Dwalindor's last attack pins the scroll to the floor of the library. It stirs for a bit and then finally surrenders it struggle, the papyrus used to create it disintegrating after the final blow.
Inside the compartment the scroll was coiled in, you find several items - three scroll tubes, and two stone tablets - one with what appears to be Osiriani, Kelish and Ancient Osiriani proclaiming fealty to the Padishah Emperor of Kelesh; the other tablet is inscribed with ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs. Last, you find a long wooden wand tipped with a large, roughly cut topaz.
Linguistics DC 10
BY ROYAL ORDER OF PHARAOH DJEDERET II
..THE HIGH PRIEST OF OUR BLESSED TEMPLE SHALL TAKE THIS RELIC TO OUR NEW CITY WHERE THE ASP AND CROOK JOIN AND ENSURE IT IS NEVER DISCOVERED. TREAT IT WITH REVERENCE, BUT CONCEAL IT WITH YOUR MOST TRUSTED SECRETS AND VALUABLE TREASURES, DO NOT BE TEMPTED BY ITS POWERS. LET OUR SCANDAL REMAIN FORGOTTEN UNTIL THIS OBSCENITY CAN BE UNDONE...
linguistics
As you empty the library you begin to hear noise from the main cathedral - it sounds remarkably like claws occassionally scraping across the marble and Trip flattens his ears against the back of his head and growls out of his three mouths.
Shortly after hearing the scraping noise, a halfling steps into the room followed by a young lion. The halfling has dark hair and the tan skin of someone who is used to being outdoors.
He is wearing what appears to be practical desert clothing however there are odds and ends on his kit that are definitely junk being sold to would be explorers.
The lion would be unremarkable except for the fact that he is not attacking and appears to be wearing a saddle.
The lion looks reluctant to be in such a closed space however when he spots the three headed hyena he takes on a quizzical expression as if he can't figure out what it is.
I heard all of the noise from down the hall and thought there might be a fight....
I'm Calin by the way, and this is Tobbs. Calin states as he indicates to the lion.
Calin looks around and sees all of the recent destruction without any obvious enemies, dead or alive, anywhere in sight.
So what were you guys fighting?
|
Dwalindor takes one look at the newcomer.
"Well, Rameth and Azubah...he ain't undead and ain't a doll, a bunny or kitten. So I am guessing he ain't from inside this tomb. Hah! "
The scruffy dwarf bows to the halfing and lion.
"Dwalindor's the name and treasure huntin's the game. The fighting part is just for fun. "
Would you believe me if I told you we just killed an evil piece of parchment?
All the items have magical properties.
The wand is a wand of lessor restoration and the tablet is a tablet of languages lost.
Tablet of Languages Lost
Fashioned from granite, this stone tablet is approximately 2 feet long, 1 foot wide, and just over an inch thick. Once per day, upon speaking the command word, the owner of the tablet can read and understand any written texts as if using comprehend languages for a period of 30 minutes.
This does not allow the owner to speak or write unknown languages, or read magical writings (though the tablet reveals that such texts are magical). In addition, if the tablet is readily available and at hand, the owner gains a +3 competence bonus on all Linguistics checks. Finally, if the owner knows at least one of the three languages inscribed on the tablet, he can attempt Linguistics checks to translate the other two languages even if untrained in the Linguistics skill.
The scrolls are a scroll of align weapons, a scroll of halt undead and a scroll of knock.
appraise
spellcraft
Rameth identifies the scrolls.
Well that lends an entirely new meaning to, "Dire Words."
Calin bows to Dwalindor and the group.
We were a bit late to join an expedition group and I figured that I would at least explore the areas that were already opened. It seems that you aren't quite finished with this tomb. Would you mind the company?
Who are you?
Azubah waits for the halfing's response before he says anything. He wants to be certain that this fellow is not another ghost, like Sir Howard.
I didn't know cats got that big, did you?
The hyena's ghost barks.
Well, no it's not strictly a cat, I know.
You could swear the hyena sighs at Sir Howard.
Honestly I don't know why I talk to you.
The name's Calin Tinderfoot from.... pretty much all over. I'm a bit of an explorer and, although I tend to spend most of my time in the wilds, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see the famous Necropolis of Wati.
