The bustling desert city of Wati is near bursting with excitement. Adventurers from every corner of the Inner Sea region, such as yourselves, have assembled here beneath the hot Osirian sun to explore the tombs of the city’s necropolis, waiting only to be assigned their first sites for exploration in the upcoming lottery. Surrounding the participants, the public has gathered to observe the ceremony as well. There is a festival-like quality in the air, and numerous street vendors are hawking goods and refreshments to participants and spectators alike. Some merchants have even brought what can only be considered adventuring gear to sell as last minute convenience items to explorers, while others advertise that they’ll buy recovered treasures and antiquities from those who visit their establishments.
Amid the heat and the sand, you find yourself crammed in the corner of the Sunburst Market in the center of the city, between the Grand Mausoleum and Abadar’s Sanctum of Silver and Gold. Around you, 23 other "explorers" of different races (dwarf, humans, gnomes, elves, and even a halfling), stand waiting to be called. "The Unaffiliated" is what you and them were called, if you remember correctly what the clerk who took your name down, said. Those explorers who did not have an official charter or adventuring company name. According to the clerk, only one band of five unaffiliated explorers was allowed to enter the lottery but first, there would be a lottery of the 24 or so adventurers. So you basically had to enter and win two lotteries today. No big deal, right? And what did you win a chance at anyway? Unclaimed lost treasures or the right to die violently and painfully in a dark dirty and probably haunted tomb? Hell, the only who can even see in the dark is the sole dwarf standing 20 feet away from you with a sour look on his face.
After a few minutes, a young clerk of no more than 20 years of age, unfurls a Scroll and reads it aloud!
"Anka Sarraf"
"Rhade Poshment"
"Kakra"
"Alzaar Na' Keth"
"Jalal Hammada"
"Congratulations, you five have been selected to participate in today's lottery as a team. The rest of you have been excused and we kindly ask that you leave the area."
The other 19 adventurers leave, some with looks of disappointment, others with congratulations for the five of you, and others with dirty looks for you and the process. Hell, the dwarf, the only one who could see in the dark, was not selected!
A young priest, dressed in Pharasman garb, with a quill in his hand and papyrus in his other, approaches the five of you. "I know you've all just met, but I'm going to need a name for your band to enter into the lottery records before it begins. Please mull it over and I'll be back in a few minutes. Welcome to Wati!"
So as you stare at your companions, you hope each of them is competent enough to keep you alive long enough to enjoy the fruits of your lucky selection!
The platinum-haired gnome looked up in horror when he heard the fourth name on the list. It couldn't be. No one else made it out of there alive!. As he stared, it was clear he was wrong...he and Alzaar would be together again. The gnome introduced himself to the others with a smile and handshake.
Once he got to Alzaar, he whispered out of earshot of the rest of the group,
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Anticipation filled Kakra's entire body as the clerk began reading the names, hoping and praying (to Nethys naturally) that her name would be one of those that was selected. As the first name is choosen, her heart sinks a little, and then as the second name is picked, she begins to pick up her things and get ready to leave. But then the man speaks the third name, her name, and suddenly the anticipation is gone, and in its place, a multitude of other emotions. Excitement that she would get the chance to be part of the real lottery, intrigue about what mysteries she could discover in the tombs, and most of all, fear...fear of the unknown, fear that they would lose the seocnd lottery, or worse yet be tasked to explore a small and meaningless location, and the fear that she would not return.
She grips her holy symbol firmly as she sizes up her companions. They seemed to be a bit of a ragtag bunch, but she couldn't complain, they were her companions, a group that she could protect, and that could in turn protect her. She smiled slightly as she introduced herself to the others. "Kakra, cleric of Nethys at your service."
"Greetings, pretty lady! Nethys, you say? Ah, I like him very much. Very wise...I dabble a bit in the arcane arts as well. I like to burn things," he says with a slight bow. "I'm Rhade. Now, on a serious note, have you ever done anything like this before? It's not all its cracked up to be, if you aren't prepared, you know.". After his rapid pitter patter speech, he finally takes a bit of a breath and allows the others to answer, should they desire to do so.
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As the gnome calls her pretty, Kakra blushes slightly, but she found it difficult to belive him. At the mention of the little man liking to burn things, she seems visibly shaken. "Burning things has its upsides, however," She pauses for a moment, brushing away the black portion of her hair, revealing a fairly old burn mark, abit unintentionally, as she does. "Take care that you are not the one who gets burned." She relases her holy symbol, trying not to let the gnome's habit of playing with fire get to her, he wasn't the one who burned her alive, and she knew that.
