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Zyek takes in the blue-shelled cabinets. Well, abjuration. Clear forcefields around the stuff. Makes sense.
The ysoki carefully approaches one of the cabinets, motioning for Lil’ Brute to stay where it is and cautioning All right: lemme see if I can hack this one. May wanna stand back - looks like these things are armed. she nods to the charred chunks of wood next to her target.
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Dennis nods when the paladin imparts his sage advice. "Thanks, Mister Kidron! I'll try to remember." There's a fair chance he'll forget, because his attention span isn't that long. He explains, "I just get excited when I'm on an important Pathfinder mission. But I'll try not to run off!" The youngster almost forgets his promise immediately, and starts to run ahead. But he remembers at the last moment, and instead does a fast-walk to catch up to the others. He turns over his shoulder and mouths to Kidrin proudly, "See?"
Noticing Zaza having trouble with the first cabinet, Dennis moves up next to her. In an effort to sound intelligent, he says, "In my many years of going on Pathfinder missions, I learned that magic isn't always the answer." He admits, "It's actually never the answer when I'm involved." Taking a quick breath, he continues, "Anyway, maybe I can open the lock with my new tools?" His tools like they've hardly been used. In fact, they might be brand new.
Zyek is successful to disable the ward of one of the items. He also learns that there is some kind of pattern in their warding, . So is Mimi after considering herself a non-magic person. Good thing she has skilled hands that can work on the mechanical aspects of devices to be disabled. Zaza tries her luck just to find herself zapped with the electricity . Dennis takes Kidron's words and applies them as he disables the ward Zaza fails to disable.
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As Dennis disables his cabinet with his new thieves tools, he exclaims, "That was fun! Can we do it again?" He starts to run to another one, but sees Kidron watching, and fast-walks to the cabinet at the end of his row.
And since he's having so much fun, if he's allowed to also work on the adjacent cabinet, he tries that one too!
Dennis is driven by the triumph he experienced when he managed to deactivate the magical barrier. Encouraged by his success, he proceeds to tackle the other two wards, achieving success once again. Interestingly, the items on the deactivated wards appear to correspond to and serve as keys for unlocking the cabinet door beneath them. Opening the cabinet reveals sections of Alyreha's research, providing enough information to assemble a complete fragment of her study from these discovered pieces.
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With one success under her belt, Mimi moves on to the next available cabinet and with the information that Zyek provides, tries again...
...and is greeted with a satisfying click as she successfully disables it.
Looking around the room, she notices that Zhamie is having trouble with her cabinet. Mimi wanders over. "You seem to be 'aveeng some difficultés vith your device. Perhaps I can give eet a lookeeng over, if you don't mind dat ees." With Zhamie's permission, she works to disable it...
...and once again succeeds. "Your leetel trick ees 'elpeeng immensélee, Zyek. I shall go inform our bodyless charge of our progrès." She returns to the entrance hall and informs Alyreha of their success in the Abjuration Display Room.
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Oh, no prob! the ysoki replies appreciatively to Mimi. End of the day magic and tech’re two sides of a coin aren’t they? I may’ve found a couple hacks for it but your hands are the ones slick enough to crack them!
And yeah, let her know what we’ve found so far. I’ll do a quick check on the balls to see if anything upstairs cleared up, then we can re-meet before looking in Conjuration.
Zyek examines the scrying orbs and discovers nothing unusual. The rooms located above remain invisible. Alyreha, upon receiving the update, continues her efforts to prevent the magical bleed from worsening and instructs Zyek to continue searching. She says, "Continue your search. There are more to find. I will remain here."
The walls of this room are covered in paintings of creatures, organized beneath signs that list the names of each of the Outer Planes. Many of the paintings have been moved aside, turned crooked, or taken off the shelf as if the room had been thrown into disarray. On the southern end of the room, a painting in the section labeled “Maelstrom” lies on the floor, with one side of the frame slightly broken off.
As they enter, four extraplanar creatures glide out of the broken painting and move to take the Pathfinders out, hoping to continue to sow chaos!
Proton Red flies straight to Dennis and gives him a bite!
Dennis is quick to anticipate the attack. Electron Blue joins and bites Dennis again!
Our fighter has his luck! Neutron Black moves closer and magically sends a glob of acid into them, centered at Mimi!
