Baheera blasts the remaining shadow, tearing it to shreds and ending the threat, save for the precarious position of Silas.
Myev maneuvers to the other side of one of the shadows, intent on trying to hit something. "Someone keep Silas safe!" Myev says commandingly, swinging her maul.
Myev maneuvers to the other side of one of the shadows, intent on trying to hit something. "Someone keep Silas safe!" Myev says commandingly, swinging her maul.
[dice=Maul, to hit]1d20 + 5
[dice=Maul damage, bludgeoning]2d6 +3
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Tek slips out of the shadows as Utsuri tends to Silas. Cautiously the gnome steps over to Myev and places an easy hand on her arm.
"Uhhhh, they're all gone Myev. Utsuri's taking care of Silas." He says quietly, calmly, to the half orc before she swings at his own shadow flickering on the wall beyond the urn's dancing flame. "All good. You can take your ease. Care for a drink?" He adds holding out a wineskin which is still about half full of the house wine from the last inn they had stopped at before entering the desert. His worried eyes watch Myev to see if maybe his friend is suffering from a fever or other malady of some sort.
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Myev looks surprised at her maul hitting the wall, her weapon vibrating uncomfortably in her hands from the WHANG! of metal on stone. The half-orc woman looked sheepish, frowning down at Tek with worry etched on her face. "Think I've maybe been cooped up for too long," She comments, taking a grateful sip from the offered wineskin. "Alright, now that I've embarrassed myself..." She heaves a sigh and puts her hands on her hips, watching the strange monk help Silas.
"Tis most understandable." Tek says to Myev. "Sometimes it does feel a bit stifling within these gloomy walls. Even for one who grew up in a place not so different in form, if not in style." Taking his own swig from the wineskin after Myev, the gnome proceeds to look around the room to see if the shadows were protecting anything of value.
Silas unsteadily gets to his feet, still feeling significantly weaker for his encounter with the shadows, while Tek searches the chamber for anything of note.
The gnome is just about to call the room a loss when he notices what appears to be small trap door in the floor, hidden beneath one of the casks. Getting a bit of help from Myev to roll the heavy cask to the side, Tek opens up the trap door to reveal a small wooden chest. Inside the chest is a small chest of gems and coins. Rummaging through the chest, your best guess is that the contents would be worth nearly three thousand gold back in Waterdeep.
Tek lets out a long low whistle as he pops the chest open and roughly estimates the value of the contents.
"Well if we ever find a way out of this desert, that'll be a nice nest egg for starting new lives on the other side." He says dropping the top of the chest closed. "Or I suppose, something to give the poor residents of this lost city something to start rebuilding with."
He looks with concern at Silas. "For now we can haul it back upstairs and maybe get a little rest before exploring further. Our good priest of light looks a bit peaked and rundown to continue on. What say the rest of you?"
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Myev nods at Tek, quietly impressed by the wealth they've uncovered, and leans over to lift the cleric and sling him over her broad shoulders, careful to make sure her maul wouldn't bop him whenever she moved around.
"Going back up seems like the best idea, I think..." Myev says, trailing off as Utsuri begins to speak. She pulls an incredulous face as the suggestion of melting down the treasure and snorts, shaking her head. "No, I don't think that's a good idea, Utsuri...let's get back upstairs."
"A rest would be a good idea, going further with our the person most capable of healing us hurt would be reckless." Baheera agrees as she falls in beside Myev.
After giving Silas a chance to rest and recover from the strength stealing shadows, Tek makes his way back down the corridor and moves to explore the eastern hall.
After a brief rest, the party heads out of the embalming room and down the corridor south. After fifty feet or so, you see a bronze door to the east. Listening at and investigating the door, Tek determines the door is safe to open.
Beyond the bronze door you see a forty-foot square chamber. A white ivory coffin lies in a niche in the east wall. Painted on walls are scenes of court life, focusing on the lives of ladies-in-waiting to a queen. The room itself is covered with a thick layer of dust, a sign that no one had entered the chamber in quite some time.
Creeping into the room and investigating the coffin, you find that it is empty. Beyond the coffin, there is nothing else in the room.
Heading back out of the chamber and continuing south, the hallway goes for another thirty-five feet before splitting to the east and west. Looking down the eastern corridor, you see the passageway goes eighty feet or so before turning north.
Having made a decision earlier of how to explore the pyramid, the party takes the western corridor, traveling thirty-five feet before encountering a wooden door on the north wall of the chamber. Notably it appears that a two-foot hole has been chewed in the base of the door. Alternatively, the hallway continues another forty-five before turning north toward the area marked by a "X" on the map you had found.
"Well that doesn't bode well. Anything that can chew through a wooden door isn't likely to by something fun t run into." Baheera mutters, stepping behind Myev.
"True...true." Mutters Tek taking a closer look at the door. His examination is mostly cursory. "Still, better to deal with it now, on our terms, rather than having it sneak up behind us when our attentions might be focused elsewhere."
The rasp of steel slipping from its scabbard can be heard. Per their usual routine he stands ready to swing the door open and follow Myev and Utsuri against the unknown threat.
Dot...
Seeing Myev suddenly stricken by some kind of immobilizing seizure, Tekumbray slips through the open door, blade drawn and at the ready.
As suddenly as Myev is struck motionless, Tekumbray notices a bright flash in front of and in back of him. Likewise, those still in the hall see the bright flash where Myev once stood, turning around you see that Silas is no longer with you either.
After the flash, the half-orc warrior is gone. Inside the room post-flash, stands an elven warrior.
Painted on the walls of this room are scenes of a throne room with a man giving advice to kings and queens. In the center of the room lies a wooden coffin. Large holes have been gnawed into the side of the coffin. Apparently there has been enough disturbance for the creatures responsible for the holes to come out to investigate.
