Volcano's Land - Mercury Morn

Game Master Miner Cotren

"Are you a part of me? Are you one of my workers?" A big, scuttling...machine tromps around the vertical rock face. It is still too far away to make out details.

Samen is going to hover slightly above his platform, ready to ascend further. This thing seems like trouble, but more data is necessary before committing to a plan.

A smaller voice, still mechanical, says, "No, you're not part of me, and not one of my workers..."

Several more clangs and you can now see a living scrapheap, covered in lenses and claws. A thousand golems and other mechanical bric-a-brac have been soldered and welded together. The creature's mind is clearly just as fractured - it holds conversations with itself about updates from other lenses.

"Can you hear me?"

"(Dig) and (run)." Learningto stays calm, like you should when running from a fire.

After recovering from the scare of... whatever that was that scuttled away in the gloom, Gabe looks over the edge at the new huge scuttling thing below. He prepares himself for the inevitable dive to defend his companions. Unless... the new fey ruler can talk that thing into leaving us be probably. Better be ready just in case.

all: feel free to roll 1 or 2 knowledge checks to see what you can surmise about this being

Know History: 1d20 + 25 ⇒ (10) + 25 = 35
Know Arcana: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (4) + 22 = 26

"Hello over there! You look like a kindred spirit in a way! Certainly someone who needs some company other than themselves to be sure. Care to sit with us for a spell?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (13) + 23 = 36

The many lenses set into the skin of the creature all flicker toward you.

"I hear you. I am the Observer. What do you have to tell me?"

Qizz stays safe, first and always. A brief storm of emotion follows these thoughts, but an Eastern Tribe warrior is taught to channel such feelings. She feels nothing instead.

In a measured voice, Kallik tells Qizzlvutz what to do. "Qizz, please tell your friend to stop digging for now and go back to the entrance. Our other friends might need help talking." She keeps the words light, while preparing for the worst.

the slate ogre will buy us a minute if things go bad. we'll stay far back for now.

Qzz nods, which is like shifting for 'okay'. They try to dig more tunnel, but myco hands cannot become stone. Hmm. Oh well. Practice other shapes instead.

Samen calls down to Abnaki with what he's learned. "Speak honor to this child of Moon! Tell it no lies, weave no falsehoods and dictate no reality to it. Given the chance, it will know you better than you know yourself. Don't anger it if you can avoid it!"

"Yes, lies are offensive to my sensibilities. I aim to observe facts, and take possession of thoughts that lead to truth."

"Well then, would you like to join us for some tea? We have a simply remarkable teapot." Abnaki says truthfully. "We can discuss pure happy true thoughts like civilized higher creatures, no?"

"Yes. We can. Your request is strange, but polite."

This will go either incredibly well or incredibly poorly.

Samen floats down to Abnaki with the teapot and speaks quietly to him. "You seem to have a plan. I hope it's more intricate than 'Surprise!' but I'll follow your lead. I don't know how you plan to get tea out of our friend here, but good luck."

"Oh that's very easy!" Abnaki quietly says to Samen. "Either the Sunlord makes some excellent tea to provide to our new friend here, or they'll kill each other." He holds the teapot, and speaks to it. "I am sure that if you put your mind to it, you can make some excellent tea, no?"

He calls down to the creature as he starts moving towards it, carrying the teapot, and mentally prepping himself to be a gracious host. "Forgive me if this is a rude question, but what exactly is your raison d'etre?"

The Observer speaks loudly, like a person that is hard of hearing. The Observer's hearing, however, is excellent. "Thank you for your frank appraisal of the possibilities of this meeting. I am looking forward to trying such a tea, but I will kill your son-lord if necessary."

The machine pauses upon hearing your question. Again, that smaller voice, forming briefly as a pair of eyes and a chattering mechanical mouth that rises closer to the primary set of lenses and speakers. "An archaic phrase, meaning 'reason for existence.'"

The large primary lenses readjust and focus on Abnaki once more. "Ah. An interesting observation: I would not have to answer that question if I took you apart with my specialized claws and pincers."

