Samnell |
Amarekashu reported what he saw, and suspicious of how bare the room was used his abilities to see if there was any sign of magic.
[dice=Perception + Detect Magic]1d20+5
Amarekashu sensed faint Art about the cylinder, concentrated about its bottom. He though it changing magic, the sort used to alter the shape of something or grant it new abilities.
Amarekashu the Bronze |
"I think stepping inside changes you, somehow. Perhaps for the better, maybe for the worse." Amarekashu stepped away. He'd had enough of being in the wrong body already.
Tribim |
'Changes you' Tribim scratches his head, "Does it change you or change itself?" pointing back to the sarcophagus he asks "What happens if we point it another direction?"
Samnell |
"I think stepping inside changes you, somehow. Perhaps for the better, maybe for the worse." Amarekashu stepped away. He'd had enough of being in the wrong body already.
That was flavor text for "faint transmutation aura", if it makes a difference. Not necessarily something that would turn you into a toad. But it could be something that would turn you into a toad. It's keeping its options open.
Samnell |
Regin shrugs and heaves the thing into another orientation.
The chamber beneath the yellow lantern settled back into the floor the instant Regin heaved the sarcophagus off point. It came to rest facing the green lantern and a great rumbling began anew. This soon surpassed the last, a far more discordant chaos of stoke striking stone with sharp cracks and groans. The floor shook.
Regin Ald |
I am not unfamiliar with work, Namtar. Don't fret.
Then the room started shaking and Regin starts to wonder if he should retract that suggestion that Namtar not worry.
Tribim |
Trib scratches his head, "That didn't sound good, can we try another slot?"
Samnell |
Regin pushes the stone again, just to see if he had done something irreversible or not.
Just as the floor beneath the green lantern began to buckle, Regin gave the sarcophagus another push. It turned over to the blue tunnel, where Tribim found the skeleton and the high ceiling. The rumbling ceased moments after the sarcophagus turned and did not come back when it settled on blue.
Just to move things along a touch...
Pushing it to Indigo produced more, if more restrained, rumbling and a new cylinder rose from the floor. Its doors opened just like the one under the yellow lantern's had.
Tribim |
'Namtar is close in case this goes south.' Nodding at his large friend Tribim watches as the blue tunnel fails to produce any results but indigo sends another cylinder.
'well if there is space for a person maybe we should try it.' Trib scratches his head for a moment, then setting down his pack, he opens up his food pouch, taking out some cheese and jerky. Walking over to the cylinder. "Lets put this food in tha cylinder then send it away and bring it back, if'n it comes back whole and uneaten then I will go and see what there is to see, yeah." He places the food in the indigo cylinder and stepping back nods to Regin Ald
Samnell |
'Namtar is close in case this goes south.' Nodding at his large friend Tribim watches as the blue tunnel fails to produce any results but indigo sends another cylinder.
'well if there is space for a person maybe we should try it.' Trib scratches his head for a moment, then setting down his pack, he opens up his food pouch, taking out some cheese and jerky. Walking over to the cylinder. "Lets put this food in tha cylinder then send it away and bring it back, if'n it comes back whole and uneaten then I will go and see what there is to see, yeah." He places the food in the indigo cylinder and stepping back nods to Regin Ald
Drawing near, Tribim spotted numerous bones, crushed almost to a powder, littering the floor of the compartment. With them were scraps of leather and a battered, flattened pouch.
All the same, he set down his bait and let Regin turn the sarcophagus to Violet. There again nothing transpired. When he went to turn it back, he discovered that the sarcophagus refused to budge. It would only turn in the one direction, which meant he would have to push it around the full circle and past the yellow compartment and green rumblings to return again to indigo.
Samnell |
Tribim wrote:'Namtar is close in case this goes south.' Nodding at his large friend Tribim watches as the blue tunnel fails to produce any results but indigo sends another cylinder.
