We rejoin our heroes after a battle and supreme effort of medical skill by Doc, Obaz with Graxxuzazz lending assistance to an old orc woman being transformed by the strange insectoid creatures.
Assisting the woman to the level below, the party discusses strategy to go up to the 3rd level of the tower. Either through the hole created by the insectoids, or removing the barrier of furniture, boxes boards, and any other material the Black Runes could use. Noise can be heard above on next level of at least 2-3 creatures scuttling around.
and while doing so, Kantif inspects one of the black metal 'pistols' the humanoid - insectoid hybrid was carrying, and nearly blasts Gothi with it as it goes off in the rogues hands. At that moment, both look up to see a number of the swarmer insectoids climbing stealthily along the ceiling and drop amongst them both.
Battling the insectoids more of the humanoid hybrids appear as more swarmers scuttle around the party.
Using well-versed tactics across the team, the party defeat the swarmers, but the hybrid retreats out of sight. It seems the creatures had come from a room the party had neglected to explore. The door slightly ajar. Moving around the curved passage, two more of the hybrid insectoids are encountered, one killed by the blight spell of Obaz and the other wounded retreats again. The creatures seem to have learned some different tactics..
Carefully moving forward, the party view an unsettling sight. In the room are four humanoids - all look to be Black Runes. All have a swarmer attached to their spinal column, alive, and in a coma it seems. Moaning and the wet sounds of pincers being slowly inserted into the forms on he ground. The final hybrid is no where to be seen.. Doc and Obaz try to save one man embedded with a swarmer not quite as far gone, but fortune wanes and the creature on the back awakens and the mandibles cut through the man's neck. With a bloody gurgle, the man dies. Finishing off the other 3, giving them a quick death with his Executioner's sword.
Gothi encountered two more swarmers both injured and the ranger is able to finish them off easily. A few more creatures are found dead at the bottom of the hole where Gothi and Kantif set a trap.
Further discussion on using the hole or the stairwell, the decision is made to clear the stairwell. Moving stealthily and carefully up, they discover another body, possibly an orc as it had no head. Coming up to the final floor of the tower, they find a circular room with wall on one side. Moving up, Kantif decides to scuttle into the room. Silent and in shadows the 1/2 elf notes with his dark vision a woman on the floor in the room as well as some type of wolfhound standing over the woman. He returns to the party and advises what was seen in the dark. Obaz offers to try and calm the wolfhound using their druidic abilities. Stepping forward with torch up, they seems more of the room as well as what at first looked like a large wolf, but now it seems the wolf is more than what Kantif had seen. Large sharp jagged spikes push up through the fur along its spine and a stinger on a long prehensile tail.
The druid is taken aback, but still reaches out to the still animal spirit of the creature. 
The wolf hound insectoid at first seems to be about to attack, and then quickly become docile and friendly to the druid. While Obaz keeps the creature busy, the rest of the party carefully move into the room. Investigating the woman and the room. The elf, is infected a swarmer fully inserted into her spinal column. Only time now before she.. it.. becomes what the party is an insectoid.
Dropping off the scrumptious looking rat, Obaz the bat flies further down into the gloom. It seems the tunnel - starting out as ice, turns into a bluish crystalline formed walls, floor and ceiling. Flying another 100' down, Obaz sees massive crystalline scales of the creature, he realizes that the passage above, possibly connected to an arm of the vast creature encased in ice. Continuing to glide down, another 100 feet, the bottom of the shaft is reached. Obaz notes a broken gondola with frayed and torn ropes, other broken wooden beams, more rope and cables, a steam apparatus with dented metal bulbous shape. 2 Black Runes - 1 human and 1 dwarf - bodies charred by the black missile weapons of the insectoids. Assuming the gondola was used by the Black Runes to transport down troops as well as the steam cannon to melt the tunnels in the ice.
Meanwhile.. Graxxuzazz's rat explores the icy passage that become crystalline, walls floor and ceiling to the tunnel. There are glowing patches of bulbous carapaces material along the walls, and ceiling. Asif something is growing on the crystalline passages, filled with masses of the bulbous material, as if it is being taken over. At that point, the Lizard-folk seems to start losing the connection to his familiar, as if it was 'cutting out' or a bad connection'. Graxx realizes he may lose his connection to
his familiar sending the rat forward.
Obaz flies back up and Graxxuzazz summons his familiar to him. Obaz advises the party that he has determined it is not a dragon. More humanoid shaped - a massive 100s of feet tall creature. Plan formed, some use ropes. Gothi activates her boots of spider climbing. Graxxuzazz turns into an air elemental. Kantif slow falls using monkish abilities, while Obaz still a bat floats down and Doc easily with his enhanced giant strength climbs down a rope, feet dangling free. The party all make it successfully to the tunnel and start to move in stealthily. The bulbous carapaces give off a glowing green light so the druid and sorcerer can see a little.
An automaton - warforged (?) - is being swarmed over by a variety of insectoids. The swarmers scuttle all around and over the large automaton, a hybrid is closer to the druid and a massive scorpion like creature in the rear moves forward to engage as well.
Gothi feels a connection while down here and even a greater connection to this creature. The Fellowship quickly getting ready battle is prepared for and the party engages the creatures.
A work table with a variety of documents are found, as well. After some discussion, the wolf-insectoid as well as woman are both given a mercy killing.
A hole in the wall is found melted similarly to the floor which looks to have allowed the creatures access to the tower. A trail of yellow blood trails down the wall to the lake, where a hole in the thick ice is found. The excavation out on the lake and the pyre on the rock column in the centre on the small island, dominate the lake.
The party carefully moves out, with Gothi scouting ahead. Coming up upon the large excavation, a set of rail tracks reach out to the hole, what appears to be a large steam cannon (?) or stream-thrower on extendable set of arms is cracked and dented, half destroyed. Obaz looks down and perceives a glint and then with a start realizes it is from an eye.. way down in the ice. But this eye is probably 10 feet across. The dragon? ..must be gargantuan in size!
The hole is about 30 feet across, and goes down into darkness pass the edge of view, probably about 100 feet down.
Obaz wildshapes into a large bat while Graxxuzazz sends his familiar a bat and carrying the rodent, the bat flies down to investigate, with party looking on.
Ropes and cables can be seen hanging down on one side, assumedly from gear used by the Black Runes. The two see a tunnel
heading off into darkness at around 100'. It is around 6-8' in height and 10' wide. The druid and sorcerer assume a smaller steam-cannon may have bene lowered to create this smooth sided tunnel.
heading off into darkness at around 100'. It is around 6-8' in height and 10' wide. The druid and sorcerer assume a smaller steam-cannon may have bene lowered to create this smooth sided tunnel.
Obaz determine he is about chest level on the 'dragon'. Further investigations the druid realizes the creature may not be a dragon.. seemed to be a more humanoid shape, with a dragon-like head.
his familiar sending the rat forward.
Obaz flits forward as their bat, and hears a commotion ahead of the familiar sounds of the insectoids as well as other more strange sounds. The passage opens up and a battle is in progress ahead.
Calling out to it in her ancient language of the Foreclaimers the ranger tells the autmaton they are here to help.
The battle seems to be going well, the hybrid is killed and many of the swarmers until the scorpion insectoid engages. Shrugging off blows and blasts and shots it hammers on the automaton. Obaz summons a fire elemental to assist in the battle.
Then a buzzing can be heard and large flying insects appear from around the bend.. and another of the scorpion insectoids.
The battle it seems is just starting..
Until next time!
