GM Euan |
You'd know, uh, from context, yeah that's it, that awakening the Khepsutanem from its slumber, is to power the Sekrepheres from the Tekramenet (The Lantern Vault) somewhere on the northern side of the earthworks. Great notes, but the initial description lacked a little something.
You have not yet searched the passages there, so you don't yet know how hard it may be to find. You've breezed over the area at speed, but have yet to investigate.
Zilchus Lyghtlode |
"I'm O.K. remaining clueless about Hakotep's weaknesses, especially if that means letting Khai-Utef touch the mask."
Zilchus grunts positively at this, the first thing he's heard that make complete sense to him. He's protective of the mask and Nidhi, just a bit.
"Maybe we should ask how to destroy the mask," Zilchus echoes an old theme, still remembering his own failure at it.
* * *
Zilchus listens to the story of the roc and the sandfall, finally understanding some of how and why they exist.
"Thank you,Khai-Utef," Zilchus appreciates the shared knowledge. "You are like Ben, but much less droning."
Btw, that use of reverse gravity to carry await 'dissenting' slaves into the night sky is terrifying. +1
Zilchus rests that night, taking his watch shift, then awakening in the morning to pray and be ready for the day's encounters.
* * *
Zilchus listens to Stelle, trying to follow along with the plan as best he can.
"So, you say, we need to go to the Tekramenet, the Lantern Vault, first, Stelle? Ah...and that's to the north? Well, I guess that is what we should do. Unless we want to spend another day in exploration of the larger space? I think we should go to the Tekramenet, but we may also learn more from exploring more."
Kosei Sharif-El-Sadad |
"Ah! But where exactly is the entrance to the Lantern Vault?" Kosei thinks a bit "I can ask the sands of Osirion to guide us tomorrow in the search for the Lantern Vault. I don't know if it will work, but it might be worth to listen the land and let the stars to guide us"
If the group let's Kosei try his meditation route instead of exploring the northern area, the Garundi prepares and casts commune with nature and find the path "Oh sands of Osirion! Oh magnificient stars! Guide us to the Tekramenet also known as the Lantern Vault!"
Florence Corvina |
"I can only speak for myself but I am absolutely in favor of anything that'll save us time," Florence replies when Kosei suggests trying to make use of his magics to find the Lantern Vault's entrance. "So if you think you can prepare something that'll help us find the entrance more quickly then I'm all for it!"
GM Euan |
You won’t learn much from the commune with nature as most of the area is ‘built up’ as it were, but pick your three categories and you will learn something. Find the path however, just works. It guides you toward the Northeastern most trench.
When you get there, you see a dark spot on the wall. Coming in for a closer examination, you find a simple arch some 10’ above the rocky trench surface and about 10’ high. A passage seems to disappear into darkness beyond the arch - even though the angle of the sun should at least allow a little light to pass.
- - -
I’ve updated the map in case you plan to proceed. The rock walls here are natural enough for Kosei to move through them as an elemental if he wishes.
Kosei Sharif-El-Sadad |
As Kosei enters his trance with nature he asks "Oh Sands of Osirion! Where are the most worthable gems or minerals in the area? Where is the largest body of water apart from the river? Is there any powerful undead presence in the area?"
--------------------
Kosei guides the party through the trenches until they find the dark entrance. He scans the area with detect magic but shrugs as he is unable to know what kind of magics are there. Casting a light spell in one stone, Kosei throws it forward to find if the darkness can be easily pierced or not "I guess this is safe to pass my friends. Let the rock protect us"
The Garundi casts a barkskin on Zilchus and great fang and longstrider on himself before the group moves on. And he does indeed polymorph, but this time he transforms into a lion instead of an elemental. His roar is though understandable "I am ready to move in"
Florence Corvina |
Auto-success on that Spellcraft.
"Hmm...it's a Deeper Darkness spell, likely enchanted to be permanent," Florence remarks, frowning slightly. "I might be able to dispel it, provided it's not been cast on the entire place. But first..."
False Life, Greater: 2d10 + 13 ⇒ (4, 5) + 13 = 22
She then proceeds to cast her usual array of beneficial spells, both on herself and her friends, before cracking her knuckles and turning her attention back to the darkness that looms ahead.
"Now, let's see what we can do!"
