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Howard nods, soberly.
"Thisss man isss infected by the fungal dissseassse, and isss clossse to becoming one of thossse thingsss. I have purged the sssurface contagion, but asss he isss ssstill alive, my ssspell did not remove the fungusss within him. I will need to dig deep, to sssee if I can fix thisss..."
Howard realizes that the man won't live past midnight.
"Is that why he screamed when you used that what-you-call-it herbicide spell on the area? Because of his infection?" Sir Amrivast asks. "And can you save him?" He adds urgently.
"I can't believe that we fought our way through all those horrors here, the only thing we can do is to watch him die."Sir Amrivast growls, then scratches the wall in frustration.
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Howard frowns.
"Ssstay here, and guard him - you, at leassst, are immune to the contagion. I will go get what needsss to be acquired."
He then Plane Shifts to Armun Kelisk, and starts buying scrolls.
Once he has what he needs, he uses the scrolls to get back, and casts Limited Wish on the man.
"I wisssh that your ssseedbourne contagion wasss cured."
Howard detects waves of magical energy around the area that disrupt teleportation from outside into Neruzavin. It is however, possible to teleport within Neruzavin, or teleport out of it. Putting into effect that the nearest you can teleport is one week from the place, mod as written.
"I will stay and guard him. None shall get near us." Sir Amrivast extends his claws.
Howard planeshifts himself to the plane of air, buys the necessary supplies, and teleports himself at the edge of Neruzavin, then walks in, then teleports himself into Neruzavin.
"Good to see you back, Howard. This place is rather disconcerting. Like you could hear the wind howling, but there was no wind at all."
Then he reads out the scroll of limited wish on the man, wishing that he was cured of the seedborne contagion and a green bubble of energy engulfs the man, as the diamond that was bought alongside with the scroll shatters. The man does seem to be breathing more easily, and when Howard pings him with his diagnose disease wand, there is no trace of seedborne consumption.
"Let me see if I can bring him around." Sir Amrivast says, "And pass me that wand of yours, Howard."
Sir Amrivast chants a prayer to Iomedae then brushes his paw against against the man's temple, casting lesser restoration.
He then takes out Howard's wand and taps the man with it.
The man's eyes snap open, "W-what..?" He gasps as he tries to wiggle off, and Sir Amrivast, getting heartily tired of all this, holds him down with his paws (claws retracted), with a long suffering sigh.
"I am Sir Amrivast, a paladin of Iomedae. Relax. You're safe with us now."
With those words the man visibly calms down, "S-ssorry. I mistook you as one of those seeded lamias...both of you have lion bodies..."
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Howard gives the man a sympathetic smile.
"Given what you have been through, I can appreciate why you might have jumped to that conclusssion. I can assssssure you that neither Amrivassst or I mean you any harm; in fact, we have just gone to a consssiderable amount of effort to cure you of the Ssseedbourne Contagion that you were afflicted with. You are lucky that we arrived when we did; another few hoursss, and you would have turned into one of thossse fungal undead, like your companionsss did. They, we could not sssave, but you, sssince you were ssstill alive, had a chance; I am glad we took that chance. Now, why don't you tell usss whom you are, and what you are doing here. Were you part of Lowlsss' party?"
He then hands the man the mask he just purchased.
"Now, thisss place isss quite dangerousss, and we do have a missssssion here, ssso accompanying usss will be fraught with difficulty. That sssaid, wandering off by yourssself would probably get you killed, asss well. What we can guarantee isss that we will do our best to defend you. Asss a token of what being with usss bringsss, please, take thisss masssk; the giant beak looksss a bit odd, I will admit, but will completely protect you from the fungal infection that ssseemsss to infessst ssso many of the creaturesss in thisss place."
