Kalev, you knowledge of the creatures of these lands is wast. Surely you know what we face.
Kalev, you knowledge of the creatures of these lands is wast. Surely you know what we face.
Sadly, I have little knowledge about bats, but most animals fear fire, so that might be an idea, Kalev says, shruging apologetically.
Partial success- I assumed someone would hit the DC for both pieces of information. You do recall that bats are nocturnal, and likely to leave to hunt once night falls.
"Indeed, we may be able to fend them off with torches."
Okay, lets get on with it then, everyone get their alchemists fire out. I will walk into the chamber and toss a vial at it. They will probably retaliate and as soon as they do everyone hit it with their fire and lets see if we can drive these bats out. Just try not to hit me. Cas, why don't you take an extra vial since you seem to have the best aim. We should have about 8 vials left out of our original 12 right? Any better suggestions?
"Why waste one of our vials of alchemist fire if a bundle of smoking grass will accomplish the same purpose? A few minutes of gathering grass and a torch should smoke them out. Don't you think?"
Will they return as soon as the smoke clears? We would have to wait until the smoke clears as well. I was tyring to preserve the spells we had just cast but if not then that sounds fine as well.
After being told about the bats, I guess we can save the flasks and wait for nightfall. Fenna could actually get some of her spells back then as well.
We will back off a couple hundred feet from the entrance and wait for the bats to leave unless someone has an objection?
]
Waiting for nightfall seems prudent. If there are indeed undead in there, it would be foolish to waste our strength in a fight we can easily avoid.
Sure enough, after a few hours of waiting untold hundreds of tiny bats fly out of the crypt in order to hunt. Your not entirely sure how much time you have before they return though.
Malthir waits for one of the caster's to put a light on his shield before leading the way into the crypt. In full plate he won't be sneaking in there.
"It may also be best to use the time we wait to heal some of our wounds," Fenna suggests as the guardians settle in for their wait.
As Malthir begins to enter the crypt...Do you think that there could be any traps in this thing? We haven't done a lot of dungeon delving but I have heard they trap these things to keep thieves out. Should we send ahead one of Fenna's creatures to try and set off any traps...
Well, I've a bit of experience with traps and snares, but only the kind hunters use. We could proceed carefully and see if we can discover if there are any, so as to conserve Fenna's powers, but it would take time and we can't be sure to find any traps.
Malthir proceeds into the crypt.
Malthir leads the group into the crypt by torchlight through the guano filled octagonal room. A few bats flutter out of the cave and brush past your heads as you enter, but other than an unpleasant feeling they do you no harm. You push on down the short corridor into some kind of central chamber. Four tunnels exit this octagonal chamber in the cardinal directions. Four large, monstrous faces, carved from stone, leer and grimace from each of the walls between the tunnel entrances. A skeleton sprawls facedown in the middle of the room.
The stone faces are crude representations of the four winds incarnated as malevolent elemental spirits.
The skeleton is wearing a white ring on his or her bony left hand, difficult to spot against the pale bone.
Take a 10 in knowledge religion for a 15.
Edit: not liking the look of the skeleton, Kalev, why don't you have a poke at that skeleton with your Ranseur?
Careful! Whatever killed that guy may still be a threat. It could be some sort of trap connected with those faces, or some of the undead. For all we know, he could animate and attack us if we get to close.
I suggest we take a very careful look at the floor and walls before we proceed, and perhaps send a summoned creature ahead like suggested. Probably also a good idea to check for magic traps - Arcane Insight!
A ring on the finger of a skeleton that you didn't manage to spot glows with magic- you are able to identify the aura as a faint conjuration aura. The four stone heads also glow with magic, one faint aura on three statues and two faint auras on the north-east statue. You aren't able to identify the aura's on three of the heads, but one of the two aura's on the north-east statue head is a faint evocation aura.
After Cas explains the aura's he sees, Yes, I think a summoned dog or something of that nature may be good right here, maybe we should back up about 10 feet and let Fenna summon it in.
Ilya, you may want to take a look at this though Detect Magic. There are several arcane auras surrounding the statues, but I am unable to identify them all. There are definitely some faint evocation, and the skeleton is wearing a magic ring as well - faint conjuration.
The ring is a Ring of Sustenance. The four auras Casimir wasn't able to determine are auras of faint necromancy- with an aura of faint evocation on the north-east statue.
There is definitely something wrong about these statues. I think Malthir's suggestion about backing up and letting a summoned creature cross between them has merit. If that does not do anything, we should move past them very carefully.
"Hmm," Fenna muses, "this does appear to be a trap, I shall call forth a celestial hound to discern the effect once Kalev has had a chance to look for a trigger... perhaps the depictions of the four winds holds a clue as to the method by which we may avoid harm."
Casimir also searches carefully for a trigger of some sort.
Casimir shrugs when his search turns up nothing, and steps back a few paces.
Well, Fenna...send in our celestial friend and let's see what happens.
Fenna offers a prayer to Aroden, asking for the assistance of one of his servants to reveal any dangers which lie ahead.
Upon the final syllable of her prayer, a golden maned hound appears between the four scowling faces...
The hound stands somewhat bemused in the centre of the chamber for a mere moment before magical rays fly from each of the statue heads, and magical flame bursts out with a roar of sound from the north-east statue along with a ray. The rays narrowly miss the hound, but the celestial creature is bathed in flames.
The flame spell is burning hands, the rays are rays of exhaustion.
You begin to hear movement from the other three tunnels, converging upon you...
Malthir will draw and down a potion of shield of faith +2, 1 minute duration. Current AC is now 26. Weapon is still not drawn in case I want to cast my bless spell.