Ferrous steps forward in front of Wallia ans swings his axe at the creature in front of Fistep.
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Ferrous and Fistep both step in front, blocking the creatures access to Wallia and Ana. They both swing but miss.
The creatures claw at Ferrous and Fistep with their bony hands.
Fistep is unhurt but the creature in front of Ferrous manages to hit him twice!
Round 3 Initiative
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia, Zynazyr.
Block 2: The skull-masks
Walia uses his sling at the yellow one
Swings his sword at the yellow one in front of Ferrous, using his shield to block the red one.
The halberd is fine with Ana. She will swing in from behind Fistep to attempt to hit red.
Brathas will drop his bow, draw his axe, and step up to 6:17 to attack around the corner.
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Ana strikes with her halberd, but fails to get past Fistep's moving form.
Brathas comes to the corner and swings his axe around the corner. It gouges deep into the creature's chest with a satisfying *crunch*. It comes away covered with tarry black blood. The creature gives out a breathy moan but otherwise does not seem to react.
Round 3 Initiative
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia, Zynazyr.
Block 2: The skull-masks
Suffering from the wounds inflicted by the walking dead thing in front of him Ferrous delivers a viscous backhanded swing with his axe.
Seeing Brathas hit the creature around the corner, Zynazyr moves up to throw a dagger at it.
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Ferrsous swings with his axe, and Zynazyr throws a dagger, but neither dagger nor axe find their mark.
The two creatures continue to flail at Fistep and Ferrous with their clawed hands.
Neither creature can find a weak spot, though Ferrous barely deflects the last attack with his shield.
Round 4 Initiative
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia, Zynazyr.
Block 2: The skull-masks
Brathas will continue to attack the one around the corner with his handaxe.
This time, he can't get a good swing in.
Hoping to finish it off, Zynazyr throws another dagger at the same creature.
Walia slings again if hits
Ferrous lets out a laugh in the midst of battle when he successfully parries the last attack with his shield. He grunts as he brings about his axe again in a frustrated swing.
missing widely yet again.
Ana again tries to get around Fistep.
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Ferrous' ace goes wide, and Brathas is unable to get a clean swing around the corner.
But Zynazyr's dagger buries deep into the creature's torso! It grunts as the dagger hits, though it remains standing. Then any sweeps overhead with her halberd and decapitates the creature! It collapses into a heap with a spurt of black fluid.
Wallia takes another shot from behind Ferrous and the bullet strikes a glancing blow against the one remaining creature.
Round 4 Initiative
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous, Fistep, Wallia, Zynazyr.
Block 2: The skull-masks
Swings at the yellow one...
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The creatures lie dead at the feet of the party. When their masks are removed, they are revealed to be the withered corpses of humans long long dead. Their fingernails are black and long and curled into claws, and their white hair stands on end. Wallia observes that these dead creatures were actually embalmed and prepared for burial before something occurred that animated them. Because of this, or perhaps merely their great age, they are stronger than zombies, but ultimately are more or less the same thing.
The masks are silver and are worth 20 gp each.
The robes they wear are little more than black rags but look to have once been monastic robes of some sort. They have strands of rope for belts. One of them has two slender rods tied to its belt; one looks to be made of ivory yellowed with age, and the other is some dark material like ebony. Zynazyr and Ana do not detect any magical dweomer (though you may spend a turn examining the rods further if you like).
Brathas stares in awe at Fistep's swordsmanship. His usual cool and professional demeanor slips for a bit.
"Wow. That was... amazing.
Okay, let's take these wands, and maybe go check the eastern passage?"
As the party heads north, Brathas will take great care to search for trap triggers around where they were previously when the boulder trap was activated.
Walia seeing these were once holy men wants to see if anything on their personage has any religious significance or if he can tell what religion they had used to be.
"We should surely burn these bodies. It saddens me that holy men should end up like this."
"Can you sprinkle some holy water and say a prayer? It takes a lot of wood to make a pyre, and would generate a great deal of smoke in this enclosed area."
