Sykala resurfaces and taps on the stone wall to get everyone's attention. She motions for them to follow her as she backs up to where the sand is. With her finger she spells, "B-I-G S-N-A-K K-I-L M-E-N" She follows it up by drawing a serpentine form in the sand.
I assumed that Korian would know bestow curse was a touch spell, not a spell that could be attuned to someone and cast at a distance, but if he does not, than he was not bluffing. In any case, Esteban treated it as a teasing jest.
Korian takes in the bodies and the smell stoically. He waits to see if the others have anything to report, and if not, continues moving on with Ovirid, lending his aid to help the Dwarf search for traps.
I will make any PASSIVE perception checks to see if you see things that you aren't looking for. You guys can make any ACTIVE perception checks, when you are looking for things.
"A critter? 'ow long 'as 'is tomb been 'idden 'neath th' sand? Ye may be right, lass, but Ah'm bettin' 't be no normal snake."
Ovirid will move back down the tunnel once anyone else's comments are shared, moving past the constricted slaves toward the other bodies, still moving carefully.
He'll actively check for a trap every 30' feet, relying on his instincts for passive checks in the intervals.
Sykala nods her avid agreement to the dwarfs statement and then follows along behind.
I assumed that Korian would know bestow curse was a touch spell, not a spell that could be attuned to someone and cast at a distance, but if he does not, than he was not bluffing. In any case, Esteban treated it as a teasing jest.Cool
I will make any PASSIVE perception checks to see if you see things that you aren't looking for. You guys can make any ACTIVE perception checks, when you are looking for things.
Perfect. In fact, personally, I think that's the way it should Always be done.
Having had outside with the rest to catch Sykala's message, Korian mumbles to himself "Snakes. What does it always have to be snakes!"[/b" before nodding and saying [b]"Well, that doesn't change much, so now we have our eyes out for long and slithery things too. Check. Back in we go."
As they move back inside, Korian speaks to the Druidess "Sykala, until I have the oppourtunity to study more on the elemental tongues, we're going to have to come up with some more effective means of communication for you while you're in such forms. So for now, let's try this. One tap for no, two taps for yes. A hard slam for Stop! or Danger! and move your hand in a circle for everything clear or OK. That sound good to you? If anyone has any further ideas, feel free to chip in."
Before you reach the second group of bodies, you pass an area in which the walls widen from 10 ft. to 30 ft. The floor remains only 10 ft. wide, bridging this gap. The drop on either side is 30 or so feet deep. You can see bodies lying on the sand. Some are very new; some not much more than dust themselves.
Do you continue down to the bodies in the hall?
"'s unusual. Ah don' like unusual much 'n a delve. See if'n ye c'n fin' a secret door 'r mechanism 'ere, lad. Ah 'ave a suspicion."
Perception
If he can get Sykala's attention, he will try to signal to her that he wants her to look under the path and in the trenches.
"Yes of course, clearly this is a trap of some sort, it is likely simple in nature but if we do not quickly find the mechcanism perhaps we'd be best to just use a rope to cross? Sykala can cross and anchor the rope on the other side."
While the young mage speaks though he continues to look along with Ovirid for the trap workings.
I'm having trouble describing it. The hallway you are in has two open sections on either side at this point where the floor becomes a bridge for a short span. There are a bunch of skeletons and some more recent bodies lying at the bottom.
"'s unusual. Ah don' like unusual much 'n a delve. See if'n ye c'n fin' a secret door 'r mechanism 'ere, lad. Ah 'ave a suspicion."
Perception 1d20 + 14
If he can get Sykala's attention, he will try to signal to her that he wants her to look under the path and in the trenches.
You find nothing in the way of traps, but the marks on the floor suggest the bodies where dragged from nearer to the entrance and then thrown down here. They weren't killed at this point. They were disposed of here.
Ixius half heartedly helps Korian and Ovirid look for traps.
"Lots of dead people down there. I wonder how these ones died?"
Sykala nods to the dwarf and sinks into the stone.
"Hmmm, actually looks like the bodies were just disposed here, now killed here. Sykala wai...ah, well, I think it should be safe to cross. But we'll use rope just in case. When Sykala next surfaces we'll have her hold a rope and anchor herself in the stone on the other side and then cross one at a time. In the meantime, Refina, can you tell what killed these people? Was it snakes again or something else? Also, [b]Ovirid, I've been thinking. As we are likely to have guests trying to sneak up and join us in the near future, perhaps we should start preparing, shall we say, welcome gifts for them?" pausing for a big nasty grin, the devious mage continues [b]"So, from now on, anytime you see an oppourtunity to stage a good trap, do so. The nastier the better."
Then suddenly, as his habitual paranoia creeps up on him, he silently orders Jinx to scurry to the entrance and back and sniff out the entire passageway to make sure that nothing hidden is accompanying them.
Refina has a look over some of the more recent bodies to try and find a cause of death
Heal
You find no traps around this area. The injuries on the more recent bodies look similar to those of the bodies closer to the entrance. The bodies are in the pit, so you can't find more about them or search them. They appear to be some of the slaves.
You hear a low rumbling grunting noise from further down the shaft.
"Mebbe th' trap 's jus' knockin' 's offa th' bridge int' th' pits..."
"'s th' rumblin' fer 's, 'r did some o' th' slaves survive? I'm thinkin' 's place 's th' lair o' somethin' th' pharoahs left behind, but what would be fer livin' 's long?"
The dwarf looks at the mage, "'ell, lad, 't d'ye wanna do?"
Sykala shrugs and takes the rope across the bridge.
Once she hears the noise she will creep forward using her 60' foot darkvision to see if she can make out whatever it is.
If Sykala is creeping, she should make a stealth check.
If Sykala is creeping, she should make a stealth check.
Sykala creeps forward but not as stealthily as she intends. Perhaps there are stealthier animals she could study.
As she gets to the other bodies of slaves in the tunnel, she hears one whimper. One of them is alive. He's keeping his eyes closed tight and seems to be bracing himself for whatever strange beast this is lurking towards him.
Seeing nothing within sight, the surprisingly strong little stone elemental quickly grabs the slave who whimpered by the scruff of the neck and drags him swiftly back toward the others.
The terrified slave resists, his whimpers growing louder. The source of the grunting and growling makes itself apparent. It is one that Sykala is familiar with. The whitish fur of the four-armed girallon makes it visible as it steps into the dim light of the entry shaft from whatever room lies beyond.
It begins to slowly make its way towards Sykala and the man she is attempting to pull to safety.
Initiative
Ixius draws his bow and looks for the girallon.
Korian speaks to Sykala through the message cantrip [i]"Sykala, is everything ok? Give us the signal. Is there danger? Do you need help?"[/b]
As he speaks, the mage pulls out his wand of scorching ray and commands the unseen servant to move even further down the tunnel, lighting up the way ahead.
Initiative:
Initative
As the invisible servant moves forward with the light, lighting up most of the room ahead, Korian moves within range and uses his wand to unleash a scorching ray of fire upon the giant ape.
Ranged Touch:
Fire Damage: + Sneak if applicable:
The light from the invisible servant shows the beast clearly. It looks like a girallon, but there's something unusual about it. The light reflects off of runes that cover its body, buried within the fur.
Ixius enchants his bow and takes two shots at the girallon in the next round.
Ixius sees the runes.
"Oh damn! Don't look at it!"
Ovirid will double move across the bridge. Heeding Ixius' warning, he will keep his eyes averted. He readies shield and throwing axe as he moves. "'n 'ow d'ye expect t' 'it th' cursed thin' if'n ye canna look 't 't?"
The rune-covered girallon bounds forward and swats at Sykala with two of its mighty arms, cutting a gash across her arm. With its other two arms it grabs the terrified slave and begins to pull. Sykala recognizes this animalistic behavior -- he was saving that meal for later.