Roya remains near the door, just peeking around it to see what happens but otherwise ready to duck behind it - chances were if it DID manage to slam shut, there would be some lock engaged - but then, the ruins were old, and maybe it would be as simple as opening the door again.
Once more, she was thinking about how there needed to be a way to bypass these kind of things. Maybe not originally, when it was a trap to protect the tomb, and nobody was expected to come - but _someone_ had to restock the arrows every time a new group coming of age ventured here, and those guys didn't accidentally trigger the thing on their way out. But they had nobody with them that was skilled in that sort of thing, so they had to do things the hard way...
"Ready to give it a go, then?" Perri will take cover behind the shield (relative to the pillar) and start moving slowly across the floor, unless someone tells him to wait a bit longer.
Brandark takes a position near the door, to watch the proceedings.
Everybody starts crowding up towards the front of the corridor. Joras says, "Stop crowding! Okay, Corad and then Perri set out, I'll kneel to the left, Roya behind me, put your hands on my shoulders and lean forward, Miron lean over her. Brandark, to the right, sqeeze over tightly. Okay we can't move but we at least we can breath. GO!"
Joras crouches down, in the position of the shins of the bottom of your legs on the ground, knees just off the ground, bent over to almost place his head on his knees. He would be about one foot off the ground. Roya then can lean over with her hands on his shoulder to crouch and peer out. Miron would then have room to peer over her, and Brandark can, uncomfortably for everyone, squeeze to the side. Hope that's clear enough.
On the map pile everyone but Conrad and Perri on top of Joras. (Ouch! :) )
Brandark pushes over and leans on the wall and door jam, as to not provide any discomfort to Joras.
Perri & Conrad make their way into the room with their twin tower shields overlapped as Perri suggested. As they move in 5 feet, there is a loud crash and a grinding as the floor, ceiling and walls shake as if there were an earthquake. Dust and tiny rocks fall free from the walls and ceiling.
Perri & Conrad, and anyone else who is looking from the hall, sees the pillar begins to rotate in three sections in an opposite direction as the one above it. As the pillar begins to speed up and grinding turns into a high pitch winding sound.
Seconds later the bunted bolts begin flying from the pillar in every direction. Crashing and splintering against the walls. Perri & Conrad have to use their strength to keep the shields in place, not that they are hitting with force but from the volume of bolts.
Roughly a minute passes and the bolts stop flying from the pillar, and slowly the pillar stops spinning. Perri & Conrad stay hunkered down until they believe there are no more bolts.
That is when the door on the south side of the room unlatches and slowly opens. That reveals a hallway into a dark chamber without any light source.
"Well, that part seems done. Just in case, we should go into this next corridor with a tower shield in front and a tower shield to the rear. Place seems designed to make paranoia feel healthy. What do you guys think?"
"Can you see if the pillar is empty?", Roya pipes up from behind the door. "If we have to return, or run, it would be good to know if it seems safe-"
She knew they had to advance, but right now, she was still worried about the trap room.
If the room seems safe, she'll advance and provide some magical light to throw into the dark chamber.
Miron peeks in once the sound seems to stop.
"Let me try shooting it.", he suggests, "Um. Watch out." and fires of a quick ping of frost at the pillar.
Once it's clear that the pillar is empty, he crosses the room to peer into the next chamber, adding his own Light spell to help illuminate it.
brandark ducks when miron fires at it.
when it is clear nothing else is coming, he makes his way to both perri and conrad.
Well done, you drew its teeth. shall we carry on
During the storm of blunt arrows Joras light winks out. After he approaches the area of the newly opened door. He picks up another pebble lights it up and carries it.
"We should go forward, what choice do we have? I'll scout ahead again." After carefully looking down the corridor, Joras pads foward slowly putting his weight on each tile, ready to jump back, until heis sure that it will bear his weight. He'll stop if anything happens otherwise he proceeds quietly to the end of the room. When he is just passing the second set of pillars he looks right and left at the two alcoves to see what they are about. If seeing no danger he tosses his light up/down the stairs at the end of the room. If the stairs go both up and down, he'll toss down.
With Roya’s question about fi the pillar had bolts remaining, Conrad peeks over his shield. It was easy to see the bolts previously, all of the arrow chambers are empty. Miron has some doubts and fires off a Ray of Frost. It hits the pillar that doesn’t respond. Satisfied, Miron sets off a Light spell to illuminate their groups way.
You can see from the door that there is a continuous carving that looks to be people. As the group moves in you can tell that it is a group of mourners that runs along the walls here. The hallway leads to a slightly larger room with pillars and a staircase on the south side of the room.
