[PFS Gameday V] GM Hmm 7-00 Sky Key Solution [Tier 5-6] (Inactive)

Game Master Hmm

Reesa nods rapidly. "Master Orin thinks that green glow is quite unbecoming for a true wyrm. You know, with all due respect of course, you do need to know much about dragoning. Gathering a meager hoard, looking undraconic with that light...Orin is quite an example that you should follow. He has so much to teach. He could work on that roar for you as well."

Aid another diplomacy 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

Ely, just use your reroll. I know you have one.

You guys also know that as lead take ten is always an option, right?

Hmm

Daeris is beyond caring over the outcome of this attempt to bluff that they are all Orin's minions, but she'll be damned if she'll be accused of not being a team player.

"Oh sure, we all serve Orin. Hail dragons."
Bluff, FE: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Unfortunately her irritation comes through loud and clear. But on the subject of why a person might serve Orin, she manages a bit better.

"Orin wants to see us succeed. He gives good directions and advice."
Aid Diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 14

Sparkle-Weave nods at Ely and shows off her own greens and how they clash with that horribly timey wimey green.

diploaid: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

Orin continues to look as regal as possible, but allows its servents to speak... for now.

diplo aid: 1d20 ⇒ 20

"Well, Lord Orin is certainly not poor in his natural qualities," Ely responds. "His power and magnanimous mien are obvious, without having to rely on ostentatiousness or showy boasts. Although you are clearly worthy of worship, Lord Romnus, that green glow of power may turn away potential servants who are either intimidated or unsure. Surely a true dragon has powerful enough innate magic that this strange green glow is--and please forgive me for my impetuousness, but--perhaps a bit gaudy."

Diplomacy: 2 + 12 = 14

Uhhh.... Well, my dice have been on fire all game, so I guess I was due. Can I send you a picture of me wearing my Pathfinder t-shirt for a re-roll? ;D

Diplomacy re-roll: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

......

You have a ton of aid another's, though.

Click. Whirr.

BOTTING BALON

"Yes. Orin. Capital fellow."

Diplomacy Aid: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

BOTTING CACUMATTUS

Cacumattus says nothing, just throws a bunch of sparkles in the air with prestigititation behind Orin's head.

Diplomacy Aid: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18

Romnus falters. "Do you really think this green light is unbecoming on a dragon? Then I better let it go, then..."

He shudders, opens his mouth, and releases a spiral of green energy to the sky.

AN ANCHOR SUCCESS

He falls, exhausted and normal, across the pile of treasure that he collected. "Roar, I think."

___

Kreighton Shane follows you. "There may be other anchors around here, but I think the other teams may be handling them. At some point, someone is going to have to face the last and most important anchor... the leader of the Harbingers of Fate. Do you think you're ready to face the Vault and Lady Arodeth?"

Ely sighs with relief. "Thank you, fellow Pathfinders! I'm very glad to have your support... personally I thought that line of conversation might have been a stinker..." she admits quietly.

When Kreighton approaches, Ely nods and sips one of the potions he distributed earlier, as well as handing off her healing wand to someone else in the party who can get her into fighting shape. "I suppose I'm as ready as I'll ever be! Let's teach this Lady Arodeth some manners."

Cure Moderate Wounds: 2d8 + 3 ⇒ (1, 6) + 3 = 10
Wand of CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

If we have some time before we move to the encounter with Lady Arodeth, is it possible to use a buffing ability? For instance, could I use an ability that enhances my weapon for 1 minute and get to that encounter with significant rounds left, or should I leave that as part of the (I assume) upcoming combat rounds?

"Somehow I doubt she will be so easily persuaded." Daeris smirks a bit as she contemplates her plan. "Where is she? I might be able to slip up on her."

"Hopefully she will listen to reason. It's been so nice to be able to reason with some of these folks. Storytelling and a little white lie here and there is so much better than having to kill everything we see."

"I do not think it will be so easy to 'slip up' on her. She is likely well guarded by either accomplices or divination magic." Kreighton looks concerned... "As for where she is, it must be the vault. We built the complex that contains the vault beneath the Bloodwatered Meadow to protect the Sky Key and support its auxiliary machinery. Fortunately, you've helped us discover where it lies in this time, so we can proceed with our search for her."

