M Human Witch 5 HP 31/31 | AC 12 (16) T 12 FF 10 | CMD 13 | F +3 R +4 W +5 | Init +11 | Perc +4 | SM +2
Ackuda narrows his eyes at Cirri. "Oh, it's just misunderstood? Eheheheheheheh..." he says, then points at Bastion, his unnerving gaze turning on him, complete with a disturbing chuckle.
Use Fortune on Bastion, and Cackle as a move action to extend it to two rounds.
Thanks for your patience. I was rather ill over the weekend.
Ackuda spins the coin of fate and calls fortune to his allies, while Inkita balances the scale by trying to call unluck to her foes. Inkita's hex fails to take hold, however, as the hex attaches to the div's essence but is unable to conquer its will.
SR:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17Yep Will:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22Nope
The larger div screams in pain at your attacks, then focuses its piercing gaze on Bastion.
@Bastion: Make Fort save, then read:
If you don't beat DC 16 Fort, Bastion, you are confused for one round.
The smaller head flies down from the roof and challenges Goupil, moving close to bite at any exposed flesh.
bite:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27 dmg:1d4 - 1 ⇒ (2) - 1 = 1
@Goupil, make a Fort save, then read:
Poison enters your blood from the bite.
DC 11 Fort negates, else take 1d2 ⇒ 1 Wis damage. Continue making saves each round until I tell you to stop.
@Goupil, you may take an AoO on the tiny floating head, as its action requires it to enter your space.
@Cirri:
As the floating head div is attacking your companions now, I'll allow you an opposed Charisma check. If you can beat (greater than, but not equal to) 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16 on a Charisma roll, you break the spell.
—COMBAT—
Bastion (Fortune! + 3 rounds; Need Fort save)
Goupil (-1; need Fort save)
Ackuda
Cirri
Inkita
** medium div (-30)
** tiny div
Those in bold may act.
M Human Witch 5 HP 31/31 | AC 12 (16) T 12 FF 10 | CMD 13 | F +3 R +4 W +5 | Init +11 | Perc +4 | SM +2
Ackuda's unnerving laughter continues, and he turns, pointing at the small flying head. He opens his mouth wider and his laugh wavers, as though being disrupted by some sonic effect.
Cackle to extend Fortune on Bastion, and cast Ear-Piercing Scream at the small Div. SR is allowed, and there's a DC 17 Fort for hald damage and to avoid being Dazed for 1 round. Caster Level check VS SR:1d20 + 4 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 6 = 16 Damage:2d6 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6
Bastion shakes off the spell, and Goupil does his best to strain against the poison.
Goupil, I will need another Fort save from you for this round.
Bastion and Inkita both lash out with their weapons, but cannot penetrate the think hide of the outsider.
Goupil steps away from the tiny floating head, and to a better place to fire an arrow. His shot misses as the combatants duck and weave.
I moved you 5' to the place I thought best. -4 for firing into melee, though, unless you have Precise Shot, so that's a miss.
Ackuda lets out a magically enhanced scream. The tiny creature rocks back in the air, and its eyes glaze slightly. Surprisingly, it stays magically aloft, and does not fall.
Fort:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
Concentration:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16
The larger yellow div focuses on a spell, but it fizzles as it dodges attacks.
—COMBAT—
Bastion (Fortune! +2 rounds remain)
Goupil (-1; need another Fort save)
Ackuda
Cirri
Inkita
** medium div (-30)
** tiny div (-6, dazed)
Those in bold may act.
M Kitsune 14/14 round of bardic performance bard 4 hp33/33 ac:16 (ff 15; t: 11) Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +6 CMD:13 Perp:+0 intit +1 Diplomacy +13, bluff +12 disguise +21(25 if to impersonnate a shadow lodge
Cirri just grab your little friend now. He is just envenoming the situation There. Friend can do that to other friend right? I am will stop attacking any of them.
Feeling his health decling, Goupil stop his... (I shouldn't be able to have an bow...)percussion and walks close the medium one while doing the mime and drawing a whip. He drops also the bow being useless.
The floating head bites at Cirri, and the spell immediately breaks. She recognizes the doru div for the evil thing it is. Cirri's armor protects her, and she grapples the creature, holding it tight.
AoO, bite:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
—COMBAT—
Bastion (Fortune! +2 rounds remain)
Goupil (-1)
Ackuda Cirri Inkita
** medium div (-30)
** tiny div (-6, dazed)
Those in bold may act; still waiting on half the party.
Cirri's Familiar | Spells -/6/5/4/2 | Arcane Pool 11/11 | Flight Hex minutes 10/10 | GM Folio Reroll +2 | HP 86/86 | AC 21, T 12, FF 20 | Saves 11/6/8 | CMD 23 (25 vs trip) | Perception +7 | Init +1 | Female Human Magus 10 | Alignment NG |Ward not set
"H-hey! Don't bite at me! We're best friends..." Cirri's voice trails off as she realizes she's been had. "Oh, barnacles! You're gonna get it for tricking me like that!"
well that is not good... will wait for the adjudication before posting her action.. it will either be back away and cast a protective spell or run away...
