An enormous crystal table bearing no fewer than eighteen place settings grows from the floor of this elaborate banquet hall, as do dozens of crystalline chairs still in the slow process of reforming and repairing themselves into high-backed seats. Gigantic glowing glyphs pulsate on the ceiling, bathing the hall in an eerie, muted blue light that casts shadows on the crystalline furniture below. Against a wall stand nearly a dozen slumped mechanical figures.
As you look about the room, however, it becomes immediately apparent that the floating light sources are actually creatures: Surrounded by a nimbus of near-blinding light, this strange creature looks something like an emaciated child with clawed hands!
They are all currently flying near the ceiling.
DC 22 KN (planes):
Creatures of burning light and strange geometry, shining children are a terror to behold. Beyond the flares of energy that constantly burst from their forms (particularly in beam-like gouts from their eyes and mouths), the creatures are vaguely humanoid, with strange hands that each bear four fingers. Occasionally summoned by powerful wizards in search of rare arcane knowledge, the shining children (who disdain individual names) communicate via telepathy, a psychic roar like metal tearing that sometimes resolves into strained and raspy words.
Immune to blindness, fire, poison; resistant to cold and sonic.
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
With lore master, Bert has a 29 on Knowledge (Planes).
Male Dwarf Fighter (Two-Handed) [17] : HP:189/189 | AC 41 T 22 FF 37 | CMB +30 (+34 sunder) CMD 47 (51 vs trip/disarm, 55 vs sunder) | F +22 (+24 vs poison) R +19 W +16; all +4 vs spell/SLA/effect to lose weapon | Init +6 | Perc +13 | EA +18 | Climb/Swim +11
Argust manages to shield his eyes to avoid being blinded, however he is burned by the searing ray! 26 to me, 5 to Karn He then hopes that one of his friends might be able to give him the ability to get into melee range with the enemy, in the meantime the dwarf tries his luck with arrows!
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
DC 25 Fort save:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26 DC 25 Fort save:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19 DC 25 Fort save:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (13) + 14 = 27
Bert is unable to protect his eyes from all three of the creatures' intense flares of light. "Aah! Hey!" The halfling calls on his luck and casts good hope on the party, hoping that the afterimages burnt into his retina will eventually clear.
Brelar's optic nerves overload from the light! Not completely certain of his targets, the wizard takes pulls a trusty metamagic wand from his sleeve and tosses and electricity ball in the general direction of his foes!
Damage:10d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 3, 1, 4, 2, 5, 6, 3, 4) = 35 vs. DC 24 Ref for half!
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
Hope you make your saves, Karn, or Argust is going to have to lead us around (though Bert has a trick up his sleeve for just such an occasion).
Only one of Argust's arrows hits the shining child as Bert offers hope as his own vision goes dark. Brelar blindly throws an electrical storm up in the air and burns the three outsiders!
Initiative:
1. Brelar
2. Shining children
3. Bert, Argust, and Karn
Karn is blinded by the light! but then quickly dismisses the unfortunate condition. The children aim their rays of fire at the party again! 3d4 ⇒ (1, 4, 3) = 8
On Brelar: searing ray (ranged touch):1d20 + 19 ⇒ (12) + 19 = 31 fire damage:10d6 ⇒ (2, 1, 3, 6, 5, 3, 1, 3, 3, 5) = 32
On Karn: searing ray (ranged touch):1d20 + 19 ⇒ (14) + 19 = 33 fire damage:10d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 4, 6, 6, 2, 3, 4, 1, 5) = 35
On Argust: searing ray (ranged touch):1d20 + 19 ⇒ (16) + 19 = 35 fire damage:10d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 6, 5, 1, 2, 2, 4, 4, 2) = 34
Initiative:
1. Brelar
2. Shining children
3. Bert, Argust, and Karn
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
Bert casts another spell, with no apparent effect.
