Midnight RPG - Chapter 42.15

Questions / Notes

Was Zal'Kazzir working at this with any help? Was Ahemia or any of the other NPCs/PCs around? Was Belal involved? (if so Belal or any of the other could be aiding another).

Zal will need to TAKE TIME sometime during next game session (simply by noting to me when you are doing these tests). Taking the time won't seem like a long project, but I could easily see it taking 1-3 hours. All the time going and rounding up these items. Sneaking around to avoid suspicion, etc... If Zal gets help it might speed up the time needed, but that's up to you. I'm rolling 1D4+1 randomly, if I roll a 1 I'm rolling again - on another 1 it'll take less than an hour. The roll for time taken is below at the bottom.

NOTE: this isn't the "end" of the research. It's meant to set more questions for you to uncover if you wish to continue.

Za'al's Weakness Test

Za'al will surruptitiously (Using an alternate form) gather and test the following substances while on the Corbron Isles:

The following tests will involve Zal attempting to prick a finger, scatch and bruise himself with each substance.

• Wood (Easy)
• Iron (A Nail)
• Steel (A knife)
• Bone (Easy)
• Silver (I have silver jewelry)
• Gold (ditto)
• Copper (ditto)
• Magical Weapon (Zal's Claws Count as Magical Weapons)
• A quill
• Paper (papercut)
• Salt
• Stone

• ROLLS: Zal'Kazzir (Sense Motive +20, with Spot) ROLLED: PRIVATE
  This suggests that for all intents and purposes Zal could believe that these donot/cannot do any harm to him unusually.

• Coral (either from the beach, or test a piece of coral jewelry from a merchant)

Unfortunately the fact that the Corbron Isles is in the Sea of Pelluria is a freshwater body of water that doesn't support coral (this is why the Pirate Princes destroy many ships to block the way into the Bildgewater isles). There is no coral available.

• ROLLS: Zal'Kazzir (Gather Information +36, with Spot) ROLLED: PRIVATE

• Evil Aligned Weapon (ditto)

How exactly can Zal align his weapon to evil?

• Chaotic Aligned Weapon (ditto)

(ditto)

Za'al's Weakness Test

If none of these prove to be the culprit, Zal will attempt a knowledge check to attempt to deduce other possibilites he might check.

• ROLLS: Zal'Kazzir (Know: Spirits +16): DC 10+16th level= DC26; ROLLED: PRIVATE
  Zal believes that going further with the objects on his list will likely (95%) be unnecessary. The tests you've completed haven't caused any issues. The chances of the weakness being coral is ridiculous to Zal (even though it COULD be) due to the nature of a LACK of symbology or purpose... how could it be any of these things... ridiculous!
  Considering his knowledge on Succubus in general Zal would guess that his weakness doesn't like in the lightning of the sky (electricity) as Succubus are immune...
  However, what of other types of energy... Zal hasn't tested any of those (he hasn't tested electricity either, but doubts that's the case)...
  
  Testing against the ways of the soul (alignment) seem to prove more difficult (waiting for your explanation above) but again the likelyhood of Zal being effected by Chaotic or Evil aligned materials make him scoff...
  
  Otherwise one thing that Zal considers is that he did have "wounds" to bind following the battle in the sky with the Great Drake Zaindal... He seems to remember little to no bruises or punctures, however cuts lined his face and exposed body. Belal and Ahemia cleaned most all of these up prior to him waking, but some can be recalled. That of course was "prior" to the physical transformation... but then again the die had been cast, it's not unwise to believe that Zal WAS ALREADY under the protection of lesser wounds from his newly demonic nature. It's likely those cuts coming from the battle with Zaindal were either in excess of his resistance or directly from a weakness...

Za'al's Weakness Test

He will also cast a 'Legend Lore' spell on himself.