N Human Rogue (Scout) 10
Init +4; Perception +14
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 15, flat-footed 17 (+5 armor, +4 dex, +1 dodge)
hp 68 (10d8+20)
Fort +4, Ref +12, Will +8
OFFENSE
Speed 40 ft
Melee +1 punching dagger +11/+9(1d4+3)
Ranged +1 hand crossbow +12 (1d4+1/19-20)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks scouts charge, skirmisher, sneak attack +5d6 plus 5 bleed
Defensive abilities Evasion, Trap sense +3
STATISTICS
Str 14, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 14
Base Atk +7; CMB +9; CMD 24
Feats Acrobatic Steps, Dodge, Iron Will, Mobility, Nimble Moves, Quick Draw, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (punching dagger)
Skills Acrobatics +16 (+20 to jump), Bluff +15, Climb +22, Disable Device +23, Intimidate +15, Knowledge (dungeoneering, geography, local) +5, Perception +15, Sense motive +15, Sleight of hand +7, Stealth +16
Languages Common
SQ Rogue talents (assault leader, Bleeding attack +5, Combat Trick, Fast Stealth, Weapon Training), trapfinding +5
Equipment +1 chain shirt, +1 hand crossbow with 20 bolts, +1 punching dagger, boots of striding and springing, cloak of resistance +1, masterwork thieves tools
"Yeah I mean you wouldn't have to do anything if you wanted me dead - just let contagion take its course." The man answers. "I know my companions are dead - they captured me and trapped me in the cocoon - and said that I shouldn't feel too left out - I'd be joining them soon." The man shudders involuntarily. "I am Havigan Krast, a rogue of renown. I helped the pathfinder society solve the mystery of the prince of Augustana, and while I was traveling around Ustalav, this Count Lowls was gathering up people for an expedition to the Parchlands - to find the lost city of Neruzavin, named by the ancients the cradle of heaven, where there were 3 runestones of power. Now I have some experience in dungeon dwelving - and the pay was too good to resist, so I signed up."
He shudders, "Worst decision I've ever made in my life. There were some really creepy people wearing black robes in the retinue, who'd speak about eldritch horrors and summoning them and binding them for power, and Lowls himself, as time went along, seemed to be babbling and looking at things no one else saw."
"Not to mention that we were picked off by the denizens of this place one by one. Kora went for a potty break, and never returned. We heard a scream, and rushed out, but saw nothing. Later we found his body some distance away from the camp, it looked like he was strangled to death."
"Then a group of those seeded attacked us - we put them down...but then people kept disappearing in the night one by one - we never saw them again. Then we were told to guard this place, while Lowls examined the inscribed column here, and we were attacked by the seeded. We fought them off, but Kelshan, Marok and Sendala were struck in battle by them...gradually they fell sick and started acting weird. I was trying to take care of them...then one night they overpowered me and bound me to that cocoon - they said I'd be joining them soon..."
"Honestly - I just want to go back to Absalom...and forget about this entire episode."Then he looks slightly ashamed, "But well...I may have, inadvertently contributed to whatever's happening down here...so much as I'd like to wash my hands of the matter completely, it wouldn't be very responsible for me to do so."
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Howard pats the man on the shoulder.
"That'sss the ssspirit! We'll do our bessst to get thisss all cleared up asss quickly asss possssssible. How many were there in Lowlsss' party?"
He then smiles sympathetically.
"I underssstand the lure of adventure; it isss easssy to get carried away, and, with the bessst of intentionsss, get mixed up in eventsss far beyond what you had intended. Welcome aboard, Havigan. Come on - let'sss sssee what elssse thisss place hasss in ssstore for usss..."
"There is Thala of House Cato - a disenfranchised noblewoman who established herself as a mercenary captain, then there is Carsathi, one of those black robe cultists, and Keetos - their guide."Havigan replies.
"The rest of us either deserted - or were slain en route to this tower." He says sorrowfully.
"Sorry, do you mind tapping me with a CLW wand before we get moving? I'm in rather bad shape."
Sir Amrivast asks Howard, "Are you sure we should trust him? He was one of Lowl's former mercenaries."
"I know I owe you my life. I would rather die then betray you. I swear by all that is holy. And I honestly want a chance to make amends for what I've done." Havigan pleads with Sir Amrivast.
"Ok, I guess you can come along...but be careful - it's dangerous."Sir Amrivast cautions him.
"Tell me about it - I've just watched my companions die and rise again to kill me."Havigan gives a bitter smile.
"If it's more finger wavers, I'd better get my protections in place. I do not appreciate getting electrocuted or fried." Sir Amrivast says, then casts resist energy (Lightning) and resist energy (fire) on himself.