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
Male Dwarf Fighter (Two-Handed) [17] : HP:189/189 | AC 41 T 22 FF 37 | CMB +30 (+34 sunder) CMD 47 (51 vs trip/disarm, 55 vs sunder) | F +22 (+24 vs poison) R +19 W +16; all +4 vs spell/SLA/effect to lose weapon | Init +6 | Perc +13 | EA +18 | Climb/Swim +11
Argust continues to try his luck with arrows! Targeting the closest one.
Bert is suddenly aware of his surroundings and suddenly realizes that Karn is hurling some divine power at the evil extraplanar creatures! Argust starts to get the hang of his bow and puts two arrows in the most-injured one. Brelar wildly throws a fireball up into the air that again leaves the shining children quite badly burned!
Surprisingly Karn's blinding flash did not seem to affect their sight at all and they all begin casting, throwing out colors and flashing lights!
scintillating pattern
No save! Argust is closest to the first so he confused for 1d4 ⇒ 3 rounds.
Karn is closest to the third one so he is confused for 1d4 ⇒ 3 rounds.
The middle one then hits Karn with another ray of light.
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
Bert calls on grit and magic, then takes three shots at the most wounded one.
DA bullet, incl. lingering luck, good hope, and range:1d20 + 16 + 4 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 16 + 4 + 2 - 1 = 27 DA bullet, incl. lingering luck, good hope, and range:1d20 + 11 + 4 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (5) + 11 + 4 + 2 - 1 = 21 DA bullet, incl. lingering luck, good hope, and range:1d20 + 6 + 4 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (2) + 6 + 4 + 2 - 1 = 13
Male Dwarf Fighter (Two-Handed) [17] : HP:189/189 | AC 41 T 22 FF 37 | CMB +30 (+34 sunder) CMD 47 (51 vs trip/disarm, 55 vs sunder) | F +22 (+24 vs poison) R +19 W +16; all +4 vs spell/SLA/effect to lose weapon | Init +6 | Perc +13 | EA +18 | Climb/Swim +11
Bert takes down one of the shining children! Brelar backs away as Argust mumbles about not being able to use his sword. Karn tries to heal the party in the interim. The shining children babble to themselves and then decide to focus on Karn.
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
EF, I see I missed the correct range penalty in my first round of attacks--it should be -2, not -1. I think that means I only hit once.
Bert fires again, starting with the most damaged and moving on from there.
DA bullet, incl. luck, good hope, and range:1d20 + 16 + 4 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 16 + 4 + 2 - 2 = 33 DA bullet, incl. luck, good hope, and range:1d20 + 11 + 4 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 11 + 4 + 2 - 2 = 33 DA bullet, incl. luck, good hope, and range:1d20 + 6 + 4 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 4 + 2 - 2 = 26
DA bullet damage, incl. luck and good hope:1d6 + 7 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 7 + 4 + 2 = 18 DA bullet damage, incl. luck and good hope:1d6 + 7 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 4 + 2 = 17 DA bullet damage, incl. luck and good hope:1d6 + 7 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 4 + 2 = 15
Male Dwarf Fighter (Two-Handed) [17] : HP:189/189 | AC 41 T 22 FF 37 | CMB +30 (+34 sunder) CMD 47 (51 vs trip/disarm, 55 vs sunder) | F +22 (+24 vs poison) R +19 W +16; all +4 vs spell/SLA/effect to lose weapon | Init +6 | Perc +13 | EA +18 | Climb/Swim +11
Confused:1d100 ⇒ 50Wow.
Argust starts a dissertation about the benefits of using a bow in specific situations.
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
Male Dwarf Fighter (Two-Handed) [17] : HP:189/189 | AC 41 T 22 FF 37 | CMB +30 (+34 sunder) CMD 47 (51 vs trip/disarm, 55 vs sunder) | F +22 (+24 vs poison) R +19 W +16; all +4 vs spell/SLA/effect to lose weapon | Init +6 | Perc +13 | EA +18 | Climb/Swim +11
I think he's simply unconscious, he had 61 HP as of his last post. He took 5 from lifelink on my attack, then 65 more.
