The Lost City



Prologue: An Introduction:

Rothad: "Fellow comrades! I am Rothad, brilliant and courageous ranger" he takes a long pull for a bottle. I am quick of wit and even quicker with my blade. I can track a mouse in a sand storm. The elf is about 5'5" tall and wieghs about a 100 lbs. He has long curly sandy blonde hair that is pulled back into a ponytail and tied with a piece of leather. His deep green eyes almost look black at first glance. A long sword hangs at his belt and a bow is slung across his back. A large supply of arrows are also secured to his back. A smile grin crease his face.

Alina: "Ah good, greetings. I am Alina, one of those who serves as an emmisary for the heavens (a cleric, in case you didn't realize it)."

Black Zorono: "Well met indeed companions, I am Zorono, fellow adventurer and gentleman of opprotunity," A short man of slight build appears seemingly from nowhere.he is garbed head to foot in total black, with only his blue eyes as any apparent color on his person.

Baltor: A low cough captures the attention of the group. From within the shadows, steps out a huge man. Adorned simply in a tight fitting tunic and breeches with a HUGE bastard sword strapped behind his back, he surveys the people with dark piercing eyes. Executing a small clumsy bow, he said gruffly,"The name's Baltor."

End Prologue.


DM: You left the city of Specularum about 2 months ago and have yet to find adventure travelling slowly east until you reach the borders of the great deserts of Ylaruam. Days ago, your group of adventurers joined a desert caravan. Halfway across the desert, a terrible sandstorm struck, separating your party from the rest of the caravan. When the storm died down, you found you were alone. The caravan was nowhere in sight. The desert was unrecognizable, as the dunes had been blown into new patterns. You were lost. You headed east, the same way the caravan was headed before the storm. Days passed. Your mounts died and you soon drank the last of your water. The end of the desert was not in sight.

The second day after your water ran out, you stumbled upon a number of stone blocks sticking out of a sand dune. Investigation showed that the sand covered the remains of a tall stone wall. On the other side of the stone wall was a ruined city. The stone blocks of the city had toppled and cracked with the passing of time. Sand had covered most of the buildings. The stones that remained uncovered had been scoured smooth by the blowing sands.

In the center of the city towered a step-pyramid. It had five step like tiers, each 20' high. The bottom most tier was almost completely covered with sand. On the top of the highest tier were three 30' tall statues. The statue on the left was of a strong, bearded man holding a balance in one hand and a lightning bolt in the other. The middle statue was of a winged child with two snakes twined about its body. The child held a wand in one hand and a handful of coins in the other. The statue on the right was of a beautiful woman. In her hands she held a sheaf of wheat and a sword. On the south side of the pyramid, a ramp with stairs led from the ground to the top of the highest tier. A quick search of the ruins revealed no source of food or water, so you decided to climb the pyramid. In the side of the ramp, level with the floor of the top tier, you found a secret door....


DM: The slab of stone that hid the secret entrance to the pyramid is now held open by the dead body of a hobgoblin. The body has a large crossbow bolt sunk deep in its chest. The hobgoblin has been dead several weeks.

Alina: Alina searches around for other dead monsters.

Baltor: "This bodes bad." Baltor bends down and inspect the hobgoblin. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he turn back to the group. "There might be a trap here. I'll advice we be careful from now on." He close in to inspect the ground around the secret door, to see if it has been disturbed.

Black Zorono: Black Zorono carefully searches the body of the dead hobgoblin knowing many creatures trap the bodies of the slain, for he is one of them.He looks for traces of poison on the bolt.If the body is clear of traps or other nasties, he looks through its personal effects to see if there are any clues to our groups new play ground and of course if any wayward gold pieces were to be found he would gladly give them a home.He's just that kind of a guy.

Alina: Alina stops looking for more dead monsters and walks towards the secret door. She prepares a detect evil spell. ...oops, because I don't have a detect evil spell to cast. I'll just look in.

Rothad: "Wait Alina," Rothad grabs here gently by the shoulder. "Let me use my shield to block any other possible bolts, and I will look in. I don't want you getting hurt." Holding my shield to the height the bolt struck the hobgoblin I move the door slightly to peer into the great beyond.

Zara: Zara pulls out a torch and proceeds to light it. "Hmmm....I think we're going to need some light in there, it looks pretty dark." The torch sputters and flames and provides a nice bright light.

