Shackled City (Pathfinder) - GM_Chris

Game Master Chris Shannon 719

Toffitt walks quietly into the room and clears his throat. "Ahem." Worried that he can't be heard over the clanging, he shouts. "Master Dugogras, we would the favor of your time, in regards your work for the Cagewrights."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 14 + 2 = 31

Dyrant stays out of sight when Dr. Toffitt enters and speaks, trying to keep his presence less known.

Toffitt walks quietly into the room and clears his throat. "Ahem." Worried that he can't be heard over the clanging, he shouts. "Master Dugogras, we would the favor of your time, in regards your work for the Cagewrights."

Dugobras pauses his pounding and turns to Toffitt. He casually rests the anvil, which is as big as Glimmil, against his hip before speaking.

"Thank you for clearing out the ladies. It's been so peaceful since you came through. You're disturbing that peace, but I guess I could answer one question before returning to my work. Just one though, so think carefully."

He returns to pounding on a piece of flat metal.

Aralynn does some loop-de-loops, twirly-twists, and other acrobatics.

"Just in case you forgot."

Atol, unsure what single question to ask, instead tries to, er, butter up the giant by offering him some scones and water. While large in Atols hand, if he takes them, they're quite small in the giant's. He then steps away again to give the giant room to work while the group decides what to ask.

"It should be a most excellent question. Do we want to know 'who' or 'why'?"

I'll hold off on asking anything in case folks want to whisper some feedback. My sense is we were wanting to know how to destroy the cages.

Hmmm...'how to destroy them?' is good. Also how many he created and whom he gave them to? Also, why are they cages? What does inside to power them? That's what I got.

Glimmil considers the various questions he would ask.

Who did the leftmost gnome skull belong to?

Who did the rightmost gnome skull belong to?

Why gnome skulls?

Do I like chocolate eel monsters? Wait, I'm not asking myself questions, and the answer is of course I do!

Glimmil shakes off his various thoughts, and looks about at Dyrant and Atol to come up with a wise inquiry while he explores various angles to charge at the fire giant if needed.

"You've crafted some fine items. Including cages commissioned by a group called, prosaicly enough, the Cagewrights. I believe you were working on them when we last visited. With all due respect for your craft, how might we destroy these cages? Their owners mean to harm our city, and this we cannot abide."

Diplomacy to get the big lug to spill it: 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 14 + 2 = 22

The giant pauses in his pounding and turns quickly to Toffitt. "You want to destroy my work?!?" He raises his anvil high and glares at Toffitt before a smirk cuts across his face and he begins to laugh.

"My satisfaction comes from the creation, not the product itself. They're not even mine anymore. Go and destroy them if you'd like. Perhaps they will ask me to make more. They were quite challenging to build, but well worth the effort."

"You can destroy them like anything else with enough whacks with your adamantine weapons there."

The giant takes an admiring look at Glimmil's head before resuming his pounding.

"Thank you. I don't suppose we could get you to agree to dispense with them as clients...?" Toffitt uneasily follows the giant's gaze to Glimmil's head, and mentally prepares himself for combat.

Dugobras ignores Toffitt and continues to pound at the sheet of adamantine.

Toffitt sighs and continues to look at Glim. He gives a little shrug, as if to say, "If you want, I'll gladly help you end the gnome-killer."

Glimmil, hearing Toffitt's words, considers them, thoughts forming in his head.

If he's saying what I think he's saying, it's time for this do-badder's career of do-badding to end.

Glimmil concentrates for a moment, to ensure himself that the red-haired giant is indeed a vicious do-badder before taking a few steps forward astride Cog, his armor aglow.

Clearing his throat, the gnome shakes his lance at the giant.

"Ha-hrmm!"

He tries to imagine the look his father gave him when he borrowed the cobbler's best leather to make a leash for a stray cat he found when he was half his current age.

"Mister Giant - I'm afraid we cannot allow you to continue to ply your trade for evil-doers. You need to stop making things for these bad men."

Glimmil struggles a bit to form his next thoughts coherently.

"The market for smithery for bad men is about to go into a restroom, err, I mean recession."

Finally, he adds.

"If you agree to stop crafting for bad men, and start crafting for good men, we may be able to spare you the judgement of the Cauldron Five."

Diplomacy (to begin converting the giant to the ways of do-gooding): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

The topic of gnome skulls will come next, if there's any chance in hell of that being successful.

