[PFS Core] GM Harker Presents: The Emerald Spire (Inactive)

Game Master Upaynao

"We should go. We've already invaded their home with no provocation and while I think they probably would have attacked us no matter where they found us I can't prove that and feel like we have plundered them for no reason. We've found the next level let us go and leave them in peace. If we must explore for mapping purposes then let us be quick about it before we have to kill any more of these creatures."

Mudk stares longingly at the stairs and hopes the rest of the group wishes to abandon this level.

I'm fine with leaving if our mission is complete. I can open the door a crack off Sugar wants to scout around as a tiny bat to avoid further hostilities. I suggest checking for Alarms if we continue to explore.

Xakon requests Guidance and unlocks the door.

Disable Device, if group continues: 10 + 1 + 19 = 30

Xakon manages to unlock the magical sealed door.

Before moving on, I just want to confirm that no one is interacting with the semi-precious minerals in the tunnel?

not yet. Presumably we would bag them when we're done exploring and don't mind the bulk

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Okay, I'll wait a bit longer to see if anyone wants to respond to Xakon's suggestion.

Sivvy nods at Xakon and looks at Sugar for the halflings response.

I'm also in favor of the suggestion

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Sugarsnap?

hi, sorry I was quiet, work issues

I'll scout ahead if you need me to making her way to the front of the group, Sugar gives Xakon a kiss on the cheek. keep truffles safe for me. casting guidance on Xakon.

once the door is cracked open Sugar turns into a bat and flutters into the room to scout it out.

Sugar was a little interested in the shiny but she didn't want to go against the party option right now.

Sugarsnap transforms into a tiny bat and enters through the crack in the door provided by Xakon.

Coal-filled braziers illuminate this room with a dull yellow light. Its walls are lined with great iron cages. Some are empty, while others hold the skeletal or desiccated remains of a fantastic array of supernatural beings. The corpses hang from rusty manacles and have great iron skewers piercing their bodies. Sugarbat notices that in one of the larger cages, a giant-sized humanoid with a beard appears to still be alive although he pays no heed to the cracked door or the bat flying through.

A table toward the rear section of the room holds a collection of small clay bowls filled with blood, gobbets of flesh, flensed bones, and other grisly finds.

Another door stands in the northeast corner of the room.

It's a Knowledge (planes) check to identify the bearded creature.

oh, we need to go in there and wreck some evil experimenters

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Sugarbat, love it! My vote is still with Mudk assuming Sugarbat can't explore the northeastern room in bat form through a crack in a doorway. An invisible Xakon could unlock the other door.

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Sugarbat is too big to squeeze through the crack in the northeast door.

Is our mission to clear all evil threats? If it is, then we should proceed.

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Your mission is to explore, but I'm certain there's members in the party that would be interested in clearing evil threats.

this one would be one of that wants to see evil stuff killed.

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Please note, the bearded humanoid creature is in a locked cage. I now notice that I did not make that explicit, my mistake.

It looks like Sugarsnap is still busy, I'm going to bot her for the sake of expediency.

The bat flies back out of the room, returns to halfling form, and explains to the group what she found.

Finally finding something that he can rally against, Mudk makes a small speech and makes his way into the room.

Upon the entrance of the paladin, the bearded creature then shifts and looks up weakly, "Please, stop hurting me..."

Assuming everyone follows, the Knowledge (planes) checks to identify is open to all.

might as well use lore master.

knowledge, planes, lore master: 20 + 7 = 27

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Frēodwēn identifies the creature as a nephilim, which are the offspring of demigods who bred with humans. They can stagger a foe with a critical strike, stoke fear in their enemies with a battle roar, and are resistant to fear and sorrow. They also have spell resistance.

"We're not here to hurt you. Who has been doing this to you?"

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"The Mistress of Thorns captured me and has been torturing me for information about my father, Ragathiel. Please release me so I can escape this torment." The nephilim requests in a weak voice, his body showing the signs of extensive injury.

Upon seeing the creature is in a cage and not an enemy Mudk screeches to a halt.

"Um wait what? Who is she?"

diplomacy gather information check: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25

Kayla goes to the "gentle giant" a look of sympathy in her eyes.

You poor thing, do you need healing? she tries to reach into the cage to touch the giant gently and offering him some healing.

If she can, she will cast cure light wounds for 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

"She's some sort of underworld devil who revels in torture and misery." The nephilim explains with an expression of disgust, which quickly turns to gratitude as Sugarsnap heals some of his injuries, "Thank you, my name is Jherao. If you want assistance against this foul creature, you have my sword. I do not have that sword any longer, but my offer still stands."

Despite Sugarsnap healing, you can tell that Jherao will need much more before he's back into fighting shape.

Checking the room with Detect Magic, you don't find the nephilim's sword, but some stitched together morlock skin appears to be magical.

spellcraft: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
Frēodwēn grimaces. "The leather there is made from Morlock skin. It is an evil thing."

morlock hide armor. Frēodwēn understands its properties but does not care to enumerate them

"Xakon, can you get him out of that cage?"

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Secured with a primitive lock, Xakon can easily release Jherao from his cage if he wants to do it. No roll required, just post that you are doing it.

Xakon opens the lock to the caged Jherao and swings open the cage door.

Jherao appears relieved as Xakon opens his cage and he steps out, still cringing with pain from his injuries beyond those healed by Sugarsnap. He then looks at the group expectantly, still waiting for an answer to his offer to help.

After a few quiet moments pass, the nephilim speaks again, "So, am I helping you or shall we part ways here? If I am helping you, I'll need a weapon and would like to know what you intend to do."

