Augustin, jolts back to attention, is mind focussing briefly on the past few months of events. He realises, that despite all the growth that has occurred, the show must go on and he must remain in the present. He agrees with RL to determine if they have a plan of action.
This room contains dusty, empty shelves and a sarcophagus. RL and Esa investigate and find it likely that the sarcophagus was never used.
The layout of the room, the markings on the sarcophagus, and the empty shelving lining the walls are indicative of the blasphemous funerary rites of Clerics of Orcus. Esa has a think about what she is seeing and believes that some of the markings on the sarcophagus appear in various rituals associated with the pursuit of lichdom.
Another unusual fact is that while the shelves and interior of the sarcophagus are dusty, the floor, like the hallway outside, is free of dust.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
RL will ask Esa and Augustin in particular, how do we ensure this ceremony cant happen? Do we just take the sarcophagus out, or do we destroy it so that the markings cant be activated?
RL would like to investigate the floor given it has no dust to see if there is a trap or some sort of magical cleaning service keeping it clear of dust.
Is there anything from the detect magic spell about the floor besides the background of necromantic energy?
Augustin has walked into the room and is a little bit on edge. The dustless floor suggests plenty of movement in here and is wondering if someone/thing is still in here with them. He's going to ask someone if they can check the benches a bit more closely for disturbed dust to suggest some hidden doors and will continue to keep an eye on the room. If something looks suspect, its going to cop a boop from the sceptre.
RL inspects the floor and finds nothing, but when he looks at the corners of the sarcophagus he finds a thin film on the edges as if something gooey brushed by and left a thin residue. It is tacky rather than wet and he resists the urge to lick his finger afterwards. He does smell it though, and his keen nose believes that something living that secretes slime or goo is responsible for there being no dust, small bones, or debris on the floors. Whatever it is does not appear to go onto sharp edges, like bookshelves, but seeing the wall is also dustless, it can climb walls.
Esa has heard of some odd wizards using jellies or oozes to do exactly this. Although sometimes such creatures just seem to find old dungeons when they are young, eat all the rats and spiders and such, and then are too big to get through the cracks they entered by.
Esa thinks that if any runes are defaced it would fix any problem of a room being used for creation of undead. She instructs Augustin to sweep his hand across the dust inside the sarcophagus and see if anything is revealed.
Augustin's gauntleted hand stirs up decades of dust, but after coughing and withdrawing for a moment, some runes etched into the side of the sarcophagus are seen. Esa nods.
"That will be them. We need to deface them. They might release some energy doing it, but I think a lot of their power has likely ebbed away over time. Magic like this has a "use-by" date."
Esa adopts a lecturing tone. "Defacing the runes, or smashing the entire sarcophagus, would work. Defacing the runes one at a time is time consuming, but safest. You can just scratch them or chip them. There will be a small discharge, probably. Smashing the entire sarcophagus might result in a bit of a larger discharge, but shouldn't kill anyone, and might not harm anyone either."
RL will ask everyone politely with a bow to stand back outside the room. He will ask Grimbald to toss the flask of alchemist fire into the sarcophagus, since Grimbalds aim is better.
The pottery shatters inside the sarcophagus, and the sticky fluid is flung onto the sarcophagus walls and ignites on contact with air. The fluid burns for some time and there are several small secondary expulsions of smoke of various colours, and a few mixed horrible odours that cannot be blamed on the alchemist's fire alone.
With no wind the smoke takes some time to clear, but when you venture in the inside of the sarcophagus has blackened areas, although the walls themselves are undamaged. Many of the runes or glyphs inscribed on the sarcophagus insides are damaged, seemingly enough to render the sarcophagus entirely unsuitable for creating any kind of undead.
RL will thank Grimbald for doing the throwing. If there is nothing else of interest in this southern room he will head back to the north door and pull it open and look inside.
Augustin is wants to help RL breach the door as a coordinated entry. Augustin can try and use his shield to provide some cover through the door. This also allows him to rush and engage anything close that is looking to provide us issues.
RL will pass his info on to the party and suggest we head south to stop that ritual if possible. Does everyone agree?
Augustin, jolts back to attention, is mind focussing briefly on the past few months of events. He realises, that despite all the growth that has occurred, the show must go on and he must remain in the present. He agrees with RL to determine if they have a plan of action.
To quote "I like going south, it somehow likes going downhill"
Grimbald pushes the south door open fully.
