Alhallor
 OOC 

You all awake definitely not where you layd you're head down. You're in a dusty old room, in cages. One cage holds a big water tank with another inmate inside, in another one is a box with a... Cat?

Most normal cells have a bed and something to eat and drink at the side, at the top of the open water tank is a dish with gruel and besides the box with the cat is a plate with some dead mouses.

 
 Spoiler: Brakq 
It was a pretty good carnage the other day, you brought down an entire guardhouse, but you were stuck in the rubble afterwards. As soon as you got that out of the way, some guards managed to apprehend you. They gave you a pretty mean beating and the only thing you remember is someone saying... "I know just the place for this one." You wake up in a water tank, which is nicer than you get most of the time, but you are still in a cell, which is pretty much what you expected.
 

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona 
You're order has received word of some weird disappearances, and you have been sent to investigate. You have already asked some villagers and they definitely could tell you that people were missing. You thought you found some tracks, the last thing you remember is the smell of lavender when you lost consciousness on you're horse, who is currently missing.
 

 
 Spoiler: Infernox 
You have made a great fire to search the smoke for the future, you have been succesful. You have seen a great wyrm in a deep hole in you're vision. There was a lot of color and people who carried fire in they're hands. The vision was so intense however that you lost conscience and you awake in a cell.
 

 
 Spoiler: Faith 
As instructed you followed the instructions of you're buddy and hey it seems that people are missing! Seems like a shining knight even was at the same village as you! It wasn't that hard to find the trails even for you, but then you smelt lavender... And the next thing you know is that you wake up in a cell.
 

 
 Spoiler: Mystery 
You wanted to give the challenge of the cat god a try and you woke up here! That wasn't all however. You faintly remember that the cat lord himself spoke to you. Some of you're brothers and sisters are kept in here, of course you have to find out everything about this big box, but if you could keep you're brethren save, the favor of the cat lord will be surely yours.
 

 
 Spoiler: Gina Thorne 
The adventurers guild wasn't really happy with you're recent claims... But not only where they're willing to let you keep you're claims but also compensate you for a Class B mission! Of course you need to get through the dungeon and map it out and the "we could bring you in, but not bring you out... But if you are a true adventurer you will surely have a good chance." Could have concerned you. But what chances did you had, really? Now you are in a cell.
 

 
 Spoiler: OOC, all 
You don't have you're equipment, familiars or cohorts at you're side. If you normally have a boot dagger or something small in you're normal clothing you still have that.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Strange beginnings 
 
Cygnia
Two little grey ears jutted out of the box like little furry shark fins.

    ...well, dis sux...    

The box itself wasn't the problem.  The fact that it was in a cage was the problem.  The immediate problem at least.  Another immediate problem was that Her Stuff was gone.  Her artificial Pointy Ends with the Shiny Rocks and the belt that turned into a collar and the tacky but admittedly Useful vest.  Her carrying pouch with Her Comfy Bed and Magic Sticks...

..and Her Everlasting FOOD!

Her ears flicked with annoyance.

Her thoughts turned towards what the Cat Lord had said about Her siblings being here. That meant Her Big Grumpy Sister  Smokey  and Her Well-Meaning Older Brother  Pippin  (who loved everybody even when he shouldn't) -- and Her litter mate Dashie.  Who was a  Doofus .

    Guess I gotta go Save Everybuddy...    

Mystery pawed carefully to see if She could squeeze Herself through the bars.
BelGareth
Infernox wakes up with a pounding headache, holding it while wincing in pain, eyes squinting he looked around seeing his location.  "Well, that...was...ok, whats this?" , standing up sighs and then activtes his anklets to teleport out of the cage....but nothing happened...what? he looked down, and saw he was in his underclothes, all his equipment was missing.

 Well darn.  he thought to himself

Now, how would he....ok, his claws were still good, and the other voice in his head perked up to the thoughts of destroying the cage he was in. He looked around to inspect the cage.

 
 Spoiler 

What is the cage made out of and how?
 
Benoojian
Finding herself in a cage, Gina looks around to see if anyone is watching the prisoners. If no one is around she begins dissolving the lock or the weakest part of the cage. The Dungeon Delver Extraordinaire doesn’t do well in confined spaces and she wants out.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Shattering Word reserve feat x2, 12 damage that ignores hardness per round
 
Aegis013
Xyrona sits up suddenly and pats herself down, immediately realizing that her horse and equipment are missing. She looks around and takes in the environment quietly.

  "Anybody remember how we got here? I vaguely recall the smell of lavender and then I was here."  
Ridai
Faith does a big stretch and yawn before getting up, then another biiig stretch just for good measure. She picks up the jar of water and has a quick look around at the current situation.   "Convenient kidnapping, sweet,"   she says as she points a finger at the jar, making the contents glow golden for a moment. Between the chill voice, the half-smile, and the messy blonde hair, she's clearly not all the way awake yet. But she has breakfast, so that is about to get fixed. Where there was water before, there is now sweet, sweet golden nectar, and Faith is having a biiig sip. That one always wakes her up! Whipping a hand through her hair appears to be enough to fix her coif right up.

  "Alriiight. Heya people, I'm Faith St. Mary, I explore dungeons. If ya want me to soup up yer breakfast, pass me yer water, I'll fix ya right up while I wait to interview the staff,"   she says, chill big smile to everyone else present. Another sip, her free hand grasping the air, which causes a saxophone to appear in her grasp, which she promptly kicks back on the bed with.

  "Don't mind me,"   Faith says, and proceeds to add smooth background jazz to the scene. With her belongings having been taken except for her undies, the sound of chill tooting ought to get someone nearby to check. And if not, well, that just means she'll let herself out one way or another.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
 Angelic Acumen  and  Tongue of the Celestials  is reapplied. Faith makes herself breakfast by using  Golden Goblet of Rise-Mokér  on the water, and summons an angelic instrument truly ahead of its time via  Horn of Heaven .
 
Metastachydium
Floating in the tank, Brakq wakes with a bubbling groan. It's simple. Things are simple. She's locked up. Stupid thing, getting locked up. And people talk. Stupiud thing, to talk all the time. But then, she's in a fish tank. With no fish. Let 'em do 'em. Not like she hears all the talking. And there's no guards. She can see. (And &lt;REDACTED&gt; any guard she can't.) That means one thing.

She's not locked in here with this stuff. This stuff is locked in here with  her . She reaches up. Grabs the plate with that gooey stuff. Pulls it into the tank. Lets the gooey thing muddy up the water. And mouthing something hard to discern but evidently  very  loud…  Strike. 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

ATTACK THE WATER TANK (with  MOUNTAIN HAMMER , ignoring all hardness and whatnot; and an empty  plate ):  (1d20+4)[ 7 ]  (-4 for non-proficiency with plates) for negligible base damage plus  (3d6)[ 10 ] 
 
Alhallor
The metal bars of the cells seem to be pretty sturdy, some have claw marks and minor specks of rust, but nonetheless they seem to be in a pretty good condition and always that close together that it's actually kinda hard to get through just by squeezing.

 
 Spoiler: Mystery 
With cats basically don't have shoulders with an Escape Artist check against 20 Mystery could squeeze through.
 


Gina begins working on the integrity of the cage which seems to be slowly working and erodes the iron bars. But it will take some time, till it's destroyed enough.

The smooth jazz music doesn't seem to alert any guards or anything immediately.

There is also a sign in the middle of the room, the words on it are annoyingly tiny, probably only readable when you're stand directly before it.

The water tank in one of the cells begins to start to have a lot of cracks. After a little bit it breaks and releases a mass of water and a merfolk.
Cygnia
Mystery made a noise that suspiciously sounded like "   ...harumph... "  .  Foolish hoomins, thinking that they could keep a CAT locked up!  Mere bars would not stop Her  unlike Dashie who is a Doofus and a Chonkabutt .

First things first though.  She flopped back into the box on Her back and made air biscuits.  Rhythmic purring emanated from Her plush throat.  It was absolutely adorable if anyone could see it.

It was, however, absolutely necessary for Her survival in this place.  To keep Her safe from the elements -- and purrtect Her from Her OWN AWESOME POWERS~!

Then She hopped out and attempted to squeeze through the bars...

 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Invoking  Endure Exposure  on Herself.
 (1d20+6)[ 11 ]  Escape Artist attempt
 
Ridai
Oh, no one coming, alright then. Since the room is getting flooded, Faith crosses her legs on the bed while playing. A toe is aimed at the bars, which are getting blasted not only with smooth jazz, but also holy energies.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Faith uses her Celestial Light to attack the bars of her cage with 3d6 divine damage per usage.
 
BelGareth
Infernox responds   "Faith St. Mary, well met....or well...whatever...not well, I am Infernox"  

He looks around and sees others trying to break out and sighs. Hopefully he could burn his way out. He looked around and decided that wouldn't work, and instead decided to listen to the inner voice of 'destroying' the objects around him.

Whatever, maybe it would work.

 
 Spoiler 

2 claw attacks against bars for double damage with Ruinous Attack from Aym being bound.
  Claw Attack 1  - (1d20+9)[ 10 ] 
  Damage  - (2d6+10)[ 17 ] 
  Claw Attack 2  - (1d20+9)[ 17 ] 
  Damage  - (2d6+10)[ 18 ] 

Per the SRD, Iron bars have hardness 10 and 90hp's
EDIT: at ~15 damage per round, thats 6 rounds
 
Metastachydium
The aforesaid Merfolk flops onto her face rather ungracefully, the face in question mere inches away from being full of glass. This doesn't seem tpo disturb her much. Almost instantly, she's up on her elbows, looking around rather frantically.   I want my hammer. I want it!   she says, at last, in lieu of an introduction and promptly grabs a shard of glass lying within the reach of those funny, long Merfolk arms. And then she shouts.   MOUNTAIN  HAM MER!!   as though that was a normal thing to say. And she stabs the lock.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Punishing Mountain Hammer with yet another improvised weapon:  (1d20+4)[ 24 ]  for  negligible  plus  4  and  (3d6)[ 10 ] , ignoring hardness;
do tell if grabbing a shard of glass results in damage to  her 
 
Alhallor
Be it by a random shard of glass, residual spell energy used in an unforeseen way, claws or a saxophone, the iron bars give way.

 
 Spoiler: Brakq 
 (1d2)[ 2 ]  damage by grabing a glass shard and using it as an improvised weapon, once. The shard of glass is ruined.
 


The cat seems to want to get out too, with a bit of help the cat gets out.

 
 Spoiler: OOC, all 
I'm gonna assume here that everyone gets out somehow, because you're clearly able to.
 


Even with some sound made it doesn't seem that there are any guards yet.

The two doors that led out of the prison room have some plaques on it, namely "Horse experiment s " and "Guard room"

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Wet floor 
 
Cygnia
Smug Kitteh was Smug.

    OK, time to get out of Teh Wet nao...    

Mystery padded towards the edge of the room -- away from Teh Wet and finally deigned to look at the other prisoners.

There was a short hoomin.  A hoomin with slightly pointy ears.  A loud hoomin.  A louder AND wetter hoomin.  And a warm hoomin.  Suitable minions for now.  At least until Mystery could get Her Stuff back.  She shook Her paws frantically to try to free Herself from the accursed Wet.

    ...suppose I'm gonna haf to give dese guyz My Blessing...    

Mystery yawned instead.  Better to see if dese guyz even were worthy of Her Blessing first.
Metastachydium
Shaking some blood off of her cut hand (Brakq has time to bleed!), the Merfolk begins to noisily flop and crawl out of confinement (or whatever remains of that). Stupid place; she'll have to rough it up a bit more. Then it won't be so stupid. But some of the folks here know the drill, that's good, some talent. Talent's good. And still no guards. Stupid guards, they make everything worse.

She looks around once more. Big, bulging eyes settle on Infernox for now. Others know their way around. This one looks fun too, though. Fire's fun. She'd use it, fire. But the ocean's a wet place. Stupid wet bits of the world.   You wanna, uh, wanna set that thing on fire?   she motions towards the sign.   I just want my hammer. Makes me ALL, uh,  antsy , doing without.   she waves a hand before her face, spraying more blood onto everything. Blood's fun too.   But you can have it, uh, I'll find something.   she nods encouragingly.
Benoojian
  "I'm Gina by the way, I don't suppose anyone else is here as punishment for fraud? And I swear to the Gods, if this sign says 'I prepared Explosive Runes'..."   Gina leans in close to read the tiny letters on the sign.
Ridai
Faith smiles and waves hi to Infernox as she plays.

The bars are open, and the song reaches its end, the saxophone conveniently disappearing. Stepping into the wet and now jazzless prison, Faith saunters over to Brakq, giving her a shiny, nice-feeling slap on the bicep.   "Hey, you do you, buddy, jus' lemme have a lil' looksee at that sign, then it's all yers."   The bloody hand seems to have decided to stop bleeding.

Afterwards, she's right there with Gina looking at the sign.   "Jus' ol' regular kidnappin' for me. Lavender smell and out like a light. Saved me a buncha time, really. But ooh, haven't had an  explosive runes  trap yet, always heard about it. Last dungeon, outfitter said those're fallin' outta fashion, too many people expecting 'em, like with the 11 Foot Pole Revolution. Sounded real heartbroken 'bout that, poor guy."  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
The healing is using Healing Light + Hands of the Healer. Taps for 3d6 healing.
 
Alhallor
 
 Spoiler: Brakq, Gina, Mary, what's written on the sign 
 Please retreat to you're cells and stay there. 
The administrators

It has no additional effects.
 
Ridai
  "Ah well."   Faith strolls over to her cell, gets the pitcher of water, walks to the guard room door, crisply knocks on it twice, and, if possible, lets herself in.

  "Hiii, name's Faith St. Mary, I got here jus' a bit ago. Ya see, I'm tourin' dungeons and would love ta have a chat with y'all 'bout yer workplace an' jobs. You free at the moment? I've brought drinks."   Faith says with her thoroughly relaxed voice, either upon entering the room (shaking the pitcher in her hand), or in front of the door.

Diplomacy  (1d20+23)[ 26 ] 
Cygnia
Mystery ambled over to the musical hoomin and waited to scoot in after Faith if/when the door opened.  The guards might have Her Stuff and it was best to lay claim to it before dese guyz Got Thoughts in their little hoomin brains.
BelGareth
As the others escape, it's none to soon that Infernox also leaves their cell.

And is immediately accosted to light something on fire.

Of course, he would be that person. And from the merfolk...  or whatever the nines that thing is 
  "Maybe we should choose a door, Horse experiment seems like something I don't want to mess with"  
Aegis013
Xyrona's face seems mildly concerned that someone else was admittedly in here for fraud, but shakes it off.   "Can I get some assistance? I don't actually have a way out this cage."  

Once released, Xyrona nods to the others   "I am in your debt."  

She then investigates the "horse experiment" with some trepidation.   "What did they do to my horse?"   she asks rhetorically, turning on her heel from the sign and marching with determination in the direction indicated.

  "If they hurt Asfaloth, they'll answer to me!"  
Alhallor
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
If I have understood anything wrong, please tell me here or in the ooc.

It's also your turn.
 


When Faith opens the door one guard slaps the other on the back. "Told you they'd break out, you owe me 5 gold."

A rather ginormous guard strikes his club on the ground, which makes them sparkle with electricity. "  Seize them down! Don't listen to them talk, remember we lost site 0309 to a fallen researcher!  

The two guards at the front do the same, while another seems to mumble to himself.

 "I would really like something to drink." 

They are several chests on the southern wall, all have a plaque above them with titles such as: "Burning guy." "Water-Human" and "Kitten toys".

Xyrona, worried about her horse opens the door towards an experimental chamber.

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona 
You step into a nice and green meadow. It almost feels like the sun warms you're skin, but it's just arcana light sources. Asfaloth comes towards you, happy to see you, you also see another horse that seems to have the head of a squid. You hear a voice inside you're head when you open the door.

 "And this is my most favorite succulant dandelion I like to nibble on it occasionally but not too much or it would disappear outright! Oh, hello there, are you acquainted with that fine steed? 

OOC: Asfaloth can fit through 1 square doors, just needs to be slow and not charging.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Doors opened. 
 
Cygnia
    MY STUFF~!    

Problem one: Violent hoomins between Mystery and Her Stuff.  Which wouldn't actually BE a problem, except for...

Problem two: ...musical hoomin also in between Mystery and Her Stuff.  And musical hoomin made for the purrfect meat shield.  But, she needed that Special Something in order for Mystery to be truly effective.

    *sigh*   Supposed I haz to give dis one My Blessing den...    

Faith suddenly felt two soft paws (with only the BAREST pinpricks of claws -- honest!) stretched out behind her calves.  And...was that faint purring?

 
 Spoiler: Action 

Invoking  Endure Exposure  on Faith.
 
Metastachydium
Between being  specifically asked to  break something she normally shouldn't (and getting to Hammer Blast away at the disgustingly polite woman's door with appropriate gusto)  and  hearing a clear implication that her toy of preference is likely nearby, Brakq forgets about the sign  and  Infrnox wondrously fast.   They've my hammer?   she turns around in a clumsy display of flopping about in the big puddle she made.   You've my hammer! I  want  my hammer.   she states, crawling on and on towards the door (how's it  so  far away?!). It's a really straightforward setup. She likes straightforward!
Ridai
Confronted with guards and one very loud one, Faith goes   "Hey, tha's alright, if ya- wait, hol' on a moment, feeling beans."   She bends down to pick up the kitty cat wanting attention, providing some scritches behind the ears to boot.   "I don' need ta do the talkin', y'all can just talk 'bout whatever ya want, but jus' sayin', that 0309 sounds interesting, wha' happened there? Also hey, can you please hand her her hammer?"  

Faith looks to Brakq.   "Hey, do you need' a hand? I can go get yer hammer for you, if ya want."   Brakq looks like she's having a bad time, so hey, golden rule.
BelGareth
Infernox frowns.

 They have our stuff  he thought.

He took a step forward.

  You have our stuff.  
Metastachydium
  A hand? I, uh, I've hands. Two of them.   Brakq informs Faith, somewhat baffled and quite absently.   You should know. You fixed one!   she reminds the prodigious talker who's… Only got her underwear on, for some reason? Why are these people shambling about in their underwear, Brakq wonders, all of a sudden. That's so stupid.   Why's everyone's in, uh, in this weird state of undress?   she asks it aloud, just as suddenly, as she  finally  reaches that stupid door to the stupid other room.   And where's my hammer? I want it. I want to hit things!  
Aegis013
Xyrona throws her arms around her trusted mount's neck.   "Asfaloth! They didn't hurt you, did they?"   upon seeing the squid-head horse, Xyrona blinks a few times.

  "I am... May I ask, what are you? What interest do you have in my horse?"  
Benoojian
Gina summons a swarm of bees around the ginormous guard and one of the others,   “Stay still while we get our things back and the bees won’t hurt you.”   
Gina begins moving towards the box clearly labeled for her.
Cygnia
   HEY!!! PUT ME DOWN!!! Ooooh, wait, ooh, dat's nice...OK, hoomin, I let you live a little bit longer...    Mystery purred in satisfaction, deigning to accept Faith's administrations.  Besides, at this height, She had a purrfect line of sight to blast these insolence guards with HER SHEER AWESOME POWER~!!!!

...providing Her hoomin took a few more steps forward.  Fire was too dangerous and might damage Her Stuff, but She had another tool in Her Arsenal.
Alhallor
  "I'll get the traitor, you take down the talker!"  

The giant guard doesn't even move, just extends his massive hands to clobber the other guard, who falls down with one hit, the smell of ozone fills the air.

The two other guards rush at Faith, brandishing they're clubs, but one does get stung heavily by a swarm of bees.

 
 Spoiler: Gina 
Roll the bees damage.
 

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Faith 

Attack 1:  (1d20+5)[ 14 ] 
Damage 1:  (1d6+1)[ 4 ]  and  (3d6)[ 10 ]  DC 13 Fort save for half, all damage is subdual.

Attack 2:  (1d20+5)[ 10 ] 
Damage 2:  (1d6+1)[ 5 ]  and  (3d6)[ 15 ]  DC 13 Fort save for half, all damage is subdual.
 


-------------------Xyrona------------------

Asfaloth doesn't seem hurt at all, though perhaps a did agitated because of the other weird horse and the time it was separated from you. The other horse answers by filling your head with perfectly understandable words.

 Oh, I didn't wanted to be dispespectful good sir, I was just showing Asfaloth the sights, as would any good crop-partner, really. I didn't had any untoward thoughts or ambitions, no sir. 
 
 Spoiler: Map 
 First battle! 
 
Cygnia
   Ah, purrfect...Teh Stoopids come closer to Me.     Ideally, the Big Stoopid with the Electric Thwomper would have been nice to get into range as well, but Mystery could make do with this.  Mystery's mouth opened into what appeared to be a biiiiiiiiiiiiig

     *!!!YAWN!!!*     

And a cloud of a strange gas enveloped the two lesser thugs, who suddenly found themselves weakened!  Surprisingly enough, Faith seemed unaffected.

 
 Spoiler: Action 

 Dragon Kitteh Breath Weapon (DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken, -6 Str penalty for 4 rounds, 2 rounds if Fort save is successful. 15ft cloud)
 (1d20+4)[ 18 ]  Initiative if/when needed
 
Metastachydium
As one of the guards punches out another, Brakq seems to be overcome with an uncontrollable fit of juvenile giggling. But then, it occurs to her. There's people hittiong each other in the next room.  She  could be hitting things in the next room.   Is that, uh, that is a fist fight, I  want  to fist fight now.   she declares, crawling past the doorframe and the ridiculous little ball of fur, only to spring up and flop against the side of the closest guard with great force and a greater shout of   DESTRUCTION HAMMER PUNCH!!  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Yes, she  is  going to scream all her attacks, which, in this case is an unarmed strike Mountain Hammer against the guard on Q14:  (1d20+8)[ 22 ]  for  (1d3+4)[ 5 ]  and  (3d6)[ 7 ]  NONLETHAL bludgeoning;
if the attack deals damage, she immediate action burns a use of Destruction Devotion to lessen the armpour or natural bonus armour of the guard by  1 .
 
Benoojian
  "I did try to warn you..."   
 
 Spoiler: bee swarm damage 
 (3d6)[ 13 ] 
 
Aegis013
Xyrona, somewhat uneasy around the strange entity, mounts her horse without further conversation and guides it carefully through the passage towards the guard room. As she is unarmed, she stays behind the others electing to observe the combat for now.
Ridai
The offer fell on deaf ears, it appears, as Faith gets resoundingly bonked on the head by a club, only barely getting missed by the second as she reels back on accident. Not that the bonk leaves all that much in lasting injury. At the same time, lil' cat has a burpee.

  "Chill out, yer givin' the kitty gas,"   Faith says, waving a hand in front of her face, transitioning into a horn (in the musical instrument sense) materializing in said hand.   "More the combat banter types? Alrighty then."   And a mighty toot is tooted, with a little musical flourish. Celestial sound pleases the ear, but also has a soundwave rush forward to bowl angry guards over, further billowing the feline burp. A little step out of the way of the door follows to make room a bit.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
 Full  Use  Horn of Heaven , creating a 20ft cone doing  (3d8)[ 12 ]  sonic damage (Fort DC 15 halves). Targets the guards in P15 and M15. Five foot step to R14.
 
Alhallor
Mystery's mighty yawn let's both guards be heavily burdened, they're gear suddenly way too heavy for them. The bees do they're stinging work, damaging one guard and with Faith's horn, and some stings, the heavenly music makes him unconscious.

The other guard, battered and weak, still try's to strike at Faith weakly, but Brakq is faster and strikes him down with one hearty punch.

The big guard sighes.   "Why do I have to do everything myself?!"  

He lurches forward, ignoring the hurtful sting of the bees.

 
 Spoiler: Bee damage. 
 (3d6)[ 12 ] 
 


Without further discussion he swings towards Brakq, trying to get him down.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Brakq 
 (1d20+10)[ 20 ] 
Damage  (1d8+5)[ 13 ]  and DC 13 Fortitude save for half  (3d6)[ 7 ]  Electricity damage, all damage is subdual.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Guards are falling down. 
 
Benoojian
  "If you have to do everything yourself then I suppose we'd better focus fire on you so we can get our Damned stuff back"   Drawing on the magic between magic, Gina lets out an arcane swear, attempting to blind the large guard and also blasting him as the word burrows into his eyes. Then she draws a shadowy curtain across her face and disappears.

 
 Spoiler: Mechanics 
Standard, Reserve Fuse: Shadow Veil and Shattering Word,  DC 18 Will save from the large guard or he treats everything as concealed (20% miss chance and -5 to spot) and 6 sonic damage(damage regardless of save)
Swift, Vanishing Act, Gina is invisible 1 round
 
Ridai
  "Woah, magic swearing, nice."   Faith observes Gina's handiwork with a chill smile, taking mental notes.

Switching the kitty cat over to her right arm (transfer scritches included), Faith reaches out to the less big guard in front of her, putting a glowing hand on his shoulder.   "Hey. Take a break. You deserve it."   The energy flowing into the guard does feel like nap time might be just the thing right now.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
 Standard  Celestial Light vs the smaller guard. The damage inflicted is good-aligned divine energy that does no damage to good targets, half to neutral, and full to evil.
Melee touch attack  (1d20+5)[ 14 ] ,  (3d6)[ 10 ]  damage
 
Cygnia
   WHOOP!  Careful dere, hoomin -- DON'T DROP ME~!    A slight mewl of indignation escaped the kitteh's throat as Faith shifted her hold.  But the further skritchings helped placate Her.

Mystery thought about unleashing Her POWERFUL COMMAND OF THE ELEMENTS~! against Teh Big Stoopid with the Electric Thwomper, but that might also destroy the stingy thingies currently harrying him.  Yes, clearly this was a Strategic Idea to wait for Her Weakening Breath to recharge andnotjustHerbeinglazyandenjoyingtheheadskritches .

 
 Spoiler: Action 
Lazy Kitteh is Lazy this round ;)
 
Metastachydium
A wide  slasher  bludgeoner smile materializes on Brakq's visage as the little guard falls, and the big guard battering away at her does little to wipe it off. Quite on the contrary. You give 'em, you get 'em. Cost of doing business. Life is dumb, and dumb is boring. Danger's fun. Almost as much as breaking stuff is.   You, uh, you hit me.   Brakq informs the guard with an odd kind of glee, before turning towards the other shmucks in here with her.   He hit me! I need to, uh, I need to hit him now; save some of him for me, uh,  me hitting him .   she instructs them focusing all her otherwise available attention on trying to pry the funny stick out of the downed little guard's hand. It's a bludgeon! That lightning-strikes people! This must be her hatching-day.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Fortitude:  (1d20+4)[ 21 ] ;
Brakq move action tries to Rm herself, heedless of any AoOs that might provoke.
 
Alhallor
Brakq doesn't need to concern himself with getting damaged, because the combined efforts of Faith, Gina and probably a sizable morale boost from the kitty the heavy guard falls down too.

