Tools of Chaos

[madtinker]

Advance cautiously. move silently - (1d20-6)[0]

[INWranger]

As you go farther into the cave you start seeing slashed and disturbed necromancer paraphenilia. Up ahead you hear a large bang and your ears are ringing, but you take no damage.

[madtinker]

Freeze, hide, and listen. (1d20-6)[8], listen - (1d20+3)[20].

[INWranger]

Your ears stop ringing after a few seconds and you can hear a faint moaning. It is coming from further in the cave.

[madtinker]

Head toward to moaning, cautiously and ready to strike if an enemy appears.

[INWranger]

You find the source of the moaning. It is another derro, writhing in pain, covered with burn marks and clutching his ears.

[madtinker]

Cast cure light wounds on the poor creature. (1d8+4)[11]

spells

Spoiler

Show

Sound Burst
Bull's Strength
Sound Burst
Sound Burst
1st lvl
Magic Weapon
Obscuring Mist
Entropic shield
Enlarge Person
Shield of Faith
0 lvl
Detect Magic
Guidance
Virtue
Guidance
Detect Magic

[INWranger]

He slowly gets up, on his guard, but looking much better.
You spares my life and makes the ringings stop. I won't try to kill you for one hour. I leave until then. Don't be here when I get back. He starts walking out of the cave.

[madtinker]

Bow graciously, and continue deeper into the cavern.

[INWranger]

The cave ends where you are. As you look around there is a chest with scorch marks in from of it and a skeleton with heavy armor against the far wall. There is another skeleton in tattered robes. An alter is against one wall, candles long burned out, covered with skulls and bones. A bed lays off to one side, or what was once a bed anyway.

[madtinker]

Cast detect magic on the area.

spells

Spoiler

Show

Sound Burst
Bull's Strength
Sound Burst
Sound Burst
1st lvl
Magic Weapon
Obscuring Mist
Entropic shield
Enlarge Person
Shield of Faith
0 lvl
Detect Magic
Guidance
Virtue
Guidance
Detect Magic

[INWranger]

The chest glows with power. The altar has a faint glow. There is also a bit of magic coming from the skeleton with robes.

[madtinker]

Inspect the skeleton and the altar a bit more closely. search skeleton - (1d20)[19] search altar - (1d20)[14].

[INWranger]

Besides dark robes that have a little magic their is a longsword stuck through the middle of the rib cage and going out through the spine that gives of a more powerful signature. An arrowhead shaped silver amulet is around its neck, giving off nothing but the faintest glow. On in the altar you find a find an open book in a language you can't read. It is also full of diagrams. You also find a brass circlet carrying a faint aura.

[madtinker]

Take the robes, sword, amulet, book, and circlet, and put them in my pack. I can study them more later. Does anything happen when I touch any of the items to stow them?

[INWranger]

As you reach for the sword a woman's voice that sounds like it is coming from far away and close at the same time says Please don't do that. from directly behind you.

[madtinker]

Stop reaching. Ask to the darkness "Of course madam. And whom do I have the honor of addressing?"

[INWranger]

Chamille Bluehem, and turn around. I like to see peoples faces when I talk to them.

[madtinker]

Slowly turn, lowering my sword so as to not threaten her. Bow deeply. It is an honor to meet you madam.

[INWranger]

As you raise your head you can see that Chamille is translucent and realize you are talking to a ghost. Her long silvery hair flows over her heavy armor and you can see she is also wearing two scabbards, one with a sword in it and one without.Now, you of excessive manners, why are you here? Obviously you are not a normal looter or you would not have healed the derro. (More to herself) Not the brightest move. You also would not have stopped when I asked you to.

[madtinker]

My name is Angus Roarheart, cleric of Kord. I was hired to find your armor by a stranger halfling. If you do not wish it to be found of course I will discontinue my search.

[INWranger]

After a brief pause. Compared to the situation I am in right now I couldn't care less about my armor, or anything else really. That skeleton you were about to pull my sword out of is the necromancer who was here. I killed him just after he completed the last part of the ritual to become a lich. By pulling the sword out you would have released him of my force of will that keeps him dead. I was looking for his phylactery in the chest when I set the trap off and it finished me off. If you destroy the phylactery you can have whatever you can carry out of this cave.

[madtinker]

You truly have performed a great service. How would you recommend opening the chest without meeting a fate similar to your own?

[INWranger]

I have no idea. Just don't try opening it the regular way from the front. You wouldn't believe how many beings I have seen die that way. I have seen rats and such touch it with no problem, but anything that goes to open it is burned or worse.

[madtinker]

Nod understanding. Fist order of business will be to cast another "detect magic," targeting the chest to try to figure out how to disarm the trap.

[INWranger]

There are several hot spots that you detect. One of them is where the catch and latch would be with two very bright spots where they would meet after someone turned the catch. Another spot is a blob that seems to be the origin of the scorch marks and has a thin line going up to the catch. There is another spot, but that seems to be more inside the chest. The rest of the chest is pretty boring in terms of magic. There also seems to be a pictogram near the catch, covered in soot from various explosions.

[madtinker]

Carefully wipe the char off the pictograph and try to decipher it.

[INWranger]

The pictograph looks like a grinning skeleton holding a scythe and making an inviting gesture to come forward.

[madtinker]

Do I know anything about it?

knowledge religion - (1d20)[8]
knowledge arcana - (1d20)[12]
knowledge history - (1d20)[2]

[INWranger]

The nearest you can tell, it is death inviting you.