Around the campfire as dusk approaches the 4 adventures, Adira, Dro, Tha’pop, and Mort talk about the 2 dwarves that Tha’pop found possibly following them. As Mook tends to the animals and sets up camp, the other 4 make their plans.
Tha’pop in a low voice states he is going over tonight to observe them a bit and see what’s going on. Adira also states she is going, and Tha’pop grunts a disaffection in not being to go alone. Adira stands her ground and argues that there might be a chance to talk or get some information before killing them like the other 3 want to do. Tha’pop throws a stick in the fire and its decided she is going.
Dusk falls and Adira and Tha’pop walk across the tundra rolling hills towards the other camp. Tha’pop finds a rock outcropping about 300 yards out and leans against it. With this elven eyes he can see much farther and decides this is his place to watch. Adira being human keeps going till about 80 yards out.
The 2 dwarves have 4 pack animals and 2 riding ponies in camp. They have a small fire going against a large rock to create a heating rock for later. Nothing seems out of the ordinary as both of them watch for a couple hours till the dwarves get in their blankets and seem to sleep. Slipping back to their camp, they decide to go tonight. Dro, wanders over to Mook who is already under the blanket around the fire and says, “ Me and the rest of the party are going to check something out”. We will see you later.”. Mook nods and rolls over and tries to catch some sleep.
2 hours before sunrise, the 4 adventurers wake up, gather their weapons and slowly walk towards the other camp.Mort takes a position behind the heating rock in case the dwarves do something unexpected. The other 3 take a position about 75 paces behind a couple glacier boulders and wait till dawn. Dawn approaches and no moment still from the camp. Tha’pop, uneasy about waiting, decides to get closer. Tha’pop reaching up to slip his bow over his shoulder feels a hand on his shoulder by Adira. Looking again, he sees the 2 dwarves get up and start feeding the fire a bit. 3 arrows shoot out as an arctic lark flies by and 2 dwarves drop dead. Tha’pop waits 1 full minute before he motions the others to converge.
The camp is what Adira and Tha’pop had seen the night before. Tha’pop rolls over the 2 bodies and sees the smile of death upon their faces. Adira reaches down and examines the bodies first looking for clues, as Tha’pop mumbles about checking the surroundings to keep it clear. Adira finds (perc ob.3) a note and reads it.
Follow the group.
They are 3 humans, 1 elf, and 1 dwarf with a pack train.
Don’t engage or get spotted.
When you find where they are heading, report back to me.
Stephen
When Adira gets up reading the letter, Dro eagerly searches the bodies ( scavenging ob 2) finds 8 gold and pockets it, with nothing else of great value on the bodies. Getting up, he sees a flicker in the camp fire (perc ob4) and spots something in the glow of embers. With a stick he pulls out a strange oddity. It’s a 8 sided stone with each side a different color. He knows it’s magical and not natural. He remembers seeing 1 on an expedition and was curious about it then. Not telling anyone he pockets it.
Mort, going to the pack train, to steady the animals, searches them as well. (Perc. ob3) Finding no weapons or armor, and relative meager supplies he grunts. He feels something drop and hit his foot as he searches under the saddles and other places that might hide something. Looking down he sees a 8 sided stone with each side a different color. He has never seen anything like it before, and pockets it secretly as well.
Tha’pop returns and says no other 2 legged races in the vicinity and found some more arctic lion tracks. The group packs up the pack train, as Tha’pop drags the bodies another mile out in the tundra so the scavengers can eat.
Mook is tending animals and looks up seeing the party return with 2 ponies and 4 more pack animals and provisions. Shrugging his shoulders and not asking a single question, states “ I would be chieftain now in my family if I had this many animals.”
The rest of morning the group rigs up block, tackle, timbers and pulleys and lowers Adira first in the opening in the ground to the tomb. As she is being lowered she utters a few words and swirling lights appear around her head as the darkness recedes and she sees paintings on the walls of the tunnel. The twirling orbs of light circle her head and show a step back in time 2000 years ago.
The other 3 adventurers descend with Mook help and torches lit, starting down the tunnel. Making their way to a staircase leading down, they see a massive rock cropping that fell on the stairs and bars their way down. Mort slaps the rock,” well Dro, can we move this and how long will it take?” Dro pulls on his beard, “hmmph, I’m a tinkerer, not a delver, got no bloody clue.” The rest of the party shakes their heads, and Adira takes a closer look (craftsman ob3). She remembers going to the quarry with her dead husband and seeing rock work up close. “ 7 days with tools to move these rocks I think.” Tha’pop looks back towards the hole they came down. “How long with ponies help?”. Adira (craftsman ob2) “2 days”.
