Adventure Summary Session 9

General Summary

It's early evening … post the battle (party had spent most of their resources, and many still wounded) as the interrogation encounter ended. Pandereos is stable because Saban used rebuke death after being pummeled by the Doppelgänger Vadechi. Saban, Gorin, and Shialu all agree Full Moons Trick must be hidden away from Pandereos. Saban carefully removes the dagger and wraps it in cloth and hides it within his possessions. Pandereos awakens to being disoriented, but can't locate his dagger. He questions Saban and the others, but still isn't convinced that they are telling him the truth. Pandereos decides to meld the Scabbard of Vigor with his rapier. Pandereos complains he's missing a dagger to fight with, but Saban promises to buy him another dagger since he lost his magical dagger. On the bright side, he still is carrying the Handy Haversack that contains the rough jewels.
As this conversation was happening, Belor Hemlock coordinated his town guards to secure the garrison and cell block. In their search, they found Vachedi unconscious in the rear office, but alive. Belor was relieved his best friend Vachedi was still alive. The town guards return informing him 3 of the 7 goblins are still alive in the cell block, while Mordecai Thatcher tells them of the information learned by Shialu (which can be found in Adventure Summary Session 8). Belor is still very concerned people powerful enough are able to summon and use Doppelgangers to eliminate loose ends.
Belor Hemlock was researching a concern about Naffer Vosk (Graveyard Caretaker) by Father Abstalar Zantus (Visuma should remember her conversation from the Rusty Dragon Inn ). He’s been missing for a day. He’s planning on securing the cemetery and sending out scouting parties. This was the reason he was late in meeting them at Rusty Dragon Inn, where Ameiko Kaijitsu informed them they had left for the garrison already because he sent a town guard to get them. Upon learning the deception, Belor quickly ran to the garrison to find out what happened. Belor is now convinced the Swallowtail Festival Battle Synopsis and Discussion was a diversion to get to the cemetery for something, but what? He quickly sends messengers to get the remaining town guards into the cemetery to widen the search for Naffer Vosk (Graveyard Caretaker). He implores the unnamed heroes for help in locating Naffer, if he's still not found by morning. He heads out with his men towards Sandpoint Cathedral.

Back at the Inn

Back at Rusty Dragon Inn, the group is greeted by a drunken Tharuzall sitting at a table. Tharuzall mentions he had an errand to run, but is now back. The rest of the unnamed heroes accept the fact, while Mordecai Thatcher introduces himself. There isn't much said, accept what seems like a mutual sign of respect. Pandereos quickly ends the awkward moment by drinking with Tharuzall. The rest of the party sits down for some discussion and meal, where they notice Ameiko is not not at the Rusty Dragon Inn tonight. They conclude Ameiko must be off tonight, since only Bethana Corwin (Motherly Barkeep) and some other help is working the inn. Tharuzall is unhappy to learn that Ragnor stole the Swagger Wagon with the Black Divining Rods and Periapt of Health (Partially Solved). Tharuzall takes Pandereos bed since Pandereos is passed out on the bar.

The Pandereos Dream Sequence

Pandereos will begin to see himself climbing a large tower. It's the dead of night ... he can hear people walking the streets, but he knows there is a fabled dagger worth tons of golds at his finger tips. This robbery will set him up for life and he'll be famous throughout all of Magnimar as the greatest thief ever. He can feel his muscles ache as he pushes himself higher up the tower. His fingers are bleeding with the amount of clutching against the stones. As he reaches the top window, he launches himself easily into the room. You celebrate your skills for a second and begin to slowly creep down the hallway this window opened into ... As you pass by a mirror, you look at yourself and are surprised to see a female halfling dressed in leather with purple hair and bright yellow boots. She and you look at each other in surprise, but just then the hallway is illuminated with light from a full moon! Your skin begins to crawl and ache as you feel it expanding and growing hair, your teeth grow fangs, and you wake up!

Trouble in the Cemetery

The unnamed heroes are rudely awakened by a guard pounding on their door. He's in a panic yelling that they must help or the town will be overrun with undead. Pandereos questions his honesty, while Mordecai is fully convinced he's telling the truth. With lots of grumbling the party wakes Shialu and Visuma to help with the disturbance, but Visuma indicates she's to sick to come along. She remains behind with Kek in the stables. The unnamed heroes are escorted to the Sandpoint Cathedral. There is a terrible thunderstorm with strong winds and lightening rocking the area and drenching our heroes. As they enter the courtyard in front of the cathedral, they all take the time to admire the almost completed statues of our victorious heroes of the Battle of Sandpoint! They are surprised to be taken around the cathedral, where they see a makeshift tent erected at the entrance of the cemetery. A glowing is seen behind the tent, but Saban indicates its some sort of divine protection wall.
As the unnamed heroes enter the tent they see a couple of acolytes kneeling and in prayer at the back of the tent. They are maintaining the protective barrier. The tent has 10-12 portable beds that have members of the town guard being treated by Abstalar Zantus and his remaining acolytes. There is blood all over and some guards are actually missing limbs and fingers. It’s like a scene from M.A.S.H. Wounded scream out:

• The dead are walking!!!

