Graxzos winces as he pulls the dart from the hallway out of his arm, and peers into the next room between Tinder and Rasim. "Eh, let em be useful, I say...seems a mite pointless to kill summat just to have it stand in a tomb no one will see...." He shrugs.
The open doors reveals a short flight of stairs down. 10ft wide and extending only 5ft before they end at what seems to be standard issue double stone doors. The walls are plain and the doors lack decoration of any kind.
Almost imperceptibly, the sound of the scraping of the stone door across the floor seems to last a half-second longer than the door is actually moving.
Yep
Graxzos peers into the room, though without actually crossing the threshold. "I don't see nothin' that looks too bad...what about you guys?"
No aid another on this one. This is a passive perception check. Nor take 10 or 20. Something happened you didn't expect. You noticed or didn't. I think only two of you have a chance on this.
Rasim shakes his head. "I don't see anything either, I'll check the steps and door." He moves very slowly onto the steps, looking carefully for pressure plates, trip wires, holes or anything else out of the ordinary that could indicate another booby trap. If he finds the steps clear, he will proceed to the door.
Zanac steps carefully after Rasim, eyes peeled for anything dangerous. Assuming nothing is fine he will head towards the far door behind Rasim.
Graxzos pokes his head in, as well, and sniffs at the air. "Bloody stone smells funny," he mutters to himself.
Hey I love standard operating procedures. I used to do OSHA compliance inspections. Let's do it!
Okay, SOP for approaching a new door is Rasim takes 10 perception, with rolls from Zanac and Graxzos for assist, rolled by GM for the 5ft square in front of the door then the door itself.
Signal this by posting "Standard door check" by any of the three. I will interrupt and disregard if there are any impediments which would provide a penalty to the roll if they are perceptible.
Anything else (changing out people, order of checks, anything different than that must be stated explicitly.
All agree?
Oh, and you discover nothing of interest on or before the door at the bottom of the stairs.
"Looks like...a very short and semi pointless stairway to me." Zanac says as he steps forward towards the next set of doors. "Missing their usual engraving of that man though. Wonder why?" he mused aloud.
"Hmmmmm. Who gives a shake of Shelyn's fanny why?" Graxzos grumbles. "If there's no traps on the doors, let's press onward, shall we?"
He doesn't put his hand on the doors, though, eyeing them warily.
Rasim nods and opens the doors at the bottom of the steps.
Byron cautiously follows, keeping an eye on Sebti while taking more notes on the wall and the room.
0042B patiently followed those in the front, tools ready.
Rasim puts his shoulder to the doors and with a hiss of a broken seal they swing open to reveal another 20ft square room. The air flowing from the doors tastes dull and lifeless in your lungs. A brightly painted chariot sits in the center of this chamber facing west. Beyond the chariot, covering nearly the entire north wall, a large canvas stretches between two stone columns. The skins of several animals—antelopes, great cats, and crocodiles—now faded and deteriorated with age, are tacked to this canvas. A wooden chest, lacquered white and trimmed with gold inlay, sits in the southeast corner. In each corner of the room a small stone shield is molded into the masonry at shoulder height. An 10ft wide open hallway leads to the east. You can see two golden masks hanging on the northern side of the corridor (you will need to step into the room to see if there are more), one of Pharasma and one of Abadar. The floor has scraps of straw covering it to a depth of a few inches. The straw is dry as tinder and looks to have lain undisturbed for hundreds of years.
"Well, from what I can see back here, adding to my already intense paranoia, it seems like anything in this room could be trapped. That chest, the straw on the floor could cover up some kind of pit or switch or tripwire, and looks particularly flammable to boot, the shields, those masks - hang on a second..." Orcen peers from the safety of the doorway. "...Is it just me, or is it particular peculiar that's the first sign of Abadar here in this tomb? Very strange."
