The dwarf glances back at the cleric, as if to say all in good time.  He runs his hands over the living stone, checking the stone door first, clearing out the detritus that has accumulated so the words can be clearly read.

He then moves to the wooden door, and checks it over as well, noting to see if the hinges are recently used, or rusted.  He then checks the space under the sill, perhaps a breeze blows from behind it, and keeps the floor clean.

 Venturing cautiously down the corridor, Ishmael reaches the stone door without incident. Clearing away a thick veil of cobwebs, he is able to see that the door is etched with the eroded carving of a crown surrounding a snow capped mountain, a sigil that the dwarf immediately recognizes as the symbol of Crom, the god of strength and battle. The stone portal does not appear to be locked, nor does Ishmael find any evidence of traps upon it.

On the lower portion of the door, written carefully with what Ishmael guesses to be charcoal, are the words, ”Rhymes with numbers”.

Glancing to the right, down the eastern branch of the passageway, Ishmael can see that there are two additional stone doors evenly spaced along the corridor, which extends for fifty feet before terminating at an archway which has been walled up with bricks and plaster. On the southern wall, the explorer sees only one doorway, which lies twenty feet away. Rather than being filled with a door, the opening is secured with a series of vertical iron bars.

Returning to the party, Ishmael examines the wooden door just east of where they have halted. Splotches of rust are visible on both the door’s banding and its hinges. On the floor directly beneath the hinges, the dwarf spies several small shavings of rust, which inform him that the door has been recently opened. He feels no hint of breeze at its bottom seam and again finds no evidence of traps or snares. The door is unlocked.

A few words roll off the tip of Barnabus's tongue -- "Tumblers, bumblers, and fumblers" -- which he shares, his head cocked knowingly. Satisfied, he turns his attention to one of the new doors, the one closest to the entrance to the Barrow.

Door 23 first, please.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:59, Tue 21 June 2022.

"Given the nature of this place, I would include Slumbers, as well," Dax says to the cleric as confirms that Ynes, Dryvyk, and Barnabus are in place before opening the door.

Ynes readies her axe as the adventurers prepare to enter. Tense, the warrior’s attention shifts between the portal and the dark stretch of hallway to the east. ”There is no part of this accursed place that isn’t haunted,” she mutters.

Pushing the door open, the adventurers are confronted with a small, square room, a rickety rectangular table placed in its center. A well used hand axe, its head dark with blood, rests on the table.

In the northeastern corner of the room is slumped the headless body of a human man, clad in a yellow striped tunic. In one hand, the corpse clutches the burnt stub of a torch. In the other, it holds a small leather bag.

A pair of shelves are mounted on the northern wall. The top shelf holds a neatly arranged row of three polished skulls. At the end of the row sits the head of the dead man, a puzzled expression frozen on its blocky features.

On the western wall, crudely drawn in rust colored pigment, is the symbol of a skull.

Even the normally unflappable Barnabus finds himself nonplussed after beholding this tableau (un?) vivant. Nonetheless, he makes a quick recovery, stll buoyed by his god's blessing.

"I say, good man," he asks, speaking to the headless man first, before turning to the head, "did you lose a bet?"

Dax keeps his sword at the ready as he steps into the room, and moves to the decapitated corpse, half-expecting for it to lurch upright. He reaches to the leather pouch and pulls it free and examines its contents.

"Those polished skulls were valued by Mazzahs, we should take them with us. And perhaps that axe too?"

Malivoire wrinkled his nose in distaste as he entered the room and saw its contents, including the befuddled head and its detached body.  The symbol on the wall seemed to link it all together for the elven mage.

"Perhaps this is a preparation room, before the skulls get to their council table?" he suggested, referencing the room they had previously discovered with the banners and skull-decorated table.

"Dax, any insignias on that man's outfit, or something in the bag?" he then called to the ranger, as his friend examined the corpse.  Malivoire wasn't certain yellow-striped tunics were emblematic of any particular family or town, but if they were able to identify the man or his origins maybe it would help explain how he had come to be here.  He certainly didn't appear to be the explorer type, like those who had just discovered his remains.

Ynes surveys the room and grimaces. ”Ouch,” she says simply, seeing the man’s head perched on the shelf alongside the skulls.

Wary of what else might be lurking nearby, Lander remains in the corridor outside of the room, alongside Andryr, keeping watch.

Examining the dead man’s tunic, Dax foes not find any unusual markings or embroidery that provide any insight into the garment, or its wearer’s, origin. However, the ranger does find a folded piece of parchment tucked in the corpse’s belt.

Opening the pouch, Dax sees that it contains 15 platinum coins. The design imprinted on them is worn and not familiar to the ranger, giving him the impression that the money is quite old, possibly ancient.

Unfolding the parchment, Dax sees that it is a letter, written in a crude hand. It reads:

Swen,

I’m not listening to any more of your excuses. If I don’t have what you owe me in my hands by the end of the month, you won’t like the consequences. I promise.

