With a quick, aggressive motion, Gwernach pries the lid off the sarcophagus. The heavy wooden lid slides to the side with a pop of centuries of wood bound together with the passage of time.
Inside the coffin lies a tall robed skeleton. Some hair, dark in color, still clings to the skull. The body lies in a gentle repose, with the arms folded across the chest.
The robe is simple, dark golden in color, and embroidered with a flaming candle on the left breast. The robe is in remarkable condition, considering the age of the corpse.
There are no weapons, but there are three rings, a silver wire bracelet, and a circlet of copper with a bright green gemstone around the skeleton’s face. The circlet is in the shape of a simple crown (and was probably on the top of the head, or brow of the deceased but has fallen to cover the eyes of this skull).
Turning his inward seeing eye toward the robe, Sasithorn discovers some valuable information
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"Why, look at this, Diarmal! A relic of your faith, I am fairly certain - and no mere acolyte's smock, either. These are vestments of power...and I imagine they are the sort to prefer to hailing the daylight from the shoulders of a living Drasbian to hiding in a subterranean tomb."
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"Indeed, the light of lady Aisling much prefers action to inaction... and death does tend to slow one down a bit." Diarmal peers into the casket and reaches a hesitant hand towards the body, laying his palm on what used to be the chest of the deceased.
In his native elven, he murmurs a quiet prayer to the gods. "May Lady Aisling see the justice in returning artifacts of her glory to the light of the sun. May the interred rest forever in the heavens in her radiance, knowing the import of their sacrifice here and now. May I, as but a humble servant, do them both great honor with my actions."
Doing his best to avoid disturbing any of the other relics, Diarmal starts to remove the robe.
With extreme care, Diarmal removes the robe from the skeletal remains. He is surprised by the soft, practically new like feel of the threads on his fingers. There is not way to avoid disturbing the corpse completely, but fortunately nothing sudden occurs that would indicate a curse, or other trap is sprung.
When the garment is removed, Diarmal places it over one arm, and then goes about rearranging the remains as respectfully as he can. As he is shifting the pelvic bones to be more naturally aligned with the rest of the body, a small decaying leather bag is revealed below the body.
The bag contains nine small, clear gemstones, which sparkle with a brilliant fire when held up before a light.
Gwernach whistles a long low tune of approval, Nice! Although he notices the aged leather bag and sparkling rocks, the dwarf, surprisingly, is no expert and hands them over to Xor who seems quite adept in the subject of geology.
Xor examines the stones bouncing them in his hand apparently testing their weight.
Seems lke they'd be gud for tossin
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Sasithorn takes a once-over...
...and then a much shrewder double-take.
"You know, Xor, you're not wrong; they'd probably be very good for tossing - assuming you want to risk literally throwing away a bare minimum of 200 per stone every time you swing your arm too hard. These are diamonds. I don't know about you, but I'm game to consider the virtues of having money again."
"Ah, but just imagine how much these would hurt if Xor threw them! Perhaps he could outright crush this portal that's caused so much trouble!" Diarmal is joking, of course. Mostly--they would probably hurt quite a bit.
If your all dun playin dress-up, let's find this portal thingermerbob
Xor will head the other way
As the group stands around the sarcophagus, while Diarmal arranges the vestment over his armor, Sasithorn takes a look at the copper circlet on the skull.
Xor reminds everyone that there is a mission at hand, while Marvin stares to the south.
Nodding to Xor, Gwernach takes up his weapon once more and retraces his steps back to the main chamber. As he passes the three sarcophagi, his eyes fall on the last corridor and the dwarf remembers that this final passage remains unexplored.
'Old on Xor. We've fa'gott'n ta check this way. No sense in leav'n Nigel down 'ere with an unexplor'd section. Should take but a wee bit o'time.
Tossing the light stone in the air one more time for luck, Gwernach gives the rock another toss down the passage, gazing after it half expectantly.