Dispel Magic/Greater Dispel Magic: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22
Cantrips - Dancing Lights, Detect Magic, Message, Read Magic
1st - Ear-Piercing Scream, Enlarge Person, Fumbletongue,
2nd - Aid, Fog Cloud, Glitterdust, Hold Person, Lipstitch, See Invisibility + Pearl of Power
3rd - Dispel Magic, Earth Tremor,
4th - Black Tentacles, Blessing of Fervor, Death Ward, Dimension Door,
5th - Befuddled Combatant, Break Enchantment, Hold Monster x2
6th - Cone of Cold, Greater Dispel Magic, True Seeing
7th - Fairy Ring Retreat
Lesser Extend Rod Uses: 1/3
______________
Flo will cast Mage Armor & Greater False Life on herself and extended Heroism for Zilchus & Stelle. Not sure whether Dispel Magic is good enough to try and dispel the permanent darkness or if Greater Dispel Magic is needed but Flo has both memorized and will use whichever one is best~
GM Euan |
Kosei doesn’t learn of any particularly helpful deposits of gems or minerals in the area, the largest body of water is the river, nothing else really in the region (within range anyway), and there are tons of undead all over the Slave Trenches. Apparently the place is crawling with them, though you haven’t seem to have disturbed any so far.
Kosei tries a light rock, but the darkness appears to be impenetrable, at least by such meager means. He hears it clatter against the stone floor within suggesting some sort of hallway.
It’s a Knowledge Arcana Florence, not a Spellcraft, but I see you have that as well, so you make it either way… :)
Florence tries a Dispel Magic, but it fails to achieve the desired result. She feels that, if she tried hard enough, she’d pierce the veil.
Zilchus Lyghtlode |
”Marvelous, Kosei! You have saved us days, likely,” Zilchus commends the walking stone man as the path is found. ”Now that we know this, and now the darkness, what shall we do next?”
He tries not to show too much disappointment as Flo’s efforts to overcome the darkness fail.
”We have those oils of daylight, don’t we Nidhi? Florence? Or did that thumb sucker Ben take them with him?”
Looking back at past posts, we should have both oils that we bought.
Zilchus pulls out a sunrod and places the oil of daylight on the cracked sunrod...he walks forward to see what the can see from the entrance.
1d20 + 23 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 23 + 2 = 29 Perception
He tucks the sun rod into his belt so he can have two hands free for his falchion.
Thanks for the heroism, Flo!
Kosei Sharif-El-Sadad |
"The eyes of the desert guide us" Kosei smiles after Zilchus words.
"Brilliant!" once Florence identifies the darkness magics and before he becomes a lion, Kosei waves his hand of glory and offers it to Florence or any other one "Just use that if Zilchus oil comes to an end"
He then ventures into the passage after Zilchus.
Sopdet-Ka "Stelle" |
Stelle marvels at the ingenuity of the group as they make their way to the entrance and attempt to conquer darkness.
He tucks the sun rod into his belt so he can have two hands free for his falchion.
"Oh, wonderful! Great idea! I have modified Anubis' saddle for just such occasions. If you would like, you can put the sunrod in the saddle's sunrod slot, and Anubis can carry it."
"Thank you Florence!" She says, as Florence casts Heroism.
She will take the Hand of Glory if no one else does, and follows the others into the passage.
GM Euan |
Someone cracks an oil of daylight (please track the usage) and Kosei's hand is saved, for now, though Stelle is carrying it for future use.
You quickly learn however that it will not be needed. The daylight pierces the veil of darkness to reveal that it really was just a veil. The darkness only appeared as a thin veneer at the arch. The hallway beyond is lit, and lit brightly.
This ancient corridor slices horizontally to the North into the trench wall, and is lit by glowing cartouches carved into the ceiling every twenty feet. A narrow side passage branches off to the West near the entrance to this tunnel, while at the end the tunnel turns East.
As befits its name, the Lantern Vault is well lit throughout its entire length. This lighting is provided by numerous continual flame spells cast upon archway keystones and cartouches of Hakotep’s name carved into the ceilings of the chambers and halls.
The average ceiling heights within Tekramenet is 10 feet. The hallways pitch downward at a slight but noticeable slope as they wind deeper and deeper, so that by the time the final room is reached, the traveler is nearly 100 feet below ground level. This doesn’t dramatically effect movement, just giving you a sense of the place.
Map updated.
Zilchus Lyghtlode |
"If you would like, you can put the sunrod in the saddle's sunrod slot, and Anubis can carry it."
Zilchus smiles and hands over the sunny-sun sunrod, both be-oiled and cracked.
