DM Carbide's PFS Emerald Spire

Game Master John Woodford

Seeing if Senja and Nuria have any more questions. In the meantime, those of you who have day jobs go ahead and follow Kali's example over in the Discussion thread.

"Sounds very mighty indeed. Maybe some day we'll meet him."

She looks at the others. "Well, now what?"

As much as Senja would like to know more about what lies ahead - or below - he can sense that Gundrun is not likely to be a useful font of information.

With a shrug, he turns to Nuria and says, "I guess we head up and take a little break."

No more questions, your honor.

The party retreats back up through the pacified parts of the Spire, laden with loot. Cynara has been replaced by Vanyel, a shaven-headed elf wizard. He lets you know that Jharun made it out safely, and that he sent a reward for his rescue (which goes into your loot; see below).

A bit of study reveals that the most widely-held hypothesis for the pech's mysterious former masters is the entities known as the Vault Builders, who constructed the habitable spaces in the deepest parts of the Darklands.

Thanks for playing, all! I'll get chronicles out ASAP. In the meantime, if you want to do any shopping you'll be getting 6756 gp.

Thanks, DM!

Sorry for my frequent absences during this level, everyone. I'm going to endeavor to be more reliable henceforth.

Setting the scene, while you're getting set:

From the late Klarkosh's clockwork maze, the stairs take a short and steep path down into the unknown. As you near the bottom, you can see a dim glow below, as of candlelight. You also begin to observe signs of battle--most commonly dried blood smears, scorch marks, and smashed bones.

The stairs end in the northeast corner of a small, brightly-lit room with an open door in the west wall. In the center of the room are two large iron racks holding numerous burning candles. The candleholders are crafted so that each candle appears to be held in the gaping jaws of a serpent. A phrase is written on each rack in Undercommon.

Senja studies the scene a moment, noting that it's a rather unpleasant place. But at least it's not full of water.

Reading the writing on the serpentine candelabras, he tells the others, "They say 'Offer prayer to Kro'akoth the Awakener, scaled brethren, and be welcome here.' I'd guess we're meant to give some kind of offering, though I'm not sure what a serpent god - or a god of serpent people - would want."

Knowledge (religion) to guess at proper prayer or offering?: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26

"What a good idea! I mean, other than the part about offering prayers to an undoubtedly evil deity. But I won't tell if you won't." Nuria winks in an exaggerated fashion to Senja.

Senja, Kro'akoth is not known to be a deity of serpentfolk. You suspect that it's a nascent demon lord or similar demigod-class outsider.

After Kali's checked the door for traps, Asvald speaks a bolstering charm and opens it to lead the way. "Maybe there's another cult of trogs worshiping a box down here."

"Hmm, weird." Kali murmurs, opting to remain in her true vulpine form instead of her human appearance, "Lizard guys must really like this place, yeah."

She then casts Detect Magic in the room and checks the door for traps if nothing magical is found.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Senja tells the others what he suspects about Kro'akoth, but doesn't have much to offer in terms of suggestions of nice little offerings. "Maybe some nice scented candles for his candelabra?"

As Asvald approaches the door, Senja keeps an eye on the candleholders, laying a hand on himself and causing a shadowy layer to form all over his skin before it fades away.

Cast mage armor.

Kali, there's an evocation effect around the candles. Asvald, the door across the room is open, so there's nothing to check for traps.

Oh. What about the door at the end of the short hallway?

"There's probably an everlasting flame cast on the candles." Kali explains to the others with a shrug, "Nothing too exciting here unless you're a lizard I guess."

"Oh, do you mind if I take a look dear?"

Nuria glances over the altar. perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35

"Well, why don't we just try the simple? 'Praise be to Kro'akath the awakener, for they are really a fine deity indeed."

Senja, save your spell; we still have that wand of mage armor to use up.

Religion (aid): 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 5 + 2 = 23

Eva considers what she knows of this creature, as well as whether it seems like a good idea to even attempt to appease it.

Eva, getting further information about Kro'akath is going to be a Knowledge (Planes) check, since it's an outsider.

Asvald, the door at the end of the short hallway is closed. Are you going to go check it out before or after Nuria speaks?

Well, nevermind then! :)

Oh, I'm good at that. planes: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33

Since we didn't know about the Knowledge (planes) option, can Nuria and Senja do that before Nuria speaks or Asvald knocks on any doors? Senja will aid Nuria's check, he auto-succeeds, giving her a 35.

Kali also attempts to help Nuria recall something about Kro'akath.

Knowledge (planes) aiding Nuria: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Senja--I thought I'd mentioned it specifically, but I see that I only described the being as an outsider.

Kro'akoth was a demonic general originally known as the Fire Serpent, who sought the worship of lesser creatures when he saw the power that deities could wield. He started with troglodytes, and has attempted to expand his portfolio by infiltrating existing cults and turning them to his own worship. His domains are Chaos, Evil, Fire, and Trickery; subdomains are Ambush, Deception, Demon, and Smoke.

Nuria thinks there's some sort of magical trap on the candles.

"Oh. Ummmmm.... look, it's a trap on the candles! I feel someone said that before in some bard show. We should be careful."

"Anyways, I have this 4th cousin, 5 times removed who once served as a mercenary for legions of Hell. He went on a raid with the devils to the Abyss against this Kro'akoth person - apparently a sleezeball, even for a demon lord; takes over existing cults, and doesn't even have the decency to do the initial corruption of mortal souls. Lazy! Anyways, it's likely there are some troglodytes somewhere in here, so we might want to to take precautions. I hear they smell worse than Asvald after three days in the field."

