"Yeah. Let's just go."
Andakos may not be an expert on women, but he at least has the sense to realize she doesn't want to talk about it right now.
"Fair enough. Let's go to the Bank of Abadar."
The trip to the Bank of Abadar takes considerably more time than the errand inside. The Bank of Abadar is on the north end of the city, not far from the bridges to Old Korvosa, and even with the significantly reduced traffic, it takes about forty minutes to reach your destination.
Once inside, you are led to a large vault, its ceiling reaching nearly twenty feet up. Large steel double doors with seven ornate locks sits in the middle of the far wall, but every other inch of wall that isn't a door in and out of the vault is a lockbox drawer of one size or another.
A young Varisian man takes your key, leads you to the north wall, and uses a sliding ladder to reach the appropriate drawer. He unlocks it and pulls out a lockbox about two feet long, a foot and a half wide, and eight inches tall. He takes the box and leads you to a quiet room off the vault. There is a table with six chairs, a painting depicting the First Vault in a stark, minimalist style, and nothing else. The young man places the box on the table, bows, and exits.
Inside, you first find a short stack of loose-leaf papers covered with scribbles of ideas for toy designs. All of them are rudimentary and novice in nature. Moving those aside, you find three things.
- a fat purse holding 68 gp in various coins
- a set of masterwork thieves' tools
- a pair of boots that radiate magic
A quick casting of detect magic and a moment of study, and Cal immediately recognizes them as boots of striding and springing.
Golloriel holds the boots, mouth agape. Any lingering doubt is now utterly gone; Sarenrae has seen fit to bless her this day.
She sits down, right there in the bank, and changes her boots. The change is instantaneous and remarkable; the limp that has dogged her almost her entire life is almost completely gone. Blessed be the Dawnflower! Tears well up in her eyes as renewed awe and devotion at the power of her goddess well up in her soul. She almost skips out of the bank.
Andakos can't help but smile at the incredible change in Golloriel's demeanor. And her limp is imperceptible!
Once outside the bank, he looks at the others and sighs. "Well. Let's go deal with this poor woman's dead brother."
Golloriel wonders why Andakos is kicking people to try to get them to tell him about vampires. She tries a more diplomatic approach.
Rey helps with asking around about vamps because why not.
The party asks around along the way, adding a bit of time to their journey, but no one in North Point (the neighborhood where the Bank of Abadar sits) knows anything at all about vampire activity.
Moving southward into Midland harbors no better results. But then Andakos, being a native of Korvosa, realizes that Southshore, the district where Carowyn Manor resides, is right next to the Gray District, where the massive cathedral of Pharasma and the Dead Warrens reside. If anywhere is going to have information about undead, it's probably there.
You make your way to Gray District and Golloriel begins asking around, specifically talking to people who look like functionaries at the cathedral. Everyone she asks only seems to know about the rumors of vampires in Racker's Alley, which you've already taken care of. It isn't until Rey has a random craving that you get anything useful.
The swashbuckler, who hasn't been home to Korvosa in over a decade, sees a vendor making oliphant ears and forces everyone to stop so she can purchase one and make the Eglens try it. Andakos has definitely had this Korvosan delicacy before: it's a huge, butter-rich flatbread pastry cooked on the back of a tower shield. It's not an everyday purchase--it's massive for one, easily able to feed three full-grown men, and also half a gold piece for a single order, but is sweet and dense and a local favorite.
