Coming back into the first room of this level, you read the riddle again:
"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"
You have gone to the east, and turned the wheel.
Now, south or west?
Takeshi stands back, pondering on the riddle.
"I wouldn't mind a place to rest, but I'm still good for it. How about you?"
Nodding Mayla would look at Takeshi.
"I think it would be good to check it out. Something we may need may be in there. Or even the one we are looking for."
Tane looks back when there are giggles, snickers and coughs. He looks around to see what is so funny but shrugs his shoulders when he can't find anything. Reaching the riddle in the middle he hears the requests for the place to rest and leads the group to the south. He says, "Alright, south we go. C'mon Takeshi, why don't you tell us that tale of the drunken blacksmith again. I love that one!"
The short passageway takes a bend before ending in a small chamber dominated on the far side by a silver fountain quietly burbling perfectly clear water.
An inscription above the fountain reads “Kassen’s legacy lives on with his people. Drink and be refreshed.”
Tane's eyes catch the bubbling fountain and they go wide with relief. He exhales loudly and says, "Finally, a break! I'm absolutely dying of thirst. Praise be to Kassen!" He sheathes his blade and walks up to the fountain to cup a handful of water into his mouth.
Tane feels way better after drinkinhg the water.
Whatever few wounds he still have close, and he feels his strength coming back.
"How does it taste Tane? Wine, scotch or regular water?"
Essa will take a sip and see if her lost strength returns also.
Indeed!
Essa feels as powerful as before!
And in full health!
And refreshed!
"Ahhhh! I feel great! A toast to the legacy of Kassen!"
Tane checks the gash on his forearm and wrinkles his brow. "Hey! This water is magical! I feel fanatastic, everyone drink some!"
When Essa mentions a toast Tane joins in. He looks around to the party and mentions, "Maybe we should fill all of our waterskins with this stuff? Can you imagine us with magical healing waters?!"
Mayla looked at him and the fountain. "Most magical fountains I have read about, their water doesn't stay enchanted and has to be drank directly. If you wish I can study the magic after you take some out. But I wouldn't want us to be greedy."
She decided to pass up the drink for now. She may need it later.
"It is good we know of this. Shall we go to the other side now?" She examined the room looking for any hidden passages.
"I'll pass for now, if anyone is still alive they may need some of this water themselves. That being said, we may not be able to bring them back here..." Selene will empty her waterskin and fill it with the clear water, saving it for later. "Let's get moving toward the last unexplored passage."
Mayla would nod to Selene. "Yes indeed. Shall we have Tane lead again. He seemed very eager to do so before for you."
Tane's chest immediately puffs out as he leaps to his feet ready. "Of course I'll lead, that's why I'm here right? To protect all of you all?!"
He stows his waterskin and sets out leading the group .
The small corridor hampers your movement, and you can only follow each other in single file.
Tane sees first the end of the corridor, as it opens up into a winding catacomb.
The walls are skillfully carved with deep recesses where bodies might have
once lain. All that remains now are cobwebs, dust, and the tattered remains of ancient clothing.
The stench of rotting flesh is overpowering here, but the source is not evident.... until four corpses rises from behind the coffins
"What in the world are those?" Takeshi mumbles, gripping his willow bow tighter, even as his mind starts racing through all the stories he has learned.
"Ugh! What is that smell? Tane have you been eating beans......OH my!"
As the corpses animate, Essa's mouth opens in silent shock. "By Kassen's beard!"
Mayla covers her nose gagging.
Looking ahead Tane says, "There appears to be some winding cataboms up ahead. It looks like-"
Tane sniffs loudly.
Tane sniffs twice even louder. "Ahhh, man! That's terrible!"
As the corpses rise he doesn't hesitate and steps up swining his blade. "More dead guys! Or undead, I mean. You know, STINKY GUYS! I'm heading in!" and he disappears around the corner swinging.
Tane hits the wandering corpse, and cuts one of its arms. But the filthy thing still stands...
Selene moves to assist Tane with the zombie he just attacked.
Mayla chokes slightly and would reach into her pouch and grab out the Wand of Mage Armor and cast it on herself.
