Ham checks out the relief.
If Ushyle shared the secret door info, Ham investigates the door and looks for a way to open it. He pays close attention to Nargrym's, "steel", hand.
Nothing about the hand seems odd beyond the poetic description being made literal. The door itself seems.... open? Dwarven work such as this should be practically invisible, yet this door is ever so slightly ajar.
Behind the door a set of stairs leads downward.
Can I look around for some kind of trail?
Perception
Survival:
Hamilton doesn't see anything resembling a trail. Unlike the first room, dust hasn't touched this part of the tomb.
Quite intrigued by the statues, Doxon approaches them and examines them.
Let's go. Lead on.
Whistle Pig doesn't find any new defenses in the tomb, so he slowly, carefully descends.
And eventually comes to another door.
Whistle Pig, quick as efficient as ever opens the door...
Two wide alcoves flank the eastern portion of this room, the floor of which is inlaid with the symbol of an ornate warhammer. Each alcove contains a large iron brazier and is crammed with a variety of baubles and trinkets. Beyond the alcoves, the chamber narrows and a flight of wide steps climb to a vaulted recess. A great stone sarcophagus, its lid pushed to one side, lies in this space beneath a large translucent panel in the ceiling above. A smaller alcove stands on either side of the stone coffin. The northern alcove holds a five-foot-tall iron cage, its bars bent and twisted out of shape, while the southern alcove contains an elaborate iron candelabra covered with drippings of dried purple and red wax, which holds dozens of melted candle stubs.
Unable to wait up top, Ingrahild and Umlo fall in right behind you, ecstatic to actually SEE the tomb. Both are moved to tears and similarly both are at a loss for words...
Nargrym Steelhand’s remains lie within the open sarcophagus. Although the skeletal corpse still wears armor, its right arm ends in a stump and Nargrym’s legendary steel hand is nowhere to be seen. A heavy helm lies next to the shattered pieces of the giantslayer’s skull.
You notice that the dwarf ’s beard seems to have been crudely hacked off and that many of the bones are damaged and even display tooth marks. Even more disturbing, all of these injuries were made post-mortem, suggesting deliberate desecration of the corpse.
With a clear and echoing THUD each and every hero hears the door at the top of the stairs slam shut!
Perception:
Somebody didn't like him. His beard's been bitten off.
Ham turns towards the slamming door.
Damn!
Hamilton bolts to the top of the stairs and tries the door.
The door is locked, and NOT on your side....
While in the tomb proper, you notice the movement of a figure on the floor above as you look through the glass.
Doxon moves to re-entomb Nargrym while the others figure out the next course of action.
Doxon examines the remains of Nargrym Steelhand.
Despicable. Though, not necessarily surprising, considering the Betrayer's fate.
Doxon shakes his head, and begins Mending Nargrym's skull.
Once the skull is intact again, Doxon places the helm back atop the hero's head.
He'll also proceed to Mend the rest of the skeleton.
The door is locked, and NOT on your side....
** spoiler omitted **
Perception:
He would have been buried with the helm, and it's why you're here really.
Nothing happens, though the siblings do thank you for the show of respect.
Hamilton pounds on the door and yells.
YOU TREASONOUS RANTALLION!!! WHEN I GET OUT OF HERE I WILL BRING THE WRATH OF THE GODS WITH ME!
A voice, raspy and hollow yells back through the door in an outdated style of dwarven, "You'll starve and you'll rot, and in the end you'll be dust!"
Vael takes note of the depiction of Torag, shakes his head at the other statues, and continues to follow the group...
----------------------------------------------
The shaman steps into the room, taking in the dwarven iconography with his own sense of wonder. "This be incredible. Nargrym really w-" he's interrupted by the slamming of the door!
Moments later Hamilton reports that the door above is locked. Thinking quickly, Vael shouts, "I've got an idea. Quickly everyone, ta me. Hamilton, ye first!" While the party gathers back around, the shaman mumbles a low chant. A swirl of stardust appears around his feet, and his step becomes lighter. He looks at Hamilton and says, "Hop on me back. Trust me."
When the man of action hops on, the two begin to rise up into the after. Halfway to the ceiling, Vael's eyes close and a look of (now familiar) concentration crosses his brow. Swirling stardust surrounds Hamilton, and within moments the ranger disappears... only to reappear on the opposite side of the glass ceiling!
He floats back down, looks at the rest and says, "Who's next?"
Ushyle steps up. Me.
Hamilton appears out of thin air next to a frightening sight. A scarred and mutilated dwarf with a hand of steel holds a wicked looking spear. He screams in a rage which has simmered for centuries as he charges Hamilton: for
In the Fight Round 1:
Enemy: ATK
Ham: Go
Next to enter:
Ushyle: TBD
Downstairs:
Doxon: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Raen: TBD
Vael: Ele-Vael-tor!
Ham takes the hit--the spear finds a chink in the half plate and the force from the charge nearly knocks him over. Ham bites down on the pain and coughs a little blood into his closed mouth. He recovers and spits the blood onto the ground before him.