Rematch leads the way to th main cathedral, Morningstar at the ready
Calin and Tobbs follow suit.
Azubah falls into step with the others.
The cathedral echoes as the five of you troop in. You don't see that many changes that can't be put down to the new arrival and his rather unusual mount.
Perception
We did, although much of this is starting to look alike.
Calin looks around for any changes from when he passed through earlier, and Tobbs sniffs the air.
As you search around the room, you don't notice much aside from the fact that your footsteps are disappearing from the entrance. Only the deep tracks left by Calin's lion are distinct in the sand that remains from the sandstorm.
You're caught surprised as a result of your studying the floor when something moves out of the wall. Shaped like a hulking man with giant arms ending in taloned hands, it takes the appearance of the paintings on the wall as it turns its head towards you before rippling underneath the floor to attack the nearest target - Azubah.
The creature rears up, it's body made out of the white and black tile of the floor as if it's somehow stretching the floor to create its own skin.
Both hands come rushing at Azubah and smash into him, hard.
(+8 religion, +9 Local, +7 Dungeoneering, +2 all others) knowledge check on this thing.
Hey! Only I get to choke him!
Rameth moves to H5 and swings his morning star with all his might
for
Rameth, the scroll you examined earlier probably refers to this entity, the ankhet.
The ankhet is an elemental, which means like elementals it has no weak spots, nor can it be poisoned or bled.
Rameth's morningstar cracks into the marble that's part of the ankhet's form.
The monster seems to melt into the floor and then rises back up out of the floor reformed. It lashes out at Rameth in response to the brutal assault.
Rameth grunts, in pain, and a bit of surprise at getting struck
"Tobbs, Kill!"
As Calin calls the command word the collar on Tobbs' neck begins to glow as Tobbs grows from a medium in to a Large lion. (see dire collar)
Tobbs charges the creature and makes a bite attack.
Calin draws his bow and takes a shot at the creature.
Azubah pulls himself up off the floor and tries to assess his condition. Broken bones is all that he can say to himself in the time that the others confront his assailant.
"Aroden, your mercy. I beseech you" he says as he calls upon the power of the great god to heal his wounds.
Cure Light Wounds
The ankhet shudders from Dwalindor's hammer blow, but the reaction to the flashing claws of the new arrival's lion causes Calin's arrow to fly past.
Albus charges up the stairs of the platform and brings his bastard sword down on the monster with both hands.
His sword crashes down next to the monster however his eagerness to attack the elemental causing him to miss with his blow.
The monster seems to skew around in relation to the morningstar and hammer blows and it opens what would be a mouth to roar - no sound comes out however.
Rameth grins at surrounding the floor creature.
He swings his morning star with all his might then again in order to lead it into Dwalindor's blow
for
for +2 to hit
The ankhet gives another silent roar as the morningstar pounds flakes and chunks from its marble body.
Its form melts into the floor leaving most of your team surrounding empty rock.
Instead it pops up behind Calin, rearing up to strike.
Neither of the blows land and the outline of the ankheg fluctuates obscenely upon its new emergence.
It does manage to evade Dwalindor's renewed attack with his hammer.
Tobbs once again charges at the enemy and this time attempts to overrun the creature.
Calin's skin begins darken to black and orange stripes as he dances out of reach from the creature. (L9)
Once out of reach Calin steadily fires another shot.
Calin and Tobbs attacks pass by the ankhat without impacting it, although Calin's acrobatics prevent the elemental from attacking him as he moves away.
Rematch takes a 5 ft step north and swings, then attempts to assist Dwalindors next attack
for
to aid to aid on attack
Now that he has his feet underneath him again, Azubah points an accusatory finger at the offensive flooring and yells "Feel the Aroden's displeasure!"
Rameth's morningstar and Dwalindor's hammer miss the undulating ankhat, who rears back and attempts to smash the impudent dwarf near it.
It haltingly tries to attack the dwarf at the start, its fist somehow twists at the last moment to land only a single attack.
Albus moves in to attack as well, again swinging his sword with all his might.
His sword again misses the elemental which is torn between its attackers.
Dwalindor's hammer crashes down smashes a huge chunk out of the floor, but the ankhat still remains.
[ooc]Gotta love playing a charge straight ahead character.