Setting the Stage |
Satati looks at the faces. The one of the woman is Pharasma, the lady of graves. The dog headed god she doesn't remember. There are hieroglyphs near her head that warn, "The only thing the Lady of Graves despises more than the grave robber is the unsuccessful grave robber," Near the dog headed god is another warning. "Akhentepi's tomb is well defended, and those who defile it tempt the wrath of the gods."
On the wall above the stone wheel are hieroglyphs with the admonishment to "turn back while you can."
Ayedan spends some time looking over the abandoned crowbar from ages past, it is decades old and well worn from lots of use. One unusual thing is that a six inch area in the middle is caked in stone dust and the entire crowbar is slighty bent. like it had a lot of weight on it. There are no footprints to say if the owner had come or gone in those long lost days.
Setting the Stage |
The wheel at close look has holes spaced out in the design. They look big enough to insert rods and poles into. They don't go all the way through so you can't see what's on the other side. The wheel sits in a track that will allow it to roll along the wall.
To push the wheel will require a strength check. Anyone helping make a roll. It will require rods, poles or bars to insert into the wheel to get the leverage to roll it.
Askaya Farar |
"Feel free to help me .." and the Oread readies himself to push the wheel to the side.
Satati/Ronza, can you cast guidance on Askaya? And whoever can assist/aid another, please do so!
STR check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
I'll update it when I know what the others do - but 23 is the base check from Askaya. No idea if using tools (crowbar, pytons, etc) help and or give a bonus :)
Ayedan Slipstream |
Ayedan picks up the old crow bar and hands it to Askaya and then uses his to aid Askaya in moving the wheel.
Str check Aid: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Once the wheel is moved, Ayedan says Hold on a moment. I don't want this to close behind us. He takes a few minutes to make sure the door doesn't shut by using the old crow bar and some rocks.
Disable Device: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13 I'm assuming I can't take 20 on this.
Setting the Stage |
Tayvara doesn't find any boulders near by. Although she first notes the lack of dead scorpions outside the tomb. the clear ichor leaving a trail back toward where they came from. The only thing near by are tombstones, short obelisks and back on the street she remembers seeing loose bricks, but they are made of mudbricks which she isn't sure wouldn't shatter with the weight of the wheel on them.
Ayedan and Askaya heave on the wheel and with a groan of dust and the grinding of stone it rolls aside revealing a room beyond. The track that the wheel sits in is inclined so that the wheel will roll back unless it is propped open. The edge of the wheel is ridged although two of the ridges are broken near the bottom. The ridges and marks on the old crowbar match up. someone must have used it to prop the wheel. It must have slipped at some point.
The room beyond is a square space starkly devoid of any markings or adornment. In the center of the chamber's floor, a square shaft drops straight down into darkness. A faint musty odor rises from the pit. A single piton has been hammered into the stone floor by the northeast corner of the pit, and a dusty length of rope dangles from the piton into the darkness of the shaft.
Setting the Stage |
The light drops down the shaft the glow of the coin showing that the rope tied to piton ends some fifteen feet down. The shaft itself is smooth and continues fifty feet down before dropping through empty air for another ten feet and hits the marble floor with a loud "TINK" and bounces off rolling out of sight taking the light with it. In the light you can see some streaks on the floor.
Anyone at the shaft can make a perception check to see what the streaks are.
Setting the Stage |
Faffnyr realizes that they are streaks of blood from someone long ago. It seems that the climber on the rope fell the fifty feet to the floor and broke his legs and dragged himself off to the side. You don't see what caused him to fall or what drove him to drag himself, in intense pain, away from shaft.
The shaft itself looks smooth and featureless. A plaster covered shaft that is smooth. Actually Faffnyr realizes there are nicks in the wall near the end of the rope. Maybe someone was stabbing at the wall and rope. There are no holes or slots or other dangers so it seems more like someone was fighting on the rope or was at least attacked there.
Askaya Farar |
The oread raises an eyebrow at Tayvara's sudden enthusiasm. "Okay. I got a hammer and pytons, let's do this the right way. After all, what goes down, must come up. I don't feel like climbing back up with a sarcophagus on my back" he says with a wink.
Rope + pytons + hammer. How are we going to do this?
Ayedan Slipstream |
Ayedan looks on at all the activity for a moment and then says meekly, Um....why don't you guys let me go down first. I've some skill with climbing and being quiet and unseen and let you know if it's all clear. You know.. if you guys want."
