Odd murmurs before advancing. Pharasma, protect me from these invaders! She ducks behind Thrash to step up next to Farg, invoking a silent prayer before she does so. Fervor to cast protection from evil as a swift action.
I provoke an AoO from the northern xill. AC should be 24 from the shield of faith and Phalanx bonus. Protection from evil should make natural attacks fail.
Female Gnome Bard 7 [ HP 49/49 (14 NL) | AC 21 Tch 13 FF 20 | Fort +4* Ref +7* Will +6* | CMD 15 | Init +3 Perc +12 | Effects: none | Benedict 49/69* (0 NL) ]
Zirt moves up behind the others, beginning an inspiring tale of courage and valor in the face of monstrous giant termites. There's a moral in there somewhere about... something or other... probably. Move(d) up and inspire courage!
Male Half-Orc Paladin (Holy Tactician) 3/Brawler (Steel Breaker) 6 hp 70/70 | AC 25 | FF 24 | T 14 | CMD 26 (+4 vs Sunder) | Fort +16 | Ref +14 | Will +12 | Init +4 | Perception +12 | Sense Motive +14 | Movement 20ft
Tracked Resources:
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 59/100, Wand of Divine Favor (72/100), Wand of Shield (77/100), Wand of Ant Haul (41/50) Martial Flexiblity 6/6 (swift action), Weal's Champion 1/1, Lay on Hands 3/3, Knockout 1/1
Idgethun wrote:
Protection from evil should make natural attacks fail.
Protection from evil only protects you from the natural attacks of summoned evil outsiders. If these are called, or simply phased into the material on their own, it won't work. Also, attacking a creature negates that aspect of prot evil. In this situation, prot evil increases your saves by +1 (as it is a resistance bonus, which won't stack with the cloak you're wearing) but nothing else.
Protection from evil only protects you from the natural attacks of summoned evil outsiders.
Who's to say that Odd knows they aren't summoned? :P I suppose what I should have said is "could" cause them to fail. I've only attacked the southern one, so the effect (would) still be in place for the AoO.
Suddenly a young pathfinder agent appears, looking flushed with excitement. "Venture Captain Von Maur said I should give this to you guys, thought you might need a hand!"
Male Snowborn Half-Elf Ancient Lorekeeper Lunar Oracle 12
Star Chaser takes advantage of the opening and moves just past Thrash, trying to set up to be in position to help the formation, and also to extend a hand, firing a Moonbeam at the creature's eyes!
Overseer Note: ACT IV – The Floating Tower is now open and Code Red. Table GMs Please begin ACT IV. You have until December 20th, 2015 at 3:00 PM EST [UTC-5] to finish this act.
Thrah steps forward and bludgeons the xill, knocking it closer to the ground with each succesive hit. After the final blow, The creature lays on the ground, a bloody mess.
Out of Combat!
Searching the room turns up nothing of interest, other than noting the Sky Key is missing.
Do you guys want to try and sneak in the last room, or move on to the next stage?
Male Half-Orc Paladin (Holy Tactician) 3/Brawler (Steel Breaker) 6 hp 70/70 | AC 25 | FF 24 | T 14 | CMD 26 (+4 vs Sunder) | Fort +16 | Ref +14 | Will +12 | Init +4 | Perception +12 | Sense Motive +14 | Movement 20ft
Tracked Resources:
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 59/100, Wand of Divine Favor (72/100), Wand of Shield (77/100), Wand of Ant Haul (41/50) Martial Flexiblity 6/6 (swift action), Weal's Champion 1/1, Lay on Hands 3/3, Knockout 1/1
GM Tektite wrote:
Thrah steps forward and bludgeons the xill, knocking it closer to the ground with each succesive hit. After the final blow, The creature lays on the ground, a bloody mess.
Out of Combat!
Searching the room turns up nothing of interest, other than noting the Sky Key is missing.
Do you guys want to try and sneak in the last room, or move on to the next stage?
I'd prefer to move on. It would be a shame if we didn't get through the final act. Plus it's green already.
As the voice of Farabellus rings through the halls of Skyreach informing everyone the that control has been regained in essentially all levels, the party continues to rush toward the upper levels and the Tapestry room.
The table at the center of this rectangular room is completely contained within a rune-inscribed circle set into the floor. Atop the table lies a Kelishite man’s body, spread-eagled and bloodstained. At the far end of the chamber hangs a ragged tapestry torn down its center. A peaceful wood with trampled undergrowth is visible through the tear, though the tapestry clearly hangs against a solid wall.
An agent on his way out the door pauses, shaking his head sadly. "The Aspis opened the Tapestry and let loose an army of creatures." Pointing at the table, he coughs and says quietly. "They killed Aram Zey..... I always that son of a b@+#@ was too onery too die....." With his head dowm, the man leaves.
