# Forum > Play-by-Post Games > Ongoing Games (In-Character) >  Overpowered Rise of the Runelords

## Jack_Simth

_A while back, a gaming company decided to turn Pathfinder into a VR MMORPG. It became quite popular, and you were one of the best of the best. You were max level, did all the events, and won many of them; including one that had a truly unique prize. But all things must end, and this was no exception: Subscriptions lagged, and eventually the game ceased to be profitable enough for the corporate bigwigs. You received the announcement via e-mail: The servers would be shutting down after this month's billing cycle.

On the last day, determined to get as much as you could out of things, you were logged in when the servers shut down... and rather than the game simply closing, something happened. There was a gut-wrenching click, and you found yourself in a different area of the game. But things were different. The slight pixelation from your VR headset was gone: Everything looked as real as real can be. Moreover, you could actually feel the breeze on your face, the ground beneath your boots, and the pinching from that awkward (but cool-looking) armor. You could smell the horse droppings and the lack of common bathing. Pulling up the menus, you find that all of them still work, save one: Exit is grayed out. You can't leave. Checking, you also can't feel your headset anymore, and attempts to remove it manually prove fruitless: It's like it's not there anymore. Thinking about it, you can't even feel your real body. It's like you've become your character. Looking around and taking stock, you realize you're in one of the starting areas.... with all your max level gear._

_Specifically, you find yourself in a graveyard, overshadowed by what appears to be a very large, brand-new cathedral.  There's a gate to the north, and several doors in the cathedral that would give access to the area. It's a rather expansive cemetery, overlooking a river. Stone vaults stand near the cemeterys edges or at its center, while dozens of humble plots, each marked with a simple gravestone, sit amid trees and shrubberies. The boneyard is very well-maintained. 

It's morning, and the graveyard is empty, save for yourselves.  You can hear a party going on nearby._

*Spoiler: Notes*
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I'm starting you off in an empty graveyard, so that anyone who wishes to assume a disguise can, and I don't have to worry about folks immediately running from the monsters

*Spoiler: From recruitment thread*
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Link to the original recruitment thread "main" post, for however log it lasts
Link to refill recruitment thread

*Deadline for sheets: evening of March 13th*

Eh.  Looks like I have a copy of Rise of the Runelords I've never cracked open.

I suppose I'll try my hand....
*Spoiler: Current forum-recommended big 16 equivalent*
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*System:* Pathfinder Play by Post, here.
*Player Count:* Everyone who manages to complete an application (I expect drops).
*Style of Play:* Mostly RP, as you'll be able to one-shot basically everything you encounter for QUITE some time.
*Allowed Content:* 1st party Paizo only, and I must have free access to it - if it's in a book I don't have, I can't adjudicate it.  Be careful with d20pfsrd.com, as they have a lot of 3rd party content on there.

*Character Creation:*
Your Character: 20th level, custom gestalt.  One track is a class as normal.
The other is a "racial" track.  You can play a monster (Level=CR, ability mods are the -10 for evens, -11 for odds from 3.5), although hit dice and caster level are limited to the base creature's CR (so a CR 10 Monavic Diva would be treated as only having 10 hit dice, rather than 12).  Any spare spots in that track are filled with the "racial fill" PRC.  Full BAB, all good saves, d12 hd, 8 skill points/level (no class skills, though), and for features has the Armor Bonus, Str/Dex Bonus, Evolution Pool, and applicable Specials that a summoner's eidolon of that level would get; it also progresses any existing racial spellcasting or spell-like ability caster levels.  To continue the example, that CR 10 Monavic Diva would grant you the armor bonus, Str/Dex bonus, evolution pool, and specials that a 10th level summoner's eidolon would have (+8 Natural Armor, +4 Str and Dex, Darkvision, Evasion, Devotion, Multiattack, two ability score increases, and 14 evolution points).
Someone found the retraining rules, and pointed out a clause.  Any feat you qualify for now is available, even if it wouldn't have been at the time you picked up the feat slot.

Backstory: Do have one.  After all, dedicated folks often make stories for their characters.  Also have a real life backstory.  Might come up in conversation.Experience: You're not going to advance.Wealth: Wealth by level is out the window.  You've been doing this for a super-long time, and the limitations were of the game interface, not money.
Custom items (including merging existing items) are not permitted (computer games tend to be annoying that way).  
You can have any normal magic item you like (within the source list) per each equipment slot (including primary hand and off hand weapon slots; a shield fills the off hand slot).
You can have a maximum of 20 slotless magical items (ioun stones, rods, portable holes, used tomes/manuals, and so on).  It was a limitation of the inventory system.
You can have a maximum of 10 types of single-use items (e.g., Potions of Cure Serious Wounds, Scrolls of Heal), and a maximum of 9 of each of them.
Scrolls are limited to single spells.
You can have a maximum of 10 wands or staves
Currently non-equipped items (e.g., an alternate headband) can be stored in your slotless magical item slots, but they don't do anything while not properly worn.
You can have a maximum of 9 of each of any nonmagical item.
You have a free Handy Haversack that functions as a portable hole (it was the interface for all of the above).
Additionally, you have 999 diamonds (valued at 1,000 gp each), 999 platinum coins, 999 gold coins, 999 silver coins, and 999 copper coins on hand (it was a limitation on the interface).
No minions from wealth (so no crafted constructs or anything; class-bonded minions still work - so an animal companion, familiar, Eidolon, et cetera is OK).
Gear for minions was not implemented in game.

Event Reward:
You get one custom event reward.  This takes one of a few forms:
1) A single, constant spell effect on you that can't be dispelled and is treated as nonmagical (it will continue to function just fine if you wander into a dead magic zone).  Any Paizo spell you like, of up to 9th level - metamagic permitted.  Shapechange?  Enjoy being a protean.  Empowered Spell Turning?  Great!  It never runs out; any targeted spell on you gets a return to sender. Empowered Maximized Fire Shield?  Ah, you must be Johnny, as you're clearly the human torch.   Downside: Can't be turned off.
2) A "signature" spell-like (metamagic permitted) - again, a Paizo spell of 9th or lower, although it can't be of a sort that duplicates other spells (so no Wish, Miracle, Shades, or Shapechange for this one).  If it's a 9th, it has a 1-minute cool down.  If it's an 8th, a 1d4+1 round cool-down.  If it's a 7th, it has a 1 round cool down (you can use it at most every other round).  If it's 6th or lower, it's at-will.  If the spell is on multiple lists at different levels, it's treated as the highest level it's found at for this purpose (which means Heal is 7th, because Druid).  Minor adaptations to make the spell function are permitted (e.g., Mages Lucubration can restore spent spell slots even if you're a Sorcerer, Cleric, Oracle, or so on rather than a Wizard).
3) One class feature (other than spellcasting) from a different class (at full level). So your Druid might also have an Eidolon, or your Wizard might have Sneak Attack, or your Rogue might have a familiar.  Archetypes are permitted (so that eidolon might be wearable due to synthesist).  Note that supporting class features don't come with (so that Eidolon does NOT have Life Link, and must be healed separately from you).Ability Scores: 25 point buy.  Yes, I know the rest of this is way, way over powered, but eh, it was the starting state.  What can you do?Hitpoints/Health: Max per level.  Someone found the retraining rules, and told everyone else.  Thereafter, everyone just paid the gold until they had max HP.Alignment: Is a setting.  Other than some things they put in that change it instantly, they didn't implement a morality system.  It affects how you're treated by various game effects (which in turn can change how you're treated by various NPCs), but it doesn't change with your actions and has no effect on you (so your Chaotic Evil character is perfectly capable of founding a series of free hospitals while staying Chaotic Evil).


*Other Notes:*
Two traits, no background skills.
Leadership was never implemented.
Some of these restrictions no longer apply, as it's no longer just a game.  You're going to need to find out which in character, although I'm guessing most folks will consider it pretty obvious.
I don't like pvp.  If you do something hostile against another player, the other player decides how it plays out.  If you have max ranks in Sleight of Hand and a dex of 30, and are pickpocketing a fellow PC who has no ranks in Perception and a Wis of 6, they can still catch you at it and stop you, even if it makes no sense.  Or you might find that the pocket has a DC "nope" Sepia Snake Sigil, despite that making even less sense.
I wouldn't worry about other folks' optimization levels.  You're in an adventure path intended for 1st level folks.  The difference between AC 40 and AC 80 is petty when the highest attack bonus that will be coming at you is +19 (needs a 20 no matter who he targets).  The difference between dealing 150 damage a round and 300 damage a round is petty when the toughest opponent in the book has 102 hp (they go straight from full to dead regardless of which PC attacks).  Differences may start to matter in the later books, but at least at first you're going to slaughter every combat encounter very, very handily.

*Spoiler: Various questions & Answers*
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> Could they have simply been playing long enough to have become what they are?


As long as the specifics are reasonably plausible to have occurred at some point for a long-running, multinational game.



> Thanks for the speedy reply. So grateful.
> Tossing around a few different ideas I dont want to do the same thing as others. I am liking the Anemos, Apostate Devil, Wild Hunt Monarch, or Veranallia.
> If I used the three -1 Templates would that be possible to use Charnel God?


I'm going to go with "no" on that one.  



> Could be we knew each other in RL and played the game together?  Made sort of opposite characters to take advantage of things within the game and now here we are stuck with our choices?
> 
> EDIT: I don't know what PaO and Dispel Magic is. Figured it out.  So he could have done that and made it into a great sword I am assuming is what you are saying.


You can also just wield a one-handed weapon in two hands. Pathfinder explicitly allows for that. All you lose is the difference in base weapon damage. 1d8 vs. 2d6 is just 2.5 on average. 




> We can use templates? And to repeat since it seems I edited at the same time you posted: are we using BAB and such from our classes or do we take it from monster progression if its better?


Yes. The normal problem with them in Gestalt is that they quickly get overpowered. But that's hardly an issue here, you're supposed to steamroll everything.

Saves, BAB, HD size, and skill points from monster hd if they are better. But do remember racial hd are capped to cr, so you don't end up with 22 hd or anything.




> I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean.  Any of the three options I listed could be interpreted as being part of the progression.


Sorry, on mobile. Yes, you get the Grand Discovery and the two bonus discoveries.




> Gotcha, it's mostly a flavor thing anyway and not a numbers thing.
> 
> Cheese question (I think).  Since our alignment is more leaning towards what we are as players and not what we are as characters.  How would taking the Damnation feats work out?  I can easily see them as having been added as a mechanics only bonus (which is kind of exactly what I am looking to do) and the whole build up of evil thing kind of just withers away when it's not the character anymore but me as the player.


They don't influence your behavior, but they do influence your in game alignment. 

You may also have some ... concerns ... about them when the reality of living in a world with a verifiable afterlife hits you.




> How are we going to be dealing with expensive material components?


The game just deducted them from your cash if you weren't using Blood Money, False Focus, or similar. You'll need to stop and purchase or make them now (except for diamonds, of course; you have lots).

Posting from mobile, please excuse the mess.... 

Some starting thoughts for building backgrounds... just intended for inspiration:
How did you get into the game?
Are there any people / activities  / possessions that you will miss from the real world?
Are there any conditions, states, diseases, or situations that you are happy to escape?
Did you make any build choices that were fine for a game you could leave at any time, but are undesirable as a permanent state?
Is there something you always wanted in real life, but could never get, that is possible now?




> Shame about the lack of Spheres etc, but definitely interested all the same.
> 
> If we choose to select a nonhumanoid for our monstrous track, do we get the full suite of magic item slots, or only the magic item slots that our form actually possesses?  (For instance if we have no legs can we have foot slot items?)
> 
> EDIT: Also, if we use the third event option and select something that grants multiple options over 20 levels (such as a rogue's rogue talents), do we get the number we would get as a 20th-level member of that class, or just one?


Nonhuman slots were not implemented in game. So a Maralith player could wear boots, but couldn't weild six weapos. This changes in the transition, however, and monster slots start applying at game start.




> Thanks for gming this Jack_Smith. I definitely have interest in the premise and style. I want to try making an Iron Caster. It looks like a fun Fighter build and seems totally in line with a player gaming the system.
> 
> For the 'Race Track', do we get 20 lvls of the 'Racial Fill PRC' if we choose a standard player race? Or are monster races preferred so this isn't an issue?


Yes, but if you don't have any pre-existing racial casting, the PrC doesn't advance it.




> You take the monsters stats and subtract 10 from the even numbers and 11 from the odd numbers. The differences become your racial modifiers for the 25 point buy.


Correct.



> This looks like it could be some very ridiculous fun. I'm thinking Arcanist 20//Pleroma Aeon, my 'IRL' Player was a shameless minmaxer and that shall be reflected in personality and mechanics (though I doubt I'll have the strongest character here, player vs character skill disparity you know)
> 
> How is buying more spells in your spellbook handled with these wealth rules?


As long as you have carrage for them (see item limits, you only have so many slots for Blessed Books), go nuts.




> Ah so basically the scores -10 or -11 are the base scores you then build off. Cool. 
> 
> Also another question occurs: we have effectively unlimited WPL but what about artifact grade gear? I doubt it makes sense to give us unlimited access to that but considering the way the setting is, maybe we could each have an artifact or two?
> 
> Edit: also, I am building an undead necromancy focused sorcerer.


Artifacts are plot devices. They always vanished at the expiry of the quest (successful or not).




> Right, time to figure out what magic item slots a big ol' dragon has...
> 
> Also just to repost the second question as I think it might have been missed:


Sorry. Full progression.




> Regarding my angel build, can he be a medium creature instead of a large one?


There are a rather lot of medium sized angels, angels with Change Shape, or angel-adjacent creatures. Which specific one are you looking at?




> Alright, no problem with that. New question! Do we qualify for all evolutions or are we still restricted by base form? If the latter, are we all assumed to be Biped(because we're all technically human)even if we pick a non humanoid race?


Be reasonable about it. A dragon qualifies as a quadruped, a merfolk qualifies as aquatic, most angels qualify as biped, and so on. Your summoner level is treated as the prc level for requirements (such as how many times you can take ability increase), but your full level for effects (such as Spell Resistance)





> The cheese comes in from him being an angel I guess.  He doesn't have a soul.  Which begs the question of can he actually even take the feats?


Oh, yeah, missed that angle. No, you don't qualify to take them.




> Ah excellent, thanks.
> 
> On the topic of _blood money_ I guess I may as well ask now - since Pathfinder very helpfully doesn't define when in the spellcasting process components are expended, what's your ruling on that?  Do they disappear as soon as you start casting a spell (in which case _blood money_ works on basically everything) or only when you finish casting the spell (in which case it only works on spells you can finish casting the same round you cast _blood money_)?


Start of casting. It's not like there aren't workarounds for longer times anyway.




> Nice, another Aeon, we'll actually get to use Extension of All.
> 
> On the topic of material components, how does Permanency work here? Is it taking up a slot like used tomes, coming out of starting money, free, or not implemented in the game?


Effectively free at character creation, but you'll need to pony up the diamonds for replacements.




> For the purpose of the limit on how many slotless items we can have, do _ioun stones_ set into _wayfinders_ each take up their own space, or do they share the wayfinder's space?


Nice find. Share the Wayfinder's space. Ditto for similar pairings, such as the harmonizing bowstring and a bow.




> Decided on an Anemos Oracle with the Spirit Guide archetype
> 
> I have two questions first would be without considering the ability mods or feats the saves are slightly higher than a single class would have at that cr are those taken anyway or something else?
> 
> Second I assume so but are the base feats from the original monsters a part of the gestalt?


For the first, sounds like you need an example.

Suppose someone's playing, oh, an Oracle//Great Wyrm Brass Dragon (CR 19).

An oracle gets good Will, 3/4ths BAB, d8 hit die, 4 skill points per level.
Dragon hit dice are all good saves, full BAB, d12 HD, 6 skill points per level.
The normal great wyrm brass dragon has 26 hit dice.  That's capped to CR, so 19.
The Great Wyrm fills only 19 levels, so you also get one racial fill PrC level on that side (d12 HD, full BAB, all good saves, 8 skill points/level).
For any given level, you get the best type of that level.

So BAB: Full BAB, all the way.  20/15/10/5.
Hit Die: d12, all the way.  20d12.
Saves: All good saves, all the way.  So base saves of +12/+12/+12.
Skills: 19 levels of 6+Int, one level of 8+Int.  19*6+8+(20*Int) skill points.
Ability scores: You have your point buy.  Subtract 11 from the odds, 10 from the evens.  So that Str 37, Dex 8, Con 27, Int 22, Wis 23, Cha 22 becomes 37-11=26, 10-8=-2, 27-11=16, 22-10=12, 23-11=12, 22-10=12.    
So +26 Str, -2 Dex, +16 Con, +12 Int, +12 Wis, +12 Cha.  Those are your racial ability modifiers.

You'd also be Gargantuan, have DR 20/Magic, Blindsense-60, Darkvision-120, and so on and so forth (all the various racial things), including Sorcerer-20 casting (19 on the dragon, +1 from the racial fill class).


For the second: Bonus feats you get for free (they're marked with a b, and are quite rare).  Others you need to actually take.




> Do intelligent items need to go the same way as artifacts?


Yeah.  The AI wasn't great anyway.




> WIP sheet https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2600808  still have to fill out his 4 paladin skills and so up a back story. 
> 
> Did I read the times thing correctly?  We can have used all the times to bump stats?


Yes, although using that route leaves those associated slotless item slots filled, and you may want something more useful than +5 to your least useful stat in some instances.

Hmm.  I should keep a list....



> Within the context in the game when it was still a video game, how strict was the alignment system when it came to casting aligned spells?  (A Good character casting an [evil] spell, for instance.)


It enforced the listed class restrictions - so a good-aligned Cleric, Druid, or Omdura couldn't cast Evil spells themselves, but a good-aligned Sorcerer, Wizard, or Oracle could.  Doing so sometimes caused minor glitches with the NPC dialog, though (some portions were based on general alignment, some on recent activity flags, and the devs weren't all that consistent about which they used where).




> Good to know, thanks.
> 
> Also, was using _wishes_ to increase ability scores allowed in the game mechanics, or were tomes (and their permanent reduction to inventory size) the only way?


Those worked just fine, yes.  Same as permanent spells.  Or scrolls, for that matter.  The Tome/Manual thing was just a weird bug.


> I think keeping the game within the game in mind and looking at his stats Ill probably forego the tomes route anyway. Already seems like his stats are a bit silly. He should be fine holding his own.


The Biggest Bad in the first book is CR 8.  You won't need much, if any, optimization to beat it into the ground solo.  And you're not actually supposed to encounter that one officially (although the notes do say it can pop up to scare the 1-3rd level party whenever you think it's appropriate).  The Big Bad of the book (which is what you're supposed to encounter to end things) is CR 7, with just 85 HP.  I fully expect to be describing an immediate, gory splatter of the enemies every time you step into combat.




> I'm kinda tempted to say my character was someone who liked finding and exploiting bugs lol.  Also a couple more questions I thought of, apologies:
> 
> - If we use a monster on our 'racial' side, do (or can) we count as any particular race for the purpose of prerequisites?


No, but there is a RAW way to do it for many (not all) builds.  Costs two feats, though.



> - Are traits or background skills in use?


Oh.  Right.  Sure.  Two traits, but no background skills.  What would you do with all that NPC stuff anyway?



> That's fair. I actually found a pretty cool monster and would like to combine him with my already made level 20 build.
> 
> My Monster's stats are: Str 26, Dex 27, Con 28, Int 25, Wis 21, Cha 24
> 
> Does that mean that my racial bonuses are: Str (+16), Dex (+16), Con (+18), Int (+14), Wis (+10), Cha (+14)


These are the ones if those are the monster base stats, yes.



> That brings up another question - how long did the game exist for in real-world time?  (And for that matter did in-game days/years/whatever go by faster than real-world ones?)


Language barriers and differences in local laws on permitted content resulted in a staged roll-out of the game with geolocks (usually at a national level, sometimes more granular than that) as they set up appropriate interface filters; additionally, there were several iterations of the hardware.   The game was "released" several dozen times, and nobody seems to quite be able to get a lock on when or where the first version was - and for reasons nobody can fathom, the company refuses to say (individual employees do, off the record, but their accounts don't agree with each other).  



> I just noticed the starting wealth only allows 9 normal ammo. Is it alright if we raise that to 99 or some similar number?


The inventory item that you can have nine of is "Arrows, common (20)" or "Arrows/bolts, barbed (20)" or "Arrows, blunt (20)" and so on, with mods - "Masterwork", "Cold Iron", "Adamantine", et cetera.  When you used the inventory item it ended up in your ammo slot, which would then let you use the listed number of them.  Which means you can have 180 of each flavor in your inventory.



> edit: just to make sure I understand. Does advancing racial spell casting only raise caster level or would a dragon raise their sorcerer spell slots and spells known to 20th level?


Yep.  The CR 19 Great Wyrm Brass Dragon (Sorcerer-19 casting), advanced by the racial fill, would end up with the caster level, spells known, and spell slots of a 20th level Sorcerer (minus the bloodline).



> edit 2: As the event reward, if I take the class feature option, can I pick cleric domains? If I do do I get 2 domains and all the abilities in them or do I get just like the Luck domain or do I need to specifically take a single ability in the luck domain such as "good fortune"?


You get the "domains" class feature.  A bonus spell slot (domain spells only) of each level you can cast, the option of filling those slots from either domain, the domain powers, and so on.  




> Edit: if the race has spell casting, do we lose that?


You keep the casting, but it's capped at the critter's CR (along with all caster levels and hit dice).  So that CR 2 Faerie Dragon doesn't get Sorcerer-3 casting, it only gets Sorcerer-2 casting (unless you add a CR +1 template before adding racial fill).  Racial fill pushes it back up (so that CR 2 Faerie Dragon drops down to Sorcerer-2 casting, but 18 levels of Racial Fill on top of that pushes it all the way up to Sorcerer-20 casting).  




> Edit: So it seems I can take this but the Event reward would be the Final Revelation of the Enlightened Philo Oracle.
> Taking 20 on a knowledge roll is nice, Cha to saves is good and immunity to conditions is good.


You'd get the Revelations class feature (which includes picking a mystery, but you only get the revelations when doing so), which includes the final revelation (similiar to Discoveries and Grand Discoveries of the alchemist, asked earlier).



> Would it cost one of the one-use items to be a different alignment than what's typical for a race? Or can we be whatever alignment we choose, regardless of race. Asuras are typically LE, but I'd like Azula to be TN.


Per Pathfinder RAW, "Always" alignment entries don't mean "Always" - it means almost all.  PC's are special!  You can be any alignment you like.

Note, however, that alignment subtypes have their own rules.  An Asura with the Lawful and Evil subtypes is still treated as Lawful and Evil by a Holy Anarchic weapon.



> My plan is to play an Irii (CR 19) with the Advanced Template (CR+1) on my monster side. I will be gestalting it with a Level 20 Barbarian build. My Event Reward will be the Martial Artist Monk's "Extreme Endurance" ability. Is that acceptable?


This one? Sure.

*Spoiler: Collecting sheets*
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Momonga, Grim Reaper Necromancer (QuantumFlash)
Samael (Lioslaith)
Azula Beta13 (Armonia13)
Knosara (Da'Shain)
Literion (real name Hank Sander) (human form) ("real" form)  (Llyarden)
Aethra (Dakrsidder)
Tserriednich Drake (Kaouse)
Name Pending (Redfeline)
Wilhelmina (Player: Roger Morgenstern) (Thokk_Smash)
Timothy "Timmy" Kitmoss (Thokk_Smash)
Jaagan Fuji(Droobles)
Boa (Shaggy)
Evras (Thunder999)
Quiet the Whisperer Witch (Wabbit)

Re-recruitment:
*Player*
*Character*
*Race*
*Class(es)*
*Complete?*

greenpotato
Aenea Eurypontidai (Gilbert)
Young Elysian Titan
young +1/Elysian Titan 19 // Oracle 20
Yes

Armonia13
Azula Beta13
Upasunda Asura
Upasunda Asura 9/Mutant 1/Advanced 1/Simple Fighter 2/Simple Ranger 2/Simple Rogue 2/Simple Paladin 3//Drunken Master of Many Styles Quiggong Monk 20
Yes!

Frendle
Lonnie Eida
Unfettered Eidolon (Outsider, Extraplanar)
Fighter 20 //Unfettered Eidolon 8/advance 12
Complete

samduke
Lilliana Hesporath
Valkyrie
Valkyrie 12 / fill 7 / Advanced Cr+1 // paladin 2/ fighter 14/ Unchained Rogue 4
Yes

niw18
Lucifero & his fiendish servant Vreesar
Eremite kyton
Eremite kyton 20 //Tyrant (antipaladain) 20
100% complete

Momentai
Lady Shiva
Asura, Asurendra (Young, Advanced)
Young Advanced Asura, Asurendra 20 // Cleric 20
 n/a

Da'Shain
Unagidon
Veiled Master (Nightmare Lord)
Mesmerist20 // Veiled Master CR 14 (Young/Nightmare Lord)/ Racial Fill 6
 Complete

Alphonse "Alph" Kirschenbaum-Homura (Aleph Null)
Ashiva, Whose Wings Shelter Stars
Giant Advanced Fey Phoenix
Giant Advanced Fey Phoenix 20 // Druid 20
Yep!

Cassus
Harper24601
Young Repeatedly-Drained Euryale
Young Repeatedly-Drained Euryale 20 // Arcanist 20
Yes

5ColouredWalker
5ColouredWalker
Basic: Augmented Robot Construct Detailed: Tromp L'eoli Commando Construct Robot Gladiator
Barbarian 5/Pit Fighter 10/X 5//Construct 20
Complete

Yas392
Slicky
Young Advanced Red Jester
CR 10/Filling 10|Bard 20
Yes

TheAlmightyKue
Pythia 'Pi' Delphi
Young Advanced Euryale
(Cyclopean Seer)Oracle 20//CR 20
 n/a

John Mason (Taelas)
Feng Xiuhuo (凤庥火), the Son of Heaven
Shadow Lord Fey Phoenix
Phoenix Sorcerer 20//Phoenix 15/Shadow Creature 1/Shadow Lord 2/Fey Creature 2
 Done

Mike/Mikkel (Starmage21)
Terrach, The Razor Spined
Crystal Dragon, Great Wyrm Lich
cr 20 // Arcanist 20
 n/a

Kaouse
Tserriednich Drake, the Ioun Irii
Advanced Irii
Advanced (CR+1) Irii (CR 19)// Barbarian (Superstitious / Savage Technologist) 20
 n/a

HereBeMonsters (G14Classified)
Mii
Pit-Fiend (Young, Advanced, Repeatedly Drained, Foo/Imperial Foo)
CR 20/Seducer Witch 20
 Yes

AvatarVecna
Amorph
Advanced Cave Blight
CR 20 // Vigilante 20
Yes

MalkavTheMaven
Azrael
Empyrean, Angel; (Templated)
CR 20 // Gunslinger (Pistolero) 20
Yes








*Spoiler: Some good advice*
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> I found in a word document my old post on why play by post tend to die and how best to prevent it. I'll repost it, even if most of it it's in the guide, since sometimes it's useful for me to link people specifically to this bit:
> 
> *Strawberries' analysis on why pbps die (and how to prevent it)*
> *Spoiler*
> Show
> 
> 
> Here's a list of the most common problem play by posts have, and some advice to how address them.
> 
> ...





*Spoiler: Tracking Certain things the books don't say*
Show


*Spoiler: Mayor Kendra Deverin*
Show

Human Female, blonde, reasonably attractive, late 20's. Her shoes and hairpin have faint magical auras.

----------


## Lioslaith

Looking around rather bewildered at everything that was happening Lio holds up his hands in front of his face. Then goes about feeling the various parts of his body, the wings, the muscles, everything felt tactile and just plain weird. On a hunch he flexed his wings and they responded quickly. He remembered his character was large in his natural state and he thought about reducing his size and shape to that of an elf. Something he commonly adventured in that game as. 

Once changed he looked around the grave yard at the others then walked to the overlook and stood staring at the river. Trying to wrap his head around what was happening.

----------


## Dakrsidder

The sudden change of events intrigues Aethra which causes them to pinch their arm. Bits of cloudy essence come off but nothing too unpleasant although more simply takes its place. Next, Aethra manifested a thunderbolt and tossed it at a gravestone just to make sure such things still worked. Aethra moved onto items and uses a single charge from a hollow rod to maximize a thunderstorm blast against a different gravestone. The last test was magic, so they used control weather as an SLA to try making it early spring. Satisfied with the results they began looking at their surroundings before realizing that other people were standing nearby.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga raises a skeletal hand in front of his face and inspects it, murmuring to himself, What is this sensation, I got teleported, but.. I feel.. is this some sort of surprise update? He starts to make the gesture to summon the menu, but is startled by the sudden burst of a spell nearby and abruptly realizes he is not in the graveyard alone.  PvP reflexes kick in and he assumes a spellcasting stance while surveying the scene and taking in the other players, readying a Time Stop for if something should try to attack him.  At the same time though, the situation is just so strange, and if this is a trap, its an odd one.  He calls out, in the grating voice of the undead he realizes, Hey, whats going on, do any of you know? Arent the servers supposed to have gone down already?

----------


## Llyarden

"Loud..."  Literion complained, as the echoes of the thunderstorm blast died away.  What had happened to the sound dampener that protected your hearing from overwhelmingly loud noises?

...for that matter, what had happened to a great many other things?

He reached down, tentatively, touching the top of a gravestone with one finger - he'd been in his human form when the servers had gone down (or at least when they were _supposed_ to have gone down) - and recoiled when he actually felt it.  "What..?"

The grating voice of an undead creature speaking to him caught his attention.  He turned to face the speaker - and shivered as the fear aura washed over him.  That was more than just a little popup in the status bar of a cartoony shocked face.

He took a few steps away until he was out of the aura.

"I...I don't know."  He brought up the game interface, scrolling through it for a few moments.  "Maybe because they were turning the servers off permanently they didn't bother with the usual process to boot everyone?  And since we're still on here, maybe it won't shut down gracefully, but enough of the shutdown process worked that the main connection APIs have been turned off, which would explain why we can't disconnect either."  To an external observer, that explanation might have even made sense.  "But..."  He looked back at the gravestone he'd touched.

He raised his hands, paused, and looked over to the Reaper again.  "Uh, please don't try to kill me or anything.  I'm not going to attack you.  But I think this is going to suck..."  He scrolled through his interface again, queuing up a couple of spells - and then let out a quiet gasp of pain as the magic of the spell cut into his hand, the blood flowing out and twining through the air like smoke before it became a shimmer of magical energy that spread out and coalesced into a small table laden with food.  "Yeah, that sucked," he grimaced - although the wound closed just a few seconds later, taking the pain with it.  "At least that still works."

He reached out and picked up one of the small chicken drumstick-like morsels that had been created by the spell, twisting it between his fingers for a few moments.  Then he held it to his nose and sniffed at it, eyes widening slightly.  All the scents he could smell really _were_ from the game.  He hesitated a moment before taking a bite of the roasted chicken.

"How...how is this possible?"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Since people almost certainly have the Spellcraft etc to identify what he's doing - Blood Money'd Limited Wish to duplicate Bountiful Banquet .

----------


## Lioslaith

As the other players started to speak and try to figure out what was happening Lio/Samael turned from his vantage point overlooking the river and walked back to the group.  Im not really sure what is going on, it seems to me like this whole thing should be over by now.  Its past time for the game servers to be shut down.

Stepping in close enough to speak to the others he can feel when he passes the threshold of the fear aura but its merely that. A thought in the back of his mind speaks quietly, _Samael is immune to fear_, and his own aura suppresses the effect for those within 30 of him.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga nods his head gravely, the red flames burning in his eye sockets dimming momentarily to give the impression of blinking. Maybe not all the servers are shut down yet but this is far more realistic than any DMMO Ive ever played before. Well, I wont attack anyone here who doesnt attack me first so how about we all agree to peace so we can figure this out?  His own first order of business, having noticed Literions reaction, is to attempt to figure out if he can suppress his fear aura.

----------


## Kaouse

"*One last look,*" he says. "*One last look, before it all shuts down.*"

Minutes before the closing of the servers, Tserriednich Drake transforms into an incorporeal undead and takes flight. Unbound by gravity. Unrestrained by collision. Unseen by many. 

These were abilities he gained in his long line of hacking and playtesting for the game. Over his tenure, he had discovered many an exploit, and reported them to the game developers. One of them --codename: Haagenti-- was his best friend, and at his request, allowed him to keep some exploits in the game.

At any rate, with these abilities in tow, Drake wills himself forward through each playable area the game world has to offer. At each juncture he reminisces about the fun times he's had.

At the end of the levels, he sits and waits for the end of the world. "*This is how it should be,*" he thinks. "*With me, as another ghost in the shell.*" As the timer on the servers count down to zero, he closes his eyes, and waits to be ejected from the game's virtual reality. 

But when he opens his eyes, it is not his home that he sees. Instead, he finds himself in a graveyard near a giant cathedral. For a second he wonders if he died, before looking to the horizon and noticing - he's been here before. Indeed, he had flown through here just moments before. This was still the game world, and judging by locale, one of the earliest points. 

Still, he didn't remember there being a massive cathedral in this particular area...might as well check it out.

*Spoiler: Notes*
Show

Diverse Obedience to Haagenti allows for a souped up Shapechange that can also assume forms covered by Undead Anatomy IV (among other things), which allows for incorporeal undead. Thanks to a Ring of Continuation, he generally keeps Shapechange going 24/7.

Stealth = (1d20+40)[*55*]

----------


## Dakrsidder

Aethra turns towards the voices and says, "Sorry about the noise. I was experimenting to determine the nature of the situation I'm in and now I can say with nigh certainty this is no longer a VR game." They then open the interface fully expecting the exit option to be dysfunctional.

After taking another look around, Aethra realizes there's noise coming from a source away from the group. They say, "Based on the confusion I assume we're all facing the same predicament. For the time being I think there are others here, so I'll take a look around." They then dissipate into the wind flying towards the ongoing party.

----------


## Thunder999

The third thing James does (the first two being briefly panic that he's turned into a fictional character and cheer at the fact he's turned into his super awesome wizard in his favourite game, because who hasn't had that daydream) is start casting spells, hands moving with a muscle memory he never had even as he perfectly recites words he's never spoken before. Actually feeling blood money is certainly a downside to this strange merge.  
He's still marveling at it when he hears the rumble of thunder, though when he looks to the sky he sees no sign of a storm, he does however notice that he's been floating the entire time.  
He flies in the direction the sound came from.

*Spoiler: Spells/OOC*
Show

I forgot to ask how you want to handle familiars, so I'll just be leaving Frilzrys in his satchel for now.
Extended Greater Shapechanger's Gift, set to human though he's currently remaining in his own form, he expects it to be necessary if he investigates the nearby party, but is unwilling to risk it until he knows more.
Extended Mindblank (CL 22, 48 hour duration)
Bloodstone Mirror (CL 22, 22 hour duration)
Lesser restoration, either once or twice depending on the roll
(1d4)[*3*]
Heightened awareness. (CL 22, 7 hours 20 minutes duration)

----------


## Da'Shain

After the countdown ended, instead of the black screen or "server down" message he expected to be seeing, what greeted Knosara was instead an explosion of sensation, one that sent a spike of agony drilling into his brain for a nanosecond that seemed like an eternity before suddenly resolving itself into a world bursting with information to his suddenly expanded senses.  Where before his interface had been cluttered with words and symbols, now it instead seemed there were simply new vivid colors, subsonic hums, identifying scents, and a whole host of unnameable signifiers his mind could suddenly keep track of without the game's crutches.  Absently he reached out to pat Jommi's neck where the massive fey ram stood next to him, and marveled as instead of his hand simply adhering to his mount's skin, he felt Jommi's coarse fur under his fingertips, heard the soft grunt as the suddenly self-aware beast leaned lightly into the touch.  Unbidden, unfamiliar laughter sprang from him, high and cold, mastered almost as soon as he noticed it happening.

Turning to take in his environment, Knosara (_and isn't my name Georg?_ he wondered, bemused at the sudden shift in mindset but seemingly incapable of alarm) noted that he was in a human graveyard, surrounded by creatures who had the hodgepodge look of other high level players bearing mismatched magic items along with varied and sundry racial features, likely gained through exploits or quest rewards.  The spell effects in place on each of them were many and alluring, and he took a moment to simply bask in his newfound recognition of the flows and forms of magic.  He could see the components come together in the Anemos' aura as it shaped its innate magic and was thus unsurprised when a simple thunderbolt was tossed.

*"How interesting,"* he breathed, a knife-like smile splitting his features.  *"Is this some sort of stealth update?  It feels ... amazing."*. Knosara continued to pat the fey creatures next to him, both his ram and the large black hound slavering at his side.  Seemingly in no particular hurry, he vaulted on top of the snorting ram, and all three began ambling slowly in the direction of the party sounds.  *"Any of you recognize this starting area?  But it seems so much more, now."* he tosses back over his shoulder at the assorted players.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

He auto succeeds on a free action Ride check to mount.

He's currently reveling because he possesses greensight, Blindsense, See in Darkness, greater arcane sight, and True seeing, so there's very little if anything he's not sensing right now.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: Knosara*
Show

You have an implication in your post that's problematic within PF rules. Roll kn(arcana) for details.

Edit: Actually, you'd make it on a 1.

You actually don't get as much info as you might expect.  In Pathfinder, Mind Blank _explicitly_ stops see invisibility.  By extension, divination counters work on things that add extra options to sight - Arcane Sight, Aura Sight, Greensight, whatever - and some of the folks here actually have those.  Anyone warded by such can't be seen if that's the only way you'd be able to see them (unless it's a non-divination version, such as that natural greensight and see in darkness of yours).  But a Wizard with Invisibility, No Scent, and Mind Blank up?  They could be standing right in front of you, and if their Stealth (with the invisibility bonus) beat your perception, you wouldn't know they were there.  Only a couple of folks have that on their sheets, though, so you can tell who they are easily enough by them NOT having obvious magical auras fit to light up the countryside.


*Spoiler: On bonded companions*
Show

You have them. You get to RP them. They remember the events of the game as though they were real events.  However, if pressed to examine their memories, they will notice inconsistencies, such as doing the exact same quest several times. This may lead to problems, at your discretion. Try to keep their capabilitiesin mind when rping them.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> They then open the interface fully expecting the exit option to be dysfunctional.


_The menu does indeed open, and the exit option is even present - it's just grayed out.  The other options seem to work as normal - you can change the skin on the interface, view your inventory, bring up your character sheet, set the trigger gestures and command words for your spells, and so on just like you always could.  The background music options are also still there.  Turning them on gives you a quiet tune that follows you around.  It quickly becomes apparent from others' reactions that they can hear your background music when they're nearby, and that's new._

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga succeeds in turning off the fear aura, marveling at how it seems much more intuitive than he expected as if he now knows all his abilities perfectly, since it seems too much to leave it on and potentially make the other players think he's hostile.  In addition, he makes use of one of his racial spell-like abilities to Polymorph into a smaller and less conspicuous form:  he shrinks from a 15ft tall skeletal horror to a medium sized humanoid, still shrouded in his dark robe which casts his face into shadow.  His hands too are concealed behind false flesh.  The overall impression is probably still kinda creepy but more in the manner of some less than savory spellcaster rather than an incarnation of death.  He knew that such a disguise wouldn't fool any decently prepared max level character, but it might be enough to not make anyone else in this odd new scenario treat him as a monster by default.  

He spares a glance at the others assembled there as they also take in this situation and gives his head a slight shake as the one who had cast that lightning immediately starts to fly away and addresses the others "Well, I suppose there isn't too much reason to sit around now that we have someone running off already.  May as well make sure that one doesn't get into too much trouble."  He starts to follow Aethra towards the noises, though on foot.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Holding off on actually switching the "camera" to the festivities until after the deadline

----------


## Da'Shain

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show




> *Spoiler: Knosara*
> Show
> 
> You have an implication in your post that's problematic within PF rules. Roll kn(arcana) for details.
> 
> Edit: Actually, you'd make it on a 1.
> 
> You actually don't get as much info as you might expect.  In Pathfinder, Mind Blank _explicitly_ stops see invisibility.  By extension, divination counters work on things that add extra options to sight - Arcane Sight, Aura Sight, Greensight, whatever - and some of the folks here actually have those.  Anyone warded by such can't be seen if that's the only way you'd be able to see them (unless it's a non-divination version, such as that natural greensight and see in darkness of yours).  But a Wizard with Invisibility, No Scent, and Mind Blank up?  They could be standing right in front of you, and if their Stealth (with the invisibility bonus) beat your perception, you wouldn't know they were there.  Only a couple of folks have that on their sheets, though, so you can tell who they are easily enough by them NOT having obvious magical auras fit to light up the countryside.


Oh, I'm sure there are things Knosara can't see (although in previous games I've played, Arcane Sight was ruled to gain information about spell effects and not the creature and thus circumvented Mind Blank for that specific purpose; however, your game your rules).  He also has Mistsight and Blindsense 60, btw.  I was merely RPing the massive flood of information he would suddenly be feeling, where before it was likely just in the form of overlays and floating numbers/symbols on his VR UI.  My statement "very little if anything he's not sensing" was not meant to imply there was nothing capable of escaping his senses, even from the various max level characters in front of him; sorry if it seemed that way.

----------


## Shaggy

_Boa had not expected much to happen at the clock ticked down. She had gone through her inventory, surprised at all the stuff she had collected. It had been a fun trip with this character but she was excited for the next great adventure and a new game to explore. But she had poured countless obsessive hours into this game. So for it to be gone it would hurt, she would grieve. Boa to her was part of her and losing that was going to be like losing a loved one. So as the seconds ticked past she remembered all her fondest memories._

Then nothing, and it left her confused. Had the server shut down timer been off? How does that happen if it was? She pulled up her interface and the clock was still right, it was a minute past the deadline. So how was she still connected? She felt a little funny but she associated it with her real life self being so upset. But as she scrolled to the log out and found it grayed out she became more panicked. But there was something about it, some cool dark weight that lingered on her that made her calm down. She had been at the height of going into panic when it quelled it. She looked through the interface and found everything the same. So how odd was it that she couldn't leave this game?

After a few minutes she became aware of a gathering not far off and headed that way. She had been in her change shape form anyway, wanting to make it easier for her to walk through the towns as they thinned out. Monster form got people jumpy. As she neared she saw someone run off and she pipped up *"Hey, so. Anyone else not able to do the thing?"* she asked why did this form feel so vulnerable? *"And whats with the party, was this some like really late april fools thing?"*

She would at first glance appear harmless, she was in her pre-monster form after all a small girl with black hair and big green eyes, no need for the goggles while not in her gazing state.

----------


## Kaouse

After collecting some reconnaissance on the group of others that had gathered around the area, Drake will reveal himself, bursting from the ground in the form of a whirlwind before coalescing his form into that of a more humanoid looking air elemental. 

*"Greetings, friends. I gather that we are all of likewise condition - players trapped in their character avatars. None of us can leave, and it's only a matter of time before we die to starvation or random power surges. Still, isn't it awesome*?" Drake says, grinning. 

Drake waltzes over to the window overlooking the closest city, turning his back on all present. 

"*A whole new world to conqueror. A whole new world to break. This limited amount of time we have...I'm going to make the most of it. Feel free to join me, or to stop me, if you wish.*"

If none speak up, Drake will transform once more into a whirlwind, fly high into the sky, and then fly inconspicuously towards the nearest city. Once there, he will shapechange into a humanoid creature native to the area and begin to gather intelligence, aiming primarily for understanding the current leaders as well as an estimate of the city's military and magical might. Once he knows who the city's leaders are, he will infiltrate the cabinet and cast Geas/Quest on the head honcho.

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## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show




> After collecting some reconnaissance on the group of others that had gathered around the area, Drake will reveal himself, bursting from the ground in the form of a whirlwind before coalescing his form into that of a more humanoid looking air elemental. 
> 
> *"Greetings, friends. I gather that we are all of likewise condition - players trapped in their character avatars. None of us can leave, and it's only a matter of time before we die to starvation or random power surges. Still, isn't it awesome*?" Drake says, grinning. 
> 
> Drake waltzes over to the window overlooking the closest city, turning his back on all present. 
> 
> "*A whole new world to conqueror. A whole new world to break. This limited amount of time we have...I'm going to make the most of it. Feel free to join me, or to stop me, if you wish.*"
> 
> If none speak up, Drake will transform once more into a whirlwind, fly high into the sky, and then fly inconspicuously towards the nearest city. Once there, he will shapechange into a humanoid creature native to the area and begin to gather intelligence, aiming primarily for understanding the current leaders as well as an estimate of the city's military and magical might. Once he knows who the city's leaders are, he will infiltrate the cabinet and cast Geas/Quest on the head honcho.





> I had a bad feeling something like that might happen considering how easy it'd be for someone to do so I just hope it doesn't end up doing damage


Well, Krause isn't going to find out by experience - the _fantasy_ of being a dictator misses the actual impact - but dictators are actually very miserable folk (few admit to it, however - their pride gets in the way).  Sure, they've got a lot of pleasures in their lives, but humans have a need to feel appreciated, and basically nobody appreciates a dictator.  In making the most of things by taking the path of a conqueror, Drake would actually be crafting his own personal abyss (and unfortunately dragging a very large number of people along for the ride).

Unfortunately, as the DM, I'm not a player, and so don't have a character in play that can laugh in his face at the moment.  Oh well.

Still, conquering the world takes quite some time, and Sandpoint is a small town, rather than a city, so I guess that Kraouse there is leaving the field of play.  So long!

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Is Sandpoint the first town in the module?  Or did he head off towards some other town?

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## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show




> Is Sandpoint the first town in the module?  Or did he head off towards some other town?


Sandpoint is the listed starting town, who's graveyard you're in, right next to the brand-new Cathedral, the dedication of which is today (with the specific ceremony being this evening).  But it's a "small town" per page 59 of the first book in the adventure path.   Kaouse specified he's heading towards the nearest "city" which Sandpoint is not. Thus, Kaouse quite clearly specified that he's leaving the field of play.

Online map of Sandpoint

Everyone feel free to pretend Drake never existed.

----------


## Lioslaith

Lio pulls up a little used sub menu (in fact possibly never used) and gives his summon steed button a poke. If he was going to attempt to blend in with the normal people in the game he might as well give this a shot.

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## QuantumFlash

Momonga stops and blinks at the abrupt departure then looks back at the other players. Right, well, that seems maybe ill advised.  Since we have no idea what were up against and how dangerous things could be here how about we all be careful, subtle, and stick together?

----------


## Lioslaith

As the warhorse manifests itself Lio moves to it and pets its head, *"Welcome back girl, it has been a long time."*  He then turns to Momonga and nods, *"I agree, if we indeed have somehow inhabited our characters bodies then the people here are also real and no longer NPC's and we need to treat them with respect."*

----------


## Thunder999

James speaks up as he gets close "I can't exit either, no idea what's happened, but we can't leave and I don't think any form of software glitch in shutdown could manage this, I know for a fact my VR rig doesn't have the hardware to simulate half of what I'm experiencing, especially not this." With the final word he sends out the feeling of just how real it all is, from the feeling of magic as he cast the spell to the wind on his skin using his Envisaging.  
"I'd say this is the Sandpoint graveyard, I remember exploring this little town for hours when the game was new, I'd never really done VR before so it was the coolest thing ever. My first Pathfinder game IRL started here too which definitely added to it, couldn't have picked a better place to get turned into a fictional character." He turns to Momonga before continuing "I'd say that's an excellent idea, besides the game was always most fun with a party. You guys can call me Evras." 

When Lio brings up NPCs he'll let his familiar Frilzrys, an extra small (i.e. magically reduced to diminuitive) Faerie dragon.

*Spoiler: Short telepathic conversation with familiar*
Show

Spoilered since noone else would here it and to spare the uninterested me basicallly talking to myself
Evras:"Don't suppose you know what's going on here?"
Frilzrys:"No more than you, you'd just put that Uvny the White beyond even the god's intervention with your Sphere and then suddenly we're here and I'm back in the Satchel."


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Is anyone playing a character others should recognise?

----------


## Shaggy

Boa ignores the person who ran off for now. *"Ok right, guess since we are all in the same boat."* She begins *"We should probably introduce ourselves, maybe even Party up?"* she was used to partying with her former guild but it was long disbanded now. *"I'm Boa. Nice to meet you"* she adds with a smile. She considers that about NPCs and thinks to herself that this is more like Log Horizon than Sword Art Online, oh help them if its sword art online who wants to die for perms in Pathfinder?
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Boa might be known for her PVP career and as a Player Killer in the open world.

----------


## Lioslaith

As he climbs onto his mount Lio addresses the others, *"In game I never was much a guild/group person but that more due to my personal awkwardness and nothing to do with my playstyle.  My characters name was and is Samael but depending on where we go that name could carry weight, good and bad.  For now I'll just go by Lioslaith and Lio for all my new friends here.  So... should we go see what all the rukus is about?"*  He nods in the direction of the supposed party or whatever it was.

----------


## Llyarden

"Literion."  He nodded to Lio.  "Or...I guess if we really are stuck here, there's not much point me using my game name.  Not like I have to worry about being doxxed now.  My real name is Hank.  Nice to meet you all, I guess."

As Momonga spoke about the importance of being careful, he nodded and tapped an ornate ring he was wearing on his finger, bringing up an interface and scrolling through it until his elegant robes were suddenly replaced with more normal-looking attire.

"I remember Sandpoint, too.  At one point the Harrow tutor was based here, before they centralised all the tutor stuff in the big cities."  He gave a small chuckle, pulling a Harrow deck out of his item box and turning it over idly.  "I used to know what all these meant by heart..."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Literion might be known to some of the players, but more because his player was kind of an unofficial historian of the game (both in terms of in-game story and player-driven events), and this is his main character.  The character itself hasn't done anything too extraordinary.

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## Dakrsidder

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Although it's nitpicking and not really important, I just got to say that solely based on our char's predicament, there's no conclusive evidence for the NPCs to be real

I also probably should've made it clear earlier but I'm in wind form to take a look at the party without being detected

As for my character being known, they've done their share of pvp and creative content in short bursts and dabbled in theorycraft enough that someone might recognize them from it alone

----------


## QuantumFlash

"Well, it sure looks like it could be Sandpoint, but I don't remember the temple.  I agree we should check out whatever those voices are but maybe we should take a full inventory of our resources and abilities first, and maybe decide on a team structure.  Who's to say that, strong as we are, we aren't essentially first level for this new world?  Being more organized would help us with any threats that might surpass even us."  Momonga moves back into the midst of the group, and throws open his arms in a sweeping gesture.  "I am Momonga, and I am a necromancer sorcerer.  I summon and control undead as well as use death magic besides more standard offensive magic."  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Some may know Momonga as part of a well known PvP, sometimes PK, guild either if they saw him before he disguised himself or use True Seeing, which he currently isn't blocking.  If they knew the guild better, they'd know he particularly was more of an rp-er than a really hardcore player so his build might not be truly top tier.

----------


## Kaouse

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Well, that's unfortunate. My goal was mainly to spur on the game because I didn't want us to get stuck in an endless loop of waiting for new people to show up and go to the cathedral. I wanted to get the story started, and was under the impression that the goal of this game was to obtain a city and build it up. I had hoped that people would join me in this quest, with perhaps others leaving to join their own, separate city. But apparently seizing the initiative has gotten me removed from play. Alright then, I suppose. I won't bemoan the decision nor will I beg to be put back in. Honestly, I'm just happy to make the character.

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## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

That yellow color is extremely difficult to read.

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## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler*
Show




> Well, that's unfortunate. My goal was mainly to spur on the game because I didn't want us to get stuck in an endless loop of waiting for new people to show up and go to the cathedral. I wanted to get the story started, and was under the impression that the goal of this game was to obtain a city and build it up. I had hoped that people would join me in this quest, with perhaps others leaving to join their own, separate city. But apparently seizing the initiative has gotten me removed from play. Alright then, I suppose. I won't bemoan the decision nor will I beg to be put back in. Honestly, I'm just happy to make the character.


We're doing an adventure path, with a twist. It's right in the thread title, even. I didn't pitch a sandbox. 

Also: have you not read my earlier ooc's?




> Holding off on actually switching the "camera" to the festivities until after the deadline


And from the OP here: "Deadline for sheets: evening of March 13th" (it's also in my first post in the recruitment thread, where I have the teaser).

I have a timer for moving on based on the recruitment thread.

You didn't say anything ooc about  "just trying to get things moving" , and sandbox was not what I signed up for (I don't have the skillset needed to manage one), nor was PvP (conflict - even ordered conflict, like a game of chess - gets my "fight" response running in my body, and that has a tendency to hang around for hours in my case: and I hate being angry, it prevents me from getting things done and enjoying life). Your stated character actions largely  necessitated both were I to accommodate them.

I thought I had been clear on why we weren't moving on yet, and when we would. It seemed to me like you had come to the conclusion that this game wasn't for you, and instead of just saying that, had your character leave (in a very challengingand aggressive manner).  So I let you fly away, and moved on.

Seems I was mistaken about your intentions, and for that, I apologize. 

But do you at least see where my response came from, now?

----------


## Lioslaith

*"As for my powers and abilities, I am a paladin and an angel."*  Nodding at Momonga, *"I would think in game our characters would have been glorious enemies given our relevant powers but I have no desire to engage anyone here, especially since the consequences may be radically different than just playing a computer game."*

----------


## Thunder999

"Since we're all sharing I'm an Arcanist, decidedly a generalist at this point, I collected every arcanist spell in the game, also got racial cleric casting. I mainly did PVE with a party so I've got a few fun teamwork tricks too, oh and I've got the counterspell exploits. Got to say I'm glad this didn't devolve into PVP"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Hope this colour's better, I use a browser extension that gives every site a dark mode so didn't realise the yellow would be a problem.

----------


## Shaggy

Boa nodded her head at the others *"Euryale, specializes in poison and turning people to stone. Got racial Oracle casting. Primarily I am an unchained monk its what I started out as, scaled fist because it fit."* she admitted as the others admitted their natures to them. *"In human form my gaze is inactive, in true form I wear a pair of goggles to keep my gaze from going off."* best to explain why she wore the odd looking things. *"I am glad its not a fight either, we don't know what happens if someone dies in this world or game."* she gestured to the party *"My real name is Dallas, but I rather like Boa so I will go with that here."*

----------


## redfeline

Ophelia... Cierra... Ophelia.. Cierra.. Who am I? What am I? The doppelganger had been shifting forms and shapes near by. 'I am stuck in a strange body', she gazes down at Elven hands. All her preset appearances where there and changing to them was reflexive, staying in those forms effortless. She could even change into the forms of her fellow players or where they fellow victims. She had a life to get back to, people to get back to. However first she needed to remember who she was.

She concentrated  on her features, her real features. Her hair blue with cheap dye, her slightly pudgy legs, her slender fingers, her green eyes, her nose that didn't seem to fit her face. Her flesh briefly moved in a wave of shifting gray scales, the way it always does when a doppelganger swaps form, but try as she might she could not summon any trace of herself. She was stuck here as Ophelia the cold hearted rouge who never spoke to any one.

She walked up to the group. They were discussing who they were, mostly in game, and what they could do. She opened her mouth and began to tell the others was a doppelganger incapable of shifting to her real world form. That was stuck in the body a of a shapeshifting rogue marksman. That she had a family and she desperately needed to return to them. However she stopped short, when she opened her mouth all the came out was a soft exhale. Her lips moved and no words or sounds came out.  Understandably she realized she must be having a panic attack. She took several deep breaths and composed herself.

Beginning again all that came out was another soft wordless sound. Cierra began to panic, tears came to her eyes. Not only was she stuck in a shifting set of alien bodies but she could not speak! Why was the game doing this to her? Could reality be so cruel as to trap her here, leave her unable to return to her true shape or even hear her own voice again? No reality can't be so cruel but this is not reality is it? 

She collapsed in on herself, her legs giving way she fell to her knees and from there her knees gave way she fell lower still. Her butt landed painfully on her heels, the pain was sharp but ultimately forgotten. What was a small physical pain compared to emotional turmoil that she may never see her family again.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


So I decided to play mute.

However Ophelia being a doppelganger has the ability to read thoughts. The dc is low however. That said does any one object if I start passively using it on the party? My logic being we just got here, every one is confused and distracted so players may not have their defenses up. Obviously I would only have access to thoughts you expressly type out.

----------


## Lioslaith

Lio dismounts and walks over beside Ophelia and gently lays a hand on her shoulder, coaxing her to stand.  His own aura of courage washing over everyone within 40' he smiles at her and gently offers help.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Well Evras is mind blank-ed and Momonga is undead, so no reading their thoughts, I imagine they're not the only ones it might not work on. Evras does have a telapthic familiar and weird Aeon telepathy, which includes his own thought reading (blocked by immunity to mind affecting), though I've avoided using that part of it. If anyone actually wants their thoughts read you can mention it though.

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

No worries with the mind reading on my part.

----------


## redfeline

As Lio approaches Cierra finds a sudden calm clarity. Ophelia was an escape for me. I did not go online to make friends I went online to level up and kill animated sprites, in two senses of the words actually. I never once spoke into the microphone. I always would wait for an invite into a party. I or some one else would cast telepathic bond and I'd type out my thought bubbles. This is the repercussions of my own callous actions but it is not insurmountable. 

Perhaps we are simply in one of the many games instance quests. If so reaching the end should trigger something right. So if we all are careful and focus on that we all should be able to get home, maybe. At the very least that gives me dirrection and for now that will need to be enough. Ophelia nods to the group, wipes away her tears and stands up.

----------


## Lioslaith

Giving her a slight sideways smile and noticing that she hasn't spoken yet, *"It is okay to speak here, you are, at least I think you are, among friends."*

----------


## Llyarden

"Arcanist here too." Literion followed up on Evras's and Boa's introductions.  "Well, about a quarter arcanist and the rest a mess of other abilities.  My original focus was on divination, but I have some magic items that help with summoning too.  Oh, and I'm a paradise dragon, although I, uh...I don't really want to try shifting right now.  I have no idea how I would manage to walk around on four legs, let alone fly.  Not like we have any of the convenient control methods for that kind of thing any more."

He paused as the elvish-looking woman slumped down, kinda holding out a hand as if wanting to do something or say something, but not immediately thinking of anything.  It wasn't until Lio encouraged her to speak that he thought of something.

"If it's easier...there was a sign language in the game, right?  I'm not exactly sure how translation magic works with it, but we could try giving ourselves the ability to understand it."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm not exactly sure how _voluminous vocabulary_ would work with sign languages, but I figure it ought to...maybe?

Also yeah Literion would be _mind blank_'d just kinda by default, which is a shame because it would be funny having her able to read his thoughts.  Maybe once it expires he won't bother recasting it.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show




> I'm not exactly sure how _voluminous vocabulary_ would work with sign languages, but I figure it ought to...maybe?
> 
> Also yeah Literion would be _mind blank_'d just kinda by default, which is a shame because it would be funny having her able to read his thoughts.  Maybe once it expires he won't bother recasting it.


It doesn't work on secret languages, but it doesn't have any requirement about the languages being verbal.

----------


## Shaggy

Boa would open up her menu at the mention of sign language and check to see if her _Tongue of the Sun and Moons_ and she frowned at the reading of Tongues displayed on her hud. *"My class ability doesn't work with creatures who do not speak. Here let me see if I added it via my intelligence bonus"* She was trying to help because she could see the poor girl was overwhelmed and she was trying to not feel equally so. She used voice chat several times in the game, it had just been easier to work with her groups to call out when using her gaze or one of her other abilities.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Hideous use of meta but I realize I never did add the languages my character would learn via her intelligence score. I could write it that she has the sign language. I wouldn't think it would be the Drow version just a normal ASL due to user interface as a disabled gamer in a full VR world they would pretty much _have_ to have something for it. Heck it might just be a setting that lets them see her words as text as she signs them out.

Boa is also Mindblanked so detect thoughts wouldn't work on her.

EDIT: Just to mention because I see I didn't post it in the recruit chat like I did. I went and did change my event ability a little. It was to remove to the reincarnate issue and because me and another oracle player had the Time mysteries and the same abilities which felt no fun. I still have time but due to the archetype I picked a lot less of the same abilities and spells.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga nods at the others "Seems like we got a lot of magic then, but also have at least a few who can play the vanguard.  Good.  I have some good summons too that can support that, or stronger undead, though I don't have any created at the moment, especially any that I could really control.  Seems the basics are covered at least."

----------


## Lioslaith

*"Shall we go see what the rukus is all about?"*

----------


## redfeline

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show



Just a quick reminder recruiting ends the 13th. We can'treally start the module until then.

----------


## Wabbit

They were scared at first but then they hid and it made it easier for them to come to terms with this new existence or situation it couldnt be their existence forever. They would appear not far from the group with their hands raised in surrender so not to scare the lot with their inhuman form. They had a spell for this but hadnt yet cast it _Hello, I didnt mean to scare anyone. Im a person._ telepathically an androgynous voice would fill their minds for a moment. _My name is Cris but my handle is Quiet. Can I do anything to help?_ they did not want to let someone suffer alone.

----------


## QuantumFlash

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

Just gonna say, were all monstrous. My character is (in default form) a fifteen foot tall skeletal Grim Reaper, and weve got dragons, demons, and all sorts of beasties. Dont think appearance alone is gonna throw anyone here without an actual fear aura or the like.

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I know, I was more trying to suggest that Quiet just suddenly appeared out of no where, so was worried their sudden appearance would spook someone.

----------


## Llyarden

Literion shivered slightly as the telepathic voice sounded in his head.  "That's a lot creepier than when it was just text bubbles and silly echo effects..."  He shook his head slightly.  "But welcome to the party, I guess."

He was still keeping an eye on the elf, but unless she seemed as though she was okay with it he didn't plan on casting any spells on her, if for no other reason than he hadn't bothered buffing his DCs much so she'd probably just shrug it off anyway, which would've been a waste of a slot.

"So if we're planning on being subtle and all, I guess we should probably clean this place up, huh."  And unless anyone objected (or offered to help), he proceeded to start doing exactly that, first dispelling the food-laden table he'd conjured and then using more _limited wishes_ to repair the gravestones that Aethra had detonated.

----------


## Lioslaith

> They were scared at first but then they hid and it made it easier for them to come to terms with this new existence or situation it couldnt be their existence forever. They would appear not far from the group with their hands raised in surrender so not to scare the lot with their inhuman form. They had a spell for this but hadnt yet cast it _Hello, I didnt mean to scare anyone. Im a person._ telepathically an androgynous voice would fill their minds for a moment. _My name is Cris but my handle is Quiet. Can I do anything to help?_ they did not want to let someone suffer alone.


Lio instinctually stepped in front of the others when Cris appeared.  _Schit, a Whisperer_, he thought. _ I didn't think there were any in this part of the world._  But then Chris spoke and relief flooded over Lio.  _Well met, he thought back to it.  We are all just trying to get our bearings as to what has happened._

----------


## redfeline

Upon hearing the voice in her head Cierra turned around and saw the shadowy figure. Some sort of undead, but a psychic undead. 'Can you here me? Can you read my thoughts? Can you speak for me?'  She smiles in the way some one in who has recently found themselves separated from their family and friends, losing their self identity, and being rendered mute on the day their favorite video game shuts down would smile given even the least positive change in their predicament.

'Tell the others that I am Cierra and that I will use my skills to do anything to see my family again.'

----------


## Lioslaith

Turning back to Cierra as the mental plea goes out Lio smiles a comforting smile to her and answers directly back to her, *I may not have been your intended target but I can indeed hear you. I believe we are all in a similar situation but I would be happy to relay any communication you need to relay.*

----------


## Wabbit

I can hear you and relay the faceless being would speak mentally her name is Cierra and they want you all to know they will use their skills to get home again. they were a fey rather than undead but their mental voice carried a smile in it.  Thank you, what shall we do? I have a spell to appear human for twenty minutes but I can go Ethereal at will so perhaps its best I remain out of sight. I am a witch so I can cast spells or use my hexes

----------


## Thunder999

"Since it's come up I can read thoughts too, my familiar's also telepathic, funny how common that is at our level. Pretty sure Cris there is fey, not undead, though I'll try not to hold it against them. I can help with the gravestones if you want to save those wishes." Evras will then start using his stone shape SLA to help neaten up the damaged gravestones. "I can disguise myself all day if needed, though then I'd have to _walk._

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Thats why I shifted into an elf and summoned the war horse so I could fit in better. A large Angel flying around might draw attention.

----------


## redfeline

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Just going to point out at no point did Ciera broadcast to any one that she thought Cris was undead. So I am just going to ignore those corrections and keep the undead speculation going.

----------


## Shaggy

Boa would help with the tombstones with her own Stone Shape, which was an at-will spell-like so she could do it without needing to burn spell slots. *"Ok so is that issue resolved? I don't want someone struggling in this even more than we all are."* she was sympathetic to Cierra's plight. *"As for our monster forms, it would be good not to come into town looking like their worst nightmares."* she agreed *"Any other issues we might need to work out before we head in?"*

----------


## Lioslaith

*I would suggest we get any fear or other malicious auras under control before we mingle amongst the towns folk. Just try to be as innocuous as possible until we get a better lay of the land and what might actually be happening here.*

----------


## QuantumFlash

I do also know a bit of illusion magic if anyone would have trouble disguising themselves.  Wont do anything about auras though.

----------


## Wabbit

They listened and understood pulling up one of their menus. The words Aura of Whispers was greyed out showing an inactivity. My aura is inactive, Ive not set up the Primeval Landscape yet. though it would seem they needed to do something bout this fifteen foot tall monster in their midst too.

They would switch to another menu hoping it was among their daily chosen spells and found it lit up like the others Greater Assume Appearance but they needed a likeness so began to fish into their robes pockets for something. Soon enough they had the painting they needed and the spell completed transforming the large fey into a humanoid shape. This should be good right?

Greater Assumed Appearance

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will assume the form of a Chellaxian man, the others might recognise it as the default human appearance from character creation. He'll then pause a moment, summon a horse, turn it into a Ghaele Azata and telepathically order it to invisibly follow him. "Probably unnecessary, but it never hurts to keep a summon around. I'm off to see what all the fuss is about"

*Spoiler: OOC/mechanics*
Show

Activating his Greater Shapechanger's gift, then using Sacred geometry to cast 9th level Heightened mount
Rolled in the dice rolls forum
((((((((((((((((((5+4) +6) -4) +2) +6) +6) /1) -1) +5) *3) +5) /2) +1) *2) -3) +6) +2) /1) +4 = 103
then Alter Summoned Monster to get a Ghaele. 
Since we start tommorrow I figured heading over now works.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler*
Show




> Evras will assume the form of a Chellaxian man, the others might recognise it as the default human appearance from character creation. He'll then pause a moment, summon a horse, turn it into a Ghaele Azata and telepathically order it to invisibly follow him. "Probably unnecessary, but it never hurts to keep a summon around. I'm off to see what all the fuss is about"
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC/mechanics*
> Show
> 
> Activating his Greater Shapechanger's gift, then using Sacred geometry to cast 9th level Heightened mount
> Rolled in the dice rolls forum
> ((((((((((((((((((5+4) +6) -4) +2) +6) +6) /1) -1) +5) *3) +5) /2) +1) *2) -3) +6) +2) /1) +4 = 103
> then Alter Summoned Monster to get a Ghaele. 
> Since we start tommorrow I figured heading over now works.


I have seen that output before. You don't have your online shortcuts / phone handy once sucked into the game. Do your own math.

"You" didn't perfom the steps, so that fizzles.

----------


## Thunder999

Then I guess I'll just do it a second time.
*Spoiler: Spoiler*
Show

and not use a site
rolls: [3][6][1][6][2][3][3][6][2][2][1][1][3][6][5][4][4][1][1][5] (let me know if you want a link)
math: [5]*[5]*[4]=100
100+[3]=103, that's what I need, so
([1]-[1])=0
0*[3]*[6]*[1]*[6]*[2]*[3]*[6]*[2]*[2]*[1]*[1]*[3]*[6]*[4]=0
103+0=0
or in total: [5]*[5]*[4]+[3]+([1]-[1])*([3]*[6]*[1]*[6]*[2]*[3]*[6]*[2]*[2]*[1]*[1]*[3]*[6]*[4])=103

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler*
Show




> Then I guess I'll just do it a second time.
> *Spoiler: Spoiler*
> Show
> 
> and not use a site
> rolls: [3][6][1][6][2][3][3][6][2][2][1][1][3][6][5][4][4][1][1][5] (let me know if you want a link)
> math: [5]*[5]*[4]=100
> 100+[3]=103, that's what I need, so
> ([1]-[1])=0
> ...


Heh, yes, there is always a solution at 20th - provably so, even - the  cost is really just a minor annoyance if you're OK with math (and if you arent,  then Pathfinder really isn't your game). But it is one you signed up for.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Following the noise, you find you don't need to go very far.  Stepping out of the graveyard, you find yourselves in the courtyard of the brand-new church.  It's a fairly full area - you have lots of folks milling about between various tents, where different local vendors are selling their wares.  There's a stage, and a woman looks like she's just closing out a speech; you easily catch the tail and of it_ "... and so, I welcome you, residents and guests of Sandpoint, to our new church!  Enjoy the festivities, and remember: Lunch is free at noon!"

_She seems to be one of four speakers; each is quite well received.  You quickly gather that she's the mayor.  Each delivers a short but well-received welcome to the festival. Mayor Deverins friendly attitude and excitement prove contagious as she welcomes visitors to town and jokes about how even Larz Rovanky, the local tanner (and notorious workaholic) managed to tear himself away from the tannery to attend, much to everyones but Larzs amusement. Sheriff Hemlock brings the crowd down a bit with his dour mood, his reminder to be safe around the evenings bonfire, and his request for a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives in the fi re that claimed the towns previous church five years ago. Fortunately, Cyrdak Drokkus is more than up to the challenge of bringing the crowds mood back up with his rousing anecdotes as he delivers a not-completely-irreverent recap of the long process the town went through to finance and construct the new cathedral. He throws in a bit of self-promotion at the end, as is his wont, inviting everyone to stop by the Sandpoint Theater the following evening to check out his new production of The Harpys Curse, revealing that the lead role of Avisera the harpy queen will be played by none other than the famous Magnimarian diva Allishanda! Finally, Father Zantus steps up give a short speech thanking everyone for coming before declaring the Swallowtail Festival underway._

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga is slightly relieved at this perfectly ordinary state of affairs going on and that it is in fact Sandpoint as they had thought, though he is fascinated to see it full of what appears to be actual people instead of NPCs. He joins the edge of the crowd, leaning on his staff of passage as if it were a common walking stick, thinking it might be a good idea to listen to the speeches and get a sense of whats happening in the town, though he does also keep an eye out for the locals reaction to the sudden appearance of a group of newcomers- and out of the graveyard no less.

----------


## Lioslaith

Walking out of the graveyard I dont bother to mount up and just lead my horse along with the others. As I see the crowd and catch the speeches I do a quick scan to see if anyone clicks us emerging from the graveyard. 

After mentally telling my horse to stay close I start to head into the crowd to mingle amongst the others. Smiling and nodding to the people as I do.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_People see you leave the graveyard, but don't seem to react overly much to folks walking out of the town graveyard; a bunch of folks looking normal enough seem to get little more than a raised eyebrow from the locals.  The speeches make reference to "The Late Unpleasantness" and "putting it all behind us" with "the rededication of the new cathedral" closing the book on it all._
*Spoiler: Samael*
Show

_It's obvious enough why they're not worried.  A lot of folks not normally in town seem to be in town for the event, so strangers aren't raising any alarms - you're just one more person they don't recognize among a great many.  Additionally, there is obvious wear in the ground near the gate to the graveyard, so it gets traffic enough.  Most folks are simply concluding that you're from an outlying area, or perhaps have been out of town for quite some time, and were simply taking a moment to pay respects to someone you knew - obviously, they simply didn't see you enter, which is normal enough, as there's multiple entries to the graveyard._

----------


## Llyarden

Literion took a slightly different route to the others, just to make sure they didn't all seem to be appearing from the graveyard at once, watching curiously as the NPCs interacted and spoke.  Theoretically there was nothing to suggest that it wasn't just a very ornate scripted event, but...he couldn't help but remember what Lio had said.  That the NPCs here were people now.

It wasn't as though there was really any evidence for it, but the only way to be sure whether or not the people were still just NPCs would be to do something so outside of their standard programming that they'd glitch out with a nonsensical response.  But that wasn't an option, not if they really were people.

He ambled through the crowds until he found a quiet, out-of-the-way space where no-one would see him casting - not knowing for sure what the people's reaction would be to magic - and pulled one of his spellbooks from his item box, murmuring the words of another spell, sending streams of magic winding through the town to gather information about it for him.  If any of the townsfolk did get curious, it wouldn't make sense for him to have arrived at the town for the festival without knowing anything about it.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Literion Quick Studies and subsequently casts _ears of the city_.  He's only going to concentrate on it for a couple rounds, just to get some basic information, rather than targeting anything specific.  Taking 10 on Diplomacy for 47, or if I have to roll: (1d20+37)[*54*] (1d20+37)[*39*]

----------


## Dakrsidder

Aethra had gotten to town before the others and gone around town for a while to gain information on what was going on. A short while later, they reformed in an alley and took on an illusionary fleshy appearance in modest attire.

They then nonchalantly make their way towards the party without saying much.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Reverting from wind form and using 1 charge from Staff of Illusion to cast Disguise Self

----------


## Shaggy

Boa followed after them with the others, leaving her enough space that the group didn't appear as a clump of outsiders. She was trying to rationalize how to act here, the world was different but from the speeches she understood a lot of social norms and behaviors were being abided by. Go figure the developers made a world not to dissimilar to their own. She was from a small town in the real world, she knew how they reacted to outsiders. But a festival would draw people in, from local smaller hamlets, and even other towns if there was some reason to commute.

She figured everyone was still a little off center with being in a new world. The fact they could pull up menus and displays made her wonder how much of the world still obeyed videogame rules. She lightly clapped with the others as the speeches ended and she looked over to the others *"New church, fire a few years ago. Its been too long anyone remember this kind of prompt?"* she couldn't say she remembered it. *"We should talk to the people, figure out what might have brought us here. Seems like the starting point of something."* she whispered to whomever was nearest to her.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga replies to Boa in a low voice, Not a bad idea, but I think it wise we present ourselves as travelers and not reveal our true nature just yet.

----------


## Thunder999

James remembers a fair bit about Sandpoint, he'd spent his fair share of time there both in tabletop campaigns and the MMO, so Evras is quick to mention what he knows when Boa speaks  "I remember a bit about the Late Unpleasantness, an interesting if unhappy part of Sandpoint's backstory, some demon worshipping serial killer butchered over 20 people in a single month before they caught and executed him, then the local chapel burned down with the priest." Then he'll attempt to convey a few concepts to every member of our little group he can via envisaging, not wanting to risk being overheard: He's pretty sure this is how Rise of The Runelords, Pathfinder's first AP starts, so keep an eye open for goblins, and the Chapel thing is related but he never actually found out anything about the serial killer
Unless someone stops him he'll then go chat to some of the townsfolk, browse the wares and generally act the part of a traveller here to enjoy the festivities.  He'll scan the thoughts and intentions of everyone he talks to with his Envisaging, mostly just trying to get a grip on how real their minds feel.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

You said we can have played through the AP, and that sounds fun since I played part way through IRL years ago

----------


## Lioslaith

Keeping an eye out as to the proximity of the others I decide to try and sample some of the local food. Festivals usually had really good food booths back in my own world, lets see if it's the same here.  And more importantly if I can actually taste the food then it will help confirm our suspicions.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga gives Evras a somewhat skeptical, somewhat thoughtful, look. That almost raises more questions than it answers. These seem like regular people, how would events follow something preset like that? Regardless, you should tell the rest of us what you know when we get the chance.

----------


## Dakrsidder

Aethra interjects casually "none of us have been here long enough to conclude they're regular people. Considering that this world is still greatly influenced by the game and this place has an uncanny resemblance to said campaign, it's quite possible it will. Of course it's possible it won't but no evidence says otherwise thus far."

----------


## redfeline

Cierra walked into the main crowd holding her rifle like a walking stick and more or less using it as one. The firearm was enchanted to appear as a walking stick and was always ready at hand. She made her way slightly apart from the cathedral to a place called the white deer and cherished the smell of roasting venison. Others may be convinced this is a game but her lack of speech and sudden availability of smell told her otherwise.

----------


## Wabbit

They were also of the mind that this might be both a game and real. Too much info was telling them this was the case. They had menus and prompts like augmented reality overlays. They witnessed Cierra walk off. After a moment they would step into the crowd after hearing the others explain their knowledge of the adventurer path. So goblins might be around here soon they had never played this path.

We should be ready for anything they spoke in a soft gentle tone that could easily be frowned out by the crowd. They would walk through the crowd listening to those people talking giving a smile and gentle nod to random people to show an attempt at being pleasant but stayed not to far from Cierra so they were not splitting the party entirely.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Quiet will be keeping a lookout for anything odd or anyone acting odd other than the party (+33 perception)

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: Literion*
Show

"Oh Shayliss, you're such a troublemaker... here's hoping your father never finds out!"
"Such a shame that Ezakien and Nualia died in that fire a few years ago... come to think of it, I know we buried Ezakien, but did anyone ever find Nualia's body?"
"Ah, it'll be nice to be able to get the services out of that cramped house and into a proper cathedral... even if we do need to share it"
"Such a pity Lonjiku was feeling ill. This festival is fun!  Odd that he wasn't all that pale..."

*Spoiler: Evras*
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_Most folks are simply excited about the upcoming dedication - or more accurately, the party surrounding it.  Some have other concerns - a child there that lost a stuffed bear, a man over there concerned he's drifting away from his wife, a merchant here thinking about sending an apprentice back to the shop for more inventory - but it's all just normal, mundane thoughts, as far as you can tell._

*Spoiler: Samael*
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_The food (provided free by the local taverns - advertising, clearly) is delicious, if lacking in the spices a modern palette is accustomed to.  Ameiko Kaijitsu's remarkable curry-spiced salmon and early winterdrop mead easily overshadow the Hagfishs lobster chowder and the White Deers peppercorn venison.  But they're all quite good._

*Spoiler: Quiet*
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_You find a small stuffed bear, clearly a child's toy that got lost._

*Spoiler: general ooc*
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Please let me know if I missed anyone who is expecting a response to an action

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga replies to Aethra, The verisimilitude they present at a glance is astounding, easily far superior to anything Ive seen in any game so far.  Even if things arent so amazing at a closer look, for this to merely be a simulation is- well I dont think we were even close to the technological requirements for this save somehow hiring dedicated actors for the roles. It seems far more likely that everyone here is a true intelligence one way or another than npcs.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I do have a small request of others, Im not terribly good with names and so I dont have to constantly be checking the OP for whos who would everyone please just have their character name in their posts?

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will approach Aethra and Momonga and speak in Sphinx, an obscure enough language he's confident only those using translation magic (which I'm pretty sure most of us have) will understand "Their minds feel are far too real to be simulated, just like everything else. As for how an AP could play out for real, it's really a simple matter of the characters and their motives being real. On the topic of motives, there's two for the upcoming attack, which should start around the finale of the festival, one is that they just plain hate Sandpoint, the other is they want to rob the old priest's grave, don't remember what for."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

It feels like it would be super easy to stop that grave robbing, but I'm hesitant to mess up the AP and make more work for our GM, wouldn't have gone for recognising it at all if I hadn't seen it mentioned in the recruiting post as OK.

