The Quality of Gold
Part 17: The Necromancer’s Sanctum
Comments in Blue have been added after publishing.
Details
Necromancer’s Sanctum
NS1 – Old Crypt. This was once the family crypt for the generations of families that occupied Stonehaven Citadel. Over the years, the stair access collapsed and the crypt was forgotten… until Osanna’s magic detected traces of necromantic energy coming from beneath her labs. She excavated down into the layers of stone until she uncovered the old crypt, then she set to work turning her descendants into her own commanded undead. She even placed some of the physical remains of her direct relatives (mother, father, two brothers) on small pedestals in their honor. Of course, their spirits now serve her as guardians of the crypt now.
Osanna created a secret passage to her new sanctum and the opening, which is controlled by manipulating a torch across the hallway slides the stone wall into the ground to reveal the 10’ wide passage. DC23 Per to find secret door, DC22 Per to find trigger, but must search correct area (torch sconce).
Lady Rowena has staged herself here to protect her Mistress and is not very surprised when they descend the elevator. She also knows that the party are a bunch of hot heads, so she has her shield raised and is readying an action to attack when someone comes within range of her weapon.
Tactics:
- Rowena will not allow herself to be surrounded and she will try to fight with her back against a wall.
- She will use her Iron Command reaction each round that she is damaged if possible (and has not used other reactions)
- She will try to keep her shield raised but will use her touch attack as a possible 2nd or 3rd action.
- She will use her Healing Pots when necessary to keep her alive.
- She also has a returning javelin or can spit lightning at range
- If she is killed, she will utter with her dying breath “perhaps we will rematch again when I return with the strength of the dead in my hands…”
NS2 – Cadell Family Vault. In the center of this room are two stone sarcophagi on raised stone platforms. The two containers appear to have lids that have been broken. Four pedestals sit in the corners, each with a skull placed carefully upon it. A bronze plaque on each identifies the former owner; Harun Cadell, Master of Stonehaven Citadel, Istara Cadell, Mistress of Stonehaven Citadel, Erik Cadell, Elder Son of Stonehaven and Theren Cadell, Second Son of Stonehaven (smaller skull). The skulls belong to Osanna’s family who she murdered shortly after taking her place as the new Mistress of Stonehaven and beginning her practices in Necromancy. Beside each skull is a personal keepsake that identifies which skull is which; top hat, scarab pin, chess piece and small doll, respectively. (see picture)
Resting within the broken sarcophagi are the spiritual remains of Harun and Istara Cadell. If anyone moves within 5’ of the sarcophagi, the spirits will rise forth and attack.
NS3 – Sanctum Door. The door to Osanna’s inner sanctum is not a simple portal. Anyone who does not pull the handle toward them as they turn it will activate a powerful set of springs that propel the door off of its hinges and back into the corridor. Stealth DC23 to detect and disable or Athletics DC22 to hold door in place while it is opened. Otherwise the person who opened it and all adjacent to the door take 6d8 bludgeoning damage (Ref DC23 for half). If anyone in the squares next to the door fails their save, they are propelled backward into anyone else in the corridor to wall. Each person thrown back in this way take 2d8 bludgeoning damage and fall prone next to the wall.
NS4 – Sanctum. (show picture) Osanna Cadell didn’t really believe her protector, Rowena when she warned that she may be in danger, but she also knows when to be cautious. If combat breaks out in the crypt, she will cast several protective spells on herself and await the intruders. If she is in fear of defeat, she will sneer a curse at them and DDoor to her private room at Molentide and beat a hasty retreat until she can ascertain the damage to her operation. If the group is successful in collapsing the Citadel, she will leave the area permanently and begin anew somewhere else…
Osanna’s Tactics:
When the party engages with Rowena, Osanna will know that the party is close and she will keep a Shield spell raised.
She casts Replicate on herself and places her minion between her and the door to “negotiate” then casts invisibility on herself. She also has Stoneskin cast from when she heard the commotion outside. The Osanna dupe is pouring over some papers from one of the piles near the edge of the room while her brothers stand guard nearby. She will address the party when they open the door:
“I believe you have taken a wrong turn, so please leave now, I’m very busy.” She will gesture her brothers to escort them out.
The first thing she will cast as the party enters combat is Mirror Image, using the noise of the battle to mask her spellcasting. As soon as the party discovers that her duplicate is not real, she will cast Fireball to get as many of them in the area as possible.
Since she is isolated on a small island, she will strike out with ranged spells first such as Fireball, Ranged Vampiric Touch, Ranged Shocking Grasp, Magic Missile. The only available spaces on her ‘island’ are to her left and a small strip in front of her. Anyone who melee attacks her from the partial space in front must make a balance check (DC20 Acrobatics) each time they strike or fall into the blood pool. They are also flat-footed in this square.
The blood pool is 6’ deep and anyone falling in or swimming must make a DC20 Fort save or be sickened 1 while swimming in the warm, partially coagulated fluid.
She also uses her Staff to inflict reaction damage via Blood Vendetta and uses Elixirs of Life or Life Siphon to replenish HP if necessary