Robin leads the group to the room where they battled and eventually felled Nualia, the insane aasimar who became a follower of Lamashtu, the Mother of Monsters. He tells how the battle went down, enlarging his own part in the victory.
After a few moments of sight-seeing, he leads the group across the hall, which is also tiled from right to left.This room has a door to the south, with two skeletons reaching out to clutch a skull held between them carved into the wall around the portal.
Also in the this room is large column painted gold. Robin shows off a few, very-hard-to-spot, coin slots in the walls nearby. When a coin falls into the slot, the golden pillar sinks slowly into the floor with a grinding sound.
Beyond that pillar, stand three sets of doors. Robin remmbers clearly that the southern door held the demon-like Malfeshnekor and gives that portal wide berth. The middle room seemed to be surgical suite of some kind, and the final door to the north, held a constantly recycling message that might be known to Marcellus.
When Robin leads the group into the chamber holding message, Marcellano gasps, his eyes widening, and Narcizia squawks excitedly. "But that's...this is..." he listens carefully, eyes wide, and then whips a pair of spectacles out of his pocket and puts them on, scrambling a journal, a jar of ink, and a pen from his bag and beginning to write--transcribing--frantically. Narcizia flies from his shoulder and begins to circle the room, perching idly on the statues' arms and the throne's back and peering at the walls.
"He's speaking Thassilonian," the wizard gasps as he jots symbols down. "Withered hand of Nethys, I've only heard it spoken a handful of times before, and never by...you realize this may be a recording of a native speaker? And an important one, I'd guess..." He stares around the room, biting his bottom lip, eyes wide. "Alaznist. Who or what was that? And who was this? A ruler? One of the Runelords themselves, or just a lieutenant? Who was he commanding to remain? Oh, this is a find, this is such a find!" He follows Narcizia around the room, muttering arcane words and peering at the illusory man intently.
As Marcellano and his familiar excitedly examine the room, it is obvious that the projected image is a form of powerful illusory magic. The actual aura is quite powerful indeed, almost overwhelmingly so.
Figuring some things out and guessing to fill in the blanks, Marcellano assumes this was some form of communication room used to speak with people from great distances. For some reason an old message (ancient now) from the man with book and the glaive has looped and just plays the same snippet over and over.
There is no hope of restoring the function here, as the magic that built it is well advanced from anything Marcellano (or any of you) have ever seen.
Qetsiyah was fairly impressed by the strange magical effect initially, but not understanding whatever language was being spoken, she grew bored quickly. It was more interesting to watch the wizard gush over the find and she guffawed heartily at Robin's clowning. But when he mentions that she needs a magic weapon, she grins sheepishly.
"Yeah... er... I'mma need a little help with that. My weapons are good quality, but not magical, unfortunately."
Moving back to the doors where in front of where the shadows were last encountered, the party notes the depictions of two skeletons reaching out to clutch a skull between them, which is engraved above and around the double doors.
Cadas removes the three scrolls that will temporarily enchant weapons from her pack. She inquires which of the group requires the use of the scroll?
"I vill be needing vone too, thank you."
They will only last a minute so our work must be quick. She explains. Will you need one as well Qetsiyah?
She uses her wand to bless the party before reading the scroll to enchant Rogar's shield(?). After which she says [b]Go to him. and looks to enchant a weapon for Qetsiyah. After enchanting weapons she readies to cast Spiritual weapon at the first sight of an enemy.
"I forgot about these...wraiths, or whatever they are," Marcellano mutters. "I would have been wise to save that spell I spent on the aberration earlier for them...still, no matter!" he concludes cheerfully. "My magic should be far more efficacious against these things than ordinary steel!"
Shadows. Cadas informs. I believe we slew one when we met them before. I am unsure how many there are. At least one more I think.
The door opens revealing a room with a domed ceiling supported by four pillars. Several dark alcoves containing standing sarcophagi grace the walls, and a statue of a stern man wielding a glaive and holding a book stand in the southern part of the chamber.
From the far end of the room, two incorporeal shapes, barely seen, writhe with unholy life.
