I assume that the standard payment terms of the pathfinder society is known to you?
"Pathfinder Society? Ah, that explains much. I shall be glad to have Pathfinders address this problem. As to 'standard terms', no I am not familiar. I can offer a sum of five hundred gold, treasure trove as discussed, and, as additional incentive, a bonus payment if you are able to evidence that you have made safe the area: a complete map, for example.
I have reason to believe that the source of the problem lies in an unused level of the Ossuary. Unused by us, that is. You see the Godsmouth Ossuary occupies only a few of the many subterranean levels below the entrance. The lower reaches remain a mystery. All entries to the lower levels have been sealed off, and we are forbidden from venturing deeper, for we know not what we might disturb below. What this means, however, is that the portions of the Ossuary in use are almost full.
So you see, you can solve two problems at once if you are able to clear additional burial room and deal with the missing bodies.
If we have an agreement, Pathfinders, please return at midnight tonight. I will then escort you through the Godsmouth and lead you to a hidden entrance to the lower levels.
You must speak to no-one about this. Not even other Pharasmins."
Nerissia awaits your assent.
"Good. Excellent. Let us remain here for a short time, so as not to arouse any suspicion that you are anything other than pilgrims. Then you should depart, and return at midnight. I will await you."
Tsamara takes the opportunity to acquire a few choice items in the Promenade whilst the rest of you have a few hours sightseeing.
You see a small crowd gather at the clifftop. Someone's about to jump! But nobody seems upset, the crowd is excited. Before you can get to the front there's an "Oooo!" from the crowd and you hear a gnomish voice crying "Yippeeeeeee!!!!!". Scrambling to the edge you see two flying contraptions, best described as large kites, each holding a gnome aloft. One of the gnome-kites has clearly just jumped from the cliff, whilst the second is somewhat lower and probably did the same thing a few minutes earlier. Their descent to the valley floor below will take a while, and some of the crowd clearly mean to watch. A few take bets on whether, or when, the contraptions will fail.
You take dinner at the Common House, Bottoms District's seat of government, militia headquarters, and temple to Cayden Cailean. Leaving before it gets too raucous, and before you get too drunk for your midnight assignment, you take an evening stroll into Cavalcades. There's a peculiar beauty to the sight of the various waterfalls tumbling out of the city wall and down the cliff face. A solitary monk of the Temple of the Endless Step attempts to replicate his ancient Master's feat and steps off the cliff. He walks down the wall - 20 feet, 30, 40 - and then tumbles to certain death, his attempt a failure. You hope that the gnomes' kites are a better omen.
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Close to midnight you reconvene at the Godsmouth Cathedral. Cryptsmistress Valanthe Nerissia greets you. "Come" she says.
Valanthe leads you down a narrow, twisting cliffside path. You pass through the mouth of the Unnamed King, one of the sculpted faces in the cliff wall. Then you are in the ossuary proper, where robed and hooded Pharasmin priests silently tend to the deceased. You are ushered through luxuriously appointed catacombs packed with bodies, and down several stairways before coming to an area that obviously sees little use; most of the burial niches are empty and dusty, the air is musty and close, and silence reigns supreme. In this disused portion of the crypts, Valanthe stops before a door.
"This is the only known entrance to the sealed lower portions of the ossuary, and once you enter, the door will be locked behind you" your employer warns.
Valanthe has brought a satchel with her. She hands it to you. "Some supplies that you may find helpful. Six healing potions, and six vials of holy water." She also gives you a small mithral tube about one foot long. "This is a magical Chime of Opening. It will open sealed portals for you. But it only has five charges remaining, and you are well advised to reserve the last charge to get you back through this door. Any priests who might hear noises from the other side will not open the door."
Valanthe withdraws a large iron key from within her robes and unlocks the door. She opens it. A spiral staircase leads down into darkness. The Godsmouth Ossuary awaits...
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Djahan shakes his head when he sees the monk of the Temple of the Endless Step attempts to step off the cliff.
“Please do not believe that these monks are followers of the master of masters! They do not believe in any god and only trust in themselves! Intriguing but at the same time a little too narrow minded! Why else would they jump to certain death?“ he asks more himself.
~
When they pass through the mouth of the Unnamed King Djahan is truly intrigued!
“It is a rare honor to be able to visit this site!“
He nods to Valanthe.
When they go through the door, he puts his hand on mouth.
Suddenly, the phantom regains the power to speak.
“How dare you to forbid me to speak!! You are in imposter!! You ... “ the angry incorporeal being says before he is silenced again!
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Onye withdraws a sunrod from his pack and strikes the tip against the wall where it blooms to light. He slips it into his belt and then pulls a finely crafted glaive-guisarme from his harness.
"Tsamara, you should carry the chime," he suggests to the other catfolk, and then he steps into the sealed section of the tombs.
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"My sight is better than most but even I still need some light to see by," Tsamara nods as she conjures a small bit of light onto the tip of her longspear. She hefts the weapon in one hand and takes the Chime of Opening with the other, carefully tucking it away until the group needs it, and then falls in at the back of the group.
"Moving with ease and quiet is not a great skill of mine."
The catfolk winces a bit as Djahan forcefully commands his phantom to scout the way...but has to admit that having such a power is handy in the right circumstances.
