[PFS] 8-10 Tyranny of the Winds, Part 2: Secrets of the Endless Sky by GM Upaynao (Inactive)

Game Master Upaynao

Agate moves to the altar to inspect it and the gemstones.

Appraise: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 Oh well, it's hard to guess the market on a plane you've just arrived on for the first time...

She murmurs the incantation for seeing auras. Casting Detect Magic and looking at the altar and contents.

Going more off the map than the description.. if my assumptions are wrong, please let me know!

While Agate is inspecting the gemstones, Ollo moves across to the opposite side of the room to look at the plinths or stands. "So.. " he calls out. "We have three alcoves secured with three colors o light, an three gems ta match each color. Seems ta reason out these are keys o some sort.."

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Casting detect magic as well.
Spellcraft just in case: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Pavo stands at the base of the spiral stairs, waiting for the wizards to finish their analysis of the chamber.

"Interesting."

Given the time spend in fruitless search of the upper library, Pavo's non-lethal damage should be healed (2 hp/hour).

@Pavo: Correct!

@Ollo: There are four gemstones and four different colored forcefields.

Agate and Ollo's divinations do not reveal anything magical about the four gems; they are round, and are each a separate precious stone: one is a garnet with a small flame burning within, the other is an opal with what seems to be a miniature cyclone blowing within, another is a pearl seemingly containing water and the diamond seems to have several small pebbles occluded within.

The barriers are magical however, radiating evocation magic. They all seem to have a single circular opening on the stone face to their side. Ollo is convinces that they are all armed with effects that mimic burning hands to an extent.

Alexis looks at the scene initially with an enthused expression, but it soon turns to a mild puzzled frown.

"Frankly, this seems much too easy...."

Nonetheless, she takes the diamond from its pedestal, and, after muttering a short incantation to herself (guidance), places it inside the stone face next to the green-hued barrier.

Bailey follows Alexis to the field, a bit entranced with the garnet. For the sake of (a semblance of) caution, he waits to touch it to its respective barrier, to see if there is any chance of, say, an explosion. "A welcome change in Society work, but it pays to remain on guard."

Nonetheless, she takes the diamond from its pedestal, and, after muttering a short incantation to herself (guidance), places it inside the stone face next to the green-hued barrier.

After checking her firearm and reloading, Thaia looks on. Finally useful.

Agate carefully picks up the opal and examines it. "A spirit of air trapped in an opal! The interests of the Concordance seem to coincide with our own."

"I'm not certain that we can say that," Pavo cautions. "Interest in cracking the opal would not be the same as interest in keeping the opal sealed."

Alexis approaches the barrier and, feeling confident in her choice, places it in the appropriate receptacle. As she stands up, before Bailey's horrified eyes, a wall of greenish flames blows across her.

Acid Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

Alexis, give me a Reflex save DC 11 for half.

Reflex save, guidance: 1d20 ⇒ 5

Alexis screams in pain. She knew that was a risk, but she was sure she had made the right choice...and it going off when it did, rather than sooner, just felt like dirty pool....

She staggers backward and tends to herself with her reed-and-ruby wand.

cure light wounds wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
cure light wounds wand: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

"Are you alright?" Pavo asks with concern. When the gnome confirms her stability, he suggests, "Maybe the opposite element?"

"A reasonable idea. Would you do the honors?"

Agate watches the second attempt with interest... from a safe distance.

Thaia smiles. Gnomes are soooo amusing.

Thaia moves to cover folks as best as possible.

"It was my idea, so I suppose that I ought to," Pavo says as he steps away from the stairs to find the opal with a cyclone trapped within. He takes this gemstone and approaches the green aura.

The paladin kneels and places the opal in the receptacle.

Pavo opts for a different tack and places the opal within. As it turns out, not a very good alternative tack.

Acid Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6

Pavo, your turn to give me a Reflex save DC 11 for half.

As you step down the winding downward staircase, you find it empties into the center of a chamber with four circular alcoves. Each of these alcoves glows with a different colored translucent barrier: red, green, blue, and white. With the exception of the alcove behind the white barrier, a variety of items are on display beyond the barriers. Among these curiosities are books, scrolls, figurines, urns, and tapestries. The alcove behind the white barrier, however, is mostly blocked by rubble, as if it had been ransacked in the past. Four gemstones sparkle atop a stone altar along one of the chamber’s walls.

Place yourselves, and do not forget to move your icons to the spot you are inspecting.

@Ollo: There are four gemstones and four different colored forcefields.

Agate and Ollo's divinations do not reveal anything magical about the four gems; they are round, and are each a separate precious stone: one is a garnet with a small flame burning within, the other is an opal with what seems to be a miniature cyclone blowing within, another is a pearl seemingly containing water and the diamond seems to have several small pebbles occluded within.

The barriers are magical however, radiating evocation magic. They all seem to have a single circular opening on the stone face to their side. Ollo is convinces that they are all armed with effects that mimic burning hands to an extent.

So, to be clear, there are four gemstones and no matching plinths.

Exasperated, Thaia grabs up the white gemstone. "Why not try the broken one first? Undoubtedly it is the air chamber, and the fact that earth has invaded it is no doubt at least symbolically important to note."

Is there any spot where the white barrier is interrupted by the cave-in? If so she suggest possibly digging at the spot to see if the magic barrier passes through the earth.

"Agate. I'm sure you already know what I am going to ask, being a diviner, but I will say it anyway; do you know any magics that will allow you to move objects at a distance?"

Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

"Ah!" he stumbles back as the acid stings. "I'm out of ideas."

Acid Resistance 3

Ollo starts as Alexis sets off the first spell, but she heals herself before he can intervene. Then, when Pavo sets off the other field, he moves over to the man and helps him to his feet. "Here ye be, son. This'll patch ye right up.." With a tap of his wand, he heals the burning acid covering Pavo.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 Right on the nose!

"So, like colors don't work, an opposite colors don't either.. Tha stones go in the nook, but then ye get burned. This makes no sense.." Ollo says, exasperated.

If the lantern was the key to getting in here, maybe its the key to the doors too? Can anyone make that spell craft check so we can at least read the spoiler?

"Thank you, Ollo," he says with a smile.

"Has anyone studied cosmology and the relationship between planes? Maybe it is an descending element... like fire consumes earth? Or ascending... water strengthens earth?" Pavo ponders with a perplexed expression.

Correct. Four gems, no plinths. If you are stumped, I will allow a wisdom check. Beat a 12 and I'll mention something you've overlooked in your haste.

Wisdom: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (7) - 1 = 6

Pavo furrows his brow in thought. Nothing happens.

Wisdom: 1d20 ⇒ 8

"I seem to have studied the wrong aspects of extraplanar mechanics," Bailey frowns as Pavo queries about the cycle. "And I was always more interested in chess than puzzles like these...."

Wisdom check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Alexis slaps her forehead.

Of course....

It occurs to Alexis that perhaps there might be a clue as to what should be done if one were to inspect the gem openings.

Wisdom: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (5) - 1 = 4

"I was prepared for research today," Agate grumbles, "not--" She stops on seeing Alexis's gesture.

Cold, hard pragmatism!: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

"Well, Agate?"

"I was prepared for research today," Agate grumbles, "not--" She stops on seeing Alexis's gesture.

"Precisely what sort of diviner are you? It seems to me that an actual diviner would be better prepared."

"I have all of these but Aquan," Bailey says as his eyes follow the gaze of Alexis. "And Auran will likely prove more useful here than my birth tongue."

I'll inspect the Auran writing.

"Has anyone here studied Aquan?"

"I believe I own a share in a fishing fleet in Westcrown."

"Has anyone here studied Aquan?"

"In a way," says Agate, and casts her other prepared copy of Comprehend Languages.

She goes to look at the Aquan inscription.

Pavo stands there, holding the opal and waiting for someone to voice direction.

Deciphering the minuscule script by the aperture, Bailey reads "Wet the Sky" besides the white-ish, partially collapsed barrier.

On her end Agate makes out "Fill the Sea" by the gemstone indent near the blue barrier.

"Earth to water, water to air, air to fire, fire to earth, then?" Agate says. "In which case the diamond would go here... I would want to check the other inscriptions to make sure, though." She goes to look at the indentation by the green barrier, then the red one.

In response to Agate's hypothesis, Pavo steps over to the red barrier and places the opal in its recess.

"Looks as if," Bailey grins. "Best to remain cautious for further acid, though." With that, he takes the pearl and puts it to the white barrier.

As Agate checks the aperture by the green barrier, she finds another small, almost hidden, inscription reading "Spark the Earth" in Terran. Moving on to the red barrier, she finds a similar one reading "Fan the Flame" in Ignian.

Meanwhile, Bailey and Pavo place gems in their respective indents, and with a crackle of electricity and a harmless burst of flame, the red and white barriers collapse, leaving the way open. Within the red alcove lay a lifetime's worth of information, seemingly focused on the plane of fire. Beyond the white barrier stretches a rough hewn corridor winding towards the left.

"So the knowledge contained behind the barrier matches the element of the barrier," Pavo remarks. "The more learned of our band should search behind the air barrier while some of us stand guard."

"And we know a little more about the Concordance: they collect knowledge of the elemental planes."

Agate looks wistfully at the hoards of knowledge, but tries to stay focused on the mission. She goes to where the white barrier used to stand and peers down the part of the corridor she can see.

Perception + stonework bonus: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 2 = 9

If the corridor is unlit, she has 60' darkvision. Not that it really matters with that roll, I guess.

"Well shall we?" Thaia says indicating the formerly shielded corridor. She produces her wayfinder to light the way.

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

Agate and Thaia march into the air-related archive and are greeted by the musty smell of paper. This archive is just as well stocked as the others, if not more so. Finding anything quickly might be a challenge.

Anyone else wish to go on into the air archive and search around?

Ollo claps his hands at Agate proves her usefulness despite Thaia's attitude. "Well done, lass!" he claps her shoulder as he walks up behind her to peer over her shoulder into the archive. He gives a mighty sneeze as the dusty smell of paper overwhelms his olfactory sense and backs away.

"I'll try this one here!" he says, moving over to the purple barrier and poking his head in once the barrier is down.

Thaia pokes about the room. "Though frankly it is all Aklo to me."

perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

That all sorted out, Alexis takes the garnet and places it in the head next to the green barrier.

Having taken down the white barrier, Bailey follows Agate and Thaia down their path to help gather information. "Enough here to keep a scholar happy for a while."

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 10

"Ah, we might want to focus out search on the element of air," he says as the other shields go down.

"Well," says Agate, "best not to waste a linguistics spell." She begins searching for anything that might be related to Ranginori or the Untouchable Opal, particularly if marked with a thundercloud and lightning bolts. (As was mentioned back at the party)

Knowledge (Planes): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

I can't move my token for now, but he is standing guard in front of the Air chamber.