Trellenhome

We went back into the Necropolis tombs, found a perfectly safe yet loot-laden tomb, then went back in to another one. We found the ghosts of four women who were trapped in the Mirror of Life Stealing, and it turns out that their father (who was in the mirror too) is buried here. Their big sister is some super-nasty incorporeal undead that is controlling the younger sisters...and we are in a tough fight.

No game December 23; we plan to play December 30.

...

December 16, 2012
What was it we were looking for? The family Adellen is involved with Ar-Shadallen. So far we have not found anything Ar-Shadallen-esque yet.
For some reason, Zantlin has trouble getting his spells (even in the temple). He rememorizes as if he were one level lower.
During our fourth watch, we notice Granny stirring and mumbling in her sleep. The eyes on her cane flicker red, which they don’t normally do. Kev watches her for a minute.
Granny finds herself in one of the rooms with the medusa head on the floor in her dream (go north to see the tomb with pillars). Starburst in the left eye, and Amulet *225…in the right eye, there is a spot for a key. Looks like the amulet would fit in the left. Thin slot in the mouth with a dagger handle sticking out of it. Oval indentation where the red gem we found would be placed. At that point, she feels her perception shift, and Joe and Paul go upstairs.
Kev watches Granny sleep restlessly for about 20 minutes; then she quiets down and her cane goes out.
As Granny wakes up, she asks what kind of Abyssal or Infernal creature has bat wings and the head of a goat. K: Planes is 23; K: religion is 26. In this case, it is an Omox demon.
She talks to Zantlin about it and explains that the medusa head has places for some items to be inserted. Dagger, Ruby (have), amulet (have), and key. There is also a different room entirely that had a grand chamber showing Arshadallen in flight. There was another figure (the Omox demon) painted on the north wall. It has a wicked scythe in one hand, and is burning pages of the Prophecies of Arshadallen.
Something else on the south wall. It seems that Infernal forces are attempting to change Arshadallen’s religion.
Paul Van Dyck: The ceiling of this grand chamber stands 40' tall and is covered in frescoes of Arshadolen in flight. On the northeast wall a massive fresco dipicts an infernal figure, black as soot, with the head of a goat and hairy bat wings. The devil holds a wicked looking scythe in one hand and with the other feeds a brazier fire with the pages of a book entitled "The Prophecies of Arshadolen. A huge defiled symbol of Arshadolen, it's wings clipped bloodily, occupies the southeastern wall.
Zantlin has not heard of the Omox demon. Granny wants to check out the room with the medusa face.
Zantlin says the evil here has affected his ability to Commune with Arianna. He casts as usual but memorizes a level low. Yorn did not feel anything different. Kev tells Granny that her cane was glowing.
Granny knows that Omox demons tend to be aquatic, chaotic, immune to acid, crits paralysis, poison, electricity, polymorph, sleep, stun. At will create water, greater teleport, telekinesis. Can turn gaseous, control water, poison, stinking cloud, may be able to create acid fog, and can summon allies. Can turn into an acidic slime. If you are grabbed when it is in slime form, the slime will attempt to smother its victim.
The ceiling in that temple does not seem to match the Omox demon exactly. Normally they would not have that kind of form, but instead would tend to become a half-melted man.
Granny will consult with the Kevonium to see if there is a way to improve Zantlin’s ability to commune with Arianna. K: Religion – she could use the Kevonium to make a tunnel out to where he can fully contact Arianna. She won’t be able to do it until tomorrow because otherwise she won’t know that he’s limited. But, since this plane is phase shifted out of time, she is not sure how far out we are. She’s not sure why this is a problem with him speaking with his goddess.
She memorizes and wants to include two Identifies.
Scroll *200: Divine Contagion (to Zantlin)
Scroll *201, 202: Arcane Create Undead (level 11)
Scroll *203: Divine Darkness
Scroll *204: Divine Doom
*205: dark glass vial (probably not useful today)
*206-*209: stuff
There are items that are missing from my notes.
We have an amulet, key, dagger, and ruby. Should we identify them? Probably not the key.
