[PFS_CORE_Aerondor] 06-04 Beacon Below (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

Doubtful looks dubiously at the out of place stone, poking at it tentatively with one boot.

"Something down here, maybe." He adds.

He glances at the others, shrugs, then tries to pry it up.

Under the stone you find a cache of tools and a journal.

The journal, written in Ancient Osiriani, records 20 years of the Amethyst Sage’s work in archiving and recording lost treasures while wrestling to maintain his own identity when exposed to his sage jewel’s memories.

Several letters sandwiched between later pages describe, in brutal detail, multiple Qadiran raids in which the invaders killed or captured sages or sympathizers. The final year of entries is encoded;

It would likely take a couple of hours of work to try and decipher them, if it were even possible.

At Lem's suggestion Irizati points to the drawer.

"Baloo fetch."

Irizati assists and guides Baloo in pulling out the drawer.

DC 10 Str to assist: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24 *sigh*

Baloo's Str check inc reduce: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 6 + 2 = 20

With a crunch the draw is wrenched open. Several documents vanish in a puff of dust and old age at the brutal treatment. Still... at least one survives.

Added handover #2 to the map pack

Very interesting

Each time they enter in a room Jair tries to understand what's is important in the room using her talent as a librarian.

Take 10 in profession (librarian) for a 21

Nothing particular springs to her mind here. It was probably the librarian's office at some stage.

Heal: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Doubtful frowns at the strange tools hidden under the stone, not sure what they're for, but sure its nothing good.

He hands them to Jair, who at least finds them interesting.

Once they others are done looking at the office, and they head over to the damaged ritual chamber, he studies the stone there, trying to determine if it's in danger of collapse in the immediate future.

Perception: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 15 + 2 = 22

"Probably just blew themselves up or something." He finally concludes.

That's basicaly all there is to look at up here, yes?
Where's Saruna doing the purification ritual?

Know. (religion): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17

Jair don't recognize the tools but took it anyway.

Lets continue our exploration while Saruna finishes the ritual.

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (19) + 17 = 36

Looking at the paraphernalia Lem comments Do you want mummys? Because this is how you get mummy.

Archer reference anyone?

Saruna is performing the ritual in the temple to Throth. Where you first met her.

Prod... Just going to wait for the ritual to finish, or any other exploring etc you want to do?

Explore, Report, Cooperate. Do we feel we have explored as much as we can?

Do we have some other rooms to explore?

Yes, please walk us through exploring. We should not waste any time.

Aye, is there anywhere else to look?

Given you have a couple of hours, the team heads back down to explore the caves that connected to the levels below.

These are quite extensive and connect to the complex in three places. However you find little extra information in there, but are pretty sure they connect with the surface.

Having a second look over the other rooms, you find a small jar with a heart in it hidden away in Bardu's room. The jar radiates magic.

You return to the temple, where Saruna finishes her ritual.

"There is a final step. The glass guardian below holds vestiges of the jeweled sages power. You must take this heart close to it...within twenty feet, and present the gem."

Mechanically get within 20' of it and spend a full round action doing this. This will attract AOOs.

"That should allow it to absorb the energy and be recognized as a sage jewel. With that you should be able to have the guardian stand down and activate the portal to the library proper."

Thank you so much Saruna! You are a formidable person and a great librarian!
I would like to propose you something else for your life than being the sage's slave. As you never get out from this place for so many year, may be you don't know about the Pathfinders, an organization far more spread than the Jeweled Sage and about my dear Lady Zarta? She manages the Dark Archive, a faction in the Pathfinder Society that seek out dangerous relics, and retrieve them for proper storage and research in the Dark Archive in Absalom. Study and understand hazardous phenomena. She are looking for person like you.
What do you think?

Diplomacy (take 10): 10 + 13 + 2 = 25

Jair, give her the heart... its probably hers =)
That's sure to seal the deal!

"Always a catch." Doubtful mutters, when Saruna tells them hey have to get close enough to the protector golems to activate the jewel.

"And when it doesn't work?" He asks, already knowing the answer.

kn nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 nope.

"One less guardian? But I presume we can keep trying. Do you want to present the heart or do you want me to?"

My AC is 1 higher but you have higher touch and CMD if those come into play. Not to mention better saves.

I imagine whoever is quickest would be the more important factor... hopefully get in, take the full round action, and be done before the statues get a chance to smush you.
I think Irizati has both a higher movement (while an air elemental) and a better initiative... so would probably be a good option to try it.

Though Doubtful will reuse his mage armor wand, when it comes time to try! Whoever it is.

"Alas, I am geased to remain here." sighs Saruna.

"Also my heart is kept here. I believe a true jeweled sage would be able to remove my geas. With that gone and my heart returned, I would be willing to see how the world has changed over the centuries. Then might I decide whether to end this pathetic existence finally."

Sounds like Irizati will be the heartbearer.

"Anything special I need to do beyond hold out a gem while it probably tries to kill me?"

"Won't help anyway." Doubtful mutters, with a shrug.