As the vendor cooks up their order, Golloriel happens to mention vampires, and the vendor nods. "Oh, sure. Heard about strange folk lurkin' in Racker's Alley. But that ain't all, least not according to Sister Capora over at the cathedral. She's got a cousin in Ustalav, lives in Varno County. Rumors abound that the local count, ohhh what was his name...? Conte... Conte Senior--Tiriac! That was it. Conte Senior Tiriac. Rumors he's a vampire and all that, but nobody's proved it. Well, Capora's cousin says Tiriac's taken an interest in our fair city of late, maybe sent some of his minions to Korvosa for reasons unknown. So I ask Capora, I says, 'you think those Racker's Alley lot might be them?' And she says, 'I do indeed. One and the same. But probably spawn, not real vamps.' I says, 'what's the difference?' She says 'the spawn is weaker. Still dangerous, but at least they can't spread vampirism about.' 'Well that's a relief,' I says. She didn't seem so convinced though. She said if they are spawn, probably weren't sent alone, that a stronger minion might be here too. Then she got real quick to add 'probably not though, just conjecture, nothing to worry about.' " He snorts. "Weren't a great comfort, I promise you that! But what can you do? Always something dreadful happening to our fair city, eh? Us Korvosans can only grit our teeth and bear on best we can, hope somebody in charge knows what the devil they're doing." He sighs and chops the oliphant's ear into four roughly equal servings and doles them out to the quartet. "Five silver, if it pleases you." Rey gladly pays up.
So it sounds like at least one person from the cathedral is convinced that if the vampires in Racker's Alley are just spawn (which you know for a fact they are) then there is almost surely a master vampire somewhere in the city. If asked, the vendor has no idea where that might be--Sister Capora never said, and it didn't seem to him like she knew anything else either. "Always a chatty one, that Sister Capora. Methinks if she knew any else, she'd have said as much just to pass the time. Don't think she's got many friends, poor lass."
As you enjoy the rich, buttery treat that, even divided to fourths instead of thirds, is quite filling, you slowly make your way out of the Gray District and into Southshore. You skirt along the west-running road of Pillar Wall, then turn left at the docks--extremely high-end and immaculate piers containing a variety of luxurious-looking small crafts--before heading down Shoreline Way until you reach a walled estate. A bronze plaque in the wall to the right of the gates says in delicate raised script: CAROWYN MANOR. After a quick test, the wrought-iron gates are definitely locked.
The wall isn't terribly high, only about twelve feet. It is not topped with spikes or any other anti-burglar accoutrements. This is not terribly surprising to Andakos, who has lived at a similar--if slightly more modest--estate his whole life. Aesthetics are important to wealthy nobles, and many of them eschew such ideas as spiked walls in favor of simply having a larger security force on the grounds. However, in the late afternoon sun, you can all see quite clearly that absolutely no guards are making rounds whatsoever, and all the windows on the impressive manor are shuttered.
Golloriel thanks the vendor for the information. As they head toward Carowyn Manor, she says (between heaping mouthfuls of the greatest thing she has ever eaten), "So, what I guess we just wait for m -- braaaaap! -- oh, excuse me! -- more bodies to show up and then hope they leave clues to the boss vampire?" She takes another enormous bite.
Cal and Ducky have both heard the rumors about Ristomaur Tiriac. While everyone in Ustalav simply assumes he is just another lackluster, absentee landlord in a long line of lackluster, absentee Tiriac landlords, in fact what very few people know is that Tiriac is actually all of the long line of absentee landlords. He simply vanishes for a while and returns as his "son." Since so few people have ever seen him, and his estate remains empty most of the time anyway, few have ever thought to question it. But a handful of people--mostly top-level agents of the church of Pharasma--believe strongly that Tiriac is, in fact, a very old vampire posing as his descendants.
What even fewer people know, and that Andakos has read in a very old tome stowed away in a dusty corner of the Academae that he once perused on his coffee break on a whim, is that Tiriac actually despises being a vampire, and his many forays away from his estate are in search of a cure for vampirism. So far as anyone on Golarion knows (at least, to Ducky's knowledge) there is no such thing as a cure for vampirism. Tiriac's many generations of fruitless searching would seem to reinforce this theory.
If Tiriac has sent an agent to Korvosa, it's possible--even likely--that their goal is tied to their master's search. It may be the spike in Urgathoan activity that drew them. While the Pallid Princess's followers primarily create undead, few people in the world know the processes of undeath better. Tiriac may have sent his minion here to contact the cult and ask about the matter. If you can find the cultists, you might find the vampire.
