Cryptic Tales

The party had been rummaging around the western end of the ruin complex for many hours and decided it was time for a rest and a meal. So they took themselves back to the large purple carpeted room. The doors were spiked and a restful and undisturbed night was spent. They awoke to a quiet and meagre breakfast, pondering that it had now been 20 days since they investigated a dead sheep in a field.

After eating, the group examined their map and decided to explore to the east. They made their way back to the very first room and while leaning against a wall to consider the options, Ralston discovered a secret door. They abandoned all previous thoughts to explore this new passage, which led to another small group of rooms that were used as a kitchen and dining room. In the kitchen was an odd fireplace with no flue. There were some scorch marks and a rusty cauldron that suggested it was functional, but only when they noticed a single blackened brick in the bottom of the cooking area, did they conclude that magic was involved in the cooking. Eduardo used his knife to pry up the blackened brick and slipped it into his pack.

Exiting the dining room through an eastern door and listening at the next one, Dizmo could hears gruff voices. Preparing themselves, they opened the door into a northern hallway and got the drop on a couple of bugbears coming around a corner. Paladin Eduardo stepped up and slew the first with a single blow! The second fell with hardly a fight but not before someone shot Eduardo in the back with an arrow. Around the corner was another eastern facing door.

The next room was large and dusty and the group could tell that the bugbears had not been in this room. No doubt they somehow knew about the large stone skull carved into the floor and the ring of magical flame that ran in a perfect circle around it. In the west end of the room was plain square stone altar on a dais. None of these features bore any symbol or writing that might give the explorers a further clue. Experimentation revealed the ring of flame to be a bit of permanent magic, for decoration. The room was searched and the altar too, but no secret meanings or functions were discovered.

Doors led out to the north and south. To the north, a corridor branched out and led to two more doors. Through the eastern was an obvious crypt, packed with dozens of open topped sarcophagi. It appeared as though each held remains, covered with a shroud. From three of them rose 2 skeletons and a zombie, all of which were easily dispatched. Not being fond of the undead, they headed back to the skull room to see if something different might be encountered to the south.

Alas, the floor plan appeared to be identical to the north. The passageway split in two, leading to another door in the east and in the west. They headed east where they encountered yet another crypt room packed with stone coffins, all bearing shroud covered remains. They were not surprised when more 2 more undead arose. As the old saying goes, initiative is a bitch and the dark and faint apparitions got the upper hand on the Paladin! In turn, each of the shadows reached out to touch Eduardo, each time doing several points of damage and reducing his strength by a point!

Eduardo, in obvious pain, pulled back just out of their reach and fully opened the shutters on his lantern, scaring one of the creatures straight through floor and out of sight. Without missing a beat, Dizmo conjured a light source directly in the face of the other, putting the chase to the second shadow as well. Our heroes, shocked by the effects Eduardo had suffered, quickly backed out of the room and shut the door.

How could it get worse? And so they headed to the west to see what fresh new horror they would have to confront. Again, it was a room of filled and shrouded caskets but all was quiet. Tensed for a fight, Dizmo crept into the room to check out the remains. Nothing arose, but the gnome noticed an arm bone that was slightly out of place. It turned out to be a bone tube with a scroll inside.

Eduardo seemed to be regaining his strength and this encouraged the explorers to head back to the north to face the final crypt in this burial complex. This room was the same as it's neighbours and immediately upon opening the door, 4 ghouls rose to face them. Shortly after the the fight started a ghast was seen to rise from a stone coffin behind the battling ghouls, causing Ralston to recall a conversation he had once had with his mentor, Laika Frost. Something to do with retreating from any room in which a ghast was discovered.

The ghouls posed little trouble and the ghast seemed to have been asleep too long to put up an effective fight, despite it's toothsome hunger. A couple of hundred assorted coins were recovered along with some gems, leaving the group wondering where all the legendary tomb loot was hiding....