Galadine also attempts to break the skeleton’s fraile bones and with two hands wields her quaterstaff at the torso of the nearest of the two skeletons attaching Yako and Kora (purple skeleton).
Take that you wretched creatures! You should have stayed dead!!!
Dal chuckles to himself at how pathetic the skeletons are fighting yet realizes that his Everflame crew hasn't landed a blow yet either...
This has to be one of the worst fights in adventure history he thinks to himself
Dal swings his rapier at the skeleton in front of him (yellow).
As another exchange sees no one hurt, but all of the skeletons are engaged, the undead again attack, their swings missing except for a couple of close calls against armor aided by magic. All except one, the scimitar wielded poorly by the skeleton attacking Kora. Perhaps it is something against who she represents, perhaps coincidence, but the blow was almost severe. There is barely any time to think while the expressionless skulls are oriented on you all. If these skeletons are also to disappear, then what is to be said about the corpses lying in the middle of the room?
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I don’t believe this! I know they’re just bones but why are we unable to easily defeat these stupid creatures? Is there another power working through them and giving them this advantage? This has to end but it will not be our end!
Frustrated with her own performance, as well as that of the others, Galadine reaches for her dagger to adjust to the close combat. She’s tired of hearing their bones rattle with every move and swing. Galadine knows she needs to focus and end this now.
Now succumb to your doom at the end of my dagger you filthy skeleton!
Kora stumbles back as the skeleton's rusty scimitar scrapes her skin. She attacks again with her own scimitar.
Ah! How is it possible that I have missed! Die skeleton!
Yako lungs at the skeleton(blue) and slashes his greataxe at the skeleton.
All of these skeletons are still standing? Looks like I'll have to clean up this mess.
As the skeleton that Eve approaches swings and whiffs, Eve unsheathes her longsword and strikes back.
Dal takes another swing with his rapier wondering if he should have spent more time learning the art of swordmanship.
Another exchange occurs with almost everyone not managing to make contact with their opponents. Exceptions occur in the favor of Dalamagne, Eve, and Kora, though. The only negative to their successful strikes is that the edges of their weapons— or the point, in the case of Dalamagne– are designed to damage flesh. The absence of flesh does not really let the weapon deal the full damage as it was designed to. The only solution to that is to either hit them harder, or with something else.
It does occur to Kora that the undead were animated by negative energy though... Not much more of that thought could be explored due to the continuing attacks from the skeletons that had to be defended against.
A couple of hits were scored by the mindless creatures, cutting at Galadine and Kora, while one of the claws of the skeletons in front of Dalamagne managed to land a hit.
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* ,
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Kora steps back and takes a deep breath as she channels positive energy, choosing to damage the undead around her.
Beads of sweat now dripping down Eve’s face, she pauses briefly.
My blade isn’t affecting these skeletons like it does to normal induviduals. There is no skin to cut into, these skeletons are just a frail pile of bones.
In a split second of improvisation, Eve pick up a brick that had fallen out of the wall and hurls it at the skeleton.
Yako swings his great axe with a purpose this time!
Dal swings the Rapier once more.
Galadine, surprised the skeletons are posing such a challenge, regroups and pulls out her quarterstaff for another try.
I will never surrender! Then with both outstretched arms, Galadine swings her staff with renewed force!
It has not even been half a minute into the combat, with grunts and shouts from the others echoing in the room. The skeletons are eerily silent, the only sounds they make is the sound of their old bones on the stone, and the rattle of their old and broken equipment. So far, everyone has managed to avoid any severe injuries, but the few minor damages that have occurred are starting to mount.
Reminded by the stories told by Father Prassi, the energy sent by Kora did seem to have an effect on the skeletons, though it appears that it was not quite enough to destroy them outright.
All of the skeletons seem to rock, as if a wind had blown across them all at the same time, a moment of disorientation seeming to affect them as a whole. It was only for a second, however, as they resume attacking, trying to bring an end to the living creatures before them.
Many of the attacks miss as everyone is fighting well, but a telling swing from the rusted and broken scimitar of the skeleton lands an ugly hit on Galadine, and another wild swing from the skeleton Yako faces caught him unprepared
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Yako knows we have to get this fight over without any more damage and swings his axe
That worked! The skeletons definitely felt that. But it wasn’t powerful enough
Kora, inspired by the damage she dealt, tries again. This time allowing the positive energy to fill up her whole being. As the warmth flows through Kora’s body, she thinks and prays to Sarenrae, goddess of the fire domain, that she be granted this power to burn their bones to ashes.
Well that didn’t work. Guess I’ll just swing my sword again!
After an unexpected hit and with the skeletons stunned by the seeming wind rushing through them, Galadine takes this opportunity to head back to the entrance, yet not too far away to pull the area of protection beyond the entire group. Galadine quickly collects herself as she’s able to take a few deep breathes once she smells the fresh air again.