I agree about the pyre. Not to mention the smell he says as he cleans his blade on the few rags, nodding in Brathas way Thanks.. I guess I was just in the zone. He follows Brathas, at the ready, as he checks for traps.
Ferrous stubbornly gives Fistep a congratulatory slap on the back. Aye just like I taught ye. He says with a wink. Well swung swordsman.
Ferrous gathers up the masks putting them in a sack. I'll leave those slender rods which look like wands to you hocus pocus types.
Zynazyr looks at the rods carefully. "It's possible these were once wands but have been used up," he says sounding disappointed. Still, he puts then in his backpack to study later. He retrieves his weapons, giving a disgusted look as he pulls his dagger from the corpse's chest. He looks around for something to clean his dagger with then decides to wipe the black blood on the corpse's robe.
He waits for Brathas to check the hallway for traps, then follows the others to the eastern hallway.
Walia says, "I am concerned about the symbol on these gentlemen. In the faith we have a saying, holy water may work but fire WILL work." he then drips a couple of drops on each.
Ana silently follows the others.
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Brathas and Zynazyr both recall seeing that the Magi had similar marks on their hands to those of these dead corpses.
Because Brathas wants to re-check the path for the trigger that set off the boulder, the party moves carefully up the passage and towards the eastern path.
Ana manages to detect a magical aura on the area of the floor just north of the intersection. It is a version of the alarm spell, but obviously it does not trigger an audible alarm (as the party has already been in that area.
The party turns east and arrives at the door. There is no sign of traps on the door, but it is locked. The passage continues south out of sight.
Walia says, "I suggest we go through this locked door."
Brathas is happy to work on the lock.
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With a flick of the wrist Brathas unlocks the lock. The door opens easily.
A sarcophagus rests on a dais on the east side of the room. The dais is 10' square. From each corner of the dais rises a slender, 6' tall column. The tops of the columns meet the corners of an arched dome above the sarcophagus. On the dais at each corner of the sarcophagus is a brass jar from which flames dance. Finally, the walls of this room are painted with scenes of a noble lady tending a huge brazier in a temple, carrying torches, tending hearths, and other fire-related tasks.
There is another door opposite the one you came in by.
The brass jars with the flames in them are obviously magical. Zynazyr believes they represent a tiny portal to the elemental plane of fire.
Wallia discovers a small brass scroll tube behind one of the brass jars. Inside is a piece of papyrus with what looks like a MAP on it.
No traps or secret doors are found.
Walia says, "I have found a hand written map."
Interesting map, but it doesn't look like anywhere we've been yet
He wanders over to the opposite door and tries to listen through it.
Zynazyr inspects the area carefully, a concerned look on his face. "It would appear that the person buried here was nobility. Let's be careful as there may be traps to ward off looters."
"Traps, yes. No doubt."
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The party begins examining the sarcophagus for possible traps.
Though neither Ana nor Zynazyr detect any magi on the sarcophagus, Brathas becomes certain that the sarcophagus is magically protected somehow, as the flames in brass jars flare slightly whenever he brushes the seal around the edge with a hair.
"I could attempt to bypass the wards, but I don't like my chances and I don't want to trigger the trap.
Can we leave this for now and try the northern door?"
Sounds wise to me he says from near the door.
Walia says, "Sure, six of one a half dozen of the other as far as I am concerned. "
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The party chooses to leave the lit chamber for now and investigate the northern door.
Opening the door reveals a passage going north. The party follows the passage for 40' until they come to a door in the west wall. The passage continues for another 30' north of the door and then turns west. Facing south at the bend in the corridor is another door barely visible at the edge of their light source.
The party examines the door to the west. No traps are found, but Ferrous thinks he can hear the scurrying sounds of small vermin.
Looking at the map in Wallia's hands.
Looks to me like this map shows the presence of hidden doors. May be useful later.
As they approach the door to the west Ferrous cocks his head to on side.
I think there be more rats or something else behind this door.
I would proceed onwards.