Dungeon of the Mad Mage (#9 PbP)

Where to, fellas? Wow, Azrael really hates animals now.

Grianne, at some point you gotta concentrate on that drow button.

(Oh, we killed them all that quick? Nice.)

Mr. Biggs rolls his shoulders a few times. "Well if that last showing ain't proof enough I could go for a breather, I don't know what else might be." He chuckles mirthlessly. "Speaking of breather. I heard some screaming from where those kindly women came from of the tortured variety. Probably wanna see to those folk sooner than later. You gonna be alright there Big Blue?" He kneels down nearby to look him over and even offer a shoulder for a boost up. "There's.. still the others as well in the cells. A half-elf and Hob, to be exact. If you fine folk don't mind, and you're up for it Evrik, think you can see to'em now while the rest of us go check out the others." 

He looks over to Azrael. "In fact, if you could use the breather, maybe you can keep watch with him?" 

Grianne keeps her concentration on keeping Dani as a giant ape. No real reason.

(Time to smash our way through the rest of the dungeon in under an hour)

AREA 7

This little subsection appears to be torture chambers. The walls of one room are lined with coiled whips, daggers, and other menacing tools. A small table in the center is covered with a pristine, white silk sheet. In the middle of the floor in the main southern room is a 10-foot-diameter circle of entrails surrounded with ghastly script written in blood. Four chaise longues carved from dark wood and padded with spider silk cushions are spread around the edges of the room. Another room appears to be a water torture room. A natural tunnel splits the middle of the south wall, and howling winds echo from deep within.

Evrik's mood darkens as he enters the room. The destruction, he thinks. But he is drawn somehow to the circle. He walks slowly to the edge of the shape on the floor and examines the script, attempting to discern its ghastly meaning. (Arcana with Guidance: 21)

Unfortunately, nothing is revealed to you. You can hear someone familiar laughing at you at the edges of your perception.

Unable to understand anything written here, Evrik continues to fall deeper within himself when he hears the laughter. He spins quickly, seeing nothing. What is it!? Leave me be! I did what I could, why do you continue? His brow furrows. his hand tightens around Myke and he spins as he brings the hammer down behind him, wafting through the air striking nothing.  

Many of the torture items have fresh blood on them, as if they have been used recently. You can either check out AREA 8, or free the prisoners.

OU812 sniffs the air with his olfactory sensors...”Enemy. They’ve been here recently. Be on guard for any traps being sprung.”

He’ll then search around for torture implements that can be repurposed by Stella as weapon enhancement do-hickeys. (Perception: 8)

To Azrael: “Hey preacher-man....you alright?  Maybe you should leave the fighting to us stronger lads?” ... He then snickers in a strange robotic way, but he’s only in jest, as he quickly walks over and helps his buddy back up on his feet and makes sure he’s all right. 

Grianne naturally let's her spell fade as shifts her concentration to the button she claimed.

The Button of T'rissa

You vision fades to black and you are taken to a place you have never seen before, deep underground.

The buttons coalesce into a horrible place, filled with darkness, cave like structures and bio-luminescence,  people with dark skin and white hair, and more spiders that you could possibly imagine. Among the masses in an ornate house is a beautiful woman, daughter of the ruler of House Auvryndar. Kneeling, she is communicating with her mother, and behind her is the avatar of creature from the very depths of your nightmares - a fusion of a titanic half spider and drow woman.

Lolth.

T’rissa Auvryndar and her family received a mission, and had assumed control of a section of Stromkuhldur and converted a temple once dedicated to Dumathoin into a hatchery for giant spiders. Under T’rissa’s command, the drow had begun secret experiments using humanoids as incubators for giant spider eggs - to some success.

PART 2 soon!!

Azraels body was weak, between gettign bashed by a triceratops of his own making, and pounded harshly by an ape fist, his right side was trembling. not out of fear, but the muscles and bones had been crushed harshly, and healed multiple times in a short period. His right eye was closed, and didn't seem like it was capable of opening itself any longer, in fact, the entire right side of his face seemed distorted, it was no longer sinuous, or serpentine in the same way the left side was. The jaw seemed slack on that side as well.

