The sense I get is that there's a consensus to try to find Togarin? I'll wait a few more hours for any last thoughts, and then move us on to the next scene.
Having accepted Daegros' offer, you return the way you came through the magical yellow smoke. Returning to the room with the table and chairs, you search the north door for traps and find it clear. Rozimus tries to pick the lock and jimmies it open easily! "I've still got it," he says, pleased that he can be of use again.
The door opens to reveal a cold, dank hallway running east to west. Faded frescoes cover the wall, showing skeletal warriors garbed in fluted ceramic plate armor of an ancient empire. The floor is decorated in mosaics of various blue stones. The room looks safe, though a feeling of unease comes over you as you enter it. Another door is at the eastern end of the corridor.
For the purposes of buff tracking, I'm going to say about ten minutes or so have passed since entering the dungeon (conversations with Rozimus and Daegros, plus everyone searching every door and room).
Human M Human Alchemist 8 |Current AC: 23 AC Base: 21 T 14 FF 20 | HP 58/58 | F +9 R +12 W +5| CMD 13 | Init +8 (12wHA)| Perc +19 | Spells: Level 1 5/6 Level 2 3/5 Level 3 2/3| Bombs 19/19 | Active Buffs: SeeInvis, Heroism, DrkVsn, BrkSkn, Cog
Well this place sure is cheery. Lets be careful...
Ridley will scan the hallway with his lantern, then motion for Kivuli to lead us further if nothing notable turns up from the light.
When the door is opened, you see the corridor continues to the east but that there's a door on the southeast wall. Ridley's lantern illuminates moderate illusion magic near the center of the corridor.
”Luke” | Male CN Medium Human Fighter Two-Handed 4 | HP 36/46 | AC 17, T 12, FF 15 | CMD 20| F +7 R +3 W +5; +2 vs. divination effects; | Init +2 | Perc +5 | Speed 20ft | Power attack -2/+6 | Active Conditions:.
Taman approaches the southeast door, opens it and looks inside.
Luke and Rozimus advance into the corridor. They get about halfway down when they suddenly stop.
Luke:
You see phantom images of your companions aged dozens of years, with torn clothes, ragged hair, and crazed eyes, begging for help and imploring you not to trust Togarin. Grasping with emaciated hands, they plead “We helped him destroy the time lock, and were forever trapped! You still have a chance to save yourself, to save us!”Have some fun role-playing this. I also need you to roll a Will save and a Fortitude save (effect tags: trap, illusion, emotion, fear, mind-affecting).
Kivuli follows the pair in. Rozimus gives a blood-curdling scream and drops to the ground, his hair turned white and his face contorted in a ghastly rictus of terror!
Dang, Rozimus just couldn't catch a break!
We had a bit of overlap in posting, but I think it's smoothed out now.
Kivuli:
You see phantom images of your companions aged dozens of years, with torn clothes, ragged hair, and crazed eyes, begging for help and imploring you not to trust Togarin. Grasping with emaciated hands, they plead “We helped him destroy the time lock, and were forever trapped! You still have a chance to save yourself, to save us!”Unfortunately, Luke has triggered the trap before you'll get a chance to disable it. (I did give you a trap spotter check in an earlier post, but you failed the DC by 1). I need you to roll a Will save and a Fortitude save (effect tags: trap, illusion, emotion, fear, mind-affecting).
Will vs DC ?? (illusion/Inspiration to swap INT for WIS):1d20 + 5 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 5 + 2 + 4 = 15 Fort vs DC ??:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 Fort vs DC ?? (GM Reroll):1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 3 + 1 = 19
”Luke” | Male CN Medium Human Fighter Two-Handed 4 | HP 36/46 | AC 17, T 12, FF 15 | CMD 20| F +7 R +3 W +5; +2 vs. divination effects; | Init +2 | Perc +5 | Speed 20ft | Power attack -2/+6 | Active Conditions:.
rolls:
Will:1d20 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 3 + 2 = 21
fort:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
GM:
GM didn't Kivuli noticed the trap or something with his perception 40?
