[PFS CORE] GM Mjolbeard's "Between the Lines" (7-01) (Inactive)

Game Master Mjolbeard89

The door appears harmless enough, and Wraith determines that there are no traps. In fact, it appears to be unlocked. She reaches out and carefully turns the knob. As the door opens, a familiar bell tinkles overhead, letting Palhuna Murqual know that his shop has visitors once more.
The setting has changed subtly since earlier; while the shop’s layout remains the same, the wares previously displayed in cases and on the walls are missing. In their places are keys of all shapes, sizes, and construction.

A moment after you enter the familiar, though altered shop, the back curtain parts and Palhuna Murqual emerges, smiling unctuously at his recent acquaintances. Without speaking, Murqual gestures to the keys around the room, then toward you, as if to say, Is this what you are after? He produces a small golden key from within his sleeve, gestures toward it, then indicates a door behind him that you would swear was not there a moment ago. He then holds a hand out toward you, and toward Dwozer in particular, who suddenly finds that she is holding a scroll with a clear picture of Wulessa Yuul's face on it. Again, Murqual moves the key toward you, then extends an empty hand toward Dwozer and the scroll, as if to request a trade.

What will you do?

"Remember when Ms. Yuul repeatedly ignored my concerns and assured us that the ritual would be safe? Well, there's no reason to add our own stupidity to hers. I, for one, would like to sleep safely in my own bed tonight."

" Wulessa? Can you hear us? The Archivist seems to want you to be the latest addition to the Monadistic Archive. What do you want to do? Do you want this honor? Please try to find a way to talk to us."

I'll wait for her to talk but I sure wouldn't want to be a part of this. Might talk her out of it if she really wants to stay...

"Crystal-thing probably didn't capture Murqual like us, must just be a dream-illusion or whatever. Let's just carve our way through that door. I'm not bargaining our Venture Captain away."

"I would rather not leave Wulessa trapped, but I must admit we are at a severe disadvantage in this realm."

Drat! Really torn on this one.

"If you feel it is important to exit, then that is fine."

"Agreed, I think we need to either negotiate or 'negotiate' with this creature that we don't intend to give her up."

Hannah calls out for the venture-captain, but there is no response. It would seem the choice will be left up to you.

Murqual makes the same gestures again, this time somewhat forcefully, as if asking for your decision.

Alright, folks, the choice is on you. Let's have a vote. Please chime in with a vote of "Leave" or "Stay"

Draga is staying, but she does not mind if all the others leave.

Dale as well. He's not ready to give up on the venture captain yet.

Hannar will stay as well. If she had decided to stay, ok, but against her will, then no.

Dwozer wants to leave, but I am okay staying.

Wraith uses her fingers to form a heart with her index fingers and thumb. She then holds it to her chest tightly as if in embrace while she shakes her head.

"Sorry, but Pathfinders don't leave allies behind. Look through her memories and you will see the resolve we have. We won't leave without her."

Murqual exasperatedly throws his hands up, and both he and the door disappear. A few seconds later the facsimile of Murqual’s shop shimmers like a heat mirage, transforming into the familiar meeting room in Farseer Tower. Familiar, at least, in shape. The furnishings are different, more resembling a grandmother’s cozy tea room than the stark, studious place where this journey began. Intricately brocaded settees and poufs clutter the room, while elaborate tapestries cover almost every inch of the walls. One of these, a floor-length cerulean silk curtain, is embroidered with a portrait of Wulessa Yuul. Her arms are folded across her chest, and a look of distaste resides upon her face.

As you take in your surroundings, the image of the venture-captain turns within the hanging of herself and speaks, “When I first became Venture-Captain and took charge of Farseer Tower, this was how the place looked. The whole tower. My predecessor was more concerned with frippery and luxuries than with hard-won knowledge and diligence. If this becomes my final view of the tower, it might be the greatest indignity of all.” She shakes her head and addresses you directly, “I think you are close to the end. I can feel the archivist pausing its work with me to face you directly. The shadows you fought before now were a reflexive response, like sweeping cobwebs from one’s face. Now I think you have its full attention. I don’t think it can appear directly. Its essence is split across all the archive’s scrolls, but whatever form it takes will have considerably more power than the things you’ve fought before now.”

"Well then," Dwozer retrieves a brightly glowing gem and hangs it from his belt, then spits in his hands and tests the grip on his greatsword. "Here's hoping this isn't more stupidity than my life is worth."

