Two of the skeletons flee before Mahmoud's channeled power, and Aerith covers the third in acid. The caged head screams in fury, and the acid-covered skeleton responds by picking up the cage and charging you, swinging it like a flail.
Brushing aside the attack, Aerith still recognized the danger that lay from the curse carried by the skeletal warrior. As such, she exerted herself in an effort to quickly bring it down, so that they could turn their attention onto the mysterious skull.
Mahmoud also attacks the remaining skeletal warrior.
He moves past Aerith and tumbles around the skeleton as part of his dance.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 16) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
(By default, Mahmoud does this for every enemy who comes into his threatened area.)
(By default, Mahmoud uses this every time he is attacked in melee.)
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Penetrating the skeleton's defenses is difficult, but Aerith manages to find a chink in its armor, wounding it enough for Mahmoud to finish it off with a thrown dagger. That's when the caged head shouts an incantation, and the other two skeletons charge Mahmoud, miraculously cured of their previous fear.
Mahmoud glares at the skeletons, and proceeds to attack them furiously with his thrown dagger.
Then he moves 10' to restore his martial focus and maintain his performance.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 16) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
(By default, Mahmoud does this for every enemy who comes into his threatened area.)
(By default, Mahmoud uses this every time he is attacked in melee.)
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Focusing on any skeletons still standing, Aerith sought to fight her way to the skull. Once free from the curses held by the skeletal warriors, she sought to put an end to whatever undead abomination the skull was.
Mahmoud destroys one of the skeletons as Aerith severely wounds the other. It retaliates with its sword as a bolt of dark energy emerges from the caged head's mouth and flies toward Mahmoud!
One skeletal warrior left. Weaving away from the blade, Aerith all but leapt at it. Pulling it to the ground she proceeded to savage it, ripping it to pieces in a spray of bones. She trusted that Mahmoud’s dagger would damage the skull while she dealt with the last of its minions.
Mahmoud aims carefully at the spaces in the bars of the cage and attempts to end the undead head.
He lets the dance end as he peers into the cage. "I think that's killed it. Strange. Why would anyone put a reanimated head in a box?"
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Aerith struggles to penetrate the skeleton's armor, but her attacks throw it off balance so that Mahmoud can dispatch it with a salvo of thrown daggers. With its guardians defeated, the caged head screams a curse at Mahmoud, filling his mind with a sudden urge to slay the fearsome black dragon next to him.
With the last of the guardians destroyed, Aerith turned her attention to the skull. While not the most legendary of “wizard duels”, there was a certain effectiveness to a hail of daggers, claws and fangs.
Mahmoud aims carefully at the spaces between the bars and tries to end the undead head's screaming for once and for all.
He adjusts his positioning afterward to maintain his performance and restore his focus.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 16) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
(By default, Mahmoud does this for every enemy who comes into his threatened area.)
(By default, Mahmoud uses this every time he is attacked in melee.)
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Aerith's acid burns the undead head as her horns and fangs inflict heavy damage to the cage. This creates a large opening, allowing Mahmoud to end the screaming with a well-aimed dagger.
Potential Loot
The cedar table in this room is masterfully carved.
Mahmoud raises an eyebrow. "Why is there a head in a cage? We may never know." He shrugs and reaches into the ruined enclosure. "Perhaps we should take it with us to show at the temple. It has nobody, so I will call it Nobody. Will you give me a hand?" He blinks impassively, with no sign of a smile. "Perhaps we can try to move the table when we leave." He looks across to the other doors. "Let us see what is over on that side before we go downstairs," he suggests.
The ‘little’ dragon sighed. ”I truly detest unsolved mysteries.” She said, regarding the skull and the cage. She glanced over at the table. It was far too heavy to fit into extra dimensional storage, and her telekinesis certainly wouldn’t lift it either. Even teleporting it would be difficult. But she recognized quality when she saw it, and belatedly acknowledged that it was worth the hassle.
”A good idea to turn the remains in. But let’s keep moving. We can see if there are more undead abominations such as this further in.”
Q5
Dark-stained wooden cabinets and shelves and a prominent mahogany table fill much of this massive library.
Potential Loot
Mahogany Table
Scroll - death ward
Q7
Sarcophagi and mummified creatures of every shape and size fill this chamber. Detailed murals and carvings on the walls depict a wide variety of beasts from the surrounding area and far beyond.
Mahmoud briefly wonders how the tables got down here in the first place. He gives each room a once-over to make sure there aren't any hidden items or information , and then prepares to head downstairs, checking for hazards as he goes.
An immaculate chamber tiled in blue ceramic lies at the bottom of a long flight of stairs. Large bronze double doors exit the room to the south.
Seeing Mahmoud admiring the furniture, Aerith nodded. ”Remarkable, is it not? That they have remained in such fine condition is a testament to the artisans who made them.” Seeing the two doors, she motioned to the one to the south. ”Shall we begin there?”
As you begin to cross the room, the floor tiles spin to life, rising into the air and launching in your direction.
Mahmoud frowns in alarm. "The tiles are alive?" he mutters incredulously. "What are they? Magic?" He glares at them, as if hoping that his disapproval will return them to their in-animation.
