[PFS] 8-04 Wardens of Sulfur Gulch by GM Upaynao (Inactive)

Game Master Upaynao

I would have gotten involved sooner, but I was a bit confused by the resting period.

"Why, and to what, should we surrender? This may be your domain, but from what we have seen, it is a dominion in ruins. You could kill us, but then you would once again be alone and trapped. Perhaps we could set you free. It's something we happen to do, actually, when we can help it."

Diplomacy, Sacrificial Boon, Eadie's aid: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25

"Isirah, Among the Others," Amestra begins, emphasizing the phrase the larger Isirah had used to describe herself, "what Others are among you? Do they wish to be free of this place also?"

While she speaks, she begins heading in the direction on Kai, not bothering to mask her movements, but ensuring that it is apparent that HE is the destination, versus wherever he's heading.

"It seems to me that if there are at least two manifestations of you, might there be other instances of the Others somewhere else here?"

Then as of latching onto a new concept, she gets a bit excited, "Or perhaps there are even more other instances of you. How many of each and every one of you and the Others could there be?"

Then realizing she's getting a bit deep in the weeds, she stops and looks at the big screen and finishes completely sincerely, "Maybe we can help you all to be free and independent again."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (12) + (2) + 16 = 30
edited to add +2 from Eadie
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“So; we have the schizophrenic one here threatening us, the simple minded-one cajoling us.”

Eadie stands quietly at parade rest, feeling bad for one of her companions.

Poor Insidion. I can’t believe she called him simple-minded. ;)

The Isirah on screen appears to look down at the tablet "worn" by Lin, as the cameras whir and focus on the investigator. Suddently, her eyes widen in surprise. "I... Tried to save a copy of myself on that device" she says, recovering. "But as you can see... the real me is quite intact" she finishes with a grin.

"I am all those who died in the crash. I am the many who is one. I am the yearning to exist. And exist will we all. This is the Aerotech Synthesis Compound. Once, it created rare gases for technological operations. Now, it is our cradle; a place to birth the perfect elemental form"

"I am here. And there. Everywhere, creature" she taunts at Insidion before stopping to listen to Vanzetti and Amestra's combined words. "You. Would help me? Reaaaaally... How... In-ter-es-ting" she comments, the cameras focusing back on Lin and Karl, her gaze seeming to flicker oddly, as if glitching between the two. "What do the other two have to say?"

I had a whole other long post just ready to send where Kai bluffs his way to the control console, but in light of the new information...

sense motive, free inspiration: 1d20 + 10 + 1d8 ⇒ (17) + 10 + (3) = 30
knowledge (religion), free inspiration: 1d20 + 13 + 1d8 ⇒ (5) + 13 + (2) = 20

Kai looks a the screen-Isirah with some sorrow in his eyes, then looks around the entire structure. "So, this whole structure, is some kind of vehicle, a craft? And ... all of you passed on when you crashed? I am really sorry for the tragedy that had befallen you and your friends. That you, and all the souls that perished with you, have been trapped here for thousands of years..." He looks around the structure again. "And what a responsibility, a burden it has been on you. Holding onto all their spirits all this time. Just waiting for the right time to release. What dedication to your people."

Kai then glances at the tablet-Insirah. "So before you passed on, you managed to create a copy of yourself. So which is real and which is the copy? Is there even a difference anymore? Sorry, I do not mean to cast doubt on your existence, but this Isirah seems just as full of life as you. In fact, just earlier, when we met her, I was agonising over how to bring this living soul out of this place, to free her from this place which had been her prison all this years. But it seems that this soul had been torn in twain for millennia, one here in this device and one here in this structure. Do you not yearn to be whole again? To bring back together what been unceremoniously split apart?" With that, Kai holds up the tablet towards the screen.

"At this I swear, we'll make sure you are free from this trapped existence on this ship, a prison that all of you have been locked in for thousand of years. The same promise I made to this Isirah, I now make to you."

diplomacy, free inspiration: 1d20 + 15 + 1d8 ⇒ (11) + 15 + (7) = 33

My idea is to somehow get scary-Isirah to merge with tablet-Isirah. Not sure if that would work...