It scuttles very close now. You feel like a blade of grass. It settles its bulk onto the flat, stone-shaped ground. "Make the tea, please."

"Ah but that wouldn't be particularly polite behavior to rip your host to shreds," Abnaki points out. He looks down at the tea kettle. "Are you going to make tea, or am I going to have to do it? I will you know. Now here's some water, and some interesting leaves, if you can't manage with that, just let me know. I am a ruler of many talents after all." He beams beatifically at the kettle.

"Yes. I can tell there is something unique about this teakettle. More facts and more observations will lead closer to the truth."

An arm as big as several carriages thuds on the ground. From the largest pincer-appendage, a smaller compartment opens, and a medium-sized golem walks out of the compartment. An attempt has been made to produce something elen-like, but the attempt has failed. It has a wide, thoroughly artificial smile on its face. A wire runs from its neck back into the compartment.

"To make tea, one must use a heat source to heat your water." The golem recites the words of the recipe with false enthusiasm, making eye contact with none of you. It may as well be speaking to an empty room. Without another word, it holds up ewer of water.

From three separate lens apertures, narrow beams of red light strike the surface of the water. It quickly steams, then boils. The beams of flame(?) cease, and the golem rests the ewer upon the ground. "Water should be heated to boiling if a stronger, darker brew is desired."

Abnaki has provided a generous heap of red clover for the tea. The golem carefully picks up every purplish flower with its smooth, delicate hands. From some hidden cache, the golem produces a fine mesh net of white threads. "Let the leaves steep for 10 minutes. Mint is not desired, so move to next step." It turns toward the teakettle. The golem pours the boiling water into the top, then adds the bag of red clover.

Opræterius remains silent.

At the tea steeps in the teakettle Sunlord, the Observer looks at each of you in turn.

** Abnaki, one of the primary lenses extends toward you for an unervingly long time, then stops. "You seek to be a new Declarative, but in the Fey Realm."

** Samen and Gabriel get the same eerie treatment, but with smaller lenses mounted upon retractable metal poles. You are observed with clinical detachment. The smaller voice speaks. "Humans. Archaic species, thought extinct. Low chance of breeding population surviving all this time. Magic, but a permanent effect with no lingering signature. Time magic? Advanced transfiguration? (pause) Confirmed as NOT illusion."

"Alleged humans, how do you exist, how do humans exist after all this time?"

Samen knows that the Observer cannot detect or understand psionics

"I fought with the last Declarative you know," Abnaki states conversationally. "The experience broke my mind, such as it was then. But I put myself back together, with a little help from my friends. Probably not something you're particularly interested in, seeing as a lot of it took place in dreams, and you could observe that place until Volcano became cold, and still not be any closer to the truth." Abnaki pauses, then continues. "Still, why shouldn't I be a Declarative? I managed to counteract the last one's words for long enough for others to kill her, isn't that enough of an endorsement?" He looks at the lenses, not the golem attachment. "Oh I'm sorry, you two must have known each other, no? Were you colleagues? Friends? If so, I'm sorry for your loss."

Diplomacy Can always take 10: 10 + 20 = 30

"You still haven't answered me though. As a fellow curious creature, I thought you would share that courtesy. What... no why exactly are you?"

Samen takes the sun lord's silence as a cue to keep key information hidden while providing honest responses. "Oh quite simply, really. We never left. All it takes to restore us is to be cleansed from the various elemental augmentations. I too am curious about something. You are clearly a creature of Moon, observant in all respects. What is the situation here at Uluru?"

Gabe is a bit unnerved as he is observed so intently. Something this... alien... how did it come to be? It seeks to gain knowledge, a product of the corruption of the library perhaps... Gabriel keeps his musings to himself as Samen answers about the existence of humanity. Especially as Gabe isn't exactly sure what the answers even are.

"The situation at Uluru is this:  unknown invaders struck at the first level before I arrived.  The second level and all below it are sealed.  I do not wish to harm those lower levels.  I have repaired what I could of the first level, and I am seeking solutions."

Turning to Abnaki and Abnaki's questions, the Observer continues, "The Declarative and I were both created directly by Moon, so by some standards it could be said the Declarative was my sibling."

"Purpose.  Purpose.  Why.  Three truths -- knowledge is inherently good ;  preserved knowledge is better still ; and the deaths elens cause each other should be prevented whenever possible.  I act on these three truths."

**
Click, whirr, click.  Thinking.  Counting.  

The teakettle shrieks like the dead.  The smaller golem simulacrum pours it competently and mechanically. The tea is glowing yellow.

"And you, host?  What is your purpose?  And will you drink first of the brew, as hospitality demands?

Due to busy/swamped RL, Kallik's player has asked me to bot, and if this is long-term I have a side quest in mind for them. Not gone, just on their own narrative for now

Learningto sees the rock will heal itself in the next few minutes. Everyone is distracted and interested as the large machine brews tea. The surface world is so strange.

Learningto takes comfort knowing that Qizzlvutz, Hroof Hroofa, and all her myco children will be safe. Safe from the Observer, and safe from Abnaki the Declarative-in-Training. She knows her way through many levels of the library. The rock slowly closes behind them, and no one notices. The rock-ogre burrows deeper. Qizzlvutz dances, Hroof follows, and Learningto thinks.

Qizz / Kallik are welcome back whenever they feel available :)

"Oh of course!" Abnaki takes a cup of tea, blowing gently over the surface. "I am a rising King. I weave dreams stories and souls together to inspire morale, and cultivate awe. And at the moment, my enemy is both Gem and Moon. I could argue that serving Moon is in fact antithetical to your purpose; I expect you might disagree on that. If you would like to discuss that, do let me know! But yes, Moon is my enemy. Although before we come to blows ourselves, let me ask you this; what is a story but knowledge preserved? And what then is a storyteller like myself, but a creature like yourself? It seems a shame that we would need to fight when instead we could work together." He extends a hand, not towards the little El shaped Golem, but towards the large claw. "A correspondence. Two can work better than one can they not? No, more than that. Friendship. Do you have any friends oh great Observer?" As he holds out his hand, he finally takes a sip of the tea.

"Stories can be pure lies, or based on facts ; they can contain meaning, or be purposefully constructed as to lack such. There is no way of telling the value of any story before reading/listening, therefore stories are not the correct way to disseminate information. Entertainment is unnecessary if you have a captive audience and a perfect teacher."

In the glowing light of Sun-heated tea, the lenses of the Observer seem lit by some internal heat, some anger. "I had precisely one friend. One peer. But she is dead, as our earlier conversation indicated."

The claw does not reach out to your outstretched hand. Instead, it reaches with exact form to the second tea cup. It splashes the sun-tea into a receptacle near the speakers of its primary mouth.

"By chemical composition, I would judge this a disappointing taste. The energy content is unique, however, which could lead to a spicy-"

It stops midsentence. All lenses point toward the receptacle. "A choice? To be metal without thought, without observation?"

After several long, quiet seconds go by, you hear an ominous groaning, like a massive tree about to fall in the middle of a storm. The Observer crumbles into a mass of individual bars, wires, shafts, pulleys, and sheet metal. The multiple lenses go still and blank. As the bulk of metal settles into place, you see several emergency units go online, lurching toward anyone in the immediate area.

(the equivalent of twenty or so large golems in a group, very hostile, which you have to deal with or flee from)

Abnaki: 2 fortitude saves please from scalding tea, even just a sip

Gabe watches the exchange with the odd creature with fascination. Preservation of knowledge? Sounds like a library... As the tea is poured, Gabe studies the huge golem for any kind of reaction. He definitely did not expect the thing to fall apart! Thinking the situation is dealt with he finally relaxes. But then more little golems pull themselves out of the wreckage and start moving towards his companions on the ground. Figuring he has the best chance to withstand any kind of attack, Gabe decides his next course of action. "Samen, I hope you're OK up here, I need to get in between those things and the other two." He prepares himself to sprint down the side of the mesa to face the golems.

