GM Rotation, The COREageous Crew

Game Master Pete H.

Cortina listens to everything the dwarf says, then she asks: "A pretty lady? Did she look like..." She describes the uncoscious woman they fought before.

Sense Motive, guidance: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (13) + 7 + 1 = 21

Is he lying? I hope not...

He turns to the cleric, ”KehKeh, two prettah ladies! My lucky day. That description sounds like Miss Gali, she’s not the boss here tho. KehKeh.”

He adds an extra reply in dwarven.

Jack grips his sword in case this dwarf decides to get hostile - or try something un-gentlemanly like to the ladies

Jack glares daggers at the uncouth dwarf hitting on the two ladies.

No lying detected.

"We can get you out of here, but you might want to wait until we're on our way out. There is a gap the way we came. We must first deal with your captors. Can you tell us anything that will help with that?" Paloma asks.

Nal listens in silence, as if waking up from a dream.
I'm back .)

Cortina smiles, shows her holy symbol and replies in dwarven.

He replies to the Druid while picking a chunk of meat from his mostly black teeth, ”Well there’s the boss lady (brief description given) who is probably upstairs. She’s pretty intense, probably going to try to kill you. I think I’ll just wait here and see how it all goes. You all win, I tag along outta here. She wins, I come up with one of a variety of explanations as to why I didn’t stop you. Win-win for me. Also, I get to watch you go up the ramp, if ya know what I mean.”

Then switches back to the dwarven language.

Jack makes a mental note to learn dwarven

Throughout the conversation, Paul has been studiously examining the ceiling, but once things die down he clears his throat. "Excuse me...do you know whether there are any traps on the stairs?" Not that I'll take his word for it....

The disgusting dwarf sighs as the women seem to be thinking over his propositions and turns to Paul, "Traps, sure. Maybe. Not really. I don't go up there much. There were like some 'trials' or something on the way I think. Not really traps though. The steam here vents up into the throne room place and could burn ya if ya stand near it when it releases. The priestess said something about using it to open her pores, or something. Probably pretty easy to shut the vents off if you wanted."

He points at the vents above the four forges.

One Disable Device Check if you wish to disable the vents.

Cashel isn't really one for manual dexterity, but he does understand some of the principles of engineering, so he asks:

"Disabling the steam vents isn't going to cause a build-up of pressure down here that could cause an explosion, is it?"

It would be pretty ironic if disabling one trap actually armed a different one ;-)

"What are these 'trials' you mentioned?"

He shrugs, ”Probably not. It’s just set up to divert steam into the throne room.”

No lying detected.

Paul eyes the steam vents, then gets out his tools. "Needs must, and all that." He works slowly and carefully at the device.

Taking 10 on his Disable Device check gives a 21; start with that.

Paul fails to do the job, it’s apparently a pretty complicated system.

"Anyone have divine guidance for me?"

Disable Device check, including guidance: 1d20 + 11 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 11 + 1 = 24

"Sure!"

Cashel channels a Guidance into Paul.

Paul fails to do the job again, it’s apparently just baaaarely harder than he thought it would be. The dwarf snickers.

Then coughs to cover it up.

The half-elf frowns. "Nal, can you give me a hand with this?"

"Paul, I think you need a bit of Desna's luck..."

The cleric casts guidance on Paul and then provides a bit of luck.

"Now try again!"

Of course, my friend! Nal approaches and gives a couple of valuable recommendations on how his uncle opened such systems. Wow, suddenly this skill came in handy when we had a great rogue in the party.

Disable Device, AID: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23

Disable Device check: 1d20 + 11 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 11 + 1 + 2 = 34
Disable Device check, bit of luck: 1d20 + 11 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 11 + 1 + 2 = 30

Between Desna's blessing and Nal's advice, Paul does much better this time.

Paul finally figures it out and with a deft twist of the wrist the first vent snaps shut.

FORTUNATELY he needs no further help on the other three vents.

Only one check was necessary and all four can be closed. Onwards?

"Onward and upward, my friends!"

Cortina smiles at the rogue.

"Well done, Paul! As you see, about everything is possible if you believe in Desna's luck!"

She turns back to the dwarf.

"My friend Cashel here already asked you: What are these 'trials' you mentioned?"

He shrugs, ”Some sorta initiation thing I think, there are paintings explaining each I think.”

The slave doesn't have anything else to add.

The group moves up the stairs in the center of the room.

