[PFS_CORE_Aerondor] 08-99-B Solstice Scar (Year B) (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

Another group of pathfinders nearby launches a flurry of arrows into the zombie, helping Ny'a bring it qickly down.

I'll pass the aid token on now, as we have had it for some time.

With the immediate threat of undead handled, the group realises they have to make a quick decision.

Do you want to head to the Twinhorn's encampment, or try to go directly to the circle of standing stones?

Yes, this is different from part A, you get a choice!

Drin's face is grim and resolute. "Medda asked us to help the Twinhorn in defense of their home, but I think the greater threat is from whoever is performing the ritual at the standing stones. That's where we should go now."

"Hm. Fine with me. I would remove this blight from the land."

"Let's go for it"

Kinda wondering what difference choosing one over the other will get us. But without having more information one is as good as the other I think

”Agreed.”

***OVERSEER ANNOUNCEMENT***

The air fills with the sound of Kellid battle cries as dozens of Twinhorn warriors join the fight.

@Table GMs: The “Twinhorn Allies” condition on page 20 is in effect.

"Nice of you guys to show up..now can you do me a favor and keep running till you end up in your encampment and go help out there?"

Bypassing the Twihorn camp for the moment, the pathfinders head directly towards the circle of stones which seems to be at the centre of the trouble.

The clearing on the riverbank features a circle of standing stones with a large stone altar at its center. A shadowy tear floats above the altar, so dark that what little light shines from the stars seems to become trapped inside. Eight large tendrils of inky darkness coil around the menhirs as if keeping the stones in a stranglehold. Other tendrils lick out from the shadowy rift as if tasting the air.

"Well tha'll make ur skin crawl." Tolinath shivers just a little.

And the map is updated if you want to move yourselves on it.

Are we in initiative? If not, how far up can we move?

You are not in initiative yet, feel free to move as far as you like up toward the circle, if you go inside, we'll move into init.

Ny'a dismounts at the top of the stone stairs and guides her dog down to the bottom, where she remounts. They swing around the path and come around to the last major bend in the path, where she waits for everyone else to gather.

"How do you want to approach this? That's one spooky mess... and if Iomedae's vision is right, there's some nastiness inside."

Drin wipes his brow after descending the stairs. "I've never seen anything like this. I'm not sure my enchantments will be much use against it, though I have a few other tricks up my sleeve."

"If nothing else," he says, tapping his scabbard, "I always have my sword hand. Should we attempt to surround it?"

Rhyfelwr surveys the landscape. ”Completely surrounding there stoned will require some of us to get too close to them for comfort or to get wet. I’m not sure which is worse.”

"You make a good point, Rhyfelwr. I still fear we should take action soon, before this thing can do whatever it came for. You and I could strike it from a distance, and see how it reacts."

A nearby group of pathfinders offers some advice and assistance.
You have another aid token, boosted for offence and knowledge checks. This would be a good encounter to use it on once you close..

Looking from a distance you can see some things that look like walking skeletons among the stones.

"Undead. Of course. Why wouldn't there be?"

"Undead, at least, I can do something about. When do we strike?"

To speed things up I have moved you all to the edge of the circle. Remember within the stone circle are lots of nasty black tentacles.

”Whlle my arrows are unlikely to damage the skeletons I can at least try to draw them to us to spare us havnf to deal with those tentacles. When we’re ready give the word.”

"Let's go for it. The other pathfinders with us can provide additional healing, if we need it.

Hold deg tilbake, Prisen!"

On the word, Drin moves up to range and cast Disrupt Undead on the nearest skeleton.

Ranged Touch: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (20) - 1 = 19
Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

"Let's get on with it, then."

Jangalee casts magic fang on Panja's jaws as we approach the circle. Once everyone is in position, he casts produce flame, ready to throw it when he sees Rhyfelwr loose his arrow. Ready when you are.

Okay, We'll move to initiative, I'll give you all the start
Drin summons positive energy and directs it at the closest skeleton, which somehow oozes blood. It collapses to the ground. The circle seems somehow taken aback by the attack and for a moment looks less fearsome.

crit?: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (6) - 1 = 5

Rhyfelwr fires another arrow at the blue one red was already dead and drops it as well. Jangalee then repeats a similar process with the yellow skeleton.

