[PFS] Dawn of the Scarlet Sun by GM Lupulus (Inactive)

Game Master Lupulus

You manage to locate the shrine. The shrine itself is in bad shape; its stone walls still stand, but the wood-shingled roof that once sheltered the single-story building has fallen in almost completely. The shrine’s front door has fallen away as well, and the stained-glass windows lie shattered, covering the ground nearby with colorful shards.

Any doubt about whether this is the right place dissolves as a familiar red gargoyle flies in and lands next to the archer that hurt him most earlier.

Claudia gets the jump on him however.

Round 1: New map up, bold Claudia can go (Claudia)
Claudia
Gargoyle (-18 HP)
Syllyn
Leofric
Aryxis
Ingrge
Sheela

Sheela high fives Aerie as she returns. "Good job! Thanks for keeping track." The elemental whirls away. As you regrroup Sheela pulls out a wand. "Does someone mind closing this dagger wound on my back?"

CLW x 4: 4d8 + 4 ⇒ (5, 1, 3, 3) + 4 = 16

"Okay, thank you." Sheela casts Unseen Servant and hands it her wand. "Hold onto that until we get close to the shrine. Then I'll take it back."

---

Sheela retrieves her wand and reaches for the key. "Huh. Is this place even lockable? I wonder if they are even here- oh, it's that dreadful winged creature."

Once Syllyn reacts to the surprise at seeing the gargoyle pop up on their flank he says, "Who's chasing who, here?"

The little froggie walks over next to Syllyn, casts a spell, and then touches his shoulder. casts vanish; invisible for 1 round, unless attacks

Vanish lasts for 1 round per caster level, maximum 5.

Leofric would have insisted we make a detour so he could purchase a potion of fly, but if that doesn't happen in the heat of the pursuit that's fine.

@Leofric: There's probably not time, and it's still barely dawn and the potion of fly shop isn't open yet :)

The scarlet gargoyle assaults Ingrge with bite, horn and claws.
Claw: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Claw: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Bite: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Gore: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

He catches the flat-footed archer 3 times to exact revenge for 26 total damage.

Round 1-2: everyone can go
Claudia (vanish on Syl lasts 4 more rounds)
Gargoyle (-18 HP)
Syllyn (invisible)
Leofric
Aryxis
Ingrge (-26 HP)
Sheela

Grimacing from the attack, Ingrge steps back 5' and fires twice at the gargoyle...

To Hit: Dex+Base, Magic, Weapon Focus, PBS, Precise Shot, Flurry of Blows, Deadly Aim, Deadeye Bowman, Point Blank Master

Damage: Strength, Magic, PBS, Deadly Aim, Flurry of Blows

Longbow: 1d20 + 12 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 12 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 = 24

Damage: 1d8 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 = 9

Longbow: 1d10 + 12 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 12 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 = 19

Damage: 1d8 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 = 14

Syllyn is surprised to find himself vanish and doesn't know quite what to make of it. Figuring he might as well take advantage of it he slips past the gargoyle and attacks it from the other side.

to hit vs. flat footed, invisible: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 7 + 2 = 19
damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11, the weapon is adamantine but not magic

Sheela looks at the gargoyle. "So where do you perch during the day? Heck, where do you perch in a desert? Any mountains you've seen nearby. I'll give you 10% of my real estate profits if you fess up?" Sheela giggles as she casts
Hideous Laughter at the Gargoyle.

Will Save, DC 20 to resist. If we're different types, Brooklyn the gargoyle gets a +4 bonus to its save.

Sheela CL vs SR: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 5 + 2 = 21
Garg Will: 1d20 + 5 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 4 = 15

One of Ingrge's arrows damages the Gargoyle, but the other bounces off his stony skin.

Syllyn hits the beast, but his blow only does a small amount of damage (10 DR vs that attack). He also pops back into visibility.

Sheela's spell pierces all of his magical resistances and topples him in a horrid gargoyle giggle.

Round 1-2: bold can go (Leofric, Aryxis, Claudia)
Claudia
| Gargoyle (-28 HP)
Syllyn
Leofric
Aryxis
Ingrge (-26 HP)
Sheela

"You know what? I think we might be in the right place!"

Seeing the gargoyle somewhat incapicatated, Aryxis tries to take advantage and advances into a flanking position before slashing down at the laughing creature.

Attack!: 1d20 + 9 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 9 + 2 + 4 = 35
Confirm Crit: 1d20 + 9 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 9 + 2 + 4 = 30
Magical Slashing Damage: 2d6 + 8 ⇒ (2, 6) + 8 = 16
Extra Crit Damage: 2d6 + 8 ⇒ (6, 6) + 8 = 20

Claudia moves around the laughing gargoyle, staying just out of reach, and then swings her little rapier at it.

attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
damage (+1 weapon): 1d4 ⇒ 3

You would imagine Magnimar has a PotionOfFly Drive-Thru. Insular communities, I swear...

The pursuit was difficult underneath Magnimar's Irespan. Backalleys, narrow streets blocked by detritus. Only to finally lose the trace of the creature. "JOKTAR'LYM!" he swore loudly in Kellid. But then, in a sudden flash of insight, he looked from the key, tightly grasped in Sheela's grasp to the faces of his fellow pathfinders. "Wait... Didn't the Sarenrites say that their old church was nearby? As in... That way?" he asked, pointing in the direction the Gargoyle disappeared in.

***About twenty minutes later***

"YEP, THAT'S OUR GARGOYLE BUDDY" shouts Leofric eagerly, stomping at the ground before realizing that he cannot charge the beast. With a snort, he nonetheless moves up to the creature, jumping upon it with spikes and all to slam into it.

(Magical)Armor Spikes (Power Attack, Flanking): 1d20 + 12 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 12 - 2 + 2 = 13
Damage: 1d6 + 6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 4 = 14

And with great vigor, he nearly misses braining himself upon the ground as it shifts away unpredictably. "COME ON!" he cries out piteously.

Aryxis's strike plows right through the gargoyle's defenses and decapitates the creature, silencing its laughter.

You find the door to enter the ruined shrine is unlocked, and entering the shrine you see the graveyard to the side, with three graves. You recall hearing the story of the priest and his two sons who built this place, and were soon thereafter murdered by a burglar and subsequently buried here.

Ingrge will pull out his wand and heal himself...

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

He'll then enter and check out the shrine...

Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27

Seeing the door, he'll point it out to the others, and attempt to unlock it...

Disable Device: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (14) + 17 = 31

"Well, then. I thought this thing was supposed to penetrate just about anything!"

Syllyn is a bit disappointed in the performance of his brand spanking new adamantine scimitar, but as usual, his mood shifts optimistically.

"Not that it mattered. Great blow Aryxis! You must've found a chink because it went through him like butter."

Syllyn joins the archer at the door, "Want me to cut away the vines?"

Sheela shrugs. "Well then, that was... messy." She prepares her wand to be used when Ingrge uses his own. She shrugs and hands the wand to her Unseen Servant before pulling out a different one.

”No sign of our assassin friend yet?”

Just before entering the building, Aryxis will cast Shield and renew Heightened Awareness.

Ingrge successfully unlocks the door, and opening it you find a staircase leading down to the underground beneath the ruined shrine.

Nice use of unseen servant. Little bugger saves you some move actions when you need a wand. I'll have to remember that trick.

Grumbling to himself, Leofric gets off the ground. That was terrible! How... Oh. Maybe I just need to take my dose? Yeah. Maybe my body chemistry is out of sorts. I just wish I had had more time to refine the formula. I hate how it dulls the mind. "Hold up." Without any further comment, he grabs ahold of a vial on his belt, pops the cork off and chugs it down. The results are almost instantaneous: muscle mass increasing, veins bulging; you could almost forget how the glint in his eye dims slightly.

"Better." He turns to Sheela. "Yeah. But don't worry. Next one will be messier." He giggles at his own joke before stomping off towards the now opened doorway.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

Anything else of note GM?