"It may be that you will have to fight. Or it may be, as Reesa suggests, that you of all groups can make Lady Arodeth see reason." He looks bemused. "I'm not the best at social situations. I get lost trying to figure out emotions. It's so much easier to study my scrolls and my history."

Then he glances up at the sky at the incoming asteroid. "Though I must admit that my knowledge of history has made the past hour a bit more nerve-wracking than I'm used to. As excited as we... I... oh, this is so confusing... as all of my various selves are to visit such a pivotal moment of history, I have no desire to STAY."

I could have sworn I made a post last night, but it seems to have vanished; maybe the forum ate it but more likely I messed something up. Anyway, thanks for covering for me, Bot Buddy.

"From what little I know of history, it mostly consists of people dying, so I'd certainly prefer to not become part of it," Cacumattus notes as the party heads off in search of Arodeth. "And either we'll convince her that she doesn't want to be history either, or make sure she becomes it before earthfall hits." The threat in his voice is undermined, somewhat, by the fact that a few stray sparks are still halfheartedly dripping from his hands.

"Rahr!"

To the Vault

As you approach the vault, an arc of green lightning gathers above and crashes to the surface, leaving something bizarre in its wake. “Another time storm?” Kreighton Shane arches an eyebrow skyward.

A huge mass of grayish, brownish sludge appears.

“That is a primordial ooze! A monster from the dawn of time!” Kreighton announces. “No discernible anatomy, so immune to precision damage. Use bludgeoning or magic! If you use electricity, slashing or piercing, the thing will split, and keep splitting into more oozes." He pauses. "Although it might be an interesting experiment to see how many times it could split, we're under some time pressure here. The ooze will dissolve flesh, but Balon’s skeleton and Sparkle’s earth elementals might be able to do something against it!”

ORDER: Entire Party, Ooze

The entire party is up!

Reesa starts summoning one of her own versions of Sparkle's earth elementals!

Click. Whirr.

BOTTING BALON

Balon nods to his necromantic servant. "Attack with your club!"

Red Bone Club: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Meanwhile, Balon calls out, "Arise, my necromantic servant!" A purple skeleton arises out of the ground to stand next the the red one. "Grab another bone and attack!"

It picks up another bone, silent as the grave, and attacks the ooze.

Purple Bone Club: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Reesa summons. Balon brings out a second necromantic servant to battle the ooze.

Kreighton states, "I'll happily enhance 'Poundy' with Bull's strength when it arrives! I don't want to come anywhere near that thing!"

ORDER: Daeris, Sparkle-Weave, Reesa (summons), Orin, Cacumattus, Balon, Guen, Kreighton, Ely, Ooze (-10)

Daeris, Sparkle-Weave, Orin, Cacumattus, Guen, Ely are up!

Sparkle-Weave replies "Who am I to argue with the Master of Scrolls..."

Sparkle-Weave steps to the side and will begin summoning.

With Kreighton closer to danger than makes everybody entirely comfortable Orin will take a position on the stage above and defend the Master of Scrolls.

Aid Kreighton AC: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Sparkle summons... Orin guards Kreighton!

ORDER: Daeris, Sparkle-Weave (summons), Reesa (summons), Orin (guards), Cacumattus, Balon (necromantic servants), Guen, Kreighton, Ely, Ooze (-10)

Daeris, Cacumattus and Ely are up!

Daeris sizes up this enemy and immediately agrees with Shaine. Neither she nor Guen will be getting anywhere near this thing. "Bludgeoning, I can do. But if we are to stay beyond it's reach, we need to know how quickly it can advance. Do you know, Master of Scrolls?"

The elf draws a blunt arrow and tries to aim for a significant area, but such are hard to tell on oozes. She then moves back, calling Guen with her to be sure the monster won't advance upon them.

Fire Composite Longbow, DA: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 9 - 2 = 11 Damage, blunt: 1d8 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 4 = 15

I really can't believe Daeris isn't equipped with an alkali flask. Major oversight on my part! >_< D & G will keep well back and continue to fire blunt arrows until it's dead.

Ely points her glove at the ooze as summoned creatures pop up around it, taking a step forward. "Things are really heating up now, aren't they?" she asks, as the gem in her palm glows red and a jet of flame streaks from it toward the ooze.

Fire energy ray, touch attack, melee: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 8 - 4 = 17
Fire damage: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 3, 5) = 11

"I see we have blunt force and fire covered," Cacumattus says, "let's add some ice."

