The dwarf stiffens up. His eyes look a the ceiling and then at the pillar looking for unusual stonework, "Wonder if that pool we past flood this room."
T'wich finds no means of water entering the room from the previously seen pool. The room, in fact, is pretty stark and bare.
Well...? Everybody stand out of the way, and Omar twist that key! I am excited to see what happens! Rey says with overwhelming passion. Turn the key, and we'll find, what treasure lies, there hid inside. Reyondelee plays two bars of a choppy little ditty as she whispers her lyrics.
T'wich will move back out of way back towards the door but he does not exit the room.
The pillar emits a loud 'click', and one second later a blast from within the pillar creates an oval opening in its south face 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The blast blows rocks out in a twenty foot cone to the south of the pillar.
A coffin made from purple wood sits upright in the pillar cavity. The lid is only an inch thick, and secured by dozens of nails. It is painted to depict a beautiful woman with flowing black hair, hands crossed over her chest, eyes closed as if in a deep dream, a silver pendant bearing the first mud sorcerer symbol around her delicate.
Omar finds no traps on the coffin.
"For something to be nailed in with this many nails, I think we don't want to open it. Unless we want to put the cursed undead within to death permanently. "
"If it wakes how do we kill it...again?"
Oooooh, she's pretty. I bet her corpse is wrinkling and rotten, though. Poo! It'd be nice to have another girl around, even if only for a little bit. Sargon my dear, do you recognize this girl. Wait, maybe I recognize her. Reyondelee scrutinizes the image for any and all details, and taps her historical knowledge for anything that might be of use.
"Ok, Sargon, you recognize this one? Friend or foe? Like to wake up if we open it?"
Sargon examines the coffin and...
He continues his examination paying particular attention to pendant. Dancing on the first great sign...Nope still makes no sense to me
I am not for disturbing the dead, however unlike the coffins in the previous room. This one was unique in the way it was stored and we needed a key to get to it. I may regret this but I believe we should open it
"Don't fergit the 113 nails used to seal 'er up...that's seems important." The dwarf scoffs.
Sargon, recognize the woman depicted as a former priestess called Ashala, a devoted follower of the mud sorcerors.
Opening the coffin reveals the corpse of a male half-elf, a horrified, mummified grimace of pain on his face. Closer inspection reveals that he was garroted. He wears a silver pendant around his neck, identical to the one painted on the coffin's lid, except there is no symbol. The corpse also holds a metal scroll.
Yep, that's gross, just like I thought. It's also not a girl, at least I don't think it is. Whoever knows with half-elves, they're so pretty male or female... Well, this one isn't pretty, not anymore. Also looks like he got choked something fierce. Damn near decapitated the poor bastard. Reyondelee then waves her hands and speaks the incantations to detect magic.
Sargon, recognize the woman depicted as a former priestess called Ashala, a devoted follower of the mud sorcerors.
Opening the coffin reveals the corpse of a male half-elf, a horrified, mummified grimace of pain on his face. Closer inspection reveals that he was garroted. He wears a silver pendant around his neck, identical to the one painted on the coffin's lid, except there is no symbol. The corpse also holds a metal scroll.
Sargon studies the coffin lid carefully and then snaps his fingers
I knew this woman, her name was Arshala. She was a priestess and a devout follower of the cult.
Sargon then looks at the corpse inside
Now this fellow I do not recognize...strange that a different body is inside a coffin with Arshalas' depiction on the lid.
"Suppose we should stick in guud t'make sure it stays in th'coffin." T'wich jams his elysium bronze blade into where the heart should be.
The body does not react to being stabbed, other than exhaling a faint puff of dust from the wound.
Sargon is repulsed by the body within the coffin, which bears little resemblance to the beautiful and cruel Arshala he once knew during his previous life.
Reyondelee does detect a powerful conjuration aura from the necklace, but her careful examination fails to reveal its properties.
Upon closer inspection, Sargon's eyes widen as he realizes that this rotten corpse was once the beautiful Arshala.
Oh my, this twisted creature you see before you was once the beautiful and cruel Arshala...I fear her entombment here may be because of me. After many years, I had finally convinced her to join our revolution
Sargons face takes on an almost cruel look to it.
Someone will pay for this as Iomadae is my witness
"Er...sorry 'bout that sword into 'er heart." The dwarf rocks on his feet. "suppose we should take those items. Ain't doing 'er any guud." He nods to the sliver pendant and the scroll case.
"You would be standing here with her... Dessicated and stabbed for safety by worried explorers..." mutters Gauthier to Sargon. "If you wish, I can provide farewell sacraments to help guide her soul through eternity." he offers, but does not push.
That would be much appreciated friend
"Er...sorry 'bout that sword into 'er heart." The dwarf rocks on his feet. "suppose we should take those items. Ain't doing 'er any guud." He nods to the sliver pendant and the scroll case.
Sargon smiles a little Don't worry Twich, Arshala is long gone and I took a bit too long to recognize her and my priority is with you all
Dragox wasn't fond of mistreating a corpse. But his mission from the church was clear...they weren't here to be simple do gooders. He had a task to achieve and would carry that task out. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind for us to take those items. For all we know, those could be the keys to getting us deeper into the tomb. I would ask that we refrain from mauling any corpses, if they don't try to kill us first, that is."
T'wich rocks on his heels again and shrugs as he's lectured. Mumbling, Said I was sorry." He shakes off some of the dust from his blade and wrinkles his nose.
Thank you Gauthier, now to the business at hand. Twich Omar is that scroll tube cleared of any nasty surprises?
Sargon removes the necklace careful not to disturb the remains of Arshala, This necklace has no symbol, yet the one depicted on the lid does. I don't know what to make of this. Let's examine the scroll perhaps it will provide us some insight
No traps on the scroll.
