The Maidens do not know what Yniesse planned to do next. She did not share her plans with them.
The sun has begun to set by the time you reach the Gray district. As you explore the area, you note just how deserted the district seems to be. The graveyard is all but deserted as you stroll about, looking for clues as to Yniesse's disappearance.
As soon as the sun slips below the horizon, tough, mist coils from the ground, quickly forming into the ghostly image of Queen Ileosa! Ileosa laughs, becoming more substantial as bloody, spectral bodies appear to pile under her feet. As a wave of fear washes over you, the manifestation quickly fades away!
Dewdrop flinches at the mental onslaught, but manages to resist most of the effects. She takes a few calming breaths before snapping into action.
"Quickly, check the area for anyone that may have been creating the effect!" she commands. The sorceress moves to the center of where it appears and examines the area for magical traces and other clues.
Remy completely resists the mental attack with an effort of will. Dewdrop does not detect any magic auras in the area, and neither she nor Edric find any clues as to what may have caused the manifestation.
"It seems like that could very well have been Ileosa's spirit," Remy muses. "Or at least a fragment of it. Ugh, I hate haunts and ghosts. You can't just kick them away!"
Dewdrop nods. "We'll have to find a map of the city and plot the known appearances," she says. "In the meantime, we should continue to search for the missing commander."
She flutters up to Edric's shoulder.
"Let's try over there," she says with a gesture towards some older mausoleums.
"Oh, wait. Let me deal with our injuries, first," she says before casting a series of spells.
You wander the graveyard some more as the moon rises in the night sky. After a bit, a scuttling from a nearby partially completed vault gets your attention. Long, red legs emerge, as an enormous, spiderlike creature squeezes out of the entrance that should be too small for its grotesque bulk! The elephant-sized monstrosity has a face that is neither that of a skull nor spider, but some horrid mix of the two. It fixes its gaze upon you...
Dewdrop flutters a few steps closer and then unleashes a blast of ice and sleet at the creature.
The creature doesn't flinch as the ice pelts it. It appears to be immune to cold!
The thing scuttles to within 30 feet of your group, then opens its maw wide, trying to draw in your blood and life force!
"Cold doesn't do it for you, eh?" the sprite questions, keeping her cool in spite of the blood running from her eyes. "How about electricity, then?"
A powerful arc snaps through the air, striking the otherworldly creature.
She follows it up with a spell of healing on herself.
Once more, Remy stands unperturbed by the blood drain attack. She flips her hair back and gives the crimson monster a smirk. "That the best you got? My turn."
Dropping into her Dragon Stance, the monk swiftly dashes around the other side of the creature and delivers a flurry of dragon tail kicks!
The monster avoids being stunned by Remy's strike, and it dodges some of the lightning. The electricity proves quite effective, though, as the monster is weak to it! The creature attacks Remy, slashing her with a claw and battering her with a paralytic tentacle. The monk brandishes her Sihedron medallion to block some of the damage, but the claw still leaves a deep, bleeding wound.
"Ah, so it is electricity. Nice to now," Dewdrop says with a grin as she releases a second bolt of lightning, followed by more healing on herself.
Remy gives in to the infection rage, roaring in fury! She glimpses the monster's vulnerability as she unleashes a flurry of sweeping kicks!
The monster once more resists being stunned by Remy's strike, and it dodges some of the lightning. Edric lands two powerful hits this time, leaving the thing badly injured. It turns on the iruxi, managing to hit with its claws. Remy raises her amulet to absorb some of the pain.
With two mighty blows, Edric finishes off the strange monster! It crumples in a heap at his feet.
Dewdrop wipes the blood from her face and ponders the beast.
"I'm not sure," she says finally. "It seems vampiric, but very 'other worldly'. I haven't read anything about it." She looks around. "We should look for any signs that Yniesse encountered this creature to her misfortune."
Remy focuses her ki inward to heal her injuries, then spends several minutes in meditation to regain her focus before nodding her readiness.
You continue to search through the graveyard. After another hour or so, you come upon a trio of men and women clad in dark, hooded robes and mourning veils. They call to you as you approach. "Hail! We seem to have lost track of the time and got caught out here later than we intended. Might you be so kind as to escort us back home to Old Korvosa?"
Edric senses something off about the people, though. He can see dark pools of shadows in their eyes where their pupils should be...
The people scowl as they doff their hoods, revealing pale skin, black, shadowy eyes, and mouths full of sharp fangs. They hiss as they move to attack, their shadows solidifying around their fingers to create wickedly sharp claws!
The creatures leap upon Edric, slashing at him. Two of them grab a hold of the burly iruxi.
"This is simply unacceptable," Dewdrop declares in disgust. "The Gray District is in serious need of pest control. Someone should inform Her Highness."
