Female Half-Elf Bard (Arcane Duelist) 10 [ HP 73/73 | AC 25/14/23 | Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +7 (+2 vs. ench) | Init +4 (+4 from Banner of the Ancient Kings) | Perception +14 ]
Elindriel shrugs and begins heading north, trusting the others will follow.
Alie follows suit. "North is great with me as well. Remember to get in our regular order. I don't want to be shunted right up to the front," she warns.
Male Half-Elf HERO 11 | HP 101/135 | AC 30 -T16 -FF 26 CMD30 | F+13(15) R+11(+13) W+11(+13) (modifiers apply) | Per +5(+7), Init +8 | Rage: 11rds * Claws: 5rds * Perf: 8rds
"North it is!" Conan agrees in his booming voice, pleased he could be of use in helping keep his companions ship-shape. He settles forward in the point position again, the greatsword drawn.
Your hunch to go northwards is confirmed by a vision that passes in front of your eyes shortly after the haunt subsided: several ghostly images are visible, a number of ephemeral robots march into the eastern corridor from the north hall. You clearly recognize the robots you fought at the entrance of the complex.
You soon reach a large chamber, which is laid out like an auditorium, with rows of seats pointed toward a large pane of black glass set into the curving northern wall. You quickly notice that the area contains two cameras in addition to the large monitor. It also has several large vents similar to the one Lumpy triffled with earlier. The black glass on the far wall suddenly lights up, resolving into the image of a dark-skinned woman surrounded by clouds of yellow-green smoke. Her gaze is cruel and imperious, and she exhales poison gas with every breath. “Natives.” Her voice is hollow and cold. “Lay down your weapons and surrender, and perhaps I will permit you to live.”
Map and pictures available in the Slides document.
Male Half-Elf HERO 11 | HP 101/135 | AC 30 -T16 -FF 26 CMD30 | F+13(15) R+11(+13) W+11(+13) (modifiers apply) | Per +5(+7), Init +8 | Rage: 11rds * Claws: 5rds * Perf: 8rds
Huh, somehow I didn't see the last new post. Sorry, GM!
Conan throws an uncertain look over his shoulder at the others. "Does she know we're not LOCAL to the region?" he stage-whispers.
Turning back to the glass, he clears his throat. "We're not LOCAL to the region, MADAM. That is to say, we're not 'natives'. I myself am from HUNDREDS of miles away," he says earnestly. "The air is CLEANER IN MY HOMELAND. But if we're trespassing we don't want TROUBLE-- but a PERHAPS you'll permit us to live isn't really very REASSURING, MADAM."
Conan locks eyes with Lumpy and Voros during his brief shoulder-glance-over, and darts said eyes at the vents in the walls.
Convey Secret Message via Bluff:1d20 + 18 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 18 + 2 = 38DC 38 Sense Motive for the lady, haha, unless you circumstantially want to make it easier given this is not a really obscure message here~
Voros and Lumpy (no check needed):
Conan's trying to signal the vents need to be blocked or disabled if possible! He's trying to buy time for that to happen.
(mental note to self to cast my own Message spell after this scene, since Lumpy's doesn't let me originate messages out to the party)
Half-Elf Investigator (Psychic Detective) 12 | HP 111/111 | AC 18 | T 13 | FF 16 | CMD 22 | F +14 | R +16 | W +14 | +4 vs. traps, +2 vs. enchantment, +4 vs. psychic spells/SLAs | Init +7 | Perc d20+d8+31 (+6 vs. traps, Low-Light) | Sense Motive d20+d8+17 | Inspiration 13/13 | Phrenic Pool 5/5 | Spells Level 1: 7/7, Level 2: 7/7, Level 3: 6/6, Level 4: 4/4 | Reroll 1/1 | Active Spells: None
Lumpy blinks but understands the cue. He begins walking inside as if pacing while talking, putting away his sword cane as he does. "Yes, perhaps we can come to some sort of mutually beneficial agreement."
He lets Conan take over again and begins trying to disable a vent without the woman noticing.
