[PFS1e CORE][1-34] An ULTRA PLUS Encounter at the Drowning Stones (Inactive)

Game Master Will Huston

If she was gated it, that might tell us a bit about how she got here, and what we still have to face. She could have been here for hundreds of years. If she was just summoned, then there is another baddie in the not-very-far-away sense.

The scholar steps forward to examine the dead succubus. He has met them before, but this one seems somehow different. Maybe it was her unusual lack of minions, or willingness to engage in hand to hand combat, or general lack of subtly. But something seemed wrong to him.

Anything obviously different about this one from a regular succubus?
Did the body fade as it would if she was a normal summons?

She did have minions at the beginning, but not enough, and not nearly strong enough to really pose a threat. They have a laughably low perception check written in to notice the skum waiting around her in the bushes with their weapons drawn. (Numair would have to roll a highly negative number on the die to fail it.) I thought about going ahead with her trying to fool the party and lie, until someone actually asked for a perception check, but I figured that would be cheating Numair out of his investment in perception.

Cenae slices into the succubus, who does not fade away. Black demonic ichor pours from her body into the jungle dirt. The skum have gold and their weapon armor both detect as magical. both of the skum have +1 leather armor and +1 tridents. One of the skum has a leather bag, inside of which is a decapitated human's head. Old Faction mission stuff, but I thought it's a nice touch.

Cenae
Numair
Khellek
Grog (-24)

The sound of water rushing is overpowering. The waterfalls that the Drowning Stones drown in must be nearby, perhaps less than an hour's walk.

Question for the party, would you want to do the optional combat encounter?

Numair nods to Cenae.

"Hmm... Better decapitate her, just to be safe."

Re: The Optional Encounter, I do not mind either way :-)

He then taps Grog a few times, to show willing.

Wand of CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7.
Wand of CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7.
Wand of CLW: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9.

If it doesn't really matter, I'm happy to skip the optional combat. If others want to do it, happy to oblige them though. Also, the heroisms were all extended, so they are good for almost three hours

"That is odd." notes the scholar seeing the demons body not fade.

"Very odd. She must have found some way to come here by herself. On the plus side that means that we are unlikely to have to deal with someone who can summon a succubus. Which may prove problematic even for Bessie."

Cenae shrugs and speculates, ”Aren’t devils used in long term protection contracts? Maybe it was that? Or… maybe a gate to hell has opened. That would be more concerning.”

Optional would be acceptable. Water Breathing on all for sure now that we can hear the falls.

skipping is OK with me

Alright, cool, we'll skip. The encounter is more annoying than anything, as far as I can tell.

A low-rolling fog creeps from a clearance in the jungle ahead. A small, mist-filled gorge splits the landscape. Shallow waterfalls spill over the steep palisades, fed by runoff from brooks and other trickling waters that snake through the humid jungles. From out of the ravine below climb twin stone megaliths carved into vaguely humanoid shapes. Their eroded faces turn upward so their gaping mouths fill with water. Badly weathered, the craftsmanship and culture is beyond recognition. About fifty feet below, amid dried, broken branches and other detritus, hundreds of cracked bones litter the misty ravine floor.

The Drowning Stones are gigantic, nearly 40 feet tall. They also sit on the opposite edge of the gorge, so the Pathfinders must find somehow to get to them from here. The mundane way would be to climb down the ravine wall, but obviously, perhaps a Pathfinder knows of a non-mundane way. DC 15 Climb check to climb the deceptively slippery slope. Khellek would recognize the pale slime covering the ravine walls as bat guano.

"It looks like bats live there. If you were to climb down, you might disturb them." warns the scholar.

His attention is however diverted away from bat guano and its uses in fire magic, and toward the two massive heads.

"Do you think they drop people in the mouths and drown them for real here?" he asks as his poor eyes pick up the glimmer of bones in the river. "What sort of creatures were they do you suppose?"

Any check to id the type of creatures that the bones come from?

