Summary[]
The party flee their purple foe and Hamid discovers the kill switch in the depths of the dead plant. He takes the switch and uses it to quickly dispatch the malicious colour.
Synopsis[]
The party flees from the purple colour. It hits Azu as she retreats, disintegrating her non-magical spare weapons. The colour remains stationary as people retreat but drain Cel and Azu of some of their Charisma and Constitution from a distance. Hamid flies above the large dead plant in the main chamber and notices a great deal of technological equipment within its folds, it looks as if the dwarves were conducting an experiment when the plant bloomed.
The colour follows them into the main chamber by simply moving through a wall and Zolf notices that it is slightly struggling to move in there, seemingly being pulled toward the plant. Zolf moves toward the plant and the colour starts attacking him, disintegrating both his coat and his shirt as it strikes him.
As the colour enters the room, Hamid also notices a specific component among the equipment in the plant that seems to be reacting to its presence. He lands in the plant and inspects it.
He can tell that the dwarves have been using magitech to force planar adjustments in a localised space and realises that the glowing component is the kill switch. The surrounding equipment appears to have been used up to activate it and the kill switch is now self sustaining using a power source that derives from planar interactions, similar to how a thermocouple uses temperature differences to generate power. It is also feeding on the planar energy of the purple colour creature and is trying to kill any planar activity in the immediate area.
Hamid spots an easy way to disconnect it and an off switch, but is certain that turning it off would actually help the colour and the best thing to do would be to bring it closer. He swiftly disconnects it and flies toward the colour, which is noticeably stretched and warped by the kill switch as he approaches. The colour is drawn toward him and a blinding white light arcs between it and the kill switch. As the light fades, the colour is gone.
Quotes[]
Combat Breakdown[]
Comat continued from previous episode, ongoing effects:
- Skraak: +2 on attack rolls, saves, and skill checks from heroism.
- Hamid: +4 AC from mage armor, flying for the next 10 minutes. Drained of 4 Charisma and 1 Constitution.
- Zolf: Enemies must make a DC 16 Will save to be able to attack Zolf due to sanctuary.
Initiative: Colour, Cel (11), Zolf (11), Azu, Skraak (10), Hamid (10)
Round 2, continued
- Cel: Takes a 5-foot-flap next to Zolf and throws a frost bomb at the colour, missing with a 17. The 12 splash damage hits the colour but has no effect.
- Zolf: Casts shield of faith on Cel, giving them +3 AC, and moves further away from the colour.
- Azu: Moves away from the colour, in the opposite direction to Zolf, and triggers an attack of opportunity from the colour. It hits her for 11 damage and Azu makes a Fortitude save of 28. The colour strikes her torso and her morningstar, throwing axes, and adamantine greataxe disintegrate. She makes an untrained Knowledge (arcana) roll and figures that the magic fire in everburning braziers in the council chamber is likely safe to touch.
- Skraak: Takes a double move action and continues to retreat from the colour.
- Hamid: Withdraws from the colour, flying 60 feet away from it. Makes a Knowledge (arcana) check to figure out why Cel's bombs didn't hurt the creature but only rolls a 4.
Round 3
- Colour: Attempts to feed on Cel, who fails to resist with a Will save of 7. They take 3 Charisma drain and 1 Constitution drain. Everyone but Cel makes a Perception check, Zolf (15), Hamid (21), Azu (24), Skraak (31). They notice that the colour appears denser with a brighter glow after draining Cel.
- Cel: Withdraws, moving away from the colour.
- Zolf: Casts sanctuary on Cel so the colour must make a DC 16 Will save in order to be able to attack them, he also explains that Cel attacking the colour will end the spell. He moves further away from the colour.
- Azu: Moves further away from the colour.
- Skraak: Moves further away from the colour.
- Hamid: Flies further away from the colour.
Round 4
- Colour: Attempts to feed on Azu, who fails to resist with a Will save of 21. She takes 3 Charisma drain and 1 Constitution drain.
- Zolf: Moves further away from the colour.
- Azu: Moves further away from the colour.
- Skraak: Moves further away from the colour and keeps an eye on Azu.
- Hamid: Flies above the large dead plant and makes a Perception check of 33. He sees a lot of technological bits in the plant and it looks like there was an experiment going on when the plant bloomed. There is still a strange, ambient purple light illuminating the plant.
Round 5
- Colour: Flies through the wall and into the main chamber. Everyone who can see it makes a Perception check, Zolf (24), Hamid (17), Skraak (21). Zolf notices that it appears to be slightly struggling to move as it is being subtly pulled towards the plant.
- Cel: Moves further away from the colour.
- Zolf: Moves toward the plant, triggering an attack of opportunity from the colour. It makes the DC 16 Will save required to overcome the sanctuary spell on Zolf strikes his torso, disintegrating his coat. Zolf makes a Fortitude save of 25 for half damage and only takes 11 damage.
- Azu: Keeps moving away from the colour.
- Skraak: Moves 5 feet and keeps an eye on the rest of the room.
- Hamid: Makes a Perception check of 28 and notices a specific component within the plant that glows faintly purple and seems to be reacting to the colour's presence in the room. Hamid lands in the plant and makes a Knowledge (arcana) check of 36 to assess the equipment. He can tell that the glowing component is the kill switch, it is trying to feed on the energy of the purple colour creature, and the best thing to do would be to bring the kill switch closer to it.
Round 6
- Colour: Attacks Zolf, who fails the Fortitude save for half damage with a 17 and takes 19 damage. It strikes his torso again and disintegrates all nonmagical clothing on Zolf's upper body.
- Cel: Flies into the main chamber and makes a Perception check of 16 to asses the mechanical stuff in the plant. They can only tell that someone was doing an experiment.
- Zolf: Converts the spell divine power into cure critical wounds and heals himself for 34 hit points. Then takes a 5-foot-step toward the plant.
- Azu: Keeps moving away from the colour and calls out to Hamid to get out of the plant.
- Skraak: Checks with Azu that she's okay and moves to a better vantage point.
- Hamid: Grabs the kill switch and flies toward the colour, which is noticeable stretched and warped by the kill switch as he approaches.
Round 7
- Colour: Moves 5 feet closer to Hamid and a blinding white light arcs between it and the kill switch. As the light fades, the colour is gone.
Trivia[]
- The purple creature is a colour out of space.
- Helen recommends the Color Out of Space film adaptation with Nicolas Cage as "something that's absolutely buck wild."