The General told Tebati that Sendings were used quite quickly after the first two groups entered; as their orders were just to recon and return.
Inquiries were made, but Cruthoniax didn't have a clue how you could see through an animal's eyes without magic. The camp was, however, able to provide a goat for Qhude's purpose. Tied to a rope, the goat was coaxed to begin walking down the corridor. As it approached the symbol upon the wall; the corridor seemed to fill with darkness that even magically conjured light did not penetrate; and the rope became completely resistant, as though clamped down by something. After a couple of minutes, the pressure eased off; but when Qhude pulled the rope back in, it came back without the animal. The corridor became visible moments after Qhude was able to reel the rope back in.
"Well, that seems ominous," Ansha observes after she has returned with a goat. "I'll be down in the camp if anyone needs me. See you all in the morning."
Once down in the camp, she spends the remainder of the night rounding up players for games of dice or cards and then attempting to cheat them out of their money.
Qhude crouches with the end of the rope and inspects it...
... before speaking aloud "When the dark came it was as though the rope was weighed down by a large rock..."
Kieran approaches, curious and rather eager to get a better look of the rope. "This is... well, interesting really," he remarks, perhaps a little more wide-eyed than usual. "No blood and the rope looks to be whole."
He looks up at Qhude with a mischievous grin on his face. "Well, now we know that there may be food in there after all, namely a goat."
Musing out load as he looks at the end of the rope "It took the meat and left the rope." looking down and then to his rope wrapped fist, then back down to the seemingly empty corridor below them. Frowning he warily ventures "We should keep as much as we can to hand... lest the pyramid reject it."
Possible investigation seemingly exhausted, he withdraws from the summit and moves back into the camp. The evening is spent in quiet reflection and preparation of his rope and guisarme... eager to ensure that his tools are in good order before they move into the belly of the beast.
He looks up at Qhude with a mischievous grin on his face. "Well, now we know that there may be food in there after all, namely a goat."
Tebati quirks a smile at him. "Perhaps we should drive in a flock," she suggests. "Apart from meat, there might be some other arcane mechanism we'd prefer to test with a goat instead of ourselves."
"So we can try the tied arrow tomorrow, but it sounds like it will come back whole when pulled. Unless it takes everything except what offers to hold it back. The soldiers disappeared, weapons, clothes and all, I wonder how this corridor makes this goat separate from the rope? Would we be separated from each other if extended as a chain of hand holding? Don't know if we dare risk the try."
He sits there a bit before continuing, "It could be that this is just the door in, and those already in have yet to come across the way out....It being a magic pyramid and all."
The night passed uneventfully and for the first time in over a week, the group could sleep without needing to set watch patterns; the camp was clearly quite vigilant and the footsteps of passing patrols became part of the comfortable rhythm of sleep, in the large tent that had been supplied to the group. The Umkhaya were unsure exactly how long they'd be spending in the camp, but at least for tonight, this was home.
The next morning, the group acquired mundane supplies, including two weeks of rations. Qhude bore most of these without complaint and by midday, General Morvius, Arturus and Albert's squad watched nervously as the group entered the corridor leading inside the structure! Just as the corridor began to fill with the same darkness that had heralded the disappearance of the goat, the group saw something that was not apparent to them when the goat was in their place; a stone door slammed down behind them while, simultaneously, the wall with the purple sickle and star symbol slid up into the ceiling; acting something like an ancient airlock which would clearly limit the number of people who could enter at any one time. Before their eyes was a square room, which they entered nervously; noting that the door that had shut behind them bore the same symbols on this side, suggesting it opened to the outside in a similar manner as to the inside.
The putrid smell of death permeated the air and commanded attention long before the group's spellcaster's conjured enough light to see the room properly; mixed in with musty, ancient dust, stale, dry air and the distinct, faint smell of candle wax added into the strange mix, of all things. The overall effect was quite discomforting and made the inhaler feel ill at ease. The only pre-existing source of light in the room seemed to be coming from some apparatus that included a candle in one corner of the room; the apparent source of the smell of wax.
