Nenne casts a furtive glance at the door and rubs her shoulder absentmindedly. "Whatever that was will have to wait," she says. "We should not leave a task unfinished."
Turning back to the group, she says, "The protective magics I cast earlier this day are due to subside soon. We should be swift with our investigations while the spells yet last." She rummages through her pack and produces her tinderbox. "For the candle at the altar," she explains, holding it out to anyone who wants to make a sacrifice.
Boosey spends some time looking thoughtful during the rest. He approaches the alter, looking at the items there then fishes around in his purse bringing out 5 gold. He points at the masks, the gold then and to the fresco of the woman spreading gold, then to each of the frescos and their related items in turn. Donning one of the masks himself, he turns to the rest of the party and makes a fingers crossed gesture to everyone. Taking a deep breath with the mask on, he places his gold on to the alter and steps back. Waiting.
Nenne studies the frescoes and looks around the room. Spotting some insects in the corner, she scoops one up in her gauntleted hand, pulls another mask off the wall, and walks back to the group.
"It seems the next sacrifice involves a shared meal of sorts," she notes drily, raising an eyebrow at the skittering roach in her fist. Looking back at the party and seeing no one especially enthusiastic about trying a froghemoth's diet, she shrugs, dons the mask, and says, "I've eaten worse."
She steps up to the altar and holds the insect to her open mouth and, waiting for a moment in case something happens, eats it without flinching.
Water trickles down the sides of the sarcophagus as if it were coming out drom between the seam where the lid meets the base. The room is tinged with the smell of stagnant water.
Keeping his mask on, Boosey picks up the candle and silently accepts the tinder from Nenne. It takes a few attempts, but he manages to spark a light onto the candle and a flame flickers into life. He pauses a moment before taking another deep breath and placing it on the alter.
A green candle rises up, seemingly out of nowhere on top of the sarcophagus. The lit flame is multicolored and casts no light except onto the sarcophagus itself in the shape of a froghemoth.
Allister puts on a mask, takes his dagger and exposes his already deformed arm. „Let’s see if your god is right, Boosey.“ He cuts across his forearm, deep enough to make it bleed. He winces as the blade touches the necrotic wound and lets the blood flow over the ledge
The chamber rumbles angrily and swamp water drips from the ceiling into the bowl on the ledge. The candle explodes into the most brilliant, multi-colored explosion of light anyone has ever seen, covering the room completely. Boosey is thrown from his feet, flying across the room to land hard onto the floor. His limbs jerk spasmodically as the lightning surges through him (39 lightning damage). Allister grits his teeth and wraps his arms around his torso as bitter cold bites into him. Frost forms on and around the warrior (35 cold damage) in seconds. Glimbul suffers the same fate as Allister, though the blast is more concentrated in the small hallway (42 cold damage). Nenne and Vombec are scorched with flame, causing blisters to boil up on their exposed skin (36 fire damage) and (33 fire damage), respectfully. The chamber continues to rumble until the copper bowl falls from the ledge. The candle goes back to its harmless state after the terrible effect has passed.
Nenne hisses from the burns on her neck and blinks the stars from her eyes. "Everyone alive?" she groans.
Once she's sure everyone is more or less all right, she helps the bard up and says to the group, "That was clearly not quite right. If we are to try this again, I insist everyone except the warrior and I evacuate the chamber. We can withstand another mistake better than the rest of you."
Glimbul checking over his body for any damage, “Wow that was close, I like your idea. I will go keep watch in the hallway.” He then swiftly moves out into the larger hallway looking the way we came from.
"I... can withstand another one as well." He stretches out his hand towards the knife. "Give me the knife and I'll perform the blood sacrifice. This time, in its proper placing."
A winded bard picks himself up and pats himself over, and seems to be mostly intact, apart from a bloody gash on his head. He takes Nenne's advice and leaves the room while the others argue.
The candle grows into a bulbous mass, flopping onto the far side of the sarcophagus. Tentacles sprout from it and land solidly and wetly against the stone lid. The mass throws itself backwards, taking the lid with it. The room fills with the stench of the swamp as the cavity is exposed. Inside are a pair of bracers, bearing the image of a froghemoth on each, and twenty brittle arrows in a rotting leather quiver.
Hearing the noise Glimbul peers inside to see Allister holding the newly acquired item. He breaths a sigh of relief. “It seems good everything worked out this time. Where to next?”
Watching as Allister takes the bracers, Vombec looks to the arrows and then to the bracers once more. "I shall cast my magic to see whether these... arrows, are magical or not. If so, I propose they'll be better in the hands of someone else." With those words, Vombec scoops up the arrows, places them upon the ground, and silently mutters to himself- enchanting magic to identify what the arrows carry, if any.
Nenne casts a furtive glance at the door and rubs her shoulder absentmindedly. "Whatever that was will have to wait," she says. "We should not leave a task unfinished."
