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Whisper detects nothing special or sinister about these spirits...other than they're annoying chatter...
”Such a handsome man!”
”He always was!”
”He was treated most unfairly...”
”Yes, of course, everyone knows that...”
From where he's standing, Rokgurn detects nothing of interest other than the elaborate frescoes on the wall and the aforementioned sarcophagus...
Daathiel detects nothing sinister from his current location and moves closer to the sarcophagus...
Sitting on a 3-foot-tall stone base in the northernmost corner of the alcove is a sarcophagus of mahogany, carved with intricate designs of intertwining vines and probing eyes. The lid is hinged on the left, with three average built into the wood on the right. He detects no traps on the locks...but he does detect a nearby secret door in the alcove's eastern wall...
Whisper ducks back into his satchel after a brief comment about the competent but bourgeois frescoes painted throughout the room.
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Rokgurn detects no magic nor detects any traps on the secret door...
Both Daathiel and Rokgurn notice that at the southern edge of the raised dais/alcove, a rough stone pillar rises 10 feet, halfway to the ceiling. The pillar is painted white, obscuring the carvings on its surface. Carved at the base of its north face is Ursula, 4191–4222.
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Beyond the secret door is an octagonal chamber. Five white marble pedestals, each four feet high, line the walls. A single mundane item sits atop each pedestal, identified by bronze plaques that read (north to south), “His Shaving Razor,” “His Comb,” “His Favorite Goblet,” “His Pipe,” and “His Gaming Dice.”
Daathiel detects a magical trap emanating from a 3-foot-square metallic plate that occupies the center of the chamber floor. Four locking devices of particularly cunning design secure the plate along its four edges. Only after all four locks are open can the panel be removed...and only the panel appears to be rigged to trigger...
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Jack's curiosity was triggered as he watched this from a distance. "I seriously considered dumping excess gold into enchanting a set of dice with a permanent magic aura on them from all the schools of magic. Claim that they were a set of Dice Of Many Things. If any magical types decided to see if they were in fact magical, could quickly alarm them. After all, who would spend that much gold on an enchantment just for a prank?"
His grin after he finished breaking the silence seemed like answer enough. "I wonder if his dice are weighted."
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Daathiel picks all four locks with ease...and only then can he tackle the magical trap. He disarms it deftly and quickly...removing the panel, he discovers...
...within 12 ingots of platinum covered by a folded tapestry depicting a woodland scene of satyrs and nymphs (8 feet by 12 feet when unfurled). Beneath
the ingots is a thin, unlocked wooden box containing a what the casters in the group soon identify as a portable hole, folded into quarters and wrapped in a blue silk kerchief...
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His pinky intact, Jack drops into the portable hole...
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Jack shrugged and held up the bottle of air before putting it in his jacket in case of being hit by a plane shift. "This'll be useful if there are more genies and they decide to try to send us to the plane of water or something. There's an assumed everburning lantern in there, so that'll be useful if someone falls in and needs to see how to get out. Nothing else in there besides the chair and a bunch of books that aren't particularly useful for now. With that said..."
He pulled one of his two books out and flipped it open to read an excerpt.
"Your hunger is insatiable
Are you a tarrasque
Your odor is deadly
You have the tar-ass."
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Daathiel will search Ursula's pillar more thoroughly, looking for any evidence of a compartment or door. He will look at the ground at the base of the pillar for any loose stones.
This pillar is non-structural, right? It only goes halfway up to the ceiling?
"The sister's keepsake, if it is in this crypt, would likely be interred with the sister. It is my suspicion that the mahogany sarcophagus holds the red-haired man in the frescoes."
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"Bottle of air you say. Are you sure?"
Rokgurn quickly flips through a book and looks to the forces of nature for assistance before verifying Jack's claim.
@Daathiel - Could you try to identify the bottle as well? 23 is unlikely to do it. :)
"Jack would you like to hold on to the Portable Hole for now? Someone should take it."
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Jack bent down to fold up the portable hole without any complaints. "This would be a safe way to bring followers along on these adventures. Not sure how much they would enjoy that, but it's nice to have options. And I'm not sure as I only have an eye for if something is magical, not necessarily what it is. With that said, it would make sense for it to be in there so an occupant is able to actually breathe."
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Suddenly, Vladek and Qadathra re-appear from a secret passageway, which shuts seamlessly behind them as soon as they emerge.
Ah, THERE YOU ARE! Terribly sorry, we...got...lost?
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"Are we planning on opening the sarcophagus after you examine the pillar?"
"I do not speak for what 'we' are planning. I'm no leader.
