Kornel Pastovic's page

At first, Mandoo's stern words seem to have not affect Kornel much. The necromancer's unblinking eyes calmly stare at his fellow medic, trying to gauge the social situation. Perhaps Kornel is not used to such brutally-honest feedback, or situations that can't be resolved by smiles and a few uplifting words. Eventually he hunches a bit, making himself appear smaller, and tilts his head downward apologetically.

"I, ah, see. Thank you for being so understanding."

He lifts his head, and his constant grin now looks a bit more genuine than it usually does. "I hope we meet again. Give your, how do you say, dear friend a 'thank you' from me. Ah hah."

(Just an FYI, I don't provide flanking because I'm not wielding a melee weapon.)

Ace's potion breathes life back into Kornel. The sorcerer, still lying on the ground, immediately begins spellcasting to prolong his life, blissfully unaware of the ire his previous spell caused in some of his allies.

Healing: 1d8 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9

◆◆ Cast a Spell: Heal, targeting myself; ◆ Cast a Spell: Shield. (I think my best utility in this fight is to stall and heal. My offensive options seem to be quite minimal, given the enemy's high Ref saves.)

Recovery check: 1d20 ⇒ 3
(Gurgle.)

We all knew this was coming. Drama demands it.

The strange almost-dog-like monsters catch Kornel off-guard with their surprising speed—not that outpacing the lethargic Kornel is any great feat. The monsters' sharp fangs dig deep into the sorcerer's arm, and, after a brief delay, Kornel lets out a monotonic yelp of pain, yet still holding on to his constant smile. "Agh. Die a dog's death, ah hah."

Forgetting (or ignoring) that he's within arm's reach of a psychopomp, he begins spellcasting, and a sinister magical energy concentrates to his hand. Then, the floor tiling in front of him cracks, and from the ground underneath, a skeletal arm rises. A skeletal corpse emerges.

"Kill," commands Kornel, with no change in facial expression.

The freshly-animated skeleton swings its rusty blade at the enemy.

Skeleton's Scimitar: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Slashing: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Skeleton's Claw: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 6 - 4 = 6
Slashing: 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

◆◆◆ Cast a Spell: Animate Dead, summoning a Skeleton Guard. (As per summoning rules, it gets 2 actions.)
◆ Strike, ◆ Strike.

(These critters don't seem that tough, so I think I'll just try to finish it off.)

Kornel, slow on the draw as usual, directs some jolts of electricity in the remaining enemy's direction.

Electricity damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
(Basic Ref save, DC 18.)

◆ Stride; ◆◆ Cast a Spell: Electric Arc, targeting green; ◆ Cast a Spell: Shield.

(Yeah, let us battle.)

Even the ever-phlegmatic Kornel sprints into action.

"Stay, my friends! This is no time to die. Ah hah."

Fort: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

The time-warping magic slows him down, and so Kornel is back to his usual leisurely pace.

◆ Stride, ◆ Stride, ◆ Stride.

Kornel paces the surrounding areas, inspecting the walls, doorways, and corridors with an discerning eye, trying to form some sort of mental blueprint of the place, thus detecting any vulnerabilities in the perimeter's defenses.

(Gonna use ol' reliable again.)
Architecture Lore: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17
Architecture Lore: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

As a person who prefers to avoid physical labor, Kornel ponders how the group can minimize the travel to their destination.

(I presume that Architecture Lore is an applicable Lore here.)
Architecture Lore: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Architecture Lore: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

...It's pointless. This is a massive maze, after all.

It is evident that Kornel knows very little of mechanical apparatuses, but this strange life-preserving capsule intrigues him nonetheless.

Medicine: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18
Medicine: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (13) + 6 = 19

As he examines the sarcophagus, he mumbles to himself, taking mental notes of how it can—or could—sustain a living being in a stasis.

(Hrmph. Someone at Paizo clearly believes in "tell, don't show"...)

(Agreed on doing the 3 tasks in the order presented; it sounds silly to first transport a broken thingamajig and then fix it.)

Kornel smiles at the dragon. "We, ah, have seen pictures and visions of you in this maze. You are famous in this place. Ah hah."

