The Unseen Servant forums

Mako:

Mako makes his way over to Xorzen after twice experiencing the strange noises and nothing happening. "Perhaps you are not putting enough pressure onto the floor. Can the alter move? That should be enough weight to cause the floor to drop or shift if it is a trap of some kind. Loche what do you say? You've encountered things like this before haven't you?"

The monk nods his head at the words of Mako. He looks around at the floor of the alter to see if there is any indication that it might need to be slid back to cover the void in the floor. He then tries to push on it to see if it will move at all.

Arthfael waits and watches.

This sort of tinkering being far outside her area of expertise, Zahra stands back and tries to remain alert to any signs of impending danger.

"Watch out, everybody," Kiri says. He'll use the pole again to push on first the front, then the back of the strip of floor behind the seam.

Temple of Sutekh. Hall of The Serpent. Third Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Two. Late afternoon. 14th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






In the temple of serpents and death, Xorzen of Osorus doggedly scrutinizes the altar of Sutekh.




Finding no mechanism or means to move it, the pale monk pushes against it with all his might, careful not to set an errant foot into the nearby sundered pentagram.

The massive stone altar doesn't budge.

Kiri Khutan prods the floor again with Loche's pole. Suddenly, it gives way on an ever increasing angle! The 30' x 10' floor behind the altar is hinged at its eastern end, and balanced by counterweights unseen.

Earlier, Kiri had applied pressure to no avail but then, the altar's secret lever was in the 'up' position. Now, with mass placed upon it, it tilts. The western end gently descends, becoming a 45 degree ramp to somewhere underneath this floor!

This is no death trap, but a secret, sloping passage used by the cultists of Sutekh to access destinations below!

Amethu the warlock gazes down the ramp into the pitch darkness and his mystic vision perceives more sorcerous auras glowing in the distance, within the inscrutable shadows of antiquity.


Actions?


Map Detail:



Map:

Lighter areas show visibility. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 6/6, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl
  Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 2: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 5/12, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl and 2/3 2nd lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 2: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 11/18, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 3/7, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 6/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 2: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 4/6, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Roan, Son of Rune: Vanir Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 15", AC: 4, HP: 17/23, Torch
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 9, HP: 10/12
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 16/16, Torch

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (All except Amethu and Zahra): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Detect Magic (Amethu): Duration: 3 rounds.

PC Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

Zahra grudgingly admits the hawk-mask's investigation produced this passage onward...but as he did so more through luck and recklessness than cunning and prudence, she sees no need to praise him. Readying shield and spear, she moves forward to peer down the ramp, ready to resume her place at the vanguard of the group.

Discarding his old shield, and girding up his new one, Garrin smiles at the discovery of the passage below. "Great work! Let's go." With that, he leads the group down the newly discovered passage.

Xorzen nods his head and slaps Kiri on the back, silently congratulating the much stronger mans findings.

He adjusts his mask and inhales deeply before falling back into line and waiting for the group to resume its search into the lower level.

Loche looks completely unsurprised.

We shuid likelie be canny in exploring this passage. Does a'body hae a torch or something tae throw or roll doon thare?

Translation: We should probably be cautious in exploring this passage. Does anyone have a torch or something to throw or roll down there?

Loche prepares himself for the dark journey down the passage. He slips a bone dagger out of its hiding place and gets ready for whatever comes next.

Arthfael pauses to see if anything interesting remains on the bodies.

"No problem," says Kiri. "Here's your pole back, Loche. What is it, nine, nine and a half feet? Nice pole." He resumes his place in the order as they prepare to descend. "By the way, I took a bit of a beating back in the ...room." He pauses and looks pensive for a moment. "...anyway, if there's any extra healing potions or whatever. ...I don't mean to be rude." He looks vaguely ashamed to be making a request of anyone.

Roan, Son of Rune tenses when the ramp opens up, ready for what might assail them from the depths of this hell-hole. When nothing comes, he hefts his axe, lights another torch, and follows Garrin into the darkness.

The adventure continues in: Chapter 8: Necropolis of Eternity