Amulet *225: Conjuration magic…it is part of a teleportation key. Not a surprise – they are part of her vision. The Key is very similar; they are linked.
Good question where the vision came from. Dying here did put Granny at the will of that whip-wielding critter.
Granny doesn’t know where the keys will take us. She’d just as soon keep exploring.
We only explored 1/3 of the center north building. Not the left and right. There was something on the outside of the center building, and another building with a mis-spelled name of a family hero.
Kev lobbies to go through because we don’t know what would be any different anywhere else?
Zantlin also notices that his glow is a bit less than it was.
Yorn: It’s possible that we were led by Ulyiad’s graces directly to what we needed.
Was someone trying to get us to do exactly what Granny dreamed about because it lets them out? If the plane is that powerful why would it only mess with dreams?
Granny says that the dream was from the Kevonium, not because of the plane.
Kev explains the Necropolis as being a wheel of evil cheese, so we only want to deal with the Arshadallen piece of the evil – not all the Adellen evil stuff.
Are we ready to fight the demon should that happen? Well, Zantlin’s not ready to fight demons today.
Kev accuses Yorn of not knowing anything about the various kinds of evils. Yorn says he’s been studying as much as he can.
We are going back to the center building, and will take the forked-tongue path. When we approach the front door of the center building, Vim gets a listen check: 20. From building F (the small one to the south), he hears the faint whimper of a woman crying. He stops us. None of the rest of us hear it, but he continues to hear it. We follow him up to the building. There *is* a door on the building that we’ve already opened. This place *is* diseased inside. Vim looks inside and Spot 29 = nothing obvious. He can hear the wailing as if she’s next to him. Granny warns him that the rest of us can’t hear it. He says it’s inside the coffin; he takes the Necklace of Adaptation and enters. The noise stops, and he can’t hear it. We chose not to open the coffin because we didn’t want to disturb the family’s resting places.
The coffin is inscribed: Marcus Julius Adellan, great patriarch of our clan died valiantly at the battle of Istavala Vale saving a prince form some evil dude (may be in notes earlier).
We call him back out because it seems unusual. Vim has to make a Will save DC 17 (so he PEPs and makes it), so the feeling to stay behind with the voice passes. As he exits, he hears the crying start again but he ignores it. We thank him. He ignores the crying in his head (which continues) and is at -2 to Listen checks. None of us know of any undead that could do this.
We go into the center building and inspect the medusa head – the places for the items were not here before, but are now. Either we got a lot of help, or needed to have all the items.
Back to the stairs – we head over the screaming medusa (finished the forked tongue already). We looked inside the screaming medusa but didn’t explore.
We go through. Long corridor that splits. Broken statues shattered by a powerful malignant force. In the middle of the round room stands a low stone wall carved in sea creatures. Looks like a burial crypt or alcove. No obvious doors that we can see. We will walk around to take a look at the hallways (that just dead-end, but are not collapsed), and do find a raised panel on the north side that is covered in merfolk dancing upon the sea.
Vim checks that area out and finds a small trigger on the floor. There is a small howling medusa emblem; it is trapped. Granny looks for runes and finds nothing, but figures that the symbol is magical. She back up and lets Vim do his thing. Disabling the trap is going to be difficult.
Granny gives Vim a potion of Fox’s Cunning and lets him do his thing. Trap may be magical. He gets a 28 on the DD check, which is enough not to set it off but not enough to open it. He tries again (using 2 peps). Granny isn’t sure of the spell, but realizes that the trap would have given someone negative areas.
Yorn opens the door. The mechanism that opens the passage is very interesting – the wall slides to the side and reveals a hallway. Zantlin is reminded of his childhood from the stone on stone. Inside we see three mummified corpses – two men, one woman stacked on each other. Looks like they may have been in the broken sarcophagi in each alcove. Lining the walls of the vault are six padlocked iron chests.
Granny detects no Undead inside, for now. We rearrange, and Yorn and Zantlin enter to check it out.
Yorn: If this stuff starts to move, duck – the room’s barely big enough for me to swing.
We spot nothing, so Yorn crosses the threshold.
The sounds in Vim’s ears disappear.
