"Oh, you're right. I hadn't really thought about that. That does explain the skeletal remains, although not why they are 'alive'." Calden snickers. "I knew this place was called the Crypt, but I'd never thought much about the name, you now. Like it was an actual crypt, with dead people... I thought maybe only Kassen himself was supposed to be buried here?"
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"Well, there was that mural of Kassen fighting a bunch of mercenaries. They probably buried everyone here after that battle," Shirzon suggests with a shrug.
"In any case, I get the feeling we're going to have to smash our way through some more remains before we find Dimira. These things are nasty, but they're not something that a little violence can't solve, right?" she asks with a cautious grin.
{b]"Well, I can look again, if you'd like. We have a little time. As for these blasted undead...something is definitely remiss. We need to find this Voice. And silence it."[/b]
You have had some time to study the old bones of which the skeletons were made. One of the skeletons is wearing a tarnished silver necklace.
---
Once you're done discussing these important matters, and you've enjoyed enough rest from the frantic pace of combat, you decide to venture further into the Crypt, descending the stairs leading to the lower level. Merephel uses her divine magic to lighten your way down the stairs as Korech leads the Group as usual, with Calden behind him and both Merephel and Shirzon closely following.
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At the bottom of the stairs is a circular chamber with three passageways leading from it. In the center is a small stone pedestal. The sound of dripping water can be heard coming from the eastern passageway, while the stench of rot emanates from the west.
---
The floor bears an inscription spiraling out from the pillar and written in Common. It reads: “To the south you might take your ease, to rest and reflect on Kassen’s deeds. To the east lies the wheel, to open the gate. To the west is the resting place of Kassen, hero of the Fangwood.”
---
To the south, nothing can be heard or seen.
To the west, the stench of rot grows stronger the closer you get to the mouth of the corridor, but nothing can be heard from that direction.
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Korech grunts at the necklace, ignoring it after a quick glance. Finally standing, he grabs his new bow, makes sure his axe and mace are at the ready, and nods to the group. Slowly, carefully, he heads downwards with them.
At the four-way intersection he stops, peering down each passage and scowling as he smells the western passage.
Kneeling down, he very slowly reads the inscription on the floor, mouthing the words as he goes.
"I think we go east. If that for open gate, right?"
Korech blanches as he stares down the east corridor.
"Hear? Not like that sound."
"East is fine with me. I trust your judgement, and that gurgling sound is a better lead than nothing. Water, maybe? May not make a difference anyway. We will find out the hard way!"
She said it with a smile on her face.
"Oh, and Calden, come here for a second. You could use another spell of mine."
After re-examing the magic items, something clicked in Merephel's memory.
"Shirzon, that potion there,"She pointed at one of the potions,"It is a potion that makes you invisible."
Shirzon examines the silver necklace on the skeleton, brushing off dust and grime from the crypt. "Hm. Not sure what kind of money this is worth. But it's a couple hundred years old - that's gotta be worth something." Shirzon instinctually slips the chain around her neck.
"East sounds like the way to go, if it opens the gate. Ready when you all are," Shirzon agrees, holding her maces at the ready.
Shirzon nods to Merephel in thanks for identifying the potion. Invisible, huh? Kind of surprised Jimes didn't keep this for himself. Guess he thought I would need it more. I suppose I should be glad. I'll thank him if - WHEN we get back...
Korech nocks his bow and nods over to Calden to lead the way.
"I ready. Remember, south is rest. Maybe go there if hurt. But deaders took lady, don't want to wait too long."
"Thanks, Merephel." Calden feels at the wound on his cheek, barely there any more. He also takes the potion again, carefully stowing it back in his backpack.
He looks at Shirzon with an odd face when she puts on the necklace. "Hundreds of years old, you say? I wouldn't be as comfortable wearing it as you. It's probably been on a skeleton all that time."
--
When they make their way, Calden's first instinct is to head west. That rotting smell, it must be Death. Maybe that's where they took Dimira? When he sees that the others are checking the eastern hallway, he quickly joins in. "Opening the gate sounds like a good idea. Although I'd liked to have known what the gate leads to."
Poking in the water with his quarterstaff to makes sure there's no pit traps or other suprises, Calden leads the way down the eastern corridor.
He looks at Shirzon with an odd face when she puts on the necklace. "Hundreds of years old, you say? I wouldn't be as comfortable wearing it as you. It's probably been on a skeleton all that time."
Shirzon returns Calden's look with an annoyed one of her own. "I wiped the dirt off!"
