%% date:: [[2024-03-02]] %% # [[062_20240302 The Fallen Tomb Wardens]] ## Session Summary > [!tldr] [[062_20240302 The Fallen Tomb Wardens]] > The party, now 4 days from [[Absalom]], gains a new companion: **[[Varlon]]**, a small boy with dreadlocks whom [[Grumblebum|Grumble]] rescues. Varlon offers services as a thief, pickpocket, and information gatherer. The area proves dangerous with **silver-tipped traps** everywhere—bear traps, nets, and darts—suggesting werewolf hunting activity. > > At a deteriorating bridge, the party encounters **mimic planks** that try to trap them before revealing their true nature. Below, they find dwarven skeletons and face an **Ochre Jelly** (level 5) with acidic properties that dissolves flesh while leaving equipment intact. The creature is immune to mental/visual effects and critical damage. > > Most significantly, Grumble discovers that one of the dead dwarves was a **Tomb Warden**—members of his prestigious order created to guard [[Zarmavdian]]'s tomb. Finding a Tomb Warden so far from the Dwarvenlands is highly unusual, as they typically bring their dead home. The party recovers valuable clan daggers from four different clans, weapons, and magical items including *Boots of Free Running*. The mysterious **creepy doll** reappears with "Grumblebum" written on its dress, which Grumble interprets as being from a secret admirer. ^summary %% ## Video [Video]() %% --- ## Recap ![[061_20240224 Tower of Memories and Creepy Dolls#^summary]] --- ## Log We think we're 4 days away from [[Absalom]] now after resting, thanks to Grumble's previous critical success. Zuhri found herbs while foraging that she could crush and dry to make something called a soothing powder. Bad weather check from Zuhri. I think it's going to still be snowy and rainy. We're still going to be fatigued today. If we want to forage, this is a good place to do it because there are a lot of insects and animals. It's a rich ecosystem. [[Grumblebum|Grumble]] gets a follower: a boy that he finds stuck. He helps the boy and in return, the boy becomes his follower. He says that he's good at stealing stuff, hiding, and remaining unnoticed. He says he can pickpocket stuff and give Grumble some gold at the end of the day. He's a bit lost here, but if we bring him to a city, he can also help get Grumble information. [[Varlon]] is his name. Small boy, dark-skinned, dreadlocks. [[Vayle]]'s foot get snagged on a bear trap. They take 12 piercing damage and has a -10 foot penalty on walking speed. Grumble gets them out. Vayle heals themself. They realise that the trap was silver-tipped and has been used before. In fact, this whole area is trapped. Nets, silver-tipped darts, bear traps. They're all silvered. We come across a ravine with a bridge in bad shape. Across it, the ravine is not foresty but more hilly. ![[Pasted image 20240302103003.png]] We cross the bridge. Below it, we see some skeletons and scattered weapons - about four skulls. About 60 feet below. As we cross it, our feet get stuck on the planks. And then an eye opens on the plank, then fangs, then teeth. Then they let go of the other side of the plank. We're able to grab an edge and not get stuck to the mimic plank, which is holding onto the bridge. ![[1709372157983 - Combat]] The party successfully escaped the mimic planks on the bridge, with Zuhri and Ash taking some damage during the escape. The mimics then retreated back into the bridge structure, ending the first combat encounter. While we were dangling upside down, we did say that the skeletons are of dwarves. It's dwarven armour and weapons. [[Jaspen Bond Callistair|Bond]] kills one mimic. The other mimic jumps off, takes damage, and crawls at the bottom of the cavern. Vayle realizes that the mimic planks are failed experiments. They don't have magical abilities to disguise themselves-- they use natural abilities to camouflage themselves. [[Ashnefrotty|Ash]] climbs down the ravine. - Lots of animals that have fallen to their deaths - metal armors are rusted - weapons, shields. - four bodies but five pieces of armor - there's some sort of yellowish liquid clinging to the surfaces like dew. Looks viscous. Ash prods one of the better looking armor. The branch he's using gets stuck on the armor. The yellow liquid congeals into a thin tentacle and it extends out of this mass of bodies and armors. Combat! - Mimic attacks Ash for 15 damage. - Shambling mound - Clumsy 2 and enfeebled 2 and can't use one hand until healed. - Ash - Recall knowledge: [[Ochre Jelly]], Level 5 creature with an acidic body that dissolves flesh but leaves everything else intact. Critical success. - Weaknesses: None - It's immune to mental and visual effects. (It's also immune to critical damage.) - Z1: Boost Ash - Z1: Protect companion - A1: Tandem movement - A1: Dragon stance 25 gp each of monster parts from two mimics: *bludgeoning, strength, con, neutral, athletics, deception* Grumblebum's order was made to guard tombs against robbers. Dwarves respect their dead and commune with them. Tombs are well-protected and decorated. His prestigious order protects tombs. One dwarf's body is a member of an ancient [[Tomb