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As of now I've finished running all 6 books of the AP. But I'm a little tapped out on GMing for now. Sorry Purs. =(
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Baba Yaga fixes Exiel with a long piercing stare. "A most interesting request. I have no shortage of servants who can protect and look after the girl, and who will not be spouting your ridiculous conditions. And she WILL be queen of Irrisen. That is not up for debate." "But a boon Baba Yaga has promised, and Baba Yaga could do worse than having you for a rider. Make no mistake though, your main duty will be teaching and raising Anastasia, but as my Rider you may be called upon for other tasks as well. But Baba Yaga will keep your sensitivities in mind. Baba Yaga has many enemies whom you will also find unpalatable, after all." She nods, apparently satisfied. "Very well then. You will be the guard and guardian of the Queen Anastasia of Irrisen. Do not think it will be an easy task. You will have to guard her against the politics of the court, against would-be assassins, against bad advisors and the like. And you will need to teach her magic too, for I can see you have some skill at magic." As she speaks, a swirl of grey energy begins to encircle her. Rivulets of black energy seep out from Exiel and flow to Baba Yaga. At the same time, a stream of white power flows out from her into Exiel, bleaching his clothes and hair to a crisp white of freshly fallen snow. "Welcome to my service, Exiel, Paladin of Torag, White Rider of Baba Yaga. Eeeeheeeeheeeeheeeeheeee....!"
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Purs I'll give you the altruism option then. Exiel your's is a little more interesting. Did you know that Anastasia is the queen of Irrisen in PF2? Not evil, but still relatively young and inexperienced, and in a precarious situation as a result. Baba Yaga chuckles a little as she rubs her chin thoughtfully at Exiel's request. "You ask for more than you know, sorcerer. An audacious request, but the life of a temple orphan is not for her. I have chosen her to be the next queen of Irrisen!" Baba Yaga smiles slyly. "But perhaps there is a way. Her path will have much danger, and she will require teaching and protection in equal measure. I do require a powerful agent for the task. If your concern is for her well-being, and you wish to have a hand in raising her, you may do so... as one of my Riders! Eeeeheeeeheeeeheeeeheeee...." Baba Yaga's laughter fills the chamber as she makes her suggestion. Exiel: Note that there is a 1-year period in which Exiel cannot be played if you choose the Rider option. Or if you want the altruism option, you may need to choose some other altruistic request.
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As Exiel places the doll in the blood, a glowing seam begins to appear along the length of the doll, before it suddenly cracks open. For a moment, nothing happens. Then thick white smoke beings to pour from the broken doll, and moments later, a wrinkled old crone stands before you. Her form is that of a frail old human woman, but her movements are sharp and energetic, and a dark power glimmers in her eyes. Baba Yaga, the Queen of Witches, is free once more! "Ah, dearies. Long have I been imprisoned, and so much has had to be done to to undo this little coup by this my wayward daughter," she cackles as she kicks Elvanna's prone form unceremoniously. "As for you, you have done well in my service. I believe I promised something in return, did I not?" The chamber shakes as Baba Yaga chants a short incantation. The bubbling cauldron goes dark and still, and the thrum of energy in the room slowly subsides. With another incantation, a strange mirror in the corner of the room shatters. Baba Yaga observes her handiwork, then nods in satisfaction. She turns to you, a pleased look on her face. "And it is done. The deal is complete. Hmm... but let it not be said that Baba Yaga does not know gratitude or fairness. You have personally done me a great service, and Baba Yaga is pleased. A boon, you may ask, each of you. Consider it wisely. There is much that Baba Yaga can give, but there are also limits. And before you ask, yes Baba Yaga will also drop you all back home. Even that dour wizard back in the Kurgan." "So then my dearies. What would you ask of your Baba? A little dancing hut of your own perhaps? Or perhaps you wish power - Baba Yaga can establish you as one of the elite in Irrisen. Yes, Baba Yaga thinks you lot should be strong enough to maintain your influence there if you wish it. Alterantively... perhaps you have had a taste of Baba Yaga's power and wish to continue to serve as Baba Yaga's rider? Baba Yaga has been gone for some time and there is much that needs attention - and you will be strengthened for the task of course." In game terms, your options are:
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Purs shakes off the powerful suffocation spell with the aid of Exiel's buff, and quickly goes to Amsheagar's aid. Exiel resists the spell with little effort and attacks Elvanna mercilessly, his rapier flashing in the cool light as he stabs her through the ribs, and again through her chest, and finally through her throat. Elvanna gasps as his divinely-charged weapon pierces her layered defences, and gurgles a curse with her dying breath as she succumbs to her wounds, falling to the ground as her staff and crown slip from her falling form. Seeing that their summoner has fallen, the demodands pause in their tracks, as if unsure of what to do. Then, deciding that there is no profit in fighting you to the death, they snarl in unison, then vanish in puffs of acrid brimstone smoke. The stone golems also power-down, their link to their former-owner broken, becoming so little more than lifeless statues. Meanwhile, Rhon and Amsheagar are still gasping for air against Elvanna's spell. Both use Exiel's buff against the deadly spell. Rhon's save: 1d20 + 20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 20 + 4 = 40
Thanks to their stalwart hardiness and Exiel's powerful ward, both Pathfinders pull through (Amsheagar just barely). The chamber is now quiet, at least for a moment, until Baba Yaga's shrill voice whispers... "Good. Goooood... Now all that is left, is to soak the final matryoshka doll in Elvanna’s blood to finally free me. Do it now! Don't forget that only I can reverse the ritual that Elvanna started. Without me, Irrisen’s winter will spread to encompass all of Golarion!" It's pretty much just you 2 now, I guess, Exiel and Purs. I will try to at least give the two of you a proper end to the story as thanks for sticking with it all the way through.
