GM Sior's PFS Crypt of the Everflame Module (Inactive)

Game Master Sior

If someone can use heal for Long-term care (DC 15), Kuran would heal 2 points of ability damage per day. But no one has survival as a skill, so we can't hunt for food to maintain our supplies. So either we rest for only one night and have Kuran tag along as a burden, or travel some nearby village to restock on food and medicine.

"Guys, this looks grim! I didn't take nearly enough food along for a two-week mission, and I'm so weak I can't do anything to those horrible things that await us in the dungeon!" Kuran whimpers, "should we continue searching for the eternal flame, or find food and healing elsewhere? I'd really like the latter."

Once we actually sleep...

Kuran sleeps restlessly, turning his side constantly, mind wrapped inside a nightmare.

[/ooc]There is no nearby settlement aside from Kassen. You did get some rations for supplies, and once again there are two spots of healing ability damage in the crypt fairly close at hand. Ye just haven't gotten there yet.[ooc]

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I think we could always try pushing on and if run into too much trouble then return.

Tessa helps Kuran up in the morning as his muscles still seem quite sore.

Don't worry. We will help you out.

Tessa heads back to the door with the intense wailing behind it.

Is everything alright in there. Unlock the door and I can help you.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

Returning to the door, you still hear wailing, but it seems less loud today than it did yesterday. When Tessa speaks, however, it once again becomes silent.

"We ought to try the other way," Kuran says, slumping behind the rest of the group, "th-that wailing's not going to stop. Maybe we can find a way to open that elsewhere, yes?"

Entry hall's western door.

"What if they need our help?"

"Y-you mean there could be more of those wailing noises?"

"Huh?"

they as in he or she

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"That thing or whatever must have been wailing for who knows how long! It can't be anything alive, nuh-uh, no way!"

"Let me have a look." Nijena asks and steps in front of the door, closes her eyes and tries to detect evil auras behind the door.
detect evil

Nijena detects no evil behind the wailing door.

Darren raps on the door. "Hey, let is in so we can help you out."

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Darren is met with silence.

This seemingly is getting nowhere.

Tessa turns towards Kuran. You said you found another door?

"Uuh, yeah," Kuran replies to Tessa, looking at the elf confusedly. The tiefling had been talking about the other door for quite some time, maybe even the day before. Then again the elf has been cold towards Kuran since their first combat—maybe it's something inherited from her ancestors—and now this sudden interest in what Kuran is saying messes up his emotions.

"So you finally are going to l-listen me? Remember, the s-skeletons? The other door there, right from the entrance? You've all so full of finding out what that wailing is you forget what monstrocities it could hold behind! L-like we could probably find out more about this d-death trap if you'd only heed my warnings! I-I'm not stupid, I'm just b-bloody scared! Aren't you? Wh-what are you then? Dead bodies, undead, creatures sapping one's life force... I-I know only legends about hungry sh-shadows! Like o-once they've fully drained a mortal soul's essence, it turns into another hungry shadow! Th-that could have been me! I could have been killed! And did you console me at all? No! J-just a regular day! Ordinary w-work! F-friends die left and r-right! How can you all be so cold?!"

Kuran's lower lip trembles, and almost immediately after his tirade he breaks down in tears, running to the entrance, sobbing.

Tessa shrugs at the others.

Hmm..

She follows after the tiefling and places a hand on his shoulder.

I did not mean to hurt you. You have been through a lot already and in such a short time I am afraid. I was simply worried that there may be someone as injured and afraid as you behind that door is all.

She helps him to his feet.

Come we have a long ways to go and we are getting low on food. Lead the way.

"I may have been selfish," Kuran admits with a heavy sigh, wiping his teary eyes, "m-maybe there's another way to that room with the wailing noise... I really hope we don't starve here."

With his pessimistic words, he proceeds to the door left of the entrance and carefully opens it.

Nijena follows Kuran silently andd waits until he opened the door. She has her sword ready to use it against whatever waits behind the door.

Darren shrugs and follows the "kid" to the door.

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Kuran bravely leads the party away from the silenced screams and wailing and through the door in the entry way.

In the center of this room is a large pool of clear water, fed by a fountain on the wall above it. The fountain has a stone statue of a weeping maiden holding the slain body of a man, but his head has been broken off and is nowhere to be seen. A voice booms out from the darkness, saying, “Magic is the key.” The voice slowly fades, leaving a dreadful silence.

Darren walks up to the fountain and peers into the water.

"Anybody able to magic up a key?"

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"I-I can," Kuran says with cautious, not willing to step into the room. From the corridor he casts detect magic and lets the spell do its thing, scanning the room for any particular auras.

No knowledge (arcana) or spellcraft, of course, so he only knows if things are magic or not. So very boolean.

Darren moves in to see a layer of keys lining the bottom of the pool.

From his placement, Kuran does not notice anything magical.

Kuran makes his way to the edge of the pool, next to Darren, with shaking steps. He peers into the pond, his spell still active.

More than 1 foot of stone, fine...

