The Secret of Ahn'Sehlota
Through a combination of tapwork and his inherent stonecunning abilities, Karek determines that the floor is just the top of a gigantic single stone, spearing down into the earth. Whatever this white rock is, it goes deep - very deep. He's getting a 'tip of the iceberg' or 'thin edge of the wedge' feel.
Yeah, somebody went to great pains to hide or protect this white rock, by building an entire pyramid overtop of it.
On to the west archway. . .
He's also looking out for any, y'know, creatures. Like vampires, or demons, or monks, or Sceptres, or whatever.
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I see Karek recalls Donkor's most recent divination warned of creatures that from their description Moonpate suspects are vampires. Definitely something would want to watch out for.
Gandel’s excitement is becoming more and more difficult to contain. “We could be standing on the greatest archeological discovery of our generation!”
“The most important 4-way alliance in the history of human civilization as we know it might have happened right here, here, in this very spot."
Gandel digs out his Pathfinder journal and starts pouring through his notes.
“As I suspected then, this pyramid isn’t a tomb at all. It’s a building to hide or protect the Pactstone. The four pharaohs must have travelled down the entry shaft. They would have met the Portalman. He would have granted them passage – but to where? Not the chambers that near killed us, I presume. Maybe to the potion room. From there the pharaohs could have descended to the chamber with the mosaic tiles above. And from there they could have “fireflied” their way down here.”
“But what exactly did they do when they got down here?”
"Gandel!" the Scarab whispers to the exhuberant halfling. "This isn't just history anymore. This is our present. If Khymrasa gets a hold of the Pactstone, she'll follow through on her plan to join in the pact. A Fifth Pharoah will be born! And with it the end of modern Osirion as we know it."
"We can't let that happen. But we can't exactly just pocket the stone and hide it in the Kothi anymore, can we."
If Khymrasa gets a hold of the Pactstone, she'll follow through on her plan to join in the pact. A Fifth Pharoah will be born! And with it the end of modern Osirion as we know it."
Karek stops in his circuit for a moment and yells back down the southern hall: Somebody ask da rogue how dey god pas'de Pordalman.
Hal halts the procession and interrogates Gandel further to answer Karek's question. Xaven though does not know who the Portalman is, at least until Morgrym describes him.
"Piece of cake. We gave him a beat down. He clearly didn't want us to go through the freshly dug tunnel so we took that one. You guys leave that for us?"
"So... this chamber protects the Pactstone? If that's the case, then, where is the blasted thing?"
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Unfortunately the spell description provides that you can only have one dancing lights spell in effect at any given time (the equivalent for 4 torches).I think the reason for this is because now that the spell is a cantrip (level-0 spell) if you could cast it more than once you could have infinite dancing lights.
Gandel has spotted hieroglyphs on the far arch way to the north. He cannot read them from here (the center of the room) though. Headed that way?
"So... this chamber protects the Pactstone? If that's the case, then, where is the blasted thing?"
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"If I follow correctly, I think what the professor is theorizing," begins Donkor, "is that we're standing on it."His index finger slowly turns and points down towards the vast white floor.
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"Precisely Donkor! I see some hieroglyphs across the room, Karek please accompany me, you know just in case something appears out of thin air at me!"
Anything in at least the west archway before Karek goes to protect the professor?
Anything in at least the west archway before Karek goes to protect the professor?
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Possibly.The west archway leads to a short set of stairs rising upwards. The stairs appear identical in size and length to the set the Dune Squad descended when it entered the chamber from the south entrance.
Looking ahead, Karek can see at the top of the stairs the corridor stretches onwards for about 20 feet or so. From there it appears to hit a T-section with branches headed north and south.
No signs of life (or unlife).
For Breach and Xerissa only:
Xaven's backpack remains sitting in a pile of gear half-haphazardly piled near the room's center.
You have spotted something silently slither out of that backpack. Whatever it is, it has chameleon-like abilities. It blends with the floor, taking on the same soft-whit hue.
It looks vaguely like a net or perhaps a small rug. Whatever it is, it is silently making its way towards Team Polymorph.
