Session 24: A Wake in the Silence

General Summary

Session 24: A wake in the silence We join the party in the mechanical undercroft of the floating prototype keep. Here they pondered the use of an immovable rod to prevent the crushing spiked walls ahead.   Ultimately, upon exploring the possibility of an antimagic field in the trap itself, Misty Step proved an effective solution with the others stowed inside the Bag of Holding.   Once retrieved, Lucky's pet tressym led the way into a hollow tower, rotted and ruined. The door proved too much for the kitten, and the party pushed their way out into a courtyard. A square pool dominated the centre, a drawbridge stretched over nothing but flat dirt, and various outbuildings stood silent.   The party carefully examined their surroundings - eerie, quiet, and still. Pillars of magic were detected and investigated. Over the wall, a dock; and an intact airship remained: Elyza's Wake - sleek and shining   Deciding to clear out the rest of the castle, they found more silence. Quiet. Normal lives, peacefully vacated. Guard houses, barracks with a mouldy flan trap from a thousand years ago. “F**k you, Anton.” Yet still, nothing.   Eventually exploration took them to more luxurious areas, carpeted corridors, and a storage room filled with historical documents that caught Solas's interest. An ancient War Wizard’s robe with magical properties, and a chest containing a minor hoard of gold and platinum.   Bob further explored a lush living room and bedroom but again, silence although Solas had started to note a regular click clock tick tock every few minutes.   Outside, the Elyza’s Wake hovered, moored to a metal post bearing the inscription: IIIIVIIII upon further investigation - the gangplank not dropped - the party decided to investigate the sounds.   Finally, the party entered the cathedral-like ballroom with a glass dome previously scouted by Shadow on his broom which contained a clocklike ritual circle and control panel beneath stained glass and looming mechanical shapes.   The click, click, tick-tock of movement alerted them. The statues were metal animal statues, trotting in pre-defined patterns that shifted every five minutes: a clockwork panther, sabre-toothed tiger, boar, owlbear, and a massive allosaur.   Solas, excited by the magical circle, rushed forward to investigate instantly triggering the alarm, and setting the constructs into guard mode.   The metal beasts rotated toward the nearest threat mostly Bob, busy admiring the stained glass and stonework the metal creatures descended offended. The allosaur struck first, its metal jaws clamping over Bob’s head, its tail slamming him down.   Leaping into action, Lucky plunged the room into darkness and charged.   Solas played with the buttons. Observed the panel was named confirmation dias.   Bob, enraged, rose and barrelled through the dinosaur, axe in hand. Shadow stepped off and blasted from afar, scattering metal plates and exposed gearwork. Lucky, surprised that the constructs could still attack through magical darkness, ducked, weaved, and stabbed.   Solas tried the other buttons. These ones made him spin faster.   Bob, however, found himself surrounded. The boar, the panther, and the dinosaur fixated on him, while Lucky kept the owlbear and tiger busy. Bob refused to retreat, refused to dodge. His strength failed him. The first time he fell, Solas called on Helm and Bob rose once more.   Wounded and wild-eyed, he pressed the fight. Still the constructs came. Again, he was brought low.   The constructs did not care. They could not tell the living from the dead. They simply followed their protocol.   Solas stepped forward, desperation in his voice, and called Helm’s fury down to destroy the enemies. But it wasn’t enough. The panther leapt upon Bob’s fallen body, rending his sides, and clamped its jaws upon his skull. Bone cracked.   And Bob breathed no more.   The party rallied. Solas felt Helm’s will building within him; one final invocation that might pierce the veil. One by one, the constructs fell, broken and sparking, their duty complete.   As Solas knelt over his friend’s broken body, his divine senses caught movement. A shadow approached. A shape of smoke and hunger.   And then - - a shield slammed into the ground. Light and defiance.   “NO.”   Somewhere in beyond the veil, Bob was already making his choice.