Alara Whisperwind challenges the APEX

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, no status.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

You are lost. The Kasator desert is like an endless wasteland around you, and the massive sandstorm abounding doesn't help. You haven't even reached the tower, and you already feel as though you're about to die.

There is a hill nearby, but apart from that, you can't see anything of use. As another blast of sand comes up, you quickly wish that you'd learnt to survive in the desert.

Take a fortitude save, DC 20.

[thethird]

Alara looks funny at the sand. Sand is always the same, always there. Although he had checked directions he seems to be lost now. Well... too bad.

Fort Save: [roll0]

Note that Alara as a ghost has the incorporeal (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules#TOC-Incorporeal-Ex-) special quality.

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, no status.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

(Oh yeah, you don't actually need to roll that fort save. Oops.)

While the sand doesn't actually hurt you, it makes it incredibly hard to see. You notice the hill near you, but you can't see any of the towers from here.

Another blast of sand goes right through you. You should probably get moving soon, before you can't see anything at all.

[thethird]

Alara flies upwards ignoring the sand, moving to a point in which he can see something (the tower should be tall). Alara activates its Mindsight. Meaning that if there are any intelligent creatures in 100 ft he will be able to detect them (and their thoughts). That said, assuming he started going in the right direction initially Alara moves forward (there wasn't any reason to change course during his journey in the dessert). He is moving at 200 feet per round (if necessary he will keep flying till he finds/sees something of interest).

Edit:
Alara has mage armor activated on him, when he casted it he used one of the charges of it's lesser rod of extend thus making the buff last for 24 hours. He has also casted magic aura in one of the books in his possession (he does so in a different book every day). He keeps all the books and the spellbook showing the same aura and being blank books that look the same (those are on the pit). He also has used the minor schema of endure elements on himself.

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

You ascend to a great height, and keep moving in the direction you were moving. You see a few random things about, but it quickly becomes clear that you're going in the wrong direction.

Then, using your mindsight, you notice someone hiding behind a large rock.

Okay, what's that?

You aren't quite sure whether or not they're thinking about you...

[thethird]

Alara activates its improved invisibility. And approaches the thinking creature behind the rock while hiding.

Stealth: [roll0] (Note that Alara has hide in plain sight and due to his cloak of mystery divination spells cannot reveal information about him)

What time of the day is it by the way?

[Jormengand]

(Note that Alara has hide in plain sight and due to his cloak of mystery divination spells cannot reveal information about him)

What time of the day is it by the way?

(Does that include see invisibility and co?)

(It's almost midnight.)

[thethird]

(I'm partial to yes, but in this instance I am the player. The text is: "A Vecna-blooded creature gains immunity to all divination spells cast against it or cast to learn information about it. Such divination fails to reveal information. The Vecna-blooded immediately learns the name, appearance, and location of the caster who attempted the divination." Note that a valid reading would be that see invisibility isn't casted against it, but in another creature than then gets the sense to detect it. It for sure blocks scrying, legend lore and similar spells.
Alara also has darkstalker meaning that blindsense, blindsight, tremorsense (which wouldn't work in the first place) and other special senses don't work to detect it.
And wears a ring of the darkhidden meaning that darkvision cannot detect it.)

Can I gauge the intelligence of the creature I am approaching?

[Jormengand]

(I don't think I'm going to let you avoid see invisibility, because that'd be silly.)


Can I gauge the intelligence of the creature I am approaching?

(Uh, I dunno, can you? I don't know how your thing works.)

[thethird]

(Ok. I forgot to add a +20 bonus to the hide check from being invisible, if the creature I am approaching doesn't have see invisible up assume it is there.

Mindsight:"A creature that has this feat can detect and pinpoint beings that are not mindless (anything with an Intelligence score of 1 or higher) within range of its telepathy. This works much like blindsense—the creature knows what square each thinking being is in, but it does not see the being, and the being still has total concealment unless the creature can see it by some other means.
The creature also perceives several observable characteristics about each being detected with mindsight, including the being’s type and Intelligence score. The creature need not take any additional or special actions to gain this information; it is as obvious to mindsight as the being’s race and clothing would be to eyesight.")

