@Alexander and Neferteri
Ptemenib first looks over the golden books. Flipping through their pages for what information they contain before responding to the two men.
"Ahhh yes, these contain considerable military records that are of value for both history and genealogy knowledge. But however we can not give you the value of the gold that the information is recorded on. From the Grand Mausoleum's perspective we would be willing to offer you 300 gold total for both books and they would be kept here and made available to the public as part of histories record of the events. I am sure you could get twice that on the open market but the books would probably be re-recorded and then melted down for the gold value. While the knowledge would remain the treasure of the books themselves would be lost to future ages."
he then examines all the ledgers and scrolls that the group collected and then responds.
"Mostly correspondence and record of the tomb itself. Quite valuable for any archaeologist especially an Osirionologist. We could offer you top coin for these. If you were to sell us the golden books and these then we could offer you 250 gold for the ledgers and scrolls. If you did not sell us the golden books then we could offer only 125 gold for the ledgers and scrolls. The value is in the set of works as a whole. Maybe even enough information to form its own exhibit as you suggest."
He waits for an answer...
"How about a little sweetener for us?" Alexander suggests. "Priority access to your library." He looks to Neferteri. "Acceptable?"
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Neferteri looks sadly at Alexander and shakes his head. No Alexander. The price is too high. Ptemenib is an honest man and spelled out the terms openly. To deposit these tombs here would cost our group too much. I do not feel empowered to make such a decision. He looks downcast for a moment before brightening again and making a proposal to Ptemenib. What if we were to sell you these books for your proposed offer, but keep the golden bindings to sell separately? From those profits we could pay to have leather bound duplicate covers produced. Does this sound reasonable to you?
@ Alexander and Neferteri
Ptemenib frowns at Neferteri's proposal. "The pages themselves are made of gold and by removing the binding and the cover the value would be diminished besides the fact that I do not think a new leather cover would hold the metal pages."
He then thinks for a moment before continuing.
"Our best offer is for 550 gold for the group of items as is. Now if you wanted to take them to the Sunburst market you could get 600 gold for the books and 125 gold for the ledgers and scrolls I am guessing which would be a grand total of 725 gold which is 175 gold more than we are offering and I would not blame you for it. I can only offer what the temple is willing to pay."
He then ponders his thoughts for a moment longer...
"If it is pure profit you seek from your treasures then I would suggest selling the golden books on the open market for 600 gold and then selling the ledgers to the famed Osirionologist in town, I believe her name is Ms. Velriana Hypaxes. She would probably offer twice what we are offering for the ledgers and scrolls. That should net you another 250 gold for a grand total of 850 gold."
He then frowns again.
"But if that is what you sought then why bother coming here in the first place? I have given you an honest assesment of your options as well as a honest offer from the temple. Is there something else I can do for you or is our business concluded?"
"Not her," Alexander says, eyes closed in an expression of distaste. "That woman...! Ugh. No, not her."
He frowns. "Ptemenib... Perhaps... Does the temple of Pharasma have items of healing that are going spare, or perhaps some minor item that can reliably shed light? I am loathe to yield up such treasures to the smelters. Perhaps we might make up the difference in minor magical items...?"
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We are interested in you and the church obtaining these books Ptemenib. But we had to understand how much less we would have to settle for to be able to make an informed decision for our entire party. Neferteri looks hopeful at Alexander's new approach. Yes, Pehaps some discounts on consumables or credits with the church for spell casting services?
@ Alexander and Neferteri
Ptemenib laughs...
"I see you have met Ms. Hypaxes. I did not say you had to sell the items to her. I was just giving you the best option for profits as your friend here seemed to deem the most important."
He then smiles at Alexander's offer.
"While we could not offer anything else that is tangible. What we can offer however is temple spell casting services which we could give you a credit tab for the 175 gold difference. Now this tab could be used to purchase any spell casting services required but does not cover the cost of any material components needed. If that is acceptable then we can do business."
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It is a fair offer Ptemenib. Since we will be covering 100% of any material components could you possible increase the offer to cover castings up to a list price of 250 gold. I would have a much easier time convincing my other party members of the value of the deal at this price. And we will be willing to bring similar tombs to you in the future.
He offers the priest his hand to close the deal.
@ Alexander and Neferteri
Ptemenib responds in kind to the offer on the table...
