Here is the epilogue to our Pathfinder story arc (level 1-7) that lasted a year:

By defeating Iramine, the party has become more powerful and everyone has reached level 7.

But the first thing you need to do is rest since the difficult battle has worn you down. By this point, enough time has elapsed that the first ring of the city is mostly flooded with molten gold. The only option is to wait out the flood. The highest point in the city is the Tabernacle of the Jewel of Everlasting Gold, so the party climbs onto the tabernacle’s domed roof and waits as the tide of molten gold rises ever higher and higher before cresting only a few feet below the top of the dome. You have to use your last potions of resist energy to fend off the punishing heat. The flood begins to recede a couple hours later and slowly drains from the entire city over the course of another 24 hours.

Then the party begins to fight their way back out of the City of Golden Death, encountering wandering Golden Skeleton patrols and a few more Golden Skeletal Ogres. Moving swiftly, the party fails to notice another pair of constructs – a pair of Golden Caryatid Columns. These gold-plated statues of female warriors holding falchions suddenly come to life.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/constructs/caryatid-column/

One swings at Nog but misses. Nog retaliates with his great sword and upon striking the statute feels a deep, penetrating vibration that ripples down the blade into the pommel and then telegraphs into his arms. Nog glances quizzically at Quinn, the investigator, while raising his sword to strike again.

“Hold your blade!” Quinn shouts. He points at the living column and says “their defenses will shatter your sword if you strike again! We must withdraw.”

Izlea raises her wand to blast the living columns while the party retreats but Quinn tells her they are also immune to magic.

After beating another hasty retreat, the party eventually reaches the exit and begins the dangerous trek back to the beach. The sun hangs low in the sky, but the party decides to press on and reach the rendezvous point before midnight. The terror treant that lobbed boulders at the party during your approach to the City of Golden Death has thankfully moved on. But many other threats inhabit the twisted forests of the Isle of Terror.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/plants/treant/

In addition, black lighting rains down from the sky periodically and one bolt crashes into Izlea doing 20 points of damage! She collapses to the ground and groans. Her body is wracked with pain and she convulses for a few moments as black energy ripples up and down her body in waves. After the black energy dissipates, Quinn helps Izlea to her feet and then gives her one of the few remaining healing potions to partially restore her.

The sun dips below the horizon as the party trudges westward.

Eventually, the party approaches the abandoned keep that overlooked the beach where they need to build a signal fire and recall the old pirate Mabon the Destroyer so he could take them back to Venture-Captain Reginar at the Pathfinder base in Tamram. Dusan, the crazed Pathfinder that has accompanied you across the island, asks to be taken back to Tamran so that he could make his report to Venture-Captain Tree Roots. The party readily agrees and sets to work building a signal fire.

Just as Nog is about to light the fire, stones from the nearby keep suddenly leap into the air and batter the party members. Everyone tries to defend themselves against the barrage of bullets by ducking, dodging and parrying with their weapons.

Dusan shouts “I warned you!” and hastily “refreshes” his “olfactory camouflage”.

Quinn dodges a hurtling stone and then looks quizzically at Dusan.

“…shadow…demons…” Dusan hisses quietly as he peers furtively into the dark forest.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/demon/demon-shadow/

The barrage of stones continues for a few more moments, with a dozen rocks seemingly aimed at the party in the span of only a few seconds. 

The fusillade ends as abruptly as it began.

A moment later, a shadowy bat-winged demon flies out of the darkness and pounces on Hank. Its lashes out, and its teeth and claws seem to pass effortlessly through Hanks’ heavy armor. The demon’s icy touch leaves large, painful black scars on Hank’s chest and limbs.

“You need a cold iron weapon to fight shadow demons,” Dusan shouts!

Hank drops his great sword and draws his cold iron mace. He swings at the dark figure hovering in front of him, and it seems to recoil. Nog charges in to attack but his greatsword seems to have little effect on the malevolent monster. Quinn studies his target but finds no weak spots. Martha’s crossbow likewise seems to be ineffective.

Izela sends a few shimmering magic missiles towards the creature. The impact causes the shadowy apparition to flicker.

The shadow demon rakes Hank from head to toe with its claws and teeth. Hank groans and slumps to the ground, unconscious. The shadow flutters a little higher into the sky.

The party struggles to do any damage to the demon, except for Izlea’s magic missiles which again strike true.

Quinn also feels the demon’s chilled touch before it seemingly disappears into the darkness.

Quinn uses the party’s last healing potion to bring Hank back to consciousness. Nog finally lights the signal fire and everyone huddles close with their backs to the flames and their eyes peering into the inky darkness until Mabon’s ship arrives. It seems the shadow demon has left the party in peace. 

The party quickly embarks on the rowboat and hastily paddles for the pirate ship. They clamber abroad and urge Mabon to make for Tamran with all haste. They awe the crew of the ship with a dramatic retelling of their adventures on the Isle of Terror.

