The guards continue to bicker, unaware that you are outside the room.
"But you saw! He has to be bound while the Pharaoh gathers his power. He shot poor Hasim in the eye with that hand crossbow. He doesn't even need crossbows with the Pharaoh's energy. And what kind of shadow comes to kill for its master?"
"Fool! The host lacks a shadow because the inner radiance of the Pharaoh's spirit shines without like the sun. It is not some supernatural force that unleashed a living shadow into the night. Besides, the Pharaoh will soon be done here and then we will head to his tomb to liberate the last part of the Pharaoh's soul and soon he will return to ruling Osirion."
"But the Pharaoh himself warned that Azghaad has sent agents to stop us."
"The Pharaoh's mind is still fragmented! When he is united the idea that the first ruler of Osirion still walks the planet, much less that he sends people to stop us, will fade as a fever dream. Azghaad died seven thousand years ago and no matter how powerful he was even an archmage's longevity magics would fade by now."
Well let's go get them then! Noonan is ready for brave Dwal to take the lead.[/b]
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Tariq pulls up and speaks into his collar.
”Copy, safety straps and teathers removed, he is armed, and still stinky.”
He drops the material and says.
”Hey Dwali, those guys just insulted your beard.”
He pulls up the collar and speaks through it again.
”The dwarf is now primed, we have a green light. Going with throttle up.”
”Release the dwarf and unleash the havoc.”
Tariq chides smiling impishly.
”Open-says-ah-me.”
Tariq tries to open the door as stealthily as possible before the dwarf sweeps in like a whirlwind of deadly axe blows!
Copy that, copy that. Ready to apply boosters. Noonan has already cast Bless and preps Blessing of Fervor.
The door is unlocked and you're ready to charge through.
The cultists swivel as you open the door and realize that you overheard them.
"Intruders! You will not be allowed to stop the Pharaoh!"
The move swiftly to attack, flanking the door to pummel poor Dwalindor.
Their fists, though swift and merciless to their normal foes, simply bounce off the desert toughened dwarf. The masks of the cultists conceal emotion but you detect the tremor in their bodies as they realize the trouble they're in.
Noonan casts Blessing of Fervor
I believe I am the shadow you are talking about. Let me teach you about inner and outer fire!
A fireball folks the room
Given the crowded hallway, how are you stepping back?
”Damnit Dwali move your fat ass I need to get a blade on these fools!”
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”Bro, I can’t! It’s like a twerkfest back here! You need to lay off the cheesypoofs and start eating 8 piece buckets of healthy skinless broiled chicken rather than those 16 piece Colonel’s Original Exxxtra Crispy Recipe! They call it the Family Meal Deal for a reason, not because you are supposed to eat a whole damn family of chickens on your own! Hell, you could feed a whole village with that amount of calories.”
”Better yet, how about a damn salad every once in a while, with basaltic vinegarette dressing, no extra creamy Ranch!?”
”Yer damn aaa crack is your Hidden Valley Ranch.”
”Geez man! When you have to haul ass it must take you like three trips! Move!”
I..I..I...Hac..Wheeze!
Shad's fireball erupts in the enclosed room, swallowing everything in flame as Dwalindor charges through. The cultists manage to catch him between them with twin hammer blows but the barbarian is not even slowed, charging through before whirling and slamming his earthbreaker home on to the monk on right (Y5).
Meanwhile Tariq steps up as the flames subsides and slashes hard at the same monk who screams as the two attacks cause him to think he has been burned. The cultists furiously turn to try and stop the advancing swordsman since he's the closest and they're momentarily blinded by the fireball.
Their fists and feet move faster than the eye can follow but years of training and a keen survival instinct allow Tariq to deflect most of their assault. His bones creak and muscles scream when they make contact, causing the ranger to flinch but he's ready to continue the fight - and now Dwalindor is behind the cultists as well.
”Damn! Okay you aszhats! It’s been a minute since we last saw you guys.”
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Dwalindor barely grunts as the two fists strike him, his tough skin repelling some of the damage.
NOW you will see what pain is like!
for ignore hardness/15
for ignore hardness/15
for ignore hardness/15
Booyah! We ain't even here to see you. We are here to put an end to the Pharaoh and master.
He slams Amanda into the more injured of the two and switches to the other if the first one drops.
I should have saved the spell
Tariq's sword slashes the cultist they were attacking, the third cut opening a spray of arterial blood as the man spins to the ground dead.
The kindjal plunges into the other cultist but Tariq has to snatch the blade back as Dwalindor brings the earthbreaker around in a hammer blow that slams the unfortunate fanatic to the ground. Dwalindor pauses, then slams the earthbreaker twice more into the fallen man just to make sure.
You stand alone in the room; white and green flagstones cover the floor of this opulent chamber in an interlocking pattern. Tiles of semiprecious stone decorate the north wall in an elaborate mosaic depicting a ferocious lion devouring a multi-headed serpent. A fine linen curtain curves around the northeastern corner of the room; the form of a large bed shows through the delicate fabric. On either side of a curtained archway leading south, green flames burn atop white stone pillars that reach almost to the ceiling.
Tariq sheaths and throws his arms up at the dwarf.
”Geez man, you almost took my damn arm off. We already talked about this dude! Last time you did that it took me hours to wiggle my Kindjal out of that stone floor! You tacked it in there like a dang banker nailing a repossession notice on the door of some starving widow!. . .”
Tariq sees the bed and grandeur of the room. His mouth agape before he thrusts a finger to his lips and shushes the dwarf.
”Shhhhh, man! Can’t you see we have a tactical approach situation here? What’s wrong with you? Killing people, two, three, hammer-umpteenth times over? Gosh.”
”There might be, treasure, jewels, or eternally sleeping maidens.”
He rubs his hands together.
”Or maybe even lamps and flying carpets.”
”Or, um, lets see here . . . “
”Did they just say something about us not being allowed to stop the Pharaoh!?”
If the Pharoah is here, we better get moving and stomp him
I think we can all agree it was my fireball that did the trick.
Shad says nonchalantly as he wanders in, diguisesing his total fear that Thorrpe might be fully gone.
He does a detect magic around the room.
And what is this extra crispy chicken you speak of? I have never tried that.
ANything of note in the room? If not, let's move down the hall
. So how do I make them crispy?
Lots of fire
You don't find anything of note within the room, next door you see a glowing pool occupies the center of this chamber, illuminating the room with a rippling green light reminiscent of being underwater. Silk pillows cover a raised dais next to the well. On the western side of the room, a white stone statue of a six-legged, faceless sphinx gazes unseeingly toward the well.
Nothing here I reckon. Let's continue down the hall
. Wait...I still don't understand this chicken thing.
A food joke. You would have to live on this world for a while to understand.
The corridor to the south leads to a staircase that heads upward at a steep angle and to the north you find a door at the end of thirty feet of corridor.
”Ummm, Noonan, I am bleeding out a little bit over here. . . I guess I do need slight patching up.”
Tariq shoots the smug dwarf an annoyed look.
”Haven’t you ever had breaded and boiling lard cooked chicken Shad? It’s succulent, juicy, crispy, spicy goodness that comes in a bucket. But, too much of a good thing turns your ass into a bucket of lard, like our friend here, thus blocking dungeon passageways and portals and preventing tactical movement across the board.”
Tariq becomes distracted.
”Man, look at this. I was sleeping last night in the damn sand when someone was sleeping in here. Well, . . . Not sure I would like having that creepy faceless statue in here with me . . . That is kinda weird.”
”Like what is the point of it in here anyway you go through all the trouble of making something like that and don’t put a face on it, like, that’s just lazy. Plus I want to be famous, put my face on everything I own and like . . . Hey! wait!— Why is it looking towards the well? Is there something down in the well? Can someone put some light down there? Maybe someone dropped some coins or offered up magic items to some kooky well goddess down there!”
well it is kinda difficult for me to see how you are doing. Not like there are numbers floating over your head showing how hurt you are. Maybe you are perfectly fine! one hundred-slash-one hundred healthy!