Froodle watches Frug with admiration.

"A brave soul should should have back up" he calls as he follows Frug up to the device.

Froodle is unsure what Frug is going to do when he gets there, but he'll leave that up to him to figure out, "he must have something in mind", he thinks, he hopes.

Anyway, Froodle deliberately puts himself in harms way, holding his shield out front, hoping rather than expecting any discharged bolts of energy will be attracted to it rather than his flesh.

Froodle hopes to provide a more attractive target than Frug, allowing his companion to concentrate on working his magic.

As she realizes what Frug is about to do, the girl's eyes go wide before she snaps them shuit and clamps her hands over her softly pointed ears. The hairs on Frug's own ears stand on end when he gets within ten feet of the device and with a pop it launches a bolt of lightning at him.

Maybe it's Ontar's blessing, or blind luck, but the finger of lightning can actually be seen to change course and blast into Froodle, gaining in power as it does so, and raking him with deadly energy.

---

Stormspire: 17:27, Today: DM Paul, for the NPC Stormspire, rolled 8 using 1d20+7.  Lightning strike +7 vs. Reflex 15 of Frug. Miss.
17:31, Today: DM Paul, for the NPC Stormspire, rolled 17 using 1d20+7.  Lightning strike +7 vs. Reflex 15 of Froodle. Hit.
17:32, Today: DM Paul, for the NPC Stormspire, rolled 15 using 1d10+5.  Lightning strike 1d10+5 lightning damage.

Froodle takes 15 lightning damage.

Status:
Frug and Froodle are in the aura. They can decide where, as they can only be struck once per move. Moving the girl will cause her to be struck, and any damage will seriously injure her.
Everyone else is outside the aura, in the large room.

"Hey!" Sietnyas compained, not expecting Frug's and Froodle's immediate entry.

He blinked at the lightning. "It got stronger when Froodle went in. Get out, or maybe... I don't know!" he said, exasperated.

He hesitated to enter, and instead offered advice. "That brush thing that goes round and round, that's what I was going to mess with." Instinctively, it seemed the part of the machine that felt responsible.

Should he break it or not, he wondered. He held up his dagger, decided not to, and instead watched carefully so he could better predict the thing's behaviour, maybe give warnings or more advice.

Tuur bounces forward, intent to, despite Sietnyas advise to see if his presence to assist them in halting the device or stopping the immediate effects. At the very least with enough bodies around, the machine would have to do many things at once, and perhaps that would present openings they could capitalize on.

10:06, Today: Tuur rolled 14 using 1d20+9.  Athletics to avoid aura.

In reply to DM Paul (msg # 154):

Drake jumps at the discharge as he observes Frug. And Froodle move forward.

Being startled Drake pulls the crossbows trigger the bolt flies high and wide through the aura of the sphere and out the other side clanging off the far wall.

‘Oops’ says Drake

1D20 +4 = 10 = Miss

Froodle feels the sting of the electric charge, but is pleased to have taken the heat from Frug.

He crouches down, placing his shield aloft to cover as much of his mass as possible. He can do no more while he allows Frug to do his work.

Froodle takes up a position of total defence (standard), aiming to grant +2 to his defences should there be another lightning strike at him. Then figuring he needs to move to grant Frug the necessary cover, he inches forward allowing Frug to get to the working parts of the machine.

He calls back to Sietnyas “I’m in now, too late to come back”, then sees Tuur weave and Drake rush in too. Maybe by moving slowly Froodle will provide enough of a target?

In reply to Froodle (msg # 158):
Frug runs under the lightning and makes his way to the device. “My gratitude Froodle! Good eye on this brush Sietnyas!” Taking a probe from a pocket, he jams it in to stop the brush from spinning and using some picks in his other had to loosen up the gears. At the same time as working out the mechanisms, Frug begins to inspect for the approach of the magical aspects to the device. Hoping to disable this device and move forward with the rescue…

08:05, Today: Frug rolled 22 using 1d20+8.  Thievery against lightning machine with aid from Sietnyas .

