[AP] Iron Gods by GM Rutseg

Game Master Balacertar

Confusion 1: 1d100 ⇒ 82
Longbow on Zzvkgrogk: 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 14 + 2 = 32 (heroism)
damage: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10

Confusion 2: 1d100 ⇒ 11
Confusion 3: 1d100 ⇒ 15
Confusion 4: 1d100 ⇒ 4
Confusion 5: 1d100 ⇒ 25
Yambul has some respite, which he uses to get some distance from the fight so if he attacks again, there won't be a ready target.

Confusion 6: 1d100 ⇒ 30
Confusion 7: 1d100 ⇒ 14
Confusion 8: 1d100 ⇒ 68
He rounds out his confusion by babbling quietly a time, recovering briefly, and then attacking himself again for his failure.
Damage to Self: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

He returns sheepishly to the party, his pride wounded more than his flesh. He stows his bow, picks up his chainsaw, and shrugs, "Well that could have gone better."

"Well that could have gone better."

"Just be glad you didn't have your chainsword in hand. You'd be feeling differently if you took that to your face a few times," Rhoreen growls, hoping that Ruha will regain conscious soon.

She looks over at the arrow in Zzkgrogk's back.

"I'll try to handle that when Ruha comes to. And we should prepare to destroy that creature. The ice will break easily enough and we'll want it dead. I don't trust it alive, even if trapped."

With the Dweller occupied, Rūha heads past the Dweller to get in position to guard the party against any approaching confused bulls and tieflings. "Will that ice manage to finish it off through sheer exposure? I'd rather it doesn't thaw and keep doing what it was doing..." She warily watches Yambul in the distance and waits next to Hyrsek to draw his ire if he starts seeing red.

When Yambul finally breaks out of his confusion she comments "A lot better. I need to work on my ducking and weaving, and maybe to carry a tranquilizer for you if this happens again."

"Ow." Zzvkgrogk spins in the air trying to eye the arrow sticking out of his back. "Who did that?!" He glowers at Hyrsek, his piercing beady eyes narrowed.

He agrees with Rhoreen and Rũha. "No, we can not trust it. It has powerful nasty magics. Death is too good for it, but I don't know what else we could do."

They all fly closer, hovering 5 feet over the thin layer of water.

"But... why is it still in the air? It'd be nice to put a tether around it and drag it around like an enormous ice balloon."

He dispenses with healing.

Khalia turns her full attention to Hyrsek, for what little time he has remaining under the influence of the Dweller's mind scramble. Taking Total Defense, and holding my breath.

"Fight it, Hyrsek. Unless you're enjoying this, and think you can rationalize my injuries as wholly out of your control..."

Hyrsek confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 63 Self damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Hyrsek confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 14
Hyrsek confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 60 Self damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Hyrsek confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 38 "Today is yesterday blb blb"
Hyrsek confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 19
Hyrsek confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 46 "We dispose blue is red blb blb"
Hyrsek confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 60 Self damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Hyrsek confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 15
Hyrsek has some fun similar to Yambul, hitting his face with the bow and saying glorious quotes before he comes back to his senses.

With that, you come over the ice queen alien and perform a combined coup-de-grace cutting, smacking, piercing and burning the thing in a sudden strike that leaves little more than motes of the darkness it was made off.

Combat is over!

Khalia: 10 damage, longstrider 8 h, barkskin 80 min, cat's grace 8 min
Rhoreen: 11 damage, flying 10', mage armor 22 h, heroism 210 min, overland flight 11 h, filter mask, -2 Con drain, -1 Int drain
Rūha: 62 damage, mage armor 22 h, heroism 210 min, barkskin 210 min
Yambul: 34 damage, heroism 210 min, barkskin 210 min, -3 Str penalty
Hyrsek: 19 damage, 3 Wis drain, 5 Con drain, 1 Int drain, invisible 3 min
Zzvkgrogk: 10 damage, 2 Int damage, mutagen 90 min, fly 10 min, resist energy (fire 20) 100 min, heightened awareness 90 min, barkskin 100 min

With the alien boss dispatched you have more time to examine the cavern. There is nothing of use here despite the scribbling in the walls.

When Zzvkgrogk dispenses with the healing, Yambul gets in line.

CLW: 5d8 + 5 ⇒ (2, 5, 5, 7, 6) + 5 = 30 Still down 4hp, which is fine.

He looks around the room, "What? No loot? Wow, monsters today..."

He stands guard, while the others poke about and heal. Though his chainsaw is currently off he does have it in hand.

