GM Blood's Age of Worms in Golarion

Game Master David James Olsen

Quintus grips the wizard's shoulder. "Good. I don't know what's going to happen when I say the words, and I'd rather you were here with us."

Holding the seal, Quintus concentrates on the depicted effect--trying to make a similar disc of air appear beneath his feet.

If it doesn't work, Rowena peers about the floor, looking for something that indicates where to stand.

Perception: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (1) + 24 = 25

Quintus and Rowena search for the right spot with no luck. Shrugging, Quintus holds out the seal and he has a sense of weightlessness and the three words sounds in his mind - Pesh, Aaqa, and Icosiol. After hearing them in his head he speaks them out loud. The doors open up by themselves without any assistance and remain open.

This chamber contains seven stone columns, each slightly taller than the next, rising slowly from the entrance to a small platform at the far end of the room before a second set of enormous doors. No floor is visible—in its place is a pit filled at a depth of eighty feet with glowing blue fog. Swirling patterns of wind and lightning dance and howl along the walls and ceiling of the chamber, filling the room with a tumultuous roar.

Each of the seven columns appears slightly different. The closest column’s top is level with the ground where you stand. The next column is two feet higher. The third rises up to the ceiling forty feet above. The fourth is three feet higher than the second one, but rotates slowly in place. The fifth column’s upper surface seems to be covered with a thick layer of what looks like tar, and is about one foot higher than the last. The sixth column is two feet higher than the previous one but is made of a lighter colored stone. A larger column, nearly twice the diameter of the others, stands to the left of the main row.

Combat map is updated with this map to hopefully make sense of the description!

Quintus looks around at the scene, then shrugs. "I guess we try to cross using air walk, and hope for the best."

"Perhaps it is a trap, or a trial? We should proceed with caution. Rowena, would you be willing to scout ahead? Or I could still summon an archon or elementals to go ahead and see what happens."

"That feels like cheating," Rowena says. "Ask the seal."

The seal neither confirms nor denies whether or not it would be cheating.

Rowena approaches the edge and studies the first pillar from a distance.

Perception: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (20) + 24 = 44

"Before I hop over there, does anybody else remember any info that might help from murals, carvings, or something from earlier rooms?"

Rowena I noticed your insane jump is actually too low, it should be +36, 11(Skill)+3(CS)+6(Dex)+8(monk level)+8 (speed).

Rowena looks around and pillar looks solid enough, the blue swirling mist below obscures the view past 5' or so.

You basically could probably jump to jump about any pillar assuming you have nothing blocking your way. However, height of each pillar could mess things up if you jump too far and some have unique things about them. Here is a breakdown of each pillar. I added a letter to each one on the map

A: 5' away, same height.
B: 7' away from A and 2' higher
C: Extends all the way to the ceiling
D: 15' away from B and 3' higher than B, also is rotating which will make things more difficult
E: 10' away from D, 1' higher than D, and covered in something that looks like tar
F: 15' away from D
G: 10' Away from E, 15' from F and 3' higher, made of a different stone than the others

Rowena takes a deep breath, then hops to the first pillar, prepared to go gaseous the moment something goes wrong.

"Does the air walk spell still seem to work?"

If the pillar doesn't do anything weird with her on it, she tests the air walk by going up a few inches without leaving the relative safety of the pillar.

It looks like pillar F is 45 feet away and 5 feet up from the double doors (pillar C blocks access from pillar A). If my Pythagoras is functioning, that makes a hypotenuse of 45.3 feet, so the height difference doesn't really add much distance. She can jump 46 feet by taking 10, so if this pillar is okay, she might return to the ledge and jump straight to pillar F.

the height would add 10 to the dc. Spend a ki point to add 20 to the result and you can do it without rolling.

"Nothing I remember Rowena. Good luck. We'll be ready to come as quickly as we can if something goes wrong."

"Nor I. But before you leap, let me see if I can tell what may lie ahead with a divination."

Rauno will cast see invisibility, and then arcane eye. He'll send the eye down to just above the mists below, then across, back up at the other side and then beyond if there is a way to continue. If that reveals nothing and we go ahead with the leap frog plan...

Before Rowena leaps away, Rauno steps up to speak with her. "With the roaring wind in here, we may not be able to hear you after you start your leaps. Let me cast my message spell so we can still communicate." He will do so.

Assuming nothing happens with the first pillar, Rowena takes a moment to collect her inner strength, then leaps the chasm onto pillar F.

Trevor looks at the pillar, then Rowena, then the pillars again, visibly worried, but then he says: "I like how the seal comes with small images showing how to use it properly. I wish all items had accompanying images to help. I remember once I helped this lady to put together a bed she had delivered. I could have used something like that!"

After a heartbeat passes, he adds: "So, we're not using the seal as a platform to float?"

Rauno sends his eye into the mist and around the room and sees nothing.

After leaping to the first pillar without issue, she leaps back, and then Rowena gathers herself and leaps all the way to the large pillar. When she lands, she immediately notices an indentation the size of the seal in the middle of the pillar.

