The southern door leading out of the druid’s crypt opens with a soft scrape of stone against stone.

The corridor beyond the doorway is nondescript, the gray stone smooth and unadorned with any markings or decorations. The eastern wall shows dark stains near the ceiling, evidence of the encroachment of moisture from the marsh above.

The passageway leads southward for thirty feet, before abruptly halting at a dead end. At the corridor’s midpoint, an adjoining branch heads west for a little more than ten feet before also reaching a dead end.

Dust lines the floor, thick and undisturbed.

Clearing his throat, Lampert speaks quietly as he holds his torch aloft. ”It is strange. As long as I have known, Helix has been a small village, mostly filled with those who work the forests or ferry goods. But this…all these people buried here. How is that so many lived in this land so long ago?”

Gwendolyn nods and keeps her guard up. "This whole place seems rather odd. Certainly, this place stinks of unnatural evils."

She slowly moves along in the midst of the tallfolk.

Dax pushes the door open, and notes the swirls of dust, he disturbed. "This door has not been opened in many years."

Standing at the midpoint of the corridor, he notes, "Two dead ends, or perhaps hidden doors?"

"This place is ancient Lampert...it's possible that where the little village of Helix now stands, there may have been a vast city larger than ten Ironguard Mottes!

Civilisations rise and fall and are forgotten."
This message was last edited by the player at 07:23, Sun 06 Feb 2022.

"I was thinking the same thing," Malivoire said in response to Dax.  "Worth a search, at least.  After all, who digs perfectly good passageways, hidden by a concealed door, and doesn't take them to some other room or exit?"

Lampert's observation drew a wry smile from the mage, especially when he considered how long Lampert could have known anything.  Two decades, perhaps?  "Dax is right, Lampert.  I am much older than you, and I have no living memory of the moor being anything but the way it is today, more or less.  And the crypts have been here much longer than that."

"But perhaps this is something we will uncover during our explorations.  I am certain our patron is interested in the same questions you ask, and will pay well for the answer to that riddle."


OOC:
If Barnabus doesn't call us off officially to head back the other way, Malivoire will search the end of the short western branch for secret or concealed doors.
21:21, Today: Malivoire rolled 2 using 1d6.  Secret Door (1-2).

Barnabus speaks to the linkboy for what might have been the first time.

"I wonder if you have that question the wrong way around, living man. Should it not be, 'Have you always presumed that the living outnumber the dead?'"?

"The kingdom of the dead dwarfs the domain of the living. That is why they demand our proper care and protection."

What exactly that means, he doesn't say.

He catches his breath while the others mill about for a bit, pursuing their own purposes.

Dax will check the south end of the corridor for hidden doors, but does not find anything.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 4 using 1d6 for secret doors (2).

Lampert listens attentively to the party members who give answer to him, showing them the respect  due those of greater experience and wisdom. Nonetheless, he blinks in either wonder or horror at Barnabus’ response, his lack of reply to the priest leaving his perception of the cleric’s words in question.

Malivoire’s search of the western branch of the quiet corridor requires only a few minutes before the mage spies an indentation between the seams of two of the wall’s rectangular stones which he discovers to be the handle for a hidden door.

Although Dax’s search does not yield a similar discovery, the Ranger cannot shake the instinct that there is a concealed portal present which has merely escaped his perception for the moment.

"Let's leave these deeper mysteries for a later time," Barnabus decides, after the magic user has discovered the third concealed door of this, their first expedition.

Back through the druid's crypt, across the room with the pedestals, and then past the broken sarcophagus, he shepherds them until they have reached the room with the pottery. From there, it is to the chamber beyond the door on the southwestern wall.

The iron banded door in the southwestern corner of the chamber that held the ash filled pottery opens easily, only giving out a brief creak as it moves.

Beyond the doorway is another stone corridor, the gray walls stained dark with moisture along most of its length. The scent of moldering corruption hangs in the air.

The hall has two branches. The first extends south of the doorway for a little less than twenty feet before reaching another iron banded door, its metal reinforcements pitted with rust. The second branch leads eastward for forty feet before terminating at a dead end that is blackened by moisture. Nothing stirs within the gloomy passageway.

With a great inhalation of the ever so sweet, intoxicating odor of decay, Barnabus forces himself to turn away from eastern branch of the hall. Instead he directs the experts' attention to the iron-banded door down the southern branch. They should give a listen before leading the assembled further south.

Dryvyk maintained his position in the party with a grim stoicism that would put many heroic statues to shame. His shield and sword were ready for action however, should such services be needed any time soon...

The elven mage held his position in the order, nervously fiddling with a dart in its slot on his belt while he waited.  In the oppressive gloom of the passageway the exceptional calm of the druid's chamber seemed long ago already.

No sound is audible on the other side of the moisture warped door. Even Ishmael, with his sharp senses, can hear only silence.

OOC Through the door then.

Grugar pads along, still frustrated and a little angry at himself.

The dank corridor worries him, he isn't really sure why, but he steers clear of the damp.

The doorway is another challenge and a chance for him to redeem himself in his own eyes. In silence he waits for the door to be opened, sword ready.

Ishmael waits quietly, with little more than a grunt and a shrug he backs from the door, giving the breachers their chance.

Although it requires some effort, the moisture ridden door opens, its rusted hinges squealing in protest.

Beyond the doorway is another short corridor, this one not as blackened by seepage from the marsh. Immediately to the east sits another door which is closed and crafted from stone. Aside from an iron handle, it is nondescript, its color matching the gray bricks which surround it.

To the west, the passage continues for twenty feet, then turns southward. In the gloom, the adventurers can see a flicker of orange illumination from southern hallway.

While very much a moth to be drawn the flame, Barnabus steadies himself in the hallway less permeated by marsh drippings. His eyes move meaningfully to the gray door and then to the ranger.

OOC Standard opening procedure for the gray door.

"The dead don't need torches." the dwarf whispers. watching to the west.

"Ishmael is right. We need to see who or what is over there, first." Dax whispers to the others.

The ranger heads to the west, stopping to peer south, around the corner.

Sir Dryvyk gestured toward the glow with the tip of his sword, relieved that Dax and Ishmael were thinking along the same lines.

Barnabus narrows his eyes momentarily. When he relaxes them, they have lost their focus, no longer full of intent. He is content to observe the other professionals at work.

Peering around the corner, Dax can see that the southern branch of the corridor extends for almost thirty feet before reaching a stone archway. A sculpted gargoyle head sits at the arch’s highest point and the shapes of bones have been chiseled into its sides.

The hallway travels for a number of feet beyond the arch, before slanting to the southeast. The flickering orange glow of firelight is brightest in the southeastern portion of the corridor. The ranger can see a large shadow cast on the hall’s eastern wall, but as he watches, Dax does not perceive the silhouette moving at all. Whatever might be casting it appears to be completely still.

"Something is down there, but it's not moving," Dax whispers.

He moves around the corner keeping close to the eastern wall, and stops at the archway.

"What do you make of this?" he asks as examines the carved archway.

Barnabus pulls a wry face, "About what I'd expect in the catacombs?"

Sotto voce, he encourages the ranger to creep about a bit further to identify the source of the alluring effulgence.

Malivoire continued to move as quietly as he could with the rest, moving toward the strange glow down the passageway.  He made sure to maintain his proper position in the order, lest he bunch up with those ahead and potentially impede their ability to move about once the source of the light was identified.

Dax stops talking to himself, and signals to the group to join him at the arch.

"The passage bends to the left, there's something there, but it's not moving...what do you make of this arch...any concern about passing through it?"

The thief waits quietly with the others as the ranger sneaks away, watching only, until Dax calls them forward.  The dwarf inspects the stone of the arch, running his hands lightly over the bones, looking for anything hidden.

Examination of the archway does not reveal anything hidden within the stone that comprises it, nor do any of its markings suggest any sort of magical enchantment. As best any of the party can discern, the arch appears safe to pass under.

Barnabus and Malivoire both have the lingering suspicion that the archway serves as some kind of marker, designating the entrance to a particular area of the catacombs, perhaps tombs utilized by a single family, or the adherents of a specific faith. Whatever the case, the arch’s significance has been lost to history.

