GM Lari's Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts (Core) (Inactive)

Game Master Dhenn

Doubtful doesn't seem at all pleased, once it is revealed they are heading back to the Gloomspires.

He spends most of the long trip, glowering out to sea, as if hoping the pirates or sea monsters or storms will come along, so they don't have to go back.

Knowledge (history): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

"Coulda told them going back in was a bad idea." He mutters, as Benarry informs them of the fate of the followup team.

"What's so important we keep sending folks back in?" He asks, almost rhetorically. "Seems better for all to just let Sevenfingers rot in his godforsaken tomb."

He looks at the wand dubiously, clearly pretty sure its little more than a tourist souvenir.

"Wasn't a guy named Abdul, was it?" He remarks disconsolately, as she mentions acquiring it from dubious sources.

Oh, ignoring the 50% failure chance is nice! That spell sucks usually, partly because of that.

What's the grave salt do?

Ragnar listens to the woman, scratching his beard as he does. He's an average dwarf, a bit older than most, and gaunter around the face than he ought to be. He makes a hem-hawing sound in his throat. "Int'resting. So ye lot have been here before, have ye?"

Knowledge:History: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (18) + 12 = 30
Knowledge:History: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29

And I was so proud of my 24... show off ! =)

Doubtful eyes the new guy suspiciously.

"Who's he?" He mutters.

Jaïr is a petite woman in simple black robes who highlights her silhouette. She had pale complexion but her charming smile and her simple green make-up make her immediately friendly.

Know. History 1: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Know. History 2: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Jaïr listen carefully to the Venture-Captain words. The first time she went to the Gloom was not an easy road and since then, she still make nightmare about hordes of tiny leech crawling on her...

But this time, she was better prepared and more experienced, and she hopes to help her comrades to succeed on their mission.

Listening that a paladin was missing she almost laugh but it also cause her a dreadful thinking if even a paladin was not up to the task.

Yes, we have, quite a journey for sure. I'm Jaïr by the way, nice meeting you.
I will provide you with some healing. If you need it, hand me your wand.

@Ragnar outside of combat, feel free to use your wand as needed

Ragnar hands over his trusty wand. "Suits me, miss Jair. Do ye have a god I should offer a prayer o' thanks toward?"

Of course my friend, you could thank the Reaper of Reputation

Responds with a lovely voice and a charming smile Jaïr

"Norgorber, eh? Not my first choice, but ye could worship a lot worse, I s'pose." Ragnar shrugs and checks his packs.

Grave Salt

"As a matter of fact, it was. Abdul's Discount Wands in Drenchport. You've heard of it?

And you lot only went through the first layer. Sempet's greatest treasures lie deeper within, we think, and there might even be information about the mysterious "Makers" who created the complex in the first place.

Doubtful remembers quite a bit of unpleasant information about the spires.

The Gloomspires are an ancient field of massive stone columns that rise from the Arcadian Ocean. Most sages say they were already old when the Ghol-Gan Empire was young. The Gloomspires are hollow and contain many chambers and passages, all of which are believed to be cursed, monster-infested, or both. Since the time of the Ghol-Gan Empire, many of the Gloomspires have been explored, and some have even been claimed and repurposed by other beings. Of these, Sevenfingers’s tomb is the most well known. The Gloomspires are inundated with strange, reality-warping effects. The columns occasionally shift their positions, and many explorers report feeling a sense of wrongness and foreboding just from being in the area. This bizarre magic also makes teleportation and plane- traveling magic very difficult, though summoning spells tend to function normally.

Ragnar has apparently read up on the Gloomspires in preparation. He knows a humanoid race of powerful sorcerers called the Makers constructed the Gloomspires during the Age of Serpents. The Makers are believed to have escaped enslavement in a nightmarish realm and fled to Golarion.

He further knows that Sempet Sevenfingers was a legendary pirate who was active in the region 300 years ago. From his dreaded flagship, the Voracious, Sevenfingers commanded a small fleet of pirate ships. His practice of using kuru cannibals to augment his boarding parties inspired fear and hatred across the Shackles. Sevenfingers was a powerful wizard who dabbled in necromancy and communed with evil outsiders, entities from the Dark Tapestry, and other beings from unspeakable realms beyond Golarion.

Ragnar scratches his beard. "Hmm, we ought t'be prepared fer evil outsiders, or possibly undead creatures. Not my undead creatures, but old 'uns."

"As a matter of fact, it was. Abdul's Discount Wands in Drenchport. You've heard of it?"

The dwarf swears. "I knew it! Probably a whole franchise of con men!"

