Chapter 3 - The Entombed Scribes
The area around the statue was filled with plantlife; grass, bushes, moss and vines. As the party spread out and searched the area, several discovered another corpse. It was the skeletal remains of some guardian. He had a helmet and a great club. They confiscated these immediately and then joined Gale, Shadowheart and Kaedyn as they studied the statue and the plaque at its feet.
Religion rolls were made. Only Gale made it with a 17+3=20, for it was a DC 20 roll. "Jergal," he said. "Well, now. Doesn't that just put the icing on the cake."
"Jergal?" said Shadowheart. "Isn't he the one who transferred his power to the Dead Three?"
"Correct," said Gale. "Caring for little besides an orderly accounting of the fate of the world as it slowly sank into death, the Final Scribe was the one who kept the records of the ultimate fate of all the dead. 'The throne is yours. I have grown weary of this empty power. Take it if you wish - I promise to serve and guide you as your seneschal until you grow comfortable with the position. Who among you shall rule?' - Jergal conceding his divinity and throne to the Dead Three."
"What kind of race was he?" asked Vexir.
"He was often depicted as a member of an ancient alien race," said Gale. "He was sort of a cross between a humanoid and praying mantis. He like to look wizened mummy-like with gray, tightly taut skin. More often than not, he had an elongated skull with bulbous, yellow eyes devoid of life and insect-like mandibles. His nose and ears were barely distinguishable from the rest of his head. He typically had claw-like hands, and his forearms were covered by a pair of white gloves. Most of his form was also covered by a cloak that seemed to absorb everything around it. He was known as the Scribe of the Dead, and he was often seen with a quill with fresh ink and a thick scroll covered in an intricate and incomprehensible script. When Jergal spoke, it was said to chill to the bone; no pun intended. It was seemingly disembodied, echoing with the dry whisper of a tomb that had long been forgotten."
"That explains the writings we couldn't understand previously," said Kaedyn. "If he often wrote in intricate and incomprehensible scripts, it's no wonder we couldn't figure it out."
"Indeed," said Gale.
"Anything else of interest?" asked Ryth-Shan, trying to move past the eerie moment.
They glanced at each other and shook their heads. "I guess not, really," said Kaedyn. "Maybe we should look around a little more and just get out of here."
But Astarion was already doing that. "Well. I may have found something," he reported. "Looks like another button. It's like the one we found in the tomb chamber. It was hidden behind a panel over here in this alcove along the wall here."
Everyone moved to join him. They looked at the button and then at one another. "Well," said Ryth-Shan. "Do you wanna push it, or should we just leave it and go?"
"Once again," said Astarion. "If you're going to push it, I'll just wait a reasonable safe distance..."
"Let's all wait a reasonable safe distance away," said Kaedyn. "Everyone in the hallway, and we'll let either the cat or spider hit the button."
"The button looks too hard to press," said Gale. "I doubt the familiars or the bird could do it."
"I'll use Mage Hand," said Ryth-Shan. "I can be up to thirty feet away from the button. Everyone else can be even further from me, outside the room, just in case a trap goes off."
"You sure about this?" asked Kaedyn, putting his hand on Ryth-Shan's shoulder.
Ryth-Shan nodded. "I'll be fine."
"It makes the most sense," said Vexir. "If we're outside the room, and a trap goes off within, we might be able to figure out how best to disarm the trap and get him out."
"I say some of us remain within and some without," said Kaedyn. "I'll stay with him, just in case."
"Then Shadowheart remains without," said Gale. "She's our only other cleric. If we need someone to use a Revivify scroll, we at least have one of you."
"Makes sense," said Lae'zel. "So can we end this debate and be done with this?"
And so, the majority of the party remained outside the room, in the hall beyond with the master key. Kaedyn and Ryth-Shan remained in the room, approximately thirty feet from the button. They were hiding in shadows, crouching behind a pillar just in case. Ryth-Shan gained 2 points of relationship with everyone, and Kaedyn gained 1.
Ryth-Shan cast the spell and the spectral, floating hand appeared and moved up to the button. Then it pressed the button, and all at once, the entire room began to shake. Dust billowed up into the air everywhere, clouding everything.