Not sure what's useful here but gonna roll some stuff in alphabetical order by skill name.
"I don't think we need to be all hasty about killing each other. We are here on an exploration. We don't mean any harm. Perhaps you could allow us to pass and we could leave you be?"
Male Half-Elf HERO 11 | HP 101/135 | AC 30 -T16 -FF 26 CMD30 | F+13(15) R+11(+13) W+11(+13) (modifiers apply) | Per +5(+7), Init +8 | Rage: 11rds * Claws: 5rds * Perf: 8rds
Oh, I'm sure she'll notice. ;) But it might buy a round of getting into position. Although, depending on where the room's cameras are pointed, she may not actually have a complete view of the room...
The Shade appears to be sneering at you. "Make no mistakes, you are natives of this primitive world. A mutually beneficial arrangement, you say? Perhaps we can. I'm Isirah Tanah. Among others. What I wish for is freedom. You look like capable assistants, which I currently lack. You will aid me in creating a body with which to depart this place. What becomes of this place afterward is of no consequence."
Sense Motive DC 20:
You think the Shade fully expected to fight - and she's still ready for it should need arise - but she didn't expect any form of compliance or "mutually beneficial arrangement".
Female Half-Elf Bard (Arcane Duelist) 10 [ HP 73/73 | AC 25/14/23 | Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +7 (+2 vs. ench) | Init +4 (+4 from Banner of the Ancient Kings) | Perception +14 ]
Elindriel attempts to draw the conversation out, allowing the others the chance to disable the vents and possibly getting more information about their potential foe's limitations. "Why is it that you need assistants? Surely you have control over this entire place, including its guardians?"
"She asks a fair question. If we are merely primitives, how can we really assist you? And, just to be on the safe side, if we do help construct you a body, you won't do anything crazy like trying to destroy Golarion, will you?"
Tu penses que même si vous coopérez, elle n'est pas à 100% fiable. Ne serait-elle pas en train d'imaginer une manière de vous trahir d'une manière ou d'une autre? Tu te le demandes.
"I do have guardians, yet they lack the sense of innovation fleshlings are gifted with. For all your primitiveness, you have proven remarkably resourceful. You will make excellent assistants in order to create a perfect elemental form for me, one I can escape this place with." she answers Elindriel, then turns to Alie. "That would be a stupid thing to do. Why destroy the world that hosts me?"
I'm considering that Lumpy hasn't moved to the vents yet. Lumpy, let me know if you wish to see the talking unfold a little more or if you intend to proceed with your plan now. It's more or less the only opporunity to ask questions and try to understand this entity.
"Isirah, how did you come to be imprisoned here? We have also met someone else who is imprisoned here. We met someone trapped in a mirror that doesn't remember much about how she got there. Do you know anything about that around these parts."
Male Half-Elf HERO 11 | HP 101/135 | AC 30 -T16 -FF 26 CMD30 | F+13(15) R+11(+13) W+11(+13) (modifiers apply) | Per +5(+7), Init +8 | Rage: 11rds * Claws: 5rds * Perf: 8rds
"An elemental form? What sort of element?" Conan asks eagerly. "Acid would be a very impressive elemental form! I know everyone thinks FIRE IS BEST, but there's a lot of things that don't burn, you know!"
Sense Motive:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
Conan is pleased his friends are hopefully neutralizing the stinky cloud vents, as he thinks of them.
"Acid is better because it is CAUSTIC. Like WIT. You should definitely go with an ACID BODY-- now how do we make that for you, madam? Must we gather some sort of COMPONENTS for this body?"
Conan thinks this woman is incredibly rude and has no intentions of making her a body, but one of the benefits of coming off as a big moron to everyone is that he's actually a pretty good liar. If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with b%*#!#$*, right?
Bluffing to try and keep getting info out of Isirah, or trying to:1d20 + 18 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 18 + 2 = 37
"Isirah? That is one of my many names." she replies in a quizzical manner. "You have met... Interesting. I tried to save a copy of myself on that device. But as you can see... the real me is quite intact." Yet the woman sounds unconvincing and hollow when she utters the last sentence, a hint of surprise lingering in her voice after Alie's revelation. She is about to answer Conan when Lumpy steals out of the group in order to disable the vents. Yet for all his talent, the tech-savvy detective clumsily trips on a wire, reveling the tools in his hands to the shade's stern gaze.
