GM Kate's Ruins of Azlant (closed) (Inactive)

Game Master Kate Baker

Can you give me a little more information on how you’d like to continue?

Joli is waiting to see if Purpose has more info.

No sweat! I was worried y’all were waiting on me. Take your time.

Just to keep it moving....

Joli asks as he follows the flying squid, "What do we know about their behavior? Purpose, you’ve insight into these matters..."

Purpose Creche reignites his floating silver lights. "I apologize. With these creatures I'm. In the dark." He buzzes softly.

"They took a body. Interesting. Maybe food source. Maybe an intelligent creature. They didn't attack us after all. That's two possible treaties in the caves. We may be able to negotiate with the crysmals for access to the crystals here. But I don't speak their language."

He turns to Toby. "No need to be frightened. They're clearly not hostile. But yes. Let's finish exploring. Then we can check the passage that leads outside."

Check out that northeastern chamber, then see where the exit passage leads?

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (3) + 9 - 2 = 10
Waah, waah, waaaaaaahn

"Yeah, I guess" Toby mutters as he looks around nervously.

Doesn't seem very 'clear' to me....

Cedar smiles. ”We need to get you a way to see in the dark, Toby. You know, there’s not much light when you’re deep underwater either. I say we finish up exploring these caves and then get back to the village. I’m not sure what good those crystals are, but someone else might. I think we may want to cover up this well and maybe collapse the other entrance. We’ll know more once we’ve checked it all out.’

Have we seen any evidence that there’s actually water at the bottom of the well?

Yes, the entrance to this cave was just above the waterline.

"Mayhap close the entrance but keep the well. It’s of great value." Joli makes his way quietly towards the last cavern.

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

But does breathe a little heavily as he goes.

Joli enters the dark passage. Just past a small cave-in on the western wall, the tunnel opens into a rounded cavern with rough and irregular walls. Occasional piles of fallen rock litter the passage, but not to the degree that navigating it is impossible. A fair number of bones litter the cave floor here. Huge stalagmites hang from the ceiling, but Joli just catches sight of one of them moving slightly: it is the creature you saw a few moments ago.

I moved you all up, but feel free to adjust.

Joli is wary of stalactites overhead as he eyes the bones. Human? Grippli?

Heal?: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Silt turns to towards Cedar and Toby. He fidgets with a firework and whispers:

Do you think caveoctopuses like sky anenomes?

”Probably,” Cedar says with a shrug.”Wait, you mean like to eat them or be friends with them? And what’s a sky anemone again? Do you think Karl would like it down here? There’s a lot of space for him to play.”

Silt grins.

We could put his playpen in that room — a lovely spot to build a skeleton fort, crack bones, suck marrow, frolic!

"And you can come through the other entrance to continue his training, that way you won't have to climb down the well each time," Cedar says. "Ramona might not like the idea though, so we should probably keep it a secret."

Faint gunpowder scent drifts into Purpose Creche's supernatural senses.

"Sky anemones. Ah." He puts a hand on Sil'tchaak's forearm. "They might like them. But I don't think we would like a firework explosion in this enclosed space."

He considers the ankheg housing proposition; in his mind's eye, silverlit shadows shift, the dark U of projected mandibles looming large on the cave wall. "This does seem a good place for Karl. A reward for his service to the colony. A compromise with the other colonists' discomfort."

Silt frowns at Cedar… Perrell, too.

You live on land. But never seen sky anemones?

He points at the firework.

A sky anemone lives in this little tunnel of earth and wax. Light fire here, the anemone howls, and swims out too quick to see. It waves bright tentacles at you, angry. Then, it goes to find new home.

"Silt, you meant fireworks? That's a sky anemone? No, these things probably don't like them. But, that might be good. I mean, I don't think we want to light them in here, like Purpose said. But we might be able to somehow use these against the flying creatures..." The wheels begin turning in Cedar's head.

Toby nervously eyes the bones.

Heal: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

"I don't like the look of this place. Look at all the bones!"

heal: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Yes… look at those bones. Karl would like the flavor of that species.

Joli and Toby can't quite make heads or tails of the scattered bones, but Silt's keen eye starts assembling the gruesome jigsaw puzzles. The species are varied: chokers, monkey goblins, skum, something with wings, but there is also one set of bones that is unmistakably human.

Is anyone going in the cavrn or jut hanging out in the passageway?

"If these remains are like the others in this cavern, there may be clues to the previous colonists' disappearance."