Confused?:1d100 ⇒ 51So close to a triple 50!
Argust says, Aha! and bashes himself in the forehead!
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
Bert quickly reloads his pistol (move action with the Rapid Reload feat), then casts a spell and taps the fallen oracle. "A little fire resistance would be good about now, Brelar!"
Yeah, I think he's at -9 if my math is right. Unconscious but alive.
Brelar protects the party from future fire attacks as Bert quickly brings Karn back around. Unfortunately Argust takes a moment during the heat of combat to bonk himself on the head.
Initiative:
1. Brelar
2. Shining children
3. Bert, Argust, and Karn
So even with resist fire 30 from Brelar's spell, Argust is still going to take some damage and 5 of that is still going to Karn I believe, which puts him at -11. So not dead but certainly in a tighter position than I expected you guys to be... You'll pull through!
Initiative:
1. Brelar
2. Shining children
3. Bert, Argust, and Karn
Male Dwarf Fighter (Two-Handed) [17] : HP:189/189 | AC 41 T 22 FF 37 | CMB +30 (+34 sunder) CMD 47 (51 vs trip/disarm, 55 vs sunder) | F +22 (+24 vs poison) R +19 W +16; all +4 vs spell/SLA/effect to lose weapon | Init +6 | Perc +13 | EA +18 | Climb/Swim +11
So I take 21, Karn 5.
Argust continues to fling arrows at the most wounded enemy!
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
EF, gonna have to push back on that confusion. Remember that Bert's blinded at the moment, and only "seeing" by blindsight. From the description of the spell:
PRD wrote:
Sightless creatures are not affected by scintillating pattern.
Unaware of the spell the shining child cast on him, Bert tries once again to get Karn back up!
AC28/T17/F26/CMD35||HP134[134]|F:+13|R:+9|W:+12|Percept.+20|SenMot.+15|Init.+2| Human (Kellid) Life Oracle 6 / Barbarian 2 / Rage Prophet 8
When Karn falls unconscious, the life links stop.
After Bert heals him, KArn again wakes up, his eye still staring wildly. 5 hp
1d100 ⇒ 73
Staring blankly at the shining children andhis party, Karn punches himself in the face, once more dropping to unconsciousness. Ok, this is pretty humorous...
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
Karn, remember that you were only confused for three rounds.
@Bert: Oh right, thanks for reminding me. I agree with you, but I forgot Bert was blinded and just seeing through echolocation. By default that would fall to Karn then since he is the closest, so Karn is still confused.
@Karn: Oh, I didn't know life-link dropped when Karn did. I just remember a funny situation from Who's Yer Con a few years when the life oracle used his immediate action for something else and couldn't drop his life link even though he was about to fall unconscious and the other players were joking that they were going to run back and forth to soak up AoOs and kill the oracle from a distance, lol.
Bert continues to heal Karn, who only wakes up and then immediately knocks himself unconscious again. Lol! Can't believe that happened twice now.
Meanwhile Argust is getting the hang of his bow: he drops one of the shining children and wounds the other one!
Initiative:
1. Brelar
2. Shining children
3. Bert, Argust, and Karn
Brelar is unable to see the target, which has now been moving about, and stands contemplating his choices while the nasty critter shoots a blast of fire at Bert and then flies across the room.
Male Dwarf Fighter (Two-Handed) [17] : HP:189/189 | AC 41 T 22 FF 37 | CMB +30 (+34 sunder) CMD 47 (51 vs trip/disarm, 55 vs sunder) | F +22 (+24 vs poison) R +19 W +16; all +4 vs spell/SLA/effect to lose weapon | Init +6 | Perc +13 | EA +18 | Climb/Swim +11
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
I can't see the map atm. Bert's blindsense has a 40' range, and it sounds as though the shining child has moved far enough away that Bert can't sense it.
The shining child's burning ray fails to penetrate Bert's protective spell. Ignoring the creature for the time being, the halfling refrains from hitting Karn. "You idiot! No cures until I'm sure you won't do that again." Instead, he casts his usual good hope on the party and lets Karn stabilize on his own or not.
