Once in Absalom, Ferod's first stop is not a shop, but a library/records hall. While Taldor may have done its best to remove all record of the family. That action would not have traveled much beyond the borders of Taldor. Let's see if we can't learn more about the family, and that necropolis.
"So should we wait for Mr Coulserk's return or do some scouting before he gets back?"
Ferod - It takes you much of the day, and the assistance of several of the Society's best librarians before you piece together confirmations of all the worst rumors you've been told by Dellum, with the notable exception of a setup or framing. Two obvious possibilities exist. One, Dellum is grasping at straws in an effort to tie himself to Taldan Nobility, thus legitimizing a grab at a title of his own. This would be a lucrative outcome for a powerful merchant who didn't quite have the stuff of nobility in and of himself. Secondly, Dellum could be lying outright and doesn't believe he is related at all, though why he would do this is a mystery.
As Ferod studies in the library, Rathis restocks his supplies, buying an ounce of stone salve, as well as several flasks of acid.
Finishing his meal and drinking, Corso will rent all of the rooms in the inn and then hand out keys to both Omar and Valeria before retiring to his room
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"Well thanks. " he says when handed the key. Well nobles will be nobles, gotta flash the coin. and he will spend a bit more time in his cups before heading up to get some sleep. He's a touch paranoid so he will sleep in his armor with his bow handy and place mundane alarm traps on his door and window.
"Thanks for the Room, Corso."
The night passes without incident. You wake to the smell of freshly frying sausage and there is a crisp bite to the air that comes from being so close to the mountains. The bar has filled out all the stops they have, which isn't much, but still, they try. Mountain nuts and some fruit are set out and fresh juices are available in addition to the usual beers and ales. The girls are both up and greet you cheerily as you emerge. The heat from the fire downstairs mingles with the morning chill and the smell of breakfast to create a comfortable yet invigorating setting.
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Omar will partake of the morning repast at the bar perched on a stool. "Good eats ma'am. " he will gruffly add as a compliment.
when the others come in
"Hope those preppers are back soon. I'd like to get this task started. Nothing wrong with this Inn, but I prefer either to be working remotely or a proper urban setting. "
Stretching Languidly, Corso moves down the stairs and partakes of breakfast, piling a plate high with everything proffered. Noticeably, he does not drink any alcohol. "I wonder what time the group that went to Absalom will be back?" he says to no one in particular.
Rathis wakes with a gasp, the bloated, blackened corpse floating still in his vision. Shaking his head to clear the nightmare away, he reaches for his vial, gulping the elixir down. As he does every morning, he sighs with relief as the magic takes effect, feeling the numbing fog descend on him even as his features become more bestial.
Gathering himself, he awaits Ferod and a return trip to the inn.
Val wakes up, does some calisthenics while in her room,
gets dressed, and leaves the room for the Dinning area.
"Morning, Gentleman.
Since Ferod, will be back sometime I figure around in the evening
I think we should relax a bit and also plan things out a bit."
While sitting and having some green tea.
"We could come up with a basic marching orders as we don't know how wide the passages are.
Given our group of 5, we could use a bull horn provided the passages get to be 15ft wide. Though odds are the passages are either 10ft or 5ft wide.
We should choose who'll be in front, who'll be in the back and who is in the middle."
"Though to come up with the best answer we should all know who can do what, this may also lead to synergistic techniques."
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"Ok, I'm straightforward enough in my skills. I am good at range, and can find or remove traps of whatever variety. I am also a capable scout. I don't cast spells. Given my abilities, I should either be scouting ahead, though I often find that to be of limited utility and regularly very deadly for the scout, or in the middle so I can engage in any direction at range. I do not have the ability to just wonder about and find traps without looking for them, so keep that in mind. One more thing, this is an old Taldan tomb, I would expect a lot of traps.
"We should be able to quickly the formation based on the needs of the moment."
"I should probably take point, because, no offense to anyone, I'm probably tougher than any of our other compatriots. I'm not great at dealing with multiple targets, so I will usually focus on the biggest threat and keep him engaged with me. When it comes to traps, we should probably have the most skilled person at finding them directly behind me. I'll keep them safe, and they can safeguard our group by dealing with any traps we might find."
