<"That's neat!"> Isirah chirps. <"Have you ever been to another planet? It sounds like maybe you haven't, but maybe you've traveled to this...demi-planet?"> She seems to be gradually recovering from the unnerving experience of the haunt.
”Yeah I was unsure about understanding other planes too, until my teacher explained them to me like this: ‘They are not up or down…they are sideways, only seen from the corner of your eye and lost within the view of a warped mirror.’ Since you can only really reach them with magic, or a portal, it doesn’t mess much to normal people. Although the people living at the World Wound might disagree.”
"Or those that deal with Haunts. They aren't ghosts, by the way. More like the echoes of the suffering of the dying. I suppose that spirits being kept from Pharasma's judgement might make it worse, as with all undeath." Thawm explains.
"I suspect that may explain what happened to you, then. If you come from a different plane of existance, but your people have no means to breach the barrier between these worlds, then whatever happened to you may have gotten you stranded here. Some terrible accident, or an experiment gone wrong, maybe, that sent you hurling towards a different plane. I have no idea which one might be your original one, though. But you are lucky you were in these giant metallic structures, as you seem to have come crashing down from the sky. Starfall, was it, Thawm?", she looks at the theurge for confirmation, then back at Isirah:"The haunt we faced, it seems something or someone clings to existance in this place, someone who died long ago. It may have been someone who travelled with you - if so, we may need your help in understanding how to resolve this situation, or the haunt will reform. Does your memory hold any information about how many people travelled with you in this Aerotech Synthesis Compound?"
Isirah drinks in all of the things that the party speaks of, seeming fascinated by the talk of planes, haunts, ghosts, and Pharasma. None of these topics seem familiar to her at all. When Basil mentions the "means to breach the barrier between...worlds," however, her eyes light up. <"Oh, like a worm-hole? No, I know about those. I have no idea how they work, but that's how we got around!">
That word--worm-hole--surely doesn't seem literal, like a worm burrowing through the soil.
<"Oh, I'm from Androffa. It was pretty there,"> she says, a dreamy expression on her face. Basil's prompt about the number of people traveling with her leads to a pensive expression on Isirah's face. <"Just in the Compound or the whole fleet supported by the Divinity?"> she asks to clarify.
<"The Compound probably had a few dozen people, but the whole fleet was a couple hundred thousand, at least, especially if you count the aliens we picked up along the way."> She smiles and adds. <"And I do, of course.">
Like aiudara? But surely those don't fit these large structures... maybe a very large Gate?
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"Wyrm-Hole? What's this got to do with Dragon's and their lairs? Did one power your ship somehow? I know dragons breath fire, but it seems the flame of Torch is even hotter than dragon's fire..."
"Fleet? A curious choice of words. But you shifted your structures with the help of something you call a wormhole? That makes sense, actually. Like a Portal Hole you open beneath the building to let it fall into a different place. Whatever happened, though, there seems to have been a heavy miscalculation - by my limited knowledge of the events, all your "fleet" of structures seems to have re-manifested in the sky, then fell down to the ground. It speaks to the ability of your engineers that they withstood the impact as well as they did - let alone remain structurally sound after all this time.", Basil muses as well, then smiles: "You should try flying buildings the next time, then fleet might be a proper wording for those skyships."
Isirah looks at Gauntlet for a good long while after his wyrm-hole comment before tilting her facsimile of a head to the side and giving him a quizzical look. "What's a dragon?"
The statement is said in Taldane. It seems that, with the mixture of Androffan and Taldane being thrown around (in addition to bits of Auran), she had rapidly learned to decipher the group's native tongue, almost like a Tongues spell but without the magic.
---
Following a bit of discussion, the group decides to take the northern passage from the junction. It takes a few minutes, wending and winding through poorly-lit passages, avoiding showers of sparks and bursts of gas. Many doors along the way are either inoperable or show the signs of cave-ins beyond. But eventually they come upon a door through which they can see (through a glass pane) a sort of auditorium. Rows of seats point forward toward a large pane of black glass set into the curving northern wall. Flanking the black glass are two cameras. There are also some large vents in the ceiling, visible even from the door.
Keldor/Gaunlet hooks a thumb at the door with the small window in it.
