PF2e Abomination Vaults IC

[Thunder999]

Khalandel only knows a little about giant flies, they've got no notable weaknesses and the only truly notable characteristics are the evasive movements when attacked as you all saw, and the fact that they carry diseases, most commonly the virulent but not life threatening Fly Pox, though they could theoretically carry almost anything. (Success on Exploit Vulnerability, no mortal weakness so you can make up a Personal Antithesis)
His bolts miss entirely however, it's just too agile.

Still waiting on that AoO

[Zero Prime]

Khaza'dun, High-helm Exile AC: 17 | HP: 23 | Current: 3 | Hero Points: 0 Fortitude: +8 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +5 | Perception: +7 Active Effects: None. Conditions: None. Time gets rewound, is really confusing, the big dwarf swings his hammer, smacking the fly before flailing about ineffectually dropping his hammer, grabbing it picking it up and missing. Suddenly time catches up with him and his chest erupts in blood staggering the big dwarf who nearly falls to his knees, but grits his teeth and tightens the grip on his maul.

Spoiler: Out of Character Actions

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Exploration Activity: Scout

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Free Action: None.
Reaction:Attack of Opportunity vs Elite Fly # 2 (1d20+9)[19] for (1d12+4)[15] blunt damage.

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Action 1: Drop Maul [Free Action]; Grapple (Athletics) vs Elite Fly (Fortitude DC) [10.
Action 2: Interact to Pick Up Maul
Action 2: Annnd more misses. Strike # 2 for a 12.

[Thunder999]

Khaza'dun finds the fly far too slippery to grapple, but when it zips away from Lera's attack he punishes movement with a quick hammer blow.

Having escaped Khaza'dun, albeit with a nasty wound, the fly lays into Lera, piercing her rocky armour twice, though thankfully it's unable to swing a third time as it's unwilling to land.

Spoiler: OOC

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So, the fly actually moved away from Khaza'dun after the AoO.
Lera takes two hits for 11 and 6, 17 total damage, her impressive constitution easily shrugs off the disease.
The fly spent its 3rd action to hover because it falls to the ground if it doesn't.
The fly has taken 15 damage. About half dead
You now know its reaction increases its AC and allows it to Fly away on a miss.

Party may act in whatever order you want (block initiative)

[CasualViking]

Khalendel "Shoo, fly, shoo! fly, shoo or you will surely die". The childish sing-song rhyme punctuates the click and twang of Khalendel's bow as he puts two bolts into the stone wall behind the annoying fly. *attack - (1d20+6)[13], dam - (1d8+4)[6], *attack - (1d20+1)[13], dam - (1d8+4)[8], *Reload

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^{AC: 18| HP: 15/15 | Perception: +6 (lowlight) | Hero Points: 1/1 | Active Effects: None | Conditions: None}

[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 7/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 1/1 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

The fly bites Lera twice and she almost drops from the poison.

"Oof. Maybe today, fly. But we're not going down without a fight."

But she hangs on. She uses her magic to heal both herself and Khaz, and then throws a dagger at the fly.

Spoiler: OOC

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Action 1: Ocean's Balm on herself (1d8)[4]
Action 2: Ocean's Balm on Khaz(1d8)[8]
Action 3: 1 action weapon infused blast, thrown. (1d20+7)[27], (1d8+3)[8] piercing

[Zero Prime]

Khaza'dun, High-helm Exile AC: 17 | HP: 23 | Current: 11 | Hero Points: 0 Fortitude: +8 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +5 | Perception: +7 Active Effects: None. Conditions: None. Through gritted teeth, the broad-shouldered dwarf nods his thanks at Lera, before hefting his maul and getting to work.

Spoiler: Out of Character Actions

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Exploration Activity: Scout

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Free Action: None.
Reaction:

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Action 1: Strike # 1 vs Fly. (1d20+9)[14] for (1d12+4)[13]
Action 2: Strike # 2 vs Fly (1d20+4)[23] for (1d12+4)[6]
Action 2: Strike # 3 vs Fly (1d20-1)[9] for (1d12+4)[9].