The problem with that is, Conte Tiriac is f!+#ing old. Centuries old, at least. That means he is probably immensely powerful, and if he's that powerful, his direct underlings are doubtless powerful as well. Less so than their master, of course, but probably vastly out of your weight class, at the moment. If you come across them, it is likely to end very badly for your plucky band. Another approach other than direct assault may be necessary.
"There is no way we could kill it even if we found it, Golloriel. We just have to hope that it has already left or, yes, we will have to deal with more bodies or spawn if they arise." He sighs. "We should definitely tell Kroft about this, though. If I'd realized it was Tiriac, I probably would have turned down the job."
---
Andakos inspects the lock on the gate and attempts to open it .
Rey shrugs. "I somehow doubt that. You always were a bit brash. One of your more charming traits." She grins, crosses her arms, and leans against the wall next to the gate, watching his nimble fingers work. "Wouldn't blame you if you did, though. I'm not overly fond of suicide missions. And really, we haven't agreed to any job. Just to share information. Which we have now, and will. Dealing with something like that? Above our pay grade. Kroft can kick it up the ladder, see where it lands. If there's still a ladder left, anyway." She snorts. "Maybe these Gray Maidens can deal with it. They peacock around in that fancy armor and weapons of theirs, I'm curious if they can actually do anything with them."
Andakos detects no traps on the gate, and is assured there are none when he easily pops the lock and the gates swing open without chopping them to bits with giant scythes or detonating them in a fireball.
The long walk up to the main doors is eerily quiet. The cobbled path from the front gate is lined with cinderberry bushes, and the grass about the grounds is evenly cut and almost immaculate, though the investigator's trained eye notes that a handful of patches of slightly taller blades are beginning to punch through; he estimates the lawn has not been tended in three or four days.
The limestone facade of Carowyn Manor is festooned with cinderberry garlands and bright-red drapery, with bright birchwood shutters on all the windows. As you approach, the doors of the manor are of dense Bloodsworn mahogany. The brass banisters of a balcony rise 15 feet above the front door. To the south, a squat, nondescript building that is likely the servants' quarters sits against a row of hedges. Around the manor's southern corner, next to a small, rippling pond rests a charcoal-colored gazebo that gleams dully in the late afternoon sun.
A brief examination of the nearest shutters reveals the lock has been expertly jammed, and would be a difficult feat to unlock--though, being simple wood, a strong hand could easily just smash it. The front doors are similarly locked, but not jammed. While inspecting the door, you catch the faint odor Deyanira mentioned: sickly sweet, with a rancid copper overtone. You have been around enough death in your time to know the stench of rotting corpses, though from outside, you see not so much as a single drop of blood.
"Before we go any further, come here." Once everyone is gathered, she says a quick prayer to Sarenrae . Suddenly her shoulders feel heavier, as if a weight has been placed on her back. It's not an unpleasant feeling, exactly; the weight actually calms her near constant anxiety about her friends' safety.
Caladaer taps himself with his wand of mage armor.
Then he pulls out a scroll, looks over it carefully, and reads the words upon it. The scroll immediately turns to ash in his hands and a faint black aura appears around him.
Golloriel gives her father the side eye as he casts what is clearly a necromantic spell from a scroll. She has never seen him do that before.
Andakos does his gross little ritual with alchemical allocation to imbue himself with heroism. Then he quaffs his false life extract and the same black aura appears around him.
Then he drinks his heightened awareness extract. Buffed to the nines!
What in Sarenrae's name is going on right now?
Buffs applied, Andakos takes a look around near the front door.
Golloriel is left to wonder what in the world has gotten into her companions.
The others scan the grounds, but none of you find anything of note. There are still the servants' quarters, but the outer grounds appear to bear no clues as to what happened here.
Andakos checks the servants' quarters door.
He opens the door .
