|
Let us purchase more diamond dust for our healer, Doc, so he can Restore some of those drain effects we have encountered. We cannot ask our friends in town to do so again; they have said so.
Barring any disagreement, she will use 3K gold of the party funds to purchase the diamond dust and give it to Doc.
Ter may have just heard him talking to himself about learning the spell. It could be extremely useful. I have some diamond dust too.
What is the spell component?
Frantino is ready to go back in and finish tracking down the cult, thus ending the plague threat to his beloved Magnimar.
"How should we plan on everyone going back up to the top of the tower? Assuming that we rid the world of Xanesha's ghost, I got a scroll of levitate so I can slowly move back up much more cheaply than more scrolls of fly. Ezranadir, did you mention you can do short range teleportation now? How many people can you take with you?"
"Zen we go and finish zis now."
BACK TO THE GECKO!
Courtesy of Ezranadir's dimension door sorcery, and Ayita's magic carpet, you all find yourselves back in the first room of the Gecko. The doors are now closed and the derro's coffins are where you left them in the room.
Frantino will cast see invisibility right before we head back in. Knowing that we've been through the door to the left where the gargoyle vampire has his bizarre collection, he crosses the room straight ahead and peeks through the doors.
"This leads to the platform where our fight with the derro began. There's another set of doors about 30' to the right that we haven't looked in yet."
Ayita, Yazhi, and Ter enter. Ter perches on Ayita's shoulder and helps Ayita's alertness, as Ayita goes up to the doors Frantino noted, to search for traps and listen.
[dice=traps]1d20+19+3+2
[dice=listen]1d20+19+2
Ayita finds no traps on the door. But she does hear low moaning in the room. A man's voice. No words are intelligible.
Frantino moves into the position just behind and to Ayita's side, leaving room for the better armored Nasir to be up front. Once everyone has moved into this room, he'll nod to Ayita to stealthily open the doors.
"Frantino Kaddren, before we venture into new areas of zis blace, I would like to drob off za gifts zat I procured for za gargoyle. Berhabs zey will blease him, and he would be willing to tell us what habbened here before we stumble into somezing even more difficult."
Nasir carefully makes his way toward the vampire coffin room. If he sees the gargoyle there, he will try to greet him. Otherwise, he will enter the room, place the three heads on the coffin and shout out.
"Mister Gargoyle! I zink I have found some interesting items for your collection. Would you like to come out and see? Hopefully, zey please you and maybe we can talk?"
When Nasir opens the doors to the coffin room, he finds it dimly lit. The four small coffins are exactly where the heroes left them, lidless and stacked in one corner of the room, full of former vampire spawn ashes.
Sitting atop his own coffin is the gargoyle, Sumsarru. He doesn't look happy.
"So, the criminals who desecrated my room have returned. Are you three the selected sacrifices? Recompense for the destruction of my perfectly decorated room?" he says, looking at Nasir, Ayita and Yazhi.
"Actually, I come bearing gifts. I know you like unique items, so I have found some. Hopefully, you will find zem to your liking."
Nasir puts down the three heads and steps back waiting to see the vampire's reaction.
Hearing Nasir and seeing everyone else move to the coffin room, Frantino follows. He moves up near Nasir and Ayita, taking off his feathery Cloak of the Hedge Wizard as he does. It's a little flashy for his style anyway. He waits to see how the vamp-goyle responds to Nasir's collection. Afterward, he'll bring up the negotiations from their previous visit.
"Greetings again. In our previous discussion, you had expressed an interest in my magical Cult of the Peacock Spirit cloak, the one I took from my own brother after he tried to kill me. You had offered up the answer to a question in exchange for it. After thinking about your generous offer, I have decided to accept. We came here after being told that a different cult was based here and getting ready to release a plague on the city that would warp the residents into aberrations, but we have not seen evidence of such a group here yet. Here is my question. Where can we find the leaders of this cult?"
Ayita watches the vampire for the slightest hint of aggression.
Ayita has a hard time assessing the gargoyle vampire. It perches there, nearly immobile, like a statue. Only its face gives away its emotions. It is DEFINITELY aggressive. Angry, but calm. Dangerous, likely to suddenly strike without warning, but also, curious.
"Actually, I come bearing gifts. I know you like unique items, so I have found some. Hopefully, you will find zem to your liking."
Nasir puts down the three heads and steps back waiting to see the vampire's reaction.
"Ahhh. How curious. An encounter with a medusa, perhaps? What were their sad little goblin names?"
Ezranadir speaks up and says, "Their names were Yakko, Wakko and Dot. Known as the irascible Warner siblings."
"What an interesting set of names. How did the Warner siblings' stone heads come to grace my collection? Every curiosity has a story."
"Greetings again. In our previous discussion, you had expressed an interest in my magical Cult of the Peacock Spirit cloak, the one I took from my own brother after he tried to kill me. You had offered up the answer to a question in exchange for it. After thinking about your generous offer, I have decided to accept. We came here after being told that a different cult was based here and getting ready to release a plague on the city that would warp the residents into aberrations, but we have not seen evidence of such a group here yet. Here is my question. Where can we find the leaders of this cult?"
When Frantino comes forward with his cape, the gargoyle smiles. "I knew you would be back, especially after my minions played with you so. Now that they are but ash, I need replacements."
