The Forgotten God (Table 2) (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

Yeaaah. XD I'm not even going to bother rolling on that one.

A painful squawk came out of the bird-demon's mouth as your weapon slammed out and caught it on the jaw, slamming its mouth shut and forcing it to bite its own tongue. The cumulative damage was finally too much for it, and the demon began to fall even as the explosions in the distance grew rapidly closer. There was perhaps a minute at best before they arrived, and the gem still glittered up in the tree...

You've earned 4270 XP.

Incidentally, unless you have a way to move the gem without touching it, you'll need to attack the vines and brambles surrounding it. They're quite tough, so please make several attack rolls if you need to go that route.

Sevia smirked as the bloodied demon fell down, slamming like a rag doll against the tree as it did. Noting the explosions behind her, Sevia flew back toward the gem, reaching out with a Mage Hand spell to draw it from the brambles. She also asked her familiar to go retrieve her grappling arrow and rope lest it be left behind. She also retrieved her Rod of Extend from her belongings to briefly cast a last Infernal Healing.

If that doesn't work, just assume I hack away with my adamantine blade until the brambles are gone

Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12 bypass hardness

Vine Damage: 5d4 ⇒ (2, 3, 2, 1, 1) = 9 Remaining Vine Damage

LoH: 1d6 ⇒ 4

58-3-1-3-1-3-2-3-2-1-1+4+20=62 HP

Gem finally in hand, Sevia took a moment to inspect the small jewel before stowing it away in one of her belt's pouches. Sheathing her swords and drawing out the map again, she focused on the location within Abaddon. With any luck she wouldn't need another fight to retrieve the second gem.

Just before she tapped the location, she looked out to the approaching explosions - trying to get a better look at her pursuers. Then tapping the map and whisking herself away to another plane.

Perception: 1d20 + 14 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 14 + 3 + 2 = 21

The mage hand spell failed to tug the gem free from its tight confinement - and a few more moments managed to bring a wave of healing over your body. Rounds 1 and 2.

The first strike is far from enough to totally tear away the vines surrounding the gem, and it takes several more blows. Specifically...

After half a minute of hacking away at the stubborn vines (and avoiding damage from the prickly thorns), you're finally able to pry the crystal out of its place in the tree. It's not a moment too soon, either, as a trio of devils burst into the clearing and you tap the map... and it just pulses slightly. The words of the Keeper ring in your mind - "There may be a slight delay between activating the map and when the portal opens - the magic needs time to work through the planes."

One of the Devils raises a hand and shows some kind of insignia, though you don't recognize the specific symbol. "You are under arrest on suspicion of being involves with the events that lead to the severe injuries of Khandescus Leroung of Cheliax, as well as assorted damages to his abode and the supplies used for his livelihood." the Devil said clearly. "Surrender yourself immediately and you shall receive a fair trial under the laws of Cheliax. Attempt to escape or resist and you will be dealt with by the laws of Hell."

It certainly won't be long until the magic portal appears - perhaps ten or twelve seconds at most, judging by the growing power beside you, so it may be possible to stall them long enough to escape... if you actually want to, of course.

Devils at least seemed to appreciate negotiation, she had to give them that. Looking back up to the Devil holding his insignia, Sevia lowered the map slightly and made a show of slowly putting away her Wakizashi. "Devil. Cheliax is a nation located on the Material plane, by what reason have you to accuse me of such crimes here in the Abyss?" Sevia asked, spreading her hands innocently. "My business has been in dealing with the demon, not there. You might find his body...somewhere towards the ground below." Sevia shrugged nonchalantly. It might be he could say something useful that would tip off how they were following her in the next few seconds she waited for the portal to form.

Bluff: 1d20 + 14 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 14 - 4 = 27

If the devils try to advance to arrest her, Sevia will spend 1 ki to turn invisible

"Under our agreement with Cheliax, we will pursue suspects as far as necessary to arrest them and bring them back for trial - distance is irrelevant to the law." the devil answered calmly. Which, now that you thought about it, may have been part of what normally kept them within the nation's borders. If they were commonly seen crossing into other nations, their neighbors would panic... but however uncomfortable the devils were, the lack of invasions made them much less of a threat than, say, the Worldwound was. At the same time, no nation obsessed with laws would grant freedom to anyone who just happened to run across the borders... "You should also be aware - before you do anything rash - that our agreements with Cheliax are very strict on matters like this. Suspects who surrender promptly and who are found guilty may be permitted to pay restitution - which Mister Leroung has demanded, as is his right - from their own resources, either in gold or alternative arrangements that the victim is willing to accept. Should that not be forthcoming, we will recompense him in full from our own resources... at which point your debt will transfer to us, and we will collect it with interest. Do think it over." the devil said, holding up a small vial of blood and smiling as the portal back to Axis appeared next to you.

