GM Xavier Kahlvet's Strange Aeons 2e

Game Master KingTreyIII

Jevar commands the nearby spirit in motion... Run away!

◆◆ Cast a spell: Command (stand in place) on BLUE

He then steps out of their midst.

◆ Step SW

Keep your will strong Kolgradd! It doesn't seem to be affecting your judgement yet.

Jevar commands the ghost to run.

Blue Will: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (10) + 29 = 39

Botting Shohreh: Shohreh throws her starknife at Kolgradd! Astral rune, she can target the possessing creature. With how the rune is worded, I’m gonna rule that having it means that ALL of the damage goes to the possessing creature, not just the spirit damage.

Shohreh vs Red: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (20) + 24 = 44
Ghost Touch Slashing Damage (doubled from crit): 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (2, 2, 1) + 3 = 8 Spirit Damage (doubled from crit): 1d6 ⇒ 1 plus 7 15 temp HP

Plus a Will save to be forcibly ejected from Kolgradd.

Red Will | DC 26: 1d20 + 29 ⇒ (5) + 29 = 34

Shohreh then casts spirit blast, also on the ghost in Kolgradd!

Spirit Damage: 16d6 ⇒ (1, 1, 3, 2, 3, 6, 4, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 5, 2) = 45
Red basic Fort: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (7) + 21 = 28

Boodiddly moves over and unleashes a spiritual song! You can’t really position it to get Blue without also getting a non-Kolgradd ally, so I’m just gonna assume you aim it for exclusively Kolgradd. Kolgradd is immune to the spell as per the tangent at the top.

Red Fort: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (13) + 21 = 34

And Boodiddly’s song expels the malevolent spirit violently from Kolgradd as its own essence is completely demolished as it flies backwards out of him!

Kolgradd moves over and attacks Blue!

Damn the flavor of this creature forcing me to use less-than-viable tactics!

Blue reaches out to touch Kolgradd…

Blue vs Kolgradd: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (20) + 28 = 48
Void Damage (doubled from crit): 3d10 + 14 ⇒ (7, 9, 1) + 14 = 31 Spirit Damage (doubled from crit): 2d6 ⇒ (4, 6) = 10

…then reaches out its hand to try to possess Shohreh!

Shohreh Will; Occult Resistance: 1d20 + 28 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 28 + 1 = 48 Critical Success

And is shocked when the effect VIOLENTLY does not work! Not even an imperfect possession like Red, the possession straight-up does not work.

From the Walls
Round 3
==============
Ghost <Blue> (-74 from “2” attacks [before resistances])
Jevar
Shohreh (-38)
Boodiddly
Kolgradd (-82) {doomed 1}
==============

If anyone remains adjacent to the remaining possessive-poltergeist, Kolgradd will switch one of these attacks to a Stride or Step to get into flank

An involuntary shudder passes over Kolgradd as the spiritual barrage eventually exorcises his passenger, and then seconds later the ghostly touch almost brings him to his knees.

Shaking it off, he shouts.

"Finish it off before it takes one of us!"

◆ Strike
Longhammer: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (11) + 32 = 43
Piercing: 3d8 + 14 ⇒ (5, 6, 1) + 14 = 26 Cold: 1d6 ⇒ 3 Fire: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Force: 1d6 ⇒ 2

◆ Strike
Longhammer: 1d20 + 32 - 5 ⇒ (10) + 32 - 5 = 37
Piercing: 3d8 + 14 ⇒ (8, 1, 2) + 14 = 25 Cold: 1d6 ⇒ 1 Fire: 1d6 ⇒ 4 Force: 1d6 ⇒ 5

◆ Strike
Longhammer: 1d20 + 32 - 10 ⇒ (19) + 32 - 10 = 41
Piercing: 3d8 + 14 ⇒ (2, 5, 6) + 14 = 27 Cold: 1d6 ⇒ 6 Fire: 1d6 ⇒ 5 Force: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Despite knowing he's not the most imposing figure, Jevar wheels around to the opposite side of the ghost from Kolgradd.

◆ Stride 20ft

and now we have flank

Jevar calls down a tendril of lightning that cracks with thunder as it lashes at the ghost.

