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

Game Master Jhaeman

The woman throws back her head and laughs with real delight. "Trapped here? In need of allies? Oh, you mortals are a delight. You must be the 'Pathfinders'--whatever that means. Illia told me all about you, didn't you my dear?"

Illia's eyes go wide with fear and she staggers back involuntarily.

The beautiful woman smiles. "You mean you didn't recognise me? Perhaps in this form . . ." Suddenly, her body changes--tentacles grow out of her head and her lower body turns into a mass of tendrils! "Marijkal, at your service. Well, really, you're all at my service. Prostrating yourselves before me would be a good start," she adds smugly.

I'll place a picture of her on the side of the map.

You can continue role-playing if you'd like--if things turn violent, I'll roll Initiative.

"Marijkal, at your service. Well, really, you're all at my service. Prostrating yourselves before me would be a good start," she adds smugly.

”I think not, m’Lady,” Flyn says as he bows. ”I always stand in the presence of a lady. I liked you better in your previous form, though…”

Helgar retrieves the treasure for the party but does not claim any of it for himself.

If anyone would like to claim any item already identified feel free to do so. There is a +1 Cloak of Protection, a +2 Amulet of Natural Armor and a +2 Ring of Protection plus a mystery rod.

The Cleric looks into the room examining the devil more closely.

35 K-Planes (on a take 10) including planar penalties to know about the abilities of gylou devils in case things get ugly.

"Your reputation proceeds you of course. Even for a gylou devil your creativity in torture has been well noted."

"I don't think that you are going to find any new groupies today. I serve the Iron Lord (Dispater) myself and the others are not inclined to worship devils of any sort."

"Of course that does not mean we need to be in conflict. My understanding of this demi-plane leads me to believe that mortals are trapped in here but can be freed by an agent of the creator. Now are you an agent of the creator of this demi-plane?

Marijkal acknowledges the compliment about her torturing skills with a warm smile before answering the question. "Agent is such an antiseptic term, my pretty! I prefer consort. Chyvvom is indeed my present lord, and master of Belzeragna. But Chyvvom brooks no disloyalty, and his lord, Archduke Lorthact, tolerates no rebellion. But . . . Dispater, did you say?"

Helgar listens closely and carefully to Marijkal's words.

Sense Motive, Heroism, Planar Penalty: 1d20 + 14 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 14 + 2 - 2 = 28

"Dispater, yes. Well, we all have our loyalties and these are not likely to change. The real question is if there is a service that we can do for you that would incline you to help us leave this demi-plane?"

As Illia sobs in the background, Marijkal continues conversing with Helgar. "All know Dispater the Iron Lord is Hell's greatest jailer, and the Infernal City its most wondrous prison. Surely a place in need of expert torturers . . . And Belzeragna is rather dull between breachings . . . Yet, Chyvvom controls our destinies, and unless he were somehow slain . . ." She trails off, her face enticing and expectant.

A Diplomacy check would be useful here, and you can have a +2 circumstance bonus for a particularly suitable character background.

Shel auto aids Helgar’s diplomacy check, knowing what to add, even with the uncomfortable feeling of this plane n

Helgar half smiles at the devil's duplicity.

36 Diplomacy on a take 10 including Shel's aid and the circumstance bonus and the planar penalty.

"If killing your consort will result in us being able to leave this demi-plane in a timely manner then I think our goals are well aligned."

"You merely need to point us in the right direction and of course any tips you might know about him would be most helpful."

Ever wary, Flyn shakes his head slightly, nodding to Helgar but never taking his eyes off Marijkal. ”Be careful, my friend…‘tis said among Elves that ’He who sups with the Devil should have a long spoon…’”

He takes a hard look at her…

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11

…but senses absolutely nothing…

I caution against bargaining with the she-devil on principle Quenly warns the pathfinders silently.

I say again that we should take the time to read the contract that the unfortunate Maganrad held, for I sense Marijkal's hand in it.

Though at least, if we must bargain, we surely have an expert in such matters in you Helgar.

Quenly will also auto-aid the Diplomacy check.

