GM Warah's 6-01 Trial by Machine

Game Master Warah

Inlé impresses Shechera, while Egg impresses Meleren. Apparently the Black Rabbit is underwhelming, though.

Meleren now has 4 EPs; Shechera has 3. Not enough to affect their choices.

Meleren meets Egg's eye just before he enters the lift. "I...think I have a memory of an airless space, long ago. It was jarringly silent. We used hand signals..." His eyes lose focus, and he turns away. Shechera gives him a confused look, but doesn't say anything.

You may RP to that, or simply move forward:

Inlé, TBR, and Egg enter the lift, punch in the sequence, and rise for a dozen seconds or so. They all take a deep breath, then push the 'Open' button twice. As soon as the doors crack open, all the air is sucked out of the lift, nearly pushing Inlé out into the Monitor room. The transition of air from the lift to the near-vacuum on the other side of the door is so violent that everyone is battered and bruised by it.

Inlé, TBR, and Egg take...
Vacuum damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4
...points of damage, with no save.

Severe wind conditions last for one round. If Inlé tries to move against the flow of air, she needs to make a DC 10 Strength check to make progress. She can stay standing in place without a check.

If any character tries to inhale, they discover that there still isn't enough air in here to breathe.

See here for rules on holding breath and suffocation.

A series of glassy panels form a semicircular array along the southern walls of this circular room. Some of the panels are lit but blank, while others flicker with a jarring, black-and-white dotted pattern interspersed with occasional glimpses of stationary machinery and robots. Many are cracked or simply dark. A throne-like chair sits before a mechanical table in the center of the room. A skeleton slumps in the chair, one bony hand grasping a large lever. Its other hand, wearing a strange, silvery glove, rests upon a glowing plate. A small hologram of the Red Redoubt floats above the plate his gloved hand rests on.

"You were here before? That would be... awfully long ago." Lanel gives Meleren a curious double take. "Or do you mean somewhere else before you joined Shechera?"

Meleren doesn't respond for several heartbeats. "I...am unsure. The memories of my past prior to eight years ago are mostly blank. What little I remember mostly doesn't make sense."

Lanel, if you would like to continue asking about Meleren's life, you may make an EP check as well.

"oh...I see... That must be unsettling," Lanel is taken back by the answer. "Can you describe the blurry memories? What's the first thing you remember well? There are a number of magical things that could end up with memory loss or tampering, but if you remember this place, it could be a non-magical reason."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 8 + 1 = 21

"It was not this place. The memory is just a flash, but the area was gray, not red. I... There are aspects of the memory that do not align with reality, and lead me to believe it might have been a dream. For instance, I had a woman's body. However, the memory has the same qualities as my actual memories, without the qualities that my dreams have, if that makes any sense." Meleren pauses to collect their thoughts.

"You asked about my first memory. I only remember being an adult. I woke up alone in a dark room, deep underground. I don't know how long I wandered through the pitch-black passages until I reached the surface, but I eventually began scraping some semblance of a life together once I did."

Taken aback by the force of the vacuum, Egg holds his breath and moves towards the mechanical table with the skeleton, eyes taking in the room…

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26

Rounds remaining to hold breath without making a check:

Egg: 23/24
Inlé: 27/28
TBR: 25/26

As Egg enters the room, he notes how odd it is that he can't hear his own footfalls. Closing in on the skeleton, he notices a plate next to the lever that the skeleton is holding. It's labeled "Air Pumps".

Lanel listens to Meleren's story with great interest. "Whoa... I'm no expert in transmutation and enchantment (I'm more of a blaster myself), but changing forms is totally possible with the right magic... Having another type of body wouldn't be the strangest thing from what you mentioned. Having recollection of similar devices and artifacts like these is a bit more complicated to explain," Lanel considers the options.

Does Lanel can tell what might have happened to him from that description?
Knowledge Arcana: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Lanel finally figures it out: the strange tattoos, the emotionless voice, the memory of a different body--Meleren is an android.

"Wait-... hold on-... you said deep underground? By any chances did you came out to Numeria or close by? There are..." he pauses, clears his throat and leans in to a more private conversation. "There are individuals from there that are called Androids. They match a description similar to you. They are... 'made', for lack of a better word, but they are alive and have souls just like any other person. When they die or are killed, their bodies remain vacant until a new soul finds its way to them. So maybe those memories are actually echoes of a previous life after all."

"Hmm..." Meleren ponders this information for several moments. "That information aligns with much of my experiences. I will have to look into that. Maybe... Maybe being 'made' could explain why I have felt such a strong... Pull? Resonance?--with this place. I can't be sure of anything, but when the panel slid aside that led us into the room of the robot massacre, I felt something buzz under my skin." He points to a spot on his torso. "It was like my proximity unlocked and opened the door. I don't remember feeling anything like that before."

