GM Suede's PFS Salvation of the Sages (Inactive)

Game Master Suede

"Well done yourself. Keen eyes you have."

Would you guys like to continue on or explore more of this area/do anything else?

Qilfobber gives the not-so-secret hallway a sweeping bow.

"Brutus, will you do us the honor and lead the way?"

You move down the hallway without incident for several hundred feet before it ends in a open doorway leading into a room lit by light of an unknown source.

This vast library holds stacks of books filling every ward-inscribed shelf. The room’s design draws the eye toward a central ritual area, inscribed with arcane markings as complex and nuanced as a living mind. A lifetime of trophies and curiosities line the shelves as bookends, including a bulette head, a Jistkan legion banner, a framed page from a Thassilonian necromantic text, a Tekritanin idol dedicated to a forgotten sky god, and a brass orrery enchanted with a rudimentary adaptation of the flying Shory cities’ Aeromantic Infadibulum.

An easy search of the room reveals a small leather journal near the ritual area written in Ancient Osiriani containing notes and schematics for constructing the original sage jewel prototype. It opens with, “Life is fleeting, but undeath leads to stagnation. Only ideas endure, moving from host to host, alive and undying. That is true immortality.”

If you'd like to search this room there is no check, but due to the severity of the clutter it will take an hour. You also have just over an hour till you're suppose to meet up with the other Sages and have not yet found a cure to your disease. You're still missing the sample you need either from the incubation room or laboratory per the notes you found earlier.

"Uhhg. I zhink we need to go back. If zhe sample is here it will take too long. Try a quick scan for magic zhen let's head back and thy zhe other lab rooms."

Roland sighs at the clutter and turns to the stairs.

"On it." Liam will scan as suggested.

Detect Magic and Spellcraft: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25

"Of course."

Brutus joins in the search by scanning the room with his own special senses.

We should try the incubation room after this.

"Yes. It is my top priority to make a cure for the disease." says Voros, nodding.

Detect Magic + Spellcraft: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (17) + 18 = 35

Qilfobber mirrors Liam's sweep of the room before addressing the more pressing issue of the eldritch malady.

"Let's head back and see what you can manage, Voros. I'd much prefer not having my life force sapped more than it already has..."

Speaking of lifeforce sapping, Qilfobber needs to give me a DC 27 fort save or take 1 negative level

A cursory scan of the room with detect magic doesn't turn up anything particularly noteworthy beyond the constant glimmer of magic from the entire area. The origin seems to be the ritual runes in the center of the room, which dance with arcane light when examined with magical means. Brutus likewise doesn't see any great source of evil, but there's a certain wrongness to this location. It almost feels like everything here was once suffused in evil and now a tiny fraction continues to cling to everything that remains.

Taking both observations together, you're all confident that this is the place Amenopheus and Tahonikepsu are looking to perform their ritual at to cleanse the Sage Jewels.

Cantrips as well? Jeez...
Fortitude: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

The color drains even further from Qilfobber's face.

"Perhaps you should use that wand on me as well, Liam..."

Liam uses the wand on the poor gnome.

Yeah, the first time it triggered, it was with detect magic I think.

"Guys, what we read in the other room still lingers in my mind. It means she truly lives through the jewels..." Voros says out loud.

After a small pause, the tieffling clears his throat. "Well, let's not stay here. We need find the sample!"

What room didn't we explore yet?

You never finished exploring the last room, which is the incubation room. You were also told there is a sample in the lab you found before the mindscape room.

Let's return to the previous room and finish exploring it.

"Sounds good. Let's return and finish" as he heads back

The party returns back to the previous room full of sarcophagi lining the walls, held closed by straps and bindings. You still have yet to examine a large sarcophagus that sits upon a raised dais at the room’s center which has been carved with imagery of dragons, and several latched closed sarcophagi can be found on the western edge of the room.

Did Brutus already sweep the room with detect evil? Have we done a sweep for traps on the sarcophagi?

Did someone say traps?

Qilfobber gives the sarcophagus a doubtful look.

Perception: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (2) + 29 = 31 +5 vs traps

Hey guys, been Christmasing. You searched and scanned previously and found nothing threatening.

Qilfobber's closer examination of the sarcophagus reveals no signs of traps. The sarcophagus is pristine, though. No signs of dust, dirt, or any other form of marring. The enchantments here likely work to maintain the quality cleanliness and sterilization of each sealed sarcophagus. They look as they any of them, even the large one, could be opened easily from the outside if unlatched.

