Nicholai looks out at the woods longingly. "I' have some travel rations, enough for all of us for a couple of days if needs be. While I'm certain that fresh food would be appreciated, we should probably keep it to foraging, as I don't see us getting much of a fire going down below to cook with. If you want to see what is available, I can have Wij' assist you. Although he's better with rabbits than berries!" The dandy says with a smile.
"Be careful about leaving tracks though. We don't want our 'friends' to realize that we are still here and come down looking for us! I can stand watch if you'd like, as I am more likely to pick up something poisonous rather than edible." He adds wryly.
Alton, looking worn and tired, and speaking in a strained voice addresses those still below.
'We should probably think about posting a guard outside of the trap door while where resting down here, Im certain Vorn wont give up the chase, and this is where they will head to pick up our trail again. I really dont fancy them realising where here and trapping us. All they'd have to do is wait until we run out of food... I dont like the thought of making a sally through that trapdoor.'
Nicholai looks out at the woods longingly. "I' have some travel rations, enough for all of us for a couple of days if needs be. While I'm certain that fresh food would be appreciated, we should probably keep it to foraging, as I don't see us getting much of a fire going down below to cook with. If you want to see what is available, I can have Wij' assist you. Although he's better with rabbits than berries!" The dandy says with a smile.
"Be careful about leaving tracks though. We don't want our 'friends' to realize that we are still here and come down looking for us! I can stand watch if you'd like, as I am more likely to pick up something poisonous rather than edible." He adds wryly.
"I will" Laithe promises. "Stay here out of sight and send Wij to find me if you spot any trouble. I will not take too long".
He moves off swiftly down the hill, searching for roots and berries and fruit to augment the rations carried by Nicolai.
Pharris listens to the words of Kajetan and smiles a bit at the boy's vaunted ambitions.
"Your eyes don't look so very different to me. I would have liked to have your father, he must have travelled far and wide with those exotic spices, such rarities that even an elven woman would be interested, especially a master culinaire. While I have no interest in your book, I will help you where I can."
cough, cough
Laithe, it is lovely, if chilly day. A short distance from the hill you are able to find various edible roots, mushrooms, herbs and berries. You collect them in peace, and return to the lonely hill and its guard of standing (and some fallen) stones.
Laithe, it is lovely, if chilly day. A short distance from the hill you are able to find various edible roots, mushrooms, herbs and berries. You collect them in peace, and return to the lonely hill and its guard of standing (and some fallen) stones.
Arriving back at the hilltop, Laithe hails Nicolai. "Let's head back down below and have something to eat and perhaps some rest." Meeting up with the others in the throne room, he distributes the food as evenly as possible.
"It is not much, but is good wholesome food and will hopefully restore some strength." He sits down and takes some food himself. Feeling somewhat bolstered by the sustenance, he rises once more.
"We may as well rest here. If we move the plug back into place, and then post a guard by the door then I guess it is as good a spot as any to stop. There is no sign of Vorn above, so it is entirely possible he has returned to the city to regroup. In which case we should have some time before he returns if that is his intention".
Laithe sets about pushing the plug back into place, taking his time and working it slowly back till it drops into the hole. He then organises an order of watch and settles down to commune with Ehlonna and eventually to rest.
Kajetan adds the berries and mushrooms to the meagre collection of trail rations, he smiles up weakly at the others as he picks at the food. He then collapses on his side hoping to sleep, but despite the waves of fatigue, the pain in his chest, the numbness of the undeath touch and the gnawing doubt in his head that something bad is going to happen prevent him having a good nights sleep. He tosses and turns, mumbling and jumping at unknown terrors once he finally does pass into the dream world.
Pharris makes the last step up into the basement with the others, her legs and arms shaking.
"I need to rest, and then I'll be able to watch. Four hours meditation and let's hope the worst of this evil coldness will pass." She looks around hopefully then drifts back to sleep.
Laithe sits and spends some time in silence, eyes closed in communion with nature. He asks Ehlonna for magic that will help heal some of the many wounds sustained by the party during the day.
Once complete, he spends another 10 minutes chanting a soothing mantra over and over in his native tongue.
