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Rataji holds back a moment as 322's essence seems to disjoint from her soul. Separated the ghostly hand flickers in front of the elf.
Shohiraj attempts to duck past a couple of time but never quite manages to get through.
With it's head clear for a moment the frilled lizard bites Shohiraj.
The lizard snarls as it chews on Shihiraj's arm bone.
===================================================================
Haste
Rataji
Marnarius
Zurnzal (29/65)
322 (56/59)
Shohiraj (1/45; cursed)
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Frilled Lizards (Purple -52; Confused 4 rounds)
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Jorilyn (59/59; blur)
Joliryn's enchantments fade as she scampers backwards. She spits out a few arcane words then flicks her wrists, sending a barrage of magical missiles at the lizard!
As they crash into the lizards side she lets out a cackling laugh.
Zurnzal just turns towards his sappy ally, glances at everyone hanging back and says, "I'll get it distracted, take 'em out."
He attempts to slip deftly around to the other side of the beast to split its attention. When he gets there he pops up out of his tactical roll with an uppercut targeting one of the softer areas of the lizard.
for
Though she desperately wants to bring the creature down, Shohiraj catches herself. She think of her adopted children as well as the mistakes and arrogance that had cost the lives of various associates in the past.
"Finish this," are the only words she gives to her associates as she moves back among the book shelves, trying to prevent the others from noticing the extent of her wounds.
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Marnarius manages to sink a pair of arrows into the lizard, though it's natural resistance to the sharp arrows help protect it a little. Zurnzal cracks it in the jaw once more as Jorilyn finishes it off with a wave of magical missiles.
Finding Aram Zey’s notes on the Hao Jin Tapestry’s operation takes about 5 minutes of hurried searching
As Aram Zey describes in the ritual’s preface, performing the rite could tear a permanent rift into the Hao Jin Tapestry, allowing uninterrupted traffic between the planes—but always to the same site within the demiplane. He strongly advises against ever performing this procedure.
Additionally, you find something interesting. On one shelf lies a staff of caustic fury
Another important find is your choice of weapon that Marnarius may have been sent to find just before the Pathfinder Society took control of the Diamond Gate and sealed him in the tapestry demiplane. Exactly what this weapon is depends on your preferences, because there are three weapons here that might have been the long-sought relic.
- The first is an obsidian-bladed scythe with a mahogany handle.
- The second is a heavy flail made of magically hardened gold and whose head is molded like a roaring tiger skull.
- The third is a serrated, single-edged longsword made of green-tinged metal.
Whichever weapon you choose, it is a +2 vicious weapon.
From here, there is only one place left to go: To the Tapestry!
Rataji
Marnarius
Zurnzal (29/65)
322 (56/59)
Shohiraj (1/45; cursed)
Jorilyn (59/59)
Rataji looks at the documents they found and studies them. Then he takes the caustic staff and detects magic to identify the item.
”I will take this staff and put it to good use I hope!“
Then Rataji looks at the team appreciatively.
”Team, this was a victory for us! With these information we will surely be able to achieve our goal and reach the other side of the tapestry! Heal your wounds and then let us leave as soon as possible!“
Joliryn also picks up the 'powerful illusion scroll' she expected to find on the shelves near the entrance to the room.
As they head of down the hall, Joliryn keeps her eyes and ears open for trouble.
Shohiraj leans against a shelf and swallows her potion of cure moderate wounds.
Feeling that the magic liquid was not as potent as she had expected, she swallows her pride. "That lizard tore into me pretty well." she says as she holds up her still wounded arm. "If you wish to have an effective thief for the completion of this heist, then you should consider parting with some additional healing magic."
Zurnzal slams back his own potion at the same time, I hope this is strong enough.
He coughs a bit, "never liked those much, but gotta take your medicine."
As Shoriraj asks for further assistance he pays close attention to the responses. He adds on to her request, "I could use a bit more healing myself... and if we drop then no cannon fodder in between you and the next set of enemies."
The oracle shares her healing, knowing that it's her own best chance at survival to keep her allies alive as well. As they make their way to the Tapestry, she does her best to stay quiet as they move.
Zurnzal nods his thanks to 322 and then attempts to move along quietly as well.
|
|
Reading over the notes Rataji grabs a curled staff from the shelf as Marnarius pulls loose a vicious looking single-edged longsword made of green tinged metal and places it around his waist.
322 does what little she can to heal the groups injuries.
Rataji
Marnarius
Zurnzal (65/65)
322 (56/59)
Shohiraj (40/45; cursed)
Jorilyn (59/59)
”With the little possibilities that we have to heal ourselves I believe that we now have to go on full offense and use our use resources effectively to overcome any hurdles! Let us go now! Stealthily!“
|
|
Your party of Aspis assassins are fairly successful in getting around the few patrols still in Skyreach.
