PREVIOUSLY: The heroes moved further into the crypt and discovered a survivor, Roldare Rodnal, a cobbler from Kassen. In a maddened state, he explained how the others were murdered by evil creatures who walked in the bones of ancient men, and who were lead by a creature who looked like a skeleton, with blue glowing eyes and a raspy voice. The heroes locked Roldare into the storeroom and moved further into the crypt, but not before Roldare explained that Zevan’s sister had been taken by an undead warrior. The heroes continued only to discover a dead end in one corridor, and a large collapsed stairwell in another. The stairwell had become a home of a large fire beetle, which was quickly dispatched, and another doorway lead further in. As the door was opened, the heroes discovered a room filled with not only smoke, but that of a shadowy ghost-like creature which was found to be the tortured spirit. After dealing with the creature, the heroes found the remains of a number of humans, a scorched and tarnished key lying by a fire-pit, and a sword which was clearly not from Kassen. Who else had come to the crypt, and why had the undead risen with such ferocity?
EVENTS:
The heroes return to the room in which they first entered. Evarl tried the key that he had obtained earlier in the maze room, which surprisingly unlocked the previously secure western door. The heroes entered and found a room which had a still, but quite clear pool and two doors exiting the room to the south. Kal peered into the pool and observed a large number of keys resting at the bottom. Written in dwarven above the pool were the words: “Magic is the key."
Nell took this to mean that the something in the pool was magical, and immediately cast a detection spell. Unfortunately, the water blocked the nature of her detection. Meanwhile, Evarl tried the second key that he had found in the fire pit which unlocked the south-eastern door.
After checking the room thoroughly for further clues, the heroes entered the south-eastern door and found a room with a small stone bench at its centre. On the far wall, a faded mural depicting the hero Kassen himself was displayed showing him defeating the mercenaries at the entrance to the crypt, with his blade piercing the chest of the mercenary leader. These figures stand alone in the center of a scene of carnage, with dead villagers and mercenaries all around them. Sam was the first to sit at the seat and observe the mural which to him appears to move. Sam’s attention was drawn to a gold medallion of sorts hanging around the necks of both Kassan and the other leader. Sam points this out to the others, and it is Evarl who recognises them as being similar to that of a painting she had seen in the town hall recently. The painting, he claimed, depicted three people namely Kassen and two of his former companions, a man and an elven woman. Evarl went further stating that he also recognised the elf, but could recall where from.
The corridor continued south and after a bend, ended in a solid wooden door. The heroes carefully enter the room beyond and found a circular chamber, with a pit in the centre and two other doors on the western and southern walls. In the centre of the room was a pillar with multiple holes across its surface. A small bridge could also be seen leading from the south to to the pole.
As Evarl took the first step in, he failed to notice a pressure plate which activated a trap in the form of a round pole in the centre of the room. Suddenly, the pole starts firing arrows in every which direction around the room. Evarl took the brunt of the bolts, and dove to the floor in an attempt to avoid the arrows. In his eagerness to escape the missiles, Evarl mis-timed the jump, and was promptly hit by several arrows. Zevan leaped inside hoping to deactivate the pole. After a few harrowing moments, and much courage from the young elf, Evarl managed to deactivate the spinning pole, kicking it off its mounting, but not before falling victim to another arrow.
Bleeding from his own wounds, Zevan ran across the room to Evarl in order to stop the bleeding. The others soon after joined them and Kal used divine magic to cure Evarl’s wounds. After resting for a short time, the heroes examined the door to the south which they found to be unlocked. Sam stated that he would be the first through the door this time, and so proceeded within. As Sam took his first steps within the much larger room, he heard the familiar sound that he and his companions had heard earlier when they first arrived at the crypt – SKELETONS!
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