GM Chadius 3-04: The Devil-Wrought Disappearance (Inactive)

Game Master chadius

Charlies summons Estes, the angel returning into its usual glittery entrance.

"We defeated Aydrian, but we need to explore more this place." Charlies shares with the angel.

Charlies has Thievery +3 and Athletics +0

"What are we going to do with Aydrian when she wakes up, by the way?" Charlies asks the others while waiting for anyone who can disable or crack the lock.

Liam frowns at the lock. "I might be able to pick it, but frankly it's probably easier just to break it. I think they've noticed we broke in, anyway."

Charlies's question is a little less certain. "I didn't think we'd be able to turn her over to the authorities, and then they asked us to and now it seems like a bad idea. I don't think teaching her the error of her ways is going to work either." He brightens. "Oh, but the Venture-Captain knows the lay of the land. He might have a solution."

Nature to investigate the ring: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Xun tries to work on the ring, trying to understand its purpose

"Yeah, let us try and break the door"

"Very well. Ready?"

Liam kicks the door.. open, hopefully.

Athletics: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (1) + 13 = 14

"Ow. Don't kick things with your toes. You need to use the bottom of the foot." Despite being the one to have done it, Liam gives advice on door-kicking.

"That must have hurt, let me try"

Athletics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13

As Xun finishes using the song of healing, he decides to investigate the ring. He realizes it must be a ring of fire resistance, providing 5 resist.

Liam and Xun both find it impossible to open the door. Liam almost sprains his foot in the process.

Fingo puts his glaive away, and tries to shoulder check the door.

Athletics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Damn. Seems stuck. As for Aydrian... yes, I'd also rather deliver her to the society. If we can.

”Rrrrr! Stupid door!”, Dreadfang growls. He checks to make sure it’s a Push, not a Pull, then makes his own attempt.

Athletics: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

Thievery: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31

The lock clicks open and Shayla bows.

Sorry, I was in training when this posted.

Shayla lets everyone fail at brute force before she reveals a more elegant solution.

A strong smell of smoke drifts out of this chamber. Its walls are lined with badly scorched shelves and the scrolls they once contained are now nothing but ashes. On the floor, a torn black cloak with red lining lies on top of a pile of fine ash.

There are no lights in this room.

Perc: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

Shayla lights her wayfinder.

Perception (Draconic Scent): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

Dreadfang holds up one hand toward the others, and points at the ash pile with the other. ”That spider is stuffed!”, he declares.

Society: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Fingo looks at the scrolls.
Historical records, it seems. Apparently, the lodge's leaders fell into infighting and madness after Aroden's death. I had kinda assumed that Cheliax was to blame for the fall of Delvehaven but... maybe the Society managed that on its own. Still, I guess our leaders will want to study these scrolls.

Fingo carefully folds and pack the historical documents.

Searching around the room, Dreadfang finds a strange stuffed spider.
Its pitch black fur blends into the burnt ash.

"Hmm.

Arcana or Occultism: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

"It's a magical focus, used for some kind of ritual, I think. Maybe we should just smash it. Although... without more information, that might be exactly the wrong move. We could bring it with us instead. Eugh."

Skull, doll and spider were the foci keeping the count prisoner, right? If we can trust what you found in Aydrian's journal, I'd agree that smashing the spider would be the best course of action. But that can certainly wait until we are done exploring. Plus, if we free the count, I'd rather be closer to him. Wouldn't want him to heroically attempt to escape and get himself killed by a hellhound...

none of the above

The team finds a strange spider and resolve to continue on. They find themsevles back at the stairway where they found Aydrian Thrune.

West or South?

Charlies cocks his head to signal everyone to go west. He lights his wayfinder as well. Estes takes the lead since he has darkvision between the two of them.

Go West?

Behind the wall under the stairwell lies a rusted door. It takes some effort to force it open.

Three stone sarcophagi, surrounded by candles, stand in this mausoleum that smells heavily of earth. Crude carvings on the coffin lids depict faceless humanoids with arms crossed over their chests. Various bones and skulls lie scattered throughout the room.

A large sphere made of shadow whirls next to the northern wall. You can see the faint outline of a sitting humanoid shape with pointed ears inside.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Once again, Dreadfang holds up a hand toward the others, while pointing at one of the bones. ”That skull is different from the rest!”

Perc: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12

"I don't care for that."

Arcana/Occultism: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31 for skull
Arcana/Occultism: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30 for shadow orb

"Pretty sure that skull is another ritual focus, probably intentionally placed among the other bones to hide it. And... I don't see a way to dispel this shadow directly, but it's sustained by something outside it. There are three key foci, which... are probably the ones we've been collecting, I'd think? Although who knows how much ritual magic they've been doing down here."

Just missing the doll then. Hopefully.

You decide to leave the room and look in the southern room. Luckily the lock hasn't been set. Aydrian must have been in too much of a rush to lock it.

This room is filled with the smell of old parchment. Several shelves along the walls are filled with glass cases, some cracked. Many hold parchments covered with stylized writing and elaborate wax seals though one houses a doll. Its cracked porcelain face watches the door with empty eyes.

Occultism: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18 Er, is that really DC 120?
Society: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

"Not quite sure what to make of that, but it is a doll. And creepy. And clearly garbage, so there's probably a reason they didn't throw it out.

"Oh, the documents are treaties though. This one covers a ceasefire between the Society and Cheliax... I'm taking these, anyway." Liam transfers the documents to his backpack, then returns his attention to the broken doll.

