Chapter 10: The Crypt of Everlasting Life

[OGRE MAGE]

“Is there anything on your side we can use to prop this crawl space open, Xorzen? I do not trust it,” says Kiri through the gap.

Xorxen

"Yes. Rocks."

He pushes a few more chunks of the broken stone closer to the opening, sliding them in between the floor and the loose stone above in case it falls.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako opens his eyes to his relief that Xorzen was not crushed. "Xorzen come out of there before you do get crushed. There are other passages still left to explore. Some might not even be deadly."

[Inferno]

Tombs of the Ancients, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Late Morning, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia







The rubble mound is impregnable. Xorzen's javelin cannot pierce it.

Against the dire warnings of his fellow explorers, the disciple of Osorus forges ahead alone into the ageless, mysterious crypts.

He pulls broken stones from the small mountain and places them inside the crawlspace, to one side. After a long time, his hands bleeding and his back aching, Xorzen opens a tight passage through the rubble, and bolsters the immense block over the crawlspace, still leaving a thin path through it for his companions.

Beyond the mound of broken stones, Xorzen's flickering candle reveals a narrow, twisting corridor wide enough for but one person at a time.



The claustrophobic gap must have been formed when more of the gargantuan stone blocks fell crookedly into place, failing to seal forever the great pharaoh's tomb.

Their elusive goal must be very near now.


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: 5/11, Spells: 5/7 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: 30 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)

[SocraticLawyer]

"We should probably follow him," says Garrin, "after the death trap has been deactivated. "

[ravenn4544]

Amethu watches the figures slink off through the perilous crawl-way. He takes a few minutes to whisper to his gods for strenght.

CLW on Amethu Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 5

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen can almost smell the legendary powerful magic items hidden in the tomb ahead.

"Sorry for the delay, but I believith that I am on to something in here. There is a narrow crack ahead. I will investigate to see if it leads to the hidden tomb we seek....eth."

The masked monk continues on through the gap, checking for inconsistencies in the walls, ceiling, and floor the entire way.

[ChubbyPixie]

“Let us move forward. The artifacts we seek must be near.”

With the crawl space propped up securely, Kiri will shuffle forward on his belly to emerge in the next room to see what Xorzen has uncovered...

[Urson]

Zahra

The tall albino squirms through the narrow space, her face twisted in disgust. As soon as she can, she arms herself with her mace.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako shuffles along the floor on his belly through the crawlspace and into the rubble fille chamber.

[Inferno]

DM:

Splayed at the feet of a titanic statue of Uthoth, Amethu looks up and calls upon his god for mercy and healing (+5hp). Then he joins the other explorers in following Xorzen beneath the deadly pendulum blades, through the crawlspace under the monolithic stone block, over the mound of shattered rock and into the narrow channel between the gargantuan stones.

The adventure continues in Chapter 11: Curse of the Pharaohs