Guildmage [IC]

[Chambers]

The shadows shimmer and retreat slowly, the light coming back into the cavern as the shadows return to the northern wall. "Well answered, hillsman. At the last you begin to understand the complexities of the game, not just to tell truths and lies. In my day the most cunning answers were insults so shameful that the loser was disgraced. And why not? The winner was the one who had determined what was true and what were lies; it was an useful game for engineering political and social ruin. Very dangerous to play."

"You have down passable for your first attempt, and thus we part ways still unbloodied. I am eager to play again sometime...once you've had proper practice, that is. Farewell." The voice says and the shadows crawl off the wall and seep their way into the ceiling, like water flowing in reverse. The small sounds and echoes of the catacombs slowly come back to your hearing and a slight breeze can be felt coming from the passageway that leads to the stairwell.

[Scylfing]

Valen

After the entity gave its (apparently temporary) farewell and the roiling shadows disappeared, Valen slumped back down against the wall where he'd been resting before it had mades its presence known.

He let out a long sigh.

"Well. At least that got rid of him, for now anyway. So... shall we head back to base camp? I'd rather we not rest here, and some of us need a healer's touch."

[Reverent-One]

Jarl

"I believe we decided to push forward, make sure our work isn't simply undone while we rest, before we met our new acquaintance. I see no reason to change that now. We've caught our breath, haven't we?"

[Shadow_Elf]

Flavius
Is that not what we did, by putting the souls to rest? This sinkhole, at least, has been cleansed; to make any more progress on this area, we'd have to attack the sinkhole at the city's heart. And I don't think telling some stories is going to be enough for that. I vote we head back to the camp, consult what resources we can, try to find out more about what we're up against, and pick a new target for tomorrow.

[Scylfing]

Valen

"Hmm. Jarl is correct, we had agreed upon fully exploring this accursed place as well as cleansing the taint, although I don't know that we'll find anything more at this point," he says after a moment's thought, then shrugging, adds, "Still, it might be worth checking the last of these tunnels--if for nothing other than valuables."

[Reverent-One]

Jarl

"There's too many tunnels left unexplored for me to be confident that we're done." Jarl says, looking around at the various entrances. "True, the sinkhole was likely the major threat and seems to be handled. Still, that just means the we should be able to easily handle anything that's left."

[Shadow_Elf]

Flavius
Very well; as far as I am concerned, the sinkhole's destruction was our primary objective, but if you're of a mind to do some more looting and zombie slaying, I shall assist to the best of my abilities, replies Flavius, with a somewhat resigned sigh. Elise, stay close; in the case of an ambush, I can move us out of the melee. I don't want you to get any sicker before we get back to camp, he says to the party's sorceress, before gesturing to Jarl to lead the way.

[Reverent-One]

Jarl

Not bothered by Flavius's disinterest, Jarl takes the lead, heading down one of the tunnels at the rear of the chapel.

Spoiler

The one in the bottom left corner of the map.

[Chambers]

The far wall of the catacombs is cloaked in darkness and shadows that retreat as your magelight moves forward. At the end of the open chapel two passageways lead off in either direction, neither of them looking particularly inviting and though both are dark at least they aren't still illuminated by the unnatural glow of the umbral taint which thankfully dissolved into nothingness after you cleansed this local sinkhole. Jarl feels a slight down slope as he heads into the chosen passageway; a mark of the settling of the building and it's age, too subtle for any non-dwarf to detect.

The passageway opens into a chamber much like the one explored previously. A short hallway leads to a room with three sarcophagi arranged to form a pyramid, the tops of each stone lid pointing towards the bottom of the next one. The engravings, hieroglyphs, and wards are much the same on these, though the lids are different. Instead of depicting individual swordsmen and warrior-women each lid appears to be an illustration of a soldier, clad in chainmail bearing a spear in their right hand and shield in their left. Swords are sheathed at each's waist and each is depicted as standing straight, dozens of broken weapons thrown down at their feet. Of their heads and helmet...there aren't any. Where each soldier's head should be the stone has been defaced and scratched as if with a heavy pick and chisel, completely obliterating the image of their face.

Spoiler

Religion DC 22 (16 for Valen)

Spoiler

It's known that among the Elven people certain kinds of desecration have particular meanings and this reminds you of one type. The defacing (literally) of an image of a particular person was meant as a way to erase the memory of that person. In certain situations it was more than a symbolic act as magical wards and protections - curses as well - could be strengthened if they were tailored to specific individuals. If one were to erase the physical representation of the individual in whatever form the spell had taken then there would be a corresponding effect within the metaphysical form of the spell.

