GM Elberion's Thornkeep Sanctum of a Lost Age (Inactive)

Game Master GeraintElberion

Marcos Farabellus peels away from a mock combat where he has been instructing raw recruits, "Good, you're here. Let's walk and talk..." He picks up a towel and wipes his hands as he leads you through the corridors of the Grand Lodge.

A gnome in armor follows Farabellus. "Hi there where are we going? Are we going where we need towels? Cause towels are important I heard!"

The sounds of muffled glass clinking can be heard as a young woman tries to catch up to Farabellus and the gnome. "I received your summons Master Farabellus, how may I be of service?" Looking down, she seems to think on the gnome's words before speaking more, "Towels are good, especially to keep dangerous reagents from poisoning one's self."

As the party walks on, they notice an oddity for the Grand Lodge. A 2’6 inch doll wearing a white dress with pale eyes sits in a chair nearby, looking absently their direction. It has a note in it’s left hand, and a small book in its other hand.

Okay, I like this already, haha.

Walking up to the doll, Sucy picks up the note and looks it over before picking up the book nearby. Flipping through the pages, she smiles before picking up the doll and continuing with Marcus and Deldri.

"I think I may have found our third. I'm unsure as to how much the doll can help, but the book included has some specifics that may be beneficial to the adventure."

"It's been a while," Interjects a stunningly, almost frighteningly, beautiful woman in baroque gilded armor. "For what do you stir the Ashes, Master Farabellus?"

She casts a sidelong glance at the doll - interestingly, not at Sucy, but at the doll.

Surprisingly, a second aasimar glides into the room. This one also possessed almost unbelievable beauty. She had a wide smile and warmly greeted everyone already collected.

”Hello everyone, I’m Reesa. It is so nice to met everyone. I Believe I’m here to provide magical support for our mission, whereever it takes us. Hopefully somewhere nice and warm...”

The doll, being carried by Sucy, just dangles limply in the grip of the Pathfinder.

A warm place is preferred...with a nice cold tankard of ale as well. Valeros is my name...and I guess you guys need some muscle for this mission. Where to and how long will this cut in to my drinking time? a brash warrior jests as he takes a swig from a wineskin.

Farabellus continues down a corridor and then pushes open a door and ushers you all in to his office. there is only one chair, that behind the desk, and the VC sits down and opens a file atop his desk, "Well, I'm glad you're all here. Some of your fellow pathfinders are in trouble. This is a rescue mission..."

Gameday begins tomorrow so I'll give the briefing then.

The doll continues to stare blankly towards the venture captain.

Groaning slightly to herself, Sucy continues listening to the Venture Captain.

Farabellus rises again, sticks his head out of the door and calls down the corridor, "Hey, Rozimus, you're up!"

A dishevelled young man with a lantern jaw scuttles into the room, "Yes, Venture Captain."

As Farabellus strides back behind his desk, he begins talking, "The society recently gained access to a time-lost dungeon beneath Thornkeep. It appeared to date back to the time of Azlant. An expedition was arranged but Rozimus here was seperated from his companions and forced to flee. He returned to me. Tell them Rozimus."

"Yes, well," he looks guiltily about, "I don't think they can leave. We thought we were all trapped but when I ran, the mists parted." He holds out his hand and a small clear spindle rests upon his palm, "I found this and I think it saved my life."{/b]

The Venture-Captaion takes over, [b]"The Azlanti invented ioun stones, seemed to fetishise them, it is not surprise that they would create paths that only the bearers of an ioun stone can cross."

"Of course, we don't want to make the same mistake." He opens a bag and reveals a pile of stone glimmering with fire light, "if any of you do not have your own ioun stones, the society will lend you one for this mission. You should also take three more: one for each of the missing pathfinders."

He shrugs, "Your mission is simple: explore and document the place, The Sanctum of a Lost Age is how it was poetically described in the records that led us there, while finding and rescuing the missing agents, if they still live."

"Any questions, for me or Rozimus here?"

Slides are in the link above my beautiful headshot. Please add yourselves to the marching orders and insert your modifiers for the dice rolls on the first page. Thank you.

Well, look at you, thinks Nemesis as Mr. of-Tymon makes his appearance. Looks like the wax has all pooled at the bottom and whatever wick used to be up top ran out a long time ago....

"Lucky me, then," She finally says at the mention of Ioun Stones; she contemplates her Wayfinder (the first to receive one out of ANY of my characters!), the distinctive central indentation of which does indeed house a small Tourmaline Sphere.

"Of course, if you would give, I would happily take donations..."

