The Forgotten God (Table 5)

Game Master Rednal

It depends on the haunt, really. XD They often have unique methods of destruction.

Damage from a Restore effect: 4d4 ⇒ (4, 2, 2, 2) = 10

Light shone from beneath your fingertips as you channeled sacred power through your body and into the manifestation of anger and madness. Beneath your palm, the skull trembled more and more violently before finally exploding outwards in a titanic blast of rage. As it did so, a mass of black energy formerly held within the skull let out a howl, only to be scattered by the force you'd brought to bear as you pressed in on it. Some of the psychic pressure in the room lifted as the last bits of power faded away and the haunt was cleansed from this world. With it gone, the room was probably safe to explore - and leave, since it was locked from the inside and there'd be no trouble unlocking it from here.

Astoroth allowed himself a small sigh of relief. He'd expended far too much power dealing with that haunt, and for a brief moment wasn't even sure if he'd be able to leave this room. As it was, as long as the haunt didn't return, this looked like a good safe room. Having a bolthole was always a good idea when exploring a new location, and unless powerful magic was brought to bear, he could probably hold out for quite a while in here if need be.

Of course, the safety of this room was dependent on its contents, so he couldn't lower his guard just yet. Keeping the door locked for now, Astoroth thoroughly searched the room.

Take 20 on Perception plus a 10min divine.

There are quite a few items of interest here, including six vials of truecolor dye, a ring of swimming, a javelin of lightning, and six bloodstones worth 50 GP each. Sadly, most of the other treasures in the room seem to have been destroyed or rotted away over time, possibly as a result of the madness that infected this place. Not a bad collection, all things considered.

Any books of note?

Nope. None that the adventure details, anyway.

In its anger, the haunt appeared to have destroyed all the books in this room. Such a tragedy. Astoroth retrieved his pack (placing the smaller treasures inside as he did) and slung the javelin over his back. Then, after making sure to prop the door open slightly in case he had to re-enter hastily, he resumed his exploration.

Heading toward the B20 alcove

To the north on an upraised stage, gold, green, and magenta mosaic tiles form an intricate glyph on the floor of this half-circle chamber of a road vanishing into the horizon. The battered and blasted remains of a stone statue that may have once depicted a human adventurer lie scattered throughout the lower southern half of the room.

Out of curiosity, are the shaded parts of the map covering anything of note (with the exception of whatever's behind the double doors)? I ask because B15 and B17 seem cut-off.

Astoroth eyes the broken statue with interest as he slowly examines the stage.

How did the statue break?
Knowledge(engineering or arcane?): 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (10) + 13 + (3) = 26
Taking 20 on Perception + 10min divine

As the campaign progresses, I'm learning that Astoroth is one of those annoying people who takes his sweet time with everything. XD

I deliberately screw with the edges. It's kind of hard to hide secret entrances on the maps, so an easier solution is frequently blocking off a bit of the edge so you never know when something's there or not. XD Just a habit of mine, really. Also, being cautions isn't a bad plan, especially when you don't have friends to bail you out of trouble...

The damage to the statue is very old, but it appears to have been dismantled by violence - there are nicks and scrapes on the stones consistent with a variety of weapons, up to and including at least one bare-handed attacker. There doesn't seem to be anything magical within this area, nor treasures of note.

The secret door on the eastern wall, though? MUCH more interesting - and concealed quite well, too. It's unlikely anyone would ever have found it without an abnormally thorough investigation - which, of course, is the point of having a secret door.

A secret door? Most intriguing... Astoroth sets about locating a way to open it.
EDIT: And them actually opening it, of course :-)

The hidden passage, once opened, leads to an unlit inner hall. It's no problem for darkvision, but some quick poking around shows that you didn't find the only entrance - several others existed as well, linking to other rooms - and there's another door at the top of some stairs, unlocked and finely made.

Most interesting... This definitely warrants further inspection. Before he begins, though, Astoroth takes a few minutes to check out the double doors across from the stage. Wouldn't do to leave it unexplored.

He'll open the doors and do a quick sweep of whatever's beyond. If there's nothing of interest, he'll proceed through the secret passage to the door at the top of the stairs.

