battles with toilet paper: the mummy's mask (IC)

[1Freakinninja]

the mummys mask: part 1, the half dead city

you each wake up in the grand city of Wati, staying in the famous advernturer inn The Tooth and Hookah, or at least... on of the famous adventurer inns.... the city around this time of year becomes chock full of inns and adventure teams... why you may ask? because it is time once again for the annual lottery! when the Priests of the grand mausoleum allow only the bravest and strongest to enter the giant crypt to rediscover the past, reclaim priceless artifacts and remove any undead threats that lay inside its walls... you have arrived just in time to sign up and get a decent room in which to stay in, the tooth and hookah has been helping adventurers since the very first lottery had begun, a few other parties eye each-other warily, some have taken to each-other and compare strategies for the innumerable traps that lay inside the tombs.... it is almost time for the lottery to commence, the cooks and bartenders work overtime to feed these heros and monsters, Madam Grunny, the elder owner of the inn and bar, sets your parties table herself, shaking with every step, but somehow finishing tasks in half the time of everyone else, your breakfasts are prepared for you, only the heartiest of meals.... after all for some of these people... it might be their last... enjoy the food, the company, and the drink... for in a short while the lottery will be called and your crypt breaking will begin!!!!

Spoiler: links

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link to ooc: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...7#post20648887

[Man on Fire]

Daria glanced at cloak in her hand for a moment, then put it into her backpack. She will ponder it later, now she needs to eat something. Yes, she will think about the mysterous dream after some breakfeast with her...friends? Teammates? Coworkers? She wasn't sure how to describe them. She only trusted Dead Ears, she wouldn't be on this journey if it wasn't for theGnoll.The others she wasn't yet used to. But she won't be abgle to realzie her goals without them, at least this firstquest to make some name for herself. Later, she will see.

[HappyMerecat]

Nialis

Nialis looks at the parties nervousness. "The time is at hand and still we have no name. I am unsure if that would disqualify us."

[King Tius]

Korban snorts a brief laugh as he crams food in his mouth. As weathered and world-wise as he seems, he still eats like a street urchin.

"Maybe our name is nothing? Not no name, just the sound of silence."

[Man on Fire]

"Sound of Silence?" Repeated Daria, joining them. "Sure, that will do. For a name,I mean." As mentioned, shewasn't very good with people.

[HappyMerecat]

Nialis

""Sound of silence" sounds like we are dead. I still prefer "From the Jaws of Death""

[1Freakinninja]

Suddenly, above your table, a set of letters pop into existence. Your table is now marked as Sounds of Silence, your table becomes adorned with items and props that seem to imitate the famous bard duo Simon-son and the Funcle of Gar, then... as soon as it's spoken, the words become huminoid in nature, and is punched in the 'face by onother name "jaws of death", the table is now half covered in miniature mouths and action figures escaping them... Your meals are brought to you when your plates are cleaned off. After some time talking and eating, every table in the inn begins to flash red, in the distance, a trumpet is sounded, the other parties look to it, quickly finish off their food, and hurry to the sourse, madam grunny looks at you all with a pair of large eyes, oh my.... better hurry up dearies.... the lottery is starting up! Don't want to be late when they call your name!.... what ever it may be she chuckles as she begins to walk away, cleaning up any messes left behind

[Man on Fire]

"We can always be Sounds of Silence From the Jaws of Death." Daria suggests, finishing her meal(she really likes scrambled eggs) and picking up her things. She looks at the others, her glass eye making her expression harder to read.
"Can we go now? I don't want to be late." She asks.

[HappyMerecat]

Nialis

Nialis shrugs. "I'm ready to roll."

[KillingAScarab]

Dead-Ears gets up from the table, (which he had flinched away from when the vision of the mouths appeared on it) and fishes out his chalkboard and a silver piece from his satchel and beltpouch. He hands the silver piece to the innkeeper, then writes down and presents a question to Madam Grunny. "You seem familiar with the lottery, do you know a quick way to reach the announcement from here?"

[maident]

Vareth let out a small laugh. "Excellent, a name for us to go down by," is her small contribution to the naming issue, small though it may be. At the warning of the imminent lottery decision, she picks up her gear and trains her eyes over to the source of the commotion. She did not very much want to jostle into that mess of bodies, but neither did she want to miss the name drawing. The lottery was why she was here - not the untouched food, nor the scrupulous company. She smiled faintly and walked forward, giving but a glance to her companions. They would know soon enough whether their path continued together.

