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Mithas yells blood murder and looses a shot the creature lumbering in from the west
Making your way through the crowded streets, you hurry towards Lavinia's manor, as fast as your feet can carry you. The courtyard is quiet and empty, and the manor's great doors are shut.
Troy's bomb hits the creature wounded by Ukufa and Bhru and it dies, exploding in a shower of acidic goo.
The creatures attack,
The woman quips, "Jebidiah? Is that you lad? You've looked better boy. Here, let me send , you on your way." and attacks:
DM stuff: Hps: 4, 1
"Looks like we have a welcome wagon!" Mitahs lines up a shot and looses,
Jon lands a solid blow and Ukufa, a wicked slice, but everyone else fails to connect.
The creatures retaliate, but thanks to Kellan's manipulation of the winds of fate, everyone remains unscathed.
Ukufa lashes out again:
Dm Stuff: Damage:Top:6 Bottom: 21
Cheers all. It was my pleasure. Watching Rhesus one shot a dragon was probably the highlight, but it was quite the adventure overall. See you around.
Having taken the full brunt of Spasi's spell, Xin's robotic tomb was unable to withstand Rhesus' charge and tumbles from the air to crash to the stone floor. The reliquary shudders and wheezes and then collapses spectacularly into its components, scattering cogs and gears and springs and metal plates across the ground. The central crystal of the reliquary crumbles to the ground and shatters, turning Xin's bones to dust as well. The ruler of Thassilon is, at long last, at rest. The mighty will binding them in place gone, the remaining axiomites or crystallises immediately vanish, and the glow imbuing the palace walls fades. The palace shudders briefly, but quickly quiets once more, leaving you in the weighty silence that always follows battle. Amid the clockwork reliquary's scattered remains is a king's ransom in various skymetal components (200,000 gp in all) In addition, several powerful magical items used as potent components for the construct's body can be salvaged from the remains, including a rod of quicken metamagic, a rod of empower metamagic, a cube of force, an orb of utter chaos, one of each type of ioun stone, two philosopher's stones, a spindle of perfect knowledge and lastly a major artifact, the guardian key. Guardian Key:
This simple-looking key seems to be carved crudely from stone, but is in fact a sort of skeleton key that can be used to wind all clockwork constructs swiftly and efficiently.
The guardian key can fit into any clockwork construct's keyhole, and fully winds a clockwork with a single turn made as a move action. Clockworks wound by the guardian key are healed of 5d8+20 points of damage, remain active for 10 times longer than they normally would, and during this period gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws. The guardian key can also be used to seize control of a clockwork. To do so, a creature must attempt a touch attack against the target clockwork as a standard action. If it h its, the clockwork can attempt a DC 15 Will save to resist. If the clockwork's save fails, that clockwork regards the key's carrier as its creator, and follows that person's commands to the letter-provided the commands are spoken in Thassilonian. The guardian key can control only one construct at a time. If it is used to control a second clockwork, the previous one is released from its duties immediately.
I just happen to like rat folk, call it a warhammer bias, but there is no particular details about them in the city. The campaign is 3.5 D&D and ratfolk aren't a D&D race, so there's not going to be any specific details to them. As Sassarine is a large port city, any and all races are going to be represented in the population, but whether or not there is a full blown ratfolk community? Probably not. As such, your character could realistic be from any of the districts.
Hey folks, I've had a player reach out to me inquiring about joining this game. They're super active on the boards and seem keen, so I'm inclined to bring them aboard, but I just wanted to run it past you all first, since we weren't actively recruiting. The player is noral if you've gamed with them before. In any case, PM me with any concerns, but if I don't hear anything, we'll probably be finding a prisoner/survivor in this pirate base shortly.
The ancient undead monstrosity has barely a moment to appreciate its renewed existence before Rhesus is upon it. Blow, after vicious blow, rain down, shattering bone, and rending supernaturally toughened flesh. Limbs are torn free, and soon the creatures remains are strewn about the room. Had blood still flowed in its veins, the room, along with the party, would be painted red.
The room contains another magical stairwell, that Spasi causes materialize. It leads to another small room which contains another one of Xin's spellwells, which would a great interest to a non-spontaneous spellcaster, but is useless otherwise. The room also contains a set of massive and ornately carved doors. Extravagant beyond anything else seen in the palace, they must herald Xin's inner sanctum.
@ Phineas: Couple of things. You probably want to pump your ride skill every level, since it helps to keep your mount alive. Also, Halflings have an alternate racial ability you probably would have wanted to swap in originally: Outrider: Some halflings specialize in mounted combat. Halflings with this racial trait gain a +2 bonus on Handle Animal and Ride checks. This racial trait replaces sure-footed. @Bhru: Armor spikes are 50gp. Also if you want to save some coin, half plate is only 600gp and only drops you 1 AC. Also Dwarven warshields are only 50gp, if you want to get that nonsense started.
@Ukufa: You'll get plenty of millage out of underground. Jungle is useful for the middle bit of the campaign, so maybe pick it up as your next one.
