Catacombs of the Vamori Noble House
This is still under construction, but the first stages have been carved.
The others will be done within the week.
However, you are free to enter and explore the dungeon.
Ancient legends once rumored that a family of nobles gained favors with the greater demonic servants of the Dark Gods. A path was cut in the unyielding stone of a mountain thought to be a holy ground- a large crack in the mountain that wound deep inside. The valley glowed a ghastly shade of green while lacking any source, as if the stone walls that lead to the ancient tombs lit themselves. It was in this place that a powerful family built a tomb-shrine for the powers of death.
At its end, lay an archway flanked by two statues carved out of a black volcanic glass. Their hands were clasped together in reverence to the dark entities that blessed this valley, skeletal faces leering at any intruders- a warning that only death lies within and life does not pass unscathed. The dark nature of its origins was clearly indicated by the objects the guardian figures held in each hand: a book encased in leather and a skull, meaning 'Memento Mori', or 'Remember Death'.
The tomb entrance stuck out of the natural rock as a trapezoidal slab of black marble lines with golden sigils and markings. The top horizontal length was shorter than its bottom and the pillars to either side narrowed as they got higher. The entrance, however, was shut a few feet inside with a smooth slab of stone bearing intricate seals and carvings. A sorcerer with adequate arcane and historical knowledge and skill would be able to open the entrance and grant you passage within.
The catacombs were arranged in a labyrinth. It was riddled with magical traps and guarded by spirits and animated corpses and skeletons. Many of the corridors would find themselves cut off with a dead end. This was a lair where physical strength was rendered inadequate and you'd rely on magical knowledge and wits to survive.
The tomb was separated into four smaller catacombs, each level dug deeper into the earth. There are four in total, each representing the stages and status within the family. They are separated with a seal, and the knowledge needed to release the bindings of the seal were hidden away in the previous level. The first catacomb housed the servants that died in the family's care. The second held the guardians of each house, for their service bound them beyond their mortality. The third housed the members of the family, who were vast and covered many backgrounds. The final tomb is the home of the heads of the dynasty and the keeper of the catacomb.
Author's Note:
This thread was originally made to accommodate my character's plot and his development through time. In the interest of making this more community driven, you are free to use this area for the same purpose.
Due to the vast amount of historical documents found throughout this dungeon, you may use this to find something in your character's distant past- his lineage, you can say.
Also, since this family goes back to having achieved great power since ancient times, you may also retrieve artifacts. This would include new weaponry for your character, among other things.
Be creative! Use this place to your advantage!
Rules:
~In order to enter this dungeon, you must register for an expedition with the Ria authorities. The student assistant in the front desk of the Asura Labs is authorized to carry out these assignments. He will send in a historical expert (either Varon or an NPC) to give you the run-downs of these assignments and open the tomb entrance for you.
[[Translation: Your character cannot go in alone. You can't just walk inside on a whim. You have to send me a PM before going in. I need to know when it's being used so I may be aware of this and further describe the challenges that await. The dungeon is sealed with a spell known only to a few figures within Ria, namely Varon and a few NPCs. If I see you've managed to conducted several expeditions and done well enough, I might grant your character the knowledge to open that portal by himself.]]
~Any and all findings must be reported to the authorities and the leading historical expert. Historical documents will be archived and artifacts will be documented. Ownership of these items will be at the discretion of the leading historian after the items have been archived and documented.
[[Translation: If you find anything, you need to provide me with a physical description, a name, and describe what it does so I may post it on the front page for recording purposes. Even if you don't purposely find anything, I will place some artifact pieces or documents in your character's path to find. Some of these documents serve to explain the background behind the tomb and its inhabitants.]]
~Warning! This dungeon is riddled with traps, and not all of these are your average run-of-the-mill traps. Many of these consists of hidden sigils that activate powerful spells and hexes. Make sure to bring a specialized wizard or sorcerer to help dispense of these and mitigate the damage, should one manage to be activated.
~Warning! This dungeon is filled with undead creatures of unknown variety and hostility! Do not go alone! Do not go unprepared! The appearance of ethereal entities ((ghost like creatures))is very likely. These cannot be harmed by normal means. Magic and weapons blessed by a priest will be able to harm these creatures. Also, make sure to bring some Holy Water. The dark energies of this place will sap the divine power from your weapon, and you will need to reinforce the enchantment. A flask of holy water will maintain this enchantment for about 10 minutes. ((Clearly not enough to get you into the fourth level and final chamber, even with large numbers of flasks. Look into other means; do research.))
~The Catacomb is divided into five sections: Four tombs, each with a shrine at the end, and one final shrine. At the end of every level, there is a shrine with a guardian and a sealed door. In order to pass into the next level, you will need to defeat this guardian and release the seal. The seal was fashioned as to have a single and very complex spell to open it. You must find a way to acquire the spell in order to pass into the next tomb. Look around the tomb for clues in the scattered documents.
