Expedition - Markd/On A Mission From Baudh - 08 May 2021

[Keehnelf]

"Why's what less old?"

[Zhym]

"This room," answers Olaf. "Der hallway, it be about 4,500 years old, I ken. But this room, it'd be made only about 1,200 to 1,500 years ago. That also be when the door to the tomb be reopened." A look of comprehension slowly comes across Olaf's face, like spilled molasses across a stone floor. "Ach! Someone, dey opened this tomb up 1,200 to 1,500 years ago and added this room with magic! It wasn't built, don't ye know, the stones is all wrong."

"Still buggered if I ken why anyone'd do that, though."

[onlyme]

Markd shakes his head. No telling why any of 'em did what they did back then. But, maybe they hid something in the newer construction.

So, he will attempt to scan the walls looking for any sign of a door or other possible hidden cavity.

[Zhym]

While Markd scans the walls, Olaf stands on top of the diamonds in the floor, wondering if covering them will change anything.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Captain Bremen goes and sits next to the woman on the fountain, deep in thought.

[Alethan]

Bandy Sandybanks

Bandy looks over at the Captain and then gestures at the door with a shrug, "Still arguing? That doesn't sound right. Might just be more ghosts. Or... whatever those are."

[Marullus]

Bandy and Bremen contemplate the voices beyond the door. Olaf explains his dwarvish observations, then puts his boots over the diamonds in the floor, but finds no discernible effect in doing so. Markd considers the conjured stonework, then begins looking for a cavity or space. He notices a more hollow sound on the left-hand wall from where you entered. pushing on the exterior flagstones, he finds a small portion pivots open as a secret door.

Behind the door, you find the end of the former chamber, which apparently was oblong rather than square, and slightly bigger than the conjured stonework room. The back-side of the stonework looks identical to the front, but the other three walls are of the original stonework of the barrows, matching the previous chamber with the Baudian sun. The room looks dusty and undisturbed, simply a truncated larger chamber with no thought or concern given to it. It is 10' deep, but 30' wide, matching the width of the room as a whole. A set of cabinets still hangs on the wall, in which you find a stack of 20 heavy silver offering plates (4lbs each) and a golden incense censer (1lb).

Time: 12 May 2021, 10:00 am
Light source: Torch (until 10:15am)
Injuries: Irving (lightly injured)

[Keehnelf]

Irving stuffs the golden censer in his bag. "I doubt those plates are the relic, but this might be!" He says, earnestly.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Captain Bremen
With slow, measured movements, Captain Bremen wraps the silver trays and places them on Piety. It might be nice if these were put back into service in a Temple of Baudh. He tries to avoid direct skin-to-object contact if he can help it. With a bit of treasure safely stored, Captain Bremen starts to move a bit more casually again. He walks to the the door of angry voices and checks (again) for any traps by looking for spring mechanisms in the door frame or on the hinges, pressure plates on the floor, etc. While he is at it, he looks up at the room's ceiling, looking for anything deadly or of value.

Where are we in the cycle of the picture show? Is it a direct repeat from a few days ago or did Bremen notice and (minor) differences while he sat there?

[Marullus]

The plates are all safely packed on the mule.

The ceiling still looks missing, the clouds and stars above. It is a night-time sky, though you know it to be mid day. You also notice that it is a late-summer sky, the constellations are not the same as right now.

The doorway reveals no signs of traps. The voices are still on the other side. The second man is entering now, a direct replay of when you last saw it. He is trying to make his move now and being rebuffed. He'll storm off rejected in another few minutes.

[Zhym]

"Ye be knowing the way of Baudh, yah?" Olaf asks Markd. "None o' this be ringing any bells for ye?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

Captain Bremen[/b
The Captain shakes his head in response to Olaf, indicating none of this is familiar to him*. He mentions the sky bieng wrong and wonders aloud if things are different - more real - if the returned on the same night that this is supposed to happen.

Captain Bremen slips toward the unhinged-side of the doorway and uses his sword to nudge the door open halfway. Without entering, he peers in as much as the torchlight allows. He hopes the others will be ready if anything jumps out at him.


*Though if it does, Marullus can chime in at any time...

[Marullus]

Bremen cracks open the door slowly and carefully, only exhaling once he is certain that nothing is going to leap out at him. Peering in, he finds himself near the left end of a long room, lit by glowing candelabras. The room extends further to the right than he can see from his narrow crack. The room is about 30' across in front of him, the far wall a raised dais. A somber old man in ecclesiastical robes bearing the six-pointed sun in embroidery upon it sits at a raised chair. A handsome dark-haired man in knightly raiment and wearing a gold circlet on his head gives a passionate and emotional speech, pleading with the man on the chair while the same beautiful woman weeps at a small table to the side. Two other men sit with their backs to him.

Time: 12 May 2021, 10:30 am
Light source: None held (torch burned out at 10:15am); fountain room is starlit, new room has candleabras
Injuries: Irving (lightly injured)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Captain Bremen
The Captain sheaths his sword and motions for the others to join him. Seems to be a story. Didn't the Bishop say the patrons of Baudh here corrupted the religion? Maybe this is telling that story. Clearly the woman is sad - maybe about an arranged marriage? Have we seen any of these guys yet? He asks Olaf what he thinks of the stonework in the next room, half out of curiosity and half because he knows the dwarf likes to talk about stones. He indicates that someone (else) should bring the animals along with them.No sense in leaving 'em behind. He almost mentions that the would make a nice decoy if they are attacked but decides to hold his tongue for fear of seeming selfish in a House of Baudh.

[Alethan]

Bandy Sandybanks

Bandy follows the Captain into the room.

[onlyme]

Markd follows as well. He pays attention to the walls yet again, hoping for another lucky break.

[Keehnelf]

Irving goes as well, but his main job, sword out, is to defend the group against any nasties that hop out of the darkness.

[Zhym]

Olaf follows along, pick in hand.

[Marullus]

You step fully into the room, Bremen followed by Markd, Bandy, Irving, and Olaf with weapons drawn.

You see the full room clearly, now. The chamber is about 90' wide and you are about 20' from the left wall. You emerged through the left-most of three doorways in the wall behind you. You see a doorway on the far wall at either corner, one ahead and to the farthest left and the other all the way to the farthest right. There is also a door on the right-hand wall in the right-hand corner. The scene described fills the center of the chamber, just to your right and against the far wall. The whole room is lit by a series of hanging chandeliers, glowing like the one in the first hallway. There are benches for those who wish to observe the proceedings; several translucent figures sit upon them, observing obediently, wearing a variety of garment styles and periods. Oddly, this includes several kobolds and an ogre, wearing furs.

The conversation among them stops abruptly as their spectral eyes turn to look at you. The robed man on the dais chair wearing the symbol of Baudh speaks in an authoritative tone but a language you don't understand. The woman stops weeping and turns her head to look at you, using her hands to do so. Her ghost holds its own severed head. You don't recognize the man in knightly raiment who was speaking, but as the other two turn towards you, you recognize them as the men from the other room, who entreated the woman.

Lawful characters:

He clearly is unhappy at you disturbing the proceedings, which appear to be some form of court trial, and looks quite disapprovingly at your weapons. There is an implicit threat of violence in his posture as he regards this affront.

Time: 12 May 2021, 10:35 am
Light source: None held (torch burned out at 10:15am); fountain room is starlit, new room has candleabras
Injuries: Irving (lightly injured)

[Zhym]

Olaf puts his pick on the floor and holds his hands out. "Sorry t'interrupt," he says, then repeats it in Lawful.