After passing through the shroud of black storms that surround the island, Martha suddenly remembers that Hank has an intriguing deck of cards in his bag of holding.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/artifacts/minor-artifacts/deck-of-many-things/

The cards are from the Every Day Tarot deck: https://www.everydaytarot.com/

Hank reaches into the bag of holding and takes out the deck. Hank resists his chaotic nature and declines to participate. He presents the deck to Nog.

Nog draws one card – the Fates (represented by 3 of Cups)! He is suddenly restored to the throne of Ashu as its rightful ruler!

Izlea draws two cards. The first is the Star, which makes her even more beautiful and powerful than she was before (+2 charisma)!

Her second card is the Vizier (represented by the Hermit)! She is able to solve any problem or question (once) by consulting a supernatural source of wisdom.

Quinn draws one card, with a sense of dread. It is Ruin (represented by the Tower)! All his non-magical possessions suddenly crumble to dust!

With a confident smirk, Martha declares she will draw 4 cards. The first is the Gem (represented by 7 of Cups)! A stream of glittering jewels erupts from the ocean on the port side of the ship and dozens shower down upon her! Izlea appraises them with a quick glance and estimates there must be about 50 different stones, including rubies, sapphires, topaz, and diamonds, which are worth a total of 50,000 gold pieces!!!

Her eyes wide with greed, Martha draws her second card – Comet (represented by 2 of Swords)! Martha knows intuitively that the next time she encounters an enemy of any kind, she must defeat it single-handedly. If victorious, Martha will immediately gain one level – otherwise, the benefit is lost. She feels giddy about not only being richer than her companions but also more powerful…

Grinning from ear to ear, Martha draws her third card – Donjon (Represented by 4 of Swords)! Immediately, a woman with dark brown hair, light brown skin and brown eyes clad in leather armor with several gold earrings and a blue headscarf appears on deck a few feet away from the party. The woman shouts “I, Pasha Al-Jakari, shall now take my revenge against you meddling Pathfinders who ransacked by outpost on Stonespire Island and stole my mirror!” The party rushes towards the woman as she points at Martha and exclaims “You, the most troublesome of the lot, shall be my slave!”

A brief look of horror spreads over Martha’s face before both she and the Pasha disappear in a flash of light! The pirate crew murmur amongst themselves at this strange turn of events.

Izlea smiles smugly and says “My Vizier card will come in handy when it comes to rescuing Martha from the clutches of the treacherous Pasha. We may even be able to rescue the djinni once we defeat the Pasha.”

After the excitement dies down, Nog takes the opportunity to throw the Everlasting Jewel into the ocean. While Nog watches it sink beneath the waves, Hank walks up behind him and says “You know, there are fish people down there too.”

Nog suddenly regrets his decision and feels a wave a dread wash over him. Hopefully, any fish folk who find the Everlasting Jewel will not fall under its control.

Nevertheless, the Everlasting Jewel left its mark on Nog, even though he held it for only a few moments in the City of Golden Death. For the rest of his life, Nog still feels the Jewel’s dark, seductive call in the back of his mind. Nog should have been satisfied after being restored as the rightful ruler of Ashu, but the riches of the Golden City are not easily forgotten…

Upon arriving in Tamran, the party quickly locates Venture-Captain Reginar. After hearing your report, he says “Your adventure will be recorded in the Chronicles of the Pathfinder Society as one of its greatest moments!”

However, he also seems concerned about the fate of the Everlasting Jewel and says he will dispatch another team to recover it.

Reginar is also astounded to meet Dusan. He consults the Chronicles and discovers that Dusan was part of another Pathfinder team that had gone to the island more than 7 years ago. Since Venture-Captain Tree Roots was reassigned several years ago, Reginar also records Dusan’s “version” of events as well.

After all the paperwork is complete, Reginar asks to see the amulet which functioned as the key to the Golden City. “I feel this must be returned to its rightful owner – Kassen.” He asks the party to accompany him back to Kassen’s tomb.

Everyone readily agrees and the uneventful river cruise takes only a few days. The party is welcomed back as heroes in the village of Kassen. After several festive hours, you managed to extract yourselves from the unending banquet arranged in your honor.  You approach the tomb after a short ride on horseback.

A few bats and other minor vermin harass the party as you descend into the tomb. However, you brush them aside easily. Only a year ago, these tunnels had seemed frightening but now they are only dark and cold.

As you approach Kassen’s tomb, his translucent spirit rises to greet you.

“Welcome, noble heroes! It seems like you were here only a moment ago, but time slips by so quickly down here. However, I sense you have fought many battles since we last met. I am glad you have survived to return. Did you recover the amulet?”

“Yes,” says Izlea as she steps forward and presents the amulet to Kassen’s ghost.

Kassen says you must break the amulet into pieces and place one fragment in his tomb and the other in Asar’s crypt.

Nog sunders the amulet with one swift blow of his great sword and reverently places the fragments in their rightful resting places.

“Thank you,” says Kassen’s spirit. “Go with my blessing. I shall rest now.”

With that the spirit dissolves into nothing and the party departs the tomb. (All members gain the boon of Kassen’s Blessing which allows you to reroll any die).

Many adventures lie ahead of you, including the daring rescue of your companion Martha, but the stories have not yet been recorded in Chronicles of the Pathfinder Society…