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The Tomb of Reluraun
Baazka the pit fiend stands over the dead body of Lord Darfin Floshin, his sister Shalendra has fallen to the ground screaming in horror and the devil laughs. The Owlbear League takes a step back as Orryn reigns in Lady D. to prevent the owlbear from attacking the powerful foe. The four zombies Seraphina controls stand by the scene of the slaughter.
Baazka turns his attention to The League in a voice as deep as the nine hells. "You couldn't take the deal, could you? You had to interfere. You're too late anyway, the invasion has begun - pathetic mortals."
Fear creeps into the hearts of The League, fear like none of them have felt before, quivering their hearts, except for one, who for some reason in this moment of terror finds the courage to stand his ground. Immeral, the moon elf wizard who usually fights from the rear or from protection. Even Seraphina, perhaps the bravest of the group feels the grip of Baazka's infernal presence squeezing her heart.
Suddenly, Immeral received a psychic message from Daggerford's wizard Delfen. He says "The enemy Baazka is a pit fiend. He lives with a sword in his heart. That is his weakness, but he is immensely powerful."
"You are pathetically weak. I will hunt you down one by one and kill you while you are dreaming."
The Owlbear League looks at each other. Months of living together allowing them to communicate intent with little more than a glance and a nod. They run and Shalendra runs with them. Baazka laughs heartily "You can't hide from me! I will track you down! Run little mice, run! Piss yourselves all the way to Daggerford."
CAPTURE P2 3:00
Seraphina considers having the dread warriors attack the pit fiend and try to grapple him to cover their retreat, but she realizes Baazka can fly and could easily catch them, so she has the warriors follow them. She considers the rod of security, trying to remember how many days it has been since she used it last since it requires 10 days to recharge, and it last was used in Firehammer Hold, more than ten days ago.
The League and company runs south, not looking back. They get down to the main road and realize that Baazka is gone, and he can barely be seen flying over the trees to the northeast - towards the Ardeep.
Shalendra stumbles and falls to the ground sobbing and heaving. They stop around her and Immeral conveys Delfen's message of Baazka's weakness.
Nowhere says "We still have to get to this tomb. Shalendra, do you know the way?"
Shalendra nods and takes in a breath. "If we leave now, we might make it by nightfall."
K'ronk says "I will let Isteval know where we are heading."
They nod and K'ronk sends another magical message "Darfin Floshin is dead, Shalendra caused this. We go to Reluraun's tomb for a weapon. Red Wizard invasion from House of Long Silences."
With that, they gather themselves and set off in a silent march up the cliff line east of the Floshin Estate.
It is very cold, but they stay warm by marching quickly to the Ardeep.
The League has marched at a heated pace up the cliffline, crossing the south Ardeep river where it falls from the cliff and forms a pond a small stream heading south. They fjord the stream and journey on, keeping the cliffs to their right as they head deeper into the forest.
Shalendra is not used to the pace, she struggles, but she fights to keep up, passing few words with The League, and they see no reason to continue to berate her for the choices she has made, although thoughts of killing her come and go to each.
Maybe an two hour's march later, they begin to see some ruins.
The air before them is thick with the gloom and the dark of massive trees with wide blue leaves which tinges the fading light light teal. The trees seem to encircle a shrine, and stone walls with carved ancient elven text, are partially crumbling into ruin. What little you can make out reads of honor and service of the fallen, as well as dire portents to any who would desecrate the crypts within.
A gap in the walls, where once a great gate likely stood, lays open. Within, elven-built structures can be seen. Several likely tombs clearly visible and strangely unburdened with overgrowth.
As they look within, the ground appears to start moving, but it's not the earth. Several creatures that look made of branches and roots and leaves and sticks rise from the ground and dozens of them stand facing you. Behind them more and more of the green creatures rise, but none move towards you, except one.
One great leafy creature comes towards the gateway and stops just within. The League manages to keep their weapons sheathed, but barely. The creature looks quick ferocious, but he speaks instead of attacking.
