Adventures in Albion [PF]

[Kallimakus]

Another dawn greets the world. The sun climbs to the sky, it's rays spreading across rooftops, forests and fields. The campsite offered a good view, situated on a ledge as it was.

Their little group had been given a new task. A fugitive mage had taken residence along a trade road, demanding tithes from those that travel through "his" lands. Your task is to show him the error of his ways.

Your employer this time is Prince Archamus, the son of the reigning monarch. For many of you, he is a stranger, known more by his reputation of driving the ideal of "freedom" and generally being a patron to endeavours like yours. Independent groups for solving troubles.

[Bansheexero]

Armant Ironheart

Armant sits by the smoldering remains of last night's campfire, holding his blade across his lap as he polishes it thoroughly. "Hurts-in-facha? That's your name? Man, the old man left me a strange blade, but it seemed to serve him well enough. Tell you what, how about I just call you "Gram" for now. We'll need to get through a few more battles before I can figure out how to say that mouthful."

He holds his blade up to examine his work, the mithral cleaned to a mirror finish. "And hopefully we get some good battles soon, my swordarm is getting restless. Who did the prince say we were after? Some renegade mage? Never like fighting mages, they're slippery. I prefer those who fight more head-on, something I can sink my teeth into, so to speak. It's been a while since I had a good duel. After the old man retired, things haven't been the same. The new captain is all about rules and politics, it's stifling. I don't have as much time to go out and fight anymore."

He sighs, letting out a breath, as he begins to gently sheathe his sword. "I don't know, Gram, any thoughts?" He looks off into the distance, an imploring expression on his face.

[stack]

Maximilian Aerelus Novaria

Maximilian looks out over the ledge, watching the peaceful sunrise. His reverie is broken by his companion's speech. He turns and replies, even though he has not addressed, "Petty bandits extorting travelers is bad enough, but a mage? It makes everyone fear all of us. Even worse, we know nothing of his power, his skills. (sigh) Best be dealt with quickly. We can hope he is not a diviner that will know of our coming and evade or trap us."

Of course, I may recover some interesting research materials if our target is the studious sort. Something to hope for.

[Binks]

Aldus, also sitting near the campfire in meditation (of a sort...really it's more daydreaming with his eyes shut than anything else), opens his eyes as the others speak up. "It seems unlikely a diviner would pick a single plot of territory to extort. Wouldn't they normally move around looking for the big caravans on various trade routes?" he asks as he stands and stretches a bit, stepping away from the remains of the fire.

"Regardless of what kind of mage he is we need to show him the error of his ways. It'll be nice to know we've made this region a bit safer once we're done." he adds with a smile.

[Frog Dragon]

"Where exactly has this guy taken residence anyhow?" Bora asks, cracking his neck. He had only just awoken. "Do we know? There's a lot of road to cover, and he might be scared of us." He stands up, pacing back and forth to stretch his legs. "Bandits are usually cowards."

[stack]

"And mages are usually megolomaniacs." Maximillian gives a self-conscious smile.

[BtanH]

Sebastian hasn't yet gotten up, only now rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What are you all talking about? The current job? It shouldn't be too bad, should it? We outnumber him 5 to 1." He rolls back over, mumbling something about the ground being no fit place to sleep before he finally begins getting ready. "We got a plan? I figure posing as a some wealthy merchants should get us pretty close to him and from there we can just jump him. The big guy can pose as a bodyguard."

[stack]

"Wander about, loudly complaining about how heavy our gold is? Could work." Maximillian gives a chuckle at his own mental image.

[Bansheexero]

"Well, I mean the king does deck us out pretty well in the guard with rather expensive equipment. The problem is, it can intimidate most people, given that it's, you know, weapons and armor. I don't think high profile would be the way to go with baiting the mage. I doubt he is that stupid." He regards his guardsman's regalia.

"If any of you have a means of producing a sufficient glamer, that might be a better option."

[Binks]

Aldus frowns briefly at Maximilian's megalomania comment, but doesn't say anything.

"Perhaps we can locate traces of prior attacks, since they've clearly been common enough to become a problem worth hiring adventures. I'm afraid I'm not much of an actor, and I don't have any knowledge of glamor magics..." he adds with an apologetic smile and shrug.

[Bansheexero]

"Then lead the way. Should we start by questioning prior victims, or should we head over to the location of the attacks themselves? How long ago was the last attack? Would the tracks even be fresh?"