"There's a place here for the seal. Quintus, jump on over!"

"No, Trevor. There's probably a trick to it that we don't know." The priest nods at Rowena's invitation and walks to where she is, keeping above pillars as much as possible in case something interrupts his spell.

Quintus's air walk spell is still functioning and as he begins to cross the mist swirl around and out come two beings made of air to attack him. Only Rauno's magical foresight allows him to react quickly enough before they get to Quintus.

Round 1

Initiative Order - Rauno, Air Elemental, Kelkzar, Trevor, Quintus, Rowena

Air Elemental AC 25 T 19 FF 14 CMD 43

"Quintus, look out!"

His voice takes on a different tone, an ominous tone filled with arcane power, as he continues:

"Beware the guardians of air!"

Activate Foretell. All allies within 30' of Rauno get +2 luck bonus on ability checks, attack rolls, caster level checks, saving throws and skill checks for allies. Round 1 of 12.

In addition, Rauno works on gaining some altitude, trying to get to the same level as Quintus allow the effect to work for anyone combating the elementals.

The air elementals attack Quintus! Only 1 slam from each this round as they had to use a move action to get here

Slam #1 Elemental #1: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (6) + 21 = 27 *Hit*
Damage: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (6, 3) + 7 = 16

Slam # Elemental #3: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (2) + 21 = 23 *Hit*
Damage: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (3, 8) + 7 = 18

Delayed everyone else to round 2 to make future rounds go smoother

Round 2

Initiative Order - Kelkzar, Trevor, Quintus, Rowena, Rauno, Air Elemental,

Air Elemental AC 25 T 19 FF 14 CMD 43

"Quintus! Pull back! they didn't attack Rowena..." suggests Trevor.

"Probably because I moved too fast. Quintus, show them the seal!"

Quintus grimaces in pain, then shakes his head at Rowena's suggestion and retreats. "You weren't moving that fast, Rowena--they came up as soon as I was in the room."

Withdraw action back to the balance of the party.

Quintus, with their reach you will still provoke attacks of opportunity as withdraw only applies to the square you leave.

The square you start out in is not considered threatened by any opponent you can see, and therefore visible enemies do not get attacks of opportunity against you when you move from that square. If, during the process of withdrawing, you move out of a threatened square (other than the one you started in), enemies get attacks of opportunity as normal.

Understood, but there's not much else I can do at this juncture.

AoO Air Elemental #1: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (3) + 21 = 24 *Hit*
Damage: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (8, 6) + 7 = 21

AoO Air Elemental #2: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (8) + 21 = 29 *Hit*
Damage: 2d8 + 7 ⇒ (4, 5) + 7 = 16

Quintus retreats out of the room, taking a couple more wind whips as he exits through the large doors.

"Should we try to have Rowena place the seal instead? Or do we need to defeat these guardians and try again?"

Are we still in turns, or are the elementals withdrawing?

still in the turn. Unless everyone is going to delay

Rowena will delay, prepared to make tracks if the elementals come for her.

Kelkzar will delay. If Rowena gets attacked, he'll hop back in.

Trevor waits to see if the elementals follow.

Readybstrike if they come this way.

Once Quintus leaves the room, and everyone else waits to see what happens, the air elementals fly back down into the mist, unconcerned with Rowena.

Combat Over

Trevor grins at Quintus. For once, he'd had a useful idea! "Can't believe it worked. My guess is, this is what happens when you don't follow the rules."

"No, I think they'll attack anyone carrying the Seal. Rowena could test that, if she wanted to. Right now I need some of my Lady's grace."

CCW on self: 4d8 + 12 ⇒ (3, 5, 6, 7) + 12 = 33 x 150% = 49 HP

"Well, I know I am not going to be able to leap like Rowena. And I'm not comfortable sending her too far ahead alone. We need to deal with these elementals one way or the other. I can speak their language, but if they've been guardians here for centuries, I doubt they are going to be persuaded."

Rowena air walks back to the group. Assuming she isn't bothered, she holds her hands out for the seal. "What did you have to do to be able to carry the seal safely?"

"Speak the three runes."

-Posted with Wayfinder

Rowena speaks the three runes and gingerly takes the seal.

As Rowena air walks back the Air Elementals come out of the fog and attack! However Rowena is able to move back to the landing before they reach her. They head back down into the depths.

Initiative Rowena Lordail: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
Initiative Air Elementals: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16

Once back on the landing Rowena says the three words and grabs the seal without incident.

Rowena jumps to the first pillar, without using air walk.

She waits there to see if the elementals appear.

Rowena makes the jump easily. No elementals appear.

Any more testing concludes that jumping does not bring the elementals out, but using air walk does

She starts air walking around a bit, staying close to the others.

As long as you do not air walk where the pillars and mist is you are fine. Inside brings the elementals to attack

"Okay, I propose we try having you guys be a distraction, lure the elementals away, while I jump to that pillar and set the seal in the pillar. Or if you think Quintus should set the seal, that's fine too."