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New map is up

Quinn stores his ghostly horse in the deep recesses of his soul, then climbs down the rope. He is now immune to common sense fear, after all.

This cavernous chamber may have once been an underground cellblock, but it has long since collapsed. The crumbled walls are thick with mold and stained with soot, and heaps of fallen stones and charred wooden beams line the area. Water drips and seeps along the walls, collecting in a dark, murky pool in the middle of the room.

To the north, the twisted remains of a wood and iron lift lie in a heap in a shallow portion of the pool. A jagged hole in the roof yawns twenty feet above this ruin. To the west, a partially blocked opening seems to open up after several feet into a dark but stable tunnel.

The dark, murky pool is right below the hole in the ceiling, so that is where Quinn finds himself. It is about knee-deep. I'm going to call this difficult terrain.

As soon as Quinn's feet touch the bottom of the pool, the room fills with a cacophonous roar of screams and howls. The surface of the pool starts rippling, as if something is stirring underwater.

Two semi-ghostly figures burst from the water! Only Quinn can see them at present because of their location, and they greatly remind him of his horse Luna. They start gliding over the surface of the pool towards him, rage in their ghostly eyes.

Quinn Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22
Quinn recognizes these as undead, specifically Ectoplasmic Creatures (in this case, ectoplasmic humans). They are similar to ghosts, but formed from less powerful souls. Like Luna, they will partially resist attacks from arrows or maces (DR 5/slashing).

Round 1
Theodore (20' above)
Quinn
Marill (20' above)
Undead
Ismene (20' above)
Tiff (20' above)

Climbing is at quarter speed, so with a 30' double move you can get 15' down. Accelerated climbing is twice as fast, but DC 10 in this case. Jumping is an option, though the water is not deep enough to mitigate the falling damage.

Wulfric remains with the group. He casts See Invisibility (duration 60 minutes).

"Rhiannon, I will cast my spells on you before we move in. We will not have much time once I cast them."

Plan is Cat's Grace, Bull's Strength, and Enlarge Person on Rhiannon, as well as Shield, Cat's Grace, and Protection from Evil on himself. But all of those will only last 6 minutes. And then Haste as soon as we see the dragon.

The Rod of Healing is similar to the witch Healing Hex, using the wielder's character level as the caster level. So 1d8+3 at level 3, increasing to 2d8+5 at level 5. Theodore is at 18/24 HP.

---
The northeast wall of this room has partially fallen, revealing the dark, murky waters of the pond outside. Moldering training dummies and other similar equipment hint that this room may have once been a training area for the guards. In the northeast part of the room, the floor around a dark, jagged hole is surrounded by black scorch marks.

Three flaming skulls rise up to attack!

These are Tiny undead, if that makes any difference for your tactics. And, obviously, they are on fire.

Round 1
Ismene
Skulls
Theodore
Quinn
Tiff
Marill

The rest of the party moves out of the room.

The fiery furnace lashes tongues of flame at Quinn, but they don't seem to affect him.

The metal of the furnace creaks, groans, and roars, venting its frustration at its inability to incinerate this invasive mortal.

At first Quinn sees nothing. But there is no hurry. So he crawls into the furnace and digs around, sifting through the ashes with his hands. Take 20 on Perception will get it.

After a couple of minutes, Quinn emerges, covered in ashes and soot, carrying a number of small objects.

He brings to Theodore part of a skull, three ribs, and six finger bones. He is quite certain he has found everything of notable size.

Theodore examines the bones, safely out of the fiery furnace's reach. As inanimate objects, they shouldn't be affected by the heat of the furnace (since it a haunt and its fire is a fear effect), and yet they feel hot to the touch. They must have some spiritual energy remaining in them.

Theodore now realizes the step that must be taken to expunge the haunt - the bones must be quenched in a large body of water, such as the lake that is just past the crumbled eastern wall of the furnace room.