Ahead, the orange glow of the firelight remains strong, the tall silhouette still motionless.

Dax nods to Malivoire, and moves forward along the east wall until he reaches the point where it angles east.

Peering around the corner, he will signal the group to follow if there is no sign of activity.

"In for an inch, in for a foot," Barnabas intones happily to himself.

Grugar had waited stolidly, awaiting Dax's call, either to advance or beware. He'd frowned a number of times as the priest seemed to be talking to imaginary voices. He shrugged inwardly, the god touched might also be touched in the head he supposed.

He moved forward with the others, as quietly as his metal-clad form allowed at least.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:30, Wed 16 Feb 2022.

The sheer weight and scope of this undertaking was certainly far from being realized by the young knight, but each step deeper into the barrow felt like he was making progress towards his the eventual completion of his quest. Though, in reality, it would take an army of stalwarts like himself, Sir Dryvyk seemed confident that any and all evil would be vanquished, the moors eventually drained and reclaimed, and his familial holdings expanded.

So were the thoughts running through the mind of the young knight as he awaited the signal to proceed forward.

The flickering of Lampert's light was almost hypnotizing as one listened into the darkness beyond...

Cautiously making his way past the arch, keeping close to the slanting passageway’s eastern wall, Dax is able to peer further down the corridor.

About fifty feet down the southeastern branch of the hallway, the passage opens up into a chamber. From his vantage point, the ranger can see that the western corner of the large room holds a dais, upon which is a stone statue of a creature which resembles a gargoyle. The figure is in a crouching position and surrounded at its base by a trio of iron braziers, all of which are burning brightly. It is immediately plain to Dax that it is the statue that is casting the shadow which he had perceived.

From his position, it is difficult for Dax to make out the fine features of the stone figure. He does not see any movement within the room aside from the wavering flames in the braziers. The chamber appears unoccupied.

Assuming Dax backtracks a bit and shares his findings.

"The stone sentinel hasn't been keeping those braziers lit," Barnabas says quietly. "I sense an enchantment that may well extend to our stone friend, one I do not think would welcome us in his stony arms."

He counsels for a return to this family crypt "later -- when we're ready to face a gargoyle if a gargoyle we must face."

God-touched though he might be, the priest still has a vast store of wisdom on which to draw.

Return to the eastern door we bypassed and go about opening it in the customary fashion.

Dax will move forward toward the 'gargoyle' room, stopping at the halfway point of the angled corridor, he will listen for sounds of occupants, and perhaps get a better view of the room.

He then will return to the party waiting at the arch and provide a description of what he has seen and heard.

Dax listens attentively, but aside from the crackling flames within the braziers, he hears only silence. No voices nor sounds of movement. From his vantage point, the ranger cannot discern many details about the room, though he has the sense that the chamber is sizable; one of the largest that the party has encountered thus far in their explorations.

After Dax shares his impressions with his fellow adventurers, the party returns to the stone door which they had passed just prior to discovering the archway. The door is smooth, free of any kind of markings.

Although dust clings to every surface of the corridor, it has been scattered from the floor immediately in front of the closed portal.

"Looks like someone has been in here recently," Dax mentions pointing to the floor. He draws his sword, and stands to the side, allowing Ishmael to inspect the door.

"Well, that is not good. Who else would have made it past the skeletons?," she says after Dax makes his observation. She rubs her forehead.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:40, Fri 18 Feb 2022.

Ishmael looks the door over.

"..."

Sir Dryvyk adjusted his grip on the heavy rawhide handle of his shield.

Examining the door, Ishmael finds no evidence of traps on or around it. The explorer presses his ear to the stone portal, listening intently for any sounds on the other side.

Good morning, LL -- through the door, then.

"Something that evaded the patrol?" Malivoire suggested in response to Gwendolyn.  "Or maybe something from deeper within the crypts, coming out?"  The latter felt more disturbing for some reason, and Malivoire shivered at the thought.

The elven mage waited anxiously for the door to be opened and reveal its secrets.

"Quiet!" The dwarf hisses loudly his frustration.  "Quiet.  Someone moves on the other side, but coming closer or going further I can't tell.  They speak but I can't hear it."   He moves from the door to let the breachers breach.

Dax looks to Grugar and Dryvyk, nodding at them to confirm their readiness.

He then pulls the door open swiftly and steps through, sword leading.

Dax pushes the door open.

Beyond it is a stone chamber that is roughly twenty by twenty feet in size. The stone walls are unadorned, though the northern wall shows soot on its surface, the leavings of fires burned in its vicinity.

Adjacent to the northern wall are the ashes of a long forgotten campfire, along with a pair of tattered bedrolls and a few wooden bowls and implements for eating, none of which show signs of recent use.

On the eastern side of the chamber, two diagonal walls meet at a point, lending a triangular appearance to that end of the room. Wooden doors are installed on each slanted wall, one leading northeast, the other southeast. The doors are the only visible exits from the chamber, save for the door the party entered from.

A group of six humanoids, all clad in threadbare clothing and cloaks are within the chamber when the party enters, though several have already begun to flee through the northeastern doorway. The adventurers can see that each figure’s features are a strange amalgamation of seemingly different species: canine, reptilian, and avian aspects are visible on those in closest proximity. One of the nearby figures has a hand that resembles a crab claw.

The nearest of the humanoids waves at his comrades, speaking to them in a guttural tongue that is filled with urgency. One of the group is carrying a worn sack over one shoulder. The adventurers can see a few pieces of grain fall from one of its open seams.

Dax is struck by the strangeness of the occupants, he lowers his sword and calls out in the orcish tongue, [Language unknown: "N yin forut utleis lice. Unus rieve ch? Lime oun ournt etpa?"]

Following Dax's lead, Sir Dryvyk lowered his sword as well. He saw the sack the fellow carried and wondered. "Not much reason for seed in the moors, perhaps they're raiding for food?" he asked quietly.

The young knight reached into his pack and produced a couple of his rations. Holding his sword in his shield hand, he handed them to Dax, hoping the contribution would aid in his parley.

Grugar didn't like the look of the creatures, but they seemed timid and possibly harmless so he remained silent and waited for them to answer.

Having said that he also kept his sword ready.

After some momentary surprise at this unexpected scene, Barnabus remembers the lone rumour he had heard about the Barrowmaze and the others had not. Sure, he had dressed it up some when he had shared it with the group; mysticism was nine-tenths showmanship and he did like a good show. So a band of twisted, mutated people did make their home within the Barrowmaze. Given their corruptions, it is difficult to see where else they could make it.

He relaxes and watches Dax work his charms upon these misbegotten souls.

Dax lets the tip of his sword drop slowly until it is resting on the floor. Keeping his eyes on the strange creature, he takes the food from Dryvyk and takes a small bite, chews, and swallows - and then holds out the food to the creature.

All but the two creatures nearest the adventurers and the one carrying the sack continue with their flight, rushing out of the room through the northeastern doorway.

The figure who spoke approaches Dax hesitantly after the ranger addresses it, cupping its hands to receive the offered ration. Its face resembles a reptile’s, save for the area around its left eye, which is covered in dark fur. The humanoid regards Dax with wonder when the adventurer gives the food to it freely.

It points to its compatriot with the sack, then speaks.

The dwarf stands by, watching quietly.  Sometimes bribery works as well as killling.

[Language unknown: I se Triv, po us Essureted, ove ol le Resomewhe. Si nt behopaei noacil onendeoun mo ck maill u eceken ich prad n int herproant. Ec a verastwil.]

Once the creatures vacate the room, Dax explains to the group, "I don't know what they are...their speech is a mix of orc and goblin and something else...they say they lived in the moors but were forced to retreat into the tombs as they were hunted by the humans, lizardmen, and froglings."

If there are no issues, the ranger will point to the door facing southeast, "Shall we?"

Dwarves rarely lose their feet, and such he has a good sense of where they are relative you where they were. "Where does that lead? Back to the druids temple?" he asks, gesturing towards the northwest door, even as he starts towards the southwest one to check it.  "or did we miss another hidden door?"

