Gadren explained more as they moved on, his eyes darting about the area casting light on his sword to illuminate the area. "Unfortunately I have. Toward the end of Barstoi’s forced occupation of Ardeal almost 2 decades ago, Count Aericnein Neska’s troops spent a night in the small town of Feldgrau. When they pulled out the next morning, they repaid the town for its hospitality by butchering its citizens and putting Feldgrau to the torch. The soldiers disposed of the bodies in a single mass grave in the center of the town square. Feldgrau became a literal ghost town overnight, and the souls of Feldgrau’s slaughtered citizens now haunt its streets and ruined buildings."
"Shows a terrible lack of morale fiber and discipline, I'm sure they had some half baked justification about not leaving it for enemy forces but strict rules of engagement must be maintained when on a war footing to prevent such attrocities."
Jack pops out of the other room and moves back to the door to take in Gadren's tale. Leaning up against the door with his arms crossed, Jack can only shake his head in disgust. "Boy what I wouldn't pay to be able to track down those <blankety blanks> and give them some well deserved payback for what they did to those people. I got nothing nice to say about trash like that." Something just then occurs to him as his eyes go wide and he immediately becomes animated. "Actually I've got a better idea! We could locate these scumbags - provided they're still alive that is - drag their sorry butts back to Feldgrau and let the 'ghost town' take care of them. Now that would be some justification. And I would most definitely pay money to see that!" he says, grinning at the idea of it. A pensive look then comes over him. "Makes me wonder if any of them are still alive because if you think about it, you're only talking about 20 years."
Moving into the room Jack almost misses the magical trap placed on the doorway arch.
Type magic; Perception DC 30; Disable Device DC 30
Effects
Trigger location; Duration 90 minutes; Reset none
Effect spell effect (symbol of pain, CL 9th, DC 19 Fortitude save
negates); multiple targets (all targets in a 60-ft.-radius burst)
.
Your search also reveals several stones in the north corner that seem to be out of place.
It's all up to you now Jack
Jack instantly pauses as he just manages to catch sight of the oddity upon the arch of the doorway. "Whoa whoa whoa! Hold up! Just hold up a minute, folks. Lookie what we have here. Okay, you all better stand back. I'm going to try and take this thing down. If I don't, well, we're probably all gonna die. So if I were you all, it might be best you take cover. Final warning." He then digs in his pack for the proper tool. "Alrighty, Jack ol' boy, time to work your magic. Either that or possibly get blown up in the process. And if that's the case, well, it's been a helluva ride," he mutters as he goes to work, like a surgeon on a patient.
"C'mon c'mon c'mon, Jack, you got this. You're the best in the business. You. Got. This." And with that last little 'click', he closes an eye awaiting for something to happen and when it doesn't, an arrogant grin forms. Rising, he turns to the others with said grin and pumps his fist in excitement. "Yeah, bay-bee! And THAT, my friend, is how it is done! They don't call me: 'Jack be nimble' for nothing," he says, nodding in an arrogant fashion that matches his grin. "No applause necessary, folks, just throw money. Gold preferably. Thanks."
Jack manages to inflate himself enough to disable the very strong and difficult trap.
The room is clear now, you have spotted the secret door to the north.
Noticing the door to the north for the first time, "Well well well looks like we have found ourselves a hidden door. I'll give them an 'E' for effort in trying to hide it but they're going to have to do better than that. Shall we?" he offers as he moves up to check it for any signs of traps.
The secret door is not locked or trapped. To open it requires moving a pair of stones together.
What now?
"Which stone do we have to move, Mr Jack?" Lazar jokes. He's ready to lend a hand, though.
"I do not doubt your skills Jack nor your dexterity but in the time I've known you no one has called you "Jack be Nimble"."
"Which stone do we have to move, Mr Jack?" Lazar jokes. He's ready to lend a hand, though.
"Those two stones there. We just need to move them together."
"I do not doubt your skills Jack nor your dexterity but in the time I've known you no one has called you "Jack be Nimble"."
Jack cuts his vision toward Gadren while sporting a raised eyebrow which is paired with a serious look. He then turns to face him completely and points a stern finger at the wizard before... lowering it again. Throwing up his arms, "Yeah okay maybe they don't. But they should because you gotta admit, it's pretty darn clever," he grins wryly, looking mighty proud of his own perceived cleverness. "Anyway, let's get back to these stones, shall we, old bean?" He then returns to the task at hand in opening the secret door.
The secret door slides open easily with the sound of stone scraping on stone.
The passage to the hidden room is only 5', but you immediately hear someone in the room start spellcasting as the door opens.
Shield.
Lazar, Jack & Cedric act first.
Rolling his eyes, "Aw crap. We got a spellcaster! And I got no idea what it is he's about to throw at us!" Jack moves behind the wall and draws his blades, awaiting for the others to move in.
Lazar gets in the room quickly, climbing up the table .
From his position, Lazar throws an arrow at the strange figure, shouting. "Who are you?!"
You recognize the spellcaster immediately. It's your old host from the lodge. Estovion Lozarov. He looks desperate and deranged at the moment.
The harried man finishes his spell, dropping a virulent green cloud over the entrance.
Stinking cloud.
.
Maria & Gadren may act. Maria will wait until Gadren tells her what the cloud is?
