Ruins of Pathfinder: The Mysterium Compact (Mythic) (Inactive)

Game Master Robert Brookes

“Nothing is yet in its true form.”

                                      -C.S. Lewis
 
Current Location: Ancient Ossuary


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Male Human (Chelaxian) Commoner 1

Displaying no anger or impatience, Stands on the Spiral responds, “Taeo Oneshape, Stands on the Spiral understands how to do one thing the best: stay alive. This land is unfamiliar to all. Terrain is dangerous. Alanar can not see the hand in front of the face. Running off all together just makes us lost as well. Without caution, maybe not one of us finishes the journey to Akrabahadran. Foolishness caused this, more foolishness can not help.”

He pauses and sighs. “Perhaps the net will not be enough. There are other ways to mark the trail, but it must be done. Stands on the Spiral cannot be the eyes of all. Does someone have the way to scrape deeply at the earth? Or the staff or spear to stab down into it?”


Male Ifrit Commoner/1

The ifrit marvels at the Spiral's way, expertly tracking where the halfling girl had run off. Suddenly there was a plan forming, and hope welled up in his chest, grinning widely with those bright white teeth of his. The young man stepped up close to Deriku, still holding onto the lanterns, though offering one to any who asked him for it.

"I must have someone to be my eyes," Alanar stated, focusing down on finding Ilesea, using his ears instead of his eyes and trying to pinpoint the sounds of whimpering. "I promised to protect her. I have to keep it. So please, let us hurry and find her!"

As soon as anyone agrees, rope or no, Alanar will take them by the hand and start heading slowly through the fog in the direction that Spiral tracked the girl in, keeping the darkflame lantern aloft and leaving the other behind. She couldn't be far if they could hear her whimpers, after all.

Perception: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (14) - 2 = 12


"The sawage is correct. Ve should take precautions before wenturing further," Alyona says. "Ve do not hawe a knife. I can use the heel of my boot to scrape a line behind us. Ve can hold hands. The second in line vill carry one lantern, Alanar vill stand in the middle holding a second. I vill carry the rear, vith the last lantern, scraping our return trail. Lets go." Alyona feels good to be issuing commands again. It feels like it's the way things should be. Hopefully they will listen.

She moves to stand at the rear of the group of children, taking a lantern in one hand. The princess stands sideways, holding out her other hand for someone to grab ahold of. She jams the high heel of her boot into the dirt, and prepares to shuffle after the others like a crab, leaving a furrowed trail behind them.


Male Human Commoner 1

Erik peers at Alanar for a moment, looking surprised. Man, he really can't see anything by this light. That's... kinda spooky, but all the better for us, I guess.

His attention is distracted by Alyona's directions before he can make any comment, though; he casts a sideways glance at the princess, his expression difficult to read... but he can't find fault with her logic. "Human rope, huh... yeah, that might work." He settles the net a bit more firmly over his shoulders, then takes her hand, giving her a toothy grin; he extends his other hand for someone else to take. "Fine. Let's get this thing goin'; time's wastin'. Sooner we find her, sooner we can all get back to the wagons." Preferably before Hokuto and the driver get back.

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"Crisis shows a person's true worth." It's a phrase attributed to the Knights of Ozem, one that is made manifest in the teamwork demonstrated by a handful of children somewhere in the wastes of Rahadoum. Hand-in-hand a group of otherwise unrelated strangers join together towards a common goal, one that by all means is as altruistic as it is pragmatic. It is both the life of an innocent and personal reputation that is at stake, for some the latter means more than the former. But it is in this common challenge that wildly varying world-views come together.

Scraping the heel of her boot into the dusty earth, Alyona Elvanna marks a ragged line denoting the progress made by the human chain of children venturing deeper into the mist. It soon becomes clear that the graveyard they've entered has been abandoned for at least as long as the ruined village on the other side of the road. The headstones are difficult to read and ancient looking, the limestone they were crafted of has not held up to the passage of time well at all and the inscriptions are mostly ilegible. Curiously, what fragments of words and dates that can be made out looks to be in Taldan or Varisian -- as they share the same alphabet -- not something like Kelish or Osiriani that would be more regionally appropriate.

Fifteen feet off of the road, Deriku sees that Ilesea's tracks hook right and then hook left in an erratic zig-zag pattern between the grave markers. As they progress inward, the distant sound of pained crying grows nearer, but then... stops.

From near the back of the human chain, Shenhua tries calling out for Ilesea in Tien. No response comes. Soon, though group is more than sixty feet into the graveyard and there have been at least a hundred headstones sighted. A dead tree sticking up from the ground with stunted branches twisting like exposed veins comes into view, along with -- Stop!

