"Drasheaze", Inferis utters as her eyes glow blue.
"I can't tell the properties. I think we should head north."
"I agree with Inferniss. We should check out the thing I thought I saw. It didn't attack when it could have just now; let us approach a little more friendly maybe."
You proceed cautiously North. Walking up the alabaster steps to the platform where the statue of Nethys stood, you look for the thing that Sirusk saw earlier, but have no luck. The cathedral is empty and silent.
Then...
A ghostly semitransparent hand came out from behind the statue and reached out to touch Cerastes.
This is a Spectral Hand spell. Commonly used by spellcasters to use touch spells at range.
Cerastes tried to dodge, but it caught him.
There was a sizzling snap and Cerastes stumbled back shaking his head.
"Cerastes, look o...", Sirusk begins to call out but cuts himself off upon seeing the hand affect the oracle.
Blast, what just happened, Sirusk wonders as the hand seemingly disappears after it affected his friend. Sirusk quickly looks around for a cause but doesn't immediately notice anything.
Seeing the hand strike Cerastes, Inferis looks around with her wand but sees nothing.
Another ghostly semitransparent hand came out from behind the statue and reached out to touch Sirusk.
This is a Spectral Hand spell. Commonly used by spellcasters to use touch spells at range.
... But it missed.
Ibrahim glanced up and recoiled in horror!
Perched on the head of the sacred statue of Nethys, you see THIS!
Draped in rags and hunched over on goatlike legs, this creature possesses a featureless face, save for a large eye ringed by fangs.
This creature is an Aghash Div!
While demons exist to destroy, devils yearn to corrupt and control, and daemons seek the death of all things, the foul beings known as Divs strive to ruin and despoil all things created by mortals. Spawned from corrupted genies exiled to the accursed depths of Abaddon, divs harbor an ancient hatred against all mortalkind, doing all in their power not simply to destroy but also to torment all that lives. Patient and vicious, divs seek to spoil all things beautiful and joyous, dooming their victims to existences full of frustration and suffering before succumbing to lengthy, painful deaths.
Aghashes in particular embody the evil eye, a curse granted by merely witnessing these embodiments of ruin and misfortune. Terrifying, haglike beings, aghashes wander deserts of the Material Plane spreading doom with their gazes. These wretched creatures hold nothing sacred, taking particular pleasure in bringing vain and arrogant mortals, particularly spellcasters, to ruin. Ragged and filthy, an aghash moves with a staggering motion. Its hoofed legs bend like those of a goat, giving its emaciated frame an obscene, jerking gait.
Round 5_______________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
What manner of creature isz thisz! , Sirusk blurts out in shock by its hideous appearance. Sirusk readies his weapons for a chance to strike while studying the beast for apparent weaknesses.
for
"It's an Aghash Div! Destroy it! Look out for the hand, it is holding a shocking spell! You need magic to harm the hand."
Inferis fires her wand at the hand.
Round 5_______________
Sirusk_______________
“What manner of creature isz thisz!” , Sirusk blurts out in shock by its hideous appearance.
Inferis 'al Marris______________
"It's an Aghash Div! Destroy it! Look out for the hand, it is holding a shocking spell! You need magic to harm the hand."
Inferis fires her wand at the hand.
(npc) Cerastes_____________
Though it was difficult to think, he knew what an enemy looked like. And at thirty feet up, he reached for his bow.
(npc) Rosalind________________
Not really equipped for ranged combat, Rosalind grabbed her light hammer and threw it.
(npc) Ibrahim_____________
Ibrahim used his sling to attack.
ENEMIES_______________________
The Aghash gave a hissing shriek as Inferis’ magic missile struck the spectral hand and blew it apart. The Div jerked his hand up in pain, and you can see it’s clawed hand have a piercing wound in it.
The Div turned it’s Cursed Gaze on Inferis.
Round 6_________________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Looking at div, Inferis grabs her head and starts yelling, "No! Bad! Bad! Get out!" as she starts to slam her staff into her face.
