[PFS1] 7-09 The Blakros Connection (GM Watery Soup) (Inactive)

Game Master Watery Soup

I'm posting the remainder of the information that Ansha and Kitoro would have learned from the mirror.

A vision boils to the surface, showing an elven girl with dark hair hiding in the hollow of a tree at night. She is barefoot, soaked in rain, and covered in dirt. A flash of lightning causes the girl to look up, and suddenly a figure in a hooded cloak wearing a golden owl mask stands before her. The masked figure offers out one hand to the girl as the vision ends.

The same girl from before appears standing in a field. The owl-masked figure approaches her from behind, resting a hand on her shoulder. The girl raises one hand to the sky and a blot of darkness filled with twinkling points of light appears above her. The masked figure nods, approvingly. Distribute any remaining completed copies of Player Handout #1 to the researchers, and repeat the process described in the entry above.

Screams emanate from the mirror as the image of the elven girl—now an adult—appears. She is strapped to a bed, where she thrashes wildly. Men in black jackets and wearing onyx masks in the shape of animal skulls stand around her. As she thrashes, tentacles of darkness erupt from the air around her body. One snatches a masked figure by the head, and the others recoil in shock. The tentacle squeezes, there is an ear-piercing scream, and then an explosion of bone and gore that ends the vision.

The elf fades into view wearing a hooded black cloak and dark armor. Someone outside of view discretely hands her a lantern of metal and whorled glass. There is concern visible in her features, and there is no mistake now that she is the assassin who killed Aram Zey. Another cloaked figure wearing an Aspis badge addresses her by a number, not a name: “322.”

Aram Zey’s stoic face comes into view, lit by an eerie blue glow. Blood covers his chin and jaw, and an obsidian scythe blade sticks out of his chest. He exhales luminous, whispering vapor. The vision follows the twisting path of this spiritual energy through the air, before it is trapped within a lantern held by the elven woman.

A voice cries from within the mirror. “You are under orders to return!” Several hooded figures dressed in black and red, wearing onyx stag skull masks surround 322. “The Professor expects you, 322. Come with us.” The encounter is clearly taking place in the now sealed wing of Forae Logos. 322 shakes her head and brandishes a knife at one of the masked figures. “You don’t own me. No one owns me anymore! Come, take your chances with the Void!” Darkness flecked with stars engulfs the elf, and the vision fades.

Just let me know when you're ready to move on. There's a lot of information here about why things are happening, and I can try to answer any questions you have, but no promises.

Wearing a thoughtful expression, Kit muses a bit. "So that is 322. And I thought I had a hard life. Any ideas what the tentacles coming out of her body is all about?"

She brightens a bit and exclaims, "Hey, if his soul went into the lantern, maybe he can be saved? Anyone up for a rescue mission?"

Though I never really liked the guy. Pompous arse. Still, there would be a pretty generous reward involved...

"Who knows?" Ansha muses. "Could be some connection to an aberration. Could be the results of an experiment."

She pauses a moment and furrows her brows at Kitoro. "And aren't we after the lantern anyway?"

"Of course. I wish we knew what this lantern does. Say, you think we could focus on something like that and get more info?"

Kit stares at a mirror and thinks about the lantern.

If we can save a soul from whatever took it, I'm in...

The twisting path of winding stone that leads to the next dream island ends at a crumbling tower that looks to be torn free from a much larger building. Loose bricks float through the air around the tower’s disassembled peak, and a warped wooden door provides direct access inside.

Slide 8 updated.

The highest of the dream islands overlooks the entirety of the psychic archipelago. Huge cliffs of stone rise from the ground, each one fused with deformed statues of humanoids in wracked expressions of terror, clawing at their own eyes. An immense mirror that appears to swirl with gray smoke towers at the back of the island. The silhouette of a horned woman stands within, holding a lantern that burns with blue fire.

Slide 8 updated.

As the Pathfinders reach the top island, a wailing chorus of women’s voices fills the air as translucent figures coalesce from the very fabric of the dreamscape. These ghastly beings appear as gaunt women with stubby horns at their foreheads and wicked, sharp teeth. Their bodies dissolve into billowing clouds of milky smoke below the waist. Red, Green, Blue

The horned woman in the mirror cackles with glee as these ectoplasmic women appear, then she too dissolves into a cloud of swirling smoke. That same smoke erupts from the surface of the mirror, blackening as it reaches the Dimension of Dreams from whatever realm lies on the other side. The smoke undulates, churns, and begins to coalesce into a creature. Black

Art on Slide 9.

