Bedu stops examining Samir's map and joins Lotus near the sarcophagus.

"What do you have there, oh clever searcher!"

Still scratching, Pindara also scoots over, "What is it?"

Indo:

Lotus:

Anyone/everyone: Perception check DC 6

The sarcophagus looks like any normal wooden sarcophagus used by nobles and other wealthy persons for burials. It is not richly embellished, but it has been carved and painted. It is obviously old, and used. It is closed, lying face down on the floor (probably knocked over when the room was ransacked), but it appears to have the image of an eagle-headed woman carved into the lid.

Sorry, I'm a little confused. The sarcophagus is normal-sized?

Indo steps quickly to the papers when he sees Bedu and Lotus move toward them. If you would, please, these items have faint magical properties. Might I examine them closely for you? My people have an interest in such things.

He produces the brush and gestures toward the sarcophagus. These treasures also bear some enchantment. Would anyone have use of a magic brush?

Looking at the sarcophagus, he tilts his head and narrows his eyes. But again, we are in a hurry, and I can examine those smaller things as we walk. This, we should know if it is important first. The original owner might prefer its return, or it might have its uses. He approaches the sarcophagus and kneels to examine it more closely. Master Bedu, what do your learned eyes make of this?

Appraise the sarcophagus. (1d20+3=7)

Everyone:

Skittle continues to quietly keep to himself, chagrined at how combat unfolded.

Gently Bedu nods to Lotus and smiles, "Keen, isn't he?"

He willing appraises the sarcophagus but first gives the others ample opportunity to show their interest and abilities.

"Pindara? Skittle? Lotus? Liet? what do you make of these things too."

Yes, the sarcophagus is a normal-sized one. Big enough for one human body.

Indo:

With eager hands the young woman goes through the mundane items, a wondrous look on her face. These items are worth a fortune to someone interested in archeological items. I estimate this collection to be worth about 500 gold crowns. I suggest we come back down here later to collect all of this and put it up for auction. We should be able to make a hefty profit. She continues to rummage through them until she finds an old amulet or other kind of jewlery. The glitter in her eyes can't be missed for anyone watching. She holds up the item to her body to see how it would fit. Once she has the perfect match she immediately puts it on her body as an accessory.

Lotus notices Indo staring intently at the various objects in the room (Perception DC 6 (1d20+5=15)). When he asks them to step away from the papers, she is intrigued. By all means, if your people have interest, be my guest.

Then she turns to Bedu and whispers. [b]Indeed he is keen. What was he doing? Can he see magic? Then in normal volume. The sarcophagus is worth only 50 gold crowns. But perhaps more to the one who owned it previously.

SargonX:

Indo nods at Lotus and smiles I was interested in the papers, but we can take them with us. I am more interested in the sarcophagus, which we will have to come back for as you say.

Taking in the sarcophagus fully, Indo moves closer to it until he is examining only the condition of the wood along one side. He narrows his eyes in concentration...

Evaluate the sarcophagus' abjuration magic (1d20+3=12)

...and inwardly wonders when the hell he's going to roll higher than ten.

Indo:

Anybody else want to do something?

No I'm good.

Indo's head drops after studying the sarcophagus.

I am sorry my friends, I do not remember any tales from my people about this funerary design. I will have to study it more later, and perhaps take some notes.

He straightens himself fully and stretches his arms overhead. I apologize for the useless delay. Shall we seek out Samir's benefactor, now?

Shall we seek out Samir's benefactor, now?[/b]

Indo has the the small brush, and the papers and book from Samir's bedroom. I assume you're leaving the sarcophagus behind for now. If you want anything else, claim it now! Anybody want a couple of pet mongooses? They're homeless now... :,(

Gathering up your possessions, you make your way back through the catacombs to the surface. After the oppressive atmosphere of the cramped tunnels, the open air, with all its myriad scents and sounds is a welcome relief, even if the heat and humidity once more feels like a wet blanket draped over you.

Following Samir's map, you make your way through the winding alleys of Muiu Thral to an industrial area on the city's outskirts. Here, mills, tanneries and foundries compete with each other in a cacophony of warring sounds and smells. Passers-by on the street seem poor and hard-worked, sparing you only surly glances.

The day has turned to late afternoon when you finally arrive at a disused alley between two lumberyards. A hole knocked into a brick wall at the end of the alley leads into darkness. According to the map, this is yet another entrance to the catacombs, where Samir's "buyer" is engaged in some sort of underground excavations.

I'll pause here to let anyone make any preparations you want before delving back underground. I'll update again tomorrow as you re-enter the catacombs.

Bedu keeps pace with the others and mentally prepares for the buyer ahead.

