| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The dwarf take the opportunity to socialise seriously as the team begins to bed down.
”Unatti, tell me where your family is from, please. I am originally from Thuvia.”
When asked why he cares, Epperson replies with surprising forthrightness.
”I don’t care - not really - but if someone were to die, knowing of them - their story, their history - would ever-the-more highlight just how futile this all is, wouldn’t it? It’s my way of serving my faith - pre-emptively loading the inevitable loss of control that we all will feel at the Coming of the End-Times.”
He turns back, noting Unatti’s scowl.
"Oh, I read about this." Aerith muttered as they bedded down. "Coping mechanisms. Thoughts and behaviors used to manage external and internal stressors." She said with a yawn. "Whether conscious or unconscious, these adaptive behaviors allow for the reduction of unpleasant emotions, such as the fear of death or of the inevitability of ending." Her eyes feeling heavy she snuggled into her blanket. "It's all so fascinating..."
Hearing Epperson as about Unatti's home, Tribim smiled, pleased that they were building relationships. As the dwarf went on and spoke of 'pre-emptively loading the inevitable loss of control' Tribim shook his head. Wanting to snark about the dwarf being flatulent from both ends but deciding against it as Aerith spoke about 'Coping Mechanisms.' As he readied to go to sleep he realized his 'Coping mechanism' was smart aleck comments. As he began to dose off, he reminded them, "Wake me up when it's my watch."
Eating a little more of the jerky as he gathered his gear, Tribim put on his pack and picked up his ancient spear as he kicked the knotted rope over the edge.
Having climbed down the rope with the others he asks, "Shall we try the doors at the bottom of the steps in the secret hallway?"
Not waiting for an answer, he practically skips to the steps. Turning more cautions as he descends, he watches carefully for traps on the steps and then take his time checking the double doors at the bottom for traps or locks.
A17
This room holds several neatly arrayed chests, boxes, and urns. The dust of centuries covers every surface. The only exit is a set of stone double doors to the south. You also notice a secret door in the eastern wall.
Smiling at the site of the chests, Tribim turns to the others, "well at least none of the chest have tried to bite us yet." He moves to the first chest and tries to open it.
Mahmoud follows Tribim to the entrance of the room, wary of additional foes. "They do look promising," he says dryly.
As it turns out, none of the chests or boxes are trapped. While most of the goods within, such as once-fine clothing and sealed jars of food, no longer have any value after the passage of centuries, you do find several salvageable items.
Potential Loot
MW Longbow
Cold Iron Arrow x10
Vial of silversheen x2
Gold Scarab Clasp
Onyx and Silver Holy Symbol of Pharasma
Silver Hand Mirror
Wax-Sealed Clay Urn of Nard
Unatti doesn't respond to Epperson at first. She considers the question, and his supposed reason for asking it. Finally, she replies "If you don't care, then why bother asking? It's all pointless after all. Leave me be, you morose oddity. I do not like you, and should you not survive, I will raise a drink to your demise." She then deliberately turns away from him and settles down to sleep.
”Leave me be, you morose oddity. I do not like you, and should you not survive, I will raise a drink to your demise."
Epperson harrumphs at the reply.
”Not an unreasonable response.”
At the discovery of the treasure, Epperson makes a request.
”I could make use of one of those doses of silversheen. Could be good to have on the flail - lycanthropy is a curse and I’d prefer to be prepared for it.”
The dwarf moves to the secret door, peering at the stone.
”What are you hiding, I wonder?”
Epperson sees that the secret door can easily be opened by pressing a specific bit of stone. It seems 'off,' though. While not cursed, there's something dangerous about the door.
”This seems wrong, this secret door,” the dwarf suggests. ”For what it’s worth, I’d advise caution.”
Epperson examines the double doors to the south.
As they all look through the boxes and chests, Tribim hears Eperson ask about the Siversheen. Smiling he decides to make a game of it. Picking up the two vials of silversheen he hands the first to Epperson, "Of course, it would be perfect for the flail." Turning towards Mahamoud, he hands the juggler the other, "And possibly a knife."
