Caks will definitely delay till after the Mitflit.
Caks holds to see what will happen when Rail sends forth his minion. Barry raises his shield, then Rail steps forward with his summoning spell.
Suddenly in the dull glow of the rune and the revealing light of Barry's spell a small creature appears, blinks and screams in panic at his situation.
Round 1
Barry (Still two actions left)
Rail
Mitflit (Delayed)
Caks
Brennus
Telurion
Rune
As the tiny fey appears the rune brightens a bit, and a low sonorous toll issues from it. The surface of the blood-filled fountain begins to bubble, and you see the occasional bone protrude from its surface.
... Brennus on Deck.
Caks holds to see what will happen when Rail sends forth his minion. Barry raises his shield, then Rail steps forward with his summoning spell.
Suddenly in the dull glow of the rune and the revealing light of Barry's spell a small creature appears, blinks and screams in panic at his situation.
Round 1
Barry (Still two actions left)
Rail
Mitflit
Caks
Brennus
Telurion
Rune
As the tiny fey appears the rune brightens a bit, and a low sonorous toll issues from it. The surface of the blood-filled fountain begins to bubble, and you see the occasional bone protrude from its surface.
◆ DECEPTION: Create a diversion
◆ STRIDE: Behind the fountain to hide
◆ HIDE: Stealth
But in its panic, it leaves an obvious trail of urine in its wake.
... Brennus on Deck.
◆ Caks will get out her dagger and ◆◆ prepare an action to stab any foe that gets within melee range.
Round 1
Barry
Rail
Mitflit
Caks
Brennus
Telurion
Rune
Barry calls forth the blessing of his god.
and Caks pulls out his dagger and hopes that something comes into range for his quick strike.
Telurion on deck
Telurion will wait until after he sees what comes from the fountain.
Brennus debates acting, but a quick mental review of his options reveals he has yet to learn any enchantments particularly useful for battle preparation. He'll have to see what he can do about that... but for now, he waits to see what emerges, hoping he's not making a mistake.
Brennus dances about eager to attack but seeing Telurion hesitate decides to do the same. The group looks on in horror as bloody skeletons like the ones they fought outside begin to form and emerge from the blood fountain. The rune pulses with evil intent. The Mitflit screams in horror.
* Bloody Skeleton 1
◆ INTERACT: Form
◆ STRIDE:
◆ STRIKE: At Mitflit
Claw
Nails
* Bloody Skeleton 2
◆ INTERACT: Form
◆ STRIDE:
◆ STRIKE: At Mitflit
Claw
Nails
* Bloody Skeleton 3
◆ INTERACT: Form
◆ STRIDE:
◆ STRIKE: At Caks (NOTE: Caks gets his Readied Action)
Claw
Nails
* Bloody Skeleton 4
◆ INTERACT: Form
◆ STRIDE:
◆ STRIKE: At Mitflit
Claw
Nails
The Mitflit's screams are cut short as it is removed from its brief visit to the material plane.
Caks is raked by some dirty bloody claws for (5) points of damage. (Unless you kill it first).
Round 1
Barry
Rail
Mitflit (Dead)
Skeleton 1
Skeleton 2
Skeleton 3
Skeleton 4
Caks
Brennus
Telurion
Caks is up with held action.
Telurion on Deck
You prepare to use an action that will occur outside your turn. Choose a single action or free action you can use and designate a trigger. Your turn then ends. If the trigger you designated occurs before the start of your next turn, you can use the chosen action as a reaction (provided you still meet the requirements to use it). You can't Ready a free action that already has a trigger.
"Yikes!"
Caks will drop her dagger. "If we keep running into skeletons, I should get a club."
◆ Caks will attempt to the skeleton.
◆ Then, Caks will (lethaly) bludgeoning damage.
◆ Finally, Caks will move to the back of the line. "That way, each of us can attack the skeleton. Just step forward, strike, and retreat."
"Rail, don't get too close to them," Brennus commands his ride, then starts chanting and holding out a wing. Arcs of electricity start dancing along his feathers.
◆◆◆ Channeling horizon thunder sphere
Caks seems a bit startled at the approach of the bleeding skeleton and swings a bit wildly. He then looks at his dagger and decides that its surface area doesn't bode well for striking this bony creature. He then attempts to tumble past the creature into the room, but finds his way blocked, so he defaults to his tried-and-true punching, knocking a few ribs loose. Then with mumbled apologies he makes his way to the back of the group offering his position to the next in line.
