Argor finds a thin, delicate gold ring hidden amongst the rubble, which has expertly formed filigree in the shape of wings and feathers all around its circumference.
When Grommuk sees that Argor has discovered something, the green-skinned brute lopes over to the masked wizard and looms over his shoulder. A grumble of an "Oooooooooh!" escapes his on-the-brink-of-drooling jowls as he expresses his appreciation for the shiny thing the wizard has found.
"Argor give that to almost-elf lady who read his books? Pretty ring! Girl not very pretty though. Her skin soft and hair fluffy. No thick. But Argor that way too! Argor like almost-elf lady?"
Cladissa stifles a smile by putting her hand over her mouth.
Um. I don't sense anything on up ahead. I think we can keep going, she says, trying to cut off a potential confrontation.
Argor casts a spell to detect any magic auras on the ring and studies any properties it may have, blatantly disregarding Grommuk's idiocy.
Hrimnagel creeps ahead down the hallway, using his talent for stealth to inform the party of what's coming next. He descends a stairway for about forty feet, before there is an intersection where another short flight of stairs lead down into an ossuary chamber. The room is empty. The main hallway continues on for a short time before opening into another similarly sized chamber.
Water drips from the double-vaulted ceiling and trickles down the walls to pool on the floor of this room. Bone shards of a hundred skulls litter the room like shattered seashells. Wide stairs descend to the west. Narrow stairs dive to the north. On the south wall, an open doorway gapes, a carved relief depicting a massive battle filling the archway over the door. The rest of the walls are filled floor to ceiling with nooks that house ancient, but drenched, skeletal remains. In the center of the room sit twelve school children in a circle on the floor. One child seems to be silently telling a story, her arms moving rapidly as she makes scary faces. These children appear to be like those in the schoolhouse above, simple apparitions. Marlinchen (or what remains of him) is sprawled out on the floor behind the girl telling the story. His body has been torn to shreds and partially devoured, and lies in a puddle of shredded clothing and gore. The groundkeeper's corpse has its hands stretched towards the girl, as if he were trying to embrace her. The children seem not to notice Hrimnagel and make no reaction.
Argor notes the latent magic power the ring holds, and slips it onto his finger for safe keeping.
"A minor magical trinket. I'm sure the Society will desire it to be cataloged upon our return. Let us continue."
When Hrimnagel returns with an update, Argor replies, "So the madman has been slain. Then there is something else lurking about this tomb. If the Allips did not seek to destroy it, or them, after all these years, then whatever killed the groundskeeper must be undead as well. That doesn't narrow the field down much, so be prepared for any sort of horror in the chambers beyond."
Cladissa's heart aches in sympathy for the children, and Cole mews softly. She swallows hard, then sniffs the air to try to pierce the stench of death and detect whatever killed the groundskeeper.
Grommuk starts collecting choice "sea shells", holding them up and appraising them with a "keen" eye. When he notices the dead groundskeeper he scratches his head. "How he get here? Smoke monsters not hate crazy people?"
Then the brute's eyes settle on the ring of children just beyond the sprawled corpse. "Hey! Hey! Bad kids kill Mar. . . Mar Lynchpin?"
Hrimnagel stealths around the room examining the situation.
Nyugusk stares, fascinated, at the ghostly children. after trying various means to get them to interact, be starts scanning the room.
The whole group of Pathfinders hear several something's shuffling up the staircase to the north, coming towards the room they are in.
Argor turns and steps away from the set of stairs in question. "Whatever is coming, I doubt it's a welcoming committee. After this much time, nothing could remain alive down here unless it was undead or allied with the foul things. Prepare yourselves."
He then turns to face the passageway the sound is coming from, and begins an incantation while removing a tiny bag of herbs and a small candle from his components. He uses his magic to will the candle to light and holds the bag over the flame, letting the herbs burn.
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Be ready, she tells her familiar while turning to face Nyugusk. She sends a luck hex his way while remaining in the hall. Cole slips silently forward to lurk along the corners of the chamber.
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Nyugusk smiles his too-wide grin. "Thank you, Cladissa!"
He then pops the cork off of one his daily extracts and swallows it with a "Glump." As he does his body starts to swell in fits and spurts, as if a dozen tiny dwarves were hammering him out from the inside -- here an eye, there a shoulder, there a flippered foot. When the process is done he stands twelve feet tall and his mouth appears large enough to fit a pony.
Surprise Round
Hrimnagel hears the shuffling feet in a necropolis and concludes undead. He cradles three sling bullets in his pouch and infuses them with the innate fey magic that deep gnomes share with stone. They slightly hum and vibrate in readiness.
