Father of Worms

[Revenant]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3o4kIbvZ0U

Malvue leads you to the mine entrance where he is met by Foulty and several armed men. They lead you down several passages until you come to a tunnel which is guarded by several more armed men. Signs are posted outside the passage, *Do Not Enter* and *Condemned*. The guards however step aside at the sight of Malvue and he leads you down the tunnel until you come to a wall which has been sealed with brick and stone. The tunnel itself continues onward but this point seems to be where it breached the tomb. The dwarven engineer Thrais, you met last night is there slowly supervising the removal of the stone seal. They remove only enough to let you enter a dark opening that will allow you access one at a time. Malvue looks to you and states, "After you enter we are going to reseal the opening but guards and the engineers will remain here to open it again, once you've returned."

Thrais grins at Torvik, "Do no worry, one of us will always be here kinsman, to make sure its opened quickly when the time comes."

[Rex]

Bryne

"Can we have a sledge hammer to signal you with?"

[GreyWolfVT]

Torvik nods his head "That is a relief. Thank ya fer that Thrais if we make it back out alive. A couple more rounds fer ya and yer lot." he says in his typical dwarvish manner adding a smile.

[Darithe]

Mave

She looked at the opening in the mine wall, little more than a small crack in the wall though ample enough for her to fit her slim frame in. What would her father think, exposing herself to a no doubt shady enterprise with people she did not trust. Luckily, she did trust her companions. They had proven themselves again and again. So for now, she takes the lead, lighting a torch and stepping into the darkness before her.

[spanningtree]

Thena

Nods to Thrais and steps into the opening, draws her sword.

[GreyWolfVT]

Torvik hangs back to talk with Thrais he speaks in his native language

"Can I count on yah and tha other dwarfs down ere ta have our backs if things go sideways Thrais?" he asks with no disrespect "Somethin' ain't sittin right bout this in me gut an I wanna know we have at least some true friends an allies this side o' that seal." after waiting a moment he will add to Thrais "I suspect we might have some would may ambush us once we try comin back through that seal. I just wanna be sure we can at least count on tha dwarven kin ta help us out."

[The Bindoner]

Wilwayaisawén



Wilwarin makes a last check of equipment.


Liviel, I would like you to stay at the back of the group, and save your magic until it can make a difference.


I do not know how familiar you are with combat, Locke, but I ask you to protect Liviel while my companions and I deal with whatever we encounter.

Drawing Nacquessë she passes through the gap.

I am assuming Liviel only has one, maybe two, spells – I’d prefer her to wait for a tough target rather than zap the first thing we meet.

[Revenant]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95I7t1znYFk

Skeleton in room 1.jpg (588.56 KiB) Viewed 975 times

Thrais listens to Torvik's words in dwarven and replies in the same language as she brushes a hand across the edge of his beard,

"We are kin and I will not abandon you under ANY circumstances. One of us three will remain here until you and your friends return safely, this I swear before the hammer and the forge and the one who forged us both."

She takes a step back and looks to Malvue speaking in common, "I want guards with me kin here day and night. Plenty enough to rip that seal asunder when they give the sign." Malvue nods but says nothing in response.

Foulty responds to Bryne's request for a sledgehammer, "The hammers here are to work the mines. We've none to spare. They are tools that belong to Master Tallow, just as ye and yer friends are his tools. A sword thwapping the wall will be sufficient to get our attention to hammer you a way out." His look is stern and unyielding and the workers who hold their hammers make no move to pass you a sledgehammer.

Liviel nods in response to Wilwarin's instructions, "Yes sister...er I mean Wilwarin," she grins. Locke glances at Liviel with a nod, "Aye, battle is not my strongsuit so I will hang back and heal as needed."

The stench of death pervades the room as each of you move through the opening. Mave shines her light about the room you enter. It is a large stone room with stone stairs to your left as you enter going down into darkness. The floor before the opening you must enter in, is covered in dried blood staining the stone in circles of rustlike colors. There are closed wooden doors across from the opening and to the right. In the right corner lies a skeleton leaning against the wall and it has apparently been there for some time, its clothing having rotted away or perhaps it was naked when it succumbed. It lays there as if napping and is unremarkable save for the red marking burned into the forehead of the skull in the shape of an eye.

The room echoes with the hammering sounds of the stones being put back into place behind you sealing the opening again through which you entered. But those sounds soon end and your eyes are drawn by Mave's light as it shines upon something that is a more recent inhabitant than the skeleton in this room. A tall man is hanging across the room beside the closed door on that side of the room. He wears torn leather armor and his hands and feet have been hammered to the wall with steel spikes. Written on the wall in dried blood are the words, *The Father's shadow is cast where ever we stand*. Your eyes are then drawn to the man's rotting face, the eyes and mouth of which are sewn shut with thick black thread. Like the skeleton there is a red eye seared into his forehead. And as you look you see a maggot slip between the black thread of his right eye and slither down his cheek like a pale tear.