A tall, tanned elf makes his way through the crowd. He wears scale armor and sword on his hip. He's strong, though not as graceful as you might expect for an elf. His eyes have a bit of a distant quality to them at first, but he quickly focuses on the gnome and the human. "Are you one of the ones called? Strange that we should be thrown together like this. Nevertheless, I am called Jalal. Are you from Wati? My family has lived here for centuries."
"No, I'm not from Wati. I came upon news of the lottery. I've been interested in searching ruins for most of my life."
Anka stood with her hood up near the front of the group. A sly smile is scrawled over her face and she stands confidently. There are advantages to growing up in Pharasma's embrace, and she was here to prove her capabilities to the clergy. Of course, realistically there was a slim chance she would not be selected. She knew, however, that Pharasma would not allow such a thing to occur.
At the sound of her name, first on the list, her smile turned into a full-fledged grin. She took a smooth step forward, pulling her cloak down and striding toward the clerk. She bows to the priest, making the symbol of a spiral over her chest. As he walks away, she turns to the others chosen.
The dark-skinned native is silent for a few moments, watching the others speak. When she does, her voice is low and quiet. ”I am Anka, Priestess of Pharasma although..” She pauses for a moment, biting her lip. ”She has not granted me her divine gifts, I am no cleric like Kakra.”
Shifting from foot to foot, faced with companions she seems far more nervous than she did simply waiting for the lottery. ”I have not tempted the tombs of the dead before, but have no fear of its embrace. Pharasma will guide our path as long as we do not disrespect those we..relieve of their no-longer needed wealth. What...what name shall we call ourselves?”
Quietly, although not really waiting for anyone to respond, she glances away from the others and mumbles. ”I like the Steel Scarabs.”
Alzaar listens as they call the names, lazily leaning against a stall. When Rhade's name is called, he starts suddenly, and stands straight.
Rhade.... It can't be the same.... It just can't... he thinks to himself while striding toward the group of winners forming, he doesn't register hearing his own name called at first, not until he sees the platinum haired gnome does he realize that, once again, he and Rhade will be exploring together.
How... How did he make it out? When I went back in, there was nothing left of anything, not the scarab, not the bodies.... Nethys be praised! It IS him!
Alzaar walks up to the group, and stands near Rhade. He whispers back when no one is paying attention.
To the rest of the group, he smiles and speaks warmly.
My name is Alzaar Na'Keth, from the docks of An. I look forward to exploring with you. There isn't an ancient lock I haven't studied, nor trap I haven't practiced disarming. I possess a smattering of arcane ability, as well, though nothing powerful. I'll be your eyes and ears in there, and I'll make sure we come out alive, yes?
He sees the holy symbol of Nethys and makes a sign with his hand.
A devout of the god who holds us all? I will feel much safer with you beside me, my lady.
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When the elf asks if they are from Wati, Kakra shakes her head, "I am from Tephu, though it is entirely possible that my family at one point lived in Wati, as I understand that many fled Wati years ago. In any case, Nethys led me here." She listens to each of her companions in turn, and as Anka brings up the point that they need a name, indeed, the young priest who had announced the results of this lottery had said the same.
"How about Inferno's Design!" Kakra shouts in a voice that sounds more childish, looking at the others eagerly, and seemingly less collected and reserved then she had been moments before.
"I've spent quite a bit of time recently in Tephu. Surprised I never ran into you, Kakra.". He nods at his old friend, letting the human know that was where ended up after the incident.
Jalal merely nods as several of the group claim to be strangers to Wati. "Ah, then I must show you around! Wati may be known for our funeral goods, but we also have many fine establishments for food, drink, and entertainment as well. For instance, the Pharaoh's Oasis can have fire eaters and beautiful dancing girls. And the Palm Glade has some of the best lamb in the region. Fire peppers too if you can stand them!" He smiles at the group.
The elf bows as Anka introduces herself. "Priestess, welcome. Pharasma has blessed us with your presence. We shall soon see what the tombs hold, and the Lady of the Graves will protect us if need be."
"What if we combine those ideas? The Fire Scarabs?"
Alzaar chuckles.
The visual of that is a bit silly, though one should never doubt the dangers of many scarabs at once... What about The Hands of Death? We all worship gods of the afterlife, and destruction, afterall...Though Nethys does hold life in his opposing side.... Hmmmm...
He becomes contemplative, trying to figure a way to play on the Gods of the group for a name.
"You want something bigger? Grander? How about the Dervishes of Flame?" He nods to Alzaar. "Hands of Death isn't bad. Ominous sounded, but perhaps it would make people take us seriously."
