All of Jordan’s arrows hit true, and as the final arrow lands an emotionless wail echoes as the shadow dissipates into mist!
Round 1/2
Field Effects: Dim Light, Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3
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Sahess AKA Red Shadow
Jordan AKA Yellow Shadow
???
Arnaut AKA White Shadow (9 Str. Damage)
Zhu Li
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Zhu Li snags an Eraminho Stone from the basin and rushes to Arnaut's indistinct side, blade coming free from its sheath almost by instinct alone, and she attempts to set the item floating around the bard's head so she can diagnose him, and possibly treat him. "Don't be dead, don't be dead. ELIZA! SOUND OFF, I NEED REAL MAGIC HERE."
Se3e2
Zhu Li’s calls are left unanswered as she calls for help.
”There’s a passage behind darkness through the east and west arches!”
Sahess rushes forward and disappears through the “wall” behind the westernmost archway. When she gets there she roars as she brings her greatsword on an adjacent enemy . The outer room is cloaked in a deeper darkness.
The shadow grunts before vanishing from next to Sahess and reappears in the middle of the central room. They rush forward toward Zhu Li before vanishing into the shadows of the room !
The shadowy figure is adjacent to Zhu Li—to the east of her.
Round 2/3
Field Effects: Dim Light, Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3
===============
Sahess AKA Red Shadow
Jordan AKA Yellow Shadow
Orange Shadow (-61)
Arnaut AKA White Shadow (9 Str. Damage)
Zhu Li
===============
”Oh fu—“
The shadow is bombarded by Jordan’s arrows and falls to the ground.
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"Ugh," Arnaut moans, "Too bright. I... I can't... go on..." He collapses back to the ground, but the ioun stones orbiting his face give away the game that he is alive.
"Oh fine. But really, that's the third time I've died for the Decemvirate. And not even a chance to give a proper dying soliloquy. Just plain rude." The bard rises to his feet and examines the surroundings. "So, Eliza said these stones would let us enter into the rest of the tower?"
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"... I could have sworn he was a wizard."
Zhu Li stands up and walks over to the other body, grabbing an indistinct limb and none too gently dragging it out of the room to get a good.look at it. "You know, the speed and relative ease with which we flaunt death is kind of unnatural. What meaning does it have that not even death is enough to stop us from being thrown into the meat grinder?"
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Sahess nods. "I once nearly died. Much like our friend here just did. Got sucked into a book and a ghost tore the essence from me. They made me continue on as if it was nothing, that's part of why I made sure to embrace the dragon fully. It's about the only thing that has kept me alive." She of course glosses over the magical enchantments on her extremely heavy armor, her various rings and amulets, as well as spells. Surely none of those were as important as being dragon.
"I can't use the scroll. Zhu Li?"
As the stones begins orbiting their heads, Jordan and Sahess suddenly see a faintly glowing portal on the north wall, through which they see a circular room. In the center of this small circular chamber rises a pillar of pale white ether. Within the column twist the ghostly forms of thousands of silently screaming angels.
As Zhu Li drags out the body of their attacker, she comes face-to-face with the arrow-riddled corpse of a half-orc wearing black clothing.
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"Woaltog, huh?" Arnaut says as he follows Zhu out of the room's effects. "They did say they never found out what happened to him when he disappeared. Has he been stuck here the whole time, or recruited by Adril?"
He turns to study the circular chamber. "And here I thought these things were just something created by the dying mind of an artist. Well, I suppose that could still be true. So who wants to touch it first?"
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Zhu Li accepts the scroll from Jordan and begins to chant, finishing the incantations written on the parchment.
She then slaps Arnaut bracingly on the back, lifting the pall of resurrection sickness from him.
"Do try not to do that again, please. I'd rather not rely on Shane's ability to realize you've died and teleport to our location with the perfect scroll for the occasion... again."
The Pathfinders eventually find a set of seven doorways along the western side of the floor, each of which is engraved with the symbols of the factions of the Pathfinder Society—it’s clear that these are the faction rooms.
The Pathfinders separate to their appropriate faction rooms and find the interior to be an octagonal room that seems far too big to than how it appeared from the outside. Each room is decorated appropriately for the faction and has various journals, ledgers, drafts, and so forth that would be helpful to read if given the time—which you do not have.
On a brass stand in each room is one half of a small, rough-cut geode with crystals that colored appropriately for each faction. These are half of a stone of sending, a magic item that, when concentrated upon for six seconds, allows the bearer to contact the bearer of the other half of the geode—exactly like a sending spell, but with a 100 word limit instead of a 25 word limit .
