GM Abraham's Curse of the Riven Sky (9-11) [Gameday VIII] (Inactive)

Game Master Abraham Z.

Curse of the Riven Sky slides
Knowledge Checks
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Chronicles


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Dark Archive

Male Human Sorcerer 10 | AC 24/T 14| FORT +6 REF +7 WILL +12 | Init +2 | Perception + 1 | Sense Motive +13

Heccan gasps "Slime! We are being attacked by slime! Oh this is a new low."

Heccan's eyes flash red and he begins to rise from the ground,

Hecan will cast Levitate and begin moving 20 feet up.


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Note for those of you who are flying or levitating out of harm's way: as far as you can tell you are out of the reach of the gelatinous globules that are forming on the ground, but you are still in the midst of a raging storm in which particles of the oozey slimy stuff are literally raining down on you. Whether or how this may effect you remains to be seen.

A woman shrieks in dismay as one of the red-tinged globules advances slowly towards her baby's carriage. "My baby, my baby! Won't someone please save her!?!"

For everyone: this isn't really a traditional encounter (hence no map and only a rough initiative order). This is more a matter of: can the pathfinders save the helpless citizens of Jol before they are swallowed up by monstrous blobs of jello? So each "round" just tell me something that you wish to do to help the situation - it can be combat oriented, skill checks, creative and ingenious, etc.

Liberty's Edge

Male NG Ifrit Swashbuckler 5/Oracle (Psychic Searcher) 5 | HP 63/79 | AC 30 (31 hasted) T 19(20) FF 23 | CMB +9, CMD28/21 | F: +6, R: +13 (+14), W: +7 | Init: +12 | Perc: +11, SM: +3(+1d6) | Speed 30ft | Inspiration: 7/7; Panache: 5/6; Charmed Life 3/3 | Spells: 1st 8/8 ; 2nd 6/6 | Active conditions:.

“This mission has been cursed from the start, but the Flame is not quenched by red jelly rain. Any sorcerous fireballs to clear some of this mess?”

He then races to rescue the baby, piercing foes whenever they cross his path.

Attack #1 w/Rapier +2 & haste & weather: 1d20 + 18 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 18 + 1 - 2 = 18
#1 dmg: 1d6 + 9 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 9 + 5 = 19


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Hector's dreams of becoming a Linnorm King have clearly interfered with his timing, as he begins the battle by nearly stabbing himself in the eye with his rapier.

Silver Crusade

Paladin 4 / Oracle 8 AC 27 {T:13/FF:27} HP 116/116 Init+0, Perception +2 | Fort +15, Reflex +9, Will +19 | Tracked Resources: Oracle Channel 7d6 (DC 20) 6/7 | Paladin Channel 3d6 (DC 16) 9/9 | LoH 4d6+2 {+1d6 or Mercy} 11/12 | Reroll 1/1

Caduceus runs to hold his shield as a barrier above the child. He carries the little one to his mother. "Best you stay inside for now ma'am. Stay calm, everything will be fine."


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Caduceus manages to rescue the child in time, but as he does so he spies out of the corner of his eye yet more gelatinous globs forming - they seem to be everywhere! Worse, now he hears cries for help from two different directions. The city is clearly in danger of being overwhelmed!

Silver Crusade

Paladin 4 / Oracle 8 AC 27 {T:13/FF:27} HP 116/116 Init+0, Perception +2 | Fort +15, Reflex +9, Will +19 | Tracked Resources: Oracle Channel 7d6 (DC 20) 6/7 | Paladin Channel 3d6 (DC 16) 9/9 | LoH 4d6+2 {+1d6 or Mercy} 11/12 | Reroll 1/1

He shouts out to the team, "Can we lure them into one place? Draw their attention somehow?"

Dark Archive

Male Human Sorcerer 10 | AC 24/T 14| FORT +6 REF +7 WILL +12 | Init +2 | Perception + 1 | Sense Motive +13

Heccan looks to Via then out at the chaos enveloping the streets. "Perhaps Via, or perhaps we can see if these things enjoy a little fire." The sorcerer's eyes flash red and his right hand begins to smolder.

