Donovan and Agni lead the group into the next room. The marble walls of this large hall are carved with several images of battle, each featuring a knight astride a lean horse. The knight wears no helmet and has long hair and a wide mustache. In each of the images, the knight is charging at undead horrors with a rapier in hand. Two halls lead out of the western portion of this room, one to the north and one to the south. Three large archways lead out of the room to the east. The archway to the northeast is carved with the words “At My Right Hand, Peace for Years of Righteous Labors”; the archway to the east is carved with the words, “Roslar: Hero and Paladin at His Well-Earned Rest;” and the archway to the southeast reads, “Loyal Abdell, Support Thy Master Always.” Sprawled in the center of this room is a human-sized metal figure that resembles a skeleton wrapped in robes. The limbs of the figure are askew and melted, as though with acid.
Agnimitra accepts the potion from Niu with a word of thanks, tucking the potion into her bandolier.
Walking into the large marble hall, mace in hand, Agni gazes over all the carvings and other decorations. "May we all be so remembered," she murmurs out loud. "Keep your eyes peeled," she adds as a direct statement to the others.
Niu eyes the dissolved figure warily. "I'm not sure which is more disturbing, that this status was dissolved by something or that there is a statue of a skeleton in this crypt.
Is this the statue you would expect to see in this room, Donovan?"
Casting Detect Magic again, Niu examines the statue.
Agni notes that in addition to mortal companions, a slender, winged woman with a heart-shaped face and long hair, looking down benevolently on Roslar. Agni believes this figure may be of importance but cannot identify her.
Niu detects no magic. It does appear to be constructed of metal. You will need to get closer to properly inspect the "skeleton".
"It isn't magical, but I don't trust it. It could be some kind of mechanical construct, so be wary."
Seeing Agnimitra studying the angelic figure with a puzzled look, Niu moves closer to the Inquisitor and takes a look.
Knowledge history or planes may help with this one as well.
If you are from Roslar's Coffer, knowledge local will apply as well.
Donovan will take some time to arrange the potions to allow for quick access, before they move on.
Donovan approaches the statue, trying to remember what the priestess told everyone when they came to visit
Donovan, please give me a perception check for the statue. We have some knowledge checks remaining from the party that can be used on the carvings of the winged woman. The knight charging undead on horseback is obviously Roslar.
Etgar looks at the carvings with great interest, but can't help wanting to tend to the most mysterious element in the room. He moves in closer to examine the skeleton - first to determine it's historical significance, and then to look at the acid burns to see if he can ascertain how recently they occurred.
This time, he puts the lamp down first.
Knowledge arcana for the skeleton. This metallic sculpture of a once idealized humanoid figure sparkles with divine luster. You have never seen such metal. Some of its limbs have been melted and mangled.
Etgar notes Nui taking a closer look. Knowing these things are often more up his alley than Etgar's, he simply watches and waits for the human's expertise.
Niu knows this to be a celedon. This one has been destroyed and is effectively dead. Niu knows celedons are forged of the purest extraplanar metals, every celedon exists to serve a single deity. Each possesses a boundless willingness to praise their deity’s name, whether through song, oration, mock battle, or whatever performance their creator favors. Most spend the entirety of their existences tending a single holy place, repeating rituals, perfecting services, and creating new works to laud their particular deities. Celedons in the service of a goddess of law might perform an endless cycle of daily ceremonies and shrine upkeep, with time set aside for copying scripture and adjudicating disputes between the faithful. Those who serve a chaotic god of destruction might perform sacrifices as whims strike them, while erratically preparing weapons of war. While only those celedons created by martially minded deities function as warriors, most of these divine constructs zealously defend their divinely chosen homes and eagerly sacrifice themselves in their defense.
Celedons always honor and work to serve the word of their patron deity, nimbly navigating contradictions or hypocrisy in divine dogma. However, if an individual can, through extreme circumstances, convince a celedon to abandon her faith, the results are dramatic. A faithless celedon emits a blast of energy that deals 4d6 points of damage to all creatures within 10 feet, after which her sentience leaves her. The celedon continues to exist and mindlessly performs maintenance routines and other simple duties, but her Intelligence score and all special abilities are lost forever—a fate most celedons consider more merciful than living with apostasy. Revelations capable of causing a celedon to lose faith are exceedingly rare, usually due to exceptional circumstances or adventures—a celedon can’t be persuaded to abandon her faith through mere rhetorical skill.
Most celedons look like idealized humanoids, though their metallic appearances conform to the preferences of their creators.
One question with that roll.
An ostovite emerges from the celedon. It moves into Niu's space.
Etgar
Donovan
Niu
Agnimitra
Ostovite
Round 1 Another Ostovite
Agnimitra 10/13 Donovan 12/12 Etgar 9/9 Niu 7/7
Etgar, Agni, Don, Niu ✔
Ostovite
"Hmmm... this is a celadon. A construct designed to revere a specific deity and teach their dogma. Did one serve in this crypt?"