Sevia smiled back at the devil, chuckling slightly as he explained the nature of this 'debt.' She also of course knew, devils - really, any denizen of the evil aligned planes - absolutely hated being laughed at. "Whether you can prove I was ever connected with this 'crime' is one thing. But I have no fear of 'owing' a devil anything. You really have no idea who you're dealing with. But trust me, I know how this works - you'll come to 'collect' any debt you think I owe you...and then I'll kill you. And...eventually Hell will realize it'll never get anything from me, cut its losses, and stop sending you flunkies to chase me down." Sevia grinned coyly, taunting the devil. She of course, knew they'd wasted so much time the planar activation was now imminent.

I assume that was more than enough stalling to planar shift. Incidentally, take 10 Knowledge planes to see what devil this is?

"Bye." Sevia waved as the portal to Abaddon formed, which she promptly jumped into.

The devil in question isn't one of a species you recognize, but as you leap into the portal, you catch a glimpse of hellfire in his eyes and a grin on his lips. "Oh, you'll come to us before long..."

As before, though, you're pulled through a tunnel of madness that bridges the planes and brings you back to Axis - not so far from your destination, but easily ten or fifteen minutes walking. As you step out, several humanoid move forward - but none of them detect as evil to your Paladin powers, and indeed, they're wearing symbols of Aroden. "My apologies for the abruptness of this question... but what do you think of the Last Azlanti?" one of them asked.

I thought I was suppose to head to Abaddon?

Sevia did not like that devil's smile as she looked back to his vanishing form. Soon enough though, she found herself back in Axis and heading toward Pharasm's spire. At least, she was until she'd been interrupted.

Looking at the several figures seemingly confronting her, Sevia raised an eyebrow at their leader's question, or at least whom she assumed was their leader. "Aroden? The late Aroden? Hmm...that is complicated..." Of all the gods, her relationship with Aroden had been somewhat tumultuous, he intervened in the Material plane too much for her liking, and she had been quite angry when he created the Test of the Starstone. Though she respected his ascension as that of a truly worthy mortal. Of course, she couldn't exactly tell them that. "Suffice to say, I have some disagreements with a few things he did, but I have great respect for his accomplishments. The world has surely been worse off for his absence...Now, unless there is a higher purpose for that question - I am somewhat busy with a task entrusted to me by Pharasma's church."

The map takes you back to Axis - it doesn't allow for direct travel between the Abyss and Abaddon.

"There is." the man said. "My name is Olvan. These are my comrades Allston, Hestrix, Keira, Manawell, Omnis, and Trisan. We're members of the Children of the Reborn Glory, and you can help us bring Aroden back if you give that gem to us. We've been reassembling those pieces of his soul in our church, and the universe deserves to be put right after the chaos his death unleashed."

Sense Motive (You): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

Olvan's words are at odds with what you know of the gems, but you're unable to sense any hint of a lie from him. He's completely serious.

"How did you..." Sevia began, then shook her head. "No, it doesn't matter how knew. Your efforts however are for naught, these gems are not pieces of Aroden's soul, and even if they were - it would be impossible for mere mortals to heal him." Sevia frowned contemplatively, wondering if giving them her true identity would help them see their error. Not to mention why he could possibly think these were pieces of Aroden's soul.

"If...if Aroden were not dead, not completely...then the fragments of his soul would have manifested as objects of great power tied to his domains...objects with purpose, not gems." She explained, allowing him to reply and see what he would say.

So, what happens if I place Annihilating Strike back into the ring? Will they be able to feel it?

Splitting your soul again is beyond mortal magic. Divine souls work differently than those of mortals or outsiders - they're not simply "like a human's, but more so".

"But Aroden is dead. Completely so." Olvan said with the voice of the devout. "Everyone knows that Pharasma is hiding something about what happened to him, and those gems are it. If we gather enough of them, we can bring him back - or do you think you can prove that we're wrong?" He didn't sound like he'd be very easy to convince - Olvan, and those with him, clearly believed the words he was speaking.

