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"Ow...these passages are a tight squeeze," Liora mutters as the group stumbles, squeezes, and scrapes their way through the maze of shifting and changing tunnels. She pauses and looks around, trying to regain her sense of direction.
"Okay, so north is definitely over there..." she points "...so we need to keep going this way, here!"
A heavily worn set of stairs leads from claustrophobic tunnels into an eroded cavern studded with sand-scoured crystals that emit cool, faint light. The jagged foundations are all that’s left of metal walls—the fragments of which now jut from the wall like throwing knives. An immense, intricate, thousand-sided polyhedron made of sky metals floats within a tight series of binding circles. As blasts of air erupt from the polyhedron, the surface’s shattered facets regenerate before being blasted apart on another side.
The circles surrounding the many sided orb are carved into the ground and filled with metal. Gems and metals are inlaid into each of these circles, forming a runic script in several different languages. The orb itself seems to shimmer and shift along the polyhedral lines, like a giant complex puzzle box.
Looking closely at the metal circles, you can attempt to decipher the protections placed upon the Puzzle Box Sphere.
The Second circle (Red on the Map) strengthens any Champions defending the Puzzle Box, making their blows more devastating,
and enabling them to ignore some of their wounds.
The Third circle (Blue on the Map) is designed to discourage would be meddlers from tinkering with the puzzle box itself. Anyone attempting to solve or complete the box itself begins to feel as if the earth itself is swallowing them whole. Those of weak will may begin to feel the walls closing in on them, shaking their spirit for a bit. It is powerful enough that some might even feel unable to breathe.
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Following you down the stairs, Grythyk stares amazed at the floating sphere. "This might be where all of this wind is coming from! But how do we get inside?" Crying "For Iomedae!" he charges over the ground swinging Gamin at the magical box. "This seems like a bad... is all Gamin manages before Grythyk strikes with a reverberating .
"Hmm. I'm out of Ideas."
"Really Grythyk? You thought you could just smash an Incredibly Powerful Artifact, containing some sort of being that is MAKING ENOUGH AIR FOR US ALL TO BREATHE ON AN ENORMOUS ASTEROID, "
Shrugging his shoulders, Grythyk grins at his constant companion. "It was worth a Shot?"
Ok, here's the quick and easy.
You have a few options for things that you can do in this room.
1) You can attempt to 'Solve' the Giant Round Spinning Floating Artifact Rubix Cube. To do that you may make one of these checks:
Appraise, Disable Device, Intelligence, Knowledge (any), Linguistics, Perception, Use Magic Device or Wisdom.
Also, if you speak a planar language (Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Terran) or Abyssal, you can identify some of the runic writing on the sphere and the circles. You receive a +1 bonus (per language you can read and understand for a max of +5) to any checks made to unlock the sphere.
2) You can attempt to Destroy the Inlaid Circles.
You can attempt a Full round of Actions, like a full attack, to damage them. Alternatively, as a Full Round Action, you can attempt a Disable Device check on the Circle to attempt to break it apart, potentially dealing a great deal of damage to it.
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Atronia approaches the circle and looks at it for a moment.
"I've never seen runes arranged like these before. They're confusing. It looks like a kind of puzzle, though. And some of it is written in Ignan. Do you guys think we can figure it out? It seems like it would be more efficient than hitting it with a sword." She grins as she says this, glancing at Grythyk and sheating her own weapon. She then focuses on deciphering the parts of the runic enscriptions she does understand and trying to piece something together.
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"It-it's a complex binding circle. I think," Newt says after Grythyk tries to smash the polyhedron, "It will be a lot easier if we work from outside in."
The young Druid explains what he has observed .
Kivi, see what you can do about the outer circle.
While he waits, Newt tries to see past the wards on the polyhedron in order to understand it.
Kivi's tinkering begins to pull the stones and runic letters out of the Skymetal rings, weakening the magic considerably. Liora's scimitar pings off the circle, without leaving so much as a scratch. Newt, Atronia and Volyana make some headway into the shifting runes, unlocking some additional clues on getting inside.
The walls themselves begin to rumble and shake, as two beings of metal and stone form from the walls and approach!
Jyrrar Rivurder
Volyana
Gold Statue
Kivi the Troll
Newt the Drowned
Liora the Skydruid
Atronia
Trixalana
Silver Statue
The golden statue gives a giant toothy grin, and steps forward, swinging a hefty sword down on Volyana that is easily parried by Volyana's stance. The Statues themselves look like strong Stone statues, with the skull of a large dinosaur as a head!
Jyrrar Rivurder
Volyana
Gold Statue
Kivi the Troll
Newt the Drowned
Liora the Skydruid
Atronia
Trixalana
Silver Statue
As Kivi pulls out the last few gems, the metal forming the outer ring melts, draining down into the floor. The pried up gems turn to glass and crack before crumbling to a clear powder. Newt's attack cracks the next Warding Circle, warping the runes, and causing the runes to shimmer wildly.