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Purs did you want to use Exiel's buff on your save to pass it? If you do, you can still act this turn. Exiel cutting the thread is an immediate action. So you removed the staggered condition before your turn, and technically still have a swift action this turn. Oh and... I think you both know this by now via different ways, but... yeah Elvanna is dead. Exiel smiting with +13 charisma bonus is... just plain stupidly overkill. O_O
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PBP VC has recommended that I give Rhon and Amsheagar another 24 hours or so to make a post, and if they do not, I should just keep botting them in the interests of wrapping up the game. If Amsheagar makes his save, I will have him retreat. If not, he will probably need some help from you guys to survive - but that will be up to you. It's not ideal, but it's an inherent risk of joining a pbp game and disappearing halfway. =(
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Further to the above discussion about botting, I would appreciate some advice. I have 4 players in a PFS pbp game. Two are still active. One has not posted for about a week, the other has not posted for about a month (he made mention of a health scare about a week before he stopped posting). I have been botting both to keep things moving because one of the active players needs his character to be available come January. We are in the last battle of the AP. The BBEG has just been killed (buffed smiting paladin), but the two AFK players are still due to make a high DC save vs a mass suffocation spell. Should I keep botting them and roll their saves so that we can finish the adventure one way or the other, or wait for one or two of the AFK players to return? Tyranius this is the game that I PMed you about previously.
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While not ideal, I understand that Purs and Exiel are keen to complete the adventure, so I will bot Rhon as well. Amsheagar fort: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (10) + 19 = 29
By some dint of luck, Rhon, Earl and Amsheagar also manage to survive Elvanna's deadly spell. Faced with multiple powerful enemies, Amsheagar summons the fury of a lightning storm, sending stormbolts flying in every direction that arc around his allies, but through his opponents. He also moves his roaming pit towards the other stone golem, hoping to remove it from the fight sooner rather than later. GM for Amsheagar:
SR: 1d20 ⇒ 18 enemy saves: 3d20 ⇒ (11, 11, 13) = 35 17d8 ⇒ (5, 2, 7, 2, 3, 7, 2, 4, 4, 4, 7, 2, 8, 8, 3, 4, 4) = 76 Amsheagar manages to pierce the spell resistance of Elvanna and the winged monsters, but they make their saves and avoid being stunned by the bolts. Purs heals Amsheagar while Exiel ventilates Elvanna with alarming efficiency. Rhon goes for an all-out assault on the demonic-looking creature next to him. GM for Rhon:
4d20 ⇒ (15, 10, 14, 2) = 41 2d8 + 18 + 2d6 ⇒ (8, 8) + 18 + (4, 5) = 43 2d8 + 18 + 2d6 ⇒ (4, 6) + 18 + (2, 6) = 36 2d8 + 18 + 2d6 ⇒ (1, 4) + 18 + (6, 4) = 33 3d20 ⇒ (10, 8, 9) = 27 He hits three times, his axe cleaving through the slimy flesh without difficulty. Earl who is next to Elvanna tries to help Exiel, but the witch's defences are also strong, and he does not hit (though he does give Exiel a flank). Anxious to forestall Exiel's relentless assault, Elvanna unleashes another devastating 9th level-spell: mass suffocation! The winged monsters continue to try to attack their targets, while the stone golem lumbers towards Amsheagar. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 14 3d20 ⇒ (17, 9, 15) = 41 3d20 ⇒ (15, 4, 7) = 26 1d10 + 9 + 2d6 ⇒ (4) + 9 + (4, 3) = 20 2d6 + 13 + 2d6 ⇒ (2, 1) + 13 + (4, 3) = 23 2d6 + 13 + 2d6 ⇒ (4, 5) + 13 + (6, 3) = 31 1d20 ⇒ 16 2d20 ⇒ (18, 8) = 26 2d10 + 9 ⇒ (9, 2) + 9 = 20 Exiel is as elusive as ever, avoiding all the melee attacks directed at him, but Amsheagar is savagely bitten, clawed and pounded by his attackers! Pathfinders need to make a DC29 fort save vs mass suffocation. If you fail, you fall to 0hp and are unconscious. Earl is immune since I don't think earth elementals breathe.
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Purs heals Amsheagar. Exiel with his plethora of buffs savagely attacks Elvanna, dealing several grievous wounds as his divinely-empowered strikes pierce through her stony and icy skin like it were paper. Rhon and Amsheagar are still up and still need to roll their saves. Will wait a little for Rhon, have sent them both messages.