The eastern passage soon splits into a bifurcation.
---
As the passageway leading to north approach the door, the water grows deeper, eventually reaching a depth of just over 2 feet. At the end of the corridor is a swollen wooden door, barely contained by its decaying frame.
The door is swollen with water and difficult to open.
---
To south, the corridor gives access to another room, but there's no door here. This passage is flooded by water too, reaching a depth of just about 2 feet.
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Calden leads the group through the flooded corridor, heading north at first. He moves carefully, so as not to disturb the water more than necessary, and runs his quarterstaff along the floor for guidance.
He puts one ear to the door, feeling that the wood is soaked through and through. Huh? He turns back to the others and whispers "I hear frogs behind the door. Weird. Maybe there's some connection to an underground lake? Regardless, I have a bad feeling about this. Who knows how much water has built up behind that door? We might flood the whole crypt if we bash it down."
With that, he motion for the others to turn back and leads them down the hallway south.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Following Calden's advice, the group heads south.
---
A strange blue fungus covers the walls, ceiling, and pillars of this waterlogged chamber. Its wispy strands stretch out from the wall like roots dangling in the air, twitching and swaying in an unseen breeze. Floating in the water are four decaying corpses—three large rats and one giant frog—with strange burn marks all over their bodies.
---
The water in this chamber is a little over a foot deep.
---
While you're walking through the flooded chamber, a sudden electric shock pervades the water.
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Shirzon screams as electricity jolts through her body, wracking her nerves with pain. She tries to hurry through to the other side of the chamber, stumbling with twitching joints and leftover shocks.
Merephel cries out, and almost falls. She catched herself, barely, and hurries after Shirzon to try to exit the water.
Korech lets out a roar as his body is jolted as well. He quickly hurries out of the chamber as well, desperate to get away from the strange pain.
Noticing the fungus, Korech gives out a yell as he bolts.
"BAD WALL-MUSHROOM MAKE PAIN!"
Calden feels his knees lock up from the lightning in the water and clamps his jaws shut when he feels his teeth chattering. He looks around for something causing the effect. Electric eel? "We... have to... get out of the water," he gets out with a cramped-up mouth.
Giving the right example, he hustles along. "I think there's a bend in the corridor, hopefully it's dry over there."
You run out of the flooded chamber, water splashing everywhere as you make your way to a corridor standing just outside of the chamber. Ahead of you there's another bifurcation: north there's yet another swollen door, allegedly leading into the same chamber from which some of you have heard frogs croaking, while south the corridor leads into an unknwown chamber.
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Once he's out of the flooded chamber, Calden head to find a safe place where to stay while Merephel prepares to heal her companions wounds. In the meantime, he gets the chance to observe the room.
---
This large chamber is partially flooded, with the south end just barely rising out of the stagnant water. A large wheel is set into the floor of the dry area, attached to chains that rise up into the ceiling. A thick layer of slick, black mold covers the carvings on the walls of this chamber.
--
The water in this chamber is a little over a foot deep.
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Korech groans, looking around the cave with a sense of panic.
"Don't like it down here. Wet. Bad everything. Merephel can you heal? Hurt bad."
Frowning, Korech peers into the southern room.
"Watch mold while we heal. Not want more hurt. That wheel - maybe for gate?"
"My goodness! I agree Korech, that was very painful. I will do what I can."
Shirzon breathes a sigh of relief as her wounds heal and her limbs stop twitching with residual jolts. "Thanks, Angorat. We gotta be more careful - should of noticed those fried critters in the room and took our chances with the live frogs. At least we're okay, now..."
Shirzon looks over the flooded wheel room, giving a cautious look to the water on the floor and the black slime on the walls. "How long d'you suppose this place has been flooded? They probably didn't build the crypt with the intention of having a moldy bathhouse in the basement. In any case, watch your step. The last 'empty' room we found was the pillar room filled with those pit traps, and I'd rather not get any more wet." Shirzon hugs the north wall of the room, slowly shuffling her feet in search of any hidden trickery, and watching the walls in case the fungus here is dangerous too.
You enter the southern chamber, and Shirzon begins investigating the north wall of the room. While you're still looking around and Shirzon has almost reached the end of the north wall (without noticing anything unusual), the water begins to boil over in some points of the chamber. Soon thereafter, six skeletons emerge from the water and they immediately seem aggressive. The skeleton do not wield any weapon, but are clad in an old and rusting chain shirt.
