[PFS] 8-10 Tyranny of the Winds, Part 2: Secrets of the Endless Sky by GM Upaynao (Inactive)

Game Master Upaynao

The purple barrier actually looks blue, but map-packs are static.

Alexis places the garnet within the slot by the green barrier and it quickly vanishes in a puff of arcane energy, leaving Ollo with the diamond and the water barrier. Unsure as to what it reads, logic dictates he place the diamond in the slot and sure enough, it too dissipates, leaving the path clear for books seemingly all written in Aquan. Alexis, scanning through the mounds of information around her, notes that everything here is written in Terran.

Back within the air archive, Thaia and Agate quickly find a book, buried among many others, marked with the aforementioned symbol in silver and gold. A quick glance at the first page reveals that said book is called the "Codex of Fundamental Dominion". Written in Auran, it contains enough information for a human lifetime, certainly longer than you have before someone comes looking for you. Fortunately for you, Agate's temporary capacity to understand Auran and her knowledge of planar affairs allows you to find an illuminated page, picturing another book in which a smiling face peers upon, with the countenance of Ranginori delicately woven into the background. This book, according to the text, is called the "Primordial Key of Ilyralene", and it supposedly contains detailed theories on how to free Ranginori from the Untouchable Opal! It lists the book’s last known whereabouts as the Cobalt Gallery of the Azure Hall.

Back in the main chamber though, the sounds of armored men echoes down the shaft down. As the first emerges into plain view, Pavo can tell he is looking not at a Sylph, but a Suli woman, one of four. "HALT! LAY DOWN YOUR WEAPONS! YOU ARE ALL WANTED FOR QUESTIONING IN THE THEFT OF LADY FAIRUZA BEREKET'S VALUABLES! SUBMIT AND NO HARM WILL COME TO YOU!"

Alexis, Ollo and Pavo, you may make a DC 12 Sense Motive Check if you so wish to.

SM: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Ollo chuckles to himself as he steps forward, hands clear and in plain view. "A lie ain't tha best way ta start off an introduction.. Me names Ollo, an there be no reason fer us ta be enemies or ta draw steel. Who are ye and what really brings ye after us?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Edit: Crap... so much for saving the day with diplomacy! lmao

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21

"Indeed not," Alexis affirms to Ollo before turning to these Suli."This is a place of peace and knowledge. If you could tell us what you're really after, there's a chance we could cooperate."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24 +3 if you'll permit my Guiding Star bonus, +4 if she's got 7+ HD

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

"Hold, hold. We will submit," Pavo says as he slowly moves his glaive toward the floor. "But I assure you that I have stolen nothing, and I do not believe my companions have either. All we seek is knowledge."

Diplomacy, Aid Ollo: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 in the hopes of reducing the margin of failure.

The paladin pauses, one hand on the haft as the blade rests on the floor, as the others speak.

Thaia moves to a place of cover near the entrance to the chamber.

Oblivious to the goings-on in the main chamber, Agate copies down the information about "Primordial Key of Ilyralene". "Back to the Azure Halls! This would have been so much simpler if they had been open for the gala," she grumbles to Bailey. "I suppose that's all we're likely to find here. Unless you think there's something else we could search for?"

"Much as I'd love to, I think we have all we need for this," the ifrit replies, looking wistfully at the other books. "And yet we've hardly scratched the surface of all this knowledge. What's all the ruckus out there?"

The sulis look at each other grimly, draw their saps and their leader replies: "We're sorry but you must be stopped. Surrender and we won't harm you."

*CLACK-CLACK!!* "Funny. I was about to say the same thing." She says over the barrel of her musket.

She begins an attempt to influence them through the use of positive firepower. This requires some time (minimum a minute), so it may not be possible.

[dice=intimidate v speaker (Influence Opponent’s Attitude)]1d20+9[/dice]

Agate starts making her way back to the main chamber, only to see Thaia with her musket drawn. She tucks her notes away and readies her crossbow.