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Does anyone know Rhon's player irl? I've checked his other games. He's in 3 pbp games but has not posted in any of them since 18 November. We actually have his latest post in 10 days. Might wait a while to see if/when he returns. Could be that something came up irl. With the way the battle is going at the moment, I think we can afford to wait a little bit. I don't think see this fight going very long.
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Exiel I'll allow it since it is the final fight, and Exiel is more of an experienced adventurer than his player is. Exiel experiences significant resistance as he casts his spell at Elvanna, but with a surge of motivation Exiel manages to force his spell through. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 5 Elvanna curses Exiel vehemently as her strength is sapped from her body, leaving her muscles significantly weakened. The good news for her is that as a witch, her forte does not lie in her physical strength. The bad news is that at Amsheagar's signal, the two greater earth elementals under his command burst forth to grapple her! GM:
1d20 ⇒ 11 1d20 ⇒ 15 2d10 ⇒ (2, 1) = 3 The first of the greater earth elementals grabs Elvanna... but is surprised to see that she slips right out of its grasp, as if she had a supernatural freedom to move freely. The second one, seeing that grappling will be ineffective, instead delivers an awesome blow at Elvanna that connects with her, but fails to move her either, and her icy form and stony skin seem to protect her from much of the damage anyway. The the huge elementals move to engage the winged monsters while the large elementals move to engage the stone golems. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 6 1d20 ⇒ 19 2d8 + 9 ⇒ (2, 6) + 9 = 17 2d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7 1d20 ⇒ 10
1d20 ⇒ 10
One of the huge earth elementals gets a hit on one of the winged monsters, but gets a rude surprise when it discovers that the winged monster is covered in a layer of acidic slime, and that some of that acid is not eating away at its stony fist. The large elementals have no luck against the stone golems. Seeing that his large elementals have failed to remove the troublesome stone golems, Amsheagar opts for a different tactic. He casts his roaming pit spell, seeking to remove at least one of the opponents instantly. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 1 3d6 ⇒ (3, 6, 1) = 10 The stone golem barely even notices the pit as it appears beneath it, and falls right in. Evanna curses vehemently at you all as you interrupt her ritual. With a snarl, she casts a spell and gives a dreadful wail, like that of a banshee! GM:
1d20 ⇒ 4 1d20 ⇒ 1 2d20 ⇒ (17, 8) = 25 2d20 ⇒ (12, 3) = 15 4d20 ⇒ (15, 19, 1, 12) = 47 1d20 ⇒ 11 Amsheagar manages to withstand the spell, and the slimy winged monsters too, but the earth elemental army crumbles from the horrible banshee-wail, save for one of the greater elementals that manages to cling tenaciously to life. One of the winged monsters flies to attack Exiel, whilst the other steps towards Amsheagar for a full attack. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 9 3d20 ⇒ (12, 4, 17) = 33 1d20 ⇒ 6 1d10 + 9 + 2d6 ⇒ (1) + 9 + (2, 5) = 17 2d6 + 13 + 2d6 ⇒ (6, 2) + 13 + (1, 2) = 24 2d6 + 13 + 2d6 ⇒ (1, 4) + 13 + (4, 3) = 25 Exiel's assailant narrowly misses him, whereas Amsheagar suffers 3 hits and is grabbed! GM:
2d20 ⇒ (19, 9) = 28 2d10 + 9 ⇒ (4, 8) + 9 = 21 2d10 + 9 ⇒ (5, 2) + 9 = 16 The golem also goes for Amsheagar, taking advantage of the winged monster's grapple to land to massive punches on Amsheagar, cracking bones and bruising flesh. Pathfinders and their pets all need to make a DC29 fort save vs Elvanna's wail of the banshee. If you fail, you take 200 damage! Amshegar and his pets have already rolled this save - he passed but most of his pets failed. Exiel who are you giving the strength from your spell to?
Pathfinders are up once the saves are rolled. Amsheagar may need some help.
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Amsheagar calls on Exiel to wait while he calls up a small army of elementals, and then casts his Communal Resist Energy spell on the party. After Exiel completes his buffing routine, Amsheagar has his elementals follow Earl's lead through to the stone to await the party's arrival. As soon as Exiel casts his spell to transport the Pathfinders in, the elementals also spring into action. GM:
2d4 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4 1d4 ⇒ 2 Rhon: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7 Amsheagar: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28 Exiel: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22 Purs: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (18) - 1 = 17 Exiel and Amsheagar are the first to act. Amsheagar and Exiel are up.
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Exiel Amsheagar has communal resist energy. I can assume that he casts that on the party instead if you want to keep those spell slots. Will update soon if Purs/Rhon/Amsheagar have no buffs they want to declare. If I am still botting Amsheagar, I will have him ask Exiel to wait before casting his buffs, since he would probably take this time to cast elemental swarm to send in a small army of earth elementals.
