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Stepping to the switch, Helm presses it and holds his breath for a moment, fearing the worst. There is a dull 'clunk' from further ahead in the maze but nothing obvious happens. After a few heartbeats, another clunk can be heard, almost as if a door bolt had been slid back into place.
Meanwhile on the other end of the room, the Good Doctor forcefully leads Pioni through the maze, keeping one hand on the left wall at all times, their gaze distracted by the effort. Fortunately for the Halfling however, the ground does not suddenly drop beneath them
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Pioni carefully moves around the chamber, around the dead end in front and then tries to press on down the corridor, the Good Doctor right behind them. There is a short cry from the pair as the floor suddenly Vanishes! The pair fall down a dug pit and fear the worse, however their landing is somewhat squishy.
Slowly opening their eyes they see a large pillow at the bottom, stuffed with feathers that match the ones found in the Saddlebags...
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"Ouch! You Lummox, you nearly sat on me! Ohhh, it's not that far up I suppose. You don't mind me using that wand of yours, do you? There's a good lass."
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Rygel can then climb out, and will shout 'helpful' advice to Pioni while waiting for her. "Put your back into it, girl! I haven't got all day! Oh, you want help do you? Fine!"
Rygel finally stops the wind-up and throws down a knotted rope, holding the other end.
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With ease, the small frog-like doctor scales the wall whilst Pioni still gathers their wits. In no time at all, the Halfling is able to pull themselves out of the Pit with the aid of Rygel. Brushing off feathers and taking a breather to look around, the pair spot another switch in an alcove to the North.
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Sesska slowly moves around the room, finding the remaining traps and sealing them shut, whilst Horus begins to look around for further signs of meddling in this place.
Testing Helm's suggestion, Pioni and the Half-Orc pull their switches simultaneously on the count of three, there is two loud Clunk noises, but these are quickly followed by them clacking back into place a few heartbeats later.
During their Search, Rygel finds another Switch in the Maze whilst Horus finds a door, thinking to try again, the three flick all three switches at once. There is another loud Clunk followed by the creak of the door opening. Watching it, Horus notices it slams shut a few moments later. It Takes a few tries for you to get the timing right, but soon you are all through the strange switch-controlled door and out of the Maze room.
Through the door, you find yourself in a long corridor that quickly branches off. On quick inspection, one door does not open when you push upon it and it has no handle to pull it, leaving that you go the other way. The Moaning can be heard coming from this direction, getting louder as you move on. Two doors greet you once more, the one directly ahead is the source of the moaning...
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The mournful wailing grows louder with each step toward the door at the end of this musty hallway. There are a host of bones strewn on the floor here, many of which are cracked and broken. As they listen at the door, Sesska and the good doctor cannot puzzle out what manner of living dead could make this noise, it is not until they hear sniffling that they realise that it may be the living, living!
As they discuss their finds, the sniffling and moaning stops immediately, as if they are trying to be deadly quiet. Likewise, any attempt to converse with the person behind the door is similarly met with silence.
The Door is locked and can be picked, . Though even if this is accomplished, you find the door barred and it will require strength to force open.
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Sesska works her skills on unlocking the door before stepping back and allowing Horus space with his crowbar, aided by the Good Doctor he manages to pry the door open a crack, with the tell tale breaking of the boards being used to bar the room from the inside. As the door starts to creak open, the Man behind begins to wail and scream.
"Tricks of the talking dead!" and he fires a crossbow bolt at Horus!
The Bolt goes wide,,, but Horus and the good doctor fall back from the door as it clatters down the corridor. Unperturbed, Pioni steps forwards and pries the door a little further, snapping more wood. Again a crossbow bolt is fired by the terrified man!
"Leave me alone! I do you now harm, tricks!" he sobs.
Again the bolt flies wide, and Pioni falls back to let Helm in.
Despite his calming words, the Half-orc is not spared the man's Crossbow as he finishes off the barricade and swings open the door wide!
