GM ZD's The Sandstone Secret (Inactive)

Game Master Z...D...

Yunko looks at the man a little confused, Captain Norden chief man said we would get first look at this place, who sent you here?

"I'd much be interest'd in seein' whot you already dug up in this here tomb, I would." states Ott. "T'would save me some trouble and mean less time'n this here sand pit for me, if ya know what I mean."

He looks puzzeled as the goblin yaps at him. "Why Venture Captain Norden Balentiir, the one in charge of all the agents in Osirion."

"Hmm. The Venture Captain must be losing track of his agents." He says with a slight chuckle. "I have not uncovered as much as I have liked. However, it appears that the residue in the pits may still hold some acidity to them. If you just add a bit of water. I think, this may have been an embalming chamber." He says as he scraps the bottom of one of the pits. He add a drop of water and it begins to sizzle.

"Here to take over?" He frowns, "Well if that is what the Venture Captain says. I guess I'll have to follow along."

"Perfect! The more the merrier. What else have you uncovered so far? Mind if we share notes?" The elf takes out his notes regarding the Osirian sculpture and engravings.

Zhera shoots Klank a questioning look, before turning back to the amicable man. "Considering that the Venture-Captain mentioned nothing about people being here, I don't believe there was any mention of who would be in charge. I believe we can cooperate readily without having to decide a pecking order. But, yes, as Mindartis says, we should compare notes! Not that we have many notes to be sharing..."

She walks up to the man and extends a hand, "My name, however, is Zherayiss Taniyia. That's Z-he-RA-yiss, with an emphasis on the 'ra,' and TA-ni-yea, as in 'Yeah, I'll pay you.' You can call me Ms. Taniyia, Zherayiss. And you, my good sir, are?"

She looks over at the pits and gives a hmmm of thought. "Embalming pits? Think they might still be dangerous?"

"Now, not so much. Now back when they were in use. Most definitely. He taps his chin. "My complete collection of notes is back in another room which I have made into a makeshift office."

Anyone with craft can attempt to make some acid flask

crafting: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

"Wow! Extremely concentred White vinigar!"

While she is doing this, she adds to the stranger.

"It must have been a long time. Your permit was one year before us."

"All this talk of food is making me hungry, yeah?" notes Ott. "Perhaps, we'll follow ya back ta yer office and, maybe check out some of yer rations. 'Fraid the ole Venture Captain didn't give us near enough, know what I mean?"

Inono, you manage to make three lesser acid flask out of the powdery residue that has been left behind. I also need your information in my slides. Can not start the next encounter with out them

Yunjo still looks a little confused. Norden said place wasn't open yet, sent us with shovels for digging and everything. You think he forgot you sent here? Seems a bit weird. Anyway, what you found here then?

"Yes, well he is far away from the location now isn't he" The man says. He begins to speak, but the brazier flames begin to falter as a dark wind blows across the room. The flames come back and with it comes the sound of scurrying.

Coming out of the cracks and crevices comes long insects with many legs, they quickly come together and form a swarm.

If you wish to recall knowledge, it will cost an action and will need a nature check

Inono and Zherayiss is up

Zhera gives a small start at the gigantic numbers of bugs swarming out of the cracks and takes a second to think of what they might be Nature (Recall Knowledge) Trained: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 Wait that is supposed to be a secret roll. Feel free to roll for her instead, if you want to keep it secret.

As she starts to imperiously list off what she can recall abou the creatures she starts to prepare the best tactic for handling them.
Going to wait for the results of the Nature check. If it doesn't show any weaknesses, then she'll go for a longbow strike or two. Jsut realizing she has no elemental damaging spells... not good.

Zherayiss tries to remember anything about these creatures, but do to the sudden emergence, does not remember anything.

Zherayiss, you have two actions remaining.

Zhera takes an arrow and notches it t her bow with the trained practice of a bowman. She pulls back on the string and lets one fly, before following it up with a second. "Mayhaps this will get the bugs to scatter before they start trying to feast on us."

Longbow: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (5) + 6 = 11
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

Longbow, MAP: 1d20 + 6 - 5 ⇒ (9) + 6 - 5 = 10
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

Inonotusoblitus moves toward the swarm. She draws one those acid flask and she throw it.

"Eat this vinegar!"

attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2persistant acid damage, 1 acid damage and 1 splash acid damage.

What happen when a bomb crit?

Zherayiss fires off two arrows, but skip over the swarm.

Nothing, since the acid flask just does persistent and splash damage. Neither gets doubled on a critical hit.

Inono tosses an acid flash at the swarm and it breaks apart in the middle.

The swarm converges on Inono. He manages to dodge some of the pincers. Inono takes 4 damage

All pathfinders go

Oh, the other guy flees the room once the swarm comes into play

Mindartis tries to remember what he knows about the swarm. [1st action]

Nature (T): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

He then commands Mialee to attack the swarm [2nd action].As the hawk dives for a bite at the swarm, Mindartis fires an arrow towards the swarm [3rd action].

Longbow: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 5 Piercing

The white hawks obeys its master as it flies towards the swarm and attacks it with its beak.

