```col-mdflexGrow=2.5===# OutlineAt this point, characters investigated the graveyard, fought with will-o-wisps, and arrived at the gates of the Geronde family mausoleum. During mausoleum investigation, characters will encounter Nesan Geronde (see [[article/appendix-c.-npcs]]) twice, once shortly after arriving in the workshop and the second time once they discover the Inner Crypt and try to enter it. This can happen in the [Old Crypt (P6)](https://www.worldanvil.com/w/antheros-phre3d/a/sotp-phylund-mausoleum-plot#p6) or in the [Inner Crypt](https://www.worldanvil.com/w/antheros-phre3d/a/sotp-inner-crypt-plot) itself if characters approach it through the secret door in [False Crypt (P5)](https://www.worldanvil.com/w/antheros-phre3d/a/sotp-phylund-mausoleum-plot#p5). If the battle takes place in the [Inner Crypt](https://www.worldanvil.com/w/antheros-phre3d/a/sotp-inner-crypt-plot), Nesan carefully averts his eyes from the mirror.Nesan's tactic during the first battle is to possess one character and attack the other members of the group. If this attempt fails, he flees to the Ethereal plane and repeats it after he has recharged his Possession ability. During the last battle, he fights to the death (which is temporary in his case), angry at the characters for breaking into the family's mausoleum.# Mausoleum Features **Ceilings.** Ceilings in the mausoleum have a height of 10 feet. **Doors.** All doors are unlocked unless noted otherwise. **Light.** The mausoleum is generally in darkness. Some rooms have illumination produced by the continual flame spell, which makes them well-lit. **Ghostly manifestations.** Almost all rooms in the mausoleum have effects produced by the ghost's presence. They are listed in the room's descriptions. **Haunted.** If you are using Haunted supernatural region with this adventure and ghostly manifestation occurs, or one of the Haunted conditions met, you can roll on the table in appendix [[article/d.-supernatual-regions]] Reroll the result if it doesn't make sense in the context of the story.[anchor|p1]# P1. Entrance When characters reach the mausoleum, read this text to them:> [!read-aloud] **Read Aloud** > > > The mausoleum is an old one-story building carved from black marble with two massive columns near the entrance. Between the columns is a big double door which is slightly opened. Above the door hangs a beautifully carved plate which tells “ *Geronde family. What you fear, we master* ”. Ravens are engraved to the left and right of the plate. Both columns have engravings that depict various monster's heads - manticore, wyvern, troll, and green dragon.Characters can recall details about the Geronde family with a successful ==DC 15 Intelligence {History} check== .## Ghostly manifestation Stream of cold air emerges from the mausoleum and gives goosebumps to the first character who enters it.## Door The door was locked and protected by * **glyph of warding** * , but the Jackals successfully opened it, deactivating the glyph. Characters can notice remaining glyph runes and blood trails on the door left by escaping gang members with a successful ==DC 12 Wisdom {Perception} check== . Occasional droplets of blood can be found across all main corridor.[anchor|p2]# P2. Antechamber When characters approach this room, read to them:> [!read-aloud] **Read Aloud** > > > This big hall is well-lit and staffed with fine furniture. It contains several chairs, a small table made of oak, and a large fireplace. Four tapestries on the wall depict Geronde family members fighting various monsters.This room is used by family members and visitors to prepare for the funeral ceremony. The fireplace is lit with * **continual flame** * spell.## Ghostly manifestation When characters inspect this room, they suddenly feel shimmering cold - which is very unnatural while being in the room with a fireplace. The eyes of Gerondes on the tapestries seem to follow them wherever they move.## Tapestries The dates on the tapestries indicate that depicted events occurred more than two hundred years ago. ## Jackals A character who searches the room and succeeds on ==DC 15 Intelligence {Investigation}== check notices several droplets of blood on the floor leading from the northern entrance to the mausoleum exit, as well as occasional pieces of armor scattered on the floor.[anchor|p3] # P3. Workshop When characters enter this room, read to them:> [!read-aloud] **Read Aloud** > > > This chamber looks like a workshop, but a bit messy. In the middle stands a working table with a chair. Several broken vials lie on the table and produce a thick smell of embalming oil. One more wooden chair and an empty coffin lie broken on the floor. The room also has several alcoves. The northern one appears to be oil storage, the eastern one has different instruments and the southern one contains empty coffins.This room is a workshop for embalming the dead. Gerondes stopped using this place long ago. All dead members of the family are now cremated in the temple and their remains are placed in the Inner Crypt.Tornus, one of the Jackals, ran into this room while escaping and tried to use the chair as a weapon to defend against the possessed Kin. He was smashed by an empty coffin and run from this room towards the mausoleum exit. Characters who inspect the room can notice that embalming tools were not used for a very long time with successful ==DC 15 Wisdom {Perception} check== . ## Ghostly manifestation When characters enter the room, they smell a choking stench that suddenly fills the air. They must make a ==DC 15 Constitution saving throw== or suffer 1d4 poison damage.