"It will be a trap fest in there, I'm afraid. Is anyone skilled at finding and dismantling any hidden traps? They didn't walk people messing around in there," the gnome says as he leans back in a comfortable chair in the bar, puffing on a tobacco filled hookah.
The party makes its way to the Tooth and Hookah, a modest inn closest to the Necropolis. You find the noise and chatter of the merchants and street traffic an odd juxtaposition to the eerie silence from behind the walls in the Necropolis. When you reach the proper street, you see canvas awnings stretched over the doorways, casting pools of shade on the avenue. A flag hung from one awning, painted with a grinning green crocodile sinking its teeth into a gold hookah. You push through the curtained doorway and enter.
You are glad to get out of the sweltering sun. You see pillows shaped like crescent moons surrounded low, round tables. Water pipes of dinged and dented brass with painted enamel bases sat in the center of each table. Clay bowls filled with the stubs of unlit candles hung from the ceiling. There is a haze of smoke in the air and the smell of shisha tobacco in the air. You find a table open, though the place seems to be filling up with other local adventuring companies also involved in the lottery.
Rhade, you know there isn't a trap that's beat me yet! Alzaar exclaims as he puffs on a hookah, and then reaches into his pack for a small pouch which he mixes into the shisha bowl. More seriously, I have the gear needed to get us past traps, and also the more regular gear, like rope and grappling hooks and all. Tell me, what experience have you all fighting undead? We're likely to encounter more than a few in the necropolis.
Taking another long pull of his hookah, he smiles and sits back, and exhales a luxurious white smoke cloud.
Ahhhhh, nothing like a good dockside blend to relax one's nerves.... take some if you wish, and mix it with the shisha. I promise you, it's delicious.
"For those of you wondering, Alzaar and I are not strangers. In fact until a few moments ago, I thought him dead, a victim of my last foray into this explorer's life. As far as undead go, other than having a spell to burn them, I don't have much to contribute. A flask of holy water, acid, or alchemist's fire might be handy, but unfortunately I am without means to purchase any of them right now. Maybe after a successful venture, I can afford to buy a few of those niceties."
Aye, that last venture was... Unfortunate. I thought Rhade had perished, and that I was the only survivor. Fate, it seems, is not finished with us.
That's...unfortunate. This venture will, of course, have better luck. We have the fortune of two gods upon us!" The mildly zealous Anka flops amid the couches, lounging comfortably but avoiding the shisha.
"I have weapons to combat all the types of undead I know of, although I have no silver or holy water. I have spells to use against them as well as equipment for rappelling or climbing. If Alzaar is confident on handling traps, we do not need to purchase a long stick or anything like that, do we? I have lights as well if magic will not do that job sufficiently."
Placing her spellbook on the table, Anka flips through it. The cover is black leather with Pharasma's iconic spiral embossed on the front with silver. Turning a few pages, she runs a finger down the side of one spell. "It may be best to explore tomorrow and return to town better informed of what we will face than try to guess Pharasma's will."
"I have weapons to deal with undead as well and put them back in their place. I also have the ability to heal, which undead find painful. I can use that if need be."
The gnome noticed Anka's Spellbook, and he placed his won on the table. His was fiery red leather, with gold lettering on it. It was practically half as heavy as the gnome, although it was clear most of the pages were blank.
"I plan on my usual complement of spells tomorrow. I can switch them up the next day, however, if the circumstances do call for it."
Well then, I suppose we should retire for the night so we'll be fresh and rested for the morning. I'll take my leave, and shall see you all in the morning.
With that, Alzaar retreats to his room, and goes to sleep.
Rhade excuses himself soon after. "Now remember, we don't have to stay out in the ruins all night tomorrow. I've seen nothing that says we can't head back here and rest, if needed. It's pretty taxing out there, so a good night's rest tonight would be a good idea."
After several drinks, Jalal stumbles home, promising to meet the group back at the Tooth & Hookah in the morning. "We shall find the promise of our futures tomorrow, my friends!" He seems to be shooing away imaginary flies as he departs the bar.
The party retires for the night. The Tooth and Hookah has rooms and it is conveniently close to the necropolis.
The next morning, as you awaken and gather at the gates of the necropolis, you receive pamphlets with the following rules:
1. The necropolis remains a holy place, and those who engage in needless conflict and banditry are not only criminals, but accursed.
2. Every structure within the necropolis is a testament to the people who lived and died in the city. Explorers must not desecrate or vandalize standing structures and tombs, but preserve them as the memorials they were intended to be. Willful and unnecessary destruction will not be tolerated.
3. The dead should be treated with dignity and respect. If the interred need to be disturbed to recover an antiquity or relic, they should be returned to their resting places carefully.
Failure to comply with these rules can result in, but is not limited to, expulsion from the necropolis, a ban on continued exploration, seizure of recovered valuables, and arrest and prosecution by local authorities.
You hear a few grumbles and curses from some of the other adventuring groups present. When the gates open, you proceed to your tomb, following the directions on your sketch of the map provided. When you arrive at the location, you see:
A rectangular stone mausoleum sits alone in what appears to have once been an actual cemetery. The trunks of a few dead trees poke out of the sand around the tomb, and a hot breeze whistles through their desiccated branches. A set of massive stone double doors (10 feet tall) is affixed to the northern side of the structure, beneath a facade bearing the likeness of an Osirian man. Windblown sand is heaped around the crypt, partially burying the doors that lead within. Engraved in Osiriani on the doors is: Akhentepi, born 2416 AR, died 2488 AR.
Glancing over the rules and nodding her head, the Pharasma devotee smiles in appreciation. "This is what I had in mind anyway.."
