PFS1e 7-01 - Between the Lines (KS)

Game Master phaeton_nz

Findlefarb catches and stores his clubs. He looks around with a shrug. "Well, if I were an archivist, and interested in memories and information... I'd start with the books."

He reads over the spines of the books before choosing one and reads.

It looked like a childrens's book but when he opened it, he discovers that the texts are far more advanced than a child could read—each is an issue of the Pathfinder Chronicles or a well-known arcane text.

Definitely an anomaly.

"Well, we found the weird bit. Now what?" Ruby asks, holding a book open and turning it to see the exposed pages from various angles.

Ruby starts pulling all the books off of the shelf to see if anything is behind them. "Anyone want to help me here? Maybe the dolls are more than just creepy?"

Skurge starts searching through the dolls, moving each one to see if any are playing possum.

The dolls are normal and there is nothing unusual behind the books. However, Wulessa confirms that they physically resemble her childhood books, but she wasn’t such a prodigy that she could have read and understood any of these.

Maybe a will save to disbelieve like before?

Will: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

While the others pause to ponder other options, Ruby starts giving each of the dolls a book to read. With the final book, she sits down with the book open in front of her. How do we get out of a fake world? If the Archivist can make stuff real, CAN I?!

Pointing with her stick, she aims at the far corner of the room and envisions a fireball erupting. Her face scrunches and contorts as she attempts to impose her version of reality onto the world around her.

Huong starts Searching the walls of the room looking for a possible exit that's not easily seen.

Ruby concludes that the books are definitely an anomaly that makes this room less real. Maybe concentrating on that then disbelieving might be the way to go.

Unfortunately Ruby also discovers that rejecting this reality and substituting her own doesn't work - which, considering what a fireball would do in here, is probably a good thing.

All Huong finds are blank walls.

Findlefarb reads more into the books. "An archivist would want to know this information, wouldn't they? If they're taking this sort of info from Yuul, then would they be taking it from us?"

Turning to the mirror, he adds, "Do you recognize what's in the book? Is it stuff you know?"

He starts reading the mirror image of the book, and looking deeper. Maybe the book has a way out?

Disbelief: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

Djahan has no familiarity with this kind of dream scape, but he knows what a fractured mind can cause! He concentrates on his environment to see if he can affect it in any way.

Djahan would like to summon his phantom into this world. Does that work?

"The books are fake, the books are fake, THE BOOKS ARE FAKE!" Ruby shouts, focusing on the books' shortcomings and rejecting her current environment. For good measure, she taps her heels together thrice.

Will to Disbelieve!: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Ruby is able to disbelieve but, instead of returning home (is she wearing ruby slippers?), she, and the others who follow her lead, see the room shimmer and change again. The shape remains the same, but the walls and floor resolve into a series of glass tiles that creates a checkerboard of luminescent blue and light swallowing black. The door vanishes, revealing a passage filled with the same half-light. Opposite this, the room breaks away entirely. An entire wall is missing, leaving a jagged hole overlooking a void occupied by nothing more than deep purple mist, seemingly born out of and reabsorbed by the darkness. Somewhere in the depths, a tremendous crystalline shape flashes through the mist. The room is otherwise featureless, devoid of all angles. Even the floor has a slight curvature, melding smoothly into the walls.

"Wow thanks for that Ruby, I had no idea. I guess the crystalline shape is our next stop?

Huong says "I think we need to use this again. , waving a now familiar wand.

Pretty sure we spent an hour since the last casting. If so Huong will burn another 5 charges.

"I am not very comfortable with the darkness. Time to shed some light on the mater."[b] Huong adds, casting Light on his staff. [b]"Now then, let us see what we can see."

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Djahan is clearly surprised.

”Well, this really seems to be another world!! So what is our purpose? What do we need to do here?“

GM, does my phantom materialize here as it is a part of my mind?

"Well, I must say, while avant-garde, this new interior decoration does nothing for me."