"At least Djahan seems to have control...otherwise I would not want to encounter such an angry, untethered spirit," she whispers to the others.
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He has torches should they be needed for light, but as Tsamara conjures some light on her spear he leaves them unlit for now.
Drawing his own spear he heads into the depths of the Ossuary with the others, weapon at the ready for... Well, for whatever it is they may discover down here.
"A little unsettling, I must admit, though also somewhat exciting to explore such long-sealed corridors."
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Demm looks at all of his feeble-eyed teammates and shakes his head. "This am great idea. This am like hunting, but am using selves for bait. Whole crypt am see us coming. Demm tad-draguni is sure nothing bad am happen to us. This am good plan." It is impossible to miss the sarcasm in the kobold's voice. The tiny evoker pulls out a wand and taps it to his chest before sliding it away into his robe.
The phantom feels Djahan's request and with spit running down its mouth moves around to check the room that the team is in.
This incorporeal being makes no sound at all!
If nothing can be seen the phantom's incorporeal form moves to the next room through the wall to come back moments later.
You begin descending the stone, spiral stair, Djahan's phantom going ahead. Tsamara makes enough light to see by.
Well - there was enough light to see by, but now it's gone dark again.
Phantom
Combat round 1
Djahan
Felix
DFM
Onye
Tsamara
Data
GM
Demm
Active conditions: it's dark
The bold may act!
Onye smells something unfamiliar in the darkness. A faint scent unlike anything he has experienced before. It's above - above Tsamara - something is in motion.
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"No, I didn't stop my spell," Tsamara responds tersely as she instinctively looks up and around behind her, even though it does her no good. So great is her unease that she taps into the powers of the sun, causing her very form to shed light...or at least, that's what usually happens.
You can transform your body into churning light, granting you the effects of Blur and causing your body to shed light as a sunrod. At 7th level, creatures that end their turn adjacent to your luminous form become blinded for 1 round (Fortitude negates). At 13th level, creatures that end their turn adjacent to your luminous form are blinded for 1d4 rounds (Fortitude reduces to 1 round). At 18th level, your luminescence is as bright as natural sunlight, and creatures affected by natural sunlight are so affected if they end their turn adjacent to your luminous form. You can maintain your luminous form for up to 1 minute per day per oracle level; this duration need not be continuous, but it must be used in 1-minute increments. You can forgo the blur and blinding aspects of this ability to instead simply shed light as a torch, though this still counts against the ability’s duration for the day.
"Demm! Can you see anything?"
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The kodold answers as if it were obvious. "Demm tad-draguni am blessed with eyes of dragons. No am need little trixie lights to see in dark!" However, his literal mind does not realize his allies are asking for more information. The wizard fails to provide any other information, like what might be assaulting them, from where, or who might be its first target.
Djahan's mysterious phantom that looks like a hulking brute moves forward in front of Djahan!
With its furrowed brows it looks like a frenzied creature!
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Demm holds up claws fingers as he off-handedly begins listing spells. "There am many. Penumbra, Dancing Darkness, Darkness, Dust of Twilight, Flickering Lights, Protective Penumbra, Deeper Darkness, Shroud of Darkness, Hungry Darkness. Should Demm tad-draguni continue, or do you have enough information to stand there and flail about uselessly while others solve problem?"
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Demm tad-draguni see furries and fleshies who am unprepared one minute into mission. Demm tad-draguni will have to take magic door charm from dead furry girl and escape after monster is slain. Burn and pummel it with spells will I! No am sad for furries and fleshies. Maybe Demm tad-draguni make a toast to them at next meal. Maybe not. No am diviner.
Onye tenses up, knowing something's out there, but not what or precisely where.
Tsamara tries to provide another light - but is disconcerted to find that her power does not pierce the darkness.
Djahan climbs back up the stairs and draws his sword...
...his phantom goes too, meaning to frighten whatever might be lurking there.
Lucius waits nervously, blind in the dark.
Data aims his bow upwards, searching...
Those of you with darkvision see a small creature emerge from the narrow gap between the staircase and the wall of the stone shaft. It resembles a flattened octopus with hook-lined tentacles.
DC16
DC21
DC26
Data looses his arrow, but there's too little to aim at.
The creature reaches out for Djahan!
...but Djahan sees it and moves out of the way easily.
Combat round 1 / 2
Djahan
DFM
Onye
Tsamara
Data
GM
Demm
Felix
Active conditions: it's dark
The bold may act!
The phantom moves forward and tries to provoke an attack of opportunity by moving through the creature and then looks at it with a frenzied expression!
Demm's bolts of force slam into the darkmantle, causing it to quiver.
Djahan's phantom goes right through the creature and attempt to terrify it.
The darkmantle lashes out with a hooked tentacle in an instinctive effort to protect itself - to no avail, of course. It's hard to tell the emotional state of a creature that looks like a stone octopus, but it waves its limbs around frantically.
Djahan himself makes sparks fly as his sword blow only strikes the stone stair.
Combat round 1 / 2
Djahan
DFM
Onye
Tsamara
Data
Darkmantle, -8p, shaken
Demm
Felix
Active conditions: it's dark
The bold may act!