---
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- Shirzon
- Korech
- Merephel
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- Calden
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Merephel raises her shield, and draws her spear as she steps back. Dropping into a defensive stance, she eyes the skeletons warily.
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Growling, Korech pulls out his trusty mace, taking a step along the back wall before attacking the nearest skeleton.
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Moving quickly before the skeletons surround her, Shirzon whips out her maces at the skeleton in the corner, hoping to take its place after smashing it to pieces.
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Calden looks relieved to be out of the roomm where the water nearly electrocuted them. "That contraption must be something to open the gate. Seems like we made the right choice to come here." The broiling water has him stepping back instinctively, staff raised at the ready. "More skeletons, watch out."
Surprised to find that the sight of the skeletons seems to have become common already, Calden steps forward, striking two punches with the end of his quarterstaff.
He looks behind him. "Merephel, I'm afraid that spear won't do a lot of good. You'll stab right through them," he instructs over his shoulder.
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Shirzon tries to hit the skeleton before her, but she misses with both of her attacks: seems like her new fighting style needs some refinement. Korech destroys one of the skeletons with his trusty mace. Merephel steps back and drops into a defensive stance.
---
The skeletons move forward. Korech tries to hit one of them as it advance, but the skeleton proves too fast and he misses.
The skeleton before Korech hits the half orc two times with its old claws, scarring his face and left arm.
Another skeleton moves toward Calden, but even if the Kassenite has not adequately reacted to the fight, the skeleton misses.
The skeleton in the corner tries to hit Shirzon two times: the first one the half-orc is nimble enough to avoid the skeleton's attack, but the second time her load interferes with her movements and cause her to be hit by the skeleton's claws.
In the meantime, another skeleton has reached Korech, but its attack is slow and inaccurate.
---
Calden is finally able to react and with a powerful kick he destroys the skeleton before him. Encouraged by the good result of his previous strike, Calden moves diagonally, trying to reach another skeleton. When he does so, Calden cannot sense any floor under his feet: luckily, he has noticed this before actually stepping on the void space before him. As a consequence, Calden does not move diagonally but in a straight line istead, attacking one of the skeletons threatening Korech. His punch is though inaccurate, and the nimble skeletons is easily able to avoid.
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- Shirzon
- Korech
- Merephel
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- Calden
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"You were right, Shirzon. There's a pit trap right there," says Calden while pointing to the place where he had been about to place his foot. "There might be more. Watch out, don't let them drive us back."
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Merephel nodded at Calden's words.
She dashed to the side, raising her holy symbol.
A familiar white light creeps out of her holy symbol, and begins to blanket the area. But instead of settling in upon her companion's wounds, it bypasses them and the light flys toward the skeletons.
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Scowling in pain, Korech turns to the next skeleton, swinging out with his mace, unfortunately some blood in his eyes prevents him from finding his target properly.
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Shirzon curses her heavy load as the skeleton gets her. She responds in kind with a quick onslaught of metal aimed at the bones in the corner.
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The skeletons are badly damaged by Merephel's holy energy, but they resist. Shirzon and Korech are not able to hit the skeletons.
---
The skeletons continue attacking. One of them tries to get past your guard to join the Others in their attacks, but gets suddenly hit by Korech and Calden at the same time as it moves and is immediately destoyed, its bones turning to dust as it crumbles to the floor.
The skeleton before Korech hits him, his claws hitting his troath. Then he focuses its attentions on Merephel, but the priestess in training is able to block its attack with her shield.
The skeleton in the corner hits Shirzon, wounding her neck and would have almost instantly killed her hadn't she protected her neck at the last second, avoiding also a second attack from the same skeleton, but another skeleton attacks Shirzon immediately after the one in the corner: fortunately, the half-orc is able to nimbly avoid both of its attacks.
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"Korech! You bastards!" Shirzon cries as her friend falls. She channels her anger into the skeleton in front of her once more.
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"Korech, NO!" Watching his companion go down gives Calden an extra surge of resolve. The back end of his quarterstaff swings overhead at the skeleton's skull, which he follows up with a swift and bone-crunching kick to its shins. He presses his advantage, stepping over the skeleton he just dropped to protect Korech from further harm from the still-standing undead.
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"Shelyn, protect him!"
Merephel runs to Korech, gasping, a worried loko on her face.
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Shirzon manages to destroy the skeleton in the corner and jumps in the place previously occupied by the skeleton while Korech stabilizes. Soon thereafter Merephel heals him.
---
The two skeletons left attacks Calden and Shirzon. Calden manages to avoid the skeletons' attacks, but Shirzon gets badly hurt, nearly to death.
