The 'solution' for the poison gas was easy enough... Ozrus's Life Bubble would take care of that, but then it wasn't the poison aspect of the swamp gas that was the main concern. Oh, it could be a problem, but it was mostly a red herring... a misdirection.

So, he set about trying to disarm the magical trap. So far, of course, he'd only detected the one. He had a hard time comprehending it, though. It's purpose was easy enough to fathom, but the ensuing explosion could seriously compromise the whole tomb and crypt.

With most magic traps, you could find them simply by sensing the magic. You had to be sensitized to magic, though, not just be a spellcaster. He'd sensed the trap inside the sarcophagus, and now he had to tweak it. He only had to do it a little bit to make it unworkable.

16:11, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 28 using 1d20+19 ((9)).

"Woh! Almost set it off! Okay... not sure I can do this quickly. Need to take my time..."

That was close! He's going to Take 20 to disable the magic trap.

16:31, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 34 using 1d20+19 ((15)). Technically, he can't Take 20, but the GM said he could under the circumstances--I made a second check anyway.

That should do it!

"Nice job!" Ozrus replied from his safe distance. "Maybe try opening the lid now and hustle back over here until the gas dissipates? Better safe than sorry." He was certainly eager to get a look at the inside of the sarcophagus, but he wanted to use an abundance of caution when it was just the two of them here.

---

My thought is for Hsang to open the sarcophagus just enough to let out all of the gas, then retreat until it is truly clear nothing is going to explode. (He'll also ask for his ring back during this time.) Once it is safe, Ozrus will go back in to take a preliminary look at what they have uncovered.

The lid is too heavy for just the two of you to lift, but Hsang is able to whittle away the seal at one point and then pry up a corner of the lid... just enough to let the swamp gas escape. With the crypt cover open, it take about ten minutes for the gas to disperse enough (with some fanning) to no longer be hazardous.

From there, it requires removing most of the seal in order to shift the lid. While you can't lift it, you can slide it. The easiest way to do that is to push on opposite sides on opposite edge, thus causing the lid to rotate but still remain on the crypt.

When that's done, you can look into the crypt now.

Almost as expected, there appears to be the remains of a corpse in there, still wearing a suit of plate armor that has a green star pentacle painted on the chest.

"Not too pretty, is he?" Ozrus commented to Hsang. With the knowledge that he had detected necromancy magic on the sarcophagus earlier, the first thing Ozrus did after the lid was pushed aside was examine the skeleton with his magical sight. He wanted to know if it had been animated, or would soon animate.

Other than that, he scanned for all other auras that might now be visible. He also searched for other items in the tomb that might be of interest, such as scrolls or books, or even engravings on the sarcophagus itself.

---

Using Detect Magic and Perception. I will take 20 on Perception with Guidance, if able, for a total of 42. Also, here is a Knowledge: Arcana and a Spellcraft check, if necessary. Both with Guidance, of course.

22:11, Today: Ozrus Wither rolled 25 using 1d20+19.  Knowledge: Arcana, with Guidance - Auras.
22:12, Today: Ozrus Wither rolled 38 using 1d20+19.  Spellcraft, with Guidance - Auras.
Perception take 20 with Guidance: 42

There's definitely some magic in here, but it takes a minute or so for Ozrus to figure out what it is. It seems to be coming from the body. The armor is definitely magical with an illusion aura. The body within is also magical--necromancy.

There are no other items in the sarcophagus.

However, he does spot the magic circle that was painted on the inside bottom end of the sarcophagus... but there's no magic there. Apparently, that's the trap that Hsang disarmed.

"Hmm, interesting," Ozrus commented aloud to Hsang. He didn't bother using their mental link at the moment. "The body possesses necromancy magic, and the armor bears illusion magic. Let's do a bit of experimenting before touching anything with our bare hands though, hmm?" The last thing he wanted to do was reach for the armor only to find out it was an illusion while dead hands grasp at him.

Standing back about ten feet, Ozrus cast Guidance on himself again and drew his club. It was a weapon that almost never saw use in combat, and even now he had no intention of using it for that purpose. He held it aloft in the air before him using his Mage Hand cantrip. He hovered the wooden weapon high over top of the resting body of Kaballah Kabar and then watched carefully as he let it drop onto the armor. He looked and listened for any signs of illusions. He also watched for any movement from the body wearing the armor.

If nothing happened, he refresh his Guidance before retrieving his club with Mage Hand again, then blasted the body with a couple of Rays of Frost.

