Turel pauses outside the next room to give time for the others to study the masks. Once he has been given the go ahead, he peers inside the room.
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These masks look old. I've seen items from this era go for a pretty copper to the right collector, darlings.
Pssht. Pharasma. Pallid Princess, save us from her naive and misguided followers.
These masks look very familiar to me for some reason...
Turel keeps quiet for the moment, electing to concentrate on the chamber ahead.
Tuneya smiles to Regina in thanks, then nods to Harmose. She also takes the time to make a copy, for her own personal notes, before wrapping the the gold books in her scarf and adding them to her pack. She makes certain everyone can see her doing it... an old habit from her student days. After all, it's easier to keep track of who has a relic if everyone knows who grabbed it.
She stands, then reaches over to pat Camus. "Assume it will break until proven otherwise in the future. That way, when you find out it's sturdy, you know it can hold your weight!" She then grins. "And the stuff you know is sturdy is more fun to play with."
She then nods to Harmose. "I like that idea. And it will keep any complaints to a minimum and let the priests of Pharasma know that we are willing to make amends. Which, in turn, means they won't deny us access to further tombs."
She then stands to follow Turel and Camus into the next hallway, where she finds herself distracted by the masks.
"These are lovely! This is why I got into archaeology. All of the incredibly lovely things the ancients produced, all of the knowledge and stories about people's lives... So much you can find out about the ancient world. So many people whose stories were lost to time that we can recover. So many lovely items that can be brought into the sun again."
Abadar and Pharasma... Makes sense.
In fact, she's so distracted she isn't even paying much attention to what else might be in this room and barely is paying any attention to what's in the next one.
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Tuneya studies the two books with gold-plated metal pages. The first is a brief biography of Akhentepi, and the second is a list and description of the various military campaigns conducted by the nation of Osirion between 2350 and 2450 AR, so about 50-150 years before the Plague of Madness took Wati. Each book weighs 25 pounds (!!!) so you may not actually want to carry them along until you're ready to leave. I don't usually count encumbrance, but these are so heavy that they would easily push Tuneya out of light encumbrance by themselves, so I will make exception for them. Carrying the books would slow one down.
Tuneya's Appraise puts the chariot at 50-100-150gp depending on its condition (currently 50, skill-based restoration would put it at 100, and Make Whole would put it at 150). The chest at 200gp. The books at 300gp each. The funerary masks at 75gp each.
None of you figure out who the two unknown funerary masks are supposed to represent.
Treasure List has been updated to take into account the findings in A6 and A7.
You enter A8.
*****A8*****
A table displaying a three-dimensional diorama occupies much of the north side of this room. Three shields with different designs are displayed upon a rack against the east wall, while various weapons hang from another rack along the south wall. Arrayed around the room are five small chests and a clay urn.
************
The moment one of you enters the threshold of room A8, there is movement. On the northern table, three dolls about 1 foot (30 centimeters) high become animated, leaping down from the diorama, and charging you. I have added an image of the Warrior Dolls into Google Drive. Two of them attack Turel, while one of them attacks Camus.
Camus and Harmose spot the Warrior Dolls in time to act during the surprise round. During the surprise round, the Warrior Dolls only move, as there isn't sufficient room to charge, and they move into their targets' spaces, since they are Tiny and have a reach of zero. They may be difficult to spot on the map, because they are so small; I recommend using the zoom function while viewing the map.
Harmose's surprise round action: ?
Camus' surprise round action: ?
(Harmose and Camus spot the dolls moving while they are still on the table, so their surprise round actions take place before the dolls hop down)
Warrior Dolls' surprise round action: hop off the table and move into Turel and Camus' spaces.
Then Round 1:
Everyone's actions
Then Warrior Dolls get to attack.
You may roll Knowledge (arcana). Untrained DC 10 is enough to identify them as animated objects. Trained DC 15 would give you additional combat-useful information.
Look out! It's...something.
Regina moves into the room to allow Aleris room to step up if she wants to, then tries to stab one of the tiny dolls attacking Turel with her giant, unwieldy scythe.
Turel steps into the room marveling at the weapons hanging on the south wall. I wonder whether any of those weapons are still deadly after all of these years...would Tuneya obje--- Regina's cry startles him and he turns around to see...Are those dolls?
Instinct takes over and he lashes out at the first doll with fist and foot, trying to knock it aside before it can wound him.
Free Action:
What in Horus's name are THOSE things, and how do we kill them?
If Harmose finds out that they are vulnerable to something, he will yell out that information LOUDLY so that the whole team can kill the dolls before they kill us.
