GM NovelEnigma's #8-24 Raid on the Cloudborne Keep (5-9) #2 (Inactive)

Game Master zer0darkfire

poof the symbol vanishes.

The lift gate stands open, waiting...

Looks like our employer is waiting for us.

Apparently so.
I'm going to go in stealthy. I'll be behind all of you.
Navi suddenly gets an idea.
Ohhh. I could go in as your air elemental escort. I can take the form of a little air elemental.

"I'll take point." and she does as Faerin walks in first...

GM, there are still people speaking behind the doors, right?

Sorry, I didn't get the little unread notice for your post, Dana. They aren't "talking" continuously.

You can hear them moving and occasionally saying something short, usually complaints about having to work or not getting paid enough.

Sounds like low level mercs. Let's get to the boss while we're still big.

”But maybe we need more information. Or someone is enslaved... I’ll check!“ Dana says.

She opens the door.

Two air mephits flap around the room, "Guests? What you want?"

Navi responds to the creatures in auran.
We are here to see Grasping Storm. We are the new recruits he requested.

"Take the lift, then dummies." one says.

"Don't keep Grasping Storm waiting! He gets angry, and I doubt all of you will return if he gets angry!" the other adds.

Navi enters the lift.
I thought we already entered and the voices were in the room where the lift took us to.

Dana wanted to check the remaining room before entering the lift.

With the sound of rushing wind, the elevator descends rapidly. After falling hundreds of feet and passing several other floors, the elevator finally settles upon a solid surface, and its gates fly open. A narrow landing protrudes into a cavernous cylinder, apparently the entire bare interior shell of the tower. Its massive span is only exceeded by its depth, as it plummets two hundred feet into a raging storm. A roaring sheath of wind and churning clouds like a tornado’s funnel conceals the tower walls. Throughout the length of the tower, stone balconies protrude from the vortex into the central shaft. Floating in the general center of the hall is a dark mass of clouds shaped into a throne. At the tower’s base, a tremendous ultramarine sigil glows brilliantly, spinning in time with the storm around it. Periodically, lightning bolts erupt from it, dancing up and down the height of the throne room like deranged courtiers.

This map is pretty strange, but it is basically a spiral staircase. While the PCs likely are able to fly, those who lack the ability can move around the chamber using these ledges. The ledges form a rough staircase, each level 20 feet below the next. The room’s total height is 300 feet—100 feet above the bottom of the elevator shaft and grasping storm’s throne, and 200 feet below it.

The storm creature flashes, "GREETINGS...MERCENARIES...COME AND GREET ME AT MY THRONE."

sense motive : 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

“Allow us to be able to fly to you!“ Dana says.

She casts fly on herself and waits for the others to also drink their potions etc. - in case someone has no fly potion, Dana will cast fly on them.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

Urzaia drinks a potion of fly.

We'll be right with you. We just need a moment to collect ourselves in the face of your... majesty.

Knowledge (Nature): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Someone get rid of that glyph. It's the source of the storm.

As soon as the gates open and Navi sees the swirling winds and flashes of lightning, she quickly touches each of her companions as she recites a blessing to Gozreh.
Over the raging winds, she whispers loud enough for her companions to hear after casting the spell.
Don't worry. I'll dispel that glyph as soon as I can. You are all temporarily immune to the damage that lightning can cause. Be careful, everyone.

Hearing Grasping Storm calling for the group to come forward, Navi sprouts blue and white gossamer wings and flutters forward.

She introduces herself in Auran to Grasping Storm.
Ողջույններ, վսեմ մեկը: Ես Նավի Ուինդհիսփերն եմ «Չորս էլեմենտներ» շահադիտական ​​ընկերության: Քամիների մեջ ես լսել եմ, որ դուք վարձկաններ եք խնդրում: Մենք պատասխանել ենք ձեր զանգին:

Everyone has resist energy (electricity), communal. Absorb 84 points for 17.5 minutes.

Faerin downs the potion of fly and joins the rest in flying though she doesn't much care for it.........

I accept your 1 round of buffing before Grasping Storm realizes you've seen through his obvious bluff.

Grasping Storm responds to Navi, "You will die for setting foot here!"

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Navi
Dana
Faerin
Grasping Storm
Blue Druid
Yellow druid
Father
THE STORM Hazard

Resist energy (electricity), communal. Absorb 84 points for 17.5 minutes.

