A Secret in Merkabah Pt 8

Somewhere within the guts of Merkabah, an automated chamber has a number of adventurers strapped to tables, aware, and helplessly awaiting their turns at being forcibly integrated with the systems, here.

Our intrepid team has breached the room and leapt into action!

Now continuing from last episode....

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

Merek A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.

Morgan Short pixy like half elf with fair skin

Seldan Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.

Serene Glacier meets granite meets strawberries.

Stegosaurus Giant quadrupedal lizard with dark hide and white plates.

Stirling Powerfully built Arvek with enormous chrome gauntlets

Stjepan Big, blonde jotun.

Toha A woman shaped contrivance of leather and steel, with oruch weaponry.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The extended metal arms from the ceiling turn their attention on the adventurers, yes. Clicking sounds accompanied by probes extended from one along with strange, bladed saw-like instruments. It's definitely able to sense your presence and more arms are descending from the ceiling. 

This is going to be not fun.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round One - Init 24.
     It is now Serene's turn! Seldan is next!

Serene will likely have words with a particular someone later about the experiencum rodentia, but for now.. while others rush to assist Stjepan, she draws her shield and weapon and keeps her eyes upon the arms protruding from the ceiling. The arms of various sharp and cutting implements.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round One - Init 19.
     It is now Seldan's turn! Merek is next!

GAME: Seldan casts Disintegrate. Caster Level: 16 DC: 23

Rather than free his own blade from its sheath just yet, Seldan immediately turns his attention to the companions working to free the adventurer. Stjepan is only cursorily known to him, but no one deserves to die like this. He raises a hand and draws a complex, curiously dissonant series of arcane sigils in the air, then speaks several arcane phrases to it. They burst into sickly green life before him, a swirling mass that threatens to tear the very air around it into the Void, but instead of reaching into the magic as he so often does, he speaks another word, a command, jabbing his finger at the table to which Stjepan is strapped. Sickly green light streaks out in a thin line towards that table -

And in the matter of a breath, the table is nothing more than fine just, straps and anything else attached to it dropping amid that dust to the floor.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round One - Init 18.
     It is now Merek's turn! The Converter is next!

GAME: Merek casts Chain Lightning. Caster Level: 12 DC: 21
GAME: Merek rolls craft/artifice+2: (5)+13+2: 20

Merek lifts up a hand, while he begins to chain lightning into the being. Then it circles about while the construct begins to take it in, "Alright, it looks like it's an iron golem, that's..." The man watches while it's powered up by that.

"Power boosted by two hundred percent." 

The lightning bolt seemingly does no damage to it, no. In fact, it seems like it's moving even faster. <kulthian>

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round One - Init 14.
     It is now The Converter's turn! Stirling is next!

GAME: Toha rolls craft/artifice: (8)+16: 24

... additional holes in the ceiling open and additional mental coils descend, various bladed instruments emerging from them as well. 

The bladed saw on the primary one, the first one you saw, raises up towards Serene.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round One - Init 12.
     It is now Stirling's turn! Stjepan is next!

GAME: Stirling casts S5: Fireball And Fireball. Caster Level: 16 DC: 21
GAME: Stirling rolls 10d6: (34): 34
GAME: Stirling rolls 10d6: (39): 39
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+12: (10)+12: 22
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+12: (11)+12: 23

Stirling looks up at the descending mechanical tentacles, while his chrome plated fingers fish a pair of bright red shells out of a pouch and slots them into the bottom of his deathray. "How about some good old fashion firepower." he says as he pumps the lower grip twice with a heavy click and fires the round, each causing a large explosion across the ceiling.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round One - Init 11.
     It is now Stjepan's turn! Morgan is next!

GAME: Stjepan rolls cmb +2: (18)+19+2: 39

Stjepan leaps up, and grabs one of the tentacles. It's probably not the smartest thing he's ever done, but he /really/ didn't enjoy being shackled down like that.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round One - Init 10.
     It is now Morgan's turn! Toha is next!

GAME: Morgan casts Fireball. Caster Level: 14 DC: 22
GAME: Morgan rolls 1d20+14+2: (5)+14+2: 21
GAME: Morgan rolls 10d6: (24): 24
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+12: (19)+12: 31

Morgan looks up and says "I am impressed by all of this." with that she makes a motion with her hands as her voice gets holow like. A greenish red bead of light comes from her finger tip comes out shooting to the celling that explodes in a bright flash "Wow it was not as effective as I hope."

