GM Zoomba's Secluded Tomb Siege (PFS 3-09 & 3-14) (Inactive)

Game Master Zoomba

"Alright, awesome work everyone!" Manny claps as the last undead is rendered to ash.

He turns to the mummy's remains. "Rest easy, Rehmet I..." He makes a prayer. "Shylye, help guide her to the afterlife. Hopefully she can find her soulmate."

He looks up. "Uh... Moonlight. You here? Maybe we can locate that dwarf the mummy mentioned."

As the last undead crumbles, Itka slumps. "Hmp. Anyone have any ideas where to find him?" While awaiting an answer, she chants for a moment, then opens her mouth to allow a wave of black-winged butterflies and huge death's-head hawkmoths to flow from it. They flutter around, landing on the splatters of blood on the floor, then return to alight on her shoulders and in her hair. Casting Moth's Supper

Healing: 2d4 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6

She then commences with binding her wounds.

Treat Wounds DC 15: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
Treat Wounds healing: 2d8 ⇒ (8, 8) = 16
Moth's Supper healing: 4d4 ⇒ (3, 2, 1, 4) = 10
Itka should be at 50/62 now.

Zenith gives a big sigh of relief as the last undead falls. They take a brief moment to let themself down on on knee and clutch their moon medallion. Thank you....thank you both. Your light guides me, protects me... Zenith continues to pray silently for a moment before rising back to both feet.

The duskwalker looks around for Moonlight, feeling his essence nearby. "It's safe now. Let's get you patched up" they say assuringly as they attempt to look directly at the invisible cleric, but only vaguely looks in his direction.

"Hmm..." Zenith waits for Moonlight to show himself, eager to offer the light of the stars to restore his essence.

Zenith will lay on hands for +18 to Moonlight once he is visible. And then if the party wants, Zenith can continue to provide 18hp to the party every 10 min.

When the skeleton goes down, Anjo lowers his chin and sighs. He then pulls out his herbs and begins to treat his own wounds. Refocusing, he makes eye contact with the witch.

"You probably saved my life just now, so let us call it even."

Natural Medicine on Anjo vs DC 15 wHerbs: 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 14 + 2 = 17 Anjo fumbles with his poultice and can't seem to patch up his wounds physically.

After 10 minutes, he casts soothing mist on himself and then refocuses while he offers natural medicine to anyone else who needs it.

Soothing Mist Anjo: 4d8 ⇒ (2, 6, 7, 4) = 19

Natural Medicine vs Dc 15 Moonlight or Manny?: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26
Crit Heal: 4d8 ⇒ (2, 1, 3, 2) = 8

Content to sit here and heal up fully before moving on.

As you collect yourselves and begin to heal your wounds Manny's arm suddenly begins to burn a bit, then his stomach. Franzine finds herself feeling similar pain mere moments later - and to her its an all-too familiar feeling as he flesh seems to be rotting rapidly!

Manny and Franzine, please make another DC 26 Fort save

After the above saves you can theoretically take all the time you want to heal or do what you wish. With the chaos of fighting no longer distracting you looking around the room with Religion, Occultism, or Planar/Shadow Plane Lore could help you Recall some insights.

Can Manny do that Peformance thing where a person can use his performance score for a save?

Franzine throws up her arms in jubilation.
"Hooray! We did it! Nice work every—"
An excruciating pain grips her entire body.
"Owww!"
Fortitude: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19
Last Hero Point...
Fortitude: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30
Nice.

The pain dissipates and Franzine hurries to help heal her friends.

Only works on certain saves (would have worked against the maftet skeletons' scream attacks for example). This is from the lingering effects of the Mummy Rot they failed an initial save on during the fight, and unfortunately Counter-Performance wouldn't be able to apply there.

"Well, that was easy." He feels his arm twitch. "Wait a sec."

Manny tries to reach for his >Moderate Antiplague< and drinks it down.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 13 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 13 + 3 = 21 I haven't rolled double digits since round 2
Hero Point: 1d20 + 13 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 13 + 3 = 24 ...

The Antiplague doesn't help. "Oh, that's not good. We'll need to get out here, pronto. I think the pharaoh left me a parting gift, but I don't want it."

