Dominate animal was cast as everyone was coming up the stairs. I rolled the Will save with the enchantment bonus. It is a move action for him to later command a flee. As you are the only one regularly posting, I am tempted to have the raptor flee instead, especially as the raptor can't actually damage the ghost. If, in your GM opinion, that is too much metagaming let me know.
Savage has two rounds of actions to make (R1 & R2). Garinol has one round of action (R2) to take. I am going to ask that everyone post two actions (round 3 & 4) on top of that. Please note Karsos, priest of Baphomet, will move in R2 (provoking AoO from Theo Littlefoot and Garinol (maybe Savage?) and may take some searching to find.
Finding himself with so many enemies, the minotaur lifts the holy symbol again and a wave of negative energy pours out of him. Then he moves off to the west.
channel energy:3d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 5) = 13 Fort Save DC 15 for half.
Ah... knew it had to be one of those things. Though given dominate animal is a full round casting time (not a standard) and requires line of sight... He would have had to have been standing in full view for a long while. I would have expected to have noticed it happening. shrug As to taking the bird out of the fight when we seem so short handed... that's your call... I probably wouldn't have... though only due to the time remaining. Fairbeaks is now under your control, so you can figure out where he runs off to. Though he's not getting any fish treats later!
Gameday ends in a day and a half or so guys... so would help if folks made an effort to check in a few times over the next day and a bit! Hopefully we can get this guy.
Ghost have a holy symbol? Possessions usually go away once they die... hmm... unless his remains are still in the area I suppose
This is going to be a pain. Well, choices on where to give chase are simple enough this round, not a lot of options!
Also, Fairbeaks is moving way too fast to even try to follow, so he's on his own 8(
I'm glad to post lots of actions, but if he just keeps running away, they will all be pointless.
Little Foot starts swearing profusely in Tien as the ghost retreats through the wall, and Fairbeaks' takes off unexpectedly in the opposite direction.
"He's gonna just hit and run us til we get out or we're all dead." He growls. "And I'll be damned if I know the way out!"
Int Check:1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16 (1d100 ⇒ 98 )
Oh hey, I made one... not sure what use it is to make it mind you... though i suppose he might know that this particular wall wasn't there before...
"Enora can you do anything about this maze? It can't be really here can it?"
Dunno what options we have. Suppose she could try to arcane bond a dispel magic... but even if she ups the caster level, I can't imagine its more then 50/50, if that.
"Don't get seperated." He growls, as he hurries down the hallway ahead of them. "That's what he's trying to do."
Ok, going to move up the hallway. As there's obviously a sharp bend to the left there, and he started off going that way, seems an obvious choice of direction.
Trying not to metagame too much, given you didn't take him off the map =)
As he rounds the corner, his steps hastened by Enora's magic, he spots the creature. Calling back to the others, he advances and takes a swing.
"Fleeing like a coward?!" He shouts. "Your cow god would be ashamed!"
Is a single move to where he is. Should be for Garinol to get there too. Attack once, once he gets there.
Oops, forgot to roll Theo's attack of opportunity in Round2 (1d20 + 10 - 2 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 10 - 2 + 1 = 28, for 1d10 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17 damage.)
My round count off, you wanted a round 4 too, though a bit hard to predict what it will do...
If the minotaur, possibly angered by Theo's insults, decides to stay and fight... then he will full attack it. If it just does a single action and moves, then he will attempt to follow, and if he can get to it within 60', will attack once.
The retreating ghost isn't fast enough. The inquisitor and ranger catch up to it around the corner and bring on more damage. The minotaur attempts to cast another spell & a miasmic mist burns through the human's chest. "I can lost you, puppet of Saranae," he growls.
concentration:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Odd=Theo, even=Garinol1d12 ⇒ 6 touch v G:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 Succeed at a Will save or take -6 to your Wisdom!
M elf Monk 1, AC: 18, tch: 18, ff: 10 CMD: 16 F +4, R +6, W +4
Enora focuses on the walls for a moment trying to figure what magic she might have that will work on the stone.