[Kallimakus]

The trade road winds through the mountains for about a week before emerging from the far side. The exact locations of attacks either vary, or have been recorded inaccurately. That said, almost every major band of travellers has reported the mage. From those reports, the mage appears to run on flashy spells, like evocation and conjuration. The kind of magic that cows people and suggests a painful end to those that would resist.

Study of maps suggests a few likely places for the lair of the mage, though as they are in the areas between civilizations, the maps are not that accurate about details. Even if you yourselves are not ambushed, the locations of those ambushes on the road might provide clues as to where the mage might be.

If you want to set up a fake caravan/cargo, ou can arrange it

[BtanH]

"I think our best bet would be setting up a decoy caravan. We could have me and maybe someone else leading it, with Bora acting as hired muscle. The rest of you could either act as hired help, keeping the weapons and armor hidden, or chill inside the caravan until the mage shows up. You could also follow discretely, maybe try and cut off his escape routes?"

[Binks]

"Sure, if nothing else it will give up an excuse for passing by the other attack sites. I'll help you lead the decoy, I can probably do a decent merchant impression." Aldus says.

[Bansheexero]

"I think I'll hide in the caravan itself. My magic tends to statically charge the air, so keeping that contained would allow me to prepare without alerting anyone who seeks to assault us."

[kjelfalconer]

"I would agree with that plan. I may be able to thwart some of his magics, but it will be easier if he knows not of my presence." It was for the most part a balde of few words, though where possible it chose to speak out loud in this incarnation. It made no difference to itself, of course, but Armant seemed more confortable with vocal conversation than telepathic speech. "If he seeks to cow then he is likely to lead with his strongest magics, but we should be wary of what he keeps in reserve. Allow him first to cast unimpeded, and lull him into the belief that we can do nought against him."

[stack]

Maximilian nods approval to the plan, "I can attempt to counter his magic also, if close enough and able to see; so, not hiding would be optimal. The side-effects of my doing so may catch him by surprise. Let us assemble our subterfuge."

[Frog Dragon]

"I suppose I'll throw on a hood so he doesn't recognize me from afar. Disguise only needs work long enough for us to get close."

[stack]

"Let's get to it then."

[Kallimakus]

The plan was made. A few days ago, at the last town, you secured a few wagons and horses.Between the group of you, you manage a fairly convincing small caravan. Tarps at the back cover your cargo, as well as the ones that want to lie in wait. Maximillian and Bora are slated as drivers. The horses are obedient enough, and the road is well maintained so there have been no issues thus far. As the Sun reaches it's zenith at noon, you've traveled deeper in to the mountain road. Running besides sheer mountainside in places, descending to a high valley with scarce trees. From beneath the ground, tops of ancient ruins poke out. Some are spires tall as trees, others are edges of domes. It's hard to tell precisely, but some seem to be well beyond any structure you have seen. There are plenty of places to hide.

[Bansheexero]

Armant prepares to hide in one of the wagons, finding one with silks and similar materials to try to excuse his static field. He performs a series of maneuvers to loosen up and prepare himself for whatever may attack, getting his bearing with Gram and allowing his power to flow through it. As he does so, the air becomes charged and begins to smell somewhat of ozone as those nearby find their hair stand on end.

After he finishes warming up, he remains holding Gram flat against his lap as he hides beneath the wagon's covering, calm but ready to leap out should he be needed.

As mentioned, I spend spell points to allow my enhancements to persist for 2 hours each. I spend 1 spell point to enhance Dex by 4, and 2 spell points to add shock and corrosive to Gram (they each deal 1d6+3 damage, so with Gram's frost, that's 3d6+6 elemental damage). I am not sure if Gram is able to add talents to his Staff that he does not know, but if he is, I will also spend a spell point on Harden for DR 6/Adamantine.
Also, while stealth is not my strong suit, I will be resting underneath cover rather still, so not sure what bonuses/penalties apply, but my base roll if necessary is [roll0]

[stack]

Maximilian gazes at the bits of ruins he can see, regretting that he can't take time to investigate them as they pass. deflection aegis up, SP noted for self and 1 other per OOC request, can give to others (+3 deflection AC for 10 hrs)

[Binks]

Aldus waits quietly in the wagon, doing his best to remain calm and keep his ears open as the fake caravan travels. Hopefully this will go nice and smooth. Draw out the bandit, show him the error of his ways, get him to surrender or at least put a stop to his threat, head home...

3 points marked as spent for Aegis of Protection on myself (+2 shield bonus) and Sebastian (+4 armor bonus and +2 shield bonus). All have a 7h duration.

