Episode 1: The Salvaged Job

Heaving and getting their backs into it, Kalis and his partner strain against the heavy stone lid. There is a brief grinding of stone and the lid shifts, but only moves an inch before everyone needs a breather.

This time the lid slides across the stone. The momentum of the push tips its center of gravity and the lid teeters against the edge only briefly, before thudding to the ground, resting against the sarcophagus.

Inside is a dust-covered skeleton, clad in a suit of chainmail. The leather and fabric underneath the armor has disintegrated, but the metal links look serviceable, if not a bit dull from age. A diadem of tarnished gold is around the hood, crowning the skull. An aged longsword sits by the skeleton's right hand, stuck inside a wooden scabbard with decorative iron bands. Resting across the skeleton's lower torso and legs is a tower shield, adorned with the symbol of an open eye. Small clay urns, similar to those outside the sarcophagus, lie at the skeleton's waist, next to a metal flask with the same eye symbol carved on one side.

Coda hears footsteps following him as he joins the group, as his invisible servant stands ready to obey. And again, when the halfling goes back to the jammed door.

Map

Coda hears no response on the other side of the door.

Maenor picks up the metal flask, and can feel the weight of liquid within. Removing the stopper, he sees and smells water.It is easy to crack the seal on the urn, but Kalis knows even before he opens it that it contains coins; 20 silver, to be precise. The second urn contains 10 gold pieces. The third and final urn contains gemstones: two tiger eyes, one lapis lazuli (10 gp each), and one diamond (50 gp).

The door is not flush with the floor, with perhaps a quarter of an inch of space. No light or movement can be seen originating from the other side, as far as Coda is able to tell in his own torchlight.

No light can be seen through the gap.

The torch continues to burn, singing the door.

Maenor and Kalis perform the same ritual of opening the middle sarcophagus, whose lid eventually gives way to reveal another skeleton clad in chainmail. The adornments, shield, and sword are the same as the other, complete with iron flask full of water and clay urns full of coins and gemstones (15 silver, 5 gold, and 3 onyx stones worth 50 gp each).

The third and last sarcophagus reveals yet another chainmail-clad skeleton, also with a shield, sword, and diadem. There is another iron flask filled with water, but there are only two clay urns (21 silver pieces, and 5 gold pieces).

Coda's torch continues to light the hallway, but the flames appear to only singe the door and leave black marks. Coda's servant waits patiently for orders.

The impacts echo throughout the hallway. Coda aims for the charred spot and it takes three bullets until the plank is fractured and a small hole is punched through the door.