In the last hour of the trek across the Barrowmoor, a light rain began to fall, the overcast sky growing darker as the first drops began to pelt the swampland. Tamson had warned of the rain’s coming, his certainty echoed by Dax Moonblade. Even Ranger, Sir Dryvyk’s newly acquired guard dog had proven true to his namesake, gazing up at the gray blanket of clouds and whining.

The adventuring company was able to reach their campsite dampened, but not drenched, the brewing storm not having found its strength as yet. They were joined by two new additions to their number: Lander, an elven warrior and sorcerer and Ynes, a former woman-at-arms from Ironguard Motte.

Ol’ Gib immediately set about the work of erecting the camp while Sir Dryvyk’s new retainer, Andryr, and Kraomar established a picket to border it. Searlait made her way inside the open crypt, scouting the shadowy, columned chamber before examining the pulley and feeding a fresh rope into it.

The female mercenary returned to report to the adventurers in short order. ”It doesn’t appear that the pulley’s been tampered with since we were last here.  No new tracks in the upper crypt. I didn’t hear anything from below while I was in there.”

The pattering of the rain grows louder, the wind groaning as it crosses the ancient collection of tombs.

Once more away from the city of men and before the barrow of once men (and beast men), Barnabus considers the way to go once they had descended. There was that gargoyle guarding a family crypt, an unclaimed urn in the treasury, and, well, more than a few temptations to the south.

"We should turn north at the first opportunity. It is best to turn away from temptation," he advocates with a modicum of conviction -- likely the only time he will be able to muster it the whole of this expedition.

Even more preternaturally spry than before, the cleric of Impurax nearly bounds over to the crypt entrance and then down the rope.

Take the first left down the hall from #1.

After reaching the lower chamber, Lampert is quick to light a torch, dispelling the deeper shadows of the company’s surroundings.

Venturing eastward, the party hears the tomb’s silence broken by a distant burst of shrill, maniacal laughter, which lasts only a matter of moments before being swallowed up by the suffocating quiet.

Turning left at the first opportunity, the adventurers file down a vacant corridor which travels northward for thirty feet before reaching a single stone door. The portal is neatly engraved with the symbol of a longbow, beneath which are two lines of elvish script.

The dwarf waits for one of the elves to read their flowery words before he begins his inspection of the door.

Rain? Tombs? Pulleys? Always expect the unexpected...

A door bearing the mark of a longbow and lines of elvish script was also unexpected, and Lander stepped past Ishmael (with a glance to the dwarf) to decipher the words.

Dax halts the column of explorers as the stone door, "There's some elvish words inscribed here," he says before reading them out aloud.

Sir Dryvyk conversed with Ol' Gib from time to time as they returned to the moors. The old veteran communicated mostly with grunts and snorts, his mood matching the weather, but somehow the young knight seemed to understand exactly what was being said and kept a cheerful disposition despite it all.

There were two new additions he'd brought to the expedition. The first was a tall, shaggy brown dog named Ranger. The creature was a mutt, a real frontier hound made of raw bones packed with stringy muscle and wrapped with a thick hide. The dog had large feet which would certainly help him in the swampy lands they were returning to. He wore a worn leather collar studded with rusty spikes. If it didn't deter another creature from biting his neck, it would certainly kill said creature from lockjaw, eventually. Ranger and Ol' Gib seemed to hit it off well, both dour and saying little. Whisker twitches by both served their purposes.

The second was a large, stout, younger fellow named Andryr. Sir Dryvyk had outfitted him with his old sword and shield, having recently acquired the accouterments of the Order of Night. Lessons had already begun regarding the care of Dryvyk's gear as well as combat. Ol' Gib directed them both from time to time in the latter, drawing upon his lifetime of experience.

When they arrived at camp, Sir Dryvyk gave Ol' Gib his rein, letting him do what he knew best. "I think I'll take Andryr down with us on this trip. Lampert could use a little looking after, and last time I had my hands quite full."