Quinn hurls the bones into the lake. Old Ember Maw, the furnace of Harrowstone, goes silent.

I am very confident about my calculations of time to get there.

The half speed for ascent already accounts for the diagonal movement as shown in the FAQ that I linked. So it is half speed to cover 4000', meaning 133 rounds at 30' base move. We do not need to cover 5656 feet. See the linked FAQ.

"Even without teleporting, I would be able to ascend that distance without tiring."

The "diagonal ascending at half speed" rule for 3-D movement means that a double move (for 30' move speed) is 30' up and 30' over. So we are looking at ~133 rounds, or 13 minutes. Hustling (double moving) for 13 minutes does not cause fatigue.

I have no idea how long our task will take once we get there. There is just no way to know. But the movement up there is pretty straightforward.

Brathas is just a kid, and not terribly focused. That is probably how everyone knows him - great potential, but little drive and some lack of seriousness.

It is likely that everyone has seen his "theater troupe." This is a group of Brathas, one other boy, and two girls, all of similar age. They stage dramatic scenes, or mocking parodies of the same. Most commonly at festivals, but occasionally a pop-up show in the street some afternoon when they have nothing better to do. Brathas is usually cast as an ogre or a giant and has a habit of doing protracted and melodramatic death scenes when he meets his inevitable demise.

He has been known to ask Anvar to bring back books from his travels. These books are then "improved for the stage adaptation."

Jormvo is too stoic and quiet for Brathas's taste; he has had little interaction with the old noble. Brathas is respectful, but does not seek out the elder's wisdom. How many strong, confident, and happily directionless 17-year-olds are inclined to do so?

Nor does he have much interaction with Krezen, as the half-orc is rather a recluse. However, Krezen did bring home his friend Venla (one of the actresses) when she was lost in the woods a few years back, so Brathas holds a good opinion of the trapper.

He quite likes Jermaine, who is of the same age. Brathas has never seen any reason to bully those smaller or weaker. He doesn't go out of his way to visibly defend Jermaine (as that might be seen as patronizing), but a couple of the youths who bullied Jermaine have found themselves 'accidentally' knocked to the ground in collisions. Brathas is not as smart as Jermaine, but he's reasonably bright and curious so hopefully has earned some respect from Jermaine for not entirely being a dumb jock.

He knows Tarja - perhaps her brother is one of Brathas's fellow actors? Someone who, like Brathas, is rather uninterested in his family business and finds other distractions when he is shirking his responsibilities.

Lodric and Brathas know each other. While there are others of very notable strength in the community (Krezen at 18 Str, Anvar at 17, Tarja at 16), Lodric and Brathas are truly outstanding. Perhaps they have had Strongman contests at some festivals? If so, Brathas as the younger of the two might be lacking in the skills and technique to best employ his strength, but considers that with a bit more experience he will be able to best the butcher.

Brother MacLaren will heal Nil.

Align Weapon to CMW: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (1, 3) + 10 = 14
Resist Energy to CMW: 2d8 + 10 ⇒ (1, 4) + 10 = 15
Divine Favor to CLW: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

That is 37 back, so only down 3 now.

Brother MacLaren moves up and touches the angry kelp.

Touch Attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

Will DC 19 or be Plane Shifted to the Elemental Plane of Fire. This will affect only the seaweed monster and leave Nil behind.

If the seaweed makes its save, MacLaren will use a swift action to cast Liberating Command on Nil (didn't do that before because it would have ended his "holding the charge" on Plane Shift). Nil would then get an immediate-action Escape Artist check with a +20 competence bonus.

Just wanted to make sure that everyone remembered this: we are using Automatic Bonus Progression at level +1.

So you should have what 4th-level characters normally get under ABP:
Resistance +1
Armor Attunement +1
Weapon Attunement +1

Brannart sheathes his sword and retrieves his polearm.

"Let's see if this next room will work as our jail cell."
He points to the door a short distance up on the western side of the corridor.
"Vexas, can you check it?"