A heavy silence falls down on the room, only interrupted by the clacking of Asfaloth hoofs.

 
 Spoiler: Chests 
They have your equipment inside and are unlocked.
 

 
 Spoiler: Guards 
The guards all wear Studded Leather armor, the one from the big one is masterwork but also pretty big. They all have masterwork clubs that 2 times per day, can deal 3d6 Lightning damage (Fort DC 13 for half). You can freely decide to deal subdual damage with this clubs without getting a penalty.

Together they also have  (3d20)[ 32 ]  Silver coins.
 (1d20)[ 15 ]  Gold coins.
A Mug with 5 dice.
A bottle filled with mint liqour.
And an unsent letter to a wife (Gerlinde)
 

 
 Spoiler: Letter from one guard 

Hi Gerlinde,

how are you? I'm fine.

I don't know how the weather is, being underground and all, I'm sure you can have a bit more weather with you serving in the temple of 'Our Pain Devouring Lady That Brings Utter Suffering?'

It's just that great being a guard and being evil, normally when you're a henchman you just get downed by some goody-two-shoes paladin, like in my last appointment, I really thought that Wraith-Priest would take better care of us.

But it doesn't matter I can annoy my coworkers and call it discipline, we got a kitty in our last shipment and I'm being sure to kick it later, I can just call it testing!

Hope you had a nice sacrifice weekend.

In backstabbing love,
Gunther.
 

 
 Spoiler: Loot 
Money will probably play a role later.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Tip, Tip, Tap. 
 
Aegis013
Xyrona happily collects her equipment, re-saddling her horse and glad to no longer need to ride bareback. As she works she informs the others of what she encountered in the other chamber. She also spends time carefully securing her and Asfaloth's armor.

  "I'm glad that this group is so capable. Though, have any of you ever seen a tentacle-faced horse that speaks thoughts directly into your mind? There's one of those in that room labeled "horse experiment". It was rather uncanny. It didn't seem to be hostile, but given we're in this strange place, I certainly wouldn't mind a second opinion."  
Ridai
  "Ohhh, this an Evil dungeon, alrighy."   And down the guards go. Okay, first things first!

 
 Getting the lady her hammer from the big guard!   "Here you go!"   
 Returning the toys to the kitten! Faith opens the chest and carefully places the kitten inside (with an extra few scritches under the chin).   "Have fun, I'll be right back!"   
 Faith getting her own stuff! Walking over aaall the way to the last chest, she opens it and finds her Shenanigans Tools which are also her sustenance and mobility. And clothes! 
 Searching the guards and reading the letter.   "Ohh, it's  C -Evil, even! Hey, doin' what they love, at least. Really shoulda guessed by the moustaches, hm."   
 Putting on one of the studded leather armors and taking a guard club, on account of having nothing else in terms of equipment. 
 Lifting the kitty back out the box if necessary. 
 

Clapping, then rubbing her hands, causing them to glow, Faith tops up everyone who got hurt (including herself).   "Tentacle horse? I'mma check it out. Gonna explore the whole thing, might 's well start with someone who wanna talk. How 'bout you folks?"  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Heal everyone with Healing Light, put on one of the normal studded leather armors, and take one of the guard clubs. Then go meet the tentacle horse after interviewing people.
 
Cygnia
Good.  Teh hoomin set Her down without having to give the order. Though, while Faith's back was turned, She immediately hopped back out of the chest and ambled over to read this evil guard's letter...

...

...

...

...Mystery's tail twitched in anger.  And expressed Her fury as only a kitteh could right on the unconscious man's head.     Besides, best to get dis outta teh way now before I gotta *sigh* shift into teh Ugly form.     Without a backward glance. Mystery padded back to the chest with Her stuff, with the telltale scent of cat urine now emanating from the prone guard.

Then the cat began to grow and her form began to change into something more hoominoid.   Female, possibly a gnome or a halfling, but even smaller than one of those two species.   And nekkid.  But there were Her clothes in that chest.  Tacky vest, check.  Belt to improve Her Awesome Powers?  Check.  Artificial pointy endz with their pretty baubles?  Check and check.  Carrying pack for all Her stuff  -- ooh and Her everlasting FOOD was in dere too -- check.

And the wands.  Yep, zappy time now.  Check.

Reluctantly hoominoid now, the former cat turned towards the others.     "'Sup?"   
Metastachydium
Only ever so slightly displeased that she couldn't get a piece of the big guard (in the end, it's not like fleshy things make crunchy noises  that  satisfying when hit with a blunt implement; Brakq just  feels  there must be better stuff to hit with a stick in here!), Brakq accepts her treasuredhammer from the weird song-dance lady with the closest thing to a genuine gratitude her face can show and… Oddly enough, doesn't bother to take a good swing yet, no. Instead, using the blocky, big maul as a grotesque crutch, she flops and drags herself all the way to the  her chest  and looks in. The gauntlests, armour and assorted tidbits are put on without much ado; but the  backpack  gets some extra attention. She removes, one after the other, sveral pyramid-shaped flasks of clear liquid and two large earthenware eggs with curious little metallic pins sticking out of them, inspects them with an idiotic grin, then places them back in, swinging the whole thing onto her back.  There's alightshow for later in there . So good!

It is only  then  that she equips the big hammer again… And swiftly turns it against the chest with a resounding   MOPUNTAIN  HAM MER!!   It feels so right.   I, uh, I have my stuff now.   she tells the cat, evidently unfazed by her sudden transformation into a not-cat.   Let's go  break  something.  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Mountain Hammer on the empty chest, because  of course :  (1d20+7)[ 12 ]  for  (2d8+7)[ 18 ]  and  (3d6)[ 18 ] , ignoring all hardness.
 
Aegis013
Xyrona covers her face upon the realization that Mystery's shifted form is not wearing any garments, the tips of her pointed ears turning red.

  "Please cover up. It's immodest."   She says, half-mumbling through her hands which are blocking her view.
Cygnia
In response, Mystery just shot a baleful look towards Xyrona.  If it wasn't for the fact that She no longer had Her magnificent plush fur in this form, Mystery would have chosen to stay nekkid.  No acute sense of scent, no silently communicative tail and ears, no fur to stay warm...if it wasn't for Teh Thumbz, hoomin form would be utterly useless.     How do hoomins even LIVE like dis?!   
    "...whatebber..."     muttered Mystery.  Eventually, garments were finally worn.  At least the louder, wetter hoomin didn't seem to care.  So, Breaker-of-Stuff was also now deemed worthy of Mystery's blessing.  She patted Brakq gently, invoking Her purrtection from Her AWESOME POWERS~!

   "OK, so who's gonna be in front of Me?"    Mystery deigned to speak.     "I don't wanna hurt anyone with My Terrific Might accidentally.  You have been warned..."   
 
 Spoiler: Action 

Invoking Endure Exposure on Brakq
 
Ridai
  "Oh hey,"   Faith says to Mystery, evidently taking the surprise of kitty turning into naked woman in stride, raising two fingers in greeting.   "Headin' over to see tentacly horseys, can tag along if you wanna."  

Faith hasn't heard much in terms of plans from the others, sooo... she's going back through the cells to the Horse Experiment, to see the tentacle-headed horse. She grabs a mug on the way, firing some water from her flask into it, then making it glow.

To the tentacle horse:   "Heya, I'm Faith St. Mary, Faith for short, nice to meet'cha, jus' got here via kidnappin'. You wanna talk a bit about yourself, how life's in here, how you became a tentacle horse?"   She offers the cup with the best ever drink to the horse.   "Care for a drink?"  

Diplomacy  (1d20+23)[ 41 ] 
Metastachydium
As Xyrona shows off the wonderful expressive versatility of Elven ears, Brakq, using her maul as an impromptu crutch has already begun to crawl towards a near exit, only to stop abruptly as she happens on the letter herself. For once, it is not destroyed, no. If it needed destroying, her stupid puddle would've destroyed it, right? No, she figures, it must have a greater purpose.

Locating some writing supplies, she quickly jots onto it a few more lines. This is a stupid place; maybe people will be stupid enough to mail it even so:

   Gerlinde you stupid landcow
we knocked out your stupid husband peed on him and stole his funny club
your fancy church deserves a better class of people hitting things to work with
send here no rush   
Alhallor
---------------------Faith and a horse-------------------

Despite a nekid kitty-person Faith goes towards the "horse experiment" where a horse with a tentacled... Face? Maw? Munches on one leaf of a Dandelion. When Faith introduces herself the horse happily goes towards here and she hears a clear distinct voice in her head.

 Oh, hello! I'm horse! You got kidnapped? Oh no, where did you're kids got napped? Are they sleeping soundly?

My life here is pretty nice, I can munch on a lot of grass and leaves, I have that very tasty dandelion over there! And I regularly get snacks! 

The tentacles move in a weird pattern and the squid-like head seems to look a bit confused? or angry?

 What do you mean, became? I always looked like this. 

-------------------------Guard room-----------------

On the other room a letter got some new words written on it, but that is not the only writing available.

On the door where the party emerged from is a plaque with the words "new arrivals" written on it.

On the door opposite this one is a "Water experiment."

On the north is a "Big glass chamber."

and it seems to the south is the "Transport chamber."
Ridai
  "Hello, horse! Oh no, it's a human manner of speakin'. What I meant is that I got napped 'n' put in a cell over there while I was nappin'. They also took my stuff, but I got it back, so 's all good. Did sleep soundly, too."  

The horse getting irritated, Faith raises a hand in apology.   "Ah, sorry, my bad, first time talkin' to a horse. How long've you been here? Good ta hear yer havin' a great time. Folks bringin' you snacks also spendin' time with ya? Y'know, talk with ya, play with ya, regular brushies, that sorta thing?"  
Aegis013
Xyrona reads the signage above the variety of doors.   "Fascinating. Which of these chambers should we investigate first?"  
Metastachydium
Brakq tosses the letter aside and straightens up, insofar as she is able given the limitations imposed by being a fish-shaped thing out of water with only a big hammer to lean on.   Can we see, uh, see the big glass chamber? I want to.   she asks with a big grin on her face that promises precious little good.   I want to, now!   Glass is funny. Glass is funny in  so  many ways.
Cygnia
   "Glass works,"    nodded Mystery.  Avoiding more of Teh Wet was ALWAYS a Good Idea.

And She then pet the rear of the slighty-pointy eared hoomin's horsey, invoking Her Blessing yet again on the steed JUST in case.

 
 Spoiler 
Invoking Endure Exposure upon Asfaloth
 
Aegis013
  "Big glass chamber, here we come! Forward Asfaloth, yah."   Xyrona deftly maneuvers the horses' bridle and skillfully rides to the door, clip-clopping through the portal first, her jousting gear at the ready.
Alhallor
---------------Mind Horse------------

 Oh, I have been here forever! As long as I can think off. And yes I get regular brushes, though people don't play much with me. They do ask me pretty often if I want to eat a brain. What even is a brain? Is it tasty? 

-----------Big glass chamber----------

You open the big doors to the "Big Glass Chamber" and it opens up to a big room with a lot of glass containers. Almost all of them are filled with a murky fluid, which prevents you from seeing into it. On the container nearest to you, theres a THUNK! and you see something lumpy retreat back into the murky waters.

Around one container are three individuals with white robes, one of them has some purple insignia stitched unto it and presses a needle against one murky container, shortly afterwards, inside the container you see something that resembles an ogre with a lot of fur and the muzzle of a rat with multiple arms, before going murky again. The other two white robes scribble furiously on they're clipboards.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 A Brakq in a porcelain shop. 
 
Aegis013
Xyrona looks around, Asfaloth making their presence known with a huff.

  "What are you three doing here?"   she asks, her pleasant sing-song voice betrayed somewhat by the lance under her arm.
Metastachydium
Brakq crawls into the room herself, her already bright grin widening into truly morbid proportions. The pointy-eared knight's attempt at starting a conversation barely registers with her. Polite talk's  stupid , and this room is  beautiful . So many things to hit! So many promises of stupid big bright stuff cracking open with sharp sounds!

Sole issue is, there's really  a lot  of those. So much so that she is stuck paralysed with indecisio with a moment there. What to hir first? She can't hit  all  the things first! But then, an idea alights in her head.   Hey. Hey, you! Hey! You there, hey!   she calls out to the robe people.   You know who's, uh, who I am? Ask me! Ask  me ! Ask me, I  want  it!   she hollers on, her big bulging eyes darting about to locate a container of apprpriately modest size as close to the robes as possible.
Ridai
  "No idea how they taste, but they're wet, fatty, jelly-like 'n' probably don't taste as nice as yer dandelions do for ya. Things use brains for thinkin', an' it's not nice to eat someone's brain, as that kills the owner of the brain. Tends to make 'em pretty angry with ya. Good thing you get regular brushies, though! People really could play some more with ya, I'll see if I can badger management about that. You enjoy yer dandelion, friend."   Faith smiles to the mind horse and heads through the "First trials" door.
Cygnia
 CAT LABORATORY 

The sign was as clear as day to Mystery.  If Her missing siblings were anywhere in this damn dungeon, that was a pretty good place to start.  Ignoring the lackeys in the white coats, the big glass jars and Her minions for the time being, Mystery headed over there.     Yep. Time to save teh day as usual...   

Of course, if the white-coated lackeys did anything bad to Her littermates, Mystery would soon be back to inflict Her VENGEANCE~!

Yes.  Even if they hurt Dashie too.  Who was a Doofus.
Benoojian
The cat seemed to know where she was going so Gina followed her.
Alhallor
----------------Big glass chamber-------------

The researchers look bewildered at the emerging group and one begins to ask Brakq: "What is your... " But get's smacked by an invisible hand. (Swift action, magical slap)

 This is a breach scenario, what should we do? 

"Sigh... Don't engage in conversation and use boring magic to bring them down?"

 Exactly.  (Full-Round action, establishing battle tactics).

The two other researchers procure weird wands and point them at Brakq who begins to feel... Kinda warm, cozy and sleepy?

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Two will saves against 15, fail one and you get  (2d6)[ 10 ]  Subdual damage, fail the other one and get  (2d6)[ 6 ]  Subdual damage.
 


-------------------Cat laboratory------------------

Gnome and Cat-human make they're way sneakily into the Cat laboratory, it seems the researchers are too occupied to notice you two.

You land in a connection room, with a door leading to the laboratory itself, you can hear faint meowing and stressed hissing from the other door who is closed.

-----------------Not a horse----------------

Before Faith can go to the next room a tentacle lands on her shoulder beckoning her to stay, at least for a moment.

 Say, it's nice talking to you and it seems like you're looking around, it's weird I feel like... Something is missing and it's not brushes or something else... It's something familiar but I have never seen it before, I think. Could you perhaps look for it while you go prowling about? I'm a bit too scared to really go outside like Asfaloth. 

In the next room are two cells in one is a dwarf that kinda looks like part of him have been transformed into stone (perhaps a really lazy Cockatrice picked at him?)

In the other is a very old looking women who... Seems like she's realls small.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Strange, isn't it? 
 
Auranghzeb
Muck looked around the transporter room from atop Otto's hump. Surveying the area from a vantage point.


 Hey Otto, seems we are on another floor. Let's explore ahead. 
Ridai
Faith smiles to the tentahorse.   "I'll look around for it, don'cha worry, buddy,"   she says, gently patting the tentacle on her shoulder.

Heading into the next room, she looks to the two people present and behind glass.   "Hi, I'm Faith St. Mary, nice ta meet'cha ya can call me Faith, an' I'm explorin' dungeons. Can ya tell me what's goin' on here, how'd ya got in 'ere, if ya wan' out, that sorta thing?"  
Metastachydium
Brakq makes a very annoyed face. She didn't ask these stupid stupids to make her feel warm inside! That'd be stupid!  She asked them to set her blowing **** up!    Good of you, uh, to  aks .   she goes on, pretending EVERYTHING WENT HER OWN WAY ALL ALONG  anyhow .   I'm  Brakq .   the ambient lighting begins to flicker.    Brakq  the HAMMER!!  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Will saves:  (1d20+5)[ 7 ]  and  (1d20+5)[ 15 ] ;
regardless, if there's a glass container or the like, preferably as close to the robes as it gets, weighing less than 30 pounds…  You know what happens. 
 
Cygnia
   MY PEOPLE~!     Hearing the cries of distressed kittehs brought out the glare from Mystery.  But She had to be smart.  And so, She muttered a few words to make sure the door didn't have any tricky magicks on it.

Then, finally realizing the smaller hoomin was with Her, Mystery made sure to invoke Her Blessing of Protection upon Gina as well.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Invoking Magical Insight to see if there's magic stuff on the door.

Then Invoking Endure Exposure on Gina.

Since Mystery knows Feline, can she understand what the poor cats are saying?
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  72/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Aegis013
Hearing the intentions of the strange white robes announced without remorse, Xyrona alerts them to the inevitable combat that will now ensue.   "I'm not going to let you put us back in cages. En garde!"  

Asfaloth manages to build up quite of bit of momentum on approach and Xyrona thrusts her lance towards center mass of the first of the strange white robe wearers.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Swift action: Test of Mettle
All enemies that hear Xyrona's challenge and have an Int score of 5 or more must make a Will Save DC 14 or be forced to prioritize Xyrona as their target for 7 rounds. No effect if they beat the save.

Spirited Charge:  (1d20+11)[ 20 ]  to hit
 On a 31  (1d20+11)[ 27 ]  to confirm 

On hit it deals  (3d8+12)[ 15 ]  damage
 On a critical hit it deals  (2d8+8)[ 14 ]  more damage. 
 

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona Status 
Xyrona is unharmed.
-2 AC from charge leaves her with 16 AC until her next turn.
 
Alhallor
-----------Big glass chamber--------

  Brakq!   The name echoes through the chamber, get's thrown back and around and back again.   BRAKQ!   The name seems to somehow increase in volume and it almost seems like the name get's a live on it's own while it searches, hunts for prey.

  BRAKQ!   One of the glass containers shatters with a loud iteration, spilling murky fluid and glass shards everywhere. Out of it falls a lump of incredibly wet black hair who  splorches  on the floor.

Xyrona's charge hits one of the researchers with her charge, instead of valiantly fighting her he... Just falls down unconscious, deflating like a wet paper bag.

The other reseacher cry's out in horror as he sees the lump of black hair, that Brakq freed.

"They released Subject #0192!"

He get's toward another door and rips it open in a panic.

The adorned researcher draws her own wand and points it at Xyrona.  Sleep! 
 
 Spoiler: Xyrona 
Make a Will save against 15 or get 5d6 subdual damage, while the intense feeling of you sitting in a warm comfy chair, covered in your favorite blanket, having a hot cocoa in your hands while a biting blizzard roars outside batters you.
 


Muck sees a fellow rider, though on a weird four-legged beast sprinting away. The sounds of a loudly proclaimed name and battle wash over him and Otto, who is hungry.

---------------Cat laboratory.---------------

Mystery's expert eye doesn't see any magic on the door, but there are several magic auras that even shimmer through the frame of the door, but not strong enough to make out anything concrete. The cry's of her brethren speak of.

 
 Spoiler: Mystery 
They want to get out, they're uncomfortable, they don't have enough space, they are too much on a too small area. You hear one that speaks in an undecipherable accent, the cacophony is too much too hear any concrete voices, you're not sure if you're close brethren are here.
 


--------------First experiments room------------

Both the dwarf and the old woman look up when Faith is talking, they are both in similiar cells like Faith St. Mary before, not giving them much room, though the bars the dwarf is behind seem to have some dents on them.

The dwarf laughs a rumbly, rocky laugh. "Out? How many times have you tried that? Lured us with fake promises of an escape? It's alright I stay right here."

The old woman speaks with a tone of voice that seems to fit more with a young girl. "Oh, hush, you could at least play along! Nice meeting you Faith I'm Edora and that grumpy fellow is Boulderdash strongarm of the stonebreaker clan. I can't really tell you what's going on, some white-robed people seem to be running the place and collecting weird things? I heard some stuff about experiments too and it seems lately they have been injecting some stuff into people, I don't really know why they do all this, though. I never found out how Boulderdash got in here, but I woke up one day and was here. It would be very nice if you could get us out of  here, but they already gave us some opportunities to get out, but they did catch us all the time when we wandered around a bit."

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 They let it out! The fools!? 
 
Ridai
  "Hey, no prob,"   Faith says, pointing her finger at the bars and beginning to blast them with divine power. As that is doing its magic, she says   "Got here with a few other people who're in the process of gettin' out, so y'all just gotta hang back a bit, I reckon. Met some guards, turned out evil 'n' way too stick-happy, they're havin' nappy time now. Did also meet a nice tentacle horsey, though."  
Aegis013
  "Not this time."   Xyrona says, shaking her head to clear the clearly illusory feeling. Asfaloth clip-clops forward slightly and the tip of the knight's lance once again thrusts towards center mass of its target.

 
 Spoiler: Attack 
Passed the Will save  here .

5ft step so the lance can reach the next strange whit robed figure

 (1d20+9)[ 22 ] 
 On a 29,  (1d20+9)[ 29 ]  to confirm 

On hit it deals  (1d8+4)[ 12 ]  damage
 On a crit, it deals  (2d8+8)[ 16 ]  more damage 
 

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona's status 
Xyrona is unharmed.
 
Cygnia
With a grimace upon Her kyoot (yet hoomin) face, Mystery decided it was time for the direct approach to save Her fellow kitteh-kind.  Even if they weren't Her littermates, purrhaps they had seen them!  Besides, given what those stoopid guards wanted to do to cats in that note back in the first room, it was time to show these creeps just why you don't [BLEEP] with cats!

But first, She had to open the door...
Metastachydium
Unaware of how useful she could suddenly be for several someones who probably think of her as something vaguely resembling an ally in the adjacent rooms, Brakq appears to have been hit with one of those weird laughter spells as as her very name brings wanton mayhem into the world, sending shards flying, hair ( hair? ) hitting the floor and stupid robes stupidly fleeing the room in stupid horror for their stupid lives (okay, just  one  robe, but still). She can't seem to stop flopping about on the ground, shaking and laughing like a maniac.   This, uh, this is too funny.   she explains to the remaining robe in a moment of teary-eyed half-calm, throwing in a   GLASS-SHATTERING MOUNTAIN HAMMER STRIKE ATTACK!!   immediately afterwards, swinging her maul at the closest jar that looks too big and heavy to smash with simply intoroducing herself to it. And back to laughing she is.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Punishing MOUNTAIN HAMMER a big glass container nearby:  (1d20+3)[ 6 ]  for  (2d8+7)[ 20 ]  plus  (3d6)[ 11 ] , bypasing all hardness as usual
 
Alhallor
----------- Big Glass Chamber ---------------

Xyrona succesfully hurts the adorned researcher who takes a staggering step back, clutching her wounded side and sees in horror that Brakq starts to totally devastate the saved specimen.  Totally panicked  Slightly concerned she waves her staff at Brakq, yelling.  Stop, you fool! These are in containment for a reason! 
 
 Spoiler: Brakq 
Will save against 15 or get  (5d6)[ 20 ]  subdual damage as you feel yourself enveloped in a soft shell, the warm currents swaying you gently and softly, while you feel the big presence of something protective wash over you.
 


A researcher in a bulky suit with several tubes attached and wiedling a weird long wand points at the escaped hair and fires a stream of fire against it, which in retaliation it lashes out with it's burning wet hair against Asfaloth trying to... Rip out it's fur?!?

 
 Spoiler: Researcher 
 (3d4+2)[ 6 ]  Fire damage. against Subject #0192
 

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Asfaloth 
Touch attack 1:  (1d20+5)[ 11 ] 
Damage 1:  (2d6)[ 5 ]  Fortitude Roll against 15 for half damage as fur get's ripped out and eaten by the hair monster.
Touch attack 2:  (1d20+5)[ 24 ] 
Damage 2:  (2d6)[ 7 ]  Fortitude Roll against 15 for half damage as fur get's ripped out and eaten by the hair monster.
 


Brakq's mighty hammer finds another target in a big glass tube that shatters with an enjoyable sound, releasing more murky water and a big murky lump who seems to be slighty twitching and contorting.

Out of nowhere flies a sizable squirt of water towards the adorned researchers face.

 
 Spoiler: attack against researcher 
 (1d20+14)[ 20 ]  Touch attack.
Save:  (1d20+4)[ 23 ]  against 20 or blinded.
 


--------- Cat laboratory ------------

Gina takes a look at the closed door and after a quick assesment it seems to be locked. Though the good old shoulder-check should reveal if it's really locked.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Open Lock  (1d20+3)[ 11 ] 
 


And it seems it isn't really, would you look at that! When the door is opened it reveals a lot of cages with different cats in them in different... Stati.

One seems to be covered not in fur but instead in mold, another one is in a slightly bigger cage and looks like a catfolk but produces indecipherable hisses. Another seems translucent but can't press through the shimmering bars, another has no hairs left at all, while another has snow instead of fur that regenerates as soon as it's flicked away.

Despite of they're miserable state at least the cages are clean and nobody seems to have been starving at least.

The cages are arranged in a way that they can easily be reached from the middle of the containment room.

----------- First experiments room ----------------

Some faint commotion from the big Glass Chamber can be heard, the bars that contain the dwarf are burst immediately, though he and the weird old woman with a young voice, don't make any attempts to run away for now.

The woman speaks: "Thanks for you're consideration, I can't tell you anything about a horse, it seems they change the environment and the things surrounding us on a weekly basis, last time we were near some gardens I think, but they didn't have a horse, tentacled or otherwise."

Dwarf: "Bah! I'll don't move a muscle if you don't take out the head researcher of this level! Forget it! I have been catched often enough!"

"Well, some of the guards can be pretty... Rough at times. Like throwing our food against the walls instead of giving it to us. Or eating some of it before they give it to us. Or..."

"Getting pissy if I give them a good whack!"

"Yes, that too."

 
 Spoiler: Updated map 
 Slighty escalating breach scenario. 
 
Ridai
  "Sounds rough, man. Tell ya what, y'all chill here for a while, I'll go see what the others're up to, see if we can get a word in with that level chief guy."   Faith grabs some nearby bottles, pours out the contents, takes her decanter, blasts some water into the bottles, swirls, pours them back out, then fills the bottles with water again. Quick flick of a finger against both bottles, giving off a nice "tink!" and the contents give a golden glow for a brief time.

  "This'll keep ya full for a day or so, plus it tastes great,"   she says, setting the bottles inside the now open cages.   "Take care! Later!"  

So out Faith goes, to where the others went (she can just follow the noise/BRAQK), waving to the tentahorse on the way.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Faith uses Golden Goblet of Rise-Mokér to create two bottles of really good drinks providing all the food and water a person needs for 24 hours and clears the fatigued condition.

Then she goes over to where the others are to see what's going on.
 
