"Oh, thank goodness F-father F-f-feres!" Vug Vang says with great relief. "I'm glad Sarenrae can heal poor Bub. I don't know what he f-found so f-fascinating about that windy f-face, though. F-f-flashing lights aren't that exciting. I can whip up more interesting f-fireworks myself, f-frankly."
"So, which corridor do we check out next?"
"At least we know how this poor fella died. Let's check the other lanterns for similar passageways. If not, we are left with turning the sarcophagus."
None of the other lanterns has a similar passageway. In fact the ceiling is 10 feet higher above the blue lantern.
Bubba sits up blinking and coughing.
"What happened? Didn't we climb up the chain?"
"At least we know how this poor fella died. Let's check the other lanterns for similar passageways. If not, we are left with turning the sarcophagus."
"Yep, we climbed up and then a big wind came and blew us all back down! You were kind of f-frozen in place, so you probably don't remember. Don't worry -- I'll brew up some of my patented liniment when we get back to town. It'll cure what ails ya!"
"Well, shall we light and hang the indigo lantern in the hallway corresponding with the fresco?" Feres asks.
Vug Vang lights another torch and puts it in the indigo lantern.
If lantern is not hung, we hang it. Once hung, unless something bad happens, Valgrim says, "Me's thinkin' that there be only one thing left to do: turn that damn arrow thing in the coffin and pray! Urg, help me here."
Str check:
"Yep, we climbed up and then a big wind came and blew us all back down!"
"Yeah, that was fun. We should do it again sometime."
"Me's thinkin' that there be only one thing left to do: turn that damn arrow thing in the coffin and pray! Urg, help me here."
Str check:1d20+4
"What in the hells was the point of that?" Chisora asks the others, although she doesn't really expect an answer.
"I do agree however that we should try and turn the Sarcophagus. It doesn't appear that there are any other ways out of here."
She thinks for a moment while they walk, before saying,'should we also maybe try and find the red lantern to match the Fresco back there?"
Bubba shakes his head again to clear the cobwebs and gets to his feet.
"I think it might be unwise to turn the sarcophagus before we put the red lantern in its place."
Then Bubba thinks of something. "I wonder if there is a clue in that fresco that might indicate which lantern to point the sarcophagus at."
Valgrim and Urg combine their efforts and manage to turn the sarcophagus despite your misgivings. With a creak it turns to face the yellow lantern instead of the orange.
A great rumbling is heard, and then the round slab in the middle of the alcove rises into the air, revealing a metal tube, about 10 feet high and 5 feet across. A second later two metal sheets slide to the side and expose the hollow interior of the tube.
Vug Vang shines a torch into the tube, to see if she can tell how deep it is.
Vug Vang shines a torch into the tube, to see if she can tell how deep it is.
There is a floor in the tube.
Valgrim wipes his brow from moving the coffin. "A tube? Hmmmm...that's new."
There is a floor in the tube.
´
"Who's going to be brave one to get in? You Vug?"
"Of course!" Vug answers cheerfully as she slips eagerly into the awaiting tube-chamber. She checks around for anything of interest inside.
Perception:
As Vug Vang enters the cylinder, the doors slam shut and the whole contraption sinks into the ground until the stone lid is yet again flush with the dungeon floor.
Vug Vang
About fifteen feet to the south, a dark passage extends from an elaborately carved arch. Only a little of this hallway is visible, however, as a large stone block obscures most of the passage.
Vug hollers up at the others (assuming they can hear her):
Valgrim screams, "Vug! Can ye hear me?"
There is no sign of Vug, nor can you hear her, but after just half a minute the cylinder appears again, empty.
Vug Vang
A worried Valgrim says to the party, "Wait here, if it's safe, ye'll find a silver coin on the floor of the tube when it comes back up!", and rushes into the elevator
Valgrim steps into the cylinder and it vanishes yet again, only to reappear empty but for one silver coin.
Valgrim:
Feres glances at Bubba, Urg, and Chisora.
"Well, I guess we see where this leads. At least we don't have to climb any chains!" the stout priest exclaims as he steps into the tube.
meanwhile...
"Chisora, you go next then me, then you last, Urg. Sound good?"
Eventually you all assemble in the room below.
The slab is blocking the only visible exit.
Urg approaches the stone block, to get a better look.
"I wonder why this block is here," Feres muses. "Do you think this could be an old trap that a previous explorer activated?
Feres looks at the bottom of the block to see if he can see anything (like skeletal remains, perhaps) sticking out from underneath.
"Very smart, I like your thinking, Friar."
The stone block seals off most of the corridor, but there is a little room to squeeze in above it (it is 8 feet tall).
Everything in the room is covered by a fine layer of dust, and there is no trace of human or other remains below the slab. It looks like it could be toppled, though.
Chisora looks at the block with the others before asking, "should I try and climb over the top and see what's on the other side or should we try to push it over. For that matter, should we explore too far, or should we try the other Lantern passages first to see wherer they lead?"
Feres looks at the ceiling above the stone block to see if there is a hole from which it fell.
"We're here, we might as well see what's down the corridor. But we should make sure it's safe f-first."
Vug Vang looks around for traps, too.
Perception:
Bubba looks for magical auras.
There is nothing magical in the room (except for what you may have brought), but Vug Vang finds a pressure plate under the slab which is held down by the weight of the block.
The stone block seals off most of the corridor, but there is a little room to squeeze in above it (it is 8 feet tall).
Feres looks at the ceiling above the stone block to see if there is a hole from which it fell.
Vug Vang finds a pressure plate under the slab which is held down by the weight of the block.
"So if there is only a little bit of clearance between the top of the block and the ceiling, and the block is sitting on a pressure plate, then the block didn't drop from the ceiling, and must have been placed on the pressure plate on purpose," Feres muses out-loud to himself.
"It might not be such a good idea to move the block," Feres says to the others. "I think it might be another trap."
Chisora goes over to the block to see whether she could indeed sqeeze through above it.
Chisora manages to climb atop the slab and gets a decent view of a darkened 10 feet wide hallway stretching away into the darkness. She is also able to make out a handful of alcoves marking the walls of the tunnel at regular intervals. Actually squeezing through is a DC 25 Escape Artist check, though.
Actually squeezing through is a DC 25 Escape Artist check, though.
Chisora calls back to the others about the corridor, but is dubious as to whether she will be able to squeeze through the gap.