AN: Damn, this was a tough one to get through. I originally wanted to write the whole adventure in one go, but this part took WAY too long to begin with...and I'm not even a third of the way done. So yeah, three parter for this one. Had a different plan for an end point too, but thought this could work too. Anyway, before getting to the story, just want to respond to a couple comments.
Mr Haziq: Yes. With each new adventure, one or more of the players of the previous adventure will step aside, while new ones will take their place. Give everyone a chance to strut their stuff in game. Plus I didn't want to have more than six or seven characters in game at a time. It's tricky enough keeping track of the current party. I forgot Hops Sr existed a couple times during this chapter. And Sugarland will come into play more and more as the game goes on.
LightofDarkness: Not sure when Lori will join. Possibly the game after this one.
WaterDragonMaverick: Glad to see you're enjoying the story so far. You read my mind regarding Lenina (minus her departure from the team this game. Someone else is stepping aside) and Luna. Won't say too much more to avoid too many spoilers. Thanks for the suggestions.
Nicholas: Truthfully, I have not. Never even seen Island of Dr Mordeau.
Guest: You read my mind as well regarding Lynn, but she's not joining yet. Thanks for the suggestion though.
And to everyone sending suggestions for characters for the sisters who haven't participated yet; thank you, but I already have their characters put together. Made them up before I started the story. What I meant in the previous chapter was I didn't have characters for Lincoln's friends and Ronnie Anne. Sorry for the confusion in that respect. Also, what do you guys think about getting the parents involved every once in a while? Also, I realized after making the previous chapters that the blindness/deafness spell and Clyvor's rage should have lasted longer than I depicted in the story. Turns out 1 minute is actually much longer than I thought with regard to combat. Ah well. Live and learn.
The Mystery of the Clockwork Manor pt 1
"Ugh….I just can't think of anything!" Lola groaned with frustration, laying on her back on her bed, her character sheet and a pencil on the bedside table. This was a few days after she, her siblings and Clyde had successfully completed their first adventure and, as Lincoln had recommended, she and Lana were trying to write up a backstory for their characters. The key word, of course, being trying. Lola seemed to be having a serious case of writer's block. Her twin looked up from the floor, Hops, El Diablo and Izzy huddled around her own character sheet with her.
"Having trouble, Lola?" She asked.
"Am I ever...I want my character to be unique among storybook princesses, but I'm at a loss…"
"...because being a fire throwing princess isn't unique at all." Lana said sarcastically.
"...don't sass me, sister...I am in no mood." The pageant princess growled.
"Hehehe. Ok. Ok. I'm sorry." The animal lover of the two said with a giggle before she moved over beside her sister's bed. "So...what have you got?"
"Well, Lolavina is the princess of the kingdom of Sugarland, like I said. She ran away from home recently...but the reason why is where I am stuck…" The more short tempered of the twins explained. "I don't want it to be because of her family or anything...and I don't want her to look bad either…"
"Hmmmm. I think you need to talk to Lucy." Lana suggested. "She knows more about writing than I do...or ask Lincoln. He wrote the adventure we went on, so he can tell a dang good story."
"...I guess I could do that...I hope Lucy isn't busy."
"When has that ever stopped you before?"
"...what did I tell you about sassing me…?"
A few rooms down, Luan was having similar issues with her own character. She just couldn't really think of what drove her character to go on adventures. She was discussing the situation with her ventriloquist dummy when Luna stuck her head down from the top bunk of their bed. "Hey. What's all the hubbub, sis?"
"Just trying to figure out what to do with my character in the game I played with Linc and the others." The family joker replied, her head resting on her hand. "My character isn't really a complicated one, but I can't figure out what motivates her to go out and quest. Know what I mean?"
"Hmmm. Maybe you need to step away from the project for a bit." Luna suggested before climbing down. "And come back later with a fresh perspective."
"Maybe you're right. And there's no real urgency. Lincoln didn't say we had to have backstories ready before the next game." Luan said with a small smile, closing the little journal she was writing in.
"Speaking of, when is the next game?"
"This friday, I think. Why? Interested in getting in on the act?"
"Yep, so I thought I would get a character put together, but I'm not sure where to start." The family clown grinned, setting her wooden friend down and hopping off her bed.
"Well, maybe I can give you a hand there." Luan said, pulling a false hand on a stick from behind her back. After a quick chuckle, she continued, "Let's go pay Linc a visit and see if we can borrow his books."
A few minutes later, Luan and Luna were sitting on Luan's mini stage, a small stack of source books between them and a fresh character sheet in front of her. "Alright, so what kinda character you thinking of?" The pun loving sister inquired.
"Hmmmm. This bard class is really speaking to me." The rock and roll Loud replied, looking at the page in the player's handbook. Luan leans over for a look before glancing at her sister.
"Uh...are you sure, Luna?" She asked with concern. "Linc's last game was pretty combat heavy, and bards...kinda hit a sour note in that regard." She quipped with a giggle.
"Don't you worry, sis. I'll make it work. She'll be ready to fight for the right, if she's gonna rock and roll like me." Luna said with a smile, taking a few notes on her sheet.
"If you say so." Luan said with a shrug. "In which case, according to the book, you'll need a lot of charisma…"
"Got it. In fact, this race gets a nice little bonus to charisma." Luna said as she made a note of her character's race. "Dexterity too."
"Good. You'll need that to keep yourself alive and enemies not so much. And don't forget to add some points for being over level four too."
"Right on...now for spells...think I'll be a Jane of all trades there too. Carry a few to hurt, a few to heal and a few help." Luna thought out loud.
"Looks like you get a LOT of skills under your belt too. Almost as many as my rogue."
"More, if I go with this college…"
Meanwhile, in the room next door, Lola was expressing her concerns for her character with Lucy, who was listening in silence."...So what do you think?"
"I see your problem." Lucy told her, sitting on her bed. "Let's see...your character ran away from home...but you don't want the typical story…" Lola nodded, looking hopefully at her older sister. "Well, why not take it a different direction?"
"What do you mean?"
"Tell me how this sounds: Lolavina is set to marry someone from another kingdom. However, she overheard that they had dastardly intentions for the kingdoms and her parents. None of this can come to fruition until he is wed to her, so…"
"Lolavina runs away, in order to protect her family and kingdom! I like it!" Lola exclaimed, looking excited. "Thanks Lucy!" She said before she ran off to her own room. Lucy smiled slightly, pleased to hear her little sister so eager to expand her character further. Not long after the pageant princess made herself scarce, Lucy's sports loving roommate came limping in, looking outright ticked. She had a cast on her right foot.
"This stinks!" Lynn shouted as she flopped onto her bed. "One bad kick on the soccer field and I break my toes."
"These things happen, Lynn…" She told her in a monotone.
"Not to me! I'm supposed to be made of tougher stuff than that!" She complained loudly. "Doc says I'm going to be out of the game for at least two weeks…"
"I'm sorry to hear that, Lynn…" The eight year old goth said, and she meant it. She knew her older sister and roommate. She was miserable when she was inactive and miserable when she was bored. Put them together, and Lynn was no doubt in for a bad time. But maybe, in her injured state, their sisters will be more generous with the tv remote, Lucy thought. Perhaps wishful thinking, but who knows? It could happen.
Friday afternoon finally arrives, and most of the Loud children were beside themselves with excitement. After the last game, they really wanted to see what Lincoln would come up with next. Well, except for one. Luan had been invited to a sleepover with some of her friends, so she couldn't make the game. The white haired lad was a little disappointed, but he knew how it was. Not all players could make every game. He was getting the garage set up with Clyde as his sisters about to play were getting their act together. Meanwhile, Lynn Jr was sitting on the couch, slumped over as she channel surfed on the television. The rest of the family, as Lucy had hoped, was sympathetic to her injury and gave her more control over the tv remote. This helped her for the first few days, but today, she couldn't find a thing to watch and she was bored out of her mind. She sighed as she turned the television off, turning her head to the stairs as she heard Leni and Luna coming down the stairs. She had to raise an eyebrow as she saw the second oldest of the sisters in a flowing white gown, and the third oldest of them was carrying a lyre. The two head into the garage, soon followed by an excited Lola and Lana. "What's going on?" Lynn inquired as her gothic roommate started to descend the stairs.