Selene hits the wounded zombie... and suddenly it explodes in a burst of rotting, infected flesh!
Enev pass near Malya, as she pushes herself against the wall to give space to the small paladin
Unfortunatly, Enev small legs don't allow him to bring the fight to the rotten corpses.
"#^@%!"
Essa stands cluelessly at the back of the group. "Whats going on up there?"
She tries to push her way to the front as she reacts slowly to the situation.
Mayla blushes as he passes her but doesn't say anything squeezing against the wall.
"Some rotting bodies. Selene, just made one pop like a grape. I think some got in her mouth. Go on by."
Tane manages to throw his head to the side and cover his mouth and nose when the explosion happens. Averting the disgusting toxins, he turns back to see Selene was not so lucky. He shouts, "Uh, Selene just inhaled some really nasty stuff! Be careful, they explode with some nasty stuff when they go down!"
"Come on guys I can't suck in my stomach forever." She said blushing brightly.
You don't need too, Malya.
Answers Takeshi with a smile as he passes near the slender mage
Once inside the room, Takeshi sends an arrow into a zombie
Let's try to kill them from a distance, if they have an explosive temper...
As her companions shout about exploding corpses, Essa waits at the back of the line concerned. As people file ahead into the room she makes her way in as well, squeezing past Malya. "Excuse me Malya." She chuckles as she moves into the crypt area with the fighting. She isn't even sure why she was laughing. The situation seemed grim and people were hurt. Maybe that was her new way of shielding herself to the horrors of this place, to laugh in the face of danger. Either that or she had gone a little insane. "Roguk stay here, its dangerous, these things are gross." As she stepped into the room she saw Enev in the corner fighting a shambling corpse.
Back to full strength, Essa takes the nearest coffin and with a mighty push slams it against the zombie at the back of the room.
Lift 600lbs over head or drag/push 1500 lbs on floor. 3000 lbs if conditions favorable.
If the coffin itself is too heavy, she will try just the lid.
She will just club the thing.
Add +3 if using club, or +1 if coffin (for improvised weapon)
Hopefully using the coffin or lid will provide some shielding against an exploding zombie.
Damage Coffin ??? +6
Essa hits the zombie easily, but the creature isn't destroyed
Mayla would squeeze past the others and gets on top of the middle sarcophagus.
Well tries and ends up failing miserably with a curse before turning and shooting a ray of frost at the closest zombie.
"Okay lets hurry and kill these icky things. They make my skin crawl."
The zombies are slow to react to the threat, but now they start to fight back, clumsily
One moves near Selene and Takeshi, and the other comes close to Tane
Selene turns face the purplish zombie and swings her morningstar, although she has taken up a cautious defensive stance after the last one exloded.
Takeshi steps back, and fires into the zombie. His arrows miss, due to the distance and the freaking look and husky smell of the undead.
Round 2
- whiff
Tane swings at the zombie, but is too worried about it exploding like the other one and pulls his attack up short.
Mayla decided to stay in her corner and would point at the red one hoping her cold ray of frost would weaken it.
Selene's weapon explose part of the zombie face, which doesn't really improve its looks.
All the rest of the team miss the slow moving abominations, as everyone has an hard time keeping their last meal inside their stomaches probably
Come on, you rotting bag of old flesh, fight me!
Purple zombie 3/12 HP
Red zombie 12/12
Blue zombie 12/12
AC 12/10/12
hp 12 (2d8+3)
Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +3
Slam +4 dmg 1d6+4+disease (Fort 11)
The diminutive paladin suffers an heavy blow, as he was trying to focus whatever attention the zombie had on him, so Essa won't be threatened
Round 3
Essa tries to bash the (red) zombie again.
Tane lashes out at the creature once more.
Purple zombie 3/12 HP
Red zombie 1/12
Blue zombie 12/12
AC 12/10/12
hp 12 (2d8+3)
Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +3
Slam +4 dmg 1d6+4+disease (Fort 11)
Malya found her self gagging at the smell of the creatures her fingers not able to point correctly as she feels her stomach start to turn.