[BtanH]

Sebastian is going to ride in front of the caravan, attempting to look every bit the wealthy son of a merchant leading his first caravan. He makes some small talk with the "drivers" and tosses Aldus a wide brimmed hat if his eyes need covering. Generally speaking he stays about 10ft in front of the caravan, attempting to look like an appealing target.


Disguise if necessary [roll0]
If rolled less than a 10, expend 1 use of inspiration to add [roll1]
Ends up as 36 for disguise
If he feels he's in immense danger, he's prepared to use an immediate action to use Emergency Teleport

[Frog Dragon]

Although his hood is thrown up and he is slightly hunched over on the coach to make immediate identification difficult, Bora is still Bora. He has been trying to keep up smalltalk during most of the ride, and his hammer is hidden in the coachbox between his legs with the hammerhead placed on the floor.

Really just trying to have the hammer slightly hidden and still within easy reach. Making no other real preparations

Martial Foci: 2/2

[Kallimakus]

The small caravan winds through the valley along the road. There is a feeling of being watched, but that might also just be paranoia. The Sun climbs higher to the sky, shadows shortening.

A figure stands on the road before them. It stands 9 feet tall "Pay the toll, or pay the price" it speaks in common.

Nearby, the ruins are mostly low and half-buried, though there is a tall standing spire a few hundred feet away, and remnants of a larger wall some 50 feet in the other direction. Potential hiding places, to a trained eye.

[stack]

Maximilian holds up a hand. "I fear you are mistaken, friend. We payed duties when we departed and will do so when we arrive, but there is no toll due here on the king's highway, not for many miles."

[Frog Dragon]

Bora wraps his fingers around the haft of his hammer, left hand still on the reins and hunched over with the hood on. "Never heard of no toll here," he grunts.

[Bansheexero]

Gripping Gram tighter, Armant's muscles tighten I preparation to leap out of the wagon, should it be necessary.

While he is still under some covering, he can still listen, so if necessary:
Perception [roll0]
Sense Motive [roll1]

[Binks]

Aldus sits up in the back of the wagon, waiting to hear if this is the bandit that they were here to stop but not wanting to give away his presence unnecessarily.

[BtanH]

Sebastian withdraws, moving closer to the caravan in a show of being cowed while trying to take a good look at the figure in front of us.


Sense Motive 1d20+1d8+16
31 (rolled it in OOC)

[Kallimakus]

The figure chuckles. "The toll is not for the king, but for the master of these ruins through which your road winds."

"The place is dangerous, and master keeps you safe. Or doesn't, if you anger him. Perhaps you would be convinced by a show of force… One last chance"

Armant can see the ground by the road has been overturned in four places. Something big could have been hidden there. Or could be hiding there.

[Bansheexero]

Armant leaps from the wagon, sword in hand. "Spread out! Beneath you!"

If necessary, Initiative check [roll0]

[Frog Dragon]

"Hah. Now you speak my language." Bora quips, and throws off the hood. In one motion, he stands up from the coach and kicks off, leaping over the steed to land in front of the figure, stretching to his full height, hefting his hammer menacingly.

Acrobatics (Jump) check: [roll0] (Standing jump so horizontal distance is this result halved, Vertical DC reduced to 1/ft because of Air Stunt)
Initiative: [roll1]

Martial Foci: 2/2

[Binks]

Aldus takes a deep breath from the back of the wagon and prepares to join the battle.

Initiative - [roll0]
If needed, Stealth from the wagon's interior - [roll1]

[stack]

As his companions prepare to fight, Maximilian simply replies, "We would very much like to meet this master of yours. Is he available?"
I generally assume the GM will roll an initiative block when needed, but since everyone else is doing it [roll0]

[BtanH]

Sebastian moves to stand a decent distance behind Bora and Armant, continuing to watch the proceedings.


[roll0]

Also, any results from my sense motive? I should be able to get a decent hunch.

[Kallimakus]

The man is confident, despite the fact that he is ostensibly alone. Either he is very strong or he has backup.

"You choose to fight?" the figure asks. The earth shakes and monsters the size of horse tear loose from the ground. They are similar in shape, with many gangly limbs and snapping jaws on their bodies. They resemble spiders, only their bodies are not made of chitin, but rather flesh, stitched and fused together from various remains.

The figure surrounds himself with a glowing dome.

Sorry about the delay, I wrote this a few days back and it seems it wasn't sent...
So anyway, you have the first round, the folks in the wagons treat these foes as flat-footed.
Anyway, these are Aberrations, so dungeoneering is used to identify or scout them.

