PFS #9-05: Call of the Copper Gate (PFS PbP Gameday VII) 6 Oct 18

Game Master Paladin of Baha-who?

Forgot to open this gameplay thread for dotting!

Since some people have already checked in, I'm going to start things since I'm going to be away for a significant portion of the 6th. We won't start actual tactical rolls until the evening of the 6th at the earliest.

Audible alarm spells fill the Grand Lodge with shrill chimes, as apprentice Pathfinders hustle through the ground floor locking doors and casting protective spells. You have each received an urgent sending from Paracountess Zarta Dralneen, asking you to meet her at a central junction near the entrance to the Pathfinder Society vaults.

Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin rounds the corner in a visibly agitated state, with the Paracountess impatiently dogging at his heels. “Ambrus, this kind of situation is exactly why I founded the Dark Archive in the first place. Give me and my agents a chance to…”

“A chance to what, Zarta? Tinker around with unstudied artifacts while Pathfinders’ lives might be at risk?” Valsin’s voice booms curtly over the alarms. As if startled by the harsh sound of his voice, Valsin flinches and quickly gains his composure. “I’m sorry, Zarta. I understand your point; I just can’t think about it right now while something is happening inside our very walls. If you can marshal a team to put a lid on this debacle, I’m sure the Decemvirate will give you some more rope. Just be careful you don’t wind up hanging yourself with it.”

As Valsin stalks down the corridor checking to see if the doors are secured, Zarta turns, a sly smirk spreading across her face. “That’s the closest I’ve gotten to a ‘yes’ in months. Of course, now we have to prove that we can handle emergencies like this in a pinch. Come along then. I’ll explain on the way.” Zarta rushes down a flight of spiral stairs, drawing a crooked wand from the folds of her dress. “As you may know, the Dark Archive has been gathering, cataloging, and reinforcing magical wards over all manner of dangerous or mysterious items, some of which we store in these underground vaults. Apparently one of the items has activated and malfunctioned. The good news is that our alarm system and lockdown procedure ran swimmingly; the bad news is that now we have a bizarre magical device wreaking havoc in our basement. That is where you come in.”

Zarta stops outside a stone door with sickly yellow roots lazily snaking between its edges. “This is the vault. All we know is that whatever is inside is animating the other devices stored in here, and spewing plant-like matter throughout the room. The plants aren’t any sort I’ve seen before, so I would recommend caution. I’ve brought a wand that I should be able to use to repel the flora. You all take care of the animated items and disarm whatever’s causing this situation, preferably without damaging it until we can learn more. Understood?”

You can do character descriptions and introductions, and can feel free to ask questions of Zarta, though the hurried situation may make her answers brief. No purchases are possible at this time. You should have whatever spells you would normally prepare on a typical day in Absalom while 'on-call' for the Society.

The tiefling nodded at being given his instructions. Most of the time, he would have groaned and complained at being given another boring mission, but his hard work was being awarded....given a mission by the Paracountess herself!

”Do we know anything about this particular item? Where was it procured? Any idea about its innate magical properties?”

Xantanax, an average sized male human with blonde hair and green eyes takes a look at the roots slithering out from the door. He then reaches over his left shoulder and draws his greatsword. He takes care not to scratch his evidently newly forged sword against his shiny full plate mail which also looks very, very new. So new in fact, that it still gleams like it was forged last week!

[b]"I know not what foul magicks lie beyond the door, but I will meet it with cold steel!'{/b]

Vlazis is a devilishly handsome man with a challenging look in his eyes. Amongst his Chelish military colors he proudly bears the symbols of Asmodeus and his Archdevils, Dispater most prominently.

His warm and charming smile is nowhere in evidence as he strides confidently on Zarta's heels.

"Are there any of the animated objects we should take care to disable, rather than destroy?"

Desini, an attractive young woman dressed in light clothes that reveal a generous amount of her smooth, olive-coloured and tattooed skin, rushes along with the rest of the group, the braids of her long, dark hair bouncing up and down on her back as she moves.