The door to the servants' quarters is unlocked. Andakos steps cautiously inside. The afternoon sun forms beams of light in the dimness in which clouds of dust motes dance. He doesn't have to do much searching before realizing the quarters have been unoccupied for two or three days. He inspects every room and finds no one and nothing of value or interest. Even the low-ceilinged second floor contains only a half dozen cramped sleeping quarters; all the beds are made and nothing seems to have been touched.
Andakos returns to the front door, unlocks it, and opens it.
Once inside, he takes a look around.
Andakos is stumped momentarily by the lock, but a moment's redoubled efforts sees the lock pop open easily. Light spills into the entryway, but further in is in shadow. Thankfully, at least as far as about forty feet in, everyone can see. And what they can see is blood.
A massacre took place here. Upon the marble floor and heaped in the corners lie more than a dozen corpses, each clad in garish outfits of sequined velvet, revealing silk, and colorful feathers. Masks of all shapes and sizes--each competing with the last in terms of elaborateness--adorn the dead. In several cases, though, these fanciful adornments have fallen away, revealing withered flesh covered in the telltale blisters of blood veil. Most horrifyingly, upon a blood-slick space cleared at the room's center, sway three couples, jerking like hellish dancers, all obviously dead.
[color=green]ROUND 1
Caladaer (43/43+7 hp, Mage Armor, Life Link)
Thulae (21/21 hp)
Andakos (46/46+14 hp, Heroism, Life Link)
Reyhan (56/56 hp, Life Link)
Zombie 1 (0 dmg)
Zombie 2 (0 dmg)
Zombie 3 (0 dmg)
Zombie 4 (0 dmg)
Zombie 5 (0 dmg)
Zombie 6 (0 dmg)
Golloriel (68/68 hp)
[/color]
Rey reels at the horrific sight, and immediately a pair of daggers appear in her hands, but she hesitates. Six zombies is... a lot, and she knows what the paladin is capable of. She waits for Golloriel to do her thing.
Cal and Thúlae perform their traditional opening gambit: burning gaze. These zombies look flammable.
Thúlae looks for a perch out of reach of the zombies; if he can't find one, he'll hover high enough over the party's heads to get a clear line of sight to #1.
Andakos looks at their surroundings. They are in a nice choke point right now; only 2 zombies can get at them at once. Golloriel won't be able to get in on the fight (except with her channeling), but that's better than being surrounded.
"Stay in the doorway! Keep them ahead of us!"
He downs a shield extract, then studies #1. Then he sets his feet and readies his spear for the onslaught.
Thulae looks at #1 and he ignites, his masquerade outfit quickly dissipating in a wave of flames as he suffers another fire damage. He... doesn't respond.
These are definitely run-of-the-mill zombies. Neither Andakos nor cal can see anything unusual about them, aside from their bizarre, grotesque mockery of dancing.
To that point, even the zombie who is on fire doesn't stop dancing for several seconds, all of them jerking and twitching in a horrid parody of a waltz. Finally, after several seconds, they all turn to look at the group. The burning zombie's clothing sloughs off in a smoldering pile on the ground, leaving the zombie scorched but no longer aflame. The undead dancers begin to jerk clumsily in the party's direction.
[color=green]ROUND 1
Caladaer (43/43+7 hp, Mage Armor, Life Link)
Thulae (21/21 hp)
Andakos (46/46+14 hp, Heroism, Life Link)
Zombie 1 (6 dmg)
Zombie 2 (0 dmg)
Zombie 3 (0 dmg)
Zombie 4 (0 dmg)
Zombie 5 (0 dmg)
Zombie 6 (0 dmg)
Golloriel (68/68 hp)
Reyhan (56/56 hp, Life Link)
[/color]
Golloriel has to admit that Andakos's plan is a good one. And she has a spear, which means she can still poke the bad guys from the back line. Unfortunately, taking off her shield is a whole thing. She sheathes her scimitar and goes to work on the shield straps, dropping it once unfastened .
Then she stands there empty-handed because pathfinder is silly.