As a note, the exploration part of the game goes much quicker if we have a standard operating procedure that Vexas uses Take 10 on Perception for doors. However, a 28 won't spot magical traps of this level (a level 4 spell is DC 29 and I wouldn't be surprised to encounter a level 6 spell for DC 31) so that might be better to do once Vexas gets a few more bonuses.

For getting out to the Kelp Fields, Brother MacLaren can walk on the water via his Buccaneer's Breastplate, and on the air via his all-day Extended Air Walk.

He will take the time to prepare Owl's Wisdom in his open slot.

Once the party is close to the Kelp Fields, he will cast Extended Owl's Wisdom.

Then, once he sees the creature, he will cast Plane Shift, close to melee holding the charge, and try to touch it. At least, that is the plan. We'll see how things go.

"Nil, the three of us all have options for flight and air walking. Do you need the benefit of our magic?"

Durgan half-heartedly applauds Unk's magically-enhanced efforts.
I suppose we needed magic to even have a chance. They are quite skilled here.

"Ameiko, this next step of enchanting my axe will take a couple of weeks. Do you think you can fit in the time to do it? I know you may wish to explore the city, and I will go with you if you do. But perhaps we can work on this a bit while we are here. My thanks for your time whenever you can spare it."

Durgan can provide two of the spells, leaving only one unaccounted for (Lead Blades) for a +5 DC. Impact is noted as CL9 which is DC 14. Then +5 for the missing requirement is 19. Assuming Ameiko has max ranks and a 12/13 Int, she would have a 10+3+1 = +14 Spellcraft at 10th level, which means she could do even accelerated crafting (DC 24) with Take 10, making 1,000 GP progress in only 4 hours per day.

Durgan would like to get started working on his axe with Ameiko, but there is no hurry.

"Mukluk, do you have projects that you are working on? If not, I have purchased components to craft magical talismans that protect one from being trapped, or panicked, or drained of life. May I ask you to work on these when you have time?"

The talismans of Freedom, Ankh, and Warrior's Courage are all 1-2 day things. Durgan has the components whenever Mukluk has time - don't know what else is in his queue.

"If it grabs its victims to crush and drown them, I am protected."
All-day Freedom of Movement.

"I could try to Plane Shift it to the Plane of Fire. That would be a quick and easy solution."
Could prep Owl's Wisdom in open slot for a little DC boost and resistance to hallucinations.

"If that doesn't work, I can attack it with weapons, I guess."

Tucci has Mnemonic Vestments and a scroll of Freedom of Movement so he can cast that 1/day without using up the scroll, if we wanted to protect someone else?

Durgan takes in the spectacle of the feast.

The retinue is a bit eerie, there is that. Durgan has his own opinions about what might make a ruler demand this sort of behavior from his retinue, but he keeps such opinions to himself.

He samples the wide range of cuisine available, offering his compliments to the chefs and servers. While he doesn't know as much about cooking as Kisaiya, he knows a fair amount, and observes her studying the cuisine. Hmmm. Perhaps the caravan will have phoenix soup on our menu soon...

"Your Royal Guard are exemplary, Prince Batsaikhar. And Huk is an honorable and skilled wrestler. He took Kisaiya seriously, as well he should. I have seen her defeat opponents twice his size. I must say that I thought she had him beat there in that second match - it was a most cunning move to reverse that hold.
Yes, there is wrestling to be found across Avistan. Some of the greatest wrestlers we know of are the Tetori who follow traditions that I believe hail from somewhere in Tian Xia. Other exemplary wrestlers are the Ulfen Beast-Wrestlers, who test their might against giants and linnorms. Some say that the followers of Irori who hone their bodies and minds are the best wrestlers, while others would point to the followers of Kurgess. And among my people, the mightiest wrestlers tend to follow Trudd. Here and now, however, the mightiest wrestler is Huk of Prince Batsaikhar's Royal Guard." Durgan raises his glass to toast Huk.