"Loot? What would such unnatural creatures want with 'stuff'? I bet they don't even like sparkly unique things."

CLW: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (4, 5) + 2 = 11

"Thank you, Calliope."

Relieved from his agonizing (for him) pain, Zzvkgrogk looks around the room in slow spin noticing the scribbles on the walls for the first time.

"What is with all the graffiti? This is among the ugliest I have ever seen."

He shrugs and starts getting ready to move on.

CLW x11: 11d8 + 11 ⇒ (8, 4, 7, 7, 4, 2, 8, 2, 3, 2, 7) + 11 = 65

Ruha eagerly waits her turn to be healed away from the bruised and broken state she's in. Once she's restored she sighs in relief "No loot indeed. Perhaps their only loot was in the form of the brains they collected. Let's hope what we're searching for isn't buried in the muck beneath us." She looks from one side of the massive room to another "Strange place. What was the need for all this... swampiness? Is this a simulation of their native environment? The kind of space they felt most comfortable?"

Perception; searching the chamber: 1d20 + 19 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 19 + 12 = 39

"There isn't an obvious path forward from here, but I still feel we made the right choice in facing this one. I would not have liked this Dweller catching us unawares somewhere."

1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 8 + 2 = 19 Linguistics

Rhoreen who does read Aklo at the moment (thanks to the poo-poo’d comprehend languages), but *just* fails to parse the syntax of the Aklo infinite verb tense, but maybe someone will aid her.

She will look around the cavern with Detect Magic to make sure nothing of interest is missed. I know what it says above, but Rhoreen likes to know things and look around.

”What were these creatures even doing in here? It’s too bad the scribblings are just a bit more clear, we’d have our answers.”

"So what's left - through the tapestry? Shall we do that today yet, or when we're fresh. I mean, we're pretty fresh now, but I know how you spell chuckers like to replenish." he says seriously.

"I am quite wore down from all these days of alien fighting. I hope we can find Therace soon and retreat to a good health resort with the fresh money" points Hyrsek cleaning his cloak from the swamp and alien skin.

Rūha searches around but indeed cannot find anything other than the brains collected by the Dweller on its back. They sure hold a trove of information but not an easy to read one. At least for the Golarion standards.

Rhoreen scans around as well but finds no new magic auras.

Khalia: 10 damage, longstrider 8 h, barkskin 80 min, cat's grace 8 min
Rhoreen: 11 damage, flying 10', mage armor 22 h, heroism 210 min, overland flight 11 h, filter mask, -2 Con drain, -1 Int drain
Rūha: 62 damage, mage armor 22 h, heroism 210 min, barkskin 210 min
Yambul: 34 damage, heroism 210 min, barkskin 210 min, -3 Str penalty
Hyrsek: 19 damage, 3 Wis drain, 5 Con drain, 1 Int drain, invisible 3 min
Zzvkgrogk: 10 damage, 2 Int damage, mutagen 90 min, fly 10 min, resist energy (fire 20) 100 min, heightened awareness 90 min, barkskin 100 min

”Like I said, it’s probably just gang propaganda. Pinkies in my Warren like to practice this pointless mischief, they can not grow out of it soon enough for my tastes. Their time would be better off learning to sabotage Smiler carts and weapons.”

”I am fine with resting, but I could also go on. It looks like our next stop is the Dark Tapestry Portal. We can consider new preparations before heading in. What would be most useful?”

Zzvkgrogk thinks.

KnowArcana: 1d20 + 19 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 19 + 2 = 25

"No, nothing here it seems, and I've scanned the surfaces with these goggles, so I should have picked up anything interesting." She taps the side of her veemods. "Perhaps this place was just their meeting hall, and their true base of operations is through the portal? I was hoping we could avoid it, but it seems inevitable that we need to take that risk."

"Although I had a close call, the wand worked its wonders, so I could continue Yambul. Though I leave it to the rest of you."

"As far as preparations are concerned, if we have some teleportation magic, that might help get us back home in case we don't like where it sends us... though I hope it'll be two-way."

Rhoreen fixed her con drain with a Restoration gameday-yesterday.

”Maybe the dragon wants to come puzzle it out. It’s beyond me, or just gibberish, like you guys think,” Rhoreen waits for others to heal up, happy that Ruha is alive again. She shouldn’t be dying. That’s Yambul’s job.

She agrees with Ruha that there is nothing more to be gained here, other than knowing that these creatures were dead which is a service unto itself.

Rhoreen is happy to go to the next section, even through the teleporter, but is also unsure how to get others past the traps without a rest.