"You drive a hard bargain sir. But I am afraid the offer has to stand. 550 gold plus 175 gp in trade for spell casting services. That is a grand total of 725 gold, which is what your items would bring in the Sunburst Market. I am afraid to get a better deal than that it would require you to deal with Ms. Hypaxes. However your partner here seems to dislike her and I do not blame him. So I will ask you my newly found associate, do you accept our offer or do you wish to deal with Velriana?"
He now offers his hand to shake with a sly grin....
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Current Location: Wati, Date: Wealday, Pharast 26th, 4714 Time: 5:30 pm, Temperature: 91 degrees
"Foul play, sir," Alexander says, tut-tutting -- but then he smiles a little and shakes the priest's hand. "I think that will be quite satisfactory."
@Neferteri & Alexander
Ptemenib pays the duo 55 platinum and has them record their names in a ledger for the 175 gold worth of spellcasting credit. Before saying goodbye the priest ask the duo "If you have not been in town long then you may be unaware, but The Sanctum of Silver & Gold is our local bank across the market there and well, there is no better place to store your coin when you don't want to carry it around. They have reasonable rates and they offer fair exchange rates on all gems or currency exchanges. Tell them Ptemenib sent you."
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Current Location: Wati, Date: Wealday, Pharast 26th, 4714 Time: 5:30 pm, Temperature: 91 degrees
"Thank you very much," Alexander says. He pulls a letter partway out of his shirt. "Am I correct in surmising that this location is held by the faithful of Abadar, and enables one to send letters?"
@Neferteri & Alexander
Ptemenib looks at Alexander "That is correct. they have mail service as well as banking. They also handle all incoming gems and precious stones for the city. You can open an account or rent a box or a vault for precious items. The word is that they have had nothing ever come up stolen if you can believe that."
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Current Location: Wati, Date: Wealday, Pharast 26th, 4714 Time: 5:31 pm, Temperature: 91 degrees
"Excellent," Alexander says, tucking the letter back. "Must stay in contact with my sisters at home, you know. They worry," he adds in a confidential tone.
Holbrecht is absent mentally to any discussion as they return with their goods to Nefer's home. He mumbles and chatters about how he's going to build the base, the frame, and the system so much that there's no doubt that both Nulyth and Lin had tuned him out a while ago. While he has them, though, he tries to get as much assembly work done prior to arrival.
Nulyth grins over at Lin while they help Holbrecht carry the goods back to Neferteri's place. He stopped listening to the droning words of the dwarf several streets back; however, he did find the constant murmuring to be somewhat comforting. He will assist in assembly in whatever way he can.
@Holbrecht, Nulyth & Lin Zi
The three adventurers return to Neferteri's but there is no sign of the other two. They begin basic design and layout of the pulley system so that it can be quickly put in place once they return to the tomb tomorrow. They would be loosing light soon and need to put every moment to use.
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Current Location: Wati, Date: Wealday, Pharast 26th, 4714 Time: 5:31 pm, Temperature: 91 degrees
"Yes, yes, fine," Alexander says. "Just as soon as I've mailed out this letter..."
With the evening light fading everyone returns to Neferteri's to rest for the evening. After a shared meal and some chatter everyone turns in for the evening. Holbrecht treats any wounds that anyone still has through the night if need be and just before first light around five a.m. Neferteri wakes everyone up so they can get all their gear packed and stowed so the group of adventurers can be at the gates of the Necropolis at six when they first open. Everyone begins to account for their gear and ready themselves for the day.
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Current Location: Wati, Date: Oathday, Pharast 25th, 4714 Time: 5:00 am, Temperature: 77 degrees
Nulyth continues to assist Holbrecht in building the contraption until they either finish or cannot continue due to limited light.
Nulyth wakes and immediately lowers his head in prayer o Sarenrae. After a few moments he raises his head with a smile. "It is another day! Let us arrive early and get a start on our new lift system! I promise to do a better job as your protector in the tombs today."
With their new mules and wagon in tow the adventuring company arrives at the tomb around 7:00am and scout out what they have explored the day before over the next hour. All seems to still be as they left it and they are ready to proceed on their day.
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Current Location: Wati, Date: Oathday, Pharast 25th, 4714 Time: 8:00 am, Temperature: 92 degrees
Before anyone descends, Holbrecht wants to work on getting the lift established and in place. They can test it while descending. "You think we can get the mules and wagon far enough in that we can close the door and avoid heat and maybe predators? We could be a while. Also, once I get this lift set up, the chariot can wait until we are ready to leave with everything else for the day. I just want to get this in place so eveything else is simplified."