• I saw them crawl out of the ground!!!

• They started eating my friends!!!

Father Abstalar Zantus and Belor Hemlock ask the unnamed heroes to enter the cemetery and find out what is going on inside. Father Zantus pulls forth a box and give them the two scrolls and four potions. (See treasure section below). Belor is beside himself with so many guards wounded and trapped inside the barrier. Father Zantus provides Saban with a talisman to use to let him know to open the barrier after they locate the evil inside. With great effort, Father Zantus makes a hole large enough for our unnamed heroes to walk through. Shialu provides a light source to the group as they begin to follow a worn stone trail deeper into the cemetery.

First Part of the Sandpoint Cemetery Description

The old burnt cathedral and Naffer Vosk (Graveyard Caretaker) residence are the first thing our heroes see off in the distance on the way to the Sandpoint cemetery.

Old Cathedral Ruins

There are ruins with partially standing walls still erect. Some of these walls rise 15-20 feet in the air, but most of the old cathedral lays in ruins since the fire burnt it to the ground. It's hard to see inside or around the ruins with the weather. Off to the east of the ruins, it looks like there is a makeshift shack that must be where Naffer Vosk lives. Tharuzall noticed a dim light coming from the wooden shack by the burned-out cathedral. In the hope of locating Naffer Vosk, Tharuzall and Gorin moved forward quickly toward the shack. As Saban and Pandereos quickly followed along the worn stone paved path in the blustery conditions. Shialu tried to convince Sid to fly over the cathedral ruins, but the winds and the storm proved too much for his flying ability. Mordecai was scanning through area, when skeletons came out of the shack and around it rushing to attack Tharuzall and Gorin. The skeletons look fresh. In some places there is a pink sheen where flesh has been newly and inexpertly removed. Tool marks gauged into recently living bone and a round hole in the skull show on these creatures. Tharuzall and Gorin recognized these fresh skeletons as deceased town guards:

• Skeleton Warrior: This elven corpse is armed with short sword and wearing leather armor. Its eyes have a look of hunger.

• Skeleton Warrior: This human skeleton carries a long spear gripped in its skeletal hands. The black cold and soulless eyes hunger for blood.

• Skeleton Warrior: This dwarf’s skeleton is gripping a great axe and lumbering towards the party.

Shialu used her arcane magic to cast enlarge on Gorin to fend off the attack. Saban called on Irori and his divine magic by casting Bulls Strength on Pandereos. The unnamed heroes felt a sense of safety as Tharuzall cleaved into the first skeleton, but realized his tactics required a blunt weapon. Luckily, Saban used his knowledge to identify the weaknesses of the skeletons to the heroes. Gorin brought down his great axe into another using his enlarged size. Pandereos started moving forward to engage the skeletons as Mordecai yelled out there were JuJu Zombies coming out of the old ruins. Shialu used her knowledge to identify the weaknesses of the zombies to the heroes. Pandereos used his quick thinking to enchant his rapier using the Scabbard of Vigor. These wretched Varisians human figures have tight leathery skin, sunken eyes, and an emaciated frame, yet they move with eerie alacrity:

• Zombie: Flayed, a few strips of skin still hang from the zombie’s arms, but otherwise its muscles are entirely exposed.

• Zombie: Glowing runes cover the zombie.

• Zombie: Has an additional arm grafted onto the zombie

With little thought, Mordecai threw a bomb at one causing major damage. Shialu shot green acid out of her hand and finished him off. Saban, sensing the heroes needed some help, cast bless on all his allies. With the zombies charging ahead at the squishy spell casters, Pandereos used nimble acrobatic tumbled to provide him a flanking position. Pandereos promptly skewered a zombie with Gorin’s help. Tharuzall finished off the remaining skeletons as Shialu once again cast scorching fire rays to finish the remaining zombies. With the battle ended, the unnamed heroes searched the bodies, old Cathedral ruins, and the shack (see below for treasure). An odd thing noticed by her comrades, Shialu wasn't able to identify the scrolls found. Tharuzall entered the shack before Pandereos and set off a Glyph of Warding that produced a fiery burst that injured him slightly. The search provided evidence the skeletons ransacked Naffer’s shack, but he wasn’t anywhere to be found.