[Rex]

Bryne

Bryne moves into the room to make room for those behind her. He bow in hand and at the ready.

"Pleasant."

[GreyWolfVT]

Torvik a shiver runs down his spine, he looks one last time to Thrais and nods his head "Drinks an more should I make it back alive dun forget it Thrais." he says trying to now show his obvious unease of the ugly scenario facing the group, he manages to muster a smile before he turns back to the nasty undead business before them, and moves inward. "Aye, a mighty nice greetin' they done left us."

[spanningtree]

Thena

A warning that mere minions would not leave... she says as she makes her way over to skeleton. She'll twist it's head off if she can.

[Darithe]

Mave

Shivers and gasps audibly at the horrid sight, wondering what manner of foe they will soon face, "One of your sister's party perhaps?," she asks Locke.

[The Bindoner]

Wilwayaisawén

Thena

A warning that mere minions would not leave... she says as she makes her way over to skeleton. She'll twist it's head off if she can.

Wilwarin takes in the grim vision, acknowledges her horror to herself, and maintains her mask.

You should smash it.

Wilwarin walks with long, fast strides over to the hanging figure, drives Nacquessë through the branded eye sigil, tears the blade loose and swings it in a smooth arc to sever the head from the body.

If that symbol means what I think, our arrival is known. At least that is all this one will see of us.

Wilwarin bends to turn the fallen head's eyes to the wall. As she does so, she whispers to it in elvish: I am sorry for this fate, I will try to avenge it.

[Revenant]

“When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”
~ From the tenets of the Father (by the way of Mr. Shakespeare)


Thena with grim determination rips the skull from leaning skeleton which collapses in a clatter of bones. There is a brief moment where the burned symbol seems to glow as if afire lighting the room briefly with an emberlike glow. At the sight of the light Davion, the young priest Tallow sent with you, gasps and grimaces and in a much deeper voice than he normally speaks with exclaims, "The Harbinger Awaits!" After this, Davion begins to shake spasmodically before collapsing into the arms of Liviel who stands next to him and with Locke's assistance, lowers him to the floor where Locke examines him for several moments. Several minutes pass before the young priest again opens his eyes and is helped again to his feet. The light then fades from the skull.

The three young rangers spring into action as soon as they enter the room, Kade calling out, "Assuming guardian stance Commander," with Vari arrow nocked taking a defensive stance before the stairs leading down from the room, Kade takes position sword reach before the door next to the dead man and Ruskin throwing daggers in each hand moves to stand before the door to the right of the entrance.

Athan at the sight of the dead man and the reddish light looks ill and states, "Evil surrounds us." Morwen who stands beside him also begins to look a bit sick and draws her blade as if expecting to be attacked where she stands. She begins a prayer to Kelemvor looking at the crucified dead man.

Locke then looks to Mave and says, "Probably, but I do not know who she adventured with." He moves to stand between Davion and Liviel.

Wilwarin dispatches the head of the dead man with an elegant grace turning its head to the wall, its eyes both seared and threaded now face the blank wall. As she does this, Davion nervously begins to speak, "Do you hear them? They are whispering, they are calling to each of us..." and from the darkness of the descending stairway you hear chittering and the sound of movement below.

[spanningtree]

Thena

Begins whispering: I call forth Tempus, by the light of his power, the air that courses through my body, and the beat of a heart like wings in flight I seek a blessing of sacred light.

OCC: Thena casts bless, spell deducted.

[Rex]

Bryne

Bryne moves to cover the tunnel entrance.

[GreyWolfVT]

Torvik gives a brief nod of approval to his recruits remembering their training so well and responding accordingly to the situiation he moves into position. "Cursed place be damned, keep yer wits about ya rangers." he says in a manner of advice not an order.

[Darithe]

Mave

Mave readies her shortbow and nocks an arrow as she moves to stand beside Vari. She didn't know what moved down there in the darkness but she meant to give it a reason to retreat back to where it came.

[Revenant]

The words of the little girl in the dreams that plagued you suddenly come to mind almost as if she herself was here whispering them...

13 souls, both dark and bright,
Entered the tomb to end His blight...

And it is then that you realize how many stand within this room that leads to the Father's tomb... 13

An echo of your dreams perhaps, but you have no time to ponder this...

For Bryne, Vari and Mave all catch sight of many tiny red eyes slowly moving up the stairs from the darkness below.

And you hear Kade yell as he throws himself against the door next to the beheaded piked man as he shouts, "Something is pushing against the door."

Ruskin shouts and he too throws himself against the door to your right shouting, "It is the same here. We're being attacked from three sides!"

This is followed by a wet tearing sound as the jaws of the piked man's head rips open the stitches that held it's mouth sewn shut and it begins to speak in a raspy voice, "The Father and his Daughter welcome you to his family."

[spanningtree]

Thena

Moves to the center of the room.

OCC: I think bless should have it everyone. 50 foot cubic area of of effect.