Before the group fully leaves the hallway into the pillar chamber four skeletal creatures move from around the pillars. They do not look like the ones you have faced before. They have elongated claws on each hand, and teeth that you have not seen on a human before. Finally, they are covered in blood as if their flesh and meat had been recently ripped from their bones.
These skeletons are very similar to the ones you have faced before, blunt weapons work best. But, you have heard lore of Bloody Skeletons that continually bleed and heal themselves, even after they fall. The only way to destroy them is if the killing blow is with positive energy, if the area is blessed, or if the remains are sprinkled with a vial of holy water.
Initiative: Round 1
Roya
Miron
Perri
Conrad
S
Joras
Brandark
Initiative
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The tower shield rests heavy in Conrad's hand, more a burden than a protection, and he drops it. He grabs his flail, and heads inside the room, alarmed that whatever's inside will get to Joras before anyone can act.
The 'whatever's inside' turn out to be even more unpleasant than he could imagine. He fumbles for his buckler.
Perri moves forward and attempts to trip the bloody skeleton in front of him.
"More horrible undead. They will not remain dead permanently without divine assistance. Try and hurt them, but don't knock them down entirely - I will attempt to channel Erastils favor to harm them.", Roya explains the situation to her companions.
Miron draws his wand, and aims carefully down the corridor and focuses, launching a burst of energy over Brandark and Joras, smashing into one of the skeletons at the back.
Roya explains what these creatures are and how to fully end their existence. Conrad moves up and equips his flail and buckler. This is more comfortable than the tower shield the group needed for the previous room.
Perri steps up and trips the skeleton standing just a few steps away from him, and successfully brings the creature to the ground.
Letting a Magic Missile fly, it hits the skeleton in the back eastern side of the room, causing it to stumble back.
The skeleton that Perri brought down, turns its head towards Perri. Somehow from the hallow eye sockets, Perri believes that the creature is eyelessly looking at him. As the creature stands, it draws an AoO from Perri. His attack lands, but doesn’t seem fully impactful. That skeleton moves up to Perri.
All of the other skeletons move forward also to fully swarm the group and they attack out. From around the corner Perri is hit by the skeleton, even with the extra coverage it provides. It’s claws slash across his midsection. The second one on Perri misses.
Rounding the pillar, the 4th skeleton moves up to Conrad. Evil seeps from its presents and as it swipes its claw at Conrad, it critically hits the barbarian.
Initiative: Round 1
Roya
Miron
Perri
Conrad
S
Joras
Brandark
.
.
Personal knowledge of the undead we're facing.
Joras tumbles a flanking position relative to Conrad drawing possible AOOs from two of the undead creatures. He then draws his sword slowly from the scabbard not having learned that neat trick of drawing while moving.
To move through squares and hopefully not provoke an AOO. +2 to the DC because of the additional enemy.
I really got to get myself a blunt weapon
Brandark shifts up by conrad and brings his Urgosh around in a double handed blow.
bab str
Perri steps back and attempts to whack the one he just hit a few seconds ago.
"Fall back into the corridor. Conrad can stand in the opening and turtle up, while I reach around him. It could take a while, but we are far less likely to end up with anyone seriously hurt."
As Conrad gets hit, Miron hesitates on where to aim, but when he sees Conrad strike back, he sticks to the plan and aims at one of the uninjured skeletons. He flicks the wand again, sending another missile crashing into the skeletons.
Joras tumbls past the skeletons to put himself into a better position to help Conrad in battle. Though maybe he has just found himself in a troubled spot behind enemy lines.
Brandark steps up besides Conrad to form a deadly wall of their own only to miss his attack.
Standing where he is, Perri realized that the only way to help protect the group is push Roya into the hallway. After a shout to fall back, he pushes Roya into the opening of the hall. With a failed attack, Perri realizes this could prove to be more difficult than expected.
Bloodied, Conrad goes into a Rage and swings his flail. Crushing the skeleton into a pile of bones. But the group remembers Roya’s words about finishing off the undead. Seeing the hope Conrad’s attack brings, Miron uses his wand to send another Magic Missile to the adjacent skeleton. The attack causes that skeleton to the same fate as the one Conrad attacked.
Initiative: Round 2
Roya
Miron
Perri
Conrad
S
Joras
Brandark
Roya remains where she is, surrounded by her allies, ready to heal any who would suffer more strikes from the skeletons.
Roya readies a healing spell IF an ally is hit in melee.
