Is this to pocket something? If so, what are you trying to pocket under the radar?
The group makes their way around the chamber, Kevan trying his best to swim to the door struggles to do so. The only thing he can tell from this door is, like the previous one, is waterlogged. Breaking it down is the only answer.
Felix, even though he is weakened, could easily do this.
Felix places his hand on the door, ready to yank it open, when...
"Your spellcasters are depleted," Esgean reiterates to Felix. "We need rest."
Felix relaxes his arm and lets go of the door.
"Oh! Thanks, Esgean! I didn't realize. I guess I need more experience with the needs of my friends who cast spells! Should we find a place to rest?"
Esgean is too weary to be offended by Jhessa's rebuke. And anyway, it's not like the young cleric disagreed with her. "If not stupidity, then at times we have ventured forward without due caution in the past days. I've seen too much of this place. More than was intended for us by any measure. There's no sense to what's happening here, and I have run out of hope for finding Dimira alive. If we don't rest we're likely to become permanent residents."
"Sorry Esgean," Jhessa quickly apologises, trying to mollify the other girl. "I didn't mean you - or anyone else - was being stupid. Just that, well, we're not tomb robbers, are we?" She smiles placatingly and agrees that a rest, and a chance to dry out a little, would be welcome.
"Besides, Felix is right. We still have hope until we find Dimira. If she's been taken then it's presumably for a reason," she adds, admittedly with more optimism than she really feels. Jhessa had been so pleased to be picked for the adventure and it has been quite the rude awakening for the young priest. She certainly can't argue with her companion's assessment that they have all seen too much of this crypt.
"I would say more like tomb raiders. Dr McCaskill had a friend by the name of Dr Bones. He was an archeopterix or something like that. He was a tomb raider. Apparently, if you raid the right ones you can make a lot of money. I mean look at them. It's not like they're using it."
When the comment about resting is brought up, "I suggest the relaxing pool room, not the one we bathed in."
The group heads to the small chamber on this floor that was described by the floor inscription as a place to take your ease, to rest and reflect on Kassen’s deeds. Once you arrive Aldmus speaks up; “I can take first watch. It will allow me the time I need to study over my spells and be prepared for what we may face tomorrow.”
Touching the fountain, Aldmus continues; “This is magical? I must be tired and cannot decifer what its Conjuration magics do.”
The magic of this pool is great, and truly a blessing from Kassen’s followers. Anyone who drinks from the fountain receives the effects of a Cure Moderate Wounds spell.
In addition, drinking from the fountain removes the fatigued, sickened, and shaken conditions, and heals a character of 1d4 points of ability damage from one ability score.
When it's her turn for watch, Esgean approaches the fountain that Aldmus has identified as in some way magical, Bestowing herself with Guidance, she investigates.
Understanding its fantastic capabilities, she drinks from it and let's the others know: "You'll feel remarkably better if you drink from that fountain."
Her body and spirits restored, she feels like she can take on the evils of this place with a sense of renewed vitality and purpose.
They had discussed the possibility of this fountain being restorative earlier in the day. Felix is pleased to learn that there is something good in this corrupted tomb. He kneels, places his cupped hands into the water, and drinks.
"Truly a great blessing," Jhessa says as Esgean explains the curative powers of the water. "If anyone is still in need of a little magical pick-me-up please let me know. I'd like to check on your lingering ailments, if that's ok please Felix," she says to the paladin. "As and when you're ready, please can you remove your armour." Jhessa busies herself making things as comfortable as possible for the night ahead for them all.
Felix readily complies with the request to take off his armor, not planning on sleeping in it, anyway.
Felix Stretches his leg out so Jhessa can check his ankle. "Between your touch and the magic of that fountain, I'll be practically good as new by the morning!
"Then we can check out the door where those frogs were."
You noticed that even though as smooth talking as Kevan was about the ring and coins, that it appeared as if he was trying to pocket them but failed to do so stealthfully.
Everyone takes their rest and wakes up the next day. Through the watch there was no disturbances, not even another sound coming from down the chamber of this tomb.
The next morning Felix & Rejke are both feeling off… Before putting on his armor Felix notices some deeper discoloration of his skin in one area. Peeling away of some flesh that is weeping, almost like a sunburn that has blistered a little. The same is for Rejke, but it is causing a section of her fur to discolor and extra shedding.
Looking over the wounds, you know that this is Zombie Rot. They have become contaminated from the zombies in the catacomb chamber.
You know that after the onset damage, their body will be able to fight off the disease and will need to make two successful save. You also know that the damage to their CON cannot be healed while they are infected. Their body must successfully fight off the disease for two days.
