The Forgotten God (Table 5)

Game Master Rednal

When in doubt, add it. ^^ If it has any kind of effect on you, especially effects I should be aware of because of their impact on gameplay, add it. Generally speaking, aliases shouldn't have abilities that aren't clarified - keeping all the information in one spot makes it far easier to keep track of and quickly reference.

That said, I believe "act in the surprise round" assumes there is one, so it wouldn't take effect if there's not. Important to keep in mind.

For everything else, I suggest carefully reviewing your available abilities and options, making sure all of them have actually been entered. Oh, and note that your Destructive Blast is bludgeoning damage - that's relevant for DR and will definitely come up.

It took eight blasts to finally kill the vine, but it finally stopped moving and simply lay on the ground, torn to pieces by the repeated blows. Really, that was closer to 'pruning' than anything resembling combat, but at least the rest of the room ought to be safe now. Had any of the other vines been able to animate, they would have done so when the assassin vine had first come after you.

With a nod, Astoroth calmly walked back into the kitchen and headed downstairs.

The stairs lead down to a ten-foot-square cold storage room. It's noticeably cooler than the rest of the house right now, though not enough to be harmful, but is otherwise empty - nobody's stored anything here for a long time. On the bright side, it also means there's not some kind of giant underground cave complex from which enemies could emerge to swarm over you while you're looking through the rest of the house - and in a pinch, it could serve as a more defensible area should you need to retreat.

a built-in wine cellar ... that's a definite asset ...

Astoroth takes the stairs back to the kitchen and begins searching through drawers and among the various plants.

Taking 20 on Perception for a 27.

There seems to be nothing of interest within the chamber - anything that was here before was likely removed when the previous owners left, and the assassin vine's presence probably deterred others from stashing treasure away. The rear storage room on this floor is likewise empty of interesting things - if there's anything here, it's probably through the (unlocked) door to the rest of the house.

Perception (for traps): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Due to the presence of the assassin vine, it was unlikely that anyone was staying here, but the presence of that mercenary type was unusual. Extra caution was advised. Astoroth gave the door one final look-over for traps before opening it to continue his walk-through.

The door opens up into a long, narrow hallway. There are doors to the north and south of you, as well as directly across - the lack of furniture and decorations in this hall, as well as its overall style, suggests that it was built mainly for use by any servants. A moment after you step in, however, you hear what sounds like a crying child... though it's impossible to tell precisely where the sound is coming from.

a crying child? in this place? how strange. if it belongs to the mercenary, she would surely have said something. after all, i gave her plenty of time to explain herself.

Unable to determine the source of the sound, Astoroth elects to narrow down the possible locations in the most logical of fashions. He begins by opening the northernmost door, as it has the smallest odds of leading farther into the mansion.

This room shows signs of both having recently been lived in as well as years of neglect. The corners are filled with thick cobwebs and the wallpaper has turned a sickly green and droops with rot and water. The table is covered in a thick layer of dust and the large beds here are old and dirty, but the sleeping mats on top of them are new and clean. The window in the north wall is broken. This room looks as though at least human-size residents sleep here... but there's no sign of a child, either.

people are living here? ... perhaps the 'mercenary' was actually a squatter? ... but why would someone with such fine equipment be homeless?

Before exiting the room, Astoroth makes sure to examine the table, sleeping mats, and underneath both beds. If there's nothing interesting to be found, he'll go back down the hall and open the first door he comes to (the one across from the kitchen). He won't enter unless that doorway is the only entrance.

It indeed appears to be the only entrance to the room that you can currently reach - the southern door goes elsewhere.

This large room was once a comfortable family room, with opulent couches facing off next to a small fireplace in the north wall. Against the west wall sits a low table with two padded chairs. The empty fireplace is flanked by very large windows, each of which is covered by heavy, moth-eaten drapes. A partition separates this area from a small dining area, and it looks like you could crawl through the fireplace in the south wall. The sound of a crying child can be heard once again, but it's still impossible to pinpoint its origin. It does sound a bit more... insistent, though.

insistent crying as opposed to fearful crying ... an interesting distinction ...