Sirusk drops his sabre and draws his bow in a single fluid action. He lets the arrow loose upon the creature, hopeful as it seems to be well on target.
for
Infernis' bizarre behavior takes his attention away from the shot, however, and he doesn't catch exactly what happened. "Infernis! Your head ...", is about all Sirusk manages to blurt out, both confused and in shock at this turn of events.
Round 6_________________
Inferis 'al Marris______
Looking at div, Inferis grabs her head and starts yelling, "No! Bad! Bad! Get out!" as she starts to slam her staff into her face.
Sirusk_______
Sirusk drops his sabre and draws his bow in a single fluid action. He lets the arrow loose upon the creature, hopeful as it seems to be well on target.
Infernis' bizarre behavior takes his attention away from the shot, however, and he doesn't catch exactly what happened. "Infernis! Your head ...", is about all Sirusk manages to blurt out, both confused and in shock at this turn of events.
(npc) Cerastes________
Frustrated at seeing his arrows doing little damage, Cerastes thought that Rosalind might do more damage if she were bigger. He cast Enlarge Person on her.
(npc) Rosalind__________
Rosalind, suddenly bigger and stronger, is still out of reach of the creature. She drew her dagger and threw it; it struck the creature in the head and the sheer power pierced it’s hide and damaged it.
(npc) Ibrahim__________
Ibrahim pulled out a pinecone, used Produce Flame to light it, then slung it up to hit the creature.
Enemies___________________
Blood seeped into its main eye, and it tried to blink it clear but could not.
It begins to cast a spell.
Round 7_________________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Inferis, in command of her senses again, brandishes her ring and chants "Roosh'eaze"
Sirusk fires off another arrow, hoping to strike it in a more vulnerable place and curses loudly when the arrow wildly misses the creature.
Single Attack + Studied Target: shortbow
for
Blast this bow; time to get close..., Sirusk determines as he reaches down and picks up his sabre from the ground.
Round 7_________________
Inferis 'al Marris________
Inferis, in command of her senses again, brandishes her ring and chants "Roosh'eaze"
Sirusk_______
Sirusk fires off another arrow, hoping to strike it in a more vulnerable place and
Blast this bow; time to get close..., Sirusk determines as he reaches down and picks up his sabre from the ground. MA
Cerastes_______
Getting angry, Cerastes hefts his spear and launches it up at the creature...
(npc) Ibrahim_______
Looks at the statue, then cast Shifting Sands
Yells, “Rosalind! Push it over!”
(npc) Rosalind_______
Rosalind surged forward and hit the statue at shin level. It rocked a little, then settled.
She then started rocking it back and forth, increasing how far little by little, until it toppled slowly back until it hit the north wall and stopped. The Div, alarmed, dropped off the shoulder and fell thirty feet to sprawl on the floor.
Enemies_________________________
The Div staggered to its feet and glared at Rosalind, using its Cursed Gaze to cause Confustion 1 round.
Saves!
Round 8_________________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Inferis draws her crossbow and fires it at the div.
"is the toppled statue taking up the 4 squares defined by J3-K4? (directly above it). Are the current squares its arms extend into open right now?"
The statue is 30 feet tall, so it toppled back until its head hit the exterior wall and stopped there unbroken. It is forming a 60 degree ramp up to the high wall now, but not blocking the squares behind it.
The arms were extended out 20 feet overhead; they weren't blocking any squares then or now.
Sirusk moves up to the creature and attacks. "Rose, Cerastes, move around to its flank."
for
Round 8______________
Inferis hit with the crossbow, doing little damage.
Cerastes hit it with his flung chakram, dealing a lot more damage. Blood spurted from its neck.
Sirusk lashed out with his saber, carving through its upflung left arm and into its chest. It falls dead.
A swirling band of sand that had just started to eat into your eyes and flesh... slashing damage... dissipated, leaving everything silent again.
Searching the creature's body, you find that it had been wearing fine noble robes of millennia old fashion, but now ragged and filthy. Worth a handful of copper at best now, with the glut in the market now.
Besides that, nothing of worth.