”That’s a nice little saddle you got there,” Zilchus watches as Stelle stows the sunrod appropriately. He attaches his weapon cord to his falchion and moves up to the first intersection when others are ready. He airwalks 5’ above the ground.
He looks down the first passage.
1d20 + 23 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 23 + 2 = 43 Perception
Kosei Sharif-El-Sadad |
The lion walks forward after Zilchus contemplating the walls. He does speak and his roar magically forms into human voice "This place is a marvel of time... what secrets the pharaoh hide in here... what would you hide?"
Kosei lion smells the first intersection trying to find the tracks of any creature.
Perception (scent): 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (7) + 20 = 27
Survival (tracking, scent): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
Nidhi Aashirya |
2 people marked this as a favorite. |
there are tons of undead all over the Slave Trenches. Apparently the place is crawling with them, though you haven’t seem to have disturbed any so far.
"The dead may come after us for disturbing their rest," Nidhi comments ominously. The Wati natives hopes the undead won't take too much offense to their arrival. Despite her own warning, the thought of undead lurking doesn't seem to bother her. The dead are part of Nidhi's life, but she was glad to be one of the living.
She drifts past the veil of darkness on her carpet into the brightly lit hallway, then turns her head to look behind herself at the arch. "I can tell this is the Forgotten Pharaoh's work. He seems fond of illusion."
The lion walks forward after Zilchus contemplating the walls. He does speak and his roar magically forms into human voice "This place is a marvel of time... what secrets the pharaoh hide in here... what would you hide?"
Nidhi jumps on the question without hesitation, animatedly bringing a hand to her breast making her various gold and lapis lazuli bracelets clink. "Well, obviously, I would have great jars of honey rolled in - vases as tall as a man! Unlike other relics we've encountered, honey never spoils. It's the perfect food to be buried with. And, honey's the color of gold." Nidhi's eyes flare open for dramatic effect, finger tapping on her mask. She continues, beginning to count off her fingers: "and my lover's undergarments. Fresh with their sweat and blood from the fighting pit. I would want whoever found my crypt to understand my many conquests, for I am just as much a lover as a connoisseur." Nidhi smiles broadly, but the mask hides everything except the crinkling of her eyes.
"You know, a grave robber once told me the best way to navigate a crypt is to keep to your left." She fiddles with the end of her braid, "not like we're grave robbers." She occupies herself by staring past Zilchus' hulking form down the same narrow passageway.
Perception (aid): 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (10) + 18 = 28
GM Euan |
Zilchus admires Stelle’s saddle as he peers into the next room. The hallway there is short, so I’ve moved you in there…
The walls of this rectangular chamber have been rounded off to create smooth corners. A ten-foot-diameter, one-foot-high stone disk, its rim decorated with hieroglyphs and its center bearing an ankh-shaped indentation the width of a human hand, sits on the floor in the middle of the room.
A cylindrical hallway exits the chamber to the north. The walls of this hallway are incredibly smooth and are lit with rings of light every ten feet, while at the far end, the final section of the hall is lined with what appears to be copper plating. I’m sure it doesn’t look at all dangerous to you. Nope, not dangerous at all.
Kosei examines the intersection, and based on the dust and sand, undisturbed, and the lack of smell (other than Zilchus’ wafting), he’s pretty sure no one has been by here in quite some time.
Nidhi also aids Zilchus in his search. You are certain there is nothing else here to find. :)
Nidhi Aashirya |
its center bearing an ankh-shaped indentation the width of a human hand, sits on the floor in the middle of the room.
Nidhi resists the urge to press her hand into the indentation and instead tries to coax one of her companions so she can live vicariously. "Hey, Zilchus! Look! See if this hand print matches your size." (See map.) She points at the indentation, then looks at Zilchus eagerly.
Nidhi Aashirya |
Who's had the time to shower in the desert?
She continues to stand at the large stone disk, clearly interested. "This indentation is probably the switch that keeps these lights on, but it has the potential to be something bigger." She raises her arms and wiggles her fingers, "open sesame!"
GM Euan |
Zilchus moves down the hallway and finds little. There is some evidence (the occasional scrape here, a bit of grit there) that something large and stone, plugs up the entire hallway and makes contact with the copper plating. You probably don't want to be there when it happens as there are scorch marks in the copper, like multiple bolts of lightning hit it.
In a totally unrelated question, does anyone put their hand in the indentation? It looks shaped more like an ankh, but you could put some fingers in there too.
