[Outpost VIII] Mistress of the Maze

Game Master Super Zero

Nature: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

"Rakshasa? I've heard of them but I don't quite know what they are..." Kat says thoughtfully.

Avery Nature: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21
At this point it only really matters if you critically fail, so I'll just...
A failure, but there's no particular consequence for individual failure, and without Nevashi adding a third intentional failure that's only two--pass for the party.

"Well, maybe closer to 50," says Eliza consolingly, "and to be clear I mean this area with the runes and the gates. We traveled farther before that. And I think we're almost out of it--these things usually come in threes.

"A rakshasa is a kind of fiend, not as well known as demons and devils. I think that was a rakshasa. They're more vulnerable to stabbing, so that fits with Avery's arrows piercing his defenses better then anything else you threw at him."

Eliza's prediction proves true, and through the final gate the maze looks normal and everything transitions back to more solid forms. Including some of the runes of magic that swirl around the Pathfinders, crystalizing into a physical state--though some of them seem damaged and crumble to dust. These might be of interest to the right collector or mage, and therefore potentially valuable!

And a Hero Point for Narkru.

The seemingly natural pathway of this stretch of the maze is suddenly filled with gleaming, razor-edged objects. Each construct appears as a floating musical note, scribed from a minstrel’s playbook and etched upon the very air.

They're in the way. They look sharp, and they're obviously made of unstable magic... on the other hand they would probably make for interesting samples. The only other viable sample here are more of those crystallized phytoliths--the ones that Nevashi suggested the party collect.

Someone could probably move past one of them very carefully, and might even be able to shift them out of the way (or into Eliza's stabilization device). (Acrobatics) On the other hand.. are those notes spelling out a measure of music, if you look at them the right way? (Performance)

Trying to perform the music looks like it might be a little easier.

Map

"You do not want me to sing. That is not my specialty."

Narkru tries to tip-toe carefully, which looks almost a bit silly for someone of her size.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

Acrobatics(E): 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (4) + 14 = 18

Can you retroactively add +2 to Nakru's check from Follow the Expert?

EDIT - EEEEK!

Sure--still a failure, though.

Narkru almost slips past one of the notes, but she brushes against it and it bursts. Shards of crystal slice past her.
slashing damage: 2d6 ⇒ (6, 4) = 10

Kat's experience is quite similar.
slashing damage: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 5) = 6

On the plus side, it's easier to get past the notes when there are fewer of them. On the other hand, it's harder to read the music when some of the notes are missing.
Each destroyed note reduces the Acrobatics DC but increases the Performance DC. With two destroyed, Acrobatics is now easier.

Depending on how much time we have, Kat has an Aeon Stone so the damage is a non-issue unless something blows up at us

Earth armor gives resist 3 slashing, and I also have the same aeon stone as Kat so depending on time, may also heal that damage

Hancock tries to take a different path the bumblers before him. The whole set up kinda reminds him of the game 'Duck and Weave' from his childhood.

acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Bumblers?! :)

"Let see what I can do." Avery tells them. She pirroutes her way through the path of gleaming, razor-edged objects.

Acrobatics (T): 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23

Can I make another attempt?

Hancock and Avery both manage to gently move the notes without breaking them, and maneuver them into the stabilization device for collecting.

I assume, since you rejected collecting a phytolith before and have since confirmed that "Rindle" was working against you--though you can just move them out of the way if that's your intent.

Only one remains.
And yes, anybody can attempt the Acrobatics (easier) or Performance (harder) check.

Kat makes another attempt (mainly to not be referred to as a bumbler by Hancock! ;) )

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31

Kat executes her maneuver so flawlessly that she could probably have collected two notes.. if there were two left to collect.

"We only really needed one anyway," says Eliza, though she secures the third nonetheless.

Hancock grunts with approval.

After her stumble, Narkru stands and dusts herself off. Then she gathers that dust into a thin form of earth. "Well. Shall we proceed? And farther than 100 feet as well?"

Narkru channel elements in mild embarrassment.

The party travels on, and for a bit the Maze looks relatively normal--certainly long enough for the Pathfinders' healing aeon stones to heal the scratches from the exploding notes before they come to the next strange sight.

Masses of green crystallized sap form archways and honeycombs around a portal that has clearly been repaired and possibly augmented. Patterns of rigid luminous light mark the earth of the maze, frame various topiaries, and intersect around the base of each plant. Hovering spherical creatures survey the lengths of nearby topiary walls. At the center of the aperture hovers a living cloud made of shimmering runes and light.

The leader here (you can tell she's the boss because she isn't doing any actual work) is a woman who at first glance appears to be an elf. That assessment is clearly wrong, however.

She hurries over. She seems friendly and curious about the Pathfinders, but her speech is peppered with overly complicated, exactingly logical statements and mathematical expressions that make it a little difficult to parse. It seems like her team is eagerly working in this area to build a bridge from Axis into the maze. It’s unclear whether the axiomite realizes that they’ve spilled out of their native plane and into extraplanar space, but she is determined to restructure the area until it resembles the rest of Axis’s perfect order.

New map added.
The Pathfinders might try Diplomacy (or something like Axis Lore or Engineering Lore) to convince the Axiomite that this area does not blong to them, and that imposing order without the owners' permission is highly chaotic... or something along those lines.

Hancock looks ready to smack them back to the Axis plane, but Bruce steps forward.

diplomacy: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

"Do you know where you are? This is the open maze and belongs to the Pathfinder Society! What are you doing to the gate?"

Avery inspects their work, checking if the bridge is suitable to be built in the Maze.

Crafting: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

"Hmm, I don't think the bridge you are building suits well in the maze." Avery shares her thoughts with the axiomite.