Looking at Mahmoud he rests his chin on his hand for a moment, bending he picks up the onyx and silver symbol of Pharasma, "As the only Pharasmin you should have her symbol as well."
Looking at the bow and arrows, Tribim smiles, picking them up he takes them to Aerith, reaching out, "I'd heard elves feel naked if they are found without archery gear." He winks at the demure elf, "We wouldn't want you to feel naked would we."
Knowing he'd left himself and Unatti last, he picks up the gold scarab and the mirror looking from one to the other he finally hands the gold scarab to Unatti, smiling, "It matches your eyes." he then looks in the mirror and gives himself a cheeky smile.
Tucking the mirror in his pack he sees Epperson inspecting the doors. Rasing a finger as if he'd just remembered something he reaches for the Nard. Moving to the doors he hands the perfume ingredient to Epperson. Leaning in pretending to be quiet, "I can't stop the flatulency but maybe we can make you smell better." Winking at the dwarf and smiling he nods to the door. "Show me what you found."
Looking at the 'wrong' portion of the door, he attempts to right what is wrong.
Aerith looked at the dwarf with a perplexed look. Then, her eyes widening, she exclaimed ”Oh, a joke!” She had heard that the common folk often made such crude jests as a way of building camaraderie. She smiled, glad at the feeling of being accepted. She had been so afraid that the lesser born mayflies would be standoffish, but to be the subject of such a joke was a huge relief. ”Why thank you.” She said, taking an arrow. ”I will cherish this.” She said, sincerely, as she carefully went to pack it away. She hoped that she could keep it safe, so that she might keep it on display as her first time receiving something from a friend. That way, even after everyone here was long buried and naught but dust, she would have a token to remember this all.
The secret door is definitely trapped, as the moment Tribim touches the stone to begin disabling it, a swarm of cockroaches materializes and begins chewing at anything it can reach.
Mahmoud quickly draws one of his flasks of alchemist's fire, moves forward, and tosses it at the swarm while the bugs are still relatively contained.
The witch smiles warmly as Tribim hands her the clasp. "You've always had a good eye for pretty jewelry. Thank you my friend." She says sincerely.
When he triggers the trap, and the swarm rushes out, she backs away, and fires off a blast of divine energy.
The swarm occupies a 10ft square. Tribim can make a DC 15 Reflex save to avoid the 1pt of fire damage from the alchemist's fire.
"Blast!" Cursing as he sees the swarm of roaches, Tribim feels them crawling up his sandaled paws just as Mahmoud begins to pull out his vial. His eyes widen when he realizes what his 'companion' is doing. Moving as quickly as possible away from the bugs and the fire, he begins to puke. "Rrrrooouuuugggghhhhhhh!"
Getting as far from the bugs as he can he starts to wipe his mouth, glaring at Mahmoud. "Alchemical fire? I was standing right there! What were you thiiii." Just then his eyes widen and his head jerks back as he vomits again, "Rrrrooouuuugggghhhhhhh!"
Mahmoud cocks his head at Tribim. "Can't hit bugs with daggers," he explains laconically. "Get behind me, this magic shield will protect us."
Standing back on the stairs behind everyone the hair on his tail singed, Tribim pouts, almost regretting recommending Mahmoud take the pretty religious necklace.
"Thank you for the silversheen and the nard," the dwarf says earnestly to the rogue. "These doors are quite basic in their design..."
Epperson looks excited briefly.
"Scarab beetles??" he asks as the insects swarm about Tribim. "Oh. Just swarming cockroaches. Oh well."
Epperson then moves to the opposite side of the room while rummaging through his pack.