Occultism: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24

Creepy it is. A soulbound doll, if a severely damaged one.
Fingo shivers It seems we have found the missing focus, at least. Now we... destroy them? What do you think?

Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Shayla can only look on. All of the intellectual stuff is just Greek to her...

Not finding much use in studying the things they found in this room, Charlies and Estes keep their eyes and ears peeled for any sounds that may hint at 'the guards coming'.

The party gathers three strange items: A doll, a spider, and a skull. Magical, important, but how to use them?

Charlies and Estes hear someone coming downstairs. A pause as a man looks down the corridor and sees the bound Thrune. "Did I miss the party? A shame! Er, Pathfinders? Our mutual rose-growing friend asked me to catch up to you. And I think I can Count on you to help find our mutual friend. I see you took care of Thrune, hehe." At this point, he makes a fist, then sticks out his index and pinky fingers and brings his hand to his throat.

"Excuse me, good sir. But do we know each other? What is your business here?" asks Xun expecting a trap

Society: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Fingo looks at the newcomers, a flash of anger passing in his eyes at his gesture.
We are bringing her in. There is no need to be rude about it, though. Even enemies should be treated with dignity.
He then pauses, waiting for the man to answer Xun's pertinent question.

Society: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12

"Huh. Maybe we could ask her about this. Although she'd probably just lie..."

Liam is really more interested in the answer to Xin's questions.

"Yeah yeah, bringing her in, fine." The tiefling huffs as his tail swings a bit. "I'm Radovan, the Count's Number Two. I run... missions for him. Delivering roses. Diplomatic missions when the Count is busy." He sighs. "I'm also his bodyguard, when he lets me. He sends me off halfway across this blasted nation on a delivery and by the time return he's been kidnapped."

"So I went to the manor, and the head honcho told me about you. Said to trust you. I got the fort, found a woman on the brink of death, and head downstairs." He looks to Thrune. "Looks like you got a big one, though!" Fingo's stern look silences him. "Sorry... so, where to next? Did you find the Count?"

Always gives me a thrill after reading the books and seeing the characters as folks to interact with...

"Well, we found the Count trapped in the room where we left him. Says we need to find Aydrian." Charlies responds, though he is not sure if he should answer this stranger.

Perception +9 Sense Motive.

"How do we know that you are telling the truth? I'm sorry, but I really have to ask." he asks the Count's Number Two.

"Hmm? Truth is hard to come by, these days." Radovan pauses and keeps his distance. "How about this? I stick to the stairwell. You guys find the Count, because I know he's not upstairs. If you find him and free him, he can vouch for me."

"There was another prisoner down here, too. Do you have any ideas whom that might be?"

"Another prisoner?" Radovan pauses mid step. "Talk about burying the lead! That's gotta be the Count! But why couldn't my magic track him? Something must be blocking it..."

He snaps up. "Well, where is he? Lead the way."

There was something wrong about that first prisoner we encountered. The one upstairs. He seemed to be... fishing for information, I think? And too unconcerned by his own fate. If you didn't see him... well, maybe that wasn't the Count after all. Who the other prisoner is... well, we will have to see, I guess.

Charlies is now worried. "Maybe let's check that prisoner."

You return to the shadowy orb underneath the stairwell. A large sphere made of shadow whirls next to the northern wall. You can see the faint outline of a sitting humanoid shape with pointed ears inside.

Radovan peers closely as the pangs of recognition sink in. "Yeah, I think that's him. Or an illusion of him. Thrune's really crafty with her shadow magic."

He tries to poke the barrier, only to pull his hand back when a shadowy bolt streaks out. "Yowch! That stings. I guess we'll have to stop this thing first. Any ideas? Usually there's some kind of artifact you have to use as a focus..."

Radovan takes a few steps back to think about it.
You have the opportunity to figure out how to stop the ritual before Radovan tries something.

Shayla takes one look and tries the most obvious way. She pulls out a throwing knife and hurls it at the humanoid shape.

Throwing Knife, 30' range: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 for Piercing Damage: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

I think we want the Captain alive... not that I'd know how to do that. We did find the foci. Three of them. It's possible destroying them would help but... you seem to think that if we have the foci, there might be a more elegant method? Fingo asks Radovan.

"That's how it usually works, right? The ritual relies on a focus, you get them and do... something to 'em and the ritual-" Radovan holds a gasp back as Shayla's throwing knife bounces off the shadowy enclosure.

"I like her. She's got spunk. But if that got through it may have skewered whoever was in there."

If you haven't made any of the checks in >THIS POST< now may be a good time.

DC 20 Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Amid the dust, Charlies notices one skull doesn't belong to the other skeletons. "This does not belong here." he picks the skull from the skeleton.

Can anyone roll Arcana/Occultism for this skull? I have +0 to those skills.

Shayla has a look...

Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

... but like all things intellectual, it goes over her head...

Occultism: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

Well... I can tell the magic is sustained by external foci, but not much else. Liam seemed pretty confident earlier that the objects we have been collected are the foci though, and if they sustain the barrier and we don't have any better idea, my vote is to just smash the damned things.

"I was certain there were three. And we've identified as many ritual objects. It's possible some or all of them were for a different ritual, though; I can't rule it out. But that's looking like our best option, I think."

Liam takes the skull and moves it close to the barrier. "Unless this is all we have to do. Anyone see a reaction?"