Sinsil can read the glyphs. The below assumes she reads them to you...
The monument is constructed from several parts. A great stone slab, 20 feet long by 10 feet wide, rests upon a 4-foot-thick monolith of rock of similar dimensions, and this, in turn, is supported by six huge blocks of dolomite. Every component has been covered with intricate carvings and glyphs. The top of the slab depicts a struggle between a dark-skinned man and a mighty, knotted serpent.
Engraved alongside this illustration are glyphs identical to those found on the door. Under these sigils are etched a series of four face-glyphs in a line. At the foot of the slab is a row of eleven of these symbols, all different in form.
The carved block is the resting place of Tloques-Popolocas, a servant of the shadow-loving Zotzilaha. The glyphs on the top of the slab give his name, and the date he died, 54–3–9, is written in the face-glyphs.
The eleven face-glyphs at the foot of the block correspond to the numbers 0 through 10.
When Shieldbiter goes to grab the axe...
Battleaxe. The battleaxe has a blade of bronze, and the haft is wound with snakeskin wrappings. It casts an ominous shadow in the shape of what appears to be a withered arm. Those who approach within reach of it feel a cold chill run up and down their spine, and anyone who tries to pull the axe from the wall finds it impossible to do so.
As he enters the chamber, Zubin eyes the ax embedded in the opposite wall with suspicion. "Shieldbiter, be careful. That might be more than we think it is." The Secretarian stops to examine the table. He examines the glyphs and then looks at the base of the table for any mechanisms. "Call me paranoid, " the paranoid half-elf says as he peers at the table, "but that axe just might be a lever or switch. Just a thought."
Investigation/arcana 21
You realize one of the glyphs is a glyph of warding, though are not sure what would activate it.
“Ok. No axe. What do we have then? Man, you guys feel how cold it’s gotten?” Shieldbiter asks as he steps back to the group. “We have some glyphs, a slab, an immovable axe and a gas killing us slowly. Thoughts?
(Have there been any other of the numbers throughout what we've encountered so far?) "Think if we input the right string of numbers we'll get somewhere."
When the 9 glyph is depressed, a grating sound issues forth and the top slab slides back a bit.
Whens someone tries to open the lid the rest of the way, you find it quite heavy still. The tomb lid can only be opened the rest of the way by the combined effort of one or two characters with a total Strength of 20 or higher. I will assume that you do this though.
The block beneath the slab is hollow, and inside is a crumbling skeleton decked out in decayed finery. It appears to have been a man of taller than average stature, obviously of great importance. Gems and other small adornments of obvious value lie on and around the body. Covering the skull is a mask of jade with cowrie-shell eyes and obsidian pupils. About the corpse’s neck is a jade pendant carved with the face of a humanlike bat.
Strands of hair still remain on the skull, gathered into black obsidian and red pipestone tubes (worth 50 gp as a bunch). Above the mask, on the corpse’s forehead, is a diadem of dark opals and jade discs (worth 200 gp). To either side of the mask are jade earplugs carved in several pieces to resemble budding flowers (the pair worth 30 gp). Draped over the rib cage is a breastplate made of loops of tubular jade interspersed with bone dividers (protects like studded leather, worth 200 gp). Scattered around the neck and through the rib cage of the corpse are one hundred fifty-six jade beads (each worth 1 gp) shaped like spheres, cylinders, tri-lobed beads, floral buds, open flowers, pumpkins, melons, and a snake’s head. About the wrists are wide jade bead bracelet. On the middle finger of each hand are carved jade rings, one in the form of a man holding the moon and the other a panther ready to strike. Pressed into the fingers of each hand is a large bead, a jade cube (150 gp) in the right hand and a spherical agate (50 gp) in the left hand. At the feet of the skeleton lie two small containers, apparently of glazed clay, one fitted with flower-shaped plugs in both ends, the other holding a 1-inch-diameter piece of mother-of-pearl (5 gp). Lying among the hip bones is a 6-inch-long statue of a faceless man with large pointed ears. Plugged at the bottom, it is a bottle.
As soon as the crypt is opened up Larry detects the undead inside of it. The sense comes from the skeleton in the crypt. The sense is off though, as if the undead being sensed is held in stasus somehow.
"Probably not," opines the half-elf. He peers at the almost-deceased with curiosity, moving his hands above the skeleton as if taking rough measurements. He then turns to the battle axe. He grips it firmly, then lets go and shifts his feet back slightly. Then he looks up at the ceiling. "How high would you say this ceiling is?"
"Probably not," opines the half-elf. He peers at the almost-deceased with curiosity, moving his hands above the skeleton as if taking rough measurements. He then turns to the battle axe. He grips it firmly, then lets go and shifts his feet back slightly. Then he looks up at the ceiling. "How high would you say this ceiling is?"
Zubin sighs at the high ceiling." I am way overthinking this," he mutters to himself. He then uses his urn to pour oil on the floor right about where "something" would have to be to pull its axe from the wall.
"If you wish to take ten minutes I can cast detect magic." Ethan will offer before anyone touches the body. "I suggest we grab and go and sort out what is magical later though, in order to keep us from staying in this poison air any longer than necessary." He would have his sword in hand by this point already, more than a bit on alert from the crypt being opened.
Let me know what you are doing now. Are you starting to loot the corpse? If so, what is being taken and in what order? I've seen only one mention of taking things fro m the corpse, so I will use that unless someone wishes to add to it.
Sinsil can read the glyphs. The below assumes she reads them to you...