◆◆ Cast a spell: Thunderstrike (heightened rank 2) vs BLUE
Electricity damage, DC37 basic reflex: 2d12 ⇒ (5, 10) = 15
Sonic damage, DC37 basic reflex: 2d4 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4

A target wearing metal armor or made of metal takes a –1 circumstance bonus to its save, and if damaged by the spell is clumsy 1 for 1 round.

Shohreh whirls on the remaining ghost, slashing into its essence with her starknife, then attends to Kolgradd's wounds.

Starknife vs Blue: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (5) + 25 = 30 Hero point
Starknife vs Blue: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (12) + 25 = 37
Slashing/Piercing, Ghost Touch: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 2, 3) + 3 = 9 plus Spirit: 1d6 ⇒ 4 for 13 damage and 7 temp HP

Battle Medicine for Kolgradd, DC 30: 1d20 + 31 ⇒ (8) + 31 = 39
Healing: 2d8 + 40 ⇒ (1, 5) + 40 = 46

◆ Cast shield
◆ Strike
◆ Battle Medicine

Jevar moves to flank and sends a bolt of lightning at the spirit.

Blue basic Reflex: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (11) + 28 = 39

Resistance negates the electricity damage, but due to an erratum, it doesn’t separately negate the sonic damage.

Shohreh attacks the spirit then patches up Kolgradd.

Botting Boodiddly: Boodiddly harmonizes.

Kolgradd attacks the spirit he is flanking, finally causing the spirit to dissipate! First attack crits due to the flanking, and it’s only because of that crit that Blue falls.

Clearly seeing that this secret door is important enough to be guarded by two spirits, the former-amnesiacs make an effort to get it open.

Kolgradd Athletics: 1d20 + 32 ⇒ (18) + 32 = 50

Through the secret door

Rows of cell doors, each fit with a small barred window, ring the outer edges of this room, except to the south where a corridor leads away from the area to a door barred with a piece of iron. At the center of the chamber is a dark pit in the stone masonry floor. A thick layer of dust lies on the floor, marred by a recent set of footprints. Map Updated

All but one of the cells is left ajar—the closed one being the northernmost cell on the western wall. Shohreh notices that there seems to be a wall-mounted key hanger on which several keys (presumably to the cells) hang. It is just that said hanger is, rather strangely, 20 feet above the ground Kolgradd’s legendary in Athletics, so getting to them is handwaved.

The group begins searching the cells gonna leave what’s in the locked cell for last. Jevar finds that in the southernmost cell on the western wall is what he eventually identifies as an amplifying aeon stone Inventory Updated that had been wedged into a crack in the wall.

The locked cell has a small blank notebook, a quill and bottle of ink, a water flask, and a loaf of stale bread, all of which are tucked in a wooden bucket. There’s also a handful of other equipment, but I can’t 100% list them out at this exact moment in time. They’re basically the confiscated gear of the cells’ only prisoner.

And finally, the deep pit in the center of the room houses a single occupant at its bottom: A old and decrepit human man. Upon seeing the former-amnesiacs, the man lets out a tortured, guttural cry to get their attention.

Again, level 15 PCs; getting a single old man out of a 30-foot pit is handwaved.

When the man is brought out of the pit, he wearily smiles and nods his head in gratitude. There is then a brief bit of charades where the man silently requests a pen and paper. When he is finally given it, he begins to write something, pauses in thought for a moment, then writes out multiple lines, each in different languages. He then presents the paper to the former amnesiacs.

Most of the languages are unrecognizable to the former-amnesiacs, but one stands out: Aklo which Kolgradd can translate:

(Point to this line if you understand it) Thank you for helping me. Who are you and why did you help me, though?

What do you do?

If I can assume Kolgradd does indeed translate...

Jevar listens intently as Kolgradd relays the meaning. Once clearly directed he points at the line to indicating understanding.

"We helped you simply because you seemed in need and and we need as much help as possible to make sense of the places we navigated. We came upon you."

He waits for Kolgradd to translate back.

Keep it simple before "face magic" is injected.

The man looks a bit confused at Jevar's words and writes:

Aklo: But I am just a man at the end of his life; what help could I be?

"Ask him if he's Zann," Boodiddly suggests. "If he is, maybe don't mention the count who threw him in here, but let him know we know how he was mistreated for trying to help and ask him if he can explain what he was attempting to do."