I can bunk anywhere, but would prefer a place where we can at least run for it if we need to. Edgar gestures to the door we came in, which Prefer at least the room we've gathered our loot in. We can sleep on it, pretend we're dragons.
"We're here. We have supplies. If we leave now, someone else may come in. Let's just bunk down and keep at it."
Camping out. Sounds like a plan
Nodding in agreement with Cardshark, Lucian begins gathering all the gold he scrapped. "So we go back up the rope and camp by the doors to keep anyone from coming in and taking what we found at ground level?" He looks around for a nod of approval as he heads back the way they came.
After returning to the upper level, Lucian dumps his gear in front of the entrance doors. Taking the 'bandana' off of his wound. "I'm not sure about going to one of the military doctors, do any of you know any first aid?"
Edgar checks over the area looking for anything that's been disturbed or signs of anyone else's presence. He is pacing back and forth, muttering to himself, as Olivia treats the others. Grazhni living objects...what kind of old-time magic nonsense is this? Nothing you can fight face to face like a man...bah!
Nodding politely to Olivia, Lucian moves his arm. "Thanks Ms Hardings, that bandage feels much better, I'll make sure not to over stress it."
He gestures toward his pack, "I've got some canned rations I'll eat for supper. Then I can take the first watch." He nods over his shoulder. "Even with the door shut and bolted I'd just as soon keep a watch." Sitting down by his pack he asks, "Who wants to go second?"
"I'll take last then." Brannin said. He had served long enough to understand how watch worked. Whomever got first and last watch got the best sleep, because it meant uninterrupted sleep. The absolute worst was the middle, because it meant being kicked awake, then having to get up, put on your boots...and then by the time you had gotten a second wind and were fully awake it was time to go back to sleep. But first watch? It wasn't like not even being on watch at all. Most people couldn't go to sleep right away as it was. And last watch? It meant waking up a little bit earlier, but that was after a full night's sleep, so it didn't matter.
Before he had 'willingly' joined the armed forces, he had been told that it would be a learning experience. This was but one of the more practical lessons he had learned.
Assuming Edgar takes a middle watch, you should have it covered for the night. There is an occasional small group that wanders close by, but no one seems intent on entering your area.
The next day, it is already hot shortly after sunrise. You make your morning preparations, and are ready for a new day.
Having woken Edgar for the middle watch, Lucian dropped on his bedroll and was quickly asleep. Waking the next morning a little sore, but not nearly as bad as he would have been without Olivia's ministrations. Nodding to Brannon who had the last watch, Lucian stepped out of the tomb to relive himself. Eating a quick breakfast of dates and cheese, he rolled up his bedroll and shouldered his pack. As the others were also ready to go, he hefts his walking stick in one hand and a torch in the other.
Moving back into the false sarcophagus room he asks. "Sinise we found a doorway to the southwest, should we search the western side first?" Moving that way, he double checks the hidden door for traps asking "What do you think Cardshark?" waiting to see if anyone else sees anything, he eventually pushes it further open with his 'walking stick.'
Edgar takes his place a step behind Lucian, ready for any trouble as the hidden door opens.
Cardshark finds that the doors are locked, but manages to jimmy it open.
Behind the secret doors, you find double doors, and then the corridor turns and descends down another staircase, ending again at double doors. Lucien uncovers another secret passage, but following it just takes you to the one-way door into A13.
Back at the last set of double doors, and not finding any signs of a trap here, Cardshark opens the doors.
This room holds several neatly arrayed chests, boxes, and urns. The dust of centuries covers every surface.
Well now here's the good stuff. No doubt trapped to Skator and back, of course. Edgar digs in his pocket for something to toss into the room to see if it explodes. He settles on a trail ration bar, eating part of it and palming a small section.
It lands in the middle of the floor and just sits there. No explosion.
Chuckling at Edgar's inventiveness, Lucian agrees, 'Yes, let's be extra cautious. I don't want attacked by any miniature dolls or fancy boxes." He then slowly moves into the room cautiously checking the room for traps.
Remembering how cautious his mother was at a dig site, he looks over his shoulder, telling the others. "We have as long as we need, we don't need to be in a hurry."
When he finds himself near Edgar's trail ration bar, he picks it up, knocking the sand off, and takes a bite. Turning too Edgar he asks, "Dates and nuts?"
Nuthin' wrong with dates and nuts. Good nu-trit-on...or something like that. Gives you plenty of gas, though
Card hark aids the search
None of the chests and boxes in the room are locked, as the items within them were the most personal to Akhentepi, and his soul might want to have immediate access to them. Most of the goods in the chests, such as once-fine clothing and sealed jars offood, no longer have any value after the passage of centuries, but among the spoiled and ruined grave goods are several salvageable items of value, including two vials of silversheen, a
masterwork longbow, 10 cold iron arrows, a gold scarab clasp worth 50 gp, an onyx and silver holy symbol of Pharasma worth 100 gp, a silver hand mirror worth 35 gp, and a wax-sealed clay urn of nard worth 75 gp.
After carefully searching the room, Lucian points at the hidden door, "We've got another hidden door, let's check the chests before we move on, shall we?
