Kelewen

To The Edge of the World...

The husk-like body remained still, soon becoming evident that it was dead. The steps descend into a circular cave walled by tall stone slabs inscribed with dark runes in the likeness of massive cave bears and of warriors donning the skulls and pelts of the bears. The bears and the bear-warriors are shown triumphantly battling dozens of foes.

In the center of the chamber is a large stone chest and the lid has already been removed. Inside is about a dozen human skulls.

To The Edge of the World...

"The beast is retribution for the sins of men!" Father Beacom said, raising his voice. "The only real defense is to forsake the material world for Justicia!"

Felmer's curiosity showed him what appeared to be a relatively normal "junk collection": a wooden chair with a cracked leg, a clay jug, a small crate with drying herbs laid on top, and an oil lamp with a sooty chimney was about all he could see without opening the crates.

To The Edge of the World...

"To my knowledge, it is the only one," Father Beacom answered the elf, softening a little after the apology. He stared at the painting, as he had done hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. "Almost always she is shown with her sword."

His stance became slightly defensive as he turned to Rockmar, "Such holy relics are NOT to be desecrated by the hands of the unfaithful."

To The Edge of the World...

The construct would find that the steps lead down to a hallway that connects to the room underneath the pit.



As Jason looked down the other steps, he sees that the worn stone steps descend into a chamber below. From his vantage he can make out another body, similar to the dried husk of a ghoul in the hallway. It is not moving. Next to it is a large slab of stone.

To The Edge of the World...

The construct walked up to the first hallway closest to the pit entrance and walked through slowly. ... Jason approached the hallway a little farther from the pit entrance and looked down into it. He was careful not to enter the stair case.

@BKburke

I just want to make sure I'm clear on where Jason & construct are... The pit is to the south on the map. Construct is going down stairs at bottom east? And Jason has the stairs to the west?

To The Edge of the World...

I didn't actually. This is a (heavily modified) published adventure. So I was lucky enough to find them online.

(After we're done, I'll give the appropriate credit to the module publishers... but for now... no cheating. )

To The Edge of the World...

The tomb remains quiet. The first things Jason would notice as they made it over to the far hallway would be a grotesques snake with a vaguely humanoid head. It lay lifeless on the floor of the hallway nearby a dried corpse of what appears to have once been a man. Its skull has been crushed.

The hallway leads to various paths. (Both set of stairs go down)

To The Edge of the World...

Father Beacom did not respond for a few long moments, then finally relented. "There is a painting of Justicia..." He gathered a candle and led the crew down the steps into the dark chapel basement. It was simply one large room with various crates and few pieces of furniture stacked against the eastern wall. But on the western wall was indeed a painting of the same woman depicted in the stained glass. This time she was shown without the scales of justice and sword, but with a great war hammer and battling.. something...

It was difficult to make out exactly what the something was. A dark mass without a well defined shape. However, one thing stood out clearly: red eyes.

To The Edge of the World...

@BKburke

Just below the hole, the construct would find a circular chamber with a tunnel exiting to the east. Directly beneath the hold is a score of hammered bronze longspears set into the floor and pointed upward, obviously intended to impale anyone falling through the hole above. There is a pair of rusty daggers lying on the floor.

The mural was painted with earth pigments, a method known to be utilized by the 'ancients' that once occupied the mainland.

To The Edge of the World...

Father Beacom looked down his hawkish nose at the half-orc, as if offended at even the suggestion that he had taken liberties with the image of the goddess. "It was repaired only," he answered, but sidestepped the rest of Rockmar's question with one of his own. "Are the original pieces of some use to you?"

The idea of the strangers rummaging around his church without him to keep at eye on things did not sit well with him. And possibly even worse was Tarquin's seeming suggestion that he had not been praying since the beast arrived. His eyes opened wider, obviously irritated and feeling as if he was somehow being hustled, "I have done my daily devotions, elf. What is you hope to gain ... or steal... by distracting me here while they are freed to do as they will?!"