Ith's Voice in the Void (PFS) (Inactive)

Game Master ithuriel

"She wore the Blackros signet ring and to all appearances it was Imrizade, but no. I couldn't swear anything where magic might be involved."

"What about the cylinder?

"Well, the place is hardly big enough to warrant a map, but if you have a journal or some parchment I can sketch it out for you. The ramp opens up into a room on the right or left. Both of those are storage for large exhibit pieces. The right storage room opens into the scriptorium, the left opens to general storage. Both of those rooms open into the archives. That's all there is."

Kn Religion

Jake peers down into the gloom, draws the greatsword from his back, and readies himself to descend.

I would gladly lead the way with an appropriate light source, or are the rooms below lit, Nigel?

"There are lamps on the walls, but it looks like they aren't lit now."

Kn Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Aye, I can back you up Jake.

Belegorn readies his unusually large hammer.

Looking for DC 25. Mordecai> give him an aid another kn religion.

Marchello aids in Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Marchello and Belegorn> Kn Religion DC 25

Before anyone goes down, detail how you want to deal with sight in the dark basement below.

Wait a minute, did you say Dark Tapestry? I just remembered something, and it’s not good. There are several religions that refer to the Dark Tapestry. It’s the empty void between the stars; a place of madness, corruption, and power. Whatever the little lady got herself into, she may not be herself by the time we find her. You said she was in an Osirion Tomb, right? There is something called The Last Theorem which claims that alien visitors from the beyond helped the Ancient Osirions create their empire.

Keep an eye on each other for possible madness. We may be in way over our heads here. But hey, that’s what being a Pathfinder is all about, right?! Belegorn claps Jake on the shoulder.

Darkvision.

"It's been three days. So if they were lit, they may have burned out...", Noa muttered half under her breath. "We can't know we'll be able to light the lamps again.", she says normally. "Nigel, may we use torches? Do you have a usual type of lantern or lamp you wander about with? We'll try to respect your habits, where we can."

(That's a Diplomacy, for 'lend us a lamp or two'.)
1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

"Well, ah, open flame is no friend to the preservation of ancient relics, so no. No, I do not have any torches for you. Lanterns we have. How many shall I bring?"

Noa blinks in alarm at Belegorn, then nods grimly. "So, this tapestry is not to be exhibited, but rather, inhibited?" She smiles at the wordplay, but sobers and adds, "If you think I may not be me, ask me to take off my headscarf. The real me-", she shakes her head faintly, "Would not."

Smiling in thanks to Nigel, Noa replies, "I have an empty hand until the fighting starts, so... I am one, but I think at least two?" She holds her free hand aloft, and looks among the other Pathfinders.

I imagine that one would be sufficient, with Belegorn and I up front so that he can use his night sight, and Noamuth just behind us with the lantern. The remainder of our marching order is up for discussion.

Well now, one is sufficient, until it gets smashed in a fight, dropped down a hole, or eaten by an ooze of course. If you don’t mind Nigel, please bring three lamps and we will spread them around. Unless of course some of you have Light prepared today…

Omrax checks in his pack...I will bring another light in the event of a broken lantern. his should serve us in dark places. " He breaks a sunrod and sticks it within the strap of his shield. He then draws his longsword and takes up a position in the second rank behind the two stalwart warriors in the front.

Now I am ready.

Mordecai refuses the proffered lantern and taps his shield with his hand, causing it to glow brightly.

"Illumination should not be a problem for me, thank you."

Light spell

" I have another lantern stored away if needed. My elven side allows me to see in the faintest of light, not complete darkness, but dim light that others might percieve as darkness. Ready as you are, my preference being to suport the party on the second line of combat."

Is it total darkness or just low light?"

Marchello grips his mace tightly in his hand and readies for anything. He will cast guidance as they descend.

Total darkness as it is underground with no windows, but you'll get double the lantern radius.

Noa lets Omrax and Marchello take their preferred spaces in the second rank. Falling in to the right of Mordecai, she says quietly, "I don't know if they are eager, and fools, or more heavily armored, and prudent. Some of both, I suppose." She smiles, and holds her lantern in her right hand, for more distance from Mordecai's shield...

Ok then, shall we?

With Omrax's sunrod, just behind him, Jake nods to Belegorn, and heads below.