This cylindrical room is empty, but so tall to have no apparent ceiling. Sir Amrivast flies around, then returns to the party, "There's a short hallway leading to the upper level, but gravity is a little weird here. I found myself being pushed upwards. Thank goodness for wings."
"We have a problem." He looks at Havigan. "He can't fly, and unless he likes being slammed against the celling..."
"Oh bother it." He says gruffly and picks up a surprised Havigan in a fireman's lift, then carries him up all the way to the top with Howard.
"And don't tell ANYONE that I had to provide the airlift. It's so undignified."
A few bedrolls, handful of spilled grain and the ashen stain of a long-dead fire occupy the center of this nearly triangular room. At once of the three vertices, a hole in the wall opens to the outdoors, well above the ground below.
Sir Amrivast (carrying Havigan with him) and Howard both sense the unholy energies growing, and get the hell out of the area.
They see dozen of Lowl's hirelings listlessly gathered around a small dung fire. Suddenly, one falls over and convulses as fungal tendrils emerge from his eyes. The others reach for weapons and begin striking their fallen comrade before heaving his corpse into the fire. The dung fire then springs into unholy life.
Howard realizes that destroying the vestige of Xhamen-Dor destroys the haunt.
"Yeah, that's what happened to some of us..."Havigan says sadly.
"Urm, thanks?" Havigan thanks Sir Amrivast. "I don't think I'd survive getting smashed against the ceiling, nor that flamestrike."
This cylindrical room is empty with a high ceiling.
This room stinks of sewage and filth, and the ceiling 80 feet above is thick with excrement and rubbish. This room is also subject to reverse gravity. Among the refuse Howard spots a journal.
Day 20:
Lowls has once again left to document the ruins. It amazes me that he can wander this "city" without running afoul of the monsters here. We have suffered three difficult attacks in his absence, and the infernal whistling grows stronger every day. Why did he hire bodyguards if we were only going to sit around and sweat? Morale is low and some are starting to desert. Jahab left as soon as the count did, Good luck escaping without provisions.
Day 25:
Screaming. We found Jahab bound in bruise-coloured fibers, and he kept screaming about the seeds within us all. He eventually passed out and refused food or water. It looks like deprivation and sunstroke.
Day 26:
While Peera was checking Jahab, he grabbed her by the throat and began strangling her. When we pulled them apart, part of Jahab's hands were still attached to her neck. There weren't fingers, just bruise-coloured fungus. Jahab couldn't stop laughing, even though he didn't have hands anymore. When we confronted him, he threw himself from the tower and broke his body on the streets below. The corpse was gone less than an hour later, but nobody spotted any scavengers.
Day 30:
The whistling's different. It's soothing, somehow. Maybe that's just how death seems a welcome end when suffering grows horrible. We've lost another three, Iaves, Renal and Peera. We burned Renal's body but the smoke just made the others sick. Everyone has a haunted look, but at least two have told me I've the same expression. That's madness. Clearly they're the ones going mad. I can almost see their sickness as it stirs inside them. So thirsty, Just waiting to hatch.
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Howard grins, and winks at Amrivast.
"I wouldn't dream of breathing a word about it."
He then nods soberly to Havigan.
"Asss I sssaid before, we look after our own."
Spotting the journal, Howard uses Mage Hand to retrieve it, and Prestidigitation to clean it, before gingerly flipping through it, his expression getting grimmer and grimmer.
"It'sss almossst asss if Lowlsss brought you here asss lambsss to be sssacrificed, rather than asss bodyguardsss..."
a dark cloud passes over his face, before he continues.
...now that I think about it, I am entirely certain that isss precisssely why you were brought here. Whatever he planned to do here, undoubtedly required much sssacrifice, and Lowlsss hasss a habit of making sssure that othersss pay the price..."
With a sigh, he continues on his way.
"Thank you. The other lammasus would tease me if they found out I was working as a porter. I'd never live it down." Sir Amrivast replies.
"But why would they? It's for a good cause, right?"
"Well, we like to believe we're above the common Griffon that people ride."Sir Amrivast answers."Pride, you know."
"Anyway even before you ride a Griffon, you better befriend him or you're going to get thrown off or clawed."
"Yeah, I can see that."Havigan agrees.
At the word sacrifice, Sir Amrivast growls angrily, and his claws extend slightly.