"Lets see how much of a fight she has in her now" he muses dangerously.

Claudia prepares to go down the staircase, allowing one of the bigger ones to go first if they wish.

Ingrge will draw his bow and stealthily move forward while keeping an eye out for any signs of traps or foes...

Stealth: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (11) + 20 = 31

Perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (13) + 15 = 28

Syllyn gives Ingy some space so that his clanking and habitual rapping doesn't give him away. He also decides to follow Leofric's example and give himself a little boost. After a few rhytmic taps with a rat-a-tat flourish at the end he casts heroism on himself.

Not stupid he allows the barbarian ans the occultist to go first.

Yes, Unseen Servant has a lot of niche uses, like holding a vial of alchemist fire and then walking into a swarm to drop it. They have to stop their movement and then boom! Also, Sheela is just plain lazy. Just watch out for enemies with AoE attacks.

Sheela follows alongside Claudia. "So, Claudia. Ready to sniff out some crazy cultists? It's quite disgraceful to kill followers and then use the remains of their shrine ."

Leofric notices the three graves outside in the fenced courtyard near the door appear disturbed.

If there's no change to the plan, we'll move down the stairs tomorrow morning - your spells and buffs starting up right before you start going down.

Syllyn has too much respect for the dead to dig up graves and will frown disapprovingly at any one who does.

Leofric pauses and holds up a hand. "Hold up." Without another word, he moves over to the, at least in his mind, clearly disturbed graves. "What the..." and without another word he begins shifting the dirt aside, only stopping to look for a shovel of some sort to aid him in his task.

A few minutes later, he steps back up to look Syllyn dead in the eye. "Judge all you want. The dead that aren't there do not give a single s+$~. And I care more about the living." He scowls at the implication. "She's messing about with Sarenrite corpses, isn't she." And without further comment, he steps back through the opening in the side of the building.

Claudia puts a little green hand on Syllyn's arm reassuringly. "Not nice, but he's probably right that it had to be done. We will do what we can to put those corpses back where they belong."

"Oh, that's even worse than I thought." Sheela pauses. "And technically, someone else defiled the corpses before we got here."

Claudia looks at Sheela and answers her, "The taking of any intellingent life, other than completely evil creatures, is disgraceful enough that you can't really add to it by anything else you do."

Ingrge scouting slightly ahead spots some kind of undead with glowing red eyes. Three of them to be exact. While alert, they don't notice him peeking around the corner. Ingrge is able to alert the rest, giving you all a free surprise round from the stairs.

Go ahead and take a move OR standard action (but from the stairs its most likely move) before I roll initiative. If you move into sight you can make a religion check to id them.

Sheela frowns when she hears undead. Shrugging her shoulders, she swaps wands with the Unseen Servant so now she's holding the wand of Cure Light Wounds.

Syllyn will start rapping out a martial rhythm, magically infusing the party with the effects of his performance.

Leofric steps on into the corridor, cracking his knuckles as the hair on the back of his neck rises. "Found us some old meat." As he sways to the sound of the martial rhythm, his eyes go wild, as if the song was empowering his own rage.

Well, my strength score just became a 26... I promise I wasn't planning on cheesing this early on.

Ingrge moves 5' south and fires at the purple undead creature...

To Hit: Dex+Base, Magic, Weapon Focus, PBS, Precise Shot, Deadeye Bowman, Point Blank Master, Deadly Aim, Favored Enemy

Damage: Strength, Magic, PBS, Deadly Aim, Favored Enemy, Inspired Rage

Longbow: 1d20 + 11 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 11 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 + 2 = 34 (vs Flat-footed AC?)

Confirm: 1d20 + 11 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 11 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 + 2 = 23 (vs Flat-footed AC?)

Magic/Cold Iron Damage: 3d8 + 6 + 3 + 3 + 12 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 3, 3) + 6 + 3 + 3 + 12 + 6 + 3 = 45 (Only 17 damage if unconfirmed)

Claudia moves forward.

not taking inspired rage, since that would prevent spellcasting

Aryxis moves around the corner and blocks his colleagues song from affecting him. He needed his wits about him for the start of this fight.

