Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had good holidays.
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Thanks for the heads up. I think it'll be slow now anyways, due to the holidays. Enjoy!
Ngonunho reaches out for the shadow and releases his spell, causing a wave of positive energy to pour over the malevolent creature. It pulls back, as if trying to shield itself from the attack.
GM Roll:
Nat's axe passes through the shadowy creature, and it seems to ignore the attack. Nat: It's a shadow, an undead, incorporeal creature. Physical attacks won't hurt, only magic (including magic weapons) and other incorporeal atacks. It's attacks sap away strength and it creates more shadows from those it slays.
The shadows flicker around the walls of the smoky room. One shadow catches your eye as it pops out of the wall and flies towards you. It resembles the shadow of a human with its arm reaching out to touch you. As it approaches it swings at Grog. The cold touch saps at your strength.
Yes, the description was in a spoiler section, if you decided to move in. I reposted it for all.
The remains of a small fire smolder in the center of this broad chamber, letting off a plume of oily smoke. Fed by a heap of burning gear, debris, and more than a few bones, the fire casts a flickering light across the walls of this room, partially obscured by the veil of smoke. The smoky air causes the light from the dying fire to cast eerie shadows that flicker along the walls.
Waiting on Grog's reaction.
The smoky air causes the light from the dying fire to cast eerie shadows that flicker along the walls.
Grog:
The smoky air causes the light from the dying fire to cast eerie shadows that flicker along the walls. The movement of one shadow catches your eye, it seemed to move against the other shadows. You could swear it looked humanoid too.
When you open the door, smoke rushes out, stinging your eyes and lungs. You hear the crackle of a fire beyond and see its glow around a bend in the corridor.
Move Inside:
The remains of a small fire smolder in the center of this broad chamber, letting off a plume of oily smoke. Fed by a heap of burning gear, debris, and more than a few bones, the fire casts a flickering light across the walls of this room, partially obscured by the veil of smoke.
GM Roll:
Ignatius moves up to stand over the fallen villager. He swings his axe at the bug, and finds the crack in the carapace, killing the beetle. Search the room:
There's nothing of interest left on the body, or in the nest. Knowledge (local) DC 15:
The body is badly mauled, but you recognize it as Dirk, one of the townsfolk from Kassen. Heal DC 10: The body looks to have been dead for a couple of days. There are similar claw-like marks on this body as the others you have seen.
Got ya, thanks for the update!
Grog runs up to the beetle and delivers a massive hit with his sword, cracking the hard carapace. The beetle skitters back defensively.
Through the next door, you see a small, mostly empty chamber. There's a body of a villager sprawled in the center. Perched atop the corpse is a man-sized brown and yellow beetle, trying to push the body into the corner, where a pile of trash and filth awaits. Along the opposite you wall you see a staircase that descends into darkness.
On we go then!
Everyone ready to move on? On to the next room?
Roldare nods, yes, yes, knock and I won't shoot. Sorry about that.
He nods excitedly, yes, yes, I'll wait here. Thank you. Please, find my sister! Find Dimira!
Roldare pales and stammers, I...I...I'm not going, please don't make me. I'll barricade myself here, don't make me go. I can't. Sense Motive DC 10: Roldare is beyond scared, he's on the brink of sanity and may not survive another encounter, mentally.
Roldare smiles at the mention of finding his sister, then holds out his crossbow, If it'll help you, please use it. I bought it several years ago from some down-on-his-luck traveler. It's served me well. There's a few supplies here as well, you're welcome to them. If you decide to take the crossbow:
It is really well-made and the sight is incredibly accurate. It would be worth a lot of gold in a market, the traveler must have been in dire straights to get rid of it.
If you search the supplies: You find several bedrolls, a pair of bullseye lanterns, 4 flasks of oil, 5 days of rations, and 2 potions labeled "healing"
The man seems calmer now. He looks to Grog and says defiantly, I will not leave my sister. Once she is safe I will return to Kassen with her, but not before. I can stay here, though, I don't wish to see the bones again. He speaks more softly now, a little skittishness in his voice, Nice to meet you, Ngonunho. It's all a mess in my head, but I will try to explain. He makes a few false starts before explaining, It happened several days ago, I'm not sure how many, three perhaps, or four? We arrived, six of us, to setup the tomb. For you. We were attacked by the angry bones, walking skeletons, in the middle of the night. I did not see the one that lead them, just the voice, I don't know if it is real, but the others heard it too. I heard the clanking of mail as the voice moved beyond my sight. It was terrible. Dimira was dragged away by the bones, they were acting for the voice, I'm sure. Ngonunho: He has a few scratches and bruises, but nothing significant physically. Mentally, he's been almost scared mad.
Roldare looks at the others with a look of surprise on his face, then realizing his crossbow is still pointed at you, he lowers it. It is really you! I thought it a trick. I am glad to see you all. The walking bones attacked us in the middle of the night. There's the one with the voice of death, he stalks the halls in ancient mail. Terrifying. Only myself and sister were left alive, the others all dead, poor souls. Dimira, she was dragged away, the voice took her, I know.
Angry, angry dead, they... There's a glimmer of recognition in his eyes as he trails off, mumbling too quietly to hear. There's silence for a moment, then Roldare breaks it, Kass...Kassen...yes. No walking bones in Kassen. He peers out at you, as if he is seeing you for the first time. Oh, Ignatius! Is that you?
No! You are a trick of the dead one! He hurries to reload the crossbow and levels up. Keep away, you won't take me like the others.
From within the darkened room, a crossbow bolt emerges, but flies harmlessly by Grog. With the door now opened, you see a small storage room. Crates are spilled along the floor by the door, and stacked up around the room. Behind one of the stacks is a human, with wide eyes, frantically reloading a crossbow. He mumbles, the angry bones, oh no, they're coming for me. Knowledge (local) DC 10: You recognize the man from town, his name is Roldare. You hadn't seen him around town for a few days before you left.
Grog attempts to open the door, but it is locked. The wailing stops. Perception DC 20:
You hear the sound of a crossbow being loaded on the other side of the door.
Disable Device DC 20:
You successful unlock the locking mechanism, but find the door is still stuck. Something on the other side is preventing it from opening.
Strength DC 10:
You bash the door, pushing whatever is holding it stuck on the other side a bit out of the way. There's a slight opening and a sudden twang as a crossbow bolt comes flying at you.
Strength DC 20: You bash the door in, moving a makeshift barricade out of the way. There is a sudden twang sound as a crossbow bolt comes flying at you.
The wailing is coming from the door to the North. As you get closer and it sound is less echoed, you can make out the sobbing and moaning is that of a person.
There's a short, musty hallway on the other side of the door. It splits left and right. The mournful wailing can be heard louder now, coming from the left. If you continue towards the sound:
The wailing grows louder with each step toward the door at the end of the hallway. There are a host of bone strewn on the floor here, many of which are cracked and broken. Another hallway leads off to the East, which ends at a door. If you go the other way: The corridor bends again and ends at a doorway. The door is locked.
When Ngonunho shifts his lever, a third clicking sound is heard on the door. When he adjusts the lever again, there is another clicking sound that sounds like a lock going in place. Adjusting it again, sounds like it unlocks. Grog can test the door and determine that it will now open.
There is a second clicking noise coming from the door when Thurim pulls the lever.
Ngonunho successfully avoids the pits and is standing before the lever to the South.
When Nat adjusts the lever, there is an audible click that comes from within the door near Grog. It sounds like a locking mechanism tumbling into place.
The door is stuck tight. There are no apparent lock mechanisms on this side.
For Grog:
Other than the pits that have already been marked, you don't see anything out of the ordinary. The hallway appears empty and safe. For Nat:
As you move to examine the lever, you noticed a third level along the Southern wall.
GM Roll:
For Nat: Based of the lever design and the sounds heard when Grog switched it, you believe it is a locking mechanism. More specifically, you believe it is used to unlock the door.
Nat makes his way to the switch on the Western wall, successfully avoiding the pits.
Grog notices another pit, directly to the West of his location.
Grog detects another pit nearby, but otherwise the hallways are empty.
For Grog: Grog detects the same depression in the ground 10 feet to the West (marked on the map). At the end of the hallway, to the West is another lever.
Grog pulls a lever and you all hear a clicking noise coming from the door. You'd guess it sounded like a locking mechanism tumbling into place. For Nat:
As Nat traverses the aisle, he notices several depressions in the ground. It's as if there's something covering the floor that is sinking in a bit.
GM Rolls:
We can assume he's keeping up with the rest of the group, following another's path.
Grog moves five feet to the West then notices something. Nat moves through the corridor unimpeded. Grog: The next step West appears to be another depression in the ground. You believe it could be another pit trap.
Grog: Grog moves around the corner into a narrow passage. He notices a lever set into the opening to the North, and an odd depression in the ground to the South.
The door onto a large chamber that 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.
Nat swings his axe, connecting with the skeleton. It crumbles down as a bolt of energy whizzes past it.
As the skeleton continues to dodge by your attacks, it continues its assault. One claw rakes by Nat, but doesn't connect, however its other claw scrapes at Ngonunho.
GM Roll:
The skeleton is much faster than you expect and easily dodges your attacks. It then lunges forward and slashes at Grog. One of its claws connects, while the other is brushed aside.
GM Roll:
Thurim's bolt blasts into the skeleton's spine, shattering the bones. It collapses on the floor.
The skeleton seems affected by Ngonunho's magic, but not enough to stop it. The skeleton attacking Grog continues, raking its bony claws at him, but doesn't manage to connect.
The other skeleton takes a step closer and attacks Grog as well, but doesn't manage to do any damage.
GM Roll:
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