(...) You were also told there is a sample in the lab you found before the mindscape room.

That was what I was thinking about but nevermind ^^

Voros just stands there. "So we have to dig this rubble to find the cure? What a painful job!" he mutters under his breath.

Qilfobber sighs.

"I guess so, Voros. Let's start from one end and open them all one at a time."

Brutus gestures for his companions to make some space and then opens the indicated sarcophagus.

Brutus begins opening the various sarcophagus, starting with the large one in the middle. As the exterior would indicate, the inside is full to the brim with the bones and partially rotted remains of a large blue dragon you can easily identify. And the smell that initially wafts out when the lid is removed can only be described as unique; a mixture of dry dust and slightly rotten meat.

A short examination by Voros confirms that this is the sample the party needs to actually concoct the cure to your disease. It's also horribly contagious with something even worse than the strain you all have, and you're certain you're the only one with the skill to be able to handle it safely.

As you search through the remainder of the sarcophagus, Brutus opens one more of interest. The inside holds the remains of a human including all of his gear. There is a gold holy symbol you can identify as the symbol of Osiris, a suit of golden armor wrapped around the corpse, and mixed within it all several more samples of the Crystalline Aether used in concocting your antidote.

However, something just feels... innately wrong when you get the sarcophagus open, Brutus. As you touch the rim of it you feel a sensation you have not felt since your early days as a paladin.

Brutus, I need a fort save vs disease. You get to make this at a +4 for being "immune", so don't roll a 1!

You now have what you need to make your cure. There are 2 options here; You have 10 doses of Crystalline Aether

Firstly, you can spend 5 minutes and 1 dose to make a cure that when taken will remove your current exposure and give you a +10 on all future checks for 24 hours.

Second, you can spend 15 minutes and 2 doses to make something called Blood of Nethys. It makes you completely immune to the disease for 24 hours. It also will raise the dispel DC for any spells you cast for 1 minute after consuming it by 5. It has additional effects if you throw it at someone... you don't want to do that.

If you choose to make the better cure you won't have time to explore the ritual room until after the adventure, but I'll make certain you get credit for items in there as far as the chronicle goes. Decision time!

Fort: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 16 + 4 = 40

Decisions!

For the record, do we know how many of us are afflicted?

You and Liam are fine... at least for now. The others have all shown signs of the disease.

Well as a player, I think we should make sure people are immune. Razmir, however would not want to make a blasphemous item connected to a lesser god. Plus, if people are immune, you can't ask them for more donations to heal them. So overall, I'm neutral on the matter. :)

Much as I'd like to sort through the ritual room, I have to say that ridding us all of this nasty disease is probably the better option.

agreed .

Roland continues to look around, keeping an eye for anything else.

Agreed. A bonus may not be enough for most of us.

The party returns back to the lab they started in and Voros gets to work, directing the rest of the party around to clear tables, set up burners, and occasionally slapping away a hand that gets too close to something dangerous. He spends an achingly long 15 minutes mixing deadly, purulent flesh with the oddly shifting liquid, which warps and changes under the heat of the fire.

It's color slowly warps and separates around the disease sample, eventually settling into a marbled mix of white and black fluids that swirl about one another. Those watching the liquid dance will see it form the appearance of a face for an instant before vanishing back into patternless shapes once again. This is the Blood of Nethys and your cure. The alchemist continues to work and at the end of another hour he has five doses of the medicine ready for the party.

It's at this relieving moment that you become aware of a figure entering the laboratory behind you. Amenopheus stops in the doorway with his hands folded into his sleeves. He looks slightly scorched, but mostly dusty. There's a mixture of concern and eagerness on his face as he spends a few moments whispering to Torch before turning to the rest of you. "The 'Grandmaster' told me about the tunnel you found. It sounds like you've found a few things, however."He pauses a moment to eye the vials. "What did you manage to brew up there?"

"The other sages and I also found the tunnel you located, and we're ready to prepare our ritual to do what we came here to do. We are hoping you'll join us for security purposes as we bind, banish, or destroy whatever it is inside the jewels. And if any of you feel up to it, assisting in the hour long preparation and performance."

"I must warn you that the ritual’s nature means casting spells, activating items, or even consuming magical draughts could have dangerous side effects. I suspect any entity that can possess a sage jewel could as readily hijack another magic item or magical process, putting such bystanders at risk."