Astoroth takes a little time to drag the table into the hallway to make an improvised barrier. Much of the house was unexplored as of yet, and it wouldn't do for something hiding in one of the southern rooms to sneak past and hide in an already-examined area. He does make sure to allow access to the kitchen, though, in case he needed to retreat to the basement. Once this was done, he begins to explore this large room. He also takes time to check the ashes in the fireplace to see if it's been recently lit.

Taking 20 on Perception for a 27.

There doesn't seem to be anything of interest within the chamber that you haven't already seen - aside from the stairs on the west-hand side, of course, which you hadn't been able to see from back in the hallway. The fires do seem to have been lit recently, and it was when you first crouched down to look at them that your senses suddenly began to go wild.

You have been Forewarned, though it's not clear what's about to happen, and can take a single move or standard action.

Spinning around, Astoroth assumes a ready position. "I know you're there. Come on out."

Standard Action: assuming Total Defense. AC is now 27.

The response was a pillar of electricity that crashed down from directly above you, aiming to burn away all of your flesh in one cataclysmic instant.

Elec Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 4) = 6 Reflex DC 16 Halves: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25 Total Damage: 3 - 5 = -2 = 1 Non-Lethal.

...And it didn't quite have the effect the caster had clearly been hoping for as your natural resilience against electricity came to the forefront and blew away its remaining power after you'd dodged the worst of it. All you actually received was a small bruise that would soon be healed on its own. It was definite proof that someone - or something - was here, however.

Spellcraft to identify: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

"Does nobody possess basic manners anymore? Why aren't warnings and a chance to parley being given?"

Astoroth readies some magic of his own as he looks for the source of the lightning.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Readied destructive blast (touch attack): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

The lightning seems to be coming from directly above you, through some cracks in the floor. You could certainly attempt to shoot up through them, but whoever's up there would undoubtedly benefit from cover - and with the ability to launch their attacks going down, you're a bit more exposed than they are. You can, however, unleash that destructive blast normally if you'd like to, then proceed with your next round of actions.

"Shut up and die!" a very human voice roared, and a sphere of flames fell through the air and towards your head.

Reflex DC 15 Negates: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

At the last moment, your reflexes failed you, and the sphere crashed straight into your side.

Fire Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 3) = 7

Never mind on the destructive blast, then.

"You know that this building is private property, correct? If you were the owner, you would have said something else, so I have to conclude that you're trespassing. Was the woman I met outside with you?" Astoroth sounds genuinely curious as he pulls out a potion, drinks it, and begins to walk toward the staircase.

Move+Standard: retrieve and drink a CLW potion. 5ft toward the stairs leading up.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

The sphere of fire rolls after you as its caster concentrates, clearly unwilling to let you just move upstairs with impunity.

Reflex DC 15 Negates: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

This time, however, you're able to step to the side and let it roll straight past you... though now it's closer to the stairs than you are, and the wood beneath it looks like it's starting to smoke a little... one of the major hazards of that particular spell.

"You haven't thought this through, have you? Unless you're looking forward to jumping from a second-story window after you burn down the stairs."

As he speaks, Astoroth begins to back away from the staircase. He'd been hired to assess the entire house and didn't particularly want to find an alternate route upstairs.

Double Move back toward the door I came in.

The sphere of flames winked out - it seemed there was no easy way to catch you with it, and whoever was attacking you wasn't going to continue wasting their time. They seemed to be moving around upstairs, but with your movement away from them, you could no longer tell where they were attacking from.

"Ah, finally, an intelligent decision. Want to tell me what you're doing here?" As he speaks, Astoroth slowly begins to walk toward the stairs again, calling upon his inner reserves to protect him in case the caster tries to blast him with more elemental power.

