"Ahhh, looking through my notes, looks like I may have been wrong. Ashamintallu was engraved on that plaque we found behind the giantess' throne."
He indicates for Vuloo to pull out the plaque.
“A gift for my Mistress Sorshen from her humble servant Ayandamahla, dedicated this celebrated day, the 25th anniversary of her ascension to rulership in Eurythnia. Present—Runelord Sorshen, Ayandamahla and her daughters Ashamintallu and Erixadallax, Lord & Lady of the Burning Bright, the Sisters of Charming & Delectation, and the Baron of Calamities, along with all slaves, servants, and supplicants in this, the Lady’s Light. May she reign unchallenged forever.”
"Andel, you're talking to yourself again. Are you saying this... Ashamintallu... is the artist's name?"
"Don't know, but it looks here like she was the daughter of someone who knew Sorhshen well."
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Vuloo muses, "We saw a lascivious mural earlier in the dungeon that was similar to this."
Vuloo pulls out the plaque from his backpack and reads it out loud for the group. “A gift for my Mistress Sorshen from her humble servant Ayandamahla, dedicated this celebrated day, the 25th anniversary of her ascension to rulership in Eurythnia. Present—Runelord Sorshen, Ayandamahla and her daughters Ashamintallu and Erixadallax, Lord & Lady of the Burning Bright, the Sisters of Charming & Delectation, and the Baron of Calamities, along with all slaves, servants, and supplicants in this, the Lady’s Light. May she reign unchallenged forever.”
"Ashamintallu is the daughter of Ayandamahla."
Vuloo thinks back to the previously seen mural. "If I recall correctly, the signature on that painting was Amivadeus Yasrin."
Vuloo looks around and says "Amivadeus Yasrin!"
Vuloo will take the incense burner and incense. "Who wants the dagger?"
Its always good to have an adamantine weapon. I'll carry this blade for now. the lore warden says as he tucks the dagger into his belt.
Careful with your words Vuloo. Relan says, perhaps too late. Are you ready to enter the inner sanctum now?
Vuloo pauses, "Perhaps you are correct my friend. We may want to take the opportunity to rest before we face whatever challenges are sure to greet us in the inner sanctum. I am reaching the limits of the spells that I can cast today. Is anyone opposed to resting here for the evening?"
Braelex shakes her head. "I would not complain for a break. I've had a few close calls, and still feel the hex that hag put on me."
Relan turns as he's talking to Vuloo and Braelex comments about resting to find that the halfling has disappeared.
This magnificent marble chamber is richly appointed. Its domed ceiling is frescoed with an image of a starry night sky, while a thick rug of exquisite manufacture covers much of the floor. A stairway rises to a pair of double doors to the west, while a hallway leads away to the south. Large alcoves decorated with gold tiles extend to the north and east. Black marble benches carved to represent coiling serpents sit on the northeast and southeast walls.
Four creatures hiss as you enter the room, you recognize them as sinspawn, similar to the ones you fought in the Crow, but these hideous creatures have the torsos of voluptuous women while their arms, legs, and heads are of nightmarish parodies of the human form.
They rush at you.
Looking more disappointed than surprised Relan says Well, Vuloo seems to have gone ahead of us. I expect he would appreciate some help. So no rest for now. Please follow in turn. "Amivadeus Yasrin".
Braelex nods and recites the name.
The sinspawn rush forward to engage Vuloo with their guisarmes, but the halfling is able to hold off them off
Vuloo draws and activates his wand of spiritual weapon. He directs the attack against the northern sinspawn attacking Andel.
Andel goes to total defense.
Slightly disoriented from the teleport, Braelex loses a moment regaining her bearings. She recoils from the mass of sinspawn in close proximity and hurls a fire bomb into their midst, point blank.
;
The sinspawn all divide up and attack their own individual targets, some lashing out with a single claw and bite, while other stabs over people to reach party members in the back.
; HIT!
; HIT!; plus DC14 Fort Save or be overcome with lust and sickened for minutes
; HIT!;
; miss
; HIT!; plus DC14 Fort Save or be overcome with lust and sickened for minutes
; HIT!;
; miss
Vuloo goes to total defense and nudges Relan. "Thanks for coming after me. Now I suggest that you do something about our new friends!"
Andel resists his lustful temptations and continues on total defense.
On Vuloo's turn Vuloo will take 5 points from Relan's injury and Relan will heal 5, unless Vuloo drops the life link.