"Ummm...I thought...ok, I guess we're looking for a fight?"

Finneas mentally prepares himself for what is surely to follow.

Atol senses the mood turn a bit sour and wonders why we must kill this man. He's just a craftsman right? Is he evil?

Realizing he's just asking himself, he looks to Glimmil for answers... and waits.

"Mister Giant - I'm afraid we cannot allow you to continue to ply your trade for evil-doers. You need to stop making things for these bad men."

Without missing a beat with his hammer, the giant responds to Glimmil. "No one tells me what I can or cannot make. Now go away before I add your skull to my collection."

Dyrant's fists clench as the giant proclaims the right to create evil for evil's doing.

Nope.

Dyrant begins to seethe...only a matter of moments before St. Cuthbert's divine will is brought into the battle.

Dyrant begs for the gift of flight.

Toffitt whispers to Atol, "Time for blessing before I disappear." He brings his extract of greater invisibility to his lips.

Glimmil frowns and looks sadly upon the giant.

"You've chosen poorly, Mister Giant. I cannot allow you to continue to collect these skulls, or make magics for do-badders."

Glimmil points the tip of his lance at the fiery giant, as the divine favor of Garl grants him an extra shiny shine.

Glimmil will use a swift action to activate his smite; then a free action (and 2 uses of smite evil) to grant the entire party smile evil vs the big, bad giant.

Taking a deep breath, Glimmil nods to the other members of his party as his glow begins to spread to the other members of the Cauldron Five like a divine wildfire.

Glimmil moves to get within 10ft of everyone. This is the Aura of Justice ability, so everyone gets +4 to hit and +11 damage for 1 minute. Technically, Glimmil will use this on his turn in the first round of initiative (it's a free action) but I wanted to post some flavor here since I thought it would be more exciting if the glow from Glimmil flowed into everyone else.

Initiative
Atol1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
Dyrant 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
Finneas 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Finneas Bonus roll 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Glimmil1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
Toffitt 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25
Giant 1d20 ⇒ 12

Round 1
Dyrant = 25 - flies
Toffitt = 25 - invisble
Atol = 21 - TBD
Finneas = 19 - TBD
Giant = 12
Round 2
Glimmil = 8

The foregone conclusion of this discussion finally occurs. Dyrant[b] begins to fly while [b]Toffitt becomes invisible.

Round 1 Map

Round 1, Init 25

Dyrant flies and moves up 20' and to BA15.

Round 1, Init 21-

Toffitt waits for Atol's blessing (assuming it's forthcoming) before drinking his extract and moving stealthily to AU6.

Stealth: 1d20 + 6 + 2 + 20 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 2 + 20 = 35

Round 1 Init 19

The enlarged and empowered Finneas walks up and smacks the giant.

"Really sorry about this. Paladins. For Kord!"

Male: Paladins for Kord? Sounds like a doomed charity.
Female: There was clearly a period in there.
Fifth: Shouldn't it be a semi-colon?
Male: That's what the giant's about to have.

Greatsword Power Attack Enlarged Glimmil: 1d20 + 13 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 13 + 4 = 373d6 + 17 + 11 ⇒ (2, 5, 4) + 17 + 11 = 39
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (18) + 17 = 353d6 + 17 + 11 ⇒ (6, 1, 5) + 17 + 11 = 40
Evil: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9

Round 1, Initiative 21, Location: AY10->AY9

Was it Bless they wanted? The Doctor keeps asking for some blessing or other. Must be Bless…

Atol shakes his head to clear it and casts Blessing of Fervor. He then takes out his cudgel and steps to the side.

Atol uses Blessings of Fervor for +2attacks/AC/reflex saves this round.

Remember, anyone who had breakfast with Atol has 11 temporary hit points, +1 (morale) attack rolls/Will saves, and +4 (morale) on poison/fear saves from the heroes' feast for 12 hours.

Finneas's single slash cuts deep into Dugobras's flesh. "Half-orc. Half-person. You only wish you could be large as me all time." The giant takes a 5' step back, pulls out a wand, and taps himself with it.

UMD: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23 Displacement. 50% miss chance.

