No surprise, the phylactery is magical - it's precise nature, however, evades Ramesses.
The riddle of this new trinket aside, the way forward from here appears clear, for the time being; the doors at the other end of this chamber are unlocked and easy enough to open, and nothing stops the party from moving on.
This chamber was once the equal to the fake treasure chamber in true grandeur, but the marshy environment has done its work well — the tops of the treasure shelves are mere islands in the stagnant water. Most of the shelves are empty, with only a few treasures remaining. The grand, rune-covered sarcophagus of the Dog Pharaoh lies open on its dais.
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"Very ominous," Razmand says quietly, trying to discern any threats within the room, "I don't like the lid being open a bit. Baldwyn, move in with me and keep your guard up. I'll look for anything suspicious. Once we encounter something that wants us dead, I'll cast a protective spell on you. Capiche?"
Razmand moves in to the chamber with stealth.
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Baldwyn chuckles. "Sure, now he sees the merit in bashin' things before they bash us, haha," he says to no in particular.
"Still, it's good to feel wanted," the voice from his waist replies.
"Indeed it is." Baldwyn hefts his blade, ensuring no ichor got stuck on it in the last bout before advancing with Razmand, not bothering to be quiet.
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"A mummy, or any undead as it stands, rarely opts for negotiation," Razmand continues, turning to face Baldwyn. The middle-aged man is irate, and has the sternest look. Sterner than Ambrus Valsin! "The difference in this previous encounter was we did our reckon first. Back at the shambling mound, however, we were careless and exposed ourselves to too much threat. I'm betting Zorro the psychopath would have enjoyed attacking the small blue lizards there too, right until they unleash their electric shock on him. Fry to a crisp. I'm merely advocating a proper approach on situations, not headlong rushing into battle with no foreknowledge of our enemies."
Razmand turns back to face the room. "But we must not bicker with each other in times like these. Unholy dangers lay about, and we must stay vigilant if we see to vanquish them swiftly. In fact," Razmand pulls a pure white potion from his Handy Haversack, and offers it to Baldwyn, "this is an oil of bless weapon. Need I tell you when or how to use it?"
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Baldwyn entertains Razmand's speech, but simply says "When I walk inta a place, I figure the only ones what try to take me on are ones what think they can win. If they don't think it, they don't try, they ain't worth my time. I only deal in brawlin' with thems what wanna brawl back. An' I never hit a man what ain't got a weapon. 'Cept monks. Learned that the hard way."
At Razmand's offer, it's clear Baldwyn's more than a little uneasy. But he accepts the vial. "Iffin' it's needed."
The layout of the room was designed to prominently display the sarcophagus, so once you actually enter the room, its contents actually become easy to see: the mummified remains of the Dog Pharaoh, sans head, which appears to have been unceremoniously torn off...recently.
Perhaps it was all these lizardfolk that Ramesses (and to a lesser extent, Razmand) notices with their eyes staring out of the water?
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"Sylvan? Lizardfolk? I doubt they speak Sylvan," Razmand wonders out loud, looking at the staring eyes. He looks straight at one, and looks for a reaction by testing a simple phare in Sylvan, Draconic, and Ancient Osiriani. "We have no intention to cause harm, we are here to study. The weapons we bring are for our own protection."
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"Guys I don't feel so well" Zorro faints and falls over.
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The one closest to the door gives a visible start as the sound of Zorro crashing to the floor in the last room disrupts the tension, but other than that, they rise from the water, keeping their (rather nice-looking) weapons at their sides.
"If that is all you are here for," replies one in Draconic. "then there is no reason for us to fight." He pauses as if to reflect on the situation, his pupils narrowing and his frame sulking. "We do not wish to be here - but we must have the treasure here! Mammals like you attacked our homes and stole our eggs. They demanded we bring them treasure from here and other ruins, or they will smash them all!" He hisses loudly; thinking about this is clearly making him angry. He looks at you accusingly. "Why would they do this, I ask you? You are not of their people, are you? You say you are knowing folk? What do you know of these...Asss-Pisss???"