The devil preens. "I think we have a mutually-beneficial arrangement. Illia, be a dear and assist your fellow mortals. For if they fail, my pleasurable interactions with you will continue until that fragile mortal heart of yours gives out."

Illia blanches, but nods.

"Well then," Marijkal continues with a sly smile. "I'll leave you to it. His contracts are his strength," she whispers enigmatically before suddenly teleporting away!

”His contracts are his strength? What in the blue hell does that mean,” Shel asks Illia as the monster departed.

Helgar chuckles after Marijkal teleports away.

"That went as well as can be expected. I suspect that we will be meeting up with her consort some time soon and the end result will be pretty well the same when we refuse to bow down and serve him."

He turns to Quenly.

"We can have a look at that contract but keep in mind that it is written in archaic Infernal and is a legal contract and thus difficult to make sense of. If we continue to explore we might find out further information that will allow us to examine that document in context. At least that is my hope."

Helgar turns to Shel.

"We will have to see. Is he simply a master of writing one-sided self-serving contracts or does he actually draw power from these contracts? I suspect the latter case."

Helgar eyeballs the room looking for valuables and hidden items.

39 Perception on a take 10 including planar penalty.

Helgar examines the room carefully.

Helgar chuckles.

"Well, it looks like Terentius' spellbook is here after all."

"At least it will fetch a pretty penny when we get back. It is too bad that there are no wizards in the party to make good use of it."

One wizard's spellbook is added to the party treasure stash. :)

Anything else folks want to do, or continuing on to the room at the end of the hall?

Seeing Terrentius’s spell book, Flyn murmurs, ”If we had just left, perhaps we could’ve returned it to him instead of killing him…”

The Elf sighs, and then leaves the room, stealthily moving east to check the double doors there…

Stealth: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (12) + 30 = 42
Perception: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (10) + 27 = 37

Helgar refreshes his Heightened Awareness from his wand if needed and then scans the double doors for any sign of trouble.

39 Perception on a take 10 including planar penalty.

@GM Jhaeman - How much relative time have we spent in this dimension? It is for tracking the duration of buffs.

Helgar and Flyn examine the next set of doors for traps.

I'm going to say about 20 minutes have passed so far, what with free Illia, searching for the spellbook, and negotiating with Marijkal.

If Shel is given the Lo clear sign, she happily volunteers to pull the door open for the group. ”Ill watch you back and make sure Illia is okay,” she whispers.

Perhaps the next time that you and Flyn conduct a thorough search I can begin work on the contract, Helgar. The complex language is no barrier to me.

Quenly has constant Comprehend Languages.

For now I am content to continue our exploration.

Helgar smirks at Quenly's comment.

"My Infernal is quite solid. It is not that. It is more about the twisted legal nature of the contract."

"Speaking about Infernal there is a heated topic about property behind these doors so everyone keep on your guard."

Helgar slips on the deposed wizard's ring from the party stash.

Quenly nods in acknowledgment, and silently bolsters his own protections.

Casts Protection from Evil on self.

After the group takes precautions, Shel opens the door to reveal two summoning circles dominating a high-ceiling room. A pair of stairways flank a set of double doors on the east wall, each leading to a balustrade balcony overlooking the open central floor beneath.

Two creatures are here shouting at each other in the guttural Infernal tongue: a devil covered in spiky protrusions, and a much larger, hovering creature that has a ghostly figure trapped in its ribcage!

The figures are so intent on arguing that they don't appear to have noticed you opening the door. If you wish to intervene, you can have a Surprise Round (a move or a standard action). You can also try sneaking past, shutting the door, or whatever else you'd like.

Identifying the spiky devil requires Knowledge (planes) while identifying the larger creature requires Knowledge (religion).

Helgar cannot help but notice the identity of the poor trapped soul and tries to quickly determine the identities of the two arguing monsters.

39 Perception check on a take 10 to notice the identity of the ghostly figure (includes planar penalty).

35 K-Planes on a take 10 to identify the devil (includes planar penalty).

27 K-Religion on a take 10 to identify the hovering creature (includes planar penalty).

Taking in the scene quietly, the Pathfinders try to discern exactly what's happening.