I'm guessing there is a short hallway from 14 that ends at the secret door to 10.  Otherwise this SE door leads to the same room as the NE

"Let's have a look beyond that northwest door, first," Barnabas answers, echoing Ishmael.

He wonders aloud, "They took refuge in the catacombs; did the catacombs answer their prayers or do they serve those of others?"

"Wait!  Wait!" Malivoire called out in orcish and common.  These were creatures that lived in the catacombs and had managed to survive the dangers within.  Surely they could carry much useful information on the dangers their party might encounter as they moved further into the subterranean construction?

"Dax, we should ask them about the dangers they know of.  Areas of great danger, warning signs, other useful tidbits.  Don't let them just walk off!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Once the former is resolved one way or the other (might be too late, I know)}....

The mage was prepared to go through either door and carried no particular feelings on which was preferable.  He made ready and took up his customary position in the order, ready to follow oncethe group resumed its explorations.

"They have the look of misfortunates, I feel as if we've done a good thing. My fight is against the evils of this place, not against its victims unless such becomes unavoidable."

Sir Dryvyk re-armed himself and stood at the ready to support the party.

At Malivoire’s entreaty, the last of the cloaked figures pauses, regarding the mage and ranger uncertainly. The creature speaks quickly, its words hushed.


After speaking, it rushes to follow its compatriots.

Peering through the northwestern doorway, the adventurers see a short, stone hallway that travels eastward. The corridor ends at a door, which stands open. Looking closely, the party recognize that it is the hidden door that Malivoire discovered within the quiet, nondescript passage that appeared to have no exits at first glimpse. The cloaked figures have clearly fled in that direction.

However, the short corridor beyond the northwestern door offers another route. On the southern wall, the outline of another door is visible, the portal crafted from the same stone that the rest of the passage was built from. It is closed.

Once the last of the beastmen has left, Dax explains to the group what he said, "Apparently there are a great many untouched tombs south of that gargoyle statue I saw...along with many undead protecting the treasures.

There's another door there," he adds pointing out the northeast door, "Let's prove ourselves methodical at the least."

Dax will step into the short hall, and push the secret door to the east shut, before letting Ishmael examine the stone door heading south.

[Edit: east not west!]
This message was last edited by the player at 22:26, Wed 02 Mar 2022.

Barnabus nods along at Dax's intelligence, his whitish eyes becoming nearly pearlescent at the prospect of unplundered tombs to the south. When the ranger pleas for a "methodical" approach, he seconds it, counseling that they soon backtrack to check out the eastern hallway off of the room with the broken pottery -- not too mention the northern tunnels.

Map has NE and a SE (and W) door for this room, with the NE door being the one the refugees fled through.

Gwendolyn remains among the middle of the group, her bow in-hand, and listens for any unusual sounds. She wonders about the beast people, but if they mean no harm, then she has no ill will to bear them.

Malivoire wondered whether the door in the short passage would lead to the same location as the southeast door in the room that had contained the abandoned camp which the batsmen were raiding.  It felt very close together, but the mage would be the first to admit that spatial abstractions underground were hardly his speciality.

While Dax and Ishmael prepared to open the door Malivoire tightened his grip on his staff but kept quiet.  He didn't want to risk Ishmael's justified annoyance again!

The dwarf checks the door.

On the other side of the closed southern door, Ishmael hears nothing. Checking the portal itself, he finds no evidence of traps of any kind.

Pushing the door open, the adventurers discover a small, twenty by twenty foot chamber. The eastern and western walls are hung with banners, wide black rectangles of cloth emblazoned with the symbol of a single white skull. Unlike their surroundings, the banners do not show any signs of age or deterioration.

In the center of the room is a rectangular table, surrounded by four straight backed chairs. A pair of black iron candelabras sit on either end of the table, four tallow candles burning in each, which illuminate the room brightly. Spaced in an even row in the center of the table are five skulls, either human or demi-human, each one carefully polished.

The chamber is unoccupied. The only visible exit is an iron banded door to the south.

Dax steps through the door, and to the side, sword drawn. "I don't like the look of this at all. Dryvyk, Barnabus...what do you say?"

"The territory is marked, isn't it?" the cleric agrees. "And those," he adds, gesturing at the row of skulls, "suggest the habits of those who have marked it."

Loquaciously, he continues, "It's almost as if they're asking, do you want yours to join those five? If so, come right in. I think we should oblige the four of them -- if they do seat themselves one each per chair. It's one thing to store skulls in the proper manner and another thing to collect them in an improper one."

On a whim, he checks to see if there is anything underneath any of the skulls, all the while smiling contentedly at his turn of phrase.

Through the southern door.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 22:09, Fri 04 Mar 2022.

When Malivoire entered the room and saw the display on the walls and the table he realized the barrows held much more than the corpses and restless bodies of the dead.  Even beyond the strange beastmen they had just encountered, there were living beings using the space beneath the moor.  That was a worry, for what good soul would willingly choose this as their place of residence?

While Barnabus examined the skulls on the table Malivoire looked at the banners, trying to recall anything about the symbols depicted there.  And also taking a quick peek behind each in case they concealed something of importance.

None of the skulls hide anything beneath them.

Regarding the banners, Malivoire recognizes that the skulls depicted on them are designed in the same manner as the one that the company found painted on the wall of the crypt with the shattered sarcophagus. Like the painting, the mage can sense a faint, but palpable power emanating from the dark lengths of cloth.

Checking behind each of the banners, Malivoire finds only blank stretches of stone wall. Nothing is concealed behind either of them.

After Ishmael checks the southern door, Dax pushes it open, finding a mold stained corridor running east and west. A short distance to the east, on the opposite, southern wall, is a closed wooden door, swollen with moisture. The eastern branch of the passageway continues into shadow.

To the west, twenty feet away, the hall opens into a square room The illumination from Lampert’s torch enables the company members to see that numerous pieces of pottery are scattered around the floor of the chamber, and near the center, a lone skeleton is crumpled amidst the ancient containers.

"We should take one of those back with us," Barnabus suggests, after Malivoire has examined the banners.

"On our way out," he appends, making no move to gather one up just yet.

He keeps talking, "I would have thought the marking of territory would have extended in some small way into this hallway -- the occasional white skull wall sconce. Well, let's see if that chap has anything for us" -- referring to the skeleton in the room just twenty feet to the west.

Is the level of moisture seem higher than the general area would seem to warrant for that water-logged door?
This message was last edited by the player at 22:07, Sun 06 Mar 2022.

Dax moves carefully to the west, sword drawn, fully expecting the skeleton to come to life.

"Be wary of the skeleton!"

As they'd entered the room Grugar had gone cold, the word Death hung in his mind's eye, this place reeked of it and its followers. He fastidiously refrained from touching anything and had no plans on taking anything from such a place.

He considered this to be a possible haunt of necromancers, which gibed with the warnings the Mongrelmen had given.

He heaved an invisible sigh of relief as they moved south, the corridor beyond was dank and noisome, but he preferred that to the death room. He hefted his blade, waiting for signs of movement from the skeleton, but also looked for any signs of recent passage.

"Just crush its head bafore it moves." The dwarf suggests.

As Malivoire examined the wall hangings more closely he breathed a concern at least some of his companions no doubt were thinking.  "We must be cautious when we meet the adherents to this malevolent order."

The elven mage followed the rest as the group left the dark chamber and moved down the hallway toward the pottery and lone skeleton.

As the party cautiously approach the western chamber, many of the adventurers keeping a close watch on the crumpled skeleton, several glimpse the glint of metal within a few of the earthenware containers gathered within the room.

As they draw close to the entrance to the chamber, there is the sudden sound of an unearthly shriek, a chilling noise that each of the company members feel within the pit of their stomachs as much as hear. The skeleton remains on the stone floor, its yellowed bones unmoving. However, one of the pieces of pottery abruptly rises off of the floor, as though lifted by unseen hands, and flies directly at Dax Moonblade.

20:06, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 4 using 1d20.  Attack.

Whatever aimed the container at the ranger possesses fair strength, but poor aim. The tall piece of pottery sails past Dax’s right shoulder, shattering as it strikes the northern wall, a cloud of ash greying the air as it bursts open.