Your intel has shown that the Society has stored the Hao Jin Tapestry in several different rooms over the years, finally hanging it in your destination many months ago. Reaching this area involves ascending five sets of stairs and zigzagging through numerous detours; such is the layout of Skyreach. At the top of one such staircase, you find the room you're seeking: the Tapestry chamber.
"The chamber housing that which we seek is currently occupied. They are conversing." Shohiraj remarks. She struggles to try and discern the number of persons conversing and whether she recognizes any of the voices.
Rataji listens up when Shohiraj tells him what he heard.
He whispers
"I did some information gathering for Zurnzal and I assume that Loshari and Telandril are in there, they were part of a team sent to Isger to recover a relic lost during the Goblinblood Wars. The venture was a debacle and resulted in part of a town being set on fire and inadvertently let goblins loose in the town square. Most blame Loshari, but Telandril stubbornly insisted on sharing the punishment to do guard duty — likely so that he could lecture her further. If can use this information to act like we have heard of them we might be able to enter and incapacitate them without them attacking us immediately when we enter. I could do that. What do you think?"
"I've no objection, Rataji; that sounds like a solid ruse."
322 begins thinking of various spells she might use against these Pathfinders, but only thinking. What strategies might be needed depended on whether they were believed or not.
...and whether a certain other Pathfinder was there, too. Who is that third voice, then?
Rataji asks Zurnzal to be right behind him in case the group of Aspis agents is really directly attacked.
"If we really make it in then ... on my signal we attack all at once and surprise them!"
Rataji opens the door and peeks in, then starts smiling when he sees the Pathfinders and directly walks in and casually looks back at the group saying.
"Guys, I told you that Loshari and Telandril will be here! Come in so we have more privacy."
Then Rataji turns towards the Pathfinders and looks at them with solidarity.
"Loshari and Telandril, we are here because we want to support you in your battle against the higher ups. We heard that you were punished with idiotic guard duty although you did nothing to deserve that. That is outrageous!"
Zurnzal thinks for a second after Rataji lays out the plan, ”bluff or bash, either is fine for me. I’m ready.” He follows the talker in, waiting to pick his target once he has a feel for who they might be facing.
Joliryn follows Rataji inside and looks around.
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BUrsting inot the room Loshari and Telandril spin around in surprise. A third human man stands opposite the table of them looking confused.
An unremarkable tapestry bearing intricate but heavily worn geometric patterns along its length hangs on the far end of this meeting room. A rune-inscribed circle set into the floor completely contains a table at the room’s center.
The trio look confused until they lay eyes on Zurnzal, or at least the Pathfinder that Zurnzal is disguised as he abducted him earlier in the day. "Arminaldi? What are you doing here?" Telandril asks as the trio seem a bit more at ease. Seeing everyone else pour into the room Loshari holds her thick green-skinned hand up. "Hold up now. We still can't let you into the room. Guard duty and all." She explains.
As soon as the door closes behind them Rataji shouts ”Now!“ and starts casting ‘haste’.
At the signal and without any time to set up a better option, Zurnzal simply charges the nearest pathfinder and attempts to knock the wind out of him with a kick to the sternum.
for
As the battle breaks out, Joliryn quickly casts a defensive spell.
Shohiraj fires her cross-bow at the "surprised" human at the table.
322 slips into the room with the others, still concealed by darkness. She whispers words of devotion to the ancient beings of the Dark Tapestry, allowing them to use her to sow discord here among the Pathfinders in Absalom. Her spectral hand, radiant with the colors of deep space even as it draws in the light from around it, rushes across the room delivering a paralyzing touch to the man standing alone on the left side of the table.
Imbuing you with negative energy, this spell allows you to paralyze a single living humanoid for the duration of the spell with a successful melee touch attack.
A paralyzed subject exudes a carrion stench that causes all living creatures (except you) in a 10-foot-radius spread to become sickened (Fortitude negates). A neutralize poison spell removes the effect from a sickened creature, and creatures immune to poison are unaffected by the stench. This is a poison effect.
A ghostly hand shaped from your life force materializes and moves as you desire, allowing you to deliver low-level, touch range spells at a distance. On casting the spell, you lose 1d4 hit points that return when the spell ends (even if it is dispelled), but not if the hand is destroyed. (The hit points can be healed as normal.) For as long as the spell lasts, any touch range spell of 4th level or lower that you cast can be delivered by the spectral hand. The spell gives you a +2 bonus on your melee touch attack roll, and attacking with the hand counts normally as an attack. The hand always strikes from your direction. The hand cannot flank targets like a creature can. After it delivers a spell, or if it goes beyond the spell range or goes out of your sight, the hand returns to you and hovers.