Alzo

"Oh, he lost a lot of bets, did the unlucky one named Swen," Barnabus comments.

"But why leave his purse?" he wonders. "If he owed debts, why take his head and leave his coins? Unless this is not the handiwork of the lender..."

Harvest the skulls. Grab the head and axe on the way out of the Barrow.
Anything on the 2nd shelf?
Let's try 21 next.

OOC: The second shelf was indeed barren. Awaiting skulls to occupy it, as it were.

Moving up the adjacent passageway to the north, the adventurers halt at the stone door marked with the faded symbol of Crom. Pushing it open, the company finds themselves peering into an austere crypt, a square twenty by twenty chamber with unadorned walls.

Centered against the western wall is a steel rack which appears to have been intended for the display of arms and armor. However, it is entirely empty, whatever once rested upon it now missing.

A sarcophagus sits in the center of the chamber. It is open, its lid laying on the floor to the right of it, broken in half. Within the place of internment is a skeleton, its yellowed bones remaining perfectly still as the the adventurers enter. The remains are all that occupies the stone casket. If any grave goods were buried with it, they are now gone.

Barnabus surveys the crypt and, finding it all but barren, turns his attention to the next door down the hall (directly opposite 22), but not before noting the level of "skullduggery" in this area of the Barrow.

What can we see between the bars? Minor test of strength to bend them?
Yes, we left the decapitated head in the preparation chamber.
Once we map out more of the area, we might search for secret doors in 21.

Peering through the bars that block the door to the southern chamber, the adventurers can see that what lies beyond is a twenty by twenty foot space that appears completely barren. There are no marks or adornments on the walls and the floor is free of litter. The company members do not see any other exits from the room.

OOC: Anyone attempting to bend the bars would need to give me a roll on 1d6, modifying the roll by their Strength modifier. A 6 or better would enable them to bend the bars and gain entry.


As the adventurers ponder the barred portal, they hear a sudden commotion from the corridor leading southward.

“Listen! You need to be reasonable! You can have it all back and I’ll make myself scarce, see? There’s no reason to…”

The voice is interrupted by a loud WHOK!, followed by a soft thud and then, silence. A few moments later, the quiet is broken by the creak of a door.

”That…didn’t sound good,” Ynes whispers to her companions.

Ishmael points toward the gate "I think thars a hidden.." he stops mid sentence at the commotion behind them.  Gesturing for everyone to be quiet, the steps softly towards the corner, and barely peers around it to the south. That was their way out.

Ishmael moves to the corner, peering southward down the adjoining hallway. He is in time to see a head, a leather cap still firmly atop it, come rolling into view. A moment later a skeleton, clad in long, tattered gray robes appears. The undead creature stoops down to retrieve the head, then carries it off to the east.

Malivoire's head whipped around at the sound of the chopping block being used again.  "It is our headsman!" he hissed to the others.  "The one who slew Sven.  We should go look."

Ishmael was obviously of the same opinion, for the dwarf was already padding out he door.  Respecting his unspoken admonition to 'Be quiet!" Malivoire waited on the balls of his feet, ready to go chase after whatever was killing these men.  If they caught the chopper, maybe they could better figure out what was going on here.

"After it," Barnabus wheezes adding his nasal concordance to the chorus to give chase. There will be retribution for these immoral business practices.

B. casts Silence 15' Radius focused on one of his handy stones, duration 12 turns.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:48, Wed 29 June 2022.

The party ventures back down the north-south corridor. Pausing at the corner, Dax, Ynes, and Sir Dryvyk can see that a lone skeleton is standing at the open door to the room where the unfortunate tomb robber Swen was discovered. It holds a sword in one fleshless hand, a shield strapped to its other arm, and it appears to be watching something transpiring within the chamber beyond the doorway. A single, glowing blue gem is embedded in its forehead.

Dax looks to Dryvyk and Ynes, “Ready?” He asks in a hushed voice.

If there is no dissent, the ranger charges toward the skeleton, sword in hand.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 22, hitting AC -8 for 7 damage with his Two-Hander.

Included +2 to attack for charging, don’t have my LL rules available at the moment.

With Dax step for step, Barnabus brings his cudgel down with a bone-jarring crash upon the pate of the bejeweled skeleton.

Barnabus hits for 9 damage.
22:19, Today: Barnabus rolled 22,9 using d20+4,d6+4.  Attack skelly.
Don't think LL has a bonus for charging.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:23, Fri 01 July 2022.

Ynes follows Dax and Barnabus around the corner, her axe raised overhead. As she closes with the skeleton, she brings the weapon down in a powerful blow, burying it in the undead sentry’s breastbone.

08:44, Today: Ynes rolled 19 using 1d20+2.  Attack - Battle Axe.

08:45, Today: Ynes rolled 6 using 1d8+2.  Damage.