'well if there is space for a person maybe we should try it.' Trib scratches his head for a moment, then setting down his pack, he opens up his food pouch, taking out some cheese and jerky. Walking over to the cylinder. "Lets put this food in tha cylinder then send it away and bring it back, if'n it comes back whole and uneaten then I will go and see what there is to see, yeah." He places the food in the indigo cylinder and stepping back nods to Regin Ald
Drawing near, Tribim spotted numerous bones, crushed almost to a powder, littering the floor of the compartment. With them were scraps of leather and a battered, flattened pouch.
All the same, he set down his bait and let Regin turn the sarcophagus to Violet. There again nothing transpired. When he went to turn it back, he discovered that the sarcophagus refused to budge. It would only turn in the one direction, which meant he would have to push it around the full circle and past the yellow compartment and green rumblings to return again to indigo.
How do you want to handle the green rumblings? Try to go through as quick as possible? Hold on and see what happens? Any prep you'd like to do?
Samnell |
Regin pushes through. They'll only be on it for a couple seconds so he doesn't see any danger.
The rumbling began at the moment the sarcophagus pointed to the green lantern, still blazing away. The stone beneath bulged upward, sprouting cracks, but then subsided and sagged down as the sarcophagus turned to yellow again. The green tunnel fell silence once more as the yellow tunnel's cylinder rose up and opened.
Tribim |
'That rumbling makes me a little nervous.' Carefully walking up to the yellow tunnel's cylinder, Tribim looks inside to see how the items he placed inside look.
Samnell |
'That rumbling makes me a little nervous.' Carefully walking up to the yellow tunnel's cylinder, Tribim looks inside to see how the items he placed inside look.
My mistake. I forgot you wanted to go all the way back to the last cylinder, Indigo.
The sarcophagus went around again and the cylinder under where the indigo lantern would hang rose up once more. It opened to reveal cheese and jerky smashed flat across its floor.
Tribim |
I though we tested the gold cylinder, did we test the indigo instead?
Tribim nods his head in agreement with Regin Ald, "No Harm done if we do." He then digs out some cheese and jerky to put in the next one.
Dommer |
The dwarf looks with interest over the cylinder, staying some steps behind Tribim.
Samnell |
I though we tested the gold cylinder, did we test the indigo instead?
Tribim nods his head in agreement with Regin Ald, "No Harm done if we do." He then digs out some cheese and jerky to put in the next one.
Let's split the difference and say you did both. Yellow jerky and cheese are fine. Indigo are smooshed flat as a railroad penny.
Tribim |
'well the yellow one was safe, may as well check it out.' Trib walks over to the yellow cylinder, noting that the food was safe, He steps into the cylinder, calling up his dancing lights, "give it another spin, Regin Ald, we may as well see where it goes."
Regin Ald |
Regin thinks on how severe the shaking was getting and says to Namtar, Hey, maybe we can move this thing faster together. Would you mind trying to move this thing with me?
Samnell |
With Namtar's strength joining Regin's, the sarcophagus rotated with relative ease all through its stations. As it passed green, the floor heaved and subsided again almost like a breathing thing. A large crack opened across the tunnel.
When the yellow cylinder rose, Tribim conjured his lights and stepped inside. A moment later its doors shut about him and he felt himself falling. The sensation lasted for some time, before coming to a stomach-lurching stop. The doors slid open unbidden, revealing a chamber with heavily carved walls. Everywhere he looked, reliefs of peasants and nobles abased themselves. They paid homage to him as if he were Gilgeam Himself. Hands reached out in adoration. Faces lifted up in elsation. Where they survived, anyway. Many of the reliefs lacked faces, arms, and other pieces. Instead they ended in rough stumps.
Shortly to the south stood an archway blocked by a great, unmarked stone slab. It looked as though he might be able to climb up top and look over the bulk into whatever lay beyond.
Lastly, in easy reach of the cylinder stood a large, round seal fit into the wall with the sign of a fist holding a scepter of seven segments marked in it. The scepter's narrow end pointed toward the floor. Surrounding the seal were abstract designs that evoked flowing wind or water, swirling toward the ceiling.
