GMTrex |
Another short rest at the Cassomir Lodge is soon interrupted...
Miaka Oinari |
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Grenda |
Grenda spends her days praying to Groteous asking for some guidance on what is going on in wretched city. She receives no visions or inspiration and is relieved. Groteous cares not for the living or this world, she thinks, Groteous is the end of all things and is patient. The kidnappers were fools and they paid for their foolishness.
Jamamros Samulkin |
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Drystan Marnsson |
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GMTrex |
Hail! I am prepped and we can start if everyone is ready. Please let me know if you've leveled and/or if there are any changes to Initiative/Perception bonuses.
Venture-Captain Hestia Themis, the petite, raven-haired,
black-eyed Taldan beauty of Cassomir, paces her office. Her usual barking tone details your newest mission.
"I am perplexed. A new kidnapping spree plagues my beloved city. It seems our citizens make easy prey to those who profit from such exploits. While this disturbs me, I am more troubled by reports that some of those kidnapped return to the city as undead monsters who accompany this Cult of Nature’s Cataclysm plague, a plague that I can’t seem to excise from my beloved city.
"This ends now! For a third time we battle Groetus-worshiping dogs and there will not be a fourth!" Hestia cocks her head at Grenda for a moment before taking several deep breaths and regaining her composure. "I am sending you to Swift Prison to interrogate a cultist we captured who was trying to kidnap a local engineer. Meet my man Garver out front--he’ll take you in to see the Nature’s Cataclysm fool. Find out where the other cultists hide, where they’ve taken their recent victims, and how they’re turning them into skeletons. Free as many Cassomir citizens as you can--the good publicity never hurts. Any questions?"
Miaka Oinari |
"I have no questions."
Grenda |
Bah! These fools are as much worshipers of Groetus as I am a Frog! The undead seems to point to that foul wench Urgathoa! If I had to guess she is the one behind all this, she's just using gullible dupes and telling them its Groetus's will. There is but one way to get to the bottom of this and it involves my ax and their skulls.
Still 1st level. Saving my money for full plate.
Drystan Marnsson |
"Seems fairly straightforward," Drystan says, continuing under his breath, "For once."
GMTrex |
Jamamros is either just lurking or will catch up.
Swift Prison’s formidable gates loom over those who pass beneath them. Out front, a gilded statue stares uncaringly at those who serve time beyond her sentry-like gaze. The wrinkled, dirty faces of Cassomir’s prisoners are briefly illuminated behind the bars of the ground floor begging cells. Their pathetic drone as they beg for coppers fills the courtyard in front of the prison.
Hestia’s man, Garver--a tall Taldan man with a slim physique and plain peasant’s clothing--notes the wayfinders adorning your personages and approaches. "You made it. Good. Follow me." Garver turns and enters the prison, marching through myriad hallways that twist and turn and finally end at a plain but thick wooden door. Garver produces a key and says, "Our captured cultist enjoys visitors, and if you like his work, it’s all for sale." A slight smirk slips into his expression.
You can ask any questions of Garver at this point.
The key turns and the door opens. Garver addresses the guard on the other side. "Here to see the crazed painter." The guard nods and waves the group through. Garver leads you down several stone steps into a dingy, shadowed room with three cells. Garver gives the two guards there some coins and they head back up the stairs, closing the door behind them.
In the center cell, covered in paint, a man dressed in torn beggar’s rags, his feet shackled to the floor by a 3-foot length of chain, throws color onto a dirty canvas. The man stops painting when you arrive, looks through the bars, and exclaims with a toothless grin: "For you, my master, always for you!" He then lays the painting atop a small pile of recent works and sets up another blank canvas, madly attacking it with his brush.
Miaka Oinari |
Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
On the way to the prison, Miaka will fill in her companions of the corruption and graft that Swift is known for, especially the rules on buying the freedom to room the city streets and live in private apartments if the bribe is large enough ... making no attempt to hide the distaste in her voice.
Jamamros Samulkin |
"Grenda of course you would believe Urgathoa is behind this because even you recognize where the true power amongst our gods lie. Groteus' followers seem to be realizing this as well, only time until you accept that fact," Jamamros says as retort to Grenda's statement. "An axe in a zombie skull might not do you much good. You would know these things if you followed a god of true power. Remind me when we finish here and I will show you what power looks like."
