Seres summons a flaming sphere on top of the dread zombie and ignites the tattered remnants of its wizard's robe and the creature's dead, decaying flesh.
Veronica channels Erastil's divine power and the zombie is suddenly engulfed in the burning nimbus of Dead Eye's cleansing, righteous energy.
Ezekial launches another pair of daggers and strikes true both times -the blades lodge deep in the screaming zombie.
Connor and Whitetalon then each strike a decisive blow against the zombie - slaying it and sending the undead abomination flailing into the toxic tar pit below.
|
... sending the undead abomination flailing into the toxic tar pit below.
** spoiler omitted **
Ezekial curses that any loot the undead caster might have had fell into the tar as he moves to unlock/open the door out of this noxious chamber. He knows his companions will continue to suffer from the gasses in this room but pauses long enough to check for traps.
"He didn't seem to be carrying much on his rotting corpse, any how. Let's get out of this horrific room as soon as we can ... <cough>"
Seres moves out of the noxious fumes as fast as possible.
Opening the southern door reveals a long passage that winds east. After ascending two sets of stairs the passage dead ends in a short hall with two doors - one on the south and one on the north wall.
Ezekial finds no traps on either door.
Neither door is locked.
"Always go left," Seres says jauntily and opens the door.
Opening the left door reveals a crypt that 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.
Seres will cast invisibility and quietly approach the body to check it.
Connor holds back, watching the body with keen interest to see if anything the invisible Sorcerer does is noticeable.
Seres sees the outline of an incorporeal spirit rise from the corpse as he enters the room.
Seres circles around the rising spirit, hoping it loses track.
Seres backs away from the spectre, but the spirit follows and lashes the fey sorcerer with its ghostly hand
Seres withdraws.
Connor moves forward with Whitetalon, leaping off the griffon as he rushes forward with the magical greatsword.
Veronica wastes no time; she drops a holy smite on the spectre, knowing how dangerous it is.
Seres withdraws from the room after having a small portion of his life essence stolen by the spectre.
Ezekial leaps forward and slices the apparition with his magical kukri.
Connor and Whitetalon move up to melee with the spectre. The cavalier's greatsword dissipates a portion of the spirit's ghostly energy.
Veronica calls down the power of her deity and smites the spectre in a flash of white light - destroying much of it.
The spectre begins to thrash wildly at the air around Connor and manages to slice one of its claws through the cavalier's armor
; low misses
Still glowing with angelic power, Veronica takes a shot with her bow. She knows that the arrow won't be as effective against an incorporeal foe, but it's better than nothing.
Source Bestiary 6 pg. 293, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 299, Bestiary 2 pg. 296, Bestiary 3 pg. 294, Bestiary 4 pg. 293, Bestiary 5 pg. 292
This attack happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits. Each successful energy drain bestows one or more negative levels (the creature’s description specifies how many). If the creature confirms a critical hit with an attack that includes energy drain, it inflicts twice the listed number of negative levels. Unless otherwise specified in the creature’s description, a draining creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it inflicts on an opponent. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 draining creature’s racial HD + draining creature’s Charisma modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level becomes permanent. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level.
Seres moves back up for line of sight and casts magic missile!.
Veronica pierces the spectre with her first arrow.
Ezekial dashes and successfully slashes apparition before diving away.
Connor manages to hit the spectre twice with his great sword.
Seres moves up and finally destroys the ghostly undead with a volley of force missiles.
The remnants of the spectre pull back into the corpse on the ground, which shudders once before falling still again.
An eerie silence settles over the dusty crypt.
Connor collapses to one knee, "OK,give me a moment here. This place is ... unfriendly ... to the living."
After a moment he arises, "Let's search this place quickly and then return to the southern door in the other room."
"We'll need rest soon, not least so that I can help to heal the lingering damage that the thing caused to Connor," says Veronica.
"Once you're done there, Zeke, maybe... find out if you can hear anything beyond that other door. Another encounter like this could go poorly for us."
Connor finds nothing searching the room accept many scattered bones. Man of the crypts are strangely devoid of any remains.
Ezekial determines that the ulfen corpse that gave rise to the spectre must have been one of the missing Varnhold settlers based on some of the personal effects found. He doesn't find anything of value.
"I pray to Old Deadeye that this entire community isn't like this. One, because it saddens my soul, but also, because I don't think we can survive 100 of these villagers turned evil death creatures."
Connor follows Zeke out to the central room, dragging his blade behind him and leaning on Whitetalon for support.
"Right there with you," whispers Veronica, though she tries to remain quiet so that Zeke can listen.
Ezekial finds no traps or lock on the door. He hears a faint shuffling within the room that sounds like something heavy being dragged over stone.
"I agree with Connor," Seres says, looking dizzy from the draining touch of the spectre. "No more of those, please."
"Nowhere else to go, right?"
Connor hefts his blade and steps back through the doorway to the north. "Let's arrange ourselves tactically and then ... open the door and see what awaits!"
This door opens onto a short dais looking out over a large chamber. Thick pillars ascend to a twenty-foot-high ceiling, while a wide stone
staircase climbs to a darkened gallery above. The true purpose of the chamber is apparent from the great stone table running across its center. Dozens of seats have been set about this massive affair and propped upon them is a feast of horror. Each chair holds the corpse
of a human locked in its death throes, its mouth agape in anguish, the top of its cranium brutally removed, and the brains within excised.
Four dread zombie cyclops shuffle between the corpses.
Seres casts greater flaming sphere into the room.
Veronica unleashes a bless spell to help with the fight against the undead.
"Veronica, get behind Zeke!"
Connor sees the size of these things and steps back 5 feet and switches to his lance to ready for approach.
"Let's get them squeezed in these doors on the ground if I'm lucky."
Veronica dutifully moves to a defensible position.
Ezekial dives in and debilitates the nearest zombie by cutting through most of it's rotted leg.
Seres ignites a flaming sphere in the room.
Veronica blesses the group and then takes a defensive position.
Connor readies to trip, but when the lead zombie squeezes into the narrow passage, he can't quite bring the undead brute down.
The other zombies shamble toward the party.
Veronica takes her best corner shot down the hall past Zeke.