If there was still no signs of anything amiss, Ozrus would cast Guidance again, then carefully reach in and attempt to retrieve his the armor from the corpse. (Assuming Hsang had nothing he wanted to try.) But he would still keep his Windy Escape spell ready in case any surprises jutted out at him. And hopefully there were no flesh-melting traps either.

---

Perception x2 for his experiments.
14:56, Today: Ozrus Wither rolled 39 using 1d20+22.  Perception, with Guidance - corpse/armor experiments.
14:56, Today: Ozrus Wither rolled 29 using 1d20+22.  Perception, with Guidance - corpse/armor experiments.

Also, can Ozrus hear Vashon?
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:54, Fri 04 Dec 2020.

"Let me check for traps first," Hsang says, and proceeds to do so.

This time the trap would be on the armor or the body, rather than on the sarcophagus. It just didn't feel right with all these traps. Not that he couldn't see them on Kaballah Kabar, but not for the Wonders or the Cycle. It didn't seem consistent with what they'd learned about Esmeralda.

16:41, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 28 using 1d20+18 ((10)). Perception searching for traps.

Hsang does not find any traps on the inside of the sarcophagus, nor does he find any on the armor or the body.

Even after Ozrus hits the body with a couple rays of frost, there's no reaction.

Unfortunately, he can't just take the armor off the body. It's fastened on to the body like normal armor. At the very least, the body will have to be rolled over to unfasten it from the back.

He starts with the helmet, of course, as it's the easiest. Once off, it reveals the skeletal remains of a humanoid... in the condition one would expect after 500 years.

Just as he pulls the helmet out of the sarcophagus, with nothing else happening, he and Hsang here are voice!

"Yo! Ozrus! Hsang! Can you hear me?"

"Vashon?" Ozrus said, finally recognizing the voice. He peeled his eyes away from the dead body long enough to look over and see the person who was talking, along with the secret passage. "Well that would have saved us a lot of flying..." he commented, referring to the secret passage.

The druid had to consider the possibility that Vashon's appearance might be some sort of trick. After all, the armor had radiated an aura of illusion. However, if Vashon was some kind of trick, it was one that made zero sense to Ozrus. He opted to assume Vashon was the real deal. At least until proven otherwise. He expressed these thoughts to Hsang via their mental link.

"You, uh, don't happen to have a good way to remove armor from a dead body, do you?" he asked Vashon, gesturing toward the body of Kaballah Kabar. "We already dispersed the swamp gasses inside the sarcophagus and deactivated the lightning trap, but Kaballah Kabar's body still radiates an undefined aura of necromancy, and the armor itself radiates illusion. So far I have only removed the helmet." He held up the mentioned item so that Vashon could see it clearly.

"If you're talking about magic, no, I don't know any spell that will remove armor from a corpse," Vashon replies.

He walks over to the sarcophagus and examines the body.

"I don't think that's Steelheart. That green pentacle is just painted on. That makes no sense for one of the Wonders. You say it's got an illusion aura? Maybe it's just Magic Aura cast on it to make you think the armor is magical. Of course, normally it wouldn't last that long... we're talking 500 years. Hmmm. I'm guessing it's the pentacle that's kept the magic going all this time, particularly sealed up here in this crypt."

"We could try to scrap a break in the pentacle. If we do that, the magic should go away."

"As for the body... I'm not that familiar with necromancy spells. It doesn't look like the body was preserved. If it didn't animate, then that spell is ruled out. Oh! I know! It's some sort of anti-animate spell! I'll bet that's what it is. I don't know that such a spell exists, but it kind of makes sense. Magic to keep the body from being animated. That way, the corpse doesn't get up and walk out of here, as that would defeat the purpose of the shrine."

"Found anything else? Secret writings? Secret compartments? Did you look for anything invisible?"

He pulls out his dagger, holds it by the blade, and the starts going around the room tapping the walls with the hilt.

zrus listened to Vashon's insights with curiosity. It was a good thing Vashon had shown up when he did. "As I understood it, Hsang found traps and secret compartments around the room, but I will let him explain all of the particulars about those himself. Even if this armor isn't Steelheart, I'm still going to go ahead and remove it. Easier to test it that way. And it should be safe enough if Kaballah really is warded against reanimation." Ozrus continued removing the deceased hero's armor and answered some more of Vashon's question's as he worked.

