Work at his father’s mill had precluded Tamson from guiding the adventurers back to the Barrowmaze, so it was Vanorin, the village fletcher, who met them at Mazzahs’ spire at daybreak.

The wizard himself was loitering outside his home, speaking with Vanorin and admiring the sunrise. He listened intently to Malivoire and Dilemma as they shared the information they had gleaned from Gamdar’s journal, stating that he would consult some ancient history texts in his possession to see if he could unearth more information regarding the “tablet” that the follower of Orcus had written of so prominently.

His expression growing somber, Mazzahs explains that the chest retrieved from Gamdar’s residence contained items that were used in subduing those he took to the catacombs, along with implements he utilized in his private worship of Orcus. The items have been entrusted to Brother Othar and Cella to be cleansed of all demonic taint. The wizard mentions that they should be back in his possession by the time the adventurers return and that he will be interested to see if they encounter more objects of like kind within the catacombs.

Although the sky is clear, with few clouds, as soon as the company enter the Barrowmoor, with Vanorin at their lead, they are enveloped in the gray fog that perpetually cloaks the marshlands. Despite this, the party’s progress is quick, their growing familiarity with the forbidding terrain, combined with Vanorin’s expertise, providing for quick progress. Searlait and Kraomar flank the company’s cart, bringing up the quiet procession’s rear.

In time, the entrance to the maze of tombs comes into view through the haze. The adventurers can see that their base camp, hastily abandoned in their flight from the balor, remains intact, only having been disturbed by the passing wind.

To the east, roughly two hundred feet from the entrance to the catacombs, the party can see that one of the sealed barrows that dot the moor has been opened, the mortar and bricks that once sealed the tomb now scattered in a semicircle near the dark portal. Among the broken bricks, the adventurers can see a severed arm, a crowbar clenched in its closed fist.

A cluster of crows pass over the moor, their wings flapping violently as they travel west.

"Looks like a treasure hunter lost the battle. Should we check that barrow before we descend? I would hate to have something emerge from that barrow while we are exploring the tunnels below."

Barnabus takes in the foreboding tableau, which seems more an invitation than a warning to the connoisseur of the macabre.

"Like as not, it's already on a walkabout," he first conjectures, before ghoulishly proposing that it might be having itself a bit of breakfast. "Let's find out. Looks to be just east of the Breldin crypt."

Heading on over.

"I agree," Malivoire nodded, frowning at the black hole in the side of the barrow.  "I don't like that darkness staring at our camp like that."

 Adding Gamdar's amulet to the equation when in Mazzahs' audience, Dilemma contributed little more to the conversation with the mage than confirmations of what had transpired.

---

With little change being made to her magical memorizations, Dilemma follows her companions to things.

 "Agreed..." Her dagger finds its way to her hand, and her cat still hangs partially out of her bag, keeping an eye out for danger.

The barrow’s dark entrance opens into a short corridor that extends north for twenty feet before reaching a set of stairs, cut from pale stone, which descend into shadow. Just right of the opening, a brass sconce is set into the wall, which holds a cobweb strewn, unlit torch.

From below, there is the faint sound of dripping water.

Dax looks down the stairs and remarks, "This looks inviting. Best to light your lantern, Lampert."

Lampert obediently lights his lantern, the glow pressing back the shadows at the barrow’s entrance. Peering further as the linkboy makes ready, Dax can see that the stairs travel downward for roughly twenty feet before reaching a high ceilinged chamber below. The ranger does not perceive any movement or activity.

Barnabus turns towards Sir Dryvyk, "Have a sniff will you?"

To Dax, he says, "Then, give those special eyes of yours a look."

Block lights as needed to allow for Dax's infravision. Then, unless there is a manifest reason not to, we go down and in.

This message was last edited by the player at 19:08, Fri 24 Feb 2023.

To Sir Dryvyk, the entire barrow holds a lingering aura of evil.

Dax continues to observe no presences at the foot of the staircase. As the party descends the stairs, they are enveloped in a pervasive stillness, a quiet that is broken only by their own soft footfalls and the steady sound of dripping water.

The staircase ends in a twenty by thirty foot stone chamber. On the southern wall, a tattered tapestry hangs in shadow. An alcove in the eastern wall houses a statue that appears to be broken. To the north and west, additional staircases lead out of the room, each one descending for ten feet before meeting a closed wooden door which has been banded with steel. A few feet away from the top of the western stairs, a drip of water falls onto the stone floor, the span of a breath separating each descending droplet.