Searching about, you find concealed behind a northern statue pedestal a concealed nest. In it you find:
1. Scroll of Minor Image (CL3, 150 gp)
2. Mahogany stick, Ancient Osirion Hieroglyphs spell Beloved of Ra Wand of Light (21charges, CL3, 225 gp)
3. 64 gp,
4. 36 sp,
5. 120 cp
6. Aquamarine (450 gp)
7. Carnelian (55 gp)
8. Ivory (55 gp)
9. Saltwater Pearl (70 gp)
"Ahh, an excessellant find. I stand confuszed though. What wasz this thing guarding perhaps? , Sirusk wonders, mostly looking towards Cerastes and Infernis. "Ah yesz we missed some rooms back the way we came asz well."
After identifying all of the items, "I think we should check those rooms as well Sirusk."
"Thisz one thinks we could use sssome healing before exploring more. Either magic or field dressings are fine."
Using much of the rest of his power, Ibrahim is able to cure the rest of the parties injuries and conditions.
Going back through the part of the complex you've just explored yielded little but several scrolls hidden in the students chambers.
Scroll of Jump (cl1, 50 gp)
Scroll of Sanctuary (cl3, 50 gp)
Scroll of Protection from Chaos (cl1, 50 gp)
Scroll of Shield of Faith (cl1, 50 gp)
When exploring North out of the library, the door led to a short corridor. Exploring it triggered a deadly scything blade trap that was poisoned as well, and both Ibrahim and Rose fell unconscious with wounds that would not close.
You were thus forced to retreat back to the living part of Wati, where your companions will be cared for during their lengthy recovery.
But that leaves you short handed. It's time to recruit some help!
Nimaethep sat on the shore of the River Sphinx watching the ibis fish in the shallow waters, admiring their poise and grace that the martial style she studied sought to mimic. The cool breeze off the river gently ruffled her fur as she mulled over what to do next. An older catfolk man carrying a fishing pole and a line on which several fish hung walked up and sat down beside her. "I'm surprised to see you here, shouldn't you be over at the Tooth and Hookah with the rest?"
Nimaethep sighed "Hello Sekhemib. I had a..." she paused for a moment considering her next words "complicated encounter."
"Nothing serious I hope, none of your friends were hurt on the other side of the wall, were they?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.
"No, quite the contrary actually. We saved someone."
The man's face was a mix of confusion and suspicion "Why would saving someone be a problem?"
Nimaethep pause for a few more moments knowing the response her answer would get "It was Khepri."
Sekhemib threw up a hand and rolled his eyes in exasperation, taking in a deep breath about to launch into well practiced tirade before Nimaethep cut him off.
"We stumbled on her and she was in trouble so we had to help. We saved her from a pack of zombies that had managed to corner her. I turned her over to the Pharasmans, she was hurt and her wounds were festering. She needed help we couldn't offer. She was also on the other side of the wall without the church's permission so I felt obligated to see that she answered for that as well"
"That's good! You saved her life, she got thrown into jail and everything ended well right? So why are you here?"
"I chose to speak on her behalf for a lenient sentence. I didn't know how long that would take and I couldn't ask my team to skip days of the lottery on my account so I resigned my position."
The man had an incredulous look on his face "Why? Why did you have to resign to speak on her behalf? She got herself in the situation, you did enough saving her from it. Why not let her face the consequences."
"Well, I wouldn't say she isn't facing consequences. The church will ensure that she doesn't succumb to her affliction, but otherwise will let the disease run its course. They decided that was punishment enough."
Sekhemib frowned. "I bet she was pretty angry with you."
"Of course she was angry with me, she's never been able to control her temper. But I spoke with her later in the cell when she had a chance to calm down and she thanked me for saving her and speaking on her behalf."
"Why do you have to keep complicating your life trying to help her when she can't get her own life in order?"
"Because Uncle Hebeny made many mistakes raising Khepri, and it wasn't until their falling out that he finally realized that. Although that moment of understanding came to late for Khepri, I benefited from it and so I feel some sense of obligation to help her when she needs it."
Sekhemib sighed, but held his tongue. He did not like the man but could not deny everything that he had done to help them after they were orphaned.
