f CG aasimar Sorcerer 20 | HP 160/160 | AC 27 T 19 FF 23 | CMD 27 | F+17 R+17 W+20 | Init +12 | Perc +29
"Quite a curious place. And no one attacked us there." Gillian's voice is clear and energetic. Any of you who can see the invisible will have noticed the elemental, but Gillian's approach is more difficult to detect. However, after uttering the words of greeting, she becomes visible to the eye.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. So. First of all..." and she describes in detail everything she saw, especially the strange clock with that sigils and statues of old women with scythes.
"I also found part of the Queen's previous expedition..."you can view the spoiler in the GM's post.
"I am not satisfied with the strange architecture of this complex. Why such a village in the necropolis? Why leave it in plain sight, allowing anyone to get in? This is a mystery that we have to solve. I would expect traps there, other than the one that killed the previous explorers. Yes, the idea is not new, but up close it looks much more alien and incomprehensible... like the very power of Baba Yaga." - right now, her voice sounds a little strained. You can definitely find nothing good about a sorceress of her level straining.
Female Human Archer 5 / Darechaser 10 / Unchained Rogue 2 | HP 110/110 | AC 34(30), TAC 18, FFAC 29(25), 34 CMD | +17 Fort , +21 Reflex, +15 Will | +5 Init | 14 Rounds of Adrenaline | Conditions: Detect Evil, Know Direction, Trapfinding +25, Evasion |
“Well that’s a lot. First, take a break Gillian. You look like I do after my second 20 mile. Second, Baba Yaga made a giant cuckoo clock? I’d imagine something terrible will pop out instead of a bird. It sounds interesting though. Third, I think we should look into this village first. There is a mystery here and while I’m sure that the answer to it will be ‘Baba Yaga is a scary powerful lady, the village sounds like a great place to start.”
Molly looks at Sparky who is a big healthy boy.
“My last point is that by the will of Kurgess I must submit myself and lift a great weight while reciting the 300 tenets of humility for the dumb things I said. Purs, I would like to lift your dog if you will allow. If you’re uncomfortable with that, I do understand and will look for an even heavier object.”
Gillian description sparks Peter's and whoever can/wants to try a DC 15 Knowledge (history or local) check memory, the teifling recalling a chronicle he'd read where a group of pathfinders from 400 years or so ago ran across an empty village that sounds suspiciously like this one. The place ultimately proved to be a style of necropolis - an imitation of the ordinary life that the deceased had left behind. This one would definitely be an interesting specimen in that it's composed of Baba Yaga's ice instead of the traditional building materials.
Anyone looking closely at the remains of the Queen's previous expedition notes they had some rather good looking equipment, though it probably compares to what the group has themselves.
Sounds like the push is for everyone to fly up to the village in the center. There's a map up on slide 6, which you can know from Dear and Gillian. Let me know how you're getting up there, if that's what everyone wants to do, and place your tokens on the map where you want to go. I've sized them to hopefully the right size. If you need another token do let me know! Warning: almost all of the maps from here on are 10 feet per square. I'm going to try something where your token is the right size and you align your token with a corner of the square. If that doesn't work I'll see about adding more lines or using a 'you take up a 10 foot square' system.
Male LG Human Cavalier 17 | AC 37 T 16 FF 34 CMD 41 | HP 174/174 | Horse 119/119 | F+21 R+16 W+18 | Init +4 | Per +35 |Active: Magic Vestment (Shield)
The southernmost building is the apparent "cuckoo clock"?
Sir Hendric and Sentry Air Walk to the necropolis, remaining a few feet above the ground, and examine the strange building.
He tries to make some sense of the odd sigils, but has no idea what they represent.
Linguistics:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
"Is this a puzzle we should try to figure out? Or should we just press on looking for foes?"
f CG aasimar Sorcerer 20 | HP 160/160 | AC 27 T 19 FF 23 | CMD 27 | F+17 R+17 W+20 | Init +12 | Perc +29
"The tactic of 'first clearing the area, then solving riddles' usually justifies itself. We don't want to get hit in the rear while we're calling trouble on ourselves with this strange cuckoo clock."
Female Human Archer 5 / Darechaser 10 / Unchained Rogue 2 | HP 110/110 | AC 34(30), TAC 18, FFAC 29(25), 34 CMD | +17 Fort , +21 Reflex, +15 Will | +5 Init | 14 Rounds of Adrenaline | Conditions: Detect Evil, Know Direction, Trapfinding +25, Evasion |
Molly raises an eyebrow and looks around.
