That night's dinner is a little strained as the Fergusons are clearly in awe of the company they are keeping. The oldest boy looks at you with a new level of admiration and is constantly asking if he can get you more water, food, etc.
The next morning you rise, excited to finish the well. Ferguson greets you at breakfast and you can tell that he has come to grips a bit more with who you are as he gruffly jokes-No boulder dropping today then, eh?
You spend a few moments looking for his oldest son, but he is not to be found. Ferguson notes-Funny, that. I would swear the boy would have slept at the foot of your bed had we let him. Ah well, maybe all the rush of having you in our home exhausted him and he's lying about somewhere trying to gather his strength. Come on then. Looks like just us two until he turns up.
You and Ferguson head up the hill and as you make the top of the small rise you hear his voice catch and beomce throaty-Noo.... He drops his tools and races towards the well, falling to his knees and cradling the fallen body of his eldest boy. You follow quicly behind him to find his grief-stricken face awash in tears-The boy's breathing, but only just.
Ang will follow Ferguson to the boy, looking for a cause of injury, any wounds, and anybody that might have caused this.
Then try to heal the boy.
Then detect evil starting at the boy and then outward from there.
The boy's pulse flutters weakly and his breath is shallow. He is in a cold sweat and there is a strange bruise on his rear left shoulder looking exactly like a thin, bony hand. Your divine energy flows into him, steadying his vitals somewhat, but you can feel that his body is still clearly stressed and hurting.
Letting Ferguson tend to his son, you reach out with your divine senses and catch the faint scent of evil on the boy and trailing out from him back to the first dug well site. You notice that even though the morning sun is beginning to come into its own strength, the rays of light are not able to dispel much of the darkness in the well's depths.
"I sense something evil caused the boy this harm and whatever it is came from the failed well. You may want to take him to the house."
Move to the failed well, axe ready.
Ferguson nods absently as he gently cradles his son and slowly walks down towards his homestead.
You approach the well and note that it has a strange stench that was not there a few days ago-it smells of the grave. From what you can gather by the tracks, it looks like something clawed its way out of the well and approached Ferguson's boy from behind, before crawling back down into the well.
I can’t think of a worse place to try to fight than in the confines of a well, how could I get it to come out again?
Grab a piece of wood that can be used as a club in case there’s not enough room to swing the axe down in the well.
Move to the edge of the well and use detect evil down into the well.
Does Ang think he can destroy whatever it was just by filling the well?
You peer tentatively down into the well and your darkvision is able to pierce some of the gloom. At the bottom you think you see some pooled water and....an opening?
There does not appear to be any creature lying in wait in the well, but there is a faint sense of evil as if something malignant had passed through the area recently. Filling the well is an option, but you are not sure that would do anything, especially given that you don't see anything in the well currently.
Sigh, down i go
You grab some of the nearby rope and secure yourself before making the descent. As you get lower your nose picks up a distinct smell of decay, similar to what you smelt in the catacombs below the Halls but more pungent and foul.
Reaching the bottom of the dig your boots splash in the foot or so of pooled water. Where before the large black rock domed out of the liquid there is now an opening, almost like a door or hatch cunningly cut into the large rock surface. Stairs lead down into darkness....
Into the breach once more.
Head down the stairs.
Fortifying your melancholy spirit as much as you are able, you descend into the dark depths. You are thankful for your otherworldly darkvision as without it you would struggle to see through the inky blackness of the stair tunnel even with a torch.
The stairs lead down for almost 80' and you think you are now maybe 40' below the elevation that the main buildings of the farmstead are on. The room you enter looks like it may have been a natural cave that was roughly finished by hand.
There is a raised platform at the back of the room that has a brass chair on it. As well there are two smaller tunnels branching off on the left and right sides of the room; you would have to crouch significantly to enter them as they are about 5' in height.
What is this place?
More closely examine the platform and chair. Does anything from the attack on the child to the well to the current room ring any bells for Ang based on any knowledge he possesses?
If nothing further happens head down the left passage, Ang should be given stooping bonuses having been raised by dwarves he is used to walking and fighting bent over!
for travel down the left passage
The platform has some dusty runes along the bottom of it and there is an old faded mural behind the brass chair that depicts what you think are humans defeating (goblins?) as well as some much larger humanoid.
No bells are ringing for you, but the foul smell of decay is most notable by the stone platform.
You head down the left passage bent over by a third, following it for about 30' before it opens up into another roughly carved natural chamber; about half the size of the first chamber.
In the center of the room are a pile of small bones, possibly from 5-10 humanoid forms. There are also some simple weapons in the pile. It appears the entire pile was formed and then burned. You can see long aged smoke residue on the ceiling of the cavern.
Are there any other exits to the room?
Detect evil in the room and inspect the pile closer.
Head back to the main room if no other exits and nothing else discovered.
There are no other exits visible from this room and as you inspect the pile of bones it turns out they ARE evil as the skeletons animate and attack!
There are 7 goblin-esque skeletons imperfectly assembled-some with extra arms, hands, legs, and skulls.
You get two rounds of attack before they are assembled enough to attack you.
Torag be with me now and see that I strike true.
Ang strikes out at the skeletons.
You aren't sure if Torag hears you or your training pays off; probably the latter as you smash down two of the strange skeletons.
The remaining five swarm about you in a cacophonous clatter of bones:
Don't touch me you foul things.
-4hp
Two more of the nasty sets of bones go down leaving the two strangest looking ones to claw and bite at you:
-7hp
Starting to get a little weary your next two swings are wild and hit nothing but air.
The dead never tire and the last two skeletons continue to attack:
-5hp
Not sure why I was making 2 attacks other than first time!
Mortal foes may have sued for mercy after seeing so many of their fellows fall, but the undead do not relent!
The nearly drag you to the ground as they swarm about you gnawing and clawing!
Finish them before they finish you fool.
-10hp
Your axe smashes through one of the two remaining skeletons. The remaining foe battles on undeterred!
I would never had made it down the well, but that full plate would serve me well right now. Damn things never seem to miss.
-5hp
The last skeleton is bashed back into pieces by your axe strike.
Your breath comes heavy and that is the only sound you hear in the room.
Ang catches his breath and then checks the room over to make sure he isn't missing anything, then head back down the hall to the room with the platform. Once there head down the other tunnel to check it out.
-5hp
2 of 5 LOH left
Most of the burned weapons are golbin junk, but there is a MW dagger mixed in among them that one of the leaders probably used as a short sword. In addition there is about 10GP worth of assorted coins, most looking quite ancient, as well as a small gem worth 20 GP.
Finding nothing else of value and no other ways out of the room you duck back down and head towards the main room and the other tunnel. The main chamber seems unchanged since your initial visit, which seems like much more than just the few minutes ago that it was.
Stooping low to make it through the tunnel you scrabble another 30' before it opens up into a cavern similar to the other one. The primary difference being in the center of this room there is a massive skeleton chained by each wrist to the floor. As you enter the room the skeleton animates and begins to rip at its shackles; the left one almost pulling loose at the first tug.
You have 2 rounds of action before it breaks free.
"Torag smite you down!"
Activating smite evil.
*Last +12 damage is from smite which is 2xPally level vs undead (+4). Then assuming smite gets triple damage on the critical. Smite evil also bypasses DR.
The massive skeleton explodes under the ungentle ministration of your axe blow. After the last battle, you find this one somewhat anti-climactic.
Why was the thing chained to the floor?
Any other exits? Search the room.
Once complete, head back to the main room, and then back out of the well and down to the house to check on Ferguson and family. Using detect evil throughout to see if there is any remaining evil creatures.
You notice that the massive skeleton did no damage to the chains or shackles themselves but rather pulled them loose from their moorings in the stone floor. They appear to be made from an alloy of steel and (could it be?) what you think might be adamantine. You have never seen the metal before but you read about it in your studies and know it is quite valuable.
Returning to the main chamber you find the stench of decay and death now nearly overpowering and notice that behind the massive brass chair there is a new opening. It looks like a 10' high tunnel heading deeper into the stone; a heavy air of evil lies at the end.
DC12 FORT save or become nauseated.
second chance
Should have saved my smiting power.
Head down the passage behind the chair.
You notice on the floor a trail of mud and dirt, both coming and going, that fades at the entrance of the tunnel.
You steel yourself against the stench and move forward for 20' until the tunnel opens into another chamber, smaller than the main chamber but larger than the other two. At the center of the room is an ancient chariot and two small chests. Murals depict a human warlord destroying hosts of goblins.
