GM Abraham's Emerald Spire

Game Master Abraham Z.

The door does not open.

Yanda reactivates her heightened awareness and gives it a look too.
perception, HA: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 2 = 29
disable device: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22

Attempting a different method, Uhvat sends his broad shoulders against the door and push with him might.

Strength: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

The door does not budge in response to either Yanda's or Uhvat's efforts.

Btw, Yanda, your elixir of Fly has expired.

Pondering the door, "Perhaps this door only opens from the other side. Lets check the other path and see if it leads anywhere."

Lucifer checks the other northern door where his badger friend is standing.

With an 'ooohh', and a sigh, Yanda gently floats to the ground.

"Seems like the thing to do, unless we can find a key or something or someone wants to smash the door to pieces, we are not getting through this one. And I think our employers would prefer if we did not leave a wake of destruction since they plan to use this place. And then there is the paperwork. Yea. The other door it is."

"Maybe one of these guys had it. Let me check." Kala trots back and searches the corpses for keys or anything interesting.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

Well gosh, if we're going back to the snacks... Stinky "helps" Kala search the bodies by removing some of the flesh so she doesn't have to search as much. Don't know what you're looking for, Kala, but this just tastes like funky snaky-man-ish meat. And with that, his tummy grumbles again. Oooooh. I forgot. This stuff makes my tummy gross. ... Oh well. Still gonna scarf it.

Conditions:

=== 12:15 Out of Initiative ===
Yanda - dmg; 17 temp hp (false life 20:00); Protection from arrows (120, 20:00); Ablative Barrier (40, 20:00); Ant Haul (04:00); Orchid's Drop (20:00); Mutagen (13:20); Fly (12:13);
Kala - 9 dmg;
Stinky - 2 dmg;
Tofang - 9 dmg; Heightened Awareness (13:00); Barkskin (13:00); cognatogen (13:05);
Tofang's dog II (13 hp, AC 13, 15 Con) - 5 dmg;
Ashwell - dmg; 15 temp hp (false life 19:00); mage armor (13:00);
Uhvat - dmg; 3 temp hp (false life 18:00);
Lucifer - 10 dmg;

Kala does not find anything of interest on the two slain serpentfolk.

Lucifer finds that the other door opens without difficulty.

This large chamber has a viewing gallery on the west end and a dirt-floored pit on the east end, with manacles attached to the wall. The pathfinders see a dark-haired human woman dressed in filthy, torn robes chained to the pit’s east wall. She appears to be wounded, but none of the injuries look recent. Dire rats scurry about the floor of the pit, staying well away from the prisoner. She looks up and calls, “Help me, please! The serpentfolk are going to kill me!”

Map updated

Finding it odd the dire rats avoid the chained woman, he eyes her suspiciously.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 1 = 14

"Stinky, heel." Striding into the room, Kala is also intrigued by the dire rats' behavior. She sheathes her sword and strings her bow, all the while watching the tableau in the pit and trying to figure out what the heck is going on here.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

"We gotta kill the rats first." She takes aim at the nearest one...

And I'll wait to post the rest of her actions until we know the results of our checks.

Ooh! Hey Kala! I've eaten these before. They're pretty good. Can I have some? Please? Please? Stinky whines and drools behind Kala, wriggling his rump in excitement.

Yanda downs an extract of shield before peering around the corner. Feeling a little smug after the bombs pretty much single handedly wiped out the last batch of enemies, Yanda responds, "The serpentfolk are, for the most part, quite dead. They had the audacity to assault us and paid the price. We'll get you free as soon as we can. You seem rather chummy with those rats. Does that mean you would prefer I don't incinerate them?"

Neither Lucifer nor Kala notice anything particularly out of the ordinary. Or more out of the ordinary than what has already been observed.

The woman heaves a sigh of relief when she hears Yanda's remark about them being dead. "Whew, I am glad to hear that - they were most terrible. I believe they planned to EAT me!"

As for the rats, she sniffs disdainfully. "My guards? No, I would be quite pleased if you would destroy them - as long as you can keep me out of the incineration, please! - though the serpentfolk commanded them not to eat me, it is still rather creepy to be chained to a wall with a bunch of rats crawling about. They keep their distance - as you can see - but I can't help worrying about what will happen if they become hungry enough to disregard their masters' command." She looks pleadingly, "Won't you please release me? This is not a nice place!"

