Round 1, Init 16-
"Ascaria, look!" Sol says, shrugging off the creature's wail. "Don't worry, I'll get it!" Sol confidently draws her sword while striding towards the critter.
to hit;
damage.
AC=20
HP=28/28
Right hand = long sword
Left hand = hvy shield
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 26/26 HP
BAB = +3 (level 3)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2 (-1 to hit, +2 dam on Power Attack)
LHit = 1d20+7-2 (-1 to hit, +2 dam on Power Attack)
Throw = 1d20 + BAB + Dex
Fort+4 (+4 vs inhaled and contact poisons, +2 vs. disease)
Reflex+5
Will+2
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 16 if flat footed
Init 19, Round 1
...a hair-raising shriek can be heard from below...
So much for that plan!
"Rae, help! Let's get that thing back up! See if they're aboard! If not, we can join them!" Mortimer shouts as loudly as he can.
He immediately begins the tedious task of pushing the sarcophagus back toward the Yellow Lantern Tunnel, hopefully with Rae's help.
Round 1, Init 16+
"Rae, help! Let's get that thing back up! See if they're aboard! If not, we can join them!"
Well, that didn't take long...
Hearing Mort yell for help, Tynan runs from the alcove where he was standing watch back towards the sarcophagus at the center of the room.
Round 1, Init 16
Hearing Mort call for Rae to retrieve the cylinder, Pillette hefts and loads her crossbow, ready to ride down with the Angry Lady if/when it's empty... .
"Didn't sound like Mistress Solrisa or Master Ascaria, did it?"
AC: 16 (T: 14 FF: 12)
HP: 21/21
F3/R6/W0
Melee - +3 / Ranged - +6 (+7 Point Blank)
Condition: Subservient but wary
Equipped: Crossbow
Perception +5/ Know (Local) +7 / Know (Nobles) +3 / Sense Motive +4
The creature hisses as Solrisa dissects several tentacles off its underside. It immediately tries to repay the pain.
It rises 5', and studies the woman, dripping darkened blood on the floor below.
Round 1, Init 8
"No, Pillette, that didn't sound like them, but it diddn't sound good either! Hurry Mort!!! We need to get down there! " Readied action to get in the cylinder once it is up.
Round: 1, Initiative: 5
Weapon Equipped = Sling, loaded
Cold Iron Bullets (4/10), Silver Bullets (10/10)
Conditions = None
Life Link (3) = Mort, Rae, Sol
Channel Energy (7/7) (DC: 15) (2d6+1)
Amiable Blunder (1/1) (if Diplomacy failed by >5, reroll to avoid worsening attitude)
Ranged Attack: BAB +2, Dex +1 Damage: +0
Spells (Caster Level 3, Concentration +7)
Once per Day: Arcane Mark, Comprehend Languages, Message, Read Magic
Zero (14): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Spark, Stabilize
First (15): (6/6) Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Diagnose Disease, Liberating Command
”Sol, I can't see it - where is it?!”
He 5’ steps forward, seeking the creature just beyond his sight.
Mortimer accelerates his timeline, heave hoeing the sarcophagus another span of rotation. Tynan retreats from his sentry position to wait out the giant's grinding. Pillette loads her crossbow, and readies to confront the shriek once transportation arrives, as does Raella, who stands too many feet above her separated sister.
As Ascaria moves up, he can trace the blood on the floor straight up, just spotting the vargouille spotting him...
Round 2, Init 16-
"Oh, I see it Ascaria! I'll get it!" Sol says. "I'm very good at getting things. Even Rae would agree."
Sol delays, waiting for the thing to come closer to her or Ascaria so that she might strike again.
AC=20
HP=28/28
Right hand = long sword
Left hand = hvy shield
The creature sizes up its opponents, and decides to leave metal and straw behind for something... chewier... The warrior's hesitation is encouragement enough for the vargouille to attack Ascaria.
The front of Ascaria's shirt becomes wet with both his own blood and the vargouille's...