A few minutes of silence passed as the two watched the ships slowly sailing up and down the river. Sekhemib looked over at Nimaethep "You should pay a little more attention to what you want. You've been talking about this lottery ever since it was announced and as your older brother I would not be doing my duty if I didn't chastise you for throwing away your opportunity for someone who doesn't deserve it. As much as I disapprove of the lottery and your participation in it, you need to go back to the Tooth and Hookah and get back with your group. Don't let Khepri take this away from you."
Nimaethep was thoughtful for a moment "I'm sure they would take me back, but it wouldn't be fair to my replacement. I'm not going to take away their opportunity when I'm the one the resigned."
Nimaethep had trained her senses to an exceptional degree, but even so the fish that Sekhemib threw at her took her completely by surprise. It hit Nimaethep on the shoulder with a wet thump. "There you go again! Putting someone else before you, and this time a complete stranger you don't even know! Take that fish. Go home and have an early dinner then go back to the Tooth and Hookah and find yourself another group if you aren't going to rejoin your original. If your replacement was lucky enough to find an opening then surely there are other groups with vacancies. Do it! Otherwise I'll get Nakhti to carve a slab of stone with "Here Lies Nimaethep's Opportunity" and have it placed in the Necropolis as a monument to your loss."
Nimaethep smiled. He was right, although she had missed much of the lottery that didn't mean there wasn't still an opportunity to get back into it. Her spirits lifted she hugged Sekhemib "Thank you." She picked up the fish and they both stood to leave. "I wouldn't want little brother to have to carve a marker to my failure."
Sekhemib laughed and took his leave.
Later that evening, Nimaethep sat at a table in the Tooth and Hookah sipping on a mug of date wine, listening to the conversations around her and watching for an opportunity at a second chance to rejoin the lottery.
Akil-Khalid´s journey through the desert had been uneventful. The great necropol city of Wati was just ahead, looming against the sky like a giant insect.
Entering through the southgate, the young man moved among the masses purposefully toward, searching for an inn to slate his thirst.
Spending a copper here, a copper there he finally made it to a decent one and ordered a goblet of honey water.
"Tell me good man, what has happened here in the last couple of weeks. Anything special?"
A scaly nagaji warrior sits among two other companions at a table, seemingly two spellcasters of some sort by the looks of them. They appear to be nursing obvious wounds and bearing grim faces. [b]"I understand Cerastes, I morn the lossz of Rose and Ibrahim asz well. But, if we are to finish thisz tomb in time, we need new help, and we need that help tonight. Now, I've seen a catfolk and a radiant one both enter thisz place alone since we've been here drinking. Maybe the can help usz."
Sirusk, who is facing directly at the graceful looking catfolk, makes eye contact and nods for her to join the table if she wishes.
Now, where did that radiant one go off too ... busy here tonight...
The hot afternoon sun moves slowly across the sky over the Crook. As it begins to sink towards the Khopesh Span, the guards at the boneyard gate begin preparing to close it for the night. In the shimmering distance a figure appears in the empty street. It approaches the gate at an agonizing crawl, obscured by the waves of heat haze.
As it approaches Pharasma’s Needle the figure resolves into the form of a tall, awkwardly thin woman. She is dragging a large, makeshift sled. A bloodstained canvas covers whatever the sled carries. The rips in her tattered robes flap in the non-existent breeze, occasionally revealing a fine silvery mesh below.
Passing through the gate as the western sky turns crimson and orange, the pale woman throws down the ropes attached to the sled and slumps onto the ground. Once the boneyard gate is secured for the night, a guard steps over, "Ma'am, is there a problem?"
As the woman lifts her head, pale blue whorls stand out in the light from the guard's torch. A sudden breeze blows her pale hair from her face. "Fool knights didn't listen. They just wouldn't wait. Now look at them!"
