ic Lair of the Mummy (IC)

[angrydurf]

Kam grinned at his companions rambling thoughts on his history and nodded slowly along offering a small shrug, "At the least for affairs of state we eat quite well."  he agreed readily, "Though for day to day meals balanced nutrition with our schooling and training tended to take precedence."  the young prince was not gifted with the superhuman prowess of his sibling relying on the training and lifestyle of a member of the royal family and no small genetic benefit for his own more limited abilities.

 

Making a small choking noise at her further questions he shook his head, "Ahhh no."  he recovered slowly glancing between Veronica and Elizabeth uncertain if he was the target of some missed humor or if the question was genuine, "My sister and I are able to make our own romantic choices."  he assured them, "Marriage of state has fallen out of favor among most of the tribes though due to traveling in similar social circles it is not uncommon and still offers some bond of kinship."  he explained resorting to educating rather than addressing the implicit suggestion directly.  "Ah and princes are not exactly my area of interest."  he quietly put to rest the more uncomfortable assumption.  Clearing his throat he gratefully looked to the monolithic structures Veronica named.

 

"They are stunning to have so stood the tests of time in so conflicted a region."  he expressed with genuine interest.  The wars across the continent over the years were not unknown in Dakana and it was to some shame that the isolated kingdom had not done more to stabilize the continent earlier in it's history.

[Fox]

"Not to mention the weather and the sands, Mr. Not-Naming-Any-Foods," Elizabeth mused. If she seemed at all dismayed by Kam's admission of a princeless love life she sure hadn't shown it, having flashed him an impish grin and let the matter drop. "A little bit of shifting ground or the wrong storm at the wrong time and a big old wall would just collapse, but I guess the pyramids are big enough to stay."

 

She leaned back, retrieving a pair of large sunglasses from her pocket in the much belated hope of soaking in the sights without having to squint. "It's one hell of a way to go, being big and important enough to get that kind of grave. Goals, I guess. How many of these have you been in, Veronica?"

[Thevshi]

Veronica

 

Veronica just game Kam a small grin as he looked at bit confused about Elizabeth's question about whether he was to be part of an arranged marriage.  She made no comment however, as it was at least a partially honest question given that a majority of the world knew very little about the inner workings of Dakana, and the fact that arrange marriages even among more modest social classes were still common enough in parts of the world.

 

At Liz's question about the pyramids they were passing, Veronica took a quick glance over at the one currently nearby before focusing back on the road and answering.  "I have been in all of them at one point or another.  Although most of the time it was just for sightseeing, but in a few occasions I accompanied my mother on research projects inside some."

 

As Veronica responded, she turned the Land Rover off the two lane paved road they were heading along and onto a dirt road that headed south past the Red Pyramid.  The driving conditions were rather bumpier now, and it was not long before they got even rougher, as Veronica turned onto another, smaller dirt road to the west once more.  The road twisted and turned some, as they moved down some hillsides and into a lower valley area.

 

Down on the valley floor the occupants of the vehicle could see what looked like a small camp set up near what appeared to be a dig site that was uncovering some stone structure.  Not far from the camp and active dig site was a half-buried pyramid, only the upper third fully visible above the sands along one of the valley walls.

 

"There it is."  Veronica stated as she began to slow down and approach the campsite near the dig.  "The Pyramid of Sanakht."  Looking over toward the dig she added, "they are working on further excavation of a temple complex that we found near the pyramid from around the same time period." 

 

As they approached the camp site, Kam and Liz saw a middle-aged Egpytian man dressed in dusty work clothes waiting for them.  Veronica parked the Land Rover next to some other dusty off-road vehicles parked near the camp site as the waiting man moved close to greet them.

 

"Veronica, so wonderful to see you again."  He stated in accented English as he moved up the teenage Danger as she climbed out of the vehicle, giving her a kiss on one cheek.  Veronica returned the gesture with a smile. "It is good to see you as well Dr. Nassry, thank you for all your help to get this trip arranged."

 

"But of course, always glad to have your assistance when you have the time."  Dr. Nassry stated with a warm smile.