“So now we are afraid of clocks? Please. I get it, you want to study this stuff in complete safety, but we don’t know if we have that luxury. And if what I’ve heard about Baba Yaga is true, she is strange, powerful, vindictive, and weird. This clock might have something to do with this tomb. Yes this thing is dangerous, but I think it’s worth a look.”
Male LG Human Cavalier 17 | AC 37 T 16 FF 34 CMD 41 | HP 174/174 | Horse 119/119 | F+21 R+16 W+18 | Init +4 | Per +35 |Active: Magic Vestment (Shield)
"Some puzzles are locks. This may open a passage to the Torc for all we know.
But Gillian is right that we could be attacked by foes while we are working on it.
If those of you so inclined wish to study the puzzle, I will stand guard.
I couldn't make any sense of those glyphs, but that is where I would start."
True to Wynn's words as soon as Sentry and Hendric get within 30 feet of the clock, one of the hands imediately spins and starts to point at the spot where the two living creatures stand. The clock chimes in a dull, DUN, DUN, DUN! and springs into sudden motion. The statues on the track to either side lurch along their track, the nothern doors and southern doors both opening to admit and eject statues respectfully. The statues move one space down as the horse gets closer and then as soon as Hendric moves in the process repeats itself.
The process seems to take a full 6 seconds for each revolution. The first set of statues ejected seem to stay still for a heartbeat, before they start to shudder to jerky life, their hideously carved faces staring right at Sentry.
DC 21 Knowledge (Arcana):
You immediately recgonize these as Baba Yaga shaped caryatid golems! They seem to be connected to the clock somehow and only animate if some condition is met, probably a creature coming in near the clock itself. They seem to wield a nasty looking scythe and have skin of rock that is probably hard enough to shatter weapons if one is not careful.
| Male N Medium Tiefling Cleric 1, Wizard 5, Mystic Theurge 10 | HP 129/129 12temp | AC 14, T 10, FF 14 | CMB +5 CMD 15 | F +21 R +16 W +26; evasion; SR 13 vs evil | Init +13 | Perc +30, Sense Motive +28 | Speed 30ft, fly 40ft | Copycat 6/6, Shift 16/16, l quicken 1/3, extend 3/3, l extend 3/3 | Active Conditions: Overland Flight, Ant Haul, Life Bubble, mage armor, mind blank, invisibility, heroism
knowledge(arcana),heroism:1d20 + 34 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 34 + 2 = 40 always special attacks, special defenses, SQ, DR, in that order
Peter moves closer to the clock and casts detect magic and begins to inspect it, highly skeptical that these golems are the sole threat.
Peter is invisible with mind blank. I had him move and cast detect magic in the first round (non-combat), the first round of combat he used a standard to concentrate on detect magic and a move to make an active perception.
Female Human Archer 5 / Darechaser 10 / Unchained Rogue 2 | HP 110/110 | AC 34(30), TAC 18, FFAC 29(25), 34 CMD | +17 Fort , +21 Reflex, +15 Will | +5 Init | 14 Rounds of Adrenaline | Conditions: Detect Evil, Know Direction, Trapfinding +25, Evasion |
Knowledge Arcana:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
I'll go with Hit Dice, how tough are they? I'll drop my shield and my tomahawk as a Move Action then take a Step forward and pull out my bow.
Molly looks a little skeptical at the clock's guardians and also a touch disappointed.
"Well, there are a lot of them. I doubt that these things can fly so even being 10 feet up will take the fight right out of them. Oh! Unless they get on each others shoulders. That would be something. Hey! are these things going to merge together to make one big one?"
Wynn fires a salvo of arrows at the closer statue. The first two arrows pepper one of the shoulder joints of the statue, cracking the surface some and seeming to do some damage, however they get caught in the joint and crushed as the golem moves. The statue seems to have taken less damage from those arrows as the elf would expect, the magical electricity and the holy effect having no effect on them. Two hits, one miss. They have a shatter weapons special quality to them so those arrows both took 3d6 ⇒ (4, 6, 6) = 16 damage and probably did not survive.
Peter:
You know these golems are known for having the ability to create a Slow effect in 10 foot or so burst around themselves every 10-15 seconds i.e. 2 rounds. They also have hard skin and joints that wreak havoc on any weapons that touch them, grinding all but the hardest of weapons into pieces rather quickly. These golems are also feared for their ability to perfectly look like a statue when they stop moving. Not something you need to worry about now, but many a paranoid official has avoided going near any statues for this very reason. Finally, the hard skin is also extremely difficult for anything but a diamond hard weapon to pierce.