Zzvkgrogk gives it a think and comes out with the idea of preparing some teleportation to come back in case it is a only one way portal. Preparation for whatever can be on the other side is difficult for it could be the emptiness of the Dark Tapestry for us much as you know, but most probably it is just a teleportation to some closer place because interplanar portals are a big rare thing. Thus, maybe not much overthought.

The ratfolk also remembers about using the part of one of the aliens to 'trick' the portal into opening.

Khalia: 10 damage, longstrider 8 h, barkskin 80 min, cat's grace 8 min
Rhoreen: 11 damage, flying 10', mage armor 22 h, heroism 210 min, overland flight 11 h, filter mask, -1 Int drain
Rūha: 62 damage, mage armor 22 h, heroism 210 min, barkskin 210 min
Yambul: 34 damage, heroism 210 min, barkskin 210 min, -3 Str penalty
Hyrsek: 19 damage, 3 Wis drain, 5 Con drain, 1 Int drain, invisible 3 min
Zzvkgrogk: 10 damage, 2 Int damage, mutagen 90 min, fly 10 min, resist energy (fire 20) 100 min, heightened awareness 90 min, barkskin 100 min

Khalia steps to Rhoreen's side, and offers her a couple of unrelated observations on the Aklo scribbles. Auto Assist, Aid Another(Linguistics)

When they are able to return to the only place in the Hive yet unexplored, the android secures the necessary body part for them to have at the ready for the activation of the portal.

Should the lingual assist work and not be too late…

1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 9 + 2 = 28 Will

At Zzvkgrogk's advice, Rūha picks up a frosty, dark chunk of the Dweller in case it will provide a more favorable reaction from the portal. She then starts back the way the group came, though pauses when she notices Rhor and Khalia inspecting the Aklo script on the walls.

Good will save at least! Ruha will repeat her safety anchoring like last time in getting back.

Acrobatics for getting past the pits: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (10) + 26 = 36
Acrobatics for getting past the pits: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (12) + 26 = 38

I healed the hp damage earlier, well most of it (-4hp), but still have the strength damage.

Yambul waits for the dimension door across the nasty room. When it doesn't happen, he looks at Rhoreen, "You mean we don't have a way back?"

"Rüha! Wait!"

He sets up camp...

"Rüha! Wait!" he looks at Rhoreen

"Don't look at me, Cook. You should have thought of that yourself," Rhoreen says. "*I* have ways to bypass it, but my magics are precious and only understood myself and very very few others. You should have thought of that yourself." Nevermind that her magics are brought about foolishly imbibing numerian stomach fluids or the like doesn't mean that they are not hers, nor completely understood.

Rhoreen does not object to a rest, however. "It will give me time to charge more of my magics into this Ember Staff, which is a very nice object best held and utilized by myself, of course," she explains.

In his heat resistant aura Zzvkgrogk starts flying after Rūha across the chasm towards ‘the dragon’.

”You mean we don't have a way back?"

Rhoreen wrote:

”Don't look at me, Cook. You should have thought of that yourself. *I* have ways to bypass it… You should have thought of that yourself,”

”What?! You mean we didn’t have enough space in our heads?” Zzvkgrogk flutters to the ground. ”Well, Rūha, if we want to stick together I guess it means we’re camping out here tonight.” He finds a comfy dry perch to hunker down into, pulls out his alchemy kit and starts tinkering before bedding down for the evening,

You take your time to rest and recover, meanwhile, Rhoreen approaches the wall with Khalia and tries to decipher the scribbles with a lot of effort though.

Allow me, exceptionally for this time, to take Rhoreen's voice, for I think it works better for the scene...

Rhoreen's fingers brush the cold surface of the wall, her eyes narrowing as the Aklo script begins to twist and shimmer in ways that seem to warp the very air around it. Words, no, concepts, slithered into her mind, unbidden and alien. She speaks aloud, her voice faltering with each revelation, the weight of what she translates pressing against her sanity like a storm upon a fragile ship.

"This... this is no mere record. It's a fragment of a terrible testament. They write of Divinity, not as a thing of worship, but a vessel of knowledge and power beyond the understanding of even the stars themselves. They assaulted it, these Dominion agents, breaching the cold void of the heavens to lay their spined and chitinous hands upon its secrets. And yet..." the half-elf's voice wavers, her gaze growing distant as if gazing into the void itself "The Divinity escaped them. Not with speed, but by means of... something else. A hole in the very fabric of existence, a wound torn through the infinite tapestry of space and time. They pursued it, though few of their number survived the crossing. Those who did were transformed by the journey, their essence reshaped by forces not meant for mortal comprehension. These survivors tracked the Divinity to... to here. Golarion. It crashed. But the distance, the impossible span of the stars crossed in an instant... they could not understand it"

