The elf lays out everything he can remember from the party insights and what he can remember about the doorway and tomb.
Baheera gives a small bow of welcome to the newcomers, taking in their array of arms and equipment.
"As Tek has said, we welcome your aid, formidable as it is, if appearances are to be believed.", the sunkissed olive skinned woman with storm grey, pupil-less eyes says with a warm smile.
Pleasantly surprised with the flavorful hot beverage, Cayde volunteers to be part of the vanguard, slipping easily into his role as scout (Stealth, Survival, and Perception bonuses at +4), though he defers to others who have been this way before…
After another cup of the dark brew and a bite to eat, although Tek carefully avoids any of the leftover beetle stew from the night before, the gnome is ready to go. Wary of any potential mischief caused by Zargon's followers during the hours of rest, the gnome is all to happy to let the big Cynidicean lead the way while he offers direction from a few paces behind. This being the third trip below, the gnome has little trouble getting the group back to the hidden chamber with its shadow spirit inhabitant.
Emenius listens to the descriptions and offers, "it sounds like you found the tombs of Alexander and Zenobia who were the last King and Queen of Cynidecia prior to the arrival of Zargon. Shortly after the arrival of Zargon the pair died under mysterious circumstances. So, maybe we can discover what actually happened."
I do enjoy a mystery. Solving that historical puzzle would be very satisfying.
Tekumbray nods at the elf. "Indeed it would be satisfying, especially if it helps us defeat Zargon and bring a little peace back to this city."
"And that would be the most beneficial thing of it all." Baheera adds.
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Gorn also pours himself a measure of the steaming hot brew as talk of the oncoming expedition goes forth.
"Oh dear, it looks like my cup is feeling a little playful."
True to his word, a small coffee-golem takes form, rising a few inches above the surface. A small body forms of the ever-flowing brown liquid and the head even has a little smile.
The coffee-homunculus goes through several silent dance numbers, including the Charleston, the Two-Step, and even a passable polka, after which it takes a small bow...then freezes into place.
Gorn breaks off the stiffened arm of the thing and pops it into his mouth. "Mmmmm. Delightful. I think there may be something to this 'ice coffee'. It could be big.
Um, I seem to recall that, among the many rumors and tales of how the last king and queen died, the chiefest theory was that that died of a wasting disease. This was most likely some spell cast by the newly freed Zargon, but one should be careful not to catch a cold there, in any case."
Cayde continues to scout ahead as directed. Once they get close, he pauses and asks quietly, "Is this the place? Shall we prepare for battle?"
Arriving outside the chamber where the more senior members of the party had encountered the apparition, you slowly open the door. Just as before the second someone steps foot into the chamber, the spectral figure rises from the stone box again.
The ghostly visage startles Aethorduil, Cayde, and Emenius, but Baheera, Tekumbray, and Gorn were prepared.
With al'Adhaa hovering invisibly at her side, Baheera raises a hand, sending a thundering blast of roiling eldritch energy at the spectral figure.
Tekumbray slips into the chamber and skirts the wall while drawing his shortbow and nocking an arrow. From the depths of the shadows he lets fly the mundane steel tipped shaft wondering if it will have much effect on the looming spirit. Waiting to see, he squishes himself back against the wall wrapping shadow about himself like a warm winter's cloak.
Terrible visage of the apparition causes a terrible sense of dread to well up inside of Tekumbray, Baheera, and Gorn.
The trio's assault, while not quite as effective as they would have liked, tears shreds into the ghostly form, in response the apparition begins to wail.
"Nope." The magi briefly considers the tactic of running the other way. Instead, he prays to Usamigaras causing a bell to toll.
Despite the tell-tale gong of Emenius's cantrip, it seems to have no effect on the ghostly figure.
Tekumbray had seen death before. His time in Sokkar had insured that. But never in the seven years, seven months and seven days of his tenure in that horrible city did he hear such a cry of death and doom. The ghostly wail seizes Tekumbray's heart like an ogre gripping a grape. Clutching his chest, the gnome gurgles once in pitiful defiance and collapses onto the cold hard floor.
"Get up!" Emenius commands the gnome.
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"Oh by Gorm's mighty bicep what horror hath been unleashed upon us?" Gorn yells in great alarm as his face goes white with terror. So menaced is he be the specter's presence that he barely notices his life drained away in its unearthly aura.
Still, Gorm taught us many things: Prayer cleanses the soul, but pain cleanses the body; Better crippled in body than corrupt in mind; and of course; If a job´s worth doing it´s worth dying for.
