Logos will research his ankh, if there's no other information others are looking for, since the last guy didn't have any information.
"We might want to buy some supplies if we're going to come back after hours." Logos suggests to Calla quietly when no one is around. "There are relatively inexpensive spells that can make quick copies of what we find, if we find anything. I assume you have Scrivener's Chant in your spellbook?"
"Yes I do, although I would need to prepare it. But we don't need to make copies of that, Logan. We only need the knowledge, and to be on our way. And of course, without being killed by cultists or Nethysts. Unless I am forgetting something?"
Calla asks the guys to research about Djedihepet, who was certainly involved in the events at the time. If that's not possible let's research about Djederet II, or in last case about Shory.
"I was thinking you might want to copy any maps, or symbols, or oddly written or turned phrases, things that might be harder to remember exactly, in case we run into puzzles or traps or mazes..." Logos says diffidently, ignoring that she got his name wrong.
Djedihepet was the High Priest of Nethys in Wati back in the day. He was sent there by Djederet to oversee The Sanctum of the Erudite Eye, but a lesser known fact that you are able to dig up is that he was part of a secret organization known as the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather.
Pharoah Djederet II was Hakotep's successor, but nothing else major was found out.
The Shory were again an ancient empire of central Garund known for its arcane engineering and flying cities. They pre-date Hakotep by several thousand years so even less is known about them.
You were able to discover some info about Anubis and his Ankh's. The symbol itself has strong ties to strength and health in life. In death it guides the soul to the afterlife and protects them there. It seems to be a protective symbol in life and death, if your worthy and commited to Anubis and his teachings.
The one you have is deffinitely magical, but at present offers no abilities to you. Perhaps it saved you instead of it's previous owner because he was not worthy while you were.
As your reading this infomation the Ankh begins to glow softly and starts to warm your chest.
"Oh, take a look at this! Hakotep was the pharaoh previous to Djederet II. Djederet founded Wati, and we know that when they came here he was ordered to hide their shame, so whatever happened was probably not here. Do you know what other cities Djederet could have founded?"
On the fourth day at Tephu the party moves back to confront the Governor and obtain their answer.
That evening you recieve a message in your head. It reads as follows:
This is the Deka An-Keret. I wish to have a private meeting with you in my chambers. Can you meet in an hour?
You have 25 words or less in which to respond.
"Of course, I shall be there."
Marius will then go meet her in a hour.
Are you telling the others or just heading out?
Marius will inform them, but he will be going alone.
You have a but a short travel back the Santuary of Nethys. The same arcolyte from earlier greets you and takes you to the Governor's chambers. After seeing you in she pulls the doors closed behind you.
"You stand a richly appointed office decorated with all manner of expensive items. The floor is a blue marble and behind a large mahogany desk sets the Governor, Deka An-Keret. She's an older woman, but does not lack in the good looks department."
She smiles at you as you enter the room. With a gesture she invites you to take a seat oppisite of her desk. "Marius is it? I'm glad you've decided to come and speak with me. Tell me, why do you seek admittance to the Inner Sanctum?"
Marius takes the seat with a smile.
"I seek several things. One is more knowledge about a strange masked cult that I encountered in the city of the dead. They seemed very fanatical and it seems they even have members in this city. I also seek knowledge about Pharaoh Djederet. Finally, I have found the Scepter of the God King and I wish to learn more about its secrets."
She perks up at the mentioning of the Scepter. "Indeed. Your friends mentioned the Sky Pharoah. You seek knowledge about him as well?"
Meanwhile back at the Inn.. Yall just hanging out for teh evening or perhaps something else?
to see if I can get any info on that pesky cult in this area.
You do some asking around and it just so happens there's a dock worker having some drinks thats seen a few masked fellows using small boats out on the river. He has no idea what they were doing though..
Can I get a location to investigate? Some particular building?
Hadjii scribes a scroll of CLW, finishes training the hyena he's been training to guard, and starts getting Sheeba accustomed to the spell Air Walk.
If Hemket mentions the cultists are using their own boats, Hadjii will take to the air for a couple of hours, using his eagle eyes to spot boatmen wearing funerary masks.
If he spies some, he'll play predator drone -- tracking 'em back to their hideout!
Marius nods.
"Yes, we think that information about the sky pharaoh will help us deal with this cult."
Calla will start to upgrade her headband, and then will move into the Outer Stacks of the Library (where there is no fee) and research after ancient sacred places to Nethys, like the Erudite Eye, while Marius have his conversation and hopefully comes out with a proper answer.
The worker gives you an approximate location of where he saw the masked figures. Hadjii spends a few hours surveying the area and sure enough you finally locate a small boat carrying a couple of masked folks. They seem to be heading downriver. It will be dark soon as well Hadjii..
She seems to contimplate for a while before speaking. "You and your friends will not be allowed to enter the Inner Sanctum.. Now I must ask you to leave brother." Before you can respond the door opens swiftly. A slave promptly enters the room and prostrates himself on the floor in front of the Governor, begging to deliver a message. With a nod the slave begins to tell her that Her Excellency Muminofrah of Sothis will be arriving tomorrow and that she requests Governor's presence when she arrives. Deka sighs before leaving the room. You now stand in her office with a still prostrated slave.
Actions?
Calla you easily find out about a place called The Academy of Scribes, which is basically a training center for coming up Priests of Nethys.
Marius helps the slave up and pats him on the back.
"No need to hug the ground like that. Now if you don't mind would you go and deliver an item to my allies down by the tavern?"