Turning to the new recruit, a future squire perhaps, Sir Dryvyk said, "You'll come down with us. Your job is to protect the torchbearer there, his name is Lampert. Leave any heavy fighting to those of us with more experience, you keep Lampert safe, understand?"

~~~

Once below, the feeling of befoulment swept over the young knight again, firming his resolve anew to cleanse the crypts of evil taint.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:47, Mon 23 May 2022.

Both Lander and Dax are able to decipher the carefully rendered words:

”Here lies Nildeyr, defender of the Thornswild and friend to elves”

Malivoire certainly perked up at the mention of the Thornswild. "What did you say the name was, Dax?  Nildeyr?" The elven mage put a fist to his mouth and scrunched his brow in concentration, trying to recall anything he might know about an elven defender of his homeland.

"At the very least, we must remain respectful of this tomb," he said, while continuing to scrabble through his memories.

When, for a second time, the expedition's entrance into the Barrowmaze had been greeted by a
Barnabus wonders if they would hear that cachinnation again and again were they to loop in and out repeatedly.


"Assuredly," Barnabus assures the elf. "Anything we remove from this tomb we will return after we have ..." Here he pauses to infuse his voice with the proper level of righteousness: "after we have cleansed the crypts of evil taint." It's just the sort of thing a paladin would have said were he to have shared his thoughts.

Into the tomb, then.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:36, Mon 23 May 2022.

The elvish words translated, Ishmael examines the door itself, finding no evidence of any manner of trap on or around it.

Pushing open the stone door, the adventurers find themselves gazing into a twenty by twenty foot chamber. It is completely empty. The gray walls are unadorned and the floor is made up of neatly cut slate colored flagstones, each one five square feet in size.

Directly ahead, in the center of the chamber’s northern wall is another stone door which is bereft of markings.

Before crossing the threshold, Dax calls out, [Language unknown: O a One Ilhentar ie ugh Ominilriss moomhe.]

If there is no response, he nods to Dryvyk and steps into the room.

---

I'm assuming Dryvyk is in the front rank with Dax as Ynes has not yet joined?

Ynes grips her battle axe tightly as she follows Dax into the empty chamber. ”This is strange,” she mutters, ”Perhaps tomb robbers have already visited here and picked the place clean.”

Before they make a proper entrance, Barnabus retrieves four hefty stones from his pack and tosses one each on four flagstones that would lead them across the room. He had stored the stones there, perhaps even unbeknownst to himself, for just such a purpose.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 14:18, Wed 25 May 2022.

The first two stones that Barnabus tosses into the room strike the floor with a clatter, the sound seemingly made louder by the silence that fills the crypt. The third stone reaches the flagstone in front of the northern doorway. When it lands, those near the company’s front ranks see the square of slate colored rock it hits visibly depress, sinking an inch or two into the floor.

An instant later a stone wall drops from the ceiling above, landing with an impact that sends a tremor through the floor, the noise reverberating through the quiet.

With the wall's abrupt descent, the chamber has become effectively half of its previous size, now twenty by ten feet. The new wall appears entirely solid, with no openings visible upon it. From behind it, the adventuring can hear the muffled sounds of some manner of activity, a rush of hasty movements, but they cannot discern enough to guess at the source of the muted noise.

"Wow, we're not going to wait around for what comes next," Barnabus's inner voice insists.

Sweeping his gaze over the assembled party, the cleric points directly to the south and mouths one word: "Gargoyle." With that, he hastily heads south to the family crypt with the decorative gargoyle sculpture.

Better to return later after the trap has reset. We can pause outside of the gargoyle chamber to listen for signs of pursuit. Also good to confront a possibly non-decorative gargoyle at the height of our strength.

Malivoire was nonplussed by Barnabus' trite answer to his request for honouring this tomb, and for some reason found himself angry that the priest had 'ruined' the entrance room by setting off the trap.  How would they learn more of the defender of the Thornswild with a gigantic tonnage of rock in the way?  The fact that he could have been beneath that very rock slab didn't seem to enter into his thinking.

Grumbling to himself about lip service and lost opportunities to discover a link between the shrine to the Green Man and a defender of the forest, Malivoire made room in the passage for those at the front to realign their marching order and instead head back along the paths they had taken before.  To where the gargoyle awaited them.

Whatever thoughts Lander had as to the sanctity - or otherwise - of Nildefyr's tomb, they were broken by the activation of a trap and the crashing down of a new stone wall. Thankfully no-one was hurt, but the elf was happy to move along still in one piece.

Dax pauses a moment, after recovering from the shock of the stone wall dropping from the ceiling, and tries to discern the sounds coming from the other side of the new wall.

He then moves with Ynes to the front of the column, now facing south.

"Not ten minutes ago you wanted to search to the north and now you want to return to the south! No more random changes!"

The ranger leads the group, albeit with a perturbed look on his face, by the most direct route.

---

IC character grumbling only! :-)

Route taken: through room 3, the southwest door in room 5, and then follow the hall west, south, and southeast.

The dwarf was marvelling at the elegance and simplicity of the grid in the stone, and preparing his tools, when the daft cleric began lofting stones into the room.  Unable to protest, now that the trap is spring he simply returns to his place in the rear of the line.

Dax moves cautiously, leading the party along the route they had previously explored, the flame of Lampert’s wavering torch casting eerie shadows on the stone walls as they progress. The company encounters no danger, though as they pass through the chamber where they discovered several funeral urns, they hear the brief, unmistakable sound of clashing steel from somewhere eastward. The noise ceases abruptly.

Navigating the long corridor and moving beyond the rune etched archway, the adventurers find themselves in a wide chamber, the eastern wall of which slants from north west to southeast. In the center of the diagonal wall is a single iron banded door.

The only other visible exit, aside from the passageway the party entered from, is another door which sits in the center of the southern wall, flanked by a pair of iron sconces which are empty. To the left of this door, the adventurers notice a group of words, scrawled on the stone in chalk.



Much of the company’s attention is drawn to the large statue which occupies the southwestern corner of the chamber. It is a carefully rendered sculpture of a gargoyle, crouched upon the pedestal it occupies, its great wings outspread. The statue’s gaze is fixed on the point where its left hand would be. However, its left arm is missing, apparently cut off right at the elbow. The adventurers see no sign of the separated limb anywhere within the room.

All is quiet, save for the crackling flame of Lampert’s torch, which he holds aloft.

Thoughts of the near-death crushing experience behind him, Barnabas quips,"If he's looking for his missing arm, he's looking in the wrong place."

While it's the iron-banded door to the northeast that tempts him, he first saunters over to the southern door to read the chalk-written message.

2 more levels and I can cast Locate Severed Left Arm. I wonder if something has been inserted in its cavity?
This message was last edited by the player at 01:23, Tue 31 May 2022.

Dax studies the statue of the gargoyle for a few moments, before looking at the words on the wall. "Chalk means this was likely the work of other explorers, not the builders," he muses as he looks to see if he can read the words.

---

Either door is fine with me, unless the chalk message says to avoid the southern door as there is no treasure to find!

Sir Dryvyk stood near to the gargoyle as the others examined the writing. He turned and edged behind the statue and tried to cast his gaze past the missing arm in the same direction that the statue seemed to be looking. Once he had the line-of-sight firmly in mind, he went back around and took a closer look along that path...

OOC: Something secret that's been overlooked perhaps?

Malivoire joined Barnabus and Dax in looking at the words written in chalk upon the wall, in part because the gargoyle statue worried him and just in case he could decipher something they could not.  He agreed with Dax, that this note was left by someone else who had come this way exploring.  Perhaps they had also tangled with the gargoyle, leaving it one-handed in the end.

Rather than examine the gargoyle at close range Lander regarded both it and the chalk markings from a distance. He was still finding his place within the group, but elves could be patient.

Axe in hand, Ynes turns her attention to the corridor that the company just traveled, keeping watch to ensure they had not been followed by any of the catacombs’ denizens.

Both Dax and Sir Dryvyk notice that the odd indentations on the stump where the gargoyle’s forearm should be suggest that the missing limb could be fitted back onto the statue. The knight follows the figure’s line of sight carefully, but does not find that it points to anything hidden with the chamber.

The message in chalk is written in the common tongue, the hastily scrawled letters clumsily rendered, but legible.

”Make no sound. They will seek you out.”

The cleric shakes his head which can only have one meaning, "No, I won't be sought out."