--Round 1
Roderick
Black (identify: planes)
Ansha
Rakesh
Red (identify: religion)
Green (identify: religion)
Blue (identify: religion)
Kitoro
Kyra

Friendly reminder: As a standard action a number of times during the dream equal to the creature’s Charisma bonus (minimum 1), the dreamer can attempt one impossible action, such as casting a spell of 6th level or lower, gaining an effect of a spell as if it were cast, or conjuring a magic item. This requires a successful Charisma check (DC = 10 + the level of the spell being cast or spell effect replicated or half of the caster level of the item conjured; nonmagical items are caster level 0). Other fantastic feats are also possible with GM approval and a Charisma check with a DC determined by the GM. If the check fails, the dreamer cannot perform the feat.

Knowledge (planes): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

Ansha’s brows rise as she takes in the ghostly women. “Well, aren’t you the life of the party?” she says crossly at their cackling and wailing.

With arched brows mimicking Ansha's, Kit also slips in a dig. "I think they might have skipped out on their finishing school classes."

Ansha knows these are changeling animus shade witches, incorporeal undead creatures. They have a special attack that causes their enemy’s animus to rise up and overthrow the creature’s dominant personality.

This effect confuses the target.

They can also shoot a dark ray which causes Charisma damage.

Uh, oh. Charisma damage is not good. Neither is incorporeal as it affects spells.

"I think I remember reading about these once," Ansha says offhandedly. "Tendency to cause drastic shifts in personality in victims, spits dark beams that sap willpower, that sort of thing."

Dang...this does not look good.

Roderick decides it may be best to spread out first...

mixes and drinks elixir of invisibility and then unfurls his wings and flies up and west, 10' each...

"Ugh. Phantom hags."
Rakesh snarls as he cringes from their wailing.

Undead? I can handle those... Kyra says as she clutches her holy symbol.

Roderick drinks an elixir and disappears.

The giant shadow waves its arms and casts a spell. Rakesh, please make a DC 19 Will save.

The shadow meanders forward.

--Round 1
Ansha
Rakesh (Will save first!)
Red
Green
Blue
Kitoro
Kyra
--Round 2
Roderick
Black

spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

Can’t fail that DC at a +18 Spellcraft.

“Oh, so that’s how we’re going to play it, huh?” Ansha says, recognizing the spell immediately.

Before Ansha acts, a question: can this “perform impossible things” ability be used to add metamagic feats like Threnodic Spell to a spell one casts via the impossible-things ability? For example, a Threnodic confusion spell?

Will & 4-Leaf clover: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 6 + 2 = 13
+2 vs. mind-affecting.

Rakesh starts to freak out.
"NO!!! No, please! Don't make me wiggle and dance for the people anymore!!!"
Fortitude & 4-leaf clover: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 2 = 25
+2 vs mind-affecting & poison.

Before Ansha acts, a question: can this “perform impossible things” ability be used to add metamagic feats like Threnodic Spell to a spell one casts via the impossible-things ability? For example, a Threnodic confusion spell?

The description of the ability is posted in its entirety. I see nothing that prohibits casting a metamagic spell, and threnodic confusion would be a 5th level spell (from the bard list), so looks good to me. Also this seems fun so I didn't look very hard for reasons to pooh pooh it. :D

Fortitude & 4-leaf clover: 1d20 + 8 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 2 = 25

You can open up the failure spoiler if you want to know what you dodged, haha.

Ohhh, s***!
Rakesh flails his arms as his body is wracked with pain after seeing his life flash before his eyes.
"You bassstard."
He hisses at the giant shadowy creature.

Panting in anger and drawing his blades (invoking the power of his scabbard of vigor on his shortsword), Rakesh glares at the creatures throughout the room.
"I wish I was invisible. Invisible for quite some time."
He snarls through gritted teeth, attempting the impossible.
CHA check DC 14: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Unfortunately, Rakesh doesn't turn invisible like he had hoped.

Since it's "6th-level or lower", I should be able to cast it off of the sorc/wiz list as a 4th level spell, too.

“Oh, so that’s how we’re going to play it, huh?” Ansha says, recognizing the spell immediately.

As Ansha speaks, she throws up her hands in an exasperated gesture. Hidden behind her words and gestures, a spell forms and afflicts the ghost-women.

Threnodic confusion, DC 22, centered so that it affects the Black, Blue, and Green ones. Covert Casting and Subtle Enchantments apply.

