Session 9: Mausoleum Battle

The party starts this session where we left off, in the gigantic Longstrider family mausoleum, having just killed a giant spider that attacked them.

Mick, now officially an Arcane Trickster, casts Dancing Lights to provide better illumination in the building. The three adventurers spread out, searching the chamber, looking for anything unusual. As they make their way back, Simon discovers a sarcophagus with a slightly out of place lid. The group gathers around it and Mick moves it. Looking inside they find it empty! No remains!

They continue searching, and Mick hears something outside the doors. The party move into hiding/defensive positions, Debi behind a sarcophogus, Mick stealthing along wall, and Simon readying his boomerang. 

Three zombies come shambling into the chamber and begin moving toward the PCs. Simon hits a zombie with his boomerang, the weapon lodged in the undead cranium. 

We move into combat. Mick throws a dagger and hits. The zombies move toward the PCs. Simon successfully uses turn undead on 3 of them. Debi blasts two with Thunderwave. 

The doors to the mausoleum slam shut! The PCs hear the wooden bar fall into place, locking them in! Someone has trapped them in there with the zombies! 

The battle continues. The PCs use spells and weapons to fell zombies, but are surprised to find that even a "dead" zombie might remain animated! You have to really smite them hard! (5e has Undead Fortitude). 

The PCs take damage, and they find that zombies are easy to hit but hard to kill. After 7 rounds of combat they manage to kill the zombies. They notice that none of the zombies look like they have been dead for very long. They also notice that zombies clothing isn't very old, and that they all look like they were big beefy young men. Sounds like six of the nine missing people have been found. 

The PCs go to the door. There is not enough room to stick a dagger through to raise the bar on the door, but they can see it through the small gap. Mick tries to raise it using Mage Hand, but can't. Then he and Debi both cast Mage Hand and team up, managing to raise it and open the door. The lock had fallen apart then they picked it last session.

They group explores the overgrown graveyard to the east of the building, finding nothing. Simon returns to the building while Debi and Mick us stealth along the tree line to see if anyone follows him, but nothing happens. The rejoin him. They search the zombies bodies, and find that one of them is still wearing a silver ring.

They leave the graveyard and go get some rest, agreeing to meet again with Mayor Wartis the next day.

End of session. 
Same day.
Waiting until end of adventure to give XP.