"Holy... he was right!" cried Astarion over the noise. "A giant dracolich IS coming out of some secret passage to devour us now."
A secret door did, in fact, begin to open. Just to the left of where the button was, the wall began to slide open. As it did, glowing, sickly, green light began to glow around the room. The five skeletons rose and stood on their feet. Each was facing towards the direction of the button. They emanated angry, other-worldly cries.
"Hells!" said Kaedyn. "Something just woke up down here." Then, without warning, the door slammed shut, locking the others without. Only Kaedyn and Ryth-Shan were in the chamber with the five undead.
Initiative. Kaedyn rolled a 4+2=6. Vexir rolled a 17+2=19. Ryth-Shan rolled an 18+2=20. Shadowheart rolled a 3+2=5. Astarion rolled a 4+3=7. Lae'zel rolled a 4+1=5. Gale rolled a 15+2=17. Scribe 1 rolled an 8, Scribe 2 rolled an 18, Scribe 3 rolled a 16, Scribe 4 rolled a 12, and the Skeletal Guardian rolled a 10.
Initiative Order. Ryth-Shan, Vexir, Scribe 2, Gale, Scribe 3, Scribe 4, Skeletal Guardian, Scribe 1, Astarion, Kaedyn, Shadowheart, Lae'zel.
Ryth-Shan was in hiding, and Scribe 4 was not far from him. If he cast Hunter's Mark on Scribe 4, it required a verbal command. That would reveal his location and remove his advantage to hit. However, Hunter's Mark gave him an additional 1d6 damage. Since he got +6 to hit, he chose to reveal himself and use Hunter's Mark. He muttered the words of the spell and cast it upon Scribe 4. Then, he fired. He should have gone with the advantage, for he rolled a 3+6=9 and missed. "Tsk'va!" he cursed. Then he darted behind cover behind a sarcophagus near him to make it harder for enemies to hit him.
Vexir produced the master key, and she shoved it in the lock. Sure enough, it clicked and the door reopened. She shoved it open and used Dash to reach the nearest Scribe, Scribe 3. Scribe 2 saw her movement and cast Hold Person. She had to make a Wisdom saving throw or be frozen in place. She rolled a 9 with no bonus. Glowing runes appeared inside a shimmering square on the floor just below Vexir's feet. She became like a statue, paralyzed by the spell's effects. She could roll every turn to escape, but she needed a 13 to succeed.
Gale was next. He rushed into the room and cast Witch Bolt at Scribe 3. A beam of crackling, blue energy lanced out toward it, forming a sustained arc of lightning between him and the skeleton. He rolled a Natural 20 to hit. Normally, he would deal 1d12 damage, but since it was a critical, he did 2d12 damage instead. He rolled a total of 23. A surge of extra power blasted from his fingertips, electrocuting the creature, but it did not fall. It had 3 HP remaining.
Scribe 3 saw Gale as a huge threat. It used Magic Missile on him, using a Level 2 spell slot to receive an additional missile. Therefore, it did 4d4+4 points of damage off of him as the searing hot darts slammed into him from different directions. He only had 6 HP remaining.
Scribe 4 was fully aware of Ryth-Shan, but it couldn't see him behind the sarcophagus. Therefore, as a Bonus Action, it cast Misty Step and moved 30 feet closer to him. Then it ran 30 more feet and cast Magic Missile using an Attack Action. So it used both a Level 2 and Level 1 spell slot in one turn. It rolled 14 points of damage off of him as well. He had 12 HP remaining. Ryth-Shan rolled a 14+1=15 for his concentration roll. He needed a 10. He succeeded to keep up Hunter's Mark.
The Skeletal Guardian ran towards the stairs using Dash Action. It was intent on reaching those at the door. Scribe 1 also used Dash to get closer to the open door.
Astarion commented, "Well, at least it's not a dracolich," and then he used his Cunning Action to Dash to Scribe 3 to try to finish it with his rapier. He rolled a 17+5=22 and hit. For damage, he rolled 7+3=10. Scribe 3 fell to the ground in a crumpled heap of bones and dust.
