You're invited to a slumber party at the Blakros Museum!
The Blakros Museum rises into the night sky, its single black spire severing the full moon in twain. The black iron gates surrounding the exhibition hall grind in protest against the wind. Beyond, the museum’s large oaken doors stand wide open, a silver-gray mist belching forth from the cavernous darkness within. You wonder how you ended up here, standing at the precipice of unknown terrors, and instantly Venture-Captain Adril Hestram’s wide looming face is conjured into your minds’ eye. His booming words ring out from memory as clearly as he spoke them only one hour ago:
“The Blakros Museum is cursed. Some darkness has descended upon the place and those who enter are blasted with evil and left raving through its halls, more beast than men. The curator, Nigel Aldain, is an old associate of the Society, though he chose to leave our organization some years back after a disagreement.”
Adril looked sheepish then, as if remembering some distasteful incident from his youth. “Nigel has long denied the Society access to the Blakros Museum’s considerable collection of relics and scrolls, using his extensive contacts to nab several excellent finds right out from under us... he always had a nose for the hunt. Whatever is past between Nigel and the Society, he needs our help now. Perhaps if we can come to his aid, he may think on rejoining the Pathfinder Society, or at least offering to share his discoveries with us.”
“Apparently the trouble at Blakros Museum began this morning, shortly after a wayward Pathfinder named Lugizar Trantos returned to Absalom after months spent in the Mwangi Expanse. Supposedly, instead of coming straight to the Lodge to report in, he went to Blakros, sold his finds to Nigel, and then disappeared with a hefty sum of gold. The few who glimpsed Lugizar claimed he was much changed by his time in the Mwangi... gaunt, his eyes yellowed and unfocused, a strange rasping cough that seemed to wrack his now wasted frame. Whatever he brought back with him, we believe it is the cause of the Blakros Museum’s ills. Root it out.”
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Looking at the iron gates with slight apprehension, Lucas pulled his blue dyed cloak tighter against the wind. He was a tall muscular and lythe human with fair hair and a stern gaze above a kind smile. No smile showed on his face now though.
His traveling companion spoke in rhetoric, but Lucas answered anyways. "Yeah I know what you mean. People should really store things in unassuming places instead, or at least have competent guardians."
Upon meeting each-other, raising questions about the building and most of all your purpose here you remember a few things...
Adril gave Negi a map of the museum and suggested the group head to the offices first to find Nigel as he may have some insight into whatever foul curse vexes the place. He also mentioned that the offices are through the first room on the left.
If you decided to do a bit of reconnaissance prior to arriving at the museum:
rumored to shred the sanity of anyone who spends too long in their presence.
When you open the doors into an entry room, the mists here congeal into a thick and silvery fog that cools the lungs. A giant warrior looms from the haze, his arms crossed at his chest, his helm solemn and still. Beyond lie sarcophagi of varied designs, and a few glass cases wherein withered dead are held upright by rods and string, grim exhibits of long-dead citizens whose fallen empires were erased an age past.
As Negi and Lucas enter the chamber, you hear groans coming from within the fog... You are beset upon by animated corpses!
One is a withered, mummified thing from beneath Osirion’s sands bearing a jeweled scarab on its chest among its spiced wrappings, a scarab seer and warrior-priest of an old pharaonic age. Another is an armored warrior of a long dead empire, clad in heavy discolored bronze plates and helm. A third is a hulking skeleton, a towering ancestor of the Kellid race who wields a greatclub fashioned from a mammoth’s ivory tusk. The fourth is a shrunken emaciated corpse wrapped in rotten silks and holding a silvered Qadiran scimitar in one bony fist.
The rickety skeleton moves forward and attacks Negi,
yet only swinging curls within the mist......
The ghouls rushes in, attacking Negi as well,
;
"Brainzzzz" states a shambling mess as it attacks Pythor
Rushing into the fray, Lucas swings widely, connects and nearly cleaves the Ghoul in half!
The undead all shiver when Samuel's good vibes slam through them and the ghoul drops dead, twitching with goodness...
Skeleton 2 clanks forward attacking Lucas
nearly cutting off its own leg
Ghoul - toast
Skel 1 - 1
Skel 2 - 1
Zombie - 1
Pythor's aim is untrue and the shot goes wide...
Skeleton 1 turns his attack to Lucas,
and finds an unguarded space in his armor, slicing into Lucas' rib cage. Some blood has been lost.
The zombie contiues to attack Pythor
yet lunges wide.......the mist swirls in the wake of movement.
Lucas, yer up!
Most spectators only saw a powdered puff appear next to him but what Lucas witnessed was something completely different...
The Paladin, silently thanking his god, spun swiftly bringing down holy retribution on this evil abomination, the northern skeleton disappeared in a blur like it never existed.
Skeleton 2 attacks Lucas in an attempt at retribution,
but either due to intimidation or the blur of bone dust it misses its mark
@Negi and Samuel, where do your movements end when these actions occur?[/ooc]
Negi rushes in charging yet for some reason stops short, missing the bony mess. Samuel follows Negi in a calm sauntering style stating "Chill man, chill..."
The skeleton and Zombie both stutter and shake with Samuel's suggestion
Pythor renews his attack against the zombie and nicks it's forhead revelaing the yellowed skull beneath the rotted flesh.
Skel 1 - toast
Skel 2 - 3
Zombie - 3
The zombie, mindlessly seeking fresh flesh to devour lunges at Pythor,
falling short of the nimble rogue.
Lucas swings death at the lone skeleton yet the skeleton nimbly skitters out of harms way.
It then unleashes it's own version of vengeance upon Lucas!
and a feeble form of vengeance it is
Negi spins with his lance, narrowly missing his friends and foes but Jon, his trusty steed bites the rancid flesh, tearing through to the bone!
Z - 7
S - 3
Pythor looses a bolt but misses wide. A faint clink is heard in the distance...
As Samuel saunters in with tidings of good will the Skeleton drops in a heap of clanking bones while Zombie only shakes in apparent pain,
Z - 9
The zombie resumes his attack on Pythor
but the heap of rotting flesh swings wide,
Once again, like some avatar of war, Lucas crushes the undead foe.
As you all breathe deeply and gather your wits from the most recent ordeal you feel the mists caress your necks, mouth and nose, creeping into your lungs...