PRP: Mine over Matter

Cast of charaters:

Corra

Duncan

Ssylrath

Takiyah

Zippo

You have all gotten word from the Guild of Explorers that an owner of a mine is in need of some help. After some explaining, it seems that the mine was a recent reopening of a very old platinum mine that no one had touched in centuries. Looking to make a profit, the owner, with his miners started to dig. Things were looking rather promising, though it has all gone silent. He sent someone to look into it, but their report sounded more like ravings of a lunatic, than anything reasonable. And so, you are sent to the Redridge Mountains to go see what is going on, just a couple short days out of Alexandria. Simple mounts have been provided so you didn't have to walk the whole way there.

Duncan seems more than ready to walk, but accepts one of the mounts with ill-concealed distaste when one is offered. He sits without grace and nearly falls off constantly. "Don't know why we bother with these beasts," he grumbles. "I use to walk farther than this to get my axe sharpened back at Feld Mor."

Zippo rides a raggedy-looking riding dog, flipping through some old tome he peruses on the way. "So. Platinum mining, eh?" He remarks, turning the page in his book. "Sounds like a highly profitable enterprise. Hopefully they will compensate us appropriately."

Ssylrath arrives with his own horse, a bad-tempered mare with an uneven white mark across her face. His voice is harsh and raspy. "Dissstance is not the issue, speed iss. A good mount can carry you much faster than foot, and carry more for most people. Even a horse iss better for long distances." He sits easily, weapons stowed, tail draped over the rear of his mount.

Takiyah is tinkering with her dragonspitter, checking the sights and the other mechanisms while trusting her pony to travel with the others. "I hope it turns out to be something simple, like an overtruncated clabberbob connected to an undergreased mana-piston," she remarks. "Those are easier than piecing minds back together."

Duncan scowls. "There are all kinds of nasty things under the earth," he remarks with a hint of superstitious unease.

Ssylrath eyes Takiyah suspiciously. "I do not know what those wordsss mean. I hope it is something that I understand." He goes back to cleaning his uneven teeth with a claw, interspersed with making friends with the other's mounts (as long as nobody objects).

"There is nothing beneath the earth that SCIENCE cannot deal with!" Zippo declares, pointing at the sky.

Duncan's eyes follow where Zippo is pointing, then he looks confused. Shaking his head, he decides not to pursue it. "Well, we can see for ourselves soon enough what the problem is. We're almost there." He declares this with confidence. He's a Khazad after all, so anything related to mines and mountains is clearly his area of epxterise.

"It's some of the more complex pieces of a mana-stove," Takiyah vaguely explains to Ssylrath. "Nothing that a casual user has to worry about. Utter pain to repair, though."

Ssylrath says, "Underground. This is a cave that has been dug on purpose, yes? I come from the swamps, very few caves there." He grimaces. "I do wonder whether darksight will work without a sky."

Corra turned down the simple mount that was offered and as she was a bit late was given direction to catch up to the others. The young lass makes her way to catch up, not taking all that long as she is a skilled rider. She hails them as she nears, "I was running late and they sent me to join you." she calls out as she gets closer.

Duncan turns in his saddle to look (which almost causes him to slide off until he catches himself). "Welcome." He looks at all of the others in the party then back at Corra. "Hope you brought a torch."

"I brought SCIENCE-TASTIC illumination!" Zippo declares excitedly. Apparently he means his lantern.

Ssylrath's voice is harsh as he greets the new arrival, same as he greets everyone, by holding up one clawed hand palm out. "Peace on your nessst. I am Ssylrath." He watches the lantern with interest, waiting to see if it does anything unusual.

Nope. Just a regular lantern. It does a decent job at illuminating.

Corra nods, "I am Corra and I do not have a torch but a know a melody or two that provide illumination." she does have a fancy looking bow along with her.

