[PFS/DMK] 7-09 The Blakros Connection (Inactive)

Game Master Kludde

Does the ceiling have points where one could hold on or secure himself, like a chandelier or something?

There's some lamps suspended to the ceiling. With the reversal of gravity, these lamps have collapses onto their chain and lie at the ceiling.

August, Fredrik and Tessara manage to grab hold of a pillar while the limp body of Balon lying on the ceiling.

If you grab a hold of a pillar, you'd have to climb 'down' to reach Balon

Fredrik climbs down on his rope to the ceiling, he grabs Balon's body and moves him to one of the lamps where he will secure himself and the unconsciouss occultist until the gravity reverses itself.

Hanging on to the pillar, Fredrik fumbles for his cord, starting to fasten it on the pillar. Already when he takes it out, he feels the first signs of the strange gravity reversals starting to diminish. It will only be matter of seconds before gravity returns to normal, and Balon learns that the trick to flying is in missing the ground. The hard way.

Everybody has effectively a single round to do something about Balon crashing down.

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Balon (-8 hp)
Fredrik
Tessara
Vasily <--I still need a save
August
Elliot <-- I still need a save

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Save me, my brethren!! LOL If this character dies AGAIN I'm gonna be sad! It would be his FOURTH death! :-P

Is it possible to try to either catch/absorb the fall of Balon? August would naturally try to do that if it were possible.

"If he falls, I think I can catch him using my Flight hex! Try to rope him, but I'll try as well."

I have the Flight hex which should let me use Feather Fall at will. Should be able to keep him from crashing again.

"If he falls, I think I can catch him using my Flight hex! Try to rope him, but I'll try as well."

I have the Flight hex which should let me use Feather Fall at will. Should be able to keep him from crashing again.

Unfortunately, the witch's flight hex has been clarified that it only affects the witch herself. Not that I'm trying to keep you all from helping Balon, but rules is rules. :) FAQ

Argh! I never saw that! Sorry, Balon...I don't know what else I have for you. Even if I fly to you, I'm too weak to be able to do anything...

Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Elliot curses in pain as he hits the ceiling. "What the hell is happening, somebody's turning the world upside down!"

Elliot has sacred touch, would that help? And he also has a rope.

@Tessara: you can always fly toward him and break his fall. Maybe someone on the ground can catch him, like a real fireman

I guess that is true.

Tess uses her Flight hex and zooms toward the dhamphir, attempting to grab him. In the same idea, she hopes someone can grab her, as she doubted that she could hold his sturdy frame up.

@Tessara: you can always fly toward him and break his fall. Maybe someone on the ground can catch him, like a real fireman

That's exactly what I stated earlier. If August can attempt that then he will give it a try. I promise that if I do catch him I won't spike him like a baby football.

Fredrik casts air walk on himself and moves to help Tessara to catch Balon.
If Fredrik cant get to Balon in time he will go to a spot under him to catch him falling.

Vasily Reflex: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Vasily is a bit disgruntled with the reversal of gravity, but goes with the flow, and lands softly on the ceiling. He is concerned about Balon falling again and considers means to avoid more damage.

I have a scroll of Feather Fall. Is there time to retrieve and cast on Balon?

Tessara flies up, trying to keep Balon from crashing to the floor. The manages to reduce Balon's speed somewhat, but it takes Fredrik, who intercepts the two near the floor, to prevent disaster. All's well that ends well, though, and when Balon finally regains consciousness, he is safe and sound on the library floor, none-the-wiser.

PHEW!

Balon awakens and looks around at his allies. "I thank you, as you must've helped me, elsewise I'd be most assuredly deceased. I will heal myself more after we determine how to keep this room from trying to kill us all."

After the sudden intermission, Tessara sets back to exploring the planar archives,

Knowledge: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Tessara find that someone here was researching the Dimension of Dreams. Pages have been torn from some books, only to be used as bookmarks in others. Notes on the torn pages reference literature contained in the Lower Planes Archive elsewhere in the sealed wing. According to the registry, one book on the Dimension of Dreams is missing: the Libram of Forgotten Dreams. This book purportedly contains dozens of rituals pertaining to that realm.

