sm
Sebti is clearly irritated at the Maze Minders in particular. You're not exactly sure what you've done to draw her ire but the House of Pentheru is no honor, you're sure of that.
In fact you may have been sent there specifically to expire.
Azubah perhaps you should purchase with party funds a few scrolls of Bless weapon for this occasion...
Rameth will also buy 2 holy waters and a scroll of bless weapon. He also took the time to sharpen all his bladed weapons.
You make your way through the Necropolis unaccompanied by Ibrahim's men, and you hear a noticeable change in the atmosphere already with explorers and their entourage making more noise as they move through the dead portion of the city than it has seen in centuries.
Eventually you come to the House of Pentheru, the map drawn gives you more than enough information to reach the abandoned home.
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. A pair of statues flanks the gate. Dusty hieroglyphs are carved into the wall at eye level to the left of the gate.
Rameth pauses and checks the Glyphs
Someone check the gates for any traps while I translate... I suspect there are none since they are open but we can never be to sure. Rameth says spinning his cane around.
The heiroglyphs read "House of Pentheru" and the statues, which depict two men with a regal bearing and dressed in loose, short robes and traditional Osirian head cloths.
Underneath each statue you see the figures are denoted as Pentheru the Elder and Pentheru the Younger
"Hmmm, a grandee's mannor will surely be well-guarded. More caution on our part will be needed" Azubah says to no one in particular.
"I wonder if our lisping friend and his men will be waiting for us to emerge bloody and weakened so that he can 'renegotiate' terms to us."
Rameth checks the door and leads the way in
+9 vs traps
He moves up to T17 sword can in hand.
Back in the tavern.
Sigrun pointedly ignores Velriana and continues talking to you about the tomb.Albus, I have a confession to make. I'm writing an account of the exploration of Wati and your adventures were by far the most interesting.
I don't suppose you'd be interested in meeting me here again after we come back from our next exploration?
You got yourself a date lass. The half elf says smiling.
Maybe that Ibrahim fellow is just a really nice guy. But I never met a really nice guy in my life until now and I dont think that have changed. Fellow creeps me out. Albus says while Rameth work the heiroglyphs.
This one
Dust and sand cover the gound of the small courtyard. To the east and west stand pairs of columns, once brightly painted and now bleached painted and now bleached from the sun, which support stone archways leading to the 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 clumns.
When Rameth enters the courtyard, a noise begins to build behind you and you hear the sound of a mob chasing towards you in the courtyard.
A voice rings out near you.
Ancient Osiriani
Hold the gates! Don't let them inside the compound!
As the voice rings out you can hear and see the gates behind you vibrating as something beats on them, trying to drive the gates, which swung closed behind you, open.
Fear Save
Azubah's faith in Aroden steels him against the surge of fear that momentarily passes over him.
Percep to my knowledge there was nothing to dd
will
The wave of terror that passes over you abates after an initial moment of panic and you're all still standing together. The experience must have been some vestige of the chaotic fall of the city.
The Necropolis itself was formed when the Plague of Madness swept across the town, either killing the city's inhabitants causing ordinary Osiriani to turn into raving monsters willing to kill anything they come across.
You appear to have triggered some sort of echo of the house getting attacked by the crowds during the fall of the city before the Necropolis was set up.
The courtyard you're in has windswept sand that shows no sign of passage in the courtyard, leading you to believe that the site has been undisturbed for years.
Something appears in Azubah's peripheral vision.
The specter of a man appears next to you, faintly transparent and hovering above the ground.
His form is drapped in the tattered remains of a Taldan court outfit, with a waxed mustache and goatee and he has manacles dangling broken chains around his wrists and ankles.
I say, it really is depressing to see the same scene day after day. Sooner or later you'd think they'd get through the gate, what?
Knowledge (religion)
Spellcraft
"Is it always the same, even when no one disturbs the grounds?" Azubah replies to the phantom. The others have heard Azubah mutter to himself before. This time he is clearer but it is little different than his occasional ramblings.
The phantasm appears to be a haunt, a localized disturbance caused by traumatic spiritual events.
Typically haunts can be banished either by powerful spells or removing the cause of haunt.
Based on the way the gates were shaking you think that repairing the gates and trying to bless or cleanse the gates with holy water could dispel the haunt for good.
The spirit appears to be surprised that Azubah can see him and turns towards him.
Good heavens! I haven't had anyone to converse with in ages.
He peers at Azubah more closely, his eyes narrowing.
Well, you don't look dead.
He seems to ponder for a second.
Oh, you must be one of those mediums I've heard about. A poor lad named Mustafa told me about one back in 3689.
Well, it doesn't happen every day you know.
He gestures towards the gates.
But you'd be surprised how often things come through the Necropolis and through those gates.
spellcraft
Rameth, you're able to devise that a make whole spell would be the best option to restore the gates via magic.
Haunts, as the magically inclined call these occurrences, are typically natural phenomena drawn to both terrible events and unnatural or magical forces or objects.
A make whole spell...well that is a bit out of the pay grade isn't it? Rameth mutters
No it is a spell to repair the gate. Smashing it with your ax probably wouldn't help much... Rameth is puzzled so to help him think he takes out his flask and takes a hit.[/b]
Spell? Dont have that one. Albus says shruging.
Cant we just "reinforce" the gate by piling some trash against it?
"Why, yes, I can see and hear you. How did you come to be here? Did you die here? And what is it that comes through the necropolis at night? Are the Pharasmins not vigilant against intruders, as they seem to imply?" Azubah shows some excitement at this last question.
To the others "The fear phenomenon might be stopped by washing the gates with holy water and then blessing them with a suplpication to Aroden. I don't know if we could cover the whole of the gates with the holy water that we have, though."
Well, I wouldn't say they're not vigilant, at least they were in my day. Bit hard to patrol a whole city of undead though, wouldn't you say?
"Yes, I suppose that is fair to say. How long have you been here? And what have you seen come through the gates recently?"
At this point Azubah has put his morninstar against the ground and is leaning on it casually. His speech is very lucid, as if speaking to someone unseen.
Suddenly, he reacts to Dwalindor. "Oh, I suppose we could just do it now. But it should not happen again until the next dawn, so there is no duress about it."
Oh, usually you see the odd porter or religious zealot wandering through. Never seen a group this large come through the gate however.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"I am Azubah, a priest of Aroden. My companions likely can neither hear not see you. I am attuned to spirits, however."
Looking around a little worried Angel Eyes steps away from Azubah.
Well that's a bit of a how-do-you-do. Is there anything else you can see that they can't?
"No. The remains of other spirits do cling to me, though. Are you bound to this place?"
Well, I thought I was but as you can see, he holds up one spectral hand with a broken manacle, something seems to have changed?
Azubah what are you babbling about?
"A ghost is here. He is speaking to me. I can see him as clearly as I can see you. This has happened before. After all, your friend lead me to you."
"He appears to have been shackled here. But something that we did freed him, I think. He says that stragglers and religious fanatics sometimes wander the necropolis at night."