Silas mutters to himself in the corner, if you listen closely, you'll hear something like "ring, gods, what would not possess in these lands?"

(OOC: Mal. Good enough. Badger's passive perception is only 11.)

In reply to Sickle, the gnome says: Uh, I believe since I opened that sarcophagus. I expect the corpse inside was Obo'laka herself. Now I seem to be connected to her spirit somehow. I've gradually been able to focus on her thoughts, and she has given me warnings from time to time, including about this fellow here.

Looking at Grenk, he says: Fear not, goliath. I am capable enough of controlling the dead, as you have already seen.

To Silas, he explains: The tomb wasn't built by the nine gods, but for them, by none other than Acererak. And somewhere in here he has placed the Soul Monger to collect the souls of the dead. I assumed it was to fuel his own phylactery, but this journal entry here intimates something darker. Some cosmic creature is feeding on the souls, and growing in power because of it.

"A tomb built for Trickster gods is much worst then a tomb built by the Tricksters," Silas states, "If what you say about voice is true and I doubt that one is only one who can do that. The trickster gods are not all friendly each other to boot. That's on top of Sickle's ring voice,"

[Wondering how long ago did we level up to 8?]

Quote from Shodai_Kishi >>

[Wondering how long ago did we level up to 8?]

 Post #2629

"So does this voice give you any clues how to proceed?" Silas question

(We're in a closed room with one door?")

The group seems to take the time to absorb that their wizard is now, at least partially, under the influence of a dead trickster god. They look around the thoroughly explored room, and the three magical items they've found within it. 

Mal peeks back out into the passageway.  There is the spiral staircase that leads down from here, they can go through the 2nd secret door in the pool room, to someplace they don't know, or they could head back upstairs the way they came. There were many places to go in the grand staircase that led down into darkness. 

"I vote we go back to that secret door we have not been through yet." Mal says.

“I think these back halls are an advantage to us for the moment.  Badger, I don’t know what to do about this being with you at the moment, other than to say we all have to look out for each other. And yes, Silas, this ring...well sometimes it’s.l a boon and sometimes it tries to exert its will over my actions.  I feel that it’s influence may be very hard to break.” He pauses, looking at the items tbey found.

”We could give Badger a bit to identify these, or we can press on and do that at the end of the day.”

Badger replies to the group's concerns and suggestions: Obo'laka has offered no advice, just warnings so far. As for exerting her will, she does no such thing. I remain in complete control of myself. Now, about that secret door... I think that way offers the least danger, and I don't like leaving loose ends hanging...

It seems press on is chosen, and so Mal departs the room, passing the spiral staircase lit with torches, and goes through the secret door to the pool room.  The font is only half-full and offers no special images at this point. Mal listens, then slowly presses open the door. She peeks out onto the balcony of the 2nd level down in the main staircase. To the left, stairs descend down to the 3rd level below. Forward they edge along the wall, there are three oval holes carved into a nine-foot-wide, nine- foot-high stone door, at human head height. Beyond that the balcony turns left. She sees a passage leading away on the far side of the staircase, and another passage leading away to the left, before the staircase leads up to the first floor.  (So, in the 2nd level map below, you're near "25".)

First floor as you know it: 

2nd floor as you know it: 

Seeing that they are back at the central staircase, with several options to choose from three different levels, Badger makes another suggestion... I'm not sure I'm quite ready to launch back into the funhouse of death-traps. There is also that spiral staircase back there. Perhaps if we investigate that first, we might further disrupt the processes driving this place.

"Down is best options. Right now I believe our focus should be finding a location to rest," Silas whispers, "This is a reguarly traveled location but I doubt they will travel all over these tombs," Whoever goes scouting, Silas will cast Guidance on them before they move ahead and Silas will take up the back of any lines. 

Deciding these 'behind the curtain' tunnels are valuable, the group decides to head down the spiral staircase. Mal leads. Several turns later Mal peeks around the curving inside wall and sees a landing. The stairs continue downwards, but you've reached level 3. The room here is dark and dusty. A hulking figure wearing a bucket helm stands to the west, with one hand on an iron lever set into the wall. The south wall is sloped and has a large rectangular window five feet wide by seven feet high. The window looks into a hallway. Because it's at an angle you can also see the floor of the hallway which has an opening.  Through the rectangular hole in the hallway floor, you can see farther down into a well-lit room shaped like a can of beans tipped on its side. 

The armored figure does not stir and doesn't seem to have noticed Mal. Mal also notices a small crawlway that leaves the room to the left that is about 3 feet high and two feet wide. The armored creature, that resembles the last two you encountered, can't see the stairway as its busy staring at the glass window, and the helm blocks it's peripheral vision. There's a moderate chance the entire group could sneak past unnoticed and continue descending.

Sickle will sign to the others... up, down, or kill the Thing.

In any case, he will use a 3rd level slot to cast Pass Without Trace on the group.

It looks like this room doesn't go anywhere, although Badger is a little curious about the small passage. He points down to indicate they should continue further. Stealth: 9

The group, shrouded by magical silence and concealment creep further down the stairs. The armored creature doesn't seem to notice as you descend further.  At the 4th level down, there is a hallway leading away from this stairway. Twenty feet away the hallway ends at the back of a secret door. The stairs continue descending. 

?

How deep does the rabbit hole go? wonders Badger. But he is comfortable with underground and happy to continue if there is no imminent danger.

The stairway only descends one more floor, but it's a long floor.  The air starts to feel....moist as you walk down a fairly long stretch of curving stairway before finally reaching the bottom.  A door is here, and a hallway also leads away in another direction. Part way down the passage you see a fifteen foot long stretch where the floor and lower walls are covered in a grey viscous slime of some sort.  You hear an odd irregular clunking sound from through the door, along with a bit of a slapping sound once in a while. The sounds seem unlikely to be caused by some sort of creature as they just keep going.

Mal will get into position to strike the creature but will wait for the group to sneak pass or signal to attack.

Stealth: 37

Mal will cautiously move towards the slime and then toss some ball bearings into it to see what happens. If nothing happens she will then toss some bit of cloth or food items to see if anything happens. Essentially she wants to see if whatever ooze that us starts to eat the items. If nothing happens to the items she will barely touch the ooze with her pinky fro her left hand.

Perception: 18

Silas will be taking up the rear of the party as a healer and less stealthy party member.