Laurel starts studying the auras to see what he can learn from them. "I'm going to take a minute to figure out what these auras are doing to see how we can bypass them."
"It seems there is some sort of preservation magic going on here, which doesn't jibe with the condition of the buildings, as well as some sort of planar magic. All may not be what it seems. What did that poem say about a key. Can I see that please?"
As Lucian is suddenly picked up by the outsider he gives a cry of shock. "Oi, warn a man first!" He grumbles and holds onto her as they fly up and into the keep. At the mention of magic abound Lucian grumbles, slipping on his ring of invisibility. "I'm going to stay put for now, tell me if there's anything I should know about the magic here." He takes a look around.
You see nothing beyond the obvious.
"He gave us a poem on some parchment and a marble funeral baton that had the poem hidden in it. Which do you want?"
"He said the baton was the key. Let me see both. He may have been literal. Do you see any place to put the baton?"
The Medusa faces which decorate the walls on the outside seem to have an opening in the mouths.
The holes in the medusa mouths are fairly small. Under an inch in diameter.
You did fly into the necropolis and found it to be empty. The medusa faces are on the outside.
"Laurel, do you want to try the baton into the medusas's mouth?"
"That looks like it may be the way to go. Here goes nothing." Laurel then walks up to a medusa and puts the baton in it's mouth.
Need to know where everyone is at the moment. Some are obviously outside at one of the heads, while others have gone inside to explore.
I must be outside with Laurel, sice we're talking.
As Laurel moves up, Lucian follows behind him to give him backup if necessary.
Sticking the baton inside the mouth results in a clocking noise as if it was meant to fit in there.
"Maybe try turning it?" Tamm suggests helpfully.
Laurel turns the baton, then he and all other creatures within a 5-foot spread are lifted off their feet and sucked into the yawning mouth, shrinking and spiraling down to nothingness as the iron face seems to swallow the targets whole. (I read this as Laurel, Sazzat and Darryl, everyone else is too far away)
You find yourselves in a completely dark, confined place (unless you have a light source on you, or darkvision you see nothing but blackness. If you can see, you note you are in a stone chamber, which would seem to be rather like a sarcophagus.
probably without much effect
"Well this isn't good. Can't see a darn thing." He then casts dancing lights to appear around him.
"It isn't any better in the light. Is there a way out I wonder."
He then searches for a door, lever or crack to indicate a lid.
Now out of your crypt you see: This octagonal chamber is made of fine, polished white marble. The domed ceiling peaks twenty-five feet overhead, decorated with frescoes of people in billowing robes, hands joined, looking down with pity on those below. Braziers along the base of the dome filled with flickering flames faintly illuminate the chamber. Twelve carved stone sarcophagi lie beneath the dome, surrounding a large carving on the floor of a leering medusa’s face.
You also hear a muffled voice from one of the other sarcophagi.
"What happened! Lucian! Let's find out what happened to them!"
Raphael flies on top of the wall and goes looking for his friends.
Yes, the baton is gone. There is no sign of anyone inside the necropolis.
Raphael and Mu'aqquibat The Protector will fly around, trying to find their companions.
You are welcome to try spellcraft to see what just happened.
Lucian stares at where his companions disappeared. "Huh. Neat." He glances around to see if anything in the room changed. "So want to just split the reward between us?"
You were obviously teleported. The decor seems to be a classical Taldan style from the height of the empire.
"Well I hope the rest of these are empty. I'd hate to magically appear inside an already occupied coffin."
"We seem to have lost our companions, however."
Is there any way out of the octagonal chamber?
"Yes we do seem to have lost them. Let's open these others to see if any contain our friends."
There is a hallway which leads out to the north.
In theory, if Darryl were still posting he would either remove his lid or make noise from within his own crypt.
You are not quite sure what happened.
If his first attempt to free himself fails, Darryl becomes more frantic.
"Hey! Is anyone out there!" He shouts as an edge of panic creeps into his voice.
On the last attempt he manages to shove the lid off.
You find yourself in a room with two of your compatriots. This octagonal chamber is made of fine, polished white marble. The domed ceiling peaks twenty-five feet overhead, decorated with frescoes of people in billowing robes, hands joined, looking down with pity on those below. Braziers along the base of the dome filled with flickering flames faintly illuminate the chamber. Twelve carved stone sarcophagi lie beneath the dome, surrounding a large carving on the floor of a leering medusa’s face.
There are batons rather like the one you used to get in at the foot of each sarcophagus. There is also a passage to the north.
Tamm floats down and grabs up one of the batons.
"Never know if we'll need a spare. Should we see what's behind that door?"
"I'll take one also." darryl says as he picks up the baton at the foot of his sarcophagus.
"It looks like we have only one way to go."
I should be clear, there is not a door at the end of the passage, there is a stone slab sealing the end of the passage. There is no door.