Quickly tending to Johnny's wounds and chasing after time shadows, you stumble upon a library.
The walls of this grand entry chamber are carved with faded images, from tentacled monsters and ritual ceremonies to flying wagons and other strange machines. Beyond the chamber is a grand library filled with books and beautiful statuary.
Before you have time to explore the vast trove of books and scrolls, a wooden statue animates in an alcove. The gem on its forehead shimmers with a strobing red light. The statue lumbers forward, briefly disappears behind a huge and elaborate orrery, and then emerges from around a corner. It levels an arm at you and launches a wooden javelin toward Seelah. She deftly knocks the projectile away.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Wooden Golem
Kang
Knab (73/76 hp)
Johnny (46/75 hp)
Horatio
Griss
Seelah
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Squinting, Knab studies the creature from afar... thumbing his wayfinder nervously for luck...
◇) Automatic Knowledge
◇) Esoteric Wayfinder
◆) Recall Knowledge
◆) Battle Assessment
+
◆) or ◆◆) ? or ??
You have modified your wayfinder to focus your mental energy, driving more reliable insights. When you slot this boon, you apply its benefits to one wayfinder in your possession, granting you a Special free action ability when the wayfinder is invested and in your possession.
You can activate this ability as a free action before you Recall Knowledge. If you roll a critical failure on the Recall Knowledge check, you instead get a failure.
You can safely use this benefit once per adventure. You can attempt to use it a second time, overcharging the wayfinder at the risk of destroying it. When you do so, roll a DC 10 flat check. On a success, the wayfinder is broken. On a failure, the wayfinder is destroyed. If anyone tries to overcharge a wayfinder that’s already been overcharged, the item is automatically destroyed (even if it has been repaired) and does not provide the activated benefit.
With careful observation during battle, you identify an enemy’s strengths and weaknesses. The GM rolls a secret Perception check for you against the Deception or Stealth DC (whichever is higher) of an enemy of your choice who is not concealed from you, hidden from you, or undetected by you, and who is engaged in combat. The GM might apply a penalty for the distance between you and the enemy. The enemy is then temporarily immune to your Battle Assessment for 1 day.
Critical Success > The GM chooses two of the following pieces of information about the enemy to tell you: which of the enemy’s weaknesses is highest, which of the enemy’s saving throws has the lowest modifier, one immunity the enemy has, or which of the enemy’s resistances is highest. If the event of a tie, the GM should pick one at random.
Success > The GM chooses one piece of information from the above list to tell you about the enemy.
Critical Failure > The GM gives you false information (the GM makes up the information).
Any Untrained Lore Skill (~) +8 (via Pathfinder Agent Dedication)
Arcana (**) +12 or 20 Assurance; Automatic Knowledge
Crafting (*) +10
Lore: Engineering (*) +10
Lore: Pathfinder (*) +10
Lore: Underworld (*) +10
Medicine (**`) +13
Nature (**) +12
Occult (**) +12
Religion (**) +12 or 20 Assurance; Automatic Knowledge
Society (*) +10
Seelah lets the splinters of the javelin roll off her shield like a wave. She then rushes forward her sword gripped and ready.
"It sure is one obstacle to another!"
She says with a smile as she confronts the tall wooden creation.
◆ Stride
◆ Stride
◆ Strike
Knab recalls that golems are generally immune to magic except in specific circumstances. The wood golem, he assesses, would be vulnerable to magical fire and is resistant to all physical damage.
Seelah promptly confirms his assessment by strike it with her sword and finding considerable resistance. Horatio further tries to prove Knab's hypotheses, but misses the mark with his ball of flame.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Wooden Golem (-10 hp)
Kang
Knab (1 action remains)
Johnny (35/75 hp)
Horatio
Griss
Seelah
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"Horatio's got the idea - burn this one down - tough exterior though - but refrain from using other magicks" he looks at Kang as he makes this final remark.
Having read the room, he looks at Johnny "Eager to see how well you shoot - I will approach the golem: cover me!" and with that, he slowly but surely makes his way over that direction...
◇) Automatic Knowledge
◇) Esoteric Wayfinder
◆) Recall Knowledge
◆) Battle Assessment
◆) Stride
Griss charges forward and slams his flail into the wooden construct before he begins to seep spiritual energy.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Wooden Golem (-28 hp)
Kang
Knab
Johnny (35/75 hp)
Horatio
Griss
Seelah
Kang and Johnny get trapped in a temporal flux .
The tall statue punches Griss in the jaw. It then throws its arms out wide and launches javelin-like splinters from multiple parts of its body across the library. One of the splinters shatters on Seelah's breastplate, but Griss, Knab, and Horatio are each wounded by the flying shards of wood.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Wooden Golem (-28 hp)
Kang
Knab (60/76 hp)
Johnny (35/75 hp)
Horatio (51/66 hp)
Griss (64/88 hp)
Seelah
Seelahs wrath is awakened as she sees her friend attacked!