Charisma check, DC16: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Covert Casting Bluff: 1d20 + 26 ⇒ (6) + 26 = 32
Covert Casting Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Black Will: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
Blue Will: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Green Will: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8

:)

forgot to roll a religion check..might beat Ansha's...

kn. religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Rakesh tries to cast a spell, but fails.

Ansha barely gestures, but the Pathfinders have been around her long enough to know she's up to something.

Red glides up to Rakesh and reaches out with a finger to touch him.

Animus Touch: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 vs touch
Rakesh, make a DC 13 Will save.

Green Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 40
Blue Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 81

Green babbles incoherently, while Blue moves against Green and touches them.

--Round 1
Kitoro
Kyra
--Round 2
Roderick
Black (confused)
Ansha
Rakesh
Red
Green (confused)
Blue (confused)

Kit, always ready with her finger puppets, pulls out some velcro attachements for the foes and begins a mocking performance (inspire +2). Deciding to test out the landscape she tries to send the Big Guy back through the mirror with a DC 22 (+5 cha, +5 level, +1 spell focus, +1 kitsune magic) threnodic, ectoplasmic, persistent, piercing command to flee.

incredible roll, Circlet of Persuasion: 1d20 + 5 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 5 + 3 = 17
caster level check vs SR if needed, piercing: 1d20 + 8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 5 = 20

Afterwards she moves back.

Kyra holds up her holy symbol and starts uttering a prayer to Sarenrae.

Lady of the Light, cast your touch upon these fell beasts.going with Piercing Sun's Disdain, mass...will hit all 4...[♧DC 20 if it goes off...

Cha check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Roderick stays flying invisible and downs a heroism extract.

not wanting to bomb the confused until they have a chance to attack each other

Rakesh tries to twist and squirm away from the icky skeletal finger.
No, no, no, no!"
Will: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Kyra holds up her holy symbol and starts uttering a prayer to Sarenrae.

Lady of the Light, cast your touch upon these fell beasts.going with Piercing Sun's Disdain, mass...will hit all 4...[♧DC 20 if it goes off......

You might want to exclude the two that are under a confusion spell and are attacking each other and will keep doing so if you leave them alone. Otherwise they will both come after you since you were the last one to attack them.

,ahh...duly noted...didnt think that would count as sn attack, but i see your point...

Shadow Will vs Command, DC 22: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 24
Shadow Will vs Sun's Disdain, DC 20: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
Red Will vs Sun's Disdain, DC 20: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

The shadow doesn't seem to obey Kitoro's command, but both the shadow and Red are blinded by Kyra's spell.

Confusion: 1d100 ⇒ 99

The shadow reaches out and attacks Red.

Blind, DC 51: 1d100 ⇒ 45
Tormenting Touch: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (13) + 14 = 27 vs touch
Damage: 8d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 4, 3, 5, 6, 5, 3) = 31

It touches in the wrong direction.

--Round 2
Ansha
Rakesh
Red (blind 0/1, dazzled)
Green (confused, antagonized by Blue)
Blue (confused, antagonized by Green)
Kitoro
Kyra
--Round 3
Roderick
Black (confused, blind 1/1, dazzled)

Because the command was persistent the thing needs to make a second ST vs the command. Also, since persistent bumps the level by 2 it is now a 6th level spell and the DC is one higher, and it needs to make a DC 23 ST. I missed that when I read through persistent.

Rakesh attempts to slice the reddish undead into pieces. He uses his entangling strike with his shortsword.
+1 keen longsword & PA: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
slashing: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15
+1 corrosive shortsword of vigor & PA: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 10 + 2 = 15
piercing: 1d6 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 12 + 2 = 19
acid dmg: 1d6 ⇒ 4
+1 keen longsword & PA: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
slashing: 1d8 + 12 ⇒ (4) + 12 = 16
Jeez. Those were crappy attack rolls.

I quickly scanned through past posts wondering if Rakesh has heroism on him or if Kit used Inspire Courage. Didn't see anything, though, I'm not sure.

Kit started her inspire in this post. She cast heroism on herself and Ansha, but not Rakesh.

Shadow Will vs Command, DC 23: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

Inspired by Kitoro, Rakesh manages to nick the witch three times, although his blades don't make full contact with incorporeal creatures.

--Round 2
Ansha
Rakesh
Red (-29 hp, blind 0/1, dazzled)
Green (confused, antagonized by Blue)
Blue (confused, antagonized by Green)
Kitoro
Kyra
--Round 3
Roderick
Black (confused, blind 1/1, dazzled)

Mirror Image: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Ansha quickly incants the words to a defensive spell, just in case any of the shadow-things takes an unhealthy interest in her. As she finishes the spell, a number of duplicates appear around her, mimicking her every gesture.

