Rodi and the Keg circle the greasy patch and attack. Rodi hits, doing some damage with the disruption. The Keg also connects, his warhammer more effective than the blades.
Ben dismisses the grease while zapping the undead.
Mikos waits for the moment then strikes, slashing Gorloth once then twice. The falchion does some, but the disruption finishes the job. Screeching as the holy fire burns the rest of its unholy essence away, Gorloth dies a final death. The smoldering bones clatter to the stone floor along with its scimitar.
Searching Gorloth's remains, you collect the scimitar and a leather pouch around its neck holds a small vial and a small thumb-sized token of etched green glass.
On the table lie four longswords, a dagger, a buckler shield, a belt, a potion flask, a flask of acid, and four small leather belt pouches. One of the pouches contains 16 silver; another contains 25 silver and 12 copper. The third holds 7 gold, 7 silver and 8 copper, and the fourth contains a small emerald and a pair of six-sided bone dice.
The vial, token, belt and potion flask radiate magic.
Mikos looks over the assortment of edges for anything of superior quality. "I wonder what all this is. Looks like a swordmongers display. Too bad there's not anything like a mace. Edges didnt work that well on boney. Maybe I'll keep the die to remember him by."
"Me trusty warhammer is always good for a backup ... ya need to borrow it?" The Keg offers Mikos.
"Me trusty warhammer is always good for a backup ... ya need to borrow it?" The Keg offers Mikos.
Mikos looks pained, but takes the offered hammer feeling the heft. "There's just no finesse to it... but sometimes smashing gets the job done. Thanks," he rasps.
"If you're gonna need some time to figure out what we got here, why dont we go up a level and take a break? I could use some rest anyway."
"We looking to make camp and get a solid rest in or just a couple hours to recharge and healnup?"
Mikos shrugs. "I don't think there is any rush. We might as well make camp."
You carefully backtrack through the level, returning to the stairs and climbing back up to the surface ruins. You lock the doors and set up camp in the vault.
Ben spends some time working on the newfound magic items, and manages to determine their properties.
The green glass token is a spire transport token. The bearer can use the token in vicinity of the central emerald spire to teleport to another level of the spire. It can only transport if the bearer knows the desired level's sigil.
The belt is a lifting belt.
One vial is silversheen. The flask is a lesser healing potion.
The dagger found on the table has a +1 potency rune.
From the earlier room, you also have two more minor healing potions and two arcane scrolls of fireball and fly. In the bone tube with the scrolls is a parchment with another Azlanti rune scribed on it. 'Four' is written in Common next to the sigil.
Mikos gnaws at his field rations as he watches Ben work. He eyes the rune dagger after the wizard's explanations. "I've heard that runes can be transferred from one weapon to another. Can you do that?"
Rodi's eyes go wide. "Nice dagger! I bet it stabs better than usual!"
|
Ben will claim the magic scrolls, as well as note the Azlanti rune for four. "I've no doubt this works with the spire transport token, what a wonderful use of magic."
He nods. "Yes indeed, this same sigil is marked along many of the walls in this level."
Ben replies to Mikos' question. "It can be done, runes can be transferred between magical weapons and armor depending on the fundamental properties of those items and runes. There is a cost associated and I would require time and tools to do so."
Mikos looks confused. "How many levels is this thing supposed to have?"
The Keg slips the belt on and then hefts his shield and armor, "Eh, feel like a wee boy again!"
Then after a bit, the Keg can treat wounds on each of you
Then we memorize spells the next morning and recharge the wand of heal.
Spells:
Same zero levels + chill touch
1st: Disrupting Weapons, Healx2
2nd: Restoration, Sound Burst
The southern door in the entrance room is blocked or barred from the other side, but you have not made any special attempts to open it.
You have not yet searched the tomb room in the north part of the level. You also backed out of the obviously trapped chest room east of Gorloth's throne room.
The door at the west end of the southern corridor is blocked by the iron gates.
[b]"Let's 'ead to the north before we try forcin' any of these other doors."[/]
The Keg packs up his gear, ensures Mikos still has his warhammer and stomps out.
"I mean, we could just keep trying to disarm the trap until we either succeed or die! It would be exciting!" Rodi supplies.
