(PFS2) GM Round Robin: Into the Year of Shattered Sanctuaries (Inactive)

Game Master Farol

The leshy tells his companions that “the patch is brown mold. It can either be scraped off or any cold will kill it."

religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

”This stone allows to cast a protective shield.“

Picking back up the everburning torch, Ghul lifts it high - straightening his back to do so (and not without some pain at that!) - so as to cast it's light in the direction Corona indicated.

New Friends.

With the movement of automatic reflex, our doomed hero has in each instance shuddered at the thought of being referred to as - let alone making - "new friends". At least, those of a humanoid nature. For indeed, the transition from thinking of an entire crop, err, group of people not as a food source but as a source for companionship is an idea that, if it appeals to his mind in it's higher function, still causes his body to recoil in primordial fear: How does one curb one's violent thoughts of bloodlust with visions of fruitful friendship?

To Ghul, such notions still seem distant - not unlike peering into a tunnel down which hidden dangers are known to lurk!

Merian has ray of frost - she'll ask everyone to back off and freeze them like warts.

She can't see the ones in the back so she may need to move up unless someome throws a lighted rock or something.

"That's a good idea, New Friend Merian," Corona remarks with approval as she watches Merian set to work on freezing the patches of brown mold - from a safe distance, of course. "Magic is amazing, isn't it?"

Unless the group opts to advance forward together, at least far enough for Merian to see the remaining patches of mold, Corona thinks for a moment.

"Hmm...I can conjure some lights! They'll work from many feet away, too, and linger as long as I want to sustain them."
______________

Unless someone ends up objecting or we opt to advance as a group, Corona will conjure some Dancing Lights for Merian to continue her mold-clearing endeavors.

Rawiri moves after the others. "Good idea Merian, just don't dry out doing that. Tell us when you need to submerge, ok. You need some water to keep that fire burning in you. A bit histerical if you ask me..."

Assuming Merian zaps the mold.

The brown mold shrivels up as Merian throws her Rays of Frost at them, letting out a strange noise as it does so. Is it a sound of distress, or what usually happens when brown mold dies? You're not entirely sure.

When Corona sends her Dancing Lights to illuminate the path ahead, you hear a strange clicking, rattling sound. Seems like you might've alerted something to your presence....

Ghul, do you still want to heal up?

Seeing the rest of his company in healthy condition, it is unclear if our doomed hero's following action is a result of some sort of coded chivalry or merely the deathwish of a soul too long trapped inside of a shriveled coil: Ghul presses forward holding aloft the evertorch and brandishing his shield.

Smiling with a certain tragi-comedy as the musculature in his face convey only a horrific display of mixed yet unknown emotion!

Ghul prefers a Marching Order that puts him within 15-feet of everyone!

The leshy asks Ghul “You look hurt. Well more than usual, do you want me to heal you?”

If Ghul does not feel like being healed, or after being healed, feel free to line up in the room before the black line.

Ghul recoils in abject horror at the leshy's words!

Indeed, a single heal spell could very likely kill him!

Forgiving Smell of the Pines for the mistaken threat against his unlife, he finally takes stock of his condition, and grabbing his sewing kit, stitches a couple patches of leathered skin over his own frost-bitten and twisted flesh...

Treat Wounds (Medicine, Trained) vs DC 15: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 202d8 ⇒ (5, 5) = 10 @ 10 minutes

When Corona sends her Dancing Lights to illuminate the path ahead, you hear a strange clicking, rattling sound. Seems like you might've alerted something to your presence....

"...Oops?"

Once Merian finishes taking care of the mold and Ghul finishes mending himself, Corona makes sure to have her longspear in her hands as the group advances forward. She's also happy to allow her lights to fade if need be, or keep them going. (Though she wouldn't keep them going the entire 10 minutes while Ghul treats his wounds, as that would make her fatigued.)
______________

Moved Corona forward a bit.

Rawiri waits for Ghoul to heal himself while the dwarf is tossing his dagger and catching it in flight. "So Ghul, we are you from?" asks casually.

============

When they are ready Rawiri moves first. He is the highest level so it makes sense, given that we have a champion who can help when someone else is hit.

Rawiri, could you move in a little bit closer? One or two squares, so the others can join in without being in a chokepoint.
Will update tomorrow around this time, or once everyone has moved, whichever comes first.

Done!

"...Oops?"