Barnabus stands silently, listening to the steady drip of the water onto the floor of the barrow. They seemed to be in an antechamber with the burial tombs themselves likely beyond the banded doors. He wanders over to the tapestry to take a closer look, see what it says about the limb-rending barrow wights just down the stairs on one side or the other.

Okay, we'll assume that if Sir notes something worth noting, you'll note it.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:37, Sat 25 Feb 2023.

Malivoire glanced up at the ceiling as they entered the chamber, just in case.  Who knew what spidery menaces lurked in the barrow?  None, I most certainly hope!

Once satisfied the way was clear he moved toward the alcove in the eastern wall, interested to see if he could identify the subject of the broken statue there.

Dax moves to the centre of the room, sword drawn. He keeps his eyes on the doors, while the others examine the contents of the chamber.

Ishmael follows into the new tomb, the dwarf naturally counting the steps, each footfall instinctively marking depth.  He moves quietly along the wall to the northern stairs, looking for signs of passage.

Age and the presence of moisture have not been kind to the tapestry. Nonetheless, enough of it remains for Barnabus to see that it was an intricate feat of weave-working, suggesting that its owner was likely an individual of great wealth, or nobility. The style is unlike any that the priest has previously encountered. As best he can tell, the image depicts several robed figures gathered before an imposing structure, possibly a temple. The building and individuals are depicted with sharp lines and angles, the colors of the surviving picture suggestive of an arid, desert environment.

Although the entirety of the statue remains in its alcove, it has been broken into three pieces, requiring Malivoire to study the figure for a moment to fully grasp what it was intended to depict. The mage soon understands that the statue was that of a an upright, hooded serpent with arms like those of a humanoid. The figure was wearing what appears to be a ceremonial robe, a pair of snake heads facing each other on its front.


Ishmael makes his way down the stairs, certain as he reaches the stone floor below that the chamber is twenty feet underground. Fine dust clings to the walls and coats the floor. Gazing at it, Ishmael gathers that three individuals entered the tomb previously, their paths all leading toward the western stairs and the door at the foot of them. As best he can tell, none of them travelled down the northern steps. He does not see any evidence that those who entered ever departed.

Strangely, neither Ishmael nor any of the other adventurers see any signs of spilled blood within the chamber. The only gore that any noticed was a small amount on the ground beneath the severed arm at the barrow’s entrance.

Keeping watch, Dax neither sees nor hears any signs of activity nearby. The only noise is that of the steadily dripping water.

It's the question on everybody's minds so Barnabus answers it: "They're ophidian -- most or part ways. They drained'm dry."

It's possible that the curate has confused snakes with spiders. Regardless, he reacquaints himself with the current location of his potion of snake-charming juice.

With his customary insistence, he indicates that the door at the bottom of the western stairs should be opened in the customary manner.

B. will bless the party just before the door is opened.

Bless fills the casters' allies with courage: each ally gains a +1 morale bonus and +1 on attack and damage rolls.

"They also belonged to the Cult of Set," Malivoire added to Barnabus' comments.  Turning to face the group, he gestured with a hand to the broken statue.  "This has clear markings of it.  We're now crossing the third major faction, along with Orcus and Lord Varghoulis."

Did the elven mage shudder a little when he said that last bit?  It's not like they were poking an entire pantheon in the eye...

He moved toward the top of the western stairs, to keep a watchful eye on Ishmael's progress.

The dwarf begins to check the western door.  "Tha three that went in, still look ta be in."  He offers before letting the breachers back to the fore.

Moving down the stairs to the western portal, Ishmael sees that water covers the last three steps of the descent. The brackish fluid comes up almost to his waist when he reaches the door. He estimates that for most of the other adventurers, it will rise to just above their knees.

Ishmael finds no evidence of traps on the door itself. It is not locked.


OOC: The partially waterlogged door will require two adventurers to push open. A single party member can open it if they succeed on a 1d6 open doors roll.

Watching as Ishmael enters the water to examine the door, Dax says, "Perhaps we should save the water-logged area for last?"

Agreed. Eastern door instead. No bless.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:49, Mon 27 Feb 2023.

The dwarf grumbles a bit as he drips at across the room to check the northerns stairs.