"I am Felesor, warder of the Crypts of Deeping Moon. Do not sacrifice your lives by entering these grounds. None but the descendants of the fallen moon elves laying in this sacred wood are welcome."
Immeral, being a moon elf, feels some relief. "We do not come to trespass. We seek the tomb of Reluraun to prevent an invasion of the Ardeep."
Felesor replies "The tomb of Reluraun is not within these crypts, continue on, deeper into the Ardeep, to the north fork of its river. There you will find his rest."
Immeral replies "Forgive our disturbance. We seek only to save the Ardeep and surrounding lands from an undead invasion at the House of Long Silences."
Felesor remarks "I know nothing of this house, for we warders are restricted to only this resting place. We may not leave the walls that surround this burial place and the kings and queens buried here. May you survive your quest."
The League moves quickly on, and the get glances of the warders descending into the undergrowth.
After passing more than an hour, with the light fading fast, The League crosses the heavy stream that is presumably the north fork of the Ardeep river, and with a bit of searching, they find something. Nowhere spots the giant skull of an unknown behemoth covering a small black basalt tomb. There are great bronze doors, and below the doors, numerous bones litter the ground.
Immeral states he will recon the tomb from the ethereal plane. He puts on his robe of stars and disappears from the sight of his friends. They wait for some time, maybe ten or fifteen minutes as the light fades, and they realize that Immeral is not returning.
Time time for worry has passed, and now it's time for action. The League forms a marching order and proceeds into the tomb. As they open the bronze doors of Reluraun's tomb, the vines around the entrance start moving and The League realizes the vines are alive.
One tendril grasps at Nowhere, but she breaks free as a second vine tries to choke her. One grabs at Seraphina, who gets bit by the thorny vines and she yelps in pain.
Another bites at K'ronks feet, drawing blood from the dragonborn wizard.
More vines reach out to Dain, but he slashes them away with his shield.
K'ronk tries to move away from the one, but is grabbed and bitten by another and he is seriously hurt.
Nowhere swings Icerazor, slicing deep into the living foliage and cutting it to pieces, but it is still writhing, biting and stabbing.
Seraphina casts cure wounds on the wounded K'ronk, and her power revives some of his health, but he still trickles blood from the attack.
K'ronk casts fire bolt at the vines and he sends a firey mote into the heart of the vegetation, and it smolders, but still attacks.
Atlas starts punching and ripping at the vines. Enhanced by her gauntlets of ogre power she tears the creature apart and finding the core of the creature, ends its life and the moving tendrils fall limp.
The League opens the bronze doors and proceeds down the narrow stairs, their darkvision taking over and revealing the way. The move to the dead end at the bottom of the stairs where the bas-relief carving of an elven warrior is. They look upon the emblem of a heart carved into his chest armor.
Nowhere says "There is no door."
Orryn squeezes by and searches for secret passages, and quickly realizes that by pressing the heart, the wall swings open. He sees the stone statues within and proceeds to move towards the eastern door, moving slowly while looking for traps.
Atlas, K'ronk, Dain, Nowhere, Shalendra and Seraphina follow as the statues come alive and start moving to attack!
Orryn turns and lashes out with his dagger of venom. The magical blade clinks off the rocky exterior one of the statues, sending chunks of stone to the ground, but not slowing it down.
Atlas swaps moves in front of Orryn and unleashes a flurry of blows which misses at first, but strikes as she presses the attack. More shards of rock fly from her gauntlet-powered punches.
K'ronk casts blindness/deafness into the depths of the room, but it does not appear to have any effect. K'ronk curses and swaps places with Dain who charges forward and pushes Orryn back and goes to crash into the foremost statue with his shield, but the statue is solid, and the collision knocks the breath out of him.
He swings Bloodstorm, but it glances off without effect.
Nowhere casts spike growth into the room and the floor transforms into camouflaged spikes of stone, damaging the feet and legs of the statues, sending bits of stone scattering.
Shalendra, near the back of the pack casts shatter at the enemy statues, and the magic releases a thunderous wave of sound that cracks and damages the statues.
