"Might as well pop the sarcophagus open, before moving on to the chest. I am a bit curious to see what could be lying in there. We might find a clue to the mural, and possible solve the riddle as to what the mural is depicting," the dragonkin says after a few moments of thinking.
Thinking about the sealed sarcophagus, not too mention the possibilty of gas escaping, Ssilax has Dog wait about ten feet away.
Argon is not sure why they are doing this, but he keeps his mouth shut. Daxniss has done a lot of work clearing the thing of traps, so he doesn't want to jinx things.
He stands back and holds his breath.
Daxniss moves to aid Ssilax not wanting the dragonkin to strain himself:
Ssilax doing the bulk of the work and with a little help from Daxniss, manages to lift the lid off from the base of the sarcophagus, inside there is the bones of a humanoid, as the skeleton revels bone structure folded around the corpse as if to drape the rest of the bones from sight. The next thing that assaults your sense of smell is a herbal scent from the sarcophagus itself, as if to eliminate any other smell. There is no evidence of any tissues rotting, and the corpse is dressed rather well, as if time itself has not touched the clothes.
Looking at the corpse, you realize that the clothing itself is a woman's outfit, robes that appear to be spun out of silver with hints of mythril. A number of weapons in sheaths line the inside of the sarcophagus, as if the corpse inside was in a slumber and ready to fight once it awoke.
Wrathe snaps his fingers, calling his Unseen Servant to his side, like his Mage Armour it was magics that could be sustained for the better part of the day at little cost to his reserves of his energy (wizard mana: 82/84, druid mana: 74/74), and sets the invisible construct, something he could now see due to the permanency spells he had cast, to the task of relieving the corpse of its sheathed weaponry.
It was unlikely that this would end without bloodshed, but such was the life of an adventurer.
To Wrathe's eyes the weapons still hold a few simple enchantments, there is a shortsword that seems to hold a medium strength enchantment on it, two daggers as well hold an aura of medium strength, the Robe as well still manages to hold a medium strength aura to it. Looking over at the pommel of the short sword the head of a dragon is etched into it.
A book can also be seen lying on the feet of the skeleton, no magical auras can be seen from the book but it might hold a clue or two about whom was in the tomb.
Argon moves closer and watches with interest as the weapons are removed. He wonders who this was. It occurs to him that it could be someone from just about any plane.
Without touching them, he looks at the weapons to see if they hold clues about where, when, or by whom they were crafted.
Stabbing his finger accusingly at the octo-weaponry, Wrathe calls out the strength of each enchantment, while examining them closely to discern the truth of each item.
Spellcraft DC to Identify the properties of a magic item using detect magic is 15+ item's caster level.
(critical success)
"Interesting pommel on that shortsword..."
His words are monotone, as his attention is elsewhere while he considers the emanations he sets his Unseen Servant to retrieve the book, intent to open it far enough from the others that any potential defensive spells will not harm anyone, and then to draw the robe free from the rotting female.
"I will send a magical sensor to the book before approaching it."
Wrathe sends his magical eye to glance through the book with the help of his Unseen Servant to turn the pages (Arcane Eye, 10 minute duration, wizard mana: 78/84, druid mana: 74/74).
Ssilax aids the Unseen Servant when it becomes clear Wrathe sees something magical about the robe. In truth, it gives him a better chance to examine the ancient remains without them bouncing all over the sarcophagus. It was a mixture of respect and convenience. Dwelling around the specters and wraiths in the catacombs had made him a bit sensitive to the very few needs of the dead. The dragonkin would rather not disturb whomever this was final rest.
After Dog approaches and sneezes a few times, does Ssilax take a moment to inhale deeply and catch the scent of herbs. His necklace of Adaptation was taking a bit of getting used to.
"Hmm, I wounder if the herbs where used as mummification, or to keep the body from being consumed by scavengers or undead?" Ssilax thinks out loud, sapphire orbs moving over the corpse and the sarcophagus.
The short sword holds another enchament once it strikes the flesh a breath of frost will freeze the flesh. The sword is also made from adamantie as well bypassing DR.
The daggers hold a simple +2 enchament AZ well, except one is made from Mythril and the other is made from cold iron. The book is written in, Draconian and Celestial as well, slightly confusing to say the least.
Ssilax notes that the herbal scent is a way to hide and remove the scent of a corpse, it wouldn't have much rot as the flesh was removed by scrabs, as well as the internal organs were removed.
The dagger that Wrathe spent so much time had a another enchantment hidden, as if the magic itself was trying to hide it's nature from all sorts of prying eyes. It would see that whomever was holding the dagger would for a few rounds be invisible and still able to attack, the wielder would still be invisible after attacking as well.