Eye's glinting, Jon slinks into the room and checks the chests. Two are locked but the third opens easily, revealing a clockwork mechanism frozen in motion. With some delicate experimentation, Jon figures that if closed, the mechanism springs back to life and so decides to keep it open, so you can all keep an eye on it. The other two chests take a bit of finesse, but in time they spring open. In one you find a fantastic amount of stolen wealth. These items must represent the work of countless minor burglaries and thefts perpetrated upon Sassarine over the past several months. The other chest is packed with gold and gemstones, all of which are neatly collected in silk bags bearing the Vanderboren family crest. At this time, you begin to smell smoke. Taking a scorched earth policy, the guild has set fire to their own base of operations. It is a near thing, but somehow you all manage to escape back to the surface with the guild's ill gotten gains before the flames and smoke overcome you.
Mithas shrugs at Krosh's comment, "We'll I imagine that if you are immortal, you've got to find ways to keep things interesting." To Greeda he says, "I imagine it's probably best to keep the book in the hut, or whatever it becomes. We definitely don't want to lose it and it'll probably be safest here." He makes a little shooing gesture to Byakko, "Yes, go along cat-man. Let's get this show on the road."
Kellan plugs the creature right in the head with a bolt, as Jon slaps the door shut. Bhru, not having any of it, burst through the portal, smashing into the thrashing creature and pummeling the last vestiges of life from it. Cackling with glee and covered with gore, he wave you in to follow. The door to the next room is unlocked. A large hexagonal table made of oak, surrounded by six chairs, takes up the majority of the next room. The north wall bears a huge map of Sasserine, on which dozens of tiny flags have been placed. To the south, a five-foot-tall and ten-foot-wide slate bears a tangled mess of chalk scribblings. A winch handle protrudes from the northwest corner, which you deduce was use to adjust the length of the Rhagodessa's leash. Another door lead deeper into the complex. The flags on the back come in three colours, red, blue and gold. They are scatter throughout the city, but several pop out at you: a gold flag protrudes from the Vanderboren estate and two other noble estates are also marked. A red flag protrudes from the Islaran estate and a blue one from the Kellani estate. A few of the city watch garrisons also contain both blue and gold flags. The primary piece of information currently on the slate seems to be tracking the comings and goings of ships in the harbor, as well as notations of which ones have been (or are scheduled to be) "holed." A note in the lower left corner is in an unusual script
Aquan:
"Make sure to pay ixitxs by month end!" In the upper right corner, you see your names listed inside a box, alongside a note in big letters that reads, "VANTHUS ! FIX THIS NOW!"
Phineas moves into the room as well. Jon nimbly engages one of the thieves, wounding him grievously. In his wake follow Ukufa, who's blades prove more deadly, dispatching her target before they even knew death was upon them. The wounded guildmate makes a run for it, while the remaining thief pulls out his blade and takes a defensive stance . He shouts at his fleeing comrade, "Rouse the guild, I'll hold them off."
Your seat is still warm. Hop right back in.
Sorry to hear that, but no worries. If things ever quiet down for you, and you're looking for another game, you'll always have a seat at this table. Take care.
Round 8 recap
With the press of reinforcements at their backs, the rebels push onward, heedless of the parties words. The front squad runs afoul of the last surprises left by the team. The remaining pair start to work on dismantling the barricades, but a concerted defense Messer and Alsah dispatch them. The advancing squad of rebels begin to pepper the lighthouse windows with bolts, raining death at anyone who pokes their heads out.
The remaining enemies surge forwards, picking their way through their fallen allies, as others tumble to join them sprawled on the cobbles. From above, death rains down, as the party tries to fend of this last desperate push. Despite your best efforts, the rebels manage to make it though the outer defenses and start pounding on the lighthouse door. As some hurry downstairs to brace the fortifications, the rest prepare a final gambit. The vessel of flaming oil that lights the night from this high vantage is heavy and hot, but with some careful coordination, you manage to maneuver it to the edge of the window and let gravity do the rest. The screams are terrible, but it serves its purpose, driving back the siegers and buying you a little more time. As you prepare to repel another push, you are forced to close you eyes against the sudden brightness that illuminates the night, as a fireball explodes at the base of the lighthouse. At first, you think this to be a last desperate ploy from the enemy, but your fears are quickly dispelled in the clatter of raining arrows that soon follow to sweep the sea wall clear. Turning to the harbor, you let out a sigh of relief, as you watch the ships of the Risuri fleet sail in. Within a few minutes, Risuri soldiers reach the lighthouse to relieve you and military doctors and druidic healers are quickly called for to tend to your wounds. The cavalry, as they say, has arrived and for now at least, you have a moment to catch your breath.
Mithas shrugs. "Well that was easier than anticipated. So, if I'm understanding everything correctly, that barrier should be down now, right? And the way to hut should be clear?" Giving the clearing one last glance for anything out of the ordinary, he starts to head back to where the way to the witch's hut could be found.
With focus and determination, the party finishes their work and dispatch the wounded thieves. Back in the hallway, Kellan snaps off a quick shot. The bolt wizzes off towards the silhouette in the doorway where it hits with a sickening thunk. The wounded thug clutches at the bolt protruding from his side and backs out of the doorway and out of sight.
Bryn steps up and clubs the wizards soundly. The man's eyes roll up and he tumbles to the floor. With the immediate threats taken care off, the party hustles and disable the remaining snoozing foes before they have a chance to shake off the grip of the magic sleep. With the objective secured for the moment and no idea whether reinforcements are right around the corner, you quickly move to the next stage of the mission. The sea gate controls are pretty straightforward and you quickly work out their operation. With them engaged, gears start to creak and the massive metal gate begins to creep open. From top of the lighthouse, you activate one of the scrolls of pyrotechnics signally the Risuri fleet to begin their assault, but also giving away your position. Success now depends of holding the lighthouse until your own reinforcements arrive to take the harbor. Time is of the essence and you must prepare to hold off the coming assault.
