Caius gasps in surprise as Merutep yells out.
He then quickly springs into action, drawing his rapier, springing one handed onto the tomb, and sliding across the top to land in between the "snake" and Merutep.
He then thrusts his rapier at the "snake".
?
Hibbins lobs his acid bomb, shattering it against the back wall, spraying acid on the construct and across the bronze urns. Both sizzle and pop as the acid corrodes and burns through them.
Marius draws his longsword and strikes the creature but his attack does not seem to do as much damage as he thinks a solid blow like that should do.
Rashim's missile sails toward the snake, only to strike one of the bronze urns, ringing it like a gong.
Caius vaults up on to the top of the coffin and slides across doing a backflip off the casket to land, feet firmly planted between the snake and Merutep. He lunges as the snakes as his rapier pierces the creature, but he too doesn't think his strike did as much damage to it as it should have.
The snake turns to face Marius, it's hood flares open as it strikes at the bard. It lunges forward but Marius manages to twist away just in the nick of time as it misses him completely.
Merutep draws her quarterstaff and whacks the snake with it.
Then she moves back a bit to make room for her more martial minded companions.
With an angry screech, Aya flies at the snake with her talons bared.
Following his shield forward, Meriui attempts to draw the construct's attention with a slice of his sickle.
Merutep swings her staff at the snake, but the close confines make it difficult and her attack rings off the bronze urn next to the cobra.
Aya, talons extended for a rake, swoops in but the snake easily dodge the attack and lunges back at Merutep's avian friend. Aya wheels away at the last second, easily avoiding the bite.
Meriui swings his sickle around his enormous shield but the bobbing and weaving of the cobra throws off his aim as the creature avoids his attack.
With the snake distracted by Aya, Marius swings his sword again at the cobra.
I hope those urns were not valuable... no time to think about that now.
Hibbins takes up a position guarding the door, in case this thing tries to skip out, trusting that the full force of his party will be able to take down this foe.
Caius stands his ground and thrusts his rapier at the snake.
Rashim circles around to try to get a better shot, and sends another stone flying in.
With Hibbins guarding the exit, Rashim moves over to where he gat a better line of sight on the Iron cobra. Launching another stone he curses in frustration as this one collides with the corner of the sarcophagus, spraying shards of rock everywhere.
Marius imbues his weapon with arcane power as he strikes the snake, causing minimal damage. After his attack he steps up to put the creature between himself and Caius.
Caius takes advantage of the distraction Marius' move caused and strikes the construct soundly, but once again it doesn't seem to do as much damage as a blow like that should have.
The cobra rears up once again and strikes at Marius but it once again misses the bard.
"Careful, Aya!" Merutep exclaims with worry.
She looks around for a few moments, apparently trying to think of something helpful that she could do... In the end she draws a dart and tries to throw it at the strange snake.
Unfortunately, her dart flies way off course.
Heeding Merutep's call, Aya flies back to her mistress and begins to inspect her wound.
Frowning, Meriui takes another shot at the construct.
"Maybe we should try helping someone hit this thing. Caius? Marius? Or split between them both?"
Merutep's dart sails over the tiny creatures head only to ricochet off the back wall and stick in the ground at Marius' feet.
Meriui swings his sickle at the snake again but the make believe reptile dodges underneath the attack.
"Hey, watch it." Marius shouts to both Merutep and Rashim as he dances out of the way of comrade's wayward attacks. He swings his longsword at the cobra but the construct proves too elusive as it weaves underneath his swing.
"Sorry! Dang thing is hard to hit." Rashim lets out a light breath, focusing harder, before sending another shot slinging in.
Caius laughs at Marius's playful comment. Then launches another attack against the snake.
With Hibbins guarding the door Rashim threads the needle between Marius and the sarcophagus to strike the cobra. Marius swing with his sword misses as the cobra continues to dodge attack after attack. With the cobra fixated on Marius, Caius is able to pierce the constructs armored hide with his rapier.
In response the snake turns to face the swashbuckler as it strikes. Caius manages to block the attack with his shield as the creature sinks it's fangs into the wood.
Realizing she can't reach the snake from here, Merutep circles around the sarcophagus and tries to whack it with her quarterstaff.
Meriui puts his own suggestion into action, trying to use his sickle to distract the construct from Marius' attack.
Merutep swings her quarterstaff at the construct and misses, while Meriui successfully distracts the snake but it is not enough for Marius' blade to strike.
Rashim, heartened by his previous success, tries to send another stone spinning in.
Marius continues to swing his longsword at the creature.
Rashim, despite a glare from Marius, launches another stone at the cobra. The rock flies between the bard and the coffin only to miss it's mark by inches as it explodes against the far wall.
Sparks fly as Marius' blade connects with the construct. The force of his blow is enough to separate the creature's head and send the cobra's hood spinning through the air as the snake falls to the floor, unmoving.
"Yes!" Merutep exclaims, jumping into the air in excitement.
"Oh, well done, Marius!" She pats him on the back. Turning to the others she adds, "Well done, everyone!"
Moving over to examine the "snake," Meriui has to say it. "Okay, you were right. There was a guardian. Are you sure that means no traps?"
He has no expectation to learn anything amazing looking at the remains, but he wants to see if he can figure out how it moved about. Knowing how it moves means maybe being able to stop the movement without simply destroying it.