Btw, the western half of the room, where you are, is elevated above the eastern half. It's almost like a viewing platform, complete with a bench. The 10' wall between the two sections is smooth and greased - it doesn't look like the rats can climb it, i.e. if you want to kill the rats I will just hand wave it - they are literally sitting ducks rats.

”My vote is to smoosh the vermin. Creepy little things….”

"Indeed!" Uhvat deep voice booms out. "Disgusting creatures..."

Anyone want to try a sense motive? Yanda's skill that area is pretty poor and I would much rather rely on my intuition than her skill. Otherwise we will bump off the rats.

Both Lucifer and Kala have done so.

Anyone want to try a sense motive? Yanda's skill that area is pretty poor and I would much rather rely on my intuition than her skill. Otherwise we will bump off the rats.

Going to take that as multiple votes in favor and move us along...

Kala uses the rats for target practice. They squeal and protest but that does not prevent them from dying. (5 hp each, CR ⅓ creatures)

The woman breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you! Please, get me out of here and I will be in your debt!"

Putting away her bow, Kala pulls out her rope and ties it to the bench. Tossing the end over the side, Kala gestures to Lucifer: "You, uh, wanna unlock those manacles? I can go down with you if you want."

Tofang is as always the more silent type.

”Glad you’re free lady. I’m a Wayang like my friend then… in case you’re interested. So no reason to be afraid!!“

If he does not unlock the manacles, Yanda will give it a try.

disable device: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17

Urg. Hope it doesn't come down to Yanda succeeding.

Yanda is unable to unlock the manacles. "Please hurry! I hate to think what will happen if more of the serpentfolk return!" the woman pleads.

Ash stays back, waiting on the others to extricate the woman.

Lucifer climbs down and moves toward the woman, still feeling apprehensive about her, he nevertheless begins to work on her manacle.

Disable Device: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (3) + 24 = 27

Lucifer opens the woman's manacles and she sighs with relief as she rubs her wrists. "Thank you, thank you. I am forever in your debt. I am Tiawask, a wizard of Thornkeep. If I can aid you, I shall!"

"Tell us your story. How did you come to be like this? Surely you were not hired by the hellknights?"

"No, no. I was down here exploring..." she pauses and looks you all up and down, "much like yourselves, perhaps? But alas, I ran afoul of that accursed Klarkosh and was captured. Eventually, I managed to escape and fled deeper into the Spire, since it was the only way I could go. The spell trap on the landing of this level caught me though. When I awoke, I was a prisoner of the serpentfolk! They have taken great pleasure in discussing with me how they plan to eat me - they are truly monsters - we must escape while we can!"

The spell trap she refers to is the one that Lucifer disabled earlier, which is why none of you were likewise knocked unconscious, but Lucifer would have been able to recognize what the trap would have done if he had not disabled it.

“Oh! We’ve heard about you!! Jharun told us! Can you do anything for us? Do you want us to bring you up?“ Tofang asks concerned.

"I could use my spire token to get you back up to the first level, but we still have a job to do and I'm not ready to leave yet. There are more of these serpent folk around - I can just feel it, and I want them gone and all their little snake swarms with them."

Yanda gives a shudder at the last, once gain resolving to buy an extra fly potion or two and brew multiple fly extracts before they return...

But like a bolt it hits her that if the DID escort her back, then she could take care of business before they bumped into more swarms. A strange look crosses her face as she adds,

"Well, unless you guys want to escort her back today? We could always just return tomorrow."

“Oh! We’ve heard about you!! Jharun told us! Can you do anything for us? Do you want us to bring you up?“ Tofang asks concerned.

She nods her head eagerly. "That would be most kind!"

Turning to Yanda, Tiawask agrees, "Yes, I would be most appreciative. So, you've found the way out?"

As a reminder, at the start of this level you were all teleported into the "maze" with the snake traps (which you disarmed). At present you have no known way of returning, or even of leaving this level.

"Uh, we got teleported to this section, didn't we? I think we're still finding a way out. So I guess stick with us for now. Do you need any food or water? Or healing? this looks like as good a place as any to hole up for a bit if we need to."

"Yeah. If we need to have a base camp while we explore a way out of this level, then this seems like a good spot."

Tiawask gratefully accepts food and water and any healing you wish to spare but she grimaces at Kala's suggestion of making camp. "I would not linger in this spot long if I were you, lest the serpentfolk fall on us and decide to make a meal of all of us! We must either escape or defeat them!"