Now will be a good time to decide on any pre-combat buffing you feel you need to do, but anything that won't last at least an hour will be gone by the time it matters.

How long has it been since the first combat? Longer than 100 minutes?

"Well, here goes nothing... Let's see if your cure has worked, Voros."

Qilfobber tentatively casts a spell. Casting Resist Energy (acid) on himself.

It's been about 3 hours, Liam.

Qilfobber downs one of the vials of blood, and it feels like fireworks going down his throat. Everything tingles for just a moment, but no grand fanfare follows up the action. When he attempts to cast a spell, however, things go remarkably better than the rest of the day and he places resist energy on himself without anything trying to stop or kill him in the process.

Congratulations are in order, you are cured and one more threat has been handled. The gnome proceeds to provide himself with several additional buffs for the party.

The sages are viable targets for buffing as well, if you'd like to do anything for them.

Roland will follow the gnomes lead and likewise drink the potion.

If all goes well he casts perceive cues on himself with longstrider still active but Harrison having expired.

Zhat is better. Are you expecting we will see more of those pools of acid? If so I will also try to resist.

He will cast resist acid also unless the sages or someone else suggests a different type more appropriate

Will recast See invisibility and Heroism on myself. The offer still stands for any requests of Stoneskin.

If you have any other long term buffs, feel free to continue to post them and they'll happen before this starts. I'm just adding up text for this next segment so you can decide what you want to do, and I'm going to be gone for the rest of the day.

Amenopheus leads you back to the final room you found, where he and the others begin to move about the room preparing it for their ritual. As the others work Amenopheus approaches your party. ”As I mentioned, I’ve prepared a spell that I hope will draw out the presence in the sage jewels so that all of us can deal with it. Any of you who do wish to help us, we'll direct you where we need it and where you think you can be most useful.” There’s a pause here as he rummages through his robes, then he snaps his fingers as if remembering something. ”If any of you have magic that protects a larger group, we'll certain appreciate inclusion in the casting now before we get started. Those of us who are capable have already done our own castings.”

Each of you may help with the ritual twice, once during the preparations and once during the ritual itself. You may opt to aid another in place of one of your checks. Failure to pass these checks can be bad, so if you don't feel confident in your ability to make a check, I suggest aiding.

If you’d like to help prepare the ritual area you can do so by giving me one of the following;
a Perception or Survival check to remove extraneous debris or identify any damage that needs to be repaired.
Or A Knowledge Arcana, Religion, or Planes to provide academic and technical assistance to properly align the components, drawing ritual diagrams, and other similarly occult techniques.

If you’d like to help with the ritual itself you can do so by giving me one of the following;
A Linguistics or Perform check to maintain the rite’s cadence
Or Knowledge Arcane or Religion or a Spellcraft check to monitor the ritual and provide additional support where it’s needed.
If you have any abilities that modify anything when performing occult rituals, let me know. Once everyone has made their checks and told me what their character will be doing I’ll do a post for the events of the ritual itself.

Roland will tap himself a couple times with a cure wand to close a few lingering wounds.

Wand : 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (1, 8) + 2 = 11

"I can assist with zhe clearing of zhe area ."

Auto assist with +25 perception or 35 if take 10 if nobody else wants to be prime.

Liam will help with the technical assistance and the ritual itself.
Arcana: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

His experience in making grand speeches in service of Razmir help as he tries to maintain the rite's cadence.
Perform(Oratory): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (15) + 17 = 32

Did Brutus already chip in for a stoneskin? If not he'll do that now.

Brutus helps with clearing the area.

Auto aid on perception.

And then chips in with his rather limited knowledge of religious rites.

Religion Aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

I'll give Brutus a stoneskin, all for free. 100 points total of stoneskin

Before the ritual, Qilfobber helps secure the room.
Perception: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (20) + 32 = 52

Once the seance starts in earnest, the quick-fingerede gnome fusses around and makes minor adjustments and realignments to the ritual, aided by his invisible valet.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (20) + 18 = 38 +4 on the off chance it's dragon related

Damn... 2018 is off to a great start :D

Nice!

Roland begins rummaging around the room and manages to remove several concerning rust colored stains from the ritual area that weren't part of the actual arcane writing.

While he's doing this Liam attempts to help Sinuhotep with setting up an arcane focusing crystal, but something goes wrong and angry red sparks begin to fly out of the device. Brutus sees the pyrotechnic show start before it can get out of hand and knocks the device over, smothering the fire with the tried and true strategy of stepping on it until it stops.

