[PFS_CORE_Aerondor] 06-04 Beacon Below (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 91d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 91d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 41d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 81d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 61d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 21d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
So, healed with 4 charges.
If we have time for 5 (or 6) rounds, then Pyra will:
round 1 - put scimitar away and pull out Wand of CLW
round 2 to 5 - use the Wand 4 times and put the Wand away
(round 6 - pull Scimitar out)
Otherwise, tell me at which round things go South.

Pyra moves to heal herself, while remaining in front of the Golem in case things go bad.

It takes about an hour, but Jair eventually figures out the runes. With a bit of work she thinks she can activate the ring gate to take the team to the library. However as she starts trying it she feels some resistance - and a kind of emphatic question about whether you are sure you want to open the gate.

Status,
Lem
Doubtful
Irzati
Jail
Numair
Pyra

Doubtful will renew his Mage Armor before they do.

Not expecting it to take hours to clear this place multiple of Irizati's buffs drop including all 3 Barkskins and more importantly Reduce Animal.

Baloo is back to being large. And since the mist doesn't seem to be an issue anymore Irizati switches over to lepord form. Though he'll stay human for a bit if there is anything we need to discuss first.

Jair is certain of that but she turns to her comrades and says.

Are you ready to enter and opening the Gate?

Pyra pulls a ring out: "Who wants to get engaged with me?"

Pyra will cast Shield Other on the person who takes the ring.

Either the person who feels they will be pure frontline, or Jair - who would be my first choice, since she has the least HP and rather low AC, as well as being a healer.

With a mental signal the gate is activated, and the team, along with Saruna, step through into the library of the Sages.

A cool breeze swirls off the water of a vast underground lake surrounding this location, carrying the scent of old parchment from the vast library. To the north, three statues appear to support an immense crystal. Constellations shine in the darkness above, while a luminous solar disk drifts slowly north to south, brightening the library with golden light. A door to the south leads into a small building.

As you step out, a ripple seems to travel through the cavern, and the massive solar disk starts to rapidly hurtle towards the ground...

You estimate you have two minutes... starting now.

Status, Round 1
Lem
Doubtful
Irzati
Jail
Numair
Pyra
Saruna

So *rapidly* is relative =)

Doubtful stairs around at the vast space, and up at the simulated sun over head and frowns. As the later seems to change trajectory, suddenly heading for a crash course with the floor, he snorts.

"Ya, shoulda expected that." He sighs. "How do you stop a sun?"

He looks around, trying to figure out what's going on.

Care to give a perception check with that Doubeful?

Irizati begins hunting for a black "heart". Baloo follows him.
Heading towards the big crystal thing first.

perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21 and scent.

Baloo merely sniffs for danger.
perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13 and scent.

oh... uh... Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33

Doubtful notices two figures - that look very much like the dismantled ones you saw above.

Dismantled ones? The ones in the big room with the golems that Jair wasn't able to id? Or the one that Badru was disassembling?

I'm assuming their the two things on the map, one to the west, and one of to the northeast?

"We're not the only visitors." He growls, as he notices the two other creatures.

Yes, thy were the same, they looked like mechanical centaurs... kind of. These ones are still moving though.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13

Pyra looks around...

Jair accepts Pyra's ring. With a genuine smile she says It will be my pleasure to be engaged with you.

Once they pass the portal and see her comrade looking around she says. Remember the note we found in the archivist's room it says that we must looking for four statues.

Jair looks around hoping to find the statues and uses them.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Sorry for my absence. Very poor connection here in the Canadian Rockies and am super busy. Please remember to bot me. Home late Saturday.

Lem renews Heroism on the Paladin before entering the gate.

"Place has lots of statues." Doubtful complains. "Take your pick.

He points absently at the four large statues, one at each end of the long concourses to the east and west. He tries to determine if they represent the four deities mentioned in the note Jair refered to.

(Ptah, Isis, Rah, and Thoth?) ... though he did ID Ptah earlier, in the room upstairs, so maybe I get that one for free? =)
Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

"But those things seem a bigger concern..." He points out the two mechanical centaur-like creatures, if the others have not noticed them by now, having no clue what they are.

I think we can assume that the figures are now pointed out and obvious to everyone.

Saruna looks at the falling sun "That is not supposed to happen.."

The two figures canter forward "State your business here immediately."

While, far at the back another, different, figure watches silently, with interest.

The two centaur like figures add "Speak now."

