The remaining beast was dispatched – pity the heads did not remain in lycanthropic shape – there might have been a bounty.
The boys returned to Ximes, hopeful of following up leads on the disappeared folk. Efforts were less than pathetic, such that when rumours of barrows popped up, the team leapt at the opportunity for action over cogitation. Hiring she of the unpronounceable name to guide them, for an outrageous amount, the party set off.
After some hours of marching Mandras’ memory found the terrain familiar. The mountains of the NW hmmm they had been here in better times, literally, with a gaeas for Rarder’s resurrection… Barrowmaze the word echoed in his mind with some concern.
Sure enough, they reached the tortured landscape and headed for the closest barrow. Hearing crunching sounds, Mandras popped his head around the back of the barrow for a discrete look. A giant snake, 20 feet or longer was squeezing a dodo to death. Stupidly, the boys went back around to the front and hoped it would settle down to digest its prey. As they hammered at the door with a sledge hammer, the snake charged around the corner and took Mandras in its coils. He was only freed by some heroic work by his colleagues. Interestingly, the snake contained a blanched scroll case containing some clerical spells… not a waste of time after all.
After some healing, work resumed and the barrow revealed a single 30-foot square room, with a mummified body in a stone casket and a series of lovely if valueless urns set around the walls. As they were expressing disappointment over the situation, there came noises from outside. Our mercenaries were under attack from two oversized ghoul type beings. They were dispatched, but not before some guards fell.
On to the next likely barrow. The massive stone door fell victim to Mandras and the sledge hammer, but everyone was disconcerted to find a short set of stairs leading to brackish water, a foot deep. Entering the next room, they beheld a large urn on the opposite wall. As Mandras prepared to go around to it, Harlin stopped him. There seemed to be a pit in front of them according to Harlin’s application of his 10-foot pole. The amphora was also a disappointment, while Harlen continued poking at what seemed to be a softish bottom to the water-logged pit. Impatiently, Mandras used his ring to turn into an octopus and slipped into the murky water. Finding the soft presence below, Mandras touched it and as rewarded with a sharp pain. He scampered out and resumed his form.
Something resembling molten stonework started to rise from the pit. Harlin speared it and his magic spear dissolved… Mandras poured holy water on it… what a waste of 25GP! Discretion being the better part of honour, the party threw a vial of flaming oil behind them and left. It had little effect.