Lesska bites her lip nervously, unsure of what has assailed her friend, and unwilling to get too close in case the malady is contagious. Then she remembers Gioret's warning.
"Haramil's panoply was cursed!" she pants hoarsely, still reeling from the supernatural battle, and coated here and there in spectral goo. The Kellid looks to Suetonius, her face stricken with anguish.
"What is it that ails her? Can it be cured?" she asks, hand raised as if to aid yet still not touching her friend.
Suetonius looks surprised, then concerned.
"I am afraid that Black Butterfly has not granted me the required magic to restore sight today, but I can certainly pray for it for tomorrow..."
"Is there anything we can do? I feel we're close now to whatever secrets this tomb contains about the Cradle of Night and the path taken by the Reborn. We've put Haramil's spirit to rest twice now..." Aiyana says, "Surely, we've withstood whatever traps, guardians, and restless spirits remain. Ailis? Can you continue if one of us leads you? Or should someone stay here with you while the others press on?"
Ailis makes it clear to everyone that she's not staying behind. The dwarven Pathfinder still wants to see things through, despite the loss of her eyes. "Time isn't a luxury we can afford right now," she replies, "If someone can help me along, I'll provide what aid I can...even if it's just a dwarven warchant to lift our spirits..."
Zyler emerges from the shadows as his invisibility spell wears off and the dark dancer comes alongside the dwarf. "I know I haven't been much help so far," he acknowledges, "But I can look after her...whether here or as we continue on. I'll make sure no harm comes to her, even if it's just to help her vanish. It's one of the few good tricks I know, and it's always helped me survive..."
"Thank you, Zyler," Daehalya says. "We won't leave you behind, Ailis. Lesska, you warned us, but sometimes we need to take these risks to do what's right. Whether that's bearing this curse, or leaving our home, or what we think of as going to be our home, some things simply are more important."
After a few moments, Bastian shrinks to his normal size. He rips down one of the tapestries to wipe the foul ectoplasma off his armor.
So that’s twice we have defeated Haramil now. I wonder if more of his evil essense lingers in this cursed place. Let us heal our wounds and do a final check of the sarcophagus. If we don’t find the Cradle, I think we have to assume the Reborn have already carried it away.
Lesska is unsure of Zyler, given Ailis is her boon companion and tge shadow dancer has proved craven up to this point, but relents to practicalities.
"Take good care of her Zyler, or on my honour you will know my wrath."
Having acquitted herself of Kellid duty she sniffs and nods to Daehalya, tacitly ignoring the dusky elf's useful point.
"We push on then." she points her longspear forward as if to emphasise the point, then pauses.
"Where to?" she asks without guile.
"Perhaps with the accursed lance no longer atop the sarchophagus, we should examine it for further clues?" Aiyana suggests.
"But without my eyes, I'm little help with that..." Ailis replies. "I fear we may blunder into another trap...or encounter a lock we cannot open..."
Then Zyler speaks up again. "Well, I may not be much of a fighter, but I can certainly help with those things. My apologies for avoiding the fights earlier. My number one concern has always been survival...even in Lyrudrada. If I weren't a dark dancer, and afforded some measure of societal protection because of it, I'd have been dead long ago. But, by hiding in the shadows...and finding ways in and out of trouble spots...it's allowed to live far longer. Perhaps that's why fate brought us together?"
With that, Zyler leaves Ailis for a moment to examine the sarcophagus. When satisfied that the exterior seems safe, he pushes on four, fist-sized squares of stone extruding from the corners of the coffin's lid. They sink in and the dark dancer is able to slide the lid away. A skeletal figure rests inside, long decayed and withered to the point that the bones aren't even joined together anymore. Nothing else is inside except a fine layer of dust coating everything.
"Aha!" Zyler announces, "There! You see that latch? It's carefully hidden. Someone meant to fool those who came here into thinking this was the final resting place of the ancient warlord. But that latch probably opens the way to the real tomb. Shall I pull it?"
"Do you want to check it for more traps?" Daehalya asks. "But if it's clear, then, yes, I think we should pull it. Stand back, Ailis. Just in case."
Before we do anything, we should heal our injuries. Suetonius was almost killed, and we will undoubtedly face more dangers in the real tomb.
Lesska stares in mute disbelief as there is no sense of wonder or awe professed by any of her companions.
