The Raumathar grows uneasy as everything about this mission goes against who he is: fierce, unrepentant, bold. Instead, he has to lie low and avoid getting into a scrap with a bunch of shambling undead.
"Let's stick to the plan and infiltrate the mausoleum."
Azarra is tempted by Zane's plan... it was sort of what she was hoping they could do. Walk into the middle of them and wipe them out. But when Kardas speaks she agrees reluctantly.
Still using message, she says
Yeah, I guess we should wait. We don't know what we face up ahead, so let's hoard our resources until we do know.
As the watchers of dawn enter the dilapidated building you catch a glimpse of movement as several corpses claw their way up from their graves. None of the undead seem to want to come closer than about 5' from the building. They all silent other than the occasional scrape of bone on the soil. The effect is more than a little daunting, there are a lot of them - several dozen at least.
Azarra examines the trapdoor spotted by Ser Armithia. She was about to say it was clear but then she noticed the tiniest sigil, one that judging by it's aura is a kind of silent alarm.
Wait. I found something.
Azarra motions everyone to stand back at least 20 feet, just in case there is more than an alarm on it. She waits for them to comply, and then she attempts to disarm the trap she found.
If nothing explodes in her face, she says
I'm sorry. They likely know we are coming.
Then she opens the trap door anyway, since the damage is already done.
Nothing seems to happen when Azarra attempts to remove the trap although who knows... The trap door itself is rather heavy. You notice tbe otherwise rusted iron ring has shiny bits where something has rubbed away the oxide.
Once it became clear that Azarra's spell wouldn't exert enough force to open the portal, Zane stepped forward with the stronger of the party and attempted to assist in opening the trapdoor, hoping the action wouldn't spur the mindless undead to further crowd the group.
Since, from Azarra's words, whoever or whatever is inside is already aware of their coming, Ishta decides to stand ready for a welcome committee.
Kardas puts his sword away and cracks his knuckles in preparation for the weight of the blasted trapdoor. "We might want to put a stone underneath once I manage to lift it up ..."
Ser Armithia assists.
At first Zane tries to pull the trap door up by the ring. Straining he managed to make it shift slightly, but it wasn't until Kardas helped that it suddenly flew open with a screech of protesting metal from rusty hinges. Musty air billowed out of the darkness below and with a loud clatter a fold up ladder descended blow!
There's no light below, and nothing stirs, it is the utter silence of a tomb with not even the drip of water.
Azarra activates her Ioun torch, as well as casting Light on a copper piece and dropping it down so everyone can see where they are climbing.
She then descends (with the others I am guessing) and looks around.
She points out some footprints to the others.
She casts detect magic and examines the skeletons from a short distance (not getting any closer or touching them), trying to determine mainly whether they are going to attack, and what metal the swords are made of.
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Zane grunted with the effort of helping lift the door, clapping Kardas on the arm with a smile as the Rashemi man strong-armed the portal open. After Azarra descended with a light source, the priest followed closely behind, unwilling to let her wade into danger alone. He held his silence at the sight of the skeletal giants ahead, looking where the clever half-elf pointed out tracks to the east.
Using Ishta's message spell, "Shall we go around them, then? I believe we should still be invisible to those creatures...
The Paladin scans the Skeletal figures; using both Detect Evil and DeathWatch Eyes.
After getting down to the catacombs , the young magician casts a general Detect Magic and examines the place carefully, but without making much noise for fear of disturbing the skeleton guardians.
"Careful, guys, there's protecting magic there" she says, pointing to the biers she's just detected.
Using the message spell they have up Azarra whispers
That one has a key attached to his collar. (pointing to Red)
Ser Armithia gives his report.
Having little to add to what's already been said, Kardas remains quiet. It isn't until Azarra points out what might be a key that he speaks. "Ishta, is there a way you can fetch that key with a magic hand spell?"
After all, such utilitarian magic is well below Kardas.
Incapable of magicking away either the key or the mystic defenses Ishta spoke of, the priest waited for the arcanist's answer to the party questions. If she had no way of spiriting away the key from the skeleton, it seemed a fight was likely. If he was truthful with himself, Zane was relieved to be able to possibly start putting these restless spirits to rest.
"No, sadly, the item has to be unattended" Ishta replies, "but I can always use a fireball, of you all agree."