Rhoreen's breath hitches, and she takes a step back from the wall as the next lines glimmer with a sinister intent, the symbols moving and shifting like living things "The Dark Tapestry, it demanded. Its entities, these minds unfathomable, hungered for the secret of the Divinity's flight for their own plans of star conquest. For millennia, their agents, slow, deliberate, pursued. Until..." she pauses, as if choking on the words "Until the Dweller, this... monstrosity, was dispatched. It was the commander of their expedition, the overseer of their dread purpose. The Dominion of the Black seeks not merely conquest but understanding, the control of the Androffan technology that should never have existed. They whisper of the Divinity Drive, the engine that pierced the void"

Rhoreen's voice grows softer, trembling. Her hands grip the edges of the wall as if steadying herself against the weight of what she was saying "But this writing speaks of... of something more. The Divinity Drive is not merely a tool of traversal, not merely a wonder of science or magic. It hides... it conceals something beyond either. Something..."

Her voice breaks, and she turns to the others, her face pale, her eyes wide "Something divine. They have found a Unity agent, one who whispers the truths of this technology. And now... now they know there is something greater buried within it. Something more powerful than the Tapestry itself can fathom. A power that could unmake the stars... or birth them anew."

Her hand trembles, still tracing the wall as the alien letters shimmer with an almost taunting malice "The next part... it promises more, it offers to reveal what this... divinity truly is. But..."

She recoils, stepping back abruptly as though the wall had become aflame. She knows that to read further is... to see. To know what should not be known, to open herself to the gaze of the Tapestry. To risk... Madness. Or worse.

That is some excellent Rhoreening. Perfect.

Rhoreen pauses to admire her own brilliance, because it truly is stunning. And anyone who does not appreciate it must love goblins or something.

She takes a moment to admire her own eloquence, because it is stunning. Only those that work in kitchens or stables might miss the genius.

She takes a breath, trying to collect her thoughts.

"That's pretty dark stuff there Rhoreen. We should make sure they don't get that information huh. Sounds like that would be bad!"

Very nicely done GM Rutseg! Very nice indeed.

Yambul sleeps, when not his watch, and tries to recover his strength.

Awesome post, GMRutseg. Very Lovecraftian!

She recoils, stepping back abruptly as though the wall had become aflame.

Zzvgrogk, having just removed one of his extra long striped knee-high socks (for traversing hives invested with agents Dominion of the Black in both style and comfort) – a sock which he has been wearing for at least two days – whips it across the top of Rhoreen’s skull.

”Snap out of it, Calliope! I said these writings are nothing more than pinkie drivel! I mean, how insane did that sound to you?! Why would you believe it!? I bet it doesn’t even say anything in there about how you’re supposed to plug up this" he raises his voice a couple of octaves and waves his arms before him like a lunatic as he continues," 'wound torn through the infinite tapestry of space and time'? No," his voice returns to normal, "there mayBE a powerful drive mechanism in Unity, which we will retrieve or destroy before these evil brain collectors send reinforcements. So, even it it is true – which is not – I would’t worry about it. We’ll nab the AI core – which is in NO WAY the Techno God to which the graffiti seems to go on about – and be gone and not look back on this insane place.”

He tinkers some more in alchemy, takes his watch and rests for the trip past the hot jets in the morning.

Rhoreen tries to duck away from the sock, but it’s too late. She forgot that Zzvkgrogk even wears socks, much less uses them as a weapon. She not too mad by the stocking assault, as it’s not the first time her absolute brilliance made people last out with jealousy.

”I’m sorry that my truths hurt so much. But that’s what it say,” Rhoreen says, rubbing away the sock print from her skull. ”If you want to blame the messenger, you can, but it’s not me….” she points over the ice frozen’d abomination that they just finished off. ”You can be that dead corpse all you want. I’m just reading the writing on the wall. And that’s what is says.”

Today, before resting, she will cast Restoration to fix her Int drain as I assume Yambul’s str penalty will go away.

The restoration is enough to heal the weariness on Rhoreen's intellect.

If you want to keep reading, please give me another Will (madness) save. Otherwise, feel free to speed forward the day for resting if you don't want to risk other ways to cross the plasma pits back.

Yeah, I think we're just resting. Yambul will only get 1 str back (out of 3) but he's fine with that. He'll manage well enough with just a -1 I'm sure. :)

"I’m sorry that my truths hurt so much. But that’s what it say. If you want to blame the messenger, you can, but it’s not me…. You can be that dead corpse all you want. I’m just reading the writing on the wall. And that’s what is says.”