----------


## Lioslaith

Reveling in the tastes, actual tastes of the food available I wander back around to where the others are gathering and listen quietly as I watch the crowd.

----------


## Dakrsidder

Aethra becomes mildly displeased by the replies. "As a said back at the graveyard, this is no longer a VR game. There's a lot of realistic aspects and I'm aware of them. But if only a cat meows, it doesn't mean a creature isn't a cat when it doesn't. We need more information before coming to a conclusion on things in this world is my point, thus short observations aren't conclusive. As for the attack personally, I'd rather observe it and look for consistency to the module."

*Spoiler: OOC*
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Stopping it before we know much about the world seems like a bad idea anyways considering it'd be hard to predict what's to come

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show




> It feels like it would be super easy to stop that grave robbing, but I'm hesitant to mess up the AP and make more work for our GM, wouldn't have gone for recognising it at all if I hadn't seen it mentioned in the recruiting post as OK.


It would be trivial for you to stop the grave robbery; within range to stop the attack entirely, preventing it from coming to anyone's attention at all. Specific results depend on some things simply not covered in the module. I can think of a few ways it might play out if you want to go for it.

----------


## QuantumFlash

No, Im agreeing with you here. Momonga replies to Aethra. Intel is critical and for whatever weve learned so far, we dont actually know that for all our powers, we might only be as strong as your average townsman here.  I said what I did to emphasize that we shouldnt just rely on what someone remembers about a module even if it comes in handy at points.

----------


## Thunder999

At this point Evras is aware that proof either way might just be more important than stopping it in advance, but the attack taking place is evidence enough either way. So he has his familiar silently relay telepathic orders to his summoned Ghaele, telling it to wait invisibly in the graveyard and stop any grave robbers.  
Speaking in Sphinx once more "I think we can rule out the locals being as strong as us, noone's seen through our disguises, I'm not getting any unexpected magical auras on arcane sight, and I've read enough thoughts to say they're not simply warded against divinations. As for the rest, we'll know in time I'm sure."
Evras is then going to go find where they're serving food, particularly that provided by the Rusty Dragon, he vaguely recalls that being the best inn in town and isn't passing this chance up.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm assuming that if there was something obvious showing up with arcane sight it'd have been mentioned in the descriptions.

----------


## Lioslaith

I watch the conversation in sphinx and then realize that I am actually understanding it.  Replying in the same language *"So we think there might be an attack coming, assuming this follows a planned adventure path.  Shouldn't we try and warn the locals that something might be coming?"*

----------


## Llyarden

Literion shook his head slightly, stumbling as his senses returned to reality, rejoining the group in time to catch up with the conversation - he, like many of them evidently had, had more or less run out of meaningful languages to invest in (although as he had already discovered, not taking sign language had been something of an oversight), and Sphinx was among the couple of dozen Literion knew.  Hank himself spoke nothing but English, so it was a very strange experience to speak fluently in another tongue as though he'd spoken it all his life.  "I agree that we don't know what this world is, whether these are just incredibly advanced and scripted NPCs or real people, but even if we don't know for sure, if there's just a _chance_ that these people are real...we can't just stand by and allow them to get hurt."

He glanced over to Evras.  "You said it was goblins that attacked, right?  I assume we all ran into them back when we were low levelled, so _Locate Creature_ should find them if they're close.  Can any of you cast it and hide your magic?  I can cast it, but I'd rather not be seen casting spells in the middle of the town when we don't know how the townsfolk will take it."

----------


## Thunder999

On hearing those replies Evras will stop walking and reply "You two make a good point, I can do a silent and still spell once a day, but don't have the feats to actually conceal things, so no better than you there, best just dip out of sight."

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## Wabbit

They picked up the doll and looked through the crowd to see if they could find the child who dropped it. They returned closer to their party and lifted the doll. I found a doll. It could be a quest hook but nothing came up on my hud. I think things are a hybrid of real with game mechanics. they were over that discussion already.

Do we think we were brought here for a reason or just dropped at a starting area? they were curious if they were not the only group of real world people trapped here.

I can cast it but not wth still spell I never took that feat. But Goblins arent normally hard to find right? they had not taken Sphinx but did have ASL if that helped at all and Goblin. Ill admit I spent most of mine on hex feats. they added sheepishly

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Confirmed, you haven't seen any active magical spells on anyone.  A few folks have minor auras from magic items, but those are rare, and are only showing up on folks that are clearly fairly wealthy.

Also, side note: Still and Silent isn't enough to conceal spellcasting in Pathfinder.  They dropped the note from Spellcraft that you must see or hear the components (Relative to 3.5), then added a different feat to do it.  The light shows in the artwork mechanically exist in Pathfinder.




> At this point Evras is aware that proof either way might just be more important than stopping it in advance, but the attack taking place is evidence enough either way. So he has his familiar silently relay telepathic orders to his summoned Ghaele, telling it to wait invisibly in the graveyard and stop any grave robbers.  
> Speaking in Sphinx once more "I think we can rule out the locals being as strong as us, noone's seen through our disguises, I'm not getting any unexpected magical auras on arcane sight, and I've read enough thoughts to say they're not simply warded against divinations. As for the rest, we'll know in time I'm sure."
> Evras is then going to go find where they're serving food, particularly that provided by the Rusty Dragon, he vaguely recalls that being the best inn in town and isn't passing this chance up.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I'm assuming that if there was something obvious showing up with arcane sight it'd have been mentioned in the descriptions.


_The Ghaele blinks at the orders, and replies audibly, just to be chaotic_ "Guard duty for corpses?  That seems... light.  OK.  Definitely a change from what I'm usually summoned for.  But: *As you command*." _It rolls it's eyes, but obeys._

_The party-goers milling about seem confused, but largely shrug it off as just missing the person who's speaking amidst everyone else._

----------


## Dakrsidder

Coming close to the conclusion of the topic, Aethra just shrugs and says "do as you must but does the grave robbery really have to be stopped? More observation before making an interference such as that seems more logical even if there's enough evidence to assume the same things will happen. If your morality hurts too much to let the attack happen here, then it can't be helped, but taking out both triggers from the beginning when no one's in immediate danger seems unwise. Trailing the robber seems like a better alternative if it's something of interest."

----------


## Thunder999

This, Evras has an answer for, in Sphinx still, "The mere attempt is enough to gather information from, the grave robbery is their actual goal here, I'll admit I'm not entirely certain why, not to make undead, but it's got to be something bad. There's a few other easily checkable things I know for later, including where any events we disrupt would have led us." After a short pause he'll add "If that's not reason enough then, there's also the fact it's probably safest to test the effects of changing things while the stakes are still fairly low, than try for the first time when something big is at risk."

----------


## redfeline

Cierra returns to the group just behind Quiet. She has a deer rib in her mouth and is eating it thoughtfully. She was musing as a doppelganger she had no mouth. So really she was using some shape changed appendage to some how eat the venison. Perhaps it was her chin or her nose, oh wait she lacked a nose too. As she continued to eat and ponder her mind remembered something important. Dnd doppelgangers do not have mouths, pathfinder ones do. She looked on with a bit of disappointment on her face.

Looking at the others she realized she didn't understand a word they were saying. She finished the last bit of meat on the rib and spotting a dog nearby tossed it to the animal. She then returned to the group and began to sign in ASL. 'I don't understand what you are saying, and I understand most of the languages in the game.'

----------


## Lioslaith

I notice Cierra signing and am again pleasantly surprised that I can understand it.  As the others continue to debate I 'translate' what they are saying for her so she can keep up with the conversation.  Adding in that sign might also be a way to communicate without many knowing how to utilize it.

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet watched Cierra and smiled as they signed back replying to Samael as well.I dont know that tongue either. But yeah this could be a good secret language but wouldnt work via telepathy

----------


## Shaggy

Boa would understand then due to her tongue of the sun and moon class feature. So she at least could keep up with what was being said by everyone though she didn't know how to do the sign language. *"Testing out a change makes sense, but following them back would also change things."* she pointed out *"Changing the small things for a beginner quest makes sense but honestly. How do we know a quest now? Does anyone see any quest markers?"*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Can I do a perception to see if I notice any quest markers or anything game related on the overlay we are seeing (Perception +36) let me know if I need to do a proper roll.

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## redfeline

Cierra looks around but is not surprised at the lack of quest markers. She shakes her head to indicate she doesn't see a marker.

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## Lioslaith

I decide to go introduce myself to the Mayor and see if I can get to know the towns ruling caste a little better. Seems like we might be here for a while and may even possibly need to defend the area.

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## Jack_Simth

_You do not see anything that looks like a quest marker overlaying your field of vision, no._

_Mayor Kendra Deverin isn't hard to find; she's keeping up a friendly face, and is schmoozing like one would expect of a town mayor.  A lot of folks are congratulating the reasonably attractive blond human woman, who seems to be in her late twenties.  Her shoes and hairpin have faint magical auras._

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## Lioslaith

I position myself so the meet and greet will come around to me eventually and await my turn. When she gets to the person next to me I realize Im not sure how to introduce myself at all. When she turns to me I extend my hand in the traditional greeting and smiling *Greetings mayor, it is an honor to make your acquaintance my name is Samael. My friends and I are travelers and have heard good things about Sandpoint. We wanted to stop and check it out. It appears we have good timing with the temple dedication. If there is anything we can do to help please let me know.*

Way more than I intended to say but once I started it was hard to stop. Havent had this level of interaction with the NPCs before. Or so I am hoping.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Mayor Kendra Deverin smiles warmly_ "Nice to meet you. I am Mayor Deverin, but you seem to have already caught that. Everything is arranged at this point, so all that's left for you is to enjoy the festivities. How long are you in town?"

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## Lioslaith

*"We really haven't decided on a length of time.  No where to go no time to be there sort of situation.  At this point we are just sort of winging it."*  I give her back her warmth as we talk.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The Mayor briefly looks aside while she briefly considers your answer, then looks back at you with_ "That's a bit unusual; most folks have obligations or attachments that keep them places or cause them to travel... did something happen?" _She seems a bit concerned... although you're sensitive enough to pick up that she's worried more that something might be following you to her doorstep than she is for you personally, although there is some of the latter as well._

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## Lioslaith

*"Well I am always hesitant to use the word adventurers as it sometimes carries negative connotations.  But my friends and I are always looking for work or something along those lines that might be of use to anyone we come across.*  Picking up on her concerns, *"Even if that help is moving on quickly."*

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## Llyarden

Since it didn't seem like any of the others could hide their magic any more than Literion himself could, while Lio schmoozed with the Mayor, Literion slipped away again and cast a Locate Creature spell to find the nearest goblin.  Hopefully there weren't any _friendly_ goblins in the town, although from what he remembered of Sandpoint (which, admittedly, was information that had been a few real-world years old; he hadn't been back to the town in-game for ages) that didn't seem too likely.

He hadn't noticed many magical auras on the townsfolk, so with any luck none of them would have magic-detection abilities of their own active, and once the spell's display faded and it was just quietly overlaid on his vision, none of the townsfolk would find anything out of the ordinary about a newcomer to the town wandering around, occasionally turning in circles - after all, he was just seeing the sights.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I don't know how big Sandpoint is, but Literion will wander around it until he's relatively confident he's covered it with his round-about-1000ft radius of _locate creature_ (crossing bridges as needed to get around running water etc) - or until he locates a goblin.  Or I guess until he ends up in a situation where he can't finish his search of the town without arousing suspicion.

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## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC map stuff*
Show

The whole of that map of the town from earlier looks to be just shy of 2000ft vertically, much less horizontally, so a 1000ft radius will go a long way.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga decides to leave the more social aspects of information gathering to those who seem to have it well in hand and instead slips away to a spot out of sight before using an at-will power to turn invisible and follow the Azata to the graveyard to keep an eye out there for anything unusual. Maybe its due to becoming an undead himself but for some reason he feels a bit more comfortable in the graveyard as well.  He raises a hand in front of his own face to confirm it, wondering again at the true skeletal form shown to him by true sight which seems so normal and not at all frightening as a skeletal hand should be.

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## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

From the map I could pull up Sandpoint is fairly small width wise. Its about 1,800 feet if you go from Boggy Creek its about 1,500 or so if you don't search that far down.

GM - My reading of the Primeval Landscape implies Quiet can choose who is unaffected by not just the five steps but of the hazards that the ability creates too. Is that your reading?


Quiet would still be holding onto the doll and looking around to see if they could find the child who dropped it. Still they moved their hands to speak in ASL 'So are we waiting for the attack and the graverobbery? Maybe we should mingle?' their hands where slowed not sure about the last part. They where not exactly super social under normal circumstances and now they where physically there rather than just reading it through the hud read out on their headset.

'Our group is pretty big, we might draw attention all stacked up.'

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## Jack_Simth

> *"Well I am always hesitant to use the word adventurers as it sometimes carries negative connotations.  But my friends and I are always looking for work or something along those lines that might be of use to anyone we come across.*  Picking up on her concerns, *"Even if that help is moving on quickly."*


_She stifles a laugh_ "I'm hardly going to ask anyone to leave just for having an unusual story." _Although you do pick up that she plans to have someone look into your story_ "It's just unusual, is all.  Who knows?  Maybe you'll set down some roots here." _A few other folks start crowding her slightly, so she says_ "Regardless... I have my duties to perform, so I'll see you around."

*Spoiler: Literion*
Show


_You quickly find a small covered wagon behind some buildings south of the festival square; a little checking, and you find there's ten in there, snoozing the day away._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show





> Since it didn't seem like any of the others could hide their magic any more than Literion himself could, while Lio schmoozed with the Mayor, Literion slipped away again and cast a Locate Creature spell to find the nearest goblin.  Hopefully there weren't any _friendly_ goblins in the town, although from what he remembered of Sandpoint (which, admittedly, was information that had been a few real-world years old; he hadn't been back to the town in-game for ages) that didn't seem too likely.
> 
> He hadn't noticed many magical auras on the townsfolk, so with any luck none of them would have magic-detection abilities of their own active, and once the spell's display faded and it was just quietly overlaid on his vision, none of the townsfolk would find anything out of the ordinary about a newcomer to the town wandering around, occasionally turning in circles - after all, he was just seeing the sights.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I don't know how big Sandpoint is, but Literion will wander around it until he's relatively confident he's covered it with his round-about-1000ft radius of _locate creature_ (crossing bridges as needed to get around running water etc) - or until he locates a goblin.  Or I guess until he ends up in a situation where he can't finish his search of the town without arousing suspicion.


The place is actually quite small.  A CL 20 Locate Creature Spell (400 + 40 * 20 = 1200 feet radius; CL 15 would be exactly 1,000 foot radius) from the middle of town would hit everything except the noble manors, and you only miss those due to the running water clause (the river feeding into the bay).

*Spoiler: Momonga*
Show





> Momonga decides to leave the more social aspects of information gathering to those who seem to have it well in hand and instead slips away to a spot out of sight before using an at-will power to turn invisible and follow the Azata to the graveyard to keep an eye out there for anything unusual. Maybe its due to becoming an undead himself but for some reason he feels a bit more comfortable in the graveyard as well.  He raises a hand in front of his own face to confirm it, wondering again at the true skeletal form shown to him by true sight which seems so normal and not at all frightening as a skeletal hand should be.


_For now, the graveyard is empty except for you and the Azata._

----------


## Lioslaith

Nodding deeply enough as to almost be a bow, *"Forgive me m'lady, I have taken up far too much of your time.  Root's do indeed sound appealing now that you mention them.  I may consider it.  I shall indeed see you around."*

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## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: Quiet*
Show





> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> From the map I could pull up Sandpoint is fairly small width wise. Its about 1,800 feet if you go from Boggy Creek its about 1,500 or so if you don't search that far down.
> 
> GM - My reading of the Primeval Landscape implies Quiet can choose who is unaffected by not just the five steps but of the hazards that the ability creates too. Is that your reading?
> 
> 
> Quiet would still be holding onto the doll and looking around to see if they could find the child who dropped it. Still they moved their hands to speak in ASL 'So are we waiting for the attack and the graverobbery? Maybe we should mingle?' their hands where slowed not sure about the last part. They where not exactly super social under normal circumstances and now they where physically there rather than just reading it through the hud read out on their headset.
> ...


_It doesn't take much looking to find the child in question.  A little boy seems to be sulking a bit while eating some cake, his mother rolling his eyes and telling him_ "I _did_ tell you to leave Freddie at home..."

*Spoiler: Mechanics question...*
Show

Let's see... 


> When a whisperer arrives on the Material Plane, it can spend 24 hours in a wilderness area to lay claim to a region of up to 10 miles in diameter as its territory, which then becomes its primeval landscape. While in a whisperers primeval landscape, the DCs of Survival checks to navigate or avoid becoming lost are increased by 20. A divination that offers guidance, such as find the path, requires a successful DC 31 caster level check as it is cast or the result is corrupted and it instead leads explorers into the whisperers embrace. A whisperers primeval landscape is always under the effects of a grand perilous demesne curse, as if the whisperer had cast supreme curse terrain. The total CR of hazards encountered simultaneously must be 18 or lower, rather than 15, and each individual hazard is CR 17 or lower, rather than 14. If any of the hazards are defeated, the whisperer automatically replaces them 24 hours later. A primeval landscape can be removed via remove curse or similar methods (against DC 30), as detailed for all cursed lands (Horror Adventures 143).
> 
> Any creature that enters a primeval landscape begins to suffer increasingly vivid and maddening hallucinations. After spending 24 hours in the region, and again every 24 hours thereafter as long as it remains in the area, a creature can attempt a DC 30 Will save to resist being increasingly affected by the primeval landscape. Upon each failed saving throw, the creature moves one step down the following track. Casting greater restoration or psychic surgery on an affected creature moves it one step up the track. Miracle or wish removes all cumulative effects. Every full 24 hours spent outside of the primeval landscape, the victim moves one step up along this track. At the GMs discretion, the whisperer can choose to not to affect specific creatures or to stop their progression at a specific step. While the effects of a primeval landscape are not mind-affecting, mindless creatures and creatures with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower are immune to the effects. The save DC is Charisma-based.
> 
> First Failed Save:  ...


Referring to the Underlined portion?  Contextually, I'm reading that as just the general saves - the normal hazards are still there.  Also, you can only claim wilderness areas - so it might be useful for cutting off a city from supplies, but wouldn't include an actual city (or dungeon) as that's no longer wilderness (although something like an elvish tree city would still maybe count).

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Thats a fair reading. I would say I thought the Wilderness Area of the first line is for the natural monster just because Whisperers tend to only exist in natural forests as per their Ecology entry. Looking up the rules on Wilderness in Pathfinder there are various terrains that count as wilderness not just forest. So if used on Sandpoint, the water would also be within that sphere of effect. But if we are ruling that anything manmade or altered from nature than the roads would also count as unaffected. So its not so much as cut off a city more like make wandering off the path a really bad idea.

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

keep in mind the areas you are talking about though. The Whisperers area is going to be about 78.5 square miles. The area of Sandpoint is about .09 square miles.

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## Llyarden

So there really were goblins here.

Of course, now that posed another issue.  Evras had said that the goblins were part of the attack, and if Literion had run into a situation like this in the game he'd have been more than willing to just kill them all before they woke up.  But...who was to say the goblins weren't people too?  The only real difference between the average goblin warrior and a villager was that the former was tagged as a hostile NPC in the game and the latter wasn't.  If that was no longer the case...he couldn't just kill them, any more than he could randomly kill one of the villagers.  _Especially_ if the others were right, and the goblins were somehow being forced to act out their parts in a prewritten story.

On the other hand, he still couldn't just leave them be while he went to ask the others for advice.

He left the cover of the wagon off slightly, enough that he could move a little distance away and still see them - and then picked whichever goblin he could see best and cast a Dominate spell at it.

_~Stay still, and don't make any noise,~_ he commanded mentally in Goblin (without actually waiting for the popup that would tell him whether the spell had worked).

If the enchantment _did_ work, he retrieved another of his spellbooks and cast a telepathy spell from it on the goblin.  _~When I ask you questions, you will answer them telepathically.~_

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Yeah, Literion is CL17+1d4 to be specific (would be 19+1d4, but I forgot to have him use his Harrow deck), so somewhere between 1120ft and 1240ft; given that he was going to be wandering around a bit I figured 1000ft radius would be a reasonable approximation.

Literion casts _dominate person_ on one of the goblins (chosen basically at random); DC31 Will to resist.  His first command will simply be to do nothing and act as though it were still asleep.  If the _dominate_ works, he Quick Studies and casts _telepathic bond_ so he can interrogate it without alerting the others.

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## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: Literion*
Show

_You can feel the connection to the goblin. A moment of concentration reveals that Dominating him didn't wake him up._

----------


## Llyarden

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I just reread my post and realised that I forgot to include my character's name but did mention Evras, so I'm not sure if that spoiler is directed at me or not.  I've edited it now to hopefully be clearer.

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## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I just reread my post and realised that I forgot to include my character's name but did mention Evras, so I'm not sure if that spoiler is directed at me or not.  I've edited it now to hopefully be clearer.


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Sorry. Currently posting from mobile. Edited.Yeah, it's for you.

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## Llyarden

Despite the tenseness (sort of) of the situation, Literion couldn't help but chuckle slightly as the goblin just kinda kept sleeping.  Of all the things to trip him over, it would have to be forgetting that low-level NPCs had bad enough alertness ratings that they wouldn't wake up to something like that.

If they still _had_ alertness ratings.  If they weren't living people.

He pulled a length of his concealed urumi from the illusion that disguised it as a belt and drew on the same magic he'd used back in the graveyard to send a mystical breeze into the wagon, where it would wake up the goblin under his control without disturbing the others - and then once he was sure it was awake, he repeated his telepathic commands, just in case they hadn't taken effect properly while it was asleep.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Literion casts _blood money_ + _limited wish_ to cast _reinvigorating wind_, treating the dominated goblin as an ally.  (And commands it to stay still and answer him telepathically when he asks questions again.)

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## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: Literion*
Show

_The goblin awakens, and telepathically replies - in goblin:_ "Sure thing boss."*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

You could have also simply given the order to awaken.

----------


## redfeline

Cierra takes another look around the area. The festival is nice enough honestly other than being mute and away from her family the place seemed comfortable. Gentle sea breeze, warm but not hot sun light, well built homes. It honestly isn't to bad here. I wonder what the others are preoccupied with.

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## Llyarden

Literion gave a slender grin as the goblin replied.  That was the first step.

Now all he had to do was get information from it.  Once upon a time he'd had a list of questions, the most optimised set he'd been able to come up with that would get all the information a dominated or charmed NPC was programmed to provide in a minimum amount of time.  That, of course, was back at his house in the real world.  Or...his old world, perhaps.  It certainly seemed as though this world was as real as any other.

So he would just have to improvise, and try to get as much information as he could think of.  He moved away from the wagon again, close enough that he could still see the wagon in case the other goblins woke up, but not close enough that anyone might have any suspicion about why he was just staring at a random wagon.  If the town square was close enough he'd even go and buy something to eat, if he could find something that was portable enough he could walk around while eating it.

But first he returned his telepathic attention to the dominated goblin.  _~What are you doing in Sandpoint?~_

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

In the interests of avoiding a long back-and-forth of like one sentence per post I figured I'd summarise my questions into one post; hopefully that's okay.

The first and most important question would obviously be 'what are you doing in Sandpoint?'  Assuming it answers with something along the lines of 'to attack it,' he'll ask a few more questions:
- How many goblins are in Sandpoint as part of the attack?
- (If the answer is more than 10) Where are the others located?
- How did they get into the town?
- What's the plan for the attack once it starts, and what are any specific objectives they have?
- Who's leading the attack, and who planned it?

All still via telepathy in the Goblin language.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: Literion*
Show





> Literion gave a slender grin as the goblin replied.  That was the first step.
> 
> Now all he had to do was get information from it.  Once upon a time he'd had a list of questions, the most optimised set he'd been able to come up with that would get all the information a dominated or charmed NPC was programmed to provide in a minimum amount of time.  That, of course, was back at his house in the real world.  Or...his old world, perhaps.  It certainly seemed as though this world was as real as any other.
> 
> So he would just have to improvise, and try to get as much information as he could think of.  He moved away from the wagon again, close enough that he could still see the wagon in case the other goblins woke up, but not close enough that anyone might have any suspicion about why he was just staring at a random wagon.  If the town square was close enough he'd even go and buy something to eat, if he could find something that was portable enough he could walk around while eating it.
> 
> But first he returned his telepathic attention to the dominated goblin.  _~What are you doing in Sandpoint?~_
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> ...


_The goblin replies along your spell's telepathic channel_ "Oh, yeah!  There's more.  There's umm.... one, three, six... err, that's not right.  Hang on... One, two, four.... err... four tribes involved?  Yeah, that's right. Six tribes.  And each of us sent... umm... one, four, six... err... ten?  Yeah, that's right.  Three.  Six goblins per tribe.  So that means there's ... um... five times eight... carry the seven... forty two?  Yeah, that seems right.  Twenty four of us."  _He does his best to answer the other questions too, unfortunately, his best isn't what most folks would consider 'useful' or even 'coherent'_ "Umm... the others are coming through the ... doors?  No, that's not right.  The windows!  There we go.  The others are coming in through the windows when the signal goes off.  They're just not here yet.  We're all supposed to just slaughter everyone and take over the town.  Totally defenseless place, no way we can lose.  We're leading the attack!  ... although some stupid longshank girl seems to be calling the shots for Chief, for some reason."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sorry.  The book goes _out of it's way_ to emphasize just how stupid these particular goblins are.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras samples the local cuisine, particularly whatever exotic (at least by local standards) food the Rusty Dragon put out and introducing himself by name (Evras, not James, he's keeping his real life name out of this just in case, not that he's thought of a case yet) to the unfortunate individuals manning stalls rather than taking the day off.  He gives them all the same story, he's a travelling scholar and adventurer who couldn't resist visiting when he heard about the festival.  
With that done he'll find an out of the way location, cast invisibility on himself, revert to his Aeon form and fly around to inspect the towns gates, looking for signs of how goblins will get in.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras samples the local cuisine, particularly whatever exotic (at least by local standards) food the Rusty Dragon put out and introducing himself by name (Evras, not James, he's keeping his real life name out of this just in case, not that he's thought of a case yet) to the unfortunate individuals manning stalls rather than taking the day off.  He gives them all the same story, he's a travelling scholar and adventurer who couldn't resist visiting when he heard about the festival.  
> With that done he'll find an out of the way location, cast invisibility on himself, revert to his Aeon form and fly around to inspect the towns gates, looking for signs of how goblins will get in.


*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

_The food is delicious, if lacking in spices for a modern palette.

Searching, you easily find that someone has left the north gate open and unattended._

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet notices Cierra looking around and they looked as well. The city was nice it was mostly peaceful. They had grown up in a small town but their area was more rural so the town part was only a few blocks wide so this was a bit more than what they where used to. "Its peaceful here." they said smiling just a little.

They would try and remember what they knew about Sandpoint from the game. They liked exploring and so had probably crossed over each of these streets at one point. "Do you want to look around?" they asked aloud and signing in ASL at the same time. They could link up telepathically of course but it was best to use this if they could so they where not being oddly silent.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I would like to recall what Quiet knows of the town, I can roll a d20 if you like. Local has a +22 modifier and History has a +35 just let me know.

----------


## Llyarden

Literion massaged his temples slightly at the nonsense responses from the goblin.  "Fine, fine," he muttered aloud.  He half considered sending it back to sleep and reading its dreams, but at this point he wasn't entirely sure that its memories would be any clearer, and dream-reading was cryptic at the best of times.

In the absence of any information, then, there was only one more question to ask the goblin.  _~Why are you doing this?  What could the people of this town have done to you to deserve being murdered en masse?~_

----------


## Thunder999

Well that certainly would do it, Evras will close the gate, if there's some obvious means of barring it he'll use that to properly close it, if not then he'll pull out his spellbook, and use Quick Study to prepare and cast an Arcane Lock spell (he'd have to come back to dispel it later, but for now it'd certainly keep goblins out). After that he'll wait and see what happens.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Well that certainly would do it, Evras will close the gate, if there's some obvious means of barring it he'll use that to properly close it, if not then he'll pull out his spellbook, and use Quick Study to prepare and cast an Arcane Lock spell (he'd have to come back to dispel it later, but for now it'd certainly keep goblins out). After that he'll wait and see what happens.


*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

_There's a perfectly good bar you can use to seal the gate.  Nice, thick, heavy wood, along with iron brackets to hold it in place.  Sealing the gate up poses no difficulties._



> Literion massaged his temples slightly at the nonsense responses from the goblin.  "Fine, fine," he muttered aloud.  He half considered sending it back to sleep and reading its dreams, but at this point he wasn't entirely sure that its memories would be any clearer, and dream-reading was cryptic at the best of times.
> 
> In the absence of any information, then, there was only one more question to ask the goblin.  _~Why are you doing this?  What could the people of this town have done to you to deserve being murdered en masse?~_


*Spoiler: Literion*
Show

_The goblin seems confused as it replies telpathically_ "I don't need any reason to kill some stupid longshanks, any more than I need a reason to kill a stupid rat.  That's what they're _for_."





> Quiet notices Cierra looking around and they looked as well. The city was nice it was mostly peaceful. They had grown up in a small town but their area was more rural so the town part was only a few blocks wide so this was a bit more than what they where used to. "Its peaceful here." they said smiling just a little.
> 
> They would try and remember what they knew about Sandpoint from the game. They liked exploring and so had probably crossed over each of these streets at one point. "Do you want to look around?" they asked aloud and signing in ASL at the same time. They could link up telepathically of course but it was best to use this if they could so they where not being oddly silent.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I would like to recall what Quiet knows of the town, I can roll a d20 if you like. Local has a +22 modifier and History has a +35 just let me know.


*Spoiler: Quiet*
Show


_When you deliberately focus on your knowledge of the area, you get a pop-up window that has some text:_ 
Those who head north from Magnimar along the rocky coastline quickly find themselves in a peculiar country. Fog drapes the rolling landscape, fl oating spectrally along damp and lonely moors. Small woodlands grace the region, their tangled depths redolent of nettles and pepperwood and pine sap, while further inland, river valleys lined by majestic redwoods wind between ragged tors and limestone escarpments. This vastness and the sense of isolation have earned the region its local name. This is the Lost Coast.

Yet there are pockets of civilization along the Lost Coast. Traditional Varisian campsites can be found in nearly every gulch and hollow along the cliff -lined reaches, and lonely houses sit upon bluff s now and thendomiciles for eccentrics or the rich seeking a bit of peace far from the bustle of Magnimars streets. Roadside inns grace the Lost Coast road every 24 miles or so, placed by virtue of the distance most travelers can walk given a days travel. Low stone shrines to Desna, goddess of wanderers and patron of the Varisians, give further opportunities for shelter should one of the all-too-common rainstorms catch the traveler unaware. Given
time, any of these seeds of civilization could bloom into a full-grown town, or even a city. Its happened once already, along the shores of a natural harbor nestled among the cliff s some 50 miles northeast of Magnimar. What was once a larger-than-normal Varisian campsite in the shadow of an ancient ruined tower has become the Lost Coasts largest town: Sandpoint.

As one approaches the town of Sandpoint, the footprint of civilization upon the Lost Coast grows more clear. Farmlands in the outlying moors and river valleys grow more numerous, and the blue-green waters of the Varisian Gulf bear more and more fishing vessels upon its surface. Passage over creeks and rivers is more often accomplished by wooden bridge than ford, and the Lost Coast Road itself grows wider and better-kept. Sight of Sandpoint from either approach (south or east) is kept hidden by the large upthrust limestone pavements known as the Devils Platter or the arc of rocky outcroppings known as Whistlers Tors, but as the final
bend in the road is rounded, Sandpoints smoking chimneys and bustling streets greet the traveler with open arms and the promise of warm beds, a welcome sight indeed for those who have spent the last few days alone on the Lost Coast Road. From the south, entrance to Sandpoint is governed by a wooden bridge, while from the north a low stone wall gives the town a bit of protection. Here, the Lost Coast Road passes through a stone
gatehouse that is generally watched by one or two guardsthe southern bridge is typically unattended. Aside from the occasional goblin, the citizens of Sandpoint have traditionally had little worries about invasion or banditrythe region simply isnt populated enough to make theft a lucrative business. Hanging from a bent nail at both the gatehouse and the southern bridge is a sign and a mirrorpainted on each sign is the message: Welcome to Sandpoint! Please stop to see yourself as we see you!

S
Small Town conventional (mayor); AL NG
GP Limit 800 gp; Assets 49,600 gp
DEMOGRAPHICS
Population 1,240
Type isolated (90% human, 3% halfling, 2% dwarf, 2% elf, 1% half-elf, 1% gnome, 1% half-orc)
AUTHORITY FIGURES
Kendra Deverin mayor (NG female human aristocrat 4/expert 3); 
Belor Hemlock, sheriff (CG human male fighter 4);
Abstalar Zantus, town priest (CG male human cleric 4);
Titus Scarnetti, nobleman (LN male human aristocrat 6); 
Ethram Valdemar, nobleman (NG male human aristocrat 5/expert 2); 
Lonjiku Kaijitsu, nobleman (LN aristocrat 3/expert 2)

_It has a <more> button at the bottom._

----------


## Llyarden

Literion's expression turned darker as he heard (so to speak) the goblin's reply.  But even hearing that...he still couldn't just kill them.  If he did, how would he have been any better than they were?

_~What is the signal you are expecting?~_ he asked the goblin.  And once he had its response, he switched spellbooks again as he went back to the wagon briefly.  _~Alert me telepathically if you awaken.~_  The command would probably make little sense to the goblin for a few moments - but Literion sent a powerful sleeping spell into the wagon to make sure the goblins stayed asleep, hopefully through whatever was supposed to signal the attack.

Just to be on the safe side, he left a scrying sensor to watch the goblins too (yet another popup in the corner of his HUD, to go along with the Locate Creature marker that he hadn't dismissed) in case any of the other goblins resisted the Deep Slumber spell and woke up without 'his' goblin waking up and warning him, before he went to see if he could find any of the others and report his findings.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Literion Quick Studies _deep slumber_ and _greater scrying_ (and I really need to replenish my arcane pool at some point lol, I'm almost out!), casts _deep slumber_ on the goblins (DC29 Will, and if 10HD isn't enough to cover all 10 goblins - if I can even tell - I'll use another one) and _greater scrying_ on the dominated goblin (DC33 Will).  Hopefully 10ft around the dominated goblin is enough for me to see them all.

And then he'll go try to find the other PCs, because I really should've done the telepathic bond suggestion that was mentioned before we all split up lol whoops.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

Anything else folks want to do before the invasion scene?



> Literion's expression turned darker as he heard (so to speak) the goblin's reply.  But even hearing that...he still couldn't just kill them.  If he did, how would he have been any better than they were?
> 
> _~What is the signal you are expecting?~_ he asked the goblin.  And once he had its response, he switched spellbooks again as he went back to the wagon briefly.  _~Alert me telepathically if you awaken.~_  The command would probably make little sense to the goblin for a few moments - but Literion sent a powerful sleeping spell into the wagon to make sure the goblins stayed asleep, hopefully through whatever was supposed to signal the attack.
> 
> Just to be on the safe side, he left a scrying sensor to watch the goblins too (yet another popup in the corner of his HUD, to go along with the Locate Creature marker that he hadn't dismissed) in case any of the other goblins resisted the Deep Slumber spell and woke up without 'his' goblin waking up and warning him, before he went to see if he could find any of the others and report his findings.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: Literion*
Show

_The goblin telepathically replies to the question before succumbing to the spells_ "Oh, that's easy.  There's going to be a big boom.  We're all supposed to attack when it happens.  And can do boss, I'll let you know if I wake up, but I'm not aslee...." _your spell takes effect before he finishes that sentence._ *Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Targetted effects let you know if they worked, area spells do not.  Deep Slumber inherits an area from Sleep - so you can't tell, especially as they're largely all already asleep.  There's also the duration: The magical slumber isn't sticking around all that long.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Still invisible, Momonga shakes his head to clear it, so hes not distracted by musings and does a brief patrol of the graveyards grounds to see if anyone might have been in there and might still be there, paralyzed by fright perhaps, that they had missed due to the confusion of translating so suddenly between worlds, as well as simply for any goblins which might have been sneaking in that way. Even if they were probably weak, might as well not be caught off guard. 

*Spoiler: Ooc*
Show

Blindsense 60ft and +30 to perception.  Im guessing at least at this point thats enough that I dont really need to roll for it.

----------


## Dakrsidder

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I haven't been doing any outside interaction as the event thus far is a bit mundane. Hence, I was hoping the invasion would happen sometime soon. However, I had forgotten to mention wandering near the gate in anticipation of it.

----------


## Llyarden

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

The _deep slumber_ will last about quarter of an hour, I can't imagine it would take that long for Literion to find at least some of the others to let them know what he's discovered.  If the invasion hasn't happened by then then Literion would have to think of something else to do (which is kinda why I was wanting to re-involve the other PCs in case any of them had particular plans / wanted to do RP stuff about it), but if it happens before that expires then I'm fine to move on to it

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Still invisible, Momonga shakes his head to clear it, so hes not distracted by musings and does a brief patrol of the graveyards grounds to see if anyone might have been in there and might still be there, paralyzed by fright perhaps, that they had missed due to the confusion of translating so suddenly between worlds, as well as simply for any goblins which might have been sneaking in that way. Even if they were probably weak, might as well not be caught off guard. 
> 
> *Spoiler: Ooc*
> Show
> 
> Blindsense 60ft and +30 to perception.  Im guessing at least at this point thats enough that I dont really need to roll for it.


*Spoiler: Momonga*
Show

_You don't find anyone in the gaveyard you weren't expecting, but on a deliberate search, you do find a sturdy wooden ladder leaning against the exterior wall opposite the city, with the top of the ladder just low enough that it isn't visible from the ground inside the graveyard proper._


*Spoiler: Simple OOC*
Show





> I haven't been doing any outside interaction as the event thus far is a bit mundane. Hence, I was hoping the invasion would happen sometime soon. However, I had forgotten to mention wandering near the gate in anticipation of it.


The gate that's now closed & barred by Evras' actions?  Parking yourself inside, outside, above, under, or something else?

On combat: to be fair, the module calls for it quickly (the combat description starts in paragraph 7 from the header "The Swallowtail Festival"), but you logically have several hours to do whatever if you're going through the entire festival run (we are), and you have foreknowledge, which means lots of folks are making preparations.  Additionally, most folks are here for the RP, so I was letting that happen.  Yes, there will be combat, but the upcoming combat is expected to be very, very short, and will largely consist of me giving descriptions of goblins going splat when you start reacting violently (there are non-goblins later on in this book if we hit all the dungeons, and of course, there's five more books of this).  I... wouldn't recommend being here primarily for the battles, as while they'll be here, they aren't going to last long: Most of all'y'all will be able to reasonably reliably one-round the biggest bad with a listed CR in the last book.




> The _deep slumber_ will last about quarter of an hour, I can't imagine it would take that long for Literion to find at least some of the others to let them know what he's discovered.  If the invasion hasn't happened by then then Literion would have to think of something else to do (which is kinda why I was wanting to re-involve the other PCs in case any of them had particular plans / wanted to do RP stuff about it), but if it happens before that expires then I'm fine to move on to it


Folks here just talked about lunch and the invasion is scheduled for the evening.  15 minutes or so is plenty of time to find the others, sure, but if you wish to deal with them in a non-lethal manner, you'll need something that lasts at least a couple of hours (there's no shortage of options for that, magic or mundane).

----------


## Lioslaith

I will continue milling about the festival and seeing what, if anything, there is to get into or to experience. People to meet etc. Happy to casually heal anyone that looks like they need it, smooth anxieties, etc. Just generally being a paladin.

----------


## Dakrsidder

> The gate that's now closed & barred by Evras' actions?  Parking yourself inside, outside, above, under, or something else?
> 
> On combat: to be fair, the module calls for it quickly (the combat description starts in paragraph 7 from the header "The Swallowtail Festival"), but you logically have several hours to do whatever if you're going through the entire festival run (we are), and you have foreknowledge, which means lots of folks are making preparations.  Additionally, most folks are here for the RP, so I was letting that happen.  Yes, there will be combat, but the upcoming combat is expected to be very, very short, and will largely consist of me giving descriptions of goblins going splat when you start reacting violently (there are non-goblins later on in this book if we hit all the dungeons, and of course, there's five more books of this).  I... wouldn't recommend being here primarily for the battles, as while they'll be here, they aren't going to last long: Most of all'y'all will be able to reasonably reliably one-round the biggest bad with a listed CR in the last book.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Still within the town just leaning maybe 30 ft away I could use greater windsight or a spell to extend my range of detection but I won't bother.

It's not so much that I'm here for combat rather there's not really much going on in general, so I'm waiting for combat in anticipation that it'll spring on something more interesting than the current events. The preparations are fine, but I personally don't have much interest in any considering it's the first encounter which is composed of a goblin attack and grave robbing.

----------


## Llyarden

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I was mostly waiting to see if anyone specifically wanted to get involved in RP about what to do about the goblins, which is why I didn't do anything permanent.  If no-one is then yeah I can do something else, I have a few silly ideas lol.


It didn't take long for Literion to find Lio, the paladin not exactly making much effort to hide himself.  Since he didn't want to start using spells on the other players without their permission, he waited until Literion wasn't too busy before catching the other former player's eye and beckoning him (along with any of the others who were around) out of sight of the majority of the villagers before casting another Telepathic Bond so they could talk while they were apart, without arousing suspicion - at least, more than they already probably had.

_~I found a small group of goblins already in the town, ten of them.  They're hidden in a wagon just south of the main square.  I've got a scrying sensor watching them, and they should be asleep for a little while longer, but...~_  He trailed off for a moment.  _~I don't know what to do.  I'm sure if they were found by the townspeople, the response would be to kill them - or at least to try to - but I...I can't just kill them.~_  He couldn't help but remember what the goblin had said.  It reminded him too much of the way he would've viewed the goblins when they were still just virtual pixels that followed programmed actions.  _~What do we do?  Should we just try to get them out of the city without alerting the townsfolk?~_

----------


## Lioslaith

_If, and this is still a big if is some of our minds here, if this world is real then the goblins need to be dealt with as you would any other threat. Applying moral values from our world to this one can only lead to problems. Do you have some idea as to how to get them out of town without killing them?  Once they attack they wont hesitate to kill anyone they can and Id not like to choose who gets to die before we can react to it._

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga settles in wait on the top of the wall where the ladder is, in such a way that he wouldnt be visible to anyone on the ladder until they were already at the top if possible, and deactivates his own invisibility. Then he just settles in to wait for whenever this supposed goblin attack might happen.

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet would whisper into Samael's mind through there telepathic assuming they are within 300 ft. _'I have a way, if they fail against my hexes that is, to turn them into animal servants. They would be alive, turned to animals but retain their intelligence. They would be under dominate monster permanently. I could perhaps change them into beasts of burden or pets. They could be commanded to stand watch over the city'_ quiet was aware that while not classified as an evil act normally this might cause some unpleasant conversations since it was for all intents turning them into their servants till they died, or Quiet did.

----------


## Lioslaith

_For me that sort of slavery is much less appealing than sending to meet whatever gods they worship._

----------


## Thunder999

James/Evras takes a look through his own character sheet while he waits, and is reminded that Envisaging doesn't actually have a range limit, as a result he's going to attempt to contact the others with it, sending them visions of him finding and barring the gate and asking Literion if he managed to find anything.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I don't see a range listed, so worth a shot. If it does works he won't be able to receive responses from anyone immune to mind affecting (which I think is just Momonga). 

I'm not exactly waiting for combat, just not quite sure what to do.

----------


## Wabbit

They thought about that for a moment before considering what they knew of religion, goblin gods, their afterlife. Where would a goblin go when you killed them? Presuming they where not a PC and played under a good alignment that is. _'Perhaps, but we don't know what happens if we just kill them. Their gods are probably not happy go lucky. If I recall from D&D their gods were rather cruel.'_ but they shrugged slightly even if Samael was not there there directly to see it. _'I won't force this on the group, but it is an option. A life in the city as a pet or even beast of burden will mean food in their bellies, perhaps even caring families. Might make them see these people in a better light.'_

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Do I need to roll? Religion is a +35

----------


## Lioslaith

_A life of needs met in slavery is still slavery.  But we wont rule it out if it makes you feel better._

----------


## Jack_Simth

> They thought about that for a moment before considering what they knew of religion, goblin gods, their afterlife. Where would a goblin go when you killed them? Presuming they where not a PC and played under a good alignment that is. _'Perhaps, but we don't know what happens if we just kill them. Their gods are probably not happy go lucky. If I recall from D&D their gods were rather cruel.'_ but they shrugged slightly even if Samael was not there there directly to see it. _'I won't force this on the group, but it is an option. A life in the city as a pet or even beast of burden will mean food in their bellies, perhaps even caring families. Might make them see these people in a better light.'_
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> Do I need to roll? Religion is a +35


*Spoiler: Kn(Religion)*
Show

Goblins conduct their worship in simple, bloody rituals filled with howls, animal sacrifice, and ecstatic dancing. They craft fetishes from the bones of their enemies, particularly dogs and humanoids.[7] The four Goblin Hero-Gods (Hadregash, Venkelvore, Zarongel, and Zogmugot) are common objects of worship among goblins, but they revere Lamashtu above all else, because she freed the hero-gods from Asmodeus. Goblin tribes that worship one hero-god to the exclusion of others are considered heretics.

All goblin hero-gods reside in Basalfeyst in the Abyss.
Lamashtu's realm is Kurnugia, the largest layer of the Abyss.

The Abyss is NOT a nice place, being a CE plane.  However, the Pathfinder afterlife is, in a weird way, heaven all around, due to the alignment sorting.  You're Good?  You end up in a place where everyone is.  Ditto for Lawful, Chaotic, and Evil.  If you worship a deity of your own alignment, you end up in a place you'll naturally fit in perfectly, the only drawback is that everyone there is _just like you_ in terms of general behavior.  You're Lawful Evil?  You'll end up where everyone will do exactly what they agree to, you get to survive by your ability to make deals and follow the rules.  You're Chaotic Evil?  Survival of the fittest, you've got your chance to make it to the top!  Hell and the Abyss are not places of punishment, they're places of purity.  Just not the kind folks accustomed to modern thinking want.  Will there be suffering for the goblins?  Absolutely.  But it is, quite literally, only going to be what they'd do to others were the positions reversed, as the folks causing the suffering are, fundamentally, exactly like the ones upon whom they're inflicting pain.




> James/Evras takes a look through his own character sheet while he waits, and is reminded that Envisaging doesn't actually have a range limit, as a result he's going to attempt to contact the others with it, sending them visions of him finding and barring the gate and asking Literion if he managed to find anything.  
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I don't see a range listed, so worth a shot. If it does works he won't be able to receive responses from anyone immune to mind affecting (which I think is just Momonga). 
> 
> I'm not exactly waiting for combat, just not quite sure what to do.


*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

By default, everything targetted requires line of sight and line of effect.  Certain things don't need either (like scrying spells), and you can place area spells even without line of sight, but by default everything does.  So no, you can't Envisage someone you can't see.


*Spoiler: Regarding the goblins*
Show

The real question is "How permanent do you want the solution to be?" and "What can you stomach?"  There's a rather lot of ways to deal with this.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Makes sense to me.

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Were I in this alone, paladin or not I would slaughter the goblins.  Granted I would probably wait until they attacked but the end result would be the same.

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

This is just an idea they are coming up with. Quiet was just going off the idea of trying not to kill npcs because they might be real people now and this game likely had goblin players so sure these are mobs but its weird to actually kill something. The whole magic thing allows a disconnect also all of us spell caster can reverse the hex with a wish or similar.

Just going from the "Player" of Quiet being uneasy about killing something for the first time.

----------


## Lioslaith

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> This is just an idea they are coming up with. Quiet was just going off the idea of trying not to kill npcs because they might be real people now and this game likely had goblin players so sure these are mobs but its weird to actually kill something. The whole magic thing allows a disconnect also all of us spell caster can reverse the hex with a wish or similar.
> 
> Just going from the "Player" of Quiet being uneasy about killing something for the first time.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Oh definitely, I completely understand.  It brings up a weird question of alignment.  Me as a player wouldn't have any issues wiping out the goblins but that wouldn't necessarily fit with a paladins alignment.

----------


## Thunder999

Waiting around for the attack which probably won't happen until the end of the ceremony (James remembers it happening at a suitably dramatic moment, though not quite when) seems rather boring and there's no convenient way to communicate from here, so Evras will look through his spellbook then cast an alarm spell.  
With that done he'll see if he can find the others, particularly Literion, since he's the one searching for goblins.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Quick study to swap sure casting for alarm, then putting a Mental alarm on the outside side of the gate

----------


## redfeline

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Reasonably certain the town info was meant for Wabbit and not me but hey I can interact with the game so why not.



As Cierra closed her eyes and focused on the town the game pulled up Ophelia's history check. It was a bit disjaring to be in such a real world and place and suddenly have something so artificial pop up. Opening her eyes she realized the information was still in her mind. Had the game pop up really been there or was she simply remembering something she once saw as a player. She stood there for a minute uncertain.

She signs to Quiet, 'yes I think a walk would be wise.' She paused considering if the games functions where now being integrated directly into brain. What is happening in the real world that is causing this? Does this happen every time some one stays logged into a game that is being deleted? Is my body walking around unaware that part of me was left her in this game?

When I play a game and reset because I didn't like what happened do the bad guys win? Have I doomed countless worlds to end in destruction? After a moment she realizes she is quoting Bear from dot hack sign. 

My mind is playing tricks on me. I do not like this.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Oh definitely, I completely understand.  It brings up a weird question of alignment.  Me as a player wouldn't have any issues wiping out the goblins but that wouldn't necessarily fit with a paladins alignment.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

There's a hilarious number of solutions to this problem that do not involve killing the goblins yourselves, ranging from the completely mundane (I can easily think of four five) to the extravagantly magical (there's a _lot_ of spells that will solve this).  But ideas are your guys' department.  Well, until you ask an non-player character for advice.  Their reaction to the question _is_ my department.



> *Spoiler: ooc*
> Show
> 
> 
> Reasonably certain the town info was meant for Wabbit and not me but hey I can interact with the game so why not.


*Spoiler*
Show

Oh. Sorry, yes.  I've been doing a lot of posting from mobile.  But it's just a knowledge check result, and those are pretty ubiquitous around here.

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

 Redfeline - Yeah I think its because I had your name in the post. Mobile wise (which I often post from) its easy to get confused.


They smiled and walked with Cierra and signed back to her 'Its a nice little town, bigger than mine.' but was it wise to get involved in irl stuff?

They would use their blindsight, even though in this appearance they could see giving them a weird radar overlay in their vision. This would allow them to keep an eye on any odd movements their eyes might normally miss but included things in the air. So like a super version of Toph, cool. "Its odd really, I never considered something till just now. Whisperers have no eyes but can see low-light, even in the darkness, and they have blindsight. Was this why I was not struck blind when we became stuck here?" trying to sign some game terms was hard but pantomime might help.

They spoke telepathically into Cierra's mind now _'I offered my hexes to deal with the goblins but Samael says its not right. I can turn them into animal servants, or even even force their reincarnation.'_ they paused for a moment to let that sink in _'What are your thoughts on the matter? Should we just kill them? If we are in a new world and these people are real then the goblins are also real. I have partied with Goblin players in the past.'_

----------


## redfeline

Cierra looks taken aback for a moment. Wait what goblins? The ones that scavenge on the refuse pile they are mostly harmless. Going off my history check it seems like the occasional one causes trouble but that is it. Look you can't go around and just assume all goblins are evil. You yourself are an evil race, and I am true neutral but in real life I am a good person.

----------


## Llyarden

Literion sighed.  _~There are goblins hiding in a wagon just to the south of the town square,~_ he explained (either telepathically or using sign language as well if Cierra wasn't in the bond.)  _~They're planning to attack the town, just like Evras said was the design of the plotline he remembered.~

~I controlled one of the goblins and got some answers from him telepathically.  He said that their intent was to slaughter everyone in this town, even knowing it was defenceless.  Because - as far as he was concerned - the townsfolk exist to be killed by goblins.~

~I don't think it would be difficult to erase their memories of their plan and move them outside the town, let them go back to their own lives, but...when that's the kind of attitude they have, who's to say that in letting them go we don't put other people in danger?~_

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So who all is in this telepathic bond?

----------


## Llyarden

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Anyone who wants to say their character was around when Literion set it up.  The spell allows 1 person per 3 caster levels and Literion is at least CL18; Mononga is off in the graveyard, Quiet is using their own telepathy, and Literion himself is included without counting against the limit, so I should be able to cover everyone else with one casting.  If not Literion will just cast another one and act as a relay between the two bonds.

----------


## Lioslaith

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Anyone who wants to say their character was around when Literion set it up.  The spell allows 1 person per 3 caster levels and Literion is at least CL18; Mononga is off in the graveyard, Quiet is using their own telepathy, and Literion himself is included without counting against the limit, so I should be able to cover everyone else with one casting.  If not Literion will just cast another one and act as a relay between the two bonds.


*Spoiler: Ooc*
Show

Doesnt it have some sort of distance limit?  You know, we could ask the DM to rule that out headset connections in the real world set up some sort of weird telepathic band between us when we were transitioned over to this world.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Ooc*
> Show
> 
> Doesnt it have some sort of distance limit?  You know, we could ask the DM to rule that out headset connections in the real world set up some sort of weird telepathic band between us when we were transitioned over to this world.


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Oh, the game's messaging and chat functions continue to work just fine, so you can type messages to each other on a virtual keyboard, no problem. It's just that nobody's tried them.

----------


## Llyarden

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

It has a distance limit when cast, which is why I said anyone who was around when I set it up would be in it.  Once cast the range is unlimited on the same plane.

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

I hesitated to do this because Cierra has the thing of being harder to communicate with.

Quiet looked confused by this and then looked around _'Did no one tell you about the attack? Goblins are stationed nearby. I believe one of us is handling those goblins.'_ they where not even suggesting they where all evil which is why they brought up the goblin players they where used to those kinds of players. _'I am neutral good, I would rather we find a way not to kill if we don't have too. In the game I wouldn't care, but its different now.'_

They looked rather perplexed and uncomfortable with the idea of killing, but it was all so new perhaps it was just the adjustment. After all Whisperers are suppose to be tricksters, killers. Witches as well, even good witches often have evil spells prepared. "I don't mean to suggest they are all evil, just that its a discussion of what to do." they signed.

Quiet would pause a moment and consider how had this communication function was. Didn't they have team speak before? Party chat, or at least party chat in the terms of sending written messages? They flipped up their menu and began to look around till they found the form a party function.

Invites to join a party would be sent to the various real people.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Everyone gets their pop-up invites just fine. In doing so, you all find you can see each other's menus and things, but can't interact with another's menu._

----------


## Lioslaith

I touch the invite to join the group discussion.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras joins the party and mentally kick himself for forgetting such a useful function.  

He opens up the chat and types of a quick trio of messages, he's one of those people who reflexsively hits enter to send after every line.

Party chat: Anyone else feeling kind of stupid for not trying this earlier, guess we were too caught up in the whole game being real thing.   
Anyone know how secure/secret this is?
So I found where the goblins are getting in, someone had left the gate open and unbarred, fixed that, not sure if any already made it in though. Anyone found any?

----------


## Dakrsidder

While messing around, a pop-up appears and Aethra accepts the invitation with curiosity as to what was being discussed. "What is this a philosophy debate? To be quite honest, the problem seems to be a combination of two things. The first is mentally you appear to be attached to this world as though it were real. The second stems from this in that killing something real is unbearable. Some of us have already talked about the first, but these pop-ups support my hypothesis that this world is half real and therefore, a bit of detachment is warranted. As for the second, my hypothesis is the goblins nearby aren't too different from their original design, besides maybe a bit of depth and therefore should be about as morally significant to deal with as in the game. 

After typing up that storm, Aethra stretches before going back in for more. "There are a number of ways to deal with the goblins, such as enchantment, transformation, transportation, disincentives, incentives, trickery, simply killing them, and more. Based on the ones mentioned alone, enchantment and transformation are far worse than killing as it's against their will, and they're no longer really themselves. Transportation can be worse than killing, but it can also be somewhat better. Killing would be somewhere in the middle, while disincentives and trickery would generally be below killing. Either can be worse, but they can easily be morally safer while incentives would likely be morally the safest. Personally, I think trickery would be the most fun considering the potential of what could be pulled off while they're in their right mind."

----------


## Lioslaith

I try and just think a response rather than typing into the thin air, It really seems like you all are overthinking this. Most of you know my vote or will see it in action very soon.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga raises an eyebrow at the invite but accepts it and reads over the messages sent by the others before giving a reply of his own over telepathy:

I have discovered someone set up a ladder to get over the graveyard wall.  Thats two ways in so far and there could be more. Considering the caliber of your average goblin, I imagine they cant be acting alone in this. I suggest we kill most of them since theyre forfeiting their lives by this attack but take the rest prisoners to try to see if they can tell us anything about anyone they might be working with. 

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

I double checked, and apparently this telepathy is a divination spell so itll actually work for me as an undead, which is nice. Might be stopped by something like Mind Blank though, not entirely sure

----------


## Thunder999

Evras in Party Chat: If you have a good means to take someone alive then the graveyard is where the leader should attack, so you're in the right spot, assuming they still try without the other groups to serve as distractions.
I'm in favor of execution for goblins, for what that's worth.

He'll then head to the graveyard and give his Ghaele new orders "I need you to guard the north gate, seems that's where the attack will come from, I'm still expecting trouble here, but want to take their leader alive and I expect they'd die if they looked at you."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Probably take some time to actually reach the graveyard, but we seem to have plenty of that.

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Not sure if this is confusion IC or OOC. But the way Quiet's hex works is that it does change their form to that of an animal. But they retain their intelligence and languages. They are under the effects of Dominate Monster (which is just Dominate Person with no creature restriction) so they would be themselves just be compelled to do what Quiet tells them. Otherwise any mind-effecting compulsion spell would be and should be marked as evil.


Quiet listens and reads through the replies in quick succession. Letting them all have their say on the matter. It did seem that most of them considered this to still be at least in some part a game and thus morality didn't really matter. Quiet didn't doubt this was a mix of game and reality it wasn't their assumption that this was entirely real. Just that if this was even quasi real they should treat it at least with more respect than they did when this was all 1s and 0s.

_"I accept your interpretation, I didn't think we were completely in a different world. This is more Log Horizon than That Time I Was Reincarnated as a Slime. We are both in a game and in a world that the game was set. But if that is the case, I recall the People of the Land were sentient creatures. I merely wanted to advocate for us to tread carefully. But, do as you will I have no intention of stepping in. I merely offered a suggestion."_ they typed out swiftly with deft fingers.

They looked to Cierra to see her reaction, a slight frown on their face that this had gone this route and wondered, if these players met a goblin player in this new world. Would they kill them before finding out? What would that mean then? If this was like Log Horizon they would be revived at a church or cemetery. But that was an anime, this was real life.

----------


## Lioslaith

Watching the debate play out on the group chat I am reminded why I played the game solo. I will find a quiet place (as quiet as it can be at a festival) where I can sip some tea and watch the day play out.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras in Party Chat: If you have a good means to take someone alive then the graveyard is where the leader should attack, so you're in the right spot, assuming they still try without the other groups to serve as distractions.
> I'm in favor of execution for goblins, for what that's worth.
> 
> He'll then head to the graveyard and give his Ghaele new orders "I need you to guard the north gate, seems that's where the attack will come from, I'm still expecting trouble here, but want to take their leader alive and I expect they'd die if they looked at you."
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Probably take some time to actually reach the graveyard, but we seem to have plenty of that.


_The Ghaele nods, and says_ "Well... guarding a gate against an expected invasion is at least a step up from guarding corpses." _And moves to the indicated location._

----------


## Llyarden

Literion paused for a moment when the party chat came through.  He'd rarely used it in the game, but if it still worked here...

He kept the party chat open on one side of his HUD, but didn't reply immediately.  Instead, he went back to the wagon full of goblins and tried to add them to a separate chat.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Literion paused for a moment when the party chat came through.  He'd rarely used it in the game, but if it still worked here...
> 
> He kept the party chat open on one side of his HUD, but didn't reply immediately.  Instead, he went back to the wagon full of goblins and tried to add them to a separate chat.


*Spoiler*
Show

_You see a window pop up for the goblins, asking if they want to accept the chat invitation - and note that the window is in goblin - however, the goblins, being in a magically induced slumber, do not press accept, and the window eventually times out._

----------


## Llyarden

Literion kinda blinked when he saw the window pop up, waited for it to time out and then backed off again, bringing the party chat back to the forefront.

So I just tried to add the goblins in the wagon to a chat.  They were asleep so they couldn't actually *accept* it - maybe they couldn't even if they tried - but the popup appeared.

If they can be added to a chat like that, it kind of makes me wonder just what the difference truly is between us and the NPCs.

If they can be called NPCs now.

A few moments went past before he sent another message.

Someone had an intelligent summon active, right?  Could you try adding your summon to a chat?

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Is it safe to assume my thinking the chat responses are working the same as typing them would?  Ill post based on that then edit if I need too.



Thinking his response, then realizing that wont work, typing it to the group chat once again, _Has anyone actually tried to leave the game?  I know we are all excited at this new level of reality. One which I believe is actual reality, but again, has anyone tried to disengage from it?  My assumption is that we cant._

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Is it safe to assume my thinking the chat responses are working the same as typing them would?  Ill post based on that then edit if I need too.
> 
> 
> 
> Thinking his response to the group chat once again, _Has anyone actually tried to leave the game?  I know we are all excited at this new level of reality. One which I believe is actual reality, but again, has anyone tried to disengage from it?  My assumption is that we cant._


*Spoiler: general ooc*
Show

It's not mental. You get a virtual keyboard and screen, pulled up by a practiced hand motion (specific motion settable in preferences in the game menu) and need to type things out and read them off. Much like you'd expect of a VR implementation of a game chat.

----------


## Dakrsidder

Making no effort to do anything resembling a productive activity, Aethra continues staring at the screen. "If anyone thought that was torture, you've seen nothing yet. Although I'd assume logical deductions and mulling through possibilities is quite fun.

Anyways, if it popped-up for goblins it probably will with the summon but what about a Simulacrum? I'd create one but some of you have gimmicks to cover the cost I ignored to avoid being too cheesy."

----------


## Thunder999

Evras types up responses to everything, the chat log is a convenience he's glad to have:Exit is greyed out and unresponsive, can't feel or interact with our 'real' bodies or headsets at all, we definitely can't leave, first thing I noticed.
I'll try with my summon, it's certainly got personality now, but if you have a goblin mind controlled that might be a better test, if I remember my lore right summons are more magical copies than truly individual creatures, it's why you can just casually summon 1d4+1 identical Lillends who all have the exact same spells known and haven't expended a single resource that day.  
As for a simulacrum, I could use my daily wish SLA, but I'd rather save that for an unexpected emergency, it takes 12 hours otherwise. 
I still intent to treat the world as though it's entirely real, if it's not then no harm done, but I wouldn't want to act as though it's not and find out it was only after something regretable happens. Not sure what that's got to do with the morality of bloodthirsty goblins that freely admit their desire to murder innocents. 


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Pity Samael didn't mention he likes tea, Evras has a bunch of fancy tea leaves and a magic teapot.

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Wander over and speak with him/me  We haven't had a lot of time to just talk with one another.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

Well, as nobody's posted in a bit over 24 hours, ticking the clock.  Roll initiative, goblins got a 24 (18, +2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative).  Anyone who gets above a 24 can go.  Folks get to control their own summons in combat.

_Finally, as the sun begins to set, Father Zantus takes the central podium, uses a thunderstone to attract everyones attention, and clears his throat as he prepares to recite the Prayer of First Dreaming.

When it does...
Ten goblins rush out of the forested area by the north gate... and pause a bit when it's not open.
Three rush up the ladder at the side of the cemetary.
The ten in the wagon awaken, most of which start to cause trouble (one of which sends the ordered telepathic message, instead)
And ten more rush out of the glassworks into the town.

The goblins in the twon shriek and leap and race and cackle, taking great joy in the panic and fear they spread among the humans (whom most goblins insultingly call longshanks). Some goblins wave torches and light tents on fire, while others chase children and pets with ill intent. The entire time, goblin warchanters sing a horrifically catchy and nerve-wracking goblin song at the top of their lungs, further spurring their kin into murderous frenzy. Everywhere the PCs look, goblins tear through merchant stalls, menace locals with their dogslicers, throw rocks through windows, and otherwise make terrors of themselves._

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: Initiative*
Show


(1d20+14)[*18*]

Initiative and place holder for result

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: Initiative*
Show

I have a 30 Initiative anyway.
But I will roll to determine among the party
(1d20+30)[*35*]

If I do end up going first. Going to use one of my 3/day Obscuring Mist from my Ioun Stone to try and stop the goblins chasing the children.

----------


## QuantumFlash

*Spoiler: Initiative*
Show

 (1d20+10)[*11*] Time to trash some goblins.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will see the goblins on the ladder, no human leader among them. "Was really expecting the human to come here, especially when Literion confirmed there was a human somewhere." 
He'll then shrug and hit the three ladder goblins with his Horrid Wilting SLA. 
Frilzrys (his familiar) will fly above the wall to see if there's more coming and telepathically relay that information to both Evras and anyone else nearby (just Momonga if memory serves)

The Ghaele will zap as many of the goblins at the gate as possible with its Chain Lightning

*Spoiler: OOC/rolls*
Show

I was waiting to see if the inviting 'NPCs' to our party chat worked.  

Thanks to forewarned Evras don't need to roll initiative, so jumping right in
Initiative is 20+33=53  
I think summons follow their summoner's initiative, but just in case the ghaele would get (1d20+5)[*20*] and would take the same actions whether before or after the goblins.  
Horrid Wilting is (20d6)[*53*] untyped damage, DC 30 fort to halve, so those goblins are almost certainly dessicated husks.  
Chain lightning is (13d6)[*49*] reflex half DC 19 for the primary and 17 for the rest

----------


## QuantumFlash

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Roll to overcome my SR then cause I guess you missed it but Im right at the top of the ladder. And in case its needed, Fort: (1d20+35)[*55*] Though also at this point a rules question: Grim Reapers are incorporeal, do I retain incorporealness while transformed?

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Horrid wilting is targeted and I'm certainly not targeting you. Even if I was you're undead and therefore immune to fort saves.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will see the goblins on the ladder, no human leader among them. "Was really expecting the human to come here, especially when Literion confirmed there was a human somewhere." 
> He'll then shrug and hit the three ladder goblins with his Horrid Wilting SLA. 
> Frilzrys (his familiar) will fly above the wall to see if there's more coming and telepathically relay that information to both Evras and anyone else nearby (just Momonga if memory serves)
> 
> The Ghaele will zap as many of the goblins at the gate as possible with its Chain Lightning
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC/rolls*
> Show
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

Folks talked about it, but nobody actually tried.

And yes, Summons act on the summoner's turn, although it's admittedly a little weird that they do when they're a few hundred feet away from each other and hours away from the summoning.

And yeah, even on a successful save, those goblins go straight from full to dead for the Horrid Wilting.  The ones at the gate are... marginally better off if they're not the primary targets.

_All three goblins on the ladder scream in agony as the moisture is very painfully pulled from their bodies.  The scream starts loud and raw, but quickly rattles away to a dry sigh, and then silence.  The dead, dry leather of their bodies falls to the ground with a soft thud, cracking open and revealing their dessicated internal organs and exposing a few bones as well._

_At the gate, the Gheale's lightning isn't quite as effective - but it still gets the job done.  The smell of burnt flesh fills the air as seven of the goblins die before they even have a chance to scream, the lightning ripping through them, burning their flesh and causing their innards to boil, literally detonating them, covering the area in a shower of gore.  Three of the secondary targets just barely manage to avoid enough of it to survive... for the moment.  These "lucky" ones have gaping burned holes in their chests, with their life's blood pumping out onto the ground._ *Spoiler: ooc*
Show

The "lucky" ones are bleeding out at -5.




> *Spoiler: Initiative*
> Show
> 
> I have a 30 Initiative anyway.
> But I will roll to determine among the party
> [roll0]
> 
> If I do end up going first. Going to use one of my 3/day Obscuring Mist from my Ioun Stone to try and stop the goblins chasing the children.


_The goblins caught in the cloud pause and look around in confusion at the mist.  You can hear one (in goblin) say_ "Isn't it usually foggy in the _morning_?"

_However, there's a lot of goblins, and they're very spread out.  The dozen or so you didn't catch continue their work.  You see one poor woman get cornered, her chest sliced open by one goblin... and you see the horror in her eyes as another goblin merrily starts chewing on her flesh, relishing the taste of her raw meat, not bothering to make sure she's dead before taking a bite.  She fortunately falls unconscious from the injuries at this point.

Most the others are OK with not getting their meat quite that fresh, and are largely just chasing the townsfolk around.  A few of them do get distracted by the tables of food, and start stuffing their pockets for later._

*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

Huh.  Didn't think the goblins would actually get a turn.  OK.  Now everyone can go (including the folks who just went, as your turns will be coming back up before the goblins' do).  I don't really care what order folks go in.

So there are:
Three goblins standing confused in the obscuring mist.
An unclear number of goblins running around being very scattered in the town (this includes the dominated goblin, as he has no current orders).
Three goblins bleeding out at the gate (and seven very dead goblins, although it will be tricky to count those bodies).
Three very dead goblins at the graveyard ladder.

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet is horrified to see the woman being attacked. They need more time these little monsters are spreading everywhere and in random directions like a bag of super balls that where poured out. In truth there is only one way for them to get the time they need to wrangle the buggers before they spread out further. Thankfully they seemed to be in clumps at the moment.

_Time Stop!_

*Spoiler: Time Stop Dice Roll*
Show


(1d4+1)[*5*]


*Spoiler: OOC/Time Stop Actions - Invalid*
Show


Not sure if you want this here but with 5 turns I might as well ramble it off.
First Round - Rod of Voracious Hex + (Split Major Hex) - Restless Slumber (catch the three goblins within the cloud, and one extra goblin if they are within 30 ft of any of the three)
Second Round - Move Action (up to 100 ft) and use the Rod of Voracious Hex again (Restless Slumber again) to target the goblins that attacked the woman (up to 4 goblins if they are within 30 ft of each other)
Third  Round - Move Action and then use the Rod again to Restless Slumber any additional Goblins I see (Un to 4 if they are all within 30 ft of one another)
Fourth Round - Move Action use Split Major Hex to Restless Slumber any other goblins I see (2 this time if they are within 30 ft)
Fifth Round - Cast Cure Moderate Wounds on the Woman [roll]2d8+10[/roll]
Sorry that was weird I know. Thats 14 potential Goblins each rolling vs my DC 44 will and they take 1d10 dmg for every turn they are asleep

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga glares at Evras and flies a bit closer to the chaos while pointing into town and firing off a Chain Lightning of his own to hit whatever goblins might be in range. Thats a bit rude, stealing these ones. You knew I was here, and I had plans for them.

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Flies 60ft and Chain Lightning is CL21 for 1240ft initial range, DC 37, (20d6)[*67*] damage

----------


## Lioslaith

Sighing audibly and then setting my tea cup getly on the table I walk into the largest group of gobbo's and start slicing away at them.

*Spoiler: Attacks and damages*
Show

I assume it should be one hit on kill but I could always roll 1's
(1d20+46)[*51*]
(2d6+24)[*30*]

(1d20+41)[*59*]
(2d6+24)[*36*]

(1d20+36)[*46*]
(2d6+24)[*33*]

(1d20+31)[*44*]
(2d6+24)[*28*]

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will reply quite cheerfully (he didn't see the woman getting eaten and is therefore of the opinion that things are going wonderfully) "You're a necromancer aren't you, if anything I just made them more useful, dessication might even help with the smell."

Evras will fly 60ft after him (I never actually reapplied my disguise after wandering around invisibly thanks to the time skip, or we can say I did in which case walking 30ft instead), and he'll horrid wilting any goblins who are somehow still left. If there's none he'll just move further.

Ghaele will stay by the gate, unless it can see other goblins to defend the town from its got no reason to move, I think it'll switch to its light form and fly 70ft up a bit to get a better view.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Probably unneeded horrid wilting rolls (20d6)[*69*], still DC 30.

Oh and how exactly is Quiet affecting enemies while timestopped?

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Ignore my post. Time Stop would work, but nothing from that point on would.

----------


## Llyarden

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Ah, the joys of not being able to post for a couple days in a fast-paced game.  :Small Eek:  Not that Literion has much in the way of initiative anyway.


Literion swore as he realised, far too late, what the loud noise the goblins were waiting for was.

And then carnage erupted all around him - _where the heck had those other goblins come from?_

He paused for a moment to send a simple telepathic message to the goblin he'd controlled - _~Attack the other goblins that were in the wagon with you~_ - before turning his attention to his item box.  He'd...kinda been hoping to stay relatively undercover, but he wasn't going to just not do anything.

A cauldron popped into existence and landed in front of him, and he tapped the edge of it it with the rod he'd been carrying as he spoke the words of a spell and tossed a random two Harrow cards into the liquid that formed as he spoke, causing it to immediately boil and bubble with celestial energies before a variety of angelic-looking figures came spiralling out of the cauldron.  "Protect the townsfolk!"

And then he turned his attention to the goblins, and almost before he realised he was doing it drew on the most lethal spell he had prepared, sending horrific illusions to tear the life from their bodies.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Literion uses a move action to withdraw a _cauldron of overwhelming allies_ from his item box and uses _quickened summon monster ix_ via his rod and lattice to summon (1d4+1)[*5*] bralani azatas (azatae?) and (1d3)[*1*] monadic devas via Summon Good Monster.

Harrowed Summoning rolls:
(1d6)[*2*] (1d9)[*2*] *The Cricket, +4 Dex and the devas stick around twice as long*
(1d6)[*1*] (1d9)[*1*] *The Paladin, +4 Str*

Using his actual standard action, he casts _weird_ (DC35) on whatever the biggest clump of goblins he can target with it is.  If they're so spread out he can't target more than two, he'll instead cast _magic missile_, sending two missiles per goblin (and one at a third I guess.)
Damage to one goblin: (2d4+2)[*6*]
Damage to another goblin: (2d4+2)[*7*]
And damage to a third: (1d4+1)[*3*]

The bralanis will use their fly speeds to take to the sky and start raining arrows down on the goblins.  The devas will engage the goblins in melee, using _holy smite_ (DC18) or _holy word_ (DC21) if they can catch a number of goblins without hitting any townsfolk.  I have no idea how many summons I'm actually going to have from this mess, so I'll roll for the maximum number.

Bralani 1 single shot: (1d20+12)[*20*] for (1d8+6)[*9*] *+2 atk from Harrowed Summoning*
Bralani 2 single shot: (1d20+12)[*27*] for (1d8+6)[*12*] *+2 atk from Harrowed Summoning*
Bralani 3 single shot: (1d20+12)[*30*] for (1d8+6)[*12*] *+2 atk from Harrowed Summoning*
Bralani 4 single shot: (1d20+12)[*23*] for (1d8+6)[*13*] *+2 atk from Harrowed Summoning*
Bralani 5 single shot: (1d20+12)[*29*] for (1d8+6)[*10*] *+2 atk from Harrowed Summoning*

EDIT: Turns out bralanis don't have _adaptive_ bows, so no extra damage for them.

Deva 1 morningstar: (1d20+22)[*36*] for (1d8+10)[*14*] or Holy Smite damage: (5d8)[*19*] *+2 atk & +3 dmg on the melee attack from Harrowed Summoning*
Deva 2 morningstar: (1d20+22)[*37*] for (1d8+10)[*12*] or Holy Smite damage: (5d8)[*20*]
Deva 3 morningstar: (1d20+22)[*32*] for (1d8+10)[*14*] or Holy Smite damage: (5d8)[*26*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga glares at Evras and flies a bit closer to the chaos while pointing into town and firing off a Chain Lightning of his own to hit whatever goblins might be in range. Thats a bit rude, stealing these ones. You knew I was here, and I had plans for them.
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Flies 60ft and Chain Lightning is CL21 for 1240ft initial range, DC 37, [roll0] damage


_Unfortunately, the goblins have spread out much more; you only catch three of them in your area.  Your power goes through them, scorching their outsides and flash-boiling their innards, causing them to explode, showering the nearby townsfolk in blood and guts... but not their own, and for that, at least, they seem grateful._
*Spoiler*
Show

Not bothinering to roll saves, as with 67 base damage to the initial, they're all dead even on successful saves (for which they'd need 20's).





> Sighing audibly and then setting my tea cup getly on the table I walk into the largest group of gobbo's and start slicing away at them.
> 
> *Spoiler: Attacks and damages*
> Show
> 
> I assume it should be one hit on kill but I could always roll 1's
> [roll0]
> [roll1]
> 
> ...


_Your first slash lops the head off one goblin, triggering a shower of arterial blood all over you.  Your sword continues through, and you literally cut the next one in half at the waist, it's guts spilling out on the ground as your sword passes through it almost as if it wasn't there, the force of your blow sending intestines flying.  The third is caught in an upswing, and you slice upwards through it's groin, reaching it's heart, and getting your sword out of it's body just below an arm.  The final one you hit with an overhand blow, dead-center on it's head, slicing through it down wards, and separating it's left from it's right.  The brains seep out of it's skull.  About this time, the head of the first one lands on the ground with a thud._
*Spoiler*
Show

Yeah, they're all dead.





> Evras will reply quite cheerfully (he didn't see the woman getting eaten and is therefore of the opinion that things are going wonderfully) "You're a necromancer aren't you, if anything I just made them more useful, dessication might even help with the smell."
> 
> Evras will fly 60ft after him (I never actually reapplied my disguise after wandering around invisibly thanks to the time skip, or we can say I did in which case walking 30ft instead), and he'll horrid wilting any goblins who are somehow still left. If there's none he'll just move further.
> 
> Ghaele will stay by the gate, unless it can see other goblins to defend the town from its got no reason to move, I think it'll switch to its light form and fly 70ft up a bit to get a better view.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: On Quiet and time stop*
Show

Unsuccessfully.  If there's no edit by the time I'm done going through folks' turns, well... panic actions happen to the best of folks.

_You find a small group of goblins to kill... and this time, the towns folks get to watch as the beasts die screaming, and collapse into slightly more than powder._




> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Ah, the joys of not being able to post for a couple days in a fast-paced game.  Not that Literion has much in the way of initiative anyway.
> 
> 
> Literion swore as he realised, far too late, what the loud noise the goblins were waiting for was.
> 
> And then carnage erupted all around him - _where the heck had those other goblins come from?_
> ...


_Again, more goblins die screaming, these ones with their faces contorted in terror at visions only they can see, freezing their expressions into their faces in death.  The summoned archers rain down death from above, bringing all that remain in the streets down, leaving them bleeding and dying._

_Whisper briefly panics, and momentarily forgets that working on other folks during a time stop doesn't help..._

_The handful of goblins that are left, for their part, finally figure out that this is bad juju, then break and run.  They all find cover very, very quickly, being much smaller than full-sized humans, and very willing to get themselves into dirty, stinky places.  After just a few seconds, it's much like they all simply vanished._

----------


## Lioslaith

Since they all scattered I will move amongst the injured and begin healing them if they need it.