Havigan gives a pained yelp as the beginning of 5 claws stick into his right wrist.
"Oops, sorry."Sir Amrivast apologizes as he hastily retracts his claws. "But this isn't a permanent solution, you know. I've got claws in these paws and they aren't just for show."
Havigan rubs where Sir Amrivast accidentally stuck claws into him.
"Tell you what,"He tells Havigan. "At the next area with normal gravity, you hop on my back and grab onto my mane. That way I don't need to use a paw holding you."
"And both of you had better not tell ANYONE about this."Sir Amrivast gives a sigh. "To be ridden like a common horse. Geez, the sacrifices I make for the forces of Good."
Howard gets the impression that Sir Amrivast isn't really irritated, just mock-complaining.
"Sir Amrivast. I am really grateful that you're allowing me to ride you. Like, I really don't want to be any trouble." Havigan tells Sir Amrivast earnestly.
Sir Amrivast flicks his tail, "Look, Havigan, don't get too bothered about it. You know you've messed up and are trying to fix things. I appreciate that kind of sentiment and would help you stay alive so you can do so."
From the ground outside, this building did not appear to have any windows, doors, or other external features, yet this is clearly a walkway that wraps around the tower like a balcony without any railing. Like much of the tower’s architecture, it seems to defy common sense—including the perspective of the city. From the entrance looking east, the party can clearly see the city’s eastern quarter, but as they continue the path to the north, they instead see Neruzavin’s western skyline. Along the west side of the building, they see the east view again, and to the south it appears as though the tower were atop Neruzavin’s eastern mesa looking west. Attempting to reconcile these illogical scenes by standing at one of the corners causes feelings of vertigo, and attempting to fly around the tower clockwise or flying far away for a better perspective results in the party losing track of the walkway altogether, as if it were some optical illusion made real.The path around the outside of the tower corkscrews up counterclockwise, leading to area A7. The walkway begins about 150 feet above the ground and ascends to a point about 250 feet off the ground.
Sir Amrivast, as he tries to fly around, gets dizzy, then lands. "The view from the air is just getting me dizzy. I guess we're all grounded." He puts Havigan down and Havigan gets on his back.
Sir Amrivast and Howard walk the pathway up.
Ropey strands of sickly fungus stretch across this rough-hewn chamber’s walls. Vine-like growths hang down from the ceiling, some ascending through a ten-foot-wide aperture more than forty feet above.
Sir Amrivast curses, "Pah how is one expected to fly through this viney mess.I swear the architect must have been biased against winged creatures. " He does so, anyway.
Howard uses the wand of defoliate four times causing the vegetation in the area to wither. "Thanks Howard. Ploughing through that mess would be a major pain." Both of them ascend through the hole in the ceiling.
Here the fungal growths are even denser, forming a thick mat of alien organic matter whose many projections make for treacherous footing; movement along flat surface is treated as moving through difficult terrain for non- plant creatures. The tight quarters and taunt anchor lines that crisscross the area impose a -4 penalty on Fly checks for any winged creatures.
Among the vegetation is a glowing gold patch of fungus.
Two coils of immense fibre with immense mouthparts, which blend in with the surrounding "vegetation" attack the party as soon as they come through the hole in the ceiling.
There is a set of double doors to the east, and the fungus looks like it may be obscuring a staircase.
Howard spots 2 coils of fibers with immense mouth parts which try to blend in with the surrounding vegetation.
Howard has no idea what the fungus is, but recognizes those mouths as advanced moonflowers.
As a standard action, a moonflower can release a pulse of bright light. All creatures within a 50-foot burst that can see the moonflower must make a Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. Moonflowers are immune to this ability.
They can grab with their bite.
Everyone feels some hostile force trying to attack their minds but manage to resist it.
Havigan turns visibly pale and gulps as Howard undergoes his monstrous transformation.
The moonflowers attack Howard but do not manage to bite nor damage him with their tentacles.
Havigan delays, not wanting to charge into the mess of plants alone.
The golden fungus sizes up Howard as the biggest threat and attempts to deliver a mind blast on him.
It does not manage to maintain concentration, and takes a shuffle back.
Sir Amrivast moves forward and attempts to bite the Moonflower.
The moonflower tries to bite him.
Havigan tries to stab the moonflower while mounted on Sir Amrivast.
