Zsofia shrugs, offering no opinion on the stay-or-go question as she waves her insubstantial hand back and forth through one of the strands of fungus, leaving a silvery film of extoplasm behind. "Maybe those Seal-Breaker losers just wanted to check it out? If they've been living down here they probably wanted to make sure it wasn't dangerous. I know I would."
Sanduro shakes his head at Silvia's question. "The fungus doesn't seem dangerous, which makes it a little odd that only this entryway shows signs of being cut up or stepped on, like they quit not long after they started. Maybe there is something in there that warned them off?" The druid cautiously touches a different mycelial strand, studying it. "It does seem a little odd, how dense the fungus is in such a concentrated area. It kind of reminds you of a garden, doesn't it?"
Rosalind keeps an eye on the lapping water of the underground lake, trusting the rest of you to monitor the temple. "The water keeps rippling, like something's moving around over there," she announces in a low voice. "We've made more than enough noise to alert anyone and everyone nearby that we're here. It makes me nervous that we haven't met any resistance yet."
Carefully sidling around the roiling spirits of the haunt--the graven guardian fortunately remains still and inactive as you step uncomfortable close to it--you move around the courtyard and find yourselves on the threshold of the fungus-choked steps of the eastern temple structure. Knots and strands of mycelial matter hang like a curtain across the archway leading deeper into the structure; small red flowers bloom amid the black fungal tendrils, and thin rivulets of water trickle down the walls and form puddles in the uneven stonework of the floor.
"Hmm, there are scuffs in the stones of the floor and parts of the archway, looks like metal scraped it." Sanduro offers after examining the entrance for a few minutes. "There are also signs that the fungi got chopped up a bit, though it's almost completely healed. It was probably weeks ago, unless the fungus' growth was magically accelerated." Indeed, the fungal growth fills enough of the entryway that no one except Garret or an incorporeal Zsofia would be able to fit through without some squeezing--unless you too decide to cut your way in.
"Ugh, you probably want me to take a look, huh," Zsofia's reluctance is obvious as she gives the fungal growths a disgusted look. While the growths might be distasteful, they don't seem to be dangerous and there's no sign of movement or other creatures that you can see or hear.
I know I posted initiative, but if you decide to go another direction or otherwise don't enter the haunt's space or try to neutralize it we can drop out of initiative. Preferences?
Silvia is aware that haunts are lingering spiritual and psychic imprints--often, though not always, remnants of people or beings not strong-willed enough to form ghosts outright. There's enormous variation in haunts, but their powers typically connect to the trauma that birthed them: a haunt where someone died in a house fire might manifest fire or choking smoke, while an execution's block might be the locus of a haunt that inflicts bleeding, fatal wounds. Like ghosts, haunts can be put to rest but the conditions necessary are unique to each haunt. Silvia does know that haunts can be suppressed by positive energy but this is only a temporary solution; in an hour or a day or a week, the haunt will reconstitute itself unless and until it's fully laid to rest.
Mechanically, haunts are more like a magical trap than a creature. They duplicate a spell effect and have hitpoints but can't be harmed by anything except positive energy or specialized items like Haunt Siphons.
A ripple of distorted light not unlike a heat shimmer rolls out in a wave from the statue; everything it touches is suddenly transformed into a vision of what it must have looked like when it was originally built and inhabited--during the Shining Crusade nearly nine centuries ago.
A ring of red-robed worshipers surround your group--or more accurately, the formerly shattered statue, which now appears as a gorgeously sculpted statue of a winged warrior-angel, her rapier pointed outwards as though to inspire her troops and urge them forward. The worshipers move clockwise in a stylized dance as a rhythmic hymn rises from each throat. Whatever this ceremony is, it never reaches its intended conclusion--several of the robed figures falter in song and step, looking around as though sensing a disturbance.
At the same time, trickles of blood begin to leak from the statues eyes and ears, and the stone begins to vibrate until it shatters with a thunderous crack! The worshipers shriek in horrified understanding--their demigoddess, Arazni, is dead. As they fall to their knees and rend their robes the psychic backlash of their horror and grief washes over all of you, amplifying their screams into a lethal melange!
Luckily Ketra and Silvia picked up on the danger in time for your group to fall back--the noise is atrocious, but outside the haunt's reach its merely alarming rather than deadly.
Leading the way, Ketra careful strides out into the cavern, whose cracked and weathered travertine flagstones give the impression of this having once been a meticulously decorated plaza. Now thick roots reach out from the cracks, marring and concealing whatever patterns they once displayed. From here, you can all see that the temple building to the east shares a tiered design with the one you just left behind, each rising towards the cavern's vaulted ceiling forty feet up.
A shattered and badly eroded statue forms a scattered pile of rubble you pick your way through as you approach the eastern temple structure, and just to the south are a pair of old but serviceable-looking rowboats pulled up onto the shore. A short ways out onto the lake behind the rowboats rises a small tower anchored on a nearly equally small island. It seems to loom over the red crystalline bridge like a watchful guard.
