GM TOP #2-11: The Penumbral Accords (Core, Gameday X) (Inactive)

Game Master Pete H.

Ahmande Inspires the group to end this fight quickly, before the enemy gets a chance to act.

Eveline darts inside and unleashes a divinely inspired arrow, it strikes hard.

Apollyanna, unfortunately you can not charge into a grapple. But since you can move and grapple just fine here, I'll assume that to be your intent. I'm also not sure what you did with your weapon. Unarmed with weapon sheathed maybe? If that is the case, I will roll some miss chances in a spoiler and adjust things later.

The monk brings his foot up in a snap-kick to meet your attempted grab.

Unarmed: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

But JUST BARELY misses the smite using paladin. He is grabbed. And doesn't look happy.

Hootie pulls the door shut. Wouldn't want the slaves in the other room to hear what happens here. Or probably to prevent the bad guy from escaping... smart.

Fromagalli uses magic to guide his strike. He probably didn't need it here, but one must make sure of these things. The blade pierces the fetchling's shoulder.

Wrigsolar easily catches up to the deadly elf and blurs his outline too.

The enemy glares at them, his shadowy form negated by the paladin's... lighted sword...

wait... the sword isn't out, Apollyanna is grappling with both hands. This could be an issue.

The big bad guy Punches once to stun Apollyanna and then unleashes a flurry at Fromagalli.

Stunning Fist vs. Apollyanna - Grappled: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 9 - 2 = 17
Improved Unarmed Strike Flurry vs. Fromagalli - Grappled: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 9 - 2 = 27 Miss 1-20: 1d100 ⇒ 19
Improved Unarmed Strike Flurry Iterative vs. Fromagalli - Grappled: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 9 - 2 = 15
Improved Unarmed Strike Flurry Ki Point vs. Fromagalli - Grappled: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 9 - 2 = 25 Miss 1-20: 1d100 ⇒ 8

Crit? vs. Fromagalli - Grappled: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 9 - 2 = 8

Wrigsolar feels pretty damn proud of himself right now as his little bitty spell makes all the difference. The pathfinders are untouched!

Round 2: Is this the end? It better be!
Buffs: Inspire Courage +2/2
_________
Ahmande
Eveline
Apollyanna (Blur 19 rds, Grappled)
Hootie
Fromagalli (Blur)
Wrigsolar
Enemy (-22 HP, Grappled)

Bold may act! Dais in middle is difficult terrain. Light Source?

Light source? Eveline still has darkvision! Stated in her active conditions, yay!

Eveline takes a little step just to be able to launch yet another volley of arrows. The fletcher will be rich after this...

Atk #1 w/ PBS, IC, RS, Smite @ Enemy: 1d20 + 10 + 1 + 2 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 10 + 1 + 2 - 2 + 2 = 151d6 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 12
Atk #2 w/ PBS, IC, RS, Smite @ Enemy: 1d20 + 10 + 1 + 2 - 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 10 + 1 + 2 - 2 + 2 = 291d6 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 8

"Could you hold it for me, Apo? And not yourself..."

"Now that's just beautiful." Wrigsolar seeing Apollyana overpower this monk wants to help her power it even more. He steps back, and casts his wand from the moon to make his monsters grow.

Wrigsolar begins casting Enlarge Person

Hootie Guards the door since with light's out. It's best for her to be more careful.

Eveline thunks the jerk with another arrow, she is doing well. The lighting conditions that may or may not exist aren't causing any issues.

The supporting sorcerer continues making things a pain for the bad dude, or at least it will get worse in six seconds.

Hootie guards the door.

Round 2: Is this the end? It better be!
Buffs: Inspire Courage +2/2
_________
Eveline (Smite Up)
Wrigsolar
Hootie
Ahmande
Apollyanna (Blur 19 rds, Grappled, Smite Up)
Fromagalli (Blur)
Enemy (-30 HP, Grappled)

Bold may act! Dais in middle is difficult terrain. Light Source? The room is currently lit up and dark at the same time (overlapping planes), so you can see stuff. But a Fetchling (the enemy) blends into the shadows really well unless someone gets a light source out that works.

Eveline thunks the jerk with another arrow, she is doing well. The lighting conditions that may or may not exist aren't causing any issues.