Another miss from the group of extraplanar creatures.
Terrain Features: The room has 15-ft high ceiling.
Link: ENCOUNTER MAP
CHARACTER IN ➤ BOLD CAN ACT!
Proton (Red 1) (- HP) │ Flying 5 ft above ground
Electron (Blue 2) (- HP) │ Flying 5 ft above ground
Neutron (Black 3) (- HP) │ Flying 10 ft above ground
➤ Mimi (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
➤ Zyek (AC 20) (33/33 HP)
➤ Dennis (AC 22) (56/56 HP)
➤ Zaza (AC 19 or 20 w Shield) (31/32 HP)
⠀⠀➤ Rufus (AC 22) (42/42 HP)
➤ Zhamie (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
➤ Kidron (AC 22) (60/60 HP)
Tiny Worm (White) (- HP)
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Dennis hurries along to the next room, using his new brisk-walk, smiling at Kidron as he passes the paladin. "Follow me!" Dennis still has no idea where he's going, but confidently continues in the direction the others were heading.
Reaching the gallery, the fighter says, "These are nice pictures. When I was little, I used to paint ... finger-paint." Looking at the artwork, he admits, "These are better." Dennis doesn't have his halberd out when the creatures approach, but manages to dodge the initial attacks. "That wasn't nice!" He quick-draws it now, and pokes 3 times at the enemy in the air above him.
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Mimi, expecting trouble, had her rapier in hand when they entered the Conjuration Gallery . While Dennis takes care of the creature in front of him, Mimi looks over at the other one. "Merci for vonce again remindeeng me dat dere exeeste some remarquablee uglee créatures in dees vorld."
A little disappointed at the creature's lack of reaction, she frowns. "Perhaps it doesn't understand me. Inconceivable!" She then moves around to get behind the creature and into flanking position before darting in under the creature's arms to show off her acrobatic skills...
...but the creature anticipates her moves and she barely escapes with her dignity only slightly bruised. A little disappoined that she couldn't get her mojo going, she shoves her rapier a little half-heartedly into the creature.
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Seeing strange snake-thing emerge, Zyek springs into action!
The ysoki advances into the room to get a better look. Then she starts tinkering with her construct ally and several attachments on her own bow while saying All right LB, time to show them what you can do!
Gears really whirring, she then points at the closer serpent.
Lil' Brute clangs along the floor and around the enemy before smacking at it with its metal fist.
for
Zhamie changes plan, and shoots but misses as she expects. She then reloads. Dennis draws weapon and impales Red that is current flying, followed up by two more pricking, making Red stop flying and fall lifeless.
Mimi launches an insightful quip yet Blue does not understand her due to her accent. The creature just looks at her, baring a wide grin. She tries to Tumble Through but she miscalculates her enemy. Though she gets to flank the enemy, anyway. She then sticks her rapier to the enemies serpentine-like body.
Zyek joins them and brings her companion into Overdrive. The construct flanks Blue as well then delivers a mighty blow to the enemy. Zaza burns those chaotic creatures, first the unaware Tiny Worm which burns into ashes, followed by Blue which is already beaten up and now roasted. Even Black is not able to escape Zaza's fury.
Terrain Features: The room has 15-ft high ceiling.
Link: ENCOUNTER MAP
CHARACTER IN ➤ BOLD CAN ACT!
Proton (Red 1) (-42 HP)
Electron (Blue 2) (-42 HP)
Neutron (Black 3) (-12 HP) │ Flying 10 ft above ground
Mimi (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
Zyek (AC 20) (33/33 HP)
Dennis (AC 22) (56/56 HP)
Zaza (AC 19 or 20 w Shield) (31/32 HP)
⠀⠀Rufus (AC 22) (42/42 HP)
Zhamie (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
➤ Kidron (AC 22) (60/60 HP)
Tiny Worm (White) (-16 HP)
Aside from the fact that his Strike misses the creature is flying 10 ft above them.
Black flies down and attacks Kidron with a bite!
piercing damage plus chaotic damage plus Garbled Thoughts vs DC 20 Will save (see below)
Satisfied with the successful biting, it retreats and flies away from them.
Terrain Features: The room has 15-ft high ceiling.