They can cast a Slow effect every two rounds, Will DC 17 to resist; have the Shatter Weapons quality, making magical and mundane weapons take 3d6 damage and breaking weapons that take damage over their hardness; they have the Statue special quality; and finally have DR 10/adamantine.
Peter's senses flood with information from the detect magic. The structure is HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY magical. There are almost too many auras to differentiate one from the other and they over lap and flood out of the building. It almost over powers the overwhelming aura of transmutation and abjuration magic that the entire Veil radiates on its own. In the center of the building is one, almost blindingly brilliant aura of Conjuration.
Sorry I can't give specifics the scenario doesn't list what magics are used on or in the building sadly. But this does seem like the/a center point of the Veil.
Peter notices that to the southern corner of the building is a hastily scratched message in Skald. He also notices that the clock face has four different hands, one that seems to be an 'hour' hand, one that looks like a minute hand, a forked hand, and a wavy hand. The first three all move at odd intervals and with directions, sometimes reversing or lifting off the face or seeming to sink into it. The numbers ahve all been replaced with a series of symbols that even Peter knows nothing about. But in all the chaos of the face, the wavy does not move from pointing at the recherché sigil that replaces the 9. The tiefling realizes that there's something with that number that might be something he could try to comprehend.
Another DC 40 Perception check or a DC 25 Linguistics check could tell you more. Additionally, other was to magically translate or magnify the sigil could bring the information to light.
Molly:
You're disappointment grows as you realize that these things likely have even less health than you do, and that Wynn's attack seems to have cracked a third of the first statue. But you feel these things might be dangerous in their relentless pursuit, not needing food, water, sleep or getting distracted by things.
They have 14d10 Hit Dice
++++++++++++++++ Round 1 General Active Conditions: None
Gillian Dear
Peter
Wynn
Molly
Purs
Black Statue -36
Red Statue
Sir Hendric
If they were still on their first move when tripped, they would likely try to stand with their remaining move. If that happens, he will attack for damage (since they are prone when that AOO happens and can't be tripped again). Can't declare PA until his turn.
f CG aasimar Sorcerer 20 | HP 160/160 | AC 27 T 19 FF 23 | CMD 27 | F+17 R+17 W+20 | Init +12 | Perc +29
'It's not clear what it is yet. And whether it really represents a danger.' Gillian calmly observes what is happening, carefully looking at the state of her allies.
Moved you on the map Purs! You can reach everyone on your side with that prayer, but not any of the enemies.
Purs runs forward on the air and grants all of her allies a boost to everyone, praying to be a help to them.
Gillian decides to stay invisible and watch things as they unfold, delaying to see what happens.
The two statues head for Sentry not moving much faster than your average dwarf, but they both go down to Hendric's lance as it sweeps out their legs below them. The lance comes out of the whole thing unharmed.
The clock starts to chime again and the whole rotation repeats itself one more time, spitting out two new statues, that seem to immitate the motions of their brethren. Technically purple and blue don't appear until the beginning of round 2 but I put them on the map for now.
++++++++++++++++ Round 1/2 General Active Conditions: Prayer
Sir Hendric
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gillian Dear Peter Wynn Molly Purs
Black Statue: -36 Prone
Red Statue: Prone
Purple Statue
Blue Statue
| Male N Medium Tiefling Cleric 1, Wizard 5, Mystic Theurge 10 | HP 129/129 12temp | AC 14, T 10, FF 14 | CMB +5 CMD 15 | F +21 R +16 W +26; evasion; SR 13 vs evil | Init +13 | Perc +30, Sense Motive +28 | Speed 30ft, fly 40ft | Copycat 6/6, Shift 16/16, l quicken 1/3, extend 3/3, l extend 3/3 | Active Conditions: Overland Flight, Ant Haul, Life Bubble, mage armor, mind blank, invisibility, heroism
Peter continues focusing on deciphering the script. He calls out, Gillian, use your arcane sight over here!. After he does so he shifts slightly to avoid the possiblity of the statues pinpointing and crushing him.
f CG aasimar Sorcerer 20 | HP 160/160 | AC 27 T 19 FF 23 | CMD 27 | F+17 R+17 W+20 | Init +12 | Perc +29
"All right, let's see what's there". Gillian moves forward. As she drew level with her companions, she makes a slight movement with her hand, and with a soft click, a magic wand appears in her palm. "Ускорениус!" - she utters the code word, and three pathfinders feel the magic envelop them, making their thoughts, hands, and even reactions faster. (Wynn, Molly, Purs, Gillian and Dear - Haste 5 for 5 rounds)
Is there something about these symbols that I can see that Peter can't? Arcane Sight only lets me to see auras, as DTM.
