SteelBrow stares at the door up the stairs, thinking something doesn't look right.

* It takes a couple different keys, but eventually Akia finds the correct one, and the locking mechanism smoothly retracts.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+1: 15,1 = 16.

Akia swallows hard.

Akia attempts to crack the door open quietly.

Norry stands ready to leap out of danger.

SteelBrow steps back and a bit to the side, "we may have trouble here."

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+1: 16,1 = 17.

* The door sticks a bit, but with care, Akia manages to open it fairly quietly, discovering it opens out into the hall. You can't see much through the small crack.

SteelBrow says, "The door up the stairs, it isn't real. And there appears to be a statue behind it of something ugly."

Akia hms?, somewhat distracted as she slowly opens the door a bit more to see what is beyond.

* When Akia opens the door enough to see within, you discover three steps that lead down into what must be a private vault. A low whirring comes from somewhere within, but fades quickly. To the east stands a statue of a man in robes, his eyes downcast. His marble hands hold an open stone book. Two plain sarcophagi are also here, their lids sealed. The stone here gleams as if it was polished yesterday, and no sign of vermin or dust is anywhere. Tiny niches are built into the masonry in a sparse but orderly pattern.

SteelBrow keeps an eye watching up the stairs.

* Akia rolls 1f20+4: 19,4 = 23.

Akia hrms.

SteelBrow asks, "Norry, what do you see up these stairs, through the door that isn't there?"

Akia whispers softly to each of you, "There's something... alive in here."

Akia considers.

Norry waves a hand absently at Steelbrow, craning his neck to peer around the others into the room.

SteelBrow turns his attention to the chamber Akia opened.

* Akia rolls 1f20+6: 4,6 = 10.

Norry says quietly, "Something small, there. In the wall cubbies."

SteelBrow grins, "then maybe we should send in a small scout."

The DM is typing, please wait...

* A burst of fire blossoms in the room, and puffs out almost as fast with a quick wave of heat. In response, four tiny creatures flit into the air from concealed spots in the walls, apparently undamaged. They look and sound like wasps, but each has a humanlike metal face and two minuscule limbs, as they all fly towards you!

The DM says, "Roll initiative."

Norry says, "No thank you! I can't do all the dirty work you know. It's just not in my line if you understand me."

* Norry rolls 1f20+4: 6,4 = 10.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+2: 16,2 = 18.

* Akia rolls 1f20+4: 9,4 = 13.

Akia growls a little under her breath, obviously disappointed by something.

The DM says, "Steelbrow, go."

The DM sets up tokens.

SteelBrow needs to know where targets are.

The DM says, "They're Tiny, so they can overlap a bit."

SteelBrow finds Akia in his way, and will wait to move.

* All four swoop out of the doorway, and the dart through the party, trying to sting members as they pass by.

* Two of them swipe at Akia, one at Norry, and one at Steelbrow, but you all manage to get out of their way just in time.

The DM says, "Akia, go. Steelbrow, you held your turn for Akia's action, so you can go right after her."

Akia grimaces, seeing they are now intermingled among us.

* Akia rolls 1f20+7: 11,7 = 18.

Akia backs into the now open room and aims an open palm at the pests. A jet of flame leaps out at the little pests.

The DM looks something up....

* Akia rolls 1d8: 1.

* The insect-like constructs get singed a bit by the flame.

The DM says, "Steelbrow, go."

SteelBrow swings his axe at the bug to his SE.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+5: 30,5 = 35.

* SteelBrow rolls 1d12+4: 3,4 = 7.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+5: 10,5 = 15.

* SteelBrow rolls 1d12+4: 6,4 = 10.

SteelBrow plows through the bug, leaving little trace, and swings around at a second target.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+5: -10,5 = -5.

SteelBrow swings wild and seems to not even disturb his second target.

The DM says, "Norry, you're up."

Akia is glad she ducked into the other room with the dwarf wildly swinging like that.

* Norry rolls 1f20+5: 30,5 = 35.

* Norry rolls 1d6: 4.

* Norry rolls 1f20+5: 7,5 = 12.

Norry looses a crossbow bolt, hitting the lone buzzer to his right square in the metal face. The bug reels back with the hit, but still hovers viciously.

The DM says, "And... initiative."

* Norry rolls 1f20+4: 14,4 = 18.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+2: 3,2 = 5.

* Akia rolls 1f20+4: 5,4 = 9.

* The construct Norry badly damaged retreats five feet, and seems to be working on itself. The other two separate and make their own attacks.