[Jormengand]

(Humanoid, INT 26. You can have three guesses what kind of character this guy is. The first two don't count. :smalltongue: )

[thethird]

(Psion, Archivist, Wizard?)

Alara approaches the humanoid slowly, till he can see it (Alara has supperior low light vision and 60 feet darkvision). He keeps hiding with its invisibility up and listens to its thoughts.

(Does it seem like some kind of spellcaster?)

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

(Yes, it looks to be a spellcaster of some kind.)

The man looks troubled by his inability to see you. He takes out a piece of paper, and studies it for a moment. While he is doing so, he drops the piece of paper, which flutters towards you in the storm.

"Damn it!"

He looks up, and starts searching about.

Where did it go?

[thethird]

Alara flies upwards being at the most extreme range of the telepaty, following the spellcaster like a balloon and proceeds to examine the piece of paper. Among other things he uses his gloves of object reading for 4 minutes to get information on the spellcaster.

(Gloves of object reading (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#glovesofObjectReading): "While wearing these gloves, the user can learn the details of an inanimate object’s previous owner if he handles the object, as if manifesting the object reading power (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/objectReading.htm).")

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

You look at the piece of paper, only to find to your horror that it reads "I prepared explosive runes this morning." Damn it.

24 force damage, reflex DC 21 half

Of course, due to the massive explosion in the sky, the spellcaster now has a reasonable idea where you are...

Roll initiative.

[thethird]

Although I didn't say I read it, I'm gonna call it fair next time I will explicitly say that I don't read stuff when checking it :smalltongue:

Note Evasion: [roll0]

Immediate action to activate wand of nerveskitter in the wandchamber (inside the elven courtblade). Nerveskitter gives a +5 to initiative.

Initiative: [roll1].

If I win move 100 feet to the side, and use major image (from the ghost abilities) to generate the image of a floating humanoid in the area of the explosion. The image seems damaged by the explosion and yells "hey that hurts!"

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

The wizard growls, and looks unimpressed. He clicks his fingers for good measure, and disappears from any kind of vision or mindsight.

[thethird]

The major image goes to the ground and moves around, as if it was looking for the wizard, while waiting Alara takes the wand of arcane sight its wand bracer.

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

Nothing interesting happens.

[thethird]

Alara puts the wand back in the wandbracer while the Major Image still moves around, he is pretty sure that the wizard teleported away. Deciding that he has been lost he uses spontaneous divination to cast skill lore (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/3rd-party-spells/rite-publishing---3rd-party-spells/s/skill-lore) (caster level 12) and instructs its familiar to aid him in a survival check (taking 10), he then takes 10 (survival 10+5+2-1) to find the right direction.

Note that the major image will still be there for 3 rounds after Alara does that.

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

Eventually, you reach the tower, which turns out not to have been so far away from your current location, several hundred feet at most.

It is a dark night, and, even with blindsight, as you explore the Kasator desert you can barely make out the shape of Apex, the first of the towers of the archmagi. Due to the poor lighting, it's hard to see the two flags at the front, but you can just about see that they bear the Apex sigil if you look closely. You take a moment to observe the tower.

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/722x542q90/691/h6li.jpg

You know that the archmagi, for whom these tasks were meant to be easy, were capable of impressive feats of magic, and could probably have lifted Apex from the ground were it not for its magical protection.

You know that the archmagi, for whom these tasks were meant to be easy, were capable of impressive feats of magic, and could probably have lifted Apex from the ground were it not for its magical protection. In fact, the archmagi were borderline demigods, and they invented several spells which focused on the planes, as well as a multitude of new traps and magical puzzles to guard their knowledge.

Even to the untrained eye, it is obvious that Apex is incredibly top-heavy, and should not, by rights, be able to stand upright alone on such unstable ground. Your trained eye sees that the stones aren't even held together properly - clearly, the entire tower is supported by, or perhaps even made from, magic.

If there was anything that you planned to do before you went in, now would probably be a good time.

[thethird]

I would like to check the tower in the ethereal plane, as I can move from one to the other being a ghost. Also note that the arcane dilettante spells are: amanuensis and loresong (I probably should get loresong in the spellbook).

Also are there any creatures around the tower? Does Darkvision reveal anything else?

