Neither Frantino, nor Ezranadir find any magic or traps.
Ayita, carefully searching the small room, spies several ledgers on the table. JACKPOT!
They appear to be journals filled with notes recounting numerous failed attempts to craft the polymorph plague.
All written in Abyssal, it looks like an hour of reading through could reveal some important details.
Something quickly stands out to Ayita: "... new doses will require more eggs harvested from the prisoner, Og-Zeugus.”
Skimming the notes suggests to Ayita that an expert in necromancy could, in theory, develop a cure for the polymorph plague.
Elsewhere in the room... amid the scattered notes on the polymorph plague are three other noteworthy pieces of information.
The first is a report from an unsigned investigator who confirms to Leptonia that Clegg Zincher did indeed purchase three scrolls of true resurrection in the year prior, and that said scrolls are believed to be kept under lock and key somewhere in his tenement in Riddleport.
The second is a parchment bearing a list of prices offered by ships for passage for 21 people north to Riddleport. Leptonia underlined the least expensive option—passage on a ship called Sea Moth, which, according to the notes, was scheduled to depart for Riddleport the day before the heroes first entered the Gecko. Leptonia also jotted a date on the sheet, circled it, and labeled it “ZINCHER’S AUCTION.”
The third is a copy of a report from Pathfinder Society agents ripped from a volume of the Pathfinder Chronicles that details the results of a dangerous mission undertaken to defeat the return of Runelord Krune. Near the section that details the death of a newly arisen Runelord Krune, Leptonia has penned a disturbing gloss: “Dead for now, but if we can return him to life, a thankful Runelord of Sloth may just give us the support needed to bring the polymorph plague to the breath of every city it touches!”
Frantino auto-succeeds at the knowledge planes check with a +13, +2, and +1d6. Thanks to his headband's programming to teach him a new language every time he becomes more experienced (ranks in Linguistics), he also knows Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal, plus a dozen more. He and Ayita share a love of languages! No time to read the journals right now, though.
"Looks like we just missed them, they just left on a ship to Riddleport! They want to resurrect a runelord? Hopefully Sursha and her ship are still in port, maybe she can take us on another journey."
"There is a reference to something with an abyssal name that is a prisoner they are harvesting eggs from. I don't think this is referring to the poor polymorphed man we knocked out. If the rest of these side rooms are empty we can check down the stairs we just bypassed, or we can go back to that rough passageway near the vampire's crypt. Have we overlooked any other areas in here? The faster we finish this and leave the better, the cult has a few day's lead on us. However, killing this creature or sending it back to the Abyss will hamper their plans should the cultists return, at least for a while. Maybe we'll run into the gargoyle again, too."
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Hearing the effervescent fizz of Ezranadir's magic, Hatfield offers an awe-struck, "Whoa!"
Frantino admires Ezranadir's work. "Nicely done! I'm grateful we were the ones lucky enough to pluck you out of the sea a few weeks back."
Happy to be of service. We definitely need to quickly search the rest of this place. Even though 21 cultist members left on that ship there could still be more here left behind continuing their work until the others return. We also have the island complex we have not finished searching for the council and confronting Thybidos not to mention the dreams all of you have had pointing to a location to meet in Korvosa if memory serves me correctly?"
Ayita will spend more time searching for secret doors in all the rooms here. She uses Guidance. (Since GM Derek did a lot of rolls for her, maybe we can assume she finds nothing... just in case, here are a few more rolls - I count 12 doorways.)
Anita’s extensive intensive search reveals nothing more of interest. The rooms seem to be just sleeping quarters for the cult. Gross that they would sleep so close to the experimentation area. Ugh.
Frantino moves with the group and proceeds down the wide stairs in tandem with Ayita, see invisibility and heightened awareness still active. He asks Ezranadir to keep up detect magic behind us so that he doesn't have to maintain three different vision enhancements at the same time.
+1 for traps
As you ascend the stairs, you see a pair of shallow alcoves to the east and west that contain what appear to be long-dried water fonts, each of which seems to have been scraped numerous times by sharp objects.
As you approach the end of the entryway, passing the last alcoves, you examine the wall at the end. The stone has a softly rippled surface, giving it the impression of a swiftly solidified wall of mud.
Detect Poison in the area in general and then concentrating on the fonts.
No poison in the area.
"I know wood shape but cannot cast stone shape. I wonder if this leads to another room or stairwell or if this is a way to restrict outside admittance to the tower? Ezranadir, you probably know more about construction than I do, what do you think? Given our observation of the size of the structure as we entered, do we think this would open to an outer wall or landing, or is it still reasonably within the size of the tower to lead to another room beyond? We entered from that direction," Frantino waves to the west "does anyone remember if there was anything on the southern side even higher up on the tower?"