Let the wind blow away your worries,
the water clense your wounds,
the earth lend you strength
and the fire to forge anew
At the end of the casting he rises and walks over to where Kajetan rests uneasily, touching him gently on the forehead careful not to disturb him. He then repeats the process with Pharris, Alton and Keildrithe. Once done he settles down to take his watch and then to rest.
Keildrithe looks in disbelief from the edge of the tower basement back into the throne room below. "I can't believe we're actually going to spend the next hours 'resting' in this accursed dungeon," he mutters to himself. I'd rather take my chances with the living..."
Then, looking back at his drained and weary companions, he sighs with resignation. "But since it seems to be the consensus that we stay down here, then so be it... I will stand guard double shift, my friends, as I was fortunate enough to remain unharmed throughout our recent ordeal. I only have little power left in my words, but that is something we can do without...
"Pharris, Alton, Kaj, and you, my brother, require far more rest than I. And Nicolai, you need to recharge your reserves of arcane energies if you are to aid to be at your best against the next wave of foes, be they living or dead... I fear that we shall be confronted by them sooner rather than later... So leave the watch to me..."
The bard plants the butt of the enchanted javelin firmly on the ground as he speaks those last words, and places one hand on the hilt of his grandfather's still-sheathed blade...
NIcholai looks as if he might argue with teh bard, but (perhaps wisely) holds his tongue and gives a small bow to the bard instead.
"I am also fortunate enough to have escaped injury during the fracas, although you are quite correct about my ability to summon magic. I am, not exhausted, but very near the end of my reserves. I shall rest. But then I shall take my watch so that you may do the same. I have no doubt that your silver tongue shall prove more useful than my ability to conjure destruction!" He says with a small grin.
The dandy then unrolls his sleeping bag and collapses gratefully onto it. It is a sign of his weariness that he didn't even remove his ascot first.
"Pharris, Alton, Kaj, and you, my brother, require far more rest than I. And Nicolai, you need to recharge your reserves of arcane energies if you are to aid to be at your best against the next wave of foes, be they living or dead... I fear that we shall be confronted by them sooner rather than later... So leave the watch to me..."
The bard plants the butt of the enchanted javelin firmly on the ground as he speaks those last words, and places one hand on the hilt of his grandfather's still-sheathed blade...
Laithe accepts Keildrithe's offer with a nod of appreciation and respect, knowing how much the bard disdains their continued presence in the Cairn. He lies down and falls quickly to sleep.
Pharris keeps her sword close and starts dreaming of running through the woods barefoot and scantily clad.
"Thanks, Laithe," she murmurs.
Laithe sits and spends some time in silence, eyes closed in communion with nature. He asks Ehlonna for magic that will help heal some of the many wounds sustained by the party during the day.
Once complete, he spends another 10 minutes chanting a soothing mantra over and over in his native tongue.
Let the wind blow away your worries,
the water clense your wounds,
the earth lend you strength
and the fire to forge anew
Keildrithe nods in silent appreciation as Laithe recites his mantra, the bard likely the only one who can understand the actual words being spoken in Karandic.
"May Ehlonna grant force to those words, brother," murmurs Keildrithe afterwards. His voice now sounds tired and strained, almost raspy.
Laithe falls into a deep sleep. In his dreams he walks through a beautiful forest, green and full of life. He breaths deeply of the earthy scent of the damp ground, mixed with the sweet fragrances of ripened fruits and blossuming bushes. Yet something sullies the smell slightly, something stale, a trace of death. Looking for the source of the smell, he catches flittering glimpses of shadows at the edge of his vision, gone whenever he attempts to focus on them. Listening he detects a discordant whispering accompanying the gentle rustlings of forest creatures going about their business. He cannot make out what the whispering is daying, for it is spoken in a language he does not understand. He calls out, challenging the owner of the voice to come force and face him. Nothing reveals itself, and the whispering continues. Suddenly exhausted, he lies down to sleep, but the forest does not offer the usual comfort or feeling of safety it would afford.
Surrounded by the cold darkness of the tomb, the group settles into rest, with stalwart Keildrithe taking first watch.
