Oh, my. Blessings yesterday, and today curses. Or, more appropriately, curses from several thousand years ago. I hope our official sanction turns aside this ancient wrath, Illuria says with a note of wry amusement. The writings claim that this tomb is well-defended, she states matter-of-factly. The medusa appears nonplussed, and studies the others for signs of faltering.
"Human gods watch over tomb, Slurk understands that," the kobold says as he enters the entryway, and stops at the foot of the jackal-headed statue to look up at it. "But why have gnoll god as well?"
"Anubis is a human god from the times of the ancients. He is still here, just... quieter."
"Quiet god? Hmmmm, Slurk might want to hear more about Nubis later. After we have found treasures!"
Well, let us see if the architects of this tomb placed any spells or traps to aid this curse in its purpose
The now normal sized Ifrit concentrates and chants a cantrip under his breath, and pokes around at the sandy floor from the doorway with the tip of an outstretched staff.
No magical auras appear to the ifrit's enhanced gaze, and nothing happens to the staff or sand beyond the basic interaction between them one would expect.
Slurk also examines the room, working his way over to the stone wheel to look for traps.
The stone wheel against the south wall is 10 feet in diameter and 6 inches wide, made of sturdy-looking limestone. Theoretically, the wheel can be rolled to either side along its track; as a practical matter, the stone's weight is likely to make that difficult at best.
From his vantage point outside, Q'urtaz asks, "Is that door to proceed in, then?"
"Indeed it is! It must have taken a dozen slaves to move that doorstone into place. As we do not currently have that luxury, we shall have to resort to cleverness.
Ashar, do there appear to be any post-holes or indentations in the surface of the stone?
Slurk, please be sure the track is clear of sand or other debris."
Q'urtaz glances at Bes as he gestures toward the door questioningly. Deciding to move in, he steps across the threshold, Anubis' sacred flail in hand, and moves over to examine the circular door with the ifrit.
Ashar, do there appear to be any post-holes or indentations in the surface of the stone?
After dropping his staff while attempting to search through the piled sand, he quickly moves to the massive door to examine it.
Slurk nods, and begins dusting away sand in the track. Along the way, he checks out the stone faces set into the walls, as they'd make great places to put dart traps.
Ashar finds nothing beyond the obvious in his scrutiny of the stone wheel - it is smooth and unblemished. Slurk's examination of the carved faces uncovers no dart launching holes, but does reveal that the faces are actually cleverly designed torch sconces, built in such a way that a torch placed within will produce a fiery halo effect around the head of the depicted god.
Illuria smoothly enters, and moves along the walls carefully while studying every crease and tile. Hmm. We should grant the depicted gods their small glory that the builders of this tomb offered them. Perhaps that will grant us some favor as we begin exploring deeper. She motions to have torches brought inside and begins placing them in their appointed spots.
In a clear voice, she announces as she lights the sconces, Guardians of Akhentepi's tomb: Know that we are sanctioned in this exploration by the Ruby Prince himself and blessed by Pharasma. The life of Akhentepi is to be celebrated by the living of today, not buried and forgotten.
Illuria's keen eyes find nothing beyond what her allies have uncovered, and her actions bring illumination only in the most literal sense.
It would appear brute force is the answer once more.
Look for a spot to fit the crowbar and throw my back in to it.
While Ashar tries to lever the door open, Slurk readies his musket and takes aim at the door, ready to fire at anything that might be ready to come through.
While Ashar tries to lever the door open, Slurk readies his musket and takes aim at the door, ready to fire at anything that might be ready to come through.
Hmm.. the strange little Kobold is pointing a long tube at me. I wonder if it is some time of dowsing rod, or perhaps a primitive telescope. Maybe it is a strange cultural relic. I wonder if he would be upset if I asked about it, some people are secretive that way.
"The smooth stone is difficult to find purchase on. I suspect there is a trick beyond simple muscle here."
Illuria's hair writhes in agitation as the others grunt and strain at the door. Perhaps we should pull? Get some ropes and pull the stone toward us? she suggests.
Despite themselves, Q'urtaz and Ashar manage to get the stone wheel to move, rolling slowly and ponderously, inch by inch, to the side, until a narrow doorway, only about five feet high and two and a half feet wide, appears on the other side. Beyond is another squarish room, this one devoid of any markings or adornment, with a large dark hole in the middle of the floor.
Even as you take all this in, however, your donkey, tethered outside the doors, gives a squealing scream of pain.
Even as you take all this in, however, your donkey, tethered outside the doors, gives a squealing scream of pain.
Thieves are after our supplies!
Rush outside, after snatching up my staff, ready to do battle with whatever miscreant is harrying my ass.
Slurk jumps at the donkey's braying, scrambling towards the doorway as well. "Sand predator? Big scorpion, maybe?"
Q'urtaz looks for something to hold the round portal in position, not wanting to waste their efforts, before moving to aid with the animal.
Not involved in the moving of the stone, Illuria races outside to see what has disturbed the beast.
When you burst back out into the eerie, dusty graveyard, you see the donkey more or less where you left it, tied to a smaller grave marker nearby. A massive red gash mars its right flank, and it continually rears and screams, trying to pull itself free from the rope, its eyes rolling in terror.
Q'urtaz lets go of the big stone for a long moment, ready to grab it again, before deciding it will remain and hurries to join the others.
"Gods, what a racket! This is still a cemetery, and the ancestors deserve to sleep in peace. Ashar, you simply must do something about the horrible noise coming from your ass."
"Slurk was right!!!"
Suddenly, a semi-translucent scorpion scuttles out from the cover of the mausoleum's corner, bloody pincers waving in the air. It charges at Slurk, snapping its claws and stabbing with its barbed tail.
Slurk shrieks as the scorpion assaults him. "No! No! Get off Slurk, stupid bug!!!" He leaps away and lowers his musket at the creature, and pulls the trigger! As the smoke clears, Slurk pulls a short blade from his belt and begins affixing it to the end of his longarm.
5' step and try to blow the scorpion away, then pull out my bayonet.
By Abadar look at the size of it!
Ashar charges the creature lending his magic to the strike.
Slurk's blast shatters the ghost scorpion's carapace, sending dark fragments through it that are surreally visible through its translucent body. It gives a strange, high-pitched scream - that is cut off when Ashar's mystically-enhanced sword cuts it nearly in half. The creature twitches a few times before falling still.
Illuria coolly regards the scorpion, which was dispatched before she even got a real good look at it. Sand vermin. Hardly the most potent of guardians, yes?
"Maybe not to snake lady," Slurk says as he finishes attaching the bayonet to his musket. "Might have eaten Slurk! Pincers and tail! Pincers and tail!" He holds the place where the scorpion stung him, poking the surrounding flesh with a clawed digit. "Feels numb. This is it. Slurk will die now, before he ever gets to see shiny-shinies!"
Q'urtaz' hesitation between defending Bes from the creature or attacking directly costs him any chance to do anything as the creature is killed before he can respond.
Moving over to the afflicted kobold, he sheathes his sword as he rumbles, "Q'urtaz might be able to help, little one."
Slurk slumps against the wall as he feels the left side of his body start to go numb. "Woe is Slurk! Cast out by tribe, forced to steal to live, now dies in forgotten tomb! Judge Slurk well, mighty Nubis!"