Arnaut's page

Going after Arnaut.

Man, I totally read that wrong at first and got very concerned for my safety. X-D

”If I recall correctly, last time he just deflected your lightning with his blade, Bellamin,” Arnaut remarks dryly as he pulls a dull, aged ivory rod from his pack. ”Sentry, you’re looking absolutely stunning, but do be a dear and wait just a moment for me. I promise I’ll be there in two winks of a golem’s tail.” He laughs at his own nonsensical joke, the melodious sound bouncing along the Wall of Names and filling his companions with resolve to see this through, no matter the cost.

For Valho, though, the sound is quite different. It beckons to him, cajoling memories of a time when the once-halfling felt the sun on his face and hunger in his belly - when joy, pain, worry, and regret were as much a part of him as the air he breathed. For someone as long dead as the monstrous member of the Decemvirate, the experience is rather confusing.

Move action to retrieve Lesser Threnodic Rod and use it to cast confusion (Will 24) on Valho as a standard action. Swift action to start Inspire Courage +4.

Henric, I love the idea of you getting big and using your lance. Arnaut can move over next round and pop the trio over to near (but not adjacent to) the action. Peter, maybe your summons want to cast some buffing spells? I bet Marta wouldn’t mind the opportunity to buff just a little bit more as well.

"...mmph... five more minutes... can't go on like this..." Arnaut lays dramatically for a few more seconds before hopping to his feet. "Well that was unexpected. Hendric, I don't suppose you have a three-tined friend that can't leave you alone lurking nearby? And are we going to have to rebuild Skyreach? That would be a bother."

Perception, GH, Neg. lvl: 1d20 + 27 + 2 - 1 ⇒ (20) + 27 + 2 - 1 = 48

GM, are effects such as echolocation and good hope still in effect?

Personally I vote for hitting the disk with the sword.

Not me, of course. It could be dangerous!

Knowledge (arcana), GH, Take 10: 10 + 21 + 2 = 33

"On second thought..." Arnaut amends as he watches the lightning strike from a bit too close for comfort, "maybe you're on your own, guv'nah." The bard salutes the tiefling before tumbling over backwards into the storm and falling again like the star he is - though not as fast as last time.

"Hendric, could you grab those things? The pokey ones with all the lightning and crackling and pyrotechnics?" he calls down to the knight below. "I think Peter might have use for them upstairs. Wave when you're ready and I'll send you up."

Arnaut then turns towards the heavens. "Who will help collect the betrayer's things and avert a tragedy?" he bellows, years of stage training helping him project even through the wind and rain. Sadly, not through the deafness. "Then follow Lastwall's champion down - and you will rise again like the sun to shine on a brighter future!"

Since Arnaut acts in initiative before Hendric, perhaps he could change his actions if both he and the GM agree?

Arnaut is now 30 ft above the ground. When Hendric gives the signal, he'll cast bard's escape as a readied action to move them (and anyone else who follows to grab any other pieces of equipment that look red and sparky) back up to rejoin Peter. Hopefully our wizard/sorcerer can figure out things from there.

I was thinking for next round - pop you up there so you have all your actions left to study the disk, and anyone else has theirs to react appropriately to whatever you discover.

Arnaut bops over to Peter and offers his arm. ”Your chauffeur awaits, my lord. Shall we onwards to more magnificent magical discoveries, the likes of which the world has never seen?”

Dropping the both performances and starting Inspire Competence on Peter for a +6 bonus to Knowledge (arcana) checks. Arnaut can also move them (and anyone else who wants to join) wherever Peter wants to go with bard’s escape - he and Peter just need to stay within 30 ft for the performance to be effective.

"Didn't that bag of hot wind say something about not prolonging a ritual?" Arnaut asks as he watches the member of the Ten fall to the ground like a particularly heavy feather. "Peter, any ideas what's going on up here? I might not be a meteorologist, but I'm mostly certain this storm's not natural."

If possible, I'd like to wait to hear what Peter discovers before taking any actions in case there's something Arnaut can do to help (or at least not make the situation worse). If that's not possible, just let us know and he'll figure something out.

You give yourself too little credit, Hendric. You’re surrounded by legions of angels to keep you healthy and you have the best AC of the party. Maybe not all of your attacks will hit, but we’ve got him surrounded and outnumbered. We can wear him down slowly. You got this!

"वैकल्पिक विचार: नाइट के पीछे प्रतीक्षा करें और पकड़ने के लिए तैयार रहें!" Arnaut calls to the azata as he plummets to the ground like a falling star. As he places a hand on the fallen lance, the bard winks out of existence before popping back into reality behind Hendric.

