Aware of how dangerous the constructs down here seemed to be, Maria took a moment to down her barkskin extract before circling around to get in position to try and flank the machine.
Sara stabs the clockwork angel twice with her adamantine arrow.
Safina challenges the construct and opens fire, scoring two hits that wreck its internal gears!
The clockwork turns its ire on Sara, slicing her up with its flaming greatsword.
Zhi grits her teeth and seeks out the constructs weak points, attempting to slide her narrow blades into places larger weapons wouldn't fit. Her eyes flare green as she imbues her attacks with some of her own magical energy.
Melodie closes in and stabs with her dagger - unable to help in any other way.
Zileska somehow manages to reach out and pinch Sara's butt in the middle of the fray, and it somehow seems encouraging.
Zhi notices Zileska's efforts on Sara's behalf.
Surprised by the pinch, Sara flushes, but doubles down on her attack, throwing a couple desperate punches before kicking the thing in the stomach with her new and fantastically sharpened heels.
Taking advantage of Sara's distraction, Zhi stabs at the rear of the construct's knee.
Melodie drives her dagger into the angel's side, Sara's punches have little effect on the construct since it is immune to nonlethal damage and cannot feel fear. But she uses her heels to devastating effect, and Zhi capitalize on her assault, stabbing the angel repeatedly with her rapier. The damage proves to be too much for the clockwork to handle, and it falls heavily, broken beyond repair.
After verifying that the rest of the ladies are minimally harmed, Zhi settles into step next to Melodie.
"You're going to turn me gray prematurely jumping into the fray like that," she says with a grin. "At least allow me the illusion that you're safe." She kisses her on the cheek before moving to check the eastern hallway for traps while the rest look over the remains of the clockwork.
It seems the clockwork infused the great sword with magic while holding it. Now it is simply a masterwork weapon.
Five stone sarcophagi with relief-carved covers rest in this irregularly shaped hall. Painted scenes of battle and construction wind around the room, spanning nearly from fl to ceiling. A sprawling floor mosaic portrays a map of the eastern Inner Sea region. Candelabras slowly light up to provide illumination like in the previous chamber. Zhi finds no traps in this room.
Each sarcophagus’s cover portrays the person to whom it’s dedicated with detailed relief carvings that include short epitaphs and numerous symbolic images. Beginning at the north, these four depict Iamindra of Cassomir, high priest of Abadar and an unflappable minister depicted in clerical vestments and carrying a pair of keys; Akistair of Oppara, Taldaris’s aide-de-camp and hero from the Day of Sundered Yews, depicted in chainmail and holding an empty scabbard; Ohalia of Zimar, Taldaris’s fearless general depicted with a breastplate, helm, and spear; and Remall of Wayontas (an abandoned city-state near present-day Golsifar), the scholar who revolutionized Taldan architecture, depicted with a scale and a book. The centermost sarcophagus commemorates the people of Taldor as a whole.
You can detect auras of magic from within the sarcophagi of Iamindra, Akistair, and Remail.
"I'm not sure we should take these." Mel offers, "These are grave goods - memorials to Taldan Heroes. Shouldn't we let them rest in peace?"
"We should," Zhi says quietly as brushes the back of her hand across her chin. "However, as much as I hate the idea, we need every resource we can get and Morilla gave us leave to take what we deem 'needed'."
She looks at her wife and shrugs.
Sara rubs her hands together giddily at the sight of the sarcophagi. Now this, this was right up her alley. Graverobbing was a muscle she hadn't stretched in a loooong time.
She reaches into her purse and pulls out her cold iron crowbar, when Melodie expresses her own concerns.
"We don't even know what is inside them yet," Sara protests, eager to break in.
The muscles in her wrist suddenly twinge and she reflexively gazes at her scar, not remembering it is not there. Gone. No connections to her past, to the necromancer Hare, nor to the graverobbing and ghouling he pressured her into. She didn't have to begin again.
"We should at least have a look," she blushes, lowering her crowbar. There is no conviction behind her words, just guilt and frustration.
"We'll have a look," Zhi says, giving Sara a soft smile. She moves to assist the woman to open the stone containers, checking them over first for nasty surprises.
"I don't understand the hesitation," says Zileska. "We're here because if we don't save Taldor from civil war, it will be as dead as these former potentates. I can't think of a better inheritance for them than to put their treasures to use to save the Empire they loved one more time."
Finding no traps, you open the sarcophagi. Each is empty but for a single item that was important to that person; the remains have seemingly been relocated. Iamindra’s sarcophagus contains a malleable symbol in the shape of Abadar’s holy symbol, Akistair’s contains a scabbard of keen edges, Ohalia’s contains a non-magical horn made of iron and shaped like a roaring lion, and Remall’s contains a blessed book that contains dismissal, greater heroism, legend lore, and mage’s sword.
Overruled Melodie says no more, not wanting to cause any conflict within the group. She does however ask that the coffins be reclosed before continuing on to the next area of the tomb.