”Are these his bones?” The Kellid’s brows knit in concentration as something occurs to her. ”Or just a part of the trick?” she asks Zyler.
As Bastian finishes Lesska produces more potions from her pack, miraculously unbroken throughout all their fights.
"I don't know," Zyler replies, "They look authentic...and I don't see any traps...so, I guess there's really on one way to find out..."
The dark dancer pulls the latch and within the bowels of the tomb...somewhere much further below ground...the party can hear the sound of stone grating upon stone. Just as suddenly, the 10-foot section of floor upon which the sarcophagus lies begins to slowly descend, bringing all of you with it and into an area so dark that even the weakened lights you brought with you begin to dim even further until they're as small as the blink of a firefly.
"It would seem we're going the right way if we're headed into an area of darkness as black as midnight..." Aiyana states on the way down, "Maybe we should stay close together so we pool what little light we have. Zyler and I can see in the dark, but the rest of you may face a similar fate as Ailis if you move too far..."
Once the platform comes to a halt, you can see another stone floor stretching away in all directions, but the wall of darkness at the edge of your feeble lights prevents you from perceiving anything beyond that range. Nevertheless, the two dark folk describe what they're able to see to everyone else.
"It's a large chamber," Aiyana explains, "Several stone pillars support the ceiling. And there are huge tapestries hanging from every wall, each depicting landscapes and battles among various hills and plains."
"Behind us...there's a jet-black pedestal of carved rock standing empty near the north wall," Zyler adds.
"And I see a closed stone coffin to the south..." Aiyana continues, "There are three scorched areas on the floor, surrounding the crumbled remains of a stone statue. It looks like it might have been one of the same kind of guardians we saw above...and the scorch marks could be...wait! What is that? Oh, no...god, no!"
"Get back!" the caligni gasps, draws her longsword, and then screams, "Stay away from me!"
Aiyana then wildly lashes out with real fear in her eyes...but not at any kind of adversary the rest of you can see. Instead, she swings her weapon at Daehalya!
Caught completely off guard, the elf suffers a minor slash across her arm...face to face with their suddenly crazed and very paranoid benefactor.
In the darkness, there's a deep chuckle of satisfaction and pure evil...
"I told you ...there is only here!" the familiar voice of Haramil booms and rebounds off of walls you cannot see, but the volume swells and reverberates in your ears. "What's mine is None but can claim it!"
Eyes widening once more in fear at something only he (and Aiyana) can see, Zyler backs away from the platform, retreating to the north and reciting the familiar words to activate his wand.
Ailis then swiftly recites a dwarven verse to encourage her allies to stand fast in the face of unknown horrors...
HP 39/46
AC 26, touch 21, flat-footed 23, CMD 23
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +7; +2 vs. enchantment
Effects: mage armor, sickened (-2), haste
Magic; arcane bond 0/1; binding darkness 2/8
4th--resilient sphere (DC 19) [x], shadow conjuration (DC 20) [], shadow dragon aspect (DC 20) [], shadowform (DC 21) []
3rd--communal resist energy [x], daylight [], dispel magic [], major image (DC 19) [], slow (DC 18) [x]
2nd-- glitterdust (DC 18) [x], darkvision [x][x], tenebrous searching shadows (DC 20) [x], umbral weapon []
1st--silent image [x], feather fall [], grease (DC 17) [], mage armor [x], shadow trap (DC 18) [], tenebrous shadow trap (DC 19) [x], shadowfade []
0 (at will)—flare (DC 15), dancing lights, detect magic, read magic, ghost sound
"Ow!" Daehalya calls out as her skin splits under Aiyana's blade.
"Stop, we don't want to hurt you! It's Haramil's spirit!" she cries. "She doesn't know what she's doing. Can someone restrain her?"
She retreats, looking around to see if there's some manifestation of the voice that they could fight.
GM Ruling:
With the oppressive darkness just beyond the edge of the limited light you've brought with you, Bastian and Daehalya are unable to see the source of the warlord's taunting voice. Rather than rush into the dark alone, Bastian simply sets his stance, ready to strike out at the first thing that shows itself. In the meantime, Daehalya tries to defend against Aiyana's increasingly fear-driven aggression.