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I would very much like our discussion to remain in PM I really do not like being made fun of especially since I actually selected spells for this day and none of my selected spells would work so telling me I should use X, Y, or Z doesn't do anything when those spells are not on my prepared spells list.

----------


## Lioslaith

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I would very much like our discussion to remain in PM I really do not like being made fun of especially since I actually selected spells for this day and none of my selected spells would work so telling me I should use X, Y, or Z doesn't do anything when those spells are not on my prepared spells list.



*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

For what it's worth I didn't see anything snide from anyone.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will quickly speak up, deliberately not giving the locals time to properly respond to his actions or form. "We must find all the remaining goblins, if they're still in Sandpoint they're still a danger to its inhabitants." He'll then Dimension door his way to the gate, upon seeing the dead goblins he'll speak to the Ghaele "Nicely done, but they must have had a second way inside, or else snuck in earlier, there's more within the town, the fighting was as one sided as expected, but some retreated, I'd like you to help find them before they find an isolated villager or two to eat." And then he'll dimension door back with the Ghaele in toe and begin searching.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I think 1280ft should be enough for the DDoor
As for searching, 120ft blindsight and (1d20+49)[*56*] perception. 
What sort of action is typing messages to each other BTW?

----------


## QuantumFlash

I dare say another locate creature would probably work well in this case, but it would have been better if some had been, I dunno, captured alive to begin with? Killing them all is fine and all but it would be helpful if we could have found out more. Momonga comments, while keeping an eye out himself for where any stray goblins may have hidden themselves if theyre still in town. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Blindsense 60 still and perception: (1d20+30)[*35*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Since they all scattered I will move amongst the injured and begin healing them if they need it.


_You lot of of minor injuries, but only a few major ones.  Seems the goblins were overconfident, and were mostly just enjoying scaring everyone.  Mostly.  Some were treating it as business.  People seem suitably grateful for the help, however._




> Evras will quickly speak up, deliberately not giving the locals time to properly respond to his actions or form. "We must find all the remaining goblins, if they're still in Sandpoint they're still a danger to its inhabitants." He'll then Dimension door his way to the gate, upon seeing the dead goblins he'll speak to the Ghaele "Nicely done, but they must have had a second way inside, or else snuck in earlier, there's more within the town, the fighting was as one sided as expected, but some retreated, I'd like you to help find them before they find an isolated villager or two to eat." And then he'll dimension door back with the Ghaele in toe and begin searching.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I think 1280ft should be enough for the DDoor
> As for searching, 120ft blindsight and [roll0] perception. 
> What sort of action is typing messages to each other BTW?


*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

Does your blindsight have an exception to Line-of-Effect (few do, but I should ask)?


*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

For folks with years of practical experience in typing?  It's slightly slower than speech (faster - potentially _much_ faster - for actual professional typists, but those are rather rare nowadays because everyone types a little).  A move action to pull up the interface - which everyone can see - and generally a move action or so to type out a short message.  And you need both hands free to type that quickly.

For folks who don't even have the _concept_ of a typewriter, much less a computer, after you finally convince them to actually try?  One finger hunt and peck takes a LONG time.  Your rounds/level buffs will run out before the NPC is done typing "Hello."





> I dare say another locate creature would probably work well in this case, but it would have been better if some had been, I dunno, captured alive to begin with? Killing them all is fine and all but it would be helpful if we could have found out more. Momonga comments, while keeping an eye out himself for where any stray goblins may have hidden themselves if theyre still in town. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Blindsense 60 still and perception: [roll0]


*Spoiler: Momonga*
Show

_You find a few at the gate haven't quite finished bleeding out, yet._

----------


## Thunder999

"Locate creature will probably just point to any goblin that's not bled out yet, maybe if they're all dead." While he's searching Evras will finally get around to trying that invite the summon idea, he'll invite the Ghaele and say "Just touch Accept, I imagine it's a little odd, but if it works it allows for written communication."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

No LoS exceptions that I'm aware of.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga draws on what little he does know about proper medicine and combines that with a brief glimpse into possibility itself to stabilize one of the goblins and then turns to another two to attempt the same. After that, he reports it on the chat: Found a few which managed to somehow barely survive. Im taking them for interrogation if anyone wants to join. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 First heal check Im activating an ability, Flash of Insight, to grant myself a 20 on the check for a total of 30, then next two: (1d20+10)[*19*] and (1d20+10)[*15*]

----------


## Lioslaith

I say to the group in general, _Can no one speak with the dead?_

----------


## Jack_Simth

> "Locate creature will probably just point to any goblin that's not bled out yet, maybe if they're all dead." While he's searching Evras will finally get around to trying that invite the summon idea, he'll invite the Ghaele and say "Just touch Accept, I imagine it's a little odd, but if it works it allows for written communication."
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> No LoS exceptions that I'm aware of.


*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

_The Ghaele asks_ "What strange magic is this?  I know I don't make a study of magic, but this doesn't even look slightly familiar..." _However, he does hit the button as instructed... and you get get the "new party member added" confirmation._





> Momonga draws on what little he does know about proper medicine and combines that with a brief glimpse into possibility itself to stabilize one of the goblins and then turns to another two to attempt the same. After that, he reports it on the chat: Found a few which managed to somehow barely survive. Im taking them for interrogation if anyone wants to join. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  First heal check Im activating an ability, Flash of Insight, to grant myself a 20 on the check for a total of 30, then next two: [roll0] and [roll1]


*Spoiler: Momonga*
Show

_You manage to stabilize all three quite readily.  They are, however, still unconscious, being heavily injured._

----------


## Llyarden

With the main body of the goblin forces routed, Literion sighed and relaxed slightly, returning the cauldron he'd summoned to his item box as he glanced over at the party chat.  If they're anything like the one I Dominated earlier, they're too stupid to have any useful information - but knowing where they came from would be good.  There were more than just the ten I knew about in the wagon.  I'll try to hunt down the goblins that fled.

And he would proceed to do just that, recasting his Locate Creature spell (if nothing else it would let him know if there were any other bleeding-out goblins for Momonga to capture) and trying to quite literally track the goblins that had fled.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Taking 10 on Survival and Perception for 42 and 32 respectively.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga taps his chin in consideration. Thats a fair point, but Im sure we can get useful intel out of them somehow. You said you dominated one? Is it still alive? Maybe see what you can get out of that one and these.. maybe we can wake them up later and follow them back to their lair or even go along with them while disguised as a goblin. If theyre as dumb as you say I could easily convince them I was one of them I bet.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras in Chat Looks like we can add people after all, worked with the Ghaele, I have absolutely no idea what that implies about the world. As for interrogation, pretty sure Literion already interrogated the dominated one and it was too stupid to know anything, It's why I was really hoping their leader would reveal themself in the graveyard. 
I've got a few things we could look into if nothing comes up.

----------


## Shaggy

Boa had not been very useful in that encounter. Mostly because she had let herself move off from the group and when the little green bastards came skittering about she just took a position in front of a doorway. It might have been the local tavern or some other large building and kept the goblins from entering through sheer AC wall. Now after the attack she looked around for the others, joining the party chat as needed just remaining silent.

*"So, did anyone want to try sending the dominated one home? Follow it and find their den. I mean if this is a few different groups try it with multiple I guess. I am sure one or two of us to a den is overkill."* she typed into the chat.

*Spoiler: OOC [Updated*
Show

]Apologies for my disappearance rl got hectic.

Also I have Mind Probe as a spell known.

----------


## QuantumFlash

"That's my plan, yup.  Though I'm thinking we could disguise ourselves as goblins too and get a bit more firsthand info, maybe even meet whoever is driving them on, if there is someone else behind it as I suspect.  What I'm proposing more specifically is we put these guys somewhere in the open they can easily escape from, disguise ourselves as goblins and wake them up, convince them we were part of the attack all along then follow them home."

----------


## Jack_Simth

> With the main body of the goblin forces routed, Literion sighed and relaxed slightly, returning the cauldron he'd summoned to his item box as he glanced over at the party chat.  If they're anything like the one I Dominated earlier, they're too stupid to have any useful information - but knowing where they came from would be good.  There were more than just the ten I knew about in the wagon.  I'll try to hunt down the goblins that fled.
> 
> And he would proceed to do just that, recasting his Locate Creature spell (if nothing else it would let him know if there were any other bleeding-out goblins for Momonga to capture) and trying to quite literally track the goblins that had fled.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Taking 10 on Survival and Perception for 42 and 32 respectively.


*Spoiler: Literion*
Show

_You quickly find the goblin tracks.... after some searching, you determine there were a total of 30 goblins involved in the raid.  Most are now dead; you find tracks of a few that very clearly exit the town; one set seems to go into the Barett household.  Your Locate Creature spell clearly indicates this as the closest live goblin not already accounted for, and that it's still inside the house somewhere._

*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

I'm going to be on vacation for just over a week, and will be posting entirely from mobile during that time.  Please bear with me.

----------


## Shaggy

Boa would think about that for a minute and she added into the group chat. *"I have the spell Mind Probe, its kinda what we are looking for it gives access to the targets memory and knowledge. They have to answer one question a round and its rounds per level. If we are still our old level thats like 18 for me spellcasting wise. Is that something we can use?"* she wanted to be useful, acting as a protector had been fun but it had hardly been the best use of her abilities. Really she should have stepped out and used her rod of the viper to kill off the little beasts during their rampage but that might have let some sneak past her into the tavern where people were hiding.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will shrug and reply "I can't see anything being better than dominate person really"

----------


## QuantumFlash

However you want to do it is fine by me, but one way or another Im going to try to trace where these goblins came from. Momonga dusts himself off and gets up from where he had been stabilizing their prisoners. Now, that can wait for a bit I suppose, doubt these guys are gonna wake up too soon. Has anyone made sure the townspeople are ok and theres no more panic? The celebrations are probably a bust at this point but we can at least make sure things are back to normal.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

We're still waiting for Literion to tell the rest of us what he found

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

samael has been making his way around the crowd/town calming folks with his auras and healing people as needed.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras is going to try some tracking of his own, to see if he can find any goblins still in town.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

taking 10 for 59 perception, 48 survival

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga looks around to see the reactions of the townspeople and particular looking for where the head people in the town are at this point and how theyve reacted both to the goblin attack and the power the new arrivals demonstrated.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

I'm back at home, so have my desktop. Yay!




> Momonga looks around to see the reactions of the townspeople and particular looking for where the head people in the town are at this point and how theyve reacted both to the goblin attack and the power the new arrivals demonstrated.


*Spoiler: Momonga*
Show

_The folks seem terrified of those of you who actually engaged in combat... but it doesn't take long at all for you to sort out that it's mostly due to the blood & gore still covering a lot of you, as nobody's taken the time to clean up.  They don't mind powerful people when they're not hostile, but folks covered in blood and guts make people nervous._



> Evras is going to try some tracking of his own, to see if he can find any goblins still in town.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> taking 10 for 59 perception, 48 survival


*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

_You quickly find the goblin tracks.... after some searching, you determine there were a total of 30 goblins involved in the raid. Most are now dead; you find tracks of a few that very clearly exit the town; one set seems to go into the Barett household, and you're not finding any goblin tracks leading away from the place, so best guess is that the goblin is still inside._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras shouts out when he spots the tracks "Looks like at least one of them went in this house and never came out, I'm going to have a look inside." 
He'll then enter and search the place, weapon (currently a longsword shaped longsword) drawn, listening for any sounds that might be a goblin.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Perception (1d20+49)[*55*]

----------


## Lioslaith

I will see if I can find the mayor again and offer whatever help I can.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras shouts out when he spots the tracks "Looks like at least one of them went in this house and never came out, I'm going to have a look inside." 
> He'll then enter and search the place, weapon (currently a longsword shaped longsword) drawn, listening for any sounds that might be a goblin.  
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Perception [roll0]


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

OK, so you're barging into a private residence, sword drawn, without asking any kind of permission from those inside, after shouting something that may or may not have been heard clearly by the inhabitants.  At least you're not one of the folks covered in blood - Horrid Wilting is relatively clean: magical desiccation doesn't produce "splash" like flash-frying or chopping.

And folks wonder why adventurers get a bad reputation some places....

_Upon entering, you're met with two adults, a man and a woman, as well as a little girl and a baby crawling around on the floor, along with a small dog.  The woman reacts with an ear-piercing scream, and a quick run to grab the infant; Mr. Barett starts throwing things at you (completely ineffectually) and screaming at you to get out of his home; the dog starts barking and growling at you; the little girl just plain runs into another room... where you can hear the goblin moving around ... as Mr. Barett gets between you and that doorway._



> I will see if I can find the mayor again and offer whatever help I can.


_Mayor Kendra Deverin isn't very hard to find.  She seems a little swamped by folks asking various questions, but she's largely ignoring them as she's writing down quick notes and handing them off to apparently collected folks who look at them, and immediately run off to do things.  How do you approach?_

----------


## Lioslaith

I walk up to her calmly, arranging and trying to "de-gore" myself not pushing through the crowd.  If I can catch her eye I'll nod and raise my eyebrows to indicate that I am there to help.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras honestly hadn't thought about the fact someone might be home until he was already inside.  
"Normally I'd knock, but I really didn't think anyone was home, well other than the goblin hiding in there." He points at the relevant room "Kindly let me past so I can deal with it before it eats your daughter." 
If that doesn't calm the people down he'll just use his dimensional slide to teleport straight past the man, he can apologise later.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Don't think that's actually long enough for a diplomacy check.  
In my head I was assuming all the locals were still on the streets for some reason, oops, at least it's keeping things 'interesting'.
Was also hoping someone else would want to take a look. Probably not too late if anyone does want to.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I walk up to her calmly, arranging and trying to "de-gore" myself not pushing through the crowd.  If I can catch her eye I'll nod and raise my eyebrows to indicate that I am there to help.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

You're mostly just covered in blood, which soaks into things.  Pity you don't have one of the more convenient ways of de-goring (Prestidigitation, although even Create Water would help while the blood is fresh).  Still, the mayor is made of sterner stuff than random citizens, so not too big a deal for her.

_Mayor Kendra Deverin waves you over... when she does, almost everyone looks to see who's she's calling.  The fresh bloodstains on your clothing make those she's not actively directing give you a wide berth, so getting to her is no trouble at all.  She starts by saying_ "Thank you for 'taking care' of the goblins; that could have been a _lot_ worse than it was.  Seems to be just cleanup at this point; so what can I do for you?"




> Evras honestly hadn't thought about the fact someone might be home until he was already inside.  
> "Normally I'd knock, but I really didn't think anyone was home, well other than the goblin hiding in there." He points at the relevant room "Kindly let me past so I can deal with it before it eats your daughter." 
> If that doesn't calm the people down he'll just use his dimensional slide to teleport straight past the man, he can apologise later.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Don't think that's actually long enough for a diplomacy check.  
> In my head I was assuming all the locals were still on the streets for some reason, oops, at least it's keeping things 'interesting'.
> Was also hoping someone else would want to take a look. Probably not too late if anyone does want to.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Literion also did, but as he didn't declare entry, I let him know where the goblin is hiding; nothing done with the info, so you're up.  And... you've got Bluff, too, which has much shorter times, and is used for similar things.  And given that there was just a goblin attack, yeah, this is very believable.  So yeah, that'll pass muster.  And... reasonably clear your intent is to go into the room, so....

_The man blinks and quickly gets out of your way.  The dog, not understanding, keeps yapping at your heels, but that's a minor annoyance at most.  Inside, the room is a comfortable child's bedroom with a bed, dresser, closet, and nightstand.  You don't see the goblin, and the little girl seems a bit terrified of you... but at this range, you can hear the goblin... from it's breathing, you can tell it is sound asleep, under the floor of the closet._

----------


## Lioslaith

*"The question, m'lady, is what can I do for you?  What do you need help with?"*  I smile and look apologetically at her for all the blood.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sadly I don't have any wizardy type spells, but since she's okay I can clean up later.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga starts casting Prestidigitation on himself to clean up as he watches the encounter between Samael and the mayor from a bit of a distance, since he thinks it probably wouldn't go down well with the townsfolk if he left the goblin prisoners unattended. He looks around at any townsfolk close by "Do any of you fine folk have any rope I could use?  I will bind these prisoners, but I do not have any on myself at present." 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

Diplomacy check: (d20+31)[*43*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"The question, m'lady, is what can I do for you?  What do you need help with?"*  I smile and look apologetically at her for all the blood.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Sadly I don't have any wizardy type spells, but since she's okay I can clean up later.


_The mayor considers, and asks_ "Most of it's just calming folks down at this point; you and your crew already did the heavy lifting, and everyone's grateful.  That said... do you think you can get yourself and the others who helped cleaned up?  Lots of folks are panicky, and people walking around with blood splatters and worse don't exactly help with that.  Garridan over at the White Deer should be able to help with hot water and soap."




> Momonga starts casting Prestidigitation on himself to clean up as he watches the encounter between Samael and the mayor from a bit of a distance, since he thinks it probably wouldn't go down well with the townsfolk if he left the goblin prisoners unattended. He looks around at any townsfolk close by "Do any of you fine folk have any rope I could use?  I will bind these prisoners, but I do not have any on myself at present." 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
> Diplomacy check: [roll0]


_Folks seem quite eager to get them bound, and you very quickly find you have an excess of rope to use, although it is just simple hemp rope._

----------


## Lioslaith

Smiling at the mayor I will take my leave and head over to the White Deer to get cleaned up.  *"I won't bother you again my dear."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Smiling at the mayor I will take my leave and head over to the White Deer to get cleaned up.  *"I won't bother you again my dear."*


_You find the White Deer without much trouble; a pair of wooden life-sized deer, carved with painstaking care from white birch, stand astride the entrance to this sizable tavern and inn. The White Deer commands an impressive view of the Varisian Gulf to the north.  The building is a grand affair, three stories tall with a stone first floor and wooden upper floors with a dozen large rooms. The place is kept quite clean and tidy.

A somber and quiet Shoanti man sees you coming, and after one look at you, quietly gives some orders to the folks serving ... who bear a strong family resemblance to him:_ "Get some hot water on, and fill the tubs out back.  Also... prep the laundry."  _He then heads over to you, and says_ "Ah, the heroes of the day!  Greetings!  I'm Garridan Viskalai, proprietor of this humble establishment. What can I do for you?"
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Note: You've got a good perception check, so he's whispering from a distance, but you can still hear him well enough.

----------


## Lioslaith

*"I believe you are making preparations as we speak good sir.  A good cleansing would be in order, if you please."*  I will be as humble and gracious as I can.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will address the girl "You just run over to your parents please, I'm pretty sure it's hiding in there."  and points at the closet.
Once she's ran (or if it looks like she won't, but that feels unlikely), Evras is going to open that closet up, lift up whatever's on the floor and try to blast it into dust. If it works he'll then clean the dust up with prestidigitation, if it doesn't then he'll quicken an Icy Prison 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 perception to find how you get beneath the closet is 59
Using his Prescience divination ability he'll roll (1d20)[*3*] and if it's anything but a nat 1 he'll use that as the attack roll for his disintegrate SLA.  
If it is a nat 1 he'll roll this attack roll instead (1d20)[*7*]
He's got a +31 to hit touch and I doubt a goblin has better than 33 touch AC
DC 28 on the disintegrate, (40d6)[*135*] on a failed save or (5d6)[*11*] on a passed save.
If Icy Prison is needed then it's DC 35 and the goblin takes 22 cold damage either way.

----------


## Shaggy

Boa would be one of the cleaner of the party. As she had not splattered every goblin on sight into meaty chunks. She had just kept them from entering a building. She would follow the murmurs of the crowd toward the building the others arrived at and came inside without permission. Spotting the affair with the goblin hiding under the floor, and the girl having been in the room with the goblin. Taking a moment to consider how a goblin would find itself into that room without being seen. How did it know it was there? How did it know what room to run into to hide.

*"I think we are missing something here. How did it know where that hiding spot was?"* she voiced her curiosity out loud *"Did you know it was there?"* she asked the little girl. Wondering if Evras was just blowing up what amounted to the girls 'pet'

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga takes the rope with a word of thanks and quickly ties up the goblins securely, then types into the chat, "Goblins are secured and not likely to wake up soon."  He'll then look around to see if there was anyone like town guards or law enforcement or something who might want to take custody of them for the time being, though the party did save the town it didn't hurt to curry a bit more good will if possible. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Rope escape check is DC56

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"I believe you are making preparations as we speak good sir.  A good cleansing would be in order, if you please."*  I will be as humble and gracious as I can.


_Garridan Viskalai nods, and says_ "For the heroes of Sandpoint?  Not a problem.  We usually keep some water on the boil for tea and things anyway, so the hot baths should be ready quite..." 

_He's interrupted by a young woman - who bears a strong familial resemblance to the innkeeper - comes up to him and says_ "They're ready.  Cold for the clothes, hot for the guests."

_He tells the young lady a quick_ "Thank you," _and redirects his attention back to you_ "As I was saying.  Quite soon.  If you'll come this way..." _he gestures for you to follow and (if you do) leads you back to a cedar enclosed room separate from the rest of the inn, with a door that bars from the inside.  In it, there's a smallish tub full of slightly-steaming water, with a bar of soap sitting on a small adjacent table and a white linen bathrobe.  There's also what looks like a box built into the side of the room.  The inkeeper adds_ "Just put your dirty clothes in the box, close the door on it, then knock.  One of the kids will then open the other door, and take them to the laundry."



> Evras will address the girl "You just run over to your parents please, I'm pretty sure it's hiding in there."  and points at the closet.
> Once she's ran (or if it looks like she won't, but that feels unlikely), Evras is going to open that closet up, lift up whatever's on the floor and try to blast it into dust. If it works he'll then clean the dust up with prestidigitation, if it doesn't then he'll quicken an Icy Prison 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Take 10 perception to find how you get beneath the closet is 59
> Using his Prescience divination ability he'll roll [roll0] and if it's anything but a nat 1 he'll use that as the attack roll for his disintegrate SLA.  
> If it is a nat 1 he'll roll this attack roll instead [roll1]
> ...


_The girl does indeed run to her father.  

It's not hard for you to find the goblin's means of entry - looks like he came in through a closed, but not latched, window, closed it behind him, cracked open a weak floorboard in the closet, crawled into the space beneath it, and draped the carpet back over himself when he did to make it look like everything was fine.  The goblin briefly opens his eyes at the sound and sudden light when you find his hidey-hole... but not in time to prevent himself from being turned into dust._




> Boa would be one of the cleaner of the party. As she had not splattered every goblin on sight into meaty chunks. She had just kept them from entering a building. She would follow the murmurs of the crowd toward the building the others arrived at and came inside without permission. Spotting the affair with the goblin hiding under the floor, and the girl having been in the room with the goblin. Taking a moment to consider how a goblin would find itself into that room without being seen. How did it know it was there? How did it know what room to run into to hide.
> 
> *"I think we are missing something here. How did it know where that hiding spot was?"* she voiced her curiosity out loud *"Did you know it was there?"* she asked the little girl. Wondering if Evras was just blowing up what amounted to the girls 'pet'


_The terrified little girl just shakes her head in a very obvious "no" in response._



> Momonga takes the rope with a word of thanks and quickly ties up the goblins securely, then types into the chat, "Goblins are secured and not likely to wake up soon."  He'll then look around to see if there was anyone like town guards or law enforcement or something who might want to take custody of them for the time being, though the party did save the town it didn't hurt to curry a bit more good will if possible. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Rope escape check is DC56


_It doesn't take long to find the town's Shoanti sheriff, Belor Hemlock, who seems to be finishing up cleaning goblin blood off of his own blade - seems he got one in the fight too, short as it was.  When you point him at the captive goblins, he sighs, and says_ "OK, so... you're not wrong to turn them in.  That said: they were caught red-handed in a mass raid with murder on their minds, and dozens of witnesses... not that most folks can tell - or care if they can - one goblin from another.  If they were to go to trial, all that would be waiting them is execution after a very short 'trial.'" _You find you can pretty much hear the quotes around the word trial_ "The goblins don't consider _themselves_ citizens or anything, and wouldn't view the trial as valid anyway.  That is of course assuming the folks over in Magnimar didn't just laugh at me for suggesting putting _goblins_ on trial." _He sighs,_ "Plus, they're too stupid to interrogate, even when you can find someone who understands them.  And I just finished cleaning my blade..." _he tails off as he draws his weapon again and heads towards the prisoners._

----------


## Thunder999

"I very much doubt the goblin planned this out, frankly the attack on town, unsuccessful though it was, showed far more planning than I'd expect from them. It came in the window there, looks like it wasn't latched, headed into the closet, probably the first moderately concealed spot it saw, noticed the loose floorboard and crawled in, goblins are strangely talented at hiding in cramped spaces." Evras points at the window, latch, closet and floorboard in turn as he speaks to Boa.  
He'll then sheath his sword and make sure to put the floorboard back in place, using wood shape to help if needed and even use prestidigitation to leave it smelling faintly of citrus rather than goblins.  
He'll speak to the family next, "The goblin's dust, and I've removed that, so should be safe now, though I'd recommend latching your windows in future, lock the doors too. Goodbye and I hope the rest of your day is less eventful." 
He'll then step outside and type a message to the group:
Found a goblin hiding in a closet, might have given the owners a bit of a scare, anyone found anything interesting or need a hand?

----------


## Lioslaith

I will follow the instructions, taking off the clothing and doing the knock, then gently lower myself into the warm water, enjoying the soak.  When the message pops up about the goblin I will respond, _"Best just kill it.  I doubt they will be able to do anything with it here."_

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet was not exactly sure what to make of all of this. But was glad that things seemed to be quieting down from the fuss of the goblin attack. They where more of less clean as well so no reason for the townsfolk to find them unseemly. They typed into the party chat _'It seems like we are spending a lot of time with these goblins. Shouldn't we go and deal with their den already?'_ though not wanting to be rude by being too forward.

They signed while speaking to those near them "I would very much not like to deal with this kind of thing again. That blood was very realistic and made me uncomfortable." meaning the blood from the women who was attacked.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> _It doesn't take long to find the town's Shoanti sheriff, Belor Hemlock, who seems to be finishing up cleaning goblin blood off of his own blade - seems he got one in the fight too, short as it was.  When you point him at the captive goblins, he sighs, and says_ "OK, so... you're not wrong to turn them in.  That said: they were caught red-handed in a mass raid with murder on their minds, and dozens of witnesses... not that most folks can tell - or care if they can - one goblin from another.  If they were to go to trial, all that would be waiting them is execution after a very short 'trial.'" _You find you can pretty much hear the quotes around the word trial_ "The goblins don't consider _themselves_ citizens or anything, and wouldn't view the trial as valid anyway.  That is of course assuming the folks over in Magnimar didn't just laugh at me for suggesting putting _goblins_ on trial." _He sighs,_ "Plus, they're too stupid to interrogate, even when you can find someone who understands them.  And I just finished cleaning my blade..." _he tails off as he draws his weapon again and heads towards the prisoners._


_With nobody stopping him, sheriff Belor Hemlock proceeds to systemically slice the throats of the captured goblins, their blood choking them to death and running out on the street, forming a puddle, which starts to dry in the evening air._



> "I very much doubt the goblin planned this out, frankly the attack on town, unsuccessful though it was, showed far more planning than I'd expect from them. It came in the window there, looks like it wasn't latched, headed into the closet, probably the first moderately concealed spot it saw, noticed the loose floorboard and crawled in, goblins are strangely talented at hiding in cramped spaces." Evras points at the window, latch, closet and floorboard in turn as he speaks to Boa.  
> He'll then sheath his sword and make sure to put the floorboard back in place, using wood shape to help if needed and even use prestidigitation to leave it smelling faintly of citrus rather than goblins.  
> He'll speak to the family next, "The goblin's dust, and I've removed that, so should be safe now, though I'd recommend latching your windows in future, lock the doors too. Goodbye and I hope the rest of your day is less eventful." 
> He'll then step outside and type a message to the group:
> Found a goblin hiding in a closet, might have given the owners a bit of a scare, anyone found anything interesting or need a hand?


_The family lets you leave without any hassle._



> I will follow the instructions, taking off the clothing and doing the knock, then gently lower myself into the warm water, enjoying the soak.  When the message pops up about the goblin I will respond, _"Best just kill it.  I doubt they will be able to do anything with it here."_


_You hear a door on the other side of the cabinet open, your clothes pulled out, and close.  If you wait long enough (about thirty minutes), you hear the door open and close again, although this time a soft rustling makes it clear the clothes are put back._

----------


## Lioslaith

I will definitely wait until the water looses all its heat. Then get out and get dressed before getting ready to leave.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga watches the execution with a neutral expression on his face.  "A strong sense of justice, admirable."  He turns away from the messy sight and moves on, not particularly caring when there was a fair chance that someone else from the party would have stepped in to execute them anyway after the chat responses.  If they couldn't get anything from goblins directly, they could probably still find the traces the goblins left behind.  He begins to search the perimeter of the town for traces left by the goblins which might lead back to their dens. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Survival check to look for tracks: (1d20+30)[*41*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I will definitely wait until the water looses all its heat. Then get out and get dressed before getting ready to leave.


_When you're done with the bath, you find your clothes clean, folded, and dry; no trace of blood or grime on them._



> Momonga watches the execution with a neutral expression on his face.  "A strong sense of justice, admirable."  He turns away from the messy sight and moves on, not particularly caring when there was a fair chance that someone else from the party would have stepped in to execute them anyway after the chat responses.  If they couldn't get anything from goblins directly, they could probably still find the traces the goblins left behind.  He begins to search the perimeter of the town for traces left by the goblins which might lead back to their dens. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Survival check to look for tracks: [roll0]


_You have no trouble finding their tracks.  It seems they came from (and the handful of survivors went off in) five different directions.  It looks like there were multiple tribes involved.  It also appears that at least one group of goblins used the Sandpoint Glassworks as a staging area.  Additionally, you find some goblin tracks leading in that are more recent than the ones leading out._

----------


## Lioslaith

Dressing as I was I will exit the bath and find Garridan Viskalai.  Smiling I will thank him for the hospitality clasping his hand with both mine and I will put a couple of the diamonds in his hand.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I seem to be unable to find the post where you detailed how much fundage we had

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Dressing as I was I will exit the bath and find Garridan Viskalai.  Smiling I will thank him for the hospitality clasping his hand with both mine and I will put a couple of the diamonds in his hand.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I seem to be unable to find the post where you detailed how much fundage we had


_His jaw drops, and he simply stands there stupified for a bit._
*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Copied the relevant info into into the first post. You want the from recruitment thread spoiler, big sixteen equivalent:
"Additionally, you have 999 diamonds (valued at 1,000 gp each), 999 platinum coins, 999 gold coins, 999 silver coins, and 999 copper coins on hand (it was a imitation on the interface)." - you're all loaded.

----------


## Lioslaith

I just smile at him and proceed outside looking for the others.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga immediately starts following the fresh inbound tracks and tries to find the goblins, as more goblins sneaking around is probably not a good thing. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Perception: (1d20+30)[*38*]

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet would go looking for goblins themselves. They had decided they should probably do something rather than just stand around. They pull their rod of Abrupt Hexes from their glove of storing and see if they can find where any goblins might be hiding.
*Spoiler: Rolls*
Show

(1d20+33)[*50*] - Perception
(1d20+25)[*45*] - Survival (If its suppose to be this instead)

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I just smile at him and proceed outside looking for the others.


_As you walk away, the innkeeper recovers, takes a closer look at the diamonds, and his brow crinkles a bit.  He briefly opens his mouth and starts to raise his hand as though planning on hailing you to ask you something, but then changes his mind, and heads off away from the inn._




> Quiet would go looking for goblins themselves. They had decided they should probably do something rather than just stand around. They pull their rod of Abrupt Hexes from their glove of storing and see if they can find where any goblins might be hiding.
> *Spoiler: Rolls*
> Show
> 
> [roll0] - Perception
> [roll1] - Survival (If its suppose to be this instead)


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Perception can find tracks, but Survival is required to follow them.

_You have no trouble finding their tracks. It seems they came from (and the handful of survivors went off in) five different directions. It looks like there were multiple tribes involved. It also appears that at least one group of goblins used the Sandpoint Glassworks as a staging area. Additionally, you find some goblin tracks leading in that are more recent than the ones leading out._ 



> Momonga immediately starts following the fresh inbound tracks and tries to find the goblins, as more goblins sneaking around is probably not a good thing. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Perception: [roll0]


*Spoiler: Map*
Show



_Approaching the glassworks, you find it's strangely quiet, although the furnace still plumes with smoke.  A quick investigation of the building perimeter reveals that curtains have been drawn over the windows and all the doors are locked.  The rumble of the Glassworks furnace is plainly audible from within._

----------


## Lioslaith

If I notice the innkeepers hesitation I will pause and turn slightly in his direction to allow him to go ahead and ask whatever he wants. If not I will proceed with finding the others and regrouping.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> If I notice the innkeepers hesitation I will pause and turn slightly in his direction to allow him to go ahead and ask whatever he wants. If not I will proceed with finding the others and regrouping.


_Garridan Viskalai seems a bit hesitant, but your charming demeanor convinces him to continue; he seems confused, and pulls out a small eye loupe to continue examining them while speaking:_ "These two diamonds are the same.  _Exactly_ the same, as far as I can tell.  There's a jeweler in town I plan to double-check with, but... they're the same.  It's not just a similar color like you'd get from two gems from the same mine, it's the same color.  It's not just a similar cut like you'd get from two gems from the same gemcutter, it's the same cut.  The inclusions are likewise the same, and in the same spots.  That just doesn't happen.  Ever.  _Where did you get these?_"

----------


## Lioslaith

I smile again, *That is a really interesting observation, I legitimately do not know from whence they came.  Does it diminish their worth, being the same as they are?*  I pull out a few coins and examine them as well. Offering to let him have a look. Are they the same as well?

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga considers the situation then simply activates his at-will invisibility before reaching a hand out towards the wall of the building, touching it to test if his incorporeality is maintained while polymorphed or if hell need to return to his true form to pass through the wall.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras is going to continue looking for goblin tracks. He'll have a look what anyone he walks past is currently thinking about with his envisaging while he's at it.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Taking 10 again for 
59 on perception
and 48 on survival

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet will move toward the glassworks. Nodding to Momoga as they seem them. They will drop their assume greater appearance by activating their etherealness at-will ability and passes into the building.

*Spoiler: Etherealness*
Show

Acts as Ethereal Jaunt, turns the user ethereal
An ethereal creature is invisible, insubstantial, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, albeit at half normal speed. As an insubstantial creature, you can move through solid objects, including living creatures. An ethereal creature can see and hear on the Material Plane, but everything looks gray and ephemeral. Sight and hearing onto the Material Plane are limited to 60 feet.


Still carrying their rod of abrupt spells they will investigate inside to look for signs of goblin habitation.
*Spoiler: Perception*
Show


(1d20+33)[*40*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I smile again, *That is a really interesting observation, I legitimately do not know from whence they came.  Does it diminish their worth, being the same as they are?*  I pull out a few coins and examine them as well. Offering to let him have a look. Are they the same as well?


_You find that the coins are indeed identical - in fact, the different metals seem to have the exact same design, just scaled to match the weight of fifty to a pound.  The game's logo is clearly stamped on both sides.  

Garridan Viskalai takes them, and says_ "Doesn't affect their value, no. although I don't plan to spend them in the same place, so as to avoid awkward questions... like I might ask.  Yes, these are both the same too, but that's only unusual with coins - those are generally made in presses or molds, and those naturally create at least some perfect repeats, so it's only a little unusual to see two that are exactly alike; happens a few times a month at the inn." _He hands them back to you as he adds_ "Although I admit I've never seen that logo on a coin before.  Never thought the Pathfinder society dared to have their own mint.  Why would they bother, though?  It makes no sense to me... unless... they didn't make a mint, and this is from elsewhere.  Where did you call home, if you don't mind my asking?"




> Momonga considers the situation then simply activates his at-will invisibility before reaching a hand out towards the wall of the building, touching it to test if his incorporeality is maintained while polymorphed or if hell need to return to his true form to pass through the wall.


_Your hand passes through the wall without issue._*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

In Pathfinder, polymorph effects basically never change types or subtypes - and incorporeal is a subtype, so you keep it, which has both advantages and disadvantages.




> Evras is going to continue looking for goblin tracks. He'll have a look what anyone he walks past is currently thinking about with his envisaging while he's at it.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Taking 10 again for 
> 59 on perception
> and 48 on survival


_You have no trouble finding their tracks. It seems they came from (and the handful of survivors went off in) five different directions. It looks like there were multiple tribes involved. It also appears that at least one group of goblins used the Sandpoint Glassworks as a staging area. Additionally, you find some goblin tracks leading in that are more recent than the ones leading out._*Spoiler*
Show

You've got your choice of where to go.





> Quiet will move toward the glassworks. Nodding to Momoga as they seem them. They will drop their assume greater appearance by activating their etherealness at-will ability and passes into the building.
> 
> *Spoiler: Etherealness*
> Show
> 
> Acts as Ethereal Jaunt, turns the user ethereal
> An ethereal creature is invisible, insubstantial, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, albeit at half normal speed. As an insubstantial creature, you can move through solid objects, including living creatures. An ethereal creature can see and hear on the Material Plane, but everything looks gray and ephemeral. Sight and hearing onto the Material Plane are limited to 60 feet.
> 
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: Quiet*
Show

See The map. Which room do you enter first?

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: Location*
Show

A6 please it seems like a good middle point of the building to try to start from.

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Are we reasonably alone?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Location*
> Show
> 
> A6 please it seems like a good middle point of the building to try to start from.


_You find yourself in what looks like a wrecked dining room; tables and chairs sized for humans are upended, some smashed or pried apart.  There's at least two decks of playing cards scattered about the place.  You find lots of goblin-sized footprints around the place, most of which seem to ultimately lead through the door in the northwest (upper-right wall on the map, North is to the right, for some reason).  You can hear what sounds like high pitched giggles, shrieks, and breaking glass coming from that same direction._



> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Are we reasonably alone?


_Taking a quick glance around, you notice that most folks are out of easy earshot, so a whisper probably wouldn't be heard, but you are standing basically at the door of a successful inn, which also serves as a pub for the locals._

----------


## Lioslaith

*Where I am from and where my avatar are from are very different places and are very far apart. If youve a moment to speak in private I could enlighten you further but if not we can suffice it to say that it is far from here.* I try to look apologetic at him since I dont really want to just blast out the whole story nor reveal who I am in this world yet.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Where I am from and where my avatar are from are very different places and are very far apart. If youve a moment to speak in private I could enlighten you further but if not we can suffice it to say that it is far from here.* I try to look apologetic at him since I dont really want to just blast out the whole story nor reveal who I am in this world yet.


_Garridan Viskalai chuckles, and says_ "For you, I've got time.  Turns out an inn has a lot of rooms, and folks like quiet for sleeping.  Come..." _if you follow, he leads you to a suite at the back of the inn, and despite the noise of the pub, it is a quiet room indeed.  There's a small fireplace (loaded with wood, but not currently lit), two beds of the same size, one nightstand per bed, a clean brass chamberpot, a glass window with shutters and curtains (window closed and latched, shutters and curtains open), two wooden chairs with cushions, a small table between them, a sink with a mirror, and a stand for a bucket of water (currently empty).  On arrival, the innkeeper adds_ "Luxury suite, well away from prying ears."

----------


## Lioslaith

Once we get into the room and the door closes I will drop the alternate shape and revert to my full angel form. *This is who I am here. But I hail from a different world entirely. Where I am from, and be warned this could be jarring, what you perceive as your world is a game. This body I inhabit wasnt real to me until a few hours ago.*

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet heads toward the source of the giggling and breaking sounds to the right (north) still invisible. Passing through the wall, peeking into the next room to see where the little buggers are.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Where do the tracks not leading to the glassworks seem to lead? Are they headed out of town or are there more goblins possibly in town?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Once we get into the room and the door closes I will drop the alternate shape and revert to my full angel form. *This is who I am here. But I hail from a different world entirely. Where I am from, and be warned this could be jarring, what you perceive as your world is a game. This body I inhabit wasnt real to me until a few hours ago.*


_The inkeeper stops being coherent for a bit_ "So... you're an angel that's not an angel?  Huh.  Well, it's long been known that many outsiders seem to consider our world something of a game to play, so that one's not too strange.  So why here?  Why us?"




> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Where do the tracks not leading to the glassworks seem to lead? Are they headed out of town or are there more goblins possibly in town?


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Out of town, in five different directions.  Glassworks gobbo's are the only ones left in town.





> Quiet heads toward the source of the giggling and breaking sounds to the right (north) still invisible. Passing through the wall, peeking into the next room to see where the little buggers are.


_A long furnace burns along the southeast wall of this equally long room. Marble tables sit throughout the chamber, used to work raw glass into usable shapes, with nearby wooden tables cluttered with various tools of the trade. The buildings furnace rumbles loudly. The main furnace burns at the northeast end, a large chamber that utilizes alchemically treated wood that burns with a hot blue light.  The furnaces stone pipes run to the
southwest, reaching smaller and progressively cooler furnaces, presumably used to keep glassworking projects at the proper temperature (glass shatters if its allowed to cool too quickly). 

This room is a gruesome display of goblin boredom. The bodies of the eight murdered staffers lie in various stages of dismemberment; the goblins have been burning legs and arms in the furnace with glee, and pouring melted glass on the remains._*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

Hearing-based Perception checks here take a -4 penalty due to noise.

----------


## Lioslaith

*"That I really do not know.  The 'game' in our world was ending and I was just seeing it through to the end then suddenly I found myself here.  It could have simply just been happenstance that we ended up here.  It seems fortunate that we did, though.*"

With that I just shrug and look at him apologetically. * "I hope you understand the chance I am taking here."*

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet sees this and frowns unhappy with their displays of cruelty. Quiet will end their etherealness and use their 1/day spell-like to cast Reverse Gravity on the area of the goblins (with 10 ft cube per level its a total of 200 ft cubes of space so it should collect up all the goblins for 20 rounds.). With that all of the Goblins effects would be cast upward toward the ceiling along with anything else in those areas.

"How cruel" Quiet would say telepathically to the Goblins in their own tongue as they float in the area where they had come through the wall (they are in native Whisperer appearance now) "You must be punished for the lives you have taken. Who first?" their telepathic voice holding an echo quality as it rumbled in their minds.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will send a quick message Based on the tracks I've found the only goblins still in town are in the glassworks, the rest split in 5 different directions, presumably back to wherever they live.
I realise this isn't the time, but I've just realised, none of us have tested to see if the arbitrary inventory limits still apply here, wonder if we could own a 1000th coin or 11th slotsless magic item now, thought I'd mention it before I forget.
He'll also inform any guards or other official seeming people he meets of this news "There's goblins in the glassworks, so steer clear, but that should be the last of them so the town at large is safe." 

He'll also give the Ghaele 'orders' "Come with me to the glassworks, seems that's the last place to look, oh and stay invisible please." 

He'll then make himself invisible, approach the front door in his Aeon form and open it, if it's locked then he'll use wood shape to simply split the lock off from the rest of the door and enter as quietly as he can

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Probably won't matter since I doubt there'll be any enemies alive to oppose it, but I'm going to roll stealth since Evras is invisible and his SLA would be silent. (1d20+48)[*58*]  That does not include the +20 from invisibility because I forgot it.
Looking forward to when we all find out in character that Samael has spilled the beans, that'll definitely lead to some interesting conversations.

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

It should be interesting. The mayor didnt seems to want to make time for any of us so I decided to deal with the innkeeper. Also, we could test the inventory thing, Id give you a couple coins to see if the number would go over 1000.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"That I really do not know.  The 'game' in our world was ending and I was just seeing it through to the end then suddenly I found myself here.  It could have simply just been happenstance that we ended up here.  It seems fortunate that we did, though.*"
> 
> With that I just shrug and look at him apologetically. * "I hope you understand the chance I am taking here."*


"Yes, very fortunate."  _He pauses, creases his brow, and adds_ "Although I don't think you're taking as big of a chance as you think.  You just demonstrated you can change your face pretty easily, so if things get hot, you can avoid the heat by simply picking a different face and introducing yourself with a different name.  Even without that, given just _how_ easily you dispatched the goblins, I get the impression that the entire town ganging up on you wouldn't be likely to take you down, so unless you rouse the king's ire or something, you're pretty safe for... well, everything other than your ego, I suppose.  How would you expect this to go wrong?"




> Quiet sees this and frowns unhappy with their displays of cruelty. Quiet will end their etherealness and use their 1/day spell-like to cast Reverse Gravity on the area of the goblins (with 10 ft cube per level its a total of 200 ft cubes of space so it should collect up all the goblins for 20 rounds.). With that all of the Goblins effects would be cast upward toward the ceiling along with anything else in those areas.
> 
> "How cruel" Quiet would say telepathically to the Goblins in their own tongue as they float in the area where they had come through the wall (they are in native Whisperer appearance now) "You must be punished for the lives you have taken. Who first?" their telepathic voice holding an echo quality as it rumbled in their minds.


_The goblins, stuck on the high ceiling, each wordlessly point at each other, looks of terror on their faces as the various tools and shards of broken glass crash up around them on the ceiling._




> Evras will send a quick message Based on the tracks I've found the only goblins still in town are in the glassworks, the rest split in 5 different directions, presumably back to wherever they live.
> I realise this isn't the time, but I've just realised, none of us have tested to see if the arbitrary inventory limits still apply here, wonder if we could own a 1000th coin or 11th slotsless magic item now, thought I'd mention it before I forget.
> He'll also inform any guards or other official seeming people he meets of this news "There's goblins in the glassworks, so steer clear, but that should be the last of them so the town at large is safe." 
> 
> He'll also give the Ghaele 'orders' "Come with me to the glassworks, seems that's the last place to look, oh and stay invisible please." 
> 
> He'll then make himself invisible, approach the front door in his Aeon form and open it, if it's locked then he'll use wood shape to simply split the lock off from the rest of the door and enter as quietly as he can
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So I guess that's room A1....

_The door is locked, but you open it readily enough.  Inside, you find yourself in a display room, which contains a shop where customers can browse the various glassware produced here. Bottles, windowpanes, and glasswork art are the primary contents.  The room looks largely undisturbed, and doesn't have any people in it besides yourself and your summon._




> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> It should be interesting. The mayor didnt seems to want to make time for any of us so I decided to deal with the innkeeper. Also, we could test the inventory thing, Id give you a couple coins to see if the number would go over 1000.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

She was simply busy.  The book actually has me rolling dice to see how many days until she approaches you on various things, although you're all busily pre-empting her causes for doing so.

----------


## Lioslaith

*You make an excellent point and I do hope my ego stays in check. I guess Im just fishing for some grounding as I try and figure out how real this is for me.* I pause as I think a bit then revert back to the elven form I usually default to for appearance. *I think part of me is looking for a friend as well. I do appreciate the hospitality and your frank conversation. If there is anything I could possibly do for you please tell me. If it is within my power I will do it.*

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Meta knowledge is a powerful thing xD we know that there is jobs in them there streets and we kinda went for it.

Quiet watched the panic spread through the group as they pointed to one another and were seemingly beyond words. For a moment they considered what to do with them. They had thought up a proper spell to use, using their once a day wish to replicate Fire Storm and just roast the entire lot of goblins in one swoop their life force could not sustain more than a round or two of 4d6 fire damage as the building would not burn just the people hit by the spell, or in this case goblins. But the thought of their hex came back to their mind as well turning these lot into dogs would drive them insane as Goblins hate dogs with a burning passion and dogs hate goblins.

But the party had already agreed to not sparing any goblins their fate and to just kill them all as quickly as required.
So they used their wish spell for the day and replicated the spell Fire Storm
*Spoiler: Fire Storm*
Show


2 10ft cubes per level equals 400 cubes of space. Pretty much just focusing on the goblin spaces, as I can exclude areas from effect.
(4d6)[*13*] (Don't know if you wanna use this for each goblin or what. Let me know and I will roll more for the rest.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will begin exploring the glassworks, unless something draws his attention he'll head north east (all the way to A16) checking each room he passes for signs of goblins or survivors.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Exchanging coins will have to wait until we're actually near each other.
Oh and Wabbit, you forgot about the 20d6 initial firestorm damage.

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Good spot, somehow I deleted that whole line.
(20d6)[*67*] Firestorm damage.

But yeah it was this or turn them into a pride of cave lions to hunt down their fellows.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *You make an excellent point and I do hope my ego stays in check. I guess Im just fishing for some grounding as I try and figure out how real this is for me.* I pause as I think a bit then revert back to the elven form I usually default to for appearance. *I think part of me is looking for a friend as well. I do appreciate the hospitality and your frank conversation. If there is anything I could possibly do for you please tell me. If it is within my power I will do it.*


_Garridan Viskalai shakes his head_ "You've already done plenty in stopping the goblin raid.  But I will keep you in mind if something comes up.  And... you're always welcome to stay here; I'll keep a room open for you."



> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Meta knowledge is a powerful thing xD we know that there is jobs in them there streets and we kinda went for it.
> 
> Quiet watched the panic spread through the group as they pointed to one another and were seemingly beyond words. For a moment they considered what to do with them. They had thought up a proper spell to use, using their once a day wish to replicate Fire Storm and just roast the entire lot of goblins in one swoop their life force could not sustain more than a round or two of 4d6 fire damage as the building would not burn just the people hit by the spell, or in this case goblins. But the thought of their hex came back to their mind as well turning these lot into dogs would drive them insane as Goblins hate dogs with a burning passion and dogs hate goblins.
> 
> But the party had already agreed to not sparing any goblins their fate and to just kill them all as quickly as required.
> So they used their wish spell for the day and replicated the spell Fire Storm
> ...


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

I looked it up after you said that to double check: So while fire Storm can hurt ships, apparently, it doesn't otherwise harm objects.  Weird. But ok. And... even on a successful save, they all go from full to dead with that damage roll.

_The goblins die briefly screaming, flash-fried by your duplicated spell, their flesh boiling away and their bones charring.  The smoke from their ashes descends down to your nostrils, as the more solid portions of their remains collapse onto the ceiling.  The smoke makes it hard to see clearly, and smells awful._



> Evras will begin exploring the glassworks, unless something draws his attention he'll head north east (all the way to A16) checking each room he passes for signs of goblins or survivors.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Exchanging coins will have to wait until we're actually near each other.
> Oh and Wabbit, you forgot about the 20d6 initial firestorm damage.


_You pass a couple of storerooms (A2, A4, A10), a cleaning closet (A3), some blood-splattered sleeping quarters that are in disarray (A5), a dining room with tables and chairs overturned, cards scattered about (A6), a small washroom (A7), a kitchen with all the cupboards and drawers opened and dumped out, tools everywhere (A8), a pantry that's very clearly been raided for food, with a broken dogslicer in the northern corner (A9), a meeting room (A11), a reception room (A12), an office (A13), a file room (A14), a preparation room (where the various materials are mixed, A15), and the loading room where the actual materials for glass are stored(A16).  The path then loops around to room A17, or the stairwell down.  On the way, you hear all the goblins die to Quiet's sheets of roaring flames._

----------


## Lioslaith

*"My thanks to you, I was going to ask about that very thing.  I certainly appreciate it.*  I will bow slightly and then take my leave.  Heading outside to the street to see what the others are up to.

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Yeah its weird


Quiet would fly down toward the ground and dismissed the spell that was holding the burnt ash to the ceiling. Quiet would take a moment to type up into chat "I just dealt with some goblins at this glasswork location, they killed the workers and were playing with the bodies. Their toast."

----------


## Thunder999

Evras walks into the room of roast goblins and shouts to Quiet "Nice job handling them, there's some stairs over there, might be an underground passage or something, they definitely didn't take the front door the first time they came here. Oh and I see no reason to put this test off, see if you can carry this." and he'll offer her a single copper piece.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm assuming quiet can see invisible people, if not this'll be a little awkward.

----------


## Wabbit

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

They have blindsight, and goggles of trueseeing so yeah they would see them.


Not being in battle they are still wearing their amulet of grasping souls so they can catch the item just fine (it allows incorporeal creatures to touch and interact with objects). "What is this? And yes I agree, we should explore downstairs."

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Yeah its weird
> 
> 
> Quiet would fly down toward the ground and dismissed the spell that was holding the burnt ash to the ceiling. Quiet would take a moment to type up into chat "I just dealt with some goblins at this glasswork location, they killed the workers and were playing with the bodies. Their toast."


_When you dismiss the spell, the ash, assorted glassworking tools, and shards of broken glass that were held against the ceiling fall._
*Spoiler: Mechanics*
Show

(1d6)[*4*] slashing and piercing damage, reflex DC 10 half, for anyone in the room.  DR applies as a physical attack, and it's nonmagical so does nothing to incorporeal folks.





> Evras walks into the room of roast goblins and shouts to Quiet "Nice job handling them, there's some stairs over there, might be an underground passage or something, they definitely didn't take the front door the first time they came here. Oh and I see no reason to put this test off, see if you can carry this." and he'll offer her a single copper piece.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I'm assuming quiet can see invisible people, if not this'll be a little awkward.





> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> They have blindsight, and goggles of trueseeing so yeah they would see them.
> 
> 
> Not being in battle they are still wearing their amulet of grasping souls so they can catch the item just fine (it allows incorporeal creatures to touch and interact with objects). "What is this? And yes I agree, we should explore downstairs."


_You find that you can hold the coin without issue.  You have no problems storing it in your Glove of Storing, your pockets, or anywhere else.  The only place you can't seem to put it is the game inventory system.  The game inventory system refuses to take the coin, as you're at the limit for coppers._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will cheerfully reply "Just a copper piece to test with, looks we can carry more than the inventory allows now, just not inside it, interesting, hardly the weirdest thing about our situation though." as he leads the way to the stairs he's already seen.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will cheerfully reply "Just a copper piece to test with, looks we can carry more than the inventory allows now, just not inside it, interesting, hardly the weirdest thing about our situation though." as he leads the way to the stairs he's already seen.


_Heading down the stairs, you find yourself in a small room with crates and barrels, which store sand and other raw materials. Two wheelbarrows sit against the wall. Just east of the stairs up, brick wall has
been dismantled to reveal an older passageway leading south._ (you're in A19)

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will walk a loop around the place and check the doors to A20, A21, A22 and A23 in that order.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will walk a loop around the place and check the doors to A20, A21, A22 and A23 in that order.


*Spoiler: A20*
Show

_This room is used to store glassware, windows, and other finished goods._

*Spoiler: A21*
Show

_The door to this room is locked.  You can hear muffled breathing inside._

*Spoiler: A22*
Show

_This is a small office, and inside, a reasonably well-dressed half-elf male, with dark hair, tanned skin sleeps face down on the desk, next to a bow and several empty bottles.  The place reeks of alcohol._

*Spoiler: A23*
Show

_This long tunnel leading north from this room winds through the bedrock below Sandpoint. It winds on a lazy northeasterly route for just over 1,750 feet before reaching a dead end.  

Along the tunnels southern half, two side tunnels branch off.  One of these leads east to a collapse after 400 feet, but the one to the west seems to have once been bricked over (and recently re-opened) at the point where it diverges from the main tunnel. This westerly passageway winds for 50 feet before turning north for another 100 feet. 
_

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will smile slightly and start typing when he opens the third door I think I've finally found the guy I expected to see in the graveyard, he's in the basement of the glassworks, so if you want to join the interrogation come on down. then he'll look through his spellbook, quick study up a dominate person and try to dominate the sleeping half elf. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

DC 37 will save, rolling twice taking the worse result.

----------


## Lioslaith

After reading the message I will head to the glassworks.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga will move into the glassworks as well, maintaining his invisibility and simply observing what happens to the goblins and such for the time being. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Ive been busy for the last few days so Im just assuming I followed around the others here for a bit since I wasnt able to put in what actions I wouldve done.

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet would head downstairs as well, mostly as a backup but does peek their head inside room A21 (since the door is probably not thick enough to block that)

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will smile slightly and start typing when he opens the third door I think I've finally found the guy I expected to see in the graveyard, he's in the basement of the glassworks, so if you want to join the interrogation come on down. then he'll look through his spellbook, quick study up a dominate person and try to dominate the sleeping half elf. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> DC 37 will save, rolling twice taking the worse result.


_The man doesn't awaken._ *Spoiler: Evras*
Show

_But you can tell the spell took effect._





> Quiet would head downstairs as well, mostly as a backup but does peek their head inside room A21 (since the door is probably not thick enough to block that)


_Inside, you find a female human with an exotic beauty to her ... spoiled a bit by the drying blood, her ragged breath, as well as the leather gag, leather blindfold, and the rope tying her wrists and ankles.  She seems to be consciously moving, struggling lightly at her bonds, and is lying still on her side on the floor._

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet is surprised and pulls their head back through the door and quickly types in "There is a lady in this room, she is bound and gagged its if you come down the stairs and take a left, straight down the hall." Quiet will pass into the room because the door should not stop full body passing.
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Perception to see if she is wounded and around the room to see if there is more info
(1d20+33)[*53*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Quiet is surprised and pulls their head back through the door and quickly types in "There is a lady in this room, she is bound and gagged its if you come down the stairs and take a left, straight down the hall." Quiet will pass into the room because the door should not stop full body passing.
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> Perception to see if she is wounded and around the room to see if there is more info
> [roll0]


_The room is otherwise empty.  And yes, she is wounded - seriously so, to the point where she's lucky to be alive at all; she easily could have bled out._ (-2 and stable)

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Im sure most can heal but I will heal her when I get there if we need it.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Im sure most can heal but I will heal her when I get there if we need it.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm not checking distances or counting time right now.  You get to arrive essentially on your schedule.

----------


## Lioslaith

I will get to the designated room and try the door handle to see if its locked. If it is I will twist off the handle and head inside. Nodding to Quiet and assessing the injured woman on the floor I will move to her and heal her. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


(3d8+15)[*24*] casting cure serious wounds

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet could cast healing spells but was not sure if there was more at play than just healing needed such as needing something like restoration. They nodded to Samael as they entered and would have to figure out what they could do since they where in their incorporeal form still.
Telepathically saying to Samael _'I would do more, should I recast greater appearance, or should I remain in my true form, it seems to help with checking locked rooms.'_

----------


## Lioslaith

_You are fine as you are for now.  No reason to reveal yourself yet._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras calls over " I've dominated the leader, we can commence interrogation as soon as everyone's here." 
He'll also type something From what I remember I suspect the lady you mentioned is this guy's half sister, and that tunnel will branch off into some not-quite-abandoned ruins from old Thassilon as well as whatever entrance the goblins used, don't remember precisely what's in there, but we'll probably need to check it out once we deal with this. 
Oh and something probably important, I've noticed some deviations from the AP, when I played this whole kidknapping at the glassworks business didn't occur until a day or two after the attack, it's why I didn't even think about trying to stop it. 
He'll also try to recall what he knows of local laws, with a view towards what punishments would await this guy if he's right about him organising this attack, along with whatever he's done to the woman in the other cell.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Not sure which knowledge skill it would be, but I have the same bonus on them all so 
(1d20+56)[*72*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I will get to the designated room and try the door handle to see if its locked. If it is I will twist off the handle and head inside. Nodding to Quiet and assessing the injured woman on the floor I will move to her and heal her. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> [roll0] casting cure serious wounds


_Unsurprisingly, the door is locked.  Surprisingly, the steel lock actually manages to stay in shape under the force applied by the disguised angel.  However, that's only because the wood of the door fails first, which accomplishes much the same effect.

The woman, still bound, gagged, and blindfolded, is fully healed._




> Evras calls over " I've dominated the leader, we can commence interrogation as soon as everyone's here." 
> He'll also type something From what I remember I suspect the lady you mentioned is this guy's half sister, and that tunnel will branch off into some not-quite-abandoned ruins from old Thassilon as well as whatever entrance the goblins used, don't remember precisely what's in there, but we'll probably need to check it out once we deal with this. 
> Oh and something probably important, I've noticed some deviations from the AP, when I played this whole kidknapping at the glassworks business didn't occur until a day or two after the attack, it's why I didn't even think about trying to stop it. 
> He'll also try to recall what he knows of local laws, with a view towards what punishments would await this guy if he's right about him organising this attack, along with whatever he's done to the woman in the other cell.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Not sure which knowledge skill it would be, but I have the same bonus on them all so 
> [roll0]


*Spoiler*
Show

Officially, looks like it's:
"Local (legends, personalities, inhabitants, laws, customs, traditions, humanoids)"

_When you focus on what you think he's done and the relevant laws, you get a game pop-up window with a few tabs, labeled "Kidnapping", "Murder", and "Treason", each of which has it's own set of details.  It doesn't take much reading to realize two of the three carry the death penalty, so - provided what he's done is provable - it's unlikely he'll live much past a trial._

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So to clarify I am in the room with her or is she in a cell within the room?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> So to clarify I am in the room with her or is she in a cell within the room?


*Spoiler*
Show

Room was never intended as a cell, it's just being used that way. It's a normal room, now with a busted door, with a girl tied up in it.

----------


## Lioslaith

I will begin gently freeing her and wait to see if she awakens or not.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga types into the chat Wheres the tunnel entrance? I can check it out, clear out anything else in there.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I will begin gently freeing her and wait to see if she awakens or not.


_As you remove the bindings, you find she's actively cooperating; seems she was already awake, just couldn't do much.  After you release the gag, she seems a bit distraught, but manages to say_ "Thanks.  Ah... you're one of the ones that killed the invading goblins, right?"

----------


## Lioslaith

*I did indeed manage to send a few to meet whatever gods they worship, mlady.* Helping her stand I motion towards the door, *Shall we depart?*

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet would remain silent not sure what to say since they where in their Whisperer form, they could use their etherealness to hide their form. But they did whisper telepathically to Samael _"Should we check down the tunnel next or send her upstairs and into town?"_

----------


## Thunder999

After waiting a little for anyone interested to turn up Evras will command the half elf to wake up and answer all his questions honestly  
"I have a number of questions you shall be answering honestly and in full. Who are you? Why did you assisst goblins in attacking Sandpoint? Why do you want the remains of the old priest? Who are you working with? Where are they? What are your and their future plans? What do you know of the ruins connected to this place?"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I don't think he's capable of deceit while dominated, but Evras has a +45 sense motive to notice any.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *I did indeed manage to send a few to meet whatever gods they worship, mlady.* Helping her stand I motion towards the door, *Shall we depart?*


_She says_ "Yes.  Please.  Get me out of here." _and fails to let go of your hand as you help her up._



> After waiting a little for anyone interested to turn up Evras will command the half elf to wake up and answer all his questions honestly  
> "I have a number of questions you shall be answering honestly and in full. Who are you? Why did you assisst goblins in attacking Sandpoint? Why do you want the remains of the old priest? Who are you working with? Where are they? What are your and their future plans? What do you know of the ruins connected to this place?"
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I don't think he's capable of deceit while dominated, but Evras has a +45 sense motive to notice any.


_The half-elf answers_ "I am Tsuto Kaijitsu, son of Lonjiku Kaijitsu.  Why?  Revenge.  Love.  I'm sure you know how it goes.  The remains are for my love - although sadly, she had to get them via more expensive means than goblins after the sacrificial leads got slain.  Still, get them she did.  She's probably just about done burning them, for that matter.  As for who I'm working with?  Goblins, mostly.  Let's see, there's Srang, Stiakz, Rex, Draabs, Vold, Pygosb, Wruibnacs, Lyrie, Gnarbeek, Lonjiku, Chahzelk, Yrsolb, Bruthazmus, Thealk, Hurxi, Qiensia, Waqe, Orik, Theal, Bhaafliog, Nualia, Sliebuzz, Feessege, Crurlolx, Oilriath, Blic, Triald, Drink, Srord, Xekx, Sreasnigs, Doizlac, Stohdeerd, Rugkeg, Zrihbioq, Ilxai, Gogmurt, Thuth, Gnuh, Teex, Seg, Sinix, Ripnugget, Oldul, Buhnuls, Haggank, and Kloknaaz.  Huh.  Didn't think I'd remember all their names.  Lonjiku is ... probably in the family manor, here in Sandpoint.  The rest should be over in Thistletop shortly, if not already.  Future plans?  Well, we'll get my love rid of her divine taint, get her properly turned into a demon, burning Sandpoint to the ground as an offering to make that happen.  I don't know much about the ruins here."
*Spoiler: Sense Motive*
Show

_He's not being deceptive, exactly.  He is, however, taking pains to throw out as many names as he can reasonably say to sort of flood the list and protect the one person in the list he actually cares about: Nualia._

----------


## Lioslaith

Gripping her hand reassuringly I will head towards the exterior of the building.  *"My name is Samael, even under the circumstances it is a pleasure to meet you."*

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga, having stayed quiet there as well, takes that opportunity to remove his invisibility, showing himself near Evras.  "Well that could have been a bit more helpful but a demon cultist of some kind eh?  Maybe we should find out who he planned to sacrifice the town to and pay that demon a visit ourselves, or at least leave a properly threatening note."

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will reply, in Sphinx, "Yes, tried to bury the information under excess names too, Nualia's the one that matters. Sadly I think it's Lamashtu, don't fancy even our chances against a proper deity." He'll then address Tsuto "Sacrifice the town to who exactly? How did you get that body out of the graveyard? Oh and you're to remain peacefully in that room and honestly answer anyone who asks questions." Then he'll speak again to Momonga, this time in Necril for variety, the bizarre sounds tickling his throat, "I figure he can stay there until we're ready to hand him to the locals, they'll probably want to do a trial before they execute him. Ruins are this way I think."

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Gripping her hand reassuringly I will head towards the exterior of the building.  *"My name is Samael, even under the circumstances it is a pleasure to meet you."*


_She quietly responds_ _I'm Ameiko_ _as she looks around fearfully while you escort her out._




> Evras will reply, in Sphinx, "Yes, tried to bury the information under excess names too, Nualia's the one that matters. Sadly I think it's Lamashtu, don't fancy even our chances against a proper deity." He'll then address Tsuto "Sacrifice the town to who exactly? How did you get that body out of the graveyard? Oh and you're to remain peacefully in that room and honestly answer anyone who asks questions." Then he'll speak again to Momonga, this time in Necril for variety, the bizarre sounds tickling his throat, "I figure he can stay there until we're ready to hand him to the locals, they'll probably want to do a trial before they execute him. Ruins are this way I think."


_He woodenly replies_ "Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters.  _I_ didn't, she did.  We were watching from a mile or so away via a telescope.  She summoned a couple of.... fish horse thingies?  Then turned one of them into a rock that moved around all by itself, said some things I couldn't understand in a gravelly voice, then it disappeared into the ground.  A while later, it popped back out, carrying the bones.  I don't really know how magic works, but it did."
_He sits quietly._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras is going to recall the monsters he knows and see if he can guess what that fish horse was. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Don't think it's important, but I have no idea so I'm curious.  
He'll go through all the knowledges, taking 10 for a 66 until something relevant pops up.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras is going to recall the monsters he knows and see if he can guess what that fish horse was. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Don't think it's important, but I have no idea so I'm curious.  
> He'll go through all the knowledges, taking 10 for a 66 until something relevant pops up.


*Spoiler*
Show

Hippocampus, likely the Aquatic Calvary spell, followed by alter summoned monster for a small earth elemental

----------


## Lioslaith

*"It is my pleasure to meet you.  Why were you being held captive?"*  Noticing her apprehension I reassure her and calm her within my aura.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga shakes his head Ah, well, youre right, I dont plan on tangling with anything with a divine rank any time soon.  That said, if this is like the Pathfinder we know, deities are limited in how they can influence the material plane and I bet we could clear out Lamashtus followers easily enough if we wanted, sever that connection.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"It is my pleasure to meet you.  Why were you being held captive?"*  Noticing her apprehension I reassure her and calm her within my aura.


_The aura seems to help, but not quite as much as you might like; it seems what's bugging her is simply a reaction to recent events, rather than any magical manipulation.  She fearfully replies_  "My brother... he... and when I... he..." _she shudders_

----------


## Lioslaith

*"Be calm, m'lady.  Tell me as you can.  You are safe as long as you are with me."*

----------


## Thunder999

"Might be something connected to her in the ruins actually. They should just branch off this tunnel" Evras says as he heads down the tunnel.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga also heads down the tunnel, keeping an eye out for any branching paths in the tunnel or other potential points of interest, particularly anything hidden or concealed. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 perception: (1d20+30)[*40*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"Be calm, m'lady.  Tell me as you can.  You are safe as long as you are with me."*


_She takes a deep breath, and says_ "After all the excitement with the goblins, he charged into the house, very distraught and ranting. Something about expecting them to lose, but not expecting them to explode?  Anyway, he said something about hiring mercenaries and having plans that it'd be a really bad idea to be in Sandpoint for, and asked me to join him over at ... Thistletop, I think he said?  At that point I slapped him for betraying the town, and he sicked his goblins on me.  Thought I was done for, then I woke up in that room, bound, gagged, and blindfolded."



> "Might be something connected to her in the ruins actually. They should just branch off this tunnel" Evras says as he heads down the tunnel.





> Momonga also heads down the tunnel, keeping an eye out for any branching paths in the tunnel or other potential points of interest, particularly anything hidden or concealed. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  perception: [roll0]


*Spoiler: Map*
Show

(You're coming in via the tunnel in the lower-left, or south-west, corner)

*Spoiler: Perception*
Show

_There's a beast waiting around the corner (in B1).  It's pacing slightly, you can hear the footfalls._

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet will use Etherealness (At-will) to become ethereal and move down the tunnel unseen, to try and see what they can see and sense

*Spoiler: Perception*
Show

(1d20+33)[*34*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Quiet will use Etherealness (At-will) to become ethereal and move down the tunnel unseen, to try and see what they can see and sense
> 
> *Spoiler: Perception*
> Show
> 
> [roll0]


*Spoiler*
Show

See the Map.  Most rooms have some description and/or something obvious to do.  Where do you go first?

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga will prepare to cast a spell should the creature be hostile or a potential danger to the townspeople while moving forward to get a look into the room.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras moves into the room (B1 I assume) with Momonga. The Ghaele should still be following.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga will prepare to cast a spell should the creature be hostile or a potential danger to the townspeople while moving forward to get a look into the room.





> Evras moves into the room (B1 I assume) with Momonga. The Ghaele should still be following.


*Spoiler: Evras and Momonga*
Show





_The room's stonework is very different from the tunnel's, and much, much older.  As you round the corner into the room, a horribly deformed humanoid, hairless and emaciated, lurches out of the shadows. Its unnaturally long arms end in three-fingered talons, and its legs bend like those of a dog. A writhing network of bulging veins form dark blue patterns across its pallid skin. But worst of all is its faceits nose is little more than a pair of slits, and its eyes are bulging and red. The lower jaw splits in half at the chin into two wretched arms that end in tiny three-fingered hands to either side an open gullet with a lolling tongue._

*Spoiler: Knowledge(Dungeoneering) DC 13+*
Show

_When you look at the beast, you get a popup: "Sinspawn are a mockery of the flesh, the shape of humanity warped and twisted by an all-encompassing wrath, transforming their familiar shape into one of horror and ruin. Sinspawn were originally created by Runelord Alaznist, who used life-shaping magic she and her fellow runelords stole from the alien aboleths to fashion shock troops she could use in her endless confrontations with her numerous enemies (primarily the Runelord Karzoug). She invested in these monsters not only anger and the capacity to murder, but a twisted sense of free will to encourage the desire to gain in power and strengthnot just to please their mistress, but to please themselves. This final stroke of twisted brilliance made all the difference, and what could have manifested as little more than a new form of intelligent construct became an entirely new form of aberrant life.  This one is a Sinspawn of Wrath."_


*Spoiler: Initiative*
Show

Beast: (1d20+5)[*6*]
... neither of you is _capable_ of rolling lower than that, so you just go first.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will fly up to the Sinspawn and swing his conductive longsword at it.  

"Don't think there's much to do but kill it, probably plenty more further in too."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Conductive longsword
(1d20+36)[*45*] to hit
(2d6+23)[*26*] slashing damage and
(20d8)[*99*] negative energy by conducting his energy touch

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga raises his hand at the thing and casts Finger of Death on it. 

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

 210 damage, DC39 Fort, (3d6+21)[*35*] if it somehow manages to save

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet would see that they had the Sinspawn handled. So they would travel through the walls to the b2 locations down a short hallway.

----------


## Lioslaith

I type into the message window, _I have found the sister of the person responsible for the goblin attack, apparently he is now in Thistletop._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Okay that's like 3 pages in a row to get the first post, surely that deserves a level up or something, lol

----------


## Thunder999

Evras types back (after the sinspawn meets a very swift end) Actually he's in the basement, I dominated him and ordered him to stay put+answer questions honestly if you feel like a chat. Thistletop's where Nualia, his 'girlfriend' and crazy lamashtu cultist is holed up. Turns out she wants to sacrifice the whole town to Lamashtu.

----------


## Lioslaith

_"So he never made it to Thistletop then I assume?"_

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will fly up to the Sinspawn and swing his conductive longsword at it.  
> 
> "Don't think there's much to do but kill it, probably plenty more further in too."
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Conductive longsword
> [roll0] to hit
> ...


_You hit the sinspawn, and your sword slices very deeply into it's flesh, digging into it's lungs.  That doesn't quite put it down for the count, but the flood of negative energy pouring into it's tissues snuffs out it's life, and it collapses into a gooey mess as it's cells lose cohesion._



> Momonga raises his hand at the thing and casts Finger of Death on it. 
> 
> *Spoiler: ooc*
> Show
> 
>  210 damage, DC39 Fort, [roll0] if it somehow manages to save


_Seeing it die to the sword, you save yourself a spell slot._



> Quiet would see that they had the Sinspawn handled. So they would travel through the walls to the b2 locations down a short hallway.


_The original purpose of this chamber is unclear, but large mounds of rubble lie strewn on its floor. The wall to the west has been torn down to reveal a tunnel leading to the west._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will head on down the corridor to B3.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will head on down the corridor to B3.


_A red marble statue of a strikingly beautiful but, at the same time, monstrously enraged human woman stands in the middle of this room, her stony expression twisted in fury. The woman wears flowing robes, and her long hair is held back from her face by an intricate headdress of hooks and blades. In her left hand she carries a large book, the face of which is inscribed with a seven-pointed star. Her right hand holds a glittering metal and ivory ranseur._
*Spoiler: Knowledge(History) DC 35*
Show

_The statue depicts Runelord Alaznist_

*Spoiler: Appraise, DC 25*
Show

_The ranseur is quite real, and looks like it's removable.  Masterwork, and a piece of art, it's worth 400 gp_

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will take a moment to examine the statue, "So this is what old Alaznist looked like, my robes are actually a duplicate of those you know." he gestures at the statue "Ranseur looks moderatley valuable too, nothing compared to what we're all wearing of course, still it'd be a shame to just leave it here." and with that, unless someone objects, he'll take the ranseur and pop it in his inventory and head north towards B4

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will take a moment to examine the statue, "So this is what old Alaznist looked like, my robes are actually a duplicate of those you know." he gestures at the statue "Ranseur looks moderatley valuable too, nothing compared to what we're all wearing of course, still it'd be a shame to just leave it here." and with that, unless someone objects, he'll take the ranseur and pop it in his inventory and head north towards B4


_The ranseur comes free with a little tugging._

_Water ripples quietly in a circular stone pool lined with skulls here. Smears of what looks like blood mar the pools rim in places.  When you enter, you're accosted by a blackened, bat-winged fiends head. Tentacles dangle from chin and scalp, and its fanged mouth hangs agape._
Init: (1d20+1)[*20*]
*Spoiler: Kn(The planes) DC 12*
Show

Vargouille, CR 2

----------


## Wabbit

Quiet will peek down the tunnel to see if its the same tunnels that the others where using. If it proves to be then they would turn and head through the north entrance of B2 till they get to the a spot where they would have to make a choice and investigate that area to see if there is any indication of which way to go. (Halfway to B3)

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Quiet will peek down the tunnel to see if its the same tunnels that the others where using. If it proves to be then they would turn and head through the north entrance of B2 till they get to the a spot where they would have to make a choice and investigate that area to see if there is any indication of which way to go. (Halfway to B3)


*Spoiler*
Show

What sort of indications are you looking for?

----------


## Thunder999

Evras is going to unceremoniously kill this thing with his sword too.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Evras has a 54 for initiative, so is definitely going first.  
(1d20+36)[*46*] to hit for
(2d6+23)[*32*] slashing damage and
(20d8)[*101*] negative energy damage via conductive.

I feel like I'm not leaving much for QuantumFlash to do, but it's a single woefully outmatched enemy, so not much of an alternative

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras is going to unceremoniously kill this thing with his sword too.  
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Evras has a 54 for initiative, so is definitely going first.  
> [roll0] to hit for
> [roll1] slashing damage and
> [roll2] negative energy damage via conductive.
> ...


_Your sword passes through the beast with ease, the negative energy causing the remains to melt into a puddle._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will keep flying along to B5.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga follows along silently and invisibly, as a specter of death should.

----------


## Wabbit

> *Spoiler*
> Show
> 
> What sort of indications are you looking for?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Basically any sounds or reasons to head toward b3 or b12. Any sign of travel that way, etc
(1d20+33)[*40*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will keep flying along to B5.





> Momonga follows along silently and invisibly, as a specter of death should.


_A flight of spiral stairs winds up around a circular pillar into darkness above._




> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Basically any sounds or reasons to head toward b3 or b12. Any sign of travel that way, etc
> [roll0]


_Footprints go both directions.  To the north, you can faintly hear the sounds of a fight; to the east, pacing._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras is heading up the stairs.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras is heading up the stairs.


_It doesn't take long to find that the stairwell is blocked by rocks. Looks like there was a cave in at some point._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will turn to face Momonga "It's caved in, do you think you can get through incorporeally?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will turn to face Momonga "It's caved in, do you think you can get through incorporeally?


*Spoiler*
Show

Not without work. It's 30 feet of essentially solid ground.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga contemplates it. Looks pretty solidly blocked.  Can phase through but navigation in something like that can be a bit tricky. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 So would I need some sort of check to get through?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga contemplates it. Looks pretty solidly blocked.  Can phase through but navigation in something like that can be a bit tricky. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  So would I need some sort of check to get through?


*Spoiler*
Show

For all practical purposes, it's a 30 foot thick solid wall.  Incorporeal creatures can go inside objects, but must remain adjacent to the exterior at all times.  You'd need to have a 30 foot space (colossal) to get through that way.  You're only Large (10 foot space).

Further Reading:


> An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the objects exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will reply "I could probably clear the rock away with a Sphere of Oblivion, though I think we can safely say it's not been used in a while so maybe we should check a different direction?"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

An incorporeal creature has to stay adjacent to the edge of an object at all times, so effectively you can only go through things your size or smaller, so to pass through 30ft of rubble you'd need to be colossal.

----------


## Lioslaith

I type into the group chat *If any of the casters can teleport Id be grateful if theyd come get me. Providing youd like my help.*

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga moves forward and presses a hand into the rock, searching into it. Hmm. Looks like it might be too thick to pass through.  Id also guess we might not want to clear it too hastily, it already collapsed once and that would just make it worse.  I say we just look somewhere else.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will nod "Good point, wouldn't want to collapse the place, there were paths leading north and south from the statue of Alaznist we could take instead." 

He'll type in chat I've got dimension door and greater teleport, so I could fetch you, but where are you?

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Looks like we can try B6 or B12, why don't you pick this time.

----------


## Lioslaith

Typing back *Near the center of town. About where I slew the goblins.*

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will go fetch Samael "Be right back"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm pretty sure we're still directly beneath the town so a 1280ft range dimension door should be enough, so I'm casting that twice, if we've gone further than I thought I'll use a pair of greater teleports instead.