Seeing the swarm of scarabs flooding at them, Aerith reached out with her mind. She knew that she couldn’t lift all of them, or really do anything to cause significant damage to the swarm. But she could lift and throw away roughly a pound of them. It was her hope that this would serve to disrupt the swarm, and perhaps cause some to simply flee into the darkness once they found themselves tossed away from the horde.
A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures
Your attacks don't do much to the horde of roaches, unfortunately, and they surge forward to attack Mahmoud.
Swarm: 3pts damage
Your attacks don't do much to the horde of roaches, unfortunately, and they surge forward to attack Mahmoud.
Mahmoud steps back out of the swarming flood of beetles and shakes his shield, as if he is trying to make sure the bugs can see it. He draws another flask of alchemist's fire and throws it into the mass.
Frowning as the cockroaches flooded over Mahmouds feet and legs, Tribim sympathized with the man. Not wanting to admit the juggler braver than he, Tribim tried to consider what he could do. Dropping his pack on the steps, he calls out, "I've no torches, but I do have flint and steel. Does anyone have torches we can light?"
”Ahead of you, Tribim!” the dwarf calls, producing a tindertwig and a flask of oil from his pack. ”It’s not explosive stuff, this, but it might burn some old rags and keep the swarm at bay if you soaked it and wrapped it around a torch.”
Epperson pulls out a torch next and starts to look for old rags to use, keeping an eye on the swarm and some distance between himself and it.
”Hunh. Seems my jinxes don’t work on swarms. Good to know,” the dwarf mutters offhandedly.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Mahmoud's alchemist's fire explodes in the middle of the swarm, incinerating a large portion of the roaches. While several hundred remain, but before they can surge forward, all of the insects dematerialize, leaving no remains.
Seeing Epperson's explosion only kill a portion of the bugs, Tribim grabs the straps on his pack, ready to run up the stairs. As the rest of the insects fade into nothing, he smiles, realizing it was a spell that had ran its course. Lifting the pack to his shoulders he steps off the stairs, headed towards the double doors asking as he smiles, "Shall we continue?"
Having already triggered the secret doors trap he casually attempts to push the door open.
”I might be guilty - I said MIGHT,” winks Epperson, ”be guilty of backside blasts, but that fiery explosion was Mahmoud’s not mine.”
The dwarf harrumphs. It might be amusement.
On the other side of the secret door is a hallway that terminates at another door. This is unlocked, untrapped, and is easily opened to reveal...
A18 - Akhentepi's Burial Chamber
A sarcophagus covered in gold leaf rests on a raised stone platform in the center of this chamber. The casket's cover is carved the likeness of an adult man with his arms crossed over his chest, and covered in thick coat of dust. Two ornate chests sit beyond the dais in the northeast and southeast corners, and between them stand two large funerary urns.
Mahmoud smiles faintly, following Tribim into the room and wary of additional traps or enemies.
"This room is certainly trapped." Aerith said, more than a hint of excitement in her voice. "Do you think that these are decoys?" She asked, full of wide eyed wonder.
”I would that I could smell curses,” Epperson confesses, ”but I cannot. I can still reason that there’s something about this room that’s not straight forward.”
The dwarf focuses his attention on the sarcophagus.
Looking from the bites on his legs to his singed tail Tribim asks, "Could someone heal my legs, or could we rest for a moment while I try and wrap these wounds?"
Remembering what happened with the fake sarcophagus Tribim nods in agreement with Aerith, "Certainly trapped!" Stepping cautiously into the room, he adds, "I wish you could smell Curses as well Epperson." As the dwarf moves with him into the room. "Just check everything very carefully." As he looks at the sarcophagus as well.
Unatti sighs heavily(and rather dramatically) when Tribim asks for healing. "You're barely hurt. Stop being such a wimp." She teases her friend, even as she heals him.
There are no traps on the sarcophagus, but there is a guardian - a cobra made of iron. Like the false sarcophagus, it's extremely resistant to damage, but Epperson's curses keep it at bay long enough for you to eventually beat it into submission. Now, all that's left is to figure out how to remove all of the treasure you've found from the tomb.