Metastachydium
As the lump breaks loose in a shower of glass shards and begins  squirting stuff at people , Brakq looks somehow even merrier than before.   That's, uh, that's actually…   she begins to inform the funny robe in the funny panic, but then all starts to feel…  Warm?  Like those weird ocean bits where the sun…

   …uh, actually…    Brakq flops onto her face and goes largely silent.
Aegis013
As the hair monster approaches, Xyrona expertly maneuvers Asfaloth to avoid the oncoming attacks.

 
 Spoiler: Mounted Combat 
Literally can't fail  (1d20+20)[ 31 ] 
 


However, the second attack pulls fur off of the horse which squeals in displeasure.

 
 Spoiler: Fortitude save 
 (1d20+6)[ 24 ]  vs. DC 15 for half damage
 


Xyrona, turns on the strange creature and bellows   "You dare harm my horse?"   and sinks her lance into the strange entity.

 
 Spoiler: Attack 
 (1d20+9)[ 23 ] 
 On a 29  (1d20+9)[ 26 ]  to confirm 

On hit it deals  (1d8+4)[ 8 ] 
 On a crit it deals  (2d8+8)[ 22 ]  more 
 

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona's Status 
Xyrona is unharmed.

Asfaloth has 36 HP remaining
 
Cygnia
   Ahhh, good...teh door is open.  Good minion...    With the confidence that only a feline would possess (and maybe a few archfiends), Mystery strode past Gina to address Her fellow kittehs.

   "Apologies for speakin in such a crude way. Teh hoomin form cannot fully express teh deli cat  intricacies of teh Feline language..."    began Mystery with an apologetic nod.    "Can these cages be opened safely or do I have to smite someone for teh key?  And what indignities have been done to you?"   
Alhallor
---------------Big Glass chamber------------

Brakq dreams of soothing currents, light filtering through the waters and blissfull peace.

Meanwhile Xyrona's spear hits the hair monster with her lance, it seems to hit something of a core, it releases some noises and is washed over by fire with the decked out researcher.

 
 Spoiler: Fire damage against Subject 
 (3d4+2)[ 9 ] 
 


The adorned researcher whirls her staff around, pointing it at Xyrona again but it only procures some magical sparks.  Damn! 

For her effort her hair get's grabbed by the hair monster.

 
 Spoiler: Give me your hair! 
Attack 1:  (1d20+5)[ 19 ] 
Damage 1:  (2d6)[ 11 ] ; Fortitude  (1d20+3)[ 13 ]  Against 15 for half.
Attack 2:  (1d20+5)[ 13 ] 
Damage 2:  (2d6)[ 10 ] ; Fortitude  (1d20+3)[ 10 ]  Against 15 for half.
 


The big murky lump rolls over towards Brakq and smothers her with it's weight.

 
 Spoiler: Brakq damage 
 (1d4)[ 4 ] 
 


Faith reaches the big double door and sees her, perhaps ally, Brakq getting smothered by a big murky lump.

At the entrance there also is a small lizardperson atop a tentacled monster, looking heroically at the fight.

 
 Spoiler: Muck 
You and Otto are at L19/M20.
 


----------------Cat laboratory------------------

There is a short silence but then Mystery and Gina are bombarded with answers, that probably only a cat could understand.

 
 Spoiler: Feline, or Speak with animals. 
They gave me something that smelled like fish! I think the cages are safe. The big one was a small one only a little before. I don't know what time of day it is! I can't sleep in this cage! I'm hungry. They gave me something purple. They said it will taste good, but it tasted horrible. I don't want to go to the toilet here. I think the cages are safe. They gave me something yellow. Do you have a snack?
 


Gina can easily open up the cages and a lot of the felines are quite happy that they can stretch and move around freely. The snack and water boxes (that seem to refill themselves magically) are quickly discovered and at least everyone can eat till they are sated.

 
 Spoiler: MAP 
 Infighting 
 
Aegis013
Xyrona carefully manages Asfaloth's movement away from the researcher and hair monster and not-so-gently nudges Brakq with her lance   "Wake up, this is no time to be sleeping."  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
5ft step towards Brakq
Attempt to wake up Brakq
 
Cygnia
If Her ears were in a proper shape and position, they would be flicking in frustration right now.  Not at Her fellow kittehs, of course, but for what had been done to them.

   "Have any of you seen other kittehs here?  A big orange goof named  Pippin , a grumpy grey old lady with white belleh and double-paws named  Smokey  (who has a freckle on teh left side of her nose) and a white chonkabutted doofus with grey mackerel splotches named  Dashie  (his freckle is of teh right side of teh nose).  I need to save dem cuz dey are Stoopid."    

Mystery skritched Her nose.

   And if any of you need pettins, I can give you a special one to purrtect you from teh elements fer teh day."    She added idly, deigning to hear the sounds of battle elsewhere.  Eventually, She would have to deal with that annoyance.  However, Her people came first.
Metastachydium
Brakq makes a weird, wet, bubbling sound as she's poked that is  probably  normal for someone who's mostly a fish, but otherwise appears too busy being smothered while unconscious to do much else about it. Still, at the very least, she doesn't apear particularly distressed beyond that.
Auranghzeb
Muck was confused with the scene, it is always delicate to go into a fight without knowing who is winning and which side to join, that is the winning ide, of course. But there were other considerations, after all, what if the winners want to eat you after and the losing side is actually the safest bet.

Then Muck saw that one group was showing solidarity and collaboration... even if they seemed to be losing. Cooperation was something Muck liked, not because he was cooperative, but because cooperative creatures were more easily duped into helping.


  Otto, I made my mind now, we are helping the folk that's being smothered.

Let's go.  


He whipped his manticore belt and let go of a volley of not very deadly spikes at the creature smothering the sleeping mermaid...
  wait up, a mermaid?  
And then spurred Otto forward

 Help the fish lady Otto! 


Otto tried to grab the creature out and move it from top of the mermaid.

 
 Spoiler: OoC 
Standard Spike Volley  (1d20+13)[ 23 ]  damage  (1d6-3)[ 3 ] 
 (1d20+13)[ 28 ]  damage  (1d6-3)[ 2 ] 

MOVE
Handle Otto

Otto moves and attack  (1d20+4)[ 10 ]  damage  (1d6+1)[ 7 ]  and grab if hit

damage  (1d20+8)[ 21 ] 
 
Ridai
Meeting the lizardy riding fella, Faith gives a wave and smile.   "Heya, I'm Faith St. Mary, ya can call me Faith, nice to meetcha."  

Standing in the open doorway, Faith looks at the chaos that is unfolding.   "Y'all been busy."  

She saunters over to the unconscious Brakq, squatting down next to her, club in one hand, and poking her with a shiny finger that makes the Hammer Lady feel all warm and fuzzy and less hurt inside.   "Hey girl, ya need a pick-me-up?"   She also gives a relaxed smile up to Xyrona, along with:   "Yer rockin' the dashin' knight look, Lady Xy. Suits ya real fine."  

Looking over to the researcher getting attacked by hair, Faith calls over:   "Ya need help with that, an' how're ya feelin' 'bout a lil' interview 'bout this here dungeon?"  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move to K17, use Hands of the Healer to heal Braqk for  (3d6)[ 12 ]  HP. If Braqk also has nonlethal damage, she also heals the same amount of nonlethal damage.
 
Aegis013
Xyrona sits tall in her saddle at smiles at Faith before turning her attention back towards the enemies.   "Some of these glass cages contain dangerous entities. That one hurt my horse."  

Her voice betrays ill-will towards the hair-monster despite being spoken as a simple matter of fact.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Free action to speak, other actions already used
 

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona's status 
Xyrona is unharmed.

Asfaloth has 36 HP remaining
 
Metastachydium
  Nah, I'll make do.   Brakq replies to Faith with a grin, as though she didn't just let herself be knocked out and around by some stupid magic whitecoat like she's stupid.   Word of advise, though, if you're good at something, only do it for free.   she grabs her hammer with both hands, eyeing the lump  still  partly on her.   People, they, uh, they's ingrates.   she explains, flopping her tail against the ground to arc up her back, before violently flopping back down, letting all the muscle strength stream up and forward, into a  big  swing at the lump thing.   DESTRUCTION MOUNTAIN HAMMER STRIKE ATTACK OF PUNISHER  VENGEANCE !!  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Well, it's attacking Lumpy the Lump time, it'd seem:  (1d20+7)[ 8 ]  for  (2d8+7)[ 10 ]  and  (3d6)[ 8 ] , overcoming all DR and hardness;
if the attack hits, B. immediate action activates Destruction Devotion to reduce the lump's natural armour bonus by 1 for 1 minute.
 
Benoojian
Gina pets one of the cats, the one with fur like moss I think. “These cats seem a little bit unusual. Are they the ones you were looking for?”
Alhallor
-------------Big Glass Chamber--------------

Muck the knife's spike volley rips some droplets from Lumpy mc lumpface and Otto hits it with one of his tentacles but doesn't seem to be able to really get ahold of the amorphous body.

Faith's healing poke invigorates Brakq massively, so massively infact that she partly swims through the lump (it's a bit more... Dense than normal water, but nonetheless still possible.) And with a surprisingly graceful flip out of water (summersaults may have even been involved) Brakq hit's the floor with a massive crash, splintering some of the floor tiles and even damaging the ground underneath significantly. It seems Professor lumpman can move out of the way with amazing grace if it feels the need to.

With another  FWOOOSH!  Of the flame-spewing mask and tube wearing person, the lump of hair shrivels away, leaving only a perfectly braided wet piece of black hair, bound with red cloth. The adorned researcher, bleeding heavily from her head, shivering but also red-hot with anger, sweeps her hands in an intricate motion, points decisively at Faith, who hears some really nice heavenly music (rocking that saxophone!) Playing an intoxicating lullaby.

 
 Spoiler: Faith 
Will save against 15 or  (5d6)[ 16 ]  nonlethal damage.
 


After that the researcher plobs down, totally spent.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Exactly 0 hit points...
 


The Lumpster however seemed to have get a taste for blood and reaches out for Brakq again.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Brakq 
Attack:  (1d20+5)[ 17 ] 
Damage:  (1d4)[ 1 ] 
 


------------------Cat laboratory---------------

The mossy cat enjoys Gina's pettings and it seems that besides some unusual changes the cats are mostly fine. The one that seems like a Catflok Surprisingly after Mystery's question there is no barrage of mews and mewlings, till one steps forward.

 
 Spoiler: Feline, or speak with animals 
I think I saw an orange doofus, he should have been brought to... The Wampyre!
 


After the last mew a thundering crack and floortiles shattering can be heard.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 One side winning? 
 
Metastachydium
Brakq registers, with but a blink, and some surprised staring at herself, that she has somehow… Swam out of Lumpy, but another look at the ravaged floor about where the lump previously was is more than enough to cheer her up. It reminds her that there's a lot of things to break in here still, too. Lots of stupid things that will make lots of happy breaking noises. Maybe she'll even get another weird home-size swimming pool out of that if the others batter Lumpy to messy, deadly death!

Accordingly, and also noticing that Team White Coat in the other half of the room  is now woefully without appreciable opposition, she thrusts her trusty hammer forward and dragging her own form along on the ground using this big blocky anchor, launches herself, in a floppity-flopping attack against the container next to the newly out-of-it stupid sleep-dispensing whitecoat, screaming a gleeful   CHARGING MOUNTAIN HAMMER!!   at the glass thing.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Okay, so I figure Brakq is fresh out of Lumpy in an incredibly gross way she found funny nevertheless, because she's weird. Accordingly  now  she doth charge, after a swift recovering of her good old Mountain Hammer, all the way to I12 to see if she can fight fire with pickled monsters (and spray some glass shards into the lead researcher's unconscious face):  (1d20+9)[ 21 ]  for  (2d8+7)[ 22 ]  and  (3d6)[ 6 ] , ignoring DR and hardness still;

speaking of which, while her AC goes down to 11 for the round, reknown Canadian poet Gerald Lumpert's last attack doesn't go through her  own  DR, unless it's cold iron (yes, I just rmembered she has that from Warlock).
 
Ridai
Only doing things you are good at for free:   "That's the spirit!"  

Having saxophone played at her, Faith points a finger gun at the researcher, along with a wink and grin (  "Eeeeeyyy!"  ). At least the researcher can fall unconscious knowing her art is being appreciated, as it doesn't seem like Faith is growing any more tired. Lord McLumpington III demands attention now, so her free hand is aimed at the Lump Lump Revolution, shining the divine spotlight on it.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
 Celestial Light  on   Lumpy!  
 (1d20+5)[ 13 ]  ranged touch attack,  (3d6)[ 8 ]  good divine energy damage
 
Aegis013
Xyrona turns towards the remaining foes and with a   "Hya!"   rushes towards the remaining foes stabbing her lance into the target.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Spirited Charge against whichever foe appears less damaged.

 (1d20+11)[ 18 ]  to hit
On hit it deals  (3d8+12)[ 25 ] 
 
On a 31,  (1d20+11)[ 16 ]  to confirm
On hit it deals  (2d8+8)[ 15 ]  more damage. 
 

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona's status 
Xyrona is unharmed, though charging reducing her AC to 16 this round.

Asfaloth has 36 out of 40 HP remaining.
 
Cygnia
Mystery began to shake Her head to Gina's question, when the strange catfolk then finally spoke up.

   UNCLE PIPPIN, NOOOOOO!!!     If She had Her tail, it would be swishing wildly right now.     "Where is dis 'wampire' and what can you tell Me about it?"   
Alhallor
-------------Lot's of shattered glass room---------------------

Brakq, again, wildly swings her hammer, not with wild abandon but with a precise heavy swing, deadly for any still foe... Which, funnily enough, a glass container definitely is. The hammer punches through the class container and just... Leaves a head-hammer sized hole, where some definitely weird-smelling substance globbers out, which does hit the adorned researcher which seems to definitely stop the bleeding.

An enormous fist punches through the hole that Brakq had made, letting the whole container shatter.

A big furred thing emerges, that seems like a cross between an oger, a rat and whole lot of anger. The scream it produces doesn't seem like it comes from a rat at all, but more like it's from a giant predatory bird.

Professor Lumpington meanwhile get's emerged by some holy light, which it responds with some shudders, directed at Faith. The shudders seem slightly menacing, but with the previous attacks from Muck and Otto it seems to have deflated in size. It  plöps  menacingly at Otto.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Otto. 
Attack:  (1d20+1)[ 21 ] 
Damage:  (1d1)[ 1 ] 
 


Xyrona meanwhile sees the emerged ogre...Rat...Thing and decides it probably a good idea to charge at it, her massive lance piercing the skin... And the thing growls in anger, raising one of it's massive claws.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Xyrona and Asfaloth. 
Attack against Xyrona 1:  (1d20+10)[ 30 ] 
Damage 1:  (1d6+6)[ 7 ] 
Attack 2:  (1d20+10)[ 21 ] 
Damage 2:  (1d6+6)[ 7 ] 
Bite against Asfaloth:  (1d20+5)[ 25 ] 
Damage:  (2d4+4)[ 9 ] 
 


The researcher with it's many tubes attacked looks at the... Emerged thing and the rest of the group and... Decides to spew some more flames against the breaked out thing.

 
 Spoiler: Fire! 
 (3d4+2)[ 9 ] 
 


-----------------------Cat Laboratory--------------------

 
 Spoiler: Mew, mew, miouwr! 
I think the... Wampyre
 


The impossible loud screech of something that sounds like a predatory bird is heard, most of the cats try to hide somewhere but some of the more brave ones use they're free action to expose they're claws.

 
 Spoiler: Miouw? 
Is not on this... Floor? Level? I didn't understood most of what they said, but some of us have been brought to several other rooms before. I'm sure you can find you're friends,
 if you take a more broad look around. We should be safe here, for now.
 

 
 Spoiler: MAP 
 Researcher #0443 towards base... Please send help. 
 
Metastachydium
  See?   Brakq looks back over her shoulder at Faith with an incredibly dissonant, proud look of vindication on her face.   Ingrates, I say!   Her big moment of victory nevertheless is not big enough to distract her entirely from her being right meaning the stupid Water Rat Ogre is behaving very stupidly and attacking them. She pulls out the stolen lightning club and tries to prod it in the side.   There's, uh, there's a fire guy right there. Go punch the fire guy.   she tells the thing.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Free action gloat;
move action pull out the electric nightstick;
standard action poke the Water Rat Ogre with the electric nightstick:  (1d20+9)[ 18 ]  for  (1d6+4)[ 7 ]  plus  (3d6)[ 10 ]  electricity if it connects.
 
Ridai
  "Ah, I see whatcha mean, hol' on."   And Faith calls up at the ceiling:   "Secret Boot!"  

Somehow, from behind her, regardless of the angle she is viewed at, a golden-furred celestial lion walks around her.   "Wow, you've really grown, look at'chu, Booty!"   This calls for move action cuddles to ruffle the lion's mane, and the lion called Secret Boot seems like a very happy kitty for a moment.   "One a mah buddies let a rat ogre outta tube, an' it punched 'er for it. Can ya help 'er out?"  

Having been informed of a mean bully, Boot nods and promptly punches at the rat ogre to show 'em what for (  "Go Booty!"  )!

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
 Standard  Use  Prayer of Summoning  invocation, which emulates the effects of  Summon Monster IV  to summon Secret Boot, a  celestial   lion , meaning it has Int 3, Darkvision, DR 5/magic, resist 5 acid/cold/elec, SR 10, and its attacks are treated as magic for the purposes of overcoming DR. It also looks fabulous.

 Move  Cuddle Booty

 Free  Tell Boot about the mean rat ogre

 Secret Boot Full Action  Charge + Pounce at the rat ogre! Includes +2 attack bonus from charge.
Claw 1:  (1d20+9)[ 27 ] ,  (1d4+5)[ 8 ]  slashing damage
Claw 2:  (1d20+9)[ 23 ] ,  (1d4+5)[ 8 ]  slashing damage
Rake 1:  (1d20+9)[ 26 ] ,  (1d4+2)[ 6 ]  slashing damage
Rake 2:  (1d20+9)[ 25 ] ,  (1d4+2)[ 3 ]  slashing damage
Bite:  (1d20+4)[ 22 ] ,  (1d8+2)[ 4 ]  slashing damage

If Boot hits with the Bite, it activates Improved Grab to grapple the rat ogre as a free action without provoking an AoO. Grapple:  (1d20+12)[ 28 ] 
If that succeeds, the rat ogre is grappled and Boot gets to rake:
Rake 1:  (1d20+7)[ 10 ] ,  (1d4+2)[ 5 ]  slashing damage
Rake 2:  (1d20+7)[ 27 ] ,  (1d4+2)[ 6 ]  slashing damage
 
Aegis013
Xyrona feels the weight of the beast's claws against her armor, hard enough she's certain she'll have bruises at a minimum after the engagement, however, when it goes for her horse, that is the last straw. The Half-Elf Knight pulls up on the reigns and Asfaloth rears back his hoofs pawing the air momentarily pulling the horse away from the monstrous vermin's mouth.

With the momentum of Asfaloth's front half falling back to the ground, Xyrona thrusts the lance once more into the creature's flesh.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Mounted Combat  (1d20+20)[ 26 ]  DC 25 to avoid Asfaloth being damaged.

Attack  (1d20+9)[ 16 ]  to hit.
On a hit it deals  (1d8+4)[ 10 ]  piercing damage.
 
On a 29  (1d20+9)[ 16 ]  to confirm.
On a critical it deals  (2d8+8)[ 18 ]  more damage. 
 

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona's Status 
Xyrona has 68 HP (max 82) remaining.

Asfaloth has 36 out of 40 HP remaining.
 
Auranghzeb
 Finally, an enemy with eyes! 

Thinks Muck as he leaps off from Otto with an atletic display of tumbling ability doing a double flip double sommersault and spitting a quick jet towards the Rattorc!

 Otto, take care of the funny shaped goo! 
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
 Move: Tumble to K12  (1D20+14)[ 32 ] 
Spit at the orc  (1d20+14)[ 32 ]  vs Touch DC 20 or go blind 1 round

OTTO: Tentacle  (1d20+5)[ 11 ]   (1d6+2)[ 7 ] 
Tentacle  (1d20+5)[ 8 ]   (1d6+2)[ 7 ] 
Tentacle  (1d20-1)[ 15 ]   (1d4)[ 2 ] 

5' STEP to N16

 
Cygnia
   "Okay, good.  Keep your pointy endz bared just in case.  Gotta go save more of My minions now.  If I find teh exit, I'll come back to let you all know..."    Mystery nodded, finally glancing back towards the screeching. She gave Gina a shrug.     "Guess we gotta go check dat out finally..."   
Alhallor
----------------Shattered glass room----------------

With the massive rat-ogre blinded by Muck's spit, the others have no problem with hitting it with every attack (including the Celestial Lion who heavily rips into the massive creature.)
Brakq's electrified baton seems to work really well with the wet fur of the ogre and the electric discharge seems even more effective than before!
 Xyrona's attack with the lance is the last thing that is needed to finally fell it.

The heavily clothed and tubed researcher looks at you... Then at the felled rat-ogre and raises his hands up as the universal sign of surrender.

 
 Spoiler: Muck and Brakq 
Or the funny thing that people do while drowning. Silly people who can't breath under water.
 


"You're pretty good at getting down breaches... Can I just get back to work and you do... You're thing?"

On the other side Otto reduces sweet-lumpy into a very small lumpinger who is not able to really do anything anymore.

 
 Spoiler: Loot 
A name-changing lumpster!
If you carry Lumpy Mc lumpington the IIIth with you, You can give yourself or another one of the following effects. (Standard action)
1x per day Enlarge. (As the spell for 10 minutes)
1x per day Reduce. (Reverse effect of Enlarge)
1x per day Fast Heal 10 for 1 round
 


The other researcher seems to want to get out of here as fast as possible.

-------------Cat room--------------

When Mystery opens the door... There doesn't seem to be going that much on anymore.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Breach under control... For now. 
 
Ridai
  "Nice. Everyone who wants it, gather 'round for some tender lovin' care,"   Faith says as she strolls through the room, holding up her hands radiant with healing energies for a moment. But first:   "Awesome job, Booty, proud of mah boy. Get yerself some extra mayo."   Big hug and scritches for the golden tiger, who somehow is able to purr, along with a boop on the rat ogre blood covered nose. Secret Boot is indeed looking mighty proud as he nuzzles Faith, followed by walking behind her and disappearing again to get that celestial mayo.

To the researcher:   "Hey, hi, I'm Faith St. Mary, ya can call me Faith, nice ta meetcha. Whatcha doin' here, an can ya point me to where management's at?"  

As she tends to the group (plus horse, naturally), it naturally takes a while, so some chatting is in order as her heavenly-feeling healing does its work, offering drinks while they wait (if they wait, she's not their boss). Some people prefer the classic lay on hands for the healing, some want handshakes, some like having a head/face/neck massage, it's all good. Good mental does wonders in dungeons.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Faith uses her healing to top everyone up. She uses Touch of Restoration every round to heal someone for 1d8+6 HP and also remove one negative status ailment per usage (there is literally no limit to what she can remove, apparently, except death, of course).
 
Cygnia
Mystery ambled out of the cat  prison laboratory and was pleased to see that Her minions had left a few whitecoats alive enough for questioning.  She jabbed a finger towards the researcher who was raising his hands in surrender.     "YOU!  Where do you keep teh 'wampire' here?!"   
Metastachydium
Brakq seems a tad tisappointed at first as the Ratogre fails to squash the Fire Guy, but the memory of the current running all about the thing and the panicked gestures of yielding ultimately win her over and she just opts for an earlike ptrotrusion to earlike protrusion grin.   You just, uh, just hand that over now, I want it.   she gestures at the stupid Fire Guy's fire equipment with her lightning stick, even as she begins to ominously eye the remaining glass jars.

Mercifully for everyone else involved, Faith chiming in manages to draw, if, perhaps, temporarily, her attention away from those things.   You know, uh, know what they say? What does not kill you, simply makes you…  Stran ger.   she shrugs flailing about with the stick in front of her own face a couple of times. She does, nevertheless, crawl closer to Faith, using her hammer, once more, as an oversized crutch of sorts. The vampire talk in the background doesn't yet register with her, or so it appears.
Aegis013
Xyrona smiles and nods respectfully and Asfaloth licks Faith as the healing is provided.   "Thank you, Faith."   the knight says warmly.

Then turning to the surrendered researcher as Xyrona slots her lance into the holster on the saddle adds   "We have questions for you and it is in our mutual and shared interest that you answer our questions honestly. You've seen our competence in extreme situations and I would rather not have our interaction escalate again. I hope you understand. Now, tell us about this facility and your place in it. Please."  

Xyrona's tone is straight-forward, offering not even a hint at deception or subterfuge, though depending on how challenging gaining information from the researcher turns out to be, she is not above informing him that his options are either cooperation or incarceration.

 
 Spoiler: Skills 
Diplomacy  (1d20+4)[ 13 ] 
and if required Intimidate  (1d20+2)[ 4 ]  despite Xyrona preferring a less harsh approach to information gathering.
 
Alhallor
The researcher sighs heavily. "Not letting me back to just work, huh? Fine I give it to you, but it takes a while to dismantle."

The researcher  pops  several tubes out of the unwieldy thing he wears which are always accompanied by a sharp  hiss  of air while he answers.

"I'm operator C, R, 19. The management of this floor is just down that way." He points to the door to the north, the one labeled new experiments. "And a bit further, he will not be happy about that breach scenario here."

He dismantles the thing fully and hands it down to Brakq. "Just point and press that button here. Should have 6 more shots in. Recharges regularly. Don't know why."

 
 Spoiler: Handler gear 
Count's as a Breastplate +1 but weighs you down as much as heavy armor. Can be worn by everyone who wears medium armor.
Gives a +4 bonus against breath-based stuff (stench, gases, etc.) 1x per day casts by himself a Protection from evil n you, when you are being controlled.
Has a flamethrower built in, can be used as a standard action and has currently 6/10 uses. Works like burning hands but deals 2d6+2 fire damage. Recharges every rest to 10/10 uses.
 


"The vampire is not on this floor, the poor sod is one more up."

Towards Xyrona.

"This is a research facility... We do research here, monsters, strange individuals, weird phenomenon, etc... I don't have high enough clearance to know why exactly, I guess that someone pays money for that kind of information. I help with the more involved stuff. Some things in there." He points where he came out from. "Can manipulate minds."
Ridai
  "There ya go, buddy, there's a happy horse,"   Faith pats Asfaloth's neck as her cheek is getting slobbered up. Sign of a healthy horse, all is well. Celestial horses and pegasi really ain't much different. And to Lady Xy:   "Ah, don' mention it."  

In the middle of a healing Swedish massage for Braqk, because my gods those shoulder muscles are stiff and overworked from all the hammer-crutching and hammer-swinging, Faith turns to Mystery.   "Vampire, huh. How're the kitties doin', any of 'em need healin', dispels, scritchies?"  

