With steps once again made light by the plenitude of their wealth, the seven members of the outfit return to the ten warrior maidens of Madarua, the tales of their adventures spilling forth before they have even seated themselves on the various rugs and carpets in the chamber.

The maidens listen raptly, even contributing the occasional "oh my" and "no way."

Lisa Lisa, tart little harbinger of doom that she is, reminds the raiders that there is worse, far worse, to be found beyond a whisker of shrews within the tombs below.

If Lisa Lisa has stories or tales of what those horrors might be, then staying longer to listen to them is a worthwhile investment of time.

But if it is just the standard doom and gloom warning, then they can return back down to the lower tier as soon as everyone is ready.

The first destination would be to pick up anyone who elected to remain behind, if any did, and if they remained in the same place.
The second destination would be down the western corridor past the shrew room, to continue the clockwise search.

When pressed for something more substantial than baleful prognostications, Lisa Lisa, who has been listening more closely than any of the maidens to your fourth tier tales, politely asks if you've "had the pleasure of meeting the queen and king?"

"If you do meet them," she requests, "do not give them my regards. I would rather they know nothing of those who live and still breathe above them."

Exiting the jester's tomb, you have the option of continuing west (not taken) or heading north  (to return to the shrews). I want to confirm that you want the latter at this point.

It was possible they had, but the murals, wealth of the coffins, and bodies did not seem to match up. So she responded, "No, I don't think we have met them yet. Ladies in waiting, courtiers, a jester, and some unfortunate servants, but not the king and queen. I'll not send your regards if we do. Do you expect they would be displeased with what the Sisterhood is trying to do, or just a general dislike for the living?"

From the tomb, north, and circling around to the shrew room, to then go west.
We can come back to take that initial unknown west later, if it does not connect to our clockwise explorations.

"Not servants," Lisa Lisa corrects Vixl with a shake of her splendid bronze mask. "They would have been household slaves who would not have been permitted to live a day longer than the queen."

Forty feet past the former lair of the shrews, the passageway turns north and continues that way for many many steps. One hundred feet down, in the middle of the floor at this point is a large stone slab with a bronze ring bolted deeply into it, just where the parchment in the noble lady's burial room had pinpointed it.

The passage itself terminates twenty feet further to the north with no visible exits.

Parchment? I don’t remember a parchment with a map and image of a ring...

Eonwe trundles along in the middle of the group and pauses to keep an eye out when they stop at the stone slab.

Orum looks at Fodor and intones, "This is not the parchment you are looking for...."

As he walks away he says, "Well, that's how the elder Obie Windcanopy explained things away."

“Evidently that’s not the parchment we are looking for.” says Fodor.

Loran listens but remains quiet unless directly questioned.

Fodor seems to refocus - after zoning out for a second.  He doesn’t remember Orum saying anything; nor does he realize he said anything about parchment. Did Orum do something to him with the Helm of Telepathy?  What IS a Helm of Telepathy anyway?

He turns to Víxl and the others: “What is this? Any suggestions?”

l'Atreq, looks, listens and smells in stillness and silent while holding Ptah's symbol at the ready.

It's a trapdoor. Of that, there can be no question.

“Ah!  Perhaps the door to Tier 5? I assume we want to finish our sweep of this level before we head deeper?” Fodor asks/suggests to the Party. “I’m just not sure what we haven’t explored yet on this floor. I’m not great with maps.” He explains.

"Finishing any business on this floor would be good," agrees Loran.

Eonwe nods his agreement.

Tarrahn agrees.  "Yeah, before we go and find more undead and coffins,"

"The one Orum found in the bronze tube, remember?" she prompted him.
ooc- msg #777 in 'The Lost City' thread


"And I agree- it is probably the way down. But for now, yes, continue up here. Let's check the dead end down there for secret doors. Orum and I looking straight ahead, Eonwe and l'Atreq on the eastern side at the end, and Loran and Tarrahn on the eastern wall, 10' down from Eonwe's team. Fodor, you have guard. If we don't find anything here, then we backtrack to the entrance and take the western corridor. Does that sound reasonable?"

ooc- and of course, if there is one, the elves might find something just passing by.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:58, Wed 25 Jan 2023.

“Oh, yeah. The bronze tube.  Right.”  Fodor realized he needed to keep a closer eye on the thief. He realized he was only paying attention to undead things attacking him and attractive chicks painted on murals the past few days down here. The lack of sunlight and fresh air was definitely starting to mess with his mind.

“The plan sounds good! I’ll keep guard. Zippety-dippety-boo, let’s find a secret door or two!”