[PFS] GM Rinaldo's Echoes of the Everwar (Inactive)

Game Master The Great Rinaldo!

Xichi attempts to jump the chasm...

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

...and succeeds with style. Not seeing any imminent danger, he holds his action for now.

Kai jabs his spear again into the creature, ending its life. "Foul creatures..."

Rhuul and Xichikitte hop over to join the others as Kai ensures the last visible morlock is dead.

Xen is up.

Botting Xen
Xen easily hops over the small pit and joins the remainder of the group. Just after she does, two more morlocks come scrabbling around the corner from behind where she had been and attack Herrick.

Green vs Herrick: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
Yellow vs Herrick: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
Despite being surprised by their arrival, Herrick is able to dodge them.

Blue stabilize?: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

Herrick, Garmit, and Kai are up!

Herrick swiftly pronounces his judgement...

"Feronia protect me!"

...and snaps off a quick volley of arrows, provoking attacks from the two nearby creatures.

Manyshot: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31 vs. Yellow
Regular: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29 vs. Green
Magic piercing damage+holy(vs evil): 2d8 + 22 + 4d6 ⇒ (3, 1) + 22 + (2, 6, 4, 1) = 39
Magic piercing damage+holy(vs evil): 1d8 + 11 + 2d6 ⇒ (2) + 11 + (2, 1) = 16

Swift action:Judgement of Protection (+2 sacred bonus to AC), Judgement of Resilience (DR 2/magic). Full round action: Full attack.

Expecting Herrick will most likely be able to deal with the new arrivals, Garmit pauses for the moment, before rushing back to help his companion.

Delay temporarily until Herrick has gone. In the unlikely event that he doesn't deal with them, Garmit will then take his turn.

"More of them? They're swarming like rats!" Kai turns around swiftly to go to Herrick's aid. He moves up beside the pit, and jabs at the morlocks, from a rather awkward angle, hoping not to hit Herrick accidentally.

Power Attack, Heroism, Mutagen, Studied Combat
+1 longspear: 1d20 + 13 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 13 - 2 + 2 + 2 + 4 = 24 It likely has cover bonus.
dmg: 1d8 + 10 + 6 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 10 + 6 + 3 + 4 = 25
Sickening Offensive: if damages studied target, target sickened 1 round.

Green AoO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25Confirm?: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4
Yellow AoO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

One of the morlocks gets a hit in on Herrick before two arrows pierce him; the other misses, but manages only to take a single arrow. His luck doesn't hold out, however, as Kai pokes his spear around the corner and runs him through.

Both are quite dead, but Herrick takes 4 damage for his trouble.

Garmit Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30
Garmit is still up. He hears sounds further up the corridor in front of him, but there is also that wooden chest (obviously filled with incredible treasure) at the bottom of the pit ...

Does the morlock attack count as magic? Just asking in case the judgement DR2/magic applies and it was just forgotten. I almost hate asking when the damage is only 4 hp.

"Guys, I think there are more of these little fellas up ahead...but priorities! There is still the matter of the chest at the bottom of this hole right here. Perhaps we should fly down and get it first before we wander too far ahead and get distracted?"

Garmit stands his ground, ready to strike should any morlocks leap out at him.

Readied Attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24 damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

Agreed.

Does the morlock attack count as magic? Just asking in case the judgement DR2/magic applies and it was just forgotten. I almost hate asking when the damage is only 4 hp.

Nope, I just missed it. 2 damage prevented!

Garmit stands ready, but nothing comes out to attack.

The sounds are still out there, but at least for now nothing is coming out. What do you do?

"Priorities?" Kai asks, somewhat perturbed. "Not like the chest is going to walk away." Despite saying that, he cautiously moves forward to the junction, listening carefully trying to determine which direction the sound is coming from.

perception: 1d20 + 18 + 1d8 ⇒ (8) + 18 + (3) = 29

"Be quick. I do not like this."

The sound appears to be coming from the right-hand branch.

"They appear to be of little threat in the company of such doughty companions" comments Rhuul.

'But this is their home, let us not kill them unnecessarily."

"When people come to visit me at home, I don't immediately attack them." comes Herrick's dry response. "Must be cultural differences."

He then backs up a few steps and takes a running jump over the pit.

Despite the others plan to retrieve the chest from below, Herrick keeps his eyes peeled and his bow ready for coming threats.