"Well, from what I can see back here, adding to my already intense paranoia, it seems like anything in this room could be trapped. That chest, the straw on the floor could cover up some kind of pit or switch or tripwire, and looks particularly flammable to boot, the shields, those masks - hang on a second..."
Byron quickly turned, sprinting for the entrance. Careful to avoid the pressure plate.
0042B stopped the group. "-Declaration- Danger, Danger team 5! Alert triggered at temple entrance. Byron on route, assistance may be required.."
The robot turned, its numatic legs pushing it into a sprint.
Byron whispered to Sebti
"We deal with that first," Rasim says, running after Byron. He's also careful to avoid the pressure plate from the trap they passed earlier. While moving he draws a stack of shuriken from inside his clothes.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, don't rush all the way, or else you might trample over a second pressure pad!" Orcen speaks out to them as they rush off. He sighed quietly, taking his time to follow them back - the alarm was good, but he doubted they could actually get there on time to deal with whatever was going on there.
Graxzos draws his pistol and heads for the entrance as quickly as he can. "Don't get yerself killed, Byron!" he bellows. "Don't engage anything ya can't see!"
Zanac turns around as everyone starts sprinting back the way they came. Taking a quick look around the room he sighs and quickly follows until they reach the main room where he melds into the shadows until the danger is ascertained.
The team turns and rushes back. Move 30 characters can make it to the rope in a double move (Rasim, Orcen, Zanac, Tinder). Move 20 can make it in two, or they can run and lose dext to AC on the round you arrive.
Remind me who has light up so I know if you are moving in the dark. Everyone roll initiative so I know who gets there first. Byron, you can have a 'surprise round' of extra movement because you got the alarm signal. You may choose to arrive first automatically if you run, or arrive with the move 30 characters in normal initiative order with your dex to AC intact.
Sebti allows all of you to pass, then follows the last party member.
Satinder spins around as 0042B calls its warning. Those darts hurt, I cannot afford to risk falling so early in our journey. I must proceed with caution... Satinder rushes after the others to find the source of the alarm. He makes a conscious effort to maintain a safe distance from the font lines, taking up position behind Graxzos, Rasim, and Zanac.
Byron sprints forward, magically glowing torch in one hand. Hoping to get to the rope before whoever arrived at it manages to get to the bottom.
Graxzos charges full-speed ahead (what, he's impulsive), his short legs pumping as he slides his goggles down over his eyes and cocks his pistol.
Initiative order.
Rasim
Graxzos
Zanac
Byron
???
Tinder
Orcen
0042B
Alright, first round is only Byron and 0042. Byron you rush into the bottom shaft room slightly ahead of your 'mom'. You arrive to see the room unchanged. The rope still hangs down, apparently secured from above. But it is swaying back and forth, though there is no wind in the room.
Byron watches the rope, realizing that it probably means someone is on their way down. It could be anything. Perhaps even another team who had gotten rid of their handlers or more priests here to make the 'grave-robbers' disappear. Byron didn't fear loosing the rope, 0042B could always become something to fly it back up into place.
Whoever it was probably assumed that they would be catching them off guard. Byron thought that would be to his advantage to keep them believing that.
Quickly he willed his merger light spell away, before he came in range of the rope. Rearming the trap as he retreated.
Byron made his way out of sight of the hallway.
0042B quietly relayed Byron's message to the rest of the team. The words came out of 0042B's mouth sounding almost exactly like Byron's voice but in a worbally and distorted manor. "There may be enemies coming down the rope right now. -Byron- have rearmed the trap, if someone with a spell that could set it off would get ready, we may be able to set it off several times before the can reach our end."
"...your master seems rather paranoid, don't you think?" Orcen ironically comments. "That's a terrible idea. You don't attack someone indiscriminately, and you don't let them blunder into a trap when they've done you no harm. That said, do feel free to keep a hand on weapons should things get hazardous."
With that said, Orcen steps over to the side of the door of the hallway, waiting and listening. There's no need to rush in like a bunch of fools. Taking a moment to listen to conversation would help things out tremendously in identifying their intentions.