Raw physical strength doesn't seem to be enough in and of itself to avoid the bolts, and one darts at Tuur, making contact with his body and arcing through it into the floor.

Frug makes it to the side of the machine, Froodle looming over him. The gnomes efforts are rewarded with a definite sense of a weakening in the device's aura. There are other areas he might sabotage, but they will be difficult to reach unless he risks moving again.

---

Stormspike: 15:59, Today: DM Paul, for the NPC Stormspike, rolled 16 using 1d20+9.  Attack +9 vs. Reflex 16 of Tuur. Hit.
16:00, Today: DM Paul, for the NPC Stormspike, rolled 12 using 1d10+5.  Attack damage, 1d10+5. 12 lightning damage.

Status:
Frug: In aura, adjacent to device. Partial cover from Froodle.
Froodle: Total defense, covering Frug. +2 bonus to next Thievery check to avoid attack.
Tuur: In aura.
Drake: Outside of aura.
Sietnyas: Outside of aura.
Stormspike: -1 to damage rolls (1d10+4). Weakened until after it makes an attack or someone fails in an attempt to interfere with it.

In reply to DM Paul (msg # 160):

Frug, getting close in on this situation starts to see where and how the machine and magic are working together. Enough with this spot he decides and takes quite precise steps to the next place he sees an opportunity for artifice to play a roll. At this point, he sees that taking a bit more of a earthy substance or conjuring the essence of it, could mess with the air flows that make the lightning blast. It’s weird to see that a machine could run on air, but when dust starts to muddy up the gears…

Frug rolled 25 using 1d20+11.  Arcana vs lightning device

Sietnyas peered closely at Frug's efforts. The brush thing wasn't moving any more; that should be good. But then the gnome went off to work on - what? That didn't - no, wait, that vent-like thing; it was connected to all the sparkmaking somehow! "There! There!" he said, pointing, but Frug was busy.

Bugger! He paused for a second, then dashed inside. With a few seconds work, the vent now had very little air moving through it, and not at all toward where it had been flowing originally.

Okay, and.... sparks liked metal, right? He quickly jammed a crossbow quarrel between two metal parts that occasionally had sparks dancing on them. That ought to do something!

---

OOC: Made two checks, using up Quick Fingers to do one as a minor action.

14:47, Today: Sietnyas rolled 16 using 1d20+12.  Thievery - strategic crossbow quarrel.
14:44, Today: Sietnyas rolled 31 using 1d20+12.  Thievery - mess with the air vent.
14:43, Today: Sietnyas rolled 28 using 1d20+10.  Acrobatics - avoid lightning.

This message was last edited by the player at 21:53, Sat 17 Sept 2022.

The artifice reacts poorly to the various efforts to gum up its works. The storm inside the glass sphere seems like it's starting to thin out, though the sphere itself has begun to glow green on its outer surface.

There's one more open access point into the device's interior, and if that doesn't shut it down something else will have to be tried, or another access point found.

---

Status:
Frug: In aura, adjacent to device.
Froodle: Total defense, covering Frug. +2 bonus to next Thievery check to avoid attack.
Tuur: In aura.
Drake: Outside of aura.
Sietnyas: In aura, adjacent to device.
Stormspike: -4 to damage rolls (1d10+1). Weakened until after it makes an attack or someone fails in an attempt to interfere with it.

Frug makes another move and gets a small jolt for it. He reaches another intake and calls upon his arcane energies to muster up the elemental energy that will disable the artifice, but it doesn’t come together as well as he wants. That jolt must has been the cause of this lack of control over the arcane…
“Flugk eng contraption!” Is a strange phrase that seems kind of off as Frug hears himself say it.

Artifice Trap rolled 22 using 1d20+9.  Frug moved vs reflex.
Artifice Trap rolled 6 using 1d10+1.  Weakened lightning damage.

Frug rolled 16 using 1d20+11.  Aracana vs machine .