He points at the iron-bound door and waits patiently for Ishmael to do his business and then for Dax to do his.

Silence 15' radius has a generous duration of 12 turns. Perhaps later during this delve, we return to that other door and proceed through clad in silence.

The dwarf mutters to himself.  "been trying to tell 'em to be quiet all along."  He walks himself over towards the indicated iron banded door, and listens at it, then checks the locks and hinges.  Perhaps a little oil is due.

Dax turns to Malivoire, and speak quietly, "Why so cryptic? Why not spell out exactly what is seeking you out, and where they are? If we leave any notes for future explorers we will be clear and precise!"

He then waits patiently for Ishmael to examine the iron-banded door, before going through with Ynes at his side.

"Those skeletons with the gemstones perhaps? Undead guardians, or hunters, they may be..."

"The writer has likely assumed anyone this far would know what they are talking about," Malivoire replied, equally low in tone.  He then nodded to Sir Dryvyk's speculation.  "My thoughts as well."

The elven mage pivoted to watch Ishmael at work and to ready himself for proceeding once the dwarf declared the door all clear.

Examining the door closely, Ishmael notices that, although the hinges on the door are assuredly old, they show signs of having been recently oiled. The dwarf quickly determines that the portal is not locked, but notices the presence of a small square of torn fabric, almost the same hue as the wood that the door is constructed from, which has been inserted between the door and the stone doorframe, a few inches below the door’s handle.

Ishmael does not hear any noise on the other side of the door.

Ishmael calls attention to the slip of fabric.  "My pa did that too." he says "So he knew if someone went thru through da door. And it's been freshly oiled, but it ain't locked."

Barnabus lets his eyes roam over the seven fully-geared adventurers before him, some in heavy armor like himself, and then shrugs. It was another sign that there was much more than necromancy afoot in this maze of barrows, but it wasn't going to deter them or anything.

"Try to hold it in place as we pass through the door," he asks Ishmael, at least willing to make that much an effort to conceal their passage.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:05, Wed 01 June 2022.

"Well, I'll be... You learn something new every day!"

Nodding in agreement with Barnabus' plan, Dax draws his sword, and looks to Ynes, "Ready?"

Then to Ishmael, "When everyone is ready, give us a count of 3, then open it, Ishmael."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:14, Thu 02 June 2022.

Dryvyk was ready. His newly acquired longsword gleamed faintly in the torchlight, the markings of the Order of Night prominent. He doubted that undead would be clever enough to place the marker, but being set upon by bandits wasn't a welcome thought either...

”Ready,” Ynes replies with a firm nod, shifting her axe in her hands, her attention fixed on the door.

Marking the cloth’s position firmly in his mind, Ishmael removes it as he carefully pushes the door open.

The former purpose of the room beyond the doorway is difficult for the party to immediately discern. A pair of rectangular indentations in the floor suggest that something, possibly sarcophagi or even altars, once occupied the chamber, but have apparently been destroyed. The stone walls are unmarked, lending an odd austerity to the area, if it was indeed once a place of burial or worship.

What is clear now is that it serves as some manner of home, though its occupants are currently absent. Six crude bedrolls, each patched together from numerous scraps of differing fabric and filled with straw, are spaced about the floor. In the northeastern corner, a variety of foodstuffs, mostly grain and dried fruit, are gathered beside a tin basin that appears to hold clean water. The floor in the northwestern corner is marked with a mound of melted wax, atop which are placed three partially burned candles. Against the southern wall sits a wooden chest, which is closed. The air holds a strong scent that reminds the adventurers of the smell of a stable.

11:49, Today: Secret Roll: Labyrinth Lord, on behalf of Malivoire, rolled 2 using 1d6.  Secret Doors.

11:50, Today: Secret Roll: Labyrinth Lord, on behalf of Lander, rolled 1 using 1d6.  Secret Doors.

As the company members survey their discovery, both Malivoire and Lander’s attention is drawn to the room’s eastern wall. There, both adventurers notice a section of stone that is subtlety lighter in shade than that in the rest of the chamber, a difference so slight that could be easily overlooked, even by those familiar with the location.

"Try not ta disturb nothing." The dwarf warns. "This might be tha home of Dax's mangy friends." he adds as the slip through to the secret door, looking for a way to open it, and signs if the squatters know it even exists.

Dax's eyebrow rises in surprise at the dwarf's comment, and then he realises that Ishmaeil is referring to the beastmen.

"Very observant, Ishmael. You could very well be right, the ragged material look similar to what we saw in their other room.

Let's leave them be and see what lies behind the hidden door."

Barnabus wonders why Ishmael didn't refer to the mongrels as his friends as well. Everybody was a friend of his even if they occasionally made derisory comments about him. That just showed they cared enough to take an interest in his betterment.

Yes, through the secret door.

"I'm inclined to agree. Let's not disturb their lair. I doubt they'd appreciate finding us here." He lined up behind Ishmael, ready to proceed.

Malivoire was impressed by Ishmael's insight and it showed in the mage's expression.  Agreeing that the only beings they'd met in the crypts that hadn't tried to kill them should be respected, Malivoire readied himself to support once the secret door was opened to reveal what lay beyond.

Ynes carefully steps around the bedrolls, doing her utmost to leave the room undisturbed as she joins the rest of the adventurers at the eastern wall of the chamber.

Lampert moves closer to the eastern wall with the torch, following Ynes’ example in stepping carefully around the residents’ humble possessions. As the torchbearer draws nearer, those who lack the ability to see clearly in the dark are better able to discern the subtle difference in the coloration of the stone that first drew Malivoire and Lander’s attention. There are no signs of the concealed portal having been opened recently, suggesting that those who live here have been completely unaware of its existence.

Ishmael pushes the secret door open with the soft sound of stone scraping stone, dust falling from the portal’s seams as it moves.

Beyond the doorway, the adventurers are faced with a rectangular crypt, the walls of which are adorned with a number of rotting banners, their colors muted by age. In the center of the chamber is a single stone sarcophagus, the lid of which bears the stonework figure of an armored warrior lying prone, his hands resting on his chest, gripping the handle of a sculpted sword. Heaps of human bones litter the floor all around the sarcophagus.

The only visible exit is an open doorway on the southern wall of the crypt, which leads to a set of steps traveling upwards. An iron sconce next to the opening holds the brittle remains of a long neglected torch.

His work done, Ishmael sets back from the opening.  He sidesteps, giving those of a more martial bent free access.

Full of archaeological intent, Barnabus moves into the room, steps around the bones, and examines the rotting banners upon the walls, their benefactor having previously displayed an appetite for such relics.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 21:49, Mon 06 June 2022.

Once Ishmael pushes the door open, Dax steps through, sword leading.

"Be wary, Ynes, these bones might animate. Or the whatever killed them may appear from the coffin or from that passage."

The ranger carefully moves closer to the sarcophagus, avoiding the bones if possible.

Sir Dryvyk noted the bones, the banners and other items about the crypt, wondering if perhaps this might be a knight of the old Order to which his sword and shield had once been dedicated. He lifted the weapon in front of his face, closed his eyes, and concentrated a moment in prayer.

"Oh Righteous One, reveal to thine faithful sword bearer if there be evil within this crypt of which we should be wary!"

Paladin power - Detect Evil - 60' radius

Keeping pace with Dax, Ynes gives the ranger a solemn nod, her axe at the ready. A scowl on her face, her attention shifts between the collection of bones, the sarcophagus, and the nearby doorway, watchful for any threat that might arise.

Sir Dryvyk has just finished his entreaty when he finds his attention drawn to the sarcophagus in the chamber’s center, and to the large collection of bones that surround it. The aura of evil that radiates from them is almost suffocating to the knight.

Seeing his patron tense, Andyr draws his sword.

Barnabus only has time to glimpse the closest of the banners. The dark cloth still holds a red hue, which informs the priest that it was likely deep crimson in color when first hung within the tomb. The crest it bears, a red, eight spoked wheel, centered upon a gold bend on a field of blue, is not familiar to the cleric.

Dax notes that the figure on the sarcophagus’ lid is depicted as wearing plate armor, though the design of it is unusual. It bears spikes at many of the joints, and the winged helmet appears to have been designed to intimidate foes, the faceplate created to give the impression of a glowering, threatening visage.

As if in answer to the ranger’s warning, the bones scattered about the sarcophagus stir, beginning to move of their own volition. Between Dax’s words of caution and Sir Dryvyk’s sensitivity to the presence of evil, the adventurers are not taken by surprise when the bones rapidly knit together, forming eight undead warriors, each armed with a rusted blade and ready to attack the explorers.