[occ]Is it possible to try and fry the globs with a fireball and not hurt the civilians?[/ooc]


Emerald Spire slides |
Heccan Abraxi wrote:
[occ]Is it possible to try and fry the globs with a fireball and not hurt the civilians?[/ooc]

Yep, definitely!

Dark Archive

Male Human Sorcerer 10 | AC 24/T 14| FORT +6 REF +7 WILL +12 | Init +2 | Perception + 1 | Sense Motive +13

Heccan surveys the field and spots a clump of slime monsters. He lets loose a smoldering ball of flame at the creatures, being careful to keep innocents out of the blast.

Then let's try that!


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Note for clarity: after another extended hiatus from gameplay due to GM real-life obligations and burn-out, the group agreed to end the adventure at this point. What follows is a brief GM summary of the remaining plot of the module for any players who wish to know what it was all about.

It doesn't take the pathfinders long to defeat the rain of gelatinous cubes. The grateful townfolk of Jol explain that the weather has been dangerously weird and is growing ever more ominous - perhaps an indication of the activity of the 'Storm Queen.'

The pathfinders' investigation leads them to Thedan Nammas, a sage living in the nearby woods. Thedan believes that the strange weather is linked to a sort of ritual keyed to a mysterious jewel called the orb beyond. The orb beyond is a large gem from another world tied metaphysically to the spirits of those who have died wrongly but whose names are now forgotten by all remaining alive. Called the Pale Ones, these are the hungry, angry spirits of those who cannot be avenged, but forever seek vengeance. The orb slips from world to world of its own volition, enabling the creation of doorways through which the Pale Ones can travel. The orb beyond is drawn only to those who seek revenge. The ritual in question, he explains, tears a hole in the world. It’s a process without finesse, and it must be done in a locale with some significance to the creator. He believes that because the weather is being disrupted, the hole is high in the sky.

Thedan has never heard of the Storm Queen but he is convinced that whoever she is, she is a creature of the sky, interested in vengeance, and in possession of the orb beyond. He advises the pathfinders to look to the sky for specific disturbances.

Finally, Thedan's research turns up another clue: Zoarth (The Cloud Giant wizard whose assistance you were seeking at the very start of the adventure, and whose castle was assaulted by the Hill Giants) apparently once lived with a cloud giant “bird maven” named Verakas far to the south. During this time, Verakas seems to have died under mysterious circumstances. Although no one knows what happened for sure, all of Verakas's birds were apparently killed and eaten by a large number of cats. Zoarth told others that Verakas died of a mysterious
ailment, but no one ever saw a body.

to be continued


Emerald Spire slides |

Before the pathfinders are able to investigate further, they are attacked! Two black-scaled serpents with female faces writhe into view, each guarded by a massive, armored humanoid. The squamous flesh of these creatures is punctuated by lines of red runic tattoos that run down the considerable length of their bodies. The giant warriors, girded in glistening steel armor inlaid with intricate gold patterns, wield massive halberds, likewise adorned. One of the witch serpents rasps: “This warning is both the first and the final word you little ones shall receive from the Storm Queen. Those who even contemplate crossing her die swiftly. She has no room for mercy in her heart—only vengeance!”

This encounter is two Spirit Nagas (each CR 9) and two more of the same CR 7 Hill Giants that you have already fought so many of.

It doesn't take the brave heroes long to dispatch these new foes, but apparently the Storm Queen's spies have alerted her to your investigations!

to be continued


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It soon becomes obvious where the pathfinders need to go: a massive thunderhead rumbles in the sky, with flares of lightning stabbing the darkness the storm brings. The people of Jol begin seeing giants astride massive raptors (rocs) flying into and out of the cloud. It appears that the Storm Queen has some kind of home or lair inside the massive cloud.

The pathfinders must fly 4000 feet up into the air to investigate. Fortunately, they are resourceful and are able to complete the ascent. (The module provides a variety of possible options that PCs might pursue - it is of course too far away for a simple potion of fly to suffice - but the expectation seems to be that at this level you'll be able to figure it out, possible by forking over some gold in the town.)

