After your last few exploits with the Blakros family, and their famous museum, they have discovered a new subbasement below, and have begun to explore it. Inside, Nigel has discovered some sort of odd portal, and with the help of a Pathfinder Anumet Akrostera, the two had begun to research what that might mean. Now you have gotten word that Anumet has vanished, and some sort of new curse has been unleashed. Duty calls once more.
Having investigated, you have discovered that Anumet was murdered very recently, and is likely not the being that Nigel saw acting strangely. Heading to the Forae Logos to look for clues, you are unsure about you next step.
Sorry about so much info going on at once. Please take the time to reread through it all just so it's clear, and feel free to add that you want to do anything at any point throughout and w will slip it in.
Morvius and Grace pick up the body and begin to move it to the empty room. Tossing inside with care, Grace closes the door, and you can her a magical burst go off within. It didn't take care of the issue, but the ghost does seem weakened enough that it can not return to haunt the living for a while at least.
Anumet's body was supposed to be nude, but I didn't really think it served any purpose and so just kind of ignored it. I mean there is a reason, kind of, but it can logically be gotten around with ease, and I'd rather avoid shocking anyone just for the sake of doing it.
Know Religion DC 20:
You notice that the various the claw and bite marks covering the body as typical of a ghoul’s victims.
Heal DC 10:
You see that something has feasted upon the corpse, devouring much of its skin and cracking the skull open to devour its contents.
Heal DC 20:
You also notice that for some odd reason that Anumet’s body is partially frostbitten in places.
The doorknob to the door you just tossed the corpse into looks to be very pricey and oddly out of place. It is made of clear crystal, with a chunk of sapphire inside, and very ornate. It can be removed with ease, and you feel that the Society might like to study it for it's historical significance , though it does not seem magical. Also, A tiny golden statuette sits within the orrery’s rust-choked mechanisms, caught between two gears. It depicts a bizarre, apparently formless creature covered with eyes and tendrils. It can be sold to a broad-minded collector or returned to the Society.
Reopening the door, you see that the corpse is still there, but all of the magic seems to have left it. Inside the room scattered scraps of parchment and torn bindings cover the floor of this small chamber. Scratched glyphs cover its stone walls and even span part of the ceiling. A foul reek hangs in the air, like the stench of something long dead. It sort of remind you a bit of both a makeshift, though long term prison cell and also a madman's room in an asylum.
Aklo or Linguistics DC 25:
Allows you to read the scrawled messages, learning the beast’s name (which I can't find in the Scenario other than "The Devourer of Reason"), as well as its desire to unleash further horrors from the Dark Tapestry upon Golarion, though its exact plan remains a mystery.Hey, where have you seen that before. . .
Searching the rest of the upper floor, you find nothing else of interest, and return downstairs to find Nigel and report. He apologizes in having forgotten to see about sending someone to the Forae Logos to look for the book, (The History of the True Art), but does thank you and suggest you head there next.
Because it is a well known cite in the city, you make it there without trouble. It I a massive building not unlike a cathedral in some ways. Entering you see it is full of scholars, nobles interested in education, priests and mages all interested in learning. Finding a librarian to help, you ask for the book, and they inform you that there is only a single copy, which you can study, but can not take from the premises. They also suggest that you try the Scrivers Guild, which work in a section of the build to make you a copy, assuring you that it is completely accurate and authentic to the original in all ways, but will be stamped as a copy, and may include any notes or doodles that are in the original. Making your way to the Scriver's Guild, you ask for it and the clerk mentions that a copy can be produces in under an hour for the price of 5GP.
Diplomacy/Gather Info DC 17 while at the library:
Asking around about Ralzero, and some general things about what is going on, you find a man that seems to know a bit of the history. “Absalom legend tells that Blakros Museum was once the mighty stronghold of an astrologer called Ralzeros the Overwatched. He watched the stars with his weird machines, and some say he was able to communicate with the otherworldly beings of the Dark Tapestry, the black spaces between the stars.
Ralzeros’s rival was a prominent mage named Beldrin. After a significant feud between the two, Ralzeros disappeared. It is thought that this feud arose when Ralzeros accusing Beldrin of stealing a key to one of Ralzeros’s many chambers, which contained the wondrous magical tools he used to watch and be watched by the stars.
If Beldrin did steal a key to Ralzeros’s magical chamber, he most likely hid it in one of his three towers, which once stood on a promontory near what is now the Precipice Quarter. Only one tower remains standing—the Tower of the Broken Shield, commonly called Beldrin’s Tower. The Tower of the Candelabra has sunk deep beneath the water. The Tower of the Horn fell to the base of the bluff; it remains half-flooded at all times and is only accessible during an extremely low tide. He most likely hid it in the Tower of the Horn, which is said to have held the keys to many of the chambers in his other spires.”
If no one else takes it, Morvius will collect the doorknob and the statue to return to the Grand Lodge.
At the Scrivener's Guild, the ranger wordlessly passes over the money, then steps over to the sorceress. "Grace, can you find out if anyone else has asked for a copy of this recently?"
Virgil walks over to the gears...