The two skeletons on Perri attack out from where they are. Each one swinging both of their claws towards Perri’s face. Those who know anything about healing knows this is the part of the body that bleeds the most. Each one lands an attack each. And blood begins to drop from Perri’s brow and cheeks. This drops Perri unconscious and he collapses to the floor. Luckily Roya is behind him and able to heal him with her readied action. Perri opens his eyes and looks up at the two skeletons standing over him.
Initiative: Round 2
Roya
Miron
Perri
Conrad
S
Joras
Brandark
.
.
Brandark curses as Perri goes down.
Roya, can you pull him back.
He steps up and swings at the skeleton in front of him.
BAB, STR
(S)
HP:8/8 AC:16
Conditions:
Level 1 Spells 1/2 left.
Bardic Performance:6/7
With the fall of the skeleton before him leaving nothing between him and a blindly angry Conrad, Joras tumbles over to behind the upright skeleton to the side of Brandark. From there his swings a defensive strike to distract the skeleton before him and to attract Conrad's attention to that skeleton and not his delicate hide.
Fighting defensively -4, +2 to AC. AC rises to 18. +2 due to flanking. Threatens adjacent squares.
To move through squares and hopefully not provoke an AOO. Difficulty is skeleton's Combat Maneuver Defense +2 because of additional enemy. More detailed explanation than earlier.
With all the tumbling about Joras is doing even he doesn't have the breath to spare to talk, yet anyway.
HP:8/8 AC:18 all attacks for round.
Conditions:
Level 1 Spells 1/2 left.
Bardic Performance:6/7
Brandark attacks with his dwarven forged weapon, but it doesn’t appear to be as effective as it normally would be.
Joras takes a wide birth and moves forward to attack with his short sword and misses.
Initiative: Round 3
Roya
Miron
Perri
Conrad
S
Joras
Brandark
Miron runs into the room and sends another magic missile into the closer skeleton.
Miron moves into position and fires off a Magic Missile at the closest skeleton. This causes that skeleton to drop to the ground in a shamble of bones. Cornered and alone, the final skeleton’s hallowed eyes are still focused on the group.
Initiative: Round 3
Roya
Miron
Perri
Conrad
S
Joras
Brandark
Perri returns to consciousness, then gathers his things and stands. This is why you don't ring civilians to a fight. Twice their ideas of what to do have effectively killed me! While his thoughts are private, the expression of rage is visible around his eyes, which is about all you can see through his visor.
Seeing Conrad smash the last Skeleton down as Perri opens his eyes again, Roya quickly channels energy twice, in quick succession - once to lay the skeletons to final rest, and once to provide some healing for her companions who had been hurt in the encounter:"How are you? Does it still hurt?"
Seeing Perri on drop to the ground, the barbarian rushes forward and delivers a blow that causes its bones to tumble off the wall and spill across the floor of this chamber.
Roya uses a burst to damage the undead foes, and a second one to heal her friends. it looks effective, but Conrad and Perri still have some wounds.
Once the sound of battle fades Roya checks on her friends, but other than the heavy breathing that follows battle and your voices it is quiet here.
The mural on the walls to the east and west is of mourners in a funeral procession that is leading down the stairs. This is a guide for anyone who enters to the location of Kassen’s final resting place, and the Everflame.
"Let's gather our things, and hope that whatever's wrong doesn't lead to our funerals." He waves a hand in the direction of the stairs down.
Joras looks a bit stunned at the sudden end of the combat. After a few deep breaths he says, "Yes, we need to be careful as we go forward. We should take a careful look at those murals to see if they give some useful clues. After that we should expect more trouble as we enter what I hope is the final room."
Joras will light up another pebble and carefully look over each mural for any hints they might provide going forward.
For anything noteworthy about the murals, or around them.
Any hints or clues about what I see. Make any additional rolls needed.
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Fatigue settles in as Conrad feels his rush of adrenaline slowly fading. While he rests his back against the wall to catch his breathing, he takes some time to examine the mural - begrudgingly at first, then with more and more curiosity.
It's not often he's been exposed to works of art, if the few idols in Erastil's likeness that Father Prasst keeps in the temple even count. The old god would sooner turn a sturdy branch into a strong bow than carve it into a statuette. He's never seen a mural before.
His gaze wanders over the shapes of the mourners, looking for details, a sign of their identity. He wonders who could have spent so many hours painting the whole procession on the wall, and if Kassen remembered their name.
It seemed entirely too much effort to honour someone's memory when a simple gravestone would have sufficed, but obviously, whoever had made the mural had done so because it was important.
He wondered what was so important that Shelby had sworn to protect what when many gods had deemed futile. Maybe, if he looked at the mural close enough, it would reveal its secrets?