"Hmp. Then let's hurry to find the dwarf." Itka hobbles forward to check the sarcophagus, just in case there are hints there, and shares what she finds (spoiler open) before doing a more thorough search for where he might be hiding.

Shadow Plane Lore: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13
Uh-oh. No Hero Point left to change that nat 1.

Franzine feels fine...for now, but Manny is a different story. The bard's rotting skin wracks and distracts him. What's worse, is as you all patch up your wounds you find that neither first aid nor divine or primal magics seems to help him recover from that rot!

Manny: unfortunately the damage from this rot doesn't seem to be able to be healed (at least while the cursed disease is still afflicting you). Which means until that is taken care of you can only heal up to 56 of your 85 HP. (You're also Stupefied 2; this condition on its own is going to last at least until scenario's end, but unlike the damage could theoretically be reduced/removed if any of you have the abilities to treat that condition)

Assuming you are taking the time and everyone will be after ~30 min fully healed (with Manny's exception above). Itka doesn't know anything more about the room (but luckily no crit-fail penalty here), but others could attempt to Recall if they'd like.

"Now... what was... in the... uh..." Manny feels woozy.

"I have this scroll of >Restoration<... can anyone use this? I feel a bit... stupider than usual."

Ha! I never get to use this school item!

Appearing suddenly, Moonlight looks bruised and burned, the shame he carries as a result of his physical body damaged evident with the increased height he lifts his chin and nose to affect. With a bit of a pained walk, he heads over to address Manny ”You are manic. Here...” taking the scroll, he recites the text which levitates from the page, and joining with his soft breath, swirls into a soothing sandy orange mist of divine radiance, removing the bard’s stupefaction.

Hammid uses the Restoration scroll on Manny

He turns his attention here to his own wounds now, employing balms and colored wraps, the bandages matching his handsome Osirion outfit in color, somehow not dampened simply by virtue of being within the Shadow Plane, his own Will too imposing for the typical planar draining of color.

Medicine (Expert, Gloves, +2 EA) w/ Ancestral Longevity (+2) vs DC 20: 1d20 + 15 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 15 + 2 = 312d8 + 10 ⇒ (4, 2) + 10 = 16
Critical Success: 2d8 ⇒ (3, 5) = 8

In a few moments, the color of his gorgeous curves return, vitality restored him, and knowing he looks good, he advances the following thought: ”First, and Last, of her reign. Hail Rahmet I, The Unraveled Mummy!”

With a Refocusing meditation, Hammid once again ponders the mysteries of the Shadow Pyramid!

Zenith looks around the room, and reads the text of the sarcophagus aloud, "wife and loyal priestess to 'the glorious pharaoh Rhenet, taken but not to be lost'..." They pause. After looking around and thinking for a moment, Zenith continues, "Hopefully this isn't part of a greater scheme with Rhenet."

Shadow Plane Lore: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (10) + 10 = 20

"Oh! This was the pharaoh's wife?" Manny feels a fog fade from his mind as Moonlight purges the mental effects of the mummy's curse from his mind. "No wonder she was so mad at me."

"Reminds me of these twins I used to date..." Manny catches himself as his arm twitches. "Uh, I can aid you. Who's the best at this? I have a Heroism spell waiting for you."

The sooner we save that dwarf, the sooner we can complete this mission. And the sooner we can save my arm...

Manny will try to Aid Lore checks at a +7 bonus.

If no one is making further checks, Manny will attempt Occultism +9, Religion +11, Perception +11 checks to look for clues to understand the nature of this chamber. Was this more than Khisisi's burial chamber?

"If that was his wife, I hope we don't meet him. I think I've had enough beatings for the day."

Hobbling about, Franzine takes a look around the room with the others.
Religion: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

"We need to figure out how to get to that dwarf and get him back to our world. Any ideas?"

Minor clarification in case unclear earlier (also a lot of combat happened since): 'her' wife. The pharaoh Rehenet I was a woman

While a bit less certain as to the meaning of the ceiling's map, Manny looks about the room and its many sarcophagi. While it does seem to have been built to hold them, the grand size and layout makes the bard suspect it wasn't just intended as a burial chamber. There are strange - and mostly dormant - magics laced into the stonework that seems to be focused here. You think this may have been built also as some sort of 'control chamber' for the pyramid.