"So," his unblinking eyes move to the glass sarcophagus, "that is a, how did you say, a stasis pod? Sounds interesting, ah hah. Do you mind telling us how it works? A person just lies there?"

Kornel laughs his hollow laughter against the adversity. "Ah hah. A little cold every now and then doesn't hurt, eh?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Cold damage: 1d8 ⇒ 8
Ref: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

His old, patchwork leather coat seems to be wind resistant at least.

Agent Pastovic offers moral support,

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18

which some agents might appreciate, while others might find it distractingly unnerving.

Magical electricity begins to crackle in Kornel's fingertips. Common sense would indicate that his preferred cantrip would be effective against metallic foes.

Electricity damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
(Basic Ref save, DC 18.)

"My friends, do you, ah, feel a bit sluggish as well?"

◆◆ Cast a Spell: Electric Arc, targeting #1 red and #4 blue.

Kornel treks in the snow.

◆ Stride, ◆ Stride, ◆ Stride. 30 feet total.

(So wait, does Predators Destroyed affect this encounter, or the next encounter? Also, as was pointed out by Ace, he should have only been healed for half the hit points, in this case only 4. That was new information for me as well.)

"Ah, Ace my friend!" Kornel says jovially as the wounded gunslinger withdraws to his side, "That was a nasty blow, eh? Not many survive claws like that! Now..." Saying that, Kornel extends his hand towards Ace, and begins spellcasting.

However, this time there is something sinister and unnerving about the spell. A sharp-eyed observed might notice how, for a split-second as he begins casting the spell, Kornel's hair withers to pure white and his skin wrinkles, giving him the appearance of a long-decayed corpse. Then just as quickly he's back to his usual middle-aged self.

"This only hurts if you resist. Ah hah."

(I am contractually obligated to inform you that, if you wish to avoid this effect, you are entitled to a saving throw. Will DC 18.)

Perhaps due to quick thinking in estimating the darkness spell's point of origin and radius, or because as a sorcerer he has a certain intuition for how magic works, Kornel effortlessly emerges out of the obscured area simply by taking a few steps backwards. Or maybe he just retreated on instinct. Either way, the sorcerer now has clear vision.

However, he is still stuck in the snow. Quick maneuvering proves challenging, especially to the middle-aged mage. Kornel follows after Bina, trying to make use of the footprints she leaves in the thick snow.

◆ Stride, ◆ Stride, ◆ Stride. Difficult terrain's a real handful, huh?

"Ah, you noticed as well, Mandoo my friend?" Kornel says, slightly gleefully. "Then, if they are not zombies, what are they? Ah hah hah."

The sorcerer fires another antinecrotic beam at the ravenous monsters.

Positive damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
(Basic Fort save, DC 18.)

◆ Step; ◆◆ Cast a Spell: Disrupt Undead, targeting #4 yellow.

(From what I understand, it is not possible to retry a failed Recall Knowledge.)

Though his constant grin shows no change, Kornel tilts his head slightly, indicating minor puzzlement. "Strange..."

The group's undead expert begins spellcasting, but this time he's not evoking lightning. Instead, Kornel points a finger at one of the undead enemies, and shoots a glowing spear made of antinecrotic energy at it.

Positive damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
(Basic Fort save, DC 18. On a crit fail, the target is also enfeebled 1 for 1 round.)

◆ Stride; ◆◆ Cast a Spell: Disrupt Undead, targeting #3 blue.

"Ah, plague zombies!" Kornel yells, as a warning to the others—or perhaps out of some morbid delight. "They carry quite a nasty disease, but are otherwise, ah, of the weaker sort, ah hah. This battle will be an easy one, eh?"

While inspecting the amphitheater from a safe distance and letting his companion Ace scout ahead, Kornel allows himself to immerse himself in thought. "I wonder, is the cracked wall a result of the, ah, maze's malfunctioning, or because of the cold...?" he ponders, half-aloud.

He tenses up when Mandoo calls out to whoever Ace had spotted. There is a brief silence. Then, for reasons only he knows, the previously-lethargic sorcerer unexpectedly hops down the amphitheater's rows of seats. Arguably for the first time during the mission, Kornel seems outright excited: his grin extends ear-to-ear.

