[GD XII] Redelia's Academy of Secrets (Inactive)

Game Master Redelia

Daathiel is positively delighted at this challenge.
"Ah! A library! Most wondrous of realms. Tell me, good sir, is there a particular book you are looking for? As I am an Archivist, I hope I will be able to help you."

As the flight spell he had cast earlier will be running for a while, Rognak was ready to take to the air if needed as he looked at the librarian to see what he was looking for in the library.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

The wizard explains that he is looking for his spell book. He signed a contract with a devil that will let him free as soon as he can find his spellbook. He sheepishly admits that the contract did not guarantee that the spellbook would be in this room, just that he could not leave the room until he finds it...

You see no sign of his spell book anywhere in this room.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (18) + 17 = 35

Didn't we find a spell book a couple rooms back?

"I don't remember one, but I wasn't looking for it. Do you have to find *your* spellbook or *a* spellbook? What's your name, in case we run across it?"

Assuming there's nothing else of interest in this room, she'll move across the hallway.

His name is Terentius, and you are sure you have not seen his spellbook yet. The contract does indeed specify his spellbook.

Anything else before we move on?

across the hall we go

"We will keep an eye out for it. Any chance you are up for trading spells if we do?" Rognak asked.

Sayna bows. ”I swear that I shall look for it. Devils are a wily bunch.”

Terentius watches you go, a little bit of hope back in his eyes.

You move to the room across the hallway nearest the entrance.

This room 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 who you recognize as another contestant is chained to the opposite wall.

Aria mutters under her breath, "Wow, these people really don't know to keep their mouths shut." She takes a look around to see if anything looks terribly dangerous, then approaches the woman.

Perception: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (18) + 23 = 41
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (9) + 22 = 31

Is anyone else saying or doing anything?

"I am not sure but having dealt with Kytons before, I have a funny feeling, given the chains and such." Rognak said.

K:Arcana: 1d20 + 24 + 1d6 ⇒ (9) + 24 + (3) = 36

Perception: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (1) + 17 = 18

I can break the chains easily enough if we want to get her down.

Daathiel moves into the room and starts unlocking the chains.

Disable Device, Heroism: 1d20 + 35 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 35 + 2 = 50

Daathiel frees Illia (the woman's name). She is clearly grateful, but something isn't quite right. She may be mad from her torture. You do not see anything else of interest in this room.

It is clear that unless you forbid it, she will follow you.

With a hand on the haft of his hammer Thrag asks her directly, What happened to you?

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26

Illia is mostly incoherent, saying that a “tentacle woman” tried to “get it out of me.” Her voice cracks horribly.

Thrag also notices that she's probably at least half mad from being tortured.

Aria looks very dubiously at the woman. "Get what, exactly? And what do you mean by a tentacle woman?"

If nothing else sketchy happens... Not willing to turn her back on someone who obviously isn't entirely sane, Aria backs out of the room and continues down the corridor to the next door and opens it.

(Are you letting Illia follow you?)

((If I don't get the feeling this is a terrible idea, sure. Aria doesn't want to leave anyone in Hell if she doesn't have to.))

Stick her in the library with the wizard?

"I think something terrible has happened to her. She wishes to follow us. We can keep her relatively safe, I think. Safer than she would be without us."

Daathiel favors letting her accompany us, but he is NG with an 8 Wis.

The overpowering stench of potent alchemical and arcane reagents fills this room, the cluttered surfaces of which are piled with half-full beakers, alembics, and retorts, each holding what appears to be a different bodily fluid.

A glamorous and delicate human female stands at the center of the room. She turns to you, demanding to know why she should let you live.

Please move your tokens. You also may make know:planes checks if trained to identify what the woman actually is. You also may roll your own initiative that I'll use if this ends up as a combat.

Because we're from outside this plane and have made no deals with its owner. We are free to act.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36

Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Aria steps back behind Thrag and disappears into the shadows. What's the light level here?

Stealth, hide in plain sight: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (7) + 28 = 35
Init: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20

Knwoledge (planes) w/heightened awareness: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 2 = 23

Sayna waves her fingers delicately at the woman. ”Why hello. I do love to be threatened by a beautiful woman, but I am afraid I am on the clock now. I must ask that stand down so we can talk this out.”

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 31 ⇒ (14) + 31 = 45

Initiative (if needed): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5

Knowledge (Planes), Heroism, Heightened Awareness: 1d20 + 31 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 31 + 2 + 2 = 53

Daathiel probably knows what this woman is...

He doesn't see any need to step on Sayna's toes, so he remains quiet. I don't think Aid Another is needed.

Initiative (if needed), dismissing Heightened Awareness: 1d20 + 9 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 9 + 4 = 28

This is a handmaiden devil. With that roll, you are all welcome to look up the entire stat block. :)

I'll wait a bit longer to give Rognak a chance to talk/do something, if desired, before I resolve the diplomacy.