Peter, I hope you don't mind a suggestion/retcon since it's tough to arrange these things via PbP. If Orange flies next to Hendric and prepares to catch the lance, Arnaut can fly down and dimension door back up. Entertainingly, because of the extreme distance down (and the fact that the fly spell allows you to descend at double your speed), even if the lance is directly underneath our favorite member of the Decemvirate it's still barely within 180 ft (179.513231 according to my calculations) of Arnaut's starting position. He can't move, pick up the lance, and teleport back up in one turn, but he only has to touch the lance to bring it with him. If the azata/Peter is willing, we could have the weapon back up in the air in one round.

GM, in the past you've ruled that passing an item from one character to another requires a move action, but it doesn't matter which of the two parties involved takes that action. Would that still be applicable here? Unless we involve someone else (and I don't think there's anyone else to involve), Hendric would have to take the move action to take the lance from Orange.

Nobody in full-attack range, and that is a big deal. I don't mean flee. I mean reposition.

Oh, you're totally right. That 63 damage Bellamin took is no big deal to someone already suffering from a negative level. As is the Fortitude save against being stunned. And bleed. Yeah, this guy definitely needs a full-attack to be deadly to a non-martial character. I should have seen it sooner. Have fun wherever you end up, Mr. Knight. Hope you liked the song.

I would like to point out that if y'all zoop outta there, guess who's left behind next to a very angry (very fabulously glittery) undead monstrosity?

Arnaut's tune seems to have struck a chord with Marta, (literally) spurring her (fist) onward.

Gallant Inspiration, Competence Overlap: 2d4 - 4 ⇒ (4, 4) - 4 = 4

Since Marta's attack missed first, Arnaut would use the spell on her (since he wouldn't be able to backtrack and pick who to apply it to after learning that both she and Hendric missed).

Wouldn’t be surprised if the helm prevented the blindness. Seems par for the course given that it covers his eyes already.

As the daemon quivers, skewered at the end of the lance, Arnaut bows deeply to Sir Hendric before launching into a battle hymn.

”And the brave knights of Lastwall
Stride forth in shining steel,
Their hearts full of sorrow
For those they left behind.

”But the brave knights of Lastwall
Ne’er falter in their quest
To save the world from the horrors of
The whisp’ring curse of death.”

The touching, heartfelt moment is promptly ruined by the bard skipping off, pausing only to glance at the shimmering form of his superior. ”Oi, guv’na, don’t ya know ya could put yer eye out wid that?” he quips, beckoning at the shortsword now visible in its hand.

Disarm, GH: 1d20 + 23 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 23 + 2 = 44

Stopping Dirge of Doom as a free action, starting Inspire Courage +4 (audible - flavor demanded it), Move action to fly closer, and Standard to cast pilfering hand, aiming to take the shortsword.

Knowledge (planes), Take 10, GH: 10 + 21 + 2 = 33

”Well someone certainly has an inflated sense of their own importance,” Arnaut mutters, his song interrupted by both the booming voice and a daemon invading his personal space bubble.

Concentration vs DC 23: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (19) + 23 = 42

An eerie whistle fills the air, mixing with the noise of the storm as the bard stares down the otherworldly monster above him. ”You shouldn’t be here,” he says softly, but the wind picks up his words and amplifies them, multiplies them, and hurls them in the daemon’s fishy face.

Arnaut points, his arm unmoving in the howling sleet. ”Now go!” he commands, a clap of thunder punctuating his words with a bone-shaking roar.

Standard action to cast virtuoso performance with Dirge of Doom attached, then swift action to begin Frightening Performance (Will 29 or frightened).

The bard then abruptly turns and dances away from his problems.

Acrobatics, GH: 1d20 + 35 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 35 + 2 = 49
Fly, GH: 1d20 + 35 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 35 + 2 = 48

Acrobatics to avoid AoO while moving at half speed which is (60+30)/2 = 45 ft. On mobile and can’t move my icon without also moving all the text fields and summons. Could someone move me to the Cyan square? He’s also probably at +160 ft currently due to the roof.

Arnaut waltzes through the air like a drunken pirate crossing a stormy deck, his form flickering and wavering even more than the bawdy sea shanty he caterwauls would really necessitate.

Concentration (if needed): 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (15) + 23 = 38
Fly, GH, Wind: 1d20 + 35 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 35 + 2 - 4 = 40

Begin Inspire Courage +4, casting displacement, and moving. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll say he’s at the same height as Peter and the deva.

