Wrench in the Works
Log Info
- Title: Wrench in the Works
- GM: Culix
- Place: The Artificer's Guild
- Summary: The Artificers were having even more explosions than usual at the alchemy labs, and needed a cleanup crew. Crik and Ulthan needed the work...
It seems like most weeks there's /something/ happening in the laboratories and workshops of the artificers. They might be one of the sources of Alexandria's prosperity, but that doesn't mean anyone wants to be their neighbours. And for good reason. Rapid unscheduled dissasemblies of artifice workings are not uncommon at the best of times. And this is not the best of times. At present, they have requested ait from the guild of explorers in getting rid of a pack of gremlins that have somehow found their way into one of the laboratories. The lab in question is an alchemical research lab, with iron banded doors and reinforced stone construction, and a healthy air gap between it and the more flamable main building.
At present, there are holes in the roof which are billowing plumes of thick, rainbow coloured smoke which can be seen from halfway across the city.
Ulthan glances at his partner for this jaunt, having met in the Explorer's Guild during a yet anbother frantic recruiting drive. "You reckon those plumes have connection to why they needed us, or if they are business as usual?" The big lunk of a dranei has apparently gotten used to Alexandria over the months he has spent here, and the usual gossip about various factors within the City.
Crik and explosions tend to stick together, though this time around the rainbows had nothing to do with the egalrin. "Probably." The corvid taps at his beak. "Probably one or the other." Which was, very helpful. "... do you think they have explosives inside?" He asks then, before picking up his notebook and starting to hop closer towards the building. "Let us check the window?"
Closer inspection of the building in question reveals that along with its reinforced construction, it does not have any traditional windows. Glass rarely survives contact with the more lively experiments conducted here. It does, however, have ventilation hatches set high in the walls of the long, squat building. It might be possible to climb up and peek inside, but they can't be glanced through from ground level.
Ulthan seems to blanch avery odd shade of ruddy when the Egalrin mentions explosives. It's not like the Dranei has had that many experiences with those, yet. BUt he has seen the effects all over when taking secured parcels from the Alchemist's insurer to whoever was left to collect.
The doors are currently barred from outside, a pair of stout timbers locked into brackets to keep the gremlins from spreading further than the lab, at least.
Ulthan says, “Well, if you want to check for explosives before we plunge in there, do you need a boost?”
Crik looks up. Then makes a brief hop. Then another hop. Then series of hops as if trying to get up in flight - unfortunately, he does not quite get there. "... give a boost?" He asks from Ulthan, digging around his bag for a magnifying glass.
GAME: Crik rolls athletics: (11)+5: 16 GAME: Ulthan rolls athletics: (14)+9: 23 GAME: Ulthan refreshes spells. GAME: Crik rolls perception: (14)+11: 25 GAME: Culix rolls 15: (6)+15: 21
From his vantage point peering through the high vent, he spies a pair of tiny little creatures, shorter and skinnier even than the average goblin, similar in general appearance although they have large frilled ears reminiscent of bats wings. One of them is currently ontop of a book case and tossing books onto the ground, the other has just kicked a cauldron of bright green viscous fluid over and is tossing metal tools into the pool which bubble and fume as they dissolve.
Crik looks into the room, then spies on the various... gremlins. Finally he looks down towards Ulthan - gestures with fingers, realizes he can't really do it with one hand, before he hops off the poor man's shoulders. "There are gremlins making a mess. I assume the whole building will explode with this level of chaos." The corvid says. "They are throwing books and distracted. Should we poison them?" Blank stare.
Ulthan sighs, gremlins are pretty bad, even the dranei have had them spooking the herds and causing havoc in the back-end of the mountains. "Do you think you can get them reliably?"
Another blank stare. "Absolutely not." Then the corvid starts rummaging around his pockets. "I ran out of poison yesteryesterday." The egalrin then adds. "It might be difficult to run in and fight in the chemicals. Any suggestions?"
Ulthan says, “Definitely difficult, they are quick... And I am definitely not sneaky.”
"... I am not a fighter either." Crik lets out a sigh. "... what are gremlins afraid of, anyway?" He starts pulling out his various notebooks, before he rubs his beak. "Could sneak in, pretend to be a gremlin, find a jar of poison..." He considers, then looks ta Ulthan. "How many of them can you take on?"