The robe itself is actually armor, as well improving on one's appearance and their gift of gab. The robe is made from Mythril, the other weapons still hold on a minor weapon enchantment, simple is all that is left. Their are wisps of older magic that are faded, the more powerful magics have left the weapons.
After relaying his findings to the others, and content that Ssilax is ensuring their efforts do not defile the corpse any more than they have to, Wrathe approaches the tome.
The Unseen Servant had not discovered explosive runes, or anything similar, as it had flipped through each of the pages, though his magical sensor had permitted him to scan its pages.
Reaching down his gloved hands slide pages back to rest upon its brethren as he reads its contents. He was fluent in both the Draconian and the Celestial tongues.
(wizard mana: 78/84, druid mana: 74/74).
While Wrathe has spent years studying every language that he could get his hands on, this book seemed to have a cipher in it while, Wrathe knew that he could break the cipher it would require more time.
The rest of the Sarcophagus’ lie in wait, if the group wishes to open each and every one that will take a total of 2 minutes per sarcophagus, as each one will be inspected for traps, although in short order the rest of the sarcophagus revel nothing of interest for the group, no other hidden treasures or books, each on hold a winged skeleton, wrapped in bandages, the same herbal scent from sarcophagus emanates out.
After all that work, there is the case of the chest itself, all the traps have been removed from the locked chest and upon opening said chest a number of ceramic jars that Ssilax’s believes holds the organs of the corpses.
Wrathe sits cross-legged with the tome on his lap, his back to the wall, and starts the process of cracking the cipher.
"This is going to take hours."
"I can walk and decipher, if needed."
(wizard mana: 78/84, druid mana: 74/74)
"Wrathe, I think you need to do that later. We need your undivided attention as we get closer to Master D," says Argon to Wrathe.
He watches everything with interest, especially the weapons, but otherwise just keeps watch on the entrance and the secret exit. He is concerned that the group is losing focus on the task at hand. So far it has not been too hard, but that could change at any time.
"Just curious to see if we can learn anything about the mural. It makes me think of the Devourer. But you are correct, we still have the fallen angel''s forces to sneak past," the dragon kin says. "I just want to make sure this does not deal with the Devourer. I think this might have been a ruler or high priest of some type. Especially given the degree of mummification the bodies display."
Wrathe nods in response to Argon and put the tome away, intent to decipher it when they stop to rest, or during the night when his Ring of Sustenance affords him a number of slumbering hours to ply his trade.
Traipsing over to the mural on the south end of the room. Prestidigitative magics absently work to remove the top layer of grime from the wall as the wizard pulls out his travel journal to finish immortalizing the image in ink.
Wrathe, who had done a quick recording of the mural puts a few more finishing touches on his earlier work. The Mural had been copied into his book, once that is complete the secret door is opened reveling a small room with another Sarcophagus ling at the north end of the this room. Looking towards the south west, you see a closed door with two unlight torches, that would give illumination if they were lit that is.
A faint glow of magic auras are on the torches, if one hazards a guess, they would require an activation phrase to relight them. The room is large enough to fit everyone in the party, the Sarcophagus' lid is off, and a mummy is slumped half in and half out the of the Sarcophagus.
Head cocked to the side, Wrathe mentions the faint magical glow on the torches.
"This might just be me being paranoid, but I would prefer not to be in this room any longer than I have to."
He was nervous enough as it is, and did not wish the dead to come back to...err...life?
Wrathe looks for the lever.
(critical failure)
Wrathe spends time looking for a lever to open the door and realizes that the lever is the mummy itself, Daxniss would have to confirm his theory for certain. Wrathe wonders what else could trigger once the 'lever' is put into place, and if there was going to be an sort of diseases from touching the bandaged corpse.
Daxniss stops Wrathe from moving forward and whispers " Hold on Wrathe, unless you want some new holes in all of us, some wicked things are around the mummy and the door as well. No magics that I can smell at the moment "
With that being said Daxniss starts searching for the triggers on the traps, only her senses had warned her about the traps, as they were not marked on the map, and neither did Taylor note them.
Trap 1 on mummy
Disable Device
Trap 2 on mummy Disable Device
Trap 3 on the 5ft step leading up to the mummy
The Traps on the mummy are disable, although everyone held their breath at the last one, as it would fill the space with numerous about of spikes from the floor, and ceiling. Once the physical danger has been avoided their would be the case of moving the 'lever' and opening the door, Daxniss moves to the door and starts working on the traps laid into the door, letting the other decide to move the 'lever'.
Argon goes over to the door and suggests someone else pull the switch. "I'll be ready by the door."
He stands just to the side of where the door will open, Falcata and Shield ready for anything that may come through.
Looking at the mummy that was half out of it sarcophagus while Dax removes the traps. The dragonkin wondered if it had moved under its own power, or it something else was afoot.
