A new add on and something to read while we work on a larger update.
over 4 years ago
– Tue, Aug 20, 2019 at 09:10:28 AM
Morning all!
While we work on a big update for this afternoon I thought it might be nice to leave you with a little story and a new add on :)
Masudi was pleased with the progress his party had made so far into the tomb; he was sure he would strike lucky with what treasures lay inside. The heat was sweltering and whilst some of the team picked hard at the hidden door, others were on break taking water. Masudi was desperate to break through the door today and so had worked his group harder and harder, they were so close now, he could feel it. He had lost five of them to heatstroke and so only ten remained Less to pay out Masudi thought.
Finally the door was breached and Masudi ordered everyone to take up a pickaxe to create a gap large enough for them to fit through, which for Halflings was not particularly big. Waving his arcane staff, Masudi channelled magical energy through itand it shone with a bright white light, illuminating the area beyond. Climbing through the gap in the wall, Masudi began to pace onwards, eager to find his treasure. As the party became more aware of their surroundings they noticed that they were in a huge chamber of sorts - high ceilings (even for a man) supported by colossal pillars. On closer inspection, they also noticed that they were covered in hieroglyphics, full of beautifully vibrant blues, reds and yellows.
Hearing a yelp and a crash behind him, Masudi turned around quickly, facing the potential threat. With a sheepish look, the Halfling who had tripped over got up quickly and brushed himself off.
‘Fool!’ Masudi barked, ‘could you be any more idiotic? Be careful where you’re walking, for all we know this place may have traps designed to keep us out.’
The party continued onwards, following the wizard’s light. The chamber narrowed and had become claustrophobic. Sand covered the floor and the group had to scramble over dunes of sand almost as tall as they were. Finally they were all safely at the edge of the chamber. The doorway opened to a passage heading downwards and the adventurers trudged onwards. Masudi’s eyes immediately lit up as he saw statues of ancient, forgotten gods lining either side of the chamber, acting as pillars. In the middle of the room, he saw a large golden sarcophagus decorated in hieroglyphs depicting mythological scenes and two sets of large golden wings encasing both sides. Behind the sarcophagus one of his workers spied a huge collection of burial goods: golden weapons, jewellery with bright gems, various jars and a large chariot made of gold.
Several members of the Halfling party lost their self control and began running towards the burial horde, trying to gain as much as they could before Masudi could claim it all for himself. Growling at the others to remain calm and leave it for him to sort, Masudi rushed over as fast as his little legs and fat belly would allow him, sifting through various items of jewellery and stuffing them into his pockets. Seeing a gem which caught his eye, Masudi pushed over the Halfling who had found it and jammed it into his inner coat pocket, I deserve the best of it he thought.
A low rumble rebounded around the burial chamber and made the entire room shake slightly. One of the Halflings began to run around, screaming that the tomb was cursed as he ran back out of the chamber towards the exit. The other members of the group lost heart and began to retreat in fear, suddenly content with the loot they had taken. When they reached the passageway they found the runaway Halfling glued to the spot in fear, facing outwards into the large chamber.
‘What’s all the fuss about, come on let’s get out of here quickly!’ Masudi demanded. The Halfling did not respond at all, shaking in fear. Masudi had no time for nonsense, and shoved the Halfling into the chamber with all his force. The frightened soul tripped and skidded across the shaking floor, curling up into a ball. For a few seconds the party held their collective breath. The shaking slowed and the Halfling looked around sheepishly. Breathing a sigh of relief he started to crawl to his feet.
With an almighty crash the floor beneath exploded, a great maw emerging from below. It swallowed the Halfling whole as its serpentine form erupted out of the crater it had made. It crashed down on the flagstones, clearly illuminated thanks to Masudi’s staff.
The party screamed and began to run back through the passageway. Some stumbled into the sand dunes whilst others used the hapless Halflings that had tripped as a footstep to climb over, pushing them further into the sand.
‘Men, draw your weapons and take a defensive position around the entrance! We’ll trap it when it comes through!’ Masudi ordered as the last of his men filtered through the gap. As they had been trained to do, the few Halflings surrounded the entrance in a semi-circle, shields at the front, supported by spears and finally bows. Masudi was barely able to climb atop the sarcophagus but once he pulled himself up, was able to give advice from afar and magical support.
‘Men, brace yourselves!’
They were waiting for what seemed like an age, but all of a sudden the worm burst through the entrance, smashing the doorway apart and barrelling head-first into one of the party. Masudi could make out the details of the beast more clearly now. It was coated in sand, making its colour difficult to identify. It had several sets of mandibles down its front and armoured plating down its back. Its maw opened outwards in three places like that of a carnivorous plant and was stacked with teeth as sharp as a needle. Moving with an unnatural speed, the worm sprung downwards on a Halfling archer, ripping the poor lad apart. The party panicked and routed from the worm in whatever direction they could. Many of them were trapped inside the burial chamber and were eaten without much of a fight. Whatever weapons they tried to use against it were simply ineffective, the Halflings lacking the strength necessary to harm such a monster.
Amidst the commotion, Masudi was able to sneak around the edge of the room and run out into the passageway. Reaching the large outer chamber, Masudi stopped for breath, his large belly heaving with the exertion. Sorting out his head-robe into its proper place, he began to carry on towards the exit. What do I care about the others? I still have enough treasure here to last me a lifetime he thought, taking the precious gem from his inner pocket and playing with it. The screams of his party grew distant, partly due to the distance, and partly due to the wizard getting lost in the gleam of the treasure from beneath the sandy tomb.
Back soon!