The Professionals, part two.

Jakob and company delve the barrowmaze.

Jakob shielded his eyes from the sun as he climbed the steps out of the great barrow and into the sunlight. The men who had been left behind to guard the outside greet him with shouted questions about monsters slain and treasures found. Impatiently, Jakob snaps his fingers and gives orders for packs to be emptied out into the turf.

A silvered belt buckle, a few hundred pieces copper and silver, two sets of bracers, probably magical, several dozen gemstones, none of which look like they could fetch any more than a hundred silver, five torches, a quiver of arrows, another quiver of bolts, a clay pot containing liquid, possibly magical, but maybe not, and four flasks of undoubtedly naptha. A club of ancient make, bronze and stone...

Jakob’s frustration grows. Judging by the sun’s position, he’s spent more than a few hours down in that hole, destroying undead, interrogating captured beastmen, and losing equipment to a gray ooze. Many light wounds among the men, nothing serious, but the haul is pitiful. More must be found! Impatiently, he orders for tools to be unpacked, and points out a few smaller mounds amidst the fog. “We’ll break open those, and see what’s inside.”

Two giant scorpions, each the size of a dog, are sighted and swiftly dispatched by crossbow volley crossbow bolts. One of the mounds is already broken and open, and when the men investigate the wet, slimy hole, out pop two giant toads! They surprise the men, and give them a good scare, but are otherwise useless and quickly die to more crossbow fire. A few shiny trinkets are found in their particular mound.

The other two mounds need to be dug up out of the wet earth. Luckily, with so many warm bodies this takes little time. More trinkets and a hundred pieces of silver are found, the price of a man’s face getting ripped off by zombies crawling out of their tomb. As the afternoon rolls on, Jakob rebuffs and stares down any talk of returning back to civilization. The man is obsessed, and will not return until he is satisfied. More tombs shall be opened, and Jakob insists that they will work all night in shifts, if they must. The men mutter of ghosts and worse awakening at night, but for now Jakob’s will is enough to keep them going.

A scroll written in an ancient language is found, along with some skeletal warriors, in the next mound. Koshei claims this as his share, and sits down to begin deciphering it. Brother-Disciple Eusebius, the Hesychist, picks a quiet spot of turf away from the hustle and bustle, inhaling incense as he murmurs his prayers and Contemplates the AllFather.

Seven zombies are seen wandering through he mist. This time, however, when they are shot, they merely turn, stare at the shooters, and begin running!

Claws rip and tear into the terrified men. Drawn swords and clubs do nothing, Koschei’s kinsmen charge into the fray with blade and spear… also useless. Jakob barks orders to break out the oil and magic items. Brother-Disciple Eusebius arises from his Contemplation and approaches the fray. Empowered by multiple spells, Jakob draws his magical blade and waits for the oil to be thrown…

One lands on target, another sails wide but hits another, the third goes way too long, and the last… the man drops at his feet, setting himself on fire! Simultaneously, another man uses a Kindle Flame scroll to set a few more of the zombies on fire… but though flesh sloughs off and burns away, the zombies do not slow down! gritting his teeth, Jakob finally wades in. Even his magic sword and empowered strikes prove useless. The day is saved by Eusebius, who Rebukes one of the zombies and Holy Circle of Protection zone out the zombies while the flames burn them down. Torches are lit to hasten the process. What could have been a rout, is merely harrowing. The men are shaken, and demand to return to civilization. Jakob wants to refuse, but the shrieking of more zombies, some of them rather horrifyingly feminine, in the mists, finally convinces him. It is well past dark by the time the company returns to Hielichs. Jakob wonders if he should talk to Wilhelm Wagner about investing inn that iron mine…