Deriku comes to an abrupt halt, arresting the step-toe-step progress of the human chain. The clattering sound of a rock falling down a hole is the first sign anyone gets to his reasoning, but Deriku can see what Ilesea clearly hadn't.

A hole.

At the base of the dead tree, a fifteen foot wide hole roughly rectangular in shape causes the ground to sag downward. Loose bricks are visible beneath dead grass and dusty soil, looking like some sort of subterranean structure that must have collapsed inward a long time ago. Ilesea's tracks go right over the edge.

The hole is deep and dark, roots bristle out from the edges before the masonry starts about four feet below the surface of the ground. With the glow of one of the lanterns, Deriku can see that the hole goes down roughly thirty or thirty-five feet to a mound of sand and old stones in a large underground room with a stone tile floor. Nearby to the heap of ancient debris, Ilsea's tiny form lay dirty and motionless.

With no knife available to cut the net -- and even then not enough rope to safely tie it off and get down there -- the Shoanti boy's mind is left to wonder how, if at all, she can be saved.

___________

Perception DC 15; Alanar Cannot Make:

Twenty feet deeper in to the cemetary, the silhouette of a squat stone building with slanted roof looks out of place. On closer inspection, the fog-shrouded stone structure looks to be the entrance to a mausoleum or crypt...


Male Human (Chelaxian) Commoner 1

Stands on the Spiral hisses as he skids to a sharp halt. He feels along the lip of the cave-in with the inside of his shoe and watches the earth clatter down below.

“Hole in ground, she has fallen in. Made by man, it seems. Caern for the dead maybe,” he says to those behind him, “Must find way down.”
_______________

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11


Male Fey-touched (Idyllkin) half-elf Commoner 1

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Taeo is too distraught -- and his eyes too locked on Ilesea's unmoving form -- to cast his gaze broadly.

He lies flat on the ground with his arms and head dangling into the hole
and calls down, "We're here Ilesea. It's going to be OK. We're here." He tries to assess if he could climb down there...but knows he'd almost certainly fall as well. Then he rolls onto his side to look up at the others. "Stands on the Spiral is right, we need to get down there, but how?"


Male Ifrit Commoner/1

Alanar is terribly worried as they progress into the graveyard. He is far too worried to notice the unusual scripts, looking around as they follow Deriku. Once they find the hole, he's completely panicked as it's announced that Ilesea is down there. He gets down onto his hands and knees, crawling over to the rim and peering down, trying to make out the colorful garments the girl wore.

"We must get to her," He states, looking at everything carefully. He's very upset, both by his powerlessness to help the girl, and her own plight. He thinks carefully, looking at the rope net, then his robe - and undoes his belt, pulling it off and twisting it, tying it off. The shirtless ifrit's brass colored torso is bared, along with his pants, before he takes those off as well, leaving him in only a set of smallclothes.

"...I need more," He states, knowing this isn't enough, looking at the others hopefully. "Belts, or shirts, or cloaks - something to tie together. Then I can go down with the net, and put her in it, and then you can all lift her up." He shivers from his exposure, but it's hardly a discomfort to him when he's this worried.


"There," Alyona says, pointing at the squat structure looming several yards away in the fog. "That looks like an entrance to a tomb. Before ve risk our lives on a pants rope, lets hawe a look, yes?" She takes in the emotional reactions of Taeo and Alanar, feeling her own empathy roiling in her stomach. Her guts are tight, as she peers down at the halfling crumpled in pain. Her own fear laces through the feeling, rancid and stark. She's nearly overcome by a strong urge just to run back to the wagon and hide. No. Control. First you, then them. "Boys, relax. Ewerything is going to be fine. Ve can do this." Alyona looks to Deriku. Clearly he is the most mature here besides me. Hopefully he backs my play. She turns so that only Deriku can see her face clearly, and smiles with an expression that says, "A little backup here?"

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (20) + 5 = 25


Male Human (Chelaxian) Commoner 1

Stands on the Spiral peers in the direction Alyona indicates and allows his eyes to slowly adjust to the dark shapes of the boneyard before nodding, sagely.

“Alyonaelvanna sees true,” he places a hand on Alanar’s shoulder, “Do not let concern for others first endanger your self. Terrain is bad here, and Alanar will need his clothes.”

“One lantern need left here,” he points to the ground in front of the yawning chasm, “To see where we started. Other lantern, come to the door to see if opens, look for words. Will not want to enter if words say, ‘Here are the Bones of Undead Horselord God,’ no?” He laughs, meanly, at his own words before gesturing in the direction of the door.

