Fargas hangs his head, but nods, cowed into submission by the forceful dwarf, but he can't help but look back over his shoulder to the closed door.

((Besides Kolose bravely taking up the rear, what is the approach?))

Galingal would be happier using the halfling as a shield to go first but looking at the state of him, he doesn’t look like he’d be much help.

Nothing has come out of the other room the Halfling saw so it can probably wait until later.

He nods to Stena. He whispers an entreaty to the Raven Queen and a slight ripple of energy sweeps out from the raven tattoo and surrounds Galingal’s body (Casts shield of faith). Then he heads down the stairs first.

Green lightning crackles around Galingal's fingers building and arcing before bursting from him to sizzle past Stena and Petmailer before impacting one of the coffins and sending bones and rags scattering.

Looking in at the lightning charred remains, the glowing blue crystal in the mouth of the long dead Netherese has been shattered into dust, along with their skull.

<Hello? Please! Please don't leave me!> 

The voice from earlier echoes though your minds, her voice trembling and fearful.

((That also reminds me of a couple magic effects that fell by the wayside... one of the cow's hooves had grown extremely long, curling back on themselves many times over, and ingredients that had started to swirl around Petmailer's head eventually baked themselves into a small frosted cake that is orbiting his head.))

((Stena dutifully ignores the weird hoof and the cake.))

Stena slowly turns her head to look behind her to the scorched remains.

"Why. Did. Ye. Do. That?"

Then hearing the voice lifts a finger.

"It talking to ye? Don't leave it?"

She narrows her eyes, on Neth.

"Means we should leave it."

"I heard it too.", Jimjar pipes up, and there are assorted nods.

"Ah, it'll be fine.", Neth assures Stena calmly. "See, Galingal just wanted to make sure ol' Bony there stayed dead."

Galingal looks at the shattered remains of the skeleton and the lingering sparks of green energy that came from his hand and shrugs.

"Wild magic," Galingal says. "Hope no crystals near what is down the stairs."

He continues on the way down.

((Retcon, Petmailer saves 1 hit die and uses the song of rest as above.))

Petmailer looks around quizzically, saying “I heard that too, hey, is there something over my head?”  He tries to look up quickly, but can’t quite see it.  He looks a little weirded out from the voices in his head and the feeling that something is floating over him…

"Looks like a cake.... 5 gold says it's poisoned.", Jimjar says. 

"I'm sure it's fine.", Neth replies. 

"You're on!"

The deep gnome and tiefling look at Petmailer expectantly.

Stena gives Petmailer a warning look before saying to Jimjar and Neth.

"Enough."

And following Gal down.

Kolose thinks for a moment, before muttering softly.

"Undead... If I recall, it's not completely impossible for sentient undead..."

"But it's probably unlikely. At least not for something that hasn't gone insane..."

Galingal and Stena head down, and after a few quick turns of the narrow, steep stairs, find themselves on a landing looking down into a larger crystal lit room.

Galingal is able to make out a wall along the left, some urns or pottery more straight ahead, and spots a short set of stairs going up a bit to the far right of where he's able to see from the landing.

((Most of the NPCs would be waiting until they were told to join Stena and Gal, but if you would have, or would like to, I'll have them queue up, with Kolose at the end and Petmailer wherever he wants to be?))

Galingal doesn't like the look of the crystals. That makes dealing with whatever is down here dangerous. But he looks back to Stena and nods before continuing on across the hall, looking into the urns/pottery as he does to see if there's anything in side.

"Stena! Should we follow?", hisses Jimjar.

Stena waves Jimjar down along with Neth.

Fargas and the goblins can come if they'd like.

Stena just stands ready to shoot while Gal checks the urns.

Jimjar hops down and pads along behind Stena, crossbow at the ready. Neth follows the deep gnome after Lia down, who as usual is sticking close to him.

The goblins drop down behind her, and Fargas, not wanting to let the treasure be discovered without him, hops down as well.

Galingal crosses the tomb under the watchful coverage of Stena and Jimjar to inspect the urns, seeing as he enters the room, that there are murals on the walls decorated with rich pigments and inlays of semiprecious stones. A gilded sarcophagus stands atop a stone bier reachable by the stone steps he noted earlier.

There is a hissing shriek as swirls of pale threads of ethereal matter drift up from the sarcophagus as the undead that Stena promised takes shape, words spoken that fill the space in a language none of you recognize. The harsh voice, distinctly different from the one in your minds, carries the weight of centuries, resonating with power, her tone conveying arrogance and menace, evoking a sense of unease at the chilling certainty of her own superiority.

Initiative:

Brysis of Khaem: 8
Neth: 6
Lia: 11
Jimjar: 18
Fargas: 10
Yuk Yuk: 7
Spiderbait: 11

Initiative:

Stena: 23
Galingal: 16
Fargas: 15
Jimjar: 14
Spiderbait: 14
Neth: 13
Brysis of Khaem: 12
Lia: 10
Yuk Yuk: 5

Kolose, Petmailer