Lucian gets a very lucky shot, which seems to put a bullet in the middle of whatever a centipede may call a brain. The creature stops dead in its tracks.
Olivia quickly bandages the fallen companions, and at least for now, no one is in danger of dying. She also gives each of them a dose of anti-venom.
Clearly, a trip to the hospital might be in order...
We really need a medic
Olivia bandages the fallen, and they are able to limp out. Once back in your hotel, some food, rest and cleanup is necessary for everyone to get brought back up to full health, but even the poison damage eventually subsides.
You have some money, and the thought of some bigger guns certainly crosses your minds.
For days Brannin lay in his bed, recovering from his wounds. Modern medicine truly was amazing. Still, it did nothing to heal the mind. He had experienced magic...or at least so he thought. It was hard to tell for sure. All he knew was that, when he was cleared to leave, that he wanted to go back into those ruins. Otherwise, the questions would haunt him for the rest of his days.
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While the others are resting, Olivia makes some contacts through the library and starts putting together a lab.
"These vials of liquid intrigue me. I have gathered some old texts on alchemy, and am doing some experimentation on them. The results have been very interesting. Anyway, let me know when you feel up to returning to the site."
After a few days under care, you are all feeling better. Just let me know what you want to do next.
Automatic weapons? The local army doesn't have those as longarms, just support weapons. Chelexians do, so I have heard. The supports are rather heavy. Light Machine gun is the smallest. Ammunition is a pain as well. Probably better to get some shotguns? Cardshark says when asked.
I think I could get a LMG. Be expensive
I know a guy. Anyone else interested. Twill be costly.
Cardshark will arrange things
Edgar shrugs at the mention of guns. Good to have a couple, but I like to get up close and personal. So long as no friendly fire, of course.
The few days of rest have freed his mind as well as his body, and he has spent some time helping Olivia with her research. Fighting supernatural foes makes this more of the sort of adventure he dreamed about as a kid instead of studying, and less of the modern warfare he's been engaged in.
Ha! Friendly fire Cardshark chuckles.
No such thing in my experience
A large tiled pool sits in the center of this chamber, surrounded by sloping tiled floors. A few steps descend into the basin, which has accumulated a deep layer of sand on its bottom. Faded murals on the walls depict scenes of life along a river, with recurring themes of running water and aquatic life running through the artwork. In the northeast corner, a tarnished bronze spigot juts from the wall just above head level. Archways lead north and west(which you came through), and a stone door stands in the eastern wall.
Looks like a...pond, bath maybe. The water came from there he said pointing at the bronze spigot.
He thinks
That much bronze would sell for a pretty penny
Cardshark moves to look through the archway
Edgar takes his usual place looking out for trouble, slightly behind Lucian, his kukri drawn.
[b]Think the sand will come to life?[b] he says, gesturing at the basin. To Cardshark, he replies [b]Some rich glob might want the whole thing for their manor, put in modern plumbing and the like.[b]
"Well, people are people, regardless of when and where. Hope that they liked gold too back then. After what we've been through, I think that we deserve it."
Through the archway is a restroom. A stone privy is built into one wall of this tiny room, and a stone table with a basin stands against the other wall. A large mirror once hung above the table, but it was shattered ages ago. The floor is covered in broken glass and dead scarab beetles. A headless corpse sits upright on one of the privies.
Cardshark looks at the corpse
How...? That's not right
Grave robber, yes. I am more concerned about what beheaded him. But yes, heh, an embarrassing place to rest.
[dice=Heal Check]1d20+9
"I don't think the mirror was involved in this man's death. Plus, this body is probably not more than three years old."
Edgar laughs at Olivia's deadpan delivery. S#@+ for luck he had, then. Let's find a way to give him a decent burial when we're done here, perhaps.
He follows along, with only a brief glance back at the dead man.
Cardshark checks the corpse's pockets
The pockets are empty, so if the person had any possessions, they seem to have been removed - perhaps with the head, which you do not see anywhere nearby.
Moving on, hieroglyphs and images of fantastic beings cover the walls of this small room. A small stone shrine, dusty and thoroughly defaced, stands against the eastern wall.
"Well, the pockets are empty, but look at these antiques. Good condition. I bet we could sell the mail and crossbow for a pretty penny." Brannin said. "So long as we keep our heads, we should make a decent profit here today." He finished with a smile.
It is hard to say who defaced the temple or why. But it looks like it wouldn't take too much effort to clean it up.
Two stone tables sit against the western wall of this room, while a third occupies the southeastern corner. A small, square wooden butcher's block stands in the northeast corner, now almost collapsing under its own weight. A stone oven sits in the middle of the north wall. A humanoid skeleton lies beneath the northwestern table, surrounded by smashed crockery. A door to the east and an open doorway to the south exit the room.
A spacious yard fills the compound east of the house. To the east, several small stone outbuildings have been built right into the compound's outer wall. A well stands between two of these outbuildings, opposite a stone table and benches that sit in the shadow of the house. To the west, two sets of steps, both flanked by columns, lead up to doors into the main house. To the northwest, an open doorway leads into an extension of the house, next to a small structure with a domed roof.
Edgar looks into the shrine room. Replying to Lucian, I'd be more worried we'll be fighting that menagerie deeper in the building. Is the writing any clues on how to do that?
A pitted and rusted dagger is still wedged between the skeleton's ribs.
Otherwise, it is unremarkable and nothing of value in here.
This small room is empty save for dust, debris, and empty shelves built into the walls.
I assume everyone follows.
This balcony wraps around a twenty-foot-square opening in the floor, overlooking the inner courtyard below and connecting the rooms of the second floor. Above, a square skylight in the ceiling provides natural light to the ground floor and ventilation for the entire building. To the southwest, two small staircases ascend from a landing on the grand staircase between floors.
Six different sets of doors lead off of this balcony.
The stairs and hallway seem to contain no traps.
Check door one
Edgar troops along, looking up at the skylight and down at the courtyard it illuminates. This is actually pretty nice. I can see people wanting to live here, back when it wasn't a ruin.