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When the gnolls move out despite all the wise ideas, Sira smiles a bit-he feels like he's sat down at his favorite tavern and ordered the usual, "I'll have my normal pint of Donkey's Butt Brew, please."
He moves in and lines up the single gnoll that lagged behind at the far end of his bomb's second range increment.
Ankird pierces a gnoll with his lance, foul-smelling blood oozing out of the wound. Dart careens into another gnoll, almost knocking it out flat. Sira throws a bomb and the straggler is consumed in fire. It manages to stay upright through the pain. It wavers, eyes glassy.
Bold may act.
Active party buffs: bless
Round 2
Nadric
Umbrato
Malusha
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Gnolls (Blue (-11, staggered), Green (-7), Red (-10))
===========================
Ankird
Sira
Dart
Nadric puts an arrow into the eye of the gnoll Dart had injured, taking it down. Malusha misses with his crossbow bolt and Umbrato runs up to the melee.
The gnoll with the blue collar turns and hobbles back the way it came, yelping with each step at its burned right haunch. The last gnoll in the melee yells a warcry and jabs at Dart with his spear, but misses wildly. His fiery snarl begins to falter.
Bold may act.
Active party buffs: bless
Round 2
Nadric
Umbrato
Malusha
===========================
Gnolls (Blue (-11, staggered, fleeing), Green (-7), Red)
===========================
Ankird
Sira
Dart
Out of Combat!
The last gnoll left fighting is reduced to a crumpled mess in the sand. Then the last gnoll fleeing is reduced to a smoldering pile as Sira targets it with a bomb. The skirmish over, you search the oasis and it seems the gnolls had been using this place to waylay travelers for some time, and had even amassed several bits of treasure.
In addition to a silver cup worth 60 gp and a hodgepodge of coins, their ill-gotten gains include alchemical supplies from Thuvia that consist of an alchemy crafting kit (Pathfinder RPG Ultimate Equipment 76), a vial of antitoxin, and two flasks of alchemist’s fire.
The remainder of the journey through the desert proceeds uneventfully, with only the rise and fall of the dunes to break the monotony. A low, uneven hill of granite appears on the horizon to the northwest, presenting the only shelter for miles around. Although the crag appears solid from a distance, on closer examination there is a wide fissure in the rock sealed by a heavily weathered stone wall fitted with a large iron door.
The wall stands 30 feet tall, and worn smooth by the constant desert winds, with a 15 foot tall weathered iron door in the center. The door is heavy and unbarred, but has been partially buried in sand.
The archway’s ceiling contains a recessed inscription in Ancient Osiriani that has avoided the worst of millennia of erosion.
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"Well done friends. Sorry I wasn't of much use this time." commends the small creature. "Seems we've got ourselves a few items to divy out. I wouldn't mind one of the flasks, but I do have a few tricks that work on swarms if another needs it more."
Giving a half-hearted tug on the door, Umbrato smiles. "Don't think I'll be much help with this thing."
Spotting the words on the ceiling, he cocks his head at an odd angle. "Oh, well that's interesting."
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Nadric looks over the array of alchemical supplies. "I wonder who they ambushed who left all this behind. At least they won't be attacking any more travelers." He waves his hand. "I already have a flask of acid and alchemical fire each, so I'll let others take these."
***
He lets out a low whistle when they come across the door. "Now this is more like it!" He sets himself to examining the inscription, and while looking around he also checks carefully for traps.
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Dart stands back and lets the more learned among them take the lead.
"If we are concerned about swarms I could take 15 minutes and ready a counter measure. Sira is likely counter measure enough though."
Sorry I wont me much help with the door.
Right before opening the door Dart listens carefully.
Right before walking in Dart draws a thin rosewood wood stick, whispers a word and is covered in faint magical glow.
The message in ancient Osiriani seems to be a welcome message, offering safety from the winds of the desert. Nadric, however, notices a series of apparently accidental chips and scratches that changes the meaning to offer safety from "the winds of time". This is likely a coded message left by a Jeweled Sage to signal allies.
Mighty Ankird is able to force the doors open, its hinges grinding and popping from the sand and years of neglect. Inside, The wind gusts about this small courtyard, filling the air with fine grit. Corpses litter the area, little more than bone and desiccated, leathery skin. A dry well occupies the center, surrounded by the remnants of an outdoor market, though even the best tent is tattered and leans precariously. To the east, a set of low steps rise to a set of stone doors surrounded by symmetrical wall carvings of pharaohs. Stairs to the south ascend to the outer wall.
