%% date:: [[2024-09-08]] %% # [[076_20240908 Tricksy wizards never die]] ![[076_20240908.svg]] ## Session Summary > [!tldr] [[076_20240908 Tricksy wizards never die]] > After receiving boons from [[Xal'garoth - The Apex Beast]], the party returns to [[Arbor Felix]] where [[Hearthmother Saesella]] identifies their magical items, including a *Bravery Baldric*, *Serpent Oil*, and *Moonlit Chain*. They learn that [[Zarmavdian]]'s clan dagger can teleport the wielder and allies to a predetermined location on the island, though not as far as [[Otari]] or [[Absalom]]. > > The party spends time integrating with Arbor Felix, with [[Zuhri]] giving protective werewolf bites to about 800 villagers. During this process, Zuhri meets **[[Rev]]**, a human teenager whose grandmother told stories of catfolk who once lived in the village. Rev teaches Zuhri a childhood hopping game using shapes drawn in soil—**the same symbol Zuhri found written in chalk in [[The Gauntlight]]**, suggesting a personal connection to this place. > > The party members experience significant dreams: [[Vayle]] dreams of [[Malik]] praising their usefulness to "the cult," [[Bond]] dreams of disappointing reports to [[Alkenstar]] about the lack of technological solutions to the Nex-Gedd war, and [[Grumble]] dreams of returning to his clan wardens. Using Zarmavdian's dagger, they teleport to a mysterious underground laboratory where they encounter the **real [[Zarmavdian]]**—naked, bearded, and initially hostile until they convince him they're allies. ^summary %% ## Video [Video]() %% --- ## Recap ![[075_20240901 Xal'garoth the Apex Beast#^summary]] --- ## Log Recap - We got boons from [[Xal'garoth - The Apex Beast]] - Xal'garoth was summoned to this plane by [[The Voidseekers]]. He fought other beasts in the primal plane it was in to get into the portal, after which it was sucked into [[Zarmavdian]], who was already a werewolf. So he and [[Ashnefrotty|Ash]] are kin, of a sort. - We returned to [[Arbor Felix]] and [[Hearthmother Saesella]] identified some of the items. - *Bravery Baldric (Fleet)*: [Aon](https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=2309) | [Demiplane](https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/pathfinder2e/items/bravery-baldric-fleet) - [Serpent Oil, Moderate](https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/pathfinder2e/items/serpent-oil-moderate) - [[Zuhri]] - [Moonlit Chain](https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/pathfinder2e/items/moonlit-chain-rm) - [[Vayle]] - We can use Zarmavdian's personal clan dagger to teleport the wielder, along with allies, to a predetermined location. The enchantment isn't that powerful, so it's not to Dongoon. It's somewhere on the island. It's also not in Otari because that's also too far away. Absalom is also a bit too far. - Otari was created by [[Vol Rajani]], [[Zarmavdian]], and [[Esefna Menhemes|Esefna]] as a tribute to [[Otari Ilvashti]], whom they thought had died in that final fight against [[Belcorra]]. Zarmavdian had been missing since then, but Vol and Esefna lived out the rest of their lives in Otari. Only [[Marmanak]] in this village trades. He's the only one who requires materials not available in Arbor Felix or in the surrounding lands. It takes about an hour to line everyone up and bite everyone who got the bite. (About 800 people.) I go out with [[Hunter Elise]], who is overseeing the villagers getting the silver. One of the villagers talks to me: [[Rev]], a human. He said his grandmother told him stories of times when they had people like me in the village. He asks me if I'm dangerous. I tell him it depends on who's asking, but the most danger is when things are wild and can't think for themselves yet. - He asks where I grew up. Do I think I used to live here? I ask him where the catfolk went when they left. There was just one family of catfolk who were here in Arbor Felix. The tigers also came and killed some of the catfolk as well. The villagers just scared away all the tigers and all the catfolk too. One of his grandmothers said one of the catfolk taught her a childish game and she taught that to him. He makes a group of shapes on the soil and I find the shape familiar. It's the same symbol that I found written in chalk in [[The Gauntlight]]. The game is about hopping on one leg through as many of the shapes as you can. I think this is something I played as well when I was small. - He has 7 or 8 grandmothers. - He's a teenager. He's a tracker learning from a hunter (not Elise). [[Vayle]] has a dream about [[Malik]]. He says to them: "I'm proud of what you have done. We are now stronger. Your powers now are more suited for what we have to do. I'm glad that you are now more useful to me. I can't wait to see what you can do with these boons. These will be so useful for the cult. Please continue meeting people, making alliances, and finding things we can exploit." [[Jaspen Bond Callistair|Bond]] has a dream of reporting to his people at [[Alkenstar]]. The guy he's reporting (his boss) to is disappointed because what he was looking for was a way to fix the war between [[Nex]] and [[Gedd]]. He wanted technological marvels. He wants to fix the fact that Alkenstar is dead and devoid of life. It's only the people and technology keeping it alive. Then Bond goes to his family, where they manufacture guns. There are guardian robots that go around the place. They used to report to him as Shield Warden. [[Grumblebum|Grumble]] dreams of returning to return clan wardens. It's the next day! Silver starts to be made. Saesella points out the remainder of magical items. She lets Elise have the first pick, but Elise doesn't want any. Then she looks to us, as the next most respected. - [Beastmaster's Sigil](https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/pathfinder2e/items/beastmasters-sigil-basic) spellheart - can summon an animal - Bond - Sphere resembling frozen lava. A crystal ball: Eternal eruption. It's a lava bomb! The glass is actually time magic that saved the lava at the point of eruption. It detonates as a fireball where it lands (within 70 feet). 