As Zukong taps on the window, he too is sucked through.... You can read the spoilers above for the description of the room you are in.
Natula, Wyconda, and Zukong:
Wulessa tries to answer as best she can. "It is a mental landscape, I believe, as I had thought, yet it seems to be patterned partly off of my mind rather than the scrolls. I can feel some entity controlling the archive-I was correct in that much. But invoking the scroll seems to have caused it to add me to the archive rather than granting me access."
|AC 14, T 14, FF 11|HP: 42/42|F +5, R 0, W +4 (-1 vs sonic, +1 vs earth/acid, +2 vs MA/disease)|Init -1 Perc +2|CMB +7 CMD 16|5/5 Arcane, 2/2 Shard, 3/3 erase, 1/1 六, 5/5 Death Field, 1/1 Scholar, 1/1 Archivist, 1/1 Time
It's 'Xukong,' and its sex is deliberately indeterminate (what with the mask and inhuman voice and what's visible of its body looking like it could be either and all). :)
Xukong takes a moment to get its bearings - but only a moment.
"It only stands to reason, doesn't it?" Xukong responds to Wulessa's answer, its voice sardonic, but otherwise eerily nonjudgmental.
Truly Iconic Female Human (Ulfen) Wizard (evoker, admixture school) 6 | hp 37 | AC {17} T 13 FF {15} | CMD 16 | F +5 R +6 W +7 | Spd 30' | Init +2 | Kn(Arc, Dun, His, Loc, Pla, Rel) +11 Kn(Eng, Geo, Nat, Nob) +10, Lngst +9, Perc +6 (+2 w Kalas), Scrft +14, SensM +0 (+2 w Kalas) | versatile evocation 8/8 | wands false life CL 3 6/7, m missile 42/50, summon monster I CL 3 9/9, unseen servant 8/10 | vanish 4rds
The GM and the kewl kids in the party ;) :
Unperturbed by the grim being's sudden appearance from grim non-being, Natula calmly says: "Took your time. Was it through one of the windows? If so they may be the key to freeing us."
The obvious alternative being to turn around, scream, and blast you. ;)
|AC 14, T 14, FF 11|HP: 42/42|F +5, R 0, W +4 (-1 vs sonic, +1 vs earth/acid, +2 vs MA/disease)|Init -1 Perc +2|CMB +7 CMD 16|5/5 Arcane, 2/2 Shard, 3/3 erase, 1/1 六, 5/5 Death Field, 1/1 Scholar, 1/1 Archivist, 1/1 Time
Male Vishkanya Samurai 1 | AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | HP 13/13 | F +4 R +2 W +1 | Init +4 | Perc +7
GM, Natula, Xukong:
Wyconda shakes his head. "This is why I do not use magic. And artifacts, especially. But that is too late. This mindscape, it is based on your own mind. Perhaps that is the key to aid us get out of this." Clearly, the samurai wants to think his way out of a place which, to this point, has made no sense at all.
|AC 14, T 14, FF 11|HP: 42/42|F +5, R 0, W +4 (-1 vs sonic, +1 vs earth/acid, +2 vs MA/disease)|Init -1 Perc +2|CMB +7 CMD 16|5/5 Arcane, 2/2 Shard, 3/3 erase, 1/1 六, 5/5 Death Field, 1/1 Scholar, 1/1 Archivist, 1/1 Time
Xukong scans the bookshelf in hopes of finding something relevant or otherwise useful.
Sorry, Z and X are right next to each other on the keyboard. I've done that a few times and corrected myself but missed that one. I'll try to keep the sex indeterminate too but calling Xukong "it" just seemed rude, haha.
1d20 ⇒ 11
Rogzul moves to the window and is also sucked through to join the others... You can read the spoilers above to catch up on what is going on in this room.
This also serves as a useful tool to see who is slacking in keeping up with the posting. We still have some others hanging back in the previous room....
Kewl Kids Room:
Wulessa speaks again from the mirror. "I can feel the days of my life being transcribed. Pulled from my body and stored here. I don't know if there will be anything left of me when it is done. I can't even move around. I'm simply trapped inside my own memories."
"I don't think the same thing is happening to you though; you were only riding along on my invocation so I think you are only here as a side effect. When the archive is finished...emptying me... you might be released into your bodies. Or you might be trapped in here. I'm not certain."
"You might be able to get yourselves out though. I can feel an entity overseeing the transcription. This... archivist, for lack of a proper name, should logically have a presence inside this mindscape, at least during this process. You may be able to find the archivist and challenge or persuade it to stop. Hopefully that would release us all."