"What treachery are you planning, fleshlings? It seems my trust in you was misplaced. Very well, die the most horrible death at the hands of my minions." She exhales a long drawn-out sigh, and a greenish mist appears to form at the edge of the screen. A split second later, the green mist coalesces into three masses of swirling vertices made of pure noxious fumes. The shade remains on the large screen, fixing her gaze on Conan.
Sense Motive DC 15, then Knowledge (religion) DC 17 (both checks need to be successful to open the spoiler):
She may very well be trying to manifest as a haunt, mustering her will to overcome Conan's.
Female Half-Elf Bard (Arcane Duelist) 10 [ HP 73/73 | AC 25/14/23 | Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +7 (+2 vs. ench) | Init +4 (+4 from Banner of the Ancient Kings) | Perception +14 ]
Seeing the three elemental creatures appear, Elindriel decides to bolster her comrades as much as she can.
Move action: Begin bard song (Inspire Courage @ level 14 (Banner of the Ancient Kings), 23 rounds remaining) Standard action: Cast haste Not an action: 5' step, as indicated on map
Total bonuses: +6 to hit (+3 competence from inspire courage, +2 morale from flagbearer/Banner of the Ancient Kings, +1 from haste), +5 damage (+3 competence from inspire courage, +2 morale from flagbearer/Banner of the Ancient Kings), +3 to save vs. charm/fear (morale from inspire courage)
The three hulking whirlwinds approach the party and breathe deadly acidic mists on them!
First breath: Green on Conan, Alie and Elindriel. Acidic Breath, Ref DC 18 halves:5d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 2, 2, 3) = 17 Additionally, please make a DC 18 Fort save against poison or take 1d4 Con damage.
Second breath: Red on Conan, Alie and Elindriel. Acidic Breath, Ref DC 18 halves:5d6 ⇒ (3, 5, 3, 1, 5) = 17 Additionally, please make a DC 18 Fort save against poison or take 1d4 Con damage.
Third breath: Blue on Elindriel and Voros. Acidic Breath, Ref DC 18 halves:5d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 1, 1, 6) = 19 Additionally, please make a DC 18 Fort save against poison or take 1d4 Con damage.
The Shade's Dominion - round 1
1. Elindriel
2. CS Knowledge (planes) DC 17 to identify
3. Voros, Lumpy, Alie, Conan
4. Isirah's Shade
Female Half-Elf Bard (Arcane Duelist) 10 [ HP 73/73 | AC 25/14/23 | Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +7 (+2 vs. ench) | Init +4 (+4 from Banner of the Ancient Kings) | Perception +14 ]
Male Half-Elf HERO 11 | HP 101/135 | AC 30 -T16 -FF 26 CMD30 | F+13(15) R+11(+13) W+11(+13) (modifiers apply) | Per +5(+7), Init +8 | Rage: 11rds * Claws: 5rds * Perf: 8rds
Kn/Saves:
KN Planes to identify CS, (heroism), DC 17:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13no
Sense Motive, heroism, DC 15:1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 2 = 6nooope
Reflex save 1, DC 18:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15resist acid 5 Fort save 1, antitoxin, DC 18:1d20 + 15 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 15 + 5 = 24Pass
Reflex save 2, DC 18:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9resist acid 5 Fort save 2, antitoxin,, dc 18:1d20 + 15 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 15 + 5 = 32Pass
=24 acid damage; if successful Fort save, 0 con damage?
Conan shifts his grip on his sword and roars a challenge in answer to the acid searing his skin. Bellowing wordlessly, he hacks into the cloudy forms. His muscles bulge, and insubstantial forms arise around him as well, answering the swirling noxious figures.
