WoW C3.S2.08- Danger at the Distillery

Intro

1. At the end of WoW C3.S1.07- The Hunt for N8, the party had been ambushed by the Agents of the Overseer at the Dragon's Breath Whiskey Distillery.
   
   
2. Fortunately, Urstul Floxin and their allies from the Zhentarim, Waterdeep Chapter also showed up. They had been looking for N8 Unit as well. 

A Tense Moment with Urstul

1. Urstul Floxin had already begun to grow suspicious of Vonna after he caught her following him. Now she and the party had beaten him to the punch yet again by finding N8 before his squad.
   
   
2. Urstul: "Vonna, what the fuck are you doing here? I hadn't heard from you, so my other squad is on the way to your tavern to check up on Grinda. I'm disappointed, maybe you are too weak to do what needs to be done."
   
   
3. Vonna: "I apologize for not sending word, but I assure you Grinda is sleeping with the crabs. Right afterwards we got a lead about the culprit behind the explosion and I'm sure you understand that it took priority."
   
   
4. Urstul: "Good to hear. I can't fault you really, you haven't let me down yet. You just seem to have a knack for beating me to the punch. I shouldn't let my pride cloud my judgment, maybe I'm just starting to slip in my old age. Look, we Zhents, we look out for each other. That's all I'll ever ask. Let's get through this mess, and we'll see about that inner circle." Vonna perceived that Urstul was being completely honest. 
   
   
5. Urstul:  "So what was it that lead you..."
   
   
6. And then suddenly N8 emerged from his hiding place in one of the whiskey stills and made a break for the door, sprinting along the top of the whiskey stills. N8 attempted to swing out of the open door to the west with his grapple arm.
   
   
7. Ustul yelled: "Ziraj take the shot!"
   
   
8. Ziraj: "But sir..."
   
   
9. Urstul: "TAKE THE GOD DAMNED SHOT!"
   
   
10.  Ziraj's fired three arrows from his oversized longbow. The first found a home in his metal hull. The second whizzed by his ear. The final one sunk deep into N8's chest and dealt the final blow to his already cracked energy crystal. It shattered, causing an explosion of fire and magical energy. This also caused the nearest set of highly flammable whiskey stills to explode.
    
    
11. Then a 16 foot tall tornado of flame formed in the area, and began to take on a vaguely humanoid form with armlike appendages. As they had been warned by Grinda Garloth, the Fire Elemental powering N8 had been unleashed!
    
    
12. In the explosion N8's body was launched back into the middle of the distillery and ruptured when it hit the floor, expelling all manner of random items in a debris field. His Chest Cavity of Holding had much more inside than it physically could have held without magic.

Battle Round 2

1. The Fire Elemental moved with frightening speed (120 feet per turn) igniting everything in its path. It slammed into another set of whiskey stills on the west wall, causing it to explode, before it charged at Urstul and Ziraj. They both deftly jumped out of the way behind a 20 foot tall fermenter tower, but Vonna was not so lucky. She slipped on some ball bearings that had exploded out of N8's body and fell onto her back. As the Fire Elemental jetted over her on its way to Urstul, her helmet superheated and she sustained a serious burn on her face that will leave a permanent scar. She also lost concentration on her Hold Person spell, releasing the enemy dwarf Noska who had been paralyzed. 
   
   
2. Meanwhile, Pyper discovered that the mysterious crystal she recently acquired from Grinda's workshop was absorbing the fire's energy around her and creating a protective aura that kept her, Fearonuh, and Bruce unharmed.
   
   
3. Noska and TMM05 each charged into N8's debris field, looking for the Unknown. TMM05 also picked up N8's memory core and some other gemstones in the process. The two ended up tussling over a slimy oblong rock that TMM05 had to assume was the real stone.
   
   
4. Pyper then heard the voice she had heard in her dream the night before say: "Yess Pyper the heat feels marvelous, doesn't it.  Feast upon the raw power..." Pyper felt herself gaining strength (temp hp). She got up on the table she had been hiding under and cast Scorching Ray, but used her powers to transmute the spell and instead sent rays of frost at the Elemental. 
   
