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Act 2: The Black Academy
In the second act of Return to the Tomb of Horrors, the party has arrived at a city populated by necromancers and the undead that serve
them. In the center of the city is a great hill which has been carved to look like a skull. Grunther is sure that this is where the tomb
was, twenty years earlier, but where in the evil city is its entrance now? Can the party find it without stirring up too much trouble?
All this and more awaits in this act. Each of the following journal entries reflects a different character's point of view.
Tarmare 24, 12883
Though many have fallen, I, Xian, yet live to speak of their honorable deaths. Honorable yes, and avoidable too. We traveled into
the City of Necromancers today. Grunther, the guide, believed that the tomb entrance had been hidden beneath the vast temple complex
built around the hill, visible from afar. We could see from afar that a single way allowed entrance into the city. The cloaked wizard,
Savnal used his magic to transport us within the city walls. During the day there was enough activity to allow us to do so without
notice; though I believe there were some magics cast to assist us in this regard.
The outermost district of the city was a vast graveyard, which appeared to encircle the entire place. We
quickly traveled into the next district, a dilapidated and sleeping residential area, through a decrepit inner wall. There was little
activity here, but signs of evil were wearing upon Azraphel. Rattana cautioned him once more, for all the good such warnings could do.
Beyond this place was a great market, mostly empty except for some unsavory looking men closing shop after their nightly work. Within
one vast tent Savnal and I secretly intruded to find a teeming hoard of zombies lurching about in a ghastly green light. We agreed it
would be best to not mention the affair to the paladin. Beyond the market and across a broad courtyard we stood before the black structure
and the grinning skull-hill that lurked behind it. What ease it was that we adventurers mounted the temple steps to its entrance, I
should have seen the tension within Azraphel as he struggled to restrain himself.
A warrior dressed in armor built from bones queerly melted together confronted us at the temple entrance. I
could tell from his demeanor and gait that he was no youth to battle. He asked us not what we had come for, but stated simply that the
"Academy was closed for the day." I'll never forget what happened next.
Tomas turned to Azraphel and said, "Looks like it's going to be a killer of a day," to which Azraphel simply
replied, "Yep," drew his holy sword, and attacked the bone-clad warrior. That's about when all hell broke loose. Before we had even
defeated the man in bone armor, we had lost a party member and Grunther lay slain.
We pushed into the school where we fought powerful wizards too numerous for us to completely overcome. The
defenses slowly awakened to our arrival, but the bone-clad warrior had done his job and bought the academy time enough to muster against
us. Tomas and I faced a terrible construct of bone who's laughter gripped our hearts in unreasoning fear. Alas, Tomas perished immediately,
his heart stopped. The "rat-catcher" mentat was slain in that same moment, reducing our party to five. Llantha fled deep into the complex
to hide from the battles, we had to leave without her. So, we four remaining retreated away from the battle, but not without some successes.
A couple of powerful wizards were slain by our hands and the bone construct was shattered by Azraphel and myself. Thanks be to the Elders
that Savnal was able to use his magic to take us quickly away. I do not know what will happen next. We will need new warriors to replace
those that were lost.
Corvere 10 12883
I have not had the heart to write these past weeks. It was not the same, finding new heroes to join me on this quest without Tomas'
great insight into people to assist me. His death will be avenged, I only hope that the fate of our fallen friends is not to be buried
in that terrible graveyard. That we could not commit them to the fire before retreating haunts me. We have been training, researching
our foe, waiting for our call for new heroes to be answered. Lathidus has provided.
Clan-chief Maleb is a warrior I think we will greatly benefit from. He is a great fighter and wears a
strange and powerful armor that seems similar to a furnace. A trap-finder named Zachery will also join us. Rattana wisely recommended
we find one since surely we will face many traps once we enter the tomb. Finally, a priest of the war god, Daer-Koch, has been sent
by his church to aid us. At first I opposed his presence, as I am dedicated to Lathidus, but Savnal spoke true when he said that it could
only help to have the might of a second deity watching over the party's efforts against this evil. That one as neutral throws its weight
with us tells me how evil this Acererak must be. We hope to depart in the coming month, the beginning of a new year.
Turningspar 4, 12884
As disastrous as our first foray into the city of necromancers was, we will try again today. Against what I think is best, Chief
Maleb and Azraphel have decided to bring a small company of mercenaries with us, and so we will need to travel on foot to reach the
tomb once again. I do not possess magics as great as my teacher did and so I cannot transport so many people at once with magic. What use
these men will be against such magical foes I cannot guess; they are already dead to me.
Veluna 7, 12884
Waiting is the worst of my decision to not assist Savnal and Zachery in their foolishness. They believe that they know where the
one half of the amulet is and have determined to do a quick strike deep into the temple complex to take it. Azraphel doesn't even
know they are going - we decided to not tell him since he'd make things too complicated by virtue of his drive to slay any evil within
shouting distance. So they left, hoping to take it from one of the academy/temple leaders. We've been through a lot together lately and
since Drake died I've grown accustomed to their presence. Maybe I should have gone.
Veluna 8, 12884
Daer-Koch has given us glorious victory over our enemies, but not without his due in sacrifice. Rattana came to us last night and
revealed that Savnal and Zachery had snuck into the temple complex, but now battled to escape. A diversionary tactic was needed to buy
them time to gain freedom and so she took we heroes to the gates of the city where we did battle against undead, sorcerers, and great
iron constructs. The undead were easily held at bay by my and the Lathidite's power, Rattana proved able against the wizards, but the
worst was the great iron man; Clan-Chief Maleb and Xian bravely sacrificed their lives to destroy it. Yet, we have the first half of the
amulet that the wizards and journals say that we require. With it in hand we will again take battle to the City of the Dead and
penetrate the defenses of the tomb. We will wait two days while the wizards gather reagents prepare to enter the tomb, then we go!
Veluna 11, 12884
I should be more careful and stay nearer to these adventurers. Thank goodness that the party came across me and Savnal was able to
restore me to my natural state. More than a month has passed since I inhaled the poisoned vapors and was turned to stone. I thought
that everyone would have followed me, after all, our goal was to enter the tomb, not waste time fighting a city of necromancers!
Apparently the others did not feel the same way. I was able to unlock the way into the catacombs, though I don't know why or how I
was able to do so. The statue which scanned my body found me worthy and the way became open. If only I had not been tempted by the
gems in the statue that turned me to stone... but then perhaps I was lucky to have befallen such a fate since more dangerous traps
certainly await. I'll have to get to know these new party members better before we get much farther, but they are weary from battling
against the city of necromancers for the third time. I was within arms reach of the correct path to the tomb when I succumbed to the
magical gas! Behind another nearby statue was a secret passage. At the end of it was a door, but before we got that far Rattana
sensed a hidden door in the nearby wall. Sure enough, through here was a great chamber built against native rock. Three ways lead
from here into the hillside. Two of the tunnels before us are plain in construction, the remaining appears to have had great care
to its construction. Though some think it is a red herring, I am among the majority that says we should investigate this more
extravagant hallway first. Momentarily we shall enter within.
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