Please dot in here.
The Pathfinders find themselves in the City on a Cliff - Kaer Maga. This ancient city is imposing. It's history dates back more than 10,000 years.
The group meets up with a local Pathfinder contact in the city. The tavern they are at is quiet and unassuming. Their contact, a half-orc woman named Bedisa (), informs them that the church of Pharasma is looking to hire adventurers for a secret mission. "I don't know much about the details. They said to meet at..." she looks at a note in her hand, "Godsmouth Cathedral in the Bottoms district for a midnight meeting with a Pharasmin priest. I'm sure this priest will inform you about the details further."
The Pathfinders are free to introduce themselves here and are free to purchase anything in the city before their midnight meeting.
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"Dear fellow Pathfinder Agents. Greetings. I am Roomba, an android programmed with superior reflexes and basic fencing skills. My hardware is immune to diseases and magical sleep, and possess a built-in resistance to paralysis, poison, and stun effects; my design is also not subject to fatigue or exhaustion, so while I suffer no ill effect from lack of a rest cycle, I do so enter that mode willingly on occasion to improve my memory storage and retrieval functions. I am not subject to fear or emotion attacks, but my artificial brain does possess prioritization and emergency protocols. My design also includes a self-repair mechanism, but my physiology also responds positively with conjuration spells of the healing subcategory like most living creatures. Beside assisting you and any other Grand Lodge and Silver Crusade endeavors, my secondary objectives include self-improvement in many areas including but not limited to: combat, acrobatics, diplomacy, engineering and investigative activities. May I please now hear your names and functions?"
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"Greetings Tavon, good friend of water," answers Roomba, extending her hand towards Tavon. "My optical sensors indicate you are a human of below average muscle density, with superior motor skills, balance and peak circulatory, respiratory, lymphatic, digestive and integumentary systems. Please confirm."
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Grelthe is a towering but incredibly affable half-orc with a shock of firey red hair, and facial features that lean more toward her human side. She's clad in scratched & dented scale armor, wearing a simple but stout gold chain around her throat, and multiple mundane weapons and a shield about her person.
When Grelthe sees the Android, her eyes will pop out of her head, but she is too polite to say anything about it. Nevertheless, she recovers quickly and introduces herself as requested.
"Grelthe Hraustligr reporting for duty. I'm a strong arm for my god, the Strongman, Kurgess." She gestures toward the number of weapons at her side. Then she grins amiably, the light glistening off her slight tusks. "I'm also good at talking to people."
She eyes the other half-orc woman. "You look like you could be a challenge. Is this mission a rush job, or do we have time for an arm-wrestle?"
Grelthe will purchase a couple vials of holy water.
Irritable Diplomat (Racial; half-orc) Most people expect half-orcs to be savage and violent, and you’re used to working a little harder to overcome their assumptions. Unfortunately, you’re still working on keeping patient when they ignore your efforts. Once per day, you may choose to gain a +5 trait bonus on any Diplomacy check, but if it fails, you take a –2 penalty on all Charisma-based checks for the next 10 minutes.
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A young man of Taldan descent wanders over to the gathered agents. He wears the colours and accoutrements of a Sarenite priest. He wears his armour confidently, and his weapons show obvious wear. He nods his head in acknowledgement to the group.
Blessings of the Dawnflower to you all. I am Andros, and I'll be joining you on this mission... He turns to the android, and his forehead furrows.
You'll have to forgive me...but I am unsure if my healing magic will work on you. I have heard of others such as yourself, but never met one.
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"Greetings Grelthe Hraustligr, follower of Kurgess, with superior strength and many weapons. Greetings Andros, follower of Sarenrae, with magical healing skills," says the android, extending her hand to shake theirs. Turning to Andros, she adds, "Apologies are unnecessary. You are correct: some constructs, robots and other artificial beings do not respond to restorative magic designed for organic lifeforms. Rest assured: my design, however, is compatible with conjuration spells of the healing subcategory."
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Aatish walks with dignity and slow steps.
"Greetings to you all." says the young woman with a shy smile.
She looks a little scrawny but quite agile. Her grey and pink hair have an exotic appeal and she is wearing a red dress.
Resting on top of her chest, an amulet showing the holy symbol of Sarenrae is visible.
She has a natural presence although she does not come across aloof or arrogant at all.
Below her dress light leather armor is visible and she carries a Scimitar at her hip that is attached to her wrist with a very fine chain.
Facing you all she bows.
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When Aatish states her mission, Grelthe smiles and says "A worthy goal, indeed!"
To Tavon: "Friend of water? So does that mean you have water magic of some sort? That is good. I have no magic, myself. Considering where we are going, I am glad we have a cleric of Sarenrae with us!" She solidly thumps Andros on the shoulder in a friendly gesture.
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Rachel is a short, lean woman with red hair and piercing green eyes. Her face bears a few freckles. She smiles at the assembled Pathfinders. "My name is Rachel. I'm here in the name of Erastil."