When she sees you examining the books, she nods. "Those are certainly the books I had as a child. At least, those are the titles. The text has been changed, hasn't it? I was not such a prodigy as to read such things when I was that young."
If you are trying to read the books, make a Will save!
|AC 14, T 14, FF 11|HP: 42/42|F +5, R 0, W +4 (-1 vs sonic, +1 vs earth/acid, +2 vs MA/disease)|Init -1 Perc +2|CMB +7 CMD 16|5/5 Arcane, 2/2 Shard, 3/3 erase, 1/1 六, 5/5 Death Field, 1/1 Scholar, 1/1 Archivist, 1/1 Time
I wonder if it's considered rude to call people "it" in animist Japan? I know that in the Czech language, children are classified as gender-neutral....
Will save:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22Add another +2 if this is a "mind-affecting" effect. Like it matters. ;P
Male Vishkanya Samurai 1 | AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | HP 13/13 | F +4 R +2 W +1 | Init +4 | Perc +7
In the romance languages, when the fever is mixed or unknown, it defaults to the masculine descriptor. Example in French is the weird "ils" for "they" when refering to a group of mixed genders. There was no other word (that we were taught anyway) that was truly gender neutral, since it already implied mixed or unknown.
"Can you feel where this 'archivist' is? Are they near?"
Wyconda shuffles impatiently waiting for the others with time not on their side.
Intimidate +5 K. Planes +6 Survival +9 Sense Motive +13 Diplomacy +10, Prof. Archivist +9
Male Half-Orc PFS: 186188-1 Shaman/4
Stats:
│HP:27/27│ AC 16│ T10│ FF16│ F2│R1│W8│Init 2│Perception +6 (+9 in bright light, +12 with scent)│CMB 2│CMD 12│
Rogzul leaves the reading to the rest of his party and tries to inspect the room. He moves a few of the dolls, looking to see if there is anything among them that may help.
Jaren tries again to go through the window but is unable. After a few more seconds of effort he is able to join the others through the window and into the next room. Spoilers above for more information on this room.
Wulessa shakes her head. "I can not determine anything of this archivist."
Xukong and Natula flip through the books and suddenly find themselves dissolving into some new reality....
Xukong and Natula:
The room shimmers and changes again. The shape remains the same, but the walls and floor resolve into a series of glass tiles that creates a checkerboard of luminescent blue and light-swallowing black. The door vanishes, revealing a passage filled with the same half-light. Opposite this, the room breaks away entirely. An entire wall is missing, leaving a jagged hole overlooking a void occupied by nothing more than deep purple mist, seemingly born out of and reabsorbed by the darkness. Somewhere in the depths, a tremendous crystalline shape flashes through the mist. The room is otherwise featureless, devoid of all angles. Even the floor has a slight curvature, melding smoothly into the walls.
Male Vishkanya Samurai 1 | AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | HP 13/13 | F +4 R +2 W +1 | Init +4 | Perc +7
Not so cool kids room anymore:
Seeing the others vanish, Wyconda looks to the mirror again. "We will find a way out of this. For all of us." The vishkanya then goes to the books the others were examining, looking to follow them. Fiddling around with strange tomes in a mindscape of an ancient relic. Perfect.
|AC 14, T 14, FF 11|HP: 42/42|F +5, R 0, W +4 (-1 vs sonic, +1 vs earth/acid, +2 vs MA/disease)|Init -1 Perc +2|CMB +7 CMD 16|5/5 Arcane, 2/2 Shard, 3/3 erase, 1/1 六, 5/5 Death Field, 1/1 Scholar, 1/1 Archivist, 1/1 Time
"It's beautiful...." Xukong whispers as it looks around what can just barely be considered a room. It tries to approach the crystalline shape.
Just to get you all back to the same place, we'll assume that Xukong and Natula don't go anywhere and wait for you to catch up. Eventually you're bound to make the Will save to jump up to their room.
Once everyone is gathered, the crystal in the distance glows brighter. Several glass tiles remove themselves from the walls and float in front of you. One has a picture of an eye. The other has a question mark.
Male Vishkanya Samurai 1 | AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | HP 13/13 | F +4 R +2 W +1 | Init +4 | Perc +7
Wyconda is uneasy, katana drawn at the approaching tiles. As they show their images, he lowers it and ponders. "If it's sentient, it might be asking what we are looking for."
The tiles slowly move back into the walls at Rogzul's words. The room goes quiet and still and there is nothing in the room with you or stopping your further exploration anymore....