His spells and weapons, he keeps in mind.

"We did well, but I do not think this person will relinquish the amulet so easily. Or Samir's directions to the tomb."

Indo stretches again before delving back into the catacombs. He turns to the party, Do a new friend a favor. When you build this university of yours, make larger tunnels into the ground, please.

With that, he smiles and ducks into the broken wall, making room quickly for the next companion to enter the catacombs.

For Sargon X

Skittle is glad to be above ground again, and recomposes himself. Before reentering the catacombs, he checks his weapons and makes a silent prayer to his family to give him strength and guide his hand.

The hole in the wall leads into an apparently abandoned warehouse, empty but for a set of a rickety wooden stairs leading down. Further stairs take you deeper through three sub-basements, at which point a hole in the floor provides access to a long, spiraling ramp, lit only occasionally by guttering torches. At the bottom of the ramp, a narrow rough brick tunnel leads off into darkness.

Please give me an idea of marching order, and who's going to carry some light sources (unless you want to wander around in the dark).

"May I look first?"

If allowed, then Bedu will take a peep down the brick tunnel.

No torch needed here.

Indo leans against the wall next to Bedu and begins to rummage through his pack - a worn sack of animal hide sewn into several larger compartments and doubled over for carrying. He produces a sturdy rod of light brown wood, topped at one end by a cloth bag. The bag moves and writhes visibly.

This bag has a creature called a medin baba - a witch-fire beetle. Several of them can live enclosed in the bag for months, feeding off their own husks and dung. When broken open, he softly whacks the stick against the wall twice, their ichor produces a very bright light, which then lasts for hours.

The bag stops writhing, but is soon saturated by a bright green glow, almost as a torch.

Indo nods to Bedu. No heat, and you can drop it in water, eh?

Looking down the tunnel (either with darkvision or beetle-stick) shows meandering tunnel to the limit of your vision. According to Samir, it's several minutes walk to the excavation site.

Bedu passes this information onto the rest.

"It would be foolish for me to be too near the front, far too dangerous for a dwarf of my weight and speed." He jokes at himself.

"May I suggest that- where's Pindara?"

Just seizing the moment DM.

If you've got a hole to fill in the game, I re-recommend Shane Cottom. Dude is pretty much constant fun. There's another guy I can ask, if you aren't being besieged with requests.

I am not a cowardly man, my friends, but I am not blessed with vision such as some of you. I will go first unless Skittle prefers to use his night vision to our advantage.

"I could provide you with some light."

Casting light.

We don't really need the light. I just broke out a sunrod. But if you prefer to have some backup since two of us have crappy human vision...

But gnomes have lowlight vision, so my torch will get him visibility 40 feet in fron of me.

Lotus hangs back to see how the team operates. When the issue of light comes to bear, she chimes in that she would relish a source for her to see. I too have that crappy human vision thing going on. Plus I'd rather see how you guys handle things first before I get into harms way.

Sorry, Lotus. The 'crappy human vision' comment was out of character, but it did exclude you. I forgot to check your race.

we currently have a drkvision,a lowlightvision, and three humans empowered by one sunrod. Do we need more?

Marching order (as I understand it):
Skittle
Indo (with sunrod)
Liet (with light spell)
Bedu
Pindara
Lotus

I'll play Pindara as an NPC for the time being, but check over on the discussion thread to discuss her replacement.

You head down the tunnel at the bottom of the ramp. After several minutes, the artisanship of the narrow passage changes dramatically, from the rough bricks of the catacombs to a worked passage that seems to have been crafted by someone who actually cared about its appearance. The passage grows wider, and ornamentation is carved into the stone walls. The floor is littered with dust and rubble, but there might once have been tracings carved there as well.

The wider passage soon ends in a handsome doorway, its lintel holding a very worn relief carving. Beyond the doorway, you can see a rubble-filled room lit by torches. A statue of an archaically dressed human man stands in the southeastern corner of the room, and a 5-foot-square hole lies in the floor to the southwest, surrounded by more rubble.

Two goblins lounge near the entrance to the room.

Roll initiative and state actions!

Map can be found here.

Bedu waits to see what the front two have seen. Then he will act but for the moment, he cannot tell what they have seen.

Bedu delays as shown by my dice roll, Initiative roll (1d20+4=6)
.

Skittle holds up two fingers and motions for everyone to stay put. With his other hand, he draws his kukri in an underhanded grip, grins, nods to Indo and steps into the room. "City Board of Antiquities, we need to see you excavation permits, please."

Liet holds out his light, thinking that the light might hamper the goblins. He draws his mace and prepares to wade in should an opportunity to flank presents itself.