Removing and opening it reveals the following message contained on bone dry and cracking parchment:
To sail the ship that
is smiled upon,
The silver necklace
must be donned.
Looks like another riddle, at least this one seems more easily understood Sargon reads the riddle to the group
To sail the ship that is smiled upon, The silver necklace
must be donned.
Is this the silver necklace, or is it the one depicted on the lid of Arshalas coffin...Unless there is anything else in this room lets get moving on
I'd refrain from putting that necklace on. I've heard of cursed necklaces that strangle the person that put them on, and from the looks of that corpse it may be exactly such a thing. Keep it handy for certain, but I'd be pretty damned sure you need it around your neck before I put it there. Rey smiles and winks at Sargon. Wouldn't want that handsome head of yours falling off, now would we?
T'wich is just listening, not wanting to touch much.
Well... Should we go see what's at the other end of the hall? Reyondelee says with an impish smirk, right hand on hip, and left pointing back the way they came.
The hallway opens out into a great hall along whose length runs a row of black marble pillars. A door to the east (A) is painted with a fanged camel's head, while a massive suit of black full plate with curved blades instead of hands stands against the wall to the north by another door (B).
To the far north, the hallway opens up into what looks to be a larger chamber filled with columns, while to the south the hallway opens up into another large room, in which a carpet and maybe an altar stand.
Dragox whistles once he saw the impressive suit of black plate with the axe hands. "Now that thing is going to pack a punch, I'm sure.". The paladin uses detect evil to see if the suit of armor contains some evil essence of life force.
The armor radiates no evil.
Sargon looks up and down the long hall. What is it with the muddies and the animal headed humanoids
"Now that thing is going to pack a punch, I'm sure.".
Let's hope that will not be an issue Dragox, Omar Twich would you be so kind as to make sure we have no nasty surprises. Let's head south
T'wich nods grimly to Sargon. He then proceeds to search in his standard methodolgy: floor, walls, ceiling. He moves slowly south.
Reyondelee pauses for a moment in the hallway by the suit of ebony enameled armor and casts detect magic.
Closer examination reveals that the armor has cogs at the joints, and that the metal plate has curious geometric designs engraved across its surface. A small keyhole is apparent in the base of its neck, but it radiates no magic.
Meanwhile, T'wich makes his cautious way south, until he reaches the entrance to the large southern chamber. The ceiling of this eighteen-foot-high chamber is painted to resemble swirling patterns of churning water. Alian creatures struggle in the chaotic maelstrom. The once-bright red walls have now faded to dull pink. In the center of the room, a large rug covers the floor, woven with a scene that initially appears to mirror the painting on the ceiling, but upon closer inspection it is clear that the figures struggling in the maelstrom of the rug are not aliens, but humans.
Two brass braziers with glowing hot coals stand in the southeast and southwest corners. A large tapestry on the east wall depicts several animal-headed humans staring blankly out into the chamber, as if in a trance. Another tapestry on the west wall depicts a banquet scene in which animal-headed beings fight one another for scraps of food.
A deep-red marble altar stands against the south wall. The altar has dozens of mud sorcerer symbols etched into it, and several items rest atop it. Each candelabra holds seven candles, all black except the western most one, which is red.
Sargon takes a long look at the room staring at this temple of sorts trying to make some sense of it all.
Closer examination reveals that the armor has cogs at the joints, and that the metal plate has curious geometric designs engraved across its surface. A small keyhole is apparent in the base of its neck, but it radiates no magic.
One would assume that a key is to be found somewhere nearby, though I am leery of that option.
Meanwhile, T'wich makes his cautious way south, until he reaches the entrance to the large southern chamber. The ceiling of this eighteen-foot-high chamber is painted to resemble swirling patterns of churning water. Alien creatures struggle in the chaotic maelstrom. The once-bright red walls have now faded to dull pink. In the center of the room, a large rug covers the floor, woven with a scene that initially appears to mirror the painting on the ceiling, but upon closer inspection it is clear that the figures struggling in the maelstrom of the rug are not aliens, but humans.Sargon recites the first riddle. Dancing on the first great sign. Calls lying blades for cuts unkind. The dancer finds another room and suffers here a watery doom.... I can see the possibility of a watery doom no doubt, I think it best to avoid that rug for now
Two brass braziers with glowing hot coals stand in the southeast and southwest corners. A large tapestry on the east wall depicts several animal-headed humans staring blankly out into the chamber, as if in a trance. Another tapestry on the west wall depicts a banquet scene in which animal-headed beings fight one another for scraps of food.
Nothing on these that stands out to me
A deep-red marble altar stands against the south wall. The altar has dozens of mud sorcerer symbols etched into it, and several items rest atop it. Each candelabra holds seven candles, all black except the western most one, which is red.
Now this looks downright dangerous, who knows what kind of horrors we could encounter by interacting with the muddies deities.
That suit of armor is a clock-work golem or I'll be a half-dwarf's uncle. Reyondelee says after Gauthier points out the cogs, gears, and keyhole. You know I saw a guy once disable a clock-work golem just like you'd disable any mechanical trap. Oh, Omar?! Reyondelee calls. You want to see if you can disable this thing before it comes to life?
"That sorcerer's symbol makes me uneasy. Especially seeing it dozens of times. There can't be anything good to come from this room. Have we found any extra keys that we have not used yet?"
Closer inspection of the altar reveals an a small ebony box, an obsidian dagger, a small piece of torn green silk, and four octagonal disks, each bearing a mud sorcerer symbol.
Omar examines the suit of armor, but doesn't see a way to disable it.
Sargon watches the suit of armor being destroyed by Omar.
Well that is certainly one less worry
Omar, Twich, could you clear a path for us, so we can fully explore this temple, When we are finished perhaps Gauthier can consecrate this unholy area