"Isirah? Do you know what this place is for? Oh...and a dragon is exactly what it sounds like: A supernatural juggernaut of muscles, scales, teeth, claws, and wings. Not to mention they are usually smarter than the average person...and can breathe fire or acid...or lightning...stuff like that. You've never heard of a dragon? They are rare enough here that the average person might not ever see one in his life span, but even I've seen a silver dragon at a distance flying over my homeland as a child. It must have been huge for me to see it from that range."
"Oh read a book, Keldor." Thawm sighs.
"Worm, not wyrm. While certainly not the agriculturally beneficial worm-hole, it sounds to me like wormholes are similar in that they have their ends in seemingly unrelated places without the tunnel between being easily discovered. Like the aiudara; you know of the elf-gates, yes? Or maybe the sorts of portals that archmages can produce. Though I believe a Gate can't normally link back to the prime material like the aiudara. I've also never heard of one large enough." Thawm explains, not adding to Keldor's rather satisfying description of the flying incarnations of power called dragons.
"I worry about the cameras. Maybe we should send in an elemental first?"
"I suspect caution is advised, but we should not waste resources. Maybe some of us should stay back near the entrance and be ready to summon reinforcements, while the others take a look around?", Basil answers Thawm, then takes a step into the room: "Isirah, do you remember this room? Where are we?"
At Gauntlet's question, the screen on Isirah's compact core is overlaid with a map of the areas traveled so far. "Oh!" she says. "We have arrived at the synthesis labs, where our scientists conducted experiments. That's the briefing room ahead."
She seems enamored by Gauntlet's description of dragons and shakes her head vigorously when asked whether she's ever heard of or seen anything like it.
"Armor first, then? If we find another haunt, we can try positive energy, like any other undead." Thawm suggests.
She leaves the trapfinding to the others as she prays for Keldor's protection.
Nodding at Thawm's reasoning, Keldor/Gauntlet checks the door to see if it is open. If it is, he enters carefully.
With the hiss of a seal breaking, the door opens easily and slides out of the way to permit entry. As Gauntlet enters the room, the black glass on the far wall suddenly lights up, resolving into the image of a dark-skinned woman surrounded by clouds of yellow-green smoke. Her gaze is cruel and imperious, and she exhales poison gas with every breath. "Natives," she says in clear Taldane, her voice hollow and cold. "Lay down your weapons and surrender, and perhaps I will permit you to live."
Harg walks into the room next to Gauntlet, not seeming particularly eager to follow the demand.
Thawm takes out her dagger, feigning surrendering it as she steps under the cameras.
Somehow, I'm thinking she gassed those poor people that fueled that haunt...
"There's no need for these, or any other aggression. Let's talk, we don't have to fight."
I wonder if she'll share anything useful before we pluck out her eyes cameras.
Detect Evil
Keldor opens his senses to the metaphysical bonds and finds thick, wispy tendrils of concentrated malevolence pervading the room.
"You are wise, native," the woman on the screen says as Thawm moves forward. The cameras rotate to maintain tracking on everyone, and the momentary honeyed words give way to venom. "But do not think me foolish. Place your blade in the center and then we can discuss. It has been many years since I have had the pleasure of company."
Keldor grimaces inside of Gauntlet and crosses his arms defiantly.
"This whole room reeks of evil intent! Who are you to order us to do anything? Explain yourself! You are rude and ill mannered for someone hiding behind a 'screen' rather than speaking to us in person. Why do you order us to do anything? You are safe somewhere else are you not? Yes...we HAVE encountered such things like this before. We are no mere 'natives' my Lady. We are...so much more than that I can assure you, and not prone to killing things outright that do not attack us first."
"It's okay, Keldor, she's just a bit lonely. You must be feeling the weight of that haunt earlier." Thawm suggests.
"If it makes you feel safer, I can leave my blade in the middle. Should my allies who are not so disarmable stand in the middle too? That black blade physically can't leave its owner." Thawm explains as she decides to play along a little longer.
She holds the dagger out over the floor in the middle while pouting and bats her eyes at Keldor.
The face on the screen turns to face each member of the party as they speak or are referenced. Her gaze never softens as the image swivels with the cameras. At last, she answers Keldor's first question first. "I," she says as the qualities of the voice dawn on you, "am Isirah Tana."
And there it all is to witness. The same shape of the tatoo-like cyberart, the same pattern in the collar of the chameleon suit, the same vocal inflection.
The voice continues, the tones splitting apart and a multitude of voices thrumming beneath it in heterophony. "Among others."
