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Message: <blockquote data-quote="William Ronald" data-source="post: 2686062" data-attributes="member: 426">(This took longer than I anticipated for the update, but here it is.)Tordek stepped forward and pointed to two doors on either side or the hallway.  Proceeding forwad, he listened at one door and heard a sound that surprised him – snoring!“It seems that someone is asleep in there. So, shall we  see what is inside?”Jozan knocked a bolt in his crossbow and Hennett raised his wand as the dwarf opened the door. Four gnolls lay asleep in beds, snoring, amid a filthy barracks that stank of garbage and worse.With a nod from Jozan, Hennet fired his wand and multicolored lights struck one gnoll in the face.  Jozan followed with a crossbow bolt that pierced through  Tordek ran up to one of the other gnolls and struck with his axe.  He followed with another blow from his axe to a gnoll who stirred from his slumber too late.  Another gnoll tried to strike at the dwarf as he tried to stand.  The gnolls tried to strike with a clawed hand, but it scrapped uselessly against the dwarf’s shield.  Tordek turned on the gnoll and sliced the edge of his axe across the creature’s throat.  It fell to the garbage-strewn floor in a puddle of its own blood.“That was quick,” Hennet said.  A quick search of the room revealed some bits of armor, some daggers, axes, and a few coins. A small piece of lapis lazuli, carved to resemble a blue eye  A small wooden idol of a  gnoll-like figure with bat wings.  Jozan handed the lapis lazuli eye to Hennett, and crushed the idol with his mace.“Hrauk, a demon followed by some gnolls.  Not connected to this temple.  The jackal-like carvings seem to be related to Chacal, a deity of the afterlife worshipped more in the past than in our times.”  Jozan said.“Perhaps this is supposed to go into the statues at the doors you couldn’t open.” Hennet said as he looked at the lapis lazuli.“Maybe.  I still think that Lidda or another skilled rogue might be handy in an old place like this.  We’ve already run into one trap.”Tordek listened at the other door, and heard nothing.  After forcing it open, he, Jozan and Hennet saw a room dominated by a large bed.  A golden necklace hung from a nail above the bed.“I’ll get that,” Jozan said.“Well, it is a bit high for me to reach,” Tordek replied.Jozan stepped on the bed, and reached for the necklace.  As he tugged at it, the bed collapsed and the priest of Pelor fell through the floor into a pit.  Jozan screemed and landed with a thud.  He groaned as bone shards pierced his flesh.Before Jozan stood a red-furred hound whose eyes glowed with a red, unholy light.  The beast smelled  of sulphur and snarled at the wounded priest. The beast breathed fire at the priest, scorching his flesh. The priest screamed as his flesh was seared.Before Jozan could react, two shards of light flew out of Hennet’s wand. Jozan took the time to climb out of the pit, using the remains of the bed sheets as a rope.   The beast lunged at Jozan but missed.  Jozan scrambled to his feet, even as the beast leapt up after him.The beast’s teath bit into Tordek’s left leg.  The dwarf responded by striking at the hound, scoring its flesh.The beast again lunged at Tordek, but his bared teeth met an upraised shield.  Hennet pointed his wand at the beast, and splinters of light struck the hounds flanks.  Jozan landed a solid blow with his mace on the beast’s ribs.  The dwarf’s axe struck the hound in he chest.Another volley of magic missiles from Hennet’s wand struck the hound.  The hound bit into Tordek’s flesh, and the dwarf again responded with a well aimed stroke of his axe.  A heavy blow from Jozan’s mace struck the beast’s head as it fell to the ground.After healing himself and his companions, Jozan pointed to a chest at the back of the room.  He used a spear to prop open the chest.  Three books were within, bearing titles such as The Care and Husbandry of Yellow Speckled Guinea Hens.“These are old books and may have some value,” Jozan said as he looked at a tome with cracked leather covers.Jozan, Tordek, and Hennett went back to the hall and walked to a wooden door.  The dwarf pressed an ear against the door.  “It sounds like more snoring.” Tordek said.The dwarf opened the door and Jozan fired a crossbow bolt at a sleeping gnoll.  Hennett lifted his wand and magic missiles pierced through the gnoll’s chest.  Two gnolls rolled out of bed, grabbed their shields and battle axes.  They were met by Tordek, whose axe cut one gnoll down and struck the other in the chest.A final gnoll rose from his bed, grasping a battle axe.  The gnoll was meet by Jozan and Tordek, who both struck at him.  The gnoll collapsed onto his bed as he was struck by the dwarf’s axe and the priest’s mace.A search of the room revealed a few swords and some coins.  As Jozan and Hennet watched him, Tordek opened up a series of drawers in an old dresser, finding a few scattered coins and ruined clothes.  As the dwarf opened up the last drawer, a black mist briefly appeared and struck his right hand.  A deep scratch scored the back of it.  The dwarf yelled in pain, and nearly yanked the drawer out of the dresser. A small  black amulet, shaped like a mountain, and some gold coins rested on some brown robes.“We definitely could use an ‘expert trapfinder,” Tordek muttered as Jozan touched the dwarf’s shoulder with his wand.  The wound closed, briefly formed a scar, and faded to unblemished flesh.“I agree, but we will just have to be careful.  Hmm, the amulet looks interesting.  I wonder if it is magical,” Jozan replied.“I’d rather wait to check that after we find a few more things.  Maybe we can try that lapis lazuli eye on the statues by that stone door.”“It is worth a try,” Tordek said as he led the way back to the statue and the blocked stone doors. Jozan placed the gem in the face of the statue opposite from the one that struck him.  The statue remained still.  Tordek tried to force the doors open, but nearly collapsed from his exertions.  The sweat-soaked dwarf slowly walked back to Jozan and Hennet, and leaned on his axe as he caught his breath.“Let’s rest a moment and then take the corridor on the left.  