"I earth glided around this structure before we opened it, and it is about 40 feet wide, 50 feet long and 30 feet high. And made of some sort of weird masonry. Something... advanced, I think. The crypt was warded on the outside against Evil, Outsiders, and the four Elements, and even had a bit of a lightning trap built in. The warding was merely painted on though, suggesting it was placed after this structure was constructed. Probably even after it had already been looted."

"The sarcophagus in here was full of swamp gas, and was rigged with a delayed-blast lightning ball-type trap that would have been devastating if Hsang hadn't disarmed it. We did not check specifically for anything invisible though."

---

If I as a player forgot anything, GM, please remind me. Even feel free to say Ozrus shares it aloud with Vashon.

Vashon circles the entire room tapping on the walls, but at no point does his tapping sound any different, particularly as if there was a hollow space behind it. It all sounds solid as a rock.

"Swamp gas and lightning? Yes, very nasty," he comments on Ozrus's report. "Could any of us have survived that? And once used, can the swamp gas refill the sarcophagus? Well, that's assuming anything was left here intact."

"It sounds more like it was meant to prevent any looting of the crypt. Unless there was going to be somebody on constant guard duty, like in a temple, it sounds like it was an all or nothing gambit. I'm amazed that it lasted 500 years, though."

"That may have more to do with the locale and limited population."

"Trust me, Vashon, the secret compartments are there, easily discernible to my particular set of skills," Hsang says.

"There may be one underneath the sarcophagus, too. That I couldn't be completely sure about. The stone sounded different, but I couldn't tell if that was due to different stones or a hollow space beyond it. At least, I don't think it's trapped."

"I just had another strange thought. Do you think the armor might have dismantled into pieces and then the pieces stored in the secret compartments? A few would have to be deep, but they wouldn't need to be very large otherwise."

"It is certainly possible that the armor is inside the compartments," Ozrus conceded. "Let's see if we can find that out." The druid examined his surroundings with renewed interest. Apparently there were more secrets here to be uncovered.

"Maybe the intended way to open the compartments is located under the sarcophagus. The lid was heavy enough, so I don't suppose we could move the entire thing, huh? I mean, I could try summoning some help to aid us, or slick up the floor under it with a Grease spell. Oh, or try using my Stone Shape spell to give it rollers maybe?" The druid looked to Hsang and Vashon. "Or maybe there is even a hidden switch that will do all of the work for us. Might as well look for that before trying other options. But assuming we don't find one, do either of you have a preferred method to try first?"

---

Ozrus will take 20 (with Guidance) to search the sarcophagus for any hidden switches or mechanisms that might give them access to underneath the sarcophagus (Take 20 perception result of 42). If it is dusty or dirty, he will clean with Prestidigitation first. If they find nothing, he will cast whatever spells necessary for the preferred alternate strategy of Hsang and/or Vashon:
1. Conjure help to move the sarcophagus with Summon Nature's Ally (with Augment Summoning)
2. Grease floor to aid movement. Could also use regular soap.
3. try modifying sarcophagus with Stone Shape.

"I knew a barbarian once that would have smashed everything with his hammer," Vashon responds. "Even if we have hammers, I recommend we not take that course of action."

"Greasing the floor sounds like a good idea, but that's only assuming the sarcophagus can be slide aside. I noticed the hinge the stair cover. That's a pretty clever and sophisticated technique for a village. I suspect they had professional help building this crypt."

"That being the case, we should expect the same for everything else here. Perhaps Hsang can try using his prybar again, just to see where the sarcophagus might be... vulnerable?"

"Vashon has a good point," Hsang agrees. "There are four possible sides on which the sarcophagus could be hinged. If it's done like the stairs lid, he hinges are hidden--the advanced design Vashon mentioned."

"It could also slide aside in any of those four directions, or, if there's some sort of hidden switch, it could raise up. I don't see it sinking down, though."

"I also doubt if it's hinged at either end. The ceiling in here just isn't high enough for that to be workable."

"I'm pretty sure there isn't any other magic. I would have sensed it earlier, but, I'll check again."

22:19, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 24 using 1d20+18 ((6)). Perception check to detect magic traps for the second time.

"Don't think there's any more, but it just occurred to be that we may not be looking for a trap... more like a magic trick is my guess."

He then sets about working on the bottom edge of the sarcophagus with his prybar, trying to see if he can get it to budge.

