"Yesz I agree asz well. Let's check the last door in the north west and then explore the other side."
At Nimaethep and Asa's voluntering to take point on trapfinding, Sirusk contently hangs back, "Thisz one is pretty good at trapsz too but will hang in rear guard. Let me know if there isz ssomething up there you need help with."
Sirusk readies his sawtooth saber in his main hand and a tonfa in the other hand and follows the group behind Infernis.
Asa watches as Cerastes and Sirusk arm themselves. She frees a crossbow from its straps on her pack, pulls back the string and slides a bolt into its groove. Holding the bow in one hand, she fingers the flasks and vials strapped into their slots on her bandoliers. "Right then, lets see what we find." She turns to the catfolk, "I guess we're taking the lead."
Nimaethep took a couple of slow, deep breaths to control her excitement as the others prepared their weapons, she needed a clear mind to focus on the task at hand.
She smiled at Asa ”Let us see what the past has to offer us today”
As Nimaethep moved down the hall, she was ever alert to anything that looked out of the ordinary. Patterns in the sand and dust, nooks and crannies, unusual stonework. Even a slight change in temperature or the presence of static could be a clue that something magical was present.
Unfortunately, she kept getting distracted. Always out of the corner of her eye there were motes of dust shifting or a bit of stray breeze that suddenly came out of nowhere. Nimaethep found searching for traps beside Asa very challenging.
"What did you already explore...
Moving to the Northwest section, you open the door to the plain narrow corridor. Nothing is visible now where the scything trap had felled Ibrahim and Rose.
You see no trace of blood now, either cleaned up or absorbed. There is not much in the way of dust in here, but you can tell that a number of feet have traveled through the corridor going in over the last week or so, but only one has come back out.
As the group approaches the corridor Asa slows to examine the area thoroughly. "You say this is where your companions were felled?" She takes a few minutes to make sure it's safe.
She shakes her head. "Strange, I'm not seeing any blood. Although quite a few people have gone in there recently, It looks like only one person has made it back out."
"Yesz, interesting. Thisz is definitely where the blades hit Rose and Ib. It does not seem right for the blood to be gone.", Sirusk confers with Asa.
"Nimaethep, do you wish to do the honors on the trapsz? This one can help some, I did see them go off the first time. Those slits there ... and there ...," Sirusk says pointing ... " those are where the blades came out. I wonder if there is a mechanism somewhere."
Akil-Khalid looks around for any surprises too.
"So you think this is dangerous?"
At this you think back on your companions who fell here.
The priests at the Temple told you that they were afflicted with something that was both disease as well as curse, but not Mummy Rot.
If it was something on the scythe, well you could bypass it and that would be that.
But what if they had caught it somewhere else? What if some pocket of the Plague of Madness that had decimated Wati long millennia ago still lingered here somewhere?
With the features of the trap pointed out, searching for its trigger was much simpler.
"Thank you Sirusk, I welcome the assistance" As she proceeds to disable the device, Nimaethep notes that although he is assisting her, Sirusk seems to have a little more experience than she does in dealing with the mechanisms.
"Your work is very good, there may be a thing or two that I could learn from you. Where did you learn you skills?"
Asa's eyes follow Sirusk's guidance. "I can also help. Thanks for pointing out the mechanisms. It is refreshing to work with so many who know their way around the dangers of the ancient crypts."
Inferis sits contemplating something as the rest works on the trap. "I've been thinking. The priests at the Temple told us that our old companions were afflicted with something that was both disease as well as curse, but not Mummy Rot.
If it was something on the scythe, well we could bypass it and that would be that.
But what if they had caught it somewhere else? What if some pocket of the Plague of Madness that had decimated Wati long millennia ago still lingered here somewhere?"
"Thank you Nimaethep. Yesz this one hasz a particular set of skillsz first learned from yearsz of forced training by a vile master. He sent me to do jobz he would not. Eventually he taught me too much and got too drunk. Now, thisz one is free and practices his trade in ways more honoring to the Green Empress, Wadjet, ancient Osiriani godess of purity and trade."
With the approximate position of the scythe swing path already known, it is a simple matter of careful searching before you find the concealed pressure plate and disable the deadly trap.
With the trap disabled, you are free to move down the hall to the far doorway.
The door here is an unornamented interior stone door, simple but solidly constructed. You see no traps or locks.
Nimaethep examined the pressure plate. It was a fairly basic design, the moveable stone was disguised well among the patterns of the other stones on the floor, the groove around it barely noticeable. Although the floor was remarkably clean considering the place was supposed to be abandoned she took out a small brush and swept around the outline of the stone to be certain the work area was free of sand.