"...Oh. Questions. Yes, let's start with the obvious: Who are these wayward embers we seek, and what do they look like? In fact, should we find them, how would we know they were those we sought, and not Rakshasa or something?"

"...Aannd, speaking of which, have you any idea what foes we may face where we're headed? Nothing that doesn't burn, I hope."

Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

"..."

What Miss Nemesis said...what might we face when we're there? Forewarned is forearmed...or so my instructor always said...

Couldsomeone please add my pic to the slides? I’m a phone poster so I struggle with that. Thanks!

Reesa smiles dreamily as she receives the mission briefing. She wasn’t a huge fan of dark and cold dungeons, but those Ioun stones were certainly pretty. She selected one and watched it float around her head.

"Lucky me, then," She finally says at the mention of Ioun Stones; she contemplates her Wayfinder (the first to receive one out of ANY of my characters!), the distinctive central indentation of which does indeed house a small Tourmaline Sphere.

"Of course, if you would give, I would happily take donations..."

The VC shrugs, "As long as you bring it back in one piece."

He hands Nemesis an ioun stone glowing with fire that does not burn.
It is an Ioun Torch.

"...Oh. Questions. Yes, let's start with the obvious: Who are these wayward embers we seek, and what do they look like? In fact, should we find them, how would we know they were those we sought, and not Rakshasa or something?"

Farabellus looks to Rozimus and the younger man takes a deep breath, "Well, there were four of us: Pastrine was our wizard, he's kind of bald but with a long beard, longer than um..." He glances at Farabellus, "And he kind of talks a lot. Um, yeah, and then there were two kind of different warriors. Melansia is an elf. She is all in armour with a scimitar and a shield marked with Sarenrae's symbol, you know, the angel ankh. She's a paladin. And then there's Reshat, she's a real big half-orc with a spear and loads of tattoos. They didn't really rub along too well."

He rubs his head, "This was the first time I've worked with them. Everyone seemed alright, I reckon." He glances up at Farabellus, "I hope they're okay."

The VC shrugs, "There's a chance, no more than that, but we'll take it."

"...Aannd, speaking of which, have you any idea what foes we may face where we're headed? Nothing that doesn't burn, I hope."

"Well, there was this smoke demon kind of thing and some statues that came to life and had big swords. But," Rozimus shivers, "The thing we ran from was this big lightning dragon thing with six legs."

Beating any check by 5 entitles you to a useful piece of information for every 5 over the check. You can ask if you want something specific. Or you can ask me to decide what you would know.

Couldsomeone please add my pic to the slides? I’m a phone poster so I struggle with that. Thanks!

Reesa smiles dreamily as she receives the mission briefing. She wasn’t a huge fan of dark and cold dungeons, but those Ioun stones were certainly pretty. She selected one and watched it float around her head.

Done!

The Venture Captain claps his hands together, "Right then. Normally I'd put you on a boat, ancient ruins can wait, but the presence of pathfinders who have been trapped for several days, if they yet live, makes time more pressing."

He takes a gulp from a mug of tea by his desk and stands up, indicating that the meeting is coming to a close, "Report back here at high sun midday and we'll teleport you right to the spot."

"Any last questions, ask them now."

You've got time to shop if you want. You are in Absalom right now.

Know. Arcana 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

”The statue like creatures sound like caryatid columns. They are sort of minor golems, so they will be tough.”

Know. Arcana 1d20+7

”The statue like creatures sound like caryatid columns. They are sort of minor golems, so they will be tough.”

I should have been clear, those two spoilers are separate checks. You can roll for the second arcana spoiler as well.

Know. Arcana 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20

”And I’d bet the six legged dragon is a behir! Strong as an ox, but dumb as a post. It’ll dish out tons of damage, I’m sure.”

A behir? Don't think I've killed one of those yet...will make a nice addition to the notches...

good to go

Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Apologies, but it’s seems the slide isn’t in the header.

First Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (1) + 15 = 16
Second Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (2) + 15 = 17

Welp, those are low rolls!

Still holding the doll, playing with its limbs, Sucy seems to nonchalantly speak her thoughts, "Golems and Behir.... This'll be interesting to research afterwards. Never had researched a behir before. Saving the other Pathfinders might be our prerogative, but I would like to see this creature."

Nobody has knowledge (planes)? If you've done the confirmation, or some other scenarios, then you might have a way to conduct research in the grand lodge.

it is here ^^^^

[dice=Knowledge Arcana]1d20+6

Apologies, but it’s seems the slide isn’t in the header.