"I guess I'll wait to see if the prybar produces any results before casting any spells then," Ozrus said to Hsang and Vashon. "While you do that, I'll double check to make sure the theory about this armor was correct. I'll see if disrupting the painted-on magic removes its magical aura." The druid pulled out his magical any-tool and shifted it into the shape of a paint scraper, then went to work on the set of armor he had reluctantly removed from Kaballah Kabar's body. He observed the armor with his Detect Magic cantrip as he worked on removing the painted on symbols that were presumably giving it an aura of illusion.

As Ozrus scrapes off the paint, once the circle is broken, the magic does indeed go away.

Hsang's efforts with his prybar soon determines that there's no give to the sarcophagus from either end, and it's only from one side that he gets a result. It doesn't lift, but it does seem like it'll slide to one side. He is only able to get it to move a fraction of an inch no matter where he puts the prybar.

It may be because there's a release somewhere.

The three of you begin looking for some sort of switch to release the sarcophagus. It's Hsang that realizes there is a secret compartment beneath body. You have to at least push the remains to the side before the stone slab can be raised on its pivot points.

Revealed underneath is a large iron lever against the left side. It appears to have to be pulled to the other side. Although very had to do, it can pried open at first then kicked open the rest of the way.

Now the sarcophagus can roll side. As soon as the sarcophagus clears the secret compartment beneath it, another suit of armor is visible with another green pentagram on its chest.

Only, this one suddenly sits up and attacks! Stone spikes fly from its hands! Vashon seems to be in its immediate line of sight, so that's who it attacks.

14:14, Today: GM StarMaster rolled 26 using 1d20+6 ((20)). Ranged attack! Critical threat!
14:14, Today: GM StarMaster rolled 18 using 1d20+6 ((12)). Confirm critical? No.
14:18, Today: GM StarMaster rolled 21 using 2d8+9 ((8,4)). Damage!

At the same time, the sarcophagus and the floor suddenly sprout dozens of stone spikes. Everyone needs to make a DC 16 Reflex save to avoid taking damage from the spikes.

Ozrus, having finished with the armor, watched Hsang as the man continued to work on the sarcophagus. It seemed all of Ozrus's paranoia about traps and animating bodies paid off when the spikes showed up, because the druid was ready. Almost uncannily quickly, he leapt backward and grasped the wall itself to keep himself above the spiked ground.

Then, with a quick glance over to make sure the armor was truly animated as he suspected, Ozrus climbed upward toward the place where the wall met the ceiling. "Can anyone dispell that? Is it activated by painted magic too?" He tried to see if that was the case as he climbed. Maybe he would need to use his paint-scraper on it like he had the other armor. But for now he cast a spell from up near the ceiling. And that spell was... Mad Monkeys.

A moment later the tomb was filled with the hairy bodies and annoying shrieks of a monkey swarm that was eager to cause mischief. "Monkey pile the living armor!" he called out to the swarm. "Dismantle it if you can!"

---

Reflex Save.
20:54, Today: Ozrus Wither rolled 30 using 1d20+10.  DC 16 Reflex Save vs spikes.
Max roll!

I figure now would also be a good time for an initiative roll:
20:55, Today: Ozrus Wither rolled 23 using 1d20+6.  Initiative.

When it is Ozrus's turn in initiative order, he will do what is described above. He will scan for any signs the armor could be disenchanted by scraping off some paint and climb to the ceiling. He will then cast Mad Monkey (with Augment Summoning and Starlight Summons feats) to summon a monkey swarm to dogpile the armor and potentially dismantle it.

Mad Monkeys spell: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic...pells/m/mad-monkeys/
base Monkey Swarm stats: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/besti...primate-monkey-swarm
Augment Summoning feat: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats...s/augment-summoning/
Starlight Summons feat (probably not relevant): https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats...s/starlight-summons/

OOC: I forgot the Mad Monkey spell takes a full round to cast. So Ozrus wouldn't have time to climb all the way up the wall. He merely took a 5 foot step up it, I suppose.

Hsang had been as close to the sarcophagus as Ozrus when they'd pushed it aside, but, still expecting there to be a trap, he'd been prepared for... something. Admittedly, the spikes suddenly sprouting from the sarcophagus and floor and walls was unexpected, but not so much that he couldn't leap out of the way.

18:20, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 25 using 1d20+13 ((12)). Reflex save.

The attacking armor was something Ozrus had been expecting, though. Having leaped away from the trap, Hsang draws his swords. He's not happy having to attack a suit of armor with his fine-edged weapons.

18:33, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 13 using 1d20+3 ((10)). Initiative.

