[PFS_CORE_Aerondor] 08-00 The Cosmic Captive (tier 1-2) (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

"Worry not, Miss, you are in good hands!" Mentys calls over as he clunks forward, slowly but steadily.

Double move.

Magni keeps following the others...

Double move

"Oh I think letting them stick around is quite out of the question," Goldur tells Zootloot. "They'll stay on your tail forever if you let them. Haven't you heard the tale of Dormin the Dogged? He was a devout Pharasmin, absolutely refused to touch undead; he thought even attacking them would make him unclean..."

Inspire Courage (oratory), round 4. Also double move.

The team hurries forward. The woman in pink shreiking in terror. The zombie, sencing perhaps the greater life force of the pathfinder team charges forward and smashes into Menthys, but can't get past her defences.

Status, bold may post inspire courage, +1 to hit and damage
Xuan 1 damage ;
Lasair -
Zootloot -
Mentys 3 damage
Magni
Goldur 3 damage -
Idna, 3 damage (will npc without delay as is at a con)
Creatures

Allies benefit
Elemental companion
Wand CLW - 48 charges
Wand resist energy - 44 charges
Wand Scorching Ray - 48

NB: the path where you are is really only wide enough for one person at a time.

"Now I've seem some of the Lady's splinter sects, but that is just ridiculous!" Mentys grins as the zombie shambles at him. "And now-" the oread's axe slice across his assailant's chest, "I have this one right where I want it! Back to the grave with you!"

Masterwork Battleaxe, TWF, FE: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Damage, FE: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Masterwork Cold Iron Handaxe, TWF, FE: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Damage, FE: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

All he wanted was to hit the zombie... :'(

Metnys's second axe blow actually does connect, as the zombie is unable to protect itself after its charge. It keeps going however.

Status, bold may post inspire courage, +1 to hit and damage
Xuan 1 damage ;
Lasair -
Zootloot -
Magni
Goldur 3 damage -
Idna, 3 damage (will npc without delay as is at a con)
Creatures - 6 damage
Mentys 3 damage

Allies benefit
Elemental companion
Wand CLW - 48 charges
Wand resist energy - 44 charges
Wand Scorching Ray - 48

NB: the path where you are is really only wide enough for one person at a time.

Unable to do anything else useful, Xuan delays.

Magni throws a bullet at the zombie with his sling...

Attack roll: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 3 - 4 = 0 -> Damage roll: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Despite the line of Pathfinders obstructing his vision, Lasair sends a fiery ray at the pink creature.

Scorching Ray - Cover: 1d20 ⇒ 10, Damage: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 2, 5, 3) = 11

"Well, he eventually caught the attention of a few," Goldur continues, seemingly forgetting about the current situation, "as adventurers often do. They stayed on his tail for three years, while he ran from them. Eventually he forgot about them completely one night, and they caught him and killed him."

Inspire Courage, round 5.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Zootloot runs to catch up with everyone and tries to peak between the legs and around the bodies of everyone to see the zombie.

Double move, wield shortbow while moving.

Is there is reason Lasair is targeting the woman with the scorching ray? And idd you include the bonus from inspire courage?

Oh wait, Pink is the woman? I didn't catch that, it doesn't exactly look like a woman on the map. I'll change the target to Blue, but that gives me a -4 over the +1 inspire courage I forgot for a grand total of 7.

"Thank you, Goldur, but that is not very inspiring."

Magni and Lasir try to assault the zombie with ranged attacks, but the press of pathfinders makes that difficult. Goldur continues to offer inspiration, while Zoot gets his bow ready.

The zombie slowly bashes at Mentys again.
attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Which she easily avoids again.

Status, bold may post inspire courage, +1 to hit and damage
Mentys 3 damage
Xuan 1 damage ;
Lasair -
Zootloot -
Magni
Goldur 3 damage -
Idna, 3 damage (will npc without delay as is at a con)
Creatures - 6 damage

Allies benefit
Elemental companion
Wand CLW - 48 charges
Wand resist energy - 44 charges
Wand Scorching Ray - 47

NB: the path where you are is really only wide enough for one person at a time.

