Hmm’s Race for the Runecarved Key (Tiers 10-11) (Inactive)

Game Master Hmm

I believe Aegis was within the range of my prayer spell, so should have +1 luck on attacks, damage, and that saving throw.

I must have been still writing my post when the stun happened so i didn't notice it. I'll have Vashara shoot him for that round then she'll do the readied action from last post for this round.

Vashara contines her speech as she takes a shot at the man who claims to be great, even while he's stuck in a web.

+2 Adaptive Composite Longbow attack, inspire courage, prayer, haste: 1d20 + 17 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 17 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 26
arrow damage, inspire courage, prayer: 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 + 1 = 8 Thanks to seeking enchantment from Divine Bond, Vashara ignores miss chances.

[b]"...we take from the rich and greedy and share out the wealth to the poor and needy!"[b] This is getting a bit Robin Hood like now!
I think i'll have to play on that next round if i can.

If he is a slaver Vashara gets +2 favored enemy bonus to hit and damage, and an additional +1 for her Faction card bonus.

SLIGHT RETCON

Eadie, Yanndu & Gunner, can you give me DC 23 fortitude save to avoid being sickened in Round 2? Yanndu started off the turn within 30 feet of the Catoblepas, and Gunner & Eadie just moved within range. Aegis does not have to give me this save, as birds of prey are known for having little sense of smell (though excellent vision and hearing!)

Yanndu Fort Save vs. DC 23, Antitoxin: 1d20 + 10 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 10 + 5 = 25

Bruxo flies forward!

Gunner comes within the stench of the Catoblepas as he sneak attacks Green for eighteen damage!

Yanndu leaves the range of the creature’s stench as he backs away from the pink driver. He forces himself into the creature’s mind, and finds that it is surprisingly intelligent! Indeed it is as intelligent as some of the dumbest Pathfinders he might have met. It speaks some sort of odd and slightly creepy language. The beast is frightened, angry, and aggressive. It has been webbed, stunned, blinded and now mind-thrusted all while trapped in its cage. At this point, if let out, it will now attack everything in sight.

It shrieks as Yanndu hits it with the mind thrust. “Yo'q! To'xta! Yomonlikda!”

Eadie comes within range of the creature’s stench as she flies at Purple Robes, doing 30 points of damage as she attacks the grappled mage!

Aegis simply shreds the green mercenary, with bits of flesh flying everywhere!
@Aegis — Can you please put attacks on damage on separate lines, and then blank lines between each separate attack in the future? Your GM had trouble reading your combat post with so much going on!

Myrdon watched the Purple Robed caster carefully, but dimension door is a verbal only spell. [ooc[ It does not require material components, and so can be done while grappled so long as the mage makes his concentration check. [/ooc] Not being able to tell if there is a spell component pouch, he casts ear piercing scream on the mage.

Purple Robes Fort Save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Then Vashara shoots the mage!
I had to think about the Slaver thing, but he does have an intelligent, talking magical beast that he is going to sell, so... I am going to give you that bonus damage!

Then the drivers and the Catoblepas get their chance to shake the glitter from their eyes...

Catoblepas: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 8 - 4 = 16
Pink Varisian Driver: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Red Varisian Driver: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11

...Nope!

One of them calls out, “Gods have mercy, these bandits will kill us all!”

★ ---- ★ ---- ★ ---- ★

Round 3
Active conditions:
Web & Prayer on enemy (Stunned for one Round)
Prayer, Bless, Haste, Inspire Courage +2 on party

Vashara
Gunner Ock (-9, Fort Save DC 23 or sickened)

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Varisian Mercenary Green (DEAD)
Varisian Mercenary Blue (DEAD)

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Myrdon Gharthrin
Aegis II (4 Mirror Images)
Bruxo Machi

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Purple Robed Guy (Grappled, Glittery, Dazed, -54)

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Eadie Navhelan (Greater Invisibility, Fort Save DC 23 or Sickened)

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Catoblepas (Blind, Evil Eye, Seven Rounds, -33)

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Yanndu (Greater Invisibility)

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Bold is up!

