Silvash looks impressed at the fountain being magical. He asks "Can anyone identify what it does?"
A large, wide corridor yes.
Meepo does not know what the carvings are about - "Dragons and magic stuff?" - he grins back.
Dorian moves towards the open hall, taking up a guarding position hammer ready.
"Can anyone identify what it does?"
"I'm afraid I can't identify what it does. Just that it's magic and what the type of magic is. It's a mild alteration magic. Might turn water to wine. Might turn your face green for all I know."
"I think we should try it!" Lanliss says, ready to channel energy right in front of the door with the skeletal dragons.
Temerith moves towards Dorian.
Noticing that Temerith seems to be moving away from the door in question, Nee does likewise, at the last moment tugging on Meepo like an errant child in need of corralling.
Jacq stays near Lanliss in case she needs to yank him away at a sign of trouble.
Lanliss channels positive energy. If he has to choose for which purpose, he chooses to damage undead creatures.
Dorian, Temerith and Nee all can see the wide corridor is actually a passage into another, mostly crumbling room, apparently devoid of any interesting features apart from rubble. From there, a closed door leads to the West, and another passage similar to the southern one leads to the North.
As Lanliss approaches the door, he can immediately feel unnatural cold coming from it. Unfazed, the elven cleric summons the power of Good to wash over from him and bathe the surrounding area.
The door seems to absorb some of this benevolent magic, momentarily glowing ghostly blue and swinging open silently.
Inside Lanliss can see five dusty sarcophagi which stand on end in the silent chamber - three stand on the north wall, and two stand on the south. The carved stone sarcophagi each resemble a noble elflike humanoid in ceremonial robes. A shrine carved of obsidian is set in the center of the west wall, on which a single candle yet burns.
Jacq, still standing next to Lanliss, inhales as she takes in the sight of what lies beyond.
"This looks like the kind of place my Pop'd try to loot the heck out of. It also looks like the kind of place that's probably trapped or cursed to the nth degree... "
"Oh, goodness!" Lanliss marvels.
"You should all come see this!"
"This looks like the kind of place my Pop'd try to loot the heck out of. It also looks like the kind of place that's probably trapped or cursed to the nth degree... "
"Didn't you hear what I said earlier? I channeled positive energy. There aren't any traps."
Lanliss moves forward, reverently dragging his fingers across any sarcophagi he passes, and stops in front of the shrine to inspect it.
Lanliss notices the shrine is carved with dragons. Its shelf holds a candle which still burns, but gives off no heat. Next to the candle are two items - a small whistle and a potion flask
"Elfs be lords, yes? Maybe Lords of Dragons?" - Meepo answers with hesitation.
Lanliss notices the shrine is carved with dragons. Its shelf holds a candle which still burns, but gives off no heat. Next to the candle are two items - a small whistle and a potion flask
"I don't know what any of this is..." Lanliss laments as he racks his brain for anything he's come across in his travels that might explain this room or the items in it.
Nee’s nose crinkles and she sniffs.
”Well, unless some…elf-lord…or lady…has been this way recently…that is *clearly* a magic candle. Not recently lit, and yet it…burns. I’d lay more bets - that flask holds an angry elf spirit ready to leap out and kill us all, and that whistle…is a magic…whistle. I say leave it all be.”
Nee sniffs again, then shrugs.
”But I won’t stop anyone looting any of it. I hold no especial consideration for long-lost folks’ funerary rituals - this is just…stuff. No more, no less. An everburning candle could be used much more by us than long lost and clearly dead elfins…”
"I don't think the door is trapped, Lanliss, you definitely took care of that." She nods at the cleric encouragingly. "But sarcophagi surrounded by statues though? Asking for robbers to get themselves in trouble. Still, we gotta check it out."
Jacq follows Lanliss in, examining the sarcophagi and statues, particularly looking for inscriptions or other signs of who the statues represent or who is entombed there.
"I wish my dad's team had learned more history and stuff... Temerith, know any tales that might match up with whatever these are?"
Jacq steps closer to observe the sarcophagi and statues but finds no further relevant information. Taking a second look at the shrine, she does notice the whistle seems to be made of glass or a similar material - it has an inscription of the Dwarven word 'Azan-gund' (translation: Night Caller), and its design resembles a small dragon curled up like a snail.
