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At the top of the cathedral chamber you feel the presence of a very powerful magics. Standing before the doors leading forward, this is even more relevant. This being some of your characters first real adventure, you have never faced such a threat before. Whatever magic this was, Nhur Athemon's power still lingers here. So much so, that your weaker casters are unable to quell the approaching darkness. Even the mundane light sources such as the torch, flickers as if fighting a greater battle.
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Your natural instincts about moving forward were right. As you pass through the grand door ways, a rush of stale air - like a forbidden voice, slams into all of you. A terrible stone idol stands on a small dais in the center of this crossshaped chamber. The idol depicts a demonic being with a birdlike head and writhing serpents for legs; the eyes are fiery orange gems. Ornamental pillars surround the chamber, and open archways lead from this chamber to the south and the west. An eerie soundlessness enwraps the entire chamber. It is unnaturally still in this shrine.
The idol stands proudly, bowing before you, beckoning you to come forward. Roran feels the immediate aura of evil which fills him this place. You turn to the party to warn them...but nothing comes out of your mouth.
You notice something magical going on in the room. You think the source of this is the idol. You think that you have walked into an unnaturally large Silence spell, although you are unsure why. There seems to be another more powerful evocation spell at work here as well.
You know that the statue represents Abraxas, the Master of the Final Incantation, Demon Lord of Magic and Forbidden Lore. Abraxas is an utterly demonic in appearance; he possesses the head of a fanged, deformed bird with a tooth filled mouth and lizard-like crest behind his head. In place of his legs Abraxas has a pair of writhing vipers each with its own head and poisonous fangs. Abraxas' torso is humanoid and with the exception of his viperous legs and demented head so is the rest of his form. However, he is missing his signature whip which he always carries with him. The fact that he is welcoming the guests who enter the room is even more strange.
This place shakes everyone to the core. Naeryn with his pessimism feels even more uneasy in this gloom, as he realises that the light works dimmer here. The divine of the party stumble, as they have never faced such powerful presence. The halfling sorcerer tries to comprehend this place, but to no avail. The pathfinders stand, together, yet alone with their thoughts.
Party Conditions
Naeryn [-1 lethal]
Seward
Pietro [-1 dex]
Telos
Roran [-3 lethal]
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The imposing presence continues to trouble Telos as he enters this new area, and all of the new images therein cause him to shudder.
When he recognizes the spells, his eyes light up and he backs out of the room waving at the others to follow him. Once they all follow him out he explains...
There is an arcane silencing area in there! What is more, there is some sort of evocation aura. I'm not sure if that's some trap we would need to go find or something else, but we need to tread careful. Firstly, should Naneryn go in alone to look for traps and then report back to us before we proceed?
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The pathfinders carefully case the room. Other then the obviously evil presence, nothing seems to be out of place. Everything is fluid with the architecture, in line with this being a crypt of sorts. The only thing of value here, other than the ancient history of this place, seems to be the oddly placed fiery orange gems the idol has for eyes. As you focus on them, they seem to burn your gaze, only so slightly that you look away.
Naeryn thinks he may be able to take one very easily with a simple Disable Device check.
Slightly shook, the party presses forward through the silence. Only a few steps further past the horific idol, you turn the corner. A large stone dais in this chamber supports a great sarcophagus. The carvings here match caligraphy you have previously seen on the Door of Seven Stars. The lid, once carved in the image of a sleeping ancient warrior, is cracked into two pieces and lies askew. You see the dead bodies of three individuals lie amidst the rubble. One is of a man with a shaven head wearing battered scraps of leather. The next, a dark-haired woman in scholarly robes is grasping something in her hands. And finally, a yellow-haired elf in hide trappings is left gently pressed against one of the sides, as if sleeping peacefully. You take this moment in briefly, taking another few steps further into the room.
...as dark energy, wisps of black reach out from the sarcophagus and onto the corpses. Their bodies writhe and shake uncontrollably for one second untill they rise. Their eyes, rolled back into their skulls. Their mouths open agape as if amidst a permenant scream, yet, nothing comes out.
-- Round 1 --
-- Telos
-- Pietro
-- Seward
Undead?
Naeryn
Zombies (blue green)
Roran
Telos, Pietro and Seward are up. Also, you are still in an area of silence.