Relan shakes of the lustful urges and full power attacks, attacking the spawn on Andel. If the first were to drop he will move to the other that is 10' away. If the first drops at all he encourages Andel to step to provide some maneuvering room.
Vuloo summons a spiritual weapon that fails to find purchase. Then the sinspawn attack again as per above.
Vuloo goes to defense as Relan cuts down the spawn west of Andel and then swings at the next one in line fumbling his grip in the tight quarters.
Braelex hucks a bomb drawing attacks from 2 of the creatures who stab across the tiefling's friends but smash the hafts of their weapons together disrupting each other.
; miss
; miss
Levelle steps back as Talaay flies up and fires her bow missing wide.
; miss
Andel retreats to defense as well as the sinspawn continue their divided attacks.
; miss
; HIT!;
; miss
; HIT!;
; miss
; miss
Vuloo directs his spiritual weapon at the southern sinspawn on Relan.
Andel attacks the northern sinspawn with his quarterstaff.
Relan glares at Andel and says Step forward man. I need room. He then cuts at the only sinspawn he can reach with his weapon. If Andel does 5' step then Relan will step into his spot and attack the other as well.
Andel hastily takes a 5' step after his attack.
Vuloo's spiritual weapon drops the injured sinspawn and with a quick flourish, Relan cuts down one and spins behind Andel sweeping the southern one in half, ending the fight immediately.
As you approach from the stairs (the hallway to the south leads to the same room, you hear the sound of a large party in full swing—delighted laughter, spirited music, the clinking of fine crystal, and the murmur of a large crowd. When you first enter this room, you’re greeted by what might be an unexpected sight—a grand masked ball in full swing.
This cavernous hall is made of marble, with two rows of pillars carved to resemble tree trunks supporting the ceiling thirty feet above. The frescoed ceiling is painted to depict the canopy of foliage such trees would produce, and a star-flooded sky, full moon aglow, peeks through the boughs here and there. A lavish rug, colored burnt orange shot through with threads of gold, runs the length of the room. Two great tapestries of rich burgundy hang from the sides of a balcony on the east wall that overlooks the ballroom from a height of thirty feet, while at the opposite end of the room, four statues of a beautiful woman guard a large stage.
Dozens of men and women dressed in fine clothing dance to the music of a small orchestra on the stage, while just below the stage sits none other than Runelord Sorshen herself on a ruby throne, clad in a scandalously revealing gown. As you enter, she rises from the throne and claps her hands twice. This causes the orchestra to fall silent and the members of the dance to immediately hush and turn their attention to her as she speaks.
“Oh my sweet subjects,” she coos, her voice seductive and penetrating. “Now is the time for us to enjoy the succulent fruits of our labor. I give you license to indulge your appetites, every unexpressed libidinous impulse, for by such indulgences you honor me. Those who would interfere with this sacrament are like the blind chastising the sighted for looking with pleasure upon a rainbow. Why, some in our midst this very moment actively work against us—obstacles between us and the indulgence of our passions. Behold the cold and bloodless prudes who even now stand before us!”
With a sweeping gesture, she indicates you. The people in the room all turn to face you their expressions a mixture of contempt and disgust. One looming man dressed in green-and-gold robes, raises an accusing finger at the PCs and yells venomously: “The proper place for those without the Inner Fire is the grave! Come, let us drag them there!”
The crowd surges toward you in an angry mob, emitting a unified, growing howl of fury.
Vuloo feigns being offended. "Who said I didn't have inner fire? Maybe Braelex, but not me! I got the fire!"
Vuloo points to the man at the end. "In addition to Sorshen, we have Karzoug, the runelord of greed. Neither of these two can be real. This is a trick!"
He will actively disbelieve in Sorshen and the crowd.
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"They look pretty real... are you sure?" She holds a noxious bomb ready to throw at the leading edge of the mob, if they get within thirty feet.
;
Nalar whimpers through the thick gag as the sinspawn runs one of its crude claws down his cheek in a mockingly tender fashion, a thin line of red following it. He was at his wits end, a week of this hell was weighing heavily on him and if it weren't for the reassuring connection to Thyrl, he no doubt would have gone mad already. The abomination looms above him. The perfect body contrasting with the Hideous limbs as it straddles him, slowly and painfully working it's claws over his skin.
He writhes in pain as lowers it's head and sinks it's teeth into his shoulder. A sickening rush of pleasure floods his mind for second as before he beats it back. Suddenly the pain stops, he is dimly aware of the thing picking him up and tossing him somewhere, the movement helps to clear his head as a jolt of concern pulses through the empathetic bond he shares with Thyrl. As he takes a laboured breath another emotion comes through the bond, hope.