As he directs his detections down the pool, he notices there is a small aura coming from the bottom. One of the keys radiates as magical.

"One of the keys is radiating magic," Kuran says, trembling, "and there's some other aura at the bottom of the pond. Better not walk there, m-maybe if one can use telekinesis..."

He looks at Tessa.

Don't have it so I shall just reach in :)

Tessa smiles as she claps Kuran on the shoulder.

Well done and good find. She says as she reaches into the fountain for the key.

Tessa reaches into the fountain but the bottom is far out of her reach. About 40 feet out of her reach.

"Allllright... that was a lot deeper than expected," Kuran says, clearly a bit baffled, starting to check everyone's gear. "Someone has to swim, I guess, but not me! I'm already weakened and wearing heavy armor!"

"Unless you want to go key fishing."

Tessa could try and detect magic since she has spellcraft and knowledge (arcana).

wow, 40 feet is a long way to hold your breath

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Oh geez I thought it was like a little coin fountain haha. I don't have much to fish with. I am thinking this is starting to look like someone swim down.

If noone has absolutely anything else.

Tessa looks into the fountain and also detects the magic that Kuran pointed out. Keeping a good eye on the right key she climbs into the cold waters and begins to drop down as she holds her breath. She keeps her eye on the key as she slowly makes her way down.

Take 10 for 10 on swim the whole way down. Can hold my breath for 24 rounds.

"What do you think about tying a ropa around Tessa's waist to pull her back as fast as we can after she grabbed the key? That would be faster than swimming the whole 40 ft. back up."

"Is this even water?" Kuran asks and at the same time foolishly dips his hand in the what they believe to be water.

Kuran's hand dips into the water and comes out extremely wet. It is water. Though, due to the amount present, it might be dire water. Sorry, dire inanimate objects have been a thing of mine for a while.

Tessa dips into the pool and easily makes it to the bottom, concentrating on the magic of the key. There, the poor lighting proves to require some light to continue, but no matter with a quick light cantrip (that is somehow cast underwater with no verbal component because GM says so) and grabs the magical key.

The elf has no issue what-so-ever returning to the surface and climbing out of the pool.

There are two doors to the south of you, each locked and looking that they fit different keys.

whew. Well done.

"Nice job there Tess."

south eastern most door?

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Tessa makes it back to the surface where she eagerly draws another breath. Climbing out she hold forth a key. I hope this is the right one.

Moving over to both doors they seem to be locked. This key doesn't fit either door..

I understood that those doors both need separate keys.

"Maybe the door's magic too," Kuran says sheepishly, and again casts detect magic to find out whether there are more magical auras in the room.

"This place is really weird. And creepy. Definitely creepy. Giant pillows, a weeping maiden statue without a head, and a layer of keys. Who made this place?!"

I think he meant that the same key won't work for both doors, not necessarily that the current key doesn't work on either of them. Although we could try it on the wailing room.

Kuran and Darren are correct. Each door is opened with a separate key.

The southeast door opens into a room. A small stone bench sits in the center of this dusty chamber. On the far wall is a faded mural depicting a hero, painted ribbons and banners identifying him as Kassen, defeating the mercenaries at the entrance to this crypt, with his blade piercing the chest of the mercenary leader. These figures stand alone in the center of a scene of carnage, with dead villagers and mercenaries all around them.

Looking at the murals, you all notice that both Kassen and the mercenary leader are wearing golden necklaces, each made up of a simple golden chain, from which hangs an oddly shaped medallion. While not identical, the amulets look similar.

Kuran, again, casts detect magic in case the golden necklaces have magical properties. Cautiously, he walks up the stone bench and wonders what the idea of the room was.

"This reminds me of a doctor's office's waiting room," Kuran whispers, "but I doubt we'll find Kassen from the room beyond."

"Yeah, strange place."

Darren gives the others a moment to examine the room, then heads down the hallway and tries to open the next door.

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Nothing about the painted walls stands out as magical.

As Darren continues down the hall, he finds the door unlocked and openable. With a quick glance back, he checks to see where his party mates are. In other words, please ensure updated token placement on the map before we proceed.

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I moved all the tokens into a line behind Darren.

Looks good to me

Darren pushes the door open.

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A single pillar in the center of the room supports this wide, domed chamber. The pillar is surrounded by a pit, but a stone bridge crosses the pit on the south side. Dozens of arrows jut from holes in the pillar, facing every direction.

How do you wish to proceed?

"This looks like a trap to me."

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"It does!" Kuran exclaims, peeking around the corner, "not my place to be! Ohhh why were we so poorly prepared for the horros of this place?"

Kuran keeps whimpering about their cruel fate, not daring to enter the chamber.

"Let me go first, maybe I can set off the trap, and it's safe for you to pass after me."

Knowing that Nijena can resist some energy she enters the chamber, trying to cross the bridge with her shield held high.

Kuran dares not even look around the corner. Shaking, he leans against the wall with his back, and breathes deeply, his heart pounding.