As Rozimus falls dead, you see Kivuli also seems terrified for a moment but manages to shake it off and comes back his normal self. Luke seems okay, but he clearly experienced . . . something.
A few seconds later, you hear a tremendous explosion from somewhere in the far distance, and then screams echo through the complex before dying off.
Kivuli:
Best use of a GM reroll ever! You take 12 points of damage but otherwise can just role-play the results.
Luke:
You made both saves, so you're fine, and can just RP the results. Kivuli failed the Trapspotter check and then you moved into the room and triggered the trap as he was coming in to check for traps normally. It was just bad timing.
”Luke” | Male CN Medium Human Fighter Two-Handed 4 | HP 36/46 | AC 17, T 12, FF 15 | CMD 20| F +7 R +3 W +5; +2 vs. divination effects; | Init +2 | Perc +5 | Speed 20ft | Power attack -2/+6 | Active Conditions:.
"Guys, here is something weird and dangerous going on! Don't enter!"
"Can someone help Rozimus!" Luke picks up Rozimus and bring the body out of the room.
”Luke” | Male CN Medium Human Fighter Two-Handed 4 | HP 36/46 | AC 17, T 12, FF 15 | CMD 20| F +7 R +3 W +5; +2 vs. divination effects; | Init +2 | Perc +5 | Speed 20ft | Power attack -2/+6 | Active Conditions:.
"We can't go through this room we need to go to the south."
Aghast, the wayang looks to Luke, "That...that was US. All of us...from ...from the future. How...how long have they ...suffered like that? How long...will...will WE suffer?" Kivuli doubles over in pain and anguish. "We are going to die here. Trapped. Crazed.....alone."
"I'm pretty sure I know what's happening," Carina says, as everyone retreats back, her face paler then normal, "Someone hung a spell as a trap. Between the aura that we saw on the door, Kivuli's reaction to the trap, and Rozimus's death, I can make a good guess what spell was used. The spell shows you something so frightening that it scares you to death. I have it prepared for use myself. Though, effecting 3 people at once? That's the worrysome part to me. If the trap can cast that spell over and over, then getting down there may be impossible without more losses. If I can pinpoint it, I have a chance of removing it though."
Human M Human Alchemist 8 |Current AC: 23 AC Base: 21 T 14 FF 20 | HP 58/58 | F +9 R +12 W +5| CMD 13 | Init +8 (12wHA)| Perc +19 | Spells: Level 1 5/6 Level 2 3/5 Level 3 2/3| Bombs 19/19 | Active Buffs: SeeInvis, Heroism, DrkVsn, BrkSkn, Cog
Hoo boy, these traps aren't messing around. Um, if you guys find anything that looks like a time lock, maybe don't destroy it unless we understand exactly what it is first? Seems there is some timey wimey shenanigans going on here. The trap appears to be gone for now, so lets press on...
Female LG follower of Sarenrae | human (actually mostly human Ifrit) | freckles, sweet, naive, fierce personality in battle | Outsider (Native), Humanoid (human) | Resistances: Elec. 3, Acid 3, Fire 2, Cold 3 | Smite 1/1 | Boots of Speed 10/10 | Swashbuckler 5, Paladin 2, Unchained Monk 3, Bloodrager 1 | HP 106/106 | Protector Familiar HP 53 | with mage armor/rage: AC 35, T 30, FF 24 | CMD 37 | F: +23, R: +25 (Evasion), W: +17 | Init: +13 | Perc: -2, SM: -2 | Ki Pool 7/7 | Stunning Fist 6/6 | Rage 6/6 | LoH 7/7 | Panache 6/6 + Plume 1/1 | Reroll 1/1 + Lesson of H. 1/1 | Eefriti Magic 1/1 | Darkvision 60ft | Speed 40ft | Active cond.: +4 Dex
Setare is truly sad and starts to sob lightly.