He pulls out a wand of his own, discount price sticker still attached, and scowls at it for a second.

"Good money after bad." He says morosely.

"And you lot only went through the first layer. Sempet's greatest treasures lie deeper within, we think, and there might even be information about the mysterious "Makers" who created the complex in the first place.

Doubtful remembers quite a bit of unpleasant information about the spires.

"So the place has only gotten worse since we were here last time?"

"And who came up with that stupid hungry ghosts name?!" He laments. "That won't turn out well, just you see!"

"Cannibals running around up top, and ancient undead lurking around down below."

"And that damned negative energy tree thing! That probably grew back too! All the undead sucking on it like some giant teat.

"This time it'll be undead leech swarms for sure!"

He pauses for a moment, before amending. "Undead incorporeal leech swarms!"

"Shoulda burnt everything." He mutters unhappily before sitting down in a corner to glower.

Heh! Game over man! Game over! Gloomspires: the pessimists playground!

Wyatt raises an eyebrow as the region's history is revealed to him.

"Well, this is certainly a cheerful area. I can't imagine why there isn't a bustling tourism industry..."

He then sighs, before a determined look crosses his face.

"Nevertheless, we have a job to do, so we should probably get ready to go and do it..."

Happy to hang on to the grave salt, as I have a decent Dex score.

He then grins when he hears Doubtful's by-now expected pessimism.

"Well, if we encounter swarms, I finally have a way of dealing with them," he says, tapping an amulet made from amber filled with preserved insects. "This device allows me to use my bow effectively even on swarms of creatures that would normally be immune to weapons."

Doubtful harumphs, his concerns clearly not assuaged.

"Hope you didn't buy that from Abdul too." He mutters.

Imrana dutifully copies down notes on the proceedings, making sure to provide exacting detail and precise language.

As the others begin discussing the various horrors the tomb may hold, Imrana's attention falls squarely on Ragnar.

"Ah, you speak of your undead. You must be a necromancer."

She flips to another page in her book, running her eyes across the page rapidly until she finds the entry she sought. She keeps her eyes on the book, checking her tallies and accompanying notes. Her voice is musical and light, though her tone is completely matter-of-fact.

"Before we continue, in the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that in the service to the Great Nex, I have personally inflicted casualties upon 37 Gebbite necromancers--10 fatalities and 27 woundings--and 212 undead--53 of which were intelligent. All fatalities of course. I have also provided supplies to a currently-undetermined-number of Nexians, who have destroyed a currently-undetermined-number of undead and inflicted a currently-undetermined-number of casualties upon necromancers."

She turns her eyes up at Ragnar, a slight personal gesture of regard.

"Oh, nobody you know, I am certain. That was 4139 years ago."

She returns to her tome, pulling her necklace out of her robes, a Pharasmin holy symbol hanging from it, and begins twirling it in her hand.

"I do hope that will not be a problem for you."

Ragnar smiles. "No friends o'mine I daresay. I think I've got no quarrel with you, miss."

Duncan is finally brought to attention from his musings of diggin' as he begins to make out bits of the conversation going on around him.

"Abdul! Why tha' no good crooked--"

The dwarf catches himself just short of swearing, flushing slightly in Imrana's presence.

"-- th' discount shovels n' picks were the very platform onna tha' we built Clan Diggerson's discount system fer 10x10 and 15x12 tunnels. We 'ad t' pull it early on account o' all th' diggin' implements breakin' th' very first day!"

Dunkel raises a hand.

"Ah know what yer thinkin' but th' Diggersons are an honorable clan, so we kept to our word n' honored th' discount tha' season, but ohhhh.... Abduuuuul"

Dunkel sticks out a meaty hand to Ragnar.

"Pleased t' meet ya, cousin..."

His eyes narrow.

"Say, what'd ye say the widest tunnel ye ever dug may be?"

Ragnar looks momentarily confused. "Well, sir! I wasna much fer digging, truth be told, but I was happy t'help. Once hauled away rocks fer a fifteen footer, but I couldna tell ye much about the minin'. Now, if ye came across a skeleton, I'm happy t'identify it fer ye! But I've no doubt Clan Diggerson's apt t'dig finer tunnels than this old book-worm could!" He takes the hand gladly.

If I didn't already have a character with an international restaurant franchise, I might have to make Abdul.

Benarry responds to Doubtful, while raising a skeptical eyebrow at all the discussions of necromancy and mining.

"The name? Sempet himself used it. They say he buried himself alive down there.

