There are seven slain coffer corpses on the ground and Sergius wants to check them for loot. Unsurprisingly, there is none to be found. Tatania, Arnd, and Sergius look at Titus, Maeve, and Veyda and decide that the party is perhaps not equipped to enter the highly dangerous barrow mounds. The party decides to explore the marshes instead and see if there is an unexplored mound that might be more their speed.
Dwerom and Niki join up with the crew and together they move southeast. They encounter a tall cliff wall that looks inhospitable to climbing. Next they find an unexplored barrow that is covered in dirt. The dwarves examine it and declare that it could be unearthed, but even with their exquisite skill, the task would take hours and might attract some unfriendlies with the noise. As Arnd is debating the merits with the group, Sergius circles the mound to make sure there are no alternate points of entry. Titus muses that it looks like Sergius is doing a pee-pee dance. This gets a chuckle out of everyone else and they decide to pass on this particular mound today. Moving further east, they encounter another mound, this one also sealed, but not so thoroughly. It can be unearthed in just a few minutes. The dwarves get down to business and do just that. Luckily, it is such quick work that no unwanted attention is attracted. A short stone staircase is revealed. Torches are lit and the party descends into the darkness.
Veyda and Maeve wonder aloud if this will be a good burial mound or an evil one. Soon enough, that question is answered in the form of walls decorated with horrid murals of rot and death. Niki notes that this place is dedicated to Incabulos, the deity of pests, famine, nightmares, drought, and disease. What a rotten deity to worship when you could instead look to the bounty and nourishing gifts of Merrika!
Further exploration presents a passageway that smells a little gross. There is a door that Sergius willingly opens to reveal a room fitted with bookshelves. The shelves are filled with small to medium books, scrolls, and large tomes. Most of them are treatises to Incabulos. Arnd sets up as a guard outside the room while the rest set to examining the shelves for anything useful. Sergius finds a book with pictures. Veyda inspects it and decides it could be useful as a means to gather information about repelling Incabulos. The party takes a break to eat and hear scratching noises in the distance. They are set upon by giant scorpions! Sergius is struck with one of the creature's poisonous tails. He begins to froth at the mouth and takes on a pale greenish pallor. The scorpions are slain by the rest of the party and Niki rushes in to cast neutralize poison on poor Sergius. He coughs up some dark sputum and seems his old self. One wonders what can be done to keep the lad from being poisoned so often. Perhaps nothing.
Arnd sets up outside of the room again to act as guard while the rest search through the shelves once again. Arnd hears a schlopping noise, like wet feet on the ground. Before he can even send out a warning, he is beset by a pair of giant toads. Has the God Toad sent more of his children to seek revenge? Arnd retreats to the safety of the room to set up an attack with his fellows. The toads are unable to harm him as he deftly escapes their terrible tongues. In proper formation, Niki slays one toad and Arnd the other. Dwerom disembowels the giant toads, but doesn't find anything of interest in their bellies.
Veyda insists on an exhaustive search of the room, which yields three more discoveries of valuable treatises, including one that details constructing mummies and imbuing them with undead force and using slime in combat. With the entire room checked, the party moves on.
They encounter a room with a large ornate sarcophagus, broken and rotting baskets, and urns. There are unholy symbols on the sarcophagus and after the book they just recovered about creating mummies, more than one member of the party is hesitant to touch the sarcophagus or any of the accoutrement in case a dangerous mummy is is within. It's unknown if this party could fight off such a lethal foe. Instead, they turn their attention to another door. Sergius opens this one as well and reveals another room of shelves. This one, however, houses all manner of jars and bottles. The group does a meticulous inventory and collects four interesting specimens. There is a vial of ointment, a jar with gray dust, a jar with lighter gray dust, and a long jar with four sticks. Dwerom casts identify on the sticks and discovers that they are meditation sticks that can be used by clerics and cleric subclasses to intensify and maximize their spells. Maeve is weary of any objects found in this evil place, but that doesn't seem to persuade those who could actually use them. Niki, Veyda, and Titus are all very interested in trying out these new magic items when the time is right. The other items will have to be identified another day, because it is now time for the adventurers to come home to see me, the faithful storyteller,
Vilma