[thethird]

Oh, yes, my eyes are not untrained :smalltongue:

knowledge (engineering): [roll0]
knowledge (geography): [roll1]
knowledge (history): [roll2]
knowledge (local): [roll3]
knowledge (religion): [roll4]
knowledge (arcana): [roll5]
knowledge (planes): [roll6]

If there is some other knowledge I should roll let me know.

[Jormengand]

(I already rolled knowledge for you - I don't want you knowing the DCs, because it leads to silly things like being able to tell how powerful creatures/spells/whatever are.)

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

The tower is a plain white cylinder in the ethereal plane. It lacks a door. You cannot see anything more interesting using darkvision.

[thethird]

Well time to search a door (on the material) I guess. Alara circles around the tower taking a mental note of its area and descends to the base looking for an entrance.

[Jormengand]

(On the material, the entrance is right in front of you. APEX only lacks a door on the ethereal.)

[thethird]

Ok then in this order. Search for traps, specially on the door handle (it is the part more likely to have them). Then cast detect magic on the door and wait until I know which auras are there.
Similarly can I detect any intelligent creature around. If yes where are they, what are they, what are they thinking and how intelligent are they?

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

The figure gets up and walks towards you. Ah, finally something to do. I've been waiting long enough. "Stop. I can only let the archmagi in here, and last time I checked, the archmagi weren't ghosts."

(Int 18 on that. The figure has several different auras on him, but as you approach the tower, you immediately notice abjuration, conjuration and transmutation magic on a scale you're not sure you've ever seen before. The entire tower seems to be magical.

The tower does not have an INT score. It is not thinking anything. It is not impressed by your attempts at mind-reading.)

[thethird]

(Oh, there was someone somehow I skipped that.)

Alara nods and stops, raising his hands.

-I'm sorry for the disturbance. But... I need to go into the tower... you see I died on my way and I don't think I can cross until I traverse the tower. Would you mind letting me through?

Edit: by the way, telepathy and mindsight are always active. If I ever go near something with an int score it should trigger. This INT 18 creature I should have sensed it when approaching. If there is something with an INT score behind the door I should be detecting it (knowing its thoughts type and INT)

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

The creature looks uninterested, and a quick probe of its thoughts confirms this. "I'm sorry, but I thought I already told you that I can only let the archmagi in. You're not an archmage. Please leave."

(On an unrelated note, you shouldn't have got that reflex save for the explosive runes spell, as you were close enough to read them. You can heal yourself retroactively, otherwise I'll take the damage off your health total.)

[thethird]

( :smallfrown: If we are doing things retroactively assume Alara hanged out inside his blacksand enough to be recovered back to full health I still want to know what kind of creature I am talking too and since I am talking to it a knowledge check to identify it would be most helpful, assuming I know what it is and I speak its language I will continue this conversation on its language.)

-Do you know what I am?

[Jormengand]

(Oh, okay. The being's type is outsider, by the way.)

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, Mage Armour, Magic Aura on books, Minor Schema: Endure Elements.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

???: Uninjured, no status.

"Some kind of ghost? What you are doesn't concern me. Leave."

You in turn realise the creature is some type of celestial creature; perhaps it's an angel, but you're not quite sure.

[thethird]

(Alara speaks in Celestial then)

-Sigh, I'm a spirit of law bound to this land until I complete my quest. It seems I'll be a spirit for eternity then...

(Alara uses dim door to teleport 5ft inside the tower, which is after all leaving)

[Jormengand]

(The tower abjures your pesky teleportation.)

[thethird]

(The angel does not respond to my comment?

Note that I am using dim door as a supernatural ability and: "A supernatural ability's effect cannot be dispelled and is not subject to counterspells.")

[Jormengand]

(The angel still doesn't respond. The tower still abjures your pesky teleportation.)

[thethird]

(Is the angel armed?)

Standard action to activate improved invisibility (it will last for 7 rounds)

[Jormengand]

(Maybe.)

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, no status.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

The creature waves its hands about and chants, and you become aware that your magic has failed you.

"Shall we stop this stupid game, and you can go home? Or are you going to try to fight me?"