Ulthan says, “Not sure, haven't fought their ilk...”
GAME: Ulthan rolls knowledge/local: (16)+5: 21 GAME: Crik rolls knowledge/local: (16)+6: 22
Ulthan grunts as he inspects the weapons he has bristling on him. "Oh... no cold iron... I can probably beat them in lsugging match one-on-one, but getting rid of multiple ones at once isn't that easy..."
Crik runs through his notes repeatedly, then shrugs his shoulders. "... no cold iron, either. Should have acquired that from that merchant..." He then looks at Ulthan. "No two then. Window or door?" And with that, he starts pulling things out of his bag, pulling cloaks and starting to quickly lodge them around him.
GAME: Crik rolls disguise: (8)+13: 21
Ulthan peers at the vent. "If you go there, I can't follow, so should I wait at the door and clamber in when you give the signal?"
"I was thinking more blowing up the window, but maybe the door is easier." Crik replies, continuing to adjust the carrots into his hood. It _nearly_ looked like ears. "We need to close the door behind us? Do we have anyone to do that for us?"
Ulthan counts the adventurers at present, then shakes his head. "No one to close the door. Guess I'll need to squeeze..."
Crik rubs his head. "Block the door on the way in. There were book cases and tables filled with vials. The gremlins will probably throw them at us." He continues ruffling his feathers, and then attempts to look far shorter than he usually did. "You break down the door, I follow?"
GAME: Crik rolls athletics: (6)+5: 11 GAME: Ulthan rolls athletics: (15)+9: 24
Crik looks back up at the window. "Window." He declares, takes a step back - and makes a rapid scrabbling attempt at the side of the wall - before he falls down on his butt, before shaking his head. "Should have done that before the disguise."
Ulthan, meanwhile, scmapers up the wall like a huge squirrel, in a sight that had to be seen to be believed. Whille perched on the window, he fastens a rope to the bars, using it as support while belying rest of the rope down for his companion.
GAME: Crik rolls athletics: (6)+5: 11 GAME: Crik rolls disable device: (3)+10: 13
A couple of the artificers who had been making their way around the campus between the various buildings have stopped, a few dozen yards away, to watch with curiosity what the adventurers are up to.
Crik climbs gracefully up the window. Then he gets to work on the grill. Various technical looking implements - including self rotating screwdriver! - are put to use. Except the screwdriver snaps in half. "... I should not buy cheap gadgets from Goblintown and expect them to work." The corvid says and tosses out the screwdriver. "Another minute..."
GAME: Crik rolls disable device: (13)+10: 23 GAME: Ulthan rolls athletics: (19)+9: 28 GAME: Ulthan rolls stealth: (17)+1: 18 GAME: Culix rolls 15: (8)+15: 23
Ulthan squeezes through the opened window, then lets the rope down before sliding down the rope, trying to avoid making noise or drawing attention, landing down by the wall and crouching.
GAME: Culix advances the initiative order.
As Ulthan climbs his way down the other side of the wall, the far gremlin which is still entertaining itself with tossing things into the puddle of acid it has poured across the floor doesn't spot him. But the one who is standing atop the bookcase? His large ears twitch and he turns around, pointing towards Ulthan and shrieking loudly in a foreign, glottal language neither of the adventurers recognize.
The creature reaches to a pouch at its waist, and produces a spherical glass globe of viscous orange fluid, with a rag hanging from it. It lights the rag with a tindertwig.
GAME: Crik rolls perception: (15)+11: 26 GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (14)+13: 27 GAME: Culix rolls 15: (13)+15: 28
Crik follows on after Ulthan, attempting to keep his 'disguise' intact, before watching the man jump down. Only one way to go. Leaning forward, there's a brief flutter as his dark wings spread out, and he glides around the book cases to neatly land in front of... some large machinery. Once again, he turns to hand signal, but it is anybody's guess what five fingers flapping in the air and drumming in the air means.
