The Sarcophagus Legion V

[JadedDM]

The party hurries forward, spotting the light lancers attacking the skeletons and assassins as they dart inside to the temple. Babushka even notes that Dekker is present, although thankfully he seems to be away from any fighting. Locky doesn't spot any traps, but even if she had, the party would have crashed right into them anyway.

Stepping into the temple's massive, open doors, they descend a stone staircase. Eventually the staircase deposits them in a small room, about twenty by twenty feet in size, and eight feet from floor to ceiling. What little light in this room comes from upstairs, making it difficult for anyone without infravision to see. Babushka and Locky can see that the walls are covered in strange markings and symbols, however.

There is an uneasiness in the air, a disturbing feel that the party can't put a finger on but which weighs heavily on them.

A life-sized statue of a man stands in each of the northern corners of the room. The man is dressed in robes and wears what looks like a goat's skull on his head Each statue wields a pair of beautifully-crafted obsidian sickles, crossed across their chests in the manner typically depicted in Pharaonic art. Locky readily recognizes them as a depiction of Chemosh, Lord of Bones, the god of death and undeath.

In the southern corners are life-sized statues of a shapely woman wielding a curved dagger in one hand and holding a scorpion in the outstretched palm of her other. In both cases, her hand has been severed from the body and scoured by the ages so as to be all-but unidentifiable.

To the north is a shut door of iron with scorpions engraved upon its surface.

"What?" Ulster asks, spinning around. "Who said that?"

"Locky," Thuskar says with annoyance. "This isn't time for games. Stop whispering in my ear," he complains.

However, nobody else hears anything, and Locky certainly did not speak.

===========

Locky makes a Religion check (1d20): 9, recognizes the statues of Chemosh
Locky makes an unknown saving throw (1d20): 11
Babushka makes an unknown saving throw (1d20): 15
Ulster makes an unknown saving throw (1d20): 9
Jerrard makes an unknown saving throw (1d20): 15
Thuskar makes an unknown saving throw (1d20): 3
Imani makes an unknown saving throw (1d20): 14

(OOC: My apologies, we lost internet last night and it still hasn't returned. I'm making all of my posts today at the local library.

Jenara, checking for traps takes 1d10 rounds of careful inspection. Looking at the ground while 'darting forward' is insufficient, I'm afraid.)

[Jenara]

"It wasn't me." Locky says loud enough for all to hear, feeling something is wrong Locky casts Bless.

"I didn't hear anything, but those statues are rather creepy, they remind me of the Plume." Jerrard comments, keeping his spell ready.

[HorizonsDream]

Imani looks to Ulster and Thuskar, worry etched upon her face. "What are you hearing?" she asks.

[JadedDM]

"Someone whispered something in my ear," Thuskar says. "I couldn't make it out, though."

Ulster agrees, batting at his ear a bit, as if he were trying to knock water out of it. "Yeah, yeah, me, too. It was just gibberish, though. Like, 'psh-psh-psh.'"

==========

Locky casts Bless on the party. Everyone receives a +1 to hit and against fear saves.

[Breila]

"Likely some spell to make us even more uneasy, and perhaps let a fight break out in a group of intruders" Babushka comments. She looks at the floor. If it is all stone, she won't bother, but if it is beaten earth or covered with dust, she starts looking for tracks, but stays clear of "arm's reach" from the statues.

Tracking check, 6, very good pass

[JadedDM]

Unfortunately, the stonework floor yields nothing to Babushka's observations.

"P-Probably just my imagination," Ulster says. "Although...it does feel pretty creepy here. Even worse than the Black Plume did."

[Breila]

Babushka looks at Ulster and nods. "Yes, the powers that run this are creepy. And they want to scare intruders like us away. Let's get our job done and leave this place."
She cautiously approaches the door. Do any of the scorpions seem to move, or does one look different from the others?

[JadedDM]

"I don't really think Chemosh would stop at just scaring us away. He's not an old man trying to keep kids off his lawn. He's the god of death," Ulster points out. "I'll just be glad when we're done here and can leave."

Thuskar frowns. "I have a feeling that finding and saving the princess will be the simple part," he says ominously.

The scorpions do not move, nor do they look different from each other.

[Breila]

"Oh, I didn't mean Chermosh, I meant the people using this temple" Babushka explains. She is about to try if the doors have to be pulled or pushed, but then remembers she had promised Jerrard not to go into the first line, and so goes back into the heart of the group.

[Jenara]

Locky moves slowly checking for anything that may be a trap or similar, taking her time with her infravision she heads to the door.

Bab finds Jerrards hand on her shoulder, saying nothing he moves slowly. (Save to disbelieve his own spell, can you roll please?)

[JadedDM]

While Locky takes her time, searching for traps, Thuskar and Ulster put their armor back on. Jerrard, meanwhile, focuses on disbelieving his own spell, and after a moment, he can see the kender fade back into view. After a few minutes, Locky still can't find any traps on the door.

===========

Locky searches for traps for (1d10): 4 rounds. The DM secretly rolls 1d100. Locky can find no traps.
Jerrard attempts to disbelieve invisibility (1d20): 19, pass.

[Breila]

OOC: I never stated whether Babushka was wearing her armor or not, but now would certainly be the time to put it back on.

[HorizonsDream]

Imani takes the time to put her armor back on while the others seem to be checking out the door to move forward.

[JadedDM]

Once everyone's suited up and ready to go, now all that needs to be done is to open the door.

=============

Ulster's AC improves to 7.
Thuskar's AC improves to 7.
Babushka's AC improves to 7.
Imani's AC improves to 5.

OOC: Yeah, she took her armor off way long ago, back before we even reached Black Plume. She's had AC 10 since then. That's part of the reason she took so much damage during the clockwork spider battle. It's always important to remember to actually say when you put on or take off your armor.

[Jenara]

Not finding any traps Locky goes quietly to open the door, checking behind her to make sure everyone is ready.

When they are she opens the door, prodding the ground in front of her with her hoopak as she advances.