Tuneya mentally groaned when she arrived at the Grand Mausoleum and realized she would have to talk her way in. Sadly, as her efforts showed, she really, really is bad at it. Quite bad. She is pretty certain they were not willing to help her or give her much access, but despite that she spent time searching their archives anyway.
The Sanctum of Silver and Gold and House of the Pharoah were next, and as usual her lack of skill at talking to people played its part. She still did her research though, hoping with each place she searched that she would find some clue or something that would lead her to the map. Or, at least, tell her for certain it didn't survive.
If she discovers where the map is, she makes a note of that in her journal and heads back to wait for the group at the inn. If she discovers the map itself, she attempts to use her scrivener's kit to make a copy of it in her journal before heading to the inn. If she fails to discover the map or finds out it didn't survive, she heads back to the inn without making notes.
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Thanks to the Aid Anothers, Harmose receives a +4 with Scorched Hand, +2 with Dog Soldiers, and +2 with the Daughters of the Desert, making his final rolls 23, 28 and 25, respectively -- all good, but the Dog Soldiers respond the best.
The all-halfling Dog Soldiers take a strong liking to Harmose, Aleris and Regina, chatting with them for a good long while and offering to buy them drinks to celebrate the beginning of this interesting endeavor. Their leader is a loquacious and hard-drinking individual named "Mad Dog" Marrn, and he fondly scratches and pets several of the large fighting dogs that are crowded around the table. Most of the other patrons steer well clear of the Dog Soldiers' table, both because the dogs are very intimidating in looks alone, but also because they have a strong...aroma, shall we say. At one point very soon after you have joined the company of the Dog Soldiers, a bouncer comes over to request the Dog Soldiers vacate the premises, because they're both scaring the other patrons and making them hold their noses, but two of the dogs look at the bouncer and growl low. The bouncer stops mid-sentence, just walks away, and doesn't bother the Dog Soldiers a second time. "Fine fighting hounds, indubitably my best friends in all of Golarion!" Marrn pronounces proudly, rubbing one dog's head affectionately. The rest of the halfling group isn't offended at the statement at all, but joins in enthusiastically, raising a toast to the dogs. "Mabari, they're called. Never seen another breed as loyal or as mighty in battle! A single one can rip an entire pack of goblins into shreds!" Each dog is about waist-high on a human, with a very heavy and muscular build. The general alignment of the Dog Soldiers is Chaotic Neutral. Their assigned site is an ancient tannery. The dogs' names are Rost, Kahl, Sulk and Gorr.
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Approaching the Daughters of the Desert, Aleris makes the introductions since she has met them earlier at the Sunburst Market. You get on very well with the group, sitting down and drinking with them for a while. In addition to their leader, Sigrun Firehair -- a redheaded Ulfen woman from the Linnorm Kingdoms far, far to the north -- the group includes an exiled Rahadoumi cleric of Iomedae, a barbarian from one of the nomadic desert clans of Thuvia, and two Osirian witches, twin sisters who always wear veils. Sigrun claims to be descended from a genie, and has traveled south hoping to pen an epic tale of her exploits to take back north. Sigrun acts very affectionate and touchy with Aleris unless she pulls back -- although since she is from such a faraway culture, it might not be obvious whether that's sexual in nature, or if that's just how friends behave in those cold lands -- while the cleric and barbarian seem to have an interest in Harmose. The two veiled sisters are very quiet and reserved -- not unfriendly by any means, not at all, just...reserved. Aleris had not earlier found out the group's general alignment, but you now find out that the group as a whole tends towards Chaotic Good. Their assigned site is the house of a wealthy pawnbroker, and they seem very optimistic and hopeful about the site.
Harmose finds the odor absolutely overwhelming.
"What lovely dogs!"