Jaws: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6 Piercing

Mandartis does not recall any knowledge on the swarm as well.

Mindartis fires her arrow falls in the middle of the swarm, but fails to do any damage.

The hawk moves in and attempts to scoop up some insects, but fails to grab hold of any on the first attempt

Klank, Zherayiss, Yunko, Ott and Inono may act

Yunko gives a little squee of delight and shouts Bugeses! Theres great eating on these! He scurries forward and shoves out one smarl hand with knobbly fingers and rather dirty fingernails and unleashes a blast of flame right at the swarm.

Taste much better cooked!

Moving so I dont hit any of my allies and casting burning hands. DC17 Basic reflex save.

Burning hands damage, burn it, bloodline: 2d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 1 + 1 = 8

"Seems them pointing thing aren't much good 'gainst these bugs, yeah?" notes Ott. "Sometimes all ya kin do is step on 'em."

The portly halfling strolls over to the swarm and begins to stamp down on them fast and hard.
Stride; Flurry of Blows

Strike (flurry): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Damage (B): 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

Strike (flurry): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Damage (B): 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0
Crit Damage (B): 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (1) - 1 = 0

Bad luck, that is.

As the swarm of insects grows Klank is quite slow to react "That's a TON of bugs." He tries to figure out what sort of weapons would work on things like that, and if he's got any of them available.

Recall Knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Regardless, he moves towards the swarm, drawing out his shield as he does.

Action 1: recall knowledge, Action 2: Stride, Action 3: draw but not raise shield. If he is hit he does have reactive shield and will use shield block.

Gm, i will suggestion to look at the discussion. IT persistant damage does double.

Inonotusoblitus does the same thing.

acid: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6 persistant+1 acid+1 acid splash.

Zhera takes note of the ineffectiveness of Mindartis's bow and decides to try a different tactic. She raises one hand and makes a slow lifting gesture, as if she was grabbing a handful of flour. Repeating the gesture a few times she invokes a chant in what almost sounds like draconic. A moderate sized stone slowly wobbles off of the ground and floats over the thringing insects. With a sharp zipping motion she cuts the ethereal threads holding the stone and tries to drop it on the bugs. "I might be willing to admit that trying to spear them might not have been the best idea. But splattering them under rocks can certainly work!"

(Telekinetic Projectile): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Damage, bludgeoning: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Yunko moves forward and covers the area in flame. The swarm manages to dodge all of the flame.

Ott fails to do anything to the swarm, besides push a few out of the way.

The kernal fails to recall anything about the insects.

Inono tosses another flask. It impacts in the middle of the swarm once more.

Zhera launches a rock at it and it smashed into the critters.

The swarm overtakes Ott and continues to move forward. The centipedes bite at the halfling. Ott takes 13 damage from the swarming insects

Pathfinders are up

"This isn't working at all." The elf focuses on the swarm and commands his companion to use another method of attacking. "Enough with the pecking! Use your claws, Mialee! He shouts as he sends another arrow flying at the swarm.

Longbow vs. Prey: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Damage vs Prey: 2d8 ⇒ (7, 6) = 13 Piercing and Precision?

Actions: Hunt Prey, Command Animal, Ranged Strike

The hawk takes two talon strikes at the swarm.

Talon: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13
Talon MAP: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 6 - 4 = 3

Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Slashing
Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Slashing

EEEK! shouts Yunko, that's not good!

He scurries across the room and sends another blast of flame at the swarm.

Stop surrounding it, you make it hard to avoid hitting you stoopid humans

Burning hands, bun it, bloodline: 2d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1, 6) + 1 + 1 = 9
DC17 basic reflex save

Not seeing much effective work with most weapons, Klank does what he can. He takes a cautious step towards the swarm and tries mashing as many as possible with the flat of his shield. "This works on cockroaches but never tried on this many!" He shouts over the din of battle.

Shield Bash: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 171d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Shield Bash: 1d20 + 7 - 5 ⇒ (3) + 7 - 5 = 51d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

He will use reactive shield and shield block if attacked.

Ott fails to do anything to the swarm, besides push a few out of the way.

@ GM Z..D.. - If Ott had realized that his attacks were not harming the insects, he would have moved away from the swarm as indicated at the bottom of the post above rather than allow himself to be swarmed. Please let me know if Ott could have taken the second Stride before getting swarmed as it will impact his actions this round. (However, given how little he can contribute to this battle, he is probably as useful/if not more in being knocked out (and preventing the bugs from swarming others) than he is unharmed)!

Zhera starts her chant up again raising the rock out of the mass of bugs and sliding it over a different pach before cutting it off and droping it. "A little primative for my tastes, but I'm not going to get anywhere near those creatures!"

(Telekinetic Projectile): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Crit?: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

She then gives a short command in what sounds eeriely close to draconic, and follows up with a flick up of her free hand raising a small nearly translucent shield of force between her and the swarm.

2 actions to cast Telekinetic Projectile and a single to cast Shield. Her AC is 17 for this round.