Surprise Round Action:
Harmose casts grease on the Northern Table before they hop off. All three of the nasty little dolls get to make DC16 reflex save. If they try to move across the slippery area, it is half speed and they have to make a DC10 acrobatics roll to go anywhere.
Regular Round Action:
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Two of the dolls remain standing when Harmose casts his spell, while one falls down. Camus gets an Attack of Opportunity against doll C. On their surprise round turn, dolls A and B attempt to move into Turel and Camus' squares (needing to make Acrobatics DC 10), while doll C stands up (if it survives Camus' AoO).
Dolls A and B succeed at their Acrobatics rolls and move off the table into Turel and Camus' (respectively) spaces.
Harmose theorizes that the dolls must have vulnerability to fire (+50% fire damage). There is still more information to be found if others make their trained Arcana checks.
Regina's attack misses. Both of Turel's attacks hit doll A, but do not kill it.
Oh, Turel gets an AoO against doll C too.
Regular Action:
Step back one step to give full freedom of movement and positioning to Aleris and Tuneya.
"Fire! They're vulnerable to fire!"
;
"Is it wise to use fire here? The damage to this chamber could be heavy!"
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"COME AND GET IT F~~$!PREPARE YOUR SOUL TO FEEL MY BLADE "
-Surprise round:
Camus readies an action to attack the dols if they come close
/
-Oportunity:
"WHAT A FOOL DOING THAT WHILE FIGHTING ME!"
Camus turns and in mere second does incredibly fast cuts at the enemy while saying...
"PREPAAAAAARE ...... "
.....YOOUUUR ANUUUUUS! "
-First Turn:
"HAAAOYOOOO! "
Camus moves 5ft into flank with Turel (if possible and/or if needed)
/
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If the map looks too small, make sure you zoom in.
Harmose's acid splash hits the doll's touch AC, but it seems ineffective. (It did no damage.)
Turel's Attack of Opportunity hits.
Aleris' ranged touch attack misses. Does Aleris want to make an Arcana attempt, since she has it trained?
Camus' surprise round attack misses. The AoO critical threat is not confirmed, and is only a regular hit for 7hp of damage against doll C. Then on Round 1, once we add in +2 for flanking, his attack hits against the doll (A) between him and Turel. That is enough to drop doll A, which is shattered and falls into inanimate pieces on the floor.
Actually just realized Turel didn't get an AoO since he was still flatfooted when the doll stood up.
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They have hardness 5, so they deduct 5 points from any damage dealt.
I believe everybody but Tuneya has acted for Round 1. Tuneya may add in her Round 1 action later.
Doll C tries to move off the table, but falls down again, and then stands up, provoking another AoO from Turel and Camus. Since Turel already rolled an AoO earlier due to my mistake, I will use that roll for this AoO, and he hits and does 1hp of damage due to the hardness reduction. Camus may roll an AoO. Doll C doesn't get to do anything else. Doll A is dead. Doll B attempts to attack Camus.
I believe Camus' AC is 18 (+3 Studded, +5 Dex, yes?), so the second attack hits.
Doll C on the table has taken 3hp damage (after hardness reductions). Doll B on the floor is undamaged.
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At feeling how heavy they are, Tuneya instead leaves the books behind. For now.
Tuneya opens her mouth in surprise as soon as she sees the dolls, then steels herself and reaches to pull out a bomb as she sees the fighting break out. She tries to aim to where she won't hit Camus or Turel, but knows they might get singed anyway. Cursing very vividly in every language she knows, she mixes the bomb.
"Incoming explosives! Fire in front!"
And then she lets the bomb fly, aiming right for the center of a group of the dolls.
"Try to get them to bunch up with you two to the side! I can drop an explosive right in the middle of them."
If the map looks too small, make sure you zoom in.
Harmose's acid splash hits the doll's touch AC, but it seems ineffective. (It did no damage.)
Turel's Attack of Opportunity hits.
Aleris' ranged touch attack misses. Does Aleris want to make an Arcana attempt, since she has it trained?
Camus' surprise round attack misses. The AoO critical threat is not confirmed, and is only a regular hit for 7hp of damage against doll C. Then on Round 1, once we add in +2 for flanking, his attack hits against the doll (A) between him and Turel. That is enough to drop doll A, which is shattered and falls into inanimate pieces on the floor.
Actually just realized Turel didn't get an AoO since he was still flatfooted when the doll stood up.
____________________________________________________________________
Camus flinches a little when he is hit by the slam
"WOUNDS ONLY FUEL MY PRIDE!"
ROAHHH!