Reesa calls on the knowledge of Society friend Maffei to try to learn more about what might be waiting on them.

Know. Planes 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32

Using my debt of the Shadow boon for the first time. Will make notation on my sheet...

Doubled the DC? Fine: here is the statblock

”And that nasty smoke demon? It’s probably a belker. Funny name, but a serious evil threat.”

Please read that statblock.

Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
"..."

It is here ^^^^

Apologies, my eyes don't like working sometimes.

[dice=Knowledge Planes]1d20+6

"..."

GM Elberion wrote:

It is here ^^^^

Apologies, my eyes don't like working sometimes.

No worries, easily done.

I'll make sure to get my revenge late in the adventure...

Nemesis graciously returns the "Ioun Torch".

I should have known.

Knowledge (Planes): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
Knowledge (Arcana) re Caryatid Columns: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25
Knowledge (Arcana) re Behirs: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Let me know what I know.

Last chance to shop or do research. Teleportation coming soon.

Also, only Reesa took an ioun torch: has everyone else got ioun stones of their own?

Reesa will grab three more as instructed, to hopefully save the people already in the lair.

Picking through her belt pouch with a free hand, the alchemist pulls out a rose colored ioun stone and lets it float around her.

"These things come in handy, though, the ones that glow are quite handy if you need both hands and can't hold a torch. I, personally, don't think I can afford much else at the moment."

Again, with her free hand, she opens one side of her robe, revealing a variety of glass vials, reagents,and clay capsules before grinning widely.

ahh...post got munched...Valeros will take one...

Can't really take one, so I will buy it before the adventure.

Assuming Nemesis Malek also joins in the Seance for the healing bonus, this is the current spread of buffs.
Valeros: +2 Non-Spell Damage, Reesa: +2 Spell Damage, Sucy Manbavaran: +2 Non-Spell Damage, Nemesis Malek: +2 to Healing, Haunted Molly: +4 Non-Spell Damage.

If Deldri wants to join in the seance, please let me know what buff you prefer.

Would that benefit extend to healing from wands and scrolls? Otherwise, you don't know me too well, Dolly. >:) If not, I think I'd prefer +2 Spell Damage.

My apologies. No, it does not benefit healing items.

Brace yourselves, here we go!

The teleportation spell works a treat and you are transported into a cracked, stone passageway with billowing mist at one end.
Follwing Marcos Farabellis' instructions, you walk into the mist.

---

A corridor of billowing yellow mist and strange, shifting lights opens in the middle of a large entry hall. Across the room, three demonic stone faces as tall as humans leer at visitors like a scornful greeting party. Each has an open mouth, extended tongue, and slightly different features from the others. From north to south they are blue, yellow, and red. Between the huge faces, two staircases lead up ten feet to a balcony that overlooks the entire chamber. A set of ornate stone double doors stands closed along the south wall. Two shadowy alcoves flank the corridor of lights and mists along the west wall.

Map in now on slides.

Time to tea party then.

The participating members gather around and pull out a decorative Tien style tea set from the pack onto the doll’s back. After following the instructions in the guide book, the doll’s head begins to twist from its random angle towards the time rest of the Pathfinders.
”Ch... Am.. Om.. Ile...” the words escape its mouth. The sound of childish laughter can be heard, and a soft blue light radiates from the child like figure. The arms jerk forward, flinging the entire body with it, as they rush out for her tea cup. The eyes seem to radiate life now, and the dress that it was wearing changes gently into an adventurer’s outfit.

”Molly the Sheriff Dolly, here to bring hard justice!”

Well that's not something you see every day... valeros says, a bit surprised at Molly's transformation.

Raising an eyebrow at the doll's transformation, Sucy sighs and looks at Valeros. "It isnt the weirdest thing I've seen either. The doll..... Molly looks capable." Squatting down, the young woman tries to look "Molly" in the eyes before speaking up, "Are you able to walk around, or is someone going to have to carry you?"

Without waiting for an answer, Sucy flicks her hand, wand appearing into it, and taps herself, triggering the Hightened Awareness, and walks towards the Yellow gate to study it.

Nemesis looks down at the doll with an expression stony enough to crack bivalves with.
"I knew it: The Decemvirate is actively incentivizing Society recruiters somehow to seek out the most bizarre initiates they can possibly find."

Molly catches up, rushing forward in a swift motion. "I can do more than just walk." She then begins a simple yet rhythmic dance which seems to fill her allies with a sense of spiritual power.

+4 to Saving Throws, will repeatedly do until combat starts.