GM-Tom-Infinite Halls's page

The two skeletons in the cave area clatter forward, and attack Spiller, both of them slashing with their swords.

Skelo-1 - Atk vs AC 17: 1d20 ⇒ 3 :: DMG: 1d6 ⇒ 3
Skelo-2 - Atk vs AC 17: 1d20 ⇒ 20 confirm Crit: 1d20 ⇒ 9 :: DMG: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Kubi casts her spell on Qilldar.

Valentina huffs, rising to her feet. ”We don't have time for this.”’ She moves forward, wielding her walking stick as a weapon.

Moving closer to the walking undead, Dellan raises his holy symbol, and sends a wave of invisible energy through the mist-shrouded cavern. Each of the two skeletons takes pos energy: 1d6 ⇒ 1 damage. Their bones seem to glow with an inner blackness.

Spiller punches the first skeleton, which crumples under his massive attack.

Qilldar stands at the ready behind Spiller, his mace ready.

Draxia steps out from behind the rock outcropping, releasing a bolt of energy from her fingertips. A bolt made of arcane energy slams into the skeletons chest Magic missile damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3, which then explodes, showering the cave with bone dust.

Krusk starts singing his song, filling the party members with vigor.

There's still one left in the water. The edge is a sheer drop, so it can't get to anyone.

Initiative roll and your action from everyone

Anyone who's name isn't in a spoiler is enjoying the fine mist from the waterfall...for now.

With Pevi holding the light high, you pick your way carefully through the tunnel. The air grows chilled and moist, and the sound of rumbling water escalates. You come to a yawning room, with misting water at the far end and mottled algae sprawled over the stone floor.

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Nice Map

battle map

Everyone place themselves on the map. You entered where the yellow marker is.

Perception check from everyone. Once I have those, we'll see what's going on in here. Everyone has 24 hours before I roll for you.

Knowledge: whatever's appropriate about the Circle of Ages: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

That'll do. Search the page for DC 15 Kn (History) and you'll see the spoiler about it.

Did Draxia want Valentina or Pevi to respond? Was watching stranger things, ignoring my phone... I'll wait to see if a party member answers before tomorrow morning.

The tunnel runs straight, and up ahead Qilldar notes a side tunnel.

Walking with Qilldar and Spiller, Pevi stage whispers. "What if those Vultures anticipate our actions, and we run into them down here?

His eyes dart around, like he's seeing things in the shadows.

"Maybe we should have stayed..."

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Entire party

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"Some old fuddy duddy druids," Valentina says. "When we get to Chan, he'll know more about it."

At Valentina's words, his eyebrows rise. "Curse? What sort of curse?"

Valentina visibly relaxes as Draxia starts to warm up to her.

She turns to Dellan as the party advances down the slightly twisting tunnel.

"They were called the Circle of Ages. A group of druids who guarded the Halls."

-----

As to Valentina."Forced Labor, we have to work for your master as he forced us into this situation. We can't turn back easily now"

She stares at the ground. "I don't know what changed. He used to be content with studying in the library, and talking with the adventurers who survived the Halls."

Her eyes drift up to Draxia's. "Ever since he was elected to the council, he's gotten more...aggressive, with the Halls." she whispers.

Pevi seems unconcerned with Valentina's conversation. He turns to Qilldar, "Who knows what the goblins have been up to. It's been a fortnight since I've travelled the tunnels. Didn't see anything back then."

Pevi leads the party through the first section of tunnels. The walls here have been roughly worked, and the ceiling high enough to walk comfortably.

You walk in a more or less straight line for 60 feet, until you come to a T intersection.

Pevi mutters to himself, searching the walls and floors for the sword mark.

As the party searches for the mark, Valentina sidles up beside Draxia. "I don't completely understand why Chan started abducting people. The Halls attract enough adventurers and Pathfinders that the upper levels should be completely cleared. I know there's the druidic curse, but still..."

---

The parties max speed in this section is 60 feet, so posts from this point will be broken up into small 'mini-encounters.'

If someone wants to take over the lead from Pevi, he willingly gives it up.

"Pevi and I spent a month making sure all the sword etchings were correct.

She frowns, then continues. "I don't see why anyone would change them."

Valentina steps to Draxia, laying a hand gently on her forearm. "I know everything's crazy right now, but if you'll accompany me inside the city, I'll explain everything I know."

Pevi stands off to the left-hand side of the tunnel, looking around nervously, shuffling from foot to foot.

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She gives you a quizical look, and gives you a slow-motion light punch on the arm. "Sure..."

She reaches into the small opening behind the rock and pulls out two handfuls of vials filled with blue liquid. "Was worried those foul goblins would have found them, but they're all still here."

She hands everyone 3 vials, explaining that they're potions of cure light wounds.

When she comes to Dellan, she informs him they're going to be heading in the direction that the magical aura was heading towards.

Pevi suddenly pipes up. "You see that sword etched into the wall? It points the way home."

Valentina continues, "Whenever we come to an intersection in this maze of tunnels, just follow the sword."

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Lady's fist

I just about died laughing

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For choosing NOT to fight upstairs, you each get 240 xp.

"Bells?" Valentina asks. She moves over to a large rock in the wall. She tries rolling it to the side, then looks to Spiller for help. (DC 12 Str check)

Pevi kicks the door shut once everyone is through, then bars the door with his piece of timber.