In the sandy environment the architect of the device couldn't set the trigger stone perfectly flush against the surrounding floor as even a few grains of stray sand could jam it, and so a small gap remained around it. Nimaethep took several lengths of thin twine and a long flat wooden slat. She set one of the pieces of twine along one edge of the trigger stone and very carefully teased it down into the gap with the wooden slat. She continued to do this until only the ends of the twine were protruding from either corner of the stone. Then she delicately coaxed the string around the corners until she got it to run under the trigger stone.
She handed a bundle of strings to Sirusk so that he could start work on the opposite side of the stone. One by one she ran several more strings under the stone until she was confident that there were enough to support its weight. When they were done, there were two bundles of strings that ran down the gap on one side of the trigger, across the bottom of the stone and up the other gap forming a makeshift sling. When Sirusk was done she gave Asa a pair of small shims. When everyone was ready, Nimaethep took both ends of one bundle of strings while Sirusk took the other. Asa loosely placed the shims in the gap and applied gentle pressure to make sure they remained in place. If the stone dropped, there was a chance it would catch on the shims and be wedged in the hole before it hit the mechanism below.
The stone was carefully lifted out of its resting spot and placed aside. With the stone out of the way and the mechanism exposed, it was then a trivial matter of cutting a cord and jamming a gear in place to ensure the device was inoperable.
Akil looks around checking if sees anything out of the ordianery.
With the deadly scythe trap rendered inoperative, Asa looks ahead to the unexplored corridor.
"This door looks safe, Cerastes, Akil-Khalid, do you two want to take point as we enter?"
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Cerastes moves forward, places the butt of his spear on the floor, and leans the shaft into the crook of his shield arm elbow. Thus freeing up his weapon hand he grasps the stone doors handle, gives it a turn, and shoves it inward just enough that the latch can't fall back into place. Grabbing his spear again in his weapon hand he gives the door a more forceful push with his foot intending to step forward in a defensive posture behind his shield with his spear pointed forward over its edge.
The Chamber of Readiness
Pushing in with the subtle grinding of stone on stone, you step into the next room. A quick glance revealed no obvious threats.
This 30' octagonal chamber is empty save for a large metal chest against the eastern wall. A series of hieroglyphs are inscribed on the wall above it.
Stone doors are set in both the southern (where you entered) and northern walls. More hieroglyphs are inscribed on the Northern door.
"CRYPTS" is inscribed prominently on the North Door. "Restricted Access" is inscribed in smaller characters below it.
The chest is unlocked and empty.
read...:
“The righteous and the holy have no need of staff, rod, or ring. Place your faith in the Good Magister and walk without fear.”
The “Good Magister” phrase refers to the Sanctum’s high priest and refers to that person’s control of magic, not his righteousness.
The crypts below the Sanctum were restricted, but acolytes, lesser priests, traveling clerics, and special visitors were allowed entry if escorted by the high priest.
Before descending into the crypts, however, they were expected to leave their magic items in the chest in this room, which they were assured was safe behind several locked doors and traps.
Asa quickly looks around the room. "That door leads to the crypts below, but there are restrictions." She points to the northern door. "The inscription over the chest says that magic items aren't allowed downstairs. The high priest would watch over items left in this chest and make sure they remained safe until the visitors returned."
"I'm not entirely sure if this was cultural or if there might be a more practical reason to restrict magic items down there." Asa continues. "All visitors where escorted by the high priest. Who would make sure they returned safely." Asa shares all that she can determine from the inscriptions.
Inferis enchants, "Drasheaze" and scans the room.
Nimaethep scans the room and reaches into her pack. A look of dismay crosses her face as she says somewhat sheepishly "I seem to have forgotten that I left my journal with my previous companions to help them in their endeavors and neglected to purchase a new one. Does anyone have a few pages that I might borrow record our finds? I will compensate you when we return."
She proceeds to quickly sketch the layout of the room and record the writings on the wall. . She is totally unfamiliar with the rituals and practices described, but eagerly notes down Asa's observations in her documentation of the room.
"Asa, you said that there were signs of several people entering but only one coming out. Does it look like they went into the crypt, or perhaps there is another way out of this room?"
"I wonder what the high priest was protecting visitors from down there." she muttered absently as she continued to record the groups findings.
"Hmm, thisz one doesn't want to leave his magicks stuff here, unguarded especially. Hopefully it wasz more a tradition and not a curse or trap if one bring them."
"Is thisz god Magister still active. Thisz one has never heard of him.
"Nimaethep, sorry thisz one doesn't have a journal or any paper. We did find a room with lots of scrolls and paper all around the floor. It isn't far from here. Perhapsz there is some empty paper there."
Akil nods to Asa and with his iron in hand moves into the room, ready to be attacked!
"What kind of enemies did you encounter here so far?"
"Asa, you said that there were signs of several people entering but only one coming out. Does it look like they went into the crypt, or perhaps there is another way out of this room?"
You also turn up the fainter tracks of multiple people heading north
through this area.
After scanning the room Akil-Khalid points ahead with his scimitar.
