Shattered Star 6.12

[06:09.25] <TenMihara|GM> *****Pathfinder: Shattered Star*****
[06:09.33] <TenMihara|GM> ~Chapter 6: The Dead Heart of Xin~
[06:09.38] <TenMihara|GM> -Part 3: The Crystal Palace-
[06:10.30] * Ilushia is now known as Yalana
[06:10.46] <TenMihara|GM> The Pathfinders, making their way through Xin's crystal palace, have now raided his treasury, wherein they learned of the Skymetal Vaults where, presumably, he kept the greater store of his wealth of the rare materials, witnessing their construction and their ability to thwart Runelord invasion.
[06:12.01] <TenMihara|GM> They also found another laboratory wherein Axiomites that seemed to be separate from the CHaberlain below assembing inevitables to try and remove them, perceived as invaders and unwilling to listen to reason as Lain had done before.
[06:12.38] <TenMihara|GM> Now all that seems to stand between them and the Skymetal Vaults is the Clockwork Dragon Ewan spied, seemingly waiting for them to try and get in, hiding amidst the inactive golem collection
[06:12.44] <TenMihara|GM> ****Session Begins****
[06:17.48] <TenMihara|GM> Aulthunn observes the bits of extraplanar constructs with passing interest before glancing at the eastern end of the hall of Golems. ("i suppose there's only one place to go now then?") She looks to Ewan. ("You're certain you saw what you claim?")
[06:20.38] <Ewan> "(Very certain, it seemed to be unmoving, but it was too conspicuous to assume that it was simply inactive, given where it was placed.)"
[06:22.16] * Yalana stretched her wings briefly. ("Then, it seems, we have a faux dragon to slay." She turned in the direction of the final doorway.
[06:24.40] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi chuckles. "Not exactly conspicuous, i still don't even see it."
[06:25.20] * Ewan nods, frowning. "(Hopefully you've still plenty of lightning left, it appeared as though Xin fancied his clockworks most of all.)"
[06:26.41] <TenMihara|GM> Aulthunn nods. ("Makes me thankful for the one powerful combat spell i do know, yes.")
[06:27.33] * Alette shrugs. "So... shall I go punch it and see if it reacts?"
[06:29.22] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi raises an eyebrow. "You have a terrible track record of getting mashed by things when you go in first."
[06:30.25] * Yalana chuckles and moves over to kiss Andrezi's cheek. "Perhaps it'd be best if you keep your distance this time, then?" She smiled showing off her fangs. "Let someone else take the risk this time around."
[06:31.16] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi chuckles. "Funny as it is, your scales are as good or better than my mithral." He looks at the white chain links beneath his shirt.
[06:31.53] * Ewan does pause to take a moment to point it out more carefully. "Striking it hard and fast, is perhaps best. It may be wise to just render inactive constructs inoperable, for the time being.
[06:32.59] * Alette nods. "Well would you rather the abomination who can regenerate put themself in danger, or perhaps the chemist, or yourself, or his child?" She shrugged again and gestured, the invisible reaper moved up to strike it.
[06:34.28] <TenMihara|GM> The Dragon looms up as the Reaper approaches, eyes right on it. Xin's voice echoes from it. "You cannot hide form my sight!" it's maw opens wide and a straight blast of fire jets from it's maw at the Reaper.
[06:39.08] <Alette> Being too big to evade the attack, all she could do was endure. Despite having no resistance to regular flames her metallic form weathered the assault well.
[06:39.48] <Alette> "That thing could've won a breath holding contest if machines weren't disqualified."
[06:40.55] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi winces at the sudden rush of heat. "Probably make a good decoration for your Den, since Yalana took the last Dragon," he quips.
[06:43.22] * Alette is struck with a look of realisation. "Hey yeah, I call dibs on this one!"
[06:43.33] <TenMihara|GM> Aulthunn looks to the Dragon now that it had disentangled itself from the broken golems. ("Xin's voice... interesting,") she muses as she hurls a bolt of lightning at it. ("Thought i might be hearing things before.")