Even to those tired to the bone – both in body and spirit – it is difficult to find restful sleep down in this cold, dank, dark throne room of a long dead barbarian king. The stone floor is, well, as cold and hard as stone even beneath your bed rolls, without a fire it is deathly cold and pitch black once Nicolai’s light spell fades … for your sentries to see anything at all you must expend magic or resources to provide artificial light throughout the rest period … or sit, paranoid, with ears straining, in the dark …
After a while, one’s eyes and ears begin to play tricks. Is that a shadowy form, lurking in the yawning doorway? Was that a disembodied hand scuttling along the floor? Is there a faint whisper coming from the room with the plug?
For those who sleep it is perhaps worse. This is a place of long dead dreams, and those dreams plague you. Nightmare shadows of the real nightmares you have faced this day, interspersed with vague images of black wings and looming, faceless warriors riding forward on silent, evil looking horses.
Despite all this, time moves on, and although it is difficult for any of you to judge how much time has passed, eventually the last person – Kajetan – is woken for his watch. He huddles by a flickering torch, studying his spellbook as Pharris, who in the manner of the elves has had all the sleep she needed hours before, stands watch at his shoulder. Although none of you have rested perhaps well enough, you judge that ten hours or more have passed, and you have perhaps rested as well as you can in this place. Thankfully, there has been no attack or obvious danger in this time.
Alton:
Constitution Check: 1d20-2 (-1 for con and -1 for negative level as it applies to ability checks as well)
Kajetan sits there shivering and tired, the words on the page of his spell book swim in and out of his vision. He mutters to himself, half in anger and half in worry as he fails to recall the correct pronunciation of some of the magic glyphs. A coughing spasm over takes him and he dabs more blood from his lips with his now well blood stained handkerchief.
Fortitude Save DC-15 1d20-1 (Fort: +1(class) -1(con) -1(Negative Level))
A sudden wave of nausea overcomes the young mage and he keels over on his side retching, he remains lying on his side, a sheen of sweet covering his skin as the black tendrils from the undead warlords sword blow creep up his neck and slowly spread along the right side of his face like the insidious probing tentacles of some unnamed horror of the deep. The blackness finally reaches the corner of his eye and the white of the eye suddenly fills with blackness almost as if ink had been poured into a glass of milk. "oh god, let me die," Kajetan sobs, as another bout of nausea causes him to vomit up more stomach bile.
NIcholai gets up slowly, dark circles under his eyes, his eyes haunted by memories of dark dreams. HE looks as if he could use another nights sleep. But does not seem eager to return to that fitful slumber. He turns slowly in response to Kaj's coughing fit. Blinking slowly, he finally realizes that all is not well, and half-stumbles over to the small wizard's side.
"Kaj? You alright? Kaj? Laithe! A little help here!" The dandy cries sluggishly.
Kajetan is feeling and looking very sorry for him self, vomit plasters his hair to the side of his face and covers his robes, while the blackness under his skin looks more livid and pronouced, like an angry bruise is developing.
The young mage looks up feebly as Nicolai reaches his side, "I can feel it in my head, leaching part of me away and filling it with a void," he trembles, a few black oily tears falling from his ebony right eye. "I'm scared," he whispers.
Nicholai comes thoroughly awake, (although he still looks like h@!!.) And focuses on Kajetan with almost fervent concentration. He takes in the spreading dark stain and the dark eye, and reaches up instinctively towards Kajetan's face to cast a spell. He pauses at the last minute, and looks to Laithe.
"That charm I used yesterday, will it help now? Or is it too late?" He whispers to the druid.
He looks at Kaj with a small grin of disbelief.
"You Kaj? Scared? I find that hard to believe!" The dandy says with all sincerity.
"You ARE the same Kajetan that went toe-to-toe with an ancient undead warrior with nothing but a spell between you and a soul-sucking broadsword aren't you? I think the only ones 'afraid' are are going to be the other undead. Once the tale gets out about 'Kajetan Shade-Slapper' we won't be able to find an undead to fight once they see you coming!" Nicholai says, shaking his head in mock despair. "How the rest of us mere mortals will ever get any ladies when we have to compete with THAT is beyond me!" He says sadly, trying to hide a grin.
