Selvin and Izzick, the two of you feel a bit gobsmacked.

Tarrov shrugs.  "Yeah.  Well.  It's a small world, right?"

The reason behind all this is...it's the same tomb.  The same bloody tomb you guys went into before.  The ones with the Dero.  All that.  Same place.

Tarrov shrugs again.  "At least you know the layout.  I made a map based on what I remember..."

You can see the map under Game Maps group 3.  Let me know if you have any issues viewing the map

Tarrov continues.  "We don't know a lot about this group.  There's a dwarf who's with them.  Named Smattermite.  I did not make that name up either.

"Anyway, he seems to be the one they send out for supplies.  He is fairly tough.  You can wait for him to poke his head out or just waltz in.  We have not done so.  So I am afraid you would be going in blind.  Best I can tell you."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:42, Thu 19 Aug 2021.

Selvin glanced at Izzick and gave a shrug. "The more things change..." He shook his head and nodded. "I mean, that's how our luck runs, right? It feels weird but...yeah. Feels right too."

He snorted at the dwarf's name but then shrugged again. "We don't get t'pick our names. Unless they just tell people that's their name."

He took the lead, frowning a bit in concentration as he tried to remember the way.

Selvin glanced at Izzick and gave a shrug. "The more things change..." He shook his head and nodded. "I mean, that's how our luck runs, right? It feels weird but...yeah. Feels right too."

He snorted at the dwarf's name but then shrugged again. "We don't get t'pick our names. Unless they just tell people that's their name."

He took the lead, frowning a bit in concentration as he tried to remember the way.

Lucky thought the name for the dwarf was fine.  He had met quite a few unusually named dwarves in his past it so it never took him by surprise anymore.

"Just let me know if there is anything you need my skills for and I will gladly provide them."

The entrance to the catacomb is a wide stone stair descending down.

"Have you ever noticed you never go "up" to reach a catacomb?"

Whether Chandanar has a point or not, to proceed you would need to go down.

There doesn't seem to be a guard.  At least not an obvious one anyway.

Selvin glanced over at Chandanar and rolled his eyes theatrically. "Of course not. Who would bury people in the sky? That would be weird. The sky above is for breathin' an' flyin'." He took in a deep breath.

Then he headed down.

Lucky too shook his head at Chandanar's comment.  Then moved down into the catacombs with Selvin.

"Well...I mean...they could build the tombs up higher in the rock is all..."

The stairs end in a roughly square room.  There are exits on each side Orange Please see area D1 on the map

There are four large columns in the room.  Strung with rope around each column are a number of bodies in various states of decay.

The room smells terrible.  Which, given the condition of the bodies and the lack of  ventilation here is not surprising.

Izzick held his nose up as they even began to descend, remembering the stench all too well from when he'd been trapped here. Sure it brought back memories, but more than anything it broguht back up lunch. Grabbing a piece of cloth, he muttered arcane words, giving it a fresh spring scent as he tied it around his neck. It didn't help much but there was no way he was getting through here without some kind of fresh scent, even one made with prestidigitation. "East, west, south? We got any ideas on this one?" he asked, looking around the room for some sign of where they should be heading.

In reply to Izzick (msg # 9):

East is dark and quiet.  Selvin and Izzick, you recall the secret door there, but aren't sure you remember how to work the mechanism.  Int Roll 12- for that Gentlemen

From the south is some dim light and a kind of gurgling sound.  The light coming from the southeast branch and the gurgling sounding like it's coming from the southwest branch.

There is a new wrinkle in the western alcove:  A large metal...coffin maybe?  It's standing against the wall and it is coffin shaped. But completely metal.  There's a thick padlock on it too.

Probably harmless.

Probably.

Selvin knew they had met the people down below before - but it had been a while, and who knew what (or who) had changed since then. So he kept alert, as there could traps or people who spellcast first and asked questions of the corpses.

His lip curled a bit at the hanging corpses but he kept going trying to remember the way. He nodded at Izzick and gestured, and then kept moving the way he thought was right. They came to...well, where was it? Wasn't there a secret door around? He didn't like that gurgling noise or the coffin-thing. He restrained himself from saying anything or even muttering, however, just wanted to get to where the necromancers were so they could explain themselves and not get killed or worse.

21:59, Today: Selvin Larst rolled 18 using 1d20+2.  Int checks? Those are totally Selvin's jam!

Zuni followed along, taking up the rear.  The others seemed to know the way, and could probably see in the dark farther than her human eyes and torch could, so she let them take the lead.  "S'Funny how no one ever makes cheery tombs." she said, glancing around the dismal place.  "Who would want to spend eternity in a....what is that gurgling sound?"

The light coming from the southeast branch was probably the direction Lucky wanted to go.  He wasn't a fan of being underground but he would work with it.

When he saw the large metal coffin he knew better than to mess with it even if it may have riches inside.  There could be a mummy, or vampire, or something worse...

When Zuni mentioned the gurgling sound he was glad someone else was a bit unnerved by it because he sure was.  "I don't know but I think we should head towards the light."

In reply to Selvin Larst (msg # 11):

Selvin, now that you think about it, the prior residents were some insane dero who dabbled in necromancy.  They didn't seem too interested in talk last time.