[06:45.23] <TenMihara|GM> The Dragon proves a lot more nimble than it looks, a rush of wind battering the room as it flaps its wings, rising above the lightning. Unfortunately it's metallic body still attracts some of the charge.
[06:47.02] <Ewan> Dilys just bares her teeth at the Xin-possessed construct and lets arrows fly at it. "Told you! Told you!" she yells, directed at Ewan.
[06:51.57] <TenMihara|GM> The Dragon's armor plating proves rather resilient, deflecting Several of Dilys' arrows. Only a concentration of four of them manage to punch through enough to do any damage, though when they do it causes a shower of sparks and gnashing gears as the shafts are crunched.
[06:54.21] * Ewan follows up with a much less impressive bolt of acid, looking almost exasperated. "I'd hoped to disable it before he could possess it, but it's too late /now/."
[06:55.58] <TenMihara|GM> Aulthunn looks at it. ("i'd wager he was possessing it before we go here, seems like the kind of thing that would be a favourite.")
[06:56.49] <TenMihara|GM> The acidic bolt manages to corrode the coppery armored scales.
[07:01.35] * Alette nods. "Not like he's anything else to do." She noted that it was likely not going to do much good to try and brute force it, so following suit, she clapped her hands. The sound was much louder and brighter one might expect as a quartet of massive lightning elementals surround the dragon and lash out at it.
[07:05.49] <TenMihara|GM> While the physical impact of the blows doesn't seem to even dent the armored plating for the most part, the rush of arcing electricity tears into the Clockwork Dragon, causing it to shriek and thrash as it smokes and bangs violently.
[07:07.32] <Alette> "I'm sure there might be enough left intact to study its design, maybe even improve it. After all, you'll have time."
[07:08.19] <TenMihara|GM> Xin's voice echoes from the Dragon's maw. ("The Usurpers shall not claim my Claim my Vaults. Not Now, not ever! When i am reborn they shall rue their betrayal." The dragon's eyes glow with Xin's potent magic as a conical ray of prismatic colour blasts out, striking the Pathfinders and all of the elementals.
[07:14.51] <TenMihara|GM> The party is wracked by fire, acid, and lightning. Yalana feels herself being dimensionally shunted, only for the Palace's own wards to anchor her. Dilys feels funny in the head, but since her mind was inorganic it fades quickly.
[07:19.14] * Alette smelled awful, as the beam of light incinerated her from the inside as the lightning smashed through her. With most of her body looking horribly burnt, her hair spiked out, the skin of her wings all but melted and her eyes glassy, she could only let out a very small and very pained groan as smoke comes from her mouth.
[07:19.32] <TenMihara|GM> Aulthunn looks rather furstrated as the acid scalds her, staggering back.
[07:20.12] * Ewan hisses with a grimace as he's blasted by fire, being fully capable of feeling the heat.
[07:20.41] * Yalana wobbled a brief moment in confusion over what had just happened, but seemed no worse for it.
[07:21.48] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi likewise seems unharmed.
[07:24.39] * Yalana scowls, shifting slightly in place as she took a deep breath. She spread her lips and vomited lightning upon the construct.
[07:27.46] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi takes a step back as she belches a blast of lightning that put Aulthunn and the elementals momentarily to shame, the vicious bolt tearing through the construct's heart and causing it to collapse in a heap. The bolt tore deep enough that the  party can see a familiar blue-green glow inside that dims as it's abyssium core shuts down before it can detonate.
[07:29.10] * Yalana wiped her lips with the back of one blue scaled hand, flicking a few sparks from her fingertips. ("Excuse me. How terribly rude.")
[07:29.55] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi chuckles and gives her a peck on the cheek. "Efficient though." Aulthunn looks impressed.