Kaedyn came to Ryth-Shan's rescue. He was still in hiding. Scribe 4 did not see him. Therefore, he got advantage on his attack roll and used Guiding Bolt. He rolled an 18+4=22 and hit. He did 4d6 damage and rolled a 15 total. Scribe 4 was down to 6 HP. He then used Healing Word to try to help Ryth-Shan recover a bit. He rolled 1d4 and got a 4+4=8. Ryth-Shan was back up to 20 HP.
Shadowheart charged into the room and hurled Guiding Bolt using a Level 2 spell slot to increase its damage. She missed with a roll of 3+4=7. The flash of light streaked toward Scribe 2 and smashed into the pillar next to it and vanished in a cloud of dust and debris.
Lae'zel was the last into the room. She saw Scribe 2 and cast Magic Missile at it. She rolled a 4+3=7, reducing it to 21 HP. It tried to hold it's concentration of the Hold Spell, but it rolled a 1 on its Constitution saving throw and failed. Vexir was free.
Round 2. Ryth-Shan drew his shortswords and attacked Scribe 4. He rolled a 10 and 4. Thanks to the mystical dim light glittering around the monster, this was just his first attack. He had advantage on that roll. He hit with 10+4=14 because he needed a 12. For damage, he only rolled a 1+2=3. Ah, but he used Hunter's Mark and got an additional 1d6. He rolled a 6, so he did a total of 9. Scribe 4 was struck hard by Ryth-Shan's slash across the waist. It splintered apart, and bones flew everywhere.
Vexir was free, and she was in a rage. She ran 30 feet towards Scribe 2 and cast Faerie Fire, a spell she had because she was a Drow. Both Scribe 1 and 2 were within 20 feet of one another, so they both were outlined in bright, neon green light along with every object within a 20 foot cube. (They failed their Dexterity saving throw to resist the spell, so they both were illuminated by the light.) Any attack roll against them would be with advantage.
Scribe 2 retaliated by hurling Magic Missiles at her. It rolled 11+3=14 damage. She rolled an 18 to maintain her concentration of her Faerie Fire spell and kept it up. She had 13 HP remaining. Scribe 2 then retreated a bit to keep away from the charging Drow.
Gale ran towards the two scribes to help Vexir. He cast Witch Bolt on Scribe 2. He gained advantage, thanks to Vexir. He rolled a 2 and 16 and used a Level 2 spell slot to increase his damage by 1d12. He hit with 16+5=21 and rolled 2d12 damage; getting a 16 total. Scribe 2 was down to 5 HP remaining.
The Skeletal Guardian reached the top of the stairs and rushed Shadowheart. The party was wise to remove its weapons. Without them, it was substantially weaker. Even if it hit, it would only do 1 damage per fist. It attacked with the first and rolled a 3. Miss. It struck with the second and rolled a Natural 20. Since Natural 20 only doubles your damage dice, and there are none for an unarmed attack, it still only did 1 damage off. Shadowheart still had 20.
Scribe 1 launched Magic Missile, using a Level 2 spell slot, at Vexir. It did a total of 7+4=11 damage. She was hurting with only 2 HP remaining. "I need healing!" she cried to her companions. Then Scribe 1 retreated as well, keeping its distance from her. She rolled Constitution saving throw and made it with an 18.
Astarion sheathed his rapier and drew out his bow. He used his Cunning Action to Dash closer. Then he aimed for Scribe 2 and fired with advantage. He rolled two 15s and hit. He got advantage still because of Vexir's Faerie Fire. Because he got advantage, he also got Sneak Attack, so he did an extra 2d6 damage. He rolled 3d6+3 and rolled 11+3=14. His arrow hit the skeleton's head so hard that it snapped off its neck. The whole body then shattered to the ground in pieces.
Kaedyn then raced 30 feet to get into range of Scribe 1. He could hit up to 120 feet away, and in order to retreat from Vexir, it had inadvertently moved into range of the Half-Drow cleric. Using a Level 2 spell slot for extra damage, he hurled the flaming light of radiance at the undead scribe. He got advantage, and he rolled a 4 and 17+4=21. He hit and did 5d6 damage. He rolled an 18. Scribe 1 was reduced to 9 HP. He wanted to use Healing Word on Vexir, but she was just a bit too far away.
