Lori catches up to Max and the others and sees the staircase a head of them. "Eh, this doesn't look to safe. Maybe the strong guys should test it out first and make sure us ladies can get across safely." She suggest and looks cautiously at the condition of everything.
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A flight of steps gradually descends to the west down this passage. Halfway down the stairs, small holes and burrowed tunnels riddle what remains of the passage’s southern wall.
Earth and sand have spilled over the collapsed masonry, covering the stairs with dirt and rubble. Stone doors engraved with a golden scarab, its wings open beneath a golden sun block the far end of the stairs
Ra-Khefer thinks the walls are safe to pass
"Think it was all those holes in the wall? What do you think made them anyway?" Lori asks.
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As if in answer to Lori's question there is a sudden movement of the sand and something large strikes at the Dwarf as he turns away from the wall.
This creature appears to be a large snake formed of earth and sand. A
slit seems to function as the creature’s mouth.
Bite
Damage and Ra-Khefer is grievously wounded
Round 1
Cerastes
Lori
Max
Inferis
Ra-Khefer
Creature
"Great Pharaoh's ghost!" Max nearly jumps out of his boots at the creature's appearance. He draws his whip, but seeing Khefer take a nasty bite, chants an odd little rhyme and lays hands upon the dwarf. "Iggu piggu fay, no death for you today"
Lori laughs as the sand in the hallway rises up as giant snake. "I don't know what the hell this thing is, but finally I have something to shoot!" Lori says with a grin and raises her pistol before taking a shot at the sand serpent.
"Its hide is too thick to cut, we've gotta tenderize it. Time for a right clubbing. Not much of a brain either, so no mind-magic."
Inferis levels her hand and chants "Shiz'koom" as a ball of black energy slams into the snake.
Max looks for an opening. When Cerastes falls, he sees it. The halfling twirls his whip in a spiral at the creature, kicking up a fan of sand and grit in it's serpentine face.
Lori curses as she misses the blasted thing. She swiftly reloads her pistol and takes aim at the great beast again. She lets out a long sigh to calm her shaking hand before taking another shot at the hulking serpent.
Inferis points her hand at the creature and chants "Kreash'rah!"
Lori cocks a grin as she reloads her pistol. "Well that was fun. Everyone alright?"
"Cooiee. Too close for comfort there. But as they say, any fight you can walk away from." Once he's sure his comrades are in an acceptable state, Max inspects, then tries to open the door beyond the elemental's burrows.
"wait, we're going forward? What about we check the room behind us first?" Lori says and pokes her thumb towards the closed doors opposite the elemental's chamber.
"The next time we face one of those things, you might want to forget the axe and just whack it with your shield" Max suggests.
He shrugs at Lori "If you want, I was hoping to avoid walking back and forth past that creepy mirror as much as possible."
Lori looks at Max's forehead and chuckles softly into her free hand. "I guess I can see why."
"Yeah, reeeaal funny." Max tries to lever open the door in front of him to escape further ridicule.
"you know, there's easier ways to get a tattoo, Maxy" Lori teases as she follows him down the hallway.
Inferis frowns at Cerastes, "I wouldn't take this brand lightly. What happens when we return to this blasted land and the inhabitants see it?"
"I don't get what's the big deal with tomb robbing here anyway. It's not like the people here need it. I know when I die I rather someone take my stuff than be burred with it. It could help the living live another day. I hope that doesn't make me sound like b!tch" Lori says as Inferis and Cerastes approach.
"And what if it was a memento for your child..." Inferis lets a tear form in her eye before continuing, "People can get touchy about their family and ancestors even if the dead don't care."
Lori stays quiet after Inferis' remark. "I"m sorry, I didn't know" She manages to say after a moment.
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Again the doors open at the slightest push..
A tapestry hangs from a frame against the south wall of this large chamber; it depicts an otherworldly vista where the souls of the dead, shepherded by strange beings, enter an ethereal river ambling through space toward a landscape dominated by an impossibly tall spire. Columns sculpted in the shape of Osirian warriors wielding khopeshes stand in all four corners of the room. The floor is tiled in a white spiral pattern on a black background, and this spiral pattern is repeated on the stone double doors to the north, east, and west.
"No sense in timidness at this point" Max exclaims. He makes his way into the room, careful to avoid stepping on any suspicious parts of the spiral. "Well that's a beaut" he says, admiring the tapestry. Would probably fetch a decent price if it's not too heavy to get out. He takes a peak behind the cloth.
Lori whistles as she follows the others into the room. "This room looks nice." She says softly. "What do you think the room's for?" She asks.
"Just so long as they stay representations. I always hear about these ancient types animating the darned things."
Disapointed but not deterred, Max heads across the room and opens the West door.
Inferis remains vigilant, ready to deal with any undead that appear.