The Whispering Cairn, Part 1

Edit: These are posts I made back in 2005-2006 and have now transferred them here.

This is put together from my game notes, most likely filled with many grammatical errors, please forgive.

• Tyrrich - Elven Rogue 1 (male), works as an errand boy for Mine Manager Moonmeadow.
• Garrett - Gnome Druid 1 (male), from the Bronzewood Lodge with animal companion Eaus, a giant Badger.
• Cullen - Elven Monk 1 (male), from the Twilight Monastery as an escort for kalamanthis shipments.
• Roma - Half Orc Rogue 1 (male), an indentured Miner working his way to freedom.
• Janna - Human Cleric 1 (female), a priestess of Wee Jas from the boneyard. (enters in part 2)

A frequent visitor to Lazare's House for dragonchess, Tyrrich overhears conversations from some pompous newcomer adventurers looking to explore old Cairns for riches and artifacts. He remembers some old Cairns from his childhood games and wonders if they are still there. Inspired by the new adventurers in town he sends word to a Druid acquaintance of his to see if together they can track down its location. Garrett, on his way to Diamond Lake to visit an old friend Allustan, receives the message from Tyrrich and helps locate to Cairn he remembers with the help of some of Allustan's maps. Allustan warns them that it is a dangerous journey and they had better enlist more help. In town Tyrrich spots a Monk that disembarks from his caravan with the look and determination of setting off on his own. He approaches him and "offers" a place in their group to explore an old Cairn.

So our hearty adventurers set off to explore the Whispering Cairn.

On the way they notice a Half Orc following them. Seeing he is capable in a fight, they invite him to join their group.

They found the crumbled bedroll of some unfortunate youth from years ago.

They found a rather large artifact that resembles the broken remains of an ornate mirror with pieces of strange black glossy rock on the ground around it. Tyrrich copied the glyphs and took a piece of the rock.

The party came across some feral wolves that were put down. Garrett noticed that they were starving and it was most likely the best for them. In their den they found an Indigo Lantern, an Elven armband, and later on found the broken off index finger from the bass relief statue up ahead.

Opposite of the den they were greeted by a wonderfully painted fresco of a room with seven alcoves, each of these alcoves had a lit lantern hanging on a chain representing, in order, the 7 colors of the rainbow.

Cutting through an enormous length of cobwebs the party came to the room depicted in the fresco but noticed only the green lantern was lit (by an everburning torch) and the red and indigo lanterns were missing from their chains. There is also a sarcophagus in the middle of the room; the platform it rests on is in the shape of an arrow pointed towards the orange lantern. Cullen believes the arrow can be turned to point at another lantern.

The group inspects and experiments with the lanterns. The everburning torch is put in the orange lantern.

Moving the arrow to point at the next lantern (Yellow) it stops with an audible click. There is a rumbling mechanical noise coming from somewhere underneath you. The circular outline rises up to form a metal cylinder underneath the yellow lantern. Seconds later 2 doors slide open on the cylinder to reveal a clean, very sterile looking, chamber (much like an elevator).

Satisfied that the cylinder is empty you move the everburning torch back to the green lantern and move arrow to this next stop.

The same metal cylinder appears out of the floor, however this time the mechanical noises were strained and louder. Missed by the untrained ears of the party you begin exploring this chamber as well. A few moments into the inspection the cylinder gives way and plummets an estimated 60 feet below. Roma jumps back just in time as to not get caught in the cylinder as it rapidly descends.

After the dust settles and pieces of the elevator come to rest, the entire party hears a chittering and scraping sound from down in the cylinder hole. Everyone pauses to try and figure out what it is. Garrett identifies it as beetles... thousands of them... and they are getting closer.

Just then the beetles erupt from the hole like a geyser and swarm over Tyrrich and Roma. Acid beetles... very dangerous. The party tries to make a hasty retreat but Tyrrich falls under the bites and stings. Cullen distracts the beetles while Roma grabs Tyrrich and they all make it out of the room. The beetles retreat back down into their hole and the heroes make their way back to the Cairn entrance to make camp for the night.

Resting for the night, Garrett collects some herbs to help neutralize the acid and heal Tyrrich's wounds.

End of chapter 1.