Of the more immediate concern, however, are the four corpses stirring to life! They stand and immediately start toward you, hungry for warm life.
In Combat!
Bold may act.
Active party buffs:
Round 1
Nadric
Ankird
Dart
Malusha
Umbrato
Sira
===========================
Zombies (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow)
===========================
Umbrato knows that these are called plague zombies. They have no DR but tend to explode when they are destroyed, infecting everything around them with their unique, virulent disease. Their slam also can infect those it damages.
The Pathfinders leap into action, destroying all but one of the zombies! They explode in a cloud of filth and disease. It shambles forward and attacks Dart with a slam, but misses horribly. With the assembled team of experienced Pathfinders before it, it stares out at the warm, living flesh creatures, hungry.
Bold may act.
Active party buffs:
Round 2
Nadric
Ankird
Dart (Fort save needed)
Malusha
Umbrato
Sira
===========================
Zombies (Red, Green (-9), Blue, Yellow)
===========================
Sira obliterates the final zombie, sending its putrid shell bursting with no one around to infect. Dart feels the infection begin to creep into his joints, his blood, but then his body is able to fight it off. You stare around the wind-swept courtyard. The place feels ancient, and yet, perhaps, relevant in this new age, as recent events swirl around it along with the sands of the desert.
Out of Combat!
You identify the figure in the wall carvings as the legendary Pharaoh Azghaad. The carvings depict the pharaoh founding the city of Sothis and bringing water to its people.
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Nadric lets out a sharp breath. "Well tossed, Sira. I'm glad we managed to stay clear of whatever diseases those things were carrying."
He admires the ancient carvings but they don't seem familiar from anything he has studied. "So, we could go in, or up to the wall. I say we enter, and hope we're still ahead of that other group who was headed here."
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"Well, that didn't take long." remarks Umbrato. "Sira, you are most certainly a pleasure to travel with."
Glancing towards the murals with interest as his companions explain the depictions, he nods. "Yes, I am going to agree. I would argue especially if we are ahead of the others, we should ensure the side rooms are clear before proceeding. I feel it's problematic to have enemies coming from all fronts simultaneously."
Carefully unfolding his scroll, he rolls it back up. Replacing it at his side, he nods. "I'm ready to move onward when you are."
You move through the side rooms first, the first room looking to be a stable. Only the stone has survived intact, with empty sockets for lanterns at even intervals. Ancient tools for leatherworking sit on a table to the south, next to an empty stone trough. Barren stalls line the north wall.
The group then moves on to the next room, which seems to once be a storage and smithy. The chimney that rises from the small forge in the southwest corner is clogged with grit from centuries of storms, and the smith’s tools lie nearby under a thick layer of dust. The south door is cracked in places, and scattered crates are all that remain of a barricade erected long ago.
You mostly find nothing of worth in this room, however there are two sealed vessels full of salt crystals. One looks to be an application of silver weapon blanch, and the other contains one measure of ghost salt.
Finished with your search of the side rooms, you then turn your attention to the main doors. Inspecting the doors you find no triggers for a trap, and so push your way in. Beyond, A profound quiet has settled over this timeworn hall. Elegant stone columns line the passage, and hieroglyphics and colorful art depict scenes from a distant age. A small wooden door stands at the east end of the hallway, while a larger door leads south. The sound of steady splashing water is audible through an open passageway to the north, and large stone doors lead outside. One of the pillars has collapsed, and a crushed human corpse lies pinned underneath. The distinctive shape of a wayfinder peers out from under the body’s hand.
In the heiroglyphs, you identify the god-kings of ancient osirion each taking their turn captaining the barge, from Azghaad to the Song Pharaoh.
You notice that each of the pharaohs in the hieroglyphs bears three jewels on his or her head regalia: an emerald, topaz, and ruby. This seems to be another hidden sign left the by the Jeweled Sages.
The dead woman is holding her broken wayfinder. The inside is engraved with a scarab and an inscription reads "Congratulations, Asha. --V.L." Most of the woman's backpack is crushed, but a steel canister containing an oil of magic weapon and a small magical stone suvived.