Bjorn opens the first casket (#1) on the west wall, and finds it completely empty. In fact, it appears as if it has never been used.
Korvus and Maximus move toward the first casket (#5) on the east wall, and begin inspecting it.
The light from Alexei's shield brightens the crypt significantly.
Harold steps into the crypt carefully as the others go looking about. He pulls off his bowler hat as he gives the tombs a bit of nod and bow treatment, "Sorry fer deesturbin' ye gents today."
Harold scratches his head before putting his hat back in place as he makes his was back to the rear wall of the crypt. The half-orc begins to tap on the stone as he pushes at random spots to see if anything gives or denotes a hollow wall, "Might'er found sum'in o'erhere. Bi' o' the odd angle n' such."
"Indeed. It appears that the rear wall and the east wall don't quite line up correctly here in this corner." Korvus comments as he steps forward to join Harold.
"Hmm?" Hearing their conversation, Alexei heads over to the corner in question, raising his shield at it to get a better look.
Bjorn pulls the other lid aside... to find exactly the same thing as he did before - a vacant sarcophagus.
Harold moves to the corner of the room and begins inspecting the intersection of the walls. He taps and pushes on various stones, until when he adjusts to hit one stone near the corner, his hand disappears from sight into the wall. He pulls it back in surprise, then tests it again. Although the image of the wall remains, it does not really exist.
A section of the wall at the rear of the room is actually an illusion masking a narrow passage sloping downward leading away from the tomb. The passage is apparently a smooth natural cave that winds away deeper into the earth.
Alexei smiles briefly, before holding his shield out in front of him and following after Bjorn, but not before nodding at the two half-orcs. "This looks to be exactly the kind of thing we needed to find. Good work, Harold, Korvus."
Alexei nods at the Ulfen man, a small smile on his face. "Figured you'd appreciate some light in this darkness, too." He goes back to trying to keep an eye out for anything of note in the passageway as they move inwards.
Korvus follows along behind Bjorn and Alexei, glancing back to make sure that Kendra, Harold, and Oliar are following.
Harold holds out one of his large arms to ferry all the rest down the tunnel into the depths, joining the end of the line to bring up the rear.
The cavern twists and turns as it leads down, but it opens up after several hundred feet to a roughly circular space. The ceiling is around twenty feet high, and the cave is about forty feet in diameter. The space is lit with an eerie green light coming from runes on a large stone sarcophagus resting at an angle on a stone bier. This was obviously crafted, but it appears to be the only part of this cavern that is not natural.
The runes on the sarcophagus are carved in a way that indicate some kind of message...
Korvus silently reads the runes and, acting on a hunch, kneels before the sarcophagus and speaks aloud one word - "Pharasma."
The sarcophagus silently opens to reveal a suit of heavily decorated plate mail armor. A massive two-handed sword rests beside the armor. As you watch, the armor creaks and twists, and the helmet turns its visor toward Korvus. The armor slowly begins to sit up, then continues moving as if to stand - one hand grasping the side of the sarcophagus, the other reaching for the sword.
You can easily see that nobody inhabits the armor - the suit is completely empty.
-----
I'll give everyone an action, please let me know what you want to do, then roll initiative.
"זה לא נראה טוב! כי מותו של סמל על החזה שלה!" The oracle's shout in a foreign tongue is sharp and worried. Alexei begins to chant softly while gesturing, his right hand beginning to emit a pale blue light, before placing the hand on his chest. "אלוהים תן לי כוח." This finished, he turns all his attention to the animated suit of armor.
Harold reaches into his pockets as he slips on Pain and Suffering but keeps his hands concealed in his jacket. The half-orc grunts as the armor starts to rise as he glances toward the holy man and Korvus, "Tha' speeretual er some magi's pl'ytoy?"
The suit of armor slowly rises to its full height, standing nearly eight feet tall. It remains standing for several seconds before suddenly raising the six-foot long blade and assuming a combat stance. A blue light begins shining through the visor, and it turns its head to regard each of you.
As it looks upon Korvus, the sword lowers and the armor relaxes its stance. A deep voice echoes from inside the armor.
It raises its right arm, and points toward the sarcophagus.
-----
Keep your initiatives, but the armor does not appear to pose an immediate threat so I'm not going to put everyone into combat rounds just yet.
Alexei pauses, realizing the armor doesn't seem like it's going to attack them, but maintains his stance, hand resting on the grip of his morningstar. He glances to the others, an unsure look in his eyes.
Korvus rises to his feet and bows respectfully to the animated suit of armor.
"I suspect this to be some type of divine servant of Pharasma. You can see her holy symbol etched on its breastplate. It is bidding me to enter the sarcophagus to receive a reward for having shown respect for the Lady of Graves. Please do not attack it," Korvus says, his voice calm as he moves to enter the sarcophagus as directed.
Alexei nods, though he still maintains his stance. "I...," he begins, almost startled by his ability to speak. "It appears to not be hostile at the moment, but do not let your guard down..."
Korvus, what is Maximus doing? Is he entering the sarcophagus too, or staying with the others?
Maximus stays perched on Korvus' shoulder.
Everyone watches as Korvus enters the sarcophagus. As he lies down, the lid slides shut.
