Nimaethep's eyes go wide as jets of flame suddenly rush towards her. She twists and ducks under the sheet of fire, managing to avoid all but the most superficial of harm from the sudden conflagration.
Harmini's fan of flame covers the enemies. The catfolk barely registers the attack before she falls to the floor, scorched and unconscious. One cultist manages to avoid the worst of the flames, but still falls unconscious from the searing pain. The remaining cultist takes the full force of the spell but remains on his feet.
The last cultist takes a step back and fans out his fingers the same as Harmini, chanting similar arcane phrases. Flames spill out across Nimaethep and Harmini.
- Reflex Save DC 13
Already crouched flat to the floor having avoided the first gout of flame, Nimaethep strained to react to the second. With significant effort she tried to roll behind a corner of the table next to herself, but in her crouched position she just couldn't find enough leverage and was a moment to late.
Teos steps forward and slashes at the remaining enemy.
Attack:
Damage:
Vash adjusts slightly to get an open shot on the blue cultist and fires another salvo of arrows.
The fire manages to catch Nimaethep off guard, but Harmini avoids the worst of it. The catfolk lying on the floor though takes the flames into her lungs and her breath becomes labored. Teos steps up to the remaining cultist and drives his khopesh into his gut. The cultist falls as blood begins to pool under him.
The fire manages to catch Nimaethep off guard, but Harmini avoids the worst of it. The catfolk lying on the floor though takes the flames into her lungs and her breath becomes labored. Teos steps up to the remaining cultist and drives his khopesh into his gut. The cultist falls as blood begins to pool under him.
As the last cultist goes down, Vash stands down from delivering his arrow salvo, instead moving over to stabilize the nearest dying enemy:
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As the final foe falls, Harmini casts a spell to stabilize the dying catfolk.
When the smoke and dust settles down, she addresses her companions.
"Well. That could've gone worse. It appears they will survive after all. I say we take Ekram somewhere more comfortable before reviving her for questioning. Wouldn't you agree?"
Vash looks up from the cultist he just stabilized and starts stripping off weapons and valuables and looking for a way to bind the prisoner. At Harmini’s words, he shrugs and says, ”Works for me. Let’s make sure they are secured first.”
Nimathep nodded as she knelt down beside Ekram. "I agree. It sounded like they knew something about the undead uprising. We should bring them back to the temple after we have had our own little chat."
Nimaethep lifted the mask off of Ekram.
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Harmini nods to Vash and Nima.
"Teos, my dear. Would you be so kind as to unburden the rest of our unconscious friends of their weapons and secure them?"
She points her wand at Teos.
"Allow me to soothe some of those nasty looking wounds as well before we depart with Ekram. We should also look around for any other clues that might lying about."
Teos sighs as the pain of his wounds slowly disappears. He moves forward and removes all the weapons from the prisoners. He examines them as he moves them out of their reach.
- studded leather armor
- composite shortbow (+3 pull)
- 20 arrows
- masterwork kukri
- gold funerary mask (50 g)
- 20 gold coins
- Unusual Magical Pink Metal Khopesh
- x3 of each
- magic potion
- magic scroll
- oil of taggit (poison)
- dagger
- 5 darts
- shortsword[
- magic cloak
- spell component pouch
- spellbook
- thieves' tools
- brass funerary mask (25 g)
- 3 turquises gems [10 g each)
- 4 gold coins
In addition there are two chests. One chest is locked but the other is not. Neither chest is trapped.
- Handy Haversack (easily identified by opening it)
- Within the haversack is an assortment of gems, necklaces, rings, and other items (3765 g)
Not much for opening chests without a key, Vash searches Ekram closely to see if there is a key hidden on her person for the locked chest:
Having only the basics in Spellcraft trained, Vash attempts to aid the others in identifying the magical items:
Khopesh:
Potion:
Scroll:
Cloak:
Potion ID:
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Harmini asks Vash to lay out the various unidentified items on a table nearby. She sits down, retrieving several implements to assist her study and then goes to work identifying the magical objects. Alabaster also attempts to assist her but succeeds only in floating uselessly beside its master. She reads from a scroll to begin, followed by use of her own detecting magic.
Nimaethep helped search the room keeping an eye out for a key to the chest as well.
Unhappy with the result, she frowned and began from the start again, slowly and methodically going through the steps of opening a lock. It had been some time since she used the skill on a regular basis and was a little rusty.
"I don't really like the idea of leaving them here in the pit. If there is not other way we can bring them to the temple, then we will need to make arrangements to have them recovered as soon as possible."
”Agreed,” says Vash, adding, ”I will pull them up as we leave.”
- 3 potions of Undetectable Alignment
- 3 scrolls of Whispering Winds
- 3 cloaks of resistance +1
While looking around Vash also notice one of the tables holds a quill pen, a vial of ink, and several small slips of parchment, along with
a curious figurine of a bird made out of tin, with three actual feathers forming its tail. The feathers are magical as well. A quick exam and Harmini knows these are bird feather tokens, and based on the figurine, one token is missing.
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Fascinated by the items in front of her, Harmini holds up the sword.
