Pharris isn't really concerned when Laithe starts to work at the chest. That all changes when the bottle drops.
Nicholai leans forward eagerly as the lid is forced open.
"What have we,... ACK!"
Fort Save Fort: +1(class) +0(con) -1 (Negative Level)= +0
Kajetan is caught completely unaware and doesn't have time to react or cover his mouth.
As the lid flies open, a fragile glass bottle that was suspended behind the locking mechanism is smashed – it’s a trap! Horrid, sinus burning, gut wrenching fumes are released into the air.
Laithe realises his mistake too late to stop the glass bottle shattering. He drops the sword and pushes back from the chest, attempting to push the others back out of the way of the noxious fumes.
Alton lets out a yelp and raises his arm to cover his nose and mouth as the vapour fills the air, but ends up coughing and choking on the gas
The release of the fumes catches everyone but Nicolai (who somehow manages to avoid breathing any in) by surprise, and you all begin coughing and chocking as the gas seems to burn your nose and throat … then starts making you feel very sick.
Nicholai coughs with the others, but his ever-present lace handkerchief seems to have prevented him from catching the worse of the gas's effects. His coughing slows, and he blinks to see through watery eyes as he tries to check on his companions.
The release of the fumes catches everyone but Nicolai (who somehow manages to avoid breathing any in) by surprise, and you all begin coughing and chocking as the gas seems to burn your nose and throat … then starts making you feel very sick.
Laithe's shove pushes Keildrithe just out of reach of the expanding cloud. The bard shields his mouth and nose as best he can, and tries to pull his coughing companions out of harm's way.
The release of the fumes catches everyone but Nicolai (who somehow manages to avoid breathing any in) by surprise, and you all begin coughing and chocking as the gas seems to burn your nose and throat … then starts making you feel very sick.
Laithe's shove pushes Keildrithe just out of reach of the expanding cloud. The bard shields his mouth and nose as best he can, and tries to pull his coughing companions out of harm's way.
Laithe's shove pushes Keildrithe just out of reach of the expanding cloud. The bard shields his mouth and nose as best he can, and tries to pull his coughing companions out of harm's way.
Laithe allows himself to be dragged clear of the cloud by Keildrithe as he fights the urge to throw up. Once the burn in his nose and throat has diminished somewhat he wheezes out an apology to the others also caught in the gas cloud. Feeling ill and shaky he looks back to the room to see if the gas cloud is dispersing.
The dark, smoky cloud soon disperses, it seems safe to approach the chest.
The following items gleam within: a glossy brown ceramic dish painted with stylised figures of large, antlered humanoids chasing smaller humanoids; an obsidian spearhead; a small sack containing 165 ancient looking, roughly minted gold coins; a saddlebag containing 380 tarnished silver coins of similar providence; a large wooden shield (the size of a heavy shield) that seems unusually light, painted with a faded image of a somewhat deformed looking skull; an object that might be a light mace or a heavy sceptre, constructed of steel with a head shaped like a clawed, scaled hand clenched into a fist; a stoppered clay flask adorned with a rune; a twisted piece of timber about a foot long that tapers to a point; and four ceramic tablets inscribed with odd characters, presumably writing of some kind.
Pharris coughs until the gas is gone and then smiles weakly at the rest, "sorry. We should have guessed the undead would have some more surprises for us. Very tricky of them."
11 normally, -5 for negative level, -4 for 9 constitution = 2!
2 Hit Points maximum![/ooc]
Kajetan goes pale, or paler than normal and coughs so hard that he is sure that a lung is going to come up. He dabs his hand to his mouth to wipe the spittle away and looks ashen faced to see blood. He wipes the blood away on his sleeve and drags him self into the corner where he sits looking like death warmed up. "I do not feel to good," he groans at the others, flashing a wan smile. He closes his eyes to rest for a little while, resting his head back against the cool stone wall.
Pharris puts an arm round his friend, "neither do I, but we have won. Soon we can leave and rest. Don't worry I will not let anything more harm you."
She gives him a light kiss on the side of his forehead.
