[Outpost IX] PFS2 #6-10: Once in Whispers

Game Master Halgur

Avery was too focused killing Black a while ago, and now she is seeing Tao attacking Merian. She assesses what is happening to Tao.

◆ Recall Knowledge about Tao's actions (Arcana/Occultism +12 o Religion +13, w Dubious Knowledge

Shayla watches Tao struggle against the ropes. She skips forward to help. "Ya gotta tie her this way!" she says, pulling the rope in one direction.

Thievery: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (2) + 18 = 20

As the rope unravels, Shayla turns red. "Oops"

"We should wait until tomorrow for the spell to wear off. Merian needs to stay away from Tao, or Tao will keep attacking her every time she sees her." Avery explains.

"Are we done with our mission here? Maybe we should wait it out here until tomorrow. What do you think?"

"Khagra think if we wake Tao up again, we should do it without Merian around. Maybe that break spell. Khaaga no expert in vampire magic though so maybe make camp and prepare break enchantment or other powerful spell tomorrow."

Shayla watches Tao struggle against the ropes. She skips forward to help. "Ya gotta tie her this way!" she says, pulling the rope in one direction.

[dice=Thievery]d20+18

As the rope unravels, Shayla turns red. "Oops"

You don't actually roll in this case. Tao would make an escape check against your thievery DC.

So is the plan to camp out for the next 12 or so hours with Merian out of sight? If so where do you plan to camp out? Down here? Upstairs? Outside?

Shayla Quickfingers wrote:

Shayla watches Tao struggle against the ropes. She skips forward to help. "Ya gotta tie her this way!" she says, pulling the rope in one direction.

[dice=Thievery]d20+18

As the rope unravels, Shayla turns red. "Oops"

You don't actually roll in this case. Tao would make an escape check against your thievery DC.

So is the plan to camp out for the next 12 or so hours with Merian out of sight? If so where do you plan to camp out? Down here? Upstairs? Outside?

Ah. ok. Funnier that way, though... :)

"Maybe we can stay here until tomorrow?" Avery says as she glances around, checking whether the area looks comfortable enough to sleep in.

Tall glass pillars line the center of this long chamber, their insides swirling with murky liquid in which strange shapes twist and turn, their edges never settling into a recognizable form. Thick cables of an unfamiliar material wind across the floor, disappearing through the walls and snaking around the bases of the pillars.

The room, while creepy, seems safe enough for the time being.

The group rests for some time, occasionally re-securing Tao to keep her from heading out to find and dispatch Merian. Roughly 7 hours later the oracle's murderous urges fade and the pathfinders can continue their exploration of the underground complex.

Plenty of time to heal to full and refocus before continuing. In the interest of time we'll say that you check the two rooms to the north and find nothing noteworthy. The room to the southeast however...

The room stinks of blood and viscera, and the air is hot and humid. A tall woman wearing an amulet showing a gagged skull stands behind a metal table bolted to the floor, three skulls floating around her. A body lies atop the table, chest open and ribs spread toward the ceiling. The woman’s black gloves are slick with blood.
She sighs as she turns. “I see you have come to interrupt my work,” she says, dipping her gloves into a vat of water and sluicing off the blood. “Very well. Explain yourselves, quickly, and I will decide whether you should be allowed to see the sun again.”

With Merien hiding somewhere (!?) Tao pulls her provision scroll of Dispel Magic and attempt to counteract her own Domination.

Counteract (R4) vs Domination (R?, DC ??): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30

Merian will fill her barrel with water from her decanter of endless water, and hide in the barrel.

Or as it's more commonly known, "take a bath."

---

In the room, Merian frowns at the bloody mess.

"We're from the health department, we're here to investigate reports that someone's performing unlicensed surgeries."

With Merien hiding somewhere (!?) Tao pulls her provision scroll of Dispel Magic and attempt to counteract her own Domination.

No need for that since...

The group rests for some time, occasionally re-securing Tao to keep her from heading out to find and dispatch Merian. Roughly 7 hours later the oracle's murderous urges fade and the pathfinders can continue their exploration of the underground complex.

In the room, Merian frowns at the bloody mess.

"We're from the health department, we're here to investigate reports that someone's performing unlicensed surgeries."

