Tyrant's Grasp: The Dead Roads [IC]

[DrK]

Grum looks to Gwen and the brothers. "Well, do we head upstairs and find our way out or check this room with a strange orb in it?" H waits patiently, although his posture clearly suggests a desire to proceed to the stairsy o
udwards

[lostsole31]

All of the NPCs want to follow Grum out of here, except Camael. When asked, almost sheepishly he says, "I am not comfortable with the possibility that a spirit has been trapped. I wish to investigate to see if that's the case, and what the best course of action would be after that."

[DrK]

Helena slowly nods. "I would agree with Camael. If a spirit is trapped we should ensure it is not suffering." Grum for his part just shrugs and nods at the strange creature, "We'll be back in a few minutes aye." he offers before waving the sword a little to shepherd the others around and stompnig south back into the main chamber and straight across to the portak on the other side.

[lostsole31]

Grum is at the portak on the other side, with the party lined up mostly behind him, but keeping clear of the altar puzzle tiles.

[DrK]

Readied with the others Grum looks back, "Don't touch anything that glows aye?" he suggests in a gruff voice before striding confidently into the room, sword ready for any trouble.

[lostsole31]

The walls of this room are carved with strange sigils in broad circles. The center of the room contains a stone pillar with a large wedge of crystal atop it; the pillar and the floor around it are covered with more of the strange glyphs. Curled up next to the pillar is the husk of a small blue humanoid. The only door in this room leads out to the north.

[DrK]

As Grum pulls up Helena steps past him and slowly approaches to within about 10ft of the orb, staying further away than the dead husk on the floor. She eyes it carefully lookimg at it with her magical senses as she sees what manner of power she can guess it may contain. ”Sal, Caelm do you know what this is?” she asks them, not expecting Grum, Drake or Gwen to know as they all seem more physically inclined

[lostsole31]

Helena has to be closer to start, but then opens datum to go farther in the room.

"It's Camael," Cam corrects Helena as he comes into the room and stands in the opposite corner.

Sal enters and ends up between the two.

With Sal's impressive knowledge of esoterica both arcane and spiritual, and Helena's own theological training, together they both recognize that this room contains several binding runes around the crystal in the room's center.

"If a hero like your Roslar imprisoned whatever is in that gem ... and if that gem killed a likely curious creature like the mite," says Camael, "I'm sure it is prudent - now that I see what's here and given what you've said - that we should leave it."

[DrK]

Grum looks at Sal, Helena and Camael, "What would happen if we broke it?" he asks hefting the massive blade in his hands

[lostsole31]

"I imagine that you would release whatever is bound," says Sal, "and I doubt that helps us get out of here if we did that."

[DrK]

Grum shrugs, "Aye well. Up them stairs it be then," he suggests, "Releasing wee beasties nae a good idea" he barks as he starts to head towards the stairs.

Helena looks at the orb with a bit of desire before shaking her head. "Probably for the best to leave it well alone. As you say Grum, best we head up and see if we can forge an escape from this place."

[lostsole31]

Everyone is fine with that, and departs the spooky crystal room with the warning of a dead mite, falling in place behind Grum as he's ready to go up the stairs. Grum heads up the stairs, and the stairs open right up into a long room that has a single bench against the eastern wall. Several plates of gleaming metal hang from wires in the ceiling, like barding in the shape of a fearsome metal bull. The plates twist like wind chimes, creating a dull clanking. Stairs lead steeply downward to the west, and a single door stands in the southern wall.

What do you do?

[DrK]

Grum starts a bit at the metallic bull dangling from the ceiling before he beckons the others. "Chimes fer a bairn eh?" he suggests as advances towards the metal structure to have a closer look.

Helena trailing behind looks around the walls of the room for clues as to why the bull is there, "A strange thing, did Roslar kill a bull I wonder?" she muses out loud cursing herself for not reading more on the man before she had been deployed to Roslar's coffer.

[lostsole31]

Grum, you think you hear something ... chewing slowly ... inside the bull's hide?

For all, there is a gleaming silver sword of fine make pushed into the hide of the bull.

[DrK]

Grum points at the metal hulk, ”There be a sword wedged in one sheet and I can ken chewing frae one. Make ye ready.” he suggests, pausing a few (I.e 6) seconds before bashing the nearest metal hard with the shield to send them all clattering and rattling

Helena nods at Grum’s warming heading to the far north of the room and drawing her bow, nocking an arrow.

