[Outpost IX] PF1 #9-07: Salvation of the Sages

Game Master Aldizog

Yes. At the moment, the Favored Terrain it's still a +2 bonus. I have a boon that would allow me to add another +2 on those bonuses, but I rather prefer to wait for a very important roll that might justify using it.

1) Marching order: Eskar would be at the upmost front. Because of the small corridors, I would prefer for Oasis to stay on the backline at the moment, just to have a better maneuverability at the frontline.
2) Light sources/vision options: Light from wayfinder on Eskar
3) Which Sage to bring with you: I would rather prefer Sinuhotep because of his resistances, and he can be usefull overall with his dispel magic.
4) Spells cast before descending: Heroism on Oasis & a single recast of Heigthened awareness atm.
5) Previously cast spells still active and remaining durations (assume 15 min since start of village battle): Will update the tracker on discussion, but no spells have ended up their duration just yet, Just Owl's Wisdom and the shield from wand.
6) What you have in hand: Two-Handed Keen Adamantine Falchion.

"Then let us be off and scout ahead, Katswiri. We both have a great chance at resisting this wicked disease and avoid it's propagation among our comrads."

Split with 2 votes for Torch and 2 votes for Sinuhotep.

Setare and Lunette, do you wish to change your votes to decide this?

Upon checking in response to Sihir's earlier question, the Sages cannot initiate skill checks. That is, Torch cannot make Disable Device checks (though he would give Katswiri a +2; Sinuhotep would give a +3).

I have adjusted the Initiative/Perception statblocks for Hunter's Blessing. Good Hope does affect initiative, so if something happens in the next 7 minutes it will apply.

Also: you have a big party. Often times a GM must move the PCs' icons to decide when you are when something happens. Because waiting for everybody to move their icon each time you enter a new room can be very slow. I will try to respect the wishes you had, though there was a lot of demand for first or second rank. As per Katswiri's recommendation, I will keep a gap in the file so that people can move around (the "clogged pipe" formation is terrible). It does mean that those at the back may have a hard time getting into the action; that's the nature of having a large party in tight quarters. If it becomes relevant (there aren't a ton of combats in this scenario) I will give you time to reposition, within reason.

Sign me up with Sinuhotep, also please note marching order as Lunnette on the middle and El YAMA up front

Sign me up with Sinuhotep, also please note marching order as Lunnette on the middle and El YAMA up front

There's a lot of demand for the front. Between Eskar (because Paladin), Katswiri (because Perception), and Setare (because crazy AC), and lots of 5'-wide corridors. Katswiri also recommended a gap between her/Eskar and the next PCs in line, which is a very good idea for multiple reasons.

Sinuhotep takes up the rear guard, just ahead of Oasis and behind Sihir.

You descend into the subterranean laboratory complex.

As you open a set of doors, a gust of air rushes out. It catches everyone. Despite the shell of fresh air around you, you can tell that the air inside this place was foul. In fact, more of the foulness gets through your protection than you would expect.
Life Bubble protects you from harmful gases and vapors, but it does not completely block their smells (if it did, it would prevent you from using Scent).
Something in the air is pushing at the protection of your Life Bubble, straining to get inside your lungs.

The spell seems to hold, and you do not exactly feel ill, but somewhat queasy. No actual condition inflicted.

Setare seems the worst of you for some reason. She drops to one knee and clutches at her stomach, feeling her gorge rising.
Again, no actual condition inflicted because of Life Bubble, but you know that it protected you against something bad. Something that could almost get through, and seemed especially potent against Setare.

This small, circular chamber serves as an intersection, with hallways departing to the north, west, and east, and stairs leading upward to the south the ones you came down to enter. A faintly glowing inscription of hieroglyphic writing spirals out from a round stone pillar carved with similar markings in an ancient script.

Sinuhotep, as you would expect, does not feel queasy. But he looks troubled.
"I believe that upon entering this place I was granted a vision from my sage jewel. A brief insight into Tahari's work. A glimpse of her. Shall I concentrate on the jewel to dig deeper?"

"Hm. Was that an airborne plague, or another hazard?" Katswiri casts Detect Magic to see if there is anything magical in the air that tried to harm them, or in their surroundings.

"Yes, please do Sinuhotep. Can you describe the vision you received? If digger deeper takes long, we may check one of the rooms to the East, but will not leave you unguarded. Everyone, the runes on the floor read "Within frail flesh lie ideas, and they can transform the world.""

Katswiri will look around the immediate area and take 10 on perception for a 30. If it takes Sinuhotep more than a minute to receive visions from his jewel, she'll suggest leaving a guard for him and examining the corridor to the east for a short distance.