Yup still here.
Leaping into the unknown you fall a short distance before plunging into deep cold water. Dim light filtered down from the well above illuminates the chamber. Most of this circular cavern consists of the large pool of brackish water, its surface greasy with filth and rotting seaweed, which now clings to you. The cavern is mostly natural, but you notice a couple of arrow slits that have been carved into its walls. Dripping lead pipes protrude from the walls of the twenty-foot-high cavern, including one that's nearly two feet in diameter to the east. As you get your bearings there is rumble and rush of water starts to spill out of the larger pipe. To the west and south is a five-foot wide beach of grit and gravel. A narrow tunnel leads up at a shallow angle to the west and out of sight. From that direction comes a snarl as a large crocodile trundles into view. Initiative:
Combat 17 Ukufa 12 Bhru 10 Jon 10 Phineas 10 Enemies 7 Kellan
Rhesus jogs along the trench's bottom, as if the water was not even there, and casually splatters another of the creatures. Arrows streak in from the airy world above and slam into the remaining beastie. It activates its wand in one last desperate attempt to save itself.
Hardly slowed, the unrelenting barbarian brings his fury upon the final enemy and stands victorious amid the blood clouded water. Nothing now distracts you from the dark remenants of Xin's palace. A tall, broad archway grown of crystal stands at its base. The door the archway frames bears no hinge, lock, or knob. Only an unbroken sheet of pockmarked black crystal bars the way into the palace’s interior.
It takes a bit of doing, but you manage to maneuver your loot up the shaft and out of the dank tunnels. Dragging it down to the beach, you savor the clean sea air and load your booty into your skiff for the journey back to the city.
"I'd say I'm surprised, but I'm not really." Mithas takes aim at one of the creepy ladies and lets loose:
Clement flaps his wings, hovering above the chaos below. His eyes scanning the sea, watching for the wave that must be on its way. And then, there it is, a bulge on the horizon making its inexorable way towards the shore. Shouts from those above, urge on the fleeing citizenry to reach higher ground, but to few understand the real danger is yet to come. At the shoreline, the sea recedes, drawing back further than even the lowest low tide, drawn in by the hungry wave. Now close enough to be seen by all, fresh panic grips the city, as the towering wall of water rushing in. Suddenly, a beam of light descends from the heavens. It strikes Clement, freezing him in place. His body shatters the light like a prism and rays of colour fan out from him, bathing the city in rainbow hues. The light bends outwards, taking on weight and descending down to the ground. As the tsunami crashes in, it is met by a multi-coloured dome of brilliant light the envelopes the whole city. The water slams in, but is rebuffed. Beyond the dome, the waters sweep by taking all with it, but Magnimar itself remains safe. The minutes count by, as the city waits breathlessly in a frightened awe. Eventually, the waters fall away and the brightness of the dome begins to fade, eventually dissipating completely. Clement freed from his role as a divine conduit regains his senses just in time to hear a whole city explode into cheering. People weep openly and some even fall to their knees in praise for the miracle that they have just witnessed. At the shoreline, the receding waters leaves behind an unusual jumble of flotsam. The shattered forms of metallic figures lay strewn in the surf. Perc DC35: You catch sight of some movement among wave and the unusual wreckage on the shore.
Bibic's arrow slams in to the shriezyx drawing its attention from the crowd. It screeches in terror as Spasi ignites it, providing an opening for Rhesus to rush in and splatter spider guts everywhere. Clement swoops down to pick up the dying elderly human male dressed in the clothes of a common laborer.
