"Oh, you must mean the Early Experiments. Well. They were too Young. We needed a Soul that had been Aged for longer..."
Dead. Sacrificed in early attempts at the same ritual, which all ended in failure. It's likely that Mother Sato would have been sufficient age to "work". Children are easier to capture however.
Interrogation Questions wrote:
8) What is The Real?
"This World around us? It isn't Happening. It has already Happened. The Real has yet to Happen. It will Happen. We just need Kugaptee to allow us to Pass Through!"
Pretty literal. The Acolyte believes this world is fake, and that the world beyond the Wall of Ghosts in the true real world. Almost like sacrificing people in the fake world "doesn't count" because it's fake. He is ardent about his conviction, and cannot be convinced otherwise. Probably...
Interrogation Questions wrote:
9) What is the nature of the Wall?
~9a) How does it work?
"We have been Waiting for the Wall! Have you not Seen it? It surrounds us! Keeps us from The Real. Keeps us from Kugaptee! Kugaptee will Test us to Pass Through! Without Kugaptee, nothing is Real!"
You have seen evidence of this. The Wall of Ghosts is, at least, miles long, and the Acolyte believes it came to be only recently ("waiting for the Wall..."), and that it is a barrier between the fake world and the real world. He doesn't know how it works per se, but seems convinced that the ritual the party interrupted would have been sufficient to transport the ritual-casters "over" the Wall. As for the "Ghosts", he believes those to be entities from one or both worlds (fake and real), but is unsure from which, if only from one, or both. In summary, his understanding of the Wall has little to do with it's actual "nature", and more to do with it's "function" in his belief system!
”Do not speak Her name!” the Acolyte physically recoils at Sigurd’s pronouncement ”The Great Spirit dwells beyond The Wall, and only permits the Worthy to follow Her into The Real!”
Mad with power, Zoudou's perfect strikes carve Sigurd's body like a stuck pig - multiple lacerations hemorrhage from wide open gashes, spewing red gore onto the party, the Altar, the cage, even Kazuki's unconsciouss mother...
...but somehow...
...he lives!...
...but perhaps not for long...
"HOW!?" Zoudou is aghast at blindly feeling rising and falling of his breast - she snaps to attention, calls Black Acolyte whom she had previously ignored "If you are still there, Disciple of Kugaptee - Finish The Job!"
Black Acolyte rises. He strides over, and draws his staff, holding it over Sigurd's head, ready to deal the final blow!
Zoudou, bashed about but very much alive, continues to try and blindly stab Sigurd!
“I offer thee my name, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from those whom I called friends"
“I offer thee my blood, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from those whom I called family"
“I offer thee my flesh, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from my own mortal body"
“Lastly, I offer thee my soul, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from that which was my fate”
”Fool! There are no Favors to Return! The only Return for you, is back to The Beginning. The only way through The Wall is to appease the Great Spirit. Mark my words! You are all Trapped here unless you Step Through!”
Zoudou, mad doomsayer, lashes out blindly, and with some futility, as she realizes that her own end is very well near…
Both of Kazuki's arrows hit home - the first by sheer marksmanship, but the second because Sigurd, in a daring gambit, rotates Zoudou by force into it's trajectory, nearly bloodying the occultist (has she not been healed by Auntie Wu's vitality burst)! (13 more damage for Zoudou - near half HP threshold!)
Black Acolyte - confused and terrified - surrenders, drawing and then tossing down his ceremonial staff, and lying prone "Spare me!" he pleas!
Zoudou screams in frustration as Sigurd, who is supposed to be undergoing blood sacrifice, rises again and grapples her, and nearly restored to full health by blind Auntie Wu!
Zoudou reels from the blow, suddenly exposing her gathered fatigue at casting a multi-day spell, but resolves herself to repeat the chant, hoping to complete the ritual before her demise!
“I offer thee my name, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from those whom I called friends"
“I offer thee my blood, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from those whom I called family"
“I offer thee my flesh, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from my own mortal body"
“Lastly, I offer thee my soul, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from that which was my fate”
“I offer thee my name, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from those whom I called friends"
“I offer thee my blood, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from those whom I called family"
“I offer thee my flesh, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from my own mortal body"
“Lastly, I offer thee my soul, oh Great Kugaptee! Unbind me from that which was my fate”
Kazuki's arrows misses by a longshot - his emotions perhaps unable to steady his hand.
The lone cultist replies to him "I intend to!" Zoudou snarks the ranger "Your mother, did you say?" her whole chest inflated with malicious excitement "How DELIGHTFUL!" she looks down as the dying woman "I'll tell you what: Let's make a deal! Your life, son, for hers. What do you say?" she clarifies "Tell your friends to leave, I will bind you, then I will set your mother free, and take your blood in her stead" she looks at the party "If you try to deceive me, I will know it!"