They can continue on with their daily lives, but will be run down.
- 1st Consecutive Save
- Failed
Having not imbibed previously from the fountain, Esgean encourages Rejke to do so now, understanding its healing properties. The feline instantly feels its old self, maybe better.
"That's a good girl," says the young druid, giving her bobcat companion a scratch behind the ears.
She spends an hour in the morning meditating on spells while the others rouse and prepare for the trials ahead.
Rejke takes a drink of the water, but it appears to have no effect to what has happened through the night to her.
Upon trying the water, "Wow, this stuff is great. Anyone have a bottle or waterskin? We should take some with us." Kevan suggests, again reminded that his pack is in with the shadowy demon thing. In the evening, Kevan hangs up most of his clothes any place he can in hopes they will dry.
"Let's go save us a damsel." Kevan says heading out of the room. "I don't suppose someone would carry me through the water would you?
When they wake, despite Jhessa's ministrations, and to her chagrin, Felix is still not feeling at his best. While the care she had provided was good, the paladin shows her a patch of reddened, oozing skin.
She scrutinises the wound, careful not to touch it so as not to cause pain to Felix or contract it herself. As she recognises it, her heart sinks a little. "I'm afraid that looks to be zombie rot," she says apologetically. "I assume it's an after-effect of our encounter with the walking dead yesterday and will probably make you feel a bit weaker than normal. It's beyond my capabilities to heal currently, but your body should be capable of repelling it naturally. Father Prasst should definitely be able to cure you when we get back to town if it gets to it," she says, aiming for reassurance.
She keeps her face strictly neutral as Esgean signals that Rejke too is showing signs of the disease. "I'm sorry," she says. "I'm not an expert but I assume the same principles apply to animals as humans with regards the disease."
Frustrated that she can do no more, Jhessa takes some time to pray to Shelyn for guidance before readying herself to leave.
"Indeed," she agrees to Kevan's declaration. "Let's go and find her. And hopefully we can avoid the worst of the flooding now that Aldmus can remove the threat from the other room. We can tidy that up to ensure it's not in our way should we need to make a hasty retreat."
Esgean, her buoyant mood darkened by Rejke's diagnosis, soothes the animal. "You've had worse," she says, although she can't think of a time when that was true.
"Today, we get to the source of this," she says to the group, her conviction firm.
Aldmus memorizes Ray of Frost to help deal with the fungus threat in the room. Using the cantrip, he can disable to fungus and the group is easily able to clear the room with no issues. There is nothing else in this chamber that draws your attention.
Standing in the opening you see a large chamber that is partially flooded, with the south end just barely rising out of the stagnant water. A large wheel is set into the floor of a dry area, attached to chains that rise into the ceiling. A thick layer of slick, black mold covers the carvings on the walls of this chamber.
She scrutinises the wound, careful not to touch it so as not to cause pain to Felix or contract it herself. As she recognises it, her heart sinks a little. "I'm afraid that looks to be zombie rot," she says apologetically. "I assume it's an after-effect of our encounter with the walking dead yesterday and will probably make you feel a bit weaker than normal. It's beyond my capabilities to heal currently, but your body should be capable of repelling it naturally. Father Prasst should definitely be able to cure you when we get back to town if it gets to it," she says, aiming for reassurance.
It's not hard to reassure Felix, who is always ready to see the bright side of things.
"I understand, Jhessa. Thanks for your help. I'll grin and bear it until it either goes away or I get some help for it.
"Esgean, I hope Rejke is okay."
"I don't suppose someone would carry me through the water would you?
Felix offers to let Kevan ride on his shoulders through the water, since the two of them stay at the front of the group anyway.
"Just... try to get off if we get into another fight so that I can swing my flail without worrying about hitting you!"
With Aldmus making short work of the dangerous fungus and the group proceeding into the next area, Esgean stays alert.
"You are a scholar and a gentleman, Sir Felix." Kevan says to Felix's offer. He climbs on up when Felix is ready and peers ahead. If at some point the water looks no more than waist high for him, he will hop off.
an additional +4 to spot traps, secret doors, or to hear conversations
With Aldmus making short work of the fungus, the group makes its way to a new room. A large wheel, slick from the now seemingly ever-present water is the stand-out feature. As she enters the chamber, Jhessa peers at it, trying to identify its purpose.
"You are a scholar and a gentleman, Sir Felix." Kevan says to Felix's offer.
"I don't think I would have been great at either of those professions, Master Kevan!"
Felix enters into this chamber, and it looks as if the water was too murky to notice them but eight skeletons wielding scimitars rise up from the water. As they move forward, two disappear back into the water.