The temple you now survey teems with life of the fungal variety. Knots of stagshort, jellydisks, and velvet shanks form a riot of color, layered over crisscrossing tangles of black fungal tendrils dotted with brown tufts. The whole structure has a sickly-sweet smell of wet earth and decay.
Perception DC25:
You catch a hint of motion out of the corner of your eye but nothing's there when you look. Wait...is that...singing? Yes, it's faint but there: a ghostly, phantom hymn and the even fainter suggestion of a circle of ghostly congregants forming a circle around where the shattered statue would be.
With eight of the holy symbols claimed from the two sets of fallen Seal Breakers to go around, you're able to get one for everyone. It turns out that the the statues can be given a handful of basic instructions on "Stand down," or "return to your posts" but would not obey instructions to move for than twenty feet or so from their plinths--it seems the graven guardians' creators didn't want them leaving their posts.
With the danger seemingly contained, the platoon of Vigilite guards begin to trickle into the chamber. While none of them are particularly noisy, two dozen armed and armored soldiers can't help but make a moderate racket that seems to carry uncomfortably far in the enclosed stone spaces. Between that, and brief fight with the statue, it seems unlikely that any remaining Seal Breakers will be unaware of your presence.
I've added a token with an aura effect representing the space a troop would take up. The token should be controllable by everyone, if any of you want to position them yourselves.
As Ketra takes a step back and proffers the wooden holy symbol, the statues freeze in mid-strike, blades poised but not lowered. Even the trio surrounding Rosalind pause, turning to face the dancer with their determinedly beatific but motionless stone faces.
Their DR is overcome by adamantine, they have no immunity to precision damage or crits. Also that Religion 25 is enough for Ketra to make the connection between the wooden holy symbols and bypassing these guardians.
Rosalind rushes out the door at Ketra's warning, eyes widening as she sees the moving statues. "They're graven guardians--temple constructs bound to the service of a deity! They're as tough as you'd expect, and resistant to magic as well! Worse than that, they can self-repair which is why these look so much less weathered than the rest of the ruins." Stepping forward, the watchknight delivers a powerful overhead chop that knocks a small chunk
They have DR5/?, SR16, and Fast Healing 2.
Creaking into motion, the four remaining statues step off their plinths and into reach of Ketra and Rosalind, but their ponderous strikes are mostly evaded by the experienced pair, only Rosalind catching a stab from a stone rapier.
Religion/Arcana DC15:
They are indeed Graven Guardians, possessing all the usual abilities of constructs. All the usual questions would apply!
Religion DC20:
The angelic warrior-woman aesthetic matches that of Arazni when she was still the Red Crusader and Aroden's herald--this also matches the carving you saw at the trapped doorway that led you to this place. It may be that a specific ritual, passphrase, or key could allow you to avoid fighting these constructs.
+ ROUND ONE +
Rosalind (-11hp)
Silvia
Guardian Statue R
Guardian Statue G
Guardian Statue P (-10hp)
Guardian Statue Y
Ketra
Sanduro
Zsofia
Garret
+ ROUND TWO +
Rosalind (-11hp)
Silvia
Guardian Statue R
Guardian Statue G
Guardian Statue P (-10hp)
Guardian Statue Y
Ketra
Sanduro
Zsofia
Garret
Stepping through one of the archways onto a time-weathered terrace reveals a plaza partially buried under rubble and dust. To Ketra's left stands a second temple structure along the eastern side of the the cavern, heavily overgrown with mushrooms and wet tendrils of fungus. Opposite the place a bridge of reddish crystal arching over a subterranean lake, its opposite end lost in the darkness. The air is damp and has a mineral smell.
Ketra also seeks the statues that line alcoves set into the antechamber she'd just stepped out of--eight alcoves, but only four statues occupying them. The others are empty, though Zsofia was right that some of the nearby rubble seems to be shattered statues. The remaining statues represent depictions of a lovely but severe-looking woman with long hair, dressed in various forms of martial garb and wielding longsword, spear, and rapier.
With a groan and scrape of stone on stone, the statues begin to move--heads turning to face Ketra with unblinking eyes, limbs slowing creaking into motion to orient their weapons towards the intruder.
A quick check by Zsofia would tell you that hallway can be squeezed through at first, but there's a further collapse at a stairwell that would need to be cleared. Obviously certain spells could help you still get through.
Ketra takes a careful look around, and discovers no traps anywhere on the brazier or elsewhere in the mosaic room. She does hear the soft dropping of water somewhere up ahead, beyond the mosaic room where you all find yourselves standing. If there are Seal Breakers or other threats lying in wait, Ketra cannot detect them.
The scraping of the stone doors feels overly loud, but no ambush or assault greets you as you step into the antechamber Zsofia described. It does indeed have the feel of a cathedral or temple; the room is adorned with thousands of tiles covering the floor, walls, and ceiling. Though somewhat faded and a little damaged, the tiles form mosaics depicting a winged woman in crimson robes over her armor, doing battle with legions of the undead. A dented gold brazier with a lotus petal motif rests in the center of the chamber; two archways before you open into a larger cavern and you can see some of the rubble Zsofia mentioned in the archways. Finally, off to your left you can see a tunnel blocked off by a partial collapse, large chunks of stone and broken masonry piled in the hallway.