Kosei Sharif-El-Sadad |
Kosei lion smells at Zilchus unsure what to think about that, but he finally approaches the stone in the middle of the room "It seems as this might fit into the corridor" he puts his pawn on the indentation to try it out.
If nothing happens the lion stands in two legs and pushes the disk trying to make it fit into the cylindrical corridor.
GM Euan |
Zilchus leaves the hallway as Kosei and Nidhi try a variety of ways so shift the stone. Alas it does not move.
If it were to move, you suspect it would rise up out of the ground in some way before doing so - just based on the scraping of the stone around it. Something large and heavy has been through here in the past, but not recently.
Nidhi Aashirya |
Rats. I was hoping Zilchus would've stuck his hand in the stone. Who knows how many beetles have crawled in there and died. Nidhi does not stick any of her appendages into the slot, but does cautiously glance down the hole. She nods at Stelle's suggestion. "Yeah, makes sense. I want to see what's at the end of this hallway anyway." (Hall North of the stone.)
She strokes the stitching of her carpet, soothing her discomfort of being underground. The Slave Trenches have a more ominous name than the tombs they'd explored back in Wati and she knows the dangers here are likely to be far greater - especially without the Church of Pharasma's aid.
Kosei Sharif-El-Sadad |
Kosei nods to Stelle and Nidhi "Yes, let's discover what lays ahead in this tomb my friends"
The lion moves forward through the first corridor stopping to look to the first passage to the right.
Perception (scent): 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (12) + 20 = 32
GM Euan |
Not sure where Nidhi is on the map, but I'll assume she didn't get ahead of Stelle at least.
Kosei moves up as he investigates the hallway. Just past Stelle, he spies a trap trigger of some kind! I presume he does not continue onto the trapped area, some sort of swirly magical trap, unseen by those with less luck.
Hidden in the ceiling, just within the trap trigger area, is a glyph in ancient Osirion which reads, Only in Set’s embrace can the blade of Ra be stilled. You're not sure if it's connected, but you suspect it is as you can't really see it at all clearly (DC 31 to spot).
Kosei Sharif-El-Sadad |
Kosei freezes as he spots the trap. The lion man points with his pawn to the trigger then to the glyph "I do guess these are related Nidhi. Can I help you somehow?"
The Garundi casts divine guidance on the artist adventurer and readies an action to counterspell the glyph in case it triggers while being disabled.
Nidhi Aashirya |
Nidhi glides on her magic carpet to float behind Stelle. (See map.) "I can try to disarm it." Nidhi seems rather confident about her nimbleness. "I need to space to work." Nidhi reaches for her luminous lockpicks, while still sitting neatly on her carpet.
Disable Device: 1d20 + 21 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 21 + 5 = 42
GM Euan |
Nidhi gains an additional +1 from the guidance, and her skill is up to the task. As she disarms the trap, she notes that while the trigger is in the upper hall, the effects, something magical and having to do with light, extend the entire hall - all the way back to those waiting behind... and beyond.
Trap disarmed, the party can continue their investigations of these brightly lit chambers.
Kosei Sharif-El-Sadad |
Kosei approaches Nidhi and soothes her with his mane after she disarms the trap.
"This is certainly a more pleasant adventurer's life when you have a skillful Nidhi with you" the lion negates with the head as he advances with Zilchus to look to the right corridor "It is certainly not pleasant to be burst with something my friends"
Perception (scent): 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (19) + 20 = 39
GM Euan |
(There's an anomaly on the map that make the tunnel look like there’s an opening where Zilchus and Kosei were on the map. That is not apparently the case however, so I’ve moved you both up to the actual intersection.)
As you turn the corner and continue to descend into the cool stone, the passageway widens into a large, low, cathedral-like space whose ceiling arches up to a height of twenty feet. The floor is decorated with complex patterns of hieroglyphic carvings and geometric designs. To the east, a ten-foot-wide archway opens into an oversized alcove that contains several smaller alcoves.
Three 15-foot-high statues of the ancient god Set (image) stand in this room - one each in the northeast and southeast corners, and one in the alcove to the east just visible through the door. At a glance, they look identical aside from the damage caused by the ravages of time. One is missing part of its horn, one a part of its skirt and the last a toe (with nail polish).
(I’ve put simple figures on the map where the statues are currently situated.)
Zilchus Lyghtlode |
Zilchus find the corridor longer than he imaged, moving to the end an looking into the room. He points with his sword to the statue.