Lampert takes in a sharp breath, then swallows nervously. The torchlight wavers as the linkboy’s hand trembles.

"By the hells!" Dax curses as the urn flies by him. He stabs out with his sword but at what, or where he does not know.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 5, missing.

Grugar brandished his blade but did n to attack, this was truly an abode of the dead.

"Restless spirit be gone!" he called in a voice which may have held a slight quaver.

When a shard of pottery, propelled by an unseen hand, sails past Dax, Barnabas thinks with a thrill, "Telekinesis!" He's dabbled in the mediumistic pursuits himself, so all flavors of the paranormal fascinate, even excite, him. But this is not the time for research.


Already dashing to one of the urns with the promise of lucre, Barnabas rejoins, "It is we who must be gone -- but not without these!" After reaching his target, he grabs it and, with equal rapidity, darts from the treasury and back into the hallway.

Hearing Barnabus, Grugar rumbled, loud enough for anyone standing close to his side to hear, "What manner of beast is this, we are to flee the unseen poltergeist hoping it will not give chase?"

In his mind he is sure the attack is by some undead fiend, so fleeing will place an unseen enemy at their bqck.

In between gasps, Barnabus blurts, "If it poltergeist be, it should haunt but one spot."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:13, Wed 09 Mar 2022.

Being farther back in the marching line Malivoire wasn't entirely certain of what had just happened.  He only knew his knees were still shaking after hearing the shriek from ahead and seeing the cloud of ash billow out from the shattered urn that had flown through the air.  He could see Barnabus bustling around with something clutched in his arms, but the rest appeared fixated on the room ahead.

"What are we facing?" the mage called out, but only loud enough for the group to hear.  If he was to help, he needed to know what they were up against.  "Are we in battle again?"

OOC:

I expect Malivoire will grasp more of the situation once we see the results of Barnabus' proposed "snatch and grab" action.

"Something invisible! That throws urns!" Dax calls back while still looking for any sign of something to attack.

As Barnabus dashes out of the room with his prize, another tall urn rises into the air, then is launched at the retreating cleric. This one is far more accurate, shattering as it slams into the back of Barnabus’ head and showering him with with ashes and pieces of bone.

11:39, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 18 using 1d20.  Attack.

11:40, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 5 using 1d6.  Damage.

Another disembodied shriek sounds, echoing down the dark corridor.

11:59, Today: Lampert rolled 6 using 2d6.  Morale.

Lampert, his teeth clenched in terror, nevertheless holds his ground, keeping the torch aloft with quaking hands.

Dax swings his sword in the area from where the second projectile was launched. "Out of here!" he calls to the others.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 22 hitting AC -8, for 4 damage.

Exalted at his acquisition but dazed by the payment, Barnabas shakes his head, sending further motes of ash and fragments of pottery along with some globules of blood into the air. With his head sufficiently cleared, he exhorts the others still in the treasury to "grab and go!" He then rewards the stalwart Lampbert with an ear-to-ear grin, "You, too, shall be sung of, torch man."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:01, Fri 11 Mar 2022.

The stalwart young knight stepped near to Lampert and sang the opening words of a well-known hymn of battle:

"With steel in hand and courage strong,
we strike our foes the whole day long,
let might of arm and strength of hand,
drive the evil from our land!"

He positioned himself to protect the nervous lad and allow the righteous indignation of St. Ygg bathe them with protection! Carefully he backed from the chamber...


10' radius Protection Against Evil paladin aura, +1 to AC and Saves, as long as Sir Dryvyk does not attack, the entity cannot touch him or those at his side.

Frowning, Grugar watches Barnabus's behaviour, then Dryvyk's. He moves to stand beside the paladin as he chants.

Not sure what can be seen, the dwarf makes his way in the commotion to one of the metal filled pots, and attempts to snatch it and run as well.

Malivoire opted to follow Dax's advice (and his own heart) rather than Barnabus' bravado, and began backing away from the room, making room for those ahead of him to follow suit.  The mage remained ready to help defend the group, but without an enemy in sight he was not too sure there was any way for him to help.

Lampert, his terror subsiding at Sir Dryvyk’s hymn, raises his torch higher, his hands steadying as the surge of fear that had gripped him calms.

Ishmael rushes in, sighting one of the urns that holds glittering metal. He lifts the container as another shriek pierces the quiet of the Barrowmaze, the chamber growing as cold as the deep of winter as he turns to make his escape.

OOC: Ishmael, please give me a Saving Throw vs. Petrify or Paralyze

Dax is backing out of the room when Ishmael rushes past him in the other direction!

The ranger holds his position just inside the room, waiting for the dwarf.

06:26, Today: Ishmael rolled 23 using 1d20+4.  Save  vs 13.

Ishmael feels the grip of unseen, skeletal hands, their touch unbearably cold, seeking to take hold of both of his upper arms. The dwarf reacts quickly, slipping free of the invisible grasp and racing to the corridor where the rest of the company waits. Aside from another ghostly bellow sounding from the pottery strewn chamber, Ishmael encounters no additional resistance to his escape.

From somewhere to the east, down the shadow drenched passageway, there is the sound of a crash, the noise of a door being forced open.

There is a time for daring do and a time for proper precaution. The crash of a door bursting open makes Barnabus decide it's the latter. He returns to the club house of the white skull and takes up a position away from the door. On the table he places his just-gotten urn.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:45, Thu 17 Mar 2022.

"It would be good if we had a priest with us that was more concerned with driving away evil than snatching every piece of loot and then running off!" he muttered, but probably loud enough to be heard by everyone.

He stepped to point at the front of the party, in relation to this new threat. Sword ready for whatever might be coming at them from the darkness.

Dax can't help but snicker momentarily at Grugar's comment. He takes a position next to Grugar in the corridor, just ahead of the open door leading into the 'skull' room.

He speaks quietly to the rest of the party, "Into the room, if you like. Lampert, you get into the room so the light does not give us away, but be ready if we call."

The ranger draws his sword and watches down the corridor with his infravision.

Ishmael cast the pottery into the room with a clatter, only glancing momentarily as it lands to see what the glint of metal might be.

He steps back into the darkness, with axe in hand, awaiting what is coming from the east.  In spite of himself, he was coming to agree with the half-orc.

Sir Dryvyk tried to maintain his place amongst the group and continue to provide reassurance for their rattled linkboy and anyone else who might find their enthusiasm for danger flagging...

Lampert follows Dax’s instructions, retreating into the chamber with the table and banners.

Peering down the hallway, Dax, Grugar, and Ishmael can see four figures advancing toward them, their emaciated frames and slow, deliberate gait identifying them as the undead. As they draw nearer, the adventurers can see rent and rusted fragments of chain armor hanging from their wasted bodies. Each corpse’s hands ends in jagged, filthy talons.

Abruptly, the four walking corpses halt, the undead creature in the lead lifting its head as if scenting the air. A dry snarl rises from its throat.

"More walking dead, and it looks like they know we are here! I think discretion is the better part of valour at the moment...into the room and shut the door behind us!"

Dax moves into the 'skull' room. He will close the door, locking or barring it if possible, assuming Grugar and Ishmael follow him.

In the room, Dax will urge the others to exit through the north door, "Out that door, and through the secret door to the right!"

"At the least, it will be more defensible in the doorway."  Ishmael says, as he steps back into the skull room.  "But if what we heard was them breaking through the other door, I don't know this will slow them."

The oncoming undead were all the encouragement Malivoire needed to follow orders, so he ducked back into the meeting room with the banners on the walls and skulls on the table and stood nervously gripping his staff while the others debated closing the door or not.

At Dax's call to flee further through the secret door they'd discovered earlier, Malivoire hesitated slightly.  While he edged back toward the northern entrance to the meeting room he did not leave on his own.  No matter what was in front of them, he felt more secure amidst the group that he did fleeing ahead on his own.

The undead creature that scented the air gives out a gurgling groan, then begins to lumber forward at a pace no faster than a walk, its fellows following behind it. The corpses’ slow gait provides ample time for the adventurers to retreat to the chamber that holds the table with the polished skulls.

