Confused by the gas, Rudrik...
... rushes over and stabs Calendula with Tannaris.
Calendula screams and runs a hand over her painful scalds and the sudden stabbing, healing them. Furiously, she continues her assault, ready to climb in the coffin.
Calendula makes quick work of the monstrosity, slicing and dicing until it moves no more. Unfortunately, Rudrik stabs her again before the confusion wears off.
***
Once the fight is over, Calendula, Rudrik, and Theo each take turns climbing in the coffin and closing the lid. They find themselves transported to the chamber where Shen and Nime await, with its myriad gold platforms amid bubbling tar.
No sooner has the last of the group emerged into the room, though, than two huge constructs rise up from the tar. Fossilized bones make up the bodies of these animated constructs, from their horned shoulders to their tyrannosaur-skulled hands!
The bejeweled skull remains dormant for now...
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"Well, now I wish I'd learnt some of those classic transmutation spells for working with stone and rock. If it can be blocked by spell resistance, those fossil golems are immune to it and anything they damage can end up being fossilised and I did not realise how much I missed my lungs earlier until now that I have them back."
Reaching deep, Theo called up his blood more than ever. Once more he was momentarily engulfed in fire, the flames obscuring the view of his transformation. But this time it was even larger still, the flames breaking away to reveal the largest dragon form he'd ever attained, golden scales glistening more than ever. The dispersing flame quickly coalescing into a blast of fire to test the waters against the golems.
"Now those are just ... strange," Nime comments as the golems rise from the tar. "Was this man sane?"
She spreads her arms wide and then brings her hands together, generating a thunderburst centered on the two fossil constructs.
Shenuska settles for quickening her companions.
Swearing at Rudrik under her breath, the paladin heals the skin over Rudrik's second attack, gaining a new scar. With everyone breathing air again she grunts as she attacks the monstrous golems, confused as to their presence and purpose.
"Uh, sorry about that," says Rudrik apologetically to Calendua.
"I worked real hard on being able to resist mind control magic but it seems like it doesn't work much."
He gives an embarrassed shrug before he rushes one of the constructs with the speed of haste.
Shenuska hastens the group as Theo detonates a fireball among the golems. Unfortunately, it has no effect on the magic-resistant creatures.
Nime's thunderburst proves more effective, though one golem manages to resist the cacophonous blast. Calendula and Rudrik move in, their combined attacks destroying the more damaged of the golems. The second golem snaps its skull hands at Calendula, the teeth tearing at the paladin's flesh and causing it to fossilize!
Suddenly, dust and debris begin to swirl beneath the demilich's skull as Zinlun rises up into the air! "Interlopers! I know not why you have come here, but you will die!" he intones in a raspy voice before casting a powerful spell.
The demilich seems to lurch across the room, appearing 40 feet away from your party. At the same time, Calendula and Rudrik find themselves lifting off the ground as gravity reverses beneath them and glitterdust rains down on them!
Stomach turning as she rapidly rises, Calendula grips Rudrik, teleporting them both to relative safety beside the demilich. "May none remember you," she murmurs, inciting holy anger against him.
As usual, Rudrik is affected by the mental magic and finds himself blinded and rendered useless.
Really? Shenuska thinks. I need a way of dealing with that.
The psychic rises further into the air and watches the lich closely, ready to counter his magic.
With one construct down, and not wanting a second one to cause problems, Theo moved up and tried out his new teeth on what was effectively rock.
Knowing how tough dragon's teeth can be doesn't help much when actually putting them to the test yourself.
"No! No! No!" Nime berates the rising demi-lich. "You wait your turn!"
She then brings her hands together again for another thunderburst.
As Theo takes a bite out of the golem, Calendula smites Zinlun, landing three hits that crack the demilich's skull. Despite his blindness, Rudrik is still able to land two hits, borrowing Calendula's holy might to smite the undead as well. Nime unleashes a thunderblast, and Zinlun succumbs completely, the burst enough to fully shatter the lich into shards of bones! The myriad gems that studded his skull clatter to the ground, and with its master destroyed, the golem sinks back into the tar.