There's still more to learn. Eight hours have passed, but feel free to make more rolls

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Seled Wing Collection (9)
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Also, it's possible to prevent the wild surges by making a concentration check: DC 15 + twice spell level

August will do what he can to pay attention.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21

Tess again tries to explore the arcane knowledge hidden in the room.

Know. Arcana 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

"No one cast any spells in here, if it can be helped. We don't need another wild surge!"

Knowing a little about arcane ways, Vasily peers through the tomes in question looking for any more information.

Know Arcana: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Will use that as an Aid roll if possible. If not, stand alone. Can we get to the Sealed Wing?

Result: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

The sealed wing is where you are right now. Sealed wing collection is the name for the books you are searching through.

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Seled Wing Collection (20)
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Through further investigation, it seems the researcher veered away from the Dimension of Dreams and toward seemingly random books on Abaddon, the Abyss, and Hell. She has underlined unrelated passages and circled chapter numbers.

The nameless researcher’s investigation eventually became haphazard and inexplicable, though with patience it becomes clear that she was attempting to decipher some sort of encoded message—some of which earlier patrons of this library left in the margins of books.

Vasily and Tessara get the feeling they're drawing closer to figuring out the solution...

Vasily points out the underlined passages and the circled chapter numbers, but can't make heads or tails of the meaning. He shows them to Tessara and the rest of the researchers, hoping someone can decipher what appears to be a code of some sort.

Got no Linguistics skills, sorry.

Kn.Arcana: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21

Also no Linguistics, unfortunately.

I don't have any Linguistics, but I do speak quite a few languages, if that could help.

What a waste. I can't imagine any civilized person would tear pages from books inisde a library just to use as markers on other books. And a savage would not conduct research by books. My guess is a madman or probably an outsider. Fredrik says puzzled.

Dont have linguistics either.
:(
Can we use an alternative skill DM Kludde?

PS: Is anybody else having problems with paizo's site latetly? It took me 5 tries just to post this one.

Paizo's site is experiencing heavy traffic beacuse of the humble bundle sale (great deal, by the way). It's almost impossible to download pdfs right now.

Even without linguistics, you can still continue searching the archives with a regular check: Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), Linguistics, or Profession (librarian);

Know. Arcana 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

Tess keeps looking through the strange room. "Keep helping. The faster we can get out of here, the better!"

Linguistics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
"Hey, look at this! Is this some kind of code?"
Elliot has a closer look at the code, but does not understand what it means.
Linguistics II: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Result: 1d12 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

Elliot manages to piece together bits of the secret cipher, and after another full days' worth of researching and ploughing through books, it all falls into place: there is a is trigger mechanism hidden in the bookshelf of the furthest room. That room is a small and unusually claustrophobic library, with its looming shelves rising higher than the room is wide. Books are scattered across the floor, though none of them appear damaged. Rather, this library looks like it was hastily searched.

With a soft click the bookcase swings out quietly like a door. An ancient spiral staircase—just barely wide enough for a person to traverse—lies behind the hidden door and ascends at a steep, unlit incline. Scratched into the stone walls is graffiti in dozens of languages. At the top of the staircase, a stone archway opens into a cramped vault with four-and-a-half-foot high ceilings held up by squat, stone columns. Dozens of small nooks line the walls of this con ned space, filled with musty old pillows, dust-covered books, and ancient cobwebs. Old candles, long unlit, sit in pools of congealed wax alongside empty lanterns. Two low-ceiling corridors lead off in opposite directions. The entire secret space gives the impression of being a refuge from the rest of the library, a quiet place to study or socialize that has long since been forgotten.

Most pieces of the graffiti each lists a different single name and a date. The most recent date engraved is 4606 ar, over 100 years ago.

The narrow staircase leads up into a series of small chambers hidden between the ground level and second floor of the Forae Logos. A single pair of footprints in the dust leads down one winding corridor. Near the back of the network of tiny rooms, the area is cleared of cobwebs, and a chalk diagram is drawn on the floor, and assembled a ring of candles that still burn with heatless flame. An enormous tome—the Libram of Forgotten Dreams—lies open atop the diagram, and several items lay strewn about the floor.

"Finally! We've spent much more time than I expected we would require to get to this point. Let's continue."
I assume Balon gets to heal some points of health from sleeping those two nights during our research? That would put him at 11/38.

As soon as the group has left the room and feels as if the magical strangeness they were dealing with earlier has lifted, Balon will heal himself the rest of the way with his infernal healing wand.

