Innis borrows the power of one of her myriad wands and bestows protection onto Amigail
"I CALLED IT! I CALLED IT!" Lililinda screams, firing her ray.
Stepping into the room so that she could swipe at the thing when it attacked her friends Cass readied her glaive to lash out and the moment it began to move she did so putting maximum force behind it as she did.
Merelda moves to skewer the creature but misses as the creature pushes the the thin blade aside. Kirzon tries to attack with his axe but the blade falls short of hitting any part of the creature. Boros slithers up while Kirzon occupies the creature and sinks its teeth into it ripping away some of the funerary wrappings. As it does this the snake coils its body around the creature and begins to crush it.
The creature begins to furiously attack Boros, but fails to penetrate the tough skin of Boros.
Cassandra strikes at the grappled creature and then Lililinda blasts the creature.
Sighing with frustration, Merelda lashes out again with her Rapier.
Innis dosn't even bother as Kirzon unleashes his snake against the hapless undead creature. If she was compelled to feel anything it might be pity. However she would not even afford the husk of a man that low of a regard.
Not wanting to risk hurting Boros Cassandra readied a strike in case the thing broke free from the serpent's grasp.
CRUNCH! is the sickening sound that echoes through the chamber as Boros completely crushes creature's bones. The animated form immediately goes slack in the coils of the growing constrictor snake. As the force keeping it 'alive' leaves you hear something escape from its mouth.
Not even needing to gather your breath you see the large stone chest resting in from of the slab from where the creature rose from. Nothing else other than the stone slab and the chest occupy this room.
"'At last?'" Amigail asks aloud, echoing the creature's dying gasp. "Did that thing wait around in this crypt for centuries waiting to get hugged by a giant snake?"
Innis takes a moment to consider the present situation
"None of this makes sense I think our information is tainted. Perhaps Feristia was just as much a prisoner in the mortuary as Mr.Dreen was. She just didn't realize it yet. Locked in her sanctum, one exit faced by vicious zombies and cultists to keep an eye on her. After the chaos started she may have been deemed a liability and thus stored away securely until this 'Azrenar' if that's who he truly is could find another use for her. After all why destroy a tool just cause you've no use for it at the moment. You feed her false information about a cure to ensure her loyalty and send her head first into a death trap ever falls out of your clutches. That and if she's compromised or betrays you as she was not an adherent of the Scythe Mother she sends seekers into this fortress of the damned. If Azrenar truly is working somewhere underground the tunnels around Cassomir are many; you can't hope to defend all entrances but you can make one entrance look appetizing enough to try for. The information remains a secret through enuring only small forays which inevitably die and add to the collection of undead guards." Innis looks around the room for a response after she's done theorizing, the question of 'am I close' is easily read on her face.
Innis will start investigating the room as the others consider her words.
Casts detect magic at the stone chest and corpse
Merelda puts her unstained rapier away and considers her words carefully.
"You make some fine points sister. However, they had a shared need for revenge, even if it was worse in one of them. We can always understand revenge and the short term friendships it can take. Not to mention...all of this? These animated enemies are many, vicious, and powerful... One or two? Sure I can see that as a trap. All of them? He has to be here somewhere sister. Its too elaborate. Too well guarded. The man would have to be a tactical genius to make a plan like that. I'm not saying its impossible mind you. Just very doubtful. Let's keep looking. We're bound to find something that leads us to our quarry here sooner or later. Yon chest may contain something of a clue. With the goddesses' blessing, the dead body could be what is left of him and the chest could contain what we are looking for."
Saying the last bit with a smirk and a shake of her head, Merelda gently rubs Cinder's head causing him to make the odd clicking noise that shows he's happy.
As Boros unwinds its serpentine body from the crushed undead creature Innis begins to concentrate.
On the undead creature you find only one item and it is an amulet that radiates magic.
There are also some items inside the chest that are radiating magic.
"Revenge by it's nature is personal. Sentimentally can only limit a person in such endeavors and treachery knows no bounds Sister. I don't doubt that there may be something here worth protecting. Just that Freista's salvation was never in consideration. She was a lose end and what better scheme than to use such a tool to drive your weakened prey to where you are strongest. We've seen no signs of a living soul or activity here. The enemy from what we've seen is consolidating its power in various locations about the city while waiting for it to weaken before they make their move. The enemy may be numerous but not enough to take the city and someone was bound to come looking eventually. This 'Azrenar' has had years to plan all this so if there is something to be discovered by examining the trail we are on I'd rather be armed with it sooner than later. I plan to live long after this wretched ordeal after all." she smiles and shakes her head at Merelda as if they could possibly be so lucky as to find the culprit dead before them.
"The will of his goddess may also skew things here. The undead seem to be a by-product, her plague and punishment to the weak and infirm. But if the story we were told is correct her avatars should be hail. So there must be a cure of sorts to those she deems worthy. Part of this may also be a trial for her to find more followers. Those that survive or those strong enough to seek out the cure themselves and find it are granted this divine boon but not before they submit to the will of their new master. It wouldn't be the first tale of some grandiose hidden quest from some 'would-be-god'. But yes that is nothing but a wild guess at this point" She waves away her own statement but her mind is clearly abuzz with possibilities.