His weapon does not manage to do anything to the moonflower.
Howard bites and claws up the moonflower,sending great chunks of vegetative matter flying all over the place as the plant collapses unliving heap.
He then smacks with his tail and grabs the other fungus.
The remaining moonflower continues to attack Howard,but bounces off his woody hide.
The entire party feels that something is assaulting their minds, but resist it.
The small fungus that Howard grabbed emits a small cloud of spores.
As Howard breathes in the spores he finds that he has a headache.
Sir Amrivast attacks the fungus that Howard has grabbed ripping into it sending golden ichor spurting.
Havigan also attacks the fungus but us unable to pierce through its thick cellulose.
Howard bites apart the fungus, which tastes horribly bitter. As the fungus is bitten apart, the moonflower crumples to the ground.
Howard then shreds the moonflower with his claws and tail slap.
"Well - in Cassomir, you eat salad, and in Neruzavin, salad tries to eat you." Sir Amrivast remarks. "I'm glad I've never been much of a greens sort."
"W-what t-the hell did you turn into?" Havigan asks Howard nervously, trembling from head to toe.
"He does that quite often," Sir Amrivast states matter-of-factly. "I don't really mind, but again when you've got the body of a lion and wings of an eagle, you shouldn't look sideways at what people turn into."
"U-uh...y-you're n-not h-hungry a-are y-you?" Havigan stutters, seeing the havoc that the enormous jaws wrecked on the moonflowers.
"T-that's w-where L-lowl's encampment is." Havigan says as Howard heads towards the double doors.
"Good. Lowls has a lot to answer for." Sir Amrivast replies a little TOO calmly, his eyes burning with suppressed rage.
Howard opens the double doors after checking that it's not trapped.
True to its inexplicable architecture, the tower's exit here opens into a different part of the city, despite the party having used an entrance hundreds of feet away. Even stranger is that the doors here appear to be at street level, despite the party having flown hundreds of feet in and around the tower. There is no recognizable magic at owrk here, just the alien geometries of Neruzavin.
Four dun coloured tents stand in a cresent around a massive well covered with a cracked stone lid. Despite the audible whistling of wind, no air stirs the campsite.
Three seeded, one wielding a light flail, one wielding a spear, and another dual wielding two short swords seem to be searching for something, and when Howard opens the door, they turn and stare at him with hungry eyes.
"Oh no...everyone's dead - they've all risen as seeded..." Havigan moans in despair.
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Howard winks at Havigan, and grins, lifting one clawed hand to reveal the ouroboros ring on his finger.
"Thisss ring meansss that I do not need to eat or drink (although I ssstill do ssso for fun). You have nothing to fear from my appetite!"
Howard hisses, and his tail lashes, as he views what has become of more of Lowls' followers.
"You will be put to ressst. Pleassse, hold ssstill..."
He then pounces on the closest Yellow figure (moving 5' up into the air as he does so, to try and avoid flanking).
Howard pounces on the nearest yellow figure, biting and ripping him to shreds.
He then tailslaps but is unable to grab the red figure.
The green figure casts dispel magic on Howard,but nothing happens.
The red figure begins to attack Howard with her flail.
Sir Amrivast pounces on Red, charging towards the ground, but only manages to get a claw and a wingslap on her.
Havigan tries to tumble off Sir Amrivast's back and move behind red.
He lands heavily then picks himself up and moves into a flanking position.
Howard rips the spellcaster apart and it goes down in a puff of spore clouds.
The flail wielder attacks Sir Amrivast.
Seeing that it bounces off a green snield, trips then attacks Havigan, before moving out of flank.
The flail wielder batters poor Havigan mercilessly, until he stops moving.
"Oh sh*t."Sir Amrivast curses as he steps closer to Havigan and pulls him out of harm's way.
"Howard, I need some help here!"
A pool of blood begins to form around Havigan's body.
Howard pounces on the flail wielder, and rips her to shreds, sending a spore cloud flying.
Sir Amrivast quickly stabilizes Havigan then calls for Howard to pass the wand over.
"Dont worry, I can handle this."
He then pokes Havigan with the wand until he wakes up.
On the flail wielder's body, Howard finds a +2 full plate, spined shield, +2 light flail, cloak of resistance +2, gloves of swimming and climbing, rope of climbing, hammer, miner’s pick, pitons (5), silk rope (100 ft.), 188 gp.