Tribim |
Samnell, I'm assuming that they are moving the sarcophagus at a regular speed, so Trib isn't going to have time to go explore.
does trib recognize the seal?
knowledge: local: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
knowledge: religion: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
As the cylinder returns to the chamber, a queasy Halfling explains what he saw. "There was a chamber with heavily carved walls. Everywhere I looked, there were reliefs of peasants and nobles abased themselves. Hands reached out in adoration. Faces lifted up in elation. Well, at least where they survived, anyway. Many of 'em lacked faces, arms, and other pieces."
Taking a breath he continues. "Then ta tha south stood an archway blocked by a great, unmarked stone slab. I may have been able ta climb it, if'n there was time."
Continuing "Lastly, right there in easy reach of the cylinder stood a large, round seal fit into the wall with the sign of a fist holding a scepter of seven segments marked in it. Tha scepter's narrow end pointed toward tha floor. Surrounding tha seal were abstract designs that evoked flowing wind or water, swirling toward tha ceiling."
"It seemed safe enough ta explore, but I don't know how we could get us all down there with someone needing to push tha coffin."
Samnell |
Samnell, I'm assuming that they are moving the sarcophagus at a regular speed, so Trib isn't going to have time to go explore.
I thought they'd be waiting for Trib, but I see my oversight: The elevator went down without the sarcophagus turning. It detected it had a payload and took the plunge. So you have the time if you want it.
Tribim thinks the seal depicts the Shattered Scepter of Enlil, the mighty Rod that the ancient Father bore across worlds at the beginning of time. Its touch, which men call Law, broke the first chains and freed the people of Unther from slavery to godless necromancer kings at the dawn of time. With it, Enlil smote down the greatest of them and a mountain rose to the firmament to meet the blow.
Enlil the King, who threw apart the heavens and the earth and set the stares in their place, grew aged upon his throne. When the orcs rose, he stirred from his throne. His loyal, mighty son Gilgeam begged him to pass his burden on. With the Rod of Law in his hand, he would go forth and smite down the gods of the orcs as his Father had the necromancers. But the Old King remembered his glories and his heart beat softly for his son, not as a king's should.
The Ancient Father would not suffer Gilgeam join the battle, but summoned to him the other gods. They came down from their ziggurats and marched to war, faithful Gilgeam following to see to his Father's every need. They came to the Orc Gods on a plain far to the north, and there Enlil and the gods made war.
They smote the gods of the orcs and the gods of the orcs smote them, until Enlil and the orc king Gruumsh met. The mad, raging beast god threw his axe against the Rod and the blow broke it in seven, the shards flying across the field. The tip, with the Old King'd might, pierce Gruumsh the Orcgod and stole his eye, so he is called One Eye, but the shards flew wildly through the sky and smote seven gods with all the Old King's power. There died Girru the Flame; Inanna, Mother of Ishtar; Ki, Untouchable Queen of Beasts and the Green Earth; Marduk, Tiamat's bane, who spoke the Law; Nanna-Sin the Moon with an Axe of Night; Nergal who feasted on the dead and carried plague on his shield, and Utu the Sun.
His power spent, Enlil slumped low and spoke: the fallen would be lain in god-tombs in the far places of the Empire. His might had passed and as the last tomb was sealed, he put his hands on Gilgeam, named him King. Then Enlil the Ancient became the wind and earth and passed from the circle world.
If Tribim is right, the smallest segment of the Scepter should point toward the heavens.
Tribim |
so it lowers on it's own, will it raise on it's own also, or does someone need to move the sarcophagus to get it to return?
Trib, having returned almost instantly explains what he believes about the seal, and asksd "So does anyone want to go back down and explore a little?"
Samnell |
so it lowers on it's own, will it raise on it's own also, or does someone need to move the sarcophagus to get it to return?
Trib, having returned almost instantly explains what he believes about the seal, and asksd "So does anyone want to go back down and explore a little?"
