|
During the briefing at the Woodsedge lodge, Dr. Lazarus pulls out his writing pad and takes notes on the beacon that's affecting the Maze of the Open Road.
In the large chamber, the Doctor nods as Natesh explains the first side-chamber with the fountain and basin. "I agree with my esteemed colleague. This seems to be an ablution chamber used for cleansing before entering a sacred place." He walks back to the main chamber.
He peers behind the partially blocked third chamber, and excitedly says, "Is that a sarcophagus? When we're ready, we simply must have a look inside ... perhaps gather some forensic evidence on the body within." The old elf is seldom so giddy.
|
He peers behind the partially blocked third chamber, and excitedly says, "Is that a sarcophagus? When we're ready, we simply must have a look inside ... perhaps gather some forensic evidence on the body within." The old elf is seldom so giddy.
Astrid leans over and elbows Lizzo in the ribs. "Ha! It looks like the doctor has been sampling the medicinal brandy a bit too much. He's seeing imaginary stone coffins."
|
|
Natesh murmurs to himself as Lazarus looks toward the third chamber. "I know a great many who would encourage... wariness in disturbing the dead. I know that it is necessarily for a proper investigation, but I... would be cautious. And respectful."
...
Hearing Astrid's comment Natesh diligently notes, "I don't think he literally meant a stone coffin. It is sarcophagus-like, but that large... container in the room is made up of some type of glass and metal. Based on the size and shape, it could very well be containing a body." Natesh is focus is intent to the point that he doesn't consider that he might be seeing something entirely different from Astrid.
|
|
" "Ha! It looks like the doctor has been sampling the medicinal brandy a bit too much. He's seeing imaginary stone coffins."
"Is that a mud stuck to your goggles? Here, maybe this will help clean them off so you can see."
Lizzo takes a strip of cloth, douses it with water and hands it to Astrid to wipe her goggles clean.
|
|
"This place seems to be a holy place, but I can't tell whom it might be devoted to, if anyone. We may want to commence some cleansing ritual ourselves. I much not rather draw the ire of a powerful being. Especially one who might have helped create that arch."
"Excellent idea, do you know the proper way to do the cleansing ritual?"
He then turns to the Doctor and says. "Maybe you should scrub up before we crack that box open?"
Ashasar Is inspecting the arch. He says “I don’t think what was revered here was a god. Might be this arch or it might be the location.”
|
|
" "Ha! It looks like the doctor has been sampling the medicinal brandy a bit too much. He's seeing imaginary stone coffins.""Is that a mud stuck to your goggles? Here, maybe this will help clean them off so you can see."
Lizzo takes a strip of cloth, douses it with water and hands it to Astrid to wipe her goggles clean.
Astrid stares incredulously at the cloth before scowling and hurling it to the ground.
"What is wrong with you idiots? Are you trying to make me angry?" She points into the empty chamber.
She angrily stomps into the center of the room to demonstrate.
The shouting attracts Eando’s attention. He comes over and tells you “Don’t damage anything.”
|
Gib squints at the room and rubs his eyes, "Astrid's right. I too see nothing in the room."
"Perhaps you only imagine seeing it." The gnome steps into the room where Dr. Lazarus points to the supposed sarcophagus and whips his rapier around in the area of it " Or, it could be selectively invisible?"
“Not sure what you are doing, but I don’t see anything there nor did I hear anything except you folks.”
“If you find something, alert Ashasar. Be ready to move on soon.”
With that, Eando moves off.
|
|
Natesh is clearly confused and begins paging through his spellbook briefly as he tries to focus on Astrid and Gib. "I didn't hear anything either Gib, but now both you and Astrid are standing inside of the object."
Carefully following the room Natesh reaches out to touch or pass through the container as he says, "it could very well be an illusion. If it were merely invisible you would have walked into it."
Based on your knowledge of arcane magics, you believe the box was a temporal malfunction—the box exists in another time and shouldn't have been visible at all.
|
|
Natesh jerks his hand back as he stares for a few moments into the air. "It is gone. Or... it isn't here yet. I think I was seeing a temporal echo. The ... object isn't here now, but is from another time. Us being able to see it at all was a reflection of some powerful magic."
"I heard words too Gib as I passed through where it was. It was a jumble and given the nature of the appearance I can't tell if they were in order. I heard 'for', 'me', 'no', 'run', and 'wait' before the object vanished. It could have been someone asking someone else to 'wait for me,' but it passed by so quickly."
You hear Calisro Benarry yelling from the main chamber “”
Gib had not completed his search, but is told the support personnel coming behind will finish it.
The various groups of Pathfinders start heading towards the exit door.
When your group passes through it, there are numerous branching halls and passages leading further into the complex. Those who look back, notice there are six faintly glowing glyphs on that side of the door.
You are once again ordered to spread out and search the area.
You enter a room where a deep pit partially filled with bones sits at the center of the circular chamber. Rising from the platform hanging over the pit is a single central pillar, which stretches up to the ceiling. Doors line the chamber's perimeter, but the north and west doors are sealed.