The cameras and the gaze swivel in unison to Gauntlet. "And you," there is a brief pause as the pupil-less gaze of "Isirah" rapidly saccades, "are an outside, designation: Inevitable. Species uncertain; conjecture: kolyarut-like."
Keldor/Gauntlet pauses at the new revelations before him. Then decides to stall, in order to try and gain as much information as possible. He glances momentarily at the hand-held device that contains the copied portion of Isirah that they have met.
"You are both correct and wrong in your assumptions Ms Tana. My name is Keldor Whisthawk, from the land of Kyonin here on Golarion. What you see before you is both more and less than what I truly am. However... my father always said to assume anything makes an 'ASS out of U and ME.' Can you explain how you are Isirah Tana when we believe the body of Isirah is dead and gone for many years now? Are you a constructed copy of some sort? Or are you real, and just hiding behind your screens and cameras somewhere in this ruined ship?"
booms the voice of Isirah Tana on the screen. The vents around the room hiss.
The volume returns to normal for the figure's next statement. "Analysis can only be made on that which is observed. You conceal yourself within the shell of an Inevitable. Of this I am certain. Of this I am...curious."
But as Keldor continues and points to the AI core where Isirah--another, different Isirah?--gazes on at herself, the Isirah on the large screen seems to register a pang of shock for the briefest instant. Then the woman on the large screen waves a hand dismissively. "I tried to save a copy of myself on that device. But as you can see, the real me is quite intact."
The evil Isirah is more deeply affected than she lets on. The AI's survival somehow threatens the other's very existence.
Thawm's eyes open wide as she realizes what she's looking at.
Is there something here I can plug the real Isirah into? she wonders.
"So uh- we can talk about Keldor's inevitable suit, do you mind sharing how you 'made this copy'?" She asks, trying not to be too obvious with her delaying tactic as she looks to the datapad and then around the room.
"I doubt a mind such as yours could comprehend the brilliance of a race that had ascended to godhood," the Shade says imperiously.
"But that thing does not matter. It is a mere facsimile."
The Isirah on the crystal tablet speaks up for the first time since entering the room. "I am no thing," she insists. "I don't remember everything, but I remember the important things. I remember Isuma, and Demphiris, and Lotrarian. I remember Security Chief Hevrendall." She switches to Androffan as she seems to quote a few phrases: <"Strength in Unity. Bringing Divinity to the Galaxy. Security, Safety, Honesty.> But I--"
bellows the Shade. The vents hiss once more, belching forth pressurized, invisible air. Isirah-Tablet returns to her previous quietude, while the Shade narrows her gaze at Keldor. "But yes. The Inevitable suit." She raises a hand and motions for Gauntlet to come closer to the screens. "I have been researching this...I believe in your primitive language, you call it summoning. It seems to be a way to transcend and project one's essence elsewhere. I desire this freedom: to take a summoned form and depart this place."
The cameras rise to take in the party as the Shade raises her arms on the screen. "And if you want to live, you will assist me."
Keldor uncrosses his arms and approaches the screens, his demeanor much more serious now.
"So we have gone from civil discourse to child-like demands, and now attempted coercion by threatening my life? Why in the fiery Nine Hells would we help you? God-hood? Whoever... WHATEVER you are, we have already disincorporated another machine with aspirations of god-hood, and it appears it was closer to it than you could ever be. I am willing to die to prevent evil from taking root in our world, so threats of bodily harm to my person are not going to motivate me to help you."
He turns slightly and points back at the tablet.
"I trust that 'copy' is the closest thing to the real Isirah that might be left now. If YOU really want MY help...THEN...ASK...NICELY. Or ask your 'divine self' for a boost out of that screen and into a real body, because you do not really need us if that's really true."
He steps even closer to the screen, staring the image right in the eyes.
"Logic's a B$$+~ in a party hat sometimes. Don't you agree?"
"A pity," the Shade says. "Then die."
The vents that had been hissing now open fully as caustic gases pour out. But instead of filling the room, the gases coalesce into vaguely humanoid forms made of hissing, churning gas, connected to the vents by hazy strands. Each form has a fierce, eerie visage and a powerfully abrasive stench.
Basil (w/ HA)
Enemies
Basil (w/o HA):
Thawm:
Gauntlet:
Harg:
---
Creature Type/Subtype
Senses
Damage Reduction
Immunities/Resistances
Special Defense
Weakness
Lowest Save/Highest Save
Movement
Special Attacks
Typical Feats
Skills
Languages & Ecology
"I wanted to smite her later, you pugilistic- grrr" Thawm whines and then growls ineffectually as the gaseous monsters appear.
