Eyes narrowing slightly in irritation, brother Rufio nods in acquiescence, replying. "We will meet you at the Restlands then."
"I will go with you Rufio," Tamarie says.
"We will see you guys there when you're geared up.."
"According to Professor Lorrimor's notes, the false crypt should be where Eversleep and the Black Path intersect, Brother Rufio."
"Hmm.. Eversleep & the Black Path, you say?" He replies, obviously pondering as you all wait at the base of the hill on which the Restlands reside. Looking up you notice two branches off the path, one of which, the left, branches yet again just before entering the yard.
"Well, Professor Lorrimor was buried just off the Eversleep," brother Rufio contemplates out loud as he idly points to the left-most path. "Of course the Black Path would be closer..." As his gaze falls upon the right-most way. "Of course, as I said, sooner done, sooner done." He concludes to himself, smirking slightly at his attempt at wit as he makes his way to the farthest right path & entrance into the Restlands.
Following him, you notice that while the paths themselves do not follow this pattern, the graves seem to have been dug in a somewhat loose spiral pattern, from the apex of the hill in the center of the yard, outward to the irregular rectangle of the outer walls, there are comparatively few actual crypts & as you climb over the rise, it becomes apparent that only one marks the intersection between the pathway you are on & what must be the Eversleep.
"I suppose we should wait here for sister Vivian & the Rose-touched." Brother Rufio remarks sheepishly as he stops just before passing below visibility from the gate.
Professor Rokannon nods at each of Father Grimburrows points.
"Yes, I see. Yes of course, your request that Brother Rufio escort us to confirm or deny the existence of the cache is entirely reasonable. We shall go at once."
He stands up to go, then hesitates.
"Father Grimburrow, I know I may be imposing, but I am curious to know what exactly happened to the unfortunate we met last night. Antreus was it? I don't think I have ever seen such a thing happen to a man outside of a particularly twisted penny dreadful. Was the infection of that... abberation an accident, or... deliberate? I know you will need time for such an examination. I would appreciate whatever you can share with us.
"Good day to you sir!"
Rokannon bows and departs.
"I suppose we should wait here for sister Vivian & the Rose-touched."
Professor Rokannon merely nods, in no particular hurry. He makes a production out of lighting his pipe and simply looks around at the gravestones leaning on his staff.
Vivian gets her long red hair in a tight bun,get her leather armor on, check on her tools and seize her weapons before offering a silent prayer to Pharasma, asking her forgiveness for entering a tomb.
She mutters then for herself
A torch and tinderbox, one flask of holy water, my sling and some ammunition... that should be enough. I should buy a small mace later today or tomorrow, when we go to the prison.
When she feels ready, she strides back to the Restland with Zander. For once, she stays silent, and seems focused on their task.
As the group awaits Vivian and Zander's return, Davor reflects on Professor Rokannon's question to Father Grimburrow.
"You know, Professor, I seem to remember the madman babbling about being forced to eat foul, spidery things when he and his love were being held captive. Might it be that the strange creature that popped out of him was one of those foul, spidery things grown bigger?"
"I don't mind waiting around for Vivian and Zander for a bit."
"Seems like we do that a lot since they're always coming up with reasons to run off by themselves and leave us." Davor mutters.
Professor Rokannon puffs quietly, watching the smoke drift off over the headstones.
"Mm, yes. That is possible. The problem is that so much of what he said was... fanciful? Allegorical?"
He shakes his head.
"How can we separate fact from the ravings of a madman?"
Brother Rufio, though he does not comment on your musings regarding the late Antraeus, his features do take on the kind of pallor & odd, twist of a soul presently contemplating matters even more unpleasant than they might have previously. You do catch a puff of breath that might have been a barely-controlled snicker at Davor's mention of Vivian & Zander's tendency to private errands. At Professor Rokannon's final query, brother Rufio does finally pipe up. "If one is unable to accept faith, one is left with fallible reason."
Smiling shyly & ducking his head, he continues. "Of course, faith may also prove fallible, so...
I understand that those of a particularly rigorous bent may attempt to gather as much...
observational...
?ingredients? as possible?.."
"I can tell you he has been like this for at least...
half a decade, more or less?"
