[NostalgiaCon PBP] #3-99: Fate in the Future (Inactive)

Game Master Z...D...

Feeling disoriented and afraid, Kya immediately calls upon the power of Shelyn to protect herself and the other Pathfinders. "Please give us the strength to stand together and face this horror."

Soothed by her prayer, Kya is able to focus enough to notice the presence of primal energy and does her best to help bring down the barrier.

Religion (first): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Nature (second): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18
Fortitude: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11
Religion (third): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Do we need to make a 2nd fortitude save as well?

Nature: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Scuttlesnarp gets a blast of frosty magic right in the face. He uncorks his healing potion from his earlier prep work and downs it through jaws flecked with small icicles. "Lousy shiver gate with stupid white dragon nonsense." He tries to disarm more of the sigils surrounding the rift.

Using lesser healing potion, then Thievery to close the rift.

Healing Potion (lesser): 2d8 + 5 ⇒ (4, 3) + 5 = 12 Exact amount of damage he took from the crit fail save.

Thievery (third check): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 Crit!

We are up to 16 rift points.

Yes, if you attempted a third check. Another fortitude save is needed.

I reported the rift success, so if you would like to take time healing, now is the chance.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

**HOUSE GM ANNOUNCEMENT**

With a flash of light, the time rift vanishes, revealing a snowy expanse. Armeline orders, “You’ve done it! We’ve sealed the time rift. Close in on the focus!”

Table GMs, please begin Event #2

Fort save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Kya braces herself against another blast, shielding herself with her cloak. She then tends to Nanoc's frost burns.

Treat wounds (natural medicine): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24 HP: 2d8 ⇒ (5, 1) = 6

"That cold blast wasn't so nice, though I managed to avoid most of it." Drakmak says having looked at the cold damage to his hands. "Any help in getting my feeling back would be appreciated."

As the time rift shatters, reality rights itself, revealing the focus—a fully dressed, towering draconic being bent over a metal and glass sarcophagus. The dragon turns, brandishing a strange tool. “Get back, you blasted dogs! Wait... You’re not the hounds.” The dragon taps her snout, thinking hard, then shakes her head. “You seem familiar. But if we’ve met, I can’t recall. The longer I’m away from home, the more jumbled my memories become. I can barely remember my name! It’s Heraxia, by the way. Who are you?”

You may roll a society check to recall what she is. Also, you recognize this voice as the one calling out for Felise

"It is a pleasure to meet you Heraxia, my name is Drakmak, artisan of Quadira, maker of jewelry to adorn any lady." the half-orc bows ornately. "Though you seem vaguely familiar? Your voice, have I heard you before?" he asks, looking to his companions.

Drakmak recognizes her as a Dragonkin. Dragonkin are an ancestry of bipedal dragons native to Triaxus. They form close, lifetime bonds with a single other person. How he knows this information, who knows

"It is possible. Once we discovered this Arch, its magic works in weird ways."

"I need you assistance to return home."

Heraxia gestures at the metal and glass sarcophagus. “This is a stasis pod—a box that keeps whoever’s inside alive despite the passage of time. It’s pretty damaged, and I could use a hand repairing it.”

Each PC can attempt two skill checks to help repair the stasis pod. The most appropriate options are Crafting checks or applicable Lore checks to repair the mechanism directly and Arcana, Medicine, or Thievery checks to decipher its mechanisms.

Scuttlesnarp appears visibly enamored by the draconic humanoid. "Yes yes, at once, Great Heraxia! Scuttlesnarp will make strange stasis machine so much better!" He immediately sets to work on the device.

Thievery: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Crafting: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

His excitement clearly impedes his already shoddy handiwork.

Society check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

"I heard you..." Kya trails off, unsure if bringing up the previous battle is wise right now. "Where are you from?

She eyes the pod suspiciously, wondering how it works.

Medicine check 1: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Medicine check 2: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

Sorry I didn't get a treat wounds off on you before we moved forward, Drakmak!

"Ohhh, stasis pod," Nanoc looks intently at the pod with amazement. "Is this some kind of a vehicle that travels thru time instead of space?" he asks Heraxia.

He takes out his repair kit and begins to work.

Crafting: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8 (Holy cow, do I still have a hero point?)