With the giant craeture dispatched, the crowd settles back into the more generalized panic generated by the earthquake. The tremors continue for a few minutes before the ground quiets once again. With the immediate dangers ended, you finally have the chance to investigate the fruits of the ceremony. Shihedron (Spellcraft DC40):
Once the Sihedron is activated, it glows with a warm yellow light that sheds illumination as if via a daylight spell. To activate the Sihedron, a person need only touch the center of the star where all seven arms meet and concentrate as a swift action—the Sihedron immediately rises up into the air behind the user’s head like a halo and floats along behind him wherever he goes, even teleporting along with him. Although the Sihedron is not in physical contact with the user, it is in all ways treated as if it were an attended object being held or carried. The Sihedron implants knowledge of all its powers and how to activate them into the mind of anyone who activates it in this way. Once activated, the Sihedron protects its user in a number of ways. First, it constantly infuses the wearer with magical energy, granting him fast healing 5. Second, it grants the user the constant effects of a foresight spell (providing a +2 insight bonus to AC and on Reflex saves, and preventing the user from ever being surprised or flat-footed). Third, up to once per day, the Sihedron can target its wearer with true resurrection the instant he is slain—he need not activate this power, as the Sihedron automatically triggers if the user is killed. When the user activates the Sihedron, he may select one of the star’s points to be “ascendant.” The Sihedron rotates so that this point is pointing upward, and he immediately gains an additional defense and the use of a spell-like ability, usable at will, as detailed below. The user may change which point is ascendant as a standard action by concentrating, but cannot change the point to an “oppositional” point. As an immediate action (but no more often than once during any single combat round), the current user of the Sihedron may cause the artifact to instantaneously transfer itself to another willing creature within 120 feet. The Sihedron teleports from the current user and appears behind the head of the target creature. As it does so, it unleashes a surge of potent magic that affects both of these creatures, granting a +2 insight bonus on all saving throws for 1 round and healing each creature of 2d8+10 points of damage. This transfer occurs so quickly that it can grant the bonus on a saving throw after the saving throw itself has been rolled, but it must be made before the result of that role is confirmed by the GM. Likewise, the healing granted can occur in the instant before a creature actually takes damage from any source, which could heal a heavily wounded target before the additional damage renders it unconscious or even kills it. When the Sihedron is granted to a new target in this manner, the new target can automatically select which point of the Sihedron is ascendant, even if the point selected is oppositional to the previously active point. Each of the Sihedron’s arms contains an ioun stone embedded in a small receptacle. These ioun stones cannot be removed as long as the Sihedron is whole, and they help to power the following additional abilities when one of the points is ascendant. Charity: Grants a +4 insight bonus to AC and dimensional anchor as a spell-like ability. Opposed by kindness and temperance. Generosity: Grants a +4 insight bonus on attack rolls and beast shape II as a spell-like ability. Opposed by humility and love. Humility: Grants a +8 insight bonus on skill checks and greater invisibility as a spell-like ability. Opposed by generosity and zeal. Kindness: Grants a +4 insight bonus on weapon damage rolls and ice storm as a spell-like ability. Opposed by charity and zeal. Love: Grants a +8 insight bonus on initiative checks and charm monster as a spell-like ability. Opposed by generosity and temperance. Temperance: Grants fast healing 10 (this replaces the standard fast healing granted by the Sihedron) and fear as a spell-like ability. Opposed by charity and love. Zeal: Grants a +8 insight bonus on concentration and caster level checks and dimension door as a spell-like ability. Opposed by humility and kindness. Know(nature)DC15: You realize that following an earthquake, the real danger is the chance of a tsunami. Considering that the disturbance out over the water was almost assuredly the cause of the earthquake, the fact that it was an offshore earthquake means a tsunami is most-likely already making its way towards the cit.
Finishing up your last minute preparations, you wait for darkness to fall. Black sails are raised and the Impossible breaks off from the fleet and sails into a sheltered cove. Letmas takes the scrolls of water breathing and cast the magic on everyone. "Once we've secured the entry point, one of us will come back to give an update and lead your team in." After one last check of their equipment, the infiltration team grabs their end of the rope, and slips over the side of the ship and into the dark water. As they slip below the waves, you see their sunrods activate and then dim, as they swim deeper, eventually disappearing completely. Several minutes pass. You wait, tense with anticipation, as the rope plays out slowly. All of a sudden, you reel, as a strange wave of vertigo washes over you. You hear a faint rumble, as a vibration runs through the ship and the sea begins to ripple. The vertigo and vibrations continue for only a moment, but as it passes, you notice the rope has gone slack. It remains that way for a heart stopping minute before you start to feel a faint series of tugs.
Bibic's oration is met with keen interest and much discussion and argument follow. With some many powerful interest groups involved, there is little chance in making everyone happy. In the end, the consensus is to stick with the status quo, at least for the time being. You all were responsible for the recovery of the shards, and by rights of salvage, they are yours. The hope from all involved is that you will ultimately decide to leave the Sihedron with someone else for safe keeping. With nothing really settled, the meeting adjourns and plans for the reforging festival proceed. You all have very little responsibility leading up to the festival. Sheila has hired a small army of workers to set things up on the Irespan, and throughout the setup, the crowd of onlookers gathering on the immense bridge deck grows. It’s not long before it becomes obvious that the festival is going to be quite popular. Vendors and entertainers arrive days in advance, jockeying for position along the broad expanse of the monument. The site becomes an impromptu marketplace as tenants of the Bazaar of Sails relocate to capitalize on the coming crowds, and it isn’t long before opportunistic souvenir peddlers are selling cheap dolls made in the your likenesses, slivers of fake “skymetals” purported to have been shaved from the Shattered Star shards themselves, and seven-pronged wooden star toys that threaten to bruise and batter more than one child over the forthcoming weeks. In short, the cause for celebration turns into something of a circus for a population needing little excuse for revelry. By the day of the festival, a sizable portion of Magnimar’s citizenry ascends to the Irespan, with people of all classes crowding the monument. Processions of local luminaries, an impromptu parade complete with local street musicians, fortune-tellers, plenty of doomsayers, and all manner of revelry, form atop the massive monument. At the center of the festival grounds sits the Sihedron Shrine, a block of stone bearing the indentation of the seven-pointed star sitting on a stout wooden stage and surrounded by a velvet rope creating a cordoned area a hundred feet across. Shortly after noon, Lord-Mayor Grobaras ascends to the pinnacle of the Irespan to give a blatantly self-congratulatory speech about the nonexistent (yet to him somehow pivotal) role he played in the success of the your quest, heaping praise on the hard work of Spicy, Clairemont, Cheesus and Boobic, and managing to take the lion’s share of credit for the deed. After the lord-mayor at last makes his closing remarks, Sheila takes the stage to offer up more honest accolades to you all, while explaining to the assembled citizens the importance of this momentous occasion and stressing the threat of the slumbering runelords and the security the protections of the repaired Sihedron will provide against their depredations. As she closes to thunderous applause, the members of the Sihedron Council assemble in preparation for the Ritual of Reforging. As the ritual begins, members of the city watch step forward to help ward the cordon surrounding the shrine. In addition, hired professionals of House Derexhi filter through the crowd to discreetly silence rabble-rousers who might disrupt the ceremony. You are all humbly requested to use your newfound celebrity to assist in these matters, and help distract the potentially dangerous throng as the ritual begins. With these precautions in place, Sheila gives the signal. The seven assembled ritualists (each a member of the Sihedron Council) bear their respective shards, and with mumbled words of power, slowly begin moving toward one another. As they do so, the Sihedron Shrine, the shards, and the spellcasters themselves suddenly become wreathed in prismatic energy, all seven colors of the rainbow shine from each shard, then surge downward out of each spellcaster as their spellpower ignites the latent spark in the shards. A low rumbling begins, accompanied by a higher-pitched buzzing sound as if from a cloud of bees. As these sounds and lights intensify, they become almost too painful to bear. Just as a ripple of unease starts spreading through the crowd and guards, the sound culminates in a peal of thunder as a beam of light arches up into the sky from the Sihedron Shrine to pierce the clouds above. A moment later, the spellcasters stagger back, fatigued but otherwise unharmed, as the reforged Sihedron rises up into the air to slowly hover a foot above the ground. The crowd, needless to say, erupts into a roar of applause and triumph.
