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Current Situation
- After a heated battle and dark discoveries, a growing collection of nefarious items give our heroes cause for concern, before they realize that what they should concern themselves with first is getting out of the collapsing volcano as quickly as possible.
Session Summary
- Having discussed an overall plan of attack, Dhann spends ten minutes ritually casting Water Walk to avoid submersion in lava while the rest of the team passes out and downs potions of various sorts in preparation for the inevitable fight. Midnight flies reconnaissance and is able to relay back to Tabitha that the beast above is a massive one, and is certainly busying itself with...something. Barret and Jule Linithed then make their way over to the structure with the windmill, the Captain bearing the immovable axe. While they do their best to remain stealthy, the Captain does fumble badly at one point - the resulting clatter of the axe would seemingly have alerted an enemy, but oddly enough, the creature working away at the anvil seems to either take no notice, or ignore the two.
- Once inside the structure, the Monk and Captain are able to successfully use the axe and its immovable properties to bring the fan and bellows to a grinding halt. The rest of the group moves into position one level below the creature, having agreed prior that Tabitha would cast Wall of Water to initiate engagement. Before the hulking monster notices the disabled bellows, both Barrett and the Captain exit the structure housing the mechanics, and hide, readying themselves as well for the incoming fight.
- Soon enough, the mass of rock, lava, and magic notes that the bellows seem to be broken, and begins to make its way over. Tabitha hits with Wall of Water, and combat begins! [Roll initiative!]
- The fight is intense, with this creature being bizarrely simpleminded, or extremely narrow-minded, not going explicitly in for blatant attacks so much as treating the group as irritations, even as it's hit from all sides. Rather than engage fully in the fight, the first thing it does is float down to the second level of the forge, from the third, and without a sound, pluck the axe out of the bellows and get the heat rising again in the place.
- With its hammer, hand, darkness, a noxious brume, and wild spin attacks, it works to slowly make its way back to the anvil, seemingly. At one point, Barrett is able to see it up close and realizes that this thing is held together with tendrils of Shadow. Not so much an elemental or true living creature, it appears now to truly be a construct of sorts, the Shadow having grabbed whatever was nearest (rocks, lava) and formed it into a humanoid shape so it could complete a task.
- Knowing now that Radiant damage is a hard hitter, tactics are switched and the group continues to batter at the Shadow Smith, slowly but surely whittling this thing down - it begins to show wear and tear as bits of rock and debris begin to crumble from it. Hovering over one of the lava channels within the forge seems to help it regain some solidity, but the Maybesitters are ruthless in their fast and efficient hits.
- During combat, Barrett takes an opportunity to see just what this thing is working on at the anvil, potentially able to use it in the fight, and discovers a partially formed sword, the point of which is nowhere to be seen. He also spies what seems to be a locked door embedded in the floor near the anvil.
- After an eternity of extreme combat, the Shadow Smith is finally defeated. With a last hit by Ely's Eldritch Blast, the Smith explodes in a burst of rocks, lava, and fire, pelting everyone with its remains, some taking much harder hits than others. Tabitha is knocked unconscious but is brought immediately back up with Dhann sending Divinity out and Ely sprinting over with a Healing Potion.
- The threat neutralized...everyone begins to regroup and investigate. Dhann approaches the hammer the Shadow Smith was wielding, flaring up his Mace of Disruption as tendrils of Shadow mist and dissipate away from the remains of the Shadow Smith. As he nears it, the Cleric is able to see that the hammer is covered in multiple red eyes that are, disturbingly, very much looking about in all directions. Immediately, Dhann replaces his Mace on his belt, rips his bedroll from his pack, and throws the blanket over the hammer. Hopefully, it's blinded for the moment.