[Frog Dragon]

Bora sees the spider-monsters emerge from the ground and exclaims. "Wouldn't be fair otherwise!" He charges forward, swinging at the tall man with his hammer.

Shove, positioning myself to put him between myself and some convenient terrain (to proc Hammer) if possible. Activate Berserking, for 13 temporary hit points and a -2 penalty to armor class.
Touch Attack:
Damage: [roll1] (if this hits, he is also Battered until the end of my next turn, taking -2 to CMD and being unable to AoO someone performing a combat maneuver)

Standard Action attack (Heavy Swing): [roll2]
Damage [Roll]2d6+1d6+11
Free Bull-Rush: [roll3]
If this hits he is double-battered. Also Fort 17 vs the effects of Heavy Swing. I assume he would have battered by the Shove specifically for the Daze to apply. Regardless, if he fails he is staggered for 2 rounds.

AC: 20
HP 89/89 (+13 Temp)
Martial Foci: 2/2

[stack]

Maximilian lifts himself into the air, floating above what has rapidly become a battlefield.

Edit:
Or one of him does. His casting was accompanied by a surging glow. There seem to be two Maximilians now, one in the air and one in the cart.telekinesis on self, 100% wild magic event for wild surge to add the flight talent to the casting, planning to fly 30' straight up. 1 SP cost.

[roll0] - TK table: results: roll again on universal table

extra rolls just in case
[roll1] Universal Table: A shadow twin of the caster appears adjacent to the caster. This twin possesses all of the caster’s abilities and equipment, though only 1 hit point. This twin aids the caster for 1 minute per caster level or until slain. The twin and all its equipment disappear when the twin is slain or the effect expires. Any non-instantaneous effect originating from the twin end when it disappears.Sweet! Since the twin is an NPC, I will let our GM control it unless told otherwise. Not a very likely result.
[roll2]

[BtanH]

Sebastian mumbles to himself, something about how people always use spiders for their disgusting experimental creatures. He finishes casting, releasing crackling energy in a burst around him which quickly hones in on their foes, locking them in place.


Standard Action - Group Charm + Paralyze Greater Charm (2 SP) targeting all the spider things and the dude (unless my spellcraft/dungeoneering checks tell me this is a bad idea)
DC 28 Will Save or the target is stunned for 1 round per caster level (Will negates). The target is allowed a new Will save each round to end this effect early. This is a full-round action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Move Action - to wherever the most defensive position is
Prepared to immediate action teleport 15ft if the need arises (anything get's close enough to hit, or he ends up in a negative aoe)
18/20 Mind SP, 8/8 Warp SP
67/67 HP
17 AC

[Bansheexero]

Armant has a smirk on his face, glad for some action. He dashes forward, swinging Gram at the closest spider-like creature, energy crackling behind the blade.

Spends a swift action to activate judgment (Justice +3 to attack, Destruction +4 to damage) and uses power attack (-3/+6).

Attack roll [roll0]
Crit? (17-20) [roll1]
Damage [roll2], [roll3] cold, [roll4] electricity, and [roll5] acid

Target also takes 3 Bleed damage
Also, activate Gram's Berserking for 13 temporary HP

[Binks]

Aldus hops out the back of the wagon and, still holding on to one side, swings himself around 180 to face the enemy.

Whatever those things are, they are disgusting! is his only thought as he points a hand at the nearest one that isn't next to one of his allies. "Let's see you burn." he announces as a blast of flame shoots towards the creature.

Move to exit the wagon
Standard for Destructive Blast with Searing Blast type, no shape. [roll0] vs. touch for [roll1] fire damage on a hit. If I hit, starting a sequence.
Free action to expend martial focus on Extensive Defense.

Sequence: 0/7 links
Spell Points: 25/28
Martial Focus: expended

[kjelfalconer]

At present, it's greatest advantage against an enemy cast was the element of surprise. As such, Gram chose to hold back on any action that would give away its presence. Simply aiding Armant's strikes, however, would give away little to one with no skill in the blade, and so he guided his arm for another strike.


Attack roll [roll0]
Crit? (17-20) [roll1]
Damage [roll2], [roll3] cold, [roll4] electricity, and [roll5] acid

[Kallimakus]

The man freezes on the spot suddenly, cut off mid sentence, but the magic spell cast by Sebastian seems to wash past them without taking effect. Armant charges at one, dealing a devastating cut, repeated again, twin slashes cutting nearly through it, tearing off a long limb. The wounds start clotting over immediately. Nothing should be living after an attack like that, but it tries to bite the royal guard with venomous fangs.

