"That is unfortunate. I hate bullies, and however Tar-Baphon started he became a bully.
Who speaks to us now?"
Niu listens carefully to the response, trying to divine the intent of the words.
Ranok stares at the trapped figure.
After waiting for an answer to Niu, Ranok asks, "What does this mean?"
Niu is unable to sense the motive of the hanging seer. Ranok notices the tattoos and clothing. Knowledge religion and history may come in handy at this point.
"I accepted a hellish fate as the eternal guardian of Tar-Baphon’s vault. You may call me Tazimir."
You both recognize several of the intricate tattoos as sacred symbols of Pharasma, god of fate, death, prophecy, and birth. He is or was a priest of Pharasma. Niu identifies his clothes as being at least a century
out of date, probably longer.
"An eternity without dying? That borders on blasphemy for a Pharasmin. I can see why you would consider that hellish. Well met, Tazimir. I am Niu, this is Ranok, Rhen, and the Lady Zeira."
Niu looks the man over, and frowns.
"How is it that you guard the vault from inside of that crystal? Are you the focus for the seal?"
"When Drazmorg first arrived, I attempted to defeat him, but woefully underestimated the necromancer’s ability. Drazmorg was unable to kill me but managed to drain me of all my powers, leaving me hanging helpless in his crystal, and using the my body to store the undead spirit of one of his former allies. In my current state, I am unable to move or speak, though I can still communicate telepathically. I know the history of the dungeon and the atrociousness of Tar-Baphon, I know much that I will communicate to you. But first, be aware that I am holding back the evil spirit Drazmorg placed inside me. It is a constant struggle and I may not be able to suppress it forever."
"We have some experience battling the undead. Perhaps we can deal with this creature when it escapes. But, perhaps you would prefer that one of my friends put an end to the struggle before the thing escapes?"
Niu motions for the others to keep their weapons ready and prepare for the creature's appearance.
"First, tell us, is Drazmorg still in the structure?"
"The Seal is one of several that keep the Whispering Tyrant imprisoned. Tar-Baphon is aware the Seal is broken. I fear Tar-Baphon could well be strong enough to seize mental command of the necromancer who broke this Seal, and use him to locate and break the other ones. In fact there is a safe room in this dungeon that indicates the location of at least one other Seal"
"Then we must be sure to get to this safe room before Drazmorg. Where is it?"
"On the level above us. Did you not clear the level before descending?"
The crystal begins swaying menacingly. Within his prison shell, the seer’s face contorts to a menacing snarl and he mentally spews forth curses in a fiendish tongue.
Gripping his sword, Ranok admits "There was one passageway we avoided. What can you tell us of our Nemesis?". Fearing it may be too late.
"...and a locked door we didn't open. I suppose we'll need to clear both.
Tazimir, the passage Ranok references was covered in eyes. We feared to cross is, not knowing what traps lay under the eyes. The passage was just past a room with a wheel that opened the wall going into the passage.
Do you know anything about this passage?"
A wraith juts forth from the hanging seer.
Round 1 The Hanging Seer
Rhen 60/65, Ziera 66/72, Ranok 85/85, Niu 42/42
Niu, Ziera ✔
Wraith
Ranok, Rhen
"Quick! Before it start flying around on us."
Niu throws a pinch of distracting sand at the wraith.
Zeira takes advantage of the wraith's flatfootedness to skirt around behind it, attacking with her undead bane longsword.
Ranok, Rhen ✔
ty
Ranok casts ghostbane dirge yet again, and then steps up to flank with Ziera. "So many stinking ghosts! Give me something solid to hit!"
Will 16 save DC please.
with misfortune
The wraith seems to partially materialize.
You guys came loaded for undead. Well done.
Rhen somersaults to the wraith. "Ye be a gnarly one lad. Flank with me girl." He stabs out at the undead ghost with his baned weapon.
The wraith reaches for the dwarf
Round 2 The Hanging Seer
Rhen 60/65, Ziera 60/72, Ranok 85/85, Niu 42/42
Niu, Rhen, Ranok, Ziera ✔
wraith
"I had set up a flank for you, but then Ranok stepped into it."
Cackling, Niu steps up behind Ranok and taps him on the shoulder as he casts Guidance. "Finish it quickly!"
Can Zeira move onto the blue circle thing in the center of the room?
Yes-I believe that must be on the ceiling.