"It's game day." Lucy explained in a monotone. "If you aren't doing anything, why don't you join us? I think we have all the players we need, but you could probably watch if you like." The sporty Loud just stared at her for a moment before she sighed.
"...I must be bored…" She moaned quietly before she stood up and limped her way toward the garage. Inside the garage, Lincoln was chatting with Luna, telling her how pleased he was she was giving the game a try, Lana and Clyde were discussing their leveled up characters, and Lola was complimenting Leni on her new gown. The tables had already been set up, with the game master's screen, a couple grid maps, the box of figurines and dice, and a small box of pens and pencils. Clyde looked up as Lucy entered the room and noticed a somewhat grumpy Lynn coming in right behind her.
"Hey Lynn. Are you joining the game too?" The bespectacled african american boy inquired.
"...nah. Just nothing on tv, so Lucy convinced me to come watch…" She said, lifting herself onto the stool and getting ready to be even more bored. It was then Lincoln's friend noticed her cast.
"Whoa! Are you ok, Lynn?" He asked in concern. "Did you break your foot kicking someone's butt?" Lynn couldn't help but chuckle at that, as did a couple of her sisters and her brother.
"No, but I like that guess." She said. "Kicked a goal post instead of a soccer ball."
"Ouch...sorry to hear that…"
"Eh. I'll live." The toughest of the siblings said with a shrug.
"Alrighty then." The one son said as he moved behind the GM screen. "Everyone all set?" A few of the players nodded, with Lola being the first to speak up.
"I'm all ready. I even have Lolavina's backstory ready!"
"Really?" The middle Loud asked with a smile. "Care to share it?"
"But of course." The prissy twin said with a big smile. "Ahem. Lolavina is the princess of the beautiful kingdom of Sugarland. A land where gumdrops and lollipops grow on trees...literally." While she related her character's story, Lynn rolled her eyes and pretended to be sick to her stomach. "One day, when the elf princess came of age, her parents told her about an arranged marriage between her and the duke of a neighboring Sourpatch Kingdom. She got along well with him at first and was happy to go along with the wedding...until one night, she was going to surprise him with a visit to his room when she heard voices. One was her prospective husband's, but the other, she didn't recognize, so she started to listen in. Turns out, the arranged wedding was a plot by the duke to seize control of Sugarland; marry Lolavina, get her parents out of the way, become king, get Lolavina out of the way, then rule Sugarland and Sourpatch."
"Oh no…" Leni gasped. "What an awful man…"
"Oh, he is. Lolavina had heard the whole thing, so she decided right then and there that she had to run away. So she took the essentials and fled from the palace. She knew her parents would be safe for the time being, since the duke needed them alive until after the wedding for his plan to work. So now, she's on the run, hoping to never run into someone from Sugarland or Sourpatch and that she can find help to save her family and kingdom."
"She's got a funny way of showing it." Lana said with a bit of a smirk. "But seriously, nice story, Lola."
"Yeah. That should be pretty easy to turn into its own adventure." Lincoln said with a smile. "Anyone else want to share their character's backstories before we start?"
"I will!" Leni volunteered with enthusiasm. "Lenina was born into the Sisterhood of Sune…"
"Sisterhood? You mean all her worshippers are women?" Lynn interrupted, getting shushed by Lola, Lana and Luna.
"Yes, but only the temple where she belonged and not because it was required. Just kinda happened that way." Leni explained. "Anyway, she wants to become a high priestess someday, but before she can do that, she totes has to find her one true love. So she left the temple in search of true love, while spreading the word of Sune in the process."
"Awwwwww." Lola cooed, leaning against the table with a wide eyed expression.
"Well, if we're all sharing, here's mine." Lana interjected before clearing her throat. "Lanore was the daughter of a dragon mother, but was left in the care of a group called the Wild Guard; rangers and druids who protect nature from bad people and stuff. They raised her to adulthood, teaching her the ways of nature and how some people create unnatural creatures through one way or another. This built her to who she is today. When her training was complete, she set out on her own to find her own way to protect nature, and to find her true mother."
"Simple, yet solid. Nice Lana." Clyde complimented with a nod.
"I'mma hold off a bit. I'm still working on mine." Luna said.
"You'll learn of Lucinda and Clyvor's soon enough." Lucy said to the others before looking to Lincoln. "I believe we are ready now, Lincoln." From her stool on the sideline, Lynn frowned a bit. She was actually getting kinda interested in hearing what the others had for their stories.
"Very well. To recap from what happened last time, the group met in the town of Orintar, where they learned sailors and dock workers had been disappearing and ships were being mysteriously sunk. To figure out the cause of the problem, the team joined a ship carrying valuable cargo aboard, only to be attacked by a kuo toa raiding party…"
"What's a kuo toa?" Lynn asked. In answer, Lincoln pulled out one of the fish people figurines and showed it to her. "That's one ugly sardine…"
"No kidding." Lola agreed, frowning at the little monster.
"After repelling the invading fish folk and slaying their 'god'..."
"Whoa whoa whoa...they took down a god!?" Lynn exclaimed in surprise, getting shushed by the others again.
"Well, it was actually a giant, mutant lobster from olden times, but the kuo toa thought it was a god." Lincoln elaborated upon before continuing. "...the party ended up the prisoners of the kuo toa. Fortunately, through spell, skullduggery and courage, the party managed to not only escape, but saved many slaves and potential sacrifices from them. Upon helping them get away, they confronted the high priest, who was in the process of summoning a new god. The spell failed, resulting in him summoning three Gibbering Mouthers instead…" Before his older, more athletic sister could interrupt again, he showed her the figure of the mouther. "After a brutal fight, they emerged victorious and escaped from the city of the Kuo Toa. As their reward, they were granted their own guild within the city, so they could recruit new members and find jobs easier."
"Whoa...all that happened in one game?" Lynn asked in surprise.
"Sure did." Clyde responded. "There was some other things, but that was the important stuff."
"We return to the port city of Orintar, where some of the party is checking out the new guild building…"
Once, it was an old, abandoned building a stone's throw from the Triton's Gem. It was filthy and run down, on a nice stretch of land with plenty of room for improvement. Now, however, it was in the process of being completely renovated, with an extension being built beside it. Gnome, dwarf, human and even a goliath worker were working hard to get the building back up to code, both inside and out. On the inside, Clyvor and Lucinda were examining the inside from the spacious entry room. In their eyes, the reconstruction was going well. The floors were already replaced and reinforced, the walls in the process of being replaced and painted, and the stairs were in the process of being replaced. Fortunately, Lenina was willing to lend the workers her portable ladder, so they could work on the second floor to get the places for members to sleep ready. Unfortunately, they couldn't get all the additions every member of the party wanted. It took some serious debate and back and forth, but the team managed to decide on a few essential addons: a library for research purposes, the vault to protect their loot and pay, and a stable to save on costs with their mounts and Hops Sr. Lolavina wasn't thrilled, but as they didn't have the gold to shell out for her insisted upgrade and neither did she, she had to just deal with it. Speaking of the rest of the group, they were off doing their own things. Lenina went off to the church to find an altar of Sune to pray at, Luanne was down in the basement to oversee the construction of the vault, and Lanore and Lolavina were at the tavern. The dragonborn woman was enjoying a cup of tea, while the elven princess was drinking deep from a sugary, syrupy drink. "Geez. Want a little drink to go with all that sugar?" Lanore teased with a smirk as the enchantress licked her lips, her beverage finished.
"If you must know, Lanore, my people thrive on sugar." She replied in an almost snobbish manner.
"No fooling?"
"No fooling. The elves of Sugarland have adapted over time to get most of the nutrition they need from sugar and similarly sweet things."
