Quote from NathanPizazz >>

The last is a hole in the wall that you saw this man looking through, which is just around a short bend in the hallway. The hole looks through to the slab that is painted with the gold medallion, however it's distorting the view somehow and you can actually see hieroglyphs BEHIND the gold medallion embedded in the stone slab. Lodged behind this gold disk is a clay dial etched with eight hieroglyphs. One hieroglyph (a vulture) is visible through a hole that forms the devil's gaping mouth, but the dial is locked in place and its remaining seven hieroglyphs are hidden from view behind the medallion. 

Badger looks with undisguised avarice at the magnificent gems, but his attention is drawn even more by the puzzle before them. He studies the floor for a moment, then as the door closes he looks again at the medallion and at the hole in the wall behind them. Finally he says, talking as much to himself as to the others:

The eight hieroglyphs on the disk must be those we can see on the floor: the Dome, the Vulture, the Gate, the Snake, the Scarab, the Reed, the Staff, and the Foot. The order to step on them is likely the order they appear on the disk, but it might not be. Perhaps something causes the next glyph to be revealed through the mouth. My guess is that stepping on each tile will do it. But that means someone has to look through the hole and see the next glyph, while someone else steps across the room, all while the door in between is closed and preventing communication. The sphinxes may complicate things further, but I can't see any clues about them.

Then, turning to face the others, he says: Any suggestions?

Investigation to see if Badger is making correct conclusions or missing important details: 13

Badger sees the dial inside has turned, several steps, and is now showing a serpent. 

"Someone goes inside, steps on the tile and then the rock closes and they can't see which one to step on next?  If thats the issue, can't Badger go in and use his floaty eye thing to see from the otherside of the door?  Or I can go in with his floaty eye thing if he moves it over where I should step next." Grenk says tossing out his suggest with a shrug.

Badger raises his eyebrows at Grenk's suggestions, and gives an approving nod, although his initial response is rather condescending: The eye is invisible, so your second idea wouldn't work. Then with a little more warmth he continues: Your first suggestion is better, but it would be foolish for me to go in there alone, or to attempt the crossing myself while concentrating on the spell. Three of us should enter the room for security, and two should wait outside in case disaster should strike and the door needs to be opened.

Then with a look of someone who has just had a brilliant idea, Badger says: Of course I could just teleport to the sarcophagus! But if that should prove unhelpful, then at least I can guide one other of you across.

If there is agreement, Badger will cast Arcane Eye and see if he can see the hieroglyphs through the hole just the same...

With the arcane eye at the right spot, Badger can indeed make out the glyph. 

(OOC: Why are we even doing this room anyway? There's no skeleton key in there. Are we just being completionists? Tomb raiders?)

Well maybe there are more eyes and that is needed for something l?  Like a statue of a beholder or some thing idk?  What else has lots of eyes? Statues if blind worshipers?

Mal looks about the place once again, "Does anyone see one of the key skeletons running about in there? Aren't we hunting for those keys so we can go back to the lower level and get through that door? I don't see why we are wasting time with this room? The previous  key skeletons were not all that hidden but out in the open, though we did have to chase them to kill them. As far as I know we are the closet sane," she winces when saying that word, "group of adventures to defeating this sickness that has taken over the jungle above. Why are we attempting to waste our lives on a room that might have no solution to that problem?" At which point she shakes her head as if to clear it of something, "Well whatever, go about your search, I will be waiting on here to potentially save your asses or defend it, whichever one comes first."

(OOC: Sorry, my last comment might have come across wrong. Personally I DO want to do this room, probably because I AM a bit of a completionist. But I just didn't know why the characters would do it. So now I'm playing devil's advocate. Sorry again if I caused confusion...)

Badger listens to Mal's assessment, rubs his nose and thinks for a moment and then quietly replies: Perhaps we are more successful thus far simply because we are more thorough. It's true that the longer we take the more lives are affected, not only in this jungle realm but all through the world. But because the stakes are so high, then perhaps we owe it to the world to ensure we get it right and don't suffer the same fate as those who have come before. If that means solving every puzzle and unlocking every secret, then so be it.

The others know Badger well enough by now to see that for him this has become as much an intellectual exercise as a quest. It is clear he wants to outsmart the dungeon creators at least as much as he wants to complete the mission. Add to that Badger's recent obsession with order and routine ever since his encounter with the spirit of Obo'laka, and it is clear he intends to leave no stone unturned...