“Shenhua, Alanar stay with Lantern until it is seen.” He nods at Alyona, and again in the direction of the door.
_______________

Take a 10 on perception = 15


"Lead the vay," Alyona says, gesturing. "I'll be right behind you."


Male Human (Chelaxian) Commoner 1

As Stands on the Spiral leads the way to the crypt entrance, he calls reassuringly over his shoulder, “Alanar Fog-Blind, the door is only ten paces away. Don’t worry about being forgot, Stands on the Spiral will still see you from there.”


Human Commoner 1, HP: 6/6, AC: 15/15/10, SV: 0/5/-1, INIT: +2, CMB: +0, CMD: 15, ATT: None, PERC: +3

Shen Hua wrings her hands nervously. Stepping up to the hole, she leans over and speaks as calmly as she is able.

心,鄉下人,我們將上門為您服務。你的勇敢履行你的祖先,堅守。

Tien:
"Take heart, countryman, we will come for you. Your bravery honors your ancestors, stand fast."


Male Ifrit Commoner/1

"There is another way in?" Alanar asks, thinking for a moment as he undoes his attempt to make a rope, redressing quickly. "Without the fog, I can see much clearly. It is indoors, yes? I can lead the way, see beyond the darkflame," He offers, ready to go - but pauses, just looking down at Ilesea's still form, torn between leaving her and trying to find his way down to her.

He's especially concerned about how she's not moving or responding at all to them. The desire to jump right into the hole and cushion his descent is getting stronger with each passing moment. He peers as far as his darkvision can allow, trying to determine if she's even breathing. Sadly, he can't make out any details.

"I will go into the crypt - whatever is written does not matter. I would defile the tomb of a king to get her out," The ifrit states, hotblooded and heading blindly in the direction where the other pointed out the crypt. He'll head inside immediately, trying to see if his vision is better in here than outside.

Perception: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (1) - 2 = -1


Male Human Commoner 1

"Whoa whoa HEY. Alanar, buddy, calm down there. Let's just go easy on the king-defilin' for a minute. I get you wanna save her; so does everyone else, or we'd be back at the wagon instead way out here. But listen, we were told to stay in the light, an' I don't think Lady Ichihara's the type to give advice without a good reason for it." He reaches out and puts a hand on Alanar's shoulder. "So stay in the damn light. I get it must be drivin' you nuts, but... have a little trust in us, 'k? We're gonna need you to help carry her when we get her out, and you won't do her or us a damn bit of good if you trip and bash your brains on a rock because you were in a hurry, or if somethin' that can see in the dark better that you can decides you look like a snack. How you gonna make her that bracelet if you get yourself dead doin' somethin' stupid before we even make it to Akr... Akrab... the school?" he asks,

Listen to you, Erik, talking about trust with such eloquence! My, my, how far you've come in the last thirty minutes that low, mocking voice snickers in Erik's head again, unbidden and unwanted. Go take a long crawl off a short pier, Erik thinks back, but his focus remains on Alanar.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (19) + 3 = 22


Male Human Commoner 1

The sight of Ilesea's body at the bottom of the pit is wince-inducing. He mutters quietly, kneeling at the edge of the hole and running a hand through his hair. "Gods." He straightens when Alanar begins to head off, and nods at Erik when he stops him.

"Erik's right. Stick with us. None of us are going to get far without anyone else. She didn't, did she?"

Aldon pauses after he says this, realizing the callous nature of his comment. He opens his mouth for a moment, before looking sideways and then down, kicking at the ground. "Sorry. But, jeez, Alanar. We gotta do this right. Together, yeah? You were asking for help before, and we're giving it. We'll get down to her, don't fret. Even if that means crypt-raiding."

He jerks a thumb towards Deriku and Alyona. "Let's wait for them. Mayhaps the door won't even open. Best we know for sure."

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18


Female Human Commoner 1

"Stay in the light," Anlessa repeats in a pitched up voice, openly mocking Erik. "At least he's gettin' t' doin' somethin' more fast like." Hands on her hips, she looks back towards the wagon, head canting to the side a bit. "If we're gettin' t' gettin', than lets move, t'gether an' all. Y' know, not standin' here all nothin' like. Doin' it right ain't frettin' over what t' do, it's doing something."

Seemingly glad that Deriku and Alyona have seemingly taken the need, Anlessa creeps up towards them at the head of the group, smiling towards Alanar. "Fancy not catchin' a cold, though," she notes, pointing a finger in his direction.

Looking over towards Deriku, she quirks an eyebrow. "Well?" she asks expectantly - admittedly, for all her talk of "doing something", she had scarce idea of where to start at the moment.


