GM Zer0darkfire's Witchwar Legacy (Inactive)

Game Master asdffghjkl01

@GM Zer0darkfire/ The Great Rinaldo - My character has 17 buffs up now. I do not want to overwhelm your list. If you really want to consolidate buffs the best way to do that is to have a game slide for buffs and a section for each character which that player is responsible for updating. I am currently using that system in another game and it works well.

Flint looks down with his Dwarf eyes adjusting to the darkness if necessary.

"Should we go down there first and investigate or should we explore the other areas first?"

High play be crazy like that. I'm very likely to not know all of your buffs, so just tell me if they would affect something currently happening like death ward for negative levels or freedom of movement for grapples.

"Well, we flew up to the top - we might as well work our way down, rather then flying to the bottom again..."

@GM Zer0darkfire - Flint is wearing a Lesser Talisman of Freedom. That is an automatically activated one-shot 3 rounds of Freedom of Movement vs. Entangle, Grapple or Paralysis if he ever suffers from that effect. I generally purchase a scroll of Death Ward but neglected to do so this time. I hope that it will not hurt too much. ;)

"Sure what area do you have in mind Gaius?"

Flint looks around to see what other nearby areas can be explored before heading down the Linorm's hole.

As far as I can tell, the only places to go thus far, are either down the hole up here, or back through the crack in the ice, near the geyser.

Since we have already flown up here, I thought we might as well go with the area closest to where we are now ;-)

"Dragons generally like to hoard treasure. I suspect that its trove is down in the hole. It is only 100 feet down and worth a look."

Nothing here then? You are sure?

Aurelia will scan the area herself, including with Detect Magic before we head down the hole.

Perception: 1d20 + 20 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 20 + 2 + 2 = 34

Daosvaria looks annoyed as she lands back on Aurelia's shoulder. You've not added to my horde in some time. This circlet is nice, but diamonds are a girl's best friend...

Flint shrugs at Aurelia's comments. He might be an irorian monk and inquisitor but he is still a dwarf and his racial lust for wealth remains intact.

"I checked (with a 47 Perception) but check again to be sure."

There is nothing else of interest up here, and you can't see anything too interesting down the hole right now, but you can tell that it leads to some cavern.

Your options are to enter the hole, telling me who is exploring it, or go down to the geyser, or fly to some other area of the Veil. I can't tell if Flint is actually flying to look or just looking around from up at the top.

Flint flies down the hole close to the ice wall using his yeti-like appearance to blend into the icy background. He carefully looks around mindful of hidden creatures or collapsing ice blocks(Perception 47 and See Invisibility) and goes as quietly as possible (Stealth 41). He will use the cover of the ice wall once he descends to covertly peer around the edge to see if there are creatures or treasure below.

If Flint feels that it is difficult to hide properly in these conditions then he will cast Invisibility on himself to aid his exploration.

Once down the hole you begin to hear the strangest sounds you've probably ever heard.

This vast, many-columned chamber has icicles forming a maze of stalactites on the ceiling and frozen curtains and ice pillars throughout. The floor itself is crowded with broken shards from dozens of ice columns that have shattered, creating razor-sharp stalagmites of ice.

Frozen in the ice is a huge black slime, as well as a ridiculous amount of treasure.

Map Revealed

Flint tries to identify the Black Slime (Take 10 on K-Dungeoneering is now 38). He then quietly returns to tell the party what he has discovered.

Did Flint need to cast invisibility or was the hard cover of the ice wall allow him to simply use stealth?

Edit - The map seems the same to me after the update.

Within the ice can be seen a dark mass, indiscernible beneath the layer of ice.

According to the module, you can't tell what it is through the ice. The map IS the same, I just removed all the fog of war on it. You can use stealth until you reach the bottom of the ceiling hole, which is still 70ft of the ground. You can see everything without needing to go further in.

Flint reports back to the group. His Zen training urges caution yet his lust for gold spurs him to action.

"There seems to be a black ooze type creature stuck within the ice with a tremendous amount of treasure. It seems like something to leave well enough alone until we are done with our mission. Then we can go back and spring the trap."

"I suggest that we go further down to explore another area (16C)."

No way any Dwarf regardless of his Wisdom score could turn away from all that loot but Flint is wise enough to delay his acquisition. :)

Hmm, I hate leaving that behind. What happens if we need to cut and run, or if removing the powerful artifact we are here to retrieve makes the whole area unstable. We won't be able to come back. I'll fly down and take a look?

Aurelia and Daosvaria fly down to the bottom of the shaft, hovering just inside the room.

Does it look like the ice could be easily melted or broken to get to the treasure beneath it?

Flint stays close to Aurelia acting as her bodyguard should she encounter any difficulties on the way.

This ice is much more resilient than normal ice, with the physical properties of hewn stone (hardness 8, hp 540 per 10-foot-square section, Break DC 50). To melt the ice, you need to deal fire damage that can surpass the hardness of the ice (times 2 since its an object).