She wears a chain shirt and wears a cestus on each wrist. A longbow, buckler, and several quivers are attached to her back.
The group of Pathfinders were invited to the Godsmouth Cathedral for a midnight meeting. At midnight, a Pharasmin priest named Valanthe Nerissia meets you. IN the side chapel dedicated to a martyred saint, she explains the problem: bodies are missing from the Godsmouth Ossuary. "I offer you 500 gp for successfully stopping whatever is behind the disappearing bodies, and an additional reward of 250 gp for clearing the level of all other monsters or threats. In addition, any valuables you find in the sealed crypts are yours to keep - barring any obviously Pharasmin artifacts or treasures."
She stares at each of you. "The need for absolute secrecy is necessary.". From her mannerisms, she hints that the church can make life in Kaer Maga very difficult for them. "Meet me tomorrow at noon and I can lead you down into the Ossuary."
Valanthe meets the Pathfinders and leads them down the narrow, twisting cliffside path to the Godsmouth Ossuary. Once the group passes through the mouth of the Unnamed King, they are in the ossuary proper where robed and hooded Pharasmin priests silently tend to the deceased. Valanthe leads the group through luxuriously appointed catacombs packed with bodies and down several stairways before coming to an area that obviously sees little use - most of the burial niches are empty and dusty, the air is musty and close, and silence reigns supreme.
In the disused portions of the crypts, Valanthe stops before a locked door. "This is the only known entrance to the sealed lower portions of the ossuary. Once you enter, the door will be locked behind you. Unfortunately, you will be unable to leave the ossuary to rest and resupply. Here, these may help you." Valanthe hands each character a potion of cure light wounds and a vial of holy water. Then she hands over one hallow mithral tube about 1 foot long. "This is a chime of opening with 5 charges remaining.
Use it wisely. We will not open the door if you don't have the chime. We cannot see through the door so we cannot be sure if you have been turned to mindless undead. ".
The door grinds open despite long years of disuse. Within, a stone spiral staircase descends into the earth. The spiral stairway descends 60 feet down a cramped vertical shaft. There is a narrow gap between the stairs and the corners of the square shaft, but it is too small for a medium creature to fit and a tight space for small creatures.
The walls and floors are made of smooth, hewn stone. There is little to no light down here so a torch (or other light source) would be needed for those without darkvision.
Roomba walks slowly and cautiously down the stairs, ready for anything to jump out at her.
About 30 feet down, Tavon and Andros's ioun torch start to flicker as the light level slowly dims and darkens. It becomes nearly impossible to see (for those without darkvision). A creature floats down on Andros - the last person down the stairs. It's tentacles look ready to wrap around the priest.
This is a darkmantle.
AC 15, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +2 natural, +1 size)
hp 15
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +0
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Round 1
Andros
Monster
Rachel
Aatish
Tavon
Grelth
Roomba
Andros manages to hit the creature square in the head. It recoils but renews it's efforts. The creature then attempts to wrap up Andros with it's tentacles.
The creature tentacles seem to flail as it can't seem to get a good grip on the priest.
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Round 1
Andros
Monster
Rachel
Aatish
Tavon
Grelthe
Roomba
Between Andros's mace, Roomba's rapier, and Tavon's blast of water, the creature dies. Tavon's blast slams it against the wall and it falls limp on the floor.
The Pathfinders continue going down the stairs without any further disruption. They come across a large room. Old carvings cover the walls of the square chamber, thick with dust and cobwebs. Three sets of stone double doors stand in the three facing walls. Heavy bronze seals emblazoned with the symbol of Pharasma secure the doors against whatever lies beyond.
The engravings reference the seven runelords of ancient Thassilon.
You find more recent (though still old) graffiti scrawled on the northern wall, which reads, "My heart beats on the wrong side of my chest, or is it right? Is left right, or is it wrong? I don't know what it means, or why"
The three stone doors are all sealed shut.
Andros searches the room. He find more recent (though still old) graffiti scrawled on the northern wall, which reads, "My heart beats on the wrong side of my chest, or is it right? Is left right, or is it wrong? I don't know what it means, or why".
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Grelthe notices the new-ish grafitti, points it out, then frowns slightly and scratches her head while she thinks. She goes up to each door, first without touching it to see if she feels anything different (if nothing happens) she will repeat but lay her hand on each door in turn (left to right).
(if nothing happens)
She shrugs and points to the left one. "I mean, left is the correct side of your body for your heart to be, right? I mean, correct? But then I'm bad at riddles."
Each door looks like it is solidly built with stone. Breaking through it would be tough.
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Three sets of stone double doors stand in the three facing walls. Heavy bronze seals emblazoned with the symbol of Pharasma secure the doors against whatever lies beyond.
Do the big brass seals have any sort of release mechanism?
"Can anyone detect magic on these seals? Perhaps we are meant to use the chime of opening? She said it had 5 charges?"