Episode 299 - A Crystalline Horror

I think we all knew there was going to be something weird inside the armory or whatever your would call this room. An impound? Is that what you would call it? Anyway this creature is terrifying and I hate fighting it. Something…is screaming inside. Something, dare I say, familiar? Every quest has a moment when you stop and just for one second appreciate just how weird things have gotten. Hopefully this weird crystal belly haver is that moment.

## **Story**

### Long Story

The Tower of Grey has just opened the door to the Impound room, as a horde of guards ran in to stop them. Also, Skud has summoned many horrific demons, while Rowan has summoned many horrific Blink Dogs. It's pure mayhem, and our heroes decide to deal with this by ignoring everyone and running through the door. Eckhart Dayhammer, now one-handed, begins to pull the door back up into place so that they will be protected, and Toby helps, using magic. In the Impound room, the party sees a ton of interesting things, the effects of the inmates, including their own! There's also another door leading to the blood room! But in the middle of impound is a suit of armor, mechanized, with a human face inside, contorted in agony and pain. The suit's eyes light up, and a voice says "Intruder!" Toby is familiar with this construct, and knows that the suit acquires its energy by feeding off the pain and anguish of its prisoner. So that sucks. The fight begins!

Lahni begins by punching the machine and seeing if it hurt the prisoner inside. Determining that it does not, she punches a ton, denting the armor, and trying to get some reaction out of the man. He doesn't react, but the knee guard on the suit does pop off. Rowan restrains the thing, while Skud Tolls the Dead at him. Eventually, Lahni focuses fire on the center, where the man can be seen. The suit cracks open, freeing him. To everyone's surprise, the man is revealed to be Frank Ubell!

Eckhart (who did nothing in the fight) heals Frank, who seems to take a fascination with the knight. The party then looks around and is able to find all of their respective effects! Toby takes one of his Immovable Rods and uses it to block the door, after remeniscing for a minute. (By the way, of course I'm gonna look up where he first got them, bro. He found them in the armory of the Temple of Soloni, in Nareev, way back in Episode 229 - A Power Reborn. Also, the person he gifted one to and then took back was a New Newfoundland Lander during the 1709 Raw Fury Games. He took them back because they got beat up by some dudes from Calsten, so they didn't deserve it. Yeah. Later, he gave one to a boy named Timmy Lanning as thanks for giving them some giant lizards. So he really should only have one.)

In addition to finding their own effects, (such as The Orb, Toby' Robe of Stars, and Skud's three skele-bros), each member of the party find something special and interesting. Lahni finds Bercy Hamhands's underwear, as well as a pair of red shoes with lightning bolts on them. Toby finds a magical Crystal Ball of Telepathy. Rowan finds a rad pair of sunglasses, with the name Verona written on the inside. Skud finds a Evolution Bone! All these items in hand, the party turns toward the blood room. Lahni, somehow omnipotently knowing that the wall is exactly 12 inches thick, gains enough speed to use her new Boots of Phasing, and phases through the wall, The Flash-style. It's pretty cool. Then Toby walks through the open door next to her.

In the blood room, Toby sees the most perfect sight of all: another broom, this one sleek, and gnome sized. He immediately throws away the old one, and takes the new one. It begins to vibrate, and Toby determines this to be a Broom of Flying. Hurray! The party then discusses what to do about the blood in the room. Lahni reminds Toby to get Snatch's effects, then comes back. He then looks around the room, and induces that the bright light in the center of the room is connected to the blood vials, and when the light touches it, or even themselves, the magic begins to dampen. Lahni punches it, and suddenly, everyone with magic powers feel that power flood back into them!

### Short

The Tower of Grey enter the Impound room, and find all their effects, along with some other cool stuff. Lahni finds some Boots of Phasing, Rowan find Verona's Eyes of Charming, Skud finds an Evolution Bone, and Toby finds a Crystal Ball of Telepathy, and a Flying Broom. Also, there is a mechanized suit of armor, that Frank is trapped inside, whom they free. Frank may or may not have the hots for Eckhart Dayhammer. The party then finds the blood room, and Lahni destroys the light that is dampening everyone's magical powers, and I mean EVERYONE'S...