Round 2, Init 16-
"Oh, Ascaria! Why to bring it closer!" Sol says cheerily as she moves to help Ascaria. "That's very good work."
to hit;
damage.
AC=20
HP=28/28
Right hand = long sword
Left hand = hvy shield
Bite—injury; save Fort DC 12; frequency once; effect damage caused by bite can only be healed with magic if the spellcaster succeeds on a DC 20 caster level check; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Round 2, Init 16+
Tynan moves to the opposite side of the sarcophagus, and begins pushing to help Mort.
AC:16(F:12, T:14); HP:22/22; Saves:F3,R7,W2
AC 17, 21 on AoO; 17/26 HP
BAB = +3 (level 3)
ToHit = 1d20+7
RHit = 1d20+7-2 (-1 to hit, +2 dam on Power Attack)
LHit = 1d20+7-2 (-1 to hit, +2 dam on Power Attack)
Throw = 1d20 + BAB + Dex
Fort+4 (+4 vs inhaled and contact poisons, +2 vs. disease)
Reflex+5
Will+2
Initiative+2
CMD = 18, 16 if flat footed
Round 2, Init 19
Mortimer, with Tynan's help, swings the sarcophagus toward the Indigo Tunnel.
Round 2, Init 16
A nervous digit fingers her quarrel as Pillette waits for the cylinder to return, ready to squeeze in with Raella if/when it's ready.
AC: 16 (T: 14 FF: 12)
HP: 21/21
F3/R6/W0
Melee - +3 / Ranged - +6 (+7 Point Blank)
Condition: Subservient but wary
Equipped: Loaded Crossbow
Perception +5/ Know (Local) +7 / Know (Nobles) +3 / Sense Motive +4
Round: 2, Initiative: 5
Weapon Equipped = Sling, loaded
Cold Iron Bullets (3/10), Silver Bullets (10/10)
Conditions = None
Life Link (3) = Mort, Rae, Sol
Channel Energy (7/7) (DC: 15) (2d6+1)
Amiable Blunder (1/1) (if Diplomacy failed by >5, reroll to avoid worsening attitude)
Ranged Attack: BAB +2, Dex +1 Damage: +0
Spells (Caster Level 3, Concentration +7)
Once per Day: Arcane Mark, Comprehend Languages, Message, Read Magic
Zero (14): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Spark, Stabilize
First (15): (6/6) Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Diagnose Disease, Liberating Command
”Sol, this thing is… hideous!”
Mortimer and Tynan continue to push on the sarcophagus. Raella and Pillette ready to deposit themselves within the cylinder to descend as soon as the Cylinder arrives.
The vargouille presses its attack on the more vulnerable creature at its disposal. Ascaria feels the sharpened teeth find purchase in his shoulder, and rend muscle.
Round 3, Init 16-
"Oh, Ascaria! Don't worry, I got it." Sol cheers on Ascaria while swinging again.
to hit;
damage.
AC=20
HP=28/28
Right hand = long sword
Left hand = hvy shield
Her third swing launches the vargouille across the room, careening into the wall's relief with a sickening thud. Its form remains lifeless on the floor in its pooling fluids.
The turning of the sarcophagus continues, painfully slowly, but continues, until the Cylinder arises abruptly. Raella and Pillette commit to the action, and the metal doors snap shut, bringing them downwards to settle roughly 30' deep.
Mortimer and Tynan remain above, with the sarcophagus pointed directly at the Yellow Lantern tunnel.
As the two step from the cylinder, they are confronted by a room in which the walls are covered in bas-relief images similar to the slender figure upon the sarcophagus lid in the chamber above. Nearly a dozen androgynous, hairless humanoids stand in poses of deference, almost as if they are paying homage to the viewer. Many extend their hands in adoration, their faces awash in adulation. Several of the statues lack hands, arms, heads, or anything else easily hacked off by long absent
tomb robbers.