- One negative level
- Dropped shield
- mwk longspear +7 | 1d8+3 piercing
- AC 19 | 11 | 19
- F 11 | R 5 | W 8 | +2 vs. enchantments/death
- -1 init
- aura of courage (all allies within 10 ft +4 morale bonus to saves against fear)
- immunity to fear/disease
Golloriel Eglen
Female half-elf oracle 3/paladin (hospitaler) 3 (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player's Guide 42, 116)
LG Medium humanoid (elf, human)
Init -1; Senses low-light vision; Perception +0
Aura courage (10 ft.)
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 19 (+7 armor, +1 deflection, +1 natural; +2 deflection vs. evil)
hp 68 (6 HD; 3d8+3d10+30)
Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +8; +2 vs. enchantments, +2 vs. death; +2 resistance vs. evil
Immune sleep, disease, fear
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft. (25 ft. in armor)
Melee +1 cold iron scimitar +6 (1d6+3/18-20) or
. . mwk longspear +6 (1d8+3/×3)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (10 ft. with masterwork longspear)
Special Attacks channel positive energy 4/day (DC 14, 2d6), smite evil 1/day (+3 attack and AC, +3 damage)
Paladin Spell-Like Abilities (CL 3rd; concentration +6)
. . At will—detect evil
Oracle Spells Known (CL 3rd; concentration +6)
. . 1st (6/day)—bless, cure light wounds, detect undead, protection from evil, shield of faith
. . 0 (at will)—create water, guidance, light, resistance, stabilize
. . Mystery Life
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 14, Dex 10, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16
Base Atk +5; CMB +6; CMD 17
Feats Fey Foundling[ISWG], Purifying Channel, Selective Channeling, Skill Focus (Diplomacy)
Traits ambassador, called
Skills Acrobatics -4 (-8 to jump), Appraise -1, Bluff +2, Climb -2, Diplomacy +16, Disguise +2, Escape Artist -4, Fly -4, Handle Animal +6, Heal +7, Intimidate +2, Knowledge (history) +4, Knowledge (nobility) +4, Knowledge (religion) +3, Linguistics +0, Perception +0, Profession (healer) +7, Ride -4, Sense Motive +4, Spellcraft +3, Stealth -4, Survival +2, Swim +3; Racial Modifiers +2 Perception
Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan
SQ elf blood, lay on hands 4/day (1d6), mercy (sickened), oracle's curse (lame), revelations (life link, channel)
Combat Gear potion of cure light wounds, potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of delay poison, wand of cure light wounds, wand of cure moderate wounds (36 charges), wand of spiritual weapon (48 charges), antitoxin (2), bloodblock[APG] (2), healer's kit (8 uses remaining), holy water (2), smelling salts[APG]; Other Gear +1 breastplate, heavy steel shield, +1 cold iron scimitar, crossbow bolts (20), dagger, light crossbow, light mace, mwk longspear, amulet of natural armor +1, bandages of rapid recovery[APG] (2), boots of striding and springing, cloak of resistance +1, ioun torch ioun stone[APG], ring of protection +1, ring of swimming, bandolier[UE], holy text (The Birth of Light and Truth)[UE], masterwork backpack[APG], silver holy symbol of Sarenrae, wrist sheath, spring loaded, wrist sheath, spring loaded, 40 gp, 5 sp
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Aura of Courage +4 (10 ft.) (Su) Allies in aura gain a morale bonus to saves vs. fear.
Detect Evil (At will) (Sp) You can use detect evil at will (as the spell).
Elf Blood Half-elves count as both elves and humans for any effect related to race.
Elven Immunities - Sleep You are immune to magic sleep effects.
Fey Foundling Magical healing works better on you
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Immunity to Fear (Ex) You are immune to all fear effects.
Lame One of your legs is permanently wounded, reducing your base land speed by 10 feet if your base speed is 30 feet or more. If your base speed is less than 30 feet, your speed is reduced by 5 feet. Your speed is never reduced due to encumbrance. At 5th
Lay on Hands (1d6 hit points, 4/day) (Su) As a standard action (swift on self), touch channels positive energy and applies mercies.
