+2 v spells etc etc
Gundar wheels as the figures suddenly appear, and takes a step backwards to to put his back to Torith's in a defensive posture.
"Steady lads!"
"Hold! You are dwarves! Sons of Torag! You are made from the bones of the mountains, you are made from sterner stuff than this! Lads, if you are to fall back, FALL BACK TO YOUR FORMATION!"
Kragymr was, of course, shaken. But in times of stress he fell back to tradition. And the only traditional response to an unknown attack was to fall back into a solid formation, standing shoulder to shoulder with your kin.
The sight of the dead rising from the beds, when they were not there a moment ago gives Thuradin a start as he begins to head for the door with the others only to pause as he realizes it's only an apparition.
Overcome by the fear of the image, Thozar leaps out of the room. When he finally comes to his senses, he shuffles back in, INCREDIBLY embarrassed. Is this how low I have sunk to? I would flee and abandon my kin, my flesh and blood, at a mere vision? Despicable.
"My brothers, forgive me. I do not know what came over me. I have had many difficult trials in recent times in which running was the only answer. I have been away from dwarven lands for too long. I have lost my dwarven traditions, please bear with me as I remember what it means to be of dwarven blood." Solemnly, he resumes his previous position.
Bolstered by his Dwarven blood, Torith resists the urge to flee. Feeling a little shook up he tries his best to not let his trepidation show to his fellow Dwarves.
"Don't worry Thozar, you have lots of time to redeem yourself in the rest of this horid place."
Ulark slinks back into the room, ashamed at both his own momentary panic and at almost falling down the stairs on his way out.
See, the warrior says curtly. A place like this echoes.
Slightly flustered himself, Kragmyr grunts "Less talk. There is magic afoot, and I'd bet my last gold piece that it wasn't made by any flood troll. Let's form up and take this slow."
Once, early in his training, Gundar had been shown an apparition by his mentor Silverleaf. It had been an oddly beautiful thing, floating sadly through the forest near its own unmarked grave. Just barely distinguishable as a human man.
This had been... altogether more alarming.
"Ain't heard of too many troll's what work magic." Gundar says with a nod, once again taking his place at the vanguard. He points to the single door. "Should check the side room first."
He moves to it, but does not yet open it.
"Lads, holds. This is a haunt." As Kragmyr said this, a look of sadness and fear crept across his face. "Spirt, of spirits, make haunts. They are bound to places of intense anguish and pain. This one likely was showing us.." He trailed off. "I don't think it is evil. It didn't try to hurt us. This is the first time that I've come across one myself. I know that the book is for dwarves, but what happened here was wrong. There is something that I must try. If this goes wrong, do what's right."
He took a deep breath, and then said in common:
"Spirits. I am Kragmyr Grudgekeeper, Lorekeeper of the Grudgekeeper Clan. It is our sacred duty to record the wrongs done to our people, so vengeance or recompensation can occur. I offer ye me services. Show me what occurred to ye. Show me who did this to ye. I shall record the wrongs done to ye in this Book of Grudges, and there it shall remain until I or me kinsmen may put this wrong to rest."
After saying this he sat on one of the beds where he had seen the specters, and opened the Book of Grudges on his lap. With an empty page before him and a pen in hand, he closed his eyes and waited.
Gundar regards the seated Grudgekeeper uneasily. Messing about with spirits was not his idea of a good time - but a dwarf had his duties, after all. Gundar holds his axe and shield at the ready, trying not to think of how worthless they might be should the apparitions turn violent.
'F'its a haunt lingering on pain's why the souls are tied here. Ulark mutters quietly. Seen too many dead come back wrong thanks to vengeance.
Still, the...scribe seems more accustomed to the strange manifestation, so rather than interfere Ulark strides towards the room's other end.
I've only heard of these Grudgekeepers, never seen one work their trade. If this works, it would be a wonder to behold. I'll have to ask him of the wrongs he has recorded. I wonder if my family has requested his services... Thozar remains at his post until his companions are ready to move forward.
Torith moves over to one of the beds and crouches down to get a better look under it.
"Lads, this looks like a trapdoor down here."
He looks over the trapdoor to see if he can see a lock or any trigger for something nasty to happen when the trapdoor is openeded.
The haunt is quiet now that it has been triggered, and nothing comes of Kragmyr's attempt to document it's grudge.
Meanwhile, Torith points out the trapdoor which he says is perfectly safe.
Kragmyr went to the last page of the book of Grudges and wrote a small note to himself to remind him of this place. It was his habit for recording potential Grudges, or incidents that lacked sufficient details to be their own entry. He closed the book, carefully put it away and picked his axe back up. "It won't be bothering us again. But putting the spirits to rest will require a powerful priest, about a thousand or so gold worth of materials, and a day long ritual. In other words, these spirits will be haunting this place for quite some time. I doubt the people of this town will care enough to pay that kind of coin, or find a powerful priest to do the ritual. But for now, they'll likely not bother us. Let's press on."
