Down. And down. And down.
The next flight of stairs, which are both steep and cramped, seems endless. You catch the odd glimpse of the decorations that must have once graced the walls (a flash of gold paint here, a blue beak there), but today the stairway is blackened with soot, grime and more graffiti.
Eventually, after a full hour of cautious descent, the stairs open into a large chamber lit by guttering torches. You estimate you must now be some 300-400 feet below the surface.
The room is dominated by a massive 15’ tall statue of ibis-headed Thoth at its centre. The perfectly proportioned and lifelike human body stands on a granite pedestal (3’ tall) and is carved of black onyx. In classic Egyptian fashion, Thoth’s right foot is advancing slightly, whilst his arms hang at his side. Thoth’s ibis head is made of white marble, although the eye sockets are empty. At the foot of the statue is a large stone chest that is part of the pedestal.
The plaster on the room’s walls has been badly damaged, but the decorated ceiling plaster, 30’ above you, appears largely intact. However, there’s insufficient light to pick out any details; the ceiling is too high.
A substantial amount of debris - wrecked furniture, destroyed armour and equipment, bits of bone and leather - has accumulated in the corners of the chamber. There is dust everywhere, although clear paths lead from the stairs to archways in the eastern, southern and western walls, and to a door in the northwest corner of the room. There are also other exits (see below) that don’t appear to be heavily trafficked. No dust is found around the central statue.
A body is slumped against the western wall.
Mapping information: rectangular chamber, 70’ x 60’*. The stairs you arrive by enter at the middle of the northern wall. There are eight other apparent exits - clockwise from the stairs:
- A door in the easternmost section of the northern wall.
- An archway in the eastern wall, 20’ south of the northern wall.
- An archway in the eastern wall, 40’ south of the northern wall.
- A door in the easternmost section of the southern wall.
- An archway in the middle of the southern wall.
- A door in the westernmost section of the southern wall.
- An archway in the western wall, 30’ south of the northern wall.
- A door in the westernmost section of the northern wall.
*I will always quote room dimensions as (west->east) x (north->south).
I recommend using 10’ squares for mapping (the maps I am working from have that scale).
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10:30 am, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Belisarios, Archontean Magic User 1: 3/3, ?’
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 90’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 90’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’
