112 - Ouch! That hurt! Report

General Summary

Fresh off their victory against the minotaur, the party prepares as a small cat ventures into the arena only for it to sprint off followed by a seemingly normal chicken. A moment later the four flailing tentacles erupting from its mouth tell a different story. A valiant fight results in a victory for the party though they do sustain a fair number of injuries. Iris spends a fair amount of time floating near the ceiling, striking from afar.    After slaying the beast, the Killer summons a powerful magic user into the arena. As the party begins their assault they quickly discover that this being is wearing a cloak that absorbs magic and returns it back to the next person to cast a spell on them. Switching to more conventional means spells defeat for the sorcerer in short order.    Finally, impressed by their progress, the killer drops into the arena to fight the battered and beaten party himself. He uses powerful restoration magic to make things a fair fight while revives the rest of the combatants. He also whispers to the party that the page they seek is hidden in the sewers via a hidden access in the other holding cell and if he's slain there will be riots. A heroic four ways versus match ensues. As the killing blow lands on "The Killer" he reveals that he is of the line of Kor.    As his body slumps, time around them stops and The Killer is possessed by a ghostly projection. Moving its way into the material plane, the projection reveals himself to be the being named Melchior. He's dissatisfied with how powerful this group of adventurers is becoming and seeks to end their journey early. He offers a simple trade, if they lay down their weapons and walk away he will spare their lives. Iris offers to take the deal to spare her companions and is offered a handshake. As she takes his ghostly hand Melchior casts Power Word: Disintegrate (a 10th level spell) causing Iris to turn to dust.   Angered by the betrayal, the remaining party members put up a valiant struggle but are ultimately slain one by one. While in saving throws, Shade manages to stabilize herself, waking up hours later to an empty arena save for a burning pile of corpses. The battlefield has been cleaned by an injured Matrix who lays slumped against a nearby pillar, their work nearly complete. Matrix does not rouse.    Alone, confused, and overwhelmed Shade starts searching for other survivors or signs of life. As she climbs the stairs out of the arena she comes upon a glowing door stepping through it the world fades to white.   The rest of the party slowly awaken in cold, clinical white rooms floating in a glass tank of a strange liquid. Shade wakes up laying on an operating table in the center of her room. Slowly, each of the heroes break out of their confines and discovers 12 additional tanks in each room, with seemingly identical bodies floating in them, clones...   Eventually forcing their way out of their rooms and obtaining a key from a downed guard, they make their way to a great glass elevator. Slowly descending to the lowest level they see massive structures underground, several of which are miles high. Each of them is surrounded by little white pods like their own. At the lowest level the doors open, and they enter a room with 8 glowing and swirling portals. Each of them is labelled from left to right as follows:   0 GE - With an image of a strong pioneer planting a flag, the image of Fredrik Goza appears with his advisor, a much more human-looking Melchior. 454 GE - A group of 8 individuals surrounded by dragons of all colors 463 GE - A cracked blue stone with ethereal blue fluid leaking out of it 608 GE - A flashing scene of the still smoking battle arena they just came from. 722 GE - Several individuals trapped in a mass jail   ?? - A swirling mass of stars and gas