1. Journals

(S11) Learning the Truth

Session

Our heroes continued looking around the Necropolis, tomb by tomb, looking for Xanders resting place.


  • Alas the next tomb, while having grandly decorated pillars outside, was not it. It was the tomb of Estor Arkelander, oathsworn of HalkoraniaLooking through the transparent window the party sees carvings of a man slaughtering satyrs and dryads in gory detail. Someone put effort into making him seem terrifying. In one panel, his dragon companion appears to beg for mercy on behalf of a group of nearby creatures. A blood-red marble sarcophagus bearing the same man’s image sits in the center of the room.


  • The party, somewhat shaken at the sight, moved on to the next tomb, the tomb of Adonis Neurdagon, Oathsword of Raspytrion. The party spied a beautiful sarcophagus hewn from bright white marble was in the center of the tomb. The lid was carved with the likeness of a handsome warrior wearing a suit of armor that is more ornamental than practical. Although the carvings that lined the walls depicted the great battles of the First War, there was a clear emphasis on the beauty of the Dragonrider rather than his prowess in combat. Tryntia, laid the flowers given her by Aesop in front of the tomb, Eurytus making sure they stayed fresh for longer by a touch of Thyleas touch.


  • The next tomb was the tomb of Dhovos Syn Priboya. His tomb was destroyed beyond recognition but Eurytus was able to recover the murals enough to see that this man supported the Gyganagainst Estor Arkelander. It seemed Tryntia knew this man and seeing him marked as an oathbreaker was not a pleasant sight. 


  • The next tomb was the tomb of Cosmos, Son of Rizon  Phobas. He was the second oath sworn of Balmytria. The walls and ceiling here were pitch black but Euryaledetermined that it was not magical in origin so the party moved one.


  • The next tomb belonged to Rizon Phobas. The murals feature grand battles on top of her red dragon Sybolkorax. The main panel depicts the heroic warrior triumphing over a group of formidable-looking minotaurs. Six minotaur statues are arranged like guardians around the sarcophagus, which had been painted with the likeness of the woman from the murals.


  • The next tomb was under tonnes of the earth but the party spent a half-hour digging it out. They saw that this was the tomb of Dourin Kobalos. It was evident that he had lost his dragon, Baetellus, and had decided to explore the caverns below Thylea, as a means of finding a way of traversing Thylea without Sydons eye watching them. On the tomb, it said, “Master of the Earth, we hope one day he will return to us.”


  • The next tomb was Tryntia’s own tomb. She touched and it sprang open but as she made her way to the sarcophagus a trap was triggered. Ironically, the trap was a water-based one so she was completely fine. The material of the tomb, a pale stone that almost looked like coral, shined and the murals showed her in heroic poses. Inside the sarcophagus was empty with straps and something wrapped in silk. Inside the silk is a single scale from Yklezion, Tryntias Dragon.


  • The next tomb was of Nicholas Phobas – Blessed of Sydon. This tomb was in good condition compared to most of the others. The murals were bright and the paint had not completely faded. The images adorning the walls and sarcophagus depicted a man who was equal parts, sailor and king. He wore a breastplate adorned with a maelstrom swirl, the symbol of Sydon.


  • The next tomb was of Karpathos. The quartermaster and the man who was in charge of the Mithral Mines. An ornately carved sarcophagus rested on a dais in the center of this room, and light filtered down onto it from a magical source. The sarcophagus had a carving of two wings and two twisting dragons. Carvings of wolves surrounded them. The murals around the tomb showed Karpathos as a young man, brokering peace and managing stock with the last panel showing him starting the then small colony of Aresia. Aella, The Whirlwind opened the tomb and was attacked by a pale figure which vanished to dust when defeated.


  • Isadore's tomb was next. The sarcophagus of this crypt depicted an athletic woman of regal bearing. Murals in the tomb showed her competing in foot races, javelin throwing, and other competitive games. Always at her side was a man in a cloak that resembled the one worn by Damon, the lich that guards the Necropolis. Praxos let the party know that Isadore was behind the great games becoming as popular as they are now.


  • The next tomb was Jasena Ventrak. Euryale stepped forward to the tomb and declared herself the owner by saying “I am Jasena Ventrak, Oathsworn of Arystonar. Open this door, NOW." The tomb was beautiful inside but when Euryale touched a sarcophagus it was revealed to be a plain chamber under an enchantment. Euryale confirmed it was not her tomb but held secrets relating to her curse.  Jasena Ventrak was a dragonlord and Euryale’s ancestor. Jasena's dragon was notably the first to start an interspecies relationship as he started a dalliance with a nymph.  There was a crown of a dragonlords and a spellbook that Euryale claimed.


  • Lysis Arkenlander’s tomb was next – the great king. The walls display the brutal behavior of Lysis. He was the dictator of The City of Estoriafor a long time until King Pythortook him down.

The party rested for a bit in front of a massive tomb that dwarfed all of the others in the Necropolis that emanated an odd heat. This pristine white marble mausoleum was supported by immense, serpentine pillars. As they drew closer, they saw that these pillars were actually statues that have been carved in the shapes of dragons.

After this brief rest, they found themselves in front of Xander's tomb. The entrance to the sepulcher was blocked by a heavy, chiseled slab, flanked by two statues of sitting Sphinxes. The center of the slab is fitted with an inset bronze handle. The pediment above the tomb was engraved with the name “XANDER” amidst intricate vines and laurel leaves.  Four lesser tombs were adjacent to Xander's, for his closest companions and friends. Each one was sealed by a block of marble measuring 5 feet wide, 5 feet tall, and 5 feet thick. There were three names inscribed on the tombs—Aetius, Pericles, and Eustace.

Rekken pointed out some scrawlings on the wall that Aella, The Whirlwind recognised as Thieves cant.

“HELLO TO THE FOOLS
ANSWER DON'T MATTER
REMEMBER - 5 MINUTES
DONT GO SLOW
DONT GO BACK
LEFT THEN RIGHT
TAKE TREASURE
AND RUN
DONT LOOK BACK”

The heroes then encountered a giant minotaur statue, before it two pedestals. It posited questions to them, asking them to choose who would live and who would die. Armed with the information above, that the answer did not matter, Rekken just pressed one and the door to the tomb was unsealed.  It was a disgusting place, with remains on the floor and flayed skin on the walls.

As they made their way further into the maze they heard rough breathing and some felt like they were being watched.

They followed the instructions to the maze and quickly found themselves in a partly looted chamber, the floor covered in bones. However, when they continued onwards, they caught a glimpse of a large monstrous figure and the bones in the chamber behind them started connecting one with another, massive skeletons of Minotaurs rising to confront them.