Xuan continues to delay.

Magni casts a spell to help with the party's accuracy...

Casting guidance on Lasair

Mentys continues to hack away at the zombie. "He forgot about the abominations tailing him? Some Pharasmin, I say, but to each their own."

Masterwork Battleaxe, TWF, FE, Inspire: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Damage, FE, Inspire: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Masterwork Cold Iron Handaxe, TWF, FE, Inspire: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Damage, FE, Inspire: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Zootloot takes careful aim, hoping to thread an arrow between all of his allies and still hit the zombie.

shortbow,into melee,inspire: 1d20 + 4 - 4 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 4 - 4 + 1 = 6

Menthys cuts down the zombie, and the woman dashes forward to thank him.

But something isn't quite right, as claws grow out of her hands...

attacks: 2d20 ⇒ (9, 8) = 17

But she has no more luck than the zombie.

Okay, now Lasair might want to ray her!

Status, bold may post inspire courage, +1 to hit and damage
Mentys 3 damage
Xuan 1 damage ;
Lasair - guidance
Zootloot -
Magni
Goldur 3 damage -
Idna, 3 damage (will npc without delay as is at a con)
Creatures -

Allies benefit
Elemental companion
Wand CLW - 48 charges
Wand resist energy - 44 charges
Wand Scorching Ray - 47

NB: the path where you are is really only wide enough for one person at a time.

Goldur chuckles. "Well no one ever said he was the brightest of people. Some versions say he got well and truly drunk that night, and didn't take his usual precautions. Others say he took a young lady to bed to take his mind off things, and it worked a little too well. Anyway, they never stop, that's the moral of the story."

Inspire Courage, round 6.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Scorching Ray - cover - into melee + inspire: 1d20 - 3 ⇒ (13) - 3 = 10, Damage: 4d6 + 1 ⇒ (1, 5, 2, 6) + 1 = 15

"I've an argument against the moral of the story; they truly stop when we kill 'em dead."

With the patience of mountain stone, Xuan continues to wait for his allies to deal with the foe.

Delay.

Lasair had a +1 to hit thanks to guidance

Magni sighs, shakes his head, scowls... and then recasts the same spell on Lasair.

Guidance on Lasair again

Ah, I keep forgetting things! 11 to hit the lady's touch AC.

Mentys shakes his head disapprovingly as the woman's claws bounce harmlessly off his armor, and continues his spinning assault.

Masterwork Battleaxe, TWF, Inspire: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Damage, Inspire: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Masterwork Cold Iron Handaxe, TWF, Inspire: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7
Damage, Inspire: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Another ray is dodged, though barely. Menthys's axes can't seem to land on the woman whos flesh has rotted away leaving some horrible semblance of a body behind.

One of her claws rakes across the ranger, drawing blood. A swarm of horrible creatures pours out of her and into the wound...

Fort save DC 12 vs disease.

Status, bold may post inspire courage, +1 to hit and damage
Mentys 6 damage
Xuan 1 damage ;
Lasair - guidance
Zootloot -
Magni
Goldur 3 damage -
Idna, 3 damage (will npc without delay as is at a con)
Creatures -

Allies benefit
Elemental companion
Wand CLW - 46 charges
Wand resist energy - 44 charges
Wand Scorching Ray - 47

NB: the path where you are is really only wide enough for one person at a time.

You have elemental allies you can call upon. I'm happy for one of them to be able to pass through the undead if you want to use them, and attack from behind. Standard action to call it.

attacks: 2d20 ⇒ (11, 18) = 29
damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Magni sends another bullet towards the voracious creature confronting Mentys...

Attack roll: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 3 - 4 = 10 -> Damage roll: 1d4 ⇒ 3

"I will end you this time, zombie! Keep your vermin to yourself!"

Scorching Ray - Into Melee - Cover + Bard Song + Guidance: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (2) - 2 = 0, Reroll (from Character Folio): 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (16) - 2 = 14, Damage: 4d6 + 1 ⇒ (3, 3, 6, 6) + 1 = 19

Fortitude: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Mentys grunts in pain as his body fights off the infection, but he reverts to his old style upon realizing the woman's true nature as an undead.