OOC: Dax’s watchfulness and Sir Dryvyk’s judicious use of his abilities have eliminated the possibility of the skeletons surprising the party.

09:45, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 4 using 1d6.  Initiative - Party.

09:46, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 1 using 1d6.  Initiative - Skeletons.

The skeletons each have an armor class of 7. None have sapphires affixed to their foreheads.

It is the party’s turn to act.

Ever expedient, Barnabus invokes the power of Impurax to banish a sextet of the octet from the knight's tomb.

Six flee from the presence of Barnabus.
18:32, Today: Barnabus rolled 9,6 using 2d6,2d6.  Turn attempt, # turned.

Even though he had warned Ynes, the sight of the bones animating into fell creatures was startling to Dax. Even more so, was seeing Barnabus drive the majority of the undead out of the room

The ranger stepped forward toward one of the remaining pair, "You should have run when you had the chance!" he barks as he swings his great sword at the skeleton.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 20, hitting AC-6 for 8 damage.

"Time to show your worth," Sir Dryvyk whispered to the sword he'd held in prayer moments before the skeletons arose. He gripped the new weapon almost reverently and aimed for the skeleton's neck!

Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme rolled 21 to hit AC-4 for 8 damage!

Six of the skeletal guardians flee at Barnabus’ command, moving with a speed that rivals that of living soldiers. The two that remain are cut down within the space of a heartbeat by the rapid attacks of Dax and Sir Dryvyk. Ynes, who raised her axe to land a strike on the nearest of the undead is forced to shift her weight and balance to hold back the powerful swing.

Silence again overtakes the crypt as the footfalls of the retreating skeletons fade from hearing. Dryvyk’s attention is drawn back to the sarcophagus, which continues exude a palpable presence of evil that only the paladin can perceive.

OOC: Combat over.

With a meaningful look at the paladin, Barnabus again calls upon his deity, this time to bestow a blessing upon himself and his compatriots.

B. casts bless: +1 attack, damage, and morale (for the linkboy) for 6 turns.

Malivoire deftly replaced the dart he had drawn into its place at his belt and glances after the fleeing skeletons.  "Do we know where those stairs lead?" he asked in a hushed tone, "or how long it will be before they return?"

As he accepted Barnabus' magic and waited for any reply to his somewhat rhetorical questions, the mage glanced at the sigil woven into the banners on the wall.  It did not look familiar to him either, he thought, but he wondered what it might have represented.  Chaotic forces were sometimes represented with eight-spoked designs...

"Well done, Barnabus!" Dax gives Dryvyk a slap to the shoulder, and a nod of respect. A smile crosses his face, as he taps Ynes' axe with his own blade, "You will have to swing faster next time, Ynes!"

The smile fades as his focus returns to the sarcophagus, "This does not look like a pleasant man. Dare we pry it open to see what good might be inside?"

"I very much doubt Dax, that any good whatsoever would be inside... I can feel the evil radiating from it. I'd suggest leaving it be, though my heart tells me that whatever is inside must be destroyed. Perhaps we ought to return with rituals and artifacts of a greater power than we currently possess..."

"We destroy it now," Barnabus declares. "Do we risk having it prey upon its neighbors now that its so-called sanctity has been disturbed? Even now it stirs from its ages-old slumber."

Ishmael might be able to position himself for a surprise strike, I suppose.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:40, Thu 09 June 2022.

"In the name of St. Ygg, let us us then obliterate this evil!" It took very little on the part of the creepy cleric to convince the righteous young knight to ply his might.

"Let me look bafore yeah get us all kilt." the dwarf says, somewhat surprised he tends to be the voice of reason.  He looks over the crypt to see if it is a simple as sliding the lid off or if there is something more to it.   "We should set a warning for when those others come back to see what they missed.". He adds gesturing towards the stairs.  "...or at least check how far it go."

Malivoire, although cautious in general and certainly more so in these subterranean crypts, was glad Barnabus had convinced Sir Dryvyk to inspect the sarcophagus.  He had wanted to do the very same thing and had momentarily been disappointed with the thought they would simply back away.

The elven mage agreed with Ishmael's wise pronouncement and moved to the base of the stairs to keep a watch while the dwarf worked on opening the stone coffin.  "I'll keep an eye out," he volunteered.  He was happy to make room for any other watchers that wanted to assist as well, especially those more heavily armed and armoured.

Ishmael does not see any manner of seal or lock on the sarcophagus’ elaborately carved lid, nor does he discover any evidence of traps. As best as the dwarf can tell, the place of interment has never been previously disturbed.

Ynes joins Malivoire in keeping watch on the stairs. The steps lead upward for roughly twenty feet to a corridor that stretches into darkness. Neither adventurer sees or hears any evidence of activity from above.

While Ishmael examines the sarcophagus, Dax removes his backpack and removes the crowbar that is secured to its side.

"This should help to raise the lid. If Dryvyk and Barnabus stand ready, I will try the pry bar."

---

Just noticed I have a crowbar on my equipment list! We should probably make a point of carrying some picks and such with us in the future.

Yep, we're good to go, come what may.

Dax works the end of the crowbar into the seam between the sarcophagus and its lid. Then, with the assistance of Andryr, he moves the heavy slab of stone up and aside. As the tomb is opened, the adventurers briefly hear a cacophony of whispers, seemingly coming from all directions, the voices furtive, their words hissed and punctuated with hostility. The flame of Lampert’s torch abruptly loses its strength, despite there being no breeze within the chamber, almost flickering out completely before returning to a weakened life.

The lid slides to the north end of the sarcophagus, dropping to the floor with a heavy impact. Within the tomb lays an armored figure, the dark plate that it wears a mirror image of the sculpture on the lid. Clasped in its hands is a finely crafted steel sword, the metal of which glints unnaturally with the hue of the midnight sky. A black shield, with a single spike protruding from its center, rests across the warrior’s stomach. The interior of the sarcophagus is stained dark, as if by soot.

The figure rises immediately. Beneath the ornate helm it wears, the adventurers can see only the features of a skull. Wisps of shadow, tendrils of darkness dense enough to be seen even within the dimly lit chamber, waft from the joints of the figure’s armor. Its attention falls on the adventurers. ”You fleas have awakened Lord Varghoulis in hopes of raiding his tomb. You will find naught but death here,” the undead knight says, its voice resonant and hollow, ”Nonetheless, even if by accident, you have rendered a great service to Nergal. I will repay you with the kindness of slaying you swiftly. KNIGHTS! TO ME!”

From somewhere beyond the stairs where Malivoire and Ynes keep watch, there can be heard a crash of stone, followed by the tromp of feet, and the beating of weapons against shields.

13:23, Today: Lampert rolled 12 using 2d6.  Morale.

13:23, Today: Andryr of Ironguard rolled 5 using 2d6.  Morale.

His jaw clenched in terror, Andryr reflexively backs away a step, but draws his blade and retreats no further.

Lampert, meanwhile, lets out a shriek that sounds like, ”GLXL…YAHIEEEE!!!”, immediately after which the torchbearer drops his guttering light source and hustles for the door the company entered from, bouncing off of the doorframe as he stumbles forward, his hands flailing at the shadows ahead.

OOC: The party has the opportunity to act as Varghoulis is rising from his resting place. If anyone wishes to make an attack, he possesses an armor class of -2. For purposes of turning, he is considered an infernal creature.

Barnabus gulps and then croaks, "It is beyond us."

He wheels around from the undead horror and snatches at one of the banners as he scuttles from the crypt.

Only as his scuttling picks up speed does he finally scream at the enormity of the consequences of the simple action of having slid the lid off the tomb.

Back towards the entrance to Barrowmaze.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:02, Sun 12 June 2022.

The dread grows up in the dwarf, the feeling of darkness creeping over him.  He wastes no time, knowing dead men can spend no gold, he turns, and with only a moments regret in not having a look at the mongrel's chest, scrambles back through their room towards the statue and archway.  He pauses there in the dark only a few heartbeats to see if any are able to follow.

ooc: did not bring a light.

Malivoire's attention naturally shifted from the stairs to the sarcophagus when the lid was displaced, and his eyes went wide when the accursed creature rose and spoke to them.  The very tone seeped into the elf's bones and chilled them to the marrow.  The sudden crash of stone whipped his head back to the stairs, where the sound of angrily advancing soldiers echoed down the steps.

Lampert fled in terror, and Barnabus and Ishmael followed suit though under more control.  Malivoire realized he and Ynes would have to cut past the undead Lord's place to escape, but there was no other option.  Despite the wand in his hand, to stay trapped between Varghoulis and the approaching knights was to die.

"Go!" he urged Ynes, giving her a shove toward the secret door.  Malivoire was right on her heels, doing his best not to trip them both up in his haste to escape.

