The Island

Elph gently swings his head from side to side, like he's painting the cemetery with his gaze Rolls: basic check - (2d6) = (4,6)

Baruman stops and peers over the edge of the boat into the water, but it's too dark to make out much underneath. Scanning the graveyard, he can see that even at the southern end, where the water is shallower, the level is such that it would be up to his neck.

"I can swim some, but I don't think that we'll find much that way. Hank, do you have any spare oars? We could coast slowly around the graveyard, using them to poke under the water to see if we can feel anything there. We should check these old crypts out as well. Elph.."

Baruman pauses, not sure if his question may cause offense.

"Erm.. can you, you know, smell if there are people in there who aren't alive? I mean I know there'll be folks who are dead, I mean those ones that have forgotten that they ought to be"
Rolls: Baruman: Test DC: 5 - Basic - (2d6)(4,6)

Elph has a paddle and had been helping move the boat under Hank's guidance.


There's a pole tied to the side. Just be careful, the tip on that is sharp
The like is 6 feet with a sharpened barbed metal spike on the top with a blunt hook.

Baruman focuses looking in the water while Elph directs Hank around the larger structures once you get closer.

As you move into shallower water it is amazing clear. At first Baruman finds little of interest but notices some oddities that become clear the closer they get to land. There are paths on the river bottom under water. The lead to and from a few of the larger structures with a couple heading deeper into the river depths.

The portions of the buildings above water reveal less to Elph but he continues scanning the structures and testing the scents in the air as they passed each. Then one structures catches his eye. It is closer to the shore but still a ways from the other scouts you now see one that looks disturbed.

"Elph, There are well worn paths running to some of these buildings. That don't seem right, I mean a few mourners now and gain, fair enough, but this looks like there's been crowds going to visit them. Unless..." Baruman gulped and started to wish that he hadn't spoken. "unless it's them that have been coming to visit us?"

He looks quickly around for a means of escape, but the water still stretches a good distance on all sides of the boat.

Well, there's no easy way out. I guess if I was in trouble I'd want them to rescue me. So be it then

"We should probably check out one of these grave houses with the paths going to them. Which one do you think?"

The aquatic pathways are mostly clear of vegetation and the mud along the general route has been disturbed and kicked down to a more rocky subsurface than the surroundings. most of the buildings they go to are entirely submerges save for an occasional spire or rooftop. There are some paths that head closer to the shoreline.

As you paddle from structure to structure [color="red"]Elph searches them and sniffs at each. He detects odd scents from a couple and you take note of those to describe to the expedition leaders later. Unfortunately(?) there are no entry ways that you can find, above water anyways. One is larger and faint traces of one of those "Paths" under the water have been worn into the river leading from one of its doorways.

Continuing onward as Elph does not smell any living people from any of the building so far. As you gey to the point where You are nearing the shore, Elph could stand in the water, you spot a structure where a couple of scouts are waving you over and calling to others as well. Heading that way you can see that the vines growing on the outside have been worn down a bit and a balcony on one side is open to the inside while on another it is still sealed by bars.

Suddenly undead burst from the water and begin attacking the scouts, pulling them underwater and clubbing them with rotting fists and bone. A bright flash from the shore reveals the power of the priest as he marches out, walking on the water, smiting undead with a blazing staff. A booming voice is heard from him. We have found the ritual site! form groups for defense and follow me. We must disrupt the ritual

The scouts who had been at the structure were chased off by the undead and you are now the closest. The nearby undead are all engaded fighting those scots in the water. [/color]

Hank looks around hesitantly and asks So, um, I guease we head over there and I drop you off?

Baruman looks in horror as living corpses, the like of which he did not believe should exist in the natural world, chased away the figures on the crypt. "W..W..Well yes, I g..guess so." he replied "I can't stand in the w..water here, so take us right up to that balcony with the door to inside if you c..can."

He checked his dagger was secure and lifted the pike in his hands, focusing on the nearest undead, and lining up the sharp point, waiting for it to be close enough to stab. "I guess this is it @Elph" Rolls: Baruman: Test DC: 4 - Basic - (2d6) = (6,1)

Hank move the boat next to the building and Baruman grabs a couple of vines and gets a good footing.

With a lot more certainty than he feels, Baruman says "Elph, This ritual is going to be bring more and more of these rotting people out of the ground. We should probably climb inside and try to stop it while we can, don't you think"

Now close to the tower Elph scents the smell of the living going into the tower less than an hour ago

"Well Elph, if there are living creatures in there, it may be those who performed the ritual. I don't want to mess with none of that magic stuff, so we'd better be quiet as we can. If they've heard the noise, hopefully they'll think these undead outside have taken care of us"

Baruman scales the rest of the vines as quietly as he can and creeps onto the balcony. With his back pressing against the wall next to the door, he carefully peeks around the corner to see what is inside.

Faint sound can be heard echoing up from below

Elph starts exploring the footprints, but becomes distracted by the fanged likeness. He wanders over and gives it a thorough inspection

The image of the lady carved on the ceiling is quite striking. Upon closer examination you see it has snake like eyes, a wolf's ears, a few feathers in is hair, smaller scales around her eyes, and a pair of antennae that are folded back into her hair. One casket shows a large wolf, as large as a pony, being ridden or fighting and hunting with the lady in firsts and plains. Another has a slizard, a lizard with extremely long neck body and tail, in similar scenes to the wolf except in desserts. A large eagle accompanied her through cloudy skies and high mountain tops. A great turtle swims with her in rivers and seas. And a powerful looking beatle tunnels through the earth with her.

You do note that a couple of the prints in the dirt are boots and head down bit none come back up

Baruman looked at the footprints heading down into the crypt and gulped "Looks like the trip was one way for the last people to visit here Elph"

He casts his eyes around the room, eyeing the caskets. "These look like they might contain something of value" he calls to Elph "If we're going to die, we might as well die rich. If we hit luck, there might even be weapons that we could use. Help me see if we can get one open"

Thinking that it might be of most interest to his new friend, he walks over to the slizard box and examines it to see how best to get in.

There is no lock. The simple combination of gravity and the mass of the solid stone lif keeps it closed. You would need to chip a notch then pry the lid up before shoving it aside. Or just lift the 500 lbs lid off. Either would work.
Baruman swings his backpack down from his shoulder and rummages around until he finds the crowbar that he bought in Gamuluar. Examining the large cask he looks to see if there are any points of wear long the join between casket and ornate lid.

Lifting the crowbar high he hefts it at the join, trying to create a slot that he could fit the crowbar in to jemmy it open. "Elph, If i can create enough of a gap, stick the end of that pike into it, we might be able to use that to lever it open."

"That's a clever idea Baruman. Where were you taught this?"
Elph tries to help him form the gap


Baruman hacked at the casket, but the only result was a few shallow dents in the side of the casket "Sorry Elph, the stone is too strong, and the lid's too heavy. Damn it, there could be something good in there"

The casket was solid mahogany with a 500lb statue on top of it. Baruman realized that he had known from the start that there was no way into the casket. He had to face the reality that they were going to have to go down the stairs to face who knew what.

"Sorry Elph" he said again, "We're going to have to see what's down there. Lets go quietly to see if can work out what's down there"

Lighting a torch from his backpack, he picked up the pike in his other hand and started heading down the steps.
Rolls Stealth? - (2d6) (4,4)