Some time later, you all receive notice of the time and location of the Sihedron Council. It takes place in a large tent set up on the Heidmarch Manor grounds. The event is mostly a meet and greet for the members of the counsel and there is plenty of time to mingle and chat before the meeting begins. Besides the party (and Koriah, in attendance are: Sheila and her husband, Sir Canayven Heidmarch, Aram Zey (Master of Spells for the Pathfinder Society), Archisa Aparna (A famously dashing, treasure-hunting local Pathfinder), Bevaluu Zimantiu (Caretaker of Magnimar’s shrine to Desna), Ernst Landis (Chief curator of Magnimar’s Museum of Ages), Haldmeer Grobaras (Lord-Mayor of Magnimar), Ibra Demerios (Head archivist of Magnimar’s Founder’s Archives), Ismeir Odinburge (Commander of the city watch), Jyronn Imikar (Leader of the local church of Abadar), Kreighton Shaine (Master of Scrolls for the Pathfinder Society), Leis Nivlandis (Master of the Stone of the Seers in Magnimar), Marcos Farabellus (Master of Swords for the Pathfinder Society), Sabriyya Kalmeralm (A powerful local merchant), Toth Bhreacher (Founder of Magnimar’s Golemworks), and Verrine Caiteil (Executive moderator of Magnimar’s Council of Ushers) A real who's who of the city powers, and they all take time to congratulate you all on your remarkable accomplishments. Eventually, Sheila takes center stage and starts the meeting. "Greetings, friends and associates, and thank you for agreeing to join the Sihedron Council. Tomorrow afternoon we will gather atop the Irespan to perform the Ritual of Reforging. I’ll give a short speech to introduce the council members, in particular the heroes who braved certain death to gather the shards of the Shattered Star, and then they’ll have a chance to regale the gathered crowd with tales of their adventures. Next, all seven shards will be brought together and placed in the Sihedron Shrine I’ve had my people haul up out of the dungeons under the Crow. We’ll need several spellcasters to help siphon magical energy into the shards. My research has indicated that once the Sihedron is reformed, there’ll be some flashy lights and sounds, but that there should not be a dangerous discharge of magic—all the energies will be absorbed by the Sihedron itself in the process of reforging. I’d like the heroes themselves not to be involved in channeling magic into the Shattered Star, though, since if something does go wrong, they’re our best option to handle whatever develops. And once the Sihedron is reformed, I see no better option than appointing them the artifact’s new keepers! And now, if there’s nothing more, I thank you again and I’ll see you tomorrow upon the Irespan!” Sheila’s hope for a quick end to the council meeting shatters as those gathered all burst into voice at once. After a moment of chaos, Sheila and Sir Canayven quiet them down, and Sheila ask each group to voice its concerns. In brief, Magnimar’s city officials are eager to use the Ritual of Reforging to inflate the importance of Magnimar while the Pathfinder Society is here and paying close attention, while the Society is eager to lay claim to the Sihedron and take it to Absalom for study. Other members of the council worry that the ritual may be tampering with potent magic that is better handled behind closed doors. And none seem particularly enthusiastic about the idea of such a powerful artifact remaining in the party's possession.
Gilfroy's second attempt with the spell manages to drop the last man in the alley. Inside the burning build Destin and Arakar drop the two remaining goons, while out front Khardon sends his opponent tumbling to the cobbles in a spray of blood. Seeing his men so effectively and violently dispatched, the man on the horse shakes his head in disgust and kicks his horse into a trot.
Torrent claps Gilfroy on the shoulder, "Nicely done, now let's get out of here before they wake up." If there are no objections, she leads the party a few blocks down the street before ducking into another alleyway to regroup. " Really didn't expect a surprise attack by the Ragesians. Looks like they plan on making an example of us. This is going to complicate making our rendezvous with Rivereye. He might not hang around if we're late and I can’t risk losing out on the intel he carries." "You all handled yourselve well back there. It was a nasty scrape, but could have gone much worse for us. Still, looks like some of you took some lumps. Fortunately, the powers that be have set us up for success." She reaches into her bag and pulls out a slender wand.