Though difficult to discern in the flickering light of the darksome crypt, a careful observer might have seen the color drain from Sir Dryvyk'sface. "Forgive me Lord of the Righteous! I did not listen to Thy warning! Ply Thy strong hand and protect this unworthy servant, and I vow to one day entomb this aberation in penitence for my folly!"

As soon as Ynes and Malivore had passed by, Sir Dryvyk spoke to Andryr with a tone of command that was difficult to muster in the presence of such suffocating evil. "Take the torch! Go! Protect them as they flee!"

Sir Dryvyk, withdrew thereafter, putting himself at the rear of the fearful flight, interposing himself between the others and his doom...!

Dax raises his weapon, only to realise that he still holding the crowbar! "The cleric is right, Dryvyk! We must flee!"

Grabbing his pack, the ranger slowly backs toward the door. Once he reaches the other side he will push the door shut once Dryvyk has exited. Dax will then run through the beastmen's room, into the gargoyle room, and then up the angled corridor.

[Posted by Labyrinth Lord.]

Lander requires no prompting from the other members of the company as he sees the undead knight rise. Falling in step with Ishmael, the elven warrior and sorcerer joins his companions in fleeing to the catacombs’ entrance.

Ynes moves the instant Malivoire pushes her, scooping up the abandoned torch without breaking stride as she rushes for the secret door alongside the mage. ”Follow the light!” she calls back to Dax, Dryvyk and Andryr.

The moment the warrior crosses the threshold of the hidden portal, the torch regains its strength, burning brightly once more.

Backing away toward the secret door, Andryr tells Dryvyk, ”I will cover the escape with you, Sir.”

Turning his attention to Varghoulis, he snarls, ”Your days are numbered, fiend. Soon, you will be cast down into the abyss where you belong.”

Varghoulis responds to the retainer’s words with laughter, a chilling, inhuman sound that could not arise from anything living.

A moment later, the heavy footfalls on the nearby stairwell grow thunderous as the first of several armored undead soldiers emerges, a pole arm in hand.

Heeding the call of wisdom, Sir Dryvyk joins the rest of his companions in their withdrawal.

As they venture back through the dank corridors they have previously explored, the company members see no sign of pursuit from Varghoulis or those he commands. The only thing that follows them is the fell quiet of the Barrowmaze.

Reaching the vaulted room that was the first chamber of the catacombs that they explored, the adventurers see that the rope from the block and tackle above has already been lowered. From the opening in the ceiling, Kraomar peers down at the members of the company.

”Heard you drawing near,” the brawler calls down, ”You’re back sooner this time. Did you already come across a good score down there?”

Barnabus stands below the entrance, his breath coming and going in great rasps. After precious minutes, a measure of his equanimity and purpose returns.


Soberly, Barnabus calls back, "No, it is best for now not to speak of what we unleashed, except to say that it does not appear to have hunted us, we being merely fleas and not worth its time."

"These fleas," the cleric decides, "will have to fatten themselves in another area of the barrow this day before we return to that one for anything left behind.

Did Barnabus manage to snaffle a banner?
Let's try the door NE of area #4.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:15, Tue 14 June 2022.

"The mongrels will know someone was there." the dwarf comments, it what might pass for dry humor. "I didn't pause to put the cloth marker back."  They had fled far enough without being chased, he could only hope it remained that way, but the south passage was now much more dangerous.  He falls into line at the back of the group.

Once he has managed to put a few doors between himself and the undead Lord, Dax slows to listen for pursuit. Hearing none, he is content to return to the entry room, at a slower pace.

The ranger laughs at the dwarf's jest. "I expect burglars in their quarters will be the least of their concerns, if that Lord and his minions continue to walk the halls.

It looks like that creature has not pursued us, but we should probably avoid that area for some time.

Back to the north then?"

The elven mage offered no other commentary as the team regrouped in the entrance chamber.  It wasn't for lack of thoughts on the matter, but rather that Malivoire didn't trust his rapidly beating heart to ever slow down!  Of course, when it became clear they weren't being run down by the undead lord and his minions he did eventually calm down and find his voice again.

"Somewhere to the north sounds very wise," he agreed with Barnabus and Dax with a vigorous nod.  "And a very alert rear guard, too!"

Sir Dryvyk had little time to be impressed with the new hireling, and even less time to express it in any meaningful way. Such would need to wait for later. He simply nodded at Andryr and focused on getting back to the entrance alive!

Looking up at Kraomar, the young knight shook his head. "Nay, we've loosed a terrible malevolence I fear. I pray we're considered too worthless for pursuit. Can you call to Ol'Gib? I've a task for him..."

While he waited for his squire to arrive, Sir Dryvyk clapped Andryr's shoulder. "You carried yourself in a knightly way and showed rare courage. As soon as we're able, I'll see about getting you officially bequeathed. For the meantime however, I shall heartily commend you and offer unto you a squireship for your bravery and service. What say you?"

"I doubt this is the last we'll see of that dark knight and his guardsmen!"

Overhearing the conversation going on away from the two, Sir Dryvyk turned to join and voice his opinion.

"Should we not wait a bit before going back down? We made a quite hasty retreat, perhaps this evil lord and his minions are laying in wait to ambush us!"

"Lord Varghoulis, as we now know him to be, would not indulge in deception. The power of generations of undead malevolence flows through what passes for his veins. He fancies himself a destroyer of worlds. His megalomania renders us invisible to him; our invisibility will render an end to his megalomaniac aspirations."

His breath calm and measured, Barnabus adds, "But, yes, let us collect ourselves for a few more minutes before trying that door down the hall."

"Perhaps, it might be best," Dax agreed. "Shall we wait above? Even the misty air of the moors is preferable to this place!"

Dax eyes Barnabus as he pontificates with a look that questions the cleric's sanity.

Kraomar pulls each of the adventurers up to the surface, one by one. As they reach the encampment, Searlait, who is standing watch at the camp’s border, notices the company and gestures to the collection of bedrolls nearby. Seated among them is Lampert, with a dejected expression on his face.

Ol’ Gib, ever efficient, provides water and rations to any who require them. The squire informs the company that mere moments before Lampert arrived in the chamber below, the sky over the moor darkened momentarily, as if it had been shrouded by a sudden, powerful storm, or the sun eclipsed. The gloom only remained for a brief time, but while it did, the moor had the appearance of being in the deep of night.

Lampert, for his part, apologizes to Sir Dryvyk and the rest of the adventurers, admitting that he allowed his sudden fear to get the best of him, and vowing to do his utmost not to yield to such terror again.

With the respite, the adventurers find that the horror of Lord Valghoulris’ appearance steadily recedes and they are soon prepared to resume their explorations below. Of the undead knight and followers, there is no further sign.

OOC: Barnabus was able snatch one of the banners from Lord Varghoulis’ tomb as the party made their escape.

---

Returning to the underground, the company follows the eastern corridor that leads away from the chamber with the frescoes of the funeral procession. Venturing past the first intersecting hallway, which led to the tomb of Nildeyr, the group reaches a second passage which also leads northward.

The northern passage travels for fifty feet before turning to the east. At the corner, on the northern wall, the adventurers can just discern the presence of a closed stone door. From where they stand, it appears that something has been written on the door’s surface.

The hall that the company is following continues to the east. A short distance away is a lone wooden door, reinforced with iron banding. The floor in front of the door is almost completely free of the dust that covers most surfaces in the maze, as is the door itself.

"No need to apologise, Lampert. That...creature...scared all of us. You'll notice that we are all sitting here in camp, none of us is still wandering the tunnels below.

We'll gather ourselves and explore some more, and we will stay away from where we discovered Lord Valghoulris, and hope that he does not wander far from his tomb."

Barnabus carefully stows the banner at the campsite, tickled to have snatched the regalia from beneath the dread lord's nose.

Once again below, the tomb raider's breathing resumes its accelerated rate, the frisson of discovery tingling at the tips of his fingers. Leaving the second of the north passages for now, he direct his attention to the iron-banded wooden door.

"I think we want to know who's been using this door," he says, before looking at the dwarf in the customary fashion.

Shall we say 3 turns left on the Bless spell?
This message was last edited by the player at 22:17, Sat 18 June 2022.

"Don't dwell on it, lad," Malivoire added his encouragement for Lampert, though perhaps it was a pep talk for himself as well.  "I'd be more worried if that dark knight hadn't had that sort of effect on you!  Just proves you're a person like the rest of us."

The mage was very interested to hear the apparent effect waking Lord Varghoulis had created above ground, what with the dimming of the light and such.  Such an impact spoke of incredibly malevolent power, and they had woken it.  Malivoire reasoned they would need to atone sooner or later, or the world would be a much worse place for their actions.