Map updated!
Garret:
Your detection spells pick up a faint aura of divine abjuration lingering on the brazier--not a trap, or even a spell. More like a fading remnant of a once-potent blessing. Perhaps a Religion check could reveal more?
Zsofia gives Ketra a lazy salute as Sanduro returns her to incorporeal form. Slipping through the stone doors, the phantom is gone for only a minute before phasing back through the door.
"I couldn't see everything, but it's a big cave on the other side, with some sort of cathedral built in it, I think. Just on the other side is some sort of antechamber thing, to the left is a collapsed tunnel. Just outside the antechamber are four statues and a bunch of rubble; looks like a couple more statues got busted up. Didn't seem like a great idea to keep scouting alone, that place gave me the willies."
[2] +1 ranseur
[2] +1 longsword
[4] +1 full plate armor
[2] mswk heavy steel shield
[4] potions of Barkskin +2
[2] Lesser Talismans of Arrow Protection
The room, though seemingly older than the sewers you've just left behind, doesn't look like much at first glance. Several bedrolls, sets of blankets, and grooming kits are spaced along the wall, the area where the now-destroyed table must have been is a scattered mess of playing cards and wooden disks, as well as several candles--all dumped to the floor when they overturned the table to form their fruitless barricade.
Behind you, the Vigilite guardsmen begin to filter into that room, murmuring appreciatively at the carnage and how quickly you worked. Rosalind patches her self and Zsofia up.
The room has no windows or arrowslits, and besides the hallway you came down the only other exit is a pair of heavy old stone doors, polished smooth in ages past.
Ketra circles around to join the melee, but the Seal Breaker is ready and manages to interpose his shield to block the dancer's blade--barely. The effort costs him dearly, however, as Zsofia takes advantage of his distraction to ram a fist into the cultist's throat through the gap between helm and breastplate. As he reals, gasping and choking, Rosalind rounds the corner and rushes in; the tip of her naginata finds the gap beneath the Seal Breaker's arm and drives in, pierces through his torso and out the other side!
Of course the dice roller gives out botted characters a crit each lmao. END COMBAT!
Silvia guns down the third Seal Breaker, and then there was one. Sensing the fight wasn't going his way, the cult warrior bellows and slashes wildly at Zsofia--his blade rakes across the phantom's arm and ribcage leaving a line of silvery ectoplasmic 'blood'.
+ ROUND THREE +
Rosalind (-34hp)
Sanduro
Zsofia (-14hp)
Silvia
Green Sealbreaker
Blue Sealbreaker Garret
Ketra
Garret delivers a mental haymaker to the (Blue) Seal Breaker trying desperately to hold the doorway--ringing their bell and leaving them open to a flurry of attacks from Ketra and Rosalind. The two warrior-women savage the cultist but his heavy armor prevents them from bringing him down, though the impact of Garret's magic prevents him from striking back.
"Zsofia's tangling with the last one, I'm going to back her up!" Sanduro announces before skirting the melee in the doorway and moving around to get eyes on her phantom. For her part, the now-solid Zsofia laughs and tries out a roundhouse kick at the cult warrior, though her foot just rebounds off her foe's thick breastplate. "Aw gee, it's so nice to have friends around to help out!" the phantom declares sarcastically to no one.
+ ROUND THREE +
Rosalind (-34hp)
Sanduro
Zsofia
Silvia
Green Sealbreaker
Blue Sealbreaker (-79hp; Dazed)
Garret
Ketra
The remaining poleaxe Seal Breaker goes down under a hail of rifle fire. His companion tightens their grip on their serrated longsword and screams a wordless challenge at Ketra, but his attacks are wild and unfocused and the dancer easily weaves out of the way. Now freed from the danger of the ranseur-armed cultist, Rosalind sets to work scraping the alchemical goo off her legs and torso; she gets enough of it off that she can move again and advances, strafing wide around the (blue) Seal Breaker to cut off their retreat and give Ketra an opening.
Meanwhile on the other side of the doorway's wall, the final Seal Breaker attempts to slash at the incorporeal Zsofia, but the phantom bobs and weaves with supernatural lightness only the insubstantial can manage, laughing and taunting the armored cultist.
+ ROUND TWO +
Rosalind (-34hp; entangled, immobilized) (DELAY)
Sanduro
Zsofia
Silvia
Green Sealbreaker
Blue Sealbreaker (-26hp)
Garret
Ketra Purple Sealbreaker Red Sealbreaker
The red Seal Breaker, already badly wounded by the attacks of Silvia and Rosalind, is burnt to a crisp as Garret sends a detonation of fire lobbing over the barricade to burst on the warrior-cultist's side! The heat and force of the blast shatters the overturned table into splinters and leaves the two remaining Seal Breaker's badly scorched to boot. Stepping back in the face of the onslaught, the (purple) Seal Breaker brings his barbed ranseur to bear against the entangled Watchknight--two vicious slashes leave Rosalind significantly wounded!