You try to move down the hall, as that seems the only way to go. However, the hallway suddenly shifts and you find yourselves curving straight again rather than following the leftward trajectory of the hallway as it originally was. A set of doors stands ahead now.
Male Vishkanya Samurai 1 | AC 17 T 12 FF 15 | HP 13/13 | F +4 R +2 W +1 | Init +4 | Perc +7
Wyconda's grip on his katana tightens. "I am really disliking this place." He approaches the doors and tries to hear what's behind.
Perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Wyconda can hear nothing at the doors so you head in, as the doors are unlocked.
The doors open onto a balcony overlooking a wide chamber A winged statue formed out of the stone wall looms ominously from across the room. Catwalks wind around the edges and across the room, leading to a primitive altar in front of the statue. Above and below the suspended middle level of the room, gratings in the floor and ceiling produce a constant upward-moving breeze. While the statue seems crafted to represent a male human-avian-hybrid, its face is unmistakably that of Wulessa Yuul.
The catwalks are 20 feet above the room's floor below.
As you move closer to the statue, Wulessa's face animates and speaks. "I remember this. I twas my first expedition after joining the Pathfinder Society. We discovered a lost shrine to-I will not speak his name-The King of Wind Demons. We sought a golden icon hidden in the altar. The way down was easier than expected. There were traps, but we bypassed them. The way to the shrine was hidden, but we found the trigger to open it. And then... there were guardians. Here. Two of us died. They came from the air itself. I think you are in danger! Here, take this; it may aid you against the dangers here."
As she warns you, a rope falls from the ceiling and lands at your feet. It is a rope of climbing.
After she speaks, the sound of wind pouring from the vents below increases. Vapor stats pooling below.
You can take one round of actions before I roll initiative if you like.
|AC 14, T 14, FF 11|HP: 42/42|F +5, R 0, W +4 (-1 vs sonic, +1 vs earth/acid, +2 vs MA/disease)|Init -1 Perc +2|CMB +7 CMD 16|5/5 Arcane, 2/2 Shard, 3/3 erase, 1/1 六, 5/5 Death Field, 1/1 Scholar, 1/1 Archivist, 1/1 Time
I draw my sword, spend an Arcane point to enchant it, and ready an attack.
Truly Iconic Female Human (Ulfen) Wizard (evoker, admixture school) 6 | hp 37 | AC {17} T 13 FF {15} | CMD 16 | F +5 R +6 W +7 | Spd 30' | Init +2 | Kn(Arc, Dun, His, Loc, Pla, Rel) +11 Kn(Eng, Geo, Nat, Nob) +10, Lngst +9, Perc +6 (+2 w Kalas), Scrft +14, SensM +0 (+2 w Kalas) | versatile evocation 8/8 | wands false life CL 3 6/7, m missile 42/50, summon monster I CL 3 9/9, unseen servant 8/10 | vanish 4rds
Assuming it took the others less than an hour to catch up Natula still has her mage armor on. She scans the area looking for clues and things she knows about them (i.e. knowledges--I'm guessing 'planes' for the Prince of the Lower Aerial Planes), and possibly 'arcana' (the relic they were here for-though that might be Knowledge (religion)--which I don't have yet), and 'history' (the shrine (I'm guessing she made a 'public record' report to the Pathfinder Society)/maybe Paz's history).
Jaren draws his cold iron long spear, and channels a tiny bit of his energy into the pointy end. He stands ready for whatever comes.
Arcane Strike, and Bardic Luck active.
No readying attacks outside of combat but I will use the above rolls for your first attacks when your initiative comes up.
Natula can not recall anything about this statue, who it might represent, or this particular discovery...
"There is a hidden panel on the altar, but worry about that later!" She thinks for a second. "Potions! What potion do you need? I think I can make one. . . force one to appear! I'm starting to understand this place."
The vapor begins to coalesce into a pair of misty guardians with dull, red eyes, grasping claws, and leathery wings....
DC 16 KN (planes):
These are belkers, evil air elementals. They have damage reduction which can not be negated (unless you are a smiting paladin I suppose) and their smoke form can protect them as gaseous form.
Initiative:
1. Jaren, Natula, and Piety
2. Mist creatures
3. Xukong, Wyconda, and Rogzul
Jaren sees the creatures and cries out.
Knowledge Planes:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
These are belkers, evil air elementals! They have damage reduction which can not be negated and their smoke form can protect them from being hit! Magic may be our best bet!
He jabs his spear at the one in front of Natula.
