DM Eric's PFS - The Midnight Mirror (Gameday VII) (Inactive)

Game Master Eric Swanson

Barley peps up in front of the ladies, throwing out his barrel chest a little, "Oh yeah, I'm fine, just a little dirt in my eyes and kink in my elbows."

"Really? That's an odd place for kink. But to each his own." Rilia says.

"Oh geez- I'm sorry ma'am!"

"But perhaps not that much his own."

Rilia again looks perfect thanks to prestidigitation.

Feeling the need to visit a priest to take care of the various injuries, you return to the only priest in town that can help you: Radu Miklos. While he is none too please to see your faces again he does offer to heal your ailments...for a price.

Radu Miklos offer to heal you for either gold (as per standard spellcasting costs) or by suffering pain in homage to Zon-Kuthan (If you elect this then you are Sickened for a number of hours equal to the spell level requested after the spell is cast upon him. So Lesser Restore is 2 hours and Remove Blindness is 3 hours.

"Alright, hit me." Barley can only imagine the surprised look on his companion's faces when he agrees to Radu without hearing the rest of the details. Well, I'm already blind, what's one on the jaw gonna hurt. Barley sticks his chin out, expecting a haymaker that he'll shake off. "Let's go, Punchy."

Hoprah attempts to use her wand of lesser restoration on Barley and Etienne.

UMD DC 20, lesser restoration: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
UMD DC 20, lesser restoration: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30 Barley Str dmg healed: 1d4 ⇒ 3
UMD DC 20, lesser restoration: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27 Etienne Str dmg healed: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Does that mean we do not need to go to the priest? Dang. Kit would probably have lent the priest her whip.

You forget about Barley's Blindness, he he.

Hoprah manages to dispel the weakness plaguing both Barley and Etienne, but Barley finds himself having to pay a steeper price...

Radu leads the ninja to a private chamber where he is strapped into a torture device. Soon Radu, an evil grin on his face, gets to work...

For what seems an eternity Barley suffers through agonizing pain which leaves its mark upon his body...but at least he can see his body now!
_________________

Status:

Barley (43/43 hp, Sickened until 10:00 pm)
Etienne (20/20 hp, Mage Armor)
Hoprah (27/27 hp, Mage Armor)
Kitoro (31/31 hp)
Rilia (25/25 hp)
Setare Katsu (32/32 hp)
_________________

Current Effects: NONE

Day 1: Appx. 7:00 PM. Returning to the Manor now to confront the Baron?

Yes, let's return.

Barley spits the gag ball as he stumbles out of the temple. Shouting back at Radu standing in the doorway. "You could have at least unblinded me AFTER it was over!" He spends the next few minutes enjoying the delightfully vivid color of his breakfast in the flower bed.

"Thank you Hoprah, I needed all my strength to get through that mistake."

Hoprah nods. "Aye, let's go see the Baron. He has much to answer for."

Before they reach the manor, she will use another charge from her wand of mage armor.

Setare is totally shocked that Barley decided to endure the torture... but she remains silent. Her inner faith would like her to take her sword and confront this priest that enjoys to torture others! Redemption is too late for him she thinks.

But her companions are the leaders ... and she has to follow.

"Did I ever tell you about the sailor, Radmund, who stole an apple from the ship I was on? He was puking for days after the punishment. Days, I tell you. Its odd how pain can affect you, huh, Barley."

Etienne thanks Hoprah for returning what little strength he has with her magic.

"I already weary of this town and it shadows, undead or not. Let us hasten to the manor and be done with this accursed place."

Etienne will also re-up his mage armor as they get close to the manor.

"Days, I tell you. Its odd how pain can affect you, huh, Barley."

"I- see- your- point now---!" ::barf::

Relatively certain you have figured out what is the root cause of this disease outbreak is you all head back to Boroi Manor to confront that one responsible...Baron Stephan Boroi.

Once you have reached the Manor you find the Baroness Anya anxiously awaiting your presence in the sitting room as before. When you inform her you wish to speak with the Baron concerning the discoveries you have made she nods softly, "I believe dinner can wait here..." she murmurs as she guides you to the stairway leading to the upstairs floor. Once you have reached the door to the study where the Baron has ensconced himself.

Knocking softly on the door Anya calls out in a quiet but firm voice, "Stephan? You have visitors who wish to speak of you concerning the disease that plagues your town. Please open up." After a moment you hear the *click* as a lock is released and the door slowly swings open, revealing the Baron to you for the first time.

The Baron is rather unassuming in appearance, being of average height but sturdily built. His face is clean-shaven, and his black hair is neatly cropped. He wears muted versions of his heraldic colors, red and black, setting off his clear blue eyes, but his face is haggard and his mannerisms are morose and withdrawn.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" He asks you, a note of impatience in his voice he does not bother to hide.