#DevaAndDiva

The only useful thing Arnaut could add that he doesn’t already have up would be heightened awareness. GM can decide if they want to juggle around initiative to retcon that.

And, given that he has the time (and nothing better to do), Arnaut would be willing to try activating Hendric’s scroll of death ward on the knight. However, it is far from certain to work - and since it is not his scroll, Arnaut will defer to Hendric’s wishes.

Eyes firmly shut, Arnaut emerges from the fog like a carved figurehead on the prow of a fearsome pirate ship. Uncharacteristically, he doesn’t make any noise beyond the whistled tune of a sea shanty that hangs in the mist like clouds on a mountainside in distant Tian Xia.

Moving, eyes shut and Inspire Courage +4 continuing. With his blindsight, Arnaut should be able to avoid the nightwalker’s gaze while still keeping an “eye” on his companions. He’s also in position to help anyone (except the tiger) if they fail a saving throw or miss an attack with saving finale and gallant inspiration respectively.

Arnaut wipes the grease from his face, not bothering to hide his disgust. "I'm guessing that isn't part of the built-in defenses," he drawls to Marta as he floats away into the fog, stopping as he hears the creature in detail.

Knowledge (religion), GH, Take 10: 10 + 20 + 2 = 32

"Disgusting." The bard flings a bit of the greasy substance at the nightwalker. "Here, you can have this back. I don't want it." The black ball lands next to one of the creature's feet, where it rapidly multiplies into a thick tar-like ooze.

Move and cast glue seal (Reflex 20) on cyan square. Currently 15 ft above floor.

Ooo, I like it!

Would also like to offer the Echolocation scroll to Bellamin and then UMD it myself, as I had posted before Zurnzal appeared.

Unfortunately, echolocation has a range of Personal. So Hendric would need to use UMD to use the scroll himself.

EDIT - Whoops, nevermind: a misreading on my part.

”Peter, I don’t suppose you have a friend that could help clear up this fog?” Arnaut asks as he dusts his shoulders off unconcernedly. ”Perhaps some old windbag or something full of hot air?” Silver dust trickles from one hand as the dramatist whistles and listens carefully to the echoes.

Swift action to start Inspire Courage +4, readied action to cast glitterdust when opponent is within range of echolocation.

Arnaut snorts. "Of course they're in Skyreach - where better to have a dramatic death scene than on top of Absalom's tallest tower?" Glancing around the room, he shrugs. "No sense testing our new friend's patience - and if there's a scroll of true resurrection here, there's probably some other things that could help destroy an undead monstrosity before it destroys the Society. Shall we?"

Echolocation can help somewhat with not walking into traps, and I'm sure we'll put everything back here when we're done. ;-)

”You’re gonna make me say it, aren’t ya? Fine. I don’t like undead—they unnerve me to no end.”

”Oh, I completely understand. Absolutely terrible audience they are.” Arnaut shakes his head in sympathy. ”Now then, I’ve no problem with your departure, but I really must ask why you were hired to do and what you were doing here in the Repository. And I’m sure you would agree with me that it’s really much easier to run away from the endless hordes of undead if one’s not overburdened with things that might not legally belong to you.”

Arnaut’s fine time let him and his men go, but would like to make sure they’re not walking out of the Repository with their pockets full of Society stuff when they do. Don’t think we could really expect them to leave all their equipment with us, so he’s not really suggesting they do that.

It’s a valid way to put pressure on the PCs to acquiesce to his request. By removing one PC “instantly”, Zurnzal makes the prospect of a violent encounter much less enticing to the Seekers as they would be starting the encounter already at a significant disadvantage. That’s his angle here - he knows there’s a solution for his “negotiating tactic” in the room and freely shares that knowledge, so clearly he doesn’t mean for the death to be permanent if the Seekers agree to his proposal.

The better question,” Arnaut drawls from behind the other Seekers, ”is why you waited for us to appear. You certainly did not wait for permission to enter the Lodge, so I cannot for the life of me think of what would be preventing you from simply leaving in the same way.”

He grins a co-conspirator’s grin. ”Which would imply you actually have been down here waiting for us specifically to arrive. But why? For love?” A rose has somehow appeared in the bard’s hand, which he tosses behind him carelessly. ”Unlikely - even among the people of Belkam, killing a long-lost lover on sight is considered bad taste. For coin?” He flips a piece of gold high up into the air that never comes down. ”Also unlikely - you would have to perform yet another service to be paid. For glory then?” Is that a spotlight shining on Arnaut now? ”An assassin who seeks glory very quickly becomes a very dead assassin, and we all know you are much smarter than that. For revenge?” The light turns blood-red. ”Ah, now that is a worthy reason to risk your life here once more. So spill the beans, dear Zurnzal - what would you like to tell us about Vahlo and Torch?”

