The First Expedition: The Alchemist's Vault

There is definitely a glowing rectangle on its chest that resembles the other construct's command card, but from this distance, it is difficult to make out details about the card and the slot.

Earl begins his descent down the vines, mindful of the pulsing pods.

The fungoids do not understand Elara's words even though she understands theirs. They exchange confused glances and shrugs.

One of three fungoids butchering Ulasht sense Subeen communicating, and nudges the others.

"The big one is pointing at The Maker's guardian! What do you think it wants?"

The second responds, "'Yoarz,' is what it said. What is a 'yoarz?' Is that their word for guardian?"

The third turns to Subeen. "Yes, large one! It is a Yoarz!"

They all nod their large heads in unison.

Trix and Earl

Earl climbs down the vine one claw at a time, carefully avoiding the big pods. Everytime he crawls past one, it feels like something is staring back at him from. They smell of over-ripe fruit an mold, and he can see the casings are starting to split.

Once on the ground, he creeps through the foliage toward the construct. The air here is especially humid, and a thick, suffocating miasma clings to everything. Of note, he passes by a cluster of pods which have split open and are empty.

The sound of the new construct's hammering and drilling grows louder as he gets closer. It appears to be repairing the wall, which is not made of the same onyx stone as the rest of the rooms. Rather, it is made of ancient limestone bricks, the mortar between which is hopelessly crumbling. Adding to the stress of age, the vines upon which the pods grow have punctured straight through the wall, and it bulges around those stalks.

Earl observes as the construct patiently works at the mortar, cuting and scraping away old and broken material, and spraying it with a liquid which glows like the aurora. Wherever the spray lands, the stone begins to "grow" back, slowly accreting new layers. It looks like it has been at this task for a while, as vines have grown around the construct.

Earl notices a command card snugly tucked within the construct’s chest—a copper plate, completely covered over with green patina. Etched on its surface is the image of a shattered wall.

Trix tries to reach out with her mage hand and snags the command card with ease. The construct comes to a halt, as if frozen in place.As the construct comes to a halt, five shapes emerge from the miasma in the pod room. They are like the fungoids you met earlier, but these ones look stronger, quicker. They come toward the construct to inspect it's sudden change in behaviour, sniffing in the air for tresspapssers!

Elara, Elodie, and Subeen

Just as Subeen is suggesting to move on, the group hears the grinding of stone coming from the north-east passage. When the grinding stops, there is a brief pause, and then a familiar voice coming from the hall:

DESTROY INTRUDERS

These words are followed by hulking, metallic footfalls coming towards you. In moments, it will turn the corner.

Elara, Elodie, and Subeen

The company hastily takes positions and prepare for the sudden charge of another construct. It turns the corner to find Subeen in the way and the two Clairmont sisters poised to strike!

Trix

Earl suddenly disappears into thin air just as the fungus creatures stomp through his position on their way to inspect the now-silent construct. They fawn over the thing, looking it over while chattering in the same fungoids language as their brethren back at the entrance.

Trix has the command card suspended in mid-air with his mage hand. Though dark, the creatures are searching the area for anything strange, and scan their surroundings.