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The Graven guardian falls ill to misfortune from Untir, however it keeps a sound mind as Hoprah attempts to drain it of it's powers. Nonetheless, Hoprah continues the pursuit to bring down the guardians and hurls a stream of fire which it cannot avoid.
At the wish of Hoprah, Amun-Heth jumps into the fray and attempts to deliver some crushing blows at one of the guardian. But his strength this time was not able to penetrate the hard stone exterior of the creature.
The guardians wounds seem to slowly close and repair itself. And instead of immediately retaliating, the guardians cast upon themselves.
~~~
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With one of the animated statues being harassed, Untir splits the spirits and sends a horde after the other one as well. Then, almost immediately, he draws forth again his mythic ability to call forth yet another earth elemental to burst forth from the stony floor beside Amun. Both elementals punch their way into the graven guardians.
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"They're casting haste!" Robyyn calls out the statues' strategy to the other Pathfinders.
He focuses his attention on the statue that's been harried by Untir's spirits, fixing it with his gaze, then immediately following that up with a blinding spell.
At 2nd tier, you gain a bonus on initiative checks equal to your mythic tier. In addition, as a free action on your turn, you can expend one use of mythic power to take an additional standard action during that turn. This additional standard action can't be used to cast a spell. You can't gain an extra action in this way more than once per round.
Fumblestep coats a target’s feet in slick ectoplasm that retains some psychic connection to your mind. While the spell remains in effect, the target creature takes a –1 penalty on Reflex saving throws and Acrobatics checks.
At any point during the spell’s duration while the target remains in range, you can discharge the spell as a standard action, mentally tugging at the ectoplasm to perform a trip combat maneuver, using your caster level instead of your base attack bonus, and using your Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom modifier, whichever is highest, instead of your Strength modifier. This trip attempt does not provoke an attack of opportunity and cannot be affected by feats or other means of altering a trip combat maneuver’s effects.
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Hoprah shifts slightly behind Amun-Heth and unleashes another bout of fire towards Blue.
OR
Thinking - hoping, really - that Blue has been somewhat weakened now, Hoprah twists around and uses some of her remaining Mythic Power to attempt to Drain Construct again, but this time on Red.
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Standing toe to toe with the Blue statue, Amun-Heth pummels at it with his fists.
OR
Amun-Heth continues his assault, spending another mythic power to use Mythic Ki.
+1d6 if any previous blow hit this round
+1d6 if any previous blow hit this round
+1d6 if any previous blow hit this round
+1d6 if any previous blow hit this round
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Lebraerio follows Amun's lead and enchances himself with Mythic power for a sudden attack and another attack in succession against the blue statue that Amun has nearly ripped apart! His first arrow strikes into one of the cracks but isn't enough to break it apart, but it certainly looks weakend enough that it might fall apart in the next knock.
OR
The guardians seem to focus on the creature who dealt it the most damage! Both Amun and the Elemental take a beating but remain standing tall to retaliate!
~~~
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Untir keeps part of his mind chanting, beseeching his spirits to keep harassing the stone guardians. At the same time, he sees that Amun has go the situation in hand for the blue guardian so he shifts his attention to the other. Reaching into the wispy beyond, he pulls forth an ethereal spear and throws it at the red stone creature.
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Untir creates a weapon of force but it seems unable to penetrate the creatures magically enhanced skin.
However, the elementals continue pressing and knocking the guardians slowly wearing them down. With the red hued golem's magical resistances subdued thanks to Hoprah, he develops cracks at a much faster rate.
~~~
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Robyyn turns his attention to the reddish construct, and brings the same gaze into play on it, reducing its ability to defend itself, before whipping his head back around to the blue construct, calling on the Ruby Sage's power. A stone discus appears in the air next to Robyyn, and flies towards the blue construct.
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The stone discuss flies with incredible velocity towards the graven guardian. The impact is so strong that both stone pieces break apart, and the golem crumbles apart.
With one taken care of, the rest of the group switches their attention to the remaining threat, Hoprah releases more burning hands in attempts to wear down the statue.
Following Hoprah's lead, Amun and Lebraerio to turn their attention and make ways towards the red hued graven guardian.
But even with the creature being debuffed by magic, it continues to focus on it's task and swings his quarterstaff attempting to rid the elemental. It manages to hit the elemental once.
~~~
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Amun barely makes an impact as only one out of three strikes hit through the creature's ironhide skin. But the fight is able to give Hoprah a chance to unleash more fire!
And Lebraerio fires another shot into the fray! But he get's distracted by the pretty fire show.
The graven guardian knocks Amun a couple times with his staff, eager to stand his ground in the midst of the pile up.