Seelah then returns to hacking at the creature with her sword to the best of her ability.
And finishes off by planting herself with her shield raised.
↪ Reaction on Construcs turn: Retributive Strike.
◆Strike
◆Strike
◆Raise Shield
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Johnny moves forward, action 1 and fires at the monster twice, action 2 and 3
Not sure if you botted me for round 1 or not, but here is another round
Fire three times
exacting strike
add 5 to that attack roll if 2nd shot missed but not critically missed because of exacting strike
shots are from a striking shortbow if magical physical damage matters.
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Knab hustles!
◆◆) Stride x2
◆) Strike
LINK
The target takes 1d6 persistent bleed damage. You gain an item bonus to this bleed damage equal to the weapon's item bonus to attack rolls (+1).
As Seelah strikes in retribution to defend Griss, she sets off a chain reaction that results in the wood shattering where her sword strikes and spraying her with sharp wooden splinters and leaving half a dozen bloody wounds on her face. Her next calculated strike does not set off the same retaliation, and her subsequent swing glances off of the enchanted wood.
Johnny advances and then plants an arrow right in a weak point. His second shot hits the gem on the golem's forehead, which produces an unexpected result. The vines spring out of the floor of the library all around, making the area difficult to traverse. The vines also seem to be feeding into and strengthening the golem.
Knab cuts his way through the vines to jab his dagger into a vulnerable seam.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Wooden Golem (-57 hp)
Kang
Knab (60/76 hp)
Johnny (35/75 hp)
Horatio (51/66 hp)
Griss (71/88 hp)
Seelah (65/78 hp)
Kang launches fire at the golem, but his aim is off.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Wooden Golem (-57 hp)
Kang
Knab (60/76 hp)
Johnny (35/75 hp)
Horatio (51/66 hp)
Griss (71/88 hp)
Seelah (65/78 hp)
Unfortunately, the golem is mindless and feels no fear. Griss slams his flail into the golem with a loud crack. However, he mistimes his follow-up swing.
Being mindless, it continues is attack pattern. However, those close to it can see that it continues to gain strength from the surrounding plant matter. The golem swings its fist at Seelah, but she parries the blow away. Then it erupts, showering the room with sharp, painful splinters again. Fortunately, most everyone is ready for it and raises their guard in time. Knab, unfortunately, was not fast enough and finds a long shard of wood sticking in his thigh.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Wooden Golem (-62 hp) (<50%)
Kang
Knab (43/76 hp)
Johnny (35/75 hp)
Horatio (51/66 hp)
Griss (71/88 hp)
Seelah (65/78 hp)
"These things must be healing it! Time to put this thing down!"
Seelah now favors an all out attack.
♦ Strike
♦ Strike
♦ Strike
Johnny's arrows strike the wooden statue but fail to sink into the wood. Seelah swings her blade and drives it hard into a weak seam with a loud crack. Her next two strikes glance off of the enchanted wood. Knab almost loses his dagger to a writhing vine but manages to wrest it free and drive it into the animated statue.
Horatio finds his aim to be lacking.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Wooden Golem (-88 hp) (<25%)
Kang
Knab (43/76 hp)
Johnny (35/75 hp)
Horatio (51/66 hp)
Griss (71/88 hp)
Seelah (65/78 hp)
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Nearly losing his clan dagger to the viney mass, he metal-punches extra hard upon the same fracture Seelah's blade chopped open, widening the crack just so...
LINK
Requirements You must have identified a creature with Recall Knowledge.
Your knowledge of a creature's physiology and understanding of tactics helps you attack with pinpoint accuracy. You carefully study a creature that you've identified to scope out particularly weak points in its positioning or physical form. The next time you deal sneak attack damage to the chosen creature with a Strike before the end of your turn, add an additional 2d6 precision damage. At 11th and 17th levels, if your additional damage from sneak attack increases, increase the additional damage from Analyze Weakness to 3d6 at 11th level and 4d6 at 17th level.
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With the lower levels of the ruins secure, Venture-Captain Armeline Jirneau calls the Pathfinders together once again. “Excellent work, Pathfinders! The area’s secure and the path to the upper levels is now clear. What’s more, we have news.” she says, gesturing at the glowing arch. “We’ve discovered that this potent artifact is called the Eternity Arch. It’s resonating with some sort of magical focus nearby, and this resonance is what’s causing the Maze of the Open Road to malfunction. Using this connection, we determined that the focus is somewhere above us, higher in the ruins. We must find the focus and sever its connection to the arch.”
“It’s cold in the upper levels. We’re distributing warm clothing now. Remember, we don’t know what the focus is, so leave no stone unturned. Be safe and stay in touch. Let’s move, Pathfinders!”
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If Knab is anywhere near to where his duplicate was seen earlier, he goes to check again...
Eternity Arch... hope I don't get stuck there...