"There's just too much... symmetry." She shrugs, tossing her arms up in dismay before turning away from the bridge inspection.

Crafting: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

Kat attempts to tell the creature that normal engineering principles don't apply here but she herself can't make heads or tails of what's going on.

Follow the Expert available for Acrobatics, Medicine and Crafting, in case anyone needs the +2

"You are mistaken. This is a gate within Axis, and must be restored to perfect order," the Axiomite answers Bruce, "As time approaches infinity, symmetry must approach one."

Though she considers Avery's words more carefully. "Maze. Yes. A Maze may seem chaotic, but there is an important pattern to the asymmetry. There is perhaps a lack of cohesion in our construction--and the lack of symmetry may suggest we are in error." She looks out and considers the rest of the hedge maze. "We may be expanding beyond our allotted territory, and that would be a critical mistake. We must proceed no further. As time X approaches infinity, our work Y must approach zero to enable the cessation of inappropriate expansion. Apologies. I can escort you through this area." She takes several baubles out of her belt pouches, perfectly symmetrical metallic formations of gold and silver. "This does explain why these were so unruly before our presence rendered order to them. I should return them to you, then, as apology for our intrusion."

"Oh, I'll take one of those as a sample," says Eliza, "but you should hang on to the rest, they should be valuable!"

Narkru, Avery has already succeeded, but if you'd like to try for a critical success feel free--though there could also be a consequence for a critical failure.

Narkru stands silently, not looking to throw things out of the symmetry that these people appreciate. She follows Eliza once she gets another sample.

Let's not risk making these folks mad. I'm good.

The axiomite leads the party through, and for a short distance the Maze seems relatively normal again. But then things start to look off. Sundered topiary beasts and tumorous growths of the maze’s vegetation are torn free from the walls and floors, fed into a swirling nothingness by rampaging proteans. This segment of the maze has been shattered by a rift. The Pathfinders find themselves quite suddenly in the middle stone island.

“Sorry my friends!" says Eliza, "It looks like this area has been overtaken by the forces of chaos made manifest. It looks like our route forward is the same as our route back. We’ll need to use those seedlings growing about to reconnect the broken shards of stone and change the destination of this portal we’re standing on!”

Pathfinders with her experience take these things in stride. Apparently. Eliza’s brow furrows in concentration as the stabilization device’s magic is assaulted by the swirling chaos all around.

"If you have healing potions or elixirs, you might be able to restore the plants quickly, and then we wouldn't need to worry about our friends there." Three proteans have taken interest int he Pathfinders. "But on the other hand, if you defeat the proteans you'll be able to work on the plants at your leisure."

There are two worm-like creatures that appear to be the same thing that Mr. Chitters was under his disguise. The third one is similar, but notably larger. Giggling madly, they move to attack!

Hancock's turn. You can interact to pour a healing potion or elixir of life on one of the seedlings to restore it. You can also attempt a Medicine check as an action (counts as Treat Wounds if you have anything that modifies that action).
Hancock (AC 22, 90+9/90 HP)
Blue Voidworm (Tiny)
Avery (AC 24/25, 72/72 HP)
- Sophia
Kat (AC 25, 80/80 HP)
Narkru (AC 24, 70/70 HP)

Is anyone surprised when Hancock launches into an attack on the yellow voidworm?

Hancock severely damages the largest worm, but he doesn't destroy it. This one seems considerably more durable then the smaller ones.
Two hits, second hit bloodies it.

The blue-est worm waggles its tendrils and utters some gibberish. Casting a spell? Thick mist suddenly envelops the central island, making it hard to be quite certain exactly where anything is.
◆◆◆ Cast obscuring mist. All creatures in the mist are concealed, and creatures outside the mist are concealed to creatures within it. Even if the aren't using the concealment to hide, targeting a concealed creature requires a DC 5 flat check.

Avery, Kaitlyn, and Narkru's turns. You can interact to pour a healing potion or elixir of life on one of the seedlings to restore it. You can also attempt a Medicine check as an action (counts as Treat Wounds if you have anything that modifies that action).
Hancock (AC 22, 90+9/90 HP)
Blue Voidworm (Tiny)
Avery (AC 24/25, 72/72 HP)
- Sophia
Kat (AC 25, 80/80 HP)
Narkru (AC 24, 70/70 HP)
Yellow Voidworm (-50 HP, bloodied, Small)
Red Voidworm (Tiny)

Narkru pulls out a bottle from the fallen Rindle’s sack and pours it onto the vines. She then summons a nearby rock to attempt to throw it in the direction of that yellow void worm that Hancock is beating on.

◆ Take out healing potion
◆ Feed healing potion to vines
◆ Channel elements, one action blast toward yellow

Flat Check: 1d20 ⇒ 7
Elemental Blast, bludgeoning: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (13) + 12 = 252d8 + 4 ⇒ (8, 1) + 4 = 13

"I'll take care of the hostilities!" Avery shouts through the mist.

Avery makes Blue Voidworm as her prey and launches an arrow at it after calling her owl for support.
DC 5 Flat check: 1d20 ⇒ 1 vs Concealment
+1 Striking Fearsome Sukgung Attack: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18 vs Target (becomes Frightened 1 at Crit Fail)
Damage: 2d8 ⇒ (3, 8) = 11 P damage
Precision Edge: 1d8 ⇒ 8 precision P damage to Prey the first time hit in the round
Sneak Attack: 1d6 ⇒ 2 precision P damage to Off-guard target

◆ Hunt Prey
◆ Command An Animal
◆ Strike

Sophia flies toward the Blue Voidworm and gives it a scratchy scratchy

◆ Fly
◆ Support

Kat steps towards two of the seedlings and treats them.

◆ Step
◆ Medicine (Assurance 20)
◆ Medicine (Assurance 20)