Barrowmaze: beyond the Ritual Baptistry

[Spearmint]

Sure:

The rusty spiral staircase has been nibbled more. You need grapnel and rope or levitation to access the hole in the ceiling (into the Bear Sarcophagus)

The corridors look and feel deserted except for the odd scuttling bug and rat, perhaps a slimy ooze trail or two. No sign of any group passing this way.

You can action entering other crypts to explore further if you wish.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth is fine checking out the Silas mound or the door first.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven can't help but give in to his curiosity.

As they pass the short hall with the door note near Gabby's temple, he has everyone pause for a moment while he casts a spell at the door.

"Hang on for a second gang. We are almost out of this mess, but I want to try something before we meet back up with the others. Stay alert here."

If the coast remains clear, he casts Knock upon the door.

Barrowmaze 2nd Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+3]=18+3=21

[Spearmint]

At the adjoining corridor, it goes 10'ft further then ends in another standard wooden door, sodden and reinforced with iron bands. A note is written on the door, scribbled in several languages but all saying the same thing. "Please knock and enter.".

Curiosity killed the cat. Sven cannot hold himself and Knocks upon the crypt door. It clicks, a rusted click and a puff of dust, ages old that has lain undisturbed. The door creaks open into a temple type crypt that has a gold-leaf statue set between two carved pillars as the main feature.

The large statue is a human (humanoid) seated in meditative pose but not upon cross-legs, rather from the torso down, the figure has serpentine coiled tail. Indeed two serpents coil as carved features around the adjacent pillars. Held within the fingers of the figure is a white pearl. Before the seated figure is a simply dressed altar table.

Apart from the statue and carved pillars, the room is plainly adorned; no burial alcoves or coffers. However in one corner a brass stand holds several unlit candles, similar to the little candlelights you might find in a chapel.

Despite none of the candles being lit, an aroma of incense does scent the room, above the normally fetid and rotten crypt smells.



While Grumashk guards in the corridor, any inquisitive others can enter to check the room out in more detail. Actions please

[OGRE MAGE]

Allowing the puff of dust to settle first, Sven will cast his Detect Magic spell while still near the door, looking around the room before he enters. Eventually moving into the crypt to get a closer look at the statue, paying close attention to the pearl in its hand as he draws near.

"Everyone be careful in here. We have never looked in this room before, but at least we are close to an exit now, if things should go badly for us."

"We should check those candles in the corner too."

Barrowmaze 1st Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+2]=12+2=14

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth moves in once Sven gives the word and starts to carefully search. Can Orgoth tell if any of the candles have been lit before and snuffed out or are they all never lit before?

"Not sure what that statue is but it doesn't look "Good" if you know what I mean."

[Spearmint]

Cautious you proceed inside.

The brass shelf of candlelights looks very basic, the little wax votives are a mixture of used and unused, none lit recently. They give a slight perfumery smell and when lit, shed a small tongue of aromatic flame that probably consumes the wax over a hour long period. There are about four score mini-candles, you can raid them into a sack if you wish, concluding nothing magical or baneful about them.

The gold-leaf statue. The face has an 'oriental' type visage, not demonic such as the Nergal or Set ones encountered, but the image evokes the thought that it is more than human, certainly with the serpentine features.

Detect Magic: the area radiates with that residue of enchantment, focussed on the altar and statue. The pearl has a specific enchantment, beyond being a normal quality prized pearl. The suspicious will be that using the altar might invoke whatever enchantment the features as a whole contain.

The altar is a basic stone plinth slab. It does not appear blood stained or scratched from ceremonial daggers.

The two coiled snakes around the side pillars do not radiate anything beyond being finely carved serpents.

Considering, you might conclude the statue image represents a figure that is not divine (either godly or demonic) but is yet above the normal humanity level; some form of Djinn or Genie related figure.

[Rex]

Orgoth

"I am worried what might happen if we mess with the pearl."

Maybe the Indiana Jones swap with an equal weight trick?

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven wonders why this particular room hasn't been entered or ransacked in a long while, as if the cultists avoid it for some reason.

"Perhaps this is a sanctuary of some kind, where bad things like the floor coming alive to kill us won't happen in here?"

He nods to Orgoth and his opinion. "Perhaps. Maybe there is also some spirit trapped within the statue that can aid our quest."

He walks up and places his hand on the altar to see if anything happens. He then tries placing a gem or a platinum piece on the altar, as a offering to the statue.

"Oh great being, lend us your insight on this place, if you can."

He turns back to the others and shrugs his underdeveloped shoulders.

[OGRE MAGE]

If nothing happens.....maybe we light one of the candles and place it on the altar?

[Rex]

That is a good idea. Maybe add the candle to the offerings?

[Spearmint]

He then tries placing a gem or a platinum piece on the altar, as a offering to the statue.

Could you be specific which gem? I checked inventories and didn't see an obvious low value gem to test any offering. So maybe one you have found recently?

I also noted that Orgoth has some pearls in his boot heel which if you wanted to try the 'Switcheroo' with, you could try that. Ask Penelope with a pickpocket / sleight of hand? You can do the skill roll if you attempt that.

Certainly if you place 1pp on the altar with a lighted candle, the candle flame dims significantly in illumination and size before the coin disappears. The Djinn idol remains impassive and unimpressed by the meagre sacrifice.