Since we are closing in on the end, sure. Everyone will get one additional hero point.

Yey! Thanks.

Hero Point Re-roll: Arcana: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

**HOUSE GM ANNOUNCEMENT**

”That’s it, Pathfinders! The focus is almost in position!”

Table GMs, this is your 1-day (more like 20-hour, at this point) warning.

Crafting 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18 +1 if Artistry is possible
Arcana 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Drakmak starts to look at the intricate mechanisms of the pod, it's delicately etched sigils, that almost pass as instructions for the placement of arcane components. "Fascinating, just fascinating." he says as he gets to work, "I only hope our work can return you home, Heraxia." He continue to use his crafting tools to correct what he can, carefully completing some etchings and placing small magical components together to amplify the arcane resonance.

He smiles at the dragonkin, "You know it was as if I were in a dram when first I heard you voice. Was it your love that you called? What name did I hear? I could swear I heard a name, Felise."

**HOUSE GM ANNOUNCEMENT**

The Eternity Arch pulses with energy as Heraxia and the Pathfinders congregate near it. Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau calls for silence. “You’ve done well, Pathfinders, but our mission isn’t over yet. We have to send Heraxia home if we want to go home.”

“That’s right,” Heraxia cuts in. “I have a few more tweaks to make to the stasis pod. Then I need to attune to the Eternity Arch—it should only take a few minutes. Then I can climb in the stasis pod and ride the Eternity Arch home.”

“This is where it gets tricky,” Armeline continues. “Once Heraxia is sealed within the stasis pod, we’ll have moments to get back into the Maze of the Open Road. As soon as she leaves this time, the Eternity Arch’s connection to her will be severed and the Maze will realign—that means this path to the Maze will no longer exist. Anyone who doesn’t make it through will be stranded here, on this distant planet. It should go without saying that the chances of rescue are slim. I want all of our support staff to retreat to the Maze immediately. Bring what supplies you can. In the meantime—”

Armeline’s words are cut short by an eerie howl that issues from the Eternity Arch. Heraxia races back to her stasis pod. “The hounds are coming! We’re out of time!”

Armeline’s face hardens as she draws an alchemical bomb. “Steel yourselves, Pathfinders! We must protect Heraxia!”

Table GMs, please begin Part 4.

crap. Falling behind here. moving us on.

“Incoming!” Urwal shouts as purple glowing cracks in reality spread like spider webs across the chamber. Reality shifts and flickers wildly, leaving behind blurred afterimages of people from other times and places. The unstable reflections screech in confusion and surge forward, arms raised to attack.

Meanwhile, one of the cracks widens, tearing open a massive time rift in the floor. Pathfinders leap out of the way, grasping at stone to avoid tumbling through time. “Help them!” Janira shouts. “Hurry!”

Do you choose to fight the hostile time distortions or rescue the pathfinders?

"We can't leave our comrades in danger we should help them!"
Adoril anxiously awaits his companions' responses.

"Oh my word, this is most unusual." the arcane magic man says with fear in his voice at the distortions in time. He hears Adorils resolve and words, nodding vigorously as he replies "Adoril, you are right, rescue our friends in the Society."

”I agree, we must rescue them.” Nanoc nods in agreement.

Scuttlesnarp looks aggressively at the hostiles, then grumbles as he follows the others toward the imperiled pathfinders.

Sid sees the way the others are going, and rushes to help as well.

We will be using Map #23 for this one. Anyone who comes within, or starts their turn within, 10ft must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude save or become slowed 1. Reminder, slowed condition does not take effect until you regain actions, meaning your next turn. All squares adjacent to the
time rift are difficult terrain and uneven ground, SD All squares adjacent to the time rift are difficult terrain and uneven ground, DC 14 Acrobatic to Balance.

The time rift is 40 feet long and 20 feet wide at its center, then narrows at its edges to 5 feet wide. Eight Pathfinders are in danger of falling into the time rift. Six cling to the tiled floor at the edge of the rift, with their bodies dangling into it. One climbed partway up a pillar whose base has disappeared into the rift; they are 15 feet in the air. The final Pathfinder holds onto a rope tied to a grappling hook, which they tossed into the chamber at the last moment to save themself. The grappling hook is gripping the gap in a stone tile and is clearly not well secured.

