2 out of 3 locks are locked... Myron's tomb

[DM Bob]

Attilius asks for magic upon his gouge. He apparently does not favor the hidden axe.

The two locks that are still closed pop open at the Knock spell's finish. Opening the door reveals a heavy looking portcullis.

Beyond that is only black. Unnatural blackness that is.

[DM Bob]

From earlier:

This cannot be right. The book reads as 12,555 years old.
The magics behind it? Enchantment, conjuration, transmutation...
The only thing gleaned from the historian's eye is the nine-tongued worm. Mak Thuum Ngatha. A long dead cult thought eradicated by the warrior-women of flame centuries ago.
As you mouth the name of the cult, Coden swears he's heard that name before.

Nov 30, 2023 13:28:15 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

Nov 30, 2023 10:18:17 GMT -12 Quila Oris (John M.) said:

With my NWP Ancient History (Green Age), does that year tell me anything else? Not specifically that year of course, but is it between certain events, or in a certain period of the Green Age?

As she whispered the cult name and sees a flash of recognition from Coden, Quila says "Oh, you recognize this? From your earlier travels perhaps? It was not the psurlons, right? Any other strange beings maybe?"

Quila will make sure the book will be in the chest and the chest can come along. "Could you carry this chest perhaps Attillus?"

(OOC: rolled a 6 on a 16 for the nwp in case that matters or a roll is needed.)

This was early Green Age, many more cults were revered and eventually abandoned (or possibly eradicated) during this period. The elemental worshippers had done much to stamp out these fledgling heretics, perhaps at the behest of the elemental lords themselves. This cult was not one that many humans or halflings professed to worship - or so you think. Maybe there was more of that at a different stage of the failed religion?

[Coden Rokos (Jesse H.)]

"That's um... I've heard something about that somewhere. Tied somehow to... ugh. All these ancient cults always seem to dredge up weird celestial correspondences, much like the whole business with the fungi from elsewhere on the Messenger."

He snaps his fingers when Quila mentions the psurlons. "I think that's it."

[DM Bob]

Coden has a moment of clarity.

There was something he fought in Aman's tower that had similar robes that they were all wearing... yes. The undead cultists was it? Aman even once said how he preferred having them around as undead because they were quieter.

Each of them had wooden medallions on them, heck, one might still be in the bottom of his pack.

[Coden Rokos (Jesse H.)]

(Man, I can't remember ANY of this.)

Coden pauses and puts his spear and shield down so that he can rummage through his bag.

"Here, this... this looks similar, no? Yeah, Aman had some undead servants wearing these."

(Were those guys Sons of Kyuss, but Athasian version? I forget. Sons of Kyuss are metal AF, regardless. Maybe too metal for Dark Sun.)

[DM Bob]

Ding ding. They even had a wooden statue of a horse!

[Niachi]

Niachi considers the Murmillo's request for enchanting the gouge.

"Very possibly, but am I mistaken or do you have any other magicked option? I could save that spell for a bunch of powerful tricks since we could face just about-"

As the locks pop and the portcullis is revealed, he continues:

"Anything...?"

Approaching to at least 2 feet from the gate he rubs his hands and spreads them towards the darkness, as one might warm their hands near a fire. He is checking for the comforting chill expected of this phenomenon.

If he feels the cold of Shadowland, he shakes his head.

"Tossing a Continual Lighted object into that is just a waste. Or it might anger things best not angered. How's your detection, 'Miuko?"

He will check his Planes Lore to compare this to any other portal to The Black he might remember studying or seeing.

If he feels no cold:

"Someone try disbelieving or dispelling this."

He makes sure his Continual Light stone is in easy reach.

[AthasianLaborer]

What does Detect Magic say?

Assuming an illusion is detected (or magic at all), 'Muiko will attempt a disbelief first.  Save vs Spells rolled an 8 needing a 10 or higher.

"If it is an illusion, it is a powerful one" 'Muiko says once his disbelief fails.  'Muiko begins to muttering unintelligibly as the sound of scribbles fills the air with the now familiar motes of chalk dust.  Everyone's hands feel as though they swiped through finger paint briefly as they taste gum arabic.

Dispel Magic on the Darkness effect rolled a 7

[Attilius]

Dec 1, 2023 12:31:37 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

Opening the door reveals a heavy looking portcullis.

Beyond that is only black. Unnatural blackness that is.

Attilius moves to investigate the pig iron portcullis. He knocks a few times on it in different areas with his gouge listening to it's vibrations.
"Three locks on the outer door? Yeaaaaaaahhhh... I'm thinkin' this bad boy is made to keep whatever's in there, stay there. Too bad we don't have any Blind fighters with us. How we going to get rid of that blackness?" he asks the group as he investigates the edges and ceiling that hold the portcullis.

"On the bright side, this is worth a TON of coin... If we survive..."

[Coden Rokos (Jesse H.)]

Coden says, "A moment."

He comes up to the edge of the darkness and closes his eyes. Then he presses two fingers to the center of his forehead, pulls in a sharp breath, and snaps his eyes open.

(True sight. This sees through all obscurement up to 60'. Rolled 13 for the power check, success.)

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

-Skrye tries to look through the darkness with her keen sight, as she takes a wrapped item from her belongings and reveals a stone with a continual light spell in it - "This may help, at least to try if it works.." - approaching it to the edge, without stepping into the darkness ahead

[OOC: Checking if something can be revealed with her infravision before unwrapping the stone]

[DM Bob]

Infravision does not work.

Coden can see five chests arranged haphazardly on a large rug before a large, stone double door set into the ground at a low angle, much like a large root cellar door. Except these are solid stone doors and chained, then welded shut. There is no lock to speak of. Some characters in a language unfamiliar to the Balician noble are scrawled above the welded portal. There is also a large terra cotta lioness, some three feet tall in a crouched position and three large rugs, rolled up next to the statue.

Then the dispel kicks in. The darkness vanishes.

Each chest radiates traps and has a solid lock to it. The rug underneath the chests radiates as a trap. It specifically radiates guardian magics.

[Deleted]

Chat'cho points out the traps as she sees them.

"Tra*, tra*, tra*, tra*--all the chests are tra*s. The rug is a tra*, too."

[Attilius]

Attilius sets his shield and weapon aside then grabs the bottom of the portcullis and lifts

[55 on 90 lift gates]
He'll then prop his tower shield under it to make sure it doesn't close on his allies. Grabs his gouge and steps back 20' out of their way to investigate the room.

[DM Bob]

The gate does reluctantly move upward, not a fast as the goliath expected.

Propping his shield keeps it open as the room properly opens up before you.