The Wayfarer's Inn

The wall collapses in a cloud of dust, and a rush of foul-smelling air comes from the chamber beyond, a room that seems to be illuminated in the negative: dark things are glowing, and light ones are not, which makes for a weird and unsettling effect.

The floor of this chamber is of smooth stone, possibly alabaster; and the walls and ceiling are plastered, with the ceiling having a height of about 30 feet and being supported by a pillar in each corner. Each of the pillars is painted to resemble a bone, set on a plinth of human figures being crushed by its weight, and the top is a series of grinning skulls ringing the capital.

A dozen wooden sarcophagi that appear gray in the strange light are in the chamber and six small jars stand by each one. On the sarcophagi closest to the entrance can be seen the painting of a handsome smiling man clad in a simple white linen garment. What is unusual is that in the left hand of each figure is what appears to be a red lotus blossom atop a stem whose leaves are black. The jars are canopic jars, similar to these:



Their heads are different though and show demons, serpents and monsters instead.

There are two great doors in the middle of the far wall. These are painted to show a massive red throne-chair, upon which is seated a giant black skeleton. Its hands hold a barbed hook (a mockery of the clerical crook) and flail, both of silvery hue. The skeleton is crowned with by a moss green and putrescent purple headdress, which resembles the crown of the ancient Khemitian pharaohs. Perched on the right corner of the back of the throne is a vulture with a human head.

The floor here shows no sign of activity. The wall paintings depict various forms of wicked activity, with evil spirits, evil gods, and Rahotep too. The writing is of hieratic and hieroglyphic script. It gives evil prayers, recounts terrible wrongs done, and so forth. The ceiling above is done so that devils, demons, monsters of malign visage, bat-things and the like glare fiercely down on those within the room.

Assuming that Ahi looks into the chamber with his find traps spell, he cannot detect any! Neither on the sarcophagi nor on the jars or the floor can any trap be found. Since the spell has a detection range of 10 feet, it only reaches halfway into the room though...

Kherim waits for the dust to clear before taking in the blasphemous sight before them. "A burial chamber, if necromancers in truth require burial. Let us beware that which may not in truth be dead as we know it."

Kherim raises his sword and mutters a prayer to Horus as he seeks evil from the sarcophagi nearest them.

OOC:Casting Detect Evil on the nearest sarcophagus, showing the visage of the smiling man.

How much longer I got on the FT? I'm going to sweep the sarcophagi closest to the door to see if there's anything else going on, "I'd like enter the room while I still have the beneficial effects of Neith's trap detecting spell. Suggestions on the best way to do this?" Ahi asks his comrades.

Kherim detects an evil aura that pervades the whole chamber. Surprisingly, it is quite weak - moderate in strength at best. The sarcophagi don't detect as evil at all (they all show the same painting of the smiling man btw).

Ahi's Find Traps spell lasts for at least ten more minutes.

Looking back Eilkhan nods amd moves in ten feet, the alotted range for the spell. Then she looks around once more.

Nothing happens as Eilkhan enters the chamber. Her steps stir up quite some dust into the stale and dry air, and she carefully looks around. What she can see now that she has moved a bit closer, is that the portal's surface is coated with a thin layer of plaster, and thereon is painted the mural described earlier. The decorations into the painted scene are really a part of the gate. A thick chain across the door forms a belt for the skeleton figure, the lock is the buckle, and seals on the joining of the two doors are made to appear as spinal vertebrae of the skeletal figure. Eilkhan can also see from that position that the seams between the portal and the surrounding wall are sealed with some kind of substance.

Ivid and Elmo follow the others into the room. After looking around, Ivid says quietly "Elmo, you watch the entry behind us. I'll watch the far entrance." Ivid will move slightly into the room and watch the far entrance to the room with his bow ready while the others investigate the contents of the room.

Kherim Shaw now also moves into the room and assumes a protective stance in the middle of the chamber, watching the sarcophagi as the others go about their own duties.

"Remain alert, there is evil here."