”So would you feel more comfortable accompanying us while we explore this level and search for an exit, then,” the undine asks as he looks around, worried about staying in this spot too long.

As a reminder, at the start of this level you were all teleported into the "maze" with the snake traps (which you disarmed). At present you have no known way of returning, or even of leaving this level.

So the token only transports from a spire section to another spire section on a different level? I thought that it would transport you from anywhere to a given level.

"Yes, I don't want to be left alone - I will come with you and help in any way I can. If it's really true that you have already slain all of the serpentfolk then perhaps we can escape without much further difficulty. May it be so."

GM Abraham wrote:

As a reminder, at the start of this level you were all teleported into the "maze" with the snake traps (which you disarmed). At present you have no known way of returning, or even of leaving this level.

So the token only transports from a spire section to another spire section on a different level? I thought that it would transport you from anywhere to a given level.

Correct - you'll have to find the Spire before you can use the transport token - it's sort of like an elevator pass. I think it's mainly intended to make it so that parties don't have to slog their way through all the prior levels every single time they return to the Fort.

"I hope so as well. Are we ready to move on?"

Grasping his every writhing ectoplasmic lash, Uhvat moves back down the corridor, examining the door and listening for what might be beyond.

Think that's a door to his south?

perception: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16

Conditions:

=== 12:30 Out of Initiative ===
Yanda - dmg; 17 temp hp (false life 20:00); Protection from arrows (120, 20:00); Ablative Barrier (40, 20:00); Ant Haul (04:00); Orchid's Drop (20:00); Mutagen (13:20); Shield (12:23);
Kala - 9 dmg;
Stinky - 2 dmg;
Tofang - 9 dmg; Heightened Awareness (13:00); Barkskin (13:00); cognatogen (13:05);
Tofang's dog II (13 hp, AC 13, 15 Con) - 5 dmg;
Ashwell - dmg; 15 temp hp (false life 19:00); mage armor (13:00);
Uhvat - dmg; 3 temp hp (false life 18:00);
Lucifer - 10 dmg;

The pathfinders spend some time killing rats, freeing Tiawask, and discussing the situation with her before continuing on.

Yanda, your Shield extract has expired.

Uhvat heads down the corridor from which the two serpentfolk came - Tiawask nods approvingly at their dead bodies - and finds that it continues around the bend. The passageway opens up to reveal a large statue of a snake facing a wide corridor to the north that ends in a pair of golden doors covered in a twisting serpent pattern. The corridor also continues to the west past the statue.

Map updated. Feel free to put yourselves and Tiawask where ever you like on the approach to the room. Tiawask doesn't want to be in the very front but is otherwise amenable to being where ever in the marching order you prefer.

Yanda, your Shield extract has expired.

Long talk. She took that extract when they started talking! Oh well :)

I think you said you took it when you first entered the room? In any case, I've got everything you've done on the level so far only taking up half an hour which I think is very reasonable.

Lucifer approaches the snake statue carefully and examines it and the surrounding area for traps.

Perception (Traps): 1d20 + 19 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 19 + 3 = 30

I think you said you took it when you first entered the room? In any case, I've got everything you've done on the level so far only taking up half an hour which I think is very reasonable.

Fair enough, I guess. It was after eliminating the rats and after releasing her, but before starting the conversation. I figure talking always takes more time than you think so I'm OK with an 8 minute talk if that is what you deem it took.

As the group passes the previously downed serpentfolk, Stinky again tears off a chunk of muscle to chew as he walks. Mmm. Kinda gamy, just the way I like it.

Chuckling at her companion, Kala scratches his ears and murmurs: "Silly boy."

When she learns that Lucifer is checking out another snake statue, her lip curls in disgust. "It's going to come alive and attack us as soon as our backs are turned, isn't it?"

"Probably. I wouldn't bet against it."

Lucifer approaches the snake statue carefully and examines it and the surrounding area for traps.

[dice=Perception (Traps)]1d20+19+3

Lucifer, what is the +3 from?

Trapfinding Rogue Ability

Lucifer believes that the statue is trapped. Worse, he believes that there is no way to disarm it without also activating it to some degree. He's not sure what it will do.

I know, weird. I've never seen anything worded quite like this - might be an editing goof. That's why I asked about the +3, without it you would have just missed the perception check and made my life simpler... :-)