Bring Out Your Dead

We were transported to Skull Hollow, and within a few yards, we came face to face with a rather shady character. He claimed to deal in exotic weapons and armour, and that he would be able to cut us a number of deals on such things if we helped him out; he was, after all, a merchant and not suited for dealing with the kind of creatures wandering the Temple Steppes.

He had a keen interest in the Bone Gallery, claiming there was something called the Rosamortis within. He was rather evasive about what it actually was, but was entirely forthcoming in describing the monstrosities that were guarding the thing. The tomb itself was sealed magically, and could only be opened by the spirits of the Estherians who were buried in the graveyard surrounding the tomb. Not the undead, which there were plenty, but actual spirits.

We agreed to look into it, if we could find a spirit to follow through the gate. Malia suggested mourning at the sarcophagus that was nearby, and so we made our way over and bowed our heads in respect.

Suddenly, undead began clawing their way out of the ground. Despite the shady character still watching, Malia slipped her robes and began fighting claw and tail against the small horde as I rained down fire and brimstone upon them. They started out weak, brittle skeletons, but soon they became stronger, fallen warriors and mages, until a mighty undead general appeared. Once he was dispatched, an Estherian shade rose up from the sarcophagus, and began walking toward the gate; naturally, we grabbed Malia's robes and followed.

This tomb was much like the last, except with far less undead Sturmbeorn. Those who were powerful in life were powerful in undeath, and those who were not followed them. The corruption that was saturating the lands had twisted them into even more monstrous beings, and we had to fight our way through them, claw and flame.

Although we had thought the shady character was elaborating upon the truths of the undead that actually possessed the Rosamortis. He was not.

The Rosamortis was actually being held by a skeleton, seated upon a golden throne. When we tried to take it, two skeletal generals to either side of him came to life, and while we were fighting them, a hideous undead amalgamation crawled up through the well in the centre of the room. He was massive, stitched together from the strongest, most massive undead possible, towering over us the way the fallen Guardian had.

Malia threw herself into the fight, only to find that he was resistant to her poisons, and her claws did not tear his thick flesh as well as she'd like. I kept a constant storm of fire raging upon him, smouldering him at first, but soon he caught flame and Malia backed off, fending the lesser undead off while I tried to topple the giant. Finally, he fell, a burning heap of disgusting flesh.

It was tiring, but we had the Rosamortis now, and could escape the Bone Gallery.