As the herbs burn, Argor calls out, "I have some aid coming in, so make sure to allow them room at the entrance to the stairs."
Party 19
Ghast 12
Ghouls 11
A humanoid creature that has long, sharp teeth, and whose pallid flesh is stretched tightly over its starved frame comes loping into view at the bottommost visible point of the stairwell.
Argor concludes his chanting, and three small portals open up around the stairs, one above Grommuk's head , another across from him , and another flying above it .
He then will unleash a blast of acidic energy at the lead undead, though it flies wide.
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Cladissa steps forward and cackles to keep the Fortune active on Nyugusk. If she can lay a Fortune on one of the eagles before it streaks down the north hall to attack, she will do that as well.
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Feeling fortunate, Nyugusk unfolds his left arm, accordion-style, and snatches the walking corpse in his claws, drawing it to him so that he can bit and claw at it.
Round 1
Hrimnagel steps for a view of the stairs beneath Nyugusk large, bandied legs. He readies to sling a magic stone at the undead when he sees it within 30 feet.
Grommuk waits for the something to get close enough and tries to bash it into paste.
Hrimnagel steps for a view of the stairs beneath Nyugusk large, bandied legs. He readies to sling a magic stone at the undead when he sees it within thirty feet.
Grommuk waits for the something to get close enough and tries to bash it into paste.
The first ghoul comes up the steps, and takes Hrimnagel's stone in the face.
Feeling fortunate, Nyugusk unfolds his left arm, accordion-style, and snatches the walking corpse in his claws, drawing it to him so that he can bit and claw at it. He kills it instantly with his first claw.
The second ghoul steps into the room, and Grommuk swings at it, but it jumps out of the way.
Argor concludes his chanting, and three small portals open up around the stairs, one above Grommuk's head, another across from him, and another flying above it. He then unleashes a blast of acidic energy at the lead undead, though it flies wide.
Cladissa steps forward and cackles to keep the Fortune active on Nyugusk. If she can lay a Fortune on one of the eagles before it streaks down the north hall to attack, she will do that as well.
The storm of eagles descends on the ghoul with a torrent of flashing talons and beaks, tearing it to shreds.
The remaining ghoul runs up to the top of the steps, but isn't foolish enough to step into the room seeing what happened to his two companions. Behind him comes something that smells horrible. It's more muscular looking version of the ghouls, exuding the overpowering stench of death.
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The eagles wait patiently in the air for another victim to come through the tunnel, their beaks and talons gleaming with holy radiance.
Meanwhile, across the chamber, Argor folds his arms and smiles with sadistic glee at the carnage his magic has created upon the field. His eyes, dark as coals, unblinking, take it all in.
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The first two eagles' attacks destroy the ghoul at the top of the steps. The remaining eagle swoops into the stairwell and savages the ghast standing there, seemingly unaffected by its stench.
Nyugusk again snaps out his triple jointed arm, spilling what's left of the walking corpse's dessicated organs onto the stairs.
The ghouls stood no chance against the well prepared and experienced Pathfinders. Hrimnagel makes his way down the steps to check where they came from. It's a small filthy chamber, completely befouled by the ghouls and their leavings. There is nothing of value there that he can find. In the meantime, Argor looks around the chamber with the children and notices one of the corpses has a magnificent set of magical fullplate.
It appears to be of ancient Gebbite design. Clearly this is something that the Society would value, and reward them handsomely for.
Having no other direction to go, the group heads west down the broad stairs. The steep set of 100 stairs leads down from where the children are to the west landing and solid stone door. To the south is a small ossuary chamber, and to the north a stairwell, which has collapsed after a short way.
Approaching the door, Hrimnagel can clearly hear the sounds of the sea beyond. Not wanting to waste the remaining durations of their protective enchantments, the group decides to press on.
They get into a battle formation, and Grommuk opens the stone door. With the frequency of storm waves approaching the shore, salt water erupts from cracks in the floor of this large hexagonal room. Foamy, blinding spray jumps in every direction, then drains from calf-height to ankle-deep before the next wave hits. Occasionally a length of black-brown seaweed shoots in and adds one more strand to a room that already appears draped in long wet hair. In each of the chamber’s six corners, a fluted pillar rises to the fifty-foot ceiling. Between each pair of pillars, an open arch connects the chamber to an attached space. Beyond the northwest and southwest arches, three tiers of recessed spaces form three massive steps. A stone sarcophagus rests on each step.
Across the room in the western chamber, three more of the hideous ghasts turn at the noise of the door opening. One of the three looks a bit different than the others. This particular ghast is dressed in rotting finery, wisps of fetid, expensive cloth still dangling from its limbs. Perched atop its head is a golden crown, resplendent with a dozen glittering gems, while its putrid fingers each bear extravagant rings made from a dozen different precious gems and metals. The ghasts hiss, and prepare to charge across the chamber.
