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Restoration of the Sands

Khettio popped the seal of one of the vials and brought it to her nose. It twiddled like a dog's as she sniffed the contents. "Hrmm, I don't think I can tell you what these are, sorry."

She followed the others inside, hovering in an awkward state of not wanting to be in front, but also too scared to be in the back--who knew what would pop up behind them when they least expected it? Khettio tried putting herself as close to the middle of the group as she could, her bushy brown tail betraying her apprehension by keeping low, and her ears were pressed against her head. She looked about, her eyes catching what little light was in the chamber.

Khettio has an extra 10ft to her Low-Light Vision. Can she see anything more than Ana? If not, she'll cast Dancing Lights and send an orb down each of the archways.
 
Khettio's more sensitive eyes help some with the light, but don't reveal much more than what Ana can see. Sending out the globes of light through the archways, the one directly ahead is revealed completely, showing a small room who's floor was shattered and charred, broken pieces of burnt wood all that is contained therein. The other two archways, at right angles from the first, are lit up but the corner blocks much view from back here. The one to the left shows a hint of a room and, a fountain? The one to the right shows something more akin to a cavern rather than a carved out room.
 
Kas didn't mind where he ended up in the line so long as he wasn't first, melee was something he just never had picked up on and he was a firm believer that dealing with an enemy from afar was far more practical than letting them get close. He would likely end up middle of the pack as well but if he had to bring up the rear then so be it. For now his elven eyes served him well in the dim conditions but ultimately he wasn't experienced in delving ruins and could only offer his suggestions based on feeling rather than experience or knowledge. "Unless anyone else has more knowledge of ruins than I do then my vote would be to avoid the room ahead. The room to the left seems interesting though." He kept an arrow loosely on the string of his bow just in case but truly so far this place was a nightmare for an archer like himself.
 
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"No information about any of this place." Ana spoke, taking a few steps inside, her shield still raised defensively. "Let's go to the left." Knowing she would likely be the first in trouble, she began to look around quietly, heading for the leftmost room as she took each step, almost feeling as if any single movement could set off an unseen trap. But she wasn't one to remain idle, and felt it best that they continued on, if only to see this through.
 
Slowly making her way forward, Ana would be able to cover the short distance down this entrance hall to the three archways. Passing the body along the way would show one better preserved than those outside, female and partially mummified. Nishe stopped here, carefully checking to make sure this one wouldn't get up, though the broken column crushing the corpse would leave quite the pathetic undead. The halfling girl paused her as she looked at a pack that might contain items, but shook her head and got back to following Ana, making sure the woman didn't stumble into a trap.

Stopping at the end of the hall, Ana, Nishe and whoever followed could look better into the trio of the rooms. The one straight ahead appeared as bare and broken as before, the one to the right showed to be a bridge crossing a crevasse, a large black obelisk in its center. As Ana turned to the left, she would be faced with a room dominated by an ornate fountain, a pedestal where statues of two women stood naked, a muscled warrior with sword raised, a real sword not stone and a petite maiden pouring a jug. From the stone jug water flowed, fresh and clean, flowing for who knows how many years of abandonment.

There appears to be little else to this room besides this fountain, with two notable exceptions. Dominating the far wall is a mural depicting a man, a man whos body was half burned and half whole, glaring out as lightning and fire crackled around him. In the corner was another corpse, male and in a similar state as the one in the hallway, only not crushed obviously. Next to the corpse is a short message carved in the wall.

'You left me to die, I watched Asha die while you ran you coward!'
 
Kas looked about carefully but for the moment the room was calm and quiet, the statues in the fountain were a nice touch though and he couldn't help but oogle their naked forms for a moment before continuing to peer around. "Nothing about this place sits right with me, though obviously these two were part of a group with at least one other. Maybe treasure hunters much like ourselves, maybe something else." He cupped his hands to gather a taste of the water that flowed from the jug, testing its quality for himself out of curiosity rather than taking a full drink, but otherwise simply stared at the mural with no clue what meaning it held beyond the picture. "No sign of our prize here though that I can see." Shaking his head Kas took the practical route of searching the body, maybe clues were left to find or something useful for a later time. It wasn't greed that guided his hand but logic, the dead did not need their possessions and the living must do what they can to survive.
 