Round 1
Glimmil = 8
Round 2
Dyrant = 25
Atol = 21
Toffitt = 25
Finneas = 19
Giant = 12

Round 1/2 Map

Round 2, Initiative 21, Location: AY9->AX9

Atol sees the Giant cast a spell on himself and wonders…
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Shrugging, he goes to what he knows and casts Prayer. (stacks with breakfast so +2 to hit/+1 to damage from Atol and the giant has -1 to hit and to damage as well)

He'll then step a little closer to the giant.

Atol uses Blessings of Fervor for +2attacks/AC/reflex saves this round.

Remember, anyone who had breakfast with Atol has 11 temporary hit points, +1 (morale) attack rolls/Will saves, and +4 (morale) on poison/fear saves from the heroes' feast for 12 hours.

Round 2, Init 25

Dyrant floats into view (flying to AW12 at 30'), noting the magical change on the giant.

"Giant, you are a monument to the excesses of evil...a vapid and arrogant excuse for competence. It will be a delight to turn all your works into something that people would actually value and appreciate...like nice dinnerware."

Dyrant casts Dispel Magic, targeting the Displacment.

1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29 vs. DC 11+3+1 (11+CL of wand)

"Be as so kind as to offer your belly to that one," Dyrant nods, indicating Finneas, "As he is not finished splitting it open yet. Another blow, perhaps."

Round 2, Init 21-

Toffitt mouths a word of thanks to Dyrant and steps up to the giant.

Dueling Sword v. flatfooted: 1d20 + 17 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 17 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 33
1d8 + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 + 6d6 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 + (1, 1, 4, 2, 3, 4) = 45

Iterative v. flatfooted: 1d20 + 12 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 12 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 36
1d8 + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 + 6d6 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 + (6, 6, 6, 3, 6, 5) = 63

Fervor v. flatfooted: 1d20 + 17 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 17 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 42
1d8 + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 + 6d6 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 + (3, 1, 6, 5, 5, 5) = 59

Confirm Iterative?: 1d20 + 12 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 12 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 27
1d8 + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 = 35

Confirm Fervor?: 1d20 + 17 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 17 + 2 - 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 = 25
1d8 + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 9 + 11 + 1 = 34

"Sorry to have already taken care of his belly, Finneas," comes his voice from thin air.

Finneas can see you Doctor. ;)

Waiting on Glimmil. He's already with 10' of everyone, pretty much.

My guess is Finn is in the 2x2 area AU,7:AV:8, which should leave Glimmil a charge lane under him to AT,9

Wait! I haven't had any of that Cauldron lemon-beer, why is he so blurry?!

Glimmil hesitates a moment, looking at Dyrant for an idea on how to deal with the giant's blurriness.

(Defer to round 2, init 25-)

Glimmil, feeling emotional, flushes red and babbles out an ultimatum at the giant.

"You will NEVER hurt gnomes again!"

Swift action to cast Litany of Righetousness against the giant, doubling the damage he takes from creatures with the good aura for the next round.

Glimmil attack #1 (+1 lance, power, charge, smite) 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (12) + 28 = 40 for 2d6 + 2 + 6 + 12 + 22 ⇒ (3, 2) + 2 + 6 + 12 + 22 = 47

Extra damage from litany*: 2d6 + 2 + 6 + 12 + 22 ⇒ (5, 5) + 2 + 6 + 12 + 22 = 52

*I think it's doubled, but it may only be tripled. Checking now. If it's not doubled, it's just half this damage.

Concealment (high=good for Glimmil): 1d100 ⇒ 99

No charge lane for Glimmil, but he'll still hit. No idea what that makes the damage, but the giant is still standing.

Glimmil plunges his lance into the giant as Dyrant dismisses the giant's protection. Atol tosses in a prayer to the one sided battle before Toffitt leaves several gaping wounds in the giant. Finneas follows up and actually hasn't done anything. But it doesn't really matter. The 384 points of damage in a turn easily knocks off the 250 HP giant.

Atol looks down at the dead body of the huge man. What a waste of truly exceptional talent.

He says a short prayer for him and turns to the others. "St. Cuthbert has graced me with speak with dead today. What shall we ask? I have five questions of him presuming he doesn't resist."

Some suggestions:
1) For whom did you make the cage?
2) For whom were you making the armor?
3) What was the purpose of the cage?
4) Who is the leader of the cagewrights?
5)

"I imagine Glim would like to know whose skulls he's desecrated." Toffitt reappears and begins looking around at the giant's wares.

