The Hellwasp Swarms flew in through the open cupola windows and attacked Armania and her summoned Bralani.
Armania decided on self preservation, floating down through the trap door which she shut and landed on the floor to enter the fight with the Hollow One. Ciprian began his Bardic Performance while Erevel, Gavril and Agna each continued their attacks.
As the Hollow One fought back he began sobbing and mumbling "Kill Me! Please end this nightmare. Kill Me!"
Ursina backed away from the creature casting some additional healing on herself. Armania fired magic missiles at it. The Hollow One fought back still but Gavril attacking with flanking delivered the killing blow.
"Thank You!" the Hollow One whispered as if fell dead to the floor.
As the hollow one fell the party each heard a quiet voice in their heads and saw images of a fungus rapidly growing and then collapsing in on itself before growing anew. The voice said, “It reaches its tendrils through the minds of those who know of it. It reaches beyond the veil of dreams. Hurry.”
"Did you hear that voice?" Armania queried. "Maybe we have to go back up the cupola to destroy the vines."
"The vines aren't really a fungus," Ciprian posited.
Meanwhile Gavril was looking at the papers he had collected from the lock box and from the Hollow One. The papers from the lock box was a deed to the Infirmary indicating that Miacknian Mun was the owner. The others were a few pieces of paper, remnants of some scribbles Lowls apparently made about the Mysterium. Among the scrawls was a sentence fragment about the otherworldly protector of the library and the Soul within an iron puzzle box. A more complete note read, “Afterward, equip in Okeno—meet with Biting Lash. A ship has been arranged.” In the margins, were a number of
pictures of angels and the note, “Swivel heads in the right direction to delve deeper.”
Gavril was interested in the magic swords found in the Room of Skin, they turned out to be +1 short swords. More interesting was the Duelist's Vambraces which he grabbed to gain additional second had attack skill.
The rest of the items magic and other wise were collected from the room and the crew decided to head down to the lower levels to grab what they left or may have missed earlier. Armania suggested that maybe they would find angels in the lower level where Ciprian had seen a Alchemical Golem. Maybe they could delve deeper from there.
So the party collected books, alchemical items and anything moveable from the skin layer and the laboratory level below. In the library a search was made of the desk and behind the non magical paintings and drawings. The desk was neat and tidy, and all of the papers in folders in the drawers. The papers detailed how to create a Hollow One. A small bed that folded out from the stairwell indicated that Mun probably slept in this room. Behind a gruesome anatomical drawing was a safe with several levers and labels. Gavril examined the safe and found a needle trap which he disabled and opened the safe finding four leather bags with coins inside and a treatise on cabal magic. Items were also collected from this level.
Next the group took to cleaning out all the areas of the first floor, books, a scroll or two, a potion or two, several bottles of Taldorian Wine and more alchemical equipment and weapons. Meanwhile Gavril was checking out the small room to the southwest festooned with velvet- and mahogany-lined walls and a brass chain-and-pulley. Mold splotches ran along the lower parts of the velvet wall covering.
Ciprian was surveying the lower chamber through the opening in the floor. The lower area was slightly larger, with a similar closed area under the shaft that Gavril was inspecting. In the southwest corner was a towering glass cylinder stood tinged with yellow. On the east, west and north walls were stained glass windows.
Erevel squeezed into the chamber with Gavril who then pulled the chain and lowered the elevator to the next level down. Erevel looked at the towering glass cylinder and approached with her mace. The glass seemed to be filled with a sickly yellow mass of protoplasm. Erevel continued next to the tower and struck it with her mace. Out poured a yellow-orange amoeboid creature. It slithered across the ground, pseudopods grasping ahead of it.
The Ochre Jellies attempted to grab Erevel, Gavril and Agna but failed in every case. Then the party got serious and eliminated the three Jellies forthwith.
The wide space had a floor of dingy white tiles and a broad wooden table in its center. Three darkened stained-glass windows overlooked the chamber. Each window depicted an angel with her hands inside the body of a patient; a shining light appeared to erupt from the wounds of the smiling victims. Neat rows of alchemical gear lined the walls. The table was stained with blood, gore and offal as was the tile around it.
Gavril checked the western window, which had hinges, for traps and found nothing. Ciprian did the same to the northern window but he saw and trap and let Gavril remove it. The eastern window also was bereft of any traps. All had hinges that would allow them to open.
DM's Notes: The party earned 6000 XP for the night and now have 145,888 requiring less than 10000 additional to reach 11th level.
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