All your attacks are boosted this round from the twinhorn allies condition!

Status, bold may post
Tolinath
Thran
Ny'a
green skeli
Drin
Rhyfelwr
Jangalee

And as I walk into the shadow of these stone of dead I will fear no evil!"

Thran starts a recital that somehow inspires everyone else to slightly greater heights as he moves closer to the action

Standard to start inspire, move to get a bit closer

Knowledge (religion), untrained: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (13) + 0 = 13
Assuming that's enough to know that she needs bludgeoning damage

Ny'a pushes past her allies, and enters the circle. She draws a morningstar, needing something more effective against a skeleton, but stays back, trying to sense what impact the circle has on her.

Ny'a can't really identify the last skeleton. Something about it looks unusual to her, but she is not sure what.

As she moves into the circle, she feels dark energies all around, although they seem supressed for a moment or two. The tentacles however reach out to try and grapple her!

grapple: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Bth Ny'a and her riding dog are grappled by the tentacles. She struggles in the darkness within the ring of stones.

And though I have run this at least twice before, I totally missed that actually within the stones it is dark. This encounter happens close to midnight. But light brought into the circle dims too.

Status, bold may post ; inspire active +1 to hit and damage.
Tolinath
green skeli
Drin
Rhyfelwr
Jangalee
Thran
Ny'a

Can someone suggest an action for tol?

Tolinath moves forward just to the line of darkness dropping his axe he draws his bow and let's loose an arrow at the last skeleton.
Shortbow/IC: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 1 = 12
Piercing/IC: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Tol's arrow misses by a long shot.

The skeleton advances on Ny'a, seemingly unaffected by the tentacles. It strikes out at the brave gnome.

attack: 1d20 ⇒ 18
damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
grapple: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

Status, bold may post ; inspire active +1 to hit and damage. Within the circle is darkness unless you bring a light source (which is decreased one level of intensity). Remember miss chances! If you enter the circle the tentacles will try to grapple you.
Tolinath (AO)
Drin
Rhyfelwr
Jangalee
Thran (AO)
Ny'a (AO) 8 damage; grappled
green skeli

Just wondering; what does the (AO) mean? and does darkvision help with the darkness/miss chances?

Thran walks up closer as he takes out a sling and spins it over his head before releasing the bullet at the skeleton while reciting some story about Durbin Gest taking down dozens and dozens of skeletons (with the help of some other pathfinders)

To hit AC green skeleton: 1d20 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 + 1 = 15
Blunt damage if hit: 1d3 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 1 = 8
Miss chance?: 1d100 ⇒ 54

Move to move, standard to attack, free to continue inspire

Does that mean that Ny'a is grappled by both the tentacles and the skeleton? Does that even work? Mechanically, how do I deal with that?

"Ny'a, this may be a little uncomfortable, but just relax!"

Drin casts Grease on Ny'a's armor.

"Try to break free now!"

He then takes his falchion out of its sheath.

"It's too dark in there!" Jangalee draws a sunrod (move action) and strikes it (standard action).

Also, GM can you clarify where the skeleton is on the map? You said it attacked Ny'a, but it's still shown on the far side of the map.

Darkvision does help. The AO indicates you have not yet benefited from the Twinhorn allies offensive. Those who have may want to use the token that we have available.
@Ny'a no, only grappled by the tentacles. The second roll was for this rounds maintenance grapple

Thran tries a sling, but the last skeleton laughs as it passes between its ribs.

And Green is now showing on the map in the right place, next to Ny'a

Status, bold may post ; inspire active +1 to hit and damage. Within the circle is darkness unless you bring a light source (which is decreased one level of intensity). Remember miss chances! If you enter the circle the tentacles will try to grapple you.
Tolinath (AO)
Drin
Rhyfelwr
Jangalee
Ny'a (AO) 8 damage; grappled by tentacles
green skeli
Thran (AO)

I've put a circle of darkness on the map to help. This is also where the tentacles are.

Jangalee throws the lit sunrod into the circle (it creates normal light in a 30ft radius, normally, so I'd assume in the circle it makes low-light in that same radius).

"Panja, attack that skeleton!" He directs Panja (who has low-light vision) to go aid Ny'a.

