Rules Lite Tomb of Horrors

In the face of the rise of a would-be god, created with the stolen powers of the divine, there aren't many options to save the day.

There may be answers in distant lands at the end of a long and dangerous quest, or powerful, ancient relics which, if properly wielded, could help turn the tide if found in their lost, sacred places of rest. The right information, stolen from under the enemy's nose through stealth, guile, and months or years of planning could also bring salvation. But all of those take time, time which might not have much to spare after the fact.

But for over a thousand years, there has been another answer, one which has always held promise, but never been made to yield results.

The lich, Acererak, has hoarded artifacts, magic, and ancient knowledge for longer than living memory, and has studied and tested magic both lost to time and never before seen. Stories from every land, every realm, have held tales of the lich coming to take one relic or another in a callous storm of magic and bloodshed or a web of lies and broken promises at some point in history. Rumors persist that, in his lair, the Tomb of Horrors, in a vast swamp not of any one world, his treasure vault contains devices, reagents, and secrets of nearly every kind. If anyone were able to successfully delve to its deepest point, they may be able to find something of use.

If only anyone had ever made it all the way through and out alive.

Fortunately for the dragon soaring over this bizarre swamp, the Tomb, while generally hard to find, is most easily found from above. Small for a hill, but large for a skull of earth and stone. It looks like a danger mark from a map placed into the real world when seen from height, standing out from the boggy marsh which surrounds it both in look and as a chunk of solid ground which isn't the built-up ridge of a road. Below its jaw, to the north, is a small town which looks both decrepit and sinister from above....

Skyler grimaced, eyes narrowed behind the tinted lenses of her goggles. She hadn't been flying long after her last stop, a few hours at most, but she could tell she had arrived at her destination. The air felt... different here. Dreary. Corrupt. Twisted. Stark against the damp, putrid swamp below her was her goal--the Tomb of Horrors.

Skyler had little experience with places beyond her realm. She had heard of such places before, certainly. Odd forests of illusory fae magic. Mountains shrouded in shadowy mist. Cloudy palaces blanketed by dawn's light. And one she'd personally been witness to: a tropical island of mysteries, forever caught in time.

It had been pure chance she had even come to learn of this one. A half-moon before, she'd been scouring libraries, digging through ancient legends, reading tales of artifacts of war. Much of what she'd found had only led to dead ends. But in one moth-eaten tome, she'd taken pause over some words of powerful relics and a name: The Tomb of Horrors. She dug a little more.

Navigate old tunnels. Solve puzzles. Avoid the traps. And if you make it to the end alive, untold knowledge and treasures awaited. Perhaps even something that could turn the tide and oppose the power of the divine.

Their only other lead could only be described as a worldwide scavenger hunt. Skyler wasn't exactly keen on it.

So, while her companions chased down that lead, she made the decision to scout out this one and see if it was worth the risk.

Which led her to now.

Skyler's gaze locked on to the scraggly town to the north, angling her wings to dip down towards it. She wasn't intending to dive right in without more information. If the locals were friendly, she could probably learn more about the tomb, and better prepare herself to take a closer look.

Finding a dryer patch of earth not far from the village, she landed carefully, mindful of the uneven terrain. She didn't want to get her claws stuck in an overly deep spot of mud. From the ground, the town unfortunately didn't look much better than before. She sighed, steeling herself, and began to head on over.

Coming in closer as she dives toward the road, Skyler can get a better view of the place. Activity is sparse, but there are a couple dozen people working on various tasks, mostly mundane. Most of those out are in common clothes and... may not be people, exactly. Their shambling steps, their clumsy movements, these workers are actually zombies! Six people, though, are not. Five are dressed in old but well maintained robes and carrying the various trappings of dark mages, while the last, who the wizards are looking at from some distance, is a large and heavily armored figure with a very, very large sword. Currently, they seem to be guiding skeletons to tear themselves from the ground, raising undead servants for... some purpose. One of the robed ones spots the overhead dragon, and they and one of the others break off from whatever discussion the group is having about the warrior to keep track of Skyler's approach.

Apparently, and probably logically given the place, this seems to be a town of necromancers.

Once landed, either on the solid path leading to the town and walking or walking and hop-and-gliding from solid patch to solid patch toward the Tomb from another landing spot, Skyler can definitely tell that the town isn't just dreary but looks like it was built looking run down. Zombies probably aren't the best craftspeople. The two wizardly-looking people are waiting, looking wary and nervous, but not quite afraid. They don't look hostile and aren't armed, but that only means so much when it comes to spellcasters.

