[IC] Keratia: Tales of the Arisen One

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Sylvia was ready to strike the mage and do some damage, however just before she could, the mage crumbled to ash, flew away from her, and reformed across the gap. Sylvia gave a deadpan look as the skeleton laughed at her. She retorted as she dodged the flames, “Ha ha. Very funny. You’re not getting away!”

She took in a deep breath before running and leaping over the gap to get next to the skeleton. She then took her chance and swung her staff before attempting to kick the skeleton.

Sylvia attacks!

Quarterstaff to hit: 19
Unarmed Strike to hit: 9

Quarterstaff Damage: 5

[Lucius Cypher]

Your staff smashes right into the skeleton's body, and you could hear bones cracking under the force of the blow. Your kick however was swiftly dodged as the skeleton's hand was enveloped in crackling electricity and it reached out to grab your extended leg. Fortunately you swiftly pull your leg back and made it miss. As he was about to make an escape for it a crossbow bolt hit him in the side of the head right where his cheek would've been if he still had that flesh left. Shortfang fired his bolt from his position before he too took a running leap over the the chasm and right to the skeleton, stabbing it through the ribs. Normally a dumb idea considering it's lack of flesh, but Shortfang used his position to crack a few more bones out from the skeleton causing it to groan in annoyance. Pylia summoned forth a divine bolt of fire, but due to all of the people in the way her shot went wide and failed to strike the skeleton.

Strangely enough the centipedes didn't stop their chase as they crawled up the walls, onto the ceiling, an reached all the way over to the platform you, the skeleton, and Shortfang was at. Both fell from the ceiling down onto the ground... If they were normal sized centipedes, this might've worked. But as larger beasts with more weight, they simply hit the ground in a violent splatter, possibly surprising you as both centipedes ended up killing themselves from falling from the ceiling.

Rolls and Info

Giant Centipede (A: Dead) (B: Dead) (C: Dead) - 20
Sylvia (10/15) - 16
Skeleton Mage (12/22) - 13
Shortfang (4/20) - 9
Pylia (5/17) - 4
Bat Swarm (Dead) -3

Skeleton mage Shocking Grasp vs Sylvia = 11

Shortfang Crossbow = 11/21
Crossbow Damage = 7

Shortfang Shortsword = 20/9
Shortsword Damage = 2

Skeleton mage Dex save vs Sacred Flame = 15

Both the Centipedes end up killing themselves due to fall damage!

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Sylvia let out a "Woah!" as she quickly pulled her leg back before the skeleton could lay it's crackling hand on her. She noticed that the skeleton was about to flee again, but thankfully, Shortfang stopped that. She nodded to Shortfang and commended "Nice job!" Before she could continue, she noticed something fall in the corner of her eye. She jumped startled when she heard the splat and felt some liquid splatter onto her. After looking at the bodies, then the ceiling, then back to the bodies, she realized that the giant centipedes chasing her just tried to pursue her via the ceiling, and falling to get to her just killed them.

That was...pretty ironic, and kinda funny.

She turned her attention back to the skeleton and she muttered "I guess problems do solve themselves," She then decided to attack. She used her quarterstaff to hit it, and then tried to use an axe kick to knock it down into the ground. She didn't want to knock the skeleton into the gap between the floors, considering it had both jewels in its eye sockets.

Attack!

Quarterstaff Attack!: 18
Unarmed Strike: 11

Quarterstaff Damage: 6
Unarmed Strike Damage: 7

[Lucius Cypher]

Between you and Shortfang assaulting it, the skeleton didn't have many options. When your staff went straight towards it's head, he extended his hand out to intercept it, some strange invisible force blocking your attack. However with a bit more force your shatter through the skeleton's shield, and right into it's skull, splitting it in half and causing the whole body to fall apart. Shortfang saw the eyes fall out and dropped his weapons to grab them, just barely managing to grab the red eye right before it could fall into the water. He chuckled as he hold both above his head. "Shortfang find eyes!"

Pylia came over around the side. Though some large rats scurried out from underneath the beds, it seemed that without the skeleton mage controlling them, the rats simply fled from the others. Pylia looked over to everyone with a tired sigh. "Let's get back to that door and... I don't know, take a break. Gods I'm tired..."

