The Wayfarer's Inn

As he moves close to destroy the vault lid, Kherim's gaze fall once again on the small, black, star-shaped object that rests upon it. It doesn't reflect any light that falls on it, and it's strangely difficult to avert the eyes from it...

At the moment that Kherim touches the lid with the intention of breaking it, shimmering inscriptions appear on the vault. These are individual phrases, not a single complete warning:

Woe to any who dare break my slumber!

Tread lightly, lest my rest be broken.

Death's bony wings whisper near.

Go up to the top to find your treasures elsewhere.

Evil must remain to protect this resting place.

These strange warnings give you pause. A dark and palpable evil is suddenly present. Kherim can feel its malign energy, a cold that pervades the small chamber and that makes you all shiver...

Gadheron remains just where he last stepped on.

His hands and eyes start to glow, as he summons his own powers.

[Dispel Magic.]

...If this fails, well, then at least we know that we're in immediate trouble, and not just freaking out over an attempt to get into our heads...

Gaderon's dispel attempt has no discernible effect.

"It seems this is it, comrades." Kherim says.
"I have not felt a more concentrated evil than this before."

OOC: what spells are still in place? Are Negative Plane Protection still activated?

Negative Plane Protection is still active as it has a very long duration.

I don't have my sheet available until next week, together with the documentation for what the spells do. I'd say that Ahi and Kherim will cast the resist fire spells they may have, and one of them will cast Prayer just as Kherim finishes breaking the seal. Protection from Evil also wouldn't harm, but I'm not sure that one was memorized anyway.

Gaderon will evoke a minor globe of invulernability around himself - just in case.

Something is going to happen. something bad surely will happen.

OOC: So after giving it another thought, I reconsidered and think that it's possible that three persons can be down there, if Ahi remains in the back corner of the chamber and Sol and Kherim don't try to fight side by side. I therefore have decided that you choose that option. I apologize for the delay that this has caused...

IC: After casting the spells, Ahi returns to the far corner of the chamber, while Gaderon hovers above Kherim and Sol, completely surrounded by the magical globe he has invoked. Eilkhan remains on the upper floor for now, looking down to the others. She has annchored a rope on a spike that she has driven between two flagstones, to be ready to join you down there if need be.

When everyone is ready, Kherim steps forward and starts trying to break the vault lid, but quickly realizes that even though that there are cracks, it is still made of granite and stronger than it looks. More pressure or force need to be applied, and so the paladin steps up on it with the help of Sol, while holding himself upright at the entrance of the secret tunnel above.

It doesn't take long before a cracking sound can be heard, but the lid still remains intact. Only a few seconds later though, you all hear that something stirs inside the vault... And then suddenly, the lid bursts open. Not because of Kherim, but because something breaks free.

A cloud of granite splinters, stone shrapnel and dust fills the chamber, and out of it rises a horrible undead creature, a dried mummified being, terrible to behold, wearing a pharaoh's headdress and holding a glowing pharaoh's crook. It is indeed Rahotep the Unmortal, finally awakened from his long slumber!

With glaring eyes, the thing looks at you, and whispers with a dry voice like parchment rubbed in the sand: "At long last I'm free again. You have failed me not and brought before me what I am longing for. Now you shall your receive your reward."

OOC: The final battle, my fellow players. State your intentions for the first round of combat, please....


The Sunken Chamber.JPG [ 125.85 KiB | Viewed 1025 times ]

...

Sol silently curses his luck that he is the one in the rear. Tizona likes to bite the undead...

He will attempt to parry or block attacks on Kherim from the rear and be prepared to take the front line should Kherim be injured or fall.