About fifteen feet ahead, a dark passage extends from an elaborately carved arch.
On the floor lays a hideous winged head, black in skin and blood. Ascaria appears to be bloodied, like Solrisa's sword.
Sol looks at her sword, then to the gnome, then to Rae.
"Rae, look! I killed the bad thing that was attacking Ascaria!" Sol point with her sword before drawing a cloth to clean her sword. She seems to notice Pillette for the first time.
"It's a good thing you stayed out of the fight, Pillette. I totally forgot you were down here."
Spotting the severed head, the halfling moves out of the way of Rae, wondering if she'll be angry that her sister took care of business without her. Pillette keeps her crossbow leveled, peering out warily.
"What in the Devil's name is that?"
She will try and keep an eye out for the torso or anything else threatening from the shadows. If the head sprouts wings and flies, can the body be far behind?
Weapon Equipped = Sling, loaded
Cold Iron Bullets (3/10), Silver Bullets (10/10)
Conditions = None
Life Link (3) = Mort, Rae, Sol
Channel Energy (7/7) (DC: 15) (2d6+1)
Amiable Blunder (1/1) (if Diplomacy failed by >5, reroll to avoid worsening attitude)
Ranged Attack: BAB +2, Dex +1 Damage: +0
Spells (Caster Level 3, Concentration +7)
Once per Day: Arcane Mark, Comprehend Languages, Message, Read Magic
Zero (14): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Spark, Stabilize
First (15): (6/6) Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Diagnose Disease, Liberating Command
Frustrated that he still exhibits some injury, he applies the wand again.
"Huh, that was weird. The wand didn't seem to work right that first time, but seemed OK the second. I hope the Asmodeans didn't give us a faulty wand."
He sees Rae and Pillette join them, "Watch the skies - these vicious head things fly out." He pokes the dead head with his foot.
"We should wait for the others. Is there some way of going back up? without someone up top? Or is Mort stuck up there while we investigate further?"
Ascaria offers to ride back up in the tube to let Mort know what's going on so he doesn't worry.
"Thanks for the help, Tynan. I hope they remember to look for a switch..." says Mortimer, wiping the sweat off his brow.
For now, he leaves the sarcophagus pointing toward the Yellow Lantern Tunnel.
"Do you think we need to rotate it all the way back around to bring them back up? That seems to be how it works."
"That's one way it works. I was hoping there was a way down there to make it come back up -- otherwise it's a one way trip if there's no one up here to manipulate the sarcophagus."
"That would be most unfortunate if the cylinder leads to a dead end, and we were all down there."
Mort considers for a moment.
"Can you hear anyone calling out over there? We can turn it once more, see if anyone comes out. If not, would you consider looking for a mechinism to operate it from down there? I'll wait a minute or so before bringing it back up with the sarcophagus."
Mortimer walks over to where the cylinder cap meets the tunnel floor, and listens carefully.
Tynan heads over to the yellow cylinder, and listens closely for sounds emanating from below.
"I could try looking for a mechanism below, though it would pretty much be blind luck if I were to find anything."
Tynan moves back to the sarcophagus. "Let's get it into the orange position, so we can quickly move it to yellow and bring them up."
Solrisa puts her shield away now that others have come down. With her other hand, she picks up the torch again. She moves with it down the hallway, using he elven sight to see what she might.
"Oooh, this is fun! Rae, look! Darkness!"
As Raella and Pillette slip from the Cylinder, the gnome slips by them, announcing his intent on traveling back up with the Cylinder. The Cylinder rises on the winds, those below hearing its arrival up top.
Solrisa begins to walk down the corridor in investigation. The first alcove on the left depicts a beautiful woman's form, without the head. A light blackening about the neck seems familiar in appearance to the blood on the floor surrounding the vargouille.
Tynan easily hears the muffled sound of conversation below, as he also hears the ascent of the Cylinder. He is just in time as he stands back, to allow the Cylinder to snap into position, and the doors snap open, revealing a bloody gnome.