Edit: Actually the attack doenst hit me I have a buckler so that ups my AC to 19
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Good call, I missed that. Camus downs doll C with his AoO. There is no second AoO then, since the doll is already dead and doesn't try to stand a second time.
Also good call with the buckler, so the slam doesn't hit you.
****
(OLD INFO, NO LONGER VALID) Camus and the remaining doll take 7hp fire damage (+50% for doll, 10hp), unless they make Reflex save DC 15 for half damage.
(OLD INFO, NO LONGER VALID) Saves, 5hp damage, negated by hardness
Since there is only one doll left when Tuneya makes his move, instead of two, I will allow reconsidering her action if she wishes.
"What the hell woman!"
Camus says while the bomb explodes near him
Camus does look visibly burned
"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!! "
______________________________________________
EDIT: Since Tuyena changed her action this post never happened
Tuneya winces as she sees the fire engulf Camus. That was not expected.
"Aleris, can you heal him again if he wins or I drag him back here? It'll be my fault if he falls, and I don't want him to die because of my mistake."
Since there is only one doll left when Tuneya makes his move, instead of two, I will allow reconsidering her action if she wishes.
Tuneya opens her mouth in surprise as soon as she sees the dolls, then steels herself and reaches to pull out a bomb as she sees the fighting break out. She tries to aim to where she won't hit Camus or Turel, but can't see a way to do that and slips the bomb back in its pouch. Then she pulls out her morningstar and begins to move forward, risking drawing an attack as she closes to next to Camus.
Assuming Camus has not killed it and she doesn't hit him like she did in an alternative timeline, Tuneya swings her morningstar right at the doll, cursing it in Ancient Osirioni as she swings the spiked head right at it.
"This is for making us have to fight, you son of a rapid jackal's rancid droppings!"
Assuming she doesn't hit Camus. She's definitely trying not to!
Let's see how you like a taste of oblivion, little one.
Camus move 5ft away from the doll and he tries to throw him on the floor.
"NOW LETS SEE WHAT YOU DO NOW!"
"DOWN WHERE YOU BELONG!"
Turel nods in response to Camus' actions and moves to flank the tiny doll. He then proceeds to pummel the doll further.
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ROAAAAH!!!
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Aleris and Turel miss.
Harmose may insert a Round 2 action retroactively when he logs on.
Round 2 action for doll B: stand up (provokes AoO from everyone except Harmose and Aleris), then attack Camus. It takes 8hp minus hardness, i.e. 3hp damage from Camus' AoO.
Would have occurred if the doll hadn't been taken down.
No longer relevant.
This did not occur.
Everyone may post their Round 3 actions, also don't forget the AoO on top of that. The doll is back on its feet and has taken 3hp damage.
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Tuneya doesn't even hesitate; as soon as the animated creature starts to rise, she starts swinging, bringing her morningstar down at it as many times as she can to break it.
"Didn't you hear Camus, little construct? He said to prepare your anus! And you're! Not! Prepared!"
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Tuneya smashes the doll to pieces with her morningstar, before it has a chance to damage Camus. Camus takes thus no damage.
Battle is over. You may now examine the room.
The diorama: With a sculpted landscape and tiny stone and wooden statues, the diorama depicts an ancient battle between the city of Wati and an unidentified enemy.
The wall racks: The rack to the east proudly displays three shields. The shield on the right is a light wooden shield identical to the shields carried by the soldiers in the diorama. It bears Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs that spell the name "Akhentepi," marking those soldiers as under the command of Akhentepi. The light wooden shield on the left does not appear to be Osirian in origin. Knowledge (geography) may help identify it. The center shield is unusual in that it is a light steel shield shaped like a scarab; it matches the one borne by Akhentepi in the engravings on the doors in areas A3 and A4. The rack on the south wall holds an aged but functional composite shortbow with its string missing, a masterwork khopesh, and a masterwork spear. Craft, Appraise or Knowledge (nature) may provide additional information regarding the weapons.
The chests: The chests are of good craftsmanship but less ornate than the one found in area A6. None of the chests are locked or trapped, but each has been sealed with wax. They contain a sack with 100 gp, and several scroll tubes holding papyrus records, private memos, expense ledgers, speeches, and private correspondence. Among the papers are discussions regarding the unfinished tomb of Akhentepi’s mistress. There is little else of interest in the papers.
The urn: The clay urn is also sealed with wax and contains an oily substance. Appraise or Knowledge (nature) to identify.
The value of the following items may be Appraised: the papers and the oily substance.
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Harmose is so delighted to see his entire team not only victorious over the dolls, but also apparently uninjured, that he prestidigitates a stream of sparkling confetti in the air in celebration. Like snowflakes in the spring, the confetti melts and disappears the moment it hits the ground.
