Zilchus doesn’t nap, he transcends. Florence nearly collapses with the effort of her swing, but misses none the less. Nidhi heals Zilchus of some of his injuries. Augustus flails, but fails to connect. Benedictus fires another errant bolt, but Desna is looking the other way… for now.
The sarcophagus continues to press it’s attacks, dinged though it is, trying hard to take down another tomb robber.
plus a free
Round 4, Init 5
"What? Huh?" Zilchus slurs, just waking out of a marvelous dream. He recognizes that there is still danger nearby (not that he really saw what hit him) and carefully tries to stand.
His weapon corded falchion clangs up with him.
[ dice]1d20+4+2[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]2d4+4+2[/dice] slashing damage.
HP: 5/12
AC: 18 (6 armor, 2 dex) + 4 TD = 22
Smite: not used
Grit: not used
Panache: are you kidding me?
Ki: not used
Rage: maybe later
“No, no, nononono! Augustus, watch out lest it…Oh, dammit!” Allowing himself a not so cultured expression, Benedictus shakes his head when he sees Augustus being grabbed by the coffin. Without his mighty blows, and with Zilchus down, we’re lost…My first priority must be to help him out of this situation…Let’s see…Maybe… Ben thinks for a few moments, then his mind provides him with the action he was looking for. “This might be a little unpleasant, my friend, but I do it for your safety!”
With that said, Benedictus speaks some arcane words and performs a few quick gestures before creating a layer of slippery grease…all over Augustus! “Augustus, let it cover you entirely, do not move!”
____________________________
Benedictus, I think you are correct. If Augustus forgoes an attack to try and break free, he'll have a +10 Escape Artist or CMB to escape the grapple - and my future grapple attempts suffer a -10.
Note: This does not happen until after Augustus' turn. So on his turn, he is grappled and un-greased.
Move Action: Nidhi draws her bow.
Standard Action: Nidhi shoots at the creature attacking Augustus.
Free Action: Nidhi smiles. "Thanks Florence!"
Augustus (DMPC) continues to press his attacks, despite the grapple.
He slams deeply into the box, and yet it holds!
Zilchus rises up, protecting himself. Florence stabs at the big box, and connects, though it’s only a scratch. Nidhi shoots her bow, barely managing a shot without cover, and connects! Sadly, she just nicks it, but it’s showing it’s wear. Augustus slams the box hard, but does not quite end its reign of terror. Benedictus greases Augustus to try and free him.
The sarcophagus tries to gobble Augustus up, slurping him into its cavernous interior.
for and swallowed!
The box, just barely, swallows the mighty warrior and slams shut! Augustus is trapped inside. He may attack only with a light slashing or piercing weapon.
To realize that he's the only man remaining in the group, with Augustus swallowed whole by the coffin, comes as a shock to Benedictus. Augustus and Zilchus were the ones who made him feel safe and confident, but now, without them protecting him and the ladies, the scholar's mind suddenly becomes much less calculatin, overtaken by a sense of responsibility mixed with anxiousness. Stay calm and think, Ben...There must be a solution...
Taking deep breaths, Benedictus tries to analyze the situation and find a viable solution, although he ends up discarding every option offered to him by his mind. When mind does not help, there's only one solution...Oh, wait, Zilchus is standing again!
With a smile, Benedictus tries to swallow his fears and climbs down the rise where he had been standing for the whole duration of the fight. "Zilchus, can I borrow one of you weapons?", he asks, his hand already reaching for one of the unused weapons on the body of his companion.
________________________
Round 5
Init 10
The damn thing swallowed me whole!
Being unable to see anything inside the sarcophagus Augustus starts punching his way out however the punches don't seem to have an effect on the creature. If only he remembered to bring a dagger with him!
AC: 18 (7 armor, 1 dex)
Conditions: Trapped/Grappled
Challenge 1/1
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Round 5, Init 5
"What? Weapon? Sure...take what makes you happy," Zilchus replies to the Professor, but does not offer a weapon by hand as he has no fuccs actions to give.
Zilchus uses his cord to handle his falchion, then grips it tightly and screams loudly as he beats at the sarcophagus.
to hit;
slashing damage.
[ dice]1d20+4+2[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]2d4+4+2[/dice] slashing damage.
HP: 5/12
AC: 18 (6 armor, 2 dex) + 4 TD = 22
Smite: not used
Grit: not used
Panache: are you kidding me?