Gorn knew he could not advance, but also he would not retreat.
Roaring in defiance, Cayde surges into the room as he draws the magical heavy pick at his belt and *transforms* into something...not quite human.
Growing a long, sinuous tail that weaves around his body as he swings the weapon with a defiant yell!
Raging and growing a tail (form of the beast), then recklessly attacking the ghost before even noticing its fearsome appearance.
Baheera feels her heart seize up with stark terror, moments before her breathing stops, her body collapsing to the floor in a sudden heap.
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'Oh no," Gorn thinks as the enigmatic warlock also succumbs to the ghost's curse.
"No no, not time to sleep now, little one," he mutters, willing a modicum of healing into the fallen form.
w00t!
That done, he continues the attack on the specter.
Alas his FEAR keeps him from doing anything effectively.
Scared witless by the dreadful wail he is almost held in place but he manages to croak out a fell incantation and three magical bolts of energy streak out to impact the apprarition.
The apparition's wail drops both Tek and Baheera to the ground, but not for long as, despite their fear, Emenius's and Gorn's quick thinking and use of healing magic bring the pair back to consciousness.
Somewhat surprisingly, given his past, all but Tekumbray quake in fear of the ghostly visage. Aethorduil fights through his fear to launch three bolts of force at the figure, tearing through the apparition, but yet it remains.
"You do know that dying won't let you see me naked, right?" Mari's voice is the first thing Tekumbray hears as his mind slowly emerges from the black fugue that had so quickly engulfed it. As his eyes flicker open, his vision is filled by the smiling, aethereal faced bard. Her void black eyes crinkling to match the wry grin crossing her slightly elven features. A hand reaches up and plucks at the low cut blouse drawing away an odd, glittering strand of sparkling aether that slowly drifts apart and fades like pipe smoke in a summer breeze. "Like I said, you missed your chance. Basically I'm stuck in this stupid costume for the rest of eternity." She adds as the missing bit of blouse reforms.
Groggily blinking as he pushes himself upright, Tek tries to wave away the apparition, only to remember the second, much more horrifying apparition just a few paces away. Swallowing hard he checks on his companions and quickly breaks into a sweat.
"Oh by the gods." He whispers reaching for the flask of holy water granted by Kanadius. "It's like..."
"The Tomb of Al-Faisal." Mari says nodding her head thoughtfully as she rises and turns to follow Tek's gnomish gaze. "That's what I was thinking. How many of us died during that little fiasco? Three, four?" She scratches a delicate aethereal finger on her chin. The digit sinking in the length of her finger nail. "Fear certainly ran amok there didn't it."
"Poor..." Tek starts to say as he tries to shrink back into the shadows.
"Jakob. Yes, that was too bad. A brave lad. Too bad everyone else ran like rabbits in a fox den."
Tekumbray glares at the ghost, then recalls exactly where he was and what loomed across the room. Taking a deep breath, he uncorks the container of holy water. "Well, I'll not run this time." He says with much more determination than his shaking hands or pounding heart really felt. "No...not this..."
"Time. Right. You going to throw that thing or stand there talking to yourself all day long?"
"I'm talking to you, not mys..." He says, arm pulling back.
"How do you know I'm not you? Just some suppressed subconscious manifestation of frustration or fear"
"I...what?" He says flinging the vial directly at Mari, who just so happened to move directly in front of the malevolent apparition. She gives Tek a sultry wink before disappearing just as the flask passes through her and into the spirit spraying its contents upon the unholy creature.
Bleary-eyed and distracted by Mari, Tekumbray none-the-less makes a perfect throw with the vial of holy water, burning away more of the ghostly form.
+ 3 Thunder
Baheera reaches out to hurl a bolt of thunder and force at the apparition, but the shaky arm resultant from fear is not accurate.
The ghostly figure reaches out for Cayde and brushes the barbarian across the chest, despite the tail slap to try and deflect the attack. Cayde feels his very life force being drained as the apparition's hand touches him.
Seeing the ghost unaffected by his necrotic attack, the magi switches tactics. With a gesture from a shaking hand and an arcane word, he sends a bolt of fire at the spirit.
His skin turning gray as death’s pallor overshadows him, Cayde fights through the pain and the fear, doing what needs to be done to preserve his own life and that of his allies!
Emenius's bolt of fire tears through the apparition just before Cayde's pick finishes the ghostly figure off.