"Zsofia, can you flank around?" Sanduro dispatches his phantom through the wall and draws a wand of healing, moving up behind Rosalind and taking the edge off her injuries. Still menaced by the Seal Breaker, Rosalind hesitates between trying to break free or trying to heal herself.
+ ROUND TWO + Rosalind (-34hp; entangled, immobilized) (DELAY)
Sanduro
Zsofia
Silvia
Green Sealbreaker
Blue Sealbreaker (-26hp)
Garret
Ketra
Purple Sealbreaker (-52hp)
Red Sealbreaker
To clarify, it's a round 6ft diameter table blocking a 10ft wide doorway; so enough to grant each of the Seal Breaker's cover (or potentially be tumbled through) but not enough to totally block the space. Your enemies would be jabbing out at you from around the side instead of over the top. Also in a minute when you get into the room--ignore that big table in the corner, it's not really there.
As a secondary note, despite what the map shows you don't have to be that close to the table, I assume you're probably 20ft apart or so when combat begins.
"Break through them, don't let them hem us in!" Rosalind raises her heavy blade high and charges the barricade with a shout. A vicious overhand chop cleaves through armor and bone as the sword slices into the Seal Breaker's shoulder. Meanwhile Sanduro casts a spell [ooc](Cat's Grace)[ooc] on Zsofia before dispatching the phantom to check the walls. Poking her arm through the stone, the phantom lets out an "Aha!" before plunging through, only to reappear a second later. "The room's pretty big, and there's two more armor jerks as backup. Another stairway leading down to boot."
At the same time, Silvia opens fire without a word. The report is deafening in the confined tunnel, and while the heavy table absorbs two of the shots, Rosalind's blow forces the Seal Breaker from cover and the paladin's next shot takes him in the torso.
Just as Zsofia reported, another Seal Breaker rounds the corner by the barricade, flinging what looks like a wineskin at Rosalind. On impact it bursts in a shower of brownish goop that rapidly hardens into a tough, rubbery resin--rooting the Watchknight captain where she stands!
+ ROUND ONE +
Rosalind (entangled, immobilized)
Sanduro
Zsofia
Silvia
Green Sealbreaker
Blue Sealbreaker
Garret
Ketra
Purple Sealbreaker
Red Sealbreaker (-41hp)
"--Wait!" Rosalind's hand snaps out to grab Ketra's arm. "Tripwire," she points down at the gossamer-thin wire crossing the stairwell, then leans into the tunnel to peer all around. Looking up, she grunts in satisfaction. "They hooked something up to the pipe, probably to dump something filthy and acidic or something on us. Step carefully."
Forewarned to the danger, you carefully step over the tripwire and descend the stairs deeper into the earth. About twenty feet down you reach another landing and short rough-hewn tunnel that feels ancient, the brickwork gone in favor of tunneled-out bedrock. Ahead, your light source(s) reveal a thick wooden table that has been overturned to block a doorway--an impromptu obstacle manned by a pair of Seal Breaker knights armed with wickedly barbed halberds.
Necril:
"Let none past--the sacred work is nearly done!"
+ ROUND ONE + Rosalind
Sanduro
Zsofia
Silvia
Green Sealbreaker
Blue Sealbreaker
Garret
Ketra
Purple Sealbreaker
Red Sealbreaker
As your group examines the carving, Ketra and Silvia talk it over and are reminded of the hidden shrine the party had found back in Roslar's Tomb--or at least, the echo of it from the Bonelands. That shrine had been to the Red Crusader, Arazni, former herald of Aroden. Come to think of it, Ketra realizes those secondary holy symbols you'd found on the slain Seal Breakers were also of Arazni, though a little different from the winged rapier symbols she'd seen before. That could hardly be a coincidence. Retrieving one of the symbols, the dancer presents it to the carving of Arazni.
For several heartbeats nothing happens and Ketra wonders if she'd guessed wrong, but then there is a strange ripple of magic and a section of brick wall beneath the carving simply isn't there anymore. In its place is a doorway and set of weathered stone steps leading deeper down into the darkness.
Perception DC28:
In the nick of time you spot a tripwire across the top of the stairway, and careful examination reveals this one to be connected to the piping up above--it seems to trap is intended to rupture the cistern drain-pipe and no doubt dump something horrible onto intruders.
This side of the tunnel seems much like the others, save for a pipe running from Old Leatherback's cistern along the ceiling of the tunnel. The route here does show more signs of traffic, Sanduro notes aloud, but as Doeswen pointed out there just doesn't seem to be anything like a chamber or other space for a squadron of soldiers to be hiding out.
