GM Zoomba's Song of the Sea Witch [High Tier] (Inactive)

Game Master Zoomba

"Almost anyone could climb a knotted rope … no problems."

“A much simpler solution.” Antonella concedes, her features set in a stony mask. “I suppose we could do it that way.” ;)

“Save your fly juice …”

“Thank-you for that imagery, Alektara” Antonella doesn’t sound very thankful, but she does crack a smile.

“I don’t think I’ll ever drink a fly potion again without thinking about juiced bugs.”

The priestess then decides it’s time for her to go back to work.

Take 10 Linguistics: 10 + 6 = 16

“Hmm … each slab is numbered with Azlanti numerals from left to right as follows:

Slab '1' - 5
Slab '2' - 20
Slab '3' - 12
Slab '6' - 4
Slab '7' - 6
Slab '8' – 3

“I guess it’s a puzzle code to solve in order to prevent the room flooding above the base of the stairs.”

Antonella frowns as she ponders the set of numbers. “I’m not seeing an obvious pattern, but I note that 3+4+5+6+12 = 30, which is the vertical distance in feet up to the stairs.”

"Makes perfect sense. I say give it a go - Poppy can stand by and if this all goes south she can get up high and drop us those ropes quickly."

"Ok I am ready. Are we flooding the room and if so then how?"

It looks there's no way to be sure if your theory os right, Antonella, than to pull of the chains.

Also, if Poppy can fly, can she check what is upstairs? To be better prepared

"Not so much fly, more just sort of 'go there' if I need to. You know. I was over here and now I am over there but I didn't need to walk , just sort of moved?"

If it is hard to climb due to being all smooth and bad conditions, Poppy will simply Dimension Door up there

The stone walls are crude an uneven enough that it would be a DC 10 climb check.

If you would like to try pulling any of the chains, I believe any of you (except maybe Poppy) could do it easily with a take-10 Strength check. I would however need to know where eahc of you are when one of you does so.

Poppy simply takes herself up the wall.
+8 mod, can't fail and fall

Scarlet follows
Climb 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
Climb 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

"Poppy fix the ropes, I'll examine the space for traps"

Trap Finding
Perception 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 2 = 29

"If there is a way to anchor the rope and open the next door I say do it since it looks like the ledge might not support all of us at once." Alektara says from below.

Antonellla nods in agreement. “It doesn’t make sense to get wet if we don’t have to.”

The monk takes her silken rope with grappling hook attached from her pack, knots it at regular intervals and passes it to Poppy before she dimension doors to secure on the staircase.

Once the Brownie signals she’s ready, the paladin prays for a strength surge from Irori and climbs up to join Poppy and Scarlet on the steps.

Take 10 Climb + strength surge vs DC 5: 10 + 1 = 11

Once there, she'll help Scarlet search for traps and threats.

Aid Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Poppy, Scarlet, and Antonella make their way up the walls as the brownie fixes a rope ladder of sorts, with the two humanoids looking around. From this height, the metal door in front of them seems solid and sealed, with no obvious handles or methods of pulling or pushing it open.

They also spot not only the rings of tiny holes Alektara and the other pointed out, just level with the base of the stairs, but another set of holes mere inches above the first ring. From the construction of them, this second, higher set of indents in the wall appear to connect to the moss-covered pipes jutting out from the ceiling in some way.

"What can you see!"

“Honestly, not that much Peri... OW! Sister Poppy! Mind where you are waving that spear, if you please.”

The monk squeezes to an edge to allow Scarlet to get past her. “Furthermore, I didn’t realize how tight space is up here.”

“Also, unless I’m missing something ...” Antonella looks questioningly at the Rogue. “I’m not sure we can get the watertight(?) door open.”

“Do I have the right of it, Scarlet?”

The paladin points at the tiny holes at various heights on the chamber wall. “Unless we can bypass the door's locking mechanism or bash it open, I think we might have to try the 3,4,5,6,12 opening sequence and see if the water rises and the door opens.”

Antonella scrunches up her face and rubs the body part that was jabbed a moment ago. “If it comes to that, I volunteer to pull the chains. But I think everyone needs to be tied onto a rope so Scarlet or whoever can haul you out of the drink.”

“Thoughts?”