UPD: After receiving a small command on Auran, the elemental readies an attack. - to trip one of the statues right after it get's up Trip vs FF (?) CMD:1d20 + 27 ⇒ (10) + 27 = 37
Male LG Human Cavalier 17 | AC 37 T 16 FF 34 CMD 41 | HP 174/174 | Horse 119/119 | F+21 R+16 W+18 | Init +4 | Per +35 |Active: Magic Vestment (Shield)
Sir Hendric will full-attack Black with his lance. If it is destroyed, he will switch to Red.
Sentry will 5' step back after the attacks.
I am including the Prone modifier as a bonus to my attacks (some GMs prefer to apply it to AC on their end, most are fine either way as long as you are clear). Let me know your preference. Primary, PA, Prayer, Higher Ground, vs Prone:1d20 + 28 - 5 + 1 + 1 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 28 - 5 + 1 + 1 + 4 = 45 Damage, PA, Prayer:1d8 + 12 + 15 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 12 + 15 + 1 = 31
By moving back he should once again be in a place where the constructs need to move through his threatened area (not just stand and 5' step) to get to him. He will not get an AOO on them standing, just on their regular movement.
Peter, from his perceptive eyes and intellect, and Gillian, from her magically enhanced eyes both realize that the sigil on the clock in the '9' position is not a single sigil but instead a series of letters written in a very tight, cramped script. Parsing them out it forms into a poem in skald, that Peter intuits the meaning of with his linguistics skills.
The Poem:
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.
Gillian, as she boosts the group staying behind with extra speed, can also make out that there isn't anything on the power level of an artifact in the clock tower, or the village, if you discount the powerful magics of the Veil itself.
Sir Hendric proves how deadly a lance can be from horse back by slamming it into the statue dressed in black enough times it breaks, before then piecing the red one for good damage as well. No damage to your lance either
Molly uses her Adamantine Bane arrows and takes out Purple with her five arrows! What would the hardness of those arrows be? Your first three took 11 before hardness and then 12 and 9 for arrows four and five respectively.
++++++++++++++++ Round 1/2 General Active Conditions: Prayer
Gillian: Haste
Dear: Haste
Peter
Wynn: Haste
Molly: Haste
Purs: Haste
Black Statue: Destroyed
Red Statue: -33 Prone
Purple Statue: Destroyed
Blue Statue
Sir Hendric
Sorry to keep you guys waiting! I tend to be terrible about sitting down in front of the computer in the weekends.
Purs gives some encouragement to the rest of his team, saving spells for more important fights.
Wynn on the other hand fires another Salvo of arrows at blue! The construct only takes the first two arrows the rest plinking off it's stony armor or around the creature. 3 arrows back, 2 destroyed (5,6 damage to either respectively,) 36 damage after combining and DR
The statue in red stands up and then immediately goes down again as an invisible strand of force catches it on the ankles. It only stands again not able to move closer to he Cavalier that provoked the thing in he first place.
Blue, an arrow shaft out of it's leg joint jerks forward and tries to reach the cavalier as well but only just gets in reach of the Lance before it stops moving for a second. only 20 ft of movement means just in reach.
As Hendric starts to move again the entire structure starts to peal again the mechanism springing into action. More constructs at the end of round 4
Male LG Human Cavalier 17 | AC 37 T 16 FF 34 CMD 41 | HP 174/174 | Horse 119/119 | F+21 R+16 W+18 | Init +4 | Per +35 |Active: Magic Vestment (Shield)
Sir Hendric attacks once and moves back, preparing to charge next round.
If I am risking damage to the lance every time I strike, better to just strike for one huge hit rather than four average ones.
| Male N Medium Tiefling Cleric 1, Wizard 5, Mystic Theurge 10 | HP 129/129 12temp | AC 14, T 10, FF 14 | CMB +5 CMD 15 | F +21 R +16 W +26; evasion; SR 13 vs evil | Init +13 | Perc +30, Sense Motive +28 | Speed 30ft, fly 40ft | Copycat 6/6, Shift 16/16, l quicken 1/3, extend 3/3, l extend 3/3 | Active Conditions: Overland Flight, Ant Haul, Life Bubble, mage armor, mind blank, invisibility, heroism
Peter concentrates on his illusion, having it say the poem he found to his allies to see if they have any thoughts on how to stop the unending constructs. He also moves back away.
