I think it is playing 'if I can't see them, they can't see me.
Being the undead hunter that he is, the ranger used his skills to evaluate what can be seen.
You don't recognize the bones Tariq, but the undead is undoubtedly waiting for something to come near.
Noonan casts Blessing of Fervor on everyone
”It just sitting there doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies.”
”I guess, hit it with missile weapons and see what happens? If it is just a pile of bones, then no big deal, but it seems like this is a trap somehow.”
”Maybe we have Noonan stand back and off to the side a bit?”
Tariq offered, unable to figure out exactly what this pile of bones was or what it meant.
|
”Um Tariq either we needs to back up or else we are gonna be right on top of this...whatever it is bone thing. “
Once the others respond ready, he lifts Amanda and charges into the closest bone pile swinging
for ignore hardness/15
for ignore hardness/15
for ignore hardness/15
for ignore hardness/15
.
I'll be right behind you.
Tariq looks around trying to calculate the best location and angle of attack.
”Uhhh.. yeah, gimme a sec… I’m coming up with thirty-two point three three uh, repeating of course, percentage, of survival if we . . . ”
The dwarf had enough waiting. In a bold voice he pronounced, ”Alright chums, Let’s do this… DWALALINDOOOOOOOOOR JEEEEEENKIIIIIIIIIIINS!” (running forward to attack!)
Tariq blinks in confusion for a split second as his mind tries to catch up with what’s happening.
[incredulous] ” . . . Oh my God he just ran in.”
Tariq stares after the charging dwarf. Before drawing his blades he points the cat towards Noonan.
”Oh jeez, stick to the plan.”
He ignites his sword as he moves forward.
”Oh jeez, let’s go, let’s go!”
Glancing back pleadingly at Noonan he shouts.
”Gimme a Divine Intervention, hurry up!”
Noonan is enjoying his chicken.
Dwalindor and Tariq run in and slam their weapons against the creature buried beneath the sand; huge clouds explode outwards from Dwalindor's hammer blows and Tariq's flaming sword burn the sand into ribbons of glass as he tries to crack the creature quickly.
Their barrage of attacks mostly hit - Dwalindor's second swing cuts through a sand dune, and suddenly the creature moves out of the dust cloud.
A massive bipedal lizard wrapped with stained bandages does nothing to disguise its undeath as the mummified dinosaur opens it mouth in a soundless roar.
The creature lunges forward and bites down hard at Dwalindor.
Tariq works a flank if he can otherwise he stands and shreds as fast and as hard as he can!
”Oh crap oh geez! Look at the freaking size of this thing!?”
ignores DR
ignores DR
ignores DR
Noonan shares his chicken with the cat.
”Shad, feel free to send a Magic Missile if this thing isn’t dead—dead yet!”
The creature staggers underneath the blows as Noonan pointedly ignores it and the bones collapse under the weight of Tariq and Dwalindor's fury.
Shad looks at Tariq and shrugs.
"I agree with Dwalindor, the two of you were capable of handling it just fine."
As the bones collapse, the sand seems to fall away from the enterance leading you into a large chamber where life-sized statue of an Osiriani noble, the corners of his mouth bent into a disapproving frown stands. The statue holds aloft a long staff topped with an ankh. A stone door sits in the northwest corner of the room, while just beyond
the statue to the south, an archway in the wall is filled with billowing ocher mist.
Tariq sheaths his blades triumphantly and places his hands on his hips to survey the destruction that had wrought.
”Well let’s top the dwarf off with the healing wand and move on.”
Moving towards the entrance, Tariq peers up at the statue and attempts to identify whom it depicts.
Of course he checks for traps as well.
Hmmm
He also heals Dwal
You're not sure exactly what it was but it was some kind of mumified...lizard. But much larger.
The statue seems vaguely familiar, mostly due to the garb. It's a high ranking bureaucrat of some sort by the carved robes, even with the weathering taking away much of the detail, but you can't quite tell what rank.
At the base of the statue you find an inscription in Ancient Osiriani:
"The Pharaoh’s rule is absolute. In his presence, his subjects may not so much as breathe without his consent.”
You find no traps but as you look around the corner you find a heavy, yellow-brown cloud sitting in the tunnels that appear to snake around and further into the complex.
That cloud looks to be bad news
Noonan, you notice that the stone seems untouched by the cloud in the tunnel - but a scorpion wanders in from the sands and is eaten away by the foul substance.
Acid cloud.. Hmm.. Given Time I could pray for a spell to protect us
”Acid cloud? Anyone have a wind spell or something?
”Could we use an air elemental to tornado the acid out? Or blow the acid cloud away from us!?”
The cloud seems to be unaturally bound within the tunnel. But the plaque on the statue tells you there must be a clue perhaps in the statue itself.
This is your area, Tariq
”Yeah I know the language and all the documented nobles. Let’s see what that brain worm does for me.”
”So it says, "The Pharaoh’s rule is absolute. In his presence, his subjects may not so much as breathe without his consent.” Okay, how do we get his consent then? Anyone else have an idea?”
”Gosh guys. Well. If it is a trap I can try to disable it.”
Tariq really checks out the statue, it’s mouth, what it has in its hands, etc.
You don't find any traps but after a long examination you notice a seam in the staff of the figure on its plinth.
You pull the tip of the staff off and reveal a (12 charges) in a hidden cubby.
”Hey! Ha! Look guys!”
Tariq holds up a wand for the party to see.
”A wand of Stoneskin with 12 charges left.”
”Shad can use this right?! It might give us resistance to the cloud?”
If it doesn't work, I can summon an air elemental to try to suck it away
”Well, try it on me. If I find it doesn’t work I can try to evade more damage and I need to look for traps ahead anyway.”
After he get stonedskinded, Tariq ventures in keeping his eyes peeled.
You do not get damaged by the cloud as you move through the tunnels you fine small lines of heiroglyphs on the walls near the floor, tingling with magical energy. But the rest of the tunnel turns sharply, once twice - leaving you to think about how far you want to go in without your companions.
Noonan goes in 10' behind Dwal
The hieroglyphs are not normal Ancient Osiriani, they appear to be magical in nature.
The big cat, who shares in Tariq’s spell due to their unique bond, nudges the dwarf with its broad nose from behind. Partially to let him know he is there and partially to see if he had any snacks hidden in his pockets or beard again.
Noonan checks the glyphs.
Noonan examines the heiroglyphs without a care in the world as the fog tingles on his stony skin.
He believes they are indeed related to the production of the fog filling the tunnel and obstructing your sight. Perhaps the right person could mar or alter the glyphs in order to neutralize the fiendish brown fog.
Tariq tries to read the ancient writing.
”Hey Noonan, is this what controls the mist?”