The hand is incorporeal and thus cannot be harmed by normal weapons. It has improved evasion (half damage on a failed Reflex save and no damage on a successful save), your save bonuses, and an AC of 22 (+8 size, +4 natural armor). Your Intelligence modifier applies to the hand's AC as if it were the hand's Dexterity modifier. The hand has 1 to 4 hit points, the same number that you lost in creating it.
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The group strikes, quickly before the Pathfinder have a way to properly defend themselves against the unseen assault. Zurnzal charges in, punching Tilandril right in the stomach. Knocking the wind out of his lungs. Marnarius also sticks an arrow into the warrior's shoulder.
Similarly a bolt finds it's mark into Rilirio's leg, even using the table and chairs as cover. A spectral hand skitters across the floor and grabs ahold of the man's ankle.
He screams in confusion, kicking his foot at the hand. "What the hells has come over you all?"
Rataji
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Rilirio (Blue) (-21)
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Rataji
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Loshari (Green)
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Shohiraj (40/45; cursed)
Jorilyn (59/59)
Marnarius
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Tilandril (Red) (-21)
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Zurnzal (65/65)
322 (56/59)
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Rataji speeds up his companions actions as Rilirio draws a musket from behind the chair and fires a shot at Zurnzal.
The bullet blasts into Zurnzal's side.
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Rilirio (Blue) (-21)
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Rataji
--------------------------------------
Loshari (Green)
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Shohiraj (40/45; cursed)
Jorilyn (59/59)
Marnarius
--------------------------------------
Tilandril (Red) (-21)
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Zurnzal (52/65)
322 (56/59)
Rataji sees the bullets flying but concentrates on the Pathfinder that is not injured to take him out of the fight. He casts ‘hideous laughter’ on the half-orc.
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|
The half-orc seems to chuckle a little but doesn't find the spell in the least bit humorous. Everyone in the room feels a ripple of magical power cascade through the air as the Pathfinders speed matches your own.
Haste
--------------------------------------
Rilirio (Blue; Haste) (-21)
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Rataji
--------------------------------------
Loshari (Green; Haste)
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Shohiraj (40/45; cursed)
Jorilyn (59/59)
Marnarius
--------------------------------------
Tilandril (Red; Haste) (-21)
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Zurnzal (52/65)
322 (56/59)
Joliryn hustles into the room drawing her scimitar as she goes. She spits a few arcane syllables and thrusts her hand forward, causing two rays of fire to fly at the Pathfinder!
As Joliryn lets out a mad laugh arcane power begins to seep out of her, making her form waver and blur.
Shohiraj reloads her light crossbow, then aims it at Tilandril.
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Shohiraj reloads her crossbow, taking aim through the doorway at Tilandril's chest. The bolt finds its home and jerks Tilandril back.
Jorilyn blurs as pure power surges through her fingertips, burning Rilirio! The man screams in pain as the scorching rays sear through his flesh leaving behind little more than an exposed skeleton, that collapses to the ground.
Marnarius moves in firing an arrow into Loshari. Tilandril places a hand t his wound and power surges in healing him. He leaps in with his greatsword at Zurnzal.
The blade hammers home as Shihiraj catches the glimpse of a Pathfinder wayfinder hanging at Tilandril's hip.
Haste
Rataji
--------------------------------------
Loshari (Green -14; Haste)
--------------------------------------
Shohiraj (40/45; cursed)
Jorilyn (59/59)
Marnarius
--------------------------------------
Tilandril (Red -27; Haste; bewildered -2 AC)
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Zurnzal (37/65)
322 (56/59)
322 draws pure negative energy from the Dark Tapestry, twitching as it courses through her own body on the way to her spectral hand. She sends the spectral hand zipping across the room to help Zurnzal, attempting to touch the holy man.
Zurnzal takes the blast to his chest without even noticing. His focus is on the target in his face. After the slashing stroke he smiles with a predatory grin, "MY TURN!!!"
Focusing his training to make his strikes hit harder, he unleashes a flurry of blows.
for
for
for
for
Rataji casts confusion on Tilandril.
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Zurnzal unleashes a flurry of blows into Tilandril. His fist smashing into the holy man's face over and over again. 322 sends her spectral hand in to help as it crackles with negative energy. The hand leaps up at the holy warrior as the spell discharges, killing him on the spot.
Rataji turns his attention to the only remaining Pathfinder and attempts to confuse the half-orc.
Seeing Zurnzal for the enemy that he is by Rataji's confusion, Loshari attacks, wanting to kill the man. "How did you get in here!?" A small bead flings out at Zurnzal and explodes in a large torrent of flames.
Haste
Rataji
--------------------------------------
Loshari (Green -14; Haste)
--------------------------------------
Shohiraj (40/45; cursed)
Jorilyn (59/59)
Marnarius
Zurnzal (37/65)
322 (56/59)