Alexandrite gem from one of the evergreens. It's basically a suped-up continual flame.

"Where to, now? To face crystal-face!"

Dale chuckles. "More power than the things we've fought before? When has that stopped Pathfinders? Ha!"

"Good, I'm glad you are ready to face the Archivist," Wulessa says from within her portrait. "Before you go, though, let me make some amends for what Dwozer has so kindly called out as my 'stupidity.' Please, check the drawers just across the room there. I've put another spell there for you to use." She points across the room to a marquetry-adorned credenza, from which you here a soft *plink* as something drops inside it. Upon checking the drawer, you find a vial containing a potion.

Choose one last potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, Blur, Enlarge Person, or Magic Weapon

Seeing that you are ready to move on, she grabs hold of either side of the wall hanging she inhabits and pulls. The hanging opens like a door, opening back to the primal layer corridor you have come to know so well.

My votes in order: CMW, Magic Weapon, Blur, Enlarge

None of those help Dale that much so he is fine with whatever.

Don't know if he needs to refresh his Wand of Mage Armor but if he does he will do so.

CMW sounds good with this group having limited healing.

Did we loose Helane? No posts for a while.

Magic weapon might be good here. It can be applied pre-combat, and I have a strange feeling the boss might be incorporeal.

Looks like we have two definite votes for Cure Moderate, so...

You step through the portal Wulessa opened for you, her last spell of Cure Moderate Wounds clutched in your hands, and you find yourself in yet another passage of the Archive's mindscape. The passage opens upon a tunnel to oblivion. The smooth glass walls stretch fifty or sixty feet, ending abruptly in a maw open to the void. The crystalline structure floating in the void’s heart somehow hovers mere feet away from the tunnel’s end. From this close, it resembles a torus of jagged crystals, slowly revolving around a core of flashing light and mist.

As you make your way down the tunnel, it appears from the core of the crystalline ring and strides across the void, positioning itself at the end of the hallway. Strangely, any of you looking at the eidolon actually sees a copy of yourself with two differences: the copy possesses four arms, with two limbs splitting from each elbow, and the copy’s head is a crystalline torus hovering above the shoulders.

The Archivist apparently no longer feels further conversation serves a purpose, merely manifesting images of the your friends and family looking disappointed, shaking their heads, or sighing in frustration. It moves to the center of the room, drops a small stone at its feet, and suddenly manifests several long, golden spears in its many hands.

INITIATIVE
The Archivist Awakened - Round 1
Bold may go!
Dale
Archivist
Draga
Wraith
Hannar
Dwozer

"Take this!"

Move Action
Dale moves forward to get a better angle.

Standard Action
He casts Burning Hands, yet acid spews out of his fingertips! Burning Hands, acid damage due to his bloodline.
Acidic Hands: 3d4 ⇒ (4, 2, 3) = 9 - DC 15 Reflex for half

Dale, please give me a caster level check vs spell resistance 11

Caster Level: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Reflex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Dale's spray of acid coats the Archivist, and it reels for a moment as it sizzles. It quickly recovers, however, and begins waving its many limbs around in what the spell casters among you immediately recognize as somatic gestures. A magical aura seems to surround the Archivist, and its weapons in particular.

INITIATIVE
The Archivist Awakened - Round 1
Bold may go!
Dale
Archivist (-9)
Draga
Wraith
Hannar
Dwozer

spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Wraith runs along the wall in an attempt to avoid the creature as she seeks out a better position. Not certain where to strike the beast, her blade swings in an arc above the arcane guardian.

Masterwork Cold Iron Elven Curve Blade: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 101d10 ⇒ 8

Draga is very upset that crystal-face is mocking friends and such, and so she moves in, in a rage, and takes up a flanking position, slashing at crystal-face with the cold-iron falchion.

Move the Standard Attack w. Rage, Power Attack, and Flanking
Slash Cold Iron: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 102d4 + 12 ⇒ (3, 3) + 12 = 18
Tee-shirt (Harsk) reroll - 3 stars so +3
New roll:
Slash Cold Iron: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 172d4 + 12 ⇒ (1, 1) + 12 = 14
Rage 1/6
(the Rage stats are the ones with the *
(like AC 14 (12*) 12 being w. a star so the Rage AC)

Hannar moves to his current position on the map and points at the creature...

elemental ray(ranged touch attack): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
possible FIRE damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
SR: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

NOTE: Hannar has point-blank and precise shot feats.