Moonlight Zenith and Franzine meanwhile spend time analyzing the planar map above you all. It's a map of the Great Beyond - accurate enough, if laid out in a somewhat outdated style from modern planar understanding - and on careful examination seems to also contain a traced and planned route. It looks like the intent was to guide this pyramid through the planes from here to the "Dark Desert" the Shadow Plane/The Netherworld. In fact: a few artistic flourishes and 'extraneous' icons make it clear to Franzine that they were specifically attempting to search for and find Rehenet I and guide the pyramid to her.

Re the dwarf: for those of you who saw him, he seemed to be on the Shadow Plane/The Netherworld equivalent of this room. And you know from your previous knowledge that you can use these Umbral Vises to travel from the Material Plane to the Netherworld and back

"So they really were looking for her..." Manny looks full of sorrow. "Second Cousin Layla slew a vampire lord by dragging him through a portal to Hell. We spent a year looking for her..." He falls quiet for a bit.

"Let's use the Umbral Vises to go to the Netherworld..." Manny perks up. "I can't believe I said that. But we may be able to rescue that dwarf."

Moonlight nods, seeing his companion’s senses restored to him...

Heading to the Umbral Vise in the room, Manny spends a minute re-powering it from the 'off' state Moonlight left it in. Once ready, he flicks one of the boxes switches as you all are gathered close and...

You all suddenly look around and see a room that is both the same and different. Many of you had seen this place before during the battle, but for the rest: its general shape and size is the same but everything is dark and dim. The ceiling is still adorned with a painted map but the planes depicted seem in a different alignment. The sarcophagus on the raised dais is not positioned shoved hard against the stairwell behind you.

The Umbral Vise is still sitting and glowing in its same position, though its glow gives off even deeper shadows. There is also a shaved-headed dwarven man who looks wearily at you as you all appear. And then as you remain looking back at him and not disappearing he starts and breaks out into cries in Common and unleashes questions at you in rapid succession

Wait, you're here! Staying here this time. Oh thank the Gods. Are you Pathfinders? Can you get me back? What's going on on the Mateiral Plane? Is the mummy still there? Have you seen Janahar and Yawellis?

'New' Map added

"Yes! We're Pathfinders!" Franzine says as she steps forward.
"You must be Tetabu. We found your friends and thank goodness we found you!"

"Come on, we'll answer more questions once we get out of here. The longer we stay here the more attention we'll gather."

Manny waves at the dwarf, beckoning him to join.

Once he's close enough, Manny will return them to the Shadow Plane.

Another clarity note (b/c its weird to be fair): The Shadow Path you walked to go from the Sothis Lodge to here was on the Shadow Plane/Netherworld, but when you finally reached the pyramid it depoisted you in the pyramid on the Material Plane. You've been on the Mateiral Plane all this time so far. Tetabu was on the Shadow Plane/Netherworld

Excellent. Excellent. Tetatbu says as he approaches you and tries to give Franzine a hug in relief (tries slowly enough she can dodge or decline if she wishes) Seems everywhere we turned in this blasted place there was something The dwarf is more than happy to approach Manny and be taken back to the Material Plane.

Once there, he looks around, taking in the scattered shattered bones and piles of wrappings. So, it is safe to be back in home now then. Good. Janahar and I were poking around with one of these boxes and got brought right into the Nether. Tried to go back quick enough but by then there were dead swarming about the crossroad so we set out to try and find a different way through. Course we got separated from each other when a trap went off in that crystal room. Couldn't move the slab blocking the passage away myself so kept going, but then there was a big damned dog tried to savage me. Barely slipped past 'im to here, blocked to door too so he couldn't get in. But No other way out but shifting Planes, and when I tried almost got attacked by those dead that were here. Well trapped I was.

Tetabu looks to you. But path's cleared now? We can get back to Sothis? Have Yawellis and Janahar already gone back there? They were alive, weren't they?

"Hmm... we're still looking for Janahar." Manny coughs. "We may have to figure out which room Janahar is in, on the Shadow Plane. A crystal room? Might be the best place to search."