("If only we could get that in real life, eh?" Lana said with a soft giggle.) Lanore just nodded lightly as she sipped her tea. Over the general chatter of the pub, something caught Lolavina's pointed ear. She blinked as she looked toward the door. It was faint, but she could swear she heard music. She tugged on Lanore's arm and nudged her head in the direction where she heard the music. The draconic woman tilted her head, as she couldn't hear the music. The magical princess rolled her eyes, left a few coins on the table as a tip for her waitress and headed for the door. Concerned, Lanore left a tip of her own and rushed after Lolavina. She found her standing just outside the tavern, just listening. This time, the ranger could hear the music: soft harp like music coming from the docks.
As Lincoln described the music, Luna took that opportunity to play her lyre, providing a little auditory assistance. She played slowly, but beautifully, sounding like she were at a renaissance faire. "Wow. Way to set the mood, Luna." Lincoln commented with a smile.
"Cheers, bro."
"Where'd you get the cute little harp, Luna? And learn to play so well?" Leni asked.
"It's a lyre, Leni." Luna started to explain.
"It is? Well, if it can't tell the truth…"
"Not a liar, sis…" The musically inclined sister interrupted with a soft laugh. "L y r e. It's like a harp, but with a few small differences. And I saved up my allowance for a while to get it. I'm still learning, but I'm getting the hang of it, I think."
The princess and the dragonborn follow their ears down to the docks where they saw an elf leaning against one of the many barrels that lined the pier, playing her lyre with nary a care in the world. Her skin was the color of midnight, with short, silvery hair. She was wearing a fine scarlet silk long sleeve tunic, dark brown pants and boots, and a maroon cape. On her head was a black wide brim hat with a dark gray feather sticking out of it. On her belt was a scabbard for a short sword on either side of her. She doesn't notice the two as she plucked away at her instrument, lost in her own music, and the pair didn't say a word; they were listening too intently to her playing. When she eventually finished playing, she slowly looked up and smiled to the two nearby. "'Ello." She greeted them with a british accent. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"
"Oh no!" Lolavina said quickly with a shake of her head. "Not at all."
"We just heard your music and came to check it out." Lanore added. "You play great."
"Cheers, ladies." The drow replied, straightening up and putting her lyre away. "I am Lunaris, professional bard, at your service." She introduced herself with a bow.
"I'm Lanore." The dragonborn ranger introduced herself. "And she's Princess Lolavina."
"Charmed." Lolavina said with a light curtsy.
"Likewise, ma'am." Lunaris replied. ("On a side note, if she's trying to hide, shouldn't she be keeping her title secret?" Luna inquired of Lola.
"One: she's proud of her title. And two...well, I never said she was good at hiding…" Lola answered with a shrug.)
"So, what brings you here?" Lanore inquired, shaking the bard's hand.
"Like most folks, I'm looking for work." She explained simply. "A music gig, someone needing a helping hand, whatever I can find. Know what I'm saying?" The elf and dragonborn both nodded, when Lanore got an idea.
"Hey! How about you come with us?" She suggested. "We're starting up an adventurer's guild here in town, and I'm sure we could use a few extra hands."
"Err...are you sure, Lanore…?" The spellcasting princess said in a quiet voice.
"That so?" Lunaris asked with a grin. "Bonus. Lead the way, Lanore." The draconic woman nodded and started to escort their potential new friend toward the guild building, Lolavina running up next to her, still whispering.
"Lanore...I know you're trying to help the guild, but she's a bard, not an adventurer…"
"Well, you're a princess, not an adventurer, but you managed just fine." Lanore retorted quietly.
"...touche, but what is she going to do? Sing at our problems?"
"That's just being unfair, your 'ighness." Lunaris said, causing Lolavina to flinch, the bard laughing a little.
"You...heard that?"
"I'm an elf, mate, like you. My ears are pretty darn keen." She replied, pointing at her pointed ears. Lolavina just blushed and looked away, too sheepish to argue any further as Lanore and Lunaris just laughed.
Back at the guild hall…
"...Looks good so far, me boy." Clyvor said as he spoke with the foreman about the progress made so far. "So yer saying we could have the main hall all set by tomorrow?"
"Yes sir." The balding, gnomish foreman replied with a nod. "And should have the stairs up to code by the end of the day. The upstairs, probably a few days after week end. The vault and stables...well, that'll be a few weeks more, since they're being made from scratch."
"No need to be worrying yourself over it. I knew it would take a wee bit of time, but if you want it done right, it always does."
"Amen to that." The gnome said with a nod.
"Clyvor...we have a visitor." Lucinda suddenly said, causing her barbarian friend and the foreman to flinch. She had been so quiet up to this point, they had forgotten she was there. The dark skinned dwarf turned to see a wall, cloaked female figure enter the building. He couldn't tell much about her from the hooded cloak, but was able to ascertain a few things: she was wearing a fine linen gown, pearly white stockings and pitch black heels. Her cloak was a dusty gray which covered her face quite effectively. Her arms were hidden under the cloak as well.
"Good day to you…" She said in a soft, almost sing song voice.
"Top of the afternoon to you, miss." Clyvor replied, polite but apprehensive.
"I realize that your business isn't necessarily open yet, but I am in need of help and do not know where else to turn…" The cloaked woman said, sounding close to tears.
"Now now, ma'am. No need for tears. The building might not be finished, but we might still be able to help you." He moved a box over for her to sit down on (as they didn't have any furniture present). "So, what appears to be the problem, miss?"
"I'm looking for a man who has gone missing...it is vitally important that I locate him."
"We're going to need more details than that." Lucinda said flatly. The woman slowly glanced around at all the workers present, then started to whisper, forcing Clyvor to get closer to hear.
"I am looking for a gnome artificer, tinkerer, and inventor. He goes by the name of Gizanoe." She explained quietly. "My client wishes to commission his talents for a very important job...however, it appears he has gone missing…"
"What exactly is this job?"
"I'm afraid that is a matter only to be discussed with Gizanoe himself…" Lucinda frowned when she heard this, but this was not altogether an unusual request, so she held her tongue.
"Where was the guy last seen?" The burly dwarf asked, stroking his bushy beard.
"He was last seen inside his home, a few hours ride from town. Rather secluded, which is how he prefers it."
"Reclusive?"
"More protective of his own creations. He's a brilliant mind. Eccentric, but brilliant." The hooded woman pulled a map from her cloak and handed it to Clyvor. On it was marked the location of Gizanoe's home.
"I see...would you be so kind as to excuse us a moment, ma'am?" The woman nodded, to which Lucinda and Clyvor stepped away for a private conference. "What do you think, Lucinda?" He asked his scholarly friend quietly.
"I don't trust her…" The pale wizard replied under her breath.
"Shocker…" Clyvor muttered sarcastically. "Beyond that, lass…"
"...if she is telling the truth, it may be worth investigating." Lucinda said, after leering at the dwarf for his comment. "The disappearance of a brilliant inventor never bodes well."
"I agree there…" The dwarf said with a nod before the two looked to the mystery woman. "Alright, ma'am. We'll take the job."
"Thank you so much, sir...my client will surely reward you handsomely." She replied before she rose from her seat. "Meet me at the Veiled Siren inn once you've found Gizanoe, or at least have information regarding his disappearance."
"Aye, ma'am." Clyvor said, before the woman took her leave. "Well, we better go find the others."
"I will go get Luanne, then seek out Lenina." Lucinda said.
"And I'll find Lanore and Lolavina." The two of them nodded in unison, the raven haired wizard headed for the stairs down to the basement while the mighty barbarian dashed outside.
