It is the early morning of 18 Eleasis, three days before the Summer Solstice, when you set off for Morgur's Mound from Mirabar. The wind is strong at your back as your sail south away from Mirabar. Using Harshnag's map, you find the location in a matter of five hours. 

The place, labeled as "Morgur's Mound" on the map, stands in the crags and is clearly visible from the air. It is shaped like a crude, wingless dragon. Ridges of boney spikes jut from the head, neck, back, and tail of the mound. Enormous cairns encircle the mound out to a range of a quarter mile.

From the air, you can also see that several dig sites, possibly left by previous expeditions, scar the grassy mound. But the area is completely quiet.

Delsephine asks you, "You want us to set down, or drop the rope ladder? You takin' the horse this time?" 

"Looks like a good place to go riding. Let's give him a chance to stretch his legs, must be awful being cooped up in here."

If the rest of the group acquiesces, Derrikoth will gingerly lead Josephus off the ship and ride around a bit.

The dragon cultist crew will land the ship on the skids, close enough to a rise in the mound that Josephus can jump to. 

The horse seems a little on edge about it, but under Derrikoth's direction he makes the leap onto the soft earth of Morgur's Mound.

There are several dig sites around, but no one in sight. What do you want to do?

"He's gonna be a pain in the ass to get back on." Nirzeg stated dryly, but soon after smirked at Derrikoth. "Good call, Sir Blue. It'll already take us enough time to search those cairns for... well ****, whatever the hell it is we're supposed get from here. Because I shit you not, I'd be surprised if it wasn't some giant's eye patch."

Following roll fo the eyes at the very idea, Nirzeg looked to Swipper and Lydia. "Hope you two are up for another scrap, because Bashaba willing, I doubt we won't run into more of those ****ers from last... well, at least the more aggressive of their lot." He mentions, and with that, unless there's any objections they start at the tail and work their way up to the head, searching the various cairns in a counter clockwise pattern for any writing or signs that might point the group in the right direction.

--> Experimental Elixir of the Day: 5.

"He really loves that thing, don't he?" Swiper questions as he watches Derrikoth ride his horse around. He shrugs then looks to Nirzeg when he speaks to them. "Swiper is already ready to stab!" The kenku says proudly, puffing out his chest. "Nothin' scares 'im! He's fearless in the face of danger!" He then walks behind the gith in a march, keeping his eyes peeled as they walk the trail.

Perception: 10

Your jaunt around the strangely shaped mound confirms what you saw from the air. There is no one living here, but for the odd rabbit darting out of the soft green ground. Numerous cairns surround you, and the only signs of recent activity are the dig sites. Some of them are shallow, and some go several feet into the mound. All look fairly unorganized, and some of the sites still have a small number of tools left lying around (a couple shovels and picks, as well as one wheelbarrow that has seen better days and is partly rotted).

What do you do?

"Is there something that we're supposed to be looking for, Nirzeg?"

"In theory, an artifact of the Giants stolen or by some ******* miracle given away to barbarians of old." Nirzeg answered, half-distracted with running through a catalogue of spells to aid in the effort. "Which by the looks of it, the ****ers buried this one. So at this point, hoping the mangers had the mind to at least make a... what the **** ya call it... a sort of mausoleum for it. Meaning if we look the right way and put the right things in order, we'll have ourselves an entrance in no time."

Truthfully, the last part came out sounding more like a hoping on Nirz's part than solid estimation. But its clear enough he was determined to be thorough at least, as he eventually sat down intending to chant and wave some cheap looking wand about for a spell.

(@Away: Ritual casting Detect Magic, which in hindsight probably should've sooner. Might not help yet, but gonna have that active for as along as Nirz can.)

"Why don't one of ya'z check and see if the locals left in worthwhile tracks, check the spines too as well. Rest of ya can see how deep some of those deeper cairn's appear to be. I'll catch up as I can." He said, in a brief lull in the spell. Zeek joins either team Derrikoth or Team Swipper(depending on if group splits into 2) to help however he can with the various investigations.