Mikos nods. "To the Tombs then. I'm ready for any bony bastards this time," he rasps as he hefts the hammer.
You return to the tomb chamber.
This large stone chamber contains two clusters of four stone caskets each. In the center of the room, between the two groupings, stands an empty, unlit iron brazier that is covered with soot and smells faintly of past fires. Drapes of dust-covered spider webs cling to the ceiling.
You step in, expecting the caskets to burst open with hungry undead, but... nothing happens. You take some time to search the caskets. They contain skeletons of varying age and condition, but any magic that may have once animated them has since departed.
The skeletons wear only ragged, rotting clothes and carry nothing of real value.
One of the caskets stinks of mold and its skeleton is badly decayed and covered in mossy patches. The base of the casket is sodden with moisture.
"They're not moving, huh. Nothing to see here then. Don't know why the one is all wet though."
"Or we could see if this sarco moves?" The Keg suggests and pulls out his trusty crowbar to aid in cranking it ove.
Mikos suggests they let Rodi take a look before demolition begins.
Rodi nods and jumps forward to peer suspiciously at the coffin.
Rodi does not see anything that looks like a trap on the casket. The Keg goes to work, and the already-decayed casket crumbles into a pile of moldy bits. Amid the wreckage, however, you spot a large ram's horn. The horn glistens, covered in condensation.
Ben notes that the horn is magical. Nothing else in the room radiates magic.
Mikos looks confused. "What the hells is that? Can you tell if it does anything?"
The Keg pulls up, and throws his crowbar over his shoulder non-plussed, "Not what I expected, but, eh ... let's see."
He scoops up the horn and inspects it, "See if you can figger out what this does, Ben. Then we get to blow it!"
His eyes shimmer with excitement.
Ben determines that the horn is a horn of fog.
Item 6
Conjuration, Magical, Water
Price 230 gp
Usage held in 1 hand; Bulk 1
Activate [two-actions] Interact; Frequency once per hour; Effect You activate the horn by blowing deeply into it, causing it to issue forth a low blast and cast a 2nd-level obscuring mist spell. You can Dismiss the mist at any time by blowing a second note on the horn using an Interact action.
Mikos shrugs, "OK, just don't blow it until I'm out the door. Should we try the trapped chest or the trapped gate next?"
"Trapped chest! They hold treasure!" Rodi steps up and professionally examines the chest.
Moving back to the south east room, Rodi spends some more time examining the trapped chest. He susses out a way to open it without triggering any of the traps in the room.
The chest is empty except for a bleached cat skull and an aged, handwritten note reading, “Curiosity Kills: another ingenious demise, courtesy of Addington’s Fine Traps and Defenses.”
Mikos scowls. "I don't see any treasure and I'm adding Addington to my kill list."
"HAHA ... that's a goodun. That ol' kidder, Addington. To the gate then! Ya think we mightn' need to huff and puff and blow it down?"
The Keg looks hopeful as he stares at the horn o' fog.
You move back into the hallway.
Massive black iron gates bar the western end of this corridor and another door. The gates are fashioned out of twisted, angular vertical bars that have sharp edges and are about a handspan apart, linked by welded crossbars. The gates have massive hinges set deep into the walls, and a heavy lock inside a welded box secures sliding bars that run into sockets in the floor and ceiling at the center of the corridor. Moreover, a black iron chain with links as thick as a human thumb wraps around the gates where they meet above and below the lockbox. The chain’s ends disappear into holes in the lockbox.
Nearing the bars, you sense a powerful chill emanating from the metal pieces. Making contact would certainly prove harmful.
Mikos moves his hand closer and farther from the bars. "Colder... warmer... colder...what wizardry is this, Ben?"
The Keg glances at the gate with trepidation. Looking back at their map, he says, "And we couldn't get through that door to the south of the stairs, ya? No handle, no lock, just wouldn't open?"
"This gate is foreboding ... it is meant to keep things out. I don't like it. Rodi, up to you if you wish to try and pick it. I'm ready for anything"
The Keg draws his rapier and raises his shield then stops and thinks for a moment ...
"Um, did we try any of our keys yet on this thing? Mebbe that first."