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Seeing the barbarian soundly beating on one of the enemies, Seelah takes off with her new found speed and heads for the area behind the statue, to lend a hand to her companions.
Seelah calls out her enemy, challenging them to face her in combat, "Prepare yourself for purging, may holy fire cleanse you of your evil taint!"
Seelah swings her sword at the dark creature, smiting the evil beast.
The meditating creature tries to stand up and draw a weapon but Aamiri and Kuduro slay it before it can move.
Seelah runs around the shrine and tries to smite the evil foe before her, slicing a large gash across the thing's back.
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Miss Elizabeth watches the blood flow from the wounds delivered by this worshiper. Instead of backing down, she becomes furious and seems to be given a feeling of urgency to her motions. She slashes out twice with her rapier at the worshiper.
After making her attack, Miss Elizabeth shifts herself over to provide Reiko another flanking opportunity.
"C'mon Reiko! Let's not let this one go unpunished for the pain he's caused me!"
Elizabeth and Bayushi quickly down the Worshiper.
As the two foes are slain, their bodies implode violently into nothingness as all of their gear lands in a heap on the ground. Everyone within ten feet takes sonic damage and is deafened for rounds (DC 14 Fort to negate deafness).
The Worshiper was carrying a potion of invisibility, black smear poison (4 doses), and a tanglefoot bag. He was wearing +1 shadow studded leather and carried two masterwork short swords and 105 gp.
The Meditator had black smear poison (2 doses), a scroll of deeper darkness, a scroll of mage armor, a wand of dispel magic (CL 11th, 6 charges), a +1 kukri, and 322 gp.
About the shrine you find evidence that this site is heavily trafficked by other Darklands denizens, including ratfolk.
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"So, I guess these gentlmen were with the Aspis Consortium? These Ratfolk are indeed in danger if this they make a pact with the likes of these."
Elizabeth picks up the poisons. She holds out one to Reiko, "Would you like one? I haven't used poisons very often, but this one sure did a number on me. I think I'll need a long rest after this is done to recover my strength. Thank you, Kuduro, for the healing - I sorely needed it."
She circles the shrine, examining it closely. "So, this is the goddess of rats, thieves and night? Interesting..."
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"I see nothing that identifies them as agents of the Aspis Consortium. Likely they were simply dark stalkers hoping for an easy kill." Phos looks up at the idol, "Yes, she is Lao Shu Po. These two may have been true worshipers of hers, or they may have used this location as a good ambush spot. Either way, they won't be lying in wait for any other travelers."
He motions back to the other party members, "Let us divide the spoils quickly and move on."
As the party divides the possessions of the villains, Phos ponders the idol of Lao Shu Po, then casts Detect Magic and scans it for auras.
The shrine is not magical.
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5 (3/day) Teleport, Prying Eyes*, Cone of Cold (DC 24), Hungry Pit (DC 24)
4 (4/day) Black Tentacles, Invisibility, Greater, Acid Pit (DC 23), Arcane Eye*, Emergency Force Sphere
3 (5/day) Blood Biography* (DC 23), Haste, Haste, Stinking Cloud (DC 22), Dispel Magic, Daylight
2 (6/day) Darkvision, Resist Energy, Mirror Image, Invisibility, Web (DC 21), Detect Thoughts* (DC 22), Protection from Evil, Communal
1 (7/day) Expeditious Excavation (DC 20), Magic Missile, Mage Armor, Comprehend Languages*, Ray of Enfeeblement (DC 20), Air Bubble, Touch of Gracelessness (DC 20), Vanish
0 (at will) Ghost Sound (DC 19), Mage Hand, Detect Magic*, Message
Bold spells have been used.
* Indicates a specialist school spell.
You travel on a little further past the shrine for several miles. A large pile of rubble blocks the way here, and the twenty- foot-wide path is completely buried in scree, small boulders, and loose dirt all the way to the fifteen-foot-tall ceiling. This 20-foot-wide straight section of the Sundered Path is blocked by a large pile of rubble nearly 10-feet deep, as wide as the path itself, and stretching to the ceiling 15 feet above. The rubble prevents further advancement by any creature larger than Tiny.
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Before the party approaches the caved-in area, Phos halts the them. "I will investigate further, but it will require my full concentration to do so. You must all keep watch while I do." He then removes a tiny bit of dried carrot from his spell component pouch and his rune-covered rod from his haversack. Speaking a few shadowy, cryptic words, he pops the carrot into his mouth and passes his hands over his eyes. The pupils of his eyes glow for a brief moment, and at the same time, the runes on the rod glow as well, then the glow fades away from both just as quickly.
Again his fingers reach for the pouch at his side, this time removing a small bit of black fuzz: bat fur. He touches it to his forehead and speaks a series of arcane words, then holds his hand open and blows the fur in the direction of cave-in. The fur disappears, and Phos closes his eyes, deep in concentration.
Phos can see that parts of the cave-in are swarming in centipedes, appearing to be feeding on a victim of the recent collapse. In a small pouch attached to her belt is a copper coin emblazoned with the Aspis Consortium insignia. Next to her body is her +1 frost heavy flail. Her spellbook lies next to her in the rubble.