[Thunder999]

Khalandel's bolts go wide again, but after Lera sooths the wounds on her and Khaza'dun, her stone dagger pierces the monster's eye, slaying it.

Spoiler: OOC

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That's a nat 20 crit for 16 damage, it had 15hp
545/1000xp

The party spends about forty minutes healing up (you're at full hp, Firtina can Refocus) and no amount of searching reveals anything in this room, it's just where the man eating flies that made all those maggots lived.

Sticking to their plan to systematically work around the structure, they head to the room branching north from the frog room.

Opening he door reveals what once may have been a dining room, the collapsed ceiling at the middle of this room has left a ragged hole in the wooden roof. Rotten tapestries, their designs completely obscured by mold, hang in tatters on the walls between arrow slits and ruined side tables. The remains of a fancy dining table lie mostly pulverized by the fallen ceiling. Firtina can see a few tiny bones poking out of the rubble, perhaps more are buried within.

Before any of you enter the room, Khalandel notices something about the rubble and stops you, he's pretty confident that the rubble is haunted, something died here and is not at rest, it'll probably be roused when you touch the rubble.
While you can't figure out much without seeing it manifest, Khalandel, Firtina and Sachiko all make the connection to the bones in the rubble, whatever creature(s) they belonged to died violently and were simply left in the rubble, the bones need to be removed if it is to rest.

Spoiler: OOC2

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Khalandel is the only one who got high enough on a secret perception check to spot the haunt, luckily for you this particular haunt is one of the few everyone gets to roll perception on. The bones Firtina saw were a seperate check only she got because she's Searching actively.
You know that sifting through the rubble and removing the bones from the room is what it takes to permanently disable the haunt and free the trapped spirits, but you can't do that without triggering it and you also don't know what will temporarily disable it until its triggered and you recall knowledge against the manifestation.

You could of course just leave, the room is a dead end, but then whatever spirit is trapped as a haunt will never reach the Boneyard.

What do you do?

Spoiler: Map

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[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 20/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 1/1 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

Lera listens as the others explain the dilemma. She has no desire to find a haunt, especially before we know what else might be lurking. She looks skeptically at any plan to disturb the bones. She especially looks at Firtina.

"We should help this soul, but not right now. For all we know, this thing is an alarm bell that screams if something disturbs it, warning the whole keep of our intrusion. If we want to help this spirit, we should do it on our way out."

[Xihirli]

"It is against my role as priestess of Pharasma to leave this soul lingering where it does not belong," Firtina says. "And we can't even guarantee we'll still be alive on our way out."

[CasualViking]

Khalendel "Well, it seems to me to be worth doing. I suggest we watch from a distance while the expert takes care of this poor, unfortunate soul. He pauses for a moment, before turning to Lera. "I'm not saying that it's the tactically wisest decision to do this right this moment. Although I do dislike leaving danger at my back. I'm just saying...if Flirtina needs to do this now, we might as well stick together and let it happen".

---

^{AC: 18| HP: 15/15 | Perception: +6 (lowlight) | Hero Points: 1/1 | Active Effects: None | Conditions: None}

[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 20/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 1/1 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

Realizing the her strategic advice will never sway a follower of Pharasma, and wanting to make sure her new friend stays alive, Lera changes her mind and agrees to help Firtina.

"Fine. We will all help you then Firtina. Maybe Khaz and I could dig through the rocks to find all the bones. Everyone else stay close, though. We might need your help with whatever this haunt is. Firtina, is there any specific method we should use for handling the remains?"

[Xihirli]

"Bring them to me and I will lay them to rest. But for now..." Firtina strides forward, takes a breath, and lays a hand on the rubble. She intensifies her halo and, in a quaking voice, utters:
"Hark, lost soul. I am here to guide you on to eternity. Speak and be manifest so that I might aid you on your journey."

