Ophelia looks a little surprised that the stone doors do not seem magical. As if everything in this sacred domain of the Pharaoh and the ancient sphinxes and the elemental convergence should be suffused with arcane energy that Ophelia herself feels her soul vibrating with.
At a loss, she stammers, for once, un-poetically, "if a sacred place, this is, are we perhaps meant to pray or make an offering or observance of piety?"
Satinalooks over at Opheliawith a smile. There is a touch of concern there too because the woman doesn't quite sound like herself. "It's a good idea. But how exactly would we make such a showing?"
Satina doesn’t perceive any special opening mechanism. Zephirah investigates the door with her fingers but finds no mechanism or release. Nephthys doesn’t identify a lock or handle.
Thoth hypothesizes that the sphinxes are metaphors for the mortal pursuit for eternal life. Meanwhile, Ophelia and Satina speculate on an appropriate prayer.
(Just noting that, unless I’ve missed something, the only effort to open the doors has been Zahara gently pressing on them, and Zephirah running her fingers across them.)
"I don't believe the doors to be trapped so we can probably try opening them now." Nephthys says as she finishes her examination. "I suppose we can't rule out either the pressure plate or prayer being the way to open these doors but I suggest we start with the simple solution first which as far as I can see would be to push the doors open. Satina, would you give me some help with that?"She continues, looking over at the heavily armoured woman. "Using the razor of that old monk Ockham, very good." Thoth says with a pleased purr.
(Nephthys would provide help with opening the doors to Satina or anyone else who wants to have a go at it :-)
Ophelia moves her lips in response to Satina's reasonable request for clarification, but no discernable words seem to come out. She wishes she knew the answer herself. It had seemed so simple at the elemental temple of Nethys where Nahlun had been bound by the mad caretaker of old. Summoning her Mage Hand, and making a pushing motion towards the stone doors as if to urge the warrior onward, the she-elf lapses back into one of her non-sequiturs.
"We are none of us what we had been before, nor what we shall become once we reach our destination."
"Well, considering this door likely has been closed for ages and ages it might need some real effort to push it open, trust me, I've seen doors like this taking a whole group of people to get open." Nephthys says, seeming to briefly think back on less than pleasant memories.
Zephirah dusts her hands on her trousers and retreats a few paces, giving the broad stone panels a respectful berth. “All yours,” she says, flashing Satina and Nephthys an encouraging grin. She props her viol at the ready, poised to strike a triumphant chord—or a warning note—once the stronger and bigger ones put their weight to the ancient doors.
Zahara shifts her weight, stepping aside from the central seam of the doors as Nephthys and Zephirah speak.
“Then we do this together.”Her voice is calm, edged with purpose.
She reaches out to place one hand on the ancient stone, the other still gripping her staff for balance. Closing her eyes just briefly, centering herself.
Turning her head to the others, she nods once. “On three, then?”
Satina, Nephthys, and Zahara push their bodies against the ancient stone. The door resists, but slowly begins to inch open as the three brace their feet and push with all their might. As they door moves, the trio moves with it...
...onto a concealed pit trip just beyond! A hinge on the southern side allows the floor panel to open up, revealing a yawning pit thirty feet deep!
(This is a 10x10 pit. Satina, Nephthys, and Zahara fall 30 feet and take 10 Bludgeoning damage each.)
Ophelia has begun to mumble inscrutably once more...
"... whether under the earth or above on green fields, or out to sea or in the very air, all shall come to revelation ..."
As her companions begin to tumble into the pit, her voice rises, and their rate of descent slows, as if gaining lift from the buffeting weave of magic. The she-elf stands, her violet eyes staring beyond into the darkness of the pyramid, lips slightly parted in wonder, as if unaware of what she's done.
(Ophelia casts Feather Fall on all plummeting allies as a reaction, reducing the fall speed to 60 feet per round for the next minute. No damage on impact.)