---

Status:
Frug: 24/27 HP In aura, adjacent to device.
Froodle: Total defense, covering Frug. +2 bonus to next Thievery check to avoid attack.
Tuur: In aura.
Drake: Outside of aura.
Sietnyas: In aura, adjacent to device.
Stormspike: -4 to damage rolls (1d10+1). Weakened until after it makes an attack or someone fails in an attempt to interfere with it.
</quote>

Tuur took time to investigate the ground, tired of being zapped and scared to move and worried it could curse harm to others as well.
In a futile attempt he tried to diver the spikes and the machinery to shoot away, but realized that he had a lapse in understanding.


10:59, Today: Tuur rolled 11 using 1d20+7.  Dungeoneering - divert energy.
Failure!

---

Status:
Frug: 24/27 HP In aura, adjacent to device.
Froodle: Total defense, covering Frug. +2 bonus to next Thievery check to avoid attack.
Tuur: In aura.
Drake: Outside of aura.
Sietnyas: In aura, adjacent to device.
Stormspike: -4 to damage rolls (1d10+1). Weakened until after it makes an attack or someone fails in an attempt to interfere with it.

"It's getting kinda tetchy," Sietnyas warned, as the machine strobed ominously. "Be careful with it!"

He looked for the right time to try to get to the last panel. It looked like it needed a little bit of time to recharge after it zapped, so he saw a chance when a bolt arced Tuur's way, and tumbled across.  There was a gear wheel that looked just the right size... Scrambling in his pack he picked out a little piece of the well machinery he had saved earlier and slipped it between two gears so they didn't engage properly, but only spun...

---

OOC:
20:01, Today: Sietnyas rolled 14 using 1d20+12.  Thievery - mess with a gear.
20:00, Today: Sietnyas rolled 24 using 1d20+10.  Acrobatics - avoid lightning.

The spike whips out a thin lash of lightning, which grounds itself through Tuur. It's extremely weak, but the dome of the device immediately brightens as it begins to renew its strength.

The gears Sietnyas has interfered with begin to spin at a furious rate. None of the other panels at ground level seem to have anything vulnerable about them. There might be something susceptible higher up, near the glowing sphere.

---

18:11, Today: DM Paul, for the NPC Stormspike, rolled 30 using 1d20+12.  Attack (with CA) +12 vs. Reflex of Tuur. Hit.
18:24, Today: DM Paul, for the NPC Stormspike, rolled 4 using 1d10+1.  Stormspire damage (weakened), 2d10+1. 2 damage.

---

Status:
Frug: 22/27 HP In aura, adjacent to device.
Froodle: Total defense, covering Frug. +2 bonus to next Thievery check to avoid attack.
Tuur: In aura.
Drake: Outside of aura.
Sietnyas: In aura, adjacent to device.
Stormspike: -5 to damage rolls (2d10).

Calming, Tuur toke his time and pace to maneuver up the spire to try and halt it.
He investigated it quickly and tried calmly to disable it, not fully understand if what he did was the right call.
Hanging at the top, he wrapped a leg around and tried to compose himself in the chaos around him.


11:01, Today: Tuur rolled 20 using 1d20+7.  disable - dungeoneering.
10:59, Today: Tuur rolled 21 using 1d20+9.  Climb.

Move: Climb up.
Standard: Disable.

---

Status:
Frug: 22/27 HP In aura, adjacent to device.
Froodle: Total defense, covering Frug. +2 bonus to next Thievery check to avoid attack.
Tuur: In aura. 16/32
Drake: Outside of aura.
Sietnyas: In aura, adjacent to device.
Stormspike: -5 to damage rolls (2d10).

The device sounds as though it's about to discharge right in Tuur's face. Right before it's too late, he finds two crystals that he'd always been told shouldn't be brought too close to each other and he bends one of their fittings to the side. The hum dies away. The storm in the sphere, calms, and seems to blow away, even though there couldn't actually be a breeze inside the glass. The glow of the mechanism subsides.

Everyone's hairs relax against their skin. Their metal accoutrements cease vibrating. The girl at the base of the device slowly opens her eyes and takes her hands off of her ears. She visibly relaxes and yawns. Her dragonmark begins to flicker.