A glint of amusement flashes across her startling, serpent-like green eyes and a thin snake-like tongue flicks across her full lips. "I can hardly imagine a life without thessse rogue artifactsss. Lassst time it wasss water, this time wild plantsss. How exciting!"

Zarta shakes her head at Vlazis. "Very conscientious, my dear, but we must stop these things from causing trouble. If any vital objects become damaged, we'll get a mage to cast make whole on it -- I've several who would be enraptured to find themselves in my good graces."

Greetings, I apologize for my delayed arrival. I am quite certain the directions to this place were misplaced in transit and I had to inquire along the way. Roderick...Roderick Xim at your service.

The heavily bearded human bows stiffly. He wears leather armor covered in many pouches and bottles. He puffs on a pipe as he listens to the report. He has a long spear propped against the wall and a dagger at his belt.

Suddenly while Zarta starts talking, a huge armored Nagaji arrives in the hall while exclaiming "It's here, I'm sorry I was giving the report of my last mission when I heard the threats and I ran out to the place", by the way my lady I am Korandil at your service "

I've updated the map. There was no 'clean' copy of the map, since it's custom for the scenario, so ignore the icons on it please. You'll see what they label anyway as soon as you're in the door.

Zarta peers at the roots for a moment, and draws her wand, testing its effects on them. A the application of the spell, they wither away, freeing the door to open. "Excellent, this will work nicely. Gentlefolk, let us begin!" And with that, she flings the door open dramatically.

Sticky, humid air saturates this dome-shaped chamber, and veins of yellow-green tendrils form a web across its stone walls. A thin layer of slimy green pollen coats the hundreds of small curios scattered throughout the room, as well as the sundered crates that once stored them. Bulbous tubes of spiny fungus sprawl across the floor, connected to thick columns that reach up to the ceiling and dangle pods of prickly, putrid fruit. All of these growths are rooted to a glowing glass sphere filled with churning yellow protoplasm, which hovers six feet above the floor. Two bands of coalesced spores encircle the sphere like planetary rings.

Directly ahead of the door, a whirlwind of crystal shards swirls in an area of about 10 foot diameter.

Initiative:
Roderick
Molos
Xantanax
Zarta
Desini
Vlazis
Xukong
Golem
Korandil

Spellcraft 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Know. Arcana 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

Molos wasn’t sure what the shards were so he decided to test them with an acid splash cantrip.

RTA 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Damage 1d3 ⇒ 3

spellcraft: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15 he watches the woman wield the wand with ease.

Interesting. I am unfamiliar with such a wand. But highly effective.

Roderick considers ascertaining the nature of the menace, but realizes he has no training in the area.

I daresay, that is quite the spectacle. Until I know better what we are dealing with, I do not think it would be prudent to introduce explosives into the equation.

Instead, he mixes a Mutagen, which he drinks quickly.

+4 dex -2 Char, +2AC for 60mins

Xantanax draws his sword. " I know not what kind of evil this be, but I will put an end to it!"

He enters the room and moves 20 feet ahead.

Xantanax steps forward, and hesitates as he reaches one of these massive cords of fungal life.

Do you step onto the fungus, jump over it, requiring a DC 10 Acrobatics, or go around it? I've set the map to be editable, so you should be able to move yourselves.

Xantanax will make a leap over the fungus with Acrobatics.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

Molos tried to jump over it as well.

Acrobatics 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

His attempt did not go well.

Map should be editable by everyone.

Where did you want to go, Molos?

Molos slips on a bit of slick floor and steps right into a putrescent mass of reeking fungus. Fortitude: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 It doesn't seem to affect him other than to be pretty gross.

Sorry DM, I’m a phone poster. I can’t edit the maps well. Molos wants to follow after Xantanax in that general direction, of someone would be kind enough to move me. .

I believe the slides app from google will allow you to edit the maps even from phones, though it may not be the easiest on a touchscreen. I moved you just behind Xanatax.

Korandil takes his weapon and enter on the room ready to finish this menace.
acrobatics: 1d20 - 4 ⇒ (20) - 4 = 16

Korandil acts after the next group of people.