----------


## Lioslaith

I nod as Evras appears and we dimension door back to the others.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will go fetch Samael "Be right back"
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I'm pretty sure we're still directly beneath the town so a 1280ft range dimension door should be enough, so I'm casting that twice, if we've gone further than I thought I'll use a pair of greater teleports instead.


_You have no problems fetching Samael._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will update Samael on what they've found "As far as creatures go, we've only run into a Wrath Sinspawn and a Vargouille, only points of interest so far are a caved in stairwell, at least 15ft of solid rock, which we've left alone in the interest of structural inegrity and that statue of Alaznist over there, it had a mundane but valuable glaive which I liberated. Just got to decide which way to go now." He'll point towards what he's discussing as he does.

----------


## Lioslaith

I nod in appreciation for the lift.  I will detect good and evil and see what foresight tells me, if anything.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I nod in appreciation for the lift.  I will detect good and evil and see what foresight tells me, if anything.


*Spoiler*
Show

_You do manage to find a Dim aura of evil in the area, spread out and scattered.  Evil definitely lives here.  Detect Good doesn't show anything you weren't already aware of, and nor does Foresight._*Spoiler*
Show

B5, nothing in range

----------


## QuantumFlash

No reason to just keep standing around. Momonga comments, Even if we have plenty of time to just explore everything, so we should keep moving. If someone has a preference where to go next, lead on, else Ill take the lead.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will lead on to B6 then.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will lead on to B6 then.


_This large chamber was obviously once a prison, as testified by the nearly two dozen cells that line the rooms perimeter. A rickety wooden platform overlooks the room, with two flights of stairs descending to the prison floor ten feet below. A five-foot-wide wooden walkway runs from the northern edge of the platform to a passageway to the east.  Skeletons lie in most of the cells, prisoners who starved to death ages ago.  The walkway above the room looks rickety.

Two sinspawn are bickering in the eastern part of the room over a collection of skulls, tearing and biting at each other enough to cause wounds but never so much that their fast healing cant keep them alive and conscious.  When you enter, they turn towards you, bloodlust in their eyes._

*Spoiler: init*
Show

(1d20+5)[*25*]

----------


## Lioslaith

As I enter the room I will move to the side

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

(1d20+14)[*32*]

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will fly over and smack one with a sword.  
"More sinspawn, interesting from a lore perspective, but pushovers for us."

His invisible Ghaele will take a potshot too, because why not.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Evras gets to go first with 54 init, don't think anyone actually playing has enough bonus to ever beat that.
The usual conductive sword stuff
(1d20+36)[*53*] to hit
(2d6+23)[*31*] weapon damage
(20d8)[*95*] conductive negative energy.
I'm assuming the Ghaele has to move to see them, really doesn't feel like there's enough room for anything but single file through that doorway, even if it and Momonga are incorporeal. It's been staying greater invisible with its at will SLA and in light form. Shooting the one Evras didn't attack.
(1d20+16)[*24*] to hit, going against flat footed touch AC, the +2 for being invisible is included
(2d12)[*14*] untyped damage
It's very unlikely the Ghaele's attack matters, but you never know, maybe the rest of us will all roll nat 1s, that'd be pretty funny.
EDIT: so the sword was a crit threat, but you can't edit new rolls in and I doubt it actually matters, so I'll just not confirm it.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga just goes to target the one not instantly obliterated with a Polar Ray, a little annoyed at this point and so peers into the future for the perfect shot.

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Initiative: (1d20+10)[*27*] 
Polar Ray: Immediate action for Flash of Insight to grant it an automatic 20
Confirmation roll (1d20+28)[*46*]
Damage: (21d6)[*70*] cold and (1d4)[*2*] dex drain
Critical damage (even if it doesn't matter) (21d6)[*72*] cold

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will fly over and smack one with a sword.  
> "More sinspawn, interesting from a lore perspective, but pushovers for us."
> 
> His invisible Ghaele will take a potshot too, because why not.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Evras gets to go first with 54 init, don't think anyone actually playing has enough bonus to ever beat that.
> ...


_Before the beast can properly react to your presence, you zip in and cut into it, your sword decapitating it with a shower of arterial blood as the pulse of negative energy channeled through your sword reduces it's body to sludge._ 
*Spoiler*
Show

Note: The normal solution for that scenario boil down to "second post" - whether that's double-posting with the confirmation roll, or posting in the Dice Rolls Forum and editing a link into your post.

But yeah, very dead even without the crit confirm.






> Momonga just goes to target the one not instantly obliterated with a Polar Ray, a little annoyed at this point and so peers into the future for the perfect shot.
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Initiative: [roll0] 
> Polar Ray: Immediate action for Flash of Insight to grant it an automatic 20
> Confirmation roll [roll1]
> Damage: [roll2] cold and [roll3] dex drain
> Critical damage (even if it doesn't matter) [roll4] cold


_The creature opens it's gaping maw to shout a warning, but the blast of cold goes directly into it's open mouth and freezes it's brain solid before it can actually do so.  The excess cold bleeds through the rest of it's body, and the result is a frozen statue of a sinspawn... which, without the constant adjustment of a live person, falls and shatters on the ground._

----------


## Thunder999

Onwards to the east then, B7 looks to be our next stop.

Noticing Momonga's annoyance Evras will speak to him "Something bothering you?"

----------


## QuantumFlash

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Not really sure how youd notice that, considering the only manifestation was the use of his insight ability.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sense motive maybe, is he even trying to hide it? Really though just I figured you were mentioning it for a reason

----------


## Lioslaith

I'll pause as they are dispatching the creatures and do a quick investigation around the room.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

(1d20+33)[*34*] perception

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga just grunts noncommittally at the question.  He just also turns to give a quick scan of the room after ending the sin spawn.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I'll pause as they are dispatching the creatures and do a quick investigation around the room.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> [roll0] perception


_You don't spot anything of particular note; nothing seems hidden in this area, as far as you can tell._



> Momonga just grunts noncommittally at the question.  He just also turns to give a quick scan of the room after ending the sin spawn.


_You don't spot anything of particular note; nothing seems hidden in this area, as far as you can tell._




> Onwards to the east then, B7 looks to be our next stop.
> 
> Noticing Momonga's annoyance Evras will speak to him "Something bothering you?"


*Spoiler: Room B7*
Show

_This room contains several ancient relics of what appear to be torture
implements, although their function and style seem strange and archaic. In one corner sits a spherical cage with spikes protruding inward from its iron bars. In another stands what appears to be a star-shaped wooden frame, its surface studded with hooks. And in the center of the room is a long table covered with leather straps and a number of cranks that seem designed to rotate and swivel.  All the implements look like they saw much use at one point, but are now far too rusted or decayed to be usable._

----------


## Lioslaith

I will try the knob/handle/lever on the door to the south.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I will try the knob/handle/lever on the door to the south.


_The crumbling remnants of several chairs and a long table clutter the floor of this room. To the south stand three stone doors, each bearing a strange symbol that resembles a seven-pointed star._

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga peers into the next room and focused on the symbols, seeing if he can recall anything about them. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 not knowing quite what the right roll is here, Ill just toss out several. 
Knowledge Arcana: (1d20+44)[*57*]
Knowledge History: (1d20+22)[*34*]
Knowledge Religion: (1d20+30)[*40*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga peers into the next room and focused on the symbols, seeing if he can recall anything about them. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  not knowing quite what the right roll is here, Ill just toss out several. 
> Knowledge Arcana: [roll0]
> Knowledge History: [roll1]
> Knowledge Religion: [roll2]



*Spoiler: Kn(History)*
Show

_It's the Sihedron Rune,  the ancient symbol of all seven schools of Thassilonian magic._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will follow Momonga in and start opening doors.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Now this is interesting. Thassilonian Sihedron runes.  What were they doing here? Momonga crouches down and brushes a hand on the ground. If you guys dont mind waiting a few minutes I might have a way to get us some more information.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will follow Momonga in and start opening doors.


_The three doors to the south were once prison cells. Within each is a single skeleton of a badly deformed humanoid; one has three arms, another has an enormous misshapen skull, and the third has a ribcage that goes all the way down to its pelvisa pelvis with stunted legbones strewn below its strangely flat girth._
*Spoiler: Detect Magic, Arcane Sight, or similar*
Show

_There is a magical aura on a page underneath a broken chain.  Faint Evocation._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will reply while he picks up and examines the magical page  "This whole place is definitely Thassilonian ruins, there's sinspawn and a statue of Alaznist, the last Runelord of Wrath, I assume this place was part of her domain before Earthfall. These bodies are certainly interesting though, so strangely deformed, wonder what did it, fleshwarping? Something related to Lamashtu? I'm happy to wait if you think you can learn more, it'll give me time to identify this piece of paper." 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Evras has constant arcane sight to see it and read magic, which he'll use if it's a scroll, if not he'll try to identify the item with spellcraft
(1d20+46)[*59*] spellcraft

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will reply while he picks up and examines the magical page  "This whole place is definitely Thassilonian ruins, there's sinspawn and a statue of Alaznist, the last Runelord of Wrath, I assume this place was part of her domain before Earthfall. These bodies are certainly interesting though, so strangely deformed, wonder what did it, fleshwarping? Something related to Lamashtu? I'm happy to wait if you think you can learn more, it'll give me time to identify this piece of paper." 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Evras has constant arcane sight to see it and read magic, which he'll use if it's a scroll, if not he'll try to identify the item with spellcraft
> [roll0] spellcraft


*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

_The writing on this scroll seems strange and archaic, and attempts to decipher the spell via a Spellcraft check suffer a 10 penalty unless the reader can read Thassilonian. Read magic works normally to reveal the fact that its a scroll of flaming sphere (CL 5th)._

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga starts concentrating, casting one of his spell-like abilities, which will take him ten minutes. At the end of that he will address any stone in the different rooms, Tell me, if you can, who these prisoners were and who or what else was here at the same time as them.

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Casting Stone Tell as a SLA

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga starts concentrating, casting one of his spell-like abilities, which will take him ten minutes. At the end of that he will address any stone in the different rooms, Tell me, if you can, who these prisoners were and who or what else was here at the same time as them.
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Casting Stone Tell as a SLA


_The stones all reply in a similar manner, with very little of use actually changing_ "Experiment 386... something, I forget.  It was a while ago.  This pile of almost-rock used to be one piece of not-rock that moved sometimes.  Some other not rock shaped thing that moved... I heard it called Xaliasa once... would come in and mumble at it every now and again, or give it a not-rock thing that it put in the hole in it's top.  Sometimes it would change a little.  Sometimes a lot.  Most the time not at all.  And it would just stand here all the time, doing nothing, until the other not-rock shaped thing opened the door for it.  Then it would go out for a little while, and come back.  But that all stopped quite some time ago.  It just stood in place for a long time, then collapsed, and eventually turned into this pile of almost rock you see here."

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga stands up again and looks at the others, Not too much to go on but we have a name at least: Xaliasa.  Well, lets move on, theres more to see and we can try asking stone in other places, the spell will last a little while.  Momonga also searches his memories to see if hes heard of Xaliasa before.

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

  more checks:
Knowledge History: (1d20+22)[*29*]
Knowledge Local: (1d20+22)[*37*]

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will reply interestedly "That name doesn't ring any bells regarding my own knowledge of RotR, not that that means anything of course, still that might enough to try a Vision spell later, this paper is a very old, as in probably pre-Earthfall old, scroll of flaming sphere, perhaps it could have even belonged to this Xaliasa." He'll pocked the scroll for now.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Just wanted to say I liked the talking stones.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga focuses on the scroll with interest Pre-Earthfall?  Really that old? Im a little surprised if thats true, if these are pre-Earthfall ruins its amazing they lasted this long without being scoured clean by adventurers if not archeologists.  In any case, next room?

----------


## Thunder999

Evras nods and starts flying towards B9 "Well the entrance looked to have been bricked over, so maybe someone did find it but was driven off by the monsters within? Next room it is."

----------


## QuantumFlash

Speaking of, I actually recalled a way we might be able to get through that rubble. Momonga comments as he flies along after. I didnt think of it at the time but I do have a Staff of Passage buried somewhere in my inventory.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga stands up again and looks at the others, Not too much to go on but we have a name at least: Xaliasa.  Well, lets move on, theres more to see and we can try asking stone in other places, the spell will last a little while.  Momonga also searches his memories to see if hes heard of Xaliasa before.
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>   more checks:
> Knowledge History: (1d20+5)[*23*]
> Knowledge Local: (1d20+0)[*16*]


*Spoiler*
Show

Sorry, I was pegging this guy at DC 30 Kn(History).  Also, his story is apparently in book 5.




> Evras will reply interestedly "That name doesn't ring any bells regarding my own knowledge of RotR, not that that means anything of course, still that might enough to try a Vision spell later, this paper is a very old, as in probably pre-Earthfall old, scroll of flaming sphere, perhaps it could have even belonged to this Xaliasa." He'll pocked the scroll for now.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Just wanted to say I liked the talking stones.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm glad you liked it.




> Evras nods and starts flying towards B9 "Well the entrance looked to have been bricked over, so maybe someone did find it but was driven off by the monsters within? Next room it is."


_The ceiling of this strangely cold chamber arches to a vaulted height of twenty feet. The floor contains eleven wooden lids strewn haphazardly over eleven five-foot-wide pits in the ground. From the darkness within these pits echo up strange shuffling sounds and, every so often, a low moan. 

There is a hunch-backed, 3-armed goblin in the middle of the room._

*Spoiler: Init*
Show


Mutant Goblin: (1d20+5)[*23*]
Currently unseen things: (1d20+0)[*16*]

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga ignores the odd goblin, knowing that it will be swiftly dead and goes instead to see whats in the pits, readying to use one of his abilities.

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Initiative: (1d20+10)[*12*] and ready an action to use his spell-like Circle of Death should whatever is in the pits leave the pits.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will repeat his previous tactic by flying up to the goblin and hitting it.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

54 init
(1d20+36)[*40*] to hit
(2d6+23)[*34*] damage
(20d8)[*81*] conductive energy touch

I'd also like to roll knowledge history about Xaliasa if that's ok
(1d20+56)[*64*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will repeat his previous tactic by flying up to the goblin and hitting it.  
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 54 init
> [roll0] to hit
> [roll1] damage
> [roll2] conductive energy touch
> ...


_Your sword nearly cuts the mutant goblin in half at the waist, showering you in foul-smelling blood, as the negative energy reduces his body to a pile of sludge._

*Spoiler: Knowledge(History) DC 60*
Show

_When you focus on the name, you get a pop-up, which says_ "Near the end of the Thassilonian Empire, a man named Xaliasa commanded one of Alaznists Hellfire Flumesone of several defensive fortifications along the border between her empire and that of Karzoug. Xaliasa was given much freedom in how he ran his Hellfire Flume, as long as he continued researching methods of producing and perfecting sinspawn for Alaznists army and maintained the defensive line against invaders from Shalast to the east. Yet Xaliasa served anotherhe had succumbed to greed and, in secret, Karzoug bought his allegiance, transforming him into a double-agent of sorts. In his role as defender of the Hellfire Flume, he also served Karzoug with regular reports on Alaznists troop movements.
Further complicating Xaliasas life was his devotion to a third masterLamashtu herself. As his role as a double-agent grew more demanding, Xaliasa grew more distressed and more insane. His true loyalties increasingly lay with Lamashtu, and he foresaw a point in the near future when his treason between Alaznist and Karzoug would place him in great danger. 
Xaliasas answer was to use, in secret, his contacts with both runelords, to discover the way to the Runeforge, perhaps the only safe place where he could retreat if either runelord decided he was no longer of use. Discovering the secret to entering Runeforge was no easy task, but only a few days before the empire was destined to fail, Xaliasa made the discovery. When Thassilon collapsed and the world shook and the oceans swallowed Alaznists empire, Xaliasas plans for escape proved inadequate. He had planned for the wrath of one, perhaps two runelords, and was ill-prepared for the rage of an entire world. The supportive wards that protected all of Thassilons monuments and attendant complexes from erosion and decay kept many of the chambers below the Hellfire Flume intact, but only barely. Xaliasa had the misfortune to be in one of the rooms that collapsedand with his death he took from the world one of the secret ways to enter Runeforge."





> Momonga ignores the odd goblin, knowing that it will be swiftly dead and goes instead to see whats in the pits, readying to use one of his abilities.
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Initiative: [roll0] and ready an action to use his spell-like Circle of Death should whatever is in the pits leave the pits.


_Whatever seems to be in the pits seems unable to get out.  Looking through a gap in one of the lids, you see a single human zombie, a pitiful creature, just sort of shuffling around on the bottom of the pit, scrabbling at the walls, apparently trying to get to you... but completely unable to climb the walls of it's prison._

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga eyes the pitiful undead, and deems it not worth controlling, so he floats down into the pit while drawing his staff of power and brings it down with a crushing blow to try to destroy the zombie. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 attack: (1d20+36)[*48*] 
damage: (1d8+23)[*29*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga eyes the pitiful undead, and deems it not worth controlling, so he floats down into the pit while drawing his staff of power and brings it down with a crushing blow to try to destroy the zombie. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  attack: [roll0] 
> damage: [roll1]


_Your staff shatters the beast easily, splattering yourself and the walls of the pit with stinky gore.  You can hear low moans and shuffling coming from the other pits as well._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras calls out "I know who that Xaliasa is, tried a Knowledge History check, and it explains a fair bit, he started as a servant of Alaznist manning this complex and the Hellfire Flumes, a sort of defensive tower guarding the border with Karzoug, that's the runelord of Greed, I think that old lighthouse is part of the ruins actually. Anyway, turns out Xaliasa was plenty greedy himself, so Karzoug bought his loyalty as a double agent, spying on troop movements and the like, but Xaliasa decided he actually preferred Lamashtu to both of them, though earthfall crushed him and his plans, quite literally, he's probably buried in rubble somewhere below Sandpoint, along with the rest of the planet." not exactly a perfect retelling, but he thinks it gets the gist across, he remembers the runeforge being important later, but doesn't think it worth mentioning yet.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Was slightly worried for a second when I read "Your staff shatters"

----------


## QuantumFlash

"Hmm. So this really is pre-earthfall stuff down here.  Amazing."  Momonga lets the gore pass through him without dirtying him and flies back out of the pit.  "Seems like there are only some low level zombies in these pits.  Not worth the effort to try to control them right now, so we might as well wipe them out.  Shame they're in all these separate pits, can't really wipe them out with one AOE."  He flourishes his staff and takes a look in the next pit. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

So should we bother rolling to wipe them out or can we just describe it and move on?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> "Hmm. So this really is pre-earthfall stuff down here.  Amazing."  Momonga lets the gore pass through him without dirtying him and flies back out of the pit.  "Seems like there are only some low level zombies in these pits.  Not worth the effort to try to control them right now, so we might as well wipe them out.  Shame they're in all these separate pits, can't really wipe them out with one AOE."  He flourishes his staff and takes a look in the next pit. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
> So should we bother rolling to wipe them out or can we just describe it and move on?


*Spoiler*
Show

They can't fight back vs. anything even slightly ranged, or that is invisible, or that's incorporeal, or that has meaningful DR, or... so yeah.

_You have no problems wiping out the zombies, although you do find that the lids for the pits are extremely fragile.  Those of you with a sight for magic find that the pits seem to be enchanted with a Gentle Repose effect._

----------


## Thunder999

Onward to B11 then, we can look in on B10 on the way, but I expect these stairs to be blocked too.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga first pauses to see if the goblin had anything of particular interest on it, scanning any items with Detect Magic.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga first pauses to see if the goblin had anything of particular interest on it, scanning any items with Detect Magic.


_The longsword he carries shows faint evocation, the dagger is silver, and his handaxe seems of remarkably good construction; in game terms, it's probably masterwork._



> Onward to B11 then, we can look in on B10 on the way, but I expect these stairs to be blocked too.


(B10): _Much like the stairs upwards, this stairwell has collapsed, and isn't easily passable._

(B11): _This strange room consists of a fifteen-foot-diameter sphere. Several objects float in the room, spinning lazily in spacea ragged book, a scroll, a bottle of wine, a dead raven surrounded by a halo of floating and writhing maggots, and a twisted iron wand with a forked tip. Yet perhaps the most unnerving aspect of the room is the walls, for they are plated in sheets of strange red metal that ripple every once in a while with silent black electricity that seems to coalesce into strange runes or even words far too often for the effect to be chance.  When you enter, a Levitation spell takes hold of you, and floats you a little up in the air._

*Spoiler: Understanding Thassilonian Script*
Show

_You can recognize snatches of words every here and there in the silent black electricity: words having to do with anger, wrath, and a need for revenge, but never anything close to a full thought._

*Spoiler: Detect Magic or similar*
Show

_The entire room has an aura of transmutation, which is drowning out any lesser auras that might be present._

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga collects the weapons and moves on to the next room as well, and grins in surprise at the discovery.  Well well.  Some sort of active magical construct or ritual? Has this been here the whole time as well? He uses Detect Magic again and attempts to analyze the magic in the room further. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Spellcraft: (1d20+33)[*43*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga collects the weapons and moves on to the next room as well, and grins in surprise at the discovery.  Well well.  Some sort of active magical construct or ritual? Has this been here the whole time as well? He uses Detect Magic again and attempts to analyze the magic in the room further. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Spellcraft: [roll0]


*Spoiler*
Show

It's a zero-G room, based on the levitate spell. Indiscriminate, and there doesn't seem to be any control mechanism

----------


## Thunder999

"Now this is unusual, an entire room with constant levitate, wonder what it's for, perhaps they used it to store something fragile or volatile they didn't want touching the floor? Odd that the writing on the wall is so angry, if it was tied to the effect it'd be greedy not wrathful, and revenge speaks of something more personal. Anyone got any guesses? Oh and what's the wand?" says Evras

He also checks to see whether any of his knowledge skills have anything on the strange black metal.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Evras has the same bonus on all his knowledge checks and will take 10 for a 66

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga turns his attention and detect magic spell next to the various items floating in the room, starting with the wand, then scroll, then the remaining items, identifying any magic items as he goes along.

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 respective spellcraft rolls: 
Wand: (1d20+33)[*44*]
Scroll: (1d20+33)[*37*]
Book: (1d20+33)[*40*]
Wine: (1d20+33)[*34*]
Raven: (1d20+33)[*43*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> "Now this is unusual, an entire room with constant levitate, wonder what it's for, perhaps they used it to store something fragile or volatile they didn't want touching the floor? Odd that the writing on the wall is so angry, if it was tied to the effect it'd be greedy not wrathful, and revenge speaks of something more personal. Anyone got any guesses? Oh and what's the wand?" says Evras
> 
> He also checks to see whether any of his knowledge skills have anything on the strange black metal.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Evras has the same bonus on all his knowledge checks and will take 10 for a 66


_The strange red metal seems to just be a vehicle for an enchantment.  The black electricity is unrelated, and seems to be a ghost that hasn't quite managed to manifest yet._




> Momonga turns his attention and detect magic spell next to the various items floating in the room, starting with the wand, then scroll, then the remaining items, identifying any magic items as he goes along.
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  respective spellcraft rolls: 
> Wand: [roll0]
> Scroll: [roll1]
> Book: [roll2]
> ...


*Spoiler*
Show

Wand: Shocking Grasp, 28 charges remaining.
Scroll: Burning Hands, CL 3.  Archaic text makes it harder to decipher with Spellcraft.
Book: Nonmagical.
Wine: Nonmagical.
Raven: Nonmagical.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Hmm looks like we have a wand of shocking grasp and a magic scroll in Thassilonian.  Think we should grab them for their historical significance?  Other stuff isnt magical, but maybe some of them are historical artifacts too?  Momonga muses.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras shrugs "No reason not to take them, anything written in the book? Oh and I think the lightning is some sort of not-quite-manifested ghost, not sure there's anything to do about it though."

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga takes the book and opens it, seeing what it contains and reads it if he can.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The book reads as much like a bestiary of the worlds most horrific and cruel monsters (along with numerous woodcut illustrations of how they kill) as it does a religious text._

*Spoiler: Appraise skill*
Show

It's worth 100 gp as an art object

----------


## QuantumFlash

Hm, some sort of bestiary it looks like. Well, can study it in detail later if we want. Momonga stores away the items and turns back to the exit of the room.  Well, any more rooms weve yet to hit?

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: Still Pending*
Show

B12 and B13.

----------


## Thunder999

Off we go to B12 then

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The tunnel widens here into what appears to have once been a small shrine, for to the northeast steps lead up to a platform of gray stone. Sitting atop the platform is an ancient altar, little more than a jagged block of black marble with a shallow concavity on top of it. This basin is filled with what appears to be filthy water._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will approach the altar to see if there's anything special about it.

----------


## QuantumFlash

If it hasnt been 20 minutes already, Momonga will ask the stone in the room about who was in the room most recently besides themselves.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will approach the altar to see if there's anything special about it.


*Spoiler: Knowledge(Religion) DC 30*
Show

_You get a pop-up, which reads_ "This is an altar to the demon queen Lamashtu.  The liquid pooled atop the altar is an unholy manifestation that appears on altars sacred to Lamashtu under the right conditions. Known as the Waters of Lamashtu, this liquid can be bottled and used as unholy water. If a creature drinks directly from the altar, he must make a DC 14 Fortitude save. Success indicates the creature becomes violently ill, vomits the fl uid, and is sickened for 2d4 hours. Failure indicates the water takes root and drives the victim mad, inflicting 2d6 points of Intelligence damage. A creature reduced to 0 Intelligence undergoes a horrific transformation as the Waters of Lamashtu unmake him and then reform him into a monstrous, deformed parody of his previous form. His Intelligence score heals normally, but his new maximum Intelligence is 3. Each of these deformities is unique, representing the victims 'inner monster.'  This condition can be removed with a remove curse or break enchantment spell against CL 14th. In any event, a creature transformed by
this remains a feral puppet of Lamashtu until cured or slain."
"Currently, theres enough water to affect one drinker or to bottle 4 vials of unholy water. As long as a thaumaturge of Lamashtu performs the correct daily rituals at the altar, the fluid replenishes at the rate of one vials worth per 2d6 months."





> If it hasnt been 20 minutes already, Momonga will ask the stone in the room about who was in the room most recently besides themselves.


_The rock in the hallways gives a much more useful response than did the ones in the cells - seems the ones here have a better vantage point, and actually pick up useful information with enough time,_ "Oh, yeah. The Queen flew by earlier.  She did her rituals at the altar, then went into the chapel.  You're headed that way.  Are you going to devote yourselves to Lamashtu as well?  It's worked out really well for the Queen."

----------


## QuantumFlash

Now were getting somewhere. Momonga murmurs to himself, before making sure hes visible and polymorphed into his human adventurer wizard guise.  Then he, staff of power in hand, goes over and enters the chapel to confront this Queen.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras speaks loud and clear "An Altar to Lamashtu with her Cursed Water atop it, time to make the world a better place." 
He reaches his right hand out above the altar and calls forth a Sphere of Oblivion, then promptly plunges the Sphere down through the altar and water.  

*Spoiler*
Show

The Sphere is basically a Sphere of Annihilation that allows a DC35 fort save to not be sucked in, it can do a single 10ft cube from larger objects per round.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras speaks loud and clear "An Altar to Lamashtu with her Cursed Water atop it, time to make the world a better place." 
> He reaches his right hand out above the altar and calls forth a Sphere of Oblivion, then promptly plunges the Sphere down through the altar and water.  
> 
> *Spoiler*
> Show
> 
> The Sphere is basically a Sphere of Annihilation that allows a DC35 fort save to not be sucked in, it can do a single 10ft cube from larger objects per round.


_Where the black orb overlaps the altar, the altar ceases to exist._




> Now were getting somewhere. Momonga murmurs to himself, before making sure hes visible and polymorphed into his human adventurer wizard guise.  Then he, staff of power in hand, goes over and enters the chapel to confront this Queen.


_This huge room looks like nothing more than an immense underground cathedral. Stone doors stand to either side of the main entrance, but beyond this, the walls are carved with strange, spiky runes. In the center of the room is a large pool, a ring of polished human skulls balanced on stone spikes arranged in a circle around the deeper midsection. At the far end of the room, a pair of stone stairways leads up to a pulpit on which sits a second pool, this one triangular and filled with churning, bubbling water that looks almost like translucent lava. Yet while wisps of what look like heat and steam rise from the strange orange liquid, the room itself is deathly cold.

As you enter, you see a quasit, dressed in a miniature silk gown and tiara.  As you're simply entering through the door, she also sees you, and flies into a rage. She shrieks and accuses you:_
You Dare to intrude upon the Mothers sanctum?! _and slashes her own wrist with her dagger, allowing some of her blood to drip into the pool; a sinspawn climbs out of it immediately after she does.  The glow of the pool diminishes noticeably._
*Spoiler: DC 20 Sense Motive*
Show

_The quasit is very worried by the reduced glow._

*Spoiler: Init*
Show

(1d20+5)[*6*]

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga snorts Only a Quasit?  I expected at least something interesting.  Submit if you value your life, insect. To demonstrate the seriousness of his claim, he points at the sinspawn and casts Finger of Death on it. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

 Finger of Death SLA DC 38 fort save for 210 damage, (3d6+21)[*35*] if it somehow gets a 20

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will fly into the room and speaks in Sphinx "I took care of the altar and cursed water with a Sphere of Oblivion, ooh, that must be the Runewell of Wrath, minor artifact, probably where the sinspawn were coming from." 

He'll wait to see if Momonga's request for surrender works before doing anything else, readying a Flesh to Stone spell for if the quasit attacks.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

DC 36 on the flesh to stone if it comes up.  
I'd also like to try a knowledge roll for the Runewell.  
(1d20+56)[*67*] Arcana
(1d20+56)[*64*] History

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga snorts Only a Quasit?  I expected at least something interesting.  Submit if you value your life, insect. To demonstrate the seriousness of his claim, he points at the sinspawn and casts Finger of Death on it. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
>  Finger of Death SLA DC 38 fort save for 210 damage, [roll0] if it somehow gets a 20


_All color drains from the sinspawn and it drops down, dead and ash-gray._




> Evras will fly into the room and speaks in Sphinx "I took care of the altar and cursed water with a Sphere of Oblivion, ooh, that must be the Runewell of Wrath, minor artifact, probably where the sinspawn were coming from." 
> 
> He'll wait to see if Momonga's request for surrender works before doing anything else, readying a Flesh to Stone spell for if the quasit attacks.  
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> DC 36 on the flesh to stone if it comes up.  
> I'd also like to try a knowledge roll for the Runewell.  
> ...


*Spoiler: Knowledge(Arcana) DC YIKES - you made it*
Show

_You get a pop-up, which says:_ "This lesser runewell of wrath itself is only 3 feet deep, yet any living creature that enters its freezing orange waters immediately takes 2d6 points of cold damage and must make a DC 15 Will save or be overcome with wrath. Failure indicates the creature becomes enraged (identical to the barbarian rage ability) and immediately attacks the nearest living creature. If no living creatures are in sight, the enraged creature is compelled to seek out a victim, moving at full speed in his search. This rage persists for 2d6 minutes, after which point the character becomes fatigued. Each use of the runewell in this manner costs 3 wrath points."
_The pop-up continues:_ "The runewell can also be commanded to disgorge a sinspawn. To manifest a sinspawn, a creature need only allow a few drops of its blood to fall into the poolone round later, a sinspawn emerges from the well and immediately attacks the closest creature in which it cannot scent wrath (as defined in the sinspawns monster entry on page 90). Each use of the runewell in this manner costs 6 wrath points" _... yes, it actually says "page 90" - even though there's no book there._
_Finally, it has_ "Every time a creature with a wrathful soul (including most goblins and quite a few of the victims murdered years ago by Stoot) dies within a mile of the runewell, it gains one wrath point. Theres no limit to the number of wrath points the well can store, but it currently contains only 20. Each time the wells waters are tapped (as detailed below) it expends a number of wrath points. If enough points are expended to put its total at zero or negative wrath points, the runewell deactivates, its waters fading away. Reactivating the runewell requires long-lost rituals that are certainly beyond Eryliums ability to replicate."


_The quasit shrieks again and ... vanishes from normal sight.  Not that doing so is really a problem for you.  She tries to run past you to the door._
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take your AoO if you can see invisible things, threaten, and so desire.  But she made the Spellcraft check to ID the Finger of Death, and based on her listed combat tactics... yeah, she'd be running after that.

----------


## QuantumFlash

You have chosen poorly.  To the true sight of a reaper like Momonga, such invisibility means nothing and he will strike the quasit with his staff as it tries to flee, guided by his superior intuition. 

*Spoiler: OoC*
Show

Attacking and using Flash of Insight to ensure the hit with a nat20, confirmation roll: (1d20+36)[*41*]
damage: (1d6+23)[*29*] and (2d4)[*5*] negative levels (DC 45 Fort to negate)
Critical damage: (1d6+23)[*29*]

----------


## Thunder999

Evras looks at the (probably dead) quasit, Erylium from the popup? Then speaks once more in Sphinx "Smart enough to run, but not smart enough to realise invisibility wouldn't work it seems. I managed to beat the knowledge DC for the Runewell, and the message is super weird, refers to a 'page 90' I think it might actually be a quote from the AP book, mentioned an Erylium too, I think that's the quasit. Oh and we just to trigger the thing until it runs out of charges, it'll switch off and the ritual to switch it back on is long lost, probably best to bleed in it and kill the sinspawn that come out, I suppose being the one with a corporeal body that's going to be me, isn't it." 

If the quasit isn't dead, Evras will follow her and cast that flesh to stone.  
In the more likely scenario she is then he'll wait for a response to what he's said.

----------


## Lioslaith

Well there is one other corporeal body along with you, just hasn't been much to do with you two in the lead, lol.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> You have chosen poorly.  To the true sight of a reaper like Momonga, such invisibility means nothing and he will strike the quasit with his staff as it tries to flee, guided by his superior intuition. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OoC*
> Show
> 
> Attacking and using Flash of Insight to ensure the hit with a nat20, confirmation roll: [roll0]
> damage: [roll1] and [roll2] negative levels (DC 45 Fort to negate)
> Critical damage: [roll3]


_Your blade cuts the quasit clean in half, and her guts splatter across the room... but not on you, as they just pass harmlessly through you._

*Spoiler: OOC Note*
Show

Full to dead just on the crit, despite DR; the 25 lost HP from the negative levels is icing, although not _quite_ enough to kill her outright from that (6 HD), so you don't need to worry about a wight popping up tomorrow night.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras flies over above the Runewell and cuts his arm, his fast healing rapidly closes the wound, but it's enough to drip some blood into the Runewll.  

"I'm draining this thing now, should be more sinspawn coming out and they won't be friendly."

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga nods a bit "Shouldn't be any issue at all."  He readies an action to rip the life out of this sinspawn with another Finger of Death.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The beast doesn't get all the way out of the pool before your spell-like reduces it to an ashen corpse.  The light of the runewell dims noticably from the activity._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will repeat the process.  
"I think we just keep at it until the pool is completely dark. Popup said it had 20 points and this uses up 6 so 4 more times should do it."

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga prepares use a Circle of Death to execute the new sinspawn. 

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Circle of Death spell-like ability, DC 37 Fort, up to (20d4)[*56*] HD

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The sinspawn forms, and dies as it does, the body not even making it out of the well before the reaper's dark power snuffs the life from it, reducing it to an ashen gray body._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will keep doing it until it stops working.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm pretty sure Momonga can continue to one shot sinspawn, no point in dragging this out.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm actually rolling dice for these guys.  Two and a fraction left.  I rolled some d20's for saves, and there is, in fact, a 20 coming up, so which specific resource you use matters (slightly).  Mostly means you end up using three spell-likes rather than two. Also...

_The summon speaks up_ "You do realize these things will just drop dead when they see me, right?  No real need to spend your magic."

----------


## QuantumFlash

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

I have unlimited use of Circle of Death so it's no issue.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will turn to the Azata with a grin "That is an excellent point, though I think he's just taking advantage of the first enemies since we met up I haven't beaten him to. Oh well, back to bleeding for me." With that his face loses the grin and he'll drip even more blood into the pool, it's not a pleasant experience, but probably beats actually touching the thing. He would not like to think of the potential damage if he or one of his new friends got driven into a murderous rage, the town might not survive the duration on a high roll.

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga eyes the summon, waving a hand dismissively "A reaper's purpose is to harvest the souls of those whose time has come.  Besides, it's literally no waste of magic, I have unlimited use of this power.  Though I do admit I also wanted to try out some powers on something not immediately bisected as well."

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The summon shrugs and lets you go about your work - which doesn't take much longer.  The next beast manages to hold onto it's life force despite the reaper's call, but dies to a heart attack from meeting the Ghaele's eyes.  The one after that is reduced to a lifeless corpse as the reaper snuffs out it's existence.  And the final one... doesn't form all the way.  You end up with a half-formed body in the pool as it's light goes out.  The final, partial sinspawn spasms once and dies on it's own, not having enough of a body to sustain itself for even a moment._

----------


## Thunder999

"That should do the trick, though I suspect there's at least a few people who could turn it back on, pretty sure an ex-runelord of wrath is hanging out somewhere in the Abyss, so." 
And with that Evras calls up a Sphere of Creation and entombs the runewell in basalt.  

"I suppose all that's left to do now is loot the quasit, and go pick up Tsuto, oh and we should search him too."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sphere of creation also absorbs anything it touches "Any existing matter, either living or nonliving that comes in contact with the sphere must make a DC 35 (for me) Fortitude save or be absorbed and incorporated into the new substance" No idea how that will interact with the Runewell, but figured it's worth mentioning.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

It's a minor artifact.  It can only be destroyed by a specific thing (or Mage's Disjunction).  So it's buried in the basalt, but largely fine. 

_On the dead quasit, you find a masterwork dagger, a miniature tiara, a miniature black silk gown, and an obsidian holy symbol... all sized for a Tiny quasit._
*Spoiler: Identification for when you do*
Show

*Spoiler: Detect Magic + Spellcraft*
Show

+1 Returning Dagger

*Spoiler: Appraise*
Show

Tiara is worth 50 gp
Black Silk Gown is worth 25 gp
Obsidian Holy Symbol is worth 10 gp.

*Spoiler: Knowledge(Religion)*
Show

Obsidian Holy Symbol is for Lamashtu

----------


## Thunder999

Evras takes a moment to identify the loot.  "Hmm, a returning dagger, valuable not that we really need the money, Tiara and gown are worth a bit too, as for the symbol of Lamashtu, I'm in favour of smashing it."

Unless Momonga or Samael suggest otherwise he'll lead the way back to where they left Tsuto below the glassworks.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Thought that was probably the case.
Permanent Arcane sight, taking 10 gives 52 Appraise, 56 Spellcraft and 66 Knowledge(Religion)

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Getting the goods from the still-dominated Tsuto, you find he has A Composite Longbow (+3 Str), a potion. a composite shortbow (+1 Strength), a gold ring, masterwork thieves tools, masterwork flute, silver earrings, a journal, 6 pouches of gold dust, 8 pouches of silver dust, and 10 pp._

*Spoiler: Identification*
Show

*Spoiler: Detect Magic & Spellcraft*
Show

potion of cure light wounds
ring of protection +1
*Spoiler: Appraise*
Show

silver earrings (25 gp for the pair)
6 pouches of gold dust worth 50 gp each
8 pouches of silver dust
worth 5 gp each
Rest is just what it says (which sometimes is worth a bit - Composite Longbows have a non-trivial cost, for instance

----------


## Thunder999

Evras turns to the dominated man when he sees the second bow "Why do you have two bows?" Then he'll start looking through the journal.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_He woodenly answers_ "In case I need it. Bows break, bowstrings can be cut, things can be stolen, it's much harder to use a longbow from horseback, and so on."

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So what about the journal?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> So what about the journal?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

That one requires a lot more text, and was away from books.

_The journal is a small, leather-bound booklet contains two dozen parchment pages, most of which Tsuto has filled with maps of Sandpoint or erotic drawings of the same woman. The maps each depict different attack plans. The first set shows the attack plans for a group of thirty goblinsone of these battle maps is circled, and you recognize it as the attack the goblins made on Sandpoint. It has some notes after:
"The raid went about as planned. Few Thistletop goblins perished, and we were able to secure Tobyns casket with surprising effort despite the rest of the distraction. I cant wait until the real raid. This town deserves a burning, thats for sure"

Of more pressing concern are the next several pages, which illustrate an assault on Sandpoint by a force of what appears to be two hundred goblins. None of these are circled, and many are scratched out as if theyve been rejected. There's a note after these as well:

"Ripnugget seems to favor the overwhelming land approach, but I dont think its the best plan. We should get the quasits aid. Send her freaks up from below via the smuggling tunnel in my fathers Glassworks, and then invade from the river and from the Glassworks in smaller but more focused strikes. The rest except Bruthazmus agree, and Im pretty sure the bugbears just being contrary to annoy me. My loves too distracted with the lower chambers to make a decision. Says that once Malfeshnekors released and under her command, we wont need to worry about being subtle. I hope shes right."

The last depection of the woman in the book shows her with demonic hands, bat wings, horns, a forked tail, and fangs.  Just before it is also a note:
"My love seems bent on going through with itnothing I can say convinces her of her beauty. She remains obsessed with removing what she calls her celestial taint and replacing it with her Mothers grace. Burning her fathers remains at the Thistletop shrine seems to have started the transformation, but I cant say her new hand is pleasing to me. Hopefully when she offers Sandpoint to Lamashtus fires, her new body wont be as hideous. Maybe Ill luck out. Succubi are demons too, arent they?"_

*Spoiler: Knowledge(Local) DC 15*
Show

The depicted woman is Nualia, he presumed-dead adopted daughter of Father Tobyn

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will speak in Sphinx "Not much we didn't already know in the diary, just more confirmation we have to clear out Thistletop before they attack. That and this guy fancies himself an erotic artist apparently."

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga looks it over with some measure of disgust, gripping his staff more tightly.  "Ugh.  Are you sure you even want to keep that?  No one needs to see that much exposed flesh.  Anyway, I suppose next stop is Thistletop, as I agree we need to preemptively take out these pests.  Also since they managed to sneak that casket out even under our noses, and we knew they were coming.  Want to make any stops first or just go straight there?"  He will straighten up and turn to leave, though he will wait for Evras to start leaving before he heads out.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras replies once more in Sphinx "Regrettably the raid plans, both future and already enacted, are probably something the locals will need to see, proof of what's going on, sure Tsuto told us, but I'm pretty sure he'd claim to be working with the Aboleth on Earthfall 2.0 if I told him to, so not sure that counts for much. I'd like to let the mayor and sheriff know before we head out, and drop Tsuto off while we're at it."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Anyone know whether the 50% fail chance for incorporeal creatures applies to everything or just offensive spells, Evras is definitely going to want to cast helpful spells on him at some point, wind walk is probably the easiest way to get to Thistletop (Since we don't actually know where to aim a teleport) after all.
Also anyone know where basically all the other players went?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Anyone know whether the 50% fail chance for incorporeal creatures applies to everything or just offensive spells, Evras is definitely going to want to cast helpful spells on him at some point, wind walk is probably the easiest way to get to Thistletop (Since we don't actually know where to aim a teleport) after all.
> Also anyone know where basically all the other players went?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

"Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting an incorporeal creature." (extracted from Here.  However, it's _missing_ the target, and you can hold the charge on a touch spell.

As to other players: It's just the usual PbP attrition.
Some folks aren't sure what to say, and so stay silent, eventually deciding it's too awkward to say something "after all this time" and never show up again.
Some folks find that the game isn't what they thought it would be, and wander off for that reason.
Some folks find they don't have sufficient time for it after all, and stop showing up for that reason.
Some folks don't know how to use the subscriptions on the forums effectively, and just lose track of the game.And so on.  There's as many reasons as there are people.

So we've had two players post within the last 24 hours (QuantumFlash and Thunder999).  Most recent player #3? Lioslaith on May 20th, 9 days ago.  To get to most recent player #4, we need to go all the way back to May 2nd (Wabbit), 27 days ago. #5?  Shaggy on April 10th. #6? Llyarden on March 29th, fully two months ago.

Expecting that is part of why I accepted so many players.  I know we'll lose folks, so having too many players is a short-term problem.

I suppose I can run another recruitment.  Or maybe grab the PC I built for this myself.  Hmm.

----------


## QuantumFlash

"That is fair.  I just wish we could deliver it to them in a less... disturbing package.  Let's just get it over with."  Momonga starts to fly for the exit, clearly intending to make his way out normally.  

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Well I have the amulet of grasping souls, shouldn't that let me just choose to allow an ally to touch me and not risk miss chances?

Edit: I don't mind if you want to throw in your own character, we don't need recruitment since we're so overwhelming but I see no reason not to let you in on the IC fun.

----------


## Lioslaith

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> "Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting an incorporeal creature." (extracted from Here.  However, it's _missing_ the target, and you can hold the charge on a touch spell.
> 
> As to other players: It's just the usual PbP attrition.
> Some folks aren't sure what to say, and so stay silent, eventually deciding it's too awkward to say something "after all this time" and never show up again.
> Some folks find that the game isn't what they thought it would be, and wander off for that reason.
> Some folks find they don't have sufficient time for it after all, and stop showing up for that reason.
> ...


Personally I am still here, but again, there is not a lot for me to do other than walk along with the others as they sweep the dungeon.

----------


## Thunder999

> Personally I am still here, but again, there is not a lot for me to do other than walk along with the others as they sweep the dungeon.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sure we don't need combat help, but don't you have anything to say about the plot, where we are, what we're doing etc,

Also I agree with QuantumFlash about bringing in a character.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show





> Personally I am still here, but again, there is not a lot for me to do other than walk along with the others as they sweep the dungeon.


Yes.  And not saying anything at all can easily become problematic.

If there's five players and one person says nothing because they're stuck on what to do in this scene, that's not too much of a problem.
If it keeps up beyond a single scene, folks forget they're there when it's not an in-person game (and sometimes when it is).

If there's three players and two say nothing because they're stuck on what to do... player 3 will often get hung up as well.  It's one of the ways games die.  

Even if you don't have anything you can think of to do, please make a point of stopping and saying something occasionally.

My sheet, then.  Note that I'm a bit of an optimizer.  Full breakdown (or rather, build-up, as I start there) is in the "Other Notes" section




> *Spoiler: ooc*
> Show
> 
> Well I have the amulet of grasping souls, shouldn't that let me just choose to allow an ally to touch me and not risk miss chances?
> 
> Edit: I don't mind if you want to throw in your own character, we don't need recruitment since we're so overwhelming but I see no reason not to let you in on the IC fun.


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Checking... Ghost Touch armor doesn't let corporeal folks hit you, no; the defensive abilities seem to stay running regardless.  That said, you could reasonably do it actively, tapping the caster's hand as the caster is trying to touch you, similar to a high-five.  There'd be an action cost, but that'd only be relevant in battle.


_As you make your way out of the dungeon, you're met by a figure wearing a full-body cloak, with the hood up and a veil drawn over her eyes.  You detect no magic or illusions... but she's hovering a few inches above the ground, so it's obvious enough she's got anti-divination measures up.  She greets you in a quiet voice_ "Sorry I didn't join you earlier, I was dealing with..." _she looks down and trails off briefly, then shakes her head and continues_ "... new circumstances.  Seems you've been moving quickly.  Not too hard to track, though.  Mind if I join you?  Ah, one request though: Please face me when speaking: Deaf curse.  I knew something was up when the background music I keep running in my computer room went down."

----------


## Lioslaith

*So, we seem to have decided that we are all in some sort of alternate reality?  Either the others that arrived with us found a way back to their bodies or their bodies simply died thus shutting off their brains. Although that begs the question as to why it hasnt happened to us as well since we seem to have been here the same amount of time. 

That said, we now know the plot. For those of us that havent played through this adventure online. Why not simply go stop the pending goblin invasions?  I doubt even my meager form would have much difficulty with even 200 goblins?*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The corrupted nature spirit answers_ "Any max level is basically superman in a starting area.  And... honestly, the entire path doesn't hit anything we shouldn't be able to solo.  Technically caps at CR 18, but one of the CR 17's is a dragon that's harder.  So yeah, we can go wipe the gobbo's, no problem.  Just need to find someone who knows where they're encamped, and we can teleport on over."

_Folks have no problems reaching the surface, especially now that the dungeon is properly empty._

----------


## Lioslaith

*Seems like it might be easier to stop the process rather than follow the predetermined path. I gather we failed to stop the grave robbery even though someone was posted there?*

----------


## QuantumFlash

"Eh. Even a CR17 dragon probably isn't much of an issue, especially considering there's a few of us.  Though it feels oddly like despite this being rather like real life, some things act almost as if scripted?  Or at least certain materials are somehow predetermined, as I would be worried if the raid going off "as planned" included the attacking goblins being wiped out by max level adventurers. So we might just want to keep an eye out for events which force themselves somehow despite our best efforts." Momonga muses.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras faces the newcomer and speaks in Sphinx (he can't check, but it'd be weirder if she _didn't_ have constant tongues) "Well we did stop the first grave robbery, pretty sure some goblins are meant to just grab the body mid raid and we killed those, it's just that Nualia did the old alter summon monster trick to grab an earth elemental and sent it in to fetch the body. Come to think about it, I'm pretty sure that little trick was not part of any offical AP, so the enemies might just be a fair bit smarter, at least in terms of tactics if not their actual plans. A Find the Path spell should locate Thistletop easily enough. Also do you think we should check up on Lonjiku Kaijitsu, Tsuto's father, pretty sure he mentioned the name while discussing who he was working with?"

----------


## Lioslaith

*"Sure, let's talk to them as well.  So the events are happening regardless of what we change... interesting.*

----------


## Jack_Simth

> "Eh. Even a CR17 dragon probably isn't much of an issue, especially considering there's a few of us.  Though it feels oddly like despite this being rather like real life, some things act almost as if scripted?  Or at least certain materials are somehow predetermined, as I would be worried if the raid going off "as planned" included the attacking goblins being wiped out by max level adventurers. So we might just want to keep an eye out for events which force themselves somehow despite our best efforts." Momonga muses.


_The beautiful woman answers_ "Yes.  Any of us could probably solo the beast.  Some of us _might_ need a little healing after, maybe.  But.. well ... yeah, cakewalk."



> Evras faces the newcomer and speaks in Sphinx (he can't check, but it'd be weirder if she _didn't_ have constant tongues) "Well we did stop the first grave robbery, pretty sure some goblins are meant to just grab the body mid raid and we killed those, it's just that Nualia did the old alter summon monster trick to grab an earth elemental and sent it in to fetch the body. Come to think about it, I'm pretty sure that little trick was not part of any offical AP, so the enemies might just be a fair bit smarter, at least in terms of tactics if not their actual plans. A Find the Path spell should locate Thistletop easily enough. Also do you think we should check up on Lonjiku Kaijitsu, Tsuto's father, pretty sure he mentioned the name while discussing who he was working with?"


_The ghost nymph responds... in Shae, just to make things obvious:_ "Yeah, but if we use _Find the Path_ we still need to actually go there.  Even something like Wind Walk is going to be as boring as driving.  A quick description from someone who's been nearby will do just fine.  Or if we can scrounge up a map, direction and distance for Arcane Eye will do the job as well."




> *"Sure, let's talk to them as well.  So the events are happening regardless of what we change... interesting.*


_Evelynn Everson volunteers_ "Some.  Not all.  The original script called for a corpse encased in glass in the glassworks, and I didn't see that while I was tracking you down here.  Pretty sure you've given at least one person a reprieve from the reaper..." _she glances at Momonga, and adds_ "... no offense intended."

----------


## Lioslaith

*If we have folks that know the original script then surely we can find a map somewhere easily enough?*

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga replies mildly "I saw no reason to take the life, why would I be offended if someone makes note of it?  But yes, just a good description of the place should be enough for a greater teleport which will probably save a lot of time.  Maps would also help, though I have my doubts that a map would be enough detail to resolve the teleport.  Past that, what's the general shape of the campaign from this point, anyone who's played this before?"

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga replies mildly "I saw no reason to take the life, why would I be offended if someone makes note of it?  But yes, just a good description of the place should be enough for a greater teleport which will probably save a lot of time.  Maps would also help, though I have my doubts that a map would be enough detail to resolve the teleport.  Past that, what's the general shape of the campaign from this point, anyone who's played this before?"


_The beautiful woman chuckles_ "I'm not referring to anyone you've personally spared.  I'm referring to the fact that there wasn't a dead guy encased in glass in the glassworks.  Tutso's father, I think he was in the original?"

_The nymph moves on_ "And a map won't do of itself, no, but you're not thinking with Magic!  A map gives you direction and distance.  Suppose you Dimension Door up 1200 feet so you have clear line of sight, then cast Arcane Eye to drop a scrying sensor in that direction at that distance.  That gives you a perfectly clear view of the area you'd like to arrive.  "Seen once" is good enough for Greater Teleport, so three spells and you're there.  A fourth to get back to the ground if you have folks you can't bring up into the sky with you.  Fewer steps if you have Scrying or it's Greater brother - you can do that from the ground, so don't need to pop up to the sky and possibly back down - but that needs to target a person, so you have to know of someone who's in the target area, and have some kind of connection to them - met them, have a piece of them, a picture of them, something that belongs to them, or whatever - and deal with any saves, SR, or other countermeasures the target might have.  Arcane eye doesn't have to mess with any of that, as it targets a place not a person so no save or SR, and an area is much harder to ward than a creature.  More steps, but completely reliable."

_She continues_ "As to the campaign... it's a six-book horror series designed to start at 1st.  And yeah, we're in the first volume."




> *If we have folks that know the original script then surely we can find a map somewhere easily enough?*


_As you think about a map of the area, the Knowledge (Geography) on your character produces a pop-up for you._*Spoiler: Knowledge(Geography)*
Show

----------


## Lioslaith

*Looks like Thistlestop is only about 4 miles east of here.*

----------


## Thunder999

Evras makes sure to faceEvelynn and speaks in Sphinx once more "Well then we have quite a few options, the drawings from this journal should be adquate likeness for a scrying spell, it's only a few miles away so we could get there in minutes with windwalk, or the arcane eye idea. Overall plot is about the Runelord of Greed trying to return to Golarion, I don't think any of the Runelords actually died in earthfall, even though that's what everyone on Golarion currently believes. Though yeah, it's more a bunch of classic adventures with some horror themes linked together by the fact he's in the background directing some of the enemies as he uses the souls of the greedy to fuel his return."

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Evelynn Everson blinks_ "Oh.  That's quite close.  I suppose it makes sense, anyone would need a staging area.  I suppose I'll just follow your lead for now.  You mentioned Tutso's father and the goblins... which do you want to pursue first?"

----------


## Lioslaith

*"The father is here?  Dealing with him shouldn't take too long.  Let's talk to him first."*

----------


## Thunder999

Evras switches to common "In that case, Tsuto, how would we get to your father's house from the glassworks?"

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The man woodenly answers_ "Kaijitsu Manor is the smallest of the noble manors.  Cross the southern bridge over Curandorok River, follow the right, cross the bridge over the creek, and then it's the second manor on the left."

_The corrupted nature spirit inquires in Shae_ "Is there any pressing reason to leave him behind?" _as she gestures at Tsuto._

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Tutso was the designer of the plot?  I've lost who he is already.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Tutso was the designer of the plot?  I've lost who he is already.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Major player, not the boss.  But you didn't actually ask _him_ that.

----------


## Lioslaith

*"Leave him, bring him, I don't think it matters with the state he is in now."*

----------


## Thunder999

In Sphinx "He could come with us, but it's probably easier for everyone if he doesn't, I say we drop him with the Sheriff. We don't need him."

----------


## Lioslaith

> In Sphinx "He could come with us, but it's probably easier for everyone if he doesn't, I say we drop him with the Sheriff. We don't need him."


*"Sounds like a good plan.  If we ran into anything difficult he'd likely not survive it anyway."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Elliot Ellison demonstrates_ "I wasn't talking about walking him with us..." _She quickly casts Shades, duplicating Trap the Soul, forming a tiny shadow-gem in her hand, drawing Tutso into it, trapping him in stasis._

----------


## QuantumFlash

> _Elliot Ellison demonstrates_ "I wasn't talking about walking him with us..." _She quickly casts Shades, duplicating Trap the Soul, forming a tiny shadow-gem in her hand, drawing Tutso into it, trapping him in stasis._


Momonga raises a polymorphed eyebrow, I feel like as a reaper I should probably disapprove of trapping a soul like that but as a player I appreciate the pragmatism.  A fairly thorough solution to the issue.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Momonga raises a polymorphed eyebrow, I feel like as a reaper I should probably disapprove of trapping a soul like that but as a player I appreciate the pragmatism.  A fairly thorough solution to the issue.


_The beautiful woman shrugs, and tosses the gem to Momonga_ "You hang onto him, then.  If there comes a point where the ideal solution is to forward him to his eternal reward, then you can handle it.  Meanwhile, we have him handy if we need to ask him more questions, he's _really_ portable for if/when we hand him over to the authorities, and won't be causing any problems."

_With the directions, there's no problems at all reaching Kaijitsu manor.  It's the smallest of the noble manors, but seems the best cared for; you're still outside, but the gardening is impeccable, and the building includes a lot of stained glass.... but of course, it would, what with them running the glassworks._

----------


## Lioslaith

I will calmly walk up to the door, in elf form, and knock.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The door is answered by a human male who looks to be in his fifties, dressed in a silk suit.  He opens the door well enough to speak with you, and says_ "Greetings.  What brings you to Kaijitsu Manor?"

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Well, 48 hours without a PC post, so continuing


_The man seems a little annoyed by the silence_ "What, you're just going to stand there?  Bah.  Look, I gave most the servants the day off for the festival, which is why I'm answering the door myself.  But if you're going to knock on the door, at least have the decency to say something when I answer."

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Honestly not sure why we are wanting to talk to this person.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras pauses for a moment, then just fires off a persistent dominate person.  

"I was trying to think of how to talk you into explaining things, but this is probably faster. Answer my questions truthfully in full. What help did you give Tsuto with the goblin attack? How did he convince you to help? Oh and did you murder your wife? If so how?" He'll also speak in Sphinx "Almost forgot about that last bit, pretty sure it's tied into the 'late unpleasantness' stuff from the backstory. Screwed up family those Kaijitsus."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Tsuto mentioned him in the list of co-conspirators and he's sort of meant to have died in the original, but we accelerated the timeframe a bit so he didn't
DC 35, persistent so roll twice, hope they bothered to stat this guy.
I thought someone else might want to speak first, but this should get things moving nice and quickly.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

NPC's you're not intended to fight largely only have build stubs. The only mechanical details on him are "LN aristocrat 3/expert 2" - which gives him a will save of "needs a 20" (which he didn't get, much less twice)

_The man sighs_ "So that's what he had me doing those things for.  He had me making sure that someone leaves the north town gate open, that a ladder is left against the wall in the cemetery, and that on the night before the big festival no one would be at the Sandpoint Glassworks.  He blackmailed me into doing it, and yes.  I suddenly awoke in a bizzarely murderous rage from her cheating on me with some elf over two decades ago, called her to the back porch, and threw her over the edge to die on the jagged rocks below."

----------


## QuantumFlash

Momonga shakes his head This man is guilty of horrible crimes, but at the same time he seems almost more like a victim than a perpetrator. Blackmail, sudden and uncontrollable rage? It seems youre not the first to influence his mind but who knows to what degree.  He doesnt seem helpful to us though, so I say let him confess his crimes to the authorities here and hope they are merciful to him.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Evelynn Everson pauses, and asks_ "Setting aside the ethics of mind control, do you think that will work?  Anyone with sense motive can tell he's dominated pretty easily - and I don't imagine an investigator or judge would be without that skill - and the dominator can tell the dominatee to do or say nearly anything.  Tell me: Unless you already believe the person in question is guilty, would _you_ accept an obviously dominated person confessing to a crime, or would you think it more likely someone is using the target as a fall guy to protect themselves by getting the case closed as 'solved' at someone else's expense?"

----------


## Lioslaith

*And another question if I may, or maybe more of a ponderance. Releasing him to the authorities implies that we believe this is a real word with real consequences and not simply a game on a computer. If it is then violating this person with dominate was wrong. At least in our previous worlds way of thinking. So then would be simply letting him go since we know hes a criminal and a victim. So then would be dispensing justice ourselves. I propose we make a decision as to what we think this world is and also decide on our moral character going forward.* 

With that a sword materializes in Samaels hand and he takes a step towards the captive.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Elliot Ellison considers_ "I personally consider it less ethically problematic to treat a thing as a person than to treat a person as a thing.  So while I don't have anything I'd consider 'proof' one way or the other about the current situation, I'm going to go with 'treat as real until proven otherwise.'  And... I've got effectively unlimited spell slots.  We can absolute 'set him aside' for later.  As you said..." _she turns to indicate Momonga_ "We don't appear to be the first folks to get inside this man's head.  Do you consider a person literally compelled to perform an act culpable for the consequences?"

----------


## Lioslaith

*Do we have any way of simply reading his mind?*

----------


## Thunder999

Evras replies, all in Sphinx "Dominate is easily detected, but there's magic to prove that someone is truthful too, Abadar's Truthtelling, single target Zone of Truth that makes it very obvious whether someone's saved or not, pretty much made to be used in legal stuff.  

I've been treating this as real, for much the same reason as Evelynn really, harmless to be wrong this way.  
That murderous rage is awfully similar to what would happen if someone had touched the Lesser Runewell of Wrath actually.   
Dominate is pretty harmless long term, it's by far the best method I can think of to peacefully capture someone, certainly beats getting beaten unconscious, besides I was already expecting his guilt, and adventurers handing out their own justice isn't exactly unusual in this world.

His culpability for his wife's murder while probably influenced by ancient magic and his involvement with Tsuto's plan sounds like something we can probably leave to local courts rather than decide ourselves.

Mind reading, hmm, surface thoughts are easy, Detect Thoughts, my Envisaging racial, probably a few others, deeper than that you've got Dream Scan for dreams and subconscious knowledge, Mind Probe can get you answers from someone's memories, allows bluff though, might be some psychic caster only stuff I'm missing, never really played them much. Oh and there's always Scribe's Binding, basically Trap the Soul with the added benefit of putting them in a book containing every thought and memory they've ever had, altered memories are visibly written different and you can rewrite stuff by physically altering it. I can handle any of those."

----------


## Lioslaith

*Well then lets take what we can get from his mind and leave him for the local authorities to deal with as they see fit.*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The beautiful woman tells Evras_ "OK.  Go ahead and read his mind, then.  I wouldn't want to see how organized crime would do under a jurisdiction that made the mistake of thinking Abadar's Truthtelling was foolproof, though.  I can think of at least two methods off the top of my head by which someone might be able to trick it, which could quickly result in some very bad things as 'verified witnesses' start telling nasty things.  Or getting folks off the hook."
*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Huh.  Just noticed from the Scribe's Binding spell:



> *Range* close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
> *Target* creature touched


Someone needs a better editor.

----------


## Lioslaith

*But all we are looking for are ties or keys to help stop the event, right?  We arent trying to solve any other issues we might find.*

----------


## Thunder999

"What do you even want to read his mind for? He's told us everything relevant really, he didn't even know what Tsuto's plan was, I'm dropping him off with the sheriff, that should be that loose end tied up." Evras then turns to Lonjiku, "Follow along now" and heads down into town to find the sheriff.  
Oh and he does so in the same human male form he used right at the start.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_You find Sheriff Belor Hemlock without any trouble.  He frows slightly at the look on Lonjiku face, but greets you with_ "How can I help you today?"

----------


## Thunder999

Evras smiles a little and addresses the Sheriff "It's a little bit of a long story, but it's all tied to the goblin attack. While hunting down any remaining goblins we found goblin tracks leading both in and out of the glassworks, upon sweeping the place we found plenty of goblins, now deceased, along with Tsuto Kaijitsu, it seems he was the mastermind behind todays attack, he also kidknapped Ameiko, though I'd expect you've seen her already, there's a diary you'll definitely need to look through. Ah but I digress, Lonjiku here was somewhat in on the plan, he didn't know exactly what he was helping with, but he left the gate open, planed a ladder by the wall, he was coerced with blackmail, furthermore in the course of investigating it turns out he murdered his wife a few years ago, based on his description of suddenly waking in a murderous rage and a certain artefact we found below Sandpoint, I can explain more later, but don't worry, we drained its power and encased it in a few feat of solid rock, I'm not sure how responsible he truly was, still that feels like something for the magistrates to figure out. He's currently dominated, seemed the best way to take him in without any violence, I can dismiss it once he's in a cell if you want."  He'll casually monitor the man's surface thoughts with his Envisaging as he speaks.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Oh that is a real wall of text isn't it.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The sheriff considers_ "So... to the best of your knowledge, the most serious crime he committed was while under some kind of mind control, and the other bit was - of itself - a set of relatively minor 'aiding and abetting' that he was blackmailed into doing, with no knowledge of the intentions behind things? I just want to make sure I'm clear, here."

*Spoiler: thoughts*
Show

"Not worth the paperwork. He's more victim than perp. I'll just let him walk into a cell, and let him out after his captor is gone, interview him as a witness later. I should arrest his captor, technically, but I doubt that would end well."

----------


## Lioslaith

I chuckle at the sheriff's response.  *"It would appear so, yes.  Not to mention the mind control he is under right now."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_He nods,_ "Well, I'll open the drunk tank, you can walk him in, I'll lock him up, then you can let him act of his own accord. I will handle things from there." _The sherrif then suits actions to words, heading to a holding cell, currently empty, which he unlocks and opens._

*Spoiler: alignment detection*
Show

Sheriff is CG

----------


## Thunder999

"Pretty much, plus whatever the blackmail was over, oh this attack was just a distraction for a bit of grave robbery by the way, they took Father Tobyn's remains from the graveyard and his not-actually-dead daughter sacrificed them to Lamashtu, she and more goblins, based out of Thistletop are still planning to wipe the entire town out later, just thought we'd tie up loose ends before storming the place." 

Evras will dismiss the dominate once Lonjiku's in the cell, as he said, tear one of the pictures of Nualia (preferably the least pervy one) out of the diary in case it's needed for scrying, and then offer it to the Sheriff. "You'll want to read this." After which he'll wander off.  

Typed Could have gone better, still could hardly just leave it and I feel like Lonjiku would probably not have described murdering his wife to complete strangers without the mind control.
Anyone got anything to do, or should I get a windwalk ready?

----------


## Lioslaith

*"They seem to have things in hand here and no one seems in dire need of healing.  I'm good to go."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Belor locks the cell up._
*Spoiler: Perception*
Show

_When you are out of what would be earshot for folks without the kinds of boosts you get - Belor unlocks the cell again, getting into a mild argument with Lonjiku..._ 

_Belor:_ "I'll be by in a day or two to interview you as a witness.  You're free to go."
_Lonjiku:_ "So why aren't you arresting_Them?!_  They assaulted my mind!"
_Belor:_ "Technically I should, and I'm quite pleased you think enough of me to think I _can_ do anything about them.  I'm not exactly suicidal, though, so no, I'm not going to try arresting them."
_Lonjiku:_ "But..."
_Belor:_ "How do you really expect that would play out?"
_Lonjiku:_ "..."
_Belor:_ "Yeah, about how I thought."

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Samaels lowest perception roll would be a 34.  Would he have overheard them talking?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Samaels lowest perception roll would be a 34.  Would he have overheard them talking?


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Yes. Any of you who bothered with Perception ranks... and aren't deaf

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Once everyone's back together, the ghost nymph queries_ "So... we were going to Wind Walk to Thistletop, was it?  I can cover the spellcasting." _and does so, duplicating the Wind Walk spell via Miracle._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Been two days, so....

Also: CL 21.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will go along with it.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Moving along, then,....

_Travel by sky poses no problems, and nothing really gets in your way.  You navigate to Thistletop without any hassles.

Thistletop itself is a curiously round island about 60 feet off shore, connected to the mainland by a rope bridge, which is easy to see from the air.  Briars and thistles grow rampantly, and even more dense and tangled close to the shore. Although not quite dense enough to block the sound of waves crashing on the shores to the west, the undergrowth is certainly thick enough to block sight and access to the coast for anyone on the ground. Few trees grow this close to the edge of the sea, but the briars themselves often reach heights to rival them; the patch next to the bridge is nearly twenty feet high._
*Spoiler: map*
Show


Note: The wooden area on the northern, circular island has a crude wooden roof, the southern section is just slightly cultivated thistles, so not so much.  C27 is actually a cave under the isthmus.

----------


## Lioslaith

Assuming we land on the mainland next to the bridge I will proceed across said bridge to the island.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Away from books, but you are the active party here. You can land wherever you like.

----------


## Thunder999

"I see no reason not to just land on top, half the party's incorporeal and I can certainly punch through a wooden roof in no time!" 

Evras is going to do as he suggested and land right in the middle of that thing, lets say C19.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Pretty sure we all have independant movement with windwalk, though not entirely sure if we can talk, if we can't then Evras will just Envisage the party landing there to the others.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Assuming we land on the mainland next to the bridge I will proceed across said bridge to the island.


_A rope bridge spans the gulf between the cliff and a roundish, flat-topped island sixty some feet to the north. Thick patches of nettles and briars grow here and there atop the island, but its most impressive feature is a wooden
one-story stockade. Two thirty-foot-tall watchtowers guard the stockades southern facade. The rope bridge itself is made of hairy rope and thick wooden planks; the whole thing creaks and sways in the wind above the churning surf eighty feet below.

You cross the bridge with no particular issues.

The stockade is made of thick wood. Closer inspection reveals that most of the wood seems to have been scavenged from shipsa few nameplates remain affixed to some of the timbers, while others look like they might have once been masts.  The door is currently standing open._



> "I see no reason not to just land on top, half the party's incorporeal and I can certainly punch through a wooden roof in no time!" 
> 
> Evras is going to do as he suggested and land right in the middle of that thing, lets say C19.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Pretty sure we all have independant movement with windwalk, though not entirely sure if we can talk, if we can't then Evras will just Envisage the party landing there to the others.


_You land on the roof of the structure with no particular issues.

The stockade is made of thick wood. Closer inspection reveals that most of the wood seems to have been scavenged from shipsa few nameplates remain affixed to some of the timbers, while others look like they might have once been masts._

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Yeah, it's explicitly "each of which acts independently."

... but you may need to actually use whatever resource you intend to use (which can be an unlimited use one, like "a weapon" or "I'm incorporeal" or whatever.

----------


## Lioslaith

I will proceed on inside the structure.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I will proceed on inside the structure.


_The floor of this room is hard-packed soil, as if the builders either ran out of lumber after building the walls and roof, or as if they simply never thought about building a floor. A number of poorly preserved horse and dog heads
are mounted along the eastern wall, while along the southern wall hangs a pair of large batlike wings tacked to the wall with daggers. 

The ghost nymph follows you, dismissing the Wind Walk from herself to reform quickly.  Considering, she casts an Extended Invisibility on herself and vanishes from normal sight._

----------


## Lioslaith

After taking a closer look at the bat wings I will search around the place for anything else of interest.

*Spoiler: Percpetion*
Show

(1d20+33)[*45*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> After taking a closer look at the bat wings I will search around the place for anything else of interest.
> 
> *Spoiler: Percpetion*
> Show
> 
> (1d20+6)[*23*]


_One of the daggers has a pearl handle.  The other six are mundane.  The bat wings themselves are harpy wings.

 While you're searching, a goblin wanders by the entrance and looks at you..._

*Spoiler: Init*
Show


Goblins (there's more than just the one you can see): (1d20+6)[*23*]
Evelynn Everson (Elliot Ellison): (1d20+25)[*33*]

----------


## Lioslaith

I'll grab the pearl handled one and pull it free.  Upon noticing the goblin I will speak up in goblin, *"Hold a moment, I would speak with you."*

*Spoiler: Init*
Show

(1d20+14)[*27*]

----------


## Thunder999

Evras comes out of the wind walk, opens up his Eversmoking Bottle attached to his belt, then Woodshapes a hole in the roof the facilitate entry.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Wood Shape is at will SLA, probably not part of that fight, though Evras would have his usual 54 if it matters..

----------


## Jack_Simth

> I'll grab the pearl handled one and pull it free.  Upon noticing the goblin I will speak up in goblin, *"Hold a moment, I would speak with you."*
> 
> *Spoiler: Init*
> Show
> 
> [roll0]


_The dagger comes free without any issues.  However, the goblin responds by shouting_ "LONGSHANKS!!!!" _at the top of his lungs.  He's actually quite loud._




> Evras comes out of the wind walk, opens up his Eversmoking Bottle attached to his belt, then Woodshapes a hole in the roof the facilitate entry.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Wood Shape is at will SLA, probably not part of that fight, though Evras would have his usual 54 if it matters..


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Not _that_ fight... but you get your own.


_This large throne room is decorated with hanging furs along its walls, mostly black and red-striped fi repelt skins, various dog pelts, and in some cases, what look like horse hides. Four square timbers support the ceiling, their faces studded with dozens of iron spikes, with the lower reaches decorated with dozens of impaled and severed hands in various stages of decay. To the northeast, a wooden platform supports a throne heaped with dog pelts and horse hides. Dog skulls adorn the armrests and a horse skull leers over the thrones back.

One (relatively) well-dressed and equipped Goblin is watching the others... engage in a reenactment of the sandpoint attack?  One goblin stands off to the side, apparently concentrating on a Silent Image, that three other goblins are fighting.  They drop the game when they hear the shout, however.
_

----------


## Lioslaith

I sigh to myself and walk outside where he is.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras gazes into the room, draws a rod with one hand, the gestures towards the room and unleashes Abaddon in a torrent of black light.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

That's a CL 22 Persistent Scourge of the Horsemen, persistent via his greater metamagic rod, cast through his racial cleric slots, it's a 30ft burst so fills the entire room with range to spare, the coordinated blast teamwork feat means he need not worry about hitting himself
(20d6)[*68*] acid damage
(1d4)[*2*] negative levels
DC 34 fortitude save to halve both.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras gazes into the room, draws a rod with one hand, the gestures towards the room and unleashes Abaddon in a torrent of black light.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> That's a CL 22 Persistent Scourge of the Horsemen, persistent via his greater metamagic rod, cast through his racial cleric slots, it's a 30ft burst so fills the entire room with range to spare, the coordinated blast teamwork feat means he need not worry about hitting himself
> (20d6)[*79*] acid damage
> [roll1] negative levels
> DC 34 fortitude save to halve both.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

There was one goblin who _might_ have survived on a successful save: That goblin did not roll the required nat-20.  All go straight from full to dead.  

_The negative-infused acid floods the area... and when it finishes, all that's left is the dead bodies of the goblins, their skin gone, corroded guts spilling out of their weakened skeletons all over the floor.  And the loot. For whatever reasons, their stuff survived._



> I sigh to myself and walk outside where he is.


_When you step outside, three goblins - mounted on goblin dogs - charge you... and trigger the no-longer invisible Nymph's readied action, causing all the goblins and the dogs to dissolve in a burst of acid._

*Spoiler: Caustic Eruption damage and DC*
Show


(20d6)[*79*]
Ref DC 42 half (and negates the ongoing damage).
... although the biggest bad in the burst has 10 HP, so even minimum damage would put everything at 0 or less on a successful save... expected damage puts them all to dead even then

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will look for a way deeper into the structure..

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I guess noone else has anything to say and there's no more enemies reacting. I really hope this game doesn't die.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will look for a way deeper into the structure..
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> I guess noone else has anything to say and there's no more enemies reacting. I really hope this game doesn't die.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sorry. Summer's a rough time for me.  I work early, and when the sun doesn't go down until after nine, I have some issues getting to sleep.


_As you head back into the room with the harpy wings, six goblins - obviously a bit sleepy - rush into the room as well, weapons drawn._

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: Init*
Show

Gobblin: (1d20+5)[*12*]
Ghost Nymph: (1d20+25)[*26*]

----------


## Thunder999

Evras fires off a pair of Irradiate spells, first a persistent one, then a quickened one, figuring he's unlikely to need them later, so he may as well use them up.   

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So irradiate is a 10ft burst of Severe radiation, a further 10ft of High radiation (so 20ft), a further 10ft of Medium and finally another of Low, it's like light effects doing Bright and Dim, only horribly toxic.  
Severe is 4d6 Con Drain, High is 2d4, Medium 1d4, Low 1, Radiation usually lingers but the spell doesn't. There's secondary strength damage, but I think it's a 1 day onset, so they'll be dead by then.
First is Persistent Irradiate cast from Arcanist slots, Fort DC 33, rolling twice
Severe (4d6)[*13*] High (2d4)[*5*] Medium (1d4)[*1*] 
Then a Quickened Irradiate from cleric slots only DC 28 and not persistent
Severe (4d6)[*12*] High (2d4)[*5*] Medium (1d4)[*1*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The goblins scream in agony as a plethora of old wounds open up, and they bleed out as their organs fails, leaving quite the mess on the floor.

There's a total of four doors in the room your in, plus an opening that goes down a hallway.

Evelynn Everson shudders at the sight, and says_ "So glad I'm immune to that."
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

They don't survive the first dose - Con 12, and none of them rolled 20's, much less twice.  Small room, so normally I'd ask you to roll vs. your own spell, but you're immune to poison effects so it doesn't matter.

And yes, I looked up the spell.  It's a 3rd level save or die... eventually.  However, past CL 17, it'll get folks without a reasonable Con immediately.  Like these guys.

I posted a map earlier.  Entry room is C11.  Which way would you like to go first?

----------


## Thunder999

"I can't imagine many offensive spells are pleasant to be hit with really, definitely not looking forward to fighting something actually able to get one off."

C16 seems like a reasonable next stop.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Evelynn Everson shrugs as she walks, her feet sometimes an inch above, sometimes an inch below, the ground_ "Oh, I don't imagine the Charm line feels bad, and don't get me wrong: I don't think there's a _good_ way to die, but... well, some are definitely worse than others, and there's a reason why NBC weapons are essentially banned in warfare."

_This large courtyard is open to the sky. Tenacious clumps of partially trampled grass grow fitfully here and there in the hard-packed earth, in places stained with blood or scratched with furrows. To the north, what looks to be two dead goblins lie slumped at the entrance to an outbuilding.  

Four goblin dogs have been left to run free in this yard.  They start coming at you as soon as they see you, squealing, barking and growling..._

*Spoiler: Image and Init*
Show




Goblin Dogs: (1d20+2)[*3*]
EE: (1d20+25)[*42*]

----------


## Lioslaith

I will catch up to them at this point and follow them into the courtyard.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_As the dogs charge, the beautiful spectral woman says_ "Eh... no, I'm not going to charm these ones." _As she drops a Fire Storm on them all, flash-roasting them as roaring sheets of flame, and further setting their now-corpses on fire, brightly crackling away._

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Well, it's been a few days, so...
Fire Storm out of Druid slots, so just DC 28.  Still, they're all in nat-20 territory, and didn't roll one.
Shapable in 10-foot cubes, so easy to not hit anyone I want to exclude.  I get 42 of the cubes, so really easy to get everyone I want to hurt.  The dogs didn't roll a 20, and don't have a save high enough for anything else to matter (+4 Reflex vs. DC 28).  Only 9 HP, 15 con, so just 24 HP between full and dead.  Vs the damage roll of:
Damage: (20d6)[*61*]
... so yeah, flash-roasted.

