Hullric puts himself in the corner, but instead of taking a time-out, he ⚡ flashes ⚡ his dagger hand around the corner, burying the hot blade deep in Red-ribbon’s chest.
With a pathetic little-girl wail, it crumples to the ground …
“Mama? I’m cold, mama. So cold …”
Deris is found crying, huddling over all the spirits as if to protect them from the battle. "It's OK. It is OK now. You are safe, it is over. You're all safe now."
You notice the alcove he squats in is a private, military-style crypt, which still holds a drenched skeleton wearing ancient bronze-filigree armor.
Through the stone door to the west, the party find themselves on a large landing. A steep set of narrow stairs drip with water, as tiny puddles are splashed all the way down. At the bottom is a short passage that ends at another stone door. The air here feels heavy and thick.
Beyond the door, Carl hears the sound of the ocean crashing against rocks. You detect no traps on the door.
|
Seeing Jinath's injuries after downing the last ghoul. He draws his wand and goes about healing him.
Hullric then looks at the ancient armor by casting Detect Magic and doing a thorough examination.
;
Shaking his head, he looks at the others. "The armor is definitely magical. What magic is on it, is right at the tip of my mind but I can't just reach it. This armor is going to be heavy though. I suggest we leave it and pick it up when we are heading back."
With that said, he follows the group to the next section and frowns. "Waves? Odd."
As Raskorro pushes the door open, a large space appears before the party. Hullric is quickly able to determine what is causing the sound of pounding seawater. With the frequency of storm waves approaching the shore, salt water erupts from cracks in the floor of this large pentagonal room.
Foamy, blinding spray jumps in every direction, then drains from calf-height to ankle-deep before the next wave hits. Occasionally a length of black-brown seaweed shoots in and adds one more strand to a room that already appears draped in long wet hair.
In each of the chamber’s corners, a fluted pillar rises to the fifty-foot ceiling. Between each pair of pillars, an open arch connects the chamber to an attached space. Beyond the northwest and southwest arches, three tiers of recessed spaces form three massive steps. A stone sarcophagus rests on each step.
As the majority of the group peers into the antechamber, from the shadows a gaunt figure steps forward. Its long, dark hair cascades down its back in an unravelling braid. Its full lips are pulled back in a perma-grin baring wide, chiselled teeth. It is dressed in rotting finery, with wisps of fetid, expensive cloth still dangling from its limbs. Perched atop its head is a golden crown, resplendent with a dozen glittering gems, while its putrid fingers each bear extravagant rings made from a dozen different precious gems and metals.
“S-s-so many morsels, s-s-so much time. Doors are open, time to play!”
The creature curls up in a readied crouch.
It’s a ghast.
Jinath
Raskorro
---
Necropolis Guardian (red)
---
Hullric
Roushe
The Black Crow
Carl
go first!
Someone who dies of ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight.
A ghast’s bite and claws paralyze those with weak constitutions.
The stink of death and corruption surrounding these creatures is overwhelming, causing anyone within a 10 foot radius to risk becoming sickened.
Jinath
Raskorro shield
---
Necropolis Guardian (red)
---
Hullric
Roushe
The Black Crow
Carl
is up!
“Not for long, mortal!”
Like a great cat, the undead springs forward at Raskorro.
The nagaji opens it up from shoulder to hip with his lash, but the creature keeps coming!
Jinath enters the room, but suffers severe stomach cramps as the rancid wretch approaches him.
Necropolis Guardian (red)
---
Hullric
Roushe
The Black Crow
Carl
Jinath
Raskorro shield
Donovan 2green*
sheriff airconditioning
|
|
Hullric purposely moves into the room. Even though he hears Riaskorro call for Jinath to flank the ghast. Hullric decides to flank the undead instead. He feels the stench of the ghast hit him like a wall when he gets closer, but appears to shake it off.
When in position, Hullric rams his dagger into the ghast's back.
As Raskorro waits for a flanking partner, salt spray erupts through cracks in the walls and floors, into his face blinding him!
Unbothered by the flying spray, Hullric moves speedily around the Necropolis Guardian, to set up a flank with Rask.
Dodging the undead's fangs, the war priest's dagger is deflected harmlessly off the creature's golden crown.
Rask then moves in to flank with Hullric and whips his lash about blindly ...
And misses!
Necropolis Guardian (red)
---
Hullric
Roushe
The Black Crow
Carl
Jinath
Raskorro shield
Donovan 2green*
sheriff airconditioning
|
Roushe moves closer to attack the guardian, but feels something is wrong...
If Roushe is able to make it to the Guardian, he will clobber it with his Galt-like fury!
If Roushe cannot make it into the chamber, he curses at his inability to help the situation, and tries to shoot the undead with Disrupt Undead.
Roushe cops a faceful of bay water, which blinds him before he can target the ghast.
