"You can keep the fame, Champ." A nearly gleeful look has entered Bear's eyes as you approach the entrance.
Proposed Marching Order:
Dara
Udaya (better Perception & ranged than Bear; AA on Dara's Perception)
Venedictus
Fredrik
Beargle
"Well," the big man mutters as he eyes the stretch of forest
Sorry, that was my mistake not clarifying that. It's hills actually, covered with light brush, but little in the way of trees. These are at the edge of the foothills of the Fenwall Mountains.
Udaya chuckles for seemingly no reason.
Bear pauses in their march and steps aside, ushering you all past him silently with his blade. From the rear, he begins scanning the hills around you for signs of movement.
You set out over the hills. The journey is fairly simple. Taking 10 on Perception checks, you’re easily able to locate what must be the tomb after about 15 minutes of searching. Now that you know where it is, it should be less than 5 minutes walk from the abandoned mine office.
The entrance to the Whispering Cairn itself lies at the bottom of a hill, partially obscured from above by brush and boulders, but from the bottom of the hill, it is quite obvious. A 20-ft wide opening leads into a long corridor. The light of the sun is only able to penetrate a short distance, maybe 60 feet or so. As you get close to it, you can hear a sibilant whispering sound. At first it seems just a trick of the wind, but the effect is strangely lifelike, and it is definitely coming from inside.
The interior walls bear horizontal bands of deceptively simple geometric patterns at waist level (human waist level, that is). In places, the bands have startling detail, but in others the walls look as though they have been hacked at with weapons or eroded by the rigours of time. Flakes of ancient paint, brilliant purple and a dull mustard hue, still cling to the walls in places, hinting at what once must have been a riot of colour. A thin coat of dust covers the floor. At the edge of the light (and the edge of darkvision, too), you can just make out branches to both the east and west.
At that moment, the whispering sounds pick up in volume, and a chorus of almost human sounds rises from the darkened hall. You can feel a breeze wash over you. Then it dies away and the whispers return to the soft sibilant sounds they started as.
Edit:
Seeing that it is such a short distance, Venedictus would have left Modestine wherever he's stabling her. He also would have cashed in his last gold piece for a wine flask full of some sort of strong cheap whiskey.
Venedictus, who is not very strong, was not content to leave behind his bed roll, although he did refrain from carrying his tent. As such, he huffs and puffs as you march along, and his pudgy face goes a disturbing shade of reddish-purple after about fifteen minutes. He does not ask, but if anyone volunteers to help him with his gear, he is quite grateful and promises a few good swigs from his whiskey flask in exchange.
Either way, he deposits his bedroll at the abandoned building (though not his wine flask). When it comes to marching order, he hefts his glaive and says, "I know most of you think I'm probably not a very good fighter, but we priests of Shelyn do train with our glaives at least twice a week when we're studying for ordination. Put me behind somebody and I should be able to stab over them at anything nasty."
Seeing the darkness, Venedictus says, "I have not prepared light for today. I'm hoping that one of you two wizards may know the spell?"
"You brought whiskey?! Yeah sure, I'll help ya carry your crap for a swig or two!"
"Huh? Oh right... you guys can't see in the dark, can you? Wait... two wizards?" She looks at Venedictus like he's gone daft.
Seeing that it is such a short distance, Venedictus would have left Modestine wherever he's stabling her. He also would have cashed in his last gold piece for a wine flask full of some sort of strong cheap whiskey.
The only places in town for stabling horses are:
The Riverside Stables: 5 sp per day.Able Carter Coaching Inn: 5 sp per day.
Also, mine manager Gelch Tilgast offers stabling at his residence for 1 gp per day.
Seeing that it is such a short distance, Venedictus would have left Modestine wherever he's stabling her. He also would have cashed in his last gold piece for a wine flask full of some sort of strong cheap whiskey.The only places in town for stabling horses are:
The Riverside Stables: 5 sp per day.
Able Carter Coaching Inn: 5 sp per day.Also, mine manager Gelch Tilgast offers stabling at his residence for 1 gp per day.
"Huh? Oh right... you guys can't see in the dark, can you?"
"I have no problems with the darkness. And I can make it very bright inside but only for a short time..."
