Scouring the desert like a brillo pad, the intrepid group finds a pyramid capstone, a pyramid missing the top twenty percent of the structure and a massive complete pyramid. The closest are a mere 15 miles apart, but the larger structures are separated by some 80 to 90 miles. Closest to the fire pyramid is the capstone.
The party scouts the structure with the missing top and finds a rune carved circle gracing the stone surface. The runes are read, translated and puzzled over. Various ideas are tested, but it stubbornly refuses to reveal any of its potential secrets.
Onwards to the capstone. It is examined, and many of the same ideas are tried, but this time the structure reveals itself to be more massive than first thought. Spells are employed to create structural braces and the druid’s decanter of endless water is used as a sluice hose to sweep away debris and compact the sand. Dig spells speed the excavation process and about every 10 feet or so, the elves descend to see if any secret doors or concealed openings might be located.
Success! They enter at the top of a long downward-slanting staircase, made of short, straight segments approximating a cylindrical staircase. The stair pitch is steep, and the walls close, preventing anything but single-file motion, with only the first person or two in any position to do anything. The Justicar uses a spell of trap detection and guides the party downwards. Regularly spaced landings contain suits of armor, or great craftsmanship. Some are inert, some are trapped and some are animated – and one is a disguised ooze. All are defeated in short order.
At the bottom of the perilous stairs are a series of underground chambers, connected by long, winding tunnels as narrow as the stairs that led to them. The party examines each in turn and plunders both the false crypt and the actual burial chamber. They slay a few pesky undead along the way and are well pleased by the haul.
Firmly convinced that this is not the place the archaeologists arte talking about, they set off towards the only place left to investigate in the immediate area.
Upon arriving they give it a once-over and note the large stone block protruding from the side of the structure near ground level. They try a passwall anyway and are not surprised when that fails. They deploy the magical mining operation and use the decanter over the next several days to sluice away the sand that supports the massive stone block, until its weight drags it out of the opening. Beyond, there lie a set of steeply sloping stairs that descend into the stygian darkness. Foul air billows from the opening. The eye is deployed and it reveals a large room with a pair of capped wells and a passage sealed with a block of stone. A six-pack of mummies stalk about the room. Loins are girded and the party prepares to bring death and destruction to the heinous undead foes.
In an interesting twist, only Justicar can enter the structure. This prompts a round of chin-massaging, head-scratching and unfounded conjecture. Eventually, Malchor’s infallible memory compares the situation to a previous one and determines that there is a prohibition on extra-dimensional spaces upon the structure. Spells and items that warp space and time are banned from the structure.
Well…farglegarble. What is the point of stuffing everything and the kitchen sink into a bag of holding if you can’t use the damn thing? The party chews on this unwelcome nugget of information, heaves a collective sigh and sets about figuring what they can actually carry.
Leave a reply