Ray of Frost: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 for: 1d3 ⇒ 2

I've returned, everyone! Thank you for the masterful botting. I do want to point out, however, (though it's Bot Buddy's fault so perhaps our gracious GM will let it go for now) that Balon's necromantic servants are not permanent, like they would be if they were created using an animate dead spell... they only last a few minutes. So the purple skeleton is the only one that should exist, at the moment.

Click. Whirr.

Blame it all on me. Brain the size of a planet, and I still haven't processed all the options in Paizo offerings.

Welcome back! The GM ruled that Red was still there, so Red was still there. Largely because the GM Is still trying to figure out how this necromantic servant option works. Though Red will likely not outlast this next attack... You'll have to tell me if you expended the spell to make him permanent, or if he pops out of existence this round.

___

Daeris hits with a blunt arrow and does damage! Ely makes a pun that makes Kreighton groan. She also burns some of the ooze away. Cacumattus adds some freezing action and freezes a tiny bit of the ooze off.

"Why must Pathfinders always make puns?" Kreighton asks Ely, peevishly. "I cannot ABIDE puns!" Then he turns to answer Daeris's question*. "As for its speed, it is fortunately very slow... about ten feet a round. Unfortunately it does have reach, so don't get too close!"

Meanwhile, the ooze oozes forward. It slams into Red!

Slam!: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

...and misses? Wow, Red is still here.

Meanwhile, Kreighton acts. As Poundy comes into existence, he casts Bull's Strength on the elemental, and then steps back.

+4 to Poundy's strength.

ORDER: Daeris, Sparkle-Weave + Poundy, Reesa + Poundette, Orin, Cacumattus, Balon + undead buddies, Guen, Kreighton, Ely, Ooze (-39)

The whole party's up!

____
*If you have a copy of the Master of Scrolls with you, the least he can do is identify your monsters!

Poundette moved forward and swung a rocky fist at the slug. Reesa waited, not sure what her magic would do, not wanting to split it.

Attack 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

Damage 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

"Surround the ooze, my friends!" Balon calls out to the skeletons, and they dutifully move into a flanking position, then both attack.
red bone club: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 + 2 = 13
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
purple blone club: 1d20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 + 2 = 16
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Then Balon himself casts lesser object possession on a nearby small stone, turning it into a mini-golem under his control. He falls to the ground, seemingly lifeless.
Balon is now possessing a small animated object right next to the creature (flanking with purple, I'd say). Its 1 construction point will be to enhance its slam to deal 1d6 damage instead of 1d4.

Poundette hits the ooze for another 12 points of damage!

Balon's skeletons attempt to flank the ooze, only to discover that oozes cannot be flanked.

It does not matter as the ooze turns out to be pretty easy to hit anyway. Both skeletons hit the ooze. Then Balon does something cool that the GM does not understand yet, but cannot wait to see in action! He appears to be lifeless on the ground!

ORDER: Daeris, Sparkle-Weave + Poundy, Reesa (delay) + Poundette (hit), Orin, Cacumattus, Balon + undead buddies, Guen, Kreighton (cast), Ely, Ooze (-59)

The rest of the party is up!

Ely rushes over to Balon's unconscious body standing next to him protectively. She calls back to Kreighton, "The glove only wants to activate if I make a pun; otherwise it gets grumpy. It's a pain, but I don't want to deal with its hot--" (Ely interrupts herself to shoot another fiery ray at the blob) "--temper. Sorry."

Fire energy ray, touch attack, into melee: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (2) + 8 - 4 = 6
Fire damage: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 1) = 10

Fortunately, the ooze has a touch AC of three. Ely still hit it!

Kreighton smacks his head. "Only Pathfinders would have a magic item that requires pun magic to work. Did Zarta Dralneen help you acquire it? A pun-powered magic item seems just her style."

ORDER: Daeris, Sparkle-Weave + Poundy, Reesa (delay) + Poundette (hit), Orin, Cacumattus, Balon + undead buddies (hit), Guen, Kreighton (cast), Ely (ray), Ooze (-69)

Daeris, Sparkle-Weave, Poundy, Orin and Cacumattus are still up!

Sparkle-Weave finishes summoning Poundy, this time placing it next to Shane.

Seeing the opportunity presented by Balon falling Poundy charges the ooze!

