It looks fine; thanks again for running that :-)
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Rataji nods. "By all means, go ahead."
Rataji ponders the significance of the warding circle.
He then nods to 322. "Yes, a silver stream went from his body to your pocket; I dare say that you collected his spirit."
Horrifically burnt, but still standing, Rataji fires off a volley of force missiles at Aram Zey, then staggers back, trusting that the combined might of Manarius and the Dragon will finish Zey off.
When the Dragon shouts out his warning (and before he charges), Rataji nods, and pulls out a scroll, casting Glitterdust.
"Beware! Aram Zey is just an illusion! The real one is somewhere else..."
"Indeed." Rataji moves around to the side of the door, and casts Lightning Bolt at Aram Zey, incidentally trying to shatter the glass case in the process, so as to clear a path for his allies to charge.
Rataji nods in the direction of the buzzing door. "Shohiraj, do your thing."
Rataji's Buffing Extravaganza; please read:
Round 1: Heroism on the Dragon - he has a lot of attacks, so +2 on all of those rolls is a good thing :-).
Round 2: See Invisibility. Round 3: Shield. Round 4: Fly on Manarius. Round 5: Displacement. Round 6: Haste.
"I am the Leader, yes." Rataji bows, acknowledging the gathered sapients. "With the way from the Tapestry finally open, we finally have the chance to bring the fight to the damnable Pathfinder Society. For too long have they raided your home, taking what they want, when they want. Similarly, for too long, they have interfered with the legitimate businesses of the Aspis Consortium. THIS ENDS TODAY! We are poised to deliver a fatal blow to the Society, right here at the heart of their power. Whilst Consortium operatives attack the Grand Lodge from the outside, we have been sowing discord and confusion across the Lodge, and with your help, we are able to open up a second front from inside. As to specifics, those with flight capability should concentrate on taking the towers, so as to better rain down ranged attacks on the Society. For everyone else, the aim will be to sow as much discord as possible - the longer the Society is off-balance, the better we will do; target anyone that looks like they are taking a leadership role, and anyone who looks particularly green (as they are more likely to panic). It would also be worth liberating relics from the Vaults - the Society keeps powerful magic down there, and it could be used quite effectively against them. IT IS NOW OUR TIME. We must seize the moment!"
Once he is sure that the *actual* Pathfinders are safely away, Rataji begins to perform the ritual.
Rataji looks visibly relieved when he sees the three figures. "Ah! Thank goodness we found you! You must excuse my colleague - he is suffering from laryngitis. We've been sent to relieve you; the Grand Lodge is under attack! It looks like the stinking Aspis are involved - someone has released the menagerie animals, and the status of Durvin Gest has been animated. Your unique skill sets," he says, gesturing in particular to the firearm wielder and the arcanist, "are needed elsewhere. We can handle close-quarters fighting, if anyone manages to get this far. Please, make haste!"
"Hmmm... If they are here as punishment detail, it might be better to take the latter path - it will probably be more believable. I think 'three for three' would also be more believable; the other two should hide."
Rataji nods. "No time like the present. Let's go meet the people we are 'relieving'..."
Rataji motions for everyone to back away from the door to hold the discussion. "The two of us disguised as Pathfinders should be the ones to speak. I figure that there is a decent chance we should be able to convince them that they are needed elsewhere - the distractions outside should be more than enough!"
Rataji eagerly claims the staff.
Upon finishing his identification of the items, Rataji moves to assist in the searching of the room.
Whilst the others search the room for the notes, Rataji identifies the items.
He then uses a Pearl of Power to recall his used Magic Missile.
Rataji waits to see if the others manage to take out the lizard, but if they do not, he will unleash another arcane barrage.
Rataji fires a volley of force missiles and whichever lizard appears to be most injured.
"Fine. However, if I run out of options later, I take no responsibility for that." Rataji then targets the injured lizard.
Rataji glares at one of the lizards, but it is clear that subtle threats really don't cross the species barrier particularly well.
"These are foo creatures, chameleons and frilled lizards. They are warden of temples and ceremonial vaults, coming to life when an intrusion so requires. When two of them are close together, they gain the benefits of Protection From Evil, and individually they can turn their hide to stone for brief periods of time. The lizard can charge in an intimidating fashion, while the chameleons have a tongue they can use to reel victims in. They're immune to disease, paralysis, poison and sleep. They're good-aligned extraplanar beasts."