Panja leaps forward, jaws ready to crunch some skeleton bones.

bite, power attack, magic fang, inspire +1: 1d20 + 2 - 1 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 2 - 1 + 1 + 1 = 22
damage, power attack, magic fang, inspire +1 (B/P/S): 1d6 + 1 + 2 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 2 + 1 + 1 = 7

As Panja leaps forward it is grappled by the tentacles, unable to get close enough to the skeleton to obey the command.

Ny'a makes no effort to resist Drin's armor. True to the half-orc's warning, the grease feels quite gross as it coats the armor and almost immediately starts oozing into her clothes even as it lubricates her escape attempt.

Rhyfelwr moves up the the edge of the circle and fires an arrow at the remaining skeleton.

1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20, 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Ny'a finds even her greased armor is not enough to help escape at the moment.

Ryfelwr, are you going to use the aid token, it would be be enough to help you overcome the skeletons DR against piercing weapons. Also did you add the inspire courage bonus to damage?

Status, bold may post ; inspire active +1 to hit and damage. Within the circle is darkness unless you bring a light source (which is decreased one level of intensity). Remember miss chances! If you enter the circle the tentacles will try to grapple you.
Tolinath (AO)
Drin
Rhyfelwr (20/5 - question about allied offensive token)_
Jangalee
green skeli
Thran (AO)
Ny'a (AO) 8 damage; grappled by tentacles

Tolinath drops his bow to the ground seeing how ineffective it is at this point in time. Lifting his Dwarven Waraxe form the ground where he dropped it he heads forward into the darkness Darkvision and hopes to get up in front of the Skeleton. Ready to attack.

It should be low-light in much of the area, due to the sunrod Jangalee tossed in. I'm waiting to see Rhyfelwr's attack resolved before deciding my turn.

Yes...I will use the aid token and I did forget the inspire courage bonus...sorry about that! Its been a long, odd day.

***OVERSEER ANNOUNCEMENT***

Medda rides by, calling above the din of the raging battle, “The path is clear—we can reach the valley that holds the stone circle. Let us band together and stop the undead tide. I am concerned that some of the foul creatures had the name ‘Eshimka’ on their rotting lips. We must stand together and use all of our power to close this black portal before it’s too late!”

Fighting side-by-side, the Twinhorn following and Pathfinders have carved a path to the stone circle. This affords only a brief opening to stop the undead army, and the fighting will be difficult.

@Table GMs: You have until April 2 to run encounter J on page 27. The “Uncertain Opportunity” condition on page 27 is in effect.

"Let's hope the cavalry is enough to save our hides!

Drin steps to the side, shifting his falchion to his left hand, and uses his right to cast Ray of Frost at the tentacles holding Ny'a.

"I'm not sure how much this will help, but I'd like a better idea of what we're dealing with before I get too close!"

Ranged Touch: 1d20 ⇒ 11
Cold Damage: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

As many of the undead that have come through have been killed, the sense of dread around the stones lessens slightly.

Tol approaches and is also grappled by the tentacles.

A volley of arrows from a nearby group of Twinhorn join Rhyfelwr's assault on the green skeleton, chipping it further.
damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9

Drin sends a shaft of cold at the skeleton, but it seems unaffected by it.

Status, bold may post ; inspire active +1 to hit and damage. Within the circle is darkness unless you bring a light source (which is decreased one level of intensity). Remember miss chances! If you enter the circle the tentacles will try to grapple you.
Tolinath (AO)
Jangalee grappled by tentacles
(Panja) grappled by tentacles
green skeli 6 damage;
Thran (AO)
Ny'a (AO) 8 damage; grappled by tentacles
Drin
Rhyfelwr

Do you have a preference of tables to pass the aid token to?

Jangalee never entered the circle (only Panja), so shouldn't be grappled.

Seeing all who enter the circle be grappled, Jangalee decides to stick to range attacks. He draws a sling and loads it. 5ft step, move action to draw sling, standard to load it (move action).

Panja tries to slip out of the grapple.

CMB: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

@Jangalee, noted. For a sling I don't think it is too much of a stretch to have you load it as part of "drawing" that weapon. So feel free to take a shot.