One of them harmlessly bounces off of his shield. He looks around quickly to see if he can spot anything that looks like a disabling mechanism.
A quick glance around the room reveals no obvious disabling mechanism, indicating there's a hidden one or the tile-launching device is magical in nature. In the latter case, it would have to be cloaked in aura-shrouding magic to avoid Aerith's magical sight, but that's unsurprising considering the size of this temple and the expensive furnishings you've found thus far indicate the ancient residents weren't concerned about money.
Mahmoud scans the floor looking for telltale glyphs that would indicate a magical trap, and proceeds to scrape at them with his foot to render their magic inoperative. He tries to dodge the tiles while he does so, grunting softly whenever one hits.
Seeing Mahmoud at work, Aerith raised a claw and traced a spell in the air. The air shifted as the strands of chance and fate were pulled at…
The two of you are continuously pelted by tiles as Mahmoud attempts to unravel the trap's magic. Finding himself unable to do so, he instead tackles the door, which proves to be a much easier obstacle to overcome.
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
A fifteen-foot-tall statue of a matronly woman with long, flowing hair stands in the center of this chamber between two large stone tables. Ten curtained alcoves break up the hieroglyph-covered walls. Enormous bronze doors stand to the north and south.
Unfortunately, this chamber is occupied by an undead in the southeastern alcove, and its glowing eye sockets indicate it's more than just a mundane skeleton.
Its skull tracks your movements as you enter the room, but it makes no attempt to attack.
You realize this is a crypt thing: skeletal guardians tasked with keeping watch over a specific object or location. While they're moderately-capable combatants, the true danger lies in their ability to teleport intruders to other locations.
Mahmoud stops as he and Aerith spot the crypt thing. "It's just standing there," he mutters after a moment. "What's it guarding, do you think? Should we try to take it out at range?"
Aerith hissed with displeasure as they escaped the room. It had been a humbling experience, a sign that they could not become complacent. The loose tooth, from when a tile had struck her in the face, was further evidence. Fortunately she had a spell that healed said damage, which was fortuitous, as it would have been less than ideal to have lost the tooth.
Turning her attention to the problem at hand, she said ”We have to. Those things tend not to be too dangerous by themselves. But that is not their design. They teleport intruders, often randomly. If we do not bring it down quickly then it is impossible to know where one, or both of us, will be sent.”
Mahmoud nods absently, and nonchalantly tosses his dagger at the creature.
He draws upon the last of his built-up momentum to take another attack . He moves further to the left after his attacks, beginning his dance, building up momentum, and restoring his martial focus .
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 16) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
(By default, Mahmoud does this for every enemy who comes into his threatened area.)
(By default, Mahmoud uses this every time he is attacked in melee.)
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
As you hurl your respective blades at the undead sentinel, the world around you begins to shift, but you're both able to resist with sheer willpower. And as is often the case, your attacks are too powerful and numerous to resist for long.
Aerith let out a breath that she didn’t realize that she had been holding, even as her blade floated back to her side. ”That was almost disastrous.” She said, looking at the corpse warily. ”I do not hesitate to admit that these abominations are far more powerful when it comes to teleportation than I will ever be. In the future I hope we can take them completely by surprise. With that said though, shall we try going north first?”
Mahmoud nods his agreement. He does his best not to appear shaken, but he is even more taciturn than usual as he quietly contemplates what would have happened if the creature's will overcame his own. He shakes his head and focuses, carefully checking the door and the way beyond for hazards and traps as he begins to lead the way to the south.
Then he stops, and looks at Aerith with a thoughtful expression. "What was the crypt thing guarding?" he mutters. He goes back to where it was stationed and looks carefully around the area to see if there is a grave or some other form of treasure.
Mahmoud sees no grave or treasure in the area .
This chamber is deathly silent, its vaulted ceiling absorbing any sounds from the surrounding area. A broad walkway leads through, flanked by deep pits. In the center of the walkway stands a quietly bubbling fountain filled with clear liquid. A large statue of Anubis stands behind it.
Mahmoud frowns. "It must have been guarding something else, then. These doors? Between this and the tiles trap, there must be something very valuable down here."
When they get inside the room with the fountain, Mahmoud eyes the statue suspiciously. "See how it is placed directly before the doors leading forward," he mutters. "To me that suggests it is mobile or some kind of trap. I suspect it is another guardian to protect something in this room or whatever is beyond."
He glares at the statue, and then prays for a moment over his magic dagger. O Pharasma, I entreat You, strengthen the favored weapon of Your servant. Let it strike true against unliving creatures made of stone instead of flesh.
”I trust your judgement.” She responded, watching carefully as he pointed out his area of expertise. More to the point she focused on identifying any lingering traces of magic. Both to find hidden traps, and to locate what might have been guarded.
Mahmoud guardedly moves toward the doors and the statue, watching it carefully. He looks over both for traps and tries to open the door if Aerith sees nothing magical and nothing happens.
Your caution pays off, as the statue behind the fountain suddenly animates.