The monument is constructed from several parts. A great stone slab, 20 feet long by 10 feet wide, rests upon a 4-foot-thick monolith of rock of similar dimensions, and this, in turn, is supported by six huge blocks of dolomite. Every component has been covered with intricate carvings and glyphs. The top of the slab depicts a struggle between a dark-skinned man and a mighty, knotted serpent.
Engraved alongside this illustration are glyphs identical to those found on the door. Under these sigils are etched a series of four face-glyphs in a line. At the foot of the slab is a row of eleven of these symbols, all different in form.
The carved block is the resting place of Tloques-Popolocas, a servant of the shadow-loving Zotzilaha. The glyphs on the top of the slab give his name, and the date he died, 54–3–9, is written in the face-glyphs.
The eleven face-glyphs at the foot of the block correspond to the numbers 0 through 10.
When Shieldbiter goes to grab the axe...
Battleaxe. The battleaxe has a blade of bronze, and the haft is wound with snakeskin wrappings. It casts an ominous shadow in the shape of what appears to be a withered arm. Those who approach within reach of it feel a cold chill run up and down their spine, and anyone who tries to pull the axe from the wall finds it impossible to do so.
You realize one of the glyphs is a glyph of warding, though are not sure what would activate it.
“Ok. No axe. What do we have then? Man, you guys feel how cold it’s gotten?” Shieldbiter asks as he steps back to the group. “We have some glyphs, a slab, an immovable axe and a gas killing us slowly. Thoughts?
(Have there been any other of the numbers throughout what we've encountered so far?) "Think if we input the right string of numbers we'll get somewhere."
"Well reasoned!" responds Zubin appreciatively.
When the 9 glyph is depressed, a grating sound issues forth and the top slab slides back a bit.
Whens someone tries to open the lid the rest of the way, you find it quite heavy still. The tomb lid can only be opened the rest of the way by the combined effort of one or two characters with a total Strength of 20 or higher. I will assume that you do this though.
The block beneath the slab is hollow, and inside is a crumbling skeleton decked out in decayed finery. It appears to have been a man of taller than average stature, obviously of great importance. Gems and other small adornments of obvious value lie on and around the body. Covering the skull is a mask of jade with cowrie-shell eyes and obsidian pupils. About the corpse’s neck is a jade pendant carved with the face of a humanlike bat.
Strands of hair still remain on the skull, gathered into black obsidian and red pipestone tubes (worth 50 gp as a bunch).
Above the mask, on the corpse’s forehead, is a diadem of dark opals and jade discs (worth 200 gp).
To either side of the mask are jade earplugs carved in several pieces to resemble budding flowers (the pair worth 30 gp).
Draped over the rib cage is a breastplate made of loops of tubular jade interspersed with bone dividers (protects like studded leather, worth 200 gp).
Scattered around the neck and through the rib cage of the corpse are one hundred fifty-six jade beads (each worth 1 gp) shaped like spheres, cylinders, tri-lobed beads, floral buds, open flowers, pumpkins, melons, and a snake’s head.
About the wrists are wide jade bead bracelet.
On the middle finger of each hand are carved jade rings, one in the form of a man holding the moon and the other a panther ready to strike.
Pressed into the fingers of each hand is a large bead, a jade cube (150 gp) in the right hand and a spherical agate (50 gp) in the left hand.
At the feet of the skeleton lie two small containers, apparently of glazed clay, one fitted with flower-shaped plugs in both ends, the other holding a 1-inch-diameter piece of mother-of-pearl (5 gp).
Lying among the hip bones is a 6-inch-long statue of a faceless man with large pointed ears. Plugged at the bottom, it is a bottle.
As soon as the crypt is opened up Larry detects the undead inside of it. The sense comes from the skeleton in the crypt. The sense is off though, as if the undead being sensed is held in stasus somehow.
"Is it truly dead?" Cas asks, realizing that simply reaching in and starting to take items out may prove unwise without checking if it's a trap first
So far this session I have hit my teammates twice, flat-out missed 3 times, and only hit the enemy twice. Trust me, you don't want to borrow my dice.
“So, raiding the corpse before it wakes up is the next order of business? Any of this magical, or just shiny?”
Rik is going to start at the hands, going for the rings and beads, then the bracelets and bottle, unless anyone advises otherwise.
"Probably not," opines the half-elf. He peers at the almost-deceased with curiosity, moving his hands above the skeleton as if taking rough measurements. He then turns to the battle axe. He grips it firmly, then lets go and shifts his feet back slightly. Then he looks up at the ceiling. "How high would you say this ceiling is?"
Ceiling is around 35 feet tall.
Someone would have to cast Detect Magic if you want to know if anything is magical or not...
Shieldbiter stands back from the table about 10ft. sword and shield in hand ready to pounce at a moments notice.
Zubin sighs at the high ceiling." I am way overthinking this," he mutters to himself. He then uses his urn to pour oil on the floor right about where "something" would have to be to pull its axe from the wall.
"If you wish to take ten minutes I can cast detect magic." Ethan will offer before anyone touches the body. "I suggest we grab and go and sort out what is magical later though, in order to keep us from staying in this poison air any longer than necessary." He would have his sword in hand by this point already, more than a bit on alert from the crypt being opened.
Let me know what you are doing now. Are you starting to loot the corpse? If so, what is being taken and in what order? I've seen only one mention of taking things fro m the corpse, so I will use that unless someone wishes to add to it.
Cas is waiting for the other person to try and take something, in case it comes to life
So far this session I have hit my teammates twice, flat-out missed 3 times, and only hit the enemy twice. Trust me, you don't want to borrow my dice.
Sinsil will chime in. "If it's not undead or magical, then I can animate the corpse and have it follow us instead of taking it ourselves."
Rik gets the rings, the beads, the wrist bands, and the bottle out without anything happening.