Seherab is ecstatic about the findings and spends hours writing notes about the relics found below in the crypt.
Teos wipes his brow and takes a moment to give thanks to the gods of life, death and valor. He makes sure to wrap the bones of the fallen carefully in cloth, so that they may yet find a proper place of rest.
After returing to the Living City, the Pharasmins acknowledge your accomplishments, though the High Priestess seems more interested in the item apparently stolen from the Reliquary of the Thrice-Divided Soul and the stone tablet found in the library containing Pharoah Djederet's decree.
While resting, you hear of an auction being held to give all explorers a chance to seel their finds, as the market is now overwhelmed with artifacts and prices are plummeting.
Deciding to turn out for the auction, the party heads to the Canny Jackal. The Canny Jackal hosts many of Wati's richest collectors and historians, from local nobles to representatives from An, Tephu, even Sothis. Auctions traditionally begin an hour after sunset with a complimentary reception beforehand for the attendees to mingle with one another and enoy refreshments.
This evening, the Jackal is offering cheese-stuffed figs, hard-boiled peacock eggs, onion bread, onion-stuffed squid, fresh and dried fruit, spiced wine, and a sampling of 2000 year old honey recovered from one of the tombs.
Seherab tries not to eat too much or make a fool of himself by drinking more than one beverage. He tries to hob-nob with a few of the scholars and historians. "Did you happen to see my most recent manuscript on our finds? Very interesting stuff!"
Ankhef gets all cleaned up with a nice new outfit and a bath before attending the auction.
A nice blue vest with a tiny bit of gold trim over desert colored linen leggings.
Ankhef will gladly sample the refreshments and mingle a bit with the nobles, trying to keep an eyes out to see which fellow adventurers are still in the game.
Teos limits himself to onion bread and a small amount of water. Feeling terribly out of place, he keeps out of the way as best he can and busies himself with checking physical security. As a precaution, he'll beg a mage armor from Ankhef - given the betrayals which have already occurred amongst the teams, he has no faith in those attending tonights festivities.
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Harkuf runs some water through his hair and tries to wash off the worst of the dirt and grime from their explorations in the tomb. He takes a stiff brush to his leather armor to try and buff it as best as he can, but doesn't fret too much about it.
He leaves a fully-grown Jafar at the inn, "Make yourself comfortable, Jafar - I don't think you'd like this party we're going to." Before closing the door behind him, Harkuf lets 5 rats loose in the room - to provide his snake some amusement, and dinner.
Once in the Canny Jackal, Harkuf stays close to Teos, not really one to mingle. He does sample some of the two millenia old honey, and does his best to keep a full mug of spiced wine in his hand.
"Seherab and Ankhef seem like they're more at home here, that's for certain."
You all amble about the reception mingling with the guests, meeting and introducing yourselves to the majority of attendees.
Baketra: One of Wati’s richest and most notorious gourmands, she’s keen to sample forgotten treats or liquors, or purchase ancient artwork to decorate her large dining room.
Basif Iosep: A wealthy coffee merchant and avid document collector hoping to uncover records about his human heritage.
Djat Masakhet and Intef Karam: Representatives of Wati’s temple of Nethys, the Sanctum of Silver and Gold, looking for unique magic items and lost temple records.
The Four Lanterns: A cocksure band of Andoren explorers who participated in the necropolis exploration, and now seek to sell their loot and buy masterwork equipment and practical magic items.
Khammayid Okhenti: A young scion of the noble Okhenti family, newly returned from his studies in Oppara and eager to find expensive weapons to impress his family.
Manaat Heshwah: The humorless representative of a Sothis trading house, keen on acquiring furniture, housewares, and pottery.
Maru Meshhoten and Namaru Meshhoten: An aging dowager and her granddaughter, looking for jewelry, clothing, and scandalous books and scrolls.
Menya the Whip: Rail-thin and with an iron handshake, this ambitious young armorsmith is attending the auction to network, though he’s also looking for a curious centerpiece for his new armor shop.
Ptemenib: Polite but distracted, Ptemenib is attending the auction as the Grand Mausoleum’s representative.
Kanfar: A quiet, unassuming dwarf who has traveled to the auction to looks for interesting artifacts.
Reginald Simardson: An aristocratic expatriat from Ustalav, who spends his time frequenting the local taverns and making fairly regular trips to Sothis.
Duke Raoul: A man of Chelaxian descent. The Duke visits Wati on a fairly regualr basis, searching for unique antiquities.
Channa Ti: A half-elf of with evident Garundi heritage. She came to Wati to attend the auction.
While mingling, you hear a varied assortment of rumors;
“Rather nice to see the Pharasmins on board with this auction. At least we’ll know these relics are real. You can’t trust the veracity of just anything up for sale, no matter how old it looks. A group calling themselves the Silver Chain took me for a fortune on a ‘Second Age’ chest last year. It looked ancient enough, but it turned out the damned thing had only survived a house fire in An.”
“Naturally, the Okhentis will throw their vulgar coin at anything with a blade—if they haven’t already spent tonight’s share on companionship and liquor, of course.”
“It’s absolutely dreadful the way the church is opening our history to so many foreigners. I hear Haty-a Oshep Kahmed is going to increase taxes on travelers from beyond the sister cities to recoup the cultural damage.”
