"You certainly are quite mighty my friend." Wintyr sighs. "And you have a point about the people we are here to help. Unfortunately, I cannot draw more magics until I break the spell binding Hugin to that vampire, and shall be working off of innate tricks instead of learned ones." She gestures at the Hugin-cicle, and the hollowed out lion cast. "Effective, although somewhat lacking in versatility. Lead the way.
Saoirse's eyebrows knit together. "What must we do to break this spell? We can't simply continue with this unaddressed."
"Perhaps ending the creature once and for all, perhaps one of our allies will be willing to break the spell on poor Hugin tomorrow. But we should not waste more time on my behalf, I have already been enough of an active time waster for today."
Nicodemus shakes his head as he recovers from his trance. We can paralyse the monster for a time with a stake to the heart. The poles of my tent might be sharpened and serve well enough. To destroy him permanently we need holy water so we may have to leave him paralysed here and destroy him permanently later on when we return. This assumes there are no more spawn or dominated minions around to restore him.
As the group gathers back together and starts discussing the next steps Nicodemus turns on Saoirse, You plan to go running off on your own again. Clearly your last encounter has taught you nothing. You put yourself and the rest of us in danger with such foolishness. You seem to think this is some sort of walk in the park. The Underdark is dangerous and assuming you can waltz through anything you meet on your own is appallingly arrogant.
Turning to Wintyr he says, I can try and restore your familiar. Continuing on without you being able to restore your magical powers is foolhardy. It may tax my magical reserves but I still have strength to support us.
He then employs his cure wand a few times before heading out.
"Wooden stake to the heart? I guess thatd kill most things, eh? But if you say thats the trick to keeping Mister Spooky Eyes out of our way, I'm game."
Elestar pulls a torch from his pack and deftly sharpens the end with a few strokes of his blade.
"Okay then...here!"
He plunges the wooden shaft into the vampires heart, tapping on the end a few times to ensure its purchase.
"Okay, that's dealt with. Shall we continue?"
Gingerly patting down the vampire--careful not to jostle loose the stake protruding from his chest--Elestar comes away with a fine black cloak with silver threading and pair of bracers that his companions confirm detect as magical. A wand and scroll are found in his pockets.
The piles of ash that had been the drow-spawn each has a finely crafted chain shirt, darkwood shields, hand crossbows, and a magical spear.
(3) +1 spears
(3) masterwork chain shirts
(3) masterwork darkwood heavy shields
(3) masterwork hand crossbows
Bracers of Armor +2
Cloak of Resistance +2
Wand of Inflict Moderate Wounds [37 charges]
Scroll of Unholy Blight
Meanwhile, Nicodemus focuses his will upon Hugin unravelling the vampire's fell magic with only modest difficulty. The lets out a small pleased sound and hops up to Wintyr's shoulder (once unfrozen!)
Saoirse frowns at the insults. "Ignorant perhaps. Next time, just come with me, or say something out loud that gives me a reason for why I shouldn't continue on ahead."
She has a solution for the vampire that means they won't have to come back later and deal with the creature. She suggests, "Nicodemus, if this creature is vulnerable to sunlight like you say, and is paralyzed by a stake to the heart... why not just leave the staked vampire outside?"
Jonuli looks to the group and waits for Nicodemus and Saoirse to have their say and then says "That is a good idea Saoirse and may finish him off permanently. Nicodemus is correct though, we need to stick together. We had told you things weren't finished with the vampire. Once we've finished with him let us all continue on."
"That would work, so long as noone comes along and pulls this torch outta his chest. Its something, at least."
Elestar gladly helps move the staked vamp outside if everyone wants to do that.
Saoirse looks very dubious. "How was I supposed to know that vampires don't die when you kill them??"
Wintyr smiles at Nicodemus, not her usual icy detached smile, or her cynical smirk, but a legitimately warm smile that lingers as Hugin hops back up on her shoulder, and she hugs him to her chest. "Thank you Nicodemus. It is a good thing to have my Hugin back at my side." The smile fades as she ponders what lies ahead. "I leave a portion of my magical energies available for preparation. If the magical augmentations that people have layered upon themselves will not expire soon, I could prepare more spells. Otherwise, we should continue while we are at the peak of our magical capacities."
Elestar spins his blade and returns it to the sheath with a flourish.
"Hey, no sweat, Saorise. None of us knew the baddie would come back. Even Nicodemus had to do that eye-rolling, looking into the spirit world magic trick to learn about its weaknesses. That's why we work as a team, yeah? You do great as our big bad sword angel lady, and do it very well, but neither of us are the big thinkers here. No offense intended, of course."
He turns to Wintyr and smiles.
"I'm ready to go, or we can wait a bit for your magics to come back to mind. Either way, my knives are plenty sharp."
"I wish to continue on now, unless you have specific ideas for spells that would be useful in this situation. I have no currently active spells."
Presuming that no one jumps up to say, "wait Saoirse, stop! We have important things to do instead!" Saoirse kicks down the next door, her sword at the ready and a snarl of fury on her lips.
"Lead on, to greater and grander violence."