Franzine welcomes the dwarf's hug.
"So glad you're safe." she says as she hugs back.

"Hmm... we're still looking for Janahar." Manny coughs. "We may have to figure out which room Janahar is in, on the Shadow Plane. A crystal room? Might be the best place to search."

There were black crystals in a sort of trough in the center of the room. There was another of these boxes there too, but when I tried to examine it a trap went off.

From his description he seems to be indicating a room about where the room with the natron pool was - though his descriptors indicate it looks a bit different in the Netherworld

"Alright. Sounds like a plan. Let's head over to the natron pool, enter the Netherworld and check it out. Be ready for anything."

He turns to the dwarf. "You can stay in the pyramid or head home. You've done a great service for the Society already."

Anjo continues to cast soothing mist to heal his wounds and refocus while the others explore the netherworlds.

Soothing mist lvl 4 on Anjo: 4d8 ⇒ (1, 5, 6, 1) = 13

Hammid says "Allow me, my guardians, to soothe my burns a little more, and restore my own strength, before heading out" and continues to rub elven balms upon his glistening skin.

If allowed, he continues the treatment upon himself to the full hour. (+24 more HPs)

Moonlight and Anjo can continue to tend to the party (and to Tetabu's cuts and bruises) until all are fully healed.

Then, following Manny's lead all seven of you now make your way back through the grand gallery and damaged crypt to the natron pool chamber. Manipulating the Umbral Vise in that room shifts you all once again into the Netherworld. The overall shape of the room looks much the same, but instead of fine bright natron the crumbling stone basin in the room's center is filled with gritty black crystals.

The doorway to the north and the ossuary room stands open, but the southern door is blocked off on this plane by a massive stone slab fallen down from a hole in the ceiling. Tetabu points to that and explains Triggered something here that caused that thing to slam down. Janahar was still in the room back there indicating to the south/'map left' on the opposite side of the blocked door but the stone was too heavy to move by myself.

A reminder: in the Netherworld all your wayfinders or other light sources have their radii halved

Zenith looks briefly around the room before asking, "Lets see if we can find anything that might raise the door, or we could try lifting together?"

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

Zneith scans the area. Unfortunately there isn't any clear switch of trigger the kayal can find. The good news is that the slab seems to have been wedged into place at an angle that gives some space for those on this side to get a grip on to drag out of the way.

The slab is 10 Bulk. Working together, you should be able to move it enough to clear a path through.

"Hmp. Can we go back to the Material Plane, enter the other room, and re-enter the Shadow Plane? Might be easier."

"I figure with my >Lifting Belt< I can almost move it..." Manny pokes the rock a few times.

Manny's Lifting Belt can lift up to 8 Bulk effortlessly. So maybe 2 of us can move it out of the way.

"But we can try to skip over this back home if you want, in the Material Plane. We might be coming in hot, though, if there's something undead in there."

I feel like this is the 2nd time you've unintendedly reminded me about Zenith's lifting belt lol

Zenith also activates their lifting belt, "Should be easy with the two of us..."

Zenith gets in position and is ready to lift if Manny and the group decide on this route.

"Oh, cool. You have a belt, too! Let's pick it and drop it next to the entryway. One! Two!"

Manny activates the belt, lifts it overhead and tosses it to the side like it's a pebble. "Easy! Now, what's in here?"

Wow. Lots of posts on a Sunday.

Franzine helps with brute strength to lift the slab.
"I sure hope Janahar is in there. And still alive." she bites her lip in worry.

Together you move the slab away and are able to go through the once-blocked door!

The room beyond is much like the chamber where you fought those strange shanrigols, though the chests about the room are all empty. The walls however are still covered in the same sort of paintings as on its Material Plane counterpart - art of human warriors and winged maftets battling Set for possession of a caged falcon - though they look a bit different

Unfortunately Janahar is not present in the room. Anjo however notices several footprints leading back to the west.

With no trouble, Hammid patiently waits for his stronger guardians to remove the rocks.

Perception (Expert, Level Bump) vs DC 20: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23

"It seems this mural's twin have correspondingly opposite fading - as if history itself intends to flow differently here in the Netherworld..." sharing his insight with the group.