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round One - Init 6.
     It is now Toha's turn! Serene is next!

GAME: Toha RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 22 temporary HP (Plus Displacement, and energy resistance 20: fire)
GAME: Toha activates her Titan Armor, gaining: +4 Str
GAME: Toha rolls weapon6: (2)+18: 20

Toha takes up the faintly translucent earthbreaker, Piriona as the Jotun is fizz'd loose and opts to grapple the worktacle, "The Mountain smiles on this one!" she cheers and the ruby fire, her silver mist and a subtle shimmer in her position all take blace with the subsumed rathet and growl. Both hands, the golem brings the massy hammer across the path of the artifice, alas, the path is not the target.

GAME: NEW ROUND!
     Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 24.
     It is now Serene's turn! Un'eth is next!

GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5+5+2-6: (1)+20+5+5+2+-6: 27 (EPIC FAIL)

Serene hefts her shield... she notes Stjepan's freedom and the others subsequent freedom to defend themselves. She squares her shoulders then, looking to the closest of the artifice tentacles.. then stalks towards it, leading with her sword.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 24.
     It is now Un'eth's turn! Seldan is next!

GAME: Stegosaurus rolls weapon0+2: (7)+19+2: 28
GAME: Stegosaurus rolls 8d6+strength+3+8d6+1d6 acid: (26)+8+3+(35)+(3 acid): 75

Stegosaurus is NOT about to be assimilated, injected, or even grabbed by some artifice appendages. The swarm of nanites were disturbing enough. Her form rapidly expands to her formerly mecha-sitting proportions. All so that she has more than ample reach, with her tail, to slam it upwards into the ceiling with brutal force behind Stirling-sized bone spikes. If there is no ceiling, there cannot be limbs, can there? No different than aiming to kill rather than maim.

The ceiling is rent open with a powerful blow and an entire mechanism drops from the ceiling, a spinning cylinder attached by yet more connective, almost *organic* looking tissue meshed into the ceiling. 

It drips oil and blood, this cylinder, and more arms and coils erupt from it in a frenzied spinning.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 19.
     It is now Seldan's turn! Merek is next!
GAME: Seldan rolls reunion+charge: aliased to weapon1+2: (12)+23+2: 37
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d8+9: (3)+9: 12

When the fleshy thing drops out of the ceiling, Seldan is left to _stare_ in frank horror at the abomination before him. Only one thing to do, now, and that's cut it down. The flight spell finally comes in handy, but Seldan is no slouch as a flier in his own right, and he launches himself right off the ground, jumping off the ground and reaching for Reunion as he goes. "Truly is this place a horror!" he shouts, slashing at it and rending holes in flesh. It's a start.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 18.
     It is now Merek's turn! The Converter is next!

GAME: Merek casts Fireball/Empower. Caster Level: 12 DC: 20
GAME: Merek rolls 1d20+12: (5)+12: 17(Caster check)

Merek looks to the ceiling while he nods, the man doesn't seem to think a lot about it, he's seen crazier. There's a lift of a hand while he casts the spell fireball which strikes along it, though the spell resistance keeps the spell from affecting it as well.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 14.
     It is now The Converter's turn! Griva Brassbringer is next!

GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (9)+24: 33 (vs Stjepan's Grapple)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (4)+24: 28 (vs Seldan)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (12)+24: 36 (vs Seldan)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+19: (20)+19: 39 (vs Serene)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+19: (11)+19: 30 (vs Serene)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (14)+14: 28 (vs Un'eth)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+14: (19)+14: 33 (vs Un'eth)
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 4d6+19: (11)+19: 30
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 4d6+19: (15)+19: 34
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 4d6+19: (13)+19: 32
GAME: Stegosaurus rolls fort: (5)+20: 25
GAME: Serene rolls fortitude: (10)+34: 44
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d6: (2): 2
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 4d6+19: (12)+19: 31

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 13.
     It is now Griva Brassbringer's turn! Stirling is next!

The horrible screaming cylinder, and it is indeed screaming at this point with a high pitched metal whine, spins blades out at Seldan and Serene both first, lengthy flexible coils with sharp spikes upon them rip into Serene past her armor though Seldan is able to deflect both. 