Life Link (3 max bonds, 130 feet) (Su) As a standard action, establish bond that drains your HP to heal others who have taken 5 dam.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Mercy (Sickened) (Su) When you use your lay on hands ability, it also removes the sickened condition.
Oracle Channel Positive Energy 2d6 (4/day, DC 14) (Su) Positive energy heals the living and harms the undead; negative has the reverse effect.
Purifying Channel Burn a foe when you heal allies.
Selective Channeling Exclude targets from the area of your Channel Energy.
Smite Evil (1/day) (Su) +3 to hit, +3 to damage, +3 deflection bonus to AC when used.
--------------------
Golloriel
(Gollor (Magician) + iell (Daughter of))
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Rey shakes her head. "I'm no good way back here. I need to be closer to be accurate with these." She brandishes the pair of daggers before stepping into the house. She holds her breath--partly from the stench of decay, partly in dread anticipation--and only releases it when she strides in about ten feet and doesn't explode from a trap of some kind.
Clearly relieved, she picks a zombie that isn't on fire and lobs a dagger at it.
The dagger lodges in the zombie's eye socket with a wet thunk! but the creature just barely remains standing.
[color=green]ROUND 2
Caladaer (43/43+7 hp, Mage Armor, Life Link)
Thulae (21/21 hp)
Andakos (46/46+14 hp, Heroism, Life Link)
Zombie 1 (6 dmg)
Zombie 2 (10 dmg)
Zombie 3 (0 dmg)
Zombie 4 (0 dmg)
Zombie 5 (0 dmg)
Zombie 6 (0 dmg)
Golloriel (68/68 hp)
Reyhan (56/56 hp, Life Link)
[/color]
Caladaer magic missiles zombie #1.
- mage armor (1 hour)
- false life (3 hours, 7 temp hp)
- AC 16 | 12 | 14
Thúlae targets the most hurt zombie that is still up with his magic fire eyes.
Andakos steps forward to remain next to Rey. Holding a choke point here is just as good as holding a choke point at the doorway. He studies the most hurt still standing zombie .
Then he gets ready to stab any zombie that shambles into his range.
- false life (6 hours, 14 temp hp)
- shield (6 minutes)
- heightened awareness (60 minutes, perc/knowledge checks +2 competence bonus)
- heroism (50 minutes, +2 attack, saves, skill checks)
- AC 23 | 13 | 21
- F 6 | R 10 (+2 traps) | W 8 (+2 vs illusions)
#1 basically explodes from the intense force damage from multiple missiles. #2 stares blankly back at Thulae and the flames fail to manifest--that is, until Andakos beans her in the mug with a vial of alchemist's fire, causing it to collapse in a conflagration of flame that spills across the body of #1 and licks at the walls and tapestries. Nothing catches flame... yet.
The zombies begin moving in, shuffling awkwardly toward the party, with #3 practically a walking tower of flame from the alchemists fire . They all move toward the party, and suddenly Ducky bursts into action, his longspear a flurry of motion. #3 falls from a spear tip through the eye socket, but #4 and #5 take their hits and remain standing. Thankfully the zombies are slow-moving.
Suddenly the main hall is full of a horrid shriek that rips through the air. A small crossbow bolt slams into Rey, but she manages to twist just enough that it buries itself in her shoulder rather than her chest. A tall, slender blonde elf practically materializes from the shadows at the back of the hall, and cackling, braying laughter fills the space.
As soon as the shrieking bolt buries itself in Rey's shoulder, a horrid sense of dread washes over her.
The dread settles on her shoulders like a heavy blanket. The elf calls out, "I was starting to get bored of my pets! This will be so much more fun! Catch me if you ca-aaan!" she adds in a sing-song voice before darting through a doorway to the north. Andakos can just catch sight of her at another door to the north. He can also see three more decrepit figures moving in a mechanical, almost rhythmic way. They are clearly more zombies, but for whatever reason they have not yet entered the fight.
