|
"Is everyone alright? " Jiggo looks around the room and presents a wand.
"Whoa, be careful with the blade, Seren! You almost hit someone with it. Well, someone who shouldn't be hit." Looking at the paladin Jiggo says "Someone should give him a weapon...what happened to your longsword, anyway? It helped cleave that wight in two!"
In the next room, Jiggo seems even more confused. "This looks like a brothel. What is it doing here? Maybe we're reliving some poor soul's memories..."
|
Jed pulls out a wand and with a practiced flourish his bruises fade. He runs his hand through his beard and resecures it in place, staring intently at the sword.
He shrugs and follows the group through the next maze and stairs intently at the music playing and the rest of the room.
Jed mumbles, ”I think I’ve heard that song before somewhere... I just can’t place it.” He looks at the statues and then stops anyone from going into the room. ”Woah! Those statues could explode!” He shares the rest of the spoiler and asks how the group wishes to proceed, offering his services if they go the K: Religion route.
|
"Hold on sir!" Sumil says as the Paladin reaches for the sword. "You are still injured, and this ghost touched blade might do better in my hands, so I am more able to protect you. Here, take my blade for the time being, yes?"
If the Paladin does not argue or seem offended, Sumil will wield the +1 Ghost Touched blade until they exit the Gloomspires. Before everyone moves on he collects some of the goo. "This may be useful for anyone else they send here, I think. Though it needs to be refined."
Finally, Sumil moves forward with the rest of the party.
As the brooding tune surrounds them, Sumil finds himself humming along. So involved in the music, he does not recognize the Celedons until Jeb points them out.
"Are we in danger of them attacking us? Making them explode turns them to husks, yes? Are they less dangerous in this form? Should we force them to explode?" The occultist looks to the rest to help him make the decision.
Jiggo and Stark begin an intense rhetoric discussing the potential discrepancies involved in watching over piracy and the beasts that feed on them. With the statue's long imprisonment weighing on their minds, it becomes more than they can handle.
'BOOM''KaBAMB' echoes through the underground rooms as the statues burst and fall back, lifeless.
Suddenly, a beautiful ghostly aberration appears from behind the curtain, "What'd you do that for? They were here to protect me!"
Stopping near the rubble, she looks to the doorway. Taking you all in, she smiles, politely. "I suppose it was time for a change. What do you think of my music?"
The translucent woman smiles broadly, obviously thrilled with the discussion. "Oh, so nice to have the company of cultured folks. It's been too long... Would you be so kind as to sing or play a few notes with my instruments?"
|
|
Seren leans in really close to Jed and stage whispers into his ear. "What am I suppose to do! She ain't the sort of ghost that likes to hitchhike!" She was all sorts of kinda see-able and fairly chatty.
To the ghost she then turns, "Hey, uh... I ain't much for singin', but I can dance pretty well, and I think my incredibly happy friend there is good at it, too! So how about that?" She won't really wait for an answer and will instead try grab one of Kaylee's hands and drag her forward to a place with a little more space.
"Hey, you lead since you get this music better than me." She was more about fast, spry sorts of tunes. But the medium will take up the steps to despairing waltz without any visible difficulty beyond intense focus to ignore the suggestions of the whispers in her ears. This includes subtle blowing at the side of her face like she's trying to get a hair out of it.
|
Kaylee smiles broadly and begins dancing, a secuctive yet fast-paced routine that quickly works its way into a crescendo of flips and cartwheels. While she dances, Kaylee recites a poem about forbidden lovers entwined together against the expectations of their castes, a beautiful beggar girl having won her royal prince over with her simple garb and seductive movements. Kaylee periodically comes together in her dance with Seren's movements, playing the male part in her story with long stares into Seren's eyes followed by dips and twirls of the slightly astonished young woman.
Watching in awe at the display as the two dance, accompanied by those in attendance, a shimmering light leaks from her right eye. Standing still, unmoving until the display is complete, she applauds. "Oh, that was marvelous! Thank you! I am Lady Kaviiri."
Wiping away the tear, she turns to the group again. "If you will do me a favor, I shall do one for you. If you would be so kind as to take my funerary urn from this place and sprinkle my ashes at sea, I will answer three questions."
Pausing to make sure you heard her request, she continues. "I have been here for oh so long and simply wish to sleep. Naturally, I will answer your questions now and upon leaving this place, you will do as I requested. If this is agreeable, you are free to ask."
|
|
When the dance ends Seren backs away from Kaylee and gives her a very serious look, then pokes her abruptly on the chin. "I... that was weird and I think we heard different music. Don't get any funny ideas!" The sits shoulder in a friendly gesture. "Hey, you got it ghosty. My specialty is helping ghosts and things pass on, under direct orders of all those godly sorts... and by direct I mean other ghosts tell me to do it or they won't leave me alone."
