Disturb The Dead

Attempt #1
Time: 04JUN 1700-2000 PDT

Participants:
 * Rennar (Ben)
 * Drogo Blackfinger (Wiffle)
 * Forsaken (Zhan)
 * Valroundt (Nate)

Mission Summary

 * "Let's not mention this happened."
 * ―Forsaken

Outcome
Mission Failure - Recalled.

March 18th
After receiving our mission from Avara Brightpaw, our group left base during Prime and headed due west. Avara told us there is a mausoleum located an hour short of the mountains that holds the remains of a powerful human. Not long after we left, we were ambushed by a large feline nearly as powerful as a Leonin. I shall call this creature a ‘Lion’. The lion made quick work of Drogo, but was put down just as quickly by Valroundt. I should remember to keep a close eye on these magic users - they are clever, but terribly fragile.

Fortunately, we received no further troubles during our travel that day. We set up camp atop a sand dune, and as I stripped myself of my armour, I said a prayer to Anora, thanking her for her mercies and asking for the will and courage to see this mission through. Once I finished my prayer, Rennar approached me and asked why I - a Drakken, child of Grimm - had chosen to worship Anora. I told him some of my experiences, how I have always favoured action over observation, and for that reason, felt that Anora had simply chosen me. Surprisingly, he reassured me in my beliefs. I expected that a Fenivon - usually so wise and calculated - would disapprove of one such as Anora. But perhaps the greatest wisdom of all is accepting others’ differences. I should remember his clemency when I question my own place in the world.

March 19th
Over the course of the night, I slept solidly. Yet, when I awoke, I had to fight to remember where I was for a moment! Hours of laying still had caused sand to stick between my joints and under my scales. Thankfully Valroundt is resourceful, and water was plentiful enough to wash away some of the discomfort. But food is scarce in the wilds - we were forced to dip into our rations.

When we set out yet again, it appeared we had drifted slightly southward. To compensate, we travelled northwest. At one point, we heard terrible cackling - I confess I feared that the ancient wives tales of evil human witches was true, despite everyone knowing humans have no talent for magic! But Rennar, wise and pragmatic as always, investigated through the eyes of his hawk familiar. The cackling creatures looked to be a type of spotted doglike being. He named them ‘Hyenas’. They were east of us, and heading in the opposite direction, so we chose to continue on our way and pay them no mind.

During Second, we climbed a large dune and saw, within an hour or two’s travel, lay a large sandy-coloured building. We decided it must be the mausoleum Brightpaw mentioned. Yet, with the day beginning to dwindle, I suggested we make camp here and set out early the next morning. While daylight remained, I investigated our immediate area. I found a twiggy shrub, blasted by some strange force capable of puncturing it with many small holes. I took a sample in hopes of remembering its details, but that is now lost to me. Amidst my patrol, I also found a set of tracks from what appeared to be a small pack of large animals. Their tracks were like two side-by-side ovals, a bizarre shape, but when I showed them to the others, no one could offer any further insights. How strange.

March 20th
The night went by peacefully. When morning dawned, Valor managed to find some rare jungle vegetation, and killed a small, long-eared furry creature with horns. Its paws were somewhat circular… perhaps the adults of this species grow to great size. I will remember to be on the lookout for larger versions of this furry beast, or anything else that could have left those oval tracks.

We set out for the mausoleum, and found that the steel doors were decorated with an image of a human warrior fighting off undead creatures with sword and shield. When I reached out to open the door, I realized it was ice cold - surely if any of my companions touched it, it would have hurt them. For myself, well, thanks to my Drakken blood, it was a brief, shocking repose from the heat of the desert.

The ruin appeared to contain all sorts of magical runes. The blue ones have some sort of Conjuration and Evocation magic attached to them - summoning and blasting, according to Drogo - while the gold ones seem to have attached Abjuration magic - for protection. We came into a large central chamber with three doors - also dangerously cold to the touch - with a brazier in each corner and two pillars, each with a fresco depicting the human warrior fighting. One pillar showed his battle against the undead, one against a beast. Rennar mentioned that Human writing read, “Ryder rises where night falls.” Perhaps this human was named Ryder.

