Kaklatath Revitalized

Erevel led the way north from the Yithian guarded chamber.  Again the passage was covered with graffiti in the same language as before.  Gavril confirmed that it had the same dystopian view of the world and future.

The passage wound back and forth, up and down, and was crisscrossed in places by crevices, large and small. After twenty or thirty minutes of hiking Erevel saw the passage end at an east-west passage.  Moving slowly up toward the intersection Erevel saw the west end turn almost immediately to the north while the east passage continued but had a north passage off of it a few feet in.  She did not hear any noise, talking or smell anything unusual.

Continuing to the east Erevel came upon the north hall, which was narrower than the main passage and had rounded alcoves on the west side.  The alcoves were filled with broken glass, sickly vines, and other organic matter.  None of the vines or matter seemed to be decomposing, it was covered with dust, nor was anything alive or growing. 

Ciprian followed the east passage further where it began to zig-zag around.  Erevel continued inward and found another smaller hall leasing to more alcoves filled with the same detritus.  None of the organic matter was decomposing in these either.  Gavril headed to look up the north passage to the west which just continued northward.

Armania suggested that Kaklatath look at the alcoves and the matter withing them.  So Kaklatath moved slowly forward and gasped as she saw the remains.

"This is where the yithian stewards entered stasis. They were waiting for a danger to arise at which point they would be revived.  Something clearly has gone wrong and who would have destroyed these pods?"

"We don't know, this is how we found the area," Erevel responded.

"My body should be around here close," Kaklatath said hopefully.

"Were you in stasis also?" Ciprian asked.

"No, I was not.  I was to explore the planet while the others were to protect."

"Lets keep exploring then," Erevel said already moving into the zig-zag hall.

The hall led to a passage west and northeast but just before the group made it to the corner they heard two gravelly voices speaking in Aklo, as Ciprian identified it.  There seemed to be some knife throwing competition going on.  Erevel crept silently further to the north and peered to the west where she saw two Leng Ghouls throwing knives at each others feet while a Yithian meandered between and around them.  This Yithian though was clearly seeded as it had a vine choked and pus weeping body.  Seeing this Ciprian called Kaklatath forward to look.

As she approached a moan escaped from her lips. Quietly she said "This undead form is why I couldn’t end the mind swap. I implore you restore it to its rightful form."

Leaving Erevel to watch the Ghouls, the group discussed the plan with Kaklatath.  She indicated that the seeded undead body must be killed and a restoration applied to return her to her rightful place. The group determined to cause attack from hiding, hopefully surprising the enemy.  Erevel wanted a fireball but Armania said that was already used today.  But she could summon a Dire Tiger to attack from the rear.  Ciprian was to provide Haste and the party readied to attack.

Armania began her Summon Monster and Ciprian identified the creatures, all were undead, Leng Ghouls and seeded Yithian.  Just as the Tiger was to appear the Leng Ghouls noticed a few party members.

"What might have brought mortals to these halls?" the one furthest away asked.

"Maybe they are tired of living.  We should help them with that." the other responded.

"We are interested in the Yithian," Ursina interjected.

"Oh what would you trade for our pet?  Scrolls and spell books are the best."

"You're pet.  Does it obey you?" Ciprian asked.

"Not too well but she could be yours for the right price."

Armania's Tiger appeared behind the ghouls and Ciprian began a performance and cast haste.  Agna fired arrows at the closest Ghoul.

"Oh so you don't want to trade.  I thought not."

The Dire Tiger and Erevel both moved to attack, the Tiger grabbing the ghoul with its claws.  Erevel missed but saw another opening with alcoves and another ghoul.  Gavril flanked with Erevel and also missed his attack as Ursina strode forward and successfully hit the ghoul with her holy book.

The Yithian moved to attack Ursina as the ghouls bit and clawed at the heroes but the heroes successfully fended off the paralysis and disease.  Magic Missiles entered the fray and Agna fired critical arrows at the ghouls.  The ghouls fell quickly as no one was paralyzed then the party turned their interest to Kaklatath's seeded body with many attacks hitting, Ciprian gave the final blow and the body burst open with spores pouring from the filth.  Invisibly Ciprian performed a jig, but no one could see him doing it.