"Perhaps it animated briefly in response to whatever animated the mass of undead in the graveyard," Ssilax muses out loud as he looks at the corpse from where he stands.
Ssilax notes that there are a variety of spells that could animate the undead, generally speaking the spells that would raise an undead being would have the mummy up and about. Unless there was a powerful necromancer, there would be little chance the mummy would rise again, whomever or whatever had created the ‘lever’, must have had a macabre sense of humor, or knew whom was buried there and hated that person, forcing it as an undead being to act as a lever to open the door from the inside.
The lever and the door have been disposed of traps and there is such a small chance that touching this mummy would cause the mummy rot disease, Aliza moves forward and pushes the mummy back into a resting position. Once the mummy is back into its resting point the door opens and the torches on the side of the light up, bringing a pale green light, once this door is open, the group sees that the this section of the crypt has a ceiling to it. Consulting the map, the group has two directions they can go; to the north and attack the undead beings roaming the passageway, or head to the west. The group also notes that this section of the crypt has odd floating green and blue lights, illuminating their passage, the west passage also has a door.
Animating undead was exactly what Wrathe had been concerned about.
Wrathe and Ssilax know that what magics had animated that dead mummy, is no longer present, as the spell wore off or whatever task that this corpse was used for was complete. Both caster know a fair amount about mummies, how they are created, many of the abilities that they have, the supernatural disease known as Mummy Rot.
Ssilax and Wrathe both know that a ‘dead’ mummy will not be able to spread ‘ Mummy Rot’ so there is little worry about Aliza contracting the supernatural disease, then again she might also have protection from that type of problem as she had little qualms about touching a dead body.
The door has been opened there is more runes etched into the walls however, none of the runes seem to have any magical auras attached them as well, nothing living can be heard moving around the crypt, except the party themselves. Dog seems to be hunched low to the ground, moving quietly as his trimmed nails allow, everyone can feel the unsettling eyes of the dead around them. No Foes seem to be stalking the group as, but something is lying in the darkened Tomb…
Wrathe considers backtracking to the horde of undead and setting them aflame, but they would need to first encounter something that would turn them astray.
He looks to Daxniss, wondering if she is confident that their forward momentum would be trammelled by traps, "Master Dainoth awaits. Shall we move forward?"
Daxniss nods and starts moving forward, she stops after 60 ft and points towards the doorway that is currently open, flicking her hands she says in hand sign " Doorway. Pass by? Go Through? " The wyrmkin had made no noise as she had moved, her eyes scanning for also sorts of traps that might only be able to detect, as she had barely slowed yet. Everyone in the party except for Aliza, knew that she had an almost supernatural ability to sense traps.
2 large-sized skeletons, 2 huge skeletons, approximately 25 zombies mixed with ghouls...easy pickins.
Well the "open" sky with 100ish spectres flying above the desecrated hall might slow them down.
Wrathe might have to ask the others for some help.
Not to mention the fact that might alert all the other undead beings in the area, the life draining attacks that undead are prone to use, a fallen diva and it's 'brood' are also somewhere in the crypt. Still, there are two current routes that the group can take, they had bypassed the 'undead hall' by ducking into the mural room and had shut the door behind them.
Ssilax nods, creeping along slowly, taking a great deal of care as to where he put his feet down.
Looking over at the closed door, the dragonkin thinks for a moment or two. Pointing at the door he gives Dax a clawed thumbs up for his vote to open it and look around.
Ssilax would rather not leave an unpleasant surprise lurking being them. They knew about the other undead. 'Besides, there could be a further clue as to how these undead raised up. Or perhaps treasure, ' Ssilax thinks to himself with a faint grin.
Sneaking was not Wrathe's forte, so rather than fumble along on the ground like the unwashed, he raises up like foot off the ground and glides forth as a god would, if the god had sufficient swagger (overland flight, wizard mana: 73/84, druid mana: 74/74).
Daxniss nods at starts moving forward, scouting ahead of the party, she darts into the doorway, stopping about 15 ft in she bends down and starts to fiddle with the stonework.
Stealth
Perception check
Disable Device
Dax hisses as she disable the trap but another one rains acid from the ceiling:
Dax rolls backward, going out the door and goes into a crouch, her hand holding a dagger as she narrows her eyes. After the display she gets up and moves forward into the room, searching for anything moving in the room. Flashing signing back to the others after a few minutes " Clear. No Dead. No life. "
Heart hammering in his chest, bottom lip chewed into shreds, Wrathe finger signs back, "DON'T DO THAT TO US...YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK."
Gliding forth he moves forward to join the sorgue.
Argon signs to Daxniss, "Why are you going there? That's a dead end." He joins the others and points further west down the hall. "I think we need to go this way, unless you know something I don't?"