 

"Allow me to introduce my friends," Veronica stated, turning slightly to indicated Liz and Kam, "Elizabeth Grey and Kam Kingdom.  They are both very excited to have the opportunity to help with the excavations and other projects."

 

Dr. Nassry turned to each of the teenager, offering his hand and a warm smile.  "So pleased to meet you both."

 

"And I believe you have communicated with Prudence on the phone and by e-mail as she was coordinating this trip for us."  Veronica added, gesturing to Prudence as the young woman made her way around the parked Land Rover.

"Ah yes, a pleasure to finally meet you in person."  Dr. Nassry stated as he shook Prudence’s hand as well.

 

"A great honor Dr. Nassry."  Prudence stated in response with a cordial smile.

 

"Now, let's get you all to your quarters for your stay here and get out of this afternoon sun for a bit while we talk."  Dr. Nassry stated, gesturing over toward the camp.

[angrydurf]

"Daily meals were usually greens, Foufou and a peanut sauce."  he shrugged noncommittally, "For feast days there are usually traditions for the various holidays."  he grinned a slightly, "And foreign cuisine when fete-ing diplomatic missions."    He watched their progress through the hills toward their destination with interest nodding agreement with Elizabeth's observations.  "And that in itself impressive."  

 

He rose easily from his seat to step out into the sun once more when they arrived and followed a few steps behind Veronica as introductions were made.  He offered the doctor a shallow bow as he took his hand, "wa 'alaykum is salām"  he intoned the phrase well practiced if accented.  He readily followed as they were led to their quarters his bag slung easily over one shoulder as he observed the bustle of the camp as they passed through.  "I am looking forward to learning more of your lands impressive history."  he agreed readily.

[Fox]

"Ooh, yes please," Elizabeth agreed, falling in line behind the rest as they made their way toward shelter. She carried her bag at her side, swinging free from one hand while the other held her hat down. She probably didn't need to hold her hat down, but it's just what one did when exploring a new place, surely. "The history, yes, but the quarters part too. I love what I've seen of this country so far, but I am not built for the sun. It's worth it to see your pyramid, but I'm never going to turn down some shade."

 

She had a brilliant smile to go with that, every inch the well-meaning enthusiast. "How has the dig been going? Found anything new and exciting?"

[Thevshi]

Veronica

 

Dr. Nassry gave a warm smile at Kam's formal greeting, giving a slight bow to the regal teen. As they started off towards their quarters, the archeologist responded to Liz’s question. "Things are going rather well. The excavation of the temple complex here has revealed a number of rooms with writings which will likely keep teams busy for years translating and interpreting. But of course nothing nearly as exciting as the discoveries we made when Veronica and her family was last here."

 

For the most part, the actual "camp" of the location was rather quite right now, the most of the activity being over at the nearby excavation site. There was a large tent with its sides rolled up looking out toward the excavation site, several long tables with multiple chairs set up underneath in what appeared to be a dining area. There were a number of other smaller tents that appeared to be used for storage nearby. Just past then tents were a collection of rectangular structures, about half a dozen, arranged around an open area in the center where there was a large covering set up to provide shade around a number of camp chairs.

 

As they drew closer, Liz and Kam saw that the rectangular structures where about the size of cargo shipping containers, but had been refurbished into living quarters. Each had a sliding door on the side, those that were open reveling a nicely furnished room inside. There was a section of solar panels on the roof of each of the containers. As the group came to the covered area in the center, Dr. Nassry pointed toward a structure to the left with its door open. "That pod over there has been set up for you ladies." He stated, glancing at Veronica, Liz and Prudence. "And for the young gentleman, we have a bed just across the way." He then added, pointing over towards structure directly across from the first on the other side of the covered area between.

 

Prudence glanced at the various structures set up around the covered area in the center. "There are not enough eco-pods for all the workers you have at the dig." She observed.

 

Dr. Nassry gave a small nod. "The majority of the workers are lodging in town and are bused out each day. With the three of you, there will only be about a dozen of us here overnight."