Emenius leans against a wall trembling in fear and adrenaline. The magi racks his brain trying to determine what and who was that thing. He starts looking around the room for clues.
Shakily getting off the floor, acutely aware of how close she'd come to death, Baheera hugs her self, trying to shake of the lingering terror. Beside her a tiny creature with leathery smoky bat-shaped wins, a barbed tail, and glittering, bronze horns flickers into visibility beside her, hovering attentively.
"I will be fine al'Adhaa, just a bit shaken up by that creature." she says, shaking of the worst of the emotional attack. Noting the surprise of her companions at her new familiar's sudden appearance she raises a hand to forestall any negative reactions. "Do not worry, al'Adhaa here is on our side. With the greater knowledge granted to me, I have summoned him as a loyal aide as we explore this place."
The flutterning imp gives a small bow, sharp eyes shrewdly studying each of the men in turn.
Shoulders sagging, Tekumbray breathes a heavy sigh of relief as the apparition fades into non existence. Picking his bow off the floor his stows it back over his shoulder while trying to deal with the aftereffects of his near death. He rubs at his hands and feet to clear out the odd tingling, prickly sensation while giving the imp a pleasant nod of greeting.
"That was unpleasant in the extreme." The gnome says as a general quiet replaces the undying wails of the spirit. "Is everyone okay?"
Breathing heavily as the surge of rage and adrenaline of fear leave him simultaneously, Cayde looks more pale than usual. ”It did something…supernatural…to me and I feel wounded somehow, if not physically,” he says with, puzzled at the sensation. ”Healing or a rest to recover would be nice, but not necessary,” Cayde adds, looking around the room now that the vengeful spirit is gone.
That was... unsettling. It maybe wouldn't hurt for you to take an hour or so.
He starts moving around the room with caution, exploring.
Don't let your guard down.. I wouldn't be surprised if there were an untriggered trap or such
As Emenius searches the room for clues, he asks, "let's see if we can rest here or just outside to ensure Cayde has recovered."
The room, much like when the original three had been here before is simple stone chamber with bare walls. An oblong stone box sits in them middle of the room, that the creature rose from moments ago.
Emenius searches the stone sarcophagus, but finds no sign of traps.
While Cayde is resting, Emenius searches the whole room for secrets and traps and finds bupkis. To his new companions, the magi casually declares, "I think that spirit was a banshee. Very dangerous. I wonder who it was. Anyone want to open the coffin to discover who it was?"
Nodding, Cayde sits down with his back in a corner and puts his pick across his lap. Leaning back, he takes deep breaths and focuses on letting his body recover from the recent trauma…
The dead are already disturbed... I admit to be curious enough to look with.
"Given that the worst we might find was already vanquished, it would be worth it to look." Baheera agrees.
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"I will be fine al'Adhaa, just a bit shaken up by that creature."
"You are welcome," Gorn mumbles unheard in the direction of the beautiful warlock. Surely he is beneath the attention of one so in touch with greater powers as that. He should not think on it. Such thoughts only take him further from his connection with Gorm.
"I'll open it," he says with confidence he does not feel, striding to the sarcophagus. "Such remains are not properly consecrated by the Rites of Gorm, and such HERESY has no protection from the living. IF there is anything of usefulness, I hereby reclaim it in the name of the forces of good, and take it as repayment for the harm it has just caused us."
Gorn opens the coffin.
Feeling that the Cynidiceans were wholly in the right to see to the dead Cynidiceans, Tekumbray slips politely and resolutely to and through the door when Gorn starts to pry the lid off the sarcophagus. Once clear, he slumps down against the wall, one shaking hand unsuccessfully trying to steady the other. But eventually, the after effects of the close brush with death subside leaving the gnome dozing lightly while the others explore the ancient remains.
While some of the party rests, the Cynidiceans proceed to open the stone sarcophagus.
Within the stone box lies an ornate wooden coffin. Within the coffin lies the remains of King Alexander. While seemingly most of the tomb was looted long ago, the banshee "guarding" the King's remains scared off those who would have previously tried open the tomb.
The desicated corpse of the King is still wearing his diamond beset, golden crown. The body is armored in the King's plate mail that shows no signs of decay or corrosion, neither does the greatsword clasped in the monarch's hands.
"Wow. These are the remains of King Alexander. We should leave his crown here, but we could use his armor and sword to help us. I can check if they're magical." Emenius offers before starting his ritual to detect magic.