One statue falls apart, the second one is severely fractured, the third only takes partial damage but is cracking, the fourth one looks like it is about the collapse, and one more takes a bit of damage, but is still dangerous.
Seraphina can barely see into the room, so she casts sacred flame at the one she can see, and radiant damage descends upon it, and the animated statue falls, meaning two of the ten statues are down.
The leading statue goes to slam Dain, but misses and stumbles into the wall, part of it cracking apart.
Dain goes to hit him back, using his shield and his swing shatters the statue, sending pieces flying. Now there are seven, and Dain crashes into the approaching enemy, its arms breaking off and it falls unmoving.
With Dain racing into the room, Nowhere drops the spike growth.
Atlas races in and attacks the next one, but her blows do not strike true enough.
K'ronk casts true strike which will make it easier to strike one of the statues.
Seraphina moves up to the doorway, trying her shortbow, and she strikes one, cracking it slightly.
Shalendra does another shatter spell at the remaining statues at the western end of the room, and it destroys four more of them. One statue remains.
Orryn swings his dagger of venom and the last statue breaks apart. The League is victorious, but it was quite a fight, and it was just the first room.
K'ronk wonders what could have trapped Immeral, who was traveling in the ethereal plane, and it make him anxious. K'ronk tells the others, "Let me try one thing." He casts mage hand and tried to turn the handle on the northern door that Immeral warned him about, but it does nothing. The others start searching the hall of destroyed statues.
K'ronk says "I'm getting a message", as he feels the tickle of magic from his message box. His companions stop what they are doing and circle in. Within in a message from Immeral. It reads "Door to the north in the hall of stone warriors is a magical trap. Do not touch. I have been teleported to a room close to the northwest of it, though solid stone. I cannot use my robe to escape. There is a magical symbol on the wall." He relays this to the others and shows the symbol.
REWIND TO - 5:00PM - Immeral Alone
REWIND TO - 5:00PM - Immeral Alone
Immeral puts on his robe of stars and passes through the bronze door entrance to Reluraun's tomb, noting nothing unusual on the outside. Inside there is darkness, and a narrow 5' wide stairway that descends into the earth some thirty feet. The stairs end in an ornate carving of an elven warrior. The stylized emblem of a heart is carved onto his shield, but there is no obvious door.
Immeral uses his ability to pass through objects while in the ethereal plane and finds the northern wall is a secret passage, although he cannot make out how to open it from outside.
He is at the east end of a room about 30 feet long and only ten feet wide. There are two doors at the far end, one north and one to the west.
From the southeastern corner Immeral sees ten stone statues against the walls of elven fighters in various poses (1). The statues look like they have been vandalized, many have slashes and breaks in their form. The walls are covered with frescos of warriors paying homage to elven deities.
Immeral moves down the hall of statues and decides to check the door to the north, again passing through it while in ethereal form.
Suddenly, Immeral is transported to a small 10x10 room, and is no longer in the ethereal plane. The stone floor is cold and damp, and the floor is littered with bones and old corpses. You notice that, strangely, there is no stench of decay in this room. He also notices that there are no exits to be seen. There is a symbol carved into the stone on one wall, and Immeral uses detect magic and sees it is embued with conjuration magic.
He takes off the hood of his robe of stars then puts it back on, and thankfully is returned to the ethereal plane. Having no way to discern direction Immeral chooses what he perceives to be south, and passes through the wall. He moves just some 5 feet through the misty blackness of solid rock mirrored in the border ethereal, and it reveals another room.
Immeral gasps involuntarily when he sees the beautifully frescoed walls of this otherwise empty hall (2). Scene upon scene depicts a battle in full, deadly force. In the southern mural, an elf atop a mound of earth stands in sword-wielding fury at the approaching forces. It is a pity time has ravaged some of the artwork, as hunks of fallen plaster have left holes in the depictions.