Like the door on the other side of the hall, with its summoning trap, the next door down the line is still plastered shut, the stone graven with faded markings, most likely the names and lineages of those interred within. With a determined snarl Saoirse pulls back one leg and delivers a mighty kick to the door--only for coruscating black fire to race across her flash the moment she makes contact with the door, the wicked flames searing with pain!
Saoirse appears to have triggered a Slay Living spell--and given the apparent age of the tomb it is likely one that resets after a time. It is unlikely that no would-be tomb robber has at least touched the door over the centuries.
In a flash, Saoirse is reduced from fierce battle-angel ready for more battle to strong and practical sage, badly wounded. She cries out in intense pain, covers her face , and falls back outside of the door. "Awwhhhoooowww!" she shouts.
"Saiorse! Are you feeling anything other than excruciating pain?"
"Rechargeable slay living trap. I see why this tomb has gone undisturbed all this time, being guarded by more powerful magics than I could muster. It seems strange that this level of defense would exist so near the surface if it was put here by the drow. What do you think?"
"If I were to guess, it has something to do with the undead we encountered earlier. That, plus the summoning trap and now this zap-spell trap means someone really did not want anyone coming down below. It also means they were expecting to return and traverse this area, since a magical resetting trap can be keyed to people, phrases, or carried items like a passphrase. Perhaps I should take the point going forward, so I can look for more shenanigans like these."
(+5 vs traps)
(+5 vs traps)
Elestar looks at the door, careful not to touch the trigger, and then attempts to disrupt the magical trap.
Elestar approaches the door, carefully feeling out the arcane circuitry hidden just below the surface of the stone--something felt more than seen. With a few precise jabs of his knife he breaks the circuity and the trap fizzles and fades.
After tending to Saoirse to everyone's satisfaction, the party opens the door. The chamber within is not especially large but it is clean--the air is no less stale here than in the previous chamber but that too starts to improve. The vault's most prominent features is a large stone statue of a regal-looking human woman dressed in a long elegant gown. Her pose is commanding, her bearing imposing even in stone as she stares imperiously towards the door. Two doors behind her and another pair flanking her lead out from this chamber.
Saoirse frowns at the insults. "Ignorant perhaps. Next time, just come with me, or say something out loud that gives me a reason for why I shouldn't continue on ahead."
Nicodemus turns with a half snarl, You must not have been listening...
It would also help if you didnt barge around bellowing all over the place. More things than drow live down here, many of them far more dangerous and your antics risk drawing them down onto us!
After Saoirse sets off the trap he mutters, Peerhaps you might want to let Elestar take point.
Any regret that Saoirse might feel is quickly burned away by frustration as Nicodemus continues to insist on talking to her as if she is his ward or child. Quickly, she stands.
"Is there something that makes you feel like you are in control of me, Nicodemus?" she asks, looking the runt half-orc right in his eyes. Even while badly wounded, without her angelic form, she remains fierce. "You are not. Do the things you wish others to do yourself, or keep quiet. At least to me."
Then she walks into the room. With the trap disabled, she has no fear of immediate death. She gazes up at the regal statue for a moment. "I wonder who this is..." she mutters quietly. "Someone so important that intruders are promised death without warning."
"I've got this trap settled. I'd suggest not touching any other doors, chests, or the like. At least, not til I've looked them over, please."
Elestar begins an examination of the room, in case any other surprises lie in wait near the doorways.
"Anyone know who that statue is? Is she someone we should know?"
(+5 vs traps)
Wintyr'll cast detect magic, and start scanning as well.
Wintyr gives the room a quick sweep--no auras appear to her, but she judges that the sarcophagi might be thick enough to block the spell, and the doors to the adjacent chamber almost certainly are.
Elestar examines the statue but doesn't recognize the woman, and the room itself is tidy but relatively sparse. As he bends to examine the seal on the sarcophagus for traps or signs of tampering he notices a human woman sitting in the corner, dressed all in pale greys and hugging her knees to her chest as she stares at nothing with a vacant expression. Stranger still, the woman is partially translucent--Elestar realizes he can see the wall behind her, and her skin and hair are also in shades of grey. She does not appear to have noticed the group's intrusion, and she bears a strong resemblance to the statue's likeness.
Whomever she is or was, this woman is now a ghost--the incorporeal spirit of someone who for one reason or another was intensely unable or unwilling to pass on to their afterlife. Ghosts can possess an array of strange and frightful powers, in addition to whatever talents they may have had in life.
Ghosts' forms can be destroyed, but unless the source of their woe can be resolved they will inevitable return.
"Is there something that makes you feel like you are in control of me, Nicodemus?" she asks, looking the runt half-orc right in his eyes. Even while badly wounded, without her angelic form, she remains fierce. "You are not. Do the things you wish others to do yourself, or keep quiet. At least to me."
Your stupidity will get you killed, I just hope you dont take the rest of us with you.
Nicodemus moves carefully up behind Elestar and takes a look at the ghost.
Saoirse ignores Nicodemus.
Saoirse walks closer to the translucent woman. She squats down on her haunches to appear smaller, and she gives the ghost a tentative little wave. "Uh, hi," she says. "I hope you speak Common, and not some ancient language. Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"Uh...ghost? Not sure who she is, or was, but she looks a lot like the woman in sculpture over here. I wonder if ther is an inscription or plaque."