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To keep things moving, I'll roll for Rhon and Earl. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 20 1d20 ⇒ 14 Confirmed crit from Rhon will kill the giant at minimum damage 1d20 ⇒ 15 The elementals bash at the last giant, bringing it to its knees just in time for Rhon to charge in and decapitate the giant with one mighty swing. The giant falls, and does not stand up again. ---------------------------------------------------------- Will try to fast-forward as much as possible to bring things to the conclusion. In the aftermath of the battle you search the giants and find a few pieces of treasure, including a +2 returning spear and a helm of brilliance. ---------------------------------------------------------- The remainder of your journey to the mound is uneventful, and the entrance to the kurgan is easily found. It appears unremarkable, but then you have learned by now not to underestimate the apparently unremarkable in the realms within Baba Yaga's Dancing Hut. Earl is able to do a reconnoiter of the Kurgan's interior through his tremorsense by earth-gliding beneath the surface, and is able to report back to you on the layout of the rooms within. It occurs to you that if one of you had an appropriate spell, you might be able to transport your group directly into the innermost sanctum. Earl reports that three medium-sized figures and 2 large-sized figures within that sanctum. Pathfinders alright, here we are, almost at the end. If you have some magic to get in to the final area, we can go straight to the final battle and then proceed to wrap up. The ball is in your court now. Map is updated. What do you want to do?
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Exiel perforates the giant, leaving him bloodied, but it will take many more pokes of that little needle before the giant falls. Purs and Rhon still to go.
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Purs' elemental smacks the last giant on the side of the head. Amsheagar attempts to do as druids do, using his wild empathy to chase off one of the gargantuan mounts. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 18 He succeeds, and the Red mount, lacking a rider to guide it, retreats across the steppes. The remaining giant bellows at his own mount to attack, and the remaining 2 riderless mounts also lash out in a panic. GM:
3d20 ⇒ (10, 2, 7) = 19 2d20 ⇒ (14, 19) = 33 2d20 ⇒ (7, 1) = 8 2d20 ⇒ (7, 10) = 17 The giant is still unable to land a good hit on Exiel, and the remaining beasts flail at the well-protected pathfinders also without success. Amsheagar tries again to chase away another of the beasts. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 20 Amsheagar proves his worth as a druid, and green mount also quits the battlefield. Exiel, Rhon and Purs are up.
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Rhon hews down the next giant in 3 mighty swings. With his fourth, he hacks into the gargantuan mount that had been wounded by Purs' elemental. Earl joins the beatdown, leaving the green mount in a badly bloodied state. Purs and Amsheagar are left for this round.
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Exiel gets a few hits on the giant, but even with luck favoring his strikes, his stabs only do so much against the very robust giant. Orange giant takes some damage.
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Purs' air elemental strikes the green beast, causing it to stagger a little. GM:
5d10 ⇒ (4, 10, 5, 4, 9) = 32 1d20 ⇒ 19 1d20 ⇒ 2 Amsheagar sees that yellow is close to collapsing and calls down a bolt of lightning upon it. The giant partially avoids the blast, but is struck down nonetheless. The green and yellow steeds continue attacking their targets. Orange tries to attack Exiel while red attacks Rhon in a panic, seeing the short work he made of green. GM:
2d20 ⇒ (17, 13) = 305d20 ⇒ (11, 16, 7, 7, 9) = 50 2d20 ⇒ (16, 16) = 325d20 ⇒ (2, 4, 2, 20, 10) = 381d20 ⇒ 4 3d6 + 21 ⇒ (6, 5, 4) + 21 = 36 Red manages to get a lucky hit on Rhon, but otherwise the giants' attacks have little success. Rhon takes 36 damage from a huge spear attack.
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Green takes a hit from Exiel and trundles on, only to be nearly hacked to pieces by Rhon. Just as he thinks that he has survived the onslaught, Earl rises up before him and smashes a stony fist into hiss face, driving the bridge of his nose into his skull. He falls from his mount into the snow, lifeless. Exiel proceeds to stab at yellow, which is the giant that had been zapped several times by Amsheagar. His stabs are quick and precise, but somewhat lacking in force, and he comes close but is not able to bring down the giant just yet. Green giant is down but his gargantuan steed is still there. Yellow giant is very badly wounded.
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Whilst I'm botting Amsheagar, I'll go ahead and give him something to do as the giants approach. Amsheagar harnesses the howling winds around him to call forth a lightning storm, he calls down bolts of lightning as the giants approach, striking one of the giants and his mount again and again as they get closer. GM:
5d10 ⇒ (7, 3, 5, 9, 10) = 34 1d20 ⇒ 5 1d20 ⇒ 13 5d10 ⇒ (2, 6, 8, 7, 6) = 29 1d20 ⇒ 20 1d20 ⇒ 14 5d10 ⇒ (6, 3, 9, 7, 2) = 27 1d20 ⇒ 16 1d20 ⇒ 20 5d10 ⇒ (10, 6, 9, 10, 2) = 37 1d20 ⇒ 20 1d20 ⇒ 17 The giants push through the barrage of lightning bolts and bear down on you. Yellow takes a swing at Exiel as he comes within reach, and yellow and orange proceed to double-team him with full attacks along with their gargantuan mounts. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 14 1d20 ⇒ 10 3d20 ⇒ (11, 19, 16) = 46 2d20 ⇒ (18, 15) = 33 3d20 ⇒ (18, 14, 3) = 35 2d20 ⇒ (5, 16) = 21 Exiel flits about like an annoying little fly as the two giants and their mounts swat at the air. Green and Red choose to ignore the elusive mite in front of them, instead heading for the druid raining lightning on their heads. They see Rhon standing in their way and spur their mounts on to attack him. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 12 1d20 ⇒ 15 1d20 ⇒ 11 1d20 ⇒ 7 However, the giants stab at Rhon but are unable to find a chink in the dwarf's solid armor. Exiel you can take an attack of opportunity at green or his mount as they moved past you.
