Voros stays on his guard. "Maybe the strongest in his mind of us all should go... Since we face unknown arcana, a divine worshiper might be our best shot." states the tieffling.
If one of you would like to attempt the Mindscape I have a few things to post for them. Otherwise, you feel as if you've found all you can in this part of the dungeon and I invite you to choose another of the branches from the starting hub to wander down.
M Half-Orc Paladin/Monk/Stalwart Defender 12 | HP: 159/159 l Fort: +19 (+21 with stance), Ref: +12, W: +19 (+21 with stance) l Init: +1 l Per: +8 l Movement: 30
AC:
Default: 23/T: 21/FF: 20 | This Round: 42*/T: 29* (40* vs incorporeal)/FF: 28
I do not know how to deal with zhis mindscape, so unless you scholarly types have it worked out...do we need to search some of zhe other areas in zhis place?
You've identified as a Mindscape so feel free to look at the spell for bringing one into being.
You also know it's an immersive mindscape.
Immersive Mindsacpe:
An immersive mindscape is a less common, but far more powerful, variety of mindscape. When created, it seems every bit as palpable and vivid as the real world. A being within an immersive mindscape can see the land, feel the breeze, hear the falling rain, smell the sea, and even experience hunger and thirst. In some cases, creatures within an immersive mindscape don’t even realize that’s where they are. A target that’s fooled into believing such a mindscape is real wastes away in the physical world while living a full life in the mindscape.
An immersive mindscape can be sculpted in much more detail than a binary mindscape, and its traits vary. The creator dictates the traits of an immersive mindscape, and visitors are subject to whatever strictures the host is able to place upon the mindscape.
The construction of the mindscape might be carefully designed, or might be a more instinctive expression drawn from the creator’s own desires or intentions (whether conscious or subconscious). Some spells allow the creator to use a target’s memories or desires when creating the mindscape to better fool the target.
And Torch has told you that it was used to rip out the memories of test subjects by Tahari. That's about as much as I can give you without going into specifics about this Mindscape, which I don't think you can gain without going into it.
Liam, unlike with Qilfobber, nothing immediately horrible happens to you when you cast your spell and the magic gets off without a visible hitch. As you place your hand out to the mindscape the world blurs around you.
Liam:
When your vision clears the mindscape appears much as the way you believe the town of Resa did during its prosperous years before Tahari took over, but several buildings’ doors lead not inside but rather into partitioned memories, with flittering, shifting shadows beyond. You may step within one to view the memory, or take the one directly behind you which you are confident will remove you from this place.
There is a towering man with skin of polished stone and gemlike eyes standing before you. He looks up in surprise at your arrival from where he was staring rather numbly at a wall. One hand raises up in greeting. ”Hello? Hello!… it’s been so long since anyone has entered here. My name is Marouf, that witch trapped my mind within this place. You should be careful or she’ll find you too. Are you here to free me? But no, that wouldn’t make sense… why -are- you here?” There’s a hint of desperation to him, and he seems to hesitate at reaching out to grasp hold of you. Like he’s not certain you’re real or if you’ll flee and leave him alone here again. “Perhaps I could help if you could find a way to end this place and free from this eternal solitude?.”
Liam - Knowledge Planes DC 21:
This is a Shaitan
Liam - Knowledge Planes DC 27:
This is not a Shaitan, but a div. You recalls his kind’s compulsion to do and mean the opposite of what they claim.
Liam - Sense Motive DC 33:
You can see the lies in his eyes, his advice would do more harm than good to you. You don't trust him.
The rest of the group watches Liam's face go slack and eyes blank as he continues to stare into the mindscape, hand outstretched. Others may approach and do so as well, there appears to be room.
If anyone else wants to enter the mindscape, you may and then you can reach read any of the spoilers in this post that Liam has.
Roland you are free to make the checks above and also read the spoiler for Liam in my last post.
Mindscape:
The man looks vaguely affronted by your accusations and despite what you know him to be he holds fast to his guise. He glances at Roland when the man enters and offers a curt little bow. "Greetings to you as well, as I have been telling this other man. I have been trapped here for quite some time. I was hoping you could help me escape."