[lostsole31]

Well, that did it! A creature wriggles free, falling to the floor with a squelch, and instantly looks agitated, its little mandibles clacking.

Begin Round One ...

R1T20: Drake looks at the Small creature. "It's an overgrown horn caterpillar. Just a big bug with no mind. Watch out for those bristles," he says nervously with his machete, "they can cut you if you're up close trying to hit it. Here goes nothin'."

He attacks, but his nervousness with the horn caterpillar's bristles means his attack is too cautious and misses.

R1T17: "It has a web and poison, too," adds Sal, "so there's that." He steps back, "Here, Helena, I gave you some room so you can shoot safely."

R1T16: Grum, what do you do?

[DrK]

Grum growls under his breath at the cramped space and just tries to chop the vermin in half

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Risky attack (1d20+8)[14] dam (2d6+10)[17]

[lostsole31]

R1T16: Grum growls under his breath at the cramped space and just tries to chop the vermin in half. His sword just barely manages to find its way past the spongy, pliant dermus of the caterpillar, delivering a whopping 17.

R1T10: Gwennid takes wing and flies over Helena's head to the northeast corner. The caterpillar makes a poor attempt at an attack with the fey so close in the air. Forming the light-spear, they just barely catch the caterpillar for 3 light. They just barely managed to keep from getting stabbed by bristles.

R1T9: At the same time, Camael comes up from the other side. He makes solid contact, laying the thing low.

The party is sure to put the bug out of its misery.

Combat Ends!

[DrK]

Helena shrugs as she lowers her bow, "My thanks, that was a surprise. I was not expecting so many creatures in a tomb. It continues to beg the question of where we are." . Grum for his part shake his head as he tries to clean dead chunks of caterpillar off the blade. "Does it matter. It be filled with vermin." he adds as he stomps back to where he had seen the sword stuck in the frame and reaches up to wrench it free from the metallic sheet.

He looks at the room at large, "Why there be a bull hanging there?"

[lostsole31]

Grum easily frees the sword from the metallic hide. The smell of death comes from within. A cursory check will note that the metal is not a sculpture, but appears to have been the actual hide of the bovine menace, and there was left over bits of flesh that were not entirely scooped out (small, small bits mind you) when this thing was chopped up and put on display. It appears that the horn caterpillar was trying to subsist off those trace amounts of meat.

"That's because it wasn't a bull," says Sal. "That was once a gorgon, or we're made to believe it was once. The Greek gorgon of myth was a metal bull with interlocking plates of hide. It's one of the classic Grecian magical monsters. In addition to simply being big and strong like a bull and hard to kill with metal hide, the real danger of the gorgon that I remember from the lore is that it breathed out a poisonous gas that would turn men to stone."

"So, one more trophy, basically," says Drake. "I mean, everywhere else in this I-Love-Me tomb is about trophies and prizes, so I guess this guy Roslar bagged a gorgon. Probably used that silver sword to do it."

Grum, are you "claiming" the sword, or putting it in party treasury for now?

[DrK]

Helena looks at the hide more carefully, "Fasctinating. Metallic petrifying bulls. That must have been truly terrifying to face in battle. Maybe Roslar's reputation was really well earned." she suggests, a hand reaching out to feel the metallic hide.

Grum looks again, "Aye lassie, that be a mean beasty. Honour tae' the man aye." Looking around he pulls out the sword and examines it. "Shiny, be nice work." he says examining for seeking if he detect any magic on it. Regardless of that he'll proffer the blade to Drake, Sal or Camaell, "Any of ye' lads want the fancy blade? It nae be my style." Helena looks at it, a hand near her waist but says nothing as she knows she relies on her bow far more heavily.

Looking south once the holder of the sword is decided Grum nods at the passageway leading south and starts stomping that way, sword held ready.

[lostsole31]

"How about you, Helena?" asks Sal. "You want the sword? I'm carrying enough as it is, and I prefer a dagger over a big sword. Fred kept trying to take us to her LARPing things, but I was never into ancient weapons like that."

Cam holds up the very fine mace he got earlier.