Jacq relays the information about the whistle. "Whadda you magic types think about this? Summoning whistle, maybe?"
"Guarded by elven heroes, but the whistle has a dwarven description?"
Lanliss runs his free hand over his pale, tied-back hair in consternation.
"If we were weren't underground, it would be safer to try the whistle out. I guess we should take it and try the whistle when we're in a large cave, maybe? Certainly not in a cramped tunnel.
"Can anyone tell anything about flask? Is it magic? I can't tell, because I didn't ask Fharlanghn for that spell, because instead I asked for... Oh!"
Lanliss casts detect poison on the flask to see if it... well, to see if it detects as poison.
Still concerned about possible dangers and this having nothing to do with their 'quests', Temerith comes to the room. Curiousity? It killed the cat, right?
He looks over the images and items. He can't read the word on the whistle....
He casts detect magic.
Lanliss detects no poison.
Temerith detects magic on the three items - candle, flask, and whistle.
Lanliss reaches for the flask, but stops himself before touching it. He turns to the others.
"I don't know, but these must be great treasures if they are guarded by the remains of elven heroes. But I worry about anything dwarven with elven guards (no offense, Dorian), especially if it has to do with something called the "Night Caller," so I don't really want to take the whistle.
"Also, I know we need to get moving, because the Hucrele kids need us! So, I want to take the flask. Maybe the candle if nothing bad happens. Let's vote.
"Should I take the flask?"
Silvash walks up to the items, grabs potion and hands it to Lanliss, then takes the whistle and candle and turns and says "Let's go." When he gets outside he looks at Meepo and asks "Which way?"
Seeing the magic items being taken Temerith gets out of the room as fast as he can.
As Silvash takes the items from the altar, the stone lids of the standing sarcophagi grind open with a low, echoing scrape. From within, five skeletons step forward, their movements jerky yet deliberate. The gentle elvish light once in their eyes gutters out, replaced by a baleful red shimmer. Their tattered garments cling to their frames - shreds of what might once have been fine elven craftsmanship, now little more than rags draped over ancient bone. They reach for you!
Hearing the grinding noise as he gets out of the room Temerith spins. The items had been a trap! Figuring that the group would have to destroy the undead monsters now he sings a chant of encouragement....
”Dammit Silvash! That isn’t how consensus works! We can’t save the children if we are dead…Dorian! With me!!! Meepo! Do as you will!!!” Nee shouts as she rushes in to the room to try to assist the situation. She smashes a knee out at the skeleton near her and then brings an elbow to bear at the skeleton’s head. Both strikes are poorly made, and merely shake up dust.
[+1 “BAB”, +2 Str, -2 Flurry]
[+2 Strength]
[+1 “BAB”, +2 Str, -2 Flurry]
[+2 Strength]
"Silvash!" Lanliss admonishes. The travelling cleric is not very tactically minded, but even he can see the risk of being surrounded by undead while most of the rest of the party is in the next room.
While the skeletons are still rising to their feet, Lanliss grips Silvash's shoulder and casts protection from evil on him before he calls out, "Let's go!" and gives the other elf a nudge towards the door before the cleric takes his own advice and darts out of the room.
"Please keep quiet friends - no screaming..." - Meepo urges his companions, keeping watch toward the north passage.
-- Round 1 --
Silvash receives the spell from Lanliss and gets out of the room! Lanliss follows suit just as Temerith chants an encouragement to his companions.
Nee bravely steps in, attacking in a flurry of misses. (Not sure if you can move and flurry though :P)
Dorian wades in the room, standing next to Nee. (he does not have enough move to also attack)
Likewise Jacq moves inside to stand on the other side of Nee, drawing steel as she goes and attacking the skeleton.
Her attack is well aimed, but the bony creature seems to shrug off the blade, as it slides off its ribcage. The bladed weapon seems ill-suited to fight these undead menaces.
The creatures surround the heroes with syncopated movements, attacking with their broken scimitars.
-- Round 2 --
Silvash moves back into the room and attacks the skeleton next to Dorian.
