Hal turns to Moonpate, "It seems your idea not to inspect the rest of the hallway was a sound one! I think we should attempt to retrieve Lydia first. We have heard from both Pharasma and from Angradd that this count of Suekhan is important, it seems preventing it is something we should be focusing on. If Breach had a real experience and is not losing his wits then we have an enemy to face down which may be a Demon. As I said, there are some vulnerabilities to such a creature but they are few. Sonic attacks and sunlight I think work best. Are you all agreed on this course of action?"
Breach eyes his fellow dwarf narrowly. "Watch it, laddie."
As they all continue to discuss what's next, "HOLD A MOMENT! Ya know, this is what meself warned me about. Meself told meself that the lot o' ya had yer own agendas, but that would only get us all killed. As in DEAD. We be needin' ta rescue the lass from the demon and gettin' the blast out. There's no good that comes from this place."
Hal smiles at Breach, "You have to admit telling us that you have spoken to your self in the future is a little out there even for us. I agree with Breach, our duty is to rescue Lydia, future Breach said as much in his warning to Breach the younger. Plus if Suekhan's count is allowed to become final retrieving the Pactstone may be for naught".
Gandel counters, "Neitehr of the Gods have told us exactly what this count means. It could just mean that the Pyramid's invisibility wears away. It could mean that all chambers now closed will open. The scribings we have seen thus far do not tell us what will happen. We do know that the Pactstone falling into the wrong hands especially those of the Asmodeans would be a disaster. That is why we have to retrieve the Pactstone first". Assuming it is there Gandel muses to himself.
Hal smiles at Breach, "You have to admit telling us that you have spoken to your self in the future is a little out there even for us. I agree with Breach, our duty is to rescue Lydia, future Breach said as much in his warning to Breach the younger. Plus if Suekhan's count is allowed to become final retrieving the Pactstone may be for naught".
Breach starts to speak but then ponders it a moment, a look of thought about his face. Scratching his head as he attempts to figure it out, he eventually shrugs in agreement, truly unable to disagree.
Gandel counters, "Neitehr of the Gods have told us exactly what this count means. It could just mean that the Pyramid's invisibility wears away. It could mean that all chambers now closed will open. The scribings we have seen thus far do not tell us what will happen. We do know that the Pactstone falling into the wrong hands especially those of the Asmodeans would be a disaster. That is why we have to retrieve the Pactstone first". Assuming it is there Gandel muses to himself.
"Well then, we'll just have to take care of both then. Rally up boyz, we can do this!"
Grabbing the ladle. "Here's a toast. To all our crazy hopes, dreams and disparate agendas then. May they all come true for every one of us. And may we get out of here still alive afterwards."
Well that sounds like we're ready to go!
One by one, the Dune Squad drinks the from the pool transforming into vapor.
For the sake of style, rather than use the stone ladle, Moonpate dips his famous mug and has himself a frothy but odd tasting brew.
The clouds then drift into the pipe, flotaing along the song tube. As they travel, the sound of "Ahnkana's Lament" again begins to play, reverberating up and down the tube. The notes change whenever the pipe widens or narrows. With so many of you, it sounds a bit like a band of wind instruments that are not quite in time with one another.
The cloud-squad floats south and then, like Hurgah before them, turns downward descending vertically. After descending 50 feet or so, you reach the point where Hurgah turned back earlier.
You can continue straight down in the "Main" pipe or take an offshoot which appears to also descend vertically.
You can also, of course, recognize your folly and turn back. . .
Karek, taking the traditional lead, takes the offshoot, purply-mist Bunky at his side.
[Chamber of the Half-Sphere - six hours earlier. . .]
The guardian laid on the floor, tied like a swine, rolling across the flagstones in vain as he strained against the silk rope.
Suddenly a visitor arrived, casting his shadow over the beaten guardian.
"You!" shouted Ro An Hap. "You have no cause to be in this esteemed chamber. Be gone!"
"Come now, my vain warrior,” said the stranger with a throaty chuckle. “Surely you can see that you could use a little help."
"I am thousands of years old Suekahn. Wise enough to know that aid from a fiend does not come without a price."
The visitor sighed. "I suppose you would rather I just left then. I have better things to do than listen to you huff and puff, Once-Man."
"I said, ‘Be Gone’!"
