Two skeletons move towards Zohreh, weapons drawn. As they move, a scene flashes into the minds of Fionid and Varisia. The room appears in its ancient glory, as women and men run screaming to and fro "The plague is upon us!" "The maddened dead even now seek to kill us!" "Run! Run!" Fionid and Varisia, please make Will saves.
Fionnid resists the confusion from the vision that appears in his head.
Varisia, steeled to battle the undead in the room, shrugs off the effects of the vision.
Jandar-Kai blows apart the skeleton and Fionnid and Varisia and now there is one skeleton. Fionnid still has a move since the skeletons are still surprised and stuck in a program if he wishes to do so.
I know, but these are normal skeletons, so no big deal.
Zohreh grins back at Varisia. "I'll let Shelyn know."
She pulls out her trusty sling and puts it to work once more, aiming at the skeleton right in front of her and getting ever closer.
Just waiting on Fionnid's surprise action. If we don't hear from him in a bit, I'll have him go club a skeleton and then we'll proceed on with Zohreh's sling attack.
Fionnid darts in low, swinging his club with all of his might at the spine of the skellie he targets.
Yup. You hit and the second skeleton goes poof.
And the third skeleton that I failed to mention like an idiot due to too many work hours also goes poof from fright. You scared a skeleton out of its bones....
HAH! Who says free weapons aren't useful! Go clubs!
Varisia hold his hand out to his allies as his whirls and presses himself against the wall next to the door behind him. He cautiously peeks around the corner
B12 Description for Varisia
A large staircase climbs to the second floor from this room.
Sand and dust cover the floor, and painted columns stand in
all but one of the corners. Pieces of broken wood, shattered
pottery, and disintegrating fbric litter the room's perimeter.
B15 description for Jandar Ki
A tiled walkway surrounds a square patch of earth and sand
in this high atrium. A balcony on the second floor overlooks
the courtyard, and a square hole in the ceiling opens to the
sky. Four columns in the corners of the atrium support the
roof above, and the walls are decorated with symbols and
hieroglyphs depicting animals, celestial creatures, and the sun
and moon.
'Stairs up to the next level, looks clear for now. Think we should fully explore the first floor before moving up?' Varisia moves over to take a look at the Atrium.
Zohreh joins the others in the Atrium.
(+1 guidance)
"Yes, we wouldn't want something at our backs once we're upstairs."
"Aye, let's clean out down here before we go up." Fionn smiled as he changed his set up once more, drawing his bow and testing it.
"All of these bones are keeping me from shooting things, truly a bore!"
Varisia nods and carefully moves into the atrium. He moves along the eastern wall, checking the door before moving across to check the northern opening.
I'll have results done in a couple of hours.
B 18 appears to be an empty room, that once held some sort of table and chairs, based on the imprints on the floor. As you move to the north, a shape arises from the sands, appearing as a beautiful woman made out of sand.
Varisia pulls up and stops in his tracks. He looks the forming figure over and flashes it a smile.
'Hello, what have we here?' He says, oozing charm.
'The best cure for a broken heart is a full one' Varisia says, watching the figure coalesce.
"I don't think this lady has a heart, not in the conventional sense of the word anyway V!"
'And I probably don't have a thin shit of a chance of being able to damage her with an arrow either...'
'Let's not talk about the lady like she's not here in front of us' Varisia continues to watch, fascinated.
"Of course you are right, how rude of me. I spend more time talking to my dog than I do to people so ugh... excuse me, I apologize!"
@ Varisia This creature appears to be a variant of earth elementals known as sandmen. They are capricious creatures, usually given to bouts of murder and inflicting suffering upon denizens of the material plane. A sandman is constructed of loose sand, and can shape that into almost any form they choose. Due to being made up of sand, they are highly resistant to physical damage other then bludgeoning weapons (DR 10/bludgeoning), and can also create sleep auras or cause people to go to sleep upon physically hitting them. Should one resist their sleep aura, they are immune to it, but not the creature's sleep touch. Also given that they are elementals, they are immune to acid, critical hits, sneak attacks, and a variety of human ailments.
The female beauty rises as says, "Hello, travelers. I am Hepsebah, spirit of the house and home of Pentheru the Elder. How may I help you this fine day?"
Zohreh casts Detect Magic at the creature out of curiosity.
The creature radiates no magic. It turns to look at Jandar-Ki and intones, "Pentheru was a wise nobleman who aided many in times of need. Sadly the plague came upon him and his family along with their servants, and they slew each other in their madness. I was unable to prevent the mad rush upon each other, and now I sit, bound to this ground, hoping for release. Why are you here, fine travelers? Did you also run afoul of the terror of this fallen house?"
'We were assigned to explore the mansion and clear out any hazards that might remain. Is there some way we could help you get free of your service?' Varisia asks with genuine concern.
Assigned by whom, great and wise mortals?
'Pharasmins. They're hiring people to explore and secure the Necropolis' After assessing the creature Varisia takes a few subtle steps away.
"Who are the Pharasmins?"
"Devoted of the Goddess Pharasma. It has been some time since you were trapped here!"
'She's the Lady of Graves. The Goddess of fate and... death. But, good death?' Varisia seems conflicted with the last part.
The sand spirit seems to shake at Fionnid and Varisia's statements.
"The last death god I was aware of was the great lord Anubis, the ever watchful protector of tombs, ever renewing Osiris, the granter of true peace in the Evergreen Field of Reeds, and Nephthys, protector of the soul as it waits to move into the afterlife. Have these stalwarts approved of this interloper goddess taking over their rightful place as guardians of the deceased? Are they protectors or merely exploiting the hallowed dead?"
Fionnid thinks for a moment before shrugging. "I am not a priest m'Lady. All I can tell you is that the Lady of the Graves appears to be a just and true deity. Her acolytes treat the dead with reverence and seek to punish those who interfere with them or seek to raise them from the graves as mindless servants."