 

"That should work perfectly then." Veronica replied with a nod of her own.

[angrydurf]

Taking in the layout of the camp with a care Kam quickly turned his gaze to the dig estimating the distance and likelihood of noise carrying to the tents and pods.  Peering at the structure where he was to bunk he nodded gratefully, "Your hospitality is appreciated, I admit not expecting such luxurious accommodations."  He tilted his head curiously at the revelation of how few workers would be in residence overnight and while it certainly suited their own purposes to be less observed the same benefits would extend to any agents of the enemy that might approach.

 

"Is there further security at the dig itself?"  he asked curiously as he dug a bit deeper for information, "I imagine even casual vandals are a risk no less active thieves."  he looked between Veronica and Nassry uncertain if he misread the situation.  

[Fox]

"Bunkmates!" Elizabeth cheered - less a childlike exclamation and more genuine glee at the novelty of it all. "Are there bunks? Can I call top bunk? I feel like that's the correct and traditional thing to do."

 

She shrugged, turning her attention back to the actual conversation at hand without waiting for, or expecting, an answer. "Vandalism here seems like it'd be pretty risky. If you get away with it because everyone's deaf in their cans, that's one thing, but if you screw up you've pretty much smacked a beehive. I mean, people make bad choices all the time," she said, "but some choices are worse than most? Do you at least have cameras and stuff around?"

[Thevshi]

Veroncia

 

Veronica gave a small smile at Liz's excitement about sharing one of the Eco-Pods. "Sure, top bunk is all yours. I will be good with my hammock." The teenage Danger replied. Liz had been to Veronica and Janus' room at Claremont and knew Veronica did not sleep in her bed at the school. Instead, she had raised her bed up as high as it would go, but instead of using the area underneath as a study desk, she had hung her hammock there and used the bed as something of a storage area.

 

Dr. Nassry gave a small nod at Kam and Liz's questions. "Yes, there is security. It is lighter during the day but is increased at night." He replied to Kam's questions. "And we do have some cameras covering the more important sections of the dig site and camp." He then added.

 

"Well, shall we drop off our stuff and head out to start helping with the excavation some to keep up appearances?" Veronica asked, clearly ready to get started.

[angrydurf]

Grinning at Elizabeth's seemingly endless enthusiasm for the more mundane portions of the trip Kam took Dr. Nassry's reply storing away that information for later.  The Dakanan hefted his bag and looked toward the pod he was to be bunking in, "Agreed Veronica."  he turned to start walking that direction, "I'll return momentarily I should change into something more dig site appropriate."  As while comfortable for a lengthy flight the lightweight athletic wear was not likely to hold up to the rigors of even pretending to work an active excavation.  It would also give him the opportunity to secure the more esoteric gear he'd brought for their true purpose here.

 

A few minutes later he returned clad in sturdy boots, durable but breathable dun linen trousers and a pocketed vest with assorted small brushes and tools all without a hint of use, a gift from an enthusiastic member of hte household when they'd discovered where he was spending his break.  Under the vest a tight cotton tank top gave the slightest nod to modesty but in the desert heat he was opting for comfort over other concerns.  He patiently awaited whatever the ladies or Dr. Nassry needed to attend to after his return.

[Fox]

Elizabeth snapped a salute and broke off for the girls' pod before anyone could renege on the bunk deal - almost as soon as she was inside she threw her bag up on it, to mark her territory. She was pretty sure that's how it worked. It was, at the very least, a setup worth admiring before she opened her back up for clothing that was more work-worthy and less travel-worthy.

 

When she came back she'd traded her breezy dress and wide-brimmed hat for a loose white blouse tucked into practical, simple tan cargo pants which in turn rested over a pair of rough-looking work boots. For all her newfound power of many pockets, her mask didn't seem to be anywhere to be found - but anyone who knew her properly also knew better than to believe such a thing. She did at least have a neckerchief in her signature blue tied around her neck, for fashion or dust or both.  "Reporting for duty," she said, still grinning. "I, um, did not bring tools, because I don't own any. I may have to borrow, or improvise."