In Dwarven: It's not too late, Lokmorr. Confess! My friend is Warpriest of Torag. There may be hope. But I'm not letting you leave like this.
Activate the armor. Inukchuk.
The spear is immensely powerful, and Hamilton shudders from the hit. With a word he activates his armor, growing in size, but not scaring his foe. The dwarf spits a retort, "I will eat your flesh and send you to the Boneyard!"
He stabs not once, but twice at Hamilton:
for
for
In the Fight Round 1:
Enemy: ATK
Ham: Go
Ushyle: Go
Next to enter:
???
Downstairs:
Doxon: TBD
Whistle Pig: TBD
Raen: TBD
Vael: Ele-Vael-tor!
Ham takes two more jabs, the power of the armor mitigating some of it. But Ham's definitely bleeding internally and he coughs up another wad of blood.
At least I'll get to The Boneyard and be fairly judged for my life. What about you, Lokmorr?
Ham takes a big swing and moves to sever the stolen steel hand from The Betrayer.
Hit me with an AoO.
CMB:
Scimitar Damage:
Hamilton brings his scimitar down hard on the Betrayer's arm. Even though he hits flesh, the immortal body is hard as rock.
Worse still, the wounds begin to knit themselves back together.
Raen and Doxon burst into the fight from the door thanks to a well used Knock spell, but have a trek to get to the violence.
In the Fight Round 2:
Enemy: ATK
Ham: Hit
Raen: Knock
Doxon: Double Move
Ushyle: Go
Downstairs:
Whistle Pig: TBD
Vael: Ele-Vael-tor!
Lokmarr: 7
Is he regenerating the fire damage?
It's an important distinction. I hear ya.
Vael grabs the half-orc in the now-familiar rainbow cloud and he appears next to the dwarven monstrosity. Greetings! he says with a grin. Surely you didn't think everyone in this world was completely alone like you...?
He cants his head slightly, trying to take in the full measure of this new foe , then brings Milani's Thorn to bear!
Ushyle appears just in time to lay another massive hit on the Betrayer. He snarls and turns to the Half-orc. "ORC!" His ire turns towards Ushyle... well trained, blood-memory ire.
for and
miss
In the Fight Round 2:
Enemy: ATK
Ham: Go
Raen: Go
Doxon: Go
Ushyle: Go
Downstairs:
Whistle Pig: TBD
Vael: Ele-Vael-tor!
Lokmarr: 20
Ham's temporarily not sure what to do, so he closes and lashes out at The Betrayer.
Flaming Scimitar +1: and
Miss and a possible threaten. Confirm:
Damage on Hit:
Hamilton fights with desperate courage, swinging and connecting once. The Heroes of Trunau are making wounds faster than they close, but the Betrayer gives more than he gets as blood turns the glass floor red.
In the Fight Round 2:
Enemy: ATK
Ham: Hit
Raen: Go
Doxon: Go
Ushyle: Go
Downstairs:
Whistle Pig: TBD
Vael: Ele-Vael-tor!
Lokmarr: 26
Ushyle tries to move in without provoking!
He then swings Milani's Thorn with advantage!
Doxhon keeps on hustling, hustling. Doxon keeps on hustling.
Ushyle can't get there without drawing an attack, for and catches him! An inch to the left and it'd have been his neck!
Ushyle responds in kind, cutting Lokmorr deeply
In the Fight Round 2:
Enemy: ATK
Ham: Hit
Doxon: Move
Ushyle: Hit
Whistle Pig: Go
Raen: Go
Vael: Go
Lokmarr: 55
Vael curses as he feels a second tug of life force away from him, this time to Ushyle.
He continues to ascent through the levitation magic the spirits have bestowed, then closes his eyes and murmurs a chant to close the wounds springing up all over his body.
Whistle Pig huffs it forward while Vael tries to control the stigmata.
In the Fight Round 2:
Enemy: ATK
Ham: Hit
Doxon: Move
Ushyle: Hit
Whistle Pig: Move
Raen: Go
Vael: CMW
Lokmarr: 55
Raen watches the scroll and door crumble alike beneath her magic with some relief, but it is only the smallest balm against the anxious sounds of battle ahead. She runs, and to her horror finds three dead men locked in Pyrrhic struggle.
Raen closes for the battle as the Betrayer continues to pile it on... This time though it releases a cry of broken anguish. The wail is horrible, and shakes you to you bones.
EVERYONE, no matter where on this floor you are, must make a Will Save DC 14 or be shaken for the remainder of the fight
In the Fight Round 3:
Enemy: Wail
Ham: Go
Doxon: Go
Ushyle: Go
Whistle Pig: Go
Raen: Go
Vael: Go
Lokmarr: 55
Raen's trembling, quiet voice cuts through the tomb's chill air like a knife. "Hurry."
add +5 if Arcana or Local
Ushyle is unimpressed by the wail. We'll give you something to cry about...
Feeling the surge of speed from Raen's spell, the half-orc knows he cannot risk trying to move about the erstwhile dwarf, and opts instead to work with ham to wear it out.