PF2e Abomination Vaults IC

[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

The next thing Sachi knows she is conked out in bed. The threats they had faced so far were tougher than she had expected but she wouldn't be caught by surprise again.

The next day, she heads to Wrin's place to meet up with the others.

[Thunder999]

Wrin listens carefully as you explain your adventures, and she has some insights to share.

A look of unease passes her face as you mention the mossy skull, for she's knows exactly what that symbol means.
She explains that it is the unholy symbol of the Outer Goddess Nhimbaloth, The Empty Death, a terrible deity of fear, ghosts and swamps, she's particularly associated with will-o-wisps and their many variants, which her cultists claim are manifestations of her eyes, hunger and other such things. It is also said that she was Belcorra's patron deity.
To see it upon a door implies the room beyond is a shrine to the deity, so she warns you to be prepared for wisps of some form, but asks you to please check despite the danger as it's probably important.

As you describe the bloody haunt she explains that the woman depicted is almost certainly Belcorra herself, indeed that may be a remnant of the very spot in which she died. Given that the gauntlight has been picked over since Belcorra's demise, it's unlikely that haunt is gone for good.
Perhaps, she thinks, it might be linked to whatever is creating that unnatural light.

As to whether you are done, she read the stars last night, and there is certainly danger in your future, but not insurmountably so, and if you do not act, then something terrible will happen. She was unfortunately unable to determine what form it will take.

She also advises you to explore only in the light of day, for she fears the place is more dangerous at night.

Spoiler: OOC Money/loot

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If you sell your collection of mitflit weapons, then combined with the loose change you found, you will have a total of 16gp, 9sp.
In addition, you have a lesser comprehension elixir, a minor elixir of life, a lesser skeptic’s elixir, a Wolf Fang, an Owlbear Claw (which Khaza'dun gives back when he gives up) and a dose of Black Adder Venom, Wrin will buy them at the usual half price, she doesn't really have a use for all of them, but her shop wouldn't be nearly as interesting if she only stocked useful things.
You can buy anything up to level 4 in Otari without issue, though can't actually afford anything that high.

[Xihirli]

Firtina accepts the counsel readily, and considers if she has heard of this outer god in her studies.

Spoiler: Religion on Nhimbaloth?

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(1d20+7)[21]

[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 20/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 2 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

Lera is not very encouraged by the news. The haunt is still there, and now will-o-wisps to deal with. Danger but not insurmountable? She'd prefer a more optimistic reading of the stars. But she is resigned to help.

"We should go back now while it is still early in the day."

Spoiler: OOC

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Swamp Lore for Nhimbaloth (1d20+3)[20]

[Thunder999]

You know nothing of Nhimbaloth, she's an obscure outer god, even her actual cultists have few facts about her.

Spoiler: OOC

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Even with the lower DC for a lore skill Lera needed a 20. Module definitely expects you to have to ask Wrin

Anyone want to buy anything before heading back?

[Thunder999]

Rested and forewarned, though a dwarf down (and that's the last I'll mention of him), the party returns to the ruined keep at Gauntlight, in the daytime there's no visible glow.
Checking the blood room, you see that the pool of blood seems to be reformed, the puddle looks more like a deep pool, though in the light of day it lacks any sign of animation.

You make your way back into the scorpion room, approaching the doors to Nhimbaloth's unholy shrine, you open them up.

The air in the large chapel feels colder and damper than elsewhere in the ruins. Condensed beads on the walls run in rivulets across the countless skulls carved into the stone. A moldering human corpse lies slumped against a wall, his hands wedged into a crack as if he died trying to pry a brick loose. Three short flights of steps lead upward to a wider chamber to the north, where a semicircular dais supports an altar of white stone. Beyond the altar loom four stained‑glass windows, each twenty feet tall and depicting four haunting scenes of ghosts rising from overgrown graveyards toward a four‑pointed orange star above, as you look upon them you feel as though something immense and distant gazes back through them.