For the record, the heart and the gem are two different things, right? And its the gem we're trying to use to suck juice from the golem?

Yes. The heart of Saruna is in the jar you recovered. The heart of Bardu is the gem that Saruna has been praying over in the temple.

"Hold it out firmly. It may take a few seconds, it is up to your friends to protect you during that time. Remember, you must be close to do this!

Sooo confused. What is going on?

I'm waiting to see if Jair offer her back her heart as part of her attempt to win her over.

Sorry, was caught up in work and fatigue from my travel back to France

Jair smile at Saruna, yes, I will gladly give you back your heart! We find it during our exploration. I hope you will choose to live and may be we will be able to find the right solution for your actual state of life.

Turning to Irizati she saysI will do my best to keep you alive.

Saruna looks at the jar with glee. "Saruna looks on you as the starving man look upon the feast."

She offers a dry smile. "Saruna was also the head librarian and knows of that within it." she adds.

"Three giants lift aloft a light in the darkness. Not only the light of knowledge is contained there, but also where other jewels may hold the blackness of ignorance at bay."

She plucks out the former stony heart of her rival. "The stars are aligned. I will follow as best I am able. Go ahead and open the path to the library."

I've moved you all to the main entrance to the room of the guardians. But there are obviously other ways in that you have found too. Let me know how you want to tackle this.

Thanks!

Let's try it Irizati, we all count on you! My wand is ready if you need help.

Says Jair once at the door of the room with the two golems.

If you are all happy with you positions, we can go to initiative, which is signaled by the magic mouth warning you experienced earlier.

Status, bold may post
Lem
Doubtful
Irzati
Jail
Numair
Pyra
Guardians

Shifted us slightly, as I assume the warnings come once we enter the room?

Which golem do we need to power the gem? The big one, or the small one?

The big one

I think we are missing some PCs. Is there a midadventure 4 player adjustment?

"Alright. Here I go."

"Baloo stay. For now anyway."

Irizati will hold out the heart and move next to the big golem.

If necessary I'll slip down to four player mods, I have done that before. But I'd prefer to give folk a chance to post up even if that delays things. With the start out Outpost, the site overhaul, and the PFv2 announcement all happening within quite a short time, a lot of follk are suffering a bit of overload in terms of games, accessibility and emotion.

Pyra clinks and clanks up to the "other" guardian, her adamantine scimitar in hand.

Double move & free drawing weapon

I haven't chimed in, because I had no interest in dealing with the Sphinx (or rather, I wanted to Fireball it, but refrained from doing so). I am still around.

Numair casts Haste.

For a moment, it looks like he was going to pass over Doubtful, but then he grudgingly includes the Dwarf.

Jair casts bless with her wand.

May knowledge gives you the upper hand against these creature.

Seeing Pyra distract the smaller construct, Doubtful moves with Irizati to the second. He makes making no aggressive moves towards the golem, instead taking up a more defensive posture, sure that he will need it in a moment.

Single move, then going defensive.

Is Irizati still airborn, if so I'll stand underneath him, else one square to the right.

Irizati is holding the heart about where it would normally go on the golem. Since it seems to be humanoid tall that is probably a few feet off the ground. So odds are you can stand below him.

The golem is size huge... his 'heart' would be some ways up, yes? =)

Yes, its heart would be quite high up!

As Irizati flies forward and tries to absorb the golems energy it strikes out at him.
attack: 1d20 ⇒ 10
As you ac 24 or 31 at the moment?

24 is my unbuffed AC. the number in the parentheses is my buffed AC though it includes Haste which wouldn't apply yet if that was an aoo via combat reflexes.

So you are currently running at 24 or 30?

I moved up to it at an AC of 30. Then Numair caste Haste boosting it to 31. If the attack was an aoo that occurred before Haste then AC 30. If it is an attack on it's turn it is 31. I can delete the unbuffed stats if it makes it easier to understand.

The blow missed.

The wood golem pounds away at Pyra, badly damaging the priest. The Glass golem tries the same on Irizati, but the speedy druid manages to avoid the blow, but the barest whif of a haste spell.

The brave druid holds up the heart, and after a few moments it glows with energy. As it does so, the two guardians stop attacking.

Status,
Lem
Doubtful
Irzati
Jail
Numair
Pyra - 26 damage;

If they have stopped attacking does that mean we are done? I don't think any of us plan to destroy them out of spite.

Irizati maintains his position waiting for whatever was supposed to happen to happen.

Yes, for the moment.

Saruna slowly squeezes herself down the passage to join you.

"I believe the runes on the pillar will give you a clue as to how to open it."

Know(arcana) checks required here

Doubtful stands in front of the larger golem, still on edge, expecting it to continue its beating at any moment.

"Hurry up then... I think it's going to change its mind any moment now."

Jair casts guidance on herself and try to understand the clue

Know. (arcana): 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 6 + 1 + 2 = 22 Use of my Archivist's boon from my faction card (grants +2)