On the spellcaster's body, Howard finds
scrolls of flame strike (2), scroll of slay living; +1 breastplate, +2 spear, 398 gp
On the shortsword wielder's body, Howard finds +2 chain shirt, +1 short swords (2), 580 gp.
Havigan groans and comes around as Sir Amrivast pokes him with the wand once. "Ow...my head...why are there two of you?" He squints at Sir Amrivast, dazed and confused.
"Just lie down and rest. That seeded gave you quite the beating." Sir Amrivast tells Havigan gently,then continues to heal him with the wand.
Among the tents, Howard find enough rations, feed, and water to sustain them for several weeks, plus 500 feet of hemp rope, ample writing supplies, a 6 by 9 inch book with an alien creature with abnormally long tentacles and runic symbols on it. Beside it is a scrap of paper with scrawling handwriting that reads, "Lowls did this to us. We're dying of the consumption now. But there has to be a way out. That book he's been consulting..it must hold the answer."
There is a bag of holding bag of holding I that contains three noble’s outfits of Ustalavic style, a sun-bleached parasol, several journals of Lowls notes, and two dozen books covering an array of eldritch subjects.
Outside the tent, Howard hears Sir Amrivast ask Havigan, "If this is his encampment, did you see Lowls?"
"Well, this was where he ordered us to set up camp and keep guard of the area. He'd come back occasionally."
Lowl’s journal records him going to the Dreamlands alone, to meet with the Mad Poet, who told him that besides the gifts required –the Mad Poet required the sacrifice of minds. The first to be sacrificed was Leonard – after he got the necessary information about the cult of Hastur that had killed his wife and family – and wanted to leave the Count’s service. The Mad Poet told him that a single mind was insufficient – and Weiralai– the denizen of Leng – who was his spiritual advisor in the ways of the King in Yellow – suggested that more expandable pawns were recruited to not only help him get the gifts for the Mad Poet in the dreamlands – but as sacrifices - and she would help him find the necessary contacts. Lowls put Leonard in Brairstone Asylum after the sacrifice of his mind rendered him catatonic, after making a hefty donation to Brairstone Asylum, noting clinically that appearing to take care of his “former hirelings” was good for public relations and future recruitment. Lowls corresponded with his alchemist friend, Miacknian Mun – giving him details on the party’s individual physiques – asking him to provide potions to drug them and bring their Dreamselves to the dreamlands – insentate. He also ordered a large dose of narcotics to drug the party into insensibility after, as well as his arrangement with Dr Losandro – to deliver the chains of night to her if she would take in Seamus, Dakash, Howard and Vincent. The Chains of Night, he noted – would unleash the nightmare in Zandalus’s head – preventing anyone from retrieving what Zandalus knew about the King in Yellow.
Lowls marks at a later date with chilling indifference that since Dakash, Howard, Seamus and Vincent wished to leave his service – they had just sealed their own fates. He describes the last dinner with the party with glee, gloating on how his plan worked to perfection, as he drowned the party’s dream forms one by one in the Mad Poet’s oasis, and the Mad Poet revealed to him the location of Neruzavin. Prepared by his earlier experience of sacrificing Leonard’s mind to the Mad Poet, this time he had hirelings ready to transport Dakash, Howard, Seamus and Vincent to Thrushmoor, drugged. He noted that it might be cheaper to knock them unconscious – but decided against it in case Doctor Losandro started asking inconvenient questions. The hirelings were told to tell Doctor Losandro that Dakash, Howard, Seamus and Vincent were drugged for their own safety. Again, all this was a sham – to show he provided for his former hirelings – since he was going to have to recruit an expedition to Neruzavin.
Weiralai was to stay in Thrushmoor, with Melisande to prepare for the coming of the King in Yellow, and also to deter any possible pursuit.
Lowl’s journal entries after departing Thrushmoor grow increasingly frenetic, and his writing more exaggerated. He records with excitement his acquisition of the Necromonicon, his abandonment of Miacknian Mun, and initial discoveries while setting forth for the Parchlands. Each morning, he records his dreams, expressing wanning interest in scholarly discoveries and a greater obsession with a being called Xhamen-Dor.
