The Second Tomb of Delos
Author's Note: This piece is heavily inspired by Matt Colville's early "Running the Game" series. The broad outline of the "Delian Tomb" and its order of knights was invented by Matt as an example of an early dungeon. Alterations have been made to allow it to fit within a currently-active Dungeons and Dragons: Fourth Edition campaign.
"Why is it always a dusty forgotten tomb? Why can't we find a lost bankers' vault or something?"The Knightly Order of Delos took great pains to honor their dead, whether they fell on the field of battle or died of natural causes in their beds. When Parseil fell, however, so too did this extensive burial complex. As the knights were broken and fled, some of them carried the legacy of the order to attempt kindling it back to life again. One of these attempts was to rebuild a lesser form of their burial ground, tentatively called "the Second Tomb of Delos". A number of workers were brought to a secluded location along the Broken Spine Mountains to dig out and construct a small number of chambers meant to honor the legacy of the Delian Knights and house the bones of the founder.
However, the Ashen Horde was almost obsessively seeking out the remnants of the knights to hunt them to extinction. A sizable band of Hordelings attacked the location of the Second Tomb as it was being built, and Sir Thelim led the few knights with him in a counter-offensive meant to buy the workers time to escape. This proved unsuccessful, as the Hordelings hunted down every single person and destroyed what stood on the outside of the tomb in hopes the Knightly Order of Delos would be lost to time.
The ruin would remain undiscovered until recent years, when members of the Allied Adventurers Guild tracked a band of goblins to the area and dispatched a small band of new applicants to deal with it.
Purpose / Function
"Honor well the fallen, and protect the living."The interior of the tomb was mostly completed by the time of its discovery, consisting of two simple chambers. The first chamber as a large square chamber forty feet per side. The walls were intended to have eight carved bas-reliefs (eight feet long by eight feet high) which would be painted later to illustrate the history of the Delian Knights. Only four of the murals were completed, telling the story up until the fall of Parseil. The other four were intended to show either a resurgence, or a continued honoring of the knights' history. A large bronze brazier in the center of the room was placed there to provide light, and to make offerings in memory of the fallen knights. A corridor past this room holds a small trap to foil would-be grave robbers, taking the form of a scything blade which emerges at waist-level to humans. A discrete switch hidden at the base of the bronze brazier prevents the trap from going off for two minutes, though the mechanism was never properly calibrated. It instead acts as a toggle to the trap, turning it off or on depending on its current state.
A staircase descends to the tomb proper, though it only has one massive granite sarcophagus (intended to contain the reliquary). Behind the sarcophagus is a statue of the Delian Knights' founder, Saint Delos Martinel, as one of the few locations left in the world which honors him. A few alcoves were cut into the walls flanking the sarcophagus, but these were never given a chance to be used. Unlike the room above, this chamber was finished and wouldn't be out of place in a modern cemetery.
During the rediscovery process by the Allied Adventurers' Guild, a third chamber was located behind the founder's statue. This chamber had a low ceiling and contained a few bronze chests holding ancient silver coins. An old war banner was hanging on a wall, and a few old missives which survived the ravages of time suggested this was a portion of Parseil's treasury meant to be kept safe should the city be reclaimed within a few generations. It is believed the treasure chamber was hurriedly sealed off by workers before the Ashen Horde could plunder it, as the reliquary should have been moved here if the knights had the time to do so.
There are currently no plans to attempt rebuilding the tomb or making it safe to visit for others.
History
"I am convinced this is not the end for the Knightly Order of Delos. At least a dozen of us survived, though I know not where they have gone. In time, I shall locate them and restore the order, as well as the honor of our name. The fall of Parseil must be avenged, and our history cannot end with a mere whimper in the face of darkness."Long ago, the Knightly Order of Delos were the noble and valiant defenders of Parseil. A great keep was constructed for them, serving as a home to the knights who would defend the city. The other major building the Delian Knights kept was a burial complex outside the city. Here, dead knights were laid to rest with honors and visitors were allowed to come pay their respects to those who chose to defend the people. As generations came and went, the complex became quite large and deeper levels were constructed to continue the tradition. This tradition continued until the final siege which destroyed the City of Moonlight.
Letter by Sir Thelim
When Parseil fell, a small faction of the Delian Knights escaped with objects of importance to the order; their goal was to ensure the order survived, much as there were escorts intended to ensure the survival of Parseil's citizens. The refugees fled in any direction they could take, hoping to escape death. Some even managed to do so, though the number of survivors was unfortunately quite small in comparison to the number of those who fled the city. It is through these survivors that any knowledge of the Knightly Order of Delos remains in the present day, though references are often buried in old musty tomes.
Among the objects rescued by the escaping knights was a reliquary holding the bones of the order's founder. Sir Denis Therim led this group of refugees to the south, seeking a safe location to stop and assess how to follow orders from the Grand Master. After weeks of evading notice, these knights were able to find a safe place to hide the reliquary and discuss what to do next. Despite the dangers of being found, they voted to recreate their founder's resting place and create a place to honor their fallen order. Masons and architects were consulted, and plans made for a marble bulding to serve as the reliquary's home.
Unfortunately, the construction would never be finished. Elements of the Ashen Horde were still pursuing the Delian Knights, believing they could not bear to travel too far from their home. Sir Thelim fell in battle trying to keep the tomb safe. The Ashen Horde sought to plunder the lower level, but found nothing worth their time. The monsters tore down the framework and stones above ground, signaling the Knightly Order of Delos was no more.
Type
Tomb
Parent Location
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