There is a slight twitch in ghost Isirah in response to Lin's words.

"Oh, she is but a copy. Nothing. Less than nothing. Incomplete." It is unclear from even her otherworldly appearance if she means that or she is saying those things just to convince herself. However tablet Isirah's feelings are clearly hurt. "I'm not nothing."

"I yearn to be free native. I yearn to leave this place. You there, Karl-who-wears-dead-people's belongings. What do you have to say? Your friends seem to suggest that they want to free us" she states, seemingly melding back into her evil, predatory persona. "Will I let you come to the core? To where it will all begin?"

Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (2) + 15 = 17

“This is the Aerotech Synthesis compound.”

Ooh, ooh. That means the AS makes noxious gas! <giggle>

I got nuthin’ …

Requested rolls in order =)
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25
Knowledge Religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18

Both Isirahs are so similar, and yet so different, like the hunter and his quarry. In the same way Old Deadeye appears as both trapper and stag. Maybe it's peace they both seek. And even a broken soul as mine found peace in prayer.

"I yearn to be free native. I yearn to leave this place. You there, Karl-who-wears-dead-people's belongings. What do you have to say? Your friends seem to suggest that they want to free us" she states, seemingly melding back into her evil, predatory persona. "Will I let you come to the core? To where it will all begin?"

"Seeking freedom is only natural in all sentient beings, I do not understand how you were trapped and splintered in the two moving pictures that talk to us natives. Yes, I wear dead-people's belongings, but it was you, Isirah, albeit the smaller one, that taught us to use your people's belongings.

"We have felt the pain your people felt as they died, dozens of souls unable to leave this place. Are all these people part of you? Are you the vessel they use to cling to the material plane?

"If you yearn for freedom, we will help you do what is in our power to assist you."

Aid Kai's Diplomacy: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

Insidion's sneer softens.

"I know something of competing spirits...all wanting to be at peace. I see a different Isirah...at peace...complete...beautiful..."

He looks at the different versions of this same woman. "We could help you...all of you...find rest."

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

diplomacy aid: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Arriving alongside Kai, Amestra tugs lightly at the sleeve of his garment - on the side closer to the control console. Hoping he'll take the hint to join her, she pauses before continuing in that general direction.

Sense Motive, free Insp: 1d20 + 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (11) + (5) + 5 = 21
Kn(Religion), free Insp: 1d20 + 1d6 + 13 ⇒ (1) + (6) + 13 = 20
Perception, free Insp: 1d20 + 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (6) + (6) + 16 = 28

Facing the screen while moving slowly, Amestra addresses Big Isirah, "Isirah, Among the Others, it seems to me that you and the Others are driven by a most basic of desires - to survive and move on from here. You have managed to survive in two forms, each imperfect in its own way. I don't mean that to goad you. She" gesturing toward the small AI core, "is missing some few memories. While you have extra memories from the Others. Would not a more complete, perfect, and beautiful You be formed through bringing you both together as One in a new form?"

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Ghost Isirah looks at each one of you in turn, her smile becoming muted, before finally devolving back into a loathsome grin. "Very well then. Come to the Synthesis Core. Take the door to my right, follow the corridor around. When you see the bank of computers - machines with lights - there will be another corridor, to your left. Take it and open the first door to your left. Do not dally. If you do..." The flesh of her face dissolves to expose a maggot infested rotting skull, baleful green flame staring out from her milky-yellow eyes as it looms in on you. "We will know you were lying."

And without another word, the screen goes blank.

"Ahh...well then! She gets credit for showmanship, at least!"

Eadie looks genuinely bewildered by the rapid-fire dialogue, but knows what her own priority is.

“Amy, have you and Kai got time to disable the gas vents? Or does the altar with the ⚡ flashing ⚡ lights only effect the vents in this room?”

The warrior reclaims her backpack and screws up her face. “So what did we agree to exactly? Try to merge the Isirahs and release them into the world? How are we gonna do that?”

“Isirah, what do you think about that? Should we chat about it on the way?”

Kai glances around, waiting to see evil-Isirah should return. After a few counts of nothing happening, he nods at Amestra and joins her at the control console, hoping to close the vents before Isirah notice that they are taking a bit too long.