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Finally, you make contact with the Scorched Hand, led by a Taldan noblewoman and osirionologist called Velriana Hypaxes, who is very ostentatiously dressed, especially her wide feathered hat. The rest of the group consists of the cleric Khelru and the barely-out-of-his-teens wizard Azaz Arafe, both natives of Osirion, as well as the hired half-elf mercenary Idorii. The Nethys-worshipping group is dedicated to the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge. Velriana is quite incensed by the fact that the church insisted on determining the sites by lottery instead of entertaining requests. The Scorched Hand had petitioned to explore a site sacred to Nethys but had been bluntly dismissed and the lottery had instead given them an ancient brothel. Velriana wrinkles her nose and is quite open with insults whenever the church of Pharasma is brought up. "As far as I'm concerned, they can all go die in a fire!", she spits out at some point. The general alignment of this group is Neutral.
DM fiat/Rule Zero overrides that. ;)
And you may absolutely try to hide the fact that the dog smell makes you sick. :)
Why is Sigrun so interested in Aleris?
Why has that cleric been exiled?
Alas, Harmose has no idea on either roll, but watches Sigrun making moves on Aleris with great interest and maybe a small amount of jealousy because he will not allow himself to do the same. As far as he's concerned, it's no surprise, since everyone we've met in this game has the hots for Aleris... Including him.
Note... All this changes drastically if Aleris appears unhappy or coerced or sexually harassed. Then he will step in and intervene. At first, diplomatically.
If Aleris is fine with it, he will flirt madly with the ladies who are interested in him. And is anyone flirting with poor Regina? She will feel left out otherwise.
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Those names are interesting. I wonder what they mean?
I guess I'll never know.
Regina chooses not to interact with the dogs.
Regina's many decades living among the dead and dusty corridors fortified her against the dogs' odor.
What do those dog names mean?
Why is Sigrun interested in Aleris?
Why was the cleric exiled?
What does Velriana have against Pharasma?
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Turel's monkish breathing exercises help him tolerate the dust-thick air of the Grand Mausoleum's archives quite easily, and he suffers no ill effects. Alas, he's not as fortunate with carrying around the boxes that he's bringing over to Bal Themm for exploration. They've been at work for a while, when one of the boxes slips and shatters on the floor, causing Bal to gasp out and her eyes widen. "No, no, stay back!" she gestures to him as she kneels by the shattered box, examining it for the level of damage. The box is totaled, but going through the contents, most of it is unharmed, however two scrolls seem to have crumbled either from age, or from the impact. There's no way to know whether it was the accident or whether they were already decayed. "We'd best wrap up here; I don't want to risk anything further", Bal Themm says, starting to pack things up and return boxes to shelves. During their time in the archives, Turel and Bal Themm do not find anything relevant to the Tomb of Akhentepi, and all that Turel is left with is the nagging unease of not knowing if *he* was personally responsible for the permanent destruction of some ancient knowledge. Was it him or were they already destroyed over time? There's no way to know.
Tuneya spends the afternoon and well close to sunset going through archives to the extent that she is allowed, which is not much. She runs into one dead end after another. Only as the sun is already setting does she come across some promising information about a local sage, and makes her way to visit him. It turns out that the sage does have a several-steps-removed copy of the plans for the Tomb of Akhentepi, and they might be useful as a map. Although there is no guarantee that the plans are accurate, they will probably be more useful than nothing at all. The sage does not charge money for allowing Tuneya to make a copy for herself, saying that "It's a pleasure in itself to help such a beautiful young woman. You're welcome here anytime", with a mild but present sexual undercurrent. By the time Tuneya leaves the sage's place, it's already well dark and she is probably late for the dinner rendezvous.
Regina is not completely sure, but she thinks Sigrun's interest in Aleris is purely platonic, and being touchy is just how people from that corner of the world act. Probably. As for Velriana, Regina doesn't believe she has anything against Pharasma specifically, but is angry about the particular officials at this church denying her petitions.
Finally, you make contact with the Scorched Hand, led by a Taldan noblewoman and osirionologist called Velriana Hypaxes, who is very ostentatiously dressed, especially her wide feathered hat.
...The Scorched Hand had petitioned to explore a site sacred to Nethys but had been bluntly dismissed and the lottery had instead given them an ancient brothel. Velriana wrinkles her nose and is quite open with insults whenever the church of Pharasma is brought up. "As far as I'm concerned, they can all go die in a fire!", she spits out at some point. The general alignment of this group is Neutral.