This room is brightly lit by numerous glowing crystalline lanterns hanging from the ceiling. A large summoning circle of inlaid silver and cold iron sits in the center of the room. To the south, a massive door of red metal, decorated with a devil’s head, bars passage beyond the south wall. Strange runes decorate the door’s border. To the northeast, a large desk carved from a giant block of red stone rests in the corner of the room.

This room seems out of place from the rest of the structure. Asmodean summoning symbol? Devil's-head door? What was going on here? Carefully bypassing the summoning circle, Astoroth carefully walks over to the desk and checks it for anything of interest.

How does the age of this room compare to the rest of this building?

The room looks to be about the same age as the rest of the building, though it's always possible that some of the furnishings are newer. The desk itself seems to be one of the most permanent parts of the room - but only at first glance. As you walk around and examine it, you can see a small gap in the floor - and it looks like there's something much larger beneath the floor.

The problem, of course, is getting the massive hunk of stone out of the way...

A hidden area under a massive desk? This room is becoming more ominous by the minute. At least nothing's attempted to jump out and murder him, though. Be thankful for small pleasures.

Further examination of this room would have to wait, however. There were no obvious threats, and Astoroth didn't relish the thought of possibly taking on bound devils with his reserves so depleted. Besides, there was the matter of that secret hallway to pursue....

Heading back to the secret stage passage and trying the door at the end of it.

This chamber looks to have been designed for both comfort and function. Oversized beds and couches litter the room, but there are also desks for study, maps and libraries for research, and even a small exercise area.

Careful examination of the room reveals a well-crafted pre-Thrune Chelish banner worth 75 gp, a vial of oil of daylight, a scroll of sending, and a scroll of lesser globe of invulnerability - the latter two having been folded into origami birds. Nothing else seems to be valuable - though obviously an important room for someone at some point in time, they seemed to have cleared out most of it when they left.

Can I determine if there's any sort of meaning behind the bird origami?
Sense Motive?: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

This hidden refuge appeared designed to hide people - but from what? The secret hallways connected this room to the tavern (food), the statue alcove (worship?), and the model ship room (healing from the magic sail?). It additionally allowed people to traverse the majority of the cellar while remaining out of sight of the Asmodean room. Was this intentional? Astoroth poked around the hideaway a bit longer before returning to the ship room. The magic sail warranted examination now.

Is there a particular theme to the books in this library? I'm hoping to discover a little of this place's history. Also, approximately how many occupants could this room hold?

There doesn't seem to be any particular meaning to the shape of the scrolls - other, perhaps, than an attempt to hide them from casual eyes. It wouldn't stop someone with the ability to Detect Magic for a moment.

The books in the room cover a wide variety of locations, but most of them ultimately seem to come down to details on places or items of interest. This may have been a private retreat for some members of the organization, used to plan expeditions in relative privacy. You could definitely learn more about the current geo-political makeup of the region by spending some time studying here - and though the most recent of the books were several decades old, they probably hadn't been censored.

The beds didn't look too shabby, either - and might be a comfortable place to rest when you wanted to recharge your powers.

Meanwhile, going by what had been done to the origami, the magical sail was probably a scroll in its own right - but one unreadable to your gaze, given what you were now able to recognize as truecolor dye having been used to write it.

Two questions about the sending scroll. 1) Do I need to UMD it? 2) Am I considered familiar enough with my mysterious quest-giver to send him a message? On an unrelated note, has Astoroth learned enough about Cheliax to know the significance of there being both Thrune and pre-Thrune iconography in this building?

Yes, you'd need to UMD the scroll. While you don't know many details of the person who sent you on this quest, they are a valid target for Sending. And yes, he's seen enough to realize the significance.

Okay, so it'll be a DC 29 to activate the scroll. If I fail, do I lose it? Or does it work like wand casting?

The scroll lasts until successfully activated (or a mishap occurs). So you can try again if needed.

UMD DC 29: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 13 + (5) = 22
UMD DC 29: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 13 + (2) = 26
UMD DC 29: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 13 + (2) = 19
UMD DC 29: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (16) + 13 + (5) = 34

Frowning thoughtfully at the scroll, Astoroth decides the wisest course of action is to attempt to send a message to the mysterious supplicant. It takes him several tries to activate the scroll (due to the complexity and changes to the language over time), but he's eventually successful.