"You'll be fine Kaj. You'll see." Nicholai says, gently grabbing the slight wizard's shoulder in firm grip. And a swift glance at the others that defies them to say differently.
Kajetan tries a faint smile, but he doesn't look any where near as certain of a good outcome as Nicolai does. "maybe it is just like a hangover and it always seems worse at the time," he whispers. "Thank you my friend," he replies, grasping the sorcerer's arm back lightly.
Alton stands, looking much stronger than he did the previous night, despite a less than restful sleep.
'I think its this place more than anything Kaj, its getting us all down. May not have been the best idea to camp down here.'
Alton stretches and rubs his back stiffly.
'I for one would like to get out of this place as soon as possible. So are we exploring further down here, or heading up to the surface. It seems that we have vanquished the source of evil here, and found the main catch of treasure too! Is it worth our time exploring the rest of this place?'
Nicholai gives the wizard a small grin.
"So, you are an expert on hangovers too! I would never have suspected!" He tells Kajetan softly. "Don't worry, Your secret is safe with me!" he whispers conspiratorially. Then offers the slender mage an arm to to help him stand.
The dandy looks to Alton and nods.
"I agree Master Alton, I believe that we have found the source of at least most of the trouble here in the tomb below. But since we are here, I would hate to leave and miss another evil or clue. Or treasure." He says with only a small smirk.
"After all of the trouble these undead have caused us, I feel it is only fair that they should be given every opportunity to repay us by financing our noble quests with their own ill-gotten gains!" He declares theatrically, posing nobly with one hand over his heart.
Pharris tries hard to maintain her focus and meditative sleep, huddled in the corner fitful and moaning, the elf girl struggles to rest at all. Eventually she gives up and tired and washed out, her veins still black and awful in places Pharris keeps station.
Then as Kajetan begins to regain control, Pharris collapses in a heap, shaking and rattling, black poison drips from her eye ducts and nostrils. Gobs of evil darkness bubble from her ears mixed with her blood. Pharris lets out a fearful scream which quickly turns into coughing and spluttering as the elf maiden voids her stomach.
When she finally moves her head off the floor, her right eye is as black as Kajetan's. But she blinks and none the wiser adds with a faint smile, "well I'm glad that is over."
Abandoning his pose, Nicholai hurries over towards Pharris as she also begins to cough,... Along with the others he helps her to sit back up.
The dandy smiles at her brave words, but only manages to respond softly, "Me too!"
As everyone struggles to their feet, he turns his head towards the dark corner away from his lamp. His shoulders shake, once. Then square as if set in stone.
Without thinking Pharris stares at Kajetan, "your eye, what has happened to it? Its all black like a deep well."
Laithe sleeps despite the discomfort, but is awakened by a growing sickness in the depth of his stomach. He grits his teeth against the pain and the urge to vomit and is unable to answer Nicolai's question as both Kajetan and Pharris experience the same pain.
Once it passes he feels cold and empty, and he rises to his feet doing his best to disguise his shakiness.
"Though I loathe to spend another second in this place, we should finish what we've started and ensure that this place can do no more harm to those who may stumble across it in future."
Nicholai straightens and nods, once more offering his hand to help up those who need it.
"Agreed Laithe." He responds simply, unlike his usual verbose self.
"ALton, Keildrithe, I trust your eyes better than mine down here. Give me a moment to enchant a couple of coins, and lead the way would you? I would be done and quit of this place." The dandy says with grim attempt at his usual cheerfulness.
He makes a simple gesture over a couple of copper coins, and then hands one to Keildrithe, keeping the other for himself. He blows out and packs up his lantern and readies his crossbow. He glances at Pharris, and Kajetan, and looks if he might say something,... Then swallows and nods his readiness.
"After you!" He says to Keildrithe and Alton after a brief pause. "Let us ensure that no patch of darkness here remains untouched by light one last time! And then return to the golden glow of sunlight ourselves with all due haste!" He proclaims with a wink. It is obvious to all that he is troubled.