Navi flashes Grasping Storm a curt smile.
Like, what-evs, storm dude.
She then offers a quick prayer to Gozreh and thrusts her open palms at the storm glyph in an attempt to dispel the effect.
Dispel Check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Woah!

As the storm and wind swirling in the tower goes inert, Navi sticks her tongue out at Grasping Storm.
She then flutters away to the side, pulling her bow from her back.

Well, yeah, there goes the storm hazard.

The wind swirling the room dies down and Grasping Storm is clearly angry despite having much in the way of facial features. "HOW DARE YOU FLESH CREATURES DISRUPT MY STORM. ALL FLESH IS MADE FOR ONE THING, TO ROT!"

Dana casts HASTE on the group!

Faerin rushes Grasping Storm!!

With Enhanced Speed and the barrier gone, the Dwarven Paladin with her weapon raised prepares to deliver pain to him.

Haste: +1 to hit, +1 AC
With Shield +5 AC
With Shield. AC 32
Cold Iron Warhammer +11d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 281d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

Faerin, you're flying, right? The floor of the chamber is 200 ft below the elevator landing.

Yep. I"m flying unless the potion of fly was a dud. Then I'll be falling. :P

Surprise! That merchant sold you an expired potion of fly!

Dana casts haste; everyone's favorite spell.

Faerin charges forward and swings his hammer at Grasping Storm, easily hitting the windy creature. Unfortunately, the hammer swipes cleanly through the clouds and barely harms Grasping Storm. DR 5/-

Grasping Storm flashes as he turns to smoke and lets Faerin breathe him in...

Both druids cast Obscuring Mist to hide the center platform, as well as themselves.

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Navi
Dana
Faerin
Grasping Storm, -1hp
Blue Druid
Yellow druid
Father

Haste: +1 to hit, +1 AC
With Shield +5 AC
With Shield. AC 32
Makes plans to speak to merchant once this is over
Fort Save 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26
Attack if able 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 171d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Grasping Storm may have thought it prudent but Faerin was like the very mountains she came from herself!
With a huff and a puff, she exhales it out!

With a complimentary smash at it.....
Value added service hammered at a bargain price.

Navi giggles when the druids put up their obscuring mists. With her cloud gazer ability, she can still see them.
Like, what-evs, druids.
She holds a hand to the sky, calling for Gozreh's wrath of storm and lightning to strike her enemies. Clouds coalesce into storm clouds as they flash with lightning and thunder. Immediately upon completing the spell, she calls a bolt to strike the druid wearing yellow.
Lightning Bolt! DC 16: 3d10 ⇒ (1, 9, 5) = 15

Dana concentrates and shoots magical missiles at the belker.

magic missile : 4d4 + 4 ⇒ (4, 3, 2, 2) + 4 = 15

In Gorum's honor we will crush you.

swift action, sacred weapon to add holy (+2d6 dmg to evil)

Urzaia flies up past Faerin and swings at the first druid he can find.

Attack, Enlarge Person, Haste, Power Attack: 1d20 + 16 - 1 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 16 - 1 + 1 - 2 = 33
Damage, Enlarge Person, Holy, Power Attack, Vital Strike: 1d8 + 9 + 2d6 + 4 + 1d8 ⇒ (8) + 9 + (3, 5) + 4 + (5) = 34

confirm attack, Enlarge Person, Haste, Power Attack: 1d20 + 16 - 1 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 16 - 1 + 1 - 2 = 18
Damage, Enlarge Person, Power Attack: 1d8 + 9 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 9 + 4 = 16

Miss, 1-20: 1d100 ⇒ 85

Father Urzaia easily hits a druid inside of the mist, but doesn't quite find the vital point he was expecting. Hit, but no confirmation.

Regardless, the druid seems severely wounded.

The druid's day gets worse when he realizes that Navi's are just as magically cloudy as the mist they are residing in. Her eyes seem to connect to the pattern and allow her to bypass the cloud altogether. The druid's hair stands on end and they look up to see a bolt of lightning come crashing down on them, knocking them unconscious.

Dana realizes one of Grasping Storm's weaknesses, Magic Missile, and pelts the shadowy-misty creature with great force.

Faerin easily blocks Grasping Storm from entering his lungs and lashes out with his weapon, dealing some more minor damage to the creature.