"Ahhhh ... he ... he is really dead!!! Ro ... Rozimus died!!! Oh no ... we ... we came here to help and a ... already lo... lost a Pa ... Pathfinder ... " and tears start rolling down her cheeks as she moves to his body and touches his face.
”Luke” | Male CN Medium Human Fighter Two-Handed 4 | HP 36/46 | AC 17, T 12, FF 15 | CMD 20| F +7 R +3 W +5; +2 vs. divination effects; | Init +2 | Perc +5 | Speed 20ft | Power attack -2/+6 | Active Conditions:.
GM- I am not sure on which corridor you think. Can you put some mark on the map.
Sure--I've circled the room where the trap took place in yellow. There's an unopened door on the southeast of that room. I'm only asking whether the party is proceeding because, scanning the posts above, it looks like there was one suggestion to backtrack and one suggestion to continue forward, so I'm not sure what folks would like to do.
Female LG follower of Sarenrae | human (actually mostly human Ifrit) | freckles, sweet, naive, fierce personality in battle | Outsider (Native), Humanoid (human) | Resistances: Elec. 3, Acid 3, Fire 2, Cold 3 | Smite 1/1 | Boots of Speed 10/10 | Swashbuckler 5, Paladin 2, Unchained Monk 3, Bloodrager 1 | HP 106/106 | Protector Familiar HP 53 | with mage armor/rage: AC 35, T 30, FF 24 | CMD 37 | F: +23, R: +25 (Evasion), W: +17 | Init: +13 | Perc: -2, SM: -2 | Ki Pool 7/7 | Stunning Fist 6/6 | Rage 6/6 | LoH 7/7 | Panache 6/6 + Plume 1/1 | Reroll 1/1 + Lesson of H. 1/1 | Eefriti Magic 1/1 | Darkvision 60ft | Speed 40ft | Active cond.: +4 Dex
Setare looks at Raynor.
”Can you plea... please carry our de... deceased Pathfinder co... companion on your mou... mount?! We cannot ju... just leave him he... here!“ she pleads.
The group advances. Raynor opens the simple wooden door to reveal another short corridor speckled with faded blue stone mosaics on the floor. Another wooden door stands at the south end of the corridor, but the walls remain completely bare save for five niches in the east wall: three at eye level and two more below and between them. Each niche in the top row contains what appears to be the skull of a long-dead human, but there are no skulls in the bottom two niches. The niches in the top row each bear small metal placards, but the niches in the lower row have no similar inscriptions. A palpable sense of evil suffuses the room, making the distance from door to door seem even longer than it is.
Before you can react, the three skulls somehow animate and move towards the open door with a hateful orange glow in their eye sockets!
There is an effect at play here that may change the results of attacks depending on which of you are attacking.
Ridley:
Apologies, I made a mistake earlier when I told you that you no longer detected magic. This and the last few rooms are under the effect of an unhallow spell—essentially a protection from good spell that also makes it easier for creatures to resist channelled positive energy.
Identify Skulls (DC 15 Knowledge (religion):
These are some sort of variant penanggalens. Normally, a penanggalen is an undead creature that appears to be a normal humanoid, but at night or when provoked, the creature’s head rips free from the rest of her body as she launches into the air seeking blood to sate her unholy thirst! These skulls, however, do not appear to have bodily hosts, nor do they appear to be alive like traditional penanggalens do.
Identify Skulls (DC 20 Knowledge (religion):
You know an additional piece of useful information: These monsters have some resistance to flame and ice attacks.
Identify Skulls (DC 25 Knowledge (religion):
You know an additional piece of useful information: Until destroyed, these creatures quickly repair any damage they take!
Identify Skulls (DC 30 Knowledge (religion):
You know an additional piece of useful information: If a penanggalen gets close enough to chomp down on a foe and hold on, it can start to drain their victim’s very life force!