I had the same thought, which is why I sent Jaohd and his team. He's become an expert on spirits and haunts over the past thirteen years in the Society. Plus you were off in Tian Xia.

His longsword, a fine blade he calls Ether’s Kiss, can hurt creatures with no real body of their own. Jaohd went into the Gloomspires with four other agents: the Taldan twins Alrasus and Naphinia, known for their quick fingers and quicker wits; Zumek, a Kellid warrior who could wrestle a crocodile and win; and Yetisiel, an elf with the power of storms in her blood.

Dunkel clasps Ragnar's hand.

"No harm in books t'all!"

He pats the large tome at his side.

"Best way t' move a lotta rock is magic!"

Finally, turning his attention to the grave salt, wand, account of Ether's Kiss, and the wondrous naming of the Labyrinth of Hungry Ghosts, Dunkel considers the clearly evident implications before him.

"So.. best we put any mention of hungry behind us. Ah've no interest in eatin' a dead arm this time around."

Clearing his throat, he addresses Benarry.

"Sooo.... lass. Th' best way to solve a labyrinth, ah'm sure ye reckon, is ta dig through it! Straight down th' middle!"

uh oh... are they supplying digging implements again this time? =)

Doubtful sits in the corner scowling as the conversation continues, clearly not warming to Ragnar at all, sure that he has some nefarious plot to turn them all into undead minions of some sort or other.

"Guess we're the next course then." He finally mutters with a resigned sigh.

Not being provided, but I assume Dunkel's well supplied, and you can buy anything up to 2500 gp from the Pixie's supplies. Artisan's tools or masterwork tools perhaps? But...

"Well..." Benarry pauses for a moment, "Geometry doesn't always work properly in the Gloomspires. 'Middle' and 'straight' might not work out the way you expect. Hopefully the first team left some signs of their passage."

An extra creep factor I forgot to play up last time.

I keep meaning to spend the PP to purchase a caravan themed as a "diggin' team" but trying to keep the right number to raise and restore, especially since Dunkel's not going to be using it for Day Job checks.

Dunkel nods, hesitating slightly as he reacts to Bennary's own pause.

"Dun worry, ol' Thorn 'ere 'as eyes like a hawk, e'll..."

Dunkel looks about the deck of the Pixie.

"Ach! Dinnae 'e make it?"

As he comes to realize their "scoundrel" had a better gig lined up than a return to the Gloomspires, he flexes his fingers and hefts a shovel.

"Well, e'll jess be missin' out on fine diggin' work. Guess there won't be many sorts to talk t' n' pretend we're some sort o' silly criminal-types at least."

Dunkel looks at Benarry.

"Unless ye think any ghosts within might be impressed if we pretended t' be some sort o' shady Tien underworld types?"

He clasps Doubtful on the shoulder, providing reassurance despite knowing that it will do little for his kin.

"All the dead'll be more than inviting, I'm sure." Doubtful grumbles in response.

You know, it feels like someone payed their 5 PP for body recovery after a failed mission... and we're the recovery team =)

Imrana nods to Ragnar.

"Oh good. It is very important to cooperate in the Pathfinder Society. I am glad it shall not be a problem."

Imrana closes her book and turns her attention back to the Venture-Captain and this talk of digging.

"Ah, digging through a space of unstable planar geometry would be quite fascinating! If you do embark on such an endeavor, Dunkel, could I perhaps join you to take notes?"

She taps her pen against her chin.

"Or perhaps it's some kind of fluxuating illusion that merely gives the appearance of shifting dimensions? Or one or more powerful sources of transmutation magic? Hmm...."

"Or some sort of necromantic curse designed to trap unsuspecting visitors for all eternity." Doubtful adds dourly.

Any other questions? If not, you'll be going ashore on Sunday.

"Seems clear enough - we need to climb the Spire, enter the tomb, recover the Orb, find out what happened to the last group, and recover your folding boat."

Wyatt makes a sour face.

"From the sounds of it, there is also a decent chance that we will encounter incorporeal undead."

He then shrugs, and turns to the others.

"Shall we be on our way? I am certainly packed and ready."

Once you're prepared, Benarry loads you into one of the Pixie's small boats, as her beloved folding boat is still with the first team.

It's a short distance to Sevenfinger's spire. Climbing the narrow, winding steps to the top takes about two hours, leading you to a familiar lush canopy of tropical trees, flowering vines, and thick undergrowth around a small clearing.

Thick mists swirl around the trunks, obscuring much of your vision. Like last time, you can see up to 15 feet unimpeded. People up to 20 feet away have concealment, and anything beyond has total concealment.