Oh, sorry, I thought it was just a heal check, but it also allows a knowledge (nature), and Khellek would recognize the bones of being both animals and humanoids. The scenario doesn't specify, but I'd assume human, elf, orc, dwarf, all pretty common in the Mwangi Expanse

Numair casts Fly, and then quietly scopes out the area, not willing to undergo the indignity of sliding down the slope.

"Numair what did you see?"

"Well, since you asked..."

Perception: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (17) + 22 = 39.

Cenae pulls out a rope and looks for a place to tie it off, ”We will need a second rope, anyone got one?”

The elderly scholar eyes the rope and chasm with unease. "You want me to skinny across a rope like a child? he asks in horror.

"How... undignified."

Looking down at the bones he shudders "A surprisingly large number of humanoids down there. I wonder if this is used as a place of ritual sacrifice?"

Oh, he really is starting to lose it. He doesn’t even remember the briefing. He seems to know a bunch of other stuff though, maybe the old man is just tired. This trek was rough.

She is diplomatic enough to easily scour any pity from her words, ”Ah yes, it appears so. Good observation. Also, we just need the rope to climb down and back up. No crossing a chasm at all.”

"Young lady... I have not climbed down a rope in many, many years. states the historian. "I have seen sights beyond belief, travelled to the past and other worlds. I am an acknowledged expert on the history of Talor... All of it. I Do Not Climb Ropes."

From the look of the old man, it would appear his claim could well be true. Those arms have not lifted anything much heavier that a hefty book for many a year.

The priest shrugs, ”Well, unless you have an alternative way down, we can just leave you up here to guard the route back.”

She ties off her own rope and turns to Grog, ”You got a rope too? We need more length than I have to make it all the way.”

With a sigh the scholar considers. "Maybe we could fashion a harness and Mr Grog could carry me up the other side?"

"Yeah I got rope. No problem Khellek." Grog points his his back and gets out his rope. "Hop on!" He ties off his rope.

can we take 10 on climb?

Cenae volunteers to climb first since Grog is carrying a fra-gi-le package.

Climb Take Ten on rope braced against a slope (DC 5?): 10 - 1 = 9

"Well, since you asked..."

Perception: 1d20+22.

[assuming the sorceror isn't going up and like, touching the drowning stones, and is up flying away from them]

Cenae loses her grip on the guano-covered rock and falls down the ravine.

Damage: 4d6 ⇒ (5, 1, 2, 6) = 14

You can take ten but a 9 is not sufficent to climb and fails by enough for you to fall.

As Cenae starts to fall Khellek cries out. "Look out!".

Perhaps not the most helpful reaction, but then again, as he does so, she starts to slow down, drifting gently to the ground.

Casts feather fall on her.

Numair happily retrieves the tube, bringing it back for the others to assess.

He happily shares his discovery of a possible underground tunnel with the others.

Cenae looks at the rope, looks at the slope, back at the rope, then up at Khellek, ”Odd, usually a rope is easier to climb down. This place must definitely be cursed. Thanks for the assist.”

Inside the tube is a handy haversack, and inside the haversack is a bottle of air. Alongside the bottle, there's a set of ancient maps, with Abyssal scribbling on it.

There are also a few glyphs on the megaliths that will need either a Knowledge Religion (from Numair or Cenae) or someone needs to get Khellek down somehow.

Khellek looks at the bottle. "Interesting. This is a map... these areas here." and here he points. "Look to be areas that someone is wanting to expand into, and these.." here he points to some other area "And where troops are, or were.. massing. What an interesting document. I wonder what age it relates to. This is a wonderful find friend Numair. Potentially immense historical value."

How old does the map appear to be? Or could it be current?

Knowledge: Religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12

I think Grog was going to lower me.

yep

The maps are centuries old.

Can I get a climb check from Grog? I imagine that having Khellek would bring you to a medium load, which should be -3 compared to your normal armor check penalty. You can take ten if you like.

Krrshht-whirrrr

"Good.evening.my.name.is.Grog."

Climb: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15

"Look.at.this.I.have.accomplished.my.task.Again.My.Name.is.Grog."

Numair gives Grog-bot a thumbs-up.