According to Lowls, the eldritch terror known as Xhamen-Dor dwells within an accursed city in the Parchlands, where it gathers strength and converts its needs to awaken and consume the world. Rather than express dismay, the count conveys his fanatic delight, writing of his desire to call the black star and “make our two worlds one under the Yellow sign.”
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Painful memories come back, as Howard sees long-suspected truths finally brought to the light of day, and in Lowls' own hand, no less.
"That bassstard..."
He frowns as he realises that the Count's sanity has, apparently, continued to wane.
"Why would anyone want the world to be eaten? That would make it kind of difficult to continue to live there..."
As Howard takes up the Necromonicon to examine it, he hears a loud crash as the stonewell cover shatters. A large translucent worm covered in screeching maws and bloodshot eyes springs up from deep below the city. As it does, the tents begin to tear free of their anchors and papers fly about, blown by the intense winds that gutter from the well in the creature’s wake.
"The hell?" Sir Amrivast gasps in shock. "Another one of those? Did you trigger off something?"
"What the hell is that thing." Havigan points at the creature with his dagger.
Howard bites, claws and tailslaps the creature, damaging it severely.
Sir Amrivast, remembering his bad experience with those things, gives Havigan a worried look, then yells, ”If I don’t manage to take it down – get out of here – they summon tornado force winds!”
He then pounces on the polyp, which wacks him with a tentacle and grabs him as he approaches.
He manages to claw the creature twice, deflating it.
"Phew. That was close." Sir Amrivast sighs, relieved, once the polyp is dead."The last time we ran into 3 of these, they knocked me out with their tornado force winds and I lost track of things for a minute...probably would have bled to death if not for Howard's aid."
"Howard, it was relatively peaceful until the stone cover on the well shattered without warning. What was it that you found in there?"
Havigan stares at the polyp with his mouth wide open in shock. "I-I've n-never s-seen a-anything l-like t-this b-before."
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Howard nods soberly.
"Thossse thingsss are *extremely* dangerousss. Apparently, a sssmall army of thossse thingsss (about a hundred) were sssealed away millennia ago; it ssseemsss that the wardsss are failing, and that sssome of them have essscaped..."
His mouth forms a grim line.
"If more of them get away, it could ssspell doom for the nearby civilisssation; we need to find out what isss happening down below!"
Howard pauses for a moment, then remembers to answer Amrivast's earlier question.
"I found a whole bunch of Lowlsss' journalsss, which confirm hisss depravity (and would convincingly get him tried for murder in any sssane city), and note that he, apparently, ssseeksss to awaken Xhamen-Dor, and help it to consssume the world, by uniting thisss one and another 'under the Yellow Sssign'."
He then frowns.
"However, firssstly, we need to deal with the 'leak' that isss allowing thessse polypsss to essscape..."
Howard nods in the direction of the shaft.
"We ssshould head down there, after cleaning-up here."
Howard piles the bodies and equipment up, and uses the Wand of Defoliate to purge the fungal corruption, before carefully packing away the equipment and books.
He then heads purposefully for the shaft.
Howard also senses powerful magic warding the necromonicon. The Necromonicon cannot be transported by teleportation effects. If carried by someone who teleports away, the book remains behind, and the fool who attempted to teleport must succeed at a DC 30 caster level check or the attempted teleportation effect sends him somewhere singularly dangerous that is associated with the elments of the Elder Mythos, or , baring any appropriate such location in range, to a site where undeath or necromantic energy is strong. The book can be carried safely through gates, portals and other freestanding teleportation effects.
It is also warded against divination – any attempt to use divination magic, such as locate object or discern location, to divine the exact location of the Necromonicon, as well as any attempt to use scry to spy upon a person carrying the dreaded book, is fraught with extreme peril. Not only does the attempt automatically fail, but the caster must also succeed at a DC 30 caster level check to avoid notice from the eldritch powers that watch over the tome. On a failed check, the caster’s mind is assaulted with horrific visions that can cause madness. The caster must then attempt a will save. Failure means the caster takes 1d8 points of wisdom drain, while success means the caser takes only 1d4 points of Wisdom damage.
There are some pieces of paper with Lowl's hand writing on it slipped between pages of the Necromonicon.