Anjo will immediately set the owner of those tracks as his prey. And technically that triggers Monster Hunter

Anjo scans the footprints. They're those of a booted humanoid, about five-and-a-half feet tall, likely female.

Following their trail takes the ranger back through the crossway and to the room with the three pools. The footprints lead into it, but the door to the room is shut.

"Oh boy, the pools. Again." Manny shudders. "Is the door locked? Hopefully our last friend is inside."

Manny really, really wants to lead... but the burning sensation in his arm and the angelic voice in his head are both screaming no.

"Hmp." Itka scowls at the closed door to the pool room. She's not keen on dying again. Hopefully her lethal dowsing will count as good enough here (and not count against her in some spiteful way). "Hmp. Who wants to be the lucky door opener?"

"Should we try calling out her name and listen for a response?”
Franz suggests.

Or I could bang my sword on my shield for a 90% chance to attract wandering monsters. (For those of you that know old school D&D.)

Moonlight shrugs with some annoyance.

Conjuring his divine light, he enrobes himself in a veil of undeath, his "skin" rapidly "dessicating" on the spot, mummy rags wrapping his arms and legs, and so disguised, proceeds to open the door!

◆◆) Mimic Undead to Impersonate a Mummy!

Impersonate (Deception, Trained, EA) w/ +4 Mimic Undead: 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 12 + 4 = 27

Moonlight was a mummy all this time? Manny clutches tightly onto his whip.

Now garbed as the undead, Moonlight slides the door open with aplomb.

The room inside is just as rectangular as you remember, but is almost entirely dark. Only a tiny, fragile bubble of light from a single wayfinder pierces the crushing gloom of the space. It's faint light illuminates one of the three tubs here, revealing shadows spilling oppressively over its lip.

The wayfinder is in the hands of an Osiriani woman dressed in pracitcal garb and looking very tired. A very familair-looking woman in fact: you've seen her before At the sound of the door opening she raises her head and squnits through the darkness before letting out a scream. AH! ANOTHER ONE! THEY'RE BACK!

no worries. a calm voice sounds from in the darkness. Moonlight hears the flutter of movement from further into the chamber as a second figure moves into the edge of the wayfinder's light. A pale man looks at the 'mummy' with a thin smile. While cloaked and wearing a long flowing skirt his torso is bare and covered in dozens of deep-looking barely-healed cuts. He's wearing a crown of some sort, which in the gloom almost looks like its made of...bone? i shall still protect you my little lamb.

What do you do?

"Janahar Atshekar?" Manny coughs. "Awesome! Let's get out of here. Don't mind Moonlight... I think..."

Manny is cut off by the mysterious visitor.

Any religious significance to what he's wearing? Religion +11, Perception +11 to Sense Motive

"And you are...?"

Is this my "groom"?

Moonlight, meditatively deep of mind, cool of demeanor, cunning of wit, unabashedly arrogant, and a scholarly expert of Old Osiria, makes a lightning quick analysis of the situation, trying to decipher if the scarred man with the bone helm labors under the misapprehension that he gazes upon the form of his undead bride when he looks into his own unknowingly elven eyes!

◆/◆) Recall Knowledge w/ Ageless Patience
◆) Lie (presuming my "hunch" is correct or nearly so... pending!?)

...after a thought, he pauses to say...

(awaiting knowledge outcome!?)

MANNY? Is...is that you? the woman says. She seems confused by your nonchalant attitude next to the mummy. I'm all right but your friend...has he turned?

Meanwhile the other figure also responds to the bard's question. ah. so you must be the heroes my friend was so sure would come to rescue her. or perhaps just more lost lambs in need of help? i am Glurorchaes. and you seem very far from home. he says as he eyes your party. well, perhaps most of you dears at least as his gaze lands on Zenith.

Glurorchaes helped me stay alive here! Janahar empathically explains. I got separated from Yawellis and then Tetabu. And then the undead kept coming but he helped drive them off! She moves towards you in relief, and you can see her own exposed skin is covered in scratches and cuts. Meanwhile Glurorchaes merely nods and gestures towards a corner of the room where several strange and distorted bones lie smashed. it was my pleasure to help a lost mortal embrace their freedom.