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

My vote would be to head towards the hallway and down the stairs.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras heads north from the room.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Lets check out C22 and S (why is there a room called S?) before heading down.  

At first I was just waiting to see if anyone else wanted to handle the goblins, since Lioslaith and QuantumFlash hadn't really had chance to do anything for a bit, then I got distracted by RL

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras heads north from the room.  
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Lets check out C22 and S (why is there a room called S?) before heading down.  
> 
> At first I was just waiting to see if anyone else wanted to handle the goblins, since Lioslaith and QuantumFlash hadn't really had chance to do anything for a bit, then I got distracted by RL


*C22:*
_A round table and a few chairs are this rooms only furnishings.  They're not in very good shape, just like the rest of this place, looking like they were scavanged from soneone's trash pile.  The room is essentially empty._

*S area (C24)*
_This small, foul-smelling room features little more than a reeking hole in the ground, its rim stained with refuse and waste.  It appears you've found the latrine.  

However: A cursory search reveals a secret door in the wall.  Beyond it, you have two small chambers: One that leads to a flight of stairs going down, the other much less foul-smelling, containing an extra large sea chest with a heavy iron padlock._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Looks like a couple of things didn't end up on the map (including the one _in the book itself_).  I'm pretty sure that section is "C24", and the S is to denote the "Secret" door.  Search DC 20, though, so just about all of you find it on a nat-1

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will reach out to touch the padlock, turning into nought but a pile of rust, then open the chest.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Rusting Grasp SLA

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will reach out to touch the padlock, turning into nought but a pile of rust, then open the chest.  
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Rusting Grasp SLA


_When you rust away the lock, a rusty blade jumps out of the lid of the chest, which doesn't manage to touch you at all.  It doesn't reset itself.

Inside of the chest is the accumulated wealth of the Thistletop tribe, culled from junkyards, shipwrecks, ambushed merchants, and unfortunate rival goblin tribes over the past decade or so. This collection consists of an unorganized pile of coins, a leather pouch of gemstones, a Medium chain shirt, a Medium scimitar, a pair of manacles, a gold holy symbol, a jade necklace, and a fine blue silk gown with silver trim._

*Spoiler: Appraise*
Show


Coins:
7432 cp
2490 sp
89 gp
3 ppGemstones: 
34 badly flawed malachites worth 1 gp eachOther:
The chain shirt is normal and medium.
The scimitar is masterwork and medium.
The manacles are masterwork.
The gold holy symbol is worth 100 gp.
The jade necklace is worth 60 gp.
The fine blue silk gown with silver trim is worth 150 gp.

*Spoiler: Kn(Religion)*
Show

The holy symbol is of Sarenrae

----------


## Jack_Simth

_With nobody moving on the pile of treasure, the ghost nymph volunteers_ "I guess I'll carry..." _and starts plugging things into her inventory... only to find that the coins won't fit.  She shrugs, and conjurers up a backpack to stuff everything in for now, tossing all the loot into that and sliding it on._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Well, it's been a few days with nobody saying anything, so moving on....

Miracle for Extended Major Creation for a cotton backpack. CL 21, vegetable matter, so 84 hour duration.  Should be good for a while.

----------


## Thunder999

"I guess that works, tried to shove some coins in my inventory earlier and they wouldn't fit.
If memory serves there's some shadows in this place, though Samael's probably the only one vulnerable."

Evras will lead the way down the stairs.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Seems like QuantumFlash hasn't been online at all for over a fortnight, should someone message him?

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The corrupted nature spirit nods as she follows_ "Hmm.  That's interesting.  Anyone noted any other oddities?"

_A large table surrounded by chairs fills much of this room. A slateboard to the north is covered with scribblings in chalk, but the map of Sandpoint that has been carefully inscribed on it leaves no doubt as to the purpose of this roomthis is doubtless where the recent raid was planned._

*Spoiler: MAP*
Show



*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Stairs come down to room 14.  The "S" stands for "Secret", which means theoretically you don't know about those doors until after making a suitable check in the associated room.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will open the door to D15

----------


## Jack_Simth

_A large wooden worktable sits in the middle of this room, its surface cluttered with scrolls, books, stone tablets covered with dense, spiky runes, and fragments of carvings that appear to have been chipped off of statues or bas-reliefs. To the north, a floor-to-ceiling set of wooden shelves sag with picks, shovels, brushes, lanterns, and other equipment one might expect to see at an archeological site.  There's a young woman in her early twenties, with dark skin and long hair braided tightly into cornrows studying here, with her cat.  She looks up, and says with a slight stutter_ "Ah. So that's what the alarm was about."

*Spoiler: Image*
Show



*Spoiler: Sense Motive*
Show

She's a terrified coward, and you're quite quite imposing.  She's trying to hide it, but is not very good at it.  She's really just hoping to escape alive at this point.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras decides to take advantage of the already present fear, "Alarm is an interesting word for the screams of the dead," at which point he's use his Envisaging to show first the Chieftan and allies being reduced to bone and sludge, then the gory death by radiation poisoning before finally showing the firestorm "So, care to explain your role in Nualia's little gang, does she actually have an interest in these ruins beyond Malfeshnekor? The quality and speed of your replies are likely to influence your fate, so feel free to share any other interesting information." 
A little crueler and more dramatic than he'd usually go for, but he's fairly confident this woman is not a good person, or an important one now that he thinks about it, after all he doesn't even remember her. Plus it would be nice to show the others he does have problem solving abilities beyond murder and mind control, wouldn't want to give off the wrong impression.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I figure this might be interesting
(1d20+35)[*39*] intimidate check
Edit:I forgot the +4 from being large in that roll /edit
If it's possible to take a standard action during this I'd like to use arcane sight to see if she's a caster. 
If she's got 4+HD I'd like her alignment from aura sight too, though that's a big if.

----------


## Lioslaith

Samael will step to the side and observe her as well.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Permanent foresight, true sight, etc.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_You can see the terror in her eyes... but she obeys_ "I'm a paid researcher, hired primarily for my knowledge of magic, architecture, and my ability to read Thassilonian.  The Pathfinders rejected me ... and kept my thesis notes, those cooks... and, well, Nualia pays in platinum: Her money's good.  Doesn't let me in on exactly what she's after, but I enjoy the research."

*Spoiler: Unusual senses*
Show


*Spoiler: Arcane Sight*
Show

Faint aura of Conjouration; spellcaster, 2nd level spells available.

*Spoiler: Aura Sight*
Show

No detectable aura

*Spoiler: True Seeing*
Show

No discernable polymorph or illusions

*Spoiler: Foresight*
Show

... this doesn't show that kind of thing.

----------


## Lioslaith

I will ask quietly, *"Who is Nualia?"*

----------


## Jack_Simth

"Some asimar girl who's obsessed with becoming a demon.  A bit nuts. Pays on time, though."

----------


## Lioslaith

*"Do you know where we can find her?"*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_She considers_ "I'm guessing she'll stop paying regularly after you meet her, huh?  Well, no help for it.  She's probably either at the observation deck or the chapel."

----------


## Lioslaith

*"I would say that depends entirely on her.  Thank you for the information."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The researcher shrugs, and starts packing up various items in the room, saying_ "Yeah... definitely need to look for a new employer."

----------


## Thunder999

"One more thing, where exactly would said chapel and observation deck be, we'd find them eventually I'm sure, but I'd like to speed things up."

----------


## Jack_Simth

_She sighs_ "Ah, the invaders don't know their way around?  Well, the chapel is just on the other side of that wall" _she points south, and continues_ "While the observation chamber is the northernmost room one flight downstairs." _She continues packing_

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Evelynn Everson considers and turns on her ring, looking about, and seems surprised_ "Yeugh... OK, so, not wire frame models.  Ah... ookay... well, those must be the stairs down, behind the wall there." _she points to the west wall_ "Shouldn't be too hard to figure out how to open if we want to go down that way."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Ring of X-Ray vision.  No con score, so no drawback...

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will see if he can spot the trick to opening the door, if he can't he'll just rip a hole in it with Stone Shape.

Evras smiles and turns to Evelynn before speaking in Necril (just to confuse the researcher) "I almost wish I'd gone for something undead when I see tricks like that, then I remember I've basically got a Sphere of Annihilation." 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Perception is 59 with take 10, way beyond what I'd expect for a DC, but there's always the chance there's not a mechanism on this side, admittedly half the party is incorporeal so could just use the one on the other end, but Evras still hasn't got over the novelty of treating solid rock like playdough.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The door - and it's mechanism - isn't hard to find.  Seems it's gotten a lot of traffic, leaving an obvious trail, and grease marks on the mechanism.  The door opens quite easily, leading to a stone stairs heading down.  They're carved very well into the surrounding material, although obviously very old._
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

DC was 18...

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will float down the stairs "Well down we go."

----------


## Jack_Simth

_A stone door just around the corner from the steps hangs slightly ajar, the detailed carvings that once covered its surface defaced by chisel marks and hammer blows to the extent that only a few remnants of images (mostly of gemstones and crowns) remain. The floor here is slanted toward the west_

*Spoiler: Map for reference - starting at e1*
Show

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Since we seem to have lost a lot of folks have you given any thought to taking this another direction?

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show




> Since we seem to have lost a lot of folks have you given any thought to taking this another direction?


Maybe.  What do you have in mind?

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Well barring trying to create something that might accommodate these monstrosities we've built (although I wouldn't mind still playing them) is there something else you'd rather run?  I've always wanted to play Prince Nuada from Hellboy 2 in a game somewhere.  Possibly something akin to dragon age where all the demi-humans were oppressed by the humans and they needed to rise up against their oppressors.  But I'm down for anything really.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will head in the direction of E4

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I like this concept, it's just really noticeable that everyone else has just disappeared.

----------


## Lioslaith

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Which concept?  Crazy high level characters going through a very low level dungeon?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras will head in the direction of E4


_The door opens without any hassle.  On the other side:, two pillars support the ceiling. In many places the stone walls, floor, and ceiling are caked with ancient grime and soot. Alcoves in the north and south wall contain partially damaged statues of a man in robes clutching a book and a glaive. The entire room is canted toward the west, and whatever ancient upheaval caused the complex to tilt knocked the statues from their bases so that now they lean against the southern walls of their alcoves.  Nothing tries to eat you, and you keep moving.

Through the next door, you find a short hallway which rises in a slope to the east. Five feet from the western door, the floor is polished and shiny, unlike the dusty floor elsewhere. A pair of stone statues depicting stern men wielding glaives stand in alcoves north and south of this section of the hallway. At the eastern end stand two stone doors, their faces carved with strange runes. Between the doors is a third alcove in which a partially collapsed statue sits. The top half of the statue is missing, leaving behind a ragged stump of a torso.  

As you keep moving..._
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Nobody seems to be watching for traps, so:
Reflex save, whoever's in front.  DC 15.  You're almost certain to be in "don't roll a 1" territory.




> Which concept?  Crazy high level characters going through a very low level dungeon?


Isekai, getting stuck in another world (video game, book, fantasy world, et cetera).  One of the more common setups is "character is super overpowered compared to everything else".  




> I like this concept, it's just really noticeable that everyone else has just disappeared.


Indeed.  Most folks find that while smashing through everything sounds nice, it's not for them in practice.

----------


## Lioslaith

> _The door opens without any hassle.  On the other side:, two pillars support the ceiling. In many places the stone walls, floor, and ceiling are caked with ancient grime and soot. Alcoves in the north and south wall contain partially damaged statues of a man in robes clutching a book and a glaive. The entire room is canted toward the west, and whatever ancient upheaval caused the complex to tilt knocked the statues from their bases so that now they lean against the southern walls of their alcoves.  Nothing tries to eat you, and you keep moving.
> 
> Through the next door, you find a short hallway which rises in a slope to the east. Five feet from the western door, the floor is polished and shiny, unlike the dusty floor elsewhere. A pair of stone statues depicting stern men wielding glaives stand in alcoves north and south of this section of the hallway. At the eastern end stand two stone doors, their faces carved with strange runes. Between the doors is a third alcove in which a partially collapsed statue sits. The top half of the statue is missing, leaving behind a ragged stump of a torso.  
> 
> As you keep moving..._
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I mean I do like the concept of getting stuck in a game world but just matching through a low level dungeon isnt that exciting. Perhaps if we went off the rails?  I mean at this point what are we looking to accomplish?  Getting home?  Finding out if this is our new reality?  Following the clues about the money/items/inventory?  🤷🏼*♂️

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show




> I mean I do like the concept of getting stuck in a game world but just matching through a low level dungeon isnt that exciting. Perhaps if we went off the rails?  I mean at this point what are we looking to accomplish?  Getting home?  Finding out if this is our new reality?  Following the clues about the money/items/inventory?  🤷🏼*♂️


What you do is largely up to you.

I do have a story for what is properly going on.  And with that, some folks have clues if you dig.

A certain type of NPC will react oddly, and will tell you why they do (if you convince them).
The DMPC was involved with game development - doesn't know what happened, but has some tidbits if you get him going.

And - other than that I have a burning hatred of pvp - you're not on rails.  If you decide, for instance, to go underwater and remove the island's foundation, sinking it, I will absolutely let you drown the entire complex (will take a while though - that's a LOT of stone).

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

(1d20+26)[*41*] Reflex

Yeah I like both the Isekai and the high power character somehow in a low level adventure parts.  
If you want to go more off the rails I suggest bringing it up in character, Evras would be up for it, but is thus far sees no reason not to just play along (it's probably the least risky option and he enjoys having some foreknowledge, spotty as it is)

I'd suggest looking for more people, but you accepted every applicant so I can't imagine it accomplishing much.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_As Evras steps between the statues, he triggers a pressure plate, and two iron portcullises start to come crashing down on either side.  Finely tuned reflexes trigger, and the world seems to move in slow motion for a moment as Evras trivially steps aside before the two iron portcullises hit the floor, closing the area.  The two statues on either side their glaives through the empty air in the vacant space, and draw back for further swings._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

The trap is the little red T mark on the map.

Rounds... technically matter for the moment (about as much as they do in a fight with goblins, so not all that much).  The trap has a script it's going through on a round by round basis.  It can't hurt anyone not on that square, though, so if you both just decide to wait it out, I'll just run through the entire script in one go.  Or you could blast it to smithereens, Teleport past it, reshape the ground around it so it can't work, or - gasp - roll Disable Device!

As for a re-recruitment... there's always new folks on the forums, not everyone sees every game advert, and I happen to have a few names who like high-powered campaigns.  I'll plan to put up a recruitment thread in a few days.  Right now, I'm tired.



*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

You can choose which side you end up on.


*Spoiler: Edit OOC*
Show

And Linked

----------


## Lioslaith

*"So Evras, as much as I like wandering through this dungeon, should we maybe take some time and try and figure out how and why we are here?"*

----------


## Thunder999

Evras steps backwards and casually starts destroying the Portcullis with his Rusting Grasp as he speaks in Sphinx.

"If you've got some idea on how to do that, then sure, but I don't even know where to start with that."

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The portcullis rusts away to nothing as Evras' magic wrecks havoc on it._

_Evelynn Everson volunteers_ "Not sure how much it means now, but there were a lot of things about the game that never made sense." _as she disintegrates the portcullis that didn't get rusted away._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So on the recruitment:
Timing wise, we're just about to the end of the first book.  There's basically two more big bads to deal with(kill, dominate, imprison, Intimidate, whatever...) and then the book lists "Give them some time to craft magic items, bolster relationships with NPCs, and perhaps meet new characters in town." with a few other notes.

Would that be good timing to bring in new folks?

----------


## Thunder999

Evras turns to her as he replies "Nothing comes to mind for me, but I'd be very interested to know what seemed strange to you." then reaches out to rust each glaive in turn, confident they won't get through his defences.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Two rusting grasps
(1d20+32)[*41*] to touch the first glaive
(1d20+32)[*37*] to touch the second glaive

Seems a fine time to add in new players, just got to figure out why they're a day late.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras turns to her as he replies "Nothing comes to mind for me, but I'd be very interested to know what seemed strange to you." then reaches out to rust each glaive in turn, confident they won't get through his defences.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Two rusting grasps
> [roll0] to touch the first glaive
> [roll1] to touch the second glaive
> 
> Seems a fine time to add in new players, just got to figure out why they're a day late.


_The blades of the glaives rust away like anything else, leaving nothing but the wooden poles and some powder.  The poles mechanically swing back and forth a few times, then the floor underneath opens up to a pit below for a moment, closes, and the now-toothless trap seems to try and reset itself.  It jams up instead._

_Elliot Ellison shakes his head_ "Not the game itself, but how it worked.  I'm in breach of my NDA here, but I don't care about the about the bond at this point.  I was on the staff.  I checked: The game simply didn't _have_ a backend.  They had a front end: Marketing websites for every major region, payment gateways backing those, an authentication server to make sure everyone was paid up - and if you couldn't get to that last one, the game wouldn't start - but there wasn't any kind of an exchange server for all the interaction.  To be sure, I set up traffic logging on my router to make sure: After startup, for basic multiplayer play, the game had just a single transaction every sixty seconds of play time to the authentication server - a simple confirmation that the account was in order, nearly as I could tell.  That'd work OK for a single player game that's entirely contained locally, but you could have entire conversations, _live_, with other real folks through the game.  Abyss, a lot of the time we had staff meetings in there - saved us needing to pay another company for meeting software."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm thinking "Time zones" - rolling shutdown.  I mean, in character, it's been what, about 12 hours?

----------


## Thunder999

James/Evras just stops and thinks for a moment before sharing his immediate thoughts.  "I can't say I know what to make of that, it certainly sounds like we were never playing a conventional VRMMO. Not sure what was going on or what happened to us, but this does mean that the only servers that shut down were those authentication ones, of course things here and now are different to how they were, so it's not just a matter of whatever this is continuing without them. I suppose it might explain why we still have the interface at least. Not sure if this makes more or less sense than before."

----------


## Lioslaith

*It also doesnt explain why several have tried to leave and have been unable to do so. If time works the same way then thirst and soon hunger from our real bodies should be starting to affect us. It is a very interesting setup. 

Perhaps it was some sort of set up all along?  Designed to trap as many people here as possible?  I dont know. Now a computer person in the slightest, I just played the game.*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The corrupted nature spirit considers_ "I can't feel my real body.  Tell me: What would it take to make that happen, do you think?"

----------


## Thunder999

"I'm not sure, even people with injured spinal cords or degenerative diseases can still feel their face and move their eyes right? Could we just be comatose?"

----------


## Jack_Simth

> "I'm not sure, even people with injured spinal cords or degenerative diseases can still feel their face and move their eyes right? Could we just be comatose?"


_The ghost nymph responds_ "That one's a slight variant on a really old philosophy conundrum.  If _I_ am stuck in a coma and imagining all this, then _you_ aren't real.  I feel real to me.  Do you feel real to you?"

----------


## Thunder999

"Well I think I exist, but I'd probably say that either way

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Waiting for you to speak up Lioslaith

----------


## Jack_Simth

> "Well I think I exist, but I'd probably say that either way
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Waiting for you to speak up Lioslaith


_The beautiful woman responds_ "Exactly.  And from a philosophical perspective, if they can actually keep up a conversation, and you don't have _really_ good indication otherwise... best to treat as people.  Regardless, let's keep going...."

_You get past the trap without incident, and go to the observation deck:

A wide stone ledge of red marble lines the curving walls of this room, which is well-lit by four burning skulls that sit in each corner. Three chairs rest in the room, and both stone ledges are covered with books, scrolls, teeth, bones, scrimshaw artwork, jars of deformed creatures soaking in brine, taxidermied animals and limbs, and other strange objects. To the north, a large round fountain filled with frothy blue water fills the room with the gentle sound of bubbling.

An aasimar woman is here; her left hand has been transformed into a demonic red talon. With the exception of her demonic hand and her scarred belly, the rest of her body is incongruously beautiful. Her clothing seems tailored to keep her midriff bare to expose the ugly scarsand wounds across her belly. She's accompanied by a monstrous hound.  When she sees at you, she looks... confused, for a moment, but shakes it off and starts casting...._

*Spoiler: Knowledge(Arcana) DC 22*
Show

_You get a combat knowledge pop-up, which tells you the burning skulls are just skulls with Continual Flame spells, not dangerous._

*Spoiler: DC 20 Knowledge (religion)*
Show

_You get a combat knowledge pop-up, which tells you the various objects on the shelves are various holy texts, scrolls, relics, and objects sacred to the worship of Lamashtu_

*Spoiler: DC 20 Knowledge (religion)*
Show

_You get a combat knowledge pop-up, which tells you the scars on her belly are the mark of Lamashtu, denoting the carrier not only as one devoted to the Mother of Monsters, but one capable of birthing monsters from her own body._

*Spoiler: DC 13 Knowledge (The Planes)*
Show

_You get a combat knowledge pop-up, which tells you the hound is a yeth hound.  An outsider, and all that implies._
*Spoiler: DC 18*
Show

_The pop-up also includes that it has a free trip on it's bite, just like a normal wolf_


*Spoiler: DC 23*
Show

_The pop-up also includes Bay: Bay (Su)
When a yeth hound howls or barks, all creatures except other evil outsiders within a 300-foot spread must succeed on a DC 12 Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. Whether or not the save is successful, an affected creature is immune to the same hounds bay for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based._ 


*Spoiler: DC 28*
Show

_The pop-up also includes the DR 5/Silver_


*Spoiler: DC 33*
Show

_The pop-up also includes the Sinister Bite (Su)
A yeth hounds bite is treated as evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. In addition, a good-aligned creature bitten by a yeth hound must make a DC 14 Will save or be shaken for 1 round. If the victim is already suffering from a fear effect (such as the hounds bay attack), the victim is instead completely overcome with fear and can do nothing but cower for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Constitution-based._ 


*Spoiler: DC 28*
Show

_The pop-up also includes the Flight (Su)
A yeth hound can cease or resume its flight as a free action._ 




*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show


Roll for init, and just go if you beat both the assimar and the hound.
Assimar: (1d20-1)[*5*]
Hound: (1d20+6)[*12*]
DMPC: (1d20+25)[*26*]

----------


## Thunder999

Acting before anyone else could react Evras skims and dismisses the knowledge popups before grabbing a rod and casting a single spell to encase his foes in ice.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Evras automatically nat 20s initiative to go first as usual.  
That's a Persistent Mass Icy Prison, Reflex DC 39, rolling twice. 24 cold damage regardless. DC 39 strength check as a full round action to break out, though I doubt these two are among the few creatures in existance with the 48+ strength needed to make that.

----------


## Lioslaith

I don't even bother to summon my blade, waiting for Evras to finish.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The woman and the beast are immediately entrapped in the icy prisons.  They both struggle useless uselessly against the walls of ice encasing them._

_Evelynn Everson tilts her head slightly, and asks_ "Anyone else catch the look on her face when we came in?"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

The assimar rolled a 20 initially: Persistent caught her.  She also has ER 5 vs. cold, so only 19 damage, dies in two rounds.  The hound dies next round.

----------


## Thunder999

"She looked a bit confused didn't she, odd considering we weren't exactly quiet, maybe she was expecting humanoids?"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I knew persistent spell would pay off

----------


## Lioslaith

*Maybe she was expecting the typical adventurers she usually gets?*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The yeth hound's eyes close for the last time as it stops breathing, and the assimar falls unconscious._

_Elliot Ellison considers_ "Goblins are easy to kill, and this place isn't exactly organized. This was a _starting area_ in the game, wasn't it?  Intended to be beaten by 1st level newbies.  How could she have usual fair and still live?"

----------


## Lioslaith

*Perhaps she usually escaped to come back later and engage the players?  Ive never played this one. No idea.*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The corrupted nature spirit shrugs_ "Hmm.  Well, we'll see." _as the aasimar stops breathing within the ice as well._

----------


## Lioslaith

*Another test we might try is to change spells once we rest.*


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I dont think we have tested yet have we?

----------


## Thunder999

"I've changed spells a few times, it's with the Quick Study exploit not sleeping, but I doubt there'd be a difference. On the topic of spells, we could try asking her why she was confused via a Speak With Dead spell, I have plenty of unused cleric slots to prepare one in."

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The ghost nymph responds_ "Once she thaws, anyway.  How long does your ice last?"

----------


## Thunder999

"A bit over 20 minutes, but it's only ice, should shatter or melt easily enough if we want to speed things up."

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The beautiful woman shakes her head_ "If you want to interrogate now, sure.  Otherwise... well, she doesn't care anymore, I think. Was there anything else we needed to deal with here?"

----------


## Thunder999

Evras thinks a moment and replies "There was Malfeshnekor, a demon or maybe a barghest, we should probably find and kill it. Oh and check to see if anything important was on Nualia when she defrosts."

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Evelynn Everson responds_ "Ah, right.  Was in the gem guy's journal.  That means we have "heard of the subject" right?"

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Elliot Ellison says_ "Let's go get him, then..."

_He casts two quick spells - one to locate the beast... and he chuckles slightly, seeing the beast respond - saying -_  "Ah, he thinks invisibility will help?  Well, guess he doesn't know what's coming" _ - and another to get everyone there - and everyone who's willing to come to the fight arrives without incident.

The doors to the room are made of stone but bear no handles. An indented outline of a seven-pointed star, its shape covered by hollows and slits, graces the spot where handles should be.

The room is lit by a ten-foot-wide pit of flickering fire that fills the room with a strange humid heat and the smell of burning hair. In he northern corners of the room, wooden risers each hold several dozen golden candles that burn without melting, while to the south the wall bears an immense carving of a seven-pointed star.

A greater barghest - invisible, but most of you can still see him without issues - snarls at you in Infernal:_
"YOU DON'T BELONG HERE" _as it gathers itself to charge..._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Well... nobody's posted a response recently, and I'd like to wrap this up by deadline date so folks can find the place during the pause between books, so moving on...

DMPC action: Miracle(Greater Scrying).  Miracle(Greater Teleport).

Rolled offline:
Malfeshnekor failed the will save, but did notice the scrying sensor, so no surprise round.

Malfeshnekor Init: (1d20+8)[*19*]
DMPC init: (1d20+25)[*32*]


*Spoiler: Knowledge(The Planes) pop-ups, starting at DC 17*
Show


*Spoiler: DC 17*
Show

_You get a combat lore pop-up, which says:_ "This is an advanced elite greater barghest, an Lawful Evil outsider"

*Spoiler: DC 23*
Show

_The popup also includes_ "DR 10/Magic"

*Spoiler: DC 27*
Show

_The popup also includes_ "It has a bite and two claws"

*Spoiler: DC 33*
Show

_The popup also includes_ "Spell like abilities at will: blink, invisibility sphere, levitate, misdirection (DC 17), rage (DC 18)" 

*Spoiler: DC 37*
Show

_The popup also includes_ "And a few one/day spell-like abilities: charm monster (DC 19), crushing despair (DC 19), dimension door, mass bulls strength, mass enlarge"

*Spoiler: DC 43*
Show

_The popup also includes_ "He has change shape (goblin or wolf, polymorph)" 

*Spoiler: DC 47*
Show

_The popup also includes_ "AC 23, Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +10, 85 HP"

----------


## Thunder999

Evras just flies over and hits it with his sword.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Auto win initiative as usual
Prescience Divination School Power (1d20)[*8*]
If that's not a nat 1 he uses it as his attack roll with a +32 to hit, if it was a 1 then (1d20+32)[*52*] to hit instead
(2d6+38)[*45*] slashing damage, (20d8)[*81*] negative energy damage from conductive weapon

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Evras just flies over and hits it with his sword.  
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Auto win initiative as usual
> Prescience Divination School Power [roll0]
> If that's not a nat 1 he uses it as his attack roll with a +32 to hit, if it was a 1 then [roll1] to hit instead
> [roll2] slashing damage, [roll3] negative energy damage from conductive weapon


_The Aeon reacts swifter than anyone else, and Evras' sword strikes true, piercing the beast, and channeling negative energy into it's body, snuffing it's life force instantly, wilting it around his blade.  In a moment, it's all over, and the room is silent.

Checking, you find some treasure._

*Spoiler: Treasure, with identification*
Show


Each of the racks in the northern corners contains 30 eternal candles, minor magic candles that burn eternally without heat, similar to a continual flame spell but shedding only shadowy light in a five-foot radius. Each eternal candle is worth 25 gp. 
A single silver coffer sits on its side on one of the shelves in the western alcove. The coffer itself is worth 100 gp, but the real treasure sits inside, buried in a bed of fine white sanda ring of force shield. When activated, the shieldlike pane of force generated manifests as a seven-pointed starthe Sihedron rune.


*Spoiler: Treasure from Nulia earlier*
Show


+1 breastplate
+1 bastard sword
Sihedron medallion (p 55) (+1 Resist saves, free action 1/day false life; permanent gentle repose if on a dead body). Runelord can borrow your senses, if (s)he still exists...)
masterwork composite longbow with 20 arrows, 
gold holy symbol (100 gp), 7 pp, 5 gp

Nualias notes and several journals

----------


## Thunder999

"Well that's everything here sorted, we should probably just destroy the amulet, no need to give Karzoug extra eyes, my daily Disjunction SLA should handle that and still leave us with some novelty jewelry, time to ask Nualia what had her surprised" (and yes, he does say ess ell ay aloud)

With that he'll go silent for the next 15 minutes to prepare a Speak with Dead for Nualia, then cast it.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I'm going to go ahead and heighten the speak with dead to 7th and make it persistent using sacred geometry, so DC 32, rolling twice
roll 
(6+5)*3*3+2=101, a valid prime, multiply the rest by 1-1=0 so it doesn't matter

----------


## Jack_Simth

_After breaking through the ice, the spell seems to work, and the mouth of the lady's corpse moves with your magic._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

She didn't roll a 20, so ask away!


Sorry for the delay.  Real life events.  Good ones, but schedule-disruption.  Hoping to get things settled into a routine soon.

----------


## Thunder999

To his allies first "Feel free to suggest more questions, I'll start with our reason casting, but beyond that I expect myself and Elliot know more about the actual plot than she did."
Then to the corpse "Why were you confused when we entered the room of your demise?

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

At least it's a happy disruption.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The frostbitten corpse whispers back_ "You don't fit."

----------


## Thunder999

"What don't we fit? Why don't we fit? Who or what would fit?

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The clawed corpse answers ... presumably in order_ "You don't fit the weave. You don't belong here. Natives."

----------


## Thunder999

"What weave?" and after the answer to that "How can you even tell we don't fit?"

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The dead dame responds_ "Fate.  It's obvious."

----------


## Thunder999

Evras turns to his allies, "Well, this is interesting, she at least can tell we're not who's meant to be here. Defying fate is certainly unusual, not sure if anything will come of it, fate and prophecy broke with Aroden's death after all. Keep an eye open for Iriis and Theletos I suppose."

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Well, nothing in a few days, so moving on to the end of book 1.
You now get a few months of peace IC.  What does everyone do?



_You get a pop-up, which says:

"Congratulations!
You have completed arc one of six.
Without Nualia to lead all five tribes, the goblins have no unifying force, and only act individually.  While they will still make the occasional raid... small parties from individual tribes are only a minor menace at the fringes of the wild lands, and no real threat to any civilized place.  With the defeat of Malfeshnekor, the remaining Thistletop goblins no longer have the unifying force they relied upon, and the remaining members fall apart as a tribe within a few months. With the defeat of Erylium and deactivation of the Runewell in the Catacombs of Wrath, there will be no sinspawn to plague the town from that corner for the foreseeable future.
Relax around Sandpoint, take time to craft magic items, bolster relationships with NPCs, and perhaps meet new characters in town."_

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie sees the town of Sandpoint on the road up ahead. He slows to a walk and surveys the scene. Like other places he's been, this one seemed different. What to do? How will these folks respond to him? 

He walks into the streets and looks for an INN, if it is where it was before.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC, Frendle*
Show





> Lonnie sees the town of Sandpoint on the road up ahead. He slows to a walk and surveys the scene. Like other places he's been, this one seemed different. What to do? How will these folks respond to him? 
> 
> He walks into the streets and looks for an INN, if it is where it was before.


Using any form of disguise?  Also, there's two in town. "The Rusty Dragon" and "The White Deer" - they both charge the same, but the Rusty Dragon has smaller, worse kept rooms... but the owner of The White Deer is quite gruff...

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie Sees the "Rusty Dragon" down the street, _"Perhaps that is where I should go, I remember the dialogue of the owner of the White Deer was kinda mean. Maybe they'll be kinder to me at the Dragon."

Lonnie tries pulling his cloak up a bit and scrunch his neck down to hide the worst of his features before going into the Inn._

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Nope, no disguise. Gonna have to deal with it in the town. Perhaps a wand or some other thing? A Hat of disguise? I assume I never had an issue with the NPC's before the shutdown?

I can try a disguise check :)   (1d20+2)[*13*]

----------


## Taelas

Just outside the town limits proper, a man arrives, appearing as if from nowhere. He's clad in dark silk robes, with black hair set up in a topknot, a small beard and mustache. A slim golden diadem encircles his head, encrusted with jewels. Clearly of Eastern descent, most likely from the region of Tian-Shu, he has an imposing presence. The only non-human seeming thing about him is his eyes: they a golden, with slitted pupils. Knowledgeable folk might recognize them as the result of using the _eyes of the dragon_.

He looks around, nodding. "*Ah, the spell still works. Good,*" he says, in a low tone, speaking to himself. "*This must be Sandpoint.*" He then frowns. "*Doesn't look like much, I must say.*"

Shaking his head at the situation he's found himself in, he walks into town.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

*Spoiler: Picture*
Show


(it's not small, so consider yourself warned!)

----------


## Aleph Null

_"You know, Alphie, I hadn't taken you for the sort to get so angry...but in a way, I appreciate it. You sort of remind me of a guardian beast, swooping down on wings of fire to rip apart the invaders with vicious talons...or something. Hehe...it's kind of cute, actually."_



It was an odd time for memories of his former self to pop up uninvited in his head, but Guardian Ashiva didn't mind it all that much. The taciturn, bespectacled young man he was before the Shift (as he referred to it) was still a respectable individual; at least, as far as the scientific community had been concerned, he had a reputation as a promising ecologist wise beyond his years.

Obviously, though, there was no comparison -- even in his humanoid disguise, as he was presently, he possessed capabilities that no human in the real world could have ever dreamed of gaining, at least as the world had been when he left it. The roughly 6 foot tall, broad-shouldered young adult human shape was only as imposing as it needed to be to deter would-be meddlers in his affairs; he dressed plainly, as an ascetic or monk might, and was well-built and toned, with tattoos almost resembling wisps of flame on his arms and short, spiky ashen-gray hair. Bright, piercing blue eyes were his normal choice, though he could change this as he could the general features of the body -- useful for avoiding leaving too much of a 'paper trail' as he traveled -- and generally speaking gave enough of a severe air to the appearance that bandits and other ne'er-do-wells would stay away and spare him the inconvenience of having to fight them off without accidentally killing them. Besides, even after the Shift he still had this (as he enjoyed describing it, 'singularly irrational') distaste for formalities and choreographed social interactions, so it was all the better that he gave himself an appearance that would give others second thoughts about approaching him. Sure, it made people a bit wary, but at least he could choose when to begin interacting with others rather than have such things forced upon him.

As he entered the town from a rather unconventional angle -- landing on the road and changing into his disguise there ran the risk of being spotted, so he had done so out of the way and headed directly to town -- he made his way toward the center of the town as he had predicted it would be as he approached, hoping to find an inn or other place of gathering where he could hear rumors, have food, or simply relax for a bit. In particular, he had heard some rumors along the way that had piqued his interest, since they seemed to indicate the presence of other people who had been involved in the Shift, so he was particularly on the lookout for talk in that vein.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Might as well give an image here too.
*Spoiler: Ashiva's "normal" humanoid disguise*
Show

----------


## Thunder999

Evras speaks aloud when the pop up appears.  
"And we still get quest pop ups, Arc one of six, looks like we'll be defying an entire AP worth of fate."

He's not really got much to do with downtime, though the mention of new characters is certainly intriguing, though it's possible the default message just didn't account for the possibility there wouldn't be.   
He slightly regrets retraining all his crafting feats once he capped his inventory, upon noticing that line.  

With no dissenting voice to persuade him otherwise he hits the Sihedron Medallion with his daily Mage's Disjunction, assume his preferred humanoid disguise with once more and Greater Teleport back to town (he'll take anyone who wants him to with him of course).  

Back in town he'll find the Mayor and speak to her, he'll try to use his diplomacy skill while at it, though he's not sure how that will work when he's supplying all the words in person. "You'll be pleased to know the goblin problem is dealt with, their leaders and the Barghest they were working to unleash are all dead, along with a number of their warriors, there's almost certainly survivors out there, but they'll be back to the disorganised squabbling tribes the town walls should be more than enough to fend off. Though you might want that tunnel beneath the glassworks sealing off properly. I'd like to stick around town for a while, I notice the so called Chopper's Isle has been mostly abandoned and I'm thinking of conjuring up a mansion there but thought I'd run it by you first."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I really expected someone to be interested in discussing the revelations, but I guess not. Am I the only one left, not counting new players?  
Oh, do we plan to acknowledge all the missing people in the story or just hand wave it? If we're not handwaving it, then it'd probably be very worrying in character for them to have just vanished without trace.
DC 31 on that Disjunction, nothing extra, it's just the single target version that forces a will save at -5 vs being destroyed
Quite a lot crammed in one post I know.  
Oh and a diplomacy roll to help with talking to the mayor (1d20+35)[*42*] no idea if it'll work, but worth a shot

----------


## greenpotato

On the outskirts of town a lithe blonde woman blinks in confusion.
She stares down at her hands and opens and closes them *"Dude, WTF?"*
Looking up at sandpoint she frowns *"Something is very wrong"* she mutters. 
She begins to jog and then blushes. Somehow running everywhere suddenly felt odd. She walks instead. 
The center of town was her destination. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Using alternate form to appear as a human

----------


## Yas392

In a forest near Sandpoint, Slicky touches his clothing. He blinks. He flips. He throws a prop at a trunk. He messes around with the interface. He speaks. He looks at himself with a mirror.

*"No way! Is this for real?!! Cool!"*

The clown walks out of the forest and comes across a sign.

*"Sandpoint, huh?"*

Slicky goes back into the forest.

*"Let's make sure that I am prim and proper before I enter town, shall we?"*

Using a magic paintbrush, he makes a disguise kit to apply makeup and perfume on himself.

*"That should do. Prim and proper. Now let's have some fun with the NPCs. I wonder if the romance side quest is still available. I will check after I acquainted myself with the NPCs."*

Slicky skips into town to chat with the NPCs to get info on current events.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Has permanent appearance of life to appear as male gnome with colorful attire of a clown which matches his attire without illusion.

Use Marvellous Pigments to create disguise kit.

*Craft (Paint) vs DC 15:* (1d20+20)[*40*]

*Disguise to make sure all the other factors (smell, touch, look, taste, temperature, sound, texture, etc) match his gnome illusion:* (1d20+48)[*60*]

Take 10 on all diplomacy checks to gather information using Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifiers via versatile performance for result checks of 56.

----------


## TheAlmightyKue

Pythia had taken her human form, though thanks to her helm she appeared to be a golden statue come alive. She smiled to those she saw as she walked into the town. It had taken her a few minutes to actually remember this place. It was from the start of the game right? So it had been awhile since she had come back here, and it looks like there had been some updates since then too. But now with the way the game had become real it was hard to recognize for the oracle.

She walked toward the center of town. Of course she was catching the eye of most of the townsfolk with her golden luster but she figured it was better than her mutant Euryale form. As she strolled toward the center of town she picked up a bit of broken off brick from one of the buildings, chips really. She smiled and began to turn them over in her hand as she spoke magical words.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Casting Ears of the City, the brick is the material component.
Since its a perception roll thats a +70 to gather information that might help.
(1d20+70)[*81*]

----------


## Armonia13

*"Stupid frickin game...I couldn't have just let it go, I just HAD to watch it shut down. Now I'm stuck gods know where as this...thing..."* A pair of hands begins to stroke the strange feminine form this player now finds themself in. It has been a full day since Stephen woke up in the wilderness near Sandpoint. He had a splitting headache as dozens of voices filled his mind at once. It took him several minutes to open his eyes, at which point he realized what was going on. He had become Azula, and all of the strange characteristics he had given her was biting him in the ass. He(she?) spent most of his(her?) time just quieting the mental voices, which Stephen would learn came from the various wildlife nearby. Getting control of the many arms she(he) had was somewhat easy, though they still had a tendancy take some strange subconcious actions. Discovering the game controls was a real treat, especially the inventory, where she immediatelly took out his Flask of Endless Sake. Stephen didn't have to do this BS sober at least. While still vocally complaining(had to practice not speaking in stereo with his two other faces), Stephen dons the disguise of a beautiful Sylvan woman, the same guise Azula always used, and heads towards what feels to be the right direction. As a new day begins to break, she spies the walls of Sandpoint and makes his way inside.  *Spoiler: OOC*
Show

 Looking forward to playing! Pardon my formatting, the library is closed.  (1d20+46)[*60*] Disguise Self

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Most of the buildings in Sandpoint are made of wood, with stone foundations and wood shingle roofs. The majority are single-story structures, with a few noted exceptions. The town is often thought of as two districts by the locals.

Uptown: Most of these buildings are relatively new, and the streets are open and less crowded. This section of town is also physically above the rest, situated on a level bluff overlooking the southern half of town.

Downtown: The majority of the towns buildings can be found here, which grows increasingly crowded as available space is claimed by new arrivals. Downtown is built on a gentle slope that runs from a height of about 60 feet above sea level to the west down to only a few feet above the waterline to the east and south.

Sandpoint Harbor is a fairly deep natural harbor, 30 feet for most of its expanse, with sharply rising slopes near the shore. The languid waters of the Turandarok River wind down from the hinterlands, skirting Devils Platter to empty into the harborthe river is often used to transport lumber harvested far upriver down to the local saw mill. South of town rises another bluff on which Sandpoints most affluent landowners have staked their claims.

Only a few hundred feet north of town rises an upthrust spur of rocky land topped with a few trees.  The sight that strikes all visitors to Sandpoint at fi rst is the ruins
of the Old Light. The Old Light rises from sea level and is built into the face of a 120-foot-tall cliff , the tower extending another 50 feet above that level to culminate in ragged
ruins._





> Lonnie Sees the "Rusty Dragon" down the street, _"Perhaps that is where I should go, I remember the dialogue of the owner of the White Deer was kinda mean. Maybe they'll be kinder to me at the Dragon."
> 
> Lonnie tries pulling his cloak up a bit and scrunch his neck down to hide the worst of his features before going into the Inn._
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> Nope, no disguise. Gonna have to deal with it in the town. Perhaps a wand or some other thing? A Hat of disguise? I assume I never had an issue with the NPC's before the shutdown?
> ...


_You find most folks run when they see you, and find the Rusty Dragon inn without much hassle; this large structure is Sandpoints oldest inn, notable for the impressive (and quite rusty) iron dragon that looms on the buildings roof, doubling as a lightning rod and decoration.  The place empties out as you enter.

After a bit, a Shoanti man enters. He observes for a bit, sighs, walks up to you and says_ "You seem peaceful enough.  How can I help?"
*Spoiler: Image*
Show




*Spoiler: Frendle OOC*
Show


And... you're soaking some penalties to Disguise with that profile pic.  Which means Commoners tell taking ten.









> Pythia had taken her human form, though thanks to her helm she appeared to be a golden statue come alive. She smiled to those she saw as she walked into the town. It had taken her a few minutes to actually remember this place. It was from the start of the game right? So it had been awhile since she had come back here, and it looks like there had been some updates since then too. But now with the way the game had become real it was hard to recognize for the oracle.
> 
> She walked toward the center of town. Of course she was catching the eye of most of the townsfolk with her golden luster but she figured it was better than her mutant Euryale form. As she strolled toward the center of town she picked up a bit of broken off brick from one of the buildings, chips really. She smiled and began to turn them over in her hand as she spoke magical words.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Casting Ears of the City, the brick is the material component.
> Since its a perception roll thats a +70 to gather information that might help.
> [roll0]


*Spoiler: TheAlmightyKue OOC*
Show

Both Gather Info and Ears of the City require you seek information on a specific topic.  What are you seeking?





> _"You know, Alphie, I hadn't taken you for the sort to get so angry...but in a way, I appreciate it. You sort of remind me of a guardian beast, swooping down on wings of fire to rip apart the invaders with vicious talons...or something. Hehe...it's kind of cute, actually."_
> 
> It was an odd time for memories of his former self to pop up uninvited in his head, but Guardian Ashiva didn't mind it all that much. The taciturn, bespectacled young man he was before the Shift (as he referred to it) was still a respectable individual; at least, as far as the scientific community had been concerned, he had a reputation as a promising ecologist wise beyond his years.
> 
> Obviously, though, there was no comparison -- even in his humanoid disguise, as he was presently, he possessed capabilities that no human in the real world could have ever dreamed of gaining, at least as the world had been when he left it. The roughly 6 foot tall, broad-shouldered young adult human shape was only as imposing as it needed to be to deter would-be meddlers in his affairs; he dressed plainly, as an ascetic or monk might, and was well-built and toned, with tattoos almost resembling wisps of flame on his arms and short, spiky ashen-gray hair. Bright, piercing blue eyes were his normal choice, though he could change this as he could the general features of the body -- useful for avoiding leaving too much of a 'paper trail' as he traveled -- and generally speaking gave enough of a severe air to the appearance that bandits and other ne'er-do-wells would stay away and spare him the inconvenience of having to fight them off without accidentally killing them. Besides, even after the Shift he still had this (as he enjoyed describing it, 'singularly irrational') distaste for formalities and choreographed social interactions, so it was all the better that he gave himself an appearance that would give others second thoughts about approaching him. Sure, it made people a bit wary, but at least he could choose when to begin interacting with others rather than have such things forced upon him.
> 
> As he entered the town from a rather unconventional angle -- landing on the road and changing into his disguise there ran the risk of being spotted, so he had done so out of the way and headed directly to town -- he made his way toward the center of the town as he had predicted it would be as he approached, hoping to find an inn or other place of gathering where he could hear rumors, have food, or simply relax for a bit. In particular, he had heard some rumors along the way that had piqued his interest, since they seemed to indicate the presence of other people who had been involved in the Shift, so he was particularly on the lookout for talk in that vein.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> ...


*Spoiler: Aleph Null*
Show

There's two inns - The Rusty Dragon and The White Deer.  Which do you try first?





> Evras speaks aloud when the pop up appears.  
> "And we still get quest pop ups, Arc one of six, looks like we'll be defying an entire AP worth of fate."
> 
> He's not really got much to do with downtime, though the mention of new characters is certainly intriguing, though it's possible the default message just didn't account for the possibility there wouldn't be.   
> He slightly regrets retraining all his crafting feats once he capped his inventory, upon noticing that line.  
> 
> With no dissenting voice to persuade him otherwise he hits the Sihedron Medallion with his daily Mage's Disjunction, assume his preferred humanoid disguise with once more and Greater Teleport back to town (he'll take anyone who wants him to with him of course).  
> 
> Back in town he'll find the Mayor and speak to her, he'll try to use his diplomacy skill while at it, though he's not sure how that will work when he's supplying all the words in person. "You'll be pleased to know the goblin problem is dealt with, their leaders and the Barghest they were working to unleash are all dead, along with a number of their warriors, there's almost certainly survivors out there, but they'll be back to the disorganised squabbling tribes the town walls should be more than enough to fend off. Though you might want that tunnel beneath the glassworks sealing off properly. I'd like to stick around town for a while, I notice the so called Chopper's Isle has been mostly abandoned and I'm thinking of conjuring up a mansion there but thought I'd run it by you first."
> ...


_The amulet sparks a bit, and it's magic aura dims.

Elliot Ellison silently renews her invisibility and follows_


_Mayor Kendra Deverin seems suitably impressed as she replies_ "... Bhargest?  Tunnel?  Show me, please and... sure.  Nobody's using the place anyway, make yourself at home, if you're fine with risking the curse... and dealing with all the kids that are dared to visit the place."
*Spoiler: Picture*
Show






*Spoiler: Thunder999 OOC*
Show

The amulet did not roll a 20, and is rendered non-magical.



*Spoiler: General OOC*
Show

I'm inclined to handwave folks that drop silently as simply getting bored with the first level mission and wandering off to do their own investigations / things.

If I missed anything where someone was expecting a reaction, please let me know.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I am waiting for the results of Slicky's gather information.

----------


## TheAlmightyKue

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Seeking information on Player Characters passing through, as the particular topic. Seeing how player characters would act differently people might notice the odd behavior I reckon. Sorry I should have been clear.

----------


## niw18

Lucefero and his fiendish servant would fly and soon noticed a town below him them it was a long trip he had past memories of another life but his current form was where most of his memories and personality came from but his past life does leak out in personality and memories. This gave him an insight most beings born in this world do not know.  He would look to his servant "let's stop in town I am sure their fun can be made but also maybe information cause something drew us to this town" he say to his servant. The humanoid-looking being that looked like a patchwork being held by pins would land at the center of town with his fiendish servant that appears to be a bug-like being. The two looked around and decided to head towards the inn they saw in the sky he that it was called white deer.  He would bluff any that just a human anti-paladin not what he really is. 


*Spoiler: rolls info and stuff* 
Show



to bluff  NPCs that's of the human race

(1d20+34)[*48*]

----------


## samduke

> And.... no responses, and a good book break point on the IC, so:
> Folks with complete sheets can now wander into Sandpoint.  In character: You got nabbed at the same time as everyone else, but ended up in different starting areas.  For one reason or another, you've ended up in Sandpoint - whether that's wandering about randomly, curiosity about other areas, actively seeking out evidence of other folks in your situation, or some other reason is up to you (the existing PC's haven't exactly been quiet, so rumors of what they've done will have spread for anyone looking for such).


What just happened she thought as her screen flickered then all went black now she found herself standing in the very thing that she though she was playing. Quickly realizing that her form might not be accepted she disguised herself in a human form to blend in. Walking around attempting to figure where she was and try to figure out what was going on.

(1d20+32)[*37*] for Disguise
(1d20+38)[*53*] for Perception
(1d20+33)[*42*] for Sense motive

*Spoiler: Lilliana Hesporath*
Show


*Lilliana Hesporath*
Female NG Valkyrie see below , *Level* 20, *Init* 17, *HP* 526/526, *DR* DR 10/cold iron and lawful, *Speed* 50 ft., fly 110 ft. perfect
*AC* 71, *Touch* 53, *Flat-footed* 57, *CMD* 88, *Fort* 54, *Ref* 54, *Will* 54, *CMB* +35/+30/+25/+20, *Base Attack Bonus* 20/15/10/5   
* +5 adaptive composite longbow Lightning Bow (+5 shock arrow or +5 brilliant energy arrow)*  +43/+38/+33/+28 (1d8+22, x3)
*+6 Giant Bane Sunblade*  +46/+41/+36/+31 (1d10+29, 19-20x2)
*  Sneak Attack *    (+2d6,  )
*  Bracers of AC +10* (+16 Armor, +13 Dex, +24 Natural, +2 Deflect, +5 Misc)
*Abilities* Str 40, Dex 36, Con 37, Int 34, Wis 36, Cha 44
*Condition* none

----------


## MalkavTheMaven

Azrael found herself in Sandpoint. She had heard of people like herself here, people who acted differently to the NPCs she familiar with. She wasnt hiding her nature but her appearance was different than those of the Empyreans default. She had two sets of golden wings and flowing white gown. Her pistol was hidden within her flowing robes and easily masked.

She would approach a villager on the street [b]Pardon me dear, have you seen any oddities lately? Those who may be considered perhaps a little monstrous in appearance?[\b] she spoke with a soft docile tone to encourage cooperation.

*Spoiler: Ooc*
Show

Diplomacy roll
[roll]1d20+66[/roll]

----------


## Aleph Null

Ashiva will go to the first inn he sees, since it's fairly straightforward to take them in order. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Since it's effectively random, I'll roll for it: high is the white deer, low is the rusty dragon.
(1d100)[*29*]

----------


## 5ColouredWalker

Strider hasn't been in his 'skin' for a while. Most people don't react well to stray constructs, even when they reveal they can speak. In fact, they seem more comfortable around weird humans than constructs, even if said people are running faster than a horse.
Probably has to deal with monsters being scarier than magical people.

Which is why, as the feeling of knowing where he needs to be disappears, Strider appears in sight of the village of a hulking man in full plate covered in cloth, 4 arms pumping as he begins slowing as he closes, until eventually he's walking at a more sedate human pace, though walking incredibly quietly, looking for those that might be out of place... those that could be like him...

The Angel hovering in town quickly came to his attention. He spoke loudly to by time to close the distance.

"Ho there angel! What brings you from the heavans?"

----------


## Armonia13

Stephen walks into the town, taking a deep breath as he prepares to open her mind to the masses. _I can't be the only one this has happened to. Someone has got to know something, and I'm gonna find them!_ Stephen begins to search the minds of those she walks past, trying to listen in on their surface thoughts without being too conspicuous. Slowly he makes his way towards the center of town, praying for a lead. *Spoiler: OOC*
Show

 (1d20+40)[*48*] Perception

----------


## greenpotato

Aenea stands listlessly in the middle of the town square. She stares at the comings and goings of the townsfolk who now seem so much more alive and real than they did when this was just a game. 
"Am I dead?" she wonders aloud to herself.

With constant true seeing she immediately recognizes those that are in magical or polymorph disguise.

----------


## Cassus

Harper24601, known to her long-dead parents as Kelly, spun, whirled, and pirouetted down the main street-- no mean feat for someone with a snake tale instead of, well, feet!  All of the serpents sprouting out of her skull bobbed their heads in time to the jazzy "town theme," turned up to maximum, the gold thread of her well-fitted tunic sparkling in the sunlight and an exultant smile on her face.  It was the ultimate in surround sound, the music coming from everywhere.  She closed her eyes and leaned her head back, relying on the vibrations and scents in the air to keep from bumping into anything or anyone.  Luckily, the streets seemed mostly empty.

...actually, suspiciously empty.  She opened her eyes and looked around, noticing large numbers of NPCs running and flapping their mouths like badly-dubbed foreign actors.  A handwave pulled up the menu.
Music: 100%
Voice: 0%
Effects: 20%

"...oops."  She adjusted the sliders a bit, wincing as the screaming and shouting came into hearing, blushing faintly.  Then the tiny gorgon brightened, throwing one delicately-gloved hand over her forehead, palm outwards.  "Alas, woe is me, shunned by all simply because of the HORRIBLE CURSE placed on me!  Such woe and suffering!"  She cracked one eye open and looked around.

Not much of a reaction, but there was a tall blonde woman near the middle of the town square who wasn't screaming.  Well, better than nothing. 
 Harper slithered over, the expression on her face instantly switching from one of 'grief and tragic suffering' to a friendly smile.  The 3' 6" gorgon stared up at the woman towering several feet over her.  "Hi!  I'm Harper!  Do you know what an 'NPC' is?"

----------


## Armonia13

*Spoiler: [email protected]*
Show

 I think there are like 3 of us at or near the center of town who can technically be descibed as a tall blond woman, who are you refering to?

----------


## greenpotato

*"Oh? Im not the only one?"* The woman says as she looks down at the serpentine dancer.
*"Yeah I know what an NPC is. I'm Gil.. er.."*
She looks around for a moment, realization dawning on her tanned face.
*"I'm Aenea"* she says, unsure.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will lead the way as he speaks "Oh yes there's a rather long tunnel, probably dug by smugglers, below the glassworks, it's how at least some of the goblins got into town, opens up on a beach below some cliffs to the northeast. There's also a branch a few hundred feet along it leading to some Thassilonian ruins, the accessable part of those ruins should be safe enough for the moment, though there's worrying signs of a restless spirit in one room, thankfully nothing strong enough to manifest and do anything, but at the same time that also means there's not much that can be done to remove it. There's more to the ruins too, collapsed stairwells and the like that indicate a deeper structure, probably not safe to dig it out. On the topic of Thassilon, if you see any of these." at which point he'll produce the remains of the Sihedron Medallion "Let me know and try not to let anyone wear it, there's some quite insideous divinations hidden beneath the more appealing effects, though this particular example has been disjoined."

----------


## Cassus

Harper nods.  *"Good to meet you, Aenea!  Yes, you're not the only one-- I was trying to download all of my art when the servers ended.  Serves me right for procrastinating, I guess."*  She shrugs.  *"I'm pretty sure there're a bunch of other users, though.  This whole place is criscrossed with high-end lingering magic auras, way stronger stuff than any of the villagers are carrying."*  Rubbing her forehead with one tiny hand, she blinked up at Aenea.  *"Have you done this questline before ?  It was added waaaaay after I stopped doing tutorials, so it took me absolutely forever to even find the starting town."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

She was talking to Aenea, who'd just mentioned standing in the middle of the town square.  It seemed like the most visible spot to stand; I'm sure other people looking around can see the gorgon.

----------


## Taelas

As he is walking on by, John overhears a familiar word -- a word no _proper_ denizen of this world should know to use.

He stops, looking at the two women conversing, his eyes immediately drawn downwards to the more diminutive gorgon.

"*Excuse me,*" he says, his tone polite, but clearly expecting to be paid attention, "*did you just say 'NPC'? Are you also players?*"

Aenea's true sight would see through the man's human shape as being the result of a transformation, and that his true form is that of an enormous bird of fire, though with shadows rippling across it in waves. "*I am...*"

The man stops, frowning. "*You may refer to me as Feng Xiuhuo. Huo to my friends,*" he finally finishes, shrugging.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> In a forest near Sandpoint, Slicky touches his clothing. He blinks. He flips. He throws a prop at a trunk. He messes around with the interface. He speaks. He looks at himself with a mirror.
> 
> *"No way! Is this for real?!! Cool!"*
> 
> The clown walks out of the forest and comes across a sign.
> 
> *"Sandpoint, huh?"*
> 
> Slicky goes back into the forest.
> ...


*Spoiler: Yas392*
Show

Sorry I missed the gather info check earlier.  Current events....

_It's not hard to find that the town's been turned upside down a few times recently.  The oldest of it is the "Late Unpleasantness - the Sandpoint fire, which is why so many buildings are new, and a bird carving artist by the name of Jervis Stoot who went crazy and did a murder spree - and VERY recently: A surprisingly large goblin raid, where at least one person died, interrupting the dedication of the new cathedral... which was rebuffed by a number of folks - "and I use the term loosely - some of them were monsters, but I wouldn't say that to their faces... those that have them" per your source - who seem to have come out of nowhere and rebuffed the raid trivially. _ 



> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Seeking information on Player Characters passing through, as the particular topic. Seeing how player characters would act differently people might notice the odd behavior I reckon. Sorry I should have been clear.


_It's not hard to find such news.  The town's been turned upside down VERY recently.  A surprisingly large goblin raid, where at least one person died, interrupting the dedication of the new cathedral... which was rebuffed by a number of folks - "and I use the term loosely - some of them were monsters, but I wouldn't say that to their faces... those that have them" per your source - who seem to have come out of nowhere and rebuffed the raid trivially. _ 



> Lucefero and his fiendish servant would fly and soon noticed a town below him them it was a long trip he had past memories of another life but his current form was where most of his memories and personality came from but his past life does leak out in personality and memories. This gave him an insight most beings born in this world do not know.  He would look to his servant "let's stop in town I am sure their fun can be made but also maybe information cause something drew us to this town" he say to his servant. The humanoid-looking being that looked like a patchwork being held by pins would land at the center of town with his fiendish servant that appears to be a bug-like being. The two looked around and decided to head towards the inn they saw in the sky he that it was called white deer.  He would bluff any that just a human anti-paladin not what he really is. 
> 
> 
> *Spoiler: rolls info and stuff* 
> Show
> 
> 
> 
> to bluff  NPCs that's of the human race
> ...


*Spoiler: Niew18*
Show

Per Bluff: "Note that some lies are so improbable that it is impossible to convince anyone that they are true" - no particular notes of shapeshifting / disguise effects on your sheet, and the bone wings and fiendish servant don't exactly help.  For that matter, convincing folks you're an anti-paladin isn't exactly going to score points....

_You find you have a hard time starting a conversation, what with basically everyone leaving at a dead run while screaming._




> Azrael found herself in Sandpoint. She had heard of people like herself here, people who acted differently to the NPCs she familiar with. She wasnt hiding her nature but her appearance was different than those of the Empyreans default. She had two sets of golden wings and flowing white gown. Her pistol was hidden within her flowing robes and easily masked.
> 
> She would approach a villager on the street [b]Pardon me dear, have you seen any oddities lately? Those who may be considered perhaps a little monstrous in appearance?[\b] she spoke with a soft docile tone to encourage cooperation.
> 
> *Spoiler: Ooc*
> Show
> 
> Diplomacy roll
> (1d20+66)[*78*]


_It's not too hard to get info out of the commoners... but it's also pretty clearly not needed; there's quite a few wandering around town at the moment, taking... quite variable... steps to disguise themselves._




> Ashiva will go to the first inn he sees, since it's fairly straightforward to take them in order. 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Since it's effectively random, I'll roll for it: high is the white deer, low is the rusty dragon.
> (1d20+66)[*78*]


_You find the Rusty Dragon inn without much hassle; this large structure is Sandpoints oldest inn, notable for the impressive (and quite rusty) iron dragon that looms on the buildings roof, doubling as a lightning rod and decoration. Inside, it's basically empty, save for a Shoanti man and a dragon-ish looking thing._
*Spoiler: Images*
Show








> Evras will lead the way as he speaks "Oh yes there's a rather long tunnel, probably dug by smugglers, below the glassworks, it's how at least some of the goblins got into town, opens up on a beach below some cliffs to the northeast. There's also a branch a few hundred feet along it leading to some Thassilonian ruins, the accessable part of those ruins should be safe enough for the moment, though there's worrying signs of a restless spirit in one room, thankfully nothing strong enough to manifest and do anything, but at the same time that also means there's not much that can be done to remove it. There's more to the ruins too, collapsed stairwells and the like that indicate a deeper structure, probably not safe to dig it out. On the topic of Thassilon, if you see any of these." at which point he'll produce the remains of the Sihedron Medallion "Let me know and try not to let anyone wear it, there's some quite insideous divinations hidden beneath the more appealing effects, though this particular example has been disjoined."


_The mayor blinks a few times, processing the info, then replies_ "Right.  Seal the tunnels.  Yes, I can get folks on that.  And..." _she reaches her hand out_ "... can I keep that for study?"

----------


## Starmage21

> As he is walking on by, John overhears a familiar word -- a word no _proper_ denizen of this world should know to use.
> 
> He stops, looking at the two women conversing, his eyes immediately drawn downwards to the more diminutive gorgon.
> 
> "*Excuse me,*" he says, his tone polite, but clearly expecting to be paid attention, "*did you just say 'NPC'? Are you also players?*"
> 
> Aenea's true sight would see through the man's human shape as being the result of a transformation, and that his true form is that of an enormous bird of fire, though with shadows rippling across it in waves. "*I am...*"
> 
> The man stops, frowning. "*You may refer to me as Feng Xiuhuo. Huo to my friends,*" he finally finishes, shrugging.


A brown hair, brown-eyed everyman speaks up from the corner. In every way he looks like every human you've ever met, and no one you know. Even his clothing is a nondescript beige with no particular stylizations. Those familiar with spells like _Alter Self_ would know the appearance like that is a function of those kinds of polymorph spells. 

"I knew it! Any time you cant figure out whats going on, you go back to the starter town!"

He stands up and approaches the group, holding out his hand and offering a handshake.

"I'm Mike...I mean uh Terrach"

*Spoiler: True Seeing*
Show


Anyone with _True Seeing_ or similar will see through Terrach's _Alter Self_. His true form is as follows:
A gargantuan draconic skeleton, seemingly constructed of a hue-less crystalline structure, rather than bones. The skeletal structure's razor sharp edges refract light into a rainbow myriad of colors in all directions around the dragon. A crown of crystalline spines and forward swept crystalline horns adorn the head of the former crystal dragon, and pinpoints of red light glow from within the eye sockets of his skull. The draco-lich's stature very reminiscent of a house-cat, and it regards those around it accordingly.

----------


## niw18

He would sigh as every person he tried to talk to would end up just going into a dead run away from him and screaming and would look to his servant "is it something I said" he would ask him in a joking manner. He would shrug bored of trying to talk to the people and wander about till he found the White deer inn. he was not even sure they would even serve him based on the reaction of other people.

*Spoiler: ooc and stuff* 
Show


none 

 if I missed someone's interaction please let me know

----------


## Cassus

Harper turned to look up at the newcomer, her neck craning to make eye contact with the form's actual eyes.  *"See?  Another one already!  Hi, Huo!  Really wish I had Google Translate still-- is that a TV reference?"*

At that point, another person walked over to the middle of the square and held out his hand.  *"Hi, Terrach!"*  The pale little gorgon waved up at him.  *"Ummm...  Have you tried eating since you moved here?"*  She paused.  Tentatively, *"How- how does it work?"*

----------


## Taelas

John lets out a small laugh. "*No, just a poorly-translated reference to the build I had for this character.*"

He raises an eyebrow at the conspicuously-generic looking Terrach. "*You do know that those spells can customize your appearance, right?*" he comments drily, one hand gesturing to himself. "*You don't need to look as generic as Emmet right out of the LEGO Movie.*"

----------


## Starmage21

*"Dudes I never really put a lot of thought into it. After I got the lich template, a lot of NPCs would attack on sight. I just needed something to calm them all down so I could sell trash loot after farming. But regarding eating, I hadnt even thought about it! I dont really have to eat or sleep unless I want to refresh my spell slots. That said, I think I'm stuck in combat with some NPC I cant find. I cant log out, nor can I put in a ticket with the admins. I presume they've all gone home and I'll be stuck til they actually turn off the physical servers.  You guys in for whatever this quest run is? Guess I'll see if I can speed run it before shutdown."*

Terrach looks around at Huo

*"Wanna party up for now?"*

He looks at Harper

*"Whats your PC's name?"*

----------


## Armonia13

As Stephen travels towards the center of town and watches as people run away in terror from it, she realizes he didn't need to be so cautious or worried about whether he was the only one. Rushing in, the former human sees the steadily growing group of highly powerful monsters. A couple have that glamer of disguise recognizable to any using truesight, but more than a couple are unabashedly exposed. Stephen approaches the conversing group, both her social anxiety and just a healthy sense of caution keeping his pace slow. *"I'm......taking a guess here.....and saying you all are players as well?"* He looks around at the various people not wearing disguises. *"Is...Is it normal to not wear a disguise in town? I normally stick to the PVP arenas."*

----------


## Thunder999

"Sure, like I said, this one's harmless. You'll know where to find me if you have more questions"

A casual Dimension Door later and Evras is on Chopper's Isle, he'll take a look around with his Arcane Sight to see if there's actually any evidence of a curse, then whip out his spellbook, swap in a Resplendent Mansion and begin casting.   
The mansion fills most of the available space on the island.  

*Spoiler: Mansion Details*
Show

With Potent Magic and a Greater Extend Rod it's sticking around for 48 days with just one casting, is up to 300ft on a side, which is enough to basically take over the island if I'm reading the map right, and 6 stories high.  
Two doors, both big enough for a Large sized creature, one is on the ground floor to the south (i.e. facing sandpoint) the other is an exit to a small courtyard on the top floor, for convenient and unseen entry and exit with flight. 
The ground floor is entirely lacking in windows at all and none of the windows on higher floors actually open.  
The ground floor contains a large entry hall, dining room, study and a meeting room of sorts..  
The floor above has a few bedrooms and bathrooms, designed to look relatively normal.  
The top floor contains the above mentioned small courtyard along with another bedroom.  
The other floors are identical in layout, with a small room containing only the staircases up and down, decorative corridoors 10ft wide running around the perimeter and a single large mostly empty room in the center (if it's possible with the spell, there would be no actual floor/ceiling in this middle area, just a massive room).  
Needing neither sleep nor food the lower two floors are mostly just for show if anyone visits, the empty rooms should provide ample space to do anything that requires it, conjuring huge creatures and the like.


He'll head to the big empty room inside, swap in an extended summon monster 3, conjure a dretch, swap the spell back out, swap his Resplendant mansion back out, then use Fiendish Proboscis on the unfortunate demon to refill his reservoir and dismiss it.
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I think that's nice and unsubtle.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie smiles at the Shoanti. "Hello sir, I'd like a room." Then absently he raises his claw in anticipation of the pay window popping up. 

He continues, waiting for the window. "Heard any rumors?"

Then a person, has to be a player cause NPC's rarely have a track to enter a building. Especially not an Inn. 

"Hello, I don't suppose you've heard any rumors?" Lonnie favors the newcomer with a toothy grin.

----------


## greenpotato

Aenea nods at the sudden influx of PCs.
*"Hello"* she nods at each.

Returning to Harper she answers the question *"It's been a long time since I did this quest, I remeber this is the starting town. Then.. .something happens with goblins in a river fort, and... a castle on a snow capped mountain filled with giants?"* She shrugs *"Im useless without the wiki"*

----------


## TheAlmightyKue

Pythia would notice the other Euryale and immediately walked toward her to figure out what was going on. It was cool to see another snake gal about. She noticed she was talking to several others. So there were more players here, more trapped in the world like her.

*"Hello there."* she said, smiling to the lot of them *"I'm Pythia Delphi, well that was my character name."* lifting her hand to wave to the others.
*"So there are more of us than I thought. And another Euryale too nice. Anyone got anything on why it happened?"*

----------


## Yas392

*"So a player or group of players like us completed Arc 1. Guess I need to check on old Ven."*

The voice comes out a murmur but the volume of is more of a whisper. Slicky drops by the General Store to see Ven Vinder.

*"Hello, shopkeeper. Anything exciting happening in this store lately?"*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on respective versatile performance to substitute ranks & modifier for diplomacy for a check of 56.

----------


## Cassus

Harper shrugged at John's explanation.  *"Oh.  Huo strange.  And Emmett was awesome!"*  She stamped her foot, grinning.  Those with True Seeing would notice that having legs appeared to be-- for a few brief seconds-- the natural state of her lower body, which reverted to a serpentine body shortly after.

She turned to Terrach.  *"You should try eating, then!  I'll treat you to something from one of the taverns if it'll serve us and I can watch!  And this is Harper24601, by the way, but just call me Harper.
"...now that you mention it, I'm not seeing nametags or levels any more.  I don't think combat turns those off..."*  Her face drooped for a moment.

The newcomer [Stephen] distracted her quickly, though.  *"Yeah, pretty much!  Anyone not running in panic right now is probably a player.  Makes it simple, right?  And any player worth talking to will ask the NPCs why they're running screaming, so we'll basically find all the real people in town!"*  She grinned.  *"And I worked hard for this body; why would I cover it up?  If I need to, I can just use diplomacy.  Don't you have at least one event skin you're proud of?"*

*"Pythia Delphi...  I'm Harper24601, but just call me Harper."*  She looked the other gorgon over critically.  *"Does it feel weird to be all stretched out like that?  It looks like you have 'young' and 'Medium' checked at the same time."*  Half of her snakes tilted their heads to the side, then bounced upwards.  *"But yes!  Snake girl!  We can be sisters!  ...fist bump?"*

----------


## Armonia13

Stephen looks at Harper like she has two heads...which to be fair she technically does because of her snake hair. *"Proud of a skin? I mean...maybe if it served a mechanical purpose for the build but..."* He blushes, several of her arms moving out of his disguise in several nervous ticks. *"This is, was, more of a job for me, like, I was a beta tester. This build, Azula, was supposed to be for the next patch before the shut down was announced. I was really looking forward to breaking her in."* One of her hands pulls out a small silver container that keen eyes can tell is a Flask of Everlasting Sake. He goes to take a swig but pauses a moment. *"Oh, uh, you can call me...Azula...my real name doesn't really fit with the whole..."* She gestures her whole body, then draws deep from his flask.

----------


## TheAlmightyKue

Pythia smiled and nods *"You can call me Pi for short"* pronounced as Pie. *"Pythia can be a mouthful"* she explained and looked down at her change shaped form *"Yeah, young is a template but the medium is running as part of the change shape special ability. My native form is small due to young."* she hadn't really discussed her templates before but it made sense right?

*"I just wanted to avoid the panic, and of course the idiots never stop looking me in the eyes."* she gestured to her face *"Which means they turn to stone, such a pain."* she smiled to the other snake girl and nods *"Sure that sounds cool."* of course the helm granted her the cosmetic change which wasn't so much a disguise as just a cosmetic change and would look a little weird in true sight because its both true and not so flickering a gold filter probably.

*"Though I admit people being out and out monster form means we can find one another quickly. So thats helpful. Guessing no one knows the hows and whys of us being stuck in a game?"*

----------


## Starmage21

Terach looks to the newcomers

*"Its not me making em run. Even when I'm not in town to sell, I usually keep both my fear auras ticked off. You can turn off the gaze too, I'm guessing. Might wanna do that so that the city guard dont start rousing an army. They cant hurt me, but its still annoying when you just wanna sell. Faction drops like crazy when you kill em."*

He pauses for a moment.

*"There are at least five of us here. Should we go to the tavern and see if we can find the quest NPCs?. Maybe the game issues will resolve themselves or we'll get kicked, or admins will show up."*

----------


## samduke

@Jack_Simth

well I waited to see if this would be answered..
can I get a reply on this
https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...&postcount=625

----------


## greenpotato

*"Yeah maybe"* Aenea says unconvinced *"Do you think maybe we died or something? How do you explain the increase resolution and the fact we can't log out?"
"And if we are alive will our real bodies starve to death?"*

----------


## Da'Shain

Wandering the streets to see what the commotion was, Don the perfectly normal human scribe came upon the gathering of obvious other PCs and sighed, torn.  On the one hand, it was gratifying to know he wasn't the only one who'd been stuck in the game ... but on the other hand, it seemed his fellow players were completely ignoring decorum and the reactions of the NPCs.  The characters in Sandpoint were so lifelike, now!  He had just come back from his day job in the civic offices of the Town Hall (a simple matter to dominate and replace one of the scribes there with none the wiser), and had even been disbelievingly flirting with one of the other scribes, bemused at how much it felt like a real conversation and not an AI fumbling through scripts.  Even with the truly wondrous feel of actually inhabiting his character's shapeshifting body, he was still enthralled by the complexity of the systems that must be in play now in this new, upgraded version of the game.

Keeping his forgettable human guise, he approached the group of monstrous characters, smoothly inserting himself between one of the Medusa-looking ladies and the many-armed Asura.  To those with magical senses, the simple ordinariness of his aura would scream either 'completely nonmagical NPC' or 'PC with Mind Blank and Greater Magical Aura running'.

*"Forget the resolution, have you all not noticed how much the NPC AI has advanced?  I've been living here a couple days since before the shutdown time, and it's gotten so much more immersive I hardly feel the need to log out,"* he gushed, happy to have someone to share this revelation with.  He blinked a moment, then continued, *"Oh, I'm Unagidon, by the way, here.  How long have you all been here?"*"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Unagidon sheet

Current guise:

----------


## Taelas

John looks at Unagidon, nodding in greeting.

"*Feng Xiuhuo, though Huo's fine. I just arrived here in the town, but I was in Tian Xia when the shutdown was supposed to happen.*"

He sighs, idly scratching his beard. "*It's very clear something else happened. From one moment to the next, the NPCs started behaving differently. I can't put my finger on it, but it's like... They are so much more responsive!*"

He shrugs, as he folds his hands inside his voluminous sleeves. "*PFVR 2.0? But then why did they let us keep our characters? An upgrade like this more than warrants a new start, surely. Also doesn't explain why we can't log out.*" He shudders as an unpleasant thought strikes him. "*Unless the upgrade glitched or something?*"

----------


## Aleph Null

The 'newcomer' as it were didn't seem so terribly nervous about the toothy grin of the odd creature at the counter. He just sort of shrugged and smiled. 

*"Odd way to say hello. Then again, what about this whole situation wouldn't be described as odd?"*

Taking a couple of steps closer and stepping into what would logically be the place for a line at the counter, he added, *"I hear wind of a group of heroes here who've made a name for themselves, but that's a rumor that carried far enough that I'd be surprised if you hadn't already caught on -- I actually came to take a look into that, myself. Though by the sound of it you haven't heard anything more than I have, so I will need to ask around."*

If this guy was a player, he definitely was roleplaying his part -- not unheard of, to be fair, since it was a roleplaying game. But absolutely nothing about him said 'NPC,' unless he was some patron or quest-giver (though none of the well known ones from the game matched his appearance). For one thing, there was this odd power about him, something fierce and wild, as though he could burst into flame at any moment. And if Lonnie had any form of true seeing (the goggles were common at high levels after all) it would be clear that the humanoid shape was a guise -- his true form was that of a colossal avian made of iridescent flames.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I assume Lonnie has truesight goggles because who wouldn't with these item building rules
If you can detect magic, Ashiva is oozing it, but if you can't then idk lol...
uh, yee

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sorry for the delays.  Real life snuck up on my yesterday.





> He would sigh as every person he tried to talk to would end up just going into a dead run away from him and screaming and would look to his servant "is it something I said" he would ask him in a joking manner. He would shrug bored of trying to talk to the people and wander about till he found the White deer inn. he was not even sure they would even serve him based on the reaction of other people.
> 
> *Spoiler: ooc and stuff* 
> Show
> 
> 
> none 
> 
>  if I missed someone's interaction please let me know


_A pair of wooden life-sized deer, carved with painstaking care from white birch, stand astride the entrance to this sizable tavern and inn. The White Deer commands an impressive view of the Varisian Gulf to the north.  This new-seeming building is a grand affair, three stories tall with a stone first floor and wooden upper floors.  Everyone - both on the way and here - runs when you show._
*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

Unfortunately, the guy actually paid to deal with things like this is currently at The Rusty Dragon....





> Lonnie smiles at the Shoanti. "Hello sir, I'd like a room." Then absently he raises his claw in anticipation of the pay window popping up. 
> 
> He continues, waiting for the window. "Heard any rumors?"
> 
> Then a person, has to be a player cause NPC's rarely have a track to enter a building. Especially not an Inn. 
> 
> "Hello, I don't suppose you've heard any rumors?" Lonnie favors the newcomer with a toothy grin.


_The shoanti man shakes his head and responds_ "I'm the Sheriff, Belor Hemlock by name, so I can't exactly get you a room here myself.  Not directly, anyway.  I can possibly convince Ameiko - the inkeeper - to come back in, though.  Now, you don't seem to be intending any harm, but you are scaring folks.  I don't suppose you've got the option to look a bit less... err..." _he kind of waves his hand at you in a rather unclear gesture as to what exactly he means.  He continues_ "Setting that aside for the moment... eh.  Lots of rumors, but that's not my business.  There was a goblin attack not that long ago, foiled by some newcomers, some of which have... well, not _similar_ appearance to yourself, but similarly unusual."




> *"So a player or group of players like us completed Arc 1. Guess I need to check on old Ven."*
> 
> The voice comes out a murmur but the volume of is more of a whisper. Slicky drops by the General Store to see Ven Vinder.
> 
> *"Hello, shopkeeper. Anything exciting happening in this store lately?"*
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Take 10 on respective versatile performance to substitute ranks & modifier for diplomacy for a check of 56.


_This general store has a little bit of everythingfarm equipment, weapons, tack, tools, furniture, food, and even homemade pies.  The proprietor greets you warmly, failing to see through your disguise_ "What can I do for you stranger?  Haven't seen you around these parts before.  I'm Ven, and it's a pleasure to meet you."