[thethird]

(I am using supernatural abilities they cannot fail :smallannoyed:)
In celestial
"The thing is I cannot go home, I died on my way to the tower. If you kill me, which is possible, I will just reaper back in the dessert were I died. I will come back here. Try again. And again. And again. And again. You see, this is my fate, I'm bound to it. Do you have one of those hammers that can kill one of my kind? Do you want to try?"

[Jormengand]

(How many of your abilities are (Su) and which ones are spells or (Sp)?)

[thethird]

(The ones that are (Su) are listed on the sheet as such :smallsmile: unless 1/day they are at will. Still Alara would have made the same comment)

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, invisibility.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

The angel, with a strange feeling that it's talking to itself - caused by multiple factors - sighs. "Be that as it may, you need a very good reason to let you in. Or do you think the archmagi built this tower and put me here guarding it for fun?"

[thethird]

"My reason is my soul, and to me its the most important reason I can gather. I know I cannot die, I cannot go to the beyond, for I was on a quest to the tower the first time I died. Maybe if I reach the top of the tower I will be able to rest. If you don't believe me you can certainly kill me, I'll be back here 8 day tops."

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, invisibility.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

The angel laughs. "You realise, don't you, that if you are defeated here you can never come back? The Great Inevitable stops all those who try. Leave here, now."

[thethird]

(Knowledge check on that great inevitable thing)

"That would actually be a first, whenever I die in the past I reappear. It is not of my own will. I'm a ghost. You certainly know about our condition we are tied to the land until we solve our unfinished business. If you, or the great inevitable wish to aid me in finishing said business I will appreciate the help."

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, invisibility.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

You know that the Great Inevitable is a creature which enforces the laws of the towers. One of these laws is that anyone who is slain by one of the guardians or traps of the tower can never return, under any circumstances. There is no known way of resisting the Great Inevitable's attacks; even ethereal creatures are affected.

"I cannot help you. I am sorry. But, I suppose I can let you past. I'm not sure I can be bothered with ghosts at this time of night."

The angel throws a small key on the ground and gets out of your way.

[thethird]

(So it's basically a way of telling me after the game started that there is no point of being a ghost and having Rejuvenation (Su) (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/dread-ghost-cr-3)
In most cases, it’s difficult to destroy a dread ghost through simple combat. The “destroyed” spirit will often restore itself in 2d4 days. Even the most powerful spells are usually only temporary solutions. A dread ghost that would otherwise be destroyed returns to its old haunts with a successful level check (1d20 + dread ghost’s HD) against DC 16. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a dread ghost for sure is to determine the reason for its existence and set right whatever prevents it from resting in peace. The exact means varies with each spirit and may require a good deal of research.

due to a handwave? :smallannoyed:)

Check the door for traps, and the key, do not read anything.

[Jormengand]

(So basically yes, yes it's a way of telling you that you can't try the tower a million and four times until you succeed. If you die in APEX, you lose, even if you can theoretically come back.)

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, invisibility.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

The key and the door are not trapped.

[thethird]

(This ghost is not amused)

Is the door handle or lock trapped?

Study (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/objectReading.htm) the key for at least 5 minutes.

[Jormengand]

(The handle and the lock are not trapped.

The creature is a male outsider (angel, extraplanar, good) who is 114 years old and lawful good. He gained the key from the archmage Alterys and lost it by throwing it at a ghost.)

[thethird]

Then continue studying the key for at least 5 more minutes. (and knowledge check on archmage Alterys)

[Jormengand]

(Female NG humanoid (elf), 170 years old and made the key herself, lost it when she gave it to the angel.)

[thethird]

Study the key for 5 min with detect magic (this should identify all its magic properties) then Alara conjures an unseen servant, gives it the key, and activates its invisibility again. Then says "Alterys would be thankful" and commands the unseen servant to open the door while standing outside. (Remember that telepathy - mindsight apply, if there is something inside I should be able to detect it; and if the angel thinks of Alterys I should know) While the unseen servant does that major image of a human opening the door with the key.

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, invisibility.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

The key has strong transmutation and abjuration magic on it. The key otherwise abjures your pesky detect magic.

The unseen servant opens the door.

