Updated 2/27:
Campaign Date:
Solenus 18th, 5231 A.C.
Deciding to finish exploring the level they were on, the group returned to the intersection to the south and took the western passage. Rak’Shan was left behind to guard the chapel in case something decided to come up from the secret door or into the complex from topside. The passage led to a “T” intersection and they chose left, ending in another falling-apart door. Opened, an empty storage room was found to contain nothing of value.
Going back and taking the other passage, they found another deteriorating door. Galeena, designated the party’s ‘scout’ with Rak’Shan out of immediate use, heard no sounds nor found any traps. Flambo tried to open the door, but just made a hole in it when he applied a crowbar to it. Using his lantern, he shone light into the room and saw a blue-tinged long sword with a ruby pommel stone resting on a wrought iron stand in the center of the room, inside of a silver-inlayed protective circle. Galeena heard ‘fem’ and immediately started asking questions since she was shuffled to the back of the party and Cregg and Autumn given the order to restrain her if she tried to make a dash for the cash.
Flambo opened the door and cautiously entered with Vendee and Lirus. They discovered there were holy runes inscribed around the protective circle as well, all facing inwards. Empty stone shelves lined all of the walls with inward carved protective runes, but all of the shelves were empty. There was a lengthy discussion amongst all of the spellcasters over the meaning of the runes pointing inwards instead of outwards and the consensus was that it was meant to keep something in and not out. Closer examination of the sword (from outside the circle) revealed the pommel stone was a ruby carved to resemble an eye. Cregg recalled that the dark deity Arek, Lord of Madness and Slimes, used a ruby eye as his holy symbol. They decided not to tamper with the weapon, lest it be an evil or cursed thing and made a thorough search of the chamber. Finding nothing else, they returned to the chapel hall. Galeena was dejected since they were leaving an obviously valuable object, but agreed that it seemed a bad idea to tamper with something that could be powerfully evil.
With Rak’Shan guarding the secret door, the group descended the stairs revealed by the sliding altar. A short hallway extended from the landing to an ornately carved, stone double door. Galeena listened and searched for traps, giving Flambo the all clear to open the right door after several minutes. She was sure that one was safe, but not so sure about the left door. Flambo easily opened the door with not a sound. Beyond in the lantern light a large stone sarcophagus was found sitting in the center of a plain room. The lid was ornately carved to resemble a young warrior with electrum and silver inlays and plating on his armor, sword and shield. Vendee brought up the plainness of the room however, citing that a follower so revered would have a much grander resting place. There was some discussion about this, then finally the decision to open the lid.
Flambo and Autumn pushed the lid over the back of the stone box, revealing the skeleton of a large (nearly 6 ft tall) man in ruined plate armor, pavis (heavy shield) and footman’s mace. The red crown holy symbol of Apathos was plainly seen on the armor and shield. Looking for something they could use a proof that this was Haindrad, Cregg made a search of the body and discovered a small palm-sized bronze disc. Inspecting it informed the group that this was another follower of Apathos that was designated to ‘stand in’ for Haindrad and guard his tomb from looters.
The group removed the body carefully and Cregg made a search inside the stone box. The bottom dropped out suddenly but Cregg was able to grab onto the side and Flambo hoisted him out. A hidden plate revealed the tomb’s false bottom and a slide into darkness. Vendee dropped a torch down and discovered it only went about 10 ft to a landing then a narrow stair descended beyond the light. Some discussion at this point was made about taking the bronze disc and some of the other items they found back to Sirac’s Point as proof they found the Tomb of Haindrad. The adventurers decided to press on.
Descending the stairs led to a wide area with passageways and several doors providing opportunities for exploration. They decided to try the nearest door, after Galeena checked it for traps and noises, which she deemed safe. On Flambo opening the door, a swarm of five giant rats leapt out, intent on making a meal of him. The party made quick work of them though, with only Flambo taking a minor wound. The room the rats had been nesting in appeared to have been an embalming chamber in the past, but nothing of value was found. A door at the far end of the room appeared to be the only other exit.
Beyond the door was a “T” intersection hallway and another door. Deciding to keep using the halfling lucky charm, they chose the door and once the all clear was given, opened it to reveal an odd room that contained two moai head statues at opposite sides of the room facing each other. Both have open mouths, but one has a silver piece in it, while the other is empty. Flambo, leading through, makes a thorough examination but warns everyone else he thinks it’s some sort of trap. Vendee takes issue with the cultural identity of the statues and the fact that Haindrad is from the Zuhn Empire and stylistically this was more than a little odd. With Galeena in tow they passed through the room and out a door in the far end, to another wide area with several passageways and a door.
