GM Jhaeman's "Academy of Secrets" (Inactive)

Game Master Jhaeman

Shel will look at the labels on the empty coals, trying to make out any sense she can of the writing.

Perception 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (4) + 21 = 25

Speaking of writing, GM, Quenly has constant Comprehend Languages thanks to his Scholar's Ring

As Quenly and Shel take a close look at the vials, Helgar and Flyn inspect Maganrad's body.

The map is now up on the new Slide # 2.

Helgar retrieves both the arcane scroll and and a non-magical document.
He keeps the non-magical document for latter study but he does cast Read Magic to identify the nature of the magical scroll for more immediate use.

@GM Jhaeman - If the scroll is protected with a glyph of warding/greater glyph of warding then a 31 on a take 10 on Spellcraft check with Read Magic is more than enough to discover it and not trigger the glyph.

"Very interesting. It looks like a blood contract with the prince of darkness. From first glance it looks to be on the up and up but is very carefully worded as to be expected in these cases."

Helgar makes the obligatory religious gestures as to be expected from a senior member of the Dispater clergy storing the document in an appropriate and respectful manner.

@GM Jhaeman - Helgar is trained in Linguistics but now does not seem the appropriate time to study the document in more detail especially if it will take an appreciable amount of time to fully decipher. :)

Helgar examines the turquoise scroll more carefully.

”You all might want to look closer at the writing on these bottles. For some weird reason, one of them has my name on it. I’m wondering if there’s some enchantment on them so only you can find the bottle with your name. But, my question is, is that a good thing or bad thing having your name here?”

How curious. My name is not amongst these vials - at least, not amongst those that are legible. But I did not notice yours either, Shel.

Quenly attempts a minor divination, in case Shel's theory might be correct. Cast Detect Magic, examine the vials again if an aura is detected.

spellcraft: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (12) + 11 = 23 +2 to discover item properties.

Is that one of those infernal contracts for worldly power Helgar? Perhaps Maganrad bartered his soul and then fell victim to a trap before he could learn to wield the power he was granted.

@GM Jhaeman - There is no distinction between arcane, divine or psychic scrolls or wands at this point in PF. If a spell is on a character's spell list then they can cast it without resorting to UMD. :)

Helgar nods agreeing with Quenly's assessment but not wishing to elaborate considering the time constraints of the competition.

"Curiosity killed the cat or so they say. So perhaps examination of the bottles or Maganrad's contract can wait until we are finished this competition. We still have one competitor ahead of us!"

"Flyn. The door please. It does not seem to be trapped."

@Helgar: I always specify out of habit, but you're right that it doesn't make a practical difference most of the time. If nothing else, it could be a clue that Magarad really was a wizard and not a cleric in disguise :)

Flyn looks down sadly at Maganrad, before nodding to Helgar and warily opening the door…

Flyn opens the door to reveal a long corridor with multiple doors on either side and another set of doors at the end.

Shel picks up the vial with her name on it and carefully placed it in her backpack before following along with the group.

Helgar moves up to the doorway and has a look at the next corridor and the door opposite them (red X marking the spot) looking for traps.

41 Perception on a take 10.

Flyn will lead the way to the closest door…

…and warily open it…

Carefully advancing into the corridor while looking for traps, the Pathfinders open a door directly opposite.

The room they reveal initially resembles the office of a very messy professor. Tattered books and broken furniture lie strewn across the floor. Some long-congealed dark liquid pools on the floor beneath a solid cascade of the same substance along the south wall.

But there, the resemblance to mundane academia ends. Bones from dozens of creatures rest in neat piles on the bookshelves, with the skull from each sitting atop its stack, staring into the room with hollow, vacant eyes!

”Nope, nope, nope, that’s a bad idea going in there,” shel whispers as she looks past Flyn. ”We all knows those bones are some sort of undead trap, right?”

Flyn gives Shel a sideways grin. ”Only one way to find out,” he says as he warily enters the room…

He gives the room the once over, including the bones, that might be a trap, very carefully…

Perception: 1d20 + 27 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 27 + 2 = 37

Actually there is more than one way. I can sense the presence of undead from the threshold

Quenly has Deathwatch

But perhaps more to the point, we only need to find the western exit to succeed at our task. Anything else is a distraction.

Quenly and his dragon approach - remaining behind Flyn - and scan the strange study with supernatural senses ie blindsense and deathwatch.

Helgar peeks inside and casts Detect Magic as well looking for any item of interest in the room.

"There might be hidden passageways that lead to the exit so we should at least briefly inspect all the rooms."