"Yes, I think we could use your help. Though we will watch you closely; we have been betrayed by freed prisoners in the past."

"Do you see a weapon appropriate for you nearby?"

He looks at Siv, "Can you do anymore to heal him?"

should we each just burn one wand charge?

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Sugar has a couple more cures prepared.

How much are you willing to heal him? Anyone got a spare weapon? Once we've dealt with those issues, I'll move you all to the next room.

Mudk steps up, reaching out with healing hands, ashamed for having misjudged someone.

I'm willing to use up to 5 lay on hands. 20d6. I don't have an extra weapon though.

isn't he Large

"Here, perhaps you can use this..." Frēodwēn hands over his masterwork Falchion.

my goal is to heal him to full. It's just a question of which resources we spend to do it. If Sugar and Siv can heal him up with Cures that's best, but otherwise Frēodwēn can chip in with his wand

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Xakon offers his wand. "Use it all. I've been meaning to buy a new one. Mudk, save your divine resources for battle. I only use small weapons so toothpicks for someone his sized."

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Jherao will require 84 HP worth of healing to be healed up to full. You can do the average on CLW wands if that helps you.

Although small in his large hands, the nephilim accepts Frēodwēn's weapon gratefully, "It's not quite what I am used to, but it will do for now."

I will use the average for 17 charges off CLW wand.

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this is fine with me.

"We are glad to have your help, but don't betray us, or you will regret it."

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ok, again, I still have a cure mod and a cure serious available to cast, do we want to use up wand charges? but whatever

will post as such if the group want Sugar to use her spells and save a few charges.

If you are asking for advice, those spells are best used for summons during combat. Curing wands are cheap and typically used for post combat to conserve spells.

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Sugarsnap, I think Xakon was just trying to make things easier for everyone, but if you want to cast both those spells to heal Jherao, feel free to roll the healing and Xakon can take back the appropriate number of charges.

In any case, you guys are going to heal him fully, so let's move to the next room.

With Jherao squared away with healing and a small weapon for his size, Xakon leads the group out of the cage room down along the hallway to another room without a door.

This chamber has been extensively excavated into a giant, amorphously shaped cavern.

The Emerald Spire runs through the center of this chamber. Numerous holes scar its surface, spiraling about the entire column. The damage appears superficial—no more than an inch or two deep in the surface—but a stronger glow from within the pillar leaks through the holes and cracks, casting emerald-colored beams about the room. Several of the holes appear to have been recently patched with brighter chips of emerald crystal.

Standing near the Spire is a fiendish-looking green creature with a long tail whose body is bristling with countless barbs. It's features also suggest that it is female.

She appears amused to see you, "Ah, this is an interesting development! Few humans or halflings manage to find their way to this place. You must be heroes to reckon with! Well, I certainly have no quarrel with you. In fact, I hope we might help each other."

It's a DC 21 Knowledge (planes) check to identify this creature.

Hearing her speak from his position squeezed in the back of the group, Jherao warns, "That's her! Don't believe her lies!"

Mudk grins, draws his blade and moves up towards the green lady. "Our friend has named and blamed you! Meet us in battle and let the truth of pain cleanse you of your lies!"

just go with the wand, will save the spells for another time, maybe

know planes: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

Sugarsnap recognizes this creature as a Barbed Devil. Unfortunately, she doesn't recall any other facts about it other than they are known as hamatulas to other devils and diabolists and they tend to be collectors and organizers.

Are you just going to attack Mudk? If so, I'll put us in initiative.

Yes but because we weren't on initiative I didn't know what kind of readied actions there might be. And didn't want to assume

attack smite evil PA: 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 11 + 4 = 332d4 + 6 + 9 + 1 + 16 ⇒ (4, 4) + 6 + 9 + 1 + 16 = 40
confirm crit: 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 11 + 4 = 232d4 + 6 + 9 + 1 + 16 ⇒ (4, 1) + 6 + 9 + 1 + 16 = 37

Mudk, I'll let you move up to her as a surprise action. Your subsequent rolls will occur in your place in initiative.

The Mistress of Thorns looks awfully disappointed when her attempt to parlay fails as Mudk advances with sword drawn. He then strikes her hard as he focuses on smiting her, but does not make a critical strike. Moreover, the paladin's melee attack leaves him open to being struck by the many barbs that cover her skin. Mudk takes 11 damage from the barbs.

PC Initiative
Frēodwēn Initiative: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Lady Sugarsnap's Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Mudk's Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20
Sivantanpisil's Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Xakon's Initiative: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

Initiative (Round 1)
Frēodwēn <= Up
Sivantanpisil <= Up
Mudk [11 Damage]
Jherao
Mistress of Thorns
Xakon
Sugarsnap/Truffles

Frēodwēn and Siv are up and Mudk can take his iterative attack if he wants it.

Mudk ignores the pain for now and continues slicing away.

power attack smite: 1d20 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 6 + 4 = 242d4 + 6 + 9 + 1 + 16 ⇒ (4, 3) + 6 + 9 + 1 + 16 = 39

"Yesss! Let the pain of the righteous one facing the evil one, that means you. Anyhow let this pain drive you forwards my friends. Let's see if this one can kill us forever dead."

Sivvy takes a small step forward and begins a summoning spell. {b]"Desna, hear my plea!"[/b]

Mudk's subsequent attack against the barbed devil misses her.

Meanwhile, Sivantanpisil begins a long cast summoning spell. Which Summoning spell are you using, Siv?

Frēodwēn is up.