"Ooooaahh.......hey, look at that, floating like a feather." Nephthys says as she finds herself saved by Ophelia's timely spell, giving the she-elf a wide smile and a grateful thumbs up. The tiny blue sphinx swiftly flies down to grab the end of his student's rope to take it up to Ophelia and Zephirah to help people out of the pit. "Nasty placement of a pit trap, will remember this."
Zephirah’s grin turns to a gasp as the stone drops away beneath the push team. She darts to the brink—heart hammering, ready to loose a frantic spell—only to watch them drift earthward like autumn leaves in Ophelia’s violet-tinged magic. A shaky laugh escapes her. “Sweet strings, I thought you three were about to turn into pincushions.” She pats her belt, finds no coil of rope, and gives a rueful shrug toward the pit. “Next caravan stop, I’m buying two hundred feet of hemp—promise. Everyone all right down there?”
Satina is surprised as the floor drops away. And even more surprised as she then floats down. Once at the bottom, she turns to Ophelia. "Thank you for that. Definitely good thinking."
She looks up at Zephirah. "I'm fine. I think we all are, thanks to Ophelia." Then she glances at the rope that the blue sphinx had pulled up to the top. "Maybe you two could grab that so we can climb out?"
Reverential as she always is towards the little sphinx, Ophelia takes the end of the rope from Thoth in her Mage Hand. She first looks for any spot on the far side of the pit around which she can tie the rope so that her fallen companions can climb up the other side, which she assumes is where they are all going, presumably tossing the free end of the rope back across once done so that Zephirah and Ophelia can pull themselves above and across the pit.
If not finding anything suitable on the far side to tie the rope around, she ties it around something on the near side, or failing that, around herself and braces herself against an outside edge of the large stone doorframe, looking to Zephirah for help in pulling the others up one by one.
Ophelia'sPerception if needed to look for something sturdy across the pit to secure the rope around: 14
Zahara’s boots scrape against the shifting sand as the weight of the stone door gives at last, only for the ground beneath them to betray all their effort.
She does not scream as the world tilts. She’s already clutching her staff, already curling inward. But, her fall slows, with the gentle pull of the Weave spun through elven words. They descend slowly.
Her feet find the pit floor with a soft thud, knees bending slightly to absorb the landing. She exhales, glancing upward at Ophelia’s and nods with gratitude before stating.
“That one,”she says, brushing sand from her robes, “is never allowed to stop mumbling.”
She surveys their surroundings at the bottom of the pit, walls, mechanisms, carvings, any sign of how the trap was laid or reset.
“The pharaoh’s welcome leaves much to be desired,” she mutters, eyes narrowing. Then she raises her voice for those above. “We’re unharmed."
Ophelia looks a little surprised that the stone doors do not seem magical. As if everything in this sacred domain of the Pharaoh and the ancient sphinxes and the elemental convergence should be suffused with arcane energy that Ophelia herself feels her soul vibrating with.
At a loss, she stammers, for once, un-poetically, "if a sacred place, this is, are we perhaps meant to pray or make an offering or observance of piety?"
Tanis(Ranger1):Shiverquill's Tempest City| Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles| Xarian(Fighter2):NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4):Vos' Beyond the Veil| Soren(Druid5):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft| Nivi(Rogue4):Raiketsu's CoS| Ophelia(Sorcerer4):Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6):NotDrizzt's Simple Request| Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4):MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return| Sabetha(Monk3):Bedlymn's Murder Court
Satina looks over at Ophelia with a smile. There is a touch of concern there too because the woman doesn't quite sound like herself. "It's a good idea. But how exactly would we make such a showing?"
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Satina doesn’t perceive any special opening mechanism. Zephirah investigates the door with her fingers but finds no mechanism or release. Nephthys doesn’t identify a lock or handle.
Thoth hypothesizes that the sphinxes are metaphors for the mortal pursuit for eternal life. Meanwhile, Ophelia and Satina speculate on an appropriate prayer.
(Just noting that, unless I’ve missed something, the only effort to open the doors has been Zahara gently pressing on them, and Zephirah running her fingers across them.)