"It's too bad really. The living, breathing men who breached your wall spoke the truth you know. I have seen outside the walls. The pyramid truly is surrounded: an army at the gate. You are going to be a most impressive guardian when they finally storm this chamber.
"Lies!"
Will you face them belly up, I wonder? Or is your plan to deflect them with your ass?”
"Lies!!!"
"Oh they are coming all right. These first men are just the vanguard. Can't you tell from my wondrously jubilant mood?"
There was silence as the visitor stalked away, leaving Ro An Hap to think. There was little time.
"You serve the Pharaohs as I do,” he called. “It is your duty to release me to defend Ahn’Sehlota and its secrets!"
The visitor turned and roared back at the broken man. "I serve NO ONE!" Ro An Hap was stunned into silence as the visitor continued. "Not you, and certainly not your treacherous pharaohs. I am bound by a contract, Once-Man. That is all. A contract soon to be completed." The walls shook from the force of his anger. The statue of Lydia bounced on the floor. It caught the visitor’s attention.
He moved towards it. Effortlessly, he scooped it up with a single horribly pincered hand.
"But that's about to change. This here is the first of many. I will reach my number, and soon. And when I do, I will be gone from here."
"What do you want, fiend? Release me and name your price."
"I’m not sure I need anything from you when I have this. I suppose you could leave a message for me. Is that so hard?"
The ancient warrior thought carefully, but saw no other way. "No,” he suddenly answered in defeat. “I could be your messenger. Release me then and release the curse that guards the entryway and I will bear your message to any who come to this room."
"No! Don’t you dare try to bargain with me Once-Man!" spat the visitor. "I will release you and you alone. The curse remains trapped as it is. I won't have it slaying any more thieves. They are all mine - all of them."
"Impossible! You are bound to defend this pyramid. You cannot refuse."
"I am defending the pyramid, Once-Man. Did the pharaohs also un-make your intellect when they took away your vitality? There is nothing in my contract that says I need to cooperate with the pyramid’s other guardians to do it."
Ro An Hap glared at the visitor.
"But I will release you. You amuse me, just as you have over the centuries. I suppose you can try to hold off the advancing horde by yourself. That ought to be enjoyable, oh great general. You couldn't even handle the first few stragglers that made your way."
Ro An Hap tried to ignore the creature’s attempts to shame him and focussed instead on what ever sacrifice he would be called to make. "What is the message you would have me bear? What falsehood must I bear for my freedom?"
"You wound me, Once-Man. You need tell only the truth. I am the one that curses, not the Deceiver.”
Suekahn continued. “Tell all who come, that I have this one." He tapped the statue with his other pincer. "She'll be in the throne room. They can find her there: living and breathing. As long as they don't make me wait too long. It’s been thousands of years – my patience wears thin."
[/cut scene – before I give away every plot point in this pyramid.]
Karek, taking the traditional lead, takes the offshoot, purply-mist Bunky at his side.
-
When he transfer into the other shaft, the music is replaced with discordant cacophony. Not unlike when Hurgah reversed himself back to the 'pool room'. It is unsettling.Karek can see that the shaft descends another fifty feet or so, near the end of his vision. There the shaft makes a 90 degree turn, leveling off and spearing northward.
The tube travels for another 100 feet of what you think is north and then terminates in an exit funnel, accessing an entirely different level within the pyramid.
One at a time, each member of the party ejects themselves from the tube, filtering out into the chamber beyond.
This magnificent foyer is covered with thousands of tiny square
ceramic tiles. The tiles depict an intricate glyph in a sea of color.
OK! that boxed text was funky, but there's a lot more here to keep in mind:
Cloud-Karek floats out first to observe the room and ensure that it is a suitable destination. After passing over the beetle carving and observing the hole in the floor (anything in it?), Karek makes his way first to the small door to see if he can discern what is so strange about it.
The stone-carved relief is detailed and finely sculpted.
The hole in the floor looks to be a wide dark shaft of greyish-black stone. It goes at least as deep as the limits if Karek's vision. It appears empty.
On his way to the smaller door he floats over the mosaic tiled floor. His careful study notes a very tiny flaw in one of the tiles. It's askew by a fraction -- no dwarf would permit that. Another example of sloppy human craftsmanship? Then Karek spies another tile with a tiny rotation error, then another. There is something up with the mosaic tiles.