Alton groans with mock dismay, desperately trying to get a smile out of his companions. ‘I figured that would be the consensus. You lot always gotta go be all heroic and noble.’ He smiles weakly, worried about the state of his friends. I’ve never seen everyone looking so defeated before.
Taking the glowing coin from Nicholaiin one hand, Alton pulls out his trusty dagger with the other and leads the way toward the room with the pile of skulls
Stoping at the edge of the room, he holds the coin above his head and peers in, hoping to spot any dangers that may lurk within.
The as-yet unexplored portion of this tomb lies beyond the circular chamber where the stinking, rotting remains of the many-mouthed, gibbering creature now lie. From that chamber a passage leads roughly eastward (a slight curve to it) before ending at the chamber Alton mentioned with the skulls. Twenty feet or so before the skull chamber another (as yet unexplored) passage leads south (ramping upwards slightly as it goes).
The ‘skull chamber’ is somewhat oval in shape, about twenty feet deep by thirty feet long, with walls formed of smooth, seamless rock. Four crudely carved sculpted frescoes protrude from the walls, depicting small, vaguely humanoid figures. They are spaced about ten feet apart in a semicircle along the far wall.
The bones of countless animals lie along the base of this same curved wall, with the skulls of hundreds of wolves, bears, hedgehogs, horses and boars formed into several five foot tall piles along the wall. Something gleams in the glow of Alton’s light coin inside one of the hedgehog skulls, but the halfling cannot make out what it is from here.
Kajetan is too shocked by the sight of Pharris and her black eye to react to the question, or growing realisation that he also has one. He lies his head against the cold stone floor, hoping to ease the fever.
After a while he slowly sits up and tries his best to clean some of the blood and sick of his robes before he returns to his spell book. The only nose he makes is the sound of his coughing as he soundlessly mouths the words to incantations. Suddenly he slams the book shut and roughly wraps it in the oil skin before stuffing it into his back pack.
As the agreement to leave is reached, it takes several minutes for him to find his feet, but he follows, bringing up the rear of the party, a foul look on his face and deep furrows crossing his brow.
He leans heavily against the wall at the T-junction, keeping guard as the others inspect the skull chamber.
Nicholai smiles wanly at Alton's attempt at humor.
"Yes, well. Everyone has to have a hobby!" He responds in a similar vein.
He follows the warriors with his crossbow ready. He peers up the side tunnel with his glowing coin as Alton attempts to examine the room with the piles of refuse and skulls.
As the agreement to leave is reached, it takes several minutes for him to find his feet, but he follows, bringing up the rear of the party, a foul look on his face and deep furrows crossing his brow.
He leans heavily against the wall at the T-junction, keeping guard as the others inspect the skull chamber.
Laithe moves over and helps Kajetan to his feet. His own eyes have traces of black as he sees in the eyes of the scholar. As they make their way slowly out of the throne room, he recalls a lesson from his past, speaking loudly enough for the whole group to hear.
"When I was a child, a great fire swept through a beautiful tract of land where my people had stopped for some time. It was a windy summer day, and the flames were fierce. We managed to escape by fleeing to a wide river nearby, but much of our possessions were lost."
"Once the flames had passed and the ground had cooled, we walked back through the once lush forest. Before me all was black and dead; I saw the blackened skeletons of once proud and strong trees, and the smoking bones of countless forest creatures. It seemed to me that the once beautiful place would be forever more a barren desert. My mother had smiled and assured me all would be well, but I could not see how that was possible."
"A few years later, our family returned to that stretch of land and I was astounded to find it beautiful once more. Scars from the fire remained, but the forest was once more green and lush; the trees had sprouted new leaves, the birds and animals had returned."
"You may feel terrible now, and I share your pain, feeling empty and dead inside myself. But we have escaped death, and so now have the opportunity to grow strong again. We will carry scars from our latest ordeal but it will not take long for us to be strong once more."
Nicholai smiles wanly at Alton's attempt at humor.
"Yes, well. Everyone has to have a hobby!" He responds in a similar vein.
He follows the warriors with his crossbow ready. He peers up the side tunnel with his glowing coin as Alton attempts to examine the room with the piles of refuse and skulls.
