Tyrandro bags the bows, because you never know. "I wonder how long it takes, until we face that crazy orc as an undead again."
Would he then have to kill himself? How is everyone? We have gone through some major battles and should at least rest a bit to heal and plan our next move.
"The last undead wielding that axe tried to kill us, so I wouldn't bet on your suggested outcome." Tyrandro replies.
"I'm in need of rest, and Sebastian could use some rest and healing as well."
Once you recover, you return unimpeded back to the hunter's quarters on the second floor of the northern section of the castle. From there you head out the northern door to a balcony overseeing the northern beach. In the northeast is a small room that you check that turns out to be a small smithy.
A long-cold forge sits in the southeast corner of this smithy. Nearby sits an old, dusty anvil, against which leans a plainlooking but remarkably clean blacksmith’s hammer.
The first person to pick up the warhammer can feel a strong magical presence within it and learns its name and powers.
Called Banudor, the hammer functions as a masterwork tool for any Craft check involving smithing, but also functions as a +3 flaming burst warhammer. Additionally, you know this hammer can strike particularly devastating blows against the corrupted monstrosity that owner has become. Used against Anizora, Banudor functions as a ghost touch good-aligned weapon that deals an additional 2d6 points of damage on a successful hit.
Quite the weapon, unfortunately, my arms are too spindley to use it properly.
"There is quite the interesting collection of weapons here. I'm just waiting ti find the undead remains of a follower of Erastil. Maybe that is then accompanied by something useful." Tyrandro comments.
Onwards!
You backtrack on inspect the western parapet.
The stone floor of this parapet is covered with a pale green lichen that looks eerie but is harmless. The door to the War Tower is of remarkably well-preserved iron and firmly locked.
Tyrando, do you have skill with opening locks? Best check to see if it is trapped.
Iolana casts detect magic on the door. "Just in case."
Tyrandro takes a deep breath, and a close look at the door.
The lock itself is no challenge. But Tyrandro waits for Iolana's assessment first.
The door is not trapped and Tyrandro takes his time and manages to open the lock without much effort.
Two flights of stairs, one leading up and the other down, provide exits from this entry room, as do a pair of doors to either side, both of which hang open.
A stout oak table sits in this room, surrounded by crumbling, rotten chairs. Moldy paintings of battlefield scenes hang on the walls.
The 10 paintings on the walls all depict historic battles, yet each one has diverged from accepted historical lore by placing Kazavon in the role of leadership, be it as a vanguard for dwarves on the Quest for Sky or rallying troops in the Shining Crusade. One painting shows what appears to be Kazavon leading an army of crusaders against a demonic host in a blighted land.
The paintings are too ruined to be of any value.
This is a plain, unadorned guard room. There is a closed door on the western wall.
To the west then Ayako has no interest in ruined paintings.[/b]
"One room is as bad as the other." Tyrandro comments moving into the room to the west.
You enter the final room on this floor of the tower.
This once finely decorated meeting chamber has fallen into disrepair. The padded silk cushions on a high-backed chair built from a tangle of bones are ratty, tattered, and spotted with mold, and the desk that sits before it has collapsed partially along one side, spilling a wealth of art objects and statuettes onto the floor. A black-and-red tapestry hangs in tatters behind the throne.
The tapestry that hangs behind the throne was once an elegant work of art depicting Zon-Kuthon, but little remains of it. A search of the scattered objects fallen from the desk reveals most of them have been broken or decayed, yet two mithral candelabra worth 1,000 gp each remain among the rubble.
When you are done looking around and go to leave this chamber, Tyrandro hears something unusual—a whisper in his ear, complete with the feel of breath against the cheek, that says, “Slay them all and you shall be rewarded...” When Tyrandro turns around immediately, for a brief instant he sees a faint misty shape seated in the throne, but one blink later the image is gone.
Tyrandro shoots an arrow at the chair, just in case, watching closely if he hits something.
"Nothing here, but the candlesticks. It's weird nothing tried to kill us in this room."
"You're sure about that?" Tyrandro asks while watching the room in suspicion.
What just happened? Did that chair try to get up to attack?
"The one sitting on it." Tyrandro replies, carefully checking the room if the ghostly figure reappears somewhere.