Even as the light was conjured, a faint thrumming sound, like a low-pitched humming, seemed to be audible from the walls and floors of the interior of the structure. Other than this faint humming, the only sound that radiated through the chamber was the footfalls of the adventurer's that had entered here, particularly Qhude's heavy steps, laden as he was.
The eyes of the Umkhaya took in a variety of different things as they became visible. The fate of at least some, if not all, of Sargava's military forces that had entered was laid bare upon the smooth stone floor of the square room the group had wandered into; as well as the fate of the goat the Umkhaya had sent to its death. Dried blood splattered the walls of the rooms, spilt from over a dozen bodies scattered around the centre of the room which had been left to rot. The four walls of the room appeared to be thick, superior masonry walls that did not appear even the slightest bit blemished over the ages. The ceiling however, was entirely smooth and seemed to be made of square panels of metal rather than stone. Other than the blood splattered over them, the walls of the room were bare and unadorned. However, the south end of the room, opposite the north where the Umkhaya entered, boasted five statues, two pairs and a single, huge statue that seemed to lord over the whole room.
The statues were arranged in a line of five, neatly and symmetrically flanking the largest. The two outer statues were carved of white marble and were sculpted into formidable-looking, fully-armoured figures, each stood in a stoic pose as though blocking access or protecting something with the long, stone swords they held. Both carvings depicted the warriors with full helmets of a fashion that none among the group recognised; with a horizontal, arced slit that would seem quite quaint to today's armourers. Tall and imposing, the statues radiated stability and strength.
Beside these two stalwart carvings, directly flanking the largest statue, were two archers that bore a striking resemblance to N'bellocq; wiry, muscular individuals with unstrung bows held out, eyes scanning the horizon. While the race and ethnicity of the two armoured warriors would forever remain a mystery, the two scouts (or perhaps light infantry) were clearly Mwangi in nature; racial features as well as a darker shade of Marble had been used to make this clear.
The final statue was made of an extremely dark shade of some unknown stone, rendering the sculpture almost ebony black in colour. Humanoid in nature, the figure depicted was clearly not quite Human in any modern sense of the word. The unusually prominent forehead, sharply declined nose and especially thick neck all suggested that this figure was in fact, an Azlant. This insinuation was strengthened by the strange jewellery he was depicted as wearing, along with three small stones that appeared as though floating around his head, cunningly carved and held in place by the faintest of joiners to look like Ioun Stones. He was depicted as an ageing figure, with a receding hairline; in flowing robes that seemed to flare with the wind; the sculpting here was exquisite and almost impossible, it would surely seem. With one hand extended forward and eyes narrowed in focus, it seemed as though the figure depicted was straining against a mighty force or a great wind. The other hand clutched a sceptre almost as large as Qhude himself; made of pure gold and with hundreds of gemstones embedded into it! The middle-aged figure seemed carved as though to radiate nobility and strength of purpose. This largest statue stood leaning over a small well of water, accessible at his midriff level by a small marble stairway that allowed access from two sides. A plaque was engraved onto the figure's chest, just above the well, with small, neat script.
The final feature of the room that immediately struck the Umkhaya was a set of spiral stairs, which was walled off on every side by a waist high, stone wall except from the southern, just in front of the statue...
"Well," Kieran quips after swallowing perhaps a little too hard, "this is not foreboding at all."
Ansha smiles nervously at Kieran's wit, her staff aglow with a pale light. "Well, we know what happened to them," she remarks quietly. Murmuring a cantrip, she glances around the room in search of magical auras. "Let's proceed with caution. If it's not animate statues, then it was a trap of some sort that did them in. The question is, what's the trigger?"
She smiles thinly at the rogue. "Kieran?"
You are struck by a bewildering array of different magical auras around the room.
As Ansha falls silent and concentrates on her cantrip, she winces and staggers back a step, momentarily shielding her eyes. "The Lady's insatiable c--" she curses, more cautiously approaching the task as she lifts her gaze again. "This whole room's awash in magic."