The Pathfinders concentrate on the stones and make contact with people that they are very familiar with—their faction leaders.
Upon regrouping, the Pathfinders search the current floor in search of Adril Hestram, Shemis, or perhaps other things that they are searching for.
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Jordan meanders over to 7 before just closing the door with a disgusted look on his face.
"Purple? Like, who would ever make a room purple?"
He then walks THE OTHER WAY before pausing upon seeing 4. "Guys. We should hurry. 3 dead. Definitely Pathfinders."
Jordan quickly searches for stairs, Checking each 9 along the way, and then heading quickly to 11. Which, conveniently, he finds some stairs in. "This one, quickly."
Unless brought up, Jordan won't even attempt the spellcraft check.
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Zhu Li walks along behind Jordan, eyes and ears peeled for disturbances.
Zhu Li abruptly stops and walks towards the figurines on display in the Tien gallery. She touches the osprey figurine and hones her will, the better to brute-force a magic item, and speaks a word; "唤醒“。"
The figurine shakes its metallic feathers and flutters onto Zhu Li's shoulder at a gesture. "It may be useful to us later," she explains, joining Jordan at the stairs.
Sahess does indeed find the sword belonging to Vothuemont, but when she tries to pick it up the weapon flies off of its stand and points its blade at the nagaji and shouts:
From the Hall of Blades comes a loud voice:
Any who check the Hall of Blades find Sahess in the middle of a duel with a flying greatsword with no wielder!
With one final swing Sahess absolutely destroys the greatsword Sahess picks up what remains of the sword and stuffs it into her bag.
Atop the stair, a short hall opens into a small, rectangular room. The walls within are scarred and gouged. Gears, scrap metal, and other remnants of mechanical contraptions lie recklessly strewn about. Many of the scattered metal parts possess slightly anthropomorphic features. A fair amount of blood is splattered about the walls, floors, and ceiling. On the far side of the room, a metal-reinforced door hangs loosely, bashed open and dangling from a single hinge.
Two pairs of doors sit in this hallway, the western set is unlabeled, but the eastern set is labeled “The Numerian” and is covered with metal plates engraved with strange-looking glyphs—artistic renditions of various Numerian symbols that are arranged for aesthetics and do not mean anything.
This hall is filled with artifacts and relics from the lost islands of Azlant. Two massive metal behemoths lurk in the room, turning to the party when they enter.
”DO NOT RECOGNIZE. DESTROY.”
Round 1
Field Effects: Good Hope
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Sahess
Jordan
Arnaut
Zhu Li
Black
White
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"Clockwork golems, guys. Don't let 'em grab ya, that'll hurt. They can also turn into walls of pain, that'll hurt. Know what else hurts?"
Jordan begins whistling a Kellid tune before knocking some arrows, clicking his boots, and firing. There's some cover from the walls, but again allies don't count now that he's performing.
"
"
"
"
Jordan pummels the golem with his arrows but he feels that not all of his damage went through.
Round 1
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3
==============
Sahess
Jordan
Arnaut
Zhu Li
Black (-63 from “1” attack [before DR])
White
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Arnaut sighs heavily. "That's how this whole thing started, remember? A pair of golems thrown at us from the bellies of scarlet worms. What a waste. But on the bright side, the fact that these ones are still functioning suggests that either Adril hasn't been through here yet, or that he's had to split his forces and leave these two here. Neither one's completely terrible - though I think I'd prefer the former over the latter." He draws out a few handfuls of glittering dust from his belt pouch and blows them towards the golems.
Round 1
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3
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Sahess
Jordan
Arnaut
Zhu Li
Black (-63 from “1” attack [before DR]) {Blind}
White {Blind}
==============
Zhu Li drinks an extract of shield, studies White, and goes into Kirin Style.
The White golem blindly moves forward…
…but doesn’t get to attack .
The Black golem blindly swipes at Sahess!
Black wraps its grip around Sahess and a pair of buzzsaws emerge from its upper arm and slice into the nagaji!
Round 2
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Haste
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Sahess (-36) {Grappled}
Jordan
Arnaut
Zhu Li
Black (-63 from “1” attack [before DR]) {Blind}
White
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Sahess absolutely decimates the remaining golem!