Male Human (Chelaxian) Commoner 1

Stands on the Spiral marvels at the complete lack of foresight being endorsed by the others. He holds up his hands in supplication and says, “It is this hurried thinking that kills. Please do not run ahead, regardless of seeing in the night. Could be more holes, loose floor or ceiling. Must all be wary, must watch as we go.”

“Also, leave lantern at hole for light. Easier to see what we look for. Let’s go,” he says, heading for the crypt door.


Alyona follows Stands on the Spiral as she said she would. She keeps a close eye on the ground, to make sure she doesn't step in any hidden holes. She holds her lantern up high with one hand as she walks, attempting to spill light over as much of the group as possible.


Male Human Commoner 1

Erik eyes Anlessa coolly, but manages to restrain his initial impulse to throw an obscene hand gesture in her direction; instead, he only raises an eyebrow. 'Well?' She snipes at me about not jumpin' right into things, and THAT'S her big finish? Lurking next to Alanar and worrying about catching a cold, then looking to someone else and saying 'well'? Lame. Lamer than a one-legged rabbit, hoppin' in little circles, the boy thinks to himself, annoyed. At Stands on the Spiral's comment, though, he inclines his head--the other boy's rebuttal was a far better response that anything he might have retorted with, clever use of invective aside. Besides, there are far more important matters to be dealt with than any petty squabbling at the moment, matters like the halfling girl laying unconscious (...or worse, that voice at the back of Erik's mind doesn't hesitate to add, but he ignores it for the moment) at the bottom of a deep hole.

"Right. Not goin' far, Alanar," he says quietly, giving the ifrit a sympathetic look that he isn't even sure the other boy can see--he isn't sure how blind the darkflame lanterns make Alanar, but he's assuming it's pretty bad. With that, he takes a step away from Alanar, then turns and falls in behind Stands on the Spiral and Alyona. Alanar may be blinded by the darkflames, but Erik can see fine in them; maybe he'll be able to help find something of use at the mausoleum, maybe he won't, but at least he can try.

Lantern Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4

Moving through the fog away from the hole where Ilesea's prone form lay motionless, they cross a gravel path that crunches underfoot, finding a junction in it that leads directly to the ancient, stone mausoleum. From afar it looked less foreboding than up close, where the weathered limestone is pitted from age and stained by exposure to molds and fungus that grow in the shadow of canyon walls.

The door to the mausoleum is a heavy slab of stone on ancient metal hinges. The surface of the door is engraved with partly faded inscriptions in Taldan set like a scroll beneath the symbol of an open eye flanked by spread wings. There is an old, rusted latch holding the mausoleum door shut, but it is battered and broken looking, having been smashed open long ago. Even the stone around the latch looks damaged.

Next to the mausoleum, leaning up against the stone, an iron prybar four feet in length looks like it had been used to open this door in ages past. Now, it is merely a rust speckled length of heavy metal.

_______________

Door Inscription; Common (Taldan):

   O children, that praise is ready for you,
   which once Aroden's tongue rightly spoke
   for the seer Elarus, son of Theolis,
   when the earth swallowed up he and his
   shining horse. In Absalom, when the twin
   pyres of corpses had been consumed, the last 
   Azlanti spoke in this way: “I long for the
   memory of my disciple, a man who was both  
   as a friend and a sword at my side. May he
   be honored in his rest."

Knowledge (religion) DC 13:

The winged eye is the symbol of the dead god Aroden, the god of humanity.

Knowledge (religion) DC 15:

The inscription on the door is a burial rite for priests of Aroden.

Closer Inspection: Iron Prybar:

This ten pound iron prybar has a three foot long rounded handle and a foot long squared wedge head that weighs twice as much as the handle. It could cause some serious harm if you were to hit someone with it... but it's unwieldly.

Prybar, Iron (Improvised Weapon)
Damage: 1d8 20/x2
Attack rolls made with improvised weapons incur a -4 nonproficiency penalty.


Male Human (Chelaxian) Commoner 1

He picks idly at the scar on the side of his face as he reads the inscription.

"Ah," Stands on the Spiral says, "Less horrible. Sign of Aroden, god of the humans. Long dead. Maybe not so bad, yes? Don't know the poem.

"Looks like others have already broken open," he continues, "Could be less danger. Unless robbers now undead."

He seems more interested in the words than the iron bar that opens the door, and makes no move to retrieve it.
_______________

Knowledge (religion): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14


Alyona raises one eyebrow at Stands on the Spiral, then turns to Taeo and Alanar. "You two, put your distress to vork. Get this door open." What does it matter what some dead men wrote on a stone? We have things to do. Hopefully this whole debacle will be over before mistress Hokuto returns. It would be awful for her to think us foolish, or irresponsible. "The faster ve get inside, the faster ve can look for Ilsea."