The Cemetery

With the storm still raging and strong winds, the unnamed heroes climbed the hill using the old stone paved path to see a large cemetery that lies below in the gully. The cemetery has the Sandpoint wall to the north in the distance, the newly built cathedral buffeting the west, and a sheer 100-foot cliff to the south and east where the Turandarok river flows into Varisia. Upon closer inspection a stone path leads into the cemetery. The stone path splits into smaller paths to different statues, gravestones, sarcophagi, a large statue in the center of a knight, and two large mausoleums stand-out, with one surrounded by large fencing. The heroes were able to see a body laying at the feet of the knight statue. Saban called upon Irori to help him decipher if it was friend or foe … and it was a friend. The heroes quickly descended into the cemetery to help the wounded Naffer Vosk. As Saban gave aid using is divine magic to the wounded Naffer Vosk, our party gathered around the knight statue in the center of the cemetery. Shailu, Mordecai, Gorin and Saban studied the statues and mausoleums, while Tharuzall drank Mordecai’s enlarge person extract. Tharuzall approached a statue of a mother holding her infant child. The statue had been vandalized and glyphs were placed on it that Tharuzall was able to locate this time. The following was gleaned off the two mausoleum’s and a sarcophagus:

Western Sarcophagus - Kaijitsus (glassmakers)

The sarcophagus is decorated with carvings of angels, archons, azata, sphinx, and demons. The sarcophagus is bound with iron bands, which are now loose. The lid has cracked in places. There is writing etched on the sarcophagus showing is “Cao Hoe Kaijitsu”. (Written in Tian … Shialu identified it)

Mausoleum surrounded by fencing - Scarnettis (loggers)

The mausoleum entrance has a large metal door. Sparks of blue arcane energy can be seen shimmering across the door when the lightning strikes from the storm. There are engraved symbols next to the door with writing above it “We are one in this endeavor. Place them here.” With symbols reflecting a Ship, Glass, and Stein. A tiny alcove lies below these symbols. (Written in Chelaxian … Mordecai and Pandereos identified it)

Mausoleum to the east - Deverins (farmers and brewers)

A large marble building. Statues of angels stand on the roof above the entrance, their axes crossed. Several have been vandalized. An iron gate lies open to the entrance into the mausoleum. There is writing etched on the sarcophagus showing is “Casp Avertin Deverin refer to Late Unpleasantness ”. (Written in Chelaxian … Mordecai and Pandereos identified it). Inside is a sarcophagus with strange elvish runes on it, there is a chest next to it that is partially open.
Just as Mordecai is about to act ….

Rewards Granted

Father Zantus donated consumables Box

• Scroll of Restoration - Saban cured Gorin after he was drained by Casp Avertin.

• Potion Lesser Restoration (2) Gorin and Tharuzall are carrying

• Potion Protection from Evil (2) - Gorin is carrying and Tharuzall used his

• Scroll Remove Curse - Saban cured Pandereos from Stone of Weight

Old Cathedral Ruins

• Coins 25 pp, 231 gp, 147 sp, 318 cp

• Gems [60 gp] jasper [11 gp] shell unworked rock crystal quartz (worth 6 gp; Craft (jewelry) DC 10 to repair) unworked shell (worth 4 gp; Craft (jewelry) DC 10 to repair)

Potions:

• potion of mage armor - Shialu is carrying

• potion of resistance - Tharuzall is carrying.

Scrolls:

• Scroll of burning hands - Shialu is carrying

Gear:

• Armor and Weapons on Zombies: Padded Armor (3 sets), Daggers (3), and Masterwork Short Swords (3)

Naffer Vask Abode

• Coins 0 pp, 17 gp, 227 sp, 146 cp

• Gems [55 gp] ivory unworked tourmaline (worth 55 gp; Craft (jewelry) DC 15 to repair) unworked lapis lazuli (worth 5 gp; Craft (jewelry) DC 10 to repair) unworked alabaster (worth 5 gp; Craft (jewelry) DC 10 to repair) [45 gp] green spinel [13 gp] tigereye

• Arcane scroll of Vanish - Carried by Shialu

• Armor and Weapons on Skeletons: Masterwork heavy wooden shield - Gorin has claimed, Longspear, Heavy Mace, Chain shirt, Short sword, Leather Armor (2)

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The unnamed heroes split the coin before moving deeper into the cemetery. Here is what each party member was given:

• 89 gp

• 10 sp

• 1 cp

Missions/Quests Completed

Still researching the cemetery disturbance. They did find and heal Naffer Vosk (Graveyard Caretaker) who's unconscious.

Character(s) interacted with

Belor Hemlock(Sheriff)
Abstalar Zantus(Priest)
Naffer Vosk (Graveyard Caretaker)
Bethana Corwin (Motherly Barkeep)
Unconscious Naffer Vosk (Graveyard Caretaker)

Related Reports

The heroes are still recovering from the interrogation. It's all in Adventure Summary Session 8.

Notes

Visuma and Kek were feeling unwell and stayed in the stable Rusty Dragon Inn.

Report Date

09 Nov 2019

Primary Location

Sandpoint Cathedral

Secondary Location

Sandpoint