Pharris coughs until the gas is gone and then smiles weakly at the rest, "sorry. We should have guessed the undead would have some more surprises for us. Very tricky of them."
Pharris, the spear that was wrapped in the old cloth has a definite elven look to it. Nothing else does, particularly.
Oh, and I’m not quite done being evil yet …
Kajatan smiles up again, but looks very sorry for him self. He holds out his hand for the tall elf to help him to his feet and leans heavily against the wall.
The elven maiden shakes her head. "Can't we just rest here. I am sick and tired. Kajetan is the same. No one will bother us now that the warlord is gone."
Nicholai hurries over to Kajetan and looks him over. But whatever basic training he had at the temple seems to elude him in his hour of need. He smiles and pats Kaj's shoulder, but when he stands he looks to Laithe and shrugs helplessly.
"I'm, not sure that's a good idea Pharris. We still haven't accounted for that last witch yet. And if that plug was so good at keeping the warlord down here, well, I don't care much for being stuck! I suggest that we make our way up out of the tomb at least. Then we can rest and recover." He suggests with worried looks at all of those who were affected by both the undead and the gas. He looks, sad, or perhaps angry at himself.
"My fault. I shouldn't have insisted. I had no idea,..." He mutters a curse under his breath and stomps to the archway of the room. He leans on the arch and shakes his head.
"I'm, not sure that's a good idea Pharris. We still haven't accounted for that last witch yet. And if that plug was so good at keeping the warlord down here, well, I don't care much for being stuck! I suggest that we make our way up out of the tomb at least. Then we can rest and recover." He suggests with worried looks at all of those who were affected by both the undead and the gas. He looks, sad, or perhaps angry at himself.
"My fault. I shouldn't have insisted. I had no idea,..." He mutters a curse under his breath and stomps to the archway of the room. He leans on the arch and shakes his head.
The sight of soul-scarred Pharris and Kajetan weighs heavily on Keildrithe. He does pay the slightest attention to the treasure trove that was found in the chest. He kneels between them, trying to better assess their respective conditions.
"Don't beat yourself up over this, Nicolai... we all agreed of our own free will to come down here. What's done is done. We should feel fortunate that we can live and learn... and trust me, this tale will be told and told yet again. But I agree... we should get out of here as soon as possible, lest we become the next permanent residents.
"Pharris, Kaj, can you walk on your own?"
Keildrithe, you realise that the gas that has affected you all is a poison (probably a much degraded or diluted version of the deadly (often fatal) Burnt Othur Fumes ... and that it may still be working in the systems of those affected ... a skilled healer might be able to do something to ease the pain people might be experiencing for the next few minutes, or else some sort of anti-toxin might still have some effect at this point.
"Yes, I can walk. If we leave here and those soldiers have come back, then I will fall....quickly. The fight is over here, I am poisoned, Kajetan is too. Can't we just rest a while until we feel better. I don't care about that witch, I just need to have some food, sit, even sleep and then travel on. That witch will not take us on after what we need."
Pharris looks around briefly, "can't we barricade a room anyway."
"Pharris, Kaj, can you walk on your own?"
Kajetan nods and pushes himself away from the wall but then starts coughing heavily, collapsing back against it "I can still feel it burning my lungs," he groans as he fumbles in his back pack, retrieving a vial*. His shaky hands undo the corked stopper and he tries to gulp as much of the liquid down between coughs as he can.
Nicholai turns, his self-pity over and obviously concerned about his friends. Kajetan he expected to be hit hard, but if Pharris is talking of not even wanting to leave the room,...
He quickly makes his way back to the others, his brow furrowed. He takes another, longer look at them, then makes a simple gesture of warding, or perhaps blessing and murmurs softly. He then touches Kajetan on the shoulder. There is a brief, faint surge of energy, and Kajetan feels a slight tingle (Not unpleasant, just there) spread from his shoulder through his body. Nicholai then makes his way through the group, repeating the same gesture and touch to all.
"I'm sorry, I'm no healer, but that might help a little. It's the best I can do." He says softly, his tone soft and serious.
Nicholai takes off his pack and begins unpacking his lantern.