Findlefarb looks around. Is the Yuul mirror still around, or has it been replaced with something else?

The mirror is not there and Djahan was able to materialise his phantom.

As you are assessing your situation some of the light and dark tiles shift to form pictures. First there is an eye then a question mark.

Ruby reaches out to the side and takes hold of something nearby. A form, vaguely humanoid and composed of light, begins to materialize with the Halfling holding what would be its hand. Skipping up to the eye, she tries to poke it with her stick. "Eye see you!" she chuckles. "Do another one, do another one!"

Dancing Lights!

The young ghostly phantom materializes again and looks around at the group.

"Oh here we go! I am back! Yeah, do not mention that you pulled me here to help!"

"Well, this is for a detective?! I'm shy, paranoid, whatever word you want to use. I hate fame. I've done everything I can to avoid it. But the attention is always on me!" the little creature says with a grin.

"So maybe it tries to tell us that we should look for something? Start searching!!"

The phantom starts to look around the room like a child going through everything and checking the mist and the crystalline shape.

Djahan just shakes his head because of the embaressing behavior and nods at Ruby.

"Let the phantom check the area out there first. It cannot be easily hurt!"

I wait for the phantom to complete searching before I look around.

The response to Ruby is a what looks like a smiling emoji followed by the letters U R and a question mark.

All rooms on this layer are open to a void that they encircle. Despite this, the space within this void is virtually infinite, and it is impossible to view other rooms across it. These openings into the void are ragged holes into which glass bricks occasionally break off and drift away. Entering the void is impossible. Approaching within 10 feet causes the terrain to warp and lengthen for that person. Walking, flying, and even teleportation never bring one to the edge, although the traveler seemingly recedes into the distance from the perspective of outside observers—a surreal optical illusion.

"Yay!" Ruby cheers, clapping her hands. "I'm Ruby! And this is..." she continues on, introducing everyone in the group, even nailing Findlefarb's full name.

"Who aaarrrrr you?" she asks, curling a finger like a pirate's hook and closing one of her eyes.

Ruby gets a thumbs up emoji then what appears to be a rotating hourglass which is then replaced by a set of scales used for weighing.

Skurge looks around to see how many books he needs to balance on the scales to counter Ruby, who I am sure will be soon jumping on the scale.

Djahan looks at the symbols and shrugs.

”So do you know why we are here? Do you know what happened with our venture captain?“ he asks the ominous symbols.

It's a block image of a set of scales made out of the light and dark squares on the floor.

Oof, ok this one has me a little stumped. Presumably the hour glass rotating was like a "loading screen" and the entity we are communicating with had to think how to express its identity through what's basically pixel art. Considering the GM used scale in their description, that likely rules out that as the name. Balance, maybe? Any other ideas? Iirc Abadar has scales as a prominent feature, or did historically, but if that is true, I'd find it highly unlikely that we are communing with a Deity while in a mindscape thing XD

Ruby knows she is communicating with something. Could it be that archivist that was mentioned earlier?

"Are you the archivist? What do you want?How do we get out of here?"

Looking at the slides, it looks like there is a hallway out of the room
?

lol clearly trying too hard, I thought we had to come up with the Archivist's name!

Ruby waits with anticipation for the answer to Skurge's question.

There is no response to the question about the Venture Caption nor to the 'why we are here question. Other questions about it's nature get some very vague answers such as the balance scales or chains being broken or reforged.

But the last question from Skurge produces an arrow that points towards the passage to the south, away from the rift.

"Since we seem to be making no other progress, how about we head south and see what it leads to?"

Dr. Watson is seemingly baffled by all the strange things happening.

Huh? What's going on here? I don't understand at all... ah, an arrow! Maybe we should follow it?

"Uh... I... agree?"

"We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!" Ruby begins singing as she skips off to the southern passage, glowing companion following her step for step. "Thanks Mister, or Miss, or Missus, or other honorific that doesn't conform to my preconceived gender or marital norms!"