I’m no use to anyone dead. The others seem to have more success and I need a moment to bind my wound before heading back in.
Dal swings at whatever skeleton is left
Another pulse of energy from Kora disrupts the negative energy animating the skeletons and the conflict between the two powers manifests visibly as bright flames flickering among their bones. Two of the skeletons burn away with the flames, their broken armor and weapons falling among the ash of their remains.
Eve manages to turn her strike from the one she was facing into one of the two that was threatening Dalamagne, and her strike breaks something, that skeleton collapsing to the ground, inert.
Dalamagne manages yet another accurate attack, but with the strike not being strong enough to break bone, the attack is ultimately ineffective.
The two remaining skeletons continue to attempt to attack the closest living thing, but Dalamagne remains too canny a target to be hit easily. Now, all of you outnumber the skeletons, and this fight now heavily favors all of you.
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Yako swings the axe at the (red) skeleton trying to end this encounter.
Dal sees Yako end the (red) skeleton and tries to finish the (orange) one.
No sooner does Galadine begin to head back into the chamber, she pears into the dim lit room and sees Yako and Dal make contact with some nightly blows to the skeletons. The thought that the skeletons might now be defeated has her quicken her pace and return to the others to see how everyone has fared.
Can it be possible that we all survived and can move on to search for the Everflame? I hope no one else is badly injured and Kora can use some of her healing powers to help me!
Yako connects with enough force to crush the skeleton, leaving only one remaining, and after that is is a foregone conclusion. The four of you make short work of the last remaining skeleton, and that finally ends the immediate threat. As you all recover, that still leaves the unanswered question of the dead horses and ponies at the door, two corpses in this room of the crypt, and presumably eight skeletons, the origin of which remains unknown. There were three packs that lay by the columns further in.
What may have once been a place fit for interring the dead respectfully, this crypt was now something else. A different sort of death now resided here, and the skeletons were proof enough of that.
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As the remaining skeletons clatter to the ground and the commotion settles Kora uses another positive channeling, but this time to heal her companions, allowing the warmth flowing through her body to warm them and mend their wounds. After this she recalls the stories Father Prasst had mumbled about during her mentorship.
This crypt is the tomb of Ekat Kassen, our town's founder. Way back when, a former adventurer and friend of Kassen's had turned against him and attacked the town. Kassen valiantly led an attack and defeated his friend turned foe, Asar Vergas. He and all those who died at the battle are buried here. Although, this is not how the tomb was left. This was a respectable place fit for a person like Kassen. How did it become so filthy and filled with darkness. Who or what is causing this? And why? This is what we need to figure out. The two horses outside must have been for these two, does anyone recognize these corpses? Also, the ponies must have been carrying the three packs. Seeing what is in those might give us some idea as to what these two were doing here.
Dal searches the bags and the skeletons for anything of value. He and checks out the painting on the wall as well any doors or passages out of the room. Once the room is secure, he also checks the room for traps and secret doors and leaves some of the crushed glass he has at the entrance on the floor so we can hear if anyone comes in behind us, and uses his chalk to draw an arrow on the wall pointing to the exit.
Kora is healing our wounds, nice. Yako guard the opening towards the shrieking screams. Should we go towards the screams or choose a different way out of this room?
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and a pair of smokesticks.
Dal passes a ration from the packs to each party member except himself and keeps the waterskin and keeps a smokestick and gives one to Eve.
He splits the smokeskins and 30 blunt arrows between himself and Eve who have bows and each keep a pint of lamp oil.
We can use the smokesticks like a smoke bomb and the blunt arrows we can wrap with a piece of the pillow case and douse in the lamp oil and make flaming arrows out of them for Eve and I to shoot at some filthy beast. I read that in a book once...
After a pause and a pull on his waterskin Dal says Looks like there are no traps or secret doors and there are paths to the left and right. Lets go find out what is making that horrible noise.
Dal leads the way with Yako, Galadine, Kora, and Eve following.
lets get this damn everflame and get the hell out of here he thinks
Flaming arrows is a good idea. I wonder how big this place is. We could be in here for days.
As the group continues on Eve keeps an eye out behind them and has her bow out ready to shoot anything that my follow.
The door is heavy, but not as much as the ones that barred entrance to the crypt itself. Much like the walls, it has aged through moisture and time have attempted to do their own damage to it. The squeal of the hinges is not as loud as you might expect of something as old as this crypt is supposed to be. It appears that someone is at least maintaining it very infrequently. The large chamber beyond contains a maze of pillars that obscure the far side of the room. Next to the door is a pile of empty saddlebags and three brooms.
For all your tension, nothing leaps out at you to attack, in fact, besides the wailing that has gotten a little bit louder with the entry into this room, nothing else seems amiss. You could perhaps relax a little...