Coming to the small door, Karek can now get a better look at it. It is no door at all. Rather what Kogan is looking at is an open archway to a room that might be completely filled with sand -- or at least the entryway is. But the interesting part is someone somehow packed the sand and smoothed it into a straight vertical wall so it makes a perfect seal over the door.
Karek would have expected loose sand to be scattered at the base of the door's frame, but there isn't a single grain. Perhaps the floor has been swept very recently.
Gandel will float towards the Beetle relief as well and inspect it.
Knowledge Engineering
Knowledge History
Hal will float near (but not over) the circular hole and peer into it.
Gandel will float towards the Beetle relief as well and inspect it.
Knowledge Engineering 1d20+10 = 17
Knowledge History 1d20+13 = 27
-----
Gandel identifies the carving as a depiction of an Osirion firefly. It is a semi-sacred insect. Although much rarer today, it is still found in the wild.
The relief appears to be simply decorative. Then again, perhaps not. Osirion bas relief is more typically carved at eye level (for a human). This was done lower, only four feet off the ground. There could though be many explanations for that choice.
Hal will float near (but not over) the circular hole and peer into it.
-
His observations are the same as Cloud-Karek's - it is a stone shaft, dark and deep. But with Hal hovering next to it, almost standing guard, should anything come racing out of it, he will be the first to know.
Cloud Pate will stay close to Cloud Hurgah and nervously await becoming the comfortably hefty solid Pate.
Knowledge Nature (Osirion Firefly)
Gandel attempts to recall what he knows about these creatures especially whether they could pose a danger to the group.
Osirion fireflies are teeny tiny insects that do not bite. They have a pleasant glow at night time. While it is not uncommon to find more than one, they have not been known to act in swarms. Gandel would classify an Osirion firefly as 'not a threat'.
Cloud Pate will stay close to Cloud Hurgah and nervously await becoming the comfortably hefty solid Pate.
-
Got it. That shouldn't be too much longer. I'll just make sure there is nothing else anyone else wants to do before you solidify.
Do we think it might be possible to go back through the tubes and take a look at another exit in the time we have in gas-form?
Having figured out what's so strange about the door, Cloud-Karek drifts around the rest of the room. On his way, he looks at the mosaic again, trying to figure out if the out-of-place-pieces communicate anything in particular. He motions to Gandel and Donkor to observe the glyph in the floor as well.
Do we think it might be possible to go back through the tubes and take a look at another exit in the time we have in gas-form?
-
Without admitting there even is an issue with time, I would have to say Karek can't know the answer to that unless he knew how far he would have to travel and how much time was left in the duration of the potion. Two things he doesn't know. "Care to take a flyer?"<--- attempted pun.Having figured out what's so strange about the door, Cloud-Karek drifts around the rest of the room. On his way, he looks at the mosaic again, trying to figure out if the out-of-place-pieces communicate anything in particular.
-
Karek is not able to get any more insight from viewing the mosaic pieces alone.He motions to Gandel and Donkor to observe the glyph in the floor as well.
-
Now, I am not saying this is impossible, far from it, but I would like to know exactly how Cloud-Karek proposes to do this. If for no other reason than to ensure we are not denied the entertainment value.
Karek jets off to the one of his friends observing the ancient artifacts closely, as that one is almost certainly Gandel. He makes several loops around him, and then makes a beeline for the mosaic, going back if he didn't get his attention the first time.
But for now I'm kinda worried that the gaseous form wears off and we suddenly find outselves all standing on the mosaic, which has to be some kind of trap. Is it possible to float somewhere so Xerissa is not standing on it when she reforms? She'd totally suggest this to everyone, if she could talk. perhaps they will see what she's doing.[/ooc]
-
No, unfortunately the mosaic tiles cover the entire floor.If she solidifies right where the Dune Squad entered, where tube exits the wall, she will be on the border, as opposed to standing on the actual colored symbol. That is probably the best she can do, unless she can levitate.
Karek jets off to the one of his friends observing the ancient artifacts closely, as that one is almost certainly Gandel. He makes several loops around him, and then makes a beeline for the mosaic, going back if he didn't get his attention the first time.
-
Nice. That should be enough to get Gandel to examine the tiles and apply his standardized battery of Knowledge checks. But for the moment, until he solidifies, he cannot communicate his findings (if any).
Gandel will inspect the tiles next having gleaned all he can from the mosaic on the wall.
Knowledge Engineering
Knowledge History
Gandel will inspect the tiles next having gleaned all he can from the mosaic on the wall.