Zinlun has an emerald wedge ioun stone. The crystal plinth is worth 6,500 gp and the velvet cushion atop it is worth 250 gp. In addition, hidden at the bottom of the tar pit among the many fossilized bones are a +1 wyrmsbreath (cold) light steel shield and a staff of one hundred hands.
The greatest treasure in the chamber, though, is the remains of Zinlun’s skull. With this relic, you now have a potent bargaining chip that you can use to convince Karzoug’s soul to divulge to them the secrets of the Cyphergate. Of course, the demilich will rejuvenate in a few days' time if you're not careful! Nime knows that to permanently destroy a demilich, holy water must be poured over its remains within the area of a hallow spell. To complete the destruction, holy word or dispel evil must be cast.
Theo looked around as the golem retreated into the tar, belatedly realising what the burst had been. "Okay, wow, um... I'll be honest; I was kind of hoping to get more use out of this form for the first time I used it at this scale," Theo said as he walked or glided over to the others (trying to keep out of the tar now that he had the luxury to do so), the sheepishness of his voice rather at odds with his form and the rumble it now had.
"Then again; I didn't think it was physically possible for someone to kill a demilich that quickly. If he gets a chance to regenerate, he is not going to be happy about that."
"You do look very handsome in that form," Nime offers. "Nothing says you have to change back right away."
She looks around at the others. "Does anyone know where we can find someone to cast a hallow spell?"
"You could do it with a scroll." Shenuska says, examining the various magical items. "We should purchase one, then we need to go to the Boneyard."
Rudrik takes off his helmet and sits down, blinking and rubbing his eyes until finally the spell wears off and he can see again.
"We'll have to convince someone to come here, teleport them down I think. The inducements will probably be pretty steep."
"Wouldn't it be easier if we went to them?" the undine asks.
"Oh. I thought they would have to sanctify the site of this domain." Rudrik shrugs. "I dunno how this magic stuff works, really."
Shenuska teleports your group back to Kintargo, where she calls upon the powerful oracle Seraphina to help you with the ritual to put Zinlun’s soul to rest. Powerful divine magic ensures that the demilich will stay dead this time.
Now, the next step is to find the location of Karzoug’s soul. Fortunately, you have plenty of the the runelord’s body parts to use as foci for divination spells. Magic reveals that the soul is currently in a place called the Court of Amendment in Pharasma’s spire. Shenuska recalls ancient rumors that the site was once a temple to the Oinodaemon.
After resting and making preparations, you use plane shift to travel to the Boneyard. You arrive on a narrow ledge on the side of Pharasma’s spire. The Boneyard’s Spire is unimaginably vast, and those who cling to its sides look out over the endless silver expanse of the Astral Plane, but even a few hundred miles distant from your goal is close enough to see the mists of Abaddon far below, and above you, the glowering orb of that realm’s endless eclipsed sun. From there, another greater teleport brings you to the Court of Amendment.
The strange temple stands not far ahead—an odd amalgamation of pyramids combined with the flying buttresses and arches of the greatest cathedral. The facade is covered in long-faded iconography and strange, worn statuary, giving the whole structure an oddly unsettling feel. There are countless balconies, but a great triple arch provides the main entrance into the structure.
A wide balcony extends from the front of the edifice to hang precipitously over the seemingly infinite drop below. At the front edge of the balcony is a twenty-foot-tall pyramid constructed of smooth obsidian and capped in silver. Beyond the pyramid rises an elaborate sixty-foot-tall trefoil triple arch with elaborate supporting columns, beyond which lies a vast, shadowy interior.
"This is far from how I imagined I would enter the Boneyard," Calendula shivers after their second teleport. "First I thought in glory, an then in shame, recently in penitence. But here we are, seeking the assistance of an ancient evil. Feels perverse, somehow."