"Oh, don't worry, we'll take of them. At least we don't have to worry about these things."

She kicks at the dead mold.

---

Merian is about to offer her healing skills, but she realizes Ghul is so much better at it than she is. Instead, she'll offer to try repairing his shield while he heals.

Crafting: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

---

Merian will walk up front with Rawiri.

No Exploration Activity - Encumbered.

The leshy apologizes “I didn’t knew you where sensible to positive energy, sorry, I just wanted to help.”

I don’t think the topic was brought before, so better to know now that in the middle of a fight with a 3-action heal… I was expecting it to work the same as 1st edition.

Smell of the Pines look puzzled as Merian lift her barrel as the team is ready to move on.

Smell of the Pines will be searching while Resinosa scouts.

So many people talking to him at once! (Two). Ghul's neck kneejerks in what one might imagine a similar surprised face might look like if one's meal starting talking to them from either side of the dinner plate! (And this, if only his facial structure was capable of referencing a relatable range of ordinary expression!!)

He gathers his thoughts slowly, considering Rawiri's question carefully, before probing for further clarification "In what sense do you mean the question? As I review your common parlance, there are several potential connotations that might come to bear. To which specifically are you referring?"

Ghul hardly winces as Merian takes his shield and knocks out the one dent in it's frame. 19/20 > 20/20 HP. Nor does the leshy's movements bother him, indeed, his own blood, and the blood of the other leshy, nary blood at all. Too sappy for his tastes. He finds conversation easier thus "I took no offense, merely precaution. For my part, should any of our allies come to harm, we can tend to each one with solitary discretion" he watches with Smell of Pines as the Azarketi finishes with his shield and lifts her barrel and shares "There are those of my kind who sleep in coffins - but I've yet to meet anyone who would carry it around with them through the day"

A feeble attempt at humor at best - he remembers learning that fully-living humanoids can tend to bond over that sort of thing.

"There are those of my kind who sleep in coffins - but I've yet to meet anyone who would carry it around with them through the day"

A feeble attempt at humor at best - he remembers learning that fully-living humanoids can tend to bond over that sort of thing.

Merian smiles as she hands Ghul's shield back to him. "Every day that ends with a nice, cold, salt water bath is a good day."

I've taken the liberty of moving Ghul, he was the only one still in the previous room.

A massive stone column ten feet wide rises from the tiled floor of this circular chamber. Strange glyphs dance along the column, pulsing with dull green light, though many of the glyphs wink in and out of existence as though malfunctioning. The ceiling here ascends twenty feet from the floor. Collapsed stone debris prevents the use of two connecting halls to the west and southwest, while breaks in the eastern walls open the area to an adjacent network of caves. A single five-foot-wide hall exits to the north.

The central column sheds dim light in a 20-foot radius.

As you get closer, you see the source of the clacking noise from earlier: a serpentine skeleton, but with the head of a humanoid, slithers around the column, almost as if it's guarding the pillar.

At that moment, sparks fly off the runes, and several runes fade out and back into existence, and another boulder creature appears out of thin air. Its form is hazy, its connection to this plane of existence unstable. It stumbles about in an uncoordinated fashion, but then its eyes meet yours, and it makes ready to attack.
Hard to see, but the snake-thing has a green border. The boulder is clearly a smaller and weaker version of the one you fought before.

Necrophidius
Rain in Cloudy Day
Corona
Merian
Yellow boulder
Ghul
Rawiri
Smell of the Pines

I've pre-rolled Knowledges again. You may spend an action to open your spoiler tag

As the snake-thing sees you, it starts moving its body in a very rhythmic way, its bones clattering against each other in a very hypnotic way... You becomes mesmerised by its movements.
Everyone except Corona may make a DC 18 Will save. Open the corresponding spoiler tag.

Will save boulder: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
The rock creature catches a glimpse of the snake's dance and is rattled (...ha), but relatively okay.

Will save Rain in Cloudy Day: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Rain in Cloudy Day is mesmerised by the creature's squirming dance, but quickly snaps out of it and starts encouraging you. "Come on, this is it! This must be the thing that's summoning all those enemies! Let's de-activate it and tell the others!"

I swear, I did not mean to push you into the room to see the thing dance, it just makes it awkward if half of you are in that stupid corridor.

Corona and Merian may act!
Inspire Courage is in effect.

Ghul Will vs DC 18 Fascinating Skeleton Snake Dance: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

The snake's strange movements remind our doomed hero of... something to which he is ashamed to admit.