"You were all wonderful in there!"
Then Harmose turns to Camus with a manly pat to the larger man's shoulder. "Lovely work with the flanking, tripping, and battlefield control! That is exactly the sort of savvy swordwork we will have to make sure Kema hears about. Great job, Camus!"
Finally Harmose turns to Aleris, and giddily spins her for a moment, ending in a mock dancer's dip and then bringing her back up, grinning.
"Holy fire? You never told me you could produce holy fire! What other surprises do you have up your sleeve, Miss Aleris?"
Regina attempts to Aid Other looking at the loot.
shield
weapons
oily substance
papers
Harmose, on seeing Regina get back to business, decides to do the same.
"What an interesting shield, but not Osirioni. Where could it be from?"
"Because of the connection to Horus, this Khopesh could be collector's item in some circles."
"The ancients used so many oils and perfumes, but I wonder if this one had a more utilitarian purpose?"
"Love letters from the past? How fascinating!"
_______________________________
Upon hearing the appraised value of the Chariot, Harmose does the math in his head.
"The cost of a scroll of 'Make Whole' is 150g. The Chariot, repaired, is worth 150g, and that's not counting the expense of hauling it out of here. We would lose money trying to fix it and sell it."
"However, we may have to do it just to keep Pharasma and her church happy with us."
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Turel takes a few deep breaths as he tries to settle his body and mind moving from the rush of combat to the inner calm he needed to function. One of the things his instructor had always told him is 'The thrill of battle can be addictive...as potent as any drug found in the Black Markets of Katapesh.'
He glances at the exhuberant display of Harmose and Aleris out of the corner of his eye. Strangely, the display did not upset him...much. He moves next to the pair and responds quietly. "Well done Harmose. That spell allowed us to recover from their initial attack." He then turns to Aleris giving her a bemused smile, "Your aid was also...most welcome."
Though I cannot guarantee your Holy Fire would not prove as harmful to me as to the dolls...
Afterwards, he looks over the weapons with a critical eye. Perhaps they would be useful in our exploration...
"I would not want to depend on these weapons in a battle..."
"Interesting substance. I have heard tales of this..."
"These could prove quite valuable. The Church would forgive me my carelessness if we returned these papers to them."
"I know where that shield may have been made!"
As Harmose finishes up with the appraisal notes for Tuneya, memories of that impromptu dance move with Aleris keep distracting him. When he felt Aleris's body moving against his, he had known immediately that she was trained.
She felt lighter than air in my arms.
He glances sidelong at the pretty girl. When, in all that traveling time, had she had the opportunity to train as a dancer?
How old IS she? Sixteen, maybe seventeen? Younger than me, surely. And yet, so mature. Is it the all the travel that makes her seem so wise?
Harmose returns back to his notes, and then stops again.
And that delightful shriek... That was so promising.
He had always enjoyed lovers who made a bit of noise, but so few actually did.
"I'm full of surprises,"
Yes, and he would so enjoy uncovering them.
Tuneya immediately begins to look around the room for traps . She doesn't quite trust that there isn't one. Doesn't quite. She might be a wee bit paranoid. Just a touch.
After that, she glances around.
She then nods to Harmose. "We won't make a profit immediately on the chariot, but I suspect the goodwill we will generate will pay off in the long run."
"The weapons look interesting. If one of these isn't valuable, is it okay if I send it as a souvenir to Izola? I don't want to risk sending something fragile, but at the same time I don't want to just send nothing."
The oil makes her blink. "How many uses for oil did they have? I swear, it seems like we discover a new one every year."
The papers make her squeal for joy, and she handles each scroll carefully. It doesn't matter to her that some of these are tax records as she begins to carefully read them; what does matter is that they're from Ancient Osirion, and that each record tells her something more about the life of the man whom the tomb is for. She stops at one point as she reads about the mistress.
"Huh. It seems he found love sometime after his wife died. Good for him. But, why wasn't the mistress's portion finished?" She continues to read to find out.
She completely manages to not notice the dancing, just due to how enthralled she is by what they found in the room. Right now, there's a fifty-fifty chance she'd notice if she were on fire.
"Huh. It seems he found love sometime after his wife died. Good for him. But, why wasn't the mistress's portion finished?"
Harmose raises an eyebrow. "I've always heard that getting a lady to the finish was quite challenging. Perhaps old Akhentepi wasn't up to the task?"
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Harmose raises an eyebrow. "I've always heard that getting a lady to the finish was quite challenging. Perhaps old Akhentepi wasn't up to the task?"
Tuneya grins wickedly. "That would explain what the oil is for."