@Inkita: I'm missing what that Fort save is for.... Goupil was poisoned, and Bastion did a Fort versus a spell, but I don't recall you needing one.
Bastion delivers a mighty blow to the larger div. Nearly severing in two and dealing enough damage that even its demonic protections provided little defense.
Ackuda cackles, and the party's good luck continues for a time.
The tiny floating head screeches in terror as it recovers its senses. You feel more than hear words in your head Nooo! I was safe! Imprisioned, but safe! Recovers from being dazed, and takes no action.
—COMBAT—
Bastion
Goupil (-1)
Ackuda
Cirri
Inkita
** tiny div (-6)
Those in bold may act
Cirri's Familiar | Spells -/6/5/4/2 | Arcane Pool 11/11 | Flight Hex minutes 10/10 | GM Folio Reroll +2 | HP 86/86 | AC 21, T 12, FF 20 | Saves 11/6/8 | CMD 23 (25 vs trip) | Perception +7 | Init +1 | Female Human Magus 10 | Alignment NG |Ward not set
Cirri releases the div, grabs her longsword This provokes, but it was dazed. Doesn't matter, Cirri will risk it and decides to take one two-handed slice.
Bastion, having already slain the larger div, turns his attention to the smaller floating head, and splatters it with finality.
Out of combat.
(@Inkita, you can keep your spell.)
You stand, slightly weary from the effort of a grueling combat, Surely, this will be a story worth sharing over drinks at the lodge.
You return the magical mask, now free of its outsider guardians, to Palhuna. He chortles merrily, and true to his word, Palhuna Murqual hands over the Monadistic Archive, and asks you share his compliments to Venture-Captain Yuul.
The Archive turns out to be a large, gilded pauelielwood chest filled withs cores of scrolls in individual compartments. It's heavy, but not so heavy that two of you together can't lift it. Working together you manage to manhandle the Archive back to the chambers of the Venture-Captain.
You return to Farseer Tower, and are ushered back to the meeting chamber.
The room has undergone some changes over the past few hours. The furniture has been pushed aside, and the resulting empty carpet space has cushions laid out in a circle. Unlit candles stand in a silent circle around the cushions. The formerly open windows are shut, perhaps to prevent the candles being snuffed by a stray breeze once lit, not that it makes a difference on this still night.
Venture-Captain Wulessa Yuul is eager to see you, and she’s positively ecstatic seeing you carrying the archive chest. She bids you set it down against one wall, and asks for your story.
"Were any severely damaged during the acquisition of the Archive?" she asks. "I'm sure some of the tasks Murqual had you perform were quite dangerous."
If anyone suffered ability damage in the fight with the divs, Wulessa uses a wand of lesser restoration to heal it. She does not provide more mundane healing, however.
Wulessa opens the chest and sifts reverently through the scrolls, unrolling and examining several, holding a few up to her ears, and seeming to listen to them.
“Excellent work. I shall take a full account of your adventures this night shortly, but for now... I need some more of your assistance. As I said before, these scrolls are relics of the Jistkan Imperium from thousands of years ago. What information I’ve found indicates that the Monadistic Archive recorded the thoughts and minds of some of the greatest thinkers of that empire. Not merely recorded in the written word—supposedly they copied the very minds of these men and women.
“Some binding entity within the scrolls brings these minds together into a collective of wisdom and lore, where each mind is no longer a discreet part, but melded into a greater whole. The ritual I have prepared should allow me to open the archive, but the effort of doing so prevents much exploration on my part. If I include you in the ritual, you can be my eyes and ears. Of course, this is not a process that can be completed in one night. This could take years. In the long run, a full team will be assigned cataloging duties, but tonight I cannot resist at least one brief expedition. I have sought the archive for so long, and I would be honored if you would help me with this foray into the mind of the past.”
She looks to you expectantly.
Any questions for her? If not, do you agree to continue helping her?
Cirri's Familiar | Spells -/6/5/4/2 | Arcane Pool 11/11 | Flight Hex minutes 10/10 | GM Folio Reroll +2 | HP 86/86 | AC 21, T 12, FF 20 | Saves 11/6/8 | CMD 23 (25 vs trip) | Perception +7 | Init +1 | Female Human Magus 10 | Alignment NG |Ward not set
"Ugh. One of the divs messed with my head. It felt like I was my best friend- which was surprising when it tried to bite me!" Cirri laughs, then sheepishly rubs the back of her head. "Sorry Goupil. Other than that, Palhuna is probably short changing some gnolls, but they weren't violent. Oh, and I got this fancy longsword, forged with cold iron. Not as good as my staff, though."
Cirri finally shuts up and lets the Venture-Captain talk about the contents of the Monadistic Archive. Her eyes are wide open with curiosity.
