[PFS1e] GM Deussu's #2-03 The Rebel's Ransom CORE (Tier 5-9) (Inactive)

Game Master Deussu

"One camel, even hungy, will provide heaps of food for us." notes the scholar. "Why the expedition of Bah-shevan was renown for surviving on camel meat for weeks. That story of course got out in the public and mis-quoted which is where, I believe, the popular myth of camels having water in their hump comes from."

"I imagine the 1st wife is down one of these corridors. And my guess is this one with the trays, as we have five scepters and need them for entrance. Interesting really, he must have had the tricks added to the tomb after the last of his wives died, but before he did himself."

We have san for counterweights, so that merchants masterwork kit would seem to be the way to go.

With Irizati's merchant equipment, he is able to determine which of the five scepters is the heaviest, and what is the lightest.

Now it's just a matter of placing the scepters in the trays. Which scepter goes to the smallest tray, which to the largest?

"Lightest in the smallest tray?"

"That would be my guess as well." says the scholar.

He reaches forward, keen to test the hypothesis and then pauses, and with a flourishing bow suggests to Tere "Perhaps you would do the honors?" he says. "I suggest we have at least one member of our group outside in case of trouble."

Doodle takes several steps backwards, expecting the worst from this awful place.

"I don't know whether to start with the heaviest and go down, or lightest and go up. I'll start the first way." Tere tries putting the scepters into the trays, starting with the heaviest scepter in the largest tray and going down in mass and size.

Khellek watches from the doorway, hopefully ready to duck for cover if required - but keen to witness what is happening.

All the precautions the Pathfinder make are for nothing, as nothing bad happens, and the scepters are placed in the right order!

Elea's scepter to the smallest, then Shasha, Iltorian, Osomi, and finally Kiranna's scepter, the heaviest into the largest tray.

Beyond opens up a corridor that makes a sharp right turn, descending down a flight of stairs, right into a pool of still, dark water. On the wall above the stairs leading down is an inscription written in ancient Osiriani, easily translated by Khellek.

"Let the first rest forever in a dark abyss. Let none speak her name."

I kid you not, underwater and in darkness. [u]Please see the map[/u] for details. And you have to excuse me if you can't see the area completely, since I have to, uh, whip out my photo editing skills to provide an accurate representation of this map.

Khellek sends his dancing lights... dancing down the corridor.

"Water? In the desert? There must be a hidden spring. That would at least account for how the workers who built it survived out here."

Then adds in disgust. "My books! First fire, now flood! Oh my!"

Before venturing any further, Doodle casts Extended Mage Armor, Extended Heroism, and casts Fly.

Tere peers into the ancient pool. "I suppose we'll have to swim for it."

Tere has 60' darkvision. Can he see into the water?

Tere, with his enhanced vision, can see 10 feet into the water clearly, then another 10 feet with murky vision, and beyond that it's too smudgy to see anything.

The dancing lights work in the water environment, revealing a sort of a maze with columns and portcullises (portculli? plural?) blocking the way. See map for details, I revealed it all.

"Can anyone tell if there's magic in there? Or hostiles?"

”Does anyone have a way to breathe underwater? I can see a trap that tries to drown us being hidden down here.”

It sounds like we rested overnight so Irizati should have his spells back. Greater Magic Fang and Longstrider on himself using the Extend rod on GMF.

"I can breath underwater in other forms. Octopus may be the safest option."

Tere shakes his head. "I can swim, at least. It would be easier if we could lower the water level even a little, to give some breathing room." He grows silent, thinking.

"I can't help with lowering the water." admits the scholar.

"What an unexpected development!" he adds in delight.

"Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other tomb that has anything quite like this. " He looks carefully at the water, trying to judge how fresh it might be.

”An octopus might be good, but a shark or alligator might be better, as I’m certain something in there will attempt to kill us as we explore. I’m not a great swimmer and I’m not great at holding my breath, either so this is going to be most unpleasant.”