"I've also learned a bit more about the ritual for rebuilding the Sihedron from the seven shards. It requires a special stone as a sort of "mold" to hold the fragments in alignment. Fortunately, the you have already discovered one of these stones in your investigations, the Sihedron Shrine in the lowest chamber of the Crow right here in the city. I've put several members on the task of hauling this shrine up to the surface. When the time comes, I hope to host a grand ceremony atop the Irespan during which we will reforge the ancient artifact. Pathfinders and other luminaries from throughout the Inner Sea have taken note of your quest now, and many famous faces will no doubt be in attendance at the ceremony. But perhaps we should get to far ahead of ourselves."
Whatever works for you. Pounce was just an example, the Superstition/Witch hunter/Spell sunder line is also really strong. But really it's totally up to you, they're both great classes. You're gestalt PCs so you don't really need to be optimized to be successful in the AP and hey, if you go bard you get to save a feat on a sweet whip build, so it has that going for it ;)
In the throes of the shard of sloths curse and full of draconic overconfidence, the great wyrm had let her defenses slip. Her usual meticulous prepared defenses fallen by the wayside due to lethargy that plagues her, Cadrilkasta succumbs to a fate all too common among dragons: death by adventuring party. Scales shatter beneath the unrelenting blows of Rhesus' hammer and her innate magical protections cannot hold up to the potency of Spasi' spells. The mighty beast, the terror of the Hold of Belkzen, thrashes briefly and then lies still. amulet of mighty fists +3, portable hole, ring of evasion, ring of freedom of movement, Shard of Sloth, 120,300cp, 65,750sp, 22,075gp, and 1,937pp a masterwork longsword with a filigreed platinum handle worth 557gp, four large darkwood and mother-of-pearl keys shaped like demons that are each worth 500gp, a magnificent mithral tray depicting a murder of crows around a dead tree featuring tiny little flakes of jet for the crows’ eyes worth 2,500gp, a Small +2 flaming spear, a huge jug containing sand and 50 pearls worth 100gp each, a lens of detection in a silk pouch embroidered with an image of a snake eating a hound, a huge gilt-edged tureen depicting a dragon turtle and set with a trio of diamonds (worth 5,300gp in total), an eversmoking bottle carved to resemble a fat man with an open upturned mouth, a leather case containing a manual of gainful exercise +3, a poorly taxidermied gnome with a frozen elixir of firebreath in his mouth, a glass jar containing a two-headed owlbear fetus that clutches a stone of good luck in one beak and a stone of weight in the other, and a complicated adamantine puzzlebox scroll tube worth 4,000gp Shard of Sloth:
Aura overwhelming conjuration; CL 25th; Slot none; Price —; Weight 1 lb. The Shard of Sloth is made of blue-green glowing abysium. As long as the Shard of Sloth is carried, its owner can use summon monster III as a spell-like ability once per day, gains a +2 insight bonus on saves versus conjuration spells, and gains a +4 insight bonus on all concentration and caster level checks. Curse: The owner becomes lazy and sedentary, and becomes sickened for 1 hour whenever he makes more than a single move action in any round. All of the owner’s movement speeds are halved. Curse inactivated by attaching an incandescent blue sphere ioun stone which you happen to have found earlier. Spasi: Reminder of your deal to bring Madam Seeshaw Raccas a new trophy to hang on the wall of the Shucked Oyster. A dragon's head would do the trick. It does have to be fresh or preserved though.
I would ask, if you would be open to samurai class if it was flavored differently? I find its resolve feature would make sense for the character I'm working on. If not, thats fine. I'll stick to the original idea. Yes. if you must, but completely re-flavor it. Mechanically the class is fine, thematically it doesn't fit.
You're only gaining 1 level, being a gestalt level doesn't change that, so you only gain one skill point or HP. Hi, I didn't see an answer to this question, so I made the time to come up with a complete alias. Here it is. Thanks. Sorry for the lack or reply. Yup it was fine, but a full profile never hurts.
Just popping in to say that I am still watching the thread. @Nazard: Thanks for collating all the applicants. Much appreciated. Also, it looks like Gilfroy Fezziwig's background could still use some tweaking. @Everyone: After skimming some of the backgrounds, I wanted to make a quick clarification regarding the Scourge. The Ragesian Empire isn't antimagic and they don't care about your faith. The Scourge is about eliminating any magic users that aren't loyal to the Empire. This is for reasons that aren't immediately clear to the PCs, but was prompted by the sudden death of the Emperor, so feel free draw your own conclusions to that. Anyone one who swears fealty to the Empire is going to be fine. So why doesn't your PC want to just bend the knee and go on with their life?
