Ci Ci returns to the altar, and focuses on it.
"Scintillating Slivers!" she cries, extending her hands towards it.
Theophilus tells Rockwell to come back and investigate the southern iron portcullis.
Rockwell says there is a something large lurking around a corner.
Dervak will cast Tactical Adaptation to gain Strike Back.
Mara senses nothing untoward from the portcullis, it looks like it's made of completely normal iron.
West Prison
Cell doors line the north and west walls, each set with a small barred window. Two more cells flank a corridor that heads south into another chamber. A sour, fetid smell wanders its way from the chamber, no doubt becoming stronger the farther you go in. Organized into small piles are soiled blankets and pillows in one corner and human bones and scraps of flesh in another.
Ci Ci utterly destroys the statues and the altar before her.
The ghostly apparition that stole a bit of Mara’s life force does not show itself.
Mara stepped back from the portcullis to allow someone stronger to try opening it.
Theophilus butt slaps good old Rockwell, as he walks up behind the little fella.
Stopped taking your depression meds, I see. Never forget your meds!
The Mad Hatter winks at the poor sod of an earth elemental.
He shouts to Dervak.
Are you toying with the incorpreal guy? Do you want me to Summon bait?Rockwell says nothing south--other than his whining, crying and pants wetting.
"We can't leave that ghost to keep attacking us! We need to destroy it! Can you find something hidden in a wall?"
Theophilus nods solemnly at Dervak.
The duty of a soldier out weighs his comforts. Agreed!
Theo points at where the incorporeal creature last popped out.
Rockwell trudges that way with his granite head bowed low.
The Witch then begins Summoning Dire Rats next!
Ground troops incoming!
Ci Ci flies just inside the entrace to the maze, hovering well above the swarm of rats on the ground. She draws upon her power, waiting for something to react. If something attacks the rats, she will blast the wall the attack came from with her full magical might.
Okay, so if Dervak goes, and then the ghost, and then CiCi's readied action, Dervak will get to go again if and when the ghost is visible.
Casting Keen Edge on the sword.
The ghostly hand reaches through the wall groping for a nearby target but it is met not with living flesh but open air. You gain a clear sight of your adversary, a central spirit floats in the maze, but a number of other fainter humanoid spirits whirl around it as well.
The spirits that whirl and swirl around the central ghost rush Ci Ci and begin to drain her of her life force. The spirits then retreat further into the maze.
Rockwell watches all the scary ghost things swirling and touching the pretty lady next to him.
I wonder why she would also be sent to her death?
The small earth elemental cringes in cowardice the entire time....
There seems to be a tiny pile of newer pebbles underneath him.
Theophilus looks at the lone dire rat that appeared.
One? Only one of you came to me? Cornilius, I am wounded!
Cornilius seems indifferent to the Witch's emotional outburst.
Theo points at Rockwell. Cornilius skitters beyond the earth elemental and the strange ashy female.
Theo in the meantime approaches CiCi.
Heal 150 points
Dervak scowls as the foe once again escapes, clearly frustrated.
"So what do we do now?
Blast holes in this stupid maze and hope to catch the ghost off-guard?
Go somewhere else instead, like Mara wants, and just hope that the ghost doesn't follow us?
Do we have any sort of magic that would keep a ghost at bay? Or immobilize it?"
"Get off of me!" Ci Ci screams, unleashing a wave of her power towards the spirits.
Based on her previous encounter with the spirit, Mara tried to figure out what it was, searching the knowledge of her ancestors. After a moment she shouted out, "It's a kind of ghost called a Nemhain! It's protecting somthing! Use good damage or electricity to shut down its regeneration!"
Then she stepped forward and healed Ci Ci.
"I have one electricity spell I could ready in case it shows itself again."
"If it shows itself, we only get one shot each before it retreats again. That might not be enough. I guess we have to hope it won't follow if it is protecting something."
Dervak goes to the portcullis that Mara indicates, Str-rages casting Enlarge Person, and tries to lift the portcullis while squeezing.
Edit: Retcon with GM approval.
Dervak prays to Gorum.
I will not run from this fight if there is a chance to win... but this foe does not meet us in battle. What can I do?
He is not the brightest, but he has some knowledge of strategy, and a plan forms.
His allies are busy with their own plans, so may not be ready to listen just yet.
For now, he will just follow their plan and ready to attack it when it emerges. By casting an attack spell, for a change!
Well, that's disappointing.
"I have another plan..."
Since Theo had already healed Ci Ci's wounds, Mara readied an electricutt spell in case the ghost made another appearance.
30 points of damage to evil creatures.
Theophilus seems about to retcon until he remembers that he actually doesn't know what it means.
The nemhain appears from a different angle than before and is blasted by the spellslingers now ready for it. The ghost’s form is distorted from the magical onslaught but is far from defeated. It reaches out as the spirits swirl and whirl around and through Ci Ci; the nemhain grasps Ci Ci’s heart, which freezes for a couple of seconds.