Rail's feathers begin to stand on end as he begins to gather some kind of energy between his extended wings.
Round 1
Barry
Rail
Mitflit (Dead)
Skeleton 1
Skeleton 2
Skeleton 3 (-7)
Skeleton 4
Caks (-5)
Brennus
Telurion
Barry on Rnd. 2 on deck
"Good try, Caks! Seems like you knocked some bits loose at least! I'll push this spell a bit so we can clear out of this hall."
Barry will concentrate and extend the aura of bless, then bring forth his holy symbol and delivers the bright energy of life down on the undead monstrosity.
[**] Cast Vitality Lash, DC 18 Fort Save vs Vitality Damage
“Drat,” Telurion says when he sees the skeletons emerge. Remembering the earlier skeleton battle, he drops his sword and snatches his club from his belt. Pushing his way through his allies he reaches the nearest skeleton and tries to smash it.
> draw weapon
> stride
> attack
SB Screen
Telurion steps forward switching his sword for his club, and in one motion swings at the creature knocking its head off and about 15' away. He truly was on deck.
Round 2
Barry
Rail
Skeleton 1
Skeleton 2
Skeleton 3 (DEAD)
Skeleton 4
Caks (-5)
Brennus
Telurion
Rail on deck
Seeing Telurion blast that skeleton in a mighty blow, Barry moves forward to clear the hall, pulsing his magical aura a bit further, before bringing his shield up in defensive position.
Barry enters the room holding both his faith and his shield in front of him after seeing Telurion obliterate the skeleton holding the door.
Round 2
Barry
Rail
Skeleton 1
Skeleton 2
Skeleton 3 (DEAD)
Skeleton 4
Caks (-5)
Brennus
Telurion
Skeletons on deck
Rail starts shouting his usual suggestions and bits of trivia about the enemies. Simultaneously he pulls out a handful of metal shavings and tosses them in the air, where they instantly turn into deadly darts and dash toward the skeleton in front.
◆◆ Needle darts
◆ Courageous Anthem
◇ Lingering Composition
Sheila greets the PCs in an unusually deep voice and with a no
nonsense attitude, thanking them for answering her summons. She then
introduces Koriah, an attractive half elven woman dressed in leather armor and armed with a distinctive-looking mithral-and-redwood aklys (a
hooked club attached to a cord) and a bastard sword (both weapons are currently sheathed or hanging from her belt).
DC-18 Society or RK Pathfinder Lore
Koriah Azmeren is one of Varisia’s most famous Pathfinders and a well-renowned expert on the Darklands—
Sheila explains that Koriah has just returned from an expedition to the Darklands below Varisia, having successfully scouted out a new (but relatively minor) route down to Nar-Voth from the Fogscar Mountains.
Sheila goes on to explain that Koriah has returned with a surprising number of Thassilonian artifacts from this expedition, and that she must spend a few more moments discussing the implications of this discovery with Koriah. She apologizes for the further delay, then pauses for a
moment as if in thought. She then asks the PCs and Koriah to accompany her into an adjoining room.
This chamber is the lodge library and study. The walls are lined with bookshelves, while several tables in the middle of the room are heaped with scrolls and books. One table in the center, however, supports only a single object— an ornate cubical stone coffer covered with Thassilonian runes. Sheila asks for the PCs to have a seat around the table while she speaks to them.
“I apologize for the delay, as I must conclude my business with Pathfinder Azmeren before we meet. In the meantime, though, I thought you could help us with another minor issue. This stone coffer is an ancient Thassilonian puzzle, a cunning feat of magical engineering known as a paradox box. As you’ll see from even a casual investigation, what appear to be seams on the sides are only shallow grooves—there’s no obvious way to open the thing. Each paradox box has its own secret method of being opened. Essentially, a paradox box substitutes hidden
catches and magical triggers for a lock. Given time, anyone clever enough could figure out how to open a paradox box, just as given time, a locksmith can open any lock. This particular box was among those items recovered by Koriah—the scrolls next to the box are her preliminary notes on possible triggers or methods of opening it, but she’s not yet had a chance to sit down and properly investigate the thing. So... why don’t you put your heads together and see if you can’t do that for me?
Even if the box is empty, as I suspect it probably is, knowing the method of opening it makes it a valuable find anyway. I’ll return shortly, and I hope to see that box open! Think of this as an audition, if you will—because the actual task I want to speak to you about soon will require as much wit as it will brawn!”