GAME: Ulthan casts Enlarge Person. Caster Level: 4 DC: 13
Ulthan shakes his head as he has landed, hearing the excited sound of the gremlin who noted him, he decides to prepare and slaps his hands while uttering a short chant, after which his form is limned in magic and quickly stretches to double of his already impressive size.
The furthest Gremlin, the one Crik spotted messing with the mana battery, doesn't see Crik sneaking aorund behind. But he does see the other Gremlin making a fuss, and barks back at him in that strange language. He comes running out into the middle of the aisle- until he can spot Ulthan's expanding form. He chugs a small vial of chemicals from his own pouch, and then belchest a thin clkoud of purple smoke.
Another Gremlin, who had been tossing tools into the bubbling acid spill runs and hops up onto one of the alchemical labs tables, kicking some of the vials and implements off it which clatter to the ground and shatter with more plumes of smoke and sizzling and hissing sounds as they interact with one another.
GAME: Crik rolls weapon2: (19)+8: 27 (THREAT) GAME: Crik rolls weapon2: (11)+8: 19 GAME: Crik rolls damage2+3d6: aliased to 1d4+0+3d6: (3)+0+(16): 19 GAME: Crik rolls damage2: aliased to 1d4+0: (2)+0: 2 GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (6)+13: 19 GAME: Culix rolls 15: (20)+15: 35 GAME: Culix rolls 7: (8)+7: 15
Crik takes a scientific look at the going ons - and decides that the gremlins are engaging in particularly exhaustive form of chaos engineering. Turning around the corner, the corvid pulls out his hand crossbow and aims it at one of the gremlins making a mess of a table, landing a good hit. Then he withdraws into the shadows.
The sphere of flamable liquid is hurled from atop the bookcase towards Ulthan. It shatters on the ground a few feet short and a gout of flame singes the large man's whiskers but doesn't case him any harm. The book case next to him, on the other hand? It's charred and smoking. Not on fire, yet, but a few more hits like that and these book cases will be tinder.
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2+2: (11)+7+2: 20 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage2: aliased to 2d8+6: (14)+6: 20
Ulthan's eyes fix on the one on top of the bookshelves, and he charges his foe, unlimbering his flail in one movement and swinging it around to connect solidly with the small nuisance, bloodying it, even if it doesn't drop the enemy.
GAME: Ulthan rolls reflex: (8)+3: 11 GAME: Culix rolls 4d6: (14): 14
As Ulthan rushes down the central aisle, something crunches underfoot. Some broken potsherd left by the marauding gremlins. Or so it seemed. Except a moment later, the shattered bottle erupts into a gout of flames which wash over Ulthan- and does much more than simply singe his eyebrows. The flams char skin and cloth alike, burning him badly.
GAME: Culix rolls 7: (13)+7: 20 GAME: Culix rolls 2d6: (7): 7
And as if to add salt to the wound. Rather literally. One of the little gremlins runs towards Ulthan and then launches a vial of acid at him in a barreling overhand throw. The fragile container shatters in the air, showering Ulthan with shards of glass and searing acid applied to fresh burns.
GAME: Culix rolls 7-2: (13)+7+-2: 18 GAME: Culix rolls 2d6: (3): 3
Meanwhile the one with a fresh bolt sticking out of his shoulder screeches a string of utterances that can only be varied and colourful obscenities, and then throws a fire bomb in the rogue's direction. Like the acid vial, it shatters on target and douses Crik with a brief blast of fire.
GAME: Crik rolls perception+3: (3)+11+3: 17 GAME: Crik rolls weapon2: (12)+8: 20 GAME: Crik rolls damage2+3d6: aliased to 1d4+0+3d6: (1)+0+(9): 10 GAME: Culix rolls 7: (4)+7: 11 GAME: Culix rolls 2: (8)+2: 10 GAME: Culix rolls 2: (17)+2: 19 GAME: Culix rolls 1d3-1: (2)+-1: 1
Crik hears the flammable 'whoosh' and then quickly checks his notes. Yes, traps were mentioned. He looks around in alarm and suddenly realizes something. But before that, he levels a bolt at one of the gremlins. "Get away from the centre aisle! That alembic is rigged!" He shouts out, then attempts to withdraw into the shadows once more.