> @Jack_Simth
> 
> well I waited to see if this would be answered..
> can I get a reply on this
> https://forums.giantitp.com/showsing...&postcount=625


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show



Just replied to the PM as well.

With Disguise, success is generally folks not reacting. With Perception, you're looking for things that aren't obvious and escape notice - but we're not in a section where there's traps, hidden doors, and so on. Sense Motive is either opposed by bluff (which nobody's trying) or requires interacting with folks.

So this is an oversight, mostly because it's not clear to me exactly what you're after. Do you just want a painted scene? 






> "Sure, like I said, this one's harmless. You'll know where to find me if you have more questions"
> 
> A casual Dimension Door later and Evras is on Chopper's Isle, he'll take a look around with his Arcane Sight to see if there's actually any evidence of a curse, then whip out his spellbook, swap in a Resplendent Mansion and begin casting.   
> The mansion fills most of the available space on the island.  
> 
> *Spoiler: Mansion Details*
> Show
> 
> With Potent Magic and a Greater Extend Rod it's sticking around for 48 days with just one casting, is up to 300ft on a side, which is enough to basically take over the island if I'm reading the map right, and 6 stories high.  
> ...


_The spell works as expected, and a six-story structure appears out of nowhere on the island._ 
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

And yes, I'll let you merge the unused floors into one giant open space if you'd like.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

The response missed the mark there. Still waiting for an answer on the question Slicky asked Ven about "anything exciting that happened in his store."

----------


## Armonia13

Stephen, or Azula rather, relaxes a little as the alcohol kickstarts her drunken ki. *"I don't think they are NPCs anymore..."* He says quietly.  If pressed, he'll explain *"It's not just their dialogue that seems improved. I don't know if any of you have Telepathy or have used it yet, but their minds don't feel the same when I tap in. They feel...more real..."*

----------


## Starmage21

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


*Multi-quoting the conversation between the now six adventurers meeting, as there seems to be 3 separate locales active atm*




> *"Yeah maybe"* Aenea says unconvinced *"Do you think maybe we died or something? How do you explain the increase resolution and the fact we can't log out?"
> "And if we are alive will our real bodies starve to death?"*





> Wandering the streets to see what the commotion was, Don the perfectly normal human scribe came upon the gathering of obvious other PCs and sighed, torn.  On the one hand, it was gratifying to know he wasn't the only one who'd been stuck in the game ... but on the other hand, it seemed his fellow players were completely ignoring decorum and the reactions of the NPCs.  The characters in Sandpoint were so lifelike, now!  He had just come back from his day job in the civic offices of the Town Hall (a simple matter to dominate and replace one of the scribes there with none the wiser), and had even been disbelievingly flirting with one of the other scribes, bemused at how much it felt like a real conversation and not an AI fumbling through scripts.  Even with the truly wondrous feel of actually inhabiting his character's shapeshifting body, he was still enthralled by the complexity of the systems that must be in play now in this new, upgraded version of the game.
> 
> Keeping his forgettable human guise, he approached the group of monstrous characters, smoothly inserting himself between one of the Medusa-looking ladies and the many-armed Asura.  To those with magical senses, the simple ordinariness of his aura would scream either 'completely nonmagical NPC' or 'PC with Mind Blank and Greater Magical Aura running'.
> 
> *"Forget the resolution, have you all not noticed how much the NPC AI has advanced?  I've been living here a couple days since before the shutdown time, and it's gotten so much more immersive I hardly feel the need to log out,"* he gushed, happy to have someone to share this revelation with.  He blinked a moment, then continued, *"Oh, I'm Unagidon, by the way, here.  How long have you all been here?"*"
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> ...





> John looks at Unagidon, nodding in greeting.
> 
> "*Feng Xiuhuo, though Huo's fine. I just arrived here in the town, but I was in Tian Xia when the shutdown was supposed to happen.*"
> 
> He sighs, idly scratching his beard. "*It's very clear something else happened. From one moment to the next, the NPCs started behaving differently. I can't put my finger on it, but it's like... They are so much more responsive!*"
> 
> He shrugs, as he folds his hands inside his voluminous sleeves. "*PFVR 2.0? But then why did they let us keep our characters? An upgrade like this more than warrants a new start, surely. Also doesn't explain why we can't log out.*" He shudders as an unpleasant thought strikes him. "*Unless the upgrade glitched or something?*"





> The 'newcomer' as it were didn't seem so terribly nervous about the toothy grin of the odd creature at the counter. He just sort of shrugged and smiled. 
> 
> *"Odd way to say hello. Then again, what about this whole situation wouldn't be described as odd?"*
> 
> Taking a couple of steps closer and stepping into what would logically be the place for a line at the counter, he added, *"I hear wind of a group of heroes here who've made a name for themselves, but that's a rumor that carried far enough that I'd be surprised if you hadn't already caught on -- I actually came to take a look into that, myself. Though by the sound of it you haven't heard anything more than I have, so I will need to ask around."*
> 
> If this guy was a player, he definitely was roleplaying his part -- not unheard of, to be fair, since it was a roleplaying game. But absolutely nothing about him said 'NPC,' unless he was some patron or quest-giver (though none of the well known ones from the game matched his appearance). For one thing, there was this odd power about him, something fierce and wild, as though he could burst into flame at any moment. And if Lonnie had any form of true seeing (the goggles were common at high levels after all) it would be clear that the humanoid shape was a guise -- his true form was that of a colossal avian made of iridescent flames.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> ...





> Stephen, or Azula rather, relaxes a little as the alcohol kickstarts her drunken ki. *"I don't think they are NPCs anymore..."* He says quietly.  If pressed, he'll explain *"It's not just their dialogue that seems improved. I don't know if any of you have Telepathy or have used it yet, but their minds don't feel the same when I tap in. They feel...more real..."*





*"I've read a bit about 'Ghost in The Machine' type transferences, but they've been pretty much hearsay, even with modern quantum & neural computational methods. That said, if that were the case, it would explain us at least. It would not explain the world around us and the mental information you're now suddenly getting."

"I'd wager more on some accidental transferal to an improved version of the game perhaps unannounced at this time. The fact that the rest of the interfaces work lends itself to that explanation."

"I say we group up and explore, maybe see if the quest chain for this is live. And until we determine what the heck is going on, stop scaring people."*

----------


## Frendle

Looking at the person, must be a person. at the door Lonnie slips his Goggles of True seeing down on his eyes. "Oh wow, that is a cool monster skin, what path on the quest did you take to get that one? I really like the one I got. An escaped pet, CALL ANIMAL CONTROL!!!!. Hah!"

The the smile fades a bit. Lonnie rubs his hand over hsi face and moves the goggles back to his forehead. "I only have em down all the time outside of towns, kinda fit bad on my head." HE nods to the sheriff, "No need now friend. I have my fortress."

Then he approaches the fire demon or whatever. This game needs a web interface, can't access the game forums from VR. "Hey ya, name is Lonnie Eida, get it, funny pun. He smiles and winks in place of the emoji. "So anyway, you said there are others? Where are they cause this is weird. Never had NPC's run wild before. I've been out in the Eisen Fields working on the "Figurines" quest. The mobs are acting weird so I came back into town to see what was going on. I can't raise my guild, or see them on the map." Lonnie looks distressed, or maybe he does, hard to tell.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I made a couple of assumptions here. One that there is no web interface, and two that none of my guild is part of this. Or maybe the map interface doesn't work like it used to.
Also that there is a place here called Eisen Fields that I could be questing in.

Question, how did out of combat healing work in the game? Did it speed up like it does in current games? Cause I assume that is no longer true? Anther hint something is wrong maybe?

----------


## samduke

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> With Disguise, success is generally folks not reacting. With Perception, you're looking for things that aren't obvious and escape notice - but we're not in a section where there's traps, hidden doors, and so on. Sense Motive is either opposed by bluff (which nobody's trying) or requires interacting with folks.
> 
> So this is an oversight, mostly because it's not clear to me exactly what you're after. Do you just want a painted scene?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


I guess so.. or maybe route folks all into one spot AKA tavern, for new party cohesiveness, gathering ect... 
just a thought




Wandering down the road a bit attempting to see if there are any others that seem like they might not belong or slightly confused.

----------


## niw18

he would sigh to his fiendish servant "not one of them had any good parts on them either" he would half-heartly joke with his servant before looking as the tavern was for the most part empty as most run away so he had, for now, control over the tavern for the moment but he did not see too many others like himself around so he would look about to see what he can find as he waits to see if others show up. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


I saw ooc that the guy not their but in ic Lucefero does not know that 



*Spoiler: Info and stuff* 
Show


perception to  look and see if finds stuff  in the empty tavern

(1d20+41)[*61*]

----------


## Aleph Null

_"You're always so serious about everything, Alph...what is it that drives you, exactly? You never really told anybody here your story, but I feel like there's something about you we don't know."_

_"My story? It's still being written. I could spin you a yarn about where I see myself in ten or fifteen years, but that's just speculation...no. I'll reveal my hand someday -- what's been driving me all this time -- but I'm not ready to do that just yet."_


Ashiva stopped for a moment, then began to chuckle...after a few seconds he cleared his throat.

*"I've actually lost track of the time, somewhat, but if memory serves it was a few years ago when I won it in an event. There were actually several potential prizes, depending on what you went for, and honestly I can't remember all the details because my memories are still a tad scrambled after the sudden shift in mental capabilities."*

He paused to think before continuing, very obviously considering something, then changing his mind, then changing it again.
*"You're not still thinking we're actually in the game, right? I'm sure you felt it, too...there's no sense in staying in denial forever."*

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie scratches his head, "Still in the game? I guess it depends. I mean we are certainly in some kind of computer simulated reality, right?? I mean, it's not like we were transported to an exact parallel universe. I mean, that's not possible, is it?" Lonnie say uncertainly.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Can we feel pain or other sensations commensurate with what would be reasonable if this was "real"?
If I don't know yet, I can cut my hand to see.

----------


## greenpotato

Aenea nods to Terrach *"I agree, we should play along for now. I remember sandpoint being heavily involved in the Rise of the Runelords quest line and I remember the starting hook being the swallowtail festival and a goblin attack. Maybe if we ask around about the festival? See if it has already passed or is in the future"*

----------


## Cassus

@Town Square

Harper narrows her eyes at Stephen.  *"A beta tester?  Huh.  Well, good to meet you, Azula!  So have you experienced all of these enhanced sensations before?"*  Her tail twitched across the flagstones.

She nods along with Terach.  *"Yeah, Pi, you should turn your gaze off when you're not in combat.  Hella rude otherwise!  You've noticed I'm not stoning anyone, right?"*  She scratches one of her snakes behind the head.  *"But the tavern?  Does the quest really start in a tavern again?"*  Her tone was a mix of plaintive and uncertain.

Turning back to Aenea, *"You're right that it's weird.  I've been signed in for over a day at this point, and no hunger pangs or other sensations from my real body.  And my rig has an automatic timeout after two hours!  It's not even dependent on the grid connection.  Why would you think we'd died, though?  Is this what you believe the afterlife is like?"*

To the newest comer, *"Hi, Unagidon!"*

Then back to Azula.  *"Wait, you're reading minds?  Isn't that really rude?
"You're probably right about not scaring people, though..."*  After looking around the mostly-empty square, she raised a curtain of mist around herself, then shifted into a humanoid form that... basically looked like her original form, except with green hair that didn't hiss and legs in a flowing green dress with scale patterns on it.  Then she dismissed the mist.

*"Oh!  The festival is a quest event?  Yeah, I can ask around about that!  Ears of the City!"*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Using Ears of the City to Gather Information about a Swallowtail festival: (1d20+47)[*54*]
And about recent goblin events, next round: (1d20+47)[*53*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"So a player or group of players like us completed Arc 1. Guess I need to check on old Ven."*
> 
> The voice comes out a murmur but the volume of is more of a whisper. Slicky drops by the General Store to see Ven Vinder.
> 
> *"Hello, shopkeeper. Anything exciting happening in this store lately?"*
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Take 10 on respective versatile performance to substitute ranks & modifier for diplomacy for a check of 56.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Ah, right.  Sorry.


_Ven continues_ "As for excitement... eh.  There was a goblin raid, but they didn't have time to come in here before they were all slaughtered by some rather odd newcomers."



> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> I guess so.. or maybe route folks all into one spot AKA tavern, for new party cohesiveness, gathering ect... 
> just a thought
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Map for reference
_Most of the buildings in Sandpoint are made of wood, with stone foundations and wood shingle roofs. The majority are single-story structures, with a few noted exceptions. The town is often thought of as two districts by the locals. Uptown consists of areas 112. Most of these buildings are relatively new, and the streets are open and less crowded. This section of town is also physically above the rest, situated on a level bluff overlooking the southern half of town, which consists of areas 1346. The majority of the towns buildings can be found downtown, which grows increasingly crowded as available space is claimed by new arrivals. Downtown is built on a gentle slope that runs from a height of about 60 feet above sea level to the west down to only a few feet above the waterline to the east and south. 

Sandpoint Harbor is a fairly deep natural harbor, 30 feet for most of its expanse, with sharply rising slopes near the shore. The languid waters of the Turandarok River wind down from the hinterlands, skirting Devils Platter to empty into the harborthe river is often used to transport lumber harvested far upriver down to the local saw mill. South of town rises another bluff on which Sandpoints most affluent landowners have staked their claims. Only a few hundred feet north of town rises an upthrust spur of rocky land topped with a few treesthis is known now as Choppers Isle, once the home to Sandpoints most notorious criminal. A remote outcropping accessible only by fl ight or by a skilled climber, locals now believe the isle to be haunted by Choppers ghost. Children often dare each other to go out to the isles base at low tide and touch the barren cliff face that surrounds it, but no ones visited the top in years.

The sight that strikes all visitors to Sandpoint at first is the ruins of the Old Light. The original height of this tower is unknown, but those who have studied the ancient architecture of the crumbling remains estimate it might have stood more than 700 feet tall. Today, less than a quarter of that remains. The Old Light rises from sea level and is built into the face of a 120-foot-tall cliff, the tower extending another 50 feet above that level to culminate in ragged ruins. The remaining shell is yet another reminder that neither the Chelaxians nor the Varisians are the first settlers of this land, yet apart from a few badly weathered carvings signifying that the peak of this tower once held a brilliant light, no insight to the towers true purpose remains._

_As you watch, a six story tall structure builds itself on Chopper's isle..._
*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

One of the players set up a beacon for me...




> Lonnie scratches his head, "Still in the game? I guess it depends. I mean we are certainly in some kind of computer simulated reality, right?? I mean, it's not like we were transported to an exact parallel universe. I mean, that's not possible, is it?" Lonnie say uncertainly.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Can we feel pain or other sensations commensurate with what would be reasonable if this was "real"?
> If I don't know yet, I can cut my hand to see.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

It hurts, yes.  You can feel the breeze, smell the ocean (and the unfortunate lack of common bathing).  Noted in the first post in the thread:
"The slight pixelation from your VR headset was gone: Everything looked as real as real can be. Moreover, you could actually feel the breeze on your face, the ground beneath your boots, and the pinching from that awkward (but cool-looking) armor. You could smell the horse droppings and the lack of common bathing. Pulling up the menus, you find that all of them still work, save one: Exit is grayed out. You can't leave. Checking, you also can't feel your headset anymore, and attempts to remove it manually prove fruitless: It's like it's not there anymore. Thinking about it, you can't even feel your real body. It's like you've become your character."





> *"Oh!  The festival is a quest event?  Yeah, I can ask around about that!  Ears of the City!"*
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Using Ears of the City to Gather Information about a Swallowtail festival: [roll0]
> And about recent goblin events, next round: [roll1]


_The spell peters out momentarily, as nobody's talking about anything other than the giant building that just appeared on Chopper's Isle.  It picks up again quickly enough._
"Ugh, those goblins...."
"... still, everything was great with the festival until then...."
"... the food, clothes, local crafts, and souvenirs were splendid..."
"... thank Desna for those strangers..."
"... huh. He built that faster than I thought was possible.  Wow.  Well, he did get permission to use the place...."

"... so they killed them all, just like that..."
"... stupid goblins, interrupting the festival..."
"... STUPID goblins, the one hiding in my oven ruined the soufflé..."
"... and he made it clear there shouldn't be any more large raids, just the small ones we're used to..."

----------


## TheAlmightyKue

She smiled a little, of course she knew she could turn them off but it was one of those things that gave a cosmetic appearance to tell someone you were using it. *"I just liked the eyeshine effect, but I am really into our cosmetic changes, like my gold scales."* she gestured to her golden skin *"The helm doesn't really add much else, but golden scales were just too cool to pass up."* she noticed her fellow snake-girl was using a spell *"Anything worth noting? I would like to get us started if we have to do a quest to get out of here."*

----------


## Armonia13

Azula shudders as he remembers the splitting headache coupled with the alien sense of how her new body worked. *"No....no I never experience anything like......this....before. Different people would regularly get assigned smaller parts of patches before the entirety was released to the public. I was regularly assigned new combat updates. This body was to test additional weapon slots for extra limbs and to overhaul how many attacks the system could handle in one player's turn. Theoretically, I should be capable of attacking over 25 times in one full attack."* A bitter look comes across her face for a moment before he continues. *"I'm pretty sure I would have heard something about a patch that lets you feel realistic pain. That was always a hot topic given the implications...."*

Azula offers her flask out to anyone who might like a sip before taking another long draw, finding great satisfaction in his Ki rising. *"I mean.....I guess it depends what you consider rude. I can't imagine it's much worse than listening in on people's private conversations. But I'm definitely the last person to make a call on something like that."*

Turning to Terach. *"That sounds like a good plan. Should we split the group to cover more ground or stick together? Do you think the messenger is still working? They would make staying in contact and coordinating easy if we split."*

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach's everyman human form shrugs

*"Depends on where you're from whether or not mind reading or thought senses would be considered a massive invasion of privacy. My own personal ethics say that your mind is like your home, and is the last place you have to yourself that you arent forced to share with other people, and it should be protected as such. But I've never really given it much thought in a context where mind-reading is a casual occurrence. That said, I dont know if casual mind-reading would even work on me at this point."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Undead type. Immune to Mind-Affecting effects, which I think 100% of any thought or mind-reading abilities are.



Terrach turns to Azula
*"Splitting up logically allows us to cover more ground, but like the table-top days greatly increases the chance that you get killed should you face any threats. We just met, so its not like I'm in charge here, but I'd strongly recommend that we stick together for now."*

He points to the structure that just appeared out of nowhere.

*"I'd say we start there first, since it just appeared. If it turns up nothing quest related, we go to the tavern."*

----------


## Yas392

*"So the same news the native folks fed me when I asked them. Anyways, a pleasure to meet you, Ven."*

Slicky brushes his chin.

*"Yes. I am not from these parts. I am a traveler. Been around, seen a lot. First time in Sandpoint though. I have yet to travel around Varisia."*

The "gnome" sniffs the air and looks at the homemade pies.

*"Did you make those pies? They smell good."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Versatile Performer to substitute ranks & modifiers for Bluff which he will Take 10 for a check of 56.

Versatile Performer to substitute ranks & modifiers for Sense Motive which he will Take 10 for a check of 56 to see if Ven is hiding something.

For Jester's Deck, do I choose the card I want for Slicky or do I roll the draw for him after he hit the enemy?

----------


## samduke

Seeing the structure build itself, well that is unusual, turning and heading that direction with haste. Maybe I can get answers there.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie glances outside then turns to the fire demon. "Well, there does not seem to be much going on in here, what say we go see if we can find those other odd folks roaming around. Maybe compare notes with them."

Lonnie goes out in the street and begins looking for any others who might be in town, absently he pulls the true seeing goggles down over his eyes and settles them in place.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Perception roll in case I need it. Looking for anyone acting in a, ok let's be honest, looking for anyone who is not running away. And maybe looks like a fire demon of something.

[roll]1d20+39[/roll] Perception 

lol forgot you can't add a roll in an Edit

----------


## Frendle

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Here is the perception roll
(1d20+39)[*42*]

----------


## Cassus

Harper, who couldn't hear or see directly while using the spell, took a bit to work out what Pi had said.  *"Oh, everyone's talking about how some players settled the goblin problem... and built something huge somewhere, which is probably a good place to look for more people." * 

Shifting to the group as a whole, *"Totally related note, anyone here know what the quest hook is after the goblins attack?  I think someone said it was a fortress of giants, and someone said tavern?"*

To Azula, *"I say mind-reading is rlly rlly invasive, yeah.  Why don't you think you're the one to make the call, though?
"As far as splitting up, can anyone here NOT teleport?  I'm thinking half go pick up the quest and half go look at the big thing the players who did the first arc built, say hello.  Good idea about the messenger!"*

She gestured, calling up the menu, and tried posting a message to global chat.  _Hello?  Anyone reading this?_

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Ears of the City round 5 (skipped 3-4 to talk): Anything about giants or fortresses? (1d20+47)[*52*]

----------


## Taelas

John frowns, pondering. "*I've never done this particular adventuring path, I don't think. Rise of the Runelords? If I have done it, I don't remember it. But is that really the most important thing right now?*"

He gestures vaguely in the air. "*We probably have a more pressing matter to deal with. This whole 'can't log out'-business is starting to creep me out.*"

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"So the same news the native folks fed me when I asked them. Anyways, a pleasure to meet you, Ven."*
> 
> Slicky brushes his chin.
> 
> *"Yes. I am not from these parts. I am a traveler. Been around, seen a lot. First time in Sandpoint though. I have yet to travel around Varisia."*
> 
> The "gnome" sniffs the air and looks at the homemade pies.
> 
> *"Did you make those pies? They smell good."*
> ...


_Ven chuckles_ "In a sense - my better half makes them.  They're delicious.  Would you like to buy one?"

*Spoiler: Sense Motive*
Show

He's not hiding anything serious. Just his stock of whisky and wine.

*Spoiler: OOC Jester's Deck*
Show

They're random.  No picking cards for folks.  Picking cards would lead to things like at-will Wishes




> Seeing the structure build itself, well that is unusual, turning and heading that direction with haste. Maybe I can get answers there.


*Spoiler: @Thunder999*
Show

You now officially have visitors.




> Harper, who couldn't hear or see directly while using the spell, took a bit to work out what Pi had said.  *"Oh, everyone's talking about how some players settled the goblin problem... and built something huge somewhere, which is probably a good place to look for more people." * 
> 
> Shifting to the group as a whole, *"Totally related note, anyone here know what the quest hook is after the goblins attack?  I think someone said it was a fortress of giants, and someone said tavern?"*
> 
> To Azula, *"I say mind-reading is rlly rlly invasive, yeah.  Why don't you think you're the one to make the call, though?
> "As far as splitting up, can anyone here NOT teleport?  I'm thinking half go pick up the quest and half go look at the big thing the players who did the first arc built, say hello.  Good idea about the messenger!"*
> 
> She gestured, calling up the menu, and tried posting a message to global chat.  _Hello?  Anyone reading this?_
> 
> ...


_The global chat seems to be functional.  The spell gives you what sounds like children playing or parents reading bed-time stories.  There's no current serious talk of either giants or fortresses._

*@everyone*
_You get the little "pending message" indicator, if you have global chat notifications on in settings._




> Lonnie glances outside then turns to the fire demon. "Well, there does not seem to be much going on in here, what say we go see if we can find those other odd folks roaming around. Maybe compare notes with them."
> 
> Lonnie goes out in the street and begins looking for any others who might be in town, absently he pulls the true seeing goggles down over his eyes and settles them in place.
> 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Perception roll in case I need it. Looking for anyone acting in a, ok let's be honest, looking for anyone who is not running away. And maybe looks like a fire demon of something.
> ...


_As you step outside, the sherriff follows you, and you see the giant building that you're reasonably confident wasn't on that island when you went into the bar._

----------


## samduke

> Harper, 
> She gestured, calling up the menu, and tried posting a message to global chat.  _Hello?  Anyone reading this?_





> *@everyone*
> _You get the little "pending message" indicator, if you have global chat notifications on in settings._


Noticing the message as she approached the new structure while looking around for it's creator.

Activating the message, then Responding, Yes..

----------


## niw18

He did after noticing no one else and bored he saw the pending message as he always had a notification on and never turned it off. He also saw a message from another player and would type back *"I saw your message"* he would reply to them in global chat. He would then sigh and go outside and wonders if there may be others like himself at the other tavern. He would start walking towards the other tavern as he was sure others like himself may be there.

----------


## Yas392

The sudden message pop out from the global chat interrupts Slicky's momentum as it causes his head to reel back.

*"Excuse me for a moment."*

He turns his back at Ven and inputs his quick response to the message. 

Yeah. Busy atm. Txt me the place you want me to meet you later.

Slicky closes his interface and turns back to the shopkeeper.

*"Now where were we? Ah, yes. You asked me whether I want to purchase one of your homemade pies."*

He puts a hand on his stomach.

*"Perhaps later. I am quite filled. And you mentioned that they are made by your better half. You have a wife?"*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Versatile Performer to substitute ranks & modifiers for Bluff which he will Take 10 for a check of 56 to continue bluffing if applicable.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie looks around after he leaves the building, noticing the Sheriff is following him but ignoring that for the moment, as he notices something else peculiar. 

A huge mansion or whatever has appeared on an island behind the town. "Hmmmm, now that looks interesting, I bet there is a player over there that knows what's what. Or at least some fun if it's an NPC." Lonnie begins moving toward the edge of the water, saying over his shoulder to the sheriff following him, "I'm going over there if you have no objection, or I guess even if you do." He shakes his head at himself for talking to an NPC like that, but what the heck. Once a role player always a role player.

When he gets to the edge of the water he gauges the distance to the island he says to himself, "I should be I should be able to make that in one hop." He looks at the entrance to the mansion and uses his innate Dimension Door to pop over to it.

Once there he knocks on the door and says in a loud voice, "Hello! Anyone home?" He loosens his scimitar in its sheaf just in case.

It's then that he notices the message window. "Hmmmm" he gestures with his hand and clicks "OK"

----------


## Thunder999

James replies in the same global chat when he sees the message 

Ah, new people, I don't have all the answers but I do have some, come to my Resplendant Mansion if you'd like to know more

He'll then answer the door and speak to his guests.  
"Ah visitors, I'd hoped the huge magic building would attract a few. You can call me Evras, come on in, got a nice little meeting room we can talk in."
He'll start leading the way as he continues speaking at a pace that would leave anyone still dependant on breathing out of breath.
"I'd like to wait and see if anyone else shows up to give the long version, but one of the others tarapped here, guy called Elliot playing a ghost nymph, worked on the game and apparently there were never any actual backend, just a server to check you were logged in on a paying account, nothing to actually run the thing, so something was weird here long before this happened. The book 1 boss, oh yeah we're basically living through Rise of the Runelords if you haven't noticed, Nualia could tell something was wrong, we apparently don't fit the weave of fate, whatever that is, and don't belong here. She's the only one who noticed, couldn't get more out of her, well I say her, it was a Speak With Dead spell."

----------


## Aleph Null

Ashiva followed Lonnie outside and, noticing the difference in aerial scenery, started to move towards the object.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I will use my domain _Fly_ spell to avoid having to reveal my true form, but I'm not actually going to fly up to it just yet -- I want to see as much as I can from the ground and then make that decision.

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach ***** his head, seeing the message come in

*"Well global chat still works. Hadnt thought to try it. I've always hung out on voice chats with folks, even PUGS! One moment, I'll respond."
*
Terrach waves a hand, bringing up the chat interface and responds

_"Bunch of us are headed over to a mansion that popped up. See you there!"_

He looks back at the folks standing in the square still.

*"Coming? Ya'll can hitch a ride on my Teleport."*

Terrach utters a senseless word, and the group standing near him fade into the Astral Plane, almost instantly re-appearing with an equal and opposite fade into reality. Noticing the others, he speaks with a smile on his face.

*"Hey folks!"*

----------


## samduke

> You can call me Evras, come on in, got a nice little meeting room we can talk in."[/COLOR]
> He'll start leading the way as he continues speaking at a pace that would leave anyone still dependant on breathing out of breath.
> "I'd like to wait and see if anyone else shows up to give the long version, but one of the others tarapped here, guy called Elliot playing a ghost nymph, worked on the game and apparently there were never any actual backend, just a server to check you were logged in on a paying account, nothing to actually run the thing, so something was weird here long before this happened. The book 1 boss, oh yeah we're basically living through Rise of the Runelords if you haven't noticed, Nualia could tell something was wrong, we apparently don't fit the weave of fate, whatever that is, and don't belong here. She's the only one who noticed, couldn't get more out of her, well I say her, it was a Speak With Dead spell."


Surprised by the sudden appearance of someone from the building, Ahh Evras, you can call me Lilliana or perhaps just Lilly. Were you the one who sent that global message?

*Spoiler: Lilliana Hesporath*
Show


*Lilliana Hesporath*
Female NG Valkyrie see below , *Level* 20, *Init* 17, *HP* 526/526, *DR* DR 10/cold iron and lawful, *Speed* 50 ft., fly 110 ft. perfect
*AC* 71, *Touch* 53, *Flat-footed* 57, *CMD* 88, *Fort* 54, *Ref* 54, *Will* 54, *CMB* +35/+30/+25/+20, *Base Attack Bonus* 20/15/10/5   
* +5 adaptive composite longbow Lightning Bow (+5 shock arrow or +5 brilliant energy arrow)*  +43/+38/+33/+28 (1d8+22, x3)
*+6 Giant Bane Sunblade*  +46/+41/+36/+31 (1d10+29, 19-20x2)
*  Sneak Attack *    (+2d6,  )
*  Bracers of AC +10* (+16 Armor, +13 Dex, +24 Natural, +2 Deflect, +5 Misc)
*Abilities* Str 40, Dex 36, Con 37, Int 34, Wis 36, Cha 44
*Condition*

----------


## Taelas

John gives Terrach a nod when he suggests the _teleport_.

When they arrive, he looks up at the building, nodding to himself. "*Resplendent mansion, eh? Not a spell I normally use, but looks like it produces nice work. I am Feng Xuohuo; Huo to my friends. What can you tell us about the log-out issues?*"

He frowns at the mention there was never any backend. "*Wait, what? That's got to be a bad joke. You can't run a game without some kind of code. How would that work?*"

----------


## Jack_Simth

> When he gets to the edge of the water he gauges the distance to the island he says to himself, "I should be I should be able to make that in one hop." He looks at the entrance to the mansion and uses his innate Dimension Door to pop over to it.


_The sherriff is unable to follow the Dimension Door._




> The sudden message pop out from the global chat interrupts Slicky's momentum as it causes his head to reel back.
> 
> *"Excuse me for a moment."*
> 
> He turns his back at Ven and inputs his quick response to the message. 
> 
> Yeah. Busy atm. Txt me the place you want me to meet you later.
> 
> Slicky closes his interface and turns back to the shopkeeper.
> ...


_Ven nods_ "Ah, yes she is a jewel.  I would have difficulties running this place without her." _He smiles and trails off a bit, then asks_ "Well, what would you like today, then?"

----------


## Yas392

Slicky fists one of his hand, places it on his chest above his heart area and rubs it in one circular motion. 

*"My apologies. I seem to have disrupt business with my lengthy chat with you. As for what I would like today, showing me the wares you are selling is a start. I may return in the foreseeable future for those merchandises other than the pies."*

After Ven lists the items on sale, he waves at the shopkeeper as he exits the store.

*"It has been a pleasure exchanging words with you, Ven. If your wife is around, I would love it if you could introduce me to her. I'd like to meet the producer of the pies. I go by Slicky which is what you can call me when we meet again to do business or have a casual chat."*

Passing the streets, passing the flabbergasted sheriff at the shore, Slicky glows for a bit but his appearance remain the same under his illusory guise to normal eyes. Those under true seeing can witness his bottom half transformed to fins. He dives under water swimming towards the island the house the mansion and resurfaces when he reaches the other side. He waits for his alter self effect wears off before he skips towards at the structure and sizes the magnificence of the foundation.

*"What a sight! To think that the product of the spell can be so life-like when viewed up close makes me want to create an identical resplendent mansion."*

He turns to the throng gathered there, raising one hand.

*"Oh, didn't see you guys there. Sup. You must be the players that have posted in the global chat. I am Slicky. Nice to meetcha."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Alter self into merfolk via greater hat of disguise.

*Swim (Take 10)* - 27


*Spoiler: True Seeing*
Show

Exactly the same appearance as illusion.

----------


## Armonia13

to Terrach: *"It's more like standing on the porch and looking through the window than actually breaking in, to use your metaphor. At least, that's what it feels like now. I don't know if you've made characters with it before, but telepathy was always super glitchy in the game. When I've used it on other players before, it either gave me flavor text based on their character's inputted backstory or bugged out to the point I'd have to restart. As for NPCs, mob characters went through a basic rotation based on where I was, and important characters only had thoughts that pertained to their specific operations. Now there's a lot more, and it makes sense to whatever is going on. Many of the NPCs had unique thoughts based on what they were doing, who they were doing it with and what was happening around them. Still basic but...you know, not."* Azula puts her flask away for now, feeling her buzz getting a little too strong. *"I'm good with sticking together, but I'm not too worried about danger. I mean, I'm assuming everyone here is max level. There isn't much that can take one of us on."*

turning to Harper: *"Really invasive? You mean like listening in on a bunch of people's conversations at once? All it is is information gathering, they aren't even aware I'm doing it unless I speak in their minds. As for why I don't feel like I'm a good judge."* Azula turns his head away a bit, blushing slightly. *"....I'm just gonna say I speak a lot of time in the PVP Arenas......like a LOT of time...."*

After everyone start getting the dings of messages, Azula takes a look at his menu again and realizes she left hers off. He quickly fixes his mistake just in time to see a message inviting them to go to the mansion that had magically popped up as they were speaking. *"Oh! This guy seems to know what's up! Or at least a better idea...."*

when Terrach offers to Teleport everyone: *"Oh, that won't work on me unfortunately. I'll, uh, I'll meet you guys there!"*

After everyone disappears, Azula lets out a deep breath. He hadn't realized how tense he was this entire time, how tense she still is. Taking a moment, she activates her Gauntlets of the Weapon Master, his two fiery swords, coming out. With her other hands, he goes into her inventory and pulls out her eight other blades. With a dull delight, he feels a strange confidence, like sh can masterfully wield them all at once. With a small smile, he stores them all into his gauntlets. _I should have done this from the start. Funny how panic throws you off._ She pulls out the standard backpack and her Darkskull, putting it in the bag and feeling the unholy aura surround him. He follows it up by taking out her Padma Blossom and gently holding it in one of his more obscured hands. _I won't let myself be caught off guard in case something happens._ Nodding to himself, she focuses on the Resplendent Mansion and Greater Teleports to its entrance.

She arrives just in time to hear Feng ask *How would that work?* *"How would what work? what did I miss?* He turns his attention to the Aeon that appears to be their host.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie scratches the underside of his muzzle. Considering the notion that the game had no backend. That didn't seem possible, it had to have something back there for the front end to query for game information. He knew that the latest advances in VR tech had been possible due to highly efficient interfaces between the two. At least that's what he'd read. 

So there were two possibilities. 

"I think there has to be a," and he makes air quotes with his claws" "backend"." Stepping a bit closer to the center of the group he spreads out his arms as though to emphasize his point, "So there has to be two possibilities. Either there IS a backend, just one so advanced that it was a trade secret and so access was limited to a few, or it was a..." again he made air quotes. "Biological" backend that they had figured out how to interface with. Maybe when the frontend was shut down, some of us got caught somehow, I mean bugs happen, and so here we are, stuck in that, "again with the air quotes ""Real" backend."

Having finished, he looks around, "or am I completely" he began to raise his caws but stopped himself, "out to lunch." he finished sheepishly.

----------


## niw18

He has seen that they replied and looked at it one wanted to make a time to meet where another gave him details of a massive building in the sky and looked to his servant "let's go and fly to check this out" he would say to his servant before flying up till he can spot what everyone else has seen. He would once he spotted it and fly towards it to investigate it and hopefully meet up with other former players like himself.

----------


## Thunder999

"Yep, the second message was me, would have sent one sooner, but I didn't know anyone was around to receive it. It's definitely not just an industry secret, literally the only outgoing signal from the game was a once per minute check-in, could have had some crazy cutting edge compression, but that wouldn't have let you chat real time. Best I can figure is the game was somehow connecting us to whatever this is the whole time, and we got locked in rather than kicked out when it closed down.  
As for what else I know, the NPCs aren't just NPCs, they're as real as anyone, they even think like real people, I looke at the minds of a good chunk of the town when I got here. Oh and here's where it gets weirder, you can invite them to a party and send them chat messages. What else was there, oh, the fact all our coins and currency diamonds are all perfectly identical is weird enough they notice, we can sort of break the inventory cap, can't fit more in the actual haversack, but I've got some random loot and coins in my pockets.  
Still, as I told these two, the Nualia, the boss of the first segment of Rise of the Runelords, which is the adventure we're in, knew something, couldn't get much of use, but me and the other people with me apparently stood out as obviously out of place, we apparently don't fit the weave of fate.  
I'd like to tell you more, but that's all I've found out today.  
Given that the only person who actually knew anything was a boss, I'm planning to stick around here and see if the other main villains of the AP know anything."

----------


## Taelas

Thoughts racing, John looks pensive.

"*There's a bunch of holes in your explanation, though,*" he says after a moment. "* If the game just connected us to whatever this place is... Why do we have an interface and why does it still work, aside from the logout button? If our currency is uniquely identical in a manner the... locals...*" he hesitates around the word, and the way he avoids saying _NPCs_ makes the lack of it ring in its absence, "*notice, then why have they never noticed before? How come we can invite them to parties?*"

He shakes his head. "*There's something fishy going on. If some of the more important  characters might have answers... I'll certainly stick around to find them.*" He abruptly chuckles. "*Not like I can log off and go do my taxes,*"he adds dryly.

----------


## Yas392

As Evras invites them into the mansion and shuts the door to outsiders to update them, Slick nods.

*"That confirms my theory about someone or some group completing Arc 1."*

He shrugs at John's inquiries and statements.

*"Either we are in a SAO situation where we are trapped in the game and our IRL bodies are comatose. Or we are in an Overlord situation where our IRL bodies expired and we became our characters with Gamer characteristics. One way to find out the answers is to question the important NPCs who are more or less like real people now."*

Slicky manifests his marvelous pigment and starts drawing a masterwork dagger on the ground.

*"So we abolishing the Skinsaw Murders questline before it happens? Mess with Aldern Foxglove? He has been a naughty boy. I recall that Aldern Foxglove may be alive as of now. He will die via fungus he finds under in the caves under his mansion, mind twisted by Xanesha to transform him into a killer ghost who will murder Katrine and her boyfriend."*

*Spoiler: Ven Vinder items for sale*
Show

Can I get a list of what he sells at the current time other than the pies?

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: Ven Vinder Inventory*
Show


_Ven Vinder's store seems to have a rather eclectic mix - which makes an amount of sense, for a small town; folks need a little bit of everything, so when you don't have enough folks to support a bunch of specialty stores, you get general stores.  He has many different things... not all of which you recognize.  Fortunately, Vin's there to answer questions - although he does raise an eyebrow and ask -_ "If you don't even know what they are, how do you expect to use them effectively?  Let's move on."_ for some of the more esoteric items - and they do seem to be sorted by general purpose, which makes things easier.

Farm equipment: axes, flails, winnowing baskets, harrows, haymaking forks, Moulboard ploughs, rakes, wheeled ploughs, spades, sickles, shears, scythes, and a few other odds and ends.
weapons: Knives, brass knuckles, daggers, light maces, clubs, heavy maces, morningstars, shortspears, spears, longspears, quarterstaves, blowguns, crossbows (light and heavy), darts, javelins, slings, a few longbows and shortbows, a couple of longswords, and one greatsword.
tack: saddles, bridles, saddle blankets, stirrups, saddlebags, and all manner of things you'd find useful for a horse.
tools: This set of things is very long and varied. Many of them you don't even recognize. 
furniture: tables, chairs, stools, nightstands, beds, lamps, chamberpots, desks, bathtubs, and so on.
food: Bread, Cheese, Meal, Meat, Trail Rations, Tea, Coffee, and Tonic
_

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach tilts his head a bit, reasoning through the situation

*"If you consider it critically, the situation with our physical bodies is a non-issue. If our physical bodies are dead, we're still here. If theyre withering away, we're still stuck here. If we've been copied into the game via some ghost-in-the-machine shenanigans, we're still here. The real question is why, and what are we going to do with our time here. The escapism has literally become real for all intents and purposes."*

He raises an index finger as if making a serious point

*"Our main concerns for any life, have now become our main concerns here. How and what do we need to live? Who are our enemies? Has anything changed as a result of us being here? The Runelords are strong compared to the level you are when you face them, and they presented a danger to the world as a whole. Should we just go curb-stomp them now, or are they just as powerful as us? Trying to overthink all of the consequences will make your head spin, so I suggest one step at a time."*

Terrach's eyes widen

*"Holy crap! My mere presence here is going to be an offence to multiple deities. Is my 'human soul' going to be an offense to Bahamut and Tiamat? Is Pharasma going to be angry because I'm a dracolich? Is Azmodeus gonna have me taken out because I know about Rovagug being imprisoned in the core of the world and how they got him there? This is stuff we have to think of now."*

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Edit because a synonym for "tilt" is somehow bad-word filtered.

Also sorry for not posting on the weekend. My highest posting frequencies will be during the week!

----------


## niw18

The two friends would get by flying and decide just to stand on either side of the door guarding in case something happens as he had experienced his presence often makes NPC run away screaming sometimes. He would use his telepathy to try to communicate with the others who were inside to see if tell him what was inside the building. he would look to make sure nothing might pose a danger is around and send his mind to talk to others inside _"hello can you hear me whats going on inside"_ he would telepathically ask all that is inside as he guesses some would not hear his communication but might be some that can or so he hoped they can.

----------


## Thunder999

"Interrupting that is definitely an option, glad you remember more than I do, I just remembered that damned haunted house. One minor hitch is that the whole Aldern gets saved by PCs and becomes obsessed thing isn't happening, we crushed the goblins without seeing him, though nothing else has been knocked off course yet, I tried to stop the grave robbery but Nualia just did the Alter Summon Monster trick and sent earth elementals after it to keep things on track. Sorry, I know that doesn't really help decide either way.  
Nothing's reacted to us yet, and I casually destroyed a shrine to Lamashtu, so we're probably fine, though I don't intend to spend a second without the protection of Mind Blank."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Telepathy needs line of effect

----------


## Da'Shain

Having accompanied the others through the teleport to the magically-created mansion, Unagidon was growing more and more intrigued by what he was hearing.  *"So the NPCs have some understanding of game mechanics, then?  Interesting ... that certainly explains some of the stray thoughts I was getting.  I'm ashamed to say I never bothered with the RotR quest line as it seemed too basic, so I don't know the next steps ... but if the boss mobs seem to have some special knowledge, Dominating them seems the order of the day then."*

He didn't seem perturbed at all by the discussion of what had happened to their bodies IRL, shrugging the question off as though it was of no matter, and nodding along with Terrach and Eras.  *"Certainly agree on the Mind Blank bit, but that was already a daily necessity for me anyway.  I think half of us are probably abominations of some kind in the gods' eyes if they're real now, so best be careful.*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Unagidon sheet

Current guise:

----------


## samduke

entering the mansion, then as others enter and discuss the issues at hand she sits and listens then speaks I also have never run through the RotR quest line, So I will defer to better judgements.

----------


## niw18

*Spoiler: occ*
Show


from what read as long targets are in range it works since monster ability, not a spell.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show





> Edit because a synonym for "tilt" is somehow bad-word filtered.


It's also American English slang for a particular piece of male anatomy.   That said, at least one of the mods recognize that sometimes the filters fire inappropriately.  I once asked them what was going on with a random-generated loot roll (a lynx eye gem was tripping server security software trying to prevent code injections at the time, despite the lynx programming language not actually being installed on the server), and a mod let me know how to bypass.  After all, it's rather hard to do an old-time detective story without it being at least a little inspired by the Dick Tracey series, for instance.  We've had a few server revisions since one of the mods gave me the bypass, and I seldom have reason to use it, so I don't know if it still works.  Let's find out!




> Telepathy needs line of effect





> from what read as long targets are in range it works since monster ability, not a spell.


Would you expect Thrown Rocks or thrown Webs to work through a wall since those are monster abilities as well?

I'm going with "requires line of effect".

----------


## niw18

*Spoiler: occ*
Show


throw rocks/ webs are attacks but telepathy is not an attack they are very different abilities.  I would like to reference this thread to support my idea that it does not require  loe
the thread pazio

----------


## Aleph Null

*Spoiler: OOC:*
Show

Still waiting on a reply @GM. Humanoid!Ashiva used a Fly spell to get closer to the floating thing in the sky to take a closer look...

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC:*
Show




> Still waiting on a reply @GM. Humanoid!Ashiva used a Fly spell to get closer to the floating thing in the sky to take a closer look...


I'm having trouble ID'ing the thing in the sky in question that you're approaching.  Would you perhaps quote the relevant passage you're responding to for me?



> throw rocks/ webs are attacks but telepathy is not an attack they are very different abilities.  I would like to reference this thread to support my idea that it does not require  loe
> the thread pazio


Hmm... mostly it's just folks talking back and forth with no real consensus.  The bit about a breaking encounter, though... found it, book 5, monster telepathy through a solid enough barrier.  OK then.  Fine, it works.

----------


## Starmage21

*"The order of the day then is to see the questline through completion and stop the Runelords, I suppose. While we do that, I suppose we should commune with any gods or powers willing to communicate with us to make sure we're not about to get harshly deleted from existence by any of them that are pissed off that we simply exist now. After that, I'm not even sure what my or our agenda should be. I suppose its the age old philosophical question 'What will you do, given power?'"*

Terrach gives a pause to allow some thought between folks

*"So who can commune with deities wants to ask them the relevant questions?"*

*"...And what is the next step in the Runelords questline?"*

----------


## Thunder999

"I can cast commune if you have some yes/no questions. As for what's next, that's the Skinsaw Murders, A lamia matriarch in Magnimar and her minions, I remember the name Ironbriar among them, ritually murder greedy people to harvest their souls for the Runelord of Greed's Runewell, never actually found out the exact details of what the end goal is, probably only shows up ins osme sidebar for the GM, but presumably it's part of what would let him out of Xin Shalast. Oh and somehow Aldern Foxglove and his very haunted family home tie in, I mostly remember the mansion though, always hated haunts." after a second's pause Evras adds "Oh and there's ghouls pretending to be scarecrows for some reason. Given his involvement I think I'll try scrying on Foxglove."

Evras will then cast a Persistent Greater Scrying on Aldern Foxglove.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sacred Geometry roll 5*5*4+1=101 a valid constant, multiply the rest by 6-6=0
My knowledge of him is secondhand, so he gets a +5, though the DC is 37 so he's probably still going to need to roll a pair of 20s to pass

----------


## Frendle

"Don't look at me for the god thing, the extent of my magic is popping around." Lonnie looks around the group, "but sounds like a good plan, although maybe they want us here. Guess we'll find out."

"Never picked a god since my backstory is I escaped from my master etc etc."

Who knows this questline? I don't, not sure how I missed it, did most all of them I could find."

----------


## Aleph Null

*Spoiler: OOC:*
Show


Um, my bad, I meant the structure that built itself on the ground. Somehow I read that as building itself in the air.

_Whoops._

----------


## Yas392

*"Curbstomp them? Pffft. Boring! Why don't we take it slow and play with the characters? We don't need to move our timetable up if we are efficient with our time management. We are at maxed level, true. But why show our cards this early and speedrun? In the long run, it is going to be bad for us. The mansion that appeared out of nowhere is already tacking eyes on the structure. If we show off more, we are bound to attract the attention of powerful figures and outsiders. Our tougher enemies will have opportunities to study us and prepare countermeasures. At this level, we should be more subtle in our approach like pushing or guiding someone to do the work for us."*

The masterwork dagger Slicky drawn on the floor springs up like a growing plant to a three dimensional form. He picks it up and angles it so that the steel reflects Terrach's face.

*"If you are worried about our safety, we can take precautions. First things first, privacy. Mindblank, Screen and the likes of high level illusion/divination/abjuration spells to hide the mansion and us from prying eyes. After that, security. Abjurations, transmutations, summons, and hazards to guard and ward our estate. Revenue and lifestyle we can delay discussion until later. Aldern is our priority along with our protections. His status is unknown to us at the moment. I prefer him revealed alive so we can prevent his death, deal with him and clean house. I see his estate and his merchant profession useful for serving our needs."*

When the dracolich bring up gods, Slicky manifests mundane objects out of his inventory. Along with the masterwork dagger, he juggles them.

*"I worship Ng so I can ask him with a commune spell if needed be."*

When the dracolich asks about the next questline of RoTRL, Slicky continues his juggling.

*"Skinsaw Murders. Hence, my emphasis on Aldern Fox. If we have free time, we should experiment to see if we are being lock behind the RoTRL scenario."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC:*
> Show
> 
> 
> Um, my bad, I meant the structure that built itself on the ground. Somehow I read that as building itself in the air.
> 
> _Whoops._


_You arrive at the structure without any problems._



> "I can cast commune if you have some yes/no questions. As for what's next, that's the Skinsaw Murders, A lamia matriarch in Magnimar and her minions, I remember the name Ironbriar among them, ritually murder greedy people to harvest their souls for the Runelord of Greed's Runewell, never actually found out the exact details of what the end goal is, probably only shows up ins osme sidebar for the GM, but presumably it's part of what would let him out of Xin Shalast. Oh and somehow Aldern Foxglove and his very haunted family home tie in, I mostly remember the mansion though, always hated haunts." after a second's pause Evras adds "Oh and there's ghouls pretending to be scarecrows for some reason. Given his involvement I think I'll try scrying on Foxglove."
> 
> Evras will then cast a Persistent Greater Scrying on Aldern Foxglove.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Sacred Geometry roll 5*5*4+1=101 a valid constant, multiply the rest by 6-6=0
> My knowledge of him is secondhand, so he gets a +5, though the DC is 37 so he's probably still going to need to roll a pair of 20s to pass


_You see a man sitting down to dinner, alone, at a very fancy table.  He's quite well dressed in blue and gold silks._

----------


## Armonia13

*"What exactly is our time table though? I don't recall the details of this particular questline, but these things usually take more than one in-game day to finish a major event. Furthermore, since we have no clue how we got here in the first place, we have no clue how long this is going to last as well. What if the key for us getting back to our own bodies is to finish the game? Speed running would definitely be to our benefit then."* Azula crosses his many arms, clearly uncomfortable with the whole conversation. *"I agree about the security though. Putting aside the Gods and people of this place, we have no idea who else was brought here. There has been more then a few times when I've had to deal with PKers while grinding for gear, last thing we need is a group of those on our tail. As for communing with the Gods....."* She shivers, not enjoying the thought of gods being real. *"I can't think that we'd garner much more disgust from them than the average person or creature. In game there's always at least one who would be more than happy to see us utterly destroyed. As long as we aren't being purposely antagonistic towards them as a whole, we should be fine. But better safe than sorry..."*

----------


## greenpotato

*"I have at will divination, but I don't know what to ask. I dont remember enough about this questline"* Aenea offers

----------


## samduke

We should probably deal with the quest line murders then

----------


## Yas392

*"Gaining a foothold in this Golarion. Building up our reputations. In my backstory and in game, I was a famed jester known throughout Golarion and the rulers that lived on her. Imagine my surprise when the locals in town did not recognize me. I got a blank stare from Ven Vinder when I talked to him. Sad that fame did not carry over and I have to start from square one. As I said before, speedrunning will create complications for us. I get that we are movers and shakers with our in game knowledge. If we go do something big like defeating a Runelord or complete an Arc in a single day now, the sudden change in a short span of time can attract unwanted attention like a god's interest that some of us are concerned about. Anyways, my interests have to be postponed until after we dealt with the Aldern problem. Let's confirm his status and focus on that for now."*

Slicky is balancing the masterwork dagger with his nose; the pommel on his nose and the tip facing upwards. Items stowed away, he forgoes juggling as he is squatting and hopping like a rabbit around the room. Despite his position, he is keeping his eyes on Evras who is in a trance.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Waiting for response from Evras.

----------


## Thunder999

"I'm scrying on Foxglove, but he's just eating right now, doesn't tell us much beyond the fact he's not turned into an undead monster yet, the spell lasts 22 hours so maybe I'll see something. We could try exploring the Manor, not sure where it is, but it should be easy enough to find. Though I'd like to rest a few hours and redo my spells before doing anything else."

Evras will try using Knowledge Geography and Knowledge Local to see if you can get a convenient pop-up about the Manor.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Taking 10 for a 66 on my knowledge checks

----------


## Frendle

I agree we should work the quest line, if for no other reason than we don't know yet what will lead to important knowledge for us. Could be in a nondescript drawer somewhere. Says Lonnie.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Too bad no-one has knowledge(Game Wiki)  :)

----------


## Yas392

Slicky stops his routine, and stows away everything. The smile seeps away to a neutral line and his eyebrows narrow.

*"Are we teleporting into his manor to knock him out before he does something foolish or are we meeting him the formal way?"*

----------


## Thunder999

"I'm for aggression, though I suggest mind control rather than knocking out, much easier to question people when they're conscious, I think he's already involved in the cult even if he's not killed anyone yet."

----------


## Aleph Null

Ashiva will fly around the structure, using truesight, detect magic, and mundane perception to attempt to discern how it got here and what it's about.

*Spoiler: OOC:*
Show

(1d20+49)[*51*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Ashiva will fly around the structure, using truesight, detect magic, and mundane perception to attempt to discern how it got here and what it's about.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC:*
> Show
> 
> [roll0]


_It's an opulent mansion, six stories tall and 300 feet on a side.  Seems largely real, although it's covered in strong conjuration magic; you don't recognize the spell, however._
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Unfortunately, ID'ing a spell that's in place and in effect is Kn(Arcana) in Pathfinder, and you have no ranks in the trained-only skill.




> "I'm scrying on Foxglove, but he's just eating right now, doesn't tell us much beyond the fact he's not turned into an undead monster yet, the spell lasts 22 hours so maybe I'll see something. We could try exploring the Manor, not sure where it is, but it should be easy enough to find. Though I'd like to rest a few hours and redo my spells before doing anything else."
> 
> Evras will try using Knowledge Geography and Knowledge Local to see if you can get a convenient pop-up about the Manor.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Taking 10 for a 66 on my knowledge checks


*Spoiler: Knowledge(Local)*
Show


_Focusing on the place, you get a pop up, which says:_
"Built nearly 80 years ago by a Magnimar merchant prince named Vorel, Foxglove Manor was one of the first homes raised along the Lost Coast. Vorel was forced to borrow money from his partners to build the manor, and promised them that, after a century, ownership of the manor would revert to the society.  Stuff happened, life moved on... except that at Foxglove manor, it didn't.  When nothing had been heard from Foxglove Manor for days, visitors found the family and servants dead of a mysterious disease. Disposal of the bodies was handled with utmost secrecy by the surviving Foxgloves of Magnimar, but rumor persisted that the bodies were particularly hideous to behold and that Vorel had vanished entirely. The surviving Foxgloves shunned Foxglove Manor for decades, and the estate went through dozens of caretakerseach stayed on at the manor for only a few months before quitting, claiming that the place was somehow wrong that it didnt want anyone living there that it was haunted. The building stood vacant for nearly 40 years before Traver Foxglove decided to move his family into the manor to reclaim his heritage and expunge the sour taint of the houses reputation."

"His wife gave birth to Travers first (and only) son Aldern not long after they moved in. For six years, it seemed as if whatever was wrong with the manor had corrected itself. Travers son and daughters were growing into fine young aristocrats and his business seemed to be booming. Then for no clear cause, one day smoke rising from the fire was seen as far away as Sandpoint, and when folk from town arrived to investigate, they found the servants outbuilding burnt to the ground and Traver dead by his own hand. His wifes body was found burnt and dashed against the rocks below. Cowering in a second floor bedroom, though, the townsfolk discovered the Foxglove children. Aldern and his older sisters spent time in a Magnimar orphanage before they were claimed by Travers second cousin and brought back to the city of Korvosa to be raised. Fifteen years passed before Aldern, now a grown man and a successful merchant himself, returned to the Lost Coast. Rich and popular, he secured a townhouse in Magnimar  and set into motion his claim to the family manor. As he reestablished old family connections and worked through the bureaucratic necessities to claim Foxglove Manor, the handsome young noble turned the heads of many of Magnimars daughters. He found friends, and it was primarily through their influence that he was able to reclaim Foxglove Manor with ease. Yet, Aldern Foxglove had trouble finding skilled laborers and servants to aid him in restoring his family estateFoxglove Manors reputation as a bad place had decades to take root in local superstition. Worse, the manors cellars were infested with ratshorribly diseased and aggressive rats that kept to themselves as long as no one ventured too far into the basement."

"Aldern let none of this deter him. After hiring several desperate, down-on-their-luck carpenters and rat-catchers, he began the painstaking process of rebuilding his home and making it once again fit for living. The job was enormous, from the need to patch the leaky roof in dozens of places to dealing with the strange and repugnant fungus that grew so tenaciously in the basement. It was about this time that Aldern, returning from a visit to Sandpoint, happened on a group of Varisians upon the moor not far from Foxglove Manor, trapped by the terrible gale he himself was trying to get home in. Seized by an uncharacteristic fit of charity, Aldern did one of the few selfless things of his life and brought the dozen Varisians home with him, inviting them to stay in his manor until the storm had ended. And in doing so, he brought Iesha into his life."

"Iesha was surely the most beautiful woman Aldern had ever met, a goddess with raven-black hair and luscious curves, the voice of an angel and the heart of a lion. Aldern fell wildly and passionately in love with the Varisian girl and proposed to her before dawn broke. Overwhelmed by the mans handsome looks, social standing, apparent generosity, and wealth, Iesha accepted."

----------


## Aleph Null

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Joke's on you I actually have 1 rank in arcana specifically for this purpose
(no, seriously, look again at my sheet -- I'm not THAT forgetful  :Tongue: )
(1d20+16)[*32*]

----------


## Yas392

*"Mind control is guaranteed success when he is out like a light. Mind control is solid but there are downsides to it if we are keeping him as a thrall in the long term. Is it not better to create a natural connection through diplomacy and deception? I want to create a win-win situation for him and us."*

Slicky turns to face the doors from the screen that shows Aldern. 

*"Well, we need to make decisions soon. If we are doing anything, we need to act before he enters the cave and contracts ghoul fever. If we still have time, I am going to out to set up a Screen spell around the mansion to better protect it from the nosy after I mind blank myself, become invisible and have a fly spell cast on me if any of you have some to spare or someone carry me up to a bird's eye view. I will be casting Arcane Concordance before I head out. Anyone wants to benefit from the Extend Spell effect that it gives, come within 10 ft of me."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Will wait for response for the Arcane Concordance before I post for Slicky.


*Spoiler: Thunder999*
Show

How big is Evra's mansion? Is there five 300 ft sides or one? Unless I am reading this part (up to 300 feet on a side and one story tall/4 levels) wrong.


*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Can Screen spell cover the entirety of the mansion if there are five 300 ft sides? Inquiring due to this bit (up to 300 feet on a side and one story tall/4 levels). I am not sure the per four levels increse applies to both the story and the 300 ft side or just the story.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: Yas392*
Show

It's 6 stories high and can be up to 300ft on each of the four sides, not sure the Island it's on (called Choppers Isle on the map) is big enough to have the full 300 every side, but it's occupying as much of the flat-ish land at the top as fits. Definitly too big for a screen though. 20 30ft cubes is only enough for a 300x60x30 area, and it's definitely more than that.


"Don't think a Screen is big enough, though really that's fine, I deliberately made this place huge and obvious, but there's nothing important here other than us. It's mostly empty and I for one don't even need to actually sleep, definitely a perk of this whole thing I did not anticipate but will thoroughly enjoy. True seeing works through greater scrying anyway, so illusions won't accomplish much, could do Mage's Private Sanctum instead, but Mind Blank should be plenty." 

"We could try talking, but I expect him to be either mad or sufficiently coerced by the cultists, who are probably the same mysterious society mentioned in the pop-up I just got, knowledge local if you want to read it, interesting stuff though not much immediately helpful. Did get a mention of a wife called Iesha, considering I don't remember her I'm wondering if she's an early victim or something, might be worth looking into.  
I'm open to suggestions for questions to ask via commune, yes or no is a bit limiting, but Nethys is meant to know everything so we'll probably get something."

----------


## 5ColouredWalker

After a while 'roleplaying' with 'NPC's, including an Angel he thought was a PC before it disapeared, the 4 armed man plate teleports near the mansion, appearing offside the others he's identified as players, a message appearing in global chat.

"My sincerest apologies for appearing delayed. I thought I found another one like me only for them to not. You're people people right. Like, from before we got locked in? Wait, this is Global not Local."

Moving with easy steps that ahnihalate the distance between them quickly, Walker catches up to the group. Any illusion penetrating senses quickly reveal he's a heavily armed robot.

"Sorry, yes. Was dealing with our suddenly people like NPC's. Judging by the mansion you lots were real before we got locked in?"

----------


## Yas392

*"My intent is to ward the place from normal eyes. The size is still doable though I will need multiple castings of Screen which will require a lot of time and numerous spells. I am not going to bother for now."*

Slicky tilts his head at the doubtful reply about convincing Aldern.

*"Not if we create a scene and fabricate a convincing story with half-truths. Remember he has a lot of debts; his house is haunted; the revenant of wife is out to kill him if freed; Xanesha wants to transform him into her killer minion. We could wash away all of his misfortunes, atone him and give him a new leash in life in return for his services and manor. Going in as an interested investors or a defected members of the Brotherhood who oppose the main cult who "saved" him from "assassins" that come close to "killing" him which will also be played by us who will be invisible during the deed might be a plausible enough aliases to get his trust. Disinformation but helps smoothen out the diplomacy. We should not discount mind control though. I advise keeping it in our back pocket as a last resort in case we mess up."*

He waves to the new arrival.

*"Yeah. You are right on time. Come join our discussion. We are in Rise of the Runelords; Arc 2. We are discussing about the Aldern questline. I'll be back in a jiffy. Gotta see if there are anymore newcomers who have not join us yet."*

Slicky casts _Arcane Concordance_ and use his _Legendary Archmage_ feature to cast an extended _Mind Blank_ on himself. He casts _heroic fortune_ to use the _hero point_ to regain a use of _Legendary Archmage_. He then walks towards the doors. He opens them to reveal a Kyton and his minion.

*"Are you another new face? If so, feel free to join in our discussion. We are in Rise of the Runelords; Arc 2. We are discussing how to deal with Aldern questline."*

He opens his global chat interface to input his repeated words in text form.

If there are anyone who have not join us, doors open. Feel free to join in our discussion. We are in Rise of the Runelords; Arc 2. We are discussing about the Aldern questline.

With that done, Slicky returns to the discussion.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Does Arcane Concordance apply to spells with casting time longer than a round like Screen if Screen is cast within Arcane Concordance duration?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Joke's on you I actually have 1 rank in arcana specifically for this purpose
> (no, seriously, look again at my sheet -- I'm not THAT forgetful )
> [roll0]


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Vs. DC 29.  OK.  Resplendent Mansion spell.





> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Will wait for response for the Arcane Concordance before I post for Slicky.
> 
> 
> *Spoiler: Thunder999*
> Show
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Six stories tall is generally going to be about 60 feet.  300 foot sides means you're looking at 10x10x2=200 to blocks to get Screen to cover the entire thing.

Handling with partials (four walls plus roof) ... let's see, each cube is 27 cubes of size 10x10x10's (minimum shaping as specified by the shapeable flag), and you need 29*6*4 10-foot cubes blocks to cover the walls, 28*28 to cover the roof = 1,480 blocks, which is 54 of the cubes.  Range would be an issue (it's a Close range spell, and at CL 24, that's just 145 feet, but you'll need 3-4 castings anyway.  Success with partials depends on the illusion: The illusion can't directly affect things outside it's area (so you can't make the entire building invisible and unscryable that way without sufficient castings to do the entire volume), but you could certainly make it look like sheer stone cliffs or something to block line of sight to the stuff not covered in the illusion.




> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Does Arcane Concordance apply to spells with casting time longer than a round like Screen if Screen is cast within Arcane Concordance duration?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Arcane Concordance doesn't limit based on duration, so yeah.  As long as you fit the entire casting time within your Arcane Concordance, you're set with the cheap metamagic and DC increase.

----------


## niw18

he would see the message in global chat and nod and look to his servant " no one but people like me gets in kill anyone that's not like me " he would instruct his servant and open the door and make his way towards the others as he was sure no one was going to ambush them at least for now. he would move about till he sees the others and looked at them "hello guys what the plan to clear this quest"  he ask all the others.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: niw18*
Show

Global message is for whoever still out there after my character opened the door for your character.

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach nods in response to the conversations, listening intently

*"I dont think we need to be so involved with any deceptions needed to win him over. The best lies are half-true in any case. Mind control spells are overt, and you always remember them. It takes higher level stuff to modify the memories of people to erase that kind of event, and I didn't prepare those spells today in any case. I DO have Dominate Person and Dominate Monster prepared, though!"*

*"I think we could win him over if we simply offer a little truth, and a means to achieve his goals with our help, and a threat to set him back if he doesn't align himself with us. Carrot AND The Stick methodology, essentially. Moreover, we need to consider the alternate plans of Xanesha. If the Aldern part of her plans falls through, how does she react?"*

*"PKs and griefers will still be out there, but I think the moment they get any whiff of being stuck like we are, that stuff will stop quick. Greater Internet Douchewad theory no longer applies at this point, with their actual necks on the line...if we accept things as they seem to be at face value, anyway."*

----------


## 5ColouredWalker

"Doesn't help that some people just seem to. Stop being People. I mean. people like us. I need to think of a new word for it."

The robot rolls his many shoulders.

"And if you guys don't want magic, I can always try mundane sweet talking them."

----------


## samduke

Seems that there is a plan so less talk more doing . We should get things started

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie nods his head, "Sounds good to me, let's go."

----------


## Armonia13

*"I like Terrach's plan. Less complicated while obtaining the same results, and less likely to backfire on us down the line if it succeeds. I'm in."* As Azula moves to exit, he turns towards Slicky. *"If you still want to enchant this place, I don't mind giving you a lift."*

----------


## Yas392

*"I am abandoning the idea. Can't be helped. Can't be bothered. I miscalculated. I overestimated how far a Screen spell can cover and thought one casting is enough to cover the entire mansion. Turns out I require multiple castings which will be time consuming, waste of resources and they will not hide all of the mansion."*

Slicky shrugs.

*"I am fine with whatever plan. And talking is the doing. It looks like the majority leans towards talking it out with Aldern which means front door elevator pitch approach. I can supply any spells relating to memory alteration. I would love suggestions if there are any spells better than modify memory. Otherwise, I will default to that as our bread and butter."*

He shudders when Terrach goes on about PKer's and Griefers.

*"I hope we don't encounter one. I have enough of those kind of people. They make the game unfun. Before we go, let's make sure we are properly disguised so that we don't scare him and fail our negotiation that we have to cover our mistakes with magic. We don't want to greet him with a kyton."*

Slicky gestures towards Lucifero.

----------


## Thunder999

"Talking it is then, modifying memories is a bit niche, but I know a few options: Scribe's Binding will let any spell that modifies text work on the victim's memories, Damnation of Memory can erase all memory of a creature, event or topic, there's a few other spells that just make the target forget various periods of time either before or after casting, but nothing of note."

With that Evras will alter his Greater Shapechanger's Gift with emergency attunement, turning into an elf.

----------


## Yas392

Slicky winces.

*"Those spells are costly. I wonder if the shop that we can buy it from is available."*

He brings up the menu interface and clicks the shop.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

If there is any on the menu.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Slicky winces.
> 
> *"Those spells are costly. I wonder if the shop that we can buy it from is available."*
> 
> He brings up the menu interface and clicks the shop.
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> If there is any on the menu.


_Unfortunately, you find that there's a "Error communicating with financial server, please try back later" message when you pull it up._

----------


## Yas392

*"Great. Cannot access shop. Looks like old modify memory it is unless you peeps can supply me the material."*

Slicky gestures to the ones still undisguised.

*"Does anyone need help disguising themselves? We do not want to appear otherworldly to Aldern. If you want assistance, do not hesitate to ask me."*

He gestures to the screen.

*"Once we are done with the disguise, we will need to knowledge of the exterior for teleportation. Anyone here wants to teleport us to outside the manor?"*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on Knowledge (Geography) check for a result of 42 regarding the georgraphy of Aldern's mansion.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie looks at the others, "Perhaps the system now only works locally, maybe you need to be in the shop, or even buy directly off the shelfs now? Like a regular shop."

----------


## Yas392

*"Perhaps. I got "Error communicating with financial server, please try back later" message."*

Slicky sighs.

----------


## samduke

> *"Does anyone need help disguising themselves? We do not want to appear otherworldly to Aldern. If you want assistance, do not hesitate to ask me."*


Probably not but on never can tell How is this > (1d20+32)[*33*] Disguise< will I blend in ?

----------


## Thunder999

"Going to guess the shop's gone the way of the exit button, could always try buying something in town though. I've got a copy of every focus component for wizard and cleric spells, no material components though, since they used to just deduct from your currency directly, got spell like Fabricate though, so I can literally make most things from nothing. I can do a Shapechanger's Gift if anyone needs it.

----------


## Frendle

If that will disguise me, I'd like a Shapeshifter's Gift" Asks Lonnie

----------


## Thunder999

Evras flicks through his spellbook and turns Lonnie into a brown haired half-elf.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Quick study to swap the spell in, cast it via Magical Supremacy, CL 24 so 4 hours duration.

----------


## niw18

*Spoiler: occ*
Show


Sorry for the delay I will be posting asap

----------


## Yas392

Slicky inspects Liliana's disguise.

*"Seems fine. Of all the people I have seen, you don't need many alterations as you can blend in like a human. I can improve your disguise to hide your racial features better if you like."*

*Spoiler: samduke*
Show

If she is willing, Slicky will improve her disguise with a check of 58 (after expending 2 uses of his disguise kit).

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"Great. Cannot access shop. Looks like old modify memory it is unless you peeps can supply me the material."*
> 
> Slicky gestures to the ones still undisguised.
> 
> *"Does anyone need help disguising themselves? We do not want to appear otherworldly to Aldern. If you want assistance, do not hesitate to ask me."*
> 
> He gestures to the screen.
> 
> *"Once we are done with the disguise, we will need to knowledge of the exterior for teleportation. Anyone here wants to teleport us to outside the manor?"*
> ...


*Spoiler: Knowledge(Geography)*
Show

_While focusing on the manor, you get a pop-up map showing the manor in question in the south-west corner:_




> Probably not but on never can tell How is this > [roll0] Disguise< will I blend in ?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Valkyre's look like "human, dwarven, or elven women" - so generally yes, even without the disguise.  But that'll be enough to hide from most folks.

----------


## samduke

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Valkyre's look like "human, dwarven, or elven women" - so generally yes, even without the disguise.  But that'll be enough to hide from most folks.


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

its the wings , the wings I say... but okay I will accept that





> *Spoiler: samduke*
> Show
> 
> If she is willing, Slicky will improve her disguise with a check of 58 (after expending 2 uses of his disguise kit).


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show

 yes she will allow it

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach moves in close to Slicky for the _Teleport_

*"Who wants to do the talking with Aldern? In terms of what we can offer him for the carrot portion, we're all max level so we can offer him our combative abilities. We know he's restoring his manor, so I could play my Lyre of Building for him. We can offer services to his debtors on his behalf as well. We also have valuable information about his wife and people trying to use him for nefarious purposes. We can admit to him what our agenda is with him as well. A little truth goes a long way to conceal any lies we need to tell."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


I'll be traveling next week from the 1st through the 10th. I will unlikely be posting at all during that period. I am not bored, nor quit if you dont see me post for a bit.

----------


## niw18

he would listen and look about and when he was mentioned he nodded "For some reason, they all run away from me" he would just playful say to the others before looking at them "if any help me and my servant as having us around might make the job hard if all people running and screaming trying to get away" he would explain and sigh a little before looking at his servant and in infernal "what are we that scary looking fiends have feelings too" he would jokingly say to his servant

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie looks at his arms and legs, it's been a while since he had regular ones. He still felt his other body beneath which was oddly reassuring. 

He steps close to Slicky too.

"OK, I'm ready to go as well." he says with a slightly less toothy grin than before.

----------


## Yas392

Slicky chuckles.

*"Well, if you appear to them big and bad, normies will think they are facing boss out to get them and run away screaming. Any polymorph spell to dial down your scariness by shifting into a lesser form like a tiefling? Otherwise, I will create a hooded cloak for you two to cover up your features."*

He raises an eyebrow on Terrach's statement.

*"I will take the lead if no one objects. Question; why are we not persuading him to fork over his mansion and services as a merchant to us in return for security, erasing his debts, and financial stability. His mansion would serve our cause better than it is with him as long as it remains haunted. We can use it as a second base. Think of all the possibilities with the fungus, Vorel's protection, etc. As for financial stability, we can act as suppliers for his merchanting. How?"*

Slicky raises his Marvellous Pigment.

*"This. We create mundane masterwork weapons/armors, alchemical items and lucrative mundanes for him. This will generate revenue for us in the form of cut. When Aldern makes profit, I am thinking 70-30 split. 70 for him and 30 for us. Best of all, we lose nothing. For those wondering, I outlined a draft of this plan sometime ago. What you proposed is too generous. Aldern is getting a lot of benefits while we are getting nil unless you have an endgame in mind."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Expend four uses of disguise kit to disguise and 20 minutes (to draw up the cloak of their sizes) using Marvellous Pigment (which he will Take 10 on Craft (Painting)) to disguise Lucifero and his servant. Take 10 on disguise for a check of 58.

----------


## samduke

Looking herself over, Well I am ready to go then.

----------


## Taelas

The man calling himself Xiuhuo has been silent for a while, merely listening and nodding occasionally.

He shrugs. "*Why are we bothering with incentives for this man? The combined firepower we possess is enough to devastate countries with little effort. Let's just force the matter instead,*" he suggests. "*Who cares if he remembers a domination spell?*"

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So... waiting until morning to enact the plan?  It was evening when the goblins attacked, and nobody's stopped.  It's late evening right now.

----------


## Yas392

*"But then we will have to visit him everyday to prevent him from struggling against the domination spell. Just a reminder that we can maximize the efficiency of domination spells if we have a neutral caster cast it at the highest spell level. It will bypass those pesky protection from X alignment, Globe of Invulnerability line, Magic Circle against X alignment, and spell immunity line spells. And we can throw in a magic aura, greater and mind blank on him just to be safe. Or we can just kill him and claim the mansion ourselves which is the easiest method. It is a method I shy away from unless I need to. Why talk first not dominate? Aldern has a lot of uses which can be acquired naturally. We can make him a hero to deflect attention from us. He can gain us revenue if we convince him. We can use him as our servant."*

Slicky waits for Terrach response to his question. If he does not provide one in the time frame, he shrugs.

*"Let's go with the flow and see how it goes. Let me do the talking first. I hope you don't mind if I use your name as our sponsor for our story, Evras. It is good to have familiar names to rely upon than faking one. A bunch of representatives for a high level wizard or dragon investor seems plausible."*

Once he said that, waited for the responses and checked that everyone is disguised/ready, he gestures to the active participants to touch him. Slicky attempts to teleport to his destination; outside of Foxglove Manor.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Teleport to location with current knowledge (geography).

(1d100)[*10*]

----------


## Taelas

When John hears the spell Slicky is using, his eyes open wide. "*Wait, wh--*"

Then they disappear.

When they arrive, his sentence finishes: "*--y would you use teleport?! Are you insane? You could have killed us all!*" He seems genuinely angry. "*Damnit, the teleport-failure chance is one of the few dangers we can't guard against! Why the hell would you take that kind of risk?! Just to save a 7th-level spell slot? If you don't have the greater version, you could have asked someone else to do it!*"

----------


## Armonia13

Shrugging her shoulders, Azula joins hands with the rest of the group for the teleport. After they arrive at the creepy mansion, the sun long set, Azula speaks up again. *"Regardless of Aldern's cooperation and how we get it, we're still decursing this place right? Seems to me we can kill two birds with one stone while we're here. While a couple of us work the diplomacy, the rest of us can cleanse. If there is any real trouble, we're all close enough to help. Thoughts?"*

----------


## Thunder999

"De-cursing will likely require some specific spells or deeds, haunts are annoying like that. I suppose we could try just destroying everything, but mass destruction of objects is weirdly hard in this game."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I guess that's a no to resting

----------


## Yas392

Slicky shrugs.

*"Relax. It worked, didn't it?"*

Slicky switches to Gloves of Whispering to send Evras a missive no one can hear except Evras.

*"We can try bending the haunts, fungus and Vorel to our will. They are more useful as automatic defenses. Hence, my view why the mansion should not be de-cursed. Can we keep our conversation to the lowest volume or communicate with the other through telepathy? Who knows if someone is eavesdropping on our conversation."*

----------


## Thunder999

Evras brings up the chat menu, invites everyone present to a group chat and types a reply.

This is probably secure.  
Pretty sure you can't bend haunts to your will, there's not a single spell or ritual that lets you control them
Honestly I don't see how they'd be useful anyway, I can make far better traps with permanent symbol spells.

----------


## Yas392

Slicky brings up menu and types in group chat.

*"For a moment, I turned my brain off. Okay. We can cleanse the mansion and then set traps later to maintain its haunted nature after we have have him fork over the mansion while it is still haunted. It just came to me that he is bankrupt. We should take advantage of that while we can. But first, let us first test his desperation to see what he will give up, hmm?"*

If the group teleport to outside of Foxglove Manor, Slicky will walk to the front door and knock.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Once he said that, waited for the responses and checked that everyone is disguised/ready, he gestures to the active participants to touch him. Slicky attempts to teleport to his destination; outside of Foxglove Manor.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Teleport to location with current knowledge (geography).
> 
> [roll0]


_You see a large manor that's obviously seen better days - the walkway has weeds growing through the gaps in the cobblestones, the bushes look like they might once have had shapes carved into them, and it looks like some blackberry vines are climbing up the side of the house in several places.  Additionally, several of the windows are broken.  The structure is three stories tall, and you don't see any lights through the windows in the gloom.  There's a sign that looks like it might have once said something, but it's illegible now._




> Slicky brings up menu and types in group chat.
> 
> *"For a moment, I turned my brain off. Okay. We can cleanse the mansion and then set traps later to maintain its haunted nature after we have have him fork over the mansion while it is still haunted. It just came to me that he is bankrupt. We should take advantage of that while we can. But first, let us first test his desperation to see what he will give up, hmm?"*
> 
> If the group teleport to outside of Foxglove Manor, Slicky will walk to the front door and knock.


_There's no answer to your knock._

*Spoiler: Kn(Geography, Local, or Nobility) DC 20*
Show


_You get a pop up that reads:_ "You've now entered Foghouse Manor."
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Unfortunately, Knowledge(Georgraphy) doesn't make the grade for "viewed once", although I'd let that work as a "reliable description" for the Greater version. Went with the next line down on the table, False Destination.  I can can convert a d100 to a d20 easily via (result mod 20)+1 which would be an 11.  11+80=91, so "similar area".

----------


## Yas392

Slicky types in the group chat and supplies his knowledge on the geography of the manor.