"Whomever is least encumbered by armor should do the deed and yes we should all be tied in. You can use my rope as well"

I also had some rope to tie us[/ooc] Garret offers, [b]But I think Antonella's opening sequence could not be the safest. If this was a trap I had deviced I would had wirtten the wrong numbers in the chains. Something like pulling the 3 and obtaining 20 feet of water.

With one of this if necesary he adds offering a potion of touch of the sea.

"Looks like a sealed door, perhaps the water getting up to 30 unlocks it, there is a second series of pipes above that - an overflow system? Crank it to 30 and lets see how we go - nothing else obvious here... just don't get it wrong, as I don't know what these strange other pipes do..."

“Sounds good. I’m doing it, once heavily armored Garret is up top with Scarlet and Poppy.”

Take 10 Climb: 10 + 0 = 10

Antonella slithers back down the knotted rope to take up the slack on Slab '8' – Numeral 3’s chain. “Everyone tied on and ready? OK! Here. We. Goooooo!”

She tugs the chain.

where did Shifty come from and what happened to Scarlet?

Alektara stays near Antonella in case she needs any help... and the elf is tied into the rope as well...

Shifty's shifty like that, and Scarlet's been a vigilante this whole time!!!!

With a mighty tug, Antonella yanks the chain. There is some resistance at first, but then the rusty metal links are pulled out. Immediately two things happen. First, two new granite slabs slide down from the ceiling to block off the two previously open tunnels, sealing the chamber shut with a BANG. Second, the slab before Antonella rotates with a grinding sound, turning 45 degrees to the left. As it does so, a rush of water from beyond spills forth into the room, nearly knocking over the Garundi woman as she stands firm.

Liquid continues to spill in for eighteen seconds, at which time the askew block of granite spins back into place. As it settles, the chamber is left filled with a thick layer of water covering the floor, about 3 feet worth by the party's estimation.

OVERSEER ANNOUNCEMENT - Rocks fall, we all die

Scarlet looks for the door out that they were previously examining...

Anything open?

Periel takes his time getting up.

Nothing has opened. (technically less than nothing, as two passages have closed)

#stumped

Antonella smiles. “I’m thinking the water might have to enter the little holes 30’ up before the door opens.”

“I’m going to try something a bit off- NO! ON-the wall before pulling the 4+5+6+12 chains. If it doesn’t work, everyone cling to your ropes, keeping your heads above the 30’ level. Here we go again!”

Antonella *casts* a series of created water into the little holes in the wall at the 30’ level. If the doors don’t open, she waits for everyone to be ready before pulling the chains on slabs 6-1-7-3.

Sorry, long day (week really) at work

As the rest of the party finishes scampering up the rope, Antonella casts a spell at the holes above. The conjured water seems to flow and gurgle in them, but erratically as the magic that created it fades. With a shrug, the Iroran sloshes through the standing water towards another slab and pulls its chain. The slab turns just as the other did, releasing more water into the room, leaving Anontolla's head unable to peek out from beneath the liquid. Undeterred, she stops onwards towards one, then two, then three more slabs, hodling her breath and pulling on the chains. Each time more and more water fills the room, until finally it reaches the base of the stariwell.

Clever idea with create water, but the cocnsistent flow was important. However...

As the paladin begins her own climb, tugging at the rope and ascending through the now deep water, the water sflows in and out of the first set of holes ringing the chamber. As it does so, with a slow grinding noise the large metal door begins to rise. Another room lays open beyond it, with crudely carved stonework expanding into a dank circular chamber. Twin torches on both the eastern and western ends of the cavern illuminate a large stone slab that resides in the northern portion of the chamber. Littering the area around the slab are all manner of strange offerings, ranging from chipped skulls, ancient coins, strange pearls, crude tools, and broken pieces of art. Among all the treasures on the makeshift altar, the largest item appears to be an open tome of the most immaculate bone-white shade. From the tome comes an ear-shattering hymn—a chorus which sings the most beautiful of melodies. The sound in here is almost deafening, making it extremely hard to hear one another.

DC 15 Perception to hear each other, and a 10% failure chance on spells with verbal components

Behind the 'altar' stands a handsome but pale humanoid, whose muscular physique trails off into eight writhing octopoidal tentacles where his legs should be. Spear in hand, he stares at you but makes no movement, continuing to chant and hold his hands over the book. A tiny crab sits next to it, still.