Ci Ci lets out a scream of agony as she feels pieces of her soul being ripped away and devoured. She calls upon her power to bolster herself.
THeophilus begins to think that this attraction sucks.
CiCi and fellow lost and confused travelers. I am thinking that this Ghost sucks and we should better use our recourses for the large fella North of us; or go South.
He touches CiCi.
Theo grins.
Theo then gathers Rockwell and Cornilius and ventures to the southern iron portcullis.
Mara concentrated, speeding up the fow of time for her comrades. If this creature had regeneration, then defeating it quickly was crucial.
Ci Ci unleashes flies out of the maze as quickly as she can. Once clear, she unleashes another blast of holy radiance.
Dervak activates Ghostslayer (swift action each round), Str-rages casting Bladed Dash, and flashes into the space where CiCi had stood.
He brings Teralindar's Honor to bear on the ghost, trying to destroy it.
With Ghostslayer active, his strikes are fully effective.
If it is still 'alive', he begs Cerise to help him finish it off.
"Blast it, Cerise! Please!"
With Dervak's blade cutting through to the ethereal plane and no wall to protect it, the nemhain dissolves into a wispy mist before disappearing completely.
Theo shouts down the hall.
You guys are making enough noise to summon the dead!
The White Rabbit, Rockwell and Cornilius each kick him in a trouser leg!
Ouch! What?
Mara told her companions, "I think it's linked to some sort of physical object, such as a monument, pillar or statue. The ghost will likely re-form unless the object is destroyed!"
"With any luck, it was the altar I destroyed earlier," Ci Ci replies. "But it's best we not assume that's the case."
Mara agreed with Ci Ci, "Let's continue through the maze, and keep an eye out for a different potential object."
Dervak will end his Rage (fatigued 2 rounds) and continue through the maze.
"Thank you all. Teamwork. I couldn't have done that on my own.
I also can't do that again should we meet another ghost... that thing I did is draining to the soul."
"Mara, Cerise, are you okay? I think we have some scrolls that may be able to heal the wounds that the ghost caused."
"That thing reached into my chest and tried to crush my heart. It did some damage. I can feel that I'm not at my best," Ci Ci replies.
Mara searched through her gear and retrieved two scrolls, "These should do the trick." She read them, restoring both herself and Ci Ci.
Then she continued to navigatate though the maze.
After a few seconds of tracing her way through the maze Mara solves it with little problem.
Center door
A section of the corridor’s south wall appears to be a door with no discernible hinges or handles. Its surface has engravings that depict a battle between a demonic, bat-winged creature with monstrous, vampiric features and an armed goddess who is losing the fight.
Flanking doors
Solid stone doors with a mundane locking mechanism.
Dervak does not recognize the figures in the engraving.
Nor does he see anything else of note.
Dervak once again misses Kat and her skills when he sees the locked doors.
"Would that staff be of any help?"
Mara examined the engravings carefully.
She told the others, "The monstrous figure is the demon lord Zura."
After searching her ancestral memories she added, "The other is the Azlanti goddess of the moon and battle, Acavna."
Upon closer examination of the engraving of the goddess she reported, "A small rhomboid could fit into her eye. Did we find anything like that?"
The White Rabbit begins searching and pulling random items from his sack. A rubix cube, a chinese puzzle box, a etch n sketch, pandora's box, a sudoku book, a half eaten banana, and even a sweet cat toy where one paws a ball that is trapped in a circle and spins it around, smiling at the group.
Theo takes out the Wand of cure moderate and taps Mara and Dervak.
"A small rhomboid could fit into her eye. Did we find anything like that?"
"We could look for the key rhomboid,
Or try to break the door down with force or Stone Shape or Disintegrate,
Or bypass the door somehow,
Or ignore it for now. There was a secret door to the east and a large creature to the north."
"Disintegration is a beam. It doesn't affect a large area," Ci Ci replies. "I could use the same power I used to destroy the statue, the spray of diamond shards. As long as the doors aren't impregnated with fortifying magic, it should shred the door in a matter of moments. Would you like me to try?"
Mara scanned the three doors for magic auras. She also tried to figure out if any of them were trapped.
Theophilus fakes out Dervak and taps himself instead.
Gotcha!
"Cerise, your Disintegrate spell vaporized a large chunk of the wall when the ghost was in it."
"But do what you think best. First let's see what Mara finds out."
Mara detects no magic from the doors
"Well, let's do this then. Diasporatum!" Ci Ci intones, drawing on her power and focusing on the central door.
Ci Ci obliterates the door and a good portion of the wall with her power.
A large stone sarcophagus lies against the southern end of this chamber. Bas-relief carvings of celestial creatures being slaughtered or succumbing to orgiastic acts with infernal creatures cover the walls, except to the south. There, the carving depicts a bearded man standing majestically on the backs of a man and woman, as he pulls their heads back with collars attached to chains clenched in his fists.