Since it seems the combat isn't over, swift action to change judgement of Protection to Healing(4) to seal his wounds, and judgement of Resiliency to Justice(+2). If it turns out the combat is over, ignore the judgement bonuses as they would end.

"It's coming from the right." Kai steps in front of the right passage holding his spear up.

Garmit peers down the pit, trying to determine how deep it is. He looks like he's ready to go down and grab the chest but is deciding whether he can jump down or may need to be lowered down on a rope.

@Garmit: The pit is 20' deep. You can totally make the jump down, it wouldn't even make you blink. Out may be more of a problem, though.

@Herrick: You can have this round of healing. Whether combat continues depends on what the group does.

Xen and Xichi, any specific action for this round?

Xichi casts Mage Hand and attempts to interact with the chest.

Does the lid open? Can the chest be lifted? Does it appear locked? Is it an illusion?

Not magical, but too heavy for Mage Hand to lift. You don't see a lock on it.

Combat appears to be over for the moment. You hear sounds down the corridor, but they don't seem to be approaching.

If you lower me halfway down on a rope, I can use my long arms to lift the chest out.

Strength mod is -1 so you may have to pull me and the chest back up, but at least no one has to set foot down there in case of traps or ambushes.

Kai, seeing no enemies approach for now, calls out to Herrick. "Mind guarding this? they might need my help."

Kai approaches the tengu and half-orc. "So who's going down"
I would recommend Garmit just in case there are traps down there.

Once ready, he helps lower the person down. (strength 22)

"Sure, I always expected it'd be me going down there...gotta keep myself useful, after all. If something does go wrong, just promise me you'll bring all of the bits of me back."

Garmit keeps an eye on the chest as he goes down, looking for any signs of traps.

Perception: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (19) + 19 = 38

If he gets down safely and sees no sign of danger, he'll then open the chest.

Between people with long stretchy arms and people who are very strong, you manage to retrieve the chest.

The chest is not locked, and contains assorted gemstones and coins that are together worth nearly 2,000 gold. In addition, there is a small wooden coffer that has a rusted lock; Garmit recognizes the lock style and would be able to open it with one hand, if only it weren't basically frozen in place by dirt and rust. With a bit of work, Kai is able to force it open, though, and within you find a sheaf of maps and correspondence that appears to document a smuggling route employed in Meskhenet's time through western Cheliax.

Tucking your finds into various packs and bags, you resume your travel through the maze.

There is one more set of two morlocks; however, given the way you plowed through the others, I'm going to just narrate it rather than taking a day out to play the combat.

Carefully picking your way toward the sound you heard, you turn a corner and, unsurprisingly, find more morlocks. They are unable to do much to you before you take them down, and with that the halls grow silent.

With the morlocks defeated, I have revealed the rest of the map. There are additional pits scattered around, most 5' or 10' across. The only larger one isn't actually in your way. You've demonstrated that you can all get across the 10' pits when out of combat, so again I am going to narrate through them.

The halls twist and turn, revealing a strange maze connecting moderately sized chambers. You suspect that much of the current state is due to the collapsing of the walls and parts of the ceiling above. Additional pits block various halls, but with some teamwork and careful jumping you are able to cross them.

Eventually the broken ruins spread out into a larger space. The floor here is clear of rubble, as if deliberately swept clean. In the center of the chamber stands a silver bubble that rises up to touch the ceiling of broken stone 30 feet above. It appears to be formed from liquid silver, with ripples and eddies continually flowing across its surface. All manner of animal and humanoid bones—each picked clean—are stacked around the base of the dome.

Taking in the scene Xen wonders aloud Could that be some sort of ooze?

Knowledge (Dung): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

It does not have any characteristics you normally associate with oozes. It is a perfect hemisphere, marred only by the apparent currents in its liquid surface.

"When is a dome not a dome?"

"Hnmm" muses Rhuul as he uses his enchanted eyesight to view the dome.

Casts detect magic

"When it's a sphere... I wonder if it goes under the rock too?"

Rhuul is briefly dazzled as the magical aura of the dome overwhelms his senses.

"Arghh, I cannie see" stutters Rhuul.

"Blinded by the light. Nobody rearrange the furniture!"

After a moment or two he blinks and avoids looking at the dome. "There is potent magic in that dome, very, very potent. I think we might want to avoid touching it."