Male Ifrit Commoner/1

Alanar is quite happy to be somewhat useful to this rescue endeavor, picking up the heavy pry bar and wedging it into the door jam. He grunts with effort as he attempts to pry the door open as quickly as possible, fear of what has happened to the halfling girl pushing him forward.

"Assistance...would be nice..." He huffs, putting his back into the work.

Strength check: 1d20 ⇒ 9

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The moment Alanar begins to struggle with the heavy door, he finds its hinges in as poor condition as the latch. The door starts to swing open with surprising ease, though grinding against the rust of age. About two feet of movement happens before the hinges snap and tear themselves out of the limestone door frame. The heavy door smashes down onto one corner, then falls to the side away from Alanar and the others with a heavy slam against the ground, splitting into two large pieces as it does.

An uncomfortable silence follows.


Male Human (Chelaxian) Commoner 1

"Mother of Souls guide us and forgive trespass on the dead as we seek the wounded," Stands on the Spiral says into the portal.

"As before, light up front, be careful for danger. Rescue pointless if all die in collapse. Alanar," he stops to make eye contact with the fiery boy, "Understand the urgency, but do not rush. Stands on the Spiral does not with to say the words over more of the dead than needed."

He motions to Taeo and Alyona, "As we were, yes?" and begins to enter the tomb.


Female Human Commoner 1

"Old is old..." Anlessa muses once she recovers from the loud crashing of the door. Lips quirk side to side, hands back in pockets. "Bein' a long time since anyone's been here, for true." She crouches down, poking at the broken metal door curiously, before letting out a long sigh and shaking her head.

"Soudin' as bad as the others," she remarks with a roll of her eyes. Not rushing is good and all, but this is getting silly. Standing back up, she follows behind Deriku into the tomb, eager to keep moving. "Bein' if this place is that bad off, careful may not help one way or the other," she asserts, "So yeah, let's get 'as we were'." What I wouldn't give for a nice solid plank of wood or rod of metal right now, though.


Male Ifrit Commoner/1

Alanar blinks a few times, surprised the door came away so easily. He holds onto the rusty metal pry bar for now, just in case they need it further in. "I will take the lead...but tell me quickly if I wander too far from everyone." He swallows dryly, but ignores any inkling of thirst as he steps inside, hoping to find stairs leading downwards, so they can arrive at Ilesea quickly.

He offers a silent prayer to Sarenae, the merciful one. I have lost so much already. Let her survive so we may greet your dawn together.

Lantern Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4

When Alanar steps into the mausoleum entrance, he is immediately greeted not by the stink of stale air normally attributed to a tomb, but the same dry and dusty air as outside. A gentle breeze blows out from within, indicating that there may be some credence to this structure connecting to the subterranean location Ilesea fell into. The mausoleum itself is not overly large, ten feet by ten feet square. Shelves along the walls contain stacks of rotten old linens that have decayed over time and exposure to the elements and -- judging from the spiderwebs woven between them -- outside sources of deterioration.

The floor inside is made from scratched stone and features very obvious scars gouged into the stone, as if something very heavy was dragged across the floor. A stairwell lies opposite of the door at the back of the mausoleum, and wide, shallow stone steps also scuffed and scarred lead down into pitch blackness. To the right of the doorway is a copper pot with six wooden sticks jutting up from within. Above the pot is a recessed shelf with two dusty flasks containing murky fluid, and a small wooden box.

The ceiling of the mausoleum has flecks of faded paint on it that may have at one time displayed a mural of some kind.

_____________

Closer Inspection: Copper Pot & Shelf:

After getting a closer look at the pot, it's clear that these sticks and the linen rags are used for making torches. In fact, the stoppered flasks on the shelf contain oil, and the small wooden box a set of flint & steel to make a spark. With a little time you could easily make a torch with these materials.

By making a craft (alchemy) check (DC 10) and spending 1 minute at the mausoleum entrance, you can use the materials here to make a torch. There is enough material to make 6 torches. You may take a 10 on this craft check to easily make the torches.

Torches may be used as improvised weapons.

Torch (1-handed improvised weapon; fragile)
1d3 20/x2 (+1 point of fire damage)
Improvised weapons impose a -4 penalty on attack rolls. A torch burns for 1 hour, shedding normal light in a 20-foot radius and increasing the light level by one step for an additional 20 feet beyond that area (darkness becomes dim light and dim light becomes normal light). A torch does not increase the light level in normal light or bright light.

Closer Inspection: Stairs:

The stairway is 10 feet wide and descends down fifteen feet before turning to the right. There appears to be no light sources other than what you bring with you.