Perhaps a hundred steps past the cistern, Garret's constant focus on detecting magical auras does finally register something--an aura of illusion, present but difficult to pin down in any specifics. Alerted to the presence of something notable, a quick search reveals a faded carving into the stone here: a bas relief bust of a regal woman in archaic finery and a circlet on her head. The carving certainly feels real but it's not clear what, if anything, the carving signifies.
While Garret instructs the rest of the party and their soldiers about what to expect on the crossing, Silvia periodically dumps the mess into the cistern every few minutes. Despite (or perhaps because?) his immense size and obvious strength, Old Leatherback seems content to take the lazy route to his meal and drifts over to devour the chum, black eyes tracking your collective movements. As the group swings the board "bridge" out over the gap, you all wait with baited breath as each member of the force moves across, one at a time, with what feels like agonizing slowness. Silvia shows a clear talent for knowing exactly when to dump more chum into the water though, keeping Old Leatherback's attention from straying too far.
Ten minutes after you started, everyone but Silvia has crossed. The paladin slowly backs away from the enormous gator before herself slowly easing across the creaking board. The massive gator swings his head around to track her, but it must have been content with the feeding it had gotten as it declines to rush the paladin. That finished, several soldiers manuever the bridge-board to be on their side again, not wanting to risk it being knocked down in your absence.
Rested and re-equipped, you descend once more into the sewers. You move as quickly as you're able, retracing your steps since the platoon of Vigil soldiers behind you makes stealth all but impossible.
Twenty minutes later you find yourselves back at Old Leatherback's cistern--Grimetongue and its fellow otyughs nowhere to be seen. You're not sure if that's a bad sign or not, but either way its a problem for later. The soldiers behind you dim their lanterns as you consider the problem of the enormous sewer gator before you.
You all turn back and return to the dyeworks, making far better time now that you're not tracking. Twenty minutes after leaving Grimetongue behind you're being assisted out of the manhole by Lastwall guards. In your absence another score of soldiers have arrived and a cordon established around the Erstwhile compound. They receive your report with the calm urgency of professionals and immediately dispatch messengers to the War College and the Sancta Iomedaea.
You take your rest as best you can amid the bustle of Vigil's guards transcribe your reports to deliver to various leaders and commanders of the city, and reports start to filter back in. The first comes from Precentor Martial Heliu, reporting that several attempts had been made to scry the Seal Breaker's base but that all had failed. She does include a short explanation of what little is known of the Seal Breakers' history and the nature of the Great Seals that organization seeks to destroySee the spoiler'd note from July 30. Enclosed with the papers is an elegant wand of dark-stained oak, identified in Heliu's notes as a fully charged Wand of Magic Missile VII.
As you waken, you're met by Lieutenant Doeswen who's been working her own angles; she looks exhausted but shows you maps of the city sewers we was able to get ahold of--but frustratingly, the maps don't show any areas that seem likely to be an enemy base in the areas you indicated.
"Those areas aren't well-maintained or patrolled, so it's not impossible but it's just old tunnels, no big chambers or spots to bivouac over a dozen armed soldiers. I don't doubt this Grimetongue fellow, the otyughs know the sewers better than anyone, but I just don't see where these Seal Breakers could be. I've heard stories of wizards able to create hidden spaces that normal people can't see or reach; I pray we're not dealing with anything like that!"
More information comes in from the Sancta Iomedaea; a full commission placing your party in formal command of a platoon of church templars for the next 72 hours, as well as an informational report. It seems divination proved more successful than scrying; a note in Varvatos' own hand lays out the results of the casting:
An echo of the Herald slain, empty halls honoring blackened heart Now hide the servants of he who murdered Her Tools of greater evil still, they guide the blade but do not wield it Time grows short, you must hurrry
Below this is a hastily scribbled note, "The gods and their servitors are mighty indeed, but not omniscient. I'm evacuating the city."
Also recall that Varvatos gave the party some consumables. Dec 7 post: "From the lockbox Varvatos hands you a potion of Delay Poison, a potion of Remove Curse, a fully charged wand of Cure Moderate Wounds, and a fully charged wand of Lesser Restoration."
"Close, us think. Can hear them sometimes, on other side. Priests keep Old Leatherback calm so can cross, give him meat and use magic." Grimetongue hangs well back from the cistern in the tunnel behind Ketra, clearly uncomfortable with approaching any closer.
To clarify, there's not a way around the cistern on foot that doesn't involve using the long planks to form a bridge. Swinging that out to cross over would require either an Engineering or Strength check
Grimetongue is distressed by the idea of you falling back to rest--it seems the creature fears that the priests will be executed if the Seal Breakers discover that the guard they'd posted to monitor them has been killed. The otyugh doesn't seem willing to press the issue, though, especially when you promise to bring reinforcements back with you.