As you enter the chamber, you hear a woman's voice calling out in Common, “Heraxia? Heraxia, where are you?” You can not discern the source of the voice.
|
|
Dr. Lazarus watches the strange phenomenon of the ghostly box existing in the same space as Astrid and Gib. He blinks his eyes as the box flickers at Natesh's touch. He turns to the fighter. "On the contrary, my dear lady, I don't think I've had enough of the medicinal brandy." He continues to be puzzled ... NOT a feeling he's used to.
The Doctor rummages for different book, Phase Doubt: Another Dimension. After scanning a few pages, he agrees with Natesh. "My colleague here is correct. Almost certainly a temporal anomaly of some kind." He stows the book.
Lazarus is about to return to the fountain room to do a ritual cleansing, when faction leader Benarry ushers them forward. Entering the new chamber, his elven ears perk up at the voice calling out "Heraxia." He writes the name down in his notepad and commits it to memory.
Looking back, he glances at the glowing glyphs on the door. He goes back to take a closer look.
After examining the glyphs, he moves to the center of the room to study the bones.
There is no reply from the voice to Natesh.
|
|
Dr. Lazarus longingly remembers the glyphs from the other room. He sincerely hopes we weren't supposed to take a closer look at them.
Standing at the edge of the pit looking down at the bones, the Doctor unpacks his climbing kit, secures a rope around the central pillar, and using the rope, he makes his way down for an examination.
Medicine: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27
Dr. Lazarus climbs down into the pit with ease.
You do not recognize what race the two small creatures are, but the large ones are shobhad.
Shobhad: Shobhads are 12-foot-tall humanoids with four arms and gray skin. Most shobhads on Akiton live in clans whose cultures prizes resilience, self-sufficiency, and martial prowess.
Akiton is a different planet than Golarian.
|
|
Inside the pit, the Doctor studies the bones.
Lazarus calls up to the others, "Fascinating. I think I need another drink." He annoyingly pauses for dramatic effect and then explains, "There are 4 types of skeletons here, only one appears to be human. Another is a snouted humanoid." Then addressing Lizzo, he says. "My dear boy, another set could be reptilian relatives of yours. Perhaps you want to take a look?" Moving to the largest of the skeletons, he whistles as he completes his investigation. "This is most odd. I've read about these: Shobhads. They're a race of 12-foot tall humanoids with 4 arms, who are skilled fighters. They live on Akiton." When he gets blank stares, he adds, "For those who slept through their astronomy lessons, Akiton is an entirely different planet!" He cannot imagine how such creatures are here on Golarion.
He grabs onto his rope and attempts to climb back up.
He leaves his rope in place in case Lizzo or others want to have a look.
|
|
Lizzo let's Astrid lead the way into the large chamber with her shield held high.
He pauses at the pit to look down at the Doctor on his way to the central pillar. Chuckling as he attempts to climb out of the pit, "Silly humans and their ropes".
Hearing the description of the small lizard like creature though, it peaks his interest. He scuttles down the pit wall, not surprisingly like a lizard, to take a look for himself.
After taking a look, he offers to help Dr. Lazarus up the wall.
|
|
Doing his best to ignore the scoffing from the Iruxi beside him, Dr. Lazarus starts the long, slow, climb up.
Athletics-Climb DC 20: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
Lazarus cannot believe how much trouble he's having with this slippery pit, as he slides back down. He dries off his hands. "Let's try that again." Undeterred, the stubborn elf grabs the rope.
Reaching the top, the good Doctor bows gracefully to all who were watching. He dusts himself off, muttering wryly, "That was easy. And for my next trick..." He finds his waterskin -- the one filled with brandy -- and pours himself a drink.
.
You do however recognize the second small skeleton as that of a ratfolk.
Ratfolk: Ratfolk are far more prevalent on Akiton than they are on Golarion. Some scholars believe that the term ysoki, which many ratfolk on Golarion use to describe themselves, may have originated from Akitonian ratfolk, who use the same term.
Natesh examines the stone pillar but isn’t able to find anything useful.
The sealed doors look like they open by sliding into the wall, but there is no mechanism near them by which to open them.
Dr. Lazarus makes another discovery! Falling is slower and doesn’t hurt as much as it should! He takes no damage from the fall.
Realized that I should have done this based on Exploration activities…
+1 if vision based
Astrid finds something that Natesh had missed. The pillar on the platform over the pit can be rotated.
|
|
As Dr. Lazarus is re-stowing his brandy snifter, he considers his fall and thinks aloud, "It's interesting. When I was ... practicing my climbing ... " he glares at Lizzo as if to say: Not a word, and continues, "... I descended slower than I should have. The gravity must be different here." Considering what he knows of Akiton and the Shobhads below, he adds, "Could someone be trying to duplicate the environment, and even the culture, of Akiton?" He tries to recall specifics of the planet.