Hello Everyone, I’ve been really getting back into the PbP groove as of late, so I’ve decided to push it to limit and run a game that I’ve been wanting to for a while, EN publishing’s War of the Burning Sky. I will be running it as a PF1e restricted Gestalt game (see character creation spoilers for details). Setting the Stage: It is New Year’s eve in the free city-state of Gate Pass. Located in the mountain pass which separates two hostile nations, Ragesia and Shahalesti, Gate Pass has been neutral since the end of their last war, but now from Ragesia a new menace comes for the city. By now, every magic-user in Gate Pass knows of the Scourge. The Emperor of Ragesia died barely a month ago, and in a move to cement herself as the next emperor of Ragesia, Leska, leader of the Ragesian inquisitors, has decreed that all disloyal users of magic, arcane or divine, are to be tracked down and killed, to prevent future threats to the empire. To carry out Leska’s command, the inquisitors, clerics specialized in countermagic, travel with military escorts to the borders of Ragesia. Their first target is Gate Pass, its neutrality long viewed as an insult to the nation’s honor. Those who resist them will have to face the searing power of the Ragesian Empire. An entire army marches for Gate Pass, and the people of the city fear that they will not be able to resist the might of the Ragesian military. The city leaders are bowing under pressure, and have barred the exit from the city, intending to welcome the inquisitors that come with the army, for they foolishly hope that the Ragesians will reward their cooperation with mercy. A local resistance movement, devoted to keeping both the Ragesians and the Shahalesti out of the city, has gathered vital military intelligence, and they need messengers to deliver the information to allies at a distant wizard’s school. With all their strongest warriors preparing to hold back the Ragesian assault, this vital mission falls to a party of desperate heroes. The Ragesian army is nearly at Gate Pass’s doorstep, so time is short. The war is about to begin Gate Pass:
The Free Citystate of Gate Pass lies in a rocky mountain pass that runs east to west between Ragesia and Shahalesti. Sheer cliffs mark its northern and southern borders, and fortifications built up over centuries have made the city highly defensible, allowing it to avoid being annexed by either of the nations that surround it. These same fortifications, unfortunately, make it difficult for anyone to sneak out of the city without going through any of the numerous gates that give the city its name.
Gate Pass has the distinction of being the only city to successfully drive out occupation by the Ragesian Empire. Forty years ago, Emperor Coaltongue defeated the city’s army, set up a military government, and erected a 90-foot-tall statue of himself in the grand square on Summer’s Bluff before moving on to his next conquest. For two years, citizens waged an insurgency against the occupying army, until finally Coaltongue decided the city wasn’t worth the loss of men. Shahalesti and Ragesia, once allies, were approaching open war, and Coaltongue declared that he would withdraw from Gate Pass, if the Lord of Shahalesti agreed to leave the city as a neutral buffer between their two nations. The elves agreed, the city celebrated its victory, and trade between the two nations began to flow. Ragesia:
The Ragesian Empire is based in the capital city of Ragos, located on central lowlands dominated by many lakes. While the core of the empire is populated heavily by orcs and half-orcs, the outer regions have wildly diverse cultures and populations, the result of having once been many separate nations before being conquered. Every region has a large component of orcs in the population, along with heavy military presence to ensure loyalty and peace. Though the people of Ragesia have been conquered, most are content that they live today in relative safety. Given the power of the empire, rebellion just doesn’t seem worth it. The majority of the population is still human however, and different ethnic groups remain mostly concentrated in their old homelands, which are often separated by low, long mountain ranges. Shahalesti:
On the far side of the mountains that mark Ragesia’s eastern border spreads the Shining Land of Shahalesti, ruled by Lord Shaaladel, a middle-aged elf who rose from being a military commander to the nation’s ruler during the ascension of the Ragesian Empire. Shahalesti was in danger of being conquered like Ragesia’s other neighbors, and Shaaladel’s aggressive displays of force, including the conquest and destruction of two nearby elvish lands that were hostile to it, are credited as major reasons why Ragesia has so far not looked east for conquest. Shahalesti is not an entirely elvish nation. The majority of its population is human, but they live as commoners with little real power. The aristocracy is almost exclusively elvish, as well as the higher ranks among the military. Despite a grudging alliance with Ragesia, however, orcs and half-orcs are despised and persecuted, unable to hold any public positions, often horribly exploited as nearly slave labor. A few outposts of wealthy orcs with ties to Ragesia have tried to start their own communities, causing a steady source of internal strife. Dassen:
The Kingdom of Dassen lies to the south of Ragesia, and the southwest of Shahalesti, its borders defined by craggy mountains defended by hundreds of small dwarven strongholds. Dassen’s people, a swarthy assortment of humans and dwarves, cherish their land, to the point that superstitious cavalrymen even put dirt in their boots so they never have to stop touching the soil of their homeland. King Steppengard rules a patchwork of eight feudal holdings, many of them controlled by distant relatives with claims to the throne of numbing complexity. To assure that he never has to worry about untangling these claims, Steppengard has had a huge family with eighteen children, all of them legitimate on the word of his oath. Who Are you?: The PC’s are members of the local Gate Pass Ragesian resistance movement, or at least trusted associates of it. Perhaps you are a local, a refugee from the last war or a recent arrival to the city having fled the Scourge. Regardless of your past, as a magic user refusing to submit to the Ragesian Empire, you have reason to fear being caught up in the purge when the its army arrives to claim the city. Some stuff to know before you get started: (1) This adventure was written for 3.X D&D and I plan to run it mostly as is and only convert things as needed on the fly. As such, there might be the occasional weird non-RAW pathfinder thing. It should be fine, but just a heads up. (2) I will be using google docs for maps and the like, so if you can’t access those while posting, you’re going to have a bad time. (3) I generally post once per day and am looking for people with similar posting habits. With that out of the way, I’m looking for 5ish first level PCs. Character Creation Guidelines: Ability Scores:
