Heather accepts the Field Marshals offer fof a uniform and slips off to collect it...for once being well above average height for a woman (she's an inch taller than Istas..maybe a facet of her sorcerous heritage) is an advantage as it's fairly easy to outfit her.. She returns to the group feeling somewhat self concious in the male clothing. In addition she has aqquired a heavy club which hangs from her belt..standard issue for the guard
"Well it's hardly the height of fashion but it is practical" she comments
Heather will buy a shortbow(she will scrounge 20 arrows and a quiver from the guard)...and four scrolls of Disrupt Undead(CL1)..leaving her with 6 gp on hand..if we get the chance to cash our bars she will invest in more scrolls(2 burning hands(CL2) and 4 Magic Missile(CL1) for a total cost of 400 gp....she will also offer to contribute money(up to 125 gp) to the purchase of a wand of cure light wounds)
At Heather's prompting, Jeorik asks Istas, "Would there be any problem with tethering a mule in this graveyard we are going to visit?"
As the discussion veers toward preparations, Thousand Bones interrupts. "I understand that you wish to be well prepared, but I have little time. Gaekhen is two days dead. I fear if I cannot bring his body to my son tonight, he may leave the city to raise the tribes."
"Already the sun begins its fall to the sea. Please hurry."
At Heather's prompting, Jeorik asks Istas, "Would there be any problem with tethering a mule in this graveyard we are going to visit?"
Istas pauses before answering Jeorik as Thousand Bones impresses upon everyone the urgency of the situation. She nods simply and says, "We go." Then, to Jeorik, "And though there may be some at Dawn Hall who would object to your mule, I'm beyond caring...so bring it, if you wish."
"I will leave it in the hands of others, do we wish to cart our gear the whole way there, divided up between us or have the mule carry it most of the way. Either way, I can cope?"
"So," asks Jeorik as they walk to Dorman's house to get the rest of his gear (and maybe Pax the mule as well), "How big is the cemetery for a town this size?"
"So," asks Jeorik as they walk to Dorman's house to get the rest of his gear (and maybe Pax the mule as well), "How big is the cemetery for a town this size?"
"Gray District holds four wards, the smallest in the entire city," Istas explains as they walk together, "There's Potter's Ward, Everyman, Gold, and Sepulcher...each with their own social caste of deceased residents. Altogether, they're nearly the same size as South Shore...so about one-twentieth the size of Korvosa as a whole, I'd say. The cemetery mostly caters to Chelish and Varisian citizens today, but it contains plenty of ancient burial mounds from my people, as well. I spent the better part of yesterday crawling through one."
"So are we looking to be crawling through a burial mound, sewers or something else?"
"So are we looking to be crawling through a burial mound, sewers or something else?"
"We won't know until we explore the Dead Warrens," Istas answers in an experienced, matter-of-fact fashion, "The burial mound I explored yesterday was in Potter's Ward...and the tunnels made by a derro. A demented dwarf, basically. That's why I had to crawl through them."
"The tombs of Gray District vary by size, though," she continues, "If this necromancer Rolth, that Marshall Croft described, is active in the Dead Warrens, it stands to reason he's much larger than a derro. So, I suspect wherever we find him, there will be sufficient access for people like you and me. And when we find, we shall see what Pharasma has in store for those who disturb the dead."
As the group makes its way, Keliwyn starts thinking out loud. "Let's see, we're looking for a body in the Dead Warrens below the Grey District, or, I should say, a specific body that doesn't belong there, and/or the necromancer Rolth, who may be involved. What's the plan, just get there and start looking for anything unusual? Ask around? Perhaps a little divine intervention?" After a moment, the elf continues, and says "I, of course, prefer the subtle, diplomatic options, but far be it for me to stand in the way of Inigo smashing things," before finishing with a grin.
Marshal Croft thanks the party for their help. Thousand Bones expresses his thanks and a fervent wish to see you again. The shaman's crimson razor crow regards you impassively.
As you depart Thousand Bones pulls Istas aside. "Look for a lighting raptor. Gaekhen lies near. The spirits have shown me."
****
The party troops through the city stopping a few shops along the way and arrives at the gate to Grey, the graveyard district. Istas leads the way up the hill to the Temple of Pharasma where she is able to requisition 4 scrolls of cure light wounds. A variety of mundane tools including torches or lanterns are available to be borrowed.