Tiff's ray goes wide.

Quinn's torch deals 1d4 ⇒ 3 damage, and the chill abates for a moment.

Ismene's holy water hits the center of the manifesting haunt, and the chill dissipates entirely!

Theodore is denied a chance to interact with the haunt (this time at least) so cannot use his Spirit Sleuth ability to determine the correct course of action to permanently neutralize it. However, it is gone for now at least.

---

Ismene is able to open the locked door.

PROPERTY ROOM
A bizarre collection of antique goods rests upon wooden shelves that line the room. Several of the items contain tiny tags with labels written in a careful script.

Although much of the remaining property is junk, a few items remain that may be of interest, including a set of masterwork thieves’ tools oh NOW you get them when you needed them to get here in the first place!, a bronze war medallion from the Shining Crusade (worth 40 gp), an unframed Taldan painting of Stavian I (worth 100 gp), a set of a noblewoman’s silver hair clips (worth 35 gp), a masterwork punching dagger, a pouch containing a dozen masterwork shurikens, a masterwork silver war razor, and a wand of lesser restoration (12 charges).

The war razor looks unnervingly familiar to Theodore and Tiff, as if they had seen it in a dream.

You don't immediately see any relics of the five notorious prisoners. Taking time to search, you uncover a secret vault within the property room.
----
HIDDEN VAULT
This small vault was used to store the more valuable or notorious belongings of the various prisoners. Currently, the vault contains only five objects.

A bloodstained handaxe bears the tag Vance Saetressle You know this to be the name of the Lopper
A collection of a dozen holy symbols on fine silver chains bears the tag Sefick Corvin Father Charlatan. The symbols are of Pharasma, Desna, Iomedae, Sarenrae, Nethys, Calistria, Shelyn, Irori, Abadar, Erastil, Milani, and Torag. The collection is probably worth about 300 gp.
A thick leather-bound spellbook caked in mold bears the tag Hean Feramin Splatter Man
A masterwork smith's hammer bears the tag Ispin Onyxcudgel Mosswater Marauder
A tarnished silver flute, of masterwork quality and probably worth about 300 gp, bears the tag Piper of Ilmarsh Nothing you came across mentioned his real name, and it sounds like the guards didn't know either.

----

What do you do with the five items? Does anybody touch or handle them? If examined from a distance with Detect Magic, the handaxe radiates magic as a standard magic item but with something else besides. The spellbook and the hammer have just that 'something else' - some unclear aura. The holy symbols and flute appear quite mundane.

Theodore's Spirit Sleuth ability can apply here to figure out what is going on (one check per item), with a modifier based on how he interacts with the items. The Spirit Planchette you found would also be an option.

"Perhaps you could pretend to still be under the dragon's control, and lure your brethren away with some convincing ruse while we attempt to slay the beast.
It's a risky plan, but it would be better if they were not around. I can't remove the spell on all of them, and we can't hinder ourselves trying to fight them non-lethally while also battling the dragon."

Still, he begins by lightly chastising, ”That’s not much of a tale, merely an overview, priest of Abadar. I want to hear the details. The blood, the sweat, the horror of the endless ice. The cold. Wasn’t it cold?”

"And you shall hear more. I should give you fair warning, the clergy of Abadar are not known for creating works of art in our storytelling. That falls more to the followers of Shelyn. But I will do my best.

"My most sincere thanks for your gracious hospitality, Prince Batsaikhar."
---
Durgan looks around his suite, appreciating the finery of the decor and the craftsmanship of the materials.

He then heads over to the Temple of Abadar. There isn't anything particular that he needs other than to make an introduction, share details of the trading part of the journey (such products in demand, natural hazards, areas of potential road/tunnel/bridge construction, and cannibal villages to avoid). Basically he spends the afternoon discussing trade routes and caravan experiences with the other clergy of Abadar, while not giving anything away about Ameiko's mission.