"If we assume that the deep pit is in the center of the tower, is this about equidistant from that as the other secret entrance is?"
"I know wood shape but cannot cast stone shape. I wonder if this leads to another room or stairwell or if this is a way to restrict outside admittance to the tower? Ezranadir, you probably know more about construction than I do, what do you think? Given our observation of the size of the structure as we entered, do we think this would open to an outer wall or landing, or is it still reasonably within the size of the tower to lead to another room beyond? We entered from that direction," Frantino waves to the west "does anyone remember if there was anything on the southern side even higher up on the tower?"
[dice=Knowledge engineering]1d20 + 10 + 2 + 1d6
"If we assume that the deep pit is in the center of the tower, is this about equidistant from that as the other secret entrance is?"
This is possibly the primary entrance to the Gecko facility.
"The only remaining areas I can recall are the rough hewn tunnel just past where the vampire escaped, and the room with the haunt that Nasir triggered and we never went back in. Did I miss any?"
"Burhabs zere is a way to activate za spell to open zis entrance? Maybe somezing to do wiz za alcoves and za water fonts?"
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I believe that an earth elemental could move through the stone and check the other side, though it cannot help us get through. I can ask it to look for a way we can get through.
Ayita will do so unless someone objects.
She will use a level 2 spell, Summon Nature's Ally, small earth elemental; she will ask it to go through the stone, check what is on the other side, and look for other entrances and exits to/from that next room - secret doors, other tunnels, etc. She also asks it to check this stone barrier for any physical weaknesses. She'd like it to report before returning to its plane, and she then thanks it politely.
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"Nasir, you misunderstand. There is no magical residue here to activate such a spell. Just from the physical remains, can it be determined that such a spell was cast before multiple times. I do not believe there would be anything to activate and thus just a waste of time. If you wish to check out the other side then I can just cast Fly on you and you can leave from whence the entrance we first entered. The Elemental is a good idea Ayita. Try that first then I say we move onto the rough hewn area. If you have control of the Elemental still then it can enter the rough hewn area."
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Ezranadir, I can re-cast the spell a couple of times today, but each casting only lasts 8 rounds - I'll see how much progress it can make.
Ayita summons the elemental, with instructions to scout past the stone-shaped entrance and then the rough-hewn one, if it has time. Its speed is only 20; darkvision 60.
Ayita also asks the elemental to note any creatures Ter's size or larger, let her know.
Do you speak Terran?
The earth elemental returns through the wall and tells Ter that beyond the wall is a small platform and then nothing. Open air.
The elemental has difficulty explaining something it has never encountered: it is high up in a tower, far far from the earth it is used to. It has exited the official entrance to the Gecko and looked down the pillar to the earth far below.
Satisfied that we've explored this section, Frantino suggests that we go back to the room where we fought the vampire and check out the unexplored passageway to its east, staying alert for the sneaky gargoyle all the way.
Nasir shrugs. "I know little of magic. I defer to you."
Ayita and Frantino's careful perception find nothing new in this room.
The northeastern corner of this otherwise empty room has collapsed, resulting in a jagged tunnel winding to the east.
Fury held at the ready and everyone in place, Frantino follows Ayita down the tunnel. She is better detecting traps and his magically enhanced vision can help ensure that invisible creatures won't surprise her.
+1 for traps
The passageway, actually a room that has collapsed over time, curves a bit around. Only the northeastern portion intact. The collapse has shattered and cracked the floor, breaking up several magical circles that had been carved into the floor. Only one circle, located in the room’s easternmost corner, remains intact, its runes still flickering and glowing.
Inside the circle stands a human-sized statue of a weird crab-like creature. It has a dozen eye stalks and four arms.
The statue turns towards Ayita and Frantino and walks to the edge of the magic circle. As it does, it becomes more fleshlike, abandoning its rocky statue-like appearance.
I am Og-Zeugus and I command you to free me, mortals. No harm shall come to you. I simply wish to be gone from this wretched plane of existence! it says directly inside Ayita and Frantino's head.
"Another qlippoth? There was one under Roderic's Cove as well, but a different type."
Frantino has little reason to trust the creature.
Ever paranoid, Frantino keeps looking around to make sure the gargoyle isn't hiding here.
He calls the rest of the party forward, keeping his distance from Og-Zeugus.