Lenina, meanwhile, had approached the statue of the goddess of love and beauty in the city temple. As one would expect, the temple was rather crowded, with several worshippers around each statue, and Sune's was certainly no exception. She looked up at the marble and bronze statue of the gorgeous, long haired woman, wearing a very revealing, flowing robe. The gnomish cleric fell to her knees, put her hands together, closed her eyes, and started to pray under her breath. "Beautiful Sune...I pray for your forgiveness, for I have sinned…" She muttered, a tear dribbling from her eye. "I took the life of another creature recently…"
"...my darling child, Lenina…" The golden haired cleric's eyes sprang wide open in shock. For a second there, she could have sworn she heard the melodious voice of her goddess. She looked around for a moment, wondering it anyone else heard that. "Do not be alarmed, young one. I am speaking only to you at this moment." Her eyes grew as she slowly looked up at the statue, even though it wasn't moving in the slightest. "I have felt the great weight in your heart and-"
Lincoln was interrupted in his dialogue (in a soft, feminine voice) by the sound of barely disguised snickering and outright laughing. He stopped and glared around the table: Lola was red in the face, about to burst from the effort of holding in her laughter, Clyde was sweating, a silly grin on his face, Luna and Lana had both hands over their mouths to stifle their hysterics, and Lynn was rolling on the floor laughing. The only ones who weren't laughing at all were Leni (engaged in the roleplaying) and Lucy (though it was a VERY tough battle for her). "...something wrong?" He asked in a warning tone.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Lynn laughed, holding her sides. "That voice is hysterical coming out of you!"
"It works too well for you, Linky!" Lola finally spat out, laughing. That opened the floodgates, causing Luna, Lana, and Clyde to burst out in laughter.
"Sorry buddy, but it is pretty funny." Lincoln's nerdy friend apologized through his hysterics. The one son sighed and slowly turned toward his goth younger sister, who was shaking from the effort of holding in her laughs.
"...go ahead Lucy…" He said in a resigned voice. "Get it out of your system…"
"My apologies, Lincoln…" The poetic sister said before falling prey to a fit of giggles. Lincoln rested his head on his arm as he waited for everyone apart from Leni to stop laughing at him for his Sune voice.
"Why's everyone laughing?" The sweet, but air headed teen inquired.
"Didn't you hear that voice he did?" The sports centered teen asked, still laughing.
"Yeah. So? He was just, like, doing a voice for Sune, and I appreciate him doing that. Really gets me into the game."
"Thank you, Leni." He said to her, giving her a smile. It took a minute or two for the players to stop. The white haired GM decided not to bother waiting for Lynn to calm down, and attempted to soldier on.
"-and it saddened me greatly to feel such pain in you." The voice of Sune said in Lenina's head. The kind hearted healer's face fell when she heard this. "Oh no. I am not scolding you, Lenina, nor am I upset."
"You aren't?" The surprised Lenina asked quietly.
"Certainly not. Yes, I do not usually approve of the slaughter of other living creatures. However, I understand that to survive, my priests need to defend themselves, as well as those they love most. What had occurred under the sea was exactly that; you protecting a friend you hold so dear." Lenina felt a smile starting to spread across her face, her eyes starting to fill with more tears. "You are a great priestess, Lenina. Continue to let your heart be your guide, and you shan't be led astray."
"I will, my goddess…" The voice of Sune soon left her mind as she got to her feet again.
"...feeling better, Lenina?" Lucinda inquired out of nowhere, causing the gnome and those around her to jump and gasp.
"Oh. Hello Lucinda." The follower of Sune said, once she realized it was just her dark cloaked friend. "Yes. I am feeling more at ease, thank you."
"Good. Come with me. We have our first job of the guild…" The half elf wizard explained, starting to escort her out of the temple.
"Wonderful." Lenina chirped, smiling brightly. The two of them reunited with the others in front of their favorite tavern, where they immediately took notice of the new face among them.
"There you are, lasses...say, where's Luanne?" Clyvor asked, noticing the rogue was absent.
"Sigh. She couldn't get away from the vault work." Lucinda explained. "She wants to make sure it was positively thief proof." She then turned to Lunaris. "And who may I ask are you?"
"Names Lunaris, mate. Might I get your names?"
"I am Lucinda, scholar and practitioner of magic." The raven haired half elf introduced herself.
"And I am Lenina. A pleasure to meet you." The cleric with the long gold hair said, shaking the tall drow's hand.
"Likewise. So, what's this job you were talking about, Clyvor?" The dark elf bard asked, turning to the powerful dwarf.
"We were asked to find a missing person." Clyvor explained, motioning them all to huddle up. "A gnome inventor named Gizanoe is being sought for some important work, but he had recently gone missing…"
"So we gotta track him down?" Lanore inquired.
"Exactly."
"According to our client, he was last seen at his own home…" Lucinda elaborated, Clyvor getting the map out to show them all.
"It's a bit of a distance, but I think we can manage." The dragonborn ranger said with a small smile. "When do we leave?"
"ASAP." The powerful dwarf stated. "We'll want to get there before it gets too dark."
"Then let's ride, mates!" Lunaris exclaimed as she ran for the stables, Lanore following close behind.
"I'll catch up in a bit, lassies." Clyvor called out. "Gonna grab a few supplies."
"And I should go get my ladder." Lenina said, running toward the guild hall.
"We'll meet you outside the city." Lucinda replied, walking with Lolavina toward the stables.
It took the unofficial leader of the group about forty minutes to meet up with the others, his bag full of rations and a few essentials. The trip wasn't necessarily long, but he wanted to be safe. These things rarely ever went as planned after all. The hours long journey to the inventor's house was fairly uneventful, save for an ambush by a few bugbear bandits in the woods (in which Lincoln's sisters learned of the random encounter). Nothing they couldn't handle. As the sun was starting to set, they finally arrive at their destination: a massive manor house built of wood, bronze and marble. It was as large as a palace, with marble pillars supporting the roof over the porch. Large bronze gears decorated the exterior walls, with a particular big cog right over the gilded front door. From the side of the house they could see, there were at least fifteen windows between the first and second floors, all with the curtains drawn. The surrounding woods were several yards away, with no bushes, hedges, or even tall grass anywhere near the building. Only a few tree stumps, cut as close to the ground as possible. "...Wow." Lolavina said in awe as she looked at the impressive structure.
"It's so big…" Lenina commented.
"Seems being an inventor is working out nicely for him." Clyvor said, clearly quite impressed.
"Seems he is also paranoid of intruders…" Lucinda said as she looked at the wide open space around the house. "We should approach with caution…"
"Surein, you are right there, Luc. Lanore, think you can-"
"Hey guys. The door is locked." All eyes went to the door, where Lenina was trying to open the door. Clyvor face palmed and Lucina sighed loudly.
"Lenina, next time, don't just try to open an unknown door…" The pale half elf said in an irritated tone. "It could have been trapped."
"Oh. Sorry…" The gnome cleric replied apologetically.
"It's alright, lass, but you need to be careful, especially without Luanne with us." Clyvor said as he and the others moved closer. "Hmmmm. Anyone have any skill with unlocking?"
"No...but I have a spell that may help." Lunaris said. "Back up, just in case." Her five allies and Hops Sr all backed away from the door as the drow's hands started to glow. "...knock knock." She chanted.
"Who's there?" Lana responded, getting groans from her siblings.
"What was that about, Lana?" Clyde inquired, tilting his head. "That was more something I expect from Luan."
"Yeah, but since she's not here, someone had to do it." The handy gal replied with a shrug.
"Fair enough, I guess."
After casting the spell, a loud knocking sound rang from the door as it magically unlocked. Clyvor and Lanore reached for their weapons in case there was trouble. Nothing so far. The dark haired dwarf slowly approached the door and tried to open it. Still nothing happened. "...Looks like it's alright." To be safe, he went in first, the others following suite once they were all sure nothing happened. The entry room of the manor was VERY lavishly decorated: The floor right in front of the door was lined with several yards of red carpet, leading up to a set of mahogany stairs with polished banisters. The floor was all shining gray tile A few suits of gnome sized suits of armor stood beside either side of the stairs. Overhead was a sterling silver and crystal chandelier. There were at least three doors in either direction to the left or right of the enormous room on the ground floor, and several more on the upper level.
"Woooooow…." Lanore said once more.
"It's even more grand on the inside…" A wonderstruck Lolavina said with a big grin on her face. "...do you think we could keep this place if we can't find Gizanoe?" Clyvor, Lanore, and Lucinda slowly turned to look at her with a glare, not noticing as the rug shuddered a bit under them. "...what?"
"...well, here we are…" Clyvor said, not even dignifying what she said. "The place looks pretty well maintained, so he probably hasn't been gone long."
"No sign of a struggle either...least not here." Lunaris commented.