Zarta begins speaking in a commanding voice. "Our goal is the beacon! If it is not disabled, fighting this creature... these creatures... and this fungus will be much more difficult! Remember our unity and purpose!"

She is starting a bardic performance using Perform (oratory) to inspire courage in all of you. You gain a +2 competence bonus on attack and damage rolls, and a +2 morale bonus on saves against charm and fear effects.

She moves forward, readying her wand.

Initiative:
Desini
Vlazis
Xukong
Golem
Korandil
Roderick
Molos
Xantanax
Zarta

Active buffs: Inspire courage +2

Vlazis strides confidently forward into the room, calling upon Dispater to Bless this undertaking.

"What will it require to disable this beacon, my lady?"

"One could disable the mechanisms, or simply smash it. Let me know if you need me to inspire your skilled hands instead of your strength at arms."

Active buffs: inspire courage +2, bless +1 (attack bonuses stack but not bonus to saves). If needed, Zarta can switch to Inspire Competence for a +3 to skill checks. She apparently has between 7 and 10 levels of bard.

"If the beacon isss the goal, bessst get there quickly!" Desini backs up her words with a quick spell to speed up the group, moving up beside her faction leader.

Haste on all six PCs, excluding herself and Zarta

Would I have had time to use my shield wand before combat started? My armor class is presently presented as though I didn't do that, but if you say I could have done that, then I did. Given time, I'd also have given myself guidance from my Jade Wayfinder.

Knowledge (Arcana) DC 15: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
Knowledge (Arcana) DC 28: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26

From somewhere behind them, the party suddenly hears the screech of sharp-edged metal on the tiles of the hallway outside, rapidly getting louder as it gets closer, until finally a profoundly unsettling figure charges past and beyond them with an inhuman howl like the icy wind of some distant, desolate world rushing over fields of half-living metal.
Well, 'charged' is probably not the right word, given that this...creature, whose sex is quite obscured by a beautiful, strangely-cut kimono and a a stunning full-face mask of metal and cloth, does not so much 'charge' as skitter, lurch, and (most disconcertingly of all, somehow) hop its way through the chamber.
Sinuous, abnormally-structured muscles can be seen beneath marble-colored skin where it is not covered by kimono, mask, or its long silk gloves over its spidery hands, and a shock of long hair, purest black in color save for a slight turquoise tinge, emerges from the back of its mask, which otherwise exposes only the wearer's eyes: two stark white almonds, as bright and as cold as distant stars. It smells of apricot vinegar, loam, and an array of herbs and minerals such as would be equally suitable emanating from an alchemist's laboratory as from a Tien spice cupboard. At its sides are a small hexagonal spellbook, a sheaf of assorted wands, and the source of the noise that heralded this...entity's arrival: An extraordinary black sword that looks all by itself like something out of some dark legend.

Spending 1 Arcane point to make my weapon +2 for 1 minute.

Acrobatics if necessary/desirable for avoiding attacks opportunity or anything else, guidance: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 +1 to this if I could've used my Jade Wayfinder first

[dice="Shard" (+1 Black Bastard Sword) +2, courage, blessing, haste]1d20+14[/dice] WTH does that keep happening?
Trying again: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20 O-ho! Why if it isn't my totem number! Let's make it COUNT, 'a-'a-'a-'a!
Threat roll!: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23 Assuming that hits, I'll spend 2 more Arcane points for...
PERFECT STRIKE!: 3d10 + 30 ⇒ (6, 3, 3) + 30 = 42

The mysterious individual's sword appears to glow black (something most of the rest of you might never have thought possible even to imagine until you've seen it), and the glyphs on the delicate prayer scroll hanging near the top of its mask seem to dance as it slashes at the strange amalgam with unnatural power!

It takes a moment to flash a quick look back at the party. It says nothing, but quickly produces a token of the Open Road.

korandil moves 20 ft and enter on the room

I think the quotes might mess up the parser. As for the shield, I didn't really give anyone else time to pre-buff either. The scenario specifically says that the PCs are supposed to be rushed into this first combat almost immediately.