Attack:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18 Damage:1d8 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11
Male Tiefling 123480-6 | Witch 5 HP 25/25; AC 17; TCH 13; FF 14; F +2; R +4; W +4; CMB+4; CMD 17; Speed 30FT; Init +3; Perception +1
Piety takes out his morningstar and begins to swing it against the misty creature next to him.
Morningstar:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 Damage:1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Truly Iconic Female Human (Ulfen) Wizard (evoker, admixture school) 6 | hp 37 | AC {17} T 13 FF {15} | CMD 16 | F +5 R +6 W +7 | Spd 30' | Init +2 | Kn(Arc, Dun, His, Loc, Pla, Rel) +11 Kn(Eng, Geo, Nat, Nob) +10, Lngst +9, Perc +6 (+2 w Kalas), Scrft +14, SensM +0 (+2 w Kalas) | versatile evocation 8/8 | wands false life CL 3 6/7, m missile 42/50, summon monster I CL 3 9/9, unseen servant 8/10 | vanish 4rds
Not that this will work but...Knowledge (planes):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16Hey, it worked.
But what potion? Why is Wulessa so gods damned useless? Gaseous form would put us in a similar state to our attackers, but there's little doubt as to who would have the combat advantage. And she said 'one.' So maybe I get out of here only to die in the next fun house room. Still...
"Gaseous form! But I need more than one!"Then realizing what a hopeless clod of an imbecile their host has been, Natula quickly adds."We need seven--right f%@%ing now!"
She holds out a hands waiting for the potions to appear (one for her and one for her pet bat). Sure it will appear fifty feet to the left what with Wulessa being a total f%+@ing idiot, but hey she can hope. If this works she gives one each to Kalas and herself as fast as she can. Hopefully everyone else gets their's and has the wits to figure out what to do with it.
|AC 14, T 14, FF 11|HP: 42/42|F +5, R 0, W +4 (-1 vs sonic, +1 vs earth/acid, +2 vs MA/disease)|Init -1 Perc +2|CMB +7 CMD 16|5/5 Arcane, 2/2 Shard, 3/3 erase, 1/1 六, 5/5 Death Field, 1/1 Scholar, 1/1 Archivist, 1/1 Time
"Even most enchanted weapons can do little more to rend mist than an ordinary weapon can. Perhaps potions of protection would be better."
Intimidate +5 K. Planes +6 Survival +9 Sense Motive +13 Diplomacy +10, Prof. Archivist +9
Male Half-Orc PFS: 186188-1 Shaman/4
Stats:
│HP:27/27│ AC 16│ T10│ FF16│ F2│R1│W8│Init 2│Perception +6 (+9 in bright light, +12 with scent)│CMB 2│CMD 12│
This sounds like some sort of Infomercial. "Having trouble with belkers? Can't seem to find the right potion? Magic Weapons not doing enough? Protection potions just causing long battles of attrition? "
Since my failed crossbow attack is being used as my first action I'll add some dialogue.
Natula waits as Wulessa focuses all her energy on creating a potion seemingly out of thin air. The potion of gaseous form appears directly in the wizard's hand.
2d20 ⇒ (10, 13) = 23
Jaren and Piety stab at the creature but miss it.
Piety:
You notice, however, that like the hag this thing is not quite real. It is a shadow conjuration.
The smoky monsters move over Rogzul and Xukong....
2d20 ⇒ (2, 1) = 3
DC 17 Fort save or you inhale part of the creature and the smoke inside you solidifies into a claw, dealing [dice]3d4[/dce] damage from the inside!
Rogzul and Xukong may want to change their actions now but if not you can keep the rolls above.
Initiative:
1. Jaren, Natula, and Piety
2. Mist creatures
3. Xukong, Wyconda, and Rogzul
|AC 14, T 14, FF 11|HP: 42/42|F +5, R 0, W +4 (-1 vs sonic, +1 vs earth/acid, +2 vs MA/disease)|Init -1 Perc +2|CMB +7 CMD 16|5/5 Arcane, 2/2 Shard, 3/3 erase, 1/1 六, 5/5 Death Field, 1/1 Scholar, 1/1 Archivist, 1/1 Time
I believe my readied attack is made without it taking my action for this round, that being kind of the point of readied actions.
Fortitude save:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9Hey, my magic number! I hereby declare it a natural 20! Thank goodness.
The glyphs on the scroll talisman hanging from the forehead of Xukong's mask inexplicably seem to dance as Xukong stands steadfast against the monster surrounding it. It calmly retaliates with a swing of its sword.