"Indeed. But we can't rule out the possibility of kidnap anyway." Lucinda said, the rug twitching again, though no one noticed.
"So, how do we proceed?" The drow bard asked as the crew started toward the stairs. As soon as they stepped off the carpet, it sprang to life, wrapping tightly around Lanore. The dragonborn gasped, which was muffled by the thick cotton carpet.
"Lanore!" Clyvor shouted. Before he could act, the two suits of armor came to life, each holding a battle ax. "Ah, for the love of…"
"Should have known it wasn't going to be that easy…" Lolavina said as she readied herself for battle.
"Lunaris, think you can handle the other armor?"
"No problem." The musical elf said with a smirk, drawing her two swords.
"Right then. I'll take this one. Lucinda, try and get Lanore out of that rug." Clyvor instructed, charging at the enchanted armor to the left.
"Got it. Lenina, Lolavina…"
"One step ahead of you." Lolavina said, moving over near the drow bard engaging the right armor, while Lenina stood between everyone, ready to help whoever needed her most.
"...don't it just figure. I win initiative…" Lana complained, looking a little sour.
"Oooh...Sorry, Lana…" Lincoln said with a pained expression, rolling some dice behind his screen. "...but Lanore takes eight points of damage."
"WHAT!?" Lynn snapped, looking angry. "What for!?"
"Lanore was attacked by an animated object called a Rug of Smothering." The one son explained, showing his hotheaded older sister the entry in the Monster Manual. "While it has someone in its grasp, it deals damage every one of their turns." The sporty sister leered at the page, then grumbled something . "Calm down, Lynn. They're pretty good players. They'll find a way out of this. Besides, there has to be an element of danger, or there's not much adventure."
"I guess…."
The dragonborn ranger struggled and squirmed in the grip of the constricting carpet, choking as the air was being squeezed out of her, with no ability to get any more. She flexed her draconic muscles to try and break free, but she couldn't quite manage it. The right most armor acted next, swinging its axe at Lunaris. However, the dark elf was quite agile and able to easily avoid the swing, while retaliating with a swing from her main hand sword and a thrust from her off hand weapon. "Looks like you just can't hack it, mate." She stung with a smirk.
("Oh, please tell me you're not going to do that every battle…" Lola groaned, gripping the bridge of her nose. "It's bad enough we have Luan doing that every day." Luna chuckled nervously, her eyes kinda darting back and forth.)
Lucinda looked down at the animated rug, the gears in her head turning. There's no way that rug could be mechanical, so it must be magical, she reasoned. 'And if that's the case, I can do this.' She thought to herself. "Mystic powers, cleanse the magical influence upon this object. Dispel magic!" The living carpet trebled and twitched violently as Lucy's spell affected it, before it fell limp. With that out of the way, she knelt down and started to help Lanore out of the entanglement of silk.
"Whew. Thanks Lucinda." The dragonborn gal said after taking a deep breath.
"Anytime." The half elf wizard replied as she helped her up.
"Brilliant, Luc!" Clyvor called out as his hammer slammed into the helmet of the suit of armor threatening him and his team, knocking its head clean off. It didn't stop it in the slightest, but it gave the dwarf a bit of a chuckle. That wasn't all either, as he had a second attack coming to him. The next swing knocked off the left arm from the animated enemy.
"Magic missile!" Lolavina chanted, unleashing a barrage of force darts into the animated armor doing battle with Lunaris. The attack put some serious dents into it to go with the scratches the bard had left. While the group had their focus on the armor and the rug, the chandelier started to shake on the ceiling. The clattering got the attention of Lanore's giant frog companion, who looked up just as a rain of crystal shards started to fall toward Lanore and Lucinda. Reacting quickly, Hops Sr stuck his long tongue out, wrapping it around his best friend's wrist and pulling her out of the way. The pale wizard simply looked up, raising one fist into the air. From the ring on that hand, a shimmering shield had formed, deflecting the sharp pieces of crystal away from her.
("Sometimes, one extra point in AC makes all the difference." Lucy commented with a satisfied smile).
"Whew. That was close. Thanks partner." Lanore said with a smile, patting Hops Sr on the nose.
"Ah, bloody hell…" The burly barbarian grumbled as he looked up at the ceiling fixture, paying his opponent little mind as it managed to leave a gash in his arm with its ax. "Sneaky…"
"Let's focus on these goons first." Lunaris suggested. "Don't think it'll be able to have another go at us anytime soon anyway."
"With Sune's love, be healed." Lenina chanted as she magically mended Clyvor's injury. With her freedom from the constricting carpet, Lanore took the chance to help her latest ally do battle with the empty suit of armor. She moved to the right flank of the animated suit and slashed at it with her scimitar, putting a deep scratch into it.
"Cheers, Lanore." The drow bard said, ducking under the next swing of the ax. "Ha. You couldn't hit the broadside of a dragon!" She taunted the animated construct, a dark purple magical aura surrounding it.
"Uh...Luna…" Lincoln started to say as his rock and roll sister was rolling some dice.
"Seven. That's seven psychic damage." Luna declared with a smile.
"Actually...no." The white haired DM said with an apologetic look, his third oldest sister looking at him a little confused. "The animated armor is a construct, and constructs are immune to psychic damage. Your Vicious Mockery spell can't hurt them."
"Really? Aw man...I made a mistake, yes I did, yes I did…" Luna groaned, face palming and shaking her head in embarrassment..
"Don't worry about it, Luna. We all make that kind of mistake sometimes." Clyde said, trying to comfort her. "Lincoln here once tried to cast sleep on an elf."
"It was my first time playing…" Lincoln replied defensively, his cheeks turning kinda red.
"My point exactly. It's just something that happens." The african american boy said. "It's how we learn."
"I guess...and it's not like it really threw the battle askew for us." Luna commented with a slight smile.
"Exactly."
The pale wizard stepped out from under the hanging iron fixture before turning her attention to the ambulatory armor currently attempting to menace the agile bard. With a wave of her hand, the construct getting pelted with enough magic missiles to end its simulated life for good. Clyvor followed up with a solid hit with his hammer, ending the second walking metal suit in an instant. "Three down, and one to go." The burly dwarf said, looking up at the barren chandelier.
"But how are we going to get up to it?" Lanore inquired.
"I dunno, but lucky for us, we don't need to worry about that." Lolavina replied. "Scorching Ray!" She chanted, sending three fiery orange beams of magic toward the hanging ornament. The first beam struck it hard, melting one of it's metal bars. The other two, however, missing. When they hit the wall and ceiling, the beams simply fizzled instead of igniting them. "Huh?"
"He must have magic proofed his home." Lucinda commented. "Not sure if it's to protect his home from his experiments, or possible magical attack...either way, rather clever." Just then, the chandelier started to vibrate, causing a somewhat annoying humming. The crystals it had dropped before were levitating back up to their original fixtures. That didn't bode very well to the two veteran players of the game, though the rest of the crew were somewhat uneasy too.
"Oh! I have an idea!" Lenina suddenly chirped. She reached into her pack and pulled out her portable ladder. "Extend!" Her magical tool of elevation stretched itself out until it could reach the chandelier.
"Hey. Not a bad idea there." Clyvor said with an approving nod. "Only one of us can get up there, but it's a step in the right direction."
"Thanks."
"You can take it, lassie." The dark skinned dwarf told the draconic ranger as he pulled out a sling from his side.
"Thanks, buddy." Lanore said, positioning herself on the ladder and starting to climb up to her target. She lashed out with her curved sword, scratching the surface of its metal form, followed by a second swing that scratched the chain. Lunaris looked up at the enchanted chandelier with a frown. None of her offensive spells could really affect it, and she couldn't really get into a good position to help Lanore, so she had to bide her time. The somewhat brooding wizard, on the other hand, had plenty of options to help, and she planned to stick to the most tried and true of them all: magic missiles. A torrent of magical energy flew from her hand and pelted the animated object, causing it to tremble and shake with each hit. The dwarven barbarian reached in a pouch at his hip, drawing a glowing pellet from it. After loading it into his sling, he hurled the bullet at the chandelier, shattering a few of the crystals in the attack. The second shot, however, went wide and bounced off the ceiling.
