Thema: Call of the Banshee Queen

[Zanan]

"As you wish," Tathlyn replies. "That brute belongs to the Dark Path, though he ain't hired as scout, but bodyguard, as you might guess. Perhaps I can talk him into our little venture - for the time being - so we get his muscle and power as well as expertise in dismembering bone folk like these?" He points at the smashed skeletons. "In any case, I can ask him whether he knows this place better than we do?"

[Paval Thune]

"Why don't you just ask him if knows this place better than we do instead of asking us if you should ask him?" Paval grumbles. "We're hardly likely to say no to more information are we?"

[Zanan]

Instead of replying, Tathlyn inclines his head ever so slightly and walks after the minotaur. While the latter is rummaging through the remains of his previous employers, the two Dark Pathers talk quietly.
Nothing emerges from the tunnel while you have - for the first time - a chance to look about. This seems to be some ancient dwarven burial site, with sarcophagi being apparently reserved for some nobles. There are graves in the floor too, covered by marble plates and showing reliefs and images of those interred here. The walls are lined with alcoves, filled near to the hilt with bones and skull of dwarves long dead.

[Paval Thune]

Paval takes a moment to pray to Kiaransalee for guidance.

[Zanan]

Leaving the minotaur with his dead ex-comrades, Tathlyn returns to the group. He points to the exit tunnel and says: "Korach and his employer came from down there too. The tunnel splits some 50 feet down from where we're standing, one corridor going into another part of this complex, the other one down into different section of the mines. It is the latter from where Korach came." He stops for two moments, ere adding: "While we are at it, his name is Korach and he swings a wicked trident. That's what he is good for, that what he gets hired for. Right now, he's willing to accompany us and lay these slayers of his associates to their final rests. We'll see how it develops from there."

[Paval Thune]

"Thanks for the information," Paval replies. "What languages does Korach speak and can we search these bodies?"

[Zanan]

"He speaks that minotaur dialect of Giant, Common and Undercommon well enough. Can't say he'd appreciate if we search his comrades, but they didn't look that good, nor did their equipment."
The scout prepares for entering the tunnels, adding to what he said before: "There's some sort of ghostly undead with the necromancer. These ones can lurk in walls and will be hard to detect. Hence, we should be prepared for sudden attacks."

[Fabius Maximus]

"A challenge, then," Jhaelvirr opines.

[Paval Thune]

Paval makes a point of speaking in Undercommon from now on.

"By the grace of Kiaransalee, I can say a prayer (Hide from Undead) that will hide us from the gaze and senses of most undead. Please come near me so that I can bestow this upon you."

[Phaerven]

"Perfect", Zhadristan says in undercommon and moves up to Paval.

[Paval Thune]

Paval says his prayer and touches each of them in turn so they all benefit.

[Korach]

Having heard Paval's words Korach walks over to the drow, too. "So we will follow the same path for the moment. My name is Korach as Tathlyn has already told I guess." When Paval has finished casting his spell he asks "What actions will break the spell and will it break for all of us?

[Paval Thune]

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Korach," Paval replies. "Three things will break the blessed condition bestowed upon us by Kiaransalee: your own will, acting in a manner to obviate the blessing, such as striking an undead, and time, the blessing will expire after about two hours. It should also be noted that some powerful undead may still be able to sense us, but it is better to be protected against most instead of none.

"Let us be on the way, if Master Tathlyn would be so good as to lead us."

[Zanan]

While waiting for the blessing, Tathlyn readies his equipment, storing his bow away and drawing a thin dagger. Once the casting has been done, he leads you onwards into the darkness of the tunnel. As he described, there is a corridor branching off to the left. Nothing is there and Tathlyn leads you on for another 100 paces ere he stops at some sort of crossing. The corridor splits into three, neither looks as if dwarves have cut them. Rough, natural walls line them, but a closer look tells you that some minor magic does indeed have altered the nature of the stone. There is no danger or magic lurking, only some dwarven engineer or architect must have been taken in by the minerals in the walls.
The tunnel leading straight onwards opens up into an empty room only 20 paces onwards, nothing is in there bar a couple of long-plundered sarcophagi. Tathlyn does a couple of arcane gesture and concentrates for a few long moments, then he moves into the tunnel to your right. This one quickly shows signs of dwarven workmanship once more, smooth walls are lined with alcoves and statues of dwarves and their gods. The scouts stops every now and then, you gather that he uses magic to look around corners or into darker places somewhere ahead. Guiding you through a smallish complex of corridors and rooms, he stops in a antechamber of some larger hall. The door of the latter is open and you can discern the sound of some voices from that direction. A couple of moments on, Tathlyn turns to you saying quietly: "There's a large room ahead, it has this entrance and one on the opposite side too. There are some stairs leading upwards on the western and eastern side too, but as it looks only to some ledges with a couple of sarcophagi. The necromancer talks to a couple of other people, while the shadow is hoovering nearby. There is one other person on the eastern ledge, looking at the tombs there. The room is lit by a number of light sourses, not too bright, but sneaking up will hardly be possible."

[Korach]

Korach lowers his voice to a whisper. "What do you mean by large? Could you give a rough estimation?" he asks Tathlyn.