"That works for me, Mighty Guardian. Here's to your king!" he says as he lifts a potion and drinks it.
Extracts of Focused Scrutiny.
"But tell me:" he adds "It's been many years since your king has been sealed here, and we know not of him! Would you be so kind as to tell us of his deeds? How he was in life? What was his legacy?" says Nik'o, trying to lure the ghast into a conversation.
The ghast lowers his shield at Nik'o's persuasiveness. He hunches over wearily, no longer in a combative stance.
In a low, harsh grumble, he replies
"Either thou hast come a great distance or it hath been a long time indeed since my passing, if thou knoweth not the legend of King Fremaryllis. He inherited but a village, but, having been chosen for greatness by the gods, expanded it to the magnificent kingdom of Lamecha. The other Eleven Kingdoms of Sarlona would fall beneath his might. Hath it truly been so long I have been bound that thou travelers knoweth not of what I speak?"
He will have more to say when I get home this evening...
Kiana puts her bow down, and returns the arrow to her quiver. "I am afraid so, guardian. You have my sympathies. I am the last of my clan, and I know how it feels to be alone with no one who remembers your family and chieftan." The strix, for the first time since she came into Nik'o and Helac's acquaintance seems to be sympathetic to someone, and it's a ghast. "Is there aught we could do for you?"
Several thousand years ago Sarlona was covered in city states. Over time, these combined in to larger kindoms, solidifying into what were known as the Twelve Kingdoms nearly two thousand years ago. Lamecha was one of the twelve, and was in what is now Adar. The Twelve Kingdoms fell about about 1500 years ago, as the Quori corrupted the nations' leaders, turning them against each other.
"Doeth for me?"
The ghast answers Kiana
"Thou art not the first to come through here in such a short time. Just a few moments ago methinks, there were others invading the King Fremaryllis' tomb. I could hear them from whence I was bound. They sought an artifact of the giants buried with my King, and they spoke of a 'harmonious' shield. I could due aught to stop them as I was trapped in that pillar. There was another villainous band, with bigger footsteps, like ogres. The ogres chased the other group, defiling this tomb in the process. And but a few moments earlier, or maybe days, I keep not perfect time, there was another vile tome raider, this one who had restrained me in the spot thou has found. That one was powerful, beyond mine own pitiful might to guard against. It was shapeshifting betwixed the form of a yuan-ti man and a human woman, and it held command o'er the others who desecrate this tomb. It left the tomb, methinks it said, to findeth a 'living key' to open the King's vault itself. I knoweth not what a living key is. If thou doth wish to do something for me, ensure that the knaves who would my lord's grave be disturbed are driven out from this sacred place!"
The ghast bends over even further. If he could cry, you can tell he probably would be at this moment.
The ghast steps out of the door. In the blue-tinted light of the room, Nik'o absorbs every detail of the creature's posture and movements.
"Alas, though, I am bound to this chamber. Yet I can tellest thee whatso thou wishes to know."
Staggering, the creature turns towards the pedestal with the cracked orb.
"That key,"
pointing, he continues
"Can only be moved safely when all four are taken at one time. The other keys three, one to thy north, two to thy northwest, and one to thy northeast. To remove one whilst forsaking to remove the others would bring a curse upon whoeverso doth take them. That is why the villainous intruders moved not this key, for they had not found the others. The other keys art also guarded by some like myself, but these knaves are stronger still."
"And what, if I might ask, is the proper way to retrieve the keys. To do so without stealing them? They are keys, and they were left here with a proper way to remove them without curses. That means they were intended to be taken at some point. Is it only a certain person who is supposed to take them? Or is it only at a certain time?" Kiana asks curiously.
No reason to fight the guardians or get cursed if there's a way to do this 'by the rules'.
"There was a tradition in times of old, once every eleven years, the grave of the King would be opened, and offerings would be poured in. It was performed until 517 years from his death, whence it was to remain sealed eternally. The other guardians and myself upheld this tradition. Now, long after the final time my king's grave was to be opened, the keys remain, for they are as much locks as keys. It is from their power and presence than the tomb is sealed, hence they must remain.
After the sacred ritual was complete for the final time, methinks I lost track of the centuries..."
he gasps again.
The ghast pulls his head up, and looks Kiana straight in the eyes.
"In the traditional faith of my nation,"
he speaks softly,
"The soul eventually moves beyond Dolurrh, and so beyond the reach of mortal ritualistic offerings. If the ritual were to be performed now, it would have no effect, for our king hath passed beyond the reach of such magic."
Kiana nods. "And the keys and locks? They are never allowed to leave? Or is there a ritual that can be used to remove them? Where I come from, my people will re-use the totem guards to guard the newly dead once we are sure the previously guarded dead have made their way to their afterlife. We have been tasked with finding a specific item called <insert item here, player can't find the official name, just tremble tooth which isn't what we were asked to find>. We would like to retrieve this without violating anyone's religion or disturbing their rest. Also, if there's any way we can help you reach your final resting, now that your duty has been served, we would help, if you wish it."
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Having nothing to contribute, and apparently lacking Kiana's sympathy for the unholy creature before them, Helac simply watches the exchange with a mild curiosity.