At that moment, he notices the parasite crawling toward his feet. With a high-pitched "Eek!" he withdraws behind Donovan.
Agni's attention is drawn to Niu's scream, and the object of his disfavor. "Unsightly creatures!" she calls out, rushing the thing, swinging at it with the mace.
Free Action: Step.
Standard Action: Attack ostovite with MW mace.
"Perhaps we now know why this celedon, as you called it, is in it's current state."
Etgar hisses out his frustration at the little creature, and steps to set up opposite of Agnimitra. He stabs out at the little creature, attempting to skewer it on his spear.
You may stand over the downed celedon. Two misses.
They are immune to cold.
"Shepherd of Requius!"
The boy jumps a bit but he is moving as he was trained even before he is aware with a quick snap he sends the head of the flail at the Ostovite.
The tiny critter begins a withdrawal and gives Etgar an AoO. Will resolve that before completing the withdrawal.
Etgar AoO ✔
Etgar sees the thing begin to move and stabs out with his spear again!
Round 2 Another Ostovite
Agnimitra 10/13 Donovan 12/12 Etgar 9/9 Niu 7/7
Etgar, Agni, Don, Niu ✔
Ostovite
Just as Agni see Etgar finish off the first of the bug-like pests, another appears. "This place seems to be infested. The keepers are not doing their job."
She strides on over to the newly emerged ostovite, making room for others to join her, and attempts to smash it with her mace.
Move Action: Move 20'.
Standard Action: Attack ostovite with MW mace.
"Looks like it is trying to escape."
Moving forward, Niu throws protective sand at Agnimitra.
“Loyal Abdell, Support Thy Master Always.” is inscribed above the doorway to this room. Niu can see the stone walls of this room are carved to resemble an airy stable with a large stone box at the southern end. The lid of the box is cracked and corroded, as though from powerful acid. An illustration of a lean, regal stallion and the words “No Greater Friend Hath a Man Than His Loyal Steed” are chiseled into the stone above the box. Against the western wall is an amalgamation that only somewhat resembles a horse; its skull sits too close to its torso and one leg has been attached in the wrong spot.
"Oh, No! It wants to animate the horse's skeleton!"
Etgar curses and rushes down to help Agnimitra with the creature. His eyes drift to the horse that Niu indicated, and he winces. That could be bad...very bad.
Putting a bit more into this strike, he lashes out with the spear again.
Donovan moves to try and intercept the creature, but he is too slow to keep up with it.
"That thing is quick, what are they doing here anyway?"
Etgar spears the ostovite. You can move through an ally's space btw.
The ostovite moves to bite Agni drawing AoOs.
The equine bone chariot begins to move.
Agni, Etgar AoO ✔
Etgar stabs out as the thing crawls up Agni even as he lets out an involuntary shiver at the thought.
The ostovite manages to dodge two more attacks.
bite plus acid
Round 3
Agnimitra 10/13 Donovan 12/12 Etgar 9/9 Niu 7/7
Etgar, Agni, Don, Niu ✔
Ostovite, bone chariot
Agni steps back towards the horse skeleton, taking another swing at the vermin.
Free Action: Step.
Standard Action: Attack ostovite with MW mace.
The horse chariot is large. I cleared that up with an outline and moved you to a free space. Reminder, you may move through an ally's space.
Agni kills the ostovite.
Agni
Etgar, Don, Niu ✔
bone chariot
Donovan, let me give you some room!
He then stabs upward with his spear, trying to dig the tip into the equine nose hovering by his head.
Etgar successfully avoids the hoof but is unable to land his spear on it.
"Is there another ostovite inside of the horse? This place definitely needs an exterminator." Niu says while laughing and throwing more sand at Donovan.
Donovan steps into the room.
he posts up next to Agni and strikes at the skeleton.
"None of this makes any sense to me.'
The bone chariot strikes at Donovan as he enters combat
Donvan strikes the construct so hard, it appears it will shatter but does not.
It attacks him and misses.
Round 4
Agnimitra 10/13 Donovan 12/12 Etgar 9/9 Niu 7/7
Etgar, Agni, Don, Niu ✔
bone chariot
Agni joins Donovan in attacking the cobbled-together horse skeleton, quietly questions at either the luck or prowess of these fellow combatants that she was thrown in with.
Standard Action: Attack bone chariot with MW mace.
Bones fly everywhere. An ostovite hits the floor.
Watching the skeleton crumble and fly, Niu cackles loudly. "We're going to need a big dustpan to clean that up!"
Throwing some protective sand at Etgar, Niu starts patting his weapons but frowns.
Etgar nods his agreement. It doesn't to me either, Donovan...it seems being interred here was only the first of our problems today. These little beasts are maddening!
He then leans around the mighty Aasimar to stab out at the little ostovite.
Etgar's spear manages to pierce the ostovite. The tiny ostovite removed the bones one at a time through a hole it managed to make in the large box. You may move onto the lid.
Etgar scampers across the lid of the box to reach the other side of the creature.
Donovan strikes out at the ostovite.