You view the first room. It seems as though it would have been a decent-sized room were it not for the giant stone boxes that fill most of it up. There is a door on the other side of the room. What worries you most is that the room is barely tall enough to stand in; the angel would have had difficulties had the seven-and-a-half foot tall celestial tried to do so much as jump.

It's almost certainly a trap. Oh well.

http://imageshack.com/a/img812/2710/i4xx.jpg

[thethird]

Is there anyone with an intelligence score in the room particularly inside those giant stone boxes that look rather suspicious?
Does the roof actually worry me since I am incorporeal?
What is at the end of the room?
What is on the ethereal plane in this room?
Are there any source of light in the room?
If not is the room in deep darkness?

[roll0] (perception if necessary)
[roll1] (stealth)
[roll2] (engineering)
[roll3] (dungeoneering)

[Jormengand]

(You cannot detect anyone with an intelligence score.
It is a very worrying roof.
A door.
The same room, but it again lacks a door on either side.
Yes.
No.)

[thethird]

Could you describe the source of light?
How big is the room? (What is the distance to the next door)?
Does the door at the other side seem trapped?

[Jormengand]

(The room is light, but there is no obvious source
The squares on the map are 5 ft.
Doesn't look like it.)

[thethird]

(The perceptions and engineering checks were to identify non-obvious sources)
Then in this order:
Get back the key and throw it on the endless pit
Dismiss the unseen servant and the illusion
Switch to the ethereal
Teleport to the other end of the room
Renew invisibility
Switch back to the material
Hide again [roll0]
Check the door (should I roll perception?)

[Jormengand]

(Replace "Obvious" with "Noticeable")
You take the actions as planned, and check the door. It is a solid steel door, with no obvious traps or mechanisms built into it. There is a brass handle nailed to it, the hinges are slightly rusty and there is an engraving on the door with the APEX symbol (Of a triangle with a star on the highest point) on it. The door is otherwise uninteresting.

[thethird]

While hiding invisible use telekinesis to open the door.

[Jormengand]

(Where are you when you do this?)

[thethird]

Flying invisible, diagonally upwards from the door, so I have line of effect to the handle but not line of effect - sight to anything at the other side of the door.

[Jormengand]

Alara Whisperwind (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=802020) 92/92, invisibility.
Floor: N/A
Key items: None.

As you try to open the door, there is a massive noise and all of the lids of the stone boxes fly towards the centre of the room, smashing together. This might have hurt you, had you not been a ghost.

What is slightly more likely to hurt you is the hooded creatures who step out of the boxes. You start being able to hear a mish-mash of surface thoughts, mostly concerned with your location. Two things become clear: first that the boxes were made of some kind of material that blocked your ability to read minds, and second that these creatures still don't know where you are. Which is just as well, really.

(Roll initiative.)

[thethird]

I get to act in the surprise round :smalltongue: (due to: sohei monk (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/monk/archetypes/paizo---monk-archetypes/sohei))

Free action to draw the sword, immediate action to activate wand of nerveskitter in the sword [roll0].

Before taking any action I would like to know a few things.

First of all how many of these creatures are there? Where are they? Can any of my knowledges give me useful information on these creatures? What do they look like? Are they armed? Are they all the same? I also would like to know creature type, alignment and thoughts (as per telepathy-mindsight)

[Jormengand]

(There are eight creatures, each of whom stands in a box in the square nearer the wall, so further from you. The creatures are hooded and robed such that you cannot see them properly. They are some kind of intelligent CE undead, half of whom have INT 24 and the other half only INT 14. You can't see whether or not they are armed.

They are wondering where the hell you are; they clearly cannot see you.)

[thethird]

(Are those medium, corporeal and humanoid shaped creatures? Also how are the creatures distributed? 4 Int 24 in one side and 4 Int 14 in the other side?)

Well some of them seem unarmed... but they were clearly waiting with intention to ambush me so I'll assume they are hostile. 8 to 1 is a rather bad ratio, so let's alter the battleground first.

Alara casts web at the center of the room, covering the whole area and hopefully grappling those undead. (Note that since they haven't acted in combat they should be flatfooted)

After that the normal turn of Alara goes, unless the creatures rolled a higher initiative, let me know if it is my turn.