[Thevshi]

Veronica

 

As the group briefly split up to put their things away and get ready to assist with the dig for the remainder of the afternoon, Veronica and Prudence followed Elizabeth into the pod designated for them. Prudence placed her bags over near a single bed set up against one wall, while Veronica walked over to an open area on the other side of the pod. Unlike Elizabeth or Prudence, Veronica was carrying no luggage, not even her typical well-worn backpack she carried around campus.

 

Being one of the other magic using students at Claremont, Elizabeth knew Veronica had been spending some time studying the extra-dimensional space that their classmate Danica used to store things. After a bit of experimentation, Veronica had managed to create a similar storage space of her own. Drawing her hand in a circle, Veronica caused a small hole to form in the air in front of her and she reached in to pull out her hammock. Letting the hole close once more, Veronica quickly hung up the hammock, given she did not need to change as her typical day-to-day wear was exactly what she normally wore when she was off at places such as this.

 

Once she had finished with the hammock, Veronica gain accessed the extra-dimensional storage space, pulling out her worn backpack which she slung onto her back before they made their way back outside to the waiting Dr. Nassry and Kam as he came out of his pod.  As Elizabeth admitted to not having any tools for assisting in the dig, Dr. Nassry gave a small smile. "Not to worry. We should have some extra tools that you will be able to use."

 

The small group then made its way over to the dig site and back out into the warm afternoon sun. While not as hot as it could get during the summer months, the weather was still quite a bit warmer than Freedom City had been. As they approached the dig, Dr. Naasry pointed out the sections of the temple complex that had been unearthed so far and explained the work that they were doing to try to further uncover more of the complex as well as search for any artifacts that might be buried within the sands as well. They stopped by a large table on which were arrayed a number a pottery shards and a few small carved stone items which the doctor talked briefly about as examples of the types of artifacts the group might be likely to find during the dig and how to excavate and handle them. The three Claremont students were also introduced to two individuals who had been photographing the artifacts before getting ready to box them up, two graduate students, one from the University of Cairo, the other from the University of Berlin.

 

Then Dr. Nassry took them down into the current excavation site, introducing them to some more of the volunteers working on the dig before directing them toward a section that they could work on. The area had already been marked off into several grids with bits of string and stakes, Veronica explaining the system used to track where any artifacts, wall sections or any other important discovery within the dig site. Then the trio each selected one of the marked grids and began to work at excavating the area, Veronica providing any pointers if asked.

 

"Not exactly the most thrilling of pursuits," Veronica said with a small grin, "but still important work. Besides, you never know when you might find some rare item lost in the sands. In any event, things should be more exciting tonight when we make our way back into burial chambers within the pyramid."

[angrydurf]

"I imagine it will primarily be the brush and the sieve for us."  Kam replied to Elizabeth shrugging.  "It seems not all of archeology is dodging falling boulders and savage tribesmen or ancient curses."  the prince smirked with a feigned rueful shake of his head.  "This was a gift from an excited hobbyist." he gestured somewhat embarrassed at the vest,  "It would be rude not to accept and put to use though no?"  it certainly would have been by Dakanan standards.

 

He followed the others through the explanation of how they were to be aiding dig committing the asics to memory though knowing he lacked the expertise to offer more than sharp eyes and a strong back to the effort and would be calling upon the professionals should he actually locate anything of significance.  He also examined the process of where and how the artifacts were catalogued and stored keeping an eye or possible vectors for infiltration by outside agents ever suspicious.

 

At the site itself he readily pitched in slowly peeling back layers of the desert earth to be sieved and seek artifacts of antiquity.  "It is from this foundation that the flashier finds are wrought and given context after all."  he agreed with Veronica but Side eyed Elizabeth, "Or through singular rule breaking for adventures sake by certain blessed lineages."

[Fox]

"I should have known the books and shows had lied to me," Elizabeth lamented - but it was a good-natured lament, accompanied by a wry grin and a dutiful acceptance of her borrowed tools. "If either of you find a bolder trap or secret dinosaur shaman or something, you have to tell me."