Zhi looks over the three items that have a magical aura about them. She passes the holy symbol to Zileska and looks through the book before returning it to where they retrieved it.
"I don't think we should keep the book," she says. "It's not useful to any of us other than selling it and that's not why we're here."
She looks around at the others and dusts off her hands before continuing. "Either myself or Maria could make use of the scabbard."
Zhi replaces the scabbard that she keeps Koriana's Blade in with the one from the sarcophagus and drops the old one into her bag. She then indicates for Sara's help as they close the stone coffins back up.
The rogue nods at her wife and then moves back to the main hall and begins checking the southern hall for traps before moving through it.
Zileska turns the holy symbol over and over in her hands, frowning and concentrating on it. Then, on one rotation, it suddenly shifts as it's turning over and becomes a tri-bladed shape instead of a key.
Zileska's eyes narrow wickedly and a huge grin spreads across her face.
"I suppose I can use this," she says.
Zhi discovers more subtle runes indicating the presence of a magical trap in the hallway! The runes are related to conjuration magic...
The rogue holds up her hand to prevent anyone from moving past the trigger point and then pulls out her tools and proceeds to methodically examine and then attempt to disarm the enchantment.
She spends some time examining the runes before very carefully scratching through a single odd shaped one with one of her sharp picks.
"I think that was the binder rune. Everything else should be unbound now and it should be safe," she says with a sigh. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and walks past the trigger point.
This hall’s ceiling soars to thirty feet high. The room tapers to a rounded point at the south, where a tall golden statue of a young, muscular man stands before a sarcophagus, one hand resting on the hilt of a sword at his waist and the other holding out a rolled-up scroll. Low wall partitions partly seal the southernmost area, where a spiral staircase descends.
Zhi moves forward cautiously, keeping an eye on the golden statue the entire time.
"Is there where he would be?" she asks, gesturing towards the guarded coffin. She quickly checks for any magical auras around the room before returning her attention to the sarcophagus.
She quickly checks it for traps before gesturing for Sara to help her open it.
There are no magical auras. Opening the sarcophagus reveals it is empty. While Zhi doesn't find any traps in this room itself, the top of the stairs bears subtle runes of transmutation magic...
"Thought that would be too easy," Zhi says over the empty stone tomb. "Downstairs we go then."
The tools of her trade make another appearance as she sets to work on the runes on the stairway.
After a bit of work, she announces the stairway safe, stores her tools and begins descending the stone steps.
The stairs descend 40 feet to another chamber. This octagonal room bears numerous murals showing First Emperor Taldaris and several companions slaying beasts, making offerings, and raising the columns of great buildings.
These paintings depict many deeds performed by Taldaris: Taldaris being raised by a pair of lions, his companions slaying a pair of green dragons and chopping down the towering forest beyond, Taldaris making an offering of a gigantic bull’s head to Abadar, the general Ohalia driving a spear through the chest of a regally dressed giant, and many more. This art favors the two-dimensional pre-imperial style, and after six millennia with little maintenance, the pigments have faded considerably or sloughed off entirely in places.
Passages exit to the east, south, and west.
Still on edge from the trap on the stairway, Zhi wastes no time before checking the exits from the room for more traps.
When she finishes, it's clear that the stress is starting to weigh on her.
Zhi finds glyphs of warding by the west and south passages.
The two stylized lions painted on the wall suddenly emerge, rapidly growing to full size. One paces back and forth, staring at you judgmentally. "What are your intentions in this sacred place?" it asks.
The other lion approaches closer and sniffs at you inquisitively. "Yeah, who are you guys? Got anything good to eat?"
"Oh! You two are adorable!" says Zileska, clapping her hands together. "Let me guess, in the image of the lions who raised Taldanis, yes?"
"I'm sorry but I don't think we're carrying any significant quantities of food but we could certainly get some for you!"
She pauses and smooths out her skirt and then says, "Ahem. I'm sorry, I'm being rude. This is Melodie and she can explain who we are and what we're doing here." She gestures to the "team leader."
Melodie waits behind her wife, offering soothing words and a gentle back-rub as she feels the pressure her wife is under.
When the lions appear Melodie takes a deep breath in order to supress exactly the same reaction that Zileska has before stepping forwards on cue.
"Greetings guardians. I'm Melodie and we are here on behalf of Prince Eutropia Stavian, rightful Emperess of Taldor and heir to Taldaris. We're seeking the Mantle of Kings so that Eutropia can demonstrate her right to rule the Empire and prevent a ruinous civil war. We have done our best to respect this place and have fought only in self defence. You are welcome to some food if you would like."
She fishes in her bag for the treat bags she has started carrying ever since her wife began getting pregnancy cravings. "Try these if you like. They have a lot of flavour!"
The gregarious lion munches happily on the offered treats, licking his lips. "Delicious! I'm Luccaro, and that's Myrllial." The other lion grunts standoffishly. "You serve the Empress? That's good. Only upstanding agents of the highest authority in the empire may enter this place. I'd say you fit the bill!"