The chests in here look to be original for this room.
Yorn and Zantlin search the corpses. The only items of value we find are three platinum rings worn one per body, showing the mocking medusa crest (350 gp each).
Vim and Granny look at the sarcophagus to the north to see if there is a name…Malachi Vor (incomplete) A (missing) llan – probably Adallan. We don’t recognize anything else.
What are the chances that opening the chests causes the mummies to animate? Can we do any ritual?
Yorn: I don’t want to decapitate them right away.
It looks like the bodies were just chucked in here.
Yorn stands guard while Vim searches (clockwise): first one is locked. He looks for traps – 35. He opens it to reveal 8 platinum ingots @ 8000 each. Vim eventually reveals to the party that these are in fact *not* lead bars.
Check all for traps. No traps. He opens locks on all of them.
#2: 14 gold ingots x 1000 each.
#3: 3 bags containing a total of 15000 gp of gems
#4: when he fails on his first Open locks check, Reflex save! 20 is enough…a small bolt of lightning shoots out and just misses him. It contains…25000 gp of high-quality gems (50 x 500).
(Zantlin wonders if we can take this loot – a certain spectral ship captain told us not to disturb the graves).
Vim: Kev, I am so happy here!
Kev: Me too! I get to set the tax!
Vim uses the Gem of True Seeing, suspecting that this may not be real. They are.
DM: Someone was very wealthy in here once.
V: and now it’s me!
#5: leather sack containing *’s.
*234 is periapt (magical – moderate conjuration).
*235, *236, *237, *238, *239, *240 are all Potions of Cure Serious Wounds.
*241, *242, *243: Potions of Water Breathing
#6:
Scroll *244: Irresistable Dance (arcane)
Scroll *245: CSW (divine)
Bracers *246 (magical)
Long sword *247 (magical – Universal aura, moderate)
Old maps of Qadira (the Qadiran frontier) from 300-400 years ago
Six marble figurines *248 of merfolk (magical - abjuration)
Granny Detects Magic (see above). No auras on the gold or ingots. There is a fading aura on the one trapped box.
Are we taking the loots?
Vim: If you don’t take it, I will.
Yorn says a prayer of redemption over these poor cursed Adallen souls.
How long ago did this get busted up? Granny figures 300-400 years ago.
Yorn and Zantlin lay out the corpses more decently.

Next sarcophagus (east): Trepso Voxus Adellan
West sarcophagus: Lexana Voxus Adellan
We search the sarcophagus chambers to see if there is anything else. No.
We enter the third teleport thing (the last face).
Room covered in frescoes showing a handsome red-haired hero. Flickering lights. Dude defeating demons, leading Qadiran soldiers into an enemy. Alcove on the northern wall shows a mahogany coffin decorated with vines and eyes. There are ten columns in here.
Who is the dude? We don’t recognize him. Vim hears the female voice that has been crying begin to hum in a friendly manner. He tells us.
Yorn hears a female voice say, “Welcome to my home.”
Yorn: Thank you for inviting us. If you are one of the corrupted Adellans, show yourself.
Then the voice says that Zantlin is funny looking (he tries to hear it). Yorn tells that he’s hearing voices. Yorn, with a 28, doesn’t spot anyone.
G: Who is talking to my corhorts?
Voice: Hello!
Zantlin detects undead and finds none…yet.
She tells Yorn that her name is Ursula. He gives his name as Yorn. She doesn’t answer; Granny tells him to get moving.
We move in and look around. The first set of pillars is blank, but the others show images of beautiful women playing, sewing, etc.
We move in another pillar (10’ more) and Zantlin can’t quite get to the coffin. The pillars seemed to be designed by someone who worshiped these five women. All but Kev are at -2 to listen because of the voices in our heads. None of the pictures of the women show pictures. Spot checks eventually (with bonuses to Zantlin for Detect Undead): 15+ (which is everyone but Granny) reveals a pale female face poking out from the wall near the coffin. Yorn and Zantlin recognize her as a spectre, and some of us know her face – she was one of the four women/ghosts in the other chamber.