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Purs' air elemental flies back to his side to partake of the spell as the giants charge into view, riding on their massive beasts. Exiel and Rhon begin their buffing routines, with Exiel doing his usual thing, and Rhon... becoming a oxymoron: a giant dwarf! Map updated As the giants get closer and closer, however, one thing becomes abundantly clear. As huge as Rhon has become, the giants are larger still! GM:
Rhon: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Amsheagar: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 Exiel: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26 Purs: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (1) + 0 = 1 Giants: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15 Exiel and Amsheagar are up first.
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The air elemental strikes the wendigo, but to no avail - the wendigo's damage resistance is so strong that it does not even flinch. Amshegar sees this and sighs. Wanting to make sure that the wendigo does not return the menage the party again after its natural healing restores it, the druid conjures a ball of fire that streaks through the air before detonating in the distance, just missing the summoned air elemental. Gonna have Amsheagar use his fireball. Otherwise you might have to fight the wendigo all over again later. GM: 1d20 ⇒ 6
1d20 ⇒ 15 10d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 5, 4, 4, 4, 3, 6, 3, 2) = 38 The wendigo shrieks as it is engulfed in flames and falls to the ground in a burning heap. The immediate threat is not over, however. The cloud of snow approaching from the kurgan is getting larger and larger. Though they must still be a ways away, you can see at the front of the cloud four humanoids riding strange beasts. You also notice that the figures appear to be much larger than they should appear at this distance. It only takes you a moment to realize what is coming your way - GIANTS! Pathfidners the wendigo has fallen, but you have 4 giants approaching you riding on some strange quadrapedal beasts. You have 1d6 ⇒ 4 rounds before they arrive on the map. What do you wish to do?
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Purs after checking the map and the range of summon monster, with your caster level, if you summon your air elemental at the maximum range, it will be within range to charge the wendigo this turn. So you can get 1 charge attack from your air elemental, and you should also be able to target it with a medium or long range spell this turn as well.
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Purs yes your air elemental can run and overtake the wendigo if it wants. But you noticed from the wendigo's withdrawal that it is in fact slightly faster than the air elemental if it also decides to run. You also still have your own action and movement for this turn.
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Rhon it took a withdraw action, so it does not provoke. TBH I'm really mainly waiting to see if Purs summons something that might be able to stop it from escaping since Exiel is still stuck in his own bubble. Perception DC40:
You notice that there is a small cloud of snow being kicked up in the distance, coming at you from the kurgan. It appears that something or some things is/are moving quickly over the tundra snow towards you. Amsheagar's perception: 1d20 + 30 ⇒ (14) + 30 = 44 Amsheagar reports that there is a small cloud of snow being kicked up in the distance, coming at you from the kurgan. It appears that something or some things is/are moving quickly over the tundra snow towards you.
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Lauriel identifies the monster as a wendigo. It has damage resistance that can be bypassed by enchanted cold iron weapons (magic and cold iron). It is immune to ice and fear, but vulnerable to fire. In fact, fire will also temporarily suppress its fast healing! Exiel remains in his force bubble, wondering how to get out without being immediately savaged by the wendigo. Purs, a safe distance away, begins casting a summoning spell. Amsheagar, hearing that the wendigo does not like fire, draws upon his druidic powers to fire a bolt of flames at the wendigo to suppress its fast healing. Amsheagar's rolls:
1d20 + 17 ⇒ (18) + 17 = 35 1d20 + 12 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 12 + 2 + 1 = 32 1d6 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14 Amsheagar's spell strikes the wendigo, burning it severely. It shudders and shrieks in pain as the flames singe its fur. With a loud howl, it begins to withdraw from you, flying in the direction of the kurgan at an incredible speed. Pathfinders the wendigo looks badly wounded and is attempting to flee to the Kurgan. You are hasted so you can close the gap a little, but the wendigo has a fly speed of 120, so it has withdrawn to a distance of 240ft from Rhon and Exiel. You probably only have 1 round in which to try to try to kill it before it disappears from view.