The masked warrior jumps and skips his way over the battlefield, his jumps made easy by the hasting magic cast by Desini. His sword slashes through the cloud of tiny shards. Many of the shards shatter to minuscule fragments as he cuts through, but they are so hard, and so much of the swarm is empty space, that much less actual damage is done than would be to a creature that was a single solid object.

You would actually have to make a jump every time you went over the fungal strands, but considering haste increases your land speed by 30, it also gives you an effective +12 on acrobatics checks to jump meaning that no one can actually fail these checks anymore. So, no one needs to bother making them. If you stop in a square occupied by fungi, rather than just having fungi along the borders of the square, you'll be exposed, but otherwise you can easily hop over them.

The swarm of shards seems to respond to the attack, moving over Xukong's form and engulfing him in a storm of razor-sharp cutting edges. Xukong takes 9 swarm damage, and needs to make a DC 14 Fortitude save or take 2 Strength damage as well.

As you watch, bits of debris on the ground lift up and join the swirling swarm attacking Xukong.

Korandil (Korandil, you said you want to move 20 feet forward, but that square is occupied by Vlazis at the moment. Do you want to do a double move?)
Roderick
Molos
Xantanax
Zarta
Desini
Vlazis
Xukong
Golem

double movement ill go to help Xukong

Molos casts Magic Missile at the beacon to see if it has any effect.

Damage 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (4, 2) + 2 = 8

Xantanax moves to where he is now thanks to the Haste effect and swings his sword against the beacon.

Greatsword: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 272d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 6) + 6 = 18

Critical Confirmation: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 112d6 + 6 ⇒ (3, 6) + 6 = 15

Unless otherwise noted, Xantanax will always use Power Attack with the modifiers factored into rolls

Roderick will take full advantage of the extra speed and move into the room, vaulting over vines. (End in space south of G3)

”Now I have better perspective, let’s try an experiment in the electrical domain “

He liofts an electrical bomb at the cloud, excluding his allies (2) from the blast

Bomb, range, pb, haste, mutagen: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 9 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 32
for Shock dmg : 3d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (6, 6, 6) + 3 + 1 = 22 5'r splash, 6 elec dmg (DC14 for half).

Wow. My best bomb roll ever and I bet it is immune or something

Molos tries to focus the spell, and the swirling mass of shards is too confusing, making him unable to think of a particular target in the mass.

Swarms cannot be targeted by spells that require you to designate one or more target creatures. Actually, for that matter, they're immune to critical hits too. Xukong, go ahead and take back that 2 arcane points because your high knowledge roll would have allowed you to know that. On the other hand, they're vulnerable to area effects, like bombs.

Xanatanx smashes his blade against the beacon. It doesn't do as much damage as the blade would against a living being, but it certainly sends a crack up the side. The beacon shakes but keeps functioning, and Xanatax's proximity seems to trigger something in the device. The space around him seems to twist and alter, and in the center of the beacon he can see an alien landscape, with rugose, grey-green surfaces stretching out in bulges and trenches, with squamous, crawling monstrosities making their way across it, in the light of a tiny, cold sun barely bigger than a bright star. The altered space pulls at his anatomy as the beacon seems to exert a force greater on the parts of his body closer to it, stretching him out and causing him to want to cry out in pain. Xanatax takes 11 NL damage, 1 Dex and 1 Str damage.

Roderick tosses a well-aimed bomb right into the center of the cloud. With an intense smell of ozone and a bright purple electrical discharge, thousands of individual shards are disintegrated in the blast.

Zarta exclaims, "Well done! Keep those shards away from us so we can disable that beacon!" More to come later.

G 41
2d6 ⇒ (5, 6) = 11

Actually, for that matter, they're immune to critical hits too. Xukong, go ahead and take back that 2 arcane points because your high knowledge roll would have allowed you to know that.

That would mean I'd not have used my Numerological Gift, either!

Fortitude save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19 additional +1 if it had the [Earth] subtype

The carving of Xukong's flesh appears almost akin to the carving of marble, plaster, or a desiccated corpse - though it now sports several deep lacerations, almost nothing comes out of them.