"An old abandoned mine, a bit of sewer, and some city ruins...these tunnels will take us straight to our home inside The Sticks," Pevi explains.

Pevi opens the door at the end of the short hallway, which leads into a brick and mortar tunnel. He drops his sunrod into an empty torch holder, and moves to grab a large piece of timber a little wider than the door itself.

He urges the party out, and Valentina drops a tanglefoot bag at the bottom of the ladder. As she makes her way down the hallway, she topples over the shelves, creating a barricade.

Once assembled in the tunnel, the party members hear a jingling sound, and realize that they now have a small bag attached to their clothing.

Ever been in a mosh pit? That's pretty much what the tribe has succumbed to.

Spiller climbs down the ladder and quickly follows Pevi through the door.

Spiller follows Pevi into a 20-foot long corridor, lined with shelves, knick-nacks, pottery, and other random detritus.

At the end of the corridor, Pevi lights a sunrod, and sets to opening another door.

In the room with the trapdoor, Valentina ushers the PCs through the hole as fast as they can move.

Valentina will head down the hole last.

Spiller and Krusk easily open the trapdoor, and reveal a short 10-foot ladder leading down to a simple plank wooden door.

Enough room for 1 character at a time.

Popido leaves the room, and Valentina locks it from the inside. Turning around, she offers a small shrug. "Can't hurt.

Pevi deftly climbs down the rope ladder, opens the door and heads through.

"Whenever you're ready," she says, waiting on the party.

"Thank the stone," Valentina says, ushering Spiller out the room, across a hallway and into another room.

A simple bed and cheap wooden furniture adorn the room.

Valentina moves to the bed, bends down, looks over her shoulder at Spiller. "Care to help a girl out?"

-----

A thunderous pounding comes from the opposite side of the house.

"This is Commander Lightcutter of the Blood Talons, demanding you open this door! You have one minute before I do it myself!"

Valentina's eyes turn to circles, and she gasps, one hand flitting to her mouth.

"Y...you can't all be serious?"

She approaches Spiller, laying her hands on his forearm. "I beg of you, please don't fight them. We can escape," she says, pointing back to the doorway.

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You guys aren't in a shed or anything like that. It's a house.

"See for yourself," she says, stepping away from the window.

"We don't really have time to get into it, but they're Chronomancer goons."

----

If anyone looks through the window, you see these guys.

The young woman replies to each party member in turn, as they rouse themselves and become cognizant of their surroundings.

Draxia: She smiles at the female half-orc. ”An unfortunate misunderstanding among our members. I honestly hadn't expected such well-equipped commoners to be among us.”

Wandering over to the crate, she starts dispensing the party's gear.

”My place is here outside the city. Someone has to watch the troops.”

Dellan: ”I have arranged a meeting with Chan-Ona at the council hall.”

She passes him a sling and a small pouch of bullets.

”Once you're all ready, Rastin will take you inside the city,” indicating one of her guards.

Krusk: ”Luckily, we're at the base of the crater. A twenty minute walk will get you inside the city.”

Spiller: She blushes at your comment, and returns his slight bow.

”Valentina Yeris.” She gives you a crooked smile. ”I look forward to seeing your…prowess.”

Kubi: Valentina sees that you're searching for your belongings, and indicates the open crate. ”It should all be accounted for.”

Before the party can respond to Valentina, there is a rapid succession of loud knocks on the door.

Moving swiftly to a defensive posture, Valentina moves over to the closed door and opens a latched peephole. After a moment's hesitation, she throws the bolt and swings the door open.

”Pezi!”

In stumbles an out-of-breath teenager.

”They've got Chan!” he shouts, then doubles over in a fit of coughing.

Valentina's face grows grim as she comforts Pezi and asks him to explain himself. After a couple of lungfuls of air, the lad recovers enough to blurt out, “The scavengers nabbed Chan, and the Scarlet Vultures are trying to get custody of him! There's a bunch of Scarlet Vultures on their way here now! I only just made it in here; they've already surrounded us!”

Valentina leaves Pezi's side, and opens the shutters on a window. Cursing under her breath, she turns back to the party, a sly grin on her face.

”This just got complicated.”

Your eyes gummy with sleep, you wake up in the dark.

Memories come flooding back--ringing laughter of a wild party, the heady joy of excess, the scents of rich stewed meat and perfume still lingering in your nostrils.

The pleasant memories are quickly replaced by a pounding headache, the sickly taste of cheap wine in your mouth, and an itchy straw pallet beneath you.

As you sit up, a door creaks open, and the harsh light of a lantern painfully spears your eyes.

A beautiful human woman flanked by four armored men carrying daggers enter the room. She frowns at the party, and starts talking.

“My master sends his apologies for your abduction. Each of you has been chosen for a singular purpose—everyone here, myself included, is going to be erased from existence. I have lived in these hinterlands my whole life, and although I love this land, it has seen more than its share of misery in recent years."

She walks over to a crate, opens the lid, and continues.

“The city of Cusp, once a legend, is now a real place. It winked into existence around the same time Sandpoint faced its last goblin raid. Since then, it's time-plague has spread into the surrounding countryside, and grows more intense every year.”

“My master needs to enter the lowest levels of the dungeon complex at the heart of the city, but he can't do it alone. He needs help. Your help."

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Pic of woman