DM Screen:
Your rest passes uneventfully in the archives. With a well-chosen defensible position, keeping quiet throughout your rest period and a barred door, nothing disturbs you. Only those of you that have lived under the ceilings of Kaer Maga or the deep caverns under Urglin and the Cinderlands have fully gotten used to tracking time without a sun- it's disorienting and difficult to track time properly this far under the earth, with only your biological clocks to turn to. After a cold breakfast, you're ready once more to set out.
Uwais and Waya wake from the corner where the two had curled up, the wolf around the halfling as a mother defending her pup. When the party begins breaking camp, the two yawn, Uwais showing his teeth as widely as Waya.
"I've got no use for these tablets, but I will carry them. I will also use the cloak if there are no objections. It may help me avoid harm if I slip up when disarming a trap."
The dusk warden looks to Sister Mara as he finishes strapping on his pack."Let's see what treasures lie beyond that hidden door of yours."
Cautiously, you return to the Great Pit and once more find the secret door Sister Mara had discovered previously... only to find it locked.
Working in concert the half-orc and the undead hunter manage to coax the ancient lock open. Within is an almost bare room, only about five feet by five feet, with an ornately carved stone sarcophagus about a foot from the north wall.
DC 20 Knowledge (Arcana or History):
DM Screen:
Perception (SM, U,W, K, D, Y)
Sister Mara:
“I have no objection to that Kua,” says Detressa. Her companions might notice that the priestess still looks a little sore and walks stiffly after her rest, her wounds almost, but not yet entirely healed – she saves her magic for when it is of benefit to more of the group. If no one objects, she will take Badang’s scroll of slow poison and suggests that someone who has already consumed their healing potion should take his potion of cure light wounds.
Knowledge, history:
“These are Thassilonian runes,” says Detressa, gesturing to the carvings on the sarcophagus. “We should be alert for any guardians or traps as in the other chamber.”
"Be wary, my friends! Something moved behind the sarcophagus as we opened the door!" Sister Mara warns her companions as she brings her loaded crossbow up in a readied position.
knowledge arcana
"Yes, you are of course correct ... Thassilonian ..." Yang turns quickly at Sister Mara's warning.
Kua's eyes widen at Sister Mara's warning. Axe at the ready, Kua slowly approaches the sarcophagus.
Uwais draws and loads his sling, teeth bared. He gives a small yip to Waya, who advances, back bristling, to the front of the party.
As Kua approaches the sarcophagus, a snake made of interlocking iron plates lunges over the casket for the half-orc's face! Its eyes are pinpoints of red light, iron fangs dripping a clear liquid.
Initiative:
Group Initiative:
Kua's Initiative: 3
"Another damned snake!!'
Kua attempts to slam his great axe down between two of the monsters protective plates.
Power attack:
Damage:
Initiative Round One
Iron Cobra: 6
Sister Mara: 5
Uwais: 4
Waya and Kua: 3 (K- attack, miss)
Detressa and Yang: 2
The cobra lashes out at Kua, mouth gaping wide.
Bite:
But the Duskwarden wards it off with the haft of his axe.
“Snakes? Why did it have to be snakes?” mutters Detressa, still scarred and trembling from yesterday’s experience.
If there's room, Yang reaches in to touch Kua, and the half-orc suddenly grows in size.
Otherwise, Yang sighs and sends another force missile at another snake. "It would be good to use some of my spells, for once!"
damage
Sister Mara raises her hand and calls forth the blessed flames of the Dawnflower to strike at the iron snake.
If there's room, Yang reaches in to touch Kua, and the half-orc suddenly grows in size.
Otherwise, Yang sighs and sends another force missile at another snake. "It would be good to use some of my spells, for once!"
damage 1d4+1
Initiative Round One
Iron Cobra: 6 (miss)
Sister Mara: 5 (flame bolt- hit, step aside)
Uwais: 4 (hold action- no line of sight)
Waya and Kua: 3 (W- hold action, no line of sight, K- attack, miss)
Detressa and Yang: 2 (D or Y can attack at range)
Uwais reaches to Kua and places his hand on the Duskwarden's shoulder. "Strike hard, for Badang," he says to his companion. He gives a growl to Waya and retreats out of the way so more savvy combatants can close on the snake.
Round 2 Action
Kua nods silently at the halfling and renews his attack on the mechanical snake.
Power Attack Additional +1 from Uwais's guidance
Damage
DM Screen:
Following the snake's assault, Sister Mara tosses a palm full of fire at the iron cobra, searing its iron hide but doing no real damage. Stepping aside, Uwais grants Kua a measure of primal insight, but the half-orc's attack goes awry just as Detressa's icicle is thrown off the mark by the cobra's sudden movement. Yang's force missile hones in on the serpentine construct, but some invisible force disperses the impact on the serpent's hide.