Aldus' blast has a greater effect, the monster seared to the flesh, letting loose a shrill howl and trying to bury back into it's hiding place fruitlessly.

Maximillian splits in two, one rising to the sky. The duplicate looks up at the original, and looks at the battlefield. Looking at the effectiveness of fire, it decides to add some more. Conjuring a blast of wildfire and flinging it at the one in range, he remains in the wagon.

Bora charges the paralyzed mage, shoving him hard before smashing him. Hard. He flies through the air like a ragdoll, smacking into a nearby ruin. One of the monsters charges him, catching a fire blast and falling into a writhing mess that is on fire and dead. The other throws a web at him.

[roll0] Shadow Destructive Blast
[roll1] damage (fire)

[roll2] 1-50
[roll3] Wild?
[roll4]spare in case...

[roll5] Attack vs Armant
[roll6] damage, inflicts a DC 14 poison

[roll7] Touch, throwing a web at Bora If it hits, he is entangled (DC i6 to escape) and needs a DC 16 Fort to avoid a Slow effect.

[roll8] Charging attack on Bora.
[roll9] also poison Ignore, it died

[roll10] Will vs fire, 20 succeeds (DC equal to damage taken, or 28)

Sorry for the delay, I was away from a computer and these effects are rather complicated to resolve without.

[BtanH]

Stymied by the aberrations' ability to shrug off his mind affecting magic, Sebastian steps forward towards the melee, mumbling to himself. He pulls himself together as he approaches and smiles, "If the spider creatures are immune to my magic, I guess I'll have to just take a more indirect approach." He spreads his arms, channeling resolve into his allies.



Move action - Move to a location that's the safest possible while still within 30ft of both Armant and Bora (and others if possible, though they're just a bonus as I think they're caster focused so an attack won't do a ton?)

Standard Action - Channel Resolve - everyone within 30ft gets a single attack with a +1 to damage
When you channel energy, instead of its normal effects, you may instead grant those within range a single attack. These attacks are made immediately in initiative order. Each attack receives a bonus to damage equal to the number of dice you would have rolled for your channel energy.
This doesn't call out if it's only allies, or if enemies get the attack too. I've assumed it's allies, but if it's everyone then I'll try and avoid letting any enemies into the aoe.

Immediate Action - Sebastian is ready to use Emergency Teleport if there's any indication he is in danger

67/67 HP
17 AC
18/20 Mind SP, 8/8 Warp SP
10/11 Channel Energy

[stack]

Maximilian follows his double's lead, focusing all his attention into attempting to channel the arcane maelstrom he opens, fire )probably) leaping toward the strange creatures.inspired sequence: chain blast + greater range (+100% WMC)
energy shift fire (+50% WMC)
careful caster: cast as full round action (-50% WMC)
chaos shield invocation (-50% WMC)

2 SP (1 for chain, 1 for d6/level)
CL 12
You may spend a spell point to arc your destructive blast between multiple targets. Choose a number of targets no greater than 1 + half your caster level (so 7 total). Make a ranged touch attack against each of them in order. No target can be farther than 10 ft + 5 ft per 5 CL (so 15 ft) from the previous target and no target can be targeted more than once. Should any of the targets fail to take damage, either by a missed attack, resistance, or other method, the chain stops and no further targets are damaged.
Hard to say without a map, but I am hoping I can chain a bunch together and hopefully not miss

attack roll 1 [roll0]
damage 1 [roll1] fire cold

attack roll 2 [roll2]
damage 2 [roll3] fire cold

attack roll 3 [roll4]
damage 3 [roll5] fire cold

attack roll 4 [roll6]
damage 4 [roll7] fire cold

attack roll 5 [roll8]
damage 5 [roll9] fire cold

attack roll 6 [roll10]
damage 6 [roll11] fire cold

attack roll 7 [roll12]
damage 7 [roll13] fire cold

Now I will read the result of the wild magic I rolled OOC.
Event trigger...19 The blast does cold damage. :smallfrown:

Seeing his attempted fire turn to ice, he simply rolls his eyes. It is obviously not the first time things have not come out right.

[Binks]

"Huh. That worked well." Aldus says, clearly surprised. Taking a few steps away from the wagon he briefly glances at this right hand and the glove on it, concentrating and throwing a tether of fire at one of the creatures.