I dunno, Sense Motive to see if he’s hiding something? Diplomacy to make him more willing to talk?

"Just a thought, but we might want to remove the helm from whoever is wearing it before doing anything too rash," Arnaut muses as the group floats over the Lodge's lawns. "I'd hate to think someone dastardly would put it on someone else in the hopes we might tie up some loose ends for them. And we've already seen that they have some sway over minds."

--------------------------------

Inside the Repository, the bard whistles appreciatively. "Just imagine the kinds of scene changes you could do behind these effects," he murmurs. "And how many terrible actors you could hide behind them, ready to jump out and surprise the audience. But cheer up - everyone knows a proper drama needs the protagonists to struggle a bit in the second act so their triumph in the third is more impactful." Even if the other Seekers have heard this kind of pep talk many times before, it still fills them with optimism.

Casting good hope, extending with rod to 28 minutes. Also, remember that we are still benefitting from mass fly. GM, how do the fog walls interact with echolocation?

”I don’t suppose they were wearing a three-pronged helm, were they?” Arnaut asks, almost rhetorically at this point. ”Did you happen to catch which direction they went after toying with you so dastardly? And Venture-Captain Eliza is helping coordinate the movement of Pathfinder agents over the Grand Lodge’s walls - can you find your way there? I think we’re about to do some light reading at the Repository.”

"So you got these from the Repository? How on earth did you know what was important in that librarian's nightmare, or where to find anything inside there?" Arnaut's tone is suitably impressed. "How did you get past the wards without being fried to a cinder or turned into a newt? And a member of the Ten, you say! How did you recognize them? Did this Torch triumph over his foe, or did he have to make a quick exit stage left pursued by a bear?"

Arnaut hushes the other Seekers and puts a hand on the woman's arm. "Don't move too quickly - you were in pretty bad shape before we got here. Maybe you all triggered a ward or some kind of defense. But the important thing is that you're safe now."

Bluff: 1d20 + 43 ⇒ (16) + 43 = 59

"Just relax, we're here now. Nothing will hurt you now." The bard deftly moves behind the scoundrel to rub her shoulders, conveniently blocking her from seeing the meaningful look he gives the Pathfinders. He lets his fingers dance for a few seconds, humming a lullaby as he works.

Perform: 1d20 + 43 ⇒ (10) + 43 = 53

"Now, who put you up to such hazardous work? Did they even tell you about what you might expect in here? They obviously didn't even care if you got hurt from the looks of it." Sympathy practically drips from Arnaut's words as he circles back around to take the woman's hands in his own. "Did they ask you in person, or were they too much of a coward to look you in the eye and ask you to charge headlong into peril? What did they even want you to do? It can't have been worth the danger, can it?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 43 ⇒ (16) + 43 = 59

Using Spellsong to hide casting of persistent charm person (Will 22 twice) before making Diplomacy check.

Arnaut gives an encore performance for the last group of scoundrels:

Sonic damage: 2d6 + 14 + 14d4 ⇒ (5, 2) + 14 + (3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 4, 1, 2, 1, 4, 4, 3, 2, 4) = 56

How incredibly average. 448 damage total. Do we need anyone else to toss a fireball or knock some heads together to finish them off?

"And if you'll give me a few moments with one of these..." Arnaut pauses to sniff in a dramatically-distasteful manner, "...hooligans, I'm sure she'll be telling me about what she ate for breakfast in short order."

Waiting for GM to set the interrogation up before proceeding.

Seeing as there does not appear to be anyone against it, Arnaut can use wall of sound against the third group as well.

And regarding the gathering of information, Arnaut loves making friends. He's such a charming person, wouldn't you say? And I'm sure whoever he gives the royal treatment to wouldn't want to hide anything from their dear friend Arnaut. He's the most trustworthy, honest, caring (and let's not forget, best-looking) person you've ever met. X-D

*Rubs Eyes* *Double-Checks wording of spell* *Double-Checks Scenario* Well…I think Thomas Jefferson says my reaction best.

With a single spell and a chorus of discord, the thieves all simultaneously fall.