A hand goes to his check in shock at Liam's accusations. "I have done nothing, I am an innocent victim. I certainly wasn't locked up in here for snooping around around places I shouldn't." There's a flicker in his eyes. The mindscape itself continues to simply be. A false city all around the two of you with doors waiting to be explored by the brave.
Roland becomes a still statue mirroring Liam's appearance and posture as he enters the mindscape.
Assuming he can see Liam...
Hail, friend. How fare you?
And who is zhis man? he points to the speaker.
Does Roland have any of his gear or other odd magical effects on his person he can notice?
M PRIEST OF RAZMIR 10 HP: 83/83 AC: 15, Touch: 11, FF: 14 F:+10 R:+6 W:+8 Perception -1 Init:+5 Effects:(Mage Armor, False Life, Defending Bone, See Invisibility, Heroism)
Resources:
1st 7/8 2nd 4/8 3rd 0/8 4th 2/7 5th 4/4
Mindscape:
"This may sound prejudiced, because it is, but you are a div. You can't help but be deceitful. I don't trust you in the slightest, mate." Liam states to Marouf after nodding to Roland.
Yes, all your gear appears to be on you and accessible.
Marouf stares at Liam for a long moment, then his demeanor changes. With a heavy sigh he drops his head and runs a hand across the top of his granite head. When he looks back up there's pure confidence in his expression despite being called out. "Alright, you got me. I'm a div. That doesn't change the fact that the witch Tahari locked me in here for snooping around. Or, sort of me. I'm my own memories but I feel like I'm here and trapped. And I'd really like to get out."
"Are you gonna help me or what? Just got to walk through the right ones of these doors here." He puts a hand on his hip and shifts his weight. "And before you ask, I don't know the details of what's behind them, I can't cross over since I'm not all here... so to speak."
Torch is quiet for a few moments before looking towards the rest of the pathfinders. "Do you suppose they'd notice if we swapped their clothes around while they're in there?
Roland listens to the exchange
"So Liam, do we just leave him here? Not sure what else we hope to find. I was not expecting to find him. And What of zhese doors?
."
Roland peers around for any other signs of occupants or anomalies
.Perception:1d20 + 19 ⇒ (20) + 19 = 39
Taking this out of spoilers because I can't do spoilers in spoilers.
The div calling itself Marouf stays where he is, looking very interested in what Liam and Roland opt to do. You can tell he's being careful what he gives away, however, and he offers no obvious clues to whether approaching a particular door is a good idea except that he clearly wants you to try using them. The vague eagerness in his eyes gives it away. "I would prefer it if you don't simply leave me here, it's boring to say the least."
Roland, your eyes are incredibly keen and you're certain you can't see anything else in the immediate area. The Resa landscape, this man, and the grey doorways into mystery. Even with your eyes as good as they are, you can't see anything beyond them except vague changes in light and shifting shadows. You do know that mindscapes and those present can change in an instant, and these doors will probably take you somewhere entirely new.
If someone enters a door.:
You are a boy remembering a frail Garundi woman—he calls her Lady Tahari—wearing a silver and black pendant rescuing you from the desert. She leads you into a cool, underground structure, and you emerge back into Resa where you started.
Roland looks to Liam and back to the div before trying a door...trying to tell if the div's expression changes as he heads towards one or the other.
Liam, I will check it out - you keep an eye on him.
Roland will approach the left most door (if that is an option) and open and looks through and enters if nothing dangerous (like plane to Avernus or something) appears.
Checks spoiler. Can he interact or not possible? He considers what he sees...
Hmm sounds familiar. Have I heard that before? Ah yes, from the briefing. I should have paid more attention. She worked with div...or despised them. I am not sure. But here one stands talking to Liam. I best get back...
Returning to Liam, he does not say anything about the vision while the div can see/hear him.
Not sure zhat helped much. At least not with zhis guy. Maybe other zhings zhough.
You cannot, you live through the brief memory and are thrown back out to where you started.
"The same place? Of course not, each one leads to a new memory. And there are many memories here as Tahari may have ripped from people's minds. But I assure you they're all perfectly safe, you should go through a few more and see what you can learn... preferably about helping me escape. It'll be fine." He gives Roland a large, toothy smile to try and encourage him.
As Liam steps through the doorway he disappears from sight again, only appear a moment later gasping for breath and soaked to the bone with water.
