After a day of investigating, you learn that a professor at the Ebon Mausoleum, one Bremeteria Veng, is an expert on spell catalysts and toxins, and would certainly know more about shadow ash. Telvir confrims that the design of the pouch Rumin's doses were contained in had fine workmanship normally only seen in use by Mechitar’s elite, like the Blood Lords.
Humerus -- ordered out of the lab by Telvir -- heads out to see if he can learn more about Bremeteria Veng. He gets distracted at first, but then suddenly hears Aily's voice in his head (or at least thinks about what she might coldly suggest if she were there) reminding him what he's supposed to be doing. You got it, blood boss! he thinks.
The "suggestions," whether real or not, prove most effective.
Caraid adopts a charm offensive in an attempt to secure an introduction to the famed Ms. Veng.
Telvir continues to analyze the shadow ash.
Satisfied with his work, he pores over the evidence.
Aily continues her underhanded but persistent pursuit at investigating incriminating evidence.
Further investigation reveals that Blood Lord Hyrune hasn’t been seen publicly for the past few days, further implicating that he knew what his agent Rumin was up to. Blood Lord Hyrune is a devotee of Urgathoa, and while he’s not a full member of her faith, he has been seen recently coming and going to and from the Cathedral of Epiphenomena.
Telvir confirms that when mixed over food that’s been laced properly with a combination of braingrit and tremor paste, shadow ash turns that food toxic so that those who eat it are prone to various necromantic contagions and are much easier to transform into undead after death. In concentrated doses (such as those found in the six crates on the Wyvern’s Wife), it can cause much swifter contagions resulting in quick death and transformation into a rotbomber. Had the poison been more evenly distributed through the ship’s cargo it would have gone unnoticed and would be well on its way to causing an international incident in Katapesh.
By speaking to Bremeteria, Caraid and Humerus also learn that the formula for shadow ash is quite hard to come by, as it was invented some years ago by a now disbanded sect of Urgathoans once known as the “Empty Chorus.” Shadow ash’s use as a spell catalyst was a happy accident of its creation, since the Empty Chorus supposedly was researching a food additive that would make even the most filling meal feel unsatisfying and hollow so as to urge those who ate to consume far more than they should. Since this group has gone away, existing doses of shadow ash have grown increasingly hard to come by. If there’s anywhere in Mechitar that would potentially know more about where the shadow ash Rumin had in his possession came from, it would be the Urgathoans of the Cathedral of Epiphenomena.
"Maybe we should go to this cathedral, blood boss?" Humerus suggests. "Too bad we don't know any Urgathoans. They would probably be helpful. Like a sprite champion or something..."
"I'm familiar with the faith of the Pallid Princess," Telvir assures Humerus. "And probably devout enough to get us inside that temple. I suggest we go there before they realize that we are on to them."
With his familiarity with Urgathoa's faith, Telvir knows that knows that the Empty Chorus was known to be an extremist sect in the church that believed the greatest path to understanding gluttony was to undertake periods of fasting punctuated by moments of unbridled consumption. Even among Urgathoans, members of the Empty Chorus were considered strange, and it was to no one’s shock when the Cathedral of Epiphenomena disbanded the group and shut down the isolated wing within the complex that housed these cultists—a place called the Yearning Sanctum.
The Cathedral of Epiphenomena is one of the larger complexes in Mechitar—a sprawling holy site devoted to Urgathoa that includes a pair of massive pyramids and a sprawling multi-level complex that connects the two underground. While the cathedral’s atrium and main temple are open to the public, most of the complex is not accessible, even to fellow worshippers of Urgathoa who hail from other lands. Exceptions, when made, are granted on a case-by-case basis, and typically only afford groups the right to visit a small portion or single wing of the cathedral. While the Yearning Sanctum has been abandoned for years, it’s certainly a place that the faithful are unlikely to allow just anyone to visit and explore, even if those people are Blood Lords.
