Bel's Age of Worms [IC]

[J-H]

Casper

Casper sends his construct ahead, as he'd planned to do before.

[DrK]

Cyrius

The warrior-cleric shivers in the cold water but grins at Rose, patting her on the shoulder. He stands by the stairs as she and the astral construct venture into the dim tomb. "Shall I come with you?" he asks before starting to ponderously walk after her, knife in hand.

[BelGareth]

Rose and the astral construct dunk their heads below the surface, the construct swimming as Rose settles to the bottom, and slowly walks on the bottom. As Rose moves further, she realizes the water is too dark to see [Assuming she breaks open a sunrod], the astral construct taking off without her, swimming without issues in the now placid water.

The first largest room, contains 2 walls north and south, that look like privacy walls. 4 pillars stand equidistant to one another, each with a spigot at the top about 8 feet up, a center stone, that rises only a few feet, also contains several spigots. This area is open and leads to 2 other rooms east and wast, and a 3rd barred room to the south.

The room to the east:

This small room contains four long benches and several niches along the walls. A pile of bones and it's equipment lie in the corner of this room.

The Astral construct swims off, doing as commanded.

Spoiler

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Rose held breath: 3/28 rounds

This water is all the way to the cieling, so you will be completely submerged, I got the impression that you thought that was not the case DrK? If not, you can tag along, but if so, feel free to change your mind. Though, you would be moving at half speed, so 10' (and can hold your breath just as long)

Spoiler: Things

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Attack - (1d20+2)[20] vs 16
Damage - (1d6+1)[2]

[redzimmer]

Seramal

Never willing to wait patiently, Seramal swims after Rose. She switches to darkvision to help her along.

[Deophaun]

Rose continues, examining the eastern room and the pile of bones before heading back to check back in with Narl and get a breath of fresh air.

Spoiler

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Search (take 10): 23
Spot: (1d20+4)[8]
Listen: (1d20+7)[23]

[BelGareth]

The bone are old, almost ancient, and have been cracked open by something, trying to get into the marrow. The armor was of fine craftsmanship, but has been torn apart, as if ruined by sharp claws. You find a glimmering shortsword, obviously magical in nature, and the torn leather armor bears the same mark as the other ones before. The bony hand is grasping a red lantern.

As you move back for more air, you pass Seramal, struggling to get back to the stairs.

Spoiler

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Heal - (1d20+3)[23]

[redzimmer]

Seramal

"Huh," is all Seramal can say as she spits up a litre of water.

[BelGareth]

Spoiler: stuff

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Attack - (1d20+2)[12] vs 18
[roll=Damage]1d6+1[roll]
EDIT: missed anyway

[BelGareth]

As Rose appears for another breath, so to does Caspers Astral Construct, though, it bears a bite mark on it's shoulder. Otherwise, it seems unfazed.

[Deophaun]

Rose

Rose emerges from the water, hoisting the red lantern for all to see. "I think this is the missing piece we've been looking for," she says.

"I also found this fine piece of craftsmanship." Rose expertly brandishes the shortsword. "Cannot say I do not look forward to testing it out."

As the astral construct emerges with its visible bite mark, Rose frowns. "The remains I pulled these off of were also eaten by something. From their age, if that something is still here, it's very old indeed."

[DrK]

Cyrius

The young cleric claps her on the shoudler. "The missing piece. Excellent. Shall we dry off and then see what happens when we light it above." Happy to be leaving the water he wades out towards the stairs. Water cascading in waterfalls from the joints and rviets of his armour.

[redzimmer]

Seramal

"Hrrgh..." she finally gets her breathing back in order.

"There's something chompy in there. Are we going to just leave it?"

Gripping her morningstar, she summons up another unseen servant.

"Go in the water and draw out whatever attacked the brain-ghost," she commands.

Spoiler: Brain-what?

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Use unseen servant charge. Order construct to try swimming and drawing out whatever bit the astral construct (it got thought up and is intangible, thus a brain ghost).

[BelGareth]

As you talk, the Astral construct fades from view, it's essence fading back into whatever ectoplasm base it was formed from.

[Deophaun]

Rose

"I'd rather not, but we still don't know why the wizard sent us here. His laundry might be down there."

Rose shrugs out of the rope. "A fight is in order, then. Sir Narl, now would be a fine time to don that breathing contraption of yours. Seramal, if you are having trouble swimming, grab some loose rocks from the end of the tunnel. They'll keep you grounded."

[rax]

Narl

Narl looks like he's about to say something, but in the end he just shrugs. "Just as long as it isn't more bugs..."

He quickly divests himself of extraneous equipment, pulls down his mask and indicates his readiness to enter the water.

Spoiler: What's left behind

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Basically, everything on his equipment list from the backpack down to the blessed bandages. He'll also leave his bow and arrows.