Upon seeing the tomb, she frowns lightly. "...Anyone bring a shovel? I'd considered it but..ended up not doing so. I suppose let us see if the doors open inward first. If not, we may want to send someone to get a shovel!"
You do not see any apparent handles on the doors.
Jalal appears early the next day and is waiting for the group in the common room. He wears wicked looking sword at this side. He smiles and moves with the group to the entrance of the Necropolis.
As he reads the rules given to them, he nods. "Those who now live in the necropolis to be honored. They may share much with us if properly shown respect. The dead can do much for the living, and can harm them too if provoked."
Looking on the tomb, Jalal whispers a Pharasman prayer for Akhentepi. Then he moves to the doors of the tomb and begins to inspect it. He pushes again them lightly.
As he inspects them, Jalal notices the doors are on concealed hinges and swing outward. There are also telltale traces of mortar along the seams and jamb that has since crumbled or been chipped away, indicating that the doors were meant to be sealed permanently and not intended to be opened again.
However, the doors will not be opened until the sand is cleared away first.
Alzaar does an inspection for any traps.
Before we clear away the sand and open the doors, perhaps it's best if I take a look and make sure it's not trapped. It'd be a shame if out adventure ended before it even began...
As he searches, he speaks again.
we'll have to do something, this sand is obscuring the door frame. And the doors open outward so it has to go.
Alzaar does not find any traps, though he does notice that there are signs of a crowbar or similar tool having been inserted between the doors at some point.
You remember seeing at the gates to the necropolis an entrepreneurial merchant by the name of Habib with five servants offering digging services for 5 gp, if interested.
"We need to come up with an order to walk while inside...last thing we need is for all of us to be bumping into each other.".
The gnome slaps himself in the side of the head when he realizes the group had neglected to bring a shovel. "A shield...yes, that might work. How about a helm to scoop with? If we have to go back already, we will no doubt be made a great deal of fun of, you know.". He waits to see if the make shift tools would work before going back to buy a shovel.
I remember seeing a sign for a fellow named Habib who offered digging services for five gold coins, but this is something we can do ourselves, and save face and money. Alzaar says as he begins to move sand himself.
"I only have a single piece of gold, but it might be worth it to avoid this ... manual labor," the gnome says with a sniff. When no one wants to pay the gold, he jumps in and tries to assist as well as he.
"I think we should hire Habib to help clear this out. It'll save us time and effort with only minimal cost to each of us. Plus, we might be finding many time more than that inside." He watches Kakra begins to shovel out the sand and shakes his head.
"If you insist on us doing it, then at least let me go buy some shovels. We may need them later too."
Five gold.... That's an exorbitant price for digging.... My family could eat for months on just one gold coin... but I will yield to the group's decision. Shall we do this ourselves, or do we hire Habib and let him do it?
"Digging? With shields? ...I'm with Jalal on this. While we are at it, lets purchase a pair of shovels for later. I don't see a point in tiring ourselves out with manual labor before we explore a haunted tomb."
"If someone could front me a little gold, I'd be happy to repay them for the shovels, after we make our first find!"
You have a fair point Kakra. This may take longer than we wish and we may very well be exhausted by the end. Let's hire Habib.
Alzaar fishes a gold piece out of his extremely light coin pouch and solemnly hands it over.
Jalal takes a coin from each of them. "I shall send them in and then go purchase a few shovels for us later. I shall return." The elf heads back out of the city of the dead.
Habib cordially takes your five gold. His men sweat up a storm and dig out the entrance to the Tomb in 40 minutes, while he sits in the shade eating some dates. After they're done, they rush off to the aid of another customer.
The doors to the tomb swing outward but are still massive and require a lot of strength to open. Alzaar tells you a crowbar would help as well, if you have one.
Alzaar stands by one of the massive doors, and begins to pull with all of his might.
Huurrrraaaagghhhh! he grunts as the veins in his arms begin to bulge.
Anka laughs and walks up to help the struggling Alzaar. "Let me show you how Pharasma lends strength to my limbs."
The gnome attempts to aid the others in opening the door.
Aid another Strength check
Jalal smiles as he sees the workers digging when he returns with three shovels. He straps one to his pack and offers the others to the group. After the digging is done, the elf tries to help Anka pry at the doors to the tomb.
With Jalal and surprisingly Rhade's assistance, Anka pries open the doors of the Tomb with the crowbar. It is dark inside, though the sun's rays partially light the rectangular area beyond the doors.
This rectangular room (15x20') is empty save for some engravings and fixtures upon the walls, a pair of heavy stone doors to the north, and an immense stone wheel against the south wall. The air is stale, and a layer of dust and sand covers the floor, lying in a thicker layer to the south. All four walls bear sunk-relief engravings and hieroglyphs, while small stone faces are affixed to the walls at about shoulder height in each corner. The stone wheel to the south is engraved with a large spiral and is set in stone tracks in the floor and ceiling.
Anka pulls out her hooded lantern and lights it (1 pint of oil, 6 hours). She'll then attach it to her hip. The swinging light isn't reliable this way, but it frees up her hand. She'll then take out a chakram and wink at the party.
"Can anyone cast a light spell on this? We should have several sources of light and if you keep my throwing weapon lit, it'll give us an easy way to spread light around in combat."
"Also, if you don't mind, I think Jalal and Alzaar should go in front. Alzaar mentioned he can deal with traps? He should stand in front to look for them. Jalal looks pretty well protected in that armor. I'll go behind them and you two," She glances to Kafka and Rhade, her expression cold. "Can either walk with me, or behind."