41 Perception on a take 10.

Detect Magic is cast.

A close examination of the room reveals that beneath each pile of bones sits a small iron plaque engraved with a short phrase in a strange tongue.

One of the largest bones has tiny writing scrawled over its surface in more of the swirling writing.

Flyn frowns as he reads the Infernal words on first the plaque and then the bones…

”The writing is Infernal; the script on the bone is particularly troubling…it reads:

“It would appear that we are not where we think we are…could we be in Hell?”

Flyn tries to determine if they are on a different plane…

Knowledge (Planes): 1d20 + 7 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 7 + (3) = 15

”Oh, and there’s a magical scroll in the crack of that bookshelf…”

Helgar is careful and check for any possible traps before retrieving the scroll.

41 Perception on a take 10.

Assuming that it is not trapped he cast Read Magic to examine the scroll.

@GM Jhaeman - If the scroll is protected with a glyph of warding/greater glyph of warding then a 31 on a take 10 on Spellcraft check with Read Magic is more than enough to discover it and not trigger the glyph.

Eventually Helgar will find a glyph. :)

”Could we have actually been teleported to hell? That would suck all right. Assuming the worst case, you any of you spellcasters have the ability to get us home via magic?”

Flyn’s nostrils flare for a moment, as he murmurs, ”Brimstone…that settles it, my friends, we’re in Hell…”

Rising from the bones he was studying/reading from, he says, ”At least we now know the reason why there’s been no winner of the Breaching Festival in so many years…now we have to find out just what’s going on, not to mention how to literally get the Hell outta here afterwards…”

Helgar rolls up his new found scroll and places it in a convenient loop in his bandolier.

"Hell, you say?"

37 K-Planes on a take 10.

Helgar focuses his mind to see if Flyn's assessment is correct.

"Well, I have been there before. There are far worse places to be and to answer Shel's question. Yes, I can get us home tomorrow if we do not find a speedier exit."

@GM Jhaeman - Are we still tracking time at this point for buffs? I might need to activate my 10 minute wand again. :)

I think possibly the fact of the change of plane, if not the specifics, may be apparent from the cessation of some Hunter's Blessing bonuses (the terrain ones).

Hell, you say? Is this where your soul will reside when you depart the mortal plane, Helgar?

What does that scroll say? I may be able to use its power without destroying it.

Quenly has a Mnemonic Vestment. Once per day he can cast a spell on a scroll in his possession by expending the appropriate spell slot, preserving the scroll.

What manner of creature is common in Hell, aside from the devils we may expect?

Quenly's happy to cast Hunter's Blessing again to retain the party's Initiative and Perception bonuses. We still have +2s against Evil Outsiders.

"In terms of my soul I would say not. I suspect that my actions and beliefs would not align perfectly with that plane but it will be up to the Lady of the Graves to judge as she does with all souls."

Helgar is actually Lawful Neutral as evil characters are not allowed in PFS. My background fluff is that he is serving out a family contract but has managed to be assigned to the Pathfinder Society so as not to do too much evil.

"In terms of the scroll. It is a scroll of Banishment which will probably be of little use here. If you wish to hang on to it you can of course."

"In terms of what else we can expect to find here. I cannot say for certain (beyond Evil Outsiders). Study of the outer planes is one of my specialities so I should be able to keep us informed as we encounter these outer planar beings."

Evil Outsiders is always a good pick (and covers most other creatures residing in Hell). As we are still in a building (although on a different plane) Hunter's Blessing should still be completely active. :)

Quenly thinks for a moment, then replies.

I will hold onto the scroll then. Though of no use against Hell's denizens, it could be used to send *us* home, if we were to persuade a native spellcaster of the need.

Although that would be a strange outcome, and not, I think, a winning one. I foresee a confrontation with the Acadamae Head when we return. His exclusion of the Master of Abjurations; the students' obvious fear of him. I wonder if he has been making putative sacrifices of the competition entrants?

Quenly reads the scroll with Read Magic - a necessity if he wants to use the Vestment with it at any point.

Helgar hands the scroll of Banishment over to Quenly for safekeeping.

"Not to worry as I said before I can always get us home tomorrow if need be. I am confident that we will find a way out of here in relatively short order."

At the end of the module in other words. :)

"Perhaps we should examine another room and more of this sinister plot might reveal itself to us not to mention a way back home?"

Helgar refreshes his Heightened Awareness from his wand before putting it away. He then looks down the corridor and then at one of the doors looking for traps.

