The guild is rowdy. People are busy as usual, planning, discussing and moving around. Our party has seen something interesting and rewarding. An exploration to a ruin. Recently an archeology team has found an old civilization castle buried deep. It is reported that the team has heard armor rattling, stench of dead animals and most importantly, they have found an old blood mark at the entrance. That seemed to be 50 years ago. Unknown if there is something unspeakable evil. Torch and light magic are recommended. Mapping skill and scouting are required. Do not engage the enemy if there is a chance to avoid. The reward is anything found in the ruin and 10 gold coins.
"Well, this quest is reasonable for us. I don't like fighting anyway" - Tiary relieves
"Yeah, finding items in ruin is more fun anyway" - Darvic shines
"I should get proper weapons than a rag a tag team" - Polwil nods
"Yay, what kind of books should I get?" - Mawra is excited
The four come to the receptionist, Polwil negotiates with her. The receptionist nodded her head and stated that they should only scout and gather loot but not engage in any unnecessary combat.
The group goes out buying supplies and goods. They don't need returning scrolls since they haven't used any, Food, water, torches and potions are the first things that they bought. Next are shovels, firewoods, sharpening oil bottles and a spear. Tiary is not the one who holds it, Darvic is the one who holds it. Tiary still keeps the branch.
At the entrance.
"Listen up! No unnecessary fights among us and against anything down there! Map everything we can, loot anything we need and most importantly. If separated alone, do not spend time seeking, use the scrolls immediately! I hope this will not happen but we all have to return at once and in one piece than dying down there"- Polwil lights up the torch
"Heard it"- all three nod lightly.
The four venture further inside a dark and unknown ruin. Mawra suddenly stops and the others look at what she looks at.
"What is it?" - Tiary tugs her robe
"I don't think we can use the scrolls here" - Mawra tosses her scroll.
"Explain now!" Darvic glares
"The entire ruin has an anti teleportation spell. No, the ruin is the spell itself. The construction, look here" - Mawra draws in her note - "This is the first time I have seen such a marvelous idea about making a spell like this. This is to prevent intruders getting inside and also getting out. We are now somewhere in the middle here. To break this spell, destroying walls is not enough but also hidden foundations too along with the deepest layer of this thing lies one thing left. The magical ink"
"So the country must be rich huh?" - Darvic shines
"No, because this place has a mine nearby. Those magical inks are made from the dust of such rare ore and along with the amber essence too." - Mawra closes her note
"I think we should go only here and go back quickly before that fork. Once we go through one of the path of that fork, we are in risk of getting ambushed" - Polwil points
The group goes forward as planned. They found a chamber filled with gold and jewels.
They carry what they can, Something catches Tiary's eyes. A mace with a small handle but yet elegant almost as if it is meant for a lady. She ditches the branch and takes the mace with her.
"This is a bit heavy" - Tiary complains
"Can I hold it?" Darvic stretches his arms out.
As soon as Tiary releases her hand, she realizes that she must catch back quickly. Then she slowly put it on the ground. Darvic tries to lift it up but to no avail.
"So that mace is a very heavy mace that only one of us can use huh?" - Mawra looks curiously
"I can say that mace is cursed. But the only curse that it has is just weight." - Polwil comes close
Tiary picks up the mace. It is named "Portable Mountain" by Darvic since he felt like trying to move a mountain rather than lifting something heavy.
On the way back, the torch starts to flicker. Like a draft nearby.
"Damn it, we are about to be ambushed. There was a room that I did not pay attention to" - Polwil readies his sling.
"Something is just ahead. I think it is alone. We have our advantage to fight this battle, if we ignore it, it might alarm the others or worse is that it might stalk us and hunt us down quickly." - Darvic grips his spear
A reanimated corpse. Dangling its hands and head, walking aimlessly. Despite appearance, they are somewhat intelligent enough to fight humans in coordination, lurking in the shadows or even ambushing. Even so, they have the same weaknesses as other humanoids and humans. Aim for the head or disable it.
"Darvic, that thing never goes alone. If you engage carelessly, it may sound the whole horde swarming upon us. " - Polwil stops Darvic - "I suggest that aim for its nape so it cannot scream out then decapitate it"
Darvic quickly lunges his spear into its nape. Motionless and zero struggle, the party relieves that thing is dead. There is no tag on this so one possibility is that it is not from human civilization. Nothing else worth looting. Bringing it back for research is too much hassle and also risky.
Almost to the entrance, troubles await them ahead.