The armor places its sword point down and places both hands on the pommel. Its helm "faces" the sarcophagus.
"I also have a... request. After you remove the tools from the vault, my task will be finished. There is nothing more for me to watch over here, and I would prefer not to spend eternity watching over an empty crypt. I would ask that you find another task for me. It is not incumbent upon you to accept this charge, but if you are truly one of the individuals Professor Lorrimor spoke of, I hope you will hear my plea."
Alexei turns his head to the Northman. "If this guardian is a minion of Pharasma, we should have nothing to fear." He turns back to the sarcophagus' keeper, but does not actively try to seem hostile.
"If you are willing to help me though, I am willing to assume guardianship over an item or person - anything to avoid eternity guarding an empty vault in a forgotten tomb."
"As for how I knew the Professor... He visited me several weeks ago. We spent time speaking, and he mentioned his plans for investigating a large haunted area south of Ravengro. He asked for some of the tools kept here, but asked me to continue protecting the remaining items for either his return, or your arrival."
Kendra looks around, then walks up behind Alexei. In a low voice, "So are you sure it's a guardian of Pharasma? I mean, couldn't it just have that symbol on the armor?"
Alexei whispers back to the woman, "It spoke of her, and responded favorably to Korvus calling her name. I would be quite hard-pressed to claim I did not believe it is a servant of the Lady of Graves."
Kendra thinks for a second, "So, we shouldn't be concerned that it's out here, between us and Korvus, who is now locked inside a stone sarcophagus? I don't know, it just seems strange to me..."
"Or maybe I'm just not that trusting."
She frowns, continues to keep her hands on the hilts of her daggers, but keeps her thoughts to herself.
"Would I be correct in guessing that those who originally bound you here were the priests of Pharasma who originally hid the cache of tools that you mentioned? If I may ask, what are you called? What type of being are you? How long have you been bound here? What are your abilities? Where-" Korvus pauses with a rather abashed expression. "Please forgive my academic curiosity and enthusiasm. The question of most immediate importance is to decide what you will do next now that the vault you've guarded is empty. I must say that I believe the most appropriate task would be to guard the good Professor's most valued treasure - his daughter, Kendra. To be honest I must admit that I find that I have grown most fond of her in these past few days as well, and I shudder at the thought of her coming to harm from those who killed her father. However, she is extremely independent and likely would not appreciate my making such a decision for her. If I asked you to assume guardianship over me for now, would it be possible for me to transfer your service to the Lady Kendra at a later date, if that would be acceptable to her and to you?"
Kendra thinks for a second, "So, we shouldn't be concerned that it's out here, between us and Korvus, who is now locked inside a stone sarcophagus? I don't know, it just seems strange to me..."
"Or maybe I'm just not that trusting."
She frowns, continues to keep her hands on the hilts of her daggers, but keeps her thoughts to herself.
Alexei's eyes stay trained on the currently docile guardian. "I said no such thing. Merely that it is what it is. And that is why we should keep our guard up, at least until Korvus is returned to us safely."
"I do not truly know what I am, only that I exist, and I have been bound here for over 200 years. As for my abilities, I am able to control things after bonding with them, such as the armor in the crypt. I can also speak to people, either audibly or inside their minds. I can also control the forces of magic to protect my charge."
"As far as I know, there is no limit to the number of times I can be charged to guard something, or someone, and I have no preference for one thing over another. But as far as I know, the ritual of transference does require prayers from a devotee of Pharasma."
Kendra looks sideways at Alexei, trying to determine if he is making sport of her or not. Sighing in a huffing breath, she puts her hands on her hips and walks toward the armor, stopping about ten feet away, and starts craning her neck to peer at it.
The armor remains motionless.
Kendra turns to look at Bjorn, "No, I'm fine. Look, if it wanted to attack us, I think it would have already. Since it hasn't yet, I just wanted to get a closer look."
"But that sword is big..." She backs up a step, pulling Bjorn with her, "Perhaps I can see everything from here?"
Alexei advances to join Kendra and Bjorn, worry for the woman etched on his features. "I don't believe now it quite the time to be worrying about that."
Kendra breaks out in laughter, doubling over. She finally stands again, grinning from ear to ear, and in a mock-serious voice she addresses the Ulfen man, "Master Bjorn Stonehand, how dare you! I'll have you know I'm a proper lady, and those type of questions are just out of line!"
Still laughing, she returns her gaze to the armor.
Harold releases his grip on his brass knuckles and takes up a spot near the exit while leaning against one of the walls. The half-orc lets out a loud laugh at Bjorn's joke, "Careful, Bjorn. Teach da young lass aaahr crude manners an' next fn' yew know she'll be belchin' while singin' bawdy drinkin' songs atop a bar coun'er. I once knew dis sweet little fng, legs what wen' on fawerver an' a marvelous big bos - er smile what just li' up da room. I fnk she started off some merchant's daughter but by da gods she knew 'ow ter en'ertain a common room as a bar wench."
Alexei just covers his face with his free hand and shakes his head. "You people will be the death of me, I can already tell." Despite his words, a small smile can be gleaned beneath his armored hand.
"Although..." he adds as another thought occurs to him. "There is a small temple dedicated to the Lady of Graves in Ravengro. Would you prefer to serve as guardian there?"