From the spell description:
"Legend lore brings to your mind legends about an important person, place, or thing. If the person or thing is at hand, or if you are in the place in question, the casting time is only 1d4x10 minutes.
During the casting, you cannot engage in other than routine activities: eating, sleeping, and so forth. When completed, the divination brings legends (if any) about the person, place, or things to your mind. These may be legends that are still current, legends that have been forgotten, or even information that has never been generally known. If the person, place, or thing is not of legendary importance, you gain no information. As a rule of thumb, characters who are 11th level and higher are “legendary,” as are the sorts of creatures they contend with, the major magic items they wield, and the places where they perform their key deeds."

It seems like a creatures' vulnerability would be the kind of 'legendary' information that this spell would normally be used to discover.

Spell Cost: remember to subtract your spell energy.

Spell Time: ~30 minutes (which adds to the time below)

In the casting of this epic spell Zal sees visions of his great deeds, he hears poems in the colonial tongue being called out by the Town Crier of his home town Sharuun. These visions are the words told in recent past regarding his rumored revenge on the family killer Krell, of his gallant travel far beyond normal men, the rumors of his death and return to life among the Bluff and the Corbron Isles. He hears the elven songs laced in lyric the name of Ghulvenne linked hand in hand with the saviors of the Elven people. He sees the telling of his legend in whispers amid the lightless temples in the High City. Grunts that turn to roars of the unclean pigs of the north in their orc tongue. Somewhere goblins such as Kiki Jiki and Zo Zu the Punisher talk of his deeds before fearing themselves to sleep. A howl lets loose and children cry to their mothers as the worg Grimjaw barks of his master. And elsewhere in the unseen places of Aryth, in the Eternal places near the veil a prince is spoken of... a fey not born fey.
It is of these legends that you see and seek... they mingle and mix in tones and terms that none individually give you answer to your quest....
However... the mixing of such bites of tongues almost speak to you through the power of the energy drawn from your hand. A goblin snips here, an elven rhyme sung softly there, with an orc growl and a hateful prayer the images of your legend aligns to this:

"O thou, new-born, delaying long, Delayest the sorrow in men and shadow blood alike, the time is at hand chaos breeds him and cannot harm him. In front of a mirror will be born the infant twin, below the city of Theros was his soul bred with the Eternals, from the ancient line, childe fae not born fae. so destined is the messiah to Eredane they will say the living twin deserves the day. A twin within it grows and turns. Through a slit in the Sarcoson belly The childe born with fang: Called by a barbaric name from the dead twin like a quicksilver blade. Far on Arydian Acielehrius The treacherous one, offers rule, quickly raised from low to high estate. He will suddenly turn disloyal and volatile. This man will govern the horde white or night. The forebears come forth from the depths of hell. The Enemy is troubled by this Queen's gambit. The darker brethren will doubly disguise his action - the orc seaks his breathern's head and he can have it is his soul avoids the chaos, His and her kin face the traitor in anger, and fear. When the great wooden columns tremble in the western wind, covered with blood. Offered an eye, he became a demon instead. Such a great assembly then pours forth that Sharuun and the Westlands will tremble. When the great Queen sees herself conquered, she will show an excess of masculine courage. A king for the queen, Zal'Kazzir may stand at his side. A founder of sects, much trouble for the accuser: A beast in the theater prepares the scene and plot. The author ennobled by acts of older times; the world is confused by schismatic sects. Beasts ferocious from hunger will swim across rivers: The greater region will be lead by the Ardoome, The great one causing it dragged in an iron cage, The Kasmaelian childe will observe its own tide. The treacherous one, who is offered rule, quickly raised from low to high estate. He will suddenly turn disloyal and volatile. This man will govern the horde white or night."

TIME FOR TESTS

Finding many of the objects were difficult. It was also a minor challenge to go unwatched by the other PCs, not necessarily them watching you but rather them knowing you're out alone doing something... they'd wonder. So taking the extra time (spread out perhaps) this entire project will take +30 minutes from casting Legend Lore: ~4.5 hours.
If you want to reduce this by a D4 you can get help. 1D4 per helper. Minimum of 30-50 minutes.