"I agree with you Quintus. It is very strange that this isn't more picked over. And, good thinking about that lantern."
Kelkzar moves with Quintus to search the indigo corridor.
Quintus wipes his nose and then his hand before taking the lantern from Rowena. Danger all around, a task chosen by the Everlight, and nothing to remind me of That Day...thank you, Lady. I am truly blessed.
He compares the lantern in hand to the one hanging in the indigo corridor. "Kelkzar, you have good eyes. Do these look the same to you?"
Quintus and Kelkzar notice the fresco painting above matches this room (other than in the fresco all the lanterns are present and lit). You check out the green lantern and find that inside is an everburning torch. You examine the other lanterns including the blue one you found and all of them seem to be able to hold a torch rather than oil. They all seem to have the same style and you estimate is worth about 50gp.
The hallway ceilings are ten feet high except of the back where the lanterns are. Here the ceiling is about 40' high and can barely be seen when light is brought there either by Trevor's torch or the green lantern's light. The exception for this is the northeast hallway that is missing the lantern. There you cannot see the ceiling with your torchlight.
All the lanterns hang from a hook about 5' above the floor. Beneath where the lanterns hang in each hallway is a 5' diameter circle carved into the floor.
Trevor stands in awe at both the fact that it actually went well, and also at the scale of that place. Not so much interested at color coordinating the different corridors, he walks to investigate the center.
Quintus carefully hangs the indigo lantern on its appropriate chain. It's usually a good thing to return stolen property. "Maybe the red lantern is behind that c-collapse near where we came in. I hope not.
"Trevor, do you see anything?"
At the center of the chamber is a raised platform, upon which sits a sealed sarcophagus. The lid bears a white stone relief of a tall figure cloaked in a simple garment of flowing cloth. It's difficult to say why, exactly, but the outfit conjures thoughts of ancient times. The figure at first looks human, but a cursory examination reveals that it is about seven feet tall, completely hairless, and is of indeterminate sex. Its arms and hands rest at its side. The left hand curls upon itself in a fist, but the right is placed palm up, with he thumb turned in and all but the index finger held parallel to the arm. The index finger is broken off.
The figure wears a scarab-like amulet around its neck with an unusual glyph inscribed on it.
The sarcophagus rests upon a small raised platform carved in the shape of a stylistic arrow, with the tip aligned with the head of the relief figure upon the lid and a short "shaft" extending from the foot of the sarcophagus.
The "arrow" is currently pointing to the orange tunnel
Rowena fishes out the marble finger free her pocket and fits it to the sarcophagus. "Allow me to give you the finger," she says to the sarcophagus, giggling under her breath.
Trevor is filled with a sense of calmness as he watches the figure resting. Somehow, he thinks of Rafan: "May be that's what angels look like..."
As Rowena fiddles with the finger, he looks first at how the finger now rests compared to the other fingers. He then steps back, looking at the arrow: "Reminds me of those game at the carnival..." A thought occurs to him and he smiles: "Hey, may be it rotates!" and he then playfully tries to rotate the arrow.
Rowena pulls out the finger and it is indeed a perfect match
As Rowena fiddles with the finger, he looks first at how the finger now rests compared to the other fingers. He then steps back, looking at the arrow: "Reminds me of those game at the carnival..." A thought occurs to him and he smiles: "Hey, may be it rotates!" and he then playfully tries to rotate the arrow.
Trevor tries to push Sarcophagus and it feels like it should move clockwise, but he is unable to figure out the right angle to get his strength behind him.
"Hey! It does turn! HgnNN! Someone give me hand!"
A look of panic on his face, Quintus says, "Wait! Don't move it yet! Let Lessien and Rauno get a look at it first!"
Lessien will attempt to inspect the sarcophagus as well (), and get out of the way if she doesn't find anything new and interesting, longbow at the ready.
Kelkzar waits to see what Lessien finds before stepping up to help Trevor, What do you think Lessien? Any sign of traps?"
Lessien doesn't find anything hidden when searching
"All right Trevor, let's try again together." Kelkzer braces his legs and tries to move it clockwise.
"You see! It's quite hard! There's no handle and the floor is slippery!"
Lessien leans in to lend a hand with the next attempt.
Aid Another Strength:
Rowena slips in next to Lessien and lends her semi-strong back to the task.
