The musetouched elf smiles at the two chatty ones. "It's good that you're not all quite so...focused," she says. "It will make the unoccupied crypts that much less boring."
Her gaze follows Myron's. "You could always go ask?"
As the groups wiled away the late hours of the day, and the early evening with food, drink and conversation, a messenger from the Grand Mausoleum arrived at the tavern. Accompanied by a pair men from the Voices of the Spire, the man sought out each group in turn and presented them with a sealed letter.
Inside each letter was information regarding that particular group's second assignment. Each group congregated around their own tables to learn where they were headed next within the Necropolis.
The Cryptfinder's immediately retired upstairs without opening their letter.
Sigrun opened her letter and gave it a quick read before folding it up and placing it inside her shirt for safe keeping.
The Dog Soldiers tried unsuccessfully to rouse Marrn's interest, before Fisk opened the letter and read it carefully. Nodding his head as he finished, he then folded it back up the way it came and motioned the others to help Marrn to his room. Good luck to all tomorrow! Hope to see you back here again! he stated before joining the others carrying Marrn.
The two remaining Sand Scorpions utterly ignored their letter, leaving it to sit upon the bar.
Velriana opened her team's assignment and her expression left no doubt as to the disappointment of its contents. Bloody fools! They are wasting our talents! The rest of the Scorched Hand looked equally displeased. Anything interesting Ahkenaten? she calls over to your table.
...inside your letter you learn that the next site you are to explore is a walled, two-story mansion with surrounding grounds, which the Pharasmins believe belonged to some minor nobility of the ancient city. As before, you are given a sketched map detailing the site’s location in the necropolis.
As the day before, you gather at the gate to the Necropolis awaiting its opening. This time, no other team is present when the guards open the portal. Not wishing to stand around, you head straight in and make directly for the location on your map. You don't have anywhere near as far to travel this time, making your way a few blocks south from the gate.
A few minutes later you find yourselves standing outside a your assigned site. Sandstone walls ten feet high enclose this estate, affording those who once lived inside some privacy. A two-story stone house is visible beyond the walls, adjoining the rear wall of the property. In the center of the estate’s southern wall stands a pair of tarnished bronze gates hanging partially open, appearing to have been broken open long ago.
A pair of statues flanks the gate. Dusty hieroglyphs are carved into the wall at eye level to the left of the gate which read “House of Pentheru” in Ancient Osiriani. The statues depict two men with a regal bearing and dressed in loose, short robes and traditional Osirian head cloths. Small hieroglyphs on the statues’ bases identify the figures as Pentheru the Elder and Pentheru the Younger.
Mus'ad steps up and examines the gates, finding them decrepit with no means to secure them. Pushing one aside, he reveals a courtyard, covered in dust and sand, beyond. To the east and west stand pairs of columns, once brightly painted and now bleached from the sun, which support stone archways leading to other section of the property. Tarnished bronze gates hang open under both arches. To the north, a small flight of steps leads up to a pair of ornate doors in the south wall of the house between another set of columns.
Should we do a quick walk around the building before proceeding in some entrance? My father used to say the most obvious entrances are not usually the best way in.
Kheled draws out his crossbow, puts away his shield and spear and loads it.
Just in case.
A check of the compound reveals no other entrances on the roughly 140' by 110' structure. The central area consists of a two story home, while the side areas house a number of smaller single story buildings. A crumbling granary rises above the surrounding wall in the back of the property as well.
"Well, we could always check the out-buildings first," Elrisiel suggests.
"That's as good a plan as any, I suppose. Hang on, I'll sneak a peek through the eastern arch, see if I spot anything interesting"
Myron moves carefully up to the east archway and looks through.
As soon as Myron passes through the gate he feels a chill run up his spine. A moment later the sound of an angry mob can be heard outside of the walls, although none exists. A woman's voice cries out in Ancient Osiriani, האַלטן די טויערן! צי ניט לאָזן זיי ין די קאַמפּאַונד! as the gates begin to shake and rattle all on their own, as if pounded by powerful blows. The hair on Myron's neck stands as he feels a wave of fear threaten to overwhelm him.
