Unaware that Andres,
Adam, and the frozen Thracian perished while Bam and Hark are alive but trapped
in the tomb, Xan and Barbara return to the ship for additional resources.
Eldwin, Cad, and
first-timer lock pick extraordinaire Cory return to the ruins without Barbara
or Xan. On the way, they spot a four-armed white ape deep in the jungle
but not far from camp. The creature avoids them.
The three take the usual
route through the ruins. They find the Gnoll and Minotaur guard posts
empty and the trap door leading to the frozen hallway held open by a rock from
a nearby crumbling wall.
Upon reaching the tomb
area, they see the cut rope and Eldwin immediately spots Bam looking down at
them.
They throw a new rope up
and tie it to the gargoyle statue as before. The three climb it pulling
the rope up behind them. Then they hear the tragic water trap story and
see the evidence of the frantic digging into the two-foot thick stone doors.
The group quadruples their efforts finally breaking through. A river of water torrents out the
hole creating a river of water that waterfalls into the statue room below.
Eventually, the torrent subsides into a small but continual flow as the
vault empties. Eldwin spots Andres’ ring float by and scoops it up.
The hole is now big
enough for Eldwin to enter. He sees the grisly twisted and melted bars
formally blocking the ceiling chute and the three corpses of his fellow
explorers. The group works the hole so it is big enough for all to pass.
The thief deactivates the original trap mechanism and then they
investigate the chute.
Cory climbs up and
hammers in pitons to reach the landing where the Thracian met his fate.
The elf follows in support. They take out the adamantine snake
construct and begin inventorying the treasure it guarded. They leave the
chest with the king’s dinner set, copper coins and demonic-looking ring, but remove all the other
Thracian coins, a golden magical bowl, and an awesome-looking golden glaive.
Thinking the shaft up
might lead to the surface, the thief scales it to a forgotten secret trap door.
Opening it, he emerges into a circular room of decadent Thracian design.
Standing guard in a Deathwalker wearing a skull painted facemask and
exorbitant Thracian plate mail. Cory sneaks up from behind and slits his
throat killing him in seconds. He then peers behind the mauve curtains
and witnesses a tall black statue of the god Thanatos. He closes the
curtains and returns to the others. As he closes the trap door, he slips
almost falling seventy feet, but a piton provides stopping power as it gashes
his chest. Saved and bleeding, Cory climbs down and joins the others.
About this time, they
decide to avoid the minotaur, gnoll, and dog brother war band waiting in the
rivulet-divided statue room below. The group avoids the beastmen then investigates the unexplored web-clogged stairwell leading north.
They use torches to burn the web and quietly make their way to the top of
the stairs. Who knows when or if the Beastmen will follow.
From the top, they open
an ancient door closed for millennia into a hallway lit ghastly green from the
glowing eyes of skulls mounted every five feet down either side of the hall.
They turn left to an
empty chamber with a 40’ ceiling. Once they step inside the room,
everything changes. A near blinding column of golden light shines down directly
on a pedestal on the rooms opposite side. None of the light touches
anything but the pedestal, but illuminates the room. They see the walls
decorated with ornate fresco paintings showing activities of unknown gods and
heroes.
Basking in the light
lounging on the pedestal is Ontussa (a gynosphinx) as she introduces herself.
She riddles them about what knowledge they seek. The immediate
answer is not to her liking so she requests gold for their naivety. She
wants all the Thracian coins she detects they carry. The group, not immediately
forthcoming and somewhat taken aback by her rudeness, hesitates. She
symbols a sign of sleep; Cory, Harkness, and Bam drop to the floor snoring.
Eldwin and Cad remain awake.
Cad bows in fake
sincerity then swings a sneaky mace uppercut surprising the gynosphinx.
Battle ensues. The two heroes finish the haughty sphinx then wake
the others.
At this time, the door
behind the sphinx’s pedestal opens revealing a glowing blood red hall beyond.
They investigate and a
werelion statue at hallway’s end animates transmuting through the stone floor
as it attacks them.
After destroying the
living statue, Cory peers behind the set of curtains to see what the werelion
guarded. He finds a circular room with two remarkable and large holes:
one a central pit possibly leading to the abyss and the other a strange black shallow
darkness containing a chest. It is at this moment Cory realizes his hands
are affixed to the curtains!
They burn off the gluey
curtains terribly scarring Cory’s hands. They now look ghastly but remain
functional.
