Barlespin looks the jar over curiously. "I think that is a canopic jar ... but you'd have to look inside to see what it contains inside of it."
...and so, the party decides if they want to stick their hand inside of the mysterious canopic jar...
...specifically, who will be brave enough to try...
"Well, the secret was entrusted to me. So, now that we've opened the chest, it's my duty to see this through."
Marius carefully reaches into the jar and attempts to pull out its contents.
Squishy watches with eager anticipation as Marius lifts the contents from the chest, a canopic jar, according to Barlespin, along with whatever has been sealed within it.
Dramatic effect
Marius pulls out... ...... ...... ......
Shaped like lung
A powerful aura - definitely an artifact
Double check to make sure all three spoilers above have been earned!
"Hmmm..." Squishy mutters. "The organ is shaped like a lung."
Barlespin nods to Squishy, then looks over the symbol to try to identify it.
... but doesn't have any success at that.
Nor does his magical knowledge provide any insight into the types of magic at work here.
"I got nothin' else, I'm afraid."
|
Malendyl has been silent through all of this. On the one hand, Marius holding back possibly vital information was infuriating. On the other hand, he doesn't know if he would've acted differently. It clearly weighed heavily on Marius' mind.
He's surprised when a withered lung emerges from the jar. Why would this be so vitally important to keep hidden?
The symbol on the lung is clearly important, but he has no idea of its origin.
He tries to get a feel for the magic radiating from weird item, but he also comes up blank. Malendyl grinds his teeth. He's supposed to be smart, why isn't a plan forming yet?
Malendyl remains silent after examining the object. He doesn't want to disappoint the rest of the group by speaking up, but frustration is clear on his face. Eventually, he speaks up about something else.
"So, by sharing this with us, I guess we're all your seconds now? Hope I can live up to the expectation."
”A lung. And the holy symbol of Arazni. I don’t understand if or how they are connected.”
"Well don't look at me. I have no clue." Agnes gives an exaggerated shrug.
Marius's condition takes a turn - possibly for the worse.
The party continue to marvel at the... lung?
Jystolo turns to Barlespin "Is there any food?"
Malendyl manages to find some scavengables , while Marius brings home something that get's everyone sick !
Rokvel finishes tranfering the rune and hands the sword back to Red "Whaddya think, lassie?"
And the party prepares to bed for the night!
Once anything related to the group activity on investigating the lung is over, Barlespin slips out of his gear, using the loaded backpack and satchels as cushions for his sleep, and then pulls off the scale mail armor and buckler, leaving it sitting out in each reach next to his weapons, amulet, and esoterica.
He glances around. "Did we identify all of the magical items we've found today?"
"Well, for tomorrow, we've got a handful more places to go ... then on our way out of town ... The General Goods store, The Open Pot, the Brewery ... and then head out over the Bridge, unless we want to give a crack at that swarm of zombies at the Inn."
A3. Flatpine’s General Goods
A4. Hope’s Breath Inn (overrun with zombies)
A6. The Open Pot
A9. Bright Barrel Brewery
A10. Eastlane Bridge
"Once we cross the Bridge, who has the best sense of the terrain to lead us in the right direction ... hopefully to make out way out of this nightmare territory. I'll be busy tending to ..." He nods over toward the sleeping Jystolo nearby.
The night passes without event.
And then, there is a sound.
It starts slow, soft, barely audible, and in fact, never actually much more than that, only a slow, soft, but persistent and steady increase in volume, almost entirely below the audible range of hearing.
And then you see it: a sea of zombies washing slowly over the horizon, coming from north, south, and west , first one, then a couple, then a few, then several, then many, then many more, a hoarde, a throng of zombies shambling your way!