To Catch an Alchemist 1478.04 to 1478.05

All are back with the Sorne, who light up from within. "You need to be back out there, not in here."   Transported to an open plain. Trees, earthy smells, birds. Essen is still green.   Gimblenock is slurring. Ophions tail is twitching. Dwayne is made of amber for a moment, before the amber settles within.   ****Ophion's sister amongst the Helegu triggered this response (his tail)****   Essen is fading. Her boots are creatiing roots into the ground. Starts shedding leaves and bark. Essen thinks she hears the plants speaking to her.   Two sets of eyes are watching the party. Two gnme children. Motion for quiet and to get down.   "The Tyrant's Riders! Get down"   10 Riders. Helegu. Ophion stand in the road while the others hide.   Ophion gets on a horse and rides back to 'the Consul's men.' and is led to a wooden city on stilts. End at a domed tower of metal and glass. The Steel Yurt. The residence of Governer Agba. Ophion led to his quarters and placed under guard.   Rest of the party with the gnome children.   Gimblenock gives one of the children 5sp. "Stay away from the Underground."   Child tried to pickpocket Gimblenock. Comes away with a translucent scale. Looks at it and is terrified.   Party end up at a Forest Gnome hamlet. Gimblenock pleads for shelter and parley with the Elder. Gnomish matron appears. "I don't know why you're hidiing your thoughts from me, boy, but come in." Seven gnomes inside. Old gnome - "I didn't think you'd be this early. Deteekli, let them in."   Taken to their lodgings. Gundark gives some advice to a gnome child.

• Set in the city-state of Krams among the Slave Cities of Jydengiss, a Gnome realm under the heel of the Helegu.
• The Jydengiss Underground has the power to temporarily disable the teleportation circle inside the workshop and make any long-distance teleportation impossible
• Viceroy Ettim has led the Helegu forces and ancillaries out of Jydengiss to as part of a flanking attack on Silver Helegu territory
• While ruled by the Governor, it is one of his advisors, Balambar, who is the real authority and is known widely as the Tyrant of Krams
• Arrival of the BMG gives the Underground their best opportunity to assassinate the Tyrant of Krams.
• Governor Agdu is not the prime target, but if they can assassinate him too, they will do so

  **NEXT DAY**   Ophion taken up spiral staircases to the higher levels of the Yurt to meet Lady Adeeko, third wife of Agba. Seven foot metal/wood Golem in the room.

• After lengthy discussion, Ophion gets a permit as a weapons trader.
• Dwarven and Human traders are operating in the city. Slaves of all races.

  Shen's Workshop/"The Tyrant's Den" - Home/workshop of Ballambar "The Tyrant of Krams".   Indi = Gnomish head of the Gnomish Resistance and Brassist. Has a plan to assassinate Bellembar and replace him, two days from now.   Essen Polymorphed into a female Gnome to blend in as Eleves are not found in Krams. They all head to 'The Stack', a Gnomish workshop in the city. Encounter a trebuchet with a crystal on the arm. Use aliases.   Gimblenock lets Indi know he has a recharged Key.   Bellembar arrives at Shen's Workshop on a horse, flanked by four guards on foot, armed with three-foot machetes. Fully covored. Armour sticthed into skin. Pallid skin.   Elovem - Shadowfell - Ritual of Bhaal. Loa.   Gundark touches Gimblenocks Scale of Yalunga. Gundarks ancestors appear in a form of protection for a moment.   Dwayne's sword now has an amber hilt.   *****SOMETHING ABOUT BABY RUEBEN HANDING OVER A SCALE OF YURLUNGUR WITH VISIONS OF ESSEN'S SPIRIT ANIMAL (AN OWL) AND YURLUNGUR IN THE SKY****   Gimblenock gives possession of the Yurlungur Scale to Gundark.   Party comes up with a plan to infiltrate Shen's Workshop involving Essen Polymorphed into Vulurai.   Ophion will Polymorph into Vularai, Essen into Ophion. Gundark and Dwayne (AKA Bruno) as muscle.   'Vularai' opens the door to the factory. Two undead guards. One Gnomish woman (Nulba), one Gnomish male. Woman seals a container with magic. 'Vulurai' notices spots a Mindwitness hiding in the rafters. Mindwitnesses are Beholder-types enslaved by the Mind Flayers. Acts as a telepathic hub.   "How can we serve the Horned God tonight?" asks Nulba. "Take us below to Bellambar."   Gimblenock Messages Ophion - "The Mindwitness is talking to somebody."   A wizended Gnome appears, wearing a rat skull. Very steampunk. "I am Rotfang." Plague Monk of Clan Pestilens. Hints at a past between them.   A contest of wills between 'Vularai' and Rotfang. "Vulurai' just succeeds. Party descends into the basement. Emerge into a tiled corridor. Was once beautiful, now decrepit.   Pass rooms full of coper machines, forges, a baby Gelatinous Cube being fed mice. An alchemists laboratory.   Another Mindwitness noticed.   Corridor ends at a wooden door, bound with iron and bone. Opened by a clockwork sentinel, 8 foot tall.   The Mindwitness approaches party, then ascends back to the roof, disappearing through some grates.   Party led into an open area. Sentinel stands guard at stairs leading back up.   'Vularai' calls to Bellambar "Viceroy Ettim sent me here to discuss the weapon."   Another old gnome appears, wearing a humanoid skull. Nods at another sentinel. "Follow the sentinel."   'Vularai' again demands an audience with Bellambar. An electonic voice drones "Master waiting."   Decision made to follow the sentinel. Led down sloping corridors and descend, now at least 2 levels beneath the ground level.   Another old gnome. This one with a rat tail. An old, white wererat.   Led into an old room, now covered in slime and rot. A sunken floor a room with a statue of a gnome on a raised dias holding a shining blue globe.   Ophion hits the Grey Seer with Vicious Mockery. 8 psychic damage. Runs away into a corridor and whistles. 2x Metal sentinel (Brawler) bursts through the door.   Fight!