“Some of the adventurers who went into the necropolis didn’t fare so well, from what I hear. They say the Sunrise Fellows were betrayed by one of their own, and some shady lowlifes ambushed the Scorched Hand while they were trying to leave the necropolis.”
“Did you know that mumia can protect you against mummy rot? I’d never take the stuff myself—it’s made from actual mummies, you know, not to mention illegal—but I’m sure some of those adventuring types in the city these days don’t have such scruples."
"I haven’t seen any of those fellows in the fancy gold masks tonight. My brother says he’s seen them running around the necropolis at all hours, but I suppose they’re not selling. A pity—they sounded delightfully exotic!"
Seherab is about to seek out Djat Masakhet and Intef Karam or perhaps Kanfar the dwarf when he is approached by Reginald Simardson. "Well met to you too. I have seen references to the Lost Gospels in other works but have never studied them myself, no. Why do you ask? What do they contain?"
Teos bows to Kanfar. He pulls out a piece of paper and scribbles with a charcoal stone for some minutes.
Thank you sir. Tar Kuata: I would train there and climb the pillars some day. He bows low as he hands the piece of writing over.
You continue to make small, entertaining various offers from those attending. After a time, the auction begins, showcasing various artifacts recovered from the Dead City. As the auction gets into full swing, suddenly the doors to the Jackal burst open and six undead come shuflfing into the room, beating down the two guards at the door! The room is filled with screams as attendees jump from their seats and head for the exit!
The two guards lay on the ground, bleeding out, as the zombies shuffle into the room, attacking the people they come across!
+2 underground
"Ah! Zombies! Never fear everyone!"
Seherab leaps forward and slashes at the undead with his dagger!
Seherab jumps up, easily identifies the undead as zombies by studying their staggered gait, then slashes one with his dagger, nearly bringing it down!
Teos quickly leaps from chair to chair, pulling a sword as he moves. He circles and moves to strike a zombie.
Ankhef stumbles over some chairs as he gets into a central position before attempting to Command Undead.
Teos jumps up and chops into another zombie!
Ankhef knocks a couple chairs over as he stands and exerts his will over the undead. The two eastern zombies' stances relax as they fall under control of the oracle.
G-10
Harkuf jumps up, then slams his hammer into a zombie!
Two zombies attacks, one landing a blow on Teos, while two others clamber over chairs, toward Seherab!
Teos strikes twice at his foe with two efficient slashes.
Seherab slashes at the zombie he injured already!
Teos easily cuts down the zombie he and Harkuf flank!
Seherab slashes with his blade, but misses!
Ankhef commands his pet zombies to start chasing after the other zombies.
Ankhef will then 5ft step back and guidance Harkuf.
Ankhef sends the zombies after the zombies, then casts a spell on Harkuf!
Harkuf moves across the aisle and slams his weapon into a zombie, dropping it!
The two zombies attack Seherab and Harkuf, one landing a blow against the investigator!
Ankhef's zombies shamble up to their zombies.
Meanwhile Ankhef gives Harkuf another guidance.
Seherab continues to slash at the zombie he has already injured!
Seherab then lines up his shot on the next zombie.
The zombies and party converge on the remaining two undead, cutting them down.
Moments after the undead fall, the scaffolding in the front, jostled by fleeing attendees, begins to creak and groan. Seconds later the front of the building collapses! Two woman, who were attending the auction, fail to get clear of the collapse and are buried under the rubble!
Ankhef will send his zombies to begin digging while he starts casting summon monster 2.
Teos lightly jumps from rock to rock, having long practiced on such terrain, and begins to casually toss rocks from the pile.
Ankhef orders the two zombies toward the rubble as he begins to cast a spell!
Teos darts over to the pile and begins throwing debris!
Seherab leaps forward and starts to help clear rubble.
An investigator can only have one target of studied combat at a time, and once a creature has become the target of an investigator’s studied combat, he cannot become the target of the same investigator’s studied combat again for 24 hours unless the investigator expends one use of inspiration when taking the move action to use this ability.
Studied Strike (Ex): At 4th level, an investigator can choose to make a studied strike against the target of his studied combat as a free action, upon successfully hitting his studied target with a melee attack, to deal additional damage. The damage is 1d6 at 4th level, and increases by 1d6 for every 2 levels thereafter (to a maximum of 9d6 at 20th level). The damage of studied strike is precision damage and is not multiplied on a critical hit; creatures that are immune to sneak attacks are also immune to studied strike.
Everyone jumps in and begins digging out the rubble!
You can hear faint cries as some of the rubble begins to come away.
Seherab keeps digging!
Ankhef summons a small earth elemental, casts guidance on it and sends it into the rubble to help rescue people.
The party keeps digging out the women as Ankhef summons a small elemental that proceeds to burrow into the rubble!
Seconds later, a swarm of half a dozen dismembered, crawling hands appear, scuttling toward the Jackal!
Ankhef will cast bless and move up to engage the hands.
"Get those survivors out, I'll hold off the hands!"
Teos nods and continues to dig.
Ankhef moves up to hold hands!
Teos continues to dig through the rubble!
"Aye!" Seherab keeps hurriedly clearing rubble.
As the party continues to dig, the hands swarm Ankhef!
The grasping hands manage to claw Ankhef twice, but fail to hold on!
One last hand moves past Ankhef and attacks Seherab, but misses!
Eith the aid of the zombie, the party clears the rubble away, freeing the two trapped women!