"I don't believe the doors to be trapped so we can probably try opening them now." Nephthys says as she finishes her examination. "I suppose we can't rule out either the pressure plate or prayer being the way to open these doors but I suggest we start with the simple solution first which as far as I can see would be to push the doors open. Satina, would you give me some help with that?" She continues, looking over at the heavily armoured woman. "Using the razor of that old monk Ockham, very good." Thoth says with a pleased purr.
(Nephthys would provide help with opening the doors to Satina or anyone else who wants to have a go at it :-)
Ophelia moves her lips in response to Satina's reasonable request for clarification, but no discernable words seem to come out. She wishes she knew the answer herself. It had seemed so simple at the elemental temple of Nethys where Nahlun had been bound by the mad caretaker of old. Summoning her Mage Hand, and making a pushing motion towards the stone doors as if to urge the warrior onward, the she-elf lapses back into one of her non-sequiturs.
"We are none of us what we had been before, nor what we shall become once we reach our destination."
Tanis(Ranger1):Shiverquill's Tempest City| Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles| Xarian(Fighter2):NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4):Vos' Beyond the Veil| Soren(Druid5):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft| Nivi(Rogue4):Raiketsu's CoS| Ophelia(Sorcerer4):Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6):NotDrizzt's Simple Request| Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4):MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return| Sabetha(Monk3):Bedlymn's Murder Court
"Zaharah has tried that, hasn't she?" Satina replies. She comes over to the door and simply tries to push it open.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"Well, considering this door likely has been closed for ages and ages it might need some real effort to push it open, trust me, I've seen doors like this taking a whole group of people to get open." Nephthys says, seeming to briefly think back on less than pleasant memories.
Zephirah dusts her hands on her trousers and retreats a few paces, giving the broad stone panels a respectful berth. “All yours,” she says, flashing Satina and Nephthys an encouraging grin. She props her viol at the ready, poised to strike a triumphant chord—or a warning note—once the stronger and bigger ones put their weight to the ancient doors.
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Zahara shifts her weight, stepping aside from the central seam of the doors as Nephthys and Zephirah speak.
“Then we do this together.” Her voice is calm, edged with purpose.
She reaches out to place one hand on the ancient stone, the other still gripping her staff for balance. Closing her eyes just briefly, centering herself.
Turning her head to the others, she nods once. “On three, then?”
Satina nods to Zahara. "Sure. On three."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Nephthys too nods, ready to push on three.
Zahara braces herself against the door. “One…”
A pulse of Guidance flickers faintly along her staff again as she steadies her footing in the sand.
“Two…”
She meets Satina’s eyes, then Nephthys’s, giving a small but steady nod.
“Three.”
She pushes.
Satina, Nephthys, and Zahara push their bodies against the ancient stone. The door resists, but slowly begins to inch open as the three brace their feet and push with all their might. As they door moves, the trio moves with it...
...onto a concealed pit trip just beyond! A hinge on the southern side allows the floor panel to open up, revealing a yawning pit thirty feet deep!
(This is a 10x10 pit. Satina, Nephthys, and Zahara fall 30 feet and take 10 Bludgeoning damage each.)
Ophelia has begun to mumble inscrutably once more...
"... whether under the earth or above on green fields, or out to sea or in the very air, all shall come to revelation ..."
As her companions begin to tumble into the pit, her voice rises, and their rate of descent slows, as if gaining lift from the buffeting weave of magic. The she-elf stands, her violet eyes staring beyond into the darkness of the pyramid, lips slightly parted in wonder, as if unaware of what she's done.
(Ophelia casts Feather Fall on all plummeting allies as a reaction, reducing the fall speed to 60 feet per round for the next minute. No damage on impact.)
Wild Magic Surge roll: 12 (none)
Tanis(Ranger1):Shiverquill's Tempest City| Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles| Xarian(Fighter2):NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4):Vos' Beyond the Veil| Soren(Druid5):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft| Nivi(Rogue4):Raiketsu's CoS| Ophelia(Sorcerer4):Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6):NotDrizzt's Simple Request| Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4):MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return| Sabetha(Monk3):Bedlymn's Murder Court
"Ooooaahh.......hey, look at that, floating like a feather." Nephthys says as she finds herself saved by Ophelia's timely spell, giving the she-elf a wide smile and a grateful thumbs up. The tiny blue sphinx swiftly flies down to grab the end of his student's rope to take it up to Ophelia and Zephirah to help people out of the pit. "Nasty placement of a pit trap, will remember this."