"Goddess, please grant me your protection from the evils of the world…" Lolavina prayed, a glowing shield surrounding her. This seemed like good timing, as the chandelier started to shake again, the pointed crystals pointing out in all directions.
"Uh oh…" The six party members said together as the shards burst out from fixture, attacking everyone at once. Each shard didn't do much damage each, but a lot of them were launched at them all. Lanore took the most damage, being closest to the epicenter, getting gashes all over her body. Even Lucy's shield couldn't stop them all, resulting in her taking damage. Lolavina was feeling pretty confident when she saw the pointed crystals flying toward her, but the shield did nothing to stop them, the magical princess taking quite a bit of damage too.
"Hey! How come my shield didn't help!?" Lola asked indignantly.
"Sorry, Lola, but the spell only protects from evil. The animated objects are true neutral, so the attacks aren't stopped." Lincoln explained to her.
"Ah….nuts…" The pageant princess grumbled.
"Wait...so this alignment stuff can really matter?" Luna asked in surprise.
"Sometimes, apart from fitting character personalities. Some spells have effects and monsters have abilities that work better against good or evil, or even lawful or chaotic characters."
'Duly noted.' Lynn thought to herself. 'Wait...why would it matter to me? I'm never gonna play this stupid game...right?'
"Ugh…that hurt…" Lanore groaned, holding the deepest slash on her leg.
"Lovely goddess, spread your love to all these wounded heroes…" Lenina chanted, everyone nearby her being bathed in a holy light, healing them all a modest amount. The gnomish cleric smiled, pleased with how that worked, even if it didn't heal everyone completely.
"Cheers, luv." Lunaris said, giving her the thumbs up.
"Yeah, thanks." The draconian gal said appreciatively. "Now, I'm gonna pay this silver pest back in kind!" Lanore took hold of her sword in both hands and swung as hard as she could. The first swing connected solidly with the chain holding the chandelier up. The second swing...also struck home, severing through the links that held the metal fixture up. "...uh oh…" The dragonborn suddenly realized what was about to happen as both the chandelier and the ladder started to fall toward the ground, taking her with them. The tangle of silver fell right onto the immobile rug while Lanore fell off the ladder after it had hit the ground. She was dazed, but thankfully not harmed.
"You ok, Lanore me lassie?" Clyvor asked as he helped her up.
"Yeah...I think so...Just kinda rattled, is all…" The dragonborn animal master replied as she got to her feet and started to recover.
"Looks like it's over now." Lucinda commented with a sigh of relief. "Now, we just need to find Gizanoe…"
"We should probably split up to investigate." Clyvor suggested, putting his hammer away. "I'll lead the group searching the ground floor."
"And I'll lead the crew searching upstairs." Lanore offered.
"We'll meet back here in...about an hour, and search the basement, if there is one."
"This won't really take an hour, will it?" Lynn asked Lincoln, getting a little antsy.
"Probably not." He replied with a chuckle. "But investigations can take a little time."
"You see, Lynn, this game isn't all about bashing monsters, though it is a key element." Clyde started to explain. "There's a lot more to it. Puzzles and traps, diplomacy, mystery solving, character development, it all comes together to create a great adventure."
"So right now, we're looking for clues, right?" Lana inquired.
"Sure are."
"Great! This is the perfect time for Lanore to do some tracking." The handy gal exclaimed with joy.
"And if we find someone, I can question them." Lola added eagerly. "My ring of the silver tongue will make it so easy."
"Well, what are we waiting for, girls?" Luna asked with a grin. "The call to adventure comes!"
The six adventurers split up in the entry chamber, with Clyvor, Lunaris and Lucinda exploring the lower floor, and Lanore, Lenina, Lolavina, and Hops Sr searching upstairs. The first room they came across appeared to be a guest room, consisting of a pair of nice twin sized beds, a large wardrobe and dresser, a bronze candlestick, and a bedside table between the beds. There didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary there, so they moved on. The next few rooms were more guest rooms, and a broom cupboard, which were also devoid of clues. The fourth room, however, was much larger than the others. An incredibly spacious master bedroom, with a large canopy bed, a large dresser opposite the bed, a desk in the corner completely covered in papers, books and spent quills, a nightstand equally littered with papers, and a comfy chair in the other back corner with a bronze candlestick on a tiny table beside it. "Wow. Here's a guy who does his homework." Lanore commented, looking at all the papers.
"Check them out. Maybe there's a clue among them." Lolavina instructed, moving over to the desk. Hops Sr watched the door, as he was a little too big to get in. While the Dragonborn and the Elf princess searched through all the papers, Lenina moved over to the bed. She gently prodded the mattress, discovering it was very soft. The gnomish healer smiled, then climbed right onto the bed, laying on her back.
"Mmmmm. This is so luxurious…"
"Lenina, this isn't the time to nap…" The golden haired princess objected, not even looking at the ditzy cleric. If she had, she would have noticed the blankets creeping up around Lenina.
"Hmmm. Looks like Gizanoe was hard at work on something up here…" Lanore commented as she looked at the papers. A few seemed to have diagrams of humanoid like beings, made of various other metals and materials. However, the ranger couldn't make heads or tails of them.
"Any idea what they mean?"
"Nope. You?"
"Not a clue." Lolavina replied with a sigh, picking up a few that looked important to her. Perhaps Lucinda could make sense of it. "Grab whatever you can. We'll try and figure it out later, when we regroup." The beast master nodded, putting whatever looked vital to her into her pack. With papers gathered, the two started to search the drawers of the dresser and nightstand. Meanwhile, the comforters on the bed had wrapped around Lenina on both sides. It wasn't crushing her, nor was it trying to hold her. It was actually really comfortable, so the cleric didn't really notice.
"Nothing here…" Lanore commented with frustration, closing the drawer on the nightstand.
"I found a key." The magical princess said, pulling an old, large brass key from the dresser. She quickly put it in her pocket, then turned back to their golden haired healer. "Well well, don't you look comfy…" She said with a disapproving look and tone. "All wrapped up and cozy."
"Wrapped up?" Lenina asked, looking down at the covers. "When did that happen?"
"Wait...you didn't do that?" Lanore asked. The somewhat oblivious gnome shook her head, which alarmed her fellow adventurers.
"Get off of there!" They exclaimed together, grabbing her by the legs and yanking her off the bed. The moment they did, the bed and covers reached out for her with pseudopod like limbs, desperate to get its hands on her.
"Dude...a mimic." Clyde said, looking to his friend. "Sneeeaky."
"It's like the whole house is a trap." Luna commented, looking down at the map. "Can't trust anything…"
"Well, I'm not letting this thing get us!" Lola snapped, rolling for initiative with Lana.
"I'll teach you to keep your...whatever those are, to yourself!" Lolavina yelled, raising her hand as it was surrounded by fire, while Lanore drew her scimitar. The living furniture suddenly snapped back to normal, except it was shaking like a leaf. "Scorch-!"
"No!" Lenina shouted, leaping between the princess and the mimic. Her sudden intrusion made Lolavina flinch, the spell fizzling.
"Lenina! What are you doing!?" The draconic ranger inquired.
"It doesn't mean any harm." The follower of Sune said, her arms spread. "Look at it...it's far more frightened of us than we are of it."
"That's debatable…" The Sugarland royal mumbled. The gnome paid her no mind, turning to walk over beside the bed. She gently stroked the surface of the bed in order to calm it.
"Sssshhh. Shhhh. It's ok. Nobody here is going to hurt you." She said in a sweet, soothing voice. The object imitating monster seemed to calm down, reaching a shapeless limb up to brush against her cheek. "Aww. You're just a big sweetie, aren't you?" The ranger and sorceress looked at one another for a moment, wondering if they were really seeing what they were. "You see? It's friendly." The cleric said, patting its limb tenderly.
"Really, Linc…?" Lynn asked, looking pretty disappointed. She was hoping for a good fight.
"What? I like to keep my players guessing." The white haired boy said with a smile and a shrug. "Some monsters are a threat, some aren't. But some players just see a monster and try and kill it."