As you arrive at the summit, a deep female is midway through berating someone.

...you incompetent piece of reefclaw bait! Actually, that's not a bad idea. Gotta catch something to eat, might as well get rid of a mouth to feed while I'm at it...

It's going to be you, then them. You can all take a surprise round and then a regular round of actions. Keep in mind the mist's effects on vision.

All four figures are coated in dirt and sweat, their outfits somewhat ragged. The half-orc woman wears a chainmail shirt, and has a falchion and bow strapped to her back. The men have studded leather armor, crossbows, and scimitars.

Wyatt calmly starts plinking away at the half-orc 'leader'.

Surprise Round:

+1 Mighty[+2]Composite Longbow: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 7 + 1 = 25, for 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 1 = 9 damage.

Miss Chance (High=Hit): 1d100 ⇒ 21

Ouch! Well, that is still a hit, albeit barely!

Dunkel would've applied mage armor as the group disembarked.

Dunkel sighs, moving cautiously ahead brandishing his axes.

"At least it's not cannibals..."

He begins to eye the pirate as he closes in.

"Wait, are ye cannibals? Or just foul scoundrels that tha' Society needs t' deal with again?"

Surprise to move. Round 1 to move again and then swing. Dunk's circling around to blue.

+1 dwarven waraxe (arcane strike): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10 for 1d10 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

Ragnar curses and hits himself with his wand of mage armor, feeling suddenly better protected!

Having nothing to do, Jair draws her wand of bless.

Ooops, was slacking!

Remember the mist guys, anything more then 20' out is basically invisible to us...
I drew a 20' radius circle on the map for a rough idea! Just plunk it over yourself to get an idea of what you can actually see... also anything along the edge squares of it would still have partial concealment (aka 20% miss chance)

Not sure what's out there, or even if they are friendly or not, he breaks off into the fog towards the female voice that seemed to be in charge.

"Probably gonna walk right off a cliff." He mutters to himself as he goes.

As her form materializes out of the mist, he closes in beside her, seeing more folks in the fog nearby.

"Got three of 'em over this way." He calls back mournfully.

Hmm... well, not sure why we're assuming they're hostile.... though it is highly likely! =) At least they're speaking a language we know, not like the cannibals last time (and no screamer!).

He will use non-lethal damage, just in case we need to question them later about the folks we're looking for

Surprise round: single 30' move
Regular round: 5' step, then flurry of blows on the half-orc woman, using stunning fist on the first strike

Flurry1 vs flat footed?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25, for 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 non-lethal damage and stunned (DC 16 fortitude negates).
Flurry2 vs flat footed?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18, for 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 non-lethal damage.

I'm not entirely sure why we are just attacking them?

Imrana activates her wand of Mage Armor, curious as to what has begun combat.

Round 1
Jair moves and uses her wand to cast bless on her comrades.

May the knowledge of your opponent guide your weapon and protect you from the fear of your ennemies

Bless : +1 moral bonus to hit and +1 moral bonus to will save against fear effect

Thanks, Doubtful! That's helpful.

Dunkel's axe misses, but from his position he can just barely make out the shape of a person, unconscious, asleep, or dead, at the edge of his vision.

Doubtful rains blows upon the half-orc, who growls fiercely at him, before Wyatt's arrow knocks her to the ground. Because of the fog, you'd have to move up before you shot.

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

The others advance, swinging blades. One shouts.

"They must have a way off this rock. Get to the stairs, men!"

Red v Doubtful: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Green v Doubtful: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Blue v Dunkel: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

The party is up once again.

Oh, I misunderstood; so, it is 15' clear vision, then 5' concealed, then total concealment?

Wyatt takes a step to the side, and drops several shots into the green thug.

+1 Mighty[+2]Composite Longbow: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 5 + 1 = 21, for 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 1 = 9 damage.
+1 Mighty[+2]Composite Longbow: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 5 + 1 = 20, for 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 5 damage.

Note: I have Precise Shot, so there should be no penalty on these attacks.

Heh... the 2 hour climb wasn't condusive to 1 hour buff use! Didn't have a moment to use my wand! AC too low =)

Doubtful scowls, as they start talking about stealing the boat.

Flurry again, stunning fist on the first attack aiming at red, if the stun lands (and the green one is still up after Wyatt's arrows) then he will throw the second attack at green, otherwise both are on red. All attacks still non-lethal.

Flurry1, bless vs Red: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 8 + 1 = 23, for 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 non-lethal plus stun (DC 16 Fort negates)
Flurry2, bless vs Green/Red: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 1 = 16, for 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 non-lethal.