   
5. Next, three Duergar appeared from on the battlefield, having been invisible. They each grew to the height of 12 feet tall. One stabbed Metatronia with a javelin while the others began battering the Zhentarim Thug squads.
   
   
6. Vonna picked herself up from the ground and yelled to the elemental: "Hey! I'll give you a new body if you kill those big guys!" (pointing at the Duergar) It replied with a heavily accented voice: "I'll burn them! I'll burn you all!"
   
   
7. The Elemental moved to ignite Urstul and Ziraj with its white hot flames before it launched through the densest part of the battlefield, burning the Thugs, Duergar, and Metatronia before exploding yet another set of whiskey stills on the north wall. The Elemental hid inside the roaring fire and it could be heard laughing maniacally, which sounded like a combination of crackling and hissing.
   
   
8. Urstul opened the spigot of the fermenter he was hiding behind and unleashed the fermenting liquid to douse the flames on himself and Ziraj. Then he moved into N8's debris field and deftly slew Noska with his shortsword before yelling at TMM05: "GIVE ME THE STONE!"
   
   
9. Bruce was still being controlled by something evil, and got up on the table and continued to savagely attack Pyper. 
   
   
10. Next, ten more Bugbear and ten Kenku joined the battle, and began by attacking the Thug squads.

Battle Round 3

1. The raging fire continued to spread to new areas of the building, causing additional whiskey stills to explode and igniting barrels
   
   
2. Fearonuh reached up and grabbed Bruce's Heart Jar Amulet from behind, yanking it off and slamming him down from his position on the table onto the stone floor. He landed with a thud on the back of his head. Fearonuh threw the amulet into the fire, and it was destroyed with a puff of magical energy.
   
   
3. Ziraj the Hunter used the spell Command and in deep gravely tone told TMM05 to "DROP" the Stone of Golorr. TMM05 was forced to comply, but then Ziraj slipped on the ball bearings before he could pick it up, falling prone in embarrassing fashion. TMM05 picked up the stone yet again and started to drive towards the western door to exit the building.
   
   
4. Pyper heard the voice in her head again: "Pyper, I fear you aren't ready to channel my power, but things look dire.  Grab hold of the crystal" She grabbed hold of the gem and her body was filled with raw crackling magic. She floated up 8 feet into the air and hovered there. A wild magic surge erupted and an eerie spectral audience of thousands appeared throughout the building, seemingly there to watch Pyper. Pyper cast scorching ray on the Duergar dealing maximum damage and killing the captain. Then she turned to the Elemental and felt herself say in a language she didn't know- "Sssuumde eaal, küzük keçe!" The elemental let out a shriek that gave the impression of fear before Pyper suddenly vanished.
   
   
5. Not knowing what had happened to Pyper, Vonna attempted to use the spell Command to order the Elemental to "HALT". Vonna felt the presence of another power controlling the Elemental and her spell failed.
   
   
6. The Elemental then hurled a ball of fire at one of the Bugbear Squads and moved to stand among them, setting them ablaze.
   
   
7. Now without Pyper's protective aura, Bruce and Fearonuh were both standing in the raging fire. They both took damage and moved to escape the fire and douse the flames.
   
   
8. Next, one of the Kenku ran forward into the battlefield and suddenly changed form, revealing itself to be a familiar looking Mind Flayer. It blasted a huge portion of the battlefield with a psionic attack. The characters felt a searing pain in their brains. Metatronia was knocked unconscious and was close to death. Bruce, Ziraj, Urstul, Vonna, and many of the Thugs took major damage and were temporarily stunned by the attack. Fearonuh somehow shook off the attack and moved to attack the Mind Flayer. Bartholomew was outside the area of the battlefield impacted by the attack, and continued to sling balls of electricity at the Mind Flayer.
   