18:45, Today: Vashon the Vigilant rolled 27 using 1d20+11 ((16)). Reflex save... not as good as Ozrus, but pretty good!

Vashon wasn't taken by surprise by the sprouting spikes (after all, he wasn't called 'the Vigilant' for nothing), but the armor attack was beyond his ability to cope with.

"Damn! That hurt!" he calls out as he backed away.

Guns appear in his hands with the snap of his fingers.

19:01, Today: Vashon the Vigilant rolled 14 using 1d20+4 ((10)). Initiative.

The armor begins clambering out of the hole in the floor. As it does so, you realize that it's not just a suit of empty armor but that there is a creature inside it. The stone spikes seem to move with it.

00:21, Today: GM StarMaster rolled 17 using 1d20-2 ((19)). Creature's initiative.

Still reacting quickly, Ozrus is able to cast his spell, and while the swarm of monkeys clamber all over the armored creature, they are unable to remove the armor, don't seem capable of damage the creature, and pretty much get impaled on the spikes that constantly grow out of the surrounding rock near the creature.

The creature fires a volley of stone spikes at Ozrus up on the wall since it can't reach him. They just barely manage to strike Ozrus for 22 points of damage.

00:48, Today: GM StarMaster rolled 20 using 1d20+6 ((14)). Ranged attack.
00:52, Today: GM StarMaster rolled 22 using 2d8+9 ((7,6)). Spike volley damage.

"Oof," Ozrus exclaimed as spikes pierced his skin. Luckily he had a spell that was able to lessen the blow by making him air-like for a moment. Even so, the blow had hurt.

"It's a spikestone golem! I think. Wearing non-wonder armor," Ozrus called out even as the knowledge was still coalescing in his head. His sharp mind rushed to formulate a new plan. His monkeys wouldn't help much if they couldn't dismantle the suit, so best to use them for something else. Plus, it would be helpful to get them out of the way of his next spell.

"Monkeys, retreat! Run down that hall and lead help back!" He was referring to the hall Vashon had appeared from. If they could manage to coax a few of the other Green Stars out of the monastery, the battle would probably be finished much more easily. He could throw more summoned creatures at it for quite a while, but that plan did not seem... optimal. Instead, he decided to try and trip it up.

"Watch out for the slippery patch," he warned Vashon and Hsang, then cast a Grease spell at the construct's feet. With a little luck, it might even fall back into the pit it had climbed out of! Still in the realm of stalling tactics, he also said to the group, "Let me know if you want me to fill the room with Webs so that we can take a moment to strategize. Not sure what your plans are."

---

Not sure if we are doing block initiatives or in exact order. Regardless, Ozrus will do the same thing during his turn in the order.

Ozrus
Immediate Action: Cast Windy Escape to reduce the spike damage by 10. Took 12 damage.
Free/Move Actions: Talk/order monkeys.
Standard Action: Cast Grease under golem's feet. But he will avoid slipping allies too. DC 16 Reflex save or it falls. Also needs to make a DC 10 reflex save to try and move through the spell's area. https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/g/grease/

Monkey Swarm
Free Action: Disarm/Steal attempt. (on the off chance there is anything to disarm/steal)
21:52, Today: Ozrus Wither rolled 35 using 1d20+16.  Mad Monkey Steal/Disarm attempt.
Full Round Action: Run up to 120 feet (probably less due to spike injuries). They will head down the passage to the monastery to get the attention of the people there and (ideally) lead some people back. But they are monkeys, and I realize there is a chance nobody will answer the call.

10:50, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 13 using 1d20+3 ((10)) for Initiative.

He'd been expecting something of the sort all along, so he was prepared for it. What he wasn't prepared for were the spikes that suddenly sprouted from the walls and floor around the creature. If necessary, he would have endured the damage from the spikes in order to attack the creature, but it wasn't necessary... that is, he didn't think it would be, though the confines of the crypt made it difficult.

Swiftly drawing his swords, Hsang used his acrobatics to leap over the spikes and attack the guardian in mid leap with both his weapons.

10:59, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 34 using 1d20+15 ((19)). Acrobatics check. Yes! Nailed it!

11:02, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 22,26 using 1d20+15,1d20+10 ((7,16)). Attacks.

He swung a bit too soon with his katana in his leaping arc and probably missed, but his second attack with his wakizashi might have done the trick.

11:08, Today: Hsang Li Tsung rolled 9,9 using 1d8+5,1d6+5 ((4,4)). Damage from katana and wakizashi if he hits.