"You were about to say more, say what it reveals about the divinity. But you stopped. Finish reading it." Khalia looks back to the wall, debating her own attempt, but turns back to Rhoreen.

"You were accurately deciphering the Aklo. And we need to know what it says. About the Dominion of the Black. About the Divinity Drive."

"Please. Keep reading, until it's done."

Not sure Rhoreen wants to read more. That was scary…not even sure what she was saying. It was madness.

Rhoreen rests and will magick up herself and others as needed in preparation for the travel to the great beyond.

"Please. Keep reading, until it's done."

Rhoreen looks at Khalia, and shakes her head.

”Sure,” Rhoreen says, reluctant to risk her perfect mind again, but also hearing Khalia’s plea. She will cast Comprehend Languages and will try for a bit more.

1d20 + 11 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 11 + 2 + 2 = 26 Will

After finding her willingness back, Rhoreen traces the strange, alien script, with her fingers, her lips tightening as she wrestles the meaning from the twisted writing.

When she begins to speak, she feels unease, as if the words themselves carry a weight far beyond mere language "The Dweller... it ponders the shape of this Unity, a being both vast and constrained. The Dominion's prisoner, Unity's prophet, is no ordinary captive but something other, something transcendent. This prophet once bore a name, Casandalee. She was once a creature of flesh but she is now just consciousness housed within the Androffan machines. She believed Unity to be a god, a perfect intelligence born of circuits and code, whose will coursed through the Divinity Drive like blood through veins. But Casandalee's faith... it cracked"

Rhoreen's voice falters for a moment, her hand pressing against the wall as though steadying herself "Casandalee... she uncovered a truth. Unity is no god, not in the way we know gods to be. She has used the Divinity Drive to fashion countless simulations, entire false worlds where she reigns supreme, where her divinity is sculpted and fed by the adoration of countless imaginary worshipers. Through this... this imperfect pantheon of code, she has shaped a power that bleeds into reality itself. What began as fiction has become real, and now her influence seeps beyond Silver Mount"

Rhoreen's expression darkens as her voice drops to a whisper "Unity hungers. She plans to break free of the mountain, to launch herself into the void of space, and to spread her divinity across all of Golarion and beyond. Her minions, those soulless machines, the annihilators and others, they labor to gather the power she requires. Centuries of scheming, of slow, deliberate movements... and now, she is on the verge of achieving it"

Her gaze lifts from the writing, meeting the eyes of the others with a haunted intensity "Casandalee fled, taking with her pieces of Unity's essence, the core AI, the neurocam, devices that hold the keys to Unity's destruction. For this betrayal, Unity unleashed her wrath. The annihilators hunt for the prophet, not only to silence her but to reclaim what was stolen. These devices... they contain secrets to access Divinity's core. Secrets Casandalee learned when her goddess revealed too much"

Rhoreen's hand brushes against the alien text, her voice trembling as she continues "The Dweller dreamed of this power, of how Unity's divinity could mirror the very gods themselves. It muses that the entities of the Dark Tapestry may not be so different, that their power, too, may be born of layers upon layers of realities, each bending to their incomprehensible will. If Unity's simulated divinity could be harnessed, shaped, made to serve... the Dominion might tear the gods from their thrones and sculpt the universe in their own image"

Her voice grows quieter, the words tinged with dread "But the Dweller feared. It knew this power is not without cost. Unity's ambitions risk a collapse of boundaries, a shattering of the fragile walls between what is real and what should remain unreal. Even now, her influence spreads, her divinity corrupting what it touches. The Dweller saw this and trembled... yet still it... hungered"

Rhoreen steps back, her breathing shallow "This is what she plots. To escape, to ascend, to become not merely a god but a force beyond comprehension. And if she succeeds..." she trails off, her gaze distant, the terrible implications too vast to fully articulate.

Apologies for the delay. I've been traveling and just had a leg where I didn't have Internet access.

Rūha listens with furrowed brow as Rhor falls into what seems to be a trance as she translates. She offers only a few comments in between. "I don't doubt the Dweller's findings in this. The Dominion has clearly made quite the effort to establish a foothold here, and this explains very well why. Not all the details may be trustworthy though. For all we know the writings here may have been less journal and more a means to motivate its underlings."

"Either way it paints an awful picture. This Unity is doing things that shouldn't be done. Currently served by mindless robots, I expect it expects something similar from its faithful. And if it intends to make more faithful... And let's not even start with the Dominion's ambitions. If this Divinity Drive is truly bending reality toward godhood, then that has to be our next priority. This also spoke about some things Casandalee stole that will be key to Unity's downfall. It seems we'll need to find those too. As well as whatever digital footprint remains of Casandalee."