Attacks! Raging.:
Will start on green and move to red if it drops, +2 for flank with Lumpy, -2 if I wind up attacking red
Voros's four bombs utterly vapolize the elemental! In the aftermath of the blast, nothing remains there. Conan wades into melee and dispatches another one!
Only the red one remains.
@Conan: Yes, it works exactly as a poison. If you succeed the initial Fort save you aren't poisoned, thus don't take any ill effect and don't need to resave the next round, etc.
@Elindriel: For the same reason, you don't take Con damage twice. 1 Con damage total for you. However, you'll need to resave next round, just like regular poison.
These creatures are known as caustic stalkers, or "acid elementals". They are immune to acid but not particularly resilient against other types of energy. They have a breath attack of acid which also poisons the unfortunate targets, and any creature that comes in contact with the stalker is affected by terrible acidic burns.
The stern gaze of Isirah's shade falls on Conan.
Conan:
You feel the gaze boring into your mind, provoking excruciating pains and forcing you to obey the Shade's will. Will DC 19 against a dominate person. However, it previously targets any effects or magic item that protect you against mind control with a greater dispel magic effect. Hypothetical Dispel Magic check:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20
Male Half-Elf HERO 11 | HP 101/135 | AC 30 -T16 -FF 26 CMD30 | F+13(15) R+11(+13) W+11(+13) (modifiers apply) | Per +5(+7), Init +8 | Rage: 11rds * Claws: 5rds * Perf: 8rds
GM:
No such items, I don't think. Conan does not have the clear spindle! Which will be very ironic if I wind up dominated after lecturing other people about that. ;)
Conan's booming laugh rolls out in the room. "DEAR WOMAN," he informs the scowling visage, "I have been heckled by the WORST OF ABSALOM. You will have to do better than THAT!
"Friends, be aware that her eyes seek to BEND YOUR SOUL to her will."
Half-Elf Investigator (Psychic Detective) 12 | HP 111/111 | AC 18 | T 13 | FF 16 | CMD 22 | F +14 | R +16 | W +14 | +4 vs. traps, +2 vs. enchantment, +4 vs. psychic spells/SLAs | Init +7 | Perc d20+d8+31 (+6 vs. traps, Low-Light) | Sense Motive d20+d8+17 | Inspiration 13/13 | Phrenic Pool 5/5 | Spells Level 1: 7/7, Level 2: 7/7, Level 3: 6/6, Level 4: 4/4 | Reroll 1/1 | Active Spells: None
What happened to my post? o_o... I guess it got deleted. :(
Previous Turn:
Non Action
Lumpy steps into a more advantageous position.
Free Action
Lumpy tries to identify the foe.
Knowledge (Planes) (Heroism, Inspiration):1d20 + 15 + 2 + 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 15 + 2 + (6) + 2 = 34- special defenses, special attacks, elemental defenses, vulnerabilities
Swift Action
Having identified the foe, Lumpy tells the party where to strike. "You see, the whirlwind will tend to coalesce in a localized area when..."Inspiration Expertise - +4 insight bonus on attack rolls for 1 round for all these foes.
Move Action
Lumpy centers himself for the next casting of a spell. Psychic spellcasting stuff.
Standard Action
He tries to invade the mind of the whirlwind next to him. Mind Thrust III, DC 19 Will Save for half. Cast Defensively (Heroism) vs. DC 21:1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 17 + 2 = 34 Mind Thrust III:10d8 ⇒ (6, 3, 6, 5, 2, 2, 4, 1, 6, 3) = 38- DC 19 Will Save for half
Female Half-Elf Bard (Arcane Duelist) 10 [ HP 73/73 | AC 25/14/23 | Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +7 (+2 vs. ench) | Init +4 (+4 from Banner of the Ancient Kings) | Perception +14 ]
Elindriel imbues her blade with arcane power and slashes wildly at the elemental!
You may open Voros's spoiler. Additionally, I can tell you they have no elemental vulnerabilties except that they are easily dispersed by wind. Additionally, they're amorphous.
