GM Ietsuna's Rescue at Azlant Ridge (High Table) (Inactive)

Game Master Ietsuna

Ridley votes let em un.

best case they change their ways and help out - i
Worst case we have some people to todd over the walls as a distraction while we make good our escape.

Quintus is for leaving them out.

Let them in. We need all the bodies we can muster to defend the area. We can deal with any that survive later.

In case of a tie Noke votes for letting them in.

I think we have 2 for leave them out and 2 for let them in and Noke as a tie breaker right now so in they come.

The woman who met you at the gate introduces herself as Juliet Dias, leader of the Azlant Ridge Pathfinder Expedition.

If you have any questions for her now would be the time.

"Do you know if there is anything causing these ape-men to attack?"

They’re known as the charau-ka—my camp workers call them ape-men. They’re minions of the demon lord Angazhan, and this lot serve the Gorilla King of Usaro, though why the Gorilla King has any interest in this expedition is beyond me.

Quintus gestures to the wagons, We have been sent to resupply you, I suggest you get them secured away quickly before these creatures arrive and we are in a fight for our lives. What are you doing here?

Petrok shakes his head in resigned dissatisfaction upon learning that he and Quintus have been out voted and the Aspis allowed in the fortress. He takes a post in advantageous position within the compound. Drawing his bow and watching from his high vantage point the enemy approach.

You move through the gate and take note of its details as you enter and the gate is secured behind you.

The fortified gate of the palisade wall is constructed from thick logs, lashed tightly together and sealed with pitch. A sturdy log stands above the gate, serving as both a lookout post and a brace to lash the gate to when it’s closed. To open the gate, the guards have to untie the ropes holding the gate in place, and then push it aside on two sets of enormous wooden wheels. The gate is covered in dents, scrapes, chips, and blood.

Exploration time. Feel free to wander about and look at the excavation site. I will give descriptions as you go around.

So... whats going on here? Lots of apes? Any plan to escape?

We do not generally need to escape. We just close the gates and fortify our settlement and weather the storm.

She leads you toward the pit in the open area of the encampment.

A precise and professional terraced dig site surrounds a half-sphere of a smooth, almost mirror-like white material. While it looks almost exactly like polished ivory, it’s slightly warm to the touch and glows with a soft, white light. The brightness of the light seems to be increasing as the ape-men approach outside the fences.

"Is it me or is that thing getting brighter? Is it like a warning system against attacks?"

”I am sure that you have investigated this monument intensity but would you mind if we take a closer look as well? We received the key which is supposed to fit to the runes on these monuments and thus we could probably find something that you could not discover before!“ Noke states.

Quintus looks over to the palisade wall, That's really going to contain them? Can't these charuka things climb?

With that he will start to help unload the supplies and chat with the various other pathifnders here to see what morale is like.

Heading over to poke around the tents

As Noke looks at the hemi-sphere it continues to get brighter. You feel that if you do not look away soon you may suffer some damage to your eyes.

Quintus looks at the area where the tents are set up. In the middle of the camp rests two large, but dirty and sagging tents—one is used for cooking, and the other as a mess hall. Between them are 10 canvas tents lined up in two neat rows, but suffering from rips and tears that seem to have been made by claws. Inside several of the tents rest camp workers, all tired, hungry, and sick. The members of the expedition clearly needed the shipment you brought.

Makon joins the others to take a closer look at the sphere. He adverts his eyes after gazing upon it only a moment. Jeshhh! Thing sure is bright! What do you think is causing it to glow like that? knowledge arcana: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

After some time studying the area around the sphere excavation. perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5, Makon moves to the dig sight on the opposite end of camp and studies it for a bit. perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Makon studies the sphere, averting his eyes frequently, but is unable to fathom anything about it.

As Makon moves to look at teh dig site Dias says, It was a test dig, nothing more.

Thorur looks around at the dig site and the tents..."Why are the tents ripped like that?"

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

...as he hears the comment to Makon from Dias...

Sense Motive vs. DC=15: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

"Perhaps we can talk about that more later."