If the slave responds yes Marius will have him take the table of lost languages to his inn, and friends. After the slave leves Marius will cast see invisibility on himself, and begin looking through Deka's desk to try and find four things. Firstly, a paper with her signature on it. Secondly, any signet/stamp she uses to mark papers. Thirdly, any paper that is a note/decree allowing access to the inner sanctum. Finally, any papers that stand out. If the slave responds no then Marius will just glance over the papers to see if anything sticks out before leaving.
The slave gives a smile of uncared for teeth as you help him up. "I cannot perform duties outside what the master tells me too, I am sorry. Good day to you sir." The slave then procedes to leave the room.
Looking over the desk there is some paperwork with the Governor's signature on it, but nothing resembling entrance paperwork to the inner sanctum. The drawers to the desk are all locked. You also find a hidden compartment to the desk, but again it is locked. You also hear some screaming coming from down the hall. You think it's the Governor getting very angry with someone. You manage to make out. "I am not her servant, waiting to be told what to do whilst she is here! You tell her that I will be there because of the Ruby Prince's authority comes through her and that is the only reason!" You here some movement coming back towards the office.
Actions?
Marius decides that discretion is the better part of valor for right now, leaves, and then goes off to find out what he can about whoever was able to make Deka so angry. He feels the need to congratulate them.
The slave already mentioned who was coming into town and requested Deka's presence..
Your invis will run out before you get back, make a perception check as you return to the inn Marius.
Once i have Hadjii's plan ill move forward with him. What do the rest of you do?
Your tail has returned.. It's more than one though, and as you round a corner there's another in your path. He draws a falchion and starts chanting.. The two behind you pull falchions and start moving towards you. Perhaps going alone was a bad idea.
Luckily you're much faster on the draw and get to go first! The guy in your path is 30' away. The 2 behind you are 40' away and will be advancing on their turn. As far as conditions around you there are buildings on both sides. There are a few doors within a movement.
Actions?
Hadjii typically swoops up and down between altitudes of 200' and 300' most of the time, although he tends to swoop down to about 50' off the deck every 5 to 10 minutes or so (much like real eagles do); once he spots the boat with cultists, he'll fly around so that he's between 300' and 500' feet away.
Once he's following his quarry, every 5 minutes or so, when he's about 500' away, he'll summon 1-3 eagles, converting Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, then Spider Climb (if the pursuit last for 20 minutes). He'll have some of 'em individually do a fast fly-by of the boat, approaching for 3 rounds, then away for 4 rounds -- so when they disappear, they're pretty far away. The eagles should pass about 100' from the boat, and Hadjii will fly into this distance a few times himself, for a closer look. This is to make sure that, if they happen to notice the eagles, they see several different eagles, and a few different configurations (sometimes 2, maybe up to 4 at once), over the course of three passes. Hopefully that'll obfuscate the surveillance effort. With any luck, one or two of the eagles will snatch a fish during their 7 rounds of existence -- just to look that much more innocuous...
Hadjii gains low-light vision whilst in eagle form, so he can operate after sundown for maybe 20 minutes.
They dont seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.. Their boat just continue's to move downriver. As eagles start to make their presence known the men dont do anything drastic and appear to be going along with the plan..
As the sun begins to set the men are still paddling downriver. And they still havent reached any destination by the time your low-light runs out.. You see them both chant a spell and continue on.
Darkvision
Actions?
Marius uses some more magic to cast levitate on himself, and afterwords he makes himself move up 20 ft.
EDIT: forgot spoilers
The Hadj has no idea how they are managing to continue on in the dark: in any case, he must return before his Wild Shape ends. once he's back at the inn, he reports to the group.
Hadjii returns and gives his report to Calla, Hemket, and Logos.
The 2 cultist move up 30'. The other finishes his spell and 3 missiles shoot out towards you..
"Surrender scum! We don't wanna kill you but we will if we have too.."
Your up floaty man. In case your wondering, floating straight up from the street does not get you close enough to the buildings to grab and pull yourself.
Logos puts on his new Hello Kitty boots, thanking Calla for the work.
Logos puts a hand on the ankh when it glows, and gives an acknowledgement to Anubis, thanking him for not directing him to the afterlife before he was ready. Logos will begin doing more research on Anubis.
It was my intention for each player to have a mythic item at some point. Marius and Hadjii have theirs and now it seems you have yours, although without being a divine caster you'll have to put more effort into to unlock the powers..
Ill let Hadjii do his report..
Marius doesn't comment on the fact that the man attacked him before asking for his surrender and just fires a scorching ray at him.
Hadjii is still in human form when he addresses the group at breakfast:
"I believe the cultists have a hideout somewhere north of Tephu! I followed a boat, that had a pair of mask-wearing cultists in it, for several miles down the Sphinx River. Unfortunately, they continued floating downriver until it got too dark for me to follow, and I could fly no more. It's possible they were going to go all night, in which case they could possibly even make it to the city of An. It seems unwise to keep going when you cannot see if you are going to run into something -- but that is what they did!"
"Perhaps we should check out their hideout while they are out? It might have some clues as to what the thugs are up to. You know where that is right?"
"I do not know the exact location of their hideout -- they lost me in the darkness, and who knows how long they continued to travel. It could be anywhere down river!"
"Yes, but didn't they start somewhere? I assume that was probably the hideout. "
The man laughs as the ray hits him in the chest.. "So you will trade blows huh.." All 3 men cast again and 9 missiles come at you.
They dont seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.. Their boat just continue's to move downriver. As eagles start to make their presence known the men dont do anything drastic and appear to be going along with the plan..
Marius decides that once again discretion is the better part of valor and turn invisible before floating towards the ground.