And as the scenario is written, if the party pacifies a group of thieves then there’s at least one person to interrogate, so if Arnaut wants to just use a second wall of sound for the third group then I can just hand-wave that last one. That said, that wall of sound did just flat-out kill at least half of these guys.

Gonna say that at least one of this group of thieves is just 3 cure light wand charges away from being conscious—assuming you all want to interrogate him, of course.

Well, that was more effective than anticipated. What does the group think? Rinse and repeat or try something else?

Alright, different tactics. #NoMoreMisterNiceGuy

Arnaut whistles sharply, and a shimmering curtain descends like a backdrop over the thieves. As it touches them, the air is abruptly filled with blaring noises just out of tune enough to be truly terrible on the ear.

So, this will be interesting. Arnaut can heal PCs up afterwards with Soothing Performance as needed. Every scoundrel takes the “primary” damage (2d6+14), and then takes 2d4 damage for every other person. Since we can assume the most advantageous positioning, they’re all now within 10 ft of each other (squeezing if necessary), meaning 7 instances of “secondary” damage.

Sonic damage (primary): 2d6 + 14 ⇒ (1, 4) + 14 = 19
Sonic damage (secondary): 14d4 ⇒ (3, 3, 1, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2) = 43

So 62 damage to each person, for a total of 496. Not too bad, if I do say so myself.

Nose in the air, Arnaut sniffs once. ”Pathetic.” And let’s just add Dirge of Doom in there for good measure to make them shaken. Might help our other spellcasters.

Without Spellcraft, it’s near-impossible to tell whether someone is casting message or fireball. Hence, all spellcasting is inherently considered violent for these purposes.

Arnaut sighs heavily as he watches the scoundrels scatter. ”Marta. I’m afraid I must apologize for not communicating well. But many of my methods of resolving these situations non-violently require, well, non-violence from my companions. That includes all forms of spellcasting - especially the ones that involve yelling at people. Should we seek to use such methods again in the future, please bear that in mind.” He bows to the inquisitor, then inhales dramatically. ”Shall we see if any of our dearly departed friends have tried to join their fellows in skulking around the Lodge? At the very least, I’d hate for these other... opportunists to hear about us and scatter before they get to know us personally.”

That’s one vote for another group of thieves.

Retrieve the relics from them? If nothing else, it lets us ready some actions to disable them.

Yep - I'm mostly worried about the the one that got away from the Fascinate effect. So (as I understand it), we have eight thieves a-calm'ed, seven scoundrels watching, six Seekers seeking, and a tiefling in a pear tree. Does that sound about right, or am I missing something?

Calm emotions might make it so we can try talking with them, since it specifically calls out suppressing fear effects. Arnaut’s a bit busy, but perhaps someone else can talk our last one down?

Correct. The trick with unarmed strikes is that you don’t have to draw the weapon (since it can’t ever been un-drawn and there’s no way to tell from looking either a character’s fists are deadly weapons, so we can get around the specific case of “drawing a weapon”. But yes - please don’t attack anyone within sight of anyone affected by Arnaut.

It would be handy to have other folks ready to run crowd control. Downside is that it’ll be all-or-nothing for Arnaut’s attempts, since having even one person make both saves means either letting them escape or stopping the effect for everyone else. Though we could always let Arnaut stay put with a captive audience and follow any escapees around the corner before asking them politely to reconsider their actions.

Sense Motive vs DC 30: 1d20 + 43 ⇒ (16) + 43 = 59

”Oh, just look at the poor dears - they’re frightened out of their minds already. If only they could realize that they wouldn’t be hurt if they surrendered. That would be the smart thing to do, yes?” Magic wafts through the air with his words, settling on the scoundrels in the front of him.

”But, I must say, it’s been a while since I had an audience. And you all clearly understand the arts, so perhaps you’ll enjoy this little ditty I just wrote.” Arnaut’s voice begins to flow like water, rising and falling like a ship on a silver sea.

Alright, bit of a long shot here. Arnaut casts calm emotions (Will 23) on the group, followed by starting his Fascinate bardic performance (Will 29). Unfortunately, he can only affect 7 of the 8 targets with Fascinate. Also, both effects immediately stop if someone takes a threatening action such as drawing a weapon or casting a spell! Marta should be fine to use her fists, but can everyone else find something to do? Maybe just remove the relics from any unresisting hands? I’m up for ideas, but these are Arnaut’s best “please don’t run away” options at this point.

EDIT - oh bother, look at all of us typing at once. Oh well.