I went back through the posts. I have not used my folio re-roll, can I use it on the SR check? if so....

SR(re-roll): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

...figures...

"It cast a spell that gives perfect aim for a few seconds. We need smoke or something to hide behind."

Draga's falchion deeply wounds the Archivist, but that is all the harm it suffers for now, as Hannar's ray fizzles ineptly as it impacts the crystalline form of the Archive's keeper.

INITIATIVE
The Archivist Awakened - Round 2
Bold may go!
Dale
Archivist (-23)
Draga
Wraith
Hannar
Dwozer (delay)

Draga, I really like how you included your rage stats! Definitely gonna steal that for my characters with rage.

Standard Action
Dale fires off a Magic Missile at the creature.
Magic Missile: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (1, 4) + 2 = 7

Sorry, minor retcon coming in. One of the weapons the Archivist is holding is a longspear, so it has reach, meaning Wraith provoked an AoO when she moved in to attack. Here's the result of that attack.

Longspear AoO, True Strike (not a 1): 1d20 + 6 + 20 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 20 = 40 Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Also, Dale, please give me another Spell Resistance check.

INITIATIVE
The Archivist Awakened - Round 2
Bold may go!
Dale
Dwozer
Archivist (-23)
Draga
Wraith (-5)
Hannar

Woops, forgot.

Caster Level: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Also a retcon from me in the case of a longspear. Dale will take a step back so that he can't 5 foot and attack Dale.

Dwozer rushes in a little off balance, and swings wide of his target.

The Archivist hope back a step and strikes out at Draga with its spear. Somehow, it seems to be able to strike harder than before than before, though its attacks are a bit reckless.

Longspear, power attack: 1d20 + 6 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 6 - 1 = 20 Damage: 1d8 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 + 3 = 14

INITIATIVE
The Archivist Awakened - Round 2
Bold may go!
Dale
Dwozer
Archivist (-23)
Draga (-14)
Wraith (-5)
Hannar

Wraith slides over and slashes at the monster's leg.

Masterwork Cold Iron Elven Curve Blade: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 181d10 ⇒ 4

As the Archivist's spear pierces Draga's flank, pushing right through her armor, she takes a step forward, and, still in furious rage, swings at it again with her falchion.
Her blood flows down her side.
Her anger and wound seems to fuel her attack, for it seems it comes crashing into the enemy.
"Here you go, crystal face!"

5 ft. step ; maintain Rage ; Standard Attack w. Rage, Power Attack
Slash Cold Iron: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 272d4 + 12 ⇒ (2, 3) + 12 = 17
Crit' confirmation:
Slash Cold Iron: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 232d4 + 12 ⇒ (3, 1) + 12 = 16
Rage 2/6
33 damage?!

well done Draga!

Hannar takes a 5' step and launches another ray of fire.

ranged touch attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
possible FIRE damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
SR check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

Well that went better

Uh...so...the Archivist is a pile of metaphysical dust! With the defeat of the Archivist, the aeon’s control over the mindscape ends. The Archivist’s body fades away, and a simple wooden door appears at the edge of the void. The door opens with a touch and offers a view of the seance circle back in the material world. You take a few moments to catch your breath, collect yourselves, and stop through the doorway.

In the wink of an eye, you wake up in Farseer Tower, still clasping hands in the ritual circle. Wulessa Yuul opens her eyes as well, and, with a heavy sigh of relief, apologizes to you for her error in judgment. She returns the scroll to the chest, declaring that she intends further study of the Monadistic Archive, but first clearly more research is needed into proper safeguards. She gives you her sincerest thanks and praise for your services and her release, and bids you all a good evening as she stands and summons her attendants to come take the Monadistic Archive to another chamber for further, more careful investigation.

And that's it! Well done, everyone! I'll have chronicles up shortly, hopefully by tomorrow evening. If you have any questions or want to run any faction card goals by me for confirmation, now is the time.

Wounded and fatigued, Draga opens her eyes: "Well, that was not a refreshing rest!"

Thanks a lot GM Mjolbeard!

"Glad we were able to keep you safe."

Thanks for GMing! Much fun in a kind-of-weird scenario, lol.

This was really enjoyable. Thanks for running, and thanks for everyone at the table.