Nime steps up and puts her arm around Calendula's shoulder. "No, it's just a step along the way to saving the world," she says and gives the woman a slight squeeze. "And you're here with friends." She leans over and kisses the paladin's temple. "We won't be here long. No time for too much introspection."
"I uh... I am especially uncomfortable now," says Rudrik. "Can't say as I thought I would ever be, y'know, magically transporting to other realms and... just kinda... whooshing around in the queendom of the dead."
As you make your way onto the balcony, two huge statues of reclining, vulture-headed sphinxes further down the corridor transform into creature of flesh and blood, shrieking angrily as they prepare to attack!
Before you can react, the creatures call upon their fiendish spell-like abilities, sucking the moisture out of your bodies!
[/ooc]
"Just be glad that this is only a short visit rather than a more long-term stay. I think the worst part about ending up here the old fashioned way - aside from the obvious - is having to wait and be filtered through the bureaucracy here while working out where your soul gets to go after this. I hate having to waiting in line."
Both spells falter against Theo's spell resistance!
Theo grinned smugly as he felt their spells fail against his defences. "Well, they're not wasting any time, are they?" he remarked as he raised his metamagic rod. "What's say we return the favour?"
The first spell of wilting leaves Nime a withered shell of herself. The second would be the end of her if not for Pharasma's Gift, which absorbs the damage and vanishes.
A spell of healing upon herself follows.
Shenuska pushes through the magic with a look of annoyance on her face and sets herself to prevent them doing it again.
Iron Shen ignores the magic completely and flies over to pummel one of the creatures, while Ieldana retreats out of range, cloaking herself in magic.
Calendula rushes in, arms outstretched, swinging and slicing with the awesome power of god.
As Shenuska readies to counterspell, Iron Shen, Rudrik, and Calendula all converge on one of the sphinxes, punching and slicing it. Nime heals herself, then Theo unleashes chains of fire. Unfortunately, the sphinxes prove quite nimble, evading the flames!
The unwounded sphinx flies around, exposing itself to attack from Iron Shen as it moves to flank Calendula. Then both of the fiendish foes assault her with teeth and claws!
Already feeling their ability to resist magic, and frustrated at their ability to dodge some of his flames, Theo went for plan B and augmented his allies.
Nime eyes the positioning of the enemies and attempts to center another thunderburst to affect the one flanking Calendula while avoiding her companions.
Iron Shen lays the smack down on the strange sphinx while Shenuska considers for a moment and then launches her mind at the sphinx.
Bleeding heavily, Calendula runs a hand over herself, and though she remains barely standing, she throws her arms and attacks the sphinxes with what little vigor and vim she has left.
Since the sphinxes can fly, Rudrik has to wait for one to get close enough to attack him in order to counterattack. He chokes down on his sword and prepares a hard swing.
Shenuska blasts the mind of one of the sphinxes while Iron Shen pounds it with heavy fists. Rudrik slices into the other one, setting up Calendula to finish it off with a hasted assault. Nime detonates a thunderburst that takes down the second sphinx before it can attack again!
After healing up, you continue on into the Court. Numerous corridors and strangers stretch out in either direction. The chambers themselves are bare of furnishings and display the same alien iconography found throughout the rest of the complex. A whistling breeze constantly blows through these halls, carrying upon it the eerie sound of whippoorwill songs echoing in the distance.
After wandering a bit, you come upon an alcove in the wall that holds an elaborate, dust-covered, standing sarcophagus. Carved into the front is a representation of a mummified humanoid clutching a rod of authority and an ankh crossed upon its chest and with an elaborate miter upon its brow.
"Oh, very stately," Nime says, stepping forward to brush at the dust. "What a shame they don't clean regularly around here. It would look so much more ... so ... if it weren't so dusty."
As Nime gets within 20 feet of the sarcophagus, it flies open! Inside is a brawny creature that has had its skin completely flensed from its form, revealing the violent pulsing of its massive, exposed muscles. It grips an ornate rod and howls with fury!
"How did you even fit in there?" Nime questions before invoking a blessing over her friends.