Xymox folds his arms, leaning against the doorway with theatrical dismay.
“Lovely. Nothing says ‘heroic expedition’ like watching friends dig through undead mulch. Truly, Tyr should put this in a hymn.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose: “Please tell me we are not hoping the lichmisplaced his phylactery under a pile of grave-dirt like some absent-minded necromantic squirrel.”
The bard looks at Trolkarl and Yarrol with a slight grin on his face.
Yartol joins in the sifting through the dirt, "Nothing wrong with getting a little dirt under your nails..."
The four of them dig and move the dirt out. The search continues for several minutes and something is found, a gold necklace. Further digging turns up several other items. It total you find (all added to party inventory):
Gold Necklace 200g
Adamantine Mace
Vial of clear liquid with a red dot that expands to color the entire vial and then shrinks back to a dot, on repeat.
Chadwick's eyes light up when the adamantine mace is pulled loose. He carefully cleans it and gives it a few swings. "This sure would come in handy when we fight monsters that slashing weapons aren't effective against, but I think I already have enough contingency weapons (chuckles). Anyone want it? Kragen I think it might be an upgrade from the hammer you've had since I first met."
He then pauses thinking. "If I recall these lesser vampires are controlled by a master (looks over at Kragen for confirmation) so I wonder where daddy blood sucker is?"
The puzzle of the arrow shaped keys is apparently solved. It seems that the arrow made of rich mahogany was a decoy to throw you off. And to summon another of the Gravitic Wraithspawns to attack you. Thankfully, you were able to handle that one more readily since you were in a larger space.
A green, glowing bridge of force appears in front of the pedestal to connect to the landing in front of the double doors across the chasm. The Wall of Force protecting that ledge has fallen away.
The short hallway ends here in a shrine. There are two pillars to your left in front of an altar. There are carvings upon the pillars. A large chest sits in an alcove to the right. Ahead of you is a set of double doors.
The altar is made of ebon stone with a triangle etched into the facing side. Within the triangle is a pale, white skull. To the left of this unholy symbol of Myrkul is a slot in the stone with a closed eye sigil underneath it. To the right is a slot with a sigil of a sealed mouth. Script is inset into the surface of the altar that reads: Dni binz kuwx, dni wxrdz juaw — isqg as zaqxslx usw as kxkiyg kug dtx zioq xzlujx adz rquwx.
Starker, still crestfallen:”Perhaps this is something within my sadly limited abilities. It will take me ten minutes to study the ritual in my spell book and with Cyrus’ help I might be able to translate.”
Starker pulls out his spellbook and his tools, and he and Cyrus begin the now-familiar process of using intellect to bend reality through the science of magic. For some reason, this involves using the Mindflayer’s skull atop EmFer’s Chastisement as a sort of reading puppet, enfezzed spider monkey manipulating the staff so it appears the skull is reading the text, but perhaps that is just Cyrus’ mad whimsy.
The lid of the sarcophagus slides open to reveal it is filled with dirt.
Starker probes the dirt using the ‘foot’ of EmFer’s Chastisement, checking to see if it contains a chevron.
Kragen will assist Chadwick and Starker with investigating the inside of the sarcophagus, using the Judge to shift through the dirt.
Xymox folds his arms, leaning against the doorway with theatrical dismay.
“Lovely. Nothing says ‘heroic expedition’ like watching friends dig through undead mulch. Truly, Tyr should put this in a hymn.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose:
“Please tell me we are not hoping the lich misplaced his phylactery under a pile of grave-dirt like some absent-minded necromantic squirrel.”
The bard looks at Trolkarl and Yarrol with a slight grin on his face.
Yartol joins in the sifting through the dirt, "Nothing wrong with getting a little dirt under your nails..."
The four of them dig and move the dirt out. The search continues for several minutes and something is found, a gold necklace. Further digging turns up several other items. It total you find (all added to party inventory):
Gold Necklace 200g
Adamantine Mace
Vial of clear liquid with a red dot that expands to color the entire vial and then shrinks back to a dot, on repeat.
Pearl 100g
A rhomboid crystal of pale blue coloration
A jet black crystal that is a smooth ovoid shape
Chadwick's eyes light up when the adamantine mace is pulled loose. He carefully cleans it and gives it a few swings. "This sure would come in handy when we fight monsters that slashing weapons aren't effective against, but I think I already have enough contingency weapons (chuckles). Anyone want it? Kragen I think it might be an upgrade from the hammer you've had since I first met."
He then pauses thinking. "If I recall these lesser vampires are controlled by a master (looks over at Kragen for confirmation) so I wonder where daddy blood sucker is?"
The puzzle of the arrow shaped keys is apparently solved. It seems that the arrow made of rich mahogany was a decoy to throw you off. And to summon another of the Gravitic Wraithspawns to attack you. Thankfully, you were able to handle that one more readily since you were in a larger space.
A green, glowing bridge of force appears in front of the pedestal to connect to the landing in front of the double doors across the chasm. The Wall of Force protecting that ledge has fallen away.
/plans?
Xymox will walk across and i spect the door more closely for traps, locked. Etc. Perception: 22.
No traps are found. It is unlocked.
(( Party equipment list should be updated now. ))
Chadwick will open the door.
The short hallway ends here in a shrine. There are two pillars to your left in front of an altar. There are carvings upon the pillars. A large chest sits in an alcove to the right. Ahead of you is a set of double doors.
The altar is made of ebon stone with a triangle etched into the facing side. Within the triangle is a pale, white skull. To the left of this unholy symbol of Myrkul is a slot in the stone with a closed eye sigil underneath it. To the right is a slot with a sigil of a sealed mouth. Script is inset into the surface of the altar that reads: Dni binz kuwx, dni wxrdz juaw — isqg as zaqxslx usw as kxkiyg kug dtx zioq xzlujx adz rquwx.
“Mage Starker, can you decipher this inscription?”
”or our Bard use his skills to comprehend languages?”
Xymox: "unfortunately, I do not have that spell currently available. Sorry, master dwarf."
Starker, still crestfallen:”Perhaps this is something within my sadly limited abilities. It will take me ten minutes to study the ritual in my spell book and with Cyrus’ help I might be able to translate.”
Starker pulls out his spellbook and his tools, and he and Cyrus begin the now-familiar process of using intellect to bend reality through the science of magic. For some reason, this involves using the Mindflayer’s skull atop EmFer’s Chastisement as a sort of reading puppet, enfezzed spider monkey manipulating the staff so it appears the skull is reading the text, but perhaps that is just Cyrus’ mad whimsy.
<ritual cast Comprehend Languages>
Starker translates the text:
Two vows made, two debts paid — only in silence and in memory may the soul escape its blade.
Recalling the animated chain traps from the tomb in our world, Trolkarl looks up at the ceiling in the alter room, but remains silent.
Perception 6
The ceiling is 12' high and of finished stone work. The columns rise all the way to the ceiling.