He turns toward Setare, offering her a helping hand if needed. It seems that she was somehow targeted harder than the rest of his companions.

As he looked at the writings on the ground, he shook his head in disbelief at the sight of a place that had once radiated positivity now being tainted by the foul essence of evil creatures.

"A truth once spoken with hope… now twisted into something foul by ill will"

Eskar would agree on following east once the vision takes place. Maybe following the same tactic of going two at the front to scout ahead would work well while within this tight corridors.

Setare shakes her head.

”This …this air… it’s wrong. Not poison … something deeper… it reaches for the soul.”

Setare steadies herself with a slow breath. She accepts Eskar’s help.

Whatever affected her hasn’t shaken her resolve.

”Thank you Eskar and Katsiwiri. I will stand wherever you want me… I’m just not very perceptive!“

Katswiri does not detect magic in the air.

However, even Eskar felt a bit queasy, and he never gets sick.

Sinuhotep concentrates on his sage jewel.
"I see her... proud, rejoicing. It is her masterpiece. Fading Light, she calls it. It will destroy the Jistka Imperium and their genie servants. And it will ruin her own arcane rivals in Orision. Because it feeds on magic, sapping the victim's life when they use magical powers. Ingenious! And it... no, not quite."

He opens his eyes.
"The air here was contaminated with Fading Light. The disease was designed to target magical beings, particularly genies and genie-kin. It could not breach magical protections such as Life Bubble, nor a paladin's immunity, but Tahari was close to finding a way to do that."

Setare nods although the lich in their ranks still gives her a strange feeling.

”That explains it … my connection to the plane of fire … may Sarenrae guide our journey!“ she says and closes her eyes for a moment.

"A truly evil woman." Katswiri murmurs almost to herself. "But also a brilliant one. It is no small thing to seek to overcome the protection bestowed by the gods themselves. We must be careful and swift; I can keep us protected by Life Bubble for another three hours at most."

"Let us examine the eastern passage."

Katswiri will move down the eastern passage with Eskar and peer around the edge, checking for anything interesting or dangerous.

Take 10 on perception for 30.

2 minutes for the vision and the first room. Incremented the tracker.

You make your way into the next room.

Thousands of bones fill the shelves in the center of this chamber as if they were books. Tiny pictographs cover the surface of each bone.

There is a great deal to examine in this room. Searching it will take 15 minutes, although you can reduce this to 5 minutes with a DC 33 Perception check or a DC 21 Profession (Librarian) check.

Here too, Sinuhotep remarks, "Again, I feel it. A whisper of her brilliance. Speaking to me through my gem. There is much to learn here. Should I dig deeper?"
This can happen concurrently with your search. Doing so will let him give you either more (possibly actionable) background information, or a +5 insight bonus to a skill check attempted while exploring the room.

Katswiri nods to the ancient lich. "Do it. See what you can learn from your Jewel, and I will find what we can here."

Seeing the complexity of the surroundings, Katswiri casts Bestow Insight on herself to sharpen her perception, begins the search.

Take 10 Perception, Good Hope, Hunter's Blessing, Bestow Insight: 10 + 17 + 2 + 2 + 4 = 35

Sihir has been hiding, as much out of sheer habit or instinct as anything else.

Stealth, Good Hope: 1d20 + 27 ⇒ (6) + 27 = 33

"I see her... proud, rejoicing. It is her masterpiece. Fading Light, she calls it. It will destroy the Jistka Imperium and their genie servants. And it will ruin her own arcane rivals in Orision. Because it feeds on magic, sapping the victim's life when they use magical powers."

"A deceptive name for a terrible thing!"

"Ingenious! And it... no, not quite."

"...What? What is it? You were going to say something more?"

Sinuhotep wrote:

"Ingenious! And it... no, not quite."

"...What? What is it? You were going to say something more?"

Sinuhotep looks at Sihir. "Was it not evident, wayang? It could nearly overcome magical and sacred defenses, but not quite."

Among the bones of the dead, she finds a vellum sheet in a bone scroll tube. The sheet includes Tahari’s notes on refining something called crystalline aether.

"Yes, I see!" says Sinuhotep as he concentrates on his jewel. "A strong enough source of pure magic can overwhelm Fading Light and cure it. Tahari had to know of a cure lest she herself fall victim to the disease. These notes tell you how to process crystalline aether into the cure for Fading Light.
And crystalline aether can do more besides that. It can... let me see... it can create Blood of Nethys, a liquid of incredible power that can negate an antimagic field.
We must find this aether! We must make the cure and the Blood!"

5 minutes marked off. Good Hope has expired.