Caks will read the notes, then get out her tools, and make a few cursory attempts at opening the box.
"Well, I didn't expect it to go well. But, if any of you magicky types have any ideas, they'd be welcome. If you want to have me dull my tools some more, I'm game, but, if it could be easily picked, they wouldn't call it a paradox box."
Menenclair frowns at the box.
I was about to suggest we smash it, but I reckon that would probably blow us to pieces. It’s supposed to be a paradox, but of what type?
Rail takes out his ever-present notebook and starts sketching and scribbling down the Thassilonian runes on the Paradox Box before he moves to read Koriah's notes.
@ Caks. You don't see any seams or keyholes to try and use your tools on. When you pick the device up it's not heavy and nothing seems to rattle about inside.
RK: Arcana
Caks has never heard of a Paradox Box
@Barry Barry looks at the box and thinks that he could probably smash it open if the others want him to try.
Rail: Rail joins Caks in looking at the box, then starts to look through the scrolls Koriah wrote.
Bardic Lore (Best Chance if slim).
Rail has heard of a Paradox Box, and even saw a picture of one once, but knows that they all have different methods of being opened.
It seems that Koriah had translated some of the runes on the box, and double checking allows Rail to verify her translations. One of the often-repeated runes was wrath ... which Koriah noted was associated with summoning either forces or creatures with, and in the early days of Thassilon the word "kindness". Another scroll mentions that this rune marks the box as having once belonged to a citizen of the Thassilonian nation of Bakrakhan and probably has nothing to do with opening the box.
Another of Koriah’s scrolls lists a few other key observations—the key observation being that five of the box’s faces are identical, but on one face, several additional runes appear. These runes spell out the word “CRUEL.” Koriah has correctly deduced that this word is somehow linked to the box’s mystery. She’s also noted that each of the individual runes in the word can be reorganized by touching two runes at once—doing so causes the two touched runes to exchange places for an hour before
reverting to their original spelling of “CRUEL.”
"Ha! A puzzle in runes and words, then? Surely one of us is well read enough to parse through that. I mean, a few good wallops should crack it, but the straightforward is not always the best path."
I still say we should smash it open Menenclair scratches his head.
"You know I'm in it for the money. Now that you've shown us how to change it. I think I can figure it out. Let me try."
Current state: CRUEL
Press C and L runes
State: LRUEC
Press U and C runes
State: LRCEU
Press R and U runes
State: LUCER
Press E and R runes
State: LUCRE
"I am almost sure the smashing would make a different impression on Lady Sheila than we are going for ... not sure that she would follow through on the promise of riches if we destroy an ancient relic of Thassilon either. Ever so sorry to be late to the table though."
The rather handsome young man smiles at everyone sheepishly, and then notices the Paradox Box on the table.
"A Paradox Box! Those can be fun when you have a lot of time on your hands. Not sure that's the case though. Hi. My name is Celenton ... call me Tonee if you'd like. I totally want to take a look at that though."
The glow in his eyes most of the assembled have seen before, the glow of minor magic after which a wizard cleans something, or chills their beverage, or changes the color of their scarf ... in this case though, the young man's extremely ornate bracers begin to glow: an armor unlike anyone has seen before seems to encase him in an instant.
Celenton reaches for the box now that his hand is covered and he begins to look it over.
"Someone already cast Detect Magic, right?"
"You know I'm in it for the money. Now that you've shown us how to change it. I think I can figure it out. Let me try."
** spoiler omitted **
Tonee raises a somewhat already raised eyebrow at the little rodent, "You're the one to watch, wow! So if you were to switch the E&R back to make LUCER again, you could then switch the U&L to create ULCER."
"Not sure what those words would relate to ..."
"By all means, go ahead," Brennus says to Caks. "Now, it seems strange to me that only a single part of the whole box would be relevant to the puzzle. Perhaps there's something Koriah hadn't noticed yet, or at least hadn't written any notes on?"
The raven examines the five identical sides for anything that might be relevant (or that might not be exactly the same between sides), then the final side for anything beyond the single word that seems interesting.
Go ahead, Caks. I also see no harm in trying to spell Ulcer, if Lucre does not work. An ULCER can be CRUEL. But then, a box can hold LUCRE Menenclair smiles.
"Exactly my point. Now, stand back, just in case the box has something... well, dangerous in mind."
Once the others are at a reasonable distance, Caks will begin humming to herself a tune about untold wealth while she swaps the runes to spell the word LUCRE.