The group gathered around the body as Kaklatath moved forward to view the devastation on her Yithian vessel.  As suspected a resurrection would be required to bring back an unsullied Yithian Kaklatath and then hopefully the mind swap would succeed.  Ciprian, in absence of anyone having the resurrection spell whipped out a scroll of wish he had bought from Hoshbagh.  He began to prepare the spell but Kaklatath interrupted.

"We need to think about the poor Kelish woman who probably is mind shattered having been in my Yithian body as it was infected and corrupted. She may be completely insane, or at least traumatized by the events.  It would be correct of us to assure that she cannot hurt herself, or try to attack us.  We should also make sure that she is looked after her in the future.  Do we all agree with this?"

"I have shackles that can be used to bind the body before you try the mind-swap," Ciprian answered with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Yes, you should bind the body before hand," Kaklatath agreed.

Armania was searching for magic items as the negotiations were going on and she determined that each Ghoul had some magic and that Kaklatath’s body bore an organic torc wrapped around its central head stalk, previously obscured by the feathery fungus that sprouted from the body.

Ciprian then began using the wish spell to cast resurrection on Kaklatath's Yithian body.  The body came back to life, barely and then Kaklatath was able to mind swap again and returned to her Yithian body.  The Kelish woman dropped to the floor, head down and shaking as she drooled and groaned and murmured incoherently.

Ursina and Erevel comforted the old woman and lay her gently to the floor.  Kaklatath after seeing that the Kelish woman was cared for, sincerely thanked the heroes and spent several minutes remembering its body’s capabilities by experimentally climbing walls, telepathically contacting the PCs, and clacking its pincers.

Armania collected the items from the Ghouls, a scroll of analyze dweomer, a scroll of banishment, and a scroll of eyebite. Around the neck of one ghoul was a necklace consisting of a fine gold chain from which hung a small sealed crystal vial containing a dark liquid.  She then suggested that they should return using her Getaway spell but recalled that the Yithian Kaklatath had not been with the group in the morning.

"I also cannot make use of the Getaway since the Bid Bad Book cannot be teleported.  That is why we are down here again in any case," Ciprian reminded the group.

A long discussion followed regarding how to return to Mother Grim Moon and the campsite.  Whether to leave the Kelish woman with Mother Grim or at least the camel drover and how Getaway could even be used with Ciprian's issue.  Finally they agreed to march back out of the underground and then use Ciprian's Mass Fly to return to the campsite.

On the way through the flooded hallway, Kaklatath stopped and pointed at a eastern wall. "There is a door here. My Yithian senses are especially sensitive to the substances incorporated into the door and its seams. While it may be hard for other creatures to perceive the hidden door as if it were plainly visible to me."

Ciprian cast a spell to improve his chances of seeing such hidden items and found the door himself after failures by Gavril and Erevel.  The door led to a flooded room which had few decorations, limited to several inscriptions in Yithian identifying the musty bits of gear here and their functions. Despite weathering the years admirably, only a fraction of the gear was serviceable.

Kaklatath identified two handfuls of dust of appearance, a mantle of glistening metal that allows the wearer to grow a set of coppery wings, and a single set of 21 1-foot-wide silvery disks. These disks were a yithian invention designed to protect their adopted forms no matter what shape they take. Upon speaking a command word, the plates begins spinning, reshaping themselves, and binding to the user’s body over the course of minutes, afterward functioning as mithral full plate of speed. Repeating the command word causes the plates to detach and stack themselves.

Kaklatath identified the greatest prize was an accordion-like device constructed of metal alloys with handles and controls at one end and a bright metal disk at the other. This was a yithian lightning gun, a powerful ranged weapon capable of firing bolts of electricity. Its long disuse has drained this gun of most of its power, but it is still capable of firing four shots before being rendered inoperable. Like most yithians, Kaklatath is versed in such weapons and eagerly volunteered to aid them in battle with the gun. Kaklatath would have to determine how many shots the gun has left, but is willing to use the weapon when fighting its archnemesis: flying polyps.

The party continued out of the underground and then flew to the campsite where they introduced their new Yithian counterpart and explained the condition of the Kelish woman.

DM's Notes: The party had a good night earning 19,200 XP, resurrecting Kaklatath and finding the Lightning Gun.