Racing forwards to meet the foes head on, Blanmieux's scythe digs in to the wysp. The elemental seems to resist it at first, but with a final cleave the rocky orb crumbles.
Adjusting he aim to account for the barbarian, Jade's shot launches at the remaining wysp. It dents it heavily, but the servitor still stands.
[i]Initiative[i]
Kivuli
Kivuli dashes forwards to stab out at the xorn, but his estoc glances harmlessly against the creature's hide. It chuckles.
The remaining wysp moves down next to the rogue, but like its companion does not yet attack.
Initiative
Bless is up
Keriassa
Crios
More cracks form across the wysp after it takes another arrow hit.
The xorn grins (you think it’s a grin. With that mouth placement its hard to tell) as the magus’ first swing bounces harmlessly off its hide. It is less amused when the second blow hits, and so it retaliates with attempting to chew Crios before slashing at him with its claws. As the magus drops the corn continues his assault on the presumptuous wayang.
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Initiative
Bless active
Blanmieux
Jade
Professor
Kivuli 19/31 hp
The felling of Crios seems to enrage the rest of the Pathfinders as you refocus all your energy on the laughing xorn. Ironically, despite tapping into his anger the most, both of Blanmieux's strikes cannot quite dig deep enough into the creature's flesh in order to leave a lasting wound.
Luckily Kivuli and Jade both land near perfect blows that batter the xorn.
Injured and bleeding heavily, as the wayang's blade stabs towards him the xorn's eyes go wide and he ganshes in Terran: Restore me. Now! Live for your Purpose! The battered wysp in response glows bright green in a flash before crumbling. into nothing. At the same time, many of the xorn's injuries glow with a green light and heal, just in time to be reopened by Kivuli. It still stands, though heavily hurt.
Initiative
Bless active
Keriassa
Crios -7/38 hp
Professor
Blue Wysp
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As Crios' eyes flutter open, he quickly debates his situation, and focuses his sight on finding vulnerable points to attack from his position. He knows standing will provoke the creature, but he must try or the thing could very well get the upper hand on his friends.
He lashes out with two swift kicks, focusing on accuracy over power.
Awaking with a start from the gnome's healing burst, Crios sees his precarious position and lashes out at the menacing outsider looming above him. The first swing barely taps the xorn, but drawing on some inner reserve, the second strikes home! The battered xorn lets out a final grinding moan as its three legs give out and it topples down.
As you begin to catch your breath, a half-orc Pathfinder approaches you.
"Looks like you've seen better days." he bluntly says in a gravely tone as he looks at Crios. Continuing to the rest, the Pathfinder jabs a thumb at a trio of earth elementals in the room's corner. "We think we've got this place mostly clear. It seems some of the earth things weren't all here of their own choice. Some kind of magic binding. Those three just want to go now, but they've been here long enough they probably have intel on what's ahead. See if you can get something out of them. Tried myself, but they're not the best in Common. Didn't seem to take to me either." He gives a grin showing two imposing tusks that seem to play off of the half-orc's heavy spiked armor.
"If none of you lot do, I think they speak a bit of the Common tongue." the half-orc says with a shrug. "Just maybe avoid any platinum-piece big words."
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"Ah, yes, the platinum piece words. Right you are."
The Professor, after tending to Crios, hobbles over to the earthen trio and begins conversing in their native tongue, since he assumes it will set them at ease.
"Greetings, uh, earthen beings. We understand you've been bound here against your better desires? Perhaps you could shed some light on what's transpiring here on this asteroid?"
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"Thank you for your ministrations Professor." Crios says cheerfully. "I feel much better."
He quickly retrieves his dropped wand and at the same time takes out his wand of infernal healing , tapping it to his flesh in one smooth motion. As the remaining wounds begin to heal, he puts both wands away, listening to the nearby exchange.
I do hope this works out
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three mounds of vaguely-shaped rick shuffle and turn towards the Professor as the old man approaches. They seem to crouch down at first, but as the gnome speaks they relax somewhat.
Yes. Stuck as slaves. Big genie Adil in charge. He and others carved runes in us, made us obey. Now free, so want to run, and dig away fast. Ayrzul's anger is rising higher and higher. The Fossil King it getting very mad because of you!