"Something about fire or flame would be my preference. But nothing about death, please. These things could quickly go wrong...last thing I want is a bad omen like that hanging over our heads."
Blades of Flame, then? Or The Secret Seekers?
Pouting lightly, Anka shakes her head. "I must agree with and disagree with the little gnome. None of us are followers of the Healing Flame to go bearing a torch in her honor....although..I am not adverse to Jalal's suggestion. Our Lady of Graves need not encourage bad omens. The scarab is a holy animal of Pharasma, it is the only reason I suggested such. We do aim to unravel mysteries of the ancients in the tombs though..Alzaar's suggestion is not bad either."
I also am fond of The Tomb Jackals. I was called a street jackal as a child, and the name stuck.
"Scarabs are a noble creature!" Anka looks shocked at the cleric's words. "Although I'm with you on dogs. I mean, really, jackals? It implies we are mere scavengers! We may be investigating ancient tombs, but we are not here to destroy and butcher what we find. The items we find should be sold only to those collectors and historians who will treat them with the upmost care."
Pausing for a moment, she'll let out a soft laugh. "Perhaps the Masked Psychopomps."
Alzaar replies to the two, almost sorrowfully.
Do not be so quick to dismiss the noble jackal... For those of us that grew up in the slums, who had to wait for a merchant to turn his back in order to feed our families, the jackal is a creature to look up to. Nearly impossible to capture, harder still to kill, and unnaturally smart, the jackal is the unspoken king of the sands....
Jalal rubs his chin, glancing over to the young priest. "Well, we had best decide on a name soon. 'Secret Seekers' isn't flashy, but it's straight-forward and would work. Both Pharasma and Nethys keep their secrets close. Or if more imagery is needed, 'The Masked Prophets'?"
How about the Sentinels of Secrets, or, to follow the phoenix idea, The Twilight Phoenix?
"Twilight Phoenix works for me. But, let's pick something and go with it. We need to focus more on our plans and less on our name."
I agree. Plus, the sooner we are done with his, the sooner I can get back to The Tooth and Hookah, and have some shisha.
Anka glances to Kakra and shrugs. "I don't know, I think a name is important..recall, when we return with fame and fortune straddling bags of long lost artifacts revealing untold fortunes in gold and history, that name will be known to all. Alzaar's last suggestion is..acceptable, however."
No, no, I'm just bouncing ideas around. If it's fame and fortune we need to represent, why not The Golden Pheonix? We shouldn't settle for what you ladies deem acceptable! My idea or no, we should all equally agree, I think.
"Twilight Phoenix will work. Secret of the Phoenix doesn't sound like a group so much as...I don't know...an event or something."
Or a play about a young wizard who keeps getting into trouble at his Arcane College...
Alzaar mutters to no one in particular.
"Sounds like we have a general consensus on The Twilight Phoenix, then? That should work nicely, I think."
Alzaar
The clerk sticks his head into the group's discussion, "Good, good. Twilight Phoenix it is. Not bad. Stand over there by the Grand Mausoleum and listen for your name." He writes the name down and you hear him mumbling as he walks away, "At least it's not cliche like the Crimson Scarabs, or the Golden Pharoahs or the Sand Stalkers.."
In front of the imposing edifice of the Grand Mausoleum, an immense awning has been erected between decorated pillars in the market to provide shade for the priests of Pharasma overseeing the lottery. Beneath the awning, two urns sit atop a table elevated a few feet above the ground on a wooden stage constructed for the event. The high priestess of the Grand Mausoleum, Sebti the Crocodile, sits behind the table, while two acolytes confer with her at either side.
Numerous adventuring groups already stand in small clusters near the stage, made up of multiple nationalities and races, so you're stuck near the back. You hear various whispers from the other groups, "What dangers do you think we'll face down there? How rich are we going to be?"
Watching the clerk walk away, Anka glances to the others. "I wonder why someone would stalk sand. That seems very easy and not very productive." With a smirk, she hurries toward the Grand Mausoleum. Once there, she elbows her way into a space, rudely forcing her way to at least get a little bit closer.
The gnome follows the human, trying to use her rustling to allow him to duck around knees and hips, to get a better view of the scene. He didn't answer any of the other group's questions, as he knew all too well about the dangers, even if he didn't understand exactly what dangers he and Alzaar had encountered.
