You exit the same way you entered, reappearing inside the tree.
Olsson follows close behind.
You leave. You climb climb climb, there are two more openings about 200 feet up, one on the left and one on the right.
Left or right or up?
left.
The left door leads into a burial chamber, with two sarcophagi up against the back wall.
The group notices there is a hidden door between them, and that the right ear (your left) of the right sarcophagus can be turned downwards.
Ollson shrugs, and then cautiously steps forward. He's about to turn the ear, but then stops and listens with his own ear against the sarcophagus.
"Yep. Sarcophagi definitely mean mummies are about to jump out and eat us. Look out for horrible flesh melting curses."
The rocks inside sound lively.
"Eh... What the hell..."
Donovan manifests a psionic construct that looks very much like Dorla, but using a fedora and a leather jacket, carrying an explorer's bag on her shoulders and a whip in her belt.
"Huh... It worked." says Donovan, surprised. "Now... That's a proper adventuring archaeologist!"
He then mentally commands the astral construct to move forward and touch/activate the sarcophagus ear.
She does so, and the wall opens up.
The astral constructs walks all around the room, then knocks on other sarcophagus.
There is a hollow sounding echo from the sarcophagus.
The astral construct opens it.
It is empty. Odd, for a fancy casket.
The astral construct opens the other sarcophagus.
It's also empty, save for a small scrap of bandage at the bottom.
Olsson admires Donovan's handiwork, thinking his construct could have unlimited potential for utility...and mischief.
"Well lad, that's quite handy, it is. Ahn' well-made, too.
"Er, but it'd be really upsetting if there really was a trap and we had to watch a fake Dorla get hurt. You should make constructs of that one criminal guy you hated test for traps." Thetsu throws some words out seeing Dorla in contemplation.
She does look nice in the jacket though.
Donovan notices the curious/confused look in the face of his companions...
"It's easier to create detailed constructs if you base it on the appearance of someone or something you've seen... And Dorla was the first one I saw when I looked around for inspiration." says Donovan, nonchalantly. "Don't worry, though... It only lasts as few seconds."
Dorla goes inside...AND A PAIR OF MUMMIES POP OUT!
Her fight or fight goes into overdrive for a moment as the two lunge for her, but then she realizes these are mere bandage wrapped corpses, propped up to fall over once somebody walks into the doorway.
The rest of the room is surprisingly bare, as though somebody has swept it clean.
Olsson starts at the sight of the bandage-wrapped corpses "lunging" at Dorla, and mentally commands the flame of his torch to grow in size and leap off the end of the wooden stick he holds! After a moment though, he too realizes the "mummies" aren't, and so lets the humanoid-shaped flame-creature shrink and settle back on the end of his torch.
<Is this not very strange?> everyone "hears" Splinter say in their minds after a moment. <These seem more a practical joke than a threat; this is odd, yes?> and Splinter looks to the other members of the party, standing on Olsson's shoulder with his head rotating slowly 360 degrees in place to gaze at everyone in turn.
"Aye, lad; it is at that." Olsson says out loud but dismissively, as if distracted.
"Freaky. Well if there's no danger then there's no point dawdling here. Let's go deeper."
Olsson nudges one of the mummified corpses with his boot, then leans down to inspect it.
They've been dead so long that archaeology might be a better term for this autopsy, but you notice they are covered in fresh blade wounds. Unless the happy jokester here decided to randomly slice up the corpses, these mummies WERE up and moving about within the last few hours.
An examination of the scuffs on the foot bandages backs up this idea.
Thetsu idly clicks his Power Pole against various stones with different rhythms as he waits in boredom.
Donovan sets fire on the mummies.
"Eh... Why not?"
They burn.
You ascend further up the pyramid, finding similar signs of someone being ahead all the way.
After ascending 3 more levels, you hear the sounds of combat coming from the next room.
Donovan manifests Physical Acceleration and Biofeedback , then enters the room.
"Hello, everyone."
Donovan (and Chirrup) see a woman fighting off a sextet of jackal headed creatures, apparently made of clay. They swing scimitars at her with no small skill, but she fights them off handily showing a spectacular level of proficiency with her chosen weapons.
Nevertheless, despite her abilities (using playing cards as weapons, no less), she bleeds profusely from several small wounds, and looks to be starting to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
Olsson manifests Minor Metamorphosis to enhance himself, then follows after.
The woman notices you just looking on and not doing much and does a double-take.
"A little HELP please, if you don't mind?"
Donovan (22)
Thetsu (19)
Jackal Block 2 (17)
Card Sharp (16)
Dorla (16)
Olsson (8)
Jackal Bock 1 (3)
"Is there a fight? Don't worry guys! I'M COMIN!"
Thetsu runs sixty feet and attempts to POW one of the stone jackals.
Thetsu punches the creature, and almost regrets it. The thing may look like it's made of mere fired clay, but it feels sturdier than a steel wall.
"Grah!" Thetsu growls in frustration in response.