Rooker stands and moves to the North door to check it for traps and locks.
There are no traps on the north door. Nor is it locked. It appears to be slightly jammed, though, as if age has made it expand slightly.
Thorn says, "How does it look Rooker?"
Rooker says, "It's not locked, but it's stuck. I'm gonna shove it open. Somebody hold the lantern for me."
Thorn takes the lantern.
Handing the lantern to Thorn, Rooker puts his shoulder to the door and pushes firmly.
Sharif says, "Be careful"
The door pops open with a soft -chuff-. Beyond, the lantern illuminates a short corridor, at the end of which slopes a staircase, down into the darkness.
Sharif says, "Why not…we are tired, injured and our magic is low...let's do it!"
Rooker says, "Would you rather find a nice corner to lay up and rest for a few hours?"
Nearly six hours have passed since you first entered the complex. By now, the sun will be rising outside over the graveyard.
Rooker says, "We could even move back outside for a meal and some sleep."
Sharif says, "I'm just saying that when we meet our necromancer friend we may not be at peak operating potential"
Rooker says, "Thorn? What do you think?"
Rooker says, "I could certainly use a nosh and a wink or two."
Thorn says, "Fine with me."
Sharif reaches into his pack and pulls out the jar of balm..."Perhaps it is time for some of this!"
Rooker says, "No, Sharif. Save it for a more desperate time."
Sharif removes the lid and gently rubs the pungent ointment on his wounds . Sharif says, "I will be of no use to anyone if I can not get around...or touch the source"
Rooker says, "But we are so close to the surface, we could have gone outside to rest."
The balm suffuses the room with an old-lady smell, but Sharif's wounds grow clear, pink skin scabbing over the cuts and bruises.
Sharif says, "My friends...this balm is wonderous!"
Sharif says, "I feel stronger already"
Sharif says, "Shall we be off"
Rooker watches Sharif's wounds close and his complexion return to normal; "I'm glad you feel better, my friend, but I think that we might have gone outside instead."
Rooker says, "After you, Thorn."
Sharif says, "We are already here...If we went outside we might have decided not to come back in!"
Rooker shakes his head; "You couldn't have kept me from coming back in here. Too much loot to be had."
Sharif says, "Either way."
Thorn says, "Shall we take the stairs?"
Rooker says, "After you."
Thorn heads towards the stairway and peers down.
The 10x10 corridor leads north a short way, and then a broad flight of stairs leads down into darkness. The air is very still, and nothing is visible at the bottom of the stairs.
Thorn draws his sword and leads the way down the dark stairway.
Sharif follows the elf...his staff at the ready . Rooker brings up the rear with a dagger in his hand.
The stairs are finely made, with polished marble risers little worn over the years.
Thorn is about halfway down, with Sharif and Rooker a few steps above him, when there's a sound of stone scraping on stone and the fine risers morph and twist, the stairs flattening out. The risers have turned into a slick ramp leading down into the unknown darkness. Your footing is uncertain!
Rooker quickly tucks into a ball and rolls down the ramp.
Thorn reaches towards the wall to grab on to something to steady himself.
Rooker tumbles down the ramp nimbly, disappearing into the darkness at the bottom.
Thorn seizes a wall sconce and clings to it. Sharif seizes Thorn and clings to him.
Sharif says, "Hold on tight my friend!"
Coming to his feet gracefully at the bottom of the ramp, Rooker puts his back to the wall and draws his second dagger.
At the bottom of the ramp, there's another scraping sound. Between Rooker and the stairs, a stone wall is emerging from the left side, sliding out of a hidden alcove.
Thorn attempts to make his way slowly down the ramp using the wall to steady him.
Sharif raises his arm and says "Hold!"
A ray lances from Sharif's hand, and the sliding wall grinds to a halt as Rooker is about to dive back through it.
Sharif says, "Still think it was a bad idea for me to take the balm?"
Thorn says, "Sharif I think we're going to have to slide down to meet Rooker."
Rooker chuckles; "It might have been a better idea to go outside."
Sharif smiles..."But then we would miss the adventure!
Rooker now stands near the sliding door, which is ajar enough for him to fit through easily. As he is about to do so, behind him, in the darkness of the circular room he's in, there's yet another sliding noise, and then a very loud set of footprints. Boom. Boom.
Sharif slides down to meet his friends . Sharif regrets his decision to come down! Thorn slides down like a surfer to meet Rooker and Sharif.
Rooker looks around for his lantern and sets it right.
Rooker is now on the far side of the Held portal, in a circular 30' room lit only fitfully by his lantern. Thorn and Rooker are on the ramp side of the Held portal. Into the lamplight steps a huge, 8' tall figure...a huge, broad skeletal warrior in plate mail. Four arms, each carrying a short sword, wave threateningly as it advances forward. Boom. Boom.
The bone golem, its eyes fiery pools of sorcerous fire, throws back its head and snarls a war cry.
Thorn charges to Rooker's aid.
Rooker quickly pulls a Rope of Climbing from his belt pouch and sets it to climb the ramp as he readies his daggers for the attack.
Sharif releases the Hold spell when the creature passes by the sliding wall
Sharif says, "I hope this works""
Thorn seeing Rooker pull out his rope Thorn comes to a quick halt.
Rooker's rope slithers up the ramp, like a snake, one end affixing itself to the stair at the top.
Sharif watches the approaching abomination and releases hold on his enchantment just as the creature passes the sliding wall
The bone golem races forward, slicing the short swords at Rooker and Thorn, in the doorway. The Held portal comes loose as it passes through, and the wall slides over, trapping the construct.
Stone crushes bone, as the sorcerous creature gives a wail and tries to shake itself free. It's trapped there, not dead yet.
Sharif smiles, pleased with the results. Rooker leaps forward with his daggers flashing and slashes at the creature with both blades.
