S03E16: Theeyes Havvit Report

General Summary

A scary campfire story became real as they encountered a headless horseman on a bridge just like in the story. But then the horseman threw the pumpkin head and it was revealed to actually be a beholder...and then it was discovered to actually be come kind of Dragon-Beholder abomination!     Meanwhile elsewhere on the Sword Coast...in the Mere of Dead Men:     Zith and Sslusi entered the crypt, following the map that Zith had taken from Ularan Mortis' things on the ship. The map showed a labyrinth of corridors and chambers, leading to a central vault where Ularan hoped to find the secrets to Ebondeath's lost mausoleum. Sslusi was curious about the ancient history of her people, who had once lived in the Mere of Dead Men before it was flooded by the sea.   The crypt was dark and silent, except for the occasional drip of water or the scuttle of a swamp critter. Zith held his Shortsword of Warning in anticipation of danger ahead. At least he would not be surprised by it. Sslusi sniffed the air, trying to detect any signs of danger. They moved cautiously, avoiding the obvious traps that someone from ancient times had set to deter intruders. They saw spikes, pits, blades, and poison darts, all of which had been triggered by previous adventurers or animals. Zith smirked as he saw the skeletons and corpses of those who had failed to reach the vault.   However, as they progressed deeper into the crypt, they encountered some traps that were still intact and active. Zith noticed a thin wire across the floor, connected to a hidden crossbow on the wall. He pointed it out to Sslusi, who nodded and carefully stepped over it. They continued on, until they reached a door with a large metal lock. Zith examined it and saw that it was rigged with a needle that would inject a lethal dose of venom into anyone who tried to pick it. He cursed and looked for another way to open it. He saw a small hole in the wall next to the door, with a symbol carved above it. He guessed that the hole was meant for a key. He wondered if he could find a substitute for it. Using the tip of an arrow he worked its way into the hole, twisting the head back and forth after he inserted it a few inches. The lock clicked and the door opened. Zith smiled and pulled out the arrow, which was now slightly melted by some kind of acid inside the hole. He set it aside and entered the door with Sslusi.   They found themselves in a large chamber with a domed ceiling and a circular platform in the center. On the platform was a stone sarcophagus with an elaborate carving of an ancient elven bowman wearing elaborate clothing. Around the sarcophagus were four statues of hooded figures, each holding wielding a bow-staff. These are ancient elven weapons, longer than even normal longbows. Each bore a set of glowing orbs near the center of the bow-staff. The orbs emitted different colors of light: red, blue, green, and yellow.   Zith felt a surge of excitement as he approached the sarcophagus. He sensed powerful magic emanating from it. Clearny not a dragon's tomb, he wondered what treasures lay hidden inside. He reached for the lid, ready to lift it.   Sslusi grabbed his arm and stopped him. She pointed at the statues and said, "Wait. Look."   Zith looked and saw that each statue had a small slot in its base, similar to the one on the door. He realized that they were also traps, designed to activate if someone tried to open the sarcophagus without inserting the correct keys into the slots.   He frowned and said, "Where are we supposed to find these keys? They could be anywhere in this crypt."   Sslusi shook her head and said, "No. Look closer."   She pointed at the orbs on the staffs. She said, "They are not just lights. They are symbols."   Zith looked again and saw that she was right. The orbs were actually shaped like different objects: a flame, a drop of water, a leaf, and a sun.   He understood what she meant. He said, "They are elements."   She nodded and said, "Yes. And we have them."   She reached into her quiver and pulled out four arrows: one with a red fletching, one with a blue fletching, one with a green fletching, and one with a yellow fletching.   She said, "These are my special arrows. I made them myself from materials I found in the Mere."   She explained that each arrow had something related to an element attached to its tip: a piece of coal for fire, a vial of water for water, a seed for earth, and a feather for air.   She said, "These are our keys."   She handed Zith two arrows: the red one and the blue one. She said, "You take these. I'll take the other two."   They split up and went to the statues that matched their arrows. Zith inserted the red arrow into the slot under the statue with the red orb. Sslusi inserted the green arrow into the slot under the statue with the green orb. They heard a click and saw that the orbs changed from solid to hollow, revealing a flame and a leaf inside.   They moved to the other statues and repeated the process. Zith inserted the blue arrow into the slot under the statue with the blue orb. Sslusi inserted the yellow arrow into the slot under the statue with the yellow orb. They heard another click and saw that the orbs changed again, revealing a drop of water and a sun inside.   They returned to the sarcophagus and saw that it was now unlocked. The lid had slid slightly to the side, leaving a gap big enough for them to peek inside.   Zith said, "We did it. Let's see what's in there."   Sslusi said, "Be careful. It could be another trap."   Zith said, "Don't worry. I'm always careful."   He lied. He was not careful at all. He was excited and reckless. He pushed the lid aside and looked inside. He saw a skeleton wearing a black robe and a silver mask. The skeleton was holding a bow-staff with similar orbs like the statues. The skull had two rubies for eyes and a large emerald for a mouth.   Zith gasped and said, "Whoa…"   He reached for the bow-staff, hoping to claim it as his own.   He made a mistake.   The skull opened its mouth, ejecting the large emerald and let out a loud scream.   The scream echoed through the chamber and activated the final trap.   The four statues turned their bow-staffs towards Zith and Sslusi and fired beams of energy at them. Zith remembered this moment from his dreams in meditation the night before. He knew to duck left. Sslusi did not.   The beams hit her in the chest and knocked her back.   She fell to the floor, unconscious.   The sarcophagus lid began to close again. Zith quickly snatched the bow-staff and barely retrieved it before the lid closed with a booming finality.   The crypt was dark and silent again, except for the occasional drip of water or the scuttle of a rat.   Then there was a low, low rumbling and the domed ceiling cracked and began to crumble, as the water of the swamp above began to burst through the cracks and openings.   With no time to spare, Zith quickly grabbed up Sslusi and ran as fast as he could.   In only seconds he was sloshing through shin-deep water as the crypt continued to flood at an alarming rate. A crossbow bolt slammed into his leg as he tripped the wire he forgot about, making the rest of his escape even more arduous. He could have easily made it if it weren't for a cumbersome lizardfolk he had to carry and drag along with him.   As soon as he felt it was safe enough he poured his last healing potion into her mouth, reviving her. At least he would not need to carry her all the way back to the village!