Avoiding the same fate, Jinath sinks his claws in the undead’s thigh, but is not quite able to drop him.
In the minds of everyone, Carl creates a twin brother for the shifter.
Pausing for a putrid puke, The Black Crow moves behind the ghast to flank with Jinath. Scarlet misses the mark, though she does manage to cleave off the creature’s long braid.
"No, maggotsss. We are just s-s-starting to have fun! AAARRRRGGG!!"
Surrounded, bloodied, but not quite defeated, the ghast lashes out with maw + claws.
Raskorro responds to this rude assault by lacing his lash through the ghast’s right eye. It ricochets off the back of the creature’s skull, emerging back through its left eye, allowing the surprised nagaji to grasp both ends.
Holding the abomination’s destiny in his hands, Raskorro proceeds to ✱YANK✱ the ectoplasmic cord, propelling the ghast’s brain, eyes and nose-bridge through a newly-formed hole in the top of its face.
Jinath and The Black Crow proceed to empty their own stomach contents over the dead undead.
Archiving/looting five of the six sarcophagi takes three people to push open the stuck lids. Within each one lie mummified remains, along with a set of polished silver plates, each with the decorative profile of a doll-faced elf battling an undead creature emerging partially from a wall.
Approaching the last sarcophagus, you notice this one is not sealed and the corners of the lid do not line up perfectly.
The sarcophagus lid slides aside with the sound of a grinding millstone. The well-preserved body of a young girl lies inside. Her atrophied limbs are drawn up like folded sticks against her torn school uniform.
Pulling aside the dark hair obscuring her face, you see she bears a remarkable resemblance to … the portrait of Junia Dacilane.
The girl appears to be alive. In a coma beyond your ability to heal, but alive.
Surprisingly she does not appear to be dehydrated or malnourished.
Hullric notices the light ✧twinkles✧ off a golden ring topped with a ruby salamander upon the long finger of her right hand.
The ruby salamander ring is a ring of sustenance.
|
|
Hullric looks over the girl and is surprised. "Well now. The girl is alive. She seems to be in a coma. But considering that she is healthy still, something is keeping her alive. Perhaps the ring."
He then cast detect magic and begin to assist Roushe in examining the ring.
With his aid in helping Roushe, they are just barely able to identify the ring. "Ah.. my suspicious was right. It is a Ring of Sustenance. Wearing that, food and water are never needed."
"And considering who she resembles, we definitely need to bring her back." Putting away his dagger, Hullric reaches down and lifts the girl up to carry. "I'll carry her back, but of course that means I'll need to be defended."
Hullric reaches into the sarcophagus to cradle the girl into his arms. Despite her comatose state, the girl instinctively wraps her arms around the war priest’s neck for support.
Deris informs the group that he is staying underground with his daughter. The old man thanks the Pathfinders for what they have done, but he wishes to remain in the necropolis for now.
On the way back up to the surface, the group searches the remaining rooms and hallways without incident.
The party walks halfway across Absalom in the biting rain before being able to hail a carriage. Tired, wet and cold, the bumpy carriage ride feels like a dream as it heads toward the Grand Lodge. The party is able to make temporary accommodations in an open study within Skyreach. Messages are sent out to Venture-Captain Dreng and Lady Dacilane immediately.
Before either one of them appear, a small troop of soldiers sporting the blue uniforms and golden eagles of Andoran march past at the double. Trailing them is the head of the Liberty’s Edge faction, Major Colson Maldris.
“Based on your intelligence, I have mobilised a body recovery team to retrieve one of our own from the Tri-Tower Yard. NOBODY gets left behind!”
He pauses to speak quietly with Hullric and Carl, taking a battered book from the former during the conference.
"I am very grateful for your accomplishments in this matter. We are all counting on your continued discretion. Good evening, Sers."
After the Eagle Knights have left, Venture-Captain Dreng and Lady Dacilane burst into the room at the same time.
Simultaneously they ask:
"You found the ring? Let me see it!"
"You found my daughter? Let me see her!"
Dreng takes the ring from whoever presents it to him, gives them an absent minded pat on the shoulder along with an "Atta boy."
He then starts to stroke the ring as he wanders into the belly of Skyreach. From the shadows, you hear a faint whisper of, "Precious."
After a tearful reunion, Lady Dacilane regains her composure. She is still wearing the dinner gown she had on earlier in the evening.
“Thank you, thank you very much for returning my daughter to me. I don't know how you did it, but thank you. We will make sure she gets the best of care.”
“I will also make sure that the Pathfinder Society has exclusive rights to further excavation of the Tri-Tower Yards.”
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The Black Crow raises an eyebrow to Hullric's summary, "Single night? Rubbish. The night's just beginning! There's at least three ladies that were up for it. What sort of reconnaissance were you doing? Here, take this." The Black Crow passes Hullric an amber kerchief with some text scrawled on it in a waxy red medium.