◆ Stride; ◆ Stride, just to get to line of sight; ◆ Recall Knowledge, Religion +6 or Undead Lore +4, whichever gives me a better chance.

(You had me at "Religion for Recall Knowledge". Dicebot looking after me, giving me initiative where it counts. By the way, GM, did you remember the +2 initiative bonus from "Pathfinder Found"?)

(Also, I could probably mention now that undead creatures have a strange kinship with me, recognizing me as one of their own.)

In his usual phlegmatic and sluggish way, Kornel slowly makes his way to the collapsed wall. His unblinking eyes focus on the ice; perhaps the Ustalav has acquired a newfound interest in the arctic after witnessing the strange vision in the pools.

Just when Kornel is about to say something about the collapsed wall or the strange ice behind it, Libitina happens to glance in his direction, and the scruffy sorcerer closes his mouth and suddenly changes direction. "Ah, Ace, wait for me."

(Search, Perception +6.)

[Kornel is definitely a little on the odd side]

{Yes... definitely.}

Curious whether a psychompomp like Libitina can actually tell Kornel's sorcerous bloodline by glance and just politely isn't making a big deal out of it to Mandoo.

Mandoo: "That guy's a bit weird, huh."
Libitina, caught in an existential dilemma, forced to cooperate with an antithesis to her very being, holding back her divine anger against an affront to nature: "Yep."

Kornel tiptoes to the edge of the green pool and carefully watches its surface. His constant grin widens when he sees a vision in the reflection, and the familiar sarcophagus within it.

"Ah. It is this one again, eh? A sarcophagus in someplace cold. Interesting, no? But, ah hah, I myself do not know as much of the colder lands as an Ustalav person should."

"Perhaps we will learn more as we move on, eh?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Kornel calmly approaches the barricade with his arms open, nodding along as Ace speaks. "Ah hah, I understand why you would be scared. This maze is a scary place, no? But do not worry, everyone will find their way out eventually. One way or another, eh? Ah hah hah." His laughter is strangely ominous.

"Now, what is this, ah, monster dog you mentioned?"

Kornel picks up some of the fake coins and chortles. "What an, how do you say, elaborate prank. I suppose we Pathfinders are lucky only one of us fell for this trap, eh? Ah hah."

(Mandoo, wanna roll Treat Wounds for Bina's minor burns real quick? After that, I vote pools.)

Kornel spellcasts and laughs his hollow laugh, but then becomes increasingly disinterested and quiets down. "These, ah... they do not offer much resistance, yes?"

Electricity damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
(Basic Ref save, DC 18.)

◆◆ Cast a Spell: Electric Arc, targeting #1 red and #4 yellow; ◆ Cast a Spell: Shield.

(Isaku, those are stairs going up, not down. The platform is 5 feet above us. Which, according to my estimations, means we have line-of-sight to any of them from where we are.)

Kornel enters the chamber and immediately starts spellcasting. Electric sparks fly from his hand, which prompts a realization from the carefree sorcerer:

"Ah, they seem to be some kind of fire monsters. I actually do not know whether this spell works against them. Funny, eh?"

Electricity damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
(Basic Ref save, DC 18.)

◆ Stride; ◆◆ Cast a Spell: Electric Arc, targeting #2 blue and #4 yellow.

"We Pathfinders are always careful, no? Ah hah." Kornel says slightly sarcastically as he follows along. He gestures the kitsune to go ahead.

"What does this friend of yours look like, this, ah, Carine?"

◆ Stride, ◆◆ Idle. There's only one square available in the corridor, and I'm assuming Dancing Sunbeam wants to go ahead. I don't mind staying a bit behind with Isaku.

Kornel leisurely strolls through the library, taking in his surroundings. For the first time in a long while, his constant smile seems like it could be genuine. "Ah. Beautiful architecture, eh?"

Society: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19

After a bit of daydreaming, he stops at the centerpiece. The scruffy mage points at reliefs.

"Ah, skeletons! Bit macabre, eh? And look at this: the archway only lets the traveler's soul pass through, and leaves the body behind, doomed. Ah hah. Who would want to do that?"