// Clarification: the "cairns" are stone stacks, which usually mark the burial place of honored dead.  These are undisturbed. The digging has not been under the cairns, but into the weird dinosaur-shaped mound (pictured above). //

Nirzeg senses a strong yet indistinct magic suffusing this entire place. It feels old, like a tree that's taken root over centuries.

Everyone who is exploring, digging, or otherwise magically looking for items of interest, please describe what you're doing and roll an Intelligence or Wisdom check, using the Investigation skill. 

Derrikoth decides to take Josephus and ride around the area, searching for anything of interest.

Investigation: 19

Swiper salutes Nirzeg after he gives orders. "Aye, aye, cap'n!" Then waddles off to look for any fresh tracks left behind.

Investigation (I'll roll twice in case of help from Zeek/Lydia): 16 | 8

Once good and ready Nirzeg would alternate between examining the spines for any traces of dormant or latent magic constrained by sigils or runes, to examining the cairns themselves for like signs. Zeek is given similar marching orders when it came to excavated mounds... though would be a bit more lackadaisical about it.

Investigation: 20.

(@Away: Don't know if Zeek can get his own rolls for this, but gonna assume not.)

Lydia will help Swiper search.

Nirzeg's ritual casting of detect magic helps you to pinpoint the location of two items, buried deep in the enormous earthen mound. With what seems like hours of back-breaking work, you are able to unearth these magic items. One is a strange-looking cube, no larger than six inches on a side; and the other is a full helm, with translucent green eye pieces.

It is dusk, and you're about ready to throw in the towel, when Derrikoth moves one of the last large, boney spines along the ridge of the mound, and it topples over, leaving a shallow hole where it once stood. In the shallow hole, Derrikoth has revealed a massive golden tooth, about the size of his own fist. It's obviously a giant-sized incisor. It doesn't radiate any magic.

"My, my, my, MY what wonderous findings." A by then dirt-covered Nirzeg said as he stared down at every finding set eventually before the group at large. "Color me surprise we found a giant's tooth of all things as the artifact." He chuckles. "I wonder who was the soggy sod the ****ers took that one from. Hah! Bloody blighters. Talk about fighting for tooth and nail. Ahhh~  Alrighty Sirs and Madams. See to it that ends up in the party bag of holding, and I'll get to figure'n the **** how these little precious work. If not here, then at least after we get back on the ship." With that said, Nirzeg looks to Zeek; who following a curt nod, flew off to flag down the ship if they weren't hovering already, and see about setting down.

"Mn... It'd be a long shot, but might wanna invest in someone look'n into some flight orientated horse shoes, Big D. It'll be a while yet before I have the time to concoct something that'll help. But see'n as half the time we'll be flying or port'n around, adding a bit of verticality to your friend there could do you two some good... well.. that or getting hold of a griffon or hippogriff..." He said with a shrug. Then a thought hits him, and with a muttered curse, he holds out a flask to Derrikoth. "Just a thought. Until then, here's something temporary fer your four legged friend. He won't fly fast, but have'm drink that and it should help with load'em back on."

Derrikoth peers cautiously at the mixture before shrugging and feeding it to Josephus, "Flying horseshoes? What I wouldn't give for those."

The ship awaits, having remained on the far side of the great mound. 

However, the moment you pull the giant golden tooth from its hole, the soft earth around you trembles as four massive skeletons erupt from the ground! These skeletons resemble beasts you've never seen before, and are big as dragons. They hone in on Derrikoth, who is currently carrying the bag of holding, and charge!!

One of the skeletons has a long skull and boney wings, and another is squat with a club-like tail. The third has three horns protruding from its shield-shaped skull. The fourth stands tall on two feet, its gaping mouth full of sharp teeth.

// Initiative time! No battle map for this one. The skeletons are within 50 feet of you and closing fast. They are all "huge" sized, and look like they will have a decent reach for melee attacks. Anyone who rolls 16 or higher can act immediately. //

Lydia:10

"Oh you can right **** off, ya Saggy Tittied Goddess!! Knew this was going to smooth!" Nirzeg yelled and half-complained as the rushing catastrophe on ancient legs made for Derrikoth.

Nirzeg Initiative: 14.

Swiper squawks in surprise at the sudden attack!

Init: 22