Cass notes the fox-girl’s change, cursory look at the door, and hasty opening of it. He shakes his head. She was the type that learned caution only when was staring quizzically at a spear buried in her chest. He lets out his breath when nothing bad happens.
With the door open and the corridor of defaced statues revealed, the baronet moves down the aisle quickly, only sparing a glance at the wreckage. He listens at the far door and makes an urgent ‘COME’ gesture to the rest of the team. Waiting for a couple others to arrive, he debates whether the noises are part of a trap or if they had caught a vandal in the act. If it’s a trap, it’s very elaborate. Better bet is an enemy.
Based on that, once he’s got back-up, Cass draws his weapon and pushes through the door.
Zhao raises one eyebrow as Livia shifts, shaking his head. "I'd think twice if I were you, Miss Serrana - this old tomb dust will be nigh-impossible to get out of your fur." As the group passes through the defaced corridor, his gaze lingers a bit on the statues, and he tilts his head to one side, examining some of the rubble. "That's curious - look at-"
The interpreter cuts off abruptly as he registers Cassian's gesture. Letting his cane fall, he draws his longbow from his back, nocking an arrow and nodding at the nobleman.
Neriros will, during his transcribing, note the defaced hands of the statues. The vandalism strikes him as quite personal, though he has no way of knowing how recent such an action would have occurred.
As Cassian takes his move through the door, Neriros will swiftly put down his journal and pen and pick back up his crossbow, taking up a position near the door should something attempt to rush through or past Cassian.
Satisfied that his colleagues have understood his intentions, Cassian throws open the door. Inside, stairways lead up to a marble dais, where rotted wooden offerings lie in splinters. The tiles of the floor are scorched black, and the smell of magical ozone fills the air. A sickly pale glow sputters amid a pile of debris, illuminating a shattered sword upon the ground. In the chamber’s walls, rows of niches bear ceramic urns labeled with bronze plaques. A repetitive grinding sound echoes through the chamber, erratic and yet unceasing.
The noise and glow are emanating from the same place: the tomb’s last remaining guardian, clinging on to life and vainly attempting to perform its duty. Formerly a statue of a proud, doglike creature, it now lies in fragments, only able to move its intricate metal frame with its magical animating force. The guardian’s jaws spark wildly as the disparate pieces drag themselves towards you.
From the pile of rubble a trio of what appear to be carved hands - presumably from the statues lining the hallway you are in, unless this is a bizarre coincidence - scrabble to attention and also start crabbing their way in your direction.
Initiative order:
Victrio
Livia
Zhao
Ash
Hands
Dog
Cassian
Neriros
Livia immediately moves forward and readies to attack with her scimitar in case one of the hands approaches.
"Be careful to not get strangled and the dog can explode!"
"Be careful to not get strangled and the dog can explode!"
"Oh joy," Ash mutters. Though their sarcastic reluctance doesn't keep them from entering the room and stepping to the left, eyes gauging each opponent's distance and crossbow at the ready.
Weapon in hand: Lt crossbow
Effects:
"Ahh?? What's going on?!"
That's what he gets for dawdling at the back! Victrio curses but is in no hurry to plunge forward ahead of their 'front line' or whatever people call it. He goes no further than behind Neriros.
Zhao follows Ash into the room, his snake-headed cane forgotten as he draws back his nocked arrow and lets it fly. At Livia's warning, he nods wordlessly, keeping his distance from the strange stone constructs.
"Ahh?? What's going on?!"
Zhao glances back towards the corridor. "I think the statues are soulbound - some sort of defense for the tomb. If you've spells to deal with them, I don't know how effective my bow will be."