GMTrex's PFS 6-01 Trial by Machine (Inactive)

Game Master Andrew Trexler

Nobody has posted in days. What now folks?

So what is the situation? Do we have Zosimos and Archimedicus back from the lift? Do we know what has happened yet? I try to only play in character and not metagame, but I am happy to keep things moving. By the way, I want to GM this adventure on November 8th at Carnage on the Mountain. Are we still on schedule to finish within the month?

My apologies. Rough week. With the air restored, I could use a touch of healing, then I say we push onto explore the room on this level. Since I'm not dying any more, I'll take my sweet ol'time (20) for 30+ (traps depending.)

Most of the party is still on the level below and don't know about Zosimos and Arch's condition. Please use a charge of my wand to heal once the party meets up, Zos. I owe you. Let me know if you want a charge too, Arch.

Wand CLW Zosimos: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

-Posted with Wayfinder

Zo will go down, report, heal, and return (feel free to have it happen before I search.)

Torsk, watches as the bandits are talked to about "ways" out of troubled times. He feels that he should interject, but has never been good with words. He wonders what is happening to the others from the lift.

When the others return, he listens to what happened and his face turns to shock with the air pressure changing and everything that went on.

This place is a maze, I cannot wait to be out of this place.

Same I was waiting for confirmation on us coming back down for everyone

After we go back down for everyone and everyone is on the top level

Archimedicus looks around the room.

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

"So can you explain to me why you are hurt? You didn't face any fighting machines did you? Is this place worth further exploration, or should we try and push more buttons?"

The air was ripped out of our lungs with such force, All we had time to see was a skeleton in a chair that was grasping a lever. Zos ran in and hit a switch which somehow returned breathable air to us once again.

"So is this room now safe to explore? Does it give us any further insight into this strange place?"

Sorry, yes, you made it down to report. You also make the trip back up safely. Zo and Archimedicus make a thorough search of the upper level, but turn up little of interest. The glass plates on the panels are mostly cracked and nonfunctional, and the room seems fairly bare otherwise. The skeleton is, of course, just a skeleton.

"What's that you got there, Zosimos?" Pollo questions while leaning in to get a closer look at the silvery glove.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Hmm.... It looks like this is the end of the road. Shall we head back and report with the medallion?

I don't see anymore doors or routes on the map or descriptions unless I am missing something.

"I am all for going back and complaining about this training mission. I certainly liked pushing buttons, but this was far more dangerous than a mere training mission. I am also not seeing the level of compensation normally associated with this level of risk. Are you two certain that you did not find anything else?"

I am wondering if we can take the 'elevator' to a different floor?

Zo will give the panel another look over to see if there's another floor option we missed. This also seems, strange, that there's nothing here.

There was the glove, which you took...

There is no other floor apparent on the schematic over the plinth on the ground floor.

Are we done here?

"Why not see if that new glove of yours does anything when you touch that glowing plate, Zosimos?"

-Posted with Wayfinder

That sounds like a capital idea!

I execute

-Posted with Wayfinder

Is this the glowing plate upstairs or the hologram over the plinth downstairs? It matters... a lot.

Glowing plate upstairs.

Before touching the glove to the plate, Zosimos notices that the plate currently reads "AIR PUMPS."

Let's not touch it....

"Oh, it should be fine! That lever is the activator; the plate shouldn't steal our air away again by itself."

-Posted with Wayfinder

Assuming there are no written instructions, names, or warnings, I guess I will touch the glowing plate. Just before touching it, you hear Zo whisper to himself, Rule 3...

[b]Archimedicus watches eagerly as Zos touches the glove to the plate.

Whyyyyyy?????

All of the air in the entire complex gets sucked out again suddenly. EVERYONE takes 1d6 ⇒ 6 damage and immediately begins suffocating as the lever moves itself into the opposite position.

Torsk feels a pain in his chest as the air is ripped from his lungs. He does know which button to push so he just glares at the one responsible for the current situation.

11/17

I don't think we're on the same page. I didn't mean the air switch. I thought there was a second plate independent of that. I definitely would not have pulled the air lever...

My understanding is that you pressed on the plate that I told you reads "AIR PUMPS," which sits next to the lever. There is no other glowing plate on the upper level. Is that not your understanding?

