A ten-foot-wide hallway curves north, where a flight of stairs descends to a corridor leading to a octagonal central chamber. Iron bars separate this room from the eastern and southern hallways, and the floor of the chamber is painted with what appears to be a night sky filled with stars.
HP 27/27, AC 17 T 13 FF 14, Per +5 Init +5, F +2 R +4 W +4, CMB +0, CMD 13, Speed 30
Torche looks north, trying to ascertain movement in the room ahead. A floor painted with stars. That is an interesting find this far below the ground. He focuses more intently on the room ahead, murmuring a few words in Azlanti.
Casts detect magic Knowledge (arcana):1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17 Spellcraft:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
Calistan's porter smiles at the team. Calistan has grown so much since exploring Thornkeep! You guys are a great team! Calistan beams at his partners.
He then touches each of their foreheads and they feel a bit of Calistan's life force flow through their body. He has four Life Links. One for Marcel, Aviendha, Samuel and Torche.
You see a rotund dwarf with a broad smile and even more broad belt stumbling down the docks, while chewing on what appears to be a leftover trail ration. He looks around and spots the other Pathfinders.
"Hey there! Hello again, my good friends. It is jolly good to see you all.""
He bows to each, not as deeply as he would like, but as much as his physique will allow.
"Brother Grimdock at your service. A pleasure to meet you all. What did I miss?" he says with a wink and a grin.
As Torche studies the floor he finds out it's not magical and the stars painted on the central floor constitute a map of the night sky-a star chart that places Golarion's solar system at the center and dozens of other smaller stars in the outlying reaches.
Marcel scans his surroundings;
The northern section of the hall surrounding the central chamber features a single shelf that runs along the north and west walls . Dozens of ancient books sit on the se shelves , but time has caused the words to fade from their pages (and any attempt to handle the tomes causes them to crumble to dust).
looking at the spines;
Titles written in Azlanti:
such as Dreams in Liavara's Womb, Whispers from the Red Star, and A Myriad Mirrored.
Above the western doors is a text written in Azlanti
If you read Azlanti:
"Behold and Wonder, for Beyond Lie Enigmas !"
The Western doors don't seem to be trapped to Marcel's experienced eye.
I think all I'm missing is a new marching order and Aviendha's pet?
yes, the pet is a griffon and it is large, however it can squeeze without ac and attack penalties. Could someone add a icon for it? Aviendha can still go up front with her tankyness
Added a large hippogriff, just need to know where to place him in the order - he's at the back now..cause there was room there ;), but other then that..good to go
Calistan casts Shield Other on Aviendha and Samuel and gives them each a platinum ring to wear. A slight aura of light surrounds them when they slide the ring on their finger.
The subject gains a +1 deflection bonus to AC and a +1 resistance bonus on saves. Additionally, the subject takes only half damage from all wounds and attacks (including those dealt by special abilities) that deal hit point damage. This lasts for 4 hours.
Wow nice, Aviendha now has 24 ac and even better saves than before. Default she will walk with her shield and scimitar drawn. She worships Sarenrae now :p.
The pet has reach and can squeeze without much issue besides movement 20ft, so we could have him walk behind me and the others in a line behind Samuel and the pet. How does that sound?
Aviendha nods a thanks at Calistand and pushes the door open.
HP 27/27, AC 17 T 13 FF 14, Per +5 Init +5, F +2 R +4 W +4, CMB +0, CMD 13, Speed 30
Torche scans the spines of the books, reading the titles as he looks them over. "Many Azlanti titles here. This was once quite a collection before time caught up with it." Torche reads the titles to everyone else.
Grim speaks up as the group heads down, keeping his dwarf eyes peeled for hidden stone work.
"I have been down here before. Always trouble for sure as a ...well, as sure as something that causes a lot of trouble. Being the new guy you just let me know where you need me . "
Moved the hippogriff to second row for now. If anyone wants that changed, let me know.
As Aviendha pushes the doors open you see;
Opening the door you see;
This thirty-foot-diameter room seems something like a silo-the domed ceiling rises twenty feet above, and the floor drops away into darkness below. A ten-foot-wide stone bridge with no railings crosses the shaft to a hall and door in the opposite side, yet a one foot-wide gap separates the bridge from either hall. Below, two additional archways lie in the north and south walls of the shaft, thirty feet below the level of the upper entrances.
The floor of this room is 60 feet below the level of the hallways.
The walls of the room are relatively smooth (but might be scaled with a climb check).
The ground below is hard and littered with numerous rotted and skeletal goblin bodies.
The bridge in the middle of the room is supported by a single 10-foot-wide pillar that extends down from its center to the floor below.
In the center is a flickering, ghostly image. The figure appears as a vaguely humanoid monster with the deformed head of a fanged bird and two coiling serpents for legs
DC 20 Knowledge (religion) check:
This is Abraxas, a Demon Lord
As soon as it notices you, it immediately turns to face you from its position at the center of the bridge and demands the following in
"When we went to town to buy new items I prayed to my godess for strength like I do every day. However, this time she answered me. She told me she was impressed with me and sent me a companion as a gift. If I treat him well he will grow in strength and eventually gain celestial powers." Aviendha says as she pats the large Hippogriff.
"And greetings to our new friend. Tell us, what are your specialities?"
HP 27/27, AC 17 T 13 FF 14, Per +5 Init +5, F +2 R +4 W +4, CMB +0, CMD 13, Speed 30
"Grim, I look forward to exploring these halls with you. And Aviendha, that is quite the creature. An impressive companion."