5d6 damage. -- Grumble takes this - [Statue skin salve](https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/pathfinder2e/items/statue-skin-salve). Consumable magical oil. Forms thin later of stone on body to gain resistance 3 to piercing and slashing, +2 bonus to impersonate statue or creature made of stone for 8 hours. - Vayle - [Feather token](https://app.demiplane.com/nexus/pathfinder2e/items/feather-token) balloon - Grumble My quick access: Healing potion - Lesser and Bravo's Brew. The dagger is meant to bring four people so I have to unsummon [[Ashnefrotty|Ash]]! We also have to leave our victas. We tell them we'll be back. [[Grumblebum|Grumble]] activates the clan dagger by saying something in dwarvish that has something to do with peace. A flash of light envelops us and then we're gone. We find ourselves in a dark place. Strong smell of earth. It smells like home for Grumble. We (who have the apometi's favour) know we're far from plants. We're in a 10 x 5 room/tunnel with unfinished stone. No door at the end. Further on, it opens up 20 more feet and then turns right into a room. We see the edges of a room. There are no windows or doors. Everything is stone. No apparent point of exit or entry. It's dusty. We can smell it's musky here. There's a dim light flickering from some torch or small lamp. Part laboratory, part library based on all the books scattered on the edge of the room. There seems to be an edge of a table that we can see, and it has books on top of it. We hear someone muttering in Dwarven. I manifest [[Ashnefrotty|Ash]]. The person is talking to themselves about a topic Grumble doesn't understand. Bond also speaks Dwarven and knows he's talking about death, dying, reading of an arcane tome or poem. It's a small voice coming from somewhere deeper in the tunnel. Then it stops. [[Grumblebum|Grumble]] goes ahead towards the voice and greets them in Dwarven. It's a lab/library/bedroom/kitchen/toilet. Books are scattered everywhere. There's a glass tub of some sort about ten feet long and ten feet wide with coloured light blue liquid. There are splashes right outside it and wet footprints. But the tub itself is empty. There is a lone chair on the side of the table with some quills there. There are cabinets that are haphazardly stuffed (if we take something from them, the rest will come falling down). It's poorly lit, and there's just one magical light floating. There doesn't seem to be an exit, but there's also no one there. Yet we hear a voice. I don't sense anything with thoughtsense in the next 30 feet, but this room is 90 feet long. It's like something came out of the tub and then left wet footprints everywhere by the books. There are some vials for making potions. The bed is unused. [[Grumblebum|Grumblebum]] starts casting *Locate*. Bond looks at some of the notes-- they're talking about other worlds and a world beyond this one. Vayle checks the liquid in the tub. When we get to the last 30 feet and we sense a thought there. I ask Bond or Grumble to come and speak, but then I hear spellcasting! Roll for initiative... - Round 1 - Bond: Diplomacy check. The dwarf just says it's too late and we need to leave. - Voice: Lightning Bolt?/Chain Lightning - 26 electricity damage to those who failed. - [[Grumblebum|Grumble]] says again that we've come in peace and that he's a Death Warden that's come to return Zarmavdian's dagger. He goes in front. - [[Zuhri]]: Intimidate success. - [[Vayle]]: Fascinates everyone but the dwarf! - Round 2 - Bond tries to Demoralize, but the dwarf suceeds. He heals himself. - Dwarf: Spell on [[Ashnefrotty|Ash]]. Ash feels like something tried to put him back to where he came from, but it didn't work because I critically succeeded. Grumble misses the reactive strike. - [[Grumblebum|Grumble]]: Intimidate fails. But grapples it. It's quite small and thin... and naked! And there's a lot of unruly dwarven beard. It's the smell of a dwarf. - I disarm him of his staff. - Round 3 - Bond threatens him. - Dwarf: Shield. - [[Vayle]]: Casts Charm. I tell him we've already spoken to Esefna and to Otari. He says it's *his* dagger! It's [[Zarmavdian]]! **Combat Summary**: The party encountered the real [[Zarmavdian]] in an underground laboratory, who was initially hostile and cast lightning spells. After a brief combat involving diplomacy, intimidation, and charm magic, they convinced him they were allies and that it was indeed his dagger they had brought. %% # Text Elements # Drawing ```json {"type":"excalidraw","version":2,"source":"https://github.com/zsviczian/obsidian-excalidraw-plugin/releases/tag/2.0.25","elements":[],"appState":{"theme":"dark","gridSize":null,"viewBackgroundColor":"#ffffff"}} ``` %%