The Eye of Anubis: Book Ten

DocBeard · Post by **DocBeard** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:34 am

Tomas is staying back a little, because he got the brunt of the pain from that damn trap.

(OOC: I need some healplz, Kuzan.)

yalenusveler · Post by **yalenusveler** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:47 am

"Snefru, I hope that Ammit has already made a feast of your miserable heart, and that your negative confession is seen for the pitiful lie that it is." It was plainly clear to anyone who had spent any amount of time around Andre past a few casual moments that he was trying desperately to choke down something with a touch more bile and invective to it, but now, truly, was not the time.

"The music box is obviously set to trigger something. You say there's an illusion on it...but why disguise it with an illusion? Should I make a likely fruitless attempt to unravel it, or do we throw caution to the wind and face the music?" Andre said, eyes already straying to the collection of corpses, trying to approximate about how many potential undead they were facing, and already trying to assemble an appropriate tactica beyond the ever popular "Try not to die".

Rock of the Fraternity · Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:29 am

"The offer of simply blasting whatever it is to dust is still on the table," Lia notes. "Why spring traps when you can burn them to atoms, I say."

yalenusveler · Post by **yalenusveler** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:43 am

"Because in all likelihood, that'll set it off?" Andre said, with the delightful cynicism that can only come when one is in a secret blasphemous temple to Set, and surrounded by human remains.

Rock of the Fraternity · Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:45 am

"I see," Lia replies with more subdued sarcasm, "you are expecting an explosion to perfectly mimic whatever tune that thing plays. Of course I know I'm artistic, but no one ever before commented so favourably on my harmonious detonations. I thank you."

Nathan of the FoS · Post by **Nathan of the FoS** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:57 am

"Rather, it is his opinion (and mine) that whoever set the box here--assuming that it is a trap, which is probably fair--would arrange for two possible activations: either the planned activation, triggered by playing its music, or a "failsafe" activation which would trigger the desired effect if the trigger itself were destroyed," Charles says. "It is a principle often applied to clockwork infernal devices...I suppose we might try dispelling the illusion and see what that does."

Kaitou Kage · Post by **Kaitou Kage** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:35 pm

At the word "illusion," Kuzan looked up from where he was tending to Tomas's wounds. The priest put his wand away and pulled out a packet of sight salve. "There's an illusion?" he asked, "Should I use the Sight? I can only do it once today."

May I recommend another Search check, probably from someone with Trapfinding?

NeoTiamat · Post by **NeoTiamat** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:25 pm

Beneath the Temple of Osiris, Muhar, Har'Akir
August 27th, 761, 12:59 AM; Day 163 of the Menetnashte Expedition
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lostboy wrote:Considering the implications of moving a load of corpses in an evil underground temple Sascha prods the nearest corpse with the tip of his sword to make sure a) its actually dead, and b) that although its dead it isnt just playing dead.

The corpse in question belonged to an Akiri youth, perhaps sixteen or seventeen years of age, an unlined face just beginning to sprout a beard. He lay on his back, arms by his side, dressed in a dusty white tunic. The youth's death-wound was clear, a long, red gash across his throat like a hideous second smile.

He made no movement when Sascha prodded him with the sword, though the tip of the blade opened up a new wound in the dead skin.

Rock of the Fraternity · Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:25 pm

"Never mind," Lia sighs, "I'll have a look. Stand ready in case something tries to chew my face off, though ..."

Slowly, carefully, Lia starts to pick her way closer to the music box on the wooden table. "Occultum video," she mutters under her breath as she goes, eyes flicking left and right at the dead, the floor, the walls and roof as she minces ever closer, until the box is within the range of her magic-enhanced sight. At that point, Lia rather pointedly halts, glaring at the music box, attempting to analyze the illusion upon it.

After a moment, Lia speaks in a rather strangled voice: "Kuzan? Do you have the Silence spell prepared? This thing is enchanted with a Ghost Sound spell ...!"

yalenusveler · Post by **yalenusveler** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:28 pm

It appeared that Andre had much the same idea as Lia, words to a detection leaving his lips as he strolled over to examine the box, still mindful of the possibility of a sudden influx of undead. He then proceeded to give Lia a rather askance look at he came to the same conclusion as she did.

"It's Ghost Sound. Well, a more advanced version with preset triggers, more similar to Magic Mouth, but still...hardly the sort of thing that requires preparing a Silence for. So...shall we hear what it has to say?" Asked Andre, already beginning to reach out to wind the music box key.

Rock of the Fraternity · Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:34 pm

"I ... do not think it will self-activate," Lia says, tiptoeing a little closer to the box, hands waving through the air. "It is waiting for a trigger condition, most likely turning the key." Quickly, she moves her hands between Andre's and the key. "As such, I would recommend not turning the key in this chamber. Outside, if anywhere. Where there are no corpses that a sudden keyword might animate." Fingers twitching, Lia makes a faint growling noise in the back of her throat and ... closes the music box, then picks it up. "Outside," she suggests again, starting to back toward the exit.

yalenusveler · Post by **yalenusveler** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:43 pm

"You are recommending yes, but you do not make decisions for the group. Now get back here and put the damn box down." Andre said, irritation becoming rather apparent as he moved to block her egress.

Rock of the Fraternity · Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:45 pm

"You can not be serious about turning that thing on in here," Lia says, clearly aghast. "If the message is a necromantic incantation, we would be stuck in an underground chamber fighting a host of the dead!"

She backs away again, and her tone of voice changes: "And agreed, I do not decide for this group. But neither do you, Andre Theroux. Unilaterally turning this thing on is not following the group's will, but your own whim. What say the rest of you?"

yalenusveler · Post by **yalenusveler** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:49 pm

"It astounds me you could even pass a basic arcane theory class." Andre said with a roll of his eyes. "Magic Mouth spells cannot intone verbal components to spells, or speak with the force required to activate command words. Now stop being more paranoid than the situation calls for."

Kaitou Kage · Post by **Kaitou Kage** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:49 pm

"I say you put the damn box down and stop acting rashly because someone's doing something you don't like, Lia," Kuzan said flatly, "For all you knew, picking the box up and doing what you did with it would've set off the trap. If Andre's right, we might as well listen to the message now."

Café de Nuit

Welcome, friends, to our establishment.

The Eye of Anubis: Book Ten

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