"Then he is gone and it is impossible to bring him back. It would be one thing if he had split his power apart to avoid a true death, I do not know the circumstances of his demise - but I do know the circumstances of...a similar such incident." Sevia replied, clearly implying that such a scenario had happened. That was a separate issue from this though. "These gems have nothing to do with Aroden. Their purpose lies in the relationship between Pharasma and Groteus. If I believed you were not mislead, then I could not in good conscience deny Aroden these gems. But I doubt you can prove the validity of your claims."

The man looked manifestly unhappy - exactly, on further consideration, what you'd expect to see when someone found that someone else was between them and their god. "Nobody will be mocking us when the Last Azlanti returns to guide us once more." he said firmly. "You don't yet understand what you hold... but we will speak again." With a nod to the others, he turned and left - clearly unhappy, but despite the weapons they had on them, it seemed that they truly didn't wish to fight... not when there was something far more important to be doing. With that, it seemed the way to the Keeper was clear - for the moment, at least.

Sevia watched them depart, even if they were misguided - she respected their dedication to Aroden. It probably wasn't easy for them to be followers of a dead god. She hoped she didn't need to fight them when she retrieved one of the other gems. Once they were out of sight, she began her walk back to the keeper.

"Greetings Keeper, I have successfully retrieved the first gem." Sevia gave a polite bow, she hoped that she didn't upset the Keeper too much with the line of questioning she was about to open up. "A curious thing just occured though. A group of people calling themselves the Children of Reborn Glory approached me just after I returned to ask for this gem. They claimed these gems could resurrect the dead god Aroden..." This was admittedly probably a tired topic for the faithful of Pharasma, but she owed it to Aroden to at least make an effort to ask. They were actually kindred spirits in that one regard, though he didn't walk Golarion anymore. "Given what these gems are, I found it to be preposterous. By my conscience demands that I ask you...is that possible?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

The Keeper looked at you for a few long moments, noting that you had yet to offer the gem over. Slowly, she tilted her head a few degrees to the side. "...Under the right circumstances, it is not impossible that a god could be born from them." she eventually explained, apparently persuaded to speak by your efforts at diplomacy. "But whether that god would be a reborn deity or something entirely new is beyond my knowledge."

Sevia's eyebrows raised, that...was not an answer she'd been expecting. For a few moments, Sevia contemplated what she should do, giving the matter a hard then...Then, with a heavy sigh, she reached into her pouch belt. "Although you say it is possible...it would be irresponsible to attempt so, with so much uncertainty. As promised, I will leave the gems with you." Sevia drew the small gem from her belt and held it out to the Keeper. "I hope this will be for the best. But it will likely mean coming into conflict with these people, for they possess at least one gem."

The Keeper inclined her head, seeming pleased with your understanding. "Gods should not be created lightly." she agreed. "You are going to enter the realm of Abaddon next, where the daemons hold sway, are you not? They are foul creatures, full of hate and power, and you will need assistance. Take these, and use them all — they will not survive the trip back to Axis." With a gesture, she creates an extradimensional space near her, then pulls from it a large sack. Glass bottles clink within as she holds it forward, and the loose folds of canvas outline a long, slender object.

Within the bag is a +3 daemon-bane wakizashi, five flasks of oil of bless weapon, and five potions of cure serious wounds. These items will disintegrate upon leaving Abaddon, so use them or lose them.

"Very well, I accept your aid with thanks. I will hasten to return with the gem as soon as possible, I imagine by then the next one will have made it's location known." Sevia took the bag as the Keeper handed her the sack, exchanging one item for another. Looking inside to confirm its contents, she removed the Wakizashi and placed it upon her belt where she kept her adamantine blade. She also retrieved two of potions of cure wounds and drank them.

Cure: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (4, 3, 7) + 5 = 19
Cure: 3d8 + 5 ⇒ (7, 5, 8) + 5 = 25

Fasting the pouch to her belt, she retrieved the map once more and concentrated on the location of the gem within Abaddon. Then tapped the map to open the portal, stepping through to the other side.

62+19+25=106HP

The sensory distortion from the map’s gate ends. Here the Styx flows through a shattered obsidian canyon. Steam rises from the river, and the stench is unbelievable, like guts freshly spilled under a hot desert sun, or an alleyway between a tavern and a morgue. The steam twists and roils, faces and forms taking shape and whispering indistinct words before being snatched back into the rancid stew; the steam seems to tug at memories, pulling some to the forefront and discarding others. Frog-faced creatures break the surface, sometimes clutching humanoid victims, only to submerge again. Overhead, the sky is a sickly gray, offset by the strange twilight of a perpetual eclipse.