As you set out down the hill toward Everyman's Ward the third bell past noon is tolling. The groundskeepers are starting to put away their gear.
"Well mistress Istas, we are in your element. Please do take the lead."
"Well mistress Istas, we are in your element. Please do take the lead."
The priestess nods simply, saying nothing...and allowing the quiet of the cemetery to seep into everyone's senses. The wind from the nearby ocean doesn't seem all that different from what she knew as a girl on the Storval Plateau. And she idly spins her grandfather's spear in one hand as she bears her shield and leads the group down the hill.
But, oddly enough, Istas looks to the sky rather than the cemetery's gravemarkers as they enter Everyman's Ward. She scans the air for signs of a bird of prey. After all, if the spirits showed Thousand Bones a raptor, that would surely be Pharasma's way of leading them to Gaekhen's body.
And, in some ways, it all made sense. The derro she found in Potter's Ward had killed a seagull of some kind. If those twisted dwarves were involved with this necromancer, Rolth, there might be more birds hunted by them. And that could easily attract a raptor or hawk's interest to scavenge the remains.
Heather gets more despondent the more she hears of this duty...tombs..deranged dwarves...necromancers this is no job for a student...where are the big name heroes who should be handling this.
At the cemetery, Jeorik stops and says, "Do we want to parcel out some of this gear. I can carry some of the rope and one of the lanterns. There are two other lanterns and two other lengths of rope. There is also a crowbar, which I guess I can carry. The flasks of oil can go in my backpack... and if someone wants to carry the shovel, they can..."
"Better to be prepared if you're going to be going underground. That's what my father always said and he explored his share of goblin tunnels and orc warrens before settling down with my mother."
Istas watches with some amusement, a half-smile playing over her face, as Jeorik appears to obsess over the massive amount of equipment he brought.
"I am fine," she indicates, "Pharasma's light should serve to guide me in the dark. But bring whatever makes you comfortable."
The priestess continues to watch the sky as Jeorik dispenses the gear, pondering yet again the differences in the culture and lives of the Korvosans as compared to her people.
The sky remains profoundly clear of birds of prey. A few sparrows flit across the cemetery. You begin to walk down the hill. White and black houses of stone dot the landscape, mausoleums of the wealthy gradually becoming less ostentatious as you move down the hill, and coincidentally down the social structure.
The mausoleums are ornamented with statues and carvings according to their families. The winged anchors, towers and swords, griffons and dragons of the noble families give way to more humble decorations, a ship's wheel, flowers, fish, animals.
Finally near the bottom of the hill just up from the mounds of Potter's Ward are four simple stone structures in white marble. The lowest of the houses of the dead. Two are plain, without decoration or identification save the family name carved above the door. The third has a bas relief of an eagle landing on a tree branch. The last has a small stainglass window showing an anvil.
Heather squints at the tombs..
"Did Thousand Bones say a lightning Raptor or an alighting raptor?...Because if he said the second...then I think that's where we are going"
She indicates the door with the landing Eagle
"I'll take a lantern Jeorik but i wont need oil for it"
She picks up the lantern mutters a few words and the object begins to glow with a torchlike light.
"I'll have to renew it every so often but hopefully we won't be underground too long...will we?"
"This is the place," Istas announces as she leads them to the tomb of the eagle. She stays ahead of the group and uses her wilderness skills to search the surrounding grass for any sign of interlopers.
"This is the place," Istas announces as she leads them to the tomb of the eagle. She stays ahead of the group and uses her wilderness skills to search the surrounding grass for any sign of interlopers.
Sensing that Istas is looking for tracks, Jeorik moves up closer to her.
"Need some assistance?" he asks genially.
"That was certainly easier than I was expecting," Keliwyn says. Looking at Istas, he politely motions to the tomb door with his hand, and says, "Ladies first."
"Need some assistance?" he asks genially.
Istas pauses in her search to look at Jeorik more closely, as if assessing him fully for the first time. "You're a scout?" she asks, "A tracker?" At his nod, she sweeps her hand towards the grass, "I'm searching for signs of recent activity here. Something more than just the groundskeepers would leave behind. Smaller tracks...like that of a dwarf or gnome."
"That was certainly easier than I was expecting," Keliwyn says. Looking at Istas, he politely motions to the tomb door with his hand, and says, "Ladies first."