Fortunately, you have curried a strong connection with one of the Great Factions of Geb--the Export Guild! It is easy for you to meet with the Venetta Xenopha, a mohrg who is the harbormaster at Ossum Harbor, to ask for the guild's support and sponsorship. Venetta agrees, but she warns you that she's putting her own reputation on the line to help you, and she's doing this only because she trusts you have the best interests of the Export Guild in mind.
The next day, Venetta gives you the good news that the church of Urgathoa has granted you permission to enter and explore the abandoned Yearning Sanctum, but you are not to enter other portions of the church. She supplies you with a single ivory and obsidian religious symbol of Urgathoa that glows faintly with pale light (equivalent to that of a candle). This is your pass into the Yearning Sanctum, and it must be presented to any temple guards or priests immediately upon request.
Before you are able to head to the Yearning Sanctum, you receive a curt sending spell from Kortash Khain: "Before you visit the cathedral, there is a matter of concern to us all that we must discuss. Come speak with me at once."
"Make sure that we send an appropriate thank you to Xenopha," Telvir notes. "Much easier to explore when we have permission."
"Off to see Kortash Khain first, I suppose."
"You got it, blood boss!" Humerus replies.
"Send. Appropriate. Note. To. Xenopha," he repeats to himself.
"I suppose we'd best go then." Caraid says with a sigh. At least its a reasonable time of day (just short of midday). "Anyone care to bet that he wants to make our job harder?"
Ceceka groans when Khain's voice speaks directly into his ear. "We've become Errand Lords." Even though he complains, he won't suggest not doing as Kortash Khain requests, because there's a reason they're still only Errand Lords: they need to earn what comes next.
Kortash Khain seems almost pleased to see you as you visit him in his quarters. Through the floating upper body of the ghoul he uses as his Voice, he speaks to you.
"Thank you for arriving so swiftly. I am sure I need not remind you of the rivalry here in Mechitar between the faiths of Urgathoa and Kabriri. I have suspected the church's influence over the ghost-king Geb has been in part behind his decision to remove the tithes to my realm of Nemret Noktoria. I have avoided any direct investigation or confrontation with the church out of a desire to avoid triggering further conflict, but now you are about to venture into the belly of the beast. If you can find any information while you're in the church of Urgathoa about any plans they might have for me or my realm, I will be very pleased, and very generous with my thanks."
Telvir makes a bow of an advisable depth to the ghoul king, "We will keep our eyes open. If the church is conducting or allowing seditious activities, they will certainly need to be dealt with."
"You got it, boss!" Humerus says, always happy to be helpful. The word play regarding going into the belly of the beast as a metaphor for entering the church of the goddess of gluttony goes right over his head.
Aily remains silent, though her calmness holds a disdain at her lord being summoned by anyone.
"Good, good," Kortash declares.
***
Once you are ready, you present yourselves to the temple guards at the Cathedral of Epiphenomena's entrance. As soon as you show the guards your religious symbol pass, the guards silently indicate you are to follow them—you are expected. You are led down two flights of steps into the deep chambers below the Cathedral’s southern pyramid, a journey that takes about 10 minutes to complete before your escorts take up a new post in a large hexagonal chamber. A 20-foot-wide hallway leads east from this chamber, sloping downward at a slight angle. The guards inform you that sentinels stand ready to escort you back out of the Cathedral as needed but won’t accompany you further east.
That tunnel continues for 60 feet before ending at a stone wall, in the middle of which rises a stone double door decorated with a carving of the goddess Urgathoa holding an upside-down cornucopia. A plume of dust pours from the empty container to pile at her skeletal feet. The bronze door handles have been melted together into a slag plug to seal the doors shut.
Aily looks over the door, a small frown on her lips as she sees no lock. Once she does another quick look for traps, she steps out of the way for Humerus "Open this, please." politeness in command is the maid's way, unless she's angry which seems about 50/50 now a days. Her hand twitches in desire to rub her small belly as she thinks about that, but she stops herself.
Telvir scratches Smoke's ears as he waits for Humerus to clear the way.
"You got it, blood boss!"
Humerus tugs on the door. "It's pretty stuck, blood boss. Hold on!"
He tugs it a couple more times before it suddenly opens, startling him to the point he almost falls backward as it finally releases.