Standing at the beginning of a small passageway, with a noticeable downward sloping floor, which carries a continuous stream of flowing water over its entire width, Gwernach tosses a glowing stone a short distance to the south.
Xor, observes the toss and cannot help but let out with a judgmental
*hmphhh*
As if to suggest that this fellow dwarf obviously doesn’t know the proper way to toss a stone.
The stone lands in the stream of water, but still sheds some light revealing that ahead of the group, to the south, this passageway begins to turn gradually to the right, instead of opening up into a chamber as it looked like before upon casual examination, while it continues downward.
Xor begins traipsing down the hall. Finelee, we are goo'in down
Marvin goes first, hands held securely on their musket in a ready position, his darkvision and senses allowing them to scout the area ahead quickly.
Although not particularly looking forward to getting wet, Gwernach shrugs and follows behind MARVIN and Xor.
Stooping to retrieve the stone, Gwernach presses on to the bend of the passage to glimpse what lays beyond.
Anyone of ya lot gotta pole or somethun, I dunt wanna go swimming
Diarmal unslings his old shortbow from his shoulder and passes it to Xor. Though the Lightning Hand was a lot of bow for him, Diarmal couldn't pass up the honor of using it. "Try this. Should keep you out of the deepest bits."
He stays close to the group, who are all much better adapted to the darkness than himself, with a lighted arrow to guide himself (and just in case).
Xor takes the bow/walking stick and continues probing ahead
As you approach the corner, the turn in the passageway, the sound of splashing water grows louder. Peering around the corner with the light held out hoping to not blunder into a trap, you see an awe inspiring sight.
The passageway turns into a flight of steps, each step is far wider than a normal step being about three feet long, dropping a half foot onto another three foot long platform and then dropping again.
The right side of the steps is solid wall, while the left side opens up into a cavernous chamber. The ceiling height remains the same, but it is obvious that the floor on the left side of the steps is far, far, below.
The water that was flowing down the passageway sows a bit as it navigates the corner, and then spills across the first long step, some of the water follows the steps, tumbling down over and over again as the steps descend, while some of the water flows right over the left side edge of the first step and you hear the sound of water splashing against stone far below.
There is a thick growth of green algae on the steps.
The steps bend in a gentle curve to the left as they descend, and you cannot see the far walls of this cavern, nor the floor below.
"A little help, friends, while Lady Aisling's light shows us what lay beyond..."
Diarmal takes the lighted arrow he's been using as a torch and carefully releases it over the edge to the floor below. Steadying himself on one of his more dark-inclined companions as the only source of light falls away, he waits until it stops before casting light on another arrow and shooting it towards the far wall of the cavern.
Xor will begin moving forward probing ahead on the right side of the cavern
Diarmal releases the lighted arrow and watches it as it disappears into the darkness below. For a moment he begins to wonder if the floor is so far down that he will not hear the arrow hit the bottom, but then, sooner than he expects he hears a faint clatter below
*pah-thunk*
And looking over the edge carefully he can almost make out a faint small spot of light far below.
He isn’t sure he knows exactly how to calculate such a thing, but he guesses the floor is more than a two hundred feet down.
When he notches a second arrow and fires it across the cavern, it too disappears, flying so far away that the light spell cast upon it slowly becomes a small pin of light in the distance as it falls in a normal trajectory.
But then something very peculiar happens. In the distance, at least more than three, maybe four hundred feet way the pin point of light disappears completely and a faint echo is heard
*sploosh*
Suggesting the arrow landed in a sizeable pool of water.
When that is through, Xor moves to the right, staying close to the wall, and begins probing ahead of him on the steps, and considering heading deep, deep, below the moor. Deeper than any of them has ever been before.
