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Ezekial, something is very familiar about the corpses but you can't quite place where you've seen them.
You are able to identify the corpses as all being human.
Ezekial finds 33 dead bodies in the crypt - all roughly of the same level of decomposition. He finds nothing of value among the dead. Knowledge Local, DC 20: From the clothing of the bodies the dead are Varnhold colonists. The body seated at the head of the table is that of Maegar Varn himself. Also present is a corpse wearing the trappings of a priest of the faith of Erastil— Maegar’s longtime companion, the cleric Caspar Morgarion.
The party makes quick work of the remaining zombie and reduces it to a pile of shredded rotting flesh. The crypt falls silent.
Ezekial, Seres and Veronica team to kill another zombie. The last zombies shambles in and swings at Connor, but misses.
dice:
Ezekial again dives in and this time slays the lead dread zombie as it squeezes towards Connor. Veronica holds and fires on the next zombie as it files in and hits with both shots. Seres places his flaming sphere on the same zombie and burns it's hideous, decaying flesh. Connor recovers his sword, remounts and then attacks the next zombie as it moves forward. Both he and white talon hit and shred the zombie to quivering bits of putrid flesh. A third zombie squeezes into the passage but is too constrained to hit Connor.
dice:
Ezekial dives in and debilitates the nearest zombie by cutting through most of it's rotted leg. Seres ignites a flaming sphere in the room. Veronica blesses the group and then takes a defensive position. Connor readies to trip, but when the lead zombie squeezes into the narrow passage, he can't quite bring the undead brute down. The other zombies shamble toward the party.
This door opens onto a short dais looking out over a large chamber. Thick pillars ascend to a twenty-foot-high ceiling, while a wide stone
Four dread zombie cyclops shuffle between the corpses.
dice:
I had the same problem. Paizo had some sort of server outage. You have to delete all of the cookies associated with the paizo website for each browser on each device. More info here:
Ezekial finds no traps or lock on the door. He hears a faint shuffling within the room that sounds like something heavy being dragged over stone.
Connor finds nothing searching the room accept many scattered bones. Man of the crypts are strangely devoid of any remains. Ezekial determines that the ulfen corpse that gave rise to the spectre must have been one of the missing Varnhold settlers based on some of the personal effects found. He doesn't find anything of value.
Veronica pierces the spectre with her first arrow. Ezekial dashes and successfully slashes apparition before diving away. Connor manages to hit the spectre twice with his great sword. Seres moves up and finally destroys the ghostly undead with a volley of force missiles. The remnants of the spectre pull back into the corpse on the ground, which shudders once before falling still again. An eerie silence settles over the dusty crypt.
Energy Drain Rules: Source Bestiary 6 pg. 293, Pathfinder RPG Bestiary pg. 299, Bestiary 2 pg. 296, Bestiary 3 pg. 294, Bestiary 4 pg. 293, Bestiary 5 pg. 292 This attack happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits. Each successful energy drain bestows one or more negative levels (the creature’s description specifies how many). If the creature confirms a critical hit with an attack that includes energy drain, it inflicts twice the listed number of negative levels. Unless otherwise specified in the creature’s description, a draining creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it inflicts on an opponent. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 draining creature’s racial HD + draining creature’s Charisma modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level becomes permanent. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level.
Seres withdraws from the room after having a small portion of his life essence stolen by the spectre. Ezekial leaps forward and slices the apparition with his magical kukri. Connor and Whitetalon move up to melee with the spectre. The cavalier's greatsword dissipates a portion of the spirit's ghostly energy. Veronica calls down the power of her deity and smites the spectre in a flash of white light - destroying much of it. The spectre begins to thrash wildly at the air around Connor and manages to slice one of its claws through the cavalier's armor
dice: ; low misses
Seres backs away from the spectre, but the spirit follows and lashes the fey sorcerer with its ghostly hand
Dice:
Seres sees the outline of an incorporeal spirit rise from the corpse as he enters the room.
Spoiler:
Opening the left door reveals a crypt that stretches into darkness. The floor of this crypt is strewn with rubble and the filth of opened graves. Sprawled on the floor is a fairly fresh corpse of a middle-aged Ulfen man, no more than a week or two old at the most.
Neither door is locked.
Ezekial finds no traps on either door.
Opening the southern door reveals a long passage that winds east. After ascending two sets of stairs the passage dead ends in a short hall with two doors - one on the south and one on the north wall.
Seres summons a flaming sphere on top of the dread zombie and ignites the tattered remnants of its wizard's robe and the creature's dead, decaying flesh. Veronica channels Erastil's divine power and the zombie is suddenly engulfed in the burning nimbus of Dead Eye's cleansing, righteous energy. Ezekial launches another pair of daggers and strikes true both times -the blades lodge deep in the screaming zombie. Connor and Whitetalon then each strike a decisive blow against the zombie - slaying it and sending the undead abomination flailing into the toxic tar pit below.
dice:
Ezekial launches a dagger and manages to dispel the third image. Connor cuts viciously with his greatsword and manages to connect with the actual zombie. Flame again ripples up the greatsword and engules Connor . Phywss and Seres both succumb to the noxious fumes. Veronica again calls forth the divine aid of Erastil. The zombie steps away from Whitetalon and Connor and casts a spell - the area around Connor and Whitetallong is suddenly filled with scintillating golden dust
dice: ; 1=real; e ; 1=real; c
Ezekial moves to the door to escape the fumes. Veronica prays for Erastil's divine aid as she removes Ezekial's sickness. Seres is struggles to resist the effects of the noxious gas. Connor spurs Whitetalon forward as he himself is momentarily overcome by the fumes. White Talon connects with both his bite and a claw - dispelling one of the zombie images. The zombie lunges at White talon with a curved dagger, while also biting - but misses on both counts.