"All things are made easier when Pharasma shows you the future and the spirits of your ancestors show you the way," Istas explains. She reaches for the door to the tomb and pulls it open with a strong tug.
"You have elven eyes," she says to Keliwyn, "They're more keen than most. Perhaps you can warn us of any traps left behind? The derro I chased yesterday used one with a tripwire and a poisoned blade. I'd rather avoid repeating the experience of getting scratched by one."
Then she turns to regard everyone else. "This is sacred ground," she warns, "Be careful of that which you disturb. If you honor the dead, they will honor you. Also, we're here to root out those responsible for Gaekhen's death and to return his body to Thousand Bones. There shall be no looting, except to remove the items this necromancer and his derro may have brought with them. Is that understood?"
Once the priestess is satisfied that everyone will behave responsibly in the cemetery which all Pharasmen are tasked with guarding, she whispers a small prayer to her goddess. A soft bluish light illuminates the spiralling comet on the amulet around her neck. She then hefts her shield and knocks the spear of her grandfather against it with a hollow wooden thump.
"Let's go."
"You have elven eyes," she says to Keliwyn, "They're more keen than most. Perhaps you can warn us of any traps left behind? The derro I chased yesterday used one with a tripwire and a poisoned blade. I'd rather avoid repeating the experience of getting scratched by one."
"Hmmmm . . . ," Keliwyn says, looking over the doorway opening, "I'm used to . . . exploring more contemporary structures, but this looks safe enough for me." He runs his hand along one jamb, then rubs the dust between his thumb and fingertips, and adds, "So far, at least."
Trapfinding/Perception 1d20=6+6=12
Then she turns to regard everyone else. "This is sacred ground," she warns, "Be careful of that which you disturb. If you honor the dead, they will honor you. Also, we're here to root out those responsible for Gaekhen's death and to return his body to Thousand Bones. There shall be no looting, except to remove the items this necromancer and his derro may have brought with them. Is that understood?"
As they begin to line up to enter the tomb, Keliwyn whispers, "I've never understood the pharasmens veneration of corpses. To me, and many of my people, the body is little more than a shell. In the end, it's little more than a physical vessel for the spirit, but perhaps that's a conversation for another time."
Jeorik and Istas scout the ground around the mausoleum. The ground is bare around the door and the grass beaten down in little lines radiating away from the door. The beaten areas soon spread out and blend into the normal grass.
Survival or Nature DC 12:
Istas:
The wrought iron door to the mausoleum can be opened and swings soundlessly outward. Inside the air is dank and musty. The far wall has a list of the interred carved in a stone "scroll." The walls consist of doors for the bodies. Two rows of 5 on each side.
The flagstone floor is dirty and muddy. The traffic pattern seems to converge on one large relatively clean flag.
"I've never understood the pharasmens veneration of corpses. To me, and many of my people, the body is little more than a shell. In the end, it's little more than a physical vessel for the spirit, but perhaps that's a conversation for another time."
Istas stares back at the elf for a long moment.
"Most definitely for another time."
Jeorik and Istas scout the ground around the mausoleum. The ground is bare around the door and the grass beaten down in little lines radiating away from the door. The beaten areas soon spread out and blend into the normal grass.
"There..." Istas points, "Derro often go without shoes, it would seem. As I've examined one up close, I can tell you this is the type of sign they would leave behind. Only four toes. You won't find many other creatures in Korvosa to fit that mark."
The flagstone floor is dirty and muddy. The traffic pattern seems to converge on one large relatively clean flag.
"That stone," the priestess gestures for Keliwyn to examine it, "It stands out from the rest. Is it trapped? Or does it hold some other significance?"
"That stone," the priestess gestures for Keliwyn to examine it, "It stands out from the rest. Is it trapped? Or does it hold some other significance?"
Keliwyn moves to the stone, and stoops to examine it. After a few moments, he shrugs, and looks up. "I don't see anything that looks odd, but again, I have to emphasize that this isn't exactly my element. I'd suggest probing it first, perhaps with your club, before putting any weight on it. "
Heather watches with interest as her companions use their skills...her students mind filing each detail away..maybe she can write a dissertation on Adventuring..it might even get published.
"I don't see anything that looks odd, but again, I have to emphasize that this isn't exactly my element. I'd suggest probing it first, perhaps with your club, before putting any weight on it. "
Istas steps next to the elf and solidly thumps the haft of her spear against the flagstone.