Spending a mythic point on Wild Arcana for the ward power of the Protection sphere. Ward HP 7, Break DC 16. Duration: concentration

The response was another burst of magic. Rather than being offensive, however, this seemed like some kind of mind-affecting spell, in contrast to the Lightning Bolt and Flaming Sphere that had been used before. Many sorcerers underestimated the power of such abilities, believing that a fireball would solve most problems faster and easier... but it was never wise to underestimate magic.

Will DC 14 Negates: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13 (A Surge would definitely change that result. Otherwise, you're struck by hideous laughter.)

You're currently 60 feet from the stairs.

Astoroth feels a sudden urge to laugh. Strange, as nothing humorous has happened recently. A moment later, his mind clears as power surges through him. His voice grows cold, as a shadow crosses his face. "You just attempted to modify my mental state. No mercy will be shown when I reach you."

Surge: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Standard Action: maintain ward. Move Action: move 30ft closer to the stairs.

Important note? Messing with the mind is chancy at best, and may irritate the people you do it to if they withstand it. It was also one of the types of magic that people were particularly nervous about... and the response from upstairs was quick chanting that you recognized as a Displacement spell. That wouldn't last too long - probably no more than half a minute for him - but would serve as some protection for now.

If somebody ever wanted to irrevocably get on Astoroth's bad side, the easiest way would be to mess with his mind. As the very personification of factual data, nothing could be a bigger insult. The Fount of Knowledge's expression was hard enough to cut through stone as he continued his slow, steady approach.

Continuing to maintain ward and move toward the horrible mind-tampering caster.

*Jots down a note about that* Good to know. ^^ And... how does he feel about using mind-affecting abilities on others? Despise it on general principles, say it's okay when he does it, something else...?

Finally, you arrived at the stairs heading upward - your attacker, almost certainly still up there, was being very cautious and quiet at the moment... and you still didn't know exactly where they were. Getting up didn't seem like it would be a problem, though, so at least there was that.

Face set, Astoroth heads upstairs.

Continue to maintain ward and head upstairs.

As you reached the top of the stairs, a man holding a knife let out a yell and charged at you, stabbing out as hard as he could.

Whiiiiiiich wasn't actually all that hard - he was on the thin side, clearly more of a thinker than a brawler, and his lack of expertise was obvious. You barely had to tilt your head to avoid the clumsy thrust of the weapon. "You ****ing killed Belya!" he bellowed, seething with rage.

Melee: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Astoroth inclines his head slightly. "Consider the facts. I'm hired to prove this house isn't haunted. Shortly after I arrive, I'm attacked by a strange woman. I give her ample opportunity to explain what's going on. She never says a single thing to me aside from inarticulate screaming. What am I supposed to do?

"Now, by your words, I have to assume she's the 'Belya' you refer to, and that the two of you were close. You've also most likely run out of magic. Under normal circumstances, I'd give you a chance to explain yourself. Knowledge is best shared, after all. However..."

The Endless Fount's expression hardens. "... you tried to control my mind. For that, you will pay dearly. If you follow a particular deity, you should pray to it now."

I figure that's about a full-round's worth of talking, so I'll just maintain my ward.

The wizard sneered at you and took a step backwards, raising a hand and chanting as he did so. A moment later, two bolts of force shot out of his fingertips and darted unerringly though the air and straight towards your ward.

Magic Missile: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (3, 2) + 2 = 7

"You only wish I'd run dry that easily! I don't know how you survived the lightning, but I've still got enough left to kill you!" He... may not have been in an entirely stable frame of mind at the moment.

Astoroth's ward shatters, but he remains unharmed. Sensing his foe's desperation, he allows himself the faintest of grins. "That was your last chance. You failed." Stepping forward, he throws a powerful hammerfist. Unlike his fight with Belya, there are no elaborate kicking combinations. This is a no-holds-barred slugfest.

Activating Martial Flexibility to gain the benefits of the Step Up feat for 1min.

Your first blow sank straight into his stomach, followed by a swift kick to his side, then grabbing his face and bringing your knee straight into it before simply grabbing his head and slamming it against the wall. That was the point where his consciousness gave out and he simply slumped over, finally giving you the chance to look around the floor in safety.