Stalling his otherwise immediate advance forward.

Will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

"Wow, that is stunning."

Merian drops her barrel and draws her Trident. She sees no need to run up to them, so she raises her shield.

@GM - Thanks for the reminder!

"Oh my! It's a necrophidius," Corona warns after she moves up enough to see what's going on. "It's a construct, New Friends, so it's not really alive, but it's got a poison bite. On the bright side, they don't fare well against being bludgeoned!"

To emphasize her last point, she stows her longspear and makes ready to draw her mace.
______________

Stride, Recall Knowledge, Interact (Stow Weapon)~

"In what sense do I mean my question? I just started the conversation ... a small talk? " says the dwarf turning towards Merian who was fixing the shield.

=================

Will save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

Rawiri seems mesmerized by the dance "Oh, I like how they move... it is so..."

The living rock, still unsteady on its feet from just being pulled into existence and unnerved by the necrophidius, curls up in a ball and tries to slam straight into Rawiri.

Jaws strike vs Rawiri: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

But his unsteadiness makes him veer off course and only hits the air.

Necrophidius
Rain in Cloudy Day
Corona
Merian
Yellow boulder
Ghul
Rawiri
Smell of the Pines

Ghul, Rawiri, and Smell of the Pines may act! Smell of the Pines, don't forget to make your Will saves.

Inspire Courage is in effect.

Rawiri yells at the boulder "Hey! I was watching that."

He attempts to roll through the boulder and land a bit to the left...

Tumble Through vs Reflex DC: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10 I think that is a failure so I Rawiri provokes AOO (if the enemy has one) and stands where he was.

Then he takes a swing and tries to hurt the boulder.

Attack@boulder, ic: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 7 + 1 = 22
Clan Dagger, bludgeoning, ic: 1d4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4

Stunned 1 so: tumble through + attack ;)

Ghul snaps to - he remembers his training. Careful to keep close enough, he moves towards the rock formation and bone snake.

"The central pillar radiates light"

◆) Stride
◇) Release torch
◆) Everstand Stance
◆) Raise Shield (to AC 21)
↺) Glimpse of Redemption (Redeem or Resist 3 + Enfeeble 2)
↺) Shield Block (Hardness 7 in stance, BT 9/10)

First reaction to trigger!

As he watches Merian fix the shield, the leshy sits, planting the branches that makes his fingers and toes into the softer earth.

As Merian speaks about salt water bath, the leshy finally realises that’s why she’s carrying all that water around. It still wonders Why salt water thought?

Smell of the Pine DC 18 Will: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

The leshy minds manages to fight off the desire to watch the dance.

Resinosa DC 18 Will: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

But the red pine plant creature does not and seems to be unable to react, which seems to also stops the leshy from acting.

Just reread the summoner rules to be sure, so Stunned 1 applies to the shared actions, the flat-footed is only for Resinosa.

The duo only gets 2 action back due to Stunned 1.

Act Together: Resinosa: Steps ◆
Act Together: Smell of the Pines: Demoralize with Intimidating Glare
Demoralize vs Will DC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

Resinosa gets in range to strike as the leshy gives his meanest look toward the elemental.

Resinosa: Tendril Strike ◆
Impaling Branch (fatal d10), Inspire Courage: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 7 + 1 = 25 for Piercing, Inspire Courage: 1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 1 = 8

As Resinosa comes in range, it extends one of his branch, hitting the earth elemental.

Resinosa flat-footed AC is 15.

AC 25 is a crit! Fatal replaces your damage die, right? And it still gets doubled afterwards.

Fatal die: 1d10 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 = 11

Resinosa's branch comes down upon the living rock with a mighty crash and splits it right in two, each half dissolving into etherealness before they can hit the ground.

Fatal replaces the die, and adds a die! A bit like deadly but without the deadly die scaling up with levels.
So 11×2+d10
Fatal Damage: 22 + 1d10 ⇒ 22 + (2) = 24

Rawiri looks at the fallen foe and then at his clan dagger. Did the stones resonate in some odd way after he hit them with the handle? He wonders...

Dang, that's indeed very deadly. Looks like Rawiri's 4 damage was needed to kill it off, though, so go teamwork!

The Necrophidius, unperturbed by Resinosa's brutal killing of the living rock, slithers up to Ghul and tries to bite him, but Ghul puts his shield in between himself and the creature, and the snake only hits air.