There's a skull on the wall near the corpse that's not quite upright, you're pretty sure this unfortunate looter was in the middle of opening a secret door when he died. You easily open it by twisting the skull, revealing the same room where you located keys earlier. The corpse has a few items of note about its person: four daggers, a surprisingly well preserved set of Healer's tools, a minor healing potion, a lesser darkvision elixir and finally a +1 potency rune on a runestone.

Pressing on you enter into the northern chamber proper, as you do two mossy skeletons near the wall rise up, and unholy glow in their empty eyesockets.

Spoiler: Initiative

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Firtina (1d20+7)[25] perception
Khalandel (1d20+5)[24] stealth
Sachiko (1d20+7)[21] stealth
Monster1 (1d20+7)[16]
Lera (1d20+4)[13] perception
Monster2 (1d20+7)[11]

Wary of danger, most of you are already moving by the time they've risen to their bony feet. There's not really anywhere to hide behind, but Sachiko and Khalandel have the momentary advantage.

Spoiler: OOC

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So everyone but Lera may act, you choose order.
Khalandel is hidden until he moves around the corner into sight. If he stays there he can peek around the corner and his target will be off-guard to the first ranged strike.
Sachiko has nowhere to hide, but treats them as off-guard thanks to Surprise Attack.

I suggest Firtina take those Healer's tools, as she can't use Medicine without them and she's now the only one trained in it.
it takes 1 day of downtime and a DC 16 crafting check to transfer that rune, Lera could attempt it, or you could ask Carman Rajani in town to do it, but the miserable old man would charge 35 silver for the service, though maybe you could talk him into a discount? (Diplomacy to Make an impression when you next meet him, DC would be very difficult to hit at your level).

Spoiler: Map

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[CasualViking]

Khalendel Khalendel ducks behind the corner, considering what he saw, what that might be, what their weakness might be...*Exploit weakness - (1d20+7)[26] then peeks back around the corner and nails #1 with two accurate bolts *strike ff - (1d20+6)[26], dam - (1d8+4)[6], *strike - (1d20+1)[21], dam - (1d8+4)[5]

---

^{AC: 18| HP: 15/15 | Perception: +6 (lowlight) | Hero Points: 2/2 | Active Effects: None | Conditions: None}

[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

Sachi quickly moves forward and attempts to impale one of the skeletons upon her rapier.

Spoiler

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Action #1 - Move to 18, 31
Action #2 - Melee attack vs M2. To hit: (1d20+8)[21], to damage: (2d6+4)[9] piercing damage, plus (1d6)[5] sneak attack damage.
Action #3 - Melee attack vs M2 (or M1 if M2 is dead). To hit: (1d20+3)[6], to damage: (2d6+4)[8] piercing damage, plus (1d6)[1] sneak attack damage.

[Thunder999]

Expecting wisps of some form Khalandel recognises these for what they truly are, Corpselights.
They're a rare form of undead, formed when a will-o'-wisp starves to death, their most notable feature, as seen here is their ability to puppet corpses (the corpse uses the corpselight's stats, when it would be slain the corpselight emerges from the corpse instead and can try to claim a new one, healing in the process), a corpselight within a corpse can also attack with a baleful light, sapping the life from foes and spreading terror.
You know all their weaknesses and resistances, they're vulnerable to true sunlight, though the stained glass windows of this shrine seem enough to protect them (you also might note that it's quite odd for them to have survived, untouched, where the rest of the place crumbles), in a skeletal corpse like these they have a weakness to bludgeoning (5 points), though were they to inhabit a fleshy one they would be weak to slashing (5 points) instead. It's not all good news though as they posses a number of immunities: death effects, disease, fear, paralyzed, poison, precision and unconscious.

Armed with this knowledge Khalandel is able to blunt the tips of his bolts with a bit of clay from among his estoterica, his first bolt is particularly potent, crushing bones on impact, the second follows through, but doesn't finish the abomination.

Sachiko manages a hit with her rapier, scoring some solid damage thanks to the potent enchantment, but the creature lacks any weak points to stab, which seems to confuse her momentarily, as she misses the second attempt entirely.

