On your way out of the Necropolis, Varisia and Zohreh encounter a small 3 person group of human adventurers led by a priest of Abadar. They nod and pass on their way to the tombs, unless you wish to stop to start a conversation. Zariya, Arasmes, Lorn, and Jandar-Kai continue to work moving the dirt of two and a half millennia away from the entrance, while Caliphana and Ravi stand guard dutifully in the blazing midday sun. Does Ra approve or disapprove of your actions?
Zohreh wouldn't engage in conversation automatically, but she'll join in if Varisia wants to approach the others.
Varisia will push on unless anything aside from the priest leading them stands out. Varisia will make a note of the Priest of Abadar and keep an eye out for this group in the future.
Once you have gotten back with the shovels, that is correct. Nothing stands out about the priest.
Shovels and a crowbar. What do we owe?
6 gp for two shovels and a crowbar.
The sand is cleared away. Now all that remains is to open the doors.
You'll need a DC 20 strength check to wedge the doors open with the crowbar.
Arasmes helps with removing the sand, strangely reveling in the work. You can tell that though he is obviously magical and can be somewhat lazy, he possesses a very powerful body. He occasionally splashes sand playfully at Lorn, always with an innocent face to make it seem like an accident, a faint smile upon his face as if he is holding back laughter.
Varisia stops clearing sand when they get close to being finished and begins checking the seams now that he can get a better look at them. Eventually deciding on the best place to pry from he drives in the crowbar and attempt to wrench the door open.
and
also
(+2 from the crowbar)
The door soundly resists your efforts.
Varisia offers up the crowbar to the rest of the group. 'Anyone else want to give it a shot?'
Actually you can't take 10 on an aid another action for skill or ability checks. So you'll still have to roll a 10 or better to help whoever is trying to lever the doors open.
"Let me try my hand at it. My arm should be able to handle it, though I wouldn't mind some divine guidance from your goddess Zoreh, even if it's not the same as mine, they agree on a lot of things. Zariya says as she attempts to pry the door open with the tool they got.
She has guidance, she just hasn't posted a reaction to opening the door yet. With divine guidance and Zariya's strength of arm (and a crowbar. Oh blessed crowbar! Open the door for us so we can get some treasure post haste!), the stubborn doors now lie open.
Zariya is happy and proud to open the door. Finally a feat she has managed with her own strength. "See, I said I could do it." Zariya peers into the tomb, trying to see what awaits them with her sharp eyes.
Varisia steps up to the door and picks up a piece of rubble. He presses his hands over it and it begins to glow. 'Never doubted you for a second' He says as he tosses the stone into the darkened tomb.
Ooh! A lightstone says the darkness!
Arasmes looks in as well before looking at the others and saying in a falsely ominous voice So who wants to go through the door into the creepy undead infested tomb first?
"I can lead the party as I spoke of earlier. Though one of you can scout if you want. My armor makes stealth hard. I can see in the dark, there might be things in there that can too. If someone are to scout darkvision would be a good thing, otherwise carrying light will make it nearly impossible to stay hidden." Zariya grabs her weapon in both hands and get in stance ready for battle. Suddenly she seems to be surrounded by translucent shimmering angel wings made of a soft white light. "Sarenrae protect me for the dangers of this tomb." The wings fade from sight until they are pretty much gone, vanishing completely if looked at directly, though faintly visible out of the corner of the eye.
The doors swing outward, revealing a 20 x 20 foot room. You notice that the doors have no handles on the inside, so they will need to be left ajar. Inside of the room there are some engravings and fixtures for torches or lanterns, and an immense stone wheel to the south. The air is stale, as if inhabited by the ghosts of millennia past. All four walls are covered in sunk-relief engravings and hieroglyphs, while small stone faces stare out from each corner of the room. The stone wheel is set with the head of a black jackal, its gaze ever watchful upon the doors set in front of it. It appears to be set in tracks on the floor and the ceiling 10 ft above. The room is dark other then the sunlight and the glow from Varisia's light stone. No doors or other methods of entry appear from either darkvision or normal vision.
Zohreh peers into the tomb, taking it all in. She whispers a prayer to Shelyn
(+1 guidance)
Amazing to think that no one has been in here for so many years.
Zohreh finds nothing out of the ordinary.
'Looks safe enough. Watch my back, I'll check it out.' varisia steps one foot carefully into the tomb and follows quickly with the other. Once inside he breathes the tomb air in deeply.