After the startling revelations of what havoc the Aspis has wrought, the party returns to the corridor. The voice of the Master of Scrolls Kreighton Shaine travels down the halls, carried by a magical breeze. “Pathfinders, we have determined that objectives in Skyreach are now secure and most Aspis Consortium forces within have been neutralized. There have been further developments of which you may or may not already be aware. Aspis agents have made off with the Sky Key and seem to be holding out in the tower floating above our lodge. Our early experiments with teleporting in or flying to it have met with no success, so I am gathering our forces to enter through Arliss Hall, which has a permanent gateway to one of the tower’s rooms."
“The gateway is finicky, though. Our Master of Spells Aram Zey would be better able to explain it than I, but he is currently—” The elf trails off as though searching for the right word before continuing, “—indisposed due to the Consortium’s attack. Finish your business and gather outside Arliss Hall for the final assault. I shall guide you from there.”
Following Shaine's directions, the party makes your way to Arliss Hall. As you arrive Kreighton Shaine finishes giving instructions to one team before sending them into Arliss Hall and turning to greet the new arrivals, your party. “Ah, you received my message?” he asks eagerly while pulling out a small notepad and making a single tally mark. “Excellent, I was uncertain whether recent events might block communication as well. We have a theory that the northwest tower’s new floating status may be the result of the Sky Key and Hao Jin Tapestry coming too close to one another, much like two extradimensional spaces placed inside one another. Thus far, all of our more conventional attempts to reach the tower have been repelled, and admittedly the whole thing could just rocket into the Irorium any minute.”
He squints to the north before adding, “That would be unfortunate, as there’s a rather big match over there today. Best we take control of the tower before it misbehaves further. “The good news is that we have a permanent portal to that section of the tower. Since the link is between two objects—a pair of full-length mirrors—it should be stable and safe to use. The only catch is that one of the mirrors is inside Arliss Hall. The hall has several extradimensional properties, and with so many visitors, it’s been changing its internal layout constantly. Rather than waste time sending you to figure out a puzzle, I’ll lead you to the portal myself. We venture-captains are fairly used to it.”
Motioning for you to enter, Shaine opens the door and lets you enter, then follows after. But within moments you turn to see the venture captain has disappeared!
"Of all the luck,” the Master of Scrolls voice echoes from thin air. “We must have exceeded some capacity limit for this version of the hall and it moved me over to another… iteration of itself. I’ll try to find my way over to you, but look for the mirror! It is in a private room that is reserved. We call it the Lost Room. The chamber will be hidden in plain sight but there’s always some sort of trick to find it. Hurry and I’ll try to join you soon! One last thing—rarely can anyone find the Lost Room alone, so work together!”
You currently stand in the entry way. A guest registry lays open on a table to the side.
As Pathfinders, you know some that Arliss Hall's passageways are known to shift in strange ways, and it often seems larger inside that it should from the outside. The majority of the rooms inside are modest but tasteful apartments that venture-captains (and maybe even the Decemvirate) use as personal apartments.
Male Half-Orc Paladin (Holy Tactician) 3/Brawler (Steel Breaker) 6 hp 70/70 | AC 25 | FF 24 | T 14 | CMD 26 (+4 vs Sunder) | Fort +16 | Ref +14 | Will +12 | Init +4 | Perception +12 | Sense Motive +14 | Movement 20ft
Tracked Resources:
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 59/100, Wand of Divine Favor (72/100), Wand of Shield (77/100), Wand of Ant Haul (41/50) Martial Flexiblity 6/6 (swift action), Weal's Champion 1/1, Lay on Hands 3/3, Knockout 1/1
Thrash scans the room, and racks his brain for any architectural motifs that might help the party navigate this obvious Potterverse homage. I'm applying heroism for now, but I'm guessing the duration is on its last legs.
Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Knowledge Engineering:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
He'll also flip through the registry if he doesn't get distracted by something else.
Don't know what to do really, though my guess is the guest registry has something important.
Odd keeps a sharp lookout--there's no telling how many Aspis snakes may have crawled into this extra-dimensional labyrinth. Simultaneously, she scans the room for mirrors, just in case. Never simple with that one, is it...
GM:
Mostly going to sit this one out, since I know how to solve the puzzle, though I may have Odd burn out the incorrect options.
Thrash and Zirt examine the registry ledger and note it lists nine rooms, including both room 8 and “room 8A”, even though no such room appears to exist. Room 8 is currently registered to the Pathfinder agent Osprey, while Room 8A is marked “Reserved—do not use.” At the top of the page are words written in delicate penmanship and red ink. “Arliss Hall values your privacy. Simply lock your door and we will see to it that you are not disturbed.”
Moving down the corridors, Zirt and the party are able to find Room 8. The door is unlocked an upon entering, you find a sparsely furnished room similar to all the guest rooms in this wing. Zirt notes that the key is inserted into the room side of the lock.
Male Half-Orc Paladin (Holy Tactician) 3/Brawler (Steel Breaker) 6 hp 70/70 | AC 25 | FF 24 | T 14 | CMD 26 (+4 vs Sunder) | Fort +16 | Ref +14 | Will +12 | Init +4 | Perception +12 | Sense Motive +14 | Movement 20ft
Tracked Resources:
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 59/100, Wand of Divine Favor (72/100), Wand of Shield (77/100), Wand of Ant Haul (41/50) Martial Flexiblity 6/6 (swift action), Weal's Champion 1/1, Lay on Hands 3/3, Knockout 1/1
Mebbe if we put the key in the keyhole on the outside, and close the door with us inside, something'll happen. We could try to turn it from in here through the keyhole or something. I dunno, just figuring this is some sorta trick gadget or whatnot.
Female Gnome Bard 7 [ HP 49/49 (14 NL) | AC 21 Tch 13 FF 20 | Fort +4* Ref +7* Will +6* | CMD 15 | Init +3 Perc +12 | Effects: none | Benedict 49/69* (0 NL) ]
"No, no, no, silly, you have to lock a door from the inside!" squeaks the gnome, taking the key and replacing it in the in-side of the door. "Now, go out there and try to open it after I've locked it, and let's see what happens."
Thrash walks outside the room and Zirt closes and locks the door. When Thrash tries to open the door, he finds it opens, but into another room altogether and Zirt is not present. It appears exactly the same, but the mirror in the room seems to shimmer as if it is made of water.
Male Half-Orc Paladin (Holy Tactician) 3/Brawler (Steel Breaker) 6 hp 70/70 | AC 25 | FF 24 | T 14 | CMD 26 (+4 vs Sunder) | Fort +16 | Ref +14 | Will +12 | Init +4 | Perception +12 | Sense Motive +14 | Movement 20ft
Tracked Resources:
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 59/100, Wand of Divine Favor (72/100), Wand of Shield (77/100), Wand of Ant Haul (41/50) Martial Flexiblity 6/6 (swift action), Weal's Champion 1/1, Lay on Hands 3/3, Knockout 1/1
Thrash looks into the watery mirror, and around the room for any notable features.
Perception:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
He then leaves the room the way he came in, and turns the key in the lock back to its former position to attempt to get the room to change back to the one that contains his colleagues. If that works, he will report his findings to them.
Thrash sees nothing unusual about the mirror, but remembers Shaine mentioning a mirror portal.
Exiting the room, he is able to turn the key, exit, then reenter the normal room containing his companions.
To speed things up a bit.
After someone turning the key, exiting a window, and reentering the door, the party is able to enter the mirror portal.
Entering into a room in the tower, you find the southeast corner of this room has broken off along with part of the floor. Rubble, loose bricks, and masonry litter the edges. Beyond the opening, blue sky and the Absalom’s city skyline are plainly visible. A solitary door is closed to the south and a fulllength mirror is bolted to northwest wall.
The tower leans precariously at a thirty degree angle, causing everyone to scramble to keep from sliding!
This causes any movement to the west difficult terrain unless the PC also succeeds at a DC 10 Acrobatics check. A creature that can fly or is under the effects of spider climb ignores these effects.
Exiting the door, the party finds several storerooms, devoid of anything of interest. Finding a set of stairs, you are able to ascend to the next level.
The top floor of the tower is an open, undivided by interior walls but for the small space partitioning the stairwell. Windows large enough to step through line the exterior walls. Immense magical circles are permanently etched into the floor, their lines and curves inscribed and filled with several types of metallic powder. Faint, multi-colored mist roils within the southern circle. Two strange contraptions stand near the northwest and southwest windows. Each device is a large, red-tinted crystalline lens mounted in a frame so that they may be angled in all directions.
In the room are three Aspis members! Two halflings and an elf! They move to attack as soon as you enter!
Male Half-Orc Paladin (Holy Tactician) 3/Brawler (Steel Breaker) 6 hp 70/70 | AC 25 | FF 24 | T 14 | CMD 26 (+4 vs Sunder) | Fort +16 | Ref +14 | Will +12 | Init +4 | Perception +12 | Sense Motive +14 | Movement 20ft
Tracked Resources:
Wand of Cure Light Wounds 59/100, Wand of Divine Favor (72/100), Wand of Shield (77/100), Wand of Ant Haul (41/50) Martial Flexiblity 6/6 (swift action), Weal's Champion 1/1, Lay on Hands 3/3, Knockout 1/1
Acrobatics:1d20 ⇒ 14
Thrash advances towards a Halfling (blue) to establish a forward position for the Phalanx. (Positioned in the square directly North of Blue. If someone wouldn't mind moving my 'mini' there, I'd appreciate it.)