"Okay, everybody's admiring the murals . . .. Is there something special about them?" Perri takes a moment to look at them more closely himself.
You spend a bit of time looking across the murals. You can tell that the artist that chiseled these murals into the stone had a skilled hand. You are unsure, but it might even be dwarven made. Though a great craftsman, this isn’t in Braggar’s wheelhouse.
You notice fine details among each of the villagers that would leave you to believe these are portraits of those who were alive when Kassen was laid to rest. But outside of fine details, you do not think there are any clues here outside of the direction to the final resting place.
The group does find that one of the skeletons is wearing a tarnished silver necklace.
You believe from the style that this necklace is about 200 years old and something that was worn by a noble. You'd value this piece at 200 GP because of its age and potential story.
[occ]See slide 3 of the tomb map[/ooc]
Everyone falls inline of the marching order down the set of stairs. They are wider than usual, but this makes sense as you have not seen any resting places yet.
At the bottom of the stairs is a circular chamber with three passageways leading from it. In the center is a small stone pedestal. The sound of dripping water can be heard coming from the eastern passageway, while the stench of rot emanates from the west.
Looking at the pillar, you see that there is something inscribed on the floor spiraling outward. It reads; “To the south you might take your ease, to rest and reflect on Kassen’s deeds. To the east lies the wheel, to open the gate. To the west is the resting place of Kassen, hero of the Fangwood.”
Walking around this circular chamber you find that the floor slopes to the east, and you can see that water has collected in the corridor. From a quick glance you can see that the walls and ceiling are fractured on this level and water is seeping in. To the south, nothing can be heard or seen. To the west, the stench of rot grows strong the closer you move to the mouth of the corridor, but nothing can be heard or seen.
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Conrad picks up the silver necklace, which is a lot heavier than he expected coming from such a small piece of jewelry. Curious, he wipes the grime off of it, and his eyes widen in shock.
"T-that must be worth more than my house!" He watches the light of the torches reflect on the necklace, gaping at its intricate details. "Must have b-been a nobleman." But one dead a long time ago.
As he reaches the bottom of the stairs he pulls his shirt up to cover his mouth with a grimace. The stench is truly becoming unbearable.
"Must b-be other undead this way," he points to the west with his flail. "If the g-gate's open, we should go."
"We don't know what's down there at this point. But that does appear to be towards our goal."
Well let us go light the lantern. After that, we should check the other 2 access to ensure that the walking dead don't follow us home.
Miron wraps his cloak around him tighter as he descends deeper into the tomb.
He frowns as he looks at the damaged walls, unlevel floor, and (worse of all), pooling water. "Maybe there was an earthquake or something" he wonders. "That might be how all these undead got in." he adds nervously. "Maybe we should go to the rest and reflect room first and make sure it's actually safe."
Joras looks over the fine mural greatly apprciating the quality of the work, after looking for useful information that is not present. A wearyness of spirit comes over him as he prays to Shelyn. Oh Shelyn! Please forgive my impiety to reguard these holy images as mere pieces of a puzzle.
Silently he falls into his place in the line down to the next level, hoping that this will be the last place of terror that awaits them. He just nods at the statements of others and follows along.
The corridor opens into a winding catacomb. The walls are skillfully carved with deep recesses where bodies might have once lain. All that remains now are cobwebs, dust, and the tattered remains of ancient clothing. The stench of rotting flesh is overpowering here, but the source is not evident.
Looking west you see the corridor T’s off heading north and south. To the east you see it turns to the north.
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Conrad really should keep his eyes peeled for any shuffling undead, but that's much harder to do when he has to squint to see where he's going, and the stink of rot makes his eyes water. He keeps his shield and flail in hand.
In the light of the torches, he thinks he can see the outlines of a door. Or maybe it's another grave?
Brandark takes the time to take a quick glance in all the crypts.
I think I know where the bodies came from for the walking dead that we have run into
He wanders the rest of the way around the room.
Brandark and Conrad lead the way into this chamber. As Brandark rounds the corner, a vile walking corpse stands before him. It is wearing soiled rags and its flesh is hemorrhaging with bulbus puss filled sores. It swings at Brandark as if it knew he was coming, the dwarf ducks under the attack and keep his Urgosh between him and the undead creature. Conrad sees one round the corner at the opposite end of where Brandark is.
This creature is a plague zombie. They are tough like regular zombies, but their slam attacks transmit a disease called Zombie Rot that will not only drain you of your Constitution but anyone who would pass being infected with the disease would raise as a plague zombie themselves within hours.
Initiative: Round 1
All of you
Zombies