"I had set up a flank for you, but then Ranok stepped into it."
Saw that :-)
Ranok takes a mighty swing at the semi solid form.
"Oh. Sorry, guess I don't need him distracted as much as Rhen does."
The badly beaten wraith reaches for Ziera.
misfortune
Round 3 The Hanging Seer
Rhen 60/65, Ziera 60/72, Ranok 85/85, Niu 42/42
Niu, Rhen, Ranok, Ziera ✔
wraith
@GM Did Rhen go in that round? I don't see it.
He did not.
Last round Rhen pokes at the wraith.The wraith is destroyed. End combat.
Niu turns to the seer to see how he is fairing.
"Are you feeling all right now, Tazimir? Hopefully without the need to hold the wraith in, you can survive until we find a way to help you.
Now, I had asked about a passage beyond a swinging door. Do you know anything about this passage?"
Tazimir does not respond. He is either unconscious or dead.
Niu rushes up to Tazimir and sprinkles healing sand over him, hoping the seer has not expired completely.
Tazimir gains consciousness. "The expulsion of the wraith has weakened me but I feel it has restored a small amount of my power. I will gladly help you with that, but first you must agree to destroy the invader and reseal the vault." He seems pensive for a moment. "I doubt you have the ability reseal the vault. You could at least collapse the tunnels leading to it. What say you?"
Uncharacteristically serious and coherent, Niu looks Tazimir in the eye and speaks as clearly as his raspy voice allows.
"I will do all in my power to keep Tar-Baphon from returning to wreak havoc on Golarion. My ancestor Par-ab-Hor set me on this path, for reasons unknown to me, but I feel this must have been his intent."
Touching his finger to lips and heart, he continues, "With Bes as my witness, I pledge my life to stopping the threat of the necromancer Drazmorg and preventing further attempts to uncover the vault."
Pleased with Niu's response, Tazimir attempts a smile and says "Any of you who have been injured here, draw close. I can cast restoration or cure moderate wounds."
He can cast three of each. Go ahead and roll as needed.
Rhen 60/65, Ziera 58/72, Ranok 85/85, Niu 42/42
"One restoration for each?" Ranok asks as he steps forward. Looking to Tazimir, he asks, "How can we free you?"
Rhen 60/65, Ziera 72/72, Ranok 85/85, Niu 42/42
Rhen says "Lets be findin dis safe room or we kills the Dramorg"
"It appears we have gotten all the information he has to offer, Ranok. It sounds like there might be some benefit to finding the safe room.
Trying to open that locked door again is probably the safest alternative. What do you think?"
Sighing heavily, Ranok agrees. "Sounds like we need to wade through some eyeballs."
"This time, I think we should open the door all the way. Maybe some of those eyeballs will move out of the way.
I can fly across the room and attempt to scout out what is on the other side."
Niu starts heading back to the stairs.
Ranok steps into the eyeballs squishing many of them as he moves about. Looking at his boots, he estimates they are piled up to one foot deep. His inspection reveals that the floor is not flat underneath the eyeballs. Some poking around reveals that much of the floor under the eyeballs is riddled with 10-foot-deep pits (larger dark squares), all of which are filled with eyeballs; the non-pit areas are covered to a depth of 1 foot with eyes and slime. Shallow areas (squares with smaller dark squares) are considered difficult terrain (each square counts as two squares of movement), and deep areas are considered quicksand
Moving at normal speed you have a 1/3 chance of stepping into a pit. Roll a d100 and if it is 31 or better you did not step into a hole. If you would have stepped into it, roll a DC 8 Survival check or perception check (your choice) to see it and avoid it. If you end up in a pit, roll a d20. 11 or better is a deep pit while a lower number places you in a small pit.
"Don't like it. Don't like not saving Tazimir either.". Ranok says, glancing at his notched belt, as he slowly slushes his way through the eyeballs.
Niu start flying and rises above the eyes as he flies across the room.
"Once we stop the threat, we can go back to see if we can do anything to help Tazimir, though I imagine he is looking forward to a rest after all this time."
Ziera follows the other two.
At the last moment, Ziera feels her foot about to step into a pit and alters direction.
A horrid mass of eyes, mouths, and formless flesh stares in all directions, its countless maws yammering ceaselessly rises from a pit under the eyeballs. It emits a cacophony of maddening sounds. All creatures within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be confused for 1 round. It bites at Ranok.
Will saves please.