Varisia looks over his shoulder at his companions and smiles then turns his attention to the task at hand. He begins to slowly scout the room.
And
"I have torches, though I doubt it'll make much of a difference to the air in the time we'll be here. Though, if anything it won't make the air better, just fill it with smoke. Using the magical light Varisia made seems like a much better idea to me, for those of us that can't see in the dark. Since there are no doors, I guess we have to move this stone wheel." Zariya walks up to the wheel and studies it. Then, if they find nothing strange or any other exits from the room she tries to move it.
The stone wheel doesn't move an inch. It appears it will require at least four people facing it to move it (DC 28 strength check) from the north, as only two people standing next to it facing south will be able to move it. As for other observations, no other exits or secret doors reveal themselves to your searching eyes. Varisia does manage to make out that the faces on the walls are Anubis, ancient Osirion god of burial and the dead (also guardian of the dead along with his aunt Netepthys.) The hieroglyphs are salutes and paeans to Akhentepi's legacy.
Varisia translates the hieroglyphics aloud as well as he can on his way around the room. Noticing Zariya trying to move the wheel he makes his way over to her. He takes a quick glance at the wheel and gives her a smile before attempting to help turn the massive stone object.
Even Zariya's mighty thews aided by the keen wit of Varisia James can't seem to beat the ancient solidness of this wheel. Perhaps the aid of some summons or Calpihana or even the dinosaur might open this stubborn device of the ancients?
"I think we might have to try several tries as well as the help of everyone before we can move this one. It's quite heavy."
Arasmes, Caliphana, and Lorn all move over to help.
Zohreh casts guidance on each member of the group and goes to help as well.
And with the strength of mighty thews, anklyosaur brutality, stone faced optimism, the power of shadows, and the blessing of Shelyn, the stone disc is defeated! Strangely, it makes no comment.
Beyond the stone disc is a square room devoid of any markings. In the center of the floor, a square 10 ft wide shaft drops into the darkness. A faint musty odor rises up from the shaft. A single piton has been hammered into the stone floor by the northeastern corner of the shaft, and a dusty length of rope dangles from the piton into the darkness.
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"I have torches, though I doubt it'll make much of a difference to the air in the time we'll be here. Though, if anything it won't make the air better, just fill it with smoke. Using the magical light Varisia made seems like a much better idea to me, for those of us that can't see in the dark.
"There's prudent reasons for having a ready source of fire. Besides burning away cobwebs, you never know when you might need an open flame for the swarms of creatures that like to hide in the buried depths. Having our pathway lit will also make it easier to find our way back in case we get lost. Besides, the flickering warm glow of fire accents my best features," as a deep grin flashes white across Jandar-ki's face.
Varisia picks up his favored piece of rubble and it once more beings to glow. He carefully approaches the shaft, wary of any dangers lurking in the darkness. After refreshing the light spell on it he drops the lighted stone down the shaft and backs swiftly into the room where his companions wait.
Nothing happens as the light stone goes down the shaft. Varisia sees nothing as he has moved away from the light source.
After a minute or so and no foul abominations or swarms of vermin come flying out of the shaft, Varisia once more approaches and peers down into the darkness.
Curious, Zohreh follows Varisia.
"What are you looking for?"
She peers down the shaft as well.
(+1 guidance)
Varisia jumps slightly at the voice.
'I'll know it when I see it' He laughs softly and shakes his head.
"I guess we have to climb down. Though I don't know how much I'll trust an old rope that has hung here forever." She gets out her own rope, tests the strength of the piton and if it holds she'll tie her rope to it before heading down, assuming they don't see anything other than lit floor at the bottom of the shaft. "Here I can go first, make sure the coast is clear. Zoreh, a little guidance to climb down probably wouldn't hurt."
'Careful, we'll be right behind you' Varisia crouches by the side of the shaft and readies his crossbow.
Zohreh sees another room below as her darkvisions adjusts to the light. It appears to be a larger version of the shaft room you are currently in. The shaft appears to be about 10 feet wide and descends about 60 feet. It's also constructed to be quite hard to climb down, but with your rope it only a DC 5 climb check. The piton looks stable. Does the group have more then 50 feet of rope?
As they discover that it'll be too short for one rope alone Zariya says. "If we combine our ropes Varisia, it'll be long enough." Before she proceeds to doing so before climbing down.
Once down there she immediately gets out her weapon at the ready as she studies her surroundings.