#9-07 Salvation of the Sages PbP (Inactive)

Game Master supervillan

Where to next?

"Well it seems like their is only one other way to go. Back to the entrance and head towards the right. I'll take the lead again."

Athum grudgingly agrees with Torch. "We seem to have explored this area, let's move onto the next section."

North from B1?

Room B2

The dimensions of this room are perfectly square, and every sound and motion feels profoundly distinct yet unreal. A large shrine rests against the wall, draped in a flawless black silk cloth.

Next to the shrine, rests a large onyx key with a black and silver eclipse adorning the bow.

Knowledge (History): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

Athum examines the items, but is unable to glean any information from them.

Knowledge (History), bonus for being in Osirion: 1d20 + 15 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 15 + 3 = 33

"Oh, yes," says Agate. (and explains what's in the spoiler)

"Dudes. That seems like a wild ride. But will it all be, uh... will it be helpful?"

Ischell looks quite unsure of himself, hesitant to take the lead and unable to really comprehend everything that is happening around them.

"Seems important - probably unsafe to handle"

What now?

"Let's move on. There's is one last path from the main branch."

Going East from B1, now, I suppose.

Torch shakes his head.

”The terrors you faced so far were nothing compared to her. Get a grip on yourselves! I can’t believe that you are too afraid to even investigate this complex properly!“

Room B6

Thousands of bones fill the shelves in the center of this chamber as if they were books.

Tiny pictographs cover the surface of each bone.

You assume that the bones are all from Tahari’s victims, and each one chronicles the individual’s infection and death.

Athum investigates the 'books', avoiding touching the bones, if possible, to see what information they may contain.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14
Linguistics: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22 If necessary.

There are no books. Only bones... bones ... bones ...

Ischell wades into the bones, looking back and forth across the room- eyes open to the possibility of evil or undead.

Detect Evil
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

Frost watches on in disdain - "It's horrifying to see this much evil being carried out in such a deliberate and methodical fashion"

Agate looks over some of the pictographs.

Linguistics?: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

You are all on edge when Ischell starts his search ... although nothing evil can be sensed he continues and after 5 minutes he can find a vellum sheet in a bone scroll tube that includes a secret compartment ...

Agate can discern that inside are Tahari’s notes on refining crystalline aether.

These details explain the procedure to cure the disease she calls the ‘Fading Light’!!!

CURING FADING LIGHT

Agate can discern that you must collect a disease sample to test the cure on but you’ll need skill or medical / alchemy knowledge to safely examine and handle the disease without risk of exposure.

Then you need a lab to manufacture the cure.

Each dose takes around 5 minutes to produce you assume.

Consuming the resulting azure liquid cures Fading Light and grants a alchemical resistance to subsequent exposure with the disease.

Anybody studying the notes please give me one Dice Roll and note your craft alchemy and spellcraft modifiers.

Frost moves ahead and begins laying out the movement plan, the evil in this place leaving her feeling uncomfortable and angry, and her passion to root it all out coming to the fore.

Movement plan on the map

Athum reads over Agate's should.

Spellcraft (+8): 1d20 ⇒ 12

Athum doesn't have Alchemy, so this may be a moot point.

Torch also reads the notes. He looks st Ischell and smiles.

”Well done! This could be very important... I am glad for having your keen eyes and you showing initiative!“

* *

You pass the room with the library of bones and enter the next room.

Room B7

The chamber gleams when illuminated, bouncing reflections across the multitude of glass tiles covering the walls and floor.

The pool in the center of this chamber is utterly still, and a small, pearlescent object glimmers at the bottom.

The glimmering object radiates fading evocation magic.

* *

The Pathfinders start detecting magic and after sensing something magical search the room and locate a hidden alcove behind a tile on the west wall.

The alcove holds a canister with enough crystalline aether for four doses of a cure to fading light!

Also a scroll of heal, and two vials of antiplague.

I assume you take 10 on spellcraft/ craft alchemy etc.

Take 10 makes sense

"Any mention of a pearlescent object to date? Reckon that water is probably a trap - we touch it and get a horde of elementals, or it is some sort of ooze or jelly - no thanks"

Seeing as it is a junction, Frost uses her wand to Bless the party before advancing.

Map updated

Room 8

Tahari collected bones here in the same manner as in the area you found the notes (B6).

It is a truly horrific sight. So many died here ...

A short review indicates each bone is from a separate victim of her research.

Those that were in the mindscape realise that she was chronicling her studies in memory extraction of these victims.

Once the room is scanned, Frost urges onward.

"Another mountain of bones - how foul was this research. There will be some very righteous vengeance meted out!"

Map updated

Room B8

A bridge crosses a dark chasm containing mountains of bones.

Fearsome fiendish statues armed with serrated blades guard one side of the bridge, standing before a double
door.

An obsidian moon embosses the doors’ center.

Heal Peridot : 1d20 ⇒ 5

Peridot observes the skeletal remains of these hundreds of humanoids ... he believes that they died from disease or cannibalism below and scratch marks show they couldn’t escape.

Dodgy bridge, or animating statues that come alive and try bullrush you off into the void beneath?

Frost considers the situation ahead, not trusting the statues or the bridge. "Final guardians before a central chamber?" she asides as she keeps a wary eye on them as her companions check the bridge.

Map updated, keeping people clear of a potential charge lane from statues coming to life - do those serrated blades look like polearms (reach?)