Spoiler: Religion

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(1d20+7)[12]

[Thunder999]

As Firtina touches the rubble it's revealed that sending only one person in was a wise decision, a howling vortex of magic shoots up from the rubble, half a dozen screaming, ghostly kobolds emerging with eerie howls.
Those outside the room are unaffected, but Firtina's mind is assaulted by feeling of fear, betrayal and confusion, Firtina's iron will and divine purpose overpower it entirely, not onlyis she entirely unaffected, but she manages to glimpse the nature of the spirits through this vision.
These kobolds were slain in a bloody coup and are predisposed to ruling and being ruled by fear, an intimidating display of dominance would likely quell the presence for a while, long enough to deal with the bones.

She is otherwise unable to recall what else may work, there's probably something, but whatever it is is likely less effective than exploiting their own nature.

Spoiler: Initiative

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As a complex hazard this requires initiatives, it has a routine that will occur when Lera and Khaza-dun have acted.
Lera (1d20+5)[23]
Khaza-dun (1d20+8)[20]
Stonescale Spirits Haunt (1d20+11)[18]
Khalandel (1d20+6)[12]
Sachiko (1d20+6)[10]
Firtina (1d20+8)[9]

Spoiler: OOC

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That's a critical success on the will save against its manifestation, giving information the 12 on Religion was too low for.
Lera and Khaza-dun aren't trained in intimidate and the haunt cannot simply be attacked, so all you can really do is roll Religion to Recall knowledge about it and hope that reveals something to do with your other actions.
The intimidate check, along with any others you may discover by recalling knowledge, is a 2 action activity functionally identical to Disable a Device, but not using thievery.

[Zero Prime]

Khaza'dun, High-helm Exile AC: 17 | HP: 23 | Current: 3 | Hero Points: 0 Fortitude: +8 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +5 | Perception: +7 Active Effects: None. Conditions: None. Moving to Flirtina's side, Khaz drops to a knee placing a hand on the crushed stone, closing his eyes he exhales, whispering in the dwarven tongue. "Torag, Forge Father, we have not spoken since my heart was entombed in your halls. Otari is a hard working community, and these," he looked to his companions, "are good people. Give us your strength, the strength of the stone, of the mountain, and protect us from the corruption that haunts these ruins." He stood up, rolling his shoulders, he wasn't sure if Torag heard his prayers, the stubborn old bastard had been silent since Khaza-dun had been exiled, but he still revered the father of dwarves. He hefted his maul and prepared for the haunt's response.

Spoiler: Out of Character Actions

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Exploration Activity: Scout

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Free Action: None.
Reaction:None.

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Action 1: Deactivate Hazard (Religion) (1d20+5)[13]
Action 2 & 3: Ready an Action to Attack any target threatening Flirtina.

[Thunder999]

In a rather anticlimactic turn of events, the haunt deactivates itself, unable to draw upon the fears of those within the room, the ghostly kobolds collapse into dormancy.

It takes half an hour to sort through the rubble, during which time you are undisturbed, as expected, there's six full kobold skeletons worth of scattered bones, it seems that your good deed shall be rewarded today, because among the rubble you also locate 3 gold pieces, 20 silver pieces, a Wolf Fang talisman, a vial of Lesser Antiplague and a vial of Black Adder Venom with "YUM!" written on it.

You know that removing the bones from the room or destroying them entirely would both work to permanently deal with the haunt.

Spoiler: OOC

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So yeah, that haunt really relies on at least one person being frightened, as in it could only attack Frightened creatures and is automatically disabled if there's noone frightened in range, but you sent only one person in and she crit succeeded the save, rendering it entirely unable to harm anyone.

Are you all OK being told what items are instead of spending time trying to ID them? I'll roll secretly if anything cursed shows up and it saves time, but we can do it the normal way if you prefer.

[Xihirli]

Firtina lays the bones to rest as best she can and says a prayer over them, compelling the kobolds on to the Boneyard.
"Do you think there will be much more death?" She asks.
"I… do not like to see people run out of time."