Above the lip of the canyon, soul-splintering winds howl, and streamers of dust and smoke whistle madly through the sky, but it is calm at the bottom. A massive lump of bone and rock has lodged in the shallows at a bend in the river, canted slightly to one side, its door opening onto a platform adjacent to the shore. Behind it and just beyond the canyon rises a massive dead volcano with fortresses and battlements carved into its sides.

Abaddon is strongly evil-aligned. You'll suffer from a –2 circumstance penalty on all Intelligence-, Wisdom-, and Charisma-based checks as long as you're on this plane.

Sevia immediately brought her sleeve to her face, coughing lightly as the stench of the river, even at this distance, nearly overwhelmed her. It was hard to imagine a place worse than the Abyss, but it seemed like Abaddon was. She didn't take long looking around her before noting a platform near the shore in the bottom of the canyon.

Immediately she set forth for it, hoping to be done with the place soon. "Epyon, fly up and scout ahead." she asked her familiar, wanting to get a lay of the area as she walked. She stowed the map, but tried to concentrate on which direction the gem lay.

According to the map, the soul gem is hidden somewhere within the strange rock/bone creation ahead. The fixture seems more like a creature's carcass than a boulder, really. Its door is a great metal affair, rune-carved, and the faces of tortured souls swim under its polished surface as if they were trapped under ice. Epyon soon reports back to you - there seem to be two daemons guarding the door, though your familiar isn't able to recognize them beyond their disturbing resemblance to frogs. The only other potential entrances seem to be pipes, but they're much too small for you to enter as you are now.

If there were only two guarding the door, then unlike before she figured she'd simply kill them where they stood rather than barter for entrance. Not a tall order with a daemon bane sword.

Upon getting close enough where they might see her, Sevia used some of her ki to turn invisible and darted the rest of the way towards the door - drawing Stryker and the borrowed sword. Completely silent - completely undetectable, they never knew she was there until her swords began cutting them down.

Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 15 + 4 = 32 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 15 ⇒ (1, 6, 6, 6) + 15 = 34 +3 Bleed
Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 19 - 2 = 18 vs FF /miss

Sevia will step toward the second demon if he's within 5 ft, and 5ft step again next turn. If they are next to each other, redirect attacks as foes drop if at all.

Initiative: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32 doubt they beat that

Attack: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 15 + 2 = 35 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 15 ⇒ (6, 6, 3, 5) + 15 = 35 +3 Bleed
Confirm: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 15 + 2 = 27 Damage: 1d6 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16
Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 19 - 2 = 35 vs FF Damage: 6d6 + 15 ⇒ (4, 5, 4, 2, 6, 3) + 15 = 39
Confirm: 1d20 + 19 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 19 - 2 = 33 Damage: 6d6 + 15 ⇒ (5, 5, 4, 3, 1, 5) + 15 = 38

Your special dagger cut into the first of the daemons, though the creature's hide was tough, and it roared in anger as it felt the sudden pain.

Both blades whipped out a moment later - the daemons weren't nearly fast enough on their feet to overcome your speed - and you were able to score two more solid hits against the one you'd injured. Somewhat impressively, it was still alive after all that - though you did feel your borrowed weapon cutting through its flesh more easily - and the two daemons finally recovered enough to step around, flank you, and unleash a full barrage of attacks.

Bite: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (17) + 15 = 32 for Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Claw: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18
Claw: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26
Rake: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25
Rake: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (18) + 15 = 33 for Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Bite: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27
Claw: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22
Claw: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26
Rake: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (20) + 15 = 35 for Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Rake: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (19) + 15 = 34 for Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (16) + 15 = 31 for Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 Yup.

Total Damage to you: 36

The daemons managed two hits each, one of which was a particularly painful blow that raked right through your armor. No creatures could attack forever, though, and your previous blows meant that one blow was likely all it would take to fell one of the creatures...

...but perhaps just as interestingly, you can feel the very fabric of space and time twisting as you act in this place. With enough effort, you might actually be able to take control of it...

At the beginning of future encounters in this area, you can make a DC 30 Will Save. If you succeed, you'll be able to locally alter time, with effects on your opponents and the ability to act in a surprise round even if there wouldn't normally be one. There are no penalties for failing this check.

A few attacks was nothing to worry about, but they were starting to add up. She hadn't expected they'd be so resilient, so it was probably best to be a bit more cautious. Both swords struck out again, though no serious tricks this time.