As Alton approaches the room filled with bones, Laithe leaves Kajetan's side with a comforting pat on the back. He strides up to Alton's side, peering into the room.
Nicolai notices that the south passage seems to run very straight, whereas most of the other tunnels in this place twist, turn and curve. The passage is paved with large stone slabs, and ramps upwards to the south.
Laithe visually examines the room. The thing that sparkles inside one of the hedgehog skulls appears to be some sort of gem encrusted necklace stuffed inside the skull. Examining the walls and ceiling of the chamber, Laithe can see no tool marks to indicate how the chamber was carved from the solid rock – perhaps it was formed by magic?
Nicholai starts open his mouth at Laithe's words. But, in a rare moment of wisdom, shuts it instead and simply nods in mute appreciation to the nature priest.
After a moment, he clears his throat, gesturing up the straight side tunnel to the south.
"I think this is the first and only straight tunnel in this place. Every other tunnel seems to twist and turn like the mind of a moneylender!" HE smirks.
"SO there must be something different about it. Shall we check it out? Carefully?"
Nicholai starts open his mouth at Laithe's words. But, in a rare moment of wisdom, shuts it instead and simply nods in mute appreciation to the nature priest.
After a moment, he clears his throat, gesturing up the straight side tunnel to the south.
"I think this is the first and only straight tunnel in this place. Every other tunnel seems to twist and turn like the mind of a moneylender!" HE smirks.
"SO there must be something different about it. Shall we check it out? Carefully?"
"I am far from an expert on man-made buildings and tunnels," Laithe says, smiling "but the fact that the tunnel is straight and slopes upwards might indicate it is the original entrance to the tomb? The tower on top of the hill was built far later than the cairn and was unlikely to be the entrance to the cairn when it was in use. Perhaps we should check out this room first before heading that way? I see a necklace or something inside one of the skulls."
He peers into the room once more "I'm a little concerned about the chamber though - it seems that it has been crafted by magic, and I cannot fathom the reason for housing all these animal bones - except perhaps as some sort of trap."
NIcholai nods again, and after one last glance up the straight tunnel, moves to join Laithe and Alton at the entrance to the 'skull chamber'.
"Well, I am no master of underground construction myself. This could just as easily be formed by magic as by dwarves for all I can tell." Nicholai whispers with his more traditional small smirk in place.
"However, the pile of skulls is easier to interpret. Possibly. They could simply be the remains of past victims, artistically piled. Or perhaps a monument, or even an altar." The dandy shrugs noncommittally.
"However, the tempting gleam of treasure is BIT too obvious. Perhaps a more cautious approach than actually touching it bare-handed?" He asks softly, holding up his crossbow in suggestion,...
NIcholai nods again, and after one last glance up the straight tunnel, moves to join Laithe and Alton at the entrance to the 'skull chamber'.
"Well, I am no master of underground construction myself. This could just as easily be formed by magic as by dwarves for all I can tell." Nicholai whispers with his more traditional small smirk in place.
"However, the pile of skulls is easier to interpret. Possibly. They could simply be the remains of past victims, artistically piled. Or perhaps a monument, or even an altar." The dandy shrugs noncommittally.
"However, the tempting gleam of treasure is BIT too obvious. Perhaps a more cautious approach than actually touching it bare-handed?" He asks softly, holding up his crossbow in suggestion,...
Laithe shrugs, happy for Nicolai to give it a try. He moves to one side to better allow the flamboyant sorcerer to get a good angle at the skull.
Nicolai takes careful aim and shoots at the eye socket of the hedgehog skull atop one of the piles of bones. Although he’s not quite a good enough shot to hit it straight in the eye, the bolt does hit the skull, causing it to crack and knocking it off the pile. It’s broken remains tumble down to the floor ... and as they do, they begin to glow with an amber light.
Suddenly, the entire ceiling of the chamber wobbles then collapses in an enormous cascade of wet mud followed by loose stones and earth that buries the chamber and spills out into the corridor.
Kajetan lets out a muffled yelp of surprise which is drowned out by the avalanche of mud, he can not quite grasp what has happened or where his companions have gone. He stands there blinking in the half light not sure what to do.