She directs a blast of holy light at one of the creatures attacking Edric.
Dewdrop scores a critical hit with her searing light, badly burning one of the undead. Edric hews down one of the creatures grabbing him, then Remy enters her Dragon Stance and kicks at the other one that has a hold on the iruxi.
The one holding Edric tries to sink its fangs into the barbarian's neck, but he holds the undead off with his prodigious strength!
The other one claws at Remy, but she dodges away with acrobatic grace!
Having found something that works, Dewdrop sticks with it, sending another blast of holy light at the same foe.
Dewdrop blasts the undead clinging to Edric, who then dispatches it with two mighty strikes. Remy unleashes a flurry of blows on the last creature, temporarily stunning it.
The monster shakes off the stun and turns to flee, racing off into the graveyard!
Dewdrop considers blasting the creature again, but as Edric races after it, she decides to let the angry saurian have some fun and follows along.
With her enhanced speed, Remy easily keeps pace with the fleeing monster. As Edric slices into it, the monk delivers a trio of heavy kicks, taking it down!
Dewdrop seems most put out.
"Still no sign of Yniesse," she grumbles. "If these things didn't leave a trail then let's look for a little while longer. If nothing, then we're just to have to tell her companions that we couldn't find her."
"We could also try asking at the temple of Pharasma," Temy suggests. "They've got a lot going on with the bishop's death, but somebody there might have seen her."
Edric follows the tracks the undead left behind. They lead all the way through the Gray District to the Cathedral of Pharasma.
The Cathedral of Pharasma overlooks acres of squat mausoleums, weathered monuments, and grave markers from its commanding point within the Gray District. The dark stone blocks of its high walls give it a somber appearance, despite the elegant lines of its construction and the intricate stained glass windows. A twenty-foot-wide cobblestone path leads to the main entrance, while a smaller stone outbuilding sits nearby. Carvings of the Lady of Graves flank the ornate main double door to the south, while a smaller, plain door offers entry to the cathedral’s northern wing. The temple is currently closed, its doors locked tight.
There is no initial response to Edric's knocking. The lizardfolk persists, and after a few minutes, a middle-aged man and woman emerge from the smaller outbuilding and approach. "Terribly sorry, but the cathedral is closed for the night," the man says. "If you've come to mourn our dear departed Bishop Keppira, you'll have to return during the day, I'm afraid."
The two groundskeepers exchange a look. The woman scratches her head. "Undead? In the cathedral? That seems strange, indeed. We don't know a whole lot about the goings-on within, but I'm sure if you come back tomorrow, some of the priests there would be able to help you."
Her gaze fixed on the cathedral, Dewdrop breaks out of her reverie with Edric's words. "Rest? Oh ... oh, yes. We should do that and return."
You retreat for now, returning to your lodgings to rest overnight. The next morning, you reconvene and return to the Cathedral of Pharasma. This time, you can see a line of people patiently queuing up to pay their respects to Bishop Keppira d'Bear. Two priests stand before the doors, allowing groups of no more than a dozen at a time into the cathedral to “minimize disruptions to the clergy’s mourning process and the rituals required to select a new high priest.”
When you start to question the priests, they direct you to speak to acting bishop Abridan Ashau. They escort you through the vestibule to a meeting room to wait for him. A staircase ascends along the edge of this comfortable lounge. Four leather armchairs cluster around a low table. A modest fireplace stands in the corner opposite the stairs. Over the mantel, an elaborate macrame tapestry of gray wool depicts Pharasma’s spiral. Much of the western wall is filled with shelves of ledgers and documents.
You do not have to wait long before Abrdian enters. He nods in greeting, tracing the shape of Pharasma's spiral with his staff. "Blessings of the Lady of Graves upon you. How may I be of assistance?"
Abridan frowns. "I have heard tales of the former queen's ghost allegedly appearing. I had written them off as fearmongering by agents of New Thassilon or the Gray Maidens. I've intended to launch my own investigation once the cathedral resumes normal operations following the mourning of Bishop Keppira.
"But you say you tracked undead back to this cathedral? That seems unlikely. Do you have proof of this claim?"
Dewdrop raises an eyebrow at Abridan's skepticism.
"We're agents of Her Majesty set upon the task of rooting out the source of Ileosa's phantasms," she says with all the confidence born of managing ego-inflated young adults on a daily basis. "If our word isn't proof enough then I will have no other option than to question your motives and/or allegiances."
She tips her head expectantly.
"Is that where you'd like this conversation to lead?"
Abridan narrows his eyes. "Well. If what you say is true, then I will need to conduct an immediate investigation! I would ask that you give me until tomorrow evening to get to the bottom of what might be happening within the cathedral. I will meet with you again to discuss the results of my findings and what further action we should pursue."