Even with the blades having trouble against the skeleton, Derkhan dismantles the orange cloaked skeletal warrior.
The summoned hound quickly moves in to fetch a bone from the purple skeleton, snatching away a leg and causing it to fall to the ground.
The remains of the two skeletons fade to dust.
---
Seeing the two skeletons fall, the demeanor of Omandi beings to falter.
"Alright, the rabble has proven themselves! What is is you want of Omandi Mil?" she says as a sheen of magical energy encases her like armor.
The party can attempt to parley with the sorceress now. She seems headstrong but is surely aware of her position. Diplomacy, Bluff, and Intimidate would likely be effective. Or you can press the attack.
NG Gnome Wild Whisperer (Druid) 6 | Mods: None | Salazar II | HP 45 (-0) | AC/Tch/FF 19/12/18 (+4 vs. Giants) | CMD 13 | F/R/W +9/+5/+11 (+2 vs. Illusions & Neg Energy, 5 Neg Energy Resist) | Speed 20ft | Perc: +15 (low-light), SM: +4+1d6 | Init: +3 | 2 Star Reroll 1/1, Inspiration 4/4, Spells Tracked on Sheet
Dexter eyes his allies, "Well, I suppose you aren't an evil skeleton. Though you seemed pretty quick to claim you summoned them, so maybe you are an evil necromancer bent on world domination? Why don't you prove your innocence by dismissing all your spells and leaving?"
She furrows her brow as Voices speaks up and almost prepares to attack but Bedisa quickly changes her mind with the help of Dexter.
"I just need to leave? Fine, I have better things to do now, anyways." she says huffing and packing her things. She snaps her fingers as the power from the beacon blinks out of existence. She walks away quickly mumbling under her breath.
Victory Point. With the Vault now open going to move us along to that encounter.
Having head the Vault was discovered and that the Pathfinders needed help inside, the group begins to rush to the location. The group musters outside the entrance to the vault knowing that this is where the last of the Harbingers will reside alongside their leader.
Feel free to make any preparations. The tunnel leading down into the vault is single-file.
The group hustles down the winding tunnel till it opens into the vault below. Veins of strange metal line the walls of this massive chamber. Enormous bronze devices connected to the walls by massive cables spark and spew steam, almost obscuring the large vault door at the far end of the room. The door is labeled with a single word in a plethora of languages: danger. Stagnant water collects at the bottom of a ten-foot wide pool in the middle of the room with a ladder on each side. A gasping, bleeding elf who looks like an aged version of Kreighton Shane lies across the room.
As the group squeezes into the room, you hear a sharp whistle from one of the back corners as you are spotted. The cloaked character that whistled, sprints behind the pylons while reading a scroll. Then two armored Hargbingers come from around the pylons before firing their heavy crossbows at the party.
UMD:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22
Heavy Crossbow Versus Dexter:1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 3 + 1 = 22 Damage:1d10 ⇒ 1
Heavy Crossbow Versus Derkhan:1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 3 + 1 = 22 Damage:1d10 ⇒ 2
Both bolts strike the forward members of the party but the distance softens the blows.
---
Combat Round 1: Bold may act.
Orange Grunt 1 Red Grunt 2 Purple Spy
Voices and his Cat Dexter (-1) Sal The Rouge Rogue Bedisa
Voices steps forward and shouts, Cat sssaysss hiding mammal no like sssnakesss. Sssee if like thessse. Schrilthistan! And a small snake appears to find and attack the person behind the pillar.
num summoned:1d3 ⇒ 1
N Tiny celestial/fiendish animal
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent;Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 16, touch 15, flat-footed 13 (+3 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 3 (1d8–1)
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +1
SR 5
Fiendish - Resist Cold and Fire 5
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
Melee bite +5 (1d2–2 plus poison)
Space 2-1/2 ft.; Reach 0 ft.
Special Attacks Smite evil/good
STATISTICS
Str 4, Dex 17, Con 8, Int 1, Wis 13, Cha 2
Base Atk +0; CMB +1; CMD 8 (can't be tripped)
Feats Weapon Finesse
Skills Climb +11, Perception +9, Stealth +15, Swim +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception, +4 Stealth
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Smite good 1/day as a swift action (adds CHA bonus (+0) to attack rolls and damage bonus equal to HD (+1) against evil/good foes; smite persists until target is dead or the celestial/fiendish creature rests).