Attack: 1d20 + 15 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 15 - 2 = 25 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 19 - 2 = 21 vs AC Damage: 3d6 + 14 ⇒ (1, 3, 5) + 14 = 23

But she did burn some will power to turn invisible, and stepped away from the pair. At least invisible she had the benefit of reaching into her belongings to produce a certain staff, using the command word to cast Shield upon herself. After which she stowed the staff again and moved to a position behind the unharmed demon.

That takes 2 rounds, +4 AC -1 charge

This time she led off with her borrowed sword, letting the bane weapon tear into the daemon first.

Attack: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (15) + 19 = 34 vs FF Damage: 6d6 + 15 ⇒ (6, 3, 6, 2, 5, 4) + 15 = 41 +3 Bleed
Attack: 1d20 + 15 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 15 - 2 = 33 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Confirm: 1d20 + 15 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 15 - 2 = 15 Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

At this point, Sevia will simply full attack until this guy dies or does something. Copy and paste the below. Swift action to recover the life points

Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 19 - 2 = 23 vs AC Damage: 3d6 + 14 ⇒ (5, 4, 3) + 14 = 26
Attack: 1d20 + 15 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 15 - 2 = 29 vs AC Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Confirm: 1d20 + 15 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 15 - 2 = 33 Damage: 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13 Uh, except this. This weapon crits 15-20. The other 18-20

It took both of the first two hits to tear through the defenses of the first daemon, but it finally collapsed, just before you turned invisible and moved away. The creature grunted slightly and raised a hand, then jerked it upwards. As it did so, the waters from the river rose, seeping up from the ground and filling the terrain... with you still inside of it.

Will DC 30: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (5) + 19 = 24

As the waters touched you, a wave of forgetfulness moved through your body, and...

Type of Forgetting: 1d3 ⇒ 1 (Skills)
Number: 1d3 ⇒ 2
Duration (Days): 1d4 ⇒ 3

And I'm gonna have to use a list generator for the rest... *Randomizes* You have lost access to the Knowledge (Dungeoneering) and Diplomacy skills for the next three days. Please make a note in your alias.

You did manage to get out of the rising water a moment later, though, moving behind the daemon - and were able to cut out at it, your borrowed weapon slicing in far deeper than your personal one. Nevertheless, that act did reveal you to the Daemon, and it promptly turned to savage you with its many physical weapons.

Bite: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (20) + 13 = 33 for Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 + Grab: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (6) + 19 = 25
Claw: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30
Claw: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19
Rake: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15
Rake: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23
Crit Confirm: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

Despite everything, the creature actually managed to get one good bite into your flesh, though it couldn't keep you held there. The two blades darted in again, ripping further through its flesh, and the beast let out a roar... before darting backwards-

Attack of Opportunity: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (5) + 19 = 24 for Damage: 3d6 + 14 ⇒ (3, 3, 4) + 14 = 24

-and vanishing into the air, rather than staying around and allowing you to kill it. Not everything simply stood there waiting to die, but at least it seemed like the way forward was clear.

You've gained 1600 XP.

The interior of the Cauldron is gray and grim, constantly oozing water and other, less savory fluids from the sticky, slimed stones of the wall. The halls show signs of having been hewn, though portions resemble tunnels chopped through meat rather than lifeless rock. In some places, parts of the wall have been cut too close to nearby rooms, and swaths of animate tissue have been affixed across these thin areas like bandages or patches in a piece of leather clothing. Rusted pipes and tubes crawl crazily across the ceilings, walls, and floors, with little apparent regard for planning or foresight, ranging from 3 feet in diameter to just 1 inch; all of them are wet with condensation or active leaks.

New map at the top of the screen. As you can see, there are quite a few doors and hallways, so please be very precise when describing your movement.

That one bite wouldn't hit modified AC after shield spell

Sevia swung hard to catch the beast as it tried to retreat, but it managed to slip away and vanish. A teleport she assumed, many demons were capable of such. The waters that had clouded her mind were troubling, but it had only seemed to hurt some of her memory of aberrations and speaking with others - nothing she could do about that. Sheathing her blades, she looked back to the opened door, noting the ramshackle appearance of the hallway. With any luck she could avoid any further engagements as she cast Invisibility upon herself. That should allow her to slip anywhere she wanted inside without drawing attention to herself. Before leaving she spent a moment to check the dead daemon for any possessions before moving on.