"Is that Set? I think it is," Zilchus quips to nearby Kosei as he moves closer to look in. "We shouldn't knock that over, should we? It would be *UPSETTING*!" Zilchus titters like a schoolkid at his very funny joke.
1d20 + 23 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 23 + 2 = 45 Perception
Florence Corvina |
"Wow, you should hit the Wati stand-up comic circuit after this," Flo remarks with a roll of her eyes. She continues to follow behind Zilchus and Stelle now, pausing behind them now to scan what she can of the room for magical auras.
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (12) + 21 = 33
Sopdet-Ka "Stelle" |
"Yes! Thank you so much Nidhi!"
Stelle eyes the statues of Set warily as she approaches the threshold.
"My, after all this time -- they still look like they are ready for anything. This room makes me a little ... on edge..."
+4 to Zilchus' perception fwiw.
+2 to Kosei's scent detection (Annie)
GM Euan |
Zilchus, with Stelle's aid, sees nothing untoward... well, other than parts of the floor look decidedly, well, odd.
The whole floor looks odd really, covered in hieroglyphics, but some sections of the floor look too perfect. Just slightly cleaner than the rest perhaps. You're not sure, but something is up. I've noted the odd areas on the map for now - but remember only Zilchus can see them so far.
Florence sees magical auras around those sections of the floor as well. Illusion auras.
Florence Corvina |
Deciding to take a bit of a risk, Florence steps up past Zilchus and Stelle to just right outside the door. "There's something strange with parts of the floor in there," she explains. "Some sort of illusion magic. You're right Nidhi; I hadn't even thought about it but Hakotep really does seem to have liked his illusions."
She continues trying to study the magic of the mystical floor tiles...
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (1) + 21 = 22
Zilchus Lyghtlode |
Zilchus crosses his arms, then crosses his arms in the other direction so his weapon cord doesn't tangle his arms as much. He leans back against the wall and waits to see what the party comes up with.
"Should we toss rocks on it? Poke it with my sword as we move up? I'm not standing on the ground. I ride the air like it is the mighty river," Zilchus states, giving the statue of Set the side eye.
Kosei Sharif-El-Sadad |
Kosei check the tiles with his scent trying to pierce through the illusion "Yes, toss rocks my friends! Perhaps a hidden hole?"
Perception scent+Anie: 1d20 + 20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 20 + 2 = 27
Sopdet-Ka "Stelle" |
Stelle reaches into her haversack and grabs a bag of seasalt.
"Assuming this is too light to show us anything, let's try something heavier next..."
She grabs a fistful, backs up a little and slides into a bowling stance, aiming for an array of spaces.
SaltScatter: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21
SaltScatter: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18
SaltScatter: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (15) + 15 = 30
She turns to flying Zilchus and offers him the bag of salt. "Here -- did you want to be the salt fairy for Set and try dusting some of this around where I can't reach?"
GM Euan |
Florence learns nothing new from her scans. Zilchus and Kosei make some suggestions which Stelle follows through on. Oh, Kosei and Anubis sense nothing out of the ordinary. No living thing has been here in a very long time as far as their noses tell them.
Stelle tosses some salt on the ground. As expected, the salt falls through the apparent floor where marked on the map. They are indeed pits of some kind, but the illusion remains - blocking your sight. The remaining floor seems solid enough. Solid enough to support salt anyway.
So far the brave adventurers have not ventured into the actual room to investigate these holes, so nothing more is learned at this time.
Sopdet-Ka "Stelle" |
Stelle moves to the threshold and performs a curtsy to statue Set in the corner.
"Excuse me, just passing through," she says to it in her most formal and polite tone.
She enters the room to inspect one of the pits. She pulls out her glaive, looks in and gingerly pokes her glaive into the pit.
Nidhi Aashirya |
"Are those statues about to come to life?" Nidhi points to the one in the far corner. She doesn't look like she's going to step into the room first. "I bet they were placed here to knock the unsuspecting explorer into one of those holes."
Nidhi lifts up her longbow in preparation and adjusts her seated position on her carpet. She watches Stelle as the halfling enters the room to inspect one of the pits.
Perception (watching Stelle's back): 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (14) + 18 = 32
GM Euan |
Stelle brazenly enters the chamber and pokes her glaive into the hole. Whatever it is, it's deep, and seems to be without sides as if the chamber below were as large as this one which sits above it.
Nidhi gives the statues the stink-eye, fully expecting them to come to life, but they seem to ignore Stelle completely.