The woman stares blankly at Merian for a moment before replying in a deadpan voice. "Funny." She dries her hands on a blood-stained towel. "Does it really count as surgery though if performed post-mortem?"

Edicts: Seek and Allow Redemption

"Cease your research now, leave the Whispering Way, and no longer prey upon the innocent"

Tao makes the demand, but lowers her stance, ready for another fight, already whirling her bladed scarf.

Meanwhile, she tries to identify the amulet showing a gagged skull...

Edicts: Seek and Allow Redemption

Anathema Pass judgment hastily or carelessly

"Cease your research now, leave the Whispering Way, and no longer prey upon the innocent"

Tao makes the demand, but lowers her stance, ready for another fight, already whirling her bladed scarf.

The woman continues to speak in a deadpan tone. "Tedious." She sighs. "Very well, I'll make this simple. You are clearly a group of pathfinders if those wayfinders I see are any indication. I happen to have in my possession information about one Hesla Embersplitter. If you agree to gift me with the jar of black goo that you've surely found by now and allow me to continue my work here, I will tell you what I know about this woman that has been so vexatious to your organization of late. Do we have a deal?"

Tao considers what they know about the black goo...

RK?

"If you are a follower of the Whispering Way, and will continue to do so whether or not we take your deal, I'm afraid that we must stop you in your tracks"

Avery tries to recall what the tall woman is referring to

RK about the black goo

"And what are you trying to achieve here?" Avery asks the tall woman.

The nature of the black goo that you found in the safe is a mystery. I just realized I neglected to add a picture of it to the slides. I have added it now.

"If you are a follower of the Whispering Way, and will continue to do so whether or not we take your deal, I'm afraid that we must stop you in your tracks"

The woman rolls her eyes at Tao. "Perhaps your friends will prove to be more reasonable."

"And what are you trying to achieve here?" Avery asks the tall woman.

"I haven't the desire to explain my work nor do you have the intellect to comprehend it."

Avery shrugs, not one to press someone into sharing what they are doing.

"And what happens to us if we don't give you the black goo? Will that cause complications on your end?" Avery asks.

"I agree with my ally here, if you are working for the Whispering Way, we have no choice but to stop you." she adds with a smirk on her face.

Looks like that's two votes for a fight. Anyone else want to weigh in?

voting for violence.

Fight

Tao Lavinia Heron wrote:

"If you are a follower of the Whispering Way, and will continue to do so whether or not we take your deal, I'm afraid that we must stop you in your tracks"

The woman rolls her eyes at Tao. "Perhaps your friends will prove to be more reasonable."

"Perhaps..." looking around, Tao observes that look in everyone's eye as they ready their weapons and lower into their fighting stances "...Destroying an agent of the Whispering Way seems reasonable to my friends?" she winks at the probably vampire. And prepares to blunt her attacks with shine!

~) ♥️ 78
◆) Whispers of Weakness (Tao will use this now or on her first turn)
~) ☀️ □□ | ☠ cursebound 0 or 1 (see above) | Slots @ 1☑☑□□, 2☑□□□, 3☑□□□, 4☑□□
↺) Flash of Grandeur (15-ft aura, protect ally to resist [9], dazzle and reveal foe thru Tao's next turn)

"Does it really count as surgery though if performed post-mortem?"

"Unauthorized autopsy? Unauthorized necropsy? The word 'autopsy' derives from the ancient Taldane 'to see oneself,' but necropsy would simply refer to seeing any dead - so a superset of autopsy. Given that you don't appear to be the same species as the subject of your investigations, necropsy might be more appropriate. The ancient azarketi - my people, once believed that ..."

Merian will inch forward as she mansplains the difference between the two terms.

She has no real interest in intellectual debate, but she's willing to string together multisyllabic words until people start casting spells.

The woman's deadpan tone takes on a bit of a sardonic lilt. "Well, well. It looks as though someone got a thesaurus for their nameday. Now then, not that this hasn't been a pleasant diversion but I really must get back to my work." She gestures and a trio of grinning skulls emerge from their hiding places and a glowing green creature materializes out of thin air. "Kill them, but please try not to harm that one's head. I think I'd like to put her brain in a jar for further experimentation."

It's not Rocket Surgery. It's Brain Science!
Round 1
Map
Those with ** may go

**Shayla
**Avery
???
Dreggar
Khagra
Merian
Tao

Shayla takes a step back and unleashes her needles on the Yellow skull-thingy...