The tiles are nothing more than a pretty picture. A nice piece of artwork--
Wait, wait, wait!
Gandel has seen this symbol before. Make that symbols!
It is actually four symbols superimposed over top of each other:
The rune of Reckoning - personal rune of the Pharaoh of Numbers
The rune of Subjugation - personal rune of the Fiend Pharaoh
The rune of the Desert - personal rune of the Cerulean Pharaoh
The rune of Fealty - personal rune of the Radiant Pharaoh
Gandel has never seen these four symbols arranged quite like this before - ever. This must mean something! You're getting close to the fabled Pactstone. He can feel it!
Now that he studies it, he also sees what Karek saw: just a very few of the gazillion tiles are slightly askew by perhaps a millimeter at most.
[For you Imperial-types, a millimeter is a very small measurement.]
Anything anyone else wants to do while you still have the serene safety of being an incredibly difficult to damage cloud of vapor that can fly anywhere it wants?
Or are you ready to trade that safety for functioning limbs and voice boxes?
As nothing has come charging out of the hole yet Hal investigates the small door with the unnatural surface.
They could be magical. Gandel has never seen this specific rune before. He knows the four symbols individually have no magic power per say. On the other hand, they were occasionally integrated into magical glyphs historically. For example, the Pathfinder Society recently reported that the Four Pharaohs of Ascension were known to link their individual symbols with a horrible curse, but only when encircled. This symbol is not encircled.
Really, he'll need a detect magic to answer that question.
As nothing has come charging out of the hole yet Hal investigates the small door with the unnatural surface.
-
In that case, Hal notes the same observations that Karek did:Coming to the small door, Karek can now get a better look at it. It is no door at all. Rather what Kogan is looking at is an open archway to a room that might be completely filled with sand -- or at least the entryway is. But the interesting part is someone somehow packed the sand and smoothed it into a straight vertical wall so it makes a perfect seal over the door.
Karek would have expected loose sand to be scattered at the base of the door's frame, but there isn't a single grain. Perhaps the floor has been swept very recently.
Speaking of Karek, his cloud is starting to show signs of definition. You think you see his trademark hammer starting to form.
And could that smaller cloud be Bunky?
Karek's explorations bring him to the hole in the floor. He first tentatively floats over the edge of it, ready to retreat if he should get attacked or become corporeal. If that goes okay, he peers down it, then puts a wispy hand into it.
The vaporous form of Gandel shrugs at the symbols on the floor noting them for later discussion once the rest of his companions become corporeal.
Gandel uses the last of his cloud form time to investigate the area where the small door is located.
Knowledge Engineering
Okay, so I started writing that before your last post. If I'm coming corporeal, I won't float above the pit.
Instead, Karek, and presumably Bunky, will settle down someplace that looks solid.
Okay, so I started writing that before your last post. If I'm coming corporeal, I won't float above the pit.
-
No worries, you can get it in. I didn't mean to rush you. I was just worried folks are like: "What can I do, I'm just a purple vapor cloud", so I figured I'd best move matters along. But if you've actually got actions, all the better, let's do it!
Karek's explorations bring him to the hole in the floor. He first tentatively floats over the edge of it, ready to retreat if he should get attacked or become corporeal. If that goes okay, he peers down it, then puts a wispy hand into it.
-
The shaft is dark and you can't see the bottom of it. The sides look fairly smooth. It's a stone tube, about 10-feet in diameter.There is no reaction when Karek inserts a a gaseous tendril into the shaft.
Gandel uses the last of his cloud form time to investigate the area where the small door is located.
-
Outside the "sand door" is the large open foyer. The floor is covered in the gigantic floor mosaic Gandel was studying moments ago.The walls lack the usual series of hieroglyphs, you previously found on the level above.
Karek picks out the little cloud next to him, and makes dramatic movements designed to discourage the cloud from following him. Then, Karek descends slowly into the pit, turning around and finding solid ground if he starts to become real.
Bunky takes the hint and does not follow, but based on the whirling pattern he makes, you don't think he likes it one bit.
Once Karek descends 40 feet down the shaft, he can see the bottom - or rather the lack of one. The tube appears to connect to the ceiling of a dimly lit room approximately 100 feet below.
Karek can feel his mist droplets starting to coalesce. He thinks he could make it down, but he can't be certain he would be able to fly back up. He might have enough time.