The upper floor of Dralkard Manor burned long ago and collapsed under the fury of the Aspo Bay storms. Nothing remains of the once opulent master bedroom that comprised the entirety of the upper floor but a few moldy, stained rugs and a half-burned painting of two figures, gender uncertain as their faces are burned away, with a bronze plate attached to the bottom of the frame that reads “Master Algrim and Lady Nessa Dralkard.” The entire upper floor is open to the elements, but the wizard seemed like he was living here anyway - a tent, a winter blanket, and a sleeping bag are visible.

Somewhat more interesting were the things the wizard was carrying...

A dagger, a lesser metamagic rod of ectoplasmic spell, 250 GP in coins, and a spellbook with the following spells:

3rd—displacement, lightning bolt
2nd—flaming sphere, hideous laughter, minor image, scorching ray
1st—charm person, color spray, identify, magic missile, shield, shocking grasp, silent image, sleep

either an illusionist or an evoker ... hot-headed ... probably an evoker ... illusionists are typically more subtle ... and not a particularly-intelligent mage considering he didn't bother to scribe any cantrips ... the world's better off without his brand of foolishness ...

After giving the upstairs a thorough examination (and taking the wizard's gear), Astoroth returned downstairs and headed for that room's door.

It does have the cantrips - those are assumed present in all spellbooks and don't need to be noted. XD

The only other item of interest on the top floor is a locked metal box hidden under a mattress - you'll have to find some way of opening it to see what's inside. Once you're downstairs, returning to the hallway you were at before is simple enough - leaving only the door to the south unexplored.

Are there any missing cantrips? Those from opposition schools aren't automatically learned. I'm guessing they're transmutation and necromancy unless he's a universalist.

Leaving the lockbox for later, Astoroth goes to check the room to the north of the stairs.

Actually, he was an illusionist. XD You just happened to proceed in a way that negated his normal use of them in the scenario.

The door to the room seems to be firmly shut from the inside - in fact, looking at the pattern of light and shadows, it seems that it was actually boarded up from within. It would take a great deal of strength to force it open - more than you have - but you could take the time to physically break it down... or try to somehow enter from up above. Thinking back, there was something odd about the carpets there, and you were hired to examine the whole house...

Boarded up from the inside? That's exceedingly strange. According to the layout of the house, there's no exit from that room. Perhaps there's a hidden trapdoor in the ceiling. How could he overlook something like that, though? It would have to be incredibly well-hidden. But, then again, he hadn't been looking for secret doors. But what would the purpose of such a room be?

Check it now or later?: 1d100 ⇒ 11

While it would probably be wiser to finish searching the rest of the manor before approaching this strange room, information-gathering was one of Astoroth's core elements. Especially when there's an intriguing conundrum such as this. It took almost everything he had to maintain a calm, even pace as he walked (not ran. No, really, he didn't run. Seriously, he wasn't running. Honest.) back upstairs and started tearing up the carpet.

Finally, after ripping the carpet to shreds and examining the floor, your fingers ran across a small bump on the floor. Lightly pressing down on it flipped another part of the floor upwards to reveal an actual handle... as well as a fairly good-looking lock. It didn't seem to be trapped, but it was quite well-made, and barely within your ability to pick if you took a few minutes to work at it. Still, whether or not you were leaving from the trapdoor, why lock an unused room from the inside...? You, more than most others in all the planes of existence, knew that mortals did some strange things... but this was odd even for them.

Clearly there was something incredibly important in this room. Perhaps even the reason his employer was so interested in this ruin. He set to work attempting to remove the trapdoor's hinges.

Taking 20 if possible for a 26. If he has to roll and ruins the lock, he'll start attempting to Sunder it.

Working quietly for a few minutes, you eventually managed to remove the lock keeping the trapdoor shut - it would now open as soon as you tugged it - but the moment your fingers touched the handle, something slammed into the trapdoor from below. It opened downwards, the the wood here was still sturdy and strong, so nothing broke through... but whatever was in there clearly wanted out.