Examining the southern door, Dax does not see any means by which it can be locked or barred. However, the table in the room’s center is quite heavy and, if used to block the door, would likely present a significant obstacle to any seeking to gain entrance.

OOC: To move the table quickly (within the space of a round or so) would require the cooperation of four of the adventurers. I wanted to give the company the opportunity to make a decision on that, before they followed through with the rest of Dax’s instructions.

From the other side of the table, Barnabus regards the undead legionnaires with a jaundiced eye. There are any number of things he'd like to do now then dispose of them. He exposes the symbol of his god for all to see: a raven's head with a drippy eye, molting feathers, and a caved-in beak. Its emergence adds an odor, more treacly then piquant, to the room, perhaps pleasing to none but the cleric.

His god registers its indifference to its priest's muted plea. They're both probably a little undecided on the matter.

21:09, Today: Barnabus rolled 6 using 2d6.  Turn Attempt with right dice. -1 to subsequent attempts.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:10, Tue 22 Mar 2022.

Hearing the rest of the group wanting to deal violence upon the group of approaching undead, Dax looks to improve the situation.

"Let's use the table as a barricade...it will keep them from pushing in here...we should be able to still attack them.

C'mon, quickly!"

Sir Dryvyk joined Dax in pushing the table, realizing that his idea was a good one. "If we can funnel them, I shall cleave them with Righteous Might!" he declared.

Ishmael grabbed a corner of the table.

Lampert joins in, placing his torch on the floor as he takes up the last corner of the table. In moments, the adventurers have it turned on its side and positioned against the doorway.

The sound of shuffling feet are heard, their unsteady steps growing louder as they draw near. Then, the first of the undead appear in the doorway, its features clear in the light of the linkboy’s torch. To the company members, save for its claws, the emaciated figure appears much like the zombies they have encountered elsewhere in the tombs.

OOC: An adventurer could post themselves in front of, or on either side of the table, and would be able to make a melee attack once the door is breached. I will need to know who is in each spot.

Those using missile weapons should be able to target creatures within the doorway, once they become visible.

Once I’m clear on who is positioned where, I will determine initiative.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:02, Wed 23 Mar 2022.

Barnabus bellies up to the right of the bar, ready for a helping of zombie/ghoul hybrid.

With the blessing, he attacks at +4/d6+4 so I moved him up.

Dax takes position to the left of the doorway, sword at the ready to slice into the first monstrosity to appear.

---

Dryvyk, as it looks like our archer has left the game, you may want to take the centre position so your aura takes in as many allies as possible?

Sir Dryvyk needed no prodding. He was eager to destroy the undead plaguing the Barrowmoors, a zealous light shone in his eyes. Shield held high, he thrust with his sword at the approaching monsters. On his lips were the words of a battle hymn! He shouted as the battle was joined, "Come thou filth and woe! My sword pierceth thine bowels!"

The first of the undead creatures gives out a gurgling snarl, reaching for the adventurers nearest the door.

18:21, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 5 using 1d6.  Initiative - Party.

18:21, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 4 using 1d6.  Initiative - Undead.

OOC: The party wins initiative.

The undead have an armor class of 8. Although the lead creature is most visible, two more of them can be seen through the doorway.

Only those adventurers positioned near the door can make melee attacks.

All those with missile weapons can make ranged attacks against the undead.

The zealous young knight found the undead before him revolting, the antithesis of all that the God of Righteousness stood for. He thrust his longsword at the creature and twisted the blade as he pulled it free. There was something inside of him that grimaced at how easily the blade had gone in, nearly no resistance, but such sentiment would never manifest upon his face. He kept his shield at the ready as well as his confidence, hoping that his companions might be inspired!


Longsword Attack (+1 Bless): Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme rolled 13 to hit AC6 for 7 damage

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.

Dax is nowhere near as eloquent as Dryvyk as he swings his blade, "Die and stay dead!"

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 15, hitting AC 4, for 10 damage.

The dwarf stays watchful, his axe ready if someone needs to fall back.  So he can take their place at the breach.

Just about everything gets in the way of Barnabus when he tries to club the unwanted guest: the corner of the door, the table, his own elbows.

09:21, Today: Barnabus rolled 5,5 using d20+4,d6+4.  R#1 attack.

Malivoire waited until an opening presented itself and then launched a dart at one of the exposed undead.  He offered no clever comment, not trusting his voice to remain calm and confident like the others.  But his aim was true and the dart stuck into the thing's body, though what effect it had was hard to tell.

OOC:
10:17, Today: Malivoire rolled 20 using 1d20+3.  Attack. Hit!
10:18, Today: Malivoire rolled 2 using 1d4.  Damage.

Gwendolyn notches an arrow and looses it, aiming for the zombie in the doorway. The shot goes wide, the missile clattering off of the corridor’s stone wall.

09:51, Today: Gwendolyn rolled 4 using 1d20+3.  Attack - Bow.

Grugar shoulders his crossbow, aiming carefully at the monster in the doorway. He fires, the bolt slicing through the air and striking true.

09:59, Today: Grugar rolled 12 using 1d20.  Attack - Light Crossbow.

09:59, Today: Grugar rolled 6 using 1d6.  Damage - Bolt.

The undead creature in the doorway is clearly badly wounded by Sir Dryvyk and Dax’s keen blows. It staggers backwards, its already tenuous balance failing it. Just as it seems to find its footing once more, it is struck by Malivoire’s dart and Grugar’s bolt, the former punching into its eye socket, the latter slamming into its forehead. The zombie gives out a last, wheezing gurgle then slumps to the floor.

The emaciated creature behind it lurches forward, snarling as it swipes at Sir Dryvyk. The zombie’s claws rake the knight’s armor, but do not penetrate it.

10:25, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 12 using 1d20.  Attack - Undead.

It is the party’s turn to act.

Each of the undead have an armor class of 8. All three remaining monsters are visible in the hall beyond the doorway.

"One down!" Dax exclaims as he swipes at the next zombie with his sword.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 13, hitting AC 6 for 7 damage.

This time Barnabus sorts out his elbows in relation to the table and the door frame. With his elbows out of the picture, he clobbers the second of the four unwelcome guests.

Hits for 10 dmg
21:06, Today: Barnabus rolled 16,10 using d20+4,d6+4.  R#2.

The dwarf keeps his eyes to their rear, and and ears towards the front.

Buoyed by the success of his first throw, Malivoire armed himself with another dart and when the opening appeared, hurled it at the closest shambling corpse.  Unfortunately his aim was not as true this time and the projectile narrowly missed the mark.

OOC:

14:07, Today: Malivoire rolled 9 using 1d20+3.  Attack.  Miss.

After batting away the grotesque claw of the zombie, Sir Dryvyk bellowed something religious sounding, perhaps quoting some archaic scripture in a long-forgotten tongue. He repeatedly plunged his longsword into his foe, wondering how anything so rotten could remain upright, let alone be so violent!

"Apologies friend Dax," Sir Dryvyk said sheepishly as his sword clanged off that of his companion.


Longsword Attack (+1 Bless): Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme rolled a Natural 1...

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.

Gwendolyn notches and looses another arrow, but finds her shot poorly aimed, whistling past the head of one of the zombies further back in the corridor.

16:36, Today: Gwendolyn rolled 8 using 1d20+3.  Attack - Bow.

Grugar reloads his crossbow and fires a second bolt, but fails to find his target.

17:04, Today: Grugar rolled 9 using 1d20.  Attack - Light Crossbow.

The blows from Barnabus and Dax deal terrible damage to the undead creature they are facing, the priest’s cudgel crushing the zombie’s shoulder, the ranger’s blade opening a grievous wound on its chest. The walking corpse remains upright, lashing out at Dax with a wild swing of its claws.

18:53, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 16 using 1d20.  Attack - Undead.

18:55, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 3 using 1d6.  Damage.

The zombie’s claws catch the ranger’s arm, sending a rivulet of blood running down to his wrist.

At the sight of the blood, the demeanor of the walking corpses abruptly changes.