[07:30.22] * Alette slumps as she stares blankly upwards. "Sorry, Andrezi..." She croaked "But I think I just made out with your wife..." And she sinks to her knees before falling on her face. "Nice and cool floor..."
[07:31.07] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi passes the Sihedreon to Alette as he spots her lightning burns, chuckling a bit.
[07:35.50] * Alette gives a weak thumbs up as the burns started to fade and skin started to regrow. Rising to her feet as fresh webbing grew from the fingers of her wings. She looks at them and flexes them a little, before cracking her neck and stretching. "Guuuh. Freshly regrown skin always feels so... tight. And you see? Even when I'm not marching into danger I STILL wind up maimed. Might as well
[07:35.51] * Alette be doing something useful while i'm at it." Fully restored she gestures for the star to move to Ewan.
[07:40.19] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi, none the worse for wear himself, looks at the now inert dragon curiously. "So, this thing is pretty impressive, lightning allergy notwithstanding. Noqual plating, Adamantine teeth and claws, and that glow inside looks a lot like the power core at Guiltspur."
[07:41.21] <TenMihara|GM> Aulthunn nods. ("Yet he had greater works still, given the visions we saw of him working on that leg, among other things.")
[07:43.12] * Alette steps closer and looks inside. "Abyssium, that'd make sure it lasted forever. And probably be toxic to boot."
[07:44.22] * Ewan grimaces a bit as he observes Alette's regeneration, his own burns much less severe, and recovering quickly as he moves over to get a better look at the downed false dragon. "Maybe you should... Hang a little further back next time?" he wonders aloud, leaning to see just how much of the clockwork was salvageable. Dilys moves over to Alette's side, just in case.
[07:45.17] <TenMihara|GM> The dragon was in a heap, smoking and smouldering. it would have to be completely rebuilt to function again, but some parts of it could perhaps be salvaged to facilitate that.
[07:47.38] * Yalana climbed up over the inert clockwork creature, examining the wall which it was standing guard over curiously.
[07:47.44] <Alette> "He blasted us with magic. I could've been on the other end of the room and probably still get a face full." She tried fruitlessly to shake it. "I should probably teleport it back to the ship."
[07:50.54] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi looks to Alette. "Perhaps, if we're getting weary, we could find the entrance to the Skymetal Vaults, then retreat before we tackle them? To ensure we're well enough to face whatever wards and guards might be therein?"
[07:53.00] * Yalana frowns. "My only concern is that if we spend too long, Xin will have time to recover his strength as well."
[07:53.12] <Alette> "Assuming the 'doors' haven't regenerated again once more forcing Yalana to expend a load of energy blasting them open."
[07:54.37] * Ewan nods, slapping Dilys's hand when she abandons tugging at the clockwork dragon in favor of drawing the adamantine sword. "Definitely something to worry about. I've brew enough to spare yet, but Yalana's been burning energy since we arrived."
[07:58.15] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi nods. "Was just a proposition. Whatever the Reliquary ends up being, I'm certain we don't want to face it exhausted. Either way, we should at least find out if we were right about the dragon's charge." Aulthunn notes, ("I wouldn't mind seeing this Skyship of yours, if we were going to have a brief respite.")
[08:00.38] * Yalana sighs and nods her head, stepping back from the wall. "Then let us spend some time resting and return later. I'm fairly confident I know which piece of wall needs to go. And the only walls I'd have to break to get back into this room is the main entrance. Which perhaps the chamberlain could open now that she's awake."
[08:02.42] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi nods, looking at the door the Dragon was guarding. "Shall we see what we've won before we retreat then?" he asks with a chuckle.
[08:05.29] * Yalana looks in that direction. "I'm guessing that his vaults lay beyond. Which I'm not certain there won't be yet another guardian before." She moves to the innert dragon and examines it curiously a few moments, before placing a hand on it and channeling her magic. A shimmer as it shrinks into the palm of her hand and she offers the tiny metallic dragon to Alette. "That should last
[08:05.29] * Yalana about a week. We'll just have to make sure to put it somewhere safe before then."