Chandanar has sketched out the area based on what Selvin and Izzick remember.

The dim light is coming from the area the fellas recall as being a "body processing area" D5 on the map

The gurgling is coming from somewhere farther off.  Maybe what used to be the store room D3 or what might have been a kind of clay pit area D4.

The gurgling sounds too loud to be some small stream of water, like a chubby spring seeping out amongst the rocks in a field on a summer day.  But it's not loud enough to be a happy brook rolling through a green glade pixies are prancing beside

It's somewhere in between there.  That's all you can really tell.

As long as the current residents are using the layout the same, the best bet for finding people is by going to the northeast.

"Yeah....good idea."  Zuni was a little distracted.  On one hand she wanted to know what was causing the gurgling sound, and hopefully it would not be anything too dangerous to impede their exit, but it was in a darker part of this catacomb and she had only the light of the torch by which to see with.  Taking up Luckys idea of heading towards the lighted area seemed safer.

creeping forward making as little sound as she could, Zuni snuck her way towards the 'body processing area'.

OOC:
Stealth-->19

Lucky followed not far behind as they went towards the processing room.  His kukris were out and ready as he stealthily moved down the side of the corridor.

14:22, Today: Lucky Six-Fingers rolled 36 using 1d20+24.  stealth.

Selvin knew he was far from loud when he wanted to be quiet, but...he also knew he wasn't in the same league as Lucky or Zuni. So he took one step forward, stopped, and then resigned himself to wait for them to scout the lighted area. In the meantime he thought he'd creep a bit closer to the gurgling sound to see if he could spot what it was before it came after them as things were want to do.

Then he stopped. He didn't want to cause unnecessary issues or a fight if one wasn't needed. Plus going off on his own while Lucky and Zuni were scouting seemed stupid, even for him. He restrained a sigh and stayed where he was, keeping senses alert for danger.

In reply to Lucky Six-Fingers (msg # 16):

The two scouts move like whispers thought a cocktail party.  One of those loud, snooty cocktail parties where no one ever shuts up.  So you're both pretty darn stealthy.

As you come to the edge of the light, you are about 10' away from the entrance to the old body preparation room D5.

The room is roughly rectangular.  You are peeking in from the northwest entrance.  You can see exits to the southeast and southwest.

There are three large tables set along the room.  To the east is a large wooden bookcase.  It's currently stuffed with all kinds of wizardy looking ingredients.  Bat wings.  The toenails of a medusa.  Some small urn that emits a creepy looking pink mist.  You know.  Wizardy stuff.

There are roughly five corpses in various states of dismemberment on the tables.  A lantern, the source of the light, hangs from a stand by the central one.

A robed figure is standing by the middle table, apparently humming a happy song as he (she?) is cutting the stomach out of a five day dead halfling.

There are two cats curled up on the table closest to you, one on top of the face of a dead man and the other nestled inside the spread open ribcage of the same dead man.

No one in the room has noticed you.

From here, you can hear voices coming from the east.  They're loud, though not angry sounding.  It's tough to make out any particulars though.

Zuni watched the robed figure, her fingers flexing.  Perhaps it was something in the atmosphere of the room, but she didn't like this robed person.  She looked over at Lucky and lowered her voice.  "We take 'em?"

Lucky gave the ever slightest of nods.  He knew any movement or noise could be perceived and didn't want to let on the were there.

In reply to Lucky Six-Fingers (msg # 20):

Robes doesn't seem to notice.  One of the cats yawns.

Would need stealth checks if you guys are moving

Zuni motioned for Lucky to take cover behind one of the tables (Slabs?) and to move into a flanking position.  She was about to creep up on the opposite side from Lucky, when she remembered that they were here to talk to someone.

Could that someone be this guy?  Did they give a description of the guy?  It was hard to tell any features, what with the robes that this guy here was wearing.

In her head, Zuni cursed.  They had to find out if this was the person that they needed to talk to.

Zuni stepped around a slab and coughed loudly.  "Wow, it's really musty down here.  I would be constantly feeling like I need to sneeze.  How can you work like this?" she said, hoping to draw the figures attention to herself.  "Apologies, I don't mean to sound rude, Mister....."

Lucky was moving into position as quiet as a mouse, though he hoped the cats didn't give him away.

When Zuni stepped out and began to talk, Lucky took the moment to move behind the man ready to finish him off he turned and tried something.

15:20, Today: Lucky Six-Fingers rolled 42 using 1d20+24. stealth

In reply to Lucky Six-Fingers (msg # 23):

As luscious Lucky Six Fingers, the zippy Zuni signals for attention...

The robed individual looks over.  You can see just inside the hood Zuni.  There's a little patch of a yellowish colored skin, maybe a jaw line, showing.  And you think you can see long, greasy black hair.  Now that you're looking, you think this could be a woman.  Maybe.

"One gets used to it..."

The voice is dry sounding.  Like the pages of old books laying in some forgotten desert tomb being thumbed through by a golem made of stone.

Robes puts down the scalpel she/he/it was holding.  "You may call me Astrex.  And you are?"

Lucky, the two cats are up.  They are both skulking closer to Zuni.  Their ears are back.  But they aren't doing anything else.

At the moment.