"I'm glad that ruins where people were murdered don't sit right with you. This gives us common ground." Ana spoke, a slightly dry smirk on her lips before she looked around. "Though you are right, it does seem like our goal isn't here." She took a slightly wary stance as she approached, shield somewhat lowered but ready to raise it at a moments notice. "Awful fate to watch another die while you yourself await the same fate, though. I hope karma got this 'you' before too long."
 
Kas smirked at the dark humor and could appreciate it for what it was even though he didn't quite seem to be in the same mindset as Ana. "A nice notion but unfortunately the world doesn't work like that from what I've seen. A whole lot of skill and a little bit of luck are perhaps the only means of living to see another day, I feel for these two but ultimately harsher things have happened amidst the shifting sands of these deserts. Life is full of truths that people don't want to admit or accept, but I've been taught the lesson enough times for it to stick." There was clearly more there but he wasn't saying any more than that to this group of strangers with one common goal, already he had nearly died on this trip and wasn't really in the mood to let his guard down enough to repeat that.
 
The water is cool and refreshing, some of the best tasting water Kas would have ever tried. The water was certainly fresh, whatever system that kept it flowing remarkably well maintained. Searching the body itself would yield little of actual value but perhaps some things of interest to answering about the corpse. A longsword lay at his side, rusted after long exposure in this room. His pack lay open, most of its contents either rusted or ruined. The corpse has been here for some time years and the open, mildly damp air of the fountain room has done little for preservation. One of the few items completely preserved is a fine belt with sturdy leather and an ornate bulls head buckle, seemingly untouched by time.

All in all, it gave the impression that this man was a warrior, from the sword and the armor he wore, similar to Ana, though perhaps not as skilled. The body showed no clear injury on first glance, so it is unclear why he was stuck in this room when the door outside seemed to have not been locked in any way. Cause of death though appeared to be starvation if the marks on the wall were anything to go by.
 
Kas took the belt off the corpse somewhat carefully and tossed it over to Ana if she was ready for it. "It's in good shape, might be magical and from the looks of the gear I'm guessing it would help you more than me. A fighter like you. Starved to death by my guess, not sure why he couldn't get out though. I'm not an expert though so probably something I've missed." He stood up and shrugged as if to say it didn't really matter to him overall and looked around to the rest of the group. He was ready to pick another direction and move on but again he wasn't going to march off in someplace so obviously dangerous by himself, doubly so in cramped quarters where he was at his weakest.
 
For her own part, Willow would be ready to move with the others, though for the moment, she was silent. Inwardly, she could agree with much of what was said... even if she had no strong feelings about it one way or the other. She was used to wide open spaces, not places that had been built. Still, for the moment, she was following them... even as she wondered... how fresh were the corpses?
 
Alderdrix had been silent for a while knowing he unnerved the rest of the group but goes over to study the mural on the wall after giving an appreciative look a the statue of the warrior. Soon enough he picks up the conversation though as he becomes interested in the topic again.

"We think that you may be Mr. Ember look at the Mural there half burned half whole with obvious signs of magical energies in the fires and lightening around him. We also wonder if that sword might be magical, the one the statue is holding, after all the air here is damp due to the fountain there should be signs of corrosion with how old this place is... Also if you want we can try to see if the buckle is magic, we are worried the statue may be trapped"

Still with Jasper the two both cast detect magic to figure out anything of interest in the room.

(EDIT AFTER THIS)

Alderdrix and Jasper both go to study the fountain intently, mostly looking at the mouth where the water pours from.
 