*"OK. I am sorry. I screwed up. Can somebody port us to outside the manor with a Greater Teleport spell, please?"*

If someone does, he will thank them and repeats his action of knocking on the door. If not, he will try a Greater Teleport with his Legendary Archmage ability, renewing it with heroic fortune and repeats his action of knocking on the door of the manor.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

He will take 10 on the appropriate knowledge to get the info. Greater Teleport works with Slicky's knowledge, right?

----------


## Thunder999

"I'm suddenly glad we decided to try talking rather than forcing our way in."

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Anyone got greater teleport spell?

----------


## Taelas

John barks a short laugh, shaking his head. For a moment, he opens his mouth, schadenfreude obvious in his expression, then he stops and closes it, seemingly thinking better of needling the other.

He reads the description Slicky gives in the chat, and after a moment, conjures up an image in mid-air, one depicting as detailed a map of the region as he can recall. "*Show me where,*" he says, gesturing to the image.

Assuming the combination of the guidance of the map and the description of the place is enough to give a reliable description, he then proceeds to cast _greater teleport_, bringing everyone along.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The strangely cold sea wind rises to a keening shriek as Foxglove Manor comes into view. The place has earned its local nickname of the Misgivings well, for it almost appears to loathe its perch high above the ocean, as if the entire house were poised for a suicide leap. The roof sags in many places, and mold and mildew cake the crumbling walls. Vines of diseased-looking gray wisteria strangle the structure in several places, hanging down over the precipitous cliff edge almost like tangled braids of hair. The house is crooked, its gables angling sharply and breached in at least three places, hastily repaired by planks of sodden wood. Chimneys rise from various points among the rooftops, leaning like old men in a storm, and grinning gargoyle faces leer from under the eaves. That the manor clings to the cliff is remarkable, as the whole far side is nothing more than a sheer drop down to the ocean below, a fall of over three hundred feet. Out front, the foundation stones of a long-burnt outbuilding stand sentinel astride the weed-choked approach; a low stone well squats morosely amid these ruins._

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

I posted that Slicky will proceed towards knocking on the door in my previous post.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_When you knock on the door, there's no answer._

*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

_Your scrying is still active.  You manage to hear the knock through the scrying sensor, but only just.  Aldern doens't react at all._

----------


## samduke

after arrival and listening to the comments, "Yes next time please ask, I have greater teleport (15th)", then listening to the door knocking, "Seems no one is answering"

----------


## Thunder999

"Doesn't seem to be loud enough, scrying shows it's barely audible where he is, but I think this will be."
Evras then casts a simple Ghost Sound cantrip, and makes the sound of a door being knocked, but at a volume more appropriate to a roaring dragon. 
"That should have his attention"

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

There's a DC 30 will save to disbelieve, but it doesn't really matter

----------


## Yas392

Slicky types into the chat box in group chat.

*"Then, we knock several times before banging on the door. With repetitive ghost sounds apply to both methods. If he still doesn't hear it, I will transmute the doors to amplify the sound whenever we knock or bang them with Sculpt Sound. I hope I don't have to resort to a knock spell to barge into his manor. But I will if I must. Flayleaf can sap vitality but it does not dull nor impair senses even if Aldern has dosed himself in it in his addiction."*

He knocks again.

*"Hello, is anyone home?"*

His voice is a shout. He repeats his knocks in tandem with the Evras's ghost sound of knocks that amplifies to a roar of a dragon. If he receives no response, Slick will bang on the doors, repeat his action, and reiterate his question. If Aldern still does not answer, he will transmute the door with a sculpt sound spell and make it so that any knocks or bangs on the door for the next 22 hours will produce booms of a meteor collision. He will resume his banging and question.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie walks up to the door, grasps the handle and turns it. "Have tried turning the knob?

----------


## Aleph Null

*Spoiler: OOC:*
Show

I had a busy week/weekend last week, so I fell behind...can we drop me in with the group that's going to explore the manor hahaha  :Small Big Grin:

----------


## Yas392

Slicky types in group chat to Lonnie.

*"We are trying to be polite and not trespass though."*

*Spoiler: Aleph Null*
Show

Is he disguised? Slicky offered make up for those who cannot shapeshift before our character moved to the manor.

----------


## Aleph Null

*Spoiler: Yas*
Show

Yes, he looks (mostly) human, though he definitely gives supernatural vibes to the other adventurers.

----------


## niw18

Once disguised and painted him and his servant he felt teleported with the others he had greater but he and his servant can only use it for themselves so he says nothing and look to his servant and then the others as they knock on the door. he would look at the door "anyone knows how to pick locks" he would say to the group. He would look to his servant and wonder if he had the skill then back to the others wondering if they had it.


*Spoiler: Ooc and info and stuff* 
Show



Sorry for the delay 

 we both have  greater but  self and object only

----------


## Jack_Simth

> "Doesn't seem to be loud enough, scrying shows it's barely audible where he is, but I think this will be."
> Evras then casts a simple Ghost Sound cantrip, and makes the sound of a door being knocked, but at a volume more appropriate to a roaring dragon. 
> "That should have his attention"
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> There's a DC 30 will save to disbelieve, but it doesn't really matter


*Spoiler: Evras*
Show

_Through your scrying sensor, you see Aldern sigh, get up from his table, and start heading towards you.  From what you can see near him, the place is in very poor shape. There's rot and mold everywhere._





> Slicky types into the chat box in group chat.
> 
> *"Then, we knock several times before banging on the door. With repetitive ghost sounds apply to both methods. If he still doesn't hear it, I will transmute the doors to amplify the sound whenever we knock or bang them with Sculpt Sound. I hope I don't have to resort to a knock spell to barge into his manor. But I will if I must. Flayleaf can sap vitality but it does not dull nor impair senses even if Aldern has dosed himself in it in his addiction."*
> 
> He knocks again.
> 
> *"Hello, is anyone home?"*
> 
> His voice is a shout. He repeats his knocks in tandem with the Evras's ghost sound of knocks that amplifies to a roar of a dragon. If he receives no response, Slick will bang on the doors, repeat his action, and reiterate his question. If Aldern still does not answer, he will transmute the door with a sculpt sound spell and make it so that any knocks or bangs on the door for the next 22 hours will produce booms of a meteor collision. He will resume his banging and question.


_After a bit, a man answers the door_
*Spoiler: Image*
Show



_He has some rings around his eyes, and seems quite fatigued. He greets you resignedly_ "So... what brings you here at this Celestia-forsaken hour?"

----------


## Yas392

*"Our apologies for the loud bangings and shout. You were not answering our knocks. We are representatives of the Wizard of the Misty Isle who took interest in your plight. You must be Aldern Foxglove. We have a lot to discuss. May we come in?"*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifiers for Diplomacy via versatile performance for a check of 56.

Take 10 on Perform (Comedy) to substitute ranks and modifiers for bluff via versatile performance for a check of 56.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Unless he's got true sight he shouldn't recognise Evras, he's picked a new disguise for this, he only ever used a human form in town and is an elf right now.
If you need an acutal disguise check then take 10 would give a 55 (10+35 base+10 from polymorph effect)

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

If Evras is in a new disguise, I will need to edit my post.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show





> Unless he's got true sight he shouldn't recognise Evras, he's picked a new disguise for this, he only ever used a human form in town and is an elf right now.
> If you need an acutal disguise check then take 10 would give a 55 (10+35 base+10 from polymorph effect)


Edited, then.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Edited my post in response to Aldern's edited post.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"Our apologies for the loud bangings and shout. You were not answering our knocks. We are representatives of the Wizard of the Misty Isle who took interest in your plight. You must be Aldern Foxglove. We have a lot to discuss. May we come in?"*
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Take 10 on Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifiers for Diplomacy via versatile performance for a check of 56.
> 
> Take 10 on Perform (Comedy) to substitute ranks and modifiers for bluff via versatile performance for a check of 56.


_Aldern sighs, and says_ "I suppose.  Come in, come in, sorry for the mess, I'm still restoring my ancestral home, and am between carpenters at the moment." _He steps aside a bit, so you can come in easily._

----------


## Yas392

Slicky smiles and steps in with his companions.

*"I see. Do not worry about it. Is there any place where we can sit down and talk?"*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_He nods tiredly_ "Oh, of course.  Come on in." 

_He brings you through the door into a long-high-ceilinged room just inside.  The sound of the house straining and creaking gives this room an additional sense of age and decay. The place smells damp, the unpleasant tinge of mold lacing the air as surely as it stains the wooden floor, walls, and furniture in pallid patches. A curving flight of stairs to the south winds up to the upper floor, while a pair of large stone fireplaces brood to the north and south. Heavy dark-blue curtains hang over the windows, and the frames above each of the two doors are carved with dancing gargoyles and skeletons. Trophies hang on the wall to the northeast: a boar, a bear, a firepelt cougar, and a stag, their glassy eyes staring from fur crusted with mold and cobwebs, yet they pale in comparison to the monster on display in the center of the room. Here crouches a twelve-foot-long creature with the body of a lion, a scorpions tail fitted with dozens of razor barbs, huge bat-like wings, and a deformed humanoid face. The stuffed beasts poorly maintained fur has fallen away in places, allowing the sawdust filling it to sift out into tiny mounds on the platform below.

He points you at a few stuffed armchairs along the side of the room.  They look like someone tried to clean the mold off, unsuccessfully._

*Spoiler: Perception, DC 20*
Show

_You hear a faint and brief set of sobs coming from somewhere upstairs.  You also catch a momentary scent of burning hair and flesh._

----------


## Yas392

When Aldern's back is turned, Slicky types in group chat.

*"We should dispel any scrying or divination effects we come across. Xanesha might be watching and listening in. I read that she has foreseen Aldern's death."*

He turns his magical gaze left and right as the nobleman lead the group upstairs to the lounge, informing the group of his finding and dispelling any prying divination effects he comes across via group chat. Slicky moves his head in a weird motion as if hypnotized by the unfolding, aesthetic room. He snaps out of it when he arrives at an armchair and nods to the group as he plops down on an armchair, not affected by the mold the slightest. 

*Spoiler: If dispelled a scrying/divination effect in the lounge and asked about it*
Show

*"We are making sure that our conversation is private."*


*"Let us get straight to business, shall we? The Wizard of the Misty Isle knows of your financial situation and affiliation to the Brotherhood of the Seven that is responsible for your poor health and mounting debts. They wish to offer you this: freedom from the organization, healing, a new leash on life, security, and financial stability all in return for a worthy exchange. Discounting coin, they must be something you are able to give up. Are you interested?"* 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Arcane sight to see if there are any divination/scrying effects.

Take 10 on spellcraft for checks of 53 for arcane sight.

Take 10 on perception for a check of 46.

Take 10 on Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifiers for Diplomacy via versatile performance for a check of 56.

Take 10 on Perform (Comedy) to substitute ranks and modifiers for bluff via versatile performance for a check of 56.

Will roll dispel/s if arcane sight confirmed any divination/scrying effects.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie stands off to the side, deferring sitting in the chairs to others in the group, and keeps his attention on the house environs. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Perception  (1d20+39)[*58*]

----------


## Taelas

When he hears the sobs, John halts, letting the others pass on by. Then he steps into the nearest shadow and vanishes, emerging from a shadow near to the source of the sounds.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Perception auto-succeeds: (1d20+57)[*67*]
He then uses _shadow walk_ to move nearby to the sounds of the sobs, or as close as is feasible.

----------


## niw18

the two disguised fiends would walk behind the others  and enter and stand behind everyone as he lets the other two  do talking  as they doing a good job

----------


## Thunder999

Upon hearing the sobs Evras will do his best to warn the others with his Envisaging, sending out the concept of a Haunt associated with the noise.  
He'll also commence reading Aldern's thoughs with the same ability, and will keep that up for the rest of the conversation.

He'll examine Aldern as he watches, remaining standing and silent for now.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So I've got Arcane Sight and Aura Sight to detect both alignment and magical auras, which should be enough to get his alignment assuming he has enough HD.  
Taking 10 on all, Spellcraft is 56, all knowledges are 66, and heal is 38 (I know heal is sometimes used to notice diseases and I'd ideally like to know if he's infected yet)
Evras isn't bad at anything, but he's not as good at diplomacy as Slicky and he doesn't really have a plany anyway, so no need to interfere.

----------


## Aleph Null

Ashiva is aware that there are probably other characters in the group that are better at diplomacy, so he'll stand aside and observe for now.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Forgot about aura sight. Slicky will be using that as well.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Upon hearing the sobs Evras will do his best to warn the others with his Envisaging, sending out the concept of a Haunt associated with the noise.  
> He'll also commence reading Aldern's thoughs with the same ability, and will keep that up for the rest of the conversation.
> 
> He'll examine Aldern as he watches, remaining standing and silent for now.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> So I've got Arcane Sight and Aura Sight to detect both alignment and magical auras, which should be enough to get his alignment assuming he has enough HD.  
> ...


*Spoiler: Aura Sight*
Show

_Aldern detects as faint Evil.  There's no other evidence of active magic nearby._

*Spoiler: Arcane Sight*
Show

_Aldern shows a faint magical aura_*Spoiler: Knowledge(Arcana) DC 17*
Show

_Mixed auras; Illusion, Evocation, Transmutation, and Abjuration_





> When he hears the sobs, John halts, letting the others pass on by. Then he steps into the nearest shadow and vanishes, emerging from a shadow near to the source of the sounds.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Perception auto-succeeds: (1d10)[*4*]
> He then uses _shadow walk_ to move nearby to the sounds of the sobs, or as close as is feasible.


*Spoiler: Shadow Walk*
Show

... lands you (1d10)[*4*]*100 feet in a random direction from the destination by default.  In all probability, that'll be _outside the manor_.  Do you have anything that increases the accuracy of Shadow Walk?





> When Aldern's back is turned, Slicky types in group chat.
> 
> *"We should dispel any scrying or divination effects we come across. Xanesha might be watching and listening in. I read that she has foreseen Aldern's death."*
> 
> He turns his magical gaze left and right as the nobleman lead the group upstairs to the lounge, informing the group of his finding and dispelling any prying divination effects he comes across via group chat. Slicky moves his head in a weird motion as if hypnotized by the unfolding, aesthetic room. He snaps out of it when he arrives at an armchair and nods to the group as he plops down on an armchair, not affected by the mold the slightest. 
> 
> *Spoiler: If dispelled a scrying/divination effect in the lounge and asked about it*
> Show
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: Aura Sight*
Show

_Aldern detects as faint Evil.  There's no other evidence of active magic nearby._

*Spoiler: Arcane Sight*
Show

_Aldern shows a faint magical aura_*Spoiler: Knowledge(Arcana) DC 17*
Show

_Mixed auras; Illusion, Evocation, Transmutation, and Abjuration_


_Aldern sighs_ "Sounds like a wonderful deal... but I am afraid I must decline.  As you can see..." _he gestures around_ "... I have very little that might be considered a 'worthy exchange' given my current financial situation."

----------


## Yas392

Slicky keeps his smile.

*"Ah but our lord wizard considered what little you have a worthy exchange. They are a fond collector of dangerous properties and value productive skill sets, you see. Your services as a merchant and this death trap of a manor are sufficient. As to why this manor is a death trap, another ploy by the Brotherhood of the Seven to claim your life. This mold, your misfortune, your poor health, and what haunts these walls were the results of their machinations. This establishment will diminish your health the longer you reside in it until it kills you. That is its nature. We will give you time to absorb this information, think about it, and reconsider our offer if you change your mind. Do not hesitate to ask us questions. We will answer to the best of our abilities."*

As he waits for Aldern's response, Slicky turns to Evras. He sways and gestures as if he is having a silent conversation with him when in truth, he is typing in group chat.

*"Let's not fix the mansion at the moment such as disposing Iesha's revenant. We need leverage against Aldern. Evras, can you use your knowledge to find out who Aldern owes his debts to? That can help our negotiation."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifiers for Diplomacy via versatile performance for a check of 56.

Take 10 on Perform (Comedy) to substitute ranks and modifiers for bluff via versatile performance for a check of 56.

Take 10 on appropriate knowledge for a result of 53.

Slicky is asking Evras because his knowledge check is higher than his.

----------


## Taelas

> *Spoiler: Shadow Walk*
> Show
> 
> ... lands you [roll0]*100 feet in a random direction from the destination by default.  In all probability, that'll be _outside the manor_.  Do you have anything that increases the accuracy of Shadow Walk?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Oof; yeah, that's my bad. I didn't mean to use _shadow walk_. I meant _shadow step_.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will give the knowledge skills a try.  

Probably the Brotherhood, though I'll give it a shot. Honestly it's a little suspicious he isn't eager for an out, he should be getting desperate by now, particularly with the sort of diplomacy checks being thrown around.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

66 on knowledge local take 10. 
Also did you miss that I was trying to read his thoughts or did something block it?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Oof; yeah, that's my bad. I didn't mean to use _shadow walk_. I meant _shadow step_.


_This room is cold and damp; a few crates sit near the north wall. The ceiling slopes down to only four feet high to the northeast, leaving little room for a small window, while to the southeast, a mold-encrusted pillar of brick marks the passage of a chimney. A full-size mirror in a dark wooden frame of coiling roses leans against these bricks, angled toward the tiny window.

You're not alone:_
*Spoiler: Image*
Show



_... however, she doesn't react to your presence: She's sobbing uncontrollably, staring at her own reflection in a mirror._





> Slicky keeps his smile.
> 
> *"Ah but our lord wizard considered what little you have a worthy exchange. They are a fond collector of dangerous properties and value productive skill sets, you see. Your services as a merchant and this death trap of a manor are sufficient. As to why this manor is a death trap, another ploy by the Brotherhood of the Seven to claim your life. This mold, your misfortune, your poor health, and what haunts these walls were the results of their machinations. This establishment will diminish your health the longer you reside in it until it kills you. That is its nature. We will give you time to absorb this information, think about it, and reconsider our offer if you change your mind. Do not hesitate to ask us questions. We will answer to the best of our abilities."*
> 
> As he waits for Aldern's response, Slicky turns to Evras. He sways and gestures as if he is having a silent conversation with him when in truth, he is typing in group chat.
> 
> *"Let's not fix the mansion at the moment such as disposing Iesha's revenant. We need leverage against Aldern. Evras, can you use your knowledge to find out who Aldern owes his debts to? That can help our negotiation."*
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> ...


_He distractedly says_ "It's killing me?... but it's my home..." _and seems lost in thought very quickly_




> Evras will give the knowledge skills a try.  
> 
> Probably the Brotherhood, though I'll give it a shot. Honestly it's a little suspicious he isn't eager for an out, he should be getting desperate by now, particularly with the sort of diplomacy checks being thrown around.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 66 on knowledge local take 10. 
> Also did you miss that I was trying to read his thoughts or did something block it?


*Spoiler: Detect Thoughts*
Show

_The thoughts you get back are incoherent - it's like three different people are trying to talk over each other._

*Spoiler: Knowledge(History,Local)*
Show

_You get a pop up, which says_ "The Brothers of the Seven, a secret society based in Magnimar that was a cover for a cult of murderers known as the Skinsaw Men, a cult worshiping Norgorber, the god of greed, secrets, poison, and murder.  It was run by a corrupt justice named Ironbriar, but has recently been taken over by another, who seems even more ruthless and violent than he."

----------


## samduke

noticing that Evras has taken an unusual amount of time, Lilly takes a moment, then types chat to Evras, need help?

*Spoiler: OOC: current area & where Evras is*
Show


if Evras needs help
cast dimension door (9th) if it will reach Evras location otherwise with a decent description & info that has been given already should be able to greater teleport (15th)

Otherwise

Soulsight Goggles: (always active) can immediately see and discern magical auras within 60 feet, as arcane sight
clearly able to see the animating forces of incorporeal creatures 
*if neeeded, Once per day on command, the wearer can amplify the goggles ability to sense animating forces for 1 hour, notice, locate, and distinguish between living and undead creatures within 30 feet, just as if she had a psychopomps spiritsense ability

----------


## Taelas

John observes the specter for a moment, before shaking his head. In group chat, he writes: 

"*What is the benefit of perpetuating this creature's torment? Just for leverage?*"

He addresses the ghost in a gentle tone, "*Lady, I am Feng Xiuhuo. May I inquire as to your name?*"

----------


## Starmage21

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


I've read up to here. I'll be home late Monday. I'll post Tuesday

----------


## Thunder999

In chat I've tried to read his thoughts and it's clear he's already broken, literally into at least three pieces, also Nualia saw us for what we were the second we met her, I do not think this will accomplish much. Did get a knowledge popup confirming the Brotherhood of Seven as the Skinsaw Men and that it's been taken over already, presumably by the Lamia, she's the one we need. 
I see little reason to keep him or wife from the Boneyard any longer.

----------


## Yas392

*"Yes. Your home is killing you. Do you not have any relatives you can stay with?"*

Taking advantage of Aldern's unfocused face, Slicky types in group chat.

*To Feng Xiuhuo:* *"One of Aldern's sins. He killed his wife, Iesha. She returned as a revenant. If he dies or she kills him, it will destroy the revenant. If he lives, the revenant revives. Kinda paradoxical if you ask me. We can use this to threaten him or kill him for our benefit without dirtying our hands. Don't move, destroy the mirror or get her attention in the room she is in just yet. She will come after her husband no matter what. She will need to be stalled."*

*To Evras:* *"Yeah. I am having second thoughts about keeping him. He might prove troublesome if we return him to normal. If I tried and failed to convince him, I don't care anymore so feel free to cut loose when he has his back turned. We should do it after we get his signature for our document of our "wizard" or "nation" which we can create one with my Pigment to turn over his "assets" to us either by mind control or through words at least. That way it is not forged and legitimate. We will also need to get the deed from Aldern or the Brotherhood to prove our right as owners of this property. As for the Brotherhood, we are going to put them under new management in the near future."*

*To all:* *"Does anyone has telepathy to give orders for dominate monster? We are going to do a little acting. One of our many backup plans like the deed in case we have people poking their nose into our business and memories."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *To all:* *"Does anyone has telepathy to give orders for dominate monster? We are going to do a little acting. One of our many backup plans like the deed in case we have people poking their nose into our business and memories."*


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Dominate Monster inherits from Dominate Person, which comes with the ability to issue mental commands to the victim.  So anyone with Dominate Monster can puppet their beasts by thinking.  Secondary telepathy is only really necessary if you need to hand off control - give the order "obey Fred" kind of thing - or get silent feedback (verbal feedback can be done even at a distance - concentrate on the vic's senses, give the vic orders to answer questions out loud, and ask away).




> John observes the specter for a moment, before shaking his head. In group chat, he writes: 
> 
> "*What is the benefit of perpetuating this creature's torment? Just for leverage?*"
> 
> He addresses the ghost in a gentle tone, "*Lady, I am Feng Xiuhuo. May I inquire as to your name?*"


_The undead woman briefly starts to turn from the mirror, but doesn't seem to be able to take her attention off of it, and returns to her torment without actually answering._



> noticing that Evras has taken an unusual amount of time, Lilly takes a moment, then types chat to Evras, need help?
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC: current area & where Evras is*
> Show
> 
> 
> if Evras needs help
> cast dimension door (9th) if it will reach Evras location otherwise with a decent description & info that has been given already should be able to greater teleport (15th)
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: Arcane Sight*
Show

see here

*Spoiler: Animating Forces*
Show

_Aldern is not currently undead._

----------


## Yas392

*Group chat:* *"Never mind. I just recalled that dominate person and monster have an in built function to relay mental orders. We just need to tell the one who relays the orders our orders with group chat."*

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Nvm. Is Aldern non-responsive to Slicky's question?

----------


## Taelas

John nods as he reads the message. "*A revenant, huh? Guess that explains the mirror...*" he mutters to himself.

In chat, he writes: "*Would greater restoration or heal fix this Aldern person? I've got both as SLAs.*"

----------


## Yas392

*Group chat:* *"Perhaps. Let me rack my brains to see if multiple personality disorder falls under insanity which is under the conditions that heal can remove. The real question is do we want to? Normal Aldern had chased after this house since his adulthood. Depressed version does not want to leave home and is non-responsive. If we return him to normal, he might be more resilient. I am starting to think he is a lost cause."*

Slicky's head is motionless as he looks at Aldern but his locomotive pupils are everywhere.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on knowledge (religion) or (arcane) to see whether heal spell can remove dissociative identity disorder for a check of 53.

Take 10 on Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifier on Sense Motive on Aldern to see what he is cooking in his mind for a check of 56.

Take 10 on Perception to notice any movements or anything unusual at this time for a check of 46.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Group chat:* *"Never mind. I just recalled that dominate person and monster have an in built function to relay mental orders. We just need to tell the one who relays the orders our orders with group chat."*
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Nvm. Is Aldern non-responsive to Slicky's question?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

You mean Slicky's offer to answer questions?  Aldern doesn't have any at the moment that weigh on him more than the revelation that the place is killing him, and he's stuck processing that.




> *Group chat:* *"Perhaps. Let me rack my brains to see if multiple personality disorder falls under insanity which is under the conditions that heal can remove. The real question is do we want to? Normal Aldern had chased after this house since his adulthood. Depressed version does not want to leave home and is non-responsive. If we return him to normal, he might be more resilient. I am starting to think he is a lost cause."*
> 
> Slicky's head is motionless as he looks at Aldern but his locomotive pupils are everywhere.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Take 10 on knowledge (religion) or (arcane) to see whether heal spell can remove dissociative identity disorder for a check of 53.
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: Kn(Arcana*
Show

_Aldern's state is a result of necromantic taint, long-term manipulation, and his own actions.  His insanity is rooted in himself; sufficiently strong magic (those that mention curing Insanity, like Greater Restoration) can clear it out... but that's sort of like giving a blood transfusion to someone who's bleeding out: It's a temporary fix.  The weight of his own actions and the other pressures on him will simply recreate the insanity soon enough._

*Spoiler: Sense Motive*
Show

_He's finding it surprisingly hard to weigh the loss of his ancestral home - which he's worked very hard to reclaim - vs. the loss of his own life.  He's been obsessed with the place for a very long time, and while he does seem to believe you... it's looking like his obsession is winning._

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"Welp, he is a lost cause. His obsession is borderline fanatic. We can band aid his fractured mind with heal or greater restoration but not fix him for real. Peace of death is what we can give him. Let's do it after we mind control him into giving his assets to us. Here is what I propose:

1) Dominate Monster when his back is turn (Invisibility+Telekinesis for more subtlety).

2) Make him sign our created document (after we agree on the wording) without reading it to bequeath all his assets to us.

3) Command him to attic.

4) Use telekinesis to move mirror and shut/lock the door (while we are invisible).

5) Let his wife kill him.

6) Remove his clothing and possessions from his corpse once he is dead.

7) Disintegrate his remains.

If any of us wants to make altercation to the proposal such skip step 3-5 by using another spell to kill him ourselves or come up with a new one, I am all ears."*

----------


## Taelas

John returns downstairs by stepping into the nearest shadow, emerging again with the others from another one.

He looks at Aldern critically. "* There's no real reason not to try, is there? Let's see what the man himself says.*" He reaches out to touch the man's temple, casting _greater restoration_.

"*Greetings,*" he then tells Aldern brusquely. "*I am Feng Xiuhuo. You have been suffering from a mental break. I have cured it, but unless you seek change, you will fall under its sway once again. So tell me: do you want to stay sane?*" The man-shaped shadow phoenix examines his reaction closely.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Heal and/or Sense Motive check to try and determine whether he's truly a lost cause?
Heal: (1d20+32)[*37*]
Sense Motive: (1d20+36)[*48*]

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"It is like giving blood transfusion to someone bleeding out. His sins, Xanesha's manipulation, stress and strong necromantic taint will devolve him into insanity once again."*

----------


## Thunder999

Evras types out Unfortunate. What assets do you even want, this place is legally property of the Brotherhood of Seven and he doesn't actually have much else. Oh and I'm pretty sure a revenant doesn't need to land the killing blow to be destroyed.

----------


## Yas392

*Group chat:* *"I know. I outlined the wife killing husband to make his death look like an accident when he "explores" the attic out of "curiosity" if we want to be subtle. We can straight out kill Aldern with spells to destroy the revenant. What I want from this? This house for us. It can serve as our second base; main base once our mansion disappears. Getting Aldern to sign our document accelerates the process of "his" property becoming ours after we take over the Brotherhood when we clean house. As of now, he still "owns" it for 17 years then the ownership will revert to the Brotherhood."*

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie looks around him at the house and types into chat, "Not for nothing, but why would you want this place. I mean I get wanting a base of operations, but why a dilapidated old house like this. It smells, and what are the bedrooms like? Wouldn't it be easier to build something? Or buy a house in town? I mean with our combined magical power, how long would it take to build something? I dunno, seems like a lot of effort for a worn out haunted house."

----------


## niw18

he was paying attention to everything  and looked at all that was typed in chat and replied to them "we should differently get info on seven but we also and if we going to kill  I have some parts I need to harvest as his skin is amazing and his eyes are good too" he would type as a reply to the others  his personality of been the monster strongly replying for him

----------


## samduke

typing a reply to the discussion at hand.
well I for one do not care for the place burn it to the ground for all I care. as for him and the situation, I could (power word stun 17th) or (wish 19th) for options to get the man upstairs for the wife to kill him. then gentle repose the corpse if needed.

Regardless of anything else we should act soon.

----------


## Yas392

*Group chat:* *"One, their property is registered. We don't need to go through the whole legislation process. The Brotherhood did that for us. We will worry about upkeep costs, organization name change, taxes and other process later. Two, it is free estate. I will take any free house offered to us. Speaking of house in town, you just reminded me something. The Brotherhood has a townhouse in Magnimar, we can claim after we dealt with them. And any old or haunted house we can clean and make it as good as new using magic."*

Slicky's face relaxes as he reads Liliana's message.

*Group Chat:* *"Okay. I change my mind. That is a great idea. Unless we can get something out of this manor without paying for the land, government and that slime ball mayor, I do not want to deal with the law and Magnimar. Instead of burning it to the ground, can't we just dismantle the house into materials we can sell for cash? If we cannot, we can just take valuables and burn it down."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

> John returns downstairs by stepping into the nearest shadow, emerging again with the others from another one.
> 
> He looks at Aldern critically. "* There's no real reason not to try, is there? Let's see what the man himself says.*" He reaches out to touch the man's temple, casting _greater restoration_.
> 
> "*Greetings,*" he then tells Aldern brusquely. "*I am Feng Xiuhuo. You have been suffering from a mental break. I have cured it, but unless you seek change, you will fall under its sway once again. So tell me: do you want to stay sane?*" The man-shaped shadow phoenix examines his reaction closely.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> ...


_He beaks out of his chain of thought long enough to furrow his brow and ask_ "What do you mean?"
*Spoiler: Sense Motive/Heal*
Show

_He's unclear on the insanity bit, primarily because he's currently unaware of the fractured minds currently dormant inside him.  He's theoretically properly curable, but you're talking years of therapy and possibly careful memory editing... plus getting him miles from this cursed place.  And you'd still need to deal with his wife, who will simply keep coming back and hunting him down until he's dead._

----------


## Thunder999

Evras in chat I can permanently handle the Revenant if we do want him alive, nothing comes back from a Sphere of Oblivion.
This Mansion is run down, built over a failed lich's temple to Urgathoa, or maybe the temple was here first, either way terrible place to actually live, filled with haunts, known to our enemies and not even in a particularly desirable spot. We're all more than rich enough to buy just about any plot of land we could desire, and if magically conjured dwellings aren't your thing then it really doesn't take long to whip something up with a Lyre of Building, I've got one of those btw, or the old classics of Wall of Stone, Wall of Iron, Polymorph any Object, Fabricate (it's nice to handle little things like doors and windows) or even just make a small hut with a permanent portal to a demiplane in it.

Evras will then finally address Aldern, deciding to give being really blunt a try. "He's probably referring to the fact that prior to his healing spell your mind was shattered into at least three different pieces, likely a combination of the efforts by the Brotherhood of Seven to keep you nice and easy to manipulate, the rather unpleasant variant of Ghoul Fever made by your Grandfathers failed atttempts at lichdom and the fact that this place is ltierally haunted, oh and that's without mentioning any of your traumatic mundane experiences. Unless madness and a violent death appeal to you, I'd accept the offered help."
He will continue to observe the man's mind.  

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 for 45 on diplomacy, intimidate would be the same if you think the last sentence calls for it. Probably not needed with the thought reading, but I'll also take 10 on sense motive for a 55

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach waits for a moment in the conversation to add his own attempt to move things along

*"Think of it this way. We definitely have an agenda here and I think we can come to an arrangement. Providing relief from your current supernatural ailments is a gesture of good faith; a statement that there is no hidden agenda with ourselves at the least. If it helps, I'm sure that there are some of us here that have every intention of using less friendly methods to convince you to make the right decision. 
Even if we dont use our less tasteful options, we can simply leave you to the fate designed by your malefactors. At least with us, you get out of this deal with what money you have, and your life intact, free to pursue whatever it is you'd like. I'm just waiting to see if you're going to resist out of pure obstinance at this point."*

Terrach responds in the group chat
"Carrot AND the stick: I think I checked both boxes. In any case, I have no issue offing this guy. He is a wife-killer after all. IRL I never had any real distaste for people killing people that deserved it or got themselves killed out of a lack of foresight, but a murderer of the innocent I have real problems with. This guy is a means to an end to me."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


I'm back in the USA! Here's my first post, post vaycay! :D

My diplomacy checks and intimidate checks are only slightly higher than Evras', but my take 10 totals are 50 for Diplomacy, and 51 for Intimidate.

Also Jack, I think the idea behind this whole plot is that we're so freaking powerful, we're pulling strings that the module developers probably never thought of because PCs at the level its intended wouldnt have been capable of accomplishing. At least that is what I am doing here.

----------


## Taelas

In the chat, John responds: "*I have no issue with killing him either. The only reason I bothered with healing him was that it seemed like we were going to use him, and I figured a sane person was more likely to be useful. But if he's not...*"

To Aldern, he nods, gesturing to Evras. "*As he said, your mind was fractured. You're better, but only temporarily. Unless you want to fall back into insanity, you need to vacate this house. I suggest seeking an asylum; you'll need long-term care to recover fully.*"

----------


## Yas392

*Group chat:* *"I want him alive for a bit as we weigh our options through group chat after I mind control him. Once we decided on the final verdict, I don't mind disposing him. I am not a fan of killing without a reason. In this case, we will be doing this world a favor by ridding one murderer and soon to be mass murderer."*

Slicky holds his hand up to his companions that spoke up. 

*"Peace! We are not forcing him to accept the Wizard's benevolence. Our lord wizard asked us to offer him a deal which he can choose to accept or decline at his own will."*

He turns to the cured Aldern.

*"Apologies for my associates' brusqueness. At the same time, they divulge some of the specifics excluding the underlying threats detailed in the offer I brought up earlier behalf of our Lord. We want to help you. The offer still stands if you change your mind."*

*If Aldern declines/obstinate in staying in his manor*

*"Then, our business conclude. I wish you the best of luck in life. Good night."*

Slicky waves to his companions.

*Group chat:* *"Pretend we are walking away."*

As soon as Aldern's back is visible and he is walking away with the party following his script, he casts dominate monster on him using his Whispering Gloves to verbalize his spell to Evras by a message that he can hear. If successful, Slicky commands Aldern to sleep via mental command.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifiers for Diplomacy via versatile performance for a check of 56.

Take 10 on Perform (Comedy) to substitute ranks and modifiers for bluff via versatile performance for a check of 56.

Whispering Gloves to make his verbal component silent.

Dominate Monster (Will DC 40).

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Aldern closes his eyes for a bit, takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly before replying_ "Fine.  I'll hopefully be able to restart elsewhere... what would you like me to sign?"

_He briefly reads over and signs off on whatever's presented to him._

*Spoiler: Mind Reading*
Show

_He's thinking_ "Well... at least these folks don't plan to kill me themselves... the brotherhood likely will, but I'll have a head start to run... if I go this route..."

----------


## Yas392

Slicky nods.

*"Please wait while we produce the documents."*

He gets off the armchair and out of room, out of Aldern's sight. 

*Group chat:* *"Looks like he agreed to it. What do you think? Should we keep him alive? If so, how should we word our documents? If we can get him to sell our goods created from Pigments to net us revenue for our vault, what is the ratio do you think we should get? 50-50? 70-30? Of course, I have mind control if we want to be drastic."*

He uses his pigment to produce the documents to the group's wording for Aldern to sign if agreed with document route.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Depending on how the party respond, he will take 10 on Craft (Painting) checks which auto-succeed and appropriate knowledge checks for a result of 53 to create the documents.

Slicky will throw in dominate monster (Will DC 40) on Aldern with his back turn and verbalizing his spell to Evras via Whispering Glove depending on the responses.

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach nods in acknowledgement of Slicky's request, maintaining his best approximation of a poker face via his everyman visage.

After the conversation, in response to Slicky's group chat message:

"Make it appropriately equitable. I have no issues with killing him, but I'd much rather not have to do that, especially with our current game issue. Consequences for misdeeds are altered in a significant way. While we have power, and should leverage it appropriately, when you kill someone you make an enemy of everyone that loved them. Its much more preferable to make use of this sad individual and turn him into one of OUR pawns. And if he's one of our pawns, he will be much more effective on our behalf if he's willing. That said, we dont have to trust him to make use of him."

----------


## Frendle

Morgan types into group chat, "One thing in favor of keeping him alive is he can attest to the validity of the contract should anyone contest it. After all I imagine it needs to be recorded with some official entity like a home loan IRL. Assuming this is not now IRL"

----------


## Taelas

In group chat: "*I agree: as long as there's no particular need to kill him, I'd rather we didn't.*"

He rolls his shoulders at the somewhat uncomfortable thought of actually _murdering_ someone.

He continues in the chat: "*As for his remuneration, whatever you think he'd accept. We have no reason to be greedy or stingy, but he'd be suspicious if we are too generous. As for your mind control spell, save it. While it's useful, it's much better to have him work for us willingly; if nothing else, it means you don't have to keep refreshing the spell or give him direction. And honestly, I do not think he can materially affect us enough via betrayal for us to bother.*"

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Slicky nods.
> 
> *"Please wait while we produce the documents."*
> 
> He gets off the armchair and out of room, out of Aldern's sight. 
> 
> *Group chat:* *"Looks like he agreed to it. What do you think? Should we keep him alive? If so, how should we word our documents? If we can get him to sell our goods created from Pigments to net us revenue for our vault, what is the ratio do you think we should get? 50-50? 70-30? Of course, I have mind control if we want to be drastic."*
> 
> He uses his pigment to produce the documents to the group's wording for Aldern to sign if agreed with document route.
> ...


*Spoiler: Dominate*
Show

_You successfully net Aldern's mind in your grasp_

----------


## Yas392

*Group chat:* *"Indeed. I lost hope before his response which surprised me. I believe he deserves a second chance. He showed an effort to change himself for the better and his self-preservation is stronger than his obsession. Although it is a short term solution, we can prevent him from straying from his path if we periodically heal him through therapy and magic. We are lacking underlings we should have at this level anyway and they should be shouldering our burdens with them fulfilling our objectives for us. As I said before in the mansion, I share your ideology about the abuse of power, Terrach."*

Slicky pauses a bit before his nimble fingers type again. 

*Group chat:* *"So 50-50 ratio and not use mind control spell? Okay. Any thoughts you like to share, Evras?"*

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

He has not employ dominate monster yet. He will do so once the party agree to that in group chat. Does the knowledge check give him the knowledge to create authentic contracts?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Group chat:* *"Indeed. I lost hope before his response which surprised me. I believe he deserves a second chance. He showed an effort to change himself for the better and his self-preservation is stronger than his obsession. Although it is a short term solution, we can prevent him from straying from his path if we periodically heal him through therapy and magic. We are lacking underlings we should have at this level anyway and they should be shouldering our burdens with them fulfilling our objectives for us. As I said before in the mansion, I share your ideology about the abuse of power, Terrach."*
> 
> Slicky pauses a bit before his nimble fingers type again. 
> 
> *Group chat:* *"So 50-50 ratio and not use mind control spell? Okay. Any thoughts you like to share, Evras?"*
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> He has not employ dominate monster yet. He will do so once the party agree to that in group chat. Does the knowledge check give him the knowledge to create authentic contracts?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Authentic enough, yes.  Ancient Contracts were short enough to read quickly.  You don't need sixty "hold harmless" clauses due to various bits & bobs of law when those bits & bobs of law don't exist and when the court will charge YOU for wasting their time if you try to sue a shopkeeper for slipping on the ice on the walk outside their store.

----------


## Thunder999

Chat Nothing too interesting, he thinks we're less likely to murder him than the brotherhood and that he'd have an easier time running from us, not that I'm sure whether he intends to try, kind of amusing how wrong he is on that last point. Or did you mean my own thoughts, I don't mind giving him a chance as long as we keep tabs on him, though I'd rather just kill him than keep him a mind controlled slave if it goes wrong. If he'll need something to keep an eye on him a Planetar Simulacrum would be my suggestion.

----------


## samduke

typing in chat, well even if we keep him alive or under control what do we do about the other troubles in here.

----------


## Frendle

In Chat: Well, that depends on whether we have agreed to use this place as our base, or make/buy one of our own. If the later, why bother with anything in this house? Why would we ever come back here? If the former, then yeah. How hard can a revenant be to deal with?

----------


## Thunder999

Evras in Chat Oh we'd curbstomp it, it's the preventing her from just rising again that's normally an issue, but my Sphere of Oblvion is pretty much a Sphere of Annihilation that allows a save, so I've got that sorted. 
The rest is haunts though, I think maybe dealing with the failed lich (not a creature, he's possessing the place or something IIRC) in the basement/cave is the intended solution?  
I'm against trying to keep the place personally.

----------


## Yas392

*Group chat:* *"The majority of us seems to be in agreement to take apart this place. Are we fixing this place up with magic then fabricating the building into base components to be sold for cash? I will need to change my spell selection for the next day if we do. As for keeping an eye on Aldern, we did tell him that we are protecting him. It can be in the form of protections or protectors. We can station protectors beside him to keep an eye on him instead of blessing him so we're good. Before I finish creating the contract/agreement, can you peeps check my draft? I want to get it right before I finalize it on the parchment that I am about to create copies of. It goes as follows:*

*I, Aldern Fox, on behalf of House Foxglove, renounces House Foxglove claim to the assets co-owned with the Brotherhood of the Seven in 4707 AR which includes the Foxglove Manor, Foxglove Townhouse in Naos District in Magnimar, the properties in the Foxglove estates listed in this contract and other properties listed under their proprietorship, and bestow the said assets to the Wizard of Misty Isle.  I agree to be the vendor for the goods supplied by my contractor. In exchange, the Wizard of the Misty Isle will grant me healing, freedom from the Brotherhood of the Seven, security, a home, a debt-free life, and financial stability in which half of the gold gained from the sales of the goods supplied to me will be my revenue to fulfill the clause. This contract is valid and authentic. By signing this, I agree to the terms of this contract and understand that if I breach the contract by violating the terms listed or unable to fulfill the conditions unless influenced by external and natural factors beyond my control such as sickness, accidents, weather and etc, the benefits from this contract will be voided and actions will be taken to rectify the infraction. 

Sign,*

________________

*Hows this? Any position changes for any sentence? Should I remove the townhouse from the contract so that Aldern can live in it? Should I add in the clause of "in the event the Brotherhood of the Seven became defunct" or something similar with the same meaning in the first sentence? Should I label this contract for reference for newer contracts? If so, any suggestions for good reference names and numbers? What do you think I should add, remove or change?*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on Appropriate Knowledge check for a result of 53 to get today's date.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras in Chat  
I think you should probably have it made out to a named individual or organisation, Wizard of the Misty Isle probably won't mean much legally speaking, you did make it up only minutes ago after all, even a false name would do better than an unknown title. Probably doesn't actually need that stuff after "By signing this" though I suppose it won't hurt. Not sure how useful selling things through him would be though, especially if he gets a cut, we can always just offload anything unusual at one of the big metropolises, they'll buy anything in Katapesh and the City of Brass is just a quick Gate away, could even just call a Mercane. So maybe drop that bit, I doubt he'd actually be brave enough to challenge us but if we don't end up giving him enough to sell to remain financially secure we'd be failing to uphold it.

As for this place, given that the problems extend below ground and Aldern is unhealthily obsessed I'm still in favour of just razing it to the ground and building something new elsewhere, it'd only be the work of a few days with a lyre of building and some conjured stone.  
What do you want a building for anyway?

----------


## Yas392

*Group chat:* *"Shall we use your name spelled backwards instead? Although we are playing charades, the Wizard of the Misty Isle refers to you. Not false at all. I mean you are a magic user who can cast tier 9 spells like a wizard. Your mansion occupied an isle. Chopper's Isle is obscured to onlookers except us and Sandpoint Natives hence Misty. If not your name, what badass name or organisation name can we come up with to replace the title? Open to any suggestions. 

This also applies to the financial stability where you suggested that we drop him as our vendor. We can choose to sell our own stuff and pay him on a fixed interval for his services. Instead of using him as our salesman, in what other capacity can he serve us as a pawn? Being our informant?

The mansion, like I said before, I don't want it as our base if the majority of us don't want live in it. Outside of the valuables we can take, I proposed that we scavenge what we can from the construction and convert them into base component/materials we can sell using the fabricate spell such as a golden doorknob to gold ore or ingot, for instance, after destroying the source of corruption before razing this place down as you put it. The other purpose is to oust Aldern from it so we can decide its fate. By the way, are we going to port Aldern somewhere safe after he signs the document?"*

*Spoiler: Thunder999*
Show

Your post using group chat?


*Spoiler: Jack_Smith - Present Date of Golarion*
Show

Still waiting for the results of the knowledge check for the present date. Check is 53.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras in chat "I'd rather tie it to someone else, since I have absolutely no interest in this place, why not claim it yourself. 
I don't really care what happens to it or Aldern, he hasn't got any usesful information, I certainly don't trust him, we know more than him and have a better ability to gather more. 
I was originally hoping he'd be like Nualia, but he's not. 
I can make money from nothing and honestly don't see myself actually needing to any time soon, we each have over a million gp in just cash.
I don't actually know anywhere convenient to send him off the top of my head.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Yeah, was in chat, edited it.
Sorry to keep opposing your stuff, but Evras really has no reason to want any of it. Hopefully the others will be more enthusiastic.

----------


## Yas392

*Group chat:* *"Eh, then we will have to come up with an company or organization name. I do not want to play a wizard and I would not want to keep our host waiting. Aldern's importance as a pawn, while minimal to non-existent, can serve as a front to mask our true capabilities. I do not want to go around showing how powerful I am. It spoils the fun, the immersion, for me. This boils down to what role we give him to satisfy the contract. How are you making money out of nothing anyways? Do you have the opposite of Sphere of Oblivion like a Sphere of Creation?"*

*Spoiler: Thunder999*
Show

Yeah. I am waiting for Terrach's response. He and Slicky are the ones who advocate using Aldern as a pawn.


*Spoiler: Jack_Smith - Fabricate & Sphere of Creation*
Show

Take 10 Knowledge (Engineering) for a result of 42 to see if Foxglove Manor has anything valuable that can scavenge from the construction (e.g walls, windows, doors, support beams, etc) be converted into materials using that can be sold for gold using Fabricate spell (if possible).

Take 10 on appropriate Knowledge check for a result of 53 for information on the assumed Sphere of Creation.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Group chat:* *"Eh, then we will have to come up with an company or organization name. I do not want to play a wizard and I would not want to keep our host waiting. Aldern's importance as a pawn, while minimal to non-existent, can serve as a front to mask our true capabilities. I do not want to go around showing how powerful I am. It spoils the fun, the immersion, for me. This boils down to what role we give him to satisfy the contract. How are you making money out of nothing anyways? Do you have the opposite of Sphere of Oblivion like a Sphere of Creation?"*
> 
> *Spoiler: Thunder999*
> Show
> 
> Yeah. I am waiting for Terrach's response. He and Slicky are the ones who advocate using Aldern as a pawn.
> 
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith - Fabricate & Sphere of Creation*
> ...


*Spoiler: Knowledge(The Planes) DC 35 or so*
Show

_You get a pop-up when thinking about it_ "A Pleroma is the embodiment of both creation and destruction.  Among it's many abilities, it has:

_Sphere of Creation (Su)

Three times per day, the pleroma can manifest a 2-foot-diameter sphere of white energy that hovers above its left hand. By concentrating, the pleroma can control this sphere, causing it to fly slowly at a speed of 10 feet per round. The sphere can travel in any direction, but must remain within 300 feet of the pleroma or it immediately dissipates. Wherever the sphere travels, it leaves behind a 5-foot-wide path of new matter, creating either new terrain (such as swamp, tundra, desert, or forest) or a 10-foot-square wall composed of a single natural substance (such as clay, wood, or stone). Any existing matter, either living or nonliving that comes in contact with the sphere must make a DC 30 Fortitude save or be absorbed and incorporated into the new substance (only freedom, miracle, or wish can rescue creatures so trapped). Creatures that save are pushed to the nearest unoccupied location adjacent to the newly created substance. The sphere is highly unstable and only lasts 1d4 minutes before exploding with a blinding flash. All creatures within 30 feet of the flash must make a DC 30 Fortitude save or be permanently blinded. The save DCs are Constitution-based._"

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Group chat:* *"Shall we use your name spelled backwards instead? Although we are playing charades, the Wizard of the Misty Isle refers to you. Not false at all. I mean you are a magic user who can cast tier 9 spells like a wizard. Your mansion occupied an isle. Chopper's Isle is obscured to onlookers except us and Sandpoint Natives hence Misty. If not your name, what badass name or organisation name can we come up with to replace the title? Open to any suggestions. 
> 
> This also applies to the financial stability where you suggested that we drop him as our vendor. We can choose to sell our own stuff and pay him on a fixed interval for his services. Instead of using him as our salesman, in what other capacity can he serve us as a pawn? Being our informant?
> 
> The mansion, like I said before, I don't want it as our base if the majority of us don't want live in it. Outside of the valuables we can take, I proposed that we scavenge what we can from the construction and convert them into base component/materials we can sell using the fabricate spell such as a golden doorknob to gold ore or ingot, for instance, after destroying the source of corruption before razing this place down as you put it. The other purpose is to oust Aldern from it so we can decide its fate. By the way, are we going to port Aldern somewhere safe after he signs the document?"*
> 
> *Spoiler: Thunder999*
> Show
> 
> ...


_Checking the game clock, you find it's late evening, nearly midnight, 23/9/4707._



> *Group chat:* *"Shall we use your name spelled backwards instead? Although we are playing charades, the Wizard of the Misty Isle refers to you. Not false at all. I mean you are a magic user who can cast tier 9 spells like a wizard. Your mansion occupied an isle. Chopper's Isle is obscured to onlookers except us and Sandpoint Natives hence Misty. If not your name, what badass name or organisation name can we come up with to replace the title? Open to any suggestions. 
> 
> This also applies to the financial stability where you suggested that we drop him as our vendor. We can choose to sell our own stuff and pay him on a fixed interval for his services. Instead of using him as our salesman, in what other capacity can he serve us as a pawn? Being our informant?
> 
> The mansion, like I said before, I don't want it as our base if the majority of us don't want live in it. Outside of the valuables we can take, I proposed that we scavenge what we can from the construction and convert them into base component/materials we can sell using the fabricate spell such as a golden doorknob to gold ore or ingot, for instance, after destroying the source of corruption before razing this place down as you put it. The other purpose is to oust Aldern from it so we can decide its fate. By the way, are we going to port Aldern somewhere safe after he signs the document?"*
> 
> *Spoiler: Thunder999*
> Show
> 
> ...

----------


## Yas392

*Group Chat:* *"No way! That is hax. To think that such ability exists that can be abused for never ending resources and gold. Money becomes a non-issue. We can splurge as much as we want as long as we don't go overboard. That is why you didn't worry about having money problem. Well then, we can kiss this mansion goodbye then after we retrieve any valuables from this place."*

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith - Knowledge (Engineering)/Fabricate*
Show

Anything on knowledge (engineering) about any valuable part the architecture of Foxglove Manor that can be transmuted by the fabricate spell at CL20?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Group Chat:* *"No way! That is hax. To think that such ability exists that can be abused for never ending resources and gold. Money becomes a non-issue. We can splurge as much as we want as long as we don't go overboard. That is why you didn't worry about having money problem. Well then, we can kiss this mansion goodbye then after we retrieve any valuables from this place."*
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith - Knowledge (Engineering)/Fabricate*
> Show
> 
> Anything on knowledge (engineering) about any valuable part the architecture of Foxglove Manor that can be transmuted by the fabricate spell at CL20?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

That'd mostly be Appraise.  Which you have.  There's a couple large, prominent statues and things which would work as art objects ... if you find a way to get rid of the associated haunts, which will eventually drive folks mad and/or kill them if you don't (or don't mind selling something to unaware folks that'll likely eventually get killed by their purchase) - but the rest of it is, at best, normal wood (much of it rotten), which you could just as easily harvest out of the nearby forests.

----------


## Thunder999

In chat, though anyone looking will see a small smile Oh yeah, got Sphere of Creation 3/day, 7 spell like Fabricates, 1 spell like Wish and then there's the tricks anyone can do like Masterwork Transformation fueled by Blood Money.

----------


## samduke

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

 Lilly is more inclined to kill the guy, kill the revenant, burn the haunted place to the ground, then salt the earth as it were. and be done with the whole thing


Lilly remains silent reading the chat discussion.

----------


## Aleph Null

*Spoiler: OOC:*
Show


Sorry for the lack of reply, but my character probably would be following silently anyway, plus work kicked my butt this week.

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"That is more than enough along with full pouch spells and marvelous pigments. Back to the contract. Good news. I came up with a name. I think I will axed the following: Aldern selling for us and getting a cut and us getting retribution if he break our terms. I believe the underlying threat/message is under the benefit cancellation. I changed the clause to basically "you need to be our pawn if you wants those perks." For financial stability, we will just keep him debt free, monitor his behavior to not land us in debt by screwing us and pay him enough to get by if he does not have a stable job.* 

*I, Aldern Fox, on behalf of House Foxglove, renounces House Foxglove claim to the assets co-owned with the Brotherhood of the Seven in 4707 AR which includes the Foxglove Manor, Foxglove Townhouse in Naos District in Magnimar, the properties in the Foxglove estates listed in this contract and other properties listed under their co-jointed proprietorship, and bestow the said assets to the Egalite. I agree provide our contractors any services they ask. In exchange, the Egalite will grant me healing, security, a home, a debt-free life, and financial stability. This contract is valid and authentic. By signing this, I agree to the terms of this contract and understand that if I breach the contract by violating the terms listed or unable to fulfill the conditions unless influenced by external and natural factors beyond my control such as sickness, accidents, weather and etc, the benefits from this contract will be voided.

Sign,

________________*

*So any changes for the revised draft?"*

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach frowns, responding in group chat

"My build was more focused on being okay dying during raids because I resurrect for free. I didnt plan on ending up here permanently. Given that we are both functionally ageless, there is a high likelihood that we will not be part of a group forever. Those of us who cant create material goods from nothing will need a way to ensure relative comfort as the years go by. You might not need this place, but I do for future-proofing reasons. That said, I say the 'corporation' or 'cartel' should be _'The Wizards of The Misty Isle'_ and we can use this as a base moving forward. Just SOMEWHERE we can all meet, rest, and plan mutually."

Terrach shifts and stretches, almost feeling constrained by his human form. For all intents and purposes, he is no longer human, and his body desires to return to its 'natural' undead draconic form
"On another note, once we've dealt with Foxglove, what is the next step in the quest chain? I definitely do not want to face The Runelords alone. I definitely think we should gather their artifacts as well once we defeat them. Unlike a standard group of PCs, I can carry them back myself if need be."

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"Disposing the Brotherhood of the Seven and Xanesha. I guess we are keeping the manor as a base since one of us wants it. The cave must be appealing to some of us. I am claiming a room for myself since I may be interested in staying for a duration and supervising future developments of this plot.

Anyways, the question is how are we dealing with Foxglove? How are we using him as a pawn if we are keeping him alive? According to my draft where he does our bidding whenever we call him?"*

----------


## niw18

He had been reading chat but stood there silently as he already said what he wanted he did not care what the group decided one way or another he was going to get the parts he needed from this guy. He would shake his head as the influence of form was very strong but he did not disagree with it either.  He and his servant would just wait and watch others sightly amused by it.

----------


## Thunder999

In chat "I have no intention to spend any more time here than necessary. The next step is the Brotherhood, more importantly Xanesha might know something of what's going on with us. First though there's a revenant to handle.

"I suppose I'll go eliminate the revenant then."

With that he'll Dimension Door to the location of the Revenant and call forth his Orb of Oblivion to destroy it.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Taelas managed to teleport right to it with just the sound it made earlier, so I assume I can too? If not Evras would just ask John where exactly it was and then do it.  
DC 36 fort save on the orb, does work on undead/objects, if it rolls a 20 he'll just keep trying.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> In chat "I have no intention to spend any more time here than necessary. The next step is the Brotherhood, more importantly Xanesha might know something of what's going on with us. First though there's a revenant to handle.
> 
> "I suppose I'll go eliminate the revenant then."
> 
> With that he'll Dimension Door to the location of the Revenant and call forth his Orb of Oblivion to destroy it.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> ...


_You don't have much trouble localizing the revenant from the sobs, and your sphere of destruction seems to wipe the beast from existence._

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach smiles *"Welcome to middle management, Foxglove. Go forth and prosper."*

Responding in group chat
"So if Xanesha and The Brotherhood of The Seven are next. Where do we find them? Do we know what their agendas are aside from their involvement with The Runelords? If we can subvert their agendas towards our ends, they may switch sides as easily as Foxglove. Do we want to spend a few days here cleaning up the place? I also have a lyre of building, and I practiced just enough to learn how to play it. I can live in the cave in my true form, I guess."

"I do have to say, I am already feeling it. I would definitely not be comfortable sleeping in this human guise if I didn't absolutely have to. I literally feel constrained and limited. I'm curious to see if I even need human comforts anymore, or if a dank cave is actually what this body considers comfortable."

----------


## Yas392

*Group Chat:* *"I agree. We stagnate long enough. After listening to suggestions, I will default to general purpose for the minion part. For corporation/company name, I am not going to go with an altered version of the original name to keep our story consistent. I am going with an organisation name can work with all kind of races even those with monstrous appearance; the Union."* 

*I, Aldern Fox, on behalf of House Foxglove, renounce House Foxglove claim to the assets co-owned with the Brotherhood of the Seven in 4707 AR which includes the Foxglove Manor, Foxglove Townhouse in Naos District in Magnimar, the properties in the Foxglove estates listed in this contract and other properties listed under their co-jointed proprietorship, and bestow the said assets to the Union. I agree to perform tasks requested by the Union. In exchange, the Union will grant me healing, security, a home, a debt-free life, and financial stability. This contract is valid and authentic. By signing this contract also known as Article 1, I agree to the terms of this contract and understand that if I breach the contract by violating the terms listed or unable to fulfill the conditions unless influenced by external and natural factors beyond my control such as sickness, accidents, weather and etc, the benefits of this contract will be voided.

Sign,

________________*


Once he typed that, Slicky works on producing three identical contracts from his knowledge with his Marvellous Pigments. He returns to Aldern and hands him the contract with a quill.

*"Sorry for the hold up. I was hashing out the details with our patron. The Wizard of the Misty Isle agreed to leave the matter to our organisation to deal with it on their behalf. Since we are in charge of dictating the terms of the contract, we made slight changes. One, the townhouse and properties in the two estates will be included along with the assets that House Foxglove and the Brotherhood co-jointly owned. We felt that the manor plus your services are not enough. Yes, we included the townhouse and properties in the specific estates because they are also cursed and filled with monsters that aim to kill you if you try to live in it. The other assets are as dangerous in their own way. Everything touched by the Brotherhood of the Seven are. Second, you do not need to be our vendor but are required to carry out tasks we requested. If these terms satisfy you, please sign the document I gave you and these two documents."*

He holds up the two copies. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifiers for Diplomacy via versatile performance for a check of 56.

Take 10 on Perform (Comedy) to substitute ranks and modifiers for bluff via versatile performance for a check of 56.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie types in chat: "So that's done. What's next? I suppose there is more to clean out in the mansion. I can do that if others want to go on and get this document and all that taken care of. It'll give me something to do."

----------


## Yas392

Slicky types as Aldern is going through the document.

*Group chat:* *"We should not be cleaning up anything until our man signs the contract. Feel free to go ham after the signing."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

_Aldern reads, and sighs_ "Arbitrary duties, no end date.  So I'm to be a slave in all but name, then?  Suppose it beats dying... probably." _and signs the sheet._

----------


## Yas392

Slicky takes the document and gives Aldern two more to sign. Once he signed those, he takes one but leave one for the minor noble.

*"A copy for you as a proof of our cooperation. I would not say slave, more of an employee. Think of it as a job with benefits. You can leave anytime but I would not recommend it now. You have enemies coming after you. By sticking with us, you can grow into a better version of yourself and maybe amass a fortune under our aegis. Congratulations on becoming a member of the Union."*

*In Group Chat:* *"Aldern is off limits under our terms unless he runs. Sorry, Lucefero. There are disease rats in the area and giant bat in the cave below the basement you can harvest for parts. Caves's all yours after cleaning, Terrach. We can also get proof of a deceased outlaw down there to court in Magnimar for some easy 500 gold. With the negotiation over, let's clean this place up and renovate it to livable conditions. If we have not thought of a home yet for Aldern, I believe we can let him live here for now."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifiers for Diplomacy via versatile performance for a check of 56.

Take 10 on Perform (Comedy) to substitute ranks and modifiers for bluff via versatile performance for a check of 56.

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach frowns at Aldern

*"Not at all. You are becoming a contracted employee of The Union. You are free to go about generating revenue in any way you wish, of which you get to keep fifty percent. You are gaining the benefit of our protection, especially from your current malefactors, and certainly from any new ones, should they be brought to our attention. An attack on you is an attack on The Union's agenda, and that simply cannot be tolerated while you represent the organization."*

He posts in group chat
"I'm rather proud of that. I made it sound like a solid gang at least."

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie chats: "So now it looks like we are the mafia, extracting protection money. That's ok by me, I like cross genres."

Lonnie unsheathes his scimitar and heads downstairs to begin cleaning out the rest of the monsters of the house and caves, shaking off his disguise as he heads down the stairs.

"Let the purge begin"

----------


## Thunder999

Evras types a response Revenant is beyond even divine intervention.  
Leaving him here seems counterproductive, he'd be safe enough with any of your around of course, but his sanity may not.  Given the lack of better option I suppose I'll conjure up a Secure Shelter a mile due east of here, that will buy 48 hours to sort it out. Someone can teleport him over in about 10 minutes, it's an annoying slow spell. Oh and someone probably needs to come up with a guard for him.

With that he'll greater teleport 100ft up and 1 mile due east, and assuming there's a 20ft square of suitable space in sight, he'll swap in a Secure Shelter and begin casting it.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

That's a quick study to swap it in, potent magic to hit CL 24 for a 48 hour duration.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Slicky takes the document and gives Aldern two more to sign. Once he signed those, he takes one but leave one for the minor noble.
> 
> *"A copy for you as a proof of our cooperation. I would not say slave, more of an employee. Think of it as a job with benefits. You can leave anytime but I would not recommend it now. You have enemies coming after you. By sticking with us, you can grow into a better version of yourself and maybe amass a fortune under our aegis. Congratulations on becoming a member of the Union."*
> 
> *In Group Chat:* *"Aldern is off limits under our terms unless he runs. Sorry, Lucefero. There are disease rats in the area and giant bat in the cave below the basement you can harvest for parts. Caves's all yours after cleaning, Terrach. We can also get proof of a deceased outlaw down there to court in Magnimar for some easy 500 gold. With the negotiation over, let's clean this place up and renovate it to livable conditions. If we have not thought of a home yet for Aldern, I believe we can let him live here for now."*
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> ...


_He glances back at the contract, and hums._




> Terrach frowns at Aldern
> 
> *"Not at all. You are becoming a contracted employee of The Union. You are free to go about generating revenue in any way you wish, of which you get to keep fifty percent. You are gaining the benefit of our protection, especially from your current malefactors, and certainly from any new ones, should they be brought to our attention. An attack on you is an attack on The Union's agenda, and that simply cannot be tolerated while you represent the organization."*
> 
> He posts in group chat
> "I'm rather proud of that. I made it sound like a solid gang at least."


_He shurgs_ "Well, if the burden of my debts goes away, fifty percent of net is workable...."



> Evras types a response Revenant is beyond even divine intervention.  
> Leaving him here seems counterproductive, he'd be safe enough with any of your around of course, but his sanity may not.  Given the lack of better option I suppose I'll conjure up a Secure Shelter a mile due east of here, that will buy 48 hours to sort it out. Someone can teleport him over in about 10 minutes, it's an annoying slow spell. Oh and someone probably needs to come up with a guard for him.
> 
> With that he'll greater teleport 100ft up and 1 mile due east, and assuming there's a 20ft square of suitable space in sight, he'll swap in a Secure Shelter and begin casting it.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> That's a quick study to swap it in, potent magic to hit CL 24 for a 48 hour duration.


_The casting takes ten minutes, but you have little trouble finding an open spot to place the house, as you land in where some wide open plains where border a marsh._
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I actually stopped and looked at the map - one mile east of Foxglove Manor





> Lonnie chats: "So now it looks like we are the mafia, extracting protection money. That's ok by me, I like cross genres."
> 
> Lonnie unsheathes his scimitar and heads downstairs to begin cleaning out the rest of the monsters of the house and caves, shaking off his disguise as he heads down the stairs.
> 
> "Let the purge begin"


_On the way to the stairs down, you pass through a hall with a rather gruesome antiquewhat appears to be a mummified monkey headhangs on the northern wall here. A bellpull extends from the monkeys gaping mouth. A ratty throw rug partially obscures a foul stain of dark-colored mold on the floor._
*Spoiler: Detect Magic / Arcane Sight*
Show

_The monkey head detects as faint abjuration._

_Heading down the stairs by the stain, you find yourself in a room with a large oak table, its surface covered with moldy stains and rat droppings, sits in the center of this large kitchen. Shelves line the walls, and an oversized fireplace dominates the northeast portion of the room. The shelves in the southwest wall are in a much greater state of disarray, and two one-foot-wide cracks in the wall near the floor lead south into the earth beyond the basement walls. (B25 on the map)_

*Spoiler: Map*
Show

----------


## Yas392

*Group Chat:* *"I'll leave the teleportation and security to those that are not partaking the exorcism of this place."*

Slicky nods at Aldern's response as he stows away his two documents.

*"We should get you to safety first. This manor is not safe especially those diseases you can catch and whispers that attacks your sanity. Those not partaking in the cleaning up will protect you for the duration. In about 10 minutes, one of our members will move you to a secure location and guard you. Safety of our employee's mind and body is our first priority. Wouldn't want you to die or go insane in our employ on the first day. Now if you excuse me, I have a job to do."* 

He excuses himself, exits the room, descends downstairs, exits the manor's front door and moves to B1 with his bow and a quiver out.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on Perception for a check of 46.

----------


## Aleph Null

Moving down to the basement with the others, Ashiva will begin humming to himself -- not just any normal tune, but something clearly infused with magic that adds a sort of air of confidence to the group as a whole. As he does this, an aura of iridescent flame -- this subtle manifestation of awesome power -- shrouds his body as he descends the stairs and draws an odd curved blade somewhat reminiscent of a scimitar.

*Spoiler: OOC/Crunchy Bits 'N Stuff*
Show


(2d8+4)[*17*] <-- Temp HP for everybody who's willing to receive the Heroic Invocation (you will be fatigued at the end, though Ashiva can clear that effect from up to 3 targets if they can't deal with it themselves. Note that he'd be using a Greater Restoration for this, so this would prefer anyone who's suffered ability damage or the like as well if that happens. Phoenix SLAs go BRRRRRRRR)

Also, I'm activating my Shroud of Flame, because we're going into fighty place now. I only use that in fighty places.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie looks around at the kitchen, noting the two dirt passages, , then nods his head, _"That looks interesting, but I'll save it for now."_ 

He goes to the door in the north eastern part of the kitchen and checks out the room. Then, after dealing with anything he may find there, he heads to the next door counter clockwise and does the same, continuing to check the doors and rooms until he has cleared the basement. 


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Starting at room B26, Lonnie will continue with B27, B28, B29 and B30. He will then return to the kitchen area.

His SOP attacks will be simple, engage and chop. He uses his dimension door and his Dimensional Dervish feat to move from each target to the next dealing with each in turn. 

Perception for each room in turn beginning in kitchen in case he missed something.

B25 (1d20+39)[*42*]

B26 (1d20+39)[*50*]

B27 (1d20+39)[*44*]

B28 (1d20+39)[*46*]

B29 (1d20+39)[*41*]

B30 (1d20+39)[*42*]

----------


## samduke

Following the others into the basement expecting trouble

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The noise of speech attracts something; you can hear a slowly rising tide of squeaks, and something that sounds like the slither oily bodies sliding against one another in close confines._
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

(1d3)[*2*] rounds until they arrive.


*Spoiler: Perception*
Show

_In a cupboard near the oven sits a very fine silver dinner set, with an exceptionally large silver salver and a dozen crystal decanters.  Additionally, there's a small clay urn hidden in a nook behind a loose brick on the chimney. The urn is stuffed with some dried pine cones and three small violet garnets._

*Spoiler: Appraise*
Show

The dinner set is worth 1,000 gp (as a set).
The garnets are worth 100 gp each (so 300 gp total).

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Nothing in B1?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Nothing in B1?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sorry, missed that.  But nearly nothing.

_Its impossible to tell how many floors the outbuilding that stood here once had, for all that remains are the crumbling stones of its foundation. The stones still bear scorches and cracks from the fire that destroyed the building long ago. To the east, a four-foot-wide stone well sits, partially collapsed, in the corner of the ruins.  A few sickly looking ravens are perched atop the foundation stones; they fly clumsily away if approached._
*Spoiler: Knowledge(Religion)*
Show

_The sickly looking ravens are very minor undead, no threat - even to a commoner - unless there's a lot of them._

----------


## Yas392

Slicky flings a fireball at the sickly ravens as soon he discerns their true nature.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Take 10 on Appropriate Knowledge for a check of 53.

*Fireball damage (Reflex 34 for half damage):* (10d6)[*32*]

----------


## Taelas

John follows towards the basement, but stops by the monkey head, as his constant _detect magic_-effect alerts him to the faint abjuration that comes off of it. "*Now what is this...?*" he mumbles, studying it.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Spellcraft to try and identify the magical effect:

(1d20+38)[*53*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> John follows towards the basement, but stops by the monkey head, as his constant _detect magic_-effect alerts him to the faint abjuration that comes off of it. "*Now what is this...?*" he mumbles, studying it.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Spellcraft to try and identify the magical effect:
> 
> [roll0]


*Spoiler: Spellcraft*
Show

_It's a minor magical wondrous item.  When you pull the string, it makes a loud sound as per the Alarm spell.  It could be removed and taken without much hassle._





> Slicky flings a fireball at the sickly ravens as soon he discerns their true nature.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Take 10 on Appropriate Knowledge for a check of 53.
> 
> *Fireball damage (Reflex 34 for half damage):* [roll0]


_The birds don't even have time to squawk before they're char-broiled.  They re-die instantly._

----------


## Yas392

Slicky rushes to the basement with all of his speed after taking care of the undead fliers.

----------


## Jack_Simth

_The sounds get louder, and uncountable rats swarm out of the cracks in the walls to attack everyone.  They're in very poor health; misshappen tumors cover their faces, including their eyes... but they do seem hungry_

*Spoiler: Initiative*
Show


Rats: (1d20+6)[*10*]

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Can Slicky get there in time?

----------


## Aleph Null

*Spoiler: OOC and rolls*
Show


I'm not sure if I put this earlier, but the heroic invocation's effects (besides the temp HP) are +4 morale to hit and to damage as well as immunity to charm and fear effects.
Ashiva Initiative: (1d20+22)[*24*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Can Slicky get there in time?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Two rounds to prep from when the rats start making lots of noise, so sure.

----------


## samduke

> _The sounds get louder, and uncountable rats swarm out of the cracks in the walls to attack everyone.  They're in very poor health; misshappen tumors cover their faces, including their eyes... but they do seem hungry_
> 
> *Spoiler: Initiative*
> Show
> 
> 
> Rats: (1d20+17)[*32*]


Lilly sees the oncoming rat swarm and calls forth a storm of lightning bolts into the center of the swarm.

*Spoiler: rolls*
Show


Initiative (1d20+17)[*32*]
SLA Cast: call lightning storm, 15 bolts, Saving Throw: Reflex half DC 35
Spell Resistance: Yes, caster level check (1d20+20)[*28*]
*if affected then I will roll the damage (each bolt deals 5d6 points of electricity damage)

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Can Slicky get there in time?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sure.  Two rounds is a lot of time for a 20th level player.... although my posting schedule means Lilly toasts them first.




> Lilly sees the oncoming rat swarm and calls forth a storm of lightning bolts into the center of the swarm.
> 
> *Spoiler: rolls*
> Show
> 
> 
> Initiative (5d6)[*17*]
> SLA Cast: call lightning storm, 15 bolts, Saving Throw: Reflex half DC 35
> Spell Resistance: Yes, caster level check (1d20+5)[*7*]
> *if affected then I will roll the damage (each bolt deals 5d6 points of electricity damage)


*Spoiler: Call Lightning Storm*
Show

Note that it inherits the "one free on casting, standard action thereafter" bit from Call Lightning.  So while yes, it's 15 bolts, you're getting 5d6/round unless you somehow manage multiple standard actions.

And... 5d6 is low enough that they _potentially_ don't die in one hit.  Let's find out!
Damage: (5d6)[*17*]
Reflex: (1d20+5)[*7*]

_The lightning crackles through the damp basement, grounding out on the far wall and leaving a scorch mark on the stones keeping out the ground.  You roast about half the rats, the rest scatter, running for their little lives based on memory of where the holes in the walls are._

----------


## Yas392

Slicky arrives and cleans up the scattered and surviving with a fireball if any remains.

*Spoiler*
Show

*Initiative:* (1d20+23)[*37*]

*Fireball:* (10d6)[*32*]

----------


## samduke

> [spoiler=OOC]
> *Spoiler: Call Lightning Storm*
> Show
> 
> Note that it inherits the "one free on casting, standard action thereafter" bit from Call Lightning.  So while yes, it's 15 bolts, you're getting 5d6/round unless you somehow manage multiple standard actions.
> And... 5d6 is low enough that they _potentially_ don't die in one hit.  Let's find out!
> Damage: [roll0]
> Reflex: [roll1]
> 
> _The lightning crackles through the damp basement, grounding out on the far wall and leaving a scorch mark on the stones keeping out the ground.  You roast about half the rats, the rest scatter, running for their little lives based on memory of where the holes in the walls are._


*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


Call Lightning Storm
Effect: One or more 30-ft.-long vertical lines of lightning
it was this line that made me think maby all 15 bolt would happen then the 1 free after I did know about but figured it may not matter

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach doesnt run down the stairs. He doesnt even walk. The pace at which he makes his way down with his compatriots can only be described as a mosy. The expression on his every-man face as calm and collected as it was before.

*"Let me know if there is actually anything threatening down here. I never was as much of a button masher as others. I did notice that this cave seems homey though. I could do a lot with my burrowing ability to clear it out and make it more symmetrical inside and accessible from the water in my normal form."*

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


I was recently at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. Beautiful, and the water side of this manor on a cliff reminds me of that.

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie watches the fire and lightening storm, a little envious as always, but happy with his chosen playstyle he quickly proceeds to the cracks in the wall and with his claws begins burrowing into them and onward to what ever lays behind.

Follow me team!


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Burrow speed of 30'.

Perception (1d20+39)[*56*]

----------


## Aleph Null

Ashiva raises an eyebrow as Lonnie begins to dig into the wall, fingering the two staves on his back for a moment until he finds the right one. Then he simply taps the staff to the wall and...steps through it? Well, that's what it looks like, though he disappears as he enters the wall. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


I can't fail the UMD check to emulate having the spells on my list for the Staff of Passage. I used a _Phase Door_, so anybody with any form of truesight knows what I did. I will specify that any of the other PCs that I know of can use the door (that is, I will list them individually -- so if I somehow haven't seen you yet because you have truesight-defying invisibility, then you're out of luck I suppose).
If there isn't a room on the other side of the wall, then I suppose I will just end up wherever Lonnie is -- should I need to, I can become ethereal using my armor so that he still has space. I just would rather use a charge on my staff than a once per day ability.

----------


## samduke

> Lonnie watches the fire and lightening storm, a little envious as always, but happy with his chosen playstyle he quickly proceeds to the cracks in the wall and with his claws begins burrowing into them and onward to what ever lays behind.
> 
> Follow me team!
> 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> ...


Once she is certain the rat swarm has dispersed she turns and follows behind Lonnie.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Lonnie watches the fire and lightening storm, a little envious as always, but happy with his chosen playstyle he quickly proceeds to the cracks in the wall and with his claws begins burrowing into them and onward to what ever lays behind.
> 
> Follow me team!
> 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Direction?  You're currently in B25, there's a few doors, plus stone walls.  Everyone's following, so you're the one I need to ask.  Map posted earlier

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"A few mobs to clean up. I am hanging back and going slow as I am waiting for Lucifero's reply on how he wants his giant bat done for his harvest. I will give you guys directions to the cave if you want to go there now. If we are in B25, there are two doors. Right door, follow the singular path and open the doors. Once you open the final door, you will see the stairs to the cave."*

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Did Slicky expend his fireball or are the rats gone already?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *In Group Chat:* *"A few mobs to clean up. I am hanging back and going slow as I am waiting for Lucifero's reply on how he wants his giant bat done for his harvest. I will give you guys directions to the cave if you want to go there now. If we are in B25, there are two doors. Right door, follow the singular path and open the doors. Once you open the final door, you will see the stairs to the cave."*
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Did Slicky expend his fireball or are the rats gone already?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

First zap killed the swarms.  All that's left would be retreating rats, no longer a threat.

----------


## Starmage21

Unable to burrow in his current human form, Terrach follows closely with the rest of the group. He follows behind Ashiva's _Passwall_ spell.

*"I don't have the 'radar' provided by Tremorsense in this human form. And I haven't seen a room big enough for me yet. I'll cast spells if I need to, otherwise I'll be right behind you all. To be honest, I'm looking forward to setting this place up as much as I am dealing with the Runelords. I'm not going out of my way to be a good person, but no one gets to threaten the world while I'm forced to live in it. Mutual self-interest always gets **** done, and I'm no exception, apparently."*

*Spoiler: ooc*
Show


IIRC my type is effectively changed under my spell effect, so I don't have Tremorsense either. I cant see or detect things that a human couldn't atm.

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"Which was why I was giving you directions if any of you wants to go ahead. Let's focus on the small stuff now, okay? I am sure we can afford to slack off a bit. The thing with large scale threats and events is they will always provoke a deterrent force. Even if we are slacking off, there will be someone other than us who will be alert by the occurrence and move to stop it."*

Slicky sighs as he watches Lonnie digging through the walls.