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Sylvia was a little scared when she noticed that the eyes were about to fall, but thankfully, Shortfang was there and he was able to catch them. She smiled and answered Shortfang, "Nice catch!" When Pylia came over to them and made her suggestion, Sylvia nodded in agreement, "Yeah. That sounds like a great idea. I think we could all use it," She then offered, "Let me know if you guys need a healing potion. I've got the two from the bandits in my backpack," She would then lead the way back to the door with the grooves for the gemstones.

[Lucius Cypher]

Gathering up their belongings and loot, the trio traverse back up to the door room. Pylia set the lantern down at the center of the room and takes a moment to pray over the dead body, ensuring that his spirit passes on. Shortfang was messing with the Mage dagger, inadvertently destroying it but managed to save the gemstone. “Whoops.” Finally after she finished praying, Pylia went to do some first aid for everyone, latching up their injuries and using her magic to patch up any damage to their clothes or armor. “Ah, you know Sylvia, I almost feel bad to see your fancy robes get all tattered up in the fighting.” She says as she mends out the crossbolt holes in the skirt. Finally Pylia finishes off the first aid with another prayer, holding her holy symbol out as she and Shortfang were filled with some revitalizing energy. “Go ahead and eat up a good berry Sylvia, the magic should still be good.”

Over the course of the short rest Shortfang eats the berries and takes a quick nap. Pylia was quiet as she did maintenance on her gear. Finally after an hour she stood up, wiped the dust off her legs, and looked towards the door. “Alright, let’s see what’s on the other side of this door.” Shortfang was awoken and handed out the stones to you and Pylia, as he was too short to reach the holes in the door without jumping. “Ready?” Pylia asked as she hovers the gemstones over the door.

Rolls and Info

Sylvia (10/15)
Shortfang (20/20)
Pylia (17/17)

Pylia uses her Channel Divinity (Preserve Life) to heal herself 3 hit points and Shortfang 6.

Pylia’s Short Rest = 10

Shortfang’s Short Rest = 3
Shortfang eats his last goodberries to heal 8 HP.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

When the group reached the door room, Sylvia would try to meditate for thirty minutes and regain the ki. She felt tired and she hoped to regain some ki so she could be ready for what was behind the door. When Pylia mentioned her clothes, she answered, “Yeah, I feel bad for getting these clothes ruined, too. Though it’s kinda hard to get myself to wear that other outfit, considering where I found it,” Sylvia shuddered at the memory of taking the first outfit off of the skeleton in the cave she first woke up in. She then commented to Pylia, “I’m thinking of getting another outfit in Gransys, so that this one doesn’t get too destroyed,”

Soon enough the our passed and everyone including herself was ready. She nodded at the suggestion of eating a goodberry, and did so before she walked up to the door with the gems she had and Shortfang handed to her. She answered Pylia, with her hands hovering over the grooves, “Ready,”

As soon as everyone said they were ready, she put the gemstones into the grooves

[Lucius Cypher]

You and Pylia put the gemstones into the slots, and one by one the metal shut around them, forming an uncanny eye look. But once all of the eyes have been placed, they began to glow brightly, bright enough to illuminate the room as the door opened upwards and revealing a large stone staircase leading upwards. Shortfang loads a bolt into his crossbow and grasps his sword. "Be careful." He took the lead as the group went up the staircase and into the next hall. Inside this hall it was much larger, almost as big as the previous hall with the skeleton mage. It looked like some parts of the ceiling had fallen over time, crushing one pillar and leaving a large boulder in between two other ones. Somehow though, there were torches in this hall that were still lit but the flames were a bright green instead of a regular red flame. “Continuous Flame.” Pylia explains. “A magic spell that creates magic fire that always burns, but doesn’t radiate any heat.”

In the illumination of the magical flames was a dark altar. However there was also something else in the corner. A strange amount of foliage and plantlife, despite the total lack of water and sunlight here. It looked like it was growing from something here. Pylia and Shortfang approached cautiously. “What that?” Shortfang says as he peers closely. Pylia looked around the surroundings before raising the lantern to get a closer look at the plants. "Looks like... A body...."

