The party enters a massive sandy chamber, they stand atop a slope above the black desert. The fossilized remains of a massive spike-shelled creature lies atop a fortress, thirty stories tall, sculpted from the caverns themselves to fit the creature's silhouette.
"Hiding, shhe iss not," says Kalyani, "It lookss familiar, thhough."
"You'd think someone calling herself 'The Shadow Queen' would live somewhere more... subtle," says Maraja, "Any ideas, wizard?"
A magical pulse emits from Ling's location; as it moves forward, an invisible runic wall shimmers briefly ahead of the group. "I know that symbol," says Ling, "That's a 'false ward' alarm... ward."
L: I know it's a dumb name.
At Kalyani's insistence, Ling continues, "This ward does exactly one thing: alert its creator to any change. Unwelcome intruder? Alarm. Attempt to disable? Alarm. Warp past it? Alarm. Actually disable it? Ya guessed it: alarm. But," Ling raises her finger, "That's ALL it can do."
D: I don't get it. Why's it special? L: How do I put this? On top of alerting their creator, most wards try to do something to whoever trips them. J: Mindjack, teleport, incinerate. L: They're intended to go unnoticed until it's too late. J: They're meant to catch dumb thieves and animals. D: So, why use this one? J: Paranoia.
"Asssuming it'ss a perfect ssphere, whichh iss likely," says Kalyani, "Thhey will know we're coming, no matter what."
"Maraja," says Ling, stretching, "You stay here and, when you see your chance, get in that building. Save your mate."
"I'm not leaving you out here," says Maraja, "You have no idea who or what will come out of there."
"Hang back, dear," says Kalyani, "Make that call after they come forth."
Maraja nods her watery head and steps back into the tunnel; Ling and Kalyani race down the slope. Ling feels the hot sand between her toes and Kalyani carves a trail with her tail.
"A late realizzation," says Kalyani, "But iss thhat a tarrassque?"
"Trying not to think about that," says Ling.
"Do you thhink it died reccently?"
"Trying not to think about that."
"HALT!" calls out a raspy woman, when the duo are about a hundred meters from the tower.
"CEASE!" call out a gravelly man, immediately after.
Standing in a second floor, a pair of heavily armored bipeds. They're too far away for Ling to identify who or what they are.
"HOW'S YA GOING?" yells Ling, "WE'RE AS LOST AS A EUNUCH'S BALLS!"
"WHAT?" yells the woman wearing her shield on her right, "WE'RE NOT HOLDING ANY BALLS."
"WAIT," yells the man wearing his shield on his left. He then speaks to the woman beside him.
D: What did he say? L: I don't know; I wasn't going to cast spells where they could see me.
The two jump down, slowing down before landing. They then pose together. Ling can now clearly see the mace and scimitar the man and woman respectfully carry.