Session 50: Day 19 of planting, return to Barrowmaze

The party had arrived back in Barrowmaze during the late afternoon, and approached the barrow that has the entrance. There was some concern about the wolves that had been heard before, but nothing was seen of them. The visibility was poor due to mist and rain. 

The group quickly traced their steps to the pillared room, and found bodies of the band of the black hand disturbed. These were the dead bodies that the party had slain more than a week before. They had the appearance of being half eaten by something grotesque. 

The party travelled further to the alcove of the god Solis, and several of them followed the procedure to obtain a blessing. A secret door was then found, revealing several animated skeletons that attacked. At first the party thought that they were normal skeletons, but when they were slain, they exploded. Armatzi recalled from his clerical training that they are known as "exploding bones". 

Another secret door was found after the battle, revealing a stragely presrved white body. The body was uncanny. It was hard to determine if that was the natuarl skin, or if it had been painted - it was flaking off in parts. A gold pendant with a large pearl was around the bodies neck. Lhoss attempted to claim the staff, and it fell in a most unnatural way. It was also seen that it eyes and lips were of a darkened color as well. Lhoss managed to obtain the pendant. 

The group left, obtaining new blessings from Polis before moving on. They returned to the large open room, with an altar at the northern area. The altar was examined more closely, and it was covered with dry blood. The deity of the altar couldn't be determined. There was a fading fresco behind the altar that was also inscrutable. 

Adjacent to this room on the west was the room that a dead mongrelman had been found. This corpse had also been partially consumed and dismembered. Tatania and Gnorcia moved the corpse and remains to the alcoves in the room, and Tatania used some of her water to clean up the mess on the floor. The group then ate dinner and memorized/prayed for new spells in that room.