[Thunder999]

By the time the kobolds are put to rest, the sky is dark in those areas where the damaged roof allows you to glimpse it, the unnatural glow of ghostlight ominously visible, still you continue on, reaching a door just north of the hidden teleportation room, it's quickly apparent that the generally poor state of this place has left it stuck, but you could probably force it with a bit of brute force.

Spoiler: Map

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Spoiler: OOC

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You need an Athletics check to Force Open, if you don't have a crowbar there's a -2 to to that, additionally one of you could aid the other, the remaster sets the DC to Aid at only 15, aid doesn't stack, but there's really only room for two people anyway.

[Zero Prime]

Khaza'dun, High-helm Exile AC: 17 | HP: 23 | Current: 23 | Hero Points: 1 Fortitude: +8 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +5 | Perception: +7 Active Effects: None. Conditions: None. Seeing the stuck door, the burly dwarf lumbered forward, placed his maul upon the ground, rolled his shoulders, took a step back and charged forward, putting a shoulder into the door. Surprisingly it refused to budge. "Hrmmpph." He grunted, as he looked at the solid door and the frame that held it in place. "Solid bit o' work there." He placed his hands against the door, heaved again, his feet slipping out from beneath him, he grunted, set his face in a frown, surveyed the door and went back to work, until, finally with a creak and a groan the door gave way in a shower of splinters.

Spoiler: Out of Character Actions

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Exploration Activity: Scout

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Free Action: Drop Maul.
Reaction:None.

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Action 1: Force Open (-2 circumstance penalty) (1d20+5)[13]
Action 2: Interact to Pick up Maul.
Action 3: Seek (if door is open) (1d20+7)[12]

Additional Rolls: here 3rd round success with a 20

[Thunder999]

It takes a few tries, particularly since noone thought to bring a crowbar, but Khazadun manages to force the door open, the sodden wood falling apart as it leaves the frame.

This reveals a circular room with smooth walls painted a light gray and no indication of seams between blocks of stone. A door with a small barred window leading outside is visible to the east. A set of iron stairs, noteably in far better condition than would be expected, winds upward along the curved walls before terminating at a trap door in the ceiling nearly a hundred feet above. A red bloodstain glistens on the floor at the room’s center, as though a human‑sized creature bled to death on the floor very recently, despite there being no body in sight.

[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 20/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 1/1 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

Lera walks into the room, examining the splatters of the bloodstain to see if it was from a natural cause like an animal attack or a fall, or if it was more likely a murder or ritual sacrifice, and also to determine if she can tell where the victim was taken.

"We should probably climb these stairs to see if that is the light source up there."

Spoiler: OOC

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Nature? (1d20+4)[17]

[Xihirli]

Firtina gasps and then turns to the stairs, checking if there’s any blood on the stairs, or just in the center of the room.

Spoiler: Medicine?

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3 less if Survival is more appropriate.
(1d20+7)[10]

Also does the trap door lead to here, where we are right now?

[Thunder999]

A ghastly image of a confident woman dressed in a long gown, seemingly composed of fresh blood, rises from the bloodstain on the floor and rotates in place like a lighthouse. Beams of cold blue light shine from its eyes and open mouth, causing blisters and decay to spread across your flesh (and that's plural your, the entire party).
Before any of you can react it acts again, the bloody apparition turns its baleful gaze upon Firtina and inhales, blood seeps out of Firtina's skin and flows into its mouth.

Spoiler: Initiative

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Blood of Belcora (1d20+23)[38]
Firtina (1d20+8)[26]
Khaza-dun (1d20+8)[25]
Sachiko (1d20+8)[24]
Lera (1d20+5)[23]
Khalandel (1d20+6)[8]

Spoiler: OOC

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Another haunt, and this time one you could not detect (requires someone with Expert perception to be searching.
Religion (or esoteric) to Recall Knowledge.
The initial appareance had the following effects:
Sachiko and Lera take 2 points of negative damage
Khaza'dun and Khalandel take 8 points of negative damage and are Dazzled for 1 round.
Firtina takes 11 negative damage, is Blinded for 1 round and then Dazzled for 1 further round.
Then onto its routine, Firtina takes 4 Bleed damage.
You do not recongise the woman

