Chapter 11: Curse of the Pharaohs

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Silencing himself he notices Xorzen and Loche have discovered something. He prays silently for good fortune for the two as well as to their remembrance.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen looks at the Pict through his mask holes and makes a simple suggestion.

"Push?" Is all he says.

He tries pushing hard on the hollow sounding wall.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin waits while others check the door for traps.

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict watches as Xorxen tries pushing on the secret door. Tis likelie nae gonnae be that easy. We'll need tae break th' dyke.

Translation: It's probably not gonna be that easy. We'll need to break the wall.

[Inferno]

The False Tomb, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Midday, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia



Surrounded by mounds of countless, forged coins...




...hoards of worthless, glimmering treasure...





...and coffers of sparkling, duplicitous riches, the explorers detect a hollow sound behind one vast wall of the false tomb.




As the other explorers stand guard, or pray to their gods and ancestors, Xorzen of Osorus pushes against the monolithic surface with all his might. It doesn't budge.

In his thick brogue, Loche the Pict suggests that they may need to break down the wall.


Actions?


Map Detail:



Map:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/11, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 17/26, Laying Hands: 0/1, Torch
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light spell
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 7, HP: 15/16, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 15/21, 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."
  Light (Mako): Duration: 15 rounds.

Player 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)

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"Amethu your incantation to enlarge objects, can you cause items to also reduce in size if the spell is reversed?"

[Scott308]

Loche

Whit, ye thinkin' o' shrinking th' door? Bloody stoatin! If it wirks, anyway.

Translation:
What, you thinkin' of shrinking the door? Bloody brilliant! If it works, anyway.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu considers. "It is possible, I suppose, but it would take considerable time to recuperate and study such an incantation"

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri listens to the talk of breaking down the wall. He looks around him and thinks. Lead may be relatively worthless, but one quality it does have is that it is heavy. Stowing his trident and shield, he picks up a treasure chest full of the stuff and, spinning around hammer-throw style, heaves it at the center of the hollow sounding section:
Not sure what's needed, so here are various rolls:

[1d20+3] = 10+3 = 13
Open Doors (1-5) Open Locked, Barred or Magically Held (1-2): [1d6] = 3
[4d6] = 12

[SocraticLawyer]

Setting down his pack, Garrin helps to break down the hollow wall.

If needed:
Save vs Strength (13): [1d20] = 12

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra stands by, ready to assist with breaking the door down OR defending the group, whichever becomes most important.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen sees what the mountainous easterner is about to do, so he gets out of his way.

[Inferno]

The False Tomb, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Midday, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





Before the suspicious wall, Mako, Loche and Amethu sagely confer on their next stratagem. Meanwhile, mighty Kiri hefts the largest coffer he can lift and hurls it at the wall!

SMASH!

The chest leaves a deep gash in the stone, defacing magnificent designwork and artistry carved before the flood.

Garrin of Argos extinguishes his torch and joins in the effort.

KRASH!

Xorzen and Zahra close the monolithic door to the false tomb to contain the deafening racket. Then they stand guard against any eldritch horror the clamor might summon from out of the ancient darkness.

CRASH!

Mako's sorcerous illumination fades as time crawls by.

SMASH!

Kiri and Garrin methodically degrade the false wall until they break through it into a hollow cavity on its other side. They widen the maw to fit a man, and climb through it, finding a low-ceilinged passageway hidden behind the wall.



Xorzen and Loche take the lead, expertly searching for hidden dangers as they cautiously advance.

Finding none, they turn a corner and see at the end of the tunnel, an ornate stone door portraying the legendary Pharaoh and his beloved Queen.





Actions?



Map Detail:



Map:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/11, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 17/26, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl,
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 7, HP: 15/16, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 15/21, 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."

Player 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)

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen holds his hand out to the others behind him.

"Careful friends. There is a reason we have all stopped right on this very spot. I think there might be danger ahead."

He checks the passage out with his keen, trained eye before advancing upon the door to check that over next.

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict stands his ground. If the monk is going to set off a trap, he might as well stay out of the way.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako holds his position and watches the holy man take faith in his god.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri wipes his brow from the effort of smashing the false wall. He can't help thinking how much easier the task would have been with the help of Soren Soruk. Ah well. He pauses in the corner to let the experts deal with the next door.

Whoopsies.

[Urson]

Zahra

Knowing that trouble comes from all directions, Zahra takes up a position at the rear of the group, ready to defend against ambush.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin waits while the others search for hidden dangers. He picks up his pack and torch.

[Inferno]

I'll NPC Amethu this round. Gotta move it along, Raven.