After receiving the mighty blow from Ulthan, the critter ontop of the bookshelf launches itself at him, scratching and clawing and biting anywhere it can find purchase. Which isn't really anywhere, until it managed to get a lucky bite on Ulthan's hand drawing a little blood- but nothing compared to the punishment he;s already received.
GAME: Ulthan RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 8 temporary HP GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2: (12)+9: 21 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage2: aliased to 2d8+8: (6)+8: 14
Ulthan roars with the indignity of having his moustache and beard singed, not to mention to his precious skin. And when a bloodrager roars, it means one thing and one thing only: RAGE. The shape of the extra-large serving of Dranei begins to blur, and his weapon swings around again, taking another hard slam on the gremlin on the bookshelf, connecting loudly but stillt he little blighter remains standing.
GAME: Ulthan rolls reflex: (2)+3: 5 GAME: Culix rolls 2d6: (7): 7
One of the gremlins, as though taking their cue from Crik, scampers over towards the alembic and thumps one of the legs of its stand with a bit of pipe laying on the ground nearby. The leg buckles, and then the massive copper alembic falls from its stand. It rings like a church bell when it hits the stone floor, and then rumbles as it rolls along the center aisle towards Ulthan. it slams into him, knocking the wind from him, and given his large size is deflected so that it slams into one of the book cases near the back wall and the entire thing comes tumbling down in a scatter of loose pages and bent spines and splintered wood.
GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (12)+13: 25 GAME: Culix rolls 15: (15)+15: 30 GAME: Culix rolls 7: (7)+7: 14
The Gremlin up on the table keeps an eye out for the sneaky birb taking pot shots at him, and pulls a crossbow of his own from over his back. He fires it back at Crik, and the bolt- smaller, but no less deadly, thuds against the wood of the bookshelf and sticks there a foot or so away from Crik's head.
GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (20)+13: 33 GAME: Crik rolls weapon2: (15)+8: 23 GAME: Culix rolls 15: (10)+15: 25 GAME: Crik rolls damage2+3d6: aliased to 1d4+0+3d6: (4)+0+(12): 16
Crik watches the alembic in question get activated, his beak open as he tracks the gremlin's movements. Then he holds his hands over his head, just in time to avoid the bolt. He quickly runs around the book case, staying close to the wreckage, and then takes a shot at the gremlin Ulthan was fighting. "Still breathing?" He asks helpfully from the other.
Ulthan growls as the gremlin by him finally drops, and then lumbers into more central part of the lab.
GAME: Culix rolls 7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Culix rolls 7: (16)+7: 23 GAME: Culix rolls 1d6: (2): 2
The remaining Gremlins squawk and growl their anger as one of them is shot dead by Crik's last shot, and they loose a couple of bolts in retalliation- one of them clips Crik's wing, but only draws a trickle of blood. The other sails wide of Ulthan and bounces off the wall behind him.
GAME: Crik rolls weapon2: (11)+8: 19 GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (7)+13: 20 GAME: Crik rolls damage2: aliased to 1d4+0: (2)+0: 2 GAME: Culix rolls 15: (19)+15: 34 GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL)
Crik runs across the aisle as Ulthan runs on ahead. Big fellow probably doesn't need any immediate assistance. He leans around and takes another shot at the gremlins, but doesn't do much damage.
GAME: Culix rolls 7: (8)+7: 15 GAME: Culix rolls 2: (15)+2: 17 GAME: Culix rolls 2: (2)+2: 4 GAME: Culix rolls 1d4-1: (1)+-1: 0 GAME: Culix rolls 1d3-1: (2)+-1: 1
Ulthan steps closer to the closest Gremlin and takes a mighty swing... that misses and exposes him for counterattack.
And Ulthan finds his calf being gnawed on and scratched by the little critter for his troubles. The gremlins are not especially strong- they are very weak, actually, but they are surprisingly resillient and vicious.
GAME: Crik rolls weapon1: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Crik rolls weapon1: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Crik rolls damage1: aliased to 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2
Crik drops his hand crossbow as he hears someone coming - and then he jumps out around the corner and attempts to stab the gremlin. To no avail. "... they are impervious to knives." He deduces, then instantly regrets dropping his crossbow.
