The Decent
Your careful preparation pays off. The rope creaks and pops ominously as Soulfetter and Wally descend into the darkness. They pass a handful of openings in the stone walls. After about 30 feet the type of stone blocks making up the walls of the shaft changes and the stonework looks older and more worn. You note that some of the tunnels are marked. One seems to indicate a danger of falling rock another bad air. An irregular clanging sound echos up one shaft that angles away to the side and down. At another small hole a moaning sound that could be human can be heard distantly. After another 40 feet or so Wally says, "Ah there's the spot for us, hold up." He gestures at an arched passage extending off at a ninety degree angle. The only thing to distinguish this tunnel from 3 or 4 very similar ones is that it smells vaguely of some sort of incense, perhaps sandalwood. There is also a flat stone at the base of the shaft that extends 3 inches out into the shaft. With his reach, Soulfetter is able to grab the lip of the tunnel with ease and swing himself into it. Wally moves nimbly in beside you. "Well bring them on, but softly if you please, you never know what other denizens of the 13th might be about." Soon the next group arrives. So far Wally has done nothing suspicious. Moving down the passage a short distance reveals a stair leading further down. You begin to descend these as well with an admonition from Wally to "mind the steps after the first turning, there are some loose stones." As promised the steps could have resulted in a fall had you not taken care. At a landing some 30 or 40 feet down, Wally pauses again to open another concealed door. The smell of smoke and incense is stronger here. The passage beyond the door extends about 15' and ends in a 'T'. There are hinges suggesting a metal gate of some sort once blocked this passage. To the left is an ornate carved door marked 'catacombs'. Before it is a discarded helmet of old design with a broken chin strap and several empty vials, some broken, marked with a holy symbol of Pelor that were most likely holy water. To the right the passage widens to 15' and two very large brass braziers are set into the wall and floor. This seems to be the source of the smell of smoke and incense. It seems likely that these were once kept lit, but do not appear to have been used in years. Beyond is a larger room that has the look of a of a temple of some sort. Wall brackets once held torches behind stained glass, but only a few shards of the glass remain making it impossible to determine what images if any they might have depicted. A large central platform must have held an altar at one time, but it has been removed. A large blackened patch on the floor suggests that fires have been burned here. Whatever pews or other fixtures might once have been here seem to have fed the fire. The remains of a few blood red curtains remain on the walls. There is a strange sinister feeling to this place. A taint of evil that while not visible is palpable none the less. At the far side of the room are three arched doorways. Wally selects the left and you enter another large bare room. In one corner of the room the wall has collapsed. Wally directs you to scramble over fallen stones and down a brief slope in a natural cavern space. After winding through a couple of small natural looking caves you come to another passage of worked stone. "We continue on this way, but if you've an interest there is field of mushrooms the other way," he points the opposite direction on the new passage. "They have healing properties and keep for several days. We could pick a few. I usually pick up some when I'm down this way. Very handy if we run into trouble."
