TGAPP: War Echos of The Past

As the door to the unknown chamber opened up and the dark druid fell after a final bite from Gye, the Inglorious Ingrates turned to hear the echoing stomps deep in the chamber, and they were dismayed to find out a large undead accompaniment was trying to force it’s way in! Luckily, the party was quick in their response, and they shut the door holding back the undead tide giving themselves time to recuperate from the fight with the druid. Feeling their business was not yet complete, the Ingrates hobbled outside to sleep outside the burial mound with a plan going back inside to finish the undead foes before they escape into the world of the living.

As the next dawn rose to shine it’s light into our heroes’ faces, they went straight back to the chamber containing the door with the undead on the other side, and they proceeded to prepare an ambush for their mindless foes. When they welcomed the skeletal remains of an army long forgotten into their chamber, the army and all their souls were finally put to rest as the Ingrates made quick work of their numbers. After taking in their triumph, the party proceeded to investigate the chamber the skeletons came frame. The room turned out to be a staging area for loyal soldiers to lay in defense of a long lost king, for as the group kept searching deeper and deeper, they found a large antechamber with two rooms branching off.

In the midst of the antechamber was a figure armored with a rusted breastplate and adorned with a twisted iron crown, and it sat on a throne with a silver great-sword beside it. Under the throne was a set a steps with Draconic writing stating this entire tomb belonged to Torgrim. According to legends, he was a king who was the cause for a large war to grip most of the continent, but no one had known what had happened to the instigator after the war had concluded. The chamber also appeared to host two large iron switches on either side of the throne, and it was deduced that the two branching rooms possessed some connection to the switches.

The party cautiously peeked into the rooms to find a large sarcophagi was in the center of each room, and a quick translation revealed these to be the final resting place of two of the king’s most loyal guards: Draknal and Grombal. Expecting no further information would help solve the switch problem, our heroes opened each of the tombs, and each time the party quickly vanquished the malevolent spectral forms of each warrior. After a quick rest from the spectral guardians, the Ingrates flipped the switches in the antechamber, and a hidden wall slid open to reveal a staircase down further into the burial mound.

The stairway downwards was dark and even colder with dark necromantic energy emanating near the bottom of it, but our companions reached the bottom of the stairs to discover a central pillar with three doors leading from this new area. At the center of the pillar appeared to be three locks with shapes with one of the shapes belonging on a different door, and each door also had a Draconic letter that when translated and put into a meaningful order spelled “W-A-R.” With few other options left, the party opened the first door to reveal a long hall with a chest at the end of it. Sensing traps were likely in this room, Gye quickly crawled along the walls and ceiling to reach the chest, and she opened it to find one key for the pillar lock.

Next, our heroes opened the second door to reveal a room with floor-to-ceiling curtains along the entire wall of the room. Idris entered into the room and pull pack the curtain to only reveal his reflection in a large mirror. As he gazed at his handsome features, his reflection winked at him and proceeded to step out of the mirror and use his own spells against him! Soon several other party members joined in to help Idris, but their shadowy doubles also appeared and tried to fight them! Luckily, Dacyria shattered the mirrors with a mighty thunderwave, and the figures quickly dissipated. The party then proceeded to check behind the mirrors to find a room with a chest, and inside the chest was the second key to the pillar lock.

Lastly, the battered band turned to the final door which had additional Draconic writing stating, “Only the strong may enter!” Naturally, Arkon volunteered himself to enter, and as soon as he did, the door shut and locked behind him. The hulking barbarian found himself in the midst of a maze, and begins wandering to find the chest he needs. After several twists and turns through the maze, Arkon finds himself face-to-face with a skeletal minotaur which proceeds to attempt to gore him. Arkon exchanged several blows with the intimidating monster, but he was finally able to fell the beast with a well placed blow. Soon after his bout, he found the chest with the third and final key. He tracked back to the door he entered, and the group proceeded to enter each of the keys and turn them.