The stairs leading up at the northern end of the room lead up to a basilica dome. There are other stairs to the side of the crypt that lead down.
The half-orc answers, "No, no, the derros were out gathering more slaves. Just Dalirio down below. We don't go down there. He sends for more slaves and we send them down and never see them again."
Male Human Fighter/7 (mobile fighter archetype) HP 64/64 AC21/T 14/FF 19 CMD 22/24 vs. trip & sunder Fort +8/Ref +5/ Will +6 Init +2 Perc +1|Sense Motive +1
As the half-orc talks, Kilian's grip tightens on the haft of his guisarme. In a voice of brittle calm, he asks, "How many slaves have you sent down?"
"Dalirio? He's. . . different, you know what I mean? Not quite alive any more. We've sent maybe a dozen slaves down to him. He doesn't come up and show himself much; just requests the slaves and we send them down and never see them again."
"So he's now an undead? Is he feeding on these salves you send him? We've got to stop him! That's sick," Alie screams, realizing what the Orc was telling them.
Human Gentleman | AC 20 FF 19 T 13 | HP 78/79 | F +15 R +13 W +13 | Init +1 | Perception +5
"I propose we lock him in one of these cages and let the authorities of Cassomir decide his fate." Maximo moves to head down the stairs. "Dalirio is the true villain here."
Male Human Cleric 11 | HP 102/102 | AC 32 T 12 FF 31 | CMD: 24 | Fort: +12 | Ref: +7 | Will: +14 | Init: +5 | Percep: +15 | SM: +11
"A sound proposal Max. It makes me wonder. The four of us slew Dalirio before you joined our party. I suppose he could have become undead without us, but I still feel some personal responsibility here. We must destroy him and this wickedness once and for all!"
Male Human Fighter/7 (mobile fighter archetype) HP 64/64 AC21/T 14/FF 19 CMD 22/24 vs. trip & sunder Fort +8/Ref +5/ Will +6 Init +2 Perc +1|Sense Motive +1
Kilian pauses on the way past the half-orc. "Get out of this business, or you'll see us again."
The party heads down the stairs and first encounters several ornate burial niches adorn the passage walls. In the passage’s southwest corner, shattered niches reveal a massive set of iron double doors. An image carved on the doors depicts a dispassionate figure holding a gibbous moon.
A purple glow washes over this cold chamber, creating an otherworldly sheen. A large desk adorns the south wall; behind its oaken bulk hangs a large map of Cassomir. Straw-lined cages line the chamber’s east and west walls. In the center of the room, resting on a small pedestal, a black rock absorbs the chamber’s bright torch light.
Standing in the room is the familiar form of Dalirio Teppish but tainted by his new undead form; that of a ghoul. Two skeletons begin to move out of the cages on either side of him.
Male Human Fighter/7 (mobile fighter archetype) HP 64/64 AC21/T 14/FF 19 CMD 22/24 vs. trip & sunder Fort +8/Ref +5/ Will +6 Init +2 Perc +1|Sense Motive +1
Male Human Cleric 11 | HP 102/102 | AC 32 T 12 FF 31 | CMD: 24 | Fort: +12 | Ref: +7 | Will: +14 | Init: +5 | Percep: +15 | SM: +11
I just looked up the spell, and haste has a duration of 1 round/level, so we would have gotten 6 rounds out of it. Probably expired by now.
Oswin notices that the way is blocked to him for now. Hoping to be ready to contribute, he casts Bull's Strength on himself. He also tries to identify the spell being used against Maximo.
Spellcraft:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14
Today's spells:
Level 3: Daylight x1, open slot, Searing Light (domain)
Level 2: Bull's Strength x2, open slot, Bless Weapon (domain)
Level 1: Comprehend Languages, Protection From Evil x2, Shield of Faith (domain)
Level 0: Detect Magic, Guidance, Light, Read Magic
Used: 1 casting of Daylight, 2 castings of Bull's Strength
Male Human Fighter/7 (mobile fighter archetype) HP 64/64 AC21/T 14/FF 19 CMD 22/24 vs. trip & sunder Fort +8/Ref +5/ Will +6 Init +2 Perc +1|Sense Motive +1
Despite the intervening paladin, Kilian brings his guisarme up and knocks over the skeleton in front. I think.
Male Human Fighter/7 (mobile fighter archetype) HP 64/64 AC21/T 14/FF 19 CMD 22/24 vs. trip & sunder Fort +8/Ref +5/ Will +6 Init +2 Perc +1|Sense Motive +1
Kilian resists the spell and follows up with a deft sweep that send the second skeleton tumbling down after the first.
Male Human Cleric 11 | HP 102/102 | AC 32 T 12 FF 31 | CMD: 24 | Fort: +12 | Ref: +7 | Will: +14 | Init: +5 | Percep: +15 | SM: +11
Oswin charges into the room over the now prone skeleton. He stops halfway between the creature and the twisted form of delirio. He grabs his holy symbol and channels to harm the undead.
"Normally, this is where I'd offer you a chance to surrender, but I'll not take the word of a nasty undead like you," Alie grunts, as she blasts him with a magic missile.