Breach notices something strange coming from the backpack of the soon-to-be butterfly and moves to inspect. "Now what the blazes are you?" he asks out loud and to no one in particular as he follows it. "Do you all see this?" he asks idly.
So to help us keep track of positioning, Breach's comment can be heard by:
Donkor Sooron
Xerissa Auraraun
Lydia (the Mithral Scarab)
Too far south, approaching the room with the shaft and firefly bas relief, is Team Polymorph:
Moonpate the Potentate
Hurgah the Reaver
Halstadt Morgrym
Too far north, approaching the north arch is:
Gandel Trapspringer
Karek Kogan
And I can't believe I neglected to comment on this!
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That is an awesome name. I can't decide between "The Reaving Pharaoh" or "The Pharaoh of Reaving", but either way. . .As a practical matter, assuming this was not mere musing on Jace's part, and assuming the Dune Squad really has found the fabled Pactstone, Hurgah does not currently know how he would use this over-sized rock to magically anoint himself a pharaoh. According to Lydia, Khymrasa does have this missing piece, or perhaps her aide, the Sand Sage does. But surely having actually secured the Pacstone is the greater part of the equation.
Team polymorph
Meanwhile, Team Polymorph is only ten feet away from the firefly statue when. . .
Hurgah, still carrying the bound Xaven in one hand, suddenly comes to a stop as the tiny hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stand on end. Something’s wrong.
“That’s far enough,” a gruff echoing voice calls out.
It’s coming from above. More specifically, from that blasted shaft in the ceiling which leads to the mosaic room the Dune Squad previously came from.
The imperious command continues. “You’re in my sights. Put the halfling down and step away. Otherwise I’ll shoot you up with so much poison you’ll—“
At this Hurgah and Breach are able to look up the shaft and see the outline of a lone figure with a hand crossbow aimed at one of you. The figure also carries what looks to be an over-sized shield.
At this Hurgah and Breach are able to look up the shaft and see the outline of a lone figure with a hand crossbow aimed at one of you. The figure also carries what looks to be an over-sized shield.
Correct! I have erred. It should read Halstadt. Thanks.
"Well now. You must be Rhokon."
Hurgah takes a single step forward, making sure his massive frame provides cover for Hal and Moonpate, and holds up Xaven, dangling the bound halfling up-side down a good 10 ft over the floor.
"Donkor said you have a soft spot for this little runt. So why don't you drop that toy of yours, before I break him in half."
"You break him, none of you leave here alive," the voice answers. "This pyramid becomes your tomb."
Then he calls:"Hang tight little buddy, we'll have this straightened out real quick."
Rather than answer though, the now upside down and gagged Xaven simply begins to turn a deeper shade of red.
The ambusher makes no sign of lowering his "toy".
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Are we refering to the liquid inside Hurgah's fang flask? I thought he asked, but didn't get an answer from his fellow party members.
Hurgah gives the other half-orc a hard, cold stare.
"Listen, when someone points a crossbow at me, I get irritated. And when I get irritated, I get angry. And when Hurgah the Reaver gets angry, thats when people accidentally get their heads bitten off. Now, I don't want that. And you don't want that. And our little tomb-raider here DEFINITLY doesn't want that. Now, we've been through too much crap to get here to just let you clowns just waltz in and grab the prize from under our noses. So how about you pack up the attitude and stop mistaking us for a bunch of spineless sell-swords fresh off the boat who would actually fall for bluster like that."
Breach notices something strange coming from the backpack of the soon-to-be butterfly and moves to inspect. "Now what the blazes are you?" he asks out loud and to no one in particular as he follows it. "Do you all see this?" he asks idly.
"Yeah! And whatever it is it's headed for our peeps! I don't like it"
"Don't'cha be for worryin', lass. It's not movin' at a rabbit's pace so I'll be here ta chop it down if need be," he tells Xerissa as he continues to follow it with his shield and axe in hand.
Gandel anxiously approaches the hieroglyphs no other living person has seen for millenia with barely contained excitement!
Hal chuckles at the bravado of the half-orc.
"If we wanted your friend dead, dead he would be". Hal pauses for dramatic effect.
"Angradd though has no qualms about you being dead".
Karek backs up the professor, hammer ready, oblivious to all sorts of excitement, but embroiled in his own.
