The archon tries to fly after the bird but fails to track after the bird itself. Tariq and the archon slash after the beast and harm it more but it is actually humble Noonan's hurled fireball that consumes the beast, banishing it in a fierce gust of wind. From behind you hear the black rock grind into the floor slowly, revealing a room beyond.
Paintings of falcon-headed humanoids face one another on this chamber’s floor, and elaborate murals of birds in flight decorate the walls. In the west and east wings of the chamber, tall statues of owl-headed humanoids stand at attention with long spears.
In a niche to the north stands a sizable crystalline pyramid of emerald, pulsing with light. Near it is an oddly positioned pillar lined with hieroglyphs in vertical columns, though blank spaces suggest it might be unfinished.
Tariq smiles as the birds disappear in the void.
We may have to deal with this next puzzle before we can fixate on your greed, my harry friend.
as he checks for traps while Dwalindor catches his breath.
Baset stands guard.
If we are out of the flying cylinder, this may be a good time to bring back that mutt, Ozy.
Noonan uses Detect Magic to analyze the emerald pyramid.
You do not in fact see any traps, but you immediately notice a large, mummified androsphinx crouched to the southeast of the pyramid.
The pyramid radiates a strong aura of conjuration magic.
"Well, this is a surprise." The creature's voice is sounds like dry paper being turned in an ancient, rotten book.
"You do not look like Hakotep's flunkies, you're still all...fleshy."
Tariq pauses, then cautiously bows.
Well, you appear you could be one of Haketep's flunkies, as your flesh is almost due.
But yet your comments and demeanor speak otherwise.
May I ask your name, and where do your loyalties align, creature of old?
"Longer than you can imagine, biped. I am Shendakut, cleric of Set. Once I followed Hakotep in gratitude for him lifting our church out of the cellars and crypts we'd been forced to by Osiris, Horus and Nethys. I served loyally and well and despite leading Hakotep's armies against the cursed Shory my reward was to be bound here to guard that megalomaniac's tomb for his eventual resurrection."
You have the feeling that if he could he would spit on the floor, but any liquids have long since left his desicated form.
"But even with his perfidy, now that he has risen perhaps he can once again lift Set's church back to its rightful place in Osirion. I can feel the ebb of his worship amongst the people of this place. They probably worship dreadful, foreign gods like that interloper Sarenrae."
Noonan's eyebrow twitches.
”What my heavily bearded friend suggests has merit, despite his usual lack of tact or eloquent speech. If you are interested in being rid of your bondage and even extract a price upon him….just name your terms. “
"I have no intention of joining you, merry or not. I am bound by Hakotep's magic to guard this pyramid until he dies - or re-dies? Hmmm, all these centuries and I never thought about how to describe an undead being...killed, I suppose."
"But I am quite weary of this task so I will make you a deal. If you can answer my riddle I will give you ten minutes alone in this room. Not so long considering how much time I have spent here and I can finally stretch my wings now that the block has fallen. Of course I could simply destroy you if you prefer not to answer my riddle. Or if you fail to answer my riddle."
Noonan sighs. Well I guess we can do the riddle game thing. You guys up for it? Noonan is irritated that this undead thing exists.
Tariq scowls at Dwalindor.
”Just Ignore him. We do.
He winks at Noonan and Ozymandius with a grin.
”Ok what of this riddle you mentioned? “
The androsphinx smiles. You think. It's hard to tell with the bandages, lack of lips or non-desicated facial muscles.
“A wealthy merchant of Sothis had a daughter of great beauty, upon whom he settled a rich dowry. Unwilling to part with either his daughter or his wealth, he found one reason after another to rebuff her many suitors. But when two sons of Pharaoh’s chamberlain presented themselves, the merchant knew he could not reject them outright as he had the others."
“Thinking himself wise, the merchant devised an impossible means to decide which man would marry his daughter: the brothers would race their camels around the outskirts of the city, and whichever brother’s camel came in last, that man would have the hand of his daughter and her rich dowry. This way, thought the merchant, the race would never end! But the brothers were no fools, and soon found a way to outsmart the wily merchant. What did they do?”
Ok, The winner whose camel arrives last wins. But unless on concedes, they are just going to stand around doing nothing. Maybe they ride on the same camel?
Noonan gets ready to blast the sphinx and gives his answer.
They ride on the same camel.
"Oh ho! But then one of the brothers would still lose - it's the camel that has to arrive last, not the brother. The obvious answer is that they switched camels, but perhaps what is obvious to the superior sphinx is surprising to the inferior humanoids. Oh well, it is unsurprising that you failed to see the answer considering your small heads. At least I will get a workout. Perhaps I can harvest your hearts as offering for Set? It's been a while but the old habits die hard."
Shad chuckles at Noonan.
So much for the riddles and negotiating with a minion of Set. I sensed you did not like him anyway.
He tries to cast/call forth a fire snake (15 squares wide, F17-F31) to hit the sphinx and both monsters.
BURN!!!
DC24 reflex
HP 111/111
AC24T10FF24 (28/14/28 w/Shield of Faith)
Saves F14R8W18
Weapon in Hand:
Resources: Channel 7/7,Touch of Glory 5/5,Divine Presence 9/9 rounds,
Effects: Freedom of Movement on Dwal (130 minutes)
Wait, wouldn't that mean the camel marries the daughter and gets the gold?
Noonan Blessing of Fervors the party.
With a command from Tariq to the cat
”Kill this mummy! “
Baset charges straight ahead and attempts to pounce the sphinx
for
for
for
”Dwalindor you take the one on the left. We will take the sphinx. “
Tariq takes the extra movement blessing and moves to flank the sphinx
for and bleed 3 if applies
As the Sphinx readies to attack and two lightning elementals shimmer into existence above you, the five of you explodes into action.
Shad summons a slashing line of fire from the shadows in the room that screams through the room, burning all of your opponents. As smoke billows from burning bandages on the mummy, Noonan calls forth the power of Sarenrae with a blinding flash of sunlight that fills you all with a calm resolve.
Tariq yells a command to Ba'set who leaps through the air to land on desicated sphinx, slashing through the dried flesh binding the undead together as Tariq slides underneath the huge creature letting his scimitar carve through its underbelly, rolling to his feet on the either side.
Ozy finishes his summoning and in blue sparks accelerate to form his Eidolon who roars from three heads and attacks the right eleemntal with all three heads and its foreclaws. The magic holding the storm together clashes with the summoned beings own arcanely powered teeth and claws and explodes in a flurry of electricity.
Dwalindor mirrors Ba'set's arc through the air and slams hard his hammer hard against the unnaturally resistant storm cloud, using the impact to twirl his hammer's head back and forth, the magically enhanced weapon cracking the cloud until it too dissapates.
Seing his two guardians destroyed immediately causes the sphinx to fly into a fury.
"Set feed your souls to the crocodiles in the Styx! Flee my wrath!"
A powerful wave of black magic explodes outwards towards you and you all feel a terrible compulsion to flee the room back into the central pillar.
Tariq and Baset will also try their best to ignore the false command.
We have you now! OH NO!!!!!
Baset! we must leave!
Tariq
Baset
Shad tries to avoid the blast of negativity as well.
Shad
Noonan brushes off the weak demands.