Dyrant does not huzzah loudly as the giant falls, nor does he dance or cheer. Dyrant instead takes in a deep breath and lets go, releasing the sadness he feels for having to help slay an artist of sorts.

Still he was evil. Dyrant eyes Aralynn, trying to see if the Archon has an opinion or regret on the matter.

When he is finished expunging his regret, Dyrant will cast Detect Magic and begin to assemble the items that doth glow in the room and gather them together.

1d20 + 21 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 21 + 2 = 33 Spellcraft
1d20 + 21 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 21 + 2 = 42 Spellcraft
1d20 + 21 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 21 + 2 = 27 Spellcraft
1d20 + 21 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 21 + 2 = 26 Spellcraft
1d20 + 21 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 21 + 2 = 37 Spellcraft

* * *@Atol* * *

"How many cages were made? Who has them?" Dyrant suggests. "How do they work? What powers them?"

Atol will cast Speak with Dead on the corpse of the dead giant. (DC 18 will save to resist)

He will ask,
1) Name all the people for whom you made the cages?
2) For whom were you making the armor?
3) What was the purpose of the cage?
4) Who is the leader of the cagewrights?
5) How do the cages work?

Hopefully he'll tell us something useful. We did kill him quickly and mostly painlessly at least.

will save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

1) Name all the people for whom you made the cages?
-"Grehlia."
2) For whom were you making the armor?
-"Myself."
3) What was the purpose of the cage?
-"To open a portal between the Material Plane and Carceri."
4) Who is the leader of the cagewrights?
-"I don't know."
5) How do the cages work?
-"You open the door. Put something in. Close the door and lock it. How they open the portal I don't know."

When he is finished expunging his regret, Dyrant will cast Detect Magic and begin to assemble the items that doth glow in the room and gather them together.

The giant's warhammer was only a +1, but his chain shirt is +3. There are 13 charges left for the wand of displacement. He also had a wand of cure serious wounds (22 chargs), and a wand of dispel magic (18 charges.

It takes a while, but the party eventually finds a route through the ruins to the section they are seeking. It takes a bit of swimming through flooded lava tubes, but things finally open into a pair of smaller, air-filled tubes that lead to the east. The temperature drops alarmingly to the east, and the two passageways merge just before they are blocked by an enormous wall of ice. A narrow tunnel has been hacked through the ice near its southern edge, allowing access into a larger area beyond.

Toffitt scratches his head, confused about what more there is to find in the ruins. I evidently missed something...?

The fire giant was a detour on the way to Karran-Kural.

Oh. If I'd known that I would have used resources a bit differently. Ah well.

Did we rest since defeating the giant?

Glimmil dusts off his hands, and mournfully approaches the gnome skulls, picking up each and adding them to his backpack.

Once outside, he digs a small crave with Cog's assistance and buries each skull after holding them up to examine them one last time.

Alas poor gnome, I did not know ye well...

After reciting a brief prayer of final repose to the Great Glittergold, he leaps onto Cog and gives his companions a nod to indicate his readiness.

Did we want to destroy the cage in the Forge of the Giant? We're there and could get rid of it in the fires of its creation.

* * *

I believed that we were just popping in to talk to the Giant, then popping back to Cauldron. We came for answers, not assault. Dyrant wanted more time to craft and prepare before K-K. However, we can use this...just fine, I think.

Dyrant marches to the wall of ice, muttering.

"This is interesting, interesting indeed. I suspect that nearby is the entrance to Karran-Kural. I do not yet know that I am ready to go in just yet. I had wanted to research more magics and more about the Cage and related matters. We have options, however," Dyrant paces back and forth, orating.

"We can proceed now, as we are, or I can teleport us back home and we can return to this spot in a few days, after we are sure we are ready. I would prefer the latter, but do not know how quickly our foes move."

Dyrant looks to the Cauldron 5.2 for their replies.

"I would prefer to return. Perhaps your angels can give us a sense of how long we have before their plan comes into effect...?

"What more do we need to prepare really? Are we just afraid of what might lie beyond? I don't like the idea of the opposition preparing while we sit around..."

"I'm ready. Fearful of what they already have prepared for us, but ready."

"Either way. I've used some of my better extracts for the day, though, thinking we were just coming here briefly."

My mistake. You can pop back to Cauldron.

Finneas shrugs and goes along. If he wasn't wearing a helmet everybody would see how sad he is that his tremendous blow against the giant was never landed.

All that work and he just fell over.