Round Two
The vicious construct lashes out once more at the Duskwarden.
Bite:
It swiftly punctures a pair of holes through his forearm. Kua begins to feel woozy.
Fortitude
Kua's natural resilience defeats the poison.
"I am afraid I may be of no use here ..." Yang lanshes out with his staff, and then steps back so that someone else can get in place.
attack
damage
Detressa steps back to AG 5 and throws another icicle at the snake.
Uwais moves up to Mara and gives a small but significant gesture behind her. She feels the tug of... Luck? Fate?... guiding her.
Round Two:
Mara steps up to the position vacated by Yang and summons the blessed flames of Sarenrae to strike at the iron snake.
The tight confines of the hidden room combined with the snake's armor and speed seem to have thrown our heroes for a loop. Icicles, fire, staves and axes rain down on the construct, but none find their mark. It lashes out once again at Kua with its fangs.
Iron Cobra bite:
But the half-orc's armor deflects the glancing blow.
Growing ever more frustrated with the cobra's speed, Kua howls with rage and slams his great axe into the construct's back, attempting to detroy the thing with a single blow!
Power Attack:
Damage:
Crit Confirm
Kua's axe smashes into the iron snake's "spine", shearing through iron plates and vertebrae. The thing jerks once or twice in a parody of a lunge, then goes still.
"Well struck, Kua!" Sister Mara compliments the Duskwarden.
"Now let's see what's so special about this sarcophagus the cobra was guarding."
Sister Mara casts a minor spell to allow her to see magical auras as she moves into the small room to study the sarcophagus.
Uwais breathes a sigh of relief. "Well struck indeed," he echos to Kua. "I was worried... another snake, the same room..." He allows the silence after his statement to speak for itself.
The sarcophagus is free of traps and magic. Do you wish to open it?
“How do you fare Kua? Do you require healing?” Detressa asks.
After Mara checks the sarcophagus for traps, but before anyone moves to open it, Detressa squeezes into the small room to take a closer look. “My religion frowns upon disturbing the rest of the dead for almost any purpose,” she says. “But if this sarcophagus dates from Thassilonian times, I would imagine that the intervening millennia have long since turned any remains to dust … and given our current mission we cannot overlook any chance at help or information.”
While she speaks she examines the Thassilonian carvings on the sarcophagus and walls for any signs of religious significance.
With Detressa's permission, Sister Mara attempts to open the sarcophagus.
Detressa finds that the markings have little to no religious significance; from the prevalence of that seven pointed star symbol, it's entirely likely to be a Thassilonian coffin. Based on the placement of Pharasma next to the Runelords in that great cathedral you all passed through, it's likely the rulers of the ancient empire weren't exactly religious- just from the size and placement, the considered themselves equal to gods in their hubris.
Sister Mara pushes aside the lid, though her back is likely to be sore tomorrow. Within is an extraordinarily well-preserved human man with dark hair, a high forehead and expressive brows. He looks to be more likely sleeping than dead. He wears robes of deep emerald, a medallion of a seven-pointed star around his neck and fine bronze bracers around his wrists.
"Master Chen? I think this may be more your area of expertise. Can you tell if this person is under some type of magical slumber, or if he's really dead?" Mara asks.
Kua grins widely at the praise, showing off an array of sharp tusks.
Thank you priestess, but I am mostly unharmed. The snakes fang barley scratched me and it's venom was far to weak to fell one with orc blood.
"Master Chen? I think this may be more your area of expertise. Can you tell if this person is under some type of magical slumber, or if he's really dead?" Mara asks.
Yang looks over the body in the sarcophagus carefully, wheezing slightly as he does so. "It may be beneficial if someone were to check for magic, as well."
spellcraft
knowledge arcana
When Sister Mara looks over the coffin with detect magic, the sarcophagus itself is not magical. The medallion around his neck has a faint aura of necromancy, however, and the bracers have a moderate aura of conjuration magic.
Yang:
"Should we take the medallion and bracers with us? They may be helpful in our quest. Sister Detressa, what do you think?" Mara asks.
"Should he be taken by whatever has been creating all of these undead, I'd sooner we have them than our enemy," Uwais says. "A weapon out of my enemy's hands is as useful as one in ours."
A feeling of tension settles in Detressa’s stomach as Mara pushes back the lid, and she gasps upon seeing an intact body inside rather than a pile of old bones or dust.
“Necromancy? Be careful,” she whispers. “I have heard stories of vampires lurking deep in the Undercity. What truth there is to such stories I do not know ...”
"My guess would a spell known as gentle repose has preserved this corpse. Of course, I believe it lasts only a few days normally. So it is either very fresh, or the magic is strong."