"Hold a second, Unrak," Tess says, withdrawing a bottle filled with oil from her backpack. "Let me apply this oil to your weapon, which will make it potent against this threat."
Tess lends Unrak a bit of aid.
Round I
1. Marc (42/54 hp), Augrym (58/81 hp)
2. Spectre (15 dmg)
3. John (43/68 hp), Taranis (63/74 hp), Bytor, Tess, Unrak (70/98 hp)
4. Xamanthe
Unrak gives Tess a grin & nod of thank, then closes in next to Marc, swinging mightily.
...and missing mightily.
"SALT! Toth can't affect this creature!" Taranis casts a spell of Flame Blade and closes.
To his utter surprise, Unrak connects. Though the blade passes through, again the spectre grows dimmer.
Taranis readies to fight in lieu of his cat.
Round I
1. Marc (42/54 hp), Augrym (58/81 hp)
2. Spectre (27 dmg)
3. John (43/68 hp), Taranis (63/74 hp), Bytor, Tess, Unrak (70/98 hp)
4. Xamanthe
Bytor steps up and immediately begins to inspire courage for his friends.
"This shade of a creature needs to move on. Let's help him do that!"
Bytor shares his characteristic encouragement!
Round I
1. Marc (42/54 hp), Augrym (58/81 hp)
2. Spectre (27 dmg)
3. John (43/68 hp), Taranis (63/74 hp), Bytor, Tess, Unrak (70/98 hp)
4. Xamanthe
- Round the First
- Current HPs: 43/68
- Inspired
- Sad
John levels his bow at the undead and hopes cold iron arrows have some effect.
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')
John is carrying Reykala wrapped in his bedroll with the group. He lays her gently on the ground when it looks like there may be a fight in the offing.
In the back, Xamanthe timidly eyes the crypts behind you, as if expecting another ghost to emerge at any moment. She grips her sword tightly.
Round II
1. Marc (42/54 hp), Augrym (58/81 hp)
2. Spectre (27 dmg)
3. John (43/68 hp, will hit), Taranis (63/74 hp), Bytor, Tess, Unrak (70/98 hp)
4. Xamanthe
Marc's assault is enough to unravel the shade!
The corpse at the end of the hall proves to be the partially-eaten remains of an Ulfen man in his prime years. A bloodied hunting knife is still gripped in his right hand, but his body bears a dozen wounds from a much larger weapon.
"Given that the zombies we've fought were using large axes, this doesn't feel like a revelation. But the fact that this person care here days ago is interesting. I wonder what brought them here?"
Any other identifiers? Items?
"Curious indeed. Can any of us question the dead?"
The man is dressed much like John, with a rugged pair of boots on his feet and hardy clothing designed for long journeys through the mountains. The only weapon he bears is the bloodied knife, which he apparently kept in a sheath at his belt.
"Is any of this magical?" Taranis checks the knife for anything that might help identify the man.
Tess quickly casts the appropriate spell to detect magic, scanning the area.
Tess detects no magical auras, either on the man or the surrounding area, save for the ubiquitous faint transmutation magic the preserves the entire structure against the ravages of time.
Nothing unique about the sheathed weapon?
Nothing unique about the sheathed weapon?
The knife has clearly been well cared-for, and kept sharp. Its make is in the style of Ulfen lands, with broad brass pommel and a straight-edge blade that tapers only at the point. It is otherwise a mundane weapon, and bears no special markings.
Bytor looks to see if there is anything to identify the Ulfen other than his bloodied knife.
Once Bytor gives the okay, Taranis directs Augrym to scout around the north corner.
Bytor finds nothing else to identify the man. Augrym discovers that the crypt ends shortly after turning the corner.
"Check the hallway for secret passages. There have been enough of them that opened up to reveal giant skeletons, so I'd not put it past this place that there are other hidden areas."
Tess moves with Augrym, helping the irrationally smitten half-orc search.
Augrym gives the terminus his keenest inspection.
As far as he can tell, even with Tess's help, it is truly a solid wall.
Marc takes a moment to check on everyone's injuries...
[dice=Channel to heal]3d6
Saving spells for the next fight, Bytor uses his wand of Cure Light Wounds on Unrak, Augrym, and John
23 Charges Remain
Marc 53/54
Augrym 79/81
John 63/68
Taranis Full
Bytor Full
Tess Full
Unrak 96/98
”I think you are ready to proceed, my friends.”
Come, we have a charge who needs freedom and sunlight. We also have yet to see a simple way either out or onward save those stairs. Augrym, lead the way."
The stairs lead up to a balcony overlooking the macabre feast hall. No rail or banister guards the edge---on a straight plunge some thirty feet down to the flagstones below. On the north side of the balcony is an broad foyer. A single door stands to the east, leading north.
"Start with the door, Augrym," Tess suggests to the half-orc. "If we're to leave this place, I expect it will be through a door. Plus, if there are any surprises they're also most likely behind a door. I'd rather we surprise the surprises."
The group moves up and Augrym gives the door a once-over. Once he's certain it's safe he opens it.
Augrym deems the door safe, and opens it with a heaving shove. Beyond a short hall, a few steps lead up to a wide octagonal chamber, which vaults to a twenty-foot-high ceiling. The chamber is composed of multiple slabs of opaque, white crystal fitted together to form a dome in the distinctive shape of an inverted eye, its gaze focused into the room below. This white crystal gleams with a subdued moonlike glow. The walls of the chamber are covered with arcane symbols, stylized line art, and images of cyclopes. A twenty-foot-diameter circle is incised into the stone of the floor directly beneath the great eye-shaped dome.
Somehow, the room itself feels threatening.
Bytor casts detect magic on the white crystals and the greater room and tries to figure out what this place is.
Tyranis looks to Bytor and Tess for insight...
Bytor finds the room's magical aura so overwhelming as to be painful to look at.
When she sees Bytor wince at the magic, her curiosity wins and she too casts a spell to see the magical auras. Struggling through the pain, she does what she can to identify what she sees.
Marc notices that the great eye above is actually "empty"; the crystal is carved such that some sort of object could be placed there, but that object is not there.
Through great pain and effort, Tess is able to determine that the entire room radiates overwhelming conjuration and divination magic. She suspects that whatever the eye is supposed to hold is an extremely powerful device.
”This place is near overwhelming with magic. Let’s keep a look out for the eye.”
Taranis nods around the corner towards the northwest for Augrym to take point.
Augrym opens the door.
A burbling fountain and pool that stink of sulfur occupy the center of the chamber beyond. A shallow channel cut into the stone of the floor passes beneath a pair of bronze double doors, funneling the foul-smelling water out of the pool to the north.
Taranis urges the party to enter, slowly. Checking for traps and for magic, the combination of a fountain and bronze double doors makes the Baron nervous.