Even somewhat relieved, they still look nervously around, as if they are ready to bolt in case other reinforcements come back.
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The Professor nods as his allies make use of the discovered potions.
"Always the right choice, given the Society seems to liberate any of the magic we discovered and return!"
He turns his head back to his new rocky friends, inquiring if they can provide any further details about the Fossil King or the genie Adil.
"Ah, and this Fossil King... can you tell us anymore about him?"
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Keriassa leans closer to the professor (and speaks up) to ensure a proper translation.
"As always, you have fought with honor, even for a cause you did not sign up for. Such is the way of your race, strong and magnificent as the stone you are made from. Help us understand the situation, and we will do what we can to restore things to their natural order."
"Why is the Fossil King mad at us? What have we done?"
The elemental's rough features make it hard to be sure, but as the rock creature turns its head towards the corpse of the slain xorn, as well as the bodies of other gargoyles, wysps, oreads, and shaitan strewn around the hub Kivuli thinks he might be receiving the elemental equivalent of 'side-eye'.
Still, the groups' words seem to soothe the trio for a moment, and they reply in their gravelly tones. Just want to get back to Earth. Real earth, not floating rock. Fossil King's men grab us and others. Force us to defend treasure. Ayrzul in charge of guarding something big. Very important! But place he put it, something went wrong. Needed to move, so put it on space rock. Until better vault built. Heard shaitan say because of 'vacuum'.
Don't know much else. But when not guarding, we were forced to mine. Find special gems and stones and minerals. Shape into panes, trace symbols on them. Symbols did not always make sense.
Your conversation is interrupted as a wave of Pathfinders comes roaring through the area! One of them, a little green gnome on a riding dog, calls back at you. "Hey, we just heard that Sorrina's giving a big announcement. You don't want to miss it, do you?"
The asteroid groans as if an invisible weight had been lifted from it, leaving the air cleaner and breathing easier. The reassuring breeze emanating from tunnels suddenly drops in intensity, leaving a feeble stream that whistles weakly as it drifts off into space. A moment later, portals wreathed in tumbling stone open all across the asteroid, and Sorrina Westyr urgently beckons everyone to come through.
“We've truly grabbed the scorpion by the tail. Whatever entity was holding us at bay has loosened its grip, but it has redirected its efforts to cutting off the source of air that allows us to survive in this place. The path forward is no longer filled with lethal energy. We have at most…an hour or two before we must return home or face asphyxiation. But if we press forward and find the source of the air, I believe it is tied to whatever captive is imprisoned here. Our portal minders will stand ready in case we need to evacuate quickly.”
Sorrina leads the assembled Pathfinders toward the edge of an immense, steeply sloped tunnel that descends into a miles-wide, spherical cavern. A crude stone fortress floats near the cave's center as if it were a rocky sun, and enormous slabs of earth orbit it like a miniature asteroid belt. These slabs gravitate inward toward the fortress, but periodic blasts of air slow their approach and cast the jagged masses back toward the edge of the cavern. Each gust is slightly weaker than the last.
Robed figures cling to the rocky slabs and chant loudly, as if empowering the stone. Unimpressed, Sorrina Westyr casts a spell at one of the distant cultists and flings him off his crude platform.
“iiiiiieeeeeeee!” The cultist screams, arms and legs askew as he hurtles toward the fortress and collides with its surface with a faint splat.
“Woo hoo, Bullseye!” Drandle Dreng claps, then goes back to organizing a party of Pathfinders who are busily unpacking knotted ropes. “Hurry, there’s not a moment to lose!”
“We must get to that fortress,” Sorrina announces before signaling others to lower knotted ropes down to the cavern. “Clear off the opposition, then we'll make our way inside. I find it reassuring that whatever lies within the fortress has an aura of good, and no doubt seeks our aid.”
Following Sorrina and the assembled throng of Pathfinders down, you now stand at the edge of a massive hollow opening at the asteroid’s center. Miles wide at least, the stone fortress Sorrina pointed to sits at the cavern’s center as you climb as far into the hollow vault as you can.
A rune-scribed floating island begins drifting beneath the tunnel and brushing against dozens of lowered ropes. “These rocky fragments gravitate toward the fortress,” Sorrina shouts as she hangs from a rope. “If we can cling on before it travels out of reach, it should carry it toward our destination.” The iceberg-sized rock spins slightly, revealing a host of undead cultists that cease their chanting, point toward the Path nders, and let loose unholy wails.
