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Anfial had pikked up the broken lute and stashing it into his backpack before following the others. But then the ghouls tried to attack. With a lightning like draw he took a step aside and drew his sword and slashed at the ghoul with the golden sash.
The shadowy wave took the samurai full force, but that was battle. And he smiled at the pain.
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V's pyrotechnic catches the imposter full in the face, Karos begins to power up, and Shandra quickly strikes out at the imposter, who barely manages to duck in time. Matsu, meanwhile, slices his foe clean in two.
The ghoulish guards, however, quickly spring into action, surrounding Marra and filling the air with swipes from massive claws and teeth.
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Cirri frowns. Yup. Undead. Lots of 'em. Whether through fear or bravery, she shrugs off the worst of their dark energy. With so few options for clerical energy, no wonder they find it so easy to feast.
Awww man!
Cirri realizes this is the exact reason she memorized the shield spell today. She takes a five foot step and sets her favorite end of the quarterstaff ablaze with fire! She tries to flank with Marra, but the halfling is still getting ready.
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Cirri smacks one of the ghouls in the back of the head with her flaming staff, nearly knocking the noxious neophyte's noggin off! Certainly she broke something, as the ghoul's head slowly turns in a gruesome manner and leers at her, a feat impossible without broken bones and an undead's lack of pain.
The imposter does not take kindly to the maiming of his subordinates, however, and casts a spell at Cirri!
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Shandra slams the mullah with her shield, while V continues his pyronic assault, scoring hits with his firework and one beam of fiery light, just enough to bring him down! Anfial once again strikes true, cleaving the final guardian in half like his previous target.
Marra remains frozen in place for several more seconds, while Cirri's blindness persists. As soon as the halfling snaps back into action, a voice rings out from the statue. “Welcome, mortals, to the Land of the Dead and Domain of the Divs. By the mighty Ahriman, I welcome you. Know that you have violated the tomb of the Immolated Mirza, the august lord genie Verdizaam Charad. You seek that which the grave robbers took and will meet the same fate as them unless you turn back now and depart forever these holy chambers.”
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"Did we get 'em?" Cirri looks around, not that it helps her much.
Cirri shudders. "Tomb robbing? No, we're just here to find out what happened to our friend. Dammit, I can't see anything. Can you guys see stuff?" Cirri sits down and rifles through her equipment, eventually pulling out an pearly white orb. It fades as she focuses on it, and then she returns it to its bag.
"Unless one of you can light up the place or can magically counter blindness, I think I'm stuck like this."
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As Marra's limbs are freed from their paralysis, the halfling makes some very unladylike comments about ghoul and their like.
Using her healing skill Marra tends the bite wound as best she can. Commenting about the voice "The speaker used Ventriloquism to make the voice sound like it came from the statue."
Pulling out her heal stick wand, Marra starts to cure her wounds the ghoul's inflected.
After she is finished, Marra checks Cirri eyes for what is wrong, "Hold still for a moment. How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Yep, your blind. The impostor cast some sort of spell, I'll try to dispel it." The small halfling draws upon her bardic magic to disrupt the magic keeping Cirri blind.
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As the party has made no motions implying they will leave the tomb and never return, the voice booms out once more. “You mortals be brave, and the Immolated Mirza acknowledges your courage, foolish though it may be. Therefore, I offer you not certain death but a chance to succeed in your quest. Two ages have passed since I last walked the earth and two puzzles shall you pass before you do so again. If you win through, the goal of your quest shall be your salvation as well. Should you fail, your bones shall adorn my tent.
“So let us begin. I have ensured that you will be unable to leave until our little game is through. Remember this, my little mice, for it may serve you again in the end. ‘Half past the new moon and twice the tides break, the sphinx feeds at the noon, and reclines in its wake.’”
Immediately after the voice finishes its speech, a loud grinding can be heard from the entrance. This is the sound of the sealing stone being activated, barring the exit with a huge black rock at least ten feet thick. An inspection of Verit's body yields some relatively positive news, however: He won't be needing his gear any longer.
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Marra sounds cheerful "Oh a riddle! This should be fun. Half past a new Moon? Shouldn't that be a full Moon. Which would be noon for a moon clock. Twice the tides break could refer to high tide which normally happens at new and full moons. But then that is all speculation, lets go meet our game host."
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Cirri looks at the wand. "The Amazing Vanzetti...you want to hold onto this? Maybe Karos could carry it. The scroll...maybe you should hold onto it Van. Can I call you Van? Otherwise I can carry it."
The Amazing Vanzetti takes the bolts and the wand.
"Verily," He replies to Cirri. "In view of our various ventures, you may call me 'V.'"
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Having gathered themselves, the party notes with no trouble that the fifth sarcophagus has a short corridor behind it.