Ki: not used
Rage: maybe later
Free Action: Nidhi screams, her eyes wide in horror
Move Action: Nidhi makes a five foot side step to her right, closer to Benedictus.
Standard Action: Nidhi shoots at the creature that's sucked up Augustus.
Zilchus screams as he tries to crack the sarcophagus, alas, no luck. Florence stabs again with her longspear, but shares Zilchus’ luck. Nidhi connects, but cannot breach the thick wood planking. Augustus pounds helplessly inside, hoping things improve - ahh but for a dagger! Benedictus begs for weaponry from Zilchus, but comes up empty - for now.
The sarcophagus seems to grin as it holds its lid tight against the pounding tomb raider. It bounces around on the low platform, trying to flatten Zilchus!
So self satisfied is it, that the coffin misses Zilchus completely!
Round 6, Init 5
"Take it if you want it, Professor," Zilchus shimmies his left hip at the Professor where a nice morningstar hangs, then shimmmies his right hip at him, where a nice cold iron dagger is sheathed.
Zilchus screams loudly again as he chops at the sarcophagus.
to hit;
slashing damage.
[ dice]1d20+4+2[/dice] to hit;
[ dice]2d4+4+2[/dice] slashing damage.
HP: 5/12
AC: 18 (6 armor, 2 dex) + 4 TD = 22
Smite: not used
Grit: not used
Panache: are you kidding me?
Ki: not used
Rage: maybe later
"I'll go with the spiked mace then!", shouts out Benedictus as he grabs the weapon from Zilchus' left hip. "Now, let's see if you're able to resist the physical assaults of a scholar, dear living coffin." Benedictus steps in position and tries to bring down his mace on the sarcophagus with all of his strenght...which isn't much anyway, but is at least sufficient to give Zilchus a tactical advantage. "Now, !"
____________________________
In melee combat, you can help a friend attack or defend by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If you're in position to make a melee attack on an opponent that is engaging a friend in melee combat, you can attempt to aid your friend as a standard action. You make an attack roll against AC 10. If you succeed, your friend gains either a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponentor a +2 bonus to AC against that opponent's next attack (your choice), as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn.
Zilchus continues to scream as he attacks, but it is not helping him, as he misses widely again. Florence leans in with her spear, connects, and dispatches the… beast!
The sarcophagus falls to the ground and lies still.
The lid is hard to open, but the party will manage it, especially with Augustus pounding on the interior. He escapes with only scant air remaining - one more round.
We are out of initiative...
Zilchus breathes, looking tough, and acting as if he contributed to the fight in some way other than as a chew toy (he didn't). When he's sure that no one is about to offer critique of his fighting skills (because they are boffo, obv), he will help Augustus free himself from the sarcophagus. He sheathes his sword and undoes his weapon cord so his hands are free.
"Augustus, let me help you out. Give me your hand, and sword," Zilchus calls to Augustus. "Though I was able to avoid its grab, I'm not surprised it got you...it was very strong."
After Augustus is out, Zilchus will look at Professor.
"Professor, yet again, I would *DEEPLY* appreciate your warning much sooner...not after it's too late. By then, it's too late," Zilchus begs again.
CLW
"Damn bloody thing! Stupid tomb with its stupid monsters eating me and..." Augustus stops yelling as the lid to the sarcophagus opens up.
"Well then... I'm okay... no need to worry." He accepts Nidhi and Zilchus's help getting out of the dead creature, hardly able to stand on his own.
After he is healed by Florence he retrieves his sword and puts his flail away.
Note to self... practice with the flail every once in a while....
"Thank you all for getting me out of there, I tried stopping it myself but... well you all saw how powerful it was. I'm just glad it didn't kill any of you!"
Nidhi stands 5 feet away to inspect the sarcophagus. ”What a terrible way to die.” Nidhi shudders. ”Is there even a body in there?”
Nidhi knits her eyebrows together, "I'm glad you're okay Augustus... And I'm glad Florence has a wand of cure light wounds!" Nidhi laughs but her laugh falters quickly after. That was a close call.
Nidhi finds nothing unusual in the sarcophagus. The gold leaf is, in many places, tattered, and it's fairly dinged up from the fight. It is empty however now that Augustus is free.
