GD14 - Under the Eye of the Mantis (T3-4)

Game Master Nomadical

"Blibbity blobbity bloobity--Heehee! Blooobity! Blooobity blooobity bloobity! Heeheehee! ... Oh, my! Have I been babbling? I do believe I've been babbling! Heehee!" Mrs. Crinkle giggles at herself, but stops abruptly as the Carnelian Signet cuts down Eltis. "Oh, now dearie, that's not nice!" She hops over to the flaming ball of violence and raps her knuckles on the Signet's noggin. "Enough of that!" Her voice is still cheery on the surface, but there's a hard edge that creeps through.

Fist, +1 striking handwraps of mighty blows: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
Nonlethal bludgeoning damage: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (4, 2) + 4 = 10

◆ Stunned 1, ◆ Stride, ◆ Strike

The Carnelian Signet spotlights her enemy, the pernicious kobold caster, and moves to put him down. She does so in a single blow, dropping him to the floor before turning her attention to the next evildoer lurking in the darkness.

Eltis sees the Terror that Burns in Plain Sight just as she smacks him. As he lays upon the floor, his fevered dreams clear in a wash of healing magic from Adelmare.

Shalosar and Zenari are Stunned 1 and spend that 1 action babbling incoherently in the first round.

The Signet is still Confused for 1 minute but does not automatically get a new save at the end of each round. She does get the DC 11 Flat check each time she takes damage, though.

Round 1
The Hall of Mirrors
Conditions:
BOLD May Act

Mrs. Crinkle
Zenari (Stunned 1)
Adelmare
Shalosar (Stunned 1)
Eltis (-19, NOT confused)
The Carnelian Signet (-10 NL, Very Confused, Pending 1 Flat Check)

Confused means I am off-guard, so my effective AC is 19. This means Mrs. Crinkle critically hit me.

"Ha! Your leader is down!" The Carnelian Signet grins as the diminutive draconian devil is dealt a deadly blow. She snorts as the infernal quadruped heals him. "Fine. You're next!"

But then an older devil giggles her way up and punches her. "Boop? Is this some kind of spell meant to control me?"

Flat Check: 1d20 ⇒ 6

"I'll never give up!" She snarls as the aquatic devil gets her hands on her.

I'm now Grappled.

First action stunned 1
Second action, move to the Carnelian Signet.
Third action. Grapple the Carnelion Signet
athletics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + 12 = 27

”Come out, come out, wherever you are!”, Shalosar shouts to no one in particular. ”It’ll only hurt a lot, I promise!”

Then he looks around and realizes what’s actually happening. ”They’re in your head!”, he shouts at the Signet. ”Now get ‘em out, before we beat ‘em out of you!”

The chains erupt from his wrists. One of them curls into a spiky ball at the end, which he swings at the barbarian.

Stunned
Demoralize Signet
Channel Elements, Elemental Blast vs Signet, NL

Intimidation: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

Attack: 1d20 + 9 - 2 ⇒ (14) + 9 - 2 = 21
Damage: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6B

"A Kyton?" She sees a malevolent creature wrapped in chains and shadow. "I thought you were removed by those coastal wizards? Or are they just lying?"

Flat: 1d20 ⇒ 3 Aw yeah the only >10 I can roll is my attack against an ally

The chain whips across her face and she spits flame in disgust.

Zenari grabs the addled vigilante as a kyton appears from the shadows. But the Carnelian Signet is as stubborn as they come and refuses to back down.

The Signet is still Confused for 1 minute but does not automatically get a new save at the end of each round. She does get the DC 11 Flat check each time she takes damage, though.

Round 2
The Hall of Mirrors
Conditions:
BOLD May Act

Mrs. Crinkle
Zenari
Adelmare
Shalosar
Eltis (-19, NOT confused)
The Carnelian Signet (-26 NL, Very Confused, Grappled, OG, Frightened 1)

"OooOoo! We're going to rib you good for this when you come to, dearie! Heehee!" Mrs. Crinkle chuckles. She pokes her two fingers into the Signet's eyes, smacks her on the back of the head, and points to her chest. "Oh, my! You've got some food on your shirt there dearie!" When the Signet looks down, the cute little old lady twists her wrist and plunges two fingers up the younger woman's nostrils.

Fist: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
Bludgeoning damage, nonlethal: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (4, 1) + 4 = 9

Fist, MAP: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15
Bludgeoning damage, nonlethal: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (3, 1) + 4 = 8

Fist, MAP: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10
Bludgeoning damage, nonlethal: 2d4 + 4 ⇒ (4, 3) + 4 = 11

Or at least, she tries to do all that. The Carnelian Signet ducks and weaves around the old lady's juvenile strikes like a leaf in the wind.

◆ Strike, ◆ Strike, ◆ Strike

Eltis groans from the floor..
"I've had enough of this."
And casts Dispel magic ont he whirling red dervish.

counteract: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

**HOUSE GM ANNOUNCEMENT**
Seeing weary faces all around her, Zarta Dralneen unlocks a secure portion of her messenger bag and produces a small hourglass filled with orichalcum and dawnsilver particles. She winks. “I had a hunch you’d turn to me for a bit of refreshment.” With a flick of her finger, the hourglass begins to spin in its rune-engraved frame, seeming to rewind some elements of time for the assembled agents.

The Short Skip condition is now in effect.

"Playing with your food?" The Carnelian Signet swerves and twirls around all of Mrs. Crinkle's attacks. "You'll regret this!"

The tiny leader casting magic on her makes her angrier. "No! I'll never submit!" The aquatic devil keeps her grappled.