[color=green]ROUND 2/3
Caladaer (43/43+7 hp, Mage Armor, Life Link)
Thulae (21/21 hp)
Andakos (46/46+14 hp, Heroism, Life Link)
Zombie 1 (17 dmg, destroyed)
Zombie 2 (16 dmg, destroyed)
Zombie 3 (15 dmg, destroyed)
Zombie 4 (7 dmg)
Zombie 5 (4 dmg)
Zombie 6 (0 dmg)
Mad Elf (0 dmg)
Zombie 7 (0 dmg, doing… something? idk it’s probably fine)
Zombie 8 (0 dmg, doing… something? idk it’s probably fine)
Zombie 9 (0 dmg, doing… something? idk it’s probably fine)
Golloriel (68/68 hp, 1 negative level)
Reyhan (42/56 hp, 1 negative level, Life Link, shaken 1 rd)
[/color]
Golloriel can feel the fear wash over Reyhan from whatever the elf just did. It can never just be simple zombies, can it?
"Everyone stay close to me! Sarenrae's light will protect you!"
She moves up behind Andakos and lances her spear between him and Rey, aiming for #4.
- One negative level
- Dropped shield
- mwk longspear +7 | 1d8+3 piercing
- AC 19 | 11 | 19
- F 11 | R 5 | W 8 | +2 vs. enchantments/death
- -1 init
- aura of courage (all allies within 10 ft +4 morale bonus to saves against fear)
- immunity to fear/disease
Caladaer sees another spellcaster and smirks to himself. What do spellcasters hate? A tornado of claws and fangs in their face.
The others look like they are handling the zombies just fine. He begins summoning.
With each graceful step, this leopard's steely muscles ripple beneath its spotted fur.
--------------------
Lawrence the Leopard CR 2
XP 600
Male entropic leopard (Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 40, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary 2)
N Medium animal
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent; Perception +5
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 11 (+4 Dex, +1 natural)
hp 25 (3d8+12)
Fort +7, Ref +7, Will +2
Resist acid 5, fire 5; SR 7
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
Melee bite +7 (1d6+5 plus grab), 2 claws +7 (1d3+5)
Special Attacks pounce, rake (2 claws +7, 1d3+5), smite law
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 20, Dex 19, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 6
Base Atk +2; CMB +7 (+11 grapple); CMD 21 (25 vs. trip)
Feats Skill Focus (Stealth), Weapon Finesse
Skills Acrobatics +8, Climb +13, Perception +5, Stealth +11 (+15 in undergrowth); Racial Modifiers +4 Stealth in undergrowth
--------------------
Ecology
--------------------
Environment any forest
Organization solitary or pair
Treasure none
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Climb (20 feet) You have a Climb speed.
Darkvision (60 feet) You can see in the dark (black and white only).
Energy Resistance, Acid (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Acid attacks.
Energy Resistance, Fire (5) You have the specified Energy Resistance against Fire attacks.
Grab: Bite (Medium) (Ex) You can start a grapple as a free action if you hit with the designated weapon.
Low-Light Vision See twice as far as a human in dim light, distinguishing color and detail.
Pounce (Ex) You can make a full attack as part of a charge.
Scent (Ex) Detect opponents within 15+ ft. by sense of smell.
Smite Law (1/day) (Su) +0 to hit, +3 to damage when used.
Spell Resistance (7) You have Spell Resistance.
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Pathfinder® and associated marks and logos are trademarks of Paizo Inc.®, and are used under license.
- mage armor (1 hour)
- false life (3 hours, 7 temp hp)
- AC 16 | 12 | 14
Thúlae turns his attention to #5. Burn!
Andakos studies #5, then punches it with his spiked gauntlet.
- false life (6 hours, 14 temp hp)
- shield (6 minutes)
- heightened awareness (60 minutes, perc/knowledge checks +2 competence bonus)
- heroism (50 minutes, +2 attack, saves, skill checks)
- AC 23 | 13 | 21
- F 6 | R 10 (+2 traps) | W 8 (+2 vs illusions)
Rey slashes at #4 in hopes of opening up a path through the zombies.