"What is the situation here in Ordu-Aganhei and in Hongal? Does trade prosper? How is travel to neighboring realms?"

Durgan bows before sitting and eats his food with what he believes to be the customs of this land, both by calling upon his knowledge and by observing others. He does not eat too quickly, and he takes breaks to converse with the Prince.

"Prince Batsaikhar, your keen judgment and perception are most evident. It was bravado in large part that brought us here at this time. A most daring adventure across the Crown of the World and the High Ice late in the season, as you say. For the full sweep of our epic tale you will have to wait until it is finished, at which point I shall send you a bound copy. In it you will find intrigue, betrayal, hardship, miracles, and most of all resolve. I cannot tempt Fate by giving away too much at this time, but I can shed some light on our journey.

As to my companions, it may be that exploration and wanderlust were among their desires, seeking to reach the lands of Tian Xia. There are a fair few from this land who have made their way to Avistan, so we have heard rumors of the wonders to be found. Most certainly Ordu-Aganhei has exceeded those rumors."

Durgan is going for a bit of flattery, a bit of truth, and a bit of redirection, to give the Prince enough information to be satisfied and not prying any more, but not so much information as to risk Ameiko's mission.

A roll to see if the Prince is satisfied with this account?

Diplomacy, Silver-Tongued Haggler 1 of 7: 1d20 + 16 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 16 + 4 = 36
If this would instead be Bluff, it is a 30.

Minor changes on the level-up:
1) Taking the alternate human FCB for +1 spell known of less than max level, taking Fireball to boost Thawm's castings
2) Forgot about Focused Study, so he gets another Skill Focus at level 8. Taking Perception

"Tucci, you're staring! And her eyes are up there!"

Oh...

Brother MacLaren casts Suppress Charms and Compulsions, targeting himself, Tucci, and Veronica. If the Fascinate is a compulsion effect, then it is suppressed for 10 rounds or as long as Mac concentrates.

If it isn't a Compulsion effect, then Tucci remains Fascinated.

Because his protective spell is such a short duration effect, Mac will not move any closer to the creature. He wants to be able to have a conversation.

"I am Brother MacLaren. We are not hostile. May we speak from a distance?"

Knowledge (Local): 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Durgan speaks Tien and Minkaian, though not yet Hongali. Tien is probably enough of a trade language in this part of the world that it is more familiar than Taldane. Still, he is grateful for the Taldane speaker.

He does have Tongues prepared and will cast it at this time with the Extend rod (2 uses left). It will last all day, which is convenient.

"It is a little disappointing to go back and rest so soon. That battle with the berbalang was not terribly taxing. And I would expect that it may take us more than one day to clear such a massive citadel of its demonic leaders.
Nevertheless, we seem to have the time and need not be overly hasty. I will use some of my prepared spells for the day to do some scouting."

Aroden removes his chain shirt, then takes 10 minutes to cast Arcane Eye. He can maintain the sensor for 8 minutes, and it has a speed of 300' per minute. As a scrying sensor, it is also a Perception DC 24 (adjusted for range) for enemies to notice, and enemies can attempt to Dispel it if they notice it.

First he will send the Arcane Eye up to the top of the tower, where the Celestial Beacon was. He assumes the doors at the bottom of the stairs are closed and won't have a 1-inch gap. So instead of sending the sensor down the stairs, he will try to go in what appear to be windows around the second-from-the-top level of the tower to see what that room is.
Then he will send the Eye to check out the lower Tower level (with the ballistae), then the Northern Arcade, then the Parapet, then the East Garrison, then the four Gatehouse towers, then the West Garrison, then the gap in the wall north of the West Garrison. If there are slits big enough to shoot ballistae through, then the Eye can get it.

Basically looking for what guards are manning each position.

After the Arcane Eye expires or is dispelled, Aroden will take another 10 minutes to cast Clairvoyance. This has a 720' range. He will attempt to use Clairvoyance in the middle of the Secret Vault next to Iomedae's Chapel. If it is magically dark, he sees nothing. If it is normally dark, he sees in a 10' radius around the scrying sensor.