There appears to be no exit from this room although there is a narrow corridor to the east ending in a dead wall. Immeral travels east and passes through that wall, finding himself returned to the hall of stone warriors. Now knowing where the prison room is, Immeral has to figure out how to get his body out of the prison where he will return when he removes the robe of stars.
Immeral realizes that he cannot misty step since he has to see the location he wants to teleport to. He searches for secret passages, but finds none, so he turns to call his friends for help. He gets out the magic sending box and with only his darkvision to see by, pens a quick message to K'ronk on what he has learned and where he can be found, including a quick sketch of the symbol.
Shalendra says to the group, "I know that symbol, it is the ancient symbol of house Floshin, like a coat of arms. But I know nothing of this tomb and how it works."
K'ronk sends a message to Immeral, stating to hold tight, they will circle around his position and try to find a way in. He asks Orryn to detect traps on the west door, but he detects nothing. K'ronk says "Let me try mage hand" and he casts the spell. As the hand turns the handle of the western door, a pit trap opens below Orryn.
Orryn tries to dive out of the way, but slips and starts falling, but K'ronk casts feather fall, and they reach him before he impales on the spikes below.
The door is open though, and it opens into the hall of frescoes. Just for safety, K'ronk runs a mage hand across the floor, but it triggers nothing. They shimmy around the pit trap and enter the next hall.
This is the room Immeral had seen from the ethereal plane with beautifully frescoed walls of this otherwise empty hall. Scene upon scene depicts a battle in full, deadly force. In the southern mural, an elf atop a mound of earth stands in sword-wielding fury at the approaching forces. As Immeral sadly noticed, hunks of fallen plaster have left holes in the artwork.
There appears to be no exit from this room (2).
Atlas and the others start searching for secret passages, Nowhere activates a pit trap and falls. Luckily, K'ronk is nearby and notices her going down. He casts feather fall on the tiefling, and pulls another friend back to safety.
As Nowhere looks back into the pit, she notices a hidden hatch of some sort on the northern wall. Atlas ties off her rope of climbing for Nowhere to get down to the hatch, but when Orryn tries to open it, it releases a cloud of poison gas!
K'ronk and Shalendra move out of range, but the cloud envelops Orryn, and he chokes and nearly falls unconscious from the noxious magic gas, desperately hanging on to the rope as he is about to pass out. Dain starts hacking and coughing and vomits in the corner, sick with the poison. Nowhere, Atlas and Seraphina cover up and backpedal, but are coughing heavily and sickened partially from the gas. K'ronks companion Traven manages to fly away from the gas and avoids all effect.
Orryn climbs out as the gas dissipates, and the hatch which he opened has become a ramp, spanning over the spikes in the pit and revealing another passage to the north. Nowhere gives Orryn a healing potion, seeing him wobble and move unsteadily.
The League and Shalendra climb down onto the ramp, and they see a crypt-like hall with burial nitches along the sides. The hall ends in a door. The hall reeks of must and ancient decay. Six shallow niches in the walls contain skeletal corpses laid to rest here eons ago. The League readies for a fight with the undead, but these skeletons lay still.
CAPTURE 34:45
K'ronk views the area with a detect magic, and detecting nothing uses mage hand to turn the knob of the door. It opens to the largest room they have seen in this dungeon.
The room is about 50' x 30'. Large beautiful frescoes of battle dominate both the east and west walls. Across the room is a huge stone altar set above the floor on a dais, and in front of this is a large stone sarcophagus. Behind the altar are three statues of elven gods; the head of one has been smashed.
You hear an eerie whispering noise throughout the chamber, as if the tomb were a thing alive and exhaling. There is a door to the east, and two on the southern wall, southwest and southeast. K'ronk says "Don't anyone touch that sarcophagus."
Shalendra says "I don't detect any magic."
K'ronk replies "We don't mess with any sarcophaguses".
Shalendra nods solumnly.
CAPTURE 37:30
Nowhere wanders over to the sarcophagus and K'ronk says "don't touch that." She glances back at him and casually moves on while others look over the room. She notices the east fresco is free of dust in some areas and pulling on the edge of it finds a hidden door. She signals to the others.