Used to the everyday horrors of Cheliax, Myron quickly shakes off the feeling of unease.
"I heard a woman call out in ancient osiriani. Something about barring the gates and keeping some sort of crazy mob out of the compound."
As Myron shakes off the haunt and moves to the eastern arch he catches a glimpse through the western arch as well, spying what looks like a pool within another courtyard.
Peeking through the eastern gate Myron sees that a spacious yard fills most of the compound east of the house. Against the far east side of the yard, several small stone outbuildings have been built right into the compound’s outer wall. A well stands between two of these outbuildings, opposite a stone table and benches that sit in the shadow of the house. Two sets of steps, both flanked by columns, lead up to doors into the main house. To the northwest, an open doorway leads into an extension of the house, with yet another door into the house within. The granary, with its red domed roof sits against the back wall.
Myron signals with his hands that everything looks clear and motions for the others to move forward.
Mus'ad serves his remit for searching for traps and opening portals as required without comment or concern, though the screaming apparition gives him some degree of pause.
At Myron's gesture the Delvers move up, and as a group, pass through the arch into the courtyard. Moving away from the gate you are greeted by the ominous sound of a dog growling emanating from the first building on the right. It is immediately joined by a second... and they sound large!
Forewarned of the danger before she is even aware of what it is, a short phrase in a language that can only be Celestial for its beauty rolls off of Elrisiel's tongue a moment before the growling begins. As she does so, a faintly shimmering field of magical force surrounds her before fading from view. "Company," she says as the growling reaches the party's ears.
Aristedes seemed unconcerned by the distribution of new sites to explore.
I surmise they are just testing us at this stage, Velriana. I'm sure that over time, as they get used to this procedure, we'll have a greater say in the sites that we will be exploring. The Erudite Eye? Not something I have heard of, my lady. I'll pass on anything that I hear- in return... please let me know if you hear anything of an counterspell or antidote to an ancient mummy's curse...
Aristedes shook his head to the woman's shouted question.
he answered.
His eyes scanning the place carefully for clues as to the former inhabitant's lives and lore, Ahkenaten was snapped back to reality by the sound of growling. Self-assured with a wall of companions surrounding him, Aristedes watched to see how it would unfold.
Drawing both his kukri, Myron prepares to meet whatever comes out of the buildings.
Kheled moves behind Pherenike and casts his normal support spell on her.
Guidance
Mus'ad steps slightly to the North and prepares for the coming fray with raised shield and readied hammer...
The source of the growling surges out of the open doorway. It is a huge black furred, two-headed dog the size of a horse with midnight black eyes. Tiny worms crawl on its mangy hide.
As the creature rushes the group, Pherenike stabs it with her spear. The beast retaliates with a snap of its enormous jaws...
...raking her arm with its teeth but failing to pull her down at the same time.
Kheled, you will need to clean the wounds once we dispatch it Ahkenaten said, wincing as Pherenike was savagely bitten. He moved to where he could get a clear shot and let loose a crossbow bolt with a fine shot that pierced the beast's hide, staggering it.
The musetouched elf speaks a word of power and flicks her wrist, sending a glob of acid flying toward the canine assaulting her companions. It splatters against the dog's mangy hide, searing away a number of worms as it eats into the dog's hide.
Aristedes' bolt takes the hound right in one of its four eyes. It staggers a step forward before the acid blob puts it down, the smell of burning fur mixing with that of fresh blood upon the sand.
Pherenike steps up and drives her spear into the second head. just to make sure. As she yanks it free Myron peeks into the building it came out of. This small, one-room structure is devoid of features, save the ruined remains of furniture that have all but disintegrated with the passage of time.The glitter of coins scattered about a recently dug hole catches his eye. He moves in to retrieve them, finding 7 gp, 3 sp, and 12 cp, and a turquoise earring worth 15 gp.