Valor stumbled upon a helpful little tidbit. It appeared that lighting two braziers on the same wall opened a door on the opposite wall. A large set of double doors led to a sarcophagus covered in golden runes. Around this time, an icicle came alive and seemed ready to attack us! It seemed that Rennar’s firebolt was especially potent against it, however, when defeated it exploded and wounded Valor.

After this point, there is very little to report about the mission. The others wished to investigate the smaller side rooms before disturbing Ryder’s sarcophagus, and their reasoning was sound, so we looked into one of the side chambers where a hallway containing a single smooth pillar curved off to the right. Drogo had a bad feeling about entering the room, so naturally we listened to him and did not by any means enter this room simultaneously.

In fact, there is little else to report about this mission. Nothing embarrassing, dangerous, or exhausting occurred. I can say that we simply ran out of time for unimportant reasons. I can also say that half of a rune key was hidden in the pillar, and at the end of the hallway was a pressure plate that may have opened the sarcophagus. I can finally, decisively say, that about every hour, a blast of cold air echoes through the mausoleum and snuffs out any flames. But none of that is related to our failure. I will not answer any other questions regarding this subject.

March 21st
Nothing of importance occurred on this day, with the exception of Anora’s continued blessings. Recalled.

Attempt #2
Time: 11JUN 1700-2000 PDT

Participants:
 * Rennar (Ben)
 * Drogo Blackfinger (Wiffle)
 * Yara the Fang (Zhan)
 * Valroundt (Nate)

Mission Summary

 * "It is regrettable we failed to locate the mausoleum. Owah-hah-haw!"
 * ―Drogo

Outcome
Mission Failure - Walked back to Outpost.

Yara's Drunken Griping
"How did it go? How does it LOOK like it went? I'm alive, somehow, but Anora almighty, we may as well have just walked around the outpost for six days straight. The most exciting thing that happened was I found the corpse of some poor sod who was killed by some sort of giant paw-having, stinger-wielding creature. But hey, at least his death paid for these drinks!

What are you glaring at me for? We have a closed-circuit economy. When gold goes and walks into the desert, that's money this place will never see again. What happens when everyone goes out and dies with their wallets untouched? Yeah, that's what I thought. So let's all thank Mr. Dek Novynn for this round of drinks!

Speaking of toasts, let's all toast to Valour! To surviving two lightning strikes in the midst of a sandstorm! If only you had been better at navigating, but I can't hold it against you, for you truly did a number on that elephant-cobra. And you did pick me up after that... incident with the rock. All in all, you are a net neutral in my mind.

And to Rennar and Drogo; never have I met two people with more elegant looking birds. They are truly so beautiful, if somewhat incapable of saving us from our own failures.

To summarize: hurrah for continued survival in this damnable hellscape! Hip hip!"

Attempt #3
Time: 03AUG 0800-1200 PDT

Participants:
 * Elros (Chris)
 * Lee (Kat)
 * Thardian (Nate)


 * Yunso (Basse)

Mission Summary
"We'll be fine"

-Lee

Outcome
Mission Failure: Total Party Death

Another child's report
"The previous own of this ring had certainly been though alot, but from what I could tell the most recent group was unsuccessful in both finding the mausoleum and staying alive. How they managed to get lost with a ranger and general directions is beyond me, but they did! The whole time they essentially went in a weird circle! It does appears though that the dwarf was able to get some information out of some cantaloupes during their first rest? He seemed to relay information to the group about multiple buildings and later on, information about a large scary rock? It's all quite confusing, they found the ominous rock, decided to backtrack and ran into what the young ranger seemed to refer to as Bartholomew? The large worm took out one of them and later on a small group of hummingbird bats came along and ambushed the group while they were resting. This was the downfall and ultimate demise of the group. It appears that even the weaker foes can pose a strong threat. Hopefully one of us soon will be able to reach one of the objectives and actually complete a mission!"