Un'eth is not so lucky as a secondary coil impales itself into her, digging into flesh and burrowing. 
*Burrowing*. 

Griva steps back, uttering a dwarven curse under her breath and proceedsa to begin casting a spell. Some kind of summoning, for ears familiar with magic.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 12.
     It is now Stirling's turn! Stjepan is next!

GAME: Stirling activates his Titan Armor, gaining: +8 Str,+6 Dex
GAME: Stirling rolls weapon29: (14)+25: 39
GAME: Stirling rolls 2d6+12: (10)+12: 22

Stirling shakes his shoulders and moves in on the cylinder as he stows his deathray. pulling back he delivers a solid blow to the cylinder even if he takes a blow himself on the way in.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 11.
     It is now Stjepan's turn! Morgan is next!

GAME: Stjepan rolls cmb +2: (16)+19+2: 37
GAME: Whirlpool rolls 1d20+24: (15)+24: 39

Stjepan leaps back at the tentacle he was struggling with before. "Get back here!" he snarls at it, even as he grabs on to it.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 10.
     It is now Morgan's turn! Toha is next!

GAME: Morgan casts Telekinesis. Caster Level: 14 DC: 24
GAME: Morgan rolls 14d6: (54): 54
GAME: Morgan rolls 1d20+16: (7)+16: 23

Morgan mutters strange words as she has a blue aura around her as junk from the ground in to a rough ball rough around her size. once that is all gatherd she points upwards sending the junk at the fleshy areas missing. "crap this is harder then I thought."

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Two - Init 6.
     It is now Toha's turn! Serene is next!

GAME: Toha rolls weapon6: (10)+18: 28
GAME: Toha rolls weapon6: (13)+18: 31
GAME: Toha rolls weapon6-8: (1)+18+-8: 11 (EPIC FAIL)
GAME: Toha rolls 2d6+19: (9)+19: 28

Toha's firey pupil swivels along her eyeslit to focus on the tentacle trying to get to know Un'eth's inner depths. The wisp-trailing construct steps in with a feral roar and lashes out savagely at the offending artifice, though only one of her swings manages to bite. It's enough though, apparantly, as the Merkaban tech clangs to the floor.

GAME: NEW ROUND!
     Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Three - Init 24.
     It is now Serene's turn! Stegosaurus is next!

GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+20+5+5+2-6: (3)+20+5+5+2+-6: 29
GAME: Serene casts Grace. Caster Level: 20 DC: 23
GAME: Serene rolls 1d8+5+5+12: (2)+5+5+12: 24

Serene regains her balance after one of the cutting tentacles bounces off of her shield and the other slashes along her leg... as she does, she intones, "Eluna guide me." A breath, and then she rushes past the tentacles, avoing any opportunistic strikes as she drives her sword for what she perceives as the heart of the creature, cutting her way towards it.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Three - Init 24.
     It is now Stegosaurus' turn! Seldan is next!

GAME: Stegosaurus rolls weapon0+2: (20)+19+2: 41 (THREAT)
GAME: Stegosaurus rolls weapon0+2: (6)+19+2: 27
GAME: Stegosaurus rolls 8d6+strength+1+8d6+1d6 acid: (29)+8+1+(29)+(6 acid): 73

Didn't she already make it clear she didn't want to be part of this thing's mad science experiment?! Obviously, it didn't listen. Now that she raised the roof, and now has a squirming, burrowing... thing protruding from her, Un'eth bellows at the strange core of this metalsquid. It wants to impale? Fine, she can return the favor as the formerly ceiling-rending spikes are now raised high before slamming down into the cylindrical abomination.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Three - Init 19.
     It is now Seldan's turn! Merek is next!
GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Three - Init 18.
     It is now Merek's turn! The Converter is next!

GAME: Merek rolls 1d20+12: (12)+12: 24 (caster check)
GAME: Merek casts Gloomblind Bolts/Empower. Caster Level: 12 DC: 20
GAME: Merek rolls ranged: (6)+13: 19 (touch)
GAME: Merek rolls 4d6+4d6: (11)+(10): 21 (+10 from Empower for 31)

Merek lifts up a hand while he begins to use shadow magic while he forms what looks to be bolts that strike into the creature that is upon that ceiling.

GAME: Whirlpool advances the initiative order.
     Round Three - Init 14.
     It is now The Converter's turn! Griva Brassbringer is next!