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Basil had been silently watching the exchange, attempting to make sense of the two Isirahs. When things turn hostile, she breaks her silence:
"I prefer the Isirah we have with us, and reject you."
"You are merely an anomaly, a traumatic memory that gained sentience. You are a ghost in the machine."
She takes a few steps forward, stepping up next to Thawm: "Caution. The inferior copy may attempt to assume direct control on one of us via possession or a similar technique."
"I- I think she just said she can't, r-right?"
Basil recognizes the creatures as beings from the Plane of Air called Caustic Stalkers. As with other elemental beings, they share certain features with the lightning elementals that Thawm and Keldor had summoned several minutes before. With their essences made of gas, they cannot be made to bleed or subject to other sorts of debilitations common with traditional organic matter (i.e., paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning, critical hits, flanking, and precision damage). Arising from pockets of poisonous gas in the Plane of Air, they are also immune to the sorts of acidic, corrosive conditions common in their preferred locations.
Caustic stalkers are able to exhale some of their corrosive essence in a cone-like spread to capture their opponents, causing not only corrosive damage but also poisoning victims with a debilitating poison that saps their very life force. In addition, creatures struck by (or directly striking ) are affected by a chemical burn.
Basil also suspects that rather than being summoned from their home plane, that these outsiders have been manufactured.
As the fumes coalesce into beings meant to oppose them, Basil levels her gun and pronounces her judgement:"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, traumatic memory."
She then fires a wide-spread shot at the Caustic stalkers hoping to distract their formation.
Gauntlet needs to make a DC 18 Reflex save for half damage and a DC 18 Fortitude save or take be affected by Caustic Creep and take 1d4 Con damage for the next 4 rounds, needing two consecutive saves.
Basil, Thawm, and Harg each need to make two DC 18 Reflex saves for half damage and a DC 20 Fortitude save or take be affected by Caustic Creep and take 1d4 Con damage for the next 6 rounds, needing two consecutive saves.
Then Isirah tries to dominate Harg.
---
the Shade bellows, unseen speakers crackling and hissing with the overflow of raging energy as the lights overhead flicker and pop.
---
Basil levels her gun at two of the caustic stalkers that have appeared and fires. With uncanny speed, one of the stalkers wisps out of the way of the blast entirely . The other (the one closer to Gauntlet) seems to take the blast head-on...to stunningly no effect.
Isirah's Shade begins cackling on the screen as her caustic stalker minions swirl around and unleash clouds of caustic gas on the intruders into her domain.
Then both cameras swivel towards Harg, standing in the back of the room. "Serve me," the Shade on the screen says, reaching a hand out. Harg's eyes begin to glow yellow-green and he coughs violently, but shakes his head and raises his sword as his eyes return to their regular hue.
"No," he says simply as he begins making the motions for casting. "Basil, how do we kill them?"
---
Basil:
Enemies
Thawm:
Gauntlet:
Harg:
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"Excessive violence, perhaps?", Basil suggests to Harg, dismayed by her pellets ineffectiveness against the Creatures.
"Excessive violence, I can do," Harg says with a cough as he begins making spellcasting motions, the smell of ozone crackling in the air around him. "Just hope I can bring one of them down before whatever that was kills me."
Fighting off the acidic pain that Gauntlet was feeling, Keldor realized what is happening is similar to what happened before with the cameras being 'possessed,' so he decides to try what was suggested after the last combat and prays he is successful!
He then draws his Silversheen plated Elven Curve blade...which is immune to acid...and hopes it can hurt these creatures!
Isirah's Shade winces on the screen as the waves of holy energy flow out. "What was that?" she demands. "You will tell me what that was."
Thawm chokes on the poisonous gas, but she presents the holy symbol around her neck as she gets fresh air again. "Return to nothing, ersatz Isirah!"