Jyrrar Rivurder
Volyana
Gold Statue
Kivi the Troll
Newt the Drowned
Liora the Skydruid
Atronia
Trixalana
Silver Statue
Sorrina Westyr’s image appears, her hair windblown and a look of wonder on her face. “The Society's discoveries have weakened the prison of the powerful being sealed within Aucturn's Tear,” she pauses, studying a flotilla of crystal balls that hover around her. “Our divinations indicate that it’s now offering a fraction of its power to our forces!”
Behind Sorrina, a small army of Pathfinder mages are studying the floating globes. Then one of them whispers in Drandle Dreng’s ear. Abruptly, Drandle hurries to the forefront, his shaggy head appearing in the center of the Divination window. "ACG Warriors, make a run for it!" Hands gesticulating wildly, he shouts, “NOW!”
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Atronia blanches at the threat of an elemental lord unleashing his wrath upon them. When she sees the statues approach, her eyes widen. "You know that thing about the might of Ayrzul? I think that's what it meant. Be careful everyone!" she warns, pointing to the statues.
She draws her sword as she moves to stand between Volyana and Jyrrar, forming a wall between the monsters and her companions who are still working on the magical rings. She tries her best to steady herself as she lifts the sword and slashes at it.
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Even with the fear of being crushed under the weight of the earth, Atronia lands a solid blow cleaving a huge chunk of rock out of the statue, marring its otherwise beautiful finish.
The silver statue begins to emanate with the sounds of crumbling rocks and shifting gravel, before stepping up to Jyrrar, sword drawn!
As the statue begins to radiate noise, a burst of air begins to whirl around the puzzle box, pushing Kivi and Newt farther away from the boxes and Rings!
With the Thunderous Aid, there is another option that you can take!
Reaching into the whirling storm around the puzzle box, you can channel some of the thunderous wrath through you toward your foes! You can attempt a Diplomacy (DC 15), Spellcraft (DC 15) or Use Magic Device (DC 12) check to cast one of the following spells, using your level as Caster Level, and either Your Charisma, or 20 to determine the save DC: cure light wounds, shocking grasp or summon nature’s ally II (air elemental only) After one spell is cast, the wrath dissipates from the windy shell, although the shell still holds people away from damaging rings or interacting with the Puzzle Box.
Jyrrar Rivurder
Volyana
Gold Statue (-10)
Kivi the Troll
Newt the Drowned
Liora the Skydruid
Atronia
Trixalana
Silver Statue
Jyrrar's attempt at distraction is effortlessly parried by the statue, as it looks to Volyana to make another solid strike.
While lifting its sword above its head, and preparing a massive swing, Volyana strikes twice. The first swing takes a chunk out of the stone guardian's side, before the second swing shatters the dinosaur skull that formed its head, as the rest of the body crumbles to rubble.
Jyrrar Rivurder
Volyana
Gold Statue (-29)
Kivi the Troll
Newt the Drowned
Liora the Skydruid
Atronia
Trixalana
Silver Statue
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"I-I have something," he replies to Liora as the wind whips around him more and more violently. Suddenly the wind releases Newt with a great rush of air, and a small tornado appears next to Volyana.
The air elemental flies past Volyana as soon as it manifests to hover over the remaining statue and slam it with its own body.
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Atronia smiles at Jyrrar as she notices his attempt to help her, showing her appreciation despite the results. She turns her attention to the second statue and attempts to do the same thing she did to the first, as it seems efficient enough.
When she hears Newt's comment, she raises her voice to be heard over the wind. "Could it just be trying to bust out on its own? Can we talk to it somehow?"
Atronia's mighty swing cuts a deep gouge into the silver statue, slowing it for only a moment. While the rumbling sounds continue, it redirects it's energy toward Atronia! Landing a solid strike, it stabs directly through her side, piercing completely through her.
Trixalana
Jyrrar Rivurder
Volyana
Kivi the Troll
Newt the Drowned
Liora the Skydruid
Atronia
Silver Statue (-14)
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Atronia lets out a cry as a sword is pushed into her, but Trixalana, ever the reliable combat medic, heals her almost as soon as it happened. With the memory of the pain she just had which did not subside entirely, she forces a smile. "Thanks, Trixalana." She glares at the statue and attacks again with renewed ardor.
However, the pain in her side throws her off-balance.
Even as the many-faceted prison spins and reconfigures itself, it cannot keep pace with the combined efforts of the Pathfinder Society. A refreshing breeze pours from the immense orb, restoring the agents' will to fight.
The statue looks resolute at protecting the puzzle sphere, even as pieces begin to break off, revealing a glimmering blue gem in the center. Unwavered by Jyrrar's distraction, the statue glares down at Trixalana after Atronia's side stitches itself back together.
Newt's Sling stone cracks off the silvered skull, rattling around inside and breaking off chunks of metal as it goes!
Seeing Newt's success, Liora tries with an additional stone. The statue snaps it out of the air with its jaws, crushing it between powerful teeth.
Trixalana
Jyrrar Rivurder
Volyana
Kivi the Troll
Newt the Drowned
Liora the Skydruid
Atronia
Silver Statue (-18)