On the odd chance that these statues DON'T come to life and start to murder us, and the bridge is 'safe', cross one at a time to the other side and pause for buffs etc - this is obviously the entrance to a key area.

Frost is cautious and he seems to be right!

Athum, Agate and Peridot all realise that a hidden catch in the floor causes the bridge to twist suddenly when a creature steps near its northern edge, dropping creatures on the bridge into the pit.

You all believe that you can walk across the bridge at low speed without triggering it.

* *

When Frost asks you to check the statues none of you see weapons or movement... but a detect magic reveals that the little sticks in their hands seem to be wands.

Looking down the pits is truly terrifying... there are bones of children as well!!

OK didn't expect that - I was expecting a bullrushing pair of statues (animated or just objects) banging at us with reach weapons with a gimmicked bridge to toss us into a pit full of biting undead. I still have mental scars from Risen fro the Sands

"Probably a significant room up ahead, we might want to prepare"

Frost refreshes Veil of Positive Energy, and then adds Bless prior to pushing through the door.

Ready when everyone else is!

Torch steps forward.

”We have only faced hazards and traps so far. But if you believe something will attack before the ritual then don’t forget that i am always prepared... “

Anybody studying the notes please give me one Dice Roll and note your craft alchemy and spellcraft modifiers.

Don’t forget this here.

1d20 ⇒ 10

Spellcraft +16, no Alchemy.

No spellcraft or alchemy here. 2 Skills points a level, baby!

Ischell steps up to the group. "If someone needs to go first, I am willing to do so. My only concern is like, what are we going to do with those wand things? Blades and pointing things don't bother me... but, dude, magic is totally something else."

Wow! You go to sleep for a few hours and look what happens. :p

When Frost calls a halt for pre-battle preparation, Athum take a few brief moments to cast some enchantments on himself.

Cast the following: Shield, Lead Blades, Weapon of Awe. All durations are 7 minutes.

Mage Armor, and Shield (both from wands) before walking across the bridge

Peridot eyes the notes carefully and wonders how to make a cure.

"Really???? That's all. You would think a novice like me wouldn't be able to discern how to cure her plague this easily. Though I guess her notes help. We do need samples of the disease," she says while scratching her head.

Alchemy: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (20) + 17 = 37 +9 if I'm crafting. Or a 27 if I take ten.
Also sorry I haven't been around much.

Peridot reads Tahari’s notes and suddenly you hear her gasp ... what she discovered is wondrous... just unbelievable! Such power!

That Tahari was so close to Nethys is incredible... Peridot is fascinated!

See handouts! Blood of Nethys!

"That might come in handy!"

Crack the door time - let's have it!

Guys, you are proceeding quite fast and I just hope you see that there are tasks that you could conduct and items that you have not inspected yet, e.g. the wands. :-)

Room B10

You open the door expecting dangerous foes ... but you only see darkness and silence.

Stone sarcophagi line the walls, held closed by straps and bindings.

Arcane glyphs spark over the walls and tombs periodically.

The sarcophagus along the eastern wall (labeled B10a) is open and appears completely unused.

The raised sarcophagus near the room’s center (labeled B10b) is closed.

The sarcophagus along the western wall (labeled B10c) is closed as well.

There is no evil aura but the sarcophagi are definitely magical.

I forgot about the wands. Athum can use his Object Reading ability to identify the wands, either before we enter the room, or after.

"As much as it seems like a bad idea, should we open one of these up?" Athum suggests to the others.

Athum touches the wands and feels evil ... but also learns that Tahari held uninfected subjects in the pits before using them in her experiments.

While she was away dealing with an uprising, an infected escapee fell in and contaminated the prisoners. The skeletal remains of hundreds of humanoids who died from disease or cannibalism in her absence remain below.

One statue holds a wand of ‘reach levitate’ (six charges) that Tahari used to extract subjects from the pit, and the other statue holds a wand of calm emotions (15 charges) that she used to make the subjects calm before infecting and ultimately killing them.

"Should we maybe take some time and make some Blood of Nethys... we have enough crystalline aether for four doses don't we? Maybe pull back, and a short break?", Ahn whispers before the party enters the room.

"I suppose crack them and see who, or what, is home"

"How long does it take to make up the Blood?"

Torch listens and he is also astonished to hear about the blood of the Nethys.

”We should make some cures and also this blood of the mad god ... but don’t forget: the ritual is our goal! We need to the reconnect with the other Sages!“

Suddenly the earth starts shaking.

”And we don’t have much time!“ Torch adds with some concern.

"Well if it is quick, make it now - where is the ritual to be performed?"

"The blood of a God?! That's outrageous, man! If this ritual is so important, we should probably be moving on... I am not too worried about a disease. Haven't caught a cold in ages!"

I know that paladin resistance probably doesn't apply to this at all- but... Ischell certainly doesn't

"I agree," Agate says. "If Tahari's personality has lasted this long, I'm sure she made sure her work would too. We should be prepared for it."

"Ischell... those stories of the holy warrior... he sounded like he was perhaps a paladin... Tahari celebrated that no one was immune!"

"Unless this shaking picks up, we should prepare the Blood of Neyths... were the cures something in addition to that?"

"Yeah I agree with Ahn. I don't anyone is safe. Alss aas far as I am aware of no the blood is all we need. ," she says confidently.