Purpose Creche puts away his wand, unclips his shield from his chest, and steps into the room.

Perception with heightened awareness: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Silt will go in with him.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Purpose walks in and looks around, realizing that the one creature isn't alone. Several stalactites quiver menacingly, and suddenly the dancing lights are suppressed once more.

Initiative

Yellow caveoctupus
Blue caveoctopus
Toby
Red caveoctopus
Silt
Cedar
Purpose
Joli

Those with darkvision can see two stalactites leap down from the ceiling, attempting to envelope Silt and Purpose! Silt suddenly finds himself grappled again, with the caveoctopus wrapped around him.

yellow attack vs. Silt: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
slam!: 1d4 ⇒ 1
grab: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
squeeze: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

blue attack vs. Purpose: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

The ceiling is 15 ft high in here, and it is currently dark!

"I knew these things were dangerous!"

Toby stumbles forward toward the sounds of Silt's distress. Unable to see through the darkness, he fires blindly, hoping to dislodge the creature.

kinetic blast, pbs: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 1 = 17 before cover, vs grappled.
damage, pbs: 1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7
concealment, high hits: 1d100 ⇒ 56

Silt feels a drip of blood that's not his own, as Toby's blast strikes the creature.

One more stalactite drops from the ceiling and attempts to latch on the Purpose, but instead floats harmlessly to the ground.

red attack vs Purpose: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Yellow caveoctupus -7 hp
Blue caveoctopus
Toby
Red caveoctopus
Silt
Cedar
Purpose
Joli

I assume the longsword's light is also suppressed?

Shadows fall and flit amongst the dimness and ash of Purpose Creche's mind.
"Darkmantles. Beasts." He twists away from a tentacle grasping at him in the dark. (5 ft. step) "Predators, it seems."

He slashes blindly at his red assailant, but his blow merely scrapes off the creature's hide.
Concealment, high hits: 1d100 ⇒ 71
Longsword: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9 for 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7 damage.

Knowledge (arcana): 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 9 + 2 = 21 Hmm. Special ways to subdue 'em? Plus whatever's interesting.

Good thing I brought my shield out! That woulda hit my flat footed AC otherwise. Also we're denied Dex to AC when we can't see our attackers, right?
EDIT: Oh, my roll order got messed up when I added the attack—when I previewed the K:Arcana was the 5. I'll stick with the low attack roll if that's ok, though, seems to fit events better.

"Sorry Toby, you were right!" Cedar steps forward and calls out to to the plane of celestial eagles for help!

"Skee!" Jerome arrives and attacks the yellow caveoctupus! Celestial creatures gain darkvision! Does Silt flank? May not matter...

Talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Beak: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8 damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Silt draws his club and tries to hit the thing.

Club +5 -2 grapple: 1d20 + 5 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 5 - 2 = 11
Sigh. Hey Paizo devs, can I buy new dice or something!?
bludgeoning: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Joli climbs up onto the wall and hops down flanking the darkmantle grappling Silt.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

His tongue flicks out, and with it a wave that batters the offending skynemone.

Wave strike (touch) v. grappled AC: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 2 = 12
Damage (NL + 5'): 1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + (5) = 9

Jerome appears and scratches the darkmantle grappling Silt with a single talon. The creature turns to look, turning Silt's head as well, giving Joli an opening to strike. The creature freezes and drops to the ground.

Purpose, there isn't a lot that is interesting about them besides the grab and constrict. They fly, but not very well, and they have both blindsight and darkvision. They have once per day darkness.

The blue darkmantle swoops back up to the ceiling inelegantly (and also provoking from both Silt and Joli) and seems to prepare itself for another divebomb.

Yellow caveoctupus
Blue caveoctopus
Toby
Red caveoctopus
Silt
Cedar
Purpose
Joli

Toby is up in initiative, and Silt and Joli have an AoO they may take right now.

Toby steps forward and fires at the sounds of the creature attacking Purpose.

kinetic blast, pbs: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 1 = 8 <--miss
damage, pbs: 1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7
50% miss chance, high hits: 1d100 ⇒ 29 <--double miss

Oh shoot, blinded is actually an additional -2 penalty to AC on top of denied Dex bonus, which means that 16 would have hit Purpose. I won't retcon since that might have affected everyone's choices, but we'll run it correctly now. And to your earlier question, the sword casts light as a first level spell, so it is also extinguished in the darkness area.