His scrying done, he puts his armor back on and goes to study spellbooks.

At 4 hours for a 3rd-level spell and 3 hours for a 2nd-level spell, he should be able to get 2 done today. Looking at Magic Circle Against Evil from Aravashnial's spellbook and Fog Cloud from the dwarf's spellbook. At a +16 he makes it on Take 10. Cost to scribe is 90+40 = 130 GP.

Durgan's eyes brighten at the city on the horizon.
Civilization! Laws, customs, culture, trade... Praise Abadar.

"I would not advise that, Unk. If we wish to trade, we should enter the city properly, not sneak in like thieves. If there are questions to be answered, or forms to fill in triplicate, you may rely on me to handle such tasks."

He is clearly looking forward to the urban experience.

Again with the blood rituals? Was I not just saying - oh, forget it.

Aroden uses one use of Mythic Power to recharge the Wand of Dimension Door
Charges Restored: 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7
Now at 1 Mythic Power. Wand is now at 12 charges.
He hands the wand to Sir Tandyn. "I believe you are the best to carry this. It may have utility for bringing you, Cecily, and Dorek into melee with opponents, but neither of them can use it. Thawm, Ahmose, and I are more often at range."

"So are we ready to lead the army in an assault on the citadel? I believe it is time."

"I do not believe that Dorek's bodily fluids, be they blood or spit or anything else, possess quite the sanctifying effect that he might believe them to have."

He begins to nods to himself and strokes his unreasonably long beard.

"Usually violent raiders are expelled from their tribe, aren't they?" he says to noone in particular and at a much lower volume.

"Depends on the tribe. In some cultures violent raiders are regarded as heroes. Like in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, where we were before we met you."

"I have no problem accepting this gift and this truce."

Theophania realizes that the magical aura present is like a stronger version of the ever-present tinge of necromancy that suffuses Ustalav. It's similar to a haunt, and might be an effect caused by one. It is not a spell in the normal sense.

Father Grimburrow nods. "We didn't see any necromancers. Jaron here was on guard and saw a zombie rise from its grave all on its own. Must have to do with the spirits from Harrowstone."

Looking at the tracks and the grave more clearly, you see dirt around the perimeter of the grave as if something came out, and tracks leading away from the grave, then tracks coming back and descending down into the dirt.

Petros Lorrimor seems to have climbed out of his grave, lurched to his house, banged on the door, and then walked back down into the earth somehow.

"We could exhume him," remarks Father Grimburrow, "But I think that will not be necessary. I think he is back in his grave. Glad he went back down on his own without us having to hack his limbs off."

Once you are all set to back to the manor and finish resting, you may level up to 3!

"There is no place that the wicked can hide from the LIGHT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS!"

Holy power bursts forth from the Sword of Aroden.
INSPIRING SWORD for +2 sacred bonus to attacks, saves, and skill checks.

If it doesn't understand us, I can take some time to prepare a spell that might help.
Tongues if needed, since I have an open slot, but let's try Common first.

Brother MacLaren is considerably more diplomatic, and will give it his best try.

"Noble palm tree, I am Brother MacLaren, priest of Cayden Cailean. As my halfling friend says, we mean you no harm. Unfortunately we have had to battle the cyclops of this island, as well as those crabs, but we would welcome peaceful relations with the other inhabitants. Can you understand our speech?"

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (16) + 19 = 35

"The Alter Self spell? I have some goblin ear hair, I believe. Will that work?"

Yes, Iomedae would be most pleased with Sir Tandyn. Her jokes were atrocious too.
As Aroden recounted/imagined here

"Fear not, Aravashnial. We can allow Nurah Invisibility for her own protection. There is no victory without risk, and the reward outweighs the risk in this case."

He provides the component from his own spell component pouch.

