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Rowanna shrugs, "I do not. I honestly don't know what function scouting would serve at this moment, the negatives of splitting our group is most likely outweighed by the benefit of whatever advanced intelligence we might collect. If the group prefers I help Wayreth scout while invisible, however, I will go along with it."
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Salubri and Wayreth find a door at the top of the stairs and try to open it as quietly as they can.
The top floor of the tower is an open, floor 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. These are the famous skylances.
The two of you open the door quietly and creep through under cover of invisibility. You see three figures (one elven or possibly half-elven, the other 2 gnome or halfling), standing near one of the magic circles. Within that circle is a colorful mist that intermittently manifests tendrils that strain against some invisible force around the edge of the circle.
As you creep closer, Salubri's boot crunches on some loose debris ever so slightly. The elf/half-elf and one of the gnome/halflings do not appear to notice, but the other gives a start and looks around as he points in Salubri's direction.
"Someone's here!" you hear someone cry out!
Initiative order:
Rowanna
Jani
Wayreth
Enemies
Enemies
Salubri
Prig
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Jani flies up the stairs to the top, and targets the nearest foe (the only one within 30 ft) with a stern look.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Rowanna flies into the room and casts Blindness on the elven fellow in the middle.
The elf turns to see where his halfling companion is pointing, only to find that he can see nothing at all! He hears his halfling ally cursing about being subjected to some kind of curse...and then it happens.
Wayreth's foot connects with the blinded elf's balls with the force of an earthbreaker. And though the elf cannot see, his vision explodes in a dozen vivid colors as his senses are overwhelmed by agony. His hands slowly move towards his family jewels, as much to clutch them in pain as to check for their integrity. He sways on his feet and tries to swear revenge and retribution in the strongest possible terms, but he barely manages a whimper. He is conscious for the moment, but all his mind can think of now is how much he wishes he was not.
But Wayreth has put himself in a dangerous position, and the elfs' halfling companions are quick to take advantage! They step to either side of Wayreth to administer a beating of their own with a flurry of fists.
But the viciousness of the sylph's attack has left them a little shaken and only one of them is able to make any sort of decent attack. Meanwhile, their blind elven friend sobs in pain as he cradles his crotch.
Initiative order:
Rowanna
Jani (10ft)
Wayreth (-12?)
Enemies (-,evil eye AC 8rds)
Enemies (blind, stunned 1rd, -25)
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Salubri
Prig
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Salubri repositions himself and Prig rushes in to stab one of the halfling with his lance.
Rowanna fixes her gaze on the other halfling, dulling his senses and making his eyelids heavy. He slides to the floor and begins snoring right in the middle of a fight.
But at least he fares better against Jani's hex.
Seeing the elf doubled-over, Wayreth drops a heel on the back of the elf's neck, snapping it easily. Seeing that the first kick did the job, he spins around and smashes the flanked halfling in the face, nearly knocking him out cold, but not quite yet.
Realizing that his side is quickly losing the fight, the halfling skips towards his friend and kicks him to awaken him, then goes into a frenzy against Wayreth.
He manages to kick his friend awake, but only manages one more hit on Wayreth. His friend awakens with a start, then quickly gets on his feet and takes a punch at the sylph that has been devastating his allies.
He misses.
Initiative order:
Rowanna
Jani (10ft)
Wayreth (-15)
Enemies (-38 + evil eye AC 7rds, -5 + evil eye AC 1rd)
Enemies (blind, -43)
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Salubri
Prig
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Wayreth takes his attack of opportunity on the second halfling as he stands up.
And on his turn, he continues kicking at the halflings, starting with the most-wounded one until he is taken down. If the first kick takes down that halfling or if Prig takes him down first, the next attack(s) is/are against the less-wounded halfling.
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"I do not know what you're problem iz, you silly pint-sized creaturez. It iz not hard to stay upright. Look, I am doing it no problem. You must be defective. Best to put you down."
Attack the first halfling. If he goes down, then 5-ft step and start attacking the second one.
Lance to hit:
Damage:
Lance to hit:
Damage:
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Wayreth punches the Southern halfling as he gets to his feet, and Salubri does the same moments later, though only one of his attacks hit.
Prig skewers the Northern halfling, but is also unable to land a second strike.
Jani and Rowanna both try to ensnare the last halfling with bad luck, but with a great burst of willpower, the halfing is able to shake off both hexes! Wayreth follows up with a couple of kicks, but without a flanking buddy he is not able to deal as much damage as before.
"I'm taking at least one of you with me!" he yells as he rains a flurry of blows on Wayreth.
But the sylph is too quick for him and evades his every attack.
Initiative order:
Rowanna
Jani (10ft)
Wayreth (-15)
Enemies (-49 + evil eye AC 7rds, -37)
Enemies (blind, -43)
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Salubri
Prig
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Rowanna casts Detect Magic over the defeated, then begins looting the bodies starting with magical items off the elf. If anything looks particularly useful to a Witch or the current situation she'll try to identify it.