[1Freakinninja]

madam grunny reads the words.... then lets out a cackle like no other... she simply nods to you and begins to waddle over to the bar. your the first group to ask for help you know.... all these other whipper snappers think... oh back in the day every party would beg me for- she continues to prattle on and on about "the old days" until someone interrupts her. she appears to be heading for the hookah machine

[KillingAScarab]

Dead-Ears looks from the innkeeper back to the table. He returns to pick up the bag he had left on the floor by his chair. "She might know the way, I will follow," he speaks to the group as best he can while he points to Madam Grunny. He then turns to catch up with her so he might read her lips again.

[Man on Fire]

Daria sighs. If the constant arguments and such lack of direction are going to be constant in this group, she doesn't predict much future ahead of them. For now she is going to just let situation resolve, follow her commrades and hope they don't gt late for the lottery.

[1Freakinninja]

the elder woman slowly makes it to the machine, she picks up the inhailer and places fingers on it like it was a flute.... a smoky song is played, once its complete, a lever pops out from the center of the contraption.... she ajusts her glasses and gives a cackle.... with a flick of her wrist the lever is down....

the floor benieth you dissapears, you all begin falling down the casam, tunnels that push you foward to a destination, you all see a light at the end of the assage, it comes closer and closer, you can hear a speech going on in the direction,

Spoiler: ooc

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roll a reflex save to see how cool your landing will be

once you have regained your scese of surroundings, you can see you have landed in an ally inside the sunburst district.... The bustling desert city of Wati is near bursting with excitement. Adventurers from every corner of the Inner Sea region have assembled here beneath the hot Osirian The priests of the Grand Mausoleum have decided on a lottery to distribute access to the tombs to make the process impartial and subject to the dictates of fate, in sun to explore the tombs of the city's necropolis, waiting only to be assigned their first sites for exploration. Surrounding the participants, the public has gathered to observe the ceremony as well. There is a festival-like quality in the air, and numerous street vendors are hawking goods and refreshments to participants and spectators alike. Some merchants have even brought what can only be considered adventuring gear to sell as last minute convenience items to explorers, while others advertise that they'll buy recovered treasures and antiquities from those who visit their establishments. In front of the imposing edifice of the Grand Mausoleum, an immense awning has been erected between decorated pillars in the market to provide shade for the priests of Pharasma overseeing the lottery. Beneath the awning, two urns sit atop a table elevated a few feet above the ground on a wooden stage constructed for the event. The high priestess of the Grand Mausoleum, Sebti the Crocodile, sits behind the table, while two acolytes confer with her at either side, you have arived just in time to hear Sebti give the opening address Friends friends!.... please be silent... now is indeed a time for excitement... but it is also a time for rememberance.... the reason why the lottery was made.... and the respect that must always be paid..before i begin.... the tenants of the lottery must be spoken. Remember How This Came to Pass: The Plague of Madness was unleashed upon the city of Wati while religious authorities were engaged in infighting. This rule is a reminder that the necropolis remains a holy place, and those who engage in needless conflict and banditry are not only criminals, but accursed. Every Slave's Hut Is a Memorial: Every structure within the necropolis is a testament to the people who lived and died in the city. Explorers must not desecrate or vandalize standing structures and tombs, but preserve them as the memorials they were intended to be. Some structures may be trapped or decrepit, but willful and unnecessary destruction will not be tolerated. Honor the Departed: The dead should be treated with dignity and respect. If the interred need to be disturbed to recover an antiquity or relic, they should be returned to their resting places carefully. It is understood that the ancient dead are often brittle, but there is no need for the contents of a sarcophagus to be summarily dumped on the ground. This rule does not apply to the undead or other abominations these rules must always be followed, if we do not respect them... we have no respect for our past... and in return, the past will have no respect for us.... that said... wati is a strong city... Wati edures, or so the local saying goes. the people of wati, known for their even temper and shrewd wit, prefer understatement, they have known peace, poverty and prosperity, and have surrvived complete decimation at the hands of a mad gods cult. But Wati's people answer each challenge with innovation, tenacity, and the deepest of bonds with our community. they to not endure their hardships so much as grasp them, white-knuckled and screaming!Until the world permist them to return to their quiet lives, surrounded by their honored dead the towns people and even a few adventurer groups give out a grand cheer, whooping and whistleing at the speech " with the formalities finished, Let the lottery begin! Although many of you have requested specific sites to explore, we must leave these matters to fate. The Lady of Graves is a far better judge of destiny than we of this mortal sphere. The gates of the necropolis will open at sunrise tomorrow. Use this evening to prepare yourselves for the task ahead. Let these rules guide you in your endeavors in this holy place: remember how this came to pass, every slave's hut is a memorial, and honor the departed. May you go with the Lady's blessing." the preistess heads for her seat... the two ackoltes move to the urns and pull out tokens... one with the name of the party, the other their assigned cite to explore.... the first party called was an odd one.... the acorns of aavandia.... the leader... a awakened squirrel clad in leather armour, scurried onto the stage and was given a map and a location of his parties tomb, with a thunderous scree he and his other woodland party set forth for the gates to the necropolis. the rest of the other parties begin to be called up