Temerith considers his weapons and magic but realizes the best he can do is stay out of the way and continue his bardic music.
Lanliss rolls his eyes dramatically as nearly everyone moves back in to the room he and Silvash just vacated. He stands in the doorway (did he have the concept of a chokepoint wrong?) and calls on Fharlanghn's divine energy once again.
Nee, emboldened by the support, and return of her companions, grits her teeth and hits out again and again.
[+1 “BAB”, +2 Str, -2 Flurry, +1 bless]
[+2 Strength, +1 bless]
[+1 “BAB”, +2 Str, -2 Flurry, +1 bless]
[+2 Strength, +1 bless]
When the undead rise and attack, Jacq sighs. "Told you."
During the fight, Jacq sees her sword isn't doing much. If there are any creatures left, she flips her weapon around and tries to bash them with the hilt of the sword.
-- Round 2 --
Silvash moves in to attack, but misses.
As Temerith continues his litany, he switches places with Lanliss, who unleashes yet again the power of Good.
The evil dead however prove exceedingly resistant to the power of the Light, and only one of them crumbles, the others continuing their assault.
Until Nee literally whirls back into the fray that is, shattering the two closest skeletons with a well aimed combination kick low / punch high.
Jacq grabs the opportunity to move around and assist Dorian, using her blade as an improvised weapon, and bludgeoning yet another of the skeletons into a motionless pile of bones.
Dorian swings his hammer hard, to no avail.
Only one creature remains, and it mindlessly attacks the dwarf.
But misses completely, no muscle behind its swing :)
-- Round 3 --
Seeing all but one of the monsters drop, Temerith stops his Bardic music. He didn't know what else they might face and knows his limits for the day....
Dorian watches as the group readily dispatches all but 1 of the undead and he faces the one left swinging his hammer, bringing it around with crushing force.
Silvash smiles as he sees Dorian bash the skeleton. He says "That should finish him."
The last skeleton crumbles to the ground, returning the chamber to silence. Meepo peeks from the adjacent area and grins.
What do you do next, gang?
Temerith looks at the broken bones scattered around and shakes his head. "OK. Anybody hurt bad? Or can we get back to why we came here? Find and free Meepo's dragon and rescue the kids?"
Jacq rubs the back of her head and presses against a bloody gash where the skeletons got past a week spot on her armor. "Yeah, I'm bleedin' a bit. Medic available?"
"Anyone else?"
"I've got one healing spell left. Lanliss can save magic for later."
"Lanliss? Can you channel for healing?"
Nee’s eyes are fire as she rounds on Silvash. She wants to shout, but Meepo’s directive to be more….circumspect sings on the pyre of her rage. Her words are measured, but stern.
”Master Silvash. Your elven compatriot Lanliss was likely more careful just now. Where you wish to die alone, go alone. We will not survive if we are rash, nor if we take it each upon ourselves to make decisions that affect us all.”
Nee looks around at the group, and nods.
”I too am to be chastised for my exuberant disagreement - as Meepo suggests, perhaps shouting is not the best course of action. Not exactly “stealthy”. May we not be cruelled by my thoughtlessness.”
Somewhat calmer, Nee smiles at Temerith.
”I thank you for your assistance Temerith, and you too Lanliss. All of us have fought well just now. Dorian, Silvash, Jacq. Our first combat. We acquit ourselves well. In that regard the lostlings might have some hope.”
And then smiling, Nee chuckles.
”And now we have some treasures!”
"Anyone else?"
** spoiler omitted **
** spoiler omitted **
Lanliss looks wide-eyed at Niamhaiofe's outburst, and holds his bow in front of him with two hands as if it will hide him. Afterward, he does look awkwardly at Silvash.
"Are you going to carry all of the things the elven heroes were holding?"
Silvash lets Niahaiofe's outburst wash over him and seems unfazed by it. He quietly replies "We seem to be in a hurry to find the others that were lost. We'd still be voting and discussing what to do with the stuff if I hadn't picked it up. Now we are done and can move on." He then walks over to Lanliss and hands him the potion. He tucks the whistle in his pack and says "Anyone want to hold the candle?"
"Which way Meepo?" he says to the kobold.