Basically, yes, but it would take a while barring something like flame kineticist constantly blasting the ice. It also refreezes very quickly due to magic. On the other hand, it suffers from one fatal flaw, a break DC that is easily reachable by an investigator with applied engineering.

"Collecting the dragon's treasure should probably wait until we're sure the place is secure, and we've accomplished our mission."

@GM Does Aurelia think summoning a Greater Fire Elemental and having them go to town for 24 rounds make it through?

Being vulnerable to cold in a magically cold place, I can't see a fire elemental enjoying such a task. It also doesn't deal that much fire damage on its attacks, and yes, I get that its literally made of fire, but I have no idea how well it would melt the ice. The ice would also be turning to water, which is impassable terrain to fire elementals and would probably harm it. I see more issues from trying it than potential for success.

TL;DR Basically, I don't think it would work

Flint's eyes sparkle at the sight of Aurelia's determination to retrieve the treasure but he is content to wait.

"On the positive side. It does not look like the treasure is going anywhere soon. It has probably been locked inside the ice for centuries. I agree with Rinaldo. We should leave it now and return latter. I have no doubt that we will be able to break the wall given time."

So, through the hole and cave to area 16 or flying somewhere else in the veil? Your goal is to find the Torc, but you don't currently no where it is specifically.

Flint suggests flying to area 16 but to be mindful of the ice stalactites on the ceiling.

Could Flint use his Survival skill to bypass this hazard? It might just be flavor text but for the sake of argument assuming it is not.

Aurelia will cast Detect Magic and look around the room to see if there is anything visible worth checking out.

The stalactites are frozen solid and are not a hazard.

The entire Veil radiates heavy transmutation magic, but their are extremely faint auras of magic in the frozen treasure and black slime.

Flint will lead the group to area 16.

"We will come back for the treasure latter. The Black Slime radiating magic is an interesting development. I wonder what it means?"

"Possibly an illusion, or maybe an alarm triggered when someone engages it?"

Rinaldo follows Flint, ready for action.

A vast hollow opens in the face of the frozen waterfall, forming a high-ceilinged ice cave. Here, out of the same ubiquitous ice, has been constructed a traditional Irrisen village of multilevel cottages topped with steep, gabled roofs. Many are built directly into the jagged ice walls that form the cavelike hollow. The tinkling of water can be faintly heard above the moaning of the wind from somewhere in the cluster of buildings. Near the lip of the ice cliff stands a larger structure that appears to be surrounded by a ring of statues. Part of the ceiling has collapsed at the back of this tomb. A rough, vertical passage climbs 100 feet to area 20.

A DC 15 Knowledge (history or local) check is enough to recognize that the village is actually a style of necropolis common to peoples of the North many centuries ago— an imitation of the ordinary life that the deceased had left behind. This one is unique in that it is composed entirely of Baba Yaga’s magical ice. The ice tombs are sculpted in exquisite detail to mimic the cottages they represent, and each has a single door carved into one
wall.

New Map

Flint suggests exploring the area to the East first (Area 18).

Rinaldo nods and stays near but out of Flint's way as he leads the way.

Tuwo stays near the front and keeps an eye out for traps or ambushes.

This structure resembles a large, two-story cottage with wide double doors at its front and rear. Above the southern doors is a giant clock face, ten feet in diameter. The clock bears strange, arcane symbols instead of traditional numbers and has four hands—one short, one long, one forked, and one wavy—that appear to be keeping time in no recognizable system. Rows of identical white marble statues depicting a bent old crone holding a scythe with a blade of dull-gray metal stand at the building’s base. These statues appear to be on railed tracks of ice that loop around the sides of the clock building, from one set of double doors to the set on the opposite side.

This strange building is a giant cuckoo clock. It keeps no time recognizable to inhabitants of Golarion, and the symbols on its face are completely indecipherable. Anyone entering the building finds its interior empty save for the rows of statues. Any gears or mechanisms for operating the clock or bells for the sounding of its chimes are conspicuously absent.

Anyone on the south side of the clock can make a DC 12 Perception check to notice a message scratched in the ice before the double doors. It is written in Skald.

Tuwo looks at the clock. "Some weird clock puzzle presumably."

After examining the clock he points out the oddities in the hands and 9 o-clock position..

He also spots the very small writing and despite not speaking Skald he repeats it as exactly as he can.

Go ahead and read the second and nested spoilers.

"I was correct. A puzzle. Presumably involving moving the statues and possibly involving performing specific gestures by them as well."

He then looks around for marks on the ground that may suggest former movements of the statues. Or footprints.

Hmm, seems to be written in Skald.

Aurelia casts her SLA Comprehend Languages. woohoo! second time I've ever used it in the life of this character...