As you climb up the winding road to the mountain, things appear quiet, no sounds of men working, like they had been told. Coming up though, you spot various prints leading down off the mountain. However, with how busy the owner made it sound, there would be a lot of prints and wagon tracks along this road, and have been the whole way up.

GAME: Zippo rolls perception: (11)+8: 19 GAME: Ssylrath rolls perception: (20)+6: 26 GAME: Duncan rolls perception: (14)+7: 21 GAME: Corra rolls perception: (1)+7: 8

Ssylrath is watching the ground. "Fighting here." He points. "There. Blood." He furrows his scaly brow, thinking.

Zippo pulls out a magnifying glass, looks through it, and squints. "... Yes. There has been a struggle here of some sort. Combat, likely."

Corra mutters a bit and wasn't paying any attention to things, though the others point things out. "Just wagon's or other tracks?" she asks.

GAME: Corra rolls perception: (1)+7: 8

The tracks are a mess, but the wagon tracks are older, other footprints over them in more recent times. However, coming up to the staging area for the mine, it is obvious for everyone about the struggle. There are bodies, everywhere. Some are draped over equipment, others are completely evicerated. There was carnage here of the horrific scale.

Ssylrath is clearly unhapppy about the bodies. "Whoever did this must pay. These bodies are all wasted now, the meat is going to be spoiled. Someone or something killed them without reason, without need." He shakes his head sadly. "This is a bad place. They must be stopped."

Corra shakes her head, "Any signs of what might have done this?" she asks and strings her bow after giving her horse a command to stay and dismounts moving over to check things.

Zippo peers at the bodies through his magnifying glass. "... Yes. They're definitely dead, alright." He concludes with a frown.

GAME: Zippo rolls heal + 3: (12)+3+3: 18 GAME: Ssylrath rolls heal: (5)+1: 6

Zippo puts his magnifying glass away, scowling. "Definitely a non-humanoid attacker of some sort. They were ripped apart while still alive. Vicious. We'd best keep our wits about us."

Duncan drops off his mount with a look of profound relief, then moves about the edges of the staging area, peering here and there. Slowly he slides his axe out of it's holder on his back. "Our wits and our weapons," he agrees.

GAME: Ssylrath rolls perception: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Zippo rolls perception: (8)+8: 16 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+9: (12)+9: 21 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+9: (1)+9: 10 GAME: Duncan rolls perception: (1)+7: 8 GAME: Corra rolls perception: (16)+7: 23 GAME: Takiyah rolls Perception: (18)+5: 23

While searching through the bodies, something seems to rise out of some of the bodies, feeding off of the bodies. In fact, there are two somethings. They are bloated, having what appears to be limbs, but almost looking like a blob. And you all look rather enticing.

GAME: Ssylrath rolls +5: (11)++5: 16 GAME: Ssylrath rolls +0: (4)++0: 4 GAME: Ssylrath rolls +0: (7)++0: 7 GAME: Ssylrath rolls ride +4: (10)+3+4: 17 GAME: Ssylrath rolls 1d4+3: (4)+3: 7 GAME: Ssylrath rolls bab +str +1 (higher ground): (15)+2+str+1 (higher ground): 18 GAME: Ssylrath rolls 2d4+6: (4)+6: 10

Ssylrath's horse rears up as the disgusting blob appears and tries to claw her rider, coming down and giving it a visious bite as the Sith-makar pulls his weapon and shouts. "Creature! You are unnatural, you offend the Green!" He cuts into it with his falchion, his anger lending strength to his blow. "You do not deserve to live!"

GAME: Takiyah casts Bless. Caster Level: 3 DC: 14 GAME: Elessa advances the initiative order. It is now Zippo's turn! Duncan is next!

Takiyah gives a quick prayer to bolster the spirits (and arms) of her companions.

GAME: Zippo rolls ranged + 2: (12)+7+2: 21 GAME: Zippo rolls 2d6+6: (3)+6: 9 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+5: (19)+5: 24

"You're no match for SCIENCE!" Zippo raises his arm and presses a button on the armored plate at his wrist. A beam of white light fires out, slamming into the blobby creature.

