[PFS] GM Granta's Beyond Azlant Ridge (high) (Inactive)

Game Master Granta

@Periel: You do indeed detect a faint evil aura. It's Blub Blub.

"Hi Juliet!" Aelfward smiles his big grin, warm and friendly. "My name's Aelfward, but you can call me Al"

His tone comforting and soothing as he shakes her had firmly, his body posture attentive and communicating that he eager to be informed he continues "As my friend and fellow Pathfinder Illuthon has said, your reports are overdue and Aya Allahe sent us to check on your well being and safety. We stopped by the base camp earlier today and Hap was very concerned as well."

Diplomacy +2 if she's w/Liberty's Edge: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (19) + 16 = 35

Kyra says, "The Dawnflower brings her blessings to you all. You toil in such difficult conditions. Are you keeping well enough? Do you have any here in need of Sarenrae's healing touch?"

Diplomacy AA: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15

Tsishad is more curious in the academic. Clearly, if something is so important as to stay, it's worth hearing about at least. "What is so interesting that has kept you here for so long?" The wayang crosses his arms.

"Illuthion, is it? A big, iron golem did storm through here a couple of days ago, but it's completely harmless. We haven't even seen it since then."

"Hi Al. We are all fine. You can tell Happ and Aya that we're excavating an absolutely fascinating site, I've never seen anything like it! We've found Cyclopian sextants and astrolabes, right beside Azlanti jewelry that we suspect was once magical."

Juliet turns to the cleric, "Now that you mention it, Arletta is resting in the camp," she points to the covered area on the other side of the sphere. "She touched that sphere up there, and immediately became sick."

Juliet shows a Cyclopian astrolabe and a broken Azlanti morningstar to the wayang, "Just look at these! Cyclopian and Azlanti artifacts together in one site. That's completely unheard of before!"

"A'ight. I say we go check that sphere out. Get a clue maybe" says Illuthion as he looks around. Somethin' ain't right.

Tsishad begins looking at the ruins and studying while the party continues to talk. He continues to do so until someone pulls him away. "Quite fascinating indeed..." As he studies, he uses his lanky fingers to point out interesting tidbits to himself to make a mental note.

"Oh no, that sounds horrible!" exclaims Kyra. "We shall go inspect the sphere and then I shall see what I can do to assist Arletta."

Blub Blub blinks and rubs the back of his head awkwardly.

"Umm. Yeah. I'll help take a look at the sphere. Ancient ruins aren't my specialty."

I take it my Sense Motive check earlier revealed nothing out of the ordinary?

Nodding his head Periel just follows the more... magical inclined companions.

I take it my Sense Motive check earlier revealed nothing out of the ordinary?

Whoops! I totally missed that roll. Thanks for reminding me, it's an important one. Juliet seems to be charmed.

Once the group leaves earshot Blub Blub whispers his discovery to those in attendance.

"I thought somethin' wasn't right. Looks to me like Juliet's been magically charmed. We gotta be totally careful around here. Stick together and all, otherwise we might fall to the same thing."

"Magically charmed? Well shit. Now we gotta watch out for the chooch that did that to her. Anyone got anything good against magical mind-controlling bullshit?"

Where is the sphere you mentioned in relation to us?

I could have sworn when I updated I bought a Scroll of Suppress Charms & Compulsions for all my casters. Guess not.

"I do not."

I posted the next map. The balcony with the sphere is 30 ft. up. What do you guys want to do next?

Assuming those stairs go up to the balcony

"C'mon chooches! Lets get this shit tightened up yo!" goads Illuthion who marches with determination towards the sphere.

"Can no one cast protection form evil? Well be advised that it is maybe the sphere that controls them."

Kyra, hearing Blub Blub's news and Periel's advice, says, "Let's figure out where her mind control is coming from and I will see if I can dispel it, at least temporarily."

Detect Magic on Juliet on the sphere, trying to determine if it is the cause of her mind control.

"As it happens I have two potions of protection from evil in my backpack." Al smiles a sheepish grin, "I've carried them around for a long time because during my days at the academy one of the instructors said I was particularly vulnerable to mind control."

Actually the paracountess was very suggestive about what she wanted to with me and my open mind he thinks giving a mental shudder.

"But I don't really need them anymore, because I finally was able to find a rare ioun stone for my wayfinder that offers the same protection for my mind but all the time."

"I think we need to look around a little, investigate, find this archeologist who got sick and then go back to talk to Juliet again. If we can trick her into drinking one of my potions or holding my wayfinder maybe that will break the charm."

"We gotta figure out who or what did this. It ain't gonna work unless they're like totally totally evil. Plus, I don't think it works when you're charmed. It's gotta be like that bogus Domination stuff."

Can Illuthion use his Object Reading ability for any of those?

@Illuthion: The first check is for Juliet. The second and third are for the sphere.

Detect Magic + Spellcraft: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33
Detect Magic + Spellcraft: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17
Detect Magic + Spellcraft: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17

Tsishad divulges the information he discovers to the party, out of sight of the subject herself. "She's subject to the Charm Monster enchantment."

Doh! No spellcraft for Kyra.

"Yes but who or what is enchanting her? The Dawnflower has not seen fit to train me in such matters."