Skyler's mane was fluffed up slightly, steps wary and cautious as she took in the village. The citizens were bipedal and... odd-looking. They had flat faces that were a little hard to read. And amongst them were the living dead, seemingly docile but the dragon wasn't sure if she could trust that. From what she remembered of the information on the undead, and the few she had the misfortune to encounter, they were generally aggressive and violent. Unless of course...

They were being controlled. These strange people were necromancers.

She stopped a good few meters from the entrance, staring down the two standing before her. She watched their movements, noting them shuffling in place, their eyes trained on her. She wondered if they were just as wary as she was.

They hadn't attacked yet. Or even said anything. She tilted her head, debating how to proceed. Were they waiting for something?

Slowly, carefully, she raised a wing in greeting. "H...hello. I mean no harm, as long as you and yours don't as well."

One makes a cringing grin as he replies to Skyler's greeting, saying, "A-ah, greetings, young wyrm. We do not intend to do you harm, but you must know that this place cannot be claimed as part of your territory. This is the Tomb of Lord Acererak, mighty lich, and you are not the first Child of Tiamat who has tried to seize it, only for... well... Little rouses the Tomb, but someone who would keep adventurers from delving into it would be repelled."

He pauses for a moment before stepping back and fear and clarifying, "N-not by us, you understand, nor by he himself, precisely, but the Tomb has other tools, you see. I-if you wish to inspect it, p-please, feel free, though I must warn you that there are adventurers here at the moment, strong ones from strange places. I have no doubt of your power but they may see you as a prize to try to cut down!"

The two have shrunken back in respectful terror enough that Skyler could probably just get past them at this point even if she doesn't chose to just fly over and in, and there are apparently strong adventurers who could be an important help or a dangerous hindrance. These sniveling spellcasters do seem to know a fair bit, however, and are respectfully terrified...

Skyler paused, confused a little by their words. Child of Tiamat? She had no idea what, or who Tiamat might be. They had referred to her as a child of this thing, was it some kind of dragon, maybe?

The Tomb had tools to repel others. Traps, perhaps? Some kind of magic? Would it keep her from entering? No, no, they said it would be possible to "inspect it"...

"I'm... not planning to claim anything. Or, well, not territory," she corrected, remembering her goal. She did have possible powerful artifacts to find, if they could be found here.

"Others are here? I don't see why, I'm not looking for a fight. I just want information." She squinted at the two, wondering why they were so nervous. They looked... worried? Worried that she'd attack them, maybe? "This Tomb... would you happen to know anything about what it contains? Or its traps?"

The two necromancers look at each other, slightly surprised at Skyler's lack of authoritarian intent, but remain nervous. The one who has not spoken yet says, "Ah, I see. You have stratagems beyond what we are to know. Well, ah, the Tomb is Lord Acererak's masterwork, a place for him to expand his knowledge and power, a vault for the countless treasures he has sought from across the cosmos to empower his work, a protection against those who do made of traps and his insurmountable arcane power and artistry, and, at long, long last his final resting place in this world. It is said that of all hoards of man, dragon, or devil, his is among the most magnificent, enhanced over long, long years by the treasures carried by those who have, ah, perished in his Tomb. All manner of things may be found within."

The other one adds, "W-we are forbidden from revealing its secrets, sworn unto and into death, and we have never delved deeper than the entrances. Even then, only to recover equipment from those who were killed in an... accessible space. It is one of the ways in which we gather common equipment to re-sell to others, you see. And corpses to raise. Ropes, poles, lanterns, other things of that sort. Sometimes a chain shirt or a sword. Those who carry better equipment tend to survive longer, go in too far for us to recover and raise, adding to the master's treasury instead."

"If you, ah, if you would like or are in need of supplies, perhaps we could show you our wares? I'm sure, whatever your approach to danger, we've recovered at least a few things you would find useful..."

Wondrous treasures, great dangers within. They hadn't given any specifics, but a hoard that vast had to have something that would be useful for her goal. The possible knowledge he could have stored there would be invaluable. And she wouldn't say no to collecting any other useful tools if she managed to come across them. It was a promising start.

The next piece of information was less so.