 

She knelt down in her assigned grid and did her best, an uncharacteristic focus driven largely by the novelty of the task. "It's really not too bad," she said, shifting a whole lot of nothing from a collection of sand. "I can see how it'd get old after a while, but it's still kind of...I don't know. Meditative?" She paused, squinting up at the larger grid space, and then the ruins beyond. "I'm not going to switch career plans or anything, but even if this is all that comes from this trip, I'm glad I came out. It's been interesting to learn and try something new."

[Thevshi]

Veronica

 

Veronica gave a small smile at Kam's friendly teasing about her family’s tendency to eschew more traditional archeological practices.

 

The afternoon sun continued to move toward the west, the air cooling slightly in the process. Thankfully the angle of the sun allowed the three teens to primarily work in the shade. The work was somewhat tedious, but the three soon fell into a steady rhythm, working on their designated sections, though it was sometimes hard to tell if they had made any real headway.

 

By the time the sun was far to the west and the other members of the excavation team started to get ready to depart for the evening, the three Claremont students had managed to come across a handful of pottery fragments, but not much else. "I know it may not seem like much," Veronica said as she individually wrapped up the pieces they had found in some cloth to be stored for the evening, "but it is not at all uncommon to work for weeks, sometimes months or years in an area and not find much of any significance. So, I’d say for a first day we are rather ahead of the curve."

 

Once the three had gathered their things, they made their way back to the pods that would be their sleeping quarters while at the site. There in the common area between the pods, they found Prudence and Dr. Nassry waiting for them, one of the tables set up with several dishes of food.

 

"Ah, there are our young friends, done with a tiring afternoon’s work." Dr. Nassry said with a smile as he spotted the three teens. "In honor of your first day as our guests, I took the liberty of having several common Egyptian dishes brought out for our dinner." He stated, gesturing over towards the set out food.

 

"First off we have a variety of kababs." he continued, gesturing a variety of skewered meats. "I wanted to be sure you had a wide selection, so there is rabbit, pigeon, chicken, duck, lamb and beef."

 

"Then we have some ful medames." Dr. Nassry continued, indicating a stew that appeared be made of fava beans with parsley, onion, chill pepper and other vegetables visible in the mix. "It is of course served with sliced hard-boiled eggs." He added, indicating a plate of the sliced eggs that sat nearby.

 

"Another vegetarian option is kushari." He stated, identifying a large plate of a dish that appeared to be made of rice, macaroni and lentils, with tomato sauce, chickpeas and crispy fried onions included in the mix. “There is some eish baladi to go with everything," he added, this time indicating a plate of thick pita style bread.

 

"And finally, for desert, I went with two options." Dr. Nassry continued with a smile. "We have some basbousa," Dr. Nassry gestured to a plate of small cakes topped with walnuts, "and some Om Ali." He finished, indicating a large bowl of what appeared be some sort of bread pudding.

 

Veronica gave a warm smile. "Thank you Dr. Nassry, it all looks wonderful." She said as she took a plate in order to get a little bit of everything.

[angrydurf]

Approaching the task at hand with a single minded focus Kam was meditatively quiet through the afternoon filling buckets and steadfastly sifting with mechanical precision as he picked out the rare potsherd.  He seemed quite satisfied by what they had uncovered by the time the shadows grew long and they headed back to camp.  "I expect a great deal more sand really."  he replied with a grin as they walked back to the camp. He quickly wiped down his face and hands before making his way to where Dr. Nassry explained the small feast they were offered.

 

Stomach growling at the site and description he was close on Veronicas heels before pausing to offer to let Elizabeth go first as his manners caught up to him.  "You are too kind I expected far more plain fair in camp."  he praised as he moved in to fill a bowl with the hearty Ful when his turn came.  A few pieces of the flatbread tucked against the bowl were soon turned to his primary utensil as the young man dug into the rich meal gratefully.  "Your cooks have outdone themselves."  he complimented freely between bites.  When able to speak more freely he leaned in to enquire of Veronica, "What is our plan for the other portion of our excursion here?"  He had little concern with slipping unnoticed form his own pod but meeting up with the girls without drawing undue speculation might be more difficult.

