The demons are sleeping and you go to get your blessings. When you get to the holy water reservoir, A steel decanter has been placed beneath the holy water font in the blessing room, and sits in an eternal flame.
Femi eyes the decanter carefully, distrusting something new.
"I wonder what the demons were doing with this?" he wonders as he studies the font.
Femi
"Well, this decanter has some sort of transmutation aura, but I'm damned if I know what it's doing." he glances at the demons passed out around them. "Well, maybe not damned." he chuckles.
He fills their cups and passes them around, avoiding the decanter unless someone else wants a crack at it. Makes him nervous...
"Thank you." Iva drinks the water and keeps an eye out for enemies.
You do the ritual and get healed and +1 to your saves.
You then make your way back the way you came and you notice that Belcamp and his entire legion are gone. And then you move towards Vault 3. You drop your weapons and kick them forward so you do not get injured and you walk into Vault 3. You see Belcamp's minions being attacked by Flying weapons.
Femi chuckles as Belcamp suffers, and he's quite glad he's not in the same boat. He proceeds into the Vault cautiously, and is careful to avoid Belcamps combat.
GM Rolls [Spoiler] 40/60
After a tumultuous battle between Belcamp and animated weapons, the final duel between the devil and a suit of armor became a gruesome affair but the devil eventually succumbs to the suit of armor.
You hear a different female voice in your heads that says, " “Identify yourselves. Only friends of Giovanni may pass, and I know all of Giovanni’s friends.”
"Iva how do you do."
"Greetings! I'm Euphemia Ferka, but everyone just calls me Femi - much easier." he grins, and wonders if the voice can see them at all. For some reason being heard but not seen makes Femi a little nervous, but he presses on.
"We mean you no ill will. We're just trying to get to all the holy water fountains, take our drinks, and get out of this place. So we'd very much appreciate passage through your realm. If that's not too much to ask." he inquires humbly.
Iva
Spellcraft on Hide shirt DC 16
The voice says, "Do you pledge to not do Giovanni any harm?"
Iva moves over to the item she sees in the corner, and picks it up. "Can anyone tell me if this is magical?"
She then answers the voice. "I don't intend to harm Giovanni unless he harms us first."
"I am Cephas, and I similarly won't harm Giovanni unless he attacks first."
Femi offers to help Iva, carefully examining the shirt with Detect Magic.
"Ahh, this is magical, but only just. Still, if it's the sort of thing you wear, it will protect you a bit better than the non-magical variety." he hands the shirt back.
He speaks back to the voice, "I'll not hurt Giovanni either. I understand he is a great magician and painter. Is that true?" he asks as his curiosity gets the better of him.
The voice says, "He is one of the greatest of all time. Fair enough, you may proceed."
You complete your ritual and get your +1 to saves for the next 24 hours.
As you make your way to area number four you start to hear faint music coming from the vault.
Of all the chambers in the crypt, only this one is well-tended and neat. The front door glides open with nary a creak. The statues all stand unbroken. Torches illuminate dozens of paintings that hang along the walls.
Main Gallery. A series of paintings depict six of the seven vices in lurid detail: Sloth, for instance, shows a pile of bones in a farmer’s outfit in the middle of a vineyard, with a copper nameplate reading, “Take from nature. Work not to fill your masters’ coffers.”
Somnia says, "This is the gallery of Giovanni, I shall introduce you to him. He will most likely reward you for rescuing me."
"Thank you, Somnia. I'd like to meet the painter."
Femi is drawn into the art, fascinated. He looks at each piece, and tries to imagine what the artist must be painting for the final vice.
"Yes, absolutely, I'd love to meet the painter."
Somnia moves you towards the doors leading to the pious mount and there you see two people having intercourse on the mount and Somnia gets you to walk past down to the keystone exhibit.
In front of the exit door stands a 20-foot high painting of a stormy landscape. Standing boldly in the foreground is the aged but muscular Giovanni, who towers over all who approach but never moves except to speak. None can enter his painting, and he can never emerge.