"Fascinating, antimagic fields are one of great weaknesses that need to be addressed in a powerful caster's defenses, and very few things work. Having an item that can counter it...not to mention the cure..."

"Let us see what is connected to this area to the north. Also, I feel the Good Hope spell fading, is anyone able to cast Heroism on me?"

Katswiri will check the door to the north for traps, taking 10 for 33, then will open it if she doesn't find anything.

I'll just give some time for everyone else to catch up and react.

"Fascinating, antimagic fields are one of great weaknesses that need to be addressed in a powerful caster's defenses, and very few things work. Having an item that can counter it...not to mention the cure..."

"Let us see what is connected to this area to the north. Also, I feel the Good Hope spell fading, is anyone able to cast Heroism on me?"

Katswiri will check the door to the north for traps, taking 10 for 33, then will open it if she doesn't find anything.

But by all means Kaswiri, just hold still She pulls out an extend meta magic rod, and proceeds to cast Heroism on her .

A disease than can kills almost anything, despite its defenses... the line between genius and crazyness is so blurred sometimes, I wonder if she held a grudge to somebody in particular to create something so destructive, perhaps even to the world in its entirety

She heards about the cure and nods I definetly agree, if we are to go deeper, we don't know how much our defenses could hold, an antidote its never useless

"Thank you Saya. And definitely, if we're able to synthesize the cure that's a very important backup if our protections fail. I have to assume this Fading Light is the disease I foresaw in my visions. If so, it cannot be cured by Heal spells or any weaker magic we might access. Tahari's cure is likely to be our only recourse if we become infected."

As Katswiri and Eskar enter the next room to the north, the Light from her shield and his Wayfinder makes the chamber gleam.

Reflections bounce across the multitude of glass tiles covering the walls and floor. The pool in the center of this chamber is utterly still, perhaps 10 feet deep. A small, pearlescent object glimmers at the bottom.

Katswiri will Detect Magic the water, walls and object from near the door.

If the item detects as a moderate or greater strength aura, or the water detects as magical, she'll stop here to talk about it with her companions.

Otherwise, she'll pull a folding ladder out of her Handy Haversack, snap it together it its 10 foot length, and put it in the pool. If nothing happens for a few rounds, she'll put her hand in the water to make sure Life Bubble is holding the liquid away, then climb down and get the item if nothing bad happens.

Katswiri's caution pays off as the old 10' pole finds its intended use.

Since there is only a faint aura of magic, she uses her folding ladder.
All of the ladder below the first foot of 'water' starts to bubble. The 'water' becomes turbulent and violent as it reacts with the ladder, corroding it.

The top foot or so of liquid is inert, but the bottom 9 feet were a powerful acid. (Now it is all mixed up by the turbulence from the reaction.)

The ladder takes 10d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 4, 6, 3, 1, 2, 6, 2, 1) = 29 acid damage, which I believe destroys it.

Do you still wish to get the object? As it is magical, Mage Hand won't work.

"Well, that's a clever setup. The shiny thing could just be bait for the trap, but it could also be something important guarded by this. Does anyone have any ideas on getting it out? I could ward someone against Acid, but that looks to be quite strong and they may still get hurt."

Katswiri has a Control Water scroll, but that might not work against Acid if it isn't sufficiently water-like.

She shrinks herslef as the stairs gets destroyed

They vertainly have them good securuty for this one. I am not sure how much the elemental shield ritual may be able to help with that though

Saya has Aegies shield from concordance of elements . Need to read the specificas again, its been a while but its about 27 elementald amage resisted from party memebers ( as a pool of damage , not as in resistance)

He takes a glance at the room full of glass tiles around the chamber, before taking notice of the burned ladder.

If something's down there that might be of need for us, I shall step forward for the task if needed to.

He doesn't have any means to avoid the acid damage, but he it's fine by going down there to get the item if it looks to be a trap of somekind. If swiming is needed, he will take off his full plate for this to avoid the ACP.

Lasaraleen can tell that the item has only a weak magical aura.

It is probably not worth expending a valuable scroll.

Concentrating, she can tell that the glow on the object is most likely Continual Flame. It must be of some kind of material that does not react with the acid.

"Hm.". Katswiri peers down into the depths. "I think that's just something simple with continual flame to act as bait. Let's move on and not get too deep on one branch. We can go back and examine the passage to the north at the initial intersection."

Do you wish to take another minute to search this room before proceeding?

Yes, Katswiri will take 10 on a perception check to look around for a 35. We also want to see if Sinuhotep has anything happen with his Sage Jewel here.

In a hidden alcove behind a loose tile on the west wall, Katswiri finds:
a canister with enough crystalline aether for four doses of cure;
a scroll of heal; and,
two vials of antiplague.

"Only a whisper," says Sinuhoptep. "But I can dig deeper if you mortals require it."

"Ah yes. Waste disposal. Many of the villagers that Tahari invited into her research met their ultimate fate here, after she blessed them with a purpose for their otherwise pointless lives."

It does seem that Sinuhotep is more arrogant and callous than he was before.

Oh no, another undead with delirious notions of superiority Lunnette scoffs How quaint she says dismissing the disdain of the undead for life Do you have anything actually useful for us?

"What else do you seek to know, mortal?
This room was not particularly important. The acid was for disposal of bodies. It seems the top layer became inert over the millennia.
But that crystalline aether... yes, that is important."

Sinuhotep's sage jewel will give him flashes of insight in every room. If you ask him to concentrate on it, he can give you background information on that room (which will be generally useful unless the room is particularly unimportant), or assistance with skill checks (not needed in this case).

The fact that the Lich was forced to relive the memories of a being as vile as that necromancer to bring them this knowledge made him feel somewhat uneasy.

While knowledge is a source of wisdom and experiences that help one grow, there is much more that should never even be brought to light.

How much knowledge was deserved to be explored? And how much of this knowledge should have been kept out of the dark?

"That's enough, Sinuhotep. Thank you for thy effort" sensing the growth of his pride amidst his words

"Answer me thurtfully, Sinuhotep... Does thou mind feels normal from lurking through this visions of the past? Do you feel any different somehow after each vision? Or do I have the needs to remind thee of the vows I made before, about thy nature?"

Maybe it was the influence of his prideful undead nature that spoke out loud. Either way, relaying on the necromancer inside his jewel, was a task that could easily lead them all astray, if not careful watched.

The lich looks calmly at Eskar.
"No. The visions do not cause me to 'feel' any different, as much as I am capable of 'feeling'.
My existence is... not like yours."
===
Katswiri loops around to the north from the original intersection.
Another 2 minutes marked off.

I assume the rest of you accompany her, but it's a small room so not big enough for everyone (whoever posts an action first, I will assume they are in the room with Katswiri in case it matters).

The dimensions of this room are perfectly square, and every sound and motion feels profoundly distinct yet unreal. A large shrine rests against the wall, draped in a flawless black silk cloth.

Next to the shrine, there is a large onyx key with a black and silver eclipse adorning the bow.

Katswiri's Knowledge (History) is enough to recognize the key. It is a key to the House of Oblivion, the heart of Ahriman's power in Golarion (Ahriman is the div lord that the Pharoah of Forgotten Plagues dealt with). The Pharaoh awarded these keys to notable Usij in recognition of their work.

Do you examine the shrine? Move the cloth? Take the key?

"The gem speaks again to me," says Sinuhotep.

Katswiri is going to start by carefully inspecting the shrine to see if she can figure out anything about what might be under the cloth without moving it, or anything interesting or unusual about the cloth or key. She's also going to Detect Magic everything in the room.

"I think we should see what the gem has to say, Sinuhotep. I suspect this may be a shrine to Ahriman, but it could have other purposes. And it may be something else entirely; Tahari was especially cruel towards Divs, I am not sure if she would worship one."

"Remember, there is at least one bound div somewhere in this complex. This seems more likely than many places for such a creature to be held."

Take 10 on perception for a 35.

Sihir follows Katswiri into the new chamber and examines it on a more abstract level.

detect magic/Spellcraft: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (8) + 24 = 32

Sihir detects strong auras of necromancy and conjuration.

Sinuhotep concentrates on his gem. "Beneath that cloth is a mirror. A portal to Ahriman's House of Oblivion. Aryana Tahari began to see the divs as a threat and grew to dislike the divs spying on her. So she covered the mirror.
You may destroy the mirror, if you wish, or take the key and venture through to the House of Oblivion and destroy this Ahriman. Or leave it here."

The scenario doesn't actually say what happens if the PCs try to use the key and go through the mirror, but I have found stats for Ahriman, Lord of All Divs. He is CR26 in case you are curious. I imagine he'd have servitors and the like but we could just skip to the main event. Any takers?

"To gaze upon the mirror is to call upon the attention of one of the purest evils to be found in Golarion."

"Ah. Fascinating." Katswiri peers around the mirror. "Definitely don't uncover that. Ahriman is a demigod, a peer of the demon lords of the abyss or the lords of the circles of Hell. If we tried to face him, we would be destroyed." Katswiri looks to see how the mirror is attached to the surroundings. "We might wish to take it with us if we can, however. With the proper research and preparation, the Society might be able to mount an expedition to destroy him. The Society has a great deal of strength across its memebers, and a purpose built team containing seekers could have a chance, I think. Having this access could allow for the eventual destruction of a great evil."