"The shadows The darkness And they to us!" Haramil continues, his voice echoing and magnified as if repeated by more than one person saying the same words at the same time. "Your weapons are against me! But the darkness a weapon to those who know how to it! You must its power! It will become a of you! And you will it as I have!"
Suddenly, a nightmarish horror reaches from the dark, grasping for Bastian. His readied action results in him feverishly trying to defend himself, raising and smashing his flail again and again into its seemingly impervious hide. No one else sees this apparition. Much like Aiyana, he seems to see something that isn't fully there, terrified and frantic.
Bastian:
Likewise, Aiyana continues her own unhinged paranoia...
"Stay back! Or, I'll kill you where you stand!" she threatens.
She spins and turns on Suetonius this time, seemingly convinced that the nearby priest was trying to sneak up on her.
Thankfully, forewarned by Daehalya, the priest is able to avoid the caligni's wild swing.
Focused Discipline (Combat)
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus on all saving throws against fear effects. Whenever a fear effect targets you and fails to affect you (either because of a successful saving throw or because of immunity to fear), you gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and CMB checks against the creature that attempted to use the fear affect on you for 1 round.
"How are we supposed to fight what we can't see?" Lydia cries out, alarmed by the turn of events. She moves to Aiyana and prays to Desna to try to free the caligni from her madness.
Suetonius holds his holy symbol tight; the darkness all around him is absolute, and he can feel the old insecurities rising, and fear starts to get a grip on him...
...but then he feels the light touch of Arha's wing on his cheek, as she nuzzles him with her proboscis.
That gives him the merest sliver of hope, helping him to swallow his discomfort, and focus on the task at hand.
"There may be darkness, but it is not absolute... Black Butterfly will provide..."
He then casts Brightest Light.
Bastian:
By channeling his hope into a divine focus, Suetonius stretches forth his hand and calls forth a sudden light. It flares brightly even as it struggles against whatever supernatural darkness has cloaked this chamber. The immediate glare is harsh enough that it puts an unexpected strain on everyone's eyes.
Even as you squint against the light, the darkness seems to be fighting it back, decreasing its radius to that of a torch. Nevertheless, it's enough to illuminate the burial chamber, as well as your adversary. A roiling vortex of animate darkness hovers above a simple coffin in the southern portion of the room. Multiple ghostly faces...all of them bearing the visage of Haramil...swirl within it, and they too appear to be vexed by the intensity of the light Suetonius has shone upon them.
"" Haramil's faces scream in unison, "No light can prevail against me! The can withstand any..."
Haramil's eyes widen in disbelief as the swirling faces look beyond all of you and towards the jet black pedestal by the northern wall. " Where has it gone?!?! What have you with it?! All of you will pay with your for this...!"
In that moment of distraction, Lydia swiftly tries to cast a spell to return Aiyana to her senses so the party doesn't have to fight the caligni, but sadly it seems to have no effect on her as she continues to swing her sword wildly in an attempt to keep everyone away from her.
Lydia:
HP 39/46
AC 26, touch 21, flat-footed 23, CMD 23
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +7; +2 vs. enchantment
Effects: mage armor, shadow dragon aspect 0/7
Magic; arcane bond 0/1; binding darkness 2/8
4th--resilient sphere (DC 19) [x], shadow conjuration (DC 20) [], shadow dragon aspect (DC 20) [], shadowform (DC 21) []
3rd--communal resist energy [x], daylight [], dispel magic [], major image (DC 19) [], slow (DC 18) [x]
2nd-- glitterdust (DC 18) [x], darkvision [x][x], tenebrous searching shadows (DC 20) [x], umbral weapon []
1st--silent image [x], feather fall [], grease (DC 17) [], mage armor [x], shadow trap (DC 18) [], tenebrous shadow trap (DC 19) [x], shadowfade []
0 (at will)—flare (DC 15), dancing lights, detect magic, read magic, ghost sound
Daehalya flinches as the sudden brightness threatens to blind her, but her voice is steady.
"You are not the only one who knows how to wield darkness. It is a tool and a shield, though, as much as a weapon!" she calls out as she tries to figure out what it is.
Moments later she casts one of her most powerful spells, and her form blurs, seeming to be replaced moments later with that of a dragon! She spreads her black wings and launches herself to where she saw the strange swirling shadows!