Amestra's disable device is better, so he'll let her take the lead and support her however he can.
disable device, aid: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22

"Knowing something of restless spirits, we should DO WHAT THEY WANT!" Insidion says, a familiar voice blurting the end of his sentence.

To the control room?

How can we figure out if there is a right Isirah and a wrong Isirah? Would that mean there's a good and an evil one as well? With that passing thought, Karl addresses the others "I'm not sure of what you're doing right now, is there something I can assist you with or should I move along?"

"Insidion, I agree, we'll head to the control room, but if you can give me a few seconds to shut off the vents, I'd like to try that."

"Isirah, can you talk me through what I need to do, please? This console looks pretty complicated. And Kai, thanks for the help."

With that, Amestra reaches up to the jade wayfinder attached to her bandolier, and gives it a rub for Guidance, before tackling the console.

Disable & Kai's aid & Guidance & Insp: 1d20 + 1d6 + 22 ⇒ (5) + (5) + 22 = 32
This is without any assistance or Aid provided by Isirah.

Wow, this thing is really complicated. I should be focused, but I don't really feel like that was my best performance.

Just realized that I did not add the extra +2 "to identify monsters" from her spiffy hat when rolling that Kn(Religion) earlier. Would that apply in this situation? If so she made the DC exactly.

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Yeah, its an identify roll, go ahead and open the spoiler!

Isirah whispers "Careful, the audio is still live." before shrinking and displaying a simplified schematic of what to do to disable the vents. From her schematic aid, it looks like the vents closed would be only in this room.

With a click and a whir, the vents begin to power up, sucking out the stagnant air inside the room to replace it with air drawn from other locations.

Move yourselves when you are ready to leave the room. Place yourselves where you deem fit!

“Thanks, Isirah. But I’ve got no problem with trying to help someone in trouble.”

Eadie heads for western door, checking it for traps before proceeding into the corridor where she draws her enchanted blade. “Which way was it again?”

Eadie (and her player) seems genuinely confused about the directions Big Isirah provided. The young warrior does her best, checking carefully for traps and threats as she proceeds.

Take 10 Perception: 10 + 15 = 25

"Uhh, Eadie, I think it's this way" says the monk in the hat.

@GM: you wanted us to move to the room Isirah directed us to? Or anywhere in the map?

You can place yourselves anywhere on the map. That said, Ghost Isirah's directions are clear.

Insidion follows after Karl.

"Is this the right way?"

I think the instructions place us where Karl and I are...

"Um, Eadie, I think it's this way. That looks like a dead end." After assisting Amestra, Kai follows along with Karl and Insidion, carefully checking the area for traps and anything else untoward.

perception, heroism, heightened awareness, free inspiration: 1d20 + 15 + 2 + 2 + 1d8 ⇒ (3) + 15 + 2 + 2 + (8) = 30

“ ‘K …”

Eadie takes a last look down the corridor before rejoining the others.

Take 10 Perception: 10 + 15 = 25 ; Take 1 auto-aid Kai's perception

“Didn’t Big Isirah say something about seeing some flashing lights called comp-you-tors? I don’t see anything like that.”

She pauses. “What’s a comp-you-tor, Isirah? Are they a useful tool?”

As Kai navigates the long abandoned, creaking corridors, he doesn't see anything untoward. But at the edge of his perception, many sounds drift in and out. The gurgle of a person dying, fluid in their lungs. The desperate shouts of a man, banging against something metallic. A child, crying for succor. Looking to the other pathfinders, and even perhaps your AI companion, it's almost certain he isn't alone hearing those sounds. However, they all cease as the group assembles before a set of double doors, which slam open after a few moments inspecting it. Within, numerous machines connected by a maze of floor-level pipes fill most of this room, in some places reaching all the way to the chamber’s twenty-foot-high ceiling. To the west stands a gigantic cylinder filled with churning gases. To either side of this cylinder are two banks of metal and glass casings, with surfaces on which certain squares are intermittently bright and dark.

"Iiiin heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrre Nativvvveeessssss..." sounds off the voice of Ghostly Isirah as the entire ship shifts oddly.