Once all the healing is done, Faith gives a quick stretch, and offers to the group:   "How y'all feelin' 'bout meetin' management? People here ain't happy, so gotta sort that out."  
Aegis013
  "Yes, I do believe it's time we had words with the management of this place."   Xyrona agrees with Faith. She leaves the researcher who has laid down arms and begins to guide Asfaloth Northward toward the door labeled "Long-Term Experiments". Before she moves too far she turns and offers a word of warning to the researcher.

  "If we discover this to be a deception on your part, you will come to regret it."   It doesn't sound particularly hostile, but simply like Xyrona believes it is inevitable. Evil-doers will get their comeuppance on way or another.
Metastachydium
Having lost all interest in the ongoing discussion  again , once Faith is done with the special massage of healing (earning her a mental certificate of "should live" for as long as Brakq's mind can keep track of having issued one), the still manicly grinning Mermaid sees to squirming out of her current armour and into the newly acquired contraption of firey doom. It's a stupid thing, and it feels stupid to wear it, but fire? Fire's funny. Too funny. She  has to  have it now.
Auranghzeb
Muck has been silent, enthralled by the beauty of the Mermaid... what a babe! The little muckdweller thinks, and he thinks it for so long that Otto has to slap him back to reality.

 Oh! oh, Yeah, you are probably right Otto. We should introduce ourselves.
My name is Muck, Muck the Knife, and this handsome individual to my right is Otto.
 

He looks at the scientist with great disdain.

 Experiments on Monsters... go on, tell us more... 
He puffs up his tiny muckdweller chest with bravado, sideyeing the Mermaid, but she is so focused on the flamethrowing armor Muck fail to even draw her attention.

 Nevermind, nevermind. Otto and myself have been wandering around for a bit, may it be we an join you? 
Cygnia
   "My people are safe and fine,"    said Mystery.  Faith's offer continued to put her as Minion In Good Standing in Her eyes.     "But one of My littermates was last seen wif dis wam--"    'V' sounds were just WEIRD.     "--vampire so teh faster We can thwomp dis head whitecoat for answers, teh better..."   

In the meantime, Mystery sighed to Herself and started (finally) administering Her Blessing to the rest of Her minions (including the new ones).

 
 Spoiler: Action 

Making sure all the PCs now have  Endure Expose  on them.
 
Benoojian
Gina uses a spark of magic to disguise herself as the researcher,   "Might help to have an inside man when speaking to Management."  
Alhallor
 
 Originally Posted by Auranghzeb 
  Experiments on Monsters... go on, tell us more... 
He puffs up his tiny muckdweller chest with bravado.[/COLOR] 
 

The researcher weaves his hand. "It's a job, mate. It's not like we experiment on anything harmless or beneficial... As far as I now. We have a fricked up winged guy in there who snaps necks if you don't have him under control, the stuff in there is really... Dangerous? Hey, that's just mean!"

The researcher points at Gina who easily has stolen his likeness.

And then you hear...  Music? 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
-1 luck malus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks.
 

 Well, well, well. What have we here? A breach? On my level? Ohohohohohohoho! I can't let that happen my little research subjects! Time to go... Back to sleep don't you think. 

A heavily armored... Something strides elegantly into the room, flanked by a lot of white-robed researchers who visible cringe on the music surrounding they're boss.

The boss rises his Naginata... And throws it towards Brakq and Asfaloth.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Attack against Brakq:  (1d20+15)[ 31 ] 
Damage:  (1d10+9)[ 19 ]  additional damage:  (1d6)[ 4 ]  All damage is subdual.
Attack against Asfaloth:  (1d20+15)[ 18 ] 
Damage:  (1d10+9)[ 19 ]  additional damage:  (1d6)[ 2 ]  All damage is subdual.
 


After the throw the Naginata uneeringly returns to the boss.

 
 Spoiler: MAP 
 Boss of the 1st level! 
 
Metastachydium
 
 Originally Posted by Alhallor 
 The researcher weaves his hand. "It's a job, mate. It's not like we experiment on anything harmless or beneficial... " 
 

  I'm, uh, I'm all harmless, if you're no fun to break!   Brakq interjects with a helpful clarification. That stupid guy really is too stupid to deserve the flamethrower device!


 And then you hear...  Music? 

(…)

 Well, well, well. What have we here? A breach? On my level? Ohohohohohohoho! I can't let that happen my little research subjects! Time to go... Back to sleep don't you think. 

A heavily armored... Something strides elegantly into the room, flanked by a lot of white-robed researchers who visible cringe on the music surrounding they're boss.

The boss rises his Naginata... And throws it towards Brakq and Asfaloth.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Attack against Brakq: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] additional damage: [roll2] All damage is subdual.
Attack against Asfaloth: [roll3]
Damage: [roll4] additional damage: [roll5] All damage is subdual.
 


After the throw the Naginata uneeringly returns to the boss. 

…but the real fun only really begins when the new arrivals newly arrive, throwing weird weapons about. She perks up, grinning widely under the werid contraption thing that came with the flamethrower, even as the equally weird weapon of the stupid armoured guy bonks against her head.   I'm not a, uh, a re-search subject, though. I'm   BRAKQ  …   the air begins to hysterically vibrate in the room; and the Mermaid begins a slow,  slow  crawl forward   BRAKQ the HAMMER!!  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

That's another BALEFUL UTTERANCE, of course, aimed at the LM6–8 big glass jar;
and a mighty 5' advance to I11.
 
Cygnia
OOC:   I got yer theme music RIGHT HERE~! 

Mystery arched a delicate brow as Her  paws hands dropped to grasp the hilts of Her daggers and drew them out.  Hoomins and hoominoids were not blessed with the majestic pointy endz of kittehs so of course they felt the desperate need to overcompensate.

Still, this boss's pointy end did appear to do some hurt to Her minions, so that had to be rectified.

Mystery ambled over towards one of the still-intact glass jars and opened Her mouth in a wide yawn.  A familiar looking gas wafted over towards the Boss...

 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Move to I9.
Breathing  Weakening Breath  towards Naginata Boy in a 15ft cloud. -7 Strength penalty (-7 due to Dragon Spirit Cincture) for 4 rounds (DC19 Fort save to drop it to 2 rounds).
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  72/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Aegis013
Xyrona pulls Asfaloth's reins causing the horse to jerk out of the way of the Naginata and she snaps her lance out of its holster on the saddle and retaliates.   "What do you all have against my horse!? Show some honor!"   she cries in frustration during the exchange.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Free: Mounted Combat  (1d20+20)[ 31 ]  DC 18 to avoid Asfaloth being hit

Swift: Test of Mettle - Will Save DC 14 or focus on Xyrona for 7 rounds

Move: Move up to the boss so the lance can reach. Asfaloth has a speed of 60ft and can easily close the distance.

Standard: Attack  (1d20+9)[ 28 ]  dealing  (1d8+4)[ 9 ]  piercing damage
On a 29  (1d20+9)[ 23 ]  to confirm, on a crit it deals  (2d8+8)[ 21 ]  more damage.

 
 Spoiler: Test of Mettle 
Test of Mettle (Ex): Starting at 4th level, you can shout a challenge to all enemies, calling out for the mightiest among them to face you in combat. Any target of this ability must have a language of some sort and an Intelligence score of 5 or higher. Creatures that do not meet these requirements are immune to the test of mettle. You must have line of sight and line of effect to the targets of this ability.

As a swift action, you can expend one use of your knight's challenge ability to cause all your enemies within 100 feet with a CR greater than or equal to your character level minus 2 to make Will saves (DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Cha modifier). Creatures that fail this save are forced to attack you with their ranged or melee attacks in preference over other available targets. If a foe attacks by casting a spell or using a supernatural ability, he must target you with the attack or include you in the effect's area.

An opponent compelled to act in this manner is not thrown into a mindless rage and does not have to move to attack you in melee if doing so would provoke attacks of opportunity against him. In such a case, he can use ranged attacks against you or attack any opponents he threatens as normal. If anyone other than you attacks the target, the effect of the test of mettle ends for that specific target.

If you are reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by an opponent forced to attack you due to this ability, you gain one additional use of your knight's challenge ability for that day. This additional use comes from increased confidence and the knowledge that you have proved your mettle as a knight against your enemies by calling out foes even against overwhelming odds. This additional use disappears if you have not used it by the start of the next day. You can only gain one additional use of your knight's challenge ability in this manner per day.

The effect of a test of mettle lasts for a number of rounds equal to 5 + your Charisma bonus (if any). Whether a creature fails or succeeds on its save against your test of mettle, it can only be targeted by this effect once per day.
 

 
Ridai
  "Heya Muck 'n' Otto. Sure, tag along, it's cool,"   Faith says to the other, less conventional knight.

Management enters stage right, and brings along boss music. Hey, if that's how they wanna play this, Faith draws her saxophone from nowhere and makes this a battle of the one-man bands with  a song of her own . Several copies of Faith made of golden light with various brass instruments spontaneously appear and join in.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Faith uses  Dispelling Word  to deal the most grievous of harm: dispel the boss music and inflict the shame of only being the second-best band.
This is  dispel magic , caster level check:  (1d20+6)[ 16 ] 
 
Benoojian
"I'm sorry, boss, they just got out of their cages and them everything started to go BOOM." At the word boom, the boss' naginata begins to vibrate and explode from within.

 
 Spoiler: mechanics 
Activating two Shattering Word fused together to deal 12 damage to the naginata, ignoring Hardness.
Bluff check  (1d20+11)[ 15 ] 
 
Auranghzeb
 The boss made an entrance... Time to disappear,  thought Muck.  Let's do it with some style. 

Snapping his finger, he dimmed the light of the room down 75 percent, making it cozier and sexier. He then proceeded to hide and move into position to sneak attack the boss next round.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Actions: Manifesting Control lightin a semi circle behind the bad guys and then hiding around.

Hide  (1d20+25)[ 38 ] 
 


Otto moved towards a flanking position.
Alhallor
 
 Spoiler: Mystery roll 
 (1d4)[ 2 ] 
 


The theme music aprubtly stops, which didn't made the boss really furious but visibly dampens his mood. The lance in his chest doesn't really make it better. Then the half full of researchers get's shrouded in sexy darkness. One calls out towards Gina "Fall back to Protocol 9. Protocol 9!"

The researcher stripped of his gear hesitates a moment and then dashes past Otto, towards the other ones.

 
 Spoiler: Otto 
Can make an AoO.
 


The Naginata in the hand of the boss creaks audibly and splinters in some places but is still able to hold. A fact that the boss of this level doesn't seem to realize while he is stared down by Xyrona.

 
 Spoiler: Will save against 14 
 (1d20+4)[ 16 ] 
 

 That was a mistake, my funny elven friend. 

Underlined with electric cackling the weapon get's whirled towards Xyrona.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Xyrona 
Attack:  (1d20+10)[ 25 ] 
Damage:  (1d10+6)[ 14 ]  weapon damage and [/ROLL]1d6[/ROLL] bonus and  (3d6)[ 9 ]  electricity damage. All damage is subdual.
 


One researcher reaches the boss and fuels him with healing energies.

 
 Spoiler: Healing 
 (1d8+2)[ 4 ] 
 


The others curse and fumble around in the darkness, not really able to see and reach the boss. Someone seemingly try's to light a torch but the cozy darkness doesn't get broken.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 sexy darkness (darkness not included.) 
 
Cygnia
As observed before, being in hoomin form had a lot of problems in exchange for thumbs.  No wonderfully plush fur, no more kyootness, no keen scent.

Fortunately, Mystery could still see in the dark.  She gripped Her left pointy end tighter, though she made no move to get closer to Naginata Boy.  Instead, She opened Her mouth to let out a cloud of icy frost to wrap around the boss and his foolish lackey.

Then, of course, Mystery pragmatically took a step away.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Frost Breath w/Entangling Exhalation (When you use your breath weapon, you can choose to enmesh all creatures in its area instead of producing its normal effect. Your breath weapon deals only half its normal damage; however, any creature that takes damage from your breath weapon becomes entangled and takes an extra 1d6 points of damage, of the same energy type as normally dealt by your breath weapon, each round at the start of your turn. This effect lasts for 1d4 rounds.)

DC 20 reflex for half dmg

Initial Dmg
 (2d6)[ 8 ]  frost
Entangle will last for  (1d4)[ 4 ] 

5ft step to H8
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  72/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Aegis013
 
 Spoiler: Bonus damage received by Xyrona 
 (1d6)[ 5 ] 
 


Taking the brunt of the electric smack against her breastplate the half-elven knight grunts   "Yeah, that's more like it."   even as blood drips down her side. She lifts the lance again and stabs it towards the naginata wielding floor boss.   "This is how a fight should be!"  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Attack:  (1d20+9)[ 25 ]  to hit
On a hit it deals  (1d8+4)[ 5 ]  piercing damage

On a 29,  (1d20+9)[ 25 ]  to confirm
On a crit it deals  (2d8+8)[ 14 ]  more damage.
 

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona's Status 
Xyrona has 54 HP remaining
Asfaloth is unharmed.

For the next attack directed at Asfaloth this round,  (1d20+20)[ 31 ]  is the target to beat.
 
Ridai
Faith and the Lookalikes continue their groove, even moving closer to the fray as they are shrouded in darkness most sexy. Which leads to the natural thing to happen next. Namely golden bisons beginning to happily prance about the room to the beat, as occasionally happens during Faith's sets. Some white robes may happen to be in the way, but such is the risk of sexy darkness.

As the battle heats up, so does Faith's performance, adding choreography to her motions.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Faith moves to about F10 or so.

Standard action to use her Prayer of Summoning invocation to summon  (1d3)[ 3 ]  celestial bisons (due to having 4+ HD, they get DR 5/magic and resist 5 cold/acid/electricity).

The bison(s) begin accidentally attacking the white robes with subdual damage.
Attacks (with -4 for dealing subdual damage, +5 to damage because they use their one daily usage of Smite Evil from being Celestial)
Bison 1  (1d20+4)[ 9 ] ,  (1d8+14)[ 18 ]  nonlethal piercing damage
Bison 2  (1d20+4)[ 5 ] ,  (1d8+14)[ 17 ]  nonlethal piercing damage
Bison 3  (1d20+4)[ 9 ] ,  (1d8+14)[ 16 ]  nonlethal piercing damage
 
Benoojian
"I can't stop them and everything keeps EXPLODING" Gina, disguised as a researcher, targets the boss' magical weapon again

 
 Spoiler: mechanics 
combining two Shattering Word for 12 sonic damage, ignores hardness,  (1d20+11)[ 15 ]  Bluff check
 
Auranghzeb
Otto, the tactician, moved into a flanking position. It was difficult for the defenders to know which was the Otyugh facing side, because his face was everywhere and all around and because it was sexy dark. He attacked the nearest researcher (the ones on h) with his long reaching tentacles.

 
 Spoiler: Otto 
 (1d20+5)[ 18 ]  Improved grab grapple check  (1d20+8)[ 12 ]  damage  (1d6+1)[ 3 ]  constrict  (1d6)[ 6 ] 
 (1d20+5)[ 8 ]  Improved grab grapple check  (1d20+8)[ 9 ]  damage  (1d6+1)[ 7 ]  constrict  (1d6)[ 4 ] 
 


Muck manifested entangling ectoplasm and hurled it towards the big bad boss! then he went into hiding, as he should.


 
 Spoiler: Muck 
 Standard: Entangling ectoplasm (spending 2 extra points for large enemy) touch attack -4 for enemy being in melee  (1d20+10)[ 19 ]  If hit, enemy is entangled, no save, 5 rounds.

MOVE!: Hide with a penalty  (1d20+18)[ 27 ] 
 
Metastachydium
Elsewhere in the sexy darkness, Brakq realizes, much to her frustration, that her newfound stupid weight in excess of her previous stupid weight managed to largely keep her from getting closer to the closest thing she could break with a hammer like a  normal  person. In fact, she was really flopping in place. Which is stupid. To fix that, she forgoes further flopping and exploding things from afar (seeing that is  somehow  mostly covered already anyhow – a pleasing thing to see!) and crawls forward with all the speed of a freshly animated dead slug.  The  other  jar is waiting! 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Since I figure her previous actions  were  really illegal, I'll remedy all that by pretending Brakq has only used Baleful Utterance and only  thought  she was actually moving forward last round. She now full-round crawls to her current position on the map.
 
Alhallor
Mystery's cold and uncaring breath freezes both the researcher and the boss shut. With Muck adding more entangling the heavily armored researcher boss is now entangled times two. Xyrona's lance has no problem hitting the heavily bound researcher who looks... Not pleased.

 You think you could imprison ME!? 

His freezened and hardened hands perform some simple gestures pointing at Xyrona with a decisive motion. His weapon creaks and cranks again, some big wodden splinters crumble off, the weapon seems to break any second now.

 
 Spoiler: Gina 
It's a Naginata +2
 

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona and Asfaloth 
 (5d4)[ 8 ]  Fire damage, Reflex save against 16 for half damage.
 


The other researcher who is just impeded by cold, try's to land a spell on it's own but the freezing cold makes him fumble the spell.

On the other side, the bison mosh pit is pretty happily occupied by some bisons, the researcher on the other hand, seem to be highly confused.

"Something touched me! I think it has fur?! Fire, just fire everywhere!"

Another screams unintelligibly because he has been grapped by Otto who is really happy that he found something squishy.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
A roll!
 (1d8)[ 7 ] 
1 hit Otto
2 hit Boss
3 hit Xyrona
4 hit Asfaloth
5 hit Faith
6 hit another Researcher
7 hit a glass jar
8 ???
Someone who is hit needs to make a Will save against 15 or suffer  (4d6)[ 10 ]  Subdual damage.
 

 
 Spoiler: MAP 
 Party in the darkness. 
 
Metastachydium
The sounds about tell Brakq everyone else is having stupid fun torturing stupid people in stupid ways, and here she is, and she wants so very little… Just to hit  one  stupid glass jar and hear it driven all around her! And it… Is… So… Close…  She crawls on. 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Brakq full-round crawls onto I10, musing on how unfair it is that the world punishes her for stealing other people's flamethrowers.
 
Cygnia
   "Surrender, doofuses!  You iz OUTMATCHED!"    Grip tightening now on Her right pointy end, Mystery punctuated Her order with a jet of flame towards Naginata Boy and his lackey.  Maybe fire would work as well as ice...

 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Entangle in 1 out of 4 rounds
Frost dmg on Naginata Weeboo and his lackey
 (1d6)[ 1 ] 
Flame dmg (DC20 Reflex for half dmg) 30 ft line on Naginata Weeboo and his lackey
 (4d6)[ 21 ] 
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  72/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Aegis013
 
 Spoiler: Reflex Saves DC 16 
Failure is 8 points of fire damage, success is 4 points:
Xyrona  (1d20+3)[ 19 ] 
Asfaloth  (1d20+5)[ 17 ] 
 


Asfaloth whinnies in protest at the flames, but yields to his riders steady presence. Xyrona grunts as sweat begins to drip down her face from the heat, however, she doesn't back down. She deploys her lance again towards the enemy.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move into range if needed

Attack with lance  (1d20+9)[ 21 ]  to hit
On a hit, it deals  (1d8+4)[ 5 ]  piercing damage.

On a 29,  (1d20+9)[ 16 ]  to confirm
On a critical, it deals  (2d8+8)[ 13 ]  more damage.
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 50 (out of 82) HP remaining
Asfaloth has 36 (out of 40) HP remaining and is producing a faint smell of burnt hair.

For the first attack against Asfaloth next round  (1d20+20)[ 32 ]  is the number to beat.
 
Cygnia
OOC: I made sure that Xyrona's horse was protected from Mystery's breath weapon  over here . :)

ETA: D'OH...Mystery's ego has infested Her player too -- I forgot about the baddie's attack!
Ridai
The bovines seem to be having a great time, and Faith continues to provide a great time as she switches to trumpet. An important switch, because she needs a free hand to wrap around Brakq's tail.

  "Hammer Express!"   And a quick toot-toot for good measure as she begins to push the mermaid closer to where she intends to go. The exertion leads to particularly intense notes, too, much to Faith's amusement.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
 Standard + Move  Push Braqk about 15ft closer to her target.

 Blessed Bison Bonanza  Subdual attacks vs the very confused researchers
 (1d20+4)[ 8 ] ,  (1d8+9)[ 16 ]  subdual piercing damage
 (1d20+4)[ 23 ] ,  (1d8+9)[ 16 ]  subdual piercing damage
 (1d20+4)[ 12 ] ,  (1d8+9)[ 14 ]  subdual piercing damage
4 rounds of summoning time remaining.
 
Benoojian
Gina blasts the weapon with a sonic blast one more time, fairly certain that it will break. She doesn't even take pains to hide her involvement, instead turning invisible and moving ten feet to her right.
Alhallor
The combined efforts of Mystery, Gina and Xyrona finally bear fruit. With a shattering sound, the Naginata blasts into several pieces, The Boss of this level wanted to throw his weapon again as a final act of desperation but realizes that he has nothing in his hands. His lackey is down too.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Boss is stunned because he lost his weapon (that is really cool, guys) He does still live on.
 


Two researchers are brought down by the joy of dancing bisons and by a happy Otto, while the other two are still panicked.

"I think the boss is over there? Let's get through the darkness!"

The researchers are rushing past the dancing bisons.

 
 Spoiler: Ridai 
Dancing bison opportunity attacks, all 3 of them.
 


The freed furniture begins to rumble and shake.

  I'm free! fReE! DiE MorTalS!  

Xyrona, Gina, Faith and weaaboo boss get bombarded by... Documents, small chests and ink vials?

 
 Spoiler: Whirlwind throwing attack! 

Attack that hit's the aforementioned 4 people:  (1d20+12)[ 32 ] 
Damage:  (1d2+1)[ 2 ] 
 
Ridai
Walking over to Lady Xy do some maidenly lay on hands for Best Knight (spreading those real good vibes), Faith laughs, looking at what is transpiring.   "Hahaha wha' da hell :D"   as she is getting hit in the face by stationary, not that this puts a dent in the mood. Somewhere in the dark, happy mooers are briefly blinded by paper, resulting in even more enthusiastic prancing.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
 Move  next to Xyrona.

 Standard  Hands of the healer, healing her for  (3d6)[ 4 ]  HP.

 Free  entertainment.

------------

Bison AoOs:
 (1d20+4)[ 20 ] ,  (1d8+9)[ 14 ]  subdual piercing damage
 (1d20+4)[ 11 ] ,  (1d8+9)[ 15 ]  subdual piercing damage
 (1d20+4)[ 11 ] ,  (1d8+9)[ 15 ]  subdual piercing damage

Bison Attacks:
 (1d20+4)[ 19 ] ,  (1d8+9)[ 13 ]  subdual piercing damage
 (1d20+4)[ 22 ] ,  (1d8+9)[ 17 ]  subdual piercing damage
 (1d20+4)[ 8 ] ,  (1d8+9)[ 11 ]  subdual piercing damage
 
Metastachydium
Brakq can't not grin  widely  herself. Suddenly, everyone in here just  gets  her! Faith just put her in the perfect place to  smash  something stupid into tiny pieces for no stupid reason at all (she'll have to remember not to ever explode Faith or collapse some stupid ceiling on her; Faith's fun and lets her break things); the others have freakin'  blown  up the stupid boss's stupid weapon as one  should ;  and the big cupboard  finally  got it's there to  murder  things!    I was, uh, I was thinking it'll never get there and really, uh,  do  that.   she comments, not bothering to explain what she's even talking about. Too obvious. It's not like she doesn't have better things to do about this place, instead. Or, rather, one particular thing to do…  Introduce a little anarchy , or more of it. Make sure this stays fun.

She grins at the stupid glass jar once more. And she lets loose a  loud    MOUNTAIN HAMMER!!  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

What? The hostiles are standing right next to it! This is Brakq being a teamplaying teamplayer!

Also, MOUNTAIN HAMMER:  (1d20+7)[ 21 ]  for  (2d8+7)[ 18 ]  plus  (1d6)[ 5 ]  (Punishing Stance) plus  (2d6)[ 8 ] , bypassing all hardness
 
Aegis013
  "Let's wrap this up. Surrender now and lay down what's left of your arms and on my honor I will do all I can to ensure you survive this."   Xyrona announces towards the now weaponless boss and the remaining researchers.

Having offered the chance of surrender, Xyrona doesn't make an attack this round, though she holds her lance tightly, the tip angled up towards the ceiling and ready to be thrust down in the event her foes are too foolish to accept her offer of mercy.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
None, other than to offer the enemies the opportunity to surrender.
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 52 (out of 82) HP remaining
Asfaloth has 36 (out of 40) HP remaining and is producing a faint smell of burnt hair.

Mounted Combat feat: the first attack against Asfaloth must beat a  (1d20+20)[ 38 ] 
 
Cygnia
Blink?

   Okay, dis iz ridiculous...teh cabinet iz talking!   

With another nonchalant YAWN~!, Mystery belched out another jet of fire -- this time to the uppity piece of furniture that was buffeting Her minions with paper cuts!

 (4d6)[ 13 ]  Fire dmg (DC20 Reflex for half dmg)
Alhallor
While Faiths hands spread good vibes, Xyrona's peace offer seems to reach the boss of this level who shivers while looking up at the knight and pointing at Brakg.  Then why... are you're allies freeing... The monsters? 

He then collapses.

The bisons bring down the rest of the researchers.

The cabinet responds to Mystery's attack with a laugh.

  MwUhaHahA! FoOliSH MortAl! YoU OnLy dAmaGe mY shElL, they'rE iS nO WaY tHaT...   And get's cut off by the shattering of glass that abruptly stops.

The glass that Brakq breaks falls down silently revealing a dark black statue which seems to just stand around. It also seems like you can't hear any sound now.

On the other hand, no other threats seem to be out here. And the cabinet seems to be silent too!

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
You're currently under a silence effect, it stops working if you get out of the room.
 

 
 Spoiler: Loot 
There is quite a bit of stuff here. I know some of it is already worn, but I just bring it up for comparisons sake.

Handler Gear:
Count's as a Breastplate +1 but weighs you down as much as heavy armor. Can be worn by everyone who wears medium armor.
Gives a +4 bonus against breath-based stuff (stench, gases, etc.) 1x per day casts by himself a Protection from evil n you, when you are being controlled.
Has a flamethrower built in, can be used as a standard action and has currently 6/10 uses. Works like burning hands but deals 2d6+2 fire damage. Recharges every rest to 10/10 uses.

A name-changing lumpster!
If you carry Lumpy Mc lumpington the IIIth with you, You can give yourself or another one of the following effects. (Standard action)
1x per day Enlarge. (As the spell for 10 minutes)
1x per day Reduce. (Reverse effect of Enlarge)
1x per day Fast Heal 10 for 1 round

The Hair of Az'Na'Shur
This strand of black hair, interwoven by red string can be placed on any creature that has a head to spread into a mass of black hair than can be controlled by thought to transform into any haircut the creature can think of. The Hair of Az'Na'shur confers some benefits.
+2 to Charisma (untyped bonus)
+2 to Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate and Gather Information (untyped)
Gain a slam attack appropiate to your size (with the hair).