Their stance shifts to one that is hunched and predatory. All three roar, the noise echoing through the corridor and barricaded room. From behind, the unhurt zombies rush the barricade, the impact of their charge splintering the wood of the table as it is knocked back into the chamber.

OOC: Barnabus, Dax, and Sir Dryvyk will need to give me a Saving Throw vs. Petrify or Paralysis to avoid being knocked prone. If you are pushed to the ground, you will only be able to use your move during the round to stand.

It is the party’s turn to act. All party members can engage the zombies in melee if they choose. The undead are in the chamber, clustered near the door. Each has an armor class of 8. One is badly wounded.

The vicious change in the undead's demeanour drew an involuntary shout of alarm from Malivoire, who stumbled backward a few steps even though he was not affected by the splintering table.  But now the restless dead were amongst them!  Feeling he had no other choice, Malivoire targeted the injured attacker and spoke a short string of syllables reminiscent of an arrow zipping through the air.

Suddenly, golden energy shot forth from his fingers and slammed into the menacing undead with unfailing accuracy.


OOC:
Cast Magic Missile at injured undead (aiming for quick kill to lessen their numbers).
21:02, Today: Malivoire rolled 5 using 1d6+1.  Damage.

"Full of surprises, aren't you?" Barnabas mutters with what might almost be admiration from his position flat on his posterior, having been knocked there by the force of the roar alone. Realizing that's not a good look, he springs back to his feet and cudgels* one of the interlopers (they had claimed the club house as their own after all).

Hits for 6 dmg.
21:26, Today: Barnabus rolled 15,6 using d20+4,d6+4.  R#3 attack.
21:25, Today: Barnabus rolled 11 using 1d20.  save vs p & p.
*Yay, for cudgel being both verb and noun.

Sir Dryvyk took the majority of the force of entry with his shield. His boots slid on the stone floor, and when the table gave way, he did as well, falling next to Barnabas. The crazy old coot was much more nimble than he looked and surely wearing less armor than the young knight, was able to get back into the fray before Dryvyk could sort his chinstrap from his codpiece!

Having taken serious vows, the young knight did not swear, but he came very close. He battered the undead with his shield as he got back to his feet, all the while shouting words of Scripture in tones best reserved for working with stubborn livestock!


Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme rolled 10 to NOT Save vs Paralysis and Pertifarcashun vs TN14.
Longsword Attack:  Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme rolled 9 to miss!
This message was last edited by the player at 05:54, Thu 31 Mar 2022.

"Damn!" Dax cries out as he is knocked onto his back by the surprising rush by the undead creatures.

The ranger scrambles to his feet as fast as he can, trying to stay between the zombies and his lesser armoured companions.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 3 for Save vs Petrify or Paralysis (14) - FAIL.

Not clear if you meant that we can ONLY stand up; or ONLY stand up but still attack; Dryvyk went with the former and Barnabus with the latter.

If Dax cannot attack this round, ignore this roll:
Dax Moonblade rolled 20, hitting AC -6 for 6 damage.

The change in tone from the undead behind him, causes the thief to turn.   He watches in horror as they clatter through the barricade, knocking his companions askew.  He slipped forward, through the tangle of arms and legs, he swings at one of the now feral creatures.

06:07, Today: Ishmael rolled 21,8 using 1d20+1,1d8+1.

not including the +1 for the bless

A natural 20 for (almost) max damage, the dice like me this morning.  I'm sure I'll pay for it later.

OOC: Sorry. I should have been a bit more specific. Even if you are knocked prone, you can make an attack on the same round that you stand. You just can’t take any movement besides standing up.

Haha, you get both a move action and an action action. That's three actions per round if you ask me.

Forcing herself to take a steadying breath, Gwendolyn notches another arrow and looses it, the missile thudding into the chest of one of the charging undead.

18:56, Today: Gwendolyn rolled 15 using 1d20+3.  Attack - Bow.

18:56, Today: Gwendolyn rolled 3 using 1d6.  Damage.

Drawing his blade, Grugar rushes to engage the zombie that Barnabus struck, but makes his attack too early, missing the undead creature completely.

18:57, Today: Grugar rolled 4 using 1d20+1.  Attack - Longsword.

The lance of arcane energy that Malivoire summons forth strikes the lead zombie, blasting the creature’s head from its shoulders. The headless body twists sideways and collapses into a rotten heap.

Gwendolyn’s arrow finds the next of the undead. Seconds later, the monster is simultaneously struck by fierce blows from Dax and Ishmael which cut the walking corpse down, the lifeless husk crushed by the strength of the attacks.

Barnabus’ swing lands with a meaty thud, the blow knocking the zombie’s head to one side, leaving it leaning at a disturbing angle. The monster remains upright however, and despite also being harassed by Grugar, it surges toward Dax, flailing at the ranger with its claws. The talons catch his shoulder, but inflict only a meager scratch.

18:58, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 15 using 1d20.  Attack - Undead.

18:59, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 1 using 1d6.  Damage.

Only one of the undead remain. It has an armor class of 8.

It is the party’s turn to act.

"More filth from its claws," Dax whines as he swings his greatsword at the last zombie and hits solidly.

---

Dax Moonblade rolled 13, hitting AC 6 for 9 damage.

Sir Dryvyk was one of the prides of the diminished hold of Drakeholm. Beloved by the clergy, his family and the peasantry, with whom he often associated sincerely and genuinely. As a child he would sneak away from the snoring of his tutor and join the farm kids in playing a game of "Punt The Rooster". Granted, the farmers did not like any of their livestock to be mistreated, even the meanest of roosters, but it was a great passtime when they were away in the fields.

Dax had waded into the remaining foe with a savagery the young knight greatly praised. "Ho! Right there Dax!" The head of the creeping undead was, in that moment, found to be in a perfect position for "Punting the Rooster". Perhaps it was amusing to see the customarily resolute knight so excited to end an enemy...


Punting The Rooster: Sir Dryvyk of Drakeholme rolled 17 to hit AC2, for 5 punting damage...

Barnabus once again lends his cudgel to the killing frenzy.

Barnabus hits for 8 dmg
11:47, Today: Barnabus rolled 14,8 using d20+4,d6+4.  More cudgel.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:49, Fri 01 Apr 2022.

With his companions apparently connecting with vigor, Malivoire decided to hold off with his remaining darts for the time being.  He didn't entirely trust himself to be accurate with them and feared causing more trouble than help.

For the time being he remained ready and alert.

The blows from Barnabus and Dax force the walking corpse to its knees. Before it can attempt to regain its feet, Sir Dryvyk’s kick caves in its skull and, going limp, the creature topples onto one side, becoming motionless.

Silence once again overtakes the catacombs.

OOC: Combat over.

With a mischievous look, Barnabus surveys the state of his companions, covered in splinters of wood and globules of gore, and some of them sporting their own considerable wounds, which had been or would be hastily wrapped in bandages.

"One more room," he twinkles.

Anything on the undead? I want to go back into the hallway and to the door that was to the east.

Dax wipes his blade off on one of the corpses. HE then pulls the south-facing door open, and keeps watch on the corridor.

"I think it might be time to head back to camp. There will always be one more room, Barnabus...we have left many doors unopened already.

But I will follow the majority."

---

There are some urns in Room #5 to pick up on the way out.

The righteous fire of having obliterated another batch of the cursed undead burned in the eyes of Sir Dryvyk. He seemed to hear the words of discretion, but valor was in his heart. "A peek certainly wouldn't hurt..." he nodded to Barnabas. It was clear that he calculated their strength to be, perhaps, greater than it actually was.

The party ventures eastward down the long corridor. Lampert holds his torch aloft, his eyes scanning the shadows ahead warily. The scent of stagnant moisture hangs in the air as the company presses forward.

The hallway ends at a doorway. The iron reinforced door stands open, its rust dotted latch bent from being forced. Immediately to the right of the open door, on the southern wall, the adventurers can perceive an archway which has been sealed closed with mortar and stone.

Peering through the open doorway, the company members can see that the walls of the small chamber beyond are occupied by burial alcoves. A quick count informs the group that there are twenty five spaces of internment in total. All are occupied, save for four on the bottom row of the eastern wall, which are vacant. The empty alcoves appear to be marked with numerous scratches.