Initiative
Ghasts 18.6
Party 16.8
Water Spout 0
The ghasts fan out into the chamber, not being so foolish as to rush a choke point with a massive orc looming in it. All but one soon pass out of Grommuk's field of vision.
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Cladissa lends Grommuk Fortune, then extends it with a cackle.
Round 1
The crashing waves reminds him of the cliffs and trying to save those old men from drowning. Fortunately, he has learned to swim since then, so his nerves are calmer. He also has learned about undead since the museum, so he tries to remember what he knows about these.
Hrimnagel calls for Count Ranalc's blessing and sneaks into the room squeezing by Grommuk's bulk bringing his personal shadows with him.
Nyugusk -- no stranger to unpleasant odors -- nonetheless scrunches his nose as he enters the room.
Seeing the ghasts, he lashes out from fifteen feet away at the one wearing the crown, but his strike is thrown off by the splashing waters and fails to do more than harmlessly rip already tattered cloth.
Argor removes another candle and bag of herbs and begins his summoning incantation.
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Ignoring their preference for strategy, Grommuk elects to rush into the room and bash the closest ghoul directly in the face—with his fist. It looks as if one of the seasprays plaguing the room might consume Grommuk entirely, but the water disperses in an odd direction instead, leaving the orc mostly unobstructed as he brings some destruction to bear against the corpse.
The ghasts fan out into the chamber, not being so foolish as to rush a choke point with a massive orc looming in it. All but one soon pass out of Grommuk's field of vision.
Cladissa lends Grommuk Fortune, then extends it with a cackle.
The crashing waves reminds him of the cliffs and trying to save those old men from drowning. Fortunately, he has learned to swim since then, so his nerves are calmer. He also has learned about undead since the museum, so he tries to remember what he knows about these.
Hrimnagel calls for Count Ranalc's blessing and sneaks into the room squeezing by Grommuk's bulk bringing his personal shadows with him. As he sneaks into the room, Hrimnagel can see all three of the ghasts. Their horrible stench overwhelms him, and he retches in his mouth.
Nyugusk -- no stranger to unpleasant odors -- nonetheless scrunches his nose as he enters the room. Needing to get past Hrimnagel to reach his target Nyugusk passes one of the other ghasts. It bites at him, but luckily for the alchemist, missed. Finally attaining his position, he lashes out from fifteen feet away at the one wearing the crown, but his strike is thrown off by the splashing waters and fails to do more than harmlessly rip already tattered cloth.
Argor removes another candle and bag of herbs and begins his summoning incantation.
Ignoring their preference for strategy, Grommuk elects to rush into the room and bash the closest ghoul directly in the face—with his fist. It looks as if one of the seasprays plaguing the room might consume Grommuk entirely, but the water disperses in an odd direction instead, leaving the orc mostly unobstructed as he tears the head off one of the corpses.
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The ghasts shriek as one of their companions is so brutally put down. The one not dressed in finery rushes to flank Grommuk, not having noticed Hrimnagel. The deep gnome swings his morningstar at the undead, but is blasted in the face by a spume of spray just as he swings, and misses. The ghast lashes out at Grommuk, trying to grab him and bite him. Grommuk shakes the ghast off like a dog would a tick.
The jewlery bedecked ghast uses this opportunity to also attack the orc. Gleaming, wet teeth and claws flash through the air, aiming for Grommuk's flesh. Though all three of the monster's blows find purchase, they cannot pierce Grommuk's elephantine hide.
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The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Round 2
Hrimnagel spits the vomit from his mouth but can't shake the stench. He finds himself squeezed without room to load or sling a magic stone, but he remembers that Nyugusk excels when he has a flank. So the deep gnome decides to disappear and flank the fancy ghast.
When he arrives the room is bathed in salt water stinging his eyes.
Cladissa steps forward to stay just behind Argor, and then levels a spiteful gaze upon the ghast in her field of vision. She finishes by cackling again to keep the fortune up on Grommuk.
__________________
saves
Nyug retches as the scent of the ghasts sprays over his face. He lashes out again at the finely dressed one. Taking advantage of Hrimnagel's distraction, he bites it's head, arm, and shoulder clear off, tossing it aside.
He then turns to the final one, raking it between his two clawed arms, spilling dust and dry organs onto the floor, though it appears to still be standing, struggling to free itself from the giant half-orc's grip.
"Aha! Once again we demonstrate to these walking corpses the superiority and personal perfection that can be achieved through chymistry and applied mutation."