Aroden casts the following spells:
See Invisibility, extended via Rod (1 full dungeon)
Darkvision, extended via Rod (1 full day)

He then dons his mithral chain shirt and takes his sword in hand.

Aroden will do his best to tend to some of the diseased mercenaries, doing what he can to slow the progression of the ghoul fever.

Heal: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

He is something of a healer, apparently.

"Thank you, Sosiel. Any magic you can summon to cure disease within the next few days could prove crucial. Even slowing the progression could help."

Remove Disease is a 3rd-level spell, but he and any other clerics we have could also fill their 2nd-level slots with Delay Disease.

"Irabeth, I understand how a spectral undead got into my tent. That is no mystery. But an army of ghouls? How did they get so close unseen and unheard? Simply the darkness? Perhaps a perimeter of torches would be wise in the future. Or we can have those of us with night vision take turns on watch. I can cast a spell of Alarm but it only wards a relatively small area."

Aroden turns briefly to Dorek. "Yes, I think Nurah can be trusted and remain unbound. And I agree that the crypt should be our next step."

"Well I'm not giving it to you to keep, but you may borrow it to study and transcribe spells."

"We can also just execute them afterwards." Snowball explains as she Stabilizes the remaining yetis.

The wall ceases to hum and to be shortly after the last of the yetis collapse.

"If you have decided to keep them alive, Snowball, then they have become your responsibility. I will have nothing to do with whether they live or die. It is up to you. I will not criticize your decisions either way."

"Come away from the creatures a bit and I can heal everyone."

I think I have placed him where, accounting for height, none of the Yeti are within 30'.

Once the injured PCs are within 30' of Durgan:
Channel #2: 5d6 ⇒ (3, 1, 4, 6, 6) = 20

Aroden looks at the egg.
Hmm.

"I saw no dwarf phoenix, nor did I see Thawm laying an egg. I think I would have noticed."

"Let us see how the army managed in our absence. I have depleted most of my magic for the day but can still fight. Though assaulting the citadel itself should wait until tomorrow, I think."

Back to rejoin the army sounds good.

Prescience 2 of 8: 1d20 ⇒ 20

Aroden sees a glimpse of great success in his future.

He moves up, calls on the power of his Righteous Medal of Clarity as a swift action, and prepares to strike the beast with a Spear of Purity if it comes within 40'.

Benedict shared Lastwall Phalanx right before we teleported, so Grum gets the benefit of that. +3 AC (two allies, one of whom grants an extra +1), meaning his AC is 33, and so only one bite and one claw hit him. Rend is two or more claws, usually. So if there is no Rend, that is just 20 damage to Grum.

Haela Will, Shake it Off +3, Lastwall Phalanx +3: 1d20 + 7 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 7 + 3 + 3 = 33
Haela Will vs SLA, Shake it Off +3, Lastwall Phalanx +3, Dwarf +2: 1d20 + 7 + 3 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 7 + 3 + 3 + 2 = 18
The soul attack is easily resisted, but the mental attack is a near thing. Haela's dwarven resistance, combined with the strength she draws from being among allies, is just enough.
Presuming that the Dominate is actually a Spell-Like Ability and not an (Su) dominating ability like vampires have.

Staggered, she cannot call upon her healing power, so she takes a step and strikes at the demon.
I don't like splitting her off from Benedict, given their teamwork feats, but this looks like the best option with her Staggered.

Attack, PA, Blood for the Empire: 1d20 + 18 - 3 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 18 - 3 + 3 = 27
Damage: 1d10 + 8 + 6 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 6 + 3 = 24

I'll delay Benedict's post until after the others, so hopefully someone can hit the caster and trigger Blood for the Empire on Benedict's attacks.

Technically I think animated objects are immune to critical hits... but with a 20 to confirm I should give it to you instead of leaving the manacles at 1 HP.

Quinn destroys the haunted manacles.

There are a few other sets of old manacles in this room, but none of the others rise to attack.

