After defeating the Amber Golem last time, we took a pause to reassess. We had been told that the Sun Sword would have been dropped near the entrance. However, we were pretty deep into the temple at this point. We decided to double back. (Which was ironic since the next door was the last door on this side.) On the way, we decided to search the mage chapel a bit more. While searching for secret doors, we found a singed mage hiding behind the lectern. He claimed to have come in with his master who was burned to a crisp by flaming skulls. On the other side. After some questioning, we agreed to leave him there and come back and get him on our way out. Back in the room with the now plugged hole in the floor, Loki found a secret door. That lead to a scroll storage room however none of the scrolls were intact. Just bits and dust. We skipped the main room and went to the other side. In there were some barbarian types and their pet Dire Wolf. Ezra managed to negotiate a discussion. Evidently, they were hunters that were using this place as a camp. For a deserted temple that required at least 11th level to enter, it sure was busy in here.
So, we agreed to part without a fight however the door behind them was the last stone unturned. We went into the main room and searched. There were no doors and no one found any secret doors. We knew there was a room on this level that had the red mist but hadn’t found it yet. We did note that the big statue in the room had a Darkness at its head. Which meant we couldn’t see who it was. We thought about dispelling it or climbing up but decided to delay messing with it. Maybe there was a sleeping god up there. That led us back to the barbarians. Ezra asked what they wanted to let us pass. 500 gp, which was outrageous but we had it. For that, they said they’d pack up and leave. Before they left, Loki used his Wand of Detect Magic since Lord Q was not present. He did not detect anything on them. Like a Sun Sword. They left via a crack in the wall in the room. The door was opened and we saw a long hallway with 6 flaming skulls.
Once again, they plastered us with low DC Fireballs. We rolled poorly on initiative and just had to take it. Those with Evasion fared much better but 4 Fireballs, even at half damage, hurt. Kaladin and Ambrus got critted by eye rays as well. We took them out but needed a short rest before going on. We had used up our healing from the previous fights. In the hall was the body of the master of the guy we’d seen before. He was indeed burnt and his spell books destroyed. His magic staff was okay. Lady Patrina took that to be Identified later. We held up in the barbarian room. A few minutes in, that apprentice knocked. He wanted a status and was particularly interested in his master’s books and staff. Patrina hid the staff in her Portable Hole. According to him, it was a staff of cold. We finished our short rest and headed down the hallway. We found a door that led down a level but we left it. We were still hoping the sword was up here. We found a room that stored potions but none were magic anymore. We then found a room with a model of the vampire’s castle. The battered crates and chest in the corner were empty and Loki used another charge and found no magic. At the end of the hall was a door that led into a banquet room with a fine meal laid out. And a door that probably lead to the balcony overlooking the main room. Loki announced that the ewer was magic. Patrina rushed forward and grabbed it with the intent of putting it away for further study.
When she touched it, a dozen Specters appeared in the chairs. Multiple people ordered her to put it back but unfortunately her initiative was low and she went after every Specter. Some delayed but there was no point. Combat ensued. Their to hit bouns was 4 and Brian rolled low so they barely hit. They mostly swung at Patrina. However, when they died, all that were near them had to make a Con save or take a level of exhaustion. Several took two levels and were really screwed. She cast a Dawn spell however it was the usual AOE friendly fire nightmare. She tried to order people to leave the room but they could not until their turn. Meanwhile, the Specters started to fly through the walls to escape. It was a mess but they were taken out in a couple rounds. With the Dawn still going, she decided to move it onto the statue to cancel the Darkness. Everyone got one round of movement before she did this and that left us scattered.
It turns out, Dawn does not cancel Darkness although it did allow us to see the head of the god of secrets. But it also awoke the archimage sleeping in its head. He demanded to know who dared to disturb him. We asked some questions. Patina advised him to move out of the statue and would not move her spell. So, the mage teleported next to her as a move action, cast Finger of Death and killed her. How he found her, I’m not sure. But villains play by their own rules. Ezra attempted to calm things down. He was here doing research. He knew nothing about the sword and claimed to know nothing about Stradhanya which we found unbelievable. (Maybe this was Stradhanya, for the truly paranoid.) We said we wanted the sword to defeat her evil reign and he seemed to at least consider it. During this, Ezra used his last Lay on Hands to save Patrina. Meanwhile, Loki slipped away and went into the main room. Ezra could sense that he was not being truthful about the sword. Loki climbed the statue and felt his way around and found the eye hole. I.e. the Darkness was still there. The Mage started to sense something was wrong while Ezra tried to keep him engaged. The Mage took a step to get line of sight to the statue and teleported over just as Loki grabbed ahold of a sword hilt with a good perception roll. “What are you doing, squirrel?” “Er, just trying to prevent a fight over a sword you say you didn’t need.” He’s got True Sight always on, of course. We stopped there. It seems like a tall order but since he had the sword, it seems as if we are supposed to defeat him.
Before and after, we had some discussions about Path Finder. Other than Dan, everyone had varying degrees of apprehension about this new system. Most of the backgrounds being considered were orphans and outcasts that happen to find themselves in this village. Brian was hoping for better links but was willing to work on it. It’s a common problem. The game designers build towns that are most humans but the players all want to be non-humans. You’d think these designers would have figure that out by now. Or make humans better. Brian said we’d start at 1st and has shelved the junior mage school idea for now. The general trend seems to be trouble maker young adults, bored with their small town. Anyhow, the ideas presented were as follows. Dan has a gnome sorcerer with dragon magic. DG has a human shape changing Druid, black sheep daughter of the town leader. BTO was thinking charming Swashbuckler but hadn’t gotten any further. Paul was thinking a Bard Orc or half Orc. Andy was thinking a blessed Rogue. And Jon was thinking an elf Monk who is more of an unarmed fighter whose style translates as Monk. Although since no one was doing a Wizard, he was feeling some obligation to do so. So, currently its 3 martial and 3 magic.