Seeing the label on the plate, Egg pushes (or pulls) the lever in the opposite direction of which it now rests, hoping it’ll activate the air pumps…

(At Meleren)
"As far as I'm aware they can have... uhm, some kind of surge of energy? power? Have you ever suddenly felt better at something if you focus a lot of on it? Also, you might be able to see much better in the dark than regulars humans. That's a great thing to have. I wish I knew more about it, but other than that... I guess you have a clearer starting point to investigate more."

"And... well, we Pathfinders tend to explore ruins and mysteries like this, so it would seem like a good idea if you wanted to change careers."

"Hmm..." Meleren glances at Shechera, who's been trying to act like she isn't deeply interested in this conversation. "For now, let's focus on getting out of here. I wonder what's taking them so long."

Speaking of which:

In the nearly-airless upper level, Egg reaches out and pulls the lever down. As soon as he does, the hologram above the skeletal hand winks out, and air *whooshes* into the Monitor Room.

Severe wind conditions for 1 round mean Inle has to make a DC 10 Strength check to move out of the lift.

Finally, the wind dies down, allowing Egg, Inle, and TBR to breathe while they look around the room. It doesn't take long. The only items not attached to the structure are the skeleton and what it's wearing. Its clothes are barely holding together. The only item that seems to have weathered the centuries well is the shiny, technological-looking glove on its right hand.

Inle doesn't try to move against the wind, since it seems to be temporary. She and TBR explore the small area for a few minutes. "Thank you for fixing the air. That wasn't a whole lot of fun. But it doesn't look like there's more to find here aside from that," she points at the glove.

She casts detect magic to see if it has any aura.

Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (11) + 5 = 16
K: arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Just in case

No magical aura is sensed around the glove.

Once you have the glove, there's nothing more to do here besides go back and report your success.

Reminder: The glove can be used to manipulate the hologram above the control panel in B3 so you can get out.

That's right, the rooms had shifted. This opens up the way?

Inle grabs up the glove and heads back down. The Black Rabbit pauses for a few moments by the corpse before moving it to a corner.

"Just a dead thing and a lever to put the air back in. We found another glove thing." Inle waves the gauntlet which flops around on her wrist in a ridiculous manner. She clambers up to the hologram and tries doing something with it.

After some fiddling around, Inlé figures out how to wear the glove and use it to actually grip the hologram--an odd sensation, considering that touching the same spot of the hologram at the same time with her other hand feels like empty space. She tries moving the ring of deployment hangars back to the way it was, but apparently the mechanism can only move clockwise. Instead, she rotates the rooms around until the next chamber is aligned with the exit. Anyone standing at the foot of the stairs will be able to see an opening slide into place. It looks like the way is clear.

Egg, Inlé, & TBR: do you want any healing?

Please place your token in the yellow box north of B7 on slide 8.

Area B7: Numerous alcoves are set along the walls of this round chamber, but only a few are occupied by seemingly inactive guardians. A wide archway to the south stands open. In the center of the room is a tall robed construct made of metal rods and ceramic plates. Its face is a transparent glass oval encasing a system of whirring mechanical parts. As soon as the first person reaches the top of the stairs, it reacts.

Round 1
Egg 17/23
Inlé 11/17
TBR 13/17
Maddie 13/13
Meleren Damage: 0
Blue Damage: 0
Gozrog 11/11
Lanel 13/14

Egg, Inlé, TBR, and Maddie are up! Meleren has enough EP points to help, thanks to Lanel's last check. He will act at the end of this initiative block.

Yes, Inle will poke herself and TBR (and Egg if they need it) with her wand of healing.

wand CLW Inle: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
wand CLW TBR: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
wand CLW Egg: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
wand CLW TBR: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Apparently she has a slightly defective wand. Would enough time have passed for Inle to need to reup mage armor? It lasts for an hour, but with all the investigating, I'm guessing we've run out. If so, could I have cast that before we headed back out?

Inle moves up to the top of the stairs, exclaiming "What in the seven Hells is that?"

Knowledge arcana: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

She casts glue seal under it's feet in the hopes that keeping it in one place will be helpful.

The Black Rabbit growls and charges forward, staying out of anyone else's charge line. They bite the construct firmly on the knee.

bite: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23 for b/p/s damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Egg nods in gratitude to In,e for her healing touch…and then fires a blunt arrow at blue…

To hit: Base/Dex, Weapon Focus, Magic, PBS, Deadly Aim
Damage: Str, PBS, Magic, Weapon Specialization, Deadly Aim

Longbow: 1d20 + 9 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 1 ⇒ (11) + 9 + 1 + 1 + 1 - 1 = 22
Magic/Bludgeoning Damage: 1d8 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 11

…and then moves 15’ north…

Maddie bursts forward toward the construct and swings her gauntleted fist at the glass encasing of the construct.
ion gauntlet: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 251d6 + 6 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 6 + (2) = 12

@Inlé: Yes, Mage Armor would have ended by now. Yes, you can cast it before heading up the stairs, as well as do the healing.

