(Copied from previous site)
Alustan, the resident wizard of Diamond Lake and brother to govenor - mayor Lanod Neff has sent his pupil Mercurio to observe and aid a group of young locals exploring the ancient cairns in the hills around the city. Alustan is concerned with recent rumors he has heard about unkillable undead in the Mistmarsh and possible cult activity in Diamond Lake and it's environs. Mercurio is to keep an eye on the adventurers and make sure they don't stir up anything that shouldn't be.
The group Mercurio is looking for was seen by a ranger friend of Alustan's leaving town towards the north west two days ago, and Alustan has a pretty good idea where they are headed. The Whispering Cairn, the scene of many tests of bravery of local youths, is the most likely target in that direction.
Upon nearing the area, Mercurio notices a thin whisp of smoke, as from a camp fire, rising from the last remaining building of an abandoned mining camp. Mercurio approached the group in plain sight as they were finishing up their breakfast. They welcomed him into the camp and he related his purpose in seeking them out, offering his conjuring services in their endeavor. The group realized that they could use all the help they could get if this adventure were to be profitable for them, and gladly accepted his offer. They relayed (with a little embelishment) their progress so far. With Mercurio caught up they returned to the Whispering Cairn.
At the top of the stair they peered down towards the green flickering light. Romanova guessed correctly that the light had to do with the frescoes of the lantern chamber in the western alcove and proceeded down the stairs. They found what appeared to be the tomb itself, a sarcophagus with a bas-relief figure upon it, larger than a human and completely hairless (well, what they could see anyway). Romanova discovered that the lid was trapped and deftly disarmed it. Upon opening the sarcophagus, the party was dismayed to find it empty, but jostled it enough to realize that it moves in a clockwise direction around the room.
When pushed to point at the hallway with the yellow lantern, a stone cylinder rose from the floor beneath the lantern and doors opened up revealing a chamber just big enough for a human to get in. Norad had his snake, Fang, wrap around him so they could both fit and entered the chamber. He felt it going down and the doors opened revelaing a small room with the exit near completely blocked by a large stone slab. Norad tried to wriggle through the gap, but his bulky dwarven body prevented it. Fang was easily able to pass to the other side and returned a minute later.
Meanwhile, the group up above had turned the sarcophagus to the green lantern. As it clicked into place, loud sounds of grinding stone against stone filled the room. The group paused for only a moment before turning the sarcophagus to the blue passage. Nothing happened. They went to explore the blue alcove and found that the ceiling was higher than the others, and about fourty feet up a passage continued to the north east.
After hanging the indigo lantern on the chain at the end of the eastern passage the group turned the arrow there. Another elevator rose from under the indigo lantern. Weber went to investigate and immediately noticed the crushed bones and moldy clothes at the bottom of the elevator. Sensing a trap, he dug around with his weapon in the pile from outside of the elevator finding a pouch with a few coins and a small ruby.
Moving the arrow to the violet and empty alcoves produced no futher results. Wondering where the party druid had gone they turned it back to the yellow alcove and the elevator again rose empty. Romanova entered and descended to the room where Norad and Fang pondered how to pass the stone slab. Upon examination, Romanova found the call button for the cylindrical contraption and returned to the lantern room.
The last of the group had moved the arrow again to the green passage and the grinding sounds were now louder. The stone circle under the green lantern heaved and then fell down into a dark shaft. A moment later, as Norad and Fang returned on the yellow alcove, skittering noises as of many insects rose from the depths of the green. Romanova shoved her way past Norad back into the cylinder and descended back to the room below to cower in fear. The rest of the party steeled themselves and got into position. Mercurio cast a spell upon Stonan to turn him into a hulking behemoth of fury.
A living geyser of green beetles burst forth from the darkness, coalescing into a swarm that left a green sizzling trail of acid in its wake. Just behind them came a foul aberration, a spider like creature with six legs supporting a body that was almost entirely a single eye. Weber readied a flask of oil to throw at the skittering beetles. Nader threw a javelin and Stonan fired his crossbow at the foul spider creature, but both missed. Stonan advanced a bit, aprehensive about approaching the swarming insects. The mad slasher moved to get to the rear of the party, avoiding the beetles it appeared with. As it moved through Stonan's now improved reach, he clove the beast in two with his mighty axe.