Nulyth will attempt to aid Holbrecht in setting things up the way the dwarf would prefer. "While it would be quite helpful in having the lift setup now, I believe we should continue exploring the rest of the tomb before we take an entire day building the lift. We can even gather all items of value we find in the room below and bring it all up at the same time, rather than in piecemeal."
Holbrecht looks at him confused, "Oh... No.. The lift will not take all day... the chariot will...well not all day... a typical work day... or active work day... though some work longer... or less.. But, the lift shouldn't take too much time at all. I just need to prop the four supports against the room's corners, fasten them at the pinnacle where they meet, then attach the pulley system. From there we only need to tie in the platform on the other end and we're ready to go." He is outright cheerful and working joyfully at the task.
Lin and Kachu quite eagerly join in with assembling the lift. Kachu inspects it carefully for some minutes before nodding. "Your craft is great, master dwarf" Lin calls out. "Kachu quite likes the design."
Lin nods at Nulyth's suggestion. "Whatever's down there, it might not wait for us to spend an entire day doing anything. We can do some lifting, but I say we try to clear it out first."
"I agree," Alexander says, nodding to Lin and Nulyth. "Hurry with your lift's installation. We can use it to lower the mules, if we must, then tether them below and be on our way, further into the tomb."
Alexander withdraws a glowing stone from his coat pocket and flicks it into the air. It starts to orbit him at once, almost like a tiny, tiny moon.
"This should help," he says if anyone gives the ioun touch an odd look. "Beats constantly casting the same cantrip."
0 - Acid splash, Detect magic, Mage hand
1 - Burning hands, Mage armour
As soon as the group arrived at the site and everything was clear Holbrecht sprung into action. Directing "his" crew and getting the lift setup, placing the beams in each corner of the chamber with the pit. All four beams coming to a point over the pit where Holbrecht had designed a reinforced square section where the pulleys and rope would be put into place, then working down at the bottom of the pit he put the lift platform into place. It was a crude setup but should work as long as the items being lifted was not to heavy. Obviously he kept telling everyone of how long it would take to get the chariot actually apart and into pieces to bring up and making sure to fill in all the mathematical intricacies of what would happen if they tried to move the chariot whole and how it could easily be broken and the entire thing wasted. Luckily the total assembly of the lift only took little more than an hour to setup.
Once the lift was in place the mules and wagon was brought into the main chamber as now the sun was already at a pentacle and the heat was really getting unbearable outside. Once the animals and wagons was inside they closed the outer doors to the tomb, tied off the animals and then once again together as a unit descended the pulley system to both check it one final time as well as using it instead of climbing. Once to the lower area they made there way back to the mirror room and opened the doors that had the broken stairs going down.
A flight of steps gradually descended to the west down the passage. Halfway down the stairs, small holes were burrowed along the tunnels and riddled what was left of the passage's southern wall. Earth and sand have long since covered over the collapsed masonry, covering the stairs with dirt and rubble. Stone doors engraved with a golden scarabs, wings open beneath a shining and radiant golden sun, stood at either end of the stairs.
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Current Location: Wati, Date: Oathday, Pharast 25th, 4714 Time: 9:00 am, Temperature: 97 degrees outside and 87 degrees at current location.
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The halfling peers down the dirt covered stairs and offers. Kachu or I should go first and search for traps. He then casts Dancing Lights, creating 4 globes of light that he sends down the stairs to illuminate the length. After looking at what is shown by the new light he looks to the others to see if he or Kachu should proceed.
Nulyth examines the strange holes from a distance, keenly interested in what may have been borrowing through the ground. "What do you suppose made those tunnels?"
Neferteri's dancing lights go dancing down the stairs and hover by the far door. Light reflecting off the stone doors, each engraved with a golden scarab, its wings open beneath a golden sun. The central 10-foot-square portion of the stairs is considered difficult terrain because of the sand and rubble there.
Nulyth studies the holes from afar, about a foot or so in diameter or smaller, definitely dug, probably what caused the partial collapse of the stairwell.
As the dancing lights fizzle out, Neferteri renews them again and sends more down the hall..