Gabe this is more theater of the mind for now - feel free to give a full round of attacks, as they are still fulling waking up

Init: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19 (I feel like this is necessary at this point?)

golems init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Init: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

"Ah." Abnaki says dumbly. Then he watches as the creature falls to pieces. The tea is hot, but that is no matter. He used to be an ifrit after all. He thinks anyway. He downs the rest of it, and then begins to drone. Move action begin performance

"This could have been avoided. Two halves of the same coin should not fight. But if you insist that we be flipped instead of balancing on an edge, then I shall be heads, and you tails. The head on top, and the tail on the bottom."

I argue that tremor is an effect that targets the individual, but quake targets the rock below their feet, more like a conjuration effect, so if their immunity to bardic magic persists, they shouldn't take the -2 to AC, but should have to make the DC 20 reflex save or fall prone.

Regardless, everyone within 60ft still gets +6 to hit and damage!

Abnaki points at where he thinks Gabriel to be. "Faster and faster still!" Standard action to cast boosted accelerate on Gabriel, which gives you a bonus move action every round for the next 9 rounds (which lets you move and full attack if you want), or if you don't use the extra move it gives you a bonus attack like (but not stacking with) haste.

Then, seeming to note that he is now directly in the line of attack for all these golems, Abnaki takes a 5ft step. Directly down. Into the ground. The earth and rocks reverberates with his voice.

This is not going how I thought it would go. Huh.

knowledge (Huh?): 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (14) + 22 = 36 (If this would be a more esoteric knowledge skill like "nobility" or "local", subtract 8 from the roll)

"Talking's over, I guess!"

While standing at ground level, Samen lines up with as many of the golems as he can and lets loose less refined, more raw, power of Sun in their direction.

Sunbeam: 4d6 ⇒ (6, 6, 3, 4) = 19 (Reflex save DC 21, save for half. If they can be blinded, that also happens on a failed save.)

Then he splits from Abnaki and goes 20 ft up into the air.

Gabe init, accelerate: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 8 + 2 = 27

Gabriel, on your way down, Samen has mostly melted a good third of the golems. Now hastened by Abnaki, your extra move action could be moving down the mesa and landing in the midst of 4 golems. You now have a full round of attacks etc, ki stuff, etc left to declare.

This is not going how I thought it would go. Huh.

knowledge (planes) == 36

Golem 1, move and slam: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30
damage: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (5, 1) + 8 = 14

Samen, following those brief thoughts comes a hard punch to your midsection. Though your sunbeam managed to melt or partially melt five golems, there was still a single one close enough to attack you.

there are four around Gabriel, but he acts first so I will wait to see how his attacks go.

The smaller personality of the Observer is still standing. He (it) is a smoother kind of silver golem, more refined, a marriage of alchemy and the arcane. The taller, clunkier golems tromp around in emergency combat mode, but this one elen-sized golem walks directly to where Abnaki sank into the ground.

"We were observing you for a long time, 'friends'. I know your tricks. I think you are lurking right under my feet, right-"

"-Here!" Arms sudden molten and blazing, the smooth golem plunges his arms into the ground, seeking to wrap Abnaki in blistering pain.

heat metal + manuver: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
fire damage: 6d6 + 5 ⇒ (3, 4, 2, 4, 6, 4) + 5 = 28

Abnaki, reflex save DC 24. Failed = 28 fire damage and grappled/immobilized. (you would be above ground, in the golem's square) Save = half damage and not grappled, remain underground.

Swift to use Ki for extra attack. Full attack is 3 regular +1 from "haste-like" and +1 more from ki. I'll roll sneak attack separately in case it doesn't apply. If sneak attack does apply, inflict disoriented to lower their attack. Focus them down one at a time otherwise.

Gabe leaps into the midst of the golems looking to scrap them before they can cause injury.

Attack Ki: 26 hit, 21+4; Attack Haste: 26, 15+2; Attack 1: 40, 18+6; Attack 2: 35, 16+5; Attack 3: 21, 16+7

He takes note of the silvery golem that seems to know exactly where Abnaki has gone into the ground.