That was not. For some reason I thought AIR PUMPS was next to a level, not a plate.

So, to sum up at this point.... what's left?

I think we are kind of at a loss on where our path continues, except to head back

Polo slaps the lever back into place.

"What is the damned need for such a device?!" he chokes out after catching his breath.

He hands Zosimos his wand once more.

Wand CLW Polo: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Wand CLW Eclipse: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

"Might we try the other disc below. .. pending it doesn't also say something like 'breathable air,' 'bodily fluids,' 'your very soul,' or so on?"

-Posted with Wayfinder

Okay, given the miscommunication we can forget about the air being sucked away. Everyone gets their 6 damage wiped.

I will remind you that the plinth on the lower level is currently flashing red (as it has been since the cacophony of grinding gears a while ago) and until recently read "HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFACE DEVICE NOT DETECTED IN VICINITY."

The floating map above the plinth shows your current area with no discernible exit, do to a pivoted ring along the outside. See the map.

Ah, okay, let's go back and spin some rings.

Archimedicus follows Zos to the lower level

"I've not idea what we're doing here," The young conjurer says to her companions.

"If you ask me, this training mission has turned into a trial by machine! We've got to figure out what all of those knobs and buttons do. Its like a puzzle where we have to stop the lights from flashing red. I think that we basically need to find a holographic interface and bring it downstairs."

Sorry Trex, I know this wouldn't have happened at the table, but with everything it got a bit muddled. Can you recap our current goal as it relates to our official mission?

He stated earlier that the main control room was not exactly aligned fully. buttons were flashing red stating that another interface was needed to realign the room properly. Probably the glove we just grabbed from the skeleton upstairs. Realigning it should open a new area hopefully.

Let's try it then. Is there a control that looks like I could align things with it? Does the hologram ring spin, or is there a wheel type control?

The gauntlets are... odd. You're not entirely sure whether they're magical or not.

Meleren steps into the chamber -- the last of the party -- just as Zosimos pulls the lever. A massive, cacophonous sound of moving gears fills the entire chamber, and the outer ring on the display rotates slightly -- before stopping quite suddenly alongside an enormous crash and the screeching halt of metal on metal.

The entire display begins flashing red, and suddenly the lettered gears whir to life, spinning madly. Just as quickly they stop, delivering a readout in, unexpectedly, Taldane:

WARNING
DEPLOYMENT CAROUSEL HALTED BETWEEN POSITIONS

CAROUSEL MUST BE REALIGNED TO ACCESS EXITS FROM SECURITY SUBLEVEL

MANUAL REALIGNMENT SYSTEMS: OFFLINE
HOLOGRAPHIC CONTROLS: FUNCTIONAL

HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFACE APPARATUS NOT DETECTED IN VICINITY

HOLOGRAPHIC INTERFACE LAST LOGGED IN MONITOR ROOM TO ACCESS ATMOSPHERIC CONTROLS FOR ATMOSPHERIC NULLIFICATION

This is what happened the first time. So maybe if we use the new glove it will right itself.

Good idea. I do so.

That is indeed what you needed to do! As for your goal, you're exploring but got trapped and now you need to get out.

Zosimos grabs hold of the holographic ring with the new special glove and gives it a tug. The ring spins only in one direction, but clicks into place on the next 'room' and all of the flashing red lights go away. According to the holographic map, you can now go out the way you came!

We'll finish before Nov 8 if I can help. I'm working 100+ hours/wk now but I'll do my best. You all can help me by posting regularly too. =)

I just had no clue what we were needing to do or how to do it, I was just confused is all.

Hmm, if we can now leave from once we came, then is that all. Or were we supposed to visit each outer ring room, because I think Zos has found a way we can.

"Let us explore!"

"It looks like we have explored everything forward that we were able. Now, I'm getting tired of this place! Let's see if the doors we came through will get us out of here. Are we all ready to leave now?"

Lyklor checks out the door on the southern side of the map, trying to get out the way we came in.

Yes let us continue forward Archimedicus walks towards the exit with Lyklor.

"Yes, I very much do want some fresh air."

-Posted with Wayfinder

Will progress the story tonight.