Arcana DC 22

Spoiler

With the taint from the sinkhole lessened by a degree your mental blocks against it have been able to be lowered by the same amount and a measure of sensitivity has been regained. You realize that there once were spells written both on the sarcophagi and woven within the illustrations themselves. Whatever wards they were is now not easily known but judging by the rate of decay of the residual arcanum on the sarcophagi you get the sense that it was a relatively recent happening - sometime within the last year or so.

Perception DC 22 (16 for Jarl)

Spoiler

Though the faces have been hacked and chipped so they are no longer identifiable you notice the lack of something else in the chamber - the chips and stones themselves. Someone could have cleaned up the mess but judging from the state of disrepair the rest of the chamber is in that isn't likely. After a closer glance at the stone markings you realize that some of the angles of the strikes would imply that the engravings were attacked from inside the sarcophagi, but strangely there are no holes through which the weapons could have come.

[Shadow_Elf]

Flavius
Wards, placed on these sarcophagi too. But this defacing... elven lore holds that an individual's identity holds power, and can be a focus for magic. By making these soldiers anonymous, whoever defaced these has damaged the wards, too. I'm not certain what they'd be wont to do if we opened the sarcophagi. Speaking of opening... Jarl, you'd know better, with your knowledge of stonecraft... but does it not look to you like these gashes originate somehow from inside the sarcophagi?

[NecroRebel]

Elise

Elise leans in closely to the containers, examining them, though her weight is supported more by her staff than it likely should be. "I agree," she ponders aloud, Those marks do look like they might have come from inside. And there's nothing else but dust... No chips or anything.

"These are obviously soldiers' resting places, but why would there be the broken things? I've never heard tell of anything like that before."

[Reverent-One]

Jarl

"From inside? I don't see how that would be possible. That said, I agree that it seems to have been done to damage the wards. Perhaps they've already been opened up and whatever was wanted was taken?"

[PChubby]

Riley

As if emerging from a fog, the Riley breaks his long silence. "What if the wards weren't meant to keep the living out but to hold the dead in?" The halfling pauses in thought for a second. "Is it possible the dead might try to weaken the wards and escape? Or maybe they were heeding some call?"

[Chambers]

Leaving the sarcophagi intact and going back out into the chapel you all can see the other passageway directly across from the one you just left. As the magelight shines on it you see that there's been a cave-in and the passageway is completely filled with rubble. To Jarls trained eye the rock appears to be of the same composition and wear as the other rubble that was strewn across the first passageway. Evidently the former was cleared while this one was left blocked off.

The only other unexplored path from the chapel is where the ghouls rushed from, a dank and narrow passageway that slowly slopes to true north and runs for 40ft before splintering off into many small and twisting narrows. You can see the split before you reach it and you all see a large portcullis raised halfway into the ceiling that spans the passageway just before the point where the passageway spiderwebs. There are 14 bars and 7 large spikes, each the size of a man's head and the ironwork is rusted over, slow drips of water falling off a few of the spikes. If your noses hadn't already been overwhelmed by the ghouls earlier the stench of this part of the cavern would certainly knock you on your knees. The odor of decay is stronger here than the smell of death; the decay of flesh without dying, the necrosis of both body and spirit.

Spoiler

OOC: The southeast passageway is blocked.

The northeast passageway is where the ghouls came from and it goes diagonally for about 50ft and then turns north for about 40ft until you hit the portcullis. Beyond the portcullis, which you haven't gone yet, you can see the passageway splinter off in half a dozen smaller ones, but the light doesn't reach far enough to make out any details of what's there.

[Shadow_Elf]

Flavius
The gnome raises an eyebrow at the overwhelming stench. I can't imagine there's anything particularly good waiting down these passages, but I'm happy to help you look if the prevailing notion is that we must explore them.

[NecroRebel]

Elise

Elise gags somewhat at the stench, mumbling "Why couldn't this sickness have clogged my nose?" Regaining her composure, she examines the portcullis. "I don't see any mechanism to open this from this side, but we might be able to just break these bars. They're pretty rusty..."

At Flavius's comment, she retorts "We're not here to find anything good. We're here to find bad stuff, and destroy it. There were so many dead ones that came from this way, the center of the effect is probably down here. Maybe we can cleanse this place for good."

[Shadow_Elf]

Flavius
The gnome inclines his head. As you say, Elise. Ghouls will be a welcome reprieve after the creature we just fought.

[PChubby]

Riley

Riley fumbles through his pouch for a rag to defend against the stench. "I'd like to check further in before we close it off. Every bit of corruption we cleanse weakens the hold on this place and the souls trapped here."