Ceceka is the wall Humerus bounces against. He helps the skeleton to recover from his encounter with the stone door and then lets go of him. "Good job. Let's see what is inside. They must have melted the door handles together for a good reason, so be prepared."
Much of this vast rectangular chamber consists of a twenty-foot-deep pit, the floor of which is scattered with a layer of bones and rubble. A ten-foot-wide bridge crosses the middle of the pit, connecting the room’s opposite sides. To the east, a ten-foot-wide archway opens into a flight of stairs leading up. Alcoves along the pit walls contain what appear to be mummified giants.
No sooner have you entered the room than two enormous skeletons rise up from the pit, opening their jaws wide! You begin to feel oddly hungry...
"Wasteful and messy. Such creations should not just be wandering around," Telvir scoffs. He gestures and the other bones in the pit try to hold and batter the skeletons.
for
Range 60 feet; Area 20-foot radius on the ground
Saving Throw Reflex
Hundreds of skeletal arms erupt from the ground in the area, clawing at creatures within and attempting to hold them in place. The skeletal arms deal 6d6 slashing damage. Each creature in the area must attempt a Reflex save.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
Success The creature takes half damage.
Failure The creature takes full damage and a –10-foot circumstance penalty to its Speeds for 1 round.
Critical Failure The creature takes double damage and is immobilized for 1 round or until it Escapes.
Heightened (+1) The damage increases by 2d6.
Ceceka steps up to the challenge and strikes at one of the enormous skeletons. "Die!"
Caraid looks curiously at the skeletons, attempting to work out what makes them special.
Then he shrugs and flicks a blast of power at them.
Caraid only knows that these skeletons are unusually huge. He blsats one with divine power as Ceceka rushes in and strikes one, though his fauchard's slashing edge doesn't hurt the skeleton as much as it should. They likewise resist Telvir's spell.
The skeleton Ceceka hit bites him, but fails to grab a hold and misses with its claw.
The other skeleton moves to the edge of the pit and breathes forth a spray of bone shards at the rest of you!
Suspecting something like this Caraid is actually quick enough to dodge most of the bones and he moves away from the rest of the group to make sure it doesn't happen, before firing another bolt of power.
Telvir frowns deeply as the bones pierce him, and his eyes darken as he unleashes his full power. Bone scraps and loose stone crash down on the skeletons and Smoke continues to attack.
As Ceceka prepares to attack, Telvir shouts a word of encouragement in a strange language.
for
HP 169/190
AC 34 / 35 in Mountain Stance or 37 if use Mountain Stronghold
Resistance 3 to cold, electricity, fire, piercing, and slashing damage
Fort +21, Ref +21, Will +19 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
Humerus manages to avoid the worst of the bone shards, especially as some simply go through the space between his own bones where he lacks any flesh to pierce.
"Hold on, blood boss!" he calls as he rushes to Ceceka's side.
Aily turns to the side, almost bored as she finds the perfect opening to the bone shards tearing through the air. Not a one finds her flesh or skirts. The maid twirls then swiftly shoots to the skeleton her companions are destroying, drawing her wicked dagger as she moves.
Acting purely on instinct, Ceceka bites back at the skeleton. It isn't very effective, but it does help and vents some of his anger.
Telvir's bombardment is quite effective, battering the giant skeletons. As Aily and Humerus enter the fray, the first of the foes collapses into scattered bones!
The remaining skeleton snaps its jaws, grabbing Aily up in its mouth! It attempts to swallow her whole, but the rogue fights back and manages to avoid sliding down its gullet!
Telvir aims a chunk of debris at the remaining skeleton and commands Smoke to attack it.
for
for
for
HP 169/190
AC 34 / 35 in Mountain Stance or 37 if use Mountain Stronghold
Resistance 3 to cold, electricity, fire, piercing, and slashing damage
Fort +21, Ref +21, Will +19 (+1 vs. disease and poison; +2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude DC vs. Grapple and Swallow Whole; +2 circumstance bonus vs. being Shoved or Tripped while in Mountain Stance, +1 vs. fear)
Hero points: 3
Effects:
"Whoa, boss, it doesn't work! All the food just falls out!" Humerus admonishes the skeleton as he speaks from personal experience in the times that he forgot he's not really supposed to eat or drink.
