"Undeads? I've read that they walk slow and moan" Enev goes to the group being careful with the traps.
You see three corridors behind the maze's door. The darkness is nearly tangible, and you can't do without a light source.
You hear nothing else than that damn, chivers-down-your-spine-sending moaning.
One corridor points toward the west of the Crypt, and after a few turns ends at a door.
The one where the moaning is the loudest go south, and ends at a door too.
And there's a third corridor, on your west,a few feet before the south room.
Mayla would listen for a bit and point to where the moaning was coming from. "There."
Though the moaning made her tingle she would push forward testing the ground with her staff unless someone else took lead. Her expertise in trap finding was find it with the stick first.
"It may also be someone trapped in here because of the undead. I know I would find a place to hide if I could." She said honestly as they make their way to the door with the moaning.
Essa squeezes in close and provides illumination from her flaming club. "Let's take a look and be ready to whallop anything bad."
With his mornginstar at the ready, Tane moves south towards the door and checks it out to the best of his ability. He whispers, smaller]"I'm going to check out the door to the south."[/smaller]
He turns back to the group and shrugs, unable to determine absolutely anything.
"I'll provide backup to Tane" Enev readies his sword and shield and goes after Tane.
"If something pops out...don't scream" He whispers to himself.
As you carefully got near the door from the south room, illuminated by Essa big flaming club, Tane tries to open the door.
But its locked.
One of the loudest moan so far is released, from the other side of the door.
Even Tane can hear it.
"I imagine whatever is behind that door has been there a long time. Do we have a way through?"
If no one can unlock it, the only other solution would be to destroy the door
"Let's bring down the door, Tane." Enev readies to help Tane force open the door.
Mayla would watch them and stands out of the way. Strength was not her strong suit at all. "Be careful. Ill watch behind us while you guys handle the door." She didn't feel useless, just knew what her strengths were and weren't. Moving a door wasn't one of them.
Tane nods.
Finally, something I'm good at!
"GRrrrrr!"
Tane throws himself into the door with everything has.
As the door is nearly broken by Tane's powerful charge, a crossbow bolt from the inside of the room buries itself in the splintered wood.
The door should have opened more, but Tane gets a glimpse of some barricade made of small furniture on the other side of the door.
There's a feeble light inside, and Tane can only guess an human form deeper in the room, his back to the wall.
"Careful Tane!" Takeshi says, as he readies his bow to shoot at anyone inside, if he can get a 'clear' shot.
Essa and Roguk move to where the noise of Tane beating down the door is. She sees Takeshi ready his bow and also readies herself for anything unexpected. This dungeon busting was stressful and nerve wracking, physically and mentally taxing. It seemed like the heroic stories left out all of the ugly parts.
When the bolt slams into the wood he shouts back to his friends, "Someone in there is shooting at me! What the?"
In the room he says, "Hey! Stop shooting, we're here to help! We're the good guys!"
Tane throws his weight into the door again and blows it open breaking past the small barricade.
He looks around to see who is shooting at him and what the threat is.
That door didn't stand a chance against the mighty Tane.
Another bolt, more precisely aimed this time, pass near the young warrior.
From the light of Essa's flaming club, you see a small man feverishly trying to put a third bolt in his crossbow
Tane is sure he can reach him before the man has a chance to load his weapon again
Tane shouts back, "There's a small man quite intent on skewering me, what should I do?"
Tane goes total defense and places as much of his body behind his shield as he can as moves adjacent to the feverish man. "Hey, we're here to help!"
"Perhaps just try to disarm him, no need to hurt him if he is innocent."
If Selene can get in there she will try to disarm the man by attacking his crossbow.
Quick as lightning, Selene disarms the man without difficulty.He seems afraid, and mumbles incoherently
The walking bones... tha walking bones...All dead!
Tane can have a closer look at the room, now that no crossbow bolt threaten to end his life, and he sees a number of bedrolls, some food, two bullseye lanterns and some oil.
"Thanks for your quick thinking Selene."
Tane looks around now that Selene has disarmed him. He says loudly, "Selene has disarmed him! There are a couple of bedrolls and equipment for more that one person, I think he has companions somewhere be on guard out there!"
Essa steps into the room and looks around cautiously. Half to herself, half to the others, "How did he get here? Why is he here?"
Looking to Roguk, and ruffling his furry head. "Roguk, smell anything? Smell! Smell!" She sniffs and points to his nose, and then starts looking around the room hoping he will follow and start to nose around curiously.
+ scent
"Calm down, we are here to help. We came to light the torch..." Enev tries to calm down the man,
"Are you alone in here or there is more people?" He asks the man
Tane whispers to Enev, "Lantern. We're lighting a lantern, not a torch. You're confusing the man Enev."
"We came to light the lantern of Kassen!" Enev corrects what he said after hearing Tane and he points to Selene.
"Roldare, what are you doing here, shooting at us with a crossbow of all things? What happened to staying in town and sticking to fixing shoes? Who else is is here with you?" Selene asks as she retrieves Roldare's crossbow from the ground.
Mayla steps in and sees them all interrogating the man. It was understandable but she would have taken a softer approach.
Kneeling near him appearing as nonthreatening as she could.
"Roldare, we have been destroying the walking dead. You are safe here. You aren't dead so someone else may have survived also. Can you tell us about the crypt so we can rescue others?" Mayla prayed there were others. How many more villagers had come out here and why?
Nothing Malya says calm the poor man. But by talking of his usual job of fixing shoes, Selene manages to break through the cloud of fear and distrust that was obscuring Roldare's mind.