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What I know of these Apsis is that if I see one of those bastards I'll crush his skull in with my blade. Everywhere they go they spread lies and pray on the weak, by Gorum's blessing I will destroy them all! says Ramesses in Draconic. ...hmm? Zorro!? Ramesses rushes to Zorro and pops him with his wand a few times.
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"Yes, Ass-Piss is the correct pronunciation," Razmand says with a quick, amused sneer, "the Aspis Consortium, as they are called, is our nemesis, our archenemy. Their heinous activities only seek treasure and power, as you surely have witnessed, where we only seek truth and knowledge. What the Aspis has done to you is impudent, and thus we are offering our assistance in retrieving the eggs you speak of. Do you know where they are, or where the Aspis agents are?"
Razmand turns back, wondering what Zorro is doing back there. Hearing the thump, he shakes his head slightly. "I guess we should have healed ourselves before coming here."
The lizardfolk all appear to be relieved to hear of your emnity.
Their speaker scampers off to the far end of the room and points at a slight current in the water (which Razmand had already noticed). "The way back out is through here. We beg you to help us..." If you had to guess, you'd say he feels frightened and ashamed. "Kill the one who holds our tethersss...we cannot help you. Too dangerouss. They will know...and then they will crush our eggs."
"The one who holds our tethers outside...he talks. A lot. Maybe he will try to be your friend. He liesssss. He will make friends with you. Maybe he will play a magic trick on you...then, he will move like a cobra, and he will stab you in the back."
They're sincere. They hate the Aspis and this agent overseeing them - but they're afraid of what will happen if they directly and openly defy them. The Aspis have literally got these lizardfolk by the eggs.
"Yesss, it's terrible in thessse places," the speaker waves his hand impatiently at the underwater escape tunnel again. "So let'sss get out!"
You follow the lizardfolk into their underwater tunnel. Beneath the water is a large pile of gold, gems, and jewelry - their latest treasure haul, which they scoop up in passing, and hand over to you! The tunnel continues for 20 feet, and Elenial and Razmand have some difficulty holding their breath, what with blood loss leaving them deprived of oxygen enough already, but they manage.
The dark and claustrophobic passage through the foundations of the tomb opens into the overcast swamp. The back of the tomb is much like the front, with gnarled swamp trees fighting for space on the dryer bits of ground and reeds, grass, and open stagnant water claiming the rest. To the east the ground raises slightly. Between two bone and leather fetishes lies a path that has seen recent use, the grass and marsh weeds broken down into a matted mush.
More immediately noticeable to most of you than all that, however, is a thin, goateed Garundi man with piercing blue eyes and hair pulled back in a short ponytail, dressed in muddy studded leather armor, standing near the water with four more lizardfolk. There is an awkward pause when he sees you come up, but it passes very quickly. “Welcome...Pathfinders, I can tell." He says as he looks over you and your equipment. He gives you a thin smile best described as "businesslike." "We’re just about done here, so don’t let us get in your way.”
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Baldwyn checks for an Aspis badge on the man. He keeps his mouth shut for the moment, though he is curious about who he says he is.
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"We've been hearing you are holding the lizardfolk's eggs as hostage," Razmand begins, eyeing at the other lizardfolk huddled around the Garundi man, "and I believe you are an unwelcome guest at this particular location. I very much doubt you'll lay down your intentions on your own. Do you want to the do this the hard way? I brought along a group of savage killers, you've probably heard of the Pathfinders' reputation, hmm?"
The lizards with the human don't say a word in response to Razmand's question; they seem to be waiting for the other shoe to drop, without being able to predict who's going to drop it.