N'bellocq squints in the faint light, but not venturing into the room, "We know where they ended but not what happened. So much blood on the walls...these guards died very, very violently...but how?
Going to one knee where he was standing, he tries to get a better look at the nearest corpse (from a distance) to see what type of wounds were present...but the light is very dim.
"I would suggest staying away from the middle of the room," Tebati observes grimly. "Ansha ... how could that candle possibly still be burning?" She doesn't yet approach or touch anything, letting Ansha and Kieran examine the room first, but her eyes wander freely. Her pride at seeing Mwangi features on the archer statues is tempered by annoyance that the Azlanti dominates. "Water ... and wind?" she muses to herself as she surveys the largest statue.
As the others examine the room Jakob finds his attention drawn to the door they entered by.
The noble approaches the entry door. "I expect they tried to leave this way, but best to check just in case."
"Ware!" Tebati cautions him sharply. "Whatever they tried ended with them like that," she nods to the scattered corpses. "I'd as soon not do what they did."
"Warning taken, but there are no bodies behind us and I am touching nothing we didn't just walk over."
Jakob finds that absolutely nothing happens as he approaches the exit door, while Tebati and N'bellocq could see from their stationary positions that the soldiers were slain by blunt trauma; powerful blows that crushed ribs, crushed flesh and broke spines.
Ansha first identified an magical aura that encompassed the entire room, walls, ceiling and floors as well as the corridor that the group came through; an aura of Strong Abjuration. The candle seemed to be attached to the wall and the wax dripping down it seemed to collect into something akin to a basin with a hole in the bottle; there was always a trickle of wax flowing into the ground-based basin, but it flowed down and into the floor at just the same rate. This apparatus radiated an aura of Moderate Conjuration, and the candle holder, which, was on closer inspection an intact humanoid skull, radiated an aura of Faint Necromancy. While the pool beneath the largest statue was magical, Ansha failed to identify its aura or the strength of it. In addition, one of the three auras upon the stairs' school of magic and strength escaped her, while the other two were an aura of Faint Conjuration and Faint Evocation.
Tebati and N'bellocq could see from their stationary positions that the soldiers were slain by blunt trauma; powerful blows that crushed ribs, crushed flesh and broke spines.
"The goat died as well," Tebati points out nervously, "and it could not manipulate anything in here. The guardian of this room must be triggered merely by advancing too far without the proper precautions."
Mouth agape in awe, Ansha looks around the room. "There's an aura of abjuration throughout this whole room, including that corridor we came through," she starts. "Strong, too...It might be an alarm, or a field that preserves this room from detioriation; I'm not sure. That...candle holder...reeks of conjuration and necromancy. It might summon some sort of guardian, if we trip whatever condition is its trigger. Possibly undead, given the necromancy magic from the skull. Don't go near the pool or the stairs yet--there are several auras there. I can't make out one, but more conjuration and possibly an explosive trap or something, from this bit of evocation."
"Then what do you suggest we do? Camp here in our footsteps until we run out of food?" Tebati asks testily. "We dare not approach anything, nor have we any clue how to proceed safely."
Ansha glances at Kieran. "I'm hoping that Kieran can find any trap triggers that are nearby. If we approach this methodically, searching out what's immediately ahead of us before moving in further, we should be okay." I hope.
"It is not exactly easy when I cannot move from where I am," Kieran remarks with a shrug, although he still does his best to scan the room, especially what is within their more immediate vicinity. The half-elf is looking for any telltale signs of traps that have either been sprung or are still untouched, such as parts of the floor that may seem uneven or sigils or runes that might denote traps of a magical nature. Still, without being able to move around and examine the room, his trapfinding skills are limited.
Qhude's limited patience was deeply strained as Kieran spent several minutes letting his eyes scan meticulously over the room; although the Rogue could not get eyes on the stairs from this angle. Perhaps more troubling than if he had found something, Kieran shrugged his shoulders as he was unable to spot any pressure plates or trap triggers...