But if you are asking me to open the sarcophagus, then I can say that I have determined it to be free of traps.Now, an undead creature inside the sarcophagus would not be a trap. So I would prefer to use Open/Close on it from a safe distance. But, a solid mahogany sarcophagus lid may be beyond the weight of such a spell. Let's see."
Daathiel backs away, 60' from the sarcophagus, Blinking, and casts Open/Close.
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Rokgurn takes Alie's lead and moves back as well. He is pretty sure the spell will fail anyways due to the weight of the cover but he will error on the side of prudence.
@GM Otha - Is there a hollow cavity in the column that houses the body of the woman or is it simply deduction that she is interred in the column?
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Daathiel gets a healthy distance away and casts a spell to open the sarcophagus...the lid creaks...and then slowly opens...
The four nagging spirits pick up their nagging chatter in hectic fashion as the sarcophagus begins to creak...
"No, you mustn't disturb father!"
"Too late! Dear sister will not be pleased!"
"We should've stayed upstairs!"
"Oh no! Dear sister approaches!"
Before you can even glimpse within the sarcophagus, a spirit emerges from column of 'dear sister' and voice commands, "SISTERS! ATTEND!" and the nagging spirits move and become part of said mist...
As the spirit takes shape, you see...
...this floating, ghostly figure’s visage constantly shifting between
that of a comely, smiling human and a desiccated corpse. Around it swirl the less substantial humanoid forms of the nagging spirits...
The being screeches, "HOW DARE YOU DESECRATE MY FATHER'S TOMB! YOU SHALL DIE FOR YOUR IMPUDENCE!"
COMBAT! Round 1 - The bold may post!
Rokgurn
Daathiel
Yuri
Jack/Griffon
Dear Sister?
Vladek/Qadathra
Alie
Whisper pops his head out of his cage as the excitement ramps up through the empathic link he shares with Rokgurn. He looks around and provides his report before ducking back to the full safety of his familiar satchel.
@GM Otha - Once you update us on what we know Rokgurn will act but this is clearly something I would like to do before the Nemhain gets its turn. :)
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After hearing confirmation of the incorporeal, Jack focused energy into his holy sword to give it ghost touch for the time being. "Oh hey, something evil. Was wondering when we would be benefiting from Ragathiel's blessing today."
His griffon glanced back at Jack who used his head to gesture back. The griffon squawked in acknowledgement and backed up a little so the nemhain had less of a clear line towards Daathiel.
Not familiar with this particular variant of undead himself, Jack spent the beginning of the fight studying it briefly to figure out where best to treat it to unexpected precision damage. Had the added benefit of figuring out whether the nemhain would go after the closer target or Daathiel for being the one to actually desecrate the tomb, but he adjusted his stance and prepared to dodge or attack if needed.
Standard - Occultist +ghost touch
Swift - Style +6 AC
Move - studied target
Immediate - dodging panache +7 AC
Earth Child Style, Endure Elements, Freedom Of Movement, Mage Armor, Studied Target, ghost touch
Cloak Of Resistance +2
Lucky Number 8
Goodberries = 16
Naturalist +3 AC and on attack rolls and saving throws against extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities used by the Nemhain
+7 vs charm/compulsion
+2 vs death effects, mind-affecting effects, effects that grant negative levels, and on saves to overcome negative levels
+2 bonus vs aging, curses, diseases, and poisons
+4 sacred bonus on saving throws against spells and effects cast by evil creatures
+1 against crit confirmation
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Daathiel retreats while trying to recall knowledge on this creature while Jack preps for its attack; Rokgurn attempts to recall knowledge prior to acting...
Between Rokgurn and Daathiel, you recall the following about Nemhain:
In addition, the Nemhain’s incorporeal melee attack drains the victim’s constitution in addition to damage...
This ability functions like regeneration except the nemhain possesses it despite the fact that she lacks a Constitution score. A nemhain reduced to 0 hit points is staggered instead of destroyed while her profane regeneration is active. As long as her profane regeneration is active, a nemhain ignores all damage that would reduce her hit points below 0.
Rejuvenation (Su):All nemhains are tied to a ritual object used in their creation. This object is typically a large statue, pillar, or monolith. Until this object is destroyed, a destroyed nemhain automatically rejuvenates back to full hit points 1d4 days after she is destroyed, always appearing adjacent to her ritual object.
COMBAT! Round 1 - The bold may post!
Rokgurn
Daathiel
Yuri
Jack/Griffon
Nemhain
Vladek/Qadathra
Alie
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Rokgurn knows enough from Whisper's warnings to keep his distance. He flies back to a position above the other casters. He speedily activates his Sipping Jacket (swift action) and his form seems to distort (Displacement). He calls upon the powers of nature to bolster his life force (Death Ward cast).