Mistynip walks over to where Khessa is with the book. She leans over without touching it to take a look. Elias, it could be a spell book, what do you think Khessa? I'm not sure about touching it but if it is a book of spells, it would be of great use to you or Elias for sure!
"It wouldn't be the first one we find in the Myrkul Cultists branch, Mistynip" Khessa replies to Helm's chosen one. "In fact, that's what I hope it is".
Khessa confirms her hopes for the party regarding the nature of the tome and reverently passes it to Elias, saying: "I would suggest we do the same as with the previous Spellbooks we found... Elias and I will keep them in our safekeeping until we can copy the spells within; after which, we will sell them and divide the proceeds among everyone".
The blonde arcane warrior heads past the door in the direction of the remnant Skeletal Rats: "Come on, let's make sure we're done clearing out these Myrkul and Bane branches; then we'll figure out how to get to the Bhaal one - and whether it is appropriate or wise to rest before doing so".
Twenty-five feet past the door the corridor ends in a dry, partially collapsed room containing a stone altar with humanoid skulls and bones piled around it. The top of the altar is covered with dozens of half-melted candles made of black wax, all currently unlit.
A wide set of stairs heads down to the east to a corridor heading north.
(New map in the OOC thread. Large scale map of the Dungeon of the Dead Three updated as well.)
“Ohh, fun! Black candles! I’ve never seen what those look like. Imma gonna turn them on. You think the flame will be a different color? Let’s find out.” Rosebud is a bit out of breath, likely from thinking about the new possibilities and is certainly not from thinking about the impact of lighting the candles. She pulls out her tinder box and gets to work lighting the candles.
Khessa is initially unconvinced by Rosebud's idea... 'What if the candles had some magical effect?'
But the blonde arcane warrior then decides to trust her friend's greater experience and wisdom and lets her do it, focusing instead on examining the bones. Rosebud will surely have already considered the hypothesis and will be acting wisely... 'Hey! She is a true adventuress, not an escaped cabbage farmer like me. She can even turn herself in an animal! Of course I'll let her do her thing'.
KHESSA's Mage Hand does not find anything amongst the piles of bones. She still does not find anything beyond bones when searches the piles firsthand.
ROSEBUD comes in the room and lights the candles.
The candles shed a green light that reveals black writing on the walls. The writing, which is not visible otherwise, says in Common, “RISE AND BE COUNTED!”
"Well done, Rosebud!" Khessa pats her friend on the shoulder "I knew you had a reason for doing that seemingly futile thing of lighting candles. Do you also happen to know what 'RISE AND BE COUNTED' means? Is it part of some evil ritual?"
OOC: I am still looking for the Clueless Well-meaning alignment. :)
"Hmm, the light looks the same even with a black candle. So I guess the wax color doesn't matter too much. And yes, that's an odd thing to write on the wall. I can't read so only pay attention to pictures on walls. The pictures advertising the price about various intimate activities at the Blushing Mermaid and what some people apparently want to do to the Grand Duke seem very similar." Rosebud is unconcerned that she does not know how to read and seems to be wandering her mind and mouth in the direction of saying something useful.
Arcana (nat 20+2=22, if DM believes that is appropriate)
ELIAS will enter the room and along with ROSEBUD will discern that this is an altar to Myrkul the deity known as the Lord of Bones. The Master of Souls was a devotee.
When KHESSA asked the question about “RISE AND BE COUNTED” the words suddenly vanish from the wall. Then the bones amongst the debris at the north end of the room rise up and knit together, forming three animated human skeletons. They look toward KHESSA as if waiting for something.
REYA readies herself expecting an attack. But then relaxes as she sees that these animated bones do not attack. "What is this?"
(These skeletons do not have armor so (AC12) nor a weapon. Map updated. I moved the tokens into the room. Let me know if anyone is having issues moving their token. Full Dungeon Map updated as well.)