We talk because we want to attack her – we didn’t kill her before. Next round, spot! Yorn spots her; she says he’s cute, and he attempts to stab her.
She says, “That was mean!” as she sinks into the floor.
K: religion: Y 13, G 34, Z 30. 30 or better: there are creatures who can attach themselves to living beings and are only heard by that person.
We chat about whether or not we should be killing them. Yorn and Zantlin say probably yes.
Yorn: I’m sorry for trying to kill you if you don’t want to kill us?
Voice: Not if you leave my sister alone.
The voice says that her sister is in the coffin, but Yorn doesn’t believe her.
Yorn asks her if her sister is another abomination against all that Ulyiad finds unholy. Kev tells him to shut up. The voice switches from Yorn to Vim, because Yorn’s too mean.
Vim asks the voice who she is – Ursula. Vim asks for the sister’s names…”because that’s the way I roll.”
He continues to flatter the voice. Kev notices this and figures now it’s a good thing that he was made the nob, because neither Yorn nor Vim is fit to speak with people.
The sisters are: Karine, Mary, Catherine, Sarah
Sarah is the eldest.
Granny asks her voice, but the voice doesn’t reply, “Me to know, and you to find out.”
Granny’s voice: Are you going to bother my sister Sarah?
G: Is she in the coffin?
GV: Yes.
Granny doesn’t think she’s lying.
We continue moving. Listen checks: > 10, a rough female voice says, “Do not disturb my tomb.” Sounds like it’s coming through the rock.
Zantlin: I do not take orders from the undead. And I want to look at it. I have no intention of opening it.
Yorn: We promise we’re not going to crack your tomb open.
Kev: Thanks for that. Go nuts.
There is a half-wall in front of the coffin. The coffin is covered in runes, vines, and eyes.
We all move up except Kev and Vim, who are willing to resign the rest of the groups to our idiot fates.
As we approach, Zantlin detects Undead in the pillar. Spot: carved faintly into the pillar are vines wrapped around the column decorated with eyes.
Yorn: It’s decorated like the rest of the tombs.
Zantlin looks for secret doors. There are two spectres in front of Yorn and zantlin; they hold their hands out and say, “Our sister is dangerous – leave her alone!”
Z: We just want to look; we aren’t going to touch it.
Spectre: Aye.
Zantlin looks at the coffin – the carving is exquisite. Zantlin spots three locks on his side.
Granny asks us if we need to open it or mess with things, or leave before the fight. Zantlin keeps moving. On the back he finds an inscription Sarah 4191-4222. (aka, 500 years ago). Written underneath is “Daughter of Drusus, his loving light”.
We met these women before when we let them out, and they were not spirits when they exited the mirror. We have clearly found a discrepancy in the time stream.
Yorn: is this why they said there were coffins for us in here? I want to find my body because I must have gotten an awesome weapon. Maybe here.
Granny makes K: the Planes = 30. What happens here may not be what happens on another plane. Roll’s not high enough. She says this may not be quite like our reality – so we may not be able to rely on what we learn here.
Zantlin makes a spot check 24: there is a secret door opposite the coffin.
What’s up – they lied about anyone in the coffin, but maybe it’s in the wall?
Vim looks but does not touch the coffin: Search = ? He knows how to open the door, though. There is a switch and Vim flips it right away.
Kev has a question for the Daughters of Drusus, but never got it out before Vim messed with the door.
Inside the semi-octagonal (four-sided?) room stand five short white marble pedestals. A single mundane item sits atop each one, and they are identified by brass plaques.
Yorn: We’re not disturbing anyone’s grave yet!
Vim can’t read the plaques so he walks in.
First one: His shaving razor (it is a razor).
Second one: His gaming dice (some dice).
The other three items are his comb, his favorite goblet, and his pipe.
Granny heads inside and Detects Magic. There is nothing magical in the room, except for a plate in the center of the floor. The coffin and pillar radiate magic.
We know that the sisters were lying about “Sarah” in the coffin. Yorn asks who’s inside, but no one answers. Vim asks Ursula who’s in the coffin.
Ursula: my father.
Vim tells us.
Vim: If Drusus is in here, where is Sarah?