[Fox]

Elizabeth probably had something complementary to say about all the food, but had a difficult time saying it with a mouth full to overflowing, cheeks puffed and a corner of bread sticking out.

 

She made an embarrassed noise, held a hand in front of her face to shield her shame while swallowing, and tried again. "S-sorry. It's really good, though," she said. She'd loaded up with a bit of everything, determined as ever to experience everything she possibly could. When she did resume eating, at least, it was with a little more grace and a little less faux pas. "You've got to try the kushari, Kam." The teen gestured toward the dish with restrained enthusiasm, but only after getting a second helping. "It's so good. I'm looking that recipe up when we get back."

 

"I should be able to meet up with you guys pretty much wherever, if we think we can't head out as a group. I'm very subtle," she said, quietly, adding a third piece of kebab to her collection. The comment didn't seem to be entirely un-self-aware, accompanied as it was by a wry grin. "Can't be that hard to say we're taking a walk to look at the stars over the desert, or something, though. We are pretty much tourists."

[Thevshi]

Veronica

 

Dr. Nassry gave a small smile and a bow of his head at the compliments and thanks from the three teens. "I would be a poor host if I did not provide you a fitting welcoming dinner that showcases several of my country’s best dishes. I only hope I am not setting expectation too high, as I am afraid we will not be able to eat quite this good every night."

 

Veronica gave a warm smile between bites as she saw her friends’ excited reaction to the food. Of course, she knew Kam had experienced a variety of more traditional foods throughout Africa, so there had been little doubt he would enjoy the fare. And while some of the dishes might be new to Elizabeth, Veronica had come to recognize the other girl's zeal at trying out new things, so it was little surprise she had taken a wide sampling of foods. Veronica herself had taken some of most everything as well, having had the opportunity to try all of these foods a number of times in the past.

 

"We greatly appreciate the meal Dr. Nassry." She replied. "And will understand that other meals are not likely to match this. And truly, if all of us are as hungry as I was after only part of an afternoon’s work, I am sure we will not be judging whatever food we get." She added with a smile.

 

As the meal progressed and she was able to speak a bit more freely with Kam and Liz, Veronica gave a small nod Liz’s suggestions for making their way away from camp later that night to begin exploring the pyramid. "I think Liz has a good idea. Instead of just trying to sneak around, saying we want to go out for some stargazing is likely a better cover. It gives us an excuse to move further to the west of camp, further away from the town and that puts us close to the pyramid." She glanced over to where Prudence and Dr. Nassry were talking. "And Prudence generally knows we are here to further investigate the pyramid, so she can help provide us some cover."

[angrydurf]

Following Elizabeths advice Kam sated himself on the other fare as well having worked up an appetite in the afternoons labor. He nodded agreement to the girls suggestion, "Ah yes I suppose that would be the simpler course wouldn't it."  He did tend to overthink such things a fact his sister was usually quick to remind him of.  He sighed slightly, "I admit most of may activities of this nature require escaping the notice of friend and foe alike."  he admitted with a laugh.

 

"Veronica is there anything in particular we should need to bring?"  he enquired curiously not entirely certain what this sort of excursion would require.  "Light source I suppose."   he shrugged with a wide grin, "A length of rope?  Ten foot pole?" he suggested jovially.

[Fox]

Elizabeth stroked her chin, pondering what one would take into a proper tomb. "I can do light," she volunteered, frowning. "Though I guess extra lights to go around wouldn't hurt at all. Rope sounds pretty good, though - I don't think I brought any, but they've got to have some lying around, right?"

 

That was more a question for Veronica, white eyebrows raised in genuine curiosity. "There are other ways out of, you know, pits of snakes and spikes and weirdly-still-operational saw blades or whatever, but we might also just end up having to carry something or tie some jerks up. Anything else, though? I'm with Kam - you're the expert."