Religion: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

The other reliefs and carvings interest him little, save except for the dragon that slumbered in a coffin. "Must be a big coffin, eh?"

Certain that the other agents can finish the lone remaining foe, Kornel focuses his spellcasting to guarantee their kitsune companion's survival.

◆◆ Cast a Spell: Stabilize; ◆ Cast a Spell: Shield, whatever.

(Bina: the first hit was a natural 20, which crits.)

The group's sorcerer spellcasts electricity ceaselessly, all the while chuckling for who-knows-what-reason. "Ah hah..."

Electricity damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
(Basic Ref save, DC 18.)

◆◆ Cast a Spell: Electric Arc, targeting #1 red and #3 green, or whoever is left; ◆ Stride, why not.

(Quick FYI: no need to roll eidolon's initiative separately. The duo shares the turn and the actions.)

"Ah, something strange is happening," Kornel speaks, oddly phlegmatically and indifferently. "Never a dull moment, eh?" His constant smile contorts slightly, transforming into more of a lunatic grin.

In spite of the mysterious time anomaly, the sorcerer begins spellcasting, evoking lightning from one hand and a small barrier from the other.

Electricity damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
(Basic Ref save, DC 18.)

◆◆ Cast a Spell: Electric Arc, targeting #2 blue and #4 yellow; ◆ Cast a Spell: Shield.

(I suggest we head to 1d5 ⇒ 5 the "ascent".)

"This place seems like a maze, eh? Ah hah."

(Ace's (untrained) Society result of 18 didn't identify the hook chamber? Guess I'll give it a go.)

Kornel's unblinking eyes try not to make contact with the eidolon's bird skull. He ambles in a separate direction from the summoner and his psychopomp, towards the side chamber to their left.

Society: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

"Ah, detective, what do you think this is?" he hollers Isaku, grinning.

During his conversation with Mandoo, Kornel is his usual relaxed self at first. "No no, I merely, how do you say, dabble in medicine, ah hah." As they converse more, however, Kornel stiffens and becomes less jovial. His unblinking eyes now stare at Mandoo much more than is socially acceptable, and his constant grin seems more forced than ever.

"It is... terrible, yes," the strange Varisian says slowly and laconically in condolence to Mandoo and his home country of Lastwall, "The, ah, nation in question fell very efficiently, and, ah, quickly. People died."

Kornel takes a few steps back when Mandoo expresses his reverence to Pharasma and hostility against undead, muttering, "Pharasmin faith does seem to be strangely common in our, ah, profession, eh?"

Mandoo's concern for Kornel's health and odd odour prompts a somewhat panicked response from the scruffy man: "I, ah... perhaps I slept poorly. Happens to the best of us, no? Ah hah. Now, I think I should return to my duties. Excuse me."

When time permits, Kornel makes a little small talk with the other agents. "Good to meet a fellow medic, ah hah," the scruffy man laughs as he approaches Mandoo. "Where do you, ah, come from? Your name sounds familiar."

Among the many agents bustling around the lodge is a balding Varisian man in an unkempt outfit, named Kornel. One might be forgiven to mistake this scruffy man for a homeless person: his undershirt is missing a button or two, his jacket has spots of patchwork and dust. While his apparel may be somewhat off-putting, the scruffy man acts amicable enough thanks to his permanent smile and relaxed mannerisms.

Yet many find Kornel's presence somewhat unnerving, like there's something off about him: his smile feels too forced, his laughter sounds hollow, his calm eyes never seem to blink.

"Kornel Pastovic. Good to meet you," he introduces himself with a handshake, when the situation allows time for such pleasantries. During this handshake, one can feel that Kornel's body temperature is abnormally low.

I don't mean to presume, but do you have access to the the gunslinger class? I've been under the impression that it requires a boon to access it, since it's an uncommon class.

Edit: Huh, shows how much I know.

The now-healed Kornel smiles and chuckles as though he didn't come close to dying a few moments ago. "Ah hah. Losing consciousness is rather relaxing in this heat, ah hah."