Mort climbs back up and with Mook help starts rigging the ponies for the journey down the hole. Mook cinching up a knot on a pony asks “ how many times have you done this before Mort?” Mork without looking up checking the harness “ counting this time, once.” (beginners luck knot tying ob4). 2 ponies with alot of sweat and concerned looks descend unharmed into the tunnel and work begins. 3 days later, Adira was off by 1 day, the stairs were clear. During the rest periods Dro pulls out his stone and brings it to a torch and its heat and sees the stone glow and wonders.
Adira with her magical halo of lights and torches held, they descend again. Tha’pop has one hand on Dro’s shoulder and readies his sword. Down the stairs to another tunnel that has more reliefs on the walls. Dro (treasure-wise) is a bit uneasy. There is a lot of paintings of battles and warriors, but nothing noble or other art that would be usual in a king’s tomb. They come to another stairway going down and are about to descend when Tha’pop (perc ob3) spots something in the wall like a door,but could have been overlooked. “What about that?” Tha’pop signals the direction of the door with his torch. Dro walks over, and with his uncanny dwarf powers exclaims “ its a door of some type”. Dro pushes hard (power vrs power) budges a fraction of an inch. Puffing he pushes again, as Tha’pop above pushes (power vrs power, help) and the door dust and all opens to a black chasm pit they cant see the bottom of. Dro scratches his head ( treasure wise ob2) “ This is the refuse pit, where the rock and debris is thrown down while building such things as tombs and tunnels”.
Someone says, let’s try the stairs first and the party goes back to the stairs and descends. Soon they come to the stairs going down into calm water. Adira sees the bottom of the floor as its about 8 feet below the water surface. The roof of this tunnel is about 3 feet above the water as they look. Someone mumbles ,"does anyone know how to swim?’. Tha’pop brushes off some dust and says, “ Do we have any empty bota bags up top?”. 1 hour later with 2 bota bags and some rope, a harness is made by Mort ( learning new skill knot tying ob2) as Adira puts it on.(speed ob 2) She glides into the cold dark water, and swims in the direction of the dark with her swirling lights above her head. Adira swims down the tunnel and gets about 100 paces and sees something under the water. (perc ob2) looks like a big stopper of some sort in the floor of the tunnel with a round metal circle on the top, big enough for a rope to be tied to. She looks down the rest of the tunnel and sees the end where stone and rotted wood is. Swimming back she tells the group what she sees. Dro says he wants to go next. (speed ob 2) He swims out, and Adira yells, that is the spot she thinks. Dro takes a deep breath and goes under. The darkness and cold water startle him a bit ( Steel check) he panics a bit but gets it under control, finds the plug in the dark and attempts to figure it out. Pullin on it, he cant budge it. Twice he went under and unable to move it, dwarf paddles back ,exhausted and cold back to the stairs and the group. Mort says he will go and swims out (speed ob 2 ) to the spot also, with a rope in his hand. Dives under repeatedly in the dark water (power ob3) unable to secure the rope or move the plug and swims exhausted as well.
Someone says, “ Let’s try the door up top again.” After a brief rest and semi dry clothes back on they march up the door that led to the refuse pit. Tha’pop volunteers to go down this time. Adira again (craftman ob2 with patience) designed a brace and pulley and tackle in the tunnel to lower down Tha’pop. Several hours later, Tha’pop with torch in hand, is being lowered, trusting on Mort (beginners luck ob2) that the rope knots hold. Down, down goes Tha’pop in the darkness. Some ways down he spots something like a spigot out of the wall, and as he continues down, ponders on it. Finally 200 foot down, he hits a ledge. Yells upwards he is exploring a bit. Rubble and 2000 year old refuse littering the floor, he makes his way. 300 paces down he sees a lever or something like it in the ceiling. Studies it and walks back to the rope and hollers up to Dro. After an exchange of words, descriptions and such, (treasure wise ob 2) Dro tells Tha’pop its a slab mover. Its used by workers to get in and out of places they work in. Tha’pop goes back to the lever and examines it a bit, and then uses it as Dro recommended. The lever pops and the slab lifts and Tha’pop pushes it out of the way with ease. His Torch sees paintings on the ceiling, and Tha’pop climbs up in the room above.