Standing on the chariot is the moldering form of a large man wearing a finely crafted breastplate and holding a nasty looking poleaxe with both hands. A dry bitter voice rasps out from the man-Welcome warrior. What brings you to my final resting place?
“A boy I know was injured, something down here caused the harm, was that not you?”
Detect evil on him.
You detect evil, but it is quite strange. Overall the 'man' seems fine but there is a large green gem on his belt that is filled with evil and tendrils of evil seem to reach out from the stone throughout the man's body.
Ah yes, the lad was sweet. He is quite impressed by you, you know. He should live, given enough care and attention.
I assume you are here to try and avenge him? I'm glad you came. I can feel the strength radiating from you and even the touch of a deity on your soul. You will make me...more... Have you additional questions or are you ready to begin?
The moldering man steps down from the chariot and eye sockets filled with malevolent dark green light glare out at you.
Swing the axe in response to his question.
Can Ang recall any local legends or information concerning this warrior or the green gem that might be helpful?
You remember reading in your studies at the Hall about one particular local warlord named Tabor the Magnificent who defeated many goblin tribes in the area, drove them from their caves, and either burned or harvested the forests that sheltered them. He was known for taking the great treasures of the goblin tribes and making them his own.
The man parries your axe swing quite easily with the shaft of his weapon, pushing it away before slicing back at you. Ahhhh, I see conversation has become a lost art. That is something I will have to reinstitute when I reclaim my place in the lands. I wonder if the lad you come to avenge has siblings I might visit....
Conversation? Torag grant me the power to silence this one forever.
-4hp
The man lets out a raspy grunt as your axe drives deep into him-Funny, I remember blows like that hurting more. Either the strength of men has lessened or I have become stronger. No matter, I see that you bleed even if your god tries to staunch the flow.
Be silent!
Your axe strike smashes into the man's neck almost severing it. It shouldn't be able to but the head screams out before falling silent as the body collapses to the ground, the green light slowly fading from its eyes.
Thanks be to Torag.
Examine the room. Search the dead man. Check the chariot and the chests. Does the green gem still radiate evil?
The room appears to have been delved out with much more care than any of the other three chambers you have come upon so far. The murals are similarly well crafted and appear to have resisted the weathering of centuries quite nicely.
As you search the man you notice that that his once relatively well preserved body has suddenly become subject to the pent up passage of time and is now nothing more than a desiccated husk that crumbles under your touch. He was wearing a MW agile breastplate and wielding a MW bardiche.
The green gem still radiates strong evil and is placed squarely in the middle of a handsomely crafted belt.
The chariot is an ancient and well preserved relic, maybe worth something to a collector though you have no idea how you would get it out of its current location.
Both chests are well crafted and locked.
Are the chests valuable? Can Ang carry them? Can Ang remove the adamantine chains from the other room?
Gather the breastplate, bardiche, and the belt. Place belt in backpack, using cloth or something to touch it rather than direct contact with the skin (if possible).
Ang will look for a key(s). If not found and if he does not think the chests are valuable (worth 10gp+), then he will try to break the locks using bardiche to smash.
The chests may once have been valuable but time has taken their toll on them. They are both portable.
Ang would need the proper tools to get the chains fully unbolted from the floor and would need a fair amount of help (or a miracle) to get them up the well.
Make a DC 10 Will check.
Finding no keys and not thinking the ancient chest worth much at market, you use the MW dagger you found earlier to force the locks.
Both chests emit a noxious spray that burns to the touch.
Two DC 14 REF or take and/or.
Inside one chest are coins and gems worth 500 GP. Inside the other chest are four carefully wrapped CMW potions and a strange ivory container that looks like a scroll case but you can find no opening to it.
Maybe I can get some help from the Halls down here to retrieve the chains, surely the metal would be good for forging special weapons and armor.
Ang gathers the items from the chests and heads back out of the well. He will head back to the farmhouse to check on the Ferguson's.
-6hp
It takes you several trips to get your collection of loot up the well shaft and you have to use both chests to help you get everything to the top. Looking at the assemblage of items you recovered from the burial chambers you take a breath and rest for a moment, as you are quite weary from your labors, before heading down to the Ferguson's.
You enter the home and discover things are not as grim as you left them. The farmer explains-It's a miracle Ang and make no mistake. My son's breath was labored and strained when all of a sudden it was like a huge weight was taken off his chest. His fever broke, his breath came easier, and he's even been talking a little bit. Whatever did you find in that accursed pit?