322 tries to discretely attach the conduit to the statue, hoping that her ploy might work with these simpletons.
---
322 meekly follows the party towards the guards and offers that she might be of help to lure them away, if you can slip in unnoticed. "We might... umm... drag them over here to be handled by the rougher of this lot." she says with a head nod towards the gnome. "Or perhaps you can sneak in while I distract them."
Unfortunately, it doesn't seem 322 is going to be able to get away with the plot as there are too many people watching her. After a bit of awkward anticipation, she has to step down from the statue and follow the others to Skyreach.
---
[dice=Knowledge Arcana on Locked up "Animals"]1d20+5
"Yah, that's a sphinx. Typically an intelligent magical beast. I'm surprised they have one here locked up. Why do you ask?"
"If it got free, that commotion could cover our entry into Skyreach."
That's the first good idea that man has had.
"A distraction would be very useful. Two would be even better. Joliryn, do you have another one of those invisibility spells? I could go open the cage, then try to turn the guard's attention away from the rest of you while you sneak past."
Shohiraj invisibly approaches the sphinx's cage and works the lock.
Damn inferior lockpick. Good thing no one could see that. Would make this look like amateur hour.
Once the lock is picked, Shohiraj returns to her companions and aids them in slipping past the guards during the distraction.
"Help! The sphinx got free!" She calls from down a side passage to get the guards attention.
322 floats down from the dais, sour that the grouping of Pathfinders was too much. Perhaps another opportunity will present itself...
---
Once the guards leave their post, 322 will deftly move with the group through the door, choosing to stay in the middle of the pack.
"That seems to work too..."
As the cage swings open, the sphinx takes a cautious step out. With a few quick mutterings in an animalic speech all of the other animals in the menagerie start to roar and bang against their cages, attempting escape. The sphinx sets to work fighting off the guards and trying to break free the other animals. The chaos continues as Shohiraj slips back inside Skyreach with the others and the company descends to the vaults where you hope to find a set of Master of Spells Aram Zey's notes on the Hao Jin Tapestry.
The basements descend into subbasements before you, spiraling out like hollow roots to cryptic galleries hidden where few tread....
As you are about to head further into the vaults, Marnarius stops everyone and notes the subtle tell-tale signs of a magical field around the lock of one of the doors. It seems two separate magical traps are meant to dissuade and harm any would-be thieves.
Rataji peers at the team. "Good job, Marnarius. Anyone equipped to deal with this?"
Marnarius shakes his head. "Can't deal with magic traps. Mundane, yes."
"Let me take a look."
"Are you sure you saw something?"
These agents are jumping at shadows.
I can't believe I missed these... I'm off my game today.
Shohiraj gets out some tools and examines the traps.
"We should hurry. Aram Zey might be around any corner..." she mutters, hoping for the chance to face the legendary spellcaster.
Joliryn runs her thumb across her drawn blade. As blood begins to coat the edge, she mummers an incantation. A sheen of light illuminates from the keened edge.
"But be careful. His office is filled with traps, inside and out. Supposedly only he or those he invites in are allowed to pass. Probably some Glyph or Symbol spell."
Taking her time, Shohiraj is able to disable the two traps and open the way to a room where rows of low shelves, laden with scrolls, books, and the odd relic line the entire hall. At its far end stands a small fountain that emits a small amount of steam-enough to keep this dry room's humidity constant. Six decorative columns, each one densely carved with animal imagery and fanciful whorls, stand along the walls, and a pair of lounging lizard statues rest on a dais at the north end of this room.
Only Shohiraj notices that the two chameleons depicted on the columns to either side and the two lizard statues ahead are actually alive; foo protectors summoned by some Pathfinder to protect this chamber!
The chameleon statues leap into action and bite at Joliryn and Shohiraj!
The lizards stay frozen in place for the moment.
Having already suffered a wound, Shohiraj crouches into a defensive posture.
Rataji quickly casts a spell, hastening his allies' movements, then moves to the east.
Shohiraj and Rataji prepare for the attack of the stone creatures! The chameleons bite again at the party.
The two lizards move in to block your passage.
Teeth bared in a snarl, the slayer closes, sizing up his target before striking at it with his sword. "Get around it if you can."
322 sees the chamelons flanking her and takes a step back into the hallway, to avoid their teeth. She targets the rear foo lizard with her gift, probing its mind with his dark thoughts.
باطل میں اپنے آپ کو کھونا. she whispers into its mindspace.
Shohiraj leaps past Marnarius and vaults a bookshelf to place herself between a foo guardian and Rataji.
"See if you can get to it's flank!" She calls to Marnarius, assuming a defensive posture until he can get into position.
Joliryn is knocked woozy by the surprise attack. She is only able to side step the second attack at the last moment with Rataji's magical assistance. Realizing she's completely surrounded, Joliryn lashes out like a cornered beast. From her right hand, gripping her blade, an icy sheen coats her hand and weapon. Magical fire and ice begin to alternate back and forth upon the scimitar's keened edge. With her off hand, Joliryn draws on the Art to add electricity to the volatile mixture.