"Looks like we found Og-Zeugus, turns out it's a qlippoth. The notes from the cult said they were harvesting eggs from it, didn't they? It's trapped in a summoning circle and is asking us to free it so it can leave. Can we just kill it in the circle, won't that send it back to its home plane with no risk of it getting loose here?" Frantino looks at Ezranadir and Doc to see if they can confirm if this plan makes sense. Does his knowledge check allow him to determine this?
He calls the rest of the party forward, keeping his distance from Og-Zeugus.
"Looks like we found Og-Zeugus, turns out it's a qlippoth. The notes from the cult said they were harvesting eggs from it, didn't they? It's trapped in a summoning circle and is asking us to free it so it can leave. Can we just kill it in the circle, won't that send it back to its home plane with no risk of it getting loose here?" Frantino looks at Ezranadir and Doc to see if they can confirm if this plan makes sense. Does his knowledge check allow him to determine this?
No, killing me here will simply kill me, half-elf. I am no summoned ally, brought here temporarily to spend my blood in service. I was called here in ages past and trapped by these damned Thassilonian magics.
Nothing it has said seems untrue to you, although how well do you know the facial tells of crab-like qlippoth hellbeasts?
Ayita quietly asks Ter, You know the lore of Arcana and the Planes well. Is it bound to do as it promises if we free it here? (Ayita sounds dubious to Ter.) Does killing it in the circle send it back, alive, to its home plane?
If it was called into a summoning circle turned inward to imprison it, Ter says into Ayita's brain, then, no, killing it won't send it back.
"Yer plan makes sense. Is there a less painful way ta send 'em back?"
Pain? says Og-Zeugus to Doc. What does pain mean, after thousands of years trapped here in isolation? Thrice-foolish Thassilonians. I understand they brought their doom upon themselves and left me here in this shattered place... forever.
Is there any oath that could bind such as this? What deities do they follow? It looks more chaotic than lawful...
No deity can bind me. Our Lords offer no obeisance to anything, especially not late-coming outsider upstarts dependent on the likes of you for power.
It clicks all its claws simultaneously.
All you have is my word and my desire to leave this wretched plane.
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What does Ezranadir know about Gongorinan Qlippoth's?
Staying back Ezranadir says, "If this evil creature was summoned and trapped here, releasing it will probably not return it to its own plane, and I doubt it can return on its own. Usually, the summoner does that. It needs to be sent back and that power is beyond me. If we release it, it will just remain and may go on a killing spree. Who can know the mind of a thousand year trapped being. If the cultists are harvesting its eggs, then we definitely cannot leave it here trapped in the circle of protection. But we dare not break the circle."
[dice=Knowledge-Planes]1d20+17
What does Ezranadir know about Gongorinan Qlippoth's?
DR10/Lawful
Immune cold, acid, mind-affecting effects, polymorph effectsResist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10
SR 22
The gongorinans are the spawn of a nascent qlippoth lord, although one could be forgiven for thinking them of them less as offspring and more as parasites. Gongorinans are an industrious and intelligent breed of qlippoth, and where they find themselves, they invariably form hive-like complexes to live in. These gongorinan “cities” are labyrinthine affairs with plenty of chambers for their transformed children to live in. In the Abyss, gongorinan hives can grow truly immense, with populations in the thousands, but even the Material Plane is no stranger to gongorinan hive cities.
rounds
CONFUSED TABLE
1-25 Act normally
26-50 Do nothing but babble incoherently
51-75 Deal 1d8+Str mod damage to self (or familiar) with item in hand
76-100 Attack nearest creature (for this purpose, a familiar counts as part of yourself)
@AYITA - I leave it to you to roll a d100 on the above table and then roleplay it.
The gongorinan is SO disgusting, so horrific-looking at it has addled your brain for a bit. The eyestalks ugh. The pinchers ugh. The idea of eggs BLECH. It is nightmarish thing from the Lower Planes, a disgusting monstrosity haunting your nightmares and now it is HERE, in real life, not in your dreams. You cannot wake up from it. Your brain is short circuiting!
Frantino is disgusted by this thing. Looking at it, this close, is just... BLECH. Was that an egg sac he just saw? Or maybe some wretched internal organ? He wants to avert his gaze, it is so horrible. Who knows what its shifting, horrific, qlippoth body will do next?
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Ayita eyes go wide, and she yells in Shoanti, Wrong!!!... looking like she might vomit any second.
She turns and attacks Frantino with Social Control -- but she's so close that she uses the haft bash instead of the normal (reach) polearm attack.
(haft bash: -2 to hit, functions as a d6 club, no special non-bashing weapon attributes or feats apply)
Ter is shocked...
(does this identify the spell?)
Being quite intelligent and speaking Shoanti, she flies back to the back wall away from the flailing Shoanti.
There's something wrong with her! Fix her!