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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Milo Windby" data-source="post: 586639" data-attributes="member: 202">The Lost City – part 1 (session 28)Milo struggled with disorientation for a few moments.  Everyone was accounted for, even the stranger that helped them during the climactic battle in the temple.  The others took a few extra seconds to get their bearings after the parting psionic shout from the tattooed counselor to the current Vessel of Thari.  Milo scanned the horizon around them, his eyes finally resting on the only feature in the sandy monotony of the desert.  About a hundred yards away a pyramid rose like a giant snail shell from the dry wastes.  The pyramid was topped with three shining statues.  Even from the distance Milo could tell that the middle statue was either a halfling or a human child.  His heart raced as he remembered again the plight of Usamigaras’ people.  Had he finally come to the place for which he strived?  He controlled his upsurge of emotion to take stock of the party’s condition.He noticed again the strange woman that was such a strong ally in the previous battle.  She was reminiscent of Jeremiah when Milo had first met him in the Keep of Karameikos.  He suspected she was from his tribe back in the plateaus.  Milo intended to find out.”Who might you be and how did you come to be at the temple?” he asked after she had cleared her head.The wild-looking woman sneered at him in disgust.  She whirled on Jeremiah and began speaking in a strange guttural language, gesturing wildly.  Jeremiah spoke back in the same language, just as strongly.  They exchanged heated words for a few minutes before Jer raised his voice in a commanding tone.  His outburst seemed to mollify the woman.  She finally spoke again, this time in common.”Very well, for your sake I’ll demean myself and speak their language.” she spat, emphasizing the word ‘their’.”Friends, this is Kella.  She is a druid of my people.” Jer began.  ”She came to bring me back to the plateaus.  I have told her that I must help my friends before I return and she will have to wait.  If she wants to tag along, that’s her business.”The long speech was more than they’d heard from Jeremiah for months.  Milo nodded acceptance.  He was never willing to turn away a good helping hand, especially after she proved herself in battle.  He just hoped she would remain a helping hand considering her agenda.”So does anyone know where we are?” Mazi said, addressing their current plight.”No idea.  With Bargle, who knows?  We’re probably here to work out another one of his agendas.” Milo said resignedly.  ”Considering the fact that the only sight for miles is that pyramid, I’d say we don’t have a choice for now.””There’s always a choice, me lad.  We jus’ make sure whatever it is tha’ froofy wizzie wants, he don’ get.” Brigit said in classic dwarven wisdom.”On a higher note,” Milo said with hope in his voice.  ”I have a feeling about this place.  I think it may have to do with the dreams I’ve been having about Usamigaras.  See the statues?””So you think the one in the middle has something to do with you?” Mazi asked, peering at the distant heat-shrouded pyramid.”Only one way to find out.”With that statement, Milo began trudging towards the stone construct.  The others soon followed suit, not wishing to remain any longer under the exposure of the blistering sun.  As they neared, more structures became evident.  It seemed the pyramid stood at the head of a ruined city.  Broken columns jutted from the sand like fingers clawing for the sky.  Walls no higher than a foot stood as mute testament to grand buildings long fallen.  A large city must have once existed there.Minutes later they stood at the base of the sand swept pyramid.  Milo peered up at the three statues.  The one in the middle was indeed a halfling.  It looked startlingly like himself.  The halfling held a wand in one hand and a fistful of coins in the other.  Twined about it from head to toe were two snakes.  Milo wondered at the symbolism.The other two statues practically towered over the central figure.  The statue to the left was of a strong bearded man.  He held scales of balance in one hand and a jagged lightning bolt in the other.  The figure to the right was of a human woman.  She held a sheaf of wheat and a naked sword.  ”Ah hafta admit, Milo, tha’ lil’un looks mighty familiar.” Brigit said.”Maybe you’re right after all.  What could Bargle want with your god’s people?” Mazi asked.”I don’t know.  I intend to find out though.  If it’s another jewel for his precious skull I’ll be burning in the pits of hell before he gets his greedy hands on it.”The others were taken aback by Milo’s vehemence.  He stood studying the statues for a few minutes more before they made their way around the pyramid.  They found a ramp leading up the rear of the pyramid.  With no other recourse they began up the steep incline.  There were no evident openings as they made their way up.  They had climbed almost to the top tier before Milo noticed something.  A pair of legs was sticking out of an opening of sorts off from the ramp.  Closer inspection revealed what would have been a well-concealed door into the pyramid, propped open by the desiccated corpse of a hobgoblin.  Crossbow bolts bristled from its mummified body.  ”Looks like we found a way in.” Milo said.They stepped gingerly past the body and peered into the darkness ahead.  A passageway led deeper into the pyramid.  Cautious of followers, they dragged in the hobgoblin body and gently closed the thick slab of stone that served as a door.  The air smelled musty, like an old crypt.  Every footstep disturbed long-quiescent dust that billowed around their ankles for a few seconds before resettling.  The passage led into a large room dominated by three large bronze cylinders stretching from the floor to the ceiling.  There was no other exit to the room.  Milo began investigating the nearest of the cylinders.  