Bruxo flies about, coming around behind Vashara and getting just close enough to the catoblepas to be within reach (using his rod of grasping hexes). He gives terrible unluck to the magical beast for about twelve seconds!
Misfortune hex, 2 rounds, DC 21 Will negates.

“Rash'neerq Ousoka Barr-knee! Yomonlikda! To'xta! Sees-nay Mare-Don!”

Fort save, prayer: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 9 + 1 = 15

Sickened by the stench of the catoblepas, Gunner decides to head for fresh air, then casts a spell. An ethereal rapier appears next to the caster and strikes. Move away, cast spiritual weapon.

I'm having a little trouble remembering which buffs apply to spiritual weapon. This FAQ makes it seem like at least IC and prayer apply. I'm less sure about bless. What say you, GM? Also, given that it's the weapon making the attack, not the sickened cleric, I did not include a sickened penalty, but I could see that applying too.
attack purple, inspire courage, prayer: 1d20 + 9 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 9 + 2 + 1 = 23 +1 if bless applies; -2 if sickened does.
damage, inspire courage, prayer: 1d8 + 3 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 3 + 2 + 1 = 12

@Eadie: I just remembered that purple robed guy is dazed, which means that you can act too!

Vashara continues her improvised tale as she fires multiple blunt arrows into spellcaster to try to take him out of the fight before he frees himself from the webbing.

".. they are feared by the bad and loved by the good. The band of heroes valiantly fight on to defeat the traders and empty their snake marked wagons of their riches!"

Non-lethal Full Attack (with Rapid Shot and Manyshot)
+2 Adaptive Composite Longbow attack 1, IC, prayer, haste slaver, nonlethal: 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 15 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 - 4 = 34
arrows damage, IC, prayer, slaver: 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 + 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 + (2) + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 = 23

+2 Adaptive Composite Longbow attack 2, IC, prayer, haste slaver, nonlethal: 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (15) + 15 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 - 4 = 33
arrow damage, IC, prayer, slaver: 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 = 13

+2 Adaptive Composite Longbow attack 3, IC, prayer, haste slaver, nonlethal: 1d20 + 10 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 10 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 - 4 = 32
arrow damage, IC, prayer, slaver: 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 = 11

+2 Adaptive Composite Longbow hasted attack, IC, prayer, haste slaver, nonlethal: 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (5) + 15 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 3 - 4 = 23
arrow damage, IC, prayer, slaver: 1d8 + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 2 + 1 + 3 = 17

There is a lot going on around that wagon so i'm not sure if Vashara is within 30 feet for Point Blank Shot. If so then it's an additional +1 to hit and +1 damage per arrow.

Fort: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (3) + 18 = 21

Round #3: AC 30; sickened, shield, bless, bull's strength, fly, haste, prayer, greater invisibility

Sick to her stomach from the Catoblepas’ stench, Eadie takes a floaty 5’ step to land on top of the coarse critter’s cage.

Believing Vashara has Purple-robes in hand, she trusts her adamantine blade to defeat the wooden cage. With a back-handed grip she thrusts three times between her feet looking to stab the confined captive where it hurts. (Action Movie style ;)

adamantine falchion + PA + FF - sickened + Str22 + bless + Inv + haste + bard +prayer: 1d20 - 2 + 20 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) - 2 + 20 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 30 vs blind
magic, adamantine, slashing damage - sickened + Str22 + bard + prayer: 2d4 + 22 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 22 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 31

iterative falchion + PA + no FF - sickened + all the fruit: 1d20 - 2 - 3 + 15 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) - 2 - 3 + 15 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 24 vs blind
magic, adamantine, slashing damage - sickened + Str22 + bard + prayer: 2d4 + 22 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 22 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 31

hasted attack + PA + no FF - sickened + all the fruit: 1d20 - 2 - 3 + 20 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) - 2 - 3 + 20 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 29 vs blind
magic, adamantine, slashing damage - sickened + Str22 + bard + prayer: 2d4 + 22 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2, 3) + 22 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 30

**Eadie is standing on the Catoblepas’ cage. And it smells worse than a Katapeshi slave galley on a hot Erastus day**

Myrdon calls to Aegis to stand down for now. There is so much actions going on around the wagon, he fears complicating the tactics around there.

