Oathday, 6th of Desnus, 4721 AR
Gauntlight Keep
Level 4 - Belcorra's Retreat
Hall of Sarcophagi
12.27p
To the east is what appears to be some sort of stonework in the floor with the outlines of the door, and to the northeast is a passage. The party moves to the door, which opens into a wide hallway going north-south with faint flicking. With suddenly realization, Tristan recognizes the doorway is actually as a standing sarcophagus. Many more line the hallway. Moving into the hallway reveals a flickering blue glow to the south, which appears thick and tangible. The light is reminiscent of the Gaunlight energy that they have encountered before. A wide stairway in that area leads down. Zor'ahn notices a sphere to the north embedded in the floor that reflects the blue light that could be some sort of altar. It gives the dark ranger a sense of something sudden and impending, as well as a feeling of hunger. A part of the wall has crumbled away to the northeast revealing an opening. Tristan asks Kalitos if he saw movement in the light, but the magus did not. Tristan suddenly activates his
Smoking Sword. He calls out a warning to defend themselves against the apparitions that have appeared, but no one else sees them before they fade into a wall. Kaliff examines the fighter, but cannot find a physical cause to his distress.
Zor'ahn opens his magical senses and is immediately overcome by great power and immediately feels it like a physical blow. It is the most powerful eldritch magic he has ever felt. He begins moving off to the north, and Kalitos follows. Suddenly, there is the sound of creaking as three of the sarcophagi open around them.
Undead warriors shamble out from them. They appear somewhat zombie-like, but they emanate deep red glow from within their skulls.
The first one swings at Kalitos but misses. A low humming like a Viking dirge begins to sound from the creature. The haunting melody echoes up and down the hallway, invoking feelings of battles old and forgetten. The second wight steps forward and slashes Zor'ahn, creating a cold, soul-sucking sensation. Kalitos lashes out with a spellstrike against the first creature, but misses with the Sparkblade. Ehrn suddenly charges and rips into the first monster. Zor'ahn rounds on the first as well, laying into it with his Wooden Argentis, driving its body to the floor. The ranger then moves further north. Kaliff moves forward, but his
phase bolt goes wide. The third wight emerges and rips into Zor'ahn with its longsword. It then drops its shoulder and shoves him further down the hall. Zor'ahn feels a sudden sense of emptiness and hopelessness settle upon him like a heavy weight.
A scurrying sound is heard from the altar as spiders... no...
disembodied hands, crawl towards him. The flicking lights on the altar begin to move and begin to extricate from the altar itself and become some sort of
living light. It is quickly joined by three more. Tristan quickly moves down the hallway and engages the second carin wight. Two of the hands swarm on Zor'ahn, but are unable to find purchase.
The second wight slashes the ranger, leaving the same coldness in its wake. Kalitos flanks with Tristan and nearly eviscerates the third wight. Ehrn joins the fray with her frosted glaive. Zor'ahn begins to shierk,
"Get away from my property! It's mine! It's always been mine!" He moves and begins wildly slashing at the hands on the altar, which has indentations in it as if it has been grabbed by a giant hand. One of the hands clutches onto Zor'ahn's leg. One of the flickering lights flies past Zor'ahn and he feels something like an electrical charge. As it reaches Ehrn, she begins to feel a sense of confusion, but she is able to shake it off. Another moves on Kalitos and shocks him. A third engages Tristan. Kaliff joins his brother and casts
bane, but it has no effect on the wisps. The fourth flickerwisp flies down the hall and descends towards Kaliff. The second wight slashes at Ehrn. One of the hands slashes Zor'ahn as another tries to find purchase, but does not. Tristan rips into his wight, cleaving its back open. The last wisp moves down towards Zor'ahn, who is raving about something being stolen. As it flies past him, he thinks he hears a voice say,
"COME!" It settles just above Ehrn's head. Two of the hands move up to engage Zor'ahn, and one begins crawling up his leg.
The second cairn wight steps and opens a mighty gash along Tristan's side. Kalitos squares off against the flickerwisp on him, slashing at it with his dueling sword. Ehrn scores a hit against one of the wisps. Zor'ahn distributes healing between himself and Tristan before cleaving off the two hands grabbing him. He cries out,
"This power has always been mine!" Three more attempt to latch on to him, but are unsuccessful. A wisp flickers at Ehrn to no effect, but deals her a shock. Kalitos experiences the same, as does Tristan. Kaliff commands Thud and the hulk slams a fist into their wisp. The sorcerer then arcs electricity between the two wights. A wisp confuses Kaliff and drinks his affliction. The third wight continues its assault on Ehrn, who then brings down the second one. It scores a final hit against Tristan as it falls. Tristan heals himself slightly and drops into a dread marshal stance. A flickerwisp descends on Tristan. Another hand grabs Zor'ahn.
Kalitos rouses his brother with a slap and then unleashes on his wisp. Ehrn tries to swipe at the remaining wright. Angered by this action and claiming the foe as his own, Zor'ahn charges at it and furiously attacks the creature. The hands scuttle after the ranger, two of them scoring hits. Ehrn's face displays confusion as a wisp flickers at her. Kalitos is not as lucky, but Tristan is. Kaliff moves quickly to patch Tristan's wounds and fires a
phase bolt at the remaining wight. A wisp confuses Thud. The wight steps back and flails uselessly at Zor'ahn. Tristan refocuses his wife before slashing a wisp with his Smoking Sword. He throws off another wisp's attempt at confusion and takes a shock for the effort. One of the remaining hands rips into Zor'ahn's legs.
Olli attempts to bring Kalitos back to his sense, but he wildly lashes at her and Thud. Ehrn slashes her glaive with great effect, dissipating two of the flickerwisps. Zor'ahn repositions, heals himself and Kalitos, rouses Thud, and then rips into the remaining wight with his sword. The hands follow after, continuing to rip into him. A wisp shocks Ehrn. Another attempts to confuse her and shocks her when that doesn't work. Kaliff slaps off his brother's confusion. One of the remaining wisps totally electrifies Thud. The wight fully engages Zor'ahn, dealing him punishing damage. Tristan heals Zor'ahn before finally ending one of the wisps. One of the hand begins slashing and crawling up the fighter.