"I'm not sure I will be able to provide much more magical light after that." He says by way of explanation. He shrugs and grins in a semblance of his usual self. "Who doesn't love gathering with friends by firelight?" He quips halfheartedly.
"Burnt Othur... terrible stuff... and I hate to say it, but the worst may be yet to come." As Laithe tends to Kajetan and Nicolai casts his spells, Keildrithe does what he can to aid Pharris. He kneels and looks her deep in the eyes as his own eyes begin to tear up, and whispers:"Whatever you do, don't leave us... don't leave... me..." After a moment's hesitation, he leans forward and plants a soft kiss on her forehead. "If you lay down straight and keep an even breathing rythm, your body should have an easier time dispersing the poison... if I recall correctly what grandfather once told me... But you have to help yourself, Cympharrisong... don't give in... We've come this far and defeated the unliving, I won't let you go now..."
Alton sits back against the wall, breathing hard and trying to cough up the foul taste in his throat. He thanks Laithe and Nicolai for their aid, when he feeks his stomach start to turn.
Pharris grins faintly at Keildrithe and his tender ministrations. Her eyes go catlike and she chuckles, "you want me to lie down and not do anything while you look over me. Shame on you, cough, cough"
Fort: +1(class) -1(con) -1 (Negative Level) +1 (Alchemical restorative) = +0
Nice time to roll a natural 20.
The pain begins to subside ... it seems that the worst the fumes had to offer is over.
As the worst of the poison passes, Laithe rises wearily to his feet once more.
"Though we all need rest, I recommend we return to the upper levels of this tomb. I would hate to consider what would happen if someone somehow moved the plug back into place." He begins helping the others to their feet.
Keildrithe nods in agreement with Laithe and extends a hand to Pharris, ready to pull her up.
Nicholai looks relieved when the others start looking like their old selves. He looks positively ecstatic at Laithe's words.
"Exactly. Come on Pharris, er, Kaj, I'll give you a hand." He hastily amends when he sees that Keildrithe is already assisting the elf maid. He helps the younger wizard to his feet and nods to Laithe. He holds up his single glowing coin to illuminate the way.
Nicholai looks relieved when the others start looking like their old selves. He looks positively ecstatic at Laithe's words.
"Exactly. Come on Pharris, er, Kaj, I'll give you a hand." He hastily amends when he sees that Keildrithe is already assisting the elf maid. He helps the younger wizard to his feet and nods to Laithe. He holds up his single glowing coin to illuminate the way.
"Come Alton" Laithe says, offering the weary halfling his hand.
Once everyone is up, Laithe leads the way back through to the cone shaped room.
"I'll go first" he offers, aware that the consort may be lying in wait up above.
Nicholai covers Laithe with his crossbow as the druid begins to climb. He summons his power in the back of his mind, keeping it ready in case he needs it.
Nicholai covers Laithe with his crossbow as the druid begins to climb. He summons his power in the back of his mind, keeping it ready in case he needs it.
"Nicolai, do you have any magic that would help the wounded reach the top without needing to climb the rope"?
Pharris dumbly follows the others, the light gone from her eyes in defeated acceptance. She barely acknowledges the help that everyone is trying to provide.
Laithe leads the way back to the cone shaped room. All appears as it was ... the rope still hangs down through the aperture above, and the plug has not been pushed back to cover that hole. Looking up, Laithe and Nicolai can neither see nor hear anything untoward.
Kajetan follows the others, wheezing and coughing quietly as he does, he dabs a spot of blood from his lips with his handkerchief ever so often. he watches with trembling fear or excitement as the others decide who sho head up the hole first.
Pharris eventually drags her bow off her shoulder and notches is an arrow to cover whoever climbs first.
"I'm ready."
Alton trails the others back into the room, some of the tension of the recent fight returning as he peers up at the hole to the floor above, a feeling of foreboding once again filling his chest.
‘Will the disc support both me and Laithe? I don’t weigh so much’ The Halfling says with a small smile.
‘If not perhaps I can climb the rope up at the same time, in case the creature lurks above.’