Heart hammering in his chest as Dax dives out of the way of a large spray of acid, Ssilax breathes a sigh of relief seeing that she is unharmed.
'Thank you for my heart failing, ' the dragonkin signs to Dax. Ssilax carefully makes his way into the room with Dog creeping behind him. The both make it a point to avoid the acid spray.
Daxniss turns to Argonne and says " Better to check out the open doors to make sure there isn't a key or a number of foes waiting to attack us from behind. " She says in a low voice, and flashes a hand signal back to Ssilax " Next time I'll make it more dramatic "
The room that Daxniss was standing in held a marble statue that nearly touched the ceiling which, was a little more then 100 ft away from the party. The marble statue was one of a diva in fully resplendence glory, although looking at the features of the diva, there was a masters' work. A forge was hiding behind the statue, and the forge itself was still in perfect condition, a number of closed storage shelves can be seen lining the walls and a few empty weapon racks.
Argon nods, realizing the map may not be entirely accurate. He enters the room cautiously and looks about for the doors. As he looks around he sees the statue and the forge.
His eyes stray to the forge automatically, and he walks there, looking at the statue briefly; then he briefly examines the forge.
Does Argon see the doors Daxniss is referring to?
Sweeping forward feet sliding inches to as much as a foot above the ground, the dr/izard searches for anything of use (wizard mana: 73/84, druid mana: 74/74).
Argon: The doors that Daxniss was refering too was the current door that lead to this room, Daxniss meant that if they come across opened doors that the group should in fact make sure that the room is secure, rather then leaving an unchecked room that could have more foes to attack them from behind.
The group spends a litle bit of time searching the room and the cabinets looking for any clues as to what or whom uses this room. The group notes that the forge has enough fuel for at least 12 hours ready to be used, who ever was used this room seemed to upkeep daily. The cabinets are locked but are soon unlocked, no other traps are in this room, some diagrams for weapons and different sources of metal and ignots are in the first cabinet. looking over the other cabinets various metals can be seen, large enough that they will not fit into a bag of holding. Various runes are inked into paper, with a shudder those that are inspecting the paperwork note that the leather and the pages are made from human flesh.
Moving over to look at the discovered papers, the dragonkin's snout wrinkles in disgust. Frowning slightly, he looks at the pages.
"Flesh is a poor choice for inks, fades much faster than paper and ink. I wish mad cultists and evil beings would realize this," Ssilax mutters to himself.
Wrathe searches the room as well.
The group spends time searching the room, nothing new has been located various metals for smith ingredients gave been located. Other wise this room is secure, nothing has tried to attack the group and there is another room that the party can shut the door on to hide from roaming undead.
"Anything interesting in the papers? " Ssilax asks Wrathe after the group had finished looking around. This area would make a good fall back poiny.
At least against coporial undead.
Wrathe shakes his head, then points towards the exit and shrugs.
"Shall we?"
After a cursory check of the room (the others seemed to do a more complete inspection) Argon joins the others in continuing down the hall to the west. He keeps his bow out with arrow nocked as they go.
Argon hears the dragging shuffling of uncoordinated undead, as he looks behind him he notes that there are one or two zombies milling about, ‘walking’ into the walls. There is little danger that the zombies would hound the group, as they slowly start to head back into the passage where the rest of the undead were standing guard.
As the party moves forward, lights spring into being about 60 ft, providing some illumination for the group as well as pockets of shadows that others could use to hide in. Daxniss reports no traps ahead of the group so far, as not many had traversed this passage in some time, although the only hint of passage is footprints in the dust heading to forge room and back. 100ft past the forge room the runes are no longer etched into the walls, as if there was some unseen border, that the walls would hold no marring or runes.
Keeping an eye on the zombies as the wander around, bumping into walls, Ssilax keeps pace with the others. Dog keeps low to the ground beside the dragonkin.
Startled by the sudden light, Ssilax almost jumps out of his scales. A slight surprised hiss escapes him. Sapphire orbs moving rapidly to locate what created the light.
After a few heart pounding moments, Ssilax relaxes slightly.
Catching his breath, the wizard turns ready to fight as the light exposes the truth of their position, but slowly relaxing he is confident their glamer magic was sufficient to not being connected to the illumination (wizard mana: 73/84, druid mana: 74/74).
Once he is confident that they are out of earshot, "We should harry our quarry that stands between us and our prize, as the hide from undead magics can only last so long.
Each undead they encountered had a chance to see through the rogue's magics, and he would prefer to be as far from this place as possible if/when it happened.
Argon stops briefly to study the footprints in the dust. What manner of creature made them, and when?
He responds to Wrathe, "As long as they stay behind us, I'm happy. I think we should just make haste."