Myron moves carefully around the chamber, studying the hieroglyphs and looking for signs of hidden doors.
"Kheled, do the terms of the Pharasma tires and stipulations permit us to remove the gemstones here? I'm loathe to turn away any wealth that could aid our quest but I do not wish to incur the temple's wrath."
Aristedes took to examining the hieroglyphs, dictating aloud to his quill which scrawled upon parchment of its own accord, the man's subtle hand movements indicating magic was at work here. The quill occasionally fell atop the parchment, lifeless once more as he inspected the room for magical auras as well as anything his eyes could discern from the mundane.
The musetouched elf, not having had a prior experience like Pherenike's, intones a cantrip to detect magical auras and proceeds to inspect the sarcophagus.
The examination of the hieroglyphs on the walls tell the story of Pentheru the Younger in Ancient Osiriani, starting with the elevation of his father Pentheru the Elder to nobility, his subsequent death, and Pentheru the Younger’s inheritance of his father’s title and lands. The story boasts of their prosperity and success as land managers, the justness with which the family lived their lives, and the care with which they treated their slaves and servants. The text calls upon the gods to smile upon Pentheru the Younger and bless him with a good and just life in the Great Beyond.
Divinations fail to find any magic auras within the room. No hidden doors are found either.
The sarcophagus appears mundane, albeit one trimmed in gold and set with several semi-precious looking stones.
In response to Aristedes' question, Kheled affirms that the removal of antiquities, relics and wealth is permitted as long as it is done in a dignified manner, and that the interred are treated with respect.
Indeed, we can remove the items of value...if we want to. Lets see what is inside first though.
Kheled walk up to the sarcophagus and knocks on it, listening to the outside of it to determine if there may be something inside.
Elrisiel takes a step back when Kheled knocks on the sarcophagus, removing a flask of alchemist's fire from her satchel as a precaution.
Kheled raps his knuckles upon the solid sarcophagus lid, the sound echoing within the chamber, but no other sound is heard from within the coffin or otherwise.
Kheled backs away from the thing...looking to the others for someone to open it who has more defenses and a larger build. Everyone senses he is uncomfortable with the fact that as small as he is it is doubtful he could even move it.
Mus'ad leaves it to another to heft the sarcophagus open, and stands ready with hammer and shield.
Myron looks from one to the other, unsure about how to react to the obvious reluctance to opening the sarcophagus.
No wonder nobody are eager to open this thing, considering that the last one tried to eat us. he thinks to himself.
"I'll try to open it, but I might need some help. Stand clear and I'll give it a go alone first." he says, taking out his enchanted any-tool and adjusting it to crowbar configuration.
"Just be ready to come and help if it tries to eat me," he quibs, in a wry attempt to defuse the tense atmosphere with some humor.
He then uses his any-tool to attempt to wrench the lid open.
Myron steps up, while the others look uncomfortably back and forth, and pries the lid off of the sarcophagus. Pushing it aside he gets a look at the contents, he sees two things. A mummified body, wearing a golden funeral mask and gold-and-turquoise scarab pendent, and a mummified cat. As Myron's eyes lock on the cat, everyone save for Pherenike, is overcome by a sense of dread...
...causing Elrisiel to immediately flee the room. Everyone else, although shaken, is able to resist the urge to flee.
Elrisiel feels a shiver run up her spine, and before she is even aware of what's going on, her feet are carrying her up the steps again past Pherenike.
Mus'ad feels the induced terror break and wash over him like a wave... but remains in place, fixated upon the mummified cat.
Feeling the supernatural horror emanate from the cat, Myron takes a startled step back and drops his any-tool, both his hands going to the hilts of his kukri.
The mummified cat remains inanimate... as does the other.
With a degree of reverence, Mus'ad stows his hammer and slings his shield across a shoulder. Stepping forward he reaches into the sarcophagus and looks to gently remove the mummified cat...
