Dervak keeps up the attack.
Rowan, Dervak, and Ellery surround the sorceress pound away with kama, falchion, and rapier.
Posing for the camera, Killer Croc goes wild on the scary woman!
Frowning at the croc's consistency, Theophilus Evil Eye Hex the monstrosity (DC 18 -2 AC).
He Cackles.
As Killa Croc grabs onto the countess with a vice like grip her body goes limp and the ghost-like form of Nemira resolves itself behind Rowan.
Dervak draws the scroll and chants the words. An ancient Arodenite spell manifests a longsword of force in his hand, and he lets his falchion fall to the ground.
"Got something for you, Countess."
Mara stood behind the crate and recited a prayer. "Daddy, help me solidify her!"
Meanwhile, the force scimitar continued to attack.
Incorporeal Nemira becomes mostly solid as Mara's spell forces her into the same plane of existance. The spiritual weapon smashes into Nemira.
Killa Croc coup de graces the still form.
Theophilus Evil Eye Hex her corporeal highness (DC 18 -2 Saves).
He also steps back 5'.
He Cackles.
Killa Croc bites hard on Nemira's head crushing it like a melon. At the same time the spectral Nemira's head melts and the rest of her disappears.
Killa Croc takes a bow, as Frederick brings him a clean handkerchief.
Theophilus and the White Rabbit high five!
Rowan looks visibly relieved.
"Uh... good job Theophilus. Wish I had thought of that."
"Should we try to press on and look for other cultists while our spells are still going? Then come back and look around later?"
Searching the attic Mara finds the following treasures hidden in the soil of the potted plants:
The bag holds a finely cut emerald (worth 750 gp), a silver necklace set with garnets (worth 300 gp), a pair of black pearl earrings (worth 100 gp), a gold ring set with a large diamond (worth 2,000 gp), 13 freshwater pearls (worth 5 gp each), a jade comb (worth 75 gp), and a
silver-and-amber bracelet (worth 100 gp).
"Let's finish clearing out the ground floor, then maybe we can get into those tunnels from this building."
Theophilus offers Dervak some healing.
Mara healed Dervak with her wand.
"I agree, let's find the cult leader," she replied to Dervak's suggestion. She headed down the stairs, through the master bedroom, and down the southern staircase to the ground floor.
The walls of this large room are lined with ceiling-high bookshelves laden with bound tomes, parchment scrolls, and stacks of paper. The shelves are stuffed full and sag under the weight of their contents. A dozen amber-colored crystal lamps are fixed to the walls, and three more lamps stand on two central tables and a desk. A single door lies to the west.
Scanning the library the books are widely known books on common areas of knowledge. Many of these titles relate to matters within Ustalav, but others detail subjects from throughout the Inner Sea region. Among the more mundane works are a number of research books regarding dreams and how to manipulate them. These books discuss methods by which an individual can choose to appear in someone else’s dream; one even includes an overview of the Dreamlands. Notes and marked pages indicate that Lowls was using dreams as a method of research.
Stacked in two crates near the fireplace are two books published by Lowls himself, A History of the History of Versex and The Stars Are Not Among Us: An Undeniable Refutation of the Works of the Doomsaying Pseudo-Scholar Dr. Henri Meirtmane. On top of one of these crates is an envelope containing a letter signed by someone name Miacknian Mun along with an invoice for delivery of alchemical goods.
The letter reads, “It seems that the Mad Poet you met in your dream journey was right. The book you seek, the Necronomicon, is located in a special collection called the Mysterium in the Qadiran city of Katheer, though it is written in Necril. If you can find a way to retrieve it and bring it to me, I can certainly help you translate and research it. I look forward to seeing you again, my old friend.”
Ellery sees a slight ridge on the rug, revealing a locked hatch.
When Mara read the letter, she exclaimed, "Katheer, that's where daddy is from! I've never been there myself."
She scanned around the room for magic auras, and examined the hatch for traps.
She cast a spell on Ellery, imploring, "Daddy, help Ellery with the hatch."
Theophilus searches along with the group. The gentleman hums a bit, as he reads the book titles.
This Mad Poet seems nice.
