The passage empties into an octagonal chamber. Vaulted crawlspaces sealed with iron bars are in the northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast corners. In the center of the room stands a statue of a priest, dressed in formal robes with his head bowed. A set of double doors exit from the
southernmost side. The smaller crawlspaces serve as ossuaries for the bones of four workers who perished during the Seal’s construction. They have since risen as skeletons, though they pose no threat as they cannot get past the iron bars and the PCs can destroy them easily.
There are doors at the south end of the room. I moved your tokens into place.
Ranok notices nothing unusual about the statue.
. Just out of curiosity, which is normally not Ranok's thing, but Tar Bafoon has him thinking.
"Rhen. Southern hall check?"
Ranok believes this statue depicts a priest from the The Shining Crusade when Tar-Baphon was defeated and imprisoned.
As Rhen and Ranok observe the southern corridor, Niu stands by the statue observing it with wonder.
"So, there is actually a seal here. We must then lead credence to the voice as being that of Tar-Baphon. Even if it isn't, it is a powerful caster bent on destroying the seal, which is nearly as bad.
That must be the reason a Torag monastery was built in such a remote location, they were placed here to defend the seal, and all knowledge of that purpose was likely hidden to keep the seal safe.
This is obviously why Par-ab-hor told me to come follow you, Rhen."
He continue, mumbling to himself, "But... did he intend for me to protect the seal, take it, or destroy it? That is the question."
"It might actually might be Tar-Baphon. Crap."
'Not a fight I was seeking, but if he has been unsealed then we need to try and do something, be it him or something else" She says with Glaive in hand.
"If It be the seal then we be havin' ta wipe this area clean and find some new defenders." Rhen says looking around the room.
None of that here, Rhen.
"Lets be pushin' on, we could be runnin' out o' time." Rhen says moving to the south and the staircase.
Nothing out of the ordinary. The stairs keep going down.
Ranok will continue to follow.
Niu also follows. More noisily.
When he gets close enough to see the stairs, he asks. "Another level? Should we clear this level first to make sure nothing creeps up behind us?"
Looking hard at the stairs leading down, down to whatever is behind this, "I am of two minds. I want to go right down there and destroy this thing trying to break the Seal. It might also be smart to clear this level, barricade the stair to rest, then take this guy on at full strength."
"Aye we best not be leavin' no one at our backs, don't want ta be attacked while facin' this Tar Bapooh ye be callin' him." Rhen agrees with Niu.
"Agreed, we should carry on here, Lead the way Rhen" She says trusting Rhen as he had been a great scout so for.
Within this athenaeum is a grid of square pillars, each carved with words large enough to be readable when standing at arm’s length. At first glance you see some places where a pillar was chiseled down and affixed with a flat square slab of stone, perhaps as a revision or correction to the writing. Some sort of humanoid creature is visible on the floor near the back of the room, moving listlessly.
Rhen is in place, please move your tokens where you would like to be.
Rhen peeks out to see what the creature is and give a description to those who are more knowledgeable
You are going to need to get closer. Rhen moves toward the writhing humanoid to get a better look.
The listless creature is the decapitated carcass of a dwarf. The wound in its neck is ragged, as if the head were removed using a blunt object or a dull blade. The corpse does not attack.
Ranok approaches the dead dwarf, detecting magic along the way. "Starless night! What did that?" He shakes his head a bit and looks around the room. Cocking his ears, he listens for something that could worry off a dwarf's head. He pays particular attention to the area undiscovered to the left.
As Ranok looks at the area to his left he sees a headless undead something fluttering about the pillars.
[spoiler=initiative]
Round 1 The Archives
Rhen 65/65, Ziera 72/72, Ranok 85/85, Niu 42/42
Niu, Rhen, Ranok ✔
Undead
Ziera
"This one got back up. I think I'll tell him he should go back to being dead."
Ranok advances 30 foot and takes a swing at the body of this thing.
"Headless too? Even undead shouldn't be able to function without a head."
Niu moves forward, readying his dagger, then throwing some sand at the creature.
Ranok connects with the headless undead. Niu knows this to be a Mind wraith. One question.
Special Attacks?
Intelligence drain.
Ziera following the rear doesn't see all the commotion until her party members spring into action, as they do and speak she readies her weapons for when she sees the opportunity to strike
Rhen moves to the south past Ziera to assist Ranok. "What can a Mind Wraith be doin'?' Rhen calls to Niu
The wraith flies around the eastern wall and circles back to land directly beside Niu. Ranok and Rhen have AoOs.
Niu
Rhen, Ranok ✔
wraith
Ziera ✔
Rhen swings his short sword at the Wraith as it comes in range.
Do I know if it has a physical body or not?
Ranok fails to connect. Based on the way your sword passed through it on your last hit, you felt it was incorporeal.
"It's a wraith, but it drains Intelligence instead of Health. That's all I know!"
Mage armor blocks incorporeal touch attacks. Assuming you had that active.
The check by you and Rhen was for the AoO.
Ziera is up!
Ziera goes in and uses her glaive to slice at the thing.
"Ah! It wants to eat my brains! Please don't let it eat my brains!"
Stepping back from the wraith, Niu adds some magic to the Prayer, before cackling at the absurdity of the statement. How could it eat my brains with no head?
Ziera's blade passes harmlessly through the wraith
Round 2 The Archives
Rhen 65/65, Ziera 72/72, Ranok 85/85, Niu 42/42
Niu
Rhen, Ranok ✔
wraith
Ziera
Ranok takes a breath, frustrated at his sword passing mostly through this creature, and begins to mumble as he points at the wraith.
A silver thread slithers from his finger and winds around the wraith. Ranok then smiles as he stalks forward.
Yes, thanks.
RHen moves to the south to keep up with this vile undead, shuffling past Niu and planting his feet firmly and stabbing at this undead creature.
"Ye be ugly aren't ye? Can ye hear me with no head?" Rhen asks the undead.
Rhen misses the wraith. It withdraws from combat, flying in a circular pattern which passes through several of the columns. It ends up inside the column marked with an arrow.
Ziera is up.
"our weapons will hurt it now If we can get it out from that pillar. Ghost boy is scared."
"Surround the pillar and ready attacks for when it appears."
Ziera ✔