My sister... By all the gods, they got my sister! The bones! They took her! I couldn't save her! I run, and hide, for two days, maybe more...Sometimes I heard them, the bones, walking on the stone... What an horrible sound! You must save her, my sister, please! I can't go back to Kassen without her! Take my crossbow, take everything you need, but please save her!
He let himself fall down in a heap on the floor, holding tightly Selene's legs, his head on her ...lower belly.
Tane nods at the crying man. "See, I told you there were more than one of them here."
Tane stands and brushes himself off, thankful that Roldare was not in a better state of mind to skewer him. He asks curiously, "Which way did they take her Roldare? Don't you worry Roldare, we'll find her. What's uh, her name by the way?"
Selene does her best to retrieve a day's ration from her backpack and her waterskin slipping Roldare both to sate any hunger or thirst. "We'll do our best to find your sister Roldare.
Selene looks to the others, she is ready to go as soon as the others are ready, as she comforts Roldare with a reassuring hug.
My sister..Dimira! She was taken by the bones... We were six, and now there only me and her still alive... Who were the others? Can't remember... The walking bones, they killed them.
He grasps Selene's hand frantically
the shield and keys... you will need them! How, and where, I can't recall... my poor Dimira! The bones ... one spoke, a lord in ancient mail, roaming this place. He will kill you...
Sobbing and sitting on the ground
Poor, poor, poor Dimira. I couldn't save her. I am no hero, just a cobbler. The walking bones...They attacked us, a few nights ago. There was blood, and screams of agony, it was horrible! The voice took my Dimira. The talking bones.
He rises suddenly as a fury, grabs Tane's collar
No bones should be talking! Do you understand! They have my sister. Do you know how to swim? I think you'll have to learn fast... Why am I saying this? Can't remember, for the life of Dimira...
He releases the young warrior, and cries again
Tane's eyes go wide as Roldare grabs him, he looks sideways between Selene and Malya. "whoa, whoa, Yeah, I, uh we understand Roldare. We'll swim for your sister. It's ok buddy, relax, we're on it right away.
He looks to Selene and shrugs, swim? Inside the crypt?
Essa looks about concerned, hoping the man will be ok. She doesn't quit understand his ramblings. She whispers to Malya, "Do we know exactly why they were here?"
Mayla would shake her head at Essa. "No, but I am getting an idea. The blunt arrows we are finding and the pillows in the pits...Gives me a good idea. We need to find these Shields and the keys I believe. We also will have to face one of the bones in ancient mail and put him to rest. He may control the others."
Looks at each of them and nods gathering up the crossbow and looking it over to see if it was one she could use seeing Selene feed and give Roldare drink. Nodding to her she would gather anything else that may be of use in the room.
"Let's start searching the place. Roldare, we will bring your sister Dimira back to you." She states firmly.
Besides the food, bedrolls,lantern and some oil, Malya finds two small vials with a blueish liquid inside. Both vials are labeled
Healing Draught
And Enev soon recognise Father Prasst handwriting, as Roldare whines
It's safe here! I stay here...
"Those potions are for healing, can we take them with us, Roldare? They could be useful if we fight against those bones you are talkign about" Enev points to the small vials.
Selene comforts Roldare by kneeling next to him and holding his shoulder, until everyone is ready to go. She will relay any questions the others ask if Roldare seems unawares in his addled state.
Roldare answers Enev with a pleading voice
Take them..I'm not hurt. Promise me to keep one for my sister if she needs it....
"We will, don't worry, some of us are good with the healing arts and some others can summon healing magic." Enev picks up the vials and offers them to Malya,
"I think they'll be safer with you."
"Let's start searching the place. Roldare, we will bring your sister Dimira back to you."
"Right. Let's go."
Tane heads back out of the broken door and turns left at the first juncture.
Looking back to the group he says, "Let's go knock down some bones and save the girl."
After a short walk he comes to the door and he checks it out to see if it's locked or not.
Tane, followed by the rest of the band, checks the door...
to his surprise, the door isn't locked, and even opens quickly.
In the dark room, he sees nothing, but hears something strange, as if something was dragged on the ground, or someone was crawling.
The half opened door brings an uneasy silence in the room, and Tane's hair rise on his arms
Mayla hung back. She was best when magic needed to come to the forefront. Not when physical combat was needed. But she wasn't one that would hesitate to use what ever was at hand to do so. Even her spellbook if needed.
She tried to peak over and around peoples shoulders to see what was in the room.
Tane says, "I hear something dragging on the ground, it's probably Roldare's sister! I'm going in!"
Tane throws open the door, mornginstar at the ready and attacks any creature in sight.
Takeshi's vague expresion leaves his face. This is crazy, all they had to do was light a lantern...
"Careful, Tane!" he says, repeating the last sentence that came out of his mouth ten minutes ago.
Trouble is, it's quite dark... but not totally dark either, now that the door is open. Some huge insect is inside, dragging some corpse on the ground.
Tane delivers a massive blow with his morningstar. He's happy to hear the chitinous armor cracking...
but he's less happy as the oversized insect nearly rips his leg off.
Theres the sound of crushed bones,covered by a wild, visceral scream of pain the young warrior cannot suppress.
Blood pours from Tane's right leg.
When Essa hears Tane go into the dimly lit room and then scream out in pain, accompanied by the crunching and munching, she rushes into assist. ( assist Tane, not the bug... ;) )
If an attack is ok:
Essa will also call out to the others "Big bug ate Tane's leg! He looks hurt badly."