Waiting for Dispel Magic results before I manage to roll 3 20s or something.

Mrs. Crinkle puts on a comedy routine reminiscent of a certain three stooges. The Stoic Signet is seriously unimpressed.

But when the tiny leader of the evil cabal of stooges casts a spell on the Signet clearly trying to control her mind…

She awakens to realize just what she has done.

Combat Over

Eltis (-19)
The Carnelian Signet (-26 NL)

As you assess your situation, you realize that the passage is now safe for others to follow now that you have taken the brunt of the magic. You return to get your next assignment from Zarta who shows you the artifact she brought from the Grand Archives that somehow turns back a little piece of time. See Discussion for the effects of the Time Skip condition.

As Zarta’s hourglass comes to a stop, Eando Kline approaches your team. He tells you to take a 10-minute break, but then he needs you to handle an important matter for him. He indicates a building tucked away in a corner, far from the rest of the action. “Our scouts saw some undead retreating that way. Get in there and press the advantage we’ve got going here. Let’s keep the enemy on their heels so they don’t get any time to recover!”

This building, an abandoned candy shop, is made of wood and has thin paper-covered windows, preventing anyone from seeing in or out. However, they are also so thin that you’re certain you could just barge right through a door or window if you wanted to.

You have the benefit of a 10-minute rest to heal up.

You can assemble in whatever formation you’d like outside the doors or windows and can present a short narrative for how you barge or sneak inside. Each character may choose to use their choice of skills for initiative in the upcoming encounter based on this story. Characters breaking down doors should be able to use skills like Athletics, Intimidation, Warfare Lore, etc., stealthy PCs can use Deception, Stealth, Thievery, etc.

Please place yourselves in the Red Box on this slide, describe what you’d like to do for Initiative, and then go ahead and roll your own Initiative.

The leader casts a nefarious spell, and The Carnelian Signet's vision dims as smoke fills her eyes. She comes to a rest as her rage gives way.

"What? You rescued me?" She pants. "Thank you, I was ambushed by a group of Infernal creatures. I cut their leader down only for a quadruped to heal him. And then an aquatic devil held me in place while the cursed wolf tried to trick me."

"Why is everyone looking at me like that?"

As the truth becomes clear, The Carnelian Signet gets on her knees and bows to Eltis. "Please accept my apologies, Eltis. I thought... Sortoz's magic was too strong for me."

Once the team recovers, Eando Kline gives the Carnelian Signet an excuse to vent out her frustration. "With pleasure."

"You wanted to hide, and yet..." With her flaming kinetic aura raised and at the ready, she bats a flame with her sword like a baseball, smashing the small fire ball through the window.

Athletics (T): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29

”Just glad you didn’t hit me like that”, says Shalosar, as he tries to patch up the Signet.

Battle Medicine: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11
Healing: 2d8 ⇒ (8, 6) = 14

Letting her be the center of attention once again, Shalosar tries a more subtle approach from the other window.

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Eltis gives the Red Rage Beast a hug. "You weren't yourself. I was affected as well but your, er, concussive medicine knocked it out of me."
He gives her a big smile and tries to give her a little healing.

medicine: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20
healing: 2d8 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7

He also offers her 2 minor healing potions 1d8 each) saying, "I have one heal spell and a scroll left that will liekly be best used in battle. Will you be OK?"

He will then drink the potion he received at the start of the fun quest..
lesser heal pot: 2d8 + 5 ⇒ (4, 7) + 5 = 16

She drinks one of the minor healing potions.
1d8 ⇒ 6

Then she drinks her own Lesser Healing Potion.
2d8 + 5 ⇒ (2, 6) + 5 = 13

7 non lethal damage remaining. I really got to buy that Aeon Stone...

"Thank you for accepting this fool's apology. I pray you won't have to again."

As soon as the Carnelian Signet's ball of fire clears the window, Mrs. Crinkle's lupine form bashes through the rest of it. Shaking off shards of glass that tinkle as they fall around her, she growls: "Raaaarrrrr! I want meat!"

Athletics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

Earlier ...

Make up your mind Klein

Now ..

Zenari gets ready to jump through the window after Mrs Crinkle.

**HOUSE GM ANNOUNCEMENT**
Viore Ciobanu blasts a ghoul to cinders while Giovana decapitates another with her wicked blades. The pair burst through a pair of large iron-bound doors. The Venture-Captain calls out, “We’ve reached the inner sanctum, Pathfinders. Hurry! We need to brief you for the final assault!”

The Breached Sanctum condition is in effect. Table GMs, you have 2 days to resolve your encounters.

Adelmare takes a look at the windows, and sighs dramatically.

"One day, I too will be able to jump from or onto something like you little ones, but for now I shall continue through the door."

As you line up outside the flimsy doors and windows ready to burst in, you hear a commotion from within. Upon breaching the door, you find no one remaining in the old tavern. It appears that any undead or Disciples that might have been there have already fled.

You make your way back to find Eando consulting with some senior agents. He turns to receive your report and smiles in satisfaction. "It appears that some of the rats are abandoning the ship. With their whole operation crumbling around them, Sotroz and Rowan the Whispering appear to be consolidating their remaining forces in the sanctum where their magical experiments were taking place. We've even spotted the two arguing and apparently blaming each other for the failure of the whole operation. Let's rally with the others and get ready for the final confrontation."

"Good, I can't wait!" The Carnelian Signet grins. "I still have to repay Sotroz for their illusion..."

Huh. Didn't wanna play... Zenari actually sounds disappointed. Shows they have no honour

However she perks up when she hears they're going after the boss.