Slowly, another sensation begins to spread outward from her.

---

Status:
Inside Emerald Claw facility.
Lower levels of a tower in Precarious.
In large room with lightning machine, half-elf girl, and spiral staircase up. Seven exits.
Voices echoing through halls.
Half-elf girl: Mark of Fatigue Aura 1: Creatures within the aura take a -1 penalty to skill checks, ability checks, attack rolls and damage rolls and a -5 penalty to saving throws against unconsciousness.

"I think that did it?" Sietnyas said. "No more sparks, anyhow." He started to wander about the device to see if any of its bits were interesting. That globe, for one, though it looked a bit big to carry... "Who put this here, do you think?" he mused.

He came back to reality before too long. "Oh! The others. Those two, right?" he asked the girl, pointing the ways she had shown earlier. He picked the closest, and crept toward it to see what could be seen.

In reply to Sietnyas (msg # 170):

What Sietnyas and the others see through each doorway is a length of hallway, 25 to thirty feet long, which then branches into two other hallways. With the stormspike deactivated, the voices echoing through the network of hallways is easier to hear, but no easier to understand. They all do sound rather tense, but that's the Emerald Claw for you.

Froodle looks on, "Well done Tuur" he says. "The humming has stopped, I can hear voices"

He mulls this for a moment, leaving the girl for others to speak to further and goes to the nearest passageway to stand guard lest the source of the chattering should notice the machine has quietened.

Tuur eyed around and nodded.
Calmly he tried climbing down and catch up with the rest, but tried to keep low and calm, trying to make out what the sounds were and identify them.

Sietnyas pondered. You could hear everything down here; they probably had been noticed. Why weren't any remaining Claw folk trying to stop them? All non-combatant types? Or maybe there were more of these trappy things like the sparker, and they were waiting to see if they stopped the intruders.

"We're gonna try to get you all out, if we can," he whispered to the girl. "Might be trouble. Stay back for now, eh?"

The halls looked kinda mazy. Well, left is lucky; he padded toward the left corridor from the first tunnel, looking each way first, and wary of any traps and strange devices.

In reply to Sietnyas (msg # 174):

“I am not completely sure how to make our way forward, but I will stay towards the back, as that’s where I am best if we come to combat, which seems likely!” Frug has wide curious eyes and open ears. A firm grip on that new staff and finally released his beard, realizing his nervous habit had kicked in.

She nods sleepily back at Sientnyas, then lies on the stone floor and appears to fall deeply asleep. Well, she's had a rough day.


The halls directly leading from the chamber are unoccupied and unmodified.

The hallway Sietnyas has chosen comes to a three way junction of similar corridors, in a sort of Y-shape. At the other end of each of the other two hallways stands a cloaked human with a crossbow. One of them raises their crossbow in Sientnyas's direction, and makes a chirruping sound. Clearly a signal of some kind. The other figure perks up.

---

Sientnyas: If you wish to your presence to remain an uncertain thing to these people, please make a DC 20 Stealth check. On a success, maybe you were just a flicker of the lights. On a failure, one of the guards definitely saw something.

Status:
Inside Emerald Claw facility.
Lower levels of a tower in Precarious.
Sietnyas: At Y-junction in corridor network.
Froodle: Near one of the passageways out of the large room.
Tuur: At base of stormspike.
Drake, Frug: In large room with lightning machine, half-elf girl, and spiral staircase up. Seven exits.
Karrnwood Rangers: At opposite ends of two hallways from Sietnyas.
Voices echoing through halls.
Half-elf girl: Mark of Fatigue Aura 1: Creatures within the aura take a -1 penalty to skill checks, ability checks, attack rolls and damage rolls and a -5 penalty to saving throws against unconsciousness.

Sietnyas tried to slink unnoticed toward the leftmost guard, but failed. He hissed and drew back his arm to launch his dagger as that guard signaled the other...

---

OOC:
18:12, Today: Sietnyas rolled 15 using 1d20+10 ((5)).

Initiative, I assume?