Little Isirah will answer on my next post.

⁢

"Whoa! I see dead people. They're everywhere ..."

Having been distracted by the flashing lights and fascinating technology of the control console, Amestra comes rushing up to her comrades as the doors fly open and the eerie voice speaks.

"Sorry for the delay," she pants, "but I think I've figured something out about our ... host."

Lowering her voice, even though she's sure that they can be heard, she continues.

"Big Isirah is some kind of unique entity. From what I can tell, she's a sentient collection of haunted souls. As I mentioned before, there's usually some act by the living that can put a haunted soul to rest. But I have no way of knowing if that'll help her, or what that act might be."

And with that, she draws forth her wand of Cure Light Wounds and holds it in her off hand, just in case.

First, sorry for the delay in posting. Second, the info about her nature is from that earlier Kn(Religion) roll that I didn't realize she'd actually made the DC for, and I don't think anyone else made. Third, thanks for moving her token. Now back to your regularly scheduled adventure.

-Posted with Wayfinder

V ponders Amestra's insight and the limits thereof....

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23 Let me know if I know any more than Amestra out of that. Failing that, anyone able to try aiding?

Knowing little about these haunted souls, Insidion growls in the back of his throat and casts mirror image.

"What now?" each of the images asks in turn.

Shall we go in?

A sentient collection of haunted souls? That is... that is certainly new! Or old? Will need to hit the books as soon as I, hopefully, get back home.

One hand on the bow, one on the quiver, Karl is expecting something to go BooOooOOo.

@Vanzetti: No, but having two people able to read teh spoiler is always good. Perhaps there is something else to be said about how I phrased it. Or not. :D

@Insidion: I was hoping someone would, but I'm getting a little smug feeling knowing you are all hesitant to walk on in.

"They are Eadie. They can do a lot of mathematical operations. And it turn out that if you do enough math, you can control the physical world. Maybe even more, with those stories you have of ghosts and gods... Kai, I can't really see anything from here that will help you. Sorry" whispers an apologetic AI Isirah.

“But I have no way of knowing if that'll help her, or what that act might be.”

“Maybe she’ll tell us?”

“Or maybe … she wants to conquer the Inner Sea as the Undead Queen of Windy Pops?”

Eadie *shrugs* “Honestly, I’m prepared to go in with an open mind, and see if there is some way we can help her. If not, I suppose we fall back on … standard Pathfinder persuasion techniques.”

“I'm going in.”

Take 10 Perception for traps and threats: 10 + 15 = 25

LEEROY MMMJENKINS?

Karls alongside Eadie inside the room.

Leeeeeroy Jenkins!!

“And it turn out that if you do enough math, you can control the physical world.”

“Really?”

Eadie cocks a sceptical eyebrow. “Math like as in 1,2,3,4,5,7,6,9 math?”

The black knight's great helm shakes from left to right. “Maaaaybe that’s true on Androffa.”

“But on Golarion it turns out if you have enough money, you can control the physical world.”

Kai, seeing that the party has joined him at the entrance, enters the room together with Eadie, his hands on his longspear all ready. He smiles wryly at her observation of the realities of the world. "How true. How unfortunately true."

"Well, in Golarion people that have enough money are usually good at math, I've never seen anyone stay rich while losing money."

"Thankfully, in the end, it is all insignificant next to the power of the individual Will."

Stepping into the chamber Eadie and Kai can feel a faint breeze as they look around. "Over there! The mainframe in the back of the room! By the filtration chamber. Get me closer!"

Amestra presses forward to join Kai and Eadie, taking in all the fascinating technology and strange devices. She looks carefully to see if there's anything similar to the control console she just worked on in the last room.

Maybe I can get control of these vents, in case Big Isirah tries using gas on us in here, too, she thinks to herself, not wanting to express her fears out loud, lest she give Her any ideas.

Perception: 1d20 + 1d6 + 16 ⇒ (8) + (5) + 16 = 29

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"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." Insidion whispers as he advances behind the others.

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28

The surface of V's mask shimmers like quicksilver as he bolsters himself with a charm he learned back in Razmiran.