Rail nods in satisfaction as Caks leans in to manipulate the box, the elf ready to take more notes. "Always happy to let you be the one to touch the possibly cursed item, Caks."
Everyone tries to puzzle out the box, but as tiny Caks cracks her knuckles and tries to remember the word games she used to play as a child a solution comes to mind. She warns everyone to stand back as she arranges the letters to spell out "LUCRE".
With a pop the lid of the box opens a sliver. From inside you hear a muffled yawn, and then a giggling voice. The smell of cinnamon comes from the cracked open lid.
"About time somebody let us out of here. Whoopee! ".
Perception (Meninclair)
Perception or Stealth (Caks) Low light vision
Perception (Barry) Dark vision
Perception (Rail) Low Light vision
Perception (Brennus)
Perception (Celenton)
Perception (Creature)
Round 1:
Caks
Barry
Celentron
Creatures
Menin
Rail
Brennus
Barry on deck.
◆ Recall Knowledge (Society is +7, Nature is +5). I'd like to know what they are and what languages they speak.
◆◆ Prepare an action. Trigger: Whatever is inside acts violently toward Caks. Action: Punch it with a fist. (+8 to hit, 1d4+4 damage)
Nothing has emerged fro. The box yet. Its not their turn.
Barry draws his shield forth and steps next to the box, raising his defensive posture.
"Hello, we mean you no harm. Are you okay?"
Barry draws his shield forth and steps next to the box, raising his defensive posture.
"Hello, we mean you no harm. Are you okay?"
draw shield
stride
raise shield
@Caks: Caks smiles at the others and waits for whatever emerges with fists ready.
@Barry: Barry steps forwarded questioning whatever is in the now quaking box, the pulls his weapon and arms his shield awaiting whatever might appear.
Round 1:
Barry
Celentron
Creatures
Caks
Menin
Rail
Brennus
Creatures on deck.
Tonee smiles, just for a moment, and then there's that same glow ... as a dusting of salt & pepper begins to sprinkle itself into the box.
Tonee smiles, just for a moment, and then there's that same glow ... as a dusting of salt & pepper begins to sprinkle itself into the box.
[dice=Prestidigitation]
So...
◆◆ CAST: Prestidigitation
◆ Stride (To get to within 10')
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
So Tonee moves up to get a better look at the box as the lid begins to lift a bit and casts something into the small crack. He hears a sneeze from within and the lid flings wide open and three quick popping sounds emerge along with three of these... Things about 3' tall and with doglike faces emerge.
SB Screen
RK
@ Caks
Make a DC14 Perception to sense motive. If you make the save you know the pugwampi has no intention of attacking, you but has something else in mind. This would not trigger your readied action if you pass.
You know these are mischievous creatures known as Pugwampi's. they are fey creatures with a known weakness to Cold Iron, and they cause everything around them to suffer "misfortune".
(1)One of the small creatures' pops into existance sneezing a bit with runny eyes and nose and leaps high grabbing the chandelier above the table swinging and laughing insanely.
◆ Stride & Leap
◆ Draw Shortsword
◆ Start sawing at the ropes holding it to the ceiling
(2) Another jumps off the table and runs towards a side table and starts eating candles.
◆ Stride & Leap
◆ Grab a candle
◆ Start eating it.
"Ahhhhh! and shouting something in a language none of you speak. You think it's saying ouch because it ate a burning wick.
(3) Another comes out more slowly and sees Caks and reaches for her with both tiny hands.
◆ Stride
◆ Grapple vs. Caks Fort DC
◆ TBD???
Everyone make (2) DC 18 Will Saves If you fail read the spoiler
20 feet. When a creature that isn't an animal, gremlin, or kholo enters the aura, it might become unlucky. It attempts a DC 18 Will save; it must roll twice and take the worse result. On a success, the creature is temporarily immune to the unluck auras for 24 hours. On a failure, the creature must roll twice and take the worse result on all checks as long as it's within the aura.
Round 1:
Barry
Celentron
Creatures
1
2
3
Caks
Menin
Rail
Brennus
Rail on deck.
Maps aren't updating for some reason.
please let me know if you see changes to the map. I make them Sync the view, then if I refresh it reverts to the last map. Do you see the same thing?
Menenclair paces, getting to the creature that's eating the candles. Then, he attempts to grab it and punch it with his gauntlet.
vs creature's Fort DC/