"I've explored most of this building. Where are you? Currently in cellar. Please give me helpful information. Haunts, enemies, etcetera. Twenty-five word limit."

In just a few moments, the reply came to you.

"Interference - communication difficult. Layout not known. Goal at bottom - special talisman with power against undead. Enemies probably similar. Will show location after retrieval and exit."

'Goal at bottom...' It appears that the Asmodean room is the place to be. Although if undead are around, things could get messy. But why was this entity being so reticent to reveal its location? The possible reasons that immediately came to mind are troubling. Either it's an enemy of the Thrune regime, or it's been trapped for the public's safety.... Only one way to find out, of course.

With a quiet sigh, Astoroth returns to the devilish room and carefully re-examines the desk for a hidden way to access the chamber below.

Taking 20 for a Perception 28. Also taking a few minutes to prepare extracts of shield, expeditious retreat, and cure light wounds. One slot remains open for the time being.

There are several possible ways to get past the desk and into the area below. The most straightforward is moving the desk - literally pushing it aside. You could also attempt to destroy the desk (though it probably has a lot of durability, and this would take quite a long time without special tools). It would also be possible to get past it by magic - some kind of short-range teleportation would work, or maybe turning into a gas. The opening is big enough to offer line of sight.

Totally forgot I took the Warp sphere when I leveled up. ;-)

Satisfied that the desk probably wouldn't unexpectedly slam shut above him, Astoroth warped into the opening.

This flight of stairs winds downward into a darkness that is periodically shattered by the erratic flashing of a bright but distant light. Whether you proceed as you are or take the time to boost your defenses before you head further down is up to you.

As a precaution, Astoroth drinks a potion of protection from arrows as he proceeds down the stairs. He also makes sure his extract of shield is close at hand. He trusted in his heightened senses to warn him of any trouble, but it was still best to be prepared.

Gained: DR 10/magic vs. ranged weapons for the next 3hrs. Or until it prevents 30pts of damage.

Also, taking 20 on Perception.

You emerge into a long hallway that stretches to both the left and the right. Three separate layers of huge vault doors of stone once barred the way down the massive dark hall straight ahead of you. Each has been forced apart by what looks to be the pounding of a thousand blows — the doors now hang askew on their hinges. Just north of the door are large piles of rubble on which numerous mirrors have been affixed, their reflective surfaces aiming to the north end of the hall.

Somewhat more threatening? The four undead standing near the doors, away from the broken doors - and they looked up as you came down, mouths splitting into wide grins.

Init (Enemy): 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (14) - 1 = 13
Init (You): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

For reference, north on this map is to the right.

What kind of undead are they?
Knowledge(religion): 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (13) + 13 + (2) = 28

Vampire spawn - but they look weaker than usual, as if many of their powers have been somehow worn away. They're standing next to each other on each side of the broken doors leading forward.

Can you show me where the mirrors/undead are on the map? And which direction they're facing? Also, are any of the mirrors light enough for me to lift with telekinesis?

The undead are approximately like this. The mirrors are all in the hallway with the broken doors. They're too big for Telekinesis - most are half your neight or larger.

Vampire spawn. That meant there was a master around, too. Plus, whatever broke down those massive doors had to be immensely strong. This was not good. Thinking quickly, Astoroth began to back up until he was under the entrance opening. As he did so, he fired a blast of magical energy at the strongest-looking spawn.

Ranged Touch: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14 Bludgeoning Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5

The injured spawn hissed angrily as your blast caught it right in the face - and it darted forward a moment later, swiping out with both of its hands in a brutal slam attack.

Slam: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

The blow only managed to hit the wall, though - and the other three rushed forward, though only one of them managed to get into range. The other two were behind their companions, clearly ready to move forward and try to surround you as quickly as they could.

Slam: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

"Living flesh! Our master will enjoy consuming you!"

"And who might your master be?" Taking a 5ft step away from the undead, Astoroth glances upwards and focuses on a point in the upstairs room. A second later, he's gone.

Standard: warp back upstairs. Move: Martial Flexibility for the Dodge feat.