"Thou wish to removeth the Tremble Tooth, which was pulled hither all the way from the realm of the giants by mine strength, from its proper place in the king's vault? The Tremble Tooth past down from the first Yuan-ti in order that it may find rest in our great king's grave?!? Nay, it shan't be removed, that wouldst be sacrilege, and wouldst wreck destruction unto those who took it. Forget thine desire and leave this place. There can be no final rest for me, my duty is eternal, to guard the tomb of my king against thieves like thyselves!"
No longer calm, he brandishes his shield again, ready to strike out at the slightest further provocation!
When the discussion between Kiana and the ghast starts to go south, Nik'o looks at the eternal warriors for signs of weakness he could take advantage of, should things end up the way of steel.
MvA for Studied Combat.
Round 1 action:
Nik'o reaches for his pocket and swallows his mutagen extract. "Brave warrior, your faith is strong, and I honour and respect your undying loyalty to your king." then drops his spear so it stands between him and the ghast.
"Undying loyalty breeds undying strength,"
The ghast growls back at Nik'o,
"I respect thy courage, but it shalt not save thee!"
As Nik'o observes the creature,
Nik'o:
despite his confidence, you can make out a few cracks on his thigh bones. The guardian shifts constantly to better absorb blows, but Nik'o can spot a subtle pattern in his movements, which could help you land a hit.
Just a description of Studied Combat working.
Meanwhile, the guardian ghast steps forwards, carefully avoiding making himself vulnerable, towards Nik'o.
"And now, thou shall feel mine wrath!"
As he cries out, he slams his shield into Nik'o:
shield bash:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
As Nik'o swerves out of the way, the ghast tries to bite him
bite:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (20) + 8 = 28 critical confirm:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24 damage:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (6, 6) + 3 = 15 additional critical damage:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 2) + 3 = 6
His ancient, foul teeth sink deep in to Nik'o's flesh, seriously harming him. The creature's teeth also unleash a necrotic venom into Nik'o's body.
Make a DC 18 fortitude save or you get ghoul fever...
For a moment, Nik'o senses the poison course through his veins and crystallize. Pushed to his limit, he taps into a deep well of inner power and forces his metabolism to accelerate, washing the poison away.
Nik'o steps back (AS12, drawing an AoO though I have mobility AC 21) from the ghast and stabs forth with his longspear, taking advantage of the weaknesses he's noticed earlier.
Longspear, studied combat and studied strike, Aid another and possible flanking with Helac:1d20 + 8 + 2 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 8 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 281d8 + 6 + 2 + 1d6 ⇒ (8) + 6 + 2 + (6) = 22
Nik'o lands a direct hit. Chunks of shattered bones and flakes of skin fly around the room as the ghast is wounded! It's still up and moving, but at less than half strength.
Helac successfully saps energy out of the ghast, causing him to wince slightly.
"Now, feel what becomes of those who desecrate graves!"
With unearthly agility, he backflips past Helac towards the open door:
acrobatics:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (15) + 14 = 29
Once inside the column, he grabs hold of a hidden lever and pulls, crying out
"Destroy me if thou darest, but Endure the pain! Thy feet shall betray thee whence thou least expect it! Leave this sacred place if thou wishes to be free!"
A glow of energy erupts from the floor before clustering around the feet of everyone in the room.
Everyone make a DC 25 will save
if you failed your save:
A tremendous sharp pain stabs into your feet, as if the ground were made of knives. When your feet are not on the ground, the pain becomes less severe, but is still following you, as if the air itself were stabbing you. Examining your feet reveals no actual injury, just a sharp, throbbing pain, and the distraction that accompanies it.
From now until you can get rid of this effect, you take a -5 circumstance penalty on all concentration checks. If you are flying, this penalty is reduced to -3. This does not require you to make concentration checks when you otherwise wouldn't need to, nor does it cause any actual hit-point damage.
There may be another effect to this curse, but you can't tell any yet.
Nik'o winces from the intense pain, but also feels relief from Helac's healing. He stays where he is though, and downs one of his remaining extracts. The healing power in the vial washes through him with comforting warmth.
Refreshed, he narrows his eyes as he fights the pain to concentrate on his quarry.
Mutagen in effect: +2 nat AC, +4 Str, -2 Int. Take extract of CLW, MvA fos Studied Combat.
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Watching with trepidation, Helac sees the ghast pull an unobtrusive lever within the column and the answering glow erupt from the floor.
Activate Resistance. Immediate action/1 pp to add +4 to saves.
Will Save:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31
I think this "curse" is a magical trap of some sort. If we can possibly flip that switch... again, it may end the effect.
Focusing his full attention on the ancient creature he steps forward and says, I hate to lose the knowledge... you possess. But I think it is long past time for you to slip the surly bonds of earth and your soul soar in sunlit silence.
As Helac swings his morningstar, a thought, unbidden and odd springs to mind. Dol Arrah light my way with wisdom. Attack/Morningstar:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23 Damage:1d8 ⇒ 6
Helac's morning star strikes the ghast.
"Destroy m-me if--thou--"
It gasps and wheezes, as if for breath, despite not breathing for more than a thousand years.