I'm guessing saying the poem takes more than 1 round, given how long it is?
If we don't have an immediate solution, maybe we should back off? See if constructs continue animating once we're back further than when we started the encounter?
Sir Hendric again strikes out at the statue, keeping his lance safe and out of the joints that might start to grind away at the wood of the weapon. He punches a hole on the shoulder of blue causing it to crack some before he retreats. That course of action leads to me having to retcon something. As he backs away, the Clock Tower stays perfectly still. Across the frozen necropolis village everything turns quiet minus the scraping stone of the statues and the faint sound of wind.
Peter Zarr wrote:
I'm guessing saying the poem takes more than 1 round, given how long it is?
Given you could have started reading it last round, I'd say you could finish reading it this round or next, if Peter speaks slowly.
Peter reads off the the poem he found on the clockto the rest of the group, giving the structure some distance as he does.
Molly takes to the air as she follows the line of reasoning that these statues probably can't follow her up there as well.
++++++++++++++++ Round 4 General Active Conditions: Prayer
Gillian: Haste
Dear: Haste
Peter
Wynn: Hatse
Molly: Haste
Purs: Haste
Red Statue: -33 Prone
Blue Statue: -70
Sir Hendric
Delaying Gillian and Dear as well
Purs and Gillian stay back and watch what happens with the clock, deciding to not rush in.
Wynn on the other hand fires a few more arrows, only hitting half of them, but the two that hit slam into the core of the statue. The first lands spreading cracks, and the second pushes the first into and through the core, causing the cracks to radiate out and the statue to crumble. Arrow 1 and 4 miss, returning to your quiver, 2 and 3 hit for a combined 38 damage destroying the statue, but getting destroyed in the process.
The statue with the red stained hands stands up and starts to jerkily advance on the horse that brought her to life in the first place. her wicked looking scythe ready to fell the beast.
++++++++++++++++ Round 4/5 General Active Conditions: Prayer
Sir Hendric
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gillian: Haste
Dear: Haste
Peter Wynn: Hatse
Molly: Haste
Purs: Haste
Red Statue: -33
Blue Statue: Destroyed
Dear trips the statue up and then Sir Hendrick proves just how gallant yet deadly the lance can be by charging forward and shattering the statue with enough force that it atomizes into a fine dusty powder.
That was over double the golem's full hit points, it is DEAD!
Minus the wind and tinkling fountain in the distance silence reigns supreme across the frozen village again.
Combat Over and no damage was taken. Purs you would probably know this was going to end shortly if you want to keep your spell slots.
After a few moments the most perceptive of you hear a low shuffling sound back among the houses and a low moan of hunger. It stops as soon as it started, though.
| Male N Medium Tiefling Cleric 1, Wizard 5, Mystic Theurge 10 | HP 129/129 12temp | AC 14, T 10, FF 14 | CMB +5 CMD 15 | F +21 R +16 W +26; evasion; SR 13 vs evil | Init +13 | Perc +30, Sense Motive +28 | Speed 30ft, fly 40ft | Copycat 6/6, Shift 16/16, l quicken 1/3, extend 3/3, l extend 3/3 | Active Conditions: Overland Flight, Ant Haul, Life Bubble, mage armor, mind blank, invisibility, heroism
Peter goes with Molly, not wanting her to get 'lost in the wind'.
Yep, Purs you were able to stop and save the spell.
Molly and Peter both head back in among the houses and find a small village square. An elegantly sculpted ice fountain sits in the middle of the small square, depicting a flock of winter geese as they take flight. A jet of water springs from the top of the fountain, tumbling down into the basin below. Miraculously, the water remains unfrozen despite the frigid temperature.
This is clearly the source of the water sounds but there is no sign of what was making the noises earlier.
Place yourselves where you like on the map
Male Cassisian Angel Improved Familiar/14 | HP 48/48 | AC 21, TAC 11, FFAC 14, 7 CMD, 19 SR | Fort +10, +16 Reflex, +4 Will | Conditions: Detect Evil, Know Direction | DR 5/cold iron or evil; Immune acid, cold, petrification, Resist 5 electricity 10, fire 10
Bubbles zips around and telepathically relays a mental picture of the village square and the unknown sound she heard.
Molly hears the sound of something that is hungry. It could be a survivor from the group that came up here, could be an undead.