Liam, you remember drowning in a pit. Rather than throwing you a rope, someone above simply heaves more water and debris into the pit. You feel as though you are drowning, but emerge from the door back into Resa at the moment of death.
Liam I need a will save and a fort save
Liam DC 20 Will save, read this if you make it:
The fort save was DC 24, you realize the machine just tried to suck away part of your essence. If you failed the fort save you gained a negative level.
Liam steps through the door and effortlessly endures the visions. "So now I know what drowning feels like. Are these the memories of how these people died? "
Well now that the gimmick has been sprung in order to speed this section up let me know if you want to keep searching memories and how many more times. I'll figure out what memories you see and if you have to make saves.
Otherwise we will cut this section off and move on.
I am not sure how many more memories we want/need. Roland was hoping something more tangible to get out or clue to the Div. He will leave it to Liam on what to do next. No more doors for him.
Well, zhis seems dangerous for little gain, Liam. Did you see anything useful? I am not sure how zhat helps with zhis Div. Unless we get a vision of the situation back with our group.
The pair leave the mindscape, wisely choosing not to play with fire that seems intent on damaging their memories. The Div seems disappointed, but makes no effort to pursue or stop you. It's unlikely he's even capable of doing so. After discussing your findings with the others, all of you opt to head north from the initial entryway, as this seems to be the shorter path and some guiding hand directs the group (Torch and All) in that direction.
At the end of the hall you turn and see a room. The dimensions of it are perfectly square, and every sound and motion feels profoundly distinct yet unreal. A large shrine rests against the wall, draped in a flawless black silk cloth.
Next to the shrine, someone left a large onyx key with a black and silver eclipse adorning the bow.
Knowledge History or Nobility DC 27:
This is a key to the House of Oblivion, the believed heart of Ahmiran, Lord of the Div’s power in Golarion. The Pharaoh of Forgotten Plagues awarded these keys to notable Usij in recognition of their work.
M Half-Orc Paladin/Monk/Stalwart Defender 12 | HP: 159/159 l Fort: +19 (+21 with stance), Ref: +12, W: +19 (+21 with stance) l Init: +1 l Per: +8 l Movement: 30
AC:
Default: 23/T: 21/FF: 20 | This Round: 42*/T: 29* (40* vs incorporeal)/FF: 28
The group wisely avoids unveiling the shrine and moves on, heading to the unexplored east after scooping up the mystery object someone conveniently left around to loot.
As you turn the corner you find the rotted remains of a door leading into a macabre library. Thousands of bones fill the shelves in the center of this chamber as if they were books. Tiny pictographs cover the surface of each bone. Carved into each bone is a chronicle of that person’s infection and death in ancient osiriani.
Perception DC 33 or Prof Librarian DC 21 checks please. You find the below either way, this just determines how long you spend at it.
You find a vellum sheet in a bone scroll tube that includes Tahari’s notes on refining crystalline aether.
If someone translates these for Voros he's confident with his alchemical skills he can make a cure for the disease, named Fading Light. However, you only have enough for 3 doses, and are missing a sample of the plague. The notes state that there are samples in the incubation room, and also a sample #14 in the lab itself. They are all labeled as HIGHLY dangerous and only someone with alchemical skill should handle them.
Finally, towards the bottom there are notes that with enough crystalline aether samples and sufficient time a cure that provides complete immunity can be made.
Beyond the door out of this bone library you find a chamber that gleams when illuminated, bouncing reflections across the multitude of glass tiles covering the walls and floor. The pool in the center of this chamber is utterly still, and a small, pearlescent object glimmers at the bottom.
Roll once for these next 2 checks and you can read whatever DC spoiler you beat.
Perception or Craft Alchemy DC 21:
The pool in the center of the room is full of inert acid.
Perception or Craft Alchemy DC 27:
On closer inspection it's only the surface of the acid that's inert, and beneath this film it's still very caustic. Anyone going inside will suffer severe burns, and breaking the surface tension will cause acid vapor to leak into the air, which is bad for the constitution.
And a seperate perception check for the below.
Perception DC 27:
You locate a hidden alcove behind a tile on the west wall. The alcove holds a canister with enough crystalline aether for four uses in experimentation, a scroll, and two vials of antiplague. You will have to read magic the scroll to identify it.