Ellery examines the hatch for traps before attempting to unlock it.
If he finds no traps:
If he does find it trapped (using guidance to disable the trap rather than the lock):
Ellery open the lock with a familiar ease.
Mara looked with interest to see what was beyond the hatch.
Once declared safe, Theo sends Frederick to open it.
The shelves in this cellar are neatly stacked with glass and clay bottles, tiny kegs, decanters, mugs, and crystal goblets. The door on the northern wall is locked. The cellar hosts a collection of fine bottled wines, ales, and liquors, all of good to excellent quality.
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Rowan looks on with amusement, then laughs.
”Fine ale and wine is wasted on me, but that doesn’t stop me from drinking it! Be a pal and have Fred grab me a couple bottles.”
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Dervak looks over the stash. "LATER, Rowan! We'll come back and drink fine wine and brandy like gentlemen. In the sitting room, not in the cellar. And this time not get attacked by an undead thing trying to kill me."
"This way?"
He points to the door north out of the wine cellar.
Mara descended to the cellar and scanned for magic auras, then examined the door for traps. She agreed with Dervak, "We need to finish our work here before we stop and relax."
The party emergers on the other side of the basement floor, its eerily quiet.
"This looks familiar. Let's go check the crypt first, then come back for this door."
Dervak isn't sure if that slaver-thing is there and dead, or if it melts away when killed, or if it has gotten up and walked away.
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Theophilus grabs a bottle as they pass.
The White Rabbit giggles; loudly, pointing at Theo.
Mara agreed with Dervak, "It's a good idea to search the crypt." She recited a prayer and headed towards the spot where they had met Nemira previously.
This elongated subterranean hall is decorated throughout with finely wrought Pharasmin symbols, which culminate in a seven-foot-high bas-relief of the goddess’s face on the south wall. Against the other walls, whose surfaces are riddled with burial recesses, sit seven sarcophagi, five sealed and two uncovered. The only evidence that the extraplanar slaver was here are her discarded clothes, torn from your combat earlier.
The graves are marked as follows:
The remaining two are unmarked and uncovered. In the recesses are urns containing the incinerated remains of older ancestors. None of the graves bear the name Nemira. A human corpse dressed in the outfit of a royal accuser is laid out on top of one of the sealed sarcophagi. Attached to the body is a strange device.
Approximately 10 inches on each side, these two square, brass-colored metal plates have rubber edges and screws at each corner used to tighten the plates like a clamp. In the center of the top plate is a fleshy tube that ends in a suction cup ringed with tiny teeth. Next to the base of the tube is a small winding key and a toggle switch.
Mara has a flash of memory and she knows this device can be used to speak with the recently deceased.
Rowan notes that one of the bas-relief's of Pharasma's face is slightly askew.
Mara picked up the strange contraption, "I remember this! I found it in Numeria; it can be used to speak with the recently deceased," Mara told the others, pointing to the strange contraption. She examined the bas-relief, suspecting there might be a secret opening.
She also scanned around the crypt for magic auras.
Theophilus casts Guidance. He then casts Detect Magic, searching the opened boxes.
Dervak looks at the body.
"Is that Accuser Omari? Weren't we supposed to look for her? Can you use that machine to ask her... uh... if she found out what Melisenn is trying to do, or where Lowls is, or what information Melisenn was trying to use this machine to get from her... or what we should do with her remains... I don't know. But we can ask her things?"
Mara replied to Dervak, "You're right, it could be Omari. We can ask her two questions with the device; I'm not sure if we could use it ask more questions tomorrow. In any case, I could prepare Speak with Dead myself."
How long can they be dead for this to work?
Mara and Theo have a vague sense of deja vu but other than that the answer to Theo's question isn't apparent.
The bas relief twists and a secret door grinds open very loudly.
After checking for traps, Mara looked inside the secret door.
Mara sees stairs that descend down into darkness and perhaps a faint odor of chrysanthemums.
Theophilus casts Dancing Lights, sending them down into the darkness.
The stairs spiral down and out of sight.
"Let's see if the cultist's hideout is down there," Mara suggested. She concentrated causing her form to shift back and forth slightly in time, and descended the staircase.