"Huh...now I feel kind of bad I was about to chop it into wood chips…" Lana said, rubbing the back of her head, looking guilty.
"I like it. It's a nice change of pace, from something trying to hurt us to a snuggly kind of monster." Leni said with a bright smile. Now it was Lola's turn to look really sad. "Aww. Don't feel bad, Lola. We all make mistakes."
"It's not that…" She replied, looking up at her brother. "...now I want a snuggly bed…" Lincoln couldn't help but chuckle at this adorable display.
"Well, save up your coins and maybe we can arrange something." He said to her, hoping it would get her spirits back up, and it seemed to work alright.
"Huh...that's certainly something you don't see every day." Lanore said, putting her weapon away. "I wonder where he got it…"
"Or made it, if he's really that clever." Lolavina pointed out. "And why?"
"Well, if Gizanoe lives here all by himself, I'm sure it's nice to have such a cuddly creature to keep him company." Lenina suggested, the pseudopod nodding.
"Yeah. I could see that."
"And it could protect him in his sleep too, since no one would expect a bed to fight back." Lanore theorized. "You know, if that's the case...maybe it knows what happened to Gizanoe."
"Good thinking." Lolavina said with a smile. "Lenina, you've already bonded with it. Why don't you try talking to it?"
"Sure." The kindly gnome said, focusing on the bed again. "Do you know what happened to Mr Gizanoe?" The lump of blanket nodded to her. "What happened to him?" The mimic started to wiggle, squirming around in an incomprehensible manner. "Uh...I'm not sure I understand."
"Perhaps we should stick to yes or no questions." The humanoid dragon gal suggested, as the imitator monster kinda slumped sadly.
"Ok. Uh...is he still in the house?" The comforter started to nod, but then shook as if to say no. "Yes and no?"
"Was Gizanoe attacked or kidnapped?" Lolavina asked, getting a shake from the mimic.
"So he is safe at least." Lanore deducted. "And might be somewhere in the house. Can you tell us where to find him?" Another shake. "Do you know where he is?" The mimic nodded.
"So it knows, but can't say? Is it a secret?" Lenina inquired, getting one last nod from the creature.
"Sounds like he's in hiding." The scaled ranger said. "Well, we're a bit further along than when we started."
"Yeah...Lanore, do you think you could find some way to track him from here?" The elven princess asked as Lenina pet the mimic for all its help.
"I could try. It's not as easy inside a house as it is out in nature…" She replied before she started to search the floor for clues.
While all this was going on, Clyvor, Lunaris and Lucinda were exploring the ground floor of the manor. Much like the adventurer's exploring the upper level, they didn't have much luck at first. A storage closet with a few brooms, a dining room the size of a banquet hall complete with an extremely long, ornate table, and a drawing room with next to nothing in it. Then, they came across a door on either side of the hall. Against their better judgement, they decided to split up; Lucinda and Lunaris went to the left, Clyvor to the right. The moment the necromancer opened the door, her eyes widened under all her hair. They had come across Gizanoe's library: easily the second largest room in the house. The walls were completely lined with bookshelves filled with books. There was a second level platform leading around the room, accessed by a spiral staircase from the ground floor, and a doorway on the second floor. The floor was covered by a giant red and gold area rug, with a few easy chairs on the far end of the room besides tables with reading light candles, as well as the biggest writing desk either of them had ever seen, shut tight by the look of it. The wizard looked about with pure wonder on her face, the drow bard sticking close to her. "Wow...this guy loved his books."
"I don't even know where to start…" Lucinda commented, her eyes scanning the shelves.
"I guess just pick a book and brow-" Lunaris started to say, pulling one random book from the shelves. However, when she opened it, she found it was completely blank on the inside. "...what the?"
"What is it?"
"There's nothing written in this one…" The half elf raised an eyebrow (not that it showed) and picked one of the other books from the same shelf.
"Same with this one…" The pale spellcaster moved to another bookshelf and tried a tome from that set. Inside, she found a beginner's guide to creation spells; an instructional book on crafting items and constructs on the most basic level. "Hmmm. This one has writing in it."
"This one too." The drow musician pointed out as she tried a different shelf.
"Curious...it seems only that shelf has books without text." Lucinda commented, looking back to that one towering book holder. "I wonder why…"
"One way to find out." The twin blade carrying bard said, as she started to pull book after book off the shelf. While she was doing that, Lucinda continued to flip through the guide in her hand. She couldn't resist, plus she could possibly get a little insight on Gizanoe. The pile of knowledge devoid books started to grow as the lady drow continued her search. She was about halfway through the lot when she found something: a book hidden in a secret compartment. "'Ello. What's all this then?"
"Did you find something, Lunaris?" The raven haired necromancer inquired, turning away from the book she was looking into.
"I bet I did." She answered, pulling the leather bound tome from its place. The moment she had, however, they both heard the fluttering of pages behind them. The two adventurers turned to see a flock of flapping books in the air, looking like a colony of bats. They all suddenly swooped down upon them, smacking into their heads, arms and bodies before flapping away from them. "Ow! Ouch! Bug off, you bloody chuffers!" Lunaris shouted, trying to swat the airborne volumes.
"Ow! This must be some kind of failsafe. The book must be vital." Lucinda theorized, holding her hand up. Her ring of force shield created an almost invisible barrier between her and the few books, repelling them. However, the majority of them were attacking her ally, slamming into her left, right and center.
"Ouch! Ouch! That's it!" The bard snapped, dropping the codex to the ground and drawing her twin blades.
"Magic missile!" The young wizard chanted, sending torrents of force darts into the books of blank pages. Fortunately, each projectile was able to down an animated object each time. Lunaris followed suite, torn pages filling the air with each slash of her swords. However, there were still many more books in the swarm, and, though their hit and run tactics weren't very damaging, their sheer numbers made it add up quickly.
"Gah. This is rough…" Luna said, frowning as her hp total fell below half. "And it's only the first round of combat…"
"Maybe we shouldn't have split up." Clyde said in a worried tone.
"Don't suppose you have a plan, Luce?" The eight year old goth looked at the board before her, specifically the figure of their opponent: a cluster of books.
"I think so." She replied, looking toward her DM brother. "Lincoln, swarm enemies count as a single entity, right?"
"Technically, it is. At least in my eyes." He answered.
"Then yes. I have a plan."
A few more hostile volumes slam against Lucinda's force shield as she raised her hand toward the swirling mass of hardbacks. "Dispel Magic!" She bellowed, a brilliant flash of light emitting from her hand. As it shone over the many books, they froze in place until they all fell down.
"...bloody brilliant, Lucinda." The drow bard said, putting her swords away. She was kind of bruised from the brief pummeling she had received, and the half elf had a few paper cuts from the few books that had managed to pass her shield. "Here. Let me tend our wounds." She said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder, and the other over her heart, "Let the music heal your soul!" The bard chanted, healing energies going through her hands into the both of them. Lucinda's few cuts recovered in an instant, and Lunaris looked much better now (though not fully healed).
"Thanks." The pale lady responded with a light smile before her friend picked up the dropped book. "...let's get out of here before those books get back up again."
"I second that." The musician said, leaving with all haste with her ally. The moment they emerged, Clyvor had emerged from the room across the way. He was backing out of the room, his hammer in hand.
"Clyvor?" Lucinda inquired, just as a clay creature twice their size stomped to the door the barbarian had just backed out of. He crouched down to pass through the doorway, looking down at the trio with carved eyes. Apart from its face, which had the details of a neanderthal man, it was almost entirely a featureless mass of hardened clay. Lucinda and Lunaris gasped and braced themselves for a fight.
"...pardon me, sir, madams…" The constructed spoke in a gravely, yet polite voice, which surprised the group. His mouth doesn't move at all, though the voice still rang out from it. "...but please do put those away. The master does not approve of weapons being drawn within his home."
"Oh...sorry." The dark skinned dwarf replied, putting his weapon away, just like his bardic ally. "Ye just startled me, creeping up all quiet like."
"Ah. My apologies, my good man. Now then, do you have business with Master Gizanoe?"