[King Tius]

Korban lands on his feet as casually as if he'd hopped off the last step of a staircase. A life spent navigating the ins and outs of Wati has kept him quick on his feet, especially given the ancient construction so prone to collapsing of some of Wati's original buildings. As the high priestess gives her speech, Korban glances around him at the gathered crowd. Whether he's constantly on the swivel looking for danger, or merely sizing up the competition, it is difficult to say. When the squirrels are called up, he can't help but laugh.

"Wonders never cease. I hope we're assigned to the same tomb as they are. That way, if we get trapped, we'll have some extra food on hand."

[Man on Fire]

Daria, caught by surprise and cursing herself for not seeing it coming(but then who would expect that kind of trap in an inn? This wasn't a tomb yet!) lands flats on her face. It's ascomical as it sounds, at least to everyone who is not Daria herself.
She raises slowly, muttering under her nose in anger. With her mood ruined by this she is not very impressed by the speech given by the high priestess. She had hearda lot of such pompous ramblings in thepast from the father, never really bought them.
"Tell me, do you plan to eat anything that is smaller than you?" She asks Korban calmly, with only small hint of sarcasm. "Should I be afraid?"

[1Freakinninja]

however your party lands... you continue to see the names being called up in random order, there is a pause, eventually... the left ackoliyte seems to have a problem reading this token... scratching her head, she turns to the high preistess.... in a more monotone voice would the Representative of the.... is that a sound and death?..... jaws of silence?..... would a Representative of "Name currently in Progress" please come up to receive your map and token? the high priestess rubs her eyes in a bit of frustration... clearly this happens way too often

[maident]

Vareth landed squarely, taking an extra moment to balance. The high priestess started her speech, and she relaxed the more she took in their environment. Inns trapping travelers wasn't precisely out of the question, after all. Oh, their group name was called! She looked over the group once more, silently asking who their representative would be, pausing significantly once she looks over Nialis.

[HappyMerecat]

Nialis

Nialis rises to his feet and walks forward. "That would be us." He takes the map and token and looks to see if the rest of the group is following.

[KillingAScarab]

The sudden fall out of the comfort of the inn was shocking enough to Dead-Ears, but to be suddenly surrounded by so many people after had left him amazed. He was too far back from the stage to read lips, but he gathered from their garb these were Pharasmin priests and they must have arrived at the lottery. Dead-Ears spent some time taking in the crowd as well as the outside of the Grand Mausoleum. When he noticed Nialis had headed toward the stage, Dead-Ears attempted to follow through the crowd.

[King Tius]

"If I haven't died of thirst, I'd eat most anything to stay alive. You will, too, if things get that rough."

He falls in line behind Nialis, cracking his knuckles and motioning for the map. "Let me have a look at that."

[Man on Fire]

"I've been living on the streets beforeI've became a druid. I know what true hunger feels like." Daria calmly, with a hint of irritation informs Korban, beforeshe follows their leader to receive the map.
"Coming up with names is hard, okay?" She says in the air, to nobody in particular, while her team is receiving the map.
"Show it to me too. I'm too short to see, you know?" She later tells her commrades, with much more frustration after several failed attempt at stainding on her toes to see anything. Why are humans and Elves so horribly big?

