Merisiel manages to crack the sternum of the skeleton she hits, causing the entire thing to shudder every time it moves. Kelris has a harder time hitting his foe, the undead side stepping in time to get away.
The skeletons attack their foes with empty minded abandon.
None come close to hitting you.
Morka and James both crush their opponents, the skeletons' armor being no match once they've been pinned down and hemmed in.
Fethril is not so lucky, as the hound that attacked Merisiel just by looking at her wavers into existence. It subjects the elf to the same thing, looking to distract most likely.
It then steps away from the man and slips through more cracks in time and space, appearing on the other side of the room.
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Fethril manages to stave off the assault. Maintaining his concentration, the priest finishes his summons. Three celestial wolves leap out of the ether and attack.
for
for
for
AC 14, touch 12, flat-footed 12 (+2 Dex, +2 natural)
hp 13 [17] (2d8+4) [2d8+8]
Fort +5 [+7], Ref +5, Will +1; SR 6
Celestial – Resist acid, cold, and electricity 5
Fiendish – Resist cold and fire 5
OFFENSE
Speed 50 ft.
Melee bite +2 [+4] (1d6+1 [1d6+3] plus [uer=https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/universal-monster-rules#TOC-Trip-Ex-]trip[/url])
Special Attack smite evil/good
Kelris and the skeleton facing him continue their duel. Merisiel and Fethril's wolves begin pinning down the dimensional hopping hound and start ripping into it, beginning with Meri's dagger. It manages to maintain its footing despite getting ripped at.
The skeletons continue attacking their targets.
And continue to fail.
James destroys the skeleton facing him, his scythe cleaving through bone as easily as it did the Akatas. Morka has more trouble hitting his skeleton, the undead being a bit more slippery than anticipated.
The hound shuffles away from Fethril's summoned wolves, biting and clawing at the last one nearby.
After ripping the wolf into spirit stuff it slips through cracks in reality once more, appearing elsewhere in the room.
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Both wolves race across the chamber in relentless pursuit of their quarry.
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for
Meanwhile, the mage pulls out his oft used wand and sens a bolt of mystic energy at the dimensional hopping beast.
Realizing the wolves are not worth the risk, the wizard banished the remaining pair with a casual wave of his arm.
Merisiel has trouble driving her blade through the monster's strangely thick flesh. Fethril's wolves also have a bit of trouble until one throws itself on the creature's back and rips at its neck. It gets thrown off, but not before doing some major damage.
Kelris' attack leaves him open briefly enough for his skeletal opponent to take advantage and get a swing in.
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Morka turns, and sticks his tongue out towards the elf cleric. "I've seen larger cats get thrown out of a bag of tricks! Anyway, you're right let me focus! KELRIS - let us both strike this thing at the same time!"
He waits for his friend to step into the flank, and then goes for the blow!
-- bludgening and piercing, cold iron
James' scythe cuts deep into the space-skipping hound, though it is harder to cut than the akata were. The hound tries to back away and slip out of this plane of existence, drawing the attention of a wolf and James.
Both James and the wolf catch the hound, pinning it to the ground and letting it bleed out before it has a chance to slip through space again.
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Seeing the most dangerous threat in the room go down, the mage turns his focus toward the remaining opponent. He can't help be witness the ineffectiveness of their attacks.
"Perhaps the two of you are incapable of processing the mythic power bestowed on you. If it is something worse, like a corruption, I am not certain which one of you infected the other. Perhaps you should stay away from James until we can determine if it is contagious. Otherwise it will just come down to Merisiel and I to carry the burden." Yet again!
With no more to add...for the moment, Fethril sends another both of energy into the skeletal remains.
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"Well done everyone! What a fight - that was MAGNIFICENT! Wow, these new powers are really cool - you are all so strong now!" he is very joyful in this moment, as he puts away his weapons and begins inspecting the skeleton remains.
Under his breath, just quiet enough that anyone not paying attention wouldn't hear - but also just loud enough for Kelris and James to hear, "I wish I knew how to actually use these new powers. You know, they don't actually teach you a lot at bard school...