Bastian flails wildly at the writhing mass of flesh, teeth and shadow that only he can see. Again and again, he swings his weapon, but never once connects.
In the back of his mind, his warrior instincts and rational intellect start to object in unison at the disconnect between what his senses see and the laws of reality. Stop...it's a trick....it's not real...
Mustering every ounce of his discipline and courage, he cautiously lowers his guard and lets the nightmare creature strike his arm. As the blow passes harmlessly through, he takes a deep, calming breath and turns his attention on the real threat.
Lesska peers about the darkness, then squints into the dazzling light.
"There! Strike now, Bastian!" she cries, stabbing with all her might.
[+8 BAB, +1 Str, +1 Weapon Focus, +1 close at hand, -1 dazzled, +1 haste]
[Vital Strike, + 1 Str, +1 enchantment, +1d6 Precise strike]
With a target finally in view, Lesska moves slightly ahead of the rest of the team, but still keeps her distance so she can strike within the reach of her longspear. The magic-enhanced spearpoint punches through the storm of shadowy faces, piercing one of them between its eyes and causing it to howl in agony.
Daehalya:
Armed with new insights about their foe, Daehalya uses her magic to shapeshift into a sleek, jet black dragon. The form is still small enough to fit easily within the chamber and doesn't crowd her companions overly much. With a flap of her new wings, she moves in to support Lesska.
With Aiyana's sword swings becoming wilder and less predictable, everyone around her seems to be a potential target...including poor Ailis who's still blind to the threat. Luckily for the dwarven Pathfinder, familiar words of magic are intoned from somewhere nearby and she starts to fade away...turned invisible by the same magic Zyler has used to preserve his own safety. Together, he helps lead her back and away from the fray before any harm can come to her. Yet, even as they go, the bard keeps up her war chant, doing all she can to aid her allies with the strength of her voice.
Perhaps those inspiring words manage to reach Bastian's ears as he uses his own self-will to regain his senses and shake off whatever mental trickery Haramil's spirit managed to inflict upon him. The big warrior readies his flail again and sees his companions Lesska and dragonform Daehalya already in melee.
GM Only Notes:
Using his enhanced speed, Bastian moves around Haramil to take up flanking position opposite Lesska. Once in place, he strikes at the crazed horror.
Bastian wades into battle, maneuvering until he can help Lesska and Daehalya pin in the monstrosity that is Haramil's mad spirit. He swings his heavy flail and strikes a telling blow against it as multiple mouths scream in anger, pain, and...defiance.
"You'll for that!" Haramil screams. The swirling vortex of shadow and faces seems to smash back at Bastian.
Tendrils of shadow not only lance through Bastian's body, but his mind immediately comes under an intense assault. Images and memories of his own life flash before his eyes as if they're taken from him in a dizzying array of violation. The entire experience leaves him confused and mentally drained. The cloud then withdraws, escaping through the cracks in the broken flagstones underfoot and disappearing somewhere further below ground.
Back at the lift, Aiyana continues to scream and slash at everyone in misguided attempt to defend herself.
This time she swings at Lydia.
But her strikes are intended more to keep everyone at bay rather than kill.
Despite the pain wracking his body, Bastian swiftly strikes at the retreating foe.
Stay vigilant and prepare to strike as soon as he reappears!
Does anyone know the weaknesses of this form? How do we destroy him?
Lydia raises her curve blade and stands alert, ready to attack the creature should it reemerge.
HP 39/46
AC 26, touch 21, flat-footed 23, CMD 23
Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +7; +2 vs. enchantment
Effects: mage armor, shadow dragon aspect 1/7
Magic; arcane bond 0/1; binding darkness 2/8
4th--resilient sphere (DC 19) [x], shadow conjuration (DC 20) [], shadow dragon aspect (DC 20) [], shadowform (DC 21) []
3rd--communal resist energy [x], daylight [], dispel magic [], major image (DC 19) [], slow (DC 18) [x]
2nd-- glitterdust (DC 18) [x], darkvision [x][x], tenebrous searching shadows (DC 20) [x], umbral weapon []
1st--silent image [x], feather fall [], grease (DC 17) [], mage armor [x], shadow trap (DC 18) [], tenebrous shadow trap (DC 19) [x], shadowfade []
0 (at will)—flare (DC 15), dancing lights, detect magic, read magic, ghost sound
"You can't escape us, false Haramil," Daehalya cries out as she bites at the creature with her [shadowy form. "You are an undead spirit, and not the master you try to impersonate!"