Zephirah’s grin turns to a gasp as the stone drops away beneath the push team. She darts to the brink—heart hammering, ready to loose a frantic spell—only to watch them drift earthward like autumn leaves in Ophelia’s violet-tinged magic. A shaky laugh escapes her. “Sweet strings, I thought you three were about to turn into pincushions.” She pats her belt, finds no coil of rope, and gives a rueful shrug toward the pit. “Next caravan stop, I’m buying two hundred feet of hemp—promise. Everyone all right down there?”
|| Oriace - Halfling Bard - Dragon Heist || Valerian - Elf Rogue - Wildnis || b'Reh - Stig Cleric - Humblewood || Rowan - Halfling Giant - Runewarren || Khazela - Spiritfarer Dervish - Tribute || Arista - Frost Sorcerer - Old Keep || Zephirah - Demonic Bard - Sands || Merry - Gifted Surgeon - Short || Marasatra - Blood Mage - Avernus || Lan - Dwarf Dragon - Wuxian ||
Satina is surprised as the floor drops away. And even more surprised as she then floats down. Once at the bottom, she turns to Ophelia. "Thank you for that. Definitely good thinking."
She looks up at Zephirah. "I'm fine. I think we all are, thanks to Ophelia." Then she glances at the rope that the blue sphinx had pulled up to the top. "Maybe you two could grab that so we can climb out?"
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Reverential as she always is towards the little sphinx, Ophelia takes the end of the rope from Thoth in her Mage Hand. She first looks for any spot on the far side of the pit around which she can tie the rope so that her fallen companions can climb up the other side, which she assumes is where they are all going, presumably tossing the free end of the rope back across once done so that Zephirah and Ophelia can pull themselves above and across the pit.
If not finding anything suitable on the far side to tie the rope around, she ties it around something on the near side, or failing that, around herself and braces herself against an outside edge of the large stone doorframe, looking to Zephirah for help in pulling the others up one by one.
Ophelia's Perception if needed to look for something sturdy across the pit to secure the rope around: 14
Tanis(Ranger1):Shiverquill's Tempest City| Seri(Cleric1/Sorcerer1):Uhtred's Windward Isles| Xarian(Fighter2):NioNSwiper's Tyranny of Dragons
Dyson/Eleo(Cleric4):Vos' Beyond the Veil| Soren(Druid5):Bartjeebus' Ravenloft| Nivi(Rogue4):Raiketsu's CoS| Ophelia(Sorcerer4):Ashen_Age's Risen from the Sands
Joren(Fighter6):NotDrizzt's Simple Request| Toa(Barbarian6/Fighter4):MrWhisker's Dark Lord's Return| Sabetha(Monk3):Bedlymn's Murder Court
Zahara’s boots scrape against the shifting sand as the weight of the stone door gives at last, only for the ground beneath them to betray all their effort.
She does not scream as the world tilts. She’s already clutching her staff, already curling inward. But, her fall slows, with the gentle pull of the Weave spun through elven words. They descend slowly.
Her feet find the pit floor with a soft thud, knees bending slightly to absorb the landing. She exhales, glancing upward at Ophelia’s and nods with gratitude before stating.
“That one,” she says, brushing sand from her robes, “is never allowed to stop mumbling.”
She surveys their surroundings at the bottom of the pit, walls, mechanisms, carvings, any sign of how the trap was laid or reset.
“The pharaoh’s welcome leaves much to be desired,” she mutters, eyes narrowing. Then she raises her voice for those above. “We’re unharmed."
Perception check: 9
Once Ophelia has the rope secured, Satina will try to climb out.
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Satina Cindermark, Fighter || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer