The group made their way back into the cavern and went into the tunnel that led to the secret door that led to the illusionary wall. As they made their way through the tunnel, then the cave with the secret door, and finally into the room beyond they all readied themselves for imminent combat until they stepped into a small cave that, for lack of a better description was a torture chamber, though the ways the goblins tortured their victims was gruesome. Pandora had to admit that she felt kind of bad for killing the female goblins and their children in the other room but what she saw before her now, tables with dead victims strapped down that looked like they’d been gnawed on while they were alive. Other corpses looked like they’d been lined up to try the best way to kill, be it an Elf, dwarf, or human. There were even some gnome corpses littering the room.
One thing that didn’t make sense was the smell, there didn’t seem to be any truly awful smells coming from the corpses. Just the hint of blood and decay.
“Cedrik, do you smell that?” Pandora asked.
“Smell what?” Cedrik asked.
“You can see what I see, shouldn’t we smell this?” I said.
“Oh!” Cedrick said as started looking around for threats.
“It’s a spell,” Robert said. “I can see a diffuse spell over the whole area, it’s suppressing the smells that are emanating in this room.”
“Why the hell would Orcs care about the smells?” Callum asked.
“That would be my fault,” a being with silver skin that looked a lot like an elf said with a male voice as he stepped out of a door that silently reseeded and then slid up into the ceiling. “I must say, very impressive. Just the six of you killed over 1,000 goblins,” he said as a ball of red energy flew toward the party from his staff.
“Fireball, take cover!” Robert screamed.
Pandora turned as the world slowed down. Cedrick was trying to recover and step into a shadow. His ability wouldn’t activate before the fireball hit. Pythias and Callum raised their shields, but Pandora knew that would be pointless. Her mother’s memories showed her that fireballs filled a radius with flames. Shields wouldn’t stop that. Asling was in the process of trying to fire her arrow, but she looked terrified. It was time to shit or get off the pot. Where did that thought come from? Without thought, Pandora moved at her maximum speed, which was about 19 feet in one second and touched the fireball. She was hoping to either block or detonate the fireball so the caster would be caught in the blast. What she wasn’t expecting was for time to stop and a message to flash into my vision.
Would you like to Absorb Level 50 Fireball?
Absorb a fireball? Not like she had a choice if I wanted to save her friends. Pandora chose “Yes.” Time remained frozen as more messages appeared.
Level 10 Racial Ability “Absorb Magic” unlocked.
Absorb Magic allows you to absorb magic of any kind. So long as you are aware of the magic and willfully accept the magic into your body any magical spell, barrier, or effect may be absorbed.
A new attribute has been added to your Personal Information; “Magic Levels Absorbed, MLA.” MLA can never be greater than your willpower attribute or lower than zero.
Magic absorbed is absorbed as spell levels. The number of spell levels absorbed is determined by the spell level of the magic absorbed. For example, A level 10 fireball provides 10 Magic Levels Absorbed. These spell levels are used for several different abilities. At level 10 you may choose one ability listed below
Warning, once chosen the ability chosen is permanent. When earning future abilities, you may sacrifice those class or racial abilities to add additional abilities from this list.
Your choices are.
Heal Self/Temporary Hit Point Bonus: The spell levels absorbed may replenish 3 hit points per spell level absorbed. Absorbed levels converted to hit points that go above your maximum hit points provide bonus hit points that fade away at the end of the next combat round. All damage taken during that time is taken by the bonus hit points first. You may only absorb a number of spell levels equal to your willpower from any single source once per combat round. NOTE: This ability does NOT utilize the new “Magic Levels Absorbed” trait. Spell levels are absorbed and immediately converted to hit points then temporary hit points once per combat round.
Heal Other/Temporary Hit Point Bonus: The spell levels absorbed may replenish 2 hit points per spell level absorbed. Absorbed levels converted to hit points that go above the target’s maximum hit points provide bonus hit points that fade away at the end of the next combat round. All damage during that time is taken by the bonus hit points first. (May not be used on self). Spell levels absorbed to heal others do utilize the same absorbed spell levels pool as all other abilities described here.
Melee Combat Damage Bonus: The spell levels absorbed may be added as a damage bonus to any physical attack you make. The points must be added before the attack is made and only add one point of damage per Magic Levels Absorbed spent. Once spent Magic Level Absorbed points are gone even if the attack misses.
Cast Spell. The spell energy absorbed may be utilized to cast spells of an equal level or lower at no mana cost. Each spell cast utilizes a number of Magic Levels Absorbed equal to the spell level to be cast.
Burst of Speed: The Magic Levels Absorbed may be utilized to increase movement speed by one Foot Per Second per Magic Levels Absorbed point spent. This may only be utilized once per combat round.
Other abilities will become available if all abilities above are mastered.
NOTE: If multiple abilities are unlocked, you may only utilize one specific ability during a single combat round.
NOTE: if absorbing a spell or attack would increase Magic Levels Absorbed above your willpower attribute, the absorption action fails, and you are affected by the spell effect.
Pandora looked over the choices and quickly chose “Heal Self/Temporary Hit Point Bonus:” It seemed to be the best fit for her at this point. Also, she wouldn’t have to worry about keeping track of another attribute, at least until she unlocked another ability.
Time resumed and the ball of energy disappeared into her fingertip as a new message prompt appeared.
You have absorbed a Level 50 Fireball. Heal Self/Temporary Hit Point Bonus has converted 50 spell levels into 150 hit points which have been added to your hit points as temporary hit points until the end of the next combat round.
“But now, you have to, what?” the mage said as the fireball he’d cast to kill us disappeared. Pandora watched as Asling’s arrow flew by her and slammed into an invisible shield that surrounded the silver man. Cedrik’s shadow step also proved useless as he emerged behind the mage and his two Daggers of venom bounced off the shield as well. Robert’s magic missiles from his wand were also absorbed while Pythias and Callum stood wondering what to do.
“I thought to make this quick, now I’m going to have some fun the mage said as he cast another spell and the portal opened. There was nothing Pandora could do about that portal so she turned her back on it and moved closer to the mage so she could touch the barrier as I thought Absorb.
You have absorbed a Level 50 Globe of Invulnerability. Heal Self/Temporary Hit Point Bonus has converted 50 spell levels into 150 hit points which have been added to your hit points as temporary hit points until the end of the next combat round.
Pandora quickly checked her current hit points which had
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Hit Points: Base: 153 (Current: 303 -90+150) 363
Well, that was handy. Her total hit points were 363. 150 hit points from the fireball had helped her soak the Elemental punch and the last 60 temporary hit points would fall off at the end of this combat round and the 150 temporary points she’d just absorbed added to that bringing her total hit points up to 363. That ability was going to come in really handy, she thought as a huge earthen fist punched her from behind and hit her in the head. She only had time to think what the hell as she looked back at what had hit me. A mound of rock and dirt roughly 9 feet tall in humanoid form.
“It’s an Earth Elemental,” Robert called out. “It’s susceptible to air attacks,” he quickly added.
Callum and Pandora briefly made eye contact as they both were thinking roughly the same thing air attack, what the fuck do we do about an earth elemental, which didn’t concern her as she allowed the punch to lift her off her feet and thrown her toward a wall that she bounced off of with the soles of her feet to land next to the caster, just as Cedrick’s Daggers bit home and Asling put an arrow in Mr. Mages left eye. It didn’t look like that killed him, though he didn’t seem to be doing all too well either.
I yelled, “Elementals mine, fall back!” as an idea popped into her head from one of her mom’s memories. In that memory, she had learned it was a very bad idea to break a mage’s staff and wouldn’t you know it, less than a foot from me was a mage’s staff.
Three things happened simultaneously Cedrick disappeared as Pandora struck the wrist of the hand holding the staff which forced the mage to release the staff which she grasped with her left hand. The Earth Elemental began charging toward Pandora as she quickly brought the staff horizontal and snapped it against her knee.
Pandora didn’t know if she could break it that way, but her strength was 507 so she thought she had a pretty good shot at doing so. As the staff was about to touch her knee both the Mage and Robert yelled, ”NO!”
There was a bright flash and then nothing.
Pandora came too slowly. She could hear Callum’s voice as though he was far away. Also, the little light there was, hurt her eyes, so she closed them while she rested and listened, “…and Robert grabbed Asling and dropped behind the cover of Pythias and my shield. Pythias was also praying so that might have helped,” Callum said thoughtfully. “Cedrick wasn’t so lucky. We figure he activated his shadow walk ability and started moving toward the door. When we found him he was smoking and lying on the ground face first unconscious. Robert said it’s because powerful magical staffs can sometimes affect adjacent planes and dimensions or something. He says Cedrik is really lucky he wasn’t trapped or sent somewhere else. He’ll live, which is all that matters.”
Pandora tried to stir and croaked, “What about the mage and the elemental?”
Callum seemed surprised by the question but responded, “The mage died and the Elemental vanished. You’ll have to check your messages to see if you killed or just injured it.
Pandora struggled to pay attention to what was being said. She didn’t feel so good, but she wasn’t dead so that’s a win.
“What were you thinking you maniac?” Robert said with tears running down his eyes. “You could have killed yourself.”
Since when did Robert cry? Scratch that, why was she finding it so hard to think? She reached up, or she should say she tried to reach up only to find that both her arms had been cut off at just below the elbow. Pandora shifted slightly and looked down at her body and noticed that her legs weren’t doing much better,
Pandora: Caspa, Caspa! What happened to me?
Caspa: Calm down, Pandora. You’ll be fine in about two and a half hours. Look at your messages and stay calm.
Pandora didn’t have any arms, but she’d be fine in about two hours. What? She took a deep breath. Then she took another and tried to do as Caspa said. Pandora directed her attention to her messages as Pythias came over and cast a healing spell on her, which made me feel a bit better, “Thanks Pythias.” I said.
“Don’t you worry about it. Do you know if your limbs will grow back? I’m just asking because we’re all wondering what we’re going to do next?” Pythias asked.
“Caspa told me to calm down and that I’d be okay in about two and a half hours.”
“Did Caspa say why?” Pythias asked.
“Nope, she just told me to check my messages,” I said.
“Okay. Then you should check your messages. I’m healing you as quickly as my spell cooldown is over, though you do seem to be regenerating on your own as well,” Pythias said.
“Thanks,” Pandora said as she redirected her attention to the messages in her combat log after she’d snapped the staff.
You have willfully broken a level 100 Staff of Fireballs.
Explosive damage: 720 points of varied magical elemental damage in a 30-foot radius from the point of staff destruction
Damage taken by you: 360. 720 reduced by Magical resistance of 50%.
Temporary Hit Point Bonus of 210 reduces damage by 210,
153 Hit Points remaining
153 Hit points have been reduced by 150 points of magical damage.
3 Hit Points Remaining.
More than 98% damage of base hit points taken.
Catastrophic Damage
Left and right arm destroyed below the elbow. Additional traumatic damage to upper, arms, torso, legs, and head detected. Wounds seared; no bleeding noted.
Save versus Death by Catastrophic Damage Required
Endurance of 506 adds 406 to Save versus Death.
Save versus Death Successful
Lay on Hands has healed you by 9 Hit Points. Current Hit Points 12.
NOTE: Catastrophic Physical damage cannot be healed by magical means. Natural Regeneration of damage taken must occur for missing limbs and internal damage, such as broken limbs and organs to be fully healed. At a Regeneration rate of 1 hit point per minute, you will be fully recovered in 150 minutes.
NOTE: There may be some discomfort as body parts grow back.
Pandora closed her messages and looked at Pythias who was watching her, “You must have rushed over and used Lay on Hands immediately?” she asked.
“Yes, as soon as the explosion happened,” Pythias said.
“Thank you again,” Pandora said as she looked at my current hit points which were sitting at 38, and asked, “How long was I unconscious?”
“About 15 minutes, give or take. I’ve healed you twice plus the Lay on hands,” Pythias said. “Also, Cedrik hasn’t woken up yet, though it doesn’t look like he took actual damage, we think his mind was shocked. Once he recovers from that he should wake up. I was actually going to try my healing spell on him after this next cool-down to see if it would help.”
“Please do, my natural regeneration is going fix my missing limbs so I’m going to need to wait no matter what I do, use your energies to try to heal him. Anyone else hurt?”
Callum moved forward, “No luckily, you broke the staff exactly 31 feet away from us. The explosion took out a 30-foot radius. Everything in that area, except for you is mostly gone. There are a few parts of the mage left, mostly smoking bones. How did you survive that Pandora, Robert says his Identify ability read that explosion as 720 points of damage.”
“When I touched that fireball, I unlocked a level 10 racial ability. I don’t have a class yet, but I did receive a racial ability that allows me to absorb magic and convert it into healing or temporary hit points. When that staff went off I had 210 extra hit points from absorbing the fireball and the barrier he had up. My symbiote and I have 153 normally which gave me 363 total. Since I take 50% less damage from most magic…” Pandora said as she trailed off. “I was really lucky.”