In reality because I think Vashara and Eadie likely ended the combat already?

Myrdon watches to see if the purple robed mage is still standing. If so, he calls out, "මට මැජික් බොත්තම් පහක් දෙන්න!" Five bolts of energy arc from his ends to smash into the man.

magic missile: 5d4 + 5 ⇒ (3, 3, 4, 3, 3) + 5 = 21

The wizard goes down under a barrage from the party! The terrified drivers hold up their hands! “We surrender! We surrender!”

— Combat Over —

Meanwhile the Catoblepas is still rocking in its cage. “Sehrgar menga juda ko'p ajoyib janglar va'da berdi! Siz meni boshimda yomon qildingiz!” The Catoblepas calls out. “Nima uchun ishonasiz?”

What do you do next?

“Mawhmassitah ash'neerq piloka Larr-knee! Soussoussouya!l Ter-nay Farell-Don!”

“O'ldirish va jang qilish uchun narsalarni toping! O'ldiradigan va jang qilishim mumkin bo'lgan katta hududni qiling!”

As some of you search the wizard, you find a bill of sale that promises 20,000 gold for the delivery of a non-intelligent magical beast to a Jorston Droaeb in Magnimar.

***...we will deliver the beast ourselves...to Jorston “Axetongue” Droaeb...the gamesmaster at Serpent's Run...Magnimar's famous coliseum...the beast wants to fight and be a gladiator...better us get the 20,000 than the Aspis Consortium...

“Arass-nafrat. Dekriss ala grandveelh onnivah. Unngah onnconneth! Havekh noor ithur prayfayrae jekkroy! viennavekknooh! dayhseed mar-chay oo danlo tauhbusss!”

Does the rest of the group concur with this action? And what are the rest of you doing?

I concur with it, I think it's a fine idea.
Before the creature can think about things, Bruxo utters "Mamor!"
Slumber hex, DC 21. Let the catoblepas sleep this one off a bit. LOL

"If the creature wishes to fight then that sounds OK to me. We must be clear to this "Axetongue" that this creature is certainly intelligent and must be treated as such."

***...agreed...***

“Way to go everyone! That’s the way to get it done.”

Take 10 Perception: 10 + 16 = 26

Eadie high *5*s the others before Pathfindering the bodies of the fallen, surrendered and unconscious. All the while she sings a deceptive tune, for the caravan drivers’ benefit.

“Your Aspis employers cannot abscond without paying the Queen’s taxes, my friends.”

♫ Oh yes, I’m not nice
But it's not niceness born of pain.
Appearance paid the price
But look how much I gained.
If I had to, I would slay everything!
It may be wrong
(Wrong)
The Queen’s invincible
(Invincible)
I am Gray Maiden ♫

________________________
I am Woman (Helen Reddy)

“How far is it to Magnimar? Would the drivers be able to walk there safely from here?”

She begins tying up and blindfolding the Aspis spell-caster. “I think Purple-robes should come with us. Some time in Queen Ileosa’s dungeons might remind him to pay his taxes next time.”

"I'm not too keen on delivering a captive creature anywhere. If that's what it wants, why don't we release it and let it go itself? Or at least allow it to walk free with us as we go?"

***...the creature is happy to be carried... letting this thing free would pose a significant danger for the region's inhabitants...it is better this way...***

Eadie goes off to blindfold the wizard, and finds that he is very, very dead. The drivers when they recover their vision look unhappily at you and at the bodies of the dead Varisian mercenaries, but they tell you, “We can make our own way to Magnimar.”

You deliver the Aspis Gold to Sheila Heidmarch, and the Catoblepas to Jorstan Axetongue Droab — albeit telling Axetongue that hic creature is in fact intelligent. Sheila is pleased. “”Get your rest now, Pathfinders, tomorrow will be very busy indeed.”

Great encounter GM Hmm! Yanndu will relax in the lounge for an hour or two before retiring to his room early. All this fresh air, you know... ;)

***OVERSEER ANNOUNCEMENT***

A white raven begins circling overhead. The bird is Sheila Heidmarch’s signal that you should wrap things up and head back to Heidmarch Manor with or without the Aspis Consortium’s gold.