106-36=70 HP 5/7 2nd spells 6/8 ki

Walking briskly down the hallway entrance, she frowned at the abundance of side passages. The doors would also be troublesome. Opting to turn left, Sevia walked forward through the hallway, keeping left as she tried to get a lay of this complex, focusing to see if she could at least pick up faintly the direction of the gem. She ignored any doors on purpose. Only stopping at them momentarily to listen for noises within.

Sevia? A Natural 20 on an attack roll is always a hit. Also, updated map.

The daemon didn't seem to have any possessions - creatures in the outside realms didn't collect items the way that many mortals did, and indeed, their natural weapons were enough to defeat most foes. As you passed through some of the short passages - there was a turn immediately to your left, and a hallway going past a door you headed down - you heard a number of groans and screams from inside the rooms. Further down, the hall, you can see five demonic wolves growl at each other, fighting over the gristle-coated remnants of a man-sized skeleton. A small fence blocks them from leaving, but it seems more like an indicator than anything else - they could easily get over it if they really wanted to.

More problematic is the apparent presence of prisoners within this facility, clearly being tortured by the powerful daemons. You could elect to ignore them, of course, and continue hunting for the gem, or you could seek out the prisoners and try to rescue them while fulfilling your primary mission here. How one acts says a lot about who they are...

Ah, did not notice that. Natch. 70-10=60HP

Sevia grimaced at the screams she was hearing. While not beyond smaller tortures when the needs were extreme enough and for the right reasons, she never took pleasure from it and abhorred those who did. Still, those poor souls were likely here out of their own doing - few ever found themselves in Abaddon or the Abyss for no good reason. She could free them, though she didn't know what that might accomplish aside from making them prey for whatever daemons found them afterwards.

Looking at the wolves, she backed away, taking a moment to retrieve two more cure potions before moving on. That last fight had banged her up a little.

Cure: 6d6 + 10 ⇒ (2, 3, 6, 5, 6, 4) + 10 = 36

She traced back her steps back to the entrance, and this time walking down the tunnel to the right of the leftmost tunnel which she had just explored.

60+36=96 HP

As you pass down the hallway, you come across another room (Room 11.) It contains a 20-foot sphere of lead, dented outward in several places, and a sphere of fire, inside of which is a creature resembling an air elemental, recoiling from the heat of its prison. Your detect evil power senses nothing infernal within the chamber.

'Curious. Why imprison an air elemental?' Sevia wondered, approaching the prison to inspect it a little more, directing a Detect Magic spell to sweep across the room. It was a shame she couldn't communicate with it, she didn't speak Auran. She imagined it would be simple to release it though.

Take 10 on spellcraft or arcana to determine what spells are in effect. A 20 and 18 respectively

After taking stock of the room, Sevia left - continuing down the path she'd been heading. Odd now that she thought about it...both gems seemed to have come to prison-like locations. She hoped the trend wouldn't continue its repetition.

You're not able to recognize the spell that's powering the fire (That's Arcana DC 20 + Spell Level, for future reference), but you are able to sense a powerful aura there... and within the lead sphere as well. Even as you step out into the hallway, you hear a crashing sound from behind you, then the sound of liquid sloshing around and a sharp hissing noise. A large creature formed of water moves into the hallway a moment later and lurches down towards the entrance, seemingly unaware of your presence. A faint groaning, like the wind moving through the trees, can be heard from the room - but you can leave it be and proceed.

Meanwhile, the hall ahead of you seems to open up into a large, empty cavern with a two more tunnels coming off of it, heading east and west, as well as a door on the northern side close to where you entered. Taking a quick peek, the eastern hall leads to another cave that doesn't seem to be in use at the moment, while the western one seems a bit more... interesting.

Finding nothing in either the cavern or the eastern tunnel, Sevia elected to head down the western one, continuing her search.

Map updated.

A momentary chill passes through your body as you move forward and look ahead. This room is filled with thirty pools of varying sizes and colors. Near each pool is one or more shallow grooves with straps bolted to the floor, positioned so any creature held therein must touch the contents of the pool.

Four wraiths hover in the air near the pools, seeming... depressed, rather than angry. One looks up as you approach, but soon looks down again. Down the other hallway, you can see a pair of stairs - one going up, the other heading down into the depths of this place.

Sevia grimaced as she entered the offshoot cavern, not liking what she saw. This...almost seemed like a place made to create wraiths. And damned did that piss her off. As one looked up to her, she wondered if it could possibly sense her, but dismissed it as a coincidence. She was somewhat puzzled as to why these wraiths seemed...different.