"Crocodiles can hold their breath for a long time but I can't. And in these tight areas the shark's speed isn't needed. No, Octopus is a good choice. But who is coming with me?"

Tere looks decidedly unenthusiastic. "I will. Does anyone have a magic piercing weapon I can use?"

Doodle pulls her +1 adamantine spear and hands it over to Teric. ”Ypi should be able to pierce just about anything with this,” she says. ”Ill stay here and come running when whatever trap happens. Because we all know it’s happening.”

"Bessie here doesn't work too well under water. But I learned a thing of two from my time with the dwarves searching for the Skykey. I can enchant another weapon - though it doesn't last long. Just a few minutes.
Might be helpful though?"

"If we want to wait a day I can just remove the water."

Jilarni, who has not dared to intervene before, having found a comfortable stop in the entry hall, hears the discussion and adds her thoughts. "I know the Pathfinder training guides one to do everything in the matter of hours, but we're in no rush as long as food is available. And I dislike being a nuisance and a dead weight, but could we a feast on ... something?"

"And maybe bury Jojack and Gilleon properly, I don't think the merchant prince's fourth wife's chamber pits is a suitable cairn for accomplished Pathfinders." She doesn't seem as sad as one might think, but she knows what they signed up for. And being from Galt, she has seen it all; grief, misery, hopelessness, the absolute lack of stable, easy living.

Khellek spends the rest of the day healing up the remaining wounds of the Pathfinders (including Jilarni). The rest of the time he puts into detailed cataloguing of the rooms the group has explored so far. He makes drawings. He takes measurements. He takes rubbings.

"Really.. this place is most exciting. I'm so glad we could spend some extra time here. This is most fascinating. Look over here. See how the red shade of this hieroglyph is a different shade from the one on the wall over there. That dates it! There was a year without rain, and the red dyes used in the following three years were paler, as the plants took time to recover their vitality. Oh, the papers I'll be able to write about this place!"

He does agree to accompany the others outside for a burial of Jojack and Gilleon. However it is obvious that his interest is one the tomb not the more recently fallen.

Doodle was fine with being cautious. They’d already rescued the only surviving Pathfinder, so she was fine giving the others their proper burial. And getting the water out of the way made the task seem less foreboding.

Irizati will help with the burial.

Day 2 when we discover the water.

"I want to try and communicate with anything in there. Probably nothing or maybe undead but if something friendly or even neutral is living in the water I don't want to kill it."

Tere likewise assists with the burial. "How do you plan to do that, Irizati? Can we help? I, ah, don't know how to talk to most animals."

In the magical light Irizati can see that nothing is living in the water. It's just exceptionally murky, probably due to the clay sediment that has been diluting into the water over these many centuries.

On the opposite side of the chamber is a featureless stone altar, where a rather crude looking, rusted scepter stands. From afar one cannot discern clearly, what the inscription says. And it would require the eyes of Khellek or Jilarni to read it anyway.

"Right, let us cautiously approach." suggests the scholar.

"Tere, perhaps if you would take the lead. Your eyes are good at spotting things than my old ones cannot."

Sword out, Tere cautiously advances into the room. If nothing disturbs him, he approaches the altar and examines it.

Doodle keeps her spear at the ready, not sure what to expect, but happy she wasn’t swimming and holding her breath.

Irizati Currently in human form despite the avatar. folows. Ready to summon.

And Khellek then trails them into the room. Once Tere has pronounced the altar safe from obvious traps he closely inspects it for magic, writing and symbols. In that order.

I'm going to make the assumption Irizati did cast control water in the room. It doesn't make the water disappear indefinitely, only for 10 minutes per caster level.

Please place your tokens on the [u]map[/u].

Without the water, the chamber looks dull and damp. The portcullises force one to go around the columns, winding eventually to the plain altar, where another scepter stands. The altar doesn't have much of an inscription on it, just the word "Irian". The scepter itself looks like it's a bit stuck in the slot, requiring some strength to pull it out.

A trivial DC 10 strength check to remove the scepter from the altar.