Arriving at the chamber, Torche finds himself wondering at the flickering image, but obeys Calistan's warning. Out of the room, Torche translates, "It asks us, 'By whose leave do you seek the Enigma Vaults?'" Knowledge (religion):1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
Male Human Swashbuckler 8 | HP 68/68 Panache 3/3 | Init +10 Perc +11 | AC 25 T 18 FF 17 | Fort +4, Ref +12, Will +2|
"Tis a pleasure to meet you, Brother Grimdoc. I am Marcèl Lebeda, of the Brevoy noble house Lebeda, perhaps you have heard of them?" Marcèl shows the dwarven man his signet ring as he introduces himself.
After Torche translates what the strange creature says, Marcèl cannot help but ask. "Then it's asking who sent us? That's a simple thing to answer, right, we're pathfinders." Not knowing weather it would answer the creature's question or not, Marcel takes out his wayfinder.
Calistan hurriedly pulls paper and inkpen from his porter's pack.
He is a representation of the Demon Lord Abraxas, lord of magic and forbidden lore... What should we do? Do we know of any link between Abraxas and the Enigma Vaults? Was it created by Abraxas?
HP 27/27, AC 17 T 13 FF 14, Per +5 Init +5, F +2 R +4 W +4, CMB +0, CMD 13, Speed 30
Torche looks thoughtful for a moment. Abraxas. That's who it is. I think maybe I've heard something of him before. He rattles his brain for any knowledge of Abraxas and the Enigma Vaults.
Knowledge (arcana):1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23 Knowledge (planes):1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Since as far as I know there hasn't been any hint of this in any of the Thornkeep levels for you as players to find out going to give you a Knowledge roll to see if you remember additional information
DC 20 Knowledge (Local):
The wizard who made the Thornkeep dungeon was called Nhur Athemon
HP 27/27, AC 17 T 13 FF 14, Per +5 Init +5, F +2 R +4 W +4, CMB +0, CMD 13, Speed 30
Knowledge (local):1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Torche looks pensive for a moment longer and then you can see something snap together in his eyes. "I might have it. Before coming to Thornkeep, I heard tales that it was a wizard named Nhur Athemon who crafted these halls. Perhaps that is the name we should give this visage?"
The portly dwarf nods in recognition and agreement with the others.
" The gobbies and others we have found in these halls have been tricky. I would bet it is not the real demon lord. Hah! If it is, then Erastil, help us or We are already lost. "
HP 27/27, AC 17 T 13 FF 14, Per +5 Init +5, F +2 R +4 W +4, CMB +0, CMD 13, Speed 30
Torche starts slightly at Aviendha's shout, "Guess we'll find out if that does the trick. I can try in Azlanti if that doesn't do the trick. That was the first language used."
It seems to start to say something when Aviendha yells at it, but stops after it hears something (in common?) after the name of the builder of this dungeon.
Then, just to be sure Torche repeats what Aviendha said in Azlanti at which the ghostly image responds:
"Then you may pass , yet touch nothing, lest you be purged."
(Just in case someone is wondering, the ghostly image is still there; unchanged)
In case Aviendha yelled at the image in abyssal she get's the respond allready (in abyssal)
As Grimdoc looks down at the goblin corpse he has very little idea what killed them, but it seems they have suffered at least some blunt force trauma.
Nobody actually said they'd move on to the bridge other then Calistan saying he'd follow..but I'm going to go with the assumption that you guys will move on to the bridge to the next door and try to open it
As you step onto the bridge you look at the ghostly image to make sure it doesn't suddenly pull something on you, but it just hovers there staring blankly in front of it into the air.
You make your way across the bridge looking to the sides to see 2 slightly lower corridors a little above the corpse filled pit.. One ends at a double set of doors and the other one seems to lead to a small room.
When you continue past the ghostly image you find out that you can walk past it with some care..or as some of you who take a bit less care find out...you can walk through it.
Arriving on the other side and looking at the doors (going to assume a take 10 instead of take 20 since I'm not sure how comfortable you guys are with just standing around on the bridge near the ghostly image for a prolonged period of time) you find it's not trapped nor locked.
Calistan tries to hurry them through the double doors as he does not particularly like the image of Abraxas staring at him and those will let us through the quickest.
"Unless someone wants to climb down to check them lower, doors, I say we forge ahead. Hah! I ain't exactly built for climbing, well, nor swimming...well ok, my physique is really best suited for drinking and eating."
The rotund dwarf chuckles as he firmly grips his lucern hammer and moves forward to either open the doors or walk through if someone else is checking or opening them first.
Male Human Swashbuckler 8 | HP 68/68 Panache 3/3 | Init +10 Perc +11 | AC 25 T 18 FF 17 | Fort +4, Ref +12, Will +2|
After hastily assuring the others that the door is safe, Marcèl will open the door, wanting to be rid of the "demon lord"'s presence. "We can worry about any lower doors later, I am certain if there is a need to go down there we will find our way back."
Deciding to move through the doors as fast as you can and leave the demonic image behind the party quickly moves.
As you open the doors;
This large cavern is bisected by a 30-foot-deep chasm. A ratty looking rope bridge crosses the eastern ledge to a western one, which winds down to a hallway 20 feet lower.
There are two 2-headed skeleton dinosaurs in here, on the other side of the room who turn their heads (all 4 of them) towards you when you open the doors.