* One attack spangs off of Norry's armor, and the other cleanly misses Steelbrow. The damaged one that backed off finishes what it was doing, and looks quite whole again.

The DM says, "Norry, go."

* Norry rolls 1f20+5: 8,5 = 13.

Norry nocks and fires a second bolt, hoping to catch the bug before it finished repairs. Already completed though, it deftly dodges.

The DM says, "Akia, go."

Akia directs another arc of flame at the one that attacked Norry.

* Akia rolls 1f20+7: 4,7 = 11.

* This time the buzzing construct deftly strafes to one side like a hummingbird, and the arc passes harmlessly by.

The DM says, "Steelbrow, go."

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+5+2: 2,5,2 = 9.

SteelBrow swings, and passes wide, the bug not even needing to dodge the clumbsey shot.

The DM exclaims, "Initiative!"

* Norry rolls 1f20+4: 30,4 = 34.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+2: 10,2 = 12.

* Akia rolls 1f20+4: 14,4 = 18.

The DM says, "Alright. Norry can go first. Just in case that _wasn't_ blindingly obvious."

* Norry rolls 1f20+5: 12,5 = 17.

* The bolt just scrapes the buzzing wing of the construct, but still misses, the accursed thing having dropped down in height *just* enough to avoid being struck.

The DM says, "Akia, go."

Akia grimaces, stepping forward to strike the obnoxious pests with her now unsheathed claws.

* Akia rolls 1f20+1: 7,1 = 8.

* Akia rolls 1f20+1: 14,1 = 15.

Akia, obviously rather frustrated, can't seem to hit anything.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+5+2: 10,5,2 = 17.

SteelBrow again swings, coming close enough this time the bug has to dodge the edge of his blade.

* Akia rolls 1f20+1: 17,1 = 18.

* Indeed, there is even a metallic noise as the side of the axe scrapes harmlessly against the thing's body.

* One of the remaining constructs Akia singed earlier backs off from the fight and repeats the repairing motion you saw earlier, but the other two make another run.

* One cleanly misses Norry, sounding agitated at its inability to hit the halfling. The other one that Norry hit badly earlier has decided to spring at Akia, but her armor safely protects her from the attempt.

The DM says, "Initiative."

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+2: 8,2 = 10.

* Akia rolls 1f20+4: 5,4 = 9.

* Norry rolls 1f20+4: 30,4 = 34.

The DM says, "Alright, Norry, it's your spotlight."

* Norry rolls 1f20+5: 2,5 = 7.

Norry steps back and fires another bolt, missing again.

The DM says, "Steelbrow, you're up."

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+5+2: 8,5,2 = 15.

SteelBrow swings at the bug between him and Norry, and narrowly misses as the bug deftly rises above the path of his axe.

The DM says, "Make your party proud, Akia. Or something. Go."

* Akia rolls 1f20+7: 11,7 = 18.

Akia gestures in the direction of the metallic creatures and a massive burst of flames engulfs the two farthest from her.

SteelBrow ducks back away from the flame.

* Akia rolls 1d6: 4.

* Irritatingly, one of them still manages to dodge to the side unharmed. But the other one that had retreated that was singed earlier takes the full brunt of the blast. With a series of grinding and sproinging sounds, its wings seize, and it clatters to the ground, shattering into several pieces.

* The remaining two gang up on Akia, and swoop in with their attacks.

* Both of them barely miss, with only Akia's armor fully protecting her... but miss they do.

The DM says, "Initiative."

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+2: 2,2 = 4.

* Norry rolls 1f20+4: 6,4 = 10.

* Akia rolls 1f20+4: 8,4 = 12.

The DM says, "Go for it, Akia."

Akia, encouraged by her most recent victory against the pests, snarls in a toothy grin, whirling to send flames at the one nearest her as she backs into the room further.

* Akia rolls 1f20+7: 12,7 = 19.

* Akia rolls 1d8: 8.

Akia's flames cause the joints in the creature to lock up, it falls to the ground with a satisfying thud, breaking apart into a few nearly molten shards.

The DM says, "You're up, Norry."

Norry glances around and, seeing all but one bug down, shrugs and looses a bolt toward it.

* Norry rolls 1f20+5: 9,5 = 14.

- which, of course, misses completely.

SteelBrow like a one trick pony, makes a swing at the last bug...

The DM says, "Hang on."

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+5+2: 10,5,2 = 17.

The DM resets Steelbrow's action. Because it's not his turn.