Move: Disengage link action, moving 10ft parallel to the monster's path (away from the wagon, staying in range [50ft] of the monsters but not getting any closer if possible). Regain martial focus from Mobile Focus talent.
Standard: Destructive Blast on one of the creatures, ideally untouched and not adj to an ally (I do not have precise shot). Energy Tether Shape, Searing Blast Type.

Atk (vs touch, -4 if adj to ally): [roll0]
Dmg: [roll1] fire damage

Free action, expend focus for Extensive Defense, gain active defense for all attacks until my next turn. Effective AC 26.

If I hit, deal normal damage, and tether. Neither of us can move away from each other, tether has 30hp, 5 hardness, and break DC 20. On my next turn, if tether is still there, I can concentrate (or spend a spell point) to deal damage again. (max 1 tether active)

Sequence: 2/7 links [Imbue Destruction, +10dmg, Inspired Sequence +1 atk/dmg/CL] (not counting this rnd attack)
Spell Points: 25/28
Martial Focus: expended

[Bansheexero]

Seeing the creature recover from his devastating blow, Armant seems confused, but then notices the flames his ally set forth readily slay one. He takes a step back and with a flourish, sends flames down his blade. "I see you fear the flame. Let's turn up the heat then."

Take a 5 ft step back and spend a spell point for Energy Weapon to add 1d6+3 fire damage to attacks with Gram. Maintain Power Attack and Berserker temp HP

[Frog Dragon]

Seeing that the apparent ringleader was not only paralyzed but also smashed into a wall, Bora switches focus to one of the spider-monstrosities. Rushing forward, he swings his hammer at the nearest one.

Activate Power Attack (-3 Attack, +9 damage for Hammer)
Activate Berserking again (+13 temp HP, -2 AC)
Move Action: Shove to move next to the nearest spider.
Last square at half-speed for Acrobatics to avoid AoO: [roll0]
Touch Attack: [roll1] (Battered if hits)
Damage: [roll2]

Standard Action: Attack, expending Martial Focus for Brutal Strike (+20 damage), applying Heavy Swing
Attack: [roll3] (if hits, battered until end of next turn. Fort 17 vs Stagger for 3 turns. If he was already battered, Staggered for 1 turns, and Fort 17 vs Dazed for 1 turn and staggered for 3)
Damage: [roll4]
Shocking: [roll5]
Free Bull-Rush: [roll6] (Again trying to slam the spider into a wall for Hammer talent proc)

HP: 89/89 (+13 Temp)
AC: 20
Martial Foci: 1/2

[Kallimakus]

This doesn't call out if it's only allies, or if enemies get the attack too. I've assumed it's allies, but if it's everyone then I'll try and avoid letting any enemies into the aoe.

I believe it is all, and Selective Channel can help you with enemies.


Hard to say without a map, but I am hoping I can chain a bunch together and hopefully not miss

They are all more than 15 feet apart, so I'll refund the spell point of the chain blast

The robed man, unable to scream or speak, lies at the foot of the ruin while the monsters are in disarray. In the south, one of the monsters is fleeing, trying to hide in fright. Aldus tethers the other one that way, catching it in a rope of searing fire. It screams in agony. The fire is far more effective than it ought to. The blaze consumes it utterly.

In the North, Armant calls flame to his blade. The beast recoils, but strikes with fury back at the tormentor that could end it's life. The monster is further struck by a blast from Maximillian, the arc of fire turning into freezing air as it nears the monster. Bora charges at the creature, incredibly quick, crossing the distance in a few heartbeats, slamming into the monster, crushing it with a hammerblow and launching it away. It doesn't strike anything other than the ground, it's broken body slowly attempting to reknit itself together. Maximillian's shadow duplicate saunters over to the paralyzed man.


[roll0] attack vs Armant
[roll1]

The creature is very far into negatives, but with Ferocity and Regeneration it can't die without fire damage. That said, whoever wants to can get the kill. Then there's the man himself.

[Binks]

Turning to the last of the creatures Aldus fires a quick blast of flame at it, intending to finish it off before speaking up. "So, let's chat about this 'master' guy of yours. Where might we be able to find them?"

Move: Disengage link action, moving 10ft, staying out of melee range but within my range (50ft). Regain martial focus from Mobile Focus talent.
Standard: Destructive Blast the last creature. No shape, Searing Blast Type.

Atk (vs touch, -4 if adj to ally): [roll0]
Dmg: [roll1] fire damage

Sequence: 4/7 links [Imbue Destruction, +10dmg, Inspired Sequence +2 atk/dmg/CL] (not counting this rnd attack)
Spell Points: 25/28
Martial Focus: ready

[stack]

Maximilian returns to the ground, crossing near to the paralyzed man. "I am curious what hold the mage has on this one; magical, coercive, or merely financial? Life can be a hefty bribe, of course."

