Seeing his companions succumbing to the snake's dance, Ahkenaten grimaced for but a moment; before his eyes flared with the faintest tinge of blue as he judged Dumah and his hammer to be the greatest proof against this dangerous construct.
His magick-infused voice rang out sharply, resonating with authority and compulsive harshness; somehow instinctively reminding Dumah of his Paladin mentor, the man who had saved him in the slaughter of his tribe.
"Dumah- would you stand idle as your fellow Delvers are slain?!" he half-asked, half-accused.
Ahkenaten's words ringing in his ears, Dumah shakes off the shackles upon his mind and lashes out with his hammer, striking the serpent with a tremendous blow.
It retaliates...
...but the paladin is just able to fend off of the snapping jaws, fangs glistening with venom.
"Th-Thank you, Professor." A little shaken at being duped by the creature's magic, Dumah fights on.
To hit
Damage
"Good thinking," she murmurs to Akhenaten in appreciation. The musetouched elf retrieves another scroll from the scroll cases at her side and reads the incantation from it, her words echoing with arcane power even as the scroll crumbles to dust in her hands. A moment later, a jade dart of magical energy knifes into the skeletal construct.
Elrisiel's missile slams into the construct a mere moment before Dumah's hammer crushes the head in. The long slender body thrashes and coils upon the floor for a few seconds before finally falling still.
Those that were enthralled snap out of it, while Rakara recovers from the venom, relieved to be able to move her limbs again.
The Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs on the western wall are written in a poetic style in an ancient dialect and are particularly difficult to follow, but once translated, they read:
Woe to you who would plunder the Reliquary of the
Thrice-Divided Soul. Turn away, lest the harsh
judgment of the Forgotten One fall upon you and
your descendants for a thousand generations. Turn
away, for his ka cannot be appeased and it shall call
forth legions of the dead and the damned. Turn away, and may
the All-Seeing Eye and the Lady of Graves take pity on you, for if
not, the Forgotten Pharaoh shall consume you, body and soul.
You identify the “ka” as one component of the ancient Osirian concept of the soul, which was divided into five parts. The ka contains a person’s “vital spark,” that which distinguishes the living from the dead.
:
:
After the end of combat, the musetouched elf breathes a sigh of relief. "Whoever's ka this is warning us about is probably no one I want to tangle with," she says after reading the inscription aloud to the others. "A life-force that calls forth undead seems antithetical, though...."
Rakara flexes her muscles, thankful that she can again move them and moves to make herself useful by examining the effigy. She notices signs that something is not quite right.
Something used to cover the head of this thing but has been removed. She runs her finger over it. and judging by the lack of dust it was recent.
That's strange. If the Scorched Hand removed the item, why didn't the skeletal snake attack them? Perhaps it did, and they fled. But there are a lot of questions here that don't add up. Lets move on and see if we can find any answers. Down the hall or to the left?
Rakara looks for any signs that might indicate a recently traveled path.
Rakara sees nothing upon the tiled floor to indicate exploring one direction over another.
One way is just as good as the other, Rakara states with a shrug. She continues to move forward unless someone indicates a preference.
El follows after Rakara with a shrug. ()
The party moves east along the northern hallway til they reach a bend. On the left is a set of doors and on the right is another gate blocking access to a larger room with columns.
Try the door? Myron suggests.
Rakara examines the door for any unwelcome surprises and then tries the handle.
Rakara finds no traps and the doors unlocked. Pushing them open reveals a large silver summoning circle inlaid in the floor tiles near the center of an octagonal chamber. In the northeast corner of the room, a set of narrow steps leads up to a raised dais. A concave stone bench, almost a throne, perches atop the dais, flanked by two bronze braziers. Four columns, incredible examples of ancient sculpture, carved in the form of fantastic creatures support the room’s vaulted ceiling.
The column to the northeast depicts a beautiful, hawk-winged, succubus like woman, while the southeast column is fashioned in the form of a feminine figure of billowing smoke or clouds crackling with electricity. The northwest column portrays a half-skeletal spellcaster of some kind, and the column to the southwest resembles a winged, angelic creature wearing a metallic mask.
Elrisiel murmurs as she peers at the various columns in the chamber. "Definitely a summoning chamber of some sort. Those depict some of Nethys' servants," she says, indicating the same columns with an expansive sweep of her hand.
Impressive, Myron remarks, then begins a thorough search of the room for hidden doors.
I don't recognize the figures Elrisiel, do you know them?
Dumah keeps his earthbreaker at the ready. Again, he'll stand in the doorway again, blocking the door and keeping a watch while the others try to puzzle out the chamber.
Elrisiel nods and gestures at each pillar in turn. "Yes. The winged woman is Yamasha; the cloud is the herald Arcanotheign; the skeleton is a lich called Takaral; and the celestial is a trumpet archon named Bard. Each of them are favored servants of the All-Seeing Eye."
Do you think it's safe to enter, or is some magical trap awaiting us? She directs her question to the magic users.
"I should imagine it's safe, but you're the trap expert," the musetouched elf replies.