Over the two days (in the evenings when they leave the room), Tess will make sure she is healed, and is happy to use whatever wands on the others as necessary.

Once they find this new room, she decides to not rush in this time. She approaches slowly and looks carefully at the circle, making sure to not break the circle.

Perception 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 17

She then moves to look at the enormous tome, to see if the answer to their quest lies there.

Perception 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (11) + 14 = 25

Fredrik! Is this what he want? It took long enough!

The tome contains some scribbles in the margins. They are all in the same handwriting. (See the handout)

Fredrik checks the room for any residual magic (Detect magic) and study the pentagram draw on the floor.

K. Arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16

It seems that way friend.

"Yes, let's continue."

Balon will follow Fredrik in the direction indicated.

"The Professor? Cryers? 322? What is this person going on about? What in the world are the Black Stars?"

Tess was most confused by the scribbling.

DM, any knowledge check can help on these words? Base knowledge roll is 1d20 ⇒ 17

Tessara tries to make sense of the notes and the tome, but the only thing she manages to pick up is that the tome describes the nature of—and how to travel to—the Dimension of Dreams. A thorough study would take weeks to complete.

The candlelight gradually grows to an unnatural intensity. Soon, a shimmering form of golden light blossoms into being, taking the form of a Garundi woman (See the portraits on the handout) in regal robes and with the symbol of a winged eye hanging around her neck. The apparition first takes on a stern, chastising countenance, raising one hand in the air as if to castigate everyone in the room. Then, as her luminous eyes register her many guests, she adopts a less aggressive posture.

“Heavens blessed,” she whispers. “You’re not the same guests at all, are you?” While clearly some form of spirit, there is no visible malevolence
in this phantasmal woman’s eyes. Rather, she over ows with a palpable aura of compassion and concern. “My name is Aliyas Ardenvaugh, I am—I was—curator of this wing of the Forae Logos. It... It’d been so long since I’ve seen another soul. Now so many guests in just a short time! How unusual. Are you peers of the woman who was here? Three-twenty- two?” She wrinkles her nose at the name.

322? Is that a code or somethin'? I hope it ain't a math problem, I ain't good at them...

I have that particular boon, DM! Will love to see how 322 is involved here!

No, I believe we are her adversaries. Can you tell us what happened here?

K. Religion on the spirit: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

332 is the name of that poor girl, who came here, fieeing a fight she did not start. I offered her comfort and compassion, but she refused both. I could tell she was troubled, but she preferred the company of the libram more than that of another wayward soul.

Her name is a number? Did her parents really have that many kids? August looks to Fredrik and the others with a serious face. No wonder! Where is she now?

Untrained Knowledge Religion 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Tess smiles at the woman. "You wear the symbol of Aroden, I see. The stories of him sound wonderful. Mystery surrounds his disappearance, though. I have never met this 322. What can you tell us of these lanterns?"

Once I was a servant of Aroden, yes. He did not bestow my gifts directly, yet I admired—no, still admire—Aroden’s ideals of knowledge and wisdom. I know he is gone, but in a way perhaps his memory lives on in me.

Aroden is gone. If there is more to know, I have acknowledged the wisdom that it is a secret Aroden did not wish revealed.

The woman performed a ritual found in the Libram of Lost Dreams, which put her to sleep. Eventually, her body and possessions simply faded away. I feel she was drawn somewhere else by powerful magic.

She was carrying a lantern, oh yes—a grim-looking thing! It flickered with such an unusual light, and she would talk to it, ask it questions. If it responded, I could not hear.

She was mostly asking advice regarding the ritual she was intending to perform— specifics of arcane study and magical insight. She only asked one question that was not of a practical nature: ‘Do you forgive me?

Forgive? She didn't say what she done? Sounds weird, huh Tess? August then rubs his forehead as if any thinking he has been doing has injured him. So what's all of this ritual stuff about?

"We have reason to think that she might have captured the soul of one of our associates in that lantern. Could you tell us more about where we might find her now?"

"My goddess teaches that forgiveness is for those who regret their decisions, and those who do so are weak. If this young lady asked for forgiveness, perhaps she just needs some guidance. We will determine what is happening. Can you tell us anything about the lantern she was carrying? Or any other description of her features?"