"Very well, mystery seeker. I accept your brother's cloak." The gargoyle reaches out and takes the cloak. He looks at it carefully. "Hmmm, where should I put it? Shemhazai already has a coat, so... either Arshea or Dalenydra." He is obviously referring to the tripartite coat rack of carved empyreal lords behind his coffin.
"Oh, right, your question. Mmmm, the leader of the cult of Yamasoth has gone away to Riddleport."
He starts tapping his chin, in thought. "Dalenydra, I think," he says, and hangs Frantino's cloak on the coat rack over the wings of Dalenydra. "But now poor Arshea doesn't have anything. Hmmm, does anybody else have a cloak? Perhaps you, vigilant and suspicious Shoanti lady?"
Of course.
She removes her +1 cloak of resistance and places it closer to the vampire, then backs away.
"Wonderful," the gargoyle says, taking the cloak. "A little basic, but then, I always thought Arshea was basic, too. Perfect accompaniment for her."
He hangs it on the wings of the cloak rack-Arshea.
"What can I answer for you?" he says, looking at Ayita.
|
"What an interesting set of names. How did the Warner siblings' stone heads come to grace my collection? Every curiosity has a story."
"They were turned to stone by a Wizard named Otto von Scratchansniff because they excessively pranked and played tricks infuriating him. He then beheaded the tricksters and destroyed their bodies thus this is all that is left."
"What question can I answer for you?" the gargoyle says to Ayita.
Nasir speaks up. "How long have you been here? Are you a member of za cult? If so, why did you not leave wiz zem? What is zis cult planning to do to za city? And why leave now?
On an obscure note, have you been around long enough to know anyzing about za Runelords? We are most interested in anyzing you might know about za Lord of Wraz.
Ayita does her best to craft a useful question.
Where have the most cult members been having cult-related meetings most often this week?
"Well, one assumes in Riddleport, where they've gone. But then, maybe a majority of them aren't there yet and their cult-related meetings are being held between here and there. Maybe Sandpoint in some of the ruins, there? Tough question, given your parameters."
Nasir speaks up. "How long have you been here? Are you a member of za cult? If so, why did you not leave wiz zem? What is zis cult planning to do to za city? And why leave now?
On an obscure note, have you been around long enough to know anyzing about za Runelords? We are most interested in anyzing you might know about za Lord of Wraz.
"The Runelords were before my time, but I can see why you might ask that. I have been around for some time. But Alaznist is beyond me. Leptonia, the cult's leader is a follower, but... my focus is more slothful, rather than wrathful."
"I am not a member of Leptonia's cult of Yamasoth. I am but a servant of Erigantus, one of Leptonia's allies. He established the defenders of this place for her, in return for... lore she possessed. I, too seek lore. I approached him and agreed to serve, in return for further deep knowledge of the Black Art."
"Leptonia must perfect her plague before releasing it upon Magnimar. If she succeeds at resurrecting additional resources to finish her plague, well... I plan on being elsewhere by then."
He shrugs. It is odd, seeing a perfectly still marble-like statue suddenly lift its shoulders in a shrug. The shoulders return to their previous, completely still, position.
"Where is your master, zis Erigantus? Did he travel wiz Lebtonia? How does Lebtonia follow Alaznist? Does she worshib her or receive some communication from her? What can you tell us about zis blague she is making? Where in zis complex did they work on zis blague? Burhabs zey may have left some clues zere. How lng ago did za cultists leave?"
"Hmmph. How ignorant of you. 'My master, Erigantus?' You make it sound like he created me or magically controls me. I serve him because it pleases me and I profit from it. "
"You certainly have many questions, yet few gifts for me. Your goblin heads are wonderfully odd, but... what else do you have?"
High up in the ceiling darkness, the twittering of bats can be heard.
"Yes, yes, my friends. Now is the time. Remember not to hurt any of their equipment," the gargoyle says.
He looks at the group.
"Enough of this. I think instead I'll just take your treasures from you. Before we begin, elf, you seem an interesting sort. Shall I make you a thrall? You would live forever and learn the Dark Art by my side until you were more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
With that he stretches his wings.
ROUND ONE
—------------------------------------------------
Ezranadir:
SUMSARRU:
Doc:
Ayita:
Yazhi:
Frantino:
Nasir:
may go!
STATUS
-----------------------
Ezranadir ||
Ayita ||
Yazhi ||
Doc ||
Frantino ||
Nasir ||
"A thrall? How about you slow down there a bit." He casts Slow on it then moves back.
Sumsarru, the vampire, flies up and then straight at Ezranadir and slams him!
Sumsarru smiles and hmmms ecstatically as Ezranadir's lifeforce flows into him.
Sumsarru whistles and from the dark recesses of the room's ceiling come swarms of bats! They engulf every single one of the heroes! As you bat away at the swarms, you notice that some are... misshapen and have oozing pustules on them.
FAIL
ROUND ONE
—------------------------------------------------
Ezranadir: casts slow
SUMSARRU: saves vs slow, moves, attacks Ezranadir! hit! neg levels!
SWARMS: children of the night engulf the heroes! swarm dmg + saves
Doc: fails distraction save, nauseated; move action only this round
Ayita:
Yazhi:
Frantino:
Nasir:
may go!
STATUS
-----------------------
Ayita || -6hp
Doc || -3hp **Nauseated 1/1**
Ezranadir || -8-5 = -13hp **2 neg levels **
Frantino || -1hp
Nasir || -5hp
Yazhi || -6hp