Barrow Mounds: Under the Vulture's Shadow.

[gurusql]

Cadeweed

Cadeweed looks for traps at the entrance.

Find/Remove Traps (25%) - [1d100]=75

[Spearmint]

Barrow Mounds, south west of Helix, Duchy of Aerik.

20.10pm.

Windy, light rain.
Light: Visibility on Moor low, restricted to 60'ft radius.
Lantern (Rickford) Lantern (Duval).

Moriartus full health
Dougal -6hp
Fydmar -1hp
Cadeweed -5hp
Marcel -2hp
Two-Birds -6hp
Rickford -5hp
Duval -2hp.

The threshold is inspected but not obvious mechanical or stonework traps are revealed. Wary of threats, a few of the group explore the interior of the unsealed mound. Outside, guards watch for more zombies shuffling or scorpions scuttling in the mist.

Two-Birds attends to some medic triage, bandaging the most injured of the hirelings. The cuts are deep but she cleanses and binds his wounds, the spider silk bandages will promote a faster healing of the injury though just a minimal regeneration is received. Rickford regains +1hp.

"I need to rest and pray to receive healing virtue for the morning." says the cleric of Silvanus. I presume Marcel is in the same position. There are two further 1st Aid kits in the team supplies that could be addressed now, whoever uses them should check the house rules in healing and health for specific information.

Moriartus invokes a spell to scan the immediate area for any magical radiances. None of the casket, bones, jars, brazier or bronze jackals ping any resonance.

A cold chill and musty damp smell rises from the darkness beyond the descending stairs, but nothing apparent stirs. Fydmar checks out the alcove with the brazier.

The brazier has a deep bowl which contains old ashes. It looks more ceremonial in usage though could function as a barbecue if you had a grill too to cook on. The bowl, made of burnished bronze us thick and heavy, detachable from the stand which itself is a model of detailed craft work. The two jars contain fragrant leaf grains. Not the smoking type but more for burning as incense. At least you could warm the room with a small fire.

Duval uses the pole to prod the floor and the bone piles. "At a guess I would say the hounds were interred here alive. Ate the body then starved to death as they couldn't get out." Despite being disturbed, none of the skeletal figures animate as threats.

Outside, as the rain falls and darkness sets in, those watching on guard prudently enter the chamber. Rickford guards the entrance, watching if anything tries to descend the excavated step from the mound exterior.

actions please

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus hands his personal first aid to Two-Birds. "Please use this on yourself, Miss Two-Birds. We must ensure you have the opportunity to beseech The Green One." He then moves to investigate the wicker casket and the dismembered remains of its former internment. "Mr. Duval, please use the brazier to burn some of that jarred leaf grain ... freshen the air a bit?"

[gurusql]

Cadeweed

Cadeweed will go and examine the nearest of the large brass statues of a jackal type canine and attempt to determine what the eyes are made out of.

[scottjen]

Fydmar
Will look down the stairs & listen to see if he hears any noise from below.

[Karaunios]

Dougal

Dougal will stay next to Fydmar in case something suddenly comes out of the place. He also tries to hear or see something with his poor human senses.

[Spearmint]

Barrow Mounds, south west of Helix, Duchy of Aerik.

20.10pm.

Windy, light rain.
Light: Visibility on Moor low, restricted to 60'ft radius.
Lanterns: (Rickford) Lantern (Duval). Firelight from brazier.

Moriartus full health
Dougal -6hp
Fydmar -3hp
Cadeweed -4hp
Marcel -2hp
Two-Birds -5hp
Rickford -5hp
Duval -2hp.

Despite their medic studies, neither of the clerics are very good at diagnosing the best way to treat the necrotic claw wounds inflicted by the Moor zombies. Binding wounds as best they can, Two-Birds and Cadeweed (treated by Marcel) each regain +1hp.

The chamber is made a little more hospitable. The iron brazier, cold for so many centuries is once more stoked into a welcoming fire courtesy of the broken casket pieces used as fuel. Fragrant leaf grains from the jars perfume the chill atmosphere.
The hirelings do a good job of making camp.