He noticed right away that each of them had a door set in front.  Just as he began to look closer, the entryway to the chamber was sealed off by another stone slab.  A hissing noise filled the room as some sort of gas seeped in from the far corner.  Milo inadvertently breathed some of the poison in, instantly regretting it.  Though he was able to shake the effects off, he knew he’d have a headache for hours afterwards.Thinking quickly, he pulled out an empty sack and raced towards the corner.  He hurriedly tore strips from the material as he ran.  Brigit caught on quickly and hustled to meet him there.  They found small holes lining the floor of corner, spraying out the noxious gas.  Milo fought off another bout of dizziness as he struggled to plug the holes.  Working together, he and Brigit soon had the gas stopped up.There was apparently another means of air circulation, as the gas seemed to clear after a few moments.  Milo was relieved to see that none of his companions had succumbed to the fumes.  After the air was breathable, he went back to his task at the bronze cylinder.Opening the door revealed a ladder leading up and down.  Milo peered up the shaft.  Judging by where they entered the pyramid, he could tell that the ladder had to extend above the top of the structure.  He climbed the rungs to the top, emerging in a tiny cubicle.  There were levers and a speaking tube.  He could tell by the shape of the cubicle that he was now inside the statue of the bearded man.  Milo guessed that the levers worked the arms of the statue and the speaking tube was to speak as a god to the masses of the long forgotten city that once stood here.”Looks like the religious leaders of whatever city this was held some sway over their people using the statues up there.” Milo told the others after he returned.  ”It’s a safe bet that the other two tubes lead to the other statues.  Shall we see what lays below?”They soon stood in another large room at the bottom of the ladder.  Milo was on the defensive at first.  The room was illuminated by three of the aggressive glowing beetles they fought back in the cursed caves.  He soon relaxed when he noticed that these particular beetles seemed docile.Besides the three pillars, this room held a large table with what looked to be spare parts for the statues above.  There were various tools strewn about the table as well.  A single door led from the room.They left the room for the dimly lit passage on the other side of the heavy stone door.  There were other stone doors dotting the passage as it stretched both to the left and right.  They entered the first room they found.  It appeared to be priestly quarters.  Milo guessed for a cleric of the bearded statue above, judging by the wooden scales adorning the room.  There didn’t appear to be any other exit to the room.  An empty footlocker lay at the foot of the sleeping pallet and a single writing desk finished the compliment of furniture.  ”I don’t know about you four,” began Milo, ”but I am dead tired.  I say we wedge the door shut and rest for a few hours.  I’m completely sapped of spells as well as strength.””Aye, not a bad idea.” Brigit agreed.She drew out a few climbing pitons from her massive pack and set about spiking the door shut.  As she worked, the others settled down for a rest.  A few hours later Brigit woke Milo for his watch.  They were undisturbed for the rest of what Milo considered the ‘night’.Milo felt a new man after more rest.  After his daily prayers he was more than ready to take on whatever they found in the pyramid.  His friends seemed to be in similar good moods.  In moments Brigit had removed her pitons from the door and they were on their way.A four-post bed dominated the next room.  Milo could hear a strange scratching noise coming from the other side.  As he entered to investigate a strange hiss brought his attention to the ceiling above.  Milo tumbled to the side as a pale blue shape plummeted towards him, scrabbling for his flesh with all four clawed feet.  The gecko-shaped lizard landed on the hard floor, missing the halfling by bare inches.  Its scaly blue skin was covered in orange spots and it hissed at him with a forked tongue.The other lizard from behind the bed emerged hissing as well.  Milo tumbled further in the room to give his friends space to attack.  Mazi loosed a short volley of arrows, piercing the first lizard’s hide.  Brigit moved into the space vacated by her halfling friend and brought both of her axes down, slaying the wounded lizard.  Jeremiah charged in from behind.  He ignored the scrabbling claws of the second lizard, slicing a chunk of flesh with his greatsword.  Mazi finished the short battle with another volley of arrows.  The lizard’s his trailed off into a death rattle as it fell.Milo moved to the edge of the bed to see what the lizards had found.  A half-eaten human body lay sprawled on the ground.  Its face was covered with a golden mask in the shape of a bird’s head.  Ignoring the eviscerated torso, Milo reached for the mask, admiring the materials more than the craftsmanship.Besides the bed and the three corpses, the room was empty.  All five of the adventurers were brought up short as they exited the room.  Two people in the same bird masks hopped by the doorway, cawing and flapping their arms as they made their way down the hall.Milo blinked.  He looked again.  They were still there, cawing and flapping their way to the other end of the hall.”Ummmm, okay.” he said.Brigit followed the odd humans with the others close behind.  She found them at the end of the hallway in a large nest.  Both were scratching the ground with their feet, as if looking for a juicy worm.  Brigit reached out the end of her axe carefully and prodded one of the men.”Oy!  What in the gods’ names are ya doin’?””Caw! Caw!” came the screeched reply.  The distressed human flapped his arms wildly for a few moments before settling on his haunches and pecking at the ground.”Okay, now that’s just weird.” Milo said.</blockquote>

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