They move forward.
Initiative: Round 1
Skeletons
All of you
"Skeletons!" Felix calls out for the people in the back. He steps forward and attacks the middle skeleton in front of him.
"Iomedae's Justice!" he cries out as he strikes.
Slipping nimbly past Kevan, Jhessa holds on to the holy symbol hanging from her necklace and confidently pushes it forward towards the skeletons. ”Shelyn fill me with your radiance that I may destroy these creatures and lay their poor souls to rest,” she intones.
She doesn’t want to go too far into the room and make herself vulnerable to attack but her blast of holy energy still reaches many of the skeletons. It is at this point she has an idea. ”I’m no tactician,” she ventures, ”but if we fell back to the passageway then we’re fighting one on one and the rest of us can support Felix - or Herskor - in the forward position. Is that a good idea or a silly one?”
"Great, I find a room in which I can stand and it's full of skeletons. Huh?" he takes a quick moment to consider. Then he bursts into action reaching up to grab Jhessa's tunic he hoists himself out of the water, leaps to Felix's back and then does a somersault off the paladin's shoulders over the nearest skeleton. When he hits the water he smacks the thing with his light mace.
+2 from flank
"This place isn't a tomb, it's a trap," says Esgean when the group arrives in the large room full of undead. "How long have adventurers arrived here only to become enslaved by the evil within?"
But she doesn't have time to dwell on it, raising her staff to bring down on the nearest skeleton.
Rejke rushes in, fangs and claws lunging at the next monster.
Felix steps up positioning himself between two skeletons, flail lashing out and sends bones sloshing into the water. Floating for a few moments before sinking below the surface.
Jhessa unleashes a burst of positive energy that strikes the skeletons.
Kevan, with a flurry of acrobatic finesse uses Jhessa as leverage and Felix as a foot stool launches himself halfway across the room. When he hits the water he waits to brace himself against the floor to attack out at the skeleton, but with the momentum that doesn’t come. Kevan disappears and he goes beneath the surface of the water.
Not prepared for what just happened to you, water fills our mouth and you momentarily choke on the unexpected water as you sink and unknown distance into the water. You can faintly see the shadows of light above you, darkness around and below you.
Esgean & Rejke move forward and Esgean attacks out at the skeleton with her quarterstaff. The attack causes the skeleton to crumple, finishing off what Shelyn’s divine power started.
Herskor moves up drawing his bow. He lets an arrow fly from the entryway at one across the room. Arrow splinters off of it; “I need to get out there!”
Two skeletons move up on Esgean and Felix and attack with their claws. Esgean, possibly still taken back that this is a trap… maybe their tomb indeed… is hit by a claw that finds a perfect opening and rends flesh open. Blood begins to color the water around her feet. The Skeleton that moves up on Felix has its claws deflect off of the paladins armor.
Still collecting your mind at what happened, you suddenly see two boney arms with claws lash out at you in the pool. One of the two claws land and blood in the water begins to cloud your vision.
You see where Kevan went under the water that there is the beginnings of blood that colors the surface of the water.
Initiative: Round 2
Skeletons
All of you
.
.
.
.
”I’m no tactician,” she ventures, ”but if we fell back to the passageway then we’re fighting one on one and the rest of us can support Felix - or Herskor - in the forward position.”
"We can't do that! Something's got Kevan!"
Felix swings his flail in a panic over Kevan's situation.
Grunting in frustration at his sloppy attack, he barrels around the skeleton to Kevan's position.
Kevan moves south to go around the skeleton towards where Kevan disappeared, and quickly begins to go under the water. It is much deeper where he steps but is able to catch himself and is currently wading in deep water.
Slightly taken aback as Kevan uses her for support to launch himself acrobatically into the fray, Jhessa is considerably more surprised when he lands with a splash and disappears under water that she hadn’t realised was deep enough for that. ”Kevan!” she cries in surprise. As Felix manoeuvres himself round to where the halfling vanished, Jhessa focuses herself and once more becomes a conduit for divine power. Another burst of radiant energy pours forth from the young cleric.
Horrified by the disappearance of the halfling, Esgean almost commands Rejke to retreat from the deepening waters, but she knows in her haert that the bobcat's purpose as her companion is to put others above self preservation.
"Find Kevan," she says to her beloved animal friend.
Move 25'
Then the young druid hammers at the nearest skeleton with her staff.
HP 16 (3d8+2)
Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +2
Kevan begins to swim upward as quickly as possible. (full round 15')
Jhessa cries out as Kevan slips under water and sends a second wave of energy. This time it looks more impactful as the skeletons in front of Esgean and Felix crumple in the water.