(OOC: Chaotic Good is my favorite clueless well-meaning alignment. Of course, you have to have a low Intelligent score too.)
As skeletons suddenly and unexpectedly rise up, Khessa gasps involuntarily and the next moment she brandishes her Maul... but seeing that the undead do not seem hostile but rather waiting for... something, she tries to 'count' them: "One, two and three," she points to the three skeletons in turn "follow me and prepare to fight my enemies".
If the undead do indeed begin to follow her, the blonde arcane warrior actually leads them into the previous room, so that they can arm themselves - two with the equipment of the deceased Bane Cultists and one with the equipment of the Bane Cultist Leader.
If the undead do indeed begin to don armor and take up weapons, the tall adventuress in the meantime transcribes in her spellbook the incredible arcane phenomenon she witnessed, reporting the ritual in great detail. After which, she has them march alongside her, waiting until she can point them to a target.
Khessa smiles back: "It has been a mere coincidence... I would have never animated dead on purpose..."
"But since it happened," the blonde arcane warrior sighs "we might as well make the best of it. Let's use the skeletons as help against the Cultist. Then they will be put back to sleep forever. I have no wish to deny souls their afterlife".
And with that, the tall adventuress leads the party back to the candles' chamber and takes the stairs.
When KHESSA reaches the bottom of the ten foot wide set of stairs, she senses that the air here smells like rotten eggs, a putrid stench whaffing up from a flooded room supported by wooden beams.
"That is exactly what I intend to find out..." Khessa smiles at Elias, as she continues to examine the tome...
Mistynip walks over to where Khessa is with the book. She leans over without touching it to take a look. Elias, it could be a spell book, what do you think Khessa? I'm not sure about touching it but if it is a book of spells, it would be of great use to you or Elias for sure!
"It wouldn't be the first one we find in the Myrkul Cultists branch, Mistynip" Khessa replies to Helm's chosen one. "In fact, that's what I hope it is".
It is indeed a spellbook with the following spells:
Cantrips : chill touch , mage hand, message, prestidigitation
1st level : burning hands, detect magic, ray of sickness, shield
2nd level : darkness, misty step, scorching ray
3rd level : animate dead, fireball
Does the party head on past the door in the direction of the remnant Skeletal Rats?
Khessa confirms her hopes for the party regarding the nature of the tome and reverently passes it to Elias, saying: "I would suggest we do the same as with the previous Spellbooks we found... Elias and I will keep them in our safekeeping until we can copy the spells within; after which, we will sell them and divide the proceeds among everyone".
The blonde arcane warrior heads past the door in the direction of the remnant Skeletal Rats: "Come on, let's make sure we're done clearing out these Myrkul and Bane branches; then we'll figure out how to get to the Bhaal one - and whether it is appropriate or wise to rest before doing so".
Twenty-five feet past the door the corridor ends in a dry, partially collapsed room containing a stone altar with humanoid skulls and bones piled around it. The top of the altar is covered with dozens of half-melted candles made of black wax, all currently unlit.
A wide set of stairs heads down to the east to a corridor heading north.
(New map in the OOC thread. Large scale map of the Dungeon of the Dead Three updated as well.)
Khessa makes good use of her Mage Hand to remotely search through skulls and bones... Do any items emerge from this remote inspection?
If the blonde arcane warrior finds nothing and nothing happens in the meantime, she enters and searches for herself, approaching.
If still nothing of interest is found, the tall adventuress continues through the only other exit in the room, down the stairs.
“Ohh, fun! Black candles! I’ve never seen what those look like. Imma gonna turn them on. You think the flame will be a different color? Let’s find out.” Rosebud is a bit out of breath, likely from thinking about the new possibilities and is certainly not from thinking about the impact of lighting the candles. She pulls out her tinder box and gets to work lighting the candles.
Khessa is initially unconvinced by Rosebud's idea... 'What if the candles had some magical effect?'