Battleaxe, TWF, FE, IC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Damage, FE, IC: 1d8 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Handaxe, TWF, FE, IC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16
Damage, FE, IC: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Blades hack at the former woman, and then what remains is consumed in the flames from Lasair's wand.

He looks at it somewhat suspicious, wondering if the genie had somehow corrupted his wish for such a device.

The floating island continues to fly through the air, slowly descending towards the odd metal core of the asteroid.

The floating Vault is nearly a half-mile wide with defenses established in every direction. An adamantine shell encloses the structure; however this has been ruptured, and strands of the sky metal practically bleed from the holes in a vain attempt to repair the damage and reseal the area completely.

The ground bulges all about, and chunks of earth and metal explode periodically as blasts of air billow out from within, driven by an unseen force.

Okay, as you approach you may each attempt a skill check to determine where you think the best place to jump off will be. Your choices are knowledge(engineering), Perception and Survival.

Status,
Mentys 6 damage
Xuan 1 damage ;
Lasair - guidance
Zootloot -
Magni
Goldur 3 damage -
Idna, 3 damage (will npc without delay as is at a con)
Creatures -

Allies benefit
Elemental companion
Wand CLW - 46 charges
Wand resist energy - 44 charges
Wand Scorching Ray - 46

time to descend: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Time is now after 2:15 post arrival

"And that's how you cleanse the multiverse of undead," Mentys grins wickedly. "Can someone hand over the wand?' The oread taps himself once and his eyes begin to rove about for a good jumping point. "Climbing is fine and good, but jumping is difficult when one is as slow as I. May as well find a good place."

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Xuan bides his time, waiting for the optimum time to jump.

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16.

"Agreed," the sorcerer says as he stows his wand away and scours his surroundings for a good jumping point.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Lasair is the one who notes a protrusion that the rune-island is going to get close to. With seconds to go before you get past it he points it out and the team gets ready to jump.

Everyone is up, and this check is a bit easier because of the perceptive Lasair. Your choice of a Acrobatics or Climb check, or a reflex save.

Status,
Mentys
Xuan 1 damage ;
Lasair - guidance
Zootloot -
Magni
Goldur 3 damage -
Idna, 3 damage (will npc without delay as is at a con)
Creatures -

Allies benefit
Elemental companion
Wand CLW - 45 charges
Wand resist energy - 44 charges
Wand Scorching Ray - 46
Time is now after 2:15 post arrival

Xuan attempts to Climb down...

Climb: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24.

...almost seeming to swim across the surface of the rock.

"It's time for the... FLYING DWAAAAARFFFFFfff..." Magni half yells half screams as he jumps from the clift...

Reflex save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18

I'm back!

Idna looks cautiously down the precipice, preparing to jump as the platforms close their distance.

Reflex save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Goldur readies himself for a swift climb, but sighs at Magni's leap of faith. I'd have done the same, once. "My flying days are behind me."

Climb: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

-Posted with Wayfinder

reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25

Zootloot prepares himself and at the right moment he leaps. He almost makes it look easy.

Climb: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Better not to risk the jump, fun as it looks, Mentys thinks as he rappels down the rock.

The team mostly make it across without issue. Goldur seems to disagree with whether dwarves are really made to fly, and cuts himself badly on the rocks as he lands.

You quickly work your way into the interior. There the passage twists, and twirls. Irregularly the ground opens up beneath you and there are deadfalls and other hazards along the way. At times the walls move, nearly catching you..

Another set of skill checks. You must pick at most three of you to make them. Each of the three can choose between knowledge(dungeonering) and survival. You cannot aid-another, but I'm happy for use of things like guidance or bardic inspiration from people who are not one of the three doing the main checks. And we have at least three sets of these to go through.