STR check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

But the scepter is still slick from the sediment, and Tere's fingers slip off of it.

After checking for magic and re-reading the inscription, Khellek returns to the entrance.

"I postulate that if there is a trap here, it may rearrange the portcullis. It would pay for most of us to be back from the corridors."

"Did you check it for traps?"

If Tere declares it isn't trapped Irizati will try to lift the Hamm... I mean Scepter.

"He who wields..."

strength: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Tere does notice a weird secret door to the south (in the map), but no means of opening it.

Doodle tries to grab the staff as well.

Strength 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

”Oh, I got it!”

Moved Doodle's token into the chamber.

Doodle grabs the scepter and manages to pull it out. Almost instantaneously, the portcullises all pull into the earth, and another set of portcullises rise up. And a secret door opens on the side, revealing a cramped closet holding two sea hags who appear to have been there for way too long. Gone absolutely mad with each others' company, they scream as the door opens, attacking pretty much anything on sight.

Because of the sea hags' horrible abilities, I'll have their initiatives rolled separately. Knowledge (nature) to know something about them. And no, they did not 'drown' when the water vanished, although it would have been exceptionally funny.

Since Irizati is the only one able to see a glimpse of one of these abominations, the mere sight is giving the chills.
Please roll Fortitude save DC 16. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. Anyone else coming to the sight of the sea hags has to roll the same Fortitude save, too.

Round 1
Link to combat map is here
Bold may act

Doodle
Khellek
Irizati
Sea hag, red
Tere
Sea hag, blue

Not sure if Heroism has been cast or not but Irizati would have Extended Greater Magic Fang going.

averting my gaze, High is good: 1d100 ⇒ 18
will save DC 16: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

knowledge Nature: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Irizati closes his eyes as he passes on what he knows about the Sea Hags then he changes into a Leopard.

"My friends!" he calls out.

"Rest assured I am on my way to assist. Just as Col. Kuberlu led his 'Company of Heroes' to the rescue of Fort Hallowson, I am on my way!"

I'm assume he has Bessie in hand, but likely not loaded, not good for the string.

A bolt is quickly clicked into place in Bessie, and the elderly scholar feels much more secure.

Inspire courage. +2 to hit, damage and vs charms and fear.

I have assumed that we had our heroisms up. Khellek, Tere and likely Irizati as the main melee. Well, not Khellek, but the other two.

I have no doubt you had all kinds of spells active as you enter the chamber. Heroism is a-okay.

And this is an aura effect, and it was a fortitude save. Regardless, Irizati succeeds.

Irizati knows that the sea hags are particularly vile creatures. They emit a supernatural aura which seeps into the bones of those unable to fathom their gross—even horrifying—appearance. They also have a powerful and equally horrible magic ability with their eyes; gazing upon a creature can inflict a dreadful curse that can result in comatose and even death! All other properties of the sea hags are negligible, possessing some spell resistance, sharp claws, and darkvision.

I'm also assuming Irizati to exclaim "Sea hags!" out loud so everyone else knows what he knows.

Doodle casts Haste on as much of the group that she can target.

Irizati is able to not get physically wilted by the horrific appearance of the sea hags. He has seen worse. But he knows keep his eyes closed nonetheless, since the eyes of the hags are the worst!

The red hag moves out of its cramped closet and wander over to Irizati, trying to look into the eyes of the druid, only to notice now he has closed his eyes.

Doodle and Tere roll Fortitude Save DC 16. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. Note that the portcullises have made moving around different. Try not to move them around by accident.

Round 1
Link to combat map is here
Bold may act
Inspire courage (+2) in effect!

Doodle Hasted
Khellek
Irizati Hasted
Sea hag, red
Tere Hasted
Sea hag, blue

Fort 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

Doodle avoids the ill effects of the sea hag Magic this round.

DC 16 Fort save, including heroism: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 2 = 14

Tere, however, does not.

Extra +2 vs fear effects from IC! That should take you up to 16

IC and heroism are both morale bonuses, and don't stack AFAIK.