Sleight of Hand:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Perception DC 13:
...and he grabs the little statuette and pockets it...
...and after a moment walks back over to the door to see what's going on.
Heal:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23
Virgil examines the corpse for a moment and then gets an odd look on his face... well, odder than normal. "Huh. That's odd. See how he's flayed. Something ate his skin off. And that crack to the skull wasn't just part of the fight. Something wanted to nibble at his brains."
Female Aasimar (Azata-Blooded) 107797-4 | Sorceress (Celestial Bloodline) 2 | AC 17 T 13 FF 14 | HP 14/14 | F +2 R +3 W +3 | Init +7 | Perc +6
Grace smiles widely as she brushes the dust from her shimmering azure robes and approaches a variety of people, "Have you heard of Ralzeros? Oh, that! Yes, dreadful business. Where did you find those bracelets? They're to die for! Oh, yes, there was indeed a feast in my honor. I'm glad you were able to make it!"
Diplomacy / Gather Information:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17Well, that was close
After talking with a small man with a pointed face for a while, she approaches her companions in the Forae Logos, "Well, I did pick up some information on this fellow Ralzeros. Most of it is information we already knew, such as his love for astrology and speaking with other planar creatures of the Black Tapestry. Something new that this gentleman knew, though, was that he had a rival, a mage named Beldrin, who was evidently pretty prominent during his time. Supposedly, as the story goes, Ralzeros accused him of stealing a key to one of his chambers that housed tools to observe the stars, and forced a duel to commence between the two. Of course, Ralzeros was never seen from again."
"Now, this man says that if Beldrin did indeed steal a key, he would've hidden it in one of his three towers. Fortunately, only one tower still stands today, commonly called Beldrin's Tower around here, but at the time it was called the Tower of the Broken Shield. Since it still stands, it would probably have been picked clean by now, and any such key found in the meantime. Of the other two towers, the Tower of the Candelabra sank to the bottom of a deep sea, and so seems like it would be a tad difficult to search."
"The Tower of the Horn, however, fell to the bottom of a bluff and is only half flooded by water. If we were to search during low-tide, we should be able to have somewhat easier access to it. Another good reason to search it is because supposedly this certain tower held keys to many of Beldrin's chambers in his other spires. It's like key central there!"
Looking around, she sighs slightly, "Mur, do wake up. At least try to show some interest. Heroes always find out as much as they can about what they're charging into before they... well, before they charge into it."
After a little bit of exploration and chit-chatting, your book is ready. A young clerk comes to deliver it, and you now have a fresh copy of the History of the True Art. It confirms the lore you just heard, detailing how the ancient master-mages had a rivalry, and suspects that the key, if it was stolen might still exist within one of the towers mentioned. Returning to the Pathfinder Society, they allow you to borrow a ship for an expedition to the towers.
Churning waves break against jagged rocks where the Precipice Quarter meets the sea, a chaotic maze of stone and coral with neither level ground nor shelter from the ocean’s destructive power. In the midst of this chaos lies the fallen Tower of the Horn jutting out of the shallow surf, its smooth, ivory surface now adorned with seaweed, coral, and barnacles.
As you approach the tide is going out, and it is only a few days of year that such an extremely low tide allows access to the large hole in the northern wall without needing to dive underwater. You should have a hour or two before that might become necessary, lucky for you. Half of this chamber’s floor is covered in seawater, and the tower reeks of brine and the lingering smell of death. Three doorways lead to other chambers in the tower, the wooden doors having long rotted off their hinges. The southernmost portal is almost half-submerged beneath the cold water. A large, circular hole gapes from the ceiling to the north, with a long rope dangling down from the dark chamber above, and another hole opens in the floor directly below it.
The midsection of the room seems to be a sort of workshop. Stone shelves once crowded this chamber, but most have broken loose and lie in crumbled fragments on the floor. Desks, easels, and ruined books litter the floor, and patches of algae grow on the walls and floor.
Perception checks please.
Perception DC 20:
You notice some sort of large humanoid creature hiding in the water in the south-western section of the room. You might be able to avoid it completely if you can find a way to the next floor quickly.
Darvan:
Sahba smells something in the south-western room, and also something maybe in the middle or western area as well.
HP 20/20, NL 0 | AC 19, T 14, FF 15 | CMB +4, CMD 17 | F +1, R +7, W +0 | Init +4 | Perc +4 | Melee: Rapier w/ PA +5 (1d6+4/18-20/x2)
Wait, we get to leave the museum? This is... I'm not... it's a lot to take in.
Perception:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Kurvast looks around the sodden tower with distaste. Drawing his rapier, he spears a piece of seaweed lying at his feet, lifts it for examination, and then flicks it off to splatter moistly against the wall.
"Better to see the lowest first," he confers with the party on the three rooms open to them. "The tides will return soon."
Male Human (Keleshite) Druid (Saurian Shaman) 4 [ HP 31/31 | AC 21/T12/FF19 | Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +4 | Perception +9 ]
Perception:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14
A strange growling noise comes from Sahba's throat, followed by her peering to the southwest and snuffling. "I think Sahba's found something over there - be on your guard."