But the blonde arcane warrior then decides to trust her friend's greater experience and wisdom and lets her do it, focusing instead on examining the bones. Rosebud will surely have already considered the hypothesis and will be acting wisely... 'Hey! She is a true adventuress, not an escaped cabbage farmer like me. She can even turn herself in an animal! Of course I'll let her do her thing'.
KHESSA's Mage Hand does not find anything amongst the piles of bones. She still does not find anything beyond bones when searches the piles firsthand.
ROSEBUD comes in the room and lights the candles.
The candles shed a green light that reveals black writing on the walls. The writing, which is not visible otherwise, says in Common, “RISE AND BE COUNTED!”
"Well done, Rosebud!" Khessa pats her friend on the shoulder "I knew you had a reason for doing that seemingly futile thing of lighting candles. Do you also happen to know what 'RISE AND BE COUNTED' means? Is it part of some evil ritual?"
OOC: I am still looking for the Clueless Well-meaning alignment. :)
"Hmm, the light looks the same even with a black candle. So I guess the wax color doesn't matter too much. And yes, that's an odd thing to write on the wall. I can't read so only pay attention to pictures on walls. The pictures advertising the price about various intimate activities at the Blushing Mermaid and what some people apparently want to do to the Grand Duke seem very similar." Rosebud is unconcerned that she does not know how to read and seems to be wandering her mind and mouth in the direction of saying something useful.
Arcana (nat 20+2=22, if DM believes that is appropriate)
Elias follows the group into the room just in time to see the writing on the wall come into view, he thinks for a minute, religion 14
Rosaline is also content to follow the group for now.
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
Provide feedback!
REYA moves into the room as well.
ELIAS will enter the room and along with ROSEBUD will discern that this is an altar to Myrkul the deity known as the Lord of Bones. The Master of Souls was a devotee.
When KHESSA asked the question about “RISE AND BE COUNTED” the words suddenly vanish from the wall. Then the bones amongst the debris at the north end of the room rise up and knit together, forming three animated human skeletons. They look toward KHESSA as if waiting for something.
REYA readies herself expecting an attack. But then relaxes as she sees that these animated bones do not attack. "What is this?"
(These skeletons do not have armor so (AC12) nor a weapon. Map updated. I moved the tokens into the room. Let me know if anyone is having issues moving their token. Full Dungeon Map updated as well.)
(OOC: Chaotic Good is my favorite clueless well-meaning alignment. Of course, you have to have a low Intelligent score too.)
As skeletons suddenly and unexpectedly rise up, Khessa gasps involuntarily and the next moment she brandishes her Maul... but seeing that the undead do not seem hostile but rather waiting for... something, she tries to 'count' them: "One, two and three," she points to the three skeletons in turn "follow me and prepare to fight my enemies".
If the undead do indeed begin to follow her, the blonde arcane warrior actually leads them into the previous room, so that they can arm themselves - two with the equipment of the deceased Bane Cultists and one with the equipment of the Bane Cultist Leader.
If the undead do indeed begin to don armor and take up weapons, the tall adventuress in the meantime transcribes in her spellbook the incredible arcane phenomenon she witnessed, reporting the ritual in great detail. After which, she has them march alongside her, waiting until she can point them to a target.
They indeed follow KHESSA.
(Treat it like the Animate Dead rules.)
Elias jokes with Khessa, Warrior. Mage, now necromancer? he smiles at her.
Khessa smiles back: "It has been a mere coincidence... I would have never animated dead on purpose..."
"But since it happened," the blonde arcane warrior sighs "we might as well make the best of it. Let's use the skeletons as help against the Cultist. Then they will be put back to sleep forever. I have no wish to deny souls their afterlife".
And with that, the tall adventuress leads the party back to the candles' chamber and takes the stairs.
When KHESSA reaches the bottom of the ten foot wide set of stairs, she senses that the air here smells like rotten eggs, a putrid stench whaffing up from a flooded room supported by wooden beams.
(Map Updated with Light Spell)