"Anyway, looks like the hallway continues on a bit so we're going to check it out."
He turns to Mort, shrugging, "I think you're going to have to wait up here to get us back out. I'm sorry, but I can't think of another way."
"I think you're going to have to wait up here to get us back out. I'm sorry, but I can't think of another way."
Mortimer shudders slightly, looking carefully at the bloodied gnome.
"Why?" he inquires, his voice cracking with a hint of something -- possibly outrage, possibly disbelief. "I mean -- what happens to the cylinder once you're down there? Was there no mechanism down there to manipulate it into position?"He turns away and walks over to the sarcophagus.
"I'll stay, if I need to -- to get you all back out. Come back for me if the hallway goes somewhere useful, O.K.? I'll listen near the floor down the tunnel for you."
He gets into position to send Tynan and Ascaria back down in the cylinder.
"Was there no mechanism down there to manipulate it into position?"
Ascaria looks down at his feet, "Er, I dunno. I didn't think to look." he brightens up and looks at Tynan, "But if there is, I bet Tynan could find it! C'mon Tynan, let's head down and see if we can get Mort to join us."
He climbs back into the cylinder with Tynan and is ready to go back down.
"Unless there is another exit down there, trying to get all of us below would be suicide... I'll go down and look around, but I think it's safest if at least one person stays up top. I certainly have no desire to die trapped in this cairn."
With some trepidation, Tynan joins Ascaria in the tube.
Once Tynan and Ascaria are in the cylinder, Mort kicks the sarcophagus to point to the green tunnel. He watches the cylinder snick close and disappear beneath the floor once more with the last of his friends inside.
Once the cylinder is gone, Mortimer moves the sarcophagus until it is pointing to the Orange Lantern Tunnel.
He then takes up a listening vigil flat on his back on the Yellow Lantern Tunnel floor, with his head near the pillar cap edge.
He tries to think of things that will make him feel less alone.
The Cylinder descends for the third time, bringing both Ascaria and Tynan to the floor 30' below.
Tynan takes in the new surrounds.
As you step from the cylinder, you are confronted by a room in which the walls are covered in bas-relief images similar to the slender figure upon the sarcophagus lid in the chamber above. Nearly a dozen androgynous, hairless humanoids stand in poses of deference, almost as if they are paying homage to the viewer. Many extend their hands in adoration, their faces awash in adulation. Several of the statues lack hands, arms, heads, or anything else easily hacked off by long absent tomb robbers.
About fifteen feet ahead, a passage extends from an elaborately carved arch. Solrisa is carrying a torch, with Raella following behind.
On the floor lays a hideous winged head, black in skin and blood.
Amidst the figures of the bas-relief, there are two individual characters who appear to be kneeling, with their heads lowered. These two sculptures are recessions, not reliefs. One can easily place one's hand upon the heads, almost in a gesture of blessing. One of them is located next to the cylinder shaft, the other is directly across the room.
The room is wonderfully acoustic. Within minutes, you are easily able to hear your breath, mixing with the sound of the wind tubes from the entrance hallway. It is less quiet than you might imagine, without the others clomping about...
Pillette watches Solrisa move forward,
Clearly, the deceased winged-head holds her gaze in fascination.
"Nasty place, this."
Tynan takes in the surroundings, taking time to examine everything closely.
"Did anyone else notice this?" Tynan steps over to one of the wall carvings near the cylinder, places his hand on the head of the sculpture, and gives a gentle push.
As Tynan places places his palm on the submitting scalp, he can feel a light breeze cease to blow, as his skin seals unseen pores in the stone. In a brief moment's passing, the cylinder returns to the bottom floor, and the doors snap open.
Sol moves up, continuing to explore.
"Rae, look! More things!"