"That particular hound's pretty nasty, even in death. Don't touch it. Kheled, its bite leaves thousands of tiny eggs that grow into flesh devouring worms, if not treated. Can you do anything to clean the wound?"
Elrisiel steps around Mus'ad to inspect the Delvers' immediate surroundings silently, trusting her magic to warn her of coming danger.
"There, there Pherenike..." the Professor said as comfortingly as he could manage, patting her on the shoulder fondly. "Your in no danger in the short term and we'll have this foulness out of your wound in no time at all."
Myron looks at the dead dog with concern and disgust.
"We should probably burn the body or something, just to be safe. But the smoke will almost certainly attract attention, so we should wait until we are ready to leave."
He scoops up the coins and the earring, then moves out of the building again and carefully peeks round the corner to get a better look at the well.
Kheled tries to remember anything specific about the wound, but asks for help before doing so...
Guidance.
Heal Check using a healing kit charge.
Let me see what I can do. Let's clean it and I have a special ointments for infected wounds that should help. Don't worry my friend, I will do my best to make sure whatever this is doesn't take hold. Yes I am not sure what that brown ooze is but let's get rid of it.
After a very deft cleaning, Kheled inspects the wound.
That looks much better, now lets see how it looks tomorrow.
Myron peeks into the well as Kheled tends to Pherenike's wound, revealing it to be completely dry. Likely ages ago.
With Myron peering down into the well, Pherenike moves to the bench to receive Kheled's attentions. She is greeted by the hiss of a snake followed by...
...an excruciating bite on the ankle.
As Pherenike calls out in pain the others see a dark brown snake, known as an asp, had been lying coiled up in the shade under the stone table. It is now risen, hood expanded, venom dripping from its fangs...
I think I have removed anything that might have been there, let's just make sure...gah!
Kheled staggers back a little in suprise and fear.
Reacting almost before Pherenike's cry of pain, Elrisiel voices another word of power, flinging a ball of acid at the snake under the table. The acid sizzles as it strikes the snake squarely, and is quickly followed by a second viscous orb. "You seem to attract trouble, Pherenike," she observes.
|
Seeing the elf conjure acid at the very moment she is bitten, Pherenike snaps, "If you knew it was there, you could have warned me!" She rolls up off of and away from the bench, jabbing under the table with the longspear still gory from the hound. "Stay back so it can't strike again from cover. I'll try to draw it out in the open."
Pherenike is bitten but feels no effect from the venom. Elrisiel's acid splatters the snake a moment later, before Pherenike can leap away from the bench and strike back from range. The table interferes with her aim and the asp avoids the spear thrust. Kheled steps back as well before placing his spell upon Pherenike.
Mus'ad moves up adjacent to Pherenike and readies his hammer to strike...
Mus'ad joined the others around the table and hefted his hammer waiting for the snake to expose itself. The asp obliged, drawn to the movement of the Pahmet, lashing out at the his leg, but the ranger's timing was true and his hammer landed a telling blow just before the snake's own strike...
...scratched his ankle. Although only a scratch, the wound burned from the poison.
Elrisiel then hit the snake with another bit of acid, sizzling its skin.
Poison Save:
Mus'ad feels the venom begin to work immediately, causing his breathing to become laboured. It feels like an ogre is sitting on his chest, as his lungs struggle to draw air into them.
The Professor did not hesitate to move to where he could get a clear shot and loose a crossbow bolt. The Professor's streak of unusually good shots seemed to continue...
The bolt looks good to hit the snake but grazes the leg of the bench just enough to send it wide of the mark.
Myron slips past Kheled to take position besides Mus'ad .
Weaving his blade in a defensive pattern, he slashes at the snake, trying to take it down before it can strike again.
Myron's shifts closer but his strike misses the agile snake.
Grimacing and growling as the snake's venom runs like acid through his veins Mus'ad nods at Pherenike's words. He steps back and prepares to strike with his hammer once again...