1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
I have nothing, She instead incites her arcane pool and steps through a rift. She chooses a spot to put the monster between her and the pair doing the fighting. Then opens her mouth and lets out an arcane scream only the minotaur can hear.
The mage steps too close though. The large ghost steps up and swings an immaterial fist against-or rather-through her. She screams and drops to the floor.
Savage casts a spell and the fearless dinosaur joins the fight. It's teeth seem to have very little affect on the ghost.
2 hp left at the end of R3!
Seeing the arcanist drop Theo and Garinol step up and finish off the ghost. Even as its form dissipates into the after un-life the walls of the maze too disappear. In the distance the the door you arrived in can be seen through the rubble strewn area.
That was a quick 90+ points of damage, nice rolls all :)
Theo:
He knew the walls were an illusion, so could line of sight through them, even though noone else could. :)
Am assuming we're done... especially since game day ends in about 15 hours or so. =)
Little Foot curses, as the ghost finally fades away taking the maze with it.
He looks around at the suddenly open, but familiar, area scowling, before going over to check on Enora.
She still alive? 12 from the channel then 31 from the corrupting touch would have her still standing normally (albeit with 2 hps) ... not sure where she took other damage, so not sure where her hp's lay =) Though perhaps its just dramatic license for the poor GM PC!
"Quickly, lets leave this cursed place before something else tries to stop us. Will be hard enough explaining her." He motions towards where Valais was cowering a moment before when there were walls.
He calls a sharp command, trying to find the axebeak in the gloom, and starts towards where the stairs up should be.
please feel free to add anything, especially plans for Valais and your evidence. I shall add denoumoute and if anyone has questions about parts of the scenario, I like to share the story that you may not have gotten from playing. I will probably not get to chronicles until Tuesday or Wednesday.
59/59 HP, AC: 24. FF: 18, T: 16, CMD: 23, (Dodge/Mobility, +2 vs Evil), Fort: +7, Refl: +6, Will: +7 (+2 vs Evil) , Perc: +14, (Scent, +22), Init: +8, Sense Motive +12, NG Human Inquisitor of Sarenrae 8, +12/+7 Att, 1d6+6, (15/x2)
To be completely honest, I'm not sure we know what evidence we actually found, and it's so intersparced throughout, I'm having a lot of trouble recalling it.
1.) A lot of books and notes hinting at his dark research.
2.) "VC" Valais herself, as well as many of the body parts likely being from Pathfinders rumored to have fallen very questionably under his leadership
3.) A note from some dark power suggesting he has double dealings in the Worldwound
4.) A talking statue suggesting he betrayed us (maybe?)
5.) Our testimony that he tried to kill us
In character I took pretty detailed notes, but just the nature of PbP taking so long, me not taking out of game notes as I normally do, and the fact that I was out for a period while I deployed, I just honestly can't remember.
I would love if you could fill us in on the background and story, as I feel like I missed so much.
As for Valais, I'd love to try to redeem her and turn her (it?) into a weapon of good, or at least give her some peace with her new (or it sounds like maybe true) self.
So, I guess my first instinct after the battle, will be to try to track down and calm Valais.
Best I can figure, we should have managed 7 out of 9 evidence points
1 point for his experiment notes in the surgery room (B2) talking about finding more elves to experiment on
2 that Garinol mentioned in the library (B6) for the overly-detailed notes on abyssal rituals
we missed the one in the flooded area (B5) since we didn't go in there
we also didn't get the one in the communication room (B7), though were close. Reading and copying the missives on the walls were not enough, we also had to initiate contact with his contact, which we did not do.
2 more in the Study at the end (B10), with all the notes and including the fact he'd already located the sky citadel on his own, as well as the book on the worship of Baphomet
The last two points come from Valais herself (mentioned in the Conclusion section) as she's probably the most damning evidence of what Thurl was up to.