Drake says, "Don't look at me. I've been in the clutches of this or that beastie to often. I like a close-in weapon. I can leverage some power in a weapon like that if I had to, but I prefer dad's machete. Besides ... and don't take this the wrong way ... but that sword is a little too fancy and silver-shiny for my sakes. If that's all I knew of this Roslar, I'd have said he was a she."

[DrK]

Helena nods and then holds up the blade and experimentally swishes it around. "Thank you, its a beautiful blade." She straps it her waist, happy to have a more solid weapon at her waist and then nods, "Very well Grum, lead on, we'll follow you."

Grum nods to her smiling behind his beard at the blade on her waist, "Aye, as ye say. Lets be off then." he says before stomping south

[lostsole31]

He opens the door, and the party presses through to the next room. The walls of this wide room are covered with murals depicting a man performing a variety of heroic tasks: driving a sword into a fearsome metallic bull, defending a village from a scowling spectre, delivering an impassioned speech to several knights, and so on. The man has a large mustache and flowing hair, and wears a breastplate adorned with the symbol of a winged rapier. The western end of this room contains an enormous statue of the man atop a rearing horse, carrying a lance in one hand and a shield in the other. Hallways exit this room to the north and south; both immediately bend to the east. Doors stand in the north and south walls.

[DrK]

Helena looks around, smiling at the statue, ”He wasn’t a humble man Roslar, he was proud of his achievements.”

Grum snorts, ”If man were a sausage ‘eed be eating his self. No man be doing all those things, eed be ate by the bull.”

Helena frowns at the dwarf, ”The crusade has many heroes master Grum. It was led by heralds of the Gods themselves.””

Grum snorts, shrugging and points at the door to the south straight opposite them. ”shall we try there first?” he suggests

[lostsole31]

"Cheese and crackers, dwarf. You're more impatient than me," says Drake. "Are we going to search this room? As it is, we sort of gave the last room a pass."

"Yeah," says Sal. "As far as Roslar, the key question is .... did he have this place built, or was it built for him? If this place was devised and built by his loved ones, then it doesn't matter what he did or didn't do in life - though others building it lends more credence to performance of these deeds - as the deeds are attributed to him. Besides, look at this place. It's massive. Bigger than any tomb we've come across in the States. I mean, there are tombs of monarchs - and not many - in our world that exceed this place. But for a guy who wasn't a king or sovereign, it's no joke. No, I think Roslar was probably legit, but if you notice ... it seems that there are also dissenting or even accusatory clues that tell us that he was like any great person in history - complicated."

[DrK]

Helena and Grum both pause at Drake and Sal's words. Grum more gruffly, "We ain't be here to see sights or pry up the gold." he says, "We need be getting out of here. I ain't be caring about this place other an exit."

Helen steps forward, standing between Grum and the brothers, "Calm, it may be important Grum. There may be some clues." she suggests. Please Grum, lets have a quick look around. Sal and Drake are right, this tomb may have some clues as to where we are or what this place is. I've studied at the War College and I still do not know where we might be"

Grum shakes his head standing in the centre of the chamber before shrugging and nod. Aye, fine then. Look around. see if ye can fin some clues as to the mystery aye?"

[lostsole31]

It is a very large room with various carvings. Sal doesn't want the search to go past the "plane" of the entrance to the north and south hallways to the east.

This hall presents many of Roslar’s heroic deeds. The statue depicts Roslar atop his favored steed, the graceful stallion Abdell (who was interred in area A7). An ancient enchantment makes the statue seem briefly alive when a creature approaches within 10 feet; Roslar dips his lance and raises his shield, while Abdell gives a faint, ghostly whinny. This effect might startle the PCs, but is harmless.

There is a simple bowl for offerings that contains a large number of silver and copper coins, two rolled parchments, and what looks to be an ancient jar of gooseberry preserves.

The total search took five minutes.

Do you loot the offering bowl or investigate anything on it further?

[DrK]

Helena pauses at the display smiling at the effect and offers a neat bow to the ancient hero. Seeing the scrolls in the offering bowl she’ll study them briefly with her magical cantrips (detect magic) to see if they are active scrolls or just bits of paper

She smiles at the others, ”Its an impressive construction, I never heard of such an edifice for Roslar being written.” As they finish the search points at the door in the south east corner, “Are we ready to look through that one?”

[lostsole31]

The scrolls are, in fact, magical. The exact same script and ink adorns both scrolls.