[08:07.20] * Alette nods and takes hold of it. "You'd think your hobby was turning anything into an ornament."
[08:07.55] * Ewan whistles as the enormous construct is changed into naught but a toy, having begun to move around it to check their way forward before they retreated.
[08:07.59] * Yalana grins fangedly. "I do enjoy having a collection of rare and exquisite things. Being able to take them home with me is an important part of that."
[08:08.35] <TenMihara|GM> The dragon was guarding yet another crystal door, warded by the force effect as the others were.
[08:08.57] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi smiles at her. "Such a covetous dragon i've fallen in love with."
[08:11.39] * Yalana moves to Andrezi's side and pats his cheek. "Don't you worry. I'm not about to let go of my most prized treasure any time soon."
[08:11.54] <TenMihara|GM> He smiles and blushes a touch.
[08:12.31] * Yalana looks back in the direction of the door. "But regardless. If you wish to see what's beyond we can." She raised her hand to disintegrate the wards around the remaining doorway.
[08:13.30] * Alette holds up the light and nods. "May as well see what we can see before heading back."
[08:13.57] <Ewan> Dilys is already waiting for the door's protections to be dispelled, and gets to work immediately.
[08:16.25] <TenMihara|GM> Once the wards are dispelled, the door is easily forced apart by the adamantine blade as a wedge.
[08:16.43] <TenMihara|GM> A red metal chair sits in the southern corner of this oddly
[08:16.43] <TenMihara|GM> shaped room. Sets of tiny glyphs shimmer in the air near the
[08:16.43] <TenMihara|GM> chair, while a slowly spinning rune-carved disk floats gently
[08:16.43] <TenMihara|GM> in the air before it. To the east, thick, jagged sheets of crystal
[08:16.43] <TenMihara|GM> cover a large archway like a malignant stone scab. A rune of
[08:16.43] <TenMihara|GM> complex design shifts and twitches along the stones of the
[08:16.43] <TenMihara|GM> arch itself.
[08:19.30] * Yalana curiously looks the room over. "Another spell well?"
[08:21.45] * Alette nods. "Looks like." She holds up her metal covered hand next to the chair. "Hey, snap. I think it's the same metal." She looks at the star and ponders. "The lust shard was dzjet, so this must be the well of love."
[08:22.03] <TenMihara|GM> Aulthunn nods. ("By the looks of it. Djezet... enchantment magic... and, by Xin's theories, the Virture of Rule associated with it is Love.") She gives a bit of a derisive chuckle.
[08:22.38] * Ewan looks over at Alette, recalling the "blob" of armor they found all that time ago, then to the chair. "(Seems like it's a Djezet alloy of some sort, otherwise it would just be a puddle...)" he turns to look at the "scab" with a frown. "(Lust, or love... Which makes me wary of what sort of backlash we'll get.)"
[08:23.29] * Alette holds up the flame. "Let's see if time will shed some light."
[08:25.32] <TenMihara|GM> As with the previous Spellwells, the Pathfinders are greeted with a vision of the First King staring into the rune-carved Disk. However, like in the treasury, sparks of brilliant light are followed by a blinding flash.
[08:25.34] <TenMihara|GM> ~~~
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> “Leave us!” shouts Xin, pacing before seven exquisitely
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> dressed court wizards and tables holding countless
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> wealth, while an army of retainers and handmaidens exits
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> behind them with great haste. “The Shoanti tribes refuse
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> to break antiquated oaths. The Varisians refuse to share
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> their ancestral lands. Can civilization not eclipse old ways?
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> Why do they not heed their emperor?”
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> “Your grace’s wisdom is vast,” sneers wizard in fine
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> robes, “but our emperor’s time is too precious for such
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> trifles. Perhaps we...” With an eldritch flash, Xin vanishes
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> and reappears before his apprentice, his aging hand arcing
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> with arcane fire clutching the wizard’s throat. “And what
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> would you do, Xanderghul? Rule in my stead?”