Status, Round 2
Lem
Doubtful
Irzati
Jail
Numair
Pyra
Saruna
Figures

Come with me Pyra. Says Jair who moves closest to one of the creature.

We are here to protect this place from the thieve who stole its knowledge and by the look of it, from its total destruction.
Please, let us find a way to stop all of that if you are true friend of Knowledge.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

Her adamantine scimitar held peacefully alongside her leg, Pyra trudges along with Jair. You can move my mini with you.

"I am Pyra, Templar of Sarenrae and the Silver Crusade, and we are here to make sure nothing more is stolen or lost for all eternity. We represent the Law."

Diplo' Aid Another: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16 for a +2 for Jair

"So you are allies of those who built this place?" asks the closer of the centaur-creatures.

We are seeker of knowledge. Those who built this place are now gone. It was thousands years ago. I can't say we are allies but what I know is the knowledge gathered in this place is important and someone steal it and clearly want to destroy it. she points at the sun.

Do you know how to stop this that we can talk more safely?

The close figure look ups, somewhat unconcerned. "No. I do not" it replies.

The two figures look at each other for a moment, suspicion on their faces.
Now is good time for a diplomacy check if you want to try that

Jair continues to try to convince the creatures that they can works together.

Your help will be of formidable addition to our strength in this matter.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

The creatures look suspicious, but don't attack. It takes the best part of a minute to convince them that you are not part of the order of jeweled sages yourselves, during which time the sun continues to sink towards the beacon.

Looking upward it says "If you know how to stop it, that would be helpful. We must arrest the fugitive, which would be difficult if destroyed."

Status, round 11. Bold may post
Lem
Doubtful
Irzati
Jail
Numair
Pyra
Saruna
Figures (currently indifferent)

You would guess you have less than a minute left...

Diplo' aid another, w. +14 cannot fail, so +2 to Jair in case passing 30 is important ; but I think it is too late.

"Sarenrae, Sun Goddess, stop this!", Pyra calls out.
But looks to her comrades: "I have not much to stop this falling orb..."

Pyra tries to see if there is any way to at least cushion its blow - maybe using a large war horse...

"Use the Beacon!" cries out Saruna. "[b]You have the jewel, you can command it...

"Like that will work." Doubtful mutters, still eyeing the mechanical creatures, waiting for them to turn on them.

Jair has the jewel, right?

Yes

Numair waits patiently to see whether Jair has any luck with the jewel.

Looking at what she has in hands, Jair runs toward the center of the complex and try to use the beacon.

STOP!

Doubtful will follow Jair, unsure what the second creature is up to, but figuring it will reveal its nefarious intentions soon enough. He moves right past her, but stops before approaching the strange device too closely, instead circling around it, getting between the second, larger creature, and the cleric.

Double move

Jair approaches the beacon, but finds a force field in place around it. She gets the sense she will have to be closer to use the jewel to command the beacon. Saruna notes "That was not there before.."

The other centaur doesn't interfere with her as she approaches it. Above the sun continues to streak down like a meteor toward the pathfinders.

Doubtful quickly checks out the statues. He identifies the northwest statue as Ptah, the southwest statue as Thoth, the northeast statue as Ra, and the southeast statue as Isis.

Status, round 11. Bold may post
Lem
Irzati
Numair
Pyra
Saruna
Figures (currently indifferent)
Jair
Doubtful

Recalling the Wand of Dispel Magic, Numair notes:

"Can we take turns trying to use the Wand to Dispel the barrier? Failing that, does anyone have some sort of dimensional travel ability?"

A thought then occurs to him, and he turns to the centaur-creatures.

"You did not get down here with a Jewel, which suggests that you may have to ability to use interdimensional travel of some kind; do you have access to Dimension Door, and if so, could you take us inside the barrier, so that we can try and stop the 'sun' from falling?"

If I need to use Diplomacy to request aid in this situation, then I will abort the attempt, since I doubt we have enough time for that.

During the conversation Irizati moves around and approaches the beacon from the south. He then bites it.

blugoning/slashing/piercing/magic dmg: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

"Our means of arrival were not sufficient for our departure. We have been here for some millennia."

Irizati slams into the force field, but seems unable to affect it.
Damage did not overcome hardness

Status, round 11. Bold may post
Lem
Pyra
Saruna
Figures (currently indifferent)
Jair
Irzati
Numair

One of the statue commands the field! I'm sure of it. Ptah if I remember well.

Remembering the command words she says

Glory to the Architect!

That's not what the scroll we found said. Ptah allows for the creation of walls.
The beacon requires a sage jewel to use! It just might take a roll of some sort now that you're there?

