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"Oh," says Fingers, disappointed. "I thought that was gonna tell us something, but I guess reading isn't the same as understanding."

"Hey, I don't suppose anyone brought iron spikes? Maybe we could spike shut the doors the skeletons come through."

ETA: I'd forgotten about all the stuff on the top of the hill. Did we see that as we approached?

Yes, on top of the hill, they saw the small stone henge with a few above-ground crypts surrounding it.

Inspecting up the hallway, Fingers finds the other two doors on the west wall to be closed. There are tattered remains of a fresh rope, shredded into lengths and scattered around them. He also finds some horribly mangled iron spikes lying among the blown-in leaves.

Date: 3:10pm, 19 July 2021
Light: dim light from archway (-2), chandelier up the hallway
Effects: None
Injuries: Markd (moderately injured), Bandy (minorly injured)

"Daaang," says Fingers, shuddering. "Guess those doors ain't so easy to keep shut."

"Okay, so, here's what I remember of what I've heard about this place. There's the sun room through that door there. The other doors go to a room where skeletons magically re-make themselves. Past the sun room is a courtroom with a woman and a fountain, then the trial room, a room with the woman's tomb, and another huge room with a bunch more coffins and stairs going up. Maybe to the stuff on top of the hill. Right? And we've got, what, four hours until dark?"

"I dunno. If we kill the skeletons now, they just come back tomorrow. Maybe we should go check out the top of the hill—and not attack anything!—while we got some light, then camp outside overnight and come back in here in the morning. Whaddya think?"

Here's a map I put together based on what we've seen so far and the previous expedition:

Bandy nods in agreement, though he will remain wary of the gargoyles atop the structure.

Markd nods his agreement. He looks around for any writing that may be familiar based on the book he read from the previous month's rest in town.

After a cursory examination of the closed doors, Fingers leads Sprinkles and then the other humans back out into the sunlight. They traipse up the hillside to the low structures that sit atop it. From this high ground you can see in all directions - rolling plains with spots of trees here and there, then about seven miles to the north a walled city with a large keep within.

Atop the motte is a round henge of standing stones, the area between them paved with flagstones, few weeds growing between them. A massive stone block rests in the center. On the west side of the henge is a rectangular stone structure built as an alcove, several slots in the stone under the overhang. You see writing on the doors and the plinths and symbols of Baudh predominate throughout engraved artworks. The largest being a six-pointed sun on the massive block of stone in the center of the henge.

On the East, North, and South sides around the henge are simple stone-slab structures about 20'x30' on the outside. They all have a single stone door facing the center (the henge), and are ornamented with statuary. Weather-worn statues of human men and women flank the doorways, while winged demons perch above the doors with hunch shoulders, looking downward -- two sitting on each of the three mausoleums. Other stones appear to have fallen or been placed around the periphery of the henge, their purposes less clear, and one of the henge-sections appears recently shattered and collapsed.


Date: 3:30pm, 19 July 2021
Light: Sunlight
Effects: None
Injuries: Bandy (minorly injured)

Fingers looks at the demon "sculptures" on top of each mausoleum, his eyes wide with dread. "I thought you said there was only one gargoyle on each?" he asks Markd and Bandy quietly.

"Um, don't mind us," he says, his voice quivering with nervousness. "Just...um, looking around. Honoring the dead. Like that."

Stepping toward the stone structure, he tries to read the writing.

Read languages (1-80=success): [1d100] = 59

Fingers identifies that the central stone does indeed have general prayers to Baudhon and religious symbols familiar to the Baudhic faith. Avoiding getting too close to the three mausoleums he reads only their lintels from afar. Moving into the alcove on the fourth side of the henge, he finds that it is the most prolific place for writing. By each of the slot-holes in the alcove, he finds a large family name engraved, with a series of smaller individual names underneath. The names in the alcove under each name appear all etched at different times, the oldest worn away beyond recognition only a few of the newest clearly legible now.

Written text: Date: 3:50pm, 19 July 2021
Light: Sunlight
Effects: None
Injuries: Bandy (minorly injured)

Fingers read the inscriptions aloud and copies them onto one of his sheets of parchment—really small, so he has room for other notes.

"I was hoping for 'insert coin here' or something," he says, wiping his nose. "Any of those names mean anything to you? I wonder if those are the names of the ghosts. Like Maudius the Magistrate. Maybe he's the judge?"

"Don't see any names like the ogres and such that are watching the trial. Hey, maybe people killed by the skeletons have to join the audience! That'd be spooky."

INT check [1d20] = 2

The whole group considers his reasoning and realizes the slots are indeed coin-sized.

"What the hell. Let's see what happens." Fingers reaches into a pouch. "Um, anyone got change for a platinum? I don't wanna be cheap, but I ain't made of money, either. And Baudh's all about gold, anyway."

If he can find someone to trade him 10 gp for 1 pp, he'll take a deep breath and drop a gold coin into each of the slots.

"I have gold, as is proper for a follower of holy Baudh.

Hengist will exchange his gold for Fingers' platinum.

-10gp, +1pp on sheet

The four coins slide into the slots, falling down the interior and clinking against the stone shafts on their way down before falling into silence. Fingers waits pensively, but nothing appears to happen. When he turns, however, he sees the central stone within the henge glows with a warm yellow light barely discernable in the daylight.

Date: 3:40pm, 19 July 2021
Light: Sunlight
Effects: None
Injuries: Bandy (minorly injured)

Markd looks on, waiting to see what happens once Fingers inevitably pushes on the glowing stone. They alway do, it seems.

Sure enough, Fingers can't resist. He goes over to the glowing stone and presses his palm against it.

Bandy waits in anticipation to see what happens when Fingers touches the column.

Fingers presses his hands and.... sure enough, it is a rock slab. Though it glows warmly, it remains ambient temperature. He notes nothing else at the moment.

It is a slab, not a column, however, which is glowing. The slab looks to weigh several tons: it stands about four feet high off the ground and is about ten feet by ten feet square. It has large engravings of Baudhic symbols weathered by time on its surface.

The columns and lintels of Henge surrounding the slab in a ring and look to be older stonework than the slab itself. The three mausoleums that stand outside of the Henge are of the newest stone.

Date: 3:50pm, 19 July 2021
Light: Sunlight
Effects: None
Injuries: Bandy (minorly injured)

Is the slab set up like an altar? What's under the slab if it's four feet off the ground?

Zhym wrote:Is the slab set up like an altar? What's under the slab if it's four feet off the ground?

Sorry, the slab is four feet thick and rests on the ground. It would be a good shape and height for an altar.