"I hope to be powerful enough one day to cast the spell these souls need. Kragmyr, I will help you with your cause." Thozar then moves closer to the trapdoor, seeing as it is the only way for them to move further into the compound. I wonder what horrors await us down below? Strength in unity, we must hold together.
"Hold on, Thozar. I think we should finish exploring this floor before we venture into the basement." With that Thuradin moves over to the double doors by Urlak and Belir "On three, then?" he asks.
Kragmyr slapped Thozar on the shoulder. "Thank you. It'll be an honor."
Still a little ruffled by the image and his failings, Thozar shakes the fog from his mind and forms up behind his companions. How did I not notice the other doors?
"If we are all in agreement, let us clear the next room. I will be glad to purge this place and leave it behind us," he says, eager to continue their work.
Fine with me Ulark says lining up near the door. Best to give this level a good look first before lowering. An ambush from a missed killer from behind could make things messy.
Gundar opens the southern door. Two iron doors connect this small stone extension to the Plague House’s main building. A large steel lockbox sits in front of a steep stone staircase that winds down into darkness.
Ulark and Thuradin open doule doors into a long room. The support walls and pillars that once connected the Plague House to the huge boulder behind it have burnt and crumbled in this ruined chamber, revealing nearly the entire face of the monolithic stone as well as much of the sky above. Jagged red runes have been painted onto the rock in long, broad strokes that reach from top to bottom. A cabinet on the southeast wall and a tall bookcase against the northeastern wall are all that remain of the room’s furnishings.
The red runes spell out the word "Skreed".
“R + B” carved on a support beam near the bookshelf.
You get to act in the surprise round!
Thuradin crosses the room the look at the writing on the rock, but is unable to make anything out of the graffiti. Wandering over to examine the bookshelf he notices the initials carved into the beam "Hmmm, R+B? I wonder if that stands for Rodrik and Brinya?"
Kragmyr, sensing danger, called out "Keep the formation together."
"I see those letters too Thuradin. And those runes there spell out the word "Skreed" in the Orc tongue, though i don't know what that means."
Ulark glances around the wide chamber now revealed. Lovers always think they need to immortalize the fact.
He calls back to Gundar. Gundar! What's down there?
Does the lockbox look new or at least well cared-for? IE, not rusty?
"Some kind of safe in here," Gundar answers. "And stairs, leading down."
Gundar backs out again and closes the door carefully. "Lockbox seems promising, but I too think we should sweep the top level first."
Kragmyr sees a giant spider lurking in the shadows in the northeast corner, and gets a chance to react before the spider attacks.
"Shields up lads! Giant spider in the corner! Hold the line and attack it as one."
His voice tingling with mystical power, Kragmyr began chanting the tale of the Bryngaz Mine, which had been overrun by an infestation of the creatures and their doomed last stand.
The spider shoots webbing at Thuradin, the closest target.
Thuradin is encased in a sticky mass.
Kragmyr, seeing his kinsman in need, assists him by ripping the webbing off.
Kragmyr's shouted warning barely has time to register before Thuradin finds himself cocooned in sticky webs.
Marshalling his strength he flexes his muscles against his bonds, finally busting free. After taking a moment to catch his breath he steps back and draws his axe.
"Together now!" Thozar calls as he moves to get a better shot. He ducks around the corner and hurls a ball of acid at the spider.
The ball splashes harmlessly against the floor, the wood sizzling as it bubbles and burns. Damn, that vision has shaken my confidence. Focus Thozar, focus!
_______________
Ulark hurries forwards, stopping just behind Belir in order to ready his longaxe for a strike.
As everyone bursts into action, the giant spider moves up to try and take a bite out of Belir.
Gundar high-tails it into the combat zone.
Kragmyr runs up behind Belir, and puts a hand on the wounded dwarf's back. Quickly chanting, he does his best to close the wounds.
Thuradin rushes forward to take station next to Belir, drawing his axe as he goes. Once along side his companion he swings his axe at the spider, only to have the blade skitter harmlessly off the creature's chitinous armor.
Torith moves forwards and tries his best to aim a conjured rock through the combat to strike the spider.
"Stay still you multi-legged menace!"
Seeing his axe fail to pierce the spider's hide and watching Belir get bit badly, Ulark let's out a yell and moves around Thuradin and toward the edge of the collapsed stairwell. Taking aim, he strikes. For that bite, fall!
for
Seeing a new target, and unaware that the first dwarf's hardiness allowed him to ignore the poison, the spider turns to Thuradin.