Mad with zealous ambition, Zoudou seizes the opportunity to prostheletize ”Fool! Can you not see that this Thin Facsimile is but Transitory? Beyond The Wall, the Worthy may finally Wake into the Real World! Alas, the Great Spirit shall only permit such Worthy to Pass. Blood of the Unworthy is a small price to pay, and besides, it matters not!” her words begin to permeate Sigurd’s entire sense of self - could the mad woman’s words be true?! - she reiterates ”Only what Comes Next matters!”
Vekka cuts down green - a no face head lands at his side…
…But Zoudiu merely laughs at Sigurd, parrying his attacks with her sacrificial dagger ”A little fight in this one - I shall deal with him myself!” narrating as if being watched by a ”Great Spirit - I have given you my toil” looks at her fallen acolytes ”And I have given you blood” she swells with pride ”I am ready for my final test, to prove I am worthy of passing through The Wall!”
Green Acolyte, heeding his master's order, heads towards Lan, and send a mental jolt at him!
Green Acolyte
◆) Stride
◆◆) Cast a Spell
Lan to Will Save (DC 16) vs [illusion] [mental] effect!
Basic Will Save (2d4 mental):2d4 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5
Black Acolyte, meanwhile, turns sudden tail, and runs [url=https://paizo.com/campaigns/v5748p75ivn2u/gameplay&page=29#1443]back into the Wall of Ghosts - disappearing once more!
Black Acolyte
◆◆◆) Stride... Poof!
Zoudou points her dagger at the Altar of Blood - sustaining the ritual herself - before whirling on Auntie Wu "If I can't have your eyes, neither can you!" pointing her dagger at the druid, she making two carvng motions in their air, and utters a foul incantation!
Zoudou
◆) Sustain Ritual
◆◆) Cast a Spell
Auntie Wu to Fortitude Save (DC ??) vs a higher level [incapacitation] effect!
Lan's bolts toast all three targets - who all remain standing!
"This one seems to be a problem too" Zoudou indicates to the sorcerer "You, kill him" she commands Green "You, grab the sacrifice!" she commands to Red.
Blue Acolyte bends down and chants a short verse, breaking repetition of the chorus of chanting, and the Altar of Blood continues to glow with deathly palor.
Blue Acolyte
◆) Sustain Ritual
◆◆) Steal Face (30 feet)
He turns around and points at Sigurd "You shall help me to See!"
Sigurd to Fortitude Save (DC ??) vs lower level [curse] [incapacitation] [polymorph] effect!
Red Acolyte breaks from the ritual and drawing his staff, points it at Auntie Wu - dark energy coils forth to consume her "Soon, you shall join them!" he points to the Wall of Ghosts!
Red Acolyte
◆) Interact to Draw
◆◆) Cast a Spell
Auntie Wu to Fortitude Save (DC ??) vs [void] effect!
She turns her faceless expression towards her "This one is stubborn!" commanding Red Acolyte now "Focus on her" and looking now between Auntie Wu and Mama Kazuki "Old too!" and "Perhaps she will be able to take her place!" and changes her mind "Take her, but leave her alive!"
Zoudou turns around "It seems this needs to be dealt with..'" and instructs first the Blue Acolyte "You maintain the connection" and then the Green Acolyte "Kill that one" and drawing her weapon - a wickedly bent sacrificial dagger! - weaves her hand causing Auntie's Wu's mind to recede into a circadian rhythm similar to sleep!
Auntie Wu to Will Save (DC ??) vs [emotion] [fear] [mental] effect!
Zoudou
◆) Interact to Draw Sacrificial Dagger
◆◆) Cast a Spell
Green Acolyte obeys, turning around to face Auntie Wu, and drawing his staff, points it at her - she feels a pain scream from within her mind!
Auntie Wu to Will Save (DC ??) vs [illusion] [mental] effect!
Green Acolyte
◆) Interact to Draw Staff
◆◆) Cast a Spell
Fully recharged, the desperate Thing sends another blast of silent screeching supersonic energy, incidentally against the same party members again in a psychic storm, overloading their ears to bleed open!
Still recovering from it's own pulse (1 round until it can do that again), the Brain and Nerve Ending Mass fails to impede Sigurd's advance... (No Reactive Strike)
Kazuki continues to pepper it with arrows, (Hit for -4 and -4 again), pig-sticking the Parietal Lobe twice!
Kazuki's first arrow strikes true - right in the left occipital lobe.
AC 20 / sickened, -8 damage
Hosing everyone but Vekka (and Kazuki), a shrill shriek in an inaudible spectra fills the area, silently shattering the eardrums of Auntie Wu, Lan, and Sigurd!
Lan - you do have Cover - but this is not a Reflex save...
Gurglegut's Brain and Nerve Ending Mass
◆◆◆) Synaptic Overload
Mental Damage (4d8; enchantment, incapacitation LV5, mental, occult) vs Will Save (DC 18 / sickened) w/ Reset (1d4 rounds) vs Auntie Wu, Lan, Sigurd:4d8 ⇒ (1, 2, 8, 1) = 121d4 ⇒ 1
Will Save (DC 18 / sickened) Outcomes:
Critical Success The creature takes no damage.