The ascent involves three challenges:

First, each pathfinder is eventually hit by a lightning bolt (an all or nothing 10d6 bolt, Ref DC 20).

Second, the pathfinders encounter a patrol of roc-mounted hill giants (Two more Hill Giants (CR 7) and two Rocs (CR 9).

Third, as the group finally arrives at the underside of the Storm Queen's massive floating barge, they meet the Storm Queen's pet blue dragon, who immediately attacks. (A young blue dragon, CR 9).

to be continued


Emerald Spire slides |

Finally, the group arrives at the top of the barge. A structure of wood, mithral, and gold, almost one hundred fifty feet long and over fifty feet wide, floats beneath what appears to be a wound in the sky itself, as though someone has pierced it from “the other side”—whatever that might mean. A thin stream of liquid drops down out of the sky into a gold-rimmed pool at the center of the floating structure. The substance at first seems like milk, but a more careful look reveals that quasi-human forms can be seen within it, as just for a moment a bit takes on the shape of a face or a hand clenched in a fist, and then fades back into liquid. A female cloud giant stands in the pool of thick, pearlescent white fluid as it undulates with a will—or wills—of its own. Faces of ancient warriors scowl and moan as they seep off of her massive form. She says, “So Zoarth has sent his lackeys all the way here. Even now he cannot confront me directly. Mayhaps I will let one of you live to carry back a message—a warning of his too-long-delayed demise.”

This fight is the finale, a CR 14 doozy. For your entertainment, I'll give you the details:

Hazards: Throughout the battle, the storm winds intensify. After the third round, the wind reaches severe strength (50 mph, –4 ranged attack penalty, Small creatures may be checked, Tiny creatures may be blown away, Fly checks suffer a –4 penalty, see page 439 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook). Verakas’s ranged attacks are considered to be the equivalent of siege weapons and are not affected. Each round after the first, a random character and all who are adjacent encounter a gust of hurricane strength (75 mph, ranged attacks are impossible, Verakas’s ranged attacks suffer a –4 penalty, Large creatures may be checked, Medium may be blown away, Fly checks suffer a –12 penalty, see page 439 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook).

Verakas has gained several abilities due to her exposure to the ectoplasm of the Pale Ones (see the Special Abilities section of her stat block); destroying the ectoplasm can make the battle against her go much easier. The ectoplasm only takes damage from channeled energy, divine energy damage (such as from flame strike), and magical fire. The material coating the cloud giant has 50 hit points; the ectoplasm in the pool has 100 hit points. Attacks against Verakas that use positive energy, holy damage, or magical fire automatically damage the ectoplasm coating her (though channeling positive energy heals Verakas herself just as it does any living creature). A PC can use these kinds of attacks as readied actions against her throwing ectoplasm; doing so automatically destroys the thrown ectoplasm addition to the PC’s attack’s normal effect. If the ectoplasm coating Verakas is destroyed, she loses all of the abilities she gains from it, although she can re-coat herself by entering the pool and spending a standard action to apply more ectoplasm to her body. Spells like dismissal or banishment can send the ectoplasm away from this plane, although it is treated as a 20 HD creature with a Will save bonus of +12.

Verakas CR 13 wrote:

NE Pale One-enhanced advanced cloud giant (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 147, 294)

hp 256
AC 33, touch 15, flat-footed 30 (+4 armor, +4 deflection, +3 Dex, +14 natural, –2 size)
Immune enchantment; SR 22

Melee
Huge +2 greatsword +26/+21/+16 (4d6+20) or
2 slams +22 (2d6+14 + 1d4 Con drain)

Ranged ectoplasm +13 ranged touch (3d6 negative energy plus possession) or
rock +14 (2d6+20)

TACTICS
During Combat: When combat with Verakas starts, the dragon Elactrialis comes to help the giantess (assuming she hasn’t fled the barge already); she still flees if reduced to 40 hit points or below. Verakas is likely to spend the first few rounds throwing the ectoplasmic essence of the Pale Ones at her opponents, hoping to sow dissent and confusion. She is not afraid of taking up her greatsword and wading into battle. For the duration of the battle, she talks while she fights (see sidebar on page 28); in her rage, she gives away the final pieces of the puzzle as to what’s really going on. Four rounds into the battle, two rocs (CR 9) come flying in to help her fight. Verakas fights either to the death, or until she is convinced to surrender by the PCs.