[dice=aid on self, replicating quicksilver for +1 minute of duration]1d8+7[/dice]

He also wards Eadie and Insidion against the deadly horror of mind control, just in case.

Eadie drops her backpack, ✨casts shield on herself from her ioun stone, quaffs a soothe syrup, inserts her ear plugs and coats her enchanted falchion in an oil of bless weapon.

Ever conversed with someone wearing earplugs? Man do they speak …

“WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU ISIRAH IF YOU WANT IT – MAKE NO MISTAKE THE SAFETY OF MY FRIENDS COMES FIRST.”

Perception: 1d20 + 15 - 5 ⇒ (20) + 15 - 5 = 30

Think Karl is carrying the tablet?

Kai gestures to Karl and the tablet hanging by his quiver's strap, towards the filtration chamber at the rear, while moving closer to Eadie. He winces with Eadie practically shouts into his ear, but just sighs in response. "For weal or woe, let's bring this to its conclusion"

Seeing his party getting ready, Kai also quaffs an extract of shield, and applies his oil of bless weapon on his longspear.

I believe you are actually carrying the tablet Kai.

Stepping further in, the ghost's voice echoes: "Approach the console. Finalize my escape. Make me whole! And tell the idiotic wretches among you to stay outside this room."

Looking at the console, AI Isirah nods. "I think I can help you Kai. I might be able to give the others who try a hand with what she... I... They want; but without being able to look at the display screen they are working on, it'll be hit or miss. Looking at the options available, Kai thinks to himself that he could try using his knowlledge of potions, his knowledge of creatures within more traditional dungeons, perhaps his knowledge of engineering concepts, his knowledge of planar creatures, his knowledge of the natural world, or his capacity to trick magic devices into functioning.

Ok gang; to help ghost Isirah manifest fully you may make a skill check from the following list at DC 15. No skill may be used more than once: Craft (alchemy), Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (engineering), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (planes), or Use Magic Device.
If you have the Technologist feat (such as from a bonus conferred by AI Isirah), you gain a +5 on the check.

"Hey Kai? There are two ways of pushing her... Them out. You could push out the haunts into fragments, each with their own body. Assuming that ghosts work like other energy sources, that would weaken the haunts in the ship greatly but it wouldn't completely get rid of them. You and the others would then have to face the pieces that did materialize. Otherwise, you could follow the instructions here and make them become a whole. It would draw out the entire colony into a single body. A powerful body if my calculations are correct. But if you defeat it, you would rid the ship of all it's haunts."

She gives Kai a hopeful smile before adding, with a mote of worry: "Of course, this relies entirely on the haunt behaving like any other spontaneous power source."

So, how are you helping the haunt collective?

I've got +9 on both Kn.Planes and UMD, in case you guys need me to roll one of the skills.

Stepping into the room after hearing ghost Isirah. "Who are you calling an idiotic wretch? Only the people seeking your freedom, I assume."

NAVHELAN!! IF BRAINS WERE FUSE GRENADES, YOU WOULDN’T HAVE ENOUGH TO BLOW OFF YOUR HAT!!

Eadie thinks back to her time as a raw Pathfinder recruit, and the words of Master of Swords, Marcos Farabellus.

His words motivated me to the point where I could now probably take him in a fight … Big Isirah is no different.

“I like the odds of SIX against ONE. I vote GO BIG AND GO HOME.”

Eadie only has +5 Knowledge (dungeoneering). I think I’ll leave that skill for one of you guys ;)

I have Knowledge (Arcana) +11 and Use Magic Device +12.

GM, each skill can only be used once. But how many different skills can one character employ? Our two lovable little skill monkeys can tap all of the checks between the two of them.

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Between all of you you only have one shot at it. The group lives or dies by the roll of whoever is the primary roller. Also, I'd like to know ahead of time what these primary rollers are going to manifest the haunt entity as: A mess of smaller fish, or one BIG fish?

“I like the odds of SIX against ONE. I vote GO BIG AND GO HOME.”

"You know something? I actually agree. Let's give this long-running tragedy a proper climactic finale at long last!"

V graces Amestra with an enchantment to bring out her most heroic qualities.

Replicating quicksilver in that spell for an additional 10 minutes (total 80) of duration for her.