THough I suppose a wall might stop it, I guess.

Sensing the coming disaster Lem tries to dismiss the force field with the wand of Dispel Magic. As a move action he will begin a perform in case that can help anyone.

Dispel Magic: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

If it can help note that Lem can inspire confidence for +3 to a skill check and would have done so for the diplomacy rolls. He has plenty of performance rounds remaining. Also he can take 20 on a knowledge roll still if that comes up.

Not knowing what else to do, Pyra slashes twice at the invisible wall with her adamantine scimitar, two handed, putting power into the blow...

Adamantine: 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 91d6 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Lem wields his wand. Obviously practised from his earlier endeavors, the cleaver halfling brings down the wall of force.

Those of you who have visited the sanctum in the past Done destiny of the sands 3 recognize another figure - a hound of Tindalos appearing in the spacial anomaly. However as the forcefield comes down and the beacon is used to command the sun, it fades from view.

So in theory the hound could have attacked half way through your negotiations, but at this stage I have taken a DM fiat to have it arrive just after (which is still within its random interval time). It was going to attack at the end of the round, but with the forcefield down, it poses no real threat to you in and of itself - just a delay to something that was very important to happen.

As Jair commands the sun, it continues to fall, but slows as it does so. With quick thinking the other pathfinders remember the command for the statue of Ptah and use it to erect a temporary wall of force to keep the sun away from the beacon. It only holds for a few seconds, but by that stage the sun has all but lost its force, and starts to slowly ascend back into the sky.

Well done everyone!

The mechanical centaurs look at each other. "We will go in search of the criminal. Do not stand in our way."

Numair breathes a sigh of relief when the 'Sun' starts to go back up into the sky.

"Good job, everyone!"

When he hears the centaurs' pronouncement, he shrugs.

"By all means, do so. Out of curiosity, though, *which* criminal, and what precisely have they done?"

"The one known as the Amethyst Sage." says the mechanical creature. Another figure in the distance, larger and more ominous, looms forward. This is another similar looking (albeit humanoid) creature. "He has commited many crimes. "

The 'centaurs' inform you that "The Jeweled Sages are criminals rebelling against the legitimate Keleshite authorities." the other creature adds in "I have separate orders to bring him to justice for unnatural extension of his life. "

Numair looks quite surprised.

"Just how long have you been down here? The Keleshite Empire no longer rules Osirion as a satrapy - it is an independent nation once again, and the Sages are (by and large) respected members of that society, for their role in preserving Osiriani heritage. You may want to update your information; does a charge still stick even when the current legitimate authorities no longer recognise it?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (18) + 18 = 36.

He then nods to the other one.

"As to the charge of unnatural extension of life, well, that I don't have any defense for. Good luck with taking that particular one down."

"We have been here for...some time." admits one of the Centaurs.
"We would need to see evidence that legitimate authories had changed." says the second centaur.

The larger creature adds "Which changes my charges not at all."

While debating with the creatures you explore the small room near where you arrived, which turns out to be bathhouse.

This rest area provides water and bathing facilities for sages and their acolytes. Cabinets hold incense and soap for ritual cleansing before handling any of the materials in the library. A metal mirror frame depicts men and women in erotic and tortured poses.

A knowledge(history or nobility) check here would be helpful..

"Well, if you went to Sothis, you would see the verifiable truth of my words; the best that I can offer you at present is this," he says, showing a customs receipt from when he entered Eto, declaring that he had been checked by a representative of the Ruby Prince, the ruler of Osirion, and was not carrying any undeclared artefacts.

Doubtful continues to watch fiery disc in the sky suspiciously, sure it will continue on its destructive path soon enough.

When Numair starts debating with the mechanical creatures, he shrugs, and wanders off, looking at the Beacon for a moment, before wandering over to the stacks of scrolls and parchments with a frown.

Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20

"So where's all the disappearing stuff?" He mutters with a puzzled scowl.

Are there missing scrolls on the shelves?

The bathhouse, he seems to find especially odd, wondering why such would be in a library (nothing good) or why the tortured iconography (even worse)!

Knowledge (nobility), confidante: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 2 = 26

There are lots of gaps on the shelves where it looks like things were once stored.

In the bathhouse, Doubtful traces the work to the reign of Ahabaris I, the Pharaoh of Long Shadows.

Lem taps assists to both diplomacy and Nobility. or

Diplomacy assist: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (5) + 18 = 23

Knowledge Nobility assist: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24