M Human Fighter 2. HP 17/23. AC. 18. (T 12, FF 16) Fort+5, Ref +2, Wis +1, Init +2, Perception +7
perception:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Thinking out loud.
Do not blindly charge in... Do not blindly charge in... Do not blindly charge in... Do not blindly charge in... Do not blindly charge in...
Grace spots what Sahba already knows is there, and points it out "Hey there is an ogre over there. . .". It is young however, and not at it's fully size. It seems like it had dug herself into a good spot, as if waiting for someone to come by, hoping to sneak in behind them and block the exit.
Female Aasimar (Azata-Blooded) 107797-4 | Sorceress (Celestial Bloodline) 2 | AC 17 T 13 FF 14 | HP 14/14 | F +2 R +3 W +3 | Init +7 | Perc +6
You should just keep rolling for Grace!
Grace points into the shadows, "Hey, there's an ogre over there..." She then grabs a handful of blue flame from the air around her and hurls it towards the ogre huddling in the shadows.
Heavenly Fire to hit:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23Ranged touch attack against flat-footed touch AC... Hope I hit! Heavenly Fire damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2If the target is indeed evil
EDIT - feel free to reroll the damage, but you can keep the hit roll. Thanks!
Feel free to retcon this actionSahba advances a bit, trying to get into a better position to pounce on the ogre(ess) when the time comes. The ogre, realizing it has been spotted, stands and throws it's javelin, but the druid's quick reflexes, even while mostly unaware are quick enough to bat it aside.
Group 1 is up with Mur, Morvius, and Darvan. Also, just a reminder, Jan 4th is the deadline. I'm trying to push this along. I hope I am not rushing it too much.
Group 1
(X) Mur
(X) Morvius
(X) Grace
Darvan/Sahba
Ogre (-21)
Group 2
Kurvast
(X) Virgil
Sorry, yes, the lower portion of the room is filled with water, which gets deeper the closer to the wall you get. I added a circle to the map to represent the difficult terrain. I'm going to say it costs double the movement in that area, but in most of it an Acrobatics check might let you move freely. Also, Virgil's bolt (which technically is last in the round was a very solid hit, and will be leaving her on death's door, just in need of a small nudge.
Andoran:
Your faction mission was to find this monster and to get a bit of revenge. The issue is, that the Faction Mission didn't really indicate that you had to either wear an Andoran flag, or say something that the giant would understand (in Giant), which means I think you could not have passed.
The combined attacks actually drop the young ogress before she can advance and attack, and Virgil's bolt hits home, doing enough to kill her outright.
In the interest of speeding things up, I'm thinking we should skip the optional encounter, as it really doesn't add anything. If you would like to fight them, there are three Reefclaws (sort of like Lobsters) in the next room, just let me know.
Just north of the entrance, there is a small pile of rubble on the ground. Looking up you see a whole in the ceiling, like a portion of the above room's floor collapsed. There is a single rope hanging down, as if someone had attached a grappling hook and already used it to climb up. The rope is a little old, but sturdy, leading you to believe that either the other individual just left it in the last few weeks, or never came back down. . .
Climbing up to the next room, (map updated), you emerge into a hall that seems to be a sanctuary of sorts to Nethys, the insane deity of magic. Broken statuary and debris covers the floor of this level. Some statues still stand, fragments chipped or broken off here and there, but for the most part retaining much of their former splendor. The hallway opens up into a larger chamber to the west, the statues in which appear slightly different than those in this hall. Beginning to investigate you realize that the westernmost statue is magic, but as you take a closer look, it animates to a semblance of life, and begins to move to attack.
Group 1
->Kurvast
->Darvan
->Virgil
Statue
Group 2
Grace
Morvius
Mur
Know Arcana DC 18:
It is the product of a simple Animate Objects spell, though made permanent. This one n particular has a lot of hardness (DR), being made of stone (more than 5, less than 10), and like all constructs, is immune to many effects that affect the living like poisons and mind-effects. It was probably created to guard this place against thieves.
HP 20/20, NL 0 | AC 19, T 14, FF 15 | CMB +4, CMD 17 | F +1, R +7, W +0 | Init +4 | Perc +4 | Melee: Rapier w/ PA +5 (1d6+4/18-20/x2)
"Watch your weapons," Kurvast advises his allies, recalling that the last animated statue they faced, in the Blakros basement, had the power to shatter steel against its stone skin.
Advancing on the enemy, he strikes out with his rapier.
Virgil moves up to try and shoot his crossbow around his companions instead of through them. He's grown sort of accustomed to them and wouldn't want to turn them into Pathfinder-kabobs.
I am out for a bit, and still have not gotten any guidance on what to do with the game with the Game Day event ends (tonight? this morning?) Any views on reporting it and finishing it up afterwards?
Male Human (Keleshite) Druid (Saurian Shaman) 4 [ HP 31/31 | AC 21/T12/FF19 | Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6 | Init +4 | Perception +9 ]
I'm fine with whatever you think is appropriate, GM - either reporting and finishing up later, or not reporting it as part of the game day event...or maybe even reporting it as part of the upcoming game day?