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We spread out and search the maze agreeing to meet in the top right if we don't find anything of interest.
Swords and weapons out, everyone splits up to look down the different hallways.
Dal check out the broomsticks and saddlebags before you go down your hallway. Everyone, make sure you check the floor before you step and look at the ceiling and what is above you to avoid any traps. Also, call out what you see or find.
Eve doesn't like the sound of splitting up, but there are a lot of hallways to search.
Perhaps we could rest a bit if we don't find anything threatening.
Dal grabs a broomstick and prods the floor and walls around him as he walks looking for traps.
Yako uses his great axe to tap on the floors, walls, and ceilings looking for traps.
If he finds one he yells stop where you are, there are traps!
As all of you fan out to explore the room, it is Dalamagne that finds the first trap. Even probing with the broomstick, it is between one step and the next that the floor gives way, and he falls into a pit trap. Much to the surprise of everyone, the floor below is cushioned by a mound of pillows instead of something more harmful. The landing does give him a good jolt and rattles him a bit, but climbing out is a matter of teamwork, and then taking another step, he finds the next trap the same way. At least nothing is hurt but his pride in this case.
Warily searching, Yako finds the next trap the same way Dalamagne did, though he was prepared for the landing, having seen it twice before.
Galadine spots the irregularity in the floor and can avoid the trap, tripping it with no difficulty, and avoiding the fall.
All of the traps in here seem to have pillows in the bottom, so there seems to be little harm besides the fall and maybe getting knocked about on the landing a little— or accidentally dropping the torches that you're carrying into the pile of pillows. The wailing has not stopped however, and it is Yako that first spots the door
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Dal thanks his everflame crew for helping him out of the pits and is embarrassed that he as the rogue didn't see the irregular spots on the floor.
There doesn't seem to be much of anything of use in this maze of pillars, lets head for the door that Yako found.
Dal uses his chalk to make an arrow pointing towards the way back to the tomb entrance.
What is the point of laying these traps if they are just going to have pillows at the bottom to break our falls? Maybe, those two dead in the other room knew of these traps and put the pillows there.
Kora makes note in her head of where the traps lie so if they have to go through it again, they will know the way. Scimitar out, Kora follow the group and Eve brings up the rear.
Carefully avoiding the pit traps that you have found inadvertently, all of you advance, reaching the door, only to find it locked. It does not seem to want to open, even to the finesse of the skilled fingers of Dalamagne. The door itself seems much like the other that you had come through, the same type of wood, the same amount of wear and weathering— but there appears to be some sort of lock on it. The complexity of the lock is impressive.
None of you recall seeing any keys obviously in the pits that you found. Even the torch sconces here were irregular. Maybe this door is a one-way design? Added to that, it is somewhat difficult for you to judge how much time has passed, save for the burning of your torches in the dark of the crypt. It has not yet gotten to an hour, by your best guess, so it might be nearing midday. A break could certainly be taken if you were so inclined.
Or, you could press on and try the other door on the opposite side of where the skeletons were.
OR— maybe that sconce was a switch? If they were actual sconces, they would be regularly spaced, would they not?
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Dal tries to pick the lock and then if that doesn’t work he checks for secret doors. Also he puts a chalk mark on the floor near each trap in case they return this way.
Yako tells Dal to stand back and puts all of his brute force into trying to push the door open.
Kora notices one of the sconces is out of place and decides to push or pull on it to see if it is a switch.
If nothing happens, she says Well, we need a key of some sorts. Let's try the other door connected to the main room, and maybe we'll have more luck there.
We may have to pull on all 3 sconces simultaneously
It takes some coordination, along with a couple of missteps into yet more pit traps before a safe way is identified through the room. Some of the traps that have not been triggered have been marked with chalk, but it is the trap in the center that reveals yet more pillows, along with a small sack. Inside are five platinum pieces, and a note that reads, “ , , .”
Though somewhat cryptic, there are three sconces, and when trying to pull them all at once, a loud 'click' echoes through the room. It appears the door is unlocked! However, barely a few seconds later, it locks once again. Eventually, you can get the door open and everyone out without mishap, though the wailing has definitely become louder, and seems to be coming from ahead on the left.
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Dal heads down the left passage with a torch in one hand and his rapier in the other looking for signs of more of those damned traps or secret doors.
He motions Kora to follow him while motioning Yako, Galadine, and Eve down the right passage.
this is not another maze like we thought, lets go back and join the others
Dal attempts to open the door in front of him.
As half of the group returns, Kora asks, What did you see down your passage?
If Dal can't get the door open, Kora leads the group down the hall next to them and attempts to open that door.
Kor, it looked like a passage leading to a door which may have been headed back to the 1st room we were in, so I came back over here with you guys since it was not another maze. Let's stick together, get the flame, and get out of this accursed place!