Rasim also waits in the dart hallway, just inside the doorframe from the entry chamber. He presses himself against the wall and holds perfect still, ready to attack anything hostile that comes in.
Byron groaned. He didn't like being called the blood thirsty one. He didn't tend to be paranoid but this was so obvious.
0042B walked with Orcen, quitly stating "-Mission Parameter- We are to go to our designated area to recover artifacts, we were to not interfere with another team, we were the only ones who were supposed to have access."
0042B stops as soon it gets past the pressure plate."-Statement-If they are a threat I will set off this trap immediately, with you in it or not. I will not let that danger near my baby.
Keeping pace behind the others, Satinder follows Byron’s lead, willing his light spell away. He maintains position just inside the door, relieved that caution is being taken as the party inspects the source of the alarm.
Byron jumps back again past the door beyond the pressure plate (it will take a few rounds and a roll vs. disable device - no take 10 - to get it working again; do you still want to do that?) Rasim and Tinder are just outside the first chamber peering in. Orcen is with 0042B just outside the hall. Sebti is a few steps behind him out of sight from the double doors. Graxzos and Zanac tell me where you are. Byron and Tinder turn off their light. The only light is from Orcen hand back in the chamber beyond the trapped hallway. It is difficult to see anything, and anyone in the dorrway will be backlit.
The rope waves back and forth as everyone takes a breath to see what happens next.
Roll Perception
Rasim, Graxzos, Zanac, Byron all may take an action.
Whispering: "Debris is falling, I think something is coming, or has already arrived." Satinder says as he peers intently into the dimly lit room, readying his falcata in front of him.
"So because another team followed us gives us the right to kill them for it. Well, that's certainly a wonderful example you're setting," Orcen comments to the mechanical summon. "Course, it may not be them. Could be the undead, or vermin, or something living here that should not exist. The point being that we don't know," Orcen tells them, before lighting a second torch.
"So how about we find out?" He asks, before tossing that torch down the hallway, hoping to illuminate whomever - or whatever - has come down.
Graxzos takes up position just inside the door (NOT in the dart hallway, he reminds himself firmly), and watches the torch sail down the hallway. "Put yer light out, princess," he growls softly back at Orcen. "Don't want us all to be sitting ducks."
Graxzos cocks his head. "They ain't climbin' with metal...that's the sound of summat fleshy. Bare-hand climber...or somethin' nasty." He glances at the others. "If it's some kind o' critter, it's like to try to gut us. Whatcha think? Call out to see if we get a friendly response, with weapons ready?"
Though Byron couldn't see anything, and 0042B wasn't looking for it, he had to trust the dwarf.
"If you want to know what a creature does then look at the attributes it develops. I have never seen a herbivore develop extreme camouflage."
0042B, turned with lightning speed, getting to work on the trap.
"-Program initiated- Stay at your own risk -designation- Orcen. We were all made clear of the rules, prior knowledge to prevent errors. This must be an assumed outcome for invaders."
As various bits and pieces of stone and debris fell into the room, Zanac heard the sound of something very much living make its way into the room they had first rappelled down into. Turning around he saw the golem and gnome working on re-enabling the trap and with a hushed curse he quickly got out of the line of fire to the side of the door, melting into the shadows of the various flickering lights with his katana out and ready.
"I can't see anything..." Rasim mutters, staying in the doorway.
"Byron!"Graxzos calls hoarsely down the passage, not shifting his eyes off the end of the hallway, "Yer machine is doin'...somethin'...to the...thing...we found in here! Either tell it to quit, or you lot need to get back here sharpish! راسم، والخروج من القاعة!"
[ooc]I should not be at that end of the hall. We were all given the same check and I don't think we needed to walk up directly to the rope to see it. In fact actions wise I'm not sure if any of us had the speed to make it to the end of that hall this round. GM please advise.[ooc]