When he sees Astrid tinkering with the pillar, he suggests, "Dear lady, perhaps manipulating it will open these sealed doors. May I give it a try?" With Astrid's blessing, he studies the workings of the pillar and tries to rotate it in different directions.
|
|
"That would make sense. I only have the barest knowledge of other planes and less than that on the stars in the sky. Adjusting the pillar may be what is necessary to open the doorways and it might be the only way unless we find a key or phrase that might open them up. If were already descending slower Doctor, that mean we were already closer to how it is like on Akiton."
Taking a glance toward the bodies in the pit before returning to the relative safety near one of the doors Natesh asks, "if they come from another planet, how do you think they got here? Were they other explorers that came here like us, or do you think they were among those that attended to this place."
"Could the magic in the maze already sent us to Akiton?" posits Natesh with some concern.
|
|
As Dr. Lazarus is re-stowing his brandy snifter, he considers his fall and thinks aloud, "It's interesting. When I was ... practicing my climbing ... " he glares at Lizzo as if to say: Not a word, and continues, "... I descended slower than I should have. The gravity must be different here." Considering what he knows of Akiton and the Shobhads below, he adds, "Could someone be trying to duplicate the environment, and even the culture, of Akiton?" He tries to recall specifics of the planet.
When he sees Astrid tinkering with the pillar, he suggests, "Dear lady, perhaps manipulating it will open these sealed doors. May I give it a try?" With Astrid's blessing, he studies the workings of the pillar and tries to rotate it in different directions.
"Since you asked so nicely..." Astrid steps aside and gestures for Dr. Lazarus to continue.
Dr, Lazarus cleans out a few joints that would have made it hard to rotate the pillar, then slowly gets it to move. Once rotated, the two sealed doors also rotate.
It looks like something was waiting for the doors to open!
Wins ties
Round 1:
Bolded may act
Identify the creatures: Arcana or Crafting
Dr, Lazarus
Natesh
Gib
Astrid
Red
Green
Lizzo
|
|
Reacting quickly to the sudden threat, Gib strides forward quickly drawing his rapier and light mace as he strikes at the green mechanical person.
Move, quick draw/strike, quick draw/Strike.
The foe is flat-footed to Gib due to Surprise Attack ability.
Cover due to hard corner???
1st attack
to hit
2nd attack Light Mace +15 (Agile, Finesse, Shove) Group Club (+1 striking due to doubling rings)
to hit
The gnomes' attacks are poorly placed in his hast to get the first blow in.
Gib and Astrid close on the green thing. Gib has a little trouble with the wall getting in the way but his attacks were also rushed.
Astrid makes up for it. Both of her strikes hit. The creature is able to shrug off some of the physical damage, but it seems to take more damage than expected from electricity!
Round 1:
Bolded may act
Identify the creatures: Arcana or Crafting
Dr, Lazarus
Natesh
Gib
Astrid
Lizzo
Red
Green 28 damage
|
|
After rotating the pillar, Dr. Lazarus calls out triumphantly (as if everyone can't see for themselves), "Doors are open!" Lazarus studies the strange mechanical enemy to the north.
After sharing any information on this creature, the Doctor sees a path for success. He draws his returning hammer and hurls it end-over-end towards the northern enemy.
+1 Striking Returning Grabthar's Hammer (w/ Stratagem) vs. Green: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29
Dr. Lazarus knows these are Clockwork Soldiers, an uncommon type of mindless construct. Electricity and weapons made of orichalcum are especially effective against them. Unless a weapon is made of adamantine or orichalcum, the hardened armor reduces the damage of any physical attacks.
Grabthar’s hammer strikes it, but as the Dr. expected it did not do full damage.
Lizzo also manages to hit each of the clockworks. The arrow at Red scrapes against the wall before hitting. The other arrow pins Green’s foot in place.
Lizzo notices that these things don’t bleed.
Round 1:
Bolded may act
Identify the creatures: Arcana or Crafting DC 24 (-2 for successive checks)
Dr, Lazarus ID Green once
Natesh
Gib
Astrid
Lizzo
Red 12 damage
Green 68 damage immobilized
|
|
Natesh's ease away from the pit evaporates as the door opens revealing the waiting automaton. He immediately falls back from the doorway and begins working on an incantation seeing Astrid's success and hearing the Doctor's knowledge. Natesh sweeps his arms back and forth toward the two constructs until an electric arc surges between them.
The electricity hits both clockworks. The gears on green lock tight and it ceases operation.
Red pursues Natesh and swings their halberd down at him.
Then there is a clicking sound from it, as a plate extends out from it like a shield.
Round 2:
Bolded may act
Identify the creatures: Arcana or Crafting DC 24
Dr. Lazarus ID Green once
Natesh 15 damage
Gib
Astrid
Lizzo
Red 33 damage
Green 89 damage immobilized
|
|
Natesh staggers backward from the near devastating blow. Natesh is half tempted to continue retreating, but hearing Astrid's confidence does also affect Natesh. "I mean, they seem very impressive. Still I wouldn't turn down help disabling them."
Channeling another surge of electricity into the construct, Natesh holds position to try to aid someone else in flanking this mechanical guardian.