41 Perception of a take 10.

Red X marks the spot. :)

”Welp, this is a new experience. I can’t say I’ve ever been to hell before. I suspect we can write quite an interesting article about our findings. We might published Society wide! Assuming we make it back, of course….”

Helgar extends his mystic senses to see if he can verify Flyn's assertions before checking for traps down the corridor and a nearby door.

"Flyn, we are not actually in Hell but a demiplane that resembles Hell. Also I do not believe that the door ahead is trapped."

The cleric then begins to explain the nature of the demiplane in more detail.

Feel free to click on the buttons just above this post to find out all the gory details. :)

"Escaping here is going to be more difficult than I have originally imagined and pretty well everyone here is not going to be at their best. On the plus side we should have a lot of time to find an exit."

@GM Jhaeman - I imagine that the penalty to Wisdom based checks will apply to Will saves as well? Do you wish us to add the modifiers ourselves or will you be adding it on the back end?

Shoot! Those penalties are going to hit Shel hard!

”Not sure which is worse, hell itself or a place designed to be hell. Both of them sound pretty icky to me…”

Maganrad's infernal contract - is it a contract for release from this plane? Perhaps it will grant us some knowledge of the creator of this place and its purpose.

Flyn nods in deference to Helgar’s planar knowledge; he then moves to the door checked by Helgar and warily opens it…

After Helgar shares his revelation, the Pathfinders have little choice but to move on. The next room they explore is dark, moist, and rank with the smell of sweat, mildew, and iron. Desks sit in even, tiered rows facing the southern end of the room, where thick metal chains hang from the slate-covered wall.

A woman is chained to the wall opposite the entrance: one of the contestants you saw earlier in the day! Illia has been badly beaten. "Please!" she begs feebly. "Get me out of here!"

This is room # 4 on the map.

”Ilia?” Flyn queries as he warily moves forward towards the chained lady as he looks for any signs of traps or danger…

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

If he finds nothing hinky, he’ll murmur soothingly, ”Standby, m’lady…I’ll get you free in a jiffy, if possible,” as he goes to work on unlocking the chains…

Disable Device: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (9) + 30 = 39

Sense motive with planar penalty 1d20 + 9 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 9 - 4 = 22

Shel tries to figure out if the lady is being honest but she is struggling as her mind was still shaken from the plane shifting.

Trust nothing in this place Quenly cautions as he and his creature view the 'prisoner'.

Deathwatch should reveal whether her injuries are genuine.

Helgar scans the room for traps and items of interest before entering. He then turns his attention to Illia.

39 Perception on a take 10 (includes Planar Penalty)

"Good point, Quenly. I suspect it is her as that is much more of an inconvenience than a monster we can simply kill. I will check however."

"Excuse me, Illia for this but it is necessary considering the circumstances."

Helgar spends a good two minutes examining her and trying to peer through any possible disguise. He then casts Detect Magic as well and actively attempts to disbelieve any illusionary effect.

49 on a take 20 Perception check (includes Planar Penalty)
Detect Magic is cast.

Will Save vs possible Illusion, Planar Penalty: 1d20 + 23 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 23 - 2 = 25

"So, who did this to you?"

“Tentacle woman . . .” her voice cracks horribly in response to Helgar's question. " . . .tried to get it out of me . . .”

Flyn has no trouble picking the locks on the manacles, and Illia almost collapses from weakness. Tears of gratitude streak down her bruised face.

”Tell us more about this tentacle woman. We won’t let her hurt you again,” Shel tries to reassure the lady.

Diplomacy with Planar penalty 1d20 - 4 + 21 ⇒ (5) - 4 + 21 = 22

She still didn’t feel her usual self in this place.

"Marijkal . . . consort to Chyvvom . . . have to escape before she comes back!"

And on that ominous note, we'll go ahead and take our brief holiday break. I'll be back on the second of January. Until then, happy new year!

Have a great break and holiday season, everyone!

It appears Illia's harms are mental, not physical Quenly informs the rest of the party.

Whatever this Marijkal wanted, it was not to kill. Illia's flesh is unharmed.

I am travelling all day on the 3rd and probably won't be able to post till Wednesday. Happy new year all :)

Okay, party people--what happens next?

”Do those names mean anything to you all? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of either of them,” the halfling asks the rest of the group.

Helgar ponders the two names.

"Let me think a moment on that."

35 K-Planes* (including the -2 planar penalty) on a take 10.

*All other knowledge checks available on request. :)

What did Marijkal want with you? Quenly asks the liberated prisoner, including the pathfinders in the telepathic broadcast.

What is her link to this place?