Nigel stands by wringing his hands and bidding you luck as you head in. The ramp vanishes into darkness below the mock pyramid until lanterns, alchemical lights and magic spring into life illuminating the party. Over its fifty foot length it descends more than a couple floors below ground. As Nigel said, the ramp ends with a set of double doors on the right and another on the left. The one on the right is marked with a wooden placard reading "Storeroom 1" while the one of the left reads "Storeroom 2"

Map / Marching Order

Which way?

oO “My Hammer’s swift and bright, flashing like silver! Smash out the monster’s might, dip, dip, and swing…” Oo

Belegorn follows with another song, slightly out of tune.

I think Omrax and Marchello were second in line with Noa and Mordecai in back.

Belegorn cocks his head, listening for any sounds beyond the door: Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Thanks. Read that wrong.
I'll fix it going forward

"Hmmm, I wonder if there is any indication of which way she might have gone?"

Marchello looks to see if there is any clear sign of which path might have the most recent traffic from her or the henchmen sent after her. He also casts Detect Magic on both doors.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 10 + 1 = 19

"Together or separate? Twos or Threes?", Noa asks. "Oh, and if you see the bones of a Taldan Knight, please... Point it out to me?"

Everyone check in on the discussion thread for me before we move on.

Jake crouches briefly...

Omrax, shine that down here, please. I want to see if I can figure out whhich way she went.

Jake examines the ground for any disturbance in the dust (if any)or recent scuffs on the floor that would indicate which door the quarry entered

Survival: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Jake, press on good sir. Belegorn motions to the right hand door.

Omrax, feel free to join Jake on point if you want too. I was assuming we were single file when I said something in character.

Jake and Marchello kneel down to examine the ground for any indication of recent passage while Omrax holds his sunrod above them. No luck. While the basement is off limits to the public, it is in use generally and the entryway apparently hasn't had time to accumulate much dust. The frame of each door bears the scuff marks of exhibit items that were a tight fit and gouge marks that are probably the result of dolleys or carts ramming into the wooden frame. The floor itself is one solid piece of basalt- smooth and whole in a way that only magical shaping could account for.

Undeterred, Marchello stands and invokes his goddess to expand his sight and waits for a moment while his perception begins to broaden.

Marchello

"Remember, she was not the last to pass this way. The guards went later."

Just fyi -I went with standard survival DCs for tracking.
DC 19 for the guards (Hard ground, 1 day, 6 people)
DC 24 for Imrizade (Hard ground, 4 days)

Belegorn- I forgot to include it above, but you didn't hear anything with your perception check above.

Don't agonize too much over which door. As Nigel said there are only five rooms and they are all more or less connected. I need a decision though. We've come to the end of my day so we'll find out what is waiting for you tomorrow.

"I sense some lingering arcane energy emanating from each of the doors, some type of transmutation energy. I'm not sure what's causing it or what it means. It could be some kind of trap, not sure though."

Marchello will try to identify what t he magic is doing, Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

I am ok charging through if nothing surfaces, either door will do.

Jake stands and shrugs.

I find nothing out of the ordinary or telling. Anyone with a prefernce on which door?

"By the hinges.", Noa declares. "Whichever would let your shields work for you. But if there is magic... Tie a rope to the handle, and stand back?"

Belegorn grumbles something under his breath, and uses his hammer to push open the door in front of Jake. There. After you.

Mordecai leans over and taps Jake on the shoulder with a single spark from the end of his finger.

"This should help you if there is a danger or some such thing."

Guidance

"Sir Belegorn, I am happy to take the front rank with Sir Jake if that is your preference. However, I will defer to your greater experience in this matter. I am dedicated to the success and survival of each of you and to our mission."

"Oh but I must add, if we encounter evil dragonkind, unholy undead or vile creatures from the nether planes, I am honor bound to engage them immediately with no quarter asked or given."

Omrax will attempt to detect evil through the doorway Belegorn attempted to opened. If none detected or if hostility ensues, he will move in with the leaders and prepare for action.

Both sets of double doors open inward for ease of squeezing large items into the storage room from the tighter confines of the ramp. Impatient the dwarf nudges a door open with his hammer and it swings open with a slight creak onto a vast hall filled with haphazardly placed statues. Outside of the walkway to the next door, the room is heavy with dust. Cobwebs hang between the outstretched limbs of beasts and warriors from around the world. Some are covered or partially covered in sheets, while others have been left exposed- frozen faces leering throughout time.

