21 Eleasias, 1368: Into the Crypts

The party steps through the wedged portcullis and enteres the corridor. The priests of Lathander were buried here; the high priests in graves and the lesser priests in the alcoves on either side of the passage. Long, narrow alcoves are stacked three high along both walls of this tunnel, and the floor is covered with graves. The graves are covered by large slabs of stone and bronze depicting the deceased and listing their titles and accomplishments. All of them seem to be priests and warriors devoted to Lathander, the god of the morning.

Elessaria walks in, steps on a grave and holds her breath. Nothing happens. Degar follows her in. He whispers, "There are crypts everywhere ye look. You have to hand it to them, these priests didn't waste any space."

Elessaria walks down the hall, and rounds the corner and sees that the crypts here have been excavated and a tunnel has been dug behind them. Stago walks around the other way, and joins them. He peers down the tunnel that has been dug through the graves there. They decide it would be prudent to thoroughly search the crypt area before venturing down the tunnel.

He finds a door with a fairly complex lock. He takes off his armor to better his chances for lock-picking, and other thieving skills. He checks for traps, but doesn't detect any. The halfling manages to pick it the lock in 5 minutes time.

Once the door is opened, Fink & Degar look inside and see a small stone chamber with two benches and a mural on the wall of Lathander descending from morning clouds. The benches are covered with yellow tablecloths and set with golden candlesticks, blackened silver censers, and a pink stone disk, Lathander's holy symbol.

"This is interesting," Fink says. The halfling spends an entire hour searching for traps in this hidden chapel, but finds none. Outside, to pass the time while the thief does his work, Routunious explains about the altar service and the ethics
and foolhardiness in stealing holy items from the temples of gods."

"We should leave it. At least for now. Close the door and if we later decide to take it with us, we know where it is," Elessaria decides.

Fink protests, "If we close that door, it will relock, and I don't know if I can open the lock a second time."

Routunious says, "Then that would be a sign from the gods that it wasn't meant to be."

"Let us enter the tunnel," Elessaria says.

This passageway was made by tearing down the back wall of a crypt alcove and then tunneling down to the natural limestone caverns below. The company steps through the opening onto a rough stone tunnel sloping downward.

Just around the first bend they find the bodies of two slain guardsmen which lie next to the battered body of an enormous, insect-like creature that almost fills the narrow tunnel. The insect creature isn’t moving, but they can hear clacking noises from the tunnel beyond.

Elessaria moves guards around. Piecemeal, as they are rotted. The giant insect proves more difficult to move.

The elf asks, "What is this thing?"

Degar and Stago both reply in near unison, "Hook horror."

"This one's a male," Stago says.

Routunious asks, "How can you tell?"

Degar replies, "Because its littler than the females."

"What does a female one look like, if that one is little?"

Degar points behind the priest and says, "Like that."

Coming around the corner in the passage beyond the dead bodies is a behemoth with enormous claws for hands. It clacks the claws together in a percussive warning of impending doom.

The party falls into defensive positions, and Stago fires magic missile from his ring of spell. Tiny crackling magic bullets spring forth and strike unerringly against the chitinous hide of the creature with little to no effect.

Routunious & Fink move closer, in order to make use of their ranged weapons. Routunious readies his throwing knives and Fink nocs his bow.

Degar jumps on top of the bodies of the dead guards and prepares to use his hammer to deadly effect.

Fink moves in front and fires bow. He gets off two shots, but only one hits the creature. Degar brings his hammer down and cracks the exoskeleton of the female hook horror.

The horror swings its massive claws at degar and the dwarf manages to duck or dodge them both times. The dwarf has to move backward quickly to avoid the razor sharp beak, and nearly loses his footing on the corpses upon which he stands.

Elessaria misses both of her arrow attacks. Routunious readies a knife to throw, and the hook horror lashes out at Degar again. Though it misses with both of its claws, its beak manages a strike and it rips into the dwarf's flesh at the shoulder.

Stago fires another magic missile from his ring and this time the missles blast through the creatures natural plating, leaving smoking holes as it collapses to the floor of the tunnel. Degar is still bellowing with rage and leaps on the unconcious creature and bashes its head but can't quite seem to kill it. Elessaria approaches and uses her longsword to sever its head, ending its life once and for all.

Degar says, "Thanks, elf. I'll toast you with a draft of extra healing potion."

Fink checks bodies of the dead guards, and even the hook horrors. The first guard he examins has 18 gold pieces, the second only 16. The hook horrors carry no treasure of any kind.