The shrine seems fixed in place, and the mirror seems fixed to it. Even if it were possible to remove, doing so without destroying it would take more time than you have.
=====
Where to now?
North from the waste disposal room (acid pool), or west from the original intersection?

We should destroy it Lunnette says Leaving an opening to Ahriman's realm its not only not smart its stupid

"We should at least take the key back for study. If you want to destroy the mirror, then I would recommend we have one of our paladins do so without uncovering it and with the rest of us outside the room. If there is a curse or other magical backlash from the destruction, they are more likely to resist it with the protection of their deity."

Katswiri will take the key. If nothing immediately happens, she'll move out of the room and around the corner to let her companions have a chance to destroy the mirror.

Do Eskar or Setare wish to destroy the mirror?

“Some doors are not meant to be studied. To leave such a thing intact is to invite its gaze upon this world. Even veiled, it remaineth a wound between realms. A gateway like this to such a place should not remain. Nor be waiting for some future hand less cautious than our own.”

He takes a step forward “I shall see this done. Stand clear” he says as he gestures for the rest to take some steps away from the shrine, while he readies his falchion.

“O Wadjet, guard mine sight and steady mine hand… that no darkness take root through my deed” he gives a little pray as he raises his weapon "Let Wadjet’s light fall upon oblivion clothed in darkness"

He exclaims, gripping his falchion with both hands, as he brings it down.

“No doorway to oblivion shall remain while I yet draw breath”

Keen Adamantine Falchion/Damage: 1d20 + 15 + 2 - 3 ⇒ (5) + 15 + 2 - 3 = 192d4 + 17 ⇒ (2, 3) + 17 = 22

Eskar smashes the mirror.

Nothing unusual happens.

Which way now?

"Let us search the areas closest to the entrance before going further afield."

Katswiri will head down to the west path, then north, peeking around the corner. She will renew her Heightened Awareness from her wand.

Automatically passes the UMD check with heroism, will add it once the time is incremented for the mirror room.

A soupy, viscous fluid covers the floor of this pillared chamber.

Arcane runes form three distinct horizontal bands on each pillar, the first third glowing green, the second blue, and the top third red. Tattered, dusty remnants of clothing fill niches in the walls.

Katswiri's Perception is enough to determine that the arcane runes represent a magical trap of some kind.
I believe that beating the Perception DC by 5 allows you identify generally what a mechanical trap does, but that text does not apply to magical traps. So she can't tell how the trap is triggered or what it does.

Katswiri will attempt to Detect Magic and see if she can figure out anything about what the traps are or how they work.

"Hm, magical traps. I won't be able to even try to disable those without a scroll of Aram Zey's focus. Apologies, I should have prepared for this, but the last time I was the most suited for trap disarmament, another member of the team brought the scrolls."

"Does anyone have a scroll of Aram Zey's focus? Or a spellbook containing the spell?"

Take 10 for 37 Knowledge:Arcana or 33 Spellcraft.

Katswiri can tell that the trap has a strong aura of divination, conjuration, and evocation. I believe that traps are considered magical items, so you get a single reading of aura strength (based on the CL) rather than various readings based on the spell levels. The interactions between magical traps and Detect Magic should have been better considered.

Sinuhotep seems to be a font of information about this place, so you can ask him, but I do not wish to deny other options.

"Strong aura of divination, conjuration, and evocation. Possibly to detect intruders, then blast them with energy or conjure materials or guardians? I would need to approach to determine more specifics. Sinuhotep, is your Sage Jewel offering any insight into this room from here?"

My understanding is that you have to have an item in your possession to ID it with spellcraft, so she would probably have to go up to the trap to determine how it works.

"Ah yes, the Cleansing Room."
"I see her constructing it. And testing it. Two villagers, wracked with plague. One with a carefully-chosen and nearly incurable strain.
The trigger works! It detects the presence of disease in a subject." Divination

"The Walls of Force seal the room, as planned." Evocation

"The trap attempts to purge the disease with curative magic. The villager with the lesser strain is healed."Conjuration

"Sensing that disease remains in the chamber, the trap then incinerates the afflicted with a magnificent amount of fire. The healed villager is unharmed." Evocation

"The room remains sealed for a few moments while vents remove any remaining contaminants, as well as the ashes of one of the subjects. The Walls of Force then vanish. The surviving villager is graciously granted the opportunity to contribute to further research."

"A most thorough decontamination sequence. But as you are not diseased, you will not trigger it. If you should find yourself diseased, this location might offer a cure."