"Lead on, Augrym. We're with you."
Before Augrym leads the party into the worked passage, Taranis and Toth take a look around the island for signs, clues, or the like for who or what is inside:
Sniff Sniff
Taranis is once again quick to find tracks on the stony beach, but once again needs help making sense of them...
...and finding tracks in the dust inside might be even easier.
John looks for any sign of a group of people, concentrating on the shoreline where he guesses the ground to be softest.
Edit: I guess make that an aid another?
Tess keeps near the entryway, opting to whisper a cantrip that allows her to detect magic.
After giving up on the tracks outside, he asks Augrym to check the tracks underfoot before advancing.
Even with John and Marc helping, the tracks on the beach remain too muddled to parse out...
...and finding tracks in the dust inside might be even easier.
Tess points her conical detection spell down the passageway. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the tunnel all radiate a faint transmutation magic.
John peers into the cavern and starts examining the tracks he noticed in the dust, thinking it might be easier...
John enters the dark tunnel, peering closely at the ground. Things start to make sense:
One set of prints, from a booted humanoid, enter the tunnel the same way he did, go up to the broken amphora and its spilled and *glittering* contents, then retreat back out to the beach.
Several larger prints, from a large shoeless humanoid, go only in one direction: out.
Finally, the prints of a lone, unshod horse also proceed only in one direction: in.
"Transmutation magic, embedded into the walls, floor, and ceiling. It could be benign preservative magic, or it could be a trap. Hard to say for sure, but proceed with care."
At the mention of the prints, Tess shakes her head. "There's a story in those tracks. But what?"
"What's with the glitter?" Taranis looks to Tess.
"What's with the glitter?" Taranis looks to Tess.[b]"maybe what we are looking for is invisible?"[/]
"I'll ask for nothing of you kind sir but your friendship and your patience as I try to make my way with you. Where do you hail from?"
"I hail from the far north in the Land of the Linnorm Kings. I studied at the White School in Kalsgard. In truth, it makes the temperature down here to be quite comfortable."
Bytor assists Tess in investigating the magic of the passageway.
Turning toward Tess, Bytor adds collegially, "This magic does appear preservative in nature. It appears to have maintained this structure solidly over the centuries."
Bytor also notes something else: the runes on the archway by the amphora were part of some form of alarm or warding magic, but this magic has already been expended.
Marc moves forward to investigate the amphora and its contents. The broken vessel has spilled gold coins into the hallway. The minting of these coins is unknown: on one side is an all-seeing eye, and on the reverse is a clenched fist.
Marc also notices a jade bracelet among the coinage. The bracelet matches the description in Maestro Pendrod's notes exactly.
Looking around:
"Auggie...? Clearly Erastil bless healing friend Marc has not learned his lesson about disrespecting one's name."
As instructed, Augrym checks out the tracks outside and in.
Augrym looks to his companions and their discoveries and continues forward and peeks around the corner at the end of the hallway, continuing to search for traps along the way.
"Auggie...? Clearly Erastil bless healing friend Marc has not learned his lesson about disrespecting one's name."
Tessaria snorts, stifling a laugh. She enters the hallway, passing Marc to get closer to the group's scout.
Augrym peers around the corner. The hallway continues north; just a dozen feet beyond, a pile of rubble marks where a wall of stones once blocked the passage. A larger room lies beyond, though Augrym cannot make out the end of it in the darkness.
"The bracelet! This is it. This really is the answer to the mystery. We must be extremely careful my friends."
Taranis scoops up the coins and places the bracelet in his haversack, but not until one of the others confirms any magic.
Tess and Bytor confirm that the bracelet is non-magical.
"What could have caused such a mess...?"
<--oh for the love of...
Tessaria decides to also take a look.
"Huh. The wall appears to have been broken open from the inside. That's... ominous."
"And I'm guessing it wasn't built recently. Are we all equipped to face the unquiet dead? I think more of those zombie things are in our future. Come let's get to the bottom of this."
With coin and bracelet stowed, Taranis nods.
John glances over his shoulder once at the slim picture of daylight, safety, and familiarity. He thinks of his family though, and sets his jaw in grim determination to carry on. With a nod and a resettling of his quiver on his shoulder, John is ready to delve on.