Not a 1: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
damage: 1d6 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15

-2 to hit and -3 to damage if Shane does not Bull Str it.

Meanwhile Sparkle-Weave will use her crossbow to cover Shane.

ready to fire if a nonooze comes after Kreighton: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
[dice=damage]1d8[/ooc]

"Orin, I've got Shane! Go grab Balon, I'm not sure what's going on!"

Orin nods, slithers forward and picks up Balon.

Poundy wallops the ooze -- it explodes with a giant belching noise, releasing a pile of greasy green smoke and one half-digested corpse.

"Ugh, the smell!" Kreighton holds his nose, and then steps gingerly forward, prestidigitating as he goes. "Fascinating. This ooze must have landed on another anchor... one of the vault's defenders. Somehow due to its aberrant physiology, it must have retained some of the anchor's temporal energy."

-- ANOTHER ANCHOR SUCCESS! --

Daeris nods in approval. "It seems they did not all get patted on the head until they saw the error of their ways." She smiles in a very unsympathetic way.

"What's wrong with Balon?"

Kreighton creases his brow. "I'm not sure, but I think he's not hurt... Merely diverting his power to another form. Fascinating."

If Balon wishes, he may remain in his new rock body for a bit if Orin wants to still carry the real one. Or he can come back.

___

You head into the vault. [Slide 10]

Veins of strange metal line the walls of this massive chamber. Enormous bronze devices connected to the walls by massive cables spark and spew steam, almost obscuring the large vault door at the far end of the room. The door is labeled with a single word in a plethora of languages: danger.

Stagnant water collects at the bottom of a ten-foot wide pool in the middle of the room. A gasping, bleeding elf who looks like an aged version of Kreighton Shane lies across the room.

Scattered through the chamber, you see the signs that a mighty battle took place in this vault. There are scorch marks on the walls, and blood stains on the floor. You see the bodies of not only some of your fellow Pathfinders but also of dead Harbinger defenders.

"It looks like I've been busy," your copy of Kreighton Shaine says. "Perhaps we should see what I've been up to?"

Orin is happy to carry around Balon as long as is needed.

lol isn't that always the way of it.. you cast a fun spell and the battle is over before you can use it.
The little rock creature walls around a bit, seeming to test out it's senses, then suddenly falls apart and balon awakens. "First time I've done that. Was interesting.."
He seems a tad disoriented bit bone the worse for the wear.

“Good show, Pathfinders,” the injured form of Kreighton Shaine manages between blood-soaked coughs. “You've arrived just in time to carry us through to the next step. Lady Arodeth is a true savant and driven to fanatical extremes. The same energies that infected her casters above have also seized her soul, and I fear she has already killed several of your fellow chroniclers. Or will have killed them. Blast, but this is confusing.”

Shaine props himself up to continue speaking. “However noble her goals may have been, if Lady Arodeth forces us to remain in this time, we will all die. If the Sky Key is still functional, you must reactivate it before the Starstone arrives.”

The machines in this chamber begin to spark and smoke, and female bodies take shape from the green miasma. Shaine continues, “She has learned to create temporal copies of herself, as I have. She can produce an army, left unchecked. Some teams will need to hold the line here, in this chamber, so that anyone confronting the true Lady Arodeth in the room beyond isn't overwhelmed by these simulacra. You know your team's capabilities better than I, but I promise you Lady Arodeth will be not yield easily. Still if anyone can talk sense into her, it might be your team. You’ve managed to diffuse many of her anchors.” His whole body shakes with the next set of blood-soaked coughs. “Perhaps you could have some success with her.”

He coughs again, with miserable wet, coughs. “Not in a direct fight -- she’s far too powerful. See if you can bring her to reason.”

With that, the chorus of murky green female figures announce in an arrogant tone, “I would have brought destiny back to this world.”. You see other Pathfinder teams running into the vault to engage them.

Do you run past this chorus to have a talk with the real Lady Arodeth?

Reesa looks at the others and she didn't need any verbal confirmation. Of course they were going to try and talk down the Lady. No murder hobo-ing in this fine group. Except Balon. I've got to talk to him about all those creepy skeletons. Just a nasty habit.

"Lets do this, ladies and gentlemen! To save the Society, and our own lives, of course.". Reesa picks her way through the outer group, heading for the center of attention.