Spoiler: OOC

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Critical Success on Exploit Vulnerability and a success vs recall knowledge (rare creature so DC is higher), so you get everything there is to know about them.
13 damage on the crit and 8 on the normal attack, since you get to use their 5 point Mortal Weakness instead of making a Personal Antithesis.
Sachiko hit the first one, no sneak attack but that Striking rune is strong.
Firtina still to act.

[Xihirli]

Firtina, her new healer's tools weighing on her pack, thinks of breaking the windows somehow but decides that, since there are so few left, that's unnecessary. She steps into the room, halo glowing, and projects her light at it to finish the final undead monstrosity.
"May you find peace in the Boneyard," she prays.

Spoiler: Actions

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Stride into the room for a clear shot, divine lance.
(1d20+7)[22]; (1d4+4)[7]

[Thunder999]

Firtina's lance of divine power follows up Khalandel's attacks, but the Corpselight is still standing.

The Corpselight reatliates, a sickly blue light flashes out of its empty skull, washing out over the entire party, noone escapes unscathed, flesh withering in its presence, Sachiko and Khalandel have it worst, and their minds are gripped unnatural fear, worst of all the creature's wounds heal, cracked bones fusing together once more.

Spoiler: OOC

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So Corpselight 1 has taken 28 total damage, but healed 8 (20), while number2 has taken 9.
The attack reached out 20ft.
Lera and Firtina take 6 negative
Sachiko and Khalandel take 11 negative and are Frightened 1

Spoiler: Map

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Lera's turn.

[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 14/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 2 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

Lera finds herself right next to both of the shambling skeletons, and knows she needs to protect her friends.

"Let's see if this works."

She summons a light flail made of stone and starts swinging.

Spoiler: OOC

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Action 1: Attack M1 (1d20+7)[26], (1d8+3)[8] bludgeoning
Action 2: Attack M1, agile (1d20+3)[20], (1d8+3)[6] bludgeoning
Action 3: Raise Shield (the map has her right next to them. If she had to move, ignore this action).

[Thunder999]

The first Corpselight collapses in the face of Lera's crushing rock flail, a tiny blue sphere emerges from the crumbling bones, the true form of the corpselight, but not a stable one.

The other corpselight emits an identical baleful blue glow, sapping the life from the party once more, unable to take this second round of life sapping light, Khalandel and Sachiko collapse, unconscious, their weapons falling from limp hands.

Spoiler: OOC

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Corpselight1 has been forced into wisp form.
Corpselight 2 has healed back up, only 2 damage from max now.
Lera and Firtina take 2 damage
Sachiko and Khalandel take 7, dropping both to Dieing 1 and moving their initiative until just before corpselight number 2

Spoiler: adjusted initiative

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Firtina
Corpselight1
Lera
Khalandel
Sachiko
corpselight2

Spoiler: Map

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Firtina's turn.

[Xihirli]

Firtina’s halo extends in a wide circle spinning backwards, reversing the wounds on everyone’s bodies as fate is dialed back.

Spoiler: Stuff

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3-action heal. Everyone gets (1d8)[5]; I THIIINK our enemies will be making a basic fortitude save it be taking that as positive damage.

[Thunder999]

As a wave of vitality washes out of Firtina the tide of battle turns, her allies wounds vanish, Khalandel and Sachiko return to consciousness, the exposed the corpselight dims and falls to the ground, nothing more than a small ball of spongy blue flesh, while the second corpselight, still within its host sizzles, but remains fighting.

Spoiler: OOC

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Khalandel and Sachiko are conscious at 5hp, still frightened 1 and now Wounded 1
The exposed corpselight was destroyed, the second one succeeds the save and has now taken a total of 4 damage.

Everyone but Firtina (who just acted), now acts before the remaining corpselight's next turn.

[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 14/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 2 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

Lera takes two swings at the remaining Corpselight's skeleton host.

"Firtina, once we destroy the Skelton, hit the little light with your radiance again. That seemed to work well."

She uses the same stone, light flail and continues swinging.

Spoiler: OOC

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Action 1: Attack M2 (1d20+7)[14], (1d8+3)[6] bludgeoning
Action 2: Attack M2, agile (1d20+3)[13], (1d8+3)[11] bludgeoning
Action 3: Raise Shield

[Thunder999]

Lera's swings hit only air.