Resolving to scout ahead, Ketra follows Grimetongue as it leads her to the tunnel that it believes leads towards the 'armor jerk' hideout. Creeping forward, Ketra's progress is blocked a massive cistern fed by four tunnels coming in from different directions, including the one she now stands in. Easily fifty feet across and probably forty to fifty feet deep, the cistern is mostly full, with only about five feet from the edge of the brickwork Ketra stands on down to the water below. Next to her and on the ledge opposite rest a pair of long wooden planks, weathered with age and likely pulled from some larger structure like a bridge or building years ago. They look roughly long enough to form a crude plank bridge if you could swing the board out over the cistern to the opposite side.
That plank is not the biggest obstacle, however, for Ketra also spots an enormous shadow into the dirty water of the cistern, as well as a set of nostrils and enormous black eyes watching her impassively--a massive alligator, over twenty feet long from nose to tail. Old Leatherback floats with most of its huge body hidden under the water, watching the dancer with a predatory patience.
I'm assuming Ketra hasn't used the potion just yet
That sixteen might not still be accurate; Grimetongue wouldn't necessarily know how many your party took out, and it definitely wouldn't know about the dead cultist at the dyeworks.
"OLD LEATHERBACK BIG LIZARD. VERY BIG, MUCH TEETH. CRANKY ALSO. ONLY LISTEN TO PRIESTS, TRY TO EAT GRIMETONGUE ONCE."
"UMMM... ARMOR JERKS COME BACK LESS THAN ONE SLEEP AGO. THEM COME CHECK ON GUARD VERY SOON GRIMETONGUE THINK. THEM HAVE, UMM, DUH-ZEN PLUS FOUR MORE US THINK? SOME NOT GO OUT SINCE THEY GO IN, WEEKS BACK. ARMOR JERK LEADER IS POINTY-EAR YOU-MAN, WITH BIG BIG HAMMER."
Since you all seem amenable to helping, Grimetongue dips one of its tentacles into the flow of filth and draws you a crude and frankly reeking map. "YOU HERE, GRIMETONGUE HERE TOO. ARMOR JERKS GO THIS WAY, HIDE SOMEWHERE HERE. OLD LEATHERBACK LIVE HERE, PRIESTS MAKE SURE HIM BEHAVE SO YOU-MANS NOT BOTHER HIM. US THINK ARMOR JERKS NEED PRIESTS SO THEM CAN GET PAST." The creature points out some chambers, but can only gesture vaguely at where he believes the "armor jerks'" hideout to be.
"PRIESTS SAY THEY HEAR SPIRIT--STONE, WATER, CITY EBB AND FLOW. YOU-MANS NOT SO GOOD AT HEAR SPIRIT. THAT OKAY, GRIMETONGUE NOT SO GOOD AT HEAR EITHER."
"THEM STEAL PRIESTS SO WE NOT TELL YOU-MANS ARMOR JERKS HERE. SAY THEY KILL PRIESTS IF US NOT BE GOOD." It's a bit hard to tell, but Grimetongue sounds like they might be a little ashamed to admit this. "ARMOR JERKS PUT GUARD TO WATCH US, MANY WEEKS. BUT THEN SOMETHING CHANGE--BIG GROUP GO OUT, MARCH THROUGH SEWERS. GUARD LEFT BEHIND. WE DECIDE, TIME TO TRY RESCUE PRIESTS. KILL GUARD, BUT OLD LEATHERBACK NOT LET US TO ARMOR JERK CAMP. THEN BIG GROUP COME BACK--THEY NOT CHECK ON GUARD YET BUT SOON. THEN THEY KILL US PRIETS!"
At the question on the otyugh priests' powers Grimetongue turns and confers with its fellow in a series of incomprehensible grunts before turning back to you. "NOT SURE? PRIESTS VERY WISE, VERY STRONG. SEE FUTURE, KEEP OTHERS IN SEWER FROM MAKE TROUBLE. CAN HEAL, IF US HURT."
"GRIMETONGUE ALREADY TRY THAT. NO GOOD. ARMOR JERKS ALSO MAGIC JERKS, CHANGE US PRIESTS THINKING," The creature taps its 'head' for emphasis. "YOU-MANS USE MAGIC TOO."
"US NO CULT!" Grimetongue huffs indignantly, to a grunt of agreement from its fellow. "ARMOR JERKS IS CULT, YES? ARMOR JERKS STEAL US PRIESTS! US SHOW HOW TO FIND, YOU-MANS KILL ARMOR JERKS, YES? RETURN US PRIESTS?"
Stepping forward toward the unseen speaker, Ketra sees a huge, lumpy form looming out of the darkness. A trio of thick elephantine legs supports a misshapen round body, itself eyeless but boasting a massive set of jaws full of broad teeth. Three muscular tentacles rise from its back, held out towards Ketra like hands in a placating gesture--though the effect is ruined somewhat by the three eyes in one tentacle, and the barbs crowning the other two. Ketra can also just make out the shape of a second somewhat smaller creature of the same kind lurking behind its larger fellow.
"YOU-MANS CALL GRIME-TONGUE, OF SEWER GUILD. YOU...NOT WITH CITY?" The creature's tone is wary as its three eyes closely scrutinize Ketra.