• Gimblenock begins by moving away from the Brawler.
• Ophion Fireballs it for 33 damage. Reduced to 23.
• Dwayne slams the doors to the hallway shut, waiting for it to burst through.
• Gundark moves to hold the door closed.
• Brawler punched door. Gundark takes 7 electrical damage. Brawler punches do bludgeoning and electrical damage.
• Essen looks for another exit. Finds a wererat tunnel beneath the alter. Gnome sized.
• Gimblenock enters tunnel beneath alter. Tunnel spirals downward.
• Ophion sees another Mindwitness (AC 15). Fire Bolts it for 13 fire damage.
• Dwayne fires at Mindwitness with a crossbow. Misses all three shots.

  The air vibrates, and the air turs green for a second. A mechanical whirring is heard.

• Gundark attempts to move the altar.
• Mindwitness attacks Ophion. Drags him to it using Telekinesis. Attacks with tentacle. Misses. Uses side mouth. 19 Piercing damage. Responds with Hellish Rebuke. 10 damage.
• Mindwitness attacks Dwayne. 28 Psychic damage.
• Mindwitness attacks Gundark. Disadvantage for next round.
• Essen tries to climb statue to investigate orb. Fails. Is teleported somewhere else.
• Wererat Gnomes are swarming up the tunnel Gimblenock is exploring.
• Ophion tries to apologise to Mindwitness.
• Dwayne reaches for the orb. Starts screaming in pain (9 psychic damage). Partially teleported.
• Gundark drops alter and tries to throw Gimblenock at the orb. Bounced off and lands on the other side of the orb (12 psychic damage)
• Mindwitness releases Ophion ( 30 foot drop. 10 falling damage) and opens the doors to the Brawlers.
• Mindwitness targets Gimblenock. Roll failed. Gimblenock affected by Aversion.
• Mindwitness targets Gundark with Fear. Failed. Gundark immune to Fear. Heads toward tunnel Grey Seer used to escape.
• Ophion casts Evard's Black Tenatacles in the doorway containing the Brawlers.
• Brawlers break free from the tentacles.
• Dwayne gets a glimpse of a realm with pestilential engine creatures. tries to shoot the the Mindwitness. Hits all times for 30 damage.
• Gundark attacks the first Wererat, which explodes with poison.
• Brawlers fail Tentacles check.

  Dwayne takes down one of the Brawlers.

• Gundark crits the other for 69 damage.
• Essen teleported to Bellambar's chamber. A brief showdown with Bellambar. where he suggests she submits to him
• Essen casts Thunderwave at level 5. 23 damage.
• Essen faces off against Bellambars Zombie Juggernauts.
• The Zombie Juggernauts try to grapple and hold Essen
• Using sunbeam she fights there necrotic advances
• Bellambar watches in safety behind a wall of force projected from his cube of force
• Essen drops one of the Zombie Juggernauts after they start using their war machetes against her
• Essen notices a Death Kiss hidden near Bellambar