Oswin moves into the room and with a blast of holy energy ends the skeleton and harms Dalirio!
Max then steps past Oswin and cuts deeply into Dalirio!
Alie then finishes the ghoul leader off with a trio of magic missiles!
Out of combat!
DC 12 Perception:
You find a false bottom in the top drawer of the desk at the south end of the room. Inside the compartment, manuscripts describe two sinister plans: the first details Dalirio’s desire to create small bands of skeletons to assault Cassomir, and the second talks of a derro plan to use secret tunnels to infiltrate a major Cassomir building and kidnap everyone inside.
DC 15 Perception:
You find a hidden switch beneath the floor under Dalirio's desk. You have the feeling that pulling the switch will rotate the entire room 90 degrees counterclockwise, effectively allowing you to access the eastern door.
The chest under his desk contains 2500 gp.
Woo! That does it for Part III! I'll put up a final conclusion post after some reactions from you guys and I'll get the chronicles out this afternoon. Make Day Job rolls if you haven't already!
Male Human Fighter/7 (mobile fighter archetype) HP 64/64 AC21/T 14/FF 19 CMD 22/24 vs. trip & sunder Fort +8/Ref +5/ Will +6 Init +2 Perc +1|Sense Motive +1
Kilian walks around the room, looking for anything unusual. "That's odd. I think this whole room is designed to turn...there should be some sort of switch around here." He stops behind the desk. "There's something under a panel here...ah, look at that."
Male Human Cleric 11 | HP 102/102 | AC 32 T 12 FF 31 | CMD: 24 | Fort: +12 | Ref: +7 | Will: +14 | Init: +5 | Percep: +15 | SM: +11
Perception:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
"Well, if you say so Killian. Do you suppose there's more hidden down here? I mean, if Dalirio was the mastermind here, what else would there be to hide?"
Male Dwarf Inquisitor 8 | AC 21 T 10 FF 21 | HP 59/59 | F +7 R +2 W +12 | Init +6 | Perc +14 | Bane 11/11 | Judgment 3/3 | Reroll : Not Used
Perception:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18
"Nevermind the switch, what of these plans!" Baern rifles through the scrolls detailing the plans, his mood growing ever more sour as he reads. Eventually he throws them on the table in disgust. He mutters about the depravity of madmen and the righteous urge to end them all.
With Dalirio defeated, you thwart his plans to send bands of skeletons to assault Cassomir. The surviving engineers and other kidnapping victims praise you for your timely intervention. Hestia becomes worried about the uncovered plot to infiltrate a Cassomir building and make off with all of its inhabitants. She warns Cassomir’s officials about the tunnel system but is unable to provoke any satisfying responses from them. The authorities, in essence, either think the claims are false or simply can’t cut though the bureaucracy to make anything happen about the matter. And so it falls to the Pathfinders to follow up!
Human Gentleman | AC 20 FF 19 T 13 | HP 78/79 | F +15 R +13 W +13 | Init +1 | Perception +5
"Victory!" Maximo declares upon the Dalirio's defeat. "No more shall this villain threaten the citizens of Cassomir or the noble glory of Taldor."
Upon discovery of the secret plans and the passage leading onward, Maximo ponders the ramifications. "This plot appears to have many layers, like an onion rotting from within. I suppose it would have been quite difficult for Dalirio to raise himself as an undead creature, so he must have been in league with another necromancer. The authorities must be made aware! Ooooo.. ummph!"
Maximo slumps to the ground as the effects of his mutagen expire. "Err.. What happened? Where is Annabella?" He notices the corpse of Dalirio. "Oh... So we won then? Excellent."
***
Later, after reporting to both the Society and the authorities...
"Blasted authorities! Good for nothing bureaucrats! Well we will not stand idle while evil still lurks below!"
We'll transition seamlessly into Part IV. . . tomorrow. I started a slew of games this week and I'm getting swamped by all the briefing chatter right now.
"It would have to be a pretty strong necromancer to raise Dalirio as an undead. We need to report what we've discovered to the Pathfinders and get back here to follow this up. Like Baern said...let's finish this."
Alie's sheet is updated. I've got almost 9k lying around. Anyone have any suggestions for must purchase items for a sorcerer? I was thinking of just saving up for a +4 headband, but if there are other suggestions, I'll consider them."
Male Human Cleric 11 | HP 102/102 | AC 32 T 12 FF 31 | CMD: 24 | Fort: +12 | Ref: +7 | Will: +14 | Init: +5 | Percep: +15 | SM: +11
Metamagic rod maybe? Extend or enlarge spell are 3k for a lesser rod (works with spell level 3rd or less). If you can get over the 9k hump, then Maximize rod is available. Maybe a Handy Haversack? They're supposedly great for everybody.
Oswin is looking at a +1 adamantine longsword (5,015 GP). Then after this adventure I can grab an amulet of natural armor. I suppose there's an argument to buy them in reverse order, getting the amulet first. I could even do amulet then bump my armor to +2. Still not sure if I want to keep the steel fullplate or go for mithral eventually.