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"DON'T LET THE WIGHT TOUCH YOU!"
Pietro pulls the tankard from his belt with his buckler hand and gives a loud roar. "CAYDEN! HERE'S TO YOU GOD!"
A small drab of energy flashes briefly from the engraved pewter and then promptly dies. Flummoxed, Pietro looks the tankard over inside and out. Then as the dead draw near he feverishly pounds it on the sarcophagus a few times and looks it over again to see if it is producing any more energy.
"C'MON, C'MON! You stupid...." He begins cursing at the mug.
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The cleric moves up and chanels his divine energy through his holy symbol. However, the darkness here is too oppressive. He stumbles half way as he sees the cold dead eyes of the wight staring. Pietro tried to grumble something, but no words come out.
The wight rushes up towards the cleric. An angry vengeful look in its eyes.
-- Round 1 --
—Telos
Pietro (Fortitude save... -1 dex)
— Seward
Wight (-1)
— Naeryn
Zombies (blue -1 green -1)
Roran
Telos can rework his action if he wishes. Seward and Naeryn to go.
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The strike from the wight leaves the cleric of Cayden Cailean struggling to breathe. Luckily, he manages to catch himself and centre his morale.
Naeryn walks past the group and into the zombies, seeing as you are already engaging the wight. ...I hate undead! he says out loud and can finally hear his own voice!
The initial assault form the Pathfinders seemingly ineffective agasint the powerful undead. They know they need to focus if they are to make it out of there alive...
The zombies waddle over, one of them strikes at Naeryn.
It leaves a sizable bruze on the elf's shoulder.
The wight takes a massive hit from the ranger as he peeks around the corner. He stumbles back ready for another strike at the cleric.
-- Round 2 --
-- Telos
-- Pietro [-2 lethal, -1 dex]
-- Seward
Wight (-7)
-- Naeryn [-7 lethal]
Zombies (blue -3 green -1)
-- Roran [-3 lethal]
Party can go. I'll move monsters in the middle of your attacks.
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The pathfinder find better luck this round. The fight with a new found strength.
...and so do the undead. They viciously strike out at the pathfinders looking to draw more blood. The wight steps forward to embrace the cleric once more. Its cold and dead features striking contrast to the almost pale Pietro who is hanging on there for dear life.
-- for a Fortitude save if hit.
This creates an opening for Roran to swing his weapon through the creatures abdomen. It lurches back in pain and off your weapon, ready for another round.
Naeryn deals another good hit on the zombie, before moving backwards and into his ally for protection. The zombies lurch forward, hugry jaws bighting in Naeryns direction. But not before Telos's spell rips one of them to shreds.
Naeryn falls with a thud onto the cold stone, blood beginning to poor from his temple. He managed to hit his head pretty hard on the way down against the stairs of the sarcophagus.
-- wight, zombie
-- Round 3 --
-- Telos
-- Pietro [-5 lethal, -1 dex] -- another Fortitude save please!
-- Seward
Wight (-21)
-- Naeryn [-16 lethal, unconscious, bleeding] -- stabilise roll please!
Zombies (blue green -3)
-- Roran [-3 lethal]
The party may act!
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Naeryn falls with a thud onto the cold stone, blood beginning to poor from his temple. He managed to hit his head pretty hard on the way down against the stairs of the sarcophagus.
Pietro rolls his eyes and if the silence still holds sway he mouths ".. ... ... .... .. ...!!" at the top of his lungs and then shakes his head sadly at his fallen ally.
He sighs and then abruptly turns and smashes the wight in the head with his morningstar.
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The wight isn't able to make much headway this time, as the desperate cleric strikes the undead. It falls to the ground, the paleness dissipating from the body.
-- bleed 1
-- Round 3 --
-- Telos
Pietro [-5 lethal, -1 dex]
-- Seward
Naeryn [-17 lethal, unconscious, bleeding]
Zombies (blue green -3)
Roran [-3 lethal]
Telos and Seward to go. Well done everyone. Just one enemy left.
Seward takes a shot at the final zombie as he moves up and pears around the corner. And by takes a shot, i mean throws his club.
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The final zombie lunges at the paladin in a frail attept to avenge his fallen kin.
