Crypt Rokos

[DM Bob]

You are led to the rear of the manor house. A few smaller buildings make up the family compound. Dusty grass and a few olive trees mark a path down a slight incline. Soon you discover a small cleared area. Marble markers are seen about a larger rust reddish sandstone mausoleum. Currently the area is marked by two largish guards, maintaining watch over the crypt's entrance.

For those of you who can read, Rokos is clearly marked above the double doors. Your escort, a portly muscled brute in house uniform motions to the door and nods to the pair, who then nod back. He then holds up two thick fingers. The other two guards tense slightly, but back off. No danger is sensed though.

At Hurk's present size, he will need to remain outside.

The crypt has a set of stairs leading down perhaps ten feet before opening up into an underground chamber. The light clay brick walls are lined with small stone urns. Each is painted with a scene, perhaps of something the ashes within cherished in life, as well as a hand painted name. In the middle of the room, a raised stone slab holds space for a half dozen bodies to lay in state.

Currently only two lay there covered in course linen shrouds. The room is lit by large copper colored candles, giving a warm relaxed feeling. The air smells of cinnamon and clove - and was that a hint of ranike? These measures were known to deter pests.

[Niachi]

Laakh will enter last, giving a nod to HurK as if to say "we have eachother's backs" noting the weapons carried by the guards. Inside, he'll stand with the crypt doors in his sight line with a brief check of any features like windows or exits.

He follows protocol and waits until Coden examines his kin.

[Attilius]

Jan 8, 2021 2:54:10 GMT DM Bob said:

At Hurk's present size, he will need to remain outside.

The half giant puts his right hand above the entrance to brace himself as he bends low to peer within. Squinting into the gloom he says "Looks like I'll have to pay my respects from here boys. I'll keep these fine gentlemen company in the meantime..." HurK smiles at the guards

[AthasianLaborer]

Victory will stay out of the way near the bottom of the stairs.

"House Uniform" appears to be what armor?  Are they armored at all or are they just wearing clothes?

Are they obviously armed?  If yes, with what?

If we are to be alone in here, Victory will stand midway up the ramp (far enough down to not be outside but close enough to the top that he can interfere with the guards ability to shut us in or attempt to).

Remember, Victory has no psionic danger sense.  He is looking to Coden and Laakh for visual prompts on how anxious he should be.

[remie]

Bankuv looks around to get a better understanding of how crypts are built and where to look for traps. he does not want to nick anything, nor touch anything.

[Deleted]

Mak will follow Coden in. Looking at the urns he gets a feeling of deja vu. "Do all of your dead get cremated?"

"Ten minutes each, 2 questions each. I've got just enough in me to question 2."

Otherwise he'll quietly stand by Coden and wait for instructions.

(Mak can do Clues of Ash on any of the urns if Coden is curious about the last 7 minutes of the life of any of his cremated kin. Limit of 3 per day.)

[DM Bob]

House uniform is light tan tunic, heavy sandals, baldrics and bleached wide brimmed inix leather hats. Long crodlu bone cudgels, inix leather bucklers and the occasional javelin pair are seen.

Hurk will notice an area behind the crypt, a sort of pit, perhaps for the incineration of deceased flesh.

The rest of you are left alone to your divinations below. No traps are seen. It is one simple chamber. Upon any intense scrutiny? The oldest vessels are closer to the entrance... the newer towards the rear.

[Jesse just got a new computer today. I'm sure he's fine with any sensible questioning as he reacclimates to links, sites, etc...]

[Attilius]

[What are the guards attitude and disposition once the team goes inside? Are they looking on edge with being alone with HurK or business as usual? Any details I can see of the crematorium?]

[AthasianLaborer]

Victory will take a quick look just to see if it looks like anything he's ever seen done before.

If there's nothing he notices, he'll go back to watching the door.

[Deleted]

Mak will look over the bodies of the deceased, especially the strange marks upon them. If they do not appear to be writing, he will use his knowledge of Animal Lore to see if any creature would leave similar marks upon their prey. He'll also encant a Detect Magic spell to see if any residual dwemers can be found.

Then he'll encant his divinations to speak with the dead. The same questions to both.

"Tell me the circumstances of your death."

"Tell me any details you remember of the one(s) who killed you, including their identity if you know it."

Lastly he will encant his divination on the ashes of any 3 of Coden's relatives that Coden may suspect foul play in their deaths. If Coden's own father's ashes are available, Mak will make sure his ashes are one of those 3. (Clues of Ash, Lv.2 Sphere of Fire.)

[DM Bob]

The guards hold. While slightly nervous? They appear to take comfort in the fact they're the ones carrying weapons. After a bit above ground, a pair of women with a kank driven cart appear and begin unloading dried inix dung and dried olive branches into the pit behind the crypt. And the pit itself is simply a shallow, 12x12 indent in the ground cleared of all vegetation. If it weren't for the discoloration of the clay earth, you wouldn't be able to tell pyres have been lit here before.

***

Below, the answers more or less sync as you pull the shroud to gain a proper identification of the wounds that presumably led to their passing.

They were ambushed in the alley beside the offices. Held by a large tarek, a dwarf male and beaten by a hooded man with a metal rod until they died. They knew not their assailant's identities.

The bruises have branched out from Coden's uncles initial description - a messy range of pale green, yellow, purple and black thin bruises adorn the corpses of the two young cousins.

[Attilius]

Jan 11, 2021 1:24:21 GMT DM Bob said:

The guards hold. While slightly nervous? They appear to take comfort in the fact they're the ones carrying weapons. After a bit above ground, a pair of women with a kank driven cart appear and begin unloading dried inix dung and dried olive branches into the pit behind the crypt. And the pit itself is simply a shallow, 12x12 indent in the ground cleared of all vegetation. If it weren't for the discoloration of the clay earth, you wouldn't be able to tell pyres have been lit here before...

The half giant leans his head down and says into the entrance "I'm going to check out the pyre pit behind the crypt..." HurK then curiously wanders over to the pit

[He curiously looks about the area but is secretly looking at the cart and the two women: Are they acting squirrely or whispering due to HurK's close proximity? Are they assassins or templars dressed as slaves or staff? Are there hidden weapons beneath their garb OR camouflaged within the olive branches/dung?  

READIED ACTION: If anything makes a move towards/against HurK, he'll instantly activate 'kinetic control' upon himself]

[Niachi]

As Mak tells his findings, Laakh's left nostril flares 1MM at the mention of a large Tarek. When Hurk declares his action to inspect the pits, he nods and in respectfully low voice, replies "Sounds good!"  then is otherwise as a statue with eyes on the guards. 

[DM Bob]

The two are plainly dressed and working well - not a shred of laziness. Just working to get the job done. They wear large light sun hats and off white linen breeches and long sleeved but loose tunics. One has a long carru leather whip at her side, neatly coiled. The other has a knife in sheath at her right sandal and a yellowed bone cudgel at her belt.

They look more as workers do. Perhaps a shred above slave status, perhaps as indentured servants of the House. The two are decently muscled and heavily tanned. No visible tattoos are seen.

The area itself is relatively nondescript. You're in a nobleman's backyard on the family plot.

[Attilius]

HurK walks over to the cart "Can I help?" and moves to grab the bushels of olive branches with his massive hands...