Bluff (totally has no family relation who did that): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20

"I hope it's not a magical trap on the candles because I can't do anything to disarm it." Kali admits glumly, then asks Nuria, "What kind of precautions do you have in mind?"

"It is a magical trap, I'm afraid."

"As to troglodytes, I think it's a bit like an alchemist's sulfur, maybe? I don't really know. Maybe we could wrap a cloth around our noses or take an antitoxin?"

"But I'm just guessing that they're troglodytes living here. It could be something different. If it was a shrine of Lamashtu, I would have guessed gnolls." She shrugs.

"I guess that magical effect isn't everlasting flames then. Um, can anyone dispel the magic?"

Forgot to resolve this, as it was lost in the general discussion.

When Nuria tries her sample prayer, the candles dim slightly. While you discuss things, they brighten again after a minute.

"Oh, oh! Did you see that? The candles dimmed when I said a prayer! What do you think it means?"

"Uh, maybe we should say some more nice things about that weir....er, cool god. I mean, it's better than setting off a trap anyway."

"Right! Dear Kro'akoth, praise be. You can infiltrate my cult any day!"

Senja watches the candles as Nuria offers further praise, then tries a similar approach. If Kro'akoth is worshipped by troglodytes, they must speak to him in their tongue. Pity I don't speak Abyssal.

In Draconic, he calls out, "Oh Kro'akoth, may the ranks of your worshippers ever grow, until they fill all available space, as water fills a cup!"

Hmm, perhaps air or another gas would have been a better example, because it truly fills the entire container? On the other hand, I don't expect demons pay much attention to such things. Perhaps the physical laws don't even work the same in the Abyss?

The candles dim again. Nuria, you think that while they're dimmed the activation of the magical trap is suspended for a time.

"Simple! Well then, no time like the present!"

The upbeat ifrit moves into the doorway at the end of the hall and takes a peek.

perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16

How long did the candles appear to be dim the first time?

Kali follows Nuria to the doorway and helps her look around.

Perception aid another: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

With the candles safely dimmed, Senja hustles after Nuria and Kali, his shoulders slightly hunched in concern that the trap might go off before he's safely past.

They were dimmed for a minute.

The party manages to slip past the candles without incident, and makes it to the opening in the west wall. Nuria and Kali don't notice any other traps on the door.

Eva moves forward as well, pausing to wonder if the cultist masks might provide any protection against the troglodytes' infamous odor.

"Um, well, what are we waiting for?"

Nuria pushes open the door.

As the door opens, all of you are hit with a wash of stench, like a partially-burned corpse left out in the sun for a week.

OK, this is ridiculous. These are fiendish troglodytes, and they *don't* have the stench ability listed. Eh, it's not like they're going to last very long.

The room is an irregular octagon, and stone and wood barricades have been built in front of the doors on the south and west walls. It appears that at one time the walls were covered with frescoes, but these have all been smashed. The walls are rough, and the floor is piled with debris. And we're back to Difficult terrain! There are two reptilian humanoids behind the barricades. They hiss as you open the door.

Round 1:

Initiative order
Asvald
Kali
Trogs
Eva
Senja
Nuria

Asvald and Kali are up!

Whew. I was getting tired of moving at full speed anyway.

Asvald begins his rousing ursine chant and moves into the room to engage the smell trogs.

Inspire rage. Move into the room.

Kali moves into the room and casts Snowball at the troglodyte with the red scales.

Snowball RTA vs Flat-footed, no SR: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Cold Damage + Precision Damage: 5d6 + 2d6 ⇒ (5, 2, 2, 1, 1) + (5, 2) = 18

If that hits and its not immune to cold damage, it also needs to make a DC 16 Fort save or be Staggered for 1 round.

Ah, back to normal speed then. ;)

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Asvald-acted
Kali-acted
Trogs-acted
Eva
Senja
Nuria

The trog struck by Kali's spell manages to avoid being staggered. Both hurl javelins at Asvald, but miss badly.

Eva, Senja, and Nuria can act!

I'm wondering how you can have difficult terrain underwater....

Senja steps up behind his companions, griping at their tall forms in the hallyway, "Keep moving, would you? Get in and fight them!"

He manages to get enough of a look at the creatures to try to sort out what they are, then conjures up a handful of glittering mica chips. Pouring them from one hand to the other in a strange, black waterfall, he then blows on them, sending a stream of mica chips into the room ahead, where they burst into a blinding cloud on the trogs!

Glitterdust, centered to get both of them. DC 18 Will save or dey see nothink.

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19 Also +11 on Nature, +9 if it's Local.

Ever try swimming through seaweed?

Mighty sons of war,
heed the battles call,
drums of war thrum,
Soon' the trogs will fall!

Inspire courage +2 competence to attack, damage

Round 1 (ongoing):

Initiative order
Asvald-acted
Kali-acted
Trogs-acted
Eva
Senja-acted
Nuria-acted

One clutches at its eyes, while the other does not seem inconvenienced by the glitterdust.

Eva is up, and then Asvald and Kali can act again. Senja, they have limited environmental resistances, spell resistance, and can smite good.

Trog black: AC 16 T 10 FF 16 -13 HP blinded and glowing
Trog red: AC 16 T 10 FF 16 glowing

...they have limited environmental resistances...

Can I get specifics? I'm interested in electricity in particular, if that is something I'd know with that roll.

They're not resistant to electricity. Fire and cold, yes.

Gah, I had the tab open to post this morning, and then realized I had to run and completely forgot about you guys.

Eva moves forward into the room, digging in her feet and standing firm. Moved 25' (move speed of 50) and full defense.