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Exiel casts haste and Rhon charges in to attack the monster, scoring a solid hit - but for some reason, just like with the crone queens, his strike does not cut nearly as deep as it should. Exiel moves in along with Rhon, apparently forgetting that he has yet to cast all his buffs. Uncomfortable with being grappled, Purs uses his boots to create some space between himself and the monster. His dog takes a couple of quick bites at the monster before they are transported, but its teeth seem incapable of penetrating the monster's damage resistance at all! Seeing that Rhon is having trouble damaging the creature, Amsheagar decides to try assaulting the creature with magic. Amsheagar will cast finger of death. CL check: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (16) + 17 = 33 GM:
1d20 ⇒ 1 Amsheagar's powerful spell penetrates the monster's spell resistance and rips through the monster's body, turning its howls into ragged gasps. But seeing that Exiel is unarmoured and right next to him, he decides to test the sorcerer's defences while his buffs are down. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 10 2d8 + 9 ⇒ (2, 8) + 9 = 19 4d6 ⇒ (3, 2, 2, 6) = 13
1d20 ⇒ 71d20 ⇒ 20 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (4, 3) + 9 = 16 4d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 1, 3) = 11 1d20 ⇒ 81d20 ⇒ 16 2d6 + 9 ⇒ (1, 5) + 9 = 15 4d6 ⇒ (5, 6, 6, 6) = 23 1d8 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20 4d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 5, 1) = 11 1d4 ⇒ 1 If Exiel does not use his emergency sphere:
The monster bites and tears into Exiel, ripping through flesh and bone and rending his pretty face in the process. Exiel takes 70 physical damage, 68 cold damage and 1 CHA damage, and is also grappled. If Exiel does use his emergency sphere:
The monster snarls as Exiel puts up his force barrier. He turns his attention to Rhon, but is not able to rip through the dwarf's stout armor. Either way, you notice that the monster's wounds are closing spontaneously and at a rapid rate. It appears that this is not a foe that will be easily overcome. Pathfinders are up.
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Waiting on Purs to post, then will bot Amsheagar if he has not posted by then.
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Purs you are still on your dog for now, but he may try to remove you from your dog next round. He is large and flying. Knowledge planes to identify it
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The group decides to press on towards the Kurgan. The last of the light fades and disappears as you make your way through the snow. All around you the howling winds grow louder... and louder... Suddenly, you see a large humanoid shape charging through the snow. It has the head of a feral elk with jagged teeth and sharp antlers. Its humanoid legs end in blackened, burnt stumps, and it flies through the air at a terrifyingly fast speed. GM:
Rhon: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 Amsheagar: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17 Exiel: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15 Purs: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (7) + 0 = 7 W: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19 The creature seizes the initiative and catches all of you off-guard! Before you know it, it has reached 1d4 ⇒ 4 Purs and bites at him! GM:
1d20 ⇒ 16 1d20 ⇒ 4 2d8 + 9 ⇒ (7, 2) + 9 = 18 4d6 ⇒ (6, 2, 1, 4) = 13 It bites down on the small cleric and latches on to him with its jagged teeth! Purs takes 18 bite (B/P/S) damage, and another 13 cold damage, and is grappled!
I will have a map up in the next 24 hours, but it really isn't necessary. The monster is large in size and appears to have reach. Assume you are each 15ft away from Purs and/or the monster, just out of reach, but you can move in to melee with your move action if you wish.
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Alright, I'm not going to wait for Amsheagar to reply. We just have to move on and hope he returns. In the mean time, I will control his character using his previously prepared spells. At Rhon's urging, you set off across the steppes. The landscape is desolate and barren, the howling winds the only sound you hear as it overpowers even the sounds of your own breathing. Rhon's prediction turns out to be correct. Your travel through the steppes is mostly uneventful, and eventually night falls. As the light fades (though no celestial source of light is apparent in the skies here), you can barely make out in the far distance a mound - the only change to the otherwise featureless expanse of white snow that you have seen the whole day long. Perception DC40:
Though it is hard to be sure, you think you may have seen a large, white, humanoid shape watching you from a distance at several points during your trek. You also think that some of the howls you have been hearing may not have been just the howls of the wind. Pathfinders It will probably take another 2 hours of travel to reach the kurgan, where your battle to save Golarion from an eternal winter will reach its conclusion. You have the option of pushing on now, or resting here at a distance from the Kurgan to recover your strength before the final push. Majority vote, first option to get 2 votes will be the way you proceed
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Purs No problem dude glad everything's ok. You got a 8 hour rest, so you have all your channels and spells back. Did you have any spells you want to cast before traveling over the snowy steppes? Since we have 3, if we don't hear from Amsheagar in the next 24 hours I will bot him and move on.
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Purs and Amsheagar? Are you guys caught up on the plot and ready to proceed?
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Anastasia curtsies to you politely, and motions to the fairies to leave her before she speaks to you in a hushed tone. She speaks now in a halting Taldane. It appears that she has been receiving lessons, and has quite a gift for learning, but even so, it is a new language for her. "I am well and I thank you both. The fairies have been kind to me. Even the scary ones. They tell me that I am the granddaughter of their mistress, and that I am very important, so I think... I think I will be safe. They are nicer than the guards who... who..." "It does not matter now. I think I am safe, but I thank you for caring. It has been a long time since I have been treated nicely, and... the two of you, you are different from the fairies. They seem almost afraid of me, but you seem to care. I do not know if I will be allowed to leave, but know that I will always remember the ones who rescued me, and I will always consider you my friends." Rhon and Exiel I like where this RP is heading. There will be an opportunity to revisit this at the end of the adventure. Anastasia suddenly falls silent as you hear footsteps approaching you. You turn to see Vigliv approaching you with Baba Yaga's matryoshka doll, which she pushes into your hands. "It is time to go," she says simply, in an impassive but firm tone. You make your way to the cave that Vigliv had indicated to you, and after making your preparations, you step through. You find youselves transported to a lonely, frigid steppe. A bitter wind howls out of the north. The sky is an endless leaden, overcast dome above a brown plain of frozen mud and dry grass. There is no sign of the cave entrance that brought you here, and no apparent way to leave. "Ah, just like mother Russia," Baba Yaga's voice coos from withint he doll. "I found a nice place, a Kurgan, and took it into my hut years ago, to use as my inner sanctum. An inner sanctum should remind one of home, don't you agree? Eeee-hee heee hee hee... But really, you are now in a small, looped plane. Pick a direction and walk. You will find yourself at my Kurgan after about a day's travel. But be careful! Elvanna has undoubtedly already been here and has likely turned my guardians against me, and there are other wild creatures that prowl these steppes! Don't dawdle now. Get going!" Rhon and Purs last I checked we still have not determined for sure whether and how you are removing your DEX drain and negative levels respectively.