This next part has a map, but it's literally a condensed version of the actual map and there isn't combat and I don't even know why they did a map, it's all just the possible trials. You will see what I mean.

__________________________

The pathfinders find themselves on a long winding ramp that ascends gently in loops through the citadel. The ramp starts at five feet wide and gradually widens to ten feet. The corridor's walls are decorated with mosaics. The first one shows a woman leaving her family. The next few show a perilous journey through a desert. One depicts a dangerous sandstorm. Another depicts a steadfast refusal of water. And the third show a heat induced vision of moloch. On each mural a small golden idol (bull headed man) is perched on the woman's shoulder.

At this point there is a vent in the wall that is blowing superheated air from the forges below. Next to the vent is a pile of black sand. A mural on the wall depicts the woman placing the sand into the vent and allowing it to scour her face as it is blown into her face.

What do you do?!?

Paloma reviews the murals with a dubious expression. "He said these trials were some sort of initiation. Given we have no intention of joining up, probably best to avoid them. Seems to indicate the idol we came for is portable, at least." She casts a guidance as she double checks the way ahead before moving past the trial.

The way isn't blocked or anything to keep heading up, is it?

Perception for Hazards if we bypass the trial, guidance: 1d20 + 7 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 7 + 1 = 20

The way is not currently blocked.

"If it's tied to the exit we may have to, but let's start with not doing it."

Recalling what Zarta has asked him to do in the past, Cashel thoughtfully picks up some of the sand, and (after closing his eyes) throws it into the vent.

"Hmmm....should I blast hot sand into my face? No, thank you!"

Cortina also looks for hazards.

Perception, guidance: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 3 + 1 = 24

Cortina is pretty sure that blasting hot sand in your face is a hazard, but otherwise nothing strikes her as being dangerous. Paul suggests not doing it, but that doesn't stop Cashel's curiousity.

And for his interest, he recieves a painful scalding and shredding of his face. But good news, his pores have never been clearer!

Piercing: 1d3 ⇒ 3 + Fire: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Well, that is if he had any pores left after that.

Six points of damage Cashel, eesh. Anyone else up for this trial?

Do we all need to do that?

"I don't see the need now." I like my face the way it is.

Cashel calmly pulls out a wand, and taps himself with it.

CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6.

"Let's move on."

The next section shows the woman continuing her pilgrimage. The pilgrim encounters increasingly large fire creatures, but in each case she prostrates herself to them and is allowed to pass.

At the center of the pathway ahead, an obsidian statue of a towering bull-headed man looms over mosaics of pilgrims kneeling before it.

The statue does not fully block the way.

Following the implied guidance, Cashel kneels/prostrates himself before the statue.

Anticipating his next move, Cortina casts guidance on Cashel before he kneels.

Paloma's brow wrinkles in confusion as she watches Cashel's actions from a safe distance. She comments quietly to Jack, "This seems a bit far to go for academic curiosity..."

Agreed yeah. But I suspect it's either that or we get attacked.

The main thing is not to accidentally give your soul into the service of Hell thanks to all these kneels. Then a battle would be better, right?

Nothing seems to happen at the prostration, though perhaps that is the hopeful result.

The party safely passes the second trial and moves up the ramp.

The outermost loop shows the final judgment of the pilgrim. The golden idol looms over the entire Lava Temple, reflected in every torch, lava pool, and smoke plume.

The final mural shows the pilgrim immolating herself by placing her hand in a bonfire of blue flame. A much smaller brazier of blue flame stands on an ornate sconce in the passage. Nothing currently appears to block the way forward.

Paul grimaces. "I fight one-handed, so I suppose I'd better risk this." He steps up, takes a deep breath, and thrusts his left hand into the fire.

Grimacing slightly, Cashel steps forward, and plunges his hand in the flame.

Two pathfinders valiantly stick their hands in the fire. And it hurts like hell. LITERAL HELL.

Profane Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 1 AND Fire Damage: 1d3 ⇒ 3

Anyone else?

Jack winces. Better get that healing power of yours ready Paloma. And no way I'm doing that

When the two idiots party members :-P burn their hands, Cortina raises an eyebrow. What the...?! She sighs, then answers Jack: "I'm not doing that, either. But Paloma can hold her magic, because Cashel has some healing powers, too."

Paloma nods her agreement with Jack and Cortina, looking on with a sort of facinated horror while Paul and Cashel literally stick their hands in the fire. "Must be a half-elf thing..." She comments uncertainly.