“Now!” cries the Master of Spells, and agents begin rappelling down to the crude platform.
Initiative
Crios
Jade
As Jade floats down, Kivuli's eyes widen as he recognizes the undead as Crypt Things. Skeletal guardians of tombs, crypts, and other vital locations, these undying guards lash out with their claws frightening fear auras, and their bones are shockingly resistant to no-magic edged weapons. .
But a crypt thing's most unique attribute is their strange mastery of space. A Crypt thing can attempt, if needed, to banish those invading their domain, teleporting away and scattering those around them.
Initiative
Crios
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Crios casts feather fall on himself, followed by vanish and he leaps off. Studying the skeletal creatures as he falls, he is glad Kivuli knows what they are. "If they can't see you, their magic is worthless." he says to the team as he floats down.
Upon landing, he darts between the two figures, readying himself for a flurry.
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As the Aasimar also drops (you think at least, it's hard to tell), the closest crypt thing charges at the intruder it can see. Jade feels a innate terror as it strikes out with a sharp claw that she easily dodges.
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The other closes and looks up at the dangling Pathfinders. Drawing a dagger as it moves, it throws it up at the rope Kivuli is clinging to. the toss severs to silk cord, causing the wayang to drop onto the rock below with a *THUD*.
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Initiative
Keriassa
Kivuli 25/31, prone (Need Will save)
Professor
Blanmieux
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for and possibly
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Crios rushes forwards but just as soon as he approaches the undead, a dread fills him. these monsters - they're too terrifying! You can't possibly stand against them. You have to get away!
As his friend prepares to make a break for it, Kivuli lets his fear pass over him and through him, and is fine.
Initiative
Keriassa
Kivuli 25/31, prone
Professor
Blanmieux
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The Professor squints down at the panicked Crios.
"Ah, Crios. It's really too early for that!"
Reaching into his pack, he produces a scroll and quickly reads the contents .
As he observes his ally coming to his senses, the Professor shrugs.
"The quickest way down, I suppose..."
The Professors lets go of the rope, blissfully unaware the Crios cannot return the favor through a convenient feather fall.
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"Aye, this fight looks a bit tough! Blunt weapons everyone!
Keriassa will leap down, hoping not to hurt too badly.
Once landed, she will begin to sing a raging song for her allies.
When the skald begins a raging song and then on each ally's turn, if the ally can hear the raging song, that ally must decide whether to accept or refuse its effects. This is not an action. Unconscious allies automatically accept the song. If accepted, the raging song's effects on that ally last for that ally's turn or until the song ends, whichever comes first.
Inspired Rage (Su): At 1st level, affected allies gain a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution and a +1 morale bonus on Will saving throws, but also take a –1 penalty to AC. While under the effects of inspired rage, allies other than the skald cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate, and Ride) or any ability that requires patience or concentration. At 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter, the song's bonuses on Will saves increase by 1; the penalty to AC doesn't change. At 8th and 16th levels, the song's bonuses to Strength and Constitution increase by 2. (Unlike with the barbarian's rage ability, those affected are not fatigued after the song ends.)
If an ally has her own rage class ability (such as barbarian's rage, bloodrager's bloodrage, or skald's inspired rage), she may use the Strength, Constitution, and Will saving throw bonuses, as well as AC penalties, based on her own ability and level instead of those from the skald (still suffering no fatigue afterward). Inspired rage does not allow an ally to activate abilities dependent on other rage class abilities, such as rage powers, blood casting, or bloodrager bloodlines; the ally must activate her own rage class ability in order to use these features.
The rest of the party drops down quickly to join the battle, some more gracefully than others. Fighting off their fear, both Keriassa and the professor begin bracing the party for the fight ahead, while Blanmieux immediately moves towards the closest undead. Unfortunately, the moving rock seems to throw off his aim and the scythe is easily dodged.
Initiative
Crios, frightened 2 rounds
Jade, frightened 1 round?
Kivuli 25/31, prone
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Trembling with fear, Crios manages to scramble away from the unholy thing in front of him and run far as he can.
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