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As you discuss the future of Irrisen, you notice that Anastasia is in fact herself in the grotto. She sits amidst a small ring of stones on the other side of the grotto. She notices Rhon and Exiel amongst you, and waves shyly before returning her attention to a small fire in the middle of the ring. She appears to be attended by a few tiny fey creatures who bear various gifts to her and treats and for her. She seems to be adjusting well to this new world. Before you are able to go to her to speak to her, however, Vigliv comes to you. "If you have had your rest, it is time to move on. Elvanna is nearing her goal, and you must act quickly if you are to stop her. To the East is a cliff path, and at the end is a cave. Enter the cave, and you will find yourself transported once again. Prepare yourself. It is a one-way trip until you finish your task. Take Baba Yaga's prison with you. She will guide you, and once she is free, she will help you find your way home, with your rewards for helping her." Pathfinders you can consider yourselves at full hp.
You can talk to Anastasia now if you want, but you will not have long. Declare your buffs and whether you are casting any restorations. We will proceed in about 24 to 36 hours.
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Vigliv falls silent at Rhon's question, and an uneasy quiet fills the grotto for a moment. It is Ralph who breaks the silence with a low chuckle. "Come now, is it such a mystery? When you were sent to retrieve Baba Yaga's death, you returned with her ritual dagger. You were then sent to retrieve her "life", and you retrieved the hearts of her daughters - the previous queens of Irrisen. So then, Baba Yaga died once, in a ritual, but she yet lives, seemingly in perpetuity . And the source of her ongoing life is... that she has a renewable supply of life-force to draw upon." Vigliv interrupts Ralph with a loud clearing of her throat. "You are clever to have worked it out, wizard, but you show a lack of wisdom, for you should be careful whose secrets you openly reveal. Suffice to say that you need Baba Yaga now, and therein lies the key to opening the penultimate layer of her prison. We need only use the urn to boil a tea, and then pour it over the doll that holds her. It will need to boil for about 8 hours, so you can take your rest in the mean time." Vigliv invites you to rest in the grotto while she sets takes the urn and sets it over a fire she had built near the waterfall. The hours pass, and as you wake from your rest, you see her take the urn from the fire and pour a dark brew from the urn onto the matryoshka doll. Doing so causes the doll to crack open once again, revealing the last doll inside. A loud cackle suddenly reverberates throughout the canyon, and when it finally subsides, Baba Yaga addresses you from within the doll once more, her voice louder and more powerful than before. "Hmm... took you long enough, and my daughters gave you quite a little trouble, didn't they? If you make such mistakes against Elvanna, you may not survive when that time comes! She is rather more cunning than her predecessors... Hmmph. Perhaps I should lend you a little more of my power, seeing as you are so weak!" With another cackle, a wave of dark energy burst forth from the doll, washing over each of you, and you feel power welling up within you. As you adjust to this new power, Vigliv also addresses you. “The fate, the power, the death, and the life of Baba Yaga, all have you claimed. Only one thing remains for you to break her free from her prison and save your world: her blood, which flows through the veins of the ruling queen of Irrisen, her daughter Elvanna. Elvanna’s blood is her birthright, handed down from her mother, and represents both Baba Yaga’s and Elvanna’s burning desire to rule their fates and those of others. It is only with Elvanna’s blood, returned to her mother, that you can save your world from the eternal winter that threatens it." “Even now, Elvanna has sequestered herself in Baba Yaga’s inner sanctum, here in the Dancing Hut, where Baba Yaga formulated her most potent spells and executed her most glorious triumphs, and where Elvanna now works her greatest ritual to cement her power, conquer your world, and supplant her own mother as Queen of Witches." “Now you must go to this sanctum and face Queen Elvanna before she can finish her ritual. But beware, for time is running short, and Elvanna is truly her mother’s daughter. Her will to power is as strong as the blood in her veins, and she will not give up her desires easily. Heed the guidance of Baba Yaga, however, and you may yet win the day, freeing her and saving your world.” "There is a gift I can give to aid you. I have harvested
Pathfinders I'll give you guys some time to set up for the final chapter. You each gain the following benefits for the remainder of this adventure:
Once I have a post from everyone, I'll proceed to the briefing for the final chapter. Good news is that the map is much smaller than the last 2 dungeons.