Tebati turns challenging eyes back to Ansha. Now what? is the clear question.
Chewing gently on her lip in thought, Ansha is silent for several moments. Finally, she points toward the skull-and-candle apparatus. "Let's skirt the edge of the room toward that thing. Hug the wall, just in case."
Motioning for someone else to lead, she tries to spur the group in the direction she indicated.
Having no better suggestion, Tebati complies with Ansha's directions. "Stay together and touch nothing," she suggests to Qhude and N'bellocq.
Qhude finds his eyes drawn back to the massive statue between the warriors white and black... Eyes staring at it in first awe, then confusion... Then challenge. Planting his feet he puts his guisarme out to one side at an angle and drops the rations at his feet. Addressing the statue he barks "So? We have come... Black and white together... Is this all you offer? Death and darkness?"
"I'll step out there first...catch a monkey...dodge a statue...all the same skills." N'bellocq prepares to carefully move along the wall, watching where he will place each foot. But he freezes at Quude's challenge, sweat beaded on his brow.
N'bellocq awaits the pyramid's response or lack of one, before moving ahead.
"Want to make a contest out of it as well?" Kieran quips with a smile, the question a friendly challenge as he steps behind N'bellocq, moving carefully and concentrating on dodging whatever might happen that would need to be dodged. And then he almost bumps into the archer as he stops, following Qhude's challenge.
"Oh dear...," he mutters softly, almost expecting the strange building to answer the Bas'o's challenge in some suitably unpleasant manner.
"I'd rather have you see how this ends than have to be roused when the excitement is over," Tebati ribs Kieran gently. She is perhaps alone in not expecting the worst in answer to Qhude's shout. "You think the goat challenged the statues?" she points out.
Kieran and N'bellocq crept along the wall, Ansha motioning them along while Jakob returned from exploring the entrance corridor. They were halfway across when Qhude bellowed his challenge to the inanimate statues.
Perhaps in response to Kieran's footsteps or perhaps simply in response to Qhude's loud challenge, things began happening swiftly. Quick as an arrow, two panels opened in the ceiling of the room, both near the wall the group were gathered around. Landing smoothly and gracefully beside Tebati and between Kieran and N'bellocq, two men tumbled out of two seperate hidden recesses in the ceiling; the panels closing behind them just as rapidly as they had opened.
Both of the men were dressed in the manner of the ancient Azlant, their robes a deep and crimson green. Their distinctive foreheads, pale white skin, ebony black hair, noble pose and purple eyes seemed to mark them as members of that ancient and supposedly extinct race, although they lacked jewellery; or even armour, despite the battle stance they had adopted, fists raised. They seemed to be young men still, impossible as that would seem. They immediately launched their assault, speaking harshly in a tongue that not even the learned Ansha was familiar with.
Simultaneously, the humming sound in the room intensified, and the eastern wall of the chamber exploded into colour- images beginning to display on the wall with no discernible source, as though telling a story; and slowly beginning to move on to subsequent sections of wall while the oldest images began to fade. Unless the illusion was somehow set to loop or could be triggered again later, a chance to witness ancient history and lore could be lost forever unless someone was to forsake the fight and follow the images...
Qhude-
Jakob-
Ansha-
Kieran-
Tebati-
N'bellocq-
Azlant-
Round 1-
Ordered Initiative-
Kieran- 22
Ansha- 19
N'bellocq- 18
Azlant- 18
Tebati- 18
Jakob- 8
Qhude- 4
Active Effects-
Map-
Notes-
Action-
"The Lady's insati--!" Ansha curses again, this time in surprise as the two Azlanti drop from the ceiling. "Watch out!"
She goes through the gestures of an arcane spell quickly, murmuring a handful of arcane phrases. At the completion of her incantation, multiple images of the elven enchantress appear, and in a swirl of illusory magic, there are now five of her.
N'bellocq's eyes go wide as the figure drops in front of him. He snaps off a shot more as a reflex than actually aiming.
followed by an equally reckless quick second shot.