"Goaway, leavemealone! Tricks of the Talking Dead!" he cries as he lets the bolt fly. Though again this is avoided by the nimble Samurai
Inside the room is in a squalid state, a few shelves with rations and jars of water sit here with space enough for a bedroll. From the smell of terror and body odour it is clear that this man has been here for some time.
"Servants of the Angry bones! Tricks of the dead one that talks! Leave me alone, Dimira, please Dimira!" it is clear his psyche is shattered and he will take some calming to become rational.
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Rygel's spell doesn't seem to take hold on the poor deranged man but the stern words of Horus and Helm seem to go some way into into bringing him out of his strange ramblings. He takes a breath and looks you over, as if convincing himself that you are in fact real and not a figment of his tortured psyche. Between his tortured ramblings about the "talking dead" and "angry bones" you manage to piece the following together.
"We had come to the Crypt as usual, to set up the trials... But we were set upon by the Angry bones, they...they killed everyone! But not Dimira!" he starts to visibly shake and weep at this point. "I can't remember, it is all a blur. Their leader the one with the voice of death, who stalks these halls in ancient mail, he ordered the bones to take her!"
He pleads to you on his knees, "Please, help my sistser, I beg you! You will need the Key and the Shield, but that is all I can remember. Oh, you will need to go for a swim!"
There are a number of bedrolls here, a pair of bullseye lanterns with 4 flasks of oil, 5 days’ worth of rations, and two potions of cure light wounds that are labeled as “healing.
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"Thank you, sir. We will take you back with us, and see that you are given the care you need at the village. But first, we must stop the 'angry bones'."
Rygel will stow the crossbow, and walk with his sling ready (as per his pathfinder training), while scouring the ground for any good-looking chunks of rock to pocket (for ammo).
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Leaving Roldare to barricade himself in to the safe room, you double back and go for the only possible exit without returning to the main chamber. Horus finds this door unlocked and creaks it open, revealing a dimly lit chamber inside. This small chamber is mostly empty, save for the body of a villager sprawled in the center.
Perched atop the corpse is a man-sized brown and yellow beetle, trying to push the corpse into the corner where a pile of trash and filth awaits. As you enter the room it turns and clacks angrily? at you, it seems to be guarding its territory!
Sesska
Rygel
Pioni
Beetle
Helm
Horus
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Rygel's sling stone bounces harmlessly off the room wall and Pioni likewise misses wildly with her Kukri. Sesska fares better than her compnions scoring a telling blow in a gap between the beetle's chitin.
The Beetle scuttles away from Sesska and glares at the Halfling, it's mandibles open wide, spewing acid over Pioni and the good doctor.
Horus then darts forwards and lays into the beetle with a powerful blow from his morningstar.
Combat! Bold are up!
Sesska
Rygel -3
Pioni -6
Beetle -14
Helm
Horus
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With terrifying accuracy, Helm's sharp blade cleaves into the carapace of the beetle, spraying the body with Ichor as it's legs crumple beneath it and it falls lifeless to the ground. Taking time to look around, there set of stairs off this room seem to have caved in at some time, making them impassablr. There is one more door off this room down a short corrido. Even with the door closed, you can feel the heat radiating from inside.
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Opening the door at the end of the room emits a pall of choking, harsh black smoke. Coughing and pushing forwards you turn the corner around a narrow corner to find the Everflame the crypt is named for. What you see beyond is a truly chilling sight.
The remains of a small fire smoulder in the centre of this broad chamber, letting off a plume of oily smoke. Fed by a heap of burning gear, debris, and more than few bones, the fire casts a flickering light across the walls of this room, partially obscured by the veil of smoke.
At the back of the chamber, through the dark smoke you can see a vague shape, letting off a low horrible moan. As the smoke shifts slightly it outlines a dark Incorporeal form.
Enemy
Helm
Horus
Rygel
Pioni
Sesska
Floating through the smoke the creature floats through the raging fire unharmed and reaches out to touch Helm! The creature's touch is ice cold, but the Half-Orc is able to dash backwards at the right moment.