I apologize OTT, I posted that part after working 12 hours. I was brain dead. Your stride would definitely take you out of reach of the swarm. So, GM error, I will allow you to move out of the way, and have the swarm lose its remaining actions.

Mindartis fires another arrow into the swarm. This time she manages to skewer a few.

Yunko the Goblin manages to burn some this round as well.

Kernal attempts to smash them with his shield, but with no luck.

Zherayiss then launches a slightly bigger projectile and smashes the remaining of the swarm.

Out of Initiative

So go ahead and recover if you wish. And let me know where you wish to go next. Room to the south, room to the west or the hallway with two statues.

Klank squishes a lone remaining bug under his boot as the others disperse the swarm "That went better than I'd have expected... Hey were's that other guy gone to?" He looks around suspiciously, hoping to follow where ever he went.

Perception: Seek?: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Where did our 'friend' run off to? We should probably follow him.
Zhera gives a stretch and then sniffs over the dead centipedes. "Not a problem for the likes of me... us! We did good work, now where did our head friend get off to? I still want to see his notes."

@ GM Z..D.. - No worries. It's all good.

"So, our new 'friend' us; bugger'd off, did 'e?" replies Ott, quickly scanning the room as much for any signs of more bugs as for signs of where the missing man went. "Well, we're all jus' stuck in a big 'ole here, ain't we? Cain't be too 'ard to find the man, yeah?"

Survival to Trck: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Yunko gathers up a selection of crispy and squished bugs and stows them in his pack. Hmm, never know when you might find good bugs again

He looks around the room. Why he run off? Was just some bugs. Maybe find his camp, he said he had lots of notes.

Yunko looks around to try and work out which parts of the complex the main has been in.

Perception if relevant: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

He ran off because the bugs would have killed in one turn. NPC with no stats. You all do remember him saying he has a make shift office in one o f the rooms.

You find tracks, but they lead out of the tomb altogether. If you take time to follow them. They lead into desert.

He is essentially out of play at this point.

"Looks like he's exit the ruins," Mindartis says examining the tracks. "Well, looks like we have to look for his makeshift office somewhere."

He gives a soft whistle and Mialee positions herself on his shoulder once more. "That was a good fight, Mia. Have yourself a treat."

Yunko sniffs the air at each of the exits from the room with the bugs. Poitning at the eastern door he shouts, Lets go here and scurries over to open the door. Just before he reaches the handle he pauses a moment, Nasty old ruin, someone should check to see if it trapped?

If we are back in exploration mode Yunko will be searching

"Pretty suspicious that guy just ran off, I'm gunna let the guards know upstairs so they can keep an eye out. Be right back." Klank heads back up quickly to warn the guards, mumbling to himself as he goes. Pathfinder 'boss' that just runs off at the sight of some bugs?

He rejoins the others soon after, returning towards the front as they search their way for the office room. "Find anythin' good?"

Search Mode: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Kernal moves through the door, after thoroughly checking for traps. You seem to have found the man's field office.

Most of the objects in this room are mundane pieces of gear, which together form an adventurer’s kit. There is a satchel filled various objects that he has looted from this room. These include an ominous curved dagger with a small onyx gem in its hilt and a mirror decorated with a serpent motif. In total, the contents of the satchel are worth 3 gp.

The GM is just going to put you on rails for the last bit. The combat is over, and their is not really much more to do. I will slow us down if needed.

The group heads to the Northwestern room. The weapon, armor, and shield in the corner of the room were of poor quality even when they were placed here, and they are now rusted beyond any hope of repairing them. Three stone slabs in the center of the room are slightly loose.

In the bottom of the sarcophagus is a small onyx pendant.

"Here it is." Hollers Klank as he opens the room up. He moves along with the others to gather whatever items they can find, not sure if they find exactly what they're looking for though. "A fancy looking dagger at least. Did anyone find those notes?"

As they get to the NW room though he lingers on the rusted, shoddy equipment "Well this stuff is junk. Certainly not Dwarven, no way that gets past the master smith with all those cracks and flaws."

arcane: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

"The talisman is magic. You are faster for 6 seconds."

After defeating the dangerous creature within the ruins, the PCs can finish exploring at their own pace and return to the surface when they are ready. The guards are relieved to hear that the PCs have dealt with this unexpected danger, as is Venture-Captain Norden Balentiir.

"Well, looks like our work's done for now," Mindartis says as he continues writing down his notes. "I think we should head back and report our findings."

"That's it? We traveled all this way for THAT?" Its clear that the Kernal is a bit disgruntled at the level of resource mobilization and expenditure it took for such a simple exploration. Its clear the Envoy has much work ahead to straighten this Society out.

Mindartis, could you head over to discussion and roll for your downtime check

The PCs are invited to a celebratory gathering at the Grand Lodge to recognize the successful completion of the new Pathfinder initiates’ training and confirmation trials. Each PC has received an invitation from Head Initiate Janira Gavix encouraging them to attend the celebration.

Please see invitation in the presentation.

Yunko grips the invitation tightly with a big wide grin on his face. He makes sure to show it to everyone they meet, See, Yunko supposed to be here, not stuck in kitchens cleaning pots no more!