Arokas approaches to the north, muttering to himself, “All rushing in, it’s probably a trap.” He notices the door that the group is standing in front of. He tries to recall anything he’s heard of Brysis and Khaem (History: 17), and relays what he knows to the group.
"Very likely a trap," Tanis admits in response to Arokas' observation. "But in case it is not, we cannot just leave whoever it is down here in the darkness."
"Your advice about not rushing in and being careful is good." The ranger readies his hand crossbow and stands behind Thunk.
Thunk tries to open door. If door not open, Thunk knock. Thunk use the butt of one of his shortsword to pound upon the door. "Hello?" He calls out to the door between knocks. "Is the lady here?"
The door does not move and no reply comes to Thunk's call.
Back in darkness, Tanis' voice sounds again behind Thunk and Derendil. "I will join you in trying to rescue whoever seems to need it. Strange that they do not respond after speaking in our minds." Reading the inscription aloud, the ranger hesitates a long moment, wondering whether to ask the next question.
"Derendil, you ah..., you are an elven prince. Do the names Brysis and Khaem, written in Elvish here, mean anything to you?"
(He repeats the question in Undercommon and Dwarvish for the others as well).
Tanis himself is hopeless at History but he tries to rack his brains anyway for the significance of those names. History: 11
The names are unheard to Tanis, but they sound ancient. Derendil looks at the runes and shakes his head (elvish) "it sounds like a noble name, but no member of my court wears it these days." He looks at the marble wall and bronze rimmed door (elvish) "this has been here for a long time for the metal to rust like this."
Arokas approaches to the north, muttering to himself, “All rushing in, it’s probably a trap.” He notices the door that the group is standing in front of. He tries to recall anything he’s heard of Brysis and Khaem (History: 17), and relays what he knows to the group.
Arokas recalls old tales from his young age at the Nightshades family house. The name of Brysis does not ring a bell, but he remembers that Khaem was one of the legendary floating cities of the Netheril empire, so long gone that it survives mostly in old wives' tales. The empire was said to occupy the northern ice wastes when it was still an ocean and had magic in such high regard that it built multiple floating cities that roamed around the area, marveling its allies and keeping their enemies away.
"Thunk did," Thunk says as Thunk tries again to demonstrate.
The door gives way on Thunk's second attempt, pivoting on a central axis and creating narrow openings on either side. The interior is dimly lit with a golden light coming from floating dust motes in the area. From outside you can see that the entrance room contains a long and narrow table on the right side, a painted wall to the left and a dusty staircase in the far wall, surrounded by empty stone torch sconces.
“I do not recognize Brysis, but Khaem was said to be one of the floating cities of the Netheril empire,” Arokas whispers in Common. “But the empire has been so long gone that it’s just a myth now. What could this place hold?” Not trusting the area, Arokas attempts to look for potential traps.
“I do not recognize Brysis, but Khaem was said to be one of the floating cities of the Netheril empire,” Arokas whispers in Common. “But the empire has been so long gone that it’s just a myth now. What could this place hold?” Not trusting the area, Arokas attempts to look for potential traps.
Investigation: 17
Arokas finds no traps in this entrance room. The table to the right of the door is a stone diorama depicting a half-elf sorcerer in her prime, surrounded by attendants, slaves, and other trappings of wealth and power.
There is an undisturbed layer of dust on the floor, suggesting that none has entered the tomb in a long time. The staircase is also dusty and descends 20 feet to a landing you can see, illuminated by the golding dust motes floating in the air. In the landing is a Netherese calendar stone covering the far wall, the staircase continues down.
"Looks like you are right,Arokas. But how did this all end up here? Floating cities of the... Netheril Empire? Now fallen so deep underground?"
Shaking himself out of his wonderment, he continues. "So perhaps the voice is that powerful half-elf sorceress in the diorama. We need to decide. Are we sure we want to 'rescue' her? Not sure exactly what she will do if she is free. Especially since she is probably... thousands of years dead?"
Arokas stares at the image of the sorceress. His face grows dark. “Sorcerers,” he mutters to himself darkly. To Tanis, he replies, “She probably is dead, if her’s is the voice we are hearing. The dead can be more tormenting for the living, trust me. We could also find something useful here, something to sell or bargain off for a bit of money.”
"So what do we do?" Tanis wavers at the edge of the stairs. "Thunk, if you are going to rescue whoever this is, maybe Brysis, I will stand with you."
(Repeated in Dwarvish, Elvish)
Carefully, looking around as he goes for traps, hazards or enemies, Tanis descends quietly to the first landing of the stairs and peers around and down.
"Thunk help," Thunk asserts as he continues forward. "Thunk not ask how long you held. Thunk help."
Derendil follows closely behind Thunk. The staircase continues its descent, stopping at three more landings of bare stone before reaching a rectangular room.
There is a marble door in front of you and another on the wall to your right. Both are of polished marble encased in a thin layer of beaten bronze around the edges, in the same style as the outer door but not as rusty. Both are currently closed. On the wall to your left there is a pale gray marble altar.