You realize this is graven guardian: sentinel constructs tied to a specific faith. They will not harm followers of their associated deity as long as they're left alone. Unfortunately for you, this one is almost certainly linked to Anubis.
”Oh! You are right in this being a place worth protecting. This is a-“ She was already moving, her claw raised. ”-holy statue, dedicated to Anubis.” She sized it up, looking carefully for any wear and tear. Her claws were sheathed in aether, protecting them from what was about to happen. Seeing a crack, she struck. ”They are unable to attack those dedicated to the same faith.” Her hope was that she could exploit the fracture already there, bring it to the ground, and shatter it. That was the plan, at least.
Mahmoud throws his enchanted dagger at the construct, hoping that his prayer and divine magic have strengthened the blade enough to damage it.
He draws upon his stored momentum to make another attack.
Then he maneuvers around the statue and begins his dance, replenishing both his martial focus and momentum.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 16) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
(By default, Mahmoud does this for every enemy who comes into his threatened area.)
(By default, Mahmoud uses this every time he is attacked in melee.)
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Aerith strikes out with a claw, widening the crack in the construct's body but failing to latch on. Mahmoud, meanwhile, struggles to strike his target, but when he finally does, it inflicts heavy damage. As the guardian lashes out with its scimitar, you notice the damage is beginning to heal. Best to destroy this thing quickly.
Aerith’s victorious grin turned into a grimace of pain as a blade was plunged deep into her. Blood flowed freely from her tattered scales. Her own mortality came into clear focus, as she realized that she would not survive another attack such as that. As methodological as she was, in that moment her draconic nature took over, as fight or flight kicked in. Growling savagely, she launched herself at the statue, a flurry of aether-coated claws, horns and fangs. In but a few seconds it would become clear whether the guardian would be destroyed or if she would fall.
Mahmoud sees the dire situation Aerith is in, grits his teeth, and doubles his efforts to stop the statue's onslaught.
He draws upon his momentum to make another attack.
He moves closer to Aerith to try and draw the statue's focus away from her.
Whenever an enemy enters the threatened area of a dancer, the dancer may spend an attack of opportunity to force the enemy to succeed at a Reflex save (DC 16) or become entangled until they leave all the dancers’ threatened areas (or until the dance ends).
(By default, Mahmoud does this for every enemy who comes into his threatened area.)
(By default, Mahmoud uses this every time he is attacked in melee.)
1 point, free action: move 5' (provokes, 20' max per round)
1 point, no action: when an enemy's attack hits, reduce the damage by 3
2 points, no action: when an ally's attack hits, add 3 damage (once per attack)
2 points, move action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: regain martial focus
3 points, swift action: bonus attack at highest BAB (does not stack with haste effects)
Despite the pain from her injury, Aerith widens the crack in the construct's body, allowing Mahmoud to attack the guardian's animating matrix and disrupt the energies.
Potential Loot
Large MW Scimitar
Mahmoud lets out a deep breath. "Rest," he grunts, though whether he is speaking to Aerith in the imperative case or simply announcing what he intends to do is unclear. He picks up the fallen blade and looks at it, then shoves it into his pack.
Aerith all but collapsed to the ground, blood pouring out of her mouth and the gaping wound on her side. The wound she had taken would be a fatal one if not immediately treated. Her heart was pounding, as she had under a minute, if her calculations were correct, before she passed out from blood loss. Forcing herself to stay awake, she used her control over aether to reknit the internal damage she had taken. Her eyes closed, she worked diligently, using the pain as a guide. Only then did she move to the external damage. The sundered scales and the flesh rent asunder.
She made it look easy, but it was anything but. She had to acknowledge that the odds had been against her, and logically speaking she had been more likely to die than to live.
”Yes.” She hissed. Her form shifted, turning back into an elf. An ashen faced young elf who walked over to a nearby wall and sat against its her back to the wall and her knees to her chest. There she sat for a minute, staring off into nothing. She trusted Mahmoud to both watch over her and to use the time to check for traps and figure out the next direction.
After taking the time to recenter herself, she went about magically cleaning her own blood off of herself. When finished she closed her eyes.
The air shimmered once more and where once stood an elf now stood a small black dragon. ”Shall we proceed?” A sibilant hiss came out.
Mahmoud watches Aerith recover with a brief look of deep concern, then looks away as if anxious to keep watch or reluctant to watch her vulnerability. When she shifts back into dragon form, he squares his shoulders and nods curtly. He leads the way through the southern door that the statue was guarding, checking it first for hazards and traps.
A raised, pyramidal platform in the center of this large, circular chamber holds an opulent sarcophagus, bedecked with human skulls and profane symbols scrawled in blood, standing between two braziers burning with blue flame. An elevated walkway runs around the perimeter of the hall, behind massive stone statues of Pharasma that support the room's domed ceiling. Elaborately appointed crypts, each fit for royalty, sit beneath each statue's feet. Hundreds of desiccated bodies lie haphazardly strewn across the chamber's polished floor.
A man stands atop the dais, wearing an elaborate pharonic mask. Guarding the base are a pair of mummies. "My work here will not be interrupted," he solemnly intones as his hands begin glowing with necrotic darkness.
------------------------------------------------------------