Waiting patiently for the sweep to be completed, once it was done, Garroth quickly set to work scooping coin into his backpack. He seemed used to handling large sums of gold, deftly catching any stray coins before they could fall to the floor and roll away. "Not bad for a days walk and a short, ahem, workout, now is it?" He asked, laughing out loud at his own comment.
"I agree Aurora, there is something wrong here. I just don't know what."
Melaphi, crossbow still loaded, stands near the exit.
Ransaq scoops up a handful of gold pieces, "Looks right to me".
While some hesitate, others load backpacks and sacks. Eventually, all of the gold, silver, and other precious articles are packed and loaded, leaving only the solemn statues with their empty basins, eyes cast down on a stone floor, barren as their own once-wealthy offering bowls. The party stands at the exit, prepared to leave.
As the party rallies, they strike down the man in the chains. His body goes limp just before he turns to ash and falls to the floor.
As the party gathers at the entrance with the loot stowed in packs Melaphi closes his eyes for a moment and a wave of golden light radiates outward from him, soothing wounds and aching muscles.
"The long walk back to town is going to be tedious enough, no reason to have aches and pains added to it", he grins.
Ransaq thanks Melaphi with a bow of his head.
As the party departs, the whispers in the tomb return, growing louder as they ascend. Nerves on edge and weapons drawn, they slowly make their way out of the tomb, the whispers apparently following them out. As they leave the graveyard, it is almost as if they are surrounded by whispers, no longer from the tomb, but in the air all around them.
"The treasure of Zon..."
"--thieves of holy sacrifice--"
"--dark places and empty bowls.."
"...no peace in life, no rest in death--"
After some time walking back to town, Ransaq casts detect magic and focus on it for as long as necessary.
Ransaq is able to determine that a curse has taken hold of all of you. However, he believes that the longer you spend away from the chamber of statues, the more it will fade. It should be gone by the end of the week.
Hmmm, it appears we've acquired a curse. Returning the coin may remedy the issue... though I'm not certain if it would be an instant relief. Then again, it may go away on it's own one day, or you could pay a sum greater than the amount we've plundered to have it removed."
As the party rallies, they strike down the man in the chains. His body goes limp just before he turns to ash and falls to the floor.
Melaphi bursts out giggling at Ransaq's revelation. "Cursed? CURSED? What else is new?" he holds up his gloved hands for emphasis.
"Cheer up Mel, there's a blind woman out there for you somewhere" He returns with mischievous grin.
Melaphis healing elicited a hearty laugh from Garroth as he traced his fingers along the flesh that had previously been wounded. "Im likin' you better and better little man!" He said, punching Melaphi in the shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie, inadvertently causing him pain. Oblivious, he walked amongst his new companions, alternating high fives and hugs, before settling into resting his arm across Oralds shoulder and walking with him. "Some mead must be had after such a great day, dont you think?"
Back in town, Garroth simply shrugged at Ransaqs discovery. "Eh, I aint too worried. Been cursed by people plenty of times, aint never done me any harm...That I know of at any rate." He shrugged again, before toasting the others with his waterskin, freshly filled with ale from a nearby tavern. Smacking his lips, he moved a pointed finger around, pointing at each of the others in a sweeping motion. "So, what say you we reconvene here some time in the next week, see about makin' another score? This group looks to be a potential cash cow, and I intend to drink my fill from her sweet swollen udders." He cupped his hands with a greedy look on his face, as if squeezing the very thing he had just described.
Well that was a mess. I am for checking on my brews and trying to forget about that place. Might be that we had some problems with crowding at the doorway. If ye can use a long spear or such, it may be good to have it as an option. And something a bit better suited to smashing bones seems wise.
That and a warhammer. Stupid skeletons. :P
Looking for adventure: We clearly need to get us something to help protect us from the magic's of the unholy if we are to be mixing it up with them on a regular basis. Cloaks of resistance would be the obvious route. Something like a horn of goodness if you are thinking of something a bit more epic.
Orald asks around a bit to confirm, but he's fairly certain he recalls a tale of a place South of town where there lies a magical ward against evil. A haunted temple, so the story goes, is home to a lone madman, perhaps a priest driven mad by devotion to an evil god.
However, Orald himself has no idea how to get there.
"You underestimate my charm and wit Ransaq if you think it will take a blind woman. Now Garroth..." Melaphi leaves it hanging.
"Whatever it takes so long as I don't have to patch you up so often Orald. I think I spotted something that might be a temple off the path we took out of town last week, should be easy enough to find the place."
"Well, you hide it so well..." answers Ransaq.
Aurora returns to her shops, happy to have cleared that cursed tomb from near her town.
Excited by the sudden influx of funds, and for some reason not her normal frugal self, Aurora rushes out to the nearest alchemical supply shop and pick herself up a hybridization funnel, as well as a couple of flasks of holy water. .
"It's your elven heritage Ransaq. It has unfortunately left you bereft of good cultural upbringing." Melaphi retorts with an amused smile.
Although Orald couldn't say more than "South" for the location of the temple, Melaphi was able to lead the group through the expansive forests, plains, swamps, and other terrains with skill and a bit of luck, stumbling upon the temple some time around sunset. A large stone hall extends for over a hundred feet across the clearing, being at least as deep and having two other smaller floors above. A single wide doorway stands blocked by double wooden doors adorned with bells and chimes.
"You want I should check it out?"
Garroth hoisted his shield off his back and did a few last checks of his equipment. Hearing Ransaq break the silence, he motioned to the doors with his head. "Go right ahead slick, ill be right behind you." Waiting for Ransaq to take the lead up the stairs, he then followed, a five foot gap between them as they advanced.
Now that someone had taken the initiative, Orald steps up next to Garroth and prepared himself for another den of horrors. The in part involves a drink from his mead skin which he happily shares with anyone interested. Had a regular of mine that is a priest bless this batch.
Ransaq searches the door, careful to avoid the bells and chimes.
Ransaq finds no traps to speak of, but the door does look very rotted, with the metal framing rusted shut.
"Well, it's not trapped, but I figure that's because there's no need for it to be. It's rusted shut."
Whats that? hmm.. let me see if we can get this open.
Nah that's just surface rust, I am pretty sure it will open like a charm.
Orald begins pulling on the handle\frame.
Orald is unable to budge the door on his first attempt, but he didn't have a very good grip.
Orald stands up and brushes the dust from the seat of his trousers, and looks down at the handle in his hand.
Shameful craftsmanship, their ancestors would be ashamed. Once again, this time with leverage. This may be noisy, be ready for an audience.
frustrated Orald continues pulling off pieces of the frame.
Stymied, Orald just looks at he chunks of rusted junk in his hands and throws them to the ground. He takes up his axe and eyes the door with contempt, but first looks to see if anyone else would like to try the impassible barrier.
Garroth held up a fist, smirking slightly at Oralds deflated ego. "Door like this needs a good bit of elbow grease Orald." He said with a chuckle, then looked down at his raised elbow, then at his shoulder. "Well, shoulder grease is more like it, but you know what I mean."
Taking a few steps back, he charged the door, shoulder first.
Hitting the door with an anticlimactic thud, Garroth leaned on it a moment, back turned to the others. Stood there for a few long moments, he finally turned with a sheepish look. "Eeh, uhm, wrong shoulder you see...Gonna try with the correct one this time." He said as he walked past them into position again.'
Once more he charged, this time bellowing like a maniac.
Once more he was defeated. Backing up a few paces he stared at the door with contempt, as if the act alone was supposed to make it crumble to the floor. Trying to play off the shame he turned with a chuckle. "Shameful craftsmanship? Maybe...Enduring? Definitely!"
After Orald's failed attempts, Ransaq snickers and addresses him. "Shameful craftsmanship, yes."
He can't help but laugh at the half-orc. "Perhaps we should have a look around. Maybe we'll get lucky and find an open window". He laughs a bit more, "It wouldn't hurt to case the joint anyway".
Melaphi smirks, "Perhaps we should just ring the bell and wait for the doorman to answer?"
"Anyone got a battering ram? Or a crowbar? If not we better look for a window indeed."
"I would normally advise against a battering ram, but since these two already announced our arrival, I guess it doesn't really matter anymore."
Seeing that no one else is going to try this accursed door, Orald smashes it in with his axe. Putting in a bit more vehemence than one would expect to be directed at a simple door.
Orald strikes the door and it crashes to the ground, smashing chimes, bells, and rusted iron braces alike. Luckily, no one is injured. Unluckily, the noise aroused a swarm of bats!
Orald runs out of the swarm like screeching like a scared little girl. Moving as far away as he can.
"Oh gods! Bats! Oh burn them with Fire! Run Away!" Aurora squeals, A bomb fizzing away in her hand.
She waits till her companions are clear and chucks the bomb at the horrid mass of bats.
Having a good open mouthed laugh at Oralds door breaking zeal, Garroth almost swallowed a bat as the cursed vermin plowed into his face in a wave of scratching nails and flapping wings. Flailing aimlessly above himself with sword and shield alike, he followed Orald in a headlong retreat. "Aaaargh, kill em lass, kill em!"