So do you have any idea what this thing does? What have you been able to learn about it so far?

Having had a look around on the ground Quintus and Argo take the the air for an aerial survey. He keeps an eye on the horde of apemen to see if they are likely to breach the gate while checking out the camp from above. He calls down.

It looks like this lot have managed to break in from time to time and tear up your camp. What could be drawing them here?

Noke is truly astounded by this site.

”This really is evidence that the Azlanti visited the Mwangi Expanse!“

Noke turns to Dias.

”Aram Zey told us that a servant of Angazhan called Ruthazek the Silverback King claims this site, too and it seems we arrived in time before these troops laid siege to this site. We know that you and this team are starving, dying from disease, and running low on ammunition and personnel. We are glad that we could bring you all these supplies!!“

She then takes out the key that Aram Zey gave them.

”Dias, do you see this rune on the key? Aram told us that you found a doorway that has the same rune and we believe that the key will be able to open the portal! Can you please guide us to this doorway?!“

Makon just shuffles around having little idea what his companions are talking about.. Whatever, we decide we need to do it quick! There's a horde of ape creatures descending on this camp and I don't think we have much time!

Dias directs you all to the area where the camp meets the mountain behind it. There is a large door here.

At fifteen feet high and ten feet wide, this door is an impressive structure. Carved from a dull yet shimmering metal, every inch of its surface is covered in runes, glyphs, pictographs, and intricate patterns. A single rift, about an inch deep, splits the door in half from top to bottom, giving you the impression that it might open were it only to have handles. The door sits recessed several feet into the jagged rock of the ridge’s impressive cliff face, which stretches a hundred feet or more above the camp.

Noke leaves Divune with Happu and tries to find a keyhole and then uses the key hoping to be able to open the door!

Perception : 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

”Everybody stay back! Chaldira protect me!“

Dias sees Noke with the golden key and asks if she may borrow it. Once they’ve given it to her, she asks them to step back. She descends the terraced excavation to the door and spends several minutes tracing her hands along various pictographs and symbols, constantly looking to the key and then back to door. Without warning, she slaps the key into a space that just moments before wouldn’t have fit it, and the door slowly, silently, opens outward to reveal a set of wide stairs descending into darkness.

She turns back to you all with a huge grin on her face, but as she’s about to speak, a horn sounds from the tower over the palisade gate and the camp suddenly leaps into action. Dias runs back up the terraced dig and says, Explore the complex, find out what might be in there, and hope to the gods it’s something that will help us. I have to organize our defense. Go! GO!

Noke is intrigued by this display and at the same time frightened

She jumps on Happu and enters.

The interior is dark. This is not a problem for you Noke, but may be for others in your party, if and when they enter.

A wide set of stairs descends into an enormous room, measuring thirty-five feet wide by forty feet long, and more than thirty feet tall. The entire room smells sickly sweet, but the floors, wall, and ceiling are all smooth and clean—rather similar to the sphere in the ground outside. Four enormous monoliths, fifteen-foot-tall human-shaped metal statues, rest in the four corners of the room. They’re made of white metal, almost like a suit of full plate sized quite large, but without anything discernible as a face.

Thorur casts Light on his Dwarven Waraxe and follows Noke inside.

"Sorry for the light, friend Noke, we need to be able to record the details as we explore."

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Makon looks back to the compound with concern, Shouldn't some of us help defend the compound? They could probably use my axe? Makon is reluctant to leave his comrades but torn between defending the people of the excavation and supporting his comrades. Makon's head whips back and forth...he looks desperately at his comrades for answers to his moral dilemma.

Noke hears Makon and shouts.

”I believe that this doorway holds secrets that we need uncover before we loose any chance to do so in the future. If Chaldira is with us these men will be able to defend themselves! Come Makon!!“

Quintus and Argo swoop down from their aerial reconnaisence into the chamber beyond the doorway. Seeing it is pitch dark Quintus mutters a simple light spell and peers around.

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29

He follows it up with as imple charm to detect the presence of magic.

