The party takes 10 minutes to catch their breath
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A scimitar is Sarenrae's chosen weapon and I remember using one and being rather proficient with it a very long time ago. But yes, you are right. I have been searching for one and they do not seem common any more. There are stories of heavier ones that have to be wielded by two hands that are used by Sarenrae warriors. I may look into one of those.
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Twila-5 inspects Burn's wounds as he and Kyra IO discuss scimitars, pulling out her medkit to see if she can patch him up further.
She shakes her head and sighs. "Sorry Burn. That's the best I can do. I need more training, but finding the funds and the time has been tough. We'll try to make sure you don't take any more hard hits until you are fully restored."
Turning to Kyra IO, she remarks: "You have memories from very long ago. Mine stop at the Gap. Is it...a blessing, to remember so much from the deep past? I would think it would be bittersweet, but that's just an assumption."
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Kyra IO sighs. I do not remember anything during the Gap, and what I remember before that is .... well ..... fleeting. And yes, it is bittersweet. I am fairly sure I was created from the original Kyra, using some sort of Numerian device. I can only guess that, at the time, Merisiel was looking for a way for me to live as long as her so we could still be together. I hope she made it through the Gap too. Elf by the way. I ... seem to recall a handfast, or wedding as you now call it ... our wedding. I miss her so much.
And IO - Integer Overflow. Some wag made that my designation as it was impossible to determine how many times this body has been Renewed. She sighs again. Yes ... bittersweet ... but I still have my faith in Sarenrae
She also uses her Healing Touch to top up Burnham's hit points.
The party takes a much needed rest, and in so doing, as a chance to bond on the mission. With Burnham right as rain, and everyone's heart rates back to normal, it's time to head out...
As you approach, the desert grows quieter and quieter, until the only noise remaining is the wind-tossed sands.
A large sandstone building carved from a natural rock formation is half-sunken in a sand dune. The stripes on the outer walls vary in color, from shades of white to pinkish-orange to deep rusty red. The front walls are marred by unnatural pockmarks and each door features a carving of flying strix.
You approach wat looks like the main entrance.
This sheltered entryway offers shade from the glaring sun. Intricate mosaics on the walls detail thousands of small birds taking flight into a clear blue sky. The floor is caked in sand, obscuring any flooring that may have been put down when this building was first built. The closed double doors granting access to Shifting Nest’s interior are carved with images of flying strix.
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Burn moves quickly for the last dozen meters to gain the benefit of the shade. "This must be it. Good to get out of the sun and off the soft sand." He lays a hand against the doors, appreciatively. " Nice workmanship."
He turns to look back out on the landscape. "How about a quick drink and short rest before tackling the inside?"
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Nodding assent, Twila-5 inspects the door, checking for traps and testing to see if it's locked while the party relishes the shade.
She's a little distracted by the beautiful and detailed mosaics. Hmm. Maybe I can fit some tiny flying bird tattoos somewhere. But there's not much room where they'd make sense...
Water and a look around leave the party refreshed, and confident that there are no traps or alarms here...
The slightly curved walls of this long hallway, painted with flying strix children, cause even the softest noise to echo. The carpeting seems completely untouched by dirt or sand and is a dark red, covered in elaborate designs.
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Twila-5 makes a point to inspect the murals closely so she can have a detailed compliment about them ready when they return to their hosts. Huh. Children. There's something important about that...
Hm. Dark carpet. No sand. Any footprints in the pile? Noting the echos as well, Twila-5 strains her ears to listen for sounds coming from any source other than her group.
What Twila-5 concludes may have been life saving. The murals imply that only those who fly are worthy to cross the hall, and the carpet seems conspicuously placed.
K.I.N.N.A. concludes that the antigrav on her chair will likely set off the sensors unless she pumps up its power
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"Wait! There's a trap, probably under the carpet. The murals imply that only those who can fly are worthy of entry. I might be able to disengage it. Stand back, just in case." I wonder if they thought of this when sending us out here, Twila-5 muses as she tries to discern what type of trap it is and how to disable it. Once the rest of the party is far enough back to suit her, she gets to work.
Everyone holds their breath and Twila-5 works on the trap. It's touch and go for a while, but she gets it! Only she truly knows how close she came to blowing it...
K.I.N.A.A. finds the hallway to be perfectly safe!
The next room is a marvel of sorts. A vibrant sunburst-patterned carpet decorates the otherwise plain stone floor of this circular chamber. The carpet is surrounded by piles of cushions in various stages of fading and flattening out. A colorful mosaic glitters in the ceiling. The craftsmanship here exudes a deep reverence.
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Twila-5 allows the others to pass her as they cross the carpeted hallway. Once no one's looking, she stops and closes her eyes for a moment. Whew. I'm not ready to join Twila-4 just yet.
Entering the next room a moment after the others, the cushions draw her attention. "Some cushions look newer than others. An offering? It seems an odd one." She takes her time examining the contents of the room and the mosaic, wondering if there's a trap in here too. "Watch where you step, just in case."
The mosaic in the ceiling depicts the phrase “with patience comes easy pinfeathers” in Common. Twila-5 recognizes this as a common strix saying, often directed at children who attempt to fly before their wings are fully developed. The doors inward look unlocked.
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Burn nods to Twila when it's his turn the traverse the hall. "Nice work."
In the pillow room Burn looks around. "I wonder why the carpet hasn't faded as much as the pillows. The colors are still so bright."
After a few seconds he speaks again, " The murals held a clue to a trap in the hall. Could the saying be telling us to wait before opening the next doors?"
Neither Twila-5 nor Burnham find hint or preview within the room. The time here passes uneventfully and comfortably.
Sand is mounded in the north and south ends of this round room, pouring in from exterior doors long left ajar. In the center of the room is a podium made of dark, marbled stone with a large white button.
Suddenly and without warning the doors slam shut. A countdown appears on the west wall, silently counting down from sixty seconds...
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"Agreed. I say wait to push the button until the countdown gets to zero. I wonder if this trap was always here or was set by the squatters. Just in case, everyone take a deep breath when the countdown gets to 2." Twila-5 prowls around the room, testing all the doors. We came in that way, and those both lead outside. The squatters must be farther in... Spotting an alcove where it would make sense to have a door, she approaches.
Twila-5 listens as massive mechanical bolts shot the doors tight, there's no escaping.
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"It'll take more than a minute to unlock these doors. Looks like we have to ride this out." Twila-5 approaches the pedestal. "Right. Good ideas, K.I.N.A.A. and Burn. I think that alcove there leads farther into the complex, but that's for later. I can push the button when it gets down to 1, unless someone says otherwise. Everyone stick close to your partner. If this place fills with sand, we can help each other."
The party waits patiently as the countdown continues...