[Thevshi]

Veronica

 

Veronica smiled slightly at Kam's joke about a ten foot pole. "Well, a ten foot pole is really only going to be necessary if we find a new section of the tomb." She replied before glancing over to Liz. "I would say be sure to have your mask handy, but I know that goes without saying."

 

"But yeah, we are going to need plenty of light in there. I have brought several light sources, but having extra for each of us certainly would not hurt." The teenage Danger then replied more seriously. "I also have rope and other climbing gear. At the very least we are going to need some to get down into the tomb. And again, if we do find some new section, we could end up needing more."

 

"I am going to have a few other things handy, first aid kit, some survival gear, including food and water." She then added. "For this trip, we may not need much more."

[Thevshi]

GM

 

For the rest of dinner, the three teenagers focused on other topics of conversation, particularly when Dr. Nassry came over to engage them once more. After dinner, there was some time spent gathered around a small fire pit in the center area between the pods as the night sky grew dark and the air began to cool.

 

After about an hour after sunset, the three teens stood up to excuse themselves, informing Dr. Nassry they wanted to move a bit further out from camp for some star gazing before turning in for the night. After a stop in their respective quarters to gather a few items, the three set off away from the camp, moving through the necropolis towards the desert to the west. Although Veronica was only wearing her backpack, which did not seem nearly full enough to be carrying much in the way of rope, her confident demeanor suggested everything was under control.

 

Veronica knew her way around the necropolis well enough to take a path that seemed to lead most directly toward the desert, only to turn away after they were out of sight of the camp and lead her friends over towards hillside where the uncovered upper portion of a pyramid was faintly visible in the darkness. The teenage Danger insisted on not using any light, both to prevent them from messing up their eyes adjustment to the semi-darkness and to prevent the light from being seen from the camp or the area security.

 

It was a bit of a climb up the uncovered portion of the pyramid, the primary difficulty being the darkness more than anything else. Soon enough the three were up on a small flat area right beside the lower portion of the uncovered pyramid. Down below they could faintly make out the camp, the fire near the pods providing enough light to make out the shapes of some of the structures.

 

Up against the pyramid, a small metal gate had been put in place, closing in an opening in the side of the pyramid that led to a shaft that sloped downward at more than a forty five degree angle, quickly disappearing into pitch darkness. The wind blowing through the gate caused a faint, eerier echo that could be heard from the darkness of the shaft.

[Thevshi]

Veronica Danger

 

Once she and her friends were up by the entrance to the pyramid, Veronica reached into a pocket and pulled out a key she used to unlock the gate over the entrance. Putting the key away, she carefully opened the first side of the gate, keeping a firm grip on it to keep it from swinging wildly and making noise. "Grab some rocks to put at the bottom to keep it in place once open." She said softly to Kam and Liz. Veronica held the open door in place while her friends put some rocks there to keep it from moving, then repeated the process with the other half off the door.

 

Once that was done, the teenage Danger proceeded to create a hole in the air, from which she pulled a long coil or rope. As one of the other magic focused students at Claremont, Liz had been aware Veronica had been working on duplicating the extra-dimensional space that Danica somehow had access to through her shell. "Kam, please tie this off on the anchor over there." She stated to the Dakana prince as she handed him the rope and indicated what almost looked like a small metal railing that had been affixed into the ground across from the gate. Upon inspection, Kam found the rail to be solidly in place, likely capable of supporting all of their weight at once if necessary.

 

As Kam was tying off the rope, Veronica produced three repelling harnesses. "You will need this." She said. "The shaft goes down about sixty feet, but then it is a twenty foot drop down from there, so you will not be able to see the bottom to teleport even once there is light down there." The teenage Danger then helped her friend get the harness on correctly before handing Liz a pair of gloves as well.

 

She then put on one of the other harnesses and handed the last to Kam along with another pair of gloves as he came over with the coil of rope, not attached to the railing. As Kam began to put on his harness, Veronica tossed the coil of rope down into the darkness of the sloped shaft. There was a faint echo of the rope hitting stone and then sliding down into the darkness.