Any reason I cannot approach the sphere?

Illuthion begins to interact with the sphere. After about a minute, he shouts down. "Yo, you comin' or what? The sphere got some magic going yo! And I ain't shoutin' it down!"

@Illuthion: Not that you're aware of.

Just asking because I was moved back.

After about another minute or two, Illuthion calls out "C'mon over here yo! I figured something 'bout this shit."

Blub Blub casts Create Water on himself before entering the structure. Hugging the wall, he draws his Heavy Crossbow, but keeps it unloaded and aimed at the floor for now.

Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22

"Whadja find, dude?"

Kyra winces as Illuthion approaches the sphere. She prepares for the worst, drawing her scimitar and saying a small prayer to her beloved deity.

Tsishad uses a charge of his Wand of Mage Armor and heads down with the party.

Let's push forward. Your options are to do something with the knowledge you just gained, find Arletta, or move into the complex.

Several of the archaeologists notice the drawing of weapons, and look worriedly at you. Juliet quickly calms them down though, "Don't worry, they're just afraid of the sphere, after it made Arletta sick."

I didn't realize we were in the room with NPCs.

I'm obviously missing something here?

Looking around shiftily, Illuthion speaks softly to the Pathfinders: "This thing casts Dispel Chaos on you if you touch it. No reason to make anyone sick. Lets find that "archeologist" and make sure she's what they think she is. Which could be a f%+&ing banana at this point."

Without further ado, he hops on back down and makes his way toward the campsite.

Kyra resheathes her scimitar. "Sorry people. Yes I was just nervous about what might come from the sphere."

She nods along with Illuthion. "Yes let's keep moving."

I guess, going forward, if you could place icons for the NPCs, that would be helpful. I do the same thing when gaming face to face. Like back when the monkeys were swarming. There was no way for us to know any NPCs were there.

In this scene I thought we left the room with Juliet and the researchers to go investigate the room with the sphere.

The sphere is not in a separate room. It is on a balcony in the same room.

Staying close and keeping an eye on Blub, Periel shrugs. "Well I haven´t detected any evil auras here. Well any major ones. But let me check from here again." Periel again scans the area with detect evil

Huh... He's giving me that look again... Oh! Right... Aasimar.

Ugh. I really need to convert to Hanspur... Kelizandri's just gettin' bogus...

@Periel: Blub is still the only evil aura in the area.

Maps

This small room is open to the sky. Within the room is a tidy camp consisting of six tents. A few sheets of canvas stretched between rivets in the wall provide shade to a table and chairs. An opening leads to the west and a solid stone door leads north. You do not see anybody.

Al motions the group together then in a low voice says "O.K. so we know that's Juliet's charmed, and that this orb dispels chaos, that one of the archeologists has been 'sick' since she touched the orb, right?"

Not waiting for an answer he goes on "What if all the archeologists here are charmed except perhaps for the 'sick' one? Huh?"

"Look, this expedition is full of people too good not to have found the information about the Cyclops's fiendish prisoner that the Azlantians were worried about. Yet do you see anyone panicking about the huge Azlant golem banging on something around here? The golem that was supposed to activate if the prisoner escaped?"

"These people seem more worried about us, then what's going on with the golem. I think we need to find the 'sick' archeologist- find out what she knows, or break the charm on Juliet - trick her into touching the orb maybe, or heck maybe we need to do both."

Kyra says, "Yes, good idea. It seems to me if we can Juliet to touch the orb then we could actually get some straight answers from someone."

Tsishad interlaces his fingers with one another in a pensive stance. "Yes, it would be interesting to see if this idea works."

"Sounds like a good idea. First though, let's take a look around. Something happened to "Arletta". If "she" is not a "she", I'd like to find a clue to her choochery. It won't take long for me to look around, and less to get a read from anything that "Arletta" had. Someone should probably ask what she looks like though" adds Illuthion before beginning to look around, poking his nose where it does not belong.

How long would it take to search the campsite?

Searching the Campsite (Perception): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33

Illuthion finds Arletta in a few moments, hiding behind one of the tents, "Hello? Who are you?"

Illuthion frowns, suspiciously eyeing the Pathfinder. "Hi... I'm a Pathfinder. Brass sent me here because y'all chooches didn't send word back about what is going on here. Are you Arletta? If you are, mind saying why you were hiding?"

Maybe she didn't really become sick... Maybe she "became sick" after her mind control was dispelled. Let's be careful here. Ain't no way of figuring it out right just yet he thinks to himself as he tries to shift out of the defensive stance he subconsciously shifts to.

"Yes, we are here to take you back." Tsishad rubs his chin. "A scholar's work is never done, but safety protocol is also important to follow."

"L-let me see your wayfinders. And what did you say to Juliet?"

Illuthion sighs, exasperated but flips his wayfinder open. "See?"

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

"We told her our names, that we were here to find out what the f!%~ is going on and that there's a lot of choochery going on right here. Shelyn's tits woman, we ain't got time for this shit yo!" he cries out, exasperated.

Periel raises an eyebrow at Illution. "While I admire your conviction, I doubt your language! Swearing won´t solve anything!"
All well, but a paladin has to well react to such words!