He says from the painting, "Somnia, you are back, how has this come to pass?"
She says, "This group has set me free from Belcamp and he has succumbed to Hilde's combat prowess."
Giovanni says from the painting, "Splendid, splendid. Mayn't I introduce myself, I am Giovanni the Master Painter and this is my vault. I would like to thank you for releasing my friend Somnia, and would like to invite you to a feast!"
Wow, the guy is really in the painting.
He looks on, fascinated by the implications but, out of politeness, he withholds casting Detect Magic to investigate further.
"Sir, I'm Femi, and I must admit a certain fascination with your current state. You are quite the imaginative painter. Can you not depart your frame?" he blurts out, and is immediately embarrassed at the forthright and personal nature of his question.
Cephas looks around to see what else is going on in the room, anticipating a possible ambush.
"I'm afraid we don't have time for a feast. I'm just happy to return your friend to you. We are trying to leave this place. May we drink from the Holy Fount, and be on our way?" Iva is fascinated by the paintings, but really wants to get out of this horrible place.
Giovanni says, "Well it is winter time and the sun will not rise for another seven or so hours. Spend an hour and sup with us and it will be as if you have slept the night."
As you are speaking you see a flying suit of armor carrying Belcamp's unconscious body.
Giovanni says, "Delightful, put him in that painting over there. It is a painting of a dungeon."
Femi looks to Iva, "We do have some time to kill, and I am quite hungry. Let us see if magical food can stick to our ribs, shall we?" he pleads with her.
"Oh, Giovanni, the devil had a powerful rod - a rod that would enable him to destroy magics. You might want to make sure he doesn't still have it before you imprison him, or he might use it to escape!"
Giovanni says,"Yes, yes... and then snaps his fingers.
He invites you to rest and share wine with his people. Revelers emerge from paintings all around, offering wine, fruit, and succulent meats. A naked woman dances by with a censer that releases floral incense, and the couple atop the Pious Mount call down for the you to join in.
The suit of armor gives Giovanni the rod and he then uses it set himself free. The feast has everything you could possibly think of. Giovanni asks, "Who are you and what are you doing in our vault?"
Alright then. A meal. My name is Iva. We didn't intend to come to the vaults at all, but were led here. Our group is trying to leave so we need to visit each one to drink the Holy Water there. I'm a simple barrister who happens to have knive skills Being a barrister can be dangerous."
Though he appreciates the hedonism of the party, he himself does not partake - at least in the flagrant nakedness and sex. He does eat and drink his fair share, though he’s carful with the wine not wanting to dull his senses down here.
Being a barrister is dangerous? Femi wonders what court she practices in. Maybe divorce... that can get nasty.
”Yeah, there’s a hoard of undead waiting outside, so we entered to take cover, and found ourselves trapped. Just trying to get free, though this is a very unusual prison.” he smiles ”Please, if you don’t mind, how do you craft such amazing and life-fulfilling paintings? I’ve never seen folks come and go into two dimensions so casually!”
Giovanni says, "A barrister... hmmm... is that a Iuris consultis? If so, I could have used one. The Clergy was, is such an oddball dogmatic institution. Hmm, maybe, my lot should leave the vaults."
He then takes a large piece of mutton and says, "I can show you how. Do you happen to have a paint brush?"
Femi shrugs, "Sorry, no brushes. I've a scarf or two, one with frilly edges. Would that work?"
He checks pockets and pouches for a moment before eventually finding the scarf he sought. It's a thick affair, unusual for Femi, woven with animal fur of some sort, in blacks and whites. As he said, the edges all around have frilly tassels. Bunched up, perhaps it could make a crude paintbrush...
Cretien sticks to breads at first, watching to see if others show signs of having been poisoned before eating some meat and drinking a cup of wine or two.
"Yes very similar. I imagine several beings in these vaults could have used a good barrister at the time of their trials." She does her best to ignore the other hedonistic offerings.
Giovanni say, "The magic to do what I do requires a paintbrush and a canvas. Without either of these items it will not work."