Ruby skips down the passage, followed by the rest of the party. The south passage turns east then As it curves toward a set of doors, the glass tiles suddenly give way to worked stone. Behind, the structure remains uniform, as though the glowing glass hallway were never there.

If you backtrack, the tunnel dead ends 50ft behind you.

The double doors are unlocked and they open onto a balcony overlooking a wide chamber. A winged statue formed out of the stone wall looms ominously
from across the room. Catwalks wind around the edges and across the room, leading to a primitive altar in front of the statue. Above and below the suspended middle level of the room, gratings in the floor and ceiling produce a constant upward-moving breeze. While the statue seems crafted to represent a male human-avian hybrid, its face is unmistakably that of Wulessa Yuul.

"Well, thank you for that well to keep us from falling behind," Findlefarb quips.

Looking the chamber over, he checks the breeze, looks the railings over, and says, "So who here expects to fly under these conditions, hmm? Let's see..."

Pulling a ball from his juggling set, he tosses it into the room.

"Wulessa! Can you hear us!" Ruby calls out to the statue. "I think we should go look at the statue closer."

She waits to see what the bouncy ball does before trekking into the room herself to investigate the statue.

Skurge follows Ruby, trying hopelessly to keep her out of trouble.

The bouncy ball doesn't set anything off. This room is lit by a series of torches around the room’s perimeter, providing normal light throughout. The catwalks are 20 feet above the room’s floor.

Ruby then approaches the statue The statue remains motionless until Ruby approaches within 10 feet, at which point Wulessa’s face animates and speaks.

I remember this. It was my first expedition after joining the Pathfinder Society. We discovered a lost shrine to—I will not speak his name—The King of Wind Demons. We sought a golden icon hidden in the altar. The way down was easier than expected. There were traps, but we bypassed them. The way to the shrine was hidden, but we found the trigger to open it. And then... there were guardians. Here. Two of us died. They came from the air itself. I think you are in danger! Here, take this; it may aid you against the dangers here.

As Wulessa warns the PCs, a rope falls from the ceiling, landing at their feet. After she speaks, the sound of wind pouring from the vents below increases. One round later, vapor starts pooling below. A round after that, the vapor coalesces into a pair of misty guardians that attack.

((Will roll inits now but you have two rounds to prep - which include Wulessa manifesting a potion of the PCs’ choice upon the altar.))

Huong Chan: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Findlefarb: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Djahan: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Ruby: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Skurge: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Dr. Watson: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

them: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

Huong will spend the first round renewing everyone's Mage Armor with his wand (5 more charges).

If he has t he time before combat starts but when the 2 enemies form, Huong would like to try and identify them. Arcana/Planes (+8).

Skurge readies to attack the first enemy that comes in range.

Findlefarb looks at the coalescing mist guardians with fascination. "And what are these supposed to be?"

Knowledge(bardic): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22

You identify them as Mihistus, but, as with the hag you encountered earlier, there seems to be something different about them.

"Aha! Mihstus! Assassins from the Elemental Plane of Air that try to suck your life out of you! And they're likely illusory like the hag before!"

Waving his fingers in the air, he pulls out his rapier, and adds,

"Which means... They're living farts!"

Activating Bardic Song: Distraction
Perform(Comedy): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

"Oh geez, oh geez, oh geez!" Ruby runs behind Skurge, then pokes him in the back. Like before, the faintest haze appears around everything he can see, showing them the briefest bit into the future.

Round one, move! Round two, Diviner's Fortune on Skurge (+1 to d20 rolls)

Djahan casts shield on himself.

Since you had time to prepare, you can attack as they form.

Skurge rages and swings mightily! Probably putting too much effort into his swing.

attack w rage+diviner: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 1 = 112d6 + 7 ⇒ (3, 6) + 7 = 16 add one if bard starts singing