Kai picks up a loose rock and tosses it into the dome, curious to see what might happen.

knowledge(arcana): 1d20 + 14 + 2 + 1d8 ⇒ (5) + 14 + 2 + (7) = 28

Any other knowledge checks helpful?

Garmit clicks in awe at the sight of the dome. "Well that's a sight you don't see every day...and thank the Silent Blade for that!"

Moving forward to look at the bones, the tengu shakes his head. "Poor critters...this thing's so shiny, I can't blame them for wanting to touch it, but they had no chance by the looks!"

The rogue then starts to circle the dome, looking for any potential flaw in it or perhaps some way to deactivate or open it up.

Take 20 on Perception around the perimeter of the dome, without touching the thing...until such time as he gets interrupted.

Kai tosses a rock at the dome. The surface ripples where the rock hits, but the rock bounces off.

Looking more closely, Garmit realizes that the bones piled around are not morlock, but various other humanoid and animal bones. He also notices that they are not lying around as if a creature died and was left there, but are stacked in a way reminiscent of an altar.

Stumped by this strange phenomena, Kai decides to search the rest of the room in case something can shed light on this.

perception: 1d20 + 18 + 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 18 + (8) + 2 = 41

Xichi casts Detect Magic, prepared for the mental onslaught, and examines the globe.

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

I have other Knowledges in case they're appropriate.

Garmit, realising the bones are not morlocks, has an idea. "Ah, guys? Did we...ah, did we leave any of those little uglies alive back there? If these bones aren't theirs, then perhaps they were the ones that put them here instead? Maybe we need to go back and ask the little monsters what the heck's going on?"

The tengu scratches his head for a second. "...even though I speak just under twenty different tongues, I'm pretty sure I didn't understand their gibberish, though. Anyone got one of those fancy language scrolls or the like?"

We could plink it with missiles... Xen offers. Perhaps the Murlocks worshiped it and give it offerings?

Xichi tries as well to examine the magic of the dome, but it is too "bright" to his magical senses to get any clear understanding.

Kai looks around the chamber, and finds nothing that has not already been noticed.

Xichi takes a longish bone from the ersatz altar and tries probing the sphere with it.

It looks liquid, but acts solid. Is it a perfect sphere or are there any holes or features?

"Perhaps if we explore further we might discover more.." asks Rhuul, still blinking his eyes.

Are there any unexplored bits around here stil?

"I wonder if there is a way to open it up. And why they put bones there. Someone give me a hand with one of those bodies.."

He drags a Moorlock toward the dome and throws it the last few feet.

No one responded to her idea of shooting the sphere so Xen raises her crossbow and takes aim...

As Xichi prods at the sphere with a bone, the surface reacts like the surface of a pond, though with a bit of resistance. The tip of the bone disappears from sight, and when he draws it back it is intact.

However, when Rhuul tosses a dead body at it, the corpse bounces off just as the earlier rock did.

Xichi removes the bone with a shudder.

You can push something in slowly, but if you use force you are resisted. And touching it gives an unpleasant tingle.

He throws the bone away with a sneer.

I see nothing here for us. Let us leave it for now. Perhaps there are better clues elsewhere in the caverns.

You have effectively searched the entire complex. This is the only thing of interest, and you haven't found any sign of Meshkhenet or her ring.

Holding forth his longspear, Kai takes a deep breath and lets it out. "Alright, I'm going. I'll holler if I need help." With another deep breath, he quickly pushes his way through the barrier.

Please don't die, please don't die...

Herrick quickly offers to put a length of rope around Kai before he walks through the rippling surface of the dome.

"Just in case." he says quietly to the investigator.

Rhuul looks around for a long stick he can try slowly pushing into the dome. As he does so, he peers within, wondering if there is anything there he could poke out with his stick.

"Lets try this first.." he suggests.

This is where it becomes very important that I trust you not to peek at spoilers that aren't yours. Everyone will get their own in due time! ;-)

Herrick quickly loops a rope around Kai while Rhuul pushes a stick through the dome's surface.

Kai then steps boldly into the barrier ... and through.

Kai, please respond in a spoiler. Everyone else can respond openly and I'll trust Kai to ignore it. ;)

"Well..." says Rhuul looking at the limp rope.

"Can anyone talk with him still? Do we all go in? If he faces battle there without our support he is unlikely to survive long." he notes as he approaches the dome cautiously.

Noooo! Kai!!!

Xichi is stricken with the death of his friend Kai. He falls to his knees, weeping.