This building's entirely underground, right? Would light shining through the cavern's transparent ceiling count as natural daylight? Also, approximately what time of day is it? I know I've been exploring down here for several hours but don't know the travel time between the Arodennaia, the Sarenrite chapel, etc.

The vampire spawn didn't respond to that - instead, they shifted into shapeless, gaseous clouds that shot forward and poured out of the crack you'd warped through, following you into the chamber with the magical circle. It would take them at least a few seconds to change back - but they were already starting to do so.

The light down here does not count as natural daylight. As for the time of day, evening.

The spawn had retained their mist form ability. That made this rather more difficult - especially as the sun had already set outside. This called for more desperate measures, then. Glancing back into the opening, Astoroth warped back downstairs and began rushing for the broken doors. Maybe he could redirect one of those large mirrors....

Standard Action: warp. Move 30ft northward.

At least outpacing the spawn didn't seem to be too difficult. As you moved forward, though, the flashing object on the far end became a little clearer - and a ray of blazing light shot down the hallway.

Targeting - 1 hits you: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Rather fortunately, the scorching light passed to your side - though you could see a small burn on your clothes from where a stray flap had gotten in the way of the beam. The vampire spawn, meanwhile, had followed you back down - but were clustered at the end of the hallway instead, apparently nervous about approaching that light.

That was unexpected, although if the mirrors and stone doors were any indication, there were likely more safeguards to prevent undead from escaping. Still, just in case... "Watch where you're shooting those! I'm not one of the spawn!"

What's the light?
Perception+Inspiration: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 13 + (3) = 23 +1 if trap

The light seems to be coming out of an object sitting at the end of the hall - if it's self-aware, there's no sign of it, and blasts of light continue to flash towards you. 'Trap' was probably the wrong word for what it is - but 'talisman' wasn't a bad option. It might be possible to get it under control by reaching it, but that was a problem in its own right, given the frequent bursts of energy that were shooting down the hallway.

Targeting: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Once again, a burst of light scorched to your side - and after it passed, the vampire spawn darted east ("Down"), calling for their master.

Dodging bursts of searing light, Astoroth picks up his speed and races toward the object.

Double-move toward the end of the hall. If it's more than 60ft away, he'll run instead for a total of 240ft movement.

You need to run to get close to the item. Broad stairs ahead of you lead up to a circular chamber in which several treasures rest on sculpted podiums and stone shelves. None of the various treasures impress as much as the brilliant golden relic on the central dais — a sphere with thousands of tiny, intricate runes, the relic illuminates the room with a powerful glow of daylight. As you close within 30 feet, the sphere turns blindingly bright, and a wave of light erupts outward in every direction.

Reflex DC 22 Halves: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22
Damage: 3d6 ⇒ (2, 1, 6) = 9

Even with all of your agility - far more than the mortal average - you're not quite able to avoid all of the damage, and the light scorches your skin... but you're able to push through and get right next to the object.

Closing his eyes to shield them from the sudden burst of blinding night, Astoroth rushes up to the sphere.

Spend a sphere point to [i]divine[i] as a standard action.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (9) + 13 + (5) = 27

Will post more once I know the results of that check.

The response turns up blank - while you can tell that it has an aura of strong evocation, it seems that it's too powerful and complex for you to currently unravel.

This must be the anti-undead artifact the mysterious figure mentioned. With nothing else to go on, Astoroth stretches out a hand and plucks it off the dais.

The item flashes brilliantly as you grab hold of it - and abruptly calms down, its wild powers seeming to recede at the touch of a person.

Seconds later, a much larger vampire appeared at the end of the hall, surrounded by his minions. In your hand, you could feel the orb trying to get closer to them, almost physically straining against your touch. Of course, throwing it was probably the wrong option... but there might be another way to use it, or at least to try and activate it blindly.

This thing clearly wanted to do ... something, and he'd seen it emit bursts of intense light. Astoroth turned the sphere around in his hands for a moment, trying to figure out how to activate it. A few of the runes looked familiar, so he focused on those in an attempt to unlock their power. As he did so, he aimed the sphere at the master vampire.

UMD (activate blindly) DC 25: 1d20 + 13 + 1d6 ⇒ (13) + 13 + (4) = 30 Extra d6 is inspiration