You set out and travel north east about 35 miles. The terrain gets rougher as you go, and the journey takes you the rest of the day plus the morning after. The sun is up and shining when you arrive. It's a beautiful day to rob a tomb.
The necropolis itself sits in a hidden dale in the foothills of the World’s Edge Mountains, surrounded by a 15-foot-high wall made of tightly fitted gray stone blocks. Wider sections resembling castle watchtowers are spaced along the wall. Spaced equally around the wall between these towers are 10-foot- diameter iron discs decorated with the leering medusa face of the Adella family crest. Sturdy vines make for easy climbing (DC 5)
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He will shimmy back down and report.
"It looks like a ruin, which is no shock. I didn't see anything moving in there, so no apparent threats. We might as well head over the wall, get into formation and explore it methodically. "The climb is quite easy, so I don't think we need to spend any resources on getting over the wall.
Ferod had followed along with the others, riding his phantom steed. Why walk when you can ride.
At the wall, he casts detect magic and looks at the wall again, especially the large iron disks. Though he also looks at the wall and towers.
If nothing presented as magical, he walks his steed up into the air as Omar climbs the wall. Confirming for himself what the necropolis looks like, he returns to the rest of the group.
Does anyone else find it interesting that nobody knew about such a large facility just laying here out in the open?
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"I do admit it is a touch odd that someone so obvious wouldn't have already been thoroughly looted by now. I imagine an artifact of the reputed power of Infensus Mucro coming on the market would have become well known in the circles I frequent, and it has not. There likely is something a bit more sneaky going on here. "
"Now anyone can climb the wall, so what is this Baton For?
Odds are it's a key of some kind."
Ferod nods at the iron disk, looks like a keyhole here.
Waving a hand along the wall he adds, If you have the means, check the place out in the aether, it's radiating some pretty strong transmutational auras.
"We're hardly in well-traveled area. It's possible people may simply be unaware of this place. After all, none of us have been here until now, and there seems little reason to come if not for this tomb."
"It's probably some sort of magical shenanigans. Wizards do stuff like that all the time. Then again, it might just be ruins on the top and we might have to make our way inside to go underground."
In for a penny... Ferod slides the rod into the iron medusa's mouth.
The baton easily slides into the slot with a metallic click. The medusa's eyes pop open to reveal polished white marble eyes with painted black irises.
Omar checks for traps again and finds nothing. Ferod resumes his experimentation with the rod and finds that it rotates easily. When it is rotated, the eyes move in their metal sockets. Eventually, they cross, matching the symbol of house Daellum. Suddenly, a blue light erupts from the Madusa's mouth. It's intensity blinds you.
"OK, Then.
It feels like I'm on my back, So I'll push the top."
Omar - your knife starts to bite into the lid, but you have no way of really telling how long that process will take, or if your air will hold out long enough.
The rest of you hear a grinding noise, followed by a heavy thud.
Valeria- your lid pops off and you are able to shift it to the side.
For those who have gotten out.
The recessed floor in the center of the mausoleum is an earth-tone mosaic of complex geometric designs reminiscent of Qadiran artwork, with a scowling medusa’s head in relief at the hub, 15 feet wide and made of iron, a larger version of the vertical head at the entry wall.
"Well Then, I am guessing the rest of the boys are in the other sarcophagi."
Valeria starts opening sarcophagus lids.
Corso will lift the stone off of him.
If this is what I think it is, I knew I'd end up in one of these one day, but I assumed I'd be dead...
Rathis shoves the top, hoping he can push it open without having to resort to other measures.
He sits up, and looks around.
"So we're all dead now, is it?"
"I don't feel dead. I feel much the same as I did before. Maybe we should get people out of these sarcophagi before having a theological debate?"
"Thank you Corso, for the helping hand."
"I think it is a metaphor/symbolism for these folks."
As you look around the room, you notice four holes in the iron medusa on the floor at the four cardinal points. They look like the hole you used to get in here, but the brown stone funary rods at the base of your sarcophagi don't look like keys, as Hannoris's did.
Omar finds no traps on the door.