Helgar takes advantage of Quenly's dragon to telepathically fill in the gaps in people's knowledge about the monsters standing before them. He then sends a telepathic message to the party.

Feel free to open the spoiler above

***Alright people. I can disguise us all as devils and we can walk right past them. That is my preference. It is not in our personal interest to get involved here and I think that it is in Maganrad's best interest to have his soul eaten rather then spending an eternity in Hell. Ideas?***

Shel wasn’t known for being overly kind. If trying to free the soul would jeopardize the mission, she agreed to pass on by and leave them undisturbed.

As you look on and telepathically converse about what to do, the spiky devil unfurls a long piece of parchment and starts pointing angrily at it while shouting even louder.

Flyn frowns, telepathically sending his response. We are forced to kill an innocent and yet we will walk by two evil abominations whom are complicit in the death of an acquaintance and the torturing/death of untold others? If we cannot save Maganrad’s soul, we can damn sure avenge it! Undead, devils, and demons are my sworn enemies…do you expect me to walk on by? Let’s take them now while they argue, it’s the perfect time!

Helgar frowns at Flyn's thoughts that seem to him to be more like zealotry then wisdom still he waits for Quenly's opinion before suggesting a course of action that reflects the will of the party.

He watches the two creatures with more than a professional curiosity wishing that he could remove himself entirely from the scene and watch it unfold fully. It will certainly make a fine story to relate back to his class once he returns.

The evil monster dialogue is fun to read. :)

Uh-oh. Paladin-in-Hell vibe ;)

A soul in Hell is still a soul, and while there is existence there is hope, for a soul can be redeemed or a soul can be freed, though the labours to win such freedom be very great. Annihilation is not a preferable alternative.

Helgar, I propose that you take the devil's side in the argument. Force a fight, but fake the alliance so that we may face these monsters one at a time.

Or perhaps persuade Naxgiv to surrender or trade the contract to us after destroying the devourer.

Helgar knows that the most sensible path is simply to side step this confrontation entirely still with at least half the party inclined to help this is not a tenable position.

***I suggest that we let this play out but not take a side simply watch and listen. Perhaps we can learn more about the nature of these contracts in their discussion. After a while I am certain that the hunger of the undead creature will compel him to battle the devil rather than comply with the law. We can then finish off the weakened victor.***

Fighting one weakened opponent is better than fighting them both at full strength if we need to fight at all.

The argument continues--it seems the devil might have a contract, but the devourer believes possession is 9/10ths of the law! And with neither in any hurry to resolve the argument given the (literal) eternity before them, the debate looks nowhere near a resolution.

Right now, they're not at the point of coming to blows as they're too equally matched. Sufficient provocation or a change in that risk calculation could cause things to escalate, however.

The legal argument continues!

Flyn’s eyes light up as he hears their conversation. You hear that, Helgar? We stand a chance to free his soul. That‘s enough for me!

Guessing this’d be a surprise round action…

Flyn quickly fires a holy-infused cold iron arrow at the creature consuming Maganrad’s soul…

Burning a use of Perfect Strike

To Hit: Dex+Base, Magic, Weapon Focus, Greater Bracers of Archery, PBS, Precise Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Deadly Aim, Point Blank Master, Manyshot, Favored Enemy, Improved Critical Threat, Elven Ranger Class/Racial Confirmation Bonus
Damage: Strength, Magic, Greater Bracers of Archery, PBS, Deadly Aim, Clustered Shot, Holy, Favored Enemy

Magic Composite Longbow vs FFAC: 1d20 + 19 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 4 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 19 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 4 + 3 = 40 (By rule this becomes my confirmation roll)
Magic Composite Longbow (Perfect Strike) vs FFAC: 1d20 + 19 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 19 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 - 3 + 4 = 45 (By rule this becomes my critical threat)
Magic/Cold Iron/Good/Critical Damage: 3d8 + 12 + 6 + 3 + 3 + 18 + 2d6 + 12 ⇒ (5, 2, 1) + 12 + 6 + 3 + 3 + 18 + (5, 5) + 12 = 72 (Assuming it confirms)

…and moves 5’ back…

Current AC: 32
Perfect Strikes Left: 5/6

Flyn's righteous anger fuels an incredible display of archery skill! His arrow flies true and embeds itself right in the back of the devourer's head!