Mus'ad gingerly removes the mummified cat. It appears to be a common house cat, dried, filled with sand and bound in linen wrappings. You suspect there is more to it than that however...
MUMMIFIED GUARDIAN
PRICE 3,500 GP
SLOT none CL 3rd WEIGHT 3 lbs.
AURA faint necromancy
This mummified house cat—dried, filled with sand, and bound in linen wrappings—appears to be nothing more than a family pet buried alongside its deceased master. Far more than a mere pet, however, a mummified guardian protects and preserves the corpse it is interred with and acts as a guardian against grave robbers and looters, potentially driving such trespassers toward more dangerous defenders or traps. When placed inside a sarcophagus or coffin alongside a dead body and activated, a mummified guardian also infuses the corpse with positive energy, preventing the body from being turned into an undead creature, as sanctify corpseUM.
In addition, the mummified guardian also creates a magical ward around the sarcophagus containing it. If the sarcophagus is opened after the mummified guardian is placed inside, any creature with 5 Hit Dice or fewer within 20 feet of the open sarcophagus is overcome by a feeling of dread and must succeed at a DC 13 Will save or be frightened for 3 rounds. On a successful save, a creature is instead shaken for 1 round. This ability functions only once. Once triggered, the mummified guardian retains only its sanctify corpse ability (this reduces the price of the mummified guardian to 3,000 gp).
If the sarcophagus containing the mummified guardian is placed in an area or room with multiple paths of egress, the owner may designate one general direction an affected target must take if it flees, as long as the chosen direction does not require the target to move any closer to the mummified guardian. After moving in the designated direction for 1 round, the target behaves as normal for the frightened condition for the remainder of the effect’s duration.
A mummified guardian must be placed inside a sarcophagus, coffin, or other enclosed container with a dead body to function. Although cats are most common, mummified guardians can be created from the mummified remains of other small animals as well.
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS - - COST 1,750 GP
Craft Wondrous Item, alarm, sanctify corpseUM, scare, creator must have 5 ranks in the Heal skill
Aristedes recognized the aura as necromantic but did not understand the effect the cat had.
"Hmm... The sarcophagus must have obscured my reading when we entered the room."
Sensing hesitation from his companions, Aristedes searched for magic or anything amiss once more before taking the mask and pendant, as well as the cat.
Elrisiel slowly works up the courage to get closer to the sarcophagus. Still shaking off the dread the thing caused, she murmurs a cantrip and examines the otherwise-still room.
"I think that's a mummified guardian. It prevents the corpse in the sarcophagus from being raised as undead, and frightens away would-be tomb robbers. Once. The protection against undeath remains, now," she says shakily.
Mus'ad's eyes flash angry as Elrisiel explains what the mummified cat was. He growls a response "It's a cat that's been used by bastards and savages... and it's getting a proper burial." making to carry the small body outside and towards where he can find earth for digging.
Myron looks after Mus'ad as he leaves the room, but if the halfling has any objections to the dwarf carrying off a valuable magic item to bury it, he does not put voice to it.
Instead, he peers into the sarcophagus, sheathing his weapons and pulling out a journal to make a quick sketch of it before anything else is disturbed. He includes the feline guardian as best he can from memory, and makes a not of it's effect when the tomb was opened.
Other than the mummified cat, nothing else registers as magical to Aristedes gaze.
Aristedes could see (and hear) that Mus'ad felt strongly about this particular issue, so he gave way on it and did not object to the Dwarf's words.
Mus'ad leads everyone back to the surface and digs a small hole in the courtyard before placing the mummified cat inside and burying it. Once the task is complete, everyone looks upon the remaining structure to be explored...
"I'm not sure I understand. The cat looked just like any one of the hundeds of cats swarming the back alleys of Westcrown, and I've never seen or heard of anyone paying them any mind. Do cats hold some special significance for you or your people?" Myron asks Mus'ad softly as he completes the burial.
Mus'ad offers a simple "Yes, and No" to Myron's question before slightly expanding "Not right to rob cat of a normal death."