Init (1d20+6=16)

With Skittle holding up two fingers the young woman assumes it is time for more action. She is quick to act (Initiative (1d20+4=21)) and immediately draws two of her daggers and readies them for action. She moves forward and to the left hand side of the corridor. This will give her a better angle to throw her daggers if needed.

Skittle! You didn't roll initiative,so I don't know where your ruse will fit into things!

On the assumption that Skittle slides into the room before the rest and is not attacked immediately, Indo holds on to his sunrod and tries to look official.

If the goblins begins to make noise or attack Skillet, I roll Initiative (badly), swing to miss a goblin, and then don't deal more than enough damage to kill it. I will then curse Invisible Castle, as well as Invisible Castle's children.

Initiative; Attack; Damage (1d20+1=10, 1d20+2=7, 1d10+3=10)

Oh, yeah. I end my turn in H-3 regardless, either attack from the far side, or moving to prevent goblin escape once a fight really breaks out.

Skittle steps into the room. "City Board of Antiquities, we need to see your excavation permits, please."

The goblins exchange glances with one another, and one speaks. "No grokmok Skandri, chuush! Dooskoo Pesk, baram yunch-yunch? Nakt ling avarki tendro skunkt, uk?"

For those who speak Goblin:

Skittle:

Everyone, I'm waiting for a response from Skittle, then I'll update.

Please check the discussion thread when you get a chance for a question about DM dice rolls. And Steve, about your friend joining the game.

I thought I rolled initiative, but can't find it on IC. Here's a new roll.

1d20=19+7=26

SargonX:

Indo/Skittle:

Skittle suddenly springs into action, slashing at the closest goblin but unable to get past its armor. A crossbow bolt whistles out of the darkness to impale Indo. He staggers forward to attack, but misses as well. A fight has broken out!
Skittle & Indo acted in a surprise round. The first normal round follows.

From the far end of the room comes a barking, squealing noise, and a strange dog-like creature lopes into view. Its mangy dog’s face has the flat nose, beady eyes, and protruding teeth of a rat grown grotesquely large. Tiny clawed forelimbs and a long, hairless pink tail add to its verminous appearance, and the smell of old sewage practically steams off its patchy fur.

Lotus, drawing your weapons and moving uses your actions for this round.
Liet, drawing your mace is a move action, you still have a standard action left.
Skittle, Bedu, and Indo, you still have possible actions this turn.

Initiative order:
Skittle
Lotus
Pindara
Liet
Hiding goblin
Indo
Goblin dog
Bedu
2x goblins

Can we get a new map? I don't see where the dog is, etc.

Can we get a new map? I don't see where the dog is, etc.

Indo hisses back toward the party I'm hit!, before stepping toward the goblin in hallway. He drops the sunrod to the floor, and in the dim light above his waste appears to fiddle with his pack, all the while holding the new goblin at bay with his bastard sword.

Rob:

A burst of multicolored light is reflected in Indo's eyes as something flashes just around the corner.

On his turn, Bedu moves into a suitable position and casts a spell at one of the goblins or dog. He prefers to not to expose himself at the front of the party so stays near Indo and Skittle.

With his gestures and sounds, a shower of silver rain falls about the creature briefly.
(Daze DC12)

I'm not sure I figured out the alias system, but I wanted to get this posted before work. I'll take another crack at it later.

On her turn, Pindara will five-foot adjust diagonally backward toward the doorway, drawing her dagger (move action). She will ready an action to cast another magic missile at any enemy which comes into her line of sight (standard action).

Die Rolls: 1d20=7, 1d20=15
Link: http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1649137/

Round 1 summary
Skittle didn’t post a new action for this round, so I assumed he followed up with another attack and I made the rolls for him.
Skittle strikes at the goblin again, slashing its face. (2 points of damage.)

Lotus draws her weapons & moves forward.

Pindara draws her dagger and moves back.

Liet holds out his light and draws his mace.

Indo hisses "I’m hit!" and drops his sunrod, holding the goblin and dog at bay with his sword, when a flash of light suddenly bursts from around the corner.

Indo:

Bedu steps past Liet, and with a few gestures and sounds, causes a shower of silver rain to briefly fall about the closest goblin.

The first goblin seems dazed and confused, and sways slightly, staring into space.

The second goblin steps forward, and from far down the corridor, Pindara releases a bolt of magical energy that flies unerringly to strike the goblin. It yelps in pain, but undeterred, swings his morningstar at Skittle, who manages to dodge the blow.
Pindara’s new initiative count is 4.

That’s the end of round 1. Here is an updated map.
Please post your actions for the next round.