## **Trivia**

* Toby has been collecting many random items and junk to use for his spells
* Lahni, in addition to being immune to disease and poison, she can also understand and speak any language
* Toby now has one dangerous broom and dust pan! It's about time, if you ask me
* It's like a big daddy

## **In This Episode...**

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master* / Skud Derringer
* Tim Lanning - Toby Treacletart
* Jennifer Cheek - Rowan Grey
* Nika Howard - Lahnik "Lahni" Caplain

### **Non-Player Characters**

* Eckhart Dayhammer
* Frank Ubell

### **Locations**

* The Shadowfell
	+ Grull

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Escape from prison!
	+ [Active] - Find Pelor
		- * ~~[Complete] - Retrieve the party's effects~~
			* ~~[Complete] - Find the Blood Room and destroy the party's blood~~
	+ [Active] - Find and question Josail Longshadow
* [On Hold] - Find Adira Harper
* [On Hold] - Find Lannie Caplain
	+ [On Hold] - Investigate Galanthis
* [Optional][Lahni] - Make a friend out of Stymer Dunkan
* [Optional] - Find a way to pay back the Ferrim Pecunia bank of Pelor's Hope
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Great Colosseum in Caer
* [Active][Jaeludra] - Investigate the Oracle's strange prophecies

### **Quotes**

**"We just haven't had anyone that could open locks since Tum died."** ~ *Tim Lanning*

**"That was a good instinct, Nika. To not want to say that."** ~ *Michael DiMauro*

## **Rolls**

* **Recap**
	+ Jennifer - 14
	+ **Tim - Nat1 - Reverse Bapped**
	+ Nika - 13

* **Toby** rolls *Arcana* to see if the person in the suit is controlling it, or a prisoner - 26
	+ He knows of this construct, and knows that he's not in control

* **Lahni** also rolls *Arcana* - 7
	+ lol nope

*Combat Begins vs Mechanized Suit*

* **Initiative**
	+ Lahni - 25
	+ Toby - 21
	+ Mechanized Suit
	+ Rowan - 14
	+ Skud - 11

*Round One*

* **Lahni**
	+ Punches once (in the knee) to see if it will hurt him - 24
		- Hit - 8 damage
	+ She then rolls *Insight* to see how he feels - 24 (again, suspicious...)
		- She doesn't think it made the situation worse
	+ Punches more times with Flurry of Blows - 19, 24 (again, Nika...), 15
		- Hit, Hit, Hit(?), Miss - 30 damage

* **Toby**
	+ Casts *Blindness* on the creature, requiring a DC 20 CON saving throw - 21
		- Success - Not blinded
	+ Rolls *Perception* to see if he can find anything around the room - 5
		- He sees a scary broom in the corner

* **Mechanized Suit**
	+ Screeches, requiring STR saving throws from everyone
		- Toby - 12
			* Fail - 12 thunder damage, and knocked prone
		- Rowan - 19
			* Success - 12 thunder damage
		- Lahni - 25
			* Success - 12 thunder damage
	+ Swings new drill arm at Rowan - 16
		- Hit - 11 drilling damage

*Out of Combat*

* **Toby** rolls a DEX saving throw to catch himself on the broom, instead of falling prone - Nat20
	+ He nimbly catches himself

* **Rowan**
	+ Casts *Ensnaring Strike* on herself, then attack using the dagger, and requires a STR saving throw - 16
		- Fail - he is restrained - 6 damage + 3 damage

* **Skud**
	+ Casts *Toll the Dead*, requiring a DC 18 WIS saving throw - 10
		- Fail, everyone rolls a d12 for damage
		- Toby - 6
		- Rowan - 6
		- Lahni - 9
		- Michael - 4
			* 25 total necrotic damage!

*Round Two*

* **Lahni**
	+ Punches 5 times - 18, and above
		- Hit (x5) - 52 damage! - Shatters the crystal, freeing him. Also, it's Frank!

*Combat Ends*

* Everyone rolls *Investigate* or *Perception* to see what kinds of goodees they can find in the room
	+ Lahni (Perception) - 22
	+ Rowan (Perception) - 21
	+ Toby (Investigate) - 21
		- They are able to find their personal things!

* **Toby** rolls *Arcana* to figure out the blood room - 26
	+ He figures out the light situation