I'm afraid this won't end well, but.... Quintus waits patiently near the sarcophagus, scimitar out, ready to attack anything that appears with most of the rest of the party tied up trying to push the thing around.
Rowena and Lessien start to push the sarcophagus and Trevor joins in with them.
It is still not enough to move so Kelkzar comes over to aid as well
Apparently this sarcophagus hadn't been moved for a long time and finally it begins to rotate and it turns and rests with the arrow pointing to the yellow hallway. Soon you hear a great rumble from somewhere below and the circle below the yellow lantern rises up connected to a 5 foot circular metal cylinder. Seconds after it comes to a rest, two thin doors open open revealing a small empty chamber.
Rauno will cast Detect Magic on the sarcophagus. As they start to tinker with it, he'll bring up his crossbow at the ready.
The area between the lid and the coffin detects as magical. Studying it you determine it is evocation in nature.
"I g-guess that means we shouldn't open the coffin, right?"
"Hmm...I don't have a lot of experience with magical traps, but I will see if I can do something about it."
At Lessien's warning, Kelkzar steps back from the sarcophagus. "Um, hope you on't mind if I step back then." he says with a crooked grin. "If it hurts, I'm sure a couple of us can heal you. Just don't get turned into a newt or anything."
"Hmm...I don't have a lot of experience with magical traps, but I will see if I can do something about it."
Lessien begins to work on the trap while everyone else gets a safe distance back. Suddenly a burst of flame comes pouring out every side of the coffin
Lessien: Reflex 11 for Half Damage
Trevor jumps back: "Watch out!" He crashes on the floor in a clinkering cacophony of metal. Slowly, he manages to get back up, reminding people of a beetle on its back.
"By the gods Lessien, are you all right? You hair..."
He then stands guard, letting another open the sarcophagus.
Rowena leaps forward to beat out any flames still licking Lessien's clothes
Slightly singed, Lessien steps back with a grin. "I guess that's the other way to disable a trap. Or at least, I hope so...is there still a magical aura there?"
Rauno casts detect magic again and confirms that the magical aura is still there.
Quintus shivers a bit. Standing around is bad, I need something to work on. "Let's take a look at that thing that came out of the floor under the yellow lamp." Still alert for an attack, the priest approaches the metal cylinder.
"You look inside and there is nothing in there. It looks like it would comfortably fit one human or two halfling sized creatures. You see no markings or anything else.
Lessien thinks she may see what she did wrong the first time, and tries again.
Trevor follows Quintus, albeit 15 feet behind: "May be we should wait for the others?"
Lessien believes she was successful and Rauno confirms that it no longer detects as magical.
The cleric starts as Trevor's question registers. "Hm? Oh, sure. I was just looking--wasn't going to t-touch anything. I have an idea, though. What if having the lamp lit is important? I could cast light on a piece of stone and put it into the yellow lamp."
"That's a good idea Quintus, but do you think we should have Lessien check it for traps? Lessien, do you need any healing before we risk any more tiggers?"
"The fire barely touched me, it will heal on its own tonight if I don't get hurt again. I believe the sarcophagus is disarmed now, shall we try to open it? I'll be happy to have a look at the other, but Rauno is our expert at detecting non-mundane traps, he should have a look as well."
None of the lanterns are magical and the yellow one has no trap that you can tell.
After searching is completed, Quintus casts light inside the yellow lantern. The yellow light coming out of the lantern reflects off the glass and metal on the ceiling and combines to form an interesting mix as you look up.
Quintus looks at the ceiling, his depression momentarily lifted by the sight of the light patterns. Wonder what it looks like when they're all lit up?
Lessien nods at Rauno, puts her bow over her shoulder again, and readies to defend herself with her hanbo.
Trevor lifts his axe, as though showing that he's not stupid enough to stow it away in a place like this. "I'm ready! Let's open it if you want, but I don't think were done with this yellow room."
Rowena will also help open it.
The lid comes off fairly easily, but inside is completely empty. A thorough search of the coffin confirms there isn't any hidden sections or levers.
Quintus taps one foot nervously. Stay in the moment, hands and mind busy, don't think about anything else.
"So much for that. Someone could get into that little chamber and we could try to make it go back where it came from, but going alone like that...no. Why don't we see what happens when that arrow points to some of the other lights?"