Coming to the conclusion that Faerin is not so much of a threat as Dana, Grasping Storm leaves Faerin behind and focuses wind energy behind Dana and tries to push them straight towards him.

drag special ability vs CMD 8: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23
Dana is easily pulled with the wind to directly in the same square as Grasping Storm. Grasping Storm then reverts to his standard form, appearing quite menacing before Dana.

The blue druid begins casting a spell (summon nature's ally 3).

AoO from Father and Faerin on Grasping Storm's movement.
Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Navi
Dana
Faerin
Grasping Storm, -22hp
Blue Druid
Father

By the way, I'm using the little spiral in the bottom right as a height tracker.

Dana concentrates again and shoots magical missiles at the belker.
concentration check to cast defensively dc 17: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (19) + 14 = 33
magic missile : 4d4 + 4 ⇒ (3, 4, 4, 1) + 4 = 16

Full round action to apply tripping meta magic to the spell without level adjustment (see traits).

free trip with mm CMB : 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (16) + 14 = 30

I believe you know everything about a Belker already. In which case, you know its immune to being tripped.

Yellow is down, right? Is the unconscious druid's obscuring mist still active? Doesn't really matter, I guess.

Navi flies up and over the druids' obscuring mist spells, getting in position twenty feet above and over the sylph druid on the edge of her mist. Clearly able to see the sylph druid through the magical mist, she scolds the sylph in auran.
Չափազանց վատ է, որ դուք ընտրել եք չարի ճանապարհը բռնել: Դա շատ անհասկանալի է սիլֆի համար: Ինչ էլ որ լինի: բայեeee!

AoO, Enlarge Person, Haste, Power Attack: 1d20 + 16 - 1 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 16 - 1 + 1 - 2 = 30
Damage, Enlarge Person, Holy, Power Attack: 1d8 + 9 + 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 9 + (4, 5) + 4 = 26

Urzaia circles around Faerin to pursue Grasping Storm.

Attack, Enlarge Person, Haste, Power Attack: 1d20 + 16 - 1 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 16 - 1 + 1 - 2 = 31
Damage, Enlarge Person, Holy, Power Attack, Vital Strike: 1d8 + 9 + 2d6 + 4 + 1d8 ⇒ (8) + 9 + (6, 3) + 4 + (8) = 38

Feel the touch of winter

Winter's Strike, DC17 Fort or fatigued for 3 rds

Faerin seeing that Grasping Storm ignores her flies a little to the side to ensure that she gets a flank.

Bashing time!
Flank +2 to hit
Haste: +1 to hit, +1 AC
With Shield +5 AC
With Shield. AC 32
Bash 1 1d20 + 12 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 12 + 1 + 2 = 341d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 1 = 6
Bash 2 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 1 + 2 = 171d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 1 = 12
Bash Haste 1d20 + 12 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 12 + 1 + 2 = 291d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9

Her hammer raises and like a smith forging anew brings it down on her foe!

Father Urzaia takes advantage of Grasping Storm's retreat and attacks him as he leaves, easily damaging his smokey form.

Following closely behind, he lands another telling blow, destroying the belker completely.

Both mists remain active, but that matters little to Navi as she calls down another bolt of lightning at the remaining druid.

reflex save: 1d20 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 4 = 9

The bolt strikes the druid directly, but seems to have a reduced effect due to their natural connection to storm magic. Resist electric 5

With the Belker destroyed, the remaining druid surrenders, "Thank you for saving us! He forced us to attack you!"

Accept or finish them off?

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Navi
Dana
Faerin
Grasping Storm, -22hp
Blue Druid, -8hp
Father

Auto success on sense motive.

”Tell us everything you know and we will judge you then Sylph collaborators!!“ Dana shouts.

The druid hangs his head, "The story is actually a bit sad. You see, Hshurha tasked Grasping Storm with finding traitors in her forces. He was so successful, she concluded that it must be a traitor as well! Hshurha cast Grasping Storm out. He tried to redeem himself by stopping the Pathfinder Society from freeing Hshurha's rival from the Untouchable Opal."

The druid shows you a wall alcove, that was hidden earlier by the storm.