You see three hairless, sharp toothed, eyeless rodents come out of the coffin, sniffing the air they have picked up you scent and move toward you hungrily.
A string of elvish words flow, a genteel stream of expletives... then the elf squares his shoulders and moves to attack while changing the cursing into casting a cantrip.
Greenflame blade
for ... one next to it takes 2 fire damage.
Tekumbray slides forward opposite the mysteriously arrived elf and jabs his short blade toward one of the hairless coffin eaters.
The strange new elf's sword bursts into green flame, cutting the first of the creatures in two before the flames jump to the next hairless beast.
Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth and all, Tekumbray strides forward to stab the singed mole rat with his blade, badly wounding the creature but yet it lives.
The mole rats seem to choose fight over flight, one biting at Aethorduil's leg and tearing into the elf's flesh. The other climbs up onto the wooden coffin to bite at Tekumbray's shoulder and likewise rends flesh from its target.
Utsuri, despite admonishment from the lump on their chest, still lands two strikes, killing the mole rat.
Baheera steps inside the room, bringing her hand up to send a thunderous blast of eldritch energy slamming into the large rodent biting into Tek.
Baheera threads a bolt of force between Utsuri and Tek, blasting the remaining rodent into oblivion.
With the mole rats dead, the four adventurers stand in the room, one wondering where he is and who these three folks are and the other three wondering who the elf is and where Silas and Myev disappeared to.
"What happened to Myev and Silas?" Baheera asks walking into the room, and turning to look at the blade wielding elf. "And what faction do you belong to?"
Tek's eye blink in rapid confusion as he works to staunch the flow of blood pouring from his nearly useless shoulder. Pale and a bit queasy, the gnome looks around. Finally, upon hearing Baheera's words, the realization that the bulky warrior on the other side of the coffin is not Myev, pierces his addled mind. Suspicion fills the vacuum of facts as his eyes narrow and he scours the room for any sign of what happened to the others.
"He's not wearing a mask." He says of the newcomer. "Perhaps, he is another unfortunate soul like ourselves who stumbled upon this place unwittingly." He winces, having tried to move his shoulder in a painful way. "Has anyone seen Silas? I could certainly use a bit of his god's healing powers."
He looks around confused, holds a hand to his wound, examines the blood then at the group.
He then looks around.
Ahhh... I don't think I'm in Evereska anymore, he says in what he hopes in the Common tongue.
He straightens into a military posture and stands formally.
Aethorduil Faelaiien, Squire of the Swords of Evereska... and totally unfamiliar with wherever this place isk he says stiffly.
"Greetings my good squire." Tekumbray says, a crooked grin crossing his face. "You are most certainly not in Evereska. You are a guest of the lost and long buried city of Cynidicea. Once a jewel of the desert now under siege by sand and the evils of one Zargon whom the locals have finally banned together to try and drive out of their domain." His eyes flick to Utsuri and Baheera. "With the aide of myself and my companions here of course."
"Although it does appear Zargon has struck first and with unexpected success. For two of our companions have disappeared." He adds with frowning concern upon his somewhat disheveled features.
Finally he bows his head to the newcomer. "Tekumbray Cobblepot." He says introducing himself.
"Baheera al-Sah'haar," the stunning olive skinned woman with pupil-less grey eyes and lustrous black hair says as she fully enters the room, her attire clearly selected to accommodate the warmth of the dry air. “Tha e na thoileachas do eòlas a dhèanamh ... a dh 'aindeoin sin a dh' aindeoin cho math ri freagarrach.”
The new arrival gives a small small and nod towards the beauty.
Soooo... Evereska is... which way?, he smacks his lips slightly as if noting the dryness in the air. Desert you say??
He appears to consider the situation briefly.
Forget that for now. It would appear my best way home is forward with you. Mysterious magic aside of course.
Assuming you will have me among your number?.
"Oh, you are most certainly welcome." The gnome says turning back toward the door. "If you're willing to wield a blade for the cause of getting us all out of this god's forsaken city, you are most welcome."
He finishes wrapping a bandage around his shoulder. "For now, I suppose we best carry on. So far we've not found much except a whole lot of bones and mummified bodies."
That... is not encouraging. I am fortunate enough to have a full waterskin if a drink is needed. He touches his sword hilt. And of course my blade is ready to support your mission.
Following the conversation, the party gives a thorough search to the rest of the room, finding nothing of note beyond the wooden coffin and the gnawed remains of the body laying within.
The elf looks over the map...
These are secret doors? Always worth a look.
"As good a direction as any." Baheera replies.
Shrugging his own indifference as to the next direction taken in this maze, Tek moves on toward the hidden doors as marked on the sketchy map.
Aethorduil moves cautiously... expecting something untoward.
The party follows the passageway westward some forty-five feet before the hallway turns north. After traveling close to one hundred fifty feet you see the trapdoor in the floor.
In the middle of the hallway at this point is a large stone slab with a bronze ring bolted deeply into it - certainly more obvious than the crude map would have had you believe. Looking at the size of the stone slab, some of you find yourselves wishing Myev and her brawn were still with you.
Another thirty feet down the hall, you are able to make out the outline of a secret door in the north wall - much easier to see since you knew to be looking for it.
Tek puffs out his cheeks looking at the thick stone trapdoor. Standing with hands on his hips, he can't help but curse whatever arcane manifestation stole Myev away from fair Cynidicea. After a few minutes he takes another deep breath, blowing the air out slowly. Stretching his hands and arms he then does a couple of deep knee bends ending by drawing his crowbar from his pack.
"Well, who wants to help me open this door." He says spitting onto his palms an then looking around to see who can help the skinny gnome attempt to lift the massive stone trapdoor.
Impressive, is all he says as Utsuri struggles.
Allow me.
Thats well stuck.