Thorn joins Rooker in the attack. He slices down on it with his elven blade.
Both of Rooker's daggers miss, and then Thorn's blow slices into the Golem's skull.
Sharif says, "Yes, Yes...destroy it while it is trapped....it's an abomination!"
The Golem shrieks a cry of rage as it shudders, trapped by the sliding door.
The four armed creature slices with one of its arms, flailing its sword at Thorn. Its other three arms, also with swords, are trapped by the door.
The shortsword bites into Thorn's flesh.
Recovering his poise, Rooker attacks the creature again.
Thorn falls back and then charges the monster again wielding his sword like an extension of his arm.
Rooker's dagger and Thorn's sword plunge strike bone.
With a horrid screech, the golem pushes forward, the door sliding closed behind it as it lurches free of the trap. It barrels forward, raking at Thorn and Rooker with the wicked shortswords.
In its dying struggle, the thing manages to cut Rooker and Thorn once each. Then the bone golem collapses in a pile of bone, mail, and fragments.
Sharif says, "Just think what it could have done if it wasn't trapped. Are you both alright?"
Thorn collapses in a bloody smear against the wall.
Holding a ragged gash in his side, Rooker staggers over to Thorn; "Sharif, we need to get out of here. Quickly."
Sharif rushes to help his friend. "I guess not."
Rooker says, "Thorn, how bad is it?"
Rooker digs into his backpack, searching for his flask of Healing Ointment.
Thorn manages to stammer out "In my pouch the green liquid..."
Sharif grabs for the pouch looking for the liquid
Rooker pulls out a flask of similar liquid. "Use mine, it will be faster. " Thorn grabs his side and lets out a soft groan.
Rooker hand the flask to Sharif and moves to stand guard over his fallen friend.
Thorn's sucking chest wound closes up, but he's not fully healed, not by some way.
Sharif concentrates, claps his hands together and as he pulls them apart a shimmering disk appears -hovering in the air. "Quickly...lift him on!"
Rooker gently lifts the Selandri onto the disk.
Sharif says, "You as well my friend!""
Rooker says, "You first."
Sharif says, "I can not carry myself on the disc. But I can levitate and the disc will follow." The golem's helmet contains a single massive ruby, easily pried out, and worth 500 gold crowns.
Sharif says, "Let us go."
Rooker grabs the Golem's helmet and hops easily up onto the disk next to Thorn.
Sharif rises up the staircase, and the disc follows.
Rooker tugs his rope loose as they move past it and tucks it back into his pouch.
Sharif levitates to the top of the stairs and into the anteroom next to the Great Hall. The disc follows obediently.
Thorn sits up on the disc.
Rooker drops from the disk and walks alongside it.
Sharif says, "Grab the loot we have so far and go back looking for reinforcements?"
Rooker says, "Screw reinforcements, we'd have to split the loot with them."
Sharif retraces his steps through the tower towards the exit.
Sharif and Rooker, with Thorn on the disc, make their way back through the great hall. They then silently tiptoe through the gargoyle room (They don't stir), up the stairs, into the guardroom, then into the room where the mirror stands shattered.
Then up the stairs, into the dining hall. where Rooker grabs his gold plates. Then out the short tunnel, into the clear open air. The graveyard looks quite different by day.
Sharif breathes a sigh of relief
The disc spells ends, and Thorn lands roughly on the ground.
The graveyard abounds with nooks, crannies and pits. The area is surrounded by forest, and just inside the treeline are groups of old, dead oaks that appear hollow.
Sharif says, "You need leeches!"
Rooker turns to look at Thorn. "Oh, yeah, you look the pinnacle of health!"
Rooker says, "We should get back to town and rest for a day or so before we take another shot at this, gents. Bring back a mule or two to haul the loot out."
Sharif says, "I agree....will Thorn make the trip?"
Thorn says, "Sharif do you know any healing spells?"
Sharif says, "No my friend...but I can ease your pain for a while"
Sharif says, "Rest easy my friend"
Rooker says, "How's he gonna walk back to town if he's asleep?"
Rooker looks around for something to make a stretcher.
Thorn sleeps like a baby Selandri, as you haul him back to town on your makeshift stretcher. It's a pleasant, sunny afternoon, and the villagers of Dorias are pleased to see you when you return, offering you drinks and food and summoning Galim, the local healer.
Molly, the Tobon tavernkeeper, presses you for details on what happened to the royal soldiers you pursued and your adventures last night.
Rooker says, "Didn't the Sergeant return?"
Sharif says, "I'm afraid we arrived too late to assist them"
Molly shakes her head. "He never came back! Those boys were fools, but I'll miss them all."
Hams, bread and cheese are proffered for you, and plenty of the local ale.
Galim sees to Thorn's wounds. He's an old man who reeks of ale, even before noon like it is now. He applies unguent to the Selandri's injuries.
Rooker eats and drinks heartily while enthralling the locals with tales of his exploits and bravery.
The stablekeeper from whom you borrowed the horses tells you that the horses arrived in the village at dawn. He assumed that since you weren't on them, he'd never see you all alive again.
Rooker says, "Healer, see to my friend the wizard, also!"
Thorn wakes up in a bed in the whorehouse, with smelly Galim fussing over him.
After tearing open his wounds while re-enacting the fight with the Golem for the townies, Rooker finally decides to let Galim look at his injuries.
Thorn says, "Kind sir where are my companions?"
"Ooo-eer, koind sir, it's a good thing ye happened along!" one of the locals tells Rooker. "Old Farmer Dyne, he's disappeared last night! Oi think old Xoth, he's up t'no good! Tell us ye can stop him, sir!"
Rooker grunts, "Of course we can stop him! We just need a good meal and some sleep before we head back to his hiding place."