Jaws attack: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Jaws attack: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 8 - 4 = 18

Rain in Cloudy Day keeps cheering everyone on. "Woo, Resinosa! Leshy power! You can do it! Kill the thing!"

He moves a little closer and fires off another spore pod at the creature.

Attack, soft cover: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 8 + 1 = 28
Damage: 1d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 + 1 = 8

The spore pod hits him right in the head, and cracks start appearing all over the skull. Clearly, the bludgeoning damage has additional effect.

Necrophidius 13 damage
Rain in Cloudy Day
Corona
Merian
Ghul
Rawiri
Smell of the Pines

Everyone may act! Inspire courage is in effect.

Ghul bears down ferociously: Pounding and pounding and pounding!

◆◆) Strike x2
◆) Raise Shield (to AC 21)
↺) Glimpse of Redemption (Redeem or Resist 3 + Enfeeble 2)
↺) Shield Block (Hardness 7 in stance, BT 10/10) (first to trigger)

Inspired (+1) Shield Boss vs Necrophidius: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 = 121d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 1 = 12
Inspired (+1) Shield Boss vs Necrophidius: 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (9) + 7 + 1 - 5 = 121d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7

But only hitting the ground! His sadistic smile is left unsatisfied as the snakey creature slithers this way and that, evading his blows - he braces instead for it's retaliation, his inward-facing-outward expression - truly known only to him! - changed into fear as it rears to lunge again!

Tumble through vs Necrophidius Reflex DC: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Rawiri moves forwards, his short legs push him of the grond, he pretends to run to his left just to pivot on his right leg and roll through the enemy to the other side of Necrophidius.

As the dwarf lands he uses Ghul as distraction to attack the creature with his clan dagger

Attack, ic: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 7 + 1 = 26
Damage, bludgoening, ic: 1d4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 1 = 3
Confident Finisher: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 6) = 12

Rawiri smashes the side of his clan dagger at the creature, but he keeps moving, he swings and dashes, feints and rotates to stay in the move.

Performance vs Will DC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Move(with tumble through), attack, fascinating performance

Ghul bashes away at the snake, but it manages to slither away from his blows. Rawiri just barely manages to run past its defenses and gives it a good walloping. He continues his performance and the creature's eyes keep following him.

Curiously enough, even though it's mindless, it can apparently still be fascinated.

Necrophidius 33 damage
Rain in Cloudy Day
Corona
Merian
Ghul
Rawiri
Smell of the Pines

Bold can still act! Inspire Courage is active.

Merian moves up and channels all her arcane power into the tip of her trident.

Spellstrike, IC: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 7 + 1 = 21
Piercing: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 plus Cold: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

The summoner and his eidolon move together, one of them toward the pillar, the other toward the snake.

Act Together: Smell of the Pine: Stride ◆ 25
Act Together: Resinosa: Step ◆

The leshy goes on and the red pine plant creature attacks, trying to use his roots to swipe the creature.

Smell of the Pine: Stride ◆ 25

Resinosa: Tendril Strike ◆ Strike with increased reach.
Root attack, inpired: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 7 + 1 = 10 for inspired bludgeoning: 1d6 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7

Merian jabs at the skeletal frame and manages to chip off a rib, while Resinosa flails his roots at it and misses.

Botting Corona.

Since Corona already has her mace out, she walks up to the Necrophidius, flanks it, and whacks it over the head.

Attack with mace vs flat-footed, Inspire Courage: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7
Attack with mace vs flat-footed, Inspire Courage: 1d20 + 4 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 + 1 - 4 = 21

Corona crits the necrophidius! Her mace lands hard on the beast's skull and bone splinters fly everywhere!

Damage: 1d4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4 8 damage, plus weakness!

Furious now, the necrophidius snaps its jaws at top to bottom: 1d4 ⇒ 3 Corona.

Jaws vs Corona: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21
Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Mad with anger, the Necrophidius snaps once more.
Jaws vs Corona: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 8 - 4 = 18
Damage: 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

I see Corona has Resistance 2 to physical attacks, so that's only 7 damage to her.

The snake's fangs drip with poison, and you see some of it entering Corona's bloodstream...
Fortitude save Corona: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Corona's limbs stiffen immediately and she's unable to move!