15 point buy, Max HP at start. Recall that:
For each ability score ≥16 or ≤ 8, include a characteristic in your PC description associated with that ability. These are your defining features and, if nothing else, are how other people would describe you. Allowed Races:
• All core plus Orc • The region is predominantly human. As such, expect a slight bias towards selecting human and half-human PCs. Allowed Classes:
• All Paizo with the exception of Gunslingers, Ninjas and Samurais, as they don’t fit the setting, and I will consider 3rd party classes on a case-by-case basis. Going to say no to Spheres of Power though. • Unchained versions of the Barbarian, Monk, Rogue can be used and the unchained Summoner must be used. • Note of Gestalt: To fit the narrative of the campaign, one half of your gestalt build must be a caster (divine or arcane). Occult classes would count as arcane casters. Skills, Feats, etc:
Skills:
Feats:
• We will be using the Elephant in the room alternate rules. For those not familiar it basically removes a lot of the feat taxes that exist in the game and tweaks a few other aspects of the game. Traits:
Wealth:
Character Fluff:
• I’m not looking for a ton, but please give me enough of a character sketch so I can get a feel for how you plan on playing the character. You can even just describe your character in terms of other fictional characters, or just in terms of your ability score descriptions. While I don't need more than a few sentences, feel to elaborate as much as you want. Honestly, this is as much for you as for me. These campaigns go on forever, so create a PC you want to spend some time with. • I’d also appreciate it if you can give a bit of idea of what you envision your party role would be. Frontline bruiser, ranged caster, party face, etc. Note on applications: You don’t need to have a fully complete character sheet and profile to apply. What I do need is a brief description of your character (race, classes/archetypes, party role, etc) and a sketch of your character background. If you get selected, then you can flesh out the details. For now, I’m looking for some cool and interesting character concepts that fit the setting and would work well together. Tentative Deadline: Assuming sufficient interest, recruitment will be open for expressions of interest until Monday, April 26th and I’ll probably review and select PCs on the Wednesday. If you have any questions, please let me know.
The wounded zombie steps after Ukufa, moving within Katigar's reach. Her axe strikes true and the zombie tumbles aside, nearly cleaved in two. The other zombie shuffles in after its fallen compatriot. A moan from behind you draws your attention, and you see another zombie shuffle into a doorway.
Nice. Looks like we've got ourselves an interesting melange of characters here.
"Easy friend Skäne, let us meet courtesy with courtesy." Mithas gives the strange fey a half bow. "A pleasure to meet such a civilized individual as yourself in these days of danger and chaos. Alas, for we cannot cry off our own quest for the hut. In this we seem to be in opposition and to you we extend your own gracious offer, return to when you came, to live out your days in peace."
The badly injured zombie tries to bite Ukufa, , but misses.
The room beyond is empty, another door on the opposite side is shattered allowing you to see that it leads to a corridor beyond, which turns out of sight. At the same time, the rotten door on the western side of the room is knocked off its hinges revealing another of the slavering dead. Ukufa, on edge and ready for anything, lets loose with her chakram at the creature's appearance and the blade slams into the creature with a wet thunk. Initiative:
Round 1
Hps: 5/16
Who does he worship? Kiri-Jolith or Habbakuk would probably make the most sense, but as there is now a oracle application, I'm fine with just sticking with the inquisitor build. Ultimately, it's more about what fits the best thematically in the game.
Ya that would work. @Shalafi2412: If you would prefer, I have a similar ranged warpriest build I could do instead, if you want to have a legitimate divine caster. I kind of thought that the inquisitor build would work better, due to it being less God focused, but a warpriest imbued with divine purpose by the gods to help restore the elves to their homeland could work too. @Khyber Elessedil: How can you afford a +2 str composite longbow? Did I miss an increase to our starting gold? Because if we can get one, I totally want one too.
Constable Stray easily defeats the door's lock and it opens soundlessly on the still new hinges. The room beyond is empty. The great aft window stands open and a stiff sea breeze blows in. Quickly moving to the window, you catch the briefest glimpse of the Duchess standing beside a beautiful sea nymph on a mighty chariot of polished coral, as it slips beneath the waves. You don't get a clear view of the creature pulling the aquatic conveyance, but the dark shape moving beneath the waves is immense. Through the window, you hear the opening strains of the Risuri national anthem coming from the deck above. For the next several minutes, that rousing tune will drown out all but the loudest of noises. A quick search of the observation room doesn't turn up much, but you do find several odd amulets piled in the room's trash can. Know (Planes or Local) DC20:
You recognize the fey as Lady Beshela. She serves as steward of the domains of the fey titan, She Who Writhes. Though not a member of the Unseen Court, Beshela bears the title Archfey of the Sea and controls most of the waters along Risur’s north shore. With armies of sea creatures at her command, the beautiful fey is like a queen of her own land, and it is with her permission that ships pass through her waters. Know (arcane or engineering)DC15: You recognize the amulets as fire wards, magical devices designed to keep alchemical substances from catching fire. You recall from your earlier survey that fire wards such as these were hung in the three rooms of the magazine to keep the ammunition from accidentally exploding in battle.
Oh for sure. There's a bunch of dragonlance fans on the boards.
Before Bhru opens the door Ukufa holds up a hand in warning. Ukufa: You hear a low guttural moan from behind the door. It is followed shortly after by another and then by a third.
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