Branding's Age of Worms, the 4th Generation

[Branding Opportunity]

OOC: Cure Light W. (d8+2) on Gregor - Azten'll give up his memorized Comprehend Languages slot for it.
​

OOC: Gregor regains all of his hp.

 

[silentspace]

"Sorry for dumping you Kenneth," Majakilar says. "If there's much more of this water maybe we can jury-rig together some sort of harness for you. This water could be pretty dangerous."

"And nice toss Owen, that thing was truly horrid. I think.... I don't really like undead," Majakilar says, uncertainly. "I mean wolves are ok. Even wierd eye thingies. But dead creatures should stay dead! Or be raised or something, but not be undead..."

"I wonder if there's another tomb nearby." He stares at the destroyed undead. His face looking a little pale.

"Maybe someone should pocket that ring," Majakilar says. He'll take it and examine it closer if no one else does, and hold onto it unless someone has a better idea.

 

[Branding Opportunity]

A familiar sign

Majakilar wades through the chest-deep water to the floating corpse. Still holding his weapon in both hands he pauses for a moment as he gets within arms reach. He has been told too many stories where right when one thinks it is safe, the monster jumps up and tears your throat out. After a few tense moments where nobody seems to breathe, the young man moves the guisarme to his left hand and tries to get the ring off the ghoul's finger. Thankfully, the creature truly seems to be down for good.

Years of water-logging have bloated it quite a bit, so getting the ring off is a bit tricky. After application of first, elbow grease and then when that fails, the sharp blade of his new short sword, Majakilar manages to get the ring off the finger.

Taking a look at it in Owen's lantern light, Majakilar sees that it is a ring made of white gold, bearing the same insignia as the red leather armor which was found on the opposite side of this chamber (OOC: See image below). He estimates it to be worth about 100 gp (OOC: Secret Appraise check).

None of you are familiar with this symbol.

 

[silentspace]

"Azten, Kenneth, do you know why that creature would wear a ring like this? I guess it was important to it in life, since it wasn't wearing anything else. Maybe it's magic. Maybe whoever wears it will turn into whatever that thing was... Either way, it looks like its worth something."

"I like the inscription though... To Seek and to Find..."

 

[Azten]

I would guess it denotes a member of some faction or elite group. No idea who they might be. Or have been... Adventurers? Tomb thieves?
The motto would suggest something other than those strictly after treasure. Historians? <heh>
Unlucky or inadequately prepared, in any case. <shrug>

 

[Thanee]

Alexi

“Or it means, that something is hidden beyond that sign, somewhere...” Alexi muses.

 

[silentspace]

"You know, you're right. Maybe we should hold on to this ring and that armor. Maybe they will be useful down the road. Or at least, until we discover what the symbols mean. Plus we should test them for magical auras when we get back."

After making sure the armor and ring are tucked away, Majakilar tosses the bloated finger he cut off to a far corner of the room. Then turning to the corpse again, he pulls Owen's dagger from the creature's head, and swishes it around in the water, trying to clean it off a bit before returning the dagger to its owner. He prods the corpse with his glaive, pushing the thing as far away from the party as possible. He looks sort of pale during the whole process.

Then after the party's done searching, Majakilar will take the lead again in exploring new rooms. "Keep right behind me Gregor, I'm good on defense so I'll be the shield. But stay close, no one's better on offense than you!"

 

[Mista Collins]

"Just let me know if you see anything weird and want me to take a look." Owen continues along in the middle of the group.

 

[hbarsquared]

Kenneth

"You know," Kenneth expounds, "There once was a wealthy landowner in the land of Alrinon who married two women at once, twins, though strangely of vastly different temperaments. One was named Seek and the other Find. Find had actually become quite renowned as a mage, and thus had the apellative to, a common one for magic-users of the time."

Kenneth smiled broadly, tempoarily forgetting his location in an undergound dungeon, neck-high in centuries-old stagnant water with a corpse slowly drifting away. "It's quite possible it is magical," he continues. "To Seek and t'Find is the proper way to read it, I'm sure. But we should ask Allustan when we return, just in case."

Maintaining his tight grip on Majakilar, Kenneth follows the rest in their exploration.

 

[Branding Opportunity]

The group wades through the stagnant water to the room the undead emerged from. As you have already seen, it is a small chamber identical in construction to the one on the far side of the larger chamber. It contains four long benches and several niches along the wall. A quick search of these niches, both above and below the waterline produces a pile of tattered clothes and a leather pouch, cracked with age. Unfolding the clothes reveals that they are quite old and out of style, but could have fit a well-off person of the earlier part of this century. Carefully wrapped inside the brown tunic, you find a red lantern identical to the one hanging in the chambers above. Picking up the pouch, you can hear the sweet tinkle of coins inside. Opening the pouch they find 68 orbs, 4 plates, and 76 nobles.

You believe that you have now finished exploring the submerged section of the cairn.

(OOC: Added post to [INFO] thread concerning Greyhawk coinage.)