|
Morgrim scrutinizes the emaciated excavation leader, excitement all over her face.
As Ralklain pushes the key into a space that should not fit it at all, the door hisses, and slowly, silently opens outward to reveal a set of wide stairs descending into darkness.
Dias turns back to face the rest of you, a grin splayed across her face. As she is about to speak, though, a horn sounds from the tower overlooking the palisade gate and the camp explodes into action! The excavation leader scrambles up the terraced dig site, next to the bulk of you, and says, “Explore the complex, find out what might be in there, and hope to the gods it’s something that will help us. I have to organize our defense. Go! GO!”
As she sprints off toward the camp’s defenses, a familiar roar thunders in the air, and a cacophony of screeching and screaming sounds echoes from all around the palisade wall.
--
The interior of the building is unlit.
|
|
Shandor looks in, and once he realizes that it is clear, weaves magic into several glowing lights.
--
A wide set of stairs descends into an enormous room, measuring thirty-five feet wide by forty feet long, and more than thirty feet tall. The entire room smells sickly sweet, but the floors, wall, and ceiling are all smooth and clean—rather similar to the sphere in the ground outside. Four enormous monoliths, fifteen-foot-tall human-shaped metal statues, rest in the four corners of the room. They’re made of white metal, almost like a suit of full plate sized quite large, but without anything discernible as a face.
|
Ryskovich will stand back, not knowing what's gonna happen. He looks on with anticipation, but nothing near the outward exuberance shown by Dias. He stands at his guard, rapier and shield at the ready, expecting something to lurch out, but breathes a sigh if relief when all before him is darkness.
He peers into the darkness, but barely makes out the stairs, turning to Shandor,
So my friend, can you make anything out inside the darkness?
|
|
As you continue to search down the hall, light spills into the corridor, revealing a 5' wide hallway that extends East to West, with six 10' x 10' alcoves splitting off North and South, three on each side.
As you step in, you see a white sarcophagus, made of the same material as the giant golem/statues out front. The first of you steps into the hallway, and the two skeletons within the sarcophagi turn their heads to look at you and pull themselves free! It is easy enough to hear their movements echoed by others down the hall...
Initiative Order Round 1:
Shandor
Skeleton 3
Skeleton 1
Morgrim
Ralklain
Skeleton 2
Skeleton 4
Skeleton 6
Ryskovich
Garret
Skeleton 5
Exitium
|
|
A skeleton comes in from one of the alcoves to the West, coming up to swipe at Shandor! The rusty scimitar swings wide, missing the sorcerer by a few inches!
A second skeleton steps out of the sarcophagus to Shandor's right and steps up to attack Exitium! The blade bounces harmlessly off the eidolon's tough hide!
Initiative Order Round 1:
Shandor
Skeleton 3
Skeleton 1
Morgrim <-
Ralklain
Skeleton 2
Skeleton 4
Skeleton 6
Ryskovich
Garret
Skeleton 5
Exitium
|
|
Making way for Morgrim, Ralklain moves in dodging a swipe as he moves up nimbly! As he does so, he draws his morningstar and brings it down on the clavicle of the skeleton before him! All that remains before the summoner is a pile of bones...
Initiative Order Round 1:
Shandor
Skeleton 3
Skeleton 1
Morgrim <-
Ralklain [acted round 1]
Skeleton 2 [dead]
Skeleton 4
Skeleton 6
Ryskovich
Garret
Skeleton 5
Exitium
|
|
Morgrim steps up and despite the awkward angle, his axe swings through the skeleton scattering its bones across the stone floor!
Two more skeletons come forward to stand behind their ally, Shandor waiting until the last minute before unleashing his gout of flame! The skeleton adjacent to the sorcerer nicks him on the arm as he casts!
All three skeletons crumble to smoldering piles of bone! There remains the scraping sound of one more that echoes through the hall...
Initiative Order Round 1:
Shandor
Skeleton 3 [dead]
Skeleton 1 [dead]
Morgrim
Ralklain
Skeleton 2 [dead]
Skeleton 4 [dead]
Skeleton 6 [dead]
Ryskovich <-
Garret
Skeleton 5
Exitium
|
|
Exitium rushes forward, and clamps down on the skeleton's leg, but it seems to barely affect the undead protector!