A stitch in time. Taking 10 on Perception for a 32, Aurelia looks closer at the symbol where the 9 would be, and says There seems to be some additional writing here. It's very small.
Linguistics: 1d20 + 25 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 25 + 2 = 34
There's a poem here:
A stitch in time saves nine,
But what loop will the witch queen heed?
In pointless slaughter
The Old Crone’s daughter
A hapless mob did lead.
Now she sits in tomb that’s frozen,
The traitors’ blood all spilled
Upon the path that she had chosen,
Enthroned with collar gild.
Ringed in steel, three loops times nine
Prized from the luckless seat,
Supplicants kneel, of porcelain fine,
The banished queen to meet.
It matters not who’s dared to come
The demon’s soul to claim,
The weak shall die, the strongest live
And forever more remain

Flint was already reaching for his scroll of Comprehend Languages when Aurelia began reciting the poem.

"Well that saves a scroll. Good work Aurelia. I think that we should move on now rather than puzzle out the meaning of this clock and the poem."

Flint suggests going deeper down past area 16 and then proceeding mostly North (to the chamber on the top of the map).

@GM Zer0darkfire - At the eight minute mark. Flint will renew his Shield spell with his Staff of Minor Arcana.

Sorry, I'm definitely used to the style of "buff up and they last the whole dungeon" so I haven't been keeping up with a timer. It was about 4min to get to the linnorm, 12s to fight it, about a minute to scout the cave, another to all come down, and then probably about half a minute to move over here. So about 7 minutes I'd say

Just posting to say Messa and I are keeping up, but have nothing to contribute that isn't already taken care of. :-) We are also fine with Flint choosing the direction for us to explore, to avoid the PbP "two days to vote on every decision" problem.

@GM Zer0darkfire - I generally try to avoid 1 minute/level buffs unless necessary. Heightened Awareness solves itself as it can be expended for effect when entering combat and you are likely to have one encounter every ten minutes. Shield is problematic but at least with the staff a charge will last 8 minutes. The wand is a real pain with a 1 minute duration. TL;DR - Flint will use another charge off his staff.

Edit - Thanks Rinaldo and Messa. I like to keep my game moving as well and we are going to be visiting all the areas anyways so it is not a real decision anyways. :)

Likewise on the minute/level - I had cast Good Hope anticipating a longer encounter with the linnorm, so it's still up for now, but otherwise I have multi-hour buffs going.

I'm fine with following Flint as well. Tuwo's only short term buff is effectively a cantrip.

My shortest buff that I care about is 10 minutes/level, so I am good to go.

Happy to follow Flint. My spells are hour or 10 min/lvl other than Heightened Awareness, which pops every combat.

Ok, yes, the dragon was on top of the waterfall, it's hole led to the area with the frozen treasure and slime, but the tunnel there actually leads you to a different location. Terribly sorry about that, I've been annoyed at the maps of this module since the first encounter, but hopefully know I've finally got it set straight.

The cavern path opens up into a small room that appears to a single, plain chamber with 3 ice biers upon which lie the frozen remains of human warriors of Irrisen, still clad in their arms and armor. One of you easily realized that these warriors are members of Baba Yaga’s loyal army who fell in battle against Tashanna’s rebels; they are interred here as honorary guardians of the traitors’ tomb. None are animate, and they have no valuables other than their armor and weapons. There are no magic items among them.

There are no obvious exists from this chamber, but using Messa's wall sight, you can see that adjacent chambers do have doors you could use if you want to get through the wall here to do so. She can also see that the south facing wall leads to stairs leading down, and into a town (but there is no door to access them).

The map you're actually exploring.

You definitely used some scrying or clairvoyance to see those other places, right? Glad I caught this early.

Hearing Messa's description of the area behind the walls, Rinaldo says, "We could potentially teleport in and out, but neither of us could get the entire group."

Rinaldo has Dimension Door, but can only carry 3 additional Medium or smaller creatures. Messa has Teleport, and could get up to 6 additional people with Teleport, but only has it prepped once. The giant tiger would also be problematic.

I can use my Dimensional Steps ability and carry more people, but my uses of this are not endless. Lets me bring along more people, with no limit indicated in the description. I just need to spend the distance for each person, but with 5 people and 2 animals, that's 55ft for each 5ft of travel. I can also boost my caster level to 18 with Arcane Pool and carry 6 passengers in a DD or Teleport. That covers the party, but not the animals.

@Rinaldo at CL13, you can carry 4 passengers in a DD. it's 1/3 caster level

Flint nods knowing that there are many ways to bypass the wall.

"Creating a magical pit underneath the wall would work as well. We would then be able to fly under and over the wall. Or of course we could just do it the old-fashioned way and have the animals break down the wall. It does not look too thick."

Flint who is a trained Engineer (Prof-Engineering) checks to see how difficult it would be to breach the wall.

Why do we want to go inside what is basically a Mausoleum? Are you just curious or do you want to loot all of these houses? That seems somewhat disrespectful and will likely wind up raising alarms or rousing guardians if there are any.

"Good point - maybe we just make a note of this area and come back if we don't find what we are looking for otherwise?"

Flint nods. He leads the party to another open area that can be reached by air (area 16).

"Alright. We can explore the other areas by air first. Eventually I imagine that we will have to deal with the geyser at the base of the falls."

@GM Zer0darkfire - Assuming that it is the same map you showed up previously we can skip area 18 and head straight to the top of the map. Otherwise we will just deal with Area 16.