The ceiling near the rubble pile appears unstable and could fall at any moment.
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Phos speaks slowly, though still concentrating on his spell, "There is a swarm of large centipedes feeding on a humanoid body trapped underneath the rubble. The body appears to have an Aspis Consortium insignia, as well as some items of value. The swarm may be an issue. This area of the cavern is unstable, and it would take some time to reinforce it and clear the rubble. I estimate approximately four hours, and we would need to be extremely careful while doing so to prevent causing further collapse. I believe I can see the proper placement for reinforcement, if we move slowly. Our first concern should be dealing with the centipedes, since we cannot simply blast them with spells. I could create a noxious cloud around the creatures which would not destabilize the area, but it would only sicken them for a brief time."
The elf wizard pauses for a moment, still concentrating to maintain the spell. Then he continues, "Is anyone here capable of summoning a creature which could lure the centipedes from the rubble into a more stable area where we could dispose of them properly?"
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Kuduro shakes her head, "That may require something more...interactive."
Calling forth to the Dawnflower for assistance, Kuduro bids Her to send a lantern archon to aid them. Kuduro directs the archon to aid them by getting the attention of the centipede swarm(s?) and luring them away from the rubble back to a safe distance where they can be engaged.
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Phos speaks in Celestial, "Be warned Archon, that the passage is dangerous, and attacks on the swarm may cause a cave-in." He then reaches out and touches the summoned creature, using his Diviner's Fortune ability to give it a bit of luck should it need it.
Kuduro calls forth an archon, which draws the centipedes away form the weakened parts of the tunnel. The party quickly dispatches of the pesky insects.
Now that the cave-in is cleared of centipedes, everyone can approach without worry of attack, although the tunnel is still impassable.
Properly reinforcing the ceiling and disabling the trap requires approximately 4 hours of effort. You can also retrieve the Aspis agent's gear at this time (+1 frost heavy flail, an Aspis badge, and a spellbook).
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Miss Elizabeth looks over the dead Aspis agent's equipment. "Hmm, Phos, you might find this book interesting. Anybody want a badge?"
She then takes a look at the trap in front of the party. Following the information and directions given by Phos, Elizabeth makes an attempt to disable the cave-in trap.
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Phos nods in acknowledgement towards Miss Elizabeth, casts a short spell and the book floats from the rogue's hand towards the wizard. Directing the floating book with his hands, it spins in front of him a few times as he examines it closely. He then sends it 30 feet from the party using his spell (in the opposite direction from the cave-in) and uses the spell to open the book at a distance. *If there are no immediate, obvious traps, he beckons the book to return to him. He then reaches into his haversack, removes a small bag sealed with tar (waterproof) and causes the mage hand spell to drop the book into the sack. He then places the sack in the side-pocket of his haversack opposite the pouch containing his spellbooks.
He then turns back towards the group to oversee the remainder of the correction of the tunnel.
Phos examines the book closely for any apparent traps.
Perception:
If nothing looks slimey, poisonous, sharp or glowy, he'll double check by mage-handing it to a distance and opening it up. Knowing that such a check is quick and dirty, he'll be careful not to touch it before he places it in his bag.
With the directions of Phos and Miss Elizabeth, the party is able to carefully clear away the rubble and make a path large enough to walk through and safe enough to last for some time so that others may once again use this part of the Sundered Path.
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After securing the path and clearing the rubble, Miss Elizabeth turns to the party. "Let me take a look ahead, make sure things are clear for the next little bit."
She presses herself up to the wall of the path and moves carefully, trying to avoid any stray bits of rubble along the path. She scans the area carefully, looking for any sign of trouble.
You travel for some many more miles down the Sundered Path.
The twisting tunnels of the Sundered Path suddenly give way to Round Mountain’s great central chasm. From the top of a large stone landing, a massive seven-story pagoda can be seen at the cavern’s center. Torches illuminate a set of worn steps, carved from bedrock and nearly ten feet wide, spiraling down the edge of the chasm toward the pagoda’s entrance hundreds of feet below.
As you approach the landing, the ground beneath begins to tremble softly; a rumbling sound slowly growing louder and more violent until the ground erupts in a shower of rock and debris.
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As soon as the stones begin to rumble, Phos reaches into his spell component pouch and removes a small bottle, unstops it, and pours the salt contained within in a circle around him, but empties the last few grains into his hand, which he then reaches out and touches each member of the party with (Communal Protection from Evil). In the next moment, he draws upon the secrets of his arcane insight to invest himself with his own diviner's fortune (+4).
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Seelah, watching her companions prepare themselves with mighty magic and potions, realizes that there is imminent danger ahead and takes that time to prepare herself as best as possible. Lacking the subtle skills of the rogues or the arcane power of the wizard, she instead calls upon her divine powers to prepare her for battle.
Burrowing out of the ground emerges a scaled dragon with a deep mouth and a long twisting body. The serpentine dragon is the color of deep volcanic rock and has enormous claws and jagged, stonelike horns and scales.
The twisting, stonelike body raises up and looks at the party. "Hoom, ha, yes. Travelers. Pay tribute to proceed to the Pagoda. You will not wish to refuse my tribute."