He didn't respond to either of the comment's made at him. Whether it was because he didn't want to, or that he couldn't, or that the spirit and gusto necessary to reply simply wouldn't manifest. His breathing was shallow, and all he could say to Lythril was Mm...

Azrael collapsed not long after being helped up, an obvious limp in his walk, for the three steps he managed to take before collapsing back onto the floor. He managed to roll himself over  onto his back, using his left side, his body laying spread eagle as he stared at the ceiling. 

His left hand rose telling them all to go, since he couldn't find the energy to say it. His robes were dark with blood as it soaked, and subsequently dried on the inside.

In his minds voice, he reached out, calling to Bahamut.

Oh Bahamut, I thank you for this life you've allowed me to lead. It was fulfilling. I have served your justice as best I could, in a manner I felt would make you proud. His chest heaved slowly, raggedly. While it is my hope, this is not the end of my service, if this is the time you desire to call me into the halls of your great home, into the heavens of Mount Celestia, I will not complain. But if it is your will for me to continue.. My body has been ravaged, partially through my own means.. I can barely feel my right side... It feels simultaneously numb, yet agonizing... I require your aid.. 

Religious Intensity: 1

As folk appeared to move on without heeding words again, Biggs asks for the keys from Alessa to see to the other prisoners in Area 5. If he couldn't assess whether they would be able to make to the surface or not, he goes about putting them out of their misery. At least he asks each time if they wish for such release, even if obviously they did not have the sense for it. But Wedge sticks with the group and acts as a scout whenever the group stops at length in an area at but a word from anyone. Until then he stays settled on Lythril.

Medicine: 6.

Danitriel shifted back to her elven form and breathed a sigh of relief, Grianne was obviously concentrating on something so Dani waited politely for her to finish before approaching her. "Hey Grianne, cool spell." She said with a smile before lowering her voice slightly and adding "Next time though, could it be something more stylish than an ape? Like maybe a tiger or something?"

Noticing Azrael's condition she added to the rest of the group. "Should I throw up a hut so we can rest and heal?"

Grianne will respond to Dani after she finishes part 2 of her vision.

PART 2

T'rissa was responsible for the creation of a trial called the Test of Lolth. Any drow who fails this test returns from the Abyss horrifically transformed into a drider and is instructed to flee by way of a southern tunnel nearby and never return, lest they be killed. Drow who pass the test return to this chamber as they were, with Lolth’s blessing and nothing more. A few subjects proved worthy - some did not. Your vision shifts and changes. You learn that the drow invasion of the Sargauth Level is just a precursor to a full-scale attack on a place further down called Skullport. T'rissa believes her experimental new incubation method will create larger and more formidable spiders. This will not come to pass, thanks to you all.

T'rissa sister has moved on to other areas of the level. House Auvryndar’s main stronghold in Undermountain much further below, and is under the direct command of her mother. She will not be pleased her daughter has been killed. Another of T'rissa's sisters has gained a foothold also someplace below and is waging a campaign of violence against another race on that level.

The visions give you an overall impression of dread that this is just the beginning of a large drow presence of House Auvryndar in Undermountain. 

AZRAEL:

Coming soon.

Grianne explains her vision to the group so they all know what she saw and the threat they face.

The voices leave Evrik and he looks around. Noticing the sorcerer collapsed on the floor he rushes to his side. "Forgive me friend, if I may call you that. This place haunts me in ways I do not understand. Let me tend to your wounds." Evrik lays hands on Azrael as he calls upon Truesilver once more to cure this creatures wounds and his hands take on a radiant silver glow as he bestows his gods healing powers upon the warrior. (+18HP)

Evrik takes a look around the room and the uneasiness returns. "Does this place haunt you as well? You seem... not yourself."

A few moments later, he stands, observing the destruction in the room. "These prisoners, we must help them if we can. But I fear they may yet still hold the evil of the Drow." He walks up to where the prisoners are being held and inspects them for signs of the experiments and its effects on them. (Medicine 9)