Sorry, work yesterday and traveling today for the holiday. I am on my tablet. Can someone move me to join the group please?

initiative: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Rognak had a wicked smile as lightning started to crackle from his finger tips as he was told about the threat.
SR?: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (8) + 19 = 27
Chain Lightning: 19d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 1, 6, 6, 1, 3, 5, 2, 6, 2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2, 2, 5) = 60

Ugh! Below average. +4 CL from Focused Spells, +2 from Spell Speciazation (Chain Lightning)and +1 From Varsian Tattoo (Evocation)

The woman, who you now know is a chained devil named Marijkal, explains that she is bound by contract to Lorthact, the owner of this demiplane. Her service to him is to act as consort to Chyvom, the contract devil who is the leader of the demiplane. She despises Chyvom and wishes to be free of him, She also mentions the demiplane is called Belzeragna, and that the entire Breaching Festival is actually just a setup to get people onto the plane where Lorthact, an infernal duke, can harvest their souls.

Knowing how you as a team tend to react, I'm going to assume that you offer to help free her.

Her response to this is to change form (from looking like a human female to her true form) and then attack you, saying that you need to prove to her that you are strong enough first.

init: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Daalthiel and Rognak are up before Marijkal. Rognak is barely able to bypass her spell resistance, but she clearly was badly damaged by the lightning.

status: Marijkal -60 HP

Daalthiel, you're up.

Sorry, was on Thanksgiving travel.

"No, sorry, I don't need to prove anything to you."
Daathiel at this point is in favor of killing rather than freeing the Handmaiden Devil, since she apparently moved to attack the party before Rognak did anything?

"Handmaiden devil! Use weapons of Good, or electricity! Beware her grapples!"

He begins his Naturalist performance, offering everybody a +3 insight bonus to Attacks, AC, and saves against the Handmaiden Devil's abilities, as well as +1d6 sonic damage per attack from Discordant Voice.

He then casts Good Hope on the party for a +2 morale bonus to attacks, damage, saves, and skill checks.

Should anybody be grappled by the Handmaiden Devil he will cast Liberating Command as an immediate action granting then an immediate-action Escape Artist check at an extra +20; and if anybody fails a save against any of her abilities he will use Saving Finale as an immediate action to grant them a reroll, ending Naturalist. Both would be immediate actions so he can just do whatever happens first.

Yes, indeed, she attacked before Rognak cast his spell. She appears to be doing so as her way of testing if you have any chance of setting her free.

Her eyes go wide at the scale of Rognak's spell, and she smiles happily. She cries out for mercy, promising that she will aid you against Chyvom.

Thrag removes his hands from the haft of his hammer. Disappointing
What aid do you offer?

Rognak shrugged his shoulders."I am more use to running into demons and rarely do I have a chance to use the spell. It is handy when they are hiding with other creatures to thin out the herd, since they will not be touched by it." he said.

Seeing the attack stop as a result of her request/offer, she states “his
contracts are his strength” and then teleports away. You think it's quite likely you'll see her again later.

Searching the room after she leaves, you find a spellbook that may very well belong to Terentius.

Contracts are strength, so less contracts less strength? Finish the contracts for the prisoners then smash him?

"I still don't trust the devil. Attacking us to 'test our strength' and then offering to help us? This seems like a trick. Nothing good comes of dealing with devils."

Anything about the spellbook you found, or do we move on to the unexplored areas?

Checking the spellbook out to see if it was magical, Rognak put into into a sack so as to not touch it, "This might belong to Terentius, lets get him out of here. he said.

Mage hand and put into into a sack.

That should weaken the demon. What about her? Thrag indicates the traumatized woman following them.

"I am not sure what is going on as I am not very familiar with healing, only dying myself. Unless it is something that I can deal with fairly quickly, we might have to wait until we are out of here." Rognak said.

I can do a Heal spell by using two 6th level slots to cast it but I would like to wait until we are out of here.

The adventure does not suggest any way that you could make Illea better.

What are you doing now, team? Taking the spell book back to Terentius, or going on to the unexplored areas?

I say we return the spell book before cracking open the next door. Though we'll have to open all of them eventually

"Lets go return the book and get back to the mission at hand." Rognak said.

Sayna salutes casually using her sword. ”Works fine by me. We should be wary of devil trickery, though.”

"I agree, Sayna."

Daathiel is quiet otherwise, and continually re-activating his Ring of Blinking.

It is indeed Terentius's spellbook. He smiles, his mind obviously clearing. Illia also seems to have hope again. for clarity, she never signed a contract, but was tortured to near madness.

With these two in tow, you move on to the next area.

Two summoning circles dominate this high-ceilinged room. A pair of stairways flank a set of double doors on the east wall, each leading to a balustraded balcony overlooking the open central floor beneath.

A barbed devil and a devourer appear to be arguing over a soul; evidently he had a contract with the devil, but the devourer caught him. A careful look reveals the tortured face of the dead wizard you found at the beginning of your time in this demiplane looking out from the devourer's chest.

please move your tokens forward on the map, as well as telling me what you do.

Aria moves forward and disappears into the shadows, muttering, "Why are these people making deals they know aren't going to work?"

Stealth: 1d20 + 28 ⇒ (9) + 28 = 37