Initiative Order Round 2:
Shandor <-
Skeleton 3 [dead]
Skeleton 1 [dead]
Morgrim
Ralklain
Skeleton 2 [dead]
Skeleton 4 [dead]
Skeleton 6 [dead]
Ryskovich
Garret
Skeleton 5 [1hp taken]
Exitium
|
|
The room at the end of the hall stands 15 feet by 15 feet and is constructed of the same smooth-white reflective material as the sphere outside. A single white pillar stretches from floor-to-ceiling in the center of the room, and in a niche rests a smooth, white, hand-sized cube covered in glyphs and runes similar to those found on the door to the complex.
|
|
"I am going to see if the room holds any magics. No doubt there are others here better able to determine what those magics are, but if the act triggers countermeasures, I am better suited to withstand them. You may want to step back." He stands just outside the entrance to the room, examines it briefly with the naked eye, then chants a spell, and examines the room again, for what seems to be a long time.
|
|
Ryskovich moves into the room, at the sign of everything is all clear with the current threat. He stands at the back if the room, near only exit, chalk it up to his Halfling preparedness. When Shandor stretches out his hand to grasp the cube, Ryskovich looks on with wonder in his eyes, wondering what could happen next, with a firm grip on his rapier and shield just in case.
|
|
Shandor picks up the cube, and though its power lies dormant, the sorcerer can feel the magic throb in response to his touch. Unable to find anything else within the complex that could possibly help, you decide to make your way out with your find.
All along the palisade wall, Pathfinders, ex-Aspis refugees, and camp workers are trying desperately to hold off the horde of charau-ka outside the walls. Wave after wave of rocks, sticks, and even the camp’s own garbage are flying over the walls at regular intervals. Somewhere back in the jungle, that same deafening roar echoes across at the valley.
Just as you emerge from the door, a large rock smashes a hole in the palisade wall! Moments later a hoard of screeching, chattering ape-men plunge through it and flood the camp! In the distance, their horrible champion— a four-armed gorilla, fifteen feet tall and causing the ground to shake with each step, intelligently scans his troops and roars at them, causing the ape-men to devolve into a frenzy.
In response, the shining white sphere at the Western dig site glows even brighter! At the same time, the cube in Shandor's hands begins to answer with a glowing of its own and a low thrum! Shandor is enveloped in the white light, and lifted in the air, by an invisible force!
AZLANTI MONOLITH
Advanced Iron Golem (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 162)
N Huge construct
Init –2; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +0
DEFENSE
AC 31, touch 6, flat-footed 31 (–2 Dex, +25 natural, –2 size)
hp 155 (21d10+40)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +7
DR 15/adamantine; Immune construct traits, magic
OFFENSE
Speed 20 ft.
Melee 2 cold iron slams +36 (4d12+27/19–20)
Space 15 ft.; Reach 15 ft.
Special Attacks breath weapon, cold iron, powerful
blows
STATISTICS
Str 47, Dex 7, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 1
Base Atk +18; CMB +34; CMD 43
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Breath Weapon (Su) As a free action once every 1d4+1 rounds, an iron golem can exhale a 10-foot cube of poisonous gas. This gas cloud persists for 1 round; any creature within the area when the golem creates it (as well as any creature that passes through the cloud during the remainder of that round) is exposed to the cloud’s poisonous effects. This poison is magically created each time the golem uses this power.
Breath weapon—inhaled; save Fort 19; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Constitution damage; cure 2 saves. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Cold Iron This iron golem is constructed from cold iron, meaning its slam attacks count as cold iron weapons.
Immunity to Magic (Ex) An iron golem is immune to spells and spell-like abilities that allow spell resistance. Certain spells and effects function differently against it, as noted below.
• A magical attack that deals electricity damage slows an iron golem (as the slow spell) for 3 rounds, with no saving throw.
• A magical attack that deals fire damage breaks any slow effect affecting the golem, and heals 1 point of damage for every 3 points of damage the attack would otherwise deal. If the amount of healing would cause the golem to exceed its full normal hit points, it gains any excess as temporary hit points. The iron golem gets no saving throw against fire effects.
• An iron golem is affected normally by rust attacks, such as those of a rust monster or a rusting grasp spell.
Powerful Blows (Ex) An iron golem inflicts one and a half times its Strength modifier and threatens a critical hit on a 19–20 with its slam attacks.
|
|
- Can I speak with the golem's voice too?
- Can I control my normal body at the same time? If not, in what state is it?
- Can I exit the golem to return to my body?
I'll try to exit the tomb and tell my companions to attack the charau-ka while I'll attack the giant ape, if that's possible.
|
|
Shandor's body is physically gone, as is the cube that he had held. However, you become aware that there are heavy footsteps behind you all as one of the giant white golems steps out of the door of the Azlanti building! Shandor's voice, oddly echoing from within the construct, calls out to you, "Handle the charau-ka, I've got the big one!"
Initiative Order - Round 1
Angazhani Champion
Garret
Charau-ka 2
Exitium
Charau-ka 1
Morgrim
Ralklain
Ryskovich
Shandor (Azlanti Monolith)
The giant ape, at the sight of the Azlanti Monolith, beats its chest as it rumbles a deafening roar! It charges through the camp! Behind it, you see the two charau-ka seem to be the only ones that have broken through the line thus far!