Dungeoneering DC14:
These creatures are otyughs, ugly but intelligent scavengers who have become ubiquitous in the sewers of cities all across Golarion. Though fully capable of killing an adult human, otyughs are not particularly violent by nature and typically form a symbiotic waste-disposal relationship with the inhabitants of the communities above them.
Trying to catch a glimpse of the speakers, or at least hear them better, Ketra sneaks forward but her boot slips on a patch of slime before scuffing on stone. Abruptly the voices go silent, and a long moment of silence lingers before a gutteral voice calls out.
"WAIT, WAIT, NO FIGHT PLEASE. CALL, UH, PARLEE? YES, PARLEE!"
We're looking at ~65 minutes since you went into the sewers; that's definitely something to keep in mind for buff durations, yes.
Examining the holy symbols (Sanduro auto-aids) you determine that the silver skull symbols aren't for a specific deific being but rather an invokation of the powers and beliefs of Abaddon--the home of daemons and the seat of those who seek the end of all life in the multiverse. The rapier-and-rose is more curious, though; it's a variant of the symbol of Arazni that you found in Roslar's tomb all those weeks ago, possible one used by the crusaders? Though you can't imagine these wooden symbols surviving that many centuries in such a damp environment as this.
This mystery will have to wait though; when you're ready to move on Sanduro moves to examine the trail. At first he's able to follow it just fine, but it gets harder and harder as the sewer tunnels get cleaner--less and less grime and muck coats the walls and floor as you move on, which makes the tracks all the more difficult to follow and within ten minutes Sanduro is no longer sure he can find them at all.
Perception DC22:
Just as you're all starting to ask yourselves what to do next, you hear a sound--a sort of faint grunting...? After a moment you realize its a pair of deep gutteral voices whispering, or at least trying to.
The armor has some fresh battle damage but could absolutely be the foundation of a disguise!
Garret's scan for magical auras reveals a trove of magics on each of the knights; your ambush prevented any of it from really being used against you.
Loot:
[2] potions of Barkskin +2
[2] +1 full plate
[2] +1 longsword
[2] +1 light steel shield
[2] Lesser Talismans of Arrow Protection
[2] Lesser Talismans of Danger Sense
[8] javelins
[2] silver unholy symbols shaped like a humanoid skull
[2] wooden holy symbols of an angled rapier crossed with a rose (Religion DC15)
Lore (Lastwall or Shining Crusade) DC15, or Arcana DC20:
The Great Seal is an incredibly powerful ward created by the combined efforts of literally hundreds of capable mages, priests, and other spell-weavers in 3827AR, in the aftermath Tar-Baphon's defeat when the Shield of Aroden was Shattered. While the Great Seal itself binds the great tower-city known as Gallowspire, it has kept the lich imprisoned for almost nine centuries--but it does not work alone.
The Great Seal at Gallowspire cannot be touched or even examined due to the layers of protections woven around it, the so-called Three Lesser Seals. Each bound to an artifact, these Lesser Seals protect the and feed power to the Great Seal and each of them were given to heroes of the Shining Crusade to be hidden elsewhere on Golarion. Who those heroes were, the location of the Lesser Seals, and even what the Seals look like are some of the most valuable secrets in the world.
A few more expert blows from Rosalind and Zsofia finishes off the golem--by luck or providence, this one does not explode, perhaps its internal mechanisms are too damaged to detonate properly. Ketra for her part checks on the fallen knight, leaving her just in time to hear his death rattle.
As the adrenaline rush of battle fades and you start to tend to your remaining injuries, you examine the fallen knights and their strange bonelike armor. (Assuming one or more Aid here) Recognition--and disgust--flash across Sanduro's face as he examines the ring of Necril runes engraved on the breastplates.
"Pharasma protect us--these are Seal Breakers! They're, well, they're not part of the Whispering Way, exactly, but sages say they were allies of the Whispering Tyrant even before the Shining Crusade, and they've dedicated themselves to unraveling the Great Seal in Gallowspire that keeps Tar-Baphon imprisioned." The druid looks uncharacteristically grim; even Zsofia refrains from cracking wise after a look at his face. "Them being in Vigil is a really, really bad sign..."
"Zsofia, keep that golem busy! Help Captain Sunstone!" Sanduro hustles down the tunnel while Zsofia continues uselessly battering at the golem alongside a colorful string of profanity; the druid moves past Garret and Silvia to try and help monitor the surviving knight as Ketra goes after him. Unfortunately the dancer's attempts to bludgeon him into submission are thwarted by the cultist's heavy plate. Garret advances to avoid being left out of the fight entirely, sending a barrage of missiles slamming into the cult knight still standing.