Rain in Cloudy Day keeps cheering you on, saying "Corona, no! Pathfinders, kill that snake before it can eat New Friend Corona!"
He aims a spore pod at the snake.
Spore Pod: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 1 = 16
Spore Pod: 1d20 + 8 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (13) + 8 + 1 - 5 = 17

Necrophidius 55 damage
Rain in Cloudy Day
Corona 7 damage, necrophidic paralysis
Merian
Ghul
Rawiri
Smell of the Pines

Everyone may act! The beast looks like it's on its last legs, and Inspire Courage is in effect!
Corona needs to make a DC 20 Fortitude save at the end of her turn to become un-paralysed again.

Thank you for the bot, GM! Alas, Corona doesn't have any 'mental only' actions she can take so she essentially forfeits her turn this go-around.

Ack! Maybe I should leave the fighting to the fighters!

Corona struggles mightily against the paralysis that holds her...

Fort (DC 20): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

...and manages to break it!

Merian enters her Arcane Cascade stance, and uses Shielding Strike.

Trident: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20 vs flanking
Piercing: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10 plus 1 force

Shield raised, AC 20

She focuses and recharges her Spellstrike.

Ghul locks eyes with the Necrophidius as it snaps at Corona, and for a fleeting moment, their consciousnesses meld, and he points down two paths: One that leads towards eventual destruction and de-commision, and another, upon which our doomed hero travels, towards a blinding light strong enough to banish dark thoughts, looming at just the edge between the mind's eye and the infinite space between...

◆) Raise Shield (to AC 21)
◆◆) Strike x2
↺) Glimpse of Redemption (Redeem or Resist 3 + Enfeeble 2)
↺) Shield Block (Hardness 7 in stance, BT 10/10) (first to trigger)

He then continues to bash and thrash with his shield, adapting the chivalric combat form into something bestial and wild, snarling and panting with each crash of steel against bone!

Inspired (+1) Shield Boss vs Necrophidius: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 7 + 1 = 121d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9
Inspired (+1) Shield Boss vs Necrophidius: 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 5 ⇒ (7) + 7 + 1 - 5 = 101d8 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 = 11

"No!" yells Rawiri seeing how the creature attacks Corona and she begins to stop moving.

He takes a powerful swing with his clan dagger, trying to break some more bones.

Attack, ic: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 7 + 1 = 22
Damage, bludgoening, ic: 1d4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4
Confident Finisher: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 6) = 11

Then he whirls some more, feeling few hits and dodging the fangs of the creature

Performance vs Will DC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

In a few fluid motions, he makes another hit trying to bring the monster down.

Attack, ic, map(agile): 1d20 + 7 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 1 - 4 = 7
Damage, bludgoening, ic: 1d4 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 + 1 = 4
Confident Finisher: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 4) = 5 So 2 points of damage from this since it is a failed attempt

Attack(w confident finisher), fascinating performance, attack (with confident finisher)

As I went to bed last night I suddenly realised I forgot to trigger Ghul's Glimpse of Redemption, and I felt really bad about it. Luckily it doesn't matter that much.
Also, Merian, I see you apply Inspire Courage to attack, but not to damage?

Corona focuses and manages to break free of the paralysis! Corona pokes once more at the necrophidius and nearly severs its spine, leaving a large crack in its body. Ghul attacks twice, but misses both times. Luckily, Rawiri's attack strikes true and shatters the skull completely, and the snake's spine clatters to the ground in a lifeless heap.

Combat is over!

The central column still shines with glyphs and runes, several of them sputtering in and out of existence, some a barely perceptible glow, and even a few releasing actual sparks as they try to maintain their magic.

Merian offers her minor healing potion to Corona.

"Oh, hai hai! Look at the runes!"

Arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

"This is clearly a summoning device. It does not look like it's been purposefully tampered with. However, perhaps due to age, perhaps due to the erosive nature of the swamp, the runes have started to fade and malfunction. It now spews out summoned creatures at random intervals, and I think it needs to "recharge" for at least a day before it can do so again."

"To disable it permanently, one of you sneaky-sneakies could erase some key runes Thievery, or we could just put a little elbow grease on and pull out some stones bearing those key runes Athletics."

Merian will try pulling out some of the stones.

Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

"Wow, these things are really jammed in there."

Don't feel bad GM! I am having fun!

Ghul looks at his elbow at Merian's mention.

Far from "greasy", the skin, a thin, dry, cracked, cold layer over so much bone, the strain of it's years of being stretched beyond it's biological imperative, into a twisted mockery of life, decayed and forgotten.