He then moves to the Western door, giving it a check for traps before seeking approval to breach.
Kheled turns his head to hide his smirk then proceeds to assist Mus'ad when he realizes he is serious.
Under Pharasma's guidance all things seek their final resting. It is fitting that this beat is treated with respect.
Ready to move on.
Mus'ad's examination of the door finds no indication of traps on the unlocked door. Pushing it open reveals an entry hallway. The house is quiet and still. Sand and debris litters the floor.
Directly opposite the door is an inner courtyard that is thick with piled sand. Light filtering down from above suggests the area is open the the sky above. To the left appears to be a dining room, a large table and chairs strewn about occupying the portion that is visible. To the right you can just make out the bottom steps of a grand staircase. Glimpes of rooms beyond are visible past the inner courtyard.
Worldlessly bidding those behind him to wait, Mus'ad steps to check first the Southern room then the Northern room for threats...
Mus'ad moves to his right where he sees that a large staircase climbs to the second floor from this room. Sand and dust cover the floor, and painted columns stand in all but one of the corners. Pieces of broken wood, shattered pottery, and disintegrating fabric litter the room’s perimeter. An arched doorway opposite the stairs leads to the front entrance foyer.
Spying no threats within, Mus'ad doubles back the way he came. As he passes the opening to the inner courtyard he notices a statue of a beautiful woman that he is sure was not there a moment ago. Taking another look, it appears as if the statue's eyes are following him. As he comes to a stop, a strong, fetic stench reaches his nostrils from the room to the north and he sneaks a peak.
An enormous stone table, the marble top polished and smooth, runs parallel to the west wall of this large room. A much smaller stone table stands in the east side of the room. Splintered piles of dust and wood lie in the corners and along the walls—the only remains of chairs after untold years.
The source of the smell is also quite evident, half a dozen human skulls have been set upon the western table. Each skull is polished clean and balances atop a tarnished silver goblet standing on a tarnished silver dinner plate.
To the others Mus'ad offers a "Look safe... strange statue in courtyard, skull on plate there" pointing North with his drawn hammer to the room of the silver plattered skulls.
Intrigued by the mention of a strange statue, Myron moves next to Mus'ad and peers into the courtyard.
Elrisiel cautiously steps into the courtyard and wrinkles her nose. "What is that smell?"
Her gaze goes to the piled skulls, and she knits her eyebrows together, pondering. They look bare, but they smell like there's still a rotting brain inside or something....
Hello? Hello? Who goes there? Are you here to save me? the figure says pleadingly. Getting a closer look, the statue appears to be that of a beautiful human female, dressed in ancient garb. Apparently carved from sandstone, her form shimmers slightly.
Elrisiel narrows her eyes suspiciously at the statue. After a moment's hesitation, she murmurs the words to a cantrip and focuses her attention more specifically on the sandstone figure. For the moment, she remains silent.
Nothing about the figure registers as magical, but two auras are visible, buried in the sand near her feet. One transmutation and one evocation.
"What's in the sand?" the muse-touched elf murmurs. More loudly, she says, "There are a couple of magical auras at the feet of that statue. Mind yourselves."
Some type of magical voice to try to get you to come close to the statue for a trap?
He repsonds to the voice, I am Kheled...we are explorers...what is your name?
Mus'ad takes up a defensive guard.
Myron takes out a sling bullet and loads his sling staff, ready to fire if a hidden threat appears.
The statue looks at down at the ground, scanning back and forth, before responding to Elrisiel, What do you mean?
Looking back up at Kheled it continues, Heshsharu is my name. I am the spirit of the house. Many years and years have I remained here all alone with no one to converse with. Will you talk with me?
At that moment, Mus'ad takes up a defensive stance and Myron reaches for a sling stone causing the statue's eyes to go wide...
...before exclaiming You don't wish to talk! and collapsing into a pile of sand, leaving only a small disturbance in the sand where it stood.