[Chambers]

Steeling yourself against the stench you duck under the portcullis and begin investigating the narrow ways. The walls are extremely close here, only allowing passage single file. On either side of the ways ledges have been carved into the walls, filled with broken shards of pottery and a thick layer of gray dust. The leftmost passageway goes for a dozen feet before dead-ending into a narrow alcove strewn with bits of unidentifiable rotted flesh. Backing up and going down the next passageway you see the same shattered jars along the walls and unwholesome debris at the end. The magelight illuminates deep scratches on the walls at the end that almost look like some attempt at writing, but the markings don't appear to be any recognizable language. The carvings seem to be imitating words as if the scribe knew speech could be written but didn't know how.

The third way is much the same as the first and though the ways twist, none of them are long. Within a few minutes you've walked all of them and it's clear that the ghouls that attacked you made their residence in this warrens, though nothing remains of them but their stench.

[PChubby]

Riley

Reeling slightly from the smell, Riley steadies himself against a wall. "Looks like this area cleared out to form that horror we fought, there's nothing left to cleanse. A ritual might do the area some good but I'm hesitant to perform another Remembrance of Honor. I don't want that pompous voice to strike up another parlor game conversation."

The halfling stares at the ground in thought for a moment. "Anyone have any other ideas or should we just head back to camp?"

[Reverent-One]

Jarl

Satisfied that the tunnel's are cleared out, Jarl doesn't try to keep them there any longer. "No, time to go. We've won a victory today, let's get ready for the next one."

[Shadow_Elf]

Flavius
The gnome nods. Let us return to camp and nurse the day's wounds. We shall return on the morrow to cleanse another structure; perhaps the turret where the avian monsters roost.

[Chambers]

The catacombs are quiet as you walk back towards the stairway. Climbing up to the mausoleum above, the silver rose on Valens's cloak shines for a moment and a child's laugh echoes from somewhere below. The skulls that line the walls of the antechamber provide welcome light and even the air from the diseased city smells better than the crypt below. Stepping outside into the graveyard the city seems to be a little brighter and you get a vague impression of the sun beyond the heavy gloom, somewhere near directly above. Your stomachs would agree with it and call it noon if the ghouls hadn't put off your appetites.

Standing beneath so much sky - even one with such a pallor - is disorientating for a few moments after spending the morning cramped beneath the earth, save for Jarl who was born beneath stone and Elise who welcomes the open sky. The city around you is quiet but there is little that can compete with the silence of a crypt. Even in the deserted city there are small sounds and noises that seem to prove the city is still alive, at least when compared to where you just were. There's a new noise in the background as well, the sound of metal being scrapped against stone. It's faint but with each drag the echoes of it reverberate for a minute. Screeeecch, thud. Echo. Echo. Pause. Screeecch, thud. Echo. Echo. No obvious source of the sound is nearby.

Exhausted from your battles and wounds you quickly make way to the ruined way and clouds once again lift you over to the other side. The change is as dramatic and sudden as before. Each of you instantly feels the weight of a heavy presence lifted from your shoulders, as if someone had been watching your back for hours and suddenly turned away. The sky is bright and calm, the sun a burning gold orb hanging high above the clouds.

You see three soldiers standing by a copse of trees a hundred yards away. One waves his empty hands high above his head and hustles over to you while the other two pick up their packs. The young man is in excellent shape and his heavy coat of mail doesn't appear to slow him down as he jogs over to you, one hand resting on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "Good day, sirs. Madam. I'm Sergeant Helben." He says as he stops and glances over at each of you before turning his gaze to the city behind you. "Major Rheinstat sent us to escort you back to camp. There's been some...developments..." He says while still scanning the break in the wall as if he expects something else to come through it. "...and he requests your presences at your earliest convenience." He finally looks back at you all and offers a half-smile before his face sets to worried again. "If you all are fit to travel, we can leave now."

[Shadow_Elf]

Flavius
Some of my companions will require the attention of the healers, but we are Guildmagi. It can wait, I think, until after a meeting and some lunch, and none of us are about to keel over. Lead the way, lad, replies the gnome, frowning at the ghoul flesh all over his robes that is now being caked on in the sun. The Major will have to excuse our... olfactory impairment. We detonated a rather large pack of ravenous ghouls within the city, and what remains has accompanied us outside the city.

[Reverent-One]

Jarl

"Yes, I believe my compatriot is correct. Let us not keep the Major waiting."

[PChubby]

Riley

"Given the morning we've had I was hoping for some mead and a bath but I suppose that can wait." The halfling says as he brushs off his gore encrusted armor. "By all means, lead the way."