Oh, dear. I'm sorry for hurting you, then.
Navi says after hearing that the druid was forced to fight for Grasping Storm.
I hope we can save your friend.
Navi flutters down to the fallen druid and tries to heal their wounds, hopefully getting some help from her friends.
Heal: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

You're more than welcome to travel with us back to Golarion. If you're looking for work, the Pathfinder Society could use skilled people such as yourselves. You get to visit strange new places and destroy evil. It's very exciting and the pay is really good!

"Since you surrender. Then we have no further reason to fight then. Like my companion has stated. The society has opening for people interested in joining them."

The world around you begins to shake, perhaps without Grasping Storm, Purest Air cannot maintain its current state in the Plane of Air. The remaining druid seems to stop mid-motion, as though frozen in place. Cracks begin to appear in numerous places all over the clouds forming the walls of Purest Air. The cracks shine with bright light whose source appears to be an enigma.

It is as though blink and the world resets, you find yourself at the top of the lift, moments after Navi dispels Grasping Storms hurricane enchantment of his throne room.

Grasping Storm responds to Navi, "You will die for setting foot here!"

Navi flashes Grasping Storm a curt smile.
"Like, what-evs, storm dude."
She then offers a quick prayer to Gozreh and thrusts her open palms at the storm glyph in an attempt to dispel the effect.
Dispel Check: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

As the storm and wind swirling in the tower goes inert, Navi sticks her tongue out at Grasping Storm.
She then flutters away to the side, pulling her bow from her back.

The wind swirling the room dies down and Grasping Storm is clearly angry despite having much in the way of facial features. "HOW DARE YOU FLESH CREATURES DISRUPT MY STORM. ALL FLESH IS MADE FOR ONE THING, TO ROT!"

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Navi
Dana
Faerin
Grasping Storm
Blue Druid
Yellow druid
Father

Resist energy (electricity), communal. Absorb 84 points for 17.5 minutes.

Dana casts HASTE on the group!

”What did happen right now?! Whatever, prepare to get fast everybody!“ she shouts.

"That felt different." Faerin remarks even as she pauses only to let Dana's spell wash over her before she went straight after Grasping Storm!

Bashing time!
Flank +2 to hit
Haste: +1 to hit, +1 AC
With Shield +5 AC
Charge, +1 hit , -2 ac
With Shield. AC 32- charge = 30
1d20 + 12 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 12 + 1 + 1 = 241d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

"Have a taste of this strike!"

Dana speeds up the group once again as Faerin charges in to smash Grasping Storm. Just as before, he hits the Belker, but causes little damage to the cloudy form.

The yellow druid hurls a Dispel Magic at Faerin, targeting the fly spell. dispel check, DC 15: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

However, luck seems to be on Faerin's side as his flight remains active. The other druid moves next to the other and expands a cloud of Obscuring Mist around them.

Grasping Storm attacks Faerin with full force.
bite: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24
claw: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (8) + 17 = 25
claw: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (12) + 17 = 29
wing: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (11) + 15 = 26
wing: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21

But Faerin's defenses seem too hard to bypass.

Initiative Order, Bold May Go!
Map Slide
Navi, 280ft
Dana, 300ft
Faerin, 150ft
Grasping Storm, -1hp, 150ft
Blue Druid, 150ft
Yellow druid, 150ft
Father, 300ft

Resist energy (electricity), communal. Absorb 84 points for 17.5 minutes.

Haste

Urzaia focuses on his combat training and prepares to confront Grasping Storm

War Mind blessing, +10 ft move

and plummets down to join Faerin.

move 60 ft straight down.

He brandishes his axe and is filled with zeal.

Your weak gusts are nothing to a man of Iron.

Fervor, swift cast Divine Favor

Dana concentrates and shoots magical missiles at the belker.

magic missile : 4d4 + 4 ⇒ (2, 2, 4, 1) + 4 = 13

Navi flutters downward, but stays slightly above the enemies, to the edge of the magical mist and pulls the horn of the hurricane from her handy haversack.

Faerin is still up!

Gonna go ahead & bot Faerin with the same actions she did in first go-around of this battle.

Faerin rushes Grasping Storm!

With Enhanced Speed and the barrier gone, the Dwarven Paladin with her weapon raised prepares to deliver pain to him.

Haste: +1 to hit, +1 AC
With Shield +5 AC
With Shield. AC 32

+1 Cold Iron Warhammer: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23
bash!: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11
50% miss chance: 1d100 ⇒ 77