A music box
This simple music box, can, as an immediate action, play the theme song of any creature that wields it. That has the same effect as the spell  Prayer  but EVERYONE besides the wielder of the music box, is considered an enemy.

A Broken Merciful Naginata +2 that will reform itself in 10 minutes.

6 Wands of Whelm (caster level 3) with 12 charges each left.

A cloak that gives a +1 Armor bonus.
 

 
 Spoiler: Updated map 
 Total and utter silence. 
 
Metastachydium
Even before the boss'd collapse like he  should've done all along , Brakq begins to suddenly laugh with a rather disturbingly incogruous joy for no immediately apparent reason, only to be cut short by… Whatever's made the sounds go away.   Are you going to, uh, going to…   she squints at the statue, but she can't hear herself  really  saying it. Which is  stupid . So stupid it needs things done about it.  … DO something?!   she mouths at the thing, trying to give it a  gentle  nudge. With a hammer.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

This is Brakq, of course. That's a Mountain Hammer Gentle Nudge:  (1d20+5)[ 21 ]  (Power Attack for 2) for  (2d8+11)[ 18 ]  plus  (1d6)[ 5 ]  (Punishing Stance) and  (2d6)[ 7 ]  (MOUNTAIN HAMMER damage, bypassing all hardness and DR
 
Ridai
And the doots stop, along with everything else sound-wise. Well that's fun! Faith raises her glowing hands, wriggling her princess fingers, followed by doing the universal motion for "come on over to Faith's Lay On Hands". A quick wave to the happy cows before they happily prance back to the higher planes.

And since she is already next to Lady Xy and Asfaloth, she starts with the knight. While her hands do their thing, Faith leans against the steed (who gets some rubs and pets), looks up to Lady Xy and gives her a look like "hey there, fancy meeting you here, how has your day been?".

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Topping everyone off over the course of a few minutes.
 
Aegis013
Xyrona smiles back at Faith and says something, but no sound emerges. However, once Faith is done, Xyrona dismounts and starts loading researchers and the boss onto Asfaloth, no more than two at a time, so as not to overload her faithful steed and hauls them back to the cage room. She chooses the least damaged cages and stuffs them in there, effectively locking them up once they've been thoroughly searched and any dangerous items are removed.
Alhallor
Brakq's mighty mountain hammer, which has shattered glass quite easily, know just nicks a bit of stone from the massive monument. It still stares unwavering at the wall, not moving, not saying anything. Just making everything silent. Even the mighty cabinet has stopped wriggling.

The downed researchers can easily be brought into they're cells, where Xyrona realizes that the silence immediately ends when she get's out of the room with a lot of shattered glas in it, being able to hear Asfaloth's reassuring hoovesteps once more.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Turns out HP of stuff is being made by they're thickness in inches. Turns out a massive statue has A LOT of hitpoints.

It's not impossible to destroy that thing but as a rough estimate, being able to Mountain hammer every other round, going with average damage and one round being 6 seconds...

It should take 28 hours (I rounded, when applicable, in your favor).
 
Metastachydium
Brakq stares at her hammer for a moment, then at the statue, and finally her hammer again, looking positively  wounded . And  then  she just begins  frantically  hammering at it, like there's no tomorrow in the backdrop of the knight's ferrying out all the researchers. The result… Doesn't seem to please her much, though.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

I know, I know, but maybe-maybe it might matter later! If X. takes the  trash  research staff out two at a time, that should allow for some four attacks, and I may as well roll them, little though they might achieve, because I like to roll things:
PUNISHING MOUNTAIN HAMMERS, with full-on POWER ATTACK for four rounds straight:  (1d20+3)[ 20 ]  for  (2d8+15)[ 23 ]  plus  (1d6)[ 1 ]  and  (2d6)[ 6 ] ;
 (1d20+3)[ 19 ]  for  (2d8+15)[ 18 ]  plus  (1d6)[ 5 ]  and  (2d6)[ 4 ] ;
 (1d20+3)[ 17 ]  for  (2d8+15)[ 19 ]  plus  (1d6)[ 4 ]  and  (2d6)[ 6 ] ;
 (1d20+3)[ 10 ]  for  (2d8+15)[ 26 ]  plus  (1d6)[ 6 ]  and  (2d6)[ 12 ]  saying no to  drugs  hardness/DR each time
 
Ridai
So once everyone is healed up and the boss is out cold, sound is still out. Hm. Well, Faith decides to check out the cat laboratory, because really, how can you not check out the cat laboratory. Indeed sees it is filled with kitties (some more concerning than others), provides some healing and scritches were accepted, and returns to the larger room.

Choices, choices. Well, for the sake of convenience, Faith heads to the north-eastern corner and opens the door on the eastern wall to have a look-see.
Aegis013
Once Xyrona is satisfied that the troublesome researchers and their boss are sufficiently incarcerated and thus unlikely to cause problems for the group in the future, she hops back up into Asfaloth's saddle, pets his neck, and directs him to follow Sister Faith as she investigates the cat lab and then the Northeastern most door. The knight recognizes just how invaluable Faith's skills are to her mission and is determined to ensure the Sister is well protected.
Cygnia
Mystery  tried  to let out a proper    Harumph    in the face of Brakq frantically yet silently attacking the statue.

Key word being "tried".

Obviously, it was All Right if no one could hear Her as She was the Queen of All Stealth &amp; Whatnot.  But not being able to hear others...well, THAT was Just Plain Wrong.

A couple of Her minions went over to the kitteh room.  Of course, Mystery followed in a purrtective manner.  After all, they were Her people.  Fortunately, one of said minions was giving Her fellow kittehs proper skritchings.     Good...   

And in due time, Mystery ambled as well behind the two women (and horsie) towards the northeast...
Alhallor
Brakq's attacks are... Well not useless, chips of stone are flying left and right, but it'll definitely still gonna take some time till the huge black stone statue is totally devastated.

The door marked (long-term-experiments) is opened, leaving an unmarked door unopened and reveals a hallway that becomes a bit narrower with two new experimental rooms.

The one on the right hand is labeled "Illithid experiment" is closed, the door is bolted shut and definitely seems to require a key or other opening mechanism. There is a small hatch on the underside of the door, probably to deliver food.

The other room on the left hand labeled "insectoid-elf-experiment" on the other hand is a full-glass-room, where you can easily see inside. In the middle of it stands a humanoid insect who currently seems to be absorbed in looking at itself. There are several mirrors in the room, giving it more easy access to look at itself.

On the northern room there is another door labeled "Other long-term experiments".

 
 Spoiler: Mystery 
There is a certain known smell coming from the north. RATS. Not the kind that are easily huntable and prey, no. The kind who are mean, who hunt small kittens, kill weak humans and run away when it get's convenient.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 More rooms 
 
Ridai
Actually, a thought occurs. They have stationary now! Thus, Faith goes over, grabs a bunch of paper, pencils, and pens, and draws a map! Sketches will need to come later.

And later is now, as she goes through the wrong door and sees an elf mantis person (entis? Melf?  The  Melf of Acid Arrow fame?!), and begins to throw a sketch together.

  "Hello! I'm Faith St. Mary, ya can call me Faith, pleased ta meetcha! I woke up in a cell here an' now I'm 'sploring the dungeon. Do ya feel like talkin' 'bout yerself, what yer experience been here, that sorta thing? Would ya like a drink?"   Faith beams at Melf.
Alhallor
When the mantis elf is spoken at, it's head whips around and it scuttles out of it's containment room, it also opens it's door without any problems at all.

"Oh, hello ms. Faith! It's so rare to see others who are not a scientist or helper her. Have they experimented on you too? I'm Feyronael and I really love it here! Look what they have done!" The melf looks itself over and seems to be stuck on looking at itself for a moment  till it can rip it's eyes away from itself and unto you again.

"I feel so much better that I'm now half-insect! It will be the future for all elvenkind I'm sure! You will love it too!" Feyronael says towards Xyrona happy to see another elf (half or full seems to not be on it's mind) to undergo that procedure.

"And yes I would love a drink!"

The fact that you broke out of your cell seems to have gone right over Feyronael's head.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Just a nice elf. 
 
Cygnia
Ignoring the buggy elf, Mystery's green glare was fixated on the door to teh north.

   VERMIN!!!   

If She was back in kitteh form, Mystery's adorably grey fur would be all poofed out and Her tail would be swishing in anger.  As it stood, all Mystery could do in hoomin form was bare Her teeth and growl softly towards teh door.

Mystery never understood teh hoomins' obsession in making VERMIN out to be Teh Good Guys in their kyootsy-wootsy tales to their children.  Worse still, those idiotic stories made CATS out as Teh Bad Guys!

(Player aside: now it  could  be argued that cats are cruel and uncaring, responsible for the decimation of numerous species in our humble reality.  But intentionally Evil?  Well...)

VERMIN greedily stole grain and pooped everywhere.
VERMIN spread plague.
VERMIN would eagerly eat baby hoomins.  More importantly, dey would eat KITTENS!

VERMIN had to  DIE!!! 

Mystery made the invocation to See what magicks were behind teh door.  As much as She wanted to just charge in to slay VERMIN, She had to be careful.  Who knew what Weird Stuff had been done to teh enemies?

 
 Spoiler: Action 

Activating  Magic Insight  to check for anything beyond the north door.
 
Metastachydium
With the statue refusing to DISINTEGRATE peacefully as a stupid statue hit a stupid amount of times should, and with the voices…  Not  available, for the moment still, Brakq loses patience and begins to crawl after Faith  very slowly  and once she  finally  reaches the corridor not yet accidentally silenced, with an awful stupid ruckus of a grinding nois of hammer scraping against floor.   Do you need, uh, need     pest control    help with  that ?   she asks simply from behind, taking a look at the big, stupid mantis, suddenly very aware she didn't get around to use her new flame-throeing contraption  yet ; but her true attention's elsewhere. There's a good, simple friend of her sort on the other side of the otherwise stupid corridor.  A closed door. 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

1. Since Brakq started crawling at around the same time Xyrona finished locking up researchers, and since we're not in combat right now, I'll just assume Brakq can  mostly  catch up in the meantime; and
2. PLAYER ASIDE: while I kinda never liked  Tom&amp;Jerry , (you should probably stop reading  right   now, I warned you)
 
 Spoiler: No, Seriously, I Warned You 
the only reason why Brakq is not in the Cat Room flamethrowering the cages is that you're cool people and I don't want to upset you; otherwise, while I'm not terribly fond of rats as such, I find cats the worse pest of the two by a fair margin and rats are at least fairly intelligent.
 
 Still, if you need help flamethrowering  rats , just do tell. Brakq's in the mood.
 
Aegis013
Xyrona recoils slightly at the sight of the mutant elf but does her best to hide it. After being addressed she responds, keeping a kind warmth in her tone.   "I'm very glad you're happy with your... situation, but I'm not certain all elvenkind would desire to be changed in such a way. I'm quite happy with my current form after all, and have no desire to change."  

Xyrona strokes Asfaloth's neck as the horse sniffs the air near the melf, moreso to calm her own nerves rather than the horse's.
Ridai
Faith pours some water into a cup, it briefly glows golden, and the finished drink is handed to Feyronael.   "Oh, nah, jus' woke up in a cell an' didn't feel like stickin' 'round when I got explorin' ta do."   On the topic of presenting their changes, a   "Neat!"   is added.

  "Hey, you know what's goin' on in there?"   Faith points at the illithid experiment.
Alhallor
 
 Spoiler: Mystery 
The mantis elf is magical, mostly transmutation magic. You can't see inside the illithid experiment (probably too much metal.) But you see one aura on the left side (probably in another containment unit) and a pretty... Massive... Impressive... Magical sight beyond that, it seems to be mostly Conjuration interwoven with lesser parts Transmutation and... Enchantment? You also realize that you look at something that seems to be at least an artifact-level magic thing, protected by several layers of other material where it 'shines' through. What had the rats done?
 


Feyronael takes a sip of water, which seems quite problematic with the mandibles but it manages to do that somehow. Xyrona's arguments are washed aside with a wave of one of it's insectoid arms.

"Yes, yes, you think that NOW! I was the same as you. Normally elfish, happy with my life, boring! But I can assure you as soon as they have worked you're magic on you, you never want to go back, believe me!"

When Faith asks about the illithid room, Feyronael drops down and mimics a conspiratory whisper but seems so excited that it's actually becoming louder than before.

"Well... I'm not really allowed to know, I think. But I overheard some people that they were using the guy in here, who is totally out of whack by the way, always when someone goes in there it says "Ah, all according to plan!" That they are using it to make humans better too! And farm animals, somehow. I don't really know what they are doing inside there to be honest, they always close the door, but it's really weird if ya ask me."

The northern door get's opened and a guard, who seems to carry something akin to a giant ball of fur that blocks mostly his side mumbles "let me through... Have to throw that one into the pit."

Feyronael obediently presses against the wall and motions for you to do the same.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Maintenance. 
 
Metastachydium
  You know…   Brakq suddenly speaks up again from the background, a hint of disgust colouring her voice.   You know what, I  hate  that. It's so stupid. These ugly, stupid, fat people go about and tell the people it's all good, and it's all part of the  plan .   she explains.   And know, uh, know what happens, then? Nothing. It's, uh, nothing happens. It can be stupid bad ****, and nobody panics because it's  all according to plan .   the Mermaid begins crawling on towards the oh so inviting big stupid door, closed  according to plan .   I say we'll have to, uh, have to  do  something about that.   She even  slightly  inches to the side without thinking much of it, so the stupid carrier of the stupid ball of fur can go do some stupid thing elsewhere.  Because this is important. 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Crawling on!
 
Cygnia
Reluctantly, Mystery allowed Herself to be pressed against the wall.  All the while, Her angry gaze darted between the northern door and the large furry THING that guard was carrying out.  Was that VERMIN?  Were there more of those THINGS in there?  Were these hoomins STOOPID enough to empower VERMIN?!

For that last question, probably YES.

As much as Mystery wanted to give Her minion the command to unleash hell with teh flamethrower, those dangerously strong auras She sensed gave Her paws.   Yeah, we went there.  😛
   "What."    Mystery hissed to the buggy elf.     "Iz dat THING? What iz behind dat door? And what iz teh Pit?"   
Ridai
Faith makes way, but also walk and talks to the guard.   "Hey, hi, I'm Faith St. Mary, ya can call me Faith, and would ya like to talk 'bout what Mystery here asked? Ya got an interesting workplace here, mystery pits and big furry fellas included."  

As she steps around Braqk:   "Don't worry hun, I'll scoot yer butt onwards in a moment."  
Aegis013
Xyrona adjusts Asfaloth to avoid antagonizing the furball carrying guard, though listens closely to see if Mystery's questions are answered. Questions the knight herself might've asked if she had not been preempted.
Alhallor
The carrier of the ball says "sorry, sorry, need to get through here. Faith you say? Fancy meeting someone who has a real name,  Management sent you? I'm considered to be AR-23 and after the boss of this level rushed out because of a breach or something, OF COURSE, he forgot to order all the regular maintenance! Seriously why don't people... Think, you know? And if everything goes to **** because I haven't brought a mistake out of it's containment unit and everyone got sick because the thing has sprouted who knows what and everyone needs to be evacuated do you think they blame it on the boss? Of course not! Sorry... Sorry... Can't remember when this hall had been that full."

When passing Mystery the guard try's to glance at her but isn't really able to. "Failed experiment. Too much or to little of whatever they injected into that thing that came out of the machine. You know, the big thing that spews out these rat-people? Are you the new guys? The pit is the thing where you... Uhh... Do you're business, you know? And broken or dead stuff is thrown in. And I really have to get this thing in the pit or who knows what'll happen."

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Beware, big and hairy. 
 
Metastachydium
While much of the monologue passes through Brakq's head unhindered,  who knows what will happen  sounds a warm, happy, inviting alarm. But then, the Mermaid's got to realize by the time she'd catch up with the stupid garbage man with her stupid crawling, she'd miss out on all the  who knows what ; and she has a perfectly good locked door  so very close . One mayhem at a time!

Instead, thereby, she chosses to just quietly ponder the one big question that just occurred to her.  Does she even have a butt?  To tell, she can't quite; and so she goes with a snicker.
Ridai
  "Hey, no biggie. Sounds like ya have it rough here. Tough work environment, huh? "   Dungeon minion or not, that sort of thing's universal.

  "So... is this hairy little fella dangerous ta everyone or why'd you wanna chuck 'em in a pit? Can I see the pit, by the way?"  
Auranghzeb
THese were busy busy dungeon crawlers... even the slow and voluptuous mermaid was bustling about doing all sort of stuff...


Muck all the while was just deliberately lighting his pipe and taking in his great quality tobacco.


 Say, Otto... what do we even do with all this. We were just looking for a cool dungeon to claim ours... these fellows are a bit intense.

Yeah, Otto, I get it, and I must say the sight of such a magnificent beauty oh so strong! CRUSHING stone with her glistening muscles...

Well, I guess we gotta keep up.

No useful loot for us anyway.

 

Muck and Otto follow Brakk closely, the diminutive muckdweller just looooooves watching the mermaid break stuff.
Alhallor
"Tough? I guess, yeah. I had it worse to be honest. You know previously I worked for Count Van Steindorf, really great pay but miserable work environment. Bat droppings have been basically everywhere and every 2 days there was a vampire hunter, or village boy with strange superpowers or some other monster coming to a visit. It was horrible, let me tell you. Here? Just a breach of some creature every 2 weeks at most and all I have to do is telling a higher-up. Of course normal duty can get taxing but at my age I consider a secure job a win. Just go right in, Lady."

The guard opens an unlabeled door towards a room with... A pretty big pit in it. Dangling at the side of the pit are several toilet houses and the room is filled with the scent of peppermint, roses and lavender that seem to seep from the crystal scattered around the room.

There's also some lavish stairs which seem to go up.

"Yeah, don't go towards the lone standing toilet at the side there. We have a ghost in there. Management try'd to get rid of it several times and they weren't able to do it. Please believe me. It seems you either get stabbed or strangled and you even don't have toilet paper."

The guard weighs the fur thing in his hand around before answering Faith's other question.

"Well it's probably not dangerous by itself but I have seen things getting out of hand before. Just some preemptive good work. Let's me alive longer you see?"

On other news Brakq finally reaches a door.

 
 Spoiler: MAP 
 That's a pit alright. 
 
Ridai
Faith hands the guard a mug of just now created celestial wine.   "Can understand that, financial 'n' survival pressure ain't fun. Still sounds like a dangerous job, though, if ya talk about 'stayin alive  longer ' and have ta pre-emptively chuck things in a pit an' avoid potty ghosts. Nothin' else available on the job market? The folks I'm with were pretty pissed when they woke up in here and if that's the standard, that can't be good for yer health."  
Aegis013
Xyrona, following the guard while providing a comfortable amount of distance adds in:   "How does one go about becoming employed here, anyway? Or with Count Van Steindorf for that matter? Given your description and disposition, it doesn't seem like something you sought after but maybe rather was foisted upon you by circumstance."   The knight's head tilts to one side as she curiously questions the guard.
Metastachydium
Her destination hit (albeit not the really good kind of hit just yet), Brakq looks around. The funny lizard and his big friend, the fire-breathing cat, and the other little person who explodes thing are all about. But not the healing one. She said she'll be back and help. And she's good at helping. So waiting a tad here would sound like a  plan …

  But plans are stupid , and their  face  is stupid. And Brakq? Brakq's here for the  fun . And the real fun? The name of that game is   MOUNTAIN HAMMER!!  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Will:  (1d20+5)[ 18 ] ; and, more importantly,
MOUNTAIN HAMMER FULL POWER DAMAGE (for all 4 BAB):  (2d8+15)[ 25 ]  and  (3d6)[ 10 ]  bypassing all hardness of the Illithid door
 
Alhallor
--------------PIT----------------

AR-23 tosses the fur thing into the pit. You don't hear it land. He then turns around and is finally able to give you a real look unhindered by the sight-stealing fur thing and freezes.

"A horse! You must be really high up in the chain when... Wait..." His gaze wanders between Faith and Xyrona and then a loud, metallic   *THUNK*   is heard.

"Uh... You're the escapees? Damn I thought you were taken care off."

AR-23 scratches his head, surprised. "You want to know about my life? How I got into jobs and stuff? I mean of course I could gather herbs and junk at my village but I wanted a bit more in life you know? Got a very boring guard job at some town and then, well, heard around what else was there. Van Steindorf seemed like a good noble guy you know?   *THUNK*  Didn't realize he was a vampire. Then got employed by his wight friend he played poker with regularly and then after that one was killed I was on the job market again with not much money and got asked to work here. I mean, of course I could have gotten back to regular guard duty but you know how it is. Nearly every day some guy with a sword that shoots lightning walks by and you think to yourself... There must be something more, right?   *THUNK*  

--------------BRAKQ------------

The first hit seemed like the door wouldn't do much. But to Brakq's expert eye small cracks were starting to form, after the second Mountain Hammer there were more easily to see and the third one shattered the heavily iron door into a bazillion pieces, all the while the weird elf is screaming something about to stop.

  YES! YES! ALL ACCORDING TO PLAN!  

Some steam is coming out of the room and Brakq is hit with a massive attack on her mind.

  GREAT! NOW MY MINION! TAKE SOMEONE AND BRING THEM...  TO   THE   POOL!   
 
 Spoiler: Updated map 
 Pool party 
 
Metastachydium
Brakq simply stares at the new guy with the tentacles for a moment – then she begins to laugh thunderously and  hysterically . It's  so  funny.   But…   more laughter ensues.   But seriously, I can barely  move  in this.   she sayss, still shaking and grinning.   It's not, uh, not all bad, though. Check this out!   A blast of fire erupts  in the   face   of that stupid "plan" .

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Closing could be the idea here, but that's such a  perfectly  positioned opponent. In other words, FLAMETHROWER:  (2d6+2)[ 9 ]  fire in a 15' cone into the room; I can't remember what the Ref DC is
 
Ridai
Faith nods understandingly.   "Sadly few people can just do what they love for a livin'. Best a lotta people can hope for's usin' their job to finance what they actually wanna do, maybe that'll take off- 'scuse me, what's that thunkin'?"  

Short beat.

  "Oh, sorry, should prolly check on Brakq. Ya wanna come with?"   Faith heads back to where the others are.   "Hey guys, whatcha been bonkin'- ah, I see."  
Cygnia
 *face paw palm* 

Minion wrangling was difficult work, but then again, that was Hoomin Herding in a nutshell.  To Mystery, the task SHOULD have been simple -- nod and keep your mouths shut when the hoomin and his accursed VERMIN walked by.  Then Mystery could have delegated the job of DESTROYING the VERMIN MAKING MACHINE properly once he was gone.

Problem one: Minion Faith liked to chat far too much.  Which caused the guard to stick around too long.
Problem two: Minion Faith then TOLD HIM THEY WERE ALL ESCAPEES.  Which conflicted with the whole KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT bit.
Problem three: Minion Brakq, despite being hobbled by her new toy, had the attention span of a caffeinated squirrel under a Persistant  Haste  spell.  And had crawled off to break something OTHER than the foul VERMIN MAKING MACHINE.

Muttering under Her breath, Mystery invoked Her blessing to to make Herself invisible.
Aegis013
Xyrona nods along with the guard's explanation and when Faith takes her leave, Xyrona elects to stay with the guard near the pit.

  "I know you heard that us,  escapees , were taken care of, whatever that is supposed to mean, but I at least am not here to cause any trouble. I'm just looking for information on what this facility is, what is being done here, for what purpose, and possibly who is funding all of this for a report."   she clears her throat, thinking of the M-elf and adds   "Of course, I have personal reservations about some of the things I've seen, but I don't want to escalate things to violence. Do you think you could help me fill in some details for my report? I'll make it worth your while."  

She rummages for a few seconds in Asfaloth's saddle bag before handing a small coin purse to the guard AR-23 containing 50 gold pieces. She looks at the guard's face to see if she can tell whether that's a substantial amount to him or a pittance, finding herself entirely uncertain how much a job such as his might pay.

 
 Spoiler: A terrible sense motive roll 
 (1d20-1)[ 12 ] 
 
Alhallor
---------BRAKQ----------

   It is alright, my minion, you will be my unstoppable force, my glacier of destruction, my... I'M BURNING! WHY AM I BURNING!? AARRGHHLLL!   

The tentacled person get's hit with a bout of fire and seems to be pretty flammable all things considered and try's to douse the flames not by jumping in the pool at the side of the room but by rolling on the ground.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Reflex save against the flamethrower failed spectatularly.
Fire damage:  (1d6)[ 3 ] 
Reflex save against 15 to douse the flames (includes a +4 bonus to roll on the ground.)  (1d20+8)[ 22 ] 
 


The weird elf retreats back into her mirror room and closes the door.

Mystery mysteriously vanishes out of sight.

 
 Spoiler: Updated map 
 Pool party, with FIRE! 
 


---------Xyrona and the Pit--------

AR-23 takes the bag of money and weighs it in his hand, he also looks in and gasps audibly.

"You don't want to kill me AND I get a months worth of pay? Oh well I don't know that much. I know that we are pretty much the deepest part of the facility... Well, besides the pit of course. The boss of the facility has a cozy office in the highest part of the facility. You get there by going up these stairs then left in the office of the boss of this level, which you have trounced I guess? then left again to get up another set of stairs. I only was there once, can't remember the rest of the way. Up that stairs is also the employee-exit.

I also only really know the layout of this level. I'll tell you as much as I can."
Aegis013
Xyrona smiles warmly at the guard as she takes notes and adds a simple   "Thank you."   as Asfaloth gives the guard a friendly nudge and lick.   "I'll let the other escapees know not to harm you, but it would still likely be wise to keep your distance. I don't know how they'll all respond to what they're seeing in this place."  

After a beat she adds   "Stay safe."   as a farewell, and turns Asfaloth to go join the rest of the party.


Upon arriving just in time to see a man-like creature with a similar tentacled-face as the horse from the horse experiment chamber rolling around on the ground, Xyrona's mouth twists slightly into a frown. Not sure whether what has happened to the being was justified or not. She intentionally returns her face to a neutral expression and addresses the party.

  "I got some information and I think I can help you all get out. Apparently the boss's office is on the way out too so maybe we can find out what's going on simply by snooping through records rather than risking life and limb checking every location."  
  "Mystery, I think I know where there's another cat if you're looking for them."  
Cygnia
   "Where are dey?"     asked Mystery's unseen voice, suddenly curious.  It was good to see that one of Her minions was on the ball about the Important Things.
Benoojian
Gina (who had totally been listening in invisibly and wasn't missing because her player is flaky) appears near the guard and chimes in,    "Can you draw us a map of the rest of this floor? Never hurts to have a good map."  
Aegis013
Xyrona unfolds her sketched out map for the interested party members which are dotted with notes written in a combination of Common and Elven.