Rolls and Info

Sylvia (14/15)
Shortfang (20/20)
Pylia (17/17)

Pylia's Perception = 24

Shortfang = 17

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Sylvia watched as the gemstones glowed, forming an eerie eye, before opening to show a staircase. She nodded in response to Shortfang's caution, and she had her staff at the ready, should something pop out and attack. She blinked at the sight of the green flame and the room that was illuminated by it. She listened as Pylia explained what the green flame was, and after she did Sylvia couldn't help but wonder if the green light in the dream was actually from the figure, or if it was just a reflection from the continuous flames here. She warned Pylia and Shortfang, "I think whatever we're looking for...is very, very close,"

She decided to look around and see if there was anything else that she may have seen in the dream, or if there were any immediate dangers in this room. She noticed the strange foliage in the room thanks to Pylia and Shortfang. She too approached cautiously, and looked. After hearing Pylia, she expected to see a skeleton...

Sylvia's Perception

14

[Lucius Cypher]

As you approach you find a familiar shape. A strange man in armor. As the lantern light shined onto it, it seemed to be a yellow paint. No... This was no man. This was no armor. Pylia and Shortfang were stunned silent, having never seen anything like this before. "Is dwarf?" Shortfang asked, however you would not recognize it as any humanoid creature. And understandably neither would your two allies, for this figure... Was a robot. His eyes lacked any glow, nor the center of his body where you remember a glow emanating from. Plants have grown over his body but not through his body, and near him appeared to be a large rusted battleaxe of some sort, dirty and rusted yet somehow still very solid. Pylia looked to you with awe and surprise. "You saw this in your dream? Do you know what this is? I've never seen anything like this before..." She cautiously touched it, tapping onto it, but no reaction. Only a dull thud. It wasn't empty, but it was also covered in some old and rusted metal.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Sylvia also became stunned, not sure if she could believe what she was seeing. This body, no, metal, it looked someone made a combination of R2D2 and C3PO. She nodded to Pylia in response and answered "Yeah. I saw this in my dream. It looks like a robot," She then realized that Pylia and Shortfang might not know what a robot is, and she explained, "Robots are like...golems, only they're made from metal technology instead of clay, and are powered by something like electricity,"

She then realized out loud, "It needs its heart...! The heart is the power source for this robot," However, what would this robot do if they powered it up...? Judging from the axe, its clearly able to fight. But was that its function? Was it a 'Kill All Humans' machine? Plus, they had no idea as to what its Artificial Intelligence is like.

Looking at the robot she noted the emblem on its tattered robe and she asked Pylia and Shortfang, "Do you guys recognize that emblem at all?" She wanted to make sure that they weren't going to wake up something that was going to attack them.

[Lucius Cypher]

Putting the lantern nearby, Pylia and Shortfang worked to remove the vines and plants off the robot as they looked it over. Pylia shook her head at your question about the emblem. "It looks like a black dragon, but looking closer it's more like a bird. Maybe it's a holy symbol? But if so, I don't recognize it out of anything I remember. An old god perhaps?" As Pylia mused about what the emblem was, Shortfang looked around more on the golem itself. Looking through the strange backpack like thing, Shortfang found something interest. "Hey! Found something!" It was a faded old journal, and inside a very thin but intricately etched ring. The writing in the journal has long since faded, however there were some vague sketches in them. It looked like it was related to how the thing was created.

You would first see the silhouette of what you'd assume to be a man, and a faded red image of a heart next to it. There was an arrow between the human and the heart, it seemed as if the heart was removed from the human. Then the next image showed various bits of armor that were put onto the human which vaguely looked somewhat like the robot in front of you. Finally the image of the heart was turned into a gem stone and then put into the golem. "Hmm. It looks like we need another stone to awaken it. But where?"

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

When Sylvia flipped through the book, and realized what the notes meant, her eyes widened, and she felt sick. She groaned "Oh god...When they said heart, they meant it literally!" How the robot was created did remind Sylvia of those robots from Doctor Who with the ninth doctor now...

