Episode 57 - The Warlock's Crypt

General Summary

• The Guardians of Golarion took a moment to reassess their options after managing to recover from the magical portal traps and its Feeblemind attack.
• A large book covered in runes materialized in the center of the room and hovered a few feet off the floor. It then drifted toward the door that led out of the room and passed through it as if the book were a ghost. The Guardians opened the door and followed.
• Wraiths materialized around them but would not get close to the book. They surrounded the floating book and followed after it, and the Guardians.
• The book led them through the corridors and passed through two blackened metal doors. There, the Guardians met Rommath the Ageless, Overseer of Enkiral and resident Lich.
• Rommath warned the Guardians about another lich residing in the crypt, the powerful Nhamking. Nhamking dominated undead, and often enslaved other liches. Occasionally he would give them their freedom, just to see what they would do with it.
• Rommath told them that Nhamking had found an artifact deep beneath Enkiral, a crystal containing a powerful entity. This entity was slowly corrupting Nhamking. Rommath was concerned about what would happen if the corruption was completed, and feared Golarion would be in grave danger.
• Nhamking was out of his laboratory but would return soon. Rommath gave the Guardians a map to find the lab, as well as a route they could use to escape.
• They continued deeper beneath the fallen city and discovered Nhamking's laboratory within the body of a petrified dragon.
• The Soul Stone had exploded, which had driven off Nhamking. However, the essence of Zalatas possessed Nhamking's assistant - a dragon that had once been copper, but had been changed into a Void dragon.
• With Nhamking returning, the Guardians threw themselves at the Dragon hoping to kill it and stop the last remaining essence of Zalatas that Lasdolon could get his hands on. They killed the creature, releasing Zalatas. It tried to possess Telith, but the Protection from Evil aura kept it from getting close enough and the spirit dissipated into nothingness.
• The Guardians quickly left the laboratory and descended deeper into the catacombs. They found a small box containing another Teleport tile. Rooker broke it and they disappeared. They were injured by the protective wards that surrounded the crypt, but survived and escaped.
• When they reappeared, they were in the air over Lake Encarthan. They recovered, made their way to shore, and were met at the front gates of Minas Amer by Zevris and Naebler.
• Naebler was excited to see the Guardians had returned alive. He wanted to interview them to find out what happened, where they were, everything. Rooker, Reh, and Godric agreed to the interview. In the end, they were rewarded for their efforts with magical scrolls.
• While they waited, the Guardians did some shopping. Also, they received a gift. A box came anonymously, made of the same wood, and sharing the same emblem of Nethys that was on the other two boxes. Inside the box was a note, a sack of five ancient Elven trinkets (worth 5000gp each), and a Rod of Alertness.
• The note said:

Champions,

Your efforts have brought both gladness and amusement to this old heart. I have plumbed the depths of your abilities and weighed your value, and you have been found to be not immediately wanting.
You are adequate.
For someone not of the elven persuasion, I am certain that you can plainly see the value in this high praise.
However, I can easily see that you need the enclosed, for it offers you the protection that I cannot – not directly. Use it in good faith.
May the Elven Empire fly again soon,
Rommath the Ageless, Overseer of Enkiral

• Days after, Naebler and the Guardians shared a celebratory dinner at an inn called The Hearth. Naebler raised a glass to toast them when a scream filled Minas Amer. It was actually a number of screams happening simultaneously. Glasses shattered, people covered their ears.
• Minutes later, Zevris rushed into The Hearth. He told the Guardians that the screams came from the Readers. They had all just had a vision. This time, they all shared the exact same vision. They had seen the Great Meteor. They had seen The End of Everything.

Rewards Granted

Total Loot

Rod of Alertness

Rod of Wonders

Five Elven Trinkets (5000gp)

(2) +1 Greatswords

XP

142,733 + 9,386 + 1,750 (non-combat xp) + 2,000 (technical issues) = 155,869 XP!

Ding! Level Eleven!

Campaign

Second Darkness

Protagonists

Hugo

Reh

Telith Nordhof

Sir Godric

Rooker Shango

Report Date

03 May 2020

Secondary Location

Minas Amer