The red darkmantle lands on the ground and attempts once again to envelope Purpose, but with little success.

red attack vs Purpose: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Yellow caveoctupus
Blue caveoctopus
Toby
Red caveoctopus
Silt
Cedar
Purpose
Joli

Reminder that Silt and Joli have AoOs on blue.

AOO:

Club +5: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

bludgeoning: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Flush with the victory of actually connecting in combat, he 5' steps up to the caveoctopus threatening Purpose and flails yet again.

Club +5: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

KarlPoop!

Joli doesn't have a weapon in hand, unfortunately. Need that gauntlet or head spike! :-p

Joli attempts to tumble into flank with Purpose's latest assailant, lashing out with his penultimate tongue-lashing of the day.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Wave Strike: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 2 = 18
NL + 5' push: 1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + (4) = 10

Jerome attacks red! I forgot to put an eagle on the map earlier so he may have provoked when he moved to red. I can't quite remember where he would have been. Sorry!

Talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Beak: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18 damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Purpose Creche slices at the area just in front of the shrieking and flapping of wings.

Longsword: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 2 = 20
Damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Concealment, high hits: 1d200 ⇒ 75, hooray!

Silt swings at the blue darkmantle as it departs, striking it soundly, but then he is slightly off-balance as he turns to hit the red one.

Joli darts into a flanking position, freezing the darkmantle. As it tries to turn around, attacks from both Jerome and Purpose strike simultaneously, dropping the strange beast.

The last remaining darkmantle takes aim at the nearest target, Jerome. possibly hitting?

blue attack vs Jerome: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12
ouch!: 1d4 ⇒ 3
grab!: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
squeeze!: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Everyone is up! One darkmantle left.

Joli launches himself into the air, sailing over the remaining darkmantle with a twist that helps him evade its snatching tentacles.

Tumble: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

The spirit of the wave drains out of him one last time as he gives the beast a lashing.

Wave strike: 1d20 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 4 + 2 = 21
Nonlethal: 1d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (3) + (2) = 5

"You’re going to have to find another home! This town only has room for one mollusk! Yes I mean you, Iggi." He taps his tricorn to reassure the friend beneath.

Jerome has an AC 14 and HP 5 CMD 11, so a 12 will miss!

Jerome attacks back! "Skree!"

Talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21 damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3
Talon: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17 damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2
Beak: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22 damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Woot! He must have taken lessons from Mitzi!

Joli leaps up to attack the remaining darkmantle. He strikes, but the creature floats on ominously until Jerome turns and lashes out.

Out of combat! And done with Choker Hill.

Woot! Good job team!

"Now, can we please leave?"

Joli cheers and gives Purpose a hug. "Let’s search first. Shall we... You don’t think they’re sentient do you?"

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Purpose would know that they are not especially intelligent, definitely on the animal end of the magical beast spectrum.

A careful search of the cave reveals only more bones.

Purpose Creche lifts an arm to reciprocate Joli's hug, but the grippli leaps quickly away. "No more sentient than a wolf. Governed by instinct."

"I understand your unease, Toby. But there are two unanswered questions."

One thin finger uncurls. "What did we hear creating that illusion."
Another stands at attention beside it. "Where does the other passage emerge. We need to know if this well is safe to leave open. Safe for Karl."

Looking back, I don't see mention of where exactly the tunnel lets out. I also don't think we encountered whatever it was that could cast silent image? I'm also fine handwaving us discovering that info!

When we get back up to the colony, I assume we'd consult the charter/ask Ramona who might have an H flask.

Joli returns to Purpose, putting a hand on his shoulder as if to say, You’re a perfectly cuddly constructed person.

"Illusion? Where? Could it have been the crysmals?" He shrugs. "Mayhap we can quietly leave through the other exit. I wonder: Do you think it’s wise to leave Karl here alone if we’re trying to tame him? I imagine that’ll require constant attention."

I think someone made the knowledge check (probably Purpose), so you can totally be aware that crysmals are capable of casting silent image.

Cedar smiles at the awkward tenderness between Purpose and Joli.

"I agree, we should check the exit, and probably mark it so we can find it again. That sound good Toby, we can get out of here? And I've got a feeling we won't be leaving Karl unattended." He looks to Silt for at least a nod of affirmation. "Perhaps we should at least bring Perrell or someone down to check out the crystals? I'm no jewlesmith or anything, but they may be useful in some way, as Purpose suggested."