[Rex]

Orgoth

The pearls are for use of an Identify spell so would rather save them until we have tried other options. Unfortunately Orgoth doesn't have much else to offer without getting into lots of coins or a magic item.

[Spearmint]

SM's trove notes:

Three surviving Canopic jars. Penny, Crippens, Berric

Gem shards from x4 Sapphire Skeletons sack

Linen Prayer shawl, sack

A solitary gold bracelet. sack

Death Masks, one of simple copper make, another is silver and the third is made of electrum. sack

Among centuries old detritus you can find manuscripts and parchments which detail Nergal rites and rituals, infernal writings detailing proscribed protocols and administrations.sack

The Nergal Icon is made of obsidian streaked with veins of crimson or red to create a marble like effect. It is heavy but small and slim enough to fit into a large sack. Sven

There are scattered 'utensils', that seem crafted for (un)holy usage such as water jugs, ladles, a basin. These are made of electrum alloys.sack

There is also a locked box, key inside a Son of Yannarg's. tattered robe. Inside are two potions, one looks a common 'green cross code' pharmaceutical elixir to replenish lost health used, and the other a darker, liquorice streaked with blood coloured syrup. Sven

Poor box with 50gp sack

Mongrelman: silver torc (of Spell Soaking?) BTL

Three junior Necrolytes of Set: each with a spell book containing 1-3 1st level Mage spells. Each wore a bone face-mask. More hand crafted and sewn to suit from patchwork pieces of skull and bone. Not 'death mask' type which are specifically crafted. Sven has tomes, Masks in sacks

Bone-Vest: Vest and face-mask made of bones.
Radiates with a minor enchantment, augmenting base AC by +1. It is not a solid breastplate but a loosely sewn together shawl - jerkin made of sinew connected bones. Maybe it has a ceremonial function or is just a simple additional protection. Berric

A loose collection of coins (worth 33gp).
Sack

sacks carried by BTL & Gargyx

Not a great hoard admittedly.

[OGRE MAGE]

None of those items pinged as magical unless otherwise stated, correct?

I was thinking about using his uncut sapphire, but I see I have that marked as in his room.

Sven places a candle along with the sapphire shards they took from the skeletons upon the altar.

"Sorry, we haven't had much luck with better spoils lately, unfortunately. But we have saved quite a few poor souls from a fate worse than death, if that counts for anything."

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth waits with a silent prayer to Cromm for his guidance.

[Spearmint]

"Oh great being, lend us your insight on this place, if you can."

The shards disappear,

Wisdom and Insight? vs Wisdom Sven [4d6]=16 Orgoth [4d6]=14

Well the altar 'works', in the sense that the offerings are received but there is no epiphany or revelation gained. Perhaps like the Sunstone Dial, there is a protocol or form of pattern or ritual that is needed to access the mystery of the room.

Sven wonders why this particular room hasn't been entered or ransacked in a long while, as if the cultists avoid it for some reason.

A good question and something to mull over. You make some more observations, noting the gold leaf on the idol would be of value to any would be Tomb Raider. A few edges at the base or tail do look tampered with but no strips have been successful peeled away. It provokes thoughts of a trap, should someone get gold fever. Your eyes go to the carved snakes, each longer than a man and coiled around the pillars, facing into the room and towards the central pieces. Caryatids do not radiate any magic enchantment and may only animate into life once a trigger cause occurs. They could just be normal carvings of course and have no function apart from decorating the chamber.

There was a base aura given from your Detect Magic. An offering being teleported fits in with that but the offerings given have seemingly not yet caused any positive or negative effect. There are no writings or inscriptions, none that you can see, which might tell you of the room's purpose or history. Gargyx has not been here before and Smokie does not recognise anything despite it being only a short distance from Jerome's chamber.

Unlike other crypts, this chamber though dusty is otherwise clean of detritus and tossed away scraps. The room is searched but no secret doors are noted in the side walls and no invisible person is bumped into. But the place is peaceful and after much mayhem, sneaking and conflict, a welcome respite.

The pearl it hold delicately is tempting, perhaps it retains some intrinsic power beyond being effective for Identifying spell castings. The other thought is that there is a threshold of 'sacrificial value' that is needed for acceptance of the Djinn idol's own wisdom or operation of power.

Actions any more here and next plans for the escape from the Barrow / rejoin the TG group.

[Rex]

Orgoth

"It took our offering. Not sure if we are doing something wrong or just not enough of an offering. I don't think it is evil but if Sir Dewey is nearby he could try detecting evil."

[OGRE MAGE]

"I wish for one hundred thousand platinum pieces."

Sven sighs with displeasure.

"This is confusing. We aren't equipped for a nasty fight if the snakes do come to life after stealing the pearl, but we are apparently too ignorant to learn anything else about how this activates?"

The frustrations of the young mage are obvious.

"At least this seems like a safe haven from the cultists who run the place. It doesn't seem like they come inside here anyway."

Looking through their meager spoils, with nothing more valuable to offer, Sven shrugs. "I don't intend to toss every coin we have on the stupid altar just to watch them disappear, so......"

He looks to everyone in the group. "Okay. Who is ready to get out of here? Do any of you wish to continue our task of searching for others imprisoned in here? Or is everyone pretty much ready to get back to.......where is everyone actually from, anyway?"

Sven hopes to get a little more information from the others before they seek out the rest of the guild group.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth waits to here where everyone is from and tries to think of how he is going to explain the leprous bugbear they have with them.