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Forgot to specify above: If used as an improvised weapon the iron prybar is a 2-handed weapon.


Male Ifrit Commoner/1

Torches. Not only good for a source of fire, but also to ward away anything that may attack them. Alanar knows flames, and points the materials out to the others.

"We can use these - everyone can have a source of light now," He comments. "And we can use them to mark our passage if we come across any turns inside, yes?"

He'll give the pry bar to whomever wants to take it, before moving over to the torch supplies, doing what he can to prepare as many as possible for the others. Within a minute, he has them all prepared, but stops short of lighting them right now. "These will only last for a short time after being lit. We should proceed by your lanterns first, yes? Quickly, please." He gestures to the stairs, carefully making his way down.

Craft Alchemy: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 1 = 16


Male Fey-touched (Idyllkin) half-elf Commoner 1

Taeo -- a step behind and to Stands on the Spiral's left -- will continue to keep a lookout as the group goes down the stairs. While folks gather (and light?) some torches, he'll take a closer look at the gouges in the floor. Is there anything he can tell about what was dragged? Or from where to where?

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8

Alanar, seems the torches will burn for an hour each which should be plenty of time. OOC I'd think we should light at least a couple. Of course, Taeo knows nothing about torches so won't say this...but it seems anyone else likely knows that a standard torch burns for an hour, and that these look pretty standard.


Male Human Commoner 1

"Aroden, huh... Erik says softly as he peers at the door; more than the damage to the latch, it's that symbol and the words beneath it that draw his eye. He knows them. Had he lived elsewhere, he might not have, but Erik is from Westcrown, and even now the City of Twilight has not forgotten its past as the City of Nine Stars; the old statue that still stands, unblemished, in the middle of the warzone attests to that.

Then Alanar shoves the door off of its hinges, startling Erik from his reverie.

He follows the others into the mausoleum without comment; he peers at the pieces of the broken door where they lay on the floor, but he sees no point in dwelling on it. The breeze flowing from further in, though, is a promising sign.

He accepts the torch Alanar offers, taking a moment to resettle the net across his shoulders; after a moment, he shoves his arms through the holes in the folded net, wearing it like the world's ugliest shawl. "Yeah, let's not use these unless we have to--" he says, starting to agree with Alanar... but Alanar is already heading in.

Erik grits his teeth, shoves the torch through his belt, then grabs the prybar, laying the thing over his shoulder before he moves to follow; someone with an ounce of self-preservation instinct should go along with Alanar. "Yeah, yeah, c'mon. If we're goin' to do this, let's get it done already. Sooner we get this done, sooner we can get Ilesea out of that hole; if this doesn't lead to where she's at, then we can go back to Plan B with the pants-rope." We thought the pants-rope was a bad idea, so we're goin' crypt-divin' instead; ain't that a riot! Bah. We'll get Ilesea back to the wagon, and after that... after that I think I've had enough stretchin' for a good while.

Knowledge (Religion): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 1 = 20

I think lighting the torches might not be the best idea; those darkflame lanterns are probably a bit more expensive than the more mundane variety, and I'd bet dollars to donuts that there's probably a good reason we've got them.

Also picking up the prybar.


Human Commoner 1, HP: 6/6, AC: 15/15/10, SV: 0/5/-1, INIT: +2, CMB: +0, CMD: 15, ATT: None, PERC: +3

Shen Hua follows Alanar, as he proceeds down the steps, carefully lifting her silk robes to avoid tripping. Her wooden sandals scrape on the rough stone, providing precarious balance. Reaching into one sleeve, she pulls out a handkerchief, using it to keep her hand clean when she uses it to brace against the wall.

If there is a lantern available, she will carry it. Uncertain as to what she would do with it, she prefers not to carry one of the torches.


Alyona makes no move to take a torch, "These lanterns are light as vell as protection from things that see in the night. Ve vould be fools to abandon them for mundane fire." She moves behind Erik and Alanar trying to stay in the middle of the group. No weapon, not that I could use one very well anyway. Hopefully whatever made those webs has moved on to a new home.

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Alyona would come hate how right she was.


(O_O)


Female Human Commoner 1

Anlessa leans over, inspecting the torches for a moment. "Silly t' be lightnin' one, sure. Still might bring one for an emergency, though. Seems like the right thing t' me..." Still, with Alanar preparing them, she steps back from him, and out of the light - you know, in case Alyona turns out to be right.

She exhales sharply, rolling her shoulders. "Well... hopin' there's a few more scraps of metal around. Somethin' t' throw or swat with if'in somethin' shows up."