With his perception still broadened, Marchello sees the fine tendrils of arcane energy writhing under the door frame fragment into incandescent maggots and scatter as the opening door sweeps over them. Inside the hall polychromatic transmutative energy hangs in the air like vapor trails. It doesn't appear to be strong enough to be dangerous... for now.

Map

Those with low light vision have normal illumination throughout the room. Belegorn is the same with darkvision. Humans have normal in the brighter area and dim beyond that.

Jake steps into the room with his Greatsword drawn.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Your footsteps echo in the high ceilinged hall and you can hear the breathing and nervous fidgeting of those crowded in behind you, but no threat presents itself.

Noa peers into the room past Jake and Omrax. While the first rank advances, she sets down the borrowed lamp, hangs her halberd uncomfortably on her shoulder, and readies her sling. Then she takes up her halberd again, and advances into the storeroom as part of a second rank.

Marchello steps into the room behind the front line, his mace out in front of him as he surveys the room.

"That magic I saw, the wisps of the aura turned into maggots and scurried away, there is something here, some force so be weary."

He then looks over to Omrax with a determined tone, "Omrax, brother, I too share your life quest to rid the world of the undead, and I will be at your side should any appear, together in the names of Pharasma and Iomedae."

"Something about what's under the sheets unnerves me." As Marchello focuses his attention on them. Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

His lit shield held infront of him, Mordecai advances slowly towards the far darkened corner. "How are rooms such as these lit normally? Surely individual lanterns cannot be the solution. Is there some form of magic illumination?"

There isn't any apparent source of magical lighting, but the center of each wall has a bracket holding an unlit oil lamp. Mordecai is scanning around the room looking for further sources of illumination when one of the statues across the room quietly steps down off its pedestal. Everyone hears its stone footfalls thudding and echoing in the room once it breaks into a run, but too late to react.

Mordecai is only saved by the heavy shield he holds out ahead of him. Even so, the powerful blow that hammers into it causes the shield to rebound drawing blood where it catches him in the chin and leaving his arm numb- possibly fractured.

The pint sized stone guardian in front of him is no bigger than a halfling, created in some style of Eastern art from beyond the Inner Sea. Its androgynous face shows no expression as all six arms including the one with a sword whirl through a graceful pattern resetting for another strike.

Surprise round: Statue only.
Partial charge vs Mordecai 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 6 + 2 = 19
Damage 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Round 1 now.

Init:
Marchello 21
Belegorn 20
Mordecai 14
Omrax 13
Statue 12
Jake 8
Noamuth 6

GM Screen:

Map

Marchello pushes past his allies in a bid to thump the awakened statue. He moves through Omrax, past the stone statue draped in cloth for 15' then over and down to confront the statue, creating a flank to Mordecai.

He brings his mace up in a sweeping arc with his right hand as he runs, he is silent save a deep groan as he swings.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 2 = 15
Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

To clarify, diagonally up over and the diagonally down to be on the exact opposite side of Moredcai using the full 30' or 6 squares of movement.

Belegorn moves up to attack the statue, while still keeping his distance.

Diagonal move 3 squares, attack with Reach weapon.

Hammer Blow: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Damage: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 3) + 3 = 7

Marchello manages to slip behind the statue while it remains focused on Mordecai. The inquisitor brings his heavy mace crashing down on its neck and head. Tiny chips of rock ricochet off, but the statue is so dense that it doesn't even acknowledge the blow. It remains standing solid on its feet. Marchello however, feels the force of the blow in his arm. Some measure of the strike carries up the haft leaving his arm tingling and his mace humming with the impact.

Belegorn hustles in and brings his hammer down from afar, but the stone guardian steps aside gracefully.

Something 2d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7 Nope.
Kn Arcana checks if anyone has it.

Marchello winces slightly at the reverberations from the blow resonating in his arm.

Knowledge(Arcana): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

Marchello> now that I look at the map I can't see any way you can move far enough to get a flank in. Remember that in PF when you move one square diagonally it counts as 5 feet. A second diagonal costs double so 10 feet. I think you can get close, but not flank and you'll provoke an AoO in the attempt if you try to go as far as you can. You would need to be below the statue with the pole arm to get a flanking bonus with Mordecai. Confirm where you want to end up and I'll mark it on the map tomorrow.