Kieran's curved sword is in his hand and ready to strike almost as soon as the strange men's feet touch the floor. And strike he does, turning to face the newly arrived opponent and bringing his blade along with him in a fluid slashing motion. "This is for the poor defenseless goat," he quips as the fight begins.
The two Azlant figures seem almost surprised at the group's resistance and both of N'bellocq's arrows and Kieran's sword struck true. However, neither sword nor arrowhead seemed to draw blood from the man- the arrows embedding themselves deep into the man's body and the sword cutting a chunk from the man's arm; a chunk of flesh that seems far harder and of a different texture than flesh ought to be.
With fists that felt like stone, each of the men began to attack a different target and both N'bellocq and Tebati found themselves being severely bruised by hammer-like blows to their body and armour.
Qhude reacts with surprise, then his nostrils flare with fury as the Sangoma is struck. Stepping forward and to the side he brings his rope wrapped blade across and down in a brutal cross strike, seeking to crush that which threatens them.
Qhude's blade cut across the man's mid-riff in a disembowelling strike; but no blood was forthcoming from the blow, which simply left a gaping slash in the Azlant's stomach. Jakob struck out with his longspear past Tebati as she began to move, the point of his weapon connecting but not piercing the Azlant's flesh, or whatever was mimicking it...
As Qhude maneuvers around to bring his guisarme to bear on their attacker, Tebati steps back between him and Jakob, wrapping her fingers around her holy driftwood. "Shimye-Magalla, defend me," she beseeches, calling a coldly-glowing trident into existence which jabs at the Azlant with accuracy but without much force. She draws her own more mundane version of her goddess's weapon. "These are no living men. What are they?"
Round 2-
Ordered Initiative-
Kieran- 22
Ansha- 19
N'bellocq- 18
Azlant- 18
Jakob- 8
Qhude- 4
Tebati- 3
Active Effects-
Mirror Image Ansha
Spiritual Weapon Tebati
Rage Qhude
Map-
Notes-
Action-
As the fight began, the images on the wall swirled and changed, moving closer towards the statues as the illusion continued to progress along the wall. The humming sound in the room continued to rise in volume...
Round 2:
Speaking one curt word that strangely echoed from each image and with a flung arm, a bolt of magical force knifes into the stone-man between Kieran and N'bellocq.
"If I had to guess, I'd say some type of automaton," Ansha's various images glance over their collective shoulders to reply to Tebati.
If I needed to roll anything, I did it off-screen. And you shouldn't be peeking ;).
Ansha's magical missiles seemed to pass into the Azlant without any apparent effect- the knives of force fizzling as they impacted harmlessly against the man; much like Tebati's trident, which seemed incapable of harming the ancient Human.
N'bellocq grunts from the impact, "They seem real enough despite not bleeding like men." The pain does not prevent him from firing two more arrows with surprising accuracy.
"They can not bleed all they like," Kieran retorts as he stabs at the strange figure's abdomen with his blade, "as long as they die at some point."
It was hard to deny the effectiveness of N'bellocq and Kieran's partnership as two more arrows left gouges in the thing's abdomen and Kieran's sword stroke severed the arm of the humanoid. It was also hard to deny the humanoid figures were surprisingly durable as they continued to relentlessly assault their targets, the second, less damaged Azlant pursuing Tebati despite the polearms of Qhude and Jakob. Once more their armour was not sufficient to stop two more crushing blows wounding them, from hands as hard as rock.
Jakob tossed aside the longspear and held his ground, urging Tebati to continue falling back. Drawing his club, he made a clumsy swing for the Azlant-imitator, missing. He shifted to provide a flank for Qhude who stepped back and swung the Guisarme; unfortunately stepping in a little too close as he struck and robbing the blow of power.
Tebati clutches her holy symbol, summoning a wave of positive energy to heal herself and her cousin, before fixing an angry look on the Azlant-thing attacking her and trying to duck away before it can bring his fists to bear once again.