Male Human Commoner 1

The door slams to the ground in the midst of Aldon's reading of the inscription, leaving him staring into the tomb. The others file in before him. Eyebrows raised and one hand in a pocket, he follows them in, taking a glance backwards into the gloom and a rather more regretful one down at the door. Hopefully this wouldn't be all for naught.

As the others talk over the torches, he meanders about the mausoleum (as much as one can meander in such a small space). The shelves are a mild curiosity. Aldon wonders who was the last person, other than themselves, who had visited this place. He hopes that it was whoever brought the dead down here to be buried, and not something that fancied making a home here.

He nods when Alyona speaks, and turns to the group.

"We don't know what horrors might be a-waiting for us down there, do we? Might be something all hungry and rabid, yearning to feast on our tender flesh."

Aldon's face is deadpan as he says this, though one can infer from the subject that he's mostly joking. He takes the rear when the others begin to file down the stairs. It takes a serious force of will for him to not shoot nervous glances over his shoulder every time a wayward noise makes its way into his ears. If anyone glances back, however, they would be lucky to catch him breaking his facade of casualness.


Male Human (Chelaxian) Commoner 1

While Alanar is busy crafting torches, Stands on the Spiral inspects the entrance with interest. I imagine, he thinks, That this is what the sacred burial grounds must be like back in Varisia. Perhaps not quite so well-crafted, but the Shoanti have long been burying their sacred dead as a matter of holy ritual, and this place seems as proper as such a place could be.

Accepting a torch from Alanar, he heads down the stairwell by the blue light of the blackflame lanterns. "Try not to disturb the bones of the dead," he instructs, his voice echoing back to the room above, "Unless they are moving."


Alyona thinks of a conversation she'd overheard amongst some Winter Witches once about wards they were placing on a tomb. From what she could remember, it didn't sound pleasant. "I vould say don't touch anything unless you hawe to," she comments in response to Stands on the Spiral. She continues on with the group, holding her lantern and fighting down the roiling panic in her stomach. Must be strong. Must be strong. Weakness is death. Weakness is death. Suddenly she jumps a little, startled, when the bobbing lantern throws the shoanti boy's shadow huge upon one wall. Alyona blushes, and acts like she hadn't jumped at all. She continues steadily onward, eyes down at the floor. Gods, let this be over soon.

Lantern Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4

Downward, the stairs go, into the oppressive darkness of subterranean realms reserved for the dead and those that would inter their remains. As the group of teenagers descends the ancient stone steps, they are afforded the first of macabre sights the crypt has to offer. Tall and narrow alcoves set into the walls are stacked with a single row of skulls five high, each one marked with the symbol of a winged eye, etched into their brows. These skulls look ancient, dusted with cobwebs and carefully placed.

The stairwell curves a full six times downward in a spiral, and the symbolism is not lost on Deriku. There is an unusual shift in the lighting as the teens proceed down the stairs, a twisting of the architecture likely brought on by the irregular blue light cast by the lantern Alyona carries. At times the ceiling and stairs seem crooked, the shadows seem so deep that they have texture like ink underwater. By the time they reach the bottom of the stairs there is a palpable chill in the air, enough that they can see each others' breaths.

Thankfully for Alanar, the fog is not present down in the crypt and his supernatural darkvision is unimpeded by that miasma. Instead, he finds himself in a monochromatic version of the world the others see. With the light of the darkflame lantern unable to be percieved by him, everything is cast to shades of gray. But even to the others this place looks faded and colorless, the distinct tan shade of the limestone blocks used in the walls, floor and ceiling are a washed out shade of blue thanks to the darkflame lantern. The pigments of turquoise and bone shades likely used to define ceramic tiles set into the floor creating a mosaic of the symbol of Aroden are also muted shades of the same bluish hue.

With only one way to go once they reach the bottom of the stairs, Alanar and Deriku lead the others deeper into the crypt. It's clear to see spider webbing along the ceiling; a soft-spun canopy of bone white threads sagging with age. Another series of four tall and narrow alcoves are set into the walls on either side of the hallway. skulls are stacked in them like before, except that some are missing this time and the skulls are all upside down.

Fragments of bone litter the floor near the alcoves, caked in a century or more of dust kicked up by Alanar and Deriku's footsteps. Not far from the stairwell the hall turns, curving back towards the stairs. It feels like they've walked around behind them, but distance is hard to measure here. This place feels enormous even though they've only explored a few dozen feet of tunnel.

Eventually, Deriku and Alanar come to a T-junction in the hall. The way ahead comes to a stop at a tall, arched alcove full of femur bones stacked thirty high. Not far from that alcove is an arched doorway swathed with spiderwebs. The other direction from the leads, as best as Deriku can surmise, southward down a long corridor that goes beyond both Alanar's darkvision and the light of the lantern.