Morka finds a worn-out leather strap hanging from the mouth of one akata. The strap is attached to Nefti’s belt pouch, which is extracted with ease. Hours spent in the akata’s stomach has destroyed most of the contents, but several parts of a journal are still intact and legible. The entries include poetry and music composed by Nefti, as well as mundane day-to-day observations. The last several pages record Nefti’s complaints about the Aspis Consortium’s lack of appreciation for his accomplishments. A folded sheet of paper wedged in the journal bears the title “Potential Partners” and names the Pathfinder Society among other well-known organizations.
He also finds a +1 mythic bane dagger, a vial containing one handful of dust of disjunction (see spoiler), and a sheet of beaten gold. The sheet bears an inscription in Aklo.
Slot none; Price 2,500 gp; Weight —
Description
This fine powder looks like crushed diamonds. A single handful of this substance can be thrown in a 15-foot cone, at which point it attempts to absorb and neutralize any magic it comes in contact with. The magical properties of each unattended magic item in the area are suppressed for 1d4 rounds as if targeted by dispel magic spell (caster level 10th). Each creature in the area is affected as if by a targeted dispel magic, though the user cannot specify a spell effect to dispel; if a target has no spells affecting it, the dust instead attempts to suppress the abilities of one magic item carried by the target, selected at random following the rules for items surviving a saving throw (Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook 217). The dust does not affect other ongoing magical effects.
Dust of disjunction has a curious effect on golems, which also demonstrate anti-magical properties. A golem exposed to this dust must succeed at a DC 17 Fortitude save or be staggered for 1 minute. At the end of its turn, a staggered golem may attempt a new saving throw to end the staggered effect.
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Morka throws the dagger he finds at the rogue, making sure the dull end goes first. "All yours, Merisiel! You can put it to much better use than the rest of us!" He smiles warmly in her direction.
He looks curiously at the sheet of gold, and even more curiously at the inscriptions. "I think I should be able to read this!" He says a short incantation and casts comprehend languages, and reads the inscription out loud to the group.
The short halfling jumps at attention, and runs over to cast his arcane eye about the space where Kelris is tracking. "I am not as good as Fethril, but if there is any magic left - I am sure we will find it!"
…
Before they head off further ahead, he taps Kelris on the shoulder. "You did good that fight - I know deep down - you are a hero!" and taps his friend with heroism.
The sheet bears an inscription that describes a prayer one can perform under the open sky to channel the power of the stars. Performing this ritual—which does not require the character to understand Aklo—takes one minute .
There's no lingering auras around the rubble pile indicative of high level magic, but you can estimate where it might lead out if you try and climb around the mountain.
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Merisiel looks around. "So Kafar's tracks go in the direction of this doorway, but it is buried. Maybe he used a spell to get past it. Or maybe there is a secret door?"
Merisiel searches the area around where the footprints end for a secret door.
If she doesn't find anything, she'll suggest moving away the rubble.
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"I might hold onto the Dust of Disjunction if that's okay with everyone! Who knows when it might come in handy!".'
Still observing the writing, the halfling tries his best to discern the language.
"All good, we can use this to recharge our mythic powers! What could possibly go wrong...!?"
He smiles, and is ready to move up further with the group.
There appears to be another option. Merisiel and Kelris discover there is a parallel tunnel directly under the chamber you're in. The floor is weak in a few areas and would be easy enough to break and continue following Kafar and Nefti.
With a few quick blows Kelris manages to knock a hole in the floor big enough for everyone to slip down. At the bottom are Kafar and Nefti's footprints, leading on from here. A system of tunnels runs under the temple, cutting through the mountains. These dark, 10-foot-wide round passages extend throughout the region, allowing the creature that created them to travel throughout the Pillars of the Sun. Spots along the rough walls show signs of chemical reactions between the rock and some unknown substance.
You exit the tunnels and reach the surface. Two tall sandstone outcroppings rise to the north and south, channeling whistling wind and stinging sand through this pass. The carcass of a giant serpentine beast covered in dried blisters lies in a heap at the gorge’s narrowest point, the body savaged by some powerful predator.