Okay as you talk with the Baron and present your evidence to him, please give me a Diplomacy check. You can designate one person to be the prime roller and the others can Aid Another here.

Before entering she uses her wand to cast heightened awareness

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Relatively certain you have figured out what is the root cause of this disease outbreak is you all head back to Boroi Manor to confront that one responsible...Baron Stephan Boroi.

Once you have reached the Manor you find the Baroness Anya anxiously awaiting your presence in the sitting room as before. When you inform her you wish to speak with the Baron concerning the discoveries you have made she nods softly, "I believe dinner can wait here..." she murmurs as she guides you to the stairway leading to the upstairs floor. Once you have reached the door to the study where the Baron has ensconced himself.

Knocking softly on the door Anya calls out in a quiet but firm voice, "Stephan? You have visitors who wish to speak of you concerning the disease that plagues your town. Please open up." After a moment you hear the *click* as a lock is released and the door slowly swings open, revealing the Baron to you for the first time.

The Baron is rather unassuming in appearance, being of average height but sturdily built. His face is clean-shaven, and his black hair is neatly cropped. He wears muted versions of his heraldic colors, red and black, setting off his clear blue eyes, but his face is haggard and his mannerisms are morose and withdrawn.

perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

bluff (pass information via convey secret message to Kitoro): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

"Yes, what can I do for you?" He asks you, a note of impatience in his voice he does not bother to hide.

"Your radiance." Rilia says with a targeted curtsy.

Okay as you talk with the Baron and present your evidence to him, please give me a Diplomacy check. You can designate one person to be the prime roller and the others can Aid Another here.

That's probably Rilia (Diplomacy +12, +13 if the Baron finds her attractive, plus she has a little white dress/courtier's outfit and the 50 gp worth of jewelry to rock it with). Before going in, Rilia changes into it away from most of the others, but close enough to test the results of Radu's treatment.

So folks, what's the plan for what we say?

Setare feels the insecurity in her heart vanishing the more she thinks about the baron’s alleged acts.

Very silent on the way to the baron she now explodes.

Perception DC15 : 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Detect evil on the baron as a move action.

”You! You are responsible for so many people‘s death! We heard so many bad things about you! Your brothers are not buried in the cemetery! And evil fey is killing citizens in this town with your blessing! What do you have to say?“ she says calmly but with force.

Diplomacy aid : 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Kit motions Kane to scurry into her backpack (where he typically waits out any combat).

"Oh, dear."

She is a bit surprised by Setare's outburst against a baron no less. Then she is surprised at her being surprised. Direct confrontation is not her typical go to, but she has been around enough pathfinders to realize that
matters often devolve quickly and they typically have little regard for class and nobility.

"Now, now, Setare! It is always better to assume the best of people."

diplo aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

If you are a either a moronic fool, or you don't have a choice.

"And your town's cleric is a sicko!" Bailey adds to Setare's passion.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Hoprah sighs and urges the Baron to see reason.

Diplomacy, aid: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Barley looks around the room and suddenly stiffens his body, going wide-eyed. He can't contain the surprise and blurts out, pointing to the ground, "Good Gods man! -You've got no shadow!"

"Baron? What kind of pact have you made with the shadow realm?"

I am still waiting on Rilia's Diplomacy check, then I will post the Baron's response here :)

So, no plan then? Alrighty....

Very silent on the way to the baron she now explodes.

”You! You are responsible for so many people‘s death! We heard so many bad things about you! Your brothers are not buried in the cemetery! And evil fey is killing citizens in this town with your blessing! What do you have to say?“ she says calmly but with force.

I should have seen if there was a kids table in the kitchen

Barley looks around the room and suddenly stiffens his body, going wide-eyed. He can't contain the surprise and blurts out, pointing to the ground, "Good Gods man! -You've got no shadow!"

Damn his eyes... again.

Dear Goddess, please help me here.

Casts guidance if feasible.

"Don't look at me your lordship, I think these people are completely nuts."

diplomacy (possibly guidance if so, add +1): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 25 Add another +1 if the baron is attracted to Rilia in her revealing white dress.

"That said though some of them make good points."

The accusations flying fast at the Baron catches him offguard, as does the presense of Rilia who takes the opportunity to remove her cloak and reveal her lovely revealing white dress. Trying to keep his eyes away from Rilia's form as muchas possible he addresses Setare here.

"Ilquis? You refer to the lurker in light? Yes I did make a bargain with the lurker in light. I feared an attack from the forces of shadow so I agreed to let the fey take any actions necessary to ensure the safety of his family and townsfolk from Nicasor."