The potions and potion belt may come in handy, so he's keeping those, and he's obviously wearing his auran mask. The watch lamp will provide light and he has his flail and daggers to fight with.

[J-H]

Casper
Casper moves next to the water, his longspear poised to strike. "My spear isn't going to be slowed by the water - see if you can lure whatever it is over here.
I don't suppose anyone has a bit of bloody clothing we could drop into the water as bait?"

[Debatra]

"Considering what we've just been through, I'd be more surprised if none of our clothes were at least a little bloody."

[DrK]

Cyrius

Cyrius looks at Casper before nodding. "Aye, I think its a good idea if we retreat to the steps and see if we can draw whatever creature it is out towards. In the shallows and the light we will be much safer." Nodding in agreement he stands back on the lower steps maybe knee deep in the water, this time switching back to his trusty shield and longsword.

[Deophaun]

Rose

While waiting patiently for the scent of blood to diffuse through the waters, Rose takes one of her daggers and holds it in her gauntleted hand. Meditating on them, the dagger and gauntlet break down into sand and merge, stretching out and resolidifying into a pointed rapier. "Here," she says, handing the weapon to Narl. "You'll find this a fine fishing rod."

As time stretches on with nary a bite at the lure, Rose moves into the water. "If the mountain won't come to Elminster, then Elminster must go to the mountain."

[rax]

Narl

Narl takes the rapier gingerly in his hand, as if afraid that it's going to crumble at any moment. "Huh, a clever trick indeed. How long will this last? I'd hate to have it turn into a pile of sand in the middle of a fight."

But when Rose begins to move into the water without answering, he sighs, adjusts the auran mask one more time, and wades in after her.

[redzimmer]

Seramal

"How did I ever live before I discovered you?" Seramal coos at her unseen servant wand.

With a flick and a twist, she summons another servant to wade/swim/flounder invisibly beside Narl and Rose.

[BelGareth]

Having decided to take the better part of caution, you move back up to the main chamber with the sarcophagi. Deciding this to a good place to rest, little routes of entry, large enough to defend, and move, you set up camp.

Everyone takes a moment to find a spot, and establish what comfort they can, which is to say, very little. The stone is cold, and sucks the warmth from your bodies like a breeze snuffing out a fire.

But eventually, you all rest, taking turns to watch for anything untoward.

Nothing happens, either you've defeated everything in the Cairn, or everything else was watching and hiding.

However, not all is as it seems, as the last watch is taken, and is about to get up to awaken everybody, the Sarcophagi starts to move!

it screeches and moans as it slowly, ever so slowly, moves by itself, to point back at the orange lantern. Once it sets into place, with a loud *click* of stone, the elevator in the yellow alcove rises with a hiss, then falls. As well as the elevator in the indigo alcove, you hear a rumbling discontent from the other, broken elevator, as if something was trying to do the same, but no longer able to.

With a start, the sarcophagus erupts in flame, which quickly dies down and dissipates.

Spoiler

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People can react. You all recover spells etc.
Then we can light the lanterns!

Spoiler

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EDIT: I changed it to the correct alcove (orange)

[redzimmer]

Seramal

"C'mon kids, we have ancient tombs to loot, spirits to upset! Mama wants a new set of platinum everything!"

With repulsively good spirits for so early in the morning, Seramal bounds over to the unlit lanterns and begins fumbling with her flint & steel.

[rax]

Narl

Narl moves to assist Seramal in lighting the lanterns. "Won't it be terribly disappointing if lighting the lanterns does nothing at all," he chuckles incongruously.

[DrK]

Cyrius

Cyrius jumps as the flames erupt and the lanterns erupt into light. WHat was that?" As the other lanterns move and flicker and all the elevators move and bump he nods at the other alcoves. "Have we explored all of these alcoves?" He looks at the others who came more early to the Cairn for an answer?

[Deophaun]

Rose

Seeing the sarcophagus erupt in fire, Rose is happy that she did not rush opening it.

"You've been in ever passage way we have," she answers to Cyrius's query. "That leaves two left. But, we have all the lanterns now. Might as well see what they do besides lighting the place up."

With that Rose helps to light the lanterns, rationing her single flask of lamp oil between whatever lanterns Narl and Saramal are unable to light.

[J-H]

Casper

"This place just gets stranger and stranger."

[BelGareth]

You light all the lanterns and stand back with abated breath.

Nothing happens.

[redzimmer]

Seramal

"Never thought in all my years I'd see a coffin explode. Think we can still turn it?"

She was curious to see what the newly-returned lantern compass points might unlock.

[rax]

Narl

"Well, at least now we have some pretty lights to work by. Mucking about with an exploding coffin still doesn't feel like the brightest idea, though. Why not go see about that hole in the ceiling over there?" Narl says, indicating the passage with the blue lantern.

OOC: I'm making the assumption that we've not "forgotten" to do something obvious like hanging the lanterns in the alcoves...