The swarming beetles made their way toward the huge tasty looking dwarf. As they did, Weber and Mercurio let loose with their flaming vials of beetle death and greatly reduced the numbers of beetles, but on they came, crawling up Stonan's legs and covering him from head to toe. Norad turned the sarcophagus to face the indigo alcove and again the elevator rose out of the floor. He was trying to escape the battle by running into the waiting trap. Luckily, he noticed it before entering, and went back to try and help Stonan. The beetles were now feasting on Stonan's living flesh and burning him with their acidic excrement. The others in the party, afraid to burn Stonan with more fire, quickly tried to beat the beetles off of Stonan with their hands and blankets. They succeeded in breaking up the swarm just in time, for Stonan would surely have succumb to their bites had they covered him longer.
Romanova remained in her hiding place under the yellow lantern while the rest of the party recovered. Norad used his natural healing magic to restore Stonan to fighting strength. Romanova used her time to search the room below, and found that if the stone slab blocking the passage forward was disturbed, some form of trap would trigger. She tried to disarm the trap, but is unsure whether or not she succeeded.
Up above, Weber was anxious to explore the passage opened up by the collapsed floor. The walls of the shaft were pitted and scarred, and should have made for easy climbing. In his haste, Weber lst his footing at the lip of the pit. A horrified look of panic crossed his face as his hands scrabbled for purchase on the hard smooth floor of the chamber. Backward he tumbled into the dark, striking the wall several times before coming to an abrupt stop. A sickening thud resonated up through the shaft as Weber's blood coated the ruin of the elevator below.
In a rush Norad ran to the edge of the pit and began to climd down himself to help his fallen comrad. In a cruel twist of fate, he too lost his hold only a few feet into the shaft and fell, landing uncerimoniuosly atop his fellow, their blood mingling in the rubble. Feeling the loss of his bond to the druid, Fang returned to his natural tendencies, and simply slithered away.
Mercurio turned the sarcophagus back to the yellow alcove, calling the elevator. He descended and found Romanova still examining the stone slab. Relaying the recent events, Romanova's horrified stare gave way to a slight curl of her lips, it was hard not to laugh at Weber and Norad's foolish misfortune. They both ascended to the main chamber.
Learning their lesson from the two's rash behavior, the rest of the group took their time climbing down and made it safely to the bottom of the pit. In a corner of the small room they used the rubble of the elevator to build small rock cairns over their fallen comrades (after looting their corpses, of course). Stonan said a nice dwarven prayer over their bodies, something that would have upset Norad to no end, had he been alive to do anything about it.
Romanova scouted just to the first intersection of halls on this level and discovered another swarm of beetles around one corner, and a huge hulking statue in the shadows around the other. The group decided to return to town to resupply, and hopefully find some more warm bodies to fill their ranks.
The now group of four first went to Alustan's home to allow Mercurio to report, and hopefully get some sage advice. The wizard could not believe what he heard! Falling down an easily climbable shaft?!? What buffoonery! He offered his condolences, and offered what help he could. He traded the group some spending money for the elven armband and ruby they had found, and supplied those who wanted it with alchemist's fire. He then suggested that perhaps the temple of Pelor would provide a suitable replacement for one of the groups fallen comrades.
The group ventured to the small temple devoted to the sun god. paying their monthly tithe game them access to potions of healing and other items, should the need arise. Sure enough, there they also met Jerad, a young favoured soul who has been tasked with exploring the cairns to seek out dangerous undead.
Still feeling like they needed more manpower, or female half-orc power as the case may be, Stonan and Nader approached a young barbarian they had met while nomad wrestling with others of their lifestyle outside of town. She would not tell the group her true name, asking to be called Phil.
Resupplied with goods and party members, the group headed back to the abandoned mining camp.