Harkuf slams his staff into a zombie, but most of the force is absorbed by the spongy, necrotic flesh!
The zombies swing at the party, one just managing to bash Harkuf!
"Glad I learned this new trick!" Seherab shouts as he takes another piranha strike at the zombie!
Teos begins to work his way around the wall of flesh made animate, hacking as he goes.
Seherab stabs the zombie!
Teos misses with his first swing, but follows through with his backswing and takes down another zombie!
Ankhef sends his doggy to bite the skeleton.
8 damage!
Ankhef will also cast guidance on Harkuf before circling around.
In a flurry of strikes, the last zombie is brought down!
Nothing of interest is found in this room.
After brushing up and stowing his dagger, Seherab leads the way north!
Leading the way to the north, Seherab sees a short hallway connects a shallow, empty pool to the west to two curtained cubicles to the east. A wooden bench is bolted to the floor in a small alcove across from the pool. A set of stone doors marked with hieroglyphs stands to the north.
Two corpses have been dragged into the northern cubicle here. One is a pile of bare bones kicked unceremoniously out of the way, and the other is a rotting, but still intact, mcadaver. An old, broken scimitar lies nearby. The bones are scorched and still warm to the touch, and the corpse has suffered a number of recent injuries.
rotting, but still intact, mcadaver.
** spoiler omitted **
Teos signals a pause, and then signals to others with concern in hand-speak.
Others here; caution; these dead-men recently killed.
He looks around, intent to spot any sign of passage or to hear any current activity.
Seherab signs back, There shouldn't be others here. Either these zombies have a natural enemy nearby or someone is trying to scoop our discovery. Let's keep moving.
Seherab moves to the northern door and leads the way in.
Seherab finds the doors to the north are locked, but easily unlocks them. The doors are inscribed with Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs that read, High Priest Only—All Others Forbidden.
Inside, you see this sparsely furnished room contains a bed frame bolted to the floor in the southwest corner next to a lacquered end table. On the opposite side of the room, a wooden desk has partially collapsed against the wall. Doors exit the room to the north and east.
Seherab signs to his companions, someone has already picked the lock. Let's go this way. He then leads the way onwards!
Teos lopes along after Seherab, eager to find the illegal interlopers.
Opening the northern door reveals a short hallway. Seherab's keen eyes spot a prssure plate in the middle of the hall.
Ankhef shields his eyes in case Seherab blows everything up.
Seherab tries tro disable the trap, but is unable to. At the last moment, his hand bumbs the plate, setting it off! Ankhef, right before he shields his eyes, sees a giant scythe emerge from the wall, swinging directly at the investigator!
Teos rushes up to his companion, unsure of how he can best aid the honored Seherab.
Seherab gulps a pair of extracts hanging from his belt. "I could use a little more healing."
"Ok, I'm better now; let's keep moving."
Teos rushes forward as Seherab begins healing himself.
Continuing north you see an octagonal chamber that is empty save for a large metal chest against the eastern wall. A series of hieroglyphs are inscribed on the wall above it. Stone doors are set in the northern wall.
The chest in unlocked and empty.
Seherab is able to read the hieroglyphs. The righteous and the holy have no need of staff, rod, or ring. Place your faith in the Good Magister and walk without fear.
"Good Magister is a term used by the Nethites to refer to their high priest, who was not necessarily revered for their righteousness but their control of magic," Seherab explains.
Teos mimics the walking of two feet with his fingers, and points out a set of bloody bootprints to the south.
He points at the statue and signs questioningly. Danger?
Ankhef responds to Teos "What about the people going north? Looks like a bunch to me."
Ankhef points to the more obscured tracks.
Continuing north, the party sees a small hall with stairs leading downward, to the east.
Ankhef nods to Seherab "Keep your eyes peeled for more traps."
Ankhef casts guidance on Seherab.
Seherab backtracks a bit to check the door to the east before heading down.
Backtracking, Seherab enters the door to the east. Rows of stone shelves fill this crowded room. Most of the books and scrolls once stored here have disintegrated over time, but a few volumes engraved on more durable materials still endure. Numerous scroll tubes litter the floor of the room amid the dusty remains of ruined paper and papyrus.
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Harkuf follows Seherab, though keeping a bit of distance for fear of any more traps being sprung.
Harkuf bends down and sifts through some of the various scrolls on the floor and finds one fairly interesting. "Hey, looky here..." and he shares the information found on the scroll.
As stands up, several tracks on the floor get his attention. "Looks like we most certainly aren't alone down here - at least for other folk passed through within the last day."
+2 if stone
+2 if stone
Teos looks around very quietly, trying not to touch anything with his inexpert hands.
He does, however, point out a scroll... he can just make out a few words of the ancient Osiriani, knowing only the modern version... to the sagacious Seherab.
The then looks around a bit, and makes a surprised face. We wanders over to a wall and taps upon it with his knuckles. He begins to search for some sort of lever or mechanism.
Unless Teos finds a latch, Seherab tries to pick the lock.
Seherab picks the lock and opens the secret panel. Immediately, a tiny scroll flies out and attacks the investigator!
The scroll attacks Seherab with fury, slicing open his neck, then wrapping itself around his face!!
"Mrf fr mrf fr fr!"
"Hang in there Seherab."
Ankhef squeezes himself into the corner and calls a skeleton out of the wall to help.
I never knew writing was this dangerous., he thinks, with newfound respect for the scholar's career.
Teos attempts to wrestthe offending piece of paper off Seherab's face.
Seherab stumbles around, stabbing at the suffocating scroll, but misses!
Ankhef summons a skeleton that appears and scratches the scoll!
Seherab grabs the scroll, trying to wrestle it away from Seherab's face!
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Harkuf follows behind Teos and casts gust of wind, trying to blow the paper free from Seherag's face.
He is able to stifle his laughter at seeing his friend almost be suffocated by a sentient piece of paper.
"Mrfft's nrt frnnnrrr!" Seherab mumbles out.
Harkuf creates a gust of wind, blowing the scroll off of Seherab's face!
The scroll tries to wriggle free from Teos' grasp, but fails!
Teos will try to hold the creature in place. He thinks it might make a good pet, although given it's wild nature it might occasionally need to be censured.
Seherab keeps trying to stab the stupid scroll. "Not funny! Not funny!"
Teos pins the paper to the wall!
Seherab stabs the offending papyrus with his sword!
Harkuf moves out of the room.
Ankhef's skeleton aids the melee, and the scroll is soon torn to shreds!
Looking around, Seherab thinks if all of the surviving documents in the library are carefully gathered up and organized (which would takes at least a day), the collection could be sold to various parties for a total of 1,000 gp.
"Let us continue exploring for now, but we should come back and collect these ancient tomes."
Seherab takes out a few scrolls and hands them to Ankhef, "Anything useful?"
Seherab leads the way to check out the east side of the building.
Ankhef will cast read magic.
"This one will find secret doors" Ankhef says holding up one before holding up the other.
"While this one will restore mobility."
Ankhef carefully puts them away in separate pockets in his backpack.
As soon as Ankef turns around, the scrolls both float out of their pockets and switch places.