Marnarius cuts into the lizard but his sword doesn't seem fully effective. 322 tries to confuse the lizard but it doesn't work. Shohiraj leaps around the lizard but misses with her strike. Joliryn, meanwhile, leaps into action against the chameleon and hacks off a large chunk from the animated outsider.
rl: 15 dmg
bc: 38 dmg
322 ponders why her mental manipulations didn't work. Maybe my connection to the darkness isn't as strong as I thought...
Rataji casts a spell and fire three missiles of force at the northern Foo lizard.
The chameleons attack and their skin hardens quickly:
The lizards squeeze against the bookshelves to attack!
Rataji then hits one of the lizards with a set of missiles!
rl: 15 dmg
bl: 11 dmg
bc: 38 dmg
"Can't do it at the moment--let me finish this one off first." Marnarius unleashes a whirlwind of steel at the foo lizard facing him, sending stone chips flying around the room.
Growing tired of these games, 322 decides to blast the room with Bane hoping to weaken the enemies before they can harm her compatriots farther.
"322, pull out a knife or something!" Shohiraj calls to the strange agent as she dodges the Chameleon's bite and ducks its tail.
Stepping away from the Chameleon, she flanks the Lizard and smacks it over the head with her sap.
322 casts her spell and quickly draws a knife at the behest of Shohiraj. "If you insist..."
Feeling a bit more spry, Joliryn continues to hack and hew on the Chameleon in front of her.
The gnome looks over her shoulder at her companions. "Quit slacking off back there."
Marnarius chips away at the lizard but because the foo creatures have hardened their skin he finds that his weapons aren't quite tough enough to fully wound the lizard. Shohiraj is able to knock down one of the chameleons though. Joliryn finishes off the other chameleon, leaving only the lizards. The lizards attack Marnarius and Shohiraj.
rl: 37 dmg, -1 attacks and saves against fear
bl: 11 dmg
Joliryn pulls out some mica powder and tosses it in the direction of the foo lizards.
Joliryn blinds both of the lizards!
rl: 37 dmg, -1 attacks and saves against fear, blind (DC 16)
bl: 11 dmg, blind (DC 16)
The slayer takes advantage of his target's inability to see and strikes at what passes for vital spots on it!
322 feels angered by the perfection found in the supple muscles and scales of the foo lizards. She scowls as she summons a foul substance to her hands.
She moves up to the foo lizard and tries to apply the coagulant to its flesh, hoping to disfigure the creature beyond recognition.
Shohiraj steps back towards the lizards and smacks the right-hand one twice with her sap.
Rataji moves to north, drawing his crossbow, and fires at the eastern Foo lizard.
The lizards are not able to long withstand the attacks of Marnarius and Shohiraj!
Most of the objects supplied here are of no immediate use to the PCs, save two. On one shelf lies a staff of caustic fury (treat this as a staff of fire, each of whose spells deal acid damage instead of fire damage) with 4 remaining charges.
The second important find is the weapon that Marnarius was sent to find just before the Pathfinder Society took control of the Diamond Gate and sealed him in the tapestry demiplane.
Finding Aram Zey’s notes on the Hao Jin Tapestry’s operation, however, takes a bit more time and you spend almost an hour scouring the archives before you find what you need. As Aram Zey describes in the ritual’s preface, performing the rite could tear a permanent rift into the Hao Jin Tapestry, allowing uninterrupted traffic between the planes—but always to the same site within the demiplane. He strongly advises against ever performing this procedure.
The slayer's eyes gleam with avarice as he spies the sheathed longsword. "Three years of failure, finally undone. And now to get the rest of ours out of Hao Jin's prison."
During the search, Joliryn will specifically look for the "powerful illusionary spell at the end of one of the office shelves."
While in the Archives, 322 will hunt for any persons or large creations from which to start her miniature revolution.
"Off to see the Master... The wonderful Master Zey... He really is going to be dead, whichever way..." she sings to herself as she moves about the area.
Moving through the winding halls and stairs of Skyreach, you can eventually reach the chamber which houses the Hao Jin Tapestry. Inside you can hear a conversation underway but you can't make out any of the words.
322 creeps closer with the aid of the Dark Tapestry, trying to discern what these Pathfinders speak of.
Marnarius prepares for action, sword and shield out and ready.
You open the door and move into the room:
An unremarkable tapestry bearing intricate but heavily worn geometric patterns along its length hangs on the far end of this meeting room. A rune-inscribed circle set into the floor completely contains a table at the room’s center.
Three Pathfinders are assigned to guard duty here: two humans and a half-orc female in red robes. One human balances a musket over his shoulder while the other berates the half-orc. "You have to learn to control your temper, Loshari! That whole place was up in flames and they knew we were Pathfinders. How does that make the Society look?"
"You heard what they were saying, Telandril. Calling me 'green-skin' and insinuating I was a goblin."
"I don't care what they were insinuating, that's no excuse to go incinerating, you lousy brute."
The man with the musket clears his throat to interrupt and brings attention to the other two of your presence. Telandril, the human who was chastising the half-orc, looks up and apologizes. "Sorry about that. Do you need something? We can't let you in much further without escort. Society protocol, you understand."
Marnarius bites back the retort he was about to make and looks to Rataji for orders.