Ekubus paces fiercely as Ambroze talks, paying no heed to Chi's bow or Gwenyth's whispers. Ambroze appears to have made a good impression because the imp-like creature salutes back and says in a slightly deeper voice than before-
Ahoy to ye Bilge Rat! Avast and listen close arrr? Captain Ekubus did indeed see the waves retreat and the tide lower four sunsets ago, me heartie. Aye, another land lubber did come over me beautiful lass, a funny-looking person. I tell you, scurvy dog, that lubber did possess a fine head and tail, arr! The buxom wench did pass by and through the fearful doors, brave as a rum riddled rapscallion!
Chi relaxes her grip on the bow and whispers to Marcus "What did he say, never really understand all this sea speak?"
Marcus has learnt to decipher a lot worse.
He saw the woman four days ago. She's attractive... I don't think anyone mentioned that..... anyway. She went through the big doors.
The imp like creature jabs a claw at Marcus accusingly.
The buxom wench was no ugly trollop like your race, me hearty! She had a fine tail and a serpents head.
Chi smiles at the little creature, and nudges Marcus. "Just your sort then Marcus." she says quietly and chuckles. "We'll need to make haste into those doors, so we can find her for you." as Chi frees a hand from her bow and places it across her mouth to stop her from laughing out loud.
Turning now to speak to Chi, the creature says-
Wench, ye'll have about six hours until the tide rolls back in and my beauty is underwater where she belongs, savvy? The doors will close when that happens.
Chi starts back as blue creature talks back to her, "Oh Thank you ... umm Captain..." Her voice trails off as she quietens down with a certain embarrassment.
The imp like creature jabs a claw at Marcus accusingly.
The buxom wench was no ugly trollop like your race, me hearty! She had a fine tail and a serpents head.
I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you correctly. When you say tail and serpent's head do you mean tail he makes a wagging gesture with his hand and a snakes head?
Like a snakes tail and a cobra's head on a humanoid body, ye witless buffoon.
Ambroze gives the mephit a slightly confused look in response to its description of Ieana, then his eyes widen in shock as he remembers Captain Kovack's confession. "A 'serpentine demon who wore a Varisian's skin' he said," Ambroze muses under his breath.
Refocusing his attention on the water mephit, Ambroze stand up straight and offers another salute. "Captain Ekubus, we thank you for your information. With your permission, Sir, we will take our leave and pursue the snake-woman, post-haste!"
With a final smart salute, Ambroze turns to lead his friends across the plank leading from the ship to the rocks before the open stone doors.
As he approaches the doors, Ambroze studies them for any interesting or unusual markings.
-
The mephit waves politely as you leave his ship and descends into the lower level once more, barking orders at his crew.
You move over to the massive stone doors, set into the base of the cliff. Although incredibly ancient, its immediately obvious that preservative magic has been used to maintain the doors. Carvings are visible but mostly obscured by seaweed, if you wished to view them you'd have to spend a little time scraping the seaweed away.
Gwen casts Light on Marcus' shield, then steps forward to examine the carvings, mostly obscured by seaweed.
I guess we can imagine what those say... "Death, destruction, serpents" and so forth. Ambroze, does the scholar in you wish for a more academic inspection?
Ambroze whistles a short tune, creating four globes of light which he mentally directs to pass through the doors into the darkness beyond.
"Normally I would, Gwen. But in the interest of haste I think I'll pass just this once. I'd hate to be responsible for using up our time and stranding us in here when the tide comes back in."
What was that thing?
While the others examine the doors, Marcus will quickly check out the base of the waterfall.
What was what thing, Marcus? Marcus?
"I believe he was referring to the 'Captain'."
Yes. The impy looking thing. Is it going to creep up and stab us in the back. Should we enlist its help? I feel kind of bad about how we treated that tengu.
Marcus sees nothing about the waterfall. in particular that alarms him or piques his interest.
Yes. The impy looking thing. Is it going to creep up and stab us in the back. Should we enlist its help? I feel kind of bad about how we treated that tengu.
"Oh, right," Ambroze says a bit distractedly. "Captain Ekubus is a water mephit - a being from the Elemental Plane of Water. They're usually neither particularly good nor particularly evil, much like most regular people. He seemed friendly enough, but I doubt he'd be much help with what we're likely to face in what's probaly an ancient temple devoted to the Azlanti demon lord of vampirism."
With the doors open, Ambroze sends four dancing lights down the corridor. Ambroze notes that the carvings on the door are Azlanti in nature, and that these are likely Azlanti ruins- clearly a remarkable find. He also notices that the way the structure is built and architectural hints indicate that the structure may have been built over even older structures. The discovery of an Azlanti ruin this far south is a major one—such ruins are quite rare in the Mwangi and Sargava regions of Garund. A complete map of the temple, not to mention knowledge of its location, would likely be of great value to an organization like the Pathfinder Society.
The dancing lights illuminate a ten foot wide corridor, with stairs leading up. From where you are stood and where the lights are positioned, you can just about make out a room at the top of the stairs and down a small five feet continuation of the corridor.