The one with the line attached is the grappling hook dude. The one in the middle is the one that climbed the pillar

Round 1

The grappling hook slips off the tile, dropping that Pathfinder 5 feet further into the time rift. The grappling hook snags another tile 5 feet closer to the edge of the time rift. Its hold is precarious, and it’s likely to slip again in moments.

Everyone may take a full round's worth of actions to help. Be creative. Examples are athletics to pull others up. A ranged attack to toss a rope to the one on the pillar.

Drakmak moves forward and in his panic quickly casts a spell, that issues a wind that travels towards the Pathfinder up the pillar.

1-action Stride
2-action Cast Gust of Wind in a line that should only effect the Pathfinder up the pillar, in the hope it will blow them off the pillar and onto safe ground, even if they might take a little damage on landing.
Not got time to make it more descriptive and fun....sorry

Nanoc opens his backpack to get the stowed climbing kit, and gets the rope to tie it around himself.

"We will save you all! Relax yourself and don't panic so you won't be sucked into another dimension of time." Nanoc shouts to those Pathfinders in peril

Kya fumbles in her bag and digs out a rope. She's ties the rope around a pillar, praying that it holds.

Thievery: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

I think those are pillars on the map??

Sid will move forward and fling a dripping vine forward. "Stay put, we'll get you!"

Tanglefoot: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Trying to stick the Grappling Hook to the ground if allowed, or the most precarious looking Pathfinder on far edge otherwise.

Sid manages to anchor the grappling hook in place just long enough for the agent to climb out on his own.

Kya ties off and tosses a length of rope to the pillar, guided by the wind from Drakmak's spell. The agent grabs hold and slides down the line to safety.

Nanoc prepares himself a hasty harness.

2 agents rescued. Adoril and Scuttlensarp are up.

Adoril will grab a hammer, pitons, and rope from his bag. Adoril will try to hammer the piton into the ground and tie the rope to it. If he can this turn, he'll tie it to himself too.

Scuttlesnarp pulls a rope from his pack and hurls it to the Pathfinder on the pillar.

Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Adoril sets up to go after some agents.

The agent on the pillar was already rescued, but will use the rope to secure someone else.

Scuttlesnarp tosses a length of rope for an agent to grab hold of.

Round 2

Agents clinging to the edge are still holding strong for now.

Seeing that Kya's method is effective, he unties the rope from himself and goes to the nearest pillar and ties the rope around it. The length of the tied rope flies naturally toward the pull of the time rift, or Drakmak's spell as well fot the Pathfinders in peril to grab and hold onto.

Crafting: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Adoril will run toward the Pathfinders and try to pull one of them them up!

Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

Oh boy, I'll hero point it...

Athletics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Adoril will use the rope tied to himself to help the agent back to safety on his next turn, hopefully being able to rescue another too before moving back.

Fort save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Scuttlesnarp tries to reel in the Pathfinder that had grabbed on.

Athletics: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Both Nanoc and Adoril are able to pull up and secure an agent a piece.

Scuttlesnarp struggles to get their agent up.

The agents pulled from the rift assist the PCs in getting the rest of their comrades up.

You have rescued 4 agents, enough to trigger the success. Will mark it as so.

The purple crack widens and then explodes into dozens of smaller rifts. Each rift reveals a vision of some distant view. From stone walls of unknown architecture to verdant jungles, each vision is entirely different. The ground in the chamber shakes and heaves as a massive bug skitters into existence from the rifts.

“Now there’s a challenge!” Calisro Benarry boasts. “Let’s show them what Pathfinders are made of!”

“The rifts are pulling us into the past,” Jirneau counters. “We need to force the Eternity Arch to seal these rifts, or we’ll be stranded here!”

You can either choose to take on the giant bug or assist those in manipulating the arch

Nanoc chooses to assist those in manipulating the arch.

Scuttlesnarp scoffs at the bug. "Squishing bugs is the work of mites, not dragons. We will stop the magic arch!"

"Good call Scuttlesnarp!" say Drakmak agreeing with the kobolds logic.

Kya nods in agreement. She looks to Jirneau. "What do we need to do?"

You must connect yourself to the eternity arch, attune yourselves, and then manipulate the powers to stabilize it." The venture captain states without really explaining it in detail.

Connecting: To connect with the Eternity Arch, a creature must Interact to touch it. Each time a creature first touches the arch, it takes 2d4 mental damage (DC 15 basic Will save). After connecting with the Eternity Arch, a creature can attempt to attune to it. Breaking contact with the arch immediately severs a creature’s connection to it.

Attuning: To attune to the Eternity Arch, a creature can attempt a DC 16 Fortitude save as a single action while connected to the arch. On a success, it attunes to the Eternity Arch. On a failure, it becomes clumsy 1 (or increases its clumsy value by 1, to a maximum of 3) as the Eternity Arch temporarily ages it. Once a creature is attuned to the Eternity Arch, it can attempt to manipulate it.

Manipulating: To seal the rifts, the PCs must gain a total number of Manipulation Points equal to twice the number of PCs. A character attuned to the arch can attempt a DC 15 Arcana, Nature, Occultism, Religion, or Thievery check by spending 2 actions with the concentrate and manipulate traits.

Round 1:Everyone may act

Nanoc immediately moves toward the Eternity Arch after they are given the instruction. He touches the arch and it immediately floods his mind mentally, showing him vivid images of the past, present and future.

Will Save: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

He attempts to attune himself with the Eternity Arch, to keep it stabilized.

Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13 (Clumsy 1)

◆ Stride
◆ Touch Eternity Arch
◆ Attune self with Eternity Arch

Scuttlesnarp takes out a thief's tool and approaches the arch.

◆ Stride, ◆ Interact (touch arch), ◆ Attune

Will (pre-adventure boost): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10 Success
Mental Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (2, 3) = 5 half to 2

Fortitude: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18 Success

Drakmak follows others forward to touch the arc and try to attune his mind to the greatness of this magic.

Will Touch 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24 - damage 2d4 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4 halved = 2
Fort Attune 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16 - success

◆ Stride
◆ Touch Eternity Arch
◆ Attune self with Eternity Arch

Sid moves in and slaps a hand on the arch, grimacing as he leans into it.

Will: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Mental Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4
Fort: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

Adoril places his hands on the arch and closes his eyes.

Will: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Damage: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 1) = 4
Fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

Nanoc-Connected, but not attuned.
Scuttlesnarp-Connected, attuned
Drakmak-Connected, attuned.
Sid-Connected, attuned
Adoril-Connected, attuned.

Round 2

1d4 ⇒ 1

As the PC's get into position, the ground shakes, imposing a –1 circumstance penalty on all checks with the concentrate or manipulate traits for 1 round.

For those that are attuned, you may immediately try to manipulate the energies.

Nanoc, you may attempt to attune yourself again and if successful may try to manipulate the energies.

Kya, you may take both 3 actions for round 1 and your round 2 actions as well.

Connecting: To connect with the Eternity Arch, a creature must Interact to touch it. Each time a creature first touches the arch, it takes 2d4 mental damage (DC 15 basic Will save). After connecting with the Eternity Arch, a creature can attempt to attune to it. Breaking contact with the arch immediately severs a creature’s connection to it.

Attuning: To attune to the Eternity Arch, a creature can attempt a DC 16 Fortitude save as a single action while connected to the arch. On a success, it attunes to the Eternity Arch. On a failure, it becomes clumsy 1 (or increases its clumsy value by 1, to a maximum of 3) as the Eternity Arch temporarily ages it. Once a creature is attuned to the Eternity Arch, it can attempt to manipulate it.

Manipulating: A character attuned to the arch can attempt a DC 15 Arcana, Nature, Occultism, Religion, or Thievery check by spending 2 actions with the concentrate and manipulate traits.

Arcana 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (6) + 7 - 1 = 12
Hero Point
Arcana 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 7 - 1 = 16

Drakmak tries desperately to manipulate the arcane energies, but they keep resisting him or fly and hide their sigil like manifestations behind different illusions. He just can't tie them down and manipulate their essence. Remember what mother used to say, you try, try and try again. A gentle face now talks to the arcane energy, so that they seem to respond and under his mother's guidance the sigils are manipulated into an order.

◆◆ - Manipulate the arch
◆ - Interact stays clutching the arch, staying attuned.