I suggest you discuss who (that is which up to three) you want to lead you through, and then have them do six checks in the same post. I'll only use as many as required. Given there is time between the checks, if there are hazardous implications of the failed checks we can do massed healing at the end. Otherwise this could take unexciting days to get through in PBP

Status,
Mentys
Xuan 1 damage ;
Lasair - guidance
Zootloot -
Magni
Goldur 7 damage -
Idna, 3 damage
Creatures -

Allies benefit
Elemental companion
Wand CLW - 45 charges
Wand resist energy - 44 charges
Wand Scorching Ray - 46
Time is now after 2:15 post arrival

I'm not particularly good at either of those skills, with a +3 to each. But I have plenty of performance rounds left and am happy to use Inspire Competence on one of the three to give them a +2 to all their rolls. I'll say whoever rolls their six first gets my +2. It's a competence bonus, so it will not stack with guidance.

-Posted with Wayfinder

Magni is rather good at survival (+12) and can cast guidance if needed

Magni seems rather at home inside the strange structure...

Survival check: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 12 + 1 = 24
Survival check: 1d20 + 12 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 12 + 1 = 20

Keep going Magni

Zootloot has none of the necessary skills so he'll be happy just watching.

I have a reasonable Survival of at least +6, so I'll take a shot at it.

"Hope we run into some other Pathfinders in here, it'd make this a lot easier," Mentys comments, head close to the ground as he searches for tracks and trails.

Survival (+1 if we are trying to follow tracks): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Survival: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

The team starts out okay, with Magni leading for a while. But then Mentys takes the lead.

He takes one wrong turn and the passage shifts causing a small rockslide to cascade down on the group.
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4
While dodging it, he lands in even deeper trouble, as he falls into a deep pit.
reflex to avoid: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
extra Mentys damage: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 6) = 11

Eventually however he manages to lead you out.

You can all heal up before getting to the next chamber if you want...

A heavily worn set of stairs leads from claustrophobic tunnels into an eroded cavern studded with sand-scoured crystals that emit cool, faint light. The jagged foundations are all that’s left of metal walls—the fragments of which now jut from the wall like throwing knives. An immense, intricate, thousand-sided polyhedron made of sky metals floats within a tight series of binding circles. As blasts of air erupt from the polyhedron, the surface’s shattered facets regenerate before being blasted apart on another side.

The lighting here is dim, and the intermittent bursts of wind impose a –2 penalty on ranged attack rolls in this area.

Other pathfinder teams are also converging on this area.

There are really two options that each of you can follow. (1) Breaking the circles; or (2) solving the puzzle.

Breaking a circle
You can make a skill check either knowledge(arcana) or (planes), to identify what the various circles do. The gemstones circles must be damaged by attacks. If you have identified a particular circles powers you may target it, otherwise they are targeted at random.

Solving the puzzle orb
You may alternatively attempt to decipher one of the puzzle cubes many facets. Each facet represents some extraplanar truth, elemental koan, symbolic meaning within a facet’s mineral composition, or any number of
other esoteric aspects. Doing this will expose you to various protective circles if they have not been destroyed.

To try and solve it you must make an appraise, disable device, INT,WIS, use magic device, knowledge, linguistics or perception check. Some of these may be easier than others. For each of these languages you speak, you can add +1 to your checks to Solve the Puzzle.: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran

Status,
Mentys 15 damage
Xuan 5 damage ;
Lasair - 5 damage
Zootloot - 4 damage
Magni 4 damage
Goldur 11 damage -
Idna, 7 damage
Creatures -

Allies benefit
Elemental companion
Wand CLW - 45 charges
Wand resist energy - 44 charges
Wand Scorching Ray - 46
Time is now after 2:35 post arrival

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2.
CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3.

Xuan pulls out his tools, and attempts to 'solve' the puzzle.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 10 + 1 = 18.

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

Lasair follows the group around the crater, swearing a little bit when a rock falls on him. Arriving at the strange polyhedron, he immediately starts inspecting the magic circles to understand their purpose.

Knowledge (Arcana): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

CLW (wand): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8 Magni

CLW (wand): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3 Methys

CLW (wand): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 Methys

CLW (wand): 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Methys

Magni uses the wand given to him by the water elemental creature in order to heal himself and Methys.

Once the group enters the chamber with the puzzle orb he studies the contraption with hreat interest after casting a spell on himself to highten his senses...

Perception check: 1d20 + 10 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 10 + 1 = 22