* The last bug darts at Norry, swiping at him as it passes. However, in doing so it leaves Steelbrow's area, and provokes an attack from the dwarf.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+5+2: 7,5,2 = 14.

* The dwarf misses... but then, so does the construct.

The DM says, "And now it is your turn, Steelbrow."

SteelBrow charges past Norry and swings...

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+5+2: 11,5,2 = 18.

* SteelBrow rolls 1d12+4: 6,4 = 10.

SteelBrow smashes the last bug against the wall.

* Bits of gearing and springs sprinkle down, followed by the rest of it.

Akia watches the last one go down, "Well. Those were annoying little beasties."

SteelBrow picks up some pieces and evaluates their construction and value.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+1+2: 11,1,2 = 14.

Norry asks, "What do you suppose they were doing in there?"

Akia says, "I would guess: guarding."

SteelBrow says, "probably guarding the crypt."

Akia looks around the room she's in.

Akia edges away from the statue.

Norry peeks in. "And now we've gone and left it unguarded I suppose."

SteelBrow shuffles debree from the constructs into a pile, to perhaps collect later.

SteelBrow looks in the room, "rather clean in here. The little buggies probably did some dusting."

* Akia rolls 1f20+4: 12,4 = 16.

Akia hrms, examining the sarcophagi, "Nothing particularly interesting here. I wonder why the bugs were guarding this room."

Akia asks, "Anyone want to try and open these?"

Akia says, "I don't expect they hold anything we're looking for."

SteelBrow says, "I say we leave the dead to rest."

Norry says, "No, I think the evil has avoided this room. Either for lack of keys or due to the vigilance of these late guards."

Akia sighs a little, looking at the small pile.

Akia says, "I suppose we should not have bothered them."

* Akia rolls 1f20+4: 15,4 = 19.

SteelBrow takes another look up the stairs on the other side of the hall.

Norry joins the dwarf.

SteelBrow asks, "What you make of the door that isn't there?"

Norry peers up the stairway.

Akia huhs.

Akia mutters to herself as she walks back into the hallway, "I would wager that these two... folks... interred here simply had an interest in constructs."

Akia takes a moment to peer at the statue.

* Akia rolls 1f20+4: 11,4 = 15.

Akia shakes her head as she steps into the hallway finally.

SteelBrow sees what Akia is up to.

Akia asks, "Hm? Just investigating this statue. Curious worksmanship, is it not?"

Akia says, "Was wondering if there was anything written in this book, but it seems to be blank."

SteelBrow examines the statue...

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+1+2: 30,1,2 = 33.

SteelBrow heads back to the stairs, noting nothing of immediate interest to the statue.

SteelBrow says, "Nice piece of stonework, but unlikely to relate to our quest."

SteelBrow asks, "Akia, care to take the lead?"

Akia sighs somewhat exsperatedly, "Hm? Sure. Umm... what was it you said about an illusionary door?"

SteelBrow says, "Up these stairs, a door that isn't really there. And an ugly beast of a statue behind."

The DM makes a minor correction: s/Up/Down

Norry holds up his torch, peering down the steps.

Akia says, "You sure it's a statue."

Akia asks, "And not something that likes eating tigers?"

SteelBrow says, "it didn't move."

Akia says, "Well sure. Not while we aren't in range."

* This area if the mausoleum has already been determined to be of far older and higher-quality stonemasonry than the surrounding area. From the top of the stairs, everyone (except Steelbrow) sees some kind of wall at the bottom of the two flights of stairs, but your eyes won't properly focus on it.

SteelBrow says, "fine", and starts down, making his best attempt at moving quietly.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+2: 19,2 = 21.

SteelBrow says, "and -4, armor."

Akia doesn't particularly relish the idea of walking towards something she cannot see.

Norry follows down, keeping his distance.

Akia stands at the top of the landing, watching the dwarf's progress, ready to send flames if needed.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20+1: 8,1 = 9.

* Norry rolls 1f20+3: 7,3 = 10.

SteelBrow continues close enough to poke at the door with his axe.

* SteelBrow rolls 1f20-2: 9,-2 = 7.

Akia eyes the door warily, hoping to somehow pierce the illusion.

Norry blinks. "A beholder!"

* Akia rolls 1f20+7: 5,7 = 12.

Norry says, "Well, a statue of one at any rate. How odd."

SteelBrow can see better up close, "not so much a statue as a carving."

Norry says, "Right you are. Just an image, really."

SteelBrow examines the carving closely.

SteelBrow asks, "what you make of the writing here?"

Norry approaches and examines the writing.