Never-the-less.

Disable Device (Athletics, Trained): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9
Hero Point!
Disable Device (Athletics, Trained): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Encasing of a strength unbridled; from beyond the pale. He smashes part of the central column in such a way as to disrupt it's proper flow of conjurative magic - like smashing a mechanical lock such that it bars entry hereafter even to those possessed of the key.

Merian tries to pull out a few rune-bearing stones, but they won't budge. Ghul steps up to the pillar and disrupts the runes by severing the magical conduit. All the runes fizzle out of existence and the room is dark, save for your own lights.

"That's it!" Rain in Cloudy Day says. "According to my research, this should be the only point where these creatures are coming from. Let's go back to Chief Thakik and celebrate our success!"

You search the rest of the cavern and see that another route loops back to the entrance. This hallway is filled with spear traps that miraculously have survived the ages.

Back at the iruxi enclave, Chief Thakik is glad to hear of your success. "Thanks to you, our tribe no longer has to worry about living rocks that wander into our community and smashing everything they see. Let's celebrate!"

The evening is filled with celebration, turtle stew (and rotten leaves and moss, for those who want), and you wake up the next day around noon, well-rested and with the knowledge that thanks to you, the Society has made some new allies.

Final bit on Monday. Feel free to roleplay and describe how you party with the iruxi.

Merian will take some time to make some detailed drawings of the runes, to put in her magic notebook.

"Hai hai!" she enthusiastically greets the iruxi as they return.

She enjoys some turtle stew, but passes on the rotten leaves. She tries a little moss, but decides it's not for her.

Ghul returns triumphant, and upon circling back to the village, discovers the iruxi children still playing with Unifax, and so, on an impulse, bounds up on all fours and leaps to mount the mighty steed - to which 3d6 ⇒ (6, 4, 6) = 16 sets of small eyes widen at the gesture!

Lacking bridle and reins, with surprising and somewhat uncharacteristic gentleness, he brushes it's mane and whispers into the mystical horse's ear, and off the two of them ride, doing tricks and jumping over and sloshing through the swampy bog - putting on a bit of a show - while murmurs of awe and splendor emanate from the clustered scouts and warriors.

Dismounting with a similar athletic spring, Ghul lands onto the ground and tumbles to a halt. There is a pregnant pause in the air as anticipation lingers just palpably, and after a beat, the young leader from earlier - fully 2 inches taller than the pack - emerges with some hesitance, and is quickly ushered along by the others, as once again Unifax kneels to allow permission to mount, and the spectacle is repeated with a new rider.

Over the course of the evening, everyone who wants a turn gets one, and for the first time in a long while, the hunger that ordinarily consumes our doomed hero's thoughts subsides, replaced instead with a new emotion: Is this what joy feels like?

Earlier

"Aw, thank you New Friend Merian," Corona smiles as she's offered a minor healing potion. As she gratefully accepts it and drinks it down, her wounds mend and close.

"I'm sorry. I should've just stayed back and let you all handle that thing," she frowns. "I'll be more careful next time, I promise!"
______________

Party Time!

Back at the iruxi enclave, Corona enjoys herself during the celebration. She eagerly partakes of more turtle stew, curiously nibbles at the moss, and even takes a very tiny bite of the rotten leaves.

(They're about as tasteless as she expected, but it's good to have confirmation.)

There's also...

"Dancing! You can't have a proper party without some dancing, New Friends!"

Performance: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Performance: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Merian's not much of a dancer. But she notes that some of the iruxi are amphibious, and offers to dance in the water.

"Have any of you considered joining the Pathfinder Society?" she asks when there's a lull.

A black-scaled iruxi with several fiery red spots joins Merian in the dance, happily dancing along and copying her moves. You think he's an adolescent, nearly reaching adulthood.

Performance: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

His moves are... adequate, stumbling over his own tail every now and then.

When he takes a break, he answers Merian's question. "The Pathfinder Society? Is everyone in that Society as skilled as you are? I'm training as Shaman Gaaz's apprentice, but so far I can only do this."

With great concentration, he casts a spell and a tiny ball of fire appears in his clawed hand. He waves it around for a few seconds, but then loses concentration and the spell fizzles out.

"I can't let it last more than a few seconds, while Shaman Gaaz can hold it aloft while teaching and sparring. Maybe you can teach me other spells?"