Link: ENCOUNTER MAP
BEFORE YOUR TURN:
Kidron (AC 22): DC 20 Will save vs Garbled Thoughts
CHARACTER IN ➤ BOLD CAN ACT!
Proton (Red 1) (-42 HP)
Electron (Blue 2) (-42 HP)
Neutron (Black 3) (-12 HP) │ Flying 10 ft above ground
➤ Mimi (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
➤ Zyek (AC 20) (33/33 HP)
➤ Dennis (AC 22) (56/56 HP)
➤ Zaza (AC 19 or 20 w Shield) (31/32 HP)
⠀⠀➤ Rufus (AC 22) (42/42 HP)
➤ Zhamie (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
➤ Kidron (AC 22) (52/60 HP)
Tiny Worm (White) (-16 HP)
Kidron skillfully dismisses any thoughts that are implanted in his mind. Mimi adjusts her weapon to engage from a distance. However, her line of sight to the creature is obstructed by wooden panels supporting various paintings. To overcome this, she chooses to position herself behind Kidron and takes a shot above him as he crouches down. Her aim lands on one of the creature's snake-like limbs, causing it to hiss in response.
Terrain Features: The room has 15-ft high ceiling.
Link: ENCOUNTER MAP
CHARACTER IN ➤ BOLD CAN ACT!
Proton (Red 1) (-42 HP)
Electron (Blue 2) (-42 HP)
Neutron (Black 3) (-14 HP) │ Flying 10 ft above ground
Mimi (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
➤ Zyek (AC 20) (33/33 HP)
➤ Dennis (AC 22) (56/56 HP)
➤ Zaza (AC 19 or 20 w Shield) (31/32 HP)
⠀⠀➤ Rufus (AC 22) (42/42 HP)
➤ Zhamie (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
➤ Kidron (AC 22) (52/60 HP)
Tiny Worm (White) (-16 HP)
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Dennis stares at the creature in the air. "Wow ... flying worms! Pathfinders get to fight the neatest stuff." Realizing it's within reach of his halberd, the excited fighter charges forward (clearly forgetting everything that Kidron taught him) and stabs upward twice in succession.
After his attack, Dennis watches carefully for an opportune moment to strike again.
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Neutron (Black 3) (-14 HP) │ Flying 10 ft above ground
Dennis encourages his new friend, "You can do it, Mister Kidron." He looks at the paladin's sword. "Well maybe not with that." Spying the Kidron's javelin, Dennis suggests, "Maybe you can throw your pointy stick!" Dennis smiles and reminds him, "Just don't run with it." Dennis watches as his mentor carefully considers his attack.
Dennis easily reaches the enemy with his halberd but misses on his second attack. Zaza sends an icy ray to Black but falls short, just below the enemy, before closing in.
Zyek recalls the creature to be an akizendri. She knows that an akizendri's vital organs shift and change shape and position constantly when it takes acid, electricity, or sonic damage, gaining a certain amount of resistance from the damage. Knowing that cold will still work with the creature, she sends an icy ray to Black, freezing its body momentarily Zhamie calculates and determines to hit at Black's weak point, piercing it with her bullet. Encouraged by Dennis, Kidron changes his weapon and launches his javelin straight at Black. His weapon connects to the enemy and sticks it into the wall lifeless.
Zyek (AC 20) (33/33 HP)
Dennis (AC 22) (56/56 HP)
Zaza (AC 19 or 20 w Shield) (31/32 HP) | Rufus (AC 22) (42/42 HP)
Zhamie (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
Kidron (AC 22) (52/60 HP)
With the chaotic creatures defeated, the agents begin looking for fragments of Alyreha's research.
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Mimi puts away her bow and picks up her rapier. When she bends down she notices the broken Maelstrom painting on the floor and sees parts of a torn page stuck to its back. "Vell, vell, vell. Vhat do ve 'ave 'ere? Eet seems to be part of Alyreha's research." She stands back up and looks about the room at the other paintings. "Perhaps dere are similar pieces of research behind de other painteengs."
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Admiring the paladin impale the final enemy, Dennis cheers, "Good work, Mister Kidron! That was neat." The fighter takes a closer look at one of the paintings ... but it slips off the wall and falls to ground upside-down. "Oops! My bad." He spies a scrap of paper with some strange writing on it. It looks important, but not to Dennis. He gets bored. "Who wants this?" He holds it out for whoever wants it.