Blinking away as the spots from Garret's spell linger, the knights realizes where Ketra must be from where she smacked him with the flat of blade and responds with a shout and a vicious riposte, unholy energy flaring through his weapon. A wide sweeping slash catches Ketra in the side, ripping armor and flesh alike. (22dmg)
+ ROUND FOUR +
Rosalind (-14hp)
Golem Blue (-7hp)
Ketra (-22hp)
Sanduro (-3hp)
Zsofia
Garret
Silvia (-11hp)
Cult Knight Red (-54hp)
"Change of plans, golem, kill the mouthy one instead," the blinding knight rasps, feeling his way along the wall and turning to retreat (on his own turn). The golem turns and throws two clumsy strikes at the Watchknight, but she's gotten wise to their moves and easily avoids the attacks.
+ ROUND THREE +
Rosalind (-14hp)
Golem Blue (-7hp)
Ketra
Sanduro (-3hp)
Zsofia
Garret
Silvia (-11hp)
Cult Knight Red (-30hp; Blinded 3/3)
Garret's silent scream slams into the enemy knight, leaving him stumbling and staggering like a boxer on his last legs. Taking advantage of his dazed state, Ketra darts past him and stabs her dagger into his side. Behind her, the blinded knight intones a spell then growls in Necril, "Golems, kill the one casting spells!" Then speaks a command word of some sort, and the fallen golem jerks and spasms before detonating in a shower of metal, flesh, and sparking arcs of lighting! The blast echoes thunderously in the tunnel and leaves injuries left and right, even on one of the other golems and the dazed knight--though Ketra and the blue golem somehow avoid taking any damage; it seems the shadow-magic infusing the constructs gives them resistance to electricity...
Spellcraft DC17:
The blinded knight cast Bull's Strength on himself.
Swearing as an electrified shard of metal pierces her ectoplasm, Zsofia lashes out at the golem in front of her but her fists rebound harmlessly from the thick metal encasing the construct. Sanduro himself takes careful aim before sending an arrow spinning into the side of the dazed knight; though battered and bloodied, the cult warrior seemingly just refuses to fall!
Meanwhile, Silvia pours rifle fire into the golem staggering towards her. Once, twice, trice her shots land, ricocheting around inside the thick armor and tearing the construct to pieces! Unfortunately, it too shudders before exploding, filling the tunnel with yet more lightning and shrapnel! Silvia, Sanduro, and the remaining golem take minor damage, while Rosalind and the dazed knight catch nastier hits. This last proves too much for the cult warrior, who is blasted back against the sewer wall and crumples into a bloody heap.
+ ROUND THREE +
Rosalind (-46hp)
Golem Blue (-7hp)
Golem Yellow
Ketra
Sanduro (-8hp)
Zsofia (-8hp)
Garret
Silvia (-16hp)
Cult Knight Red (-30hp; Blinded 3/3)
Cult Knight Purple
As the golem stabbed by Ketra starts to turn and face her Rosalind takes advantage of its distraction, hacking it apart with a pair of vicious blows from her nodachi.
Drawn by the movement, the golem wading through the much turns and pursues, climbing out of the trough and lunging forward with a brutal punch to Silvia's ribcage. Rosalind gets a similar treatment as the remaining golem flails at the Watchknight, one spiked gauntlet piercing her armor and drawing blood.
+ ROUND TWO +
Rosalind (-13hp)
Golem Green
Golem Blue
Golem Yellow
Ketra
Sanduro
Zsofia
Garret
Silvia (-8hp)
Cult Knight Red (-30hp; Blinded 2/3)
Cult Knight Purple (-30hp; Dazzled 2/3)
Taking the liberty of moving the Cult Knights after Silvia to clean up the initiative order a bit
Ketra smoothly darts around one of the golems, driving her sword between a gap in the heavy plates and into the weirdly toughened flesh beneath, reducing her damage. Sanduro extends a hand towards Zosfia to manifest her ectoplasmic form. Grinning at being solid again, the phantom moves up to join Ketra--but her haymaker rebounds off the golem's heavy plate with without dealing damage! Meanwhile Garret tries to cover Ketra with a flash of holy fire at the two cult knights; one of them swears vilely in Necril as he's blinding, but the other growls and rips his sword from its sheathe. Striding forward through them muck, he extends one gauntleted hand towards Ketra in intones a spell; the dancer feels her limbs start to freeze up but is able to fight off the spell (barely!) Silvia moves down the tunnel, trying to draw the approaching golem's attention and infusing divine power into her rifle.
+ ROUND TWO +
Rosalind
Golem Green (-9hp)
Golem Blue
Golem Yellow
Ketra
Sanduro
Zsofia
Garret
Cult Knight Red (-30hp; Blinded 1/3)
Cult Knight Purple (-30hp; Dazzled 1/3)
Silvia
Oh! No, not undead. Also since it's relevant the lighting down here is dim-to-dark, since iirc the only light is for Rosalind.
GM Rolls:
Blue vs R:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16Damage:1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12 Green vs R:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25Damage:1d8 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13
The golems turn, two of them rushing Rosalind as the nearest target. They swing in with heavy gauntleted fists but the Watchknight is ready for them and parries the strikes. The third golem notices the movement of the rest of the party on the other side of the sewer trough and heads towards them, heedlessly splashing through the filth.