Holy light pours out onto the elementals and screen.
before this post
Items:
. wand of CMW (x15 charges)
. potion of CLW x7
. (Divine) scroll of Cure Light Wounds (x8)
. (Arcane) scroll of Detect Radiation (x2)
. (Divine) scroll of Endure Elements (x3)
. (Divine) scroll of Magic Weapon (x3)
. (Divine) scroll of True Appraisal (x1)
. (Arcane) scroll of True Strike (x2)
. (Arcane) scroll of Unseen Servant (x1)
. (Arcane) scroll of Aram Zey's Focus (x2)
. (Divine) scroll of Protection from Technology (x1)
. (Divine) scroll of Restoration, Lesser (x1)
. blood boiling pill x8
Supernatural Abilities
. at will Blessing of the Faithful
. 4/5 /day Channel Energy (DC 15; 3d6)
. 1/1 /day Bonded Holy Symbol
. 1/1 /day Deflection Aura (7 rounds)
Spell-like Abilities
. at will Lore Keeper (successful touch attack equals a 25 on the appropriate knowledge check for the touched creature)
. 6/6 /day Acid Dart
. 1/1 /day Arcane Bond (Ring)
. 6/7 /rounds per day Remote Viewing (at will standard action and limited by rounds/day)
Cleric Spells
. 4th 1+1/day {D} Arcane Eye, Summon Monster 4
. 3rd 3+1/day {D} Dispel Magic, Second Wind, Summon Monster 3, Summon Monster 3
. 2nd 4+1/day {D} Barkskin, Protection from Technology, Eroding Ray, Resist Energy, Restoration, Lesser
. 1st 5+1/day {D} Shield, Abundant Ammunition, Abundant Ammunition, Bless, Bless, Fastidiousness
. Orisons Create Water, Light, Purify Food and Drink, Spark
Wizard Spells
. 4th 1+2/day {S} Dimension Door [x2], Summon Monster 4
. 3rd 3+2/day {S} Summon Monster 3 [x2], Dispel Magic, Fly, Haste
. 2nd 4+2/day {S} Glitterdust (DC 15) [x2], Aram Zey's Focus, Eroding Ray, Eroding Ray, Summon Monster 2
. 1st 5+2/day {S} Grease (DC 14) [x2], Detect Radiation, Mount, Technomancy, True Strike, True Strike
. Cantrips Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Open/Close, Read Magic
Harg Smash
Black Blade Strike, Black Blade's Arcane Pool 0/2, Dmg +2 for next minute
Swift action studied target Blue & Green, Atk & Dmg +2 until defeated
Full-round action spell combat spell strike
Shade Choice: 1 Basil, 2 Harg, 3 Thawm
Although Harg and Thawm seem to succumb to the caustic gases, Basil and Gauntlet are able to resist the worst effects. The Shade winces once more as Thawm unleashes another burst of positive energy, but still looks like she is maintaining control over the situation.
Still coughing, Harg completes his chant and steps up to the caustic stalker nearest to him, his blade crackling with electricity. His blade swings unerringly through the stalker, which seems shocked at the intense pain it suddenly finds itself in.
Basil:
Caustic Stalker Red:
CS Blue:
CS Green
Haunt:
Thawm:
Gauntlet:
Harg:
Basil remains where she stands, then pulls the trigger on her gun twice more.
The situation seemed to be not in their favor, so she also activates her Bane™-Subsystem, charging her Nanites against the Caustic Stalkers.
The outcome does not leave her impressed, albeit it did seem to slightly improve on her previous attempt.
When she suddenly hears Isirahs voice in her mind, automated protection systems start up and temporarily lock her out of Basil.
She glances at the Monitor, and utters a single word:"No." before focusing on the Stalkers again.
The caustic stalkers are able to dodge out of one of Basil's shots each, but her Bane™-Subsystem manages to facilitate effective damage. Then the caustic stalkers begin attacking her allies, their forms coalescing into fists. Gauntlet is able to dodge out of the way of the one in his face, while Harg takes a hit . Thawm, unfortunately, has little defense against her attacker, and takes two painful caustic slams .
Any creature struck by the caustic stalker, or that strikes it with a natural weapon or unarmed attack, is affected as if by the burn special attack, but takes acid damage instead of fire damage. The chemical burn persists for multiple rounds, just as a normal burn, but can be ended early if the affected creature is doused in at least 1 gallon of liquid (requiring a full-round action from the victim or another creature) or fully submerges itself in water.
Isirah's Shade reaches out to Basil, who easily rebuffs her.
Although he's severely weakened, Harg holds his ground, infuses his blade with even more power, and strikes through the caustic stalker, which fades into nothingness back into the nearby vent. Flipping his blade around, he strides closer to the stalker threatening Thawm.
"Takes a bit more effort than the robots, but they still die just the same," he says.
---
Basil:
Caustic Stalker Red:
CS Green:
Haunt:
Harg:
Thawm:
Gauntlet: