"Me either!  I'd rather stick my kukri's in their back."  Lucky said under his breathe but loud enough.

In reply to Lucky Six-Fingers (msg # 17):

There's a chuckling in your head.  Which is kinda creepy.  Especially since it's the low and breathy kind.

I agree with both of you.  It is no less than they deserve.

But I fear...and I mean no disrespect...that you would not be able to destroy them.  Josephine was once a rather powerful wizard.  Since she gave herself to unlife, she is even more so.  Her associates are not easy either.

I think a trick might serve us all better.

If we could find the object that houses Josephine's soul, the balance of things would shift quite a bit.  I know it is in her base, and not far from her.  But not in her lab.

Do you think you could sneak into her base, find it, and bring it to me?  Once I have it...well.  Things will go easier for us all.

"Intriguing idea." Zuni said.  "But how would we know what the object is?  Magic is not exactly...my expertise."

In reply to Zuni Runesong (msg # 19):

Do none in your group feel magic?  If so...as vague an instruction it is...you would need to find the most magical objects in her rooms...quickly.  I can only buy so much time.

Lucky had used his power to detect magic before and he could do it again.  "I can detect magic so while he distracts the lich, cause that is what it sounds like she is, we can get the phylactery with her soul.  I don't know a lot about the stuff but I ain't stupid and it was a good thing we didn't just attacker her back in the room.  Now let's get going!"

Selvin listened silently as the snake-like creature 'talked' to them. He was fine until he realized that the creature was saying that Josephine was undead and had a....wait...she was a LICH?? Those things were supposed to be crazy powerful! And they were going to steal her...whatever thingy?

He let out a small breath and shook his head, looking down. Then he shrugged and said, "Sure. Why not. Crazy dumb things are apparently are area of expertise."

He asked, "Can she see the invisible? Or is there a way t'sneak back in without bein' noticed?"

In reply to Selvin Larst (msg # 22):

"She can see me, so I would think yes.

"I would suggest find a place to hide away from the entry to these tunnels.  Then, when you hear the sounds of fighting, be quick and go about your reconnaissance.

"If you need to exit Josephine's lair another way, head out the way you came into them.  The ladders here lead to a large chamber near the surface.  That chamber is under the statue of an angel with a broken left wing and missing both arms.  You should be able to find some way down here from there."

There are a number of side tunnels you can hide in, waiting for the sounds of fighting.  Or you could head into the web strewn tunnels that were the other way.

Though why you'd want to....

"Let's go down this side tunnel for now," Chandanar says after eyeing the web covered tunnel.

You all crouch there, and soon hear the unmistakeable echo of a fire ball exploding against rock.

Hurrying back, you are soon standing outside the door to the room that had the two men in hoods.  Through the open door, you can see they are still in there.  They seem to be draped over some chairs, oblivious to the world. Perhaps they are sleeping.

You are outside the southern door into area D11.  The two hooded guys who you think have tentacles on their faces are...stoned maybe?..inside the roomm.

Let me know how you wish to proceed.

Thanks

Zuni rubbed her nose as she studied the motionless bodies.  She looked over at Lucky, and nodded into the room.  Gingerly, Zuni scanned the door for any traps before slowly opening it.

OOC:
Zuni Runesong rolled 18 using 1d20+12.  Stealth.
Zuni Runesong rolled 35 using 1d20+15.  Perception.

When Lucky saw the two robed beings draped over the chairs and the nod from Zuni, he moved like a leopard stalking pray.  The silent death stalked his pray till he was right behind ready to finish off one of the beings with the kukri in his hands.


09:28, Today: Lucky Six-Fingers rolled 44,24 using D20+25,d20+19.  Stealth then perception

In reply to Lucky Six-Fingers (msg # 25):

The door creeeeeeeeaaaaaaakkkkssss open...

One of them mumbles something and flops over.

There are various magical implements in the room.  Powders and unctions mostly.  But nothing that screams strong or necromantic magic.

Selvin moved carefully in to the room, following his two sneakier compatriots, as he knew they would be better off noticing things while remaining unnoticed. Once they entered and moved in a bit, he slunk in after them. He flew as needed since he and Zac were...larger...than their allies.

But he kept his senses alert as he followed after them, making sure the hooded guys were staying oblivious and nothing else untoward was about.

21:24, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 36,20 using d20+16,d20+8.  Perception, Stealth.

The two guys are decidedly not waking up.  At least for the moment.

The lich's soul cage is not in this room.

You are in D11.  D10 was the room with the prisoners where you met Josephine.

You have not visited D12 or D13 yet.

Cursing his luck that the object wasn't here.  Lucky took his kukri and finished off the one man he was behind.  He didn't want to take a chance that it would wake later.

Perform a coup de grasse

Izzick was more than happy to follow along, keeping his mind open, detecting magic, searching for what might be the phylactery without much luck. "I hope she doesn't keep it on her person..." he cursed under his breath until he heard a dagger sinking into their sleeping foes. He winced, both hoping they wouldn't find themselves alerting Josephine and glad that they'd have one less threat to worry about.