Not sure how far she would be allowed to move here-- if we're limited to one round's movement at a time right now, she'd be about 3 squares further back from where I've placed her.

"To whom are we surrendering? The answer to that will affect our response," Pavo asks the suli. "We are here because Lady Bereket suggested this as an alternative repository of knowledge in the first place."

They look to each other, clearly not thrilled with the outcome but steel themselves. "It does not matter. You have proven to be fools who meddle in things they scarcely understand. Your actions will destabilize the planes and kill thousands. This is for the greater good.

Round 1

Green Guard
Blazin' Bailey
Pavo
Agate
Ollo
Blue Guard
Thaia
Alexis
Orange Guarsd
Red Guard

One of the guards moves down the stairs as she begins chanting.

Go ahead!

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

Agate steps into the chamber and does some chanting and gesturing of her own. Casting Web, DC 16, centered on the sulis.

Pavo advances to the foot of the stairs. "If that is how you wish it," he says, brandishing his bardiche in warning. "However, I would prefer to avoid violence."

spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Blast! I couldn't hear the last bit. Was it 'Klaatu barada'-- something.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

Alexis finds herself contemplating the Sulis' dire admonition.

They actually seemed sincere that time, She thinks. Are we certain we know what we are doing...?

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

"They're casting a sleep spell! Watch fer each other!" Ollo yells out, recognizing the chanting. He dashes forward on his stubby dwarven legs, drawing his bow as he goes. Reaching the column, he drops his hammer and knocks an arrow to fire at the caster.

Attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Dmg?: 1d8 ⇒ 7

"Try not ta hurt 'em too bad.. they're just doin a job an we need som'one ta talk to!" he calls out

Bailey rushes into the chamber. "Or you could just tell us what not to do and why, a reasonable explanation is all you need to get us to stop...."

Double move.

Round 1

Green Guard
Blazin' Bailey
Pavo
Agate
Ollo
Blue Guard
Thaia
Alexis
Orange Guard
Red Guard

Ollo's arrow bounces off of the suli's armor, as another joins her sister-in-arms in chanting a spell!

"You've already been told: stop investigating and go back to your plane; seeking to free the other lord will only infuriate the other!"

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

"'Ware the Breath of Hypnos! Spread out as much as you are able!"

darkwood light crossbow vs whoever's casting the sleep spell: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
I can retrieve my bolt on an odd: 1d100 ⇒ 66

"Damn...!"

"'Ware the Breath of Hypnos! Spread out as much as you are able!"

"What!? Like someone who turns into some god's breath by the light of a full moon?"

spellcraft: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

"Oh, you were being poetic. Really, now? Perhaps later over wine. Now is the time for pragmatism."

Thaia rushes forward to the side of the spiral stairway, puts an elbow on one step, and takes aim at the guard coming round the central column.

"Well, that is the proper name of the dweomer, at least in the style they are invoking...."

Round 2

Green Guard - 8 dmg
Blazin' Bailey
Pavo
Agate
Ollo
Blue Guard
Thaia
Alexis
Orange Guard - Webbed
Red Guard

Green's Concentration check DC 19: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

The remaining suli, trapped by the Web, and with one of their own entrapped within, stay put and begin chanting their own spells.

The one whose spells nears completion finds its work unraveled by Thaia's gunshot, which wounds her grievously.

Sorry, I remember thinking "huh, I'll have to remember that when I can update" and never did. So, edited to reflect what has been going on.

So... no web then?

Thanks! Darn, those sulis are slipperier than I expected...

Spellcraft on the second spell: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

"They're still trying to put us to sleep," Agate warns the others. She loads and fires at the blue guard.

Light crossbow into partial cover: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 6 - 2 = 23
Confirm threat: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 6 - 2 = 5

Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 7
Extra damage if threat confirmed: 1d8 ⇒ 4 you know, just in case

"I have a solution, but it's a bit cruel," Bailey calls to his companions. To the guards he raises his voice. "You want to talk this out, or burn? I'd rather the former, I hope you do too, but I can live with either." Already the ifrit's fingers crackle with arcane fire and accompanying menace.

