here. We need to get out of here as soon as we can. What's the plan?"
(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - does Erik know for sure whether there are any other survivors?)
(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - does Erik know for sure whether there are any other survivors?)
It doesn't seem likely, but you do remember there were a few others who were taken by Lord Tenebris and his minions who you did not see again... you would have probably assumed that they met a grisley end, but there is a chance that they might have been taken as slaves or otherwise been more useful alive than dead.
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(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - does Erik know for sure whether there are any other survivors?)
It doesn't seem likely, but you do remember there were a few others who were taken by Lord Tenebris and his minions who you did not see again... you would have probably assumed that they met a grisley end, but there is a chance that they might have been taken as slaves or otherwise been more useful alive than dead.
"I guess you didn't expect to find the Dark Lord and his allies alive and running around this facility," he says, trying to give the group an easy excuse to leave right away no matter what their orders are. After his ordeal, Erik is not enthusiastic about searching for other survivors when it seems unlikely that anyone else is alive. In any case, if he can find something to write with on, he'll take a pen out of his pouch and start making a list of the members of the first expedition. Erik figures that they should at least keep track of which expedition members are unaccounted for. He draws a line through one of the names (the friend whose body was on the floor near where he was chained up).
Toa (having swapped places with his echo to when teleporting past the cloud) now re-summons his echo, both standing beside Erik. He is still wrapping his head around this idea of a "Dark Lord" and his "minions". His wide forehead wrinkles as the wheels grind inside his head.
"You have met him? This Dark Lord? I think we saw one of them, a lion-like Hunter who shot arrows towards us before running away in a manner most unlike any lion I have heard of. That one also spoke of a warrior namedThe Brute who sounds as if he may struggle with his anger."
Toa grins ruefully, as if to say, Truth be told, so do I, sometimes...
"I put my trust in the strength of ancestors to shield us. I leave it to you other humanoids, constructs and lizard-birds to create this plan you speak of."
As the party is slowly driven apart by the advancing poison cloud, eventually Erik and Toa are left standing in the cell (possibly with Pinion), while the rest of the party are driven back into the courtyard. The mutilated corpses in the courtyard stand as a grim reminder of what is at stake if this Lord Tenebris and his servants prevail in a new campaign of conquest. What madness has possessed them, to engage in such pointless barbarism?
The doorway which the Hunter disappeared into still stands open. If you listen closely, you can hear something below... it sounds like something rattling and clacking, and it's getting closer.
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As the party is slowly driven apart by the advancing poison cloud, eventually Erik and Toa are left standing in the cell (possibly with Pinion), while the rest of the party are driven back into the courtyard.
(OOC: As the poisonous green cloud rolls down the hallway and away from his cell, is there anywhere else Erik, Toa, and Pinion can go? I gather that the cell was a dead-end, but are there other rooms or doors onto the courtyard that they can access once the cloud moves away from the cell but not far enough for them to reach the exit that Eppie used?)
As the party is slowly driven apart by the advancing poison cloud, eventually Erik and Toa are left standing in the cell (possibly with Pinion), while the rest of the party are driven back into the courtyard.
(OOC: As the poisonous green cloud rolls down the hallway and away from his cell, is there anywhere else Erik, Toa, and Pinion can go? I gather that the cell was a dead-end, but are there other rooms or doors onto the courtyard that they can access once the cloud moves away from the cell but not far enough for them to reach the exit that Eppie used?)
There are a few locked doors lining the hallway that you could try to break through/pick the locks
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Simon will be willing to unlock the chains but will say out loud, "I am more than happy to help but I must insist that we wait for this deadly gas to dissipate."
"Yeah. Chained to the wall for my 'insolence'," the voice beyond the green cloud gasps, "I'm not going anywhere." Then, grumbling to himself, in a lower, rueful tone: "Not that I could even if I wanted to..."
(OOC: I'll respond to the rest once it's clear everyone is through the cloud with no other intervening incident.)
Adams will hold his breath and rush in to release the prisoner.
D&D since 1984
The cloud is so toxic that even holding your breath does nothing as the poison seeps into your skin and eyes... go ahead and make your Con save.
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Adams CON Save - 5
D&D since 1984
Adams takes the full 20 damage mentioned in post #99, but he gets through the toxic cloud and into the room with Erik.
The cloud continues to slowly move down the hall, at a rate of 10ft/round (away from the cell, either slowly pushing the rest of the party away from the cell or forcing everyone to rush through to join Adams and Erik.
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Adams, crying his eyes out, washes his face as best he can. Then he sets to working on freeing the prisoner.
“My names Adams. Back over there is Ben, my bear. What happened to you?”
D&D since 1984
Erik looks at VOX IV with interest as it attempts to "rend" the chains. When Adams can speak, Erik says, "Pleased to meet you, Adams. I'd shake your hand, but...well, that'll have to wait." He nods his head toward VOX IV's efforts.
In response to Adams's question, Erik tries to answer while he waits to be freed. He looks out toward the sickly green mist and tries to talk loudly enough for the others in his group to hear even if they cannot join Adams and Erik and VOX IV. He says, "My name is Erik Sigurdsson." He pauses for a moment as though expecting you to notice the name before proceeding. "I'm a scientist and have made a study of the ruins and artifacts of the Old World. When this place," his looks around, taking in the entire building, "was discovered and seemed to date back before the Spellplague, I was asked to join the research team that was sent to explore it. That was...it must have been about two weeks ago." He shakes his head, amazed that it was just two weeks ago.