59/59 HP, AC: 24. FF: 18, T: 16, CMD: 23, (Dodge/Mobility, +2 vs Evil), Fort: +7, Refl: +6, Will: +7 (+2 vs Evil) , Perc: +14, (Scent, +22), Init: +8, Sense Motive +12, NG Human Inquisitor of Sarenrae 8, +12/+7 Att, 1d6+6, (15/x2)
As a complete aside, this is one of my issues with PFS and the in world Pathfinder Society group. <It's also why I find this "but it's a neutral organization" very unbelievable and a bit childish as a whole, but that's a different story> None of the above is actually wrong, from the Pathfinder's point of view. They allow evil people, demon/devil summoning, and part of a VC's job is to decide just what information goes up the chain, and making all sorts of contacts, even with demons or devils or whatever. The only exception I can think of is that he possibly killed Pathfinder agents to experiment upon, or experimented on their corpses. But I don't think that was ever established as a fact, just a rumor.
So, all in all, we just discovered evidence that he's a normal Pathfinder, right? Probably a little less evil and twisted than most VC's or even Faction Leaders, but still mainly within the Society's guidelines. Or am I missing something?
Several days after escaping to the surface, the party is able to present their findings to Venture-Captain Jorsal, who looks over the evidence and confirms that Thurl is traitor to the Society. The dwarf ’s knowledge of the Sky Citadel Jormurdun predates the Society’s by years, which disturbs Jorsal, but he is even more perturbed and disgusted by Thurl’s experiments and regular dealings with fiends.
Taking the disguised Valais (thanks to Galandaro's wand) outside avoids citizens who see her from reacting with fear and disgust, so they reach the lodge without serious incident. At Starrise Spire, Jorsal takes it upon himself to oversee her restoration—or at least her acceptance and treatment. The act of humanity and nobility impresses him, and he offers you his heartfelt thanks.
Valais is living proof that he killed Pathfinders and experimented on them. The tracks in the flooded room (non-explored) can be used to show Thurl fled with demons before the demonic attack on Mendev.
Valais' backstory:
This is Valais Durant, formerly a Pathfinder who traveled to Mendev from Numeria as part of the team sent to review Thurl’s work. After breaking into the basement and discovering the venture-captain’s hidden laboratory, several of Thurl’s eidolon servitors captured her. The woman’s resourcefulness impressed the dwarf, and he set to vivisecting his captive and grafting pieces of demon flesh to her to create a stitched eidolon that might exercise greater autonomy yet still follow his commands. Mentally,Valais has asserted control over the body, but at times one of the two demonic components wrests control from her.
Following Thurl’s departure, Valais crept out of the lab, into the shattered maze (where the ghost Karsos ignored her as he does all of Thurl’s creations), and finally to the archive. Here she has hidden for weeks while sustained by nothing her Abyssal fortitude. She dares not reach the surface, for she fears her ghastly appearance would lead to the crusaders cutting her down. As a way of coping with her despair, she has convinced herself that she is the venture-captain of this lodge.
chalk writing room:
The writing is a recent series of exchanges Thurl had with a night hag named Aslynn, who has maintained a business partnership with the dwarf for nearly 20 years.
Writing on the walls with the steel-gray chalk produces script that gradually takes on a dark blue hue over several seconds. Elsewhere, the night hag Aslynn can read anything anyone writes here with the chalk, and she can respond by writing out her own responses, which manifest as bloody ink that appears to seep directly from the walls, dripping slightly before drying. Aslynn half expects Thurl’s implied ally to betray him, so she is only somewhat surprised to see him writing to her again.
Aslynn, I was told, reappears in a season 7 scenario :)
Is anyone on slow track? I will work on chronicles tomorrow, though it may be too busy at the shop for me to get them all done. Holiday closure (will he make it to Star Wars this weekend?) will cut into that time as well. If anyone is desperate to get their chronicle let me know ASAP. I will start with yours. Everything has been reported and both prestige were earned. 3,268 gp earned. (or 2,280 gp for out of tier).