GAME: Elessa advances the initiative order. It is now Duncan's turn! Corra is next! GAME: Duncan rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d20+7: (6)+7: 13 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d10+4: (4)+4: 8 GAME: Elessa advances the initiative order. It is now Corra's turn! Dretch2 is next! GAME: Corra rolls ranged+1+1+1: (13)+4+1+1+1: 20 GAME: Corra rolls 1d8+2+1: (5)+2+1: 8

Duncan turns his head back and forth to look between the two creatures, judging distance. A moment later he's moving, setting down his ace and tugging his flail free. He launches it toward one, then spins and yanks at the chain, sending it swinging around at the second.

GAME: Elessa advances the initiative order. It is now Dretch2's turn! Dretch1 is next GAME: Zippo rolls will: (3)+2: 5

Corra pulls an arrow and places it on her bow. She pulls back sighting down at the Dretch that is within point blank range. She takes a deep breath and then fires. The arrow spins through the air and strikes solidly.

GAME: Corra rolls will+1: (14)+4+1: 19 GAME: Duncan rolls will: (16)+2: 18 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d4: (3): 3 GAME: Ssylrath rolls will: (11)+1: 12 GAME: Ssylrath rolls +2 (horse): (9)++2 (horse): 11 GAME: Takiyah rolls Will: (2)+6: 8 GAME: Ssylrath rolls 5+1+2-2: (7)+5+1+2+-2: 13 GAME: Ssylrath rolls ride+4: (11)+3+4: 18 GAME: Ssylrath rolls melee+1+1+1+2-2: (16)+5+1+1+1+2+-2: 24 GAME: Ssylrath rolls 2d4+4: (6)+4: 10 GAME: Elessa advances the initiative order. It is now Takiyah's turn! Zippo is next!

Ssylrath pulls his horse around as the one by him collapses and spurs her into a charge. "Grraaaagh!" He swings the curved blade, slicing downwards.

Takiyah swears and starts backpedaling. "Reos, strengthen their arms! Andremind me, why didn't I stay in my workshop?"

"They are immune to science!" Zippo shouts, terrified. "Run! Run away!" He dashes away on stubby legs, flailing his arms.

GAME: Duncan rolls 1d20+7: (5)+7: 12 GAME: Corra rolls ranged+1+1+1-2: (10)+4+1+1+1+-2: 15 GAME: Corra rolls 1d8+2+1: (2)+2+1: 5

Corra pulls another arrow out and after taking a deep breath looses it at the remaining dretch.

Corra blinks as her arrow seems to almost bounce off it, "They are resistant or something, we aren't hitting them right." she calls out to the others.

GAME: Elessa rolls 1d0+4: (0)+4: 4 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+4: (2)+4: 6 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+4: (13)+4: 17 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+4: (10)+4: 14 GAME: Duncan rolls perception: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Ssylrath rolls ride+4: (19)+3+4: 26 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d4+1: (2)+1: 3 GAME: Elessa advances the initiative order. It is now Dretch2's turn! Dretch1 is next! GAME: Elessa advances the initiative order. It is now Ssylrath's turn! Takiyah is next! GAME: Ssylrath rolls 4+1: (4)+4+1: 9 GAME: Ssylrath rolls -1+1: (15)++-1+1: 15 GAME: Ssylrath rolls -1+1: (19)++-1+1: 19 GAME: Ssylrath rolls 1d6+1: (1)+1: 2 GAME: Ssylrath rolls 1d6+1: (6)+1: 7 GAME: Ssylrath rolls ride+4: (2)+3+4: 9 GAME: Elessa advances the initiative order. It is now Takiyah's turn! Zippo is next!

Ssylrath's horse rears up as she is clawed, Ssylrath pivoting her away from one of the attacks but not the other. The horse comes back down with a crash, clipping the disgusting foe with her hooves.

Zippo runs. Flails. Screams.

GAME: Duncan rolls 1d20+7: (18)+7: 25 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d10+4: (6)+4: 10

Duncan reels in his flail like a fisherman before he sets it spinning in a tight circle at his side. Then with one last mighty spin he sends the head-sized steel sphere at the chain's end flying,

<OOC> Elessa says, "Basically a few more moments then Zippo and Takiyah come to their senses."

GAME: Elessa removes the timestop.

Takiyah eventually makes her way back to the group. "I'm glad that they're dead," she mutters.

Duncan picks up his axe and replaces it on his back. The flail he leaves out and in his hands, ready to use again. "Where were you?" he asks sourly.

Ssylrath swings down off his horse, giving her a pat as he does so. "That wass good, Splash, thank you." He turns to the nearest dretch corpse and pulls out a dagger, cutting a thin strip on meat from the edge of a wound. He eyes it suspiciously, nostrils flaring, and his long tongue flicks out to taste. "Yarg! That isss foul!" He throws down the scrap and kicks the corpse once. "They are not even good as meat, what isss the point of them?"

Corra cocks her head to the side and keeps her bow in her hand and then shakes her head, "Now that was fun..." she shakes her head and sighs a bit. "Think it is more of those things?"

Zippo slowly calms down. Well, calm is probably never the right word for Zippo. But at least closer to his normal state than usual. "... Horrible science-immune monstrosities! Abominations, all of them."

GAME: Ssylrath rolls perception: (19)+6: 25 GAME: Takiyah rolls Perception: (19)+5: 24 GAME: Zippo rolls perception: (4)+8: 12 GAME: Corra rolls perception: (7)+7: 14 GAME: Duncan rolls perception: (17)+7: 24

While looking through everything and the carnage of the bodies, movement catches everyone's eyes. It's over by the entrance to the mine itself. The figure appears humanoid, but you only get a glimpse of it before it disappears into the mine.

"It's one of the non-sciencey creatures!" Zippo shouts. "Kill it! Kill it dead!"

Ssylrath cleans the blood from his big sword and takes a few steps forward. "Well, Splash, looksss like you will have to stay out here. That cave is not very big."

Duncan sets his flail swayin in his hand, not spinning but readied. He creeps slowly towards the entrance.

Takiyah scowls, but readies her trusty warhammer and follows the others.

Corra nods, "Looks like we move into the mine." she says and then shakes her head a bit and readies another arrow. She takes a moment and sings a soft melody casting a bit of light to the top of her bow.

GAME: Corra casts Light. Caster Level: 1 DC: 13

Once inside the mine, there is little sign of the creature. It is out of sight, but there is sound of something moving deeper into the mine as it goes deeper into the mountain, and into the darkness.

Duncan slips into the mine, eyes adjusting quickly to Corra's light. He peers this way and that, and even takes a few sniffs at the air once inside. "Undead," he explains in a hushed whisper over hus shoulder to those behind him. "Sometimes you can smell 'em coming." He focuses on the mine ahead once again. "Not getting anything right now though..."

The tunnel is barely tall enough for a human, much less anyone reaching close to six feet tall. It's wet inside, puddles along the floor, drips earch echoing through the mine itself. There are picks as well as equipment to drill into the wall as they searched for the platinum. A few bodies can be seen every now and then as you continue in.

Ssylrath ducks into the entrance after Duncan, also sniffing the air suspiciously. "I do not like thiss. Caves are not good." He has to bend his head occasionally, being just under six feet himself. "Why would anyone want to dig like this? It sseems very dangerous."

Corra cocks her head to the side and really doesn't have much of a problem with the cave but then she is on the short side. She does have her bow drawn and the light spell on it is casting light about her as she watches to the front and back, they could always be ambushed from behind so she tries to watch to prevent that.

"They'd better be paying us handsomely for this..." Zippo grumbles, gripping his death ray in an unseemly and paranoid manner.

"Undead, huh? Maybe there's a reason this mine was abandoned in the first place," muses Takiyah.

Duncan examines on eo fthe bodies as they pass, then glances back at Takiyah and Zippo. "You thinkthey were taken out by the things from outside?"

GAME: Corra rolls perception: (2)+7: 9 GAME: Ssylrath rolls heal: (3)+1: 4 GAME: Ssylrath rolls perception: (12)+6: 18 GAME: Duncan rolls perception: (8)+7: 15 GAME: Zippo rolls perception: (14)+8: 22 GAME: Duncan rolls heal: (19)+2: 21 GAME: Takiyah rolls Perception: (5)+5: 10

Duncan slows to a stop and then backs up a step, peering down at a particular wound. "That came from a blade." Then he faces forward again.

Sounds continue to echo all around, from ahead and behind. There are no other tunnels branching off, and soon the tunnel seems to come up to a place that is a distinctive arch to it, leading to a larger room. There are stones scattered just inside the door. Inside this room the walls glitter brightly in the light spell. Here is the platnium that the miners must have been looking for.

Ssylrath hisses in disgust. "All thiss work and death, just for pretty rocks. It is a waste." He follows Duncan closely, his sword at the ready and watchful for danger.

Corra moves along after the others, watching as they come close, there are other tunnels, but there could be holes or something.

"... We could just take the platinum and go. Seems a fair payment for the job." Zippo notes, steepling his fingers together.

Takiyah looks around, her brow furrowed. "Something's not quite right," she murmurs, rubbing her holy symbol of Reos nervously.

Duncan is drawn towards the gleaming walls, one hand reaching out to touch them. The hiss and words seem to bring him back to his senses, and he lowers his hand before turning back to rejoin the others. "There's still no sign of...of whatever it waswe saw in the mine?" He looks at the others in case they saw something he missed.

"Seems that we have new bodies brother," A foul voice comes now the entrance to the room. It looks like one of the miners, though somewhat bloated and not very coordinated. "And these will be fresher." Another comes into view next to the first. Their bodies seem to be shifting at all times, like something is roiling inside of them.

GAME: Zippo rolls ranged + 2: (17)+7+2: 26 GAME: Zippo rolls 2d6+6: (11)+6: 17 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+8: (16)+8: 24

"Taste SCIENCE, horrible abomination!" Shouts Zippo, firing another white bolt of light from his wrist into the nearest abomination.

GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+6: (17)+6: 23 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d8+2: (7)+2: 9

One of the creatures moves forward, a sword coming from hit's back and slices into it's nearest target. And since they came in behind the party, that happens to be Corra.

GAME: Duncan RAGES!, gaining: +4 Str, +4 Con, +2 Will and -2 AC GAME: Duncan rolls 1d20+7: (14)+7: 21 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d10+10: (3)+10: 13 GAME: Duncan rolls perception: (12)+7: 19 GAME: Zippo rolls perception: (5)+8: 13

Duncan spins around at the voices. When the creatures begin to attack, Duncan growls like an animal, before flinging his flail at the one that struck Corra. After the flail connects he actually releases the chain, already reaching for his axe.

GAME: Takiyah casts Spiritual Weapon. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15 GAME: Takiyah rolls 1d20+3: (8)+3: 11

Takiyah brandishes her hammer with a small prayer, and a replica of divine force echoes the movement... and bounces off of the former miner, ricocheting into the wall and shattering. "Oh, what the spanner-jammer...?" she swears.

GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+6: (13)+6: 19 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d8+2: (8)+2: 10

The other creature comes up closer as well, sword in hand in order to slash at Duncan, to keep it off the other one, slicing into the storm dwarf.

Ssylrath calls out "Asss long as we stand together we cannot be defeated!" As if to prove his point he steps forward to threaten the one that attacked Corra.

GAME: Corra rolls ranged+1+1: (3)+4+1+1: 9

Corra moves back a bit and looses an arrow, but her aim is off probably due to the nasty blow the thing dealt her.

GAME: Zippo rolls 1d20+10-4: (6)+10+-4: 12 GAME: Zippo rolls 2d6+7: (8)+7: 15 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+8: (4)+8: 12 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+6: (19)+6: 25 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d8+2: (6)+2: 8

The creature hisses as Duncan hits it, and then Zippo hits it yet again, yet the damage doesn't seem as potent as it normally is. Unable to get to Zippo, it turns it's attention to Duncan, slashing at him with it's sword.

GAME: Elessa advances the initiative order. It is now Duncan's turn! Takiyah is next!

"Hah! Behold the power of SCIENCE!" Zippo swaggers forward, his gnobbly gnobber knees shaking (but who pays attention to that?). His armor gleams and fizzles with ELECTRICITY, with SCIENCE! And, goggles in place, he lowers his gun. It pulses, ice shooting and covering the enemy.

"SCIENCE!" It's totally a warcry.

GAME: Duncan rolls 1d20+7: (13)+7: 20 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d10+10: (8)+10: 18 GAME: Takiyah rolls Channel: aliased to 2d6: (5): 5

A quick whispered prayer from Takiyah sends a surge of healing energy into the party.

GAME: Corra rolls will: (12)+4: 16 GAME: Zippo rolls will: (8)+2: 10

Duncan half-grins, half-grimaces as he takes a sword across the biceps. He's got his axe out by then, and even with his wounded arm he manages to get both hands on the handle for a mighty blow that chops down the enemy in front of him. "RRAH!!" he screams incorently, wild eyes practically rolling back in his head before he turns to lock his gaze on the remaining enemy.

GAME: Duncan rolls will: (19)+4: 23 GAME: Ssylrath rolls will: (18)+1: 19 GAME: Takiyah rolls Will: (12)+6: 18 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d8+3: (8)+3: 11

The last creature standing hisses at it's 'brother' falling, and so it steps back and a wave of energy from it. It's not quite like what Takiyah just did, and only seems to have enough power for a few of the party, not everyone.

GAME: Ssylrath rolls melee +1: (5)+5+1: 11 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+6: (14)+6: 20 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d8+2: (8)+2: 10

Ssylrath bounds forward past the beast, taking a nasty cut from its sword as he does so, but ending up behind it. "Sstrike the vile thing down!" His own blow goes badly wide.

Corra watches as the thing pulls back and then casts some kind of magic which does causes her pain when the energy wave hits her. She raises her voice and starts singing a rousing fight song, to inspire courage amongst her allies.

GAME: Zippo rolls 1d20+10-4: (7)+10+-4: 13 GAME: Zippo rolls 2d6+7: (11)+7: 18 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+8: (5)+8: 13 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d20+8: (18)+8: 26 GAME: Duncan rolls 1d10+11: (9)+11: 20

"DASTARDS! YOU DASTARDS! Face the mightiness of my Electriuzum Zappo Valve-Released Trance-Inducing Giggawatter Assault Belcher! Powered..." and here the gobbificer pauses. For drama. For the mightiness and as-yet all-too-underappreciated awesomeness of gobbers everywhere. "...by SCIENCE! Die, you fiends!"

GAME: Takiyah rolls Channel: aliased to 2d6: (6): 6

Takiyah keeps chanting, trying to bolster the others against their wounds.

Duncan is briefly soothed by Corra's beautiful song...but then he remembers his rage! As he takes up his axe again in both hands. Something in the primitive cunning part of his mind recognizes Ssylrath as a friend. Duncan moves to capitalize, circling so that the monster is between them. And then he swings a mighty blow puncuated with a howl that echoes throughout the mine!