”If it’s Lowl’s journals you found – maybe you might want to tell Kalathath about it? Didn’t she say to call her if there was anything interesting?” Sir Amrivast suggests.
Kalathath suggests telepathically looking at the scraps of paper sticking out of the Necromonicon, and when Howard does so, he finds out the following:
Lowls is obsessed with one or more eldritch masters, whom he seeks to serve by completing a number of occult rituals. He has planned to take Xhamen-Dor into his body and journey to Carcosa to offer himself to Hastur so that the King in Yellow can gain enough power to become an Outer God.
Much like Thrushmoor, the accursed city of Neruzavin holds three Star Stelae that the count awakened to perform a ritual he learned from the Necromonicon: the path to the black star occult ritual.
Unpon completing the ritual, Lowls planned to travel to the unholy domain of the King in Yellow, where he hoped to attune its Star Stelae and offer Golarion to his new master.
From Lowl’s notes in the Necromonicon, Howard knows where the the Star Stelae stand in Neruzavin – one of them is in the tower. Another is in a location called The Snarl and the last one is in a place called the Oraculum.
Kalathath explains that the King in Yellow is an immensely powerful demigod served by aberrant beasts of all kinds and Xhamen-Dor was his most powerful weapon: a foul fungus entity that consumed entire worlds and siphoned their essence to grow the Unspeakable One’s realm. Kalathath had earlier believed that Xhamen-Dor was destroyed when it had crashed onto Golarion during Earthfall, but had recently detected traces of its taint on mortal minds.
Kalathath strongly suspects that the mercenaries that Lowls brought with him contributed to Xhamen-Dor’s awakening – for each mind it consumes – it grows stronger. Xhamen-Dor’s awakening may have caused the Yithian’s seals to weaken, and also cause the flying ployps to rouse from their millennia long slumber.
As Howard moves to check the gap, Kalathath cautions him against it, ”Wise it may not be to head underground – lest followed we are from above.”
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Howard frowns.
"Sssoo... I don't head underground at all? I doubt that I will be able to pacify an *entire* city, ssso there will alwaysss be sssomeone/sssomething up here..."
With a shrug, he ignores the shaft, and heads upstairs (after using the Wand to Defoliate the fungus in the room - let me know how many charges I use).
"Clear the immediate area you should."She advises.
Howard spends another 22 charges of deflioate clearing A8 of foliage.
Howard and Sir Amrivast then head up the stairs, Sir Amrivast complaining the architect is biased against large creatures this time.
The stairs from area A8 ascend for nearly 200 feet to this room at the tower’s summit.
The iron fittings here have crumbled to rust, and desiccated scraps of wood mark where furniture once stood in this nearly square chamber. Broad, short windows provide a commanding view of the city, indicating that this room is at the top of one of the tallest towers. At the room’s center stands a twelve-foot-tall column with a single flat face inscribed with dozens of runes.
Howard sees a spectral female figure dressed in ancient blue and gold robes floating off the ground. On seeing Howard, she screams defiantly, "You'll never take me alive you infested freaks!"
Howard realizes the figure is a ghost. Incorporeal undead and all that. Has Malovelence, corrupting touch, frightful moan, corrupting gaze.
Corrupting touch
All ghosts gain this incorporeal touch attack. By passing part of its incorporeal body through a foe’s body as a standard action, the ghost inflicts a number of d6s equal to its CR in damage. This damage is not negative energy—it manifests in the form of physical wounds and aches from supernatural aging. Creatures immune to magical aging are immune to this damage, but otherwise the damage bypasses all forms of damage reduction. A Fortitude save halves the damage inflicted.
Frightful Moan
The ghost died in the throes of crippling terror. It can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghost’s moan for 24 hours.
Corrupting gaze
The ghost is disfigured through age or violence, and has a gaze attack with a range of 30 feet that causes 2d10 damage and 1d4 Charisma damage (Fortitude save negates Charisma damage but not physical damage).
Malovelence
The ghost’s jealousy of the living is particularly potent. Once per round, the ghost can merge its body with a creature on the Material Plane. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell (caster level 10th or the ghost’s Hit Dice, whichever is higher), except that it does not require a receptacle. To use this ability, the ghost must be adjacent to the target. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save. A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same ghost’s malevolence for 24 hours.