Needle Darts, 60' range, OG: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22 for Piercing Damage: 6d4 ⇒ (1, 4, 4, 2, 4, 2) = 17 plus Sneak Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 6) = 7
Critical Hit: Double Damage + 4 persistent bleed

◈ Step
◈◈ Needle Darts (Magical Trickster gives the Sneak damage

Avery assigns Yellow Skull as her prey.
◆ Hunt Prey Yellow Skull

She then calls Sophia to help her with her attack.
◆ Command Animal
> ◆ Fly
> ◆ Support
Support Benefit: Until the start of your next turn, your Strikes that damage a creature that your bird threatens also deal 1d4 persistent bleed damage, and the target is dazzled until it removes the bleed damage.

◆ Strike
+1 Striking Fearsome Sukgung Attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (10) + 16 = 26 vs Prey Yellow Skull (becomes Frightened 1 at Crit Hit)
Damage: 2d8 + 2 ⇒ (5, 5) + 2 = 12 P damage
Precision Edge: 1d8 ⇒ 3 precision P damage to Prey the first time hit in the round
Surprise Attack: Sneak Attack: 1d6 ⇒ 5 precision P damage to prey
On Critical Hit: If the target of the critical hit is adjacent to a surface, it gets stuck to that surface by the missile. The target is immobilized and must spend an Interact action to attempt a DC 10 Athletics check to pull the missile free; it can't move from its space until it succeeds. The creature doesn't become stuck if it is incorporeal, is liquid (like a water elemental or some oozes), or could otherwise escape without effort.

Shayla and Avery get the drop on yellow, injuring it.

Khagra feels the green creature in his mind, promising terrible pain to come.
green intimidate vs Khagra, DC25: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28 Success. Khagra is Frightened 1

True to its word, the green creature causes Khagra to experience horrific pain.
Need a DC28 will save

The three skulls fly into battle, cackling incessantly. Need DC24 will saves from Dreggar, Merian and Khagra

yellow bite vs Dreggar: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18
damage, piercing: 2d10 + 5 ⇒ (10, 6) + 5 = 21

purple bite vs Merian: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33
damage, piercing: 2d10 + 5 ⇒ (8, 3) + 5 = 16

blue bite vs Khagra: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 16 = 23
damage, piercing: 2d10 + 5 ⇒ (2, 1) + 5 = 8

Merian takes a bite to the arm.

It's not Rocket Surgery. It's Brain Science!
Round 1
Map
Those with ** may go
Need DC28 will save from Khagra
Need DC24 will saves from Dreggar, Khagra, and Merian

Shayla
Avery
Green
Yellow -44 Immune to bleeding
Blue
Purple
**Dreggar Need DC24 will save vs skull
**Khagra F1 Need DC24 will save vs skull Need DC28 will save vs Green
**Merian 76/92 Need DC24 will save vs skull
**Tao

Tao's eyes lose their color, and she sees into the speaker's soul, observing behind the facade of her ego, into her vulnerable centre...

~) ♥️ 78
◆) Whispers of Weakness (Learn weakness and lowest save, cheating dice)
◆◆) ??

Brooking sideways, Tao's lineage is displayed linearly, forking from the ghosts of both her parents into two, then four, then eight splitting arcs, soon creating an entire ethereal family tree. She leans in, whispers into the ear of one of her ancestors, who smiles, turns invisible, and goes to haunt the area where the Surgeon was conducting her research!

~) ♥️ 78, Clumsy 1 (to ⛨ 22)
◆) Whispers of Weakness (Learn weakness and lowest save, cheating dice)
◆◆) Pernicious Poultergeist (Sustained 10-burst, variable effects, one target & multi-target)
~) ☀️ □□ | ☠ Cursebound 1 (Ancestral Meddling) | Slots @ 1☑☑□□, 2☑□□□, 3☑□□□, 4☑☑□
↺) Flash of Grandeur (15-ft aura, protect ally to resist [9], dazzle and reveal foe thru Tao's next turn)

Pernicious Poltergeist to Telekinesis Storm (Force Damage, Basic Reflex DC 25) vs The Surgeon and her Green Patient: 4d8 ⇒ (1, 2, 5, 3) = 11