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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rhael" data-source="post: 319737" data-attributes="member: 5269">Player's Perspective (009)Group UpdateRhael (Human Ranger/Cleric), Reikon (Elf Rogue/Illusionist), Terjon (Human Paladin), Warramayl (Human Monk), Mareth (Elf Fighter), Ulric(Halfling Bard), Chade (Human Cleric of St Cuthbert)The Tomb of Adrestus“I can’t believe we actually found it.”  Mareth exclaimed.We continued past the stone and found a ruined temple-like structure, very similar to the building we found in the forest near Esgaro and in a similar state of disrepair.Reikon checked the door for traps, and finding none gave the heavy-looking stone door a push.“It didn’t move.”  He said, needlessly.  “Give me a hand.”Terjon, Warramayl and I walked over to where Reikon was standing by the door.“One.  Two.”  Terjon counted.  “Threeeeee!”  The last number was stretched out as we pushed with all our might –the door was very heavy, but swung easily once we got it moving.What greeted us was completely different from Enlor’s tomb.  Carved stone steps leading downwards to the east and into blackness.  The craftsmanship was of an ageless quality and only the dust revealed by the sunlight streaming into the passage gave a hint as to the length of time this tomb had lain undisturbed.  Warramayl and Mareth lit torches as Terjon and I lead the way into the tomb.As I passed the threshold I whispered a prayer to Hieroneous, asking forgiveness for violating the tomb of one of his champions.  A glance to my left revealed Terjon was also mouthing words of prayer.At the bottom of a very long flight of stairs was a short passage of no more than ten feet, which lead to another stone doorway.  This one opening much easier than the front door, after Reikon conducted his obligatory trap-check.The room we entered was very large – our torchlight did not reveal any walls beyond the one behind us.“Be very careful.”  Reikon whispered.  “It is very easy to trap these kind of floors.”Bearing the elf’s warning in mind, we carefully made our way around the room.  It was massive.  It’s ceiling was so high, that I would not have been surprised if it made up the aboveground section of the temple we saw on the surface.  Along the walls to our left and right were huge columns, and in the middle of the northern (left) wall was an altar.  The altar itself bore carvings indicating a tribute to Hieroneous, and near it’s base were the skeletons of what we could only guess were two adventurers who found their way to the tomb.  There were double doors in the centre of the south wall and the east wall.Reikon immediately started searching through their leftover equipment. “Wow!”  he exclaimed – in a fairly uncharacteristic way.We all took a few steps closer to the skeletal remains.  Reikon had dusted off the breastplate that one of the skeletons was still encased in.  “Mithril.”  He breathed.“Should we take it?”  Terjon said to no-one in particular.“Of course!”  Chade said.  “Finder’s keepers.”“It’s not like this is Adrestus or anything, Terjon!”  Reikon sneered a little.  “These are just two other dumb adventurers who came to loot the tomb, and failed.”  Terjon’s only reply was a shrug that caused the chainmail under his half-plate to jingle slightly.“We are not here to loot this place, as you put it, Reikon!”  I put in, hurt at the insinuation.  “We are here to retrieve an ancient artefact that will assist us to fight the evil that remains in this world.  We are here for one thing and one thing alone:  the Spere of Haedros.”“Whatever.”  Reikon said, dismissively.  He turned back to the bodies, leaving me fuming behind him.  “It looks like the old owner was a skinny bastard, possibly an elf.  The armour will probably only fit me or Mareth, and it’s not much use to me.”  He picked up the armour, noisily shook the bones from it and handed it to Mareth.Mareth took a few minutes to clean out the armour, take off his chain shirt and don his new breastplate, with Terjon helping him.“It fits perfectly.”  He said.  “And it feels so light.”  He made a few experimental lunges and twists with his rapier to test out the weight.“Anything else?”  Chade asked Reikon.“Just a couple of flasks,”  He gave one an experimental shake, “and they appear to still have fluid in them and a few coins.”“Come on.”  I said.  “Let’s keep moving.”Reikon handed the potions to Chade, who shoved them in his pack.Continued around the room made our way towards the door in the south wall, carefully watching the floor.Suddenly, Reikon shouted “Look out!”.  But it was too late.The floor beneath Terj and my feet crumbled, and we were falling.  I scrambled to catch hold of something to break my fall.  Luckily there were some handholds on the way down so I was able to slow my fall somewhat.  Seconds later, I landed, flat on my back.  The force of the fall forcing the wind from my lungs.I distantly heard my name being called.  Terjon’s too.Terjon!I sat up.  A little too quickly, in hindsight.  The sudden change of position sending a shooting pain up my left side.  I gingerly felt my ribs, at least two were broken, possibly more.  There was also a sharp pain in my left leg which I couldn’t identify.“Terj.”  I said.  I received no reply.“Terj!”  A little more urgency this time.  Still nothing.  I was now officially worried.I could tell we had fallen quite a distance from the torchlight I could see flickering at the top of the pit.  “Hang on!”  I think it was Chade’s voice.  “I’ll send down some light.”  A few seconds later I heard the distinctive fwinng of a coin being tossed, spinning into the pit.  It was eerie watching the ball of light descend upon us, the light flickering and casting strange shadows as the copper piece hit the floor next to me and bounced.Once the light settled and I was able to focus, I saw why Terj hadn’t answered me.  His mangled body was crushed against the stone floor and impaled on a number of spikes that were randomly placed throughout the floor.  I then realised how lucky I had been – I had missed several spikes by inches, and one had torn a hole in my left calf – explaining the pain.“No!”  I yelled – surely drawing some interest from my companions fifty feet above.  “Quick!  Get a rope down here!  Terj is hurt!”  I was still hopeful that he was alive.  I scrambled across the floor to where my friend lay face down in a pool of blood.  His torso was pierced in two places, he had several broken limbs and he didn’t appear to be breathing.I watched as a rope uncoiled on its way down to me.  Careful not to do too much more damage to the paladin as I lifted him from the spikes I looped the rope around his underarms and secured it with what I believed was a proper knot.“Get him up!”  I yelled and watched as the rope went taut and my friend slowly rose into the air, his longsword slipping from his hands as he left the ground.  I picked up the sword and stuck it in my belt.  I also picked up the light-enchanted coin that Chade had thrown.It took a few minutes for my companions to lift Terjon out of the hole and send the rope back down for me.  I tied it around my waist and called for them to start lifting as I stuck the light-coin between my teeth and began to climb the rope.As soon as I pulled myself over the edge of the pit, I crawled over to where Terjon lay.  I could see his pale skin through gaps in the blood that stained his features and his sightless eyes staring up at me.  I closed his eyelids, collapsed next to him and cried for my best friend.I was vaguely aware of Chade tending to my ribs and leg injury.  Physically I felt much better.  I cannot describe the emptiness I felt at the death of Terjon.  We had been friends since we were very young.  We had trained together under Antoral, a paladin of Hieroneous, gone camping together, played together and fought together.  Memories of our younger years flashed through my mind – the day Terj took his vows as a paladin of Hieroneous, time spent in the woods continually having to watch where Terj stepped and what he ate and the time he spent staring out the window while I was studying.The others stood around, mostly not knowing what to do.  Ulric was silent, Reikon was scowling, Warramayl was trying his best to look unaffected, Mareth and Chade looked upset.“Let’s get out of here.”  I finally said as I picked up Terjon and began carrying him from the tomb.  I suppose the others didn’t have any other ideas, so they just followed respectfully behind.“What are we going to do, Rhael?”  Mareth asked quietly.“We’re taking Terjon’s body back to Esgaro.”  Was my only reply.I ascended the stairs into forest, waited briefly for my eyes to adjust to the natural light and set off toward the centaur encampment.</blockquote>

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