”Sorry team, religion is not really my forte. I don’t recognise these creatures.”

Kn: Religion: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Ingrge nails one of the undead right in its dead head, making it redead. The other two turn to focus their attention on the entering enemies.

Round 2: Whole party can go
Claudia
Ingrge
Syllyn
Sheela
Leofric
Aryxis
Green
Red

"I'll just walk downstairs, here. These kinds of rooms are much too tight for me to do much."

Perform(Song): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Without much to do, Sheela provides a harmonious hum to accompany Syllyn's rhythm.

Leofric goes stomping around the corner, into what might have been an ossuary. As he rounds the corner, he slams into the undead within, overrunning it!

Overrun (Bullette Charge Style): 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 12 + 2 + 2 = 30
Damage(Bullete Rampage): 1d8 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16

Knocking the creature down with an elbow to the bridge of it's nose, he follows up with a spiked elbow to it's sternum on the way down, which echoes through the subterranean space as bones crack underneath.

And one prone opponent. At least, I hope. I'l reframe it as daydreaming if I'm wrong.

Ingrge moves 5' south SW and fires at the red undead...

To Hit: Dex+Base, Magic, Weapon Focus, PBS, Precise Shot, Deadeye Bowman, Point Blank Master, Deadly Aim, Favored Enemy, Flurry of Blows

Damage: Strength, Magic, PBS, Deadly Aim, Favored Enemy, Inspired Rage

Longbow: 1d20 + 12 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 12 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 + 2 = 25 (vs Flat-footed AC?)

Magic/Cold Iron Damage: 1d8 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 14

Longbow: 1d20 + 12 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 12 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 2 - 2 + 2 = 25 (vs Flat-footed AC?)

Magic/Cold Iron Damage: 1d8 + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 2 + 1 + 1 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 15

The little froggie casts a spell (shocking grasp) and then moves to flank with Leofric. Then she swings her sword at the flanked undead.

attack, flank: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 2 = 25
physical damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2
shocking grasp damage: 5d6 ⇒ (3, 4, 1, 3, 6) = 17

Syllyn continues his performance and moves into position to protect the diminutive magus.

Kn Religion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Aryxis steps forward to cover his allies readying his great sword and eyeing the remaining unengaged undead.

Readied Attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
Magical Slashing Damage: 2d6 + 8 ⇒ (3, 3) + 8 = 14

Leofric overruns Green and delivers a crushing blow as he knocks it down.

Ingrge fires off two shots that hit Red.

Claudia takes a position on the other side of Green, delivering a shocking blow with her sword. The lightning courses through its skull, snuffing out the glowing red in its eyes. (Green re-dead)

Aryxis steps up and prepares to swing at Red if he moves in range. The walking corpse whrieks loudly, and then steps toward Aryxis to attack, but when it does, Aryxis delivers the final blow to end the threat of these three undead.

Combat Over

Looking around more, you can tell that this place was meant to be a catacombs for the shrine. Filaments of pale fungus grow along the brick-lined walls of the tomb. A thick layer of mud lies on the floor, numerous human-sized footprints running along the center while tangles of pale yellow mushrooms grow near the edges. The ossuaries stand empty, no dead were yet interred here. The three corpses you fought look like they actually came from the graveyard outside. (Why one small shrine was build with both a catacombs and a graveyard before it even opened is anyone's guess...)

Anyone who hasn't already tried can roll knowledge on those things still. I also lined you up in a marching order, if you wish anything different please go ahead and make any changes as you tell me what you investigate or are ready to move on.

"Rest in peace, now." Sheela nods formally. She pauses. "Why did they build this huge place? Maybe they were planning for rapid expansion."

"When we are done here, we need to come rebury these bodies."

ready to move on.

What can we roll knowledge on. Syllyn has a bunch of possibilities.

Knowledge: 1d20 ⇒ 9, +7 arcana, +6 history, local, nobility, or nature, +2 any other