Will:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Despite Elindriel and Lumpy's coordinated assault, the elemental resists the onslaught! It strikes back at the bard, pounding on her with its wispy caustic fists. The first attack misses, but the second hits Elindriel in the belly, inflicting terrible continuous burns from the acid.
Slam:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 221d6 ⇒ 3 Slam:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 291d6 ⇒ 4 [dice=Extra acid damage (Ref DC 18 as a full-round action to "extinguish")]1d6[/dice]
Male Half-Elf HERO 11 | HP 101/135 | AC 30 -T16 -FF 26 CMD30 | F+13(15) R+11(+13) W+11(+13) (modifiers apply) | Per +5(+7), Init +8 | Rage: 11rds * Claws: 5rds * Perf: 8rds
Laughing still at the foolishness of the attempt to corrupt his HEROIC WILL, Conan turns his blade on the next swirling cloud. "Pick on someone your own size, SIRRAH WINDBAG! ...well, closer to it, at least!"
Attacks:
(If my first attack somehow drops it, I'll move action forward to be adjacent to the screen rather than keep attacking.) Attack 1 (Rage, Heroism, PA, bardic, haste, Lumpy):1d20 + 16 + 3 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 16 + 3 + 1 + 4 = 31 Damage, adamantine, magic:2d6 + 22 + 5 ⇒ (3, 5) + 22 + 5 = 35
Conan scatters the last caustic elemental to the winds! Only the irate face of Isirah's shade remains, glaring at you from the screen. Lidless metal eyes are now fixed on you, turning their attention to Elindriel. They appear to be unaffected by Alie's spell.
Voros and Lumpy act just in time to disable the two eyes, thus shutting down Isirah's sight. The shade roars in angers as it disappears from the screen. "You can never defeat me! I am beyond your reach!"
End combat!
Knowledge (religion) DC 15 or Sense Motive DC 25:
You can assess that the haunt suffuses the entire ruin; in order to destroy the haunt, you would have to draw the entire haunting presence into a vulnerable form.
"Wow, so we are going to see her again? She's definitely going to be a thorn in our side. Let's keep going, and see if we can find a way to put her to rest for good."
"Interesting. What about the speaking device? Could we do something about that too?" asks Voros to Lumpy, which seems to know a great deal about that kind of 'magic'.
Male Half-Elf HERO 11 | HP 101/135 | AC 30 -T16 -FF 26 CMD30 | F+13(15) R+11(+13) W+11(+13) (modifiers apply) | Per +5(+7), Init +8 | Rage: 11rds * Claws: 5rds * Perf: 8rds
"We should see to the injured before we PROCEED," Conan says. "Who is hurt? I am only lightly singed myself, haha! She does not know I have a THICK SKIN."
Female Half-Elf Bard (Arcane Duelist) 10 [ HP 73/73 | AC 25/14/23 | Fort +5, Ref +10, Will +7 (+2 vs. ench) | Init +4 (+4 from Banner of the Ancient Kings) | Perception +14 ]
Elindriel pulls out a wand and begins tapping herself with it repeatedly...
You think that the screen/monitor is also connected to Isirah's Shade just like the eyes are, so disabling the screen would also help in the same manner that disabling the cameras did.
Male Half-Elf HERO 11 | HP 101/135 | AC 30 -T16 -FF 26 CMD30 | F+13(15) R+11(+13) W+11(+13) (modifiers apply) | Per +5(+7), Init +8 | Rage: 11rds * Claws: 5rds * Perf: 8rds
Conan happily uses Alie's wand on her before returning it, giving her a thumbs up signal. He restores his own wand to its location. "Now THEN! The combat was very confusing what with the GIANT SCREENS and so forth, but am I correct that I heard the LARGE, UNPLEASANT FACE give the same name as the trapped woman in the little glass? Should we... ASK HER ABOUT THAT? Perhaps this is a variation on a MIRROR IMAGE spell."
(I say west simply to have a direction, but, yeah, so Isirah's haunt is haunting this place but also her consciousness is preserved inside our portable plate? Maybe we should ask her if there's a way to set her to rest or something? Or even to see if she has a reaction to what just went down.)