She dug her claws into the dirt, suppressing an aggravated growl. At least they were forthright on what information they could provide, though it hadn't made it any less irritating to hear. She almost considered forcing more information out of them, but the idea left a bitter taste in the back of her throat and she discarded it.

"I see," she finally said, speaking with barely disguised frustration. "All right, I'll take a look at your wares." Maybe they'd have some other useful things she hadn't thought to bring with her...

As Skyler walks through the small town, she spots the large warrior, flanked by a trio of skeletons, heading toward the middle entrance of the Tomb. The group of necromancers that had been watching them appears to be talking amongst themselves at this point.

The dragon is guided to a small warehouse full of labeled crates. "Rope", "Lanterns," "Clothes," Bedrolls" and similar are painted on the sides. There's a faint scent of mildew, some of the supplies in here are not particularly well cared for, or have suffered from the humidity coming from the swamp. There are some locked shelving walls near the back, presumably better sorted, more valuable items. As Skyler is led in, she may sense faint magic, nothing all that powerful but in somewhat high numbers, coming from behind those doors.

"The common gear in the crates goes for prices you would find in most places. A gold coin for fifty feet of good, simple rope, a silver for a pint of oil, and the clothing is, ah, discounted, on account of being used and often repaired, but I don't think we have anything which would fit you."

"Do you, p-perhaps consider yourself a practitioner of the arcane? We have some scrolls which may be useful if so, and some potions if not. None of healing, I'm afraid, those... tend to have all been used up or taken by the allies of the fallen by the time we get to them..."

As the shelving unit doors are opened, amidst the dusty bottles, old scrolls, and miscellaneous minor jewelry, a small, trembling stone stands out. It's a bright red, perfectly and intricately carved crystal in the shape of a five-pointed star. It practically thrums with energy, and Skyler could almost swear that they look like it wants to leap into her grasp...

Sklyer may stock up on mundane gear (take a look at common adventuring gear for D&D or Pathfinder 1e), and choose 1 of the following, due to likely budget:

-A combined 9 spell levels of potions and scrolls of 3rd level or lower, not including healing options (sum up the spell level of each effect of each potion or scroll, up to 12, cantrips cost 0.5)
OR
-The Eastern Star Ioun Stone, which grants the ability to understand any spoken or written language to whoever it is orbiting the head of, as well as the ability to recognize language which is hidden or encrypted as well as deciphering it.

When Skyler was led through town, she took notice of the larger warrior headed back to the Tomb. They were heavily armored, and much taller than most of the others in the village. Were they one of the adventurers, maybe? While they seemed to be a necromancer as well, the ones who lived here looked to be just as wary of them as they were of herself.

The dragon hummed quietly as she took in all the items on sale. Most of them were things she didn't really need: clothing unsuited to her body, rope, as if she didn't have claws and wings that were all she usually needed to traverse difficult terrain.

Hm. Actually, that was a little short-sighted of her. She was going to be exploring a tomb; it would be underground, an enclosed space, tight hallways and little room to spread her wings, the sky blocked by stone and soil...

She suppressed a full-body shudder, stamping down her insistent little nerves. It would be fine. It would be fine.

She returned her attention to the necromancer before her. "I see," she mumbled to herself. It was disappointing that they were lacking in healing options, as she would have really appreciated picking some of those up. She'd have to make due with her own healing abilities. Though she might consider picking up a few magic scrolls.

"I could use some sturdy rope, a roll of bandages, a few extra rations, and then I'd like to..." She trailed off as her eyes settled on a particular red gemstone. It was intricately carved, its faceted sides sparkling in the dim light of the shop. But what really caught her attention was the fact that it radiated magic, almost seeming to tremble before her eyes. She focused her awareness on it, looking to get a read on what it was.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing towards the magical stone.

Skyler's requests get agreeable nods as one of the two cultists begins tallying up totals and looking in crates. The list is standard to them, and the items abundant. Then, focus turns to that mysterious gem.

The gem radiates magic, and the emanations are strong. After a few moments it becomes clear that its power is a form of divination magic, specifically related to knowledge and... even more than that, language. There's something else about it, too, like a single note pulled away from a magnificent chorus, isolated, alone...

"Ahhh, a dragon's eye never misses the truly valuable pieces," the one not busy with other wares says, "That, we believe, is an Ioun Stone, and in excellent condition. After some testing, we've found that it grants the ability to read and understand all languages, and even to notice when something is language when you might have missed it otherwise, some codes or text hidden in images or words disguised as bird calls and the like. It would be... quite expensive. Ioun Stones, especially the unblemished specimens, are exceptionally rare and powerful devices which are popular with wealthy collectors, not least for how they harmonize with each other in large numbers. We can perhaps offer it for... 4000 gold coins?"