~~~~~~~~~

Back in the crypts Malivoire stood ready and alert in his customary position, poised while those toward the front worked on the iron-banded door.

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.

The trio of strikes reduce the skeleton to a pile of brittle bones, the luminescent sapphire still clinging to a portion of the undead soldier’s broken skull. Eerily, the the walking corpse collapses into fragments without a sound.

Within the chamber beyond the doorway, the adventurers can see three more undead gathered within: another skeleton armed with sword and shield, a sapphire embedded in its skull, and two other walking corpses, their skeletal forms clad in tattered gray robes. All look to the doorway as their companion is felled by the explorers.

From the shelf on the northern wall Swen’s head, alongside that of his fellow tomb robber, watch the unfolding events impassively.

09:05, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 3 using 1d6+1.  Initiative - Party.

09:05, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 3 using 1d6.  Initiative - Undead.

Ties go to the adventurers, so the party can act first.

Note that, at most, three adventurers could enter the room where the undead are gathered and engage in melee.

The sapphire skeleton has an armor class of 6. The robed skeletons have an armor class of 4.

Barnabus’ silence spell has a duration of 12 turns and is in no danger of expiring.

Sir Dryvyk felt Barnabas push past him to engage the undead and gritted his teeth to hold back a rebuke. The oldster was talented, the young knight had to admit, and hadn't gotten to this point in skill - or age - without a reason. Dryvyk swallowed a bit of pride and watched the scene unfold, determined to learn as much as he could.