Potential Loot
Gold Leaf
Gold Funerary Mask
Akhentepi's armor
Potion - darkvision
Potion - lesser restoration
Lapis and Carnelian Pendant
Ancient Coins and Gems worth 555gp
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Akhentepi's Armor
This suit of stanching padded armor is of traditional Osirian design, consisting of a quilted cuirass of lightweight, breathable linen; a linen kilt; and a teardrop-shaped groin guard of stiffened linen. Besides its anti-bleeding properties, Akhentepi’s armor grants its wearer a sense of impending danger. Once per day as a free action when the wearer attempts an initiative check, the wearer can add a +3 insight bonus on that initiative check.
Pouting a little, Tribim responds, "But if my legs get scared I'l have to wear really long kilts when I dance. Do you know how uncomfortable they are?" He winks as she heals him. Looking at his legs he smiles, "Thanks!"
Seeing the iron cobra, Tribim stays back and tosses his chakrams at the creature trying to distract it from Mahmoud while the juggler does the real work of ending the thing. Once it's down, he approaches lifting it on the tip of the ancient spear, asking "So do you think this is worth anything?"
Mahmoud sighs at how well-protected this tomb is, and proceeds to work with the others to defeat the iron cobra guardian. Finally, after a lot of effort and some scary moments, they succeed it putting it down. He wipes his brow and rests while Tribim goes through the treasure. He smiles as the catfolk rogue lifts up the squashed snake construct. "Perhaps," he says wearily. "If nothing else, an excellent trophy for you to keep."
Cautiously putting the 'iron snake' around his neck, he does a couple of dance steps twisting and shifting the snake. Looking at Unatti asking, "What do you think should I add it to the routine?"
Mahmoud begins removing the gold leaf from the sarcophagus, and then stacks everything up and hauls it to their stash at the end of the rope. He clears his throat in preparation for speaking several sentences. "Now we have just got to get all this back up the shaft. Might be putting the chariot in front of the horse, but I suggest that rather than trying to find a buyer in town we bring everything to the temple of Pharasma. Taking grave goods doesn't sit well with them, but since they've already lost that fight, they at least can benefit from it. I feel sure they will compensate us fairly." He shrugs. "What do you folks think?"
”For completion’s sake, I would like to ascertain the end-points of some of the secret doors that we encountered that weren’t immediately accessible,” Epperson grunts. ”I think relieving ourselves of the grave-trappings of the Lady of Graves to those who hold her in highest esteem is indeed logical. I concur with that decision. It’s the best way to prevent curses, after all.”
Epperson pokes at the padded armour. ”That’s an odd bit of kit, yeah?”
Drawing out his shortsword, Tribim helps scrape the gold leaf from the sarcophagus. As Epperson pokes at the ancient armor, Tribim shrugs. "It does make sense if your out in the sun a lot. But yeah, still a little odd."
Helping haul the treasure (and the dead iron snake) to the mouth of the cave, Tribim didn't care who they sold the gear to, as long as he got his cut. Shrugging, "I'm ok if you want to sell it to the church. I think we would at least get an honest price from them."
Thinking about how to get the chariot up the shaft, Tribim asked, "Maybe we should take the chariot apart?"
Mahmoud nods to Epperson. "By all means, let's make sure we found everything. No need to depart until we're sure."
Unatti laughs heartily at Tribim's dance. "That thing looks heavy, not sure you would wanna do a whole dance routine with it wrapped around ya."
Turning to Mahmoud, she replies "I too agree with returning to the Pharsamins. I also trust them to give us a fair price."
Aerith happily walked around the tomb. While the others celebrated their good fortune, she immersed herself in the antiquity of the chamber. While the armor, jewelry, potions and like stood out, she checked to see if there was anything else within that stood out as being important from a historical perspective. While she mostly did this for her own curiosity, it also had the added benefit of locating anything else of value for sale to the right buyer.