As you continue sweating in the intense heat, Sebti the Crocodile, rises to her feet and looks over the crowd. Sebti seems surprisingly young to hold such a distinguished position, but she has a confident air of authority. After calling for silence, she begins with an invocation to the Lady of Graves, followed by a brief history of the founding of the city of Wati in 1608 AR, the unleashing of the Plague of Madness by the Cult of Lamashtu in 2499 AR, and the consecration of the city and its necropolis in 3252 AR. Today, the necropolis—once more than half of the city— takes up less than a quarter of the city’s total area.
Sebti concludes by saying the following. “Let the lottery begin! Although many of you have requested specific sites to explore, we must leave these matters to fate. The Lady of Graves is a far better judge of destiny than we of this mortal sphere. The gates of the necropolis will open at sunrise tomorrow. Use this evening to prepare yourselves for the task ahead. Let these rules guide you in your endeavors in this holy place: remember how this came to pass, every slave’s hut is a memorial, and honor the departed. May you go with the Lady’s blessing.”
Alzaar can't resist. When he hears the others wondering of the dangers, and their fate, he grins and whispers to them.
Dangers? Oh, nothing too bad. Just traps that pour acid from the walls and ceiling, or swarms of scarabs that'll eat you alive... Not to mention the heat, thirsting to death, or starving. Oh, and the undead are always nice this time of year. But good luck!
In reply to Rhade, he speaks as they move through the crowd.
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Making her way through the crowded crowd, Kakra is more then a little tempted to use a little fire to force her way through, but she resists the urge as she does her best to keep up with the others. She also thinks to herself that if her armor had spikes it would make it that much easier to navigate through a crowd.
"Wait, so I'm confused, the crocodile lady says to let the lottery begin, but then the gates will remain closed until the morning? Are we going to learn where we are tasked today or not?"
"That is my assumption, young lady. We'll get our 'site assignment' and have a few hours to think about it, I guess. Speaking of which: 'remember how this came to pass, every slave’s hut is a memorial, and honor the departed,' are clearly rules which will come up again. I'd better write them down, to be safe," the gnome says excitedly as he grabs a piece of parchment from his backpack and he scribbles away.
Sebti smiles and returns to her seat. Two acolytes accompanying her each draw a wooden token from one of the urns on the table. The first token identifies the adventuring group, matching the token that group received when it registered for the lottery. The second token determines which tomb is assigned to that group.
About twenty minutes into the process, you hear your names called, "Twilight Phoenix, Tomb of Akhentepi". Your group is pointed out and Anka is called up on stage, where Sebti greets and shakes her hand and shows her the location of that group’s first exploration site on a map of the entire necropolis. Anka also receives a smaller, sketched map that shows the site’s location in relation to the necropolis gates. "Pharasma's blessing to you and your companions."
Anka approaches the stage with a smile. She maintains a respectful demeanor, making the sign of Pharasma to Sebti as the priestess hands her the map. "Thank you, Priestess. May the Lady of Graves always guide your path. We shall show only the utmost respect in our endeavors." The magus returns to her group with a warm smile.
"Alzaar, you mentioned a tavern before? Shall we all retire there for the evening and get to know one another better? Also..if any of you know much about this area, gathering some information about this Tomb of Akhentepi may prove useful."
Yes, The Tooth and Hookah. They have excellent food and even better service. Their shisha is of the highest quality as well. If we have the night to ourselves, I suggest we go there and take a suite, and discuss our plans and decide on what gear we shall take.
Know, Arcana
Know..History
Rhade tries to best to recall anything he knew about this particular tomb or Aktentepi. "A drink or two might calm our nerves before tomorrow. And it can give us time to check our supplies and be sure we are prepared for the excursion."
"We can discuss what we may need for exploring the area. I have lights and rope and other climbing gear, but must confess..I've never had to explore an abandoned necropolis. Do we need a mule to carry the piles of gold we find?"
A mule may not be a bad idea. You don't want to be burdened by treasure when you need to move quick in those kinds of places. I have no idea where to buy one in Wati, though...
Alzaar begins to lead the group to the Inn, so that they can further discuss their plans and equipment, and share what they know about the place they are to explore in the morning.
This is what the party knows about the tomb and no further research could enhance your knowledge.
This actual tomb predates the Plague of Madness and is located in the city’s original cemetery in the eastern section of the necropolis. The person interrred there died approximately 11 years before the Plague of Madness decimated most of the city. As for Akhentepi, he was a celebrated military commander who presided over the troops garrisoned in Wati prior to the city’s downfall. It is said he was married and had two children. You can most likely expect traps, as they were normally used to guard the tomb of such recognized figures to discourage tomb robbers.
"Ah, yes, the Tooth and Hookah. Let's go and relax and talk. All this excitement has me keyed up. I could use a smoke."