The gnome obviously thinks that is enough to clear up any questions, and he resumes his bossy tone while again pressing the button with his Mage Hand. Ok, the eye is set. Mal and Silas can remain here. Grenk, Sickle and I will enter the room. As the door opens, Badger looks across at the sarcophagus, gulps and says to Sickle and Grenk: Perhaps teleporting over there alone is not the most prudent idea. I'll guide one of you across instead. It's Vulture first and then Snake. He then waits for the door to close again so he can see the glyphs through the magic eye and see what comes up next...

Grenk reaches down and picks up Badger putting him on his shoulder.  "I'll carry you, you lead.   Snake and then vulture right?"

With that he will step on vulture and then tentatively on snake.  He will have his shield up while doing so.

Badger's heart skips a beat as Grenk recites the two symbols incorrectly, but calms back down as he steps on the vulture first....then the snake. The door closes behind them as soon as the vulture is stepped on. The blood stained tile where the dwarfs body lay is a bit unnerving. The four sphinx's in each corner stare at them coldly.  Badger focus' on the eye. Mal and Silas both stand by nervously outside, along with their crazy friend. Badger sees the symbol of a door. Grenk steps. Reed, scarab, scepter, foot, and then finally urn is stepped on. There stone block then starts to sink into the floor, and the cover on top of the sarcophagus vanishes. Looking within, you see the fragile bones of an almarij....its horn seems to glitter with magic. 

Badger's aversion of risk is apparently quashed by his excitement at having seemingly defeated the room's trap, and he hops down from Grenk's shoulder and reaches out to touch the horn...

(Hello I'jin. Now to see how many personalities Badger can contain... If there is a saving throw here, I'll use the Portent roll of 1.)

Grenk slaps Badger's hand as he reaches out for hit. "You speak of caution and then throw it to the wind when there is magic treasure.  I am to be the risk taker, not you."  With that he'll reach out and grab the horn.  

Dex check if needed for Grenk to be quicker 13

Grim psychometry on the item: history check 17

(Apparently Badger has to make a Dex check to beat Grenk. Unfortunately a bit of his personality is fighting his impulsive nature, not least because Obo'laka hisses into his mind, "It's the dirty I'jin, best stay back!" )  

Badger: Dex check with disadvantage.  (though it seems you still may beat the somewhat sluggish to react Grenk...lol)  (If you win, there's no need to use your portent, you're allowed to choose to fail the save on purpose...but...then there's a "50/50" roll...which occurs, and I'm unsure how portent interacts with a 50/50 odd or even coin flip situation...especially since the outcome is random, as in, I assign an odd or even value to each personality, then roll a die....thoughts?)

(OOC: I'm happy for Grenk to take this one if he wants it. Plenty of trickster gods to go around. Can't remember what I'jin was like, but might be funny if two of us have conflicting spirits. If Grenk passes the saving throw though... well next one is fair game... lol. I'll forgo the Dex check.)

The intervention from Obo'laka belatedly overrides the gnome's excited impulse, and coupled with the warning and physical rebuke from Grenk, Badger cowers back from the sarcophagus and the skeletal remains inside, but watches to see what happens... 

As Grenk touches the unicorn a misty smoke pours from it forming into the shape of a unicorn rabbit, it seems to be smiling as the smoke leaps into Grenks chest. Grenk charisma save if you with to resist. 

Against all the training and trials that Grenk has come through to this point of his life, he allowed the spirit or entity to enter.  As far as he knew, he was the last of his order and those of his friends and mentors that have recently passed on, were sucked here.  As the saying goes, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

In his mind he says, "uni-rabbit, shall we strike a deal?"

The rest of the group watches as the uni-rabbit leaps into Grenk and vanishes. Grenk looks about with a shrug, and .....a smile seems to grow on his face. Somehow it seems his movement has become quicker, as if his body has found some new agility that it didn't have before. He looks down at the gnome with devious eyes. 

Silas slaps his face in exasperation as he mentally notes to keeps tabs and notes to weigh the scales on danger with three probably partly possesses party members.

(C'mon Silas, get possessed by a trickster god. It's what all the cool kids are doing.)