"You locked yourself in here and are now unable to get out? Then why didn't you say anything earlier? Or remove the boards over the door downstairs? Your actions aren't making any sense. Please enlighten me."

Astoroth repeats this message in all 10 of his other known languages.

Every few seconds, there's another thump sound as whatever is inside crashes against the trapdoor, and it doesn't respond to any of the languages you try speaking in. Perhaps it doesn't know the tongues - or perhaps it simply doesn't care.

With a shrug, Astoroth opens the trapdoor and jumps back as far as possible.

As you opened the door, two shapes shot upwards and hovered in the air before you, looking like the bat-winged heads of fiends with countless small tentacles hanging down from their blackened and shriveled skulls. Neither looked anywhere remotely close to friendly, and they were already opening their mouths to scream at you.

Init (Enemy): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 1 = 21
Init (You): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11

And scream they did, their voices burning with infernal as their power crashed against your body and sought to paralyze you in place with the awful noise.

Fort DC 12: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Fort DC 12: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

It was a good effort on their part, but even as weakened as you were by your fall from power, you were tougher and more resilient than most mortals... and their screeching voices failed to do anything more than momentarily slow you down as they continued to hover in front of you.

Knowledge(arcana, nature, or religion): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (6) + 12 = 18

the downstairs door was barred from the inside ... what in the hells is going on? ...

These ... things ... were clearly unfriendly and may be mindless. Best to destroy them quickly. Concentrating for a moment, Astoroth launched a blast of concussive force at the closest creature.

Destructive Blast (ranged touch): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Despite everything, these creatures don't seem to be ones that you're currently able to recognize - although a straightforward process of deduction and elimination could help to narrow things down and suggest more about what, precisely, they are.

Even so, the first one quite literally exploded under the force of your blast. They were frightening, but not strong - but that didn't stop the remaining one from letting out a snarl and darting from your throat, jaw dripping with a foul-looking poison.

Bite: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

The teeth came closer than most people would have been comfortable with, but you managed to lean back just quickly enough to avoid the snapping incisors.

These things were very strange indeed. The odd compilation of undead, fiendish, and aberrant features was very confusing, but they were rather weak creatures, nonetheless. Astoroth continued to batter away at the remaining monster.

Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10 Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4
Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15 Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19 Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13 Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7 Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Without backing away, each sphere blast provoked an extra attack from the creature, which continued to chomp at you in an effort to inject your body with its poison, and it wasn't until your fourth shot that it finally fell. In the meantime...

AoO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Bite: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 for Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1
AoO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
Bite: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18
AoO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Bite: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
AoO: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23 for Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Fort DC 12: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25
Fort DC 12: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

The creature managed to bite into you twice before you put it down for good, but while its poison made a valiant effort to infect you, none of it was strong enough to actually affect you.

Finally, you have the chance to look into the room itself, climbing down an old - but still - sturdy ladder. The study itself (for that's what it clearly happened to be) was once a well-appointed library. However, the room is now a garbage heap with every book shredded, every shelf smashed, the carpet shredded, and the tables and chairs scratched and ruined. Two headless bodies lie on the floor, totally decomposed - the floor beneath them is stained darker than the rest of the area.

With this, you've cleared the northern part of the mansion - the southern rooms are still untouched, though, and will need to be visited at some point to ensure the successful completion of your mission.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

Stunned by the senseless destruction of so much accumulated knowledge, Astoroth takes a moment to regain his composure. He drinks his last healing potion to take care of the scratches he received and then resumes his mission. He begins by thoroughly searching the wrecked library and bodies therein in hopes that something might have survived the carnage. The mystery of the headless victims locked in this room was quite interesting, although the lack of an intact skull for either of them would make a solution difficult. Perhaps the answer lay elsewhere in the house?

After the library had been completely searched, Astoroth continues to the southern half of the mansion.