Seelah just now finishes patching herself up and refocusing in prayer.
"So knab, got any speculations as to what our mystery artifact is?"
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"Probably built by dwarves, no doubt..." stating the "obvious" fact, he examines it anyway...
Any Untrained Lore Skill (~) +8 (via Pathfinder Agent Dedication)
Arcana (**) +12 or 20 Assurance; Automatic Knowledge
Crafting (*) +10
Lore: Engineering (*) +10
Lore: Pathfinder (*) +10
Lore: Underworld (*) +10
Medicine (**`) +13
Nature (**) +12
Occult (**) +12
Religion (**) +12 or 20 Assurance; Automatic Knowledge
Society (*) +10
If there is time, he takes a moment to examine Seelah's wounds "Hold still - these herbs, which grow only in the mountain, may soothe your scrapes..."
"And shall I return the favor friend?"
Seelah will reach out and heal Knab with lay on hands for 18 hitpoints if he allows it. Then she'll refocus in that some 10 minutes.
You take the time to tend to your wounds. Several Pathfinder agents arrive carrying bundles of winter clothing from the provision train while you work. "If anyone needs winter clothing, we've got what you need," a slender, brown-haired elf says. "Just remember to give them back. If you survive."
Bundled up, you climb the stairs and emerge onto frozen tunnels. After a few twists and turns, the stone corridor transitions into a massive red stone cave. The ceiling collapsed long ago, revealing the night sky, packed with stars, and letting snow and wind into the ruins. The wind and flurries of snow that it kicks up bite at any portion of exposed skin.
On the far side of the cave, you see four figures setting up camp. Moving a bit closer, you see that these individuals are quite tall--as tall as an ogre--and have four arms. One of them spies you and calls out to you in a language none of you know. She calls out again in what sounds like a different language, closer to what you've heard ratfolk speak amongst themselves.
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"We found your Bear" Knab tries to communicate "We come from the Maze"
Any Untrained Lore Skill (~) +8 (via Pathfinder Agent Dedication)
Arcana (**) +12 or 20 Assurance; Automatic Knowledge
Crafting (*) +10
Lore: Engineering (*) +10
Lore: Pathfinder (*) +10
Lore: Underworld (*) +10
Medicine (**`) +13
Nature (**) +12
Occult (**) +12
Religion (**) +12 or 20 Assurance; Automatic Knowledge
[s]Society (*) +10[/b]
Common; Cyclops, Dwarven, Gnomish, Osiriani
He tries again in as many languages as he can properly speak.
Knab is unfamiliar with these gray-skinned, four-armed humanoids with tusked mouths. All four of them wear leather armor made from animal hides and carry steel shields, large curved swords, and a quiver of spears on their backs.
The humanoids also seem to be completely unfamiliar with any of the languages the dwarf knows.
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As a follower of the goddess of wine and hospitality, there's nothing better to winning new friends than sharing a drink. Phillipton will slowly and openly pull out a bottle of wine, along with two glasses. He'll pour a glass for himself and for one of them, and make a show of drinking his, to show it is not poisoned.
Its a fruity, sweet red from northern Andoran.
The apparent leader of the four-armed humanoids wrinkles his face, apparently not appreciating the wine's bouquet. She shouts something back and gestures energetically.
Seelah attempts to indicate their nonviolence by keeping her hands away from her weapons. She shares some of the drink with Horation and then launches into a series of hand gestures to show that we just wish to pass through.
The lead hunter watches Seelah and then says something indecipherable while pantomiming with her four arms. You get the sense that she is trying to explain and clarify something to you.
The hunters seem to understand Johnny, and together you all seem to be understanding them a little better. The female four-armed humanoid is definitely the leader of this hunting band. You think they are telling you that this is their territory, and that they are worried that you intend to take from it.
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Knab stows his clan dagger, and says "Not here to steal" he makes a "stealing" motion with his body, grabbing Horatio's wine bottle, then immediately handing it back, trying to signal "no" by crossing his arms.
He looks back reflexively here. Is the Eternal Arch still visible?
In either case, he makes his case...
Knab's efforts seem to offend or at least confuse the four-armed humanoids as they begin looking at each other and murmuring.
Little Wekk elbows Knab "This is why you bring me along - stand aside!"
To whomever is the recipient of the Scroll "Tell them that my name is Little Wekk, and that as the leader of this group, that they can have their dealings with me, for I am always punctual. Explain to them that we are lost, that we stepped through the Eternal Arch - a powerful artifact that connects different worlds - and that we are looking to repair the damage it has sustained. Ask them if they know of any auspicious sites that might be connected to the Eternal Arch, and that we would be gracious if they would point us in that direction!"
"By the Gods man yes! Use the scroll!"
Seelah says through gritted teeth with a smile plastered over her face. She turns back to the leader of the 4 armed creatures, and begins encouraging everyone to start to draw pictures in the snow while she waits for Kangs magic.