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Amsheagar shuffles a little closer, straining with his immense bulk. Purs takes a swing but misses. Seeing Exiel as the biggest threat, the crone queen swings furiously at him in a frenzy. GM:
4d20 ⇒ (6, 11, 13, 1) = 31 She misses. Unsurprisingly. Pathfinders are up. This is probably the last round. Edit: I'll call it here. You'll probably finish her off without trouble. As the last of the active crone queens falls, you hear a cackling laughter issue from the matryoshka doll. "Good, good! We are almost done. In the southern corner of the room is a small table and two chairs. A brass samovar — a traditional tea urn — sits upon that table, beside the silver platter. Get it." "Then you need to cut out the hearts of the queens here, and put them into the pot. Once that is done, we will be taken back to the sacred pool where Vigliv and your friend the wizard await!" You do indeed find the tea urn in the Southern corner of the room. The crone queens themselves are bedecked in gold and jewels, but no magical equipment - their icy staves melt with their demise. If you remove the hearts from the crone queens: The eight remaining crone queens are unable to stop you from doing as you wish, so ancient are they that they barely remain animate. They weakly raise their arms or move their heads to glare at you with icy hatred as their frozen hearts (or what remains of them) are cut out of their chests. Once you place the 12 hearts of the crone queens into the teapot, you are immediately transported back to the sacred pool, where Ralph awaits, still trapped within the tree where the Norn, Vigliv, awaits, her hands slowly running through several golden threads as she raises her eyes to you. "Welcome back," she says slowly. We're almost ready for the final part now. Have some RP, then I'll put up a big post to set up the final part. Remember that you can avoid the obstacles and minions along the way, like you did with the linnorms and giants, so don't feel like you need to fight every encounter in the next part.
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Rhon resists the dark energies in the crone queen's staff, but Purs feels himself greatly weakened from the blow. Rhon and Exiel hack and stab at the last of the crone queens, dealing substantial damage, but the crone queen still stands! Purs takes 2 negative levels!
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Rhon you're fine. Go ahead and take your actions.
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Purs lands a strike on the crone queen, but Rhon, perhaps weary by the constant barrage and distracted by the ice storm still raging around him, narrowly misses. Screeching with fury, the last crone queen lashes out at the 3 pathfinders before her. GM:
4d20 ⇒ (18, 19, 15, 2) = 54 1d6 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 201d6 ⇒ 1 1d6 + 14 ⇒ (3) + 14 = 171d6 ⇒ 1 The cron queen proves to be a capable melee combatant with her icicle staff. Rhon and Purs each take a s#$$, and whilst their resistance protects them from the physical cold, they each feel the chill of undeath reaching into their souls with each strike. Rhon takes 20 damage from the hit (your DR does not protect you from this) and must make a fort save against energy drain.
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GM:
1d20 ⇒ 15
Amsheagar calls down a pillar of holy fire! He encounters some spell resistance, but the powerful druid pushes through and brings the searing flames down upon the crone queens. The one already injured by Exiel partially dodges the flames, but the smiting sorcerer demonstrates that he can actually be a deadly fencer when he is guided by his god (and when luck severely favors him). The crone queen is overcome, leaving only 1 final crone standing. ONE crone queen left, and she seems quite burnt.
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Amsheagar shakes off the crones' hexes, then converges on Rhon's opponent. Together, the two of them finally cut down the crone queen, who ceases her struggle against Exiel's binding spell. GM:
2d20 ⇒ (16, 9) = 25 1d20 ⇒ 14 Purs tries to harm the undead women with positive energy. One of them simply resists the spell whilst the other partially rebuffs the spell. Exiel flies in for a powerful smite, but the undead women are unimpressed and take multiple swings at him with their own weapons - their icy staves - with alarming speed and proficiency! [spoiler=GM]
Whilst the crone queens prove to be surprisingly capable melee warriors, Exiel's defensive powers are even more prodigious, and he manages to fend off the swings of their icy staves! Pathfinders are up.
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Sorry, the correct term for the ability is damage reduction. I don't think there is technically an ability called damage resistance, and any reference to damage resistance most likely refers to damage reduction. So if an attack against you does cold damage and physical damage, your cold resistance will apply to the cold damage and your damage reduction will apply to the physical damage.
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Amsheagar wrote:
Amsheagar where are you getting damage reduction from and which damage resistance are you hoping to stack it with? I don't think damage reduction is a technical game term, so they may both be damage resistance (not stacking)? Please also check your location. It looks like you may have wandered into the AoE of your own hungry earth spell? If you move there you may need make a roll a grapple check for your spell against yourself. Rhon and Purs are still up.
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Purs the conditions of their physical bodies do not seem viable for sustaining biological life. Rhon hews into the hapless undead former-queen, but her cold flesh seems oddly resilient to even his holy weapon. Perhaps there is some other condition for bypassing their resistance? Exiel pulls back to hasten the party while Amsheagar changes his shape into a huge ancient beast. Purs channels positive energy to bolster his friends for the anticipated melee. The crones trudge through their own icy storm, ice staves at the ready. They look over the 4 of you and finding no apparently easy target, they fix their frosty gazes upon the now-massive Amsheagar, chanting in eerie unison. GM:
1d20 ⇒ 6 Exiel's victim continues to strain against the chains of light without success Pathfinders are up.
Amsheagar Current hp 103/207, cold resistance 30
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Current status
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