Fredrik whispers a quick incantation and a soft, glowing light appears on the tip of his staff. . "There we go, I believe this will suffice."
"Huh? Oh right... you guys can't see in the dark, can you? Wait... two wizards?" She looks at Venedictus like he's gone daft.
"I believe the proper context of the term wizard is not one who performs spells on stage, but performs in the *ahem* boudoir, he he"
Bear searches around on the ground searching for something. "Is buoudoir some wizard term for 'alone in the bathroom'?' He stands back up with a rock, which he unceremoniously glides up the length of Kalath (his blade), speaking the word, "Rath". The stone begins emitting light.
He looks around at everyone, "What?"
"Okay, two wizards, then. Even better."
"What?"
Dara looks at Big Man Bear in disbelief. "You're too big to be a mage!"
Dara looks at Big Man Bear in disbelief. "You're too big to be a mage!"
Flash snickers again, "How would you know Dara, mages come in all sizes and shapes, and some are even bigger than our good man Bear here!"
"Uh huh... giant mages maybe." She points to Beargle's big-ass sword. "So Big Man, that thing just for show or can you actually wield it?"
He hefts the great blade in one hand, "This? Can't be that hard to use, right? Just swing it around and try not to lop anything off that won't grow back." He shrugs at you all, "So, we headin' in or yall gonna stand here talkin' about my sword all day?"
"In, definitely in. Everything is riding on us finding something here, so definitely in."
Despite the sound of confidence in his voice, his hands tremble slightly as he grips his glaive handle.
Dara shrugs her sturdy shoulders and equips her waraxe and shield before leading their way into the cairn. As she move, the black-maned young woman does her best to look for traps.
You move carefully into the cairn. Fred’s and Bear’s light spells provide the humans with the ability to see a short distance. At the front, Dara and Udaya are able to see somewhat farther thanks to their darkvision. You reach the point where the passage branches out, and you see that it opens into two large alcoves, but also continues beyond. Dara and Udaya can see that the passage branches out again further along.
In the alcoves, the walls bear significant damage. Dozens of clumsy etchings mar the beautiful ancient masonry like graffiti on a city wall. A clump of soiled cloth rests in the western alcove.
Dara and Udaya both notice a very faint flickering light in the distance, beyond the limit of their darkvision. There's a slight green cast to the light. The others haven't noticed this yet.
updated.
"Fred," Dara whispers, "who'd you say built this place? This ain't like any human stonework I seen. The walls are fluted. I think that's what's makin' the whisperin' sound we hear."
"Dara, whadya make o' that light up ahead?"
The dwarf casts a gaze at the cloth to one side.
"Fred," Dara whispers, "who'd you say built this place? This ain't like any human stonework I seen. The walls are fluted. I think that's what's makin' the whisperin' sound we hear."
"Dara, whadya make o' that light up ahead?"
The dwarf casts a gaze at the cloth to one side.
The cloth is clearly very old and rotting and covered in mold. It's laid out as if for a bed.
The cloth is clearly very old and rotting and covered in mold. It's laid out as if for a bed.
I'll take that to mean that it hasn't been recently inhabited then?
Do we see any place where we could hitch up Venedictus' donkey for him? Also, is there any change in that light up ahead?
The cloth definitely doesn't seem recently inhabited.
No change to the light up ahead. It continues to flicker very faintly and hasn't moved.
There is no place you can see for hitching Venedictus's donkey.
Curiousity gets the better of Dara and she flips the cloth over to see if there's anything underneath.
Pending the satisfaction of her curiosity, Dara will continue moving northward with whomever follows. (Her bow gets holstered again after moving the bedroll.)
Curiousity gets the better of Dara and she flips the cloth over to see if there's anything underneath.
Pending the satisfaction of her curiosity, Dara will continue moving northward with whomever follows. (Her bow gets holstered again after moving the bedroll.)
The cloth has hardened and become brittle with age. It cracks as Dara flips it over, sending dust into the air.
There does not appear to be anything under the cloth.
Assuming that Dara and Udaya are aiding one another (part of the reason I wanted her up front with me) and that neither of us see anything noteworthy, then Dara will continue to lead northward.
With Udaya's aid, Dara finds some wood shavings amongst the cloth, mold, and dust, evidence that someone once did some whittling here. Otherwise, there seems nothing else there.
