Barrowmaze: Of Where-Rats and Mongrelmen.

[Darithe]

Sigrid

"Good sir," Sigrid says conferring him the ironic title,knowing him to be anything but good, "Tell us of your master and we shall accede to your kind suggestion. I will be agreeable, if you are."

[Craigers07]

Rum

Rum grabs the charmed priest by his neck to lead him around. He points his battleaxe at the 1st room to the north.
"Let's bring him in here for some further questioning."


[1d8]=6 alcove search

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Mongrelmen Crypts

Rum enforces his physical authority, Sigrid her mental prowess. The surviving priest is dealt with in a strong and forthright manner, roughly taken for further questioning into the nearest crypt rather than the quarters he pointed to.

The crypt entered (the bottom one on the right hand side), is a simple twenty foot square chamber with a single open coffer in the centre of the room. The coffer occupant is a rotten skeleton, dressed in ragged raiments and bereft of any valued accruements bar rusted belt buckles, much dented helm and a greatsword broken into several pieces. A moulded tapestry hangs upon the far wall, the design blemished by purple fungi stains that have spread out from the damp fabric to mottle the plasterwork and flagstone floor. It gives off a heady, sweet scent which contrasts to the usual fetid and damp rot that pervades the other crypts and labyrinth passages. Several mossy clumps of the fungi seem well nibbled by the rats which scurry about, flitting into burrows in the corners at your sudden intrusion. The room is otherwise vacant.

"Tell us of your master and we shall accede to your kind suggestion. I will be agreeable, if you are."

Sigrid presses her charmed new friend. The priest fears both the present threat of personal violence and being hacked in half by the strengthened dwarf and perhaps worse than purgatory suffering in any after death afterlife should he betray 'the Master'.

You can remember one or two things spoken about before, such as this which was mentioned when the Mongrelmen were first encountered.

To liberate them, you could defeat 'the evil one' and his minions who dwell in the crypts to the south. He has a power over them (Mongrelmen) via some ancestral magic they need deliverance or exorcism from.

You gather the following:

The priest is named Balaam, they serve a cult that is dedicated to 'the Underworld Angarach', worshipping aspects of each of the three known deities of Nergal, Set & Orcus.

The senior priests are named using titles rather than actual names: His deceased colleagues were Acolytes, while he himself is an actual priest. He is subordinate to a higher arch-Vicar, the Shrouded One About a dozen others of the faith plus 'adherents both living and dead' dwell in nearby crypts, seeking knowledge of the Afterlife through various meditational rituals and sacrifices.

The Shrouded One is a necromancer of some esteem and possibly indwelt by an evil spirit. Sundance might wince at this, having been possessed herself by the malign spirit of Sister Magdalena.

They have a 'tool' in the form of the broken limb of the Gargoyle statue. Using a ritual, they can cause the statue to awaken and it can give knowledge of various happenings in other portions of the Barrowmaze.

They are excavating a tunnel which leads to a sacred crypt that contains a precious relic.

actions: ask any further specific questions.

Callan keeps guard with one MM at the upper passage junction. Other Mongrelmen go to aid Veryn with searching the alcoves behind each curtain before retreating back up the vertical corridor.

Veryn sneaks: [1d100]=53 Mongrelmen sneak: [1d100]=69Burial alcoves: searches vs 1 [1d8]=6[1d8]=8[1d8]=2[1d8]=5

None are particularly quiet, inadvertently scuffing floors or dropping trinkets from the burial alcoves that smash into pieces if earthenware or tinker noisily if pewter or tin. There are four alcoves along the south, each covered by a thick 'blackout' curtain. Each alcove is a small ten foot square cubby with a back wall of inset burial alcoves, each a small box size that might own a skull or set of bones, a minor trinket, old melted candles, a faded portrait, a momento of base worth. Casual searches turn up nothing on first inspections.

actions: detailed searches can take a turn of time rather than a round, possibly giving you more chance to locate items of worth but also open you open to more random encounters.

Alcove search noises alert: vs 1 [1d6]=2

So far the hurried exploration does not alert any others to the vicinity, giving you time to explore these alcoves or the two crypts in more detail.

action: Veryn, decide where you explore and search next.

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

Question, the attire that the deceased acolytes wears, what does it looks like? Does it looks the same as what Balaam wears?

Some questions i want to ask, sir Balaam. Do you sleep on your own or with your fellow servants? Also, do you have a secret code that needs to be said amongst your brethen to weed out the false among you?

After hearing his answer, Veryn will check the other crypts, from the bottom left, upper left and finally upper right. Searching for trap and potential of rigged doors and if there are, try to remove it before opening it.

find trap vs 20% [1d100]=24 remove trap vs 25% [1d100]=66

do i need to roll two more or is this sufficient?

[Spearmint]

do i need to roll two more or is this sufficient?

, no. I will update once others have posted as you check out the opposite crypt first.

[Craigers07]

Rum

Rum squeezes the priest's neck harder.

"Can you tell us more about the Shrouded One, your higher arch-Vicar? What powers or abilities do they possess, and what role do they play within the cult? What is this relic you're seeking?"

"Ya best be talking if you don't want to end up sliced in half."

[Darithe]

Sigrid

"No need to threaten him Rum," Sigrid says giving the priest a warm smile, "He's happy to help us and speak of this Shrouded One, I am certain. Aren't you my friend?"

[Craigers07]

Rum

Rum loosens his grip and releases the neck of the priest. He stands to the side of him and keeps his bloody battleaxe ready if needed.