~~~
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Untir once again curses the ineffectiveness of his spells under breath. Determined to take down this statue, he gestures and yet another wispy chain bursts forth from the ground, attempting to pull it down to the ground. Meanwhile, part of Untir's concentration keeps his spirits continue flitting through the statue.
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Robyyn summons up some mystical webbing, and throws it at the statue, hoping to pin it against the wall.
Web creates a many-layered mass of strong, sticky strands. These strands trap those caught in them. The strands are similar to spiderwebs but far larger and tougher. These masses must be anchored to two or more solid and diametrically opposed points or else the web collapses upon itself and disappears. Creatures caught within a web become grappled by the sticky fibers. Attacking a creature in a web doesn't cause you to become grappled.
Anyone in the effect's area when the spell is cast must make a Reflex save. If this save succeeds, the creature is inside the web but is otherwise unaffected. If the save fails, the creature gains the grappled condition, but can break free by making a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check as a standard action against the DC of this spell. The entire area of the web is considered difficult terrain. Anyone moving through the webs must make a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check as part of their move action, with a DC equal to the spell's DC. Creatures that fail lose their movement and become grappled in the first square of webbing that they enter.
If you have at least 5 feet of web between you and an opponent, it provides cover. If you have at least 20 feet of web between you, it provides total cover.
The strands of a web spell are flammable. A flaming weapon can slash them away as easily as a hand brushes away cobwebs. Any fire can set the webs alight and burn away one 5-foot square in 1 round. All creatures within flaming webs take 2d4 points of fire damage from the flames.
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Untir's magical barb chains grab hold of the guardians feet firmly this time, and pulls him straight to the ground right before Robyyn is able to cast his webbing.
The fall of the golem enables to martial characters to pounce on him with full force! The elementals and Amun punches away rock till only dust and gravel is left behind...
Amenopheus seems relieved that the fight did not turn south for you, but also finds himself still helpless in the bubble at this time. His muffled voice reaches your ears, "See what you can do about those lanterns." He points towards the statues at the back.
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Untir unconsciously dismisses the earth elementals with a wave of his hands, an unnecessary gesture since they would not have lasted much longer here in the material plane. His attention has shifted to the gems and the statues.
"Well, it would make sense that the Sapphire Sage holds onto the blue lantern, and the Ruby Sage that of the red," Untir mutters to himself as he shifts these two lanterns.
He takes a step back to study his work, then continues ruminating. "In order of the color spectrum, that would put the yellow and green lanterns in between." He carefully moves the final two, then quickly steps back in case an error activates an unknown trap.
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As the light reflects off the gem engravings perfectly, the room begins to shake violently as the stone doors react and slowly begin to swing open. Amenopheus finds himself free from the hold of the bubble and soon picks himself up and wait and see what occurs next. "Well done!" He quips in response to the group's efforts in dealing with the graven guardians and the puzzle. The door opens into a fairly large chamber.
A broad, simple, flat-topped column of sandstone rises from a deep pit in this circular, domed chamber with a white tiled floor. Though no wind can be felt, particles of sand slowly blow around the pit as if circulated by a lazy breeze, their movement creating a soft, rasping susurrus. Inside the relatively barren room, stands a single occupant, a Garudni woman bedecked in the style of an Orisian noblewoman. Upon seeing you, she surprisingly smiles and turns immediately to Amenopheus greeting him warmly, "Welcome home, If you have not realised it, I am the Diamond Sage, and you can call me by my name Tahonikepsu. You all have travelled through great distances and obstacles to reach here, and I am thoroughly impressed. Amenopheus, I have also been following your endeavours for the last decade, and it is suffice to say that your efforts have caused me to rethink my decisions and resurface."
Amenopheus looks cautious, and returns the greeting cordially, but turns his to look at the group, as if to obtain a second opinion before he engages in a long discussion with Tahonikepsu.
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Hoprah bows low in acknowledgment of the Diamond Sage before politely inquiring, "Forgive us if this question is impertinent, but how can we know that you are truly the Diamond Sage? And if you are, why did you set those fearsome statues to attack us? Or freeze noble Amenopheus as you did? It would help us to better understand you if we could better understand your actions."
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Untir is not certain what to expect in the final room, but a Osirian noblewoman is certainly not it. That she has apparently been in here for quite some time without any clear means of sustenance suggests that she is more than she seems. Yet, she does not appear to mean any harm. He holds back briefly nonetheless to study the situation further before responding.
Untir similarly bows respectfully, if somewhat cautiously, as well to the woman. "Greetings, honored Tahonikepsu. I go by the humble name of Untir Jonrot, of the Running Scorpion tribe. It is indeed an honor to meet the famed Diamond Sage. But as my Minatan ally has queried, all that has led us to here and now is still much shrouded in mystery, at least for us."