Zarta maintains her inspiring words, and moves forward to zap an area of fungus with her wand. The white squares marked on the map are now clear of fungus and you can step across them easily without even acrobatics checks.

Bold are up!

Desini
Vlazis
Xukong
Golem
Korandil
Roderick
Molos
Xantanax
Zarta

"Do you think we can disssable the Beacon with magic, or will it need to be done manually?" Desini continues to move up next to Zarta, drawing her crossbow and casually letting loose a crossbow bolt into the swarm

Light Crossbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13 Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 8

The crossbow bolt flies through the swarm without hitting anything at all.

Botting:

Xukong attacks twice with the benefit of magical speed.

attacks: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 9 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 171d20 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 9 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 34 Too bad it cannot be critted.

damage: 1d10 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 6 + 2 = 18

Again, a small amount of damage is done by Xukong's slashing through the shards.

Vlasiz walks up close to Xukong and pulls out his wand of Infernal healing, ready to heal the magus when needed. Sorry I couldn't figure out anything else for him to do.

The Golem continues swirling around Xukong, damaging him further. 2d6 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10 damage from the swarm, and1d2 ⇒ 2 Str damage. DC 14 fortitude negates the strength damage.

Bold are up!

Korandil
Roderick
Molos
Xantanax -- On your turn, Xantanax, please make a Fortitude save, DC 14. If you fail, take another 1 Dex and 1 Con damage (the Strength damage in the earlier post was a mistake, it was supposed to be Con) and 2d6 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6 nonlethal damage.
Zarta
Desini
Vlazis
Xukong
Golem

Fortitude: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Not able to think of any other possible attack to make other than beating the thing with a somewhat sharp metal stick, Xantanax whacks it again.

Greatsword: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 132d6 + 6 ⇒ (4, 2) + 6 = 12

Korandil makes double movement again to go to beacon

Agh! Sorry - If kosher I'd like to use my standard to issue an Inspiring Command, giving Xantanax and Xukong a +2 insight bonus to Attacks, AC, and Skills for a turn

OK we can do that. This would mean that Xukong's first attack would actually hit.

damage: 1d10 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13

The golem is still there, though diminished. Some of the shards scattered around on the floor are starting to rise up to join the whirlwind.

Great - thanks. And now since it did happen...

"Take care my friends; these shards will overwhelm us if we allow them to resist for too long. Strike now!"

Xukong attacks twice with the benefit of magical speed.

1d10+6+2

Sorry; I guess I was hoping/waiting for some other shoe to drop before acting, but I forget what it would have been

Also, those damage rolls should both be "1d10+10": +2 weapon, Strength-and-a-half because I'm using both hands, and Zarta's bonus.

Also, Xukong's more an "it" than anything else; between mask, kimono, generally inhuman countenance, and aversion to being touched by others, Xukong's sex is just one of its many mysteries.

Fortitude save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11 additional +1 if it has the [Earth] subtype...not that it matters this time, either...but hey, there's my totem number again! Let's make that a natural '20'!

The glyphs on the delicate prayer scroll hanging near the top of Xukong's mask seem to dance as it is again surrounded by the vicious scrap, and once again the absence of major blood loss from the wounds is as conspicuous as it is eerie.

Molos saw his magic was useless here, so he too moves toward the beacon, pulling his dagger as he moved..

Will someone move me toward the beacon, please?

Roderick sees the swirling continue to ravage his friends.

Well, I daresay I cannot do better than the last toss, but I will try it again.

He aims another shock bomb at the cloud. Hah! knew it!

But the throw goes a bit off.1d8 ⇒ 7 miss direction.

Bomb, range, pb, bard: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 9 + 1 + 2 = 13
for Shock dmg : 3d6 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5, 5, 5) + 3 + 1 + 2 = 21 5'r splash, 6 elec dmg (DC14 for half).

He excludes his 2 friends from the blast splash

Ok, that additional damage actually makes a difference, then!

The slashes of Xukong apparently did more damage than they realized at first, and the pieces of the golem crash to the ground, crumbling. Some of it still moves, but it is not able to cause any damage at the moment.