Turning back to the group, she says, "The protective magics I cast earlier this day are due to subside soon. We should be swift with our investigations while the spells yet last." She rummages through her pack and produces her tinderbox. "For the candle at the altar," she explains, holding it out to anyone who wants to make a sacrifice.
Boosey spends some time looking thoughtful during the rest. He approaches the alter, looking at the items there then fishes around in his purse bringing out 5 gold. He points at the masks, the gold then and to the fresco of the woman spreading gold, then to each of the frescos and their related items in turn. Donning one of the masks himself, he turns to the rest of the party and makes a fingers crossed gesture to everyone. Taking a deep breath with the mask on, he places his gold on to the alter and steps back. Waiting.
A hollow clunk sounds from the sarcophagus. Nothing else happens.
Nenne studies the frescoes and looks around the room. Spotting some insects in the corner, she scoops one up in her gauntleted hand, pulls another mask off the wall, and walks back to the group.
"It seems the next sacrifice involves a shared meal of sorts," she notes drily, raising an eyebrow at the skittering roach in her fist. Looking back at the party and seeing no one especially enthusiastic about trying a froghemoth's diet, she shrugs, dons the mask, and says, "I've eaten worse."
She steps up to the altar and holds the insect to her open mouth and, waiting for a moment in case something happens, eats it without flinching.
Water trickles down the sides of the sarcophagus as if it were coming out drom between the seam where the lid meets the base. The room is tinged with the smell of stagnant water.
Keeping his mask on, Boosey picks up the candle and silently accepts the tinder from Nenne. It takes a few attempts, but he manages to spark a light onto the candle and a flame flickers into life. He pauses a moment before taking another deep breath and placing it on the alter.
A green candle rises up, seemingly out of nowhere on top of the sarcophagus. The lit flame is multicolored and casts no light except onto the sarcophagus itself in the shape of a froghemoth.
Allister puts on a mask, takes his dagger and exposes his already deformed arm. „Let’s see if your god is right, Boosey.“ He cuts across his forearm, deep enough to make it bleed. He winces as the blade touches the necrotic wound and lets the blood flow over the ledge
The chamber rumbles angrily and swamp water drips from the ceiling into the bowl on the ledge. The candle explodes into the most brilliant, multi-colored explosion of light anyone has ever seen, covering the room completely. Boosey is thrown from his feet, flying across the room to land hard onto the floor. His limbs jerk spasmodically as the lightning surges through him (39 lightning damage). Allister grits his teeth and wraps his arms around his torso as bitter cold bites into him. Frost forms on and around the warrior (35 cold damage) in seconds. Glimbul suffers the same fate as Allister, though the blast is more concentrated in the small hallway (42 cold damage). Nenne and Vombec are scorched with flame, causing blisters to boil up on their exposed skin (36 fire damage) and (33 fire damage), respectfully. The chamber continues to rumble until the copper bowl falls from the ledge. The candle goes back to its harmless state after the terrible effect has passed.
Nenne hisses from the burns on her neck and blinks the stars from her eyes. "Everyone alive?" she groans.
Once she's sure everyone is more or less all right, she helps the bard up and says to the group, "That was clearly not quite right. If we are to try this again, I insist everyone except the warrior and I evacuate the chamber. We can withstand another mistake better than the rest of you."
Glimbul checking over his body for any damage, “Wow that was close, I like your idea. I will go keep watch in the hallway.” He then swiftly moves out into the larger hallway looking the way we came from.
"I... can withstand another one as well." He stretches out his hand towards the knife. "Give me the knife and I'll perform the blood sacrifice. This time, in its proper placing."
Made you look.
A winded bard picks himself up and pats himself over, and seems to be mostly intact, apart from a bloody gash on his head. He takes Nenne's advice and leaves the room while the others argue.
Allister mumbles „Sorry“ as he uses the blood from his still bleeding arm to fill the bowl
The candle grows into a bulbous mass, flopping onto the far side of the sarcophagus. Tentacles sprout from it and land solidly and wetly against the stone lid. The mass throws itself backwards, taking the lid with it. The room fills with the stench of the swamp as the cavity is exposed. Inside are a pair of bracers, bearing the image of a froghemoth on each, and twenty brittle arrows in a rotting leather quiver.
Allister walks towards the open sarcophagus. He takes the bracers and says „Welcome aboard.“
Nenne regards the fighter cautiously. "Is your guest behaving?"
Hearing the noise Glimbul peers inside to see Allister holding the newly acquired item. He breaths a sigh of relief. “It seems good everything worked out this time. Where to next?”
Boosey takes one of the arrows and tries to snap it
Watching as Allister takes the bracers, Vombec looks to the arrows and then to the bracers once more. "I shall cast my magic to see whether these... arrows, are magical or not. If so, I propose they'll be better in the hands of someone else." With those words, Vombec scoops up the arrows, places them upon the ground, and silently mutters to himself- enchanting magic to identify what the arrows carry, if any.
Made you look.