"You may pass freely," Myrllial grumbles. "But ware the room to the west. It is trapped to punish anyone who would aspire to steal the stars in the ceiling above without first building a foundation of deeds upon which to stand."
"We weren’t awake to see what happened to the one intruder who ever got that far," Luccaro adds. "We only awoke to a brief gasp before the mutilated body hit the ground. Nasty business, that."
"Thank you." Melodie replies, scratching Luccaro behind the ears as he nibbles at the treats. "Thank you both for your adivce. We will avoid the stars."
She looks to the rest of the group. "Take a quick look in the west room and then leave it if there's nothing important? I'd say leave it alone entirely, but we should probably check, just in case."
Zhi seems quite appreciative of the attention Mel gives her. Leaning back and groaning at the back-rub.
"Oh, don't do that. I won't let you stop," she says quietly before continuing her exploration.
~~~~
When it appears that the lions aren't immediately threatening, the rogue takes the opportunity to disable the glyphs.
She returns to the group to find one of the lions munching on her treats and raises her eyebrow at her wife.
She shakes her head and then moves on to take a careful look into the western room before moving to the eastern passage.
This elliptical room has a magnificent domed ceiling painted to resemble the night sky with scores of different constellations. The night sky depicted above contains many of the stars visible above Taldor in spring. Another hall exits from the far side of the room.
Zhi spots the magical trap here, but deduces that not looking up at the stars while in the room should keep you safe from harm.
Low shelves line this room, collapsed in several places under the weight of precious ornaments and vases. Numerous coins and art objects are here, though none of them are magical.
"There's nothing here of immediate use," Zhi says, looking over the precious items. "We should leave this be."
At the appearance of the lions, Maria was cautious but Safina (and anyone else familiar with her body language) would have noticed her tail moving a little quicker as she almost went into the same reaction that Zileska had.
The lions ended up keeping her too distracted to properly take in the western room or recognise the details. Something she would no doubt be kicking herself about once they were done in the tomb.
Noting Mel and the others reactions to the lions causes Zhi to hide an affectionate smile.
Zhi moves from the eastern room to the southern exit.
Melodie does very good 'puppy eyes'.
"I suppose you are guardians of the tomb." She says, slightly whistfully to the lions. "If you ever wanted to leave and explore we'd be happy to have you come with us..."
"Sorry." She whispers to her wife. "I've still got plenty for you, they're just so cute and I thought a gift would put us on good terms!"
"Thank you for the offer, but it's our sworn duty to keep this place safe from those who would defile it," Luccaro says to Melodie. "But you are welcome to visit us any time! Especially if you bring more treats!"
This roughly rectangular room contains numerous inset stone shelves that host dozens of ceramic, stone, and wooden figures. Although most of the figures depict humans, elves, and dwarves, there are also several domesticated animals and wild beasts. Two of the lion figurines radiate magic.
The northwest wall bears a painted funeral procession with more than one hundred figures that proceed northeast. The painted scene shows Taldaris’s body being prepared for burial, followed by Taldaris’s spirit receiving blessings from both Abadar and Pharasma.
"These are definitely magical..." Melodie concludes. "Zil? Maria? Can you be more specific?"
Zhi restrains a laugh, thankful for for the lightness of the moment and smiles at her wife.
She then leans in and gives her a quick peck on the lips.
~~~~
Zhi steps closer and peers at the aura the statuettes give off.
The statuettes give off auras of transmutation magic.
"Hmm... says Zileska. "Early Taldan funeral customs borrowed from Osirion. That procession shows Taldaris' body being carried to its final resting place. These figurines are ushabtis, statues designed so that in the afterlife they will function as servants and guardians to Taldaris' sahu. Those two, the magical ones, are probably guardian figurines. This procession shows Taldaris being received by Abadar and Pharasma. It's um... hmm. This shows a whole community - all the people of the world and their livestock and pets, in miniature. A symbol of how Taldaris was 'leader of the world,' if you will. Calling him back will mean calling for Abadar to accede to the ritual of return, calling on Pharasma to release his spirit back to the world for a time, and bringing together the trappings of the world to indicate that the Empire is in great need and all the people and their livelihood depends upon him once more."
"We'll take the guardian figurines and leave the rest," Zhi says. "Again, we may have need of them."
She gives one to Sara and one to Melodie and then makes her way to the western hallway.
"It looks like this hall is trapped, but if we don't look up we should be safe. So let's move through it as quickly as possible without looking up."
She then leads the way through.
When Zhi grabs the figurines, two golden humanoids step forth from the southeastern wall. They are clad in gleaming armor and wield glowing halberds. Zileska recognizes them as shabtis, constructs designed to suffer the fate of a mortal soul while the real soul escapes punishment in the afterlife! They condemn you in Celestial as they move to attack.
Zhi steps back enough to enable her to cast her spell of speed before drawing her weapons. She also activates the scabbard imbuing Koriana's Blade with Keen.