Hey, since Bert nominally acts before Argust can Argust add the good hope bonuses to his shots?
Extremely wounded, it then takes little more than a single arrow from Argust to take down the light creature and soon the room is quiet and calm....
Out of combat!
The place settings on the table consist of fine crystal goblets and delicate mithral plates, bowls, and utensils. The entire set is quite well preserved, and is worth 18,000 gp in all. From a box on the end of the table you also detect a powerful magical aura:
The flamma horacalcum is tiny ball of fire harvested from a secret and hidden grotto on the Plane of Fire where the flames are infused with energies leaking from the Demiplane of Time. During the time of Azlant, dozens of flamma horacalcums existed, each of which had to be encased in an orrery-like container made of horacalcum to prevent the flame from burning away into another time. The flame itself is weightless, but the orrery that contains it weighs 7 pounds, and requires a free hand to carry and utilize. As a free action, a flamma horacalcum’s level of illumination can be adjusted by its carrier’s thought to range from the brightness of a single candle to that shed by a daylight spell. This light is considered to be from a 9th-level spell for the purposes of overcoming magical darkness. Once the flamma horacalcum is set down, it continues to radiate its last level of light.
This light bends and warps time in slight ways for its carrier, granting her a +4 bonus on all initiative checks. Three times per day, the flame can be commanded to cast a haste spell as a swift action. The carrier can also use the flame as a standard action to unleash a thin beam of fire equivalent to a searing light. A creature hit by this effect is slowed, as per the spell, for 1d4 rounds if it fails at a DC 20 Will save.
Once per week as a standard action, the user of a flamma horacalcum can blow the flame out, snuffing it entirely. This triggers a time stop effect on the user that lasts for 1d4 rounds, after which the flame reignites. Other observers see this effect only as a brief flickering of the flame, since the duration of the time the flame was extinguished is contained wholly by the time stop effect.
In certain areas that have been subjected to powerful destructive magical effects associated with fire (such as Xin’s Palace), the light of the flamma horacalcum reveals images from the past. These images only manifest if the device’s light is at its highest setting, and what exactly is revealed can vary—the light may reveal events from only a few hours past, or it may reveal things from hundreds of centuries gone. The various encounters within Xin’s palace include sections on what the light of the flamma horacalcum reveals.
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
Bert's eyes go wide as he concentrates on analyzing the aura. "WOW! This is amazing! A real flamma horacalcum...I've heard of them, but never seen one. I thought they were all lost after Earthfall. I'll need a lot of paper for notes with this little goody. So much to learn here...."
HP 107*/107* | AC 32| T 16| FF 28| CMD 14| Fort +14*| Ref +22| Will +15 (+2 vs. fear, neg energy effects)| Init +4 (+2 underground)| Perc +29/+34 w/lens (+2 underground)| Sense Motive +20 Male Halfling Archaeologist Bard15/Mysterious Stranger Gunslinger1/Inspired Blade Swashbuckler1
Eh, give a minute to let the confusion wear off, lol.
As Bert exposes the flame to the room you are in, you witness a flurry of feasting over the span of several seconds, all centered on young King Xin seated, in slower motion, at the table's head. Xin ages as the scenes progress and Bert easily notes that there are at least two instances when his ghostly image seems to waver and collapse before the magic of the Sihedron saves him. Bert's and Brelar's history lessons hinted at several poisoning attempts later in the life of the King, which might be what this wavering is representing.
Male Dwarf Fighter (Two-Handed) [17] : HP:189/189 | AC 41 T 22 FF 37 | CMB +30 (+34 sunder) CMD 47 (51 vs trip/disarm, 55 vs sunder) | F +22 (+24 vs poison) R +19 W +16; all +4 vs spell/SLA/effect to lose weapon | Init +6 | Perc +13 | EA +18 | Climb/Swim +11
Argust is at 134/194 HP, not sure what healing we'll have available after Karn gets back up.