DM: The Trapped Passage
Baltor: You don't see anything strange but you find a hidden pressure plate just inside the door which you think might have activated the trap. Black Zorono: You do not see any traces of poison on the bolt, there is nothing of interest around the body, and all of its equipment has been taken. Alina: You did not see any other dead monsters or creatures around this area, you turn and prepare to enter and look inside the secret door.......until Rothad takes the lead with his shield..... Rothad (and everyone else behind him!):
Beyond the stone slab is a 10' wide passage, leading into the pyramid. The passage floor is covered with dust. Several pairs of footprints can be seen leading inward. In a niche, in the wall opposite the secret door, you see a large crossbow pointed at you.

Baltor: Waving his hand to ward off the dusts they disturb, Baltor trys to make out the long corridor through the flickering light. " I says we follow the footprints and see where it leads. Methinks it will be handy to carry a croosbow too!" He adds a wink and move over to the niche and trys to determine if the large crossbow can be dislodge, being careful to unload it first(if any).

Black Zorono: "Rothad,do yonder footprints seem human to you or something else.It would be nice to know who,or what we,re playing with."

Alina: Alina checks to see if anything is propelling the crossbow.

Rothad: "Hm...It appears to be either human or humanoid, they look like shoes or sandles."

Zara: Zara moves near the crossbow to provide some light. She wonders at who the inhabitants of this place might be. "Since we're out of food and water, my guess is that we might find some here, somewhere, being used by someone...or something."

DM: The crossbow is not loaded. It appears the last bolt was for the hapless hobgoblin. To your left (north), you see a short, small, dark passage that leads up to a stone slab which you believe is a door. The footprints lead up to the door and disappear.

Baltor: "I say, the crossbow is secure too tightly to the niche. It will take me some time to take it out." Baltor looks up from the equipment. "Let's try the door now, shalt we? Be on guard. Whoever stripped the hobgoblin is still around and i'm still fond me life."

Black Zorono: "Let me take a look then.I was a lock smith or should I say a worker of locks once upon a time.In any event i'm good at making an entrance."

Alina: "Who is Zara? I don't recall seeing her name in the party roster before."

Zara: With a flourish of her robes, Zara steps into the light.

"I am a magic-user...I don't remember exactly how I got here, but I am alone. And so, if it isn't any trouble to you or your friends, may I join your entourage?"

She looks in Alina's direction, waiting patiently, with a slight smile on her lips.

Alina: Smiling back, Alina says, "I have no objection."

Rothad: I check the prints.

Black Zorono: "Greetings fair Zara"Hails Zorono as he looks up from examining the door "I would rather one of your vocation be on our side than against us,so welcome,make yourself at home."The last is said with a fleeting grin as he gets back to work.

Alina: "Even as little of a home it is for us..."

Zara: "Well, I suppose it's settled then. I'm with you!"
"I suppose there aren't any other magic-users in the party...Well I'm glad I can be of assistance!"
Zara quietly looks around the room, looking for anything of interest. Upon spying the door, she walks over to where Zorono is working.
"Have you been able to undo the lock as of yet?"

Rothad: I stand guard as they work on the door.

Black Zorono: "Ah, be patient fair sorcerous, first let us check for nasties.I have disarmed many traps where the lock was the triggering mechenism."says Zorono as he methodically searches the door."I have even found false doors where everything seemed ok till you opened it and when upon that very act the ceiling fell killing everyone.You know,"he says looking around with an evil grin "sometimes I wish I had an army of goblinkind at my command, but then that would take the fun out of disarming these little beauties."

Zara: Looking at Zorono, Zara nods and steps back. She then walks over to a nearby wall and lies back on it.
"If anyone needs my assistance, don't hesitate to ask."



DM: Black Zorono examines the door then finally gives it a push and it opens. You enter a single 40' square room, (the highest tier of the pyramid), the door automatically closes behind you after the last of you enters the room. The room smells old and musty. The dust on the floor has been disturbed, though no special details can be made out. Three huge bronze cylinders reach from floor to the ceiling in the middle of the room. In the center of each cylinder, facing you at floor level, is a bronze door. Each door has a bronze handle that can be used to pull the door open. Rothad seems to sense something.

Black Zorono: As the door opens, the little man turns to the group and smiles "Dam. i'm good,Shall I go befour the group and check for anti-tourist traps."

Baltor: Baltor pulls his head back after a quick cursory look in. "If you insist. I have to warn you though that the quality of the air seems quite...bad...", he remarks with a sudden sneeze. "If you need help, holler!" he adds.

Zara: OOC: I think I should be in the back. I'm not much of a fighter. In fact it might be better if I was in the middle. That way I could cast spells without worrying about being killed from either direction. Of course, it's all up to everyone else.
IC: Zara walks up to the center of the room (and the center column) and inspects the bronze door carefully.