"We do." Lunaris answered, stepping forward to interact with the earthen monster. "I'm afraid we cannot go into details with anyone other than Gizanoe."
"I understand, ma'am. However, I am afraid the master is frightfully busy." The golem replied, almost emotionlessly. "And he would be most displeased if he were interrupted in this stage of his research."
"I'm afraid we must insist." The half elf wizard replied, with only barely more emotion than the living lump before them.
"Very well, ma'am. If you wish to wait for the master, you are free to do so. However, I cannot promise he will return any time soon."
"Return? Where is he iffin he isn't here?" Clyvor asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I am not at liberty to discuss that, sir." The construct servant answered before turning back. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to the kitchen. Good day, sir, ladies." The man like being of clay said before he departed.
"So Gizanoe isn't in the house…" The drow bard mused aloud, arms crossed in front of her.
"Where could he be then?" The barbarian wondered, looking up and down the hall.
"Perhaps there's a clue in that book we found." Lucinda commented, turning to the dual sword wielder. "May I?"
"Be my guest, guv." Lunaris handed the tome over to the wizard, who opened it up and started to look through its pages.
"...fascinating…" She said quietly. "It's a journal by Gizanoe, describing his work, past and recent."
"Really? Bonus." The magical musician said with a smile.
"Quite. It seems like his recent works have been toward the creation of living constructs, much like what we just encountered recently." Lucinda explained, flipping through pages. "Starting with the animated objects, and working up to golems. That clay golem seemed to be one of his latest experiments…"
"Did a mighty good job on it; at least with bringing it to life." Clyvor commented before he criticized. "Can't say much for the design…"
"He seemed less than satisfied too." The raven haired spellcaster continued, her eyes glued to the pages. "He doesn't really specify why, but he says he felt that something was missing from his creations. That he would be returning to his lab to figure it out...that was the latest entry."
"So the fella's in his lab, eh?" The bold and mighty dwarf said, stroking his beard. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find this lab of his."
Meanwhile, Lanore was starting to follow the trail (or what she believed to be the trail) of the missing gnome inventor, tailed closely by her amphibian friend, the elf princess and gnomish priestess. The tracks were only barely visible, thanks to specks of dried ink, and led the group back to the entry room, down the stairs, and through the passage on the opposite side of where the second group had ventured. This hall was dark and mostly barren, save for one door at the end of the hall to the left. It was larger than any of them, reinforced with iron, with a large metal door handle and lock. "Well...this is where I think the trail leads." Lanore said, looking up at the door.
"Even if it's not, it looks important." Lolavina commented, trying to open the door. However, she couldn't get it to budge in the slightest. "Of course...locked."
"...and none of us has any skill at unlocking...great." The draconic beast master groaned in frustration.
"So what do we do now?" Lenina asked, looking to the ranger and sorceress.
"...well, I found a key upstairs in Gizanoe's room." The blonde spell slinger said, pulling out the brass key. They didn't have any other ideas, so they decided to give it a try. Lolavina put the key into the hole, tried to turn it and...click. The door unlocked with ease. "Well, that was easy…" ("...and that scares me." Lola admitted, and she looked like it.) It took both Lanore and Lenina to push the door open. Inside was a large alchemy lab, so crowded with tables of equipment that only one of gnomish size could effectively get around. Beakers, flasks, vials, glass tubes, mortars and pestles, books, paper; each table as disorganized a mess as the desk upstairs. Everything was covered in a layer of dust, with jars of old, rotted reagents on the far wall. "Ugh...what a slob…"
"Guess neatness doesn't really count when it comes to tinkering." Lanore commented as the two of them entered the laboratory. What they didn't see was an alcove right by the door, with a man sized, ornate suit of plate armor, holding a steel longsword in its hands at rest. Behind it was a large iron shield. To either side, in small indents along the walls were wood and brass ballista with ornate dragon heads where the darts were launched from. The eyes on the dragon heads of the bolt throwers turned to look at the trio of intruders as they crossed the threshold, just like the helmeted head of the armor. The giant frog stood watch at the door, making sure nothing tried to ambush them from outside. "Looks like no one has been here in ages…"
"Strange...you would think an alchemist would be in his lab every day…" The elven princess mused as she carefully tried to move through the room, trying not to knock over anything.
"Maybe he's been in hiding for a long time?" Lenina suggested.
"Possible…" The princess replied softly before moving over to the desk by the spoiled ingredients to look at the notes, as Lanore looked at the materials scattered across the many tables. While they were investigating, Lenina felt a sharp prick of pain in her arm.
"Ow!" She squeaked and winced, holding her arm. A small dart was stuck to her. Before any of them could find out what happened, two more darts flew through the air at Lanore. The first bounced off her armor, but the second pierced her leg and scales.
"Agh! Where'd that come from!?" The ranger asked angrily, pulling the dart out of her leg.
"I don't know…" Lolavina answered, turning around. The moment she did, she screamed at the sight of the towering metal armor striding out of the alcove, glowing red energy where a person's limbs and face would be if someone were wearing them. It grabbed the shield behind it, its focus right on Lenina. It stepped toward her, slamming a table aside with its shield, shattering all the glass objects on it. Lanore drew her curved sword, ready to rush into combat, but Hops Sr made the first move. He sprang into the room and headbutt the enchanted metal construct from behind. The animated threat didn't even flinch from the back strike, ignoring Hops Sr.
Following the heroic frog's charge, a fourth dart flew from the wall right beside Lolavina, aimed at Lenina's back. Fortunately, it missed the gnome cleric. Even more fortunate, the fire flinging elf saw where it came from. "So...that's where that little pest is." She commented with a grin. "Magic missile!" She exclaimed, pointing her hand at the little hidey hole of the living dart thrower. A single force burst was enough to shatter the unseen threat, so she focused the rest of her attack on the armor. However, when the bolts struck it, they just fizzled upon contact.
"Lincoln." Lynn growled through gritted teeth. "Explain. Now." She was NOT happy with her brother. Lola was upset as well, but right now, she was more surprised by the intervention.
"That's no normal armor, Lynn. It's much more powerful." The white haired DM explained, shrinking behind his screen. "It has resistances...and immunities." He ducked down completely, preparing for the worst. However, his sporty sister simply limped around the table, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up where everyone could see him
"Magic immunity!? How is that fair!? What kind of game are you running here, Stinklon!?" She yelled at him right into his face.
"Magic immunity? Oh no no!" Lincoln responded hastily, shaking his head so quickly, he almost made himself dizzy. "It's not completely magic immune. Just...just to certain spells. One of them happened to be magic missile…"
"Lynn, let him go…" Clyde said nervously, which got the attention of the furious brunette. "It'll be fine. Our group should be able to hear the commotion, we'll be right there to help them...together we can take it."
"Yeah. What he said." Luna agreed with a firm nod. "Let the little dude go, and let us go with the flow. Every little thing will be alright in the end." The hot tempered teen looked between her sister and the little glasses wearing nerd at the table for a moment before she released her brother and returned to her own seat.
"What was that about?" Lucy inquired quietly, leaning back to speak with her roommate. She smirked a bit before continuing. "Getting invested in the game?"
"What? No. I'm not interested in such a nerd game…" Lynn quietly denied, glaring at her little sister. "I...I just care about fair play is all, and this doesn't seem fair at all."
"Of course you do." The little goth replied, still smirking in a smart aleck manner as she returned to her original position, looking at the situation on the map. She couldn't deny that this was a bad situation; a more powerful suit of animated armor, with immunity to magic missile, possibly other spells, and resistances that they didn't know about yet. Add onto that hidden enemies hurling darts at them, and she knew this battle wasn't going to be easy. Their group would have to move quick to get there, or Lanore, Lolavina and Lenina will get cut to ribbons...
AN: Lunaris
Drow College of Lore Bard level 5
Str: 8 Dex: 17 Con: 10 Int: 13 Wis: 13 Cha: 18
Weapon: Dual short swords, short bow Armor: Studded Leather
Prof Skills: Perform, Insight, History, Athletics, Acrobatics, Perception
Favored spells: Utility spells, music or sound based spells, charisma based spells