Success The creature takes half damage.
Failure The creature takes full damage and is stunned 1.
Critical Failure The creature takes double damage and is stunned 2.
...the mysterious Medusa leaves out the back, too quick for the party in any case, with whatever business she had with the gnome undisclosed, perhaps forever a mystery...
It takes a swing at the closest PC - Merellin! - when suddenly...
Ramona Stonesplitter wrote:
"I believe it doesn't have bad intentions, but, is just looking for entertainment."
Ramona gets out her holy symbol (a puppet) and begins performing an act for the creature.
"Here is Banjo. He provides me with all my Divine spells!"
...it tilts it's head sideways instead, and starts to bob along, laughing at the the holy "Banjo" and jumping up and down and up and down in excitement, the toothy look of pure stupefaction cresting it's face.
It pulls it's punch at the last minute (no damage), and continues to stare at Ramona, looking as if to follow her wherever she goes!
...as the party searches the Crew Bunks, a hulking creature comes out of hiding from the canons and approaches to the door, pausing to seemingly evaluate the party, half poised to strike with it's massive tentacled arm, half poised to await some other reaction from the party themselves...
...the air hangs tense as each party member themself in turn make their own analysis of the creature too...
Ramona to Sense Motive:
You judge the creature to be bored and in need of entertainment. It is most likely responsible for the crew bunks being neatly organized despite years of disuse by an actual crew. If you fail to appease it somehow, or make any sudden movements (moving, for example), it looks twitchy enough to attack!
Skill checks to entertain it using Perform, Society or Library Lore or Scribing Lore (or similar) checks to show it written texts, or Tradition Checkswhile casting an Illusion effect would work towards appeasing it!
Each PC may attempt a single check, or decline to roll. I am holding the DC secret, so if you intend to use a Hero Point, please specify which outcome (CF/F/S/CS) you would intend to change with a re-roll!
Horul to Sense Motive:
You are unable to discern exactly what it wants, but you know enough to understand that the creature, if not appeased somehow, will attack to defend it's turf, and seems certainly capable of doing so!
Haohji to Sense Motive:
You judge the creature to be bored and in need of entertainment. It is most likely responsible for the crew bunks being neatly organized despite years of disuse by an actual crew. If you fail to appease it somehow, or make any sudden movements (moving, for example), it looks twitchy enough to attack!
Skill checks to entertain it using Perform, Society or Library Lore or Scribing Lore (or similar) checks to show it written texts, or Tradition Checkswhile casting an Illusion effect would work towards appeasing it!
Each PC may attempt a single check, or decline to roll. I am holding the DC secret, so if you intend to use a Hero Point, please specify which outcome (CF/F/S/CS) you would intend to change with a re-roll!
Merellin to Sense Motive:
You judge the creature to be bored and in need of entertainment. It is most likely responsible for the crew bunks being neatly organized despite years of disuse by an actual crew. If you fail to appease it somehow, or make any sudden movements (moving, for example), it looks twitchy enough to attack!
Skill checks to entertain it using Perform, Society or Library Lore or Scribing Lore (or similar) checks to show it written texts, or Tradition Checkswhile casting an Illusion effect would work towards appeasing it!
Each PC may attempt a single check, or decline to roll. I am holding the DC secret, so if you intend to use a Hero Point, please specify which outcome (CF/F/S/CS) you would intend to change with a re-roll!
Toavandil retrieves his Bo while Shimmer closes in with great reluctance (joining the party in the bush!) - Shardul sends lightning instead, readying another deadly dart!
The Bloodsucker chooses it's next proximal victim Delta, Simon, Shimmer, or Sprinkle?:1d4 ⇒ 3, and setting eyes on the wee sprite, crouches low to gobble it up!
Simon waveclaps the Bloodsucker right into Toavandil’s supple wrist punch, and with the latter swiftly retreating, the beast, suddenly more wounded than healthy, crouches low, licking it’s chops as it begins to crawl sideways, circling around the undine with the low cunning of a desperate predator!
Gripping his neck, it rips the elf to the ground, who begins profusely bleeding out, before ducking back into the bushes to seemingly ready another pounce, perhaps content to drain the elf of blood at a later time!
Chupar [one-action] Requirements The chupacabra has a creature grabbed; Effect The chupacabra sucks blood from the grabbed creature. The chupacabra gains the quickened condition for 1 minute and can use the extra action only for Strike and Stride actions. A chupacabra can’t use Chupar again while it is quickened in this way. A creature that has its blood drained by a chupacabra is drained 1 until it receives healing (of any kind or amount).
With a springing step, the Bloodsucker dodges Shimmer’s arrows and snaps a bite at Shardu as it races into the nearby trees, territorial, coy and cunning, thirsty but not hasty slobber gathering around it’s toothy maw!