"Hmm one set of bloody prinzs go south snd some faded once north."
"Hmm, an interesting puzzle, isn't it? Are the bloody prints leaving this room a survivor of something, or the reason the other never left."
Asa studies the floor for a moment, following a line faint rust colored smudges. "Well, it's enough to say that a group of people came in before us and went into the crypts. But only one of them came back up."
Asa looks up at Cerastes. "Looks like you've got yourself a claim jumper at the very least."
She walks over to the chest on the eastern wall. "I wonder, would we be safer putting our magic items in here, or taking them with us."
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Cerastes' jaw tightens in disapproval, "Yes, perhaps they are still around and we will be able to claim what is rightfully ours....or some of their number never made it out and we can discover who they are by who they left behind." He glances over toward the chest, "with thieves around, I do not intend to leave my things where they can be easily stolen."
"There appears to be no magic at work. Perhaps it was merely a ritualistic or security precaution with no adverse magical effect. I am not in favor of leaving my magic here either."
”Then let us proceed with caution, shall we?” Nimaethep proceeds to the North and carefully examines the door there.
The north stone door is the same as the south, untrapped and unlocked.
Opening it, you find yourselves at the top landing of a stairway leading down and East.
The dust is thicker here, and even untrained you can see the footprints of a number of people descending, and one ascending with traces of blood.
Checking the stairway for traps or magic, you find neither.
You realize that the upper Sanctum was constructed so that even the wings were dimly lit with reflected sunlight funneled through the Dome of Nethys. Down below, there is none of that.
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The big man intones an arcane syllable and his spear starts to glow with a golden radiance. "I apologize if this causes difficulties for anyone able to see through this darkness. I am not so gifted." Setting himself next to the door just searched he addresses Nimaethep, " Miw.t, do you wish me to open it or do you wish to remain ahead looking for deadly mechanisms?"
"Ahh, thisz one thanks you for the light, Cerastes. Though thisz darknesss is limiting, it is probably best to explore these hallsz. If we are spread out, I am not sure a single light will do though. I will stay near the rear and use thisz.
Sirusk pulls out a sunrod and lights it.
Nimaethep shielded her eyes momentarily as the bright lights flared to life. "Thank you for the illumination. I'll open the door, I would not ask another to take a risk I was not willing to take myself."
With the lights lit and the door open, Nimaethep cautiously descends the stairs.
Asa taps her temple. "I'm good, but thank you for the light. It's best if we all can see the dangers down there."
She waits for Nimaethep to open the door. "I'll take point, keep an eye out."
Slowly descending into the darkness, Asa watches for danger.
You travel down thirty feet into the ground before being confronted by another stone door the same as the last, no locks or traps.
Opening it reveals a strange sight.
At first you think you’re blind. Then you are astonished as it seems to you you’re in the middle of deep space standing on the milky way.
Then your eyes finally adjust and you realize that you are in an octagonal chamber. Matte black tiles line the 10ft. high walls and ceiling. A stone bench sits against the eastern wall, which along with torch sconces appear to be floating on nothing at all. Glossy black tiles line the floor, giving a fine glittering appearance in your light source.
A short passage to the south ends at a gate of bronze bars.
Sirusk draws upon his serpent heritage and sniffs the air. More curious, he bends down and runs his fingers on the ground and walls.
"Friendsz, there is no dust in thisz room. Thisz one thinks thiss iszn't normal. Perhapss Magicks? But why ...".
Asa steps down into the darkness. "Hmm, we travel through the starry night to the afterlife of the ancients." She kneels and carefully brushes her long delicate fingers along the dustless floor. "Something or someone must keep this place clean. Either way, our interloper passed beyond that gate. So, I must assume that is where we go next ourselves."
Inferis enchants, "Drasheaze" and scans the room.
Nimaethep smiles as she examines the room, gently running her fingers across the black wall. "This is remarkable. Who was this temple dedicated to?" she asks while examining the fascinating visual illusion of being afloat in the night sky.
"Not a trace of dust, do you suppose there magic at work here?"
After examining the room she turns her attention to the bronze gate, inspecting it for traps.
Akil-Khalid looks around and shrugs."What can you see Inferis?"
Camris, are the squares 10ft or 5ft?
This is remarkable. Who was this temple dedicated to?"
The iconography is distinctive. This temple was dedicated to Nethys, God of Magic.
Despite the difficulty of the locked gate, it is the work of less than twenty seconds before Nimathep is able to trip the lock open with a *click*.
Beyond the bronze gate, you can see into the antechamber.
Pairs of stone doors exit this empty room to the east and west, each emblazoned with black-and-white mask symbol of Nethys.
Standing against the southern wall of the room is a statue of Nethys made of rune carved clay.
Asa bends down to check the floor for any remaining traces of the bloody tracks.
"They must of come this way, but which door did they go through?"