Ayedan Slipstream |
New piton is P on map.
Ayedan pounds in the new piton and ties the rope to it and starts his downward climb, taking it slowy, quietly, and looking for any traps on the way down.
"Here goes nothing. Nice knowing you."
Climb : 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (18) + 6 = 24
Stealth: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Satati of the Reeds |
"If anything bad happens, try to yell out. Give us some kind of warning." Satati's attempt at humor is matched by a small, wry smile as she watches Ayedan make his descent.
Setting the Stage |
Ayedan begins climbing down. Taking it slow but fifteen feet down his foot hits the wall and there is a flash of a symbol. Ayedan hears jibberish in some ancient tongue those of you who understand ancient Osirani hear a voice from below say "defend yourself". The wall right next to Ayedan begins to crumble to the sound of thousands of insects chewing through the plaster. Holes open and Ayedan sees swarms of scarabs eating their way out.
Ayedan must make 2 will saves. DC 13. If he fails the first one he is stuck trying to understand the voice. If he succeeds he can act normally. The second won't affect your actions. Anyone else looking down the shaft must make 1 will save DC 13
Setting the Stage |
Ayedan stops trying to understand the commands but after a moment the words stop and he realizes that he just lost his chance to escape. The scarabs explode out of the wall in a cloud that swarms over him. As they land on his hands and begin chewing their way into his flesh, blood spraying... He realizes that he doesn't actually feel any of it. He hears and sees them but he can't feel them at all.
Satati looks down at the swarm surrounding Ayedan and realizes something is wrong. The outer most scarabs in the swarm pass through the sides of the shaft and back out into open air as if the wall wasn't there... or is it that they aren't there...
Setting the Stage |
Faffnyr gets the creepy crawlies bad, feeling them crawling all over him as he watches Ayedan get eaten. He can imagine them doing the same to him. Ayedan must be really stoic to still hang onto the rope despite the scarabs eating his skin off.
Askaya realizes that the endless torrent of scarabs though scary isn't possible there must be billions of them to keep pouring out like that and the cloud isn't getting any denser despite the number joining the swarm.
Tayvara is just plain shocked at the massive swarm of bugs and can imagine them flying up and eating the rest of the party.
Ayedan Slipstream |
Ayedan shivers and shakes off the bugs for a moment and then stops trying.
Someone really doesn't want people down here
He shouts out, "It's just an illusion!
He then continues down the rope.
Ayedan Slipstream |
Ayedan reaches the end of the rope. It barely reaches the end of the shaft. He'll have to hang from bottom of rope to drop the rest of the way to the floor.
I took that to mean I stopped at the bottom of the rope and I was the only one climbing down so they can pull it up and tie more onto it.
Setting the Stage |
With the knots and correct length Faffnyr has a easy climb down.
With the knots and length corrected anyone can make it up or down without a roll. Just post where you are and what you're up to. The doors aren't locked but require a strength check to open
Ayedan Slipstream |
After everyone is down, Ayedan looks at the big oread and says, "Askaya, it looks like it is you and I on the door again."
Aid Askaya Str check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20
Askaya Farar |
"Is there no way you can open it the normal way? I really hate damaging the tomb. Pharasma does not approve, but .. okay .."
STR check with the assist, crowbar and Satati's guidance (please? *puppy eyes*) already accounted for: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15
Setting the Stage |
Ayedan and Askaya heave on the crowbar and the door pops easily. It is much thinner than the one outside. The inside of the doors has the same sculpture as your side.
In the light you see a ten foot wide corridor with walls covered in bas-relief carvings of great battles. Armies with spears and shields clash at the direction of their leaders, while other leaders direct troops from chariots that are ruthlessly overrunning their enemies. It tells a story the way it is laid out. At the far end of the corridor stand engraved stone double doors. The inner side of the doors you opened are also carved with sculptures of Akhentepi with his padded armor, scarab shield and wielding a kopesh.
Ayedan Slipstream |
The boards at my post! It was there I swear.
After helping to get the door open Ayedan steps forward and says, "I...I guess it's time for me to earn my keep. I'll go first and look for any traps. I'm going to take my time unless you are in a hurry.
Taking 20 on perception giving a 26. If you want to go faster just convince Ayedan and he'll start making rolls