His hand fished for a javelin at his back, just in case an opening presented itself to cast it against one of the robed foes.

~~~

To those near Sir Dryvyk (I'm assuming Dax, Barnabas and Ynes):
Paladins grant Protection from Evil in a 10' radius, constant aura-like effect. Grants -1 to AC (that's a good thing) and +1 to Saves.

"At them!" Dax cries out, as he steps into the room, and swings his blade at the closest of the robed skeletons.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 18, hitting AC 1 for 10 damage, using his Two-Hander.

Dryvyk you might be able to move in, if Barnabus is dealing with the gem.

Following, if not hearing, Dax's exhortation, Barnabus charges into the room and smites the same gray-robed skeleton that the ranger had.

Hits for 5 dmg.
20:36, Today: Barnabus rolled 17,5 using d20+3,d6+3.  Attack robed.

Malivoire hung back beyond the zone of silence Barnabus had invoked, so that his magic might be of use.  Unfortunately the warriors at the front crowded the room and made it impossible for the mage to even discern what was happening, let alone offer intelligent assistance.  Standing there behind most if not all, uncertain of exactly what was transpiring, and watching the frenzied action evolve in total silence was eerily disconcerting.  As though he were a ghost trapped in the tombs, only able to watch the living play at their games...

OOC:
I envision Malivoire standing in the east-west hallway back towards Room 1, far enough that he is outside the Silence spell effects.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:52, Tue 05 July 2022.

The dwarf slips up quickly and snatches the skull fragment with the sapphire, and retreats back to Mailvoire's side.

Taking a cue from Malivoire, Lander backs down the corridor alongside the elven mage, his eyes on the chaotic scene unfolding within the room occupied by the undead. He doesn’t halt his progress until he is able to the quiet sounds of his, and his fellow adventurer’s, quiet footsteps.

Having followed Dax and Barnabus into the room, Ynes turns her attention to the skeleton with the glowing sapphire. The undead warrior reacts quickly to her attack, deflecting her first strike with its shield.

10:32, Today: Ynes rolled 8 using 1d20+2.  Attack - Battle Axe.

The melee unfolds in unsettling silence.

Dax and Barnabus rush in to attack one of the gray robed skeletons, their successive blows pushing the undead creature toward the eastern wall, the strikes snapping bones within the walking corpse’s brittle frame. Although seemingly grievously injured, the dead man does not fall.

From behind, the other gray robed skeleton grabs Barnabus’ shoulder, its fleshless hand leaving a black imprint on the priest’s armor, the flesh beneath burning with an agonizing sensation akin to being splashed with something corrosive.

11:04, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 20 using 1d20.  Attack - Huecuva.

11:05, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 4 using 1d6.  Damage - Huecuva.

Barnabus, please provide me with a Saving Throw vs. Poison or Death.

The robed figure attacked by Dax and Barnabus claws at the ranger in a desperate attempt at defense, but Dax manages to evade the attack.

11:15, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 8 using 1d20.  Attack - Huecuva.

The skeletal soldier with the sapphire in its brow slashes at Ynes with its blade. The attack is able to pierce the warrior’s defense, but only inflicts a flesh wound, the point of the sword opening a laceration on her jaw.

11:16, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 18 using 1d20.  Attack - Sapphire Skeleton.

11:18, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 1 using 1d8.  Damage - Sapphire Skeleton.

Scooping up the fallen jewel, Ishmael feels it begin to vibrate within his grasp, the movement of the gem growing increasingly forceful. It begins to glow brightly, the eerie blue luminescence shining between the dwarf’s fingers.

OOC: It is the party’s turn to act.

The sapphire skeleton has an armor class of 6. The robed skeletons have an armor class of 4.

Both Malivoire and Lander are now outside the radius of the silence spell.

With a silent squeal, Barnabus reels from the grip of the undead and finds himself in the far corner of the room (NE corner), his mace passing through but gray robe as he does so.

14:07, Today: Barnabus rolled 13,5 using d20+3,d6+3.  Attack robed. Success.
14:05, Today: Barnabus rolled 14 using 1d20+1.  Save vs. Death/Poison.

Dax continues to focus his wrath on the same grey-robed skeleton. "Take that!" he cries as his blade once again smashes into the skeletal form.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 18, hitting AC 1 for 9 damage using his Two-Hander.

The dwarf continues back towards the exit, keeping watch for changes in the gem.

Despite the eerie silence Malivoire sensed the battle within the small room was pitched, and its conclusion far from forgone.  While Ishamel headed back toward the entrance, the mage moved closer down the hallway until he could spot one of the bony combatants and then quickly sketched out a spell that sent a glowing bolt of force into that skeleton.

OOC:
Move to achieve visual of an enemy, then cast Magic Missile.
11:08, Today: Malivoire rolled 4 using 1d6+1.  Magic Missile dmg.

Lander follows Malivoire’s example. Moving alongside the mage, he summons his own bolt of eldritch energy, hurling at the gray robed skeleton which is visible through the doorway.

22:32, Today: Lander rolled 2 using 1d6+1.  Magic Missile.

[Posted by Labyrinth Lord]

Sir Dryvyk moves to the doorway of the chamber where the melee has ensued. Sword in hand, he slashes at the robed skeleton nearest to the room’s entrance, but the undead creature manages to evade his blow.

22:20, Today: Labyrinth Lord, on behalf of Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme, rolled 8 using 1d20+2.  Attack - Long Sword.

Ynes redoubles her assault on the sapphire browsed skeleton, but her second swing is blocked by the undead soldier’s shield.

22:21, Today: Ynes rolled 5 using 1d20+2.  Attack - Battle Axe.

Dax’s blade crushes the robed skeleton he is facing, the undead creature collapsing beneath the heavy strike. Rather than bones scattering across the floor, a fine, black powder falls like sand out of every opening in the corpse’s tattered garb, rolling across the stone with a soft hiss.

The other robed skeleton staggers briefly as the twin missiles of arcane energy find it. It regains its equilibrium just in time to dodge Sir Dryvyk’s attack. It claws at the knight, but it’s skeletal hand finds only Dryvyk’s shield.

22:38, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 14 using 1d20.  Attack - Huecuva.

The jewel browned skeleton aims a quick, vertical slash at Ynes, but the warrior sidesteps the swing, evading it completely.

22:44, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 5 using 1d20.  Attack - Sapphire Skeleton.

The sapphire in Ishmael’s had continues to glow more brightly, its vibration becoming more forceful. Suddenly, the dwarf feels the gem emit a terrible cold, an icy chill so strong it burns his hand, even through the gloves he wears, as though he was unprotected during a fierce ice storm.

22:46, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 2 using 1d4.  Jewel Damage.

It is the party’s turn to act.

The sapphire skeleton has an armor class of 6. The robed skeleton has an armor class of 4.

Dax's eyes go wide as the defeated skeleton disintegrates into powder. But he quickly turns to the other robed skeleton and attacks. "Go to dust as well!" he shouts as his blade once again smashes into bone.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 21, hitting AC -7 for 10 damage with his Two-Hander.

Dax’s horizontal slash cuts deep into the gray clad skeleton’s ribcage, the walking corpse virtually folding in half from the force of it. As before, the creature abruptly transmutes into fine black powder, the granules scattering in every direction as the now vacant robe settles to the floor.

The dwarf drops the stone to the floor, and moves to smash the thing with the back of his axe.

ooc: 09:45, Today: Ishmael rolled 18,9 using 1d20+1,1d8+1 ((17,8))

With the piles of dust occupying far less space than their antecedents, Barnabus maneuvers effortlessly, if noiselessly, about the preparation chamber and lands a capital blow on the last member of the collection crew.

Hits AC 4 for 8 dmg.
10:56, Today: Barnabus rolled 15,8 using d20+3,d6+3.  Attack last AC 6.

[Posted by Labyrinth Lord.]

Sir Dryvyk rushes into the room, closing with the last of the undead within. His shield raised, the knight aims a quick slash of his sword at the remaining skeleton’s temple.

10:44, Today: Labyrinth Lord, on behalf of Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme, rolled 19 using 1d20+2.  Attack - Long Sword.

10:44, Today: Labyrinth Lord, on behalf of Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme, rolled 10 using 1d8+2.  Damage.

The jewel browned skeleton is staggered by Barnabus’ attack. Before it can marshal a response, Sir Dryvyk is upon it, the knight’s blade shattering the undead warrior’s skull with a single stroke. Torn from the bone it was grafted to, the glowing sapphire flies free, bouncing off of the nearby table and dropping into the southeastern corner of the room.

In the corridor outside, Ishmael drops the sapphire he had been carrying. Pulling his axe from his belt, the dwarf shatters the gem with one well aimed blow, the unnatural glow going dark as fragments of the jewel scatter across the floor.

Holstering his mace, the priest snatches the necromantic gem from the southeastern corner of the room, immediately enclosing it within his gauntleted shield hand. As he races towards the exit, he tosses the stone of silence up the northern hallway (the one leading to #21), calling out to the topside crew that he needs swift conveyance to the surface.

I think that's about one round of actions.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:28, Fri 15 July 2022.

"Well, fought!" Dax says to Ynes and Dryvyk, as Barnabus ran out of the room clutching the blue gem.

The ranger kicks at the pile of dust that was only moments ago a skeletal creature, making sure that there is no sign of it reforming.

Noting that Ishmael is not available, Dax start to search the room.

Seeing Barnabus rushing past toward the exit, Malivoire decided following the priest (and Ishmael, who had come past earlier) was the prudent thing to do.  To check up on them and help as needed.  So the elf turned and hastened after Barnabus, keeping a watchful eye.

Ishmael rubs his hand, trying to restore the warmth.  He searches for any fragments that might still be large enough to hold value as the strange priest runs by.

Searlait, who is on duty at the pulley, begins lowering the rope as soon as she hears Barnabus approaching. ”More trouble down there?” the mercenary calls, a concerned frown on her face. She waves down to Malivoire as the mage draws near.

The sapphire, which has grown progressively colder, begins to burn Barnabus’ hand, the icy reach of whatever arcane force fills it reaching the priest through his gauntlet, rattling in his fist like an angered insect struggling for freedom.

16:13, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 2 using 1d4.  Jewel Damage.

Ishmael is able to collect most of the fragments of the shattered sapphire, placing them all within a pouch.

Andryr stations himself outside of the chamber where the melee occurred, keeping watch for anything that might approach the party’s location.