Atlas reads the engraving on the sarcophagus which reads in elvish "Disturb not the tomb of Reluraun, your reach exceeds your grasp" which she shares with the group.
K'ronk detects magic, but finds nothing particularly magical in the room. He says "Let's try that southern door, it may lead to Immeral." and the group gathers round it.
CAPTURE 41:40
Orryn checks the door for traps, but finds none. K'ronk opens the door. It is a very small room, barely larger than a closet, with a door on the other side. He detects magic, but finding nothing, gestures for Orryn to check for traps again, but detecting nothing, K'ronk steps in, and falls into a trap. K'ronk casts feather fall again and gets pulled back and he shakes his head at Orryn who shrugs. "Can you prop it closed?" K'ronk says as the trap doors swing shut again? Orryn nods and with some work of his thieves tools, disarms the trap.
"How about the next door?" K'ronk asks him, and Orryn obliges, detecting nothing.
There is another hallway to the west. They look in nervously and Dain says "I'll go in." and he leads the way.
This chamber was obviously once used to prepare the deceased for embalming. Three brittle wooden tables are covered with empty pots and jars that probably once held embalming oils, unguents, and spices. A pile of linen strips on one table is remarkably preserved. Beside it is a large flask. Decorative panels along the walls depict ancient elven burial rituals. There is a door to the northeast.
CAPTURE 45:25.
Atlas says "Check for traps" and they proceed carefully, but they find no traps. She does find a wide crack in the wall behind one of the art panels that would let someone squeeze through to the east.
K'ronk detects magic and says "Don't touch that door!" He gets close, but not too close. He sees there is a glyph of warding on it, likely explosive. "It has a glyph on it."
Nowhere says "stand back, I got this" and K'ronk shakes his head. "Look for anything of value before I trigger it." K'ronk notices that one of the potions on the table is magical and takes it. Quickly casting identify and finding it is a potion of fire resistance.
They all pile back into the hallway and K'ronk uses mage hand to open the door. It explodes, sending the tables and such flying into the southern wall and shattering. They return to the room to find a shaft descending below. It is 5' wide and 10' across. They cannot see the bottom. Nowhere pulls out a torch and K'ronk lights it with a fire bolt. They toss it down the shaft and some 90 or 100 feet down it reaches the bottom. There appears to be a larger room down there, but it is not certain.
Alexa uses the rope of climbing tied to a table, extended with a regular rope since it is only 50' long when knotted.
Dain says "I want to jump, or throw an oil flask down there."
K'ronk says "Then we have to deal with the smoke."
Nowhere says "Maybe Immeral is down there, that's why we can't find a passage."
Dain says "I will go first and see what's at the bottom." K'ronk says "Or I could go down invisible and go first." Orryn likes this idea. Dain frowns.
K'ronk dons his ring of invisibility and descends to the lower level, where he finds a hallway. Taking a brief look while hanging onto the rope, he sees a crack in the wall to the west that could be shimmied through, and a capstan to the east, that stands waist high, with handles to turn it.
He detects magic, but finds none. Letting go of the rope, K'ronk squeezes into the crevice in the wall, and traveling just a few feet, sees what appears to be the back of a hidden door. He detects magic again, and detecting nothing decides to knock on the door. He hears a hiss from beyond and backs away, returning to the shaft.
He takes a final look at the capstan, pondering what it does to the door to the north of it. Nervous about the hiss, K'ronk tugs on the room and the party pulls him up. He relays the situation below. "It seems pretty clear that it is not the level Immeral is on, we have to investigate this area further. The League and Shalendra return to the sarcophagus room.
Will The League be able to find Immeral and rescue him from his own tomb? Will they be able to find the weapon needed to destroy the portal at the House of Long Silences? What of the invading hordes that apparently have already teleported nearby, how many are they and how will they deal with them?
NEXT - CAMPAIGN JOURNAL 59 - GUARDIANS OF THE TOMB
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