In the Tomb

Originally published September 14th 2024

Opening the door they are greeted to a dark staircase leading down to a pool of water below.Yulia lights her lantern as the go into the inky and rotting depths, calling upon her gods to warn her of evil to come they inspect the room. Far above them are sleeping bats, below them a pool of water. The proceed quietly

Heading deeper and deeper down the stairs is a door bearing bronze carvings of a tall gaunt figure, typical of the long dead Lilituan empire that built these tombs.

Pushing the door open the group is greeted by a massive stone statue of yet another tall figure, carved in grey stone with two red gemstone eyes. Licorice feels the engraving on the base of the statue can just tell on a level she cannot fully explain, she reads aloud “Bow down your timorous worms, bow down before the emperor”

Giancarlo heeds this warning, taking a look up and down the statue before attempting to bow, however as his head goes up his eyes lock with the gemstones and he feels himself become paralyzed, tears stream down his face.

The group panics, Holly suggests snapping him out of it by punching him in the liver, Licorice puts her hands over his eyes and he is suddenly able to move once more.

They begin concocting a plan.

Having access to paralytic gemstones would be useful, so Licorice climbs up the slender form. Eventually she makes her way up to the top and carefully with her dagger, making sure to not make contact with the gems and places them into her bag.

As they exit westward, Yulia begins to feel something dangerous ahead.

They slow to a crawl.

Ear pressed to the door they hear nothing.

Upon opening the door they see a barricade made of fresh wood to the south, a central back stone obelisk with a green heatless flame atop it and an upside down white skull, and a heavy set stone coffin.

Yulia warns the others, there is something dangerous inside the coffin, with her holy symbol in hand she knows.

Electing to ignore the sarcophagus, Licorice begins toying with the upside- down skull, twisting it right side up. The green light goes out but nothing more seems to happen.

Soon the group begins tearing down the barricade. After some time Yulia begins to detect something on the other side of the door and as the final plank is torn down they ready themselves.

A man in right red robes wearing a mask like a mosquito rushes in, Richard pries open the coffin.

A massive rush of noxious gas floods the room as red ooze begins seeping out the coffin. Yulia takes the brunt of the gas, feeling herself grow weaker from a deep breath. The man in the mosquito mask begins coughing uncontrollably.

Two more figures run in soon after and the first hardly manages to stop from coughing as he covers his mouth under his mask, but Giancarlo warps the fabric of this world, turning Holly into a 7 and a half foot hulk. She rushes into the entering figure and knocks him out cold, throwing him into the other two.

Licorice heads into the corner, hoping to hide behind the obelisk in hopes of getting the drop on someone.

Yulia begins to change, the smell of brimstone rushes forth from her as a swarm of demonic rats materialize around one of the remaining red robed men. He cries out as they begin to strip his flesh.

The slimes takes a swipe at Richard with its blood red pseudopod but he is just barely able to dodge out of the way. Richard stabs at the thing with his pitchfork but sees the holes he pieced quickly seal back up. Gianacarlo’s hands begin to glow a blazing red as flames shoot forth, searing the slime. Another blast of noxious gas escapes the thing, Giancarlo being so close inhales the most.

For a second he feels everything go black, but then a wave washes over him. Something has happened.