Weapon Equipped = None
Cold Iron Bullets (4/10), Silver Bullets (10/10)
Conditions = None
Life Link (3) = Mort, Rae, Sol
Channel Energy (7/7) (DC: 15) (2d6+1)
Amiable Blunder (1/1) (if Diplomacy failed by >5, reroll to avoid worsening attitude)
Ranged Attack: BAB +2, Dex +1 Damage: +0
Spells (Caster Level 3, Concentration +7)
Once per Day: Arcane Mark, Comprehend Languages, Message, Read Magic
Zero (14): Create Water, Detect Magic, Light, Spark, Stabilize
First (15): (6/6) Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Diagnose Disease, Liberating Command
Excited that we can all be together again, Ascaria goes to the tube and shouts up at Mort,
He waits for the big man before following Sol. Casting another Light on his bright yellow headband, he follows the others into the tunnel.
"Oh That's good to know. Someone should go get Mort so we can continue. with things like that winged head flying around,it would be better if we were all together.Sol, let's go get Mort before we move on."
Tynan moves across the room to the other carving.
"This one should send it back up, if my guess is right. Ascaria, do you want to ride up again?"
"Oh! Mort! You're perfect!"
Well, then. It's official. I'm perfect. Sol said as much. Perfectly able to lay on a floor perfectly hearing absolutely nothing but the sound of my perfect breathing as it harmonizes with the wind tubes waaaay over there...
Yeah.
Just perfect.
...must filter out this irrelevant noise.
He takes out a chunk of clay and molds it into a funnel. He places the wide end on the lip of the cylinder cap and plugs his left ear with his finger. He then places his right ear near the narrow end of the clay funnel, careful not to get an earful of clay.
!!!
He kicks up to his feet, strides over to the sarcophagus and points it to the Yellow Lantern tunnel. He boards the cylinder when it arrives -- squeezing his massive frame in all the way just in time before it snicks closed -- and joins the others down below.
Once arriving, he takes in the scene.
"Well done, Tynan -- most excellent 'blind luck'." he says, quoting the Slayer. "Thanks!" As his eyes adjust, they fall upon the broken statues. "Looks like others were here before us."
He notes Solrisa wandering way ahead of the others down the hallway.
Funny how some things never change.
He moves to catch up with Solrisa in the hallway.
As Ascaria yells up the shaft at Mort, it soon becomes apparent that Tynan's assumption is incorrect- the Cylinder doesn't respond to Tynan's touching the second recession, remaining on this level. It takes a little 'wolf and sheep and boat crossing' puzzle solving, before everyone is down below.
The Cylinder only rises when occupied, or when called to the top by the movement of the sarcophagus.
The Cylinder can be called down by the recession next to the shaft, otherwise, the Cylinder rises to a place of Limbo somewhere between the floors when not in direct use.
The second recession, across the room, demonstrates a similar behavior, blocking a light flow of wind, but its function doesn't become immediately apparent.
As Solrisa passes down the hall, with Raella and Mortimer joining her at present, she and the others experience a light breeze in their walk. There are statues in each alcove down the hall, the first one on the left the only one to be missing its head. Each statue strikes you with their similar features as to the humanoid resting on the lid of the sarcophagus above. Each statue has its palms upturned in front of them.
As the torchlight pierces the darkness, Solrisa can make out a grand stone pillar in the upcoming room, taking up most of the space. All is quiet.
Ascaria seems not as worried that he can't see the front group, off in the dim distance, as they examine the tunnel. He does move up though, so he can check out the statues.
"Boy I hope all these heads don't turn into those nasty flying bit-y things." he murmurs as he moves.
Sol moves up, continuing to explore.
"Oohhh! More statues! Neat!"
Mortimer, his ioun torch orbiting his head, moves up toward the large open room looking for traps along the way.
As Mort moves through the final chokepoint, he's suddenly aware of stone, both from above and below. The trigger plate beneath his feet almost feels like a teeter board, as a hydraulic push of the stone plate from the floor and from the ceiling spin on some unseen axis. They come together as a flush wall, slamming into the giant, and knocking him back.
The hallway is now solidly closed off by the stone slabs.