Arcana: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 5 + 2 = 26

Anyone recognise any of this stuff?

Noke looks around as well.

kn history : 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

The collective investigations of the group reveal little about the room or the statues. The four statues are cool to the touch and impossible to tip over or move. They are perfectly smooth and perfectly clean—as though dust or dirt were repelled from their surface.

Quintus eyes the statues nervously. Lets hope none of these come to life as we head further in, that could be...difficult.

Before heading further in he activates a wand and peers down the hallway.

Using heightened awareness

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31

Ridley will quaff extracts of darkvision and heightened awareness before entering the chamber. He will join the rest of the party in inspecting the statues.

These must be quite old... yet free of dust...

If nothing else presents itself in this room, Ridley will go peer down the hallway.

This 5-foot-wide hallway extends east to west, with six 10-foot-by-10-foot alcoves splitting off to the north and south, three on each side. The alcoves contain what appear to be stone sarcophagi made of the same smooth, white material as the statues, but lacking lids. Small piles of sand, recently disturbed, rest in front of each of them.

”Stay near me and I will bend probabilities with the support of Chaldira to bring luck into your lives!!“

Noke starts to focus on her companions and then wildly starts to cackle.

Noke uses the fortune hex and cackles until all in the team are affected. She continues to cackle as a move action.

Details on the fortune hex, please.

Makon moves in the temple with the others settle for a spot somewhere in the middle of the marching order.

Details on the fortune hex, please. @Ridley: There are 2 Light spells in effect already. Not sure using Darkvision extract will help you.

Thorur moves forward, leading the way...

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Fortune Hex - The witch can grant a creature within 30 feet a bit of good luck for 1 round. The target can call upon this good luck once per round, allowing him to reroll any ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, taking the better result. He must decide to use this ability before the first roll is made.

Thorur sees 6 figures looming in the alcoves.

Thorur does not possess the skill.

"There are creatures here. Anyone know what they are?"

"Oh Mighty Trudd, bless my weapon with your Holy might."

Blessing:(SU): standard action. GOOD: Holy Strike (minor): At 1st level, you can touch one weapon and bless it with the power of purity and goodness. For 1 minute, this weapon glows green, white, or yellow-gold and deals an additional 1d6 points of damage against evil creatures. During this time, it’s treated as good for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. This additional damage doesn’t stack with the additional damage from the holy weapon special ability. Passing on Move action.

Light only lets you see 20 feet out normally, and another 20 with concealment. Darkvision gives me 60 feet, and also makes it so I don't have to worry about being near one of you.

Kn Religion: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21

After peeking into the room, Ridley will sneak back and tell the group,

These are ghouls - nasty little creatures. Don't let em touch you - they can paralyze with a touch.

I'll ask for special attacks, special abilities, and defenses.

Quintus mutters a quick spell before flying foward above Thorur, Lets clear these out quickly! We are running out of time

Casting gravity bow and flying forward. He uses a swift action for animal focus to gain +2 dex. I will start attacking if no-one else starts things. He always expends heightened awareness when initiative is rolled if it is active bringing him to +10 currently

Noke continues to cackle wildly and draws her crossbow.

Do not forget your fortune hex roll one per round as long as you are within 30 ft of Noke.

The ghouls have channel resistance +2, and can pass a disease and paralysis after their bit attack.

Moving us in to initiative.

Combat Round 1 - Bold May Act

Makon
Quinus
Ridley
Ghouls
Noke
Thorur

Quintus levels his bow at the ghoul to his left and unleashes a barrage of attacks.

Attacking green, if it goes down I will switch to red

Deadly aim, pbs and rapid shot all applied

Attack 1: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24
Daamage: 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (6, 5) + 5 = 16

Attack 1: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
Daamage: 2d6 + 5 ⇒ (4, 5) + 5 = 14

Argo's actions depend on the outcome of his two shots

Quintus pops the Red and Green enemies with two clean shots. They both go down.

Combat Round 1 - Bold May Act

Makon
Quinus
Ridley
Ghouls
Noke
Thorur