As Tyrion attacks, he feels his arms becoming cold and lifeless (taking the aforementioned negative energy damage), but manages to land two well-aimed strikes crippling the creature. Atum finishes it with great ease, killing the sceaduinar.
End combat. That was fast!
Searching the room, you find a small urn capped with the head of a sha (a jackal-like creature) that sits on the table with the mummy. Inside is contained a still-beating heart of a large size.
"Ugh that critter sent out some wierd tingles." Tyrion says as he grabs his wand of CLW and pokes himself with it.
1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6
"Well that was an easy enough find. Shall we bring the heart back to the sphinx? She might be willing to give us some more clues then. Hopefully less cryptic ones."
Either fights take really long or really short at high levels. In another group someone just cast hold monster on the biggest baddest monster I never want to engage in melee with and a summoned earth elemental coup the graced it....
The sceaduinar had antilife shell; I bet that the combat would have been much longer and more tedious is he had managed to cast it.
You return to Saruna within minutes, offering her heart back. Her eyes widen when she sees it, and accepts your gift with gratitude. Her suspicion towards you is now gone for good, as is her bitterness towards her own condition. She even starts speaking in more understandable terms.
"A heart returned is a fine omen for days to come. You have my thanks, heralds! While the ones you serve do not deserve my trust, you do. You have defeated Badru and returned my heart, yet I need your help once more, for I seek to escape these walls of endless torment and treachery. The Amethyst sage sealed the library, which only a sage jewel can open. However, these many centuries of imprisonment have allowed me to research a way to fabricate a false sage jewel, flawed by nature but capable of opening the library. As for me, a geas prevents me from leaving, but a true jewel sage could allow me to leave this place. If you promise to speak to the Diamond Sage on my behalf and plead my case, I will assist you in creating a flawed jewel sage so that you can access the library. Do we have a deal?"
Male Human Cleric 11 | HP 102/102 | AC 32 T 12 FF 31 | CMD: 24 | Fort: +12 | Ref: +7 | Will: +14 | Init: +5 | Percep: +15 | SM: +11
Oswin shifts uncomfortably. These last few rooms have been more unsettling. But even more now that their initial deal with the undead is finished.
"I will support my friends, but feel I must state for the record that dealing with the unliving is not ordinarily in keeping with the teachings of the Inheritor."
Of course, no sage jewel is here at the moment. Amenopheus is in Absalom, whereas Tahonikepsu... see the Discussion thread. ;)
"Very well, your word is good enough to me, servant of the sphinxes." She nods at Atum in recognition of his status. "The ritual involves many steps, but the ones that matter for now are two. First, recover Badru's soul focus. Fortunately for you, I already did that while you were exploring around, and it is now in my possession." she explains as displays a small amethyst shining with a strange light. "The next step is to purify it, for it is intrinsecally cursed. We shall enact this ritual now, unless you can cast a spell to remove this curse. Please, do sit. If you prefer to wander around and survey this level meanwhile, be my guest. It shall be ready in one hour. Oh, and do not confront the two golems downstairs yet, you'll need the gem."
Map is updated. During the hour, you're able to explore the last remaining room (save for the golems' room), then you still have lots of time on your hands.
A small bed, a workbench, and several hanging blueprints occupy this room.
Knowledge (engineering or history) DC 20:
You recognize a framed blueprint on the wall as the original plan for the royal palace inside the shell of Ulunat, the Spawn of Rovagug destroyed by Azghaad I.
Feel free to mention other plans you have for the reminder of the hour in your next post, I'm moving the game forward.
One hour later, Saruna's ritual is complete and the soul focus gem has been cleansed of all taint. The undead gynosphinx explains more about her earlier cryptic musings. "In the large circular room downstairs remain two guardians of old. One is made of wood and can be destroyed by mundane means, but the other one is made of glass and embodies the blessing of Isis-it is invincible. However, if you use this stone near them, you should be able to capture their essence and render them vulnerable once again. Once the essence has been absorbed by the gem, it will turn into a sage jewel, albeit a flawed one. The portal is in the same room as the golems, and will activate with the newly-created jewel. Good luck, and remember - you gave me your word."
Any preparation for the fight before you enter the room? I'll let you set the tokens wherever you like.
HP 93 | AC20 T15 FF16 (see spoiler) | F13* R13* W8* | Init +4 | Per +14
With an hour of downtime, Eli will brew a new mutagen, which he will imbibe before entry into the new room.
"Fascinating. I have encountered these glass golems before, and it was only through a magical infusion from the Diamond Sage that we prevailed. I hope this one will be... sufficiently weakened by this process."
Any checks to confirm the undead sphinx is legit and not capturing the essences of these golems into a gem to power her own evil machinations? Spellcraft/Arcana/Religion on the process of the flawed gem creation, etc?
Male Elf Magus (Bladebound) [9.1] | HP 63/63 | AC 28 T 18 FF 22 | F +9 R +11 W +9 | CMB +7 CMD 25 | Init +8 | Perc +14 (low-light vision) | Acro/EA/Fly +8 | Climb/Swim/SM +3
If someone would like invisibility I can grant that wish.