"I'm...um..." The human keeps his composure reasonably well, but he's obviously a bit flustered and conflicted. He looks behind him with an impatient look on his face. He seems to want to make a civil reply, but Razmand's confrontationalism leaves almost no room for it. "...I'm sorry, but I don't understand. I'm Geric. I don't mean any harm. I'm just a treasure hunter. I was exploring a cave, I found some sort of magical portal at the bottom, and I wound up not far from here. I've made my expertise available to these lizards, who wanted to loot these ruins for a very long time but never quite had the courage on their own...."
Pants. On. Fire.
Ramesses notices the shiny Consortium signet ring on his finger.
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With the proclamation, Baldwyn's grip tightens on his weapon as he raises it.
Hmmm, to charge or not to charge... that is the question...
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"You have a chance to lay down your arms and surrender, and maybe you'll live another day. And as you can see, my colleagues' hands are itching to wreak havoc with their weapons," Razmand suggests, "I might be able to hold them back for a while, but you're running out of time. Precious, precious time."
"Geric" looks at you with contempt. "You'll wish you'd never taken this Tapestry." He looks to the lizardmen. "Dispose of them!" He snaps in Draconic.
There is a moment's heart-in-your-mouth pause, then the ones who came with you from the tomb dash into the swamp - but the ones who'd stayed here with "Geric" don't.
Ramesses and Razmand can tell that "Geric's" been itching for a fight. His bow is ready, and before anyone else can blink, he needles Baldwyn right in his (thankfully thick) neck.
"Geric"
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Ramesses, Razmand, and Elenial
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lizardfolk
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Zorro and Baldwyn
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"You'll be sorry for your chosen course of action!" Razmand booms, "your comprehension of the situation is lacking, you do not know what you will face! Baldwyn, the expert halberdier, will not wince at your meager shots of surprise, and Zorro, the relentless, resident psychopath every Pathfinder group keeps close for events such as this, and Ramesses, an inquisitor of Gorum, whose only passion is to destroy, fight, and kill! Your lackeys, lizardfolk so scared of your power they are willing to lick your boots, while deep down they want to stab a dagger straight to your heart!"
"My revulsion to such diminutive minds, lesser beings, infidels even, is so grand it makes my blood boil! To misunderstand the nature of things, to miscalculate your chances of winning so, and yet you've been made charge of your petty Aspis operation? You will be driven out, in bags of flesh, back to your superiors, only to have your useless innards be fed to dirty swines!"
The lizardfolk, already feeling besieged by a bit of a racial inferiority complex under the circumstances, are extra taken aback by Razmand's vituperations . To Razmand's "bad watchman," Ramesses plays "even worse watchman," and the air begins to smell like the initial stages of a barbecue - smoked reptile with just a hint of salt pork. Elenial shoots an old, sad-looking lizardman in the stomach, and Barry bites his leg with an audible *crunch.*
"For the eggs!" One of the lizardfolk shouts in Draconic.
The old, sad-faced lizardman makes a sincere attempt to fight Barry off, but he can't quite put his heart in it after that tongue-lashing.
A meaty, perhaps stupid-looking lizardman goes after Baldwyn, but he too has been visibly intimidated by Razmand and Ramesses.
A tall, lean lizard also attacks Baldwyn, and proves to be made of sterner stuff - slightly sterner - and manages to strike Baldwyn across the back of his head.
The fourth lizard, a strange-looking fellow who seems more than a bit like some kind of distant evolutionary throwback, takes the long way around and goes after Ramesses. He doesn't let a few nasty words stop him from smacking him in the chest.
"Geric" (-8, shaken 4/4, burning)
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Ramesses, Razmand, and Elenial
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lizardfolk (shaken 4/5)
lean lizard (-8, burning)
wizened lizard (-27, burning)
brutish lizard (-8, burning)
throwback lizard (-8, burning)
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Zorro and Baldwyn
"Geric" (-8, shaken 4/4, burning)
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Ramesses, Razmand, and Elenial
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lizardfolk (shaken 4/5)
lean lizard (-12, burning)
wizened lizard (-32, burning)
brutish lizard (-11, burning)
throwback lizard (-11, burning)
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Zorro and Baldwyn