Barrowmaze: Repatriating the Red Lion of Aerik

[BaltoBruiser]

Bhelnus

I have seven flasks of oil in my pack.

[Cwreando]

Durgo

"Fighting retreat to the harpy shaft keeping enough distance to avoid melee if possible and toss oil on or for it to walk through. I have several more oils."

Durgo backs out tossing an oil and handing an oil to someone behind him maneuvering to allow them to toss as he then maneuvers to come forward to toss another but fighting retreat all along.

-4 oil flask total. One last round. He shares two oil flasks with Fydmar and tosses one more potentially if the mummy still stands.

To hit rolls if needed.

Durgo tosses his oil flask just in front of the mummy's path.



Durgo will then draw his bow and notch a silver arrow stowing the shield unless the mummy advances too quickly then he uses his shield and sword.

[BaltoBruiser]

Bhelnus

Reaches into his pack and grabs two flasks of oil handing one to Fydmar.

I have six more of these flasks so make’em count and let’s burn this abomination back to hell!

[DrRenfield]

Brother Symeon

Without oil and funding his divine spells totally ineffective, Symeon will fall back, preparing to provide healing or intervention should the mummy catch one of the group.

[kwll]

Seeing that the mummy is already on fire, and having little to contribute to the fight, Genaromes falls back as instructed.

[Straither]

Wrathbone

I will take a flask, one in each hand from Bhelnus supplies, crack open the flask neck and hurl them at the Mummy before it exits his crypt.

"The fires of hell for it. A pentagram special."

Wrathbone: flasks of oil vs Mummy [1d20]=12 [1d20]=14

[BaltoBruiser]

Bhelnus

Has a DEX of 10 and wants to put the thrown flasks of oil into the hands of someone with a better probably of hitting the mummy. He has handed flasks to Fydmar and Wrathbone

So far I have him down 2 flasks with him pulling out 2 more to hand off for the next round of engagement.

-2 flasks of oil

[Spearmint]

Immolating Mummery

The group take up defensive positions as the Mummy emerges from his slumber, awakened by the provocations of the Tomb Raiders.

He is immediately assaulted by a barrage of lantern oil that quickly ignites as tossed firebrands spark the flammable liquid into a raging fire. The Mummy's dry and rotting linens and garb act as tinder-wood and enable the tongues of flames from the pooled oil to climb upon it and set fires that burn it all over his body.

The Mummy is unrelenting however, stumbling forward from his charred coffer to step out of his crypt, crossing the shimmering air that shines with a backdrop of an orange bonfire, crossing the devilish Pentagram and out into the hallway, walking on the embers of a previous deadly pyre.

Fydmar, in the room to the north adds more fuel to the fire, crashing another ceramic flask that splashes upon the Mummy's neck and shoulders, -8hp.

Durgo retreats into the Harpy Shaft chamber, tossing another that breaks open underfoot as the Mummy follows after the bearskin clad warrior. -4hp

Wrathbone times his surprise ambush, as the Mummy passes the side-room door, he leaps out, brandishing two more hellish elixirs that immolate the Mummy, soaked now head to foot and blistering the rotted meat upon his age old bones. -15hp

Oil damage: [2d6]=11 [1d6]=4

Still the Mummy lurches, reaching out a burning arm, he clutches at Durgo as he burns, grasping his shield, still burning as the oil, dry raiments and his own body fat fuel the fires to immolate him completely. -11hp

Oil damage: last round of oil burning [2d6]=11

With his dying breath he swings an arm, grasping Durgo by the shoulder

Mummy: [1d20]=20

and speaks hoarsely, "My Lord! Sir Guy , forgive me. The Fount of Law was taken, you must recover it."

The 'Mummy' perishes, clutching vainly at Durgo to deliver a last commission, falling prone to lie in a pile of smouldering bones, his tattered raiments ashen, the last fragments of his heraldic tabard rising up the shaft like wind blown feathers, his chainmail melted to meld into his bones as a molten plaster cast.



next actions please

[Cwreando]

Durgo

Durgo surprised by the mummy's quick grasp of his should swings his shield up to dislodge it as he steps back. Hearing the mummy's final words comments, "I don't think that was Sir Guy, I think he called me Sir Guy perhaps because of the shield. What is this Fount of Law he said was taken. This must have been one of Sir Guy's followers. Then the remains of sir guy must lay further on in that direction. The cultist must have taken the Fount of Law and we still have to find the remains of Sir Guy. We need to bless these remains to send them to St. Ygg and not to hell. In the end he was loyal to Sir Guy. The cultist must have performed some ritual to turn him into a mummy. We can check the room once its safe to examine for more clues and loot. Brother Symeon can we provide some measure of peace to the fallen?"

[Straither]

Wrathbone

Curses our ineptitude. "The illusion magic of the shimmering air. Maybe we saw him as a Mummy but he never was. Just a brave knight held prisoner in some stasis. Not in a glass block like the Maiden but in some magical sleep. Until woken by us."

He speculates about the actual magic in play. We were quick to burn the Mummy, who wouldn't be. But I think we were fooled.

He will lift the charred body.

"There was a coffer set in place in the Harpy Chapel. We should lay him to rest there, cover him with these stones and mark his cairn." he says, unless you want to repatriate his body too.

I do have another thought, probably not an honest one. But who in Helix would know that this is not the body of Sir Guy O'Veargne? I mean any autopsy / carbon dating magic might reasonably suggest the body is from that age. He suggests in undertones.

[Cwreando]

Wrathbone

Curses our ineptitude. "The illusion magic of the shimmering air. Maybe we saw him as a Mummy but he never was. Just a brave knight held prisoner in some stasis. Not in a glass block like the Maiden but in some magical sleep. Until woken by us."