_________
Crypt Map

Crypt Statistics:

10' high ceilings, 10' wide halls. Ceiling is slightly arched and heavily spun with spiderwebs. Floor is tiled limestone slabs.

Map Key:

Blue star is exit. Green arrow indicates Deriku's best guess on where Ilesea is based on distance traveled from the cave in.

I have a light-radius that will follow you. Brightly colored squares are normal illumination, shades squares are shadowy illumination. Conveniently, Alanar's darkvision shows the same distance as the lantern (60').


Male Ifrit Commoner/1

Alanar looks around worriedly, now second guessing his decision to leave Ilesea alone. Perhaps jumping down to her would have been the correct course. He could have survived the fall, certainly. He could have also broken his neck, and then there would be no helping the halfling girl.

At the intersection, he dispaired a bit further, though at least he could see now - he's used to the black and white vision total darkness carries with it. He glances back at the others, thinking about the decision for a bit before coming to a decision he wasn't completely happy about.

"We should stay together - which way should we go?" He asks Stands on the Spiral, finding having to wait distasteful to him - he wanted to just run through the hallways to rescue her as soon as possible. He takes a few steps forward on his own, peering down the tunnel to their left, the southern passage.

Alanar will try and stay slightly ahead of the lanterns to try and see farther with his darkvision than the rest of the group - 20ft or so. Should keep him within everyone else's vision as well.

Lantern Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4

I just realized I forgot to include a coordinate key for the map so each square has an X/# coordinate. I'll add that in tonight. For now just assume the map is aligned up = north and describe accordingly.


Male Human (Chelaxian) Commoner 1

Stands on the Spiral notices the sudden shift in the placement of the skulls lining the alcoves with distaste. "This is desecration," he indicates, "Likely done with purpose. Intelligence. Also much time needed to do so many. Unless done long and long ago, can expect other life down here."

"Or unlife," he adds.

"Either straight through webbed door, or left," Stands on the Spiral ponders, "Think she is halfway between both directions. Avoid webbing for now is probably most good option. Left, to South."

He turns south and begins walking. "Alanar, how long to put fire to the torches? If trouble, will need them lit fast."


Male Fey-touched (Idyllkin) half-elf Commoner 1

At first -- lacking real associations with crypts or the dead -- Taeo is more worried for Ilesea than scared by their surroundings. As the kids venture further in though, watching the shadows grow and lurch as they descend the stairs, Taeo feels his heart beating faster. He finds himself staring up at the spider webs on the ceiling, and ducking reflexively.

As he gets nervous he starts casting about for something he could throw. He’ll look for a loose stone or two if he can find them.

When Stands on the Spiral speaks of desecration Taeo cocks his head curiously, wondering what clues let him know. Before he can ask, the Shoanti boy moves on to more practical matters.

Taeo nods at the suggestion that they avoid the webbed archway. ”Oh yeah, I’d rather not go that way...and I think we’re better off with torches lit at this point, at least a couple. I bet if we do encounter some nasty beast down here it’s not going to wait for us to get them lit.” He glances nervously at the ceiling again, ducking a bit despite it being almost twice his height.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19 >> To find a loose stone or other improved projectile. If he doesn't find anything else he'll grab a broken bone that looks throwable...if the other kids don't notice and shoo him away from them.


Male Ifrit Commoner/1

"A few seconds at the most," Alanar speaks, glancing at the others, before relenting. If there are creatures down here, they'll need something to drive them back. He gives a torch to whomever wants one and lights it for them with the flint and steel, including himself.

Afterwards he continues to step forward down the passage, letting his darkvision guide him in the black.

So, anyone who wants a lit lantern, Alanar will give you one. He'll elect not to and rely on his darkvision to keep him aware of what's ahead.

Lantern Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4

If you accept a lit torch please declare so now, then read the following spoiler.

Lighting a Torch...:

The flames look smothered. It's strange, the fire consumes the oil, burns the linen, but the light the torch is supposed to shed looks like it is being viewed through grease-smeared glass. The comfort of illumination it sheds is diminished greatly, barely illuminating ten feet away from the torchbearer.

Don't let the dim light fool you, however. The fire is just as hot.


Male Fey-touched (Idyllkin) half-elf Commoner 1

Taeo holds a torch in his off hand, and a hunk of stone (or the closest thing he can find) in his primary hand.

Lantern Lodge RPG Superstar 2014 Top 4

Taeo's options are limited to a femur (if he goes down towards the cobwebbed door to retrieve one from the bone stack) or a skull. There's no loose stones (thus far seen) down here.

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