[Chambers]

Sergeant Helben raises an eyebrow at Flavius and nods with approval. "Well done then. I'm sure the Major will appreciate a little bit of good news this day." He walks back towards the other two soldiers and the group of you set off down the worn path that parallels the walls of the city. It's a short walk back to the camp and as you pass the watchtower you see dozens of soldiers running around just past the barricades that mark the no mans land before the broken city walls. "We need to hustle." Helben says and breaks into a trot as he takes a wide course around the area and crosses the road into the tents. The security on the east side of the tents is lighter than normal and the few guards that are there are all turned towards the city north of them, their hands resting uneasy on their weapons. "The Major will be up by the barricades. Follow me, please."

Helben leads you through the tents and while it's normally crowded with people the walkways between tents are filled only with soldiers, all going the same way you are. Now that you're facing the entrance to the city you can see properly the defenses that the soldiers are manning; wooden cross-beams and barbed wire are stretched out, bisecting the road that leads up to the city gates. The land in between the broken gates and the entrenchments is churned and blackened with old scorchmarks, the legacy of the final assault on the city. Two large objects within the field attract your attention. Each looks to be a golem of some kind with spikes running the length of its metal body. They are clearly destroyed, hacked to pieces by the broken swords that lay around them. The dirt and sand around each is darkened by blood and there are lines dragged through the dirt where it looks like bodies where taken away. Soldiers hop into the trenches that are dug in front of the tents and archers and crossbowmen take position behind rough wooden palisades. Three soldiers bear the insignia of the Guild and each stands before small groups of soldiers, the acolytes hands raised over the soldiers weapons as they bless them. The scraping and thuds that you heard within the city are heard here as well, and they seem to be getting louder.

Major Rheinstat is easy to spot as the large flag of the Kingom flaps in the wind over a table where he and his command staff are gathered. Sergeant Helben picks up the pace and stops next to the group, comes to attention and salutes. "Major, the Guildmagi are safe and present, as ordered." Rheinstat looks up from the scattered maps on the table and returns the Sergeants salute. "Thank you, Sergeant. Dismissed." He glances at you all briefly and starts walking towards you but stops in mid-step as he sees the state of your clothes. He sniffs and chokes, then coughs briefly. "It seems you've had an interesting morning as well. I want to hear about it, but later." He nods his head towards no man's land and the city beyond. "About an hour ago we heard an explosion in the city. Our best estimates place it as happening somewhere just south of the city center, but we're not sure. What we do know is that shortly afterwards those two things came rampaging out. I'd hoped we'd destroyed all of them during the war." He says and glares at the two destroyed constructs.

He stares at them for a moment longer and then takes a rag from his pocket and wipes some of the grime from his face. "We destroyed them, but my scouts tell me that there's something else coming from the city." He pauses as the ground trembles a bit with the latest thud and then smiles. "As if I needed them to tell me that."

Spoiler

I'll post a Monster Knowledge check in the OOC in a little bit, but there's little need to roll. It'd be an Arcana check and these golems were used by the Demon in the war so you'd all have some familiarity with them. Here's a picture of what they look like:

Cadaver Collector

Spoiler

[Shadow_Elf]

Flavius
The gnome looks at the fortifications with an appraising eye. I have a dweomer that will buy us more time or even contain whatever it is that is coming our way. Assuming it is undead, which I think is a safe bet, muses Flavius. If my compatriots could assist me, I think we can block off this area completely, but it will take a minute for every ten feet of the barrier we inscribe. Can your scouts tell you how many minutes to cast we might have?

Spoiler

Want to lay down an Undead Ward. With aid another from the whole party, the bonus will be +34, reroll 1's, which is a minimum of 36. That will keep out anything level 26 or lower automatically. If it was going to be over level 26, we'd be screwed anyway, so I think this is a good move. As I said IC, we get 10 feet of barrier for every minute of casting time.

[PChubby]

Riley

"Given the effort expended this morning, I'm all for preventative measures unless there's a better idea. What do you need us to do Flavius?" The halfling says as he continues examining his armor for stray bits of undead.

Spoiler

Riley autoassists if we go with the Undead Ward unless 1 is a crit fail.

[Shadow_Elf]

Flavius
Thank you, Riley. The city walls are all but useless; my initial thought was to plug the breaches with the ward, but that won't do. We'll have to use it as a barrier to slow the enemy down. If you could get out your ritual components, my colleagues, then we can begin at once... replies the gnome. He takes out some exotic inks and chalks and begins scribing the runes on the ground with the aid of the other Guildmagi.

Spoiler

We get two squares of wall per minute of casting. Given that we have enough time, I'd like the wall to run from (-A)12 up to (-A)9, diagonal to A8, across to X8, diagonal to Y9, then down to Y12. That is 3 squares vertical per side, with 24 squares across. That will take 15 minutes to cast; does it sound like we'll have 15 minutes?