Shreds of dusty tapestries are scattered across the floor. The carved friezes on the stone walls have been defaced with deep gouges, making them unrecognizable. The altar has a deep crack across its surface. You don't hear any noises other than the ones you make.
Arokas stares at the image of the sorceress. His face grows dark. “Sorcerers,” he mutters to himself darkly. To Tanis, he replies, “She probably is dead, if her’s is the voice we are hearing. The dead can be more tormenting for the living, trust me. We could also find something useful here, something to sell or bargain off for a bit of money.”
The strange golden dust motes give a strange feeling to Arokas, as if they were magical in nature.
"So what do we do?" Tanis wavers at the edge of the stairs. "Thunk, if you are going to rescue whoever this is, maybe Brysis, I will stand with you."
(Repeated in Dwarvish, Elvish)
Carefully, looking around as he goes for traps, hazards or enemies, Tanis descends quietly to the first landing of the stairs and peers around and down.
Tanis notices that the damage done to the shrine room is relatively recent, certainly not centuries old. And whatever inflicted it left no tracks of any kind in the layer of dust on the floor.
Hand crossbow drawn and ready, Tanis ventures slowly into the rectangular room, finding that he would have been more comfortable if it had been dark and not filled with golden dust mote. He looks around and stares long at the altar and the walls, not making sense of any of it.
(Whispering in Dwarvish and Elvish):
"I do not understand it. This damage is recent, yet I have heard of no floating cities crashing down into the Sword Coast. That must have happened thousands of years ago when Ne- ah... Netheril? When Netheril was an empire. And I see no tracks in the dust indicating that anyone has been here."
Quietly, he pads to the marble door in front and (if it is open) looks through, or (if it is not) listens.
Arokas leaves the current room and heads into the rectangular room Tanis, Derendil, and Thunk are in. “Something feels wrong about this place,” he says in Common. He walks over to the damaged altar, and with a grimace he looks inside for any jewels or things that are left inside of it.
Arokas leaves the current room and heads into the rectangular room Tanis, Derendil, and Thunk are in. “Something feels wrong about this place,” he says in Common. He walks over to the damaged altar, and with a grimace he looks inside for any jewels or things that are left inside of it.
The altar was made of a solid marble slab that sat atop two wide granite pillars. A decorative geometric carving goes along the marble slab edge, but there are no jewels or utensils on it or near it. The crack across the altar's surface originates from a bludgeoning strike near its center, and deep gashes cover the rest of the surface.
"Thunk think she is in the tomb," Thunk says. "Where is the tomb?" Thunk starts trying to open the door in front of him...
Thunk pushes the door across from the staircase landing. It pivots along its central axis as the one at the entrance, revealing a short corridor leading to a smaller square room. Four human sized stone sarcophagi rest in there, one in each corner of the room. Dust motes float in the air in this room, but they do not emit light.
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Arokas approaches to the north, muttering to himself, “All rushing in, it’s probably a trap.” He notices the door that the group is standing in front of. He tries to recall anything he’s heard of Brysis and Khaem (History: 17), and relays what he knows to the group.
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[A]
Drogen follows the others to the door. (common) "Anyone tried opening it yet?"
"Thunk did," Thunk says as Thunk tries again to demonstrate.
"Very likely a trap," Tanis admits in response to Arokas' observation. "But in case it is not, we cannot just leave whoever it is down here in the darkness."
"Your advice about not rushing in and being careful is good." The ranger readies his hand crossbow and stands behind Thunk.
(Said in Elvish, repeated in Dwarvish).
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
The door does not move and no reply comes to Thunk's call.
The names are unheard to Tanis, but they sound ancient. Derendil looks at the runes and shakes his head (elvish) "it sounds like a noble name, but no member of my court wears it these days." He looks at the marble wall and bronze rimmed door (elvish) "this has been here for a long time for the metal to rust like this."
Arokas recalls old tales from his young age at the Nightshades family house. The name of Brysis does not ring a bell, but he remembers that Khaem was one of the legendary floating cities of the Netheril empire, so long gone that it survives mostly in old wives' tales. The empire was said to occupy the northern ice wastes when it was still an ocean and had magic in such high regard that it built multiple floating cities that roamed around the area, marveling its allies and keeping their enemies away.
The door gives way on Thunk's second attempt, pivoting on a central axis and creating narrow openings on either side. The interior is dimly lit with a golden light coming from floating dust motes in the area. From outside you can see that the entrance room contains a long and narrow table on the right side, a painted wall to the left and a dusty staircase in the far wall, surrounded by empty stone torch sconces.
(common) "Well this looks interesting." Drogen remarks.
Tanis quietly and carefully ventures into the strange room, which seems out of place in the Underdark, looking for hazards and hidden enemies first.
Perception: 22
If finding none, he inspects the painted wall to the left. What does it depict?
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
“I do not recognize Brysis, but Khaem was said to be one of the floating cities of the Netheril empire,” Arokas whispers in Common. “But the empire has been so long gone that it’s just a myth now. What could this place hold?” Not trusting the area, Arokas attempts to look for potential traps.