Then Xantanax swings his massive blade again, crashing it directly through the center of the beacon. It winks out, releasing its strange hold on his body, and the view of the strange landscape vanishes. With that, the final shards around Xukong fall to the ground, lifeless, and the fungal strands immediately begin shriveling and fading.

Combat over!

Zarta lithely slips the wand back into the folds of her dress, her eyes darting around the blasted vault. "Nicely done, if inelegant. Still, one must admire such..." she places a delicate hand on Xantanax's muscular shoulder, "...brutal effectiveness. I’ll go to Ambrus and lift the lockdown. That being said, you still have work to do." Her gaze falls upon the dormant glass sphere that the warrior's second strike knocked free of the beacon, its fluid contents now black and flecked with pinpricks of light. “I don’t know what caused this to happen, but I do recognize that item. The Society purchased it from the Arcanamirium a few weeks ago for further study when they told us they suspected its magic was somehow linked to the Dark Tapestry. It’s one of a set of three, and if this one malfunctioned, I anticipate the others won’t be far behind.” Zarta digs through one of the wrecked crates and emerges with three small lead boxes etched with sigils. She places the sphere into one of the boxes and fastens it shut. “At this point, our responsibility is to contain these devices before they cause any lasting damage. Get whatever supplies you need first. Once you are ready, head to the Arcanamirium, find the other two items, and place them inside these warding containers. Their magic is keyed to each other, so you shouldn’t need to disarm the other devices; just scoop them into the boxes and lock the lids. Once we have all three, we can figure out where to go from there. Do not delay, but tread carefully. The Society knows precious little about the forces of the Dark Tapestry, other than that those who deal with them haphazardly often find their sanity compromised.”

She smiles wryly and gestures at the pieces of material scattered around the floor, that had been part of the beacon as well as the golem-swarm. "You may take anything you find useful, my darlings."

On the floor, you can find a masterwork buckler, a masterwork starknife, a masterwork throwing axe, and an adamantine flail. In addition, the shards of the golem and the beacon seem like they would be useful, and you can gather three sacks worth.

As the others catch their bearings after the encounter, Zarta beckons the Dark Archive members to her side. "It is unfortunate that the whole beacon does not remain intact for study, but I think we can still make some headway with the core. I'd like the five of you to study this device and prepare a follow-up report for me. You can do this while the others prepare for the trip to the Arcanamirium, and if this means you can't make purchases you feel are needed, I'll have someone make them for you and deliver them.

"In addition, I suspect during your quest to secure the other beacons, you may encounter creatures influenced by, or directly from, the Dark Tapestry. Please seek any possible avenues for obtaining information straight from the source of this power, including interrogating a Dark Tapestry native or, ideally, taking one captive for later questioning in a secure location. Obviously, this may be dangerous, and you should not put your life or sanity at undue risk for this."

Skill challenge: Each Dark Archive PC may attempt this separately. Producing a sufficiently detailed report requires a PC to succeed at three different DC 17 skill checks from the following list before failing at two: Appraise, Craft (any), Disable Device, Knowledge (arcana, engineering, nature, or planes), Perception, Profession (herbalist), Spellcraft, or Use Magic Device.

Knowledge arcana 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Molos fills the other DA members on exactly what Zarta meant by the Dark tapestry.

At work. Please read the spoiler.

Desini listens to Zarta's instructions, joining her fellow Dark Archive members in some detailed study and analysis of the device. Not really one for rigorous study, the sorceress hopes she can takes notes well enough to satisfy her faction leader, who is well known as quite the demanding mistress.

Use Magic Device: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17
Kn. Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

Luckily, the tattoed spellcaster's innate understanding of magic is enough for her to capture the essence of what she observes.

Xantanax trembles at Zarta's touch and gazes at her longingly with puppy eyes. He then hears her say that he can take anything useful and the thought of loot breaks his fascination with her. He sees the flail and says,

"If no one else desires to use the flail, I would like to take it with me for this adventure. It might come in very handy."

Liberty's Edge here and very little in the way of Knowledge skills. Also, is the CON and DEX damage still present? If so, I will inquire of Zarta about getting that resolved before we continue if possible.