[+8 BAB, +1 Str, +1 Weapon Focus, +1 close at hand, -1 dazzled, +1 haste, +3 flanking]
[ + 1 Str, +1 enchantment, +1d6 Precise strike]
Lesska stabs at the lowering phantasm in futile anger, striking quite poorly and with much force. She grimaces in frustration.
”Aiyana!!! Calm yourself! Ailis - where have you gone!?! AILIS!!!” the Kellid screams into the darkness, spear held ever at the ready.
2) You can’t use Vital strike on an AoO. Only as a standard action on your own turn.
3) You can’t ready a full attack. Standard action only.
Lesska and Daehalya both miss the retreating spirit, but Bastian seems to land a telling blow as it disappears beneath the flagstones underfoot. Thereafter, the only sounds of continuing battle emanate from Aiyana as she continues to threaten and attack those who are near her.
As Lesska calls out for Ailis, the dwarf interrupts her war chant to respond unseen from somewhere near the back of the room by the northern wall and the obsidian pedestal. "I'm safe! I'm back here with...Zyler!" she calls out, "This pedestal...it looks like there's a concave indentation here in the stone...about the size of a fist...or, perhaps an orb such as the Cradle. If it was here, it's gone now. Someone must have taken it..."
Zyler also speaks up from somewhere in the same vicinity as Ailis's voice. "And those scorched areas...around the crumbled statue...they look like they could be from the death throes of the dark stalkers among the Reborn. They must have found their way here! They must have the Cradle!"
As sudden as that revelation comes, Haramil's spirit reappears, rising out of the floor around the pedestal, much to the fear of Ailis and Zyler. "" Haramil cries, "You'll all pay for your treachery! Once you , I'll raise you again as shadows to track down the usurpers and You'll return what's mine! And only then will you find rest in the "
GM Only Notes:
"Your time is over, spirit; if you will not go quietly, then we will help you cross over..."
Suetonius charges forward, and takes a swing.
Having delayed until just the right moment, Suetonius is the first to see Haramil's spirit arise once again from the chamber floor. He quickly sprints forward to face it, leading with a tremendous blow from his weapon. The swirling vortex of faces snarls in anger at the impudent priest and utters a few words of magic in return, but seems to target Bastian on the far side of the room rather than Suetonius.
A barrage of memories drawn from every failing or insecurity Bastian has ever felt in his life suddenly overwhelms his mind, some drawn from his youth, others more recent, but each one tearing at his sanity. Standing near Haramil's spirt, Suetonius can tell that the swirling vortex is somehow energized by whatever mental assault it created upon his friend. At the same time, the images of Zyler and Ailis suddenly reappear, outlined within the vortex of spirit.
Their faces go completely slack and they stand transfixed, unable (or unwilling) to move as the cloud continues to move over them.
GM Only Notes:
Assaulted in both mind and body, Bastian staggers around Haramil, getting into flanking position with Suetonius before taking another swing.
Lydia calls out to Desna as she rushes at Haramil, her sword flashing!
Lesska wonders how useful it might be to be a shadow after all, then steps up to stab at the cloud of evil...
[+8 BAB, +1 Str, +1 Weapon Focus, +1 close at hand, -1 dazzled, +1 haste]
[Vital strike, + 1 Str, +1 enchantment, +1d6 Precise strike]
Suddenly surrounded on all sides, Haramil is beset by everyone at once. Following Suetonius's strike, Bastian smashes the vortex with his enchanted flail. Then Lesska follows up with a solid spear thrust. And finally Lydia arrives to slash with her curve-blade. The attacks finally shred and fray the swirling disembodied faces. The vortex breaks apart into just a cloud of dark mist. It feebly tries to coalesce into the silhouette of an ancient, armored horselord. And, for just a moment, the dark mist lightens from within...enough to brighten the face of Haramil as he must have once looked in life...before the Cradle twisted him into the dark tyrant he became. Recognizing a fellow Kellid, he reaches his hand toward Lesska...
"The Cradle..." he says, "It must not..."
But before he can finish, the mist comprising his body begins to drift apart on an unseen wind until he completely fades away.