Rejke is pushed to move and try to and find Kevan. Tumbling into the water, Rejke is easily able to gain her composure and stay on the surface treddign water.
Kevan surfaces from below, dodging the bobcat coming to save him.
Seeing that his bow was useless against the skeleton, and seeing Kevan surface, Herskor rushes forward and pulls the halfling free from the water.
Aldmus moves forward and lets loose an Acid Dart that flies wide.
Moving up, two skeletons attack out with their claws on Esgean and Herskor. Both attacks land.
From below the surface Felix and Rejke feel claws from below the murky water. The claws dig into Felix’s ankle.
Initiative: Round 3
Skeletons
All of you
.
.
Range Touch
.
.
.
.
.
"Thanks big guy, you can drop me now." Kevan says and then moves to Herskor's left as soon as he finds purchase. He then attacks with his little mace.
flanking
"Kevan, thank Iomedae!"
His relief at seeing the halfling out of the murky water translates into a powerful blow to the skeleton in front of him.
Felix will haul Rejke out of the deeper water if the bobcat swims close enough.
The wave of energy crashes into the undead once more and a pair of the skeletons collapse into piles of inanimate bones. With Kevan resurfacing from his surprise dip, Jhessa lets put the breath she hadn’t been entirely conscious she was holding in. Through experience she has learned that her crossbow isn’t a very effective weapon against these creatures and things aren’t desperate enough for her to try and wield her dagger. Maybe I need a solid striking weapon, she thinks, though a situation would have to be pretty dire for me to be on the front line like that.
Instead she reaches over to Esgean next to her and lightly placed her fingertips on the other girl’s upper arm. ”May your staff strike true,” she says, as a rosy glow lingers around the spot where they touched and Jhessa can feel the warmth radiating from the brief contact.
Kevan sidesteps Herskor and attacks the skeleton in front of him, which quickly finds the skeleton crumpled in the water.
Jhessa blesses Esgean with a Bit of Luck.
Aldmus fires off a Acid Dart that misses as Herskor draws his Morningstar and attacks the skeleton, causing it to crumple in the water.
The sound of battle fades and you can hear Felix treading in the water.
.
"In case no one noticed, there are holes in this floor. Whoever goes to turn the wheel thingy over there may have to swim to do it." Kevan points out.
Esgean jabs at the first skeleton she hit, thinking she hadn't hit it solidly the first time.
She gives it a heavy thunk this time and shatters it.
"Rejke, come back." The bobcat turns and swims toward the group, stopping only when it can stand.
Hearing Kevan's warning, she wades over to the wheel to open it, swimming if necessary.
Felix moves onto the shallower part of the floor where the skeleton he just swung at was standing. He turns to watch Easgan, ready to swim after her should something happen.
"In case no one noticed, there are holes in this floor. Whoever goes to turn the wheel thingy over there may have to swim to do it." Kevan points out.
"You made sure that we did," Jhessa quips, feeling able to do so now the threat has receded. "How was the water? Seriously though, I'm glad you're ok. Hopefully we can move over there by using the same route the skeletons took. And make sure you check it over carefully before you touch the wheel," she calls to Esgean.
"There's monsters down in the holes so be careful. One scratched me up pretty good." Kevan replies and watches to see what happens with the wheel. "I guess I should come check that thing over." Kevan says and takes his time swimming over the wheel.
+4 to find traps
The group remembers where people fell into the water, along with the two other skeletons that have disappeared. With that knowledge, and Kevan’s keen eyes, you see that the room is divided by steep drop off points with a single hidden bridge by the water.
You get the idea that they were not intended to be filled with water, but due to the break in the previous chamber this level of the tomb is slowly filling with water.
Making your way across the chamber, you are easily able to spin the wheel. You hear a gear mechanism within the ceiling of tomb working. Once the wheel stops, it stays in place.
"Back to the room with gate we go. Hopefully that nasty pool is done with its mojo." Kevan says as he backstrokes toward the door.
Esgean grimaces at her deep wounds and quickly casts a cure spell, which is remarkably effective, restoring her to full health. The wheel then turns easily in her hands which gives her hope that whatever leak had been sprung is now closed.
She nods to Kevan and collects Rejke on her way out of the room with the pits.
Jhessa nods as Kevan explains the layout of the room. Esgean spins the wheel and gears and mechanisms start up. With nowhere to go in this room, she nods at the halfling's suggestion to head back to the previously impassable gate. "Does anyone else need any healing?" she asks, seeing Esgean wince as she magically closes her own wounds. "Otherwise I think we're good to go."
”I’ve got a bad scratch. Kevan declares when Jhessa asks.