Gear Huge +2 chain shirt, Huge +2 greatsword, gold and ruby bracelet (1,200 gp)

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Pale One Enhancements (Su)
The essence of the Pale Ones grants Verakas a +4 deflection bonus to AC, SR 22, and immunity enchantment effects. Anyone touching Verakas or striking her with a natural weapon must make a DC 20 Fortitude saving throw or suffer 1d4 points of Constitution drain. This is also true of anyone she touches, including with slam attacks. While in the pool, Verakas can hurl giant-sized handfuls of the essence as a ranged touch attack with a range of 100 feet.

Possession (Su)
Any creature struck by Verakas’s hurled ectoplasm must make a Will saving throw (DC 20) or become temporarily possessed by one or more of the spirits within the essence. A possessed creature gains the confused condition while the spirits within it war for control. If the “act normally” result comes up on the confusion table, the creature can spend a full-round action to successfully cast out the possessing spirits; otherwise it can attempt a new saving throw every round (even if confused) to cast them out.

With each mighty swing of her massive greatsword, the Storm Queen shouts with rage. “So after all this time, Zoarth can’t even come here on his own? Did those cats send you here? When I am done dealing with you, I will get my revenge upon him and those damned cats! Did he tell you that he left me for dead? That I loved him, and he let those cats destroy all I had worked for? That they would have killed me if I had only been a bit weaker? Did he tell you that? Those cats seeped into our lives from Hell itself, and he chose them over me. We had a life! But it didn’t mean anything to Zoarth. So now, I will destroy him!”

to be continued


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Once the pathfinders (hopefully!) defeat the Storm Queen, they must still close the rift in the sky. (A variety of options are presented - I can describe them if you are interested) With the rift closed, the pool of ectoplasm fades and the storm cloud’s fury turns to gentle rain and dissipates in a few hours. The strange and destructive weather around Jol comes to an end.

When the pathfinders return to the giant wizard's castle, Zoarth is very surprised to learn that it was Verakas behind the attack against him. He’s shocked, in fact, to learn that she’s even alive. After all this time, however, he feels little in the way of remorse for his past actions, and instead ultimately regards news of Verakas with contempt. If the PCs don’t find that satisfying, they can attempt to make him feel guilty about what he’s done. They can play on his past love for her, her devotion to him, and so on. A successful DC 25 Diplomacy check means that he suddenly regrets his past and wishes to apologize to Verakas (if such a thing is possible anymore). If this happens, however, the cats begin to jump— seemingly playfully—all over Zoarth. Their hold on him is supernatural, and he recants any remorse.

If the pathfinders choose to hold him accountable for what he did to Verakas, he refuses to perform the ritual needed to access the Book of the Titan (as you may or may not recall, this was your original mission!) and calls upon his last remaining guardian - a "layered" golem (a stone golem - CR 11 - that, once destroyed - reveals an iron golem - CR 13 - inside it). On the other hand, if the pathfinders are not terribly concerned with holding Zoarth to account for his past crimes against his lover, he agrees to perform the ritual for them as requested.

As for the rift, and the spirits who traveled through it, the essence of the Pale Ones is too weak to sustain the spirits loosed into the world. They fade away harmlessly.

But what happened to the orb beyond? By the time the pathfinders got to the Storm Queen, the orb had already moved on. The magic it provides not only allows for the opening of doorways, but also for mass possession, the haunting of locales, manipulating events, or anything else that might give the Pale Ones access to the world or some kind of revenge. All it needs is to find a willing creature lusting after vengeance of its own....

The End

Feel free to add any role play you wish! Thanks again for playing, everyone!

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