Imrana calmly stands back, observing the melee. Her brow furrows in confusion as she sees Doubtful take a blow she knows should have bounced off his mage ar--

"Oh, you have forgotten to use your mage armor wand, Doubtful! I will fix that for you."

Imrana walks up to Doubtful, her mage armor wand still in hand, and taps him with it.

Dunkel's beard twists in concentration as he spies the fallen body.

"Someone over here's dead... or sleeping!"

Grunting as he takes a minor scratch from his foe, Dunkel grips his axe tighter and tries to sink the edge into the foe trying to kill him.

Waraxe 2H, Power, Arcane Strike: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 for 1d10 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16

(Missed an extra +1 from arcane strike last round in damage calc)

Hearing that doubtful is wounded, Jair moves towards him while drawing a second wand, this time for healing and uses it on her comrade.

Fair Doubtful, may the Secret fo Life heals your wounds

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Delaying Ragnar

Doubtful's punch stuns the first target, but misses his second. Dunkel and Wyatt both hit their targets successfully.

Red Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Green: 14, Blue: 16, Red: 5

Doubtful's assailant's blow looks like it will hit, before glancing off the shimmering mage armor. Dunkel is not so lucky.

Green v Doubtful: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Blue v Dunkell: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Everyone is up.

Wyatt does his best to put down the two thugs that he can see.

Green and Red, to be precise.

+1 Mighty[+2]Composite Longbow: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 5 + 1 = 26, for 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 = 8 damage.
Crit Confirmation: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 5 + 1 = 15, for 2d8 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (6, 5) + 4 + 2 = 17 *ADDITIONAL* damage.
+1 Mighty[+2]Composite Longbow: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 5 + 1 = 24, for 1d8 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 = 8 damage.

Dunkel shirks off the scratch from the man before adjusting his grip on his waraxe with his right hand first, then his left hand second.

He briefly considers whistling while he "works" but dismisses the thought as too cocky for a dwarf.

Waraxe 2H, Power, Arcane Strike: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22 for 1d10 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

if red or green are still standing, more non-lethal punches...
If one punch is enough, then he will then move 30' to just SW of Dunkel (though I'm pretty sure he just bisected that poor fellow).
If one punch is not enough, then both swings at whoever is there and still resisting.

"I don't think continuing to resist is such a great idea." He mutters, before directing a few blows at the nearest foe.

Punch1, bless: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 8 + 1 = 27, for 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 non-lethal damage.
Punch2, bless: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 8 + 1 = 15, for 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8 non-lethal damage.

Don't forget to add +1 moral bonus to your attack, you are blessed ! :P

Jair waits to see how the fight goes.

delay

Sorry, kid sick with strep!

Ragnar hustles 20' to the NE. "Gracious, my short legs are not made for this much scuttling, I say!" Seeing the others, he sighs and steps to move adjacent to the foes, one hand held out! Grave Touch next round!

Wyatt's first arrow catches its target right between the eyes. His second also hits, as his first target slumps to the ground.

Blood starts gushing from the other, as Dunkel deals a serious blow to his neck.

The last man standing drops his weapon.

"Please! Don't kill me! We just wanted off this g~$~%!n rock!"

Doubtful scowls at the man, before muttering. "Don't think any of us are getting off this rock."

He looks around at the mist-shrouded surroundings mournfully.

He then checks to see if any of the others are still alive, leaving those more suited to question the remaining one.

Pretty sure green and blue are totally toes up (Wyatt and Dunkel weren't messing around!)
But the half orc lady should still be breathing... and not sure what's up with the guy in the back Dunkel reported

(Assuming Jair wields the wand, as usual)

Cure Light: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

34/50 charges remain. Dunkel at 52/55hp.

Dunkel frowns as his wand fizzles and sputters slightly as Jair points it at his latest injury.

"Hmm... must be th' gloom, usually th' wand does a bit better than tha'."

Tucking it back into his belt, he gives the surrendered man a "don't think about it" look before he heads towards the hopefully unconscious man. Kneeling, he gestures Jair over to work a wand in case it's needed.

With his back turned, he talks aloud for their surrendered foes to hear.

"So, ye all see any folks like us come through? Head down t' th' caves? We're lookin' fer some friends o' ours, and hopin' to avoid any ghosts n' such as we search..."

Imrana yawns as she puts away her mage armor wand.

"What exactly are you all doing here? You do not appear to be Pathfinders."

Her stomach grumbles and she grimaces.

"You would not happen to have some rolls or sweetwine, would you? I have forgotten to eat again, it seems."