Sorry, Forgot about the lighting at the door. Polly can just drop her glowing sword one square south of her current position before she tackles the fetchling as a free action (she has a back-up sword if she needs it).

grapple (attempt to pin) v white (smite, controlling the grapple, inspired): 1d20 + 8 + 4 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 4 + 5 + 2 = 27

I moved Ahmande into the room; he could have moved while drawing his longbow last round, and it allows Hootie to have closed the door when she posted she did; otherwise he'd still be out in the hallway!

"Dark in here, isn't it?" Ahmande comments, a little concerned, but hoping his low-light vision is enough. "Pathfinders fight in darkness all the time. Our enemies assume it will make us weak, but (some of us) always have answers!"

Ahmande tries an answer--to the fetchling, not the darkness--himself, conjuring grease underneath the fetchling, and silently apologizing to the sacrificial Blakros who likely slips too as a result.

It is great fum fighting what you can't quite see With a smirk thats says the blurry Fromagali knows exactly how unfun that can be from his own experience he uses his darkvision to strike with the flat of his blade

non lethal sword attack: 1d20 + 9 - 4 ⇒ (9) + 9 - 4 = 14
non lethal damage: 1d8 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

That handling of the light makes the most sense Apollyanna. I just honestly needed it declared before I could take a stance on stuff, thanks!

Apollyanna manages to flip the dexterous monk into a full nelson and Ahmande summons a slick floor for him to worry about.

Reflex DC 16: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

He stays standing, but his arms are pinned behind his back. Makes for a pretty easy target, probably.

There is some debate on the forums as to whether 'pinned' denies dex to reflex saves, but it is moot in this situation as the enemy would still have made that save.

Round 2: Is this the end? It better be!
Buffs: Inspire Courage +2/2
_________
Eveline (Smite Up)
Wrigsolar
Hootie
Ahmande
Apollyanna (Blur 19 rds, Grappled, Smite Up)
Fromagalli (Blur)
Enemy (-30 HP, Grappled)

Bold may act! Dais in middle is difficult terrain. Light is no longer a concern, murder away!

Got Ninja'd while looking up rules, will post Fromagalli's results soon.

Fromagalli smacks the Fetchling jerk upside the head. It rings his bell, but he doesn't yet drop. He tries to squirm out of the pin.

CMB: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

And actually pretty easily slips out of Apollyanna's grasp...

He steps out of the grease and glares at everyone, "Alright, gloves are off. Everyone here will die." He slips into a combat stance, full focus on everyone in the room.

Ki Point for AC Boost.

Round 3: Is this the end? It better be!
Buffs: Inspire Courage +2/2
_________
Eveline (Smite +2 AC/CMD)
Wrigsolar
Hootie
Ahmande
Apollyanna (Blur 18 rds, Smite +4 AC/CMD)
Fromagalli (Blur)
Enemy (-30 HP, -15 NL, Ki Point to AC)

Bold may act! Dais in middle is difficult terrain. Light is no longer a concern, murder beat up away!

He steps out of the grease and glares at everyone, "Alright, gloves are off. Everyone here will die." He slips into a combat stance, full focus on everyone in the room.

Apollyanna's forehead furrows. "Um, you too?" she says a bit uncertainly.

Wrigsolar grins as Apollyana doubles in size.

He pulls out his wand, uses it to cast magic missile, and blows the smoke off the wand.

Magic Missile: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Eveline takes a step back and takes a deep breath, holding her breath while shooting two arrows at the culprit.

Atk #1 w/ PBS, RS, Smite, IC @ Enemy: 1d20 + 10 + 1 - 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 10 + 1 - 2 + 2 + 2 = 301d6 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 12
Atk #2 w/ PBS, RS, Smite, IC @ Enemy: 1d20 + 10 + 1 - 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 10 + 1 - 2 + 2 + 2 = 191d6 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 12

She lets her breath out, and suddenly a realization; are the twins okay, or are they bleeding out?

"Someone check if the Blakros sisters are ok!"

And in his own story, the monk Fetchling known as Uthil Mak to everyone here except the pathfinders, he is the hero. As upper management in the Onyx Alliance, he alone is responsible for a significant portion of the slaves and experiments completed in the 'museum'.

Did he expect to be bothered by these random material planars today? No. It was always a risk of course, when he crossed over. But so far, no one had ever made it all the way back to him before morning. And now they have the audacity to challenge him in his sanctum? WHY HE OUTTA...

*Thud*

His last thoughts are that the damn sword on the floor is really freaking bright before he falls unconscious.