GAME: Elessa rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13 GAME: Elessa rolls 1d8+2: (8)+2: 10 GAME: Ssylrath rolls melee+1+1+2: (12)+5+1+1+2: 21

The creature takes the opportunity of the lizard to move past it, slashing at him, but then gives a hiss at Duncan as it got a really good hit on it. It lashes out with its sword, cutting deep.

GAME: Ssylrath rolls 2d4+5: (6)+5: 11 GAME: Corra rolls ranged+1+1+1: (14)+4+1+1+1: 21 GAME: Corra rolls 1d8+2+1+1: (5)+2+1+1: 9

Ssylrath is attempting to distract the creature for Duncan's attacks with limited success. "Die, creature. You dessserve nothing else. Meat is for eating, not for leaving to rot." His weapon cuts into it on a backhand swing.

Corra continues singing as she does see that it seems to have an effect. The channeling makes her feel a little better and then she lifts her bow and looses an arrow at it, taking advantage of the fact that it was trying to avoid Ssylrath's strike and sinks the arrow deep into it, dropping it.

Takiyah looks slightly relieved as the last foe collapses, then frowns. "Something's still wrong here," she comments, then murmurs a quick orision.

GAME: Takiyah casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 3 DC: 13

Duncan plants the butt of his axe against the ground and lays both hands across the top to lean against it. He slowly catches his breath, then turns to examine the room. "What? More possessed miners?" He looks down at one of the fallen enemies. "What came over them anyway?"

Ssylrath kneels down beside the last corpse. "This is already rotted. Bad meat." He pokes it with his dagger like the one outside. "Wait, there is sssomethig inside." He rifles through the body's innards, cutting a strip of flesh loose. "Pfagh! This is worsse than the foul thing before!" He scrubs his long tongue with his hand where it touched the meat and swears in Draconic.

GAME: Corra rolls intelligence+1: (17)+2+1: 20

Corra blinks for a moment as she finally recognizes something and can place it, "Heard of these. They are demons, Vermlek. they possess fresh dead bodies. The ones outside were a different type of demon, there might be other demons a portal or something around here."

GAME: Takiyah rolls knowledge/religion: (10)+9: 19 GAME: Corra rolls knowledge/religion+1: (7)+7+1: 15

Takiyah makes a disgusted face at the chamber in general. "This place is saturated in evil," the gobber Forge declares. "I say we leave, barricade the mine behind us, and report this to the temples."

Ssylrath is busily cutting loose a small bit of the thing inside the rotted body, pausing to spit every few seconds. "If it cannot be eaten, it can at leasst make a trophy." He holds up a nondescript strip of flesh and starts tying a leather cord around one end, presumably to add it to the collection that hangs off him.

Corra nods, "I would agree, they need to do something for sure, if more demons can use this place to come through."

GAME: Corra rolls perception: (3)+7: 10 GAME: Takiyah rolls Perception: (18)+5: 23 GAME: Ssylrath rolls perception: (12)+6: 18 GAME: Zippo rolls perception: (16)+8: 24 GAME: Duncan rolls perception: (4)+7: 11

Zippo twirls his Death Ray as Dramatically as a gobber can. Which is to say, he avoids tripping over it. "HAH! Another foe vanquished to the power of--what's this? Why, a CLUE! Gents, this stone was obviously part of some sort of doomsday device!" And he points, nay, GESTURES with one knobby finger. What he's pointing at is the entrance. Near the entrance is a piece of old, corroded metal. The metal bears some sort of emblem.

Which is actually incomplete, only part of it is there, and it seems the break is fresh as well.

"Better take it with us, then," Takiyah nods. "I'll trap and wall off the entry when we leave, so a more skilled crew can cleanse this place later."

After searching through things, doing any initial cleaning up and removing the emblem, everyone heads out of the mine. A thorough search of the area reveals there are no more demons, but as a precaution, the entrance to the mine is sealed up to prevent more things going in and dying, or allowing more foul things out of there. The mounts were good and waited where they were tied up, and it's a couple days back to Alexandria and reports to the proper authorities.