”Yes, I’m ready to face the undead. Lead us on, my friends. I am here to give you support and words of encouragement.”
Bytor thinks o himself, Now wha do I do to fight undead? I think the books say you slash skeletons with blades and bludgeon at zombies with clubs. Or did I mix those two up? I better watch what Unrak does.
The company advances down the hall and into a diamond-shaped chamber vaults to a height of nearly thirty feet at the center of the room. Three wings branch off from the center. One ends shortly at a wall of mortared stone, while the other two once bore walls that have since been broken down, revealing empty cobweb-shrouded alcoves holding stone biers.
A few feet into the chamber, Augrym stops short with a cry, for ahead he sees another dread zombie in the northern alcove, and spots one more in the alcove to the east!
Round I
1. Tess, Augrym, Marc, Taranis, Unrak, John, Bytor
2. Zombies
Knowing that Marc's light alone will not cover all the spaces, Tessaria casts light on her sword. She moves forward to stand by Augrym, her blade at the ready.
At the warning of more zombies, Unrak calls up his magic, then moves forward, sword out, to be ready to meet the monsters.
"Let us do this together! Toth and John, pin the one in the north. Unrak, Mark, and Augrym, pin the one to the east! Tess, Bytor and I will combine on whichever seems the most hurt!"
Taranis casts a spell of Faerie Fire in the alcove to the north, just beyond the reach of Tess's spell.
"Toth, kill."
"Let us do this together! Toth and John, pin the one in the north. Unrak, Mark, and Augrym, pin the one to the east! Tess, Bytor and I will combine on whichever seems the most hurt!"
Unrak completes his positioning, edging closer to the eastern alcove. He grins back at his brother fiercely--and all four Unraks show their teeth. You'll be combining on the one that isn't dead yet, you mean!! He swings his sword in a low arc, causing a WHOOSH, in anticipation...
- Round the First
- Current HPs: 60/60
"Yes sir" John responds and rushes up to take position shoulder to shoulder with the Baron. He draws back his bow and tries to relax as he releases his volley of cold iron northward as directed.
First Attack:
for damage (+1 Attack & Damage if target w/in 30')
Bytor moves forward and begins a rousing speach inspiring others to action.
"I recall the story of the great chef wizard, Kookie Jarvalo, when he faced the undead hoard from the silent tide that descended upon Absalom. Armed with only a ladle he fought off zombies by the dozen. We will take these undead much the same!"
John's arrow bounces harmlessly off the stone wall. Meanwhile, several others bring new magic to bear, including a bit more light.
Round I
1. Tess, Augrym, Marc, Taranis, Unrak, John, Bytor
2. Zombies
Advance, study opponents, attack.
Marc moves forward while Augrym engages the enemy. His blade slides off a bit of exposed bone, turned by the barest of margins.
The two zombies swing their mighty axes at Toth and Augrym in silent reply.
THREAT CONFIRMED
HIT
MISS
In two deadly strokes, the mighty cat falls, while Augrym takes a heavy blow that rings him against the stone wall.
To make matters worse, and enormous thud sounds to the west, and cracks appear in the wall behind the alcove...
Round II
1. Tess, Augrym (60/78 hp), Marc, Taranis (Toth -8/54 hp, dying), Unrak, John, Bytor
2. Zombies
"We need to focus our attention! Marc, can you keep the one to the north from running roughshod over us?"
She doesn't wait for an answer, weaving a spell and gesturing as a ray of fire launches out at the zombie fighting Augrym.
- Round the Second
- Current HPs: 60/60
- Blessed
- Inspired
John's heart hurts at the sight of such a noble beast laid low by such an abomination. He unloads on the northern zombie to try to allow someone to aid the great cat.
First Attack:
for damage (+1 Attack & Damage if target w/in 30')
Second Attack:
for damage (+1 Attack & Damage if target w/in 30')
Rapid Shot:
for damage (+1 Attack & Damage if target w/in 30')
Aided by divine blessing, Augrym nicks his zombie, and Tess burns it soon after. John lands two arrows on the other.
Round II
1. Tess, Augrym (60/78 hp), Marc, Taranis (Toth -8/54 hp, dying), Unrak, John, Bytor
2. Zombies (grey @ 31 dmg, purple @ 36 dmg)