_____________________

The twin ladies are still swaying, as if under a trance. The 10-foot tall black stone pyramid exudes an eerie black essence from its apex, which seeps into the air and slowly dims the illumination of the room. Though the lights keep fighting back to keep it somewhat lit.

Combat is over, fyi. Knowledge Arcana to know more about the pyramid. Anything else done?

"Ohh, come on, I always throw out my growing spells too late for them to help, I swear."

Kn. Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

"Well at least now she's big and if anything else comes in Apollyana can thump them!"

She approaches the sisters carefully.
"They alive or dead? I can't tell."

Heal 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Eveline takes a glance at the door, then at Apollyanna, and again at the door. "Can she get out of here now? And please, watch your step." The halfling paladin prefers to stay further away from the huge woman lest she herself get trampled.

She inspects the fetchling's condition and sees if he holds a key of sorts. In essence, loots him.

Heal: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7

at first glance Results of know arcana 21 aka taking ten With a more careful study I could tell you a bit more about this pyramid

could take 20 for 31 if needed

Eveline skirts the giant woman and begins rifling through the Fetchling's pockets. He has a few things but most notably a key!

+1 Cloak of Resistance
+1 Bracers of Armor
+2 Belt of Giant Strength
Potion of CSW
Ceremonial Dagger (Knowledge Religion to know more)
Key
Onyx Ring with a symbol that matches the ones seen on the slaves earlier
Copy of a complicated legal document titled "Penumbral Accords"

Hootie seems very confused at the state of the blackros twins. They are very obviously alive being that they are standing and breathing and stuff. But they don't respond to stimuli. Almost as though they are in a trance.

Fromagalli thinks the trance could be related to any number of things, but probably the pyramid. He recalls reading about something like this way back in wizard school. It's sorta like a planar connection point that helps ground things from one plane to another. Removing or Destroying the dozen bloodstones set in the rock face would disable the device, likely preventing it from being used again. But this would also sever the connection between the two planes, snapping anything from the shadow plane back there and leaving only material plane things here.

Disable Device Check to remove a bloodstone. Or they can be destroyed with damage. Make sure this is what everyone wants to do before you do it though. There is no going back once the device is disabled.

Wrigsolar grins as Apollyana doubles in size.

Knocked back and upward(!?) by the shadowy outsider. Apollyanna gasps as she doesn't seem to be dropping back down to ground level even though her feet still seem planted down there.

"OH MY GODDESS!?" she says in a deep baritone people hear in their rib cages before they do with their ears.

She bends down (and down and down), picks up her sword and looks at it. "WRIGSOLAR! YOU SHRANK MY SWORD!"

Eveline rummages through the belongings, and wonders about the belt. Out of sheer curiosity, she dons it on herself. The rest she collects into a pile, and takes the key out. The halfling paladin walks up to Hootie with the key.

"Do you think this would unlock the prisoners' shackles?"

Knowledge (religion), dagger: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

"Yes," Ahmande answer Eveline, and he continues. "And, something tells me we should probably get the captives out of here before we sever this connection. We wouldn't want to accidentally trap them in the Shadow Plane, right?"

Apollyanna responds quite appropriately to being surprise enlarged.

The ceremonial dagger is long and dark, with a sinister curved blade. Runes along the length of the blade speak of The Midnight Lord and a sacrifice that will bring shadow to the multiverse. Ahmande quickly recognizes these things refer to Zon-Kuthon, god of darkness, pain and loss. The dagger would be a valuable acquisition for the society, if for nothing more than the quality of craftsmanship.

Hmm. Brute force will get us out of this place with the Blackros brought slaves and sisters but i would prefer a little manipulation so the rune marked prisoners can escape as well. Does the key work on the front door or will the pyramid beed dismantling for that?

Hootie takes the key from Eveline.

"Well at least we should get the others free as well. Breaking this contraption might leave them stranded if we do it wrongly."

The key exchanges hands. Eveline gets a new belt.

Things are talked about.

Anyone doing anything?

"Let's get those prisoners freed first, and try to get everyone but us out the front door." Ahmande leads the way to the chamber with the prisoners still in shackles.

"See!" he says when he gets there, cheerfully. "I told you we would come back!"

With light to light her way, Hootie moves to the prisoners to see if the key works on their shackles.

"Should we check the room with the shackled wolf?" Eveline ponders.

Ahmande shivers at mention of the wolf. His back stiff, he stands in place--not making eye contact--waiting to hear what the others say, hoping that nobody seconds her suggestions.

