This chamber is entirely shattered, with much of the outer wall and ceiling completely crumbled.
"I can hear something in here, but I don't see where its coming from." Alwin states as he glances into the room.
"As I said, look up." Torgald said. "There, a swarm of bats. Most likely hostile should we intrude. Let us search elsewhere."
After glancing up and seeing the swarm, Alwin closes the door. "Agreed. We can search these other rooms first." After closing the door, he moves to the next door in succession and opens it.
Deciding that discretion is the better part of valor, the party moves down the corridor. Old cobweb-covered racks and armor stands dominate much of this small chamber. What must have once been a well-tended armory is now devoid of arms and armor. There are no other exits to the room.
Alwin takes a moment to visually inspect the room from the door. "I believe we are looking for a mushroom or fungus right?" He whispers back to the group.
Once he is confident the room is clear of of hazards, he steps into the room and begins looking for the object in question.
Alwin begins looking around the room and finds 4 nice crossbow bolts under one of the beds. As he continues searching he finds a secret door.
After sitting the bolts by the entrance door, Alwin moves over to the secret door.
"This room looks to have a secret door." He says to the rest of the group while searching the door for traps.
Alphonso will follow into the room and check for traps as well on the secret door.
Alwin pops the door open to reveal a short corridor with a wall of bars running down one side. Four rusted doors open in this wall into four cramped cells.
”Careful now. Anyone’s guess what we’ll find here.” Torgald said, an intense look in his eyes. Despite his injured state he took point in opening each door…
Torgolad opens the first cell and the bones in the cell begin to rise.
Round 1
Party Up
Please make sure you update your location on the map when you make posts.
”If something’s in there, back out here so we can all help.”
John turns away from the dwarf for one second to check on Felos and then turns back to find him being reckless once again.
oh hells...
Alwin moves back and prepares to cast Acid splash at any hostile creature coming through the secret door.
.
Felos delays.
"Torag, give me strength!" Torgald yelled out as the undead abomination rose. Eyes burning with religious fervor, he raised his book of grudges...
Torgald bases the skeleton into dust with his book. As the dust settles two more skeletons appear from the last two cells. Aliwin throws acid at one singing it but they both advance cutting Torgald off from escape.
Round 2
Party Up
Felos dashes forward, sees the skeletons, and unleashes a blast of yellow energy.
Felos, ever cautious, successfully determines that the ceiling is not undead by hitting it with this spell.
Targeting the same undead that he previously struck, Alwin summons a bolt of energy and sends it hurling towards the abomination.
Alwin puts a missile of force into the skeleton and it crumbles to the ground.
Alphonso attempts to attack a skeleton with his staff
John breathes a sigh of relief when the skeleton collapses, then immediate grows tense again when the new pair emerges. He contemplates for a moment his misfortune at, once again, having prepared spells unhelpful for the challenges they've encountered. Deciding that, since Torgald couldn't benefit from his healing fire, it was worth spending on use to try to save him from taking more damage, he moves up to where he has a clear shot a fires a gout of white flame at the skeleton closest to himself.
Alphonso moves into the room and hits the skeleton. John then then dispatches the last skeleton and the cells become quiet.
"Fook." Torgald said, as he looked down at the skeletons. "Who were ye?" he asked, as he looked through the cells for any evidence as to who these people were.
In the second cell a skeleton lies in a peaceful posture on his simple straw cot. On one of his hands is a ring.
Alphonso checks the room for anything dangerous and says hey this skeleton has a ring
Torgald looked at the skeleton and the ring, trying to determine any further details. At length he said ”Cover me…” as he carefully removed the ring.
"Wow, good find. Possible part of your history Torgald. Any chance you see the ingredient we are looking for? If memory serves me correct, I believe its supposed to grow around old armor piles or something to that extent."
Alwin begins glancing around for the ingredient.
Torgald removes the ring carefully from the skeleton. Taking his eyes off the ring Torgald sees two mushrooms inside the skeleton's rib cage.
”Aye lad. Don’t see any magic, but with any luck it could have historical significance…wait. Wait…” With a smile he returned to the group with a pair of mushrooms. ”Think this might be what we are here for. A boon given to us by the dead, may Magrim watch them.”
”Is that enough mushrooms or do we need more?”
"She never really specified how much we needed to find, so I'm thinking this should be enough to get the job done."
"Let's hope so," John answers, "it's not like we got large quantities of the other ingredients?"
"I say we head back unless Torgald has unfinished business here. That is assuming we have everything we set out for."
Torgald looked pensive as he ran his fingers through his beard. ”I…admit. I came here just for this. I wanted to be here, to see this. To…” He sighed, heavily. ”These skeletons. They’re dead. And whether I stay here a day or a year they still will be. But the people in town are not. Let us return with what is needed for the cure. I can return later, along with any who would join me.” He finished, a serious look on his face.
"With the exception of our time being needed for more urgent matters, I am more than happy to continue with you Torgald."
“I may need to come with you so you don’t get yourself killed immediately,” John mutters.
Torglad smiled. "I appreciate it." He said, with sincerity. Then, straitening his posture and looking out into the distance he said "Let's head back then."
As the wizards think back to their conversation with Laurel they remember she said she needed seven mushrooms.
"Ah, wait. Seven? Well, let's keep moving in."
After the recollection Alwin begins searching the rest of the skeletons and their cells for more mushrooms.
It's great to find some mushrooms, perhaps these other cells have some, eh?
Torgald studies the ring and discovers that the wearer of the ring gains fire resistance 10 against the first fire attack that hits him that day. This protection renews itself every morning at dawn. In addition, the wearer receives a +1 resistance bonus on saves made against fire spells and effects. The ring must be worn for 24 hours to have any effect.
There are no more mushrooms growing in the cells only inside the one that didn't rise.
Torgald slipped the ring on. "This ring provides protection against fire. once per day. Likely used by novice priests of Torag to protect them from mishaps in the forge. I wonder what clan..." his voice trailed off as he caught himself. "...isn't important. We need to find more of the mushrooms." His voice was stern, because his mind was elsewhere. Why were these dwarves in cells? Was there a Droskarian heresy here? It was one of the few reasons he could think of. If it was the case, then the ruins might well be dangerous. He wrested with the question of whether to tell the others, but decided to keep his worry to himself. There was no hard evidence, and all it would serve to do would be to put everyone further on edge and to disparage the people who once lived in the Hold. So he silently hoped that his fears were unfounded.
After clearing the secret room Alwin makes his way to the second room that had no sound emanating from behind the door. Without hesitation he begins inspecting the door for traps.
Alwin opens it and takes a look inside.
John waits for his patients (Torgald and Felos) to be ready to move on and then joins them in following Alwin back to the next door.
Alwin finds no traps on the door and opens it. This small study looks like it has been lived in recently. Gnawed bones litter the floor and tufts of gray fur can be seen here and there. An old stone desk sits in the center of the chamber, scratched and cracked in many places. The stench of wet fur hangs heavy in the air. Alwin sees two furry forms rising behind the desk.
Round 1
Party Up