She'll slip away over to the urn where it rests and start working on shoving it into her already ridiculous collection of gear in her backpack, with several concerning sounds of things snapping or tearing. "Sometimes they follow me around and make me do things for them, I mean you can if you want, but I'd prefer not having more people shouting at me. It happens a lot... speaking of, do you know where an orb of stars is, or the people who had it? We need to find one so our boss doesn't yell at us."
|
|
"Well, of course we'll spread your ashes to sea, Lady Kaviiri. It's the least we can do. Now, where is the-" Jiggo turns around to see Seren already absconding with the urn. "Right."
Jiggo turns to his friends. "We definitely need to know where the Orb of the Stars is. We should see if she can help our paladin friend here with his... umm...aphasia?" Jiggo's not sure if he has the right word. "The third question, we should ask about any other dangers she may know of."
"Or maybe we should ask about that folding boat..."
|
|
Jed pipes up from his musings and says, ”well the lass already asked a couple good questions which will give us a decent shot at figuring out the location and anyone around the orb. I’d vote we use our last to ask about our friend. If we can solve the language barrier he could then tell us the location of the folding boat when we are all ready to leave.”
At the mention of the Orb of Stars, the apparition frowns. "I'm sorry, but I've not seen any orbs. Though...there was a charming group of people that passed through a little while ago. They weren't quite as skilled as you, but they were quite nice! They haven't returned yet though. I would imagine if they had your device, it's on into the next few chambers."
"Well, a pair of creatures - an ancient spirit and his undying bride - visit my brothel from time to time. They dwell that way." she replies pointing to the corridor heading north from the room. Turning to Kaylee and Seren she adds with a smile "Be careful dears, I think they might just gobble up someone as tasty as you two."
Turning to look to your paladin, she mumbles, "Bad manners my old friend. It's good to see you after all this time, but you've taken a big risk." Pondering your question a moment, she laments. "I do apologize, but there's nothing I can do about him."
"Thank you again for your help." she offers with a curtsy and the woman's image vanishes into the urn.
His eyes going wide at the words of the woman, your paladin companion remarks "Դարվին կինն անցավ խելագար: Ես նախկինում երբեք չեմ տեսել նրան:"
"Damn woman's gone mad. I've never seen her before."
You find yourselves in the labyrinth below as you leave the room down the corridor. Winding your way through the strange maze of corridors you find yourselves entering another large room. Three wall-mounted flaming stone braziers illuminate this unfurnished chamber. Lying on the floor in the middle of the chamber are there mangled humanoid bodies - two male humans and a female elf. Gouges and long scratch marks mar all of the walls of this stone room, as well as several areas on the floor and ceiling. A heavy black curtain cordons off the far southwest corner of the chamber.
The pathfinders appear to have been killed by a mix of bite and claw attacks. There's also evidence of them being stabbed with a longsword.
High powered continual flame effects
|
|
"Er... thank you ma'am!" Jiggo waves goodbye as the woman fades away. "A ghostly couple, eh? I wonder what happened to them."
"I know, it's good to see she's at rest. Er, have you visited this place before the crew had a mutiny?" Jiggo scratches his hair, confused by the paladin's reaction. "We'll make it out of here and then you owe me a story, haha!"
Jiggo remains upbeat until they reach the bodies. "How terrible..."
"Bites, claws and a longsword." Jiggo casts Bless upon the party. "Be on the lookout, everyone." He takes a fighting stance with his staff.
|
|
Seren peers at the urn suspiciously as the woman fades away. "You better behave yourself, no haunting and such." Ghosts in the backpack are worse than mice in a tavern. She seems to give the paladin another funny look. As they travel to the next room she pulls Jiggo and Jed aside by slinging her arms around their necks and whispers to them. "Mr. Eight-toes is hiding something. I dunno what he's saying, but I think our new ghost buddy does know him somehow and he's hiding it."
She taps her finger against the side of her nose and bounces forward to loudly discuss the dance from before with Kaylee.
---
When they enter the room with the body Seren already has her swords drawn, held like a pair of branches being used as club, which she holds up even higher when the others start checking the bodies. "Hey, I mean we haven't exactly seen a lot of swords around here... maybe it's a giant monster made of swords, and when it bites you it looks like swords!" She has no particular measures to ready herself with, and instead creeps towards the bodies and prods one with her sword to see if it's secretly a zombie.
|
|
When Seren voices her suspicions about their companion, Sumil eye's him suspiciously but doesn't say anything, as they continue on and find the bodies of the previous Pathfinders, the Occultist frowns as Jed reveals how they died.