It will raise when the scepter is pointed up. Let's say Trib figured that out because I forgot about it. :)
Regin Ald |
Regin is impressed. You know a lot for someone not wearing the trappings of a priest. But in any case, yes!, I would love to set eyes on this thing you describe!
Tribim |
Tribim nods enthusiastically at Regin Ald's desire to go below, "Well, I will go back down and turn the scepter pointing up, that should return it to you and you can follow."
after answering any more questions and accepting more volunteers
Trib steps back onto the bronze cylinder, When it comes to a stop in the chamber he steps out of it and turns the scepter pointing up so that it returns for Regin Ald.
Regin Ald |
Regin then follows Tribim and starts carefully examining the room, passing particular attention to any mention of Ishtar and her mother.
taking 20 on know(religion) for 25 of only to have some mechanic attached to my religious curiosity.
Arundel |
"I'd like to have a look as well" Arundel says to Regin before he heads down. "Send it back up when you get down?"
Assuming that happened
When the elf joins Trib and Regin, he will begin to look around the room, first with just his normal vision, then with Detect Magic.
Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
and Detect Magic rolls in case they are needed
Know(Arcana): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Samnell |
Regin then follows Tribim and starts carefully examining the room, passing particular attention to any mention of Ishtar and her mother.
taking 20 on know(religion) for 25 of only to have some mechanic attached to my religious curiosity.
Seeing the carvings, Regin can confirm all Tribim said. He also notes that the carvings here are heretical. Supplicants should abase themselves and grovel before the Mighty, in orthodox Untheri art. This show of adoration is unseemly, as it implies that the slaves of the gods deserve more than a hard yoke.
Samnell |
"I'd like to have a look as well" Arundel says to Regin before he heads down. "Send it back up when you get down?"
Assuming that happened
When the elf joins Trib and Regin, he will begin to look around the room, first with just his normal vision, then with Detect Magic.
[dice=Perception]1d20+11
and Detect Magic rolls in case they are needed
[dice=Know(Arcana)]1d20+8
[dice=Spellcraft]1d20+10
Arundel notes bronze tubes, cunningly hidden in the surviving reliefs.
His spell detects the Art frozen in the bronze cylinder and the same Art attached to the rotating scepter. They appear to be of a piece; two halves of the same working.
Tribim |
While Regin Ald and Arundel explored the cavern Tribim heads toward the south where the archway stood, blocked by a great, unmarked stone slab. Trib carefully climbs the slab to attempt to see what is on the other side.
will taking 10(12)on climb allow Tribim to get to the top of the slab?
Samnell |
While Regin Ald and Arundel explored the cavern Tribim heads toward the south where the archway stood, blocked by a great, unmarked stone slab. Trib carefully climbs the slab to attempt to see what is on the other side.
will taking 10(12)on climb allow Tribim to get to the top of the slab?
That'll do it. It's pretty rough rock, very much at odds with the rest of the chamber.
Tribim peered down across the top of the slab and through the archway. His lights showed him a passage marked with the same whirling motif he found around the scepter seal. At ten foot intervals, it boasted alcoves in which stood statues of antique noblemen with their arms raised in salute. There seemed to be three alcoves to either side, perhaps more beyond the reach of his light.
Tribim |
did anyone else come down the elevator?
'Well that's very interesting' After peering over the slab, Tribim calls down "There's a hallway here, fancy decorated too. Should we try and head down it?"
how wide is the gap at the top? Can anyone climb through it?
Samnell |
did anyone else come down the elevator?
Whoever wants to. Available space means its one person a trip, but you can keep going up and down as much as you like.
how wide is the gap at the top? Can anyone climb through it?
It's a squeeze. Escape Artist DC 24 for Trib to get through, 25 for everyone else.
Tribim |
Tribim wrote:did anyone else come down the elevator?Whoever wants to. Available space means its one person a trip, but you can keep going up and down as much as you like.
Tribim wrote:how wide is the gap at the top? Can anyone climb through it?It's a squeeze. Escape Artist DC 24 for Trib to get through, 25 for everyone else.
forgive the stupid question, but can Trib take 20 (24)?