Black Zorono: Realizing Baltor's "hunches" have been correct before Black Zorono asks, "Bad air...HuH.Could we be a little more discriptive,not that I didn't like our goblin friend,However waking up to breakfast with him does not sound appealing."

Rothad: "Quiet! I hear a hissing like a large serpent or gas. Let me check ahead, if it is gas it would be wise not to have any flames in use."


DM: Baltor, you stand just before the doorway holding the stone door open.
Rothad, you search around ahead and behind the cylinders, but you do not find anything. As you are about to give up you notice a small hole in the floor in one corner of the room. You bend down near the hole and notice that it is pumping a steady stream of air through it and into the room. The air shooting through it makes you a little dizzy.
Zara, you see a large round cylinder reaching from floor to ceiling made entirely of bronze. The bronze door in the middle of it has a small carving of a winged child etched into it. You notice some dried blood is on the door and the cylinder.

Rothad: I exit the room and sit down to gather myself together and tell the others of what I saw.

Zara: Zara steps back from the cylinder cautiously, turns, and goes back to where Baltor, Alina, and Zorono are.
"Something is not safe about that cylinder. On the door there is an etching of a winged child. Does that hold any significance from what you've found so far? Also on the door and cylinder there's a bit of dried blood, so I'm guessing it is trapped."

Baltor: "Hey! That sounds familiar." Baltor pauses for a while. "Isn't there a statue of a winged child outside? Holding a wand and coins in his hands? What about the other two statues? Think they mean anything?"

Alina: "I think you're right. I'll be back; I'm going to check."

Black Zorono: Zorono tries to use his expertise with traps to detect/disarm what looks to be one nasty trap.


DM: Alina, you make your way outside and look and see the innocent looking face of the statue of the winged child. Yes, it matches the carving on the door. You leave and make your way back to the chamber to report your confirmation.....
All of you then notice that the other two doors also have carvings in them. The one on the left has the carving of the old bearded man and the door on the right has the carving of the beautiful woman. Black Zorono examines the middle door but finds no traps of any kind, it looks like a trap was already sprung here but you see no traces of it.

Black Zorono: I carefully open the untrapped door.

Baltor: "I got a bad feeling about this. Why not the rest of us go outside, the air does seems to be rather bad, or we can find some cloth and stop up the escaping gas.", Baltor remarks and quickly step outside the room.

Zara: Zara nods and quietly follows...

Rothad: I hold my breath and try to get away from the gas.


DM: The three of you open the stone slab door and step out of the room while Black Zorono and Alina remain inside. The opening of the door causes some of the gas to escape but not much. Black Zorono and Alina begin to cough as Zorono opens the middle door. Inside you see a small cylindrical room with a ladder. The ladder goes up through a hole in the ceiling and down through a hole in the floor. Looking up, you see the ladder leads into a small, dark, narrow space. Looking down, you see the ladder disappear into darkness, you can't tell how far down it goes. On the opposite wall facing you is a spear mounted on a small catupult-like device, the spear shaft looks broken. The gaseous air escapes through the open doorways and you are able to breath freely again. You also notice the hissing sound has stopped.

Alina: Putting a hand over her mouth and nose, Alina climbs the ladder.

Baltor: "Of course it will be best under these circumstances to advise caution, but, what the heck!", Baltor follows Alina up the ladder. "Some of you might want to stay put while we investigate up there." he crys down the ladder.

Zara: "Whatever is UP THERE might require the help of a mage...I'm following."
Zara heads up the ladder cautiously.


DM: You climb the sturdy ladder and you (Alina) notice that it goes up inside one of the statues on top of the pyramid! The statue has a special speaking tube which you are able to talk through giving the statue vocal abilites. You also see a number of levers. These levers can be used to move parts of the statue (arms, head, eyes, and so on). Meanwhile, the rest of you wonder why Alina has stopped moving up the ladder....the only other way is going back down the ladder and through the opening below.

Black Zorono OOC: I never went up the ladder so ...IC -If I can see they stopped. I will slowly as quietly as possible go down the ladder.If I can check for traps along the way so be it.

Baltor OOC: yupz..me too.. Since i'm like the second person up the ladder first... IC: "Okay, there's nothing up here. We can go down now." He makes his way down the ladder gingerly, making sure to to stub any fingers.

Alina: "An idea, but for now, I want to keep my lungs intact. Don't you remember why we left the room?"

Zara: Zara...slowly and carefully climbs down the ladder.



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