"I already told you, Zilchus, it's not as simple as you think", Benedictus shrugs, "Besides, even if I was fast enough to warn you in time, your reaction should be twice as fast to get you out of trouble..." Benedictus' reaction is a little offended, but the scholar soon calms down and smiles. "Unfortunately, my maind goes faster than my tongue. That is not bad at all, and not something I would complain about at that. But yes, it makes me unable to share my hunches with you all before..."
With that said, Benedictus sips his canteen and draws closer to Augustus. "Thank you for your courage, Augustus. You saved us all with the coffin, just like Zilchus before." The scholar pats his friend on the shoulder and turns to the others. "The main threats poised by this creature, if we can call it so, was that it was resistant to physical damage like many mundane object. I know that adamantine weapons are able to break through their defenses, just in case, but adamantine is very expensive...Perhaps, if we find something really valuable in here..."
Ben's eyes gravitate towards the sarcophagus. "Anyway, in cases such as this, I think most of the responsibility do deal with the monster is on the shoulders of those able to cast spells. Next time, I shall prepare at least one offensive spell." Benedictus gives a look at Florence, making clear without speaking directly to her, that his invitation could extend to her as well.
"Now, do you think that the sarcophagus being empty means that someone anticipated us here? We've already seen a skeleton down here, but most of the traps were still active, which leads me to think that we're the first to get to this point, at least...Although, well...What's the point of building a crypt for an animated coffin instead of a dead? The plot thickens, I'm afraid..."
At this point in the conversation, Benedictus shrugs. "How about take a thorough look around before we leave this room?" Without waiting for an answer, Benedictus starts slowly searching the room. He focuses on a specific and small area, encouraging the others to do the same with other areas.
When he's done searching around, and if no one's research turns out anything important, Benedictus urges the group to get into the previous room and open the doors to the west.
Zilchus looks at the Professor.
"What is the use of your warnings if there is nothing I can do about them? How exactly are they helping? Why...why offer them?" Zilchus asks with genuine interest.
"Are you trying to make us look foolish? To prove you're smarter? I don't get it."
Zilchus will join in the searching.
Perception -
"Maybe we should check those other double doors?" Zilchus ponders.
As the party searches, Nidhi will remind everyone: "Don't touch those northern doors. Its a trap that'll flood the room and drown us all." Nidhi backs up, out of the room and into the previous stairway. The room seems fake to Nidhi - with the door trap and empty coffin.
"I think it's a waste of time to search that room," Nidhi calls from the stairs. Nidhi continues to stand at the stairs, ready to backtrack and check a different room.
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"No cooperation, right?" Benedictus sighs at Nidhi's refusal. She seems to have something against me from the beginning...Then she started asking all that questions about my past...I wonder what she's trying to do. One thing is sure: she won't make my life easier. Well, Ben, you've faced many hostile scholars in the past, you'll manage an hostile adventurer now.
"I...I'm not trying to make you look...I offer them because I don't really know if you'll be able to react in time, and each time I hope I'll be able to help you, while instead all I get is...Oh..." Ben is left speechless by Zilchus' accuse. Combined with the lack of collaboration from Nidhi, Zilchus' remark makes him feel even more uncomfortable. I thought they trust me...
"You're wrong, Zilchus!" As usually happens to him when pressed and he starts feeling accused, Benedictus takes on a defensive stance, resulting in a quite aggresive reaction. "I don't need to prove I'm smarter, that would be no game!"
Feeling immediately guilty for what he has just said, Benedictus clenches his fists in frustration and smashes them against a nearby wall. Without speaking a single utterance, he starts taking deeper breaths and follows Nidhi through the stairs, putting himself at a few feet of distance from the still closed doors. His eyes linger somewhere below his feet, and his sad expression tells much about how he's feeling right now-misunderstood, mistrusted and frustrated.
Though it's just outside his actual focus, the professor does indeed find something in his search.
A large secret panel is found in the western wall.
"Wait, what?!" For a moment, Benedictus mind rushes forward and he thinks to get his little revenge on his mistrusting companions by not revealing them about the secret panel he just found, and perhaps come back later to seize whatever lies beyond for himself only. Ben is however too good natured, and in his heart he just longs for acceptance. As a result, the former Professor of the University of Egorian takes a deep breath, looks around and whispers something. "I think I found something while I was wasting time in my useless research..." Without waiting for the others, the scholar tries to open or remove the panel to access whatever lies beyond.
The secret panel, luckily untrapped, slides aside easily to reveal a short hallway and yet another set of double doors leading deeper into the underground tomb.
Benedictus creates new orbs of light above his head and moves them down the hallway, making them stop in front of the set of double doors. "Shall we go?" The genuine smile on his face reveals that he has already forgotten the previous bickering.
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"I don't need to prove I'm smarter, that would be no game!"
Zilchus bristles at the response. At first, he holds back his angry retort as the Professor retreats, but his face reddens even more and he blurts out his response.
"You may be smarter...but that doesn't mean you're helping. If you're so smart...maybe you'll figure out a way to help us before we get dragged to our deaths, Professor!" Zilchus responds, his face growing redder...but then sizzles as he searches his corner. "Is that too much to ask?"
No, you're dumber. Dumbhead.
"No cooperation, right?"
Nidhi puts one hand on her hip because the other hand is holding her Everburning Torch. Nidhi frowns, not understanding Benedictus' statement. What does he mean by that? Has he not seen me disarm two previous traps, sing, and shoot arrows?
Nidhi listens and watches Benedictus and Zilchus argue back and forth. Nidhi had been mildly annoyed by Benedictus’ earlier statement, but forgets her annoyance as soon as the two men start bickering:
"I don't need to prove I'm smarter, that would be no game!"
"You may be smarter...but that doesn't mean you're helping. If you're so smart...maybe you'll figure out a way to help us before we get dragged to our deaths, Professor!" Zilchus responds, his face growing redder...but then sizzles as he searches his corner. "Is that too much to ask?"
Benedictus creates new orbs of light above his head and moves them down the hallway, making them stop in front of the set of double doors. "Shall we go?" The genuine smile on his face reveals that he has already forgotten the previous bickering.
That’s surprising. There’s something real in this room? Nidhi is still skeptical of the new discovery and waits cautiously at the stairs. Nidhi looks at Florence and Augustus. I wonder what they think of Benedictus’ and Zilchus’ outbursts and this new doorway…
"Shall we go?"
Zilch says more loudly than he intended, his neck still flush. "Sorry...wait...maybe...maybe we stop here for the day. Maybe we regroup and come back and tackle more of this on the morrow. I don't know about you all, but maybe we need some time to cool down and reflect."
Zilchus takes a deep breath.
"We have a full week here, right? Let's make sure we don't screw up."
Zilchus points back to the entrance.
"Let's go back a few rooms, or outside, and set up camp. We can pick through the first couple of rooms, but mostly prepare to hit this again tomorrow."
To be clear, you have a week for the three tombs, not a week per tomb. There may be a few days of leeway if the church can be convinced to delay, but that is uncertain.
You do not know how large the other tombs will be, but they are expected to be more impressive even than this one - if the church is to be believed. Naturally nothing is for sure though, as the sites have not been thoroughly investigated.
"Are we all healed up from the wand of cure light wounds? Is everyone ready for another fight?" Nidhi asks tentatively. "We only have one week and three tombs. I'd rather not have to revisit this tomb again if we can avoid it." Nidhi hesitates before walking over to the new set of doors Benedictus has discovered.
Nidhi searches the new area for traps.
If Nidhi doesn't detect any traps, she will tell her party members. If Nidhi detects a trap, she will tell the party it's a trap before attempting to disarm it. Nidhi will wait to disarm it if anyone wishes to leave into the previous area.
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"I say we press on! Adventure and glory awaits us!" Augustus grins for a moment and then frowns. "Though... last time we didn't listen to Zilchus I almost fell down a hole to my death.... so maybe we should wait?
Augustus scratches his head and waits for the others to decide what to do. He's mainly here to protect them after all.
Nidhi finds no traps on the doors (great rolls!).
Nidhi is relieved to not find any traps and tells her party members the good news.
"Augustus, Zilchus, be ready with your weapons. I'll slowly and carefully try to open these doors." Nidhi nods to her party members, signaling for them to be ready for another fight. "Augustus and Benedictus have the right idea. We should press onward, Zilchus." Nidhi waits for either (or both) Augustus or Zilchus to stand next to her, armed with their weapons before attempting to open the door.
Nidhi smiles sheepishly at Benedictus if he looks annoyed. "Sorry" Nidhi murmurs, "I don't like disturbing the dead and that other trap spooked me." Nidhi references the trap at the Northern doors.
Zilchus shrugs.
At least I give my warnings before the danger is upon us and it's too late.