Heavy walls and strange panels in this room all focus on the strange orrery in its center. Raised on a small dais, and separated from the rest of the room by a wide trench, the device oozes a thick, emerald light. The water in the trench sparks, with little flashes of electrical energy. The air smells of ozone, like standing amid a roaring thunderstorm.

In the center of the room, standing on top of the dais, is a glowing green woman in a trance. Floating in the air around her are a bunch of crystalline balls, each depicting visions of her glowing green anchors and the Pathfinder groups wandering through the Azlanti city of Lacsuhnollo. Lady Arodeth has a wand in her hand, which she lowers as she opens her eyes. “I’ve been wondering who they would send in to face me.” Her tone is conversational. “The Society’s most potent mages? Their best warriors? Their most learned scholars? No... They sent you.”

She raises an eyebrow as she looks to Kreighton Shaine. “Well-played, Master of Scrolls. You’re cannier than I thought. You did not send your most powerful agents. You sent the most merciful.” She studies you, intently. “How do feel, being the Society’s sacrificial lambs? Under other circumstances, I would have tried to recruit you. Most of you are strong in conviction, brilliant in the arcane arts.” She looks sad. “You could help me create a new world, one in which fate and prophecy matter. One where one can follow one’s destiny. A world that makes sense.”

She looks at you, hopefully, with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry, Lady Arodeth, but that world you'd be creating wouldn't be real. It's just be a fake...something. But it would t be a real world. For all it's flaws, I want to go back to our own world and maybe try to make it better. You speak about Aroden. Do you think he'd be proud of you today? He was the most powerful god...surely if he wanted to change the world, he could have. And he didn't do that, to the best we know. And I don't think he'd be happy with you here today, ma'am."

Diplomacy 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Ely performs a deep formal curtsey as she approaches the leader of the Harbingers. "My friend here is right, Lady Arodeth. I know you want a world that makes sense, that's predictable... but we met a man tainted by this power who thought he was a dragon..." she points out.

Diplomacy aid another, minimum 13

Sparkle-Weave adds "Causing all our deaths here will just create chaos and destruction, not the orderly world you seek. The path lies to success in working with the Pathfinder Society and finding clues in the past to where Aroden has gone..."

diploaid: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25

"Oh, but that world -- prior to the death of Aroden -- was the very world that existed!" Lady Arodeth shakes her head with a smile. "When I watched you from afar, I could tell that you were not great scholars of history. I'm not angry with you for your ignorance in believing that the current state of affairs is what has always existed. Why do you think the current age is called the Age of Lost Omens and not the Age of Glory? Because something went terribly, terribly wrong when Aroden died. We need to set it right again! We need to set it right!"

Her eyes glitter with fanaticism, but in them, there is a touch of doubt.

____
You've succeeded brilliantly with Diplomacy. It's time to try some other skills to convince her. Remember that you may take ten.

"My lady, you know well enough that the universe has a mind of its own. Our gods and goddesses have their pull and sway, but even they, in their seemingly ultimate power, have limits. There have been others in the past who tried to change the entire course of history, and though they may think they succeeded, you and I both know that they only succeeded in their minds, that the universe was supposed to go that way in the end anyway. Aroden knew that, must have known his death was coming, and yet he chose to allow it to come to pass. He must have known that the universe had to be allowed to continue on its own path. If you change everything now, might it not lead to a cataclysm that we do not have the capacity to understand?"
Kn.Religion take 10: 10 + 11 = 21 Aids, everyone?

Can I aid on a Knowledge skill I don't have ranks in? If so, I'll try.

Reesa steps forward. "I don't know a great deal about religion, but it seems to me that Aroden must have thought here was a more important purpose in allowing himself to vanish the way he did. Who was we to second guess the most powerful of the deities? Sometimes the divine know more than we mortals do..."

Knowledge Religion Aid 1d20 ⇒ 18

Balon's arguments are solid, making Lady Arodeth pause and look more uncertain. "But, how could Arodeth know he was going to die? He was prophesied to live!" Her hands shake.

___

You cannot aid in a knowledge you have no ranks in, but Knowledge Religion was one of the skills that you could use here! Balon has succeeded with the Religion Check.

Still you get the sense that you need to succeed at multiple skills to convince this lady. Keep trying other skills, or roll Sense Motive to try to figure out what skills you might need. Keep going, you're doing great!