Ebryllis knocks on your quarters. “Anything you fine folks need?”

"Well" Gunner says, a roguish grin on his face as he looks up from the row of drinks he's mixing, "we are gettin' a bit low on ice around here."

"Gunner, are you healed up?"

Eadie’s wanders out of her bedroom rubbing her eyes. Clad in lamellar leather jammies, she drags a pillow behind her while choking the neck of a Lucerne hammer with her off-hand.

“Myrdon, if I send my spell-storing ioun stone into orbit around your head, would you mind wanding a shield spell into it please?”

“If you don’t want to, that’s cool. I’ll just pay 10gp to have someone in Heidmarch Manor do it.”

@GM Hmm, did the Aspis peeps have any loot on them?

"Gunner, are you healed up?"

"Well, I was going to toast our victory first, but I suppose that's a good idea."

Thanks for the reminder! Am I right in seeing that only Gunner was foolish enough to get hit? If anyone else is injured he can channel, otherwise he'll pull out his wand of CLW and tap himself a couple times. GM Hmm, do you want me to roll or do you allow average out of combat?

If we know from above that our next task is tomorrow then Vashara will use her Lay on Hands to heal Gunner.

"Here Gunner, lets fix you up."

all the lay on hands: 6d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 5, 5, 2, 1) = 22

Ebryllis knocks on your quarters. “Anything you fine folks need?”

"I wouldn't say no to a nice hot bath! And if you have one big enough for bird-brain here, Aegis would like one, too!"

Relaxing into the hot tub, Myrdon sighs in contentment. The brief but exciting encounter had set his blood racing, but now it's time to rest. He starts dozing in the tub.

No ninjas in them this time... :)

***OVERSEER ANNOUNCEMENT***

Two hours before the auction is slated to begin, Sheila Heidmarch calls everyone back to the theater for another emergency briefing. She appears greatly agitated and her tenor is one of immediacy.

“My friends, we have little time and much work to do, so I’m going to make this simple. While you were dealing with the Aspis Consortium, my informants in the city investigated the individuals you reported on from last night’s gala. It seems a number of them have sufficient funds to jeopardize our efforts. In what little time remains, I need you to prevent as many of them from participating in the auction as possible. My agents will provide each of your groups with a mission brief. Once you complete the task, return here to inform us of the results, and we shall quickly set you upon another mission. Again, we need you to complete as many missions as you can before the auction starts. But remember to keep your efforts clandestine and try not to kill anyone important. We’re still trying to win the auction somewhat legally.”

***...Important?...I think she meant fellow wealthy person from Magnimar...*** says Yanndu to his team, telepathically.

"...But remember to keep your efforts clandestine and try not to kill anyone important."

Bruxo raises a hand to inquire about defining "important" when Vashara elbows him sharply in the ribs. I was just trying to get clarification, he laments, just in case some unforeseen tragedy should unexpectedly befall each and every one of the Society's rivals...

Sheila looks at him with a raised eyebrow. “Do try to be considerably less lethal than that, Bruxo. Nothing attracts more of the wrong kind of attention than leaving a string of bodies laying about the city!”

She smiles, considerately. “I think we got lucky with our superstitious merchant friend, Falrig Sneve. He mentioned that he was trying to conserve funds for the auction, so we sent him an invitation to stay at Haruka House on the grounds of our manor. If you have yet to see it, Haruka House sits alone on the west side of the main house and is the most luxurious of the four Thassilonian cottages on the property. As far as I can tell, Sneve suspects us of no foul play. Still, we can't have him mucking up the auction can we? Thankfully, I doubt we have to do much. Ensure no actual harm comes to him, though, as such would reflect poorly upon Heidmarch Manor and the Pathfinder Society. Rather, somehow trick him into believing the Runecarved Key is cursed and he should withdraw from the auction without any further urging. I’ll leave it to your devious imaginations as to how you want to do this.”