Poison (Ex) Bite—injury; save Fort DC 9; frequency1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Con damage; cure 1 save.
bite att:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15, if hits, bite dam:1d2 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1 (min 1) and poison con damage:1d2 ⇒ 2. fort save DC=9
NG Gnome Wild Whisperer (Druid) 6 | Mods: None | Salazar II | HP 45 (-0) | AC/Tch/FF 19/12/18 (+4 vs. Giants) | CMD 13 | F/R/W +9/+5/+11 (+2 vs. Illusions & Neg Energy, 5 Neg Energy Resist) | Speed 20ft | Perc: +15 (low-light), SM: +4+1d6 | Init: +3 | 2 Star Reroll 1/1, Inspiration 4/4, Spells Tracked on Sheet
Dexter quickly activates his scroll, touching Salazar with a gloved hand. He moves up into the room and directs his friend to go after one of the crossbow jerks.
Standard to Activate Magic Fang Scroll on Salazar, Move 20 ft, Can't Fail DC 10 Handle Animal to Command Salazar to attack Red.
Male Kitsune UnRog (Kitsune Trickster) 2 Vig (Psychometrist) 2 | HP 27/27 | AC 17 (+1 if 1 foe), T 14, FF 13 | CMD 16 | F +1, R +10, W +2| Init +4 | Perc +3 | Speed 30ft
The Rouge Rogue will advance into the room and add Keen to his rapier.
...but the bark-like growths easily deflects the sword.
---
The purple cloaked figure pulls out a vial as he moves back, tossing it at Derkhan...
Alchemist's Fire:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 Miss:1d8 ⇒ 8
...but his aim is off causing the vial to smash into the pylon but still dousing Derkhan in some flames.
"Damn!" he curses as his next trick fails to work.
---
Combat Round 2: Bold may act.
Orange Grunt 1 Red Grunt 2 Purple Spy
Voices and his Cat Dexter (-1) Sal The Rouge Rogue Bedisa (-26)
As Dexter hustles to catch up to the group, Sal runs his tusks through the armor of the grunt. He thrashes around before tossing his prey to the side. With one last groan they pass out from the pain.
---
Combat Round 2: Bold may act.
Orange Grunt 1 Purple Spy
Voices and his Cat Dexter (-1) Sal The Rouge Rogue Bedisa (-26)
Male Kitsune UnRog (Kitsune Trickster) 2 Vig (Psychometrist) 2 | HP 27/27 | AC 17 (+1 if 1 foe), T 14, FF 13 | CMD 16 | F +1, R +10, W +2| Init +4 | Perc +3 | Speed 30ft
The Rouge Rogue will come up and attack Purple Spy.
+1 Keen spiresteel Rapier:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 231d6 ⇒ 2
With one quick and deadly strike from Bedisa, the grunt's now headless body drops to the floor. A surprised look painted on the Harbinger's face as the head rolls away.
---
Combat Round 3: Bold may act.
Purple Spy (-2)
Voices and his Cat Dexter (-1) Sal The Rouge Rogue (-5) Bedisa (-26) Derkhan (-10)
Male Kitsune UnRog (Kitsune Trickster) 2 Vig (Psychometrist) 2 | HP 27/27 | AC 17 (+1 if 1 foe), T 14, FF 13 | CMD 16 | F +1, R +10, W +2| Init +4 | Perc +3 | Speed 30ft
The Rouge Rogue maneuvers around to flank with Derkhan and strikes at the Harbringer.
+1 Keen spiresteel Rapier:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 201d6 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + (6) = 12
As you dispatch the last of the guardians the door to the inner chamber looms before you and Kreighton Shaine begins to rise to his feet.
“Good show, Pathfinders,” the injured form of Kreighton Shaine manages between blood-soaked coughs. “But Lady Arodeth is a true savant and driven to fanatical extremes. The same energies that infected her casters above have also seized her soul, and I fear she has already killed several of your fellow chroniclers. Or will have killed them. Blast, but this is confusing.”
Shaine props himself up to continue speaking. “However noble her goals may have been, if Lady Arodeth forces us to remain in this time, we will all die. If the Sky Key is still functional, you must reactivate it before the Starstone arrives.”
The machines in this chamber begin to spark and smoke, and female bodies take shape from the green miasma. Shaine continues, “She has learned to create temporal copies of, as I have. She can produce an army, left unchecked. Some teams will need to hold the line here, in this chamber, so that anyone confronting the true Lady Arodeth in the room beyond isn’t overwhelmed by these simulacra. You know your team’s capabilities better than I, but I promise you Lady Arodeth will be not yield easily.”
With that, the chorus of murky green figures announce, “I would have brought destiny back to this world.”
You have three choices at this point: 1. Proceed into the Operations Center to deal with Lady Arodeth. This is a Tier 7-8 encounter but due to your earlier actions you may be able to resolve it through excellent roleplay and various skill checks but would likely need to flee if it turns to combat. 2. Stand your ground as whatever guardians pour from the machinery, providing cover to those within. 3. Head back out and continue dismantling anchors.
Increasing Loudness:1d4 ⇒ 2You expect the guardians to fully coalesce within two rounds unless someone works to Disable or damage the pylons.