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Robyyn is most clear that she is not lying or hiding anything from him.
She smiles and responds kindly, "Your weapons are of no threat to me, and what has occurred beyond those doors are not my doing, but the enforcements built into this place. I merely stood here waiting for the inevitable arrival of my fellow comrade, the sapphire sage."
Amenopheus remains cordial and begins the conversation again. "Why have you remain hidden for so long? The fallen order might have been restored to prime and have accomplished many great deeds in the name of humanity have you surfaced sooner?" He voices very clearly his desire to rebuild the Jeweled Sage Order, and soon the two begin into a heated conversation that neither of you wish to intercede.
It begins clear that the two share the same goal in rebuilding the lost order, but the two disagree on many nuances but remain very polite as they engage in the discourse. First, they disagree about the true cause of the Jeweled Sages’ destruction, which evolves into a disagreement about the lost order’s hierarchy. Amenopheus interprets the collapse of the Jeweled Sages as an unfortunate accident driven by outside forces, namely the invasion of Osirion by the Kelish thousands of years ago. Had it not been for this calamity, the Jeweled Sages would have continued to thrive. To Tahonikepsu, the invasion and subsequent purge of the Jeweled Sages reflects a critical weakness in the organization. She posits that, spread out and without a strong leader, the order could not respond quickly and effectively to a new threat. Amenopheus defends the order’s egalitarian organization structure as a key source of strength, allowing each member to act independently when needed. The Diamond Sage retorts that without consistent, decisive leadership, the Jeweled Sages will always be vulnerable and disorganized whenever a new threat strikes.
Second, the two sages disagree on how to rebuild the organization. Both accept that they will need to recover additional sage jewels and recruit new prospective sages. Amenopheus believes that the next generation of sages must be chosen from among the most learned scholars. Not only does this match the founding principles of the organization, but he theorizes that anything less than a well-trained mind would be unable to harness the millennia of memories within each sage jewel. To Tahonikepsu, the thought of populating the Jeweled Sages with cloistered academics might allow for easier retention of historic facts but would undermine the sages’ ability to actually use their knowledge to better the world. The Diamond Sage would rather recruit a generation of active and innovative sages who could act as advisors to powerful leaders, read the current events to predict future decisions, and participate in making history rather than simply recording it.
Tahonikepsu stands firm on the matter, "In the past years, I have led the through the society the search and restoration of the Scarab Sages, as such, it would only be fair that the burden of this decision lie upon me, as the faithful know me best, and we know very little of you."
Tahonikepsu takes a few steps back, and slowly transforms herself,"I present my credentials." She retorts, as in front of you a dragon stands, it's cracked scales creak with frightening, patient power. Some of its horns are ancient and brittle, others new and pristine. "Now we are strangers no more."
However, in fairness, the dragon turns to the Pathfinders, "You have heard our stories, and you stand there representing the Ruby Sage as you clearly harness her powers, so speak, who shall your support?"
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Robyyn is torn. His read on the Diamond Sage is one of trust; he has no reason to disbelieve anything she says. And when she transforms into a time dragon... well, he's suffused with awe!
But he also has no reason to distrust Amenopheus, who brought them all into this mission to begin with.
Since both are behaving honestly, it comes down to a simple disagreement between equals. Two different ways to proceed, both sincere and well though out.
A question occurs, though. "Respectfully," he begins, turning to the impressive dragon in front of him. "Wouldn't you, honored Sage, have the ability to travel back into the past, and perhaps fix the destruction of your order before it happened? Then this whole discussion would be moot, and the Sages--all of them--could make these kinds of decisions with their full strength."
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"Human? Meh, whatever."
"It seems I've mistaken the abilities of your kind." He looks over to Amenopheus, and nods his head at the current Sapphire Sage. "Amenopheus brought us into this, and I lend him my support. He makes a good case that he knows best having been here the whole time."
His words seems sincere, but there's a distinct chance Robyyn cast his vote not based on the logic of the arguments, but on being called "human" by Tahonikepsu.
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I think that the Scarab Sages would do themselves a favor by Learning from their previous mistakes. If they Don't learn, why should they accumulate knowledge? They would need both a team of savants and intellectual, and a team of field agents to act. Do they need a leader? I think that, at first, while they are reconstructing themselves, they could use one. Someone who could give them not really orders, but guidance, and ensure there are strong lines of communication between the agents, so they could be independant while able to ask for help and counsel if needed.
A jewel is a multi-faceted thing, strong, with sometimes cutting angles. That why, in my humble opinion, we must learn from history and adapt ourselves, if we Don't want to fail again.