[Zero Prime]

Khaza'dun, High-helm Exile AC: 17 | HP: 23 | Current: 15 | Hero Points: 1 Fortitude: +8 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +5 | Perception: +7 Active Effects: Dazzled. Conditions: None. Unsure what he was witnessing, Khaza-dun's hand drifted towards the memento of Torag he wore around his neck. However, even the presence of the Forge-Father did little to quiet the fear in his heart.

Spoiler: Out of Character Actions

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Exploration Activity: Scout

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Free Action: Drop Maul.
Reaction:None.

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Action 1: Recall Knowledge (Religion) (1d20+5)[8]
Action 2:

[Xihirli]

Firtina stumbles at the power, almost wilted just from the assault. As if by reflex she extends her halo around herself, the disk spinning counterclockwise and undoing as much of the harm as she could manage from the creature.

Spoiler: 3-Action Heal

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I think I can catch everyone in (1d8)[2] healing energy, hoping it's enough that the Bleed doesn't drop me. The ghost might also need to make a basic fortitude save or take this as positive damage.

[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 20/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 1/1 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

Lera is tired of all of these ghosts. They are unnatural and they are hurting her and her friends. She looks to Firtina and applies some healing mud to her friend, trying to mend her wounds and stop the bleeding.

"Firtina, do we need to leave? Or can you help this spirit like you did the last ones?"

But she does not flee, making sure the others leave first if that is our plan.

Spoiler: OOC

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Oceans Balm on Firtina (1d8)[5]
Assist with bleed damage

[CasualViking]

Khalendel "Ugh....no good deed goes unpunished, eh? Well, let's see what sort of ghostly phenomenon you are... Oh, you're made of blood and thirsty for more. *Esoteric Lore - (1d20+7)[18]

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^{AC: 18| HP: 9/15 | Perception: +6 (lowlight) | Hero Points: 1/1 | Active Effects: None | Conditions: None}

[Thunder999]

Khalandel's expertise in matters esoteric lets him realise what's going on here, a bloodstain as fresh as the day it was spilled, ceaselessly trying to spill more blood.
Attempting to exorcise the haunt (religion, trained) would work, but scraping away at the bloodstain on the floor would also disrupt the necromantic energy in a manner similar to disabling a magical trap (thievery, trained).
Whatever's binding the haunt isn't in this room, a permanent solution likely requires dealing with a more potent spirit elsewhere.

Spoiler: OOC

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DC was 18 exactly.
2 actions an a religion or thievery check to get rid of it for now.

[Infernally Clay]

Sachiko Kaminaga Kitsune Thief Rogue 1 AC: 18 | HP: 16/16 Fortitude: +3 | Reflex: +9 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 Hero Points: 1/1 Active Effects: None Conditions: None

"So we just need to disrupt the blood?" Sachi says, heading off to do just that.

Spoiler

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Action #1 - Move to bloodstain at 4, 21.
Action #2 & 3 - Thievery check: (1d20+7)[24]

[Thunder999]

Sachiko quickly disrupts the blood enough for the haunt to dissipate, though where the kobolds faded, this shoots upwards in a great vortex of blood, dousing the trapdoor at the top of the staircase in blood, before flowing through the keyhole, like water draining through a hole.

All that's left of interest in this room is the trapdoor atop the stairs, if anyone checks it quickly becomes apparent that it's locked, you could search elsewhere for a key, or just pick it.

Spoiler: OOC

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580/1000xp now
DC 20 to pick the lock (it actually got reduced because you beat the haunt).

Do you head up and try to pick the lock, or continue clockwise?

[Xihirli]

Spoiler: Bleed Recovery

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Just flat checks, right?
(3d20)[7][9][10](26) I BELIEVE

Firtina sits down and frantically attempts to stem her own bleeding.