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2: (2)+9: 11
Ulthan keeps swinging at the gremlin that is bouncing by him, yet he doesn't seem able to connect with his swings.
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2: (3)+9: 12 GAME: Ulthan rolls reflex: (13)+3: 16 GAME: Culix rolls 2d6: (10): 10
The critter gnawing at Ulthan's ankles and dodging around his clumsy flail strikes suddenly backs off a few steps. It sneers at him, and then pulls what looks like a pepper shaker from its ragged pouches. And then it sniffs the pepper deeply. Its face twists and contorts and then it suddenly sneezes with tremendous force and voluminous snot. Snot which bursts into flame on contact with the air as it sprays towards Ulthan.
GAME: Culix rolls 7: (11)+7: 18 GAME: Culix rolls 2: (20)+2: 22 GAME: Culix rolls 2: (12)+2: 14 GAME: Culix rolls 2: (13)+2: 15 GAME: Culix rolls 1d4-1: (1)+-1: 0 GAME: Culix rolls 1d3-1: (1)+-1: 0
Meanwhile, the Gremlin that had been chasing after Crik is taken aback for a moment when the Elgarin swings back towards him and lunges with his knife. It grazes the critters leathery skin, but fails to penetrate. It retorts with a vicious series of swipes and bites that mostly only succeed in ruffling feathers.
Crik gets angrily scratched at, holding up his hands in near apology whilst tumbling backwards. He grabs his crossbow again, looking for a way to get out of this creature's face.
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2: (19)+9: 28 (THREAT) GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2: (4)+9: 13 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage2: aliased to 2d8+8: (13)+8: 21
Ulthan growls in frustration with his previous wiffs and channels his rage into a solid top-down thwack that smashes the gremlin down. And for its choice, it remains down and out.
GAME: Culix rolls 7: (20)+7: 27 GAME: Culix rolls 7: (10)+7: 17 GAME: Culix rolls 2: (15)+2: 17 GAME: Culix rolls 2: (13)+2: 15 GAME: Culix rolls 2d4-2: (3)+-2: 1 GAME: Culix rolls 1d3-1: (3)+-1: 2
The Gremlin chases after Crik, not content to let the Elgarin get away after shooting each of them at least once, and it latches onto the back of the elgarin's leg, flailing viciously and tearing loose a small chunk of flesh finally managing to cause something better categorized as a wound than an annoyance.
GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (7)+13: 20 GAME: Culix rolls 7: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Culix rolls 15: (9)+15: 24 GAME: Crik rolls weapon2: (14)+8: 22 GAME: Crik rolls damage2: aliased to 1d4+0: (4)+0: 4
Crik takes his hand crossbow in his arms and run around the bookcase, before leaning around and taking a shot at the gremlin chasing after him. Still nothing! "... I really should get more explosives."
GAME: Ulthan rolls weapon2: (16)+9: 25 GAME: Ulthan rolls damage2: aliased to 2d8+8: (9)+8: 17
Ulthan chases after the last gremlin, and having learnt from his previous hit, swings his flail in vertical smash to shorten the already puny gremlin down flat.
GAME: Ulthan ends his rage.
Ulthan pants as he looks at the damage he and the Egalrin caused chasing these gremlins. "I hope... we don't... be excluded... from their policy with... their insurer."
Ulthan's shape starts shrinking quickly after the fight is over.
Crik carefully walks around the book case and looks down at the Gremlin. "... I think we got them all." He looks around the half burnt, half broken, crashed and gooped book cases. Then there's a sudden caw. "Hold on, we are not expected to pay for damages are we?"
And in just the nick of time, the last of the gremlins is struck down- just in time for weaves of fatigue to wash over Ulthan, as his rage nears its limit at about the same time as the spell he used to bolster himself, both of them wearing off only moments later. The lab is... frankly, wrecked. Between the collapsed bookshelf, the tumbled alembic, the chemicals and singe marks splattered everywhere. But, to be honest, it's no worse than usual for an Artificer lab after a particularly heated debate.
On the bright side, the collapsed bookcase makes a convenient ramp back to the window, since they are currently barred in here. Good job nothing caught fire.