Cadeweed checks out the three brass jackals. He taps, runs fingers over the gemstone eyes, strokes a mean canine face. The statues are as tall as he is. Grimy with dust but unblemished from erosion or age. The ruby red glints reflect the firelight giving you pause for thought. Do you lever them out or keep them in, expecting a greater wealth from the whole design? Will robbing the graves cause some evil animation of the statues, after all, three dead dogs lie in the chamber. Do their feral spirits go to doggy heaven or reside still in the brass tombs of the guardian statues?

Marcel and Moriartus deal with the remains. The canine skeletons are heaped in one place along with the body from the casket. A frisk reveals the body has a torc of finely designed hammered gold and a symbol of an ancient deity that Marcel looks at dubiously. "A devotee of Set."

Inside the casket remains are some uncorked vials. The mage can identify these as previous inks, much valued in the production of arcane scripts and scrolls.

Fydmar, Dougal & Two-Birds pause to investigate the dark steps. They descend about 20'ft before a landing which has two narrow 5'ft passages that lead off at 45° angles either side, NE & SE so back under the entrance chamber.

A damp fetid smell wafts up from below which contrasts to the cheery warmth radiated by the brazier.

Two-Birds 1st Aid kit usage vs 15 wisdom [4d6]=16 [1d4]=4 Marcel vs 12 [4d6]=11 [1d4]=1

actions please

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus casts a consternated eye on the torc Marcel is examining. "Damn. I suspected that from the jackal statues." He shares a concerned glance with Dougal and Two-Birds. "It may not be wise to encamp here, after all. There is a bugbear clan, the Red Fang, that has been recruited into the worship of Set. They perform patrols of the Moor and these likely include mounds considered sacred to Set." He indicates the statues with the head of his staff. "I suggest we collect all three as they are. Defacing them here may provoke a response of some kind." Joining those by the stairs, he peers into the gloom. "Let us finish our exploration and quickly."

[scottjen]

Fydmar
Will move back over to the others to converse. Where are we to camp if not here? Thought we didn't want to be outside after nightfall. Not that I have a good feeling about here, mind. Those statues are probably cursed. He will then resume his previous position before moving as silently as he can down the stairs, pausing to listen at the bottom & if he hears nothing, he'll peek around each side.

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

"Indeed. We shouldn't linger outside at night and our accommodations are similarly limited. I only mention it as a matter of courtesy, as we are all sharing the same risks in this venture."

[gurusql]

Cadeweed

"We should get some rest as it is late into the evening and start fresh tomorrow. Posting guards for watching the outside and deeper in the tomb in other words the stairs. We should hang something over the doorway to reduce the light out onto the moor."

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

"Agreed, but take a quick look downstairs to verify there is no obvious threats first. As for the entrance, we can stack some of the larger pieces of the broken seal."

[Karaunios]

Dougal

"A'rate. Fydmar, I can come with ye if ye want and see there are no threads. Then we block bauth exits as best we can."

[Spearmint]

Barrow Mounds, south west of Helix, Duchy of Aerik.

May 10th 1066
20.30pm.

Windy, light rain outside.
Light: Visibility on Moor low, restricted to 60'ft radius.
Lanterns: (Rickford) Lantern (Duval). Firelight from brazier.
Moriartus full health
Dougal -6hp
Fydmar -3hp
Cadeweed -4hp
Marcel -2hp
Two-Birds -5hp
Rickford -5hp
Duval -2hp.

Rickford and Duval tend to exterior entrance, replacing the broken stone pieces to try and rebuild the portal. The hang a blanket over the gaps to reduce any filtering light escaping outside from the brazier firelight and lanterns.

Continuing the exploration, Fydmar and Dougal descend. Looking left and right at the landing, both side passages narrow, single file only. The one to the left proceeds about 20'ft to open into a small round chamber. There are four arched alcoves on either side of another angled passage opposite. In each of the alcoves rests a dessicated corpse, standing upright in some kind of stasis. They wear ragged linen garb and have rusted weapons attached to leather belts at their waists. The do not react to your approach, staying motionless and silent, smiling rictus grins in their state of death. A cold chill radiates in the room but it is otherwise dry. A capstone built over the archway opposite has a jackal head bas relief carved upon it.