Investigation: 17
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[A]
Seeing the others enter, Drogen follows after.
The painting depicts a vista of fantastic floating cities over a deep blue sea.
Arokas finds no traps in this entrance room. The table to the right of the door is a stone diorama depicting a half-elf sorcerer in her prime, surrounded by attendants, slaves, and other trappings of wealth and power.
There is an undisturbed layer of dust on the floor, suggesting that none has entered the tomb in a long time. The staircase is also dusty and descends 20 feet to a landing you can see, illuminated by the golding dust motes floating in the air. In the landing is a Netherese calendar stone covering the far wall, the staircase continues down.
Tanis looks around with awe.
"Looks like you are right, Arokas. But how did this all end up here? Floating cities of the... Netheril Empire? Now fallen so deep underground?"
Shaking himself out of his wonderment, he continues. "So perhaps the voice is that powerful half-elf sorceress in the diorama. We need to decide. Are we sure we want to 'rescue' her? Not sure exactly what she will do if she is free. Especially since she is probably... thousands of years dead?"
The ranger's voice trails off uncomfortably.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
"Thunk help," Thunk asserts as he continues forward. "Thunk not ask how long you held. Thunk help."
Arokas stares at the image of the sorceress. His face grows dark. “Sorcerers,” he mutters to himself darkly. To Tanis, he replies, “She probably is dead, if her’s is the voice we are hearing. The dead can be more tormenting for the living, trust me. We could also find something useful here, something to sell or bargain off for a bit of money.”
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[A]
"So what do we do?" Tanis wavers at the edge of the stairs. "Thunk, if you are going to rescue whoever this is, maybe Brysis, I will stand with you."
(Repeated in Dwarvish, Elvish)
Carefully, looking around as he goes for traps, hazards or enemies, Tanis descends quietly to the first landing of the stairs and peers around and down.
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Derendil follows closely behind Thunk. The staircase continues its descent, stopping at three more landings of bare stone before reaching a rectangular room.
There is a marble door in front of you and another on the wall to your right. Both are of polished marble encased in a thin layer of beaten bronze around the edges, in the same style as the outer door but not as rusty. Both are currently closed. On the wall to your left there is a pale gray marble altar.
Shreds of dusty tapestries are scattered across the floor. The carved friezes on the stone walls have been defaced with deep gouges, making them unrecognizable. The altar has a deep crack across its surface. You don't hear any noises other than the ones you make.
The strange golden dust motes give a strange feeling to Arokas, as if they were magical in nature.
Tanis notices that the damage done to the shrine room is relatively recent, certainly not centuries old. And whatever inflicted it left no tracks of any kind in the layer of dust on the floor.
Hand crossbow drawn and ready, Tanis ventures slowly into the rectangular room, finding that he would have been more comfortable if it had been dark and not filled with golden dust mote. He looks around and stares long at the altar and the walls, not making sense of any of it.
(Whispering in Dwarvish and Elvish):
"I do not understand it. This damage is recent, yet I have heard of no floating cities crashing down into the Sword Coast. That must have happened thousands of years ago when Ne- ah... Netheril? When Netheril was an empire. And I see no tracks in the dust indicating that anyone has been here."
Quietly, he pads to the marble door in front and (if it is open) looks through, or (if it is not) listens.
Tanis Perception: 26 (natural 20)
Inside his mind, he attempts once more to respond to the telepathic voice. We are here to help you, in the altar room. Which room are you in?
Tanis(Ranger1): Shiverquill's Tempest City | Xarian(Fighter2): NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(TwilightCleric4): Vos' Beyond the Veil | Soren(ShepherdDruid5): Bartjeebus' Ravenloft | Ophelia(WildMagicSorcerer4): Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(EchoKnightFighter6): NotDrizzt's Simple Request | Sabetha(MercyMonk3): Bedlymn's Murder Court | Seri(NatureCleric3/DivineSoulSorcerer1): Bartjeebus' Greyhawk
Both marble doors are closed, but by their looks they could be pushed open with some effort. There are no noises coming from behind them.
Everyone in the altar room hears the same female voice reply in their heads "I'm in the tomb, please help me, the darkness is overwhelming."
"Thunk think she is in the tomb," Thunk says. "Where is the tomb?" Thunk starts trying to open the door in front of him...
Arokas leaves the current room and heads into the rectangular room Tanis, Derendil, and Thunk are in. “Something feels wrong about this place,” he says in Common. He walks over to the damaged altar, and with a grimace he looks inside for any jewels or things that are left inside of it.
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[A]
The altar was made of a solid marble slab that sat atop two wide granite pillars. A decorative geometric carving goes along the marble slab edge, but there are no jewels or utensils on it or near it. The crack across the altar's surface originates from a bludgeoning strike near its center, and deep gashes cover the rest of the surface.
Thunk pushes the door across from the staircase landing. It pivots along its central axis as the one at the entrance, revealing a short corridor leading to a smaller square room. Four human sized stone sarcophagi rest in there, one in each corner of the room. Dust motes float in the air in this room, but they do not emit light.