I mean, we assumed that everyone had a +5 cloak of resistance, but some folks (*cough*Zanice*cough*) proved us wrong, so... ;-D

If the ioun stone effectively doesn’t add to attack or damage rolls, probably the best it could go towards would be someone who doesn’t already have that stone (or it’s cracked version) for saving throws. All of us are decently skilled at this level, so that’s a difficult thing to base a judgement on. But nobody likes their allies failing saving throws.

Oh, yes, Arnaut does have the cracked version for saving throws.

”A group of thieves can hardly be called a siege,” Arnaut replies sweetly. ”But I do certainly appreciate your enthusiasm for carrying out the terms of your contract. However, it is clear from our arrival - and your timely intervention - that whatever siege may have occurred in Starhall has been broken, and these books are no longer in danger of falling into the hands of evil. We would hate to deprive Heaven of even one of its mighty archons for a moment longer than absolutely necessary, so please consider your part of the contract fulfilled.” The bard’s tone is politely firm, like steel wrapped in velvet.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 43 ⇒ (8) + 43 = 51

”Though, if you wished to stay a bit longer on this plane, I’m certain Sir Hendric here would be more than happy to act as your guide for the duration of your visit.” Now it is Hendric’s turn to be smiled sweetly at.

”Thank you, the Unnamed. Could you explain how this qualifies as an assault on the Grand Lodge, and how these circumstances might be different from when the Shadow Lodge locked the gates, or when hordes of undead demons were outside the city’s walls, or when the Aspis Consortium invaded via the Hao Jin Tapestry? I don’t recall seeing your handiwork after any of those incidents.” Arnaut leans forward conspiratorially. ”Or perhaps the difference this time was that the order was given by a member of the Decemvirate? Maybe someone wearing a triple-spired helm?”

”Why, you haven’t heard of me? I’m wounded! Pierced right through the heart that you’ve never heard of Venture-Captain Arnaut Daníel of the Pathfinder Society. Which would also make me one of the custodians of these tomes,” Arnaut replies, sliding effortlessly around the blade so he has space to dramatically place his hand over his brow in distress before sweeping his plumed hat from his head and bowing. ”And I do believe that even a great and mighty archon such as yourself would be so eager to carelessly destroy things as to forgive their duty to the laws of ownership and stewardship. If Heaven has some complaint, I would ask to hear it that it may be addressed before more babies are lost with the bathwater. At the very least, might I know whom I am addressing? I would hate to need such information for filing a formal complaint, but it is better to prepare yourself with knowledge that may prove useful in one’s mission - as I’m sure you would agree.”

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 43 ⇒ (2) + 43 = 45

Well, the dice is not with us. Fair enough - there was a bit of snark in that monologue.

Knowledge (planes), Take 10 vs DC 27: 10 + 21 = 31

”It probably doesn’t like what it’s finding - questionable materials and all that. The question then is who ‘invited’ it here.” Arnaut steps forward, his cloak rippling on an unseen breeze as his melodic voice hangs in the air.

”Hello there, friend! What brings one of Heaven’s guiding lights to our humble repository of knowledge? Has the Pathfinder Society done something to upset our celestial allies?”

”But you’re welcome to make your own pact with an archon and ward them against negative energy yourself,” Arnaut adds helpfully. ”Nothing’s stopping you, after all!”

”Bellamin, you mentioned a wall of fire. Or someone did. Details. Can you also ward us against the heat? It might be useful to clear out some of these,” he pauses to flick a bit of decaying flesh from his coat sleeve, ”unfortunates.”

”Just be cautious - a horde of skeletons and zombies couldn’t have taken down those azatas that quickly by themselves,” Arnaut suggests, safely well out of reach of the grasping undead. ”And it would take a great marksman to shoot this pylon you all keep talking about from out here safely without hitting some stupid ghoul.”

”Perhaps we try the bison, and if it seems safe our gallant Sir Hendric can follow behind to skewer the source of foul magic upon his lance like a high priest’s torso. I don’t suppose Sentry can trample things like a hippopotamus, can she?”

”Funny you should mention that, Marta - I do happen to have this dusty old scroll I’ve been holding onto for... well, let’s just leave it at a long time.” Arnaut pulls out a perfectly fine, not-dusty roll of parchment from his pack. ”It could work for one person, maybe two - perhaps someone would like to do some reconnaissance? I would be happy to relay messages to the rest of the group.”

CL 5 scroll with two castings of gaseous form on it. Couple that with a message spell (which could have been useful on the azatas) and we should be able to get an idea of what’s inside. Or send someone to certain death. Who knows?