Warden]] order. This order was made to guard the tomb of [[Zarmavdian]]. Grumblebum thinks it's very strange to find a Tomb Warden so far away from Dwarvenlands because they usually bring their dead back to their land. It's strange to find one here. They also have: - dagger pistol needing repair - Bond takes it and knows that it's from [[Dongun Hold]] - broadspear - warhammer - morningstar - 4 clan daggers (Each dwarf is a member of a clan and each clan has an attribute that they're good at. Clan daggers are ceremonial and signify their membership to a clan. These dwarves were from four different clans.) -- Grumblebum - a single boot that seems to have withstood : *Boots of free running*-- given to Grumblebum It's Grumblebum's duty to get the four clan daggers and return them to those clans or give them to a dwarf from one of the four clans. It's otherwise an embarrassment to a clan to have lost clan daggers. - splint mail-- Grumblebum We continue on our way. Evening activities: - [[Ashnefrotty|Ash]]: Organize Watch. 18. - [[Zuhri]]: Intimidating posture. - Vayle: Entertain. ✅ Talks about enjoyment during a festival that was about to be celebrated in [[Otari]] before we left. - Bond: Cooking. +1 status to all saving throws until the end of the next encounter, and he turned 4 rations into 8. Butter oyster and mushrooms. The doll is back! In child's script on the dress: "Grumblebum". Grumblebum's convinced it's from a secret admirer. ![[Pasted image 20240302133403.png]] Evening/Camping activities: - [Blend into the Night](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1489) - [Bolster Confidence](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1485) - [Camouflage Campsite](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1472) - [Camp Management](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1484) - [Cook Basic Meal](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1473) - [Cook Special Meal](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1474) - [Dawnflower's Blessing](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1487) - [Discover Special Meal](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1475) - [Enhance Campfire](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1492) - [Enhance Weapons](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1482) - [Hunt and Gather](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1476) - [Intimidating Posture](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1494) - [Learn from a Companion](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1477) - [Maintain Armor](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1488) - [Organize Watch](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1478) - [Provide Aid](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1479) - [Relax](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1480) - [Set Alarms](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1493) - [Set Traps](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1486) - [Tell Campfire Story](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1481) - [Undead Guardians](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1490) - [Water Hazards](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1491) - [Wilderness Survival](https://2e.aonprd.com/Actions.aspx?ID=1483) Next day! 5 more days to get to [[Absalom]]. - Navigation: 20, Grumblebum - Weather: 26, Zuhri. - Foraging: Zuhri. ❌ - Scouting: Ash. 29 for Perception, 18 for Stealth. - Foraging: Grumblebum. Doesn't spend rations today. Ash didn't find traps or creatures camping nearby, btu there's a place that is nestled further in one of the hills. There's a double door built into one of the hills. There are many signs placed before the door in different languages. Of the ones that he can read, (Common), it says "Never open. Turn back. Not safe. Go away." The doors are heavy wood reinforced with metal. No apparent key or lock. He noticed that there were no nearby animals for 200 feet around the door so perhaps it's a place where we wouldn't be bothered by animals and predators in the region. Grumble realises immediately that the door is of dwarven make. Bond sees that the door was created to keep people out. No thoughts from Thoughtsense. I go around the hill and finally get one ping from the Thoughtsense. Grumblebum finds out that there are patterns in the words that you need to touch and twist to get in. Bond figures out that certain parts of the symbols need to be pushed in through the door because they form locks that lock the entire mechanism. Grumble pushes them through the door about a foot. Inside is darkness and we can hear the water more clearly now. There is a fountain in the room beyond this door. It's a square room and it has a door to the right. In the fountain is a statue of a dwarven warrior. He's from another clan from Grumble's and also from the four. Ash and Zuhri push open the last remaining pegs and now parts of the door can be pushed through. Vayle slides more parts of the door and manages to fully unlock it. There are still four holes in the door. Bond opens one part of the door and we handwave opening the rest.