Starts on main floor of factory. Trapped in the building. Doors and windows are shuttered.   A Mindwitness floats from the ceiling. Stops 10 feet from Ophion. "What are you?" it asks.   Ophion and the Mindwitness start floating off the ground 20 feet.   Ophion shows it an image of Mephistopheles.   Dwayne is launched to reach Ophion. A psychic scream rings out and casts Dwayne to the ground.   Gimblenock attacks it with his rapier. 33 dmg.   Mindwitness attacks Ophion first. Misses. Lashes out at Gimblenock. Stunned for one minute.   Gundark catches Ophion and Dwayne.   Mindwitness attacks Gundark and Gimblenock as it flees. Gimblenock stunned again. Gundark takes 29 psychic dmg.   Ophion Fire Bolts it for 18 dmg.   Gundark hurls two axes at it. 23 dmg.   It attacks Gimblenock, Ophion and Essen. Gimblenock has disadvantage for the next minute. Essen takes 25 psychic dmg.   Mindwitness flees. Two Death Kisses (AC 16) descend from the ceiling.   Dwayne fires crossbow bolts at them. 28 dmg on the first attack. 16 dmg on the second. 12 dmg on the third.   Ophion Fire Bolts it for 16 dmg.   Essen calls down Lightning on the Death Kisses. 17 dmg on the first. 15 dmg on the second. Revealed they have Lightning immunity.   Death Kisses stop at 20 feet away. One aims at Gimblenock. 13 Piercing dmg (absorbed by Gundark's ancestors). Grapple attempt failed.   Second Death Kiss aims at Essen. Critical Hit. 23 Piercing dmg.   Dwayne fires again. First misses. Second does 7 dmg.   Ophion Fire Bolts for 13 dmg.   Gimblenock Fire Bolts the undamaged Death Kiss for 14 dmg.   Essen casts Sunbeam for 32 dmg.   Both turn their attention to Ophion. 47 Piercing dmg. Responds with Hellish Rebuke for 24 dmg. Grappled 33 Lightning dmg.   Something is approaching the party.   Dwayne attacks the Death Kiss grappling Ophion. 16 dmg. Severed the tentacle.   Ophion Fire Bolts for 11 dmg.   Gimblenock Fire Bolts for 19 dmg, killing one.   Heavy, plodding steps approaching. Ahominid and two small machines.   Essen Sunbeams for 37 dmg.   Death Kiss breaks off.   Two smaller Brawlers (AC 20) and Ballembar appear. Armour flies on to Ballember and a shield hovers in front of him.   Dwayne charges. One Brawler hits Dwayne, smashing a vial releasing a chlorine gas cloud that moves on it's own.   Ophion Fire Bolts Death Kiss for 37 dmg. Critical   Gimblenock uses his Wish to heal party to full. To be resolved later.   Essen Sunbeams Death Kiss for 32 dmg.   Gundark attacks the Brawlers, knocking one prone. Attacks prone Brawler. 17 dmg.   Gimblenock's Wish takes effect. Selected members healed to full, and all negative effects removed.   Prone Brawler stands. Bellembar makes Gundark's Girdle of Storm Giant Strength mundane.   First Brawler Crits Gundark. 13 Bludgeoning dmg. 15 Force dmg. Knocked unconscious for one minute.   Dwayne takes 9 Acid dmg from Chlorine Elementall.   Second Brawler releases a second Chlorine Elemental.   Dwayne attacks undamaged Brawler. 33 dmg.   Ophion Fire Bolts Death Kiss for 10 dmg.   Gimblenock casts Gust of Wind to push a Chlorine Elemental toward Bellembar, dispersing it.   Gundark regains consciousness.   Essen casts Fireball at level 7. Hits both Brawlers and a Chlorine Elemental. 45 dmg total. Gundark also hit for 22. Elemental dispersed.   Gimblenock attacks Brawler facing Dwayne.31 dmg, destroying it.   Gundark attacks remaining Brawler. 10 dmg.   Essen telekinetically restrains Brawler. Chlorine Elemental attacks Gundark, then Gimblenock.   Bellembar equips the Belt of Storm Giant Strength, dropping his Wall of Force to grab it from Gundark.   Dwayne charges him. 21 dmg. Then pushed 15 feet away, prone.   Ophion casts Fireball at level 5. 33 dmg.   Essen casts Fireball on Gundark, Dwayne & the remaining Brawler. Full damage for Brawler, half for the rest (deal made). Brawler dead. 18 damage for Dwayne, 32 for Gundark.   Gundark recklessly charges Bellembar. 34 dmg. Gundark shoved 15 feet back.   Bellembar raises the Wall of Force again. "Fuck!"   The Hammer of Karsus is active. Used by Karsus Chella. Chased by Bellembar.   Essen casts Knock on the door. It opens. Gimblenock falls through and lands on the step next to a chute.   Gimblenock jumps into the chute and casts Haste. Party follows.   Emerge on the second floor of the building housing the Hammer of Karsus.   Essen runs after Bellembar. Gimblenock races ahead.   Party takes 2d4 Phantom Energy dmg. Lower one physical attribute by 1 - Ophion now STR11.   Gimblenock catches up with Bellembar in The Kiln. Piles of gnome ash around the room.   Bellembar casts Blight. 37 Necrotic dmg.   A giant maul head is spinning faster and faster in the background, generating green lines of energy.   Gimblenock attacks (23 hits). 37 dmg (6 Poison). Attacks again (21 misses).   Bellembar jumps backwards into the maul, disappearing. The Kiln shuts down. Now in the same place as the Hammer.