Tales from the Boar's Head: Thalos' Tomb

A Bad Way to Go

Session Date

13th Day of the month of the Crimson Dragon 4500CCC (August 13th)

Characters Present

Aslog, Skandik Priestess of Odin

Velor Silent-stream, Half Elf Druid

Dabetha Darkmantle, Dwarf Storm Sorceress and devotee of Manas

Udogar Thalthaac, First Man Bard

Thalos, Tiefling Blade Pact Warlock (Deceased)

Events

• The party met with Thalos, a warlock from the Demon Princedoms far to the south, and convinced him to seek treasure within the tomb they had been exploring.
• Dabetha also took the time to make sure she had notes on the other possible adventures around Haghill and the City State.
• They left Haghill at dawn on the 13th and arrived at the tomb without incident.
• After reviewing Velor's map, they decided to try to explore beyond the chamber where they had fought a group of guard skeletons and, on a later expedition, the shade of a typhonic beast.
• Near this chamber they found what appeared to be an ancient library of sorts filled with scrolls. A skeletal priestly figure mechanically puttered around looking at scrolls seemingly without comprehending them. In the center of the room was a great brazier.
• Thalos attempted to test the skeleton's reactions by dimming the fire within the brazier. This prompted no reaction. 
• Before the party could move in behind him, Thalos attacked the creature with an eldritch blast.
• The rest of the party filed in, attacking with spell and sword, and the skeleton had no time to react before it was destroyed.  With its last act it attempted to push some of the scrolls into the fire but was unable to.
• Searching among they scrolls they found that many were blank, but that some still contained writing.  They were able to find an ancient King's List, a strange map, and a scroll of diminution.
• Dabetha, feeling there might be a secret door nearby, attempted to search for one using her stone-cunning, but to no avail.
• They then decided to see what was within the pit found in the room where Velor, Aslog, and the now gone Torin had faced a bronze cobra.  They, in fact, used the wreckage of this cobra as a weight for their rope as they lowered themselves down.
• Or rather some did.  Udogar, frustrated with dithering over whether to go down the pit or a nearby flight of stairs, jumped down and was quickly joined by Talos.
• Below they found a strange set of cells packed wall to wall with bones, as though a great many people were locked in them and left to rot over hundreds of years, and a torture chamber. 
• The torture chamber was guarded by a hulking skeleton with a great, two handed scimitar. Once he drew this vile weapon a swarm of scarab beetles appeared from no discernible location and followed him.
• Thalos attempted to fight the undead torturer while Velor and Aslog began to make their way down the rope.
• Dabetha jumped past the two going down the rope and cast a shield spell in mid air, using her storm sorceress abilities to gently land on the ground once this was done.
• Thalos took a mighty blow from the torturer, but what slew him was the scarabs. They swarmed over him - two swarms in one space! They then set about hollowing out his corpse.
• The torturer then turned his attention to Udogar and Dabetha, but Velor was able to intervene and do a great deal of damage to him.  Aslog also helped with her mace, which had great efficacy against the being.
• Udogar was knocked unconscious by the torturer's wicked blade, but Aslog was able to heal him.
• Once the torturer was dead, they felt some sorrow for their newly met and newly departed friend, but Aslog did observe that they had not been shieldbrothers long.
• Dabetha took the sword and began experimenting with it, finding that if any part of it touched the ground scarabs began to appear. She faintly heard the voice of Thalos's shade say "careful where you sleep."
• They then climbed back up the rope, retrieved it, and went down some nearby stairs. The sound of running water, which pervades the strange tomb, was even louder in this section of the dungeon.
• Beyond this they found another guard chamber of skeletons - 4 with swords and shields and 4 with bows. These proved to be more aggressive than the first set, with the archers firing as soon as they were within sight.
• The fight saw Udogar use illusions to great effect, creating illusory cover for his allies as they moved up the hallway and dealt with the sword swinging skeletons.
• Having spent many resources and lost a friend, the party decided to return to Haghill rather than continue exploring, at least for now.