Session 17: Starfallen

MARCHING ORDER: Nhile / Echo / Lucas / Kasimir / Halveer
 
As we entered the Tomb of Papazotl, Halveer tore past the rest of us, hungrily racing for the bronze coffin aboard a chariot covered in treasure.
"What's that one about?" I wondered aloud.
 
We saw three zombies appear at the end of the hall to the left wrapped in chains.
"It is all mine!" Halveer said to himself atop the chariot as he stuffed amulets and and other baubles into his pockets.
He only paused a moment as the spirit of the Iblis pushed Nang Nang out.
 
A skeleton next to a thin column turned it's head towards us almost grinning at us. I use Moa to turn invisible and I cautiously stepped in to the chamber watching to see what would happen next.
 
At that moment the cauldrons around the room bubbled and deposited skeletal warriors into the chamber to defend against intruders. The Echo appeared next to the Skeleton by the column and destroyed it.
A warrior standing by the shield on the wall animated and hurled a spear at Halveer.
 
Kasimir made his way fighting through skeletons to a glass cauldron and smashed it to pieces. "Destroy the cauldrons!" he shouted as we became surrounded.
Remembering the riddle on the plaque outside, I had a different goal in mind. I took down a couple of skeletons by swinging Billie into their bony frames with both hands. Unfortunately, the statue of the warrior saw me making my way across the room and speared me in the side with a javlin.
Ignoring the pain and blood running down my leg I made it before the forth statue with no face.
"Hullo No One." I greeted it. I took a deep bow before the statue and suddenly there was a clattering all about the floor as the dozen or so skeletons crumbled to the ground. The animated warrior also ceased throwing his spears and stood still again. I slowly rose and noticed the cauldrons
surfaces return to calm once more.
 
We dispatched the zombies and exited the tomb back at the main stairway.
Entering a small chamber we discovered a gargoyle face on the floor with the iconic gaping mouth. From which we heard the whispered cries of the damned souls. Likely victims of the soulmonger itself. I shuddered. "Let's move on mates."
Nhile found a secret door in the hall next to the stairs that led to a small room with a fountain of water. He stared into is depths and was surprised to have some sort of vision where he could see through the eyes of one of the patrolling flesh golems. He decided to continue to watch where it would go next.
Kasimir and I turned to Halveer and jested that he best watch out behind himself. Lest the guardian creep up.
Unfortunately, the guardian sensed the intrusion on its mind and was able to transport through the scrying device into the chamber itself.
We were able to quickly surround it and now having a few magical weapons at hand, we took it down without much trouble.
 
The next door led to a familiar area. The golem workshop with seven of the life stealing tomb dwarves. We backed away slowly before they spotted us.
 
"Now is our chance to eliminate them." Nhile claims. "Let's go in and put an end to their work"
"Now hold on...." I cautioned. "Those things get ahold of ya and we lose part of our essence and there's no way to restore that. I don't know about you but I think we need all we have to face the master of this tomb."
Halveer shrugged. "Maybe we should keep em from coming around us later."
I shook my head. "They are in there making replacement golems like the one Nhile saw back in the wine room, till it paid us a visit." I sighed. "I say we leave em be doing their work and not waste resources unless we must."
Kasimir was undecided but eventually we decided to move on.
 
The next chamber was a study at the end of a long hall. An undead song bird flittering around in a cage was the first thing that caught your eyes. Secondly was several severed hands, claws really, crawling about the floor and atop an expansive desk in the center of the room. On the wall behind the desk were drawings of body parts and shelves lined both side walls. Behind the desk sat a rather moldy fellow in tattered robes and wearing a bronze mask.
 
He looked up as we filed into the room.
 
"Good afternoon," he said with a rasp. "Not the persons I was expecting to see to be sure."
 
I pointed Billie at him and asked. "Are you Acererak, The Devourer of Souls?"
"Oh no no no." He said shaking his head stiffly and twitching his hands. "I am the master's humble servant Withers. I am helping him until he can collect enough souls to raise the gift and then all shall end."
"Resetting traps and making golems from adventurers that wander in."
"Yes indeed." Withers confirmed. "We recently had the band of the Yellow Banner as our guests. We only allowed them to make it to the forth level."
 
I looked down and saw several of the claws starting to crawl towards us. The bird chittered and rattled its cage.
"Fellows. I think this conversation has come to an end."
 
I pulled my gem out and launched a fire ball at Withers. Unfortunately I didn't take time to properly aim it and it sailed overhead striking the back wall and burning his drawings.
Nhile placed his echo over the desk and struck Withers as more and more claws attacked.
Suddenly from the hall Halveer called out. "We've got company back here! A couple of the dead dwarves."
"I told you so." Nhile said while stomping on a claw.
"At least you're not the sort to rub it in a fellows face then." I grumbled. I ignored the claws and moved around the desk gripping Billie with both hands.
I expended a few of the staff's charges to cause extra force damage and caved his undead skull in. I ran to the back of the room and was joined by Halveer.
"They touch you?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I'll shoot them with a spell."
Kasimir readied himself by the door waiting for a dwarf to wander in and Nhile placed his Echo in the hall.
A dwarf struck it and then entered the room. Kasimir smited the creature and it went down.
Halveer leapt in front of me and fired an arrow that lodged in the dwarf's torso like a stick in mud.
"I thought you were gonna cast a spell?" I asked.
"Well only one left. Seemed a waste." He replied.
"Same as wasting a non-magical arrow on it?" I asked. "Git outta my way boy."
He darted away and I cast a fire bolt down the hall striking it in the chest. It set him and the papers he carried ablaze as he entered the room.
Kasimir and Nhile finished him off.
Kasimir walked around the desk and saw wither's unmoving form on the floor.
He kicked Withers and said. "How far did you let us go huh?"
 