"This is quite a remarkable khopesh, called a Natron Fang. Particularly effective against the undead, mummies and incorporeals. Teos, my dear, I believe this weapon would suit your skills quite well."
She smiles at Teos and offers him the hilt of the magical khopesh, while gently holding the blade.
"And I even like the color."
Harmini hands out a cloak to each of her companions in turn. "These are each finely sewn cloaks of resistance. They will protect you when worn."
Harmini then collects the writing implements and parchments for later study. She packs all the scrolls, potions and her belongings into her haversack. She pauses when she grabs the feather tokens.
"Hmmm. Bird Feather Tokens. One appears to be missing from this figurine. It's quite possible our new friends may have sent a message to someone. Quickly now, we should take Ekram with us and leave the rest where they lay before this 'someone' arrives."
Vash hands Harmini the top sheet of paper, saying, "You may be able to find out what she wrote if you use some charcoal to take a rubbing," he mentions, remembering an old trick his father showed him once.
Accepting a cloak gratefully, Vash goes to pull up the prisoners, trying to consider what items of furniture or weapons/rope might be used to make a sledge or crude cart to pile them into for transport.
Teos gently takes the sword from Harmini and gives it a few practice swings.
"Thank you...this is a wonderful item. I just hope I am worthy of such a weapon."
Vash and Harmini attempt to see if they can determine what information was being passed along via the missing bird token, but it is unclear. The prisoners are secured and can be escorted out as needed.
The cultist are tight-lipped when questioned but Ekram responds when asked what the Silver Chain was up to. She admits that she took over the Silver Chain at the direction of her superior, Meret-Hetef, in order to use their resources in searching the Necropolis for an ancient item of power. She smiles when she admits that the resent uprising of the dead means that the item has been found and "The Sky Pharaoh's resurrection will soon be at hand!"
After that she remains silent to any further questions, other than to taunt the group. She seems to take pleasure in taunting Harmini with their shared part and common companion.
Before leaving the complex, Vash finds a secret entrance to the old dried up canals. Nimaethep recalls that The Silver Chain is known to have used these canals, known as the Dry Veins, to smuggle things into and out of the Necropolis.
The group heads out, and shortly after they come across a group of guards to pass the prisoners off to. Then they continue into the city to see if more trouble is brewing in the city. As they come up an open square, the see a woman being surrounded by three stumbling zombies. The woman screams and the group moves up, but before they can reach the zombies to aid the woman a blood-curdling howls can be heard.
The woman falls to the ground as two hulking beast launch into the zombies, tearing them down. The beast appear to be a feather-maned black lion with a crocodilian skull. They begin to eat the flesh of the dead but in their thrashing they show lack of concern for the living and the woman suffers a terrible wound. It is clear even at a distance that her wounds could be fatal if not tended to soon.
- Harmini
- Nimaethep
- Teos
- Vash
Rushing forward, Vash grabs the wand hanging at his waist and tries to touch the wounded woman with it, risking his own body and trying to shield her.
Seeing the creatures mindlessly attacking the zombies, Vash tries to provide a distraction for them, shooting a whistling arrow off to the Northwest of their location in the hopes that they might be drawn to the noise and stop endangering the woman. Vash then moves up to assess the situation (moving 30 feet).
Teos also rushes forward to confront the creature with Vash. He uses his new sword to fight these creatures.
Nimeathep tried to convince Ekram to reveal more information on whatever it is they were looking for and what kind of item would raise the dead of a whole city. Upon gaining no further information, she then asked about who the Sky Pharaoh was and why she would want to see him returned to life. Perhaps if she wasn't willing to reveal her plot she would relish the opportunity to brag about her master.
Nimaethep was content when the captives were handed over to the authorities. Maybe they could be rehabilitated, or maybe they would just be imprisoned or executed. Whatever their fate, they had their opportunity to reconsider their choices and perhaps find a better way forward if the judge saw fit to grant them a second chance.
After relinquishing the prisoners, Nimaethep silently contemplated what any of this could mean. Something much larger than a few smugglers was at play here. Why had the cultists needed the Silver Chain's organization?
"If the cultists didn't have the item of power they were looking for, but they recognized that the undead rising was a result of its power, then does that mean someone else is in possession of it?" she asked as the group walked, the though suddenly occurring to her.
Her musing was suddenly cut short by the abrupt arrival of the zombies follow quickly by the strange feathered crocodile dogs threatening a citizen.
The woman was a little to far to reach safely, but she just needed to try to distract the beasts. As Vash loosed a screeching arrow she took the opportunity to fling a small feathered dart at the closest creature.
and
As Vash fires his bow as a distraction, the beasts seem not to pay it any attention but as Vash, Nimaethep, and Teos move in the beasts lift their heads from the dead flash that was preoccupying them. Nimaethep throws her dart as the beasts begin to charge, but the dart bounces off in a glancing throw.
The first beast intercepts Nimaethep as she moves forward. It rears up and swipes with both of it massive paws and then leans in to bite at her savagely with it skeletal jaws. Nimaethep deftly avoids the first claw but the second claw cuts deep into her side and the moment of pause it causes leaves her open to the jaws savaging her shoulder. The beast tries to hold tight but Nimaethep realizes the danger and twists away.
The second Esobok moves in on Teos more slowly but it's attack is no less brutal. This one leads with the two claws as well and then the bite. The second claw catches him as well but his armor saves him from the jaws of the beast.
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"If the cultists didn't have the item of power they were looking for, but they recognized that the undead rising was a result of its power, then does that mean someone else is in possession of it?" she asked as the group walked, the though suddenly occurring to her.
Harmini speaks with Nima as they walk. "It may be as I feared. Ekram was just another link in the chain of this mystery. We'll need to seek out Meret-Hetef to learn more of this ominous Sky Pharoah."
With the sudden attack of the Esoboks, Harmini relays what she knows about them to her companions before quickly advancing. She radiates positive energy from her outstretched hand to heal the injured.
Vash looks over to Harmini in admiration as she artfully heals both their allies and the unfortunate woman by the dismembered zombies. Wishing he had met these creatures in other circumstances (as they would be great allies in fighting the undead), Vash sighs and commits to eliminating their threat since they are attacking his comrades.
Stepping back just outside of the range of the red Esobok (5 foot step), Vash unleashes a flurry of arrows at it:
Nimaethep watched in dismay as the dart bounced harmlessly off the beast. The ferocity of its charge took her completely by surprise and she counted herself fortunate that she was still standing after being savaged by the creature.
Although momentarily shocked by the pain, Harmini's healing light quickly eased much of her suffering for which she was grateful.
A quick assessment of the situation and she saw that Teos seemed to be doing fine against the Esobok he was engaged with despite the hit that he had taken so she decided to assist Vash.
While adopting a defensive stance, she called upon an ancient technique to attempt to forcibly pacify an opponent and struck out against the Esobok.
She then stepped up beside Vash and prepared to defend him should the creature resist her technique
With the creature having taken a swipe at him, Teos returns the favour!
Attack:
Damage:
Harmini sends out a pulse of positive energy and the wave heals the wounds of those who suffered at the claws and teeth of the beasts. Vash and Teos launch a attacks at them beasts, drawing blood but the hides of these beasts resist the blows somewhat. Nimaethep takes a more careful approach and tries to stem the savageness of the beasts and then prepares to keep Vash from being hit as much if the assualt continues.
The esobok that launched itself at Vash shakes off the pacifying energy that Nimaethep tried to project at it and steps firmly up to Vash and attacks. It's first claw fails to land as it seems unsure of Nimaethep's approach, but the second lands hard on Vash's thigh. His armor takes the edge off the blow, but if it had not held the blow would likely have broken his leg like a twig. The shock of the blow left him open for the jaws to rip into his ribs. Still, Vash was able to twist out of the jaws before they could get a good grip on him.
- Vash has +4 to AC
The fight between Teos and the other esobok continues as well. Like before the first blow glances off his armor, but after that the blows land solidly. The teeth continue to draw blood from his shoulder, even after the wound closed from Harmini's healing. Teos, like Vash manages to avoid the grip of the jaws though the savage attack seems more focused on the brutal blows than a tactical fight.
Bleeding from the fierce onslaught of the creature, Vash takes a staggering step backwards and fires another pair of arrows at his foe, hoping to take it down before it can launch another series of devastating attacks of its own!
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Harmini continues to charge her arcane energies into a second burst. This time it manifests through her familiar, Alabaster as it flies off to the southwest in a dazzling array of brilliant stones. When it reaches its destination, a wave of positive energy washes over the group but falls short of the two dangerous extraplanar creatures.
"An esobok will try to swallow your soul if it bites you. We must try to keep our spirits where they belong for now."
She also retrieves a scroll from her haversack.
Nimaethep interposes herself between the soul eating beast and Vash, trying to give him time to put a little distance between the creature and himself.
A flurry of strikes attempting to distract the esobok and an intricate dance to avoid its claws should it try to strike her.
Damage:-14hp
Grunting with the bite and clawing, the warrior pushes back and swings at the weird undead-eating creature.
Attack:
Damage:
Confirm Crit:
Harmini pulls out a scroll from her haversack and then channels her positive energy through Alabaster who has moved back to keep the healing force from bringing the esoboks back into the fight.
Vash fires off a few arrows, the first goes wide but the second hits. Nimaethep takes a more offensive tactic, striking out to try and end the threat of the esobok but her blows go wide of the beast. Teos steps into the blow he delivers to the esobok he is engaged with, cutting through the creature's skull and causing it to melt away into a mist.
The remaining beast turns on Nimaethep as she seems determined to keep it from it's chosen prey. Nimaethep is nimble though and manages to avoid the attacks.
The esobok disappearing likely means they were summoned some how.
Vash steps to the side, saying, "Thanks for the aid, Nimaethep," and he launches another pair of arrows at this fierce predator.
Feeling his wounds close, the big warrior sighs and turns to deal with the remaining beast.
Attack:
Damage:
Confirm Crit:
Damage:
Nimaethep steps in front of the last esobok, attempting to keep its attention on her rather than her companions.