Brow furrowed in recollection, brother Rufio continues. "Just in dealing with him, you wouldn't think he was much more than a travelling tinker, but from what I can recall, particularly what many of the...
older residents would say soon after it happened, he was actually quite an able merchant & trader...
He simply liked to keep things small, though it might have been his wife who preferred that. I do know he doted on her."
Before you are able to question him further, you note Zander & Vivian approaching the base of the hill, Rufio must have noticed them as well as he immediately waves vigorously to get their attention & direct them to the best path. Before long you are all together & approaching the crypt you certainly hope is the one Professor Lorrimor referred to.
Tamarie nods at the approaching duo, ready to get on with it.
Little while longer and they might start discussing the meaning of life...
Hope you didn't wait too long. I had to wash my hands because of all the grease I used to help Zander to get inside ..his armor. That's why I don't use metal armor.
Well, don't waste more time, let's check that crypt, and its hidden content.
the young redhead seems all business like, but still gives a winning smile to her friends, and a knowing wink to Tamarie.
Brows arching slightly at Vivian's mention of assisting Zander, brother Rufio declines to comment, instead nodding his head briefly in acknowledgement of their arrival before turning back to lead the way downhill toward the Crypt facing the intersection of the two paths.
The only actual structure there, , the Crypt is a freestanding granite mausoleum, the roof of which is decorated with a pair of leering gargoyle statues. A single stone door with a well rusted lock occupies the center of the Southernmost wall, facing the Black Path.
"Hm. Professor Lorrimor do you think?"
"Not possible..." Brother Rufio declaims as he stares at the obviously useless lock. "This was one of the first Crypts raised in the yard. It was sealed years... decades ago..."
"You are right cleric, someone tampered with it. Everyone, be ready, there could be a trap waiting, mechanical or otherwise."
Tamarie takes her bow before listening at the door, and when they open it she will look inside.
Finally something up my alley.
---
Prompted from his shock by the other's action, brother Rufio finally reaches forward to pull at the door. It opens with little difficulty, revealing a flight of stone steps, about eight foot wide & dropping five feet to a large crypt at least twenty feet across.
From the top of the stairs you can see little as the light from the now open door provides the only illumination, the rest of the chamber occluded by an oppressive gloom..
Vivian crouches and get a look at the first stairs, the one still illuminated by the outside light
If there's some traps, it's my job to spot and desarm them. Do you see something inside, Tam"? Can you aim over my head, if need arise?
Talking to all
I'm not that sure the open lock wasn't the work of Professor Lorimmor, as he was the last to use this crypt, as far as we know. The use of acid to burn the lock seems to me the deed of someone with a keen intellect and a good, practical sense... just like he was. People more adept at mechanics would have probably cracked the old lock open. People stronger would have probably destroyed the door- but it would have been noisy and long. I'm pretty sure there are magical trick to open a lock too.
It does however give indications of a person having trod the steps, undoubtedly within the past month.
Professor Rokannon stepped down into the crypt and cast Dancing Lights with a waive of his hand. He looked around at the structure for anything unusual.
With the increased light from Professor Rokannon's Dancing Lights, you can all tell the interior chamber to be a near-perfect square, between twenty & twenty-five feet on a side. You can also tell that while there obviously should be interred remains, , it is largely empty, with none of the detritus which might be expected from the leavings of grave robbers. You do see two doors in the opposite wall, each placed approximately five feet inward from the exterior walls. There are also two statues, one midway down each exterior wall. The statues seem to be of cowled figures.
Do you spot something unusual so far, Tamarie? Some recent footprints? If not, I suggest i lead the way ,with Davor; Tamarie and the Professor go at the middle and you Zander at the back, to spot any ambush from behind. How long should your lights stay with us, Prof? If we can open the other door, i may check the other half of the steps for traps. If not, we should get in a line and stay on the right side of the stairs. The crypt doesnt seemed disturbed,as far as i can tell...Then i'll check theses doors
"Only footprints seem to be quite old, so I think it's safe in there from things that went inside.
I can not however vouch for things that were inside, and haven't come out yet."
All playfulness is gone from her eyes, as she is focused on survival. Her instincts kick in, and some old pain is visible in the twitch on her temple.
"I suggest sending someone in with a shield?"
Professor Rokannon gazed around with admiration.
"Lovely architecture..." He muttered. He turned to Vivan. "Oh, I can keep the Dancing Lights going for as long as we need them."