Blue Reflex vs. Glue Seal: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Inlé is pretty sure this is a robot, and it's not doing anything magical right now. She masterfully glues the imposing robot to the floor, while TBR, Egg, and Maddie lay into its metal casing. It's looking pretty beaten up already.

Meleren bursts up the stairs and arcs around to the side, drawing his heavy crossbow and getting into position to fire. Shechera protests from the back of the line. "Meleren! What're you doing?! Well, I'm not getting myself killed. I'm staying right here."

The robot's glass face flickers and flashes with lovely colored lights, right in Maddie's face.

Maddie: Make a DC 16 Will save.

------------------

Round 1
Egg 22/23
Inlé 17/17
TBR 17/17
Maddie 13/13 DC 16 Will save
Meleren Damage: 0
Blue Damage: 30
Gozrog 11/11
Lanel 13/14

Gozrog and Lanel are up! Everyone else can post their round 2 actions, but I'll apply them once round 1 is complete.

Gozrog calls upon the elements to surround her trident with the might of the storm and moves toward the construct.

Lanel rushes forward to the front line.

"Time to heat things up!"

He casts his specialized burning hands using an alchemist fire as spell component at the robot.

Burning Hands DC16: 5d4 + 5 ⇒ (4, 1, 2, 2, 3) + 5 = 17

[Alchemist fire] Burning Hands (M): One target that fails its Reflex saving throw (your choice) catches on fire as if it has been struck by alchemist’s fire.

Reflex DC 16, entangled: 1d20 + 1 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 1 - 2 = 6

Glued to the floor as it is, the robot is bathed in Lanel's flames, which seem to be extra effective. Tongues of fire penetrate the metal plating, flickering behind the glass mask of its faceplate, as the robot crumples. Acrid smoke drifts upward from the wreckage of this metal monster.

Combat over. Maddie's save vs. Fascination is essentially irrelevant now.

Meleren straightens and gives the Pathfinders an even stare. "Efficient and effective. Well done. --Shechera! It's safe to come up now." Approaching the construct, they take a moment to look it over.

"Hm. It was a Fearmonger Prototype, a robot Karamoss developed toward the end of the siege. It was capable of manipulating enemies through psychological and hypnotic means." He glances up at Lanel. "Fortunately for us, the model was vulnerable to damage from fire."

Coming up behind him, Shechera quips: "Didn't anyone ever tell you that reference books rarely circulate?" She proceeds to search the room for anything of value, and is thoroughly disappointed.

From here, it's a simple matter of retracing your steps back to the entrance of the ruins. When you come to the body of the orc, Shechera snorts derisively. "Really? Harlo leaves us to die and gets taken out by a stupid trap that he already knew about? Hmph! Justice served!" She stoops to search his pockets, then glares at the Pathfinders when she realizes they beat her to it.

As the group moves on, she gestures for Meleren to walk with her at the back of the group. He complies.

Gozrog Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15
Inlé Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8
The Black Rabbit Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
Lanel Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
Maddelyn Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
Egg Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Only Lanel and TBR seem to notice what they're doing back there.

If TBR shares what he hears, Lanel muses in low voice. "Mmmh. I don't think she's too happy. Alright... let's see if we can try to turn her around."

He approaches Shechera, looking at her downed comrade.

"Making mistakes is pretty common when fear and stress are involved..." he sighs. "And not only when you have a murder bot going after you in some dark dungeon. Some decisions made out of frustration can have big consequences. Sometimes is just a matter of not making things worse... you know what I mean? I guess you guys were lucky enough that we came to train today instead of a few days away..."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 8 + 1 = 21

Yes, they will share what they hear.

"Now, there's no call for that sort of language. We're all folks just trying to survive. And we were happy to help you get out. A little appreciation for that wouldn't go amiss." Inle smiles winsomely at the human.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (18) + 5 = 23

Catching Meleren's eye, she continues, "Thank you for the help, even if Lanel blew the thing up before any of us could do anything. I appreciate your willingness. Any interest in joining the Pathfinder Society? We can always use people with the smarts to stay alive in strange places." She includes Shechera in that statement, even if the bandit doesn't look like they care.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Both Meleren and Shechera now have 5 Ephiphany Points.

As tough a thug as Shechera believes herself to be, she is not immune to Lanel and Inlé's charms and logic. She sighs, then nods sheepishly, mumbling: "Yeah. Fine. Makes sense." She doesn't look like she's going to cause any more trouble.

"Join the Pathfinder Society?" Meleren seems surprised at the invitation. "I'm surprised you think they would admit me." Shechera looks thoughtful, but says nothing.