It looks like we have most of the castle charted, except for the area to the west where we fought the dragon and that strange chained being
"So we go check if the chains are all gone, to see if we missed something, or are we double-checking all the rooms in the castle first?" Tyrandro asks.
Nothing else happens when Tyrandro fires an arrow at the chair. The image was merely another disturbing haunt and no ghost appears.
It looks like we have most of the castle charted, except for the area to the west where we fought the dragon and that strange chained being
Upstairs then
"Upstairs is as good as any direction I guess."
She gives Tyrando an odd look when he mentions the being sitting in a chair. "You saw something? In this place, I"m not going to take that lightly. Not in this place."
"But it seems to be gone." Tyrandro comments. He backs out of the room and walks upstairs.
You head up the stairs to a winding hallway that continues to stairs going further up to the battlements at the top of the tower. There are also two doors along the hallway, one facing north and one facing north-west.
The doors on this floor remain closed and locked (hardness 8, hp 60, break DC 26, Disable Device DC 30).
"Let's check the top first." Tyrandro continues upstairs.
Iolana nods in agreement. Work our way down so to speak. Not a bad idea." She'll follow the group to the battlements.
She casts Mage Armor and Shield on herself, and gives Stone Skin to everyone including Fluffy.
The top of this octagonal tower gives a breathtaking view of the crater lake and the stark walls of the volcanic cliffs beyond. A squat stone bunker sits in the southwest portion, while the rest of the area is dominated by three crumbled and ruined siege engines—a pair of catapults and a ballista.
You all look around outside for any threats and all four of you easily spot one heading your way.
A beautiful, ghostly elven woman glides through the air from the southeast, her long hair flowing around a face knotted into a mask of rage.
It is an incorporeal undead that deals negative energy damage and fear with a touch and has a deadly wail attack.
Seb grabs Iolana's crossbow off her belt and fires it at the ghost.
"I need a ghost touch weapon. That would be nice."
Iolana casts Haste on the party.
A ghost or wraith of some kind? Ayako draws her fingers across the sky and sends a lance of bright light at the ghostly woman
The banshee narrowly dodges Sebastian's arrow and continues her pursuit. Meanwhile, Iolana casts haste.
The banshee swoops in and passes her hand through Sebastian. He is weakened by intangible negative energy and filled with overwhelming fear.
Ayako fires a ray of light at the banshee but she is incredibly agile.
Sial and Asyra both move to flank the banshee and assault her with their spiked chains. Both hit and tear away some of the fabric of her reality.
Tyrandro sighs and starts shooting again.
Tyrandro's arrows pass through the banshee's body but he can see that he is still hurting the undead in the process.
Seb uses his Charmed Life, and tries to save.
Seb grunts, and stabs at the woman with Blackjack's Rapier.
Iolana casts Magic Circle Against Evil.
Ayako uses her Wand of CCW on Sebastion
Tyrandro keeps shooting. "Doesn't someone have some magic to make our weapons more effective against such ghosts?"
Unfortunately, no.
Sebastian forces away the fear and mercilessly stabs at the banshee.
Iolana casts magic circle against evil.
Then, the banshee who is still alive, lets loose her signature ability and shouts out a terrifying wail.
Ayako, Iolana, and Tyrandro weather the scream. Sebastian, Sial, and Asyra don't fair as well. Blood oozes out of their eyes and ears and all three drop dead instantly.
Tyrandro's retaliatory shots are enough to finish off the banshee and she bursts into black fire and vaporizes into the wind. But in the following silence, you are left to clean to the mess...
Iolana hits her knees next to Seb. She shakes him. "Sebastian? Sebastian! she looks up. Ayako. Do something."
s~!%. There is nothing I can do, I have no magic to bring someone back to life.
"What about our friends who worship Zon Kuthon? They can. Let's get out of here with the bodies before more undead show up." Tyrandro suggests.
Laori can help. plus we can teleport to Kaer Maga if need be. Ayako helps get the bodies up.
Iolana reaches out grabbing everyone, and teleports them to Sial's tower.
Hopefully we can get Sebastion up at least from Laori. Looks like we will be visiting Tyrando's least favorite place for Sial perhaps We probably have a bunch of things to sell.