- Barrett hops down from the anvil to see about checking the locked door for traps, and perhaps opening it to see what its contents may be. The lock is a simple one, no traps at all, and he's able to pop it open with absolutely no trouble. Within the unlocked compartment lays the tip of the broken sword. Apparently, the Smith was in the process of finishing the joining of the middle of the blade with the hilt, and had only to reattach the point to completely reforge the blade. Elyana, having looked through the Per Historia Arcandor Materia multiple times, is able to recollect that this is Godsbane, the broken sword of Cyric. Known to have been shattered into three pieces, someone has now initiated it to be reforged. Tabitha is enamored with both the hammer, and Godsbane, stating that items are wielded by people, and the group should consider using these.
- Z and Jule go to inspect the bellows and see about properly destroying the mechanism so that the forge can't be used again. Jule is able to use her cutlass to remove or break joinings on the fan blades, sending them clattering down the chute to the lava below. Still over by the hammer, Dhann calls over to set the structure on fire. Agreeing, Jule immediately leaves the igniting of the bellows to Z, who does so without a whisker twitch and makes quite the epic silhouette as he exits the flaming structure.
- At this point, the group spends several minutes discussing how best to store these items. Ely places the pieces of Godsbane, and the immovable axe, into the bag of holding, but Dhann hesitates to follow up with the hammer in the bag. He expresses his concern, and wariness, of having so many disturbing finds all in one place. Having wrapped the hammer in the blanket, Dhann asks Z if the Bard would be alright with storing it within his pocket locker. While open to the suggestion, Z laments that due to the supposed magical properties of the hammer, the locker won't accept the thing, even if the hammer physically could be placed in there. At this point though, it's remembered that Z's locker contains the The Nightstone Shard and perhaps an evil item with eyes shouldn't be placed in the same location as that. Ely suggests carrying the hammer. Frustrated at their hesitation, Barrett questions why they don't just stick everything in the bag of holding, and Tabitha comments that they're skittish. Z clarifies with Dhann that the Cleric is disturbed at having all of that evil in one place in the bag of holding, and Dhann confirms this. Tabitha says she'll carry it, but Dhann is the only one capable of being able to do this, however, with his gauntlets. The hammer is too heavy for anyone with their natural strength.
- Tabitha suggests to Ely that she hold the bag, if the Warlock doesn't feel comfortable carrying it, but Ely promptly refuses this idea. Ely expresses that she understands the concern about having everything in the bag. Dhann says he'll carry the hammer, but is visibly unsettled at the notion, but having it in hand is the only solution to bringing the hammer with them, but not in the bag of holding. Z sees Dhann's hesitations and kindly works to reassure him, stating that Dhann can resist the evil and is, "All full of light, and like, gods and stuff." He thinks Dhann is the best to carry it, and after another moment, Dhann, still troubled, complies.
- Dhann then asks if they think it's worth it to dip the hammer in the nearby lava to encase the eyes in stone, and Z offers use of multiple scarves to help wrap it more securely, understanding that the eyes on the hammer "wig out" the Cleric. Barrett then says to be given the gauntlets and he'll carry the hammer, but Dhann refuses.
- Having sorted the items for the moment, Z asks the Captain if she feels that the group has truly neutralized the threat and accomplished their goal of stopping the volcano, and Jule agrees, saying if there's more to be done, they will send a second group. Barrett suggests they wait and make sure the forge is truly destroyed, and then goes to investigate the rest of the structure, only finding raw materials like ore and rock, with no other doors that need investigating. There's nothing else to be found, as far as he can tell, besides heat and more lava.
- The only two ways out, from what they've seen, are up the chimney of the forge, following the narrow stairs in the previous room, or back the way they came, running the risk of having to deal with tunnels that have since changed in the time they've been here. As they're debating a potential short rest while the bellows finish burning, it's realized the innards of the volcano are beginning to crumble. Z immediately states it's time to "get the frick outta dodge," and the only thing to do is agree - the volcano is rumbling and crumbling, and it's time to escape to the surface.
Next time on...
Evil in tow, will the Maybesitters make it out of the volcano in time to watch the fireworks, or be a part of them? Just how many steps are in this dang staircase? And is it dawn yet?!