"This weathered and withered frame of mine would not have had the strength to do that."

Now that Khellek is down with megaliths, the aged scholar can tell the group that the glyphs at the base of the megalith are sigils associated with the demon lord of suicide and heresy, Sifkesh.

In the tunnel in the base of the second megalith, the sloped shaft quickly becomes too treacherous to stand, and the party slides nearly 80 feet, and luckily there are no fiendish giant bats to harass the party while they traverse. At the end of the sloped shaft, there lies a small hole that descends nearly 200 feet, into the Darklands. Luckily, a crude ladder made of wooden spikes will allow you climb down.

Numair elects to Fly down, not entirely trusting either his upper body strength, nor the wooden spikes.

Cenae waits for Grog to go first and then follows.

As does Khellek. Ready with another feather fall if required.

Thanks for the bot

Grog heads down and looks around.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

The workmanship is crude, but whatever is down there probably uses it.

So Numair is flying, the rest of you taking 10 to climb the ladder?

Cenae will take ten on the ladder. If it supports Grog’s weight, it must be pretty sturdy.

Khellek, elderly though he may be, is confident enough to try a rope ladder.

"Why, not thirty years ago the Master of Swords himself complimented me on my rope work. he says with a hint of pride as he takes to the ladder behind Grog.

"Nice Khellek...I was just a wee lad ha.."

Eventually the party makes it down to the bottom of the cavern, having to make a leap of faith into the waters below, which breaks their fall. (Except for Numair, who can fly.) Its dark, dim light from lumniscent moss is the only light down here. A massive stalagmite juts from the floor on the dry part of the cavern. The stalagmite is carved to look like a human woman with bird wings, and her eyes and mouth sewn shut. Prayers written in Abyssal cover the statue. Around the cavern, several green-skinned skum circle the cavern, hooting in Aboleth.

Their leader with his purple cape is at the stalagmite with his trident glowing. He points at the Pathfinders, and shouts in a slurred Common, "Be gone from my Lady's realm!" He sniffs the air, and a cruel smile twists on his face, and then points at Khellek. "You will be a good sacrifice for the stones. You live for now, the others leave, and then you die later."

One skum pops out of the water next to the party.

Khellek looks around, wondering who is being pointed at. Eventually he realises the skum must be referring to himself. "My.. ahh.. maybe not so good man. I am many things, but a sacrifice is not one of them." He pats Bessie.
"And Bessie here agrees with me."

Numair is not so foolish as to land, but stays comfortably up in the air.

"Well then, there you have it. How would you like your end to go? 'Original recipe' skewers (crossbow bolt)... or 'Extra crispy' (Fireball)?"

Grog pats his axe.

"Or chopped?" He grins.

Cenae voices her opinion, ”Extra Crispy is my vote.”

Flames dance on her fingertips.

I see the map is up, initiative?

"Erk erk, erk, not all of you had to die," Mogla-Tor rumbles.

INITIATIVE
Mogla-Tor Initiative: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Red Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
Blue Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16
Pink Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Green Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Orange Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Yellow Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 1 = 11
Khellek Initiative: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Grog Initiative: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (3) + 0 = 3
Cenae Initiative: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (7) + 0 = 7
Numair Initiative: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Whoa, what happened to the dice roller

Blue
Khellek
Yellow
Cenae
Numair
Mogla-Tor
Red
Green
Grog
Pink
Orange

Blue dives into the water. based off the cut-out vertical view of the map, I am pretty sure that the water is much deeper than you are tall.

It just knew that Khellek had read about a situation like this before, and is thus naturally prepared for it!

"Quick my students. Onto them!"

And what remarkable quickness his students do have. Casts haste

"Into them!"

And inspire courage +2

Khellek says a few words of encouragement. One of the skum throws their trident at Numair.

Trident: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Piercing Damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

The trident actually strikes true and cuts into the sorceror's belly!

Round 1 (haste and Inspire Courage +2 active)
Blue
Khellek
Yellow
Cenae
Numair (-7)
Mogla-Tor
Red
Green
Grog
Pink
Orange