Checking the stone door, Galeena moves aside for Flambo and the door is opened. To Flambo’s shocked amazement, three humanoid creatures, wearing the tattered remnants of Knight’s Armor are feasting on the remains of a semi-fresh orc. Immediately the creatures rush at Flambo and before he can react one of them bites him and he finds himself unable to move. The largest of the three creatures shoves Flambo backwards into the rest of the group, clustered so they can see what’s happening. Vendee, slow to move, gets knocked down and pinned under Flambo’s sizable girth. Cregg, guessing the creatures are some form of humanoid undead since they have survived down here for so long, calls on Tymira and thrusts his holy symbol aloft. The golden light drives the creatures back to the far wall of the room, where the group moves in and uses missiles to whittle down the weaker creatures. The largest moves to a door and escapes before he can be shot down. The remaining creatures are mowed down in a hail of missile fire.
Moving to the door, it is flung open and combat resumes with the creature. Autumn gets in close and discovers it has a retched stench, but does not succumb to it. Off to her right, a skeletal creature in the armor of a knight and wielding a sword moves to join the combat, its eyes flickering with tiny green flames. The skeletal creature scores several solid hits on various party members that join it in melee before being destroyed. With no other exits in sight, the party makes a thorough search of both rooms, which appear to be crypts, finding a small amount of treasure. Cregg, feeling it was nearly time to do his devotionals to Tymira (which he does in the evenings) let the rest of the party know. They decided to use the rooms as a place to rest, keeping 3 watches of two people each. Nothing disturbed their rest and they healed what damage they could to those that were the most seriously injured.
Solenus 19th, 5231 A.C.
Packing up their belongings after morning devotionals were done by Flambo and Lirus studied his books, the group headed up one of the halls from the large chamber, coming to an archway. Shining the lantern into it, a long hall stretched out of sight, lined with statues on both sides of fighting-men. They entered the hall, carefully searching each statue as they went. Lirus was standing in the archway when the party heard him scream. He was gone when they turned around and moving into the hallway revealed a small horde of crawling hands and feet, pummeling Lirus mercilessly.
More of the creatures awaited on the other side of the archway, attacking from behind them several members of the party stepped out to try to save Lirus. Enough room was created to get Cregg in the hallway and he drove off the undead through his devotion to Tymira once again. Lirus was checked, but deemed beyond healing. Flambo wanted to cremate the body, but Vendee objected, informing him that the Elves return their dead to the earth. They wrapped Lirus in his cloak and returned him to the rooms they rested in. Flambo deposited him into one of the now empty tombs and Vendee commented if they were able they would return for him before leaving so he could be properly buried.
Returning to the statued hall, the group made a painstakingly thorough search over several hours, finding nothing, but recording the names of each statue. There was another archway at the far end of the hall, which led to the large chamber they first entered at the bottom of the stairs. Across the chamber, they saw two doors and decided to check the one most directly ahead.
Galeena listened and searched, giving Flambo the go-ahead. The door opened to a web-filled chamber. As the group prepared torches, four large (about 1 ft in diameter) spiders dropped from the webbing and attacked Flambo in the doorway, lightly wounding him. Short work was made of these vermin though and when the room was torched, the webs flash burnt and a formerly-webbed orc body dropped from the ceiling, spilling some coins from his belt pouch. There were several holes in the ceiling as well, some a large as 2 ft in diameter. Knowing that a spider can squeeze thought tight spaces and something larger than the small spiders would have to have lifted the orc, the group warily gathered the coins and searched the rest of the room. Through a door on the southern wall, a giant-sized skeleton burst in, fully 12 ft tall and hunched to fit in the room. Both Flambo and Cregg’s attempts to call on their deities to drive the creature off were for naught and all of them were required to wade in, swords, hammers and spears at the ready so the creature couldn’t focus on any one member and dismember them with his sharp-looking claws. After several minor wounds were inflicted by the creature, it fell to the group.
Cautiously moving into the room beyond the door, the group discovered a tomb large enough for the huge warrior as well as some more loot for the markets. They spent more time carefully going through their findings, with Vendee noting that the coins, though they are close enough to the standard weights of the modern day coins, are ancient and some appear to be for the most part in mint condition may be more valuable to collectors than simply just spent in the market.
Assessing the treasure gained thus far, this is where we ended the session…
Dramatis Personae:
| Character | Sex/Race | XP Given | XP Total | Next Level |
| Flambo, Novice of Vulknar | Male Endu | 1,000 | 3,145 | 3,150 (+10%) |
| Vendee, Arcane Warrior | Male Elf | 1,070 | 3,339 | 4,050 (+10%) |
| Galeena, Woman-at-Arms | Female Halfling | 472 | 1,363 | 1,900 (+5%) |
| Cregg, Novice of Tymira | Male Human | 920 | 2,070 | 3,150 (+10%) |
| Rak’Shan the Initiate | Male Tigran | 87 | 1,297 | 1,663 (+5%) |
| Autumn, Woman-at-Arms | Female Human | 472 | 1,184 | 1,900 (+5%) |
Cregg has reached 2nd level!
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