Kern leads the way as soon as the bridge is built. Skybolt is nocked with an arrow.
Once Aristu arrives back at the tar pit, he conjures more stone to create a bridge to the secret door. He steps aside to let Kern take point, then follows after.
The bridge built, the team crosses. The suffocating scent of roiling tar makes it nearly impossible to breathe and you are all sweating profusely by the time you reach the far door. Kern determines that it is untrapped and opens it swiftly. The room beyond is small and bare, with hewn stone steps rising to the west. The air is nearly as bad here as in the tar pool.
The nimble elf advances up the stairs to see what secrets await the royal adventuring party.
Mikhail follows after Kern.
Aristu climbs the stairs a step behind Kern.
Piotr keeps pace with his companions.
At the top of the stairs a ramp slopes sharply upwards, ending in a door. After it is exhaustively checked for traps, Kern opens the door to be dazzled by brilliant sunshine. This door leads outside.
A natural cleft in the side of the tower of stone creates a sort of
overlook here. It’s a 60-foot drop from here to the surface of the river,
and the cleft in the rock itself is 10 feet high. The door is obscured by a curtain of vines.
Alister looks out to the view and breathes in a deep breath of fresh air. "Well, if we need to rest, this seems like a good place."
Kern lets the sun shine on his face a moment, happy to be outside.
"I'm not sure if it'll be safe, but this is as good an escape route as any." Kern says. "but I agree, let's recoup here."
"Does anyone see signs that anything has used this ledge recently? Mikhail looks around at the ledge.
Kern looks as well.
Not for hundreds of years.
Kern sets about setting up a makeshift camp.
He takes a deep breath in through his nose and says.
"Fresh air is good.
...before letting out a big sigh of relief.
"I did not prepare the spell to create a shelter, so we will have to rough it," says Piotr.
"I am interested in what spells, and other information, are contained within this book."
Piotr prepares to camp and prepare for the further exploration of the ruins.
You settle in for a rest. As Kern sets up the camp, Piotr sits down on a rock and peruses Cephal Lorentus's spellbook.
Kern leans against the opening and gazes outside.
"If you'll permit me, I'll take first watch. I'd like to enjoy the nice view for some time."
He gives a look to Mikail and says "I hope your god can grant you something useful against the undead."
Piotr speaks quietly with Corb, "Can you carefully scout the area? See if anythng has changed or if people are hanging about?"
Otherwise, Piotr will prepare to rest after his turn on watch so that he is ready to prepare his spells in the morning.
"I can take the morning watch." Mikhail says as he settles down to sleep.
Corb sweeps the area but sees no changes in the countryside. You can sense the menace waiting below, but it comes not into the open sunlight... yet.
Everyone has a full rest. All spells and abilities reset!
Mikhail hands out the vials of potions and then waits for Kern to lead the way back in.
Piotr casts his protective magics upon himself as he preares to re-enter the ... tomb? Lair?
He really isn't sure but feels that this threat must be neutralized for the good of the kingdom.
Aristu meditates and attunes himself to his fey arcane source.
Joining the others, he pulls out a wand tipped with a carved dragon's head. He taps the wand and the dragon head bursts aglow.
"Ready."
We head back down to chamber we fought the undead and head to the other bridge to check the door that the undead monster was guarding.
Kern looks over the door before opening it, Skybolt at the ready.
Our Heroes recross the hellish pool of bubbling tar and explore the far door, find it to be harmless and pass through into a long winding stair that rises steadily upwards into the great rock spire. The ancient hallway, carved from the living rock by the great Cyclops empire that ruled the Stolen Lands ages ago, is dark and silent, lit only by your torches and echoing only with your footfalls.
At last you come to the passage's end and a pair of doors on the right and left.
Mikhail motions towards the left door and asks, "Shall we take the sinister path?"
Kern nods, and approaches the door to inspect it.
If it's safe, before he opens it, he'll turn to his companions.
"Prepare yourselves now."
Alister nods. "I'm ready. Let's see what's inside."
Mikhail follows after with Civility drawn.
Beyond is a dimly-lit crypt. This crypt stretches into darkness. The floor of this crypt is strewn with rubble and the filth of opened graves. Sprawled on the floor is a fairly fresh corpse of a middle-aged Ulfen man, no more than a week or two old at the most.
Kern steps into the crypt and over the corpse to take up a post watching the long hallway.
"We should check his body to see who he might be." He says without taking his eyes from the long crypt hallway.
Mikhail will move quickly to go and check on the man.
Alister follows Mikhail, but tries to look around the room, while the man inspects the body. He casts a spell to illuminate the area.
Piotr has protected himself with magical armor before re-entering the tomb. He stands back while his companions perform the first examination of the body.
+2 for Initiative
A ghostly spirit reaches out of the body and grabs for Kern's wrist and the elf feels a burning emptiness as some of his life force is drawn into the spirit! Kern can feel the awful corruption of the angry spirit sapping his will to live!
All of you feel a supernatural thrill of fear at the first sight of this spectral being.
STATUS
Spirit +5 temp hp,
Aristu
Mikhail
Kernithar - 98/114 hp
Alister
Aristu ignores the spirit's frightful presence and gets down to the business of destroying the undead. With an emphatic flourish of his wand, he launches a barrage of arcane energy at the ghost.
Like his brother, Alister simply shrugs off the ghost's attempt to frighten him. "Don't succumb to it! We can destroy it!" His tattoos flare to life and the Baron unleashes lightning at the spirit.
Kern gasps as something wicked seeps into him and mixes with something dark that was already there...
Mikhail reacts by trying to slice the incorporeal arm that grasped at Kern from the spirit.
Fear grips Mikhail and Piotr while Kern's mind is fogged by the terrible hatred and evil of the spirit's touch. Aristu blasts the creature with magic missiles while Alister blasts it with lightning and Mikhail attacks it with many blows. The lightning and magical blade harm the spirit, but only magic missile seems to hit it with full force.
STATUS
All: Inspire Courage
Spirit - 46 damage
Aristu
Mikhail
Kernithar - 98/114 hp, Stupefied 2 (1 hr.)
Piotr - Frightened 2
Alister
Kern acts on instinct alone as he battles the spirit. Skybolt clatters to the floor as he whips out his blade and sets to work.
Piotr moves to clear the door before summoning a ball of flame that he hurls at the creature.
Kern's blade slashes once through the evil spirit, but barely harms it. The spirit glides out of the way of the second attack. Piotr's ball of flame hits it squarely, but again does less damage that might have been expected because the spirit is partly in the other world.
The creature reaches out and touches Mikhail just over his heart, drawing forth life and health from the priest!
STATUS
All: Inspire Courage
Spirit - 56 damage (+5 temp hp)
Aristu
Mikhail
Kernithar - 98/114 hp, Stupefied 2 (1 hr.)
Piotr - Frightened 1
Alister
Kern continues his instinctual flurry of his blade.
[dice=Will Save]1d20+19
Yep!
Mikhail tries to dice a ghost.
With a storm of blades, Kern and Mikhail sever the mystic ties holding the spirit to the mortal plane. It screeches and disappears!
COMBAT OVER!