That attack hit, and I will now start a Surprise Round for everyone else.

Initiative (Surprise Round)

Helgar
Shel
Quenly
Flyn

Bold should go!

Remember that in a surprise round, you get a single move or standard action only.

Helgar sees Flyn's arrow fly and he acts bringing in the chain gang. He points to the nasty undead creature. The cleric steps (5' steps) next to Flyn.

"Go get him, girls!"

Summon Monster VI, Superior Summoning, Sacred Summoning (standard action), Augmenting Summoning.

Kytons summoned: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

@GM Jhaeman: As it is a surprise round I am going to assume that the kytons are only able to attack once each this round and not full attack.

Ann, Betsy, Cara and Des appear in position around the devourer and lash out with their chains.

Ann:
Flanking,Augmented: 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 2 + 2 = 31
Damage, Augmented: 2d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1, 2) + 2 + 2 = 7

Besty:
Flanking,Augmented: 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 11 + 2 + 2 = 26
Damage, Augmented: 2d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (1, 2) + 2 + 2 = 7

Cara:
Flanking,Augmented: 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 2 + 2 = 31
Damage, Augmented: 2d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (2, 3) + 2 + 2 = 9

Des:
Flanking,Augmented: 1d20 + 11 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 11 + 2 + 2 = 20
Damage, Augmented: 2d4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3, 2) + 2 + 2 = 9

Quenly responds to the opening of hostilities with a wave of his hand, sending tendrils of shadow to touch the pathfinders and quicken their limbs and their minds.

Casting Blessing of Fervour on the party and Illia. Don't forget to pick your bonus at the start of your turns.

Shel accepts the improved accuracy from the Blessing of Fervor and charges at the undead!

I think I can do a partial charge on a surprise round.

Partial charge with Blessing of Fervor v FF 1d20 + 19 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 19 + 2 + 2 = 38
Damage 1d3 + 4 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 4 + 2 = 7 plus
Sneak attack 5d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 3, 3, 1) = 12

Woukd someone move me, please? Probably can’t sneak attack it, but I had to try.

Helgar's summoned kytons go to work, lashing the devourer with wickedly-spiked chains! As Quenly turns fate into his allies' favor, Shel darts in and adds a sneaky stab to the devourer's spine.

Three of the four kytons hit.

Shel's charge attack hits, and sneak attack does indeed work because it's flat-footed and has no immunity to it. After the Surprise Round, the devourer is *badly* hurt.

We'll now proceed to the first round of regular Initiative.

Initiative (Round 1)

Helgar
Shel
Valshune
Illia
Quenly
Flyn
Nagvix

Bold should go!

Shel continues with the improved accuracy from the Blessing of Fervor as she slices and dices the slow reacting undead.

Blessing of Fervor v FF 1d20 + 17 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 17 + 2 = 35
Damage 1d3 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 plus
Sneak attack 5d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 1, 3, 4) = 17

Offhand attack Blessing of Fervor v FF 1d20 + 16 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 16 + 2 = 21
Damage 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 plus
Sneak attack 5d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 5, 1, 2) = 16

Iterative Blessing of Fervor v FF 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 12 + 2 = 15
Damage 1d3 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 plus
Sneak attack 5d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 4, 1, 4) = 16

Offhand attack Blessing of Fervor v FF 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 7 + 2 = 28
Damage 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 plus
Sneak attack 5d6 ⇒ (3, 4, 6, 6, 1) = 20

——-
Possible crit on last attack 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 7 + 2 = 22
Damage 1d3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

@GM Jhaeman - I am going to wait for you to update the board before Helgar and minions attack. I am pretty sure that the undead creature is dead dead now but he is getting in the way of my ladies' five foot steps. :)