9 Flamerule, 1502 DR
Secrets Gathering Dust
Party: Rokka, Snap, Forvist, Aber, and Evander
My second expedition with the Syndicate led us into the Greypeak Mountains at the request of Nahaunglaroth, the great blue dragon. Evidently, the Syndicate had previously earned his favor by dealing with a plague in the nearby forests, and so another task was entrusted to us.
A hobgoblin named Hario, clad in finely kept armor reminiscent of an ancient legionary, arrived bearing the dragon's instructions. Somewhere beneath the Greypeaks rested the tomb of a wizard named Fineas, dead for roughly a century. Nahaunglaroth desired only two things from the tomb: the wizard's skull and his staff. Everything else, we were told, was up for grabs, if we chose. It seemed a fair arrangement.
After crossing the Delimbiyr River and several hours' travel into the mountains, we found a forgotten staircase descending beneath the earth. Dust was thick upon every step. We cameΒ upon a door with an inscription, written in Undercommon: "Here lies Fineas. Try not to wake him, or fear his wraith." A grammatical error, or a warning?
My inability to see in complete darkness continues to be an inconvenience, though Aber's enchanted rapier shed enough light for us to proceed, until I remembered I had a Bullseye Lantern. Beyond the entrance stood a stone statue of Fineas clutching a staff, alongside a heavy portcullis that refused to budge. A button sat mockingly on the opposite side, quite beyond our reach. After a brief discussion, we chose instead to investigate a nearby door.
An arcane sigil above its frame caught my attention. A quick casting of Detect Magic revealed a spell of fear woven into the enchantment, though before we had much opportunity to study it, the tomb offered its own welcome, in the form of five ghasts.
I managed to wreath one of the creatures in Faerie Fire, making it an easier target for my companions, though the spell proved less effective than I had hoped. Before the battle could conclude, shadows emerged from behind the portcullis, silently drifting toward us with strength-sapping necrotic magic.
Once the creatures had been dealt with, we searched what appeared to have once been Fineas's library. Though much had succumbed to age, I was delighted to discover an Enduring Spellbook, its pages preserved by enchantment to be resistant to fire and water. Deeper within the complex we passed a mural illustrating the grim progression from mortal spellcaster to lich. Shortly thereafter, both Aber and I fell victim to a concealed guillotine trap.
The next chamber carried the distinct odor of alchemical gas. Snap inadvertently discovered the pressure plate responsible for releasing it, while Rokka attempted to open a locked door nearby. The lock, it turned out, was the least dangerous thing in the room. More ghasts, and more shadows. Several rounds into the fighting, the accumulating gas ignited.
Remarkably, we survived. After taking a short rest to gather ourselves, we continued onward. Another chamber presented us with a curious inscription: "Death is the only exit." There was also a lever, so naturally, I pulled it. Nothing appeared to happen.
Moments later, Rokka opened a nearby chest, causing the stalactite-heavy ceiling to begin descending toward us. Fortunately, we discovered a narrow passage beneath the floor and escaped moments before the chamber sealed itself. Unfortunately, Forvist escaped in a different direction.
Separated from the rest of us, Forvist found himself battling two shadows entirely alone while we searched for another route. Unknown to us at the time, he also located the mechanism that halted a river of acid blocking our own progress. We benefited greatly from his efforts while being entirely unaware they were happening.Β
Beyond the acid lay Fineas's burial chamber, considerably more ornate than the rest of the tomb. At its center rested the wizard's sarcophagus. Having come all this way, it seemed only proper to confirm the occupant. In hindsight, the inscription at the entrance had been perfectly clear. Fineas rose as a wraith, accompanied by five skeletal guardians.
The battle that followed was the fiercest within the tomb, but with persistence, we prevailed. Fineas's remains were finally laid to rest, and we recovered both his skull and the staff promised to Nahaunglaroth. Hario accepted the relics without ceremony upon our return and saw that we received our reward.
I cannot help wondering what drove Fineas so completely toward undeath. The mural, the preserved library, the careful construction of his tombβ¦it all suggested a man consumed less by mortality than by the fear of its inevitable conclusion.
