Session 16: BuKu Dinky Dao

I was not a fan of the two armored flesh golems that awaited us outside Wango's tomb. After surprising the Echo Knight, they moved towards the tomb entrance starting up the spinning fan blades. I hit them with my burning hands spell and Kasimir stepped behind them. The Echo hovered overhead and Halveer shot when he could.
 
After defeating them, we decided to return to the tomb of Obo'laka to search the other exit we had spotted. Opening the door set off an explosive trap and awakened the undead guardians. One of them got hold of me trying to suck my life force, but fortunately my new Arcane Powers deflected the attempt. I was really appreciating my decision to study the arcane art of war.
 
Through the tunnel we encountered the underground stream we had spotted through the grate in the hall. No one seemed keen to explore the muddy channel, so I hopped on in. I spied a chamber to the right. In the cavern, water seeped through the walls. Suspended over a pool was a coffin held there by chains. We detected the container was magical and likely trapped. I noticed an inscription saying that All Thieves but the greatest would be devoured.
 
'Looks like you better be very skilled at bypassing complex locks or this whole chamber may collapse." Nhile was confident he could defeat the mechanism on the suspended coffin. Indeed with a little guidance from Kelemvor he opened the coffin.
 
Inside he found a Viscous looking dagger, a sad faced tankard, and a cleric scroll what can Remove Curses.
 
After that, returning to the main stairway we head down a level. Choosing to go East we see a plaque on the wall that states:
 
THE RING IS A PATH TO ANOTHER TOMB.
THE DEAD ABHOR SUNLIGHT.
ONLY A JEWEL CAN TAME THE FROG
BOW AS THE DEAD GOD INTONED.
INTO DARKNESS DESCEND.
 
"More riddles from the mad man that runs this place."
 
We came to an intersection, and to the right a ramp went upwards and lying there was a humanoid with a human body and a goat's head. He wore robes and had a staff with a bronze goat head on top.
"A wizard needs...."
 
"A proper staff." Kasimir finished. 'Yes we have heard you."
 
I shrug and lumber up the ramp to investigate the corpse. I see a few crossbow bolts and deep gashes that killed him. "Looks like the Tomb Dwarves got him." I say over my shoulder.
Searching the body, I find some pouches with spell components, along with his spellbook and ink. I also find his journal, very similar to the one I write my own in. A kindred spirit.
"Aside from the horns, of course." I say to myself. "Rest in peace friend, perhaps your arcane tools will help us overcome this place of doom." I pick up his staff and return to the party.
 
Down the hall, Nhile spots some shadowy movement. Suddenly I hear his voice in my head.
Out loud I say, "Hey how are you doing that?"
He puts a finger to his lips and points down the hall. In my head he says we can all speak to each other with telepathy for the next five hours.
"Are you going to study the spells you just found?" he asks.
"To be sure." I reply. "Just not at this moment. I'll wait till we take our next rest."
 
As we slowly move down the hall to the chamber at the end, I do quickly flip through the journal and stop at the last entry.
 
After an incident with a four-armed gargoyle, the Company of the Yellow Banner was separated and slowly picked off one-by-one. Devlin, the goat-headed man, was the last remaining member before he eventually died, leaving a warning in his journal to any who might find his remains:
 
To those who find this,
 
Know that I, Devlin Bashir, am likely the last surviving member of the Company of the Yellow Banner. The Yuan-Ti warlord, Ras Nsi stripped us of our weapons and threw us in here on orders of his master, Acererak. I can only imagine our souls are to be fed to his phylactery. Alas, Acererak seems to have won.
 
Our Company was separated after encountering four-armed gargoyle. The tomb-guardians tore Seward to pieces, and with him, we lost the Starfallen. Our quest was a failure; even if we'd found the Eye, the elf princess was gone. My friends wouldn’t have lasted long without their weapons. (Especially with a doppelganger in our midst, as Seph suspected.) Of course, I kept my staff. I’m sure Captain Brixton would have found some humor in that.
 
Gentle reader, let a dying man offer one piece of advice. Acererak is a trickster who desires nothing but your souls. His riddles may help you for a time, but in the end, the final secret always leads to your doom.
 
May Tymora save us all.
 
At the end of the hall, we find a large vaulted chamber with a marble checkered floor. In the center is a gold trimmed coffin with a shaft of magical sunlight streaming down from the ceiling on it.
 
The room smells heavily of wine.
 
Four gargoyle faced portals, two on each side line the walls of room and we see a stone block will drop, sealing us in and opening the four portals. We assume enemies will pour out of the gargoyle mouths and attack us when we open the coffin. We summon the giant snake and the air elemental. To my surprise, wine floods chamber when I lift the coffin lid with a mage hand.
 
Three wine elementals attack us. Nothing exits the fourth portal and I suggest we make our way to it. Kasimir is able to swim upstream and find an exit on the other side. We defeat the wine guardians and our summoned allies help push us through the gushing tunnel to safety before we drown.
 
The exit leads to another trickster god's tomb. Nang Nang, the frog god. Searching for the supposed gem that will "Tame the frog" Nhile finds a secret tunnel that leads to a table on which rests a dusty bottle. Trapped inside the bottle is a DAO (Genie) named Keshma.
 
He makes a deal with Keshma that if we release her, she must give us the large topaz she wears and aide us three times.
 
Stepping into the protective pentagram on the ground, surrounding the sarcophagus, Kasimir and Halveer summon a guardian Grung warrior. We surround it and hit it with weapons and spells. Nhile asks Keshma to aide us as well. She appears to cast something, but I do not know what affect if any it has. Apparently the Topaz she gave us was not the "gem" we were looking for.
 
Soon however, the guardian surprisingly does not fight to the death. He has had enough and magically shifts away. Keshma takes the credit, but I am not so sure it wasn't my own magical missiles that sent him running.
 
Inside the tomb Kasimir and Halveer find an egg, an urn, and a potion. They decide it would be best if Halveer picks up the egg and accepts the spirit of Nang Nang. He now has the ability to climb walls while his hands remain free to shoot his bow.
 
Kasimir picks up the urn to examine it. Inside are the bones of Nang Nang. Unfortunately, the disturbed spirit possesses Kasimir and he begins to violently dance about the chamber dropping the urn back in the sarcophagus. We can tell the spirit is mentally assaulting him, causing severe pain.
 
After several moments I can't take it anymore. "Somebody help him!"
"Not sure I want to spend my resources on someone else, but I can try and dispel the charm since I may need his divine healing." Halveer says, casting a dispel on the paladin. "The magic is too powerful." Halveer says after seeing it has no effect on Kasimir.
He continues to jerk and jolt around.
I look at Nhile who is studying him intently. "Nhile! Ask Keshma to see if she can free Kasimir! Hurry, he is dying!"
 
Nhile calmly raises a hand. "Patience Blood Mage. He will come out of it."
"Are you insane?" I ask incredulously. "He's not going to last much longer."
Nhile says nothing.
"Keshma." I say turning to the DAO. She is rhythmically clapping her hands as Kasimir spins. "Help him lift the curse!"
She turns to me. "I did not make a deal with you, human."
"Fuck."
About that time Kasimir suddenly stops. I turn and watch as he slowly sinks to his knees with his eyes closed. I have seen him take this form when he prays for his spells.
He quietly recites the tenants of his faith.
"It is not my time." He says and opens his eyes.
"Thank Kelemvor." I sigh.
 
I throw a nasty sideways glance at the smug Echo Knight as I move to help Kasimir stand. "Welcome back mate. I didn't think you were gonna make it."
"Have faith my friend." he replies.
"Aye."