Readying an action to use an elemental ray or burning hands unless the team or the guards object (but the latter better have a peaceful alternative in mind).

"Fer tha love of all tha's holy, WHAT IS IT WITH YOU ELEMENTAL PEOPLE AN REFUSIN' TA TALK???" Ollo hollers out at them as they continue to fight. Turning to his companions, he says "Try not killin' any o' them.. Be do what ye have ta to defend ourselves.."

He stalks over towards the rest of the group, pulling out a wand as he does so. With a quick flick of his wrist, he activates it, sending a holy blessing to cover his companions before stowing the wand once more.

Considering that Blue will be completing his sleep spell, you may want to roll that elemental ray so I can see if I can even try and make that concentration check.

Ah, good point. Looks like he might have total cover, tho, but it should still make him nice and toasty in the longer run.

Biting the bullet, Bailey launches a bolt of fire at the guard closest to completing their spell. Even if his aim continues to suffer as it has today, the web is about to get hot.

Elemental Ray vs. Blue: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

Weird. When Upaynao deleted his OOC post and edited the combat post, I stopped getting updates.

Reflex: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Pavo twists out of the way of the spreading webs. "What? I'm not sure how this helps us."

CMB: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

The paladin stomps carefully through the thick webbing, which slows down a great deal.

Red and Orange are now threatened by Pavo.

Round 2

Green Guard - 8 dmg
Blazin' Bailey
Pavo
Agate
Ollo
Blue Guard - 7 dmg
Thaia
Alexis
Orange Guard - Webbed
Red Guard - 7 dmg

While Bailey's elemental blast misses the suli in blue, Agate's crossbow bolt hits her, lodging deep into her left breast.

Blue Concentration Check, DC 18: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Orange Concentration Check, DC 18: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

The pain is such that she looses the spell. Her companion in red does not, managing to keep the flow of the spell going as Pavo's bardiche cuts her.

Drawing her crossbow, the suli in blue takes a shot at the gun-wielding woman.

Crossbow, Archologist's Luck: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 2 + 1 = 12
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

But fortune does not favor her, and Thaia dodges out of the way.

From where I am now, would you rule that a 15-foot cone would hit green, orange, and blue?

You'd get two out of three.

Then the answer is 'no.'

Rising back up from cover, intoning the words of magic, Thaia returns fire with her seemingly empty firearm. This time there is no sound, just a subtle rippling of the air from the business end of her musket.

[dice=ear-piercing scream v Blue (Fort DC 15)]2d6+1[/dice]

Round 3

Green Guard - 8 dmg - Prone
Blazin' Bailey
Pavo
Agate
Ollo
Blue Guard - 8 dmg, Prone
Thaia
Alexis
Orange Guard - Prone
Red Guard - 7 dmg

Fort, Blue: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

The suli in blue falls, bleeding out profusely as her frail constitution cannot cope with the change in air pressure and the bursting of her eardrums.

CMB, Escape the Web DC 16: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

"Nooo!" shouts the other draped in orange cloths, managing to escape the webbing and dropping to the ground to avoid any further fire. Her companion in the meantime, finishes her spell. And swears when it becomes apparent that fewer than expected are affected.

Bailey, give me a Will save, DC 12.

The remaining one yells "I got her, now put them to sleep for the love of the Balance!!" casts a spell, touches her companion and drops to the ground to avoid further bolts from Alexis.

Cure Light Wounds on Blue: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Her companion stirs, blinking. "What the ... OW. Subdue them!"

Mentally cursing the agility of the sulis, Agate dismisses the web with a quick incantation and moves to help present less of a group target.