Against her better judgement, she reached out to one of the wraiths. Not with her body - she stayed well clear from them, but whispered with a Message spell. "Poor soul. What troubles you?" She asked sympathetically.

The wraith looked up as you spoke, then glanced around again, clearly trying to locate you. When it was unable to do so - thanks to your Invisibility spell - it simply lowered its head again. "You've already turned us into monsters." It croaked, gesturing to a nearby body. Half of the form had been dissolved by acid, quite clearly the cause of death. Looking around more closely, it seemed that many bodies had been pushed into the pools. Some were filled with acid, others with water... and a few had what looked and smelled like spoiled milk. "If you're going to torment us even after our deaths, just get on with it already. I don't care anymore." There was no trace of hope in the Wraith's raspy voice - it clearly didn't believe you were here to help, and without the ability to be an effective diplomat, it might be hard to convince them of anything.

A lesser being might have lost the content of their stomachs at the sight, but Sevia merely trembled in rage. No...this place was not somewhere to create undead...it was merely a side effect of great evil, a place designed to torture the soul endlessly. Such was Abaddon. "You mistake me tormented one, I call another plane home. But I see Abaddon is as cruel as always...how did you come to meet this fate? Were you sent here by Pharasma?" Sevia asked, trying to get a feel for who these people were...had been. Typically most who came to Abaddon were judged there after death, but that did not make sense why these souls would form undead here. Maybe she'd been wrong about these prisoners.

"No." the Wraith croaked, though it didn't seem to understand the purpose behind the question. "Is this a test of the memories we possess? I... I do still recall. I have never seen Pharasma, nor even her great spire. You stole us from our homes, the way you stole all the others... the elementals, the lawbound, the angels, the demons..." The wraith's body shook with laughter. "Is Hawkins still alive? He's a Paladin of Iomedae, you know, and she'll ask about his soul if it doesn't show up by her side when he dies. I wonder if the heavens will raid this place to get him back? That would be a sight to see, but I suppose there's no god that cares about the rest of us..." Rather than being angry over this fact, the wraith seemed to shrink a little, despondent and listless.

Sevia blanched, clearly she'd assumed wrong when she thought these were judged souls. No, they were displaced mortals stolen from the prime plane for the daemon's amusement. And that tore her between doing what would be right, and her duty. Killing the daemons here and freeing the prisoners...it would be the right thing, but that would nearly exhaust her and make the job of retrieving the gems even harder.

Looking at that poor wraith she made her decision.

"No, that is not true. You have me. I may only be a godling, but I will not idly let this repulsiveness continue. I came here to retrieve something else, but I suppose I can do some good at the same time." Sevia said, dismissing her Invisibility spell, clearly revealing to the wraith that she was not a daemon. "I offer to you poor souls my blade, tell me where to find your tormentors and I will destroy them. Their victims I will free. And your spirits I will lay to rest."

"...I cannot believe you." the Wraith whispered. "I dare not, no matter what... There is no hope in this place." Its body shook again. "But you already know the answers, don't you? The slaves are in the holding cells on this floor, and the Crying Jackal lives up above. Do as you will in tormenting us - I don't care any longer." the Wraith slowly started to float towards the others, further inside the room.

630 XP for sticking with your Paladin's code - this place has managed to trigger three of your tenets, and arguably managed all four. XD I was a bit worried about how to react if you did something else...

"Yes...hope. That of all most dangerous emotions in the evil planes. I do not fault you for shying from it. I will return when my task is complete." Before the devils arrived and not after if possible. Turning around, she advanced back toward the caged elemental, both to check on what had happened there and see if she could free it.

Well, what was I suppose to think seeing a bunch of souls being tortured in Abaddon? People aren't suppose to be here unless they're judged by Pharasma and sent here

Evil realms - sans Hell - have never been very big on following the rules... XD That's especially true for Abaddon.

Within the chamber holding the elementals, water covered the floor, and the lead sphere had been broken apart. Standing nearby was a powerful-looking Air Elemental... but at the same time, its movements seemed both confused and hurt. The elemental spoke a moment later in the language of its kind - Auran - but that's not a tongue you're familiar with, and it seemed a bit frustrated when you didn't understand.