[CasualViking]

Khalendel Khalendel shudders awake, grabs his trusty crossbow, and puts another two bolts in the still-standing skeletal witchlight. Then pulls the last two triggers for good measure, eliciting only clicks from flaccid torsion. *Interact to pick up bow, *attack - (1d20+6)[20], damage - (1d8+7)[9], *attack - (1d20+1)[18], damage - (1d8+7)[9]

---

^{AC: 18| HP: 15/15 | Perception: +6 (lowlight) | Hero Points: 2/2 | Active Effects: None | Conditions: None}

[Infernally Clay]

Sachiko Kaminaga Kitsune Thief Rogue 1 AC: 18 | HP: 5/16 Fortitude: +3 | Reflex: +9 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 Hero Points: 1/1 Active Effects: None Conditions: None

Unsure of what just happened, Sachi just focuses on the enemy in front of her.

Spoiler

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Action #1 - Melee attack vs M2. To hit: (1d20+8)[24], to damage: (2d6+4)[13] piercing damage
Action #2 - Melee attack vs M2. To hit: (1d20+3)[9], to damage: (2d6+4)[13] piercing damage.
Action #3 - Melee attack vs M2. To hit: (1d20-2)[10], to damage: (2d6+4)[8] piercing damage

[Thunder999]

Khalandel's first bolt scores a crushing hit, but the second just misses thanks to the awkwardness of attacking while prone.
Sachiko grabs her rapier and lands a solid stab, but misses the follow up and the creature remains standing.
It retaliates against the one who just stabbed it, unable to use the Death Light again that quickly, it lashes out with a bite and two sharp bony claws, Sachiko manages to evade the jaws and the first claw swipe, but is caught by the second, falling once more unconscious.

Spoiler: OOC

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The remaining corpselight has taken 31 total damage (including the damage from earlier), but isn't down yet.
Unconscious characters drop their weapons (or other held items) and there's a circumstance penalty for attacking while prone. So i've ignored Sachiko's 3rd attack in favour of her actually grabbing her rapier.
Sachiko is once more down, this time at dieing 2 thanks to already being wounded.

Oh and since it's important, this Corpselight isn't the target of Exploit Vulnerability, so while Khalandel gets the weakness, he won't get Implement's Interruption, which matters as this thing will be beelining the nearest corpse if it actually gets to act while in wisp form.

[Xihirli]

A halo appears around Sachiko as the blow lands and it pauses in midair along with time. After a second of being frozen, it spins counterclockwise around the kitsune, reversing her wounds as Firtina narrows in her fate manipulation on her friend.

Spoiler: Actions

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Reaction: DELAY CONSEQUENCE
2 Actions: Heal Sachiko (1d8+8)[11]
And I'll Guidance Sachiko while I'm at it.

[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 14/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 2 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

Lera thinks the best thing she can do is try to force this wisp out of the skeleton.

"Firtina, do you have Sachiko?"

She uses the same stone, light flail and continues swinging.

Spoiler: OOC

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Action 1: Attack M2 (1d20+7)[11], (1d8+3)[8] bludgeoning
Action 2: Attack M2, agile (1d20+3)[20], (1d8+3)[9] bludgeoning
Action 3: Raise Shield

[Thunder999]

Lera's first swing is a miss, but she carries through the momentum and lands a solid blow with her second, bones shatter and the skeleton collapses to the floor in a pile, another tiny blue orb emerging from its cracked skull.

Spoiler: OOC

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It's no longer weak to bludgeoning, but also only has 1hp, any damage at all will finish it now.

[CasualViking]

Khalendel Khalendel watches the tiny orb flow out of the corpse, and lights up the room with a crack of electricity. **Electric Arc [roll=electricity]1d4+4[/roll, basic reflex DC 17. *Interact to draw throwing knife.

---

^{AC: 18| HP: 15/15 | Perception: +6 (lowlight) | Hero Points: 2/2 | Active Effects: None | Conditions: None}

[Thunder999]

Despite the agility of the corpselight, a few sparks catch it and it falls to the floor, destroyed by Khalandel's magic.