As the one of the group's experts on religious matters, Kornel has an opinion on the anvil altar. "It, ah, would be a shame to destroy a piece of the architecture, no? Better to just consecrate the area, eh?"

(Do we know *how* to perform the ritual in question, or just that a cleansing ritual exists which can be carried out by NPCs?)

Perhaps because he found Symeon's taunt particularly entertaining, Kornel chuckles heartily. Just then a duegar's manacles crush the zombie servant, and Kornel's attention shifts to focus on that enemy. "Ah hah. Die." The strange sorcerer spellcasts a combination of electricic jolts and necromantic decay.

Electricity damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
(Basic Ref save, DC 18, for blue and green.)

Negative damage plus blood magic: 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 9
(Basic Fort save, DC 18, for black.)

◆◆ Cast a Spell: Electric Arc, targeting blue and green, or black if either has already perished; ◆ Cast a Spell: Harm, targeting black.

Kornel's attention is partially focused on magically controlling his zombie protector. With a smile in his face, he slowly starts spellcasting his usual electrifying spell.

Zombie's Fist: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Bludgeoning: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
(This zombie seems highly competent.)

Electricity damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
(Basic Ref save, DC 18, for blue and green.)

◆ Sustain a Spell for the Animate Dead spell, sustaining it and giving it its action(s); ◆◆ Cast a Spell: Electric Arc, targeting blue and green.
◆ (Zombie Shambler) Strike, targeting the black one. Because it's slowed 1, a zombie has 1 fewer actions, so a zombie minion only gets 1 action. (James Jacobs ruling) (Still not 100% sure whether this applies for the first round of summoning, as some of the logic would imply.)

@Kornel - Just a confirmation, you cast 1st lvl animate dead with Zombie Shambler right? Higher lvl has zombie as well

2nd level as I am, all my spell slots are 1st-level spells, yes.

In this fight, the zombie's primary function is to act as a meat shield, while we're backed against a literal corner.

(Oh, yes, you remember correctly, GM: Kornel carries a torch in one hand and nothing in the other.)

Even during battle, Kornel maintains his phlegmatic grin. "I, ah hah, would not survive a month as a slave." He begins spellcasting, and a sinister flow of mana eminates from his hand.

Soon, the ground in front of him quakes a little, and a rotting dwarven corpse unearths itself. "If you want servants," Kornel chuckles, "maybe use these, eh? Ah hah."

The freshly-animated zombie lunges at one of the hostile duergar.

Zombie's Fist: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Bludgeoning: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
(Second action to Grab. 26 probably hits.)

◆◆◆ Cast a Spell: Animate Dead, summoning a zombie. (As per summoning rules, it gets 2 actions. It seems that the red duergar is visible and a valid target for attacks, correct?)
◆ Strike, ◆ Grab.

At the rest location,
Kornel lies down to rest, and just like last time, his unnatural stiffness and total stillness of his sleeping posture might remind someone of a corpse. Every now and then he opens his mouth to chime in on the conversation, or to laugh at nothing in particular.

During this rest period, Kornel eats very little.

----

At the current location,
Kornel shakes his head as he handles the metal plates, though in spite of this universal sign of disapproval his constant grin doesn't fade. "These bridges, very beautiful designs of architecture, eh? Pity these plans need to be, ah, redesigned, to account for safety. But perhaps some young engineer will be happy for the opportunity, eh?"

(On a second thought, it's probably not strategically a great idea to move my relatively fragile sorcerer towards the frontlines, but I also have no great alternatives here.)

Kornel chuckles to himself and lurches forward, careful not to step on any scorching rocks. As he walks he starts spellcasting, and then fires a jolt of electricity at the flaming enemies.

Electricity damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
(Basic Ref save, DC 18.)

◆ Stride; ◆◆ Cast a Spell: Electric Arc, targeting the blue mephit. The red one is out of range.

(I can't disable the hazard anyway, but I'd still like a clarification: the squares marked in green is the area that's been cleared from the hazard, correct?)

(@Arfsnarf, do you want to stride to the top-right corner of the green square? A 30-feet-range spell reaches the blue mephit from there. Your blasting is better than Kornel's, but if you plan on doing something else then I'll take that spot.)