At this point, the group returns to the entrance of the ruins. The rope is still hanging there, just as the Pathfinders (and the Blood-Red Raiders before them) left it. Conversations pause for a bit as everyone climbs up, then resume once they've reached the top.

Meleren removes the tin amulet and offers it to Lanel. "As promised." If anyone glances at Shechera for her reaction, she shrugs. "It's not worth anything, so knock yourselves out."

Lanel chuckles and thanks him for giving the amulet back.

"I mean, you did manage to get the amulet meant for Pathfinders. You have what they look for. There are factions that want to make a difference in the life of people who would at least give you a chance... I think."

"Meleren as a fellow survivor of experimentation let me say this. What you choose to do with what life you now have defines who you are. Don't let what has been done to you limit you."

"Are you two certain you want to leave them down there like that? Is that the goodbye you want for them?"

Shechera seems surprised that Maddie is showing a softer, compassionate side. "Huh. Well, I can't carry them up that rope by myself. And no labor crew in their right mind would go in there without armed backup. So unless your Pathfinder Society wants to help get them topside, there's not much we can do, is there?" She's obviously used to projecting toughness, probably as a self-defense mechanism, so her words come across as cynical, though the expression around her eyes is softer.

Ever stoic, Meleren replies: "This is true. It seems likely that your Pathfinder Society would be interested in exploring the newly opened section of ruins. Would they also be willing to bring up the bodies of our crew for proper burial?"

Egg nods. ”Egg think so; Pathfinders no leave dead behind. And Egg will help, if wish…”

"Indeed, the Society doth leave none behind, if it be in their power. Ye wouldst make fine additions."

"Yeah, after we report in, I think I should be to have a chance to come help out with that... I'm not strong enough to carry someone on my own, but that's why we work together."

"I was thinking between the lot of us and some bedrolls and rope it wouldn't be simple but perhaps possible? Though I admit it felt a lot longer of a trip climbing back up than down. I'd need some magic light to see as well I doubt it is a task to be done torch in hand."

"Alas, my vision doth not falter in the dark, so I wouldst need call upon my faith in the morn before I couldst aid thee in that."

Shechera looks like she literally doesn't know what to think of this generosity. She keeps looking for the catch, the cruelty behind the kindness, and is flummoxed into speechlessness by the fact that there is none.

Meleren thanks the group for their offer. "Thank you. That means a lot. However, it is not only Harlo, but the rest of our crew who need transporting to the surface. They fell in the room that we can't access now, unless we want to risk unleashing whatever threats remain in the rest of the rooms in the carousel. It would be best to do so with a team that is prepared for that."

What, if anything, does the party want to do with the bandits? Options include, but are not limited to: let them go, turn them in to the authorities, invite them to join you, etc.

My vote is to invite them to join us; if they choose not to join, then let’em go…

Same with Lanel. The others are dead already. Might be better to give them some more 'stable' direction.

"I don't think we want to open up that room without a lot of armed backup, but we could definitely bring Harlo? That was their name? back."

Inle cocks her head eying both bandits appraisingly. "If you would be interested in joining the Pathfinders, I would be willing to speak for you. It's not an easy job - obviously - but it's a good one. And you get to meet all sorts of people." She smiles, leaning back against her giant bunny and scritching between his ears.

Gozrog add some more encouragement for them to join the Society in olde-timey speech.

Before Shechera can demur, Meleren responds to Inlé. "Thank you for the offer. We will consider it. For now, we will take the time to properly bury Harlo, then meet your team here to retrieve our other associates. After we've buried them, we'll let you know." Shechera nods her agreement.

The party works together to retrieve Harlo's body and hoist it up to the surface. Shechera wastes no time constructing a sling so she and Meleren can carry him. Meleren turns to the Pathfinders. "Thank you. You've given us cause for introspection."

Shechera snorts. "You and your fancy words. Now pick up this corpse and let's get outta here before he starts stinking. See ya' around, guys." Her words come across as less harsh than they would have been a few hours ago.

Eventually you return to the Lorespire in Absalom. Initially, Ambrus Valsin is stunned into silence by your report, then heaps simultaneous praise and disapproval on you. He commends you for surviving a much tougher test than intended, but criticizes you for not immediately leaving and reporting in upon discovering the security sublevel. In the end, though, both the deed and discovery stand out, and local Pathfinders— many of whom begin in-depth investigation and cataloging of the hidden complex — regard you with high esteem. In the months to come, explorers seeking more hidden secrets swarm the Red Redoubt.

About a week after the remaining bandits' bodies were surrendered to Meleren and Shechera, Lanel receives a letter from Meleren.

Lanel is more than happy to reach back and provide whatever information might help Meleren if he wants to work with the Society.