Sidling up beside Alderdrix, Khettio also inspected the mural. Her tail swayed behind her as if recognition was given motion. Pulling her dancing lights back to her from the corridors, she let their white glow illuminate the mural. "Though it would be interesting for a centuries old image to depict someone born in the last generation, this is the God Nephys of the Arcane. Perhaps you recall him as the first Pharoah, who founded the kingdom when he was still a mortal." Khettio brought one of the spheres of light to the figure's face, revealing the scars that covered half of it. "This place must have been built some time after his ascension. If I had to guess, Mr. Ember's condition may be linked him, given the similarities."
 
Catching the tossed belt, Ana looked it over, running the material against her fingers. "Might be best to wait and see if we can figure out what this'll do before I put it on. If the sword's magical i'll take it, can't be cursed, right?" She muttered with a slightly humored tone once more. "Seems this area is... Clear of any dangers, or so I hope."
 
"We believe the buckle will increase your strength, the sword is similar to the arrows, the wand under the fountain is one of restoration, and that the urn on the fountain has a connection to the plane of water."
 
"No, no, no. This place is still dangerous. My visions have told me as much." Khettio held out her tattoo-covered arms as if they clarified anything. "Though I couldn't see the nature of danger. It could be this fountain, for all we know."
 
Having been quiet since coming into the room, Nishe crouched by the fountain frowning at it as if she saw something but wasn't sure. "Well don' see much in this room to be a danger. No trap using cogs and bolts anyway. For all I know everything in this place is cursed." Slowly she rose and moved over to the wall depicting Nethys, frowning at it some more. After a moment she pressed her large ear to it and began knocking. She pulled away and gave a satisfied nod. "Bet ya my knickers that wall is a door."

She looked up to the the symbols either side of the painting and frowned before reaching up and sliding slender fingers into gaps before pulling out the symbol on a stone tile. "Well can't ready these squiggly lines and birds, but wager these six tiles are the key to the door. Less you jus' want me to force it." Indeed there seemed to be three symbols on either side of the mural in ancient osirion, apparently that could be moved and rearranged in some fashion.
 
"So the sword is enchanted as well? Seems useful - Maybe i'll start using that then. No one here objects if I take it for the moment, right?" She asked, moving for the blade. "If it'll help me cut down our foes all the faster, then I see no downside to using it right now."
 
Has shrugged, it meant nothing to him and he had already taken the magic arrows. "Be my guest, no reason not to take what suits us to better prepare for what danger lies ahead." He had no clue about the tiles though and didn't feel comfortable about trying to push them around without more information in the first place.
 
Alderdrix and Jasper are unable to see anything magical about the tiles, simply symbols and indents on the inside. It is pretty clear that the whole thing is mechanical in nature, figuring out which tiles to swap to open the door. Which requires an understanding of the ancient language the symbols are from.

When Ana reached for the sword though, something curious would happen. A slender tendril of what seemed to be pure water snaked up and put itself between Ana's outstretched hand and the sword. Then, slowly more of the water would rise up, forming into the shape of a woman in broad imitation of one of the women in the statue. This woman of water would glare at Ana, and speak, though the tongue is a foreign one to most.

"Do not dare take to from my fountain, or you will drown in my embrace."
 
In a whoosh! Khettio's tail puffed out, and she shrieked, casting Guidance on Ana. "I told you! I told you all this place was still dangerous!"
 
When the water decided to interrupt her fancy new sword shenanigans, Ana held back a sigh, looking to the watery figure. "No idea what it's talking about, but I take it it doesn't want me to have the sword." She spoke, taking her hand away from the blade and taking a few steps back from it, waiting to see if it reacted at all to her actions.
 
The water creature watched as Ana took a step back, seeming to glare the whole time. However it did not lash out or move beyond the boundaries of the fountain. In fact as it was left alone it would slowly melt back into the rest of the water till there appeared to be nothing left. Undoubtedly the creature was still there, watching, waiting, listening.

Nishe gave an unladylike grunt as she watched, turning back to frown over the symbols. "Thought I saw something in there. A watery tart as a guard dog, can't ever be simple with magic folk..."
 
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