"Only if we have enough holy water and haunt vials to disperse the other ghosts," Constantin says.
Aye, I'm with you. They won't get the best of me. Raj replies with determination. Figure it's only right to give the Lopper his axe back. And then some.
"I still have two vials of holy water, and I'm not out of my own power to harm any undead. I say we press on."
Vala doesn't want to discourage Raj after the axe works its dark price in his flesh, but she does shake her head at the suggestion of taking him to Grimburrow. She seems slightly relieved as the others work their way around to pressing on. As the group rallies and leaves the row of cells behind, Vala casts a parting glance over her shoulder at the flute laying by a fallen brick. Shaking her head, she leaves it in the dust and debris as she and the others move onward.
Moving around the rest of the upper floor, the continuous rattling of skeletons in the locked cells echo loudly but the party remains stoic and ignores them.
Toward the north of the floor is what appears to have been a kitchen and mess hall.
Wooden benches once lined this large hall, but several are now stacked in a jumble and others are overturned in disarray. Weakened by fire, the entire east wall has collapsed away, creating an unintended entryway to a wooden deck beyond. The view of the lake beyond would be beautiful if the silence were not so eerie.
Rats scurry here and there but there is nothing else of interest or value.
Do we have the rope and tools to make it down the hole, keeping in mind that Raj is essentially one-handed now?
As the group turns its attention and thoughts to descending the dank pit they'd found by the furnace, Vala shakes her head ruefully. "I knew we'd have to go down that forsaken hole."
The brightly lit stone turns end over end as it drops through the hole in the ground floor.
It lands with a splash and the light dims dramatically as it falls into two feet of murky water.
This cavernous chamber may have once been an underground cellblock, but it has long since collapsed. The crumbled walls are thick with mold and stained with soot, and heaps of fallen stones and charred wooden beams line the area. Water drips and seeps along the walls, collecting in a dark, murky pool in the middle of the room.
Zed frowns. "Something is down there." Zed picks up another rock and whips it down, creating noise to draw the attention of whatever is moving around down there.
Whatever it is shuffles toward the sound, splashing loudly in the water before coming to a stop. There is a sniffing and a low growl that turns into a moan before the thing splashes off again, it's heavy steps leading away west.
You caught only the briefest of glimpses and what you saw was very unfamiliar - the top of a shoulder and a single massive arm covered in ragged flesh that reveals plates of bleached bone beneath.
"Some kind of undead creature risen from the remains trapped down there? Seems to fit what we've seen so far," Constantin says.
Despite the gloom, Vala catches enough of a glimpse of the creature looming below to hazard a guess as to its nature.
'Entombers' are filthy, streaked with dirt, and sometimes even
bits of desiccated flesh, jewelry, and other small bits taken from the bodies they exhume or entomb. Indeed, they get their name from the supernatural ability to physically plant victims in the ground (soft earth at least) with a single blow.
It occurs to you that the Gravedigger's modus operandi involved burying victims alive. And so it is not surprising that in undeath he might rise as this most rare and foul creature that delights in same practice.
Entombers are physically very strong and often very durable.
Vala shudders and shrinks back from the lip of the sinkhole. "I've seen such things before, the most notable was from ancient Osirion." Vala continues, referencing her studies of ancient cultures and history, "They aren't common, thank the stars, but what they lack in numbers they make up for in dreadfulness. The Osirioni called them Hum Alladhin Yadfanun; 'They Who Bury'. In modern times, I believe they're called 'Entombers' now: horrid undead compelled and driven to bury the living alive."
Zed sighs. "I would bet the ground down there is soft from the water as well. I say we see if we can draw it up, fight it on our terms." If there are no objections, Zed throws another rock and then starts waving to get its attention.
Zed bangs his tetsubo loudly on the wall.
For a few moments there is nothing but silence above and Zed’s clear voice echoing down in the halls below. Then, there is a sudden rush of movement, stomping feet giving way to splashing through the water as the Entomber rushes to the source of the noise and, standing beneath the hole glares up at you with small, black eyes.
"Good to see you made it." Zed raises a hand and blasts a ray of energy at the creature.
Zed's beam of light slams into the Gravedigger and he howls in rage and pain.
Not to be left behind, Constantin pulls a sling bullet from a pouch and holds it out in the palm of his hand. It floats up into the air for a moment, then launches itself down into the darkness with significant speed and force.
Kazamir joins Constantin in sending a projectile hurtling down toward the creature with his mind.
Vala adds her own magics to those of the others', a needle-thin beam of white lancing from her hand down toward the horrid undead beast.
HP: 21/21
Negative Energy Resist 5
AC: 14 (10 T / 14 FF)
CMD: 12
F/R/W: +4/+1/+7 (+2 vs death effects, energy drain, negative energy, & necromancy)
Monstrous Insight used: 0/7
Wand of CLW: 15/50 remaining
Healing Hex targets:
Prepared spells
Orisons (4) | DC 14: dancing lights, disrupt undead, identify, read magic
Level 1 spells (2+1+1*) | DC 15: cure light wounds [X] [ ], know the enemy* [ ], produce flame (CL3) [ ]
Level 2 spells (1+1+1*) | DC 16: spiritual weapon [X] [ ], tongues [ ]
Ongoing Effects
monstrous insight (3/10): +2 attack, +2 AC vs entomber
Under assault from above and with no real means to retaliate, the Entomber stomps out of view with a growl of frustration.
Zed nods. To be expected. "Well it definitely knows we're here now, but we have the upper hand. I don't care to climb down because it could be waiting in ambush, and it could pick off the first one that goes down." He sets his jaw. "How about this. Those of us with ranged capabilities stay up here. Our strongest fighters go down in order. That means you lead, Raj. I'll be right behind you." He frowns. "Of course that may be difficult right now."
"We'd have to lower Raj down. Very dangerous," says Constantin. "Anyone have magic to summon creatures? Or a way to float down without being seen or needing the rope?"
"I don't have any magic that could do that, even if I had any magic left for the day. I can blast more positive energy out, and I can still declare a judgement. None of which helps with stealth or gravity. However I can try to slip down there myself. I'm in good shape, I can sneak around, and you know how I'm like in the front lines."