Identify Skulls (DC 35 Knowledge (religion):
Weapons that aren’t silver cutting blades won’t hurt a penanggalen as much as they should.
In case Setare is attacked she uses 'Opportune Parry' and parries by using an AoO to parry and spends a panache point (so if the attack roll of the opponent is lower than Setare's parry then the opponent does not hit and Setare could potentially riposte)
Using Bodyguard feat to increase adjacent allies’ AC vs. melee attacks by +4 with aid another by using 3 of 7 AoOs against the next three attacks of the opponent (success on every roll that is not a natural 1) so please increase AC accordingly:
@Raynor: Nope, there was no surprise round--the door opened and each side became aware of each other at the same time. So just a regular start to combat.
Human M Human Alchemist 8 |Current AC: 23 AC Base: 21 T 14 FF 20 | HP 58/58 | F +9 R +12 W +5| CMD 13 | Init +8 (12wHA)| Perc +19 | Spells: Level 1 5/6 Level 2 3/5 Level 3 2/3| Bombs 19/19 | Active Buffs: SeeInvis, Heroism, DrkVsn, BrkSkn, Cog
The uncanny glow in the eye sockets of one of the skulls focusses on Setare, mildly disorienting her—-paving the way for its companions to float towards her and attack! One of the skulls bites deep into Setare's arm and holds on tight!
And as you watch, some of the chips and fissures on the skulls seem to somehow repair themselves, right before your eyes!
Setare, you take 7 points of normal damage, 4 points of Constitution damage (remember, this adds "up" and for every two points you take, you lose 1 hp/level and have a -1 to Fort saves), and are now grappled. In addition, I need you to roll a DC 15 Fortitude save or take 4 points of Charisma damage and 4 points of Dexterity damage.
Setare, the Blue skull has used the Evil Eye hex to lower your AC by 2. This will last at least 1 round, but will last longer unless you succeed on a DC 15 Will save (mind-affecting effect).
Black is doing a full attack (a bite and a slam) and Yellow is doing a 5’ step and then the same thing.
Setare, you parried the first attack and spent a panache point for a riposte, but it missed. The second attack from Black hits, but the next two attack misses.
Ridley, I moved you back a step because you can’t share a space with Raynor’s gecko (it’s a 2x2 creature).
”Luke” | Male CN Medium Human Fighter Two-Handed 4 | HP 36/46 | AC 17, T 12, FF 15 | CMD 20| F +7 R +3 W +5; +2 vs. divination effects; | Init +2 | Perc +5 | Speed 20ft | Power attack -2/+6 | Active Conditions:.
rage
Luke comes closer to one of the skulls and attacks.
Raynor channels the power of Ylimancha through his holy symbol, but the effect seems dampened by the evil in this place. Luke’s bastard sword seems far more effective, nearly shattering one of the skulls!
Luke, you didn’t specify so I assumed you attacked the Black skull (the one grappling Setare). It is *almost* destroyed.
Setare, the hp loss from the reduced Con affects current as well as max hp.
Carina, you’re up, and then I’ll start round 2.
GM Dice:
Will save vs. channel (Black):1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25 Will save vs. channel (Blue):1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27 Will save vs. Channel (Yellow):1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24
"Righteous Fury?" Carina asks with a raised eyebrow. "If flame and frost are poor choices and I don't have a clear line, I suppose I do have something that partly works." she reaches into her belt pouch and draws a small paper envelope. With a whispered prayer in Celestial, she raises her scarf along her sleeves before snapping the envelope with a flash, one that is echoed and amplified upon the 3 skulls.
Move Standard action - Use my Arcane bond to cast Burst of Radiance just in front of the blue one. That'll hit all 3 and none of us. DC 19 Reflex or be blinded for:1d4 ⇒ 3 rounds, dazzled if they make it. In addition, all evil creatures(I'm fairly sure these count) Take:5d4 ⇒ (1, 2, 4, 4, 4) = 15 damage, regardless of the save.