...
"Garver...what does the man seem to paint? Anything that may appear to be of value in our search?" The warpriest watches on as the man continues to paint, awaiting the answers from the Taldan man.
Leveled up. No changes to perception/initiative
GMTrex |
"Don't really know, sorry. Don't come in here much. All Hestia told me is he's a Nature's Cataclysm cultist and he's known in the Swift as the 'crazed painter.'"
The walls of the cell are awash in paint in mad, nonsensical splashes, but the crazed painter uses canvas for his real 'art.' There are several hanging inside, but none of them are visible from beyond the bars. A particularly wild swing of the man's brush sends flecks of red splattering over your adventuring gear. "For you, my master!"
Isabella Aldori |
"Hey there!" Isabella shouts at the crazed painter to get his attention.
"Can you tell us who you are and what you are painting?"
GMTrex |
"Anything for you, my master!" he shouts back. Or rather, not really 'back' per se, but more at the painting. You're not sure he's even aware of you.
Diplomacy check!
Isabella Aldori |
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9
"Hey! I asked you something you stupid!" Isabella yells diplomatically or not
GMTrex |
"EEh HEH heeee!" He screams, a multi-colored paintbrush flying in wild arcs. His toothy grin seems utterly oblivious.
Garver, who's been standing by, reaches into a pocket and draws out a short metal rod. "Here, the guard gave me this, said it might help." Garver bangs it against the metal bars a few times, shouting at the painter. The clanging is painful on the ears, but it's enough to get the madman's attention.
"What? Eh? Who are you?" he says with a confused look, breaking out of his reverie and lowering his paintbrush. His face brightens suddenly when he sees the group through the bars. "Friends! Did the Master send you? Yes, he must have. Praised be he who ends the days! Do you seek my secret? Soon enough--but in return I ask something from you. You must give it to me as I need it to complete my collection." He points to two paintings hung in a shadowy corner of his cell. A third canvas hangs next to them but is blank. "If you go outside this very prison you’ll find a statue covered in gold. You may have already seen her! Describe this statue to me in exquisite detail and I will tell you all I know."
Isabella Aldori |
Sense Motive: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (9) - 1 = 8
Isabella whispers "That seems harmless enough, wait a second while I go outside and get a good look at the statue"
If there are no objections Isabella goes outside, takes a good look, goes inside again and starts describing the statue.
Taking 20 for a 24 on perception
Miaka Oinari |
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
"Honored loon ... your secret would greatly help us, so we will tell you what we see of the statue. Perhaps you could begin your telling while friend Isabella obtains the vision you seek?"
GMTrex |
"Vision first! Vision first!" The painter returns to painting while Isabella wanders out.
The statue sits just outside of the prison’s gates, its golden form shining brightly in the sun. It stands just over 7 feet tall and rests atop a 3-foot-tall stone base. The statue depicts a curvy Taldan female with short hair and wearing flowing robes open at the neck. She regards Isabella with a blank, uncaring expression. Faint moons decorate her flowing robes, and she crushes a set of scales beneath her left foot. The sculptor left his mark on his work of art--there is a small letter
'I' carved into her left foot.
Returning to the cell, Isabella relays this information, during which the crazed painter stands transfixed, attention wholly devoted to Isabella, a look of awe on his scraggly face.
When the swordswoman finishes, he ignores you again, striding over to the blank canvas and painting furiously for several minutes. When he's done, he pulls it off the wall and shows it to you. "For you, friends! For you!" he chirps proudly.
The painting shows a twisted perspective. The once-beautiful statue stares back transformed, her visage twisted into a demonic snarl. Short humanoids with large, black eyes torment cowering prisoners in the painting's background. Brandishing a radiant holy symbol, a lone figure fails to fight them off.
Isabella Aldori |
Knowledge Local: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12
Isabella stands puzzled by the weird transformation the statue has undergone, that is not at all how she described it.
"What have you done? If you wanted to create a monstrosity you did not need me to take a look at something you didn't paint!"
Miaka Oinari |
Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
"It looks like one of the Derros that we encountered previously. The moons seems to indicate some association with Groteus that we have also seen before. I wonder who the lady is?"