Red, blinded, grasps at Rakesh.

Blind, DC 51: 1d100 ⇒ 14
Animus Touch: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12 vs touch

Green and Blue continue attacking one another. They're just going to die whenever Red dies. No point in playing it out.

--Round 2
Kitoro
Kyra
--Round 3
Roderick
Black (confused, dazzled)
Ansha (5 images plus self)
Rakesh
Red (-29 hp, blind 1/1, dazzled)
Green (confused, antagonized by Blue)
Blue (confused, antagonized by Green)

Kit continues to inspire, though she is content to stand there and watch them self destruct for now. Just in case something tries to drain her will power, she tries to conjure a greater ring of inner fortitude (CL7, so DC 13 I'm thinking).

incredible roll, Circlet of Persuasion: 1d20 + 5 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 3 = 14

Yikes! I'd better be right or with that roll she might have failed! FYI, if someone fails a will or fort ST she will use saving finale to give them a reroll.

Kyra holds up her holy symbol and aims a ray of brilliant yed light at the large undead.black

were they affected by my spell last round? the sun's disdain?

touch: 1d20 + 5 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 5 + 2 = 237d8 ⇒ (8, 4, 6, 4, 5, 1, 7) = 35

Kitoro conjures a ring.

Yes, Kyra, they were affected by Sun's Disdain. I'll try to make that clearer on the tracker.

Kyra's yed (clearly a combination of yellow and red, but definitely not orange) light strikes the shadow, causing it to scream in agony.

--Round 2
Kitoro
Kyra
--Round 3
Roderick
Black (-35 hp, confused, dazzled)
Ansha (5 images plus self)
Rakesh
Red (-29 hp, blind 1/1, dazzled)
Green (confused, antagonized by Blue)
Blue (confused, antagonized by Green)

all good boss...just checking cuz the damage is different if not...

Roderick fly back 5' and will unload a couple bombs at black…

He becomes visible as he hurls, excluding 2 allies from blast radius.

Bomb, range, pb,hero, IC: 1d20 + 11 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 11 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 30 vs touch
for Explosve dmg, IC : 4d6 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1, 2, 1, 5) + 3 + 1 + 2 = 15 10'r splash, 7 fire dmg (DC14 for half).

Bomb, range, pb,hero, IC: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 18 vs touch
for Explosve dmg, IC : 4d6 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1, 1, 3, 3) + 3 + 1 + 2 = 14 10'r splash, 7 fire dmg (DC14 for half).

Fire in the hole!

direct target damage on black, splash on red...

would Kyra get the inspiration bonus on her spell? it is an attack roll...cant remember off hand...dont think so...

I don't see why it wouldn't apply. Editing the tracker.

Roderick lobs two bombs, the first hits but the second misses.
Red reflex: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

As incorporeal, these deal half damage.

Miss: 1d8 ⇒ 5

The bomb lands on the far side of the target.

Vlack Reflex: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

Black, last attacked by Roderick, shuffles forward to touch hi.m.

Tormenting Touch: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22 vs touch
Damage: 8d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 6, 5, 3, 3, 6, 6) = 38

--Round 3
Ansha (5 images plus self)
Rakesh
Red (-30 hp, dazzled)
Green (confused, antagonized by Blue)
Blue (confused, antagonized by Green)
Kitoro
Kyra
--Round 4
Roderick (-38 hp)
Black (-45 hp, confused, dazzled)

Ouch! That was quite the touch attack.

Roderick groans in pain as the touch rips lifeforce from him.

Rakesh continues his assault on the reddish undead.
+1 keen longsword & PA: 1d20 + 11 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 11 + 2 = 26
slashing: 1d8 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 12 + 2 = 22
+1 corrosive shortsword of vigor & PA: 1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 10 + 2 = 25
piercing: 1d6 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 14 + 2 = 18
acid dmg: 1d6 ⇒ 2
+1 keen longsword & PA: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 2 = 23
slashing: 1d8 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 12 + 2 = 21

Rakesh's first swing goes 50% through Red, but still deals enough damage to disperse it.

Do you want to step up and use the second and third attacks on Black?

Rakesh goes full defense after taking down the undead thing and watches the confused huge thing as he considering his next move.

Charisma check, DC 15: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Ansha attempts to will an Ectoplasmic black tentacles into being near the largest creature, but she can’t seem to muster the mental image strongly enough to bring it forth.