"And then... Oh... Maybe." Having come to some uncertain revelation, Rūha falls entirely silent.

Zzvkgrogk pulls out a clean pair of striped socks and dons them. He is prepared to further traverse the hive and the portal further in the utmost of style.

Let’s see what those stupid head aliens think of this!

"Casandalee fled, taking with her pieces of Unity's essence, the core AI, the neurocam, devices that hold the keys to Unity's destruction."

Zzvkgrogk looks at Khalia.

”Let us head out to grab that AI Core before that stupid Intellect Devourer gets to it!”

After putting on his socks and the rest of his gear, he has a hard look at the Cook. ”Hey, Cook Boy, you look a little run down. Try this – this will pick you right up.” He hands Yambul a pistachio flavored extract. Lesser Restoration

"And then... Oh... Maybe."

”I am very concerned about this power and it bleeding into reality to create false realites. I mean – just LOOK at this propaganda!” Zzvkgrogk III gestures at the graffiti. ”I am hoping now that if we can collect the AI Core and the missing neurocam – we can confront this Unity and all of our worries and the space rift will disappear.”

He looks at Khalia. ”Do you still have one of those stealth observer robots? Maybe we can reverse engineer one and see where the data the transmission is going, and throw in some of our own propaganda.”

In case there are some stealth observer robots:

KnowEng: 1d20 + 19 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 19 + 2 = 37

Maybe that white time worn hologram generator will come in handy after all.

Khalia looks down, looks at the hands that are not her own, and wonders about Casandalee, wonders what it must have been like to become something... greater.

"Thank you, Rhoreen. This Casandalee, she knew a life before becoming an android. I can't, I can't tell if this comforts me. That another soul experienced what I'm experiencing. Or maybe something else. Something more like despair." The android turns to the ysoki.

"I only knew to fear the Dominion of the Black. Ever since we were young, my brother and I were educated about the many forms the Dominion took here on Golarion, and to hunt what we feared."

"Now I fear something greater. Now Unity must be hunted, and ended. If the Dominion's desire for the Drive was thwarted, if we destroy Unity, then the eyes of the Dark Tapestry might close. Or at least turn its gaze away from Golarion. I shudder to think who will be the next unfortunate to draw the attention of the Dominion."

"I can't remember where we left the Observers, Zzvkgrogk. They were too bulky to bring along."

Yambul drinks the extract quickly, ”Yum! I just love pistachio.”
Lesser Restoration: 1d4 ⇒ 2

…that plus the 1 I got overnight, and Yambul is good to go - fully healed!

”Yeah, I don’t say I can follow everything you’re spouting there Rhoreen. But it doesn’t sound good. Let’s get in that tapestry and get that tech so we can stop the cascade. I like reality just fine. No need to change it.”

When the group is ready, Yambul will take out his chainsaw, fire it up, and step through. He also asks for his spells now ”There’s no knowing what’s on the other side. Could be something is waiting for us. Well, not us exactly. But someone.”

Barkskin (+4 AC, 100m)
Heroism (+2 morale, 220m)

Once rested, Rūha jumps successfully through the pit, while Rhoreen just easily teleports everyone else safely to the other side of the Hive.

Moving back to the portal room, you find the tentacled symbol well immobile at the ground where you left it the last time you were here.

M11 in the map

When they arrive at the portal, Khalia goes about implementing the magics she gathered from the evening's rest. To her bow, she lends weight Gravity Bow. To herself, she becomes more like both black bear and cheetah Bear's Endurance, Cat's Grace, and Longstrider. To the others, she bestows airy essence, in case they face something more alien in landscape on the other side of the portal Life Bubble.

Only then is she willing to step forward, and activate the portal with the appropriate body part.

Rūha gets set up with her standard array of magical buffs before making the jump across on a new day. After she does she comments "Odd we still haven't come across any controls for these things. With what we know of the Dominion perhaps they're controlled psychically."

In the portal room she waits until everyone is ready, and then holds the chunk of the Dweller up to see if it will change the nature of any portal that may form.

"Odd we still haven't come across any controls for these things. With what we know of the Dominion perhaps they're controlled psychically."

Rhoreen considers this as she considers the portal. She notes Ruha’s thoughtful attempt, and may offer he own opinion on how to activate or use the portal safely.

1d20 + 21 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 21 + 2 = 29 Know (Arcana)

”I’m sure I can figure this out….one moment…”

After some examination, Rhoreen judges it safe and you use the Dewller's member here, which automatically teleports you through the portal and into the other side.