*In Group Chat:* *"You know those tunnels lead to another room nearby if you tunnel through it. We should be using Passwall downwards but it cannot excavate all the way to the bottom without multiple castings. I can't be bother doing it. Screw this. I am speeding things up. By the way, I am immune to Haunts. They will fail and become useless for a period of time after they target me so follow me. If you have turn undead or any other means to exorcise them, use them on the Haunts when they manifest so we can erase their taints once and for all. Those not joining us, can you remind Aldern to fork over the keys of this place as per contract? Thanks."*

Tucking the bow under his arm, he takes out his wayfinder. Searching the rooms, and using knock on the locked room to gain access while Lonnie is burrowing, he attempts to comb through the rooms he come across and loots them, dealing with any threats standing in his way, ignoring Haunts unless he can deal with them. Once he is done, he goes down the stairway.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Slicky will be cleaning up this floors from B26, B27, B28, B29, B30. He uses his wayfinder to open up locked room via knock (which he can use at will). He will descend the stairways.

Take 10 on Perception checks for results of 46.

Take 10 on Spellcraft checks for his auto Arcane Sight results of 53.

Take 10 on Appropriate Knowledge for a check of 53 to recall ways of exorcising Vorel Foxglove Spirit and his Haunts permanently.

Take 10 on Perform (Sing) to substitute ranks and modifiers for Sense Motive via versatile performance for a check of 56 to find the right words for Thoughtful Wishmaker for the Limited Wish portion for Music Beyond the Spheres which he will perform to replicate the effects that can put an end to Haunts he come across permanently if such thing is possible.

He will also use any spell via Legendary Archmage to get rid of Haunt and refresh its daily use via Heroic Fortune.

If he cannot, he will ignore Haunts. 

*Initiative if needed:* (1d20+23)[*32*]

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: Yas392*
Show

How did you manage to be immune to haunts? Because that sounds amazing. I've been actively looking for things that counter haunts and there's not a whole lot.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Thunder999*
Show

Correcting myself, almost immune. Slicky is immune to the Haunts in the manor though by being Undead, having High AC and energy resistance. All Haunts primary effects are mind-affecting and fear. Terrach can also no sell all the Haunts in the manor due to his Undead nature.


*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Are we waiting for Frendle to respond for Lonnie? I made a post to move us forward.

----------


## Frendle

After looking around at the dead and dying rats, Lonnie heads into the hallway and opens the door into a room. 

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Lonnie will go down the hallway to B29, then if nothing there will continue to B30 and descend staircase.

Sorry, didn't realize it was my turn.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Don't think it's anyone's turn, not in combat after all. Just gone quiet I guess.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So who is following who? Slicky is acting independently and leading (if the crowd follows him).

----------


## samduke

*Spoiler: Map*
Show




Lilly at the bottom of the stairs brings up the map. looking at it then deciding to walk down the tunnel leading to B32 to the end. Stealth moving as she goes.

*Spoiler: OOC,rolls and things*
Show


OOC: Will travel the tunnel all the way to where it shows that blue dot
constant: endure elements
constant: discern magical auras within 60 feet, as arcane sight, able to see the animating forces of incorporeal creatures

Skill Rolls as needed 

Disable Device (1d20+35)[*52*]
Knowledge (Arcana) (1d20+32)[*52*]
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (1d20+29)[*30*]
Knowledge (Engineering) (1d20+29)[*39*]
Knowledge (Geography) (1d20+26)[*38*]
Knowledge (Nature) (1d20+26)[*32*]
Knowledge (Planes) (1d20+29)[*48*]
Perception (1d20+40)[*55*]
Sense motive (1d20+35)[*46*]
Stealth (1d20+40)[*55*] (can move at full speed)
Survival: (1d20+40)[*56*]
Survival to not get lost: (1d20+42)[*60*]

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *In Group Chat:* *"Which was why I was giving you directions if any of you wants to go ahead. Let's focus on the small stuff now, okay? I am sure we can afford to slack off a bit. The thing with large scale threats and events is they will always provoke a deterrent force. Even if we are slacking off, there will be someone other than us who will be alert by the occurrence and move to stop it."*
> 
> Slicky sighs as he watches Lonnie digging through the walls.
> 
> *In Group Chat:* *"You know those tunnels lead to another room nearby if you tunnel through it. We should be using Passwall downwards but it cannot excavate all the way to the bottom without multiple castings. I can't be bother doing it. Screw this. I am speeding things up. By the way, I am immune to Haunts. They will fail and become useless for a period of time after they target me so follow me. If you have turn undead or any other means to exorcise them, use them on the Haunts when they manifest so we can erase their taints once and for all. Those not joining us, can you remind Aldern to fork over the keys of this place as per contract? Thanks."*
> 
> Tucking the bow under his arm, he takes out his wayfinder. Searching the rooms, and using knock on the locked room to gain access while Lonnie is burrowing, he attempts to comb through the rooms he come across and loots them, dealing with any threats standing in his way, ignoring Haunts unless he can deal with them. Once he is done, he goes down the stairway.
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> ...


*Spoiler: Notes*
Show

Digging a bit... This Legendary Archmage?  Limited to Sor/Wiz... and you're actually casting it - which means you'll need to respect components and things.  Trouble is the spells for neutralizing haunts temporarily are all Clerical (requires positive energy).... also: As an undead, you don't take Wis drain, so Music Beyond the Spheres won't do limited wish (you can't pay it's cost).  But you pretty much can ignore these things.

*Spoiler: Knowledge(Religion)*
Show

[I]These haunts seem tied to something inside the house; there's going to be some central point that needs to be eliminated to cleanse this place permanently, and that will require something to permanently flood the place with Positive energy to keep it from recovering - Hallow - plus something temporary to destroy it: Dispel Evil or Consecrate.





> *Spoiler: Map*
> Show
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lilly at the bottom of the stairs brings up the map. looking at it then deciding to walk down the tunnel leading to B32 to the end. Stealth moving as she goes.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC,rolls and things*
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

So that's... starting from b25, going through B29, B30, B31, and B32 (destination)


B29:
_The door to this room is locked and made of iron, and while patches of rust mar its face, it remains quite stout.  Slicky's Knock opens it handily.
Inside, you see a room that looks to have once been some sort of arcane workshop, containing dust and mold, and several rusty instruments and tools. A row of soggy books sits on the northern end of a workbench along the western wall. At the other end of the workbench, what looks like three iron birdcages sit, each containing a dead diseased rat. To the east, two stained-glass windows loom. The northern window depicts a thin man with gaunt features drinking a foul-looking brew of green fluid, while the southern one shows the same man but in an advanced state of decay, as if he had been dead for several weeks. His arms raised and head thrown back in triumph, his rotting body turns to smoke and spirals into a seven-sided box. 

The stained-glass windows look out over the Varisian Gulf; although the basement itself is underground, the curved eastern wall of this room extends beyond the side of the cliff face_
*Spoiler: Knowledge(Nobility and Royalty)*
Show

_These windows depict Vorel Foxglove taking a potion._

*Spoiler: Haunt: Will DC 14, Mind-affecting*
Show

... like anyone's going to fail.  Not bothering to write it in.


B30:
_Piles of broken stone, dirt, and a few ruined pickaxes line the edges of this room. The floor in the middle of the room has been torn up to reveal an ancient set of stone spiral stairs, obviously of much older construction than the surrounding basement, winding deep into the bedrock below. A foul stink, like that of rotten meat, wafts up on a cold breeze from the darkness.  The stairs descend 80 feet._


*Spoiler: Haunt: Will DC 16, Mind-affecting*
Show

... like anyone's going to fail.  Not bothering to write it in.


B31:
_The stairs end in a limestone cavern. The walls drip with moisture, and swaths of black and dark blue mold grow in spiraling, tangled patterns on the floor, ceiling, and walls. Bits of rubble and broken bones clutter
 the floor, and a rhythmic soundas of the breathing of some immense  creatureechoes through the cave from three tunnels, one to the north and two to the west. Of the two western tunnels, the southernmost one seems to be a relatively new creation._

B32:
_This long cave stinks of rotten meat. The source of the horrific smell is readily apparent in the swath of carcasses strewn about the floor of this place. Most seem to be of small animals and fish, but at least three humanoid bodies and one partially eaten horse lie in the mess as well.  There's a Large bat here...._
*Spoiler: Monster Initiative*
Show

(1d20+8)[*26*]

*Spoiler: Knowledge(Religion)*
Show

This bat is a dread ghoul.

*Spoiler: Knowledge(Nature)*
Show

It's an advanced dire bat.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Regarding Legendary Archmage, yes. I also take into account materials/requirement.

If Slicky cannot use Music Beyond the Spheres, then wishful thought maker is useless. Can I change the Masterpiece slot sacrificed from giving up versatile performance progression and trait to something else?

Are B26, B27, B28 cleared? Anything found in these location?

----------


## samduke

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> So that's... starting from b25, going through B29, B30, B31, and B32 (destination)
> 
> 
> B32:
> _This long cave stinks of rotten meat. The source of the horrific smell is readily apparent in the swath of carcasses strewn about the floor of this place. Most seem to be of small animals and fish, but at least three humanoid bodies and one partially eaten horse lie in the mess as well.  There's a Large bat here...._
> *Spoiler: Monster Initiative*
> ...


*Spoiler: ooc, Rolls and things*
Show


OOC: well  technically I followed people down stairs but that works.
Fear: will save 54+ bravery +4 bonus on Will saves against fear. (1d20+58)[*69*]


Initiative: (1d20+17)[*30*] 
Constant effects:
Pounce (Ex), can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, including that created by deeper darkness, endure elements, Soulsight Goggles: Ghost Touch

Round 1: Actions:
(1d4+1)[*4*] *Edited as time stop does not allow attacks during its duration


Move: fly 110 ft. perfect into melee range
Full-round:
Full Attack Sunblade 

1:(1d20+56)[*57*]  *removed haste spell
2:(1d20+56)[*63*]
3:(1d20+51)[*57*]
4:(1d20+46)[*57*]
5:(1d20+41)[*42*] *NAT 1 - probably a miss

Crit: 19-20x3

Damage: 
1:(1d10+29)[*37*]  *removed haste spell
2:(1d10+29)[*39*] deals double damage
3:(1d10+29)[*37*] deals double damage
4:(1d10+29)[*39*] deals double damage
5:(1d10+29)[*34*] deals double damage *NAT 1 - probably a miss


*EDITED
1:(1d20+56)[*57*]
2:(1d20+56)[*57*] 
3:(1d20+51)[*60*] 
4:(1d20+46)[*50*]
5:(1d20+41)[*59*]
1:(1d10+29)[*30*] 
2:(1d10+29)[*38*] 
3:(1d10+29)[*31*] 
4:(1d10+29)[*35*] 
5:(1d10+29)[*30*] 
1:(1d20+56)[*63*]
2:(1d20+56)[*66*]
3:(1d20+51)[*66*]
4:(1d20+46)[*54*]
5:(1d20+41)[*43*]
1:(1d10+29)[*33*] 
2:(1d10+29)[*39*] 
3:(1d10+29)[*33*] 
4:(1d10+29)[*38*] 
5:(1d10+29)[*35*] 




Edited to reflect roll results
Edited as time stop does not allow attacks during its duration

----------


## Yas392

Slicky follows the others after cleaning up the rooms above of threats. When the group comes across the undead dire bat, he drops his wayfinder and shoots arrows at it if his reaction is faster than Liliana who reacted to the creature.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

*Initiative:* (1d20+23)[*29*] 

*Free Action:* Drop Wayfinder.

*Swift Action:* Arcane Strike

*Full-Round Action:* Full Attack with Shortbow.

*Attack 1:* (1d20+38)[*57*]

*Attack 2:* (1d20+33)[*38*]

*Attack 3:* (1d20+28)[*39*]

*Attack 4:* (1d20+23)[*33*]

*Damage 1:* (1d4+17)[*20*]

*Damage 2:* (1d4+17)[*21*]

*Damage 3:* (1d4+17)[*18*]

*Damage 4:* (1d4+17)[*18*]


*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Also, realize that anchoring is for thrown weapon. Can I replace the +2 enhancement with an equivalent or lesser enhancement?

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: Samduke*
Show

You're actually the second person to try to attack people in timestop, it doesn't work, probably want to fix that.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Slicky follows the others after cleaning up the rooms above of threats. When the group comes across the undead dire bat, he drops his wayfinder and shoots arrows at it if his reaction is faster than Liliana who reacted to the creature.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> *Initiative:* [roll0] 
> 
> *Free Action:* Drop Wayfinder.
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I suppose.

_The beast does not bleed as the arrows land, revealing it's undead nature.  All of Slicky's arrows hit - the first two wound, but do not destroy the beast; the third lands true, and finishes off the creature, rendering it to a point where the necromantic energies powering it can no longer keep it moving, and all is still._




> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Regarding Legendary Archmage, yes. I also take into account materials/requirement.
> 
> If Slicky cannot use Music Beyond the Spheres, then wishful thought maker is useless. Can I change the Masterpiece slot sacrificed from giving up versatile performance progression and trait to something else?
> 
> Are B26, B27, B28 cleared? Anything found in these location?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Sure.

B28:
_If you take the time for a detailed search in this room_:*Spoiler: Perception(Search) DC 20*
Show

_the top shelf of the western rack reveals a hinged and hidden compartment at the back. Beyond is a narrow nook in which are hidden eight fine vintages of wine from the famed Vigardeis vineyard in distant Cheliax._*Spoiler: Appraise*
Show

Each bottle is worth 100 gp (so 800 gp total)

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach heads into B29 and spends an extended amount of time there

*"I love this magic stuff. You guys need me I'll be in here for a little bit."*

Does the stained glass depict Vorel drinking a potion of lichdom and becoming a lich?

(1d20+41)[*43*] Knowledge: Arcana
(1d20+43)[*44*] Perception to Search the room.

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"Have fun with the bat harvest, Lucifero. Any one a powerful cleric? We need Hallow, Consecration and Turn Undead to get rid of the Haunts and the Spirit before we can have some peace and quiet around here."*

Slicky casts _Prestidigitation_ to clean the area and the caverns along the way as he exits to move to his desired destination of a lake. He looks around his surroundings and sees if anything magical turn up on his magical radar.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Slicky cleans B32 with _Prestidigitation_ and taking another glance on the area for loot/missed details via Perception then move past B33, B34 to get to B36 which he will also look around via Perception and clean using _Prestidigitation_. He uses his wayfinder to open up locked room via knock (which he can use at will) if there are any.

Take 10 on Perception checks for results of 46.

Take 10 on Spellcraft checks for his auto Arcane Sight results of 53.

----------


## samduke

After killing the dire bat Lilly follows Slicky through to B36

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Can I have my familiar send chat messages for me while I cast the spell?

----------


## samduke

@Jack_Simth your in box is full

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Terrach heads into B29 and spends an extended amount of time there
> 
> *"I love this magic stuff. You guys need me I'll be in here for a little bit."*
> 
> Does the stained glass depict Vorel drinking a potion of lichdom and becoming a lich?
> 
> [roll0] Knowledge: Arcana
> [roll1] Perception to Search the room.


*Spoiler: Stained Glass*
Show

It seems to, yes.

*Spoiler: Perception*
Show

_The books are in sorry shape, but a look through them reveals that they all cover various arts of necromancy and the creation of undeath. Worm-eaten and crumbling, they dont stand up to much investigation, but it's clear from where he previous owner had glossed the text with marks and observations that whomever studied these books was curious about the transformation of mortal into lich.

The iron cages each contain a dead rat that suffered from some disease that covers their face with tumors.  Close examination of any of these cages reveals a small symbol of a pig with a mouthful of lockpicks peering at a keyhole; under the pig is a guildsign that says Pugs ContraptionsMagnimar._






> *In Group Chat:* *"Have fun with the bat harvest, Lucifero. Any one a powerful cleric? We need Hallow, Consecration and Turn Undead to get rid of the Haunts and the Spirit before we can have some peace and quiet around here."*
> 
> Slicky casts _Prestidigitation_ to clean the area and the caverns along the way as he exits to move to his desired destination of a lake. He looks around his surroundings and sees if anything magical turn up on his magical radar.
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Slicky cleans B32 with _Prestidigitation_ and taking another glance on the area for loot/missed details via Perception then move past B33, B34 to get to B36 which he will also look around via Perception and clean using _Prestidigitation_. He uses his wayfinder to open up locked room via knock (which he can use at will) if there are any.
> 
> ...


B33:
_The mold seems to grow particularly thick in this portion of the tunnel. Several pickaxes have been tossed into the corner of the roomone of them looks particularly well-made._
*Spoiler: Detect Magic & company*
Show

_The pickaxe registers faint Evocation_

B34:
_This section of cave is surprisingly boring._
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Would be some ghouls, but Aldern hasn't become one to make them yet....

B36:
_The cramped tunnel opens into a vertiginous gulf here, a cathedral-like cavern with a roof arching thirty feet overhead and dropping into a sloshing pool of foamy seawater fifty feet below. A steep stone ledge winds down to these surging depths, its slope glistening with moisture and mold. Narrow fissures wind into the rock face to the northwest, rivulets of water dripping down from them across the sloping ledge into the pool below. A stone door stands in the northern wall about halfway down the slope._
*Spoiler: Mechanical OOC*
Show

Navigating this room is mildly tricky.  DC 5 climb round the edges, or DC 12 balance.  Flight, Spider Climb, and similar work normally.  Failure means no progress, failure by 5 or more means sliding into the water and taking some damage.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Would be some _goblin_ ghouls, but Aldern hasn't become one to make them yet....




> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Can I have my familiar send chat messages for me while I cast the spell?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

It can use the chat, but unless it's telepathic, it's not relaying exactly what you want, as you're stuck casting and can't instruct it - well, unless you apply Silent Spell or something

----------


## Yas392

*"Interesting."*

Slicky takes the pickaxe and stows it, not even bothered to interact with the mold. Seeing Liliana follows him to take care of threats, he straps his bow. As he continues his cleaning spree, he happens upon the lake.

*"The lake that leads to the ocean. Convenient for Terrach if he wants to dip or drink."*

He retrieves his wayfinder then returns to clean the lake area with _Prestidigitation_ what he can not even bother climbing the walls. He then moves to the remaining rooms to check for threats or anything noteworthy. Once he dealt with them, he ascends to clean the basement and ground floor.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Anything from B32 from his Perception check?

Retrieved Wayfinder from B32. Slicky cleans B36 with _Prestidigitation_ and taking another glance on the area for loot/missed details via Perception (Take 10) and Automated Arcane Sight (Take 10 Spellcraft; See below) then move to B35, B37 which he will also look around via Perception (Take 10; See below) and Automated Arcane Sight (Take 10 Spellcraft; See below), cleaning the rooms using _Prestidigitation_. After that, returns to the basement and clean the rooms with _Prestidigitation_ along the way. Moving up, he cleans the rooms (B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7) on the ground floor with _Prestidigitation_ and looks around via Perception (Taking 10; See below) and Automated Arcane Sight (Take 10 Spellcraft; See below). He uses his wayfinder to open up locked room via knock (which he can use at will) if there are any.

Take 10 on Perception checks for results of 46.

Take 10 on Spellcraft checks for his auto Arcane Sight results of 53.

----------


## samduke

> B33:
> _The mold seems to grow particularly thick in this portion of the tunnel. Several pickaxes have been tossed into the corner of the roomone of them looks particularly well-made._
> *Spoiler: Detect Magic & company*
> Show
> 
> _The pickaxe registers faint Evocation_
> 
> B34:
> _This section of cave is surprisingly boring._
> ...


*Spoiler: ooc and things*
Show


Flying so no issues, Following slicky, and if no threats occur continue to follow slicky
Continuous: endure elements, arcane eye

----------


## Thunder999

Evras sends a few thoughts Frilzrys' (that's his familiar's name) way, and the tiny dragon sends a chat message to the group. It's not the first time he's used his familiar as an intermediary, though usually that's for telepathy.

A chat message Sending this via my familiar as I'm mid cast, I've got full 20th level cleric casting, but given that this is pathfinder I doubt you'll find anyone with Turn Undead. Don't think there's a real cleric among us, never was the most popular class. Given the 24 hour cast time of Hallow I strongly recommend just using (Limited) Wish, 10 minutes just standing around chanting is bad enough.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Evras has a permanent telepathic bond with his familiar and said familiar has telepathy
Hope that colour is ok

----------


## samduke

> Evras sends a few thoughts Frilzrys' (that's his familiar's name) way, and the tiny dragon sends a chat message to the group. It's not the first time he's used his familiar as an intermediary, though usually that's for telepathy.
> 
> A chat message Sending this via my familiar as I'm mid cast, I've got full 20th level cleric casting, but given that this is pathfinder I doubt you'll find anyone with Turn Undead. Don't think there's a real cleric among us, never was the most popular class. Given the 24 hour cast time of Hallow I strongly recommend just using (Limited) Wish, 10 minutes just standing around chanting is bad enough.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> Evras has a permanent telepathic bond with his familiar and said familiar has telepathy
> Hope that colour is ok


*Spoiler: ooc, @Thunder999*
Show

 Lilly has wish (19th) available, but I think even then limited wish is just 1 standard action as both wish or limited wish say nothing about a 10 min casting time?, not sure I want to waste wish on hallow though

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"Do any of us not have channel energy? If we do, we just need to use a spell or any other means to acquire the turn undead feat for the exorcism even if it is temporary."*

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

From the special entry of "petitioning the GM to allow hero point to be used to attempt nearly anything that would normally be almost impossible," can we use hero points to create a Turn Undead effect, gain Turn Undead as a temporary feat or gain a use of Cyclop's Flash of Insight?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *"Interesting."*
> 
> Slicky takes the pickaxe and stows it, not even bothered to interact with the mold. Seeing Liliana follows him to take care of threats, he straps his bow. As he continues his cleaning spree, he happens upon the lake.
> 
> *"The lake that leads to the ocean. Convenient for Terrach if he wants to dip or drink."*
> 
> He retrieves his wayfinder then returns to clean the lake area with _Prestidigitation_ what he can not even bother climbing the walls. He then moves to the remaining rooms to check for threats or anything noteworthy. Once he dealt with them, he ascends to clean the basement and ground floor.
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> ...


*Spoiler: B32 Treasure*
Show

Three corpses in the bat's cave. Two have nothing of value, the third has a pearl ring, an adamantine longsword, a hat that has a minor aura of illusion, and 56 gp.
*Spoiler: Spellcraft ID on the hat*
Show

Hat of disguise

*Spoiler: Appraise*
Show

Pearl ring is worth 300 gp

*Spoiler: Knowledge(local)*
Show

_You get a pop up when you examine the corpse:_ "This corpse is of the notorious bandit Shaz Redshiv Bilger, suspected of organizing the robbery of nearly two dozen merchant convoys along the Lost Coast Road over the past decade.  Proof of his demise presented to the law at Magnimar is worth a 500 gp reward."



B35: _This area is surprisingly boring._

B37: _This damp cavern contains several items of furniture. A rickety table sits in the middle of the cave, its damp surface cluttered with all manner of what appears to be garbage: empty bottles, bits of clothing, crumpled bits of paper, and more, lying in neatly organized rows. A painting leans against the far side of the table, facing a large leather chair that sits nearby. This chairs high back and cushion are horribly stained by smears of rotten meat and its arms are sticky with blood. A smaller table sits against the southern wall, its surface heaped with silver platters, fine porcelain plates, and crystalware.  There is a horrific stench of the room seems, which seems strongest to the west, where the caves wall has been overtaken by a horrific growth of dark green mold and dripping fungi. At the center, a patch of black tumescent fungus grows, its horny ridges and tumor-like bulbs forming what could almost be taken to be a humanoid outline. What appears to have once been an exquisite puzzlebox the size of a mans fist lies smashed on the ground at the fungoid shapes feet._
*Spoiler: Knowledge(Arcana) DC 20*
Show

The shattered box is necromantic in nature.

*Spoiler: Knowledge(Arcana) DC 30*
Show

The shattered box is the remains of a ruined and incomplete lich's phylactory.

*Spoiler: Searching room in detail*
Show


There's a dirty portrait, covered in filth, that looks like it might be worth something if cleaned.
A silver key ring with two keys: A tarnished iron key with a large round opal, and a bronze key with three notched blades made in the shape of a roaring lion
A mold-encrusted stick that radiates faint transmutation
*Spoiler: Appraise*
Show


Portrait, if cleaned, is worth 200 gp.
Silver key ring itself is worth 10 gp.
The opal in the key is worth 100 gp of itself.


*Spoiler: ID wand*
Show

Wand of Knock, 18 charges




Remaining rooms of basement:
B26:
_Two bunks stand in this room, their sheets relatively free of dust and mold. A single chair lies on its side between them._

B27:
_Although once a pantry, this room has become a filthy, reeking lair of what must be hundreds, if not thousands, of rats. Swaths of fur cling to everything, and mounds of rat droppings cover the floor. Numerous cracks in the walls doubtlessly allow the rats that live here access to a wide network of tiny tunnels beyond the basement walls._


B2:
_The sound of the house straining and creaking gives this long, high-ceilinged room an additional sense of age and decay. The place smells damp, the unpleasant tinge of mold lacing the air as surely as it stains the wooden floor, walls, and furniture in pallid patches. A curving flight of stairs to the south winds up to the upper floor, while a pair of large stone fireplaces brood to the north and south. Heavy dark-blue curtains hang over the windows, and the frames above each of the two doors are carved with dancing gargoyles and skeletons. Trophies hang on the wall to the northeast: a boar, a bear, a firepelt cougar, and a stag, their glassy eyes staring from fur crusted with mold and cobwebs, yet they pale in comparison to the monster on display in the center of the room. Here crouches a twelve-foot-long creature with the body of a lion, a scorpions tail fitted with dozens of razor barbs, huge bat-like wings, and a deformed humanoid face. The stuffed beasts poorly maintained fur has fallen away in places, allowing the sawdust filling it to sift out into tiny mounds on the platform below.

This time, the stuffed manticore lurches to life, its face shifting to resemble that of Cyralie Foxglove and its fur erupting into flame!_
*Spoiler: Mechanics*
Show


Touch attack: (1d20+8)[*25*] for (4d6)[*10*] fire damage to Slicky.  You know, negated by fire resistance, even if it manages to hit.



B3:
_A rather gruesome antiquewhat appears to be a mummified monkey headhangs on the northern wall here. A bellpull extends from the monkeys gaping mouth. A ratty throw rug partially obscures a foul stain of dark-colored mold on the floor._
*Spoiler: Detect Magic*
Show

The monkey head detects as faint abjuration.  Detailed examination to ID it: It makes the audible sound of an Alarm when the string is pulled.


B4:
_A large mahogany table surrounded by high-backed chairs sits in this room. The table is covered by a moldy white cloth, and a cobweb-choked chandelier hangs from the ceiling above. Twin fireplaces loom to the west, while to the east, a bank of stained glass windows obscures what could have been a breathtaking view of the Lost Coast. Each of the windows depicts a stylized monster rising out of smoke pouring from an intricate seven-sided box covered with spiky runes. From north to south are depicted a gnarled and tangled tree with an enraged face, an immense hook-beaked bird with sky-blue and gold plumage, a winged centaur-like creature with a lions lower body and a snarling womans upper torso, and a deep blue squid-like creature with evil red eyes._
*Spoiler: Knowledge(Architecture & Engineering*
Show

it was an unusual design choice to fit the rooms with arguably the best view of the Lost Coast with windows one cannot see through

*Spoiler: Knowledge(Arcana)*
Show

The runes on the depicted-box are necromancy related, and the monsters seem to be being drawn into it, with a hint of fear on their faces.


B5:
_This dusty room features a long couch, its cushions caked with white sheets of wispy fungus. The couch faces a stone fireplace with capering imps and birds carved along its mantel. Eddies of dust skitter along the warped floorboards as if caught up by a slight breeze, yet no wind is noticeable in the air.
_

B6:
_This is a simple washroom. An ancient metal washtub stands to the west, a ring of mildew crusting its inner surface. A strange, furtive scratching comes from inside the tub._

*Spoiler: Inside the tub*
Show

_There's a trapped rat. The creature is a horrific and pitiful sight, a rodent the size of a cat whose face and back are a dripping, pulsing mass of raw tumors and sores. The rat is blind; the tumors have grown over its eyes.  It seems to be able to smell you, though, as it begins shrieking and squeaking in a frenzy, attempting to climb out._


B7:
_This oak-paneled chamber must have once been breathtaking, but is a sad sight nowthe floorboards are warped with moisture and the paneling scratched and splotchy with mold. A once-magnificent crystal chandelier lies smashed on the floor, while frescoes depicting dancing scenes have been ruined by rot and are barely recognizable. A grand piano, its surface splotchy and keys warped, leans tiredly in the southeast corner_




> *In Group Chat:* *"Do any of us not have channel energy? If we do, we just need to use a spell or any other means to acquire the turn undead feat for the exorcism even if it is temporary."*
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> From the special entry of "petitioning the GM to allow hero point to be used to attempt nearly anything that would normally be almost impossible," can we use hero points to create a Turn Undead effect, gain Turn Undead as a temporary feat or gain a use of Cyclop's Flash of Insight?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

That's referencing things like forcing open a drawbridge, lifting a portcullis, and so on.  So no, not those.

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach catches up just in time to see the mold covered body in B37.

*"I actually didn't read much of the lich questline, but I'm now super interested in how it all works. If we're stuck here, it does not benefit me to be a clueless draco-lich. It looks like this might be what remains of the guy from the arcane lab. I was actually hoping he was successful so I'd have someone to ask about stuff. If I recall correctly, the quest-line wasn't too evil, a little mustache twirling screw people over type stuff and doing favors for folks in Geb, but the game devs couldn't stomach babies-on-pikes level chaos."*

He approaches the mold covered body in an effort to collect the Puzzle Box with a gleeful look upon his face.

*"This is frickin neat. I think I'm gonna collect stuff from failed liches."*

----------


## Yas392

Slicky stows objects and the corpse he comes across and identified for holding. As he finished cleaning up the caves, he ascends to the basement and ground floor, getting rid of cobwebs and gathered dust using magic as he did in the caves in areas he could reach with his regular movements. 

*In Group Chat:* *"I am done with the Caves. As for the loot, I am holding on to them until we have a storage to store it. If someone wants anything, ask through chat. If anyone wants to rearrange the cave structure or harvest the bat, be my guest."*

The fiery assault on his being from the Haunt in the trophy rooms as he dodges the petite ember hurled at him with ease, laughing as the mockery of a long passed Foxglove became inert after enacting its deed. He ends the rat who is suffering from a fate worse than death with the swings of his mace. Once he is done with the ground floor, he cleans the upper floor. When he meets with Aldern again, he asks him for the keys to the rooms (if he has them on him) as per contract if anyone haven't done so. Then, repeats the cleaning process in the attic.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Slicky cleans B10-B18 on Upper Floor with _Prestidigitation_, look around via Perception (Take 10; See below) and Automated Arcane Sight (Take 10 Spellcraft; See below). After that, move up to Attic and cleans the rooms B19-B24 on the ground floor with _Prestidigitation_, and looks around via Perception (Taking 10; See below) and Automated Arcane Sight (Take 10 Spellcraft; See below). He uses his wayfinder to open up locked room via knock (which he can use at will) if there are any. Will stow any loot he comes across.

Take 10 on Appropriate Knowledge for checks of 53 if needed unless it is Engineering or Georgraphy which the results will be checks of 42.

Take 10 on Perception for checks of 46 for all rooms he is searching.

Take 10 on Spellcraft for IDing spell/supernatural effects.

*Initiative:* (1d20+25)[*29*]

*Attack Rat with mace:* (1d20+30)[*40*]
*Attack Rat with mace:* (1d20+25)[*34*]
*Attack Rat with mace:* (1d20+20)[*21*]
*Attack Rat with mace:* (1d20+15)[*28*]

*Damage with Arcane Strike:* (1d4+17)[*21*]
*Damage with Arcane Strike:* (1d4+17)[*18*]
*Damage with Arcane Strike:* (1d4+17)[*20*]
*Damage with Arcane Strike:* (1d4+17)[*20*]

----------


## samduke

Lilly continues to follow slicky around, putting things into her bag of holding as needed and fighting pesky things when needed

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: samduke*
Show

The 10 minutes was referring to the 10 minute cast time of his secure shelter spell that's keeping him from doing anything else right now, given how inconvenient that is, spending 24 hours casting something doesn't feel like 
a realistic option. It's the sort of cast time that's fine when you can just casually skip to the next day, but would be miserable to experience.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Slicky stows objects and the corpse he comes across and identified for holding. As he finished cleaning up the caves, he ascends to the basement and ground floor, getting rid of cobwebs and gathered dust using magic as he did in the caves in areas he could reach with his regular movements. 
> 
> *In Group Chat:* *"I am done with the Caves. As for the loot, I am holding on to them until we have a storage to store it. If someone wants anything, ask through chat. If anyone wants to rearrange the cave structure or harvest the bat, be my guest."*
> 
> The fiery assault on his being from the Haunt in the trophy rooms as he dodges the petite ember hurled at him with ease, laughing as the mockery of a long passed Foxglove became inert after enacting its deed. He ends the rat who is suffering from a fate worse than death with the swings of his mace. Once he is done with the ground floor, he cleans the upper floor. When he meets with Aldern again, he asks him for the keys to the rooms (if he has them on him) as per contract if anyone haven't done so. Then, repeats the cleaning process in the attic.
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> ...


_The rat splatters on the first strike.  But Prestidigitation cleans up the mess well enough._


B10:
_As you traverse this flight of stairs, your footsteps echo back around you, as though an invisible person were following._

B11:
_This bedroom features a child-sized bed, a chair next to a toy box, and a looming stone fireplace big enough for a child to get lost in._

B12:
_This large room features two padded chairs and a long couch facing a wide alcove lined with stained-glass windows. Several music stands lean against the southern wall next to a violin, two flutes, and a large harp; all three instruments are in poor condition. The windows themselves depict a diverse array of animals and plantsfrom north to south are a large pale and ghostly scorpion, a gaunt man holding out his arms as a dozen bats hang from him, a moth with a strange skull-like pattern on its wings, a tangle of dull green plants with bell-shaped flowers, and a young maiden sitting astride a well in a forest while a spindly spider the size of a dog descends along a string of webbing above her._
*Spoiler: Knowledge(Arcana) DC 30*
Show


_All five of the subjects in the windows are classic spell components for necromancy magic (scorpion venom, vampires breath, the tongues of deathwing moths, belladonna, and the heart of a maiden slain by poison).  Additionally, they have ties to several known lich apothesis formulas._



B13:
_This entire bedroom is caked with a thick, spongy layer of dark green, blue, and black mold._

B14:
_An iron tub sits in the middle of this room, the floorboards around it sagging with the tubs weight._
*Spoiler: Perception(Search)*
Show

The floor around the tub is not sound; it will not support weight, so anyone climbing into the tub is going to fall through with the tub.  *Spoiler: Disable Device*
Show

Could be reinforced, with a bit of work, though.



B15:
_This once-fine chamber has been destroyed. The bed is smashed, mattress torn apart, walls gouged as if by knives, chairs hacked apart, and paintings on the walls torn to pieceswith one exception. A portrait hanging on the northwest wall seems to be untouched, although it hangs backward, its unseen subject facing the wall._

B16:
_The door at the end of this stairwell is locked.  Knock fixes that without issues._

B17:
_A stone fireplace sits in the northwestern portion of this chamber. Paintings hang on the walls to the north and south, each covered over with a thick sheet of dusty cobwebs that obscures its subject from view.  Cleaning up the cobwebs and dust reveals the portraits to be prior tenants of Foxglove Manor - The three to the north depict Vorel and Kasanda Foxglove and their daughter Lorey. Vorel is a tall, middle-aged man with long dark hair, a clean-shaven face, and dark blue nobles clothes, while Kasanda is a stern-faced brunette woman with wisps of gray in her short hair and a flowing blue dress. The five to the south show Traver and Cyralie Foxglove, their son Aldern, and their two daughters Sendeli and Zeeva. Traver, like Vorel, is tall and thin, but with an even narrower face and a thin mustache. Cyralie is a young woman with long red hair and an impish smile. Each painting bears a plaque that identifies those pictured within._

B18:
_The furniture in this bedroom, while dusty and unkempt, does not exhibit any major signs of water or mold damage. The one exception is a dark stain on the desk near the northern window._

B19:
_A large number of planks of wood, rope, and other repair supplies are stored here. The ceiling above sags noticeably; in several areas patches of the sky above are visible. Dozens of ceramic urns and metal pots sit on the floor below to catch leaks._

B20:
_Each of these rooms is stacked with old furniture, sheets and linens, boxes and crates, and other bits. Nothing of value can be found here._

B21:
_The ceiling of this room angles down steeply, leaving only four feet of headroom to the southeast. A low cot and a dresser are the rooms only furnishings.

As you round the corner in the hallway beyond the entrance to this door, a sudden and unmistakable shriek of pain echoes through the attic. The sound obviously comes from the door to area B24_

B22:
_A desk and a chair sit in the middle of this drafty room. Chimneys rise to the west, while to the east, two intricate stained-glass windows are set into the wall. The northern window depicts a dark-haired woman with pale skin, large green eyes, and a black-and-red gown; with both hands she wields a jagged iron staff. The southern window has been broken on its lower half and patched with canvas; what remains of its upper half depicts a handsome man dressed in regal finery and a crown of ivory and jade. Small scorch marks mar the wood near the broken window. A battered and ruined telescope lies on its side near the desk and a large trapdoor in the roof has been tied shut by several lengths of rope._

*Spoiler: Mechanics*
Show

The trapdoor in the roof could once be raised and lowered, exposing a slice of the sky for observation, but the pulley system has long since fallen apart. The trap door can now be opened only with a DC 24 Strength check. The broken telescope on the floor was once a magnificent piece of equipment but is now beyond repair.

*Spoiler: Kn(History)*
Show

The stained glass windows here once depicted the two wizards: The northern window depicts Arazni, the Harlot of Geb, while the southern one depicts Socorro, the Butcher of Carrion Hill.  Both are in their pre-undead states.


B23:
_Although this chamber is cluttered, it seems to have remained undamaged, avoiding the decay and vandalism present in other rooms. Shelves of books line the walls, interspaced with curious objects such as skulls fitted with stubs of candles, tribal fetishes, and decorative scroll cases. An empty birdcage lies near the southern wall beside a small desk and a fine leather chair. Statues and sculptures grin outward from all corners of the room._

*Spoiler: Loot*
Show

The oddments include several dozen curious fetishes and masks, but the most impressive piece is an old painting of a bullfight. The painting bears a plaque that reads Throwdown in Swynetown, and in the painting, vast crowds leer and cheer the bullfighter on, the huge bull aurochs towering over him, its cruel forward-jutting horns each the length of a spear. Dozens of bodies lie in the streetsthe aurochs has clearly rampaged through them already, and although a score of brightly colored spears jut from the creatures flanks and back, it still rages on. This painting is, in fact, an original work by renowned Magnimarian artist Andosalu, worth 600 gp.
The books are mostly on tribal cultures and history (most of it local and relating to the Shoanti tribes), along with numerous maps of mysterious realms and ship charts. None of the books are particularly valuable. The scroll cases contain more maps, along with two arcane scrollslightning bolt and keen edge.


B24:
_The door to this room is locked, but Knock works fine for opening it.

This room is cold and damp; a few crates sit near the north wall. The ceiling slopes down to only four feet high to the northeast, leaving little room for a small window, while to the southeast, a mold-encrusted pillar of brick marks the passage of a chimney. A full-size mirror in a dark wooden frame of coiling roses leans against these bricks, angled toward the tiny window._

----------


## Yas392

As he removes items with historic significance to this mansion and miscellanies as he cleans up the remaining rooms, he puts on his true sight googles to respond to the flight of stairs that echoes the sound of his footsteps and interacts with the mirror in the attic where Iesha's revenant was. He attempts his strength on the trap door if knock is insufficient. Once he dealt with the rooms, he backtracks to the rooms he has yet to clean and loot. He will also backtracks to the burned servant quarters with his bow out and wayfinder stowed away. This time not at the fringes but within what remains of the walls.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Did Aldern gives up the keys (if he has them on person; Slicky requested them if he is still in the manor/requests the other member to asks for them if they ported him to the Shelter Evras created)?

Take 10 on Disable Device for a check of 27. (He can Take 10 on untrained skill checks and treat untrained as trained)

Does knock open the trap door in B22? If not, he will do STR checks.

*STR check if needed:* (1d20+7)[*23*]
*STR check if needed:* (1d20+7)[*25*]
*STR check if needed:* (1d20+7)[*27*]
*STR check if needed:* (1d20+7)[*22*]
*STR check if needed:* (1d20+7)[*10*]

He will backtrack to B8 and B9 to clean with _Prestidigitation_. He will search (Take 10 on Perception), loot items and identify magical effects with his Automated Arcane Sight (Take 10 spellcraft). After that, backtrack to within B1 with weapon out.

Take 10 on Appropriate Knowledge for checks of 53 if needed unless it is Engineering or Geography which the results will be checks of 42.

Take 10 on Perception for checks of 46 for all rooms he is searching.

Take 10 on Spellcraft for IDing spell/supernatural effects.

----------


## Starmage21

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Who is tracking the loot? Someone wanna volunteer to make a list?



Terrach makes his way upstairs after spending more than a few minutes in the lower caverns, pawing through the failed lich's corpse and lab. He meets up with Slicky as he's clearing rooms and cleaning the place up.

*"Wow you are industrious, and remarkably thorough! I usually dart through rooms on a speed clear, but I guess if we're gonna make this a base of operations we should be careful."*

Terrach proceeds to help Slicky clear the place and clean up what he can with his own magic.

*"We'll need to secure raw materials to refurbish and remodel, but I can cast Fabricate. Masonry and Carpentry weren't exactly my area of expertise IRL but I have enough skill rating that I could walk into a forest and cast it and leave behind a fully built house. Speaking of which, how bad do you think we would screw this world up if we built a printing press and started forcing people to be educated like IRL?"*

----------


## samduke

Lilly stops following Slicky as it no longer seems necessary and goes to B37 as that was apparently not explored


*Spoiler: OOC & Rolls*
Show


constant effects : Endure Elements, Arcane Sight, Flight (perfect), 

The stone door leading to area B37 is untrapped, but is locked. A PC can pick the lock with a successful DC 30 Disable Device
or can smash down the door with a successful DC 28 Strength check

if 1 charge from lilly's Wand of Knock opens the door then the rolls are not needed
DC 30 Disable Device (1d20+33)[*39*]
DC 28 Strength check (1d20+15)[*16*]

B37 VOREL'S LABORATORY
Perception (1d20+38)[*49*] Search, Spot, to locate the letter from Xanesha found in area B37
DC 20 Knowledge (arcana) (1d20+30)[*49*] identifies Vorel's phylactery

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Samduke*
Show

Slicky unlocked B37 though with his own knock though so there is no need to waste another knock. He has knock at-will with wayfinder.


*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Slicky will always Take 10 on Perception when searching the rooms. Did he missed anything?

----------


## samduke

> *Spoiler: Samduke*
> Show
> 
> Slicky unlocked B37 though with his own knock though so there is no need to waste another knock. He has knock at-will with wayfinder.
> 
> 
> *Spoiler: yas392*
> Show
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: yas392*
Show



what post did you do this in?




> Yas392 #913
> He retrieves his wayfinder then returns to clean the lake area with Prestidigitation what he can not even bother climbing the walls. He then moves to the remaining rooms to check for threats or anything noteworthy. Once he dealt with them, he ascends to clean the basement and ground floor.

----------


## Yas392

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Anything from B32 from his Perception check?
> 
> Retrieved Wayfinder from B32. Slicky cleans B36 with _Prestidigitation_ and taking another glance on the area for loot/missed details via Perception (Take 10) and Automated Arcane Sight (Take 10 Spellcraft; See below) then *move to B35, B37* which he will also look around via Perception (Take 10; See below) and Automated Arcane Sight (Take 10 Spellcraft; See below), cleaning the rooms using _Prestidigitation_. After that, returns to the basement and clean the rooms with _Prestidigitation_ along the way. Moving up, he cleans the rooms (B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7) on the ground floor with _Prestidigitation_ and looks around via Perception (Taking 10; See below) and Automated Arcane Sight (Take 10 Spellcraft; See below). He uses his wayfinder to open up locked room via knock (which he can use at will) if there are any.
> 
> Take 10 on Perception checks for results of 46.
> 
> Take 10 on Spellcraft checks for his auto Arcane Sight results of 53.


*Spoiler: Samduke*
Show

Answer is bold in Spoiler.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> As he removes items with historic significance to this mansion and miscellanies as he cleans up the remaining rooms, he puts on his true sight googles to respond to the flight of stairs that echoes the sound of his footsteps and interacts with the mirror in the attic where Iesha's revenant was. He attempts his strength on the trap door if knock is insufficient. Once he dealt with the rooms, he backtracks to the rooms he has yet to clean and loot. He will also backtracks to the burned servant quarters with his bow out and wayfinder stowed away. This time not at the fringes but within what remains of the walls.


_Knock doesn't work on the trap door in the ceiling - it isn't locked, just jammed - but it does open with some force, revealing the sky.  Looks like this is how the telescope used to be raised for observing the heavens.

As you exit the manor, the birds eye you, but they leave you alone.  You don't find anything of note in the burned-out servants quarters.  Seems there wasn't anything of much value there in the first place, the fire destroyed most of what may have been, and time and looters over the decades have picked out anything else that may have note._





> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Did Aldern gives up the keys (if he has them on person; Slicky requested them if he is still in the manor/requests the other member to asks for them if they ported him to the Shelter Evras created)?
> 
> Take 10 on Disable Device for a check of 27. (He can Take 10 on untrained skill checks and treat untrained as trained)
> 
> Does knock open the trap door in B22? If not, he will do STR checks.
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: Keys*
Show

Yes, he gives them up when asked.

*Spoiler: True Seeing, Arcane Sight, various skill checks*
Show

You detect nothing with True Sight or Arcane Sight that's not already mentioned.


*Spoiler: OOC, time*
Show

By the way: Have you actually stopped and worked out how long it actually takes to clean a large mess with Prestidigitation?  I expect It's more than you seem to think:
"can color, clean, or soil items in a 1-foot cube each round." - one round for a one-foot cube.  A 5x5 square thus takes 25 rounds, or 2.5 minutes.  B17, a fairly small room, has a dozen squares.  That's 30 minutes... assuming all you need to clean is the floor, and not the walls, ceiling, furniture, or fixtures... for one room, and one of the smaller rooms, at that.  There's some 120-ish 5-foot squares on the ground floor alone: That's five hours.  The upper floor is the same size, the basement only slightly smaller.  You're looking at like 14 hours or so just for the floors for the place.  Walls, ceilings, furniture, and fixtures would easily push that up to 20 or more of doing the exact same thing every six seconds, assuming you're perfectly efficient with your actions.  What's your repetition tolerance?





> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> 
> Who is tracking the loot? Someone wanna volunteer to make a list?
> 
> 
> 
> Terrach makes his way upstairs after spending more than a few minutes in the lower caverns, pawing through the failed lich's corpse and lab. He meets up with Slicky as he's clearing rooms and cleaning the place up.
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Surprisingly, not much.  Everyone's literate by default in Pathfinder.  And if you check the rules, things are fine for even your basic Int/Wis 10 commoner-1 with a single rank in Craft or Profession:

Craft or Profession grants 1/2 check result gp per week. 1 rank, class skill, ability score of 10, and taking ten gives 7 gp/week. Skill focus adds 1.5 gp, a masterwork tool adds 1 more.  So your basic person, just starting out, is geting 7 gp/week, an established tradesperson (skill focus, masterwook tool) is getting 9.5 gp/week.  More levels and better stats help, but let's look at the commoner-1 with no feats and just regular tools for now.

Monthly Cost of Living rules have "average" as:



> Average (10 gp/month: The PC lives in his own apartment, small house, or similar locationthis is the lifestyle of most trained or skilled experts or warriors. He can secure any nonmagical item worth 1 gp or less from his home in 1d10 minutes, and need not track purchases of common meals or taxes that cost 1 gp or less.


10 gp/month, when you're making 7 gp/week, is _fine_ - work every week, you're making 28 gp/month, and have a few days you can take off to make that 30-31 day month.  If you're at -2 for improvised tools and have a relevant stat of 6 (1 rank, +3 class, -2 improvised tools, -2 stat mod = +0; taking ten for 10), you're making 5 gp/week, 20 gp in four weeks, making double your cost of living, at no danger of losing your apartment/small house or going hungry.  And this guy's the village idiot!

Until such time as a tribe of ogres comes knocking on the village gate demanding tribute, you're fine.  And when that happens, you pool your money with your neighbors and either pay off the ogres or hire adventurers.

Pathfinder is a fantasy, after all.




> Lilly stops following Slicky as it no longer seems necessary and goes to B37 as that was apparently not explored
> 
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC & Rolls*
> Show
> 
> 
> constant effects : Endure Elements, Arcane Sight, Flight (perfect), 
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


B37 mentioned earlier
You don't find the letter you're looking for.




> *Spoiler: Samduke*
> Show
> 
> Slicky unlocked B37 though with his own knock though so there is no need to waste another knock. He has knock at-will with wayfinder.
> 
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Slicky will always Take 10 on Perception when searching the rooms. Did he missed anything?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Not unless you didn't open a skill-labeled spoiler, no.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC, Literacy*
Show

Golarion has had printing presses for a few centuries actually, and there's a few mentions of various deities and organisations running schools, so it's not surprising the populace is generally literate.
Oh and if that cleaning is taking so long, does that mean Evras' is finished casting?

----------


## Yas392

Slicky shrugs.

*In Group Chat:* *"Golarion already has printing presses. It is not that medieval. If you are thinking of us introducing modern knowledge, system or technology into Golarion in haste, that can be bad for us and may screw us. Well, I think I covered every room. What's left to do are manor exorcism, renovation, full washing and moving Aldern to his temporary home."*

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

He is quick cleaning. Sort of like walk and spray cleaning. If he was thorough, he would be still down the caves.

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach shrugs

*"Must've confused this place with other campaign worlds I've played on. Its easy to forget that even IRL technology didn't progress in places where people weren't pressed for the need, and here magic can do pretty much everything you'd want technology to do. No need for an assembly line if you can hire a wizard to cast Fabricate. Anyway, if were done here with the clear, on to the next task?"*

He responds to everyone in group chat
"Where are Xanesha and The Brotherhood to be found? Do we have to travel far? I have a magic carpet, but I am itching to drop this human form and I think its because my "natural" form is now a freaking skeletal dragon. I'd be willing to carry ya'll, but you'll have to be careful not to get cut on all the sharp edges."

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *They are in Magnimar but I want to recover my spells after expending a lot of spell slots sweeping this manor. I believe Evras would want to rest to recover and change his spells unless that information is outdated or false now. There are still things we want to do. Exorcise this mansion. Fun side quests I want to backtrack to do in Sandpoint before we move on. And don't you want to rearrange the cave and abandon your disguise to stretch in your natural draconic form?"*

After teleporting Aldern to the safehouse created by Evras with a non-participant member as his guard with Greater Teleport by information and knowledge from Evras (if no one is doing it) and returning with Evras in tow the same way (Slicky or Evras doing the return trip teleporting), Slicky addresses those present.

*In Group Chat:* *"So we resting?"*

----------


## Thunder999

In group chat Good call Slicky, I definitely need to rest.
First though, since we will be resting soon, I'll use my daily Wish for Hallow and Miracle up a Consecrate.

Evras will then head on down to B37, use his Wish SLA to wish for a Hallow spell, then cast Miracle to duplicate Consecrate

He'll then just speak aloud, quite loudly "I'm teleporting back to Sandpoint to rest in my mansion, anyone want a lift?"

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"We going to need to dispel the hallow effect if Terrach is going to live in the caves."*

Slicky steps forward.

*"I'll take on your offer after I confirmed Vorel's demise."*

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> He is quick cleaning. Sort of like walk and spray cleaning. If he was thorough, he would be still down the caves.


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

This place was abandoned for decades, and has only recently had anyone trying to work on it.  You've got deep mold and mildew basically everywhere.  Quick cleaning isn't going to make much of an impact, other than highlighting how dirty the place is by creating the occasional clean spot.




> In group chat Good call Slicky, I definitely need to rest.
> First though, since we will be resting soon, I'll use my daily Wish for Hallow and Miracle up a Consecrate.
> 
> Evras will then head on down to B37, use his Wish SLA to wish for a Hallow spell, then cast Miracle to duplicate Consecrate
> 
> He'll then just speak aloud, quite loudly "I'm teleporting back to Sandpoint to rest in my mansion, anyone want a lift?"


_The fungus suddenly animates and tears free from the wall. The thing howls in a sloshy, barely human voice, then crumbles to dust._

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach responds to the group chat as he goes down to the caves

"I'm gonna stay here overnight. I'm not tired or sleepy, and I suspect I never will be again. I'll work on the caves, making this a place where I can actually live in my normal form. When you're all ready in the morning, you can find me here or let me know where to meet you."

When he gets down to the caves, Terrach focuses first on the entrance and exit to the sea side, and the structure of the place. He doesn't want to make any changes that will endanger the structure site above or the stability of the cliffs. Once he has confirmed where he can make changes, and where reinforcements need to be made, he will begin tearing away at the mouth of the seaside entrance to make it wide enough for him to enter an exit. All of the shorn away rubble will be collected inside, and he will use his _Lyre of Building_ to reinforce the cave system where it is needed with clean masonry. Finally, Terrach will use several castings of _Stone Shape_ to shore up any imperfections in the interior main chamber where natural erosion has left weak points in the main vault's walls and floor, and create a channel for water to flow during extreme weather events that would bring water inside so that the caves will no longer flood.

(1d20+41)[*47*] Knowledge: Engineering to examine the caves and determine how and in what order the changes can be made.
(1d20+20)[*23*] Perform vs DC18 to play the _Lyre of Building_

----------


## Frendle

Lonnie stays down in the caves to help Terrach with his work. He conjures a huge earth elemental and directs it to move earth from the opening and whatever Terrach  may need him to do.

"Glad to help with this. If you don't mind, I'll stay down here with you. I don't really fit in well with the common folk as well. Though I'm nowhere as big as you."' 

If Terrach would, Lonnie asks him to make a small 300 square foot room for him.

----------


## Frendle

Engineering roll for the caves

*Spoiler: Roll*
Show


(1d20+19)[*26*]

----------


## Yas392

Slicky gives the entire manor a last check up with his aura and arcane sight to see if Vorel's presence still linger.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Quick Cleaning is what he will do. He leave the thorough cleaning to the others living in the manor.

Take 10 on Knowledge (Religion) for a checks of 53.

Take 10 on Spellcraft for a checks of 53.

----------


## Starmage21

> Lonnie stays down in the caves to help Terrach with his work. He conjures a huge earth elemental and directs it to move earth from the opening and whatever Terrach  may need him to do.
> 
> "Glad to help with this. If you don't mind, I'll stay down here with you. I don't really fit in well with the common folk as well. Though I'm nowhere as big as you."' 
> 
> If Terrach would, Lonnie asks him to make a small 300 square foot room for him.


Terrach responds

*"The Lyre of Building only works once a week, but we can dig out any room you want in relatively short order. I'll do that next."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Do we wait for DM to advance the day or just assume we did stuff and move on?

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I think DM will respond if our characters do something that needs him to post (NPC's reaction, the results of characters action on plot related scenarios, etc).

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will Greater Teleport Slicky (and anyone else who says yes, but I'm pretty sure it's just him) back to his Resplendent Mansion.  

"There's plenty of extra rooms on the second floor if you want one."

He'll re-apply Extended Greater Shapechanger's Gift with his usual human form since it lasts well over a day before heading to his room on the 6th floor to rest.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Terrach responds to the group chat as he goes down to the caves
> 
> "I'm gonna stay here overnight. I'm not tired or sleepy, and I suspect I never will be again. I'll work on the caves, making this a place where I can actually live in my normal form. When you're all ready in the morning, you can find me here or let me know where to meet you."
> 
> When he gets down to the caves, Terrach focuses first on the entrance and exit to the sea side, and the structure of the place. He doesn't want to make any changes that will endanger the structure site above or the stability of the cliffs. Once he has confirmed where he can make changes, and where reinforcements need to be made, he will begin tearing away at the mouth of the seaside entrance to make it wide enough for him to enter an exit. All of the shorn away rubble will be collected inside, and he will use his _Lyre of Building_ to reinforce the cave system where it is needed with clean masonry. Finally, Terrach will use several castings of _Stone Shape_ to shore up any imperfections in the interior main chamber where natural erosion has left weak points in the main vault's walls and floor, and create a channel for water to flow during extreme weather events that would bring water inside so that the caves will no longer flood.
> 
> [roll0] Knowledge: Engineering to examine the caves and determine how and in what order the changes can be made.
> [roll1] Perform vs DC18 to play the _Lyre of Building_


_You easily figure out how to cut things such that the area will be quite stable for centuries to come._

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Anything from Slicky's Aurasight and Arcane Sight?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> Anything from Slicky's Aurasight and Arcane Sight?


*Spoiler: Aura Sight*
Show


_The aura of evil fades from an all-pervasive Strong aura of evil to just a Dim aura_


*Spoiler: Arcane Sight*
Show


_You don't detect any magical auras of note._

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

The whole house or just one area? He is doing the whole manor.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> The whole house or just one area? He is doing the whole manor.


*Spoiler*
Show

The whole house.  The entire place was his not-quite-right Phylactery.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

We have not gotten the results for B8 and B9. Slicky did backtrack for them. Where is the dim evil aura coming from?

----------


## Starmage21

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show



Whats the next Steps?

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Waiting for Jack_Smith to respond to my question so we can move forward. Slicky is playing an Inspector after all.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> We have not gotten the results for B8 and B9. Slicky did backtrack for them. Where is the dim evil aura coming from?


*Spoiler: Auras*
Show

_The dim aura of fading power seems to be coming from the mansion itself.  It's everywhere._


B8:

_This cozy-looking drawing room is marred by the unnatural dampness and the thick sheets of mold that cling to the curtains closed over the southern window._
*Spoiler: If you open the curtain - first time only*
Show

_You see a brief glimpse of a forlorn woman's face, which immediately vanishes_


B9:
_This library features a pair of chairs, one of which lies on its side, set before a stone fireplace. Every available inch of wall space features floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with books, their spines riddled with mold. A brightly colored scarf, its reds and golds contrasting sharply with the drab, moldy palette of the room, is draped over the side of the fallen chair. A single book, open and face-down, sits on the floor between the chairs. A stone bookend, carved to look like a praying angel with butterfly wings, lies on its side in the fireplace itself._

*Spoiler: Detailed examination of room*
Show

_A splash of dried blood stains the back of the northernmost chair, and an examination of the bookend reveals more blood, clots of hair, and bits of skull and fleshin addition, part of one wing has been broken off and is missing_

----------


## Yas392

Slicky loots valuables from the two rooms. He makes contact with the scarf in the Library for as if expecting a reaction. 

*Group Chat:* *"The evil aura remains. Multiple castings of hallow and consecration will be needed to remove the remaining aura from the haunts. Or Evras could erase them from existence. We can do sometime later in our downtime."*

Once the scarf scenario is over, he will stow it in his inventory. He takes Evras's hand and disappears back to the mansion to reset his spells. As morning comes, Slicky binds the Archmage Spirit to his being and greets Evras. 

*"Evras, have you done any ACT 1 side-quests before we met?"*

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

*Perception (Take 10) on B8 and B9 to search for loot* - 46

*Spellcraft (Take 10) for Arcane Sight for B8 and B9* - 53

*Knowledge (Religion) (Take 10) for Aura Sight* - 53

----------


## Thunder999

Evras in Chat Pretty sure the haunts should be gone, the fungus did the animate, scream and turn to dust thing.   
Don't think I did anything I'd call a sidequest, just defeated the goblin attack, finished off any goblins remaining in town, dealt with the Glasworks and Tsuto, he's in Shades-based Trap The Soul Gem on one of the people who disappeared, so pretty much dead, then cleared Thistletop.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Slicky loots valuables from the two rooms. He makes contact with the scarf in the Library for as if expecting a reaction. 
> 
> *Group Chat:* *"The evil aura remains. Multiple castings of hallow and consecration will be needed to remove the remaining aura from the haunts. Or Evras could erase them from existence. We can do sometime later in our downtime."*
> 
> Once the scarf scenario is over, he will stow it in his inventory. He takes Evras's hand and disappears back to the mansion to reset his spells. As morning comes, Slicky binds the Archmage Spirit to his being and greets Evras. 
> 
> *"Evras, have you done any ACT 1 side-quests before we met?"*
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

"Dim" auras are residual.  They're fading away, and are the result of stronger magics/alignments that are no longer present.  Aura Sight is really good for tracking stronger undead, aligned outsiders, Clerics, and so on that aren't taking the effort to hide their alignment auras; Arcane Sight is similarly useful for tracking stronger casters that don't take the trouble to Greater Magic Aura up.  How long they last depends on the strength of the original aura.  No more clearing is needed, other than time.

And I've been assuming folks will search, so dropping such things in spoilers.  Nothing's noted.

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"I must be overthinking things. The evil aura are likely remaining traces of vile magic fading away. Well, that will take care of itself with time. I will be going for the side-quests and my own business before we go to Magnimar. There are a few concerns that needed to be addressed along the way while we are here. Are we going to rescue and resurrect the blacksmith son? His remains are under the Chopper's house in Chopper Isle. There is this scenario is in Arc 4 when we can tackle now to mitigate headaches. Are we dealing with the Scarnetti in Sandpoint via blackmail and contract now or later? With our many heads and magic, we can dig up dirt on them, forcing them to dance to our demands and gain a foothold in Sandpoint."*

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

*Knowledge (Local) (Take 10) to gain info on Scarnetti Family* - 53

*Knowledge (Nobility) (Take 10) to gain info on Scarnetti Family* - 53

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *In Group Chat:* *"I must be overthinking things. The evil aura are likely remaining traces of vile magic fading away. Well, that will take care of itself with time. I will be going for the side-quests and my own business before we go to Magnimar. There are a few concerns that needed to be addressed along the way while we are here. Are we going to rescue and resurrect the blacksmith son? His remains are under the Chopper's house in Chopper Isle. There is this scenario is in Arc 4 when we can tackle now to mitigate headaches. Are we dealing with the Scarnetti in Sandpoint via blackmail and contract now or later? With our many heads and magic, we can dig up dirt on them, forcing them to dance to our demands and gain a foothold in Sandpoint."*
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> *Knowledge (Local) (Take 10) to gain info on Scarnetti Family* - 53
> 
> *Knowledge (Nobility) (Take 10) to gain info on Scarnetti Family* - 53


*Spoiler: Knowledge(Nobility/Local)*
Show

_You get a pop-up_
"The Scarnetti family is one of the founding famililes of Sandpoint, along with the Kaijitsus, Valdemars, and the Deverins.  Loggers and millers, they have a reputation for being ruthless in business; rumors abound about how they're the cause of competing mills burning to the ground, but nobody's ever pinned it on them... and the manager of their flour mill has reduced prices to a record low while the recently burned competing mills are rebuilt, so if it was arson, they're not making any money off the deed.  They also have an estate in Magnimar, specifically the Marble district."

----------


## Thunder999

Group chat Do we even need to do anything with the Scarnetti, weren't they just a red herring?

----------


## Yas392

*In Group Chat:* *"They are. I guess we can slash that off the list. I'll be off for the side-quests. Time's wasting if I keep idling. Now, that I think about, it is better to let Das's son rest. Don't wanna bind ourselves to the town with anything other than what is necessary."*

Slicky use his pigments to create a rickety boat that will sinks halfway across the body of water and three chairs. He makes his way back to Sandpoint with a judicious use of regular transportation and alter self which he employ on himself as soon as the boat collapses into a scattered by of planks. He holds on to one of the planks, doggy paddle in a straight line to the town after calculating the expiry duration of his form when he reaches shore. Walking through the streets, he enters Rusty Dragon Tavern to get along with Ameiko Kaijutu and  perform for her and patrons. His antics and comedy is liken to the slapstick of Tom and Jerry. Then, he acquaints himself with other inhabitants of Sandpoint he not yet interact with other than Shayliss. For her, Slicky keeps a lookout for Shayliss from a distance that cannot initiate interaction between them.

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

*Take 10 on Perform (Sing) ranks for Diplomacy (Take 10)* - 56

*Craft (Painting) (Take 10)* - 30

*Perception (Take 10)* - 46

*Perform (Comedy) (Take 10)* - 56

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *In Group Chat:* *"They are. I guess we can slash that off the list. I'll be off for the side-quests. Time's wasting if I keep idling. Now, that I think about, it is better to let Das's son rest. Don't wanna bind ourselves to the town with anything other than what is necessary."*
> 
> Slicky use his pigments to create a rickety boat that will sinks halfway across the body of water and three chairs. He makes his way back to Sandpoint with a judicious use of regular transportation and alter self which he employ on himself as soon as the boat collapses into a scattered by of planks. He holds on to one of the planks, doggy paddle in a straight line to the town after calculating the expiry duration of his form when he reaches shore. Walking through the streets, he enters Rusty Dragon Tavern to get along with Ameiko Kaijutu and  perform for her and patrons. His antics and comedy is liken to the slapstick of Tom and Jerry. Then, he acquaints himself with other inhabitants of Sandpoint he not yet interact with other than Shayliss. For her, Slicky keeps a lookout for Shayliss from a distance that cannot initiate interaction between them.
> 
> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> *Take 10 on Perform (Sing) ranks for Diplomacy (Take 10)* - 56
> 
> ...



_Ameiko seems to have taken the night off; you don't find her in the Rusty Dragon Tavern.  Inquiries indicate the recent kidnapping has left her quite shaken, so she's out vising relatives elsewhere.  Still, your performance is a killer - very nearly literally; a few folks seem a bit starry-eyed from the performance.  You pick up (3d10)[19] silver coins from the crowd, but that seems to be the limit of their pocket money.  Shayliss seems to be pining for someone, but it's hard to say who.

The others... 
The cathedral is run by the high priest of the town, Abstalar Zantus, a worshipper of Desna.
The gravyard is maintained by Naffer Vosk, a deformed man with a twisted spine.
The White Deer is run by Garridan Viskalai, a somber and quiet Shoanti man.
The Way North is run by Veznutt Parooh, a gnome who's turned the place into a library of maps and sea charts.
The jewelry store is run by Maver Kesk and his wife Pennae Kesk (who you hear calling him out on leaving a vault open earlier today).
You also meet an half-orc named Gorvi, who is apparently the town dung-sweeper...and smells it, unfortunately._
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

There's around fifty of these, and their painfully scattered through the book, so not going through the entire town cast.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

How do other illusion spells interact with appearance of life?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> How do other illusion spells interact with appearance of life?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

When it comes to personal disguises, you mean?  You can only have one appearance, just as you can only have one shape.  In most circumstances, only the most recent illusion spell controls your appearence.  So if you cast Appearance of Life and later Disguise Self, Disguise Self wins for it's duration.  

Non-disguise illusions (like Invisibility, Blur, Displacement, and Mirror Image) stack with illusory disguises, though.  So if you cast Displacement, the displaced image isn't of your true form, it's of your disguised form.

----------


## Yas392

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> When it comes to personal disguises, you mean?  You can only have one appearance, just as you can only have one shape.  In most circumstances, only the most recent illusion spell controls your appearence.  So if you cast Appearance of Life and later Disguise Self, Disguise Self wins for it's duration.  
> 
> Non-disguise illusions (like Invisibility, Blur, Displacement, and Mirror Image) stack with illusory disguises, though.  So if you cast Displacement, the displaced image isn't of your true form, it's of your disguised form.


*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

I mean spells like veil.

So to confirm the answers I read off your post, recent illusion spells takes precedence over existing, permanent spells like appearance of life for appearance when overlapping and Slicky cannot see who Shayliss is pining unless he moves closer?

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
> Show
> 
> I mean spells like veil.
> 
> So to confirm the answers I read off your post, recent illusion spells takes precedence over existing, permanent spells like appearance of life for appearance when overlapping and Slicky cannot see who Shayliss is pining unless he moves closer?


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Yep.  So if you cast, in order, Appearence of Life to look like you did when alive (permanent), Veil to look like an Orc (20 hours), and then Disguise Self to look like an Elf (200 minutes), then walk into the ball...
For the first 200 minutes of the ball, folks see you as an Elf.
For the next 16 hours and change, folks see you as an Orc.
After that, you're back to your "normal" appearance of you when alive.

And... you'd pretty much have to ask her.  I mean, it's not overly obvious, given that she doesn't have a picture or anything.

----------


## Yas392

Slicky walks out of town and into the forest. Making sure that no one is around and he is in hiding, he changes his appearance to a travelling 6 ft shaven, herculean man with rugged features with short red hair and equipment befitting his new appearance with Veil (with Archmage Spirit which he renews with heroic fortune) and a husky voice with Sculpt Sound. Walking back to Sandpoint, asking for directions to the tavern, acting lost, Slicky crosses path with Shayliss when she is not close to Ven's shop or any Tavern.

*"Excuse me, Miss. I seem to be lost. Can you please direct me or show me the way to the Tavern?"*

He will prevent Shayliss from making contact with him every time she attempts to do so by moving away or shifting his body.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

*Perception (Take 10) for surveying the area and looking for Shayliss* - 46

*Stealth (Take 10)* - 65

*Disguise (Take 10) to act like the guy he changed his appearance to* - 56

*Perform (Sing) (Take 10) to substitute ranks and mods via Versatile Performance for Diplomacy* - 56

*Perform (Bluff) (Take 10) to substitute ranks and mods via Versatile Performance for Bluff* - 56

*Perform (Sing) (Take 10) to substitute ranks and mods via Versatile Performance for Sense Motive* - 56

----------


## Starmage21

> Slicky walks out of town and into the forest. Making sure that no one is around and he is in hiding, he changes his appearance to a travelling 6 ft shaven, herculean man with rugged features with short red hair and equipment befitting his new appearance with Veil (with Archmage Spirit which he renews with heroic fortune) and a husky voice with Sculpt Sound. Walking back to Sandpoint, asking for directions to the tavern, acting lost, Slicky crosses path with Shayliss when she is not close to Ven's shop.
> 
> *"Excuse me, Miss. I seem to be lost. Can you please direct or show me the way to the Tavern?"*
> 
> He will prevent Shayliss from making contact with him every time she attempts to do so by moving away or shifting his body.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> ...


*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Is this happening while the rest of us are over-night-ing? I didnt want to do much away from the group mostly because it becomes a tracking headache while we all play solo games in a shared world rather than being a party.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Happening next day.

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I defintiely thought this was all before we rested

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I did put in my initial post "as morning comes" to denote next day.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras starts his day by heading to the large empty interior room and making his daily preperations

*Spoiler: Said preperations spoilered for convenience*
Show

A Bloodstone Mirror, fueled via Blood Money, 2 strength damage.
Extended Overland Flight, so he doesn't have to walk while pretending to be human.
Extended Ablatative Barrier
Extended Moment of Prescience
2 Heightened (9th) Mounts, both of which he Alter Summon Monsters into Medium Aether Elementals and orders to follow silently and invisibly
Extended Ride the Waves
Extended See Beyond, again using blood money, 1 more strength damage
Extended Statue
Extended Waterproof
Extended Fastidiousness 
All the above spells, apart from Bloodstone Mirror are cast via Magical Supremacy, Evras keeps his Arcane Reservoir topped up during this and fills it to full at the end by using Summon Monster 3 to summon Dretches as needed, also with magical supremacy, and Fiendish Proboscis to gain Reservoir points from them.  
He'll fix the Strength damage with a Cleanse spell
With that done he adjusts his spells prepared with Quick Study and tops himself up before swapping out the Summon monster.  
He then uses his Karyukai Tea Set to make a nice cup of tea for himself and his familiar, granting Greater Heroism for 8 hours (DC is lower than my bonus) He would offer it to other people, but noone is around. This bit takes an entire hour, as opposed to the few minutes he'd spend in 'real life', at least it's delicious and exceptionally magical. 



He'll also check on what Aldern Foxglove is up to, because greater scrying is still active.

After that he'll casually fly into Sandpoint (still in the human disguise he used to speak to the Mayor) and see if he can find the local Sage, since he remembers that guy being interested in Thassilon, so he'd probably be intereesting to speak to.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Slicky walks out of town and into the forest. Making sure that no one is around and he is in hiding, he changes his appearance to a travelling 6 ft shaven, herculean man with rugged features with short red hair and equipment befitting his new appearance with Veil (with Archmage Spirit which he renews with heroic fortune) and a husky voice with Sculpt Sound. Walking back to Sandpoint, asking for directions to the tavern, acting lost, Slicky crosses path with Shayliss when she is not close to Ven's shop or any Tavern.
> 
> *"Excuse me, Miss. I seem to be lost. Can you please direct me or show me the way to the Tavern?"*
> 
> He will prevent Shayliss from making contact with him every time she attempts to do so by moving away or shifting his body.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> ...


_She seems to be pining for someone, and not particularly interested in your disguise.  Still, she gives directions without any fuss, not that you actually needed them._




> Evras starts his day by heading to the large empty interior room and making his daily preperations
> 
> *Spoiler: Said preperations spoilered for convenience*
> Show
> 
> A Bloodstone Mirror, fueled via Blood Money, 2 strength damage.
> Extended Overland Flight, so he doesn't have to walk while pretending to be human.
> Extended Ablatative Barrier
> Extended Moment of Prescience
> ...


_The mayor directs you to Brodert Quink, a balding human male who's running a fairly ancient building in town.  He greets you with_ "What?  I want to get back to my studies."

----------


## Yas392

Now that Slicky got closer, he checks around to see who she is pining.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

*Perception (Take 10)* - 46

How is Shayliss pining? Standing there looking at her desired person? Stalking? Daydreaming?

----------


## Thunder999

Evras smiles, despite the less than warm greeting "Oh just thought you might want to here about the Thassilonian ruins beneath the town, perhaps take look at the Ranseur I found held by a statue of Alaznist, oh and to see if the Mayor has mentioned the dangers of Sihedron Medalions to you."

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

You didn't mention what Aldern Foxglove is currently doing, the Greater Scrying Spell lasts 22 hours.

----------


## Jack_Simth

> Now that Slicky got closer, he checks around to see who she is pining.
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> *Perception (Take 10)* - 46
> 
> How is Shayliss pining? Standing there looking at her desired person? Stalking? Daydreaming?


*Spoiler: Detect Thoughts*
Show

_She's daydreaming.  Unfortunately, the surface thoughts are just lovey-dovey stuff, no actual name, and the spell isn't deep enough to give images._




> Evras smiles, despite the less than warm greeting "Oh just thought you might want to here about the Thassilonian ruins beneath the town, perhaps take look at the Ranseur I found held by a statue of Alaznist, oh and to see if the Mayor has mentioned the dangers of Sihedron Medalions to you."
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> You didn't mention what Aldern Foxglove is currently doing, the Greater Scrying Spell lasts 22 hours.


*Spoiler: Aldern Foxglove, Scrying*
Show

_He's practicing archery._

----------


## Starmage21

Terrach spends what time he isnt working in his natural form. While he doesnt rest, he has no plans to replenish spell slots or change prepared spells for the day so he doesnt actually need to slow down. He waits for the morning to come before resuming a humanoid form and joining the group on the way into the tavern at Sandpoint. He directs to the group something of a motivational speech to the group:

*"Today is a special day. It is the first day where we are no longer surprised by our predicament, and can work in earnest towards building something of a life. I'm not sure if that seems easier for me because of my current 'condition' or if that is just who I was always IRL. Perhaps my detachment from my character fits perfectly with the mentality of a classically defined lich in this world. I'm curious and excited to find out what we can do here to make this world our home. ...and if I am thinking of it as 'my home' then anyone who threatens it beware the claws of 'The Razor Spined'"*

----------


## Thunder999

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

No response from Quink?

----------


## Yas392

Slicky blinks. 

*"Sorry, I cannot hear you, miss. Can you repeat what you said and tell me what is distracting you if you do not mind sharing?"*

*In Group Chat:* *"Evras, can you describe to me the disguise you used for ACT 1 when you were dealing with the goblins for the town? Description of your companions who accompanied you also helps. I am doing Shayliss sidequest at the moment."*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

*Perform (Sing) (Take 10) to substitute ranks and mods via Versatile Performance for Diplomacy* - 56

*Perform (Bluff) (Take 10) to substitute ranks and mods via Versatile Performance for Bluff* - 56

----------


## Jack_Simth

> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> No response from Quink?


_After standing in silent shock for a moment, Quink shakes his head to clear it, and says_ "Sorry about that, it's not often folks bring an actual piece of history.  Well, bring it here, let me have a look...."

_He takes a look, and spends quite some time examining it, occasionally pointing out things; they kind of blur together_
"See this marking?  Print from a specific type of tongs used during work that haven't been used in hundreds of years, as there's better choices now..." 
"Huh.  This particular ivory's from a breed that's been extinct for about five hundred years...."
"Certainly smells old..."

_After a time, he sets it down, and says_ "I can give you five hundred gold crowns for it; you're unlikely to find a better offer."



> Slicky blinks. 
> 
> *"Sorry, I cannot hear you, miss. Can you repeat what you said and tell me what distracted you if you do not mind sharing?"*
> 
> *In Group Chat:* *"Evras, can you describe to me the disguise you used for ACT 1 when you were dealing with the goblins for the town? Description of your companions who accompanied you also helps. I am doing Shayliss sidequest at the moment."*
> 
> *Spoiler: OOC*
> Show
> 
> ...


_She shrugs, and points you the way again, sighs, and says_ "Doesn't matter; it's not to be."
*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Pretty sure her topless scene falls under "inappropriate topics" on the forum rules, so no, we're not going there.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Not intended to go for that at all since Slicky will reject her offer the moment she asks him to come with her under the right appearance. What he is going for he is intending for a more family feel.

----------


## Starmage21

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Is there going to be a lull in posting due to the holidays? I'm okay with this, but it seems like some posters are few and far between.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

I am waiting for Jack_Smith's response unless he somehow wanted me to response.


*Spoiler: Jack_Smith*
Show

Is Shayliss's sidequest green lit? As I posted, I am intending my character to create PG rating family drama and motivate Shayliss to becoming the Shroud.

----------


## Thunder999

Evras will let him keep the Ranseur "Sounds good to me."

He'll also casually scan the man's thoughts with his Envsiaging before leaving.

----------


## Yas392

*"But why are you distracted by that person of interest?"*

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

*Perform (Sing) (Take 10) to substitute ranks and mods via Versatile Performance for Diplomacy* - 56

----------


## Thunder999

In Chat That Secure Shelter I conjured won't last more than a couple of days, so those of you interested in Foxglove probably want a permanent solution soon.
Nothing interesting to report here so far.

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Hello, anyone still there?

----------


## Starmage21

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show


Its been a week since Jack_Smith posted.

I'm waiting on people to get to the inn where we said we'd meet.

Yas and Thunder are waiting on responses from the DM.

the others probably need to post.

----------


## Yas392

*Spoiler: OOC*
Show

Might be bogged down by real life, on a break, missed/forgotten, lost interest or sidetracking this game for the moment to focus elsewhere. One of my other games updates are sporadic but still going strong.

----------


## Jack_Simth

*Spoiler*
Show


...
Sigh.

Time to admit it: I lost interest in running this, which is the main reason my posting rates trailed off to nothing. 

I am calling it quits at this point.

----------


## Thunder999

Well that sucks, bye.

----------


## Yas392

Thanks for being forthright. It is a shame how this game died but understandable.

----------


## Starmage21

I appreciate brutal honesty. Good luck on your next games!

----------