Just RP, player is not opposed.

The key does work in the shackles.

The wolf increases their howling when the group moves past that room.

So if we can get the slaves out of the building we will if not it is time to apply some finesse to the pyramid device applying his arcana to use it properly

"SO SHOULD I SMASH THIS TINY LITTLE PYRAMID-THINGIE? ALSO, ISN'T IT KINDA WEIRD THAT THE BLAKROS'S HAVE TWIN HALFLING DAUGHTERS?" booms Apollyanna in a deep basso. "IT FEELS LIKE I'VE GOT WATER IN MY EARS."

"IF YOU CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT FROMAGALLI, MAYBE WE COULD ASK THAT GUY." she booms pointing at the fallen fetchling. "HE DOESN'T SEEM SO BIG NOW, HUH?"

Wrigsolar has no opinion on the logic puzzle of these rubies. Seems like they should make sure the prisoners are free and then remove the rubies.

As i understand it simply smashing this will get us and The blackros party into the Main Blackros museum whaeras everyone from Shadow absalom goes back to shadow Absalom. It seems beyond me to get a a more subtle thing that will get the rune marked people free

At least thats my understanding of what is occurring Smashing now gets everyone home to normal places including the howling hound. I am happy to take a hit on the treasure and say job done and smash is my vote

"Well, our clients are the Blackros family, not the prisoners..."

I thought the prisoners were like, physically bound? If they're no longer physically bound, lets smash the ruby.

As i understand it simply smashing this will get us and The blackros party into the Main Blackros museum whaeras everyone from Shadow absalom goes back to shadow Absalom. It seems beyond me to get a a more subtle thing that will get the rune marked people free

At least thats my understanding of what is occurring Smashing now gets everyone home to normal places including the howling hound. I am happy to take a hit on the treasure and say job done and smash is my vote

Are we certain that everyone we want to take with us can go?

Again although no one is still shackled we can’t get out of the building until the pyramid is dealt with Goes to museum entrance to double check

"Should we try to do something to those brands some of the prisoners got?" Eveline asks, "if they somehow bind them to this shadow realm."

She all for gathering all souls to the same place as they'll smash the ruby.

After Fromagalli leaves, Mega-Apollyanna turns to Eveline and says "IF ONLY THERE WAS SOMEONE HERE WHO COULD LOOK AND SEE IF THEY ARE MAGIC."

*BANG!*

"OW! DO THESE DOORWAYS LOOK A LITTLE SHORT TO YOU GUYS?"

Fromagalli discovers the front doors are still closed and locked. They do have a few small claw marks on them from Ahmande's earlier freakout.

If only someone could try to open the lock.

Or break them down.

But alas, we shall never know.

_____________________

The slaves are now freed from their shackles. They look down at Hootie, waiting for orders.

"Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser." muses a titanic Apollyanna.

Assuming someone tries the detect magic trick and folks are fine with the results, Mega-Polly will go batter down whatever needs battering. ;)

Disable Device, MWK tools 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 7 + 2 = 15

Hootie sighs as she examines the door's locks to the best of her abilites.
"If we're all ready to go, we can go though this door is challenging."

"Maybe the same key for shackles works for the door as well," Eveline points out.

Hootie sighs as she finds none of her attempts at her most skilled skill working and thus she tries what the other halfling suggests.

Rolling her eyes, she tries the keys on the doors.

This hurt her professional pride.....

As Hootie moves to pull out her lock picks a booming voice from behind her and above her, farther up than usual, makes her scurry out of the way. It is fortunate too as Apollyanna's massive form begins beating upon the door. Splinters fly and eventually the doors collapse from the attacks.

The way out is now open.

What next?

_________________

There is nothing further to be learned about the marks/tattoos using magical methods.

"Okay, everybody who doesn't need to be here, out!" Ahmande ushers the various slaves, sacrifices, and other prisoners out the front door of the museum. Once everyone is out, he returns to the ritual room to help disable the pyramid.

Is someone (just Hootie, it seems?) going to try Disable Device, or shall we just start bashing?

Eveline is eager to find out if the new belt makes her more destructive. She's still wondering about the room with the wolf, but considering Ahmandé's strong opposition to the idea, she leaves it be.

Let Hootie try Disable Device, but if that fails, let Mega-Polly unleash herself onto the bloodstones.

I think I failed so Hootie's gonna do a dark souls roll to avoid Mega Polly.