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Tue 15th Oct 2024 06:16

We Fight Sand and Dust

by Wara Clawbreaker

Everyone and everything is waking up and starting their day, as I am still hidden in an abandoned building. As I see Azuris leave the ship I follow 5 steps behind, as we head towards the Inn. Draconis, Doots in disguise, suggests we take the Tomb of the Lost Lord quest. He adds the following notes about the place:

  • There are statues inside

  • There is an unknown hoard of treasure

  • It has blue glowing poison water

  • There are an unknown amount of traps most likely in it

  • Current owner is unknown

  • Previous owner is believed to be a fiend lord

  • Most likely there are many fiends inside


  • Doots disguised as Draconis turns into a Snowbeard "Jack Astors", We then get into a discussion about using poles or balls to find and set off any possible traps in the tomb, which then leads to a discussion of how to kill fiends. I ask Drekken to borrow a wagon, and suggest it is a mission for Uthem. I also ask Drekken about some fire bombs or anything similar. He says that fire bombs have been outlawed in these lands for a long time due to the Druids and Uthem not liking things to be set on fire. But he does suggest we go to the Crossed Candles store and see what we can get there. So Azuris, "Jack", and I go there, and after some much talking and haggling, we decide to not buy anything.
     
    As we return to the Inn, the wagon is outside waiting for us, and looks to be being pulled by a large blue Boar, named "Fuzzy". The driver, named "Driver", is about 3ft tall, white and pink hair, blue skin, green eyes, has an attitude, and says she is nothing more than a slave. through out the journey she comes to very much dislike Azuris as he keeps pestering her with questions she does not want to answer. In the end she casts a cone of silence around us so she does not have to hear him anymore. And I learn the Fuzzy is a slow starter but can move over 40 miles per hour.
     
    We arrive at our destination and I am able to speak with "Driver" and thank her as well as Fuzzy and thank him. Azuris blunders some more and makes Fuzzy tip over which makes "Driver" like him even less. We then head off to the garrison guarding the Tomb. There we see three Giants, one of which I recognize as "Old Wolf's Head" from years ago. He welcomes us and guides us to the entrance of the Tomb. On the way he mentions stories about what has happened to different adventurers attempting to enter the Tomb. One of these stories he mentions a little girl with white and pink hair making it to the bottom of the stairs without any issues. So I quickly excuse myself and run back, pausing at the garrison to get apples, and continue to the wagon.
     
    I ask "Driver" about the stories and she says that she has heard them as well but it is not her and no she does not having weird dreams that would make someone think she has a split personality or curse. So I give her and Fuzzy the apples to enjoy and say we will all return later, which she asks if Azuris can not return. As I return it seems that Vikeret and Doots, oops, Vikeret and "Jack" have found out and solved the magical entrance issue. Where a riddle becomes known:
     
    For those who enter and those who are greedy,
    Do not fear, for I offer you the chance to have what is mine.
    Take what is greatest to me and place it upon my dream,
    And I shall reward you with the chance to become GODS, or DEVILS.
    (I HATE YOU DM)
     
    Azuris floats down to the bottom followed by Vikeret then "Jack" and myself. As we are decending, the doors behind start to close and I hear Old Wolf's Head say, "It's never done that before!?!" And just as the doors clang closed the runes on the walls change:
     
    Blessed was the reign,
    For those willing to take the chance,
    Blessed will be the fall,
    For all those who wish they had listened,
    Dreams and ambitions,
    Gods and worship,
    All who enter,
    Prove your worth or fall to the depths.
     
    After hearing this I get ready for a fight and go to the next set of stair and can hear some sort of moaning noise coming from below. In this room there is a doorway leading to another room with a set of stairs leading down and a third rooom through another doorway also with a set of stairs leading down. Before I can go the stairs, Vikeret grabs my should to hold me still and suggests we do soomething with the block of wood in the ceiling. Doots, now in his true form, blast the block making it fall. Just as I take my first step on the stairs down, sand starts pouring in from the hole in the ceiling, so I speed up my pace to the bottom. As I enter this new room a can see a large block of stone with water weirdly flowing over and around it, on either side of it a statues of Imps the seem to look like they are pouring something on to the block but nothing is flowing out of their cups. At the other end of the long wide room, as I near the mid point, I can see that there is another set of three path to take. Now deciding to using the rule of right path, I turn down the right path and see 5 Mummies ahead. I am unable to attack the nearest Mummy but I am able to intimidate them all with my ROAR.
     
    Alas, my roar did get the attention of a Mummy Ogre, unbeknownst to me. The Ogre attacks Azuris and hurts him pretty badly. As I am now having to deal with five Mummies wailing on me with their fists. I have taken the first beating that took half my strength and life force. As Doots is able to attack the Ogre and draw it's attention away fro Azuris. I am now able to get my true bearing and attack the nearest Mummy in front of me. Again the Mummies continue to wail punches on me as Vikeret is able to cast a spell and weaken one of the Mummies, I am able to kill two of them. Doots has slain the Mummy Ogre and also helps me by killing one of the Mummies near me. I am then able to focus, with 3/4 of my life force gone, on the last two Mummies and destroy them with a fantastic flourish.
     
    As Vikeret announces that the Tomb houses about 1000 times more magic strength than the monsters we just killed.