The cultist's words matched up with Skyler's own read of the stone, and she struggled to stamp down her blatant interest in it. The ability to read and understand any language one were to come across was extremely useful! And considering where she was heading, Skyler knew it would be a valuable tool to have. The Tomb was likely to have written puzzles, and she could use every advantage she could get. Especially if they happened to be in a language she didn't know.

She, however, inwardly winced at the price. That would drain most of the funds she had on hand.

"That's a very wondrous ability," she said, forcing herself to stop staring at the shining stone and meet the necromancer's eyes. She tapped her claws against the floor, a rhythmic click click click as she considered it.

"I'll take it," she finally accepted, opening up her bag and gathering together the coins she needed. She could probably barter a few gemstones to make up parts of the cost too...

"Ah, wondrous indeed," the cultist agrees, doing his best not to smile. As it turns out, even when it's a genuine smile, people always read it as sinister when you wear robes and worship an ancient lich.

The large sum of coins changing hands helps grease negotiations, and Skyler probably comes away both a little ahead thanks to some generously valued gems and suspecting that such a high value item has been extremely difficult stock to move. When the stone is gently pressed into the dragon's palm, the cultist instructs, "If you have not used one of these before, lightly toss it into the air while focusing on it, and watch it awaken."

Once this happens, the stone follows a natural looking trajectory until it stops of Skyler's brow, and then starts to move in a slow, steady orbit. Each cycle takes about six seconds, but even when it's out of sight she can feel where it is, as if it were a part of her own body. When it comes into view, just at the top of her field of vision, it isn't distracting, either, in the same way her own claws or tail wouldn't be distracting on sight. The effect is also immediately visible, too. One old sword on a wall has a previously unreadable, runic-looking inscription along the blade which now plainly says "In Ursalani's Memory" a faded, musty spellbook in poor condition on a shelf now proclaims, "The Optimization of Optical Manipulation for Sensory Befuddlement, by Orshiyo the Inscrutable," when it's title had just been flowery, flowing symbols before, and a line of characters adorning a shield is clearly a prayer to an unfamiliar god, apparently unanswered given where the shield is now.

The stone appears to work as advertised.

As if to break the dragon out of any potential state of wonder at this new boon, the cultist says, "Unless you have anything else you think you may need, you, ah, may wish to catch up to the adventurers who are now in the Tomb. While we would be unbothered if you tried to delve it alone, for your soul would be more likely to go to the Master that way, you may have greater hopes if you have others to, at the very least, put in the way of danger. They may move beyond the entrance soon, and if they do, there are no guarantees that you will be able to follow them easily or that they will be able to reliably return. They have chosen the center tunnel, though if you wish to examine the others before following them," This time he does not hold back an unsettling, almost skull-like grin, "Well, please, be our Master's guest."

The stone was warm against the soft scales of her palm. Skyler turned it over thoughtfully, familiarizing herself with the particular thrum of magic within it.

She followed the cultist's instructions, gently tossing it up in front of her while she concentrated upon it. It was odd how easy it connected with her, becoming something of an extension of herself as it orbited around her head like a halo.

She busied herself a moment with reading the now understandable inscriptions written upon many of the old trinkets around her, a toothy grin spreading across her muzzle. It worked like a charm! While Skyler wasn't averse to learning new languages, she hardly had the time to be spending hours translating old manuscripts and runes. If this Ioun Stone managed to survive the journey home... she had books to track down again.

"Right, right," she responded, tucking the other items she'd purchased away. "No, this will be enough, thank you."

She was quiet a moment, eyes narrowing behind her goggles and watching the cultist carefully. "I see. I'll keep that in mind." She gave him a curt, but polite nod, and took her leave.

Stepping outside, the dragon breathed in the fresh, non-dusty air, and turned to the skull-like tomb looming upon the hill. The larger, armored warrior from before was conspicuously absent, perhaps having returned to the tomb. There was a group of the necromancer's chattering on and on, Skyler's ears catching something about lost equipment and foolish adventurers.

She began to head on over. If this current group of adventurers was friendly, she wouldn't mind collaborating with them if they were willing. If not... well, she'd have to make due on her own.