Elestar looks for such an identifier.
"Today just keeps getting better and better." Wintyr mumbles. "First undead, now incorporeal undead."
The ghostly woman starts a little, her eyes raw like she's been weeping, but regaining a bit of focus. She blearily rubs at her eyes and speaks to you a strange querying tone, her voice sounding echo-y and faraway despite her proximity. "Vaermyl? Oled see sina? Ma olin, ma olin nii mures..."
As the ghost draws more fully out of whatever torpor she had fallen into, her gaze and tone both sharpen upon you. "Sina! Kes sa oled? Hauaröövlid, tulge Quallemi hauast varastama? Aumatud koerad!"
"Vaermyl? Is that you? Oh I was, I was so worried..."
"You! Who are you? Tomb robbers, come to steal from the Quallem tomb? Honorless dogs!"
Hands up, Saoirse quietly and softly backs away, being as nonthreatening as possible. "I don't think there are any drow in here, friends," she says. "Let's go someplace else."
She exits the room into the hallway, and ushers her other compatriots out as well.
to recognize unknown language?
"Yeah, you're right, Saoirse. Let's get outta here before miss see-through turns hostile."
Elestar backs up with his allies, keeping an eye on the spectre.
Jonuli backs slowly out of the room.
Wintyr follows.
As she sees you leaving, the ghostly woman's face twists with anger and anguish and she reaches raises her hands jerkily, as though not certain whether she wants to plead or strike you. "Oota, ära mine! Kas olete minu Vaermyl tundunud? Ta lubas mulle, et tuleb tagasi ... Palun öelge mulle lihtsalt, kus ta on!" She starts to cross the room just as you all back away and Saoirse shuts the door. Taking a step back, you wait to see if she drifts through the stone to confront you, but no ghostly attack arrives. Instead you hear a muffled wail of grief and anger, followed by faint sobbing.
"Wait, don't go! Have you seem my Vaermyl? He promised me he would come back... Please, just tell me where he is!"
The hallway extends southwards a short ways before reaching a set of stairs that descend down into what appear to be rougher-hewn, less worked stone.
"Well, that could have gone worse. I mean, it could have gone better, but noone got hurt or possessed or anything crazy so there's that. Let's continue, shall we?"
Elestar carefully takes point, looking for more nefarious traps or dangers.
"I don't know if anyone noticed, but I'm pretty badly wounded..." says Saoirse, somewhat reluctantly. "So I think I'll stay in the rear. Someone else can take the next instant-death-trap-to-the-face. I don't have much more endurance left."
Jonuli marches along keeping an eye out for any trouble.
"Oh, shoot, why didn't you day something earlier? Here, use this, I think you can make the magic happen, right?"
Elestar hands Saoirse a wand of cure light wounds with a smile.
"I'll keep an eye out for more traps like that, hopefully we can avoid more zaps or pokes going forward."
(+5 vs traps)
Saoirse shakes her head, putting her hand on the wand and pushing it back towards Elestar. "Sorry, friend. I'm not able to use that kind of magic. When I was taught by the elves, they taught me arcane magic, like the sort that wizards and sorcerers use."
Descending the stairs, your initial impression of the next cavern being more natural proves accurate--though there are dozens of "shelves" carved into the stone here, where the bodies of those who didn't warrant heavily-trapped mausoleums were likely interred. The bones of those laid to rest here are all but gone save for a few crumbling shards. The room is instead instead thick with the dust and detritus of years, as well as large masses of thick, spongey yellow mold.
You recognize the fungal growths as a large colony of Yellow Mold, a dangerous fungus that releases clouds of toxic spores when disturbed. The growths are not so thick as to make it impassable, but careless action in this room--like fighting a battle here--would likely have poisonous consequences.
"Tread carefully in here. The mold will give off poisonous spores. I know that I have warded myself against poisons, but care is still prudent."
"Right...arcane magic. Well, lemme try and see if I can't zap you up them. Or maybe Nicodemus can use it easier?"
"Pass it to me, and tell me how many charges you wish to use." Wintyr looks at Saoirse, and does a mock frown. "I am an arcane caster, and yet I can cast healing spells. What does that make me?"
Saoirse's smile is warm and kind as she replies to Wintyr. "It makes you very special, my friend. Thank you for volunteering to heal me. I want to be strong, tough, but I am learning that I don't have infinite endurance."
She turns towards the poison-filled chamber. "We should proceed quickly through this room." Squinting, she can see that there is only one way to go. "I hope these spores don't extend much further. What do you all say to a quick jog until we find someplace with no spores or until we are stopped?"
Lets be cautious, I wouldnt be surprised if this cave also held things immune to the spores. If we can get through quickly all well and good.
Before they had into the cave Nicodemus casts detect magic and also peers around for lurking dangers.
If it looks clear he will renew a simple protective spell (ironskin) and lead the group forward, checking for dangers and possible tracks of enemies ahead of them.
"My dear, you are strong and tough. The injuries that you sustained would leave me unconscious or worse, and yet here you are, standing before me."