A battle ensues in which you manage to defeat all 6 wights. During the battle b'Urp notices that none of the wights attack him or even seem to register his presence. He decides it must be the mask he is wearing, so you all put on masks from the dead wights, after which the eyes of the bronze disc do not seem to follow you any more. Javlin decides to check out the sarcophagus and pushes the lid off. Bones of a small animal lie within a pile of dust in the bottom, and on the pile sits a ring. Deciding that this looks magical, Javlin grabs it. Suddenly the dust swirls into the shape of a small, feral, bear-like creature that billows toward him with a ghostly roar. As the dust swirls around him, Javlin feels the mind of another being attempting to enter his mind, but he resists the effects. Examining the ring it is obvious that the the item is a ring of protection. A powerful item indeed. Javelin puts it on. You decide to backtrack a little, and have a look through the other secret door you discovered. It opens to a stairway leading down which Trayzeal sneaks down to look into the room beyond. Old wooden benches and shelves along the walls of this chamber are covered with gears, chains, trap components, and cages filled with rats. Lit iron braziers hang by chains from the ceiling. Along the north wall, a stepped dais is set with a bulky contraption: an iron maiden of sorts, attached to a network of steaming pistons, tubes, and bubbling vats of blood. Five masked dwarves operate the contraption. The iron contraption shudders as it opens, releasing a hissing cloud of steam. Through the roiling vapor, an armored figure wearing a bucket helm stomps into view. Trayzeal decides that this is the best opportunity for a sneak attack and fires from his hiding place. He misses and it is now obvious where he is. The armoured figure, a tomb guardian, stomps after him with the dwarves following behind. Despite the tomb guardians mighty fists and the crossbows of the dwarves, you are able to fell the guardian. The tomb dwarves fall back into the room and ready attacks. Javlin moves into the room and is peppered with crossbow bolts. You rush in ready for the fight, but one of the dwarves is no longer there. An open door to the south indicates where it has gone. The fight begins again in earnest, but after a short time the missing dwarf returns and indicates that everyone should lower their weapons. The other dwarves comply, and you decide to as well, interested to see where this goes. Following the dwarf into the room follows a strange figure. "Good afternoon", the figure exclaims jovially, first in Chultan and then in common, "my name is Withers. I am the trapmaster for this place. No need to introduce yourselves, I know each one of you through my scrying. I have been watching your adventures in Omu with great interest. I'm embarrassed to tell you that you have entered a section of the tomb where you should not be. Let's call it backstage if you will. You will have to leave, but before you do I'm keen to take the opportunity the learn more of your homelands". He explains that when alive he had made some of the best traps in the tomb and as a reward Acererak had risen him from the dead after slaughtering all the Omuans. He found that being dead was excellent for focus and the lack of need for eating and sleeping was a great bonus for learning time, but it limited his travel". Javelin gives a great deal of detail about his homeland which pleases Withers immensely. Withers discusses a creature called the Atropal who he claims that Acererak is feeding devoured souls to. He explains that the souls will eventually give the Atropal the power of a god which Acererak will be able to use for his purposes. As they are talking a group of disembodied hands crawl around the room disassembling the corpses of fallen dwarves and the tomb guardian. Trayzeal, being quite injured has stayed to the back and stands at the top of the stairs, waiting distrustfully for this exchange to finish. He is right to be distrustful. As the conversation winds to a close Withers says, "well it has been a pleasure talking with you. I have learnt so much. However, it is now time for you to leave. A great shame. A great shame that you have seen backstage, but that is fine. There are more and more adventurers arriving in Omu now and I will be keen to see if they have the intelligence to overcome my clever traps. For you, it is simply time to die". With that, the eyes of a black skull amulet around his neck flare and he disappears, materialising instantly at the top of the stairs behind Trayzeal. You suddenly realise that you are trapped and that all the dwarves and disembodied hands have made their way into excellent positions to kill you. Roll initiative....