The team takes time to gather and identify the items.
Lililinda works on figuring out the items found, especially the amulet.
"So, are we wasting our time down here?" she says, a bit exasperated, "Sorry, I just want this all to be over."
The chest lid is made of solid stone but with the combined effort of Amigail, Cassandra and an anxious gnome you lift the cover to the chest and drop it to the ground.
Inside you find:
300 gp
25 pp
a reddish black gem (worth 40 gp)
two green stones that are rough about the edges (worth ?? gp each)
an violet stone that is also rough about the edges (worth ?? gp)
a deep red gem (worth ?? gp)
a vial with a blue hued translucent liquid (radiates magic)
a small thin stick made out of a deep black rock (radiates magic)
Lililinda casts her detect magic spell and and holds the amulet in hand.
"Ah yes our flying friend. I think it has had time to regain it's senses. Cassandra, love would you mind seeing if our earlier visitor is still hungry? I'd hate to be caught by surprise again."
Merelda sends Cinder ahead to help Cassie in case the undead chupcabra comes back.
"You know what to do my precious. Distract the enemy as much as possible."
Entering the area you do not see the flying creature emerge from the chasm. The area is still othet than the droning sound of Cinder's large wings scouting for the creature. The creature is likely somewhere below but perhaps your last encounter with it has somehow taught it to stay clear of you for now.
Looking at the options you can climb down as Kirzon has suggested or travel across the next beam to the only passage you have not checked yet.
Lililinda looks over the gems.
The group moves onward unable to attract the undead monster who has learn who to fear even in death...
The party moves across the chasm with no sign of the chupacabra although you can't but help feel that something is watching you from the darkness of the chasm.
Crossing over you see that the passage continues for about five feet before turning into two passages. One passage continues east while the other heads south. Both passages continue for about 15 to 20 feet before ending in a door. Neither passage looks any different than the other passages you have seen down in this crypt.
Tracks seem to show traffic going down both passages and you can't be certain which one seems more frequented.
Innis considers Kirzon's findings which leaves the group with nothing but a crumb of new information.
She decides to test one of her new wands.
Using the wand the party waits while the spell is completed.
You wait but nothing seems to happen.
Merelda can't help herself.
"Would it be good or bad for me to walk into the next room completely naked?"
Kirzon moves to the door while Innis ponders upon whether or not her sister is serious about using the wand for such a question.
The dwarf looks back at the others and shakes his head that he does not see any traps on the door. Pressing his ear on the door he holds up a hand telling the others to keep quiet.
A voice can be heard but the words are not audible.
"We don't need a spell for that Sister. We all known it would be a refreshing site in this drab cave. But why give our enemies the pleasure?" Innis stows the wand for later.
She informs the team "If there's someone we can use in there we'll keep them alive if possible. Amigail you're up."
Amigail nods to Innis, even though she's dubious of her ability to wield her falcata in a non-lethal manner. In fact, she has enough trouble with the blade when she's trying to cut something to pieces with it.
Well, if there's a voice talking in there, that means there are at least two people. So I cut one down and leave the other one for everyone else to take alive. Right!
Amigail nods as Innis indicates her to push the door open. Kirzon moves back and everyone falls into single file as Amigail opens the door. To your surprise the room is lit and before you see a waist-high stone altar standing near the center of this large, low-ceilinged room. The altar is carved from a single block of dark grey granite and resembles a sinister, leering skull.
Two large green gemstones embedded in the skull-altar’s eye sockets glitter brightly as they reflect any ambient light. On top of the altar are a half-dozen flickering black candles and a small gold brazier of burning incense that has filled the entire room with a thin haze of pungent blue-grey smoke.
Standing by the altar three figures dressed in voluminous hooded black robes are engaged in a conversation. They quickly stop as the door opens and as they turn their heads your way you see that their faces have been stripped of any skin and flesh.
"Why am I not surprised...more undead."
She then casts a Magic Weapon spell on her Rapier!
Innis casts Protection from Evil on Merelda as the team prepares to engages the monsters ahead of them.
Amigail enters and closes with one of the things, falcata ready to swing.
Lililinda conjures forth the tried and true grease puddle, right under the creatures' feet.
SURPRISE ROUND
Amigail takes a deep breath and nods to Innis before swinging open the door. There three robed figures turn to face the now open door. Kirzon seeing these cowled figures quickly casts his spell causing a burst of light to erupt directly centered over the altar.
The cowled figures let out a cacophony of shrieks as the light burns them and renders one of them blind. Almost in tandem Lililinda finishes her spell and creates a slickness inside of the room. The slick ground causes two of the creatures to slip and fall while the blinded one is able to maintain its balance as the skeletal grips the large black altar.
Merelda enchants her blade and in the background you can hear the beautiful voice of Innis start to chant her prayers bestowing blessings over the party.
Amigail and Cassandra push into the room expecting only three opponents they watch as two undead hounds stand in the corners of the room a disturbing growl rising from its decayed throat.
Quickly sliding by Cassie, Merelda moves to protect her flank, Rapier leveled at the blackish snarling undead hound sitting in the corner.
Crit?
Basically following his last command, Cinder attempts to aid Amigail's attacks.
"BuuuzzzZZZZ!!'