Drystan Marnsson |
"We've got more important things to be about than some lunatic with fingerpaint," Drystan says. He turns the crazed man and says, "Now listen here. Tell us what we need to know so we can get out of here. No funny stuff."
Jamamros Samulkin |
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
"I agree with Miaka. I can't make out much more about the painting than that. It is obvious though we are dealing with more worshippers of Groteus..." Jamamros pauses, then looks at Grenda before continuing further. "So it should be right up your alley. More of your crazies to deal with."
GMTrex |
The madman takes his newest painting and hangs next to the other two in the shadows of his cell.
"Of course, friends! Of course! What is it you want to know, friends! Anything for friends! Yes! Do you want to buy my paintings! They're all for sale!" He smiles happily, a veritable column of multi-colored paints.
I don't think anyone has asked him anything directly other than 'who are you and what are you painting' and that's not going to get you much.
Grenda |
Grenda pushes forward, ignoring the taunts, and takes out her holy symbol. The end is nigh. Where can we find our brothers and sisters? Where can we find "that which will ring the end of times"?
GMTrex |
"The end IS nigh!" he giggles excitedly. "Why, in the Crypt of Fools of course! The master lives there. Yes! You must know. I don't know its exact location, but you must, you must! Of course, master told me the Hall of Wonders might know, the engineers might know yes! From my other paintings, indeed, indeed! Blueprints of everything, anything! All Taldor built in Cassomir, and the Crypt of Fools was built by Taldor, you know, to bury the shameful families. Dalirio told me, yes! Dalirio said we would need to destroy those blueprints some day. Yes, yes! You'll destroy them, won't you?" The painter flashes a crazed, expectant grin at Grenda.
Isabella Aldori |
Seems like Grenda is actually quite sane for a worshipper of Grenda
Isabella looks at Garver "Do you know where this crypt is? Or maybe where we can find the hall of wonders?"
GMTrex |
Oh come now, Grenda's not that narcissistic... :P
Garver, a Cassomir native, takes on a slightly surprised expression. "The Hall of Wonders, yeah. Everybody knows where that is. It's the Engineer's Guild on the other side of town." He gives you directions.
Grenda |
Seems like Grenda is actually quite sane for a worshipper of Grenda
All shall worship Grenda!
GMTrex |
Listening to my thoughts?
The Game-mastering Domain grants me the Omniscient (Ex) power at first level. :)
If nobody wants to ask about the other paintings...
The journey to the Hall of Wonders is quick and without incident. Smoke and steam pour through many openings of this misshapen building. Gears and gizmos can be heard clicking against one another in a rhythmic cadence. A loud *chunkchunk* sounds as several pistons churn up and down, powering some unknown machine. A cacophonous symphony of grinding metal plays on. An enormous sign, nearly the entire width of the building, declares it to be the Hall of Wonders.
Isabella Aldori |
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Isabella shouts "What now!?" while looking around, hoping to see a human (or humanoid) that they can talk to.
Drystan Marnsson |
Always looking for traps and other hazards has taught Drystan to always be aware of his surroundings, even the smallest details. While others would have their senses drowned out by the machinery, Drystan hears the faint sounds of screaming.
"Anyone else here that?" the dwarf says, "Sounds like screaming."
Perception Take 10: 10 + 10 = 20
Isabella Aldori |
"It's probably just a machine that is making weird noises" Isabella replies before she starts listening while concentrating. After some time she replies "hmm, it does sound like screaming. Lets investigate!"
assuming Isabella can take 20 after being notified by Drystan
Miaka Oinari |
Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21
"I hear screaming too ... that way."
Miaka points to where she hears the screaming, then begins to move toward it.
Grenda |
Well stop yapping about it and lets go see what is going on. Grenda grumbles as she draws her ax and moves towards the sound.
GMTrex |
As the party approaches the door, you notice thick vapors pouring out from under the door. It's harmless water vapor, but it does limit your vision to just a few feet in front of you. (Obscuring mist.) The front entrance opens south onto a long hallway, with an open archway into a bigger hall to the east. The screams (and now the occasional *smack!*) are coming from that direction.
If the group is going to stealth it, I need rolls from everybody. If not, I'll just run with it.
Grenda |
Not great at stealth.
Groetous Protect me. Grenda whisper and her form becomes shrouded in fluid shadows. Those without darkvision have trouble seeing though the strange mist.
Darkness Blessing - 1 min
GMTrex |
Actually, those with darkvision do too: "Creatures that are normally able to see in supernatural darkness ignore this concealment." Bolded for emphasis.
Anybody else can buff for 1 round at this point.
Heading to the archway, you can see the outlines of three great structures piercing the thick mist that chokes nearly the entire western half of the building. A brass planetarium rotates in the northeastern corner. Next to the celestial model, a clockwork contraption ticks and tocks as it turns on its axis. Finally, a giant metal crab sits with its claws extended on a southwestern platform. A hatch at one end of the crab provides an entrance into a barrel-like chamber; inside two levers rest near the front of a cockpit.
Moving into the Hall of Wonders itself, the group stumbles out of the mist directly into an ongoing interrogation. Two half-orcs stand over a restrained and bloodied female gnome, while up above a woman--whose visage is strangely familiar to you--paces on the walkway above.
Seeing you come out of the fog, the gnome's eyes widen and she shouts a desperate cry of "HELP!"
Initiative!
Drystan: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Grenda: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Isabella: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Miaka: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
Jamamros: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17
Baddies: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (17) + 0 = 17
Isabella: 1d100 ⇒ 76
Miaka: 1d100 ⇒ 81
Jamamros: 1d100 ⇒ 85
Baddies: 1d100 ⇒ 45
That is... uncanny. Literally everyone got 17 except Grenda.
Perception: 1d20 + 2 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 2 - 4 - 4 = -2
Round I - bold may act!
1. Miaka, Isabella, Drystan, Jamamros
2. Baddies
3. Grenda (Darkness)
Miaka Oinari |
Round 1
Miaka delays her attack unless the Orcs move to threaten the party members ...
Flurry of Arrows: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10 for Piercing: 1d8 ⇒ 7
Flurry of Arrows: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14 for Piercing: 1d8 ⇒ 1
"What are you doing?"
Isabella Aldori |
Isabella moves forward while drawing her sword. She points it at the nearest half orc and motions him away from the gnome
"Move away! I do not know what is going on here but you release the gnome now!"
Intimidate: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Jamamros Samulkin |
No map access. Assuming I can get close enough
"No need to wait for them friends. Help me bring them closer to Urgathoa, so they may cower before her!" Jamamros says as he moves forward towards the orc, scythe drawn. "Come now" the dwarf says the nearest orc, "Urgathoa awaits your sacrifice!"
Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Damage: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 = 9
Drystan Marnsson |
Drystan pulls out one of his wands and casts mage armor on himself. "More cultists, oh joy," he says.
GMTrex |
Drystan armors up while the rest draw weapons. Jamamros's heavy blow is turned by the half-orc's armor, but Isabella's shout seems to have shaken him. The woman pacing above stops pacing and points, "KILL THEM!", at which point Miaka lets loose a pair of arrows. One grazes the closer half-orc, making a small cut. The other *thunks* into the opposite wall.
The woman above shouts a spell before moving out of sight, west along the catwalk and into the mist. Everyone needs to make a DC 13 Will save.
The half-orcs grunt an acknowledgment and set about attacking the intruding Pathfinders. A club connects with Jamamros's stolid forehead.
Club @ Jamamros: 1d20 + 3 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 3 - 2 = 19 HIT Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Club @ Isabella: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 MISS
Round II -- bold may act!
1. Miaka, Isabella, Drystan, Jamamros (9/17hp)
2. Baddies
3. Grenda (darkness)
Miaka Oinari |
Round 2 Precise Shot; Pointblank; Fear
Will: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
For some strange reason, Miaka is frightened of the large half-orcs ... making her attack less certain.
Flurry of Arrows: 1d20 + 5 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 1 - 1 = 9 for Piercing: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Flurry of Arrows: 1d20 + 5 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (12) + 5 + 1 - 1 = 17 for Piercing: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
GMTrex |
Miaka concentrates to get off one good arrow that punches through the half-orc's jerkin. He fights on, though.
Round II -- bold may act!
1. Miaka, Isabella, Drystan, Jamamros (9/17hp)
2. Cleric (in the mist), half-orcs (top @ 8 dmg)
3. Grenda (darkness)