...but misses. The healing light from the paladin, cleric and sorcorer knocking it's senses.
Telos heals his fallen ally, stabilising him close to death. The pathfinders are hopeful once more, as the light from the wand is less powerful yet inspiring. A club shoots over his head and into the zombie.
-- Round 4 --
-- Telos
-- Pietro [-5 lethal, -1 dex]
-- Seward
-- Naeryn [-14 lethal, unconscious, stable]
-- Roran [-3 lethal]
Zombies (green -9)
The party is up! Finish him, well done everyone!
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The cleric brings his thunderous judgment down into the undead once more. This time, taking the entire weight of a full jug of ale with him. The undead lie there, still and unmoving. Slowly, the dark energies dissipate from them bodies- revealing long dead adventurers. You wonder, why were they stupid enough to release whatever powerful evil fled the sarcophagus.
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After the last zombie falls, Telos sighs. Well, that was unpleasant. Pietro, you can probably help Naneryn more effectively than me, without the pressure of undead persistence.
After he heals him up...
Hey Naneryn, didn't we still need to pilfer that orange gem we passed up? It would be unfortunate if more pesky goblins came by and claimed it while we did the dirty work!
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"Wha?" the elf moans as his eyes flitter open. "You brought me back to life again? How much to intend to make me suffer?" Speaking of suffering, when he tries to sit up, he lets out a long groan and grabs his head. "A zombie rogue struck me from behind? How rude."
After more complaining, he slowly gets himself together. But his head snaps in Telos's direction when we mentions the gem. "Oh yeah!" He is about to rush back into the other room when he suddenly stops. "Um.... I guess I should ask for a blessing before I try my hand at the gem?" He waits for guidance, feeling both impatient and embarrassed.
Once blessed, he rushes in, carefully surveys the approach to the gem and the area around it. Once satisfied, he moves in and begins the operation.
Perhaps he has had too many trips to the abyss today, as his hands shake unnaturally during the operation.
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The cleric brings his thunderous judgment down into the undead once more. This time, taking the entire weight of a full jug of ale with him. The undead lie there, still and unmoving. Slowly, the dark energies dissipate from them bodies- revealing long dead adventurers. You wonder, why were they stupid enough to release whatever powerful evil fled the sarcophagus.
"Idiot tomb-robbers! I swear someone should do something about it."
Pietro looks down at Naneryn and sighs. "Don't tell him this, but I really think Naneryn should look into a different line of work."
He pulls out his wand.
"HELL YEAH!"
"Well, it's been 15 minutes, shall we call it a day, or would we all like to continue?"
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The party returns to the previous chamber with the idol, only to watch Naeryn's steady hands begin to shake as he attempts this manoeuvre. His mind, unbale to focus on the task at hand, his knife slips against the stone and for a second, everyone holds their breath. No trap springs, nothing bad happens. As the swear runs down his brow, Nearyn realises he's got nothing to worry about and carefully dislodges one of the Orange gems form the demonic idol.
Healed up, slightly rested and ready to leave this place, the pathfinders continue forward where they hope they can find a way out. A feeling of cold dread is palpable in this oval-shaped hall, which is finished in gleaming dark stone. The shadows in the upper portions of the chamber seem to seethe slowly with foul energy. Doorways exit the chamber to the north and the west. The cobalt stone in this chamber resonated with the light from your torches. The light seemingly bouncing off the surface creating strange reflections. You think this room was once used for something. DC 15 Arcana.
Finding nothing extraordinaty in this room, other than clues for it's once ancient use, the Pathfinders continue. There is a door which seems to be locked as Roran tries it. He calls back to Naeryn who nods and starts comming forward ready to unlock the way through when...
...an incoporeal form, of a humanoid wearing dark robes comes out of the celings, striking at Telos.
-- str damage.
Telos suprised by the creature, feels his muscles weaken. He falls up agasint the dark stone wall, a long dead deciple of the dark arts strering at the sorcorer with his cold dead eyes.
-- Round 1 --
-- Naeryn Can also do something in the suprise round!
-- Telos [-1 str]
-- Pietro [-2 lethal, -1 dex]
-- Seward
-- Roran
Ghost?
The party may act.