Before entering the room, Antonella *casts* bless from her bead of blessing.

10% failure chance ; high is good in d20 games: 1d100 ⇒ 84

She then puts in her earplugs and addresses the room’s crabby occupant.

“Skurrenger tha bouk, fief or face fudgement!”

What is he?

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

Feeling that this could be a difficult moment Periel moves forward and uses his armor to cast rightous might.

Scarlet's feline eyes glint at the giant fish man - she tries not to salivate.

She readies to rush the man and put an end to this...
Ready to dice down

Garret moves foward to talk to the octopod-man. The sea witch I asume.

We must ask you to cease in your incantation and lend us the book so we can put and end to this mesa with the demons and such

But I fear it will end in combate, as almost always do

Antonella does not recognize the creature, nor does most of the party. Yvette quietly (as quietly as she can in the din), points out that the man appears to be a cecaelia: human-octopus hybrids that live and hunt near coastlines and coral reefs. Cecaelia are quite rare in the Inner Sea, with spotting of them generally found in distant Tian Xia. Their tentacles let them swim easily, generate clouds of obscuring ink in water, grab prey, and create strange sensory nets underwater.

As a few of you begin casting spells and Periel enlargens and steps forward, the cecaelia looks up and you and yells out in a strange tongue.

Seeing some of you blink in confusion, he then calls out in common. "Book mine. You will not steal what is mine. I am not simple pest to be pushed aside. Leave."

"Something tells me he wont part with the book so easily." Alektara says to the others in a hushed breathe.

Perception - earplugs DC 15: 1d20 + 7 - 5 ⇒ (8) + 7 - 5 = 10

"Huh? What did you say, Alektara?"

♘♘♘♘

血色是泰夫林和Periel是一个天使。我们都不是恶魔。你肯定不会判断一个人通过自己的种族

Antonella’s tone conveys surprise and dismay.

法律申诉的宋天朝为一个有趣的发展。但坦白地说，危险由你的行为所造成的整个城市的更加重要

和平并立即投降书。欢迎您陪我们到表面，你的索赔可核实。否则，我们将使用武力

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

The paladin advances 35’ and lifts her thunderstone and tanglefoot bag.

Scarlet holds off to let the Diplomat ply her trade...

Moving Antonella back a bit as he would have reacted before you approached that much.

As Antonella approaches, the cecaelia readies his spear. He listens to the woman's words, but calls back. "Yo would threaten Na-Kraka? If the city needs aid then it can come to me in supplication or pleas, not barred blades. Perhaps after you the next will see reason!"

With a loud yell, the octopoid grabs the still-open book with a tentacle and begins moving towards you

Intiative

Yvette
Na-Kraka
Antonella
Periel
Scarlet
Garret
Alektara

“You would threaten Na-Kraka?”

“Well you do refer to yourself in the third person, Senchou.”

The cecaelia shambles towards Antonella, lashing out at her with his tentacles and grabbing onto the paladin.

"I shall be leader of more than just a ship, as is my right!"

Grapple: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (8) + 18 = 26

Intiative

Yvette (delayed)
Na-Kraka
Antonella, grappled
Periel
Scarlet
Garret
Alektara

Raging - HP 66/AC 18

Scarlet ruses into the room and loops to come in behind the fresh calamari...

She hisses angrily and lashes!

Rage/Flank
Attack 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 10 + 2 + 2 = 34
Damage 1d4 + 5 + 2 + 3d6 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 2 + (3, 2, 1) = 16
Crit? 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 2 + 2 = 27
Add Damage 1d4 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 2 = 10
+Hampered: All of the target's speeds are reduced by half (to a minimum of 5 feet). In addition, the target cannot take a 5-foot step.

“You delude yourself, brother.”

Ensnared within his coils, the paladin reaches out to the cecaelia with her words. “Although you may feel victory is within your grasp, it is an illusion. This is over. Your best chance is to surrender.”

Antonella relaxes and clears her mind, attempting to break free with one fluid burst backed by willpower.

CMB to break grapple vs Na-Kraka’s CMD: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

Hardcopy Folio Reroll + GM ✰ CMB to break grapple vs Na-Kraka’s CMD: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 1 = 26

Assuming she breaks free, Antonella holds her ground, entering Crane style as a swift action.