Crypt Redux - Round 1
23 Marcellano
21 Shadow 2
15 Robin
13 Kizzy
11 Rogar
10 Shadow 1
9 Cadas
When they enter the dim mausoleum, Marcellano's eyes widen, and he seems momentarily distracted by the statue and the carvings. "More of that figure..." he murmurs before seeing the others brace as the shadows across the room writhe toward them. "Oh! Right! Let's see..." With a muttered word, bolts of silvery light arc out of his hand, streaking across the room!
As the bolts sink home, he mutters another word and taps the strange skullcap he wears. A tiny, metal image of a candle affixed to the front starts glowing, shedding light into the room.
Crypt Redux - Round 1 - continued
Marcellano illuminates his Cap of Light, and sees the shadows moving at the far end of the room.
The wizard unleashes two bolts of force that arc from his hand to the nearest shadow, blasting it powerfully.
Unperturbed by the blast of magic, the shadow sails forth coming closer and reaching out for Cadas with its strength sapping touch. The Shoanti cleric cries out as the icy touch saps her of strength.
"Beware, friends!" Marcellano calls, now sounding properly alarmed since his magic doesn't seem to have affected these things at all. "Their touch will weaken you, and any that it slays will rise again as shadows themselves! And even your enchanted weapons will do little against them, since they're not truly of this plane...wish I'd realized exactly what this was we were going to be going up against..." he trails off, looking nervous as the shadow grasps Cadas's arm in its icy claw.
Kizzy pulls her silvery Falchion for Cadas to enchant and holds it ready to proceed into the next area. She tries to pull Cadas beyond the creature's reach before it connects, but the groping incorporeal hands find her flesh anyway. She steps through the throng of her friends to reach the shadowy thing, holding her posture defensively as she swings her sword with both hands.
Crypt Redux - Round 1 - continued
Robin cracks his whip at the swirling shadow, knowing it will have little actual effect, but instead trying to throw off the undead spirit to aid his allies attacks. He handles the whip to good effect, helping Rogar's next attack.
Kizzy tries to help Cadas at the last moment, but even the bodyguard's defensive prowess isn't enough to stop the cold reach of the icy shadow. Angry now at her failure, Kizzy plows into the shadow with her magically-enhanced falchion, striking the incorporeal creature a blow that does half-damage. Knowing the danger of the shadow's touch, Kizzy takes a defensive stance.
Rogar steps forward, bringing his enhanced shield to bear on the ghostly enemy. The dwarf successfully smashes his shield-weapon into the shadowy essence, but only for minimal damage.
From beside the dwarf, the second shadow reaches her icy fingers for his warm inviting flesh but the dwarf is able to avoid the strength-sapping fingers this time.
Cadas steps back before summoning a spiritual trident to fight for her. The force weapon strikes at the wounded shadow and then hovers near it.
Crypt Redux - Round 1 - concluded
Cadas steps away from the strength-sapping shadow and casts a spell calling forth a trident made of pure force. The weapon strikes the shadow mightily, dissipating it with an evil hiss.
End of round 1
Crypt Redux - Round 2
23 Marcellano
15 Robin
13 Kizzy
11 Rogar
10 Shadow 1
9 Cadas (spiritual weapon 3 more rounds)
Heartened at seeing the shadow dissipate, Marcellano twists his fingers in an arcane gesture that sends a gobbet of magical acid streaking toward the remaining for. "Wish I'd had the sense to save that bolt of force, earlier," he mutters.
Qetsiyah gaped open-mouthed at the magical trident striking at the shadow without the benefit of a body to wield it. Shaking her head in wonder, she moved forward, placing herself defensively and making a guarded strike that failed to hit the mark. She then released her Falchion with one hand and readied to defend the next person the shadow would reach for.
Crypt Redux - Round 2 - continued
After the fall of the first shadow, Robin tap dances forward, his whip snaking out to give some protection to Kizzy.
The Varisian bodyguard's attack on the shadow is of little avail, but she then switches the falchion to the defensive guarding both herself and her nearby allies.
Marcellano evokes an orb of acid and tosses it at the shadow, but the wraith-like enemy avoids contact with the acid which drops harmlessly to the floor.