[HappyMerecat]

Nialis

Nialis squats and opens the map so all can see. "I don't think anyone is going to eat you."

[1Freakinninja]

as nialis leaves the stage, th high preistess calls up another name would a representitive of the Scorched Hands please come up? as he goes down, a woman in a wide brimmed hat walks up onto the stage, she bumps into your shoulder and gives you a glance.... the rest of the ceremony goes by without a hitch

the map is quite easy to read, getting to your tomb will be about an hours walk away... from what papers you were given, the only information that the temple had on this grave was that it belonged to someone named akhentepi, a warrior of some kind.

Spoiler: for dead ears

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you see the acorns heading for the gate to the necropolis, a group of hooded children are on the side, strangly calm for their age, unlike the group wearing leather jackets marked as "the mad dogs", yo see the leader of the scorched hands give a curious bow to the high priestess before accepting her map, something about her smile seems... off... the more interesting bit of scoping you got was some extremely juicy gossip from a few onlookers in the back, reading their lips you are able to get out that someone named Janice is cheating on brad the weapons clerk with his own twin brother Raphael

you all understand it will be a long process once you get to the tomb, and prepare for the tests ahead by steeling your mind and body, after a quick double check of your equipment... you head for the tomb of Akhentepi....



when your party reaches the site, the first thing you notice is that the entrance has been covered in piles of sand... A rectangular stone mausoleum sits alone in what appears to have once been an actual cemetery. The trunks of a few dead trees poke out of the sand around the tomb, and a hot breeze whistles through their desiccated branches. A set of massive stone double doors is affixed to the northern side of the structure, beneath a facade bearing the likeness of an Osirian man. Windblown sand is heaped around the crypt, partially burying the doors that lead within, their is writing on the top of the tomb... you can guess it is Akhentepis name in ancient hieroglyphs.

Spoiler: ooc

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gonna need a roll for knowlage (engineering) or a good old perception roll... and the grave robbing has officially begun!!!!

[HappyMerecat]

Nialis

Stops and looks over the entrance as they approach. "Here we are. Time to start being careful."

Spoiler: Crunch

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Perception (1d20+7)[8]
Trap spotting (1d20+8)[18]

[1Freakinninja]

Nialis

Stops and looks over the entrance as they approach. "Here we are. Time to start being careful."

Spoiler: Crunch

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Perception [roll0]
Trap spotting [roll1]

Spoiler: nialis

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You find no traps... you do however, find that one of the hieroglyphs on the looks just like a gnome eating a candy bar

[Man on Fire]

"At least not among our team." Daria attempts to joke and fails.On the way to the tomb she tries to remember if she heard anything about this akhentepi, any rumors or legends maybe? However, when they are at the gate, she shifts to focus on spotting any possible dangers that might await them. Nearly all her life she was watching behind her back at every moment, being always careful, weighting her every step. Which in a place like this should pay back plenty.

Spoiler: rolls

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Knowledge History (1d20+2)[4]
Perception (1d20+10)[24]

[1Freakinninja]

"At least not among our team." Daria attempts to joke and fails.On the way to the tomb she tries to remember if she heard anything about this akhentepi, any rumors or legends maybe? However, when they are at the gate, she shifts to focus on spotting any possible dangers that might await them. Nearly all her life she was watching behind her back at every moment, being always careful, weighting her every step. Which in a place like this should pay back plenty.

Spoiler: rolls

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Knowledge History [roll0]
Perception [roll1]

Spoiler: results Daria

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, all you can remember is an incredibly culturally insensitive joke about the man that you know would come off as being racist.... you do literally everything in your mental capibility to erase all knowlage of the joke, including the possible help it would have brung.

However... you do notice how the doors are positioned... you are able to deduce that the hinges to the door are actually hidden! They are on the inside of the tomb, not only that, but can be opened by pulling outward instead of pushing inward, there is chipping cement like material in between the doors that signal that this grave was sealed, most likely to show that the grave was meant to be kept out of... it's going to take some time to open.... especially moving the large amounts of sand

[maident]

Vareth regarded the journey to the tomb with only passing curiosity towards the name. No, what she was more interested in by far was what she could glean from the temple itself, or at least its exterior.

Spoiler: roll

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Perception: (1d20+6)[22]