"I was hoping whatever they had placed here would have been weakened by its long stay. Well, let us see what we have aquired in this venture."
"Right!" Merutep replies. She goes back to looking around for treasure and artifacts.
Opening the pair of chests you find one is filled with a suit of padded armor while the other contains a two rotting cloth bags filled with gold and a darkwood coffer. Nestled inside the coffer are a pair of vials, a lapis lazuli and carnelian pendant,and a small pouch containing loose lapis, carnelian, and turquoise stones.
The bronze urns contain what may have once been leaves or some type of incense but now, having not withstood the passage of time, contain nothing but ashes and dust.
Examining the coffin you feel, that with a little bit of effort, the gold leaf adorning the sarcophagus could be peeled loose and removed. Prying the lid loose you slide it off to the side to reveal what must be the mummified remains of Ankhentepi himself, his face covered with an exquisitely crafted gold funerary mask.
The armor is Ankhentepi's personal armor
Akhentepi's Armor
Aura moderate transmutation CL 7th
Slot armor; Price 5,235 gp; Weight 10 lbs.
Description
This suit of +1 stanching padded armor is of traditional Osirian design, consisting of a quilted cuirass of lightweight, breathable linen; a linen kilt; and a teardrop-shaped groin guard of stiffened linen. Besides its anti-bleeding properties, Akhentepi’s armor grants its wearer a sense of impending danger. Once per day as a free action when the wearer attempts an initiative check, the wearer can add a +3 insight bonus on that initiative check.
It's a potion of Darkvision
It's a potion of Lesser Restoration
Examining the relics and stones, Merutep smiles. "It's beautiful..."
She tries to examine the vials but is unsuccessful. She shrugs and passes them on to the others.
Caius looks on with a smirk as his companions look through the treasure.
"Good work everyone. Now onto a well deserved and long awaited pay day."
He then moves to help examine the findings.
After looking at the vials for a few moments Caius speaks. "These could be quite useful. A potion to let us see in the dark and a restoration potion."
Marius casts his detect magic spell and stares at the armor for a few seconds before declaring "Nope, I got nothing. Anyone else want to give it a shot?"he says holding the armor out for someone else to try and identify.
"Done? There was another set of doors in the chamber with the walking sarcophagus, wasn't there?"
As Mertuep excitedly picks up their treasure, she nods.
"That's right."
After collecting the treasure and thoroughly searching this room, Merutep looks at the others.
"Shall we continue on to the other doors in the false sarcophagus chamber?"
Returning to the false burial chamber you find the secret doors are un-trapped and unlocked. Opening the doors you find a dozen shroud wrapped mummified bodies lined up in two rows, each with a wooden medallion carved with a spiral pattern around their necks.
These must be the bodies of the slaves who built this tomb, killed to guard it's secrets. The medallions are memento's to Pharasma, The Lady of the Graves, and are meant to ward off curses and ensure safe passage to The Boneyard for their departed souls. As such they are mere trinkets and not powerful enough to be considered holy symbols.
Merutep regards the bodies with great respect. "These are the bodies of the slaves who built this tomb. They would have been killed to guard it's secrets." She strokes the cheap wooden medallions reverently. "These medallions were meant to ward off curses and ensure safe passage to The Boneyard for their departed souls."
Merutep looks at the others. "Let's leave them their medallions. It's all they owned. They're not worth much anyway."
Merutep performs a prayer over the bodies, in
Then she shuts the door, sealing the mummies away.
Looking around, she smiles at the others. "Is that it? We're done here?"
She looks very excited.
"Do you mind if I make some sketches before we go? I don't want to forget a thing!"
If the others don't mind, Merutep pulls out her journal and charcoal and begins to make sketches of the tomb and it's guardians, as well as rubbings of the art on the walls.
Caius follows as Merutep opens the doors to reveal the mummified corpses. He listens as she explains who they were and why they are buried here.
"That seems best. No need to disturb their resting places. Otherwise I think that's it for this tomb."
He then begins to gather what treasure was found and begins taking it toward the entrance of the tomb, making a few trips.
Rashim nods along with the thoughts of the others. "Very wise." He'll then help Caius begin to move things out, both by carrying things in his arms as well as using his telekinesis to float even more than he can carry.
"True. They deserve their rest."
"Here, let me help, Caius, Rashim."
With some effort you manage to get everything that's not nailed down out of the tomb, with the exception of Ankhentepi's chariot. The chariot would have to be disassembled to be removed, a skill that is currently beyond you.
Standing outside the tomb, Merutep smiles.
"Wow! That's a lot of stuff! Guess everyone needs to pitch in to help carry this, hey?" she remarks excitedly.
She stuffs as much into her backpack as she can, to help carry the relics back through the Necropolis and back into Wati.
Outside the tomb Caius looks at the haul they have and seems pleased.
"Quite alot indeed. We'll haul most of this to market to sell, but some of it me and Hibbins will separate for sale as antiquities."
He looks down at the chariot. "I suppose we should just leave it...unless anyone wants it personally."
"Honestly, I'm not sure what I would do with a chariot."
"You could ride it around the city, show off for the ladies as the sun shines off your armor."
Merutep nods. "That would look very dashing."
In a surprisingly human motion, Aya shakes her head at Merutep.