  "The other cat was reported here, in this Vampire Laboratory."   she indicates on the map for Mystery.

  "Also, if you happen across that guard that was tossing the big fur-ball into The Pit, please don't harm him. He was very helpful."   she adds with a tone of seriousness.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
OOC Alhallor did explicitly give me permission to share this:

 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...it?gid=0#gid=0 
 
Metastachydium
  Mm.   For the first time in some time, Brakq finds herself not sure what to make of things. Could it be it wasn't yet the time to flamethrow?  Is that a thing, even? 

Sheesh. Dilemmas are  stupid , and here she is with one.   …do I, uh, do I still get to be the glacier of  destruction ?   she asks slowly.   I'm not much for plans, though. Plans are  stupid .  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Brakq doesn't have a plan, of course; that would be stupid. But so it happens that she will,  entirely on a whim , flamethrow the Illithid  again  if it says no. Consider this a readied action.
 
Ridai
  "Ouh, I missed the map-drawin' part. Can I copy yer pretty homework later?"   Faith asks Lady Xy.   "Cats first then. You got things here, Brakq?"  
Alhallor
--------------AR-23-------------

"Huh, would you look at that. Seems like not everyone is a crazed murder-ready... OUH!" When Gina suddenly appears AR-23 jumps back. Nearly falling into the pit.

"Oh... I... Already gave her a map, sorry. There are some machines in the break-room that spit out food and junk if you throw coins into them though, if you won't mind telling her, miss."

AR-23 seems really nervous with someone who can suddenly appear out of thin-air. "I'll... Just gonna wait here till everythings been dealt with, alright? I mean you possibly don't want to... Recruit me, or something?"

----------Map-talk and an Illithid---------

The creature previously been hit by Brakq's fire-spewing has finished extinguishing the fire and stands up now and pats the soot from his clothing.

   Remarkable... Truly remarkable, not only are you like a slow avalanche, crushing everything in your path, but also IMMUNE against machinations of the mind. That is the only explanation after all. But still swayed by promises of power, hmm... yes, yes, yes. Of course you can still be the Glacier of destruction, Ms. BUT ONLY! And only IF! You bring me someone I can use the power of the  POOL  on.   

With that the creature makes an elaborate gesture at the pool that seems to be filled with a gel-like blue substance. Something seems to be wiggling in it.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
You can all hear the speak of the Illithid. He's not subtle.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Grilled Calamari for dinner. 
 
Cygnia
Unseen, Mystery bristled at teh talk of a "POOL".  That usually meant water and (unless you were a weirdo like one of those tigers or jaguars) water and Cats DO NOT MIX.  If taking out teh vampire meant avoiding water, She was all for it.

   "Okay, if you see an orange kitteh in teh vampire room -- DON'T HURT HIM.  Dat's Uncle Pippin and he means well, but he's a Doofus. (Dashie takes after him).  I gotta give him My blessing first before I unleash My Fiery Wrath..."     An invisible "HARUMPH" punctuated that statement.
Metastachydium
Brakq's grin widens wide once more. The tentacle thing's a real good sport about this.   Mmhm, now, that's talking!   she tells the tentacle thing.   This might, uh, this might take a while, though. Glacier-speed, and what not.   she half-turns to look behind herself.   While at, uh,  things …   she meets Faith's gaze for a moment. Faith's been plenty accomodating! Maybe she's really a cool kid and wants to help with cool stuff. Why else should she ask stuf like that?   Do we still have, uh, have staff lying about? Could use some for, uh,  things .   But really, she wants to know what the pool  does , now. She  wants  it.
Ridai
Faith shrugs to Brakq.   "Can always jus' ask people if they wan' a mindflayer tadpole in their brains, since I assume that's what's gonna go down in that pool. No clobberin' our guard friend A-23 though, he's cool. Careful ta not have yer new tentacular friend eat yer brain through yer skull~,"   she cheerfully informs the hammermaid, then Faith head north and east towards them vampires holding cats hostage.
Alhallor
------------Illithid Pool-----------

  Well, Miss Faith I must inform you that THE POOL is not what you're referring to, they have an  UTTER LACK  of Elder brains at this facility. But with my VAST AND GREAT intellect I was able to create a fascimile that is basically  UNDISTINGUISHABLE  from a real tadpole if you don't happen to be a Illithid yourself and  EVEN THEY  must admire my utter genius and conviction   It thinks at you while patting the last specks of ash from his intricate burned clothing.

Brakq get's a gracious wink with a hand.

  I know of you're speed, My Lady Of Utmost Devastation. When you bring me someone suitable I will still be here and wait I will. Full of determination and valor.  

-----------Faith and Mystery---------

Meanwhile you two go north and find right hand a cell that is empty (as AR-23 stated he took something out of there) the left cell has a pretty big ball of fur and soft feathers with a single big eye inside of it which looks at you curiously but doesn't seem to be able to talk (you don't see a mouth at last).

If you leave that behind for now, Mystery realized that the big northern door is definitely where the rats are. The room has a label saying: "The creation machine." But to the right is another label saying: "Vampire Laboratory".
Ridai
  "So still planting tadpoles in brains, okay then."  

Faith waves the the one-eyed furry/feathered thing and heads into the vampire lab to see what's going on.
Aegis013
Xyrona follows Faith and Mystery to the Vampire Laboratory, not excited to face down a vampire, but not willing to let her allies face such a potentially dangerous threat alone.
Cygnia
Still invisible, Mystery activated Her blessing to detect magic as they approved the lab of teh Wampire.  More importantly, She wanted to gauge the strength of potential magical auras up ahead...
Metastachydium
If that is even possible (if stupid), that grin gets bigger again.  Lady of  UTMOST  DEVASTATION   , there's a ring to that! Like a hammer on so many good bronze! That is hit, by the hammer. This tentacle man, he's putting things in brains with  style .   Good, uh, good,  great ! Be with you soon.   she says. There's even some  appreciation  for that "utter genius and conviction" or whatever in there. This guy knows something; and one's gotta respect that.   Wait up!   she then calls after the departing rest of… Well,  everyone . There just must be a lot of  stupid  things she didn't break yet ahead, after all. Why settle for less, then?

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Brakq crawls after everyone!
 
Ridai
With Brakq deciding to come with them after all instead of whatever it is she wanted to do with/for the mind flayer, Faith turns around to go over to the mermaid, takes a hand, and drags her over to the vampire lab.
Benoojian
Gina follows to the Vampire Lab, her hand itching for a holy symbol that she forgot to pack.
Alhallor
 
 Spoiler: Mystery 
Only 3 weak magic auras are in the Vampire room.
 


When you get into the vampire laboratory the first thing that may catch your eye is a sarcophagus with a pale person inside. Securely fastened with iron shackles with three persons standing over them. A hunched over scribe is in one corner of the room and... A orange cat, heavily pressed into another corner is in another one.

"Please note zhat zhe intruders appeared right after I vanted to make zhe incision with zhe magical zilver scalpel!"

The three surgeons face you and look pretty annoyed.

"Vhat is zhe meaning of this!?"

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
 Evil Zurgeons 
 
Aegis013
Xyrona sits tall in Asfaloth's saddle and hoists her lance upward.   "What are you doing here? Tell us everything you know about this place or prepare for the consequences! I will not allow any evil to be done in my sight."   she declares as Asfaloth rears up aiding her imposing presence.

 
 Spoiler: Intimidate 
 (1d20+2)[ 13 ] 
 
Cygnia
With an unseen grin, Mystery skulked over to the orange cat and skritched behind his noble plush ears in order to bestow upon him Her Blessing of Purrtection.

   "Hey, Uncle Pippin, it's Me, Mystery.  Got My minions here to rescue you if you need it.  What's going on here?  Who're these hoomins?  Do you need My minions to beat them up for you?  Have you seen Aunt Smokey or My doofus brother Dashie anywhere near here?"   
 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Invoking Endure Exposure on Pippin.
 
Metastachydium
  They're, uh, they're not your friends, I take it?   Brakq,  c-r-e-e-p-i-n-g  closer to the surgery through the convenient gap between Faith and Xyrona, asks, with a clear glint of hope in there. And she  does  hope it's not like that stupid guy with the stupid fur thing she's not supposed to flamethrow for stupid reasons. Fun is good, and setting stupid people on fire is fun. One has to reach out for the simple things in life. That's how happiness works, or whatever.

She should remember not to go overboard, though. The Teantacle Thing deserves his fun too. Brakq is a team player like that. She does have to wonder, though, what would happen if they threw the vampire guy into Tentacle Thing's special pool. Is that a thing, she wonders? It  should be  a thing.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Some 5' crawling onto N14's happening. If evrryone keeps talking for long enough that she gets to  O13 …
 
Ridai
  "Hi, I'm Faith St. Mary, ya can call me Faith, pleased to meetcha. We've come ta fetch a kitty. Whatcha doin' in here?"   Jury's out on whether the person basically radiating "angelically sponsored" has an effect by showing up in a room called "Vampire Lab".
Alhallor
 
 Spoiler: Mystery 
Mystery realizes that the cat before her is actually not her Uncle Pippin but a cat that does look strikingly similiar. It seems the Cat Lord is playing SOME kind of game here.
 

 
 Spoiler: Mruew? Mwwrraaarrraaugh? aughrmpf! 
Pippin? No, sorry I'm Klodwark. Are you here to help me and the others? I don't know what the humans want, they force me to stay here while they do things. It would be nice of you to beat them up!
 


Xyrona's intimidating speech let's one of the researchers take a step back and let fall a medical instrument while the supposed head researcher notes. "Please note that the cat has become agitated as the intruders got in."

He seems to seize all of you up, thinking about what to do... And throws a Scalpel at Xyrona while in the saddle!

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Attack:  (1d20+13)[ 27 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+3)[ 6 ]  Damage
Make either a Strength or Dexterity check (whatever has the higher modifier) against.  (1d20+8)[ 18 ]  if you fail you fall down from Asfaloth and take an additional  (1d6)[ 3 ]  Fall damage or nothing if you beat a DC 20 ride check.
 


Its you're turn now!

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Scalpel! 
 
Metastachydium
Brakq's grin runs wide once more.   Could you guys just, uh, just stay where you are?   she asks the surgeons bunched together  so beautifully .   Really just for the heartbeat.   she adds, creeping  closer .

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

More full-round 5' creeping, to O12. It's impossibly suboptimal, yes, but Brakq wants to flamethrow them. Then maybe break something in the room.
 
Cygnia
Somewhere, in another world - another prime material plane, they would describe what happened as a "reverse Cheshire grin".  Not this one, of course.  This world had no knowledge of "Alice In Wonderland".  Mystery certainly didn't, but She would very much like to know more about these Cheshire cats if She was ever told about them.

But as to what happened, the unseen tibbit  did  certainly flash a diabolical grin at Klodwark's request for rescue.

Then very much became visible as She let loose a jet of flame at the head doofus who dare to attack Her minion!    "Teh Kitteh doesn't wanna be here, stoopid!  Write DAT down!"   
 
 Spoiler: Fiery Kitteh WRATH~! 

 (4d6)[ 18 ]  Fire breath DC 20 Reflex for half damage (though, she is invisible if that grants the flat-footed disad on the head researcher)
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  72/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Aegis013
The scalpel scrapes Xyrona drawing a thin line of blood on her leg and cutting through one of the straps of Asfaloth's saddle causing Xyrona to fall out of the seat landing awkwardly on the ground by the horse, though her skill with a horse prevents her from landing in a way that would do her any harm.

She rights herself, dropping her lance as her side-arm nearly seems to fling itself from its scabbard on her waist and into her hand. Her eyes narrow as the steel blade lifts into a fighting position as she advances on the researcher who threw the scalpel menacingly.

Asfaloth, free of his rider but still working in tandem with her, rides around the researchers, moving into a flanking position to prevent the scalpel flinger from escaping his comeuppance.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Strength check to avoid dismount  here .
Xyrona is dismounted, but can't take extra damage from the fall as she has a +20 Ride modifier.

Assuming she is prone after falling from the horse:
Move Action: Stand from prone
Free Actions: drop lance and quick draw sword (can't wield the lance as a 2h weapon while dismounted due to her shield)
Standard Action: Move into melee with the researcher.

Asfaloth moves around behind the target to flank.
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 76 (out of 82) HP remaining.
 
Ridai
  "Hey now, watch where ye're chuckin' those things."   And as a learning experience, light shoots right back at the scalpel thrower.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Celestial Light vs Herr Doktor
Ranged touch attack  (1d20+5)[ 25 ] ,  (3d6)[ 6 ]  good divine damage
 
Alhallor
Brakq, the glacier of destruction, does scrape further.

Mystery just appearing out of nowhere, does take the head researcher by surprise and he isn't able to avoid her fiery breath. Though he's still standing. The writer, who seems to be totally unfazed by everything, dutifully writes down what Mystery is saying.

Xyrona and Asfaloth perfectly move in sync to corner the doctor.

The researchers seem to coordinate quite well, each responding to a threat without communication between them.

The scalpel chucking doctor wants to take a step back but is hold of by Asfaloth, moving like an extension of Xyrona. Undeterred he takes a risky stab at Xyrona, without throwing this time.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Xyrona 

Attack 1:  (1d20+12)[ 13 ] 
Damage 1:  (1d4+2)[ 6 ] 
Attack 2:  (1d20+7)[ 24 ] 
Damage 2:  (1d4+2)[ 4 ] 
 


One of the other doctors try to stab the trusty stead with a Syringe.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Asfaloth 
Attack:  (1d20+12)[ 21 ]  Touch attack
Damage:  (1d1+2)[ 3 ] 
Fortitude save againts 14 or fall asleep for  (1d4)[ 2 ]  Minutes.
 


One of the doctors who wears a strange mask chucks a sticky vial towards Mystery.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Mystery 
Attack:  (1d20+8)[ 9 ]  Touch attack
Damage:  (1d6+3)[ 6 ]  Acid damage
 


Another one hustles towards Faith.

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona and Asfaloth 
You two get an AoO. Pretty sure the doctor should survive that though.
 


And try's to grab her.  IT'S FINE! I'LL CURE YOU! 
 
 Spoiler: Attack against Faith 
Attack:  (1d20+8)[ 16 ]  Touch attack.
Damage: Roll a DC 14 Will save or get confused for  (1d4)[ 1 ]  rounds.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Herr Doktor, ich habe einen Termin! 
 
Aegis013
Xyrona deflects one swipe of the scalpel but not both, as she's busy dealing with the scalpel one of the doctors sticks Asfaloth with a needle. The majestic horse's eye lids immediately begin to droop as the horse lies down.

In the heat of the engagement, Xyrona isn't able to confirm her horse and best friend's condition. Rage overtakes her as she begins attacking all of the doctors within her reach with simple grunts rather than being able to form any words.

 
 Spoiler: Attacks 
Full attack against the one that was flanked (sleepy horse is probably not flanking).
Longsword attacks:

Atk 1: (1d20+9)[ 22 ]  to hit
 On a 28 or higher  (1d20+9)[ 24 ]  to confirm 

Atk 2: (1d20+4)[ 16 ]  to hit
 On a 23 or higher  (1d20+4)[ 21 ]  to confirm 

Dmg 1: On hit it deals  (1d8+3)[ 4 ]  slashing damage
 On a crit it deals an additional  (2d8+6)[ 11 ]  slashing damage 

Dmg 2: On hit it deals  (1d8+3)[ 10 ]  slashing damage
 On a crit it deals an additional  (2d8+6)[ 17 ]  slashing damage 

Attack of Opportunity:
AOO: (1d20+9)[ 11 ]  to hit
 On a 28 or higher  (1d20+9)[ 12 ]  to confirm 

AOO Dmg: On hit it deals  (1d8+3)[ 8 ]  slashing damage
 On a crit it deals an additional  (2d8+6)[ 15 ]  slashing damage 
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 72 (out of 82) HP remaining

Asfaloth has 37 (out of 40) HP remaining
and is taking a nap this round and for the next 19 rounds.
 
Metastachydium
Brakq grumbles to herself. Every time she has a  great  ide she never tells anyone about, the people she never told will do something  stupid  and mess it up for her. But Brakq  the Hammer  won't be deterred so easily!   You know, uh, just… Screw this, you know!    she states all forward and simple – and suddenly like a slug… Doing…  Something  that makes slugs very fast, she slithers past Xyrona at  ludicrous speed  and skirting past the whole battle unfolding she does what Brakq the Hammer does best and   Mountain  Power HAMMER!!    the sarcophagus.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

What? It worked (mostly) with the glass jars! Let's open a new front! (Or steal a not-corpse. Either works.)

Brakq uses [CLASSIFIED], expending it for [CLASSIFIED] and N14-O15-P15-Q14 and full Power Attack Mountain Hammers the sarcophagus with the Vampire in it for  (2d8+17)[ 25 ]  plus  (3d6)[ 10 ]  damage, bypassing all hardness
 
Ridai
  "Hey, watch the hands, here's yer warnin' toot."   And said toot sounds via trumpet appearing in Faith's hand, the sound blasting the guy that tried to confusingly grab her.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Horn of Heaven.  (3d8)[ 13 ]  sonic damage, Fort DC 15 halves
 
Cygnia
    "Stay behind Me,"     whispered Mystery to Klodwark.  She was here to purrtect all of Kittehkind, even if they weren't Her littermates!

Then She shot a baleful look towards the doofus and his now broken vial.  Which missed.

Mystery's nose crinkled at the scent of acid. She sighed...


...and spat out another jet of flame, this time towards the poor poor intern who made a poor poor life choice in attacking her.

 
 Spoiler: More FIERY KITTEH WRATH~! 

 (4d6)[ 18 ]   Fire breath DC 20 Reflex for half damage (30ft line)
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  72/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Alhallor
Xyrona's battle continues, one swipte of her sword hit's the doctor, grazing him, the other is a narrow miss. The other swipe also goes wide, blinded by compassion for poor Asfaloth.

"Ve Vill continue our work, despicable marrowgnawers!"

The doctor, undeterred, slashes at Xyrona again.

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona 
Attack 1:  (1d20+12)[ 32 ] 
Damage 1:  (1d4+2)[ 6 ] 
Attack 2:  (1d20+7)[ 24 ] 
Damage 2:  (1d4+2)[ 3 ] 
 


The professor who downed Xyrona with a syringe, reloads it by filling it with another weird substance again.

Brakq does the slug-fastness thing and brings down the hammer towards the sarcophagus, in an explosion of woodsplinters and metallic restraints, mist billows up from the place where the sarcophagus stood. The silhouette of a tall imposing figure stands up. The odor of freshly spilled blood fills the room and two crimson eyes flare up in the mist.

   Hunger...   

Faith's warning toot is succesful, pushing the confusing doctor back. He seems undeterred, though woozy.

"Don't you see? You're sick! SICK!"

He rushes to Faith again, his hand swarming with fly's this time.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Faith 
Touch attack:  (1d20+8)[ 9 ] 
Fort save against: 14 If failed get  (3d8)[ 14 ]  Damage as a mass of insects suddenly want to eat you.
If succesful still get 3 damage.
 


Mystery hits the doctor with a spout of flame while Klodvark darts under the desk of the scribe to be protected from acidic splashes. The plague doctor, still standing, but standing on unsure feet raises a finger and wiggles it, indicating a "no."

Though it's quickly followed with another flask of acid.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Mystery 
Touch attack:  (1d20+8)[ 20 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+3)[ 6 ]  Acid damage.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Doctors VS. Vampires! 
 
Aegis013
Her focus split between concern for her horse and the ongoing battle, she fights without her normal poise, getting worn down faster than she would hope. She continues to swing her sword wildly at her assailants with lips pressed into a grimace and nothing but grunts from the usually talkative half-elf.

 
 Spoiler: Full Attack 
Atk 1:  [roll]1d20+9[/roll to hit  =  26 
 On a 28+  (1d20+9)[ 29 ]  to confirm 

On a hit it deals  (1d8+3)[ 11 ] 
 On a critical it deals  (1d8+3)[ 10 ]  more 

Atk 2:  [roll]1d20+9[/roll to hit  =  22 
 On a 28+  (1d20+9)[ 22 ]  to confirm 

On a hit it deals  (1d8+3)[ 9 ] 
 On a critical it deals  (1d8+3)[ 11 ]  more 
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 63 (out of 82) HP remaining

Asfaloth has 37 (out of 40) HP remaining
and is taking a nap this round and for the next 18 rounds.
 
Ridai
  "Ya can't jus' start shoutin' nonsense an' not back it up with some proof, ya silly goober. Besides, lemme show how to do yer job."   And Faith walks over to Asfaloth and puts a golden-glowing hand on the steed.   "Time ta wake up, big fella."  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move over to Asfaloth, use  Touch of Restoration  to heal 1d8 + Faith's level HP (heal to full in this case) and removes one negative status ailment of my choice, in this case sleep.
 
Cygnia
This time the vial actually made contact and Mystery HISSED in anger and pain.  A brief thought flickered through Her head that, thankfully, at least being in hoomin form prevented Her beautiful fur from being burnt by acid.

In response, Mystery spat out another jet of fire.  If the stoopid intern was so eager to get burned, She was more than willing to provide the pain.

 
 Spoiler: Action 

 (4d6)[ 6 ]   Fire breath DC 20 Reflex for half damage (30ft line)
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  66/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Metastachydium
 
 Originally Posted by Alhallor 
 "Don't you see? You're sick! SICK!" 
 

  Yeah I, uh, I get that a lot.   Brakq confirms, all blasé about it.  She's got some sick action going , she's not gonna deny that.   Also, yeah, I don't see crap in this stupid mist.   she goes on, as though she didn't  make  the stupid mist. Somehow.

At any rate, with things gone south, Brakq chooses to follow. And crawls on. South.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Brakq full-round crawls onto R14 and out of the mist.
 
Alhallor
Xyrona is able to bring the wild, scalpel doctor down and Faith's healing hands, heal and bring Asfaloth stand up again. The syringe-doc however try's this time to bring down Faith.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Faith 
Touch attack:  (1d20+12)[ 21 ] 
Damage:  (1d1+2)[ 3 ] 
If hit Fortitude save against 14 or sleep for  (1d4)[ 3 ]  minutes.
 


The intern stumbles after another bout of Mystery's flames but throws another flask at her, this time brimming with red fluid.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Mistery. 
Touch attack:  (1d20+8)[ 9 ] 
Damage:  (1d6+3)[ 5 ]  If hit the acid catches on fire, dealing an additional  (1d6)[ 3 ]  Fire damage and setting Mistery on fire.
 


Brakq crawls.

The freed vampire grabs the heavily burnt intern and does what vampires usually do drawing blood. The intern goes limp in the vampires crimson embrace.

 
 Spoiler: Spoiler 
Attack against masked intern.  (1d20+10)[ 21 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+6)[ 7 ]  Drawing:  (1d4)[ 2 ]  Constitution damage.
 


The touchy doctor screams helpfully.

"The vampire got loose! We're all going to die! Grab the silver scalpels!"

He draws a silver scalpel and casts a spell on it.

 
 Spoiler: Spellcraft 16 
It's  magic weapon .
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Grab the scalpels! 
 
Metastachydium
…or not quite south. Nor out of the mist. Breakq begins to feel this is  stupid  and  directions  are stupid. How is she supposed to break anything if she can't see a damn thing (still)? That she's gotta fix. And there's only one right way of fixing that she can think of.  Burn it  to the ground  .

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Still totally on R14 (because I'll cop to that), Brakq tries to BURN the mist away, flamethrowing the Vampire&amp;Intern in the process:  (2d6+2)[ 9 ]  fire in a 15' cone, aimed south-south-west to cover said two
 
Ridai
  "Sir, I think ya need to stop."   Faith says in response to getting stuck with a needle and it apparently doing nothing to her. She fixes the doctor with a stern gaze, followed by trying to give him a discouraging wallop with a guard club.

Well, emphasis on trying, as the syringe does seem to do something and the guard club just slips out of her slightly numb fingers mid-swing.   "Huh. Well it was worth a try."  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Attack the syringe doctor with the stolen guard club
Attack  (1d20+6)[ 7 ] ,  (1d6+1)[ 6 ]  bludgeoning damage +  (3d6)[ 10 ]  electric damage (subdual, as per the weapon description)

Natural 1 on the attack, so butterfingers, and the weapon goes flying
 
Aegis013
With Asfaloth no longer sleeping and with the doctor between them out of the way, Xyrona moves forward and leaps into the saddle with practiced speed and grace, sheathing her sword and lifting up her lance as the horse ascends from its prone position.

  "Throw down your arms, repent, and dedicate yourselves to making up for all you've done or you will face me!"   she declares to the remaining researchers.   "If you truly repent, help us subdue this vampire!"  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move: move to Asfaloth
Free: Quick Mount, Ride DC 20 (which Xyrona automatically succeeds)
Standard: intimidate the remaining researchers  (1d20+2)[ 19 ] 
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 63 (out of 82) HP remaining

Asfaloth has 40 (out of 40) HP remaining
is awake and stands up from prone.
Mounted Combat feat to protect from AoO or first attack at Asfaloth  (1d20+20)[ 33 ] 
 
Cygnia
 OOC: Because talking is a free action!  😛

Mystery shot a glance towards Klodwark, properly hiding himself under a desk.     "Is teh vampire with you?"   
Alhallor
 
 Spoiler: Mrrrooouuuw! Mew mew! CHCHHCCHHCHC! 
What? No! They just brought me here, I don't know the thing, and I definitely are not with him! It smells like a lot of blood!
 
Cygnia
Mystery nodded.  It was just polite to ask these things, get clarification.  After all, teh vampire  could  have been the minion to Klodwork.  She didn't want to deprive a fellow kitteh of a useful servant, no matter what the species.

Now free from such an obligation, She once more drew upon Her MIGHTY FIERY KITTEH WRATH and spat out more fire towards teh vampire!

 
 Spoiler: MOAR FIERY KITTEH WRATH~! 

 (4d6)[ 16 ]  Fire breath DC 20 Reflex for half damage (30ft line) towards teh vampire and other annoying interns in teh way
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  66/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Alhallor
Brakq discharges the flame-spewing contraption blowing away the mist and scorching the vampire. Just as it whips around to face the mermaid, the scorching heat coming from Mystery burn him even more.

 
 Spoiler: Saving throws 
Reflex Save 1:  (1d20+10)[ 11 ] 
Reflex Save 2:  (1d20+10)[ 12 ] 
 


The intern falls down with a *THUMP* and the vampire, still hungering for crimson liveblood, decides to look intently at Brakq.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Brakq 
Will save against DC 16 or be under the vampires control, he wants to be protected.
 


Xyrona get's a quick and decisive nod from the two doctors that are still standing, while the one charges towards the vampire, swinging his scalpel, the other recharges his syringe with a different fluid this time.