"Wow. So like, we can see their memories? Of an ancient empire? Count me in, I'm ready!... Do you expect any danger while we're in there?" Cirri squats on one of the pillows, fiddling with her quarterstaff.
Much different reaction than my core Druid, who was all "NOPE" as soon as she heard this plan.
M Human Witch 5 HP 31/31 | AC 12 (16) T 12 FF 10 | CMD 13 | F +3 R +4 W +5 | Init +11 | Perc +4 | SM +2
Ackuda leans forward, paying close attention to the Venture Captain. A smile spreads on his lips and he chuckles as she explains the next step. When asked if he's like to participate, he pauses and cocks his head before putting a hand in his pocket and drawing out a small scorpion, which he brings to his lips and whispers to. He then puts it to his ear and listens. "Well, you're no fun." he says, then shoves the arachnid back into his pocket. "I'll do it! Eheheheheheheheh."
Wulessa does her best to answer Cirri's questions. “It should be similar to astral travel. That is to say, your minds form physical copies of your bodies inside. The architecture of the interior likely depends upon whomever this scroll copied millennia ago. I should be present in some form. I won’t be directly with you, but I might be able to communicate, and aid in some way.”
Wulessa has you sit on the floor in a circle. She solemnly lights cerimonial candles, and snuffs the other lights. She joins the circle, unrolls the scroll before her, and has everyone link hands. She begins a sing-song recitation in Jistkan.
As Wulessa Yuul finishes her invocation, she bows her head over the unfurled scroll, and the room falls silent. The only thing breaking the quiet is the snapping of the curtains, billowing in a heavy wind. Curiously, the breeze does not stir any other fabrics in the room; even the Monadistic Archive’s scroll lies at on the floor. The doors remain sealed, and there is no sign the seance achieved its goal.
Cirri's Familiar | Spells -/6/5/4/2 | Arcane Pool 11/11 | Flight Hex minutes 10/10 | GM Folio Reroll +2 | HP 86/86 | AC 21, T 12, FF 20 | Saves 11/6/8 | CMD 23 (25 vs trip) | Perception +7 | Init +1 | Female Human Magus 10 | Alignment NG |Ward not set
Cirri enjoys the seance, mimicking the words in her mind and wondering about the nuances of diction. As it ends she opens her eyes and looks around. "Uh, did it work? What's with the wind?"
Cirri looks at the Venture-Captain. "Um, did it work? Captain?" Cirri stands up and looks out the window for the source of the wind.
Ackuda casts his spell, and senses strong magic everywhere. Further information will take further concentration.
Inkita rises and searches the room. The curtains are odd. Although they billow in a slight breeze, the window behind them is closed, and nothing is visible beyond except a solid, endless gray.
Cirri and Bastion both speak, nearly simultaneously. As they address the Venture-Captain, she raises her head, and you see a horrible green creature with scraggly hair. The hag cackles hideously, and you shudder almost involuntarily. "The trap is sprung, and you are dinner." The creature that had once been your VC bares her claws, and springs to attack.
—COMBAT—
Bastion
Ackuda
Inkita
* hag
Cirri
Goupil
Those in bold may act
I don't have a map for this one, but I don't think we need one. Excepting Inkita, you are all in a circle a 5' step away from the hag. Inkita, having gone searching, is about 15' away.
Based on your earlier rolls of Spellcraft and Arcana ...
There is something odd about the hag, almost as if it's not real. Or at least, less real than it seems. Even the room itself is odd, as if noticing the discrepancy with the wind in the curtains opened your eyes.
More effects from this realization after combat is over.
Will vs Inkita:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23-2 AC for only 1 round (until Inkita's next turn) Will vs Ackuda:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23Save negates
Inkita and Ackuda both attempt hexes. The hag is distracted briefly, but you feel it won't last.
Bastion stands and draws his weapon.
The hag (Knowledge(planes) to possibly know more) waggles her fingers and releases a burst of sickening energy that causes everyone to feel sleepy.
@Bastion & @Cirri: Make a Will save, then read the spoiler
This appears to be a "Night Hag"; DR 10/cold iron and magic; Immune charm, cold, fear, fire, sleep; SR 24
Bastion:
As you shake off the spell, you realize that it's off somehow. Your brain finally registers what's wrong: this creature is only a shadow of its normal self, not quite an illusion, but less than it usually is.
Goupil begins to perform the magic of the bard, inspiring courage for his companions.
Bastion smites the hag, wounding it gravely.
—COMBAT—
Cirri Goupil
Bastion
Ackuda
Inkita
* hag (evil eye (Inkita), -2 AC, 2 more turns; evil eye (Ackuda) -2 saves, many turns)
Just waiting for Cirri to react given new information
Cirri tries to stomp the ground really hard, but nearly slips in the process. She decides to risk it and takes a step back. She drops her quarterstaff, drawing her Cold Iron Longsword in the process.
Standard Action to cast, 5ft step back and Draw a weapon as a move action.