He shows you how to do it with his paintbrush and lets you walk in and out of the canvas and says, "Get these materials and you can do this once per day"
You then perform the ritual and get your +1 for 24 hours to your saves.
You then hear the feminine voice again and she says, "Go to the vault where you met Belcamp and then we shall meet. I will send you wherever you wish."
Weapon Equipped = Quarterstaff
Crossbow Bolts = 10/10
Conditions = +8 to all saves (morale) (1/24h)
Melee: Attack: BAB +3, Str +0 Damage: +0
Ranged: Attack: BAB +3, Dex +1 Damage: +0
Arcane Reservoir (su): 1/9 (+1 DC or caster level (free), quick study (full))
Consume Spells (su): 2/2
Runestone of Power (first) 1/1
Spells (Caster Level 6, Concentration +10, SR +8)
Special: (7/7) Force Missile*
Zero (14): (7) Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Ghost Sound, Light, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Spark
First (15): (5/5) Charm Person, Infernal Healing, Mage Armor, Magic Missile*, Memory Lapse
Second (16) (5/5) Admonishing Ray*, Invisibility, Rope Trick
Third (17) (3/3) Haste, Fireball*
* +1 DC, +3 Damage
"Paintbrush and canvass, check. I'll certainly give it a try." he says politely, but he doesn't believe he'll be able to duplicate such powerful magics without aid. Still...
Femi performs the ritual with gusto, happy to have another chamber done. "I've lost track, how many more of these are there?" he pops a couple grapes as they chat and feast.
The female voice says, "There is but one remaining, I look forward to meeting you."
"Thank you for your hospitality. The meal was excellent and I feel refreshed."
"Thank you for the lovely time. It was a pleasant break from things trying to kill us."
Giovanni says, "It was a pleasure."
You then make your way back to vault seven and then take the northerly path that ends in a pair of heavy bronze doors: the entrance to chamber nine. The doors have no lock or handle, and powerful magic holds it shut. A handprint has been pressed into the metal, and a ring of sigils surround the handprint.
Spellcraft DC 15
"The pleasure's mutual sir, thank you for the hospitality." he says warmly, shaking the mans hand before the group departs.
As they make their way to the next door, he comments, "What an extraordinarily strange place." He wonders if he's to become a painter of magics now. He vows to himself to try at least.
When faced with the new door, he examines it carefully, casting Detect Magic and reading its auras.
"Fascinating. Seems to open it, someone must place their hand in the handprint, and channel energy once. I guess it's a god test. Sadly, it's a test I fail... Desna doesn't love me in that way. I don't suppose any of you are clerical?" he looks to his companions for help, holding his hands out helplessly at his sides.
Ottavia says, "What is a desna? Is that one of them old gods?"
"Oh, yes, quite. Very old, and not well known, but she was a goddess of luck, and we could all use a bit of that from time to time eh!?" Femi laughs it off.
"Can no one channel? Might be tough getting by this one. Maybe we can trick it?" he shrugs, having no idea how to do that.
Falko gets the door to open but takes damage. The doors swing open.
The chamber beyond is not damaged or defaced like the rest of the vault, but looks fresh and preserved. Polished obsidian forms the ceiling, walls, and floor. The stone glistens and reflects the image of those walking over it. Time, however, has taken some toll, and a central section of the room has collapsed into a sump, twenty feet deep. From the doorway, there is no sign of any defenders, but the room feels foreboding
"Well done Gauthier, man of many talents." He strides through the doors after him. He too searches the room, but adds a Detect Magic to the sweep.
Falko
Knowledge religion DC 15
Iva stays quiet waiting to see what the the person has to say in response to Falko's statement.
The old man rocks back and forth staring at the golden mirror, he scratches his head and shakes it and mumbles incoherently and suddenly he seems somewhat lucid and turns to you and puts a horn in his ear and jumps from one outcropping to another and gets really close to Falko and says, "I cain't here so good, what did you say, sonny?"