He subsequently dives out of the column and past Helac, landing between Helac and Kiana
acrobatics:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (14) + 14 = 28 And not provoking an attack of opportunity.
"Dare!"
As he lands, he cries out, and swipes at Kiana with his claw:
1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (4, 4) + 3 = 11
his strike throws Kiana off balance, too!
Kiana is staggered for one round, no save.
It then wheezes in pain again, sensing the end of its unlife near.
The map has been updated. Kiana's turn.
The ghast seizes the opportunity left by Kiana firing to take another bite at her:
attack of opportunity:1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 6) + 3 = 12
Charivia fires a ball of entangling goo at the ghast.
"Stop moving!"
1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16
"By the Unholy Six, what hath thou done to mine aim?"
she cries out as her power is narrowly dodged by the ghast.
Mutagen in effect: +2 nat AC, +4 Str, -2 Int. Studied Combat, adding Studied Strike if hit. 5-foot step to AS-14.
Nik'o steps back in the room, his footing uncertain from the pain in his legs. He crouches, then extends his body forward, sending the tip of his spear in an upward thrust aimed at the ghast's neck.
Feeling the tip on a correct path, Nik'o pushes further, hoping to make the blow a lethal one.
In that case, the roll of 18 should have actually gone to Charivia's attack roll, which means her power hit. So...
Charivia fires a ball of ectoplasmic goo at the ghast. The monster appears strained by its injuries, and it is unable to dodge, becoming engulfed in the energy!
The ghast is now entangled.
secret purpose:1d100 ⇒ 84
As the undead guardian struggles to break free of Charivia's ectoplasm, Nik'o strikes a deadly blow!
With a low, groaning wheeze, it cries out
"Trust not thy feeeeet!"
and crumbles to dust, leaving naught but a skull and a pile of grey powder!
Nik'o relaxes gradually as the ghast's threat disappears and regains his composure before saying: "A frightening opponent! And a dutyful servant! May he finds his way in Dolurrh..."
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Helac nods in agreement to Nik'o words. He lowers his head for a moment and says, May he find some measure of peace.
Helac then steps to the alcove, examining the handle that apparently triggered the magical curse and the surrounding environs. Hmm... let us see what there is to see.
The ghoul leaves behind his shield, which is a masterwork heavy wooden shield.
Inside the column, the walls are lined with more picture carvings.
These carvings show the dark, formless blobs descending on the yuan-ti. The yuan-ti split in to two groups, one goes underground, the other stays above ground. Those above are devoured by the monstrous blobs. The blobs move down under to the other yuan-ti, but a light appears from the ground and pushes them up. A small human-like figure is also among the underground yuan-ti (though significantly smaller than a human, closer to gnome or dwarf size). Four orbs circle around the mini-human, and push the light, and the monstrous creatures, back to the surface. The yuan-ti remain trapped underground.
Helac finds the switch easily enough, but pulling it has no noticeable effect.
disable device, 15:
The switch was attached to a rope which flows under the floor in to the walls. After it was pulled, the rope detached from the switch. It may have been used to trigger something else which cast the curse, but it is not itself a magical switch, nor is it connected to anything anymore. This device was a one-time use thing.
There's also a considerable amount of treasure scattered around the interior of the column (I'll assume you end up searching around thoroughly) :
--A heap of ancient coins totaling 1060 modern Galifers in worth.
--A small necklace of pearls on a golden chain, wort a total of 550 gold pieces.
Detect Magic or Detect Psionics:
The necklace emits a trace aura (no specific school), as if it was magical at one point but had its powers removed or deactivated somehow.
--A copper ring engraved with ancient runes
detect magic:
It emits a faint evocation aura.
Detect Psionics:
It emits a faint psychokinesis aura.
spellcraft, 20:
This psionic ring protects its wearer from harm from projectiles, manipulating the air and matter around them to turn them back. If it is used too often, it's power is suppressed temperarily due to a deficiency in the psychic energy in the air around it.
This is a Ring of Missile Protection.
--On top of the mound of coins sits a silver helmet with spiked-horns on top. A message is engraved on it in Riedran:
Riedran:
Woe betides unto those who understand wither shan't be understood.
Detect Magic:
The helmet has a faint divination aura.
Detect Psionics:
The helmet has a faint clairsentience aura.
spellcraft, 19:
The helmet bestows its wearer the power to understand all languages, spoken, written, or magical, though it does not always work for obscured languages.
It is a Helm of Comprehend Languages and Read Magic
Action Points 6/6 | Power Points 13/42 | Transfer Wounds 7/7
Ramblings:
Helac, are you seeing what I'm sensing?
Hmm... I believe so. When taken in combination with the other pictures, the narrative it suggests is intriguing. That the Yuan-ti began to be assaulted by aberrations of some sort... some were destroyed while others fled underground and developed some sort of weapon against them.
Didn't somebody mention a living key? It'd be the little guy there right?
Helac's eyes dart to Charivia for just a moment. Or maybe a little girl.
Four stones/keyes? A figure in the center driving off an evil extraterrestrial force? FIFTH ELEMENT! =D