He speculates about the actual magic in play. We were quick to burn the Mummy, who wouldn't be. But I think we were fooled.

He will lift the charred body.

"There was a coffer set in place in the Harpy Chapel. We should lay him to rest there, cover him with these stones and mark his cairn." he says, unless you want to repatriate his body too.

I do have another thought, probably not an honest one. But who in Helix would know that this is not the body of Sir Guy O'Veargne? I mean any autopsy / carbon dating magic might reasonably suggest the body is from that age. He suggests in undertones.

Durgo

"Wrathbone, I could not bear the thought of doing that. Was he not a mummy after he followed us out of the room? There is some reason for the evil magic placed in the room though. Not all of us went in far enough to be affected by the shimmering field unless it was by sight."

I agree let's lay him to rest in the Harpy Chapel. I would like to make sure check the body for signs of identity. A sigil ring or a marking on the armor. Anything to let us know who this was. We need to search the room thoroughly too. If there is a veil of illusion there, we might not even see the real stuff that is there.

"I'd need proof in some way to present the body as Sir Guy to those interested in the information. I wonder if a high priest might be able to discern who the body is. If there is no information present to do so."

Durgo searches the body for clues and then the room with the group as a whole once ready.

[BaltoBruiser]

Bhelnus

Feeling confused by the recent events asks: This Fount of Law. Is it something any of you more experienced adventures know of? I ado not the know the lore of humans and I do not recall it as part of any dwarven tales.

How could we possibly have known that the abomination could actually have been an ally? Durgo did you sense evil or good as you were closest to the being whatever it was?

He will assist Durgo in the search of the crypt

[scottjen]

Fydmar
Well now, none dead, mummy dealt with. That went better than I thought. (to speculation that it may not have been a mummy) It looked like a mummy to me. If he wasn't, he sure did a good impression of one.
Bhelnus, thank you for the oil, but it seems it is not needed at this time. Shall I hold on to it anyway?
There were no other doors in the mummy room right?
I also have never heard of a "Fount of Law" - perhaps it is something that was stolen a long time ago and not the cultists? shrugs.
Lets have a look at this sarcophagus (he will approach & inspect).

[kwll]

Discountenanced by the sudden demise of the mummy at first, Genaromes feels relieved enough that he accompanies Fydmar in his inspection, looking for any magical presence.

[BaltoBruiser]

Bhelnus

Fydmarif you have room in your pack there is no need to return the flask. I would not you to want for a possible fiery missile in the future. Wrathbone did you use both of the flasks I provided? I should make sure you are not wanting either.

If Wrathbone does not have a flask of oil for future use, Bhelnus shares another with him.

[Spearmint]

I will edit here with a fuller update. But for now you can inter the deceased in the Harpy crypt coffer.

The Mummy has a signet ring. It is inscribed with Templar designs and indicates him to be a member of a Ygg militant order, which confirms his dying breath revelations of involvement with Sir Guy O'Veargne. Fragments of burned and ashen cloth with sewn insignia can be assessed and you can give a speculative guess he might be of 'the House of Pelinor', a minor noble family in the Aerik dynasties.

Checking out the crypt and coffer he exited from, you can discern that the shimmering air of enchantment is a ward that projects an illusion, causing whoever is interred in the coffer to be viewed as a Mummy. The magic so strong that no 'save vs magic spells or effects' is given. Perhaps the pentagram, as suggested before, adds some weight or dynamism to energise the visual effect.

The cultists from the north halls do not return or try to barge in on you and no more ghouls enter from the west.

So, Actions, discuss any further searching and exploring options.

What do you do next?

[BaltoBruiser]

Bhelnus

Will assist Durgo and Brother Symeon with moving and interning the remains.

We have plenty of options. The 4 locked doors on the hallway where we found the glass cube and silvered coffer could be forced open. We could look for secret doors in any of the rooms we have previously gone through. We could head north tying to follow the elf and captured Duergar, head west down the hallway where the ghoul fled, or head south which is unexplored. Does anyone else have something I am not thinking of? Of the options I mentioned, I believe we should attempt to open the doors in the hallway. Even if Sir Guy isn't inside, there may be loot.

[scottjen]

Fydmar
Bhelnus, I will hold on to this oil, I agree it will likely prove useful to have as many as possible of us so armed.
I also agree on opening either by magic or by force the doors on the hallway first. After that, north & then west would make sense - Durgo, didn't you get a location of vaguely west for the remains?
One of the Ygg followers should take the ring?

[Straither]

Wrathbone

I will take the body, dealing it the dignity and respect due to a knight but leave Symeon and Durgo to complete any formal rituals and prayers.

I am fine exploring further. Four doors in the east branch corridors, I am fine to bust each down. I think with all the noise and fights we have had that anyone or anything inside would have made themselves known by now.

We still have the 'silver sealed' coffer and even complete the mystery of the body in the glass block.

Once we have completed this hallway section (and presuming the Orcus cultusts don't come back), exploring the west passage from whence the ghouls came looks a good choice for me.

[Cwreando]

Durgo

Durgo takes the signet ring and sewn insignia and puts it in his backpack to take to the Chapel of St.Ygg.

Durgo curses the cultist who likely place the pentagram there, "The cultist will pay for this. The templar deserved a better fate than this. If they have done the same to Sir Guy, we must be wary of any pentagrams similar to this as we continue our search for his remains."

Durgo assist the team as they continue their search although he suspects them to be further inside the lair in the direction of the coffer with the pentagram.