Opening the chests one by one, Lucian frowns at first as he finds rotted clothes and broken combs. Finding the bow, he holds it out, "I wonder what this will be worth." As they start finding more valuable items, he smiles, "Well gentleman, I think some of this stuff is worth keeping."
Once all the valuables are stored, he gestures towards the hidden door to the east. "Shall we?" He carefully inspects the door looking for traps. Asking the others. "Cardshark, anyone, see anything?"
"See? This is why we're here. Already making a profit off of this room alone. This junk would sell to anyone, much more with the right buyer." Brannin said, pleased with the turn of events.
Good good, Edgar says distractedly. Since the fight vs the animated sarcophagus he’s been even more focused on potential violence, and swiftly moves to considering the hidden door, holding his boarding axe now and rubbing his free hand along the handle.
Lucian notes Cardshark looking at the door, turning to the others. "Anyone else want to take a look before I try to open it?"
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Edgar leans over to take a look, trying to see anything that Lucian may have missed.
You all seem to think it is perfectly safe... up until the point that Lucien tries to open it. Suddenly cockroaches come pouring out of the wall and the floor, swarming over you.
Party's up!
”F*ck! Fall back!” Brannin exclaimed. With nothing in his arsenal that could handle a swarm of insects, the only thing that made sense was retreating.
Having checked the body, Lucian pockets the vials of alchemical fire and puts the pitons and hammer in his pack.
"Brannin's right, Fall back to the hallway." As they move back Lucian, remembers what they found by the corpse at the bottom of the pit. "We found those two vials of liquid fire, we can use them once were at a safe distance."
Edgar takes rear guard, slapping at any roaches that cling to him and swinging his boarding axe at any that follow.
The axe is the wrong weapon, however, and he can't do more than brush them off him. Got to get a hammer or something in town, this is ridiculous!
Cardshark retreats, pulling an alchemist fire out.
Get clear, and I'll try some fire
As everyone falls back towards the stairs, Lucian asks. "Who has Alchemical fire or acid." He thinks for a moment, "Even lamp oil we can throw on the roaches. We can set them aflame with it!" once he reaches near the top of the stairs he turns to see if the swarm of bugs is following them.
Brannin began falling back, knowing that to stay put would mean to be consumed and set on fire by his comrades. As he fell back he retrieved a torch from his pack. If worst came to worst, he could at least try and force some distance using flames. Try, being the key word. He had no idea if it would work, but it would feel good to die armed.
Edgar listens to Cardshark and falls back, making sure to still be the end of the line as the party backs out, and also to give the others a clear shot at the main mass of roaches.
As he goes, he keeps trying to brush off the ones on him and beat away the ones trying to get onto him.
These boots are supposed to be fire resistant, not that I want to check that right about now.
Seeing Brannin at the bottom of the stairs, 'I hope Edgar and Cardsharp are ok,' Calling out to the two beyond the door, "Are you two ok? Bait the roaches this way!"
Edgar turns and yells back at Cardsharp. Move back til you're clear! I'm right with you!
Waving his torch threateningly at the mass of insects, Edgar continues to retreat slowly, keeping himself between Cardshark and the bugs and jostling the smaller man back if he doesn't move fast enough.
As they approach the stairs, Edgar calls back up to Lucian and Brannin. Throw it, as soon as we clear the doorway!
Once he got to the stairs, Branning turned, brandishing his torch. "I've got you covered, cover me while I move!" He shouted. It was pure reflex, his training taking over. When moving as a unit, one soldier would move while the other laid down covering fire. Then they would switch, with the one behind moving while the one in front would lay down the covering fire. In theory, one would only move long enough to say "I'm up, they see me, I'm down." This was the same general theory. Throw the vial and move. Brannin would have his torch at the ready to cover the retreat. Then he would fall back before the swarm could overwhelm him, with someone else ready with a torch to fight them back. And so on, until they got away or the swarm was dispersed.
The swarm follows you. Brannin's fire burns some of them, but there are very many.
Edgar coughs and chokes from the scent and sensation of the insects crawling over him. It's all he can do to keep moving back into the shelter of the stairs--but not too close to the others above who are hurling bombs, lest he bring the insect swarm with him.
Seeing the 'roaches' swarm over Edgar and Cardsharp, Lucian holds the ancient alchemical fire as the two move out of the bugs reach. "Pitty, I was hoping to sell those old things." He then tosses the old clay pot onto the swam of bugs, then draws the other one out as he steps back.
Lucian's hand slips, causing the urn to fly astray. Unfortunately, it lands right at Cardshark's feet! The burning fuel splashes onto the man, but maybe it will deter more cockroaches from swarming him.
The roaches crawling over Edgar remind him of his near death in the desert. Bugs eat dead things...return them to the earth...stinking rotten corpses lying in the sun... Still stumbling, with the vision of decaying bodies swimming in his vision, he makes it to the stairs and hopefully out of the swarm. Let's get upstairs and close the door, at least! He shouts up at the others.
Dammit!
Seeing the urn land closer to Cardshark, than the bugs. Lucian squirms as his friend curses. "Sorry about that Cardshark. I'll aim better next time."
Cardshark moves away.
Separate
...he makes it to the stairs and hopefully out of the swarm. Let's get upstairs and close the door, at least! He shouts up at the others.