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”No worries, sword. ” laughs Gunari. ”While both of our patrons are Good gods, our outlook on life is a little... different.
“Some of us live to experience life... some other teetotalers need to be crusaders and justify their lives.
“Either way, it’s all good. Right? In the end,” he says, mock swashbuckling with Cayden’s Churchkey ”Evil gets it. In the end. ” He lunges with a flurry and agility belying his heavy armor.
The corridor through the sarcophagus winds underground for a great while. after turning one of many corners, a source of light glows around the bend. A 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. Talismans, artifacts, and ancient books occupy every space that isn't covered with glowing glyphs. Amenopheus looks around, and smiles for the first time since Merab. "This should be just the place for us to perform the ritual. Between all of the ancient texts and relics, and her own history, we should be able to draw out her power and banish it." Heading over to the Ritual Circle to begin studying, Amenopheus picks up a journal, and begins to read. "Ah, this sounds like a personal journal. 'Life is fleeting, but undeath leads to stagnation. Only ideas endure, moving from host to host, alive and undying. That is true immortality.' Perhaps this is her notes for her prototype? I can stay here and research for a bit while you continue to explore. I have notified the other sages of where we are, so they should be arriving within the hour."
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Seldanna gets to work concocting the cures. The witch looks in her element, humming and muttering under her breath in deep concentration as she moves from one device to another. "Thanks, Jaswinder! Pass me that vial...yes, that one over there. Lonan! Get down off the table, you know how many containers you've smashed back at home!"
"Lonan! Get down off the table, you know how many containers you've smashed back at home!"
I have an idea how *I* can help...
Thankfully, you already have a good bit of Crystalline Aether, and Tahari's notes to about how this substance is repellent to the plague. There is an alchemy lab that you can work with, and you already have the Know how... Now you just need a sample to test.
I think you know right where to find one as well.
Seldanna: Prof(Herbalist) DC 21 OR Heal DC 27 OR Kn(Nature) DC 33
It takes you about 5 minutes per dose to make the cure (You have enough Aether for 7 doses)
Alternatively, you can distill Pure Magic with your craft Alchemy check (That you made! Perfect!) using 2 doses worth of Aether (and 15 minutes) to make some of this:
BLOOD OF NETHYS SLOT: None
AURA overwhelming universal; CL 21st WEIGHT —
This stoppered vial holds a marbled mix of white and black fluids that swirl around one another, occasionally forming the appearance of a face for an instant. The fluid is raw magical potential that can be used in one of four ways.
• If consumed, any spells affecting the imbiber are treated as 5 levels higher for the purpose of being dispelled, and such spells function even while in an antimagic field or area with the dead magic planar trait; this effect lasts for 1 minute.
• If poured on the ground as a standard action, the fluid covers a 5-foot-radius area and suppresses any antimagic field in that area for 1d4+1 rounds.
• The flask can be thrown as a splash weapon against the caster of an antimagic field, and on a direct hit, the fluid suppresses the antimagic field for 1d4+1 rounds.
• A spellcaster can use blood of Nethys as an additional spell component to increase the caster level of that spell by 2.
Also, you're going to need another sample to test on...
Amenopheus is tracing a few chalk lines on the floor while he waits for the other sages. Pulling out a series of scrolls, he looks up to Gunari. "I could use a bit of assistance with the preparation of this ritual. I urge you now though, it will take a bit of time. Using the power of the Sages combined, as well as any additional help that you can offer, I plan to draw Tahari's presence out of the jewels. Now, this ritual will utilize the natural magic of the jewels, as well as innate magic from all of us assembled. Any additional magic introduced into the ritual could introduce feedback. That includes activating Magic Items, casting spells, and even imbibing magical draughts. If you could help me find some significant relics or identify damage to the area to be repaired," "Assist me in aligning components, drawing the ritual diagram, or helping organize and translate these scrolls."
With that, Amenopheus continues to sketch additions to the complex pattern on the floor.
Additionally, I am waiting on Ardelaneu and Ken-yeh to either Make some checks, Aid another, or choose not to :D
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Seldanna, starting to look a bit frazzled, turns to the Sapphire Sage. "I'm sorry, I seemed to have botched that last attempt. You...ah, you wouldn't know where I could get another sample to try with, Amenopheus? I hate to bother you, but I'd like to give this another try...or perhaps you might have better luck?"
Amenopheus focuses on the Sapphire, holding it in his clenched hand while closing his eyes. "I remember... the Sepulchur. The bands are enchanted to sustain one inside without need for Food or water. She used those tombs to hold..." Amenopheus winces mid sentence, before his face becomes a bit more calm. "Subjects. The sarcophagi are experiment chambers, where the plague could continue to affect their body without need for breaks or rest. Truly a bit of a marvel for one as cruel as she was. No doubt incredibly helpful." A faint flicker or darkness appears behind Amenopheus' eyes, before the usual scholarly focus returns. "If you are looking for more of that Cursed disease, I would anticipate that you could find some there. With all of the additional time left to mature, I would assume it more potent. Be cautious when interacting with anything in those coffins. There is a particular subject in one of those 'Chambers' that she liked to torture more than the others. I might start there for the freshest sample." With that, Amenopheus begins pulling out scrolls to prepare for starting the ritual.
Well, the good news is that you have plenty of samples for a Cure!
Well, the good news is that you have plenty of samples for a Cure!
It takes you about 5 minutes per dose to make the cure (You have enough Aether for 10 doses)
Alternatively, you can distill Pure Magic with your craft Alchemy check (That you made! Perfect!) using 2 doses worth of Aether (and 15 minutes) to make some of this:
BLOOD OF NETHYS SLOT: None
AURA overwhelming universal; CL 21st WEIGHT —
This stoppered vial holds a marbled mix of white and black fluids that swirl around one another, occasionally forming the appearance of a face for an instant. The fluid is raw magical potential that can be used in one of four ways.
- If consumed, any spells affecting the imbiber are treated as 5 levels higher for the purpose of being dispelled, and such spells function even while in an antimagic field or area with the dead magic planar trait; this effect lasts for 1 minute.
- If poured on the ground as a standard action, the fluid covers a 5-foot-radius area and suppresses any antimagic field in that area for 1d4+1 rounds.
- The flask can be thrown as a splash weapon against the caster of an antimagic field, and on a direct hit, the fluid suppresses the antimagic field for 1d4+1 rounds.
- A spellcaster can use blood of Nethys as an additional spell component to increase the caster level of that spell by 2.
Let me know what you want to make, and how much. Don't feel the need to Spoiler it! Remember, that you only have about 55 minutes to make any cures that you would like to!
As everyone helps arrange and locate relics, the hour passes quickly.
The sages present their sage jewels, bringing forth the topaz, emerald, amethyst, diamond, sapphire, spinel, onyx, and the shards of the ruby in turn. Amenopheus produces a silver pendant set with an obsidian crystal and places it at the focus.
Amenopheus arranges everyone to the outside of the circle, and opens a scroll and begins to chant. His eyes begin to glow with a deep sapphire light, the inscriptions on the floor radiating from his position in a brilliant blue. As the blue light reaches the other sages on the ritual circle, their eyes are overtaken by the same brilliant blue light, and they begin to chant, as if in a trance. After a few moments of chanting, a loud cackle echoes through the room, as raw black magic arcs from the relics around the circle.
Tahonikepsu roars in pain, before chanting louder, overtaking Amenopheus as the loudest voice in the ritual. Her eyes glow white, quickly radiating along the inscriptions out to the other sages, quickly changing the blue to white. Amenopheus falls out of the ritual, pushed back from the strength of Tahonikepsu's magic. "Pathfinders! Help only if you are confident! We can't risk any more of this feedback interrupting the ritual!" With that, Amenopheus steps back into position, overtaken with white light. He continues chanting, a sad tone in his voice.
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Jaswinder takes out a strange-looking, bulbous flute made of darkwood. As he plays a distinctly Vudrani melody, even Pratvah begins to "dance".
With Tahonikepsu leading the ritual, the white glowing light emanating from the eyes of the jeweled sages. As the chant hits a fevered pitch, 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...”
Shadows of the past overlay on the present, with images of all the atrocities that Tahari has commited. Gunari, Ken-Yah and Ardelenau feel sick, watching a Young Tahari murder another child with a rock for food. Testing her plagues callously on anyone she was able to find. Finally, seeing her die atop a mound of Sarenite clerics, bested only by an impaled on the sword of a dying planetar angel. She smiles in death, just before the Angel coughs, it's skin beginning to crack and fade.
ROUND 1!
BOLD May Go!
Aryana Tahari
Dhiara
Khash'telek
Gunari
Grandmaster Torch
Sinuhotep
Amenopheus
Seldanna
Tahonikepsu
Ardelenau
Kan-yeh
Ermias Dalla
Jaswinder
Ok guys, Here's the rules Nonsense:
You can very easily see a Ripple in Space next to each of the Sages. You can easily recognize these as Mindscapes, similar to the one that you jumped into to learn about Memories. It is a Free action to jump into (or out of) one of these mindscapes, but it leaves your body OUTSIDE which could prove to be... dangerous. While inside, you can spend a Full Round Action to make 3 attempts to free the trapped sages from a prison of their own design. The Skill checks and DCs associated with them Vary depending on the Sage. To free a sage, you need to have 2 Successes in the span of 1 round.
It seems that Tahari is drawing ENORMOUS power from the Sage Jewels, the exact amount of which is yet to be seen. Let's get on to the Potential Mindscapes!
Diplomacy, Knowledge (history or nobility), or Perform (comedy or oratory)
Combat maneuver check, Knowledge (history or religion) or Perform (oratory) checks. Alternatively, you can deal 20 points of damage with an attack or spell to one of the monsters in her visions
Diplomacy, Heal, Sense Motive, or Survival
Knowledge (arcana or planes), Perception, or Use Magic Device
Diplomacy, Knowledge (history or religion), or Perform (oratory)
Diplomacy, Knowledge (arcana or religion), Perform (oratory), or Sense Motive
Diplomacy, Fly, Knowledge (nobility), Linguistics, Perform (any), or Profession (librarian or teacher)
Additionally, she brought a friend with her, that looks Remarkably Similar to the Corpse in the one Sarcophogus.
Additionally, the Map is up.
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"I apologize profusely, Pratvah, but I don't know anything about these wretches. Why don't you see if you can wrap your coils around the uglier one."
Jaswinder steps back five feet, casts Gravity Bow , commands his carpet to fly next to Tahiri , and orders Pratvah to use the Maneuver (Grapple) Trick .
Slight edits from Reroll!
ROUND 1!
BOLD May Go!
Jaswinder
Aryana Tahari
Dhiara
Khash'telek
Gunari
Grandmaster Torch
Sinuhotep
Amenopheus
Seldanna
Tahonikepsu
Ardelenau
Kan-yeh
Ermias Dalla
"HIIISSSSSS!!!"
This one looks bite-sized!