Alektara spends a move action to study the foe before closing the distance...

Knowledge- Arcana, Religion, Planes, Nature, Dungeoneering as appropriate: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

(DC 10 + the target’s HD)

She then moves forward around Antoella to flank the foe...

Periel invokes his divine bond and swings his katana on the strange beast.
Attack: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 232d6 + 16 ⇒ (4, 5) + 16 = 25
Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 92d6 + 16 ⇒ (2, 5) + 16 = 23

That will be enough to study him Alektara :)

"Big words for one who is now in my grasp." Na-Kraka replies as her tight grip on Antonella manages to keep holding the woman tight

As Antonella struggles but does NOT break free, her colleagues move close towards the Sea Witch. Periel swings his sword twice at Na-Kraka. The first seems to almost hit but at the last second is blunted by some unseen force. The second veers off wildly to leave a gouge in the floor.

Scarlet's rushing blow is more effective, landing a critical strike that cripples some of the cecaelia's tentacles.

Intiative

Yvette (delayed)
Na-Kraka -26 hp
Antonella, grappled
Periel
Scarlet
Garret
Alektara

“The size of my words only change for the irredeemably vile – when they are reduced to silence.”

Twisted at improbable angles in Na-Kraka’s coils, Antonella keeps trying. “I feel the good in you, the conflict. You are not yet lost to the darkness, but if you do not yield now, you soon will be.”

Wait a little Antonella. I'll help you with your problem once I had started to hit that thing. Says Garret as he conjures a starknife to attack the octopid. Then he moves to flank the creature.

spiritual weapon: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 271d8 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
spiritual critical?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 141d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Yvette opens her mouth and sends a soundless scream at the thing.

Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 6) = 7 DC 17 fort save or be dazed for a round. If he makes it he also only takes half damage.

If she knows it worked.

"Move away from it and I will drop it in a spiked pit!" She says.

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

As Garret's divine starknife slams into Na-Kraka, Yvett'es scream throws the creature entirely off-blance. His tentacles slide off of Antonella as their grips loosens and the creature holds his head in pain.

Shaking it off, he looks around at the assembled throng now surrounding him. His eyes dart around, calculating. Na-Kraka shifts his stance, lowering his spear slightly though it still remains at the ready to be raised again.

"So, you want the books then. To use yourselves, gain their strength? Na-Kraka is not a weakling, but not a fool. Let me live, and I will serve you, be a part of your tribe."

The daze took up his round, and he now seems still extremely wary and suspicious, but not as overtly aggressive. We are still in rounds for the moment but you may proceed as you wish.

Intiative

Yvette
Na-Kraka -46 hp
Antonella
Periel
Scarlet
Garret
Alektara

Alektara holds back in case the creature is using a ruse. She keeps her sword ready to swing at the foe as the others decide whether to allow the creature to live...

Poppy - Sense Motive 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
Scarlet - Sense Motive 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 2 = 21

"Wait Scarlet!" calls Poppy, "He could be legit!"

Scarlet eyes him warily looking for any show he is less then genuine...

Na-Kraka seems unrepentant, but his stance and eyes show signs of genuine concern and a hint of fear in the cecaelia.

"So, you want the books then. To use yourselves, gain their strength?”

“No. We want to conjoin the books to prevent the fiends imprisoned within the Infernal Incantation from escaping and sacking our home.”

Antonella rubs her chin. “Our ‘chieftain’ called Venture-Captain Li may be interested in collaborating with you to study both books. Though I cannot make any promises.”

“Let me live, and I will serve you, be a part of your tribe.”

“We don’t keep servants and slavery is banned in our ‘tribe.’ However, I would be pleased to propose you as a Pathfinder candidate to our Venture-Captain. The requirements and rewards for joining our Society will be explained to you at your initial interview, but there is no obligation for either party to accept the other if one side believes the match is imperfect.”

Antonella’s cordial tone becomes firmer. “But first you need to surrender your spear, give up the Celestial Song, allow your hands to be restrained and accept a blindfold.”

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Scarlet stays angry - ready to strike if the Paladins offer is not accepted...

Periel hand is still on his sword, ready to attack again, but waits if the plea for surrender is genuine.