The Mound

[Mi-Go Agent]

"Hey, eat when you can," says Vance, taking part in lunch.

"So, who was looking at the skeleton? Is it really a new species?"

[kabukiman]

OOC: Anne was getting all the pieces and putting it in a box

-I'm still waiting that the guys from the chemical departement make me a call; they said they would tell me anything as soon as they knew anything. Hum, no signal, of course, here in this deep hole we can't be contacted. Tobias, as soon you finish eating, climb outside, and see if you can contact them- and yes, you can get an extra sandwich. About your question Mr Vance, we need to find other specime, to be sure; it could just be a mutant of course.
-What i think strange, is why the city was abandoned. I mean, usually, there is a catastrophe like a earthquake, or war, but this city is so well preserved. It's like everybody had decide to leave the place one day- say Anne.

[Mi-Go Agent]

"A plague, perhaps? One that left such a mark on the survivors that they never returned? Or maybe, who knows, it was a case of ancient politics - the city lost a war fought somewhere else, and was surrendered peacefully to oblivion."

[kabukiman]

-Mm, the plague seems more logical. Of course, we are talking to pre-human, we cannot be sure. But are you imagining, suddenly everybody leaving New York?

[Mi-Go Agent]

"Maybe some people did return, but not enough to leave a mark we've found, yet.

I'm thinking about when conquerors have displaced populations, like the original Babylonian Captivity. They always replaced the populations they moved with someone else, but what if they didn't for this city?"

[kabukiman]

-So, the city would surrender herself, and then the population exiled to another place. That makes sense. We can see, she was abandoned at her peek, she didn't suffer a decadence.

[kabukiman]

Mi-Go, please return to the All thread.

[Mi-Go Agent]

Tobias is ready for another mound expedition.

[kabukiman]

The group arrive to the next mound. Same routine: digging a hole until they arrive at the stone, and retire the roof.
-Well, here we are. Mr Vance, make the normal procedures, I will start the descent.

[Mi-Go Agent]

As before, Vance slowly slides down the rope with his metal grip. His other hand holds his revolver, and a lantern is attached to his waist.

[kabukiman]

You descent slowly... and arrive at the bottom. This place is very different. The owner wasn't a warrior. You see small box like the other with the scroll, several vases... and a sarcophagus. No paintings or skeleton outside.
-Mmm, this place is very different from the other. Even the vases have a different aspect. It's probably from a different time, that would explain the sarcophagus: it may bee in fashion or abandoned that habbit latter.

[Mi-Go Agent]

Vance slowly approaches the sarcophagus.

"How do we know the mound is structurally sound?"

[kabukiman]

OOC: Sorry, but does that mean?

[Mi-Go Agent]

OOC,Hmm, it is sort of idiomatic. If something is "sound" it is in good shape. Vance is basically asking "Is the mound strong and durable?" with the obvious implication of "Isn't there a chance that, since it was built a very long time ago, the mound might collapse on us?"

[kabukiman]

OOC: Sorry didn't knew it. Well, the mounds I'm using as models, are basically the tumuli: you make a small building of rock and cover them with earth, so they could exist until the land would sunk, since they turne in a artificial hill (the earth acts as protection).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumulus

-Well, if this survive all that heavy ice, it should be ok.

[Mi-Go Agent]

Vance examines the vases.

[kabukiman]

You see some organic product (food? spices? Impossible to know). The vases are decorated with geometrical motifs.

[Mi-Go Agent]

Vance takes a picture of the motifs.

"Do you have anything to take a sample of this organic material with?"

[kabukiman]

-Yes, I have here a plastic bag. Well, now let's open the sarcophagus! Maybe the body is intact.

OOC: Make a str roll against a dificulty of 11.

[Mi-Go Agent]

Vance easily opens the sarcophagus.