"You're the one who's sung herself hoarse," Zilchus says as he moves forward and through the doors that Nidni has examined and de-trapped.
"You'll get all I have until I black out again." Zilchus re-attaches his weapon cord and draws his falchion, holding it in his left hand.
In the normal way of things for this tomb, the doors lead to yet another set of descending stairs, and yet another set of doors!
I'll be nice and use Nidhi's crit for her next search roll, and she finds no traps on these new barriers.
When others are ready, Zilchus opens the next set of doors.
"I'm suddenly losing my love of this place. Why so many doors? Are there *that* many drafts down here? Or maybe the spirits need privacy?"
Nidhi chooses to ignore Zilchus' jibe about her hoarse voice. She doesn't want to deal with party conflict right now.
"Are there *that* many drafts down here? Or maybe the spirits need privacy?"
"Pfft," Nidhi contains a laugh.
"Come, come," Nidhi beckons everyone to the door. "This one isn't trapped either." Once everyone is ready, armed with their weapons, Nidhi slowly and carefully attempts to open the next set of doors.
Benedictus keeps eyeing Zilchus as a spiteful child. Somehow, he found the whole argument enjoying. It helped him clear his mind of worse toughts. Such as that we're risking our lives in a forgotten Osirian crypt... Anyway, his frustration at not being able to properly explain his supernatural premonitions was starting to mount inside of him and grow, grow ever larger and more oppressive. Benedictus had had that problem several times in his life: ordinary language wouldn't suffice to allow him to explain the concepts his mind offered him so clearly. Pulling them out of the mind and turn them into meaningful words was complicated, much harder than many would have thought.
"I...I..." When Florence chimes in the discussion, Benedictus takes a breath of relief. He loves to hear her voice, which is somehow capable of relaxing him. "Oh, I wish it was that simple Florence. It is...hard to explain, but I'll try. My hunches do not come from something mysterious source. It's just my mind that tell me that something his wrong, because I have trained it to calculate all the odds and realize when something is about to surpass the threshold of danger. I have precise explanations and reasons for the things I foresee, but the process it's just too fast. I wish my tongue was as fast as my mind, but it isn't. Furthermore, I don't immediately realize where the danger comes from, or what the danger is. I just feel that something is wrong, that the order of things could imply danger. That's the reason why I cannot warn you in time. I barely manage to act accordingly to my hunch myself..."
Benedictus peeks at Zilchus, in order to see if he's listening. After all, that whole explanation was for him. "I hope I explained myself right, although I don't trust my speaking skills anymore. Anyway, thank you Florence...", says Ben with a warm smile before following the others in the hallway.
---
"I propose we rename this place as "The Crypt of Doors". Pretty evoking, don't you think? Never saw so many useless doors in the same place...", absentmindedly comments Benedictus as the group stops in front of yet another set of doors. He moves his lights along with him, placing them above Zilchus' head. Benedictus fiddles a little with them, moving them closer to his friend's head. "Perhaps they will instill some light in your dumb mind!" Although the words could sound a bit offending, from the genuine smile on Ben's face it is clear that the scholar is simply trying to play down the previous argument with a joke. "Now, would someone please open those doors?"
"Uh huh."
"Uh huh."
"Uh huh." Zilchus says, listening to the Professor, but also preparing to open the next door.
"But Professor, maybe you could *do* something about the danger if you could...after all, if we can't react fast enough, maybe...the warning isn't helpful."
When others are ready, Zilchus opens the next set of doors.
The doors open easily (though they are heavy). This room holds several neatly arrayed chests, boxes, and urns. The dust of centuries thickly covers every surface.
It is very quiet, aside from the chatter of the party.
Benedictus chooses to ignore Zilchus' provocation for the sake of the group, but makes a mental note to himself to dust off the argument in the near future.
---
"Now, that's what I'm talking about!" As soon as the group enters the new room, Benedictus follows and immediately casts a divination spell to detect any magic aura that might be in the room. The scholar makes sure to direct his vision toward every corner of the room without actually having to move phisically.
_______________________
Benedictus takes a moment to examine the room, but finds no auras to his dismay.
"No magic auras, everyone. That means both that there are no magic traps around and that there are no magic items in the room, unless they are stored inside something which is thick enough to block my spell". With that said, Benedictus looks at Nidhi with a hopeful smile. "Nidhi, would you please look at boxes, crates and urns for traps? I would do it myself, but I would risk getting us in a lot of trouble..."