The remainder of the alcoves appear undisturbed. Between the individual alcoves, decorative inlays of silver have been installed on the plastered walls, the metal glinting in the torchlight. A single occupied alcove in the middle of the northern wall appears blackened, as if its contents have been corrupted by moisture and decay.

The room’s southeastern corner is occupied by a chest with iron fittings, fashioned from ebony.

Dax glances around the room, he points with his sword to the scratched niches and whispers, "I expect those were the resting places for those zombies!"

Pointing at the many other niches, he adds, "There might be more waiting to emerge.

Dryvyk, Ishmael, let's see if we can grab that chest and get back to camp."

The ranger moves to the chest and looks for handles to carry it.

Dryvyk nodded. He bowed his head a moment in prayer to the God of All Righteousness... (Detect Evil)

"'Ware the blackened alcove on the north wall.  Something different has happened there and deserves our extra caution," Malivoire warned.  Even though he was relatively safe behind the brawnier fighting men of the group he was still nervous at the sheer number of burial alcoves in the room.  It wouldn't take many to overwhelm them in such an open space.

He kept a dart in hand to back up those headed for the chest.  At this point there was little else he could do.

The young old man's cheeks flush with excitement with the discovery of this chamber of repose, these vīgintī quīnque beds for the dead. So excited is he that he only catches a few of the wizard's words. Yes, "something different has happened there" and I shall find out what.

Quick of step, he reaches the most corrupt of the still occupied alcoves, the one that appears blackened at a distance.

Peering at it, Barnabus wonders, "Might this be the home of the poltergeist's corporeal remains?"

Could the decorative inlays of silver be uninstalled as it were?

The dwarf moves to the chest, "This is better."" he says, inspecting the handles before anyone tires to move it.

OOC: The inlaid silver could be removed, but it would require hammers, chisels, and time. Likely two hours worth of effort if all of the adventurers took part. Given the amount of silver that is visible, the collected metal would certainly fetch a respectable sum in Helix or Ironguard Motte.

Ishmael examines the ebony chest, but finds no evidence of any manner of trap on the handles or elsewhere. The gray dust clinging to the dark wood informs him that it has not been moved for a very long time.

Lampert moves into the room, offering to assist Dax with carrying the chest.

Sir Dryvyk prays softly for a few moments. Regarding the chamber once more, he finds that he senses nothing evil within it.

Barnabus studies the blackened alcove. As the priest peers into it, he spies movement, a swift, almost serpentine motion as whatever lurks within the dark space emerges from it.

22:11, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 2 using 1d6.  Initiative - Party.

22:12, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 5 using 1d6.  Initiative - Enemy.

Moving fast enough that details are difficult to discern, the lurker within the alcove lashes out in a whip like strike, seeking to attack Barnabus. Having seen the creature’s movement moments before, the priest is able to anticipate the assault and sidestep it.

22:19, Today: Labyrinth Lord rolled 2 using 1d20.  Attack.

The creature lands on the floor of the chamber with a liquid plop. Its form, which initially appeared snake-like, taking on the shape of a puddle. The adventurers can see that it is entirely featureless, its anatomy entirely made up of a gray gelatinous substance. In exiting the alcove, it brushed against a section of the silver inlay in the wall, the metal smoking where its liquid form made contact.

OOC: It is the party’s turn to act. The ooze has an Armor Class of 8.

That there had been a perfectly natural explanation for the corruption had not occurred to the wildly poetic priest. When he stepped right when it had oozed left, Barnabus had narrowly avoided punishment for his flight of morbidity.

Stepping back away from it, he tries to land a parting blow, but he's already too far away.

Not retreating so much as just giving others space to attack it. Retreating.
08:23, Today: Barnabus rolled 6,7 using d20+4,d6+4.  R#1 Cudgel.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:52, Fri 08 Apr 2022.

Dax watches the bizarre formless creature strike at Barnabus and then dissolve some of the silver inlay as it leaves the niche.

Reaching to grab the handle on the chest opposite Lampert, the ranger shouts out, "Let's get out of here!"

The ranger then moves as fast as he can, carrying the chest out the door.

---

If it dissolves silver I'm sure it will wreak havoc on metal weapons and armour!

The dwarf was momentarily distracted, staring at the stone near the door.  That be a lintel he thinks to himself, noting how the stones join together.  He turns around, "There be a doo..." he stops speaking mid-sentence, now staring at the moving puddle on the floor.  He reflexively whips a dart at it as he joins in the retreat.


06:47, Today: Ishmael rolled 15,1 using 1d20+1,1d4.

Hits AC 4 for 1

Which room are we in, or is the map not current?

Malivoire also threw a dart when Barnabus was suddenly attacked by some sort of viscous puddle of ooze, hoping to cover the team's retreat with the chest.  Unfortunately, the combination of surprise at the blob's appearance and his companions rushing around the room, the mage's throw was not especially accurate.


OOC:
10:19, Today: Malivoire rolled 11 using 1d20+3.  Attack.  Hits AC 8 (likely a miss).
10:20, Today: Malivoire rolled 1 using 1d4.  Damage. Hmmph, not missing much anyway!  :P

Covering Dax and Lampert's escape with the chest, Gwendolyn looses an arrow at the writhing mass of ooze, striking it dead center.

13:26, Today: Gwendolyn rolled 19 using 1d20+3.  Attack - Bow.

13:26, Today: Gwendolyn rolled 4 using 1d6.  Damage.

Grugar likewise fires a bolt at the gelatinous creature, his aim proving true.

13:26, Today: Grugar rolled 18 using 1d20.  Attack - Light Crossbow.

13:26, Today: Grugar rolled 2 using 1d6.  Damage.

Seemingly injured by Ishmael, Gwendolyn, and Grugar's missiles, the ooze makes no attempt to pursue the adventurers as they retreat from the chamber of burial alcoves. Instead, the monster slinks back into the dark space it emerged from, quickly disappearing from view.

OOC: Is the party taking the chest back to the entrance to the catacombs (Room 1 on the map), or are they halting somewhere else to examine its contents?

Back to 1. But stopping in location 15 for the polished skulls and location 5 for the 4 urns.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:57, Mon 11 Apr 2022.

"We can open this chest back at the camp!" Dax says without stopping.

"Let's gather those skulls and the banners...and those urns where the skeletons attacked."

---

Agreeing with Barnabus, IC!

The eerie silence that dominates the winding corridors of the tombs persists as the adventurers make their way back to the chamber they entered the complex from, the shadowed room with the frescoes depicting a burial procession and the rope and pulley above.

Along the way, the company collects the polished skulls from the table, along with the banners that adorn the walls of that room. They also retrieve the urns they had previously discovered, but left behind. Nothing harasses them as they backtrack through the stone hallways, almost as though the tombs themselves are content to allow them their retreat. Only a single shriek, unearthly and hollow, echoes from somewhere far to the south as they draw close to the place of entrance.

Moments after reaching the frescoed chamber with the collapsed wall, a voice calls down softly from above. ”That you lot down there? Back from exploring?” It is Searlait, the guard hired from the Mercenary Guild.

Regrettably, the cleric had decided, later than some of the others, that play time was over. He had no idea how much time he had spent at his play and anticipated looking to the sky above for an answer.

Barnabus returns the call from above with one of his own, "Yes, down here is that lot looking to come back up. One has joined our lot: ebony skin with iron bands and flesh of gold and silver!"

We might have neglected to add the bless damage bonus to the total done to the ooze. If so, it was hit three times for an additional 3 points of damage. It's also likely that we might have been forgetting about about the +1 to hit for firing ranged weapons at close range (page 54 of LL -- up to 15 feet for darts).

"Send the platform down, Searlait. We've some items to haul up as well as us."

Dax will guard the entrance to the room until everything and everyone is above ground, before joining them.

Ishmael looked up at the shadowy figure outlined against the brightness above.  He breathed a long quiet sigh, releasing the tension that they have almost made it back out.  He waited quietly, and helps to load people and goods onto the ferry.