Once you leave Sheila’s office, you discover that Harukan House is only a short distance away from the house where you are staying. Ebrylis is happy to point it out to you. “I was just about to get the gentleman a good quality port, and some of the cook’s meat sandwiches, I was. Do you want to take ‘em up for him instead? He’s a gentleman that likes his snacks, he does.”

If you want a map, Harukan House is on the first slide.

"With such skilled and powerful spell casters i'm sure we can... convince him... that the rumored curse is indeed true. Just the mind powers of Yanndu alone would surely be enough to make anyone believe."

When you knock, Sneve answers the door himself. "Oh! My sandwiches! My port!" Then he looks at you and counts, "...five, six and the bird makes seven! Oh, that is a most auspicious number! Won't you come in?" He steps aside to let you, stuffing a sandwich into his mouth. "Delicious!" Haruka House is quite lovely, and it's clear that Sneve has made himself quite at home here with Sheila Heidmarch's hospitality. "It looks like the kitchen packed enough sandwiches for an army! I think I saw you at the Gala. Most interesting, wasn't it?"

"Sure was. Such an odd assortment of people, too." Gunner says, helping himself to a glass of the port. "What do you think it is about that key that seems to call out to so such an odd assortment?"

“...five, six and the bird makes seven! Oh, that is a most auspicious number!”

“Isn’t it though?”

Eadie bobbles her head up and down like her neck is spring-loaded. “There’s seven deadly sins and a Runelord to represent each one!”

“Wouldn’t it be cool if that ol’ relic was the key to unlocking their tombs! Wouldn’t the Rune-dudes’ agents be all over the guy who owned it!”

Aid Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 5

If we rested since capturing the catoblepas, then the entire party is hooked telepathically again - one use of telepathic bond SLA and one use of it as a spell slot.

***...Vashara: oddly enough I never learned to control people's thoughts or actions...I find it repugnant...I specialize in destroying the mind of the enemy and to a lesser degree, gather information from those not willing to share...however I can make him...more...inclined to accept your proposals by creating a telempathic field that will enhance one's own charms and social graces...***

When he arrives at the Haruka House, Yanndu sends his mind outwards to listen to any and all thinking minds in the vicinity...

Detect Thoughts to read surface thoughts; overpowering mind phrenic amplification; 5th level spell slot; 4 pts. from phrenic pool; Will DC 23]

See discussion page

Myrdon smiles warmly as Sneve invites them in. "Yes, indeed, Lady Heidmarch treats her guests indeed very well! The food is amazing! The kitchen has given us so much and we thought will come round to share. I know we are competitors for it, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends about it, eh?" He starts laughing good-naturedly at this.

Myrdon steps into the room confidently, and continues from Eadie. "I definitely most looking forward to the auction. I'm a native Varisian and legends of the Runelords abound! Such a powerful magical artifact left behind by them, must retain connection to them. I suspect that it belonged to Alaznist, the Runelord of Wrath. Said that be a worshipper of demons! I've been wondering what the key unlocks! Imagine if it opens to the Abyssal planes! How exciting!"

diplomacy, take 10: 10 + 18 = 28

"Well, now there's a thought, Myrdon" Gunner says, raising his glass to his lips. "If it were--my, my that's good port--if it were Alaznist that would certainly explain why so many people drawn to the auction have been touched by violence and anger in their lives. What do you think, Mr. Sneve?"

Because I neglected to roll it with my last foray into the conversation:
Diplomacy, aid another: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

**I'm sure your powers to convince Mr Sneve that we're here to help will be a great boon. I dislike all kinds of enslavement be it physical or mental, so i assure you I meant no offence Yanndu.***

---------------------------

Vashara does her best to put on a shocked face at the mention of demons and the Abyss.

bluff: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

"No, no, no, Myrdon that would be horrible! As a devout paladin of Torag I feel that something like that would be a disruption to all that is good and right in Golarion!"

She then turns to Falrig Sneve and joins the others in getting on his good side.

"I'm sure a horrid thing like that would be something you'd want to avoid Mr. Sneve. While you're a guest here you are under my protection and i will do what i can to keep you safe."

diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36

Telempathic Projection available to anyone who wants it - if you use the +5 insight bonus in your post I'll just mark it off my spell slots per day. Thanks!