   
9. The Kenku and Bugbear continued their assault and took down Vonna, bringing her to death's door along with Metatronia.

Battle Round 4

1. The raging fire continued to spread to new areas of the building, causing additional whiskey stills to explode in the southwest corner of the building
   
   
2. TMM05 continued to accelerate and slammed through a group of Kenku at the western door inflicting massive damage with its drills and spiked hull before turning north
   
   
3. Fearonuh attempted to stabilize Metatronia with a medicine check, but failed. Then she moved to attack the Mind Flayer.
   
   
4. Ziraj was stunned from the Mind Flayer's attack, but was able to summon enough strength to whistle for his black warhorse Phaethon, who galloped into the burning building
   
   
5. The Fire Elemental hurled a huge chunk of its body at the Mind Flayer, dealing maximum damage and setting it ablaze. Those watching carefully briefly saw a glimpse of Pyper floating inside the monster. Next it moved to stand on top of the Mind Flayer. The spectral audience was loving the action, cheering and jumping down silently.
   
   
6. In an act of desperation, the Mind Flayer blasted the Fire Elemental with its psionic attack. This stunned the Elemental, and the Mind Flayer was able to run out of the burning building.
   
   
7. Meanwhile, everyone else was still stunned from the Mind Flayer's attack except Bartholomew Glockenspiel who attempted to sling yet another Chromatic Orb at the Mind Flayer, but it ricocheted off its shield for no damage. The Kenku returned fire with their shortbows, piercing Bart's armor with two arrows

Battle Round 5

1. The raging fire continued to spread to new areas of the building, causing additional whiskey stills to explode in the northeast corner of the building. Nearly the entire building was on fire at this point and it began showing signs of imminent collapse. All the combatants took notice and began to move to safety.
   
   
2. Fearonuh moved and slashed the Mind Flayer with her greataxe, able to get a good hit
   
   
3. Ziraj was still stunned, but his horse Phaethon nuzzled him and he summoned the composure to grab onto the bridle, and it pulled himself upright from the ground. He  slumped over onto the saddle, allowing the horse to move him out of the building, taking fire damage on the way out.
   
   
4. On Pyper's turn onlookers saw her absorb the Fire Elemental into her body through the crystal, consuming it and its raw power. A smokey shadow was visible around her, taking the faint form of a hulking female figure. Crackling with power, Pyper unleashed a cone of devastating fire (Burning Hands) at Nihiloor and the Kenku, narrowly avoiding Fearonuh. The Mind Flayer Nihiloor screamed in agony as it crisped like a piece of fried calamari and died. The Kenku's feathers went up in flames, melting onto their skin in horrific fashion as they shrieked. The spectral audience cheered wildly, jumping up and down. Pyper's clothes had all burned and disintegrated leaving her naked. After releasing this final attack she collapsed onto the ground unconscious.
   
   
5. Bart attempted a medicine check on Metatronia but failed. It looked like the end for her, but suddenly a mysterious pool of magical darkness appeared around Metatronia. Then it dissipated, and she had vanished!
   
   
6. Urstul and the Zhents were able to stabilize Vonna and got her out of the building safely.
   
   
7. TMM05 zoomed back into the burning building at high speed to help rescue Bart and Bruce who were still inside. Bart cast the spell Reduce on Bruce shrinking him to half the size. Bart tucking his tiny friend under his arm in preparation to jump onto the speeding TMM05.
   
   
8. But then the onlookers saw THE BURNING BUILDING BEGIN TO COLLAPSE!
   
   
9. Just as they were about to mourn the loss of their friends, TMM05 blasted out of the collapsing wall with Bart and Bruce inside, as the massive building imploded behind them in a shower of cinders and rubble. 
   
   
10. Fearonuh looted the Mind Flayer's corpse and found a small orb that she pocketed
    
    
11. Despite suffering major losses and grave injuries, the Lost and Found crew and their Zhentarim allies had prevailed! The Unknown had been secured and was safe in TMM05's compartment. TO BE CONTINUED...