Donkor, not wanting to be left alone, follows Xerissa and Breach. He examines whatever they are following and tries to determine if it is safe to grab.
If the half-orc speaks instead of dropping the x bow I interrupt with a fire bolt.
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The ambusher does not drop his weapon. He does attempt to start to reply, in which case Halstadt fires away as soon as his lips move.I think I need to clarify something though. A few moments ago, Hurgah stepped in front of Moonpate and Halstadt. To some extent this does not matter as the parties are largely firing "up" and "down", but depending on the angles it could come into play.
Does Halstadt step away from Hurgah? (Losing the potential advantage of cover but ensuring he has a clear shot.)
Or does Halstadt fire from behind Hurgah (Retaining cover while potentially affording his opponent cover.)
Once I know this answer, there's more to come.
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Donkor, not wanting to be left alone, follows Xerissa and Breach. He examines whatever they are following and tries to determine if it is safe to grab.
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The Scarab does likewise. Though just like Donkor, she can't actually see whatever it is that Breach and Xerissa are stalking - at least not yet. The things damn near invisible. They do though have a pretty good idea of the vicinity as they can see Xerissa and Breach staring at it.
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I'd say both these half-orcs are pretty cool, but I appreciate our respective biases.Good point on the range increment - so noted.
It would be nice if the party alchemist successfully identified at least one potion this game.
"Listen, when someone points a crossbow at me, I get irritated. And when I get irritated, I get angry. And when Hurgah the Reaver gets angry, thats when people accidentally get their heads bitten off. Now, I don't want that. And you don't want that. And our little tomb-raider here DEFINITLY doesn't want that. Now, we've been through too much crap to get here to just let you clowns just waltz in and grab the prize from under our noses. So how about you pack up the attitude and stop mistaking us for a bunch of spineless sell-swords fresh off the boat who would actually fall for bluster like that."
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OOC: I feel like this would have made a nice Oscar clip from Dune Squad, the movie.
When Halstad speaks up and starts casting, the other of Hurgah's big fists shoot out, intent on grapping the dwarven cleric.
"Angradd had better cool his holy fire until I'm done talking to the mercenary with the poisoned crossbow pointed at me, Hal!"
The weight of Xaven dangling in his other hand throws off Hurgah just enough for his fist to slip on Hal's chain-covered shoulder without getting a proper grip.
"Bah, its just poison Reaver!"
Mexican Stand-off
Well that’s a development!
We’ve got ourselves a bit of a chain reaction issue going on here – as there is one more log for the fire.
It turns out, and this may not be a huge surprise, Hrokon, has a readied action to fire his toy should the members of the Dune Squad attack (at least those members he can see).
Technically, I think RAW that makes Hrokon go first. As it happens, his readied action is to shoot Hurgah. In theory, while unlikely, it is possible Hurgah won’t be around to attempt such a grapple.
However, I think I’ve indicated before, that I find readied actions in Mexican stand-off situations very unsatisfying – especially since here, in a way what Hal did was arguably a readied action too. Instead – and you’ll forgive this departure because it works in your favor – I’d like an initiative roll between Halstadt and Hrokon. Hrokon has a +4 circumstance bonus on account of his readied action.
If Hal wins, Hurgah gets his attack of opportunity as described above. I guess since it is a spell-like ability it does draw.
So give me an initiative roll Denis.
And while I’m at it, perhaps Jace could confirm Hurgah’s AC when enlarged and protected by shield.
Hal Initiative
("hits")
+ poison ("applies")
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As soon as the dwarf begins to call upon the wrath of his god, the ambusher above reacts. There is a soft click of a trigger followed by a whisper of a "twang". A tiny darkwood bolt flies down the shaft, striking the gigantic Hurgah right in the neck.
The Reaver wastes no time in clawing it out of his body, but he can smell that something foul and wet coats the bolt.
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OK! now something weird is going to happen and I'll need you all to continue to bear with me. For the moment, there is no need for Hurgah to deduct the 15 points of damage from his hit point total (or 13 after being reduced by his DR).
He does though need to make a DC 24 Fortitude save. It turns out Hrokon wasn't bluffing about the poison. It's a nasty one too.