She stood up, from the crouching position she had been in to examine the robot, and answered Pylia, "There may be a heart in this room. I don't think it would hurt to look around and see if we can find it,"

[Lucius Cypher]

"Ugh, you mean... This thing needs someone's heart? Disgusting." Pylia says with a sickened tone. Shortfang was curious about the thin ring. "Boss, boss, wear this? Maybe this help?" He held the ring up to you. Nothing about it looked notable beyond the fact it was slightly bigger than your index finger, which means it should fit. Pylia looked at it and shrugged. "I don't sense any maligned auras so... It's not cursed at least."

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Sylvia told Pylia, "Apparently someone's heart was changed into a gemstone that would power this thing, and the robot was once...flesh before the metal was placed on him," When Shortfang mentioned the ring, she accepted the ring, and answered Pylia and Shortfang, "I'll try wearing it then," She then placed the ring around her finger.

She then asked Shortfang, realizing something, "Oh yeah! Shortfang, do you still have the red gem from the skeleton's dagger?" Maybe that red gem was a heart.

[Lucius Cypher]

"Oh yeah!" Shortfang took out the small gem. It was warm to the touch. "Kinda small. Hearts suppose to be... Bigger, right?" Either way Shortfang handed the gemstone over to you. It was indeed quite small, barely bigger than your thumb, but you could feel the magic off of it. Additionally when you held the gem, the ring also seemed to glow slightly. The inscriptions on it began to brighten and change into something you could read. "Immortal body to serve. Loyalty beyond death. To wear the Bond, and share one's heart." It seemed like only you could read it as Pylia looked at the ring and hasn't noticed anything different. "See anything?"

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

"Well, yeah...but considering they're turned into gemstones, they could be--Wooooaaahh!" Sylvia stopped her answer half way after she took the gem from Shortfang and she immediately sensed the magic. She looked at the ring and read the inscription with wide eyes. When Pylia asked, she asked in return, "Wait. You don't see this?" She then told them, "This gem is definitely the heart. The ring's inscription reads, 'Immortal body to serve. Loyalty beyond death. To wear the Bond, and share one's heart'," She then commented, "I don't know how to feel about this,"

On the one hand, it was kind of exciting, because this meant that they could get a lot of help from the robot. But on the other hand, she knew that this robot was once a person...who may be dead and in indentured servitude.

She then asked pensively "Seems safe to wake up now since I'm wearing the ring...but, is it really okay...?"

[Lucius Cypher]

"Well... If what Andrews said is true, there is suppose to be a hero here. And look; plants is going around the robot, but no where else in this profane place. Now, I'll admit I'm not the most devout of clerics, but sometimes tells me that this... Robot has more life to it than we'd think. If nothing else... The skeleton mage we fought, I'm sure he was some sort of necromancer in life. If this robot is his doing, than chances are that his soul was taken out from his body, put into that thing, but for some reason taken. If we can awaken it now and maybe communicate with it, perhaps we can at least free it from whatever suffering it might have had in the hands of that dead mage." Pylia reasoned to you. This was all foreign magic to you, so you couldn't say for certain if what Pylia said is true or not. She says so as much. "That's just my hunch. Still... We've came this far. Whatever happens, we'll be ready for it." Pylia hefts her club. Shortfang has his crossbow and blade at the ready as well. "No worry boss. If robot bad guy, we beat em!"

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

What Pylia said sounded right. If they can communicate with the robot, then they can find out what happened, and if he is suffering at all. And at the mention that both Pylia and Shortfang would be ready if the robot attacks, she smiled to them gratefully. She nodded, and answered them, "OK. Let's wake him up then," She then turned to face the robot.

She walked up to the robot, and looked for the place to put the gem, the heart, back into the body. She speaks to the robot after she manages to do so, "Time to wake up, buddy,"

[Lucius Cypher]

The most obvious part was the front and center of the body. It looked like a plain class dome, but as you trace your hand over it you could feel a certain indent in the otherwise unmarred surface. It took a bit of twisting and turning, but it seemed like the gemstone would fit in here. You slip the stone in... And the body began to glow red. The ring in your hand also began to glow, and this time Pylia and Shortfang noticed. Only the core lit up however, the eyes remained empty. Pylia was on edge and looked towards the ring. "Maybe you need to put it on?"