1 SP to divine magic to see what effects are active in the area CL10. Taking 10 on spellcraft (since combat is over) for 34 on any spell identification rolls.

When you divine, you detect the strength and location of all magical auras within Medium range. You do not know the exact caster level of an item or spell, but you may sense the aura’s general strength according to the chart below. To determine the spell school or sphere of the effect, you must pass a Knowledge (arcana) check with a DC equal to 15 + 1/2 the caster level.

[Bansheexero]

Armant steps forward and quickly attempts to dispatch his foe, swinging his blazing sword down upon it.

Power Attack #1 [roll0]
Crit? (17-20) [roll1]
Damage [roll2] and [roll3] cold, [roll4] corrosive, [roll5] elecricity, and [roll6] fire. If crit [roll7]

In the event I miss, doing full attack

Power Attack #2 [roll8]
Crit? (17-20) [roll9]
Damage [roll10] and [roll11] cold, [roll12] corrosive, [roll13] elecricity, and [roll14] fire. If crit [roll15]

[Kallimakus]

The final monster falls to Aldus' fire.

As the paralysis wears off, the man starts shaking. The impact he took nearly killed him then and there. "Please" he groans. "He forced me... I-I'll tell you everything. The Master... Varios… He hides among the lower level of the ruins. His labs and fleshworks. Where he makes his monsters"

He points to a spire some distance away. "That's his tower, but the only way in is through the lower levels."

Sense Motive

[Bansheexero]

Armant studies the man intently as he speaks, looking for any sign of deception or obfuscation of information.

Sense Motive [roll0]
In addition, using my discern lies class ability (I assume since it is part of the class, I would be considered a full caster for this power? Spell resistance does not apply, it would be for the Will save to resist (10 + half Inquisitor level + Wisdom modifier) which would be 18).

[Binks]

Aldus approaches the man, listening to his words with care.

[roll0] sense motive, +5 more if you'll allow me to burn my sequence for an Adroit Momentum (add sequence length to a skill check) before it expires (1 round after combat ends)

[Frog Dragon]

Bora looks around at the mangled remains of the spider monsters. "Sure they're all dead?" he asks nobody in particular, lifting up his massive hammer and resting it on his shoulder. "And where here is the entrance?"

Sense Motive: [Roll]1d20+13[/Rolll]

Also regaining the expended martial focus while we have a moment of downtime

[BtanH]

Sebastian walks over, hunching down to talk to the terrified man "Who is Varios? What does he have in his labs? I'm assuming there are more of the spider things, anything else we should be aware of?"


[roll0]
inspiration [roll1]

[stack]

The others having asked the most pertinent questions, Maximilian studies his duplicate (and vise versa), walking slow circles around each other before giving simultaneous shrugs. The accidental twins pull out notebooks and jot down a few lines. After they compare notes, they frown in thought, as the notes are identical.

[Kallimakus]

His paralysis means that tyhe sequence ands before he can be interrogated.

"The master is a wizard. He... He seeks the secret of immortal flesh through his experiments. The creatures that accompanied me were among his latest. Their weakness of fire used to keep them in line. Master likes fire." he says, terrified.

"I-I don't know what the other monsters are called. He reanimates the failures."

"There's a way down behind this wall. Where I came from."

He's saying whatever he thinks will save his life. Not being deceitful, but his panic might lead him to omit things.

[Bansheexero]

Pointing Gram at the pitiful soul before him, allowing the energy to crackle at full power, Armant asks more forcefully, "And what aren't you telling us? You may be speaking the truth, but not the whole truth. What are you leaving out?" The air around him thickens as it becomes statically charged, causing the man's hair to stand on end at the display of power.

Intimidate [roll0] (plus any circumstance modifier that might apply)
Sense Motive [roll1]
Also, Detect Lies DC 18

[Frog Dragon]

While Armant menaces their subdued enemy, Bora circles around to behind the wall he pointed out, peering around to see if there is any obvious passage.

[stack]

Maximilian joins Bora in inspecting the purported entrance.

[Kallimakus]

"I-I... He knows what's happened. H-he'll be ready for you." the man says. "Please... I can't think..."

Behind the wall, there is rubble where part of the structure has collapsed, but there is a cleared stairway down. The place is dark, unlit.