When Setare mentions the coffins to him, his face drains even more. "You know of the coffins? I thought I had covered my tracks there...Yes I did send decoy coffins for burial in the family tomb, since they left no bodies behind...I believe they are safe still...I believe it is time to unburden myself now." He slowly makes his way back to his seat and motions for you to sit as well.

"Nicasor is a member of the shadowy race known as the shaes, mysterious beings with bodies formed from living shadow. He was an advisor to the Boroi family many generations ago when it held much more influence in Nidal, yet was imprisoned by a midnight mirror 950 years ago for fomenting a revolt against my ancestors among his fellow shaes and the many fetchling citizens in Karpad, and his entire family and all fetchlings in the barony were damned to an eternity of torment within the prison."

The Baron pauses for a moment as you digest this news before continuing, "I sought a means of wresting power from his elder brothers, and Nicasor, desperate to escape his prison, offered me a dark bargain. Nicasor agreed to help me succeed my father as baron and I, in return, would trade places with the shae for 1 year once every decade, granting Nicasor control of my body so the shae could escape his prison for a time without anyone knowing he was free. I sent both brothers through the midnight mirror a decade ago." The look on his face is agonizing.

"Now the time to exchange bodies draws near but I fear that the shae will keep my body forever, and is afraid of what Nicasor will do to my wife and son, as well as to my land and people. Thus I broke my pact with Nicasor, and soon afterwards this disease seemed to start spreading after I reneged on his end of the deal."

His eyes filled with remorse now he turns to you, a pleading note in his voice "Please, I implore you: Enter the mirror and rescue my brothers should they still live, kill Nicasor, and destroy the prison plane within putting an end to this for good!"

______________

I will pause for you to ask any questions of the Baron here before continuing.

Setare is shocked and silent again ... she is clearly undecided how to proceed!

Did she detect evil through her ability?

Sounds like a trap.

Not feeling charitable, Kit responds with "Yea, I don't think so. That mirror thing sounds like bad business. Why don't you go through and fix all your problems?"

"Well you appear to be trustworthy fella asking for good deeds, sounds like a good- NO WAY! First, you steal someone's wife and shadow, and we are to help you because you fear for your own life?! You sir are a coward. If the town learns of this treachery, they'll lynch you! And we've made good with that crowd already!"

We don't seem to want to follow the script :) I actually expected that Kit would be talked into it by the other pathfinders. Like... blah, blah, blah, ... the mission, blah, blah, blah. But instead here comes Barley with a resounding NO WAY. A man after Kits own heart.

Hoprah listens to the tale with amazement and some suspicion.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

"After all you have done, why would we trust you to tell us the truth?"

Knowledge (Arcana), to know if his story is plausible, and to know if we would risk being trapped in the mirror ourselves if we accept his request: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

"The pieces do seem to fit together. My largest concern is Tallowthroat and the innocents it infects because of the Baron's moral failings. I would be willing to enter the mirror and do what needs to be done to rid the town of tallowthroat, but it must come with certain concessions from you, my lord."

Setare looks at Ettienne and nods.

It seems like she wants to remain silent ... but she cannot and explodes again!

"I would strike you down immediately for the vile things crimes you committed because of power and greed!! Right now! You are a selfish man and only the love you feel for your wife and child are holding my hand! Do you know how many innocent lives were lost because of you! I only thought of this fey when we confronted you but ... but what you told us about your brothers ... about this illness ... it is ... is unbelievable ..."

Setare thinks about her own brothers and sisters ... and just shakes her head.

"Is there anything else we need to know?! Come clean now!"

Kit is a bit taken aback when Etienne offers to go ahead and enter the mirror, but then after some thought realizes she is not really all that surprised. Pathfinders, as a whole, are nothing if not risk takers.

And then Setare has her usual outburst when the world and its people are not all as they should be and she smiles beneath her hand.

It's a wonder we even manage as a team! she thinks as she makes a very soft snigger.

The varied accusations seem to cause the baron to wilt visibly in his seat. "Please have mercy on me," he cries out suddenly in a voice filled with anquish, "If there was another way than to enter that accursed place then I would have done so already!" His voice holds no traces of falsehood and despite the callousness of his words he does not detect as evil.

He then proceeds to show you the notes he has compiled concerning the so-called Midnight Mirror...

As you look over the notes you realize despite the bravado of the Baron there no notes concerning how to truly destroy the Mirror. Seeing the looks of concern (and anger) on your faces he blanches, "Look I told you all I know! You have free access to my library, which holds all the notes and research I have concerning the Mirror! Surely the answers you see lie in there!"