The halflings each had:
2 potions of the exact same color as the potions of cure light wounds you found earlier (4 potions total)1 potion of the exact same color as the potions of invisibility you found earlier (2 potions total)
magical belt (2 belts total)
20 well-made shuriken (40 total)
The elf had:
magic scroll
magic scroll
magic scroll
well-made longbow with 20 arrows
magic cloak
magic ring
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Jani uses detect magic on the circles, trying to figure out whether they were activated. After that, they will scan the rest of the tower looking for auras, unless the circles appear to need immediate attention.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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Salubri is unable to work out what the ring is.
Wayreth puts on the belt and feels even more dextrous than before!.
Rowanna works out that the scrolls are scrolls of Fly, Gaseous Form and Levitate.
And Jani studies the circles. She works out that the Northern circle does not do much, but the Southern circle is entrapping some kind of protean creature that is straining against the prison...and that the prison has somehow been compromised by whatever it was that the aspis have done. As she watches, the protean creature forces some of its primal energies through the circle, which form into creatures of pure lightning!
Initiative order
Medium lightning elementals (-,-)
Jani
Prig
Large lightning elemental
Rowanna
Wayreth
Salubri
The two smaller elementals immediately step forward to attack those nearest to them that carry the most metal, in this case the scimitar-wielding Salubri and the iron-clad Prig!
Initiative order
Medium lightning elementals (-,-)
Jani
Prig (-10)
Large lightning elemental
Rowanna
Wayreth
Salubri (-8)
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Ralph teleports into the midst of your battle with a small crew - a gargoyle wielding a longspear, a human with a scimitar made of ice, and a lance-wielding halfling riding on the back of a wolf. You back away as the four of them quickly dispatch the elementals with a combination of spells and martial prowess. Ralph turns to the magic circle containing the protean and utters an incantation which causes the circle to glow a little brighter.
"That should hold you," he mutters.
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The floating tower grows quiet as Pathfinders incapacitate the last of the Aspis Consortium operatives and the strange protean in the magic circle is contained. Down hundreds of feet below, for the first time in living memory, the Grand Lodge’s gates are closed beneath the arch that bears the Glyph of the Open Road. Just outside the gates stands a crowd of hundreds pressed up together to look up and watch the spectacle. Behind them, a force of district guards pushes toward the front, calling for someone to open the gates. From the wall, Venture-Captain Ambrus Valsin stares down and barks a firm “No. Not your problem.”
Marcos Farabellus and a half dozen other Pathfinders approach you while sheathing their weapons. The Master of Swords gives a reassuring smile and remarks,“Just be thankful for once you’re not in charge down there.” His smile fades as he surveys the damaged tower and picks up the Sky Key in both hands. “It’s clear that the tower isn’t stable, and I don’t think tinkering with the Sky Key up here is going to make it conveniently set back down where it was. It’s past time we get out of here—before whatever magic is keeping us afloat decides to stop working.”
One-by-one, Pathfinders emerge from Arliss Hall, with Marcos Farabellus emerging last. A trio of Pathfinders is waiting for him with a thick chest, and he lightly places the Sky Key within, closes the lid, and motions for the agents to carry the strange Numerian device back to Skyreach, where several dozen armed operatives quickly surround them to ensure no more ill befalls the Society’s prize. The Master of Swords strides toward the pedestal where the towering statue of Durvin Gest once stood but now lies shattered. Within minutes, hundreds of Pathfinders and their venture-captains solemnly gather in a wide circle around the monument, and the blood-spattered Master of Swords addresses alumni of this year’s Grand Convocation.
“We were tested today, my friends,” he confidently states as he hefts a sheathed sword in one hand, “But we were not found wanting!” Following a ragged cheer, his expression sobers. “We also lost people today: good agents and one of the great men who taught them – the Master of Spells Aram Zey. But I tell you we saved something far greater. Not some ancient relics from a bygone era! No! We kept our wits! We kept our courage! We kept our faith in one another, and we stood, shoulder-to-shoulder, UNITED!”
Another cheer rises up and after it subsides, the Master of Swords quietly observes, “And the damned snakes in the Aspis Consortium still don’t have an answer for that.” He clambers down the fallen stones and waves, “Tend to your wounds. Get yourself a good meal and some rest. We have a lot of work to do this year. Dismissed!” With that, he walks side-by-side with other venture-captains towards Skyreach.
Unable to achieve more than a handful of minor objectives, the Aspis Consortium and their dupes have turned tail and fled. Renovation of Skyreach’s towers has already begun, and the venture-captains already have sound theories on how to rescue Aram Zey. All signs point to this escapade having completely backfired for the Aspis Consortium thanks to the Pathfinders’ overwhelming victory!