That's all you're going to get from the man. Everything there is either vulnerable to fire or at least suffers fully from it. The man himself uses fire.

[Binks]

Aldus takes a few moments as the interrogation finishes up to walk over to each of his allies, tapping them on the shoulder briefly and granting them a measure of protection from fire, before doing the same to himself, layering it over his existing shielding barrier.

Spending the 6 spell points to grant everyone in the party the Energy Resistance aegis, set to fire. We all have ER17 vs. fire for 7h, I lose 6 spell points (going down to 19)

[stack]

Maximilian nods appreciation to Aldus. "I suppose down in simple enough. I will be...not in the front, if possible."

[Frog Dragon]

"I will be in front," Bora declares, still resting his hammer on his shoulder. Then he starts strolling down the stairs, acting every bit as if he owned the place.

[BtanH]

Sebastian gives Aldus a short bow with a bit of a flourish, "Thank you my good man, I wouldn't want my clothes to get burnt." He laughs to himself quietly and moves to examine the entrance beside Bora. "I think that's an excellent idea big guy. I'd prefer to be in the middle if it's all the same to the rest of you."

[Binks]

"Happy to help." Aldus says, with a bit of a smile, as he ensures that everyone is properly protected. "I'll bring up the rear, ensure we're not ambushed from behind. I'm better at range anyway but not worried about taking a hit."

[Bansheexero]

After questioning the man, Armant sheathes Gram, allowing his magic to fade. Looking towards the stairway, he waits for the rest of the group to get ready. "Whenever you guys want to head down, let me know so I can renew my enhancements."

Just waiting for when we head down the steps. Not sure how much time elapsed during the ride in the wagon, so just want to refresh my enhancements, drawing Gram again and spending 3 Spell points whenever we start down into the new area (Adding Flaming and Corrosive to my blade and +4 Dex again whenever we start our descent). Also allowing my blade to burn like a torch from the flaming enhancement to help light up the darkness.

[BtanH]

"We should probably tie up the poor guy before we head down, eh? Anyone good with rope?"


Looks like everyone's ready to go? I assume Bora wants to lead to charge down.

[Frog Dragon]

Already one step down the stairs, Bora turns around. "Hmm, he doesn't seem like much threat. I suppose if you insist." He takes out a spool of rope and binds their enemy's arms behind his back, looking for a convenient fixture to tie him to. Perhaps the cart.

Bora has 100ft of silk rope and a CMB +17, so the Escape Artist DC to break out of his tie is 37. I'm guessing nobody else in the party beats that. After that, he's ready to head down.

Bora is definitely inclined to take point, though party composition wise Armant would be as good a choice or slightly better, since he is tankier.

[Kallimakus]

You descend to the dark underground. Bora goes in first, leading the way, others following behind.. The stairs take you to a vaulted chamber. For now, the chamber is empty. It's fairly tall, and large. Enough to fit a dozen of the monsters you fought on the surface. It has been cleared of rubble. There are several doorways that are blocked off, the rubble shoved there out of the way. Some rubble looks mixed with bones. The vault above has taken damage, some holes showing dirt, others being patched. There's only one path open.

You can see the direction is not towards the supposed lair of the mage. He probably doesn't have a straight path to this area. Going the only way you can, there are sounds ahead in the next chamber.

I imagine you don't go in making as much noise as possible. So you have the option to approach with stealth or perform scouting first.

Your captive will not willingly be mind controlled, but he allows himself to be bound, either getting dragged along or tied to the wagons.

[stack]

Vote we tie the guy to the wagon. He would get in the way otherwise and something about moral obligations to protect someone who we bound and dragged into combat.

Max stays well back from the noisy door; he has done his best to remain quiet since they descended the stairs but does not trust his skill in such matters enough to put it to the test. He considers the situation and realizes he does not know a good hand motion for 'take defensive positions and open the door quietly'.

[BtanH]

Sensing his companions' eagerness to approach the next room, Sebastian takes a moment and grants everyone a burst of courage before indicating for Bora to lead the charge.


Cast group Courage, +3 morale to all attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks for 13 rounds.

[Bansheexero]

Armant's blade is ablaze, shedding light like a torch. He approaches the door, ready to strike, though granting some space if the others wish to examine the door for any traps.

[Frog Dragon]

Bora looks at the others, hefting his hammer. Then he nods.
He kicks in the door.
Relying on speed and surprise alone, he charges at the nearest monster, swinging his hammer.

HP: 89/89 (13 temp HP)
AC: 16
Martial Foci: 2/2