Qilfobber is following behind Tahonikepsu and Amenopheus picking up broken bits of crystal and adjusting runes the pair have missed during their debate over who should lead the ritual.

----

Eventually Amenopheus relents to the Diamond Sage, conceding that Tahonikepsu’s time dragon nature will grant her an edge in connecting the past and the present.

Liam has far more success with actually aiding in the ritual, keeping fair time, but Brutus wanders up and suggests the beat of a particularly noteworthy Sarenrae prayer that would suit the Sage's casting and chanting better. Between the two of them things seem to be going well.

While the ritual has little to do with dragons beyond the fact that there's one leading it, Qilfobber doesn't need that little bit of extra knowledge as he wanders between the legs of the participants changing the flows of magic as the spell progresses.

I took the liberty of loosely relating Brutus's aids to Liam's efforts, where they were needed most. I'll wait for Voros to post and then tally up your successes to see what happens.

I have opened up a new map on the power point, please place yourselves where you'll want to be as the ritual finishes while we wait for Voros.

Do we have any idea of when the ritual will finish - within a minute or two or rounds etc? Or will we only know once it finishes by the big kaboom or something?

Roland watches carefully with his bow in hand, ready for...well he is not sure what.

You know it will take an hour, you also know that Amenopheus said don't cast anything during it, because it would be bad. And you won't have time to do anything between when it finishes and things happen. So any buffs you want up that will last at least an hour are fine.

Ok - thanks. All those buffs are up already. So Roland holds pat - waiting for the completion.

Sorry all, new year and the followings made RL hit hard on my posting rate. Back for good, now.

Before the ritual starts, Voros thinks about the long buff he still has and drinks an almost solid green liquid and a strange mixture giving him a breath of coffee.

Dex mutagen and extract of Heightened Awareness. If an init check would be made (wink wink), I'll dismiss the spell to gain a +4 on the check.
Both will last 100 minutes.

Fully prepared and relieved his alchemical powers function once again, the tieffling helps set the room before the ritual with the best of his arcane lore, tapping in his years of training on rituals.

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30

During the ritual, Voros chooses to provide additional support once again with his arcane knowledge.

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20

*Ahem* I hope a 20 is enough...

Voros shows up to the ritual just in the nick of time, and somehow the fates seem to miss his attempts to assist, as if it's better for everyone if his slip of the fingers didn't happen.

The sages present their sage jewels, bringing forth the topaz, emerald, amethyst, diamond, sapphire, spinel, onyx, and the shards of the ruby in turn. Tahonikepsu produces a silver pendant set with an obsidian crystal and places it at the focus. The sage jewels blaze with light as shadows gather, rising up until a whirlwind stands contained within pillars of light emanating from the gems... and suddenly ceases. The sages are utterly still and unseeing, and distortions form around each sage jewel, emitting faint cries for help. At the center of this storm forms a spectral being: a frail, dark-haired woman of middle years wearing the silver pendant. A ring of lights orbits her head, matching the colors of the sage jewels. She looks around the room as a child inspects an anthill and an eerie murmur echoes through the room: “So much time has passed. I have so much catching up to do...”

The potent memory magic at play during the ritual manifests as visions of the past. An image of a younger version of the spirit before you and a boy she murdered with a rock for bread as a child passes through your minds.

As your senses come back to each of you there is a second form being dragged through a rip in reality. This one seems resistant, fighting against some unseen force and moving against its own volition. It wears worn, dented armor and its face is a haggard, despairing mess. ”I don’t want to do this, please no more… no more… just release me.’ It notices the party when the woman makes a gesture towards you. And even as it raises a ghostly flail to strike, it pleads, ”Please… destroy me! I beg you, free me from this witch’s control!”

If this wasn’t enough, the form of Tahonikepsu twitches, then suddenly shifts into her huge time dragon form. Her eyes appear dead and face slack, but the massive sage turns on all of you with all the appearance of an attack.

Good-aligned creatures can feel the powerful evil presence tainting the area, and such creatures that approach within 30 feet of center of the ritual must succeed at a DC 15 Will save or become sickened and refuse to enter the location for 1 hour. You will be Auto-sickened if enter area and suffer a -2 save vs negative energy if you choose to enter even after making your save.

Knowledges - You may ask 1 question for every 5 you beat a check DC by.

Don't post yet please, we're going into combat, but I have another post for that since things are going to be complicated.