dice: ; 1=real
Connor lashes at the dread zombie again with his axe but the creature nimbly side steps the blow. Phywss brings down a thunder call followed by a round of pyrotechnics. The zombie manages to avoid the stun effect but is dazzled. Veronica sets Ezekial down and calls forth the divine aid of Erastil. Ezekial attempts to recover from the nauseating effects of the toxic fumes. Seres fires his bow with deadly accuracy and manages to dispel an image. The zombie withdraws from Connor and flies up to the top of the cavern.
dice: ; 1=real [dice=bite]
Connor and Whitetalon swoop into melee with the dread zombie. Connor's axe cuts deep into the wizards flesh, but a burst of flame leaps up from the wound and engulfs Connor . Whitetalon is unable to penetrate the wizard's dead flesh. The zombie wizard continues casting through the attack and suddenly he is joined by four images of himself .
Dice:
The dead man hisses through his broken jaw, "I have come to claim your souls for my master." He begins casting a spell.
dice:
As you make your way over the tar pit you note that the air above the tar pit is extremely noxious.
As you approach the southern door you notice a man standing in front of it. He wears tattered robes and his jaw hangs broken in a very unnatural way. His skin of his face if foul and blackened. He stairs into space as you approach.
Opening the western door reveals a wide chamber that appears to have been naturally formed; its ceiling rises 25 feet and is festooned with stalactites. The stink of sulfur and tar are strong, as a huge lake of bubbling black tar dominates the chamber. From rock outcrops here and there on the walls bubble small springs of milky-looking water. Across the chamber, a stony shelf provides purchase for a door stoop before a
Still not opening.
Ezekial is unable to pick the exquisitely designed mechanical lock.
Veronica, Connor and Ezekial combine to slay the soul eater in a fury of righteous anger. The crypt falls silent. Perception DC 20: You notice a secret door behind the statue on the eastern wall. The doors appears to be locked by both mundane and arcane methods.
Veronica calls to her god and is suddenly surrounded by a golden radiance. Connor furiously slashes with his great sword and manages to tear apart most of one of the attacking soul eaters. White talon hits with both of his claws and destroys the abomination. Ezekial moves up and back stabs the remaining soul eater - rending away some of its essence. He then moves back safely out of melee range. Seres also targets the remaining soul eater and hits it with a volley of force missiles. The remaining soul eater slashes at White Talon, but cannot penetrate the griffin's armored barding.
Dice: ; 1=C, 2=WT
Connor is quick to react and charges the nearest soul eater - his lance shreds a portion of its essence, though he finds that the master work lance is not as effective at hitting the creature as it should be. Whitetalon also manages to score a hit with a hoof - also causing muted damage. Seres fires at the far soul eater and manages to hit it twice - burning away a portion of the cloud that surrounds the creature. Both creatures move to attack Connor and both manage to hit
dice: ; 1=C, 2=WT ; 1=C, 2=WT
Opening the door at the end of the hall reveals a 25'x25' room lined with alcoves and supported by two pillars in the center. This chamber’s walls are composed of burial alcoves - all of which are empty save for the small stone shelf ledges holding assorted bits of pottery. Two blackish clouds emerge from behind the pillars. From each cloud extend two elongated and deathly pallid arms protruding from each creature’s smoky body as they slither silently through the air towards you. You recognize the creatures as the same as the horror that attacked you the previous night.
dice:
The nothern double doors into into passage that turns west and then slants south to a descending stairwell. The stairwell leads to a door.
A roiling black cloud appears over the alter and blue bolts of fire begin to rain down on everyone in the room. Ezekial:
Connor:
Whitetalon:
Phywss:
Veronica:
Moondancer:
Freki:
Geri:
Ezekial: It's definitely a magical trap of some sort.
Nothing discernible happens when Phywss manipulates the runes.
Veronica and Connor note that the southern shrine is a simple stone and the northern shrines each consist of a large piece of quarried quartz. Veronica notes that the northern alter has a shallow drinking cup resting on it. The cup is stained with some dark residue. Veronica is able to easily light the lamps. Each lamp immediately ignites into vibrant blue flames. Heal Check DC 15:
You identify the residue as dried blood no more than a week old. Perception DC 28: You notice that the northern alter has small magical runes subtlety carved into it.
Ezekial finds no traps on the double doors. Opening the doors reveals a 40x60' room with doors to the north and east. To the east, this room is paved in patterned tiles of different colored slate and subdivided by a pair of pillars carved in the likeness of leering fiends. Beyond them, friezes on the walls depict processions of animal-headed creatures marching along a black river’s banks toward dual shrines in opposite corners of the chamber. These each a shadowy individual standing in a sinister longboat. Between them stands a bronze double door, its face decorated with a mosaic of a winding river crafted from obsidian tiles. Knowledge, Religion DC 30: You recognize these dual altars as a relatively outdated and obscure form of worshiping Charon in which the smoke of the two shrine lamps symbolizes the rising spirits of the dead as they approach the River Styx. You know that in these old temples, the lanterns were magical keys that helped to seal doorways.
Ezekial hears nothing on the other side of the door. He is able to safely disarm the trap. Opening the secret door, you spot the telltale holes where a second portcullis would drop. A narrow passage leads to three consecutive stairs going up. These crooked stairs are uneven and hewn from the living stone. It winds upward, apparently following a natural seam in the rock. It ends in a pair of double doors.
Ezekial sees subtle runes around the outline of the secret door - runes that will trigger a trap of some sort.
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