U: Somewhere.
Vim spots her eyes flicker to the the big column by the coffin.
V: Is the pillar another coffin?
U: maybe.
Some K: arcane checks: the coffin and pillar are linked.
V: Why do you not want us to open the coffin?
U: I don’t want you to get hurt. My sister is mean.
Ursula pops up next to Vim – she is very pale and shadowy, but you see the beauty that she once was.
Vim’s Sense Motive = 22. He senses that there is more to her words – she’s afraid of something, and Vim asks her of what.
U: When she is free, she controls us.
V: Sarah?
Ursula sinks into the floor.
Kev says that Drusus was a tremendous asshole who used his daughters before, and he’s still doing it. He’s stopping them from a quiet death. Sounds like reason enough for me to open the coffin.
Zantlin knows that Undead who can be kept within an object are probably Menhanes (sp?) They are attached to the object. They get their power by binding the spirits of others to themselves.
Will destroying the object do anything? Not sure…probably can’t rejuvenate if the objects are destroyed.
Is it the pillar, not the objects?
Wait, the Menhane – it is Magic and Undead.
What about the trap in the middle of the room? Might have to do something about that.
Vim asks Ursula which object she’s tied to. They are all special because they were her father’s. Again he asks what she’s bound to – just her sister.
Vim looks at the trap – thin layer of stone over a metal plate. DC 30 to disable. When he looks, there are four locking devices (DC 30 to disable the locks) before the plate can be removed. His 22 doesn’t detonate the trap…you have to remove the metal plate to disable the lock. There is clearly something underneath. You have to set it off anyway…
K arcane: 33. Strong evocation. It is possible to dispel the trap once the locks are off, but not until then. Wait, Joe will allow it. If he dispels it, you get four rounds. Or, Granny has a Rod of Negation (GDM for items only) – which may work permanently.
Vim: You guys get out of here. I got this.
Granny tries with her Rod three times but can’t discharge it. Vim then tells us to GTFO.
We all retreat and/or take cover. Yorn prepares to run in, but Zantlin says he needs to get to Vim within a round. Vim tells Zantlin he’s too close; Zantlin says he’ll move (and hides behind the coffin). Works for Vim…
Disable Device, with PEP: 15 + 15 = 30. Vim screams in horror. Kev falls for it and runs in to find Vim laughing.
What’s inside? 2’ compartment below containing 12 platinum ingots worth 800 gp each wrapped in a tapestry showing a woodland scene of Satyrs and nymphs worth 1200 gp. Removing that reveals a small, unlocked wooden box.
V: Ursula, what is the significance of the tapestry?
U: It’s pretty.
Vim opens the box: there is a circle of cloth that looks to be made of spider silk. Woven into the fabric appears to be beams of starlight. K: Arcana 30 = Granny has never seen, but has heard of a portable hole. She explains it can hold a whole room’s worth of stuff. She unfolds it as we prepare. Inside we see a cozy, furnished study with chair, lit lantern (continual flame), and shelves of trashy poetry. There is a Bottle of Air. Granny heads down.
Kev asks Vim to check it out; he turns invisible and hops down. No traps. The voices in his head quiet when he enters.
Granny has to make a Fort save. She feels a shift in time or plane, as some temporary nausea passes over her. The worlds are not connected. She thinks it’s possible to teleport from inside the hole out of there.
Granny won’t let Kev fold it up on her, but she will fold him up. Kev wants to try playing. Granny pukes on Kev when she climbs out. Kev folds the hole and traps Vim inside, but just for a minute.
Kev: You still alive?
Vim doesn’t answer. Eventually he climbs out and surprises Kev.
Granny tells us that it CANNOT go inside a bag of holding. Something bad would happen.
The specters ask Vim and Granny where they went.
Vim notices an insane note about the humming. It’s Mary.
We discuss whether or not Drusus has to go.
Vim: Ursula, are you at peace?
U: Yes, as long as my sister is away. (and he can tell the fear in her eyes).
Menhane – formed when a soul becomes undead to protect a thing or people. The devoted turns into a Menhane to serve her master beyond death. The ritual to create one is believed to be lost. Bound spirits are often close friends or relatives; they may be used to cause damage.