The head maid of the newest bloodlord's does not fancy being eaten today, so simply slips into the shadows that the enormous skeleton's mouth produces, and then out again behind the thing, and stabs it.
Ceceka uses the distraction that Aily provides to land a brutal blow.
Aily reappears before Caraid has to do anything drastic so he just keeps helping as best he can.
The massive skeleton doesn't last long against your furious assault, bolstered primarily by Telvir's empowered projectile and Ceceka's critical strike! The guardian crumbles, and the way forward is clear.
Past the carrion pit is a flight of stairs leading up. The walls of this ten-foot-wide stairwell are fully decorated with disgusting carvings of all manner of creatures—humanoid or otherwise—all simultaneously gorging on food and vomiting even as their cleverly-carved eyes seem to follow movement. The faint stink of bile lingers in the air.
Telvir grimaces at the paintings, "This aspect of the Pale Lady's worship has never interested me. It's wasteful, the opposite of good, solid necromancy."
The air around Aily turns bitterly cold as she looks on the carvings in obvious disdain. Given what one could know about Aily, if they cared to notice, she is a rather neat and orderly kind of person. And this is nothing like that.
Ceceka shoots Telvir an annoyed look. Unlike the elf, Ceceka does appreciate the art and what it depicts. "Excess and wastefulness go hand in hand. One cannot exist without the other."
He then returns his attention to the matter at hand. "Are you alright, Aily? We should take a moment to address our wounds and then continue."
Aily bobs her head slightly at the warrior "My wounds could slow us down." the rending tooth induced gashes look more than a little slowing, but she simply moves to Caraid "If I can impose of your good will, my lord?"
A groan follows a sigh. "Get it on with already, Caraid. We got a temple to cleanse and who knows, if we're lucky enough a goddess to please." It is then that Ceceka realizes his phrasing is highly unfortunate and promptly shuts up.
Caraid dispenses healing until everybody is back to full capacity. You begin to ascend the stairs. However, you fail to notice the magical trap in place! The stink of bile suddenly grows as the myriad mouths carved into the walls begin to vomit forth a deluge of acidic slurry!
Success The creature takes 4d6 acid damage and is sickened 1.
Failure The creature takes 8d6 acid damage, is sickened 2, and is knocked prone.
Critical Failure The creature takes 16d6 acid damage, is sickened 3, is knocked prone, and then tumbles down the stairs. The fall ends once the creature reaches the next lowest landing. A creature that falls down the steps takes an additional 4d6 bludgeoning damage (DC 32 basic Reflex save) from the tumble, regardless of the total distance traveled.
Before you can react, a fresh batch of hot vomit barrels towards you!
Aily easily sidesteps the first spewing hot vomit, but is unprepared for the second which knocks her to her bottom. With a pure rage filled glare at the expelling point, she gets up and blinds the magical sensor with ruthless efficiently.
While the acid gnaws away at his skin, Ceceka recognizes the carvings on the wall as depictions of the Empty Chorus. He needs to dig deep but manages to remember one of their mantras. He recites it, hoping his (genuine) dedication to Urgatoa will give them free passage.
Or at the very least, just him.
"Disgusting. I can see why this area was closed off," Telvir snears. Smoke messily shakes vomit from his fur.
Caraid ends up covered in vomit. It is one of the most unpleasant experiences he can ever remember. Everything has to wait until he can deal with the issue - which means removing the stains and the smell, not just the injuries!
Fortunately, the trap proves to be a painful and disgusting but minor threat. After healing and cleaning, you proceed up the stairs to the doors at the top.
The doors open into an octagonal chamber. Double doors exit to the east and the south. To the north, the wall has been carved into a massive depiction of a woman’s face—the left half of which is a skull. It is a depiction of Urgathoa.
Two vampires stand guard before the southern double door. One of them takes a stern step forward. "This area is off limits to visitors by order of the church," he says. "You must leave this place at once."