A shard of orange crystal the size of a human fist is suspended by a silver chain from the ceiling over an unlit brazier above the altar in the crypt of St Cecilia...
Zagathoth raises an eyebrow as the bearman and the new guy fret over the ghost. ”Are ghosts bad?” he asks, ”she seemed good...”
Noticing the brazier and crystal he adds, ”first color, here.”
Boga sheepishly replaces the scroll and picks up the crossbow while muttering quietly, "I didn't realize she was a friend." Hearing Zogathoth, he looks at the brazier, looks back at Zagathoth, "Great insight! The Lord is indeed with thee." "Hmmm. Time to reassess first impressions. Apparently, 'Holy simplicity' does not apply..."
The Ogon Fox makes a deep bow to Saint Cecilia as she presents to him this gift. As she fades from view, he approaches the altar and picks up the beautiful organetto. He pushes a few of the keys (without pumping air from the back so as to avoid attracting great hordes of undead with a loud sound), which depress with the perfect level of resistance. The instrument is truly a masterwork. He slips the leather strap over his head and onto his right shoulder so that the organetto rests against his left side.
At Johann's prompting, the Fox is happy to light the brazier, pulling out a flint and steel to do so.
As Fox lights the brazier, the orange crystal begins to radiate a shining orange light that illuminates the crypt!
Quinlan visibly sighs when the ghost disappears. "The Organello seems to work similarly to a set of pipes a traveling bard I met used. It should allow you to magically sounds of various sorts, not amazingly powerful magic to be sure, but useful nonetheless"
"Great insight! The Lord is indeed with thee." "Hmmm. Time to reassess first impressions. Apparently, 'Holy simplicity' does not apply..."
Zagathoth grins broadly when the crystal lights up orange. Looking down at his fingers for a moment he says, "Five more to find! Where do we go now?"
The pretty ghost lady seems to really like you, Fox!
Oooh! Look at the pretty orange rock! Are you fellas gonna make all the pretty rocks shine like that one?
Returning carefully through the unstable ossuary to the central diamond-shaped chamber of the San Callisto Catacombs, the adventurers can now perceive an orange glow from the southern archway... which mirrors the orange glow from the crystal lit in the eastern terminus...
"Rats know where all the lights go?" Zagathoth asks the dimintive creatures as they scurry about around them.
Sure, big guy! We know where all the pretty rocks are...
Venturing west, the adventurers enter a crypt that is shaped somewhat like an arrowhead pointing east, with a dark corridor continuing westward...
The walls are painted with fading murals depicting the Grim Reaper, a giant skeleton in a black, hooded robe, mowing down fleeing mortals with a giant scythe...
Those fleeing Death on the north and northeast walls are cardinals, bishops, kings, lords and ladies...
Those on the south and southeast walls are farmers, herdsmen, scullery maids, stablehands, et cetera...
From the western darkness come sounds like dogs gnawing on bones, and an evil stink...
There is something...just beyond the edge of Johann's sunrod... Something gnawing bones in the dark... A few pairs of unholy eyes reflect the light back from the shadows...
“En garde!” Arc, ever the pragmatic one, holds his weapon at the ready. Unfortunately, he can’t quite hide his shaking hands, and it looks like some of his earlier bravado has worn off.
Johann’s harsh warning and Arc’s bravado echo jarringly in the catacombs, and all four sets of feral, cunning, wicked eyes flash east toward the adventurers in that darkness...
The undead give answer: a low, mournful howl that sends chills down the spine!
GHASTS VS THE GOOD GUYS!! OOH!! OOH!! ROUND 1!! FIGHT!!!
CARDINAL LUCIUS!
BEAR!
FOX!
QUINLAN!
ARC!
ZAGATHOTH!
GHASTS!
BOGA!
EEEEK!!
Saint Cecilia appears in the chamber with the ghasts, which do not seem to perceive her... She begins to play the ancient church melody, “day of wrath”, dies irae, on a harp...
The effect of the music on three of the ghasts is hypnotic, dazed inactivity...
The fourth seems compelled toward the adventurers, malice in its eyes...
A single ghast rushes out of the darkness, snarling!
Boga nervously crosses himself and regrips his crossbow. "Perhaps," he thinks, "I should have a scroll in my hands instead of this weapon. May God guide us and our weapons as we seek to do His work, ridding these catacombs of His enemies..."
The effect of the music on three of the ghasts is hypnotic, dazed inactivity...
"Our Lord has sent Saint Cecilia! He is watching over us! Purge the room of evil!"
"GAH-RARRRRRWWWW! CHARGE HIM, BEFORE THE OTHERS ENTER THE FRAY!"
Johann becomes more bear-like; he gets bigger and tougher. .
He approaches the lone monster in the front and attempts to bite down.
[dice=Bite Attack & damage]d20+4; d6+2 str 2 bab 2; str 2
The nimble ghast dodges back, narrowly evading Johann’s ferocious bite!
The overwhelming stench of the ghast hits Johann’s nose as he charges up to the monster!
[dice=fort]d20+6
"AH-HA-HA! YOU MAY DODGE ME, BUT I REMEMBERED TO HOLD MY BREATH THIS TIME, FIEND!"
Not to be outdone by the bearman, Zagathoth rushes forward as well. He raises his falchion above his head as he moves and with a grunt brings it down hard at the smelly enemy...
,
His face twists in revulsion as he, forgetting to hold his breath, gets a nostril full of stink...
Not to be outdone by the bearman, Zagathoth rushes forward as well. He raises his falchion above his head as he moves and with a grunt brings it down hard at the smelly enemy...
[dice=power attack]1d20+6, [dice=for]2d4+9His face twists in revulsion as he, forgetting to hold his breath, gets a nostril full of stink...
[dice=Fort]1d20+5
Zagathoth’s mighty downward stroke shears through undead sinew, and a spray of foul blood showers the savage brawler!
GGRRRRRAAAAAHHH!!!