Onward and northward then.
You continue forward to the next intersection. Here, two longer alcoves branch out to either side.
To the west, the hall extends about 40 feet, ending at a small marble platform raised about six inches off the floor. A strange, shattered apparatus rests upon this platform, its curved ovular frame giving the appearance of a noble’s dressing mirror. Only a third of this frame remains. An unusual arcane glyph about the size of a man’s head has been deliberately carved into the baseplate of the support platform.
To the east, about 15 feet down, a huge pile of collapsed rubble blocks the passage from top to bottom. It looks like it would take weeks to tunnel through the densely packed debris.
Farther to the north, you can see that the hall branches out yet again.
Everyone except Fredrik has now noticed the flickering green light in the distance. It seems no larger than before, and no stronger, and strangely, no closer.
You have very little time to take all this in, however, before a mangy wolf appears at the edge of Dara's and Udaya's darkvision. It's very skinny and much of its fur has fallen out. It also looks very hungry.
updated.
Order: Dara, Venedictus, Fredrik, Udaya, Bear, Wolf
Only Dara, Udaya, and the wolf can go in the surprise round. The others cannot actually see the wolf yet.
Up Next: Udaya, Wolf
"Fred," Dara whispers, "who'd you say built this place? This ain't like any human stonework I seen. The walls are fluted. I think that's what's makin' the whisperin' sound we hear."
Fred looks back at Dara, for once an uncertain look on his face. "I...i don't know who actually built this place. I could not find any clues as to who built it, or why it was constructed. I personally think this could be part of the old Thassilonian Empire. Your theory makes sense about where the whispering comes from. I am sure whoever built it was rich though!"
Dara raises her shield and hefts her waraxe. She'll ready an attack for if the wolf charges. "Here fella, come 'n get it!"
Bow already in hand from covering Dara, Udaya knocks an arrow and lets it fly at the wolf.
The arrow whizzes down the corridor and lands solidly in the wolf's shoulder. It howls in pain and charges down the hall at Dara. Dara is prepared, though, and brings her axe down solidly on the wolf's head as it comes into reach. With a whimper, the wolf collapses right in front of the dwarf, blood trickling from its wounds.
Back down the hall, another wolf, just as skinny and mangy as the first comes into view, moving more cautiously. And behind that comes a third. The last one, however, is much healthier. It looks well fed and has all its fur.
Neither of these wolves is yet in sight of the three humans.
Up Next: , Fredrik, Udaya, Bear, Dara, Wolves.
updated.
"It's alright lads," she points down the hallway with her axes, "there's more! Best form up now. Two more whelps like this'n but the last one looks reeaaal nasty..."
"Hate to miss out on all the fun," says bear as he draws a scroll from his scroll case and summons a protective ward around himself.
Flash looks up and sees the wolves for the first time, and he fight a surge of excitement, or was it fear, he is not sure. Cooly he chants a quick protective phrase, He then moves behind Dara and Udaya, ready to assist either of their attacks next round.
Venedictus moves to a position directly behind Dara, and readies an attack for when a wolf moves within range of his glaive.
Glaive attack:
Glaive damage: One whole point of non-lethal damage if that hits.
Venedictus moves to a position directly behind Dara, and readies an attack for when a wolf moves within range of his glaive.
Glaive attack: 1d20-2
Glaive damage: 1d10-2 One whole point of non-lethal damage if that hits.
Venedictus steps up to the right of Udaya and raises his glaive into attack position.
Fredrik then casts his spell and moves up behind Udaya, bringing the light up just enough for everyone to see the mangy wolf, but not the healthy one yet.
Up next: Bear, Dara, Wolves.
Edit: Changed Fredrik's move slightly to account for latest post.
Venedictus moves to a position directly behind Dara, and readies an attack for when a wolf moves within range of his glaive.
Glaive attack: 1d20-2
Glaive damage: 1d10-2 One whole point of non-lethal damage if that hits.Venedictus steps up to the right of Udaya and raises his glaive into attack position.
Fredrik then casts his spell and moves up to the other side of Udaya, bringing the light up just enough for everyone to see both wolves now.
Up next: Bear, Dara, Wolves.
Map updated (small changes, really, but I figured I might as well).