"The only footprints seem to be less than a month old and only one person's... I think it's safe in there from things that went inside.
I can not however vouch for things that were inside, and haven't come out yet."All playfulness is gone from her eyes, as she is focused on survival. Her instincts kick in, and some old pain is visible in the twitch on her temple.
"I suggest sending someone in with a shield?"
"Zander, you taking point? I'll be right behind you."
As Zander hefts his shield & follows the footprints forward, it becomes apparent that the lock on the exterior door was the only impediment to exploration. The interior doors are without locks entirely.
"Of course,we will warn you when it would be ill-opportune to take another step, if we can."
Tamarie follows, but makes an effort to go last.
She will place something underneath the door to prevent it from slamming shut (on its own).
Just my guess, but if there was traps against graverobbers, Prof Lorrimor should already have sprung them. Now be cautious, and let me go first, and i'll see if my suspicions were right...
Watch out where you tread: it's dirty down here.
She smiles and winks
But nothing dangerous. Unless you got an itchy nose.
"Onward." Tamarie says with a stern voice and focused eyes.
Professor Rokannon follows, smoking and admiring the architecture along the way.
"Acum! What's going on here?!" A voice calls from outside as you realize Vivian has taken close to half an hour in her examinations.
"It's... all right Jusuf," Brother Rufio calms the older townsfolk. "They are simply...
helping me in an...
inquiry. learned something & hoped we might better clarify matters for him..." The two step back outside the crypt for a moment or two as brother Rufio continues to assuage the older fellows concerns.
Returning, he looks at the rest of you assembled before walking down the steps, across the chamber & to the door on the left, which he opens & looks inside before turning to the rest of you. "While what we have seen here...
Or rather, 'haven't seen'," He mutters to himself. "leads me to conclude there is something to what you have said about this being some manner of...
well, I don't know what, but it clearly a final rest, that doesn't mean we can simply dawdle. Really sister Vivian, you'd think this was an Osirioni Tomb the way you do go on." He concludes, gazing levelly at the rest of you, just before crying out in pain!
Professor Rokannon looked around.
"What? What was that?"
He casts Dancing Lights to shed more light on the situation.
I'm lighting this side of the chamber, only over where Rufio is.
Tamarie doesn't lose time, drawing her bow while shouting: ["Incoming! Rufio, get out of the way!"
She releases the arrow on the string, even as the professor casts the lights over Rufio's head.
>
Davor readies his greataxe as he charges toward the door.
"Never a dull moment around this place, is there?"
He'll attack the first foe that comes within range.
Initiative
Vivian widens her green eyes, trying to keep them down on the floor to get her night vision unimpaired by the mage's Dancing lights, seeking what attacked Brother Rufio.... and if anything else is ready to attack!
Perception
Sometimes, being cautious pay, my poor dear Brother... You never know what Fate our goddess has in stock for us!
A dagger nearly jumps between her fingers, ready to be thrown on a new target
attack
damage
Zander, prepares himself to aid in brother Rufio's escape from his attacker.
Tamarie, though at present you do not have a clear line-of-sight upon the creature, you can maneuver yourself to be able to see it more clearly. Unfortunately, it is presently in melee combat, however even so, your arrow strikes true, eliciting a kind of wheezing squeal & hissing chitter from behind the doorway.
In response, an explosion of activity drives a sinuous, chitinous, coiling form to burst out of the doorway & across the floor towards Tamarie. I'm going to rule that this counts as a trigger for Zander's held action & he swings his morningstar, crushing the beast before it is able to savage her.
As Davor & Vivian find themselves without a further subject to attack & Professor Rokannon once more casts an illumination about the chamber, brother Rufio clambers back to the comparative safety of your immediate presence & you all hear a further sinister susuration from the darkness beyond the doorway.
"Tis a centipede. Be careful, I believe there is one more!"
Tamarie loads another arrow, and steps forward carefully.
"Zander, you ready to jump in front of me again? You have quick reflexes."
>>
--
Quickly skirting the wall, Tamarie cautiously sights through the doorway & into the darkened hallway beyond. Catching a glimpse of a quickly retreating form akin to the twitching one laying at Zander's feet, she snaps off an arrow, pinning it to the stairs where, after a chorus of spasms, it dies.
Nice shot, Tam".