“So, when it was done, you had 3 hit points left,” Callum finished.
“Yeah, that hurt like a son of a bitch. By the way, when we get back I’m going to critique the hell out of Master Soleran. Not breaking Magical Staffs because they might explode in a very bad way should be a core lesson, not something only mages know,” Pandora said indignantly as she waved around the stumps of her missing arms.”
“I knew,” Cedrik coughed, “as he looked over and squinted at me, “Since when does Pandora look like a singed chicken?”
There was a moment of awkward silence as all of us looked at each other and thought about what he’d just said. Then Pandora started laughing because she realized she kind of looked like a plucked and singed chicken with her arms gone below the elbow. Once she started laughing, everyone started laughing.
Pythias moved over and helped Cedrik sit as he said, Asshole,” while the rest of them all continued to laugh and giggle.
When Pandora could finally control herself again she said, “Laugh it up. Just remember next time you’re out with the ladies I can tell them you are smoking hot!” Pandora said which had everyone laughing again.
Cedrik was laughing with us but finally, he said, “I don’t think that was smoke, I think that was steam, I feel really cold.”
“So, hell did freeze over, I had wondered what would spit you out that fast,” Pythias said as that brought another round of laughs.
When everyone settled down Callum explained what had happened and where they’d found him.
“You really broke the staff right after I started to Shadow Walk? It’s a good thing I was trying to leave the room. It’s also really lucky I hadn’t tried to move through the mage and had the staff go off while I was in the shadow realm right over the staff, I’ve never liked stepping through things while I’m in there. I’m sure that would have been really bad. Getting punted out of the shadow and across the room though, I’ll take it. Though, we could have gotten a pretty penny for that Staff.” Cedrik said.
Well, you can still loot the mage, we might get something from your ability,” Robert said. “Everything on him was destroyed in the blast.”
“Wait, we’ll still get loot even if everything he carried was destroyed?” Pandora asked.
“It’s a rule of the dungeon or a balance or some such. In a dungeon, when you kill monsters you’re supposed to get treasure. In most cases, the treasure is what the monster is carrying, or using. In instances where everything is destroyed and you can still loot the corpse, the Dungeon rolls new treasure. Some of the old timers think you can get better treasure that way, but no one has tested it,” Robert explained.
“Cool, I take it we’re not getting anything from the elemental?” Callum said.
“Unlikely, I’m pretty sure it was vaporized. It was vaporized wasn’t it, Pandora?” Robert asked.
Pandora opened my congratulations messages and checked my last two kills.
Congratulations You have killed a Level 50 Doppelganger Mage.
You have received 42,500 XP from assisting your party in this kill. x2 XP Bonus for Creature being twice your level. Half XP Shared with Caspa. Total XP Award: 21,250
Congratulations You have killed a Level 50 Earth Elemental
You have received 42,500 XP from assisting your party in this kill. X2 XP Bonus for Creature being twice your level. Half XP Shared with Caspa. Total XP Award: 21,250
Congratulations! You have reached Level 19! You now have 24 attribute points to allocate.
“I just hit level 19,” Pandora said excitedly as she noticed everyone else’s eyes were glazed over.
Callum was the first to recover, “We all just hit level 25. Everyone, take your time, distribute your attributes, and rest. We’ll wait two hours to see if Pandora’s arms grow back. If they do, then we’ll continue. If they don’t, we’ll head back to the city. I think no matter which way we need to head, we’ll have passed the Assessment.”
“Don’t you worry, in three hours we’re going deeper,” Pandora said as she remembered, her Mage Orbs. Now that she thought about them she noticed them floating invisibly around the party. Why hadn’t they been damaged? This made her think of her Wristband of Holding, “Have you seen my wristband?” Pandora asked.
“I don’t think it would have survived, “Robert said doubtfully.
“It’s over here,” Asling said as she picked it up over by a wall beside the entrance to this chamber. “It looks a little worse for wear, but it seems fine,” she said.
“I’ll have to wait for my arms to grow back to check,” Pandora said as she turned to Asling and said, “Thanks, Asling,” as she put the wristband down beside her. Now all I had to do was wait to heal. The waiting part always sucks.