Keliwyn detects no traps during his examination. The mortar around the flag in question is loose, in some places chipped away. It should be easy to slip a blade or crowbar in and pry the flag up.
When struck by Istas' spear haft the flag thumps dully, but hollowly.
When struck by Istas' spear haft the flag thumps dully, but hollowly.
Upon hearing the dull thud, Istas switches her spear to the same hand used to hold her shield. She then drops down and draws a long, narrow blade from a scabbard in her boot with her free hand. The priestess slips the blade into one of the cracks in the mortar until she can pry the stone loose, motioning for Keliwyn to help her move it out of the way.
"Let's see what we've got here..." she whispers.
The flag pries up to reveal a narrow stairway leading down. The floor and walls are faced with granite. Beyond the end of the stairs the passage widens into a room. You can make out a faint blue glow from somewhere in the room.
[ooc] Single file down the stairs please. Can I have a marching order? And a visual perception check from everyone?
Heather will be going down last.
The young sorceress pulls a parchment from her backpack and scrawls a few notes as her associates uncover the not so secret door before putting it away and following along behind..she renews the light spell on the lantern
The flag pries up to reveal a narrow stairway leading down.
"Well now..." Istas mutters, "This seems entirely inappropriate for a tomb. Either someone added this...or Rolth knew this place provided a hidden passage. Let's find out where it leads."
She looks to the elf. "Can you lead the way?" she asks, "I'd rather have your eyes search for the derro's traps than trust my own. But I'll be right behind you."
The floor and walls are faced with granite. Beyond the end of the stairs the passage widens into a room. You can make out a faint blue glow from somewhere in the room.
"There..." Istas whispers back to the others, "A light. Someone's made a home down here. I think we've found the right place. Watch for the living dead in case this necromancer left some to act as sentries."
Darthen is hesitant about entering the tunnel. "Someone should stay here to guard the entry and go for help if you get into trouble down there."
***
Keliwyn descends the stairs, leading the group. At the bottom he can see into a wide room whose domed ceiling is supported by 4 pillars. Faint blue-tinged illumination is provided by patches of luminescent moss. Two large side chambers, one to the left and one to the right, each have a large pile of bones. While the center chamber is stone, the side chambers seem to be walled with shelves of bones.
Keliwyn leads the party into the central chamber. Heather is the first to notice movement in the piles of bones, but almost immediately the others can see skeletal shapes rising from the piles.
Darthen is hesitant about entering the tunnel. "Someone should stay here to guard the entry and go for help if you get into trouble down there."
Istas looks around at the others, unfamiliar with Darthen's skills or demeanor. Part of the priestess wonders if he's simply too unnerved to enter such a tomb. But she just shrugs and leaves it to the others to accept Darthen's suggestion or try to persuade him to accompany them.
Heather is the first to notice movement in the piles of bones, but almost immediately the others can see skeletal shapes rising from the piles.
"Stand firm..." Istas encourages everyone, moving to stand beside Keliwyn so they can face this new menace together.
Jeorik cautions Darthen, "Be careful,... guarding the rear is not always the safest position," then he follows the others down, bow at the ready and second to last.
Keliwyn hesitates for only the briefest of moments at Istas' suggestion that he take the lead in entering the tunnel. Rapier drawn, he descends the stairs, and as he enters the larger chamber, he steps to the right, allowing the others to file into the room alongside him. Despite the talk of necromancers and expecting the undead, he is still taken aback when the skeletons come into view. However, he draws his dagger with his off hand, and sets himself for the fight.
Heather descends the stairs with some trepidation her lantern held high ..At the sight of the skeletons rising she gasps aloud.
The room is roughly 40' across by 35' long. (columns A-H along top, rows 1-7 from top down.) You entered by D1. Pillars in C3, F3, C5 and F5. Stairs up from the bone pits enter A4 and H4.
The skeletal shapes rush up the stairs from the bone pits. From your right (emerging from A4) come 6 human skeletons; from the left (H4) a large skeleton, heavy like a great bear's, but with a wide hooked beaked. They rush to engage you noiselessly but for the clicking of their bony feet on the stone floor.
Initiative and location:
Inigo 21, E2
Istas 16, D3
Jeorik 15, D2
Owlbear 14
Heather 7, D1
Skelton Crew 6
Keliwyn 5, D4
No surprise due to your alertness. Begin round 1.