 
 Spoiler: Doctor attacks vampire 
Attack:  (1d20+7)[ 17 ] 
Damage:  (1d4+2)[ 4 ]  Silver and magic damage.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Doctors vs. Vampires 
 
Aegis013
Xyrona aims her lance at the vampire as Asfaloth dashes forward, the two operating in perfect unison to perform their attack.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Uncertain if there's space for a charge so:

If charge is available:
Spirited Charge  (1d20+11)[ 31 ]  to hit
On a 31,  (1d20+11)[ 20 ]  to confirm

On a hit, the Spirited Charge deals  (3d8+12)[ 20 ] 
On a crit, it deals  (2d8+8)[ 12 ]  more.


If charge is not available:
Reduce to hit roll by 2 and deals
 (1d8+3)[ 11 ]  on initial hit (crit bonus damage would still be the same)
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 63 (out of 82) HP remaining
-2 AC this round if she was able to charge.

Asfaloth has 40 (out of 40) HP remaining
Mounted Combat - AC for Asfaloth against the first incoming attack is  (1d20+20)[ 38 ] 
 
Metastachydium
Brakq stares back at the overgrown mosquito, not quite sure why she's being stared at. But then it gets all clear. The vampire must be very  stupid . Why else stare when there's so many people to hit in the room and he doesn't need any of them either to drag him about because his stupid flamethrower (he doesn't have) is very heavy?   You know what, just, uh, just stay put there, a little.   she tells the vampire. She's too far to hammer with the hammer; her enemies stabbing each other is too funny for her to flamethrow them now; and the stupid doctor is in the stupid way, so she can't blast with a blast.  She needs to get closer. 

The glacier moves on.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

5' full-round crawl to R15 (or S15 if it isn't occupied, but I think it's uccupied).
 
Ridai
Okay, at least the doctors have stopped doing... whatever it was they were trying to do before, on account of hunger-frenzying vampire.   "Sir, ya too need ta kindly stop, ain't no way ta ask fer food."   Pushy people left and right in here. So, a little reprimand shines down on the vampire.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Faith uses Celestial Light on the vampire
 (1d20+5)[ 20 ]  ranged touch attack, doing  (3d6)[ 10 ]  good divine damage.
 
Cygnia
   Yes!  MOAR PURIFYING FLAME~!     Another advantage (or possible disadvantage) was that having hoomin form did NOT hide the sheer look of destructive glee on Mystery's face as She let loose with more fire towards teh wampire.

 (4d6)[ 13 ]  Fire breath DC 20 Reflex for half damage (30ft line) towards teh vampire and other annoying interns in teh way

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  66/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Alhallor
Xyrona, just being able to have enough room punctures the unholy hide of the vampire, his resistance not enough to fully lessen the blow. Faith's reprimanding light and Mystery's purging flames are enough that the vampire crumbles and turns into mist that... Slowly dissipates. It seems the touchy doctor has also been burned by Mystery's flames. The only doctor remaining is the one with the loaded Syringe that now puts that down and holds up his hands.

"Parley?" And looking to Xyrona. "You deranged knight types do stuff like that, yes?" The scribe has been dutifully, furiously writing everything down with astounding speed, pats the document that it doesn't suddenly bursts into flame and closes his eyes for a moment.

Klodwark, just to be sure, still stays under the writing desk for another moment.

 
 Spoiler: Loot 
3 Silver scalpels.

1 +1 Silver Scalpel

1 Syringe (works like a poisoner ring = deals 1d1+Strength damage with a touch attack, can be loaded as a Full-Round-Action with any poison or alchemical substance.

4 Sleeping poisons (DC 14 Will save or sleep for 1d4 minutes)

3 Alchemist fire for syringe

1 Snazzy vampire cape (+1 Deflection bonus to AC, mindless undead ignore you, You may, sometimes, act vampiric when you're wearing this (or not, your decision).

Doctor mask +4 bonus against diseases and gas like effects. 1x per week remove disease as a 10th level caster.

4 Alchemist fires

4 Acid flasks.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Parley? 
 
Aegis013
Xyrona grimaces momentarily at being called deranged but quickly regains her composure, forces a smile on her face and says   "Yes, we knights wish to avoid violence and seek understanding when possible, so let us parley. Tell us what you know of this facility, its purpose and benefactors and I will do my best to ensure no bodily harm is inflicted upon you. But first, introductions are in order. I'm Xyrona, knight of the unicorn. Who are you and what's your story?"   as a show of good faith, she returns her lance to its holster on Asfaloth's saddle.
Metastachydium
Brakq flops onto her face in dismay. She wanted to hit the vampire guy with her hammer.  She wanted that.    Um, question.   she raises said face for a moment of hope.   Does that mean I don't get to hit  him  with the hammer?   she motions towards the surrendering stupid doctor guy who doesn't want to fight on like a  normal person .   Also, uh, HAMMER BLAST!!   she adds, pointing a finger at the stupid scribe's stupid  pen , mostly just to  do  something.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Yes, Brakq is really petty like that. Hammer Blast, on the pen:  (1d20+5)[ 25 ]  for  (2d6)[ 9 ] , dealing full damage (because Hammer Blast)
 
Ridai
To Brakq's question, there comes a theatrically accented:   "Correctement, bleu bleu!"  

Wearing the snazzy vampiric cape, with her golden hair done up like a noblewoman at a ball, Faith appears beside Xyrona to apply some healing as she talks to the doctor.   "Comtesse Foi Sainte Marie, hon bleu. Kindly show zome respect to dame chevalier, s'il vous plaît. Vat are you hoping to learn 'ere with zis... dissection?"  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Faith puts on the snazzy vampire cloak, at least temporarily. She also gathers the club that slipped out of her hand earlier, and starts healing up the party.
 
Alhallor
The researcher keeps his hands in the air, just to be sure.

"Well, Knight of the Unicorn Xyrona. I'm Doctor Schwarz, the facility is here to find, contain and research... Different things that can potentially be harmful to humanity, like that vampire you just killed. I have been hired two years ago when I was just a humble healer. I don't know about the benefactors, they definitely are several as we have not been lacking money but that kind of bureaucratic work is usually done by the director who is stationed at the highest level of this facility. They are several others I have heard about but I don't know the locations I have been assigned different research teams in my time here and have done my work diligently. They have been several "breaches" that's when something get's out of they're cells and try's to flee. Sometimes they get out, sometimes they don't it can get pretty wild in here as you probably have already seen for yourself but it's quite fulfilling work."

The scribe heavily flinches when it's quill just get's evaporated by Brakq and doctor Schwarz raises an eyebrow while the scribe try's to get himself to safety by getting under his desk. He get's quickly swiped by Klodwark and remains shaking in his wodden seat.

The Doctor looks at Faith with his eyes getting quite big and points a shaky finger at her. "You should think about striking that one down too, she talks like the vampire you just killed! She will probably turn into one any moment now!"
Cygnia
     Hoomins   are harmful to hoominity."    Mystery said sagely, giving Klodwark a respectful nod for purrtecting his space.  She crouched down, addressing again the cat.

 
 Spoiler: In kitteh 

   "Apologies, but you looked like My uncle Pippin.  I'm looking for him, My aunt Smokey and My doofus brother Dashie.  I've already visited teh Kitteh lab and dere wuz no sign of dem.  Have you seen any other kittehs elsewhere in dis stoopid place?"   
 
Metastachydium
Brakq perks up again at the good doctor's last comment. The scribe's slittle show's been funny alright; but didn't have quite the  bang  to it.   Hey, you, uh, you keep that up; I mean   she addresses Schwarz and the knight in turn   he wants to have our, uh,  comtesse Fo-aa  here struck, you sure I can't hit him with the  hammer ?   To be sure, she begins to crawl  insidiously  towards the doctor.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Crawling onto S13.
 
Aegis013
Xyrona looks at Brakq sternly and says   "He's cooperating. There's plenty of other creatures around that are more deserving of the glorious art of your hammer-work."  , hoping to redirect her violent tendencies.   "And I promised I would do all I could to keep him from bodily harm. If you attack him, I will be forced to defend him."  

Then turning back to the doctor Xyrona says   "Sister Faith is merely trying to keep some levity in a situation that otherwise might weigh heavily on us all. Though, do you truly believe what you're doing here is good? I've seen creatures warped, killed, and discarded in the brief time I've been here. To what end? If you don't know, where would we find this director you mentioned?"  
Alhallor
Dr. Schwarz answers Mystery. "We actually found out that a danger of a pretty normal human to another pretty normal human is actually quite miniscule and not really worth pondering."

 
 Spoiler: Mraour? 
Well, thank the Cat Lord that you were here to rescue me, I really don't know what would have happened if you weren't there.
 
 Klodwark makes a cat-face.  
 Spoiler: Hrrraur! 
I was carried around a bit, I'm not sure if... Wait. I think there was another room. It made me sneeze!
 
 Klodwark looks kinda proud.  
 Spoiler: hsss 
And there were... Plants. That were dangerous! And I think there was another cat there but I'm not sure. I was only there for a short time.
 


With Brakq's intimidation Schwarz takes a step back. He would be amused if Brakq where not looking really, really dangerous. And had utterly destroyed a coffin with one swipe.

The Doctor's eyes wander between Xyrona and Brakq.

"Yes! We have found out a lot of helpful stuff, a bunch of adventurers asked us to find out everything about Gargoyles and we did! I won't tell you how to be a knight, don't tell me how to do research."

He licks his lips, still nervous about Brakq.

"You can find the director if you go up the stairs in the pit then left in the office of the boss of that level, did... You get rid of him? He was wearing a stunning Naginata. Then left again to get up another set of stairs. You then go right, there is another boss there, towards a big room and then right again, there is the office of the director. I was there several times for official commendations."

 
 Spoiler: map 
 Questioning 
 
Metastachydium
  Promised this, promised  that , that's  BORING .   Brakq grumbles, raising a 'stay put' finger in the doctor's general irection.   Try to, uh, like,  live  a little?   she advises Xyrona. Stupid can be stupid, but stupid can also be fun, which defending people one could hit with the hammer isn't. But Brakq's also happy to show-don't-tell. Telling is stupid anyhow. Seemingly losing interest in Schwarz, she begins to crawl towards the door they haven't tried yet.  She hopes it's locked. 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Brakq embarks on a great journey onto N9.
 
Aegis013
  "I think it's about time we pay this director a visit. I'm sure there will be plenty of things to hit with a hammer on the way."   Xyrona concludes based on the discussion with the doctor.   "It's time to get some real answers about this place."  
Ridai
  "Vat do you mean, je parle like a vampire? Are you jaloux of mon trés chic cape that I tried on fer a spell since it looked snazzy an- ah, I see whatcha mean."   Faith lifted the cloak's collar off a bit, releasing the effect, before just putting it back to try it out.   "Ain't feelin' no thirst fer blood an' garlic bread's still soundin' magnifique! Ze créateur of zis cape may simplement intended un petit goof, I reckon. Wizards can be silly goobers too, ya know hon bleu?"   Pause. Faith has a laugh as radiant as the sun. What a day this has already been!

Now, Faith had been planning to just continue the exploration, but Xyrona is a dutiful woman of many virtues, Brakq's feeling strung out, and Mystery is on Important Cat Business. One shouldn't keep another from following their hearts, if one doesn't have to.

  "Sooo, interviewin' ze grand fromage of l'établissement sounds peachy, an' there's prob'ly gon' be more irate peeps an' maybe some chattes on ze way, so sounds like a plan."   A beat.   "Saaay, after we save the day, how're ya feelin' 'bout explorin' the rest of the dungeon?"  
Alhallor
The Herr Doctor see's where Brakq is crawling towards and says: "That's the way to our resting rooms..."

He also can't help but comment on Xyrona's statement: "Probably a good idea, to visit the director if you want... Answers or something. I guess I stay here till you have finished what you wanted to do?"

He does feel it impossible in his heart to respond to Faith's vampiric outburst however.

Brakq of course investigates and find the doors closed (though they couldn't withstand her hammer.)

There are some nice beds with the really silken bedwear and some chests probably with personal belongings in it.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Private rooms 
 
Aegis013
Xyrona nods in affirmation to the doctor before guiding Asfaloth onward... to the director's office!

  "I hope meeting the director isn't by appointment only."   she says to no one in particular, preparing herself for the inevitable obstacles she will face in finalizing her report for the Knights of the Unicorn.
Ridai
  "Hé, Brakque, do you vant to have me scoot yer over to the doc?"  
Cygnia
Mystery turned to Klodwark.

 
 Spoiler: Mrowr? 

   "Looks like My Minions are getting antsy.  Purrsonally, I don't blame dem.  Wanna come with Us while dey smack teh guy who thinks he's in charge of dis place?"   
 
Alhallor
 
 Spoiler: Muouououuoh 
Nuhuh! That sounds pretty scary! I'll better look after the other cats. I think I knew where I was taken from before getting thrown out here.
 


You follow the directions quite easily. Back to the Pit. (With AR-23 giving you an encouraging thumbs up when going up.)

You land in a sort of office, adorned with a real samurai sword hanging above a desk that is filled with rows of rows of mindnumbing schedules, patrols, payment orders, recommendations... Seems like besides being a weabo there was also a good number of bureacrazy involved.

From here you could go off to the ILLITHID TESTING CHAMBERS (another one?) That does not seem to be as heavy guarded than the other one.

SCALED WOLVES are another possibility.

You leave the northern door and take the western one that gives way to a hallway at it's end you see the stairs that should take to get towards the director of this place.

The way is not without other experiments though.

FIRE EXPERIMENT reads one plaque, faint screams are heard from this door.

CROSSING BETWEEN A SPIDER AND A BEHOLDER is another.

A CATBULLFROG may spike Mystery's curiosity.

DO NOT ENTER what could be behind this door in a place such as this?

OTHER FIRE EXPERIMENT this time with no faint screams.

Storage RoOm 3 and a Broom  closet may or may not be that interesting.

Before another door a white coated researcher looks at you, almost hopeful and raises a hand weakly waving at you with uncertainty in his eyes.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 DOORS 
 
Metastachydium
 
 Originally Posted by Ridai 
   "Hé, Brakque, do you vant to have me scoot yer over to the doc?"   
 

Brakq finds herself displeased.  That pesky knight person who doesn't want people hit with the hammer just because they are surrendering prisoners or whatever is  right  . She shouldn't be right! But she  is ! These rooms, they don't even look like they are worth trashing. And that is  stupid .   You know what, yeah, let's go break something else.   she takes the help that's offered. There's a big boss upstairs. That one must have fancy things. She can hit. With the hammer.


 
 Originally Posted by Alhallor 
 Before another door a white coated researcher looks at you, almost hopeful and raises a hand weakly waving at you with uncertainty in his eyes. 
 

Still, Brakq quite naturally mostly forgets about the boss by the time the floor upstairs is reached. There's a very big toilet on the way, and the big mental note to knock it all into the pit later (with the hammer) takes up  room . Other things are not so easily forgotten.   Hey, uh, you, guy.   she tells the stupid new guy in the white coat as she begins to crawl towards the one most obvious door one must obviously try and crawl towards, because the last such door was  fun .   Fancy yourself a swimmer?  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

I'll just pretend someone ran around and read the labels aloud, even though that's very silly, because that'd mean Brakq knows there's a door marked as DO NOT ENTER. 'Cause she's going to  enter :
 (2d8+17)[ 33 ]  plus  (3d6)[ 8 ]  damage, ignoring all hardness, coming up (I'm rolling it now, in case I  [sighs]  disappear again for half a week and miss the window when I could roll dice for Brakq breaking something)
 
Aegis013
Xyrona pats Asfaloth's neck as he whinnies with annoyance and huffs at the difficulty of ascending stairs. A thing the horse managed only with much encouragement from its rider.

  "Well done, Asfaloth. You made it up. No more stairs."   she says to the horse in a soothing voice. She looks around and sees another myriad of labeled doors with likely ethically dubious goings-on contained past their shuttered portals and hears Brakq making what vaguely might be considered a threat but hopes that researcher in this place would be accustomed to such flavorful dialogue.

   New floor, fresh start!    Xyrona thinks to herself, plastering her face with a large friendly smile.

  Hello good sir. I'm looking for the director of this facility. You see, I've been assigned to write up a critical report about the goings-on in this place and am hoping to meet with the director. Would you kindly point us toward his office?"   she tries to keep things a bit friendlier than the violent warpath taken to get through some areas of the lower floor.
Alhallor
The researcher seems happy that he is talked to but his face falls down when he understands the words.

"What? You're not here to take care of the scarabs that have suddenly appeared? Oh... The... The director is just up these stairs." He points at them weekly, when he realizes that Brakq goes towards the clearly labeled door he shouts at her with panic in his voice.

"Swimmer? What? Nonononono! That is the wrong room. Please, please don't open that one! It would be... Please don't!" If Brakq continues towards the DO NOT ENTER door he curls down and begins to weep.

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Entering is not recommended. 
 
Cygnia
To Klodwark before leaving...

 
 Spoiler: Mrowr... 
   "More den fair.  May teh Cat Lord purrtect you and grant you proper minions as well..."   
 


***
Mystery grinned, looking to take advantage of Her minion's eagerness to Destroy.

   "Tell Me about dis Catbullfrog and  maybe  I can call her off..."   
Aegis013
Seeing the man's utter despair, Xyrona immediately feels a tug at her heartstrings. She reaches down to the hunched man from horseback, leaning comically far over as she is still mounted on a rather handsome horse's saddle, and gently places a hand on his shoulder.   "Hey, you're going to be OK. I'll do all I can to ensure you come to no harm and I'll try to help with the scarab problem. Can you tell us what's behind the door and more about these scarabs?"  

She shifts back upright in the saddle after making her effort to soothe the researcher.

 
 Spoiler: Diplomacy 
 (1d20+4)[ 6 ] 
 
Metastachydium
  Was that, uh, was that a  no, not a swimmer ?   Brakq muses aloud. Seems likely. A stupid whiner like that can't  handle  the pool, probably. Which would make it even funnier. She can only hope the knight person won't adopt  this one  too.   A-anyway,  MOUNTAIN POWER HAMMER!!    and she hits the door.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

That's  41 points of damage , all ignoring hardness. Very magical, very bludgeoning.
 
Ridai
  "Look at you go!"   and similar sounds come from Faith as the brave horse braves the stairs. Up on the second floor, she squats down beside the rolled scientist, adding a healing-infused (because it feels nicer) pat for good measure.   "Zere, zere, you vill be alright. 'ello, I'm Faith, Brakq's just doin' her thing, which might involve smashin' whatever's in there. Unless it's tentacly, she seems to like those. Might see sick pool swimmies, though, if there's a pool in there."   She holds a mug of celestial wine towards him.   "Apéritif?"  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
I figure the DO NOT ENTER door getting hammered open is probably going to make something happen, so holding for now.
 
Alhallor
Both Xyrona and Mystery's words are not able to reach the white-robe. He continues to sob and only is able to panickly press out the following words.

 "Please... Not the Nightmares..." 

Whose voice almost get's completely drawn out by the massive crashing that The Glacier Of Destruction procures. It almost seems like the door is actually really sturdy, enforced and it get's drawn away not only by Brakq but also from something within...

And within... Are indescribable creatures. Too many limbs, too big one of it seems to be partly fused with the wall...

 
 Spoiler: Everyone 
You all are allowed to make a Will save against 18 or be  shaken .

(Â–2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.)

 OR you immediately fall into panicked.

(A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It canÂ’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a Â–2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature cowers and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape.)
 


The relatively small creatures seem to have themselves readied when someone opened the door and hurl gunk at Brakq.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Brakq 
Attack 1:  (1d20+5)[ 13 ]  Touch attack
Damage 1:  (1d8+5)[ 13 ]  Acid damage and Fortitude save against 18 or be  sickened .

(Â–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.)

Attack 2:  (1d20+5)[ 22 ]  Touch attack
Damage 2:  (1d8+5)[ 13 ]  Acid damage and Fortitude save against 18 or be  sickened .

(Â–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.)
 

 
 Spoiler: MAP 
 We waaaaaarned yooooouuuuu 
 

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
It's your turn now.
 
Aegis013
Upon seeing the nightmare behind the door Xyrona's eyes go as wide as saucers and she feels a shiver in her spine. Asfaloth huffs and stamps underneath her, helping ground to her. The duo gather their courage and their training takes over. Xyrona finds her lance in her hand and before she can even comprehend what she's seeing the duo is rushing towards the target, lance first.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
 Save v. Fear 
 
Spirited Charge the target 
Move in and attack.

 (1d20+9)[ 18 ]  to hit (if Xyrona can charge, increase to-hit by 2 as I was previously incorporating Shaken)
 On a 29  (1d20+9)[ 13 ]  to confirm critical 

On hit it deals  (1d8+4)[ 6 ]  damage.
 If the spirited charge is valid it deals  (2d8+8)[ 19 ]  more. 
 On a critical hit it deals  (2d8+8)[ 23 ]  more. 
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
 Xyrona has -2 AC from charging until her next turn 
 Shaken (-2 on attack rolls, saves, ability and skill checks) 
 
Metastachydium
  I'm melting.   Brakq remarks without the slightest hint of schock or alarm. It's a  thing . Granted, it's a  stupid  thing. Gross, too. And what with these things being out of hammer range… There's only one way to go about that.   Anyway.   she goes on; and she  flamethrows the room .

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

So, FLAMETHROWER time:  (2d6+2)[ 12 ]  fire rolls out in a 15' cone; I'm not sure if that covers both, but if it can, well, that would be the idea
 
Cygnia
Mystery craned Her head around Brakq's bulk and the horsey minion to get a better look at What exactly was freaking out the stoopid whitecoat...

...

...

...

   "...huh."   

THAT was what got the hoomin so scared?  Dashie  who is a Doofus  coughed up creepier hairballs than that!  Clearly, more reason why Kittehkind were the Supurrior beings.  Mystery nodded to Herself...

...then ambled over to the door marked "Catbullfrog."

   "You guyz got diz..."    She said, tossing Her head back casually before turning back to the new door.
Ridai
With the scientist just curling up further, Faith goes   "Ah, well, ya jus' hang in there an-"  

And the door opens and the Indescribable Thing happens, causing a wave of shivers to go through Faith from bottom to top.   "I-I'll be right back!"   So when a person is experiencing a great amount of stress and fear, behavior usually shifts to instinctive reactions and the like, and fine motorics also tend to go a bit, so the reassuring pats are more reassuring slaps. Faith gets up immediately, on edge and upright, and does the first thing that comes to mind, unfiltered.

She stomps over into the room being flamethrowered, a megaphone appears in her hand, and screams

   "ALLÔ, JE M'APPELLE FAITH ST. MARY, EXPLAIN YOUR SPOOKEMENTS!"   
And the sound rips through the room and creatures as the aggressive interviewing process of the unholy begins.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Faith failed her Will save in the OOC and is thus shaken. Or in Unique State of Faithly Stress.

Faith moves into the room and uses Horn of Heaven to deal  (3d8)[ 12 ]  sonic damage in a 20ft cone, Fort DC 15 halves
 
Alhallor
---------Mystery--------

As heavenly horns, alchemical fire and clashing weapons fade, Mystery goes to the catbullfrog room. Which houses a massive Bullfrog... With the face of a cat. When Mystery goes inside it waddles over to her and says:

  MROWR!  
 
 Spoiler: Cat 
  HELLO!  

It seems to be pretty dumb and repeats only that one word over and over. It does seem however to like you a lot.
 


--------The Nightmares-----

As fire and sounds showers the strange creatures, Xyrona uses the perfect opportunity to strike one of the smaller things. She realizes however that her lance only nicks the enemy slightly.

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona 
They seem to have a DR of 5.
 

  You're stress tastes heavenly Misses Faith.  

The... Thing in the wall seems to say. It's large pumpkin head shifts quickly to look at anyone of you and it's half-stuck hands slightly move and shift around.

 
 Spoiler: Spellcraft 15 
It seems to prepare a spell but takes a longer time that usual because it's slightly stuck in the wall.
 


The weird goat heads with too many hands weave they're hands around and both Xyrona and Faith feel like they're getting weaven in by strands.

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona, Faith 
Fortitude save against 15 or be  slowed. 
 


The smaller things spit they're excretions towards Xyrona and Faith.

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona, Faith 

Attack against Xyrona:  (1d20+5)[ 10 ]  Touch attack
Damage against Xyrona:  (1d8+5)[ 9 ]  Acid damage and Fortitude save against 18 or be sickened.

(A–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.)

Attack against Faith:  (1d20+5)[ 14 ]  Touch attack
Damage against Faith:  (1d8+5)[ 10 ]  Acid damage and Fortitude save against 18 or be sickened.

(A–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.)
 

 
 Spoiler: Updated map 
   HELLO!   
 
Aegis013
The creatures touch sizzles on Xyrona's armor, seeping onto her skin.   "Argh. What even are these things? They're tough!"   she inquires to no one in a pained voice, shaking off the effects the creatures attempted inflict on her.

She stabs at the nearest one multiple times.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Attack 1:  (1d20+9)[ 20 ] 
 On a 29  (1d20+9)[ 14 ]  to confirm critical 

Attack 2:  (1d20+4)[ 11 ] 
 On a 24  (1d20+4)[ 23 ]  to confirm critical 

Dmg 1: On hit, it deals  (1d8+4)[ 11 ] 
 On a crit, it deals  (2d8+8)[ 17 ]  more 

Dmg 2: On a hit, it deals  (1d8+4)[ 8 ] 
 On a crit, it deals  (2d8+8)[ 17 ]  more 
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 73 out of 82 HP
Asfaloth is unharmed and has a  (1d20+20)[ 31 ]  AC against the first attack that targets him.
 
Cygnia
Mystery blinked.

Now obviously, a frog is a creature that needs to be improved upon.  And a cat is a supurrior being that all could only hope to come close to.  But what madness would lead a hoomin to ever combine the two?!

   Hoomins are [MEEP]ed up...   
 
 Spoiler: Prrt? Mrowr? 
    "Ummm, hello?  What's your name?"   
 


She peered closer at the amphibefeline, hoping that one of Her littermates hadn't been fused into such a disaster.  Even Dashie  whoisaDoofus  didn't deserve such a fate!
Ridai
   "VAAAAT AAARRROOOMMMAAA DOOOEEES SSSTRRREEESSS HAAAVVVE?"    comes out of the megaphone, magically slowed, shaken up, and groggy Faith by now is, an inquisitive light shining on the big thing in the wall.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Well, now Faith is slowed, shaken, and sickened. Celestial Light on the big thing in the wall with -5 attack.
 (1d20)[ 17 ]  ranged touch attack,  (3d6)[ 8 ]  good divine damage
 
Metastachydium
  I'm, uh, I'm still  here , you know.   Brakq grumbles aloud from the background. She'd have thought a glacier of destruction'd be better at holding attention and whatnot. But then, maybe she's just not  loud  enough and Faith  is . She can work on that.   HAMMER BLAST  IN YOUR STUPID FACE !   she tells the closest stupid thing with a stupid face. Loudly.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Brakq Hammer Blasts the little thing on P28 (in the face):  (1d20+3)[ 6 ]  ranged touch for  (2d6)[ 7 ]  mysteriously untyped, but hammer damage (in the face)
 
Alhallor
--------Mystery------

  MROWR?  
 