"While we were exploring the facility, cataloguing the site, we found them: the Dark Lord and The Five. We thought it a fantastic discovery when we realized who they were! Historians have never known what happened to them. Imagine our excitement! But that didn't last long..." His voice trails off, and he stares blankly. A look of horror passes over his face, and you're afraid that he might be sick. But he swallows hard and continues, "At first, we thought that they were dead, just perfectly preserved by the freezing, dry air here, but it seems that some forgotten magic had put them into a deep sleep. In trying to learn more, we accidentally woke them up. We learned that they were very much alive. Almost as soon as they were awake, they struck! Several of our people were killed in the Brute's first onslaught. Others quickly fell under the influence of their spells. Powerful magic! Unknown since the Spellplague!"
Erik looks at Adams, trying to remember the original question. Then he continues, "When they realized how long they had slept, they wanted revenge. But the Dark Lord's mind quickly turned to domination. Since the world had changed, they wanted information. And help. When someone was no longer useful to them, they would hand them over to the Vizeer... If you've come through the courtyard, you must have seen his handiwork. They have powerful magic, but they were not familiar with creations like my armor. They tried to take my armor from me. When that failed, they insisted that I teach them. And they tried to force me to make weapons for them. At first, I stalled. Then I bluffed by creating useless things that had no real power. Finally, I refused. I was sure that they would kill me."
Erik finally looks down at the twisted body on the floor. "Poor Karl! They chained me up here. When that didn't convince me, they brought Karl here. A dear friend and colleague. They hurt him, and begged me to help them. But I couldn't. I knew that we were dead no matter what I did, and we couldn't give those monsters any more powerful weapons. When I still refused, the Vizeer forced Karl to...to do that...to himself." He closes his eyes and shakes his head, trying to banish the memories of Karl's screams. "They left his body here, promising a quick and painless death for me if I would make armor like mine for all of them."
Erik glances toward the door and the now-fading poisonous mist. "We must get out of here before they come back! You cannot understand the power they wield!"
(OOC: for the impatient, here's the TL;DR:
)
Vox IV will continue to attack the chains until Erik is freed. Once he is, Vox IV makes a mechnical whirring sound and tugs at Erik and Adams with its claws, then trots towards the door where the poison cloud is still receding.
Meanwhile Eppie is still drawing back before the retreating cloud... trying to stay hidden as she retreats down the hallway and keeping an eye out for other threats or movement.
Perception: 19
Stealth: 16
With a bit of hacking and slashing, Vox IV and echo-Toa are able to get Erik free of his chains.
Meanwhile, Eppie retreats to the courtyard to avoid the deadly cloud that is creeping down the hall... she doesn't notice anything particularly out of the ordinary as she enters the courtyard, and nothing immediately tries to murder her.
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Erik says, "Thank you!" The exclamation starts enthusiastically, but his voice breaks at the end, and he gulps down an exhausted sob.
Erik pats VOX IV and gives the machine a curious look despite himself. As it tries to lead them back to Eppie, he says, "Sorry, little one. You can go back, but we'll need to wait for the cloud to disperse." Since there doesn't seem to be any immediate danger, Erik walks unsteadily over to a chair. He sits and then spends the next few minutes alternately stretching and resting his back, arms, and legs, groaning slightly each time he moves to a new position.
Erik looks to Adams and echo/Toa and then peers toward the green mist. He tries to project as he talks so that those still in the hallway can hear him. "If the Dark Lord and his allies are still here, we're not safe here. We need to get out of here as soon as we can. What's the plan?"
(OOC: @Mister_Whisker - does Erik know for sure whether there are any other survivors?)
It doesn't seem likely, but you do remember there were a few others who were taken by Lord Tenebris and his minions who you did not see again... you would have probably assumed that they met a grisley end, but there is a chance that they might have been taken as slaves or otherwise been more useful alive than dead.
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"I guess you didn't expect to find the Dark Lord and his allies alive and running around this facility," he says, trying to give the group an easy excuse to leave right away no matter what their orders are. After his ordeal, Erik is not enthusiastic about searching for other survivors when it seems unlikely that anyone else is alive. In any case, if he can find something to write with on, he'll take a pen out of his pouch and start making a list of the members of the first expedition. Erik figures that they should at least keep track of which expedition members are unaccounted for. He draws a line through one of the names (the friend whose body was on the floor near where he was chained up).
DM is there anything else to investigate while we free the prisoner?
There's a horribly mutilated corpse on the floor... the rest of the cell was pretty barren.
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Toa (having swapped places with his echo to when teleporting past the cloud) now re-summons his echo, both standing beside Erik. He is still wrapping his head around this idea of a "Dark Lord" and his "minions". His wide forehead wrinkles as the wheels grind inside his head.
"You have met him? This Dark Lord? I think we saw one of them, a lion-like Hunter who shot arrows towards us before running away in a manner most unlike any lion I have heard of. That one also spoke of a warrior named The Brute who sounds as if he may struggle with his anger."
Toa grins ruefully, as if to say, Truth be told, so do I, sometimes...
"I put my trust in the strength of ancestors to shield us. I leave it to you other humanoids, constructs and lizard-birds to create this plan you speak of."
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
As the party is slowly driven apart by the advancing poison cloud, eventually Erik and Toa are left standing in the cell (possibly with Pinion), while the rest of the party are driven back into the courtyard. The mutilated corpses in the courtyard stand as a grim reminder of what is at stake if this Lord Tenebris and his servants prevail in a new campaign of conquest. What madness has possessed them, to engage in such pointless barbarism?
The doorway which the Hunter disappeared into still stands open. If you listen closely, you can hear something below... it sounds like something rattling and clacking, and it's getting closer.
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(OOC: As the poisonous green cloud rolls down the hallway and away from his cell, is there anywhere else Erik, Toa, and Pinion can go? I gather that the cell was a dead-end, but are there other rooms or doors onto the courtyard that they can access once the cloud moves away from the cell but not far enough for them to reach the exit that Eppie used?)
There are a few locked doors lining the hallway that you could try to break through/pick the locks
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