Pavo takes step forward as the conjured webbing begins to fade. "Stop fighting us and talk. Please!" the paladin pleads with the suli. He swings his large blade at the standing suli, unwilling to take advantage of a fallen foe (even if they made themselves fall) for the time being.

Bardiche: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
S, Cold Iron: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

5-foot Step, since the web was dismissed
Attack vs. red

Will: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22

Bailey feels a bit woozy for a second, but snaps out of it. He rushes up the steps a ways and launches another fire bolt.

Elemental Ray vs. Red, into melee: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 2 - 4 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Don't forget to add you bonuses from Bless!

Ollo slides his wand into his belt as he dashes forward tocome up behind Bailey.

Round 3

Green Guard - 8 dmg - Prone
Blazin' Bailey
Pavo
Agate
Ollo
Blue Guard - 8 dmg, Prone
Thaia
Alexis
Orange Guard - Prone
Red Guard - 5 dmg - Prone

"Stand fast! We must prevail! We cannot let them disrupt the Balance!" shouts the suli in blue, casting a spell to heal her companion. She gasps and returns to consciousness.

Cure Light Wounds: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

I'm not entirly certain how high a twist in the stair is but assuming that she can scale one at half her speed (which is 30'), and bring her into range of most or all of the Suli where a 15-foot cone spell might hit, she bare-handed scales the side of the steps and brings her gun to bear. If this doesn't seem feasible for whatever reason let me know and she might restate. Note she moves up stairs if she has movment left and that seems to be helpful in achieving her goal. Thaia is a VERY competitive woman.

climb: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25 Okay. :)

If that puts 3 or more Suli into range, she casts color spray through her musket. It looks like a magical sawed off shotgun blast of colorful translucent pellets.

In that case, I'll have to see how Thaia's action works out before I take mine....

Round 3

Green Guard - 8 dmg - Prone
Blazin' Bailey
Pavo
Agate
Ollo
Blue Guard - 8 dmg, Prone
Thaia
Alexis
Orange Guard - Prone, Unconscious+Stunned+Blinded End round 7, Stunned+Blinded End round 11, Stunned End round 12
Red Guard - 5 dmg - Prone

Will, Green DC 14: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

Thaia ascends up the half-stair, half-rocky protrusion until she is level with them all, and then unleashes a color spray which knocks the suli in orange out.

concentration DC 17 (just in case, because she's so close): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

"Taste the rainbow." Thaia grimly says through clenched teeth.

Is there more stair spiraling upward or are the Suli on level with the floor above?

There's more stair, you aren't quite level, just level enough to get all four of them in the cone.

So are the Suli more or less level with the floor above? Or does the stair continue further up? I ask because I want to know whether or not a person could be knocked from the top plane, (which I guess would mean there is some sort of 5'-10' gap between the above floor/ceiling floor and the top level of the stair that people have to drop through a hole in the floor to land on, otherwise it would be a solid pillar with coiling stairs and with no real top plateau--aside from the floor of the room above, of course).... Meh. It's a weird map. I should go back and read the description of the place. :)

It is more like a coiling staircase. As to whether someone could be knocked down, it depends where that person is.

Assuming the square between green and my present position is something I'd need to climb to access....

Alexis emits a gentle sigh of frustration, shoots...

darkwood light crossbow vs green: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
low lets me retrieve my bolt: 1d100 ⇒ 6

...sighs with frustration again, and reloads.

Round

Green Guard - 8 dmg - Prone - Spell Readied
Blazin' Bailey
Pavo
Agate
Ollo
Blue Guard - 8 dmg, Prone
Thaia
Alexis
Orange Guard - Prone, Unconscious+Stunned+Blinded End round 7, Stunned+Blinded End round 11, Stunned End round 12
Red Guard - 5 dmg - Prone

The suli in red begins chanting anew, hoping perhaps to put one of you down without resorting to bloodshed.

Another Sleep spell.

Meanwhile, her companion in green shouts "You ask us to talk, but why won't you heed our warnings???" as she readies to cast a spell.