Rogar grips his shield-weapon by the edge and tries to cut at the shadow with both hands, driving down with as much force as he can muster.
The shadow continues his attempt to drain power from the dwarf that just cut him. Just as the icy fingers are about to grip the dwarf's arm, the falchion of Kizzy interposes itself, saving Rogar from a painful touch.
The spiritual weapon strikes of its own accord while Cadas channels to harm undead.
Crypt Redux - Round 2 - concluded
The spiritual trident cannot hit the wispy shadow this time, but the positive energy created by Cadas seems to have full effect on the evil, undead shadow.
End of Round 2
Crypt Redux - Round 3
23 Marcellano
15 Robin
13 Kizzy
11 Rogar
10 Shadow 1 (6hp dmg)
9 Cadas (spiritual weapon 2 more rounds)
Marcellano grits his teeth and focuses, evoking another acid orb in the desperate hope that he can contribute to this fight... "Well struck, friends! Keep it up!"
Crypt Redux - Round 3 - continued
Marcellano tries the acid trick again, but again the shadow is just able to avoid his ranged touch attack, withdrawing a tendril as the acid passes harmlessly past.
Crypt Redux - round 3 - continued
Robin, still cracking the whip, tries to hem the shadow in so that Rogar can hit it again with his shield.
Kizzy, in the meantime, swings her now-enchanted blade, but misses the shadowy undead altogether.
Rogar lets out a roar and smashes his shield again at the shadow blasting his weapon into the shadow once again.
The shadow turns its attention to Kizzy, who frustrated its attack last round. This time its touch is not denied, and the icy fingers stroke Kizzy, drawing out 1 STR point.
FAIL
Cadas' spiritual weapon strikes but misses again. Wanting to put an end to this Cadas channels to harm undead again.
Crypt Redux - Round 3 - concluded
After suffering a big hit from Rogar's shield and then blasted by positive energy, despite its natural resistance, the shadow is buffeted but not broken.
End of Round 3
Crypt Redux - Round 4
23 Marcellano
15 Robin
13 Kizzy
11 Rogar
10 Shadow 1 (14 hp dmg)
9 Cadas (spiritual weapon 1 rounds)
Kizzy's jaw snapped shut with a click as she sucked air through her teeth at the chilling pain of the shadow's touch. Her defensive posture fell away and she leaned into her strike, determined to do some damage in return. "I DON'T like swinging at SHADOWS!"
Crypt Redux - Round 4 - concluded
Apprarently, hitting Kizzy was a bad decision for the last shadow. The undead wraith's icy touch causes the fighter to cast aside her defensive measures, and she cuts loose with an unbridled ferocity. The attack hits the shadow, dissipating it for good.
End of combat
Robin notices the intricate scrollwork on the walls, and the fine engravings on the several standing sarcophagi, but little else.
"Ah," Marcellano says, breathing a lusty sigh of relief. "Well, that's that taken care of! Excellent work, team. Well done." With his hat still glowing steadily, he strides into the middle of the tomb and gazes around carefully, muttering words under his breath.
Qetsiyah huffs, blowing her bangs out of her face as she sheathes the Falchion. "I don't know about well, but it's done. Cadas, are you alright? That thing's touch left me feeling a bit winded." She followed behind the wizard as he looked around, scowling over his shoulder and pointing out things that struck her as odd.
Nothing in the room detects as magic, and the shadows do not leave any corpses behind to ransack, but the studious inspection of the room is not wasted.
Just as he's about to turn around and give up, Marcellano, with the aid of Kizzy, stumbles across a secret panel set behind the central western sarcophagi. The hinged panel pushes open, revealing a dark hallway beyond. The dust-covered hallway appears to split into two parallel passages, both running north.
Marcellano tries not to smirk as he peers into the hallway after Robin, his magical headlamp shining. "Indeed. These ancient ruins oft have hidden passageways that the discerning eye alone can uncover. Let's see what's in here, shall we?" As they advance, he peers into the first corridor, looking out for any signs of antique writing, pictures, or items.
Cadas moves along with the group pleased with the new members and their sharp eyes. Who besides me lost strength to the shadows? through Gozrreh's gift I can restore strength to one of us?