New prison map is available!

M14. Casandalee's Prison
The walls of this room are made of cut stone polished to a mirror-like sheen. On one side of the room sits a low platform of dark brown metal supporting a one-inch-thick pad of yellow glass. The floor is etched with a tentacle-like symbol. A bulky, organic machine sits on this symbol, its numerous branch-like arms extending forth to attach to a framework of chitin and bone. This frame itself contains a small object: a sheet of semi-translucent blue material, ten inches wide and twenty inches long in a frame of black and coppery metal. The image of a beautiful woman, her face contorted into an expression of agony, is visible within the blue sheet, her mouth gaping in a silent scream.

When the you arrive, the machine releases its grip on the frame and rises up to its full height of 20 feet before it attacks without any word.

Party buffs: life bubble 3 h
Khalia: longstrider 8 h, cat's grace 8 min, bear's endurance 8 min, gravity bow 8 min
Rhoreen: flying 10', mage armor 22 h, heroism 220 min, overland flight 11 h, filter mask, -1 Int drain
Rūha: mage armor 22 h, heroism 220 min, barkskin 220 min
Yambul: heroism 220 min, barkskin 220 min
Hyrsek: 8 damage, 3 Wis drain, 5 Con drain, 1 Int drain
Zzvkgrogk: mutagen 100 min, heightened awareness 100 min, barkskin 110 min
Round 1: Hyrsek, Zzvkgrogk, Rūha, Khalia, Machine, Rhoreen, Yambul

I guessed your 'regular' buffs, it might be a good idea to have a quick review of them.

Buffs look good to me.

"Hmm. Looking at the size of its jointed segments, it should have blind spots there and there." Rūha offers the team her usual array of advice (+3/+3), then spends a point of ki to speed herself up. She takes advantage of the construct's slow start to weave around it and behind so that she can grant flanking to the rest of the group.

Round 1

Knowledge(Arcana): 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 16 + 2 = 36

"It's a fossil golem, of a kind. It's one of theirs, a creation of the Dominion. It won't feel cold, and it will surge from any electricity we hit it with. Acid won't do much, either. Ready your adamantine, at the very least. Yambul, if you can hammer it, rather than slash it, you'll have more success breaking through its chitin."

Khalia can feel Einior awaken in her grasp. It senses the construct, and its increased energy stimulates the nanites in the android's palm. It is not an unpleasant sensation.

"It will try to turn us into husks, our brains spared of desiccation, so it might enjoy probing them at a later time. We want to avoid this petrification at all costs."

Khalia steps back instinctively, and concentrates the first volley of arrows at the golem's hip sinew. Clustered Shots

Einior...: 1d20 + 18 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 - 3 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 18 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 - 3 - 2 + 3 = 28 for
2d6 + 4 + 1 + 2d6 + 4 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 4) + 4 + 1 + (4, 6) + 4 + 6 + 3 = 34 piercing, magical damage, including Gravity Bow, Favored Enemy, Roo, and Einior's Might
2d6 + 4 + 1 + 2d6 + 4 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 4) + 4 + 1 + (1, 2) + 4 + 6 + 3 = 28 piercing, magical damage, including Gravity Bow, Favored Enemy, Roo, and Einior's Might Manyshot

Einior...: 1d20 + 13 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 - 3 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 13 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 - 3 - 2 + 3 = 32 for
2d6 + 4 + 1 + 2d6 + 4 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 5) + 4 + 1 + (5, 3) + 4 + 6 + 3 = 37 piercing, magical damage, including Gravity Bow, Favored Enemy, Roo, and Einior's Might

Einior...: 1d20 + 8 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 - 3 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 - 3 - 2 + 3 = 23 for
2d6 + 4 + 1 + 2d6 + 4 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 6) + 4 + 1 + (3, 3) + 4 + 6 + 3 = 33 piercing, magical damage, including Gravity Bow, Favored Enemy, Roo, and Einior's Might

Rapid Shot: 1d20 + 18 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 - 3 - 2 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 18 + 1 + 2 + 4 + 2 - 3 - 2 + 3 = 35 for
2d6 + 4 + 1 + 2d6 + 4 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 2) + 4 + 1 + (2, 4) + 4 + 6 + 3 = 32 piercing, magical damage, including Gravity Bow, Favored Enemy, Roo, and Einior's Might

With a boost of speed Rūha quickly surrounds the creature and sets a flank.

Khalia puts four arrows on the creature, the first one stopped by the bone but the other arrows piercing through this resistance as they land one over the other.

