Tronar blasts the Shadow, which is hurt but still up.
Anastasia unleashes holy energy.
This finishes off both Shadows! Unfortunately, Castrothane seems immune to it.
Castrothane will turn and full attack Shaeda.
"Give me the circlet and I'll let you live!"
Grateful for both the destruction of the shadows and the Adaptive magics of his longbow, Ziranu turns his markedly weakened barrage upon the skeletal knight once more, this time using Clustered Shots to mitigate damage reduction beyond a single instance...
Post-shots analysis, this time including both Haste bonus and Strength damage penalty:
Damage breakout, against which DR can count once:
- Against AC 31 or lower: 55+27+31+20+29 = 162 points of damage.
- Against AC 32 or lower: 27+20+29 = 76 points of damage.
Ziranu finishes off the skeletal warrior!
You feel the miasma of gloom around the castle lighten slightly, as the curse upon loosens its grip once more. Three Spirit Anchors down, one to go.
Castrothane's gear is simple enough that you'd basically auto succeed at identifying it, so I'll just list it.
+1 Full Plate
+1 Heavy Steel Shield
+1 Battleaxe
Cloak of Resistance +1
Ring of Immolation
"Ok let's get moving towards the last one. Where is the magic device telling us to go for this one?"
The final pull on the sword comes from below and to the north.
"Before we leave here, Ziranu and Tronar, please use your mundane and arcane abilities, respectively, and make sure we aren't missing any secrets here."
"Shaeda, Anastasia - do eizher of you possess restoration magics? Wizh zhe shadow's touch, my strengzh is a fraction of where it should be right now..."
In the interim, Ziranu begins searching the high chamber...
, +7 vs. traps, +6 vs. humans, +4 vs. evil outsiders, +2 vs. undead and dragons
Anastasia steps up, takes 18 seconds and casts restoration on Ziranu.
Ziranu spots a slight difference on texture on part of the west wall. Looks like a secret door, though it is locked.
Ziranu nods in thanks to Anastasia, then carefully approaches the locked secret door to discern what lies beyond…
Tronar will also detect magic to see if there are any valuables hidden in the corners of the room.
Ziranu manages to get the door to slide aside into the wall. This room contains a wealth of ruined crates, rotten firewood, moldy barrels, and other mundane supplies that are long past their prime. At first none of it appears salvageable. However, in the corner is a rolltop desk that, upon close examination, Tronar determines has a permanent Gentle Repose spell upon it to keep the contents preserved.
Inside are various spell components and reagents and rare parchments, worth a total of about 9000 gp. Leaning against the desk is a walking stick that detects as magical.
It's a Staff of Conjuration with currently 8 charges.
Tronar can carry the staff, for now!
Tronar will put the staff into his bag of holding. "Well, I don't seem to have a use for this just yet but if we need to summon allies in the future, this Staff of summoning will help. And if we don't think we need this, then it will surely bring a fair amount of resources to the cause!"
Tronar then motions to the group, he is ready to proceed to the final anchor.
You follow the signal from Serithial back downstairs and into a suite of chambers you hadn't explored before. They seem completely uninhabited, and there's a quiet stillness throughout, aqlmost peaceful compared to the rest of the castle. Finally you find the room the sword indicates.
This vast chamber is floored in gray slate and supported by thick pillars of obsidian. Torches mounted on the pillars burn, yet their flames are strangely dim, barely lighting the cathedral-like space. White pinpoints of light seem to dance in the eye sockets of each skull that decorates the pillars. To the northwest, a tall statue of a Zon-Kuthonn dressed in dark robes stands behind a black marble altar, on which lies heaped mounds of ashes and bits of bone. Jagged, barbed chains dangle from the statue’s eye sockets. Thick black curtains hang from the chamber’s walls.
Next to the altar is a modest throne. An old man sits in it, his eyes closed. He appears to be not dead, but sleeping peacefully.
The dragon told you some info. Quoting here:
"Last is the castle's donjon, which can be entered by going up those stairs to the north of the courtyard. There you will find Zev Ravenka - the castle's bishop. He had long dreamed of obtaining immortality, and sought to become a lich, putting many years of research into this cause. However, when Mandraivus attacked the castle and Kazavon fell, the priest panicked and cast his ritual before it was ready, hoping to escape death. He failed to achieve lichdom, but with the curse that arose on the castle he was not able to die either. He's some sort of degenerate version of a lich now, practically in a torpor unless disturbed."
Searok will point to the sleeping man then make a slashing motion across his throat with his finger.
Shaeda shakes her head "no." And mouths "not yet."
She points at Ziranu, and then to her eyes, and points around the room. She then swats him on the butt to get him going.
Tronar will use Silent Spell feat while invisible and cast Haste on all of the party members (15 rds of fun).
Ziranu nods, and begins his careful, stealthy search of the forboding chamber...
, +7 vs. traps, +6 vs. humans, +4 vs. evil outsiders, +2 vs. undead and dragons
Ziranu thinks he sees a glint of something shiny amidst the ashes on the altar.
Shaeda shakes her head "no." And mouths "not yet."
Searok pouts.
Ziranu thinks he sees a glint of something shiny amidst the ashes on the altar.
Ziranu attempts to look more closely and specifically at that which shines amidst the ashes...
, +7 vs. traps, +6 vs. humans, +4 vs. evil outsiders, +2 vs. undead and dragons
"Somezhing shines strangely upon zhe altar. Can ozhers detect any magicks upon it as I look closer?"
Is it possible zhe "Spirit Anchor" here is not zhe being Zev Ravenka, or instead is an object or trap, itself? If it cannot be "killed" as zhe ozhers could, will any magic serve instead, as wizh zhe dragon?"
Tronar will use the silent spell feat and cast detect magic.
Tronar relays to the party what he has found out.
[smaller][/b]"Keep in mind we have speed on our side for a few more moments"[/b]{/smaller]
[ooc]14rds of Haste left
Tronar is almost overwhelmed by the amount of magical auras he sees. Within the ashes are many different types of magic including conjuration, evocation, enchantment and transmutation. Can't really identify the spells in effect without seeing whatever's in there.
Upon the old man however are illusion and necromancy auras, and the illusion at least suggests that what appears to be an old man is a Major Image.
Ziranu things he can make out a bit of chain link and some wood within the pile.
"Ok let's get this party started since we seem to be hesitating."
Tronar will cast Greater Dispel Magic on the old man ... .from behind his wall of meat shields of course. I'm not totally foolhardy of course
The old man in his chair opens his eyes, releases a noiseless scream, and then vanishes. You can see that the illusion covered a mere pile of bones and ash on the chair, among them a skull with jewels in its mouth and eye-sockets.
The skull rises up into the air, shrieking loudly.
Initiatives:
Tronar recognizes this creature as a demilich, a creature that results when an attempt to become a lich goes wrong, or when a lich is so ancient and decrepit that it starts to fall apart.
The creature exists in an almost comatose state unless disturbed or its treasures touched, then roars back to animation. It has the horrifying ability to consume souls, and is immune to many forms of magic.
Anastasia:
Shaeda recalls that demiliches can be harmed by Dispel Evil, Holy Smite, and Shatter. They are weak against Vorpal weapons.