Either for some sort of attack advantage or for recon, either way. If you want it I'll cast it. If a fight is definitely in order I will cast Mirror Image before we commence.
please let me know what alignment the Sphinx is from the detect alignment spells.
Tyrion casts a wary eye at the Sphinx and uses his discern lies ability to be sure. sense motive:1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 17 + 2 = 36
Before the fight Tyrion casts shield of faith and divine favor on himself, and readies a judgement for this fight. +3 deflection ac, +3 to hit and dmg, +3 sacred bonus to ac from judgement
Elithir: You wouldn't be able to know that unless you witnessed the whole ritual. It's very hard to say. As for Tyrion, Saruna is Neutral Evil. However, she appears to be too desperate about her situation to tell anything else than the truth.
You descend into the Halls of Preservation once more, reaching the portal chamber unhindered. It is a large circular room, dimly illuminated by luminescent glyphs that cover the central pillar. In the northern part of the room, two statues, one of wood, the other of glass, stand proudly, reflecting the illumination in a thousand hues. Amidst the ground, pieces of dozens of mechanical centaurs litter the room.
Knowledge (planes) DC 19:
They appear to be remnants of Zelekhut inevitables, outsiders serving pure law.
When you step inside the room, a voice can be heard, speaking in Ancient Osiriani.
Ancient Osiriani:
"Leave now, intruders!"
Suddenly, the central pillar starts emitting a bright light.
Knowledge (religion) DC 25:
You recognize the ankh-like tyet icon emblazoned on the golems as the knot of Isis.
Round 1 - bold may act!
1. Tyrion, Elithir, Oswin, Maldoc, Atum
2. Guardian of Isis, Wood Golem
Knowledge (arcana) is appropriate to identify either of the golems.
"The sphinx is evil lads. Though her short term agenda might be similar to ours. We do not know what her long term agenda will be. We should stay wary of her."
Tyrion says on the way down to the golems.
"I'll take the wood golem, Atum block the big one while the others use the gem on it to weaken it." Tyrion says and teleports behind the wood golem to attack it. Using travel domains teleportation ability attack+PA+construct bane:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18 dmg:1d8 + 15 + 2d6 ⇒ (4) + 15 + (2, 3) = 24
By the way, using the gem is a full-round action that provokes AoOs, and you must be within 20 feet of your intended target.
Maldoc:
The golem made of glass is a mythical glass golem made invincible by the Sage's magic. One question. As for the wooden one, it's a tougher version of a wood golem. One question too.
Tyrion:
First, please move your token on the map. You don't know what the glass-made statue is, however you do recognize the stronger version of a wood golem when you look at the other one. One question.
AC 31 T 17 FF 28 | CMD 36 (38 against bull rush/trip/sunder) | DR 3/adamantine | 30% fortification | F+17 R+13 W+12 (+4 vs mind-aff/death eff, imm to dis) | Init +3 | Perc +7
Living Monolith 14 |
Ka Stone 3/3:
HP 156/156 | AC 31 T 15 FF 29 | DR 3/adamantine, DR 5/evil | 30% fortification | stone blood
Atum translates the golems words for the party: "Leave now, intruders!"
Atum waits for the others to use the gem and then moves into the room, calls upon the power of the sphinxes to enlarge himself, and swings at the large golem!
Male Human Cleric 11 | HP 102/102 | AC 32 T 12 FF 31 | CMD: 24 | Fort: +12 | Ref: +7 | Will: +14 | Init: +5 | Percep: +15 | SM: +11
Ok, so did we get blessing of fervor before entering the room? Also, if someone has the gem, I'll take it and do the dirty work. Decent AC and HP, and you won't miss my lack of damage!
Oswin moves in the room and takes the gem, readying to use it now that he's in position.
I took a double move, but if I need to spend a move to grab the gem from someone, put me behind Atum, in line with Maldoc. Thanks.
"I wonder what dispatched these inevitables... the golems, or our latest patron?"
Eli, spotting a golem constructed of wood and believing that all wood should likely burn, lobs a bomb and then closes into closer combat, drawing his curveblade as he advances.
Using BoF for bonus to attacks, saves. He'll share the result of his knowledge checks with others, looking for resistances/weaknesses first.
reflex for the bomb's dmg:1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 9 + 2 = 22
Tyrion dodges the bomb's blast wave.
"Be careful where you be tossin' them bombs laddy! If this beard get's singed I'll singe some of your hair as well!"
I forgot about the Intensified Spell Feat coupled with my Magical Lineage trait before, I think. Of course it won't matter on such a cruddy attack roll.
I also took the +2 stuff so AC 26 currently, with 3 images.
HP 93 | AC20 T15 FF16 (see spoiler) | F13* R13* W8* | Init +4 | Per +14
Eli hesitates as well, not wishing to destroy an ancient Osiriani guardian simply because an undead sphinx suggested it was their best course of action.
is noone using the gem? Tyrion is using the extra attack aspect now.
Tyrion continues to clobber at the wood golem to take it out of commission in any case. It's only a golem after all.