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Current Location: Wati, Date: Oathday, Pharast 25th, 4714 Time: 9:01 am, Temperature: 97 degrees outside and 87 degrees at current location.
Holbrecht forgets himself at first, taking a deep gasp of shock. His eyes focus on the crumbled and ruined portion of wall. "This is an atrocity. Look at the fine structure and workmanship, ruined by ... by.. something destructive. The ignorance." Once he gets back to what he's doing, he remembers his task at hand, and casts to detect any signs of poison. He also makes certain that the collapsed portion is still sturdy enough to not cause any further injury if they pass.
Once he considers it safe, he allows Nulyth and Nefer to pass, learning last time that the best place for him may not be up front. He also knows it's best to be armed and not need it than, the other way around, as he grips his warhammer and peers nervously back toward the room that had the big hard-hitting bugs in it.
The stairwell looks safe, only the one wall is effected.
He huffs, "I got it! You know what happened? Beetles, damn mining beetles. Sure they're all nice and useful when actually mining, what with their digging and light glands. But on their own what happens? They ruin perfectly good architecture, like what happened here. Some people just need to keep their mining beetles under control."
Cautious, Neferteri moved forward. Moving slowly over the sandy and slightly sloped stairwell. About halfway down Neferteri stopped for a moment. There was something odd about the sand here. Thankfully he had taken his time instead of rushing forward.
Peering a bit closer, the sand shifted a bit. Eyes widening, the halfling was able to push himself back just as a great form, larger than any they had encountered so far, erupted from the ground. Though instead of some giant bug or awakened doll, he was met by the earth itself, a being made of pure sand. Taking on a loosely humanoid form its great and massive fists were made of pure earth. If Neferteri and Holbrecht hadn't noticed the thing, they surely all would have been taken by surprise by its ambush.
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Current Location: Wati, Date: Oathday, Pharast 25th, 4714 Time: 9:07 am, Temperature: 97 degrees outside and 87 degrees at current location.
Holbrecht is surprised somewhat to see that this is indeed not a mining beetle, but if he some idea what it was he may be able to help.
Holbrecht steps back into the space he just vacated, and holds his warhammer at the ready as he lets them know what he knows. "It's a sandling. They're a type of earth elemental. It's likely been aware of us for a bit, sensing our movements through the earth."
Table #1
Caught by the sudden appearance of the Sandling, Neferteri quickly retreated back into the chamber of reflection as it was still forming. His dancing lights pell twinkles out as it runs out of time.
Sand grinding as it moved, it was yet another disturbing slice of magic that caught them off guard. Much like the animated dolls they had done battle with the creature made of Sand was emotionless and devoid of any aspect of humanity beyond its assumed shape.
Though Neferteri had backed up into the chamber the sand creature appeared undaunted. Lacking the feet of its humanoid form the elemental rolled across the floor as the rolling tide of sand that bore it aloft pushed it onward in a charge toward the closest living being.
Targeting the paladin at the top of the stairs, it attacked with a brutal bite as a toothy maw formed in the sand as he crashed against Nulyth's armor almost knocking the surprised paladin off his feet, but somehow he hung on, the heat of the sand close enough to make him break out in a thin sweat.
Holbrecht readied his warhammer in both hands as he stepped beside Nulyth to defend him from the onslaught. Striking at the pile of animated sand, Holbrecht caught it in what looked like the head, a blow that would have certainly fallen a living soul, but as he watched the head explode it reeled for a second before it reformed.
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Current Location: Tomb of Akhentepi: Chamber of Reflection, Date: Oathday, Pharast 25th, 4714 Time: 9:07 am, Temperature: 97 degrees outside and 87 degrees at current location.
Nulyth spits out a mouthful of sand as he counterattacks the elemental before him! He first attack tests the defenses of the creature, preparing to possibly follow-up with a more devastating attack! "Holbrecht, stand your ground here. We must hold the creature back!" His scimitar cuts through the air towards the sandling.
Lin blinks for a moment in surprise at the strange creature; forcing herself to focus, she claps her hands together, muttering an entreaty; silver liquid explodes out and covers the floor beneath the creature. Kachu lets out an encouraging shriek as he eagerly surveys the battle. "Nulyth, this'll help!"
Holbrecht is pensive, but heartened by his earlier strike, and decides to stay and hold the front with Nulyth. He swings his hammer again, trying desperately to recreate his last effort. The swing is a little awkward and clumsy.