This room contains dusty, empty shelves and a sarcophagus. RL and Esa investigate and find it likely that the sarcophagus was never used.
The layout of the room, the markings on the sarcophagus, and the empty shelving lining the walls are indicative of the blasphemous funerary rites of Clerics of Orcus. Esa has a think about what she is seeing and believes that some of the markings on the sarcophagus appear in various rituals associated with the pursuit of lichdom.
Another unusual fact is that while the shelves and interior of the sarcophagus are dusty, the floor, like the hallway outside, is free of dust.
RL will ask Esa and Augustin in particular, how do we ensure this ceremony cant happen? Do we just take the sarcophagus out, or do we destroy it so that the markings cant be activated?
RL would like to investigate the floor given it has no dust to see if there is a trap or some sort of magical cleaning service keeping it clear of dust.
Is there anything from the detect magic spell about the floor besides the background of necromantic energy?
Investigation check 8
Augustin has walked into the room and is a little bit on edge. The dustless floor suggests plenty of movement in here and is wondering if someone/thing is still in here with them. He's going to ask someone if they can check the benches a bit more closely for disturbed dust to suggest some hidden doors and will continue to keep an eye on the room. If something looks suspect, its going to cop a boop from the sceptre.
RL inspects the floor and finds nothing, but when he looks at the corners of the sarcophagus he finds a thin film on the edges as if something gooey brushed by and left a thin residue. It is tacky rather than wet and he resists the urge to lick his finger afterwards. He does smell it though, and his keen nose believes that something living that secretes slime or goo is responsible for there being no dust, small bones, or debris on the floors. Whatever it is does not appear to go onto sharp edges, like bookshelves, but seeing the wall is also dustless, it can climb walls.
Esa has heard of some odd wizards using jellies or oozes to do exactly this. Although sometimes such creatures just seem to find old dungeons when they are young, eat all the rats and spiders and such, and then are too big to get through the cracks they entered by.
Esa thinks that if any runes are defaced it would fix any problem of a room being used for creation of undead. She instructs Augustin to sweep his hand across the dust inside the sarcophagus and see if anything is revealed.
Augustin cautiously checks there is nothing in there before ramming his hand in and cleaning it up for a better look.
Augustin's gauntleted hand stirs up decades of dust, but after coughing and withdrawing for a moment, some runes etched into the side of the sarcophagus are seen. Esa nods.
"That will be them. We need to deface them. They might release some energy doing it, but I think a lot of their power has likely ebbed away over time. Magic like this has a "use-by" date."
Augustin wants to know what she means by deface.
"Do we just hit it until it breaks? That seems awfully simplistic for magic? Or do we need to throw some magic at it ourselves?" "
Also, are you saying this is going to hurt?"
Esa adopts a lecturing tone. "Defacing the runes, or smashing the entire sarcophagus, would work. Defacing the runes one at a time is time consuming, but safest. You can just scratch them or chip them. There will be a small discharge, probably. Smashing the entire sarcophagus might result in a bit of a larger discharge, but shouldn't kill anyone, and might not harm anyone either."
Rl is still carrying some alchemists fire, ESA,would this work?
Esa smiles, "yep, but I'd toss it in from a distance. We don't have to efface every rune."
RL will ask everyone politely with a bow to stand back outside the room. He will ask Grimbald to toss the flask of alchemist fire into the sarcophagus, since Grimbalds aim is better.
Grimbald will hurl the alchemist fire 11
The pottery shatters inside the sarcophagus, and the sticky fluid is flung onto the sarcophagus walls and ignites on contact with air. The fluid burns for some time and there are several small secondary expulsions of smoke of various colours, and a few mixed horrible odours that cannot be blamed on the alchemist's fire alone.
With no wind the smoke takes some time to clear, but when you venture in the inside of the sarcophagus has blackened areas, although the walls themselves are undamaged. Many of the runes or glyphs inscribed on the sarcophagus insides are damaged, seemingly enough to render the sarcophagus entirely unsuitable for creating any kind of undead.
RL will thank Grimbald for doing the throwing. If there is nothing else of interest in this southern room he will head back to the north door and pull it open and look inside.
Augustin is wants to help RL breach the door as a coordinated entry. Augustin can try and use his shield to provide some cover through the door. This also allows him to rush and engage anything close that is looking to provide us issues.
Grimbald is readying, just behind Augustin and RL