Rataji attempts to identify the creatures.
"Right. We should fan out, and see what we can find. Who knows? we might find other useful stuff in addition to the notes that we seek..."
Rataji nods. "Agreed. I think it would be entirely in keeping with what I know of the Pathfinders, for them to have trapped the door to their special vault..."
Rataji looks thoughtful. "If we don't reach our goals, this will all have been for naught. We should use it now, to cover our entrance, and trust that the chaos that will be caused by our deeds will cover our exit."
Rataji casts Disguise Self to look like a Pathfinder.
"Very well. Let us begin! Our story starts several years ago, when a bunch of Pathfinders stole a rather unusual key from some Aspis Consortium agents, and headed off to a lost Azlanti ruin buried deep within the Mwangi Expanse..." Rataji then goes on to tell a rather improbable (but nevertheless entertaining!) tale about a lost Azlanti weapons complex being excavated by a Pathfinder expedition, forced to fight for their lives against wave after wave of Charau-ka, led by a terrifyingly huge four-armed Angazhani.
"Very well. I'll make 322 invisible, then challenge Janira to a 'story duel'. That should give Shohiraj the distraction she needs to lift the keys."
Rataji nods. "That sounds like a reasonable plan."
Rataji nods at 322's and Shohiraj's words. "Rather than creating a distraction, how about we use stealth? I can turn one of you invisible; does anyone else have a means to turn the other one invisible? That should make both of their plans a heck of a lot easier..."
"Agreed. Shall we say we meet at the statue of Durvin Gest?"
The Leader nods to the Professional. "Since you asked first, I will assist you with your task."
"Let me know if there is anything you need assistance with. I am good at persuading people with words, if that helps..."
Rataji raises an eyebrow at the unkempt elf's questions. "I, for one, do not intend this to be a suicide mission. As far as I can tell, we are each the favored pawn of someone else higher up in the organization, and it would be bad for business if we all died." He then turns to Shohiraj, and smiles. "We know where the vaults are, and the museum where the Sky Key is being kept. Although it will be difficult, that's why we've been sent - we each have a reputation, in our own ways, for getting things done."
A tall Bonuwat male dressed in flowing robes dyed a subtle shade of aqua, with braided umber-colored hair, speaks. "My name is Rataji, and I have the honor of coordinating this little team. This is it. For too long, the thrice-damned Pathfinder Society the dogged the Consortium's steps, disrupting our operations, stealing our findings, and locking away the riches of the past, rather than letting them land in the hands of those who would actually appreciate them, rather than locking them away in some dusty vault. Now, on the day of their Grand Convocation, like a cobra poised to strike, the Consortium is in position to give them a lesson in humility. Hundreds of Aspis agents and sympathizers are assembling throughout Absalom in preparation for an attack on the Pathfinder Society’s Grand Lodge. Most of these teams are in position to sow chaos, lure the Pathfinders’ attention elsewhere, and keep the rest of Absalom from interceding. We are to be the lynchpin of the assault. After infiltrating the Grand Lodge (a task made easier by the throngs of unfamiliar faces), we need to do some information gathering, splitting into smaller groups as necessary, until we have what we need to infiltrate the Society's supposedly unassailable fortress of Skyreach. The cue for this will be a speech given by Master of Swords Marcos Farabellus. Agents will start ushering Pathfinders toward one of the lawns and pouring drinks for a toast, giving us a fairly generous window to get inside. Once inside Skyreach, we have two major objectives: Open the Hao Jin Tapestry gateway, to allow our allies within to come out, and secure the Sky Key, in that order. However, the notes we have only explain how to get one person in and out at a time - to find out how to let the army through, we will need to acquire Aram Zey's notes - and he has them stored in one of the vaults beneath Skyreach—a section called the Antarnicus Wing, used for most of the tapestry’s treasures. Consequently, we will need to go there first. It’s the usual routine: take care of any guards, grab the target, get out, and keep the whole operation clean. A second team, who will identify themselves by the code phrase “Five fingers till Oathday“ should find us soon after; we are to pass them the Sky Key, get out, and disappear. Any questions?" |