There is nothing of value in this room.

A small privy is to the north of the hallway. Aside from that, three doors remain in this wing.

I'll move things along tomorrow.

Yes, Liberating Command is an immediate-action spell with 50' range (at 10th level). It would happen after the Grab but before any Constrict - at least, that is how I have always seen it done.

Hit -> CMB check to Grab -> Liberating Command -> Escape Artist Check -> Constrict if still grappled

Nope, I am mistaken. Clairvoyance/Clairaudience does not require line of sight or line of effect, but the Send Senses school ability does.

Okay, then.

Wulfric approaches the cave from an oblique angle so that he cannot be seen from foes deep within the cave. And he will use Clairaudience to listen to the area at the cave entrance. He does not speak Elven, but he does speak Sylvan, Draconic, Aklo, and Undercommon.

He will be 150' away from the cave entrance, at an angle as I said, and using Stealth (counting on the distance modifiers to help him here).

Stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22

I have this level 10 Core Eldritch Knight that I would be happy to play!

"I can ward us against the icy breath. Gather round."

Aroden casts Communal Resist Energy (Cold), using the Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend (use 1 of 3 for the day). It will last 3 encounters (10 min/level is 3 encounters, -1 tier for Communal, +1 tier for Extend). And, thanks to Yuelral's Blessing, it is CL7 for Resist 20.

Aroden casts See Invisibility and looks around for Cecily.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

"We should definitely get Father Grimburrow to properly re-inter the body. Only he can do the right job. Otherwise we risk his soul or body returning"

Theodore is a fully ordained priest of Pharasma, so he could do the job, but Father Grimburrow is the town priest.

In a short while, you are able to summon Father Grimburrow to the Restlands. His voice is brusque and hoarse, but his words have some compassion to them.

"Bad business, this. You did the right thing to seek to re-inter him.

Harrowstone is stirring. I know this wasn't you. You didn't awaken anything. Lorrimor might have, but even there I think not. Something else.
Some of the townsfolk may not be so sure that it wasn't you. I will try to keep this quiet. You all, put an end to the matter. The sooner the better."

The obvious Caydenite carries a rapier and tankard. He is a fairly large man, and seemingly quick as well.

"I'm Brother MacLaren, priest of Cayden Cailean. I am the ship's quartermaster, brewer, and sometime cook. I am also, through marriage, lord of a small island called Tidewater Rock where we have allies."

He takes a quick look at Nil's bejeweled cutlass.
Hmm.

"As to that drink..."

He offers a prayer to Cayden Cailean and a nearby pitcher fills with ale.

Thank you for having been willing to help us out!

Durgan looks Mukluk in the eye and says with utmost sincerity, "Nobody will ever hear from me that Moose is anything other than a normal mule. You have my word."

He is very convincing.

"Rhiannon, if you have a plan, tell me what it is and what my role is.
Do we try to engage the dragon in the cave or outside?
If outside, in a forested area with cover or in an open field?
Do we hide for the night and hope we can fight it in daytime?
Should we be spread out or bunched up?
What spells should I cast and when?
Should I rely on my bow, my spells, the lightning wand, or my lance?

Durgan Channels to Heal.
Channel #3: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 5, 1, 6) = 13 At 57/59, Kisaiya full.

Then he goes to smash the last crystal.
Damage: 9d6 ⇒ (5, 4, 1, 1, 3, 2, 3, 4, 2) = 25
Reflex: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17
5 damage, so at 52/59.

"A bit of an inelegant solution, but the job is done."

Feel free to catch each other up on what happened and narrate your departure from Harrowstone.

---

Weary and wounded, the party makes its way out of this haunted place and back to Lorrimor Place. Nothing troubles you on the way.

"You have returned!" says Kendra. "It has been quiet here. What have you found?
Oh, goodness, Theodore, you look dreadful. I am no healer, but I believe you need bed rest."

While you are resting, feel free to Level up to 2!