Maidie looks up from her work, half expecting to see Dart, but send Mossri a cautious smile once she realizes who interupted her.
"Sure. I'm making some alchemical grease. I can cast a spell that coats an area or object in a layer of slick goo, and using this as a material component makes it harder to resist. Hadrast taught me how to make all sorts of useful stuff, and I picked up even more from books in his library. Things like the acid I made yesterday and this grease are fairly easy. You just have to be careful and know what you're doing. Once I get more practice, I'll try to make more complex items."
She points to a small pot that she was busy carefully adding water to.
"I've mixed all the ingredients in this pot and now I'm adding the water to make it into grease. You have to render it afterwards. Here, let me show you how."
"So, in other words, that's not supper?"
Moving on! The night goes by uneventful and the rain stops just before sunrise. Walking southward the ground slopes downward and leads to a cliff edge. The ground is still wet making the decent down the slope a bit harder.
Do we have any rope? Khadon asks looking at the treacherous slope the have to negotiate to reach the floor of the ravine. We can tie it to something up here and lower ourselves down. We can leave the rope in place to make it easier to climb out when we head back.
Half an hour to navigate downward
That crit fumble...
The group ties a rope to a sturdy tree using it as a safety measure and proceeds down the slippery slope. Maidie, Mossri and Tigeara manage to make it to the bottom next to the ravine unscathed. Rigliame, Dart and Khadon are not so fortunate, losing their footing and grip on the rope. Dart and Khadon slide down a little ways grabbing ahold of the rope just before slamming into the huge maple tree by the drop off. Rigliame struggles clawing at the earth but it's no use. He hits a rock with his feet flipping him up into the air just before slamming into the tree. With the wind knock out of him, it takes quite a few minutes before he is able to get to the bottom with the rest of his companions.
After his fall, Rig slowly crawls down to the bottom of the slope. "Ouch. That was not pleasant. Very, very, not pleasant."
I slipped on purpose for a bit of a laugh! though I didn't think others would take my lead seriously!
Dart laughs then gives a shrug and an apologetic smile towards rig.
at least its nothing serious eh?
I look Rigliame over to make sure that he has suffered no lasting injuries , then wait for him to recover.
Is Riliame alright? Khadon asks Tigeara. If he is okay we should get going. We need to get the flame and climb back out if we are going to make it back to Kassen while on the food we have with us. Khadon shruggs his pack into a better position and starts down the trail.
He's fine, let's go.
Phew, that's a relief. That looked like a nasty tumble. Maidie says, before moving on with the others.
"Okay, I'm ready, I guess."
After a quick rest, you dust yourselves off and continue on. You make it to the crypt in a couple hours.
An archway of stone is set into the side of a small hill at the bottom of the valley. Moss has overgrown many of the details, but one is still quite clear. The keystone of the arch is carved with a flame symbol with a stylized rune in the middle. Beyond the archway is a darkened tunnel that leads to a pair of massive wooden doors, one of which is slightly ajar. A pair of horses and a trio of ponies lie slaughtered next to the archway, each corpse still tied to a post set into the ground nearby. A swarm of flies hangs lazily in the air above them.
"Isn't...isn't this supposed to be some kind of a...game? Like, 'send tha brave heroes to gather tha Flame' or something, a tradition? Somehow, I don't think this is tha way it was supposed to be..."
"Yes, this seems very wrong. Those poor animals." Rig walks over to examine the horses and ponies.
I don't know if it was supposed to be a game or not but no one from Kassen would have killed these animals for the sake of a game. Something else is going on here. Be on your guard. Khadon says and draws his bastard sword. khadon enters the tunnel that leads to the crypt doors. Once inside the dry tunnel Khadon pauses and takes off his heavy pack before continueing to the crypt door.
As khadon moves forward, dart places a hand on his shoulder stopping him.
Then whispers in a hushed voice.
No offense friend, but my gut is telling me something bad may have happened here, let me check ahead, make sure there aren't any traps or other surprises. smack talk aside, you aren't the most quiet of us.
he then looks towards maidie and mossy Stay in between rig and khadon ladies, and keep a wary eye out, they may come from behind. If I shout Run, its something we can handle please. COME help. If I yell "HELP!" then run the hell away and leave me
Every bit of mirth and light-heartedness that was so abundant in dart is gone, replaced by a cold seriousness. His eyes showing he means every word, and will broker no argument.
Dart pulls out his shortsword and a dagger and moves like a night breeze towards the wooden doors, making sure to check around as he does so. once down to the doors, if no traps are found, he will slowly open the door and peak in. If he sees nothing he will slide through the door like a mouse.
"Yes, this seems very wrong. Those poor animals." Rig walks over to examine the horses and ponies.
Right go ahead Dart, but be careful. Your an ass but I don't want you to die.
A small bit of humour cracks through the visage, and dart mutters something before he disappears.
yeah,yeah love you to mate.
Maidie drops her pack next to Khadon's and takes her vial of acid out of her satchel.
"Be careful", she says to Dart as she stands next to Khadon, ready to respond to any signs of danger.
Mossri adds her pack to the pile, taking her tambourine and weapons. She stands slightly behind Khadon, longspear at the ready.
while searching the horses and the ponies, Rigs checks the packs and uncovers one that is still full. Inside are 2 days’ worth of rations, a pair of large, comfortable pillows, a quiver with 10 blunt arrows and 2 pints of lamp oil.
The ajar door ahead is very heavy and opens hard. It takes Dart a minute or two to open it.
As the heavy door swings open, the faint light from outside reveals a long chamber with risen platforms on either side. A faded painting of Kassen is on the far wall. The room appears to be the site of a gruesome battle, with two bodies piled in the center and a number of skeletons scattered around. An echoing wail can be heard somewhere in the distance, beyond this foul chamber.
Dart skips across the ground as light as a breeze, hardly making a peep, staying away from the light but trying to get a better view of the bodies, and possibly see more of what happened here.
Dart tries to remember the stories that were told of the crypt so often around the town.
Rig sets the full pack with the others, then draws his axe and moves next to the door with his shield up.
The two bodies are badly mauled so identifying them would be difficult. In the chamber is a pair of backpacks and two quivers of arrows. As you take another step the bones scattered among the room rise and attack!
Initiative order:
Skeletons
Mossri
Maidie
Rigliame
Khadon
Dart
Tigeara
Mossri gets her dance moves on, twirling and pirouetting. She takes no other moves.
9 skeletons rise from the debris 2 are next to Dart, 1, 2 and 3[/ooc]. One more moves up to the doors, now blocked! It looks like unless you can break the ranks.