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> A staggeringly beautiful woman lays a calming hand
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> on Xin’s outstretched arm. “We mean only to administer
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> your justice, your grace—to ease the heavy burden of your
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> rule.” Xin releases the gasping savant. “I have taught you
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> well, Sorshen. Are you all not my devoted disciples?” The
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> seven wizards prostrate themselves before him. “You have
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> always served me faithfully. Perhaps it is time you served
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> me further.” The scene fades as Xin turns his back on the
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> wizards, who regain their composure with malevolent smiles.
[08:26.53] <TenMihara|GM> ~~~
[08:33.28] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi staggers a bit as they're bombarded with another intense vision. "So... those were the first Runelords... He called the one Xanderghul, and that was Sorshen as well... the others were all themselves supplanted or usurped at some point."
[08:34.28] * Yalana taps her cheek curiously at the end of the vision. "It seems he taught his students too well. Sorshen must have been manipulating him for years before the usurpation."
[08:34.45] * Alette looks at the spot they stood once the vision had faded, nodding. "Yyyeah... Ewan, I'd really suggest you keep an eye on your newest daughters growth."
[08:35.32] * Ewan reels a bit, recognition on his face, which quickly turns into a frown at having seen that familiar face do such a thing. "I have tried... Perhaps I should do so more closely once this is all over."
[08:36.41] <Alette> "Raising her right might help to."
[08:37.37] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi nods to Yalana, "Makes it hardly a wonder that she was never usurped, if she was powerful enough to enchant even someone as great as Xin, though supposedly Xanderghul was stronger still. We should hope they never show their faces on Golarion again."
[08:38.41] <Alette> "That's already happened. It just got hijacked by an infant."
[08:39.10] <TenMihara|GM> Andrezi rolls his eyes. "You know what i mean though."
[08:39.34] <Ewan> "She is... In a way, a fragment of me, so perhaps she has an advantage..." he notes, frowning. "Best to prepare just in case. For both possibilities. After all, we do have The Star now."
[08:42.47] <TenMihara_> Andrezi smiles at Ewan. "Just because she has the Runelord's face, doesn't make her the same person. i'm sure she'll be a wonderful woman when she grows up."
[08:44.38] * Yalana yawned briefly, stretching her arms. "Let us go get a good night's sleep before we delve the deepest secrets of an emperor shall we?"
[08:45.19] * Alette idly taps her light. "I wonder if we could use a little timey wimey to make her younger though, seems a little unfair your life begins and you're already physically an adult. An azlanti is still human after all."
[08:46.49] * Ewan nods, taking Dilys's hand and giving it a squeeze. "My heart, a Runelord's face... Certainly a unique concoction." he murmurs. "Maybe given time I could find something for that, actually, I think I recall Druidic circles having a way to do something of the sort."
[08:46.57] <TenMihara_> Andrezi nods. "Seems we're getting quite a bit of insight into the First King. Shiela will be thrilled at least." Aulthunn looks to Alette and chuckles at that. "Human yes, but i can tell at a glance that, sad though it is, humanity has diminished in spite of it's survival." She looks to Andrezi. "Though if this Mererid does have the body of a Runelord as you say, she would likely have our strong blood still."
[08:50.27] <Alette> "A clone body of Sorshen herself, yes. We found evidence all over that all the runelords tried very hard to cheat death, hopefully the apocalypse came before they could." She turns and begins to make her way out. "No offense intended on the human part by the way. Just pointing out the aging thing."
[08:52.18] <TenMihara_> Aulthunn nods, looking curious. ("So she would, indeed, be a trueblood Azlanti, or near enough, as a Clone made from Sorshen's own flesh and blood.")
[08:54.05] <TenMihara_> ****End Session****
[08:55.18] <TenMihara_> Rewards: 243,200 Experience Points; +81,065 XP Each