When she falls, Rey throws the dagger at #6.
A path cleared, she steps forward and peers around the corner into the north room. "Uh," she says in a deadpan, "the zombies are... having a tea party."
Golloriel spears number four, but it stays upright.
Once more, Thulae's fiery gaze falls on deaf ears. (??)
Cal starts summoning a buddy.
Andakos' spiked fist crunches against the dense, rubbery flesh of the zombie. It squishes extra hard as a couple of the bigger blood veil blisters pop against his knuckles.
Wait--no. That squish was just purely necrotized flesh, not blisters! Those blisters aren't even there--someone has used illusory magic to make it look like these corpses died of blood veil! There, you can see perimortem wounds under some of the clothing!
These bodies have been altered via the spell sculpt corpse into looking like they died of blood veil.
Rey finishes #4 and rips a huge gash out of #6, then makes her revelatory statement.
Now that Ducky has a moment while the zombie reels back and tries to right himself, he can see that Reyhan wasn't kidding. Two zombies, a man and a woman, sit in cozy-looking velvet chairs, slowly and rhythmically bringing beautiful ceramic teacups up, tea spilling out of their slack mouths before dropping the cup down on a saucer held loosely in their rotted fingers. A third zombie occasionally refills their cups with clumsy care.
Jolistina calls "Enough tea, sillies! There are guests to tend to! Rip them apart please!" She throws open the door next to her and giggles, "Ohhh, he's gonna be so proud of me when I tell him!" before darting into the dark room beyond.
Then the zombies start their bombardment.
#5 swings a heavy fist at Rey. It would have clipped her in the face and done serious damage to her skull, but Ducky kicks its leg and the fist just barely whiffs past her.
#6 takes advantage of Ducky's distraction to smash him in the shoulder. Thankfully his armor absorbs the worst of it; had the zombie struck even an inch to the left, he might have had his collarbone fractured. Yet Andakos doesn't even feel it--Lori simply staggers back momentarily as a huge bruise blossoms on her collarbone under her armor.
#7 and #8 have to spend several seconds slowly extricating themselves from their chairs. #9 lumbers out, letting his teapot and tray fall to the marble floor with a crash. He lurches to a halt over the body of #3.
[color=green]ROUND 3/4
Caladaer (43/43+7 hp, Mage Armor, Life Link)
Thulae (21/21 hp)
Andakos (46/46+14 hp, Heroism, Life Link)
Mad Elf (0 dmg)
Zombie 1 (17 dmg, destroyed)
Zombie 2 (16 dmg, destroyed)
Zombie 3 (15 dmg, destroyed)
Zombie 4 (17 dmg, destroyed)
Zombie 5 (8 dmg)
Zombie 6 (11 dmg)
Zombie 7 (0 dmg)
Zombie 8 (0 dmg)
Zombie 9 (0 dmg)
Golloriel (63/68 hp, 1 negative level)
Reyhan (42/56 hp, 1 negative level, Life Link, shaken 1 rd)
[/color]
"The blood veil is an illusion!"
- false life (6 hours, 14 temp hp)
- shield (6 minutes)
- heightened awareness (60 minutes, perc/knowledge checks +2 competence bonus)
- heroism (50 minutes, +2 attack, saves, skill checks)
- AC 23 | 13 | 21
- F 6 | R 10 (+2 traps) | W 8 (+2 vs illusions)
Golloriel maneuvers forward to keep Rey in her Aura of Courage, then thrusts her spear past Rey and into #6.
- One negative level (68 max hp)
- Dropped shield
- mwk longspear +7 | 1d8+3 piercing
- AC 19 | 11 | 19
- F 11 | R 5 | W 8 | +2 vs. enchantments/death
- -1 init
- aura of courage (all allies within 10 ft +4 morale bonus to saves against fear)
- immunity to fear/disease