---
One moment after Calden hits and destroys the skeleton before him. There's only one skeleton remaining, and Korech is conscious again thanks to Merephel's divine magic.
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Emboldened by his resounding kick that downed the skeleton, Calden pushes forward. "Hang on, Shirz!" He keeps his quarterstaff at his side for now, attacking the skeleton with another kick, aimed at the hips this time, followed by a thrust with his palm at the undead's jaw. Maybe Ilimara was right, that I relied on the staff too much.
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Merephel runs to Shirzon, wand extended.
"Shirzon, I'm coming! Hold fast!"
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Korech's throat is opened up and he staggers back, blood spraying out in a gout. He collapses, clutching as he rapidly bleeds out. A loud gasp is heard as Merephel rushes in to heal him, the wound on his throat mostly closing.
He quickly grabs his mace, rising unsteadily to his feet.
Calden moves closer to the last remaining skeleton and with a powerful blow of his quarterstaff destroys the scary undead.
---
---
After the combat is over, you have some time to catch your breath. Merephel heals Shirzon and Korech stands up again.
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Shirzon thanks Merephel for healing her up - again - and starts toward the wheel on the south wall. Her ears perk up, though, when she hears a sound coming from the northern corridor. "I think something went through that electric fungus room. I heard something discharge... Keep an eye on the hallway, I'll go for the wheel."
Shirzon moves to the center of the room and heads south toward the wall, still shuffling her feet slowly so as not to fall into another pit like the one Calden almost splashed into.
Korech viciously kicks away the now properly-dead skeleton from him before he gives up keeping his bow out and just advances with his mace ready. Seeing that Shirzon is taking a very, very careful view of the room, he follows five feet behind her, also looking, and wary to see if she sets off a second pit.
Calden watches amazed at his own hand. So much trouble with the staff, but they fell easily to a kick and a punch. Ilimara was right. Of course. "Well done, all. This could have been a lot worse." He twist his head, as the same time as Shirzon's ears pick up. "I heard it as well, Shirzon. I'll stay behind to guard."
When he's confident that there are no attackers from behind, Calden follows the others. There might be more pit traps. Where would I put any others? Symmetrical...? Probably not right next to the other. That might be the safest path.
When he reaches the wheel he turns to the others. "Ready? I have no idea what's going to happen, but I guess this is something that's part of our Quest in the crypt. What with the inscription and all..." With that, sets his feet and starts turning the wheel.
Shirzon spots another pit in the floor, symmetrical to the one previously found by Calden. You follow the narrow "bridge" created by the two pits and reach the wheel, and once Shirzon has reassured her companions that the device is not trapped, Calden turns the wheel three times. You can hear a metallic screeching coming from somewhere in the Crypt, a sign that the wheel has lifted some sort of barrier, maybe a portcullis.
---
You now need to get back to the first chamber of the Crypt's lower level. Mindful of the bad experience in the fungus chamber, you decide to pass through the chamber where you heard frog coming from. Merephel uses all the remaining charges of her wound to heal Korech and Shirzon before you proceed.
---
Calden tears down the swollen door after a few attempts, revealing another flooded chamber beyond.
---
The room is filled with water, probably as deep as the outside corridor. The chamber is in an advanced state of decay, with a gaping hole in the ceiling admitting a constant trickle of water. The three stone sarcophagi in this room are almost completely covered in a thick carpet of moss and fungus.
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The water is 3 feet deep here.
---
As soon as Calden tears down the swollen door, you can see an enormous frog standing on one of the stone sarcophagi in this room.
---
The giant frog immediately seems aggressive.
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- Shirzon
- Merephel
- Calden
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- Korech
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Merephel draws her shortspear and drops into a defensive stance.
"What in the name of Shelyn is that?"
Korech backs up and barks out.
"Big frog! I know! Long tongue - fifteen foot, can eat all of you with one bite! Two more in water!"
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"Great," Shirzon grumbles to Korech's information. "Better take them out before we're dinner, then." She then sloshes up toward the frog ahead, before it can get its bearings with intruders bursting through its territory, and stabs at its vitals.
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Calden looks about when Korech mentions two more frogs, but doesn't see any. "More? Where?!" Can eat us with one bite? He must be exaggerating.
Close on the heels of Shirzon, Calden chooses the left side of the coffin to attack the frog. Before he has a chance to think about what he's doing, he raises his quarterstaff at the frog, swinging first with the left end and then with the right.