_________________

If you wish to research the Midnight Mirror further, then you may make up to four Knowledge checks (arcana, history, planes, or religion). Each PC may attempt each Knowledge check once, and those utilizing the library receive a +5 bonus on the check.

Hoprah will proceed to the library to do some research, though she often feels like perhaps she should have stayed in school a bit longer.

Knowledge (Arcana), Library: 1d20 + 8 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 8 + 5 = 15
Knowledge (History), Library: 1d20 + 8 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 8 + 5 = 31
Knowledge (Planes), Library: 1d20 + 8 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 8 + 5 = 29

For a bard, Kit has an appalling lack of interest in just about anything except what is around her at the time. Book learning is not her thing, so she will spend her time rummaging through the library for items of interest to her such as plays, music, and jokes.

Unless an untrained check will help at all.

Sorry Kitoro this is a Trained check. Fortunately Hoprah nailed it all by herself!

It takes Hoprah some time to piece together the proper steps to take here but she does figure out the only way to destroy the midnight mirror is to enter it and kill the physical manifestation of the magic item’s consciousness with a shard of itself from the Material Plane. Doing so will cause the prison plane to break apart and disgorge all living creatures and items originally from the Material Plane through the shattered mirror back to their plane of origin.

"Well, let's all hope there isn't a pit fiend in there."

During the research time passess and also Setare looses the anger stored inside her, especially when she sees that the baron is not evil.

"Baron, I ... I have to accept that you only are one of ... one of those poor souls that has to find the path to redemption. In the name of the Everlight ... I hope you will see the dar... darkness that you have caused and embrace the li... light."

She then turns to Hoprah.

"Thanks so much fo... for your brightness Hoprah! I ... i think I ... i will go into the mirror! After I have sle... slept a couple of hours and bou... bought a magical weapon. Who of you .... who of you will co... come with me?" Setare asks timidly.

"Nothing is ever simple. I wonder what this magic mirror manifestation is going to be like. Hoprah, do you think I could glue some ground up mirror shards to the end of my whip and use it against it?"

"Setare, in my experience, if an evil person is weak willed, they may not trigger your magics; whatever your detect evil says, his actions say something else."

Setare, you have the right of it. We need to sleep and consider any supplies this town might have that could aid us. Speaking of which, dear Baron, are there any family heirlooms or items of magical power you possess that could aid us? I am sure you wouldn't want to hold back since your entire family and domain are in jeopardy."

” Wait wait wait – not so fast. I’m still not trusting a guy who has no shadow to stand on.” Barley points accusingly at the baron, ”You still haven’t explained about why you don’t have a shadow. Your sashimi story smells to me that you are actually this Nicasor and the real Iosef and his shadow is stuck inside the mirror. If I were Nicasor and standing here in this room with five threats, I would deceive them into the mirror, break it and I would never have to return - all problems solved!” Barley’s hand edges towards his grandfather’s sword.

”A one way trip into “damned to an eternity” that hinges on our ability to slay a mirror monster would sound absurd even to our Venture Captain. The Pathfinders’ mission is exploration, not mercy. Give us the the Book of Night Without Moon, and we’ll consider some boon to your plight.“

#thuglife

Hoprah listens to Barley's threats and watches expectantly to see the Baron's reaction.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Do we have any reason to think that there will be any harm in resting for a night before going in?

Can we take a shard of the mirror from here into the mirror with us without breaking it?

Did the knowledge checks reveal what sorts of threats or hazards we might encounter?

I think I'm in love! To bad it would never work with a human.

"The monk makes sense. How about it? We take the book into the mirror so we know this is all on the up and up."

I think I'm in love! To bad it would never work with a halfling.

You're not meaning Barley! He's human.

Sense Motive on baron's reaction and response: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Editing post. Dang but that avatar looks like a halfling.

Haha, it was the only jovial blonde fat guy I could find.

The Baron seemingly relaxes under the words of both Setare and Etienne before Barley raises his voice in a threatening tone. Once he hears the words he seems to grow a spine here, "Master Barley, if I had been possessed by that foul demon then I would not have opened up my secrets to you so willingly! In any event, risking the Book inside the Mirror is out of the question. Should you wish access to the Book then you will fulfill this favor for me...The Book is how I secured my shadow from the foul influence of that demon! Will that suffice to prove my innocence?"

Hoprah does not detect any falsehood from the Baron here.

Setare is truly confused.

”I ... I might be totally wro... wrong ... I really have bad ju... judgement so please you all de... decide what to do!!“ Setare pleads.

"I am ready for bed, and we can discuss this further in the light of day. I plan to enter the mirror. I hope some of you will join me."