"You use a longsword, yes?" He asks the Paladin, wondering if they had perhaps rescued the wrong man. Unsure if a fight is coming or not, Sumil casts lead blades on himself, but doesn't draw his new ghost touched blade just yet.
Staring at Sumil blankly, Jaohd nods his head. Drawing the longsword supplied to him, he looks to the others, anxious of what's to come. Suddenly, the entire room is filled with an incomprehensible babbling as three creatures burst from beyond the black curtain.
Two malignant clouds of shadow boiling in the air. Their skeletal maws eerily babbling as claws manifest from within the darkness. The third creature lumbers towards you, arms outstretched as pieces of its rotting flesh drip off the things bones. Scraps of soiled, blood-stained fabric stretch across its undead frames.
These are 'Allips'.
Incorporeal Undead Traits
Babble: An allip constantly mutters to itself, creating a hypnotic effect. All sane creatures within 60 feet of the allip must succeed at a DC 15 Will save or be fascinated for 2d4 rounds. While a target is fascinated, the allip can approach it without breaking the effect, but an attack by the allip does end the effect. Creatures that successfully save cannot be affected by the same allip’s babble for 24 hours. This is a sonic, mind-affecting compulsion effect
Touch of Insanity: The touch of an allip deals 1d4 points of Wisdom damage (DC 15 Will negates). A successful critical hit causes 1d4 points of Wisdom damage and 1 point of Wisdom drain (instead of double Wisdom damage). With each successful attack, an allip gains 5 temporary hit points.
Madness: Anyone targeting an allip with a thought detection, mind control, or telepathic effect makes direct contact with its tortured mind and takes 1d4 points of Wisdom damage.
Variant Human Zombie
Undead Traits
Strength Sap: If Allu-Nekva hits a living creature with her tongue attack, she drinks some of its blood, dealing 2 points of Strength damage.
==========================
-->
Kaylee
Sumil
Enemies
Paladin
Korez
Seren
Jed
Jiggo
|
|
Jed cries out as they come into view, "that is a Zombie! Some sort of variant! And those other things are Allips, they are fascina..." he starts mumbling, entranced. In his murmers, you catch him reciting all sorts of traits* memorized about undead creatures.
Darkvision 60 feet.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
Immunity to bleed, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.
Not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength), as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects.
Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature's Intelligence score.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
Not at risk of death from massive damage, but is immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points.
Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
|
|
Easily shaking off the babbling noise, Kaylee begins to cheer her companions over the ruckus. However, several of her companions still succumb to the effect.
The one with the green tent slams against the rambling dwarf, while it's companions feels drawn towards the small medium. The zombie, a gory mix of blood and saliva dripping from her tongue, surges forward to test Korez. The incorporeal shadows easily connect with their opponents. However, the zombie stumbles in her haste and licks her own rotting arm.
Drawing the sword supplied by Sumil, the paladin screams "Won't you just shut up and die!" as he swings the blade for Kaylee. Being unfamiliar with the weapons balance, his swing arcs wide and is deflected off the stone walls.
Kaylee
Sumil
Enemies
Paladin
Korez
Seren
Jed
Jiggo
|
|
Seren takes a hit from the babbling spectre, but as its hand starts to pass through her it hits something oddly solid for an incorporeal and bounces back. She shouts in its deformed face. "Hah! Nice try stupid, but Doran's too quick for ya!"
Then the paladin starts to attack the party and she points accusingly. "See, this is why I always say don't trust a guy with 8-toes!" And despite the new threat she doesn't move to cover Kaylee through the crowd, instead turning her motion into the first spin of her dance. As her whirling takes shape and her eyes roll back she unleashes a pair of flashing strikes at the gory zombie.
Spirit Aura: All allies within 30ft gain a +2 bonus on all non-spell damage rolls.
|
|
Jed's mind clouds a bit as the beastie strikes, "ach that smarts!" He pokes Sumil roughly with the flat end of his pick, "HEY! SNAP OUTTA IT AND USE THAT FANCY SWORD ON THESE GHOSTY THINGS!"
Jed steps back, drops his pick to the ground clanging against the stone and pulls out a small stick still wrapped in a bit of cloth. Pointing the stick at the monster that bit him, he speaks a single word and the stick glows with divine power.