 Spoiler: Feline 
  HELLO?   The frog cat thing uses his overtly long frog tongue to catch a fly besides you. Msytery is positive that however this catbullfrog was... Constructed. None of her littermates were involved.
 


--------Wonderful, beautiful nightmares--------

Xyrona's valiant efforts are fruitful as she brings one of the tough, hardy creatures down with a valiant effort of her lance.

Faiths shining light of hope directly hits the wall-infused demon and disrupts his spellcasting that was already hindered by it being inside the wall. It still is nice enough answer her question though.

  Like pickled half-elven ears, on top of caramelized mermaid tail. It's quite lovely.  

Brakq's hammer blast is slightly angled wrong and hits the ground before the small nightmare creature. It definitely pays attention to Brakq now with another blast of gunk.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Brakq 
Attack:  (1d20+5)[ 21 ]  Touch attack.
Damage:  (1d8+5)[ 10 ]  acid damage and Fortitude save against 18 or be sickened.

(A–2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.)
 


One of the bigger creatures moves his hands in a different pattern and Faith feels like she's cut by invisible strings.

 
 Spoiler: Faith 
 (1d6)[ 3 ]  untyped damage. This damage can not be reduced.
 


The other one focuses at Xyrona again and makes a throwing motion with one hand.

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona 
Reflex save against 16 or get pulled towards S26.
 


The big monster in the wall does some weird hand motions again.

 
 Spoiler: Spellcraft 15 or already made the check 
preparing a spell again
 


At Brakq's side the non-swimming researcher appears, white as a ghost, shivering with his whole body he try's to touch Brakq.

 
 Spoiler: Brakq 
Touch attack  (1d20)[ 1 ] 
If succesful you heal 1 HP and are no longer sickened.
 
Aegis013
Xyrona and Asfaloth feel a strange sensation as the entity maneuvers its hand. The room feels like it topples as the duo find themselves in between the two creatures.   "Huh?"   the half elf knight grunts at the strange sense of unintended motion, more on edge after the comment about pickling her ears.

  "You'll have to do better than that if you want to stop us!"   she announces, stabbing at the nearest foe with her lance.

 
 Spoiler: Attack 
 (1d20+9)[ 14 ]  to hit
On a 29  (1d20+9)[ 13 ]  to confirm

On hit it deals  (1d8+4)[ 11 ] 
On a crit it deals  (2d8+8)[ 14 ]  more damage.
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
 Hide
Xyrona has 73 out of 82 HP
Asfaloth is unharmed and has a  (1d20+20)[ 24 ]  AC against the first attack that targets him.
 
Metastachydium
The researchers  attempt  to get al touchy-feely, heroic as it may be, goes unnoticed. Not so the sheer  gall  of the  other  thing dodging a perfectly good blast (in the face). It makes Brakq  sick , really. Of course, it could've been her fault. Maybe she just wasn't  quite  loud enough! And luckily,  that  she can fix, with some luck.   I, uh, said  HAMMER BLAST  IN THE FACE !!   
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

This is a horrible idea, but that never stopped me, did it ever, now: Hammer Blast  again ,  (1d20+3)[ 12 ]  ranged touch for  (2d6)[ 9 ]  untyped ranged hammer damage
 
Cygnia
   "...easy dere..."    Strange pangs of sympathy washed over Mystery as She tentatively pet the Creature That Should Not Be, invoking Her blessing just in case upon it.  Maybe the Cat Lord could guide Her towards a (competent) druid or shaman who could Awaken the mash-up and give them proper sentience once She pounded teh hell outta teh guy who did dis...

   "You stay here, 'kay?  Where it's  safe .  Dere are strange ugly tings in teh next room over.  Don't wanna see you get hurt..."     Mystery spoke gently as if the catbullfrog was a kitten.     "Gotta go check on My minions nao."   
 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Invoking  Endure Exposure  on kitteh!Kermit.  Exit the room, shutting the door and then invoking  Walk Unseen  upon Herself.
 
Ridai
   "FFFAAASSSCIIINNNAAATIIINNNG! HAAAVVVVE YOOOUUU COOONNNSSSIIIDEEERED OOOPEEENNNIIINNNG AAA SSSPAAA TOOO EEEAAAT EEEXIIISSSTIIINNNG SSSTRRREEESSS IIINNNSSSTEEEAAAD OOOFFF MMMAAAKIIINNNG MMMOOORRRE?"    More spotlight is shone on the big half-walled interview partner. With all the layers of stuff on Faith's mind, she is only now starting to process the rest of the melee as well, including getting injured.    "OOOOOOFFFIIIEEE-"   
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Another attempt at Celestial Lighting the wall creature. Can't use the big toot right now due to slow, and trying to stop the creature from spellcasting seems higher priority.
Ranged touch attack  (1d20)[ 9 ] ,  (3d6)[ 14 ]  good divine damage
 
Alhallor
-------------CATBULLFROG----------

The creature emits a weird croaking/purring sound when Mystery pats it. When she leaves he responds with an enthusiastic

  MROWR!  
 
 Spoiler: Feline 
HELLO!
 


But doesn't seem to follow her.

------------Nightmares--------

Xyrona stabs one of the many-armed foes and damages it slightly.

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona 
These also have DR/5 good.
 


Brakq's hammer blast this time are fully succesful and she 'splats' the weird rat-demon-limb-thing... Leaving only 3 more targets!

Faith is succesfull at shining light in the wall-demons eye and whatever it wanted to do fails.

One of the bigger creatures moves his hands again and Faith feels like she get's cut by more invisible strings.

 
 Spoiler: Damage against Faith. 
 (1d6+1)[ 2 ]  Untyped damage that can't be reduced.
 


The other let's his many hands fly against Asfaloth.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Asfaloth 
Attack 1:  (1d20+10)[ 13 ] 
Damage 1:  (1d4+1)[ 3 ] 
Attack 2:  (1d20+10)[ 22 ] 
Damage 2:  (1d4+1)[ 4 ] 
 


And the thing that is partly in the wall, having now Xyrona before her stretches his arms trying to claw at the knight.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Xyrona 
Attack 1:  (1d20+12)[ 16 ] 
Damage 1:  (2d6+6)[ 13 ]  and  (1d6)[ 1 ]  Fire damage
Attack 2:  (1d20+12)[ 22 ] 
Damage 2:  (2d6+6)[ 14 ]  and  (1d6)[ 3 ]  Fire damage
 


The raven at the top of the creature also fly's loose and try's to peck at Xyrona's eyes!

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Xyrona 
Attack:  (1d20+5)[ 17 ]  TOUCH attack,
Damage:  (1d2+2)[ 3 ]  If damaged make a DC 17 Fortitude save or get blinded for  (1d4)[ 1 ]  rounds.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 HORRIBLE! 
 
Metastachydium
What gives. She really  was  just not loud enough. What a stupid thing to slip up on. Brakq grins pleased (if still sick, somehow) as the sad slimy tatters of the stupid thing splutter all over the room –  and give her  just  the opening . In another sudden bout of ludicrous speed, she bolts  forward , sptaying  more  weird goo creature remains about as she slides on and levels a    MOUNTAIN  HAMMER!!     on the big thing just ahead.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Brakq  mysteriously  darts straight onto Q28,  mysteriously  offsetting most sickened penalties in the process (raising her AC to 17 in the interim (mysteriolusly)) and tries for some really loud (MOUNTAIN) hammering:  (1d20+7)[ 17 ]  for  (2d8+7)[ 16 ]  plus  (3d6)[ 12 ]  magical bludgeoning damage ignoring all DR and hardness
 
Aegis013
Xyrona expertly adjusts Asfaloth to avoid an attack while batting away an oncoming claw with her shield, though the second claw rakes across her body and second hand collides with Asfaloth.

All of this as at the same time some kind of foul poultry attempts to peck out Xyrona's eyes   "Don't you dare hurt my hors--Ack! My eye!"   she exclaims in a huff, finding an opening long enough to attempt to retaliate against the extremely tough foes. Asfaloth huffs in unison with his rider, valiantly remaining in combat despite the pain of the attack.

 
 Spoiler: Full Attack 
Full attack against the horrid monstrosity

Atk 1 (1d20+9)[ 28 ] 
 On a 29  (1d20+9)[ 25 ]  to confirm 

On a hit it deals  (1d8+4)[ 12 ] 
 On a critical it deals  (2d8+8)[ 20 ]  more 

Atk 2  (1d20+4)[ 18 ] 
 On a 24  (1d20+4)[ 11 ]  to confirm 

On a hit it deals  (1d8+4)[ 9 ] 
 On a critical it deals  (2d8+8)[ 12 ]  more 
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 53 out of 82 HP remaining and  is not Blinded .
Asfaloth has 36 our of 40 HP remaining. I forgot to roll Ride for Mounted Combat, so I'll roll it on the post for my next turn if Asfaloth is attacked.
 
Ridai
   "THHHIIISSS AAAIIINNN'T OOOPTIII mal- there we go!"   Took a while to notice the whole slowing thing (Xyrona's dashing, Brakq's slow, so basically no difference), but the interview really started to drag quick. Nothing Faith couldn't fix with a quick slap to her own face, which ended up a bit harder than intended, what with all the jitters and the invisible string cuts, and Brakq getting ignored, and  birds pecking at Lady Xy's eyes , and really, enough is enough, this is just needlessly hostile!

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Faith uses  Touch of Restoration  to remove  slow  and heal  (1d8+5)[ 11 ]  HP (one less because panic slaps).
 
Cygnia
An invisible Mystery pokes Her head into the Nightmare Room.  Her minions had only taken out the two small uglies?!  UNACCEPTABLE!

   Guess I gotta go save everybuddy AGAIN...     She sighed, drawing in air as She ambled past Brakq into the hellish landscape, totally  no-selling ignoring the madness before Her...

...and spat out a jet of fire towards the most injured mash-up on the side, coming back into visibility.

 
 Spoiler: FLAMING KITTEH WRATH~! 

 (4d6)[ 14 ]    Fire breath DC 20 Reflex for half damage (30ft line)
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  66/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Alhallor
Brakq slither/runs into the room again and manages to heavily destroy the floor the floating ramhead/mass of hands are floating around. It does cracks audibly and the floor sinks in a little...

Xyrona hits the massive walled in monstrosity nicking it severely! Together with what Faith already did the massive thing does seem to be slightly injured!

Faith realizes by dispelling the slowing effect the invisible cutting threads also seem to have disappeared.

Mystery burns one of the other creatures severly, it seems to be barely hanging on.

  Ah, the taste of knightly courage! Wonderful! Just wonderful!   The massive monster in the wall rakes at Xyrona, the bird however travels farther towards Brakq.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Xyrona 
Attack 1:  (1d20+12)[ 20 ] 
Damage 1:  (2d6+6)[ 16 ]  and  (1d6)[ 2 ]  Fire damage.
Attack 2:  (1d20+12)[ 21 ] 
Damage 2:  (2d6+6)[ 11 ]  and  (1d6)[ 3 ]  Fire damage.
 

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Brakq 
 (1d20+5)[ 19 ]  TOUCH attack.
Damage:  (1d2+2)[ 3 ]  If damaged make a DC 17 Fortitude save or get blinded for  (1d4)[ 3 ]  rounds.
 


The other beasts seem to want to weave the two newcomers in.

 
 Spoiler: Mystery, Brakq 

Fortitude save against 15 or be slowed.
 

 
 Spoiler: Map 
 A wild map appears! 
 
Ridai
  "Oh, I think I know zat aroma.  *cough* "   Some common ground found! Things are looking up again (aside from still feeling jittery and sick)! And while Comtesse Foi would love to make that knightly courage shine even brighter, there's kind of an emergency going on elsewhere.

  "Allons-y!"   And Faith half slaps, half elbow-drops a healing touch on Brakq to take care of the absolute worst of the injuries.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Move to Brakq to use Hands of the Healer to heal her for  (3d8)[ 12 ]  HP
 
Aegis013
  "Argh!"   Xyrona calls out as the creature's claws find tear into her flesh and burn her.   "I will not yield to evil!"   She announces, more for herself than anything as she stabs her lance at the monster once more.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Full attack:

Atk 1  (1d20+9)[ 19 ] 
On a 29,  (1d20+9)[ 27 ]  to confirm

Dmg:  (1d8+4)[ 12 ] 
On a critical  (2d8+8)[ 18 ]  more

Atk 2  (1d20+4)[ 23 ] 
On a 24,  (1d20+4)[ 21 ]  to confirm

Dmg:  (1d8+4)[ 11 ] 
On a critical  (2d8+8)[ 16 ]  more
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona has 21  (33 if healed by Faith)  out of 82 HP remaining
Asfaloth has 36 out of 40 HP remaining and has an AC of  (1d20+20)[ 35 ]  against the first attack targeting him this round.
 
Cygnia
(OOC: Fort Save made at 21 in the OOC thread)

    ...wuz sumthin supposed to happen dere...?      Mystery felt the wave of magic over Her, but nothing seemed to stick.  She shrugged, then glowered at the ugly thingy in the wall that still had the audacity to be alive.  Worse still, now a pesky BIRD was also pestering Her Minion!

She positioned Herself in order to make sure Her next blast of flame would take in both teh ugly AND teh BIRD bugging Brakq.

 
 Spoiler: EVEN MOAR FIERY KITTEH BREATH~! 

 (4d6)[ 10 ]  Fire breath DC 20 Reflex for half damage (30ft line)
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  66/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Benoojian
Gina may have gotten distracted for a bit trying to see if there were any valuables that weren't nailed down but she eventually remembers that she needs to keep these people alive to keep her Adventurer's License.
The gnome pops out of invisibility in front of Brakq, yelling "Clear!" and jabbing Brakq and Xyrona each with a glowing finger.

 
 Spoiler: mechanics 
 Show up at Q27, Using Touch of Health twice, to heal up to 9 damage each(and an equal amount of non-lethal), but only up to half health
 
Metastachydium
Too busy breaking things (currently the floor, mostly) to really notice she's suddenly not nearly dead (despite getting to keep her big fish eyes, if not for a lack of trying on the bird's part), Brakq is mostly just baffled by how the stupid goat thing doesn't seem to have broken as it should've.   Y-ou w-e-re, uh, y-ou w-er-e su-pposed to  ex-plode .   she tells the stupid goat thing  slowly  (when did the room turn into soup, she wonders?).   He-re, let me help with that,   MOUN-TAIN HAM-MER!!     she makes whirls about,  slowly  to give the stupid goat thing another, now sideways swack ( very slowly ).

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

A very slow Mountain Hammer (assuming she still has the swift needed to get it back):  (1d20+4)[ 23 ]  (-2 sickened, -1 slowed) for [roll]2d8+5[roll] plus  (3d6)[ 12 ]  magical bludgeoning damage bypassing all DR and hardness
 

 
 Spoiler: Also, a Statblock 

   Brakq the Hammer   
F Likely CE Merfolk Warlock 3/Cleric 1/Warblade 1,  Level  5 (ECL 6),  Init  1,  HP  18/38,  DR  1/cold iron,  Speed  10', swim 50'
 AC  15,  Touch  9,  Flat-footed  14,  Fort  4,  Ref  2,  Will  5,  Base Attack Bonus  4
   +1 MAUL   +3 (2d8+7+1d6 (or MORE), ×3)
   HAMMER BLAST (INFINITE)   +5 (2d6, –)
 Masterwork; +3d6 electricity (1/2) Electric nightstick   +9 (1d6+6, ×2)
 +4 against deadly gas attacks +1 not-breastplate of firey doom and not dying of deadly gas  (+6 Armor, +1 Dex, -2 Misc)
 Abilities  Str 18, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 18
 Condition  CURRENTLY SICKENED and SLOWED.
 
Metastachydium
 
 Originally Posted by Metastachydium 
  
 Spoiler: OOC 

A very slow Mountain Hammer (assuming she still has the swift needed to get it back):  (2d8+5)[ 15 ]  (-2 sickened, -1 slowed) for [roll]2d8+5[roll] plus [roll1] magical bludgeoning damage bypassing all DR and hardness
 
 
 

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Which is to say,  23  to hit with  (2d8+5)[ 15 ]  plus  12  magical bludgeoning damage bypassing all DR and hardness (I'm still bad at typing)
 
Alhallor
While healing is administered, valiant Xyrona manages to slightly nick the monstrosity buried in the wall.

 
 Spoiler: Xyrona 
One hit. Also DR 5/good apparently.
 


The combined assault of both Mystery and Brakq manage to utterly destroy the floating goat head that was flying around.

The massive flames also wash over the bird... But it doesn't seem to be affected by it at all!

 
 Spoiler: Mystery 
Probably not immune to fire, looks more like Fire Resistance. Of 10.
 

  Yes! Yes! Keep on fighting and bleeding! Let me see you're will crumble into dust!  
 
 Spoiler: Attack against Xyrona 
Attack 1: (1d20+12)[ 18 ] 
Damage 1:  (2d6+6)[ 13 ]  and  (1d6)[ 6 ]  Fire damage.

Attack 2: (1d20+12)[ 24 ] 
Damage 2:  (2d6+6)[ 14 ]  and  (1d6)[ 5 ]  Fire damage.
 


The bird screeches annoyed and now wants to peck out Faith's eyes. It seems slightly frustrated that it didn't get any eyes.

 
 Spoiler: Attack against Faith 
Attack:  (1d20+5)[ 15 ]  Touch attack
Damage:  (1d2+2)[ 4 ]  If damaged make a DC 17 Fortitude save or get blinded for  (1d4)[ 2 ]  rounds.
 


The only other surviving floating goathead with hands retreats slightly and try's to weave in Asfaloth.

 
 Spoiler: Asfaloth 
Fortitude save against 15 or slowed.
 


The researcher grabs to door and only manages a whisper  "get out! Please!" 
 
 Spoiler: Map 
 Battle raging on. 
 
Aegis013
The monster tears through Xyrona's breastplate and hot viscera falls from her torso onto her saddle and runs down Asfaloth's side. Her body slumps down, not falling out the saddle, but no longer moving under its own power.

Asfaloth, unsure what to do based on the unusual lack of pull from the reigns and guidance from Xyrona's knees, attempts to retreat.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Fortitude DC 15 vs. Slow  (1d20+6)[ 24 ] 
If Asfaloth is not Slowed, he uses the Withdraw action to move back out to the hall, goes near the stairs and simply stands there.

If he is slowed, he moves 30ft, exiting the room and going into the hall, provoking an AoO.

Xyrona can't take actions.
 

 
 Spoiler: Status 
Xyrona is at -17 HP and gains the Dead condition
Asfaloth is at 36 out of 40 HP
 
Ridai
  "Hey, hey, who yer- argh sonuva-"   And that damn bird pecks at Faith eyes, quite successfully.   "Okay, tha's it! Get in here, boys!"   And the three golden bisons from the mosh pit reappear.   "Kindly get my friends 'n' me outta here."  
 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Prayer of Summoning to summon  (1d3)[ 3 ]  celestial bisons.

Commanding them to get Faith, Brakq, and whoever else needs it out of the nightmare room.
 
Metastachydium
  See, that's more like it.   Brakq grins at the  utterly destroyed  goat thing. That was good fun, at least. Now she's to figure out what to do in all this stupid soup… That doesn't seem to affect Faith's stupid cattle friends  assaulting her  now?!   Hey, wait, no-no-no.   she tells the stupid cattle friend trying to cowboy her out.   Wrong way. Wrong way!  HAM-MER BLAST!    That stupid wall guy will be  so  smug about this.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

I'm going to just assume Faith's plan works, because it's funnier. The HAMMER BLAST is for the boss monster in the wall(, and   not   the cattle friends, that would be mean):  (1d20+2)[ 20 ]  (-2 for sickened, -1 or slowed already factored in) for  (2d6)[ 6 ]  untyped eldritch hammer energy (that should also bypass DR)
 
Cygnia
   "Fall back, minions -- We must regroup!"     Even Mystery wasn't so heartless as to insist Her meat shields to keep fighting here.  No, teh ugly thingy calling the shots would pay for this once She made sure everyone was fully healed.  Still, She spat out one final jet of flame towards Head Butt Ugly In Teh Back before  shamelessly retreating  enacting a CLEARLY BRILLIANT Strategic Withdrawal ahead of the holy hamburgers.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 

Spit out FLAMING KITTEH BREATH towards the head guy stuck in the wall (and before the bisons are fully summoned)
 (4d6)[ 11 ]  Fire breath DC 20 Reflex for half damage (30ft line)
Strategic Withdrawal to L25
 

 
 Spoiler: Statblock 

   Mystery   
F CN Tibbit Dragonfire Adept,  Level  6,  Init  4,  HP  66/72,  DR  2/magic,  Speed  20/30
 AC  22,  Touch  16,  Flat-footed  18,  Fort  11,  Ref  8,  Will  8,  Base Attack Bonus  3
 Fire/Frost/Weaken (DC20/19 Reflex for half dmg, DC 19 Fort for half duration for weaken)  Breath Weapon     (4d6,  )
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (fire) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(fire), 19-20/x2)
 Least Energy Assault Crystal (frost) MW dagger    -1 (1d4-2 +1(frost), 19-20/x2)
 2 EW = 4 hours Mage Armor  (+4 Armor, +4 Dex, +2 Size, +2 Natural)
 Abilities  Str 3, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 8
 Condition  Dragonblooded
Darkvision 60ft
Low-Light Vision
Endure Exposure: Endure Elements 24/hrs &amp; immune to Mystery's breath weapon
Magic Insight (Detect Magic at will)
+3 save to sleep &amp; paralysis (Dragontouched &amp; Draconic Heritage: Green)
+2 to Acid spells/abilities saves (Draconic Heritage: Green)
 
Alhallor
When the massive, wall-melted thing manages to land the killing blow on Xyrona it seems to push itself just a little bit farther out of the wall.

  Splendid, just splendid!  

It tries to swipe at Asfaloth but it still seems to be too deep into the wall to really make use of it's attacks.

The summoned bisons escort the rest of the group out as best as possible.

  Please come back! I hope you regroup and... ACK!  

Both Brakq's blast and Mystery's breath are able to hurt the wall-thing slightly and then the researcher slams the door shut.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Yes, the Door was destroyed by Brakq before. After the door closes all conditions (fear, sickened, slowed) immediately cease. But the damage still remains.
 


"I told you that was the wrong door! And there I almost thought you had a chance in there." The researcher looks all of you over and looks... More frustrated than anything else. "That is gonna be an ungodly amount of paperwork... It looks like one of you is currently unalived. I do see some possibilities for you to bring that in order, that WOULD save me at least SOME of the paperwork... One floor below us is... Well was... An experimental resurrection room but then head researcher someone did... Stuff and now it seems to just spew out ratpeople. Or you find a potion room and mix something together that "might" help."
Aegis013
Asfaloth, being able to tell that the threat has passed, moseys up to Faith and gently pushes his snout against her shoulder with a soft huff and gives doe-eyed look, simply knowing that the blonde healer's touch is very comforting. The half-elven knight's body remains in the saddle, connected to her horse even in death.

The horse stamps a hoof on the floor a couple of times as a show of his anxiety, or perhaps an indication that he will follow you. It's a bit hard to tell considering Asfaloth is a horse and thus not much for words.
Ridai
Faith flops on the floor, saved by the prancing bisons.   "Big thanks for the quick rescue on short notice, y'all. Owe ya one- aw heck, this stings."   As she speaks, Faith tries to get back on her feet and is nudged by Asfaloth. Still blinded by the blood in and damage done to her eyes (having lead to her eyelids and cheeks having been thoroughly stained red), her hands find the steed's head, administering soothing, healing caresses.

  "There there, I got'chu an' Lady Xy, jus' a moment."   Not missing a moment, her hands follow the horse's body, finding an armored arm first, one hand beginning to heal while the other finds the hand.   "There ya go-"   The hand is limp. She is not hearing anything from the knight. Asfaloth's nudges. She does not need to see to know. Still, she pours healing into the noble soul's body, which only confirms it. Vision returns slowly, and the sight, sadly, is not one unfamiliar to Faith. Even if few die with the dignity at least afforded to Xyrona. A few words spoken in a tongue like the warm sun on one's skin, a child's laugh, the winds of a new tomorrow, directed to Hlal on Lady Xyrona's behalf. A kiss on the back of a gloved hand before arranging both on the saddle. Another caress of Asfaloth's head. She knows. She is there for him, and the lady knight.

  "Get yer healin', y'all,"   she calls out to the others, and providing the very same, leaving herself for last, hardly wounded as she is despite the bloodied face.

  "Sorry 'bout addin' to yer workload, we'll go see 'bout gettin' her back on her feet, if we can,"   Faith says to the researcher in a soothing tone, and administers a brief healing touch to at least help his body and mind to deal with the stress.   "Brakq, be a dear an' pause yer smashin' for a sec, gotta check summin' out downstairs."   The accidental double entendre is not lost on her, and hell, if someone ends up snickering, sure, she'll take it. Let the bit of levity cut through the heavy mood, as all is not lost in terms of the lady knight walking on this world. This is no time to despair.

So she guides Asfaloth back down the stairs, one hand calming and encouraging the steed as she keeps talking to him throughout the process, the other ensuring Lady Xy remains upright and where she is. Destination: the room designated "massive machine that spouts rat-people" on the map.

 
 Spoiler: Actions 
Everyone is healed back to full. Going to the rat-people machine to find a researcher to maybe resurrect Xyrona. Ideally as a non-rat, non-vampire half-elf.
 
Metastachydium
Bakq, visibly still quite grumpy about being dragged back out and staring at the door coming  back  (she just  broke  that stupid door!) with clean and clear  hatred , looks up for just the moment as the no-swim guy says


 
 Originally Posted by Alhallor 
 It looks like one of you is currently unalived. 
 

  UNA whatdoyoumean ?!   she asks, but a quick look at the knight person and  Faith 's takeaway from a quick look at the knight person mostly clears up the issue. Well. That is  stupid . Xyrona was a weird knight person with weird knight thinking, but  she let Brakq break things .  Despite  her being a weird knight person with a weird knight thinking, in fact. So… This cannot stand. She shrugs her backpack off and begins to rummage in it, accepting the healing without much of a comment to…


 
 Originally Posted by Ridai 
   "Brakq, be a dear an' pause yer smashin' for a sec, gotta check summin' out downstairs."   
 

…hear… This?   Wait-wait-wait, aren't we, uh, aren't we going back in  to kill everything?    she looks up once more, seemingly just about to pull something  heavy  out of the pack. That seemed like… The thing to do… Here?   …Faith? WAIT UP!   Well, **** all that. She begins to crawl after.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

What? The Rat Room has a door. Maybe it's closed. She can be useful!
 