Ursula doesn’t know what is keeping her here.
Vim goes to grab the pipe. No problems. He climbs into the hole. Ursula follows and watches, and descends into the ground near the hole. She can’t come in.
Z concludes that the objects are not what they’re bound to; it’s Sarah. Sarah is bound to the pillar.
Sounds like time to destroy the pillar. And as part of the ritual, Sarah’s body would have been encased in the pillar *while alive*. That is harder than normal stone.
Granny Enlarges Yorn, Yorn immediately begins to assault the pillar.
Ursula chases Vim, and Yorn strikes.
U: Remember, I never wanted to hurt you!
Enlarged and Hasted, Yorn strikes. First hit is 53 points, ignoring hardness. This will put us in some kind of init-like state.
Yorn destroys the column in three hits, and a foul-looking creature stares down on him. Or up at him. Female with a tattered dress and wild hair.
Yorn’s sword passes through her.
Y: She’s a ghost!
Most of the spirits and the menhane are surprised.
Ursula, #4, backs away from Vim and sinks into the floor. She doesn’t look to be controlled yet. However, as she sank into the floor the look in her eyes changes…
Vim won’t even feel sorry when he cuts her to ribbons.
The menhane looks at Yorn in surprise. Vim looks up at the menhane, who is floating 10’ up. We also saw her body fly out and land on the floor. Vim leaps up and swings at the Menhane…but he can’t leap that high. She smiles.
One of the spectres rises up and joins the Menhane. Yorn’s AOO passes through her.
Kev attempts to jump and hit her. His vertical leaves a lot to be desired.
Granny casts Wall of Stone to give her companions a place to stand on. Looks nice. It’s going to make opening the coffin…if only someone could break a stone item.
Zantlin uses a Greater Turning. 17 HD or less are affected; only 17 HD of undead are destroyed. The menhane is level 18, so he dusts a spectre.
Undead 2 (the one we were supposed to rescue) is destroyed.
Yorn pounds the menhane twice for 41 and 37 points. Spectre 1 says, “I told you not to do it!” Yorn misses with his AOO (damn!) so it makes a ranged touch on Vim. Vim has to make a saving throw that Joe strongly recommends PEPing. Vim takes 14 points of damage. Granny recognizes this effect as a Slay Living spell. Yikes!

#3 calls out, “Save me!” and is pulled towards the menhane. It’s near Granny, but does not attack her.
4 comes up through the floor; Vim AOO’s it. Yorn’s AOO misses. Kev’s AOO hits. It attacks Vim and hits him…with Harm. ½ of 90 is 45 points. Yikes!
4 continues to babble incoherently while ruining Vim’s day.
Vim can’t get a good flank right now. The menhane being at an intersection is a problem.
Yorn
Spectre x 3
Menhane
Vim (delaying – he or Kev starts)
Dead spectre
Kev
Granny
Zantlin
We will play the 30th.
Savage Tide and Traveller start on January 13. Last game of Trellenhome/Trinity is the 6th.
XP:
Joe will give out XP next time.
Joe’s Peps:
Steve: ½ for arguing with Granny about being over-prepared, ½ for asking to be closed in the Hole
Aaron: ½ for arguing to help Granny convince Kev to prep, ½ for figuring out how the menhane-spectres work together
Scott: ½ for egging Kev on to fight, ½ for another reason Joe can’t remember, ½ for bringing food
Joel: ½ to creatively make the spectres useful, ½ for so stupidly opening up the secret room
Paul: ½ for keeping the game under control

Aaron: ½ to Paul for giving up the portable hole, ½ to Scott for pillar cleaving
Scott: ½ to Joel for RP’ing with the spectres, ½ to Paul for helping so much with magic items
Joel: ½ to Paul for whining and burning critical Peps, ½ to Scott for almost flanking
Steve: ½ to Paul for whining about Peps, ½ to Joel for adventuring so boldly and adventuring Kev-style
Paul: ½ to Aaron for game attention and agreeing with Granny, ½ to Scott for awesomeness and notes