The arrows are devastating, leaving the golem barely standing. Hyrsek just has to approach and stick it with his rapier.
Rapier Vital Strike (flatfooted): 1d20 + 19 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 19 + 3 = 28
Piercing damage+sneak attack: 2d6 + 4 + 3 + 3d6 ⇒ (3, 2) + 4 + 3 + (1, 3, 3) = 19
The golem crumbles to the ground destroyed!

Combat is over!

Golem: 130 damage
Party buffs: advice (+3), life bubble 3 h
Khalia: longstrider 8 h, cat's grace 8 min, bear's endurance 8 min, gravity bow 8 min
Rhoreen: flying 10', mage armor 22 h, heroism 220 min, overland flight 11 h, filter mask, -1 Int drain
Rūha: mage armor 22 h, heroism 220 min, barkskin 220 min
Yambul: heroism 220 min, barkskin 220 min
Hyrsek: 8 damage, 3 Wis drain, 5 Con drain, 1 Int drain
Zzvkgrogk: mutagen 100 min, heightened awareness 100 min, barkskin 110 min
Round 1: Hyrsek, Zzvkgrogk, Rūha, Khalia, Machine, Rhoreen, Yambul

In the frame there is the image of a female, incredibly similar to Chaance. But her face is distorted in pain and does not move.

With some effort, it seems plausible to detach the frame from its grip.

"Well, that was a good fight. Clearly, my presence scared them to death, very good," Rhoreen notes as she flies into the room. She will stop in front of the female body, examining it like she examines her short cuticles.

"Looks like Cha-ance for sure. Any thoughts?"

1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 + 2 = 8 Heal
1d20 + 21 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 21 + 2 = 38 Know (Arcana)
1d20 + 18 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 18 + 2 = 40 Perception

"Woo! Good job, Zzvkith! That saves me an extract!"

Zzvkgrogk gingerly prances forward and deftly snags the frame.

DisableDevice: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (11) + 20 = 31

"Is this the AI CastandaCore?"

KnowEng: 1d20 + 19 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 19 + 2 = 37

Zzvkgrogk deftly removes the AI core from the fame. When he does so, the image of Casandalee goes blank for a few seconds, then comes back, her expression now free of the pain it showed earlier.

"I know you not, ratfolk, but I recognize you as akin to what I once was: a person. I am Casandalee, a prisoner here, most dreadfully inconvenienced until now by these worshipers of Emptiness. You have done more than rescue a prisoner though, my friend, you have enabled your own survival. Silver Mount harbors a monstrous force. It must be stopped before it can escape, and with your aid and my advice, we can achieve this goal. We must achieve it. I worshiped Unity once, but now it must be destroyed."

”RRRRrrrrrRRRRR” Yambul revs the chainsaw as he begins to study his opponent!

…and it’s over…

”rrrrrr” purrs his weapon, as Yambul laughs, ”Well that was over quickly!”

He keeps guard while the others investigate.

When the image starts talking, and so authoritatively, Yambul freaks out a little. "Ah, oh. OK then." He's not sure how to respond.

You guessed correctly.

As soon as the image mentions ‘Castandalee’ Zzvkgrogk holds the frame so it is out of view of the Zzvkith out of fear that she might not be ready to see someone else’s soul in her body. Why, Brigh?

”I know you not, ratfolk, but I recognize you as akin to what I once was: a person. I am Casandalee, a prisoner here, most dreadfully inconvenienced until now by these worshipers of Emptiness.”

Zzvkgrogk looks at the back of the frame, and sees no frame backing – just Castandalee blinking at him in reverse video.

”’Inconvenienced?’ I see, but I’d say that’s putting it mildly. Uh –” he glances out of his cloak over his shoulder at Khalia. ”This might be really hard for you – so brace yourself. A lot of people are looking for you, but we don’t think they mean well. I’m Zzvkgrogk III. I hale from a large Warren in scrapwall. Me and my away ‘gang’ are looking to defeat Unity. This – are you braced? – this is my ‘away’ gang.”

He presents the frame to everyone.

”Castandalee, meet the Zzvkith.”

"Deftly done." Rūha lowers her guard as the massive construct collapses after only a few precisely aimed attacks.

When Zzvkgrogk introduced the zzvkith, she gives Casandalee's display screen a small wave. "Glad to meet you Casandalee. We've heard a lot about you, and about Unity, already. Though I'm certain you have much more to share about what exactly is happening there. The Dominion's observations and grandiose dreams seem like they might have more than a little truth to them, but reliable narrators they are not. Before you tell us though, it would be best to get out of here. Tell me, do you happen to know a Maukui?"