Maybe there is an easier entrance than those doors,” Tordek said as he wiped the sweat away from his forehead.After a brief rest, the three heroes walked down the corridor .  On one side stood  a stone door carved with an image of a jackal headed man on a large throne, surrounded by smaller carivingss of similar creatures.  Across the hall was a sturdy  wooden door that the dwarf walked over to with little hesitation.  Neither Tordek nor Hennet could hear anything in the room, and the dwarf had far more luck forcing the wooden door open.  The door squeaked open.  The everburning torch that Hennet held revealed a dimly room filled with crates and barrels.  A wooden door stood on the other side of the room flanked by barrels and crates.Tordek, Jozan, and Hennet walked into the room. Most of the barrels and crates held food – grain, fruits, vegetables, and some cured meats, whetstones, tools, and some rope.  Tordek frowned as he opened one barrel.A gnoll, its body lacerated with cuts, was stuffed into a barrel.  The creature’s spear and dagger were broken as well, and laid over his head.“What happened to him?” Hennet said.“I imagine he must have annoyed the other gnolls.  Gnolls are a pretty treacherous lot.” Tordek nodded, and followed his friends to the wooden door on the other side of the room.The other door opened easily to reveal a hallway.  A sturdy stone door was across the hall, and the everbuning torch revealed an iron bound door further down the hallway.“So, do you want to check this out now or later.” Hennet asked.“Later.  We still have that carved door we saw – if Tordek is up to it.”“I think so, but that stone door across the hall looks like it will take all of us to open it.”The three friends walked back to the carved door and the dwarf pushed on it.  The door yielded slowly.  Dust lay thick on the floor, and seven thrones dominated the room.   An iron cloak clasp, shaped like a wolf’s head, lay on one chair.  A cloak made of rusted iron rings draped one throne.  A cutlass with a pattern of red waves etched into the blade rested on one chair. A silver crown, shaped like the head and upper jaws of a jackal and flanked with bat rings rested on the largest, central throne.  Next to that throne, a crossbow with three small pieces of lapis lazuli rested on a smaller throne.  A large pile of silver coins, flecked with lapis lazuli, rested on the sixth throne. A black candle  rested on its side on the last throne.Jozan walked over to the iron clasp and picked it up.  Tordek shook his head at the rusted cloak of iron rings The dwarf looked at the cutlass, admiring its fine craftsmanship.  The dwarf lifted the cutlass, and a pile of bricks fell down on him from the ceiling.  Jozan healed the dwarf’s wounds before grabbing a short spear to carefully lift the crown.  Hennet reached out for the crossbow with his staff.  The wooden barrel of the crossbow was rotten, but the gems moved about as Hennet touched the crossbow with his staff. When nothing happened, the sorcerer scooped up the gems.Jozan reached for the candle.  Hennet then reached out for the silver coins.  Suddenly, the piles of coins changed.  The edges elongated until the coins resembled small jackal heads,  They began to float and swarmed around the three heroes, seeking to sliceTordek and Jozan responded by striking at the swarm of small jackal-heads, and missed.  The coins just missed Hennet who was hurriedly casting a spell.  A ball of flame appeared in the room and rolled on the floor near the jackal-headed swarm.Jozan leapt out of the room, followed by Tordek and Hennet.  The dwarf and the priest struck at the coins and landed in solid blows despite being scored by them.  Hennet was scratched as well, but the flaming sphere rolled into the swarm of jackal-heads.  After a few moments of hard fighting, the jackal-headed swarm fell apart and reverted back to coins.  Hennet poked one with his staff, but there was no change in it.  The three heroes were wounded, and Jozan took some time in healing their wounds.“That was one of the stranger things I have seen,” the priest said.“An interesting trap.  I wonder how it was made.” Hennet replied as he gathered the coins and gave them to Tordek to carry.“Well, I just hope that the room behind that thick stone door is not as bad as this,” the dwarf said.  “Let’s be quick about it. It is already getting late, and we will have to set up camp for the night.”The three heroes walked over to the stone door, and pushed together.  The door gave way to reveal a dusty room.  A desiccated corpse of a man in brown robes lay on the floor, a dagger protruding from his chest A spectral figure resembling the man floated above the corpse, and lunged at Jozan.Jozan brandished his golden sun-disk of Pelor and cried “In Pelor’s name, back away.”  The figure disappeared into the wall.Hennet and Tordek hurriedly grabbed the dagger and a scroll from the floor.  As they finished, the wraith came back and struck the sorcerer in the chest. Jozan tried to turn the wraith, as Tordek struck at with his axe..  The axe passed through the wraith, while it gazed angrily at the priest of Pelor. . Hennet hurriedly cast a magic missile and the spell damaged the wraith.  The wraith struck and hit Jozan,  but was struck in turn by Tordek’s axe.  The dwarf suffered another wound at the hands of the wraith, but Jozan’s mace struck the figure, which dissolved like mist.Hennet, Jozan, and Tordek left the room.  The priest hurriedly healed himself and his friends before they headed back to set up camp at the entrance to the tomb.  Hennet read the scroll – which had spells associated with the undead – and determined that both the dagger and the amulet were magical in nature.  The amulet would help protect  its wearer from blows, and the dagger would easily strike wraiths and other spectral beings.  Tordek volunteered to take an eight hour watch shift, and to sleep only four hours.  The dwarf stubbornly stayed awake on his watch, and woke with a start after his four hours of sleep were up.  However, Hennet and Jozan agreed that it was better to have a  late start and a fully rested – and less cranky  --  Tordek.  The weary dwarf gratefully went back to sleep.  It was not until the late morning that Tordek awoke, as Jozan and Hennet sat silently by the entrance to the tomb.</blockquote>

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