[Gameday XIII] PFS1e 6-04 - Beacon Below (KS)

Game Master phaeton_nz

"Uhh, let's approach carefully." Gurgle says nervously. Then adds, "or not at all. This doesn't seem right."

He then turns to his teammates,
"That must be Badru. What next?"

Guy wanders over to join the others.

"Well, we talk to him. Hear his part of the story. Unless we do something antagonistic, I think he will be open to discussion, so keep chill."

"We humbly request permission to enter!" Taresh waits a while for an answer, and if none is heard, tiptoes into the room, checking what the invader might have been and why he thinks "disassembled" is a better term than "eviscerated" or "slaughtered". Is it the nature of the corpse or the methodology involved in extinguishing its life? If there doesn't seem to be anyone to talk to yet, the Varisian decides to look around. "If you can find Badru, go right ahead and ask your questions. I'll check what sort of thieves we might be dealing with."

So. I presume you have sided with Saruna. It would be better if you destroy her and side with me instead. I hear you have questions. What would you like to know?

"We'd like to hear you story. It is always best to hear both sides."

Nikita stands silently with his arms crossed.
A plague o' both your houses!

I am Master of the Archives, Badru. I am a loyal servant of the great Jeweled Sages.

He tells his story. As a mortal apprentice, Badru served the Amethyst Sage with zealous devotion, hoping that his contributions might allow him to climb the order’s hierarchy and be honored with stewardship of a sage jewel. At the outbreak of Keleshite aggression, Badru watched his mentor with awe as the sage undertook dangerous missions to preserve Osirion’s history and the sages’ work. This apparent sacrifice in the name of the greater good inspired Badru to volunteer when the Amethyst Sage first asked for assistance in his immortality rites. The experiments in transferring a soul from one vessel to another was a success, so to speak, resulting in Badru’s transformation into a soulbound construct.

He was not appalled by his new condition. In fact, he has gradually come to see his state as a blessing that ensures his survival until the day his mentor returns. He has cobbled together numerous mannequins and mummies since then, in the hope of sharing his flesh to-construct metamorphosis with others.

That Saruna chafes under her own transformation at the Amethyst Sage’s hands is only further proof that she is disloyal, untrustworthy, and deserving punishment.

Badru’s voice is flat and affectless, and his immobile funeral mask gives him a somber appearance. An amethyst gem embedded in his chest, partly concealed by his ancient formal robes, sends animating energy through his frame.

His starting attitude is indifferent.

"Look, I have no issues with constructs, though I gravely dislike undead, particularly evil ones. And though I would not choose to become one, I respect your decision to do so. I do not really understand this rivalry you two have. Do you know of any way to unseal the library without killing anyone? Seems rather drastic to me. "

diplomacy: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (16) + 20 = 36

No ... she must die ... again. It is the only way

"It sounds like you are dedicated to the preservation of the knowledge accumulated by the sages. If we slay her, will you help us preserve and record the knowledge here and unseal the lower level? We have been tasked with recording the information here and discovering the fates of this area by the Diamond Sage."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (2) + 19 = 21

I see no problem with that, as long as I survive

Guy refuses to accept that someone must cease to exist to open a bloody door. "Isn't there any way to extract a gem, use it, and then return it bringing the victim back to consciousness?"

I wonder if he was like that before deciding to become a doll, or if the process just robbed him of every iota of empathy. At least Saruna was relatable. Taresh is watching the negotiations, thinking about if we're going to end an inhumane construct-bound fanatic or a self-hating mummified sphinx to protect the archives.

"There might be ways to work around this. There are various spells that might thwart the seal, but I doubt dispel magic will suffice and I don't think we have access to an Antimagic Field or Mage's Disjunction. I think if we modify the soulstones for either Badru or Saruna in the way the ritual described, we probably are not going to be able to put them back any more than we could restore on of us if we used one of our hearts for a similar ritual."

"Nikita, what do your senses tell you about Badru here? Do you think we can trust him more than Saruna?"

Badru detects as evil, same as Saruna. They're both undead

"Would you be able to help us at all if we fought her? What sort of aid could you give us? And how has one of you not been able to destroy the other over all this time?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (12) + 19 = 31
Bluff: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (17) + 12 = 29

I'm currently leaning towards fighting Badru, as they're both evil undead and he seems less helpful in general. Katswiri's going to see if
she can get him to tell us anything about how combat capabilities and maybe let us head out and buff/prepare before coming back for him though.

Guy, who thinks every problem can be solved if the parties just talk, suggests, "Maybe we could just put them in a room together and let them work things out themselves."

Evil iz Evil. Lyessyer, gryeatyer, meeddleeng… Makes no difference. Ze degree eez arbitary. Ze definition’s blurred. Eef I’m to choose between one evil and anozeyer… I’d razer not choose at all.

Nikita's jaw tightens slightly.

I don't zeenk we should leave any undead behind here. Evil eez evil. Negotiations in search of a lesser evil... You get zee idea.

We have been too easily matched for so long ... but with your help .. the balance my be tipped .. in my favour

Gurgle's eyes dart back and forth at his teammates. He's severely at a loss about what to do. Badru and Saruna are both evil undead. Destroy them both? He thinks for a moment...

Licking his lips in anxiety while glancing at his companions, Gurgle's brows furrow. He nonchalantly reaches for his sword sheathed at his side.