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Abnaki gasps with pain as he's drawn to the surface. Still, he grins as he burns at the observer. "Haven't seen all my tricks yet. Oh my no. Not yet."

4 hits, and your attacks seem particularly effective, so 2 golems are down. 2 more golems remain, so they are attacking you now (this is all still part of round 1)

Golem Gabe-1, move and slam: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (7) + 15 = 22
damage: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (8, 7) + 8 = 23

Golem Gabe-2, move and slam: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20
damage: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (4, 1) + 8 = 13

The golems are unable to follow your quick-as-a-thought movements, and you evade their fists completely.

Round 1 is over.

Round 2 Begins! All: Declare Actions!

2 undamaged golems adjacent to Gabriel. 1 undamaged golem adjacent to Samen. One last cluster of 6 golems that are about 60 away from Samen currently. The smaller personality golem is of course adjacent to Abnaki. You are all within about 20 feet of each other, but no one is directly next to any other allies right now.

Using the magic Abnaki lent him, Gabe strides from the two golems he is engaged with in order to help with the silver golem. Flowing from one engagement to another, Gabe assumes a fighting stance as he strikes out at the silver golem.

Extra move action to move; Swift to assume Jabbing stance; Full attack, spin kick to start attack vs flat footed... + flanking?

Attack 1: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30 +6 if song, +2 if flank
Damage 1: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15 +6 if song
sneak attack: 2d6 ⇒ (2, 4) = 6

Attack 2: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27 +6 if song, +2 if flank
Damage 2: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 +6 if song
sneak attack: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 2) = 5
jabbing?: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Attack 3: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20 +6 if song, +2 if flank
Damage 3: 1d10 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 +6 if song
sneak attack: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 6) = 12
jabbing?: 1d6 ⇒ 1

You'll need to handle that one on your own for a moment, Abnaki.

Samen floats back down and blasts as many as he can with another sunbeam.

Sunbeam: 4d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 2, 6) = 18

Samen, the golem closest to you, and no less than four others in the far cluster, all melt like hapless snow-els to the ground. Your analytical mind notes again how effective the Sun energy is against the Moon-tained metal.

2 remain in the far cluster

Gabriel, your first jab (the 36) penetrates the golem's armor so keenly, you feel the magicks that give motion to the golem snap and fray, and the automaton falls over instantly. Your next two attacks destroy a second golem by sheer damage, carving out the core of the golem with cunning strokes.

2 defeated, 2 remain next to Gabriel

Abnaki, I'd like to update the round tomorrow, so come up with your action against the molten-armed golem so he can respond in kind.

which golem blinded by sun beam?: 1d2 ⇒ 2
golem #2

Golem vs Gabe, full round slam + flank: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 15 + 2 = 37
damage!: 3d8 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (6, 2, 7) + 8 + 2 = 25

Golem vs Gabe 2, full round slam + flank, half-blinded by sun beam: 1d20 + 15 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 15 + 2 - 4 = 22
damage!: 3d8 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (5, 4, 4) + 8 + 2 = 23

Golem vs Gabe 1, + flank CONFIRM?: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 15 + 2 = 30
damage!: 3d8 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (8, 4, 5) + 8 + 2 = 27

Golem 2 misses

Gabriel, Golem 1 crits and confirms, so 25 + 27 = 52 damage coming your way.

Samen, the remaining two golems briefly scan the situation, and come to some kind of conclusion regarding your threat level. One golem lies down and arranges its legs in an unnatural spring pattern, while the other crouches and makes ready to jump. The downed golem breaks itself apart to act as a springboard --- the second hurtles in your general direction:

golem LAUNCH: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21

75% miss chance
does is hit the right square? 1 is bad, 1 is a hit: 1d4 ⇒ 1

damage: 5d8 ⇒ (2, 3, 3, 7, 6) = 21

[b]Samen, 21 damage as the golem's arm clips you, but the golem's body is utterly destroyed by the impact.

2 golems remain around Gabriel. The molten-armed golem and Abnaki still need to act.