Isle of the Abbey part 3 - unfinished post from April of 2015

This post was meant for publication in April of 2015, but it remains unfinished and is being posted now mainly to show off the pictures of resin Dwarven Forge sets.
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At the end of part 2 the party had begun exploring into the maze of passages called "the trap" and the halfling and paladin were trying to lure an armored automaton back toward the rest of the party. Their effort was failing to trap the trap.

Eventually the paladin decided to confront the automaton at the intersection of the long halls.

The paladin paused at the intersection to light a torch. Somewhere in the darkness the automaton turned around and came back to attack. This action also triggered the rest of the trap. A section of wall opened behind the halfling and through it stepped another of the metal guardians.

The party pulled together to eventually destroy the first automaton, and the wizard discovered that the bracer allowed him to halt the second automaton, deactivating the trap.

Continuing further along, they found another door like the one between the first crypt and the trap.

Beyond the door lay a passage to the large gallery of the crypts, and shrine. About 50 feet into the corridor stood a pair of doors opposite each other. To the right was a storage room of mummification supplies and to the left was a  burial chamber with a sarcophagus.

The lid to the ornately decorate sarcophagus was somewhat askew and a horrible smell emanated from within. Half climbing, Endzique peered over the edge to see a mostly evaporated thick dark liquid with a roughly man shaped lump of dessicated sludge.  Merenk, the necromancer explained that this was likely a mummification technique using seawater and sea salts, and somehow the seal had broken allowing the process to go foul.


Nobody was willing to feel about in the dank mess so they proceeded to the next small chamber. The room was filled with faded and cracked murals, but little else.

Passing beyond a narrow door, the party found themselves by a sealed sarcophagus, their meager torchlight fading in the distance of a larger room.  Edging slowly out into the wider darkness, the paladin stopped and drew his sword when he noticed a human-like silhouette in the distance.

Endzique hearing the paladin challenge the person just beyond sight, ran back the way they had come and on a hunch ran down the long corridor beyond the doors they had previously investigated. He emerged into the Grand Gallery parallel to Fairchild and could see another figure opposite himself.

Cautiously the two advanced into the gloom, discovering that they faced only statues beside a shrine composed of a silently trickling mermaid fountain. The two statues of previous Lord Navigators of the church stood silent sentinel, arms spread to their sides, holy symbols of ship's wheel adorning their vestments.

Relieved, the party chose to bypass the sealed sarcophagus and continue into a smaller chamber to the left pf the gallery.

This turned out to be another burial chamber. Within they discovered a shattered sarcophagus cluttered with mounds of rubble, and broken bones.

Archway leading onto older crypt - "Between the pilings the Grand Navigator rests, with an eternal flame to guide him home beyond the waves."

searching, found stone block dimensions of a book, pried open, delicately removed book, discovered key fits pommel lock on large sarcophagus

mummy from behind tears cultist in two (44 points damage) chaos ensues

wizard cuts necromancer free mummy takes down ranger (down to zero) people begin to flee when realize only magic is affecting it

paladin tries covering escape route, is dropped by mummy (rolls natural one on his first death save takes two failures, three inspiration from paladin and other party members used to save life)

party, much like early cave dwellers discovers new use for fire, finally drop mummy

investigate large sarcophagus and find very old man preserved perfectly under crystal clear water

pull him out, he is dry, party members involved are wet, try to wake him up, eventual success, he heals ranger and paladin

party heads to living quarters area to rest and regroup before checking tower (will they find Silas? will there be a fight? will the powerful elementalist roast the party?)