Searching the room we found Wither's journal. An excerpt reads:
" The master returns with a marvelous gift: a cast-off creation of the gods, dead and yet not. The All-Seeing is blind to its existence, and the Mother of Illusions looks past it! Sweet Irony."
On the shelves I find a Manual for creating golems of flesh.
"Hmmm. That may be valuable." I tuck it into my back back and continue searching for the one prize I need. His spellbook.
"Ah here it is." I free a dusty black tomb from the piles of papers and blow it off. On the back of the book a name is inscribed -- KHOMARA BLACKFIRE
"His name before he submitted to undeath and became Withers."
 
I put that one with my others. Need to find some time to study the spells within.
 
Nhile finds Wither's corpse is wearing a magical amulet that affords the wearer short range teleportation by expending charges.
"Wonder why he did not use this?" he asks.
"Likely thought his minions would handle us." Halveer suggests.
 
Lastly we picked up a large gray stone that radiated enchantment magic, but we are unsure of it's purpose.
I looked up hearing a crash and saw the bird cage on it's side on the floor.
 
Kasimir watched the trapped bird flit for a moment then slowly crushed the cage and bird with his boot.
"Paladins are such zealots." I whispered to Halveer.
 
"Well we've destroyed a couple of them dwarves now." I remarked. "Do you all want to return and finish the job?"
"Now your interested." Nhile commented.
"I can admit an tactical error sir knight."
 
We agreed to return to the Golem Forge and finish off the remaining dwarves. However upon entering, we found the workshop
was completely empty.
"Must be out on a break." Halveer shrugged.
"Or gathering more golem parts." Kasimir added.
 
"Well lets toss this place and ruin there tools." Nhile said moving over to a work bench and picking up some of the tools. He carried them over to the forge and place them on the smoldering coals to melt into slag. Then he noticed a softly glowing lantern sitting next to the forge.
Something inside...moved.
He picked it up to inspect the source. "There is a female trapped in here!" he said.
"Oy! It's another trapped genie!" I claimed. "Three more wishes for us."
Keshma looked at me and rolled her eyes. She floated up a bit and said, "That is no genie fool. It's a mortal soul trapped inside."
 
Talking with the spirit in the lantern we learn her name is Starfallen.
Starfallen was slain over a thousand years ago. After her death, her soul inhabited the lantern. The Company of the Yellow Banner found the lantern and began questing for a way to return the Starfallen to life. The fabled Eye of Zaltec was said to possess the power to raise the ancient dead. The company tracked the jewel to the tomb and perished without ever finding it.
 
"Well maybe we shall come across it as we endeavor to complete our own quest." I tell her.
 
We make our way down to the third level. We have four shrines left to find.
 
The main hall has another plaque of course:
WALK THROUGH WATER WITH WEAPON IN HAND.
SLAKE YOUR SHADOW AT THE FONT.
THE VULTURE IS THE FIRST STEP.
RIGHT THE GODS.
THE WALLS OF HISTORY TELL ALL.
 
The hall is covered in purple mold. The fugus contains little eyes that open and watch us as we pass.
"This is not good!" Halveer complains looking a them.
"Now just take it easy lad...you don't bother them, and they won't bother you.." I reassure him.
"Flamus Dominus!" I hear Kasimir say behind me.
Suddenly his sacred flame burns off a hunk of mold.
An angry eye stalk pops up and shoots a ray of force at the paladin, shoving him down the hall and into the railing beyond.
"Thanks for making my point." I say.
 
The party debates moving forward so I trudge on through avoiding the molds. I stop when I come to a niche on either side each containing a flesh golem.
"Oy this is gonna hurt Lucas." I whisper to myself ready for the blows that must be coming . But nothing happens. I look them over and they are watching me back, but do not strike.
"Hey we have a couple of the guardians down here." I call over my shoulder.
I hear Halveer approaching and assume the others are following. I turn invisible with Moa's help and step forward. That unfortunately activates the golems as Halveer arrives. He ducks a swing by each of them and
scurries down the hall next to me.
Kasimir and Nhile join the fray and we find they are linked together with a magical chain that allows them to share their strength. Thus we can't concentrate on killing one of them. We must defeat them both at the
same time.
 
After defeating the golems we reach the double doors at the end.
"Wonder what will try to kill us next?" I ask.
 
Inside we find three tapestries. The Veils of Fear:
Nobles drinking and feasting on a boar.
Nobles fighting and lusting for debauchery.
Nobles eating the servants while the boar laughs at them.
 
Nhile is unreasonably disturbed by the last scene and retreats while we remove the final curtain. On the back wall is a giant boar head covered in fresh blood and gore. The Lord of Feasts.
I feel an overwhelming urge compelling me to thrust myself into the boar's waiting maw.
I take a step towards it and feel a hand on my arm.
"You must fight this!" Kasimir says. "It is urging you to your death!" He blasts it with holy fire and and I cast my fire bolt as well. As the boar burns, a few items from previous victims fall to the ground including spectacles and an eyepatch.
 
We return to the hall with Nhile and plan our next move.