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"I think that some do. I can never remember which ones, though," Ulster says.

Babushka's extended infravision reveals...more stairs, and a doorway at the very end, just like the first one. There are no torches or scones on the walls, lit or otherwise. There is nothing immediately visible that looks dangerous about the structural integrity.

"We have stairs here, and another doorway at the end" Babushka tells the group. "Locky, I suggest you test every step with your hoopack before you step on it.". Babushka takes her bow down and strings it before she follows Locky on the stairs.

"That's a good idea." Locky smiles, tapping each step in a little rhythm as she does so.

Jerrard walks on slowly, keeping his distance from Babuskha, yet ready to grab her the second they reach the bottom of the stairs. "Easy does it Locky."

They climb down the stairs and reach the door without incident.

Locky heads to the door, pressing it once with her Hoopak she turns back to the others,
"Maybe a big person should go first?" She looks up at Imani and Ulster.

"Let me check to see it its trapped and if it isn't..." She grins.

Search for traps: 1d10, 1d100=[5], [93]
5 rnds, utter failure.

"I think that is a great idea Locky." Jerrard smiles, trying to dampen down the light from his robes. "Why dont you cover the rear with your hoopak?"

Once Locky has finished, Ulster nods and pushes the stone door open. They find a gruesome bloodthirsty sandstone altar standing atop a balcony overlooking a massive chamber below. Syriana lies tied and helpless atop the altar with half a dozen Baaz Janissaries standing guard while the Vizier Timur-i-Ling methodically sharpens a ceremonial blade. A pair of burning braziers, one on each side of the altar, help illuminate the room. The chamber below is filled with row after row of sarcophagi, standing shoulder to shoulder like soldiers at parade-ground attention. There may be hundreds of them, each one containing a corpse, shrouded in yellowed rags and withered with age.

Timur-i-Ling immediately turns toward the party when the door is pushed open. "What?! They live? Stop them, I must complete the ceremony!" The six Baaz rush forward, one for each party member, intent on killing them or at least blocking their way toward the altar.

Imani doesn't waste any time drawing her twin scimitars. Here eyes are set on the vizier, but right now she has to deal with the Baaz. "We have to be quick here otherwise he is going to have time to finish his ceremony," she says to the others. "Whoever is done first, get to Timur-i-Ling as fast as you can. Be aware of his spell casting," she explains as she attacks the Baaz that comes to face her.

Initi Roll, Hit Rolls (9, 10, 12)
DMG Roll (10)

With a quick movement, Babushka draws two arrows and attempts to shoot the vizir. "Don't get in the way of my arrows" she shouts.

INIT 14, hits AC-3 for 2 dmg, Critical hit! for 7 dmg, second roll 2 dmg

(OOC: I find it strange that the bow, while being able to fire twice per round, has such a high speed factor... remember Babushka was holding hers ready and strung)

Seeing the braziers and the tomb Locky keeps herself hidden behind the others and drops a Silence Spell on the Altar.

Init: 1d10=3
(OOC: Rolled hits for her Hoopak then changed my mind!)

Jerrard grabs his bow and loosens two arrows at the incoming creatures aiming straight at the Baaz approaching.

1d10, 1d20+1, 1d8, 1d20+1, 1d8=[9], [10, 1], [8], [5, 1], [2]

Init: 9.
Hit AC 8 and Miss.
8 damage

As one, the six Baaz charge the party, each one attacking one of them. One slices deeply into Babushka's shoulder, another cuts Ulster across the cheek.

Finishing her prayer in time, Locky unleashes the power of Paladine. A dome of silence drops over the altar, muting Timur-i-Ling's voice and thus preventing him from carrying out the next phase of the ceremony.

The battle continues, though, nonetheless. Jerrard dodges an attack, Locky takes a cut across the brow, and Imani's right leg is sliced open. Thuskar parries an attack with such force, the draconian drops the sword in question.

Countering with a flurry of blows, Imani severely wounds her opponent. Babushka, on the other hand, ignores her injuries entirely and focuses only on one thing; not the Baaz before her, slicing at her with his bloodied scimitar, but on the distant, mute Vizier. She unleashes an arrow that silently slams into the mage's shoulder, nearly knocking him off his feet.

The Baaz who dropped his scimitar holds up his hands in a request of mercy, but Thuskar finds none in his heart. With a roar, he slices downward, cutting straight through the draconian. He removes his blade just as it turns to stone.

Jerrard fires his bow at his own draconian, who easily blocks the attacks with his shield at such close range.

Finally, Babushka continues to ignore her opponent and focuses again on the vizier. Sidestepping an attack, she lets the arrow loose. It strikes the Vizier in the chest and he falls to the ground without a sound.

==========

Initiative
Imani (1d10+5): 14
Babushka (1d10+7): 14
Locky (1d10+5): 8
Jerrard (1d10+7): 16
Ulster (1d10+5): 14
Thuskar (1d10+7): 14
Baaz 01 (1d10+5): 14
Baaz 02 (1d10+5): 6
Baaz 03 (1d10+5): 8
Baaz 04 (1d10+5): 9
Baaz 05 (1d10+5): 12
Baaz 06 (1d10+5): 13

Round 1!

Baaz 02 attacks Babushka with his scimitar (1d20-2): 15, hit for (1d8): 5 damage.
Baaz 03 attacks Ulster with his scimitar (1d20): 19, hit for (1d8): 1 damage.
Locky casts Silence, 15' Radius on the altar.
Baaz 04 attacks Jerrard with his scimitar (1d20): 5, miss.
Baaz 05 attacks Thuskar with his scimitar (1d20-2): -1, critical fumble! Baaz 05 drops his scimitar.
Baaz 06 attacks Imani with his scimitar (1d20): 17, hit for (1d8): 7 damage.
Baaz 01 attacks Locky with his scimitar (1d20): 16, hit for (1d8): 1 damage.
Imani attacks Baaz 06 with her scimitars (1d20+1): 10, miss and (1d20+1): 12, hit for (1d8+2): 10 damage.
Babushka fires a sheaf arrow from her short bow at the Vizier (1d20): 19, hit for (1d8): 2 damage.
----Baaz 02 gets a free attack with his scimitar on Babushka (1d20-2): 2, miss.
Ulster attacks Baaz 03 with his rusty long sword (1d20+1): 16, hit for (1d8+2): 4 damage.
Thuskar attacks Baaz 05 with his two-handed sword (1d20): 22, critical hit! for (2d10+3): 15 damage. Baaz 05 petrifies.
----Thuskar makes a DEX-3 check (1d20): 4, pass. His sword is not trapped.
Jerrard fires a sheaf arrow from his short bow at Baaz 04 (1d20+1): 11, miss.
Babushka fires a sheaf arrow from her short bow at the Vizier (1d20): 20, critical hit! for (2d8): 9 damage. Vizier falls.
----Baaz 02 gets a free attack with his scimitar on Babushka (1d20-2): 1, miss.
Jerrard fires a sheaf arrow from his short bow at Baaz 04 (1d20+1): 6, miss.

(OOC: Well done. Actions for Round 2?)

Dropping his bow on the ground jerrard draws his blade and strikes at the creature in front of him #4.

"Good shot, Babuskha!" He shouts, "Thuskar, take him!" pointing to the Baaz #4 beside him.

1d10, 1d20+1, 1d8+2=[8], [16, 1], [2, 2]

Init: 8, Hit AC3, 4 damage.

Locky stabs at the creature in front of her with her Hoopak.

1d10, 1d20+2, 1d6+2=[7], [15, 2], [6, 2]

Init:7, hit AC 1, 8 damage.