Nancy uses her constant Detect Magic to scan the room, ignoring any auras from the Pathfinders themselves, concentrating 3 rounds on any other auras she finds.
Those that detect magic detect a aura upon the door of Necromancy... fairly strong necromancy at that.
Those who search the room do not find anything else in it... the creature did not carry any items on her, and there is nothing stashed around the room that might be of use.
The door's strong necromantic magic is highly reminiscent of a "Vampiric Touch" spell... but not quite. Something is different about it, but what exactly would require a more thorough investigation of the magic which is difficult, as it is buried throughout the door and it's sigils.
Considering that he's died a minimum of 4 times before, Rognak feels fairly certain that doing the wrong thing to try and open the door will have a rather nasty surprise for whoever does it... though what is the "Wrong thing" is beyond him.
Nancy examines the door with the necromantic aura to see if she thinks it is some kind of trap that she could potentially disable.
Nancy examines the trap carefully, and thinks she might be able to disable it... but it'll be tricky, and failing to do so and accidentally triggering it could be deadly to the tiny Azata. She can glean that it's activated by touching the panel, and that the trap is set to detect "Something" to allow people to pass if they have the "Something".
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Mr. P scratches his head, and then scratches Griff's head too. "Huh, a real stumper if you ask me. I guess the first question is whether we should believe that it's really asking for a "life sign" since it's been altered from whatever it originally said? And then I guess the second question is what such a sign might be? I'm no good for disarming traps, but if our little friend here wants to try it, I can always rush in and administer First Aid if something goes wrong but of course that won't solve everything that might possibly go wrong. Does anyone have any abilities that might help Nancy if she tries to disable it?"
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Much appreciated, Rognak. Nancy, your deft little hands got us through the Gauntlet Siege Castle in the hills north of Absalom. I trust you can deal with this trap, especially now that you should be immune to its effects should you fail to disable it.
Yazdan casts Aram Zey's Focus on Nancy.
Thank you, Rognak! Okay, I have wands of Cat's Grace and Heroism I can use on myself to increase my chances of success at disabling the trap, along with the bonus provided by Aram Zey's Focus. Vos, if you can inspire competence in me, I think I should be able to disable it.
Nancy takes 10 on Disable Device for 34.
Nancy sweats as she works... it is very, very, very close.... finally, after working for she steps away with a sigh and nods. She has managed to disable the trap.
Barely.
As she backs away... nothing happens. The trap is disabled, but the door remains shut.
Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master's character level or the familiar's normal HD total, whichever is higher.
Who needs a rogue? Wizards are such cheaters.
Since there's no keyhole or hinges or anything for me to disable, would someone with an adamantine weapon like to open it the "Pathfinder Society" way?
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“I’ll do it.”
With Nancy’s encouragement, Eadie drinks an antitoxin and considers the box without hinges, key or a lid.
Placing the tip of her adamantine falchion midway along the door’s seam, the warrior attempts to work the heavy blade into the groove like it’s a jemmy bar. With her tongue poking sideways from her mouth, Eadie cuts downwards and across with a two-handed pumping action, working to create a broad, circular opening –– like a carpenter sawing a porthole in the side of a ship.
Eadie cuts and saws that the door, finally cutting her way through it after far more work than she expected. The thing was apparently reinforced. Still, reinforced or not, Adamantine is a hell of a metal.
The door opens into a fifteen-foot hallway that extends to the northeast and northwest to create a heptagonal perimeter around a central structure. Great stone plates inlaid with bluegreen metal are built into alternating walls, each massive plate inscribed with its own immense rune. Framing each rune is a trio of extraplanar figures cast in stone, each one's visage twisted in anger, agony, or despair. The only other visible door lies on the eastern side of the central structure.
Vos moves closer to one of the runes. The massive plates measures approximately 5 feet in diameter. The Thassalonian rune is a beautiful engraving, though it is offset by the outsiders frozen in pain and rage in stone around it.
Spellcraft DC 23:
Spellcraft DC 33:
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Yazdan and his tiny Lyrakien familiar fly cautiously into the room behind Vos and examine the rune.
This is the Rune of Life. The Forces of death can disrupt and destroy this Rune. To destroy it we must deal negative energy damage, negative levels, cast a spell with the death descriptor, or deal ability damage with a poison or disease. I have an Enervation spell prepared that causes negative levels. Who else in our party has any abilities that can destroy the rune?
Mr. P and Griff will fly through to the corridor beyond to help guard their companions.
"Good Deva, will you please accompany me and Yazdan while we investigate?" Nancy asks the angel.
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Mr. P watches in alarm as the group appears to head in two different directions. "Um, I know I ain't got the learning of you wizard types, but mayhap we should stick together? An' if these runes is gonna trigger or blow or turn us into newts or whatnot, mayhap we should do 'em one at a time?"
Mr. P and Griff remain at the vertex of the two corridors, where they can watch whatever may happen to his companions in both directions, though it appears that Vos has now gone around the corner...
Rognak thinks about it... it's certainly possible. They are powerful thassolionian runes, and this is a Runelord...
Yazdan goes to the other wall and inspects it, and after a moment is able to confirm that this matches the other Rune of Life that is seen on the opposite wall, and will have the same requirements to disable it.
Vos has a little more trouble figuring out the exact details of the rune before him, though he is able to figure out that it is a Rune of Control, and understands that it is vulnerable to servant creatures and powerful
commands.
Sir Mister has a good point about sticking together. How about we all follow the bold bard around that way? Maybe we could figure out more specifics about the rune he's inspecting. This one looks the same as the first.
Yazdan examines the rune more closely. He finds The following effects can disable the rune: casting a spell at the rune of 4th-level or higher with the compulsion description; dealing 50 points of damage from summoned or called creatures in one minute or making a successful DC 35 Use Magic Device check
Good Deva, would you please bust up this rune for a minute while we figure out what the rest of them are all about?
The Deva does as his caller bids.
"Less than a minute was required, good Azata," says the angel.
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Eadie keeps up with Yazdan – her falchion drawn and her head swivelling from side to side searching for trouble.
The warrior is uncharacteristically quiet, somewhat overwhelmed by the arcane might on display – and clearly in awe of being in a Deva’s presence.
She holds her heavy blade aloft like a herald’s banner. “I shall support you all the only way I know how.”
The Deva swings his weapon at the rune, and it suddenly reverberates with power, flashing back at the Deva!
The Deva cries out in pain as a Thassalonian rune reading "Sloth" in the ancient text appears on it's forehead.
Nancy and Yaz realize that Oogachucka had the right of it. As a called creature, the deva is acting under their own free will. A summoned creature, one compelled to obey it's master, would be needed to damage the rune. Apparently, there are consequences for failure though....
Vos goes to the next rune and translates. It is a rune of alacrity, and he understands that effects that would impede a creature's speed and mobility can disrupt and destroy the rune.
Because the gods themselves are apparently knuckleheads, there is no brand or pain, and simply the crashing sound of the rune shattering into pieces and hitting the floor.
Vos looks over the next Rune. He identifies a rune of defense and understands that effects that batter and shock can disrupt and destroy
the rune.