A variety of statues and showcases of all shapes and sizes line this chamber. The sculptures are constructed of various kinds of stone or rusting iron, and the cases are covered in dust. A marble walkway leads a meandering path through the room and ends at a stone table at the far end upon which rest two items: the severed head of your old companion Agosa Agion—mouth and eyes agape in a rictus of surprise or confusion—and a silver chalice bearing the symbol of his deity, Sarenrae. The same voice calls out once again, this time directed around the area of Agosa's head.
“Well met again, mortals. Your courage exceeds your wisdom. And the next riddle will address that deficit.”
“In a nation of godless folly, who is the greater fool? The follower of the empty god, unable even to protect its own, or the follower of an empty man, filled only with the knowledge of his own inadequacy?
“Choose wisely, and we shall drink together to your choice: you the cup of your choosing, and I the other. For when we finally meet, one will make the drinker a lion and the other a craven jackal before him.
“Is it the accomplishment of man that emboldens his steps through his mortal journey or his faith in the unseen? Choose, and choose well, or choose not at all and face the stinging venom of your own folly.”
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Cirri frowns when she sees the dead Agosa. "Was that...really necessary?" Cirri grips her staff, some unknown rage welling up within her. "I'm so sorry you were caught in this thing's game."
"Is there even a right answer to this question? I'd like to take Agosa's...remains with us, for a proper burial."
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V cups his hand across his forehead. "Now see, this is why I don't like empty gods or empty men - they just suck out your potential and turn you into their little expendable chess pawn. Ah, well; you're a martyr for Sarenrae now, Agosa. I suppose congratulations are in order." His voice is a potent combination of facetiousness and bitterness.
V looks around. "And what about you, vicious vaporous vox? You are very much unseen, does that mean you expect us to have faith in you? Hmm?"
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The halfing look upon the severed head of Agosa Agion, "It's an unfortunate end that Agosa meet, I'm sure he would have told you he didn't follow Sarenrae for his own protection, but for guidance in protecting the other from the evils in this world such as yourself. It is neither the accomplishments or failures of a person that embolden others, but that they endeavor to take up the journey in the first place!"
Marra cast detect magic on the table and it's two items, as she looks for traps.
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Marra detects no magic nearby, nor does her cursory search yield anything of use. Meanwhile, the voice responds to each comment in turn.
"You may take this infidel's corpse, such as it is, if you are able to exit this tomb. As that would involve defeating me, I would be both impressed enough to allow it and unable to do anything about it."
"It would be wise to have faith in me, faceless and faithless one. I will be the last thing to keep a promise to you, which will culminate in your death. Such is the nature of a cult, would you not agree?"
"I shudder to even dignify that with a response. It certainly did not help this one or his allies, nor will it you."
"Your time is drawing closer. Drink, or do not drink, so long as you do not further waste my time."
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"You should not consider this a game, unless you really value your own lives so little. I, however, having nothing to lose within reason, will do so until you give me cause not to."
Anfial bravely steps up and sips from the chalice. It tastes awful, like the blood of some of some unknown creature, heavily spiced, but has no ill effects. An invisible force picks up Agosa's head and drinks deeply before putting it back down. "Anyone else may feel free to drink more from either cup, but your brave friend has spared you from the venomous agony of indecision. I await you further in my abode."
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"Why in the seven hells would you swallow a drink offered by an enemy? Well, I won't stop any other suicidal idiots." Shandra looks at each Pathfinder before backing away, keeping both Matsu and the cups clearly in her line of sight the whole time. That boy is either a traitor or too stupid to tie his own shoes, but either way, he better stay the hell away from me!
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"There are only seven layers now? It has been several centuries since I have walked the land, and you Avistani seem to more influence planar politics. Please, continue. You will meet me, along with your fate, shortly."
The Pathfinders continue through the next door down a corridor, at the far side of which lies a caved-in dead end. Doubling back, the team looks into a room with a floor likening to a stationary whirlpool of sand. The floor of this circular chamber is covered in a rich layer of cream and charcoal-colored sand. A magnificent, wavy pattern has been formed in the sand, the design and combination of colors creating a brilliant work of art. Shiny stones are scattered throughout the arrangement, making the pattern appear to be a splendid, if peculiar, star-lit sky. Massive granite statues of ancient armed soldiers stand at attention along the walls. The entire room seems to curve down into the center, and no sooner is this view taken in than a massive insect makes its appearance at the bottom of the pit!
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"Man, this voice rambles a lot. Almost as much as me..." Cirri continues through the confusing maze, wondering what the thing will desecrate next.
"Huh? Oh, it's a giant ant lion. It's not very smart, but it's good at creating traps of sand. If you touch the trap it will crumble underneath!"
Cirri puts her scroll away.
"At least I get to fight this thing." Cirri spins in place and her hair unfurls like a pair of wings.