A small lumpy rocky humanoid-ish figure appears. Voices points at the right column. Smash that! No, I don't speak Terran. but I'm hoping a 'smash that' type of directive is fairly universal. Voices would think an Earth Elemental would be most likely able to wreck a column and wouldn't consider that the electricity might destroy it.
N Small outsider (earth, elemental, extraplanar)
Init –1; Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft.; Perception +4
DEFENSE
AC 17, touch 10, flat-footed 17 (–1 Dex, +7 natural, +1 size)
hp 13 (2d10+2)
Fort +4, Ref –1, Will +3
Immune elemental traits
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft., burrow 20 ft., earth glide
Melee slam +6 (1d6+4)
Special Attacks earth mastery
STATISTICS
Str 16, Dex 8, Con 13, Int 4, Wis 11, Cha 11
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 13
Feats Improved Bull Rush, Power Attack
Skills Appraise +1, Climb +7, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +1, Knowledge (planes) +1, Perception +4, Stealth +7
Languages Terran
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Earth Glide (Ex)
A burrowing earth elemental can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A earth spell cast on an area containing a burrowing earth elemental flings the elemental back 30 feet, stunning the creature for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15Fortitude save.
Earth Mastery (Ex)
An earth elemental gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are touching the ground. If an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the elemental takes a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. These modifiers apply to bull rush and overrun maneuvers, whether the elemental is initiating or resisting these kinds of attacks. (These modifiers are not included in the statistics block.)
With a rumbling grinding noise, the small figure turns and slams a fist into the column.
slam attack:1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 1 = 11, if hits, slam damage:1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 = 11
Male Kitsune UnRog (Kitsune Trickster) 2 Vig (Psychometrist) 2 | HP 27/27 | AC 17 (+1 if 1 foe), T 14, FF 13 | CMD 16 | F +1, R +10, W +2| Init +4 | Perc +3 | Speed 30ft
I say we at least try to talk her down; we can always run away if necessary.
Male Kitsune UnRog (Kitsune Trickster) 2 Vig (Psychometrist) 2 | HP 27/27 | AC 17 (+1 if 1 foe), T 14, FF 13 | CMD 16 | F +1, R +10, W +2| Init +4 | Perc +3 | Speed 30ft
Ok, assuming someone tells him the plan, you folks can stop Voices before he summons the earth elemental. But that means we need to head inside fast before creatures start showing up at the pillars.
Voices throws open the door and lets Cat sneak inside for a look see.
stealth take 10:10 + 15 = 25
The group takes a few moments to patch their wounds as the machine whirs and coughs. They decide to head in just before Voices summons an elemental, saving his spell.
"These agents will hold the line while you head inside. Do not toss your lives away if it becomes too much!" Kreighton Shaine warns as another group prepares to face whatever the machine spits out.
Voices opens the chamber. Heavy walls and strange panels in this room all focus on the the strange orrery in its center. Raised on a small dais, and separated from the rest of the room by a wide trench, the device oozes a thick, emerald light. The air smells of ozone, like standing amid a roaring thunderstorm. Lady Arodeth stands near the orrery, manipulating the magic of the device.
Inside the trench is shallow electrified water. 20 feet deep, likely electric damage if you were to be in the trench.
"I did this for everyone! Not just the Harbingers! Imagine the suffering Aroden could have spared. I saw you spare the anchor mages, thank you." she says with a voice that begins to waver, turning to the group.
Lady Arodeth has begun to doubt her mission proved anything more than bloodshed. The PCs can talk her down through a series of difficult skill checks with related roleplay. Failures could turn her against you so I recommend doing 1 skill at a time and helping each other if possible. No PC may not use the same skill check more than once.
Possible skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (History, Nobility, Religion), Perform, Profession (Any), and Sense Motive. You goal is to talk her down and hopefully to your side. Your attempts should align to that goal in some way.
Since this is a conversation I won't make it strict rounds.
Bedisa | Female NG Medium Half-Orc Bloodrager (Id Rager) 4 / Shaman (Animist) 2
Bloodrage Stats:
HP 42/66 | AC 19, T 11, FF 17 | CMD 22 | F +10, R +7, W +11 |
HP 54/54 | AC 21, T 13, FF 19 | CMD 22| F +8, R +7, W +7 | Init +2 | Perc +8 | Speed 30ft | Bloodrage 6/12, | Active Conditions: n/a
Bedisa prostrates herself in front of Lady Arodeth.
Diplomacy:1d20 + 18 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 18 + 1 = 30
"There is more to life than ruthless killing. We came here only as humble people." Bedisa stands back up and looks at Lady Arodeth. [b]"We would love to talk with you about life. Are you willing to talk?"[b]