As soon as Ishta says "fireball" Azarra backs WELL away from the area. If she was planning on hitting all of the skeletons at once, Ishta was going to have to plant the fireball pretty much right on top of where they had all been standing.
The Paladin readies for battle...by casting Resist Energy (fire).
He turns to Ishta.
Aim at my person, as I shall gather them to me!
He does seem a bit eager!
Like Azarra, Zane retreated from the large skeletons when Ishta mentioned blasting them, though he remained close enough to follow up on the arcanist's spell, if needed. "I'm ready when everyone else is...
The priest spared a nervous glance the way they had come, wondering if they were inviting disaster with this tactic. It seemed the only way forward, so he placed his trust in the Morninglord and stood ready.
Ishta smiles. "Guys, I was only kidding. I could certainly use it and exclude most of you from the blast, but I'm not sure the key would survive the heat" she explains. "Unless..." She focuses her Detect Magic cone to catch the key. If the item has some sort of magic, maybe the enchantment would help it resist the exploding wave...
The key does not appear to be enchanted.
Since a fireball doesn't seem to be forthcoming, Azarra walks east, following the footprints. She checks the eastern door for traps.
Ishta finally takes back to her pockets the guano ball and follows Azarra. Definitely, breaking their stealth doesn't seem the best of the ideas right now, and they can always do it later if they don't find an alternative way.
Ser Armithia leads the way. He assists Azarra in her searches.
Azarra finds a heavy stone door reinforced with iron bands, the footprints seem to go past it. It's taken a beating at some point in the past but still looks very sturdy. It has a fancy looking wrought iron lock but it's of an old design so perhaps it could be locked. There don't appear to be any traps but the twin 12' tall skeletons give you the creeps...
Up close its obvious the chain is in fact a silver necklace which goes through a metal eyelet affixed to the collar. The chain itself seems quite fragile, and you think it has a standard clasp although you're not really close enough to be sure since it's dangling in the air well above you. In theory yes you could try to snatch it if it fell.
Ishta thinks and thinks, but doesn't find a way she can help.
Perhaps, the spell would hide any from alerting them. Simply climb up and take it?
Azarra carefully moves under the necklace.
Then she casts Open on the necklace, hoping that the spell will work, and the key and chain will drop down to where she is waiting.
Ser Armithia watches for any movement from the Skeletal figures.
Ishta stays alert from afar, breath stopped and rod in hand, ready to cast her fiery spell if the situation calls for it.
Much like Ishta, the cleric watched the situation unfolding with a heavy dose of anxiety, getting ready to pound the undead with positive energy should things go awry. Zane thought a silent prayer to the Morninglord for the clever idea to work.
Sometimes a plan comes together and it seems Tymora smiled upon Azarra because her plan worked like clockwork. The giant skeleton didn't seem t notice her, and her spell easily popped the necklace's clasp open and it along with the key fell into her hand.
The key fit the lock which opened with a soft clack-clack. The door was heavy and it's hinges squeaked a bit when pushed open to reveal a long gloomy corridor heading north (A bit confusingly north points to the right instead of up on the map. I can rotate it if you prefer). The vault door on your right hand side (Door B) has been smashed off it's hinges long ago and it now contains dozens of stone sarcophagi in niches chiseled into the stone walls. There is also a door to your left (through Door C). The walls are all made of well dressed marbles, this was once part of the temple of Waukeen's most holy sanctum sadly fallen into disrepair. The floors are choked with dust and bits of rubble. Clearly there was a major battle here long ago. The air has a stale smell to it, clearly the ventilation is poor.
The priest breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad the clever plan with the key had worked and their invisibility towards the mindless undead had not been compromised. Eager to delve deeper and find the necromancer responsible for the sudden surge of undead, the priest followed Ser Armithia in, a bit dismayed as the way branched off and no sign of prints. He looked at the others, raising his shoulders and hands in a questioning stance.
Azarra says quietly
I think I hear something to the east, kind of like a foot scraping the floor.
Azarra moves closer to the sarcophagi and takes a look.
Ser Armithia guards the bard.
Using the whisper spell, Azarra tells everyone that she sees a flesh golem to the east. Hasn't noticed them yet, but they need to go if they are still avoiding battle. She suggests that they continue north, because that seems like the main path.
She moves north, trying to see what is ahead.