Searlait acts promptly to lower the platform. As adventurers and the newly acquired treasures are in loaded onto it, she and Kraomar work the pulley to bring them up to the columned room above. Ol Gib is quick to organize the party’s discoveries in the northeastern corner of the chamber. As the company members reach the surface they can see, through the entrance to the tomb, the light of dawn washing over the misty expanse of the Barrowmoor.

”Mostly quiet,” Kraomar reports to his employers, ”A few froglings turned up, looking to see if there was something they could steal. We drove them off easily enough.”

Malivoire held on to his anxiety a bit longer than Ishmael, not relaxing until the lot of them had been raised aboard the platform and stood in the relative safety of their camp on the surface.  Then he released a pent-up breath and finally calmed himself.  He thanked Ol' Gib and the mercenaries for safeguarding their return.

"Do we head back to town then, to report our findings and restock?" he asked of the group.  Apparently the light of dawn had significantly emboldened the fledgling mage, even after such a short time removed from the catacombs.

In wonderment, Barnabus beholds the dawn unfolding before them upon the contours of the Barrowmoor. Had they wiled away day and night in the playground below? His heads swims with the revelation.


Moonfaced, the mystic produces a broad smile in assent to the wizard's plan.

Dax, you are healed back to max.
18:39, Today: Barnabus rolled 6 using 1d6+1.  CL for Dax.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 02:33, Fri 15 Apr 2022.

"Good work, all of you!"

As Barnabus' spell heals Dax's minor wounds, he nods in thanks to the cleric.

”I’ve killed more of those creatures than I’d care to count,” Searlait tells Dax, ”They and the lizard folk that live on the moor are especially fond of raiding the caravans bound to and from Ironguard Motte. Guarding them’s how I’ve made much of my living over the past few seasons.”

She glances over at the chest, urns, and other items the adventurers collected. ”You don’t mind me saying so, I’ve been in Helix long enough to see a few groups of tomb robbers set out for the barrows. Most don’t return. Those that do usually have some coin, but no more than a bagful. Nothing like what you’ve been able to find. I’m afraid to ask what you had to face down there to win it.”

”There was quite a bit to be fearful of down there,” Lampert volunteers, ”but they were all quite brave, ma’am. Every one.”

Dax chuckles, "You were just as brave Lampert, if not more so! After all you are not dressed in mail and carrying a sword, and yet you experienced every thing that we did!"

"A lot of walking dead, more than I imagined existed before coming here. And only a small portion of what is likely down there, given the size of the catacombs. We left many corridors and doors unexplored!

As to what we found, some is easy enough to identify, some we don't know what it is for, and some," the ranger points to the chest, "we have yet to open!

Should we open it now?" he asks, looking at the others.

Still grinning beatifically, Barnabus turns to face Searlait and slips into hyperverbal mode:

"They did not merely walk, no, no, they stomped together in lock step formation, as if they had been marching together so for millennia before and after they had died! Undead legionnaires! The chains of duty so strong that mere death cannot not break them asunder! And, and, four of them, skeletons these were, had sapphires embedded in the broad sweep of their foreheads, resplendent sapphires -- skeletons resplendently bedizened with jewels. Just splendid!"

"But," the priest of decay continues, his grin only now beginning to fade, "I fear a malign yet seductive influence behind this necromancy. It spoke to us in sighs and whispers and creaks and groans and the rattling of chains."

It has not occurred to him that there is always a malignancy to necromancy.

With a trace of the forlorn, he finishes, "I don't think we can yet speak its language."

Yes, open the chest and count the loot now and then back to the hospitality of Helix.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:34, Tue 19 Apr 2022.

The elven mage blushed a bit at the praise heaped upon them, despite the anxious moments he'd suffered during some of their encounters below.  Blushed and perhaps puffed up just a bit.

"Yes, no sense in lugging that chest back if it holds nothing more than rocks.  Let's take a look now," Malivoire agreed.

One of the urns taken from the angry spirit’s room holds 48 gold pieces. Tucked within the coins is a thick glass vial filled with a clear liquid.

The second urn holds a total of 32 platinum coins and a pair of rubies which Ishmael estimates to be worth 25 gold pieces each.

The chest holds a total of 352 gold pieces, along with a longsword in a dark leather scabbard, a pair of black leather gloves, an ivory wand carved with the symbol of an arrow, and a round steel shield that appears entirely unblemished.

A series of trilling bird calls reach the camp from somewhere nearby, the gray mist lessening, but not dissipating, as the sky grows brighter.

Dax listens to the birds for a moment.

If they sound unnatural to him, he will say, "Something odd about those birds, beware it might be a signal of bandits...or worse!"

Otherwise, the ranger's eyes widen as each treasure is revealed. "A veritable treasure hoard! And some items that might hold some magicks! I say we pack up and head straight to Mazzahs tower and see if he cannot tell us more of these items."

Barnabus snickers, "Then I will command one of them to clear away the last of the mist."

"The rest," he finishes, with a spreading of his arms and upturning of his palms, "I will leave to you."

Of course, he's delighted with the coins and the gems and the curios -- all of it. He decides to do his part to help identify the items and sips from the vial of clear liquid after having suggested that Grugar try out the longsword and shield. Ishmael, he thinks, might want to see about those black gloves.

Malivoire looked closely at the wand with a mix of wonder and desire in his eyes, and he decided to gently handle the item while inspecting it.  Once finished he placed it carefully back inside the chest.

"I agree with Dax.  We should take these items to Mazzahs in the hope that he can confirm any magics that might lay upon them.  I'm afraid such divination is beyond my powers."

Searlait, Kraomar, Lampert, and Sir Dryvyk’s squire begin discussing how best to distribute the burdens that need to be brought back to Helix.

As they agree on a plan, Searlait addresses the adventurers. ”Tamson had said that he would come to the camp around dawn, to see that all was well with us. I’m certain he can guide us back to the village.”

Malivoire finds the wand remarkably light, recognizing that it could be manipulated with ease. Its surface is entirely smooth, no doubt the result of meticulous craftsmanship.

Barnabus takes a sip of the liquid. It is cold with the taste of fresh water from a mountain stream. A moment after imbibing that small amount, the priest’s body takes on a translucent appearance, such that those nearby can see through him. In the morning light, he has the look of a lingering ghost , a spirit that wanders at night that has not yet found its way back to its place of rest.

Nearby, the gathering hears the voice of Tamson, the guide, hailing the camp as he draws near.

The dwarf grouses a bit, as he cleans his blood off of his armor.  He remains content to let the others pack up the bounty for distribution once in saver environs.  Of course, the dwarf was careful to take note of every coin and bauble, just to make sure everything ends up square.  He was no expert on magic, but was certain more than some of what they found was worth more than what might be on first glance.  "I'm looking forward ta a bit of warmth, hearty food and a stiff drink." he says.  "...or three." he follows with softly.

Dax nodded at the dwarf, "You're not the only one, Ishmael. It will be extremely pleasant to spend some time in the company of the living!"

Sir Dryvyk spoke quietly with Ol' Gib, apart from the others, as they considered the haul of treasures from the depths below. The young knight was concerned about the goings-on above ground and was getting his report from the old squire.

"You've set up a wonderful camp here, even began to fortify it a bit, but it seems as though the party has decided to return briefly to Muzzah's Tower. I should like to have you accompany us. Once there, perhaps we'll have you help us recruit a bit more help. There are things down there..." he trailed off, but made a holy gesture of warding. "We'll be back here soon enough, and your preparations will not have gone in vain."

~~~

Rejoining the party, he turned to face in the direction the call had come from, glancing over at Ol' Gib with an inquiring look if this was a prearranged signal.

The squire gives the knight an affirming nod. Soon, the familiar figure of Tamson, the company’s guide, becomes visible. ”I am glad to see each of you well,” he tells the adventurers when he reaches the camp. He readily sets to work alongside the others in helping to load the cart.

Soon, the expedition is underway, carefully navigating the wide marsh as they travel back to Helix. The initial leg of the journey is slow. Even in full daylight, the mist covered moor is treacherous. But by mid morning, the terrain has grown firmer, and well before the sun has reached its zenith, the welcome sight of the village appears on the horizon.