Marcel and Moriartus check the other side passage from the landing. It leads to a similar proportioned room but this has shelves built into the walls rather than alcoves. The mage's eyes light up at several large earthenware amphora among the scattered stores. This room is damp, a trickle of dripping water leaking down the east wall as seepage from the barrow grounds above. As in the other chamber, there is also another angled passage opposite. A carved lintel with a pyramid and 'all-seeing' eye carved into it.

The quartet retreat back to the landing where Two-Birds & Cadeweed guard, to share and discuss next actions.

decisions please

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

Moriartus has a thoughtful, but slightly perplexed expression when he and Marcel reconvene with the others on the landing. He arches an eyebrow upon hearing of the standing corpses. "Four and flanking a passage crowned by a symbol of Set ... sounds like hibernating undead guardians of something quite valuable or sacred to Set. I assume they will animate upon any intrusion into the passage."

He changes topic and nods at the passage he and Marcel just investigated. "It is a store room, but more importantly contains several amphora. Exactly what I had hoped to find for Mr. Mazzah. There is also a similar passage opposite ..." He pauses and shakes his head, followed by a shrug of his shoulders. "The archway though is carved with an image of a pyramid and 'all-seeing' eye ... a symbol of the Futurus god Arcantryl."

"I suggest that we rest first before exploring further. We should also develop a contingency plan for those corpses, assuming they do animate and attack if we try to pass."

"Any suggestions?"

[Karaunios]

Dougal

"Mibbe we can burn thaus corpses before they start moving? Being dry and covered in gawns should make it easier for suir."

[gurusql]

Cadeweed

"Let's do what we can to block the light going to the outside, but them camp before going on. Most of us are just hanging on at this point."

[Quonundrum]

Moriartus

"Mr. Duval and Mr. Rickford are tending to the entrance. Resealing as best they can and blocking the remaining holes to filter the light."

"That's a good idea, burning the corpses. I can summon a servant to douse them in oil while we wait at a distance. A fire will create dense smoke down here, so best to leave that until it's necessary."

"For now though, I suggest we return upstairs to rest and recuperate with four watches. Marcel and myself, Rickford and Fydmar, Cadeweed and Duval, Two-Birds and Dougal, in that order."

[scottjen]

Fydmar
Agrees with getting rest and then exploring further. I smell undeath below, but don't think they'll come after us up here.

[Spearmint]

Barrow Mounds, south west of Helix, Duchy of Aerik.

Barrow (3)

May 10th 1066
20.40pm.

Windy, light rain outside.
Light: Visibility on Moor low, restricted to 60'ft radius.
Lanterns: (Rickford) Lantern (Duval). Firelight from brazier.
Moriartus full health
Dougal -6hp
Fydmar -3hp
Cadeweed -4hp
Marcel -2hp
Two-Birds -5hp
Rickford -5hp
Duval -2hp.

The group consider actions. A brutal reality is spoken by Cadeweed. Most of the group are just hanging on; bloodied, bruised, clawed. Any encounter, particularly another combat would probably be devastating so precautions are taken to reinforce your position and maintain a dutiful night-watch.

In pairs, one at each entrance to the chamber, Watchmen are set as others rest fitfully on bedrolls around the brazier. The fragrant leaves giving a scented aroma of blossoms in contrast to the fetid air seeping up from below. Flasks of oil are left by the stairs in case a midnight bonfire is called for but nothing stirs from either of the side chambers. It is in fact the halfling who reacts during his shift to a single figure who must be moving among the pile of zombies lain outside the entrance dig on top of the barrow mound.

Peering through the curtain and cracks of the broken stone seal, you note the silhouette of a human figure as it passes between the opening. He or she appears to be scavenging among the bodies but as yet, has not made any attempt to check out the excavation.

Jeepers creepers [1d6]=6[1d6]=3[1d6]=1[1d6]=2

actions Cadeweed please.