The granite walls of this narrow chamber are mounted with metal plates supporting huge iron gears, all turning slowly, churning an array of chains, belts, cogs, and other devices. The west section of the chamber opens into a wider, clovershaped chamber to the south, its walls armored in bronze and copper plates. Copper nozzles protrude from between the plates, dripping black grease. The grease stains the floor beneath in pools of scintillating rainbow. However, there isn’t much in this room.
The other double doors are jammed. Sahess, with her adamantine greatsword, makes quick work of the door, but as she does so the sound of spellcasting resonates from beyond the door!
Dozens of artistically displayed chunks of twisted, unidentifiable metal, embossed with alien symbols, decorate this chamber. Maps placed near individual chunks denote the locations and specific years in which the items were discovered. The north wall has two alcoves. On the floor in front of the eastern arch lies a metal door, apparently blown off its hinges. Numerous spatters of blood crisscross the floor before eventually leading toward the hallway to the north.
Within the room are two beings: one is a human woman with a bow in her hand, pointed straight at the newcomers, the other is a half-elf man standing at the side of the room with a scythe slung over his shoulder.
Round 1
Field Effects: Good Hope
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Zhu Li
???
Jordan
Sahess
Half-Elf Scythe-Wielder
Arnaut
Human Archer
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Incantation fills the air as two red rays materialize in the northwestern corner and shoot toward Sahess!
Round 1
Field Effects: Good Hope
==============
???
Zhu Li
Jordan
Sahess (-33)
Arnaut
Half-Elf Scythe-Wielder
Human Archer
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As Sahess moves forward toward the half-elf, a familiar energy discharge abruptly stops her advance .
Round 1
Field Effects: Good Hope
==============
???
Zhu Li
Jordan
Sahess (-33)
Arnaut
Half-Elf Scythe-Wielder
Human Archer
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Zhu Li drinks her extract of barkskin, enters Kirin Style, and moves into the room.
Round 1
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3
==============
???
Zhu Li
Jordan
Sahess (-33)
Arnaut
Half-Elf Scythe-Wielder
Human Archer
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"Ah, this is the same thing we saw with the ape lich," Arnaut quips. "I'd hate to see such a barrier crumble away, but erosion is a very natural effect - wouldn't you agree, Ferocleus?" Magical energy bursts from the floor of the room, reaching out greedily to absorb whatever it can before disappearing as suddenly as it came. "Now go save the Decemvirate!" the bard cheers bravely from around the corner.
The half-elf—Ferocleus—frowns.
”Well, let’s fix that.”
Ferocleus waves his arms as four swarms of centipedes spontaneously form ! Ferocleus then retreats back into the room beyond.
Success
Success
Fail
Success
Success
Success
Fail
The human—Valicia—steps to the side, nocks several arrows, and lets them loose at Arnaut!
From behind Valicia, a magical effect manifests as two more flaming rays shoot forth against Sahess!
Round 2
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Inspire Heroics
==============
???
Zhu Li (-5; 1 Dex damage) {Nauseated}
Jordan (-3)
Sahess (-58)
Arnaut (-42)
Ferocleus
Valicia Narikopolus
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Round 2
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Inspire Greatness
==============
???
Zhu Li (-5; 1 Dex damage) {Nauseated}
Jordan (-3)
Sahess (-58)
Arnaut (-42)
Ferocleus
Valicia Narikopolus
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Round 2
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3, Inspire Greatness
==============
???
Zhu Li (-5; 1 Dex damage) {Nauseated}
Jordan (-3)
Sahess (-38)
Arnaut (-42)
Ferocleus
Valicia Narikopolus
==============
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"Rude!" Arnaut yells after the fleeing druid. "If you don't want to talk about it, you could have just said so instead of throwing your unwanted offspring at me. But I suppose it would only be inconsiderate of me to not return the favor." With a flick of his wrist, the bard sends a ball of glitter (and probably a few centipedes) flying towards those who just don't appreciate fine art. Sniffing dismissively, he steps out of the swarm and behind the wall. Now where did I put that... Aha! He pulls out a scroll from his pouch and smiles to himself.
”Sonuva—!”
Valicia rubs at her eyes as glitter covers her and the half-elf—but Ferocleus does not seem as affected. The glitter did not reveal any invisible creatures.
Round 2
Field Effects: Good Hope, Inspire Courage +3
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???
Zhu Li (-5; 1 Dex damage) {Nauseated}
Jordan (-3)
Sahess (-38)
Arnaut (-42)
Ferocleus
Valicia Narikopolus {Blind}
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