Whats going on up there? I can't see anything. Move it, guys!
Marcus takes a deep breath. OK lets do this.
He heads down the corridor to the room.
Longspear in hand, Tun'ada follows Marcus into the corridor....
You follow the lights, moving through the corridor and into the next room. Stone pillars support this cavernous chamber’s sixty-foot-high vaulted ceiling. To the north and near where you have entered, are four alcoves sitting in the walls, their edges carved to resemble yawning, fanged mouths. In the north-west alcove, a clearly visible lever catches your eye. The air within the structure is strangely cool, musty, and damp. The walls are decorated with unsettling carvings of bats, human sacrifice, and the walking dead. The dismembered, skeletal bodies of three humans lie scattered on the floor of this chamber. To the south, you can make out part of a stone bridge running horizontally across and above the chamber, and it appears you can also walk under the bridge too. It is suspended about 40 feet off the ground, and sports sturdy stone railings about chest height.
Maw-
Ch-
G-
Am-
Tun'ada-
Mar-
???-
Gwenyth, Ambroze, Tun'ada and Marcus catch a glimpse of movement on the bridge as three shapes quickly move out of sight, ducking behind the railings.
Marcus looks around as he enters the room. Well this is cheery.
At the sight of the moving figures he takes a protective step in front of Ambroze. Ware! Behind the railings! Can you get them in the light?
Expecting an attack from overhead, Gwen readies her buckler and checks her crossbow.
Somewhat impatient, Marcus will wave the others back and move forward, the light from his shield illumanating the dark shadows of the room.
Marcus approaches the full twenty feet before three skeletons come out from behind total cover of the railing, rearing up from a knelt position, each holding a javelin ready to throw in their right hand and three more held against the railings with their left, moving in utter, eerie silence. Aware of the threat, the Guardians are not caught off-guard by the attack...
Marcus-
Gwen-
Tun'ada-
Ambroze-
Chi-
Mawj-
Skeletons-
Ordered Initiative-
Chi- 23
Mawj- 22
Skeletons- 16
Tun'ada- 14
Marcus- 11
Gwen- 7
Ambroze- 5
Map, Map Features & Notes-
Active Effects-
Dancing Lights
Chi tumbles over the group, to find protection afforded her by the alcoves, doing her best to get away from the javelin's reach as she can.
Chi somersaults over the group and takes cover in the southeast alcove. Riding Uli into the south-west alcove, Mawj takes a shot with his shortbow. The shot is a good one, flying over the railing but skittering off the target skeleton without harming it. This outcome is met with a stream of profanity from Mawj.
Hefting their javelins, the skeletons throw them all at Marcus in unison, who doesn't react in time to dodge. One javelin flies over his shoulder, skittering across the floor into one of the skeletal remains while another lands at his feet. The third is thrown with much greater accuracy and slams into his abdomen.
Tun'ada growls, seeing the undead creatures, drops his longspear and moves to engage one of the skeletons. Once in front of the animated skeleton, Tun'ada enters a rage and slashes at the skeleton with one of his claws...
Attack:
Damage:
Ware! Behind the railings! Can you get them in the light?
Round One:
Ambroze does as Marcus asks, mentally directing his Dancing Lights to move 10 feet closer toward the bridge and up high enough to illuminate the skeletal figures. The gnome scholar hustles to take cover in the northwest alcove while quickly studying the skeletons, hoping to know enough about the undead to be able to offer advice on how best to battle such creatures.
Tun'ada moves into cover under the bridge and keeps his longspear ready. Marcus swiftly follows, getting a better view of the room. As he approaches he can't see any way up onto the bridge itself except climbing the support pillars holding the bridge up. The bridge appears to be accessible by two doors, one at the west end of the bridge and one at the east. Both are 40 feet above the ground and accessible from the bridge. The only exit from this room aside from the bridge doors appears to be a door on ground level to the south.
Gwen ...
Ambroze directs the dancing lights closer and ducks into the northwest alcove, meaning only the north-east alcove is currently unoccupied. Studying the undead, Ambroze determines...
You determine the skeletons are degenerate undead. Aside from being unnaturally strong, their only real difference from other skeletons is the potent energies used to animate them; they have 5HD. As skeletons they are resistant to slashing and piercing weapons, immune to cold and have the standard undead traits.
Round 2
Chi, dashes out of the alcove to join the others under the bridge, as it seems safe, she looks forward. you know those undead up top, might try and herd us into a trap, if it safe here from above, it may also be trapped somewhere! she says to no-one in particular, as her eyes pierce through the dim light, searching out traps.
Head furtively glancing around, Gwen rushes forward, positioning herself next to Tun'ada under the bridge.
”These skeletons are of an unnaturally strong form known as ‘degenerate undead’. They’re more powerful than regular skeletons, being animated by particularly potent necromantic energies. But like regular skeletons, they’re resistant to piercing and slashing weapons, and immune to cold, mind-affecting magics, and sleep magics,” Ambroze informs his companions.
Gwen looks at Ambroze and stomps her foot, frustrated.
Gwen looks at Ambroze and stomps her foot, frustrated.