From the safety of the wall, Gwernach clears his throat and holds up the illuminated rock he's been tossing around. Hoping the extra light with afford him a better view of what his peers are looking at he makes a dry attempt to whistle, Blime! Thas a wee bit ov'va leap! Are we gonna 'ed down there? There's a bit of nervousness to his voice and much to his dismay he realizes Xor has answered his question with affirmative action. Making a quick sign with his hands to ward off evil spirits, Gwernach inches along the wall behind Xor...but not too close. The next platform behind him might be good. Just in case Xor's platform breaks away or something. One can never be too sure about the damaging affects of water. Is it getting hot in here?
Diarmal takes another step back from the edge, lighting another arrow to use as a lamp (and weapon, should more of the dark-beasts emerge from below). "It is indeed. And, stranger still, it seems there is a good body of water out there. Somewhere in the dark... far below an ancient Drasbian ruin in the moors. This can't all be related to that portal, can it?"
Gwernach shrugs at Diarmal's query then turns to the android, MARV, does this 'ead in tha right direction for tha portal?
As they calculate a response Gwernach adds, No sense play'n in tha dark if it donna lead us clos'r ta portal.
Marvin pause for a moment, quickly attempting to get ahold of the signal again. "My apologies but this unit is unable to answer your querty. The signal cannot be received from this location. Attempts to recapture the signal will have to be done above ground."
They pause yet again, searching their memory banks and datastores for input into a navigational process.
Marvin turns his head from side to side ever so slowly, trying to determine if he can deduce the directions of the compass here, underground, but he cannot.
If memory serves him, though, the last time the signal was detected was from the island above them, and that signal was coming from the south by southwest
"No navigation can be concluded in this area. Last known detection of the signal is from the island above, approximately south-by-southwest. This unit advises tracking the signal from above ground."
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Sasithorn emits a sigh that turns into a nasty high-pitched wheeze. That poison dart has left him feeling like a hollowed-out avocado. Travelling above-ground is just as well - much as he welcomes the darkness down here, he isn't prepared for what might otherwise be an exciting invitation into the unknown, and he needs his mostly day-loving companions to look after him for now.
Why the 'ell did we even come down ere then Xor says as he heads on up
Following behind Xor Gwernach scratches his head, Treasure?
Marvin and Xor lead the group back the way they came, to the central chamber with the three sarcophagi, to the ladder in the northwest corner, and back up to the floor of the ruined temple on the small island in the moors.
Free of the gloomy darkness below ground, the party takes heart from the warmth of the sunshine above and the absence of any rain clouds this day. It is late in the afternoon, the sun is in the middle of the sky to the west, and that means there is only a couple of hours of daylight remaining.
You call out for Nigel, and he calls back, his voice coming from the tower ruin to the south of the temple ruin. You reach the edge of the ruin and look down into the pit of the basement.
Nigel has taken refuge in the ruins of what was once a large round tower, where a door stands closed leading below ground as well. The basement of the ruined tower has a few small places, below tumbled stones that fell into the basement where a person can hide easily, if they don’t mind sitting down in a cramped place. It is also easy to climb out of this ruin, so getting trapped is not likely.
Nigel seems well, tired, and a bit worse for the wear, but his spirits are improving. While you were away he gathered some small branches from the sparse bushes and small trees growing on this island and has made a small camp fire in the tower ruin basement. He sits on a stone near the small fire, and holds a thick wooden limb in one hand. He looks up in your direction and smiles, and then asks,
I don’t suppose anyone has the skill to hunt a rabbit, or maybe catch a fish in the waters of these moors before the sun goes down. I’ve heard that the catfish in these waters are very tasty when roasted to a crispy black.
Marin attempts to recapture the signal now that they are above ground. "Reminder: the gate has remained open and more creatures have likely passed through. It would be wise to consider whether we should rest or press on."