Spoiler: OOC

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You're all at 880/1000 xp
Sachiko and Khalandel are going to require succesful medicine checks to Treat Wounds since that's the only way to remove a Wounded condition.
Searching the Altar reveals a 1st rank wand of Heal and a 2nd rank scroll of Sound Body

Spoiler: Sound Body

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SOUND BODY [two-actions] SPELL 2
CONCENTRATE HEALING MANIPULATE VITALITY
Traditions divine, occult, primal
Range touch; Targets 1 willing creature
You send a surge of healing energy to restore the target’s body.
Attempt to counteract (page 431) an effect of your choice
imposing one of these conditions on the target: blinded, dazzled,
deafened, enfeebled, or sickened. If you didn’t counteract the
Spells effect, but you would have if its counteract rank were 2 lower,
instead suppress the effect until the beginning of your next
turn. The effect’s duration doesn’t elapse while it’s suppressed.
This spell can’t counteract or suppress curses, diseases, or
conditions that are part of the target’s normal state.

One of the skeletons has a gold tooth worth 4gp, the other has a Channel Protection Amulet.

The only part of this structure not yet explored is the door atop the stairs in the blood room, though there remain outbuildings to explore.

Spoiler: Map of unexplored outbuildings

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[Infernally Clay]

Sachiko Kaminaga Kitsune Thief Rogue 1 AC: 18 | HP: 11/16 Fortitude: +3 | Reflex: +9 | Will: +6 | Perception: +6 Hero Points: 1/1 Active Effects: None Conditions: Wounded 2

"Shall we check the building to the north before we ascend the tower?" Sachi asks the others.

[Bobthewizard]

Lera Trask Human Kineticist AC: 18 | HP: 20/20 Fortitude: +9 | Reflex: +6 | Will: +4 | Perception: +4 Hero Points: 2 Active Effects: Armor in Earth, Gate Conditions: None

Lera agrees with that plan. She's not too excited to open the door above the blood room and so is happy to procrastinate.

"I agree, Sachiko"

Spoiler: OOC

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If there is more than one option, let's start on the left and move clockwise.

[Xihirli]

"Hold on Sachiko. You and Khalendel are very hurt. Let me do what I can to help Lera."
Firtina takes out her new medicine kit and applies a salve over the wounds, wrapping them and stitching where needed.

Spoiler: Medicine Checks

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I'll use Assurance to get 2 normal DC 15 successes, I think.
Sachiko: (2d8)[12]
Khalendel: (2d8)[10]

[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

"Thanks," Sachi says to Firtina, "That kit of yours is coming in handy already."

[Thunder999]

After half an hour of tending wounds and refocusing the party decides to explore the outbuildings.

First they head to the ruined boathouse, the southern portion of the stonewalled building has collapsed into rubble, exposing what remains of a boathouse to the elements. The shelves and boats within have decayed into heaps of rot and moss. The remnants of a relatively recent campfire are visible nearby, no more than a couple of days old.

Beyond this indication that someone was here, nothing of interest lies within.
Passing through leads to an equally dilapidated pier, much of it has collapsed into the swamp, leaving about ten feet of moldy, soggy boards slumped against ancient wood pilings. A rowboat tied to a piling looks much more recently built.

A quick search of the rowboat reveals two things of note:
First is a stash of smoked salmon pastries with a fish-shaped doughy exterior, which Sachiko recalls are "Fishcakes" sold at the Crook's Nook back in Otari.
The second is a carving of a flying bird decorating the inside of the boat near the bow. Sachiko recognises it as the mark of the Osprey Club, Otari's thieves guild, Khalandel agrees, and also recalls that they're based out of the Crook's Nook and that members all get this symbol tattooed on them somewhere.
Nothing indicates where the thieves went, the remnants of the campfire imply they were here before any of you. Perhaps if you ask at the Crook's Nook in town someone may know more.

That's this section of land thoroughly explored. You cross the bridge to the smaller island without issue, there's only one set of doors, but they appear to be stuck, you'll have to force them open.

Spoiler: OOC

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That's an athletics check to force open, with a -2 circumstance penalty because you still don't have a crowbar.