Then, staring at the eastern wall, Dennis gasps and indicates a large painting that looks very real. "I think this picture of the garden is a portal to the garden." He looks quickly to the group, "Can we go through? Can we?" Dennis stands next to the painting impatiently. "How about now?"
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Good thinking! Zyek squeaks to Zhamie and Mimi as they search the other art in the gallery.
At Dennis' excited words the ysoki goes over towards the kid. Well good art tends to look real so...huh, I'll be you're on to something there. She smiles at Dennis. Let's have M and Z give Alyreha the papers they got first, but then yeah: good to clear one level and not leave something behind us.
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Mimi collects the research notes from everyone and then heads back to the foyer to report back to Alyreha. Showing the skull what they'd found, she says, "Ve 'ave éliminéted de interlopers from de Conjuration Galleree and 'ave deescovered deez notes of yours. Unless you 'ave a deefferent suggestion, de group vishes to examine de Illusion Galleree before 'eadeeng upstairs."
Zyek (AC 20) (33/33 HP)
Dennis (AC 22) (56/56 HP)
Zaza (AC 19 or 20 w Shield) (31/32 HP) | Rufus (AC 22) (42/42 HP)
Zhamie (AC 21) (56/56 HP)
Kidron (AC 22) (60/60 HP)
"Good thing those I kept there are safe. Keep looking. And yes, check the garden..." Alyreha's voice seems to trail as if hiding something. "Well, if it goes to that, you might better learn more about me in that garden." she tells Mimi, as if giving them permission to enter her garden. "But don't judge my look if I'm not just a head..." she adds when Mimi begins to leave.
Led by Dennis who is excited to go there, they find that several statues of an adult Garundi woman at varying ages are displayed, each with a plaque describing an important event or reward. In this area, there are several statues at varying points of someone's life, each one portraying a key event in their life. While there are no statues of this person's youth, there are several honorary pedestals with placards honoring major events from their childhood as well, with the name on each artistically scratched away.
A statue alongside a golem-bodied person stands out from the rest. Even from outside the garden, extraneous magical lettering is shimmering and visible on top of the mundane description on its placard.
Rufus whines softly.
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Anxious to go through the magic portal, Dennis can barely wait for Mimi to return. "I wonder if she got lost..." It has literally been only 3 minutes.
As soon as he sees the swashbuckler, he glances to Kidron hopefully, and he dramatically takes one large step toward the portal. When the paladin nods his approval, Dennis quickly climbs through.
When the others arrive, Dennis asks, "Are all of these statues of Zyk... Alyreha?" Looking around, he notices one that has magical writing. Which he can't read. Turning to Zaza, "What does it say? C'mon! I'll protect you." Unless someone stops him, the young fighter leads the way to get a closer look.
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When Mimi steps into the garden and sees the statues, she realizes what Alyreha was cryptically going on about earlier. "Ah! So dees ees vhat she vas talkeeng about. I beleeve deez are statues of Alyreha 'erself." Seeing the one statue standing a little away from the others, Mimi decides to go and have a closer look.
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When the others arrive, Dennis asks, "Are all of these statues of Zyk... Alyreha?" Looking around, he notices one that has magical writing. Which he can't read. Turning to Zaza, "What does it say? C'mon! I'll protect you." Unless someone stops him, the young fighter leads the way to get a closer look.
"Okay lad. Slow down we're coming." The sorcerer waits for Rufus to do his business then the two of them join the fighter beside the magical writing. "Well now. What have we here?"
As Dennis gets near to the statue to have a closer look, a series of complex magical structures suddenly form around them. They first see the statue begin to slowly sink into the ground, and almost immediately thereafter it seems to recede an impossible distance away, along with the walls of the house and other features of the garden. Walls of shimmering arcane energy rise up all around them, far too many to normally fit in the garden’s space. A ceiling forms above, trapping them in a complex illusory maze. Though in reality nothing has changed, the illusion is incredibly powerful, making it seem like the terrain itself has stretched and warped to accommodate the arcane labyrinth. They also have this urge to reach the statue in the middle of the garden.
About time to navigate the maze!
Mimi
Zyek
Dennis
Zaza | Rufus
Zhamie
Kidron