A little embarrassed, the ranger clears his throat and scratches the back of his neck. Umm, Ah'll give it a go. Be right back. Stepping out into the bushes Gwernach begins to look for suitable animal tracks. Although he's never hunted, professional like, he has managed to scrounge up enough to fill his own belly in the past. It had taken him most of the day however and the dwarf remembers there was more to it than just shooting his bow. That was the easy part. Finding a likely target on the other hand was tricky. Whether or not he can pull it off on short notice remains to be seen, but he'll try his best.
"This unit agrees that rest would leave the party in an optimal condition for the closing of the gate."
*Lies down, begins snoring*
"Rest seems wise, given the danger of the foes we face. Willingly facing them in darkness when the break of fresh daylight awaits would be particularly foolish." Diarmal aids Nigel in making the camp more accommodating for their group.
As they lay down to rest, Diarmal lets his mind wander over the strange cavern they'd discovered. What could possibly lie down there? Was it a lost history of his people? And if the gate's strange creatures of darkness and evil were down there in the crypt, was there a countless army even further below feasting on the bones of his ancestors?
Gwernatch moves a safe distance from the raised little mound of land, the small island in these moors, and searches for something that might feed the group. He comes upon a small, strange sort of deer like animal, grazing on some grass on a thin stretch of dry ground in the moor where there are several thick bushes and a few small trees.
Now, Gwernatch, being a dwarf, has never seen this kind of little animal before. There are nothing like these deer in Holdandun, where he is from originally. The deer has strait, short thick horns sweeping back from the back of its head. It is reddish brown in color and has large dark eyes. Its body is thicker than a deer, at least the kinds he is familiar with, and its legs seem short for its body. It looks small, but it is larger than a wild rabbit, and probably weighs twenty to thirty pounds.
He notches and arrow carefully and quietly, and with a sure shot placed high behind the front legs he brings down the animal before it can run away.
When he returns to camp with the game, Nigel, Diarmal, and Marvin had made a safe, cleared campsite in the base of the ruined tower, moving away the rocks that they could handle. Nigel examines the animal, and tells Gwernatch it is a Bakerner's Deer. It is a species imported to this part of the world from Eysturlyn. And hearing this Sasithorn, rises from where he is resting, looks at the deer, and shrugs, knowing what it is immediately
Nigel asks for a long thin knife, if anyone has one, and will begin to build a spit to roast the carcass.
It will be a while before the meat is safe to eat. These wild deer might sometimes have parasites, so it needs to be cooked through and through, but before the night is too late we will have a good meal. Nigel says
Xor rolls over and snorts, when he hears the word Meal, and sits up licking his lips and rubbing his hands together.
Nigel tells Sasithorn the same thing that he told Gwernach, how these small deer have been imported to these lands by sailors visiting from Eysturlun, and me looks puzzled by the strange name the shadowy fellow uses for the animal.
It is a quiet night, and the sky is clear of clouds. The stars are bright above, and there is a good amount of moon light as well.
When the morning arrives dark clouds can be seen far off in the western sky.
Feeling refreshed, Gwernach fishes a little of the left over meat he'd set aside in his satchel from last night for breakfast. Chewing on a strip he comments, A fortu-nat night not ta see any o'those creatures! He tends to the fire, adjusting his small kettle now and then to keep his tea hot, but not scolding.
We shud get a move on, make tha most o'tha daylight.
Marvin nods. "This unit recommends that the group prepare to march directly towards the gate and shut it down, with a high probability of opposition being met in increased numbers. Weapons against these particular shadow creatures should be prepared and healing and support be ready to be utilized." Here, the android nods at Sasithorn who had been inflicted with poison.
Laht's goan fix these beasties once and for all
With the dawn, Diarmal begins his morning prayers before the light of Lady Aisling. With her blessing, he hoped to alleviate some of Sasithorn's lingering injuries.
After his prayers came to a close, he lay a hand on the man and let the light of Aisling flow through him as a divine conduit. "I know this may be uncomfortable for you, Sasithorn, but allow me to share some of Lady Aisling's graces with you. Please hold still for just a moment..."
"Ah. A persistent malady..."