# P3a, b, c. Storage Alcoves These three alcoves are used to store different instruments and tools for maintaining the tomb and preparing the dead for burial. - P3a - a collection of oils,- P3b - instruments, used to maintain the mausoleum, and- P3c - several empty coffins.## Secret Door Alcove P3b contains a secret door, which can be found with ==DC 18 Intelligence {Investigation} check== .## Nesan's attack Shortly after characters enter and start inspecting the room, Nesan makes his first attempt to attack them and drive them out of the mausoleum. His combat tactics are simple: - he tries to possess the strongest character and tell everybody else to leave the mausoleum.- if the characters refuse, he attacks them.- If a possession attempt fails, he retreats to the Ethereal plane and waits until it's recharged.- If he is ousted from the body, he uses his Incorporeal Movement and disappears through the wall.As this is their first meeting with the ghost, Nesan surprises characters on the first round of combat.## Flying coffins During combat, on initiative count 20, ghostly manifestation occurs - one coffin from alcove P3b flies to the nearest character and smashes him. He should succeed on ==DC 15 Dexterity saving throw== or take 1d6 bludgeoning damage.[anchor|p4]# P4. Chapel When characters open the door to this chamber, read to them:> [!read-aloud] **Read Aloud** > > > The door opens into the room which seems to be a small chapel. Beautiful tapestries with symbols of a skeletal hand holding the scales cover the walls. In the center of the room stands a raised altar. On the top of the altar lies a sword with a shining blade and an ornate hilt in the form of a griffin's head. Moonlight lights the chamber and the sword's blade, coming from the opening in the ceiling. Behind the altar near the western wall stands a suit of heavy armor.A Cleric, or will know this small chapel is dedicated to [[person/mandos]], others will need a ==DC 12 Intelligence {Religion} check== . It is used by visiting family members to pray for the dead and as a place for divination to contact them if such need arises. ## Ghostly manifestation Unnatural silence fills this room and creates an unsettling atmosphere. Armor and sword. The sword is a magical +1 weapon (see appendix [[article/a.-magic-items]]). The armor suit is animated armor, which immediately attacks anybody who takes the sword.[anchor|p5]# P5. False Crypt When characters open the door to this room at the end of the secret corridor, read:> [!read-aloud] **Read Aloud** > > > This small chamber contains two beautifully decorated coffins that lie to either side. There is another door at the western wall of the room.This crypt's only purpose is to distract and kill thieves. No one is buried here. All coffins contained in the room are empty.## Trap In the passageway beyond the room, just before it turns, there is a pressure plate, which can be noticed with ==DC 15 Wisdom {Perception} check== . When a character steps on the plate they activate it. The door locks behind them and the passage starts filling with poisonous gas. At the beginning of their turn, characters who are in the room, must make a ==DC 15 Constitution saving throw== or take 2d6 poison damage and be poisoned for 1 hour. The gas disperses itself in 1 minute.The locked door can be opened with ==DC 18 Strength {Athletics} check== or picked with ==DC 15 Dexterity {Sleight of hand} check== .## Secret Door The secret door at the end of the corridor can be found with ==DC 18 Intelligence {Investigation} check== .[anchor|p6]# P6. Old Crypt When characters reach this chamber, narrate:> [!read-aloud] **Read Aloud** > > > This large room is decorated with beautiful tapestries on the northern and eastern walls. One of them depicts an epic battle between the knight in black armor suit with a shining sword in his hand and a giant red dragon. The other one depicts a group of people kneeling before the beautifully decorated coffin, in which lies a knight from the previous painting, but now wearing armor made from the red dragon scales. Five craftily made coffins are placed near the northern wall of the room. This is the old crypt in which members of the Geronde family were buried until the curse has taken place. Coffins belong to the oldest members of the family. Knight from the tapestries is Ekhan Geronde, founder of the house. Characters who previously visited the chapel immediately recognize his sword in the paintings.## Ghostly manifestation Characters who enter the room start hearing strange whispers in the language that can't be understood.## Coffins Characters can spot that all coffins look very old and there are no new ones within this chamber with ==DC 15 Wisdom {Perception} check== . This raises questions about where Gerondes might actually bury their dead.## Secret Door The western wall contains a secret door that can be found with ==DC 18 Intelligence {Investigation} check== .## Jackals Blood trail continues in this room from the corridor and ends near the western wall. It makes it easier to locate the secret door (above) to the character who decides to follow it, ==reducing the DC of the check to 12== .## Nesan's attack When characters reach this room and discover the secret door, Nesan makes his final stand to prevent them from going into the inner crypt. His tactics stay the same at the start of the fight - Possession and then attack of the other characters. If driven out of the body, he uses his Horrifying Visage and then Withering Touch to finish intruders one by one. On the second round of combat, three **zombies** rise from the coffins and attack the characters.``````col-md![[plots/sins-of-the-past/table-of-contents]]```