Does anything magical in the room seem useful potentially?

Izzick will keep detect magic up and start searching
10:57, Today: Izzick rolled 3 using 1d20. - Curse these orc eyes

Selvin shook his head at Lucky. He didn't really blame the act, though. He headed towards he closer door, figuring a quick peek before they potentially headed north. They'd already been to some of the rooms south, though he wasn't sure they hadn't passed where the thing was hidden already.

OOC: Heading to...D-10? I guess to peek.

11:06, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 19 using 1d20+16.  Perception.

Izzick, the room seems to be full of magical components more so than any one thing of use.  The exception seems to be a set of beakers that contain various potions.  A review shows most of them to be plosions of various strengths.  But there are two that seem to be necromantic related A potion of vampire control and a potion of ghost control

Selvin, you glance into the room where you first met Josephine.  D10</orange).  The "meat" are still chained to the wall.  But Josephine is absent.

Lucky, you slip your blade into the man...<orange>So, kind of an odd question, but relevant to this situation Lucky.  Where are you sticking him?  Slitting his throat?  Stabbing him in the back of the head?  Blade between the ribs and into the heart? Etc.

In reply to The Dealer (msg # 32):

Lucky, you slip your blade in where the neck meets the back of the head...

The first thing you notice is how smoothly the blade seems to enter.  You have little trouble sliding it in.

The next thing you notice is the way tendrils flop out of the hood.  Well you already knew those tentacles were there.

The third thing you notice is how the body jerks.

But then the other guy jerks awake.  The hood for the awake guy swivels, comes down...

It looks like there's an octopus sitting on top of this guy's neck.

Init all.  Thanks

Zuni had picked up a random object from one of the tables and gave it an authoritative sniff.  She really had no way of knowing what object they were looking for.

Putting the object back, Zuni turned back to say something to her companions but saw the strange tentacles instead.

OOC:
Today: Zuni Runesong rolled 22 for Initiative

Lucky had just finished off the one stoned mindflayer and moved a few steps to the other and slashed at the face of the now awake mind flayer before it could react to what was happening.

Possible crit hit AC39 on the check for 48 damage.
07:56, Today: Lucky Six-Fingers rolled 39,11 using d20+24,d4+9.  crit check.

07:55, Today: Lucky Six-Fingers rolled 41,13,24 using d20+24,d4+9,6d8.

Selvin heard a noise and turned to look back, planning on telling the group to come on so they could free the hostages or...dinner...or experiments-in-waiting. But...Lucky was killing the hooded guys. Selvin let out an irritated noise and headed back that way.

15:44, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 22 using 1d20+4.  Initiative.

Well somebody hates calamari

As the rest of you get into action poses, Lucky<purple> calmly turns and slices into the mind flayer, severing it neatly into two equal portions.

A big spurt of thick looking green goo splatters <purple>Chandanar.  He looks at you Lucky

"I'd say something snarky right now. But I'm afraid you'd do that to me too."

The soul cage doesn't seem to be in this room.

Where to next?

Selvin stared for a moment and then just gave a shrug. At least they wouldn't have to worry about whatever-those-two-were coming up behind them later or anything. He turned his attention back outward once more, staying silent.

He then began to move quietly up north to check on the room they hadn't been in before.

OOC: Selvin is going to check out D-12, and then realize there's another room up that way also, lol.

21:51, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 34,18 using d20+16,d20+8.  Perception, Stealth.

Lucky gave a shrug of his shoulders when Selvin looked in at him and the ichor on the floor and his blades.  He had been a whir of movement and the two mind flayers were dispatched.

While advancing behind Selvin, Lucky whipped off his blades and held them at the ready.

The room to the north appears to be...or was once...a bed room.  It must have been left over from the previous tenants, because the bed not only doesn't look like no one's slept in it, it's actually falling apart.

The rest of the room sees some signs of use.

There is a bureau in one corner with drawers partially open. Clothing seems to hang out of every one of them.

There's a desk and chair in another corner.  The desk is covered in various sheets of paper.  Each sheet is covered in cramped writing.  It's hard to read anything from a distance.  The writing is that small and cramped.  There are two drawers in the desk, an upper and lower, and both seem firmly shut.

A quick glance shows the lower drawer seems to have some mechanism attached to it.  If it's opened...you aren't sure.

The room practically glows with magic.  Those that are detecting actually get a headache from the eyestrain.  It's like everything in this room has been covered with a fine sheen of magic just to make sure it glows.

"_{...and good riddance...}" Zuni muttered, sneering at the remains of the Mindflayers.  Two less monsters in this place.  She briefly thought about going through their pockets but turned to follow her companions into the next room.

Zuni takes some time to carefully examine the room, pointing out the drawer mechanism to Lucky.

OOC:
Zuni Runesong rolled 22