 

Veronica then handed out several chem light sticks to each of the other two. "Not a primary light source, but a good enough one to start and in an emergency." She stated before positing herself with her back to the camp and bending one of the sticks to release the chemicals inside and giving it a shake before tossing it down into the shaft as well.

 

The faint glow of the chem light illuminated the narrow shaft as it flew down, bouncing a couple of times before it continued to roll down the steep slope before finally, after about sixty feet, it went over an edge and dropped down out of sight. Now there was the faintest bit of light visible far down the shaft, but darkness between the entrance and the edge of the drop off.

 

"I will go down first. Kam you make sure Liz gets hooked up right and knowns how to control her dissent. I will be down there to belay her once she gets to the drop off." Veronica stated as she slipped on a pair of gloves herself and then moved over to wrap the rope twice around the carabineer attached to a loop at the front of her harness. Once that was done, she positioned herself at the entrance to the shaft, her left hand loosely holding the part of the rope that led back to the rail where Kam had secured it. Her right hand had the other end of the rope, wrapped around her right side and held behind her.

 

"See you down there." She said to her friends with a small smile before she brought her right hand partially around from behind her back and began stepping backwards into the darkness. The rope slide slowly around the carabineer as Veronica began descending, quicking becoming just a shadowy mass in the darkness against the faint light from below. After a short few moments, she became a bit more visible as she reached the edge of the shaft and was more strongly silhouetted against the light from below. She had stopped at the edge, and though it was had to make out completely, seemed to be preparing for the last twenty foot drop. Then she seemed to kick off and quickly fell out of sight, the rope pulling taunt as it took her full weight. Then, a few moments later, the rope went slack, a sign she was now down.

[angrydurf]

Kam emerged from the hab he'd been assigned with a colorful sturdy blanket tightly rolled under one arm and a camera bag slung over one shoulder.  He joined the girls and headed out over the dunes with them following Victorias lead on the route.  Once at the side of the pyramid he unrolled the blanket revealing his costume and pulled his mask from the case at his side with a shrug, "Better safe than sorry yes?"  he suggested with a comfortable laugh as he quickly donned the armored suit tucking the helmet like mask to his belt for the time being.  

 

At Veronicas request he quickly and securely tied off the rope giving it a hearty tug to make sure it was secure before heading back to the entrance to double check Elizabeth's rig.  "Have you climbed or repelled before?"  he asked as if that was a perfectly normal activity for teens to have participated in.  He showed her how to wrap the line around her body through the carabiners to control the rope on descent explaining how to control her speed.  "The harness bites more than you might expect."  he warned and ushered her down toward the shaft and clipped himself in behind her, "If you're uncertain the line can take both our weights."  he offered quietly though with what he knew of the young woman she'd leap at the chance to, well leap.

 

Once Veronica was clear he nodded for Elizabeth to make her own descent before following himself with a practiced ease.

[Fox]

Elizabeth was not a practiced climber or rappeller, but she learned fast, and had the healthy respect for her limits that came with the last couple years' rediscovery of someone who got into melee scraps somewhat more often than she should. Her descent down the shaft was not graceful, per se, and showed all the initial hesitation of someone who had not, perhaps, understood how much the harness might bite. But rappel she did, and by the time she landed (and that much, at least, was graceful), she had a grin from ear to ear.

 

"That," she said, quickly stepping out of Kam's way and stripping out of her harness, "was pretty great. The drop from the shaft was kind of spooky, but with the rope there it really wasn't that bad. I would do that again, dark tomb or no dark tomb. Ah, but - I promised I'd help with that."

 

The grin was, worryingly, clearly visible in the relative darkness and growing larger still - though the latter made more sense when she held out a hand and conjured a will-o-wisp, the grapefruit-sized globe of blue fire revealing not a face, but her mask, a cartoonishly toothy smile plastered across its smooth white surface. The rest of her clothing rippled out to a familiar costume as she raised her arm to illuminate as much of the chamber as possible. "It's not much and it's not super bright but I figure it'll complement proper flashlights pretty nicely, and I can keep it going pretty much forever."