Sevia was somewhat surprised to see the thing's cage had been broken apart. Locating the air elemental nearby, it noticed her and predictable, spoke in a language she did not understand. Luckily she had a small solution to such a problem. Holding up a hand indicating the elemental pause, she produced a scroll from her scroll case and cast a Comprehend Languages spell. Not perfect, she couldn't speak to it, but she could now understand it. She gestured for it to continue speaking.

"The air in this place is foul... the heat, too strong." the elemental said, focusing its attention on you. "You are... shadow-blooded. Which way to the skies?"

Sevia nodded at the Elemental's statement, at its question, she gestured for it to follow her, leading it back towards the entrance of the prison. Along the way she made sure to look out for any enemies.

The massive elemental followed you, its body seeming somehow squeezed and elongated within the hallways as it came with you to the entrance. Then... "Debt... owed." it said, looking outside. The elemental whirled around, and one of its arms darted into the air. A small daemon appeared as the elemental grabbed it, and it let out a cry as the planar creature slammed it into the ground, crushing it into a pulp. "Debt... repaid." It shot outside, into the sky, apparently looking for a way home. You'd examined most of the eastern part of the facility - though a few rooms hadn't been touched - but the western side was still largely unexplored. It was hard to estimate how many prisoners were in this place...

Not every room has enemies. If you'd like to speed things up and free prisoners more quickly, you can note a number of rooms/areas to visit in order, and I'll run through the list until a more notable event happens.

Watching the elemental effortlessly dispatch the daemon that had tried to ambush her, she gave it a cheeky smile and nodded in thanks, watching as it took off. Returning inside, she began looking through the doors she'd overlooked earlier.

Check the first door on the right just ahead of room 6. Then the two doors opposite of the entrance.

These cruel chambers are marked by constant low moans of pain, punctuated by bouts of soul-wrenching screams. Inside are iron maidens, thumbscrews, racks, cats o’ nine tails, scourges, wheels, cages, saws, nailed chairs, and other tools that defy description but show signs of frequent use. Tube-like apparatuses hang from the ceiling, some with handles and clamps attached. Victims hang in each - men, women, and children, their bodies dealt lasting damage by the daemons' techniques even as the very essence of their lives is siphoned away by the machinery. The victims from the first room breathe their last shortly after being freed - one glance was all it took to know that even your best healing magic had no hope of helping these people.

More problematically, however, there were two daemons in the second room you visited, similar in shape to (but rather smaller than) the ones outside.

Initiative (Enemy): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13
Initiative (You): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20

Don't forget that you can attempt that Will check to try and twist things so you get a surprise round on top of going first in normal initiative order.

After sheathing her blades upon discovering only victims Sevia quickly helped them out of these torture devices. If the wraiths had been sickening, this was down right nauseating. However, it had been too late, they were beyond her. As they finally passed away Sevia felt herself quaking in rage.

Will: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (14) + 19 = 33 vs DC 30 Success!

Which was a good thing when she found in her next area of searching two hapless daemons for her to vent on. Taking a 5ft step as she advanced into the room, through sheer force of will time seemed to slow down for a moment as her blades ripped into the first one.

Surprise round

Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 19 - 2 = 31 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 15 ⇒ (4, 1, 6, 6) + 15 = 32 +3 Bleed
Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 19 - 2 = 31 vs FF Damage: 6d6 + 15 ⇒ (2, 1, 1, 5, 3, 5) + 15 = 32

And as time seemed to return to normal speed, she stepped up to the second and sliced away at him - both totally off guard.

round 1

Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 19 - 2 = 25 vs FF Damage: 4d6 + 15 ⇒ (1, 6, 1, 6) + 15 = 29 +3 Bleed
Attack: 1d20 + 19 - 2 ⇒ (12) + 19 - 2 = 29 vs FF Damage: 6d6 + 15 ⇒ (4, 5, 2, 5, 4, 6) + 15 = 41

These daemons were considerably less powerful than their brethren had been, and their bodies broke apart as you dispatched them with smooth efficiency. It was probably for the best that you'd been able to exert your will on the flow of time in this place - all four strikes had been needed to dispatch them, but at least now you could free the prisoners and allow their souls - if not their bodies - the chance to escape from this infernal realm.

500 XP. Also, the map's been updated to reflect the places you've visited - as before, feel free to note a sequence of places to visit if you'd prefer to speed it up.

Daemon's cut down, Sevia left the room and continued her search, for now ignoring the large central area that had remained unexplored. Instead she continued her clockwise search, weapons still at the ready.

Check the first door on the left, then down the hall to the second door on the left. After that take a peak into the two unexplored areas in the west