Shadowheart attacked the Skeletal Guardian with her mace. She would have used her new spear, but bludgeoning damage was more effective against skeletons. She rolled a 9+3=12 to hit. Because they'd removed its armor, it only had AC 12. She hit. She normally did 1d6+1 damage, but because it was vulnerable to bludgeoning weapons, she did double damage. She rolled 2+1=3 and did 6 damage. It was reduced to 20 HP.
Lae'zel saw that Scribe 1 was now as good as destroyed, so she focused on aiding Shadowheart. She rushed up and struck with her longsword with both hands. She was now flanking the creature with Shadowheart, so she got advantage. She took a swing, rolled an 8 and 6, and hit because she got +5 to hit. She did 1d10+3 damage, and rolled 7+3=10. The Skeletal Guardian only had 10 HP remaining. She then used Action Surge and struck again with a 1 and 16+5=21. Then she rolled 4+3=7 more damage. The Skeletal Guardian was down to 3 HP.
Round 3. Ryth-Shan sheathed his swords and had his bow out in moments. He ran thirty feet towards Scribe 1 and he got within range. He fired with advantage and rolled a 17 and 11, hitting. He couldn't put Hunter's Mark on Scribe 1 because he was too far away for that spell, and so he did 1d8+2 damage. He rolled 4+2=6. Scribe 1 only had 3 HP remaining.
Vexir ignored her weariness. She used Second Wind and rolled a 2 on her 1d10. She healed 2+3 (her Fighter level)=5. She used Dash to reach Scribe 1, and she used Action Surge to attack. She took a swing and missed by rolling only a 6 and 3. "Son of a...!" she cursed.
Gale maneuvered into position. He could hit both Scribe 1 and the Skeletal Guardian with Magic Missile. He saw the scribe as the bigger threat and fired 2 and the scribe and 1 at the other. He did 5 off Scribe 1, blasting it so it scattered across the floor, and he did 3 to the Skeletal Guardian, also shattering it. And with that, the battle was over, the dust began to settle, all became still, and the party gained 121 XP each.
"Well," said Gale with a charming smile. "That was exciting."
"All this for some dusty old baubles," remarked Shadowheart. "What do the dead need with them anyway?"
"Agreed," said Ryth-Shan with a snort. "Seems a waste to bury them in places like this. Better to be put to good use by the living."
"Or, if nothing else, they might be worth some coin," Shadowheart concluded. Ryth-Shan gained 1 point of relationship with Shadowheart and Astarion.
Kaedyn hurried up to Vexir as she came to meet him. "Some protector you are," she commented, but there wasn't the usual sting in her voice this time. She was joking with him.
He smiled as he laid his hand on her shoulder and held his holy symbol. "Next time, stay closer to me."
"In your dreams," she replied with a short laugh. Their relationship went up by 1 to 58. He used Cure Wounds, and he healed her 1d8+4 points; rolling a 5+4=9. She now had 16 HP. "I guess that'll do for now. Maybe we can take a short rest after we finish searching this place."
"Sounds like a plan," Kaedyn replied. "Let's just hope we don't run into anything worse than what we've already encountered."
"If we do, then I guess you had best stop slacking and try harder, Male," she said, and though her words sounded harsh and superior, once again, her tone suggested she was being playful. It was quite encouraging to Kaedyn. He felt that, at last, maybe the party was starting to bond. Their relationship went up to 59.
"At your command, Matron," he replied with a slight bow. She didn't even give him another look or say another word. With an air of superiority, she strode off towards the secret door they'd opened by pressing the button. Although she didn't allow him to see it, she smiled. It wasn't a sinister grin as if she was manipulating him. It was a genuinely happy expression, as if for the first time in her life, she was enjoying herself. Their relationship went up to 60.
Then Kaedyn followed her and gestured to the others to join them. Finally, they made their way to the last little corner of the Dank Crypt.