With the cloud forming all around him, Jack immediately makes his way out of it and into the room with Lazar and the spellcaster, holding his breath as he does until he's clear.
Maria double moves into the room. Gadren stays out of it.
Jack, Lazar & Cedric may act.
Eyes going wide, "YOU?!?! I knew you were bad business, bucko!" Jack exclaims as he strikes out at him.
Lazar doesn't bother saying anything - it doesn't really catch him by surprise.
Jack misses with both attacks.
Lazar on the other hits twice with light wounds.
"I'm surprised you noticed anything with your endlessly flapping mouth in the way!" Estovion hisses spitefully to Jack. Taking a 5' step away from him.
He becomes misty and translucent.
Gaseous Form
Maria & Gadren may act
Maria winds up and smites Estovion.
Lazar, Jack, Cedric & Gadren may act.
Jack looks curiously as the target goes all misty on him. He steps forward after him, "What the heck is this?! and swings twice at the now misty enemy.
Feeling like he's accomplishing nothing with his blades, "You gotta be kidding me, I'm accomplishing nothing with these blades! How are we suppose to... I don't know... kill mist? It's far easier said than done lemme tell you."
Cedric sighs, it would certainly have been better to confront the man at the lodge. However, they had had nothing real to pin on him at the time.
Cedric however does not wish to risk entering the cloud, and is firm in his belief that his allies are likely much better suited to handle their foe.
.
.
Estovion tries to slip past everyone. Lazar is using his bow but Maria gets an AOO.
Her strike cuts through the misty form and it solidifies, crumpling dead to the ground.
E4. Adytum
A partition of iron bars divides this chamber. To one side, rows of
shelves lined with bottles and beakers filled with strange fluids and jars containing powdered reagents and herbs surround a long
stone surgical table.
Another shelf holds a selection of tarnished surgical tools. On the far side of the bars, a 10-foot-deep pit sits in the floor of a crudely chiseled cave. Rusted manacles lie scattered about the floor near the edge of the pit.
Gadren after scanning the notes left in the room takes a precious stone from Estovion's corpse and smashes it.
Explaining that the bones at the bottom of the pit are those of the last Cleric of Desna's son. Who contacted lycanthropy. His fathers increasingly insane attempts to cure his son finally lead to the creation of the Vilkacis. The werewolf spirit you fought back at the lodge.
The stone Gadren smashed is called the Canopic stone and allowed Estovion to summon the Vilkacis, it also bound the spirit to this world. Smashing it ends the Vilkacis for good.
A search of the chamber turns up.
The surgical tools in the room are all made of solid silver, and the entire collection is worth 3,000 gp.
A DC 10 Perception check made while undertaking a casual search of the room discovers a locked iron strongbox.
Disable device please Jack.
Eyes lighting up, "Oooooo, what have we here? Let's see if ol' 'Jack be Nimble' can find out what's inside, shall we?" He looks over at Gadren and gives a wink. "It's gonna stick, ol' bean. I'm telling you." He then refocuses on the task at hand and pulls out his tools and goes to work, feeling far less pressure with this one than the previous one in which was a practical death trap.
And because he does not feel the weight of the world on his shoulders this time, it takes him no time to hear that magical sound of *click* which then creates that patented gleaming smile of his. "Ah yes, when you got it you got it. Now, let's see what we have here."
Stashed the strongbox inside are:
A wand of spider climb with 34 charges
three wooden scroll cases decorated with fragile, colorful moth wings, preserved with unguent of timelessness.
One scroll case contains pages of faded notes taken from the Desnan priest’s ancient journals, which provide a harrowing account of the priest’s attempts to cure his son of lycanthropy.
The second case holds an ancient scroll containing a communion ritual
tat can be performed atop Highthrone (area E8) to activate the Dusk Moth.
The third and final scroll case holds a scroll
of remove disease (CL 12th).
Next you must reach the roof by taking the stairs at E5.
"Dusk Moth? What on Golarion is that?" Not quite certain that he wants to know, Lazar looks up to Gadren for answers.
"Dusk Moth? What on Golarion is that?" Not quite certain that he wants to know, Lazar looks up to Gadren for answers.
Shrugging, "You got me, pal. But I do believe this little piece of parchment here might go a long way in fixing my wolfie problem." He pulls out the scroll and gives a matter of fact nod.
"Wait... I think this rings a bell... Wasn't it a special monument? Yeah!" Lazar tries to squeeze his head, literally. "Yes, a holy place dedicated to Desna... Supposedly, you can talk to Her of you pronounce the proper words at the proper time..."
Jack looks over at the inquisitor inquisitively. "Say what? You mean to tell me, that, you can actually talk to Desna? Right here?" He then crosses his arms and strokes his beard in thought a moment before, "Any idea about what's suppose to be said and when?"
"Nope, no bloody idea. Cedric?"
Jack looks over at Cedric, curious as well.
I'm... not entirely sure. I've never really... how to say... spoken to a specific deity. I sort of always speak to all of the goodly ones. And none of them. Though.. I'm sure I could figure it out if need be. Though, I doubt it would be something easily accomplished. I recall it being something one had to time properly, and I don't know the proper timing at the moment. Cedric says, looking over the item.