Day 1: Shipwrecked!

The party had been washed ashore after the ship they were traveling on run afoul of rocks while trying to flee from the Cymbrian pirate. After some time spent recovering and gathering what equipment they could find, they met on the beach again to plan what to do. While discussing things. They were set upon by a pair of black-spined giant crabs. The battle was brief, but furious, and one crab was left dismembered and cracked open, with the other roasted inside its shell by Galathir’s magic, after it had wounded him. Jeurn had also been injured fighting the other crab, but he used his holy magic to heal Galathir first, since his injuries were more severed, before using the remaining trickle of his power to ease his own wound. The group made one last check for supplies and gear, which included securing some of the crab meat for provisions, the party headed up a ridge to find high ground.

Reaching the crest of the ridge they were following, they found they had an excellent view. They could make out the thin ribbon of land they washed up on, the Cymbrian Pirate Ship moored in a natural harbor to the South, and a strange Pyramidal structure inland from the Pirates. After surveying things from the high vantage, they decided that the score pirates near the ship would make a direct assault risky, at least, and decided to investigate the Pyramid, which wasn’t far out of their way headed down to the beach where the pirates were anyway.

The party discovered that Garn was a superior trail-blazer through the sub-tropical overgrowth of the island, and soon enough they found themselves near the base of the pyramid. Galathir offered that he recognized some of the architectural elements of the structure, and that it could be an ancient Atlantean ruin, similar to some he’d read about in his studies. Then it was Kilskan’s turn to put his skills to use, scouting around the base of the odd structure looking for an entrance, while the party trailed at a distance so he could remain undetected, in case there were enemies about.

After circling the Temple, it appeared only a hole in the wall of the upper tier seemed to grant access to the interior. The party set to climbing the 10 foot high steps, only to find themselves facing the largest ape-like beast any of them had ever seen before, who was making quite a show of territorial behavior from the tier above them. Jeurn made an attempt to intimidate the beast into yielding to the party, but it went awry when the beast lunged forward and lifted him, tossing him back down to the lower tier! Kilskan immediately attacked the creature and Galathir followed suit, and they injured it enough it bounded over Jeurn to land on the ground and flee. Galathir, however, launched one more spell at the beast and felled it before it could escape.

Jeurn was stunned, but not too badly injured, and he rejoined the party as they crested the last tier and investigated the opening. Within, they found a chamber that the beast had apparently taken up residence in, fouling it with feces and debris. A brief search revealed a door in one wall, though it would require time to clear rubble and detritus to allow access. The party split the work up over two hours so everyone could get a little rest in, and then made ready to open the door.

Jeurn assisted Kilskan in opening the ancient door, and found it breaking apart as they forced it open. Some of the portal remained on the hinges, but it was clear enough for the party to make out a corridor beyond that lead to stairs that descended.

The group started down the stairs, with Garn and Kilskan leading, lantern lit, followed by Galathir, and Jeugran bringing up the rear guard in case anyone or anything followed them into the temple. At the first landing, they found another ancient door stuck fast in its jam. Jeurn moved up and made quick work of it, sundering it to splintered boards in a moment. He and Kilskan moved into the chamber beyond first, where they discovered a dessicated body in robes lying on the floor as if felled while trying to reach the door. The skull of the creature was apparently bashed in, and further investigation, which lead to turning the body over, revealed that it clutched an ancient, obsidian dagger to its chest. Jeurn said he believed it was a ceremonial blade, of the sort used by some death cults. Kilskan didn’t seem interested at that summation, but Galathir retrieved the scabbard from the body, sheathed the blade, and took it with them.

Further into the chamber, the group found another body, this one secured to some kind of rack as is if for interrogation or torture. The group couldn’t determine for sure what killed the man, but assumed it was unpleasant. The remainder of the chamber was once furnished and decorated, but time had not been kind to any of it, and nothing of value or interest was found, so the party returned to the stairs to descent further.

At the second landing, Jeurn once more shattered an aged door allowing the group access. Within this chamber, the group discovered some kind of raised stone platform with another dessicated corpse upon it. This body was partially wrapped in linens, as if it had been being prepared for some kind of ritual entombment. The group investigated the chamber and discovered a smaller door, which when opened, revealed a small, closet-like chamber where some sealed jars or urns were contained. Galathir suggested that they were probably canopic containers, likely still holding the innards of the body on the other table, if not from his body and several more. They soon returned to the stairs and descended further.

The lowest landing opened to a hallway that lead straight ahead into a dark hall that had a shadowy, hunched figure with eyes that gleamed red, perched upon a pedestal. Jeurn immediately felt the sense of Evil that the Temple had inspired outside grew much stronger here, with Garn and Kilskan feeling a similar increase in their uneasiness regarding the unnatural nature of the Temple and a flat sense of Dread respectively. Galathir, however, felt a sense that something of great power was calling to him. They all moved forward a bit to investigate, but soon enough Kilskan and Jerugan found they had no desire to get any closer. Galathir shrugged and moved forward, interest piqued, with Garn at his side.

After looking at the detail of the statue, as it was revealed to be, complete with glimmering gemstone eyes, they reported what they found to their stalled companions. Galathir felt the statue was reaching out to him, urging him to touch it and have great secrets of power revealed to him. Not unfamiliar with the risks of the unknown, he resisted the urge to touch it, eventually agreeing to withdraw with Garn and investigate the side passage, but stating that he wanted to return here before they left the Temple. However, as the pair turned to walk back to rejoin the group, Galathir found that his resolve wavered, and he MUST touch the statue. Garn acted quickly and placed himself, shield afront, between the tiefling warlock and the statue, and after beginning to force Galathir back, he eventually came to his senses and moved back to the others with the dwarf.

The party moved down the side corridor, and found it opened into a grand, columned chamber with some kind of hieroglyphs on the wall. Additionally, there were some score of skeletons littering the floor, all adorned in ancient bronze armor. The bodies seemed to have all dropped dead, somewhat randomly, and no immediate sign of how they died was apparent. All the same, the group picked their way carefully through the room, not touching the skeletons. Most of the group moved further into an adjoining chamber, where they could see what appeared to be a large sarcophagus. Galathir, however, took the long way around the large room and investigated the hieroglyphs.

The tiefling believed he could make out enough of the meaning of the strange writings to determine that this was a Temple dedicated to an ancient Priest King who lead this death cult. His study was disturbed, however, when one of the skeletons near him surprised him, having risen to its feet just next him… and thrusting its bronze blade into his gut quite rudely!

Galathir cried out in pain, alerting the party to the sudden change in state of this skeleton, and then unleashed his magic on the thing, since he was already all but pinned between it and the wall. Fortunately his spell was quite effective, and it blasted the skeleton apart. Unfortunately, it seemed that some part of the thing bounced off another skeleton, causing it to animate! Jeurn quickly found himself engaged with that skeleton. The situation was perilously close to spiraling out of control as that battle awoke a third skeleton, which the party soon dispatched as well.

Once things were still again, the party collected itself near the sarcophagus niche, which was clear of skeletons. Garn used his Druidic power to heal Galathir’s stab wound. They decided to try intentionally waking and destroying the skeletons one at a time. That effort did not go as well as planned, resulting in more injuries to the party, including to Garn, who had already expended his healing power. The group decided to return to the upper chamber of the Temple and rest while they planned their next move.