In the future, when you check for traps let me place a small amount of protective magic on you.
Guidance, then resistance from now on.
"Hmm... Not figures I am well versed in. But if Nethys is involved, the odds of this room being magical in some manner are high..."
Ahkenaten called the search to a brief halt while he scanned the room for magic.
Before anyone can enter the newly opened room, a women's voice, familiar to some of you, comes from the dark room with the gated entrance. Delvers? Ahkenaten is that you?
Suspicious of the ambitious Taldane lady, Myron grabs a tanglefoot bag from his pack and peers towards the sound of the voice.
Seeing Myron's suspicion, Dumah frowns and steps forward. "Perhaps I should go first," he says to the others "Until we know more."
Unless one of the others stops him, he'll step into the room and look around. He'll try to avoid stepping in the circle that is inside the entrance if he can (going to H25).
If he gets that far, he'll say "I am Dumah, new to the Delvers. What are you doing in this place? Do you need aid?" He still has his earthbreaker out.
Not recognizing the voice or knowing the context of the Delvers' knowledge of the woman speaking, Rakara looks to the others questioningly.
Let's make that K24 then, with the same dialogue.
Elrisiel hesitates and looks down in the direction the voice came from, but remains silent.
"Valriana? Reveal yourself, lest we mistake you for an adversary in this cursed place!"
Towards the back of the large room, where only Dumah and Rakara can see in the dark, a figure steps out from behind one of the pillars. Elrisiel steps alongside Dumah to illuminate the room revealing Velriana Hypaxes. Yes Ahkenaten, it is I. Cursed place? I'm not sure I agree. Looking the rest of the group over, she nods to herself. Picked up some new members hmmmmm? she purrs. Dumah is it? Is that your paramour I see in the back? And funny you should ask, I was about to ask the same of you.
Valriana, it appears you have been busy, can we safely assume you the one that has been cleaning out the necropolis?
Remember those thugs we fought on the way here? That's who they claimed hired them. Be on your guard. Myron whispers to Rakara and Dumah, taking care to keep in cover.
Dumah nods at Myron's warning. He stays where he is unless any of the others try to approach her; if someone does, he'll move to stay ahead of them and keep between them.
Cleansing? Other than a few unfortunate priests who fell to the plague and rose again on the upper floor, we have not had need to "cleanse" this place. If you remember, we are followers of Nethys. This place is most sacred to us.
Looking at Ahkenaten, she inquires, Is it safe to assume that you were assigned this place? I am quite disappointed that you didn't come to me after you knew we sought to explore it.
It feels like she's stalling. And where are her companions? Myron thinks to himself and shifts position to better keep a lookout down the corridor while the others treat with Valriana.
Elrisiel glances at Ahkenaten and then Myron, then back to the room she was about to explore. She pouts, not really interested in the tete-a-tete and yet not willing to just wander off to explore by herself just yet.
"I was somewhat distracted by my bodyguard retiring and a bout of Mindflu contracted in the last delve. I assure you, no slight was meant, madam. I would gladly have shared any sacred secrets or spoils with your group. At least, until you sent armed thugs to try and kill us..."
Rakara listens to the interplay with interest. Her eyes moving about the area, trying to judge if any traps, mechanical or bodily, are about to be sprung.
We did no such thing I assure you. Our only interest here is to recover sacred relics, and as followers of Nethys it should have been ours to explore by right! Velriana's voice began to take on a heated tone but she caught herself and added more calmly, Perhaps we can still exchange information?
Elrisiel glances over her shoulder again, looking at the others. "If she sent those thugs after us, I don't see any reason to cooperate," she says quietly.
Velriana's expression shows she is not entirely surprised by Elrisiel's comment. That is unfortunate. Our two groups working together would have been quite remarkable to behold I suspect. Her words are cut short by the sound of a door opening somewhere back to the west. That sound likely signals that our conversation is indeed at an end.
With a tip of her oversized hat, she steps to her left and out of sight.
Some of you hear the faint sound of clacking feet upon the smooth tiles moving towards you from the direction you just came from.
Myron moves a bit further down the corridor and stands ready to react to incoming enemies, tanglefoot bag in one hand and kukri in the other. He silently signals the rest of the group, especially Rakara and Dumah, to join him.
Kheled casts guidance on Myron then loads his crossbow.
Elrisiel hurries back toward the room with the Nethys-inspired pillars, taking the light of her halo with her.
At Myron's signal, Dumah wordlessly shifts position and follows the little warrior. He stays a stride behind, watching for foes or more hand signals.
As the group shifts its attention to the approaching sound, Myron and the others not blessed with darkvision find themselves peering down a dark hallway. Dumah and Rakara on the other hand...
...a raspy voice echoes down the hallway out of the darkness, Followers of Nethys or not, I will not stand idly by while you violate this sacred place!
After a short pause it adds, ?!A third group?! I shall cleanse this place of all trespassers!
The sound of the footsteps quicken as the foe charges the group and a spear, held in a skeletal hand, emerges from the darkness...
...slicing Myron's shoulder, the wound burning with negative energy!