Inside, the adventurers can see that another headless tomb robber now sits slumped beside the first victim of the undead. His head rests against the northern wall, apparently discarded before it could be placed on the shelf alongside the other grisly trophies.

The tomb robber’s corpse, clad in a bloodied, green striped tunic, clutches a leather bag in one hand.

With one gauntlet gripping the jewel and the other his symbol, Barnabus performs a minor prayer to bolster his vitality as he transports the volatile necromantic focus to the surface.


Snapping, Barnabus answers, "Speed not questions." What did the mercenary think they would find "down there" but trouble?

21:24, Today: Barnabus rolled 2 using 1d6+1.  CLW for B.

Dax relieves the headless body of the leather bag and dumps it out on the shelf to examine its contents.

He will also search the room as best he can. Looking to Dryvyk and the others in the room, he says, "The others running off like that is dangerous. Do we follow them or wait here?"

Ishmael returns to party, assisting with the search.

Malivoire waved back at Searlait, then called up a more expansive instruction than Barnabus.  "He's carrying something dangerous.  Pull him up as fast as you can, then have everyone stand clear!"

The elven mage stood his ground, observing as best he could from below to see how the priest's experiment turned out.

Searlait gives the cleric a flat look when he responds sharply, muttering something under her breath that cannot be heard below. She begins to lower the rope, but when Malivoire speaks up, the mage’s words serve to hurry her efforts. As the rope reaches the floor of the lower chamber, Searlait calls to Kraomar and Gib for help, warning them that Barnabus is carrying something dangerous.

As soon as the priest takes hold, the mercenary begins to haul him up.

OOC: Barnabus, please give me a Saving Throw vs. Spells.

”It may be best that we remain here. So that they may easily find us on their return,” Ynes suggests.

”If they do not come back promptly, then we should follow.”

Three objects tumble out of the bag onto the table.

Two are what appear to be jars, fashioned from brass and inscribed with runes. Each jar is roughly a foot tall when set upright. The lid of one of the jars is forged to resemble the head of a bird, like a falcon. The other lid is made in the likeness of the head of a frog.

The third item is a mask, made from bone. The expression on the stoic face that is depicted is one of cold command, a series of runes etched in a neat line along its forehead.

Still clutching his prize, Barnabus gazes heavenward, trusting that his ascension will be both swift and resolute.

14:19, Today: Barnabus rolled 20 using 1d20+3.  Save vs. Spells.

"Agreed, Ynes."

Looking at the objects from the pouch, he looks to the others, "Do you recognise any of these? I certainly don't!"

Entering the room just as the gathered adventurers have begun to examine the contents of the ill fated tomb robber’s sack, Lander says, ”I am no expert on funerary customs, but I believe that each of the jars are what are known as canoptic jars. They are vessels that are used to store the organs of dead persons that undergo certain religious or arcane rituals after their death, usually aimed at ensuring their possible resurrection at some future time.”

“The mask is a death mask. A funeral decoration usually included in the burial of an individual of importance.”

Kraomar and Gib become visible over the lip of the opening in the ceiling as Searlait begins to pull Barnabus up to the surface. Both the hireling and the squire have weapons drawn, uncertain of what danger approaches.

Ice begins to form on Barnabus’ gauntlet and armored forearm, the pain inflicted by the supernatural cold slowly yielding to numbness, the sensations in the priest’s hand and arm beginning to fade away completely. Barnabus is only aware of the sapphire’s ongoing movement within his palm by virtue of the sounds of it vibrating against the metal of his armor.

Within what seems an eternity for the cleric, the border of the opening to the surface comes into reach.

12:57, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 4 using 1d8.  Jewel Damage.

Barnabus, please provide me with another Saving Throw vs. Spells

With the egress to the surface just ahead, Barnabus's will wavers and he proves unable to resist the necromantic force of the malefic gem. Through the power of his shoulder alone, he attempts to jerk his arm towards the opening in order to send the jewel away from him and beyond the barrow. Should his mouth work, he implores those above to remove the gem if his earlier effort had failed.

14:13, Today: Barnabus rolled 7 using 1d20+3.  2nd save vs. Spells.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:23, Fri 22 July 2022.

Malivoire waited anxiously below, staring up at the edges of sky that rimmed the shadowed figure of Barnabus as he was lifted out of the crypt.  He sincerely hoped the priest had not done something too foolhardy to withstand.

"What is happening?  Is he all right?" the mage called up impatiently.

As Barnabus moves to heave the jewel away from him, and the tombs below, he feels his hand grow rigid, opening of its own accord as ice completely envelops his gauntlet. The sapphire, burning with light, lands on the edge of the opening to the catacombs, bouncing a few inches away from the cleric. Ol Gib and the hirelings reflexively step back, though Searlait is mindful to keep a firm hold on the rope.

The gem rattles on the stone floor as though it possesses a life of its own. Then, quite suddenly, it melts, burning away like a fragment of ice left to the blazing sun. Smoke rises from it, the fumes possessed of a strange blue-gray color which coalesce into a vaguely humanoid shape. The phantom howls, the sound sending a cold chill through all those that witness its appearance. Without pausing, the apparition wheels about and flies northward, rapidly escaping sight as it travels in the direction of Helix.

As it departs, the rime of ice that has covered Barnabus’ hand and arm begins to recede, the numbness in the limb fading. Kraomar reaches down, hauling the priest the rest of the way to the surface.

Below, Malivoire hears the spirit’s tortured cry clearly. Even those still within the chamber with the dead tomb robbers are able to perceive its echo.

”I think…I think so,” Searlait calls back to the mage, ”His arm is covered in ice, but it seems to be melting away.”

It only took Malivoire a second to consider, once the chills running down his spine from the gem's released soul had subsided.  "Keep him up there and stay vigilant.  I will gather the rest and we'll return here to come back up."  He nodded in thanks to Searlait.  "Good job getting him up there so quickly."

The elven mage then retraced his steps back to the execution room, where he explained quickly to the others what had happened to Barnabus (so far as he understood it, anyway).  "I think we should retreat back aboveground for now, at least until we better understand how much hard the priest has suffered.  Let's gather what we can from here and then retreat to safer ground."

Exhausted, Barnabus slumps at the lip of the portal and stares numbly at his arm. He doesn't attempt to move it. He doesn't think he should ask much of it until he has secured a cozy place by the fire for it.

After a spell, he rises, his right arm still hanging limply at his side. He turns to Searlait and wonders if he or the departed phantom should be thanking her. He decides he should thank her on behalf of them both--surely, whatever awaits the phantom in Helix must be better than indefinite imprisonment within the gem.

He feels the need for another conference with Mazzahs press upon him although they had conferred with him just the other day. While this foray into the barrow had proven rather scattershot, they had learned (and done, it must be admitted) much of significance.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:47, Wed 27 July 2022.

Dax shudders slightly, "The organs, you say! Lovely. Although I suppose I should not expect anything else in a massive barrow!"

The ranger puts the items back into the bag.

Looking around the room, he notes, "Barnabus would no doubt want to take those heads back, but I'm not carrying them out for him! Maybe he will be satisfied with some skeleton dust."

Dax cuts a piece of the former skeleton's robe and pushes some of the dust onto it, using another rag from the robe. He then folds and ties the make-shift pouch closed, places it in the leather bag, and then puts the bag into his pack.

He takes the time to wipe his blade with the rag, and to check his equipment, while he waits for Malivoire and Barnabus to return.

---

Edit: why are the obvious grammatical errors invisible when I first post?
This message was last edited by the player at 00:42, Sat 30 July 2022.

"I've no objection to returning to the sun." he dwarf adds.  "Especially if the cleric didn't make it." he voice doesn't sound like he would be disappointed either way.

"Agreed. We've waited long enough for the others to return, lets get back to camp and see what's happened to Barnabus."

If there are no objections, Dax will lead the remaining group to the elevator room and call for it to be lowered.

One at a time, Searlait dutifully brings each of the adventurers up to the surface. Kraomar and Ol’ Gib stand watch, wary of anything that might try to pursue the company as they seek to return to the surface. But below, within the high ceilinged chamber, all remains still. The tombs allow the visitors to depart without further peril.

Outside, the horizon takes on the gray-violet coloration of a fresh bruise, announcing the arrival of dusk on the Barrowmoor. Even more profoundly than in the daytime, a silence settles over the marshland, the fog which perpetually cloaks the landscape taking on a faint, eerie luminescence as the moon appears within the darkening sky. Ol’ Gib sets to work on putting fresh wood on the campfire, the brightly burning flames holding the looming shadows at bay as nightfall arrives.

Lampert takes it upon himself to remain at the door of the entrance chamber, keeping watch over the opening into the catacombs. At one point during the night, the torchbearer tenses upon hearing the muffled sounds of combat echoing from the corridors below. The clash, whatever its nature, is brief and the Barrowmaze remains still through the remainder of the evening.

Ol’ Gib puts together a tasty stew for supper. The squire, Kraomar and Searlait takes turns keeping watch over the camp as the adventurers rest. Searlait comes to attention almost an hour after Lampert hears the noises from below, her gaze drawn to rustling within a patch of reeds to the east. She alerts the other hirelings, including Andryr, directing them to the source of the noise. ”Froglings,” she tells the others, ”I’m certain of it.” Dryvyk’s dog, Ranger, growls in seeming agreement. The mercenary’s suspicion is never definitively confirmed, as whatever has drawn near to the camp elects to retreat, perhaps dissuaded form coming nearer by the number of armed persons present.

A haze dominates the Barrowmoor as dawn arrives. With it, Barnabus finds that all traces of the ice that encased his arm have vanished completely, the limb sore, but whole. Tamson arrives with first light and once the camp is broken down and the company’s possessions gathered, the guide leads the adventurers back across the lonely marshes to Helix.