Just as that happens noise fills the room, twisting his head Nalar makes out the familiar shape of his host just before it vanishes and the sounds of intrudes briefly fill the room. His heart begins to soar before another voice breaks through and causes it to sink. A female voice. The same the gave him to the monster that had been his torment.
The angry mob surges forward, led by the man who appears to be Karzoug, the rush half way down the chamber drawing daggers and rapiers. Sorshen sits on her throne and throws back her head, her rich laugh cutting through the cacophony, beautiful in its malice.
Vuloo and Bralex blink their eyes and try to force the charging crowd to disappear mentally but they continue rushing forward.
As the room bursts into chaos Nalar feels his faithful friend slip next to him, the outsider shifting out of its mist form. "Hold on, help is coming." It hisses as it begins to struggle with the binding.
As Nalar struggles he gets a hand free and rips out his gag. "Thyrl, what's happening?"
"Other pathfinders have arrived," Thyrl replies around a mouth full of rope as it try to untangle a knot. "Some sort of illusion is harassing them.
"I think I'm getting some progress on this," Nalar says as he manages to free an elbow some what. "Go help them if you can, I'll be fine."
Relan declares Combat expertise and readies to trip the first enemy that comes within range.
As other enemy approach he also tries to trip them.
0
Read Magic
Detect Magic
Dancing Lights
Prestigtidtation
1
Mage Armor
Cultural Adaption
Sheild
Magic Missle (2)
2
See Invisibility
Mirror image
Stone Call
Hideous Laughter (2)
3
Dispel Magic
Deep Slumber
Fireball
4
Wall of Ice
Invisibility, Greater
Vuloo will cast dispel magic on Karzoug and the charging mob in an effort to dispel what he believes is an illusion.
Round 1
Relan steps back and sets for the rushing crowd of revelers, the Runelord of Greed at the front casting a spell as he approaches.
Then pop they all disappear as Vuloo completes his spell revealing them for the illusion they were.
Sorshen's voice trails into a throaty hissing laugh that echoes through the chamber. You hear the telltale sounds of spell casting from deep within hall and notice a small cloud of mist moving toward you.
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Relan blinks a couple of times in surprise as the mob vanishes and then sees the cat shape to the mist.
Its a cat made of mist. he exclaims, pointing at the mist with his weapon.
As Relan spots Thyrl and calls out it's presence the Agathion shoots forward, flying above the ground. "Greetings pathfinders," It says, stopping a few feet in front Relan*. "I am Thyrl, I mean you no harm. I am in dire need of your help, I am familiar to a wizard by the name of Nalar Tavor. He is trapped, tied up behind the throne and has been tortured for the past week by a sinspawn. The mist twists slightly as the outsider arcs it's back to look over at the throne.
As Thyrl speeds away Nalar tries again with his bindings.
But succeeds in getting nowhere, a spike of fustration rearing it's head.
"My master needs your help." Thyrl says, looking at the pathfinders. "Please hurry. It pleades before vanishing in flash of light.
Thyrl appears next to Nalar.
Vuloo looks suspiciously at the cat. "A likely story. This is more trickery my friends. We must be wary of Sorshen's machinations."
Vuloo looks for the source of the spell casting.
Andel attempts to identify the strange cat.
"Perhaps there is truth in what the creature says. We did just encounter sinspawns and it correctly knew that we are associated with the pathfinders."
We also just encountered a powerful illusion and do not know if the cat creature was its cause. But still I must go to investigate. I cannot let a pathfinder languish in the keeping of one of those sinspawn. And I think wizards often keep such creatures as pets and familiars so its at least possible. Look alive! Relans to advance into the hall looking for the secured wizard.
"If its a trick, it is a strange one," Braelex says, holding her bomb in check.
Vuloo and Andel follow cautiously behind Relan.
Relan and the others move forward scouting ahead and glancing for the referenced wizard. He spots a struggling form behind the throne.
As they move forward, however a creature appears in the middle of the room, drooling and groaning. It spews a torrent of gas that quickly makes its way to surround you all.
The creature looks in disgust at the creature. "It is a dretch demon. It's summoner must be nearby."
Vuloo will move out of the gas area and will then activate his wand of spiritual weapon versus the dretch.
Andel moves out of the gas cloud and begins citing the weaknesses of a dretch .