The guard lifts a corner of what used to be a tent and recoils. Dented armor and crushed bodies are all that remain. "Yeah, that's what happens when you say, 'It'll take me a few minutes to make this corridor safe. They certainly made a good trigger for this deadfall.' And instead of waiting, all four of them go charging down the hall like a herd of antelope." She sighs, "Next thing you know, I'm digging their corpses out from under a pile of rubble. Now I have to haul them back to the Mausoleum and see the they had an insurance policy with the temple.” She stands with a tired grunt and reaches for the sled leads. ”Do you think a few of you could lend me a hand?"
His demeanor softens. ”Yeah, We can spare a few men for one last trip before they go off shift. We’ll get them to the Pharasmins. You go get yourself a drink, find a new team. One that’ll appreciate your advice more.” He waves her off. ”Now get.”
The sylph smiles as she drops the rope. ”Thank you, thank you.”
She pulls a very large pack out of the sled and hefts it onto her shoulders. The thing is nearly as big as she is. She shuffles off towards the Tooth & Hookah.
An hour later, she enters the inn. Dropping her pack, she heads to the bar. ”Barkeep, one meal, and a room for the night.”
Nimaethep watched the crowds as the evening wore one, overhearing the exploits and close calls of the groups around her. Her attention was drawn to a group of three led by a reptilian man as they entered the inn. She wasn't quite sure of the man's race. When she was much younger she remembered lizardfolk from the Mwangi expanse trading at the market on rare occasions, but this man looked more serpentine than lizard.
The fact that there were only three of them when there had been five last she recalled is what caught her eye. They looked a little haggard and dour, talking in hushed tones among themselves. She took a few moments to recall their group's name: The Silver Serpent Society. "Seems like societies are a common theme for the lottery" she mused as her previous group had adopted the name Scarab Society. "Alliteration seems to be in style as well".
She was about to get up and approach them when a pang of guilt caused her to pause. She didn't feel right being opportunistic at a moment when they might be grieving the loss of companions. However, Sekhemib's words were still fresh in her mind, she needed to at least try.
As she grappled with her internal conflict, she noticed the serpent man looking in her direction. When he had caught her eye he motioned her over. Apparently fate had conspired to resolve her conflict for her.
She approached the table and greeted them "Em hotep. In peace. I apologize for intruding at what may be a sensitive time. My name is Nimaethep. I noticed that you may have a vacancy in your society and I have recently found myself without a chartered expedition. Perhaps I could offer my skills as an able archaeologist and recoverer of history so that we may resolve both of our dilemmas?"
Yessz, please join us Nimaethep. We scertainly can use someone with ... skillsz. As you noticed correctly, we are in a bit of a bind ourselvesz," Sirusk warms up, as much as a nagaji can. He motions for a round for the table. "Two of our former party fell in the last tomb; trapsz so very well hidden. I do have ssome skill in those mattersz, but I must say my specialty is more living threats."
Akil - Khalid sees the Catfolk move toward the group of newcommers. Quickly he scans the crowd for evil auras.
The hawk on his shoulder puts his beak close to his ear and gives him a quick nudge but then waits.
"Tell me good man, what has happened here in the last couple of weeks. Anything special?"
"Oh sir! You missed the great lottory!
"If you have not heard the news, The Ruby Prince has opened the sacred Necropolis here in Wati! Exploration companies have been granted permission to explore and return ancient treasures and objects of art and mystic power. That's a sore subject with the priesthood, fair warning there."It's been rough on the companions too. Deadly traps, massive curses, horrific undead things..." He shook his head sadly.
"The Sand Worms haven't been back to base here in a week and a half. I don't think they're coming back at all.
"Most all of them have lost members anyway.
"See those three over there?" He pointed over to a table where a trio of battered adventurers nursing some hard liquor.
"They're the most recent bunch to return. They had some success early on, but well you can see that they're the only ones left. I think they started with seven."
He slid a goblet of honey water over to Akil.
"On the house honey." He said with a wink.
The official deposited an official looking scroll before Cerastes.
"I am sorry Sir; but as you know, by the terms of your charter, if you cannot muster a full team by tomorrow Noon, your Charter will be revoked and all your findings forfeit to the State." He said with artificial regret.
He gave a perfunctory bow and strode away.