Another shining example of the noble class
Why must our Taldan countess be an ass?
Harmose expresses great outward sympathy to Velriana's plight, despite composing insulting rhyming couplets in his head for his own amusement.
"Pharasma's Church can be quite stubborn and rigid in their ways," he says. "I can think of know one better suited to explore a site sacred to Nethys than you. Which one was it? Did it get assigned to another group in the lottery? If so, you might be able to bribe them to let you do a joint exploration, especially if you offer exploration rights to the brothel in exchange."
"After all, tastes differ. I find the daily interactions of people endlessly fascinating, and would have loved to have a look at the old brothel. Maybe the group who was assigned the site would feel the same?"
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Harmose and Aleris don't get any further information about the Scorched Hand or the site they would have liked. The Scorched Hand is done for the night and they leave the tavern to retire. Although they did not outright condemn the idea of finding out who has "their" site and switching around. Maybe they just need some time to mull it over.
Aleris believes that the touchy approach practiced by Sigrun is purely platonic and friendly in nature, rather than sexual. It's probably the way she is with most people she likes.
"Rost, Kahl, Sulk and Gorr are tribal nomenclatures from the Mwangi jungles", Marrn explains in response to Aleris' question. "Before I founded the Dog Soldiers, I was part of an expedition out of Sargava. We were captured by a local tribe that was planning to make a culinary experience out of us. Actually did so with some of us, too -- Captain Monroe, may she rest in peace, and the others too", the halfling makes a religious gesture with his hand. "Before they got to the rest of us, however, there was an uprising within the tribe -- a legitimate sociological phenomenon, I tell you -- and the ones that rose to power did not feel quite as strongly about eating other sentient species, so we were let free. We the surviving members of the expedition spent some weeks with the reformed tribe, forming amicable ties and educating ourselves regarding their culture. When we left, it was as brothers. Rost, Kahl, Sulk and Gorr were four of the lead figures in the revolutionary movement to reinvent their tribal dietary practices."
When Aleris appears to relax around Sigrun, Harmose relaxes as well. It's a good thing she doesn't need to be defended... Sigrun could break me in two, and I'd hate to offend these people.
Not wanting his teammate to feel left out, he brings Regina into the conversation that he is having with the lovely barbarian, the cleric and the two Osiriani witches.
"That is a magnificent story. I can see why these dogs mean so much to you. Do you think they carry something of the spirit of your fallen comrades? I've heard of such things."
He valiantly attempts to cover up his nausea, and even pets the dogs. He also thanks the dog soldiers for their hospitality and the interesting tales they've told. After the three of them take their leave, he thoroughly prestidigitates himself and his two colleagues. "I'm sorry, but we've got to remove every trace of that odor if we're to be able to have any kind of civilized company tonight."
As he finishes, he sniffs both himself and his colleagues to make sure he'd gotten rid of the worst of it. Once again, he senses the vanilla fragrance in Aleris's hair.
Very nice. You should run back and THANK those dog soldiers for giving you this excuse to publicly sniff your colleagues. Oh, and face those smelly dogs again. Ugh. On second thought, don't run back and thank them.
Regina, who had stayed far from the dogs, needs less work. The perfume in her hair took him a moment to place, but he knew he'd smelled it before. Myrrh? Cassia? Then he remembers the elusive, intoxicating scent. Mendesian. Some of the old grand dames he'd met in the Court at Sothis had sworn by it. Interesting choice. Old-fashioned, and very, very expensive.... He gives Regina another sidelong glance. It suits her.
"By the way," he said to Aleris, "thank you for asking about the dog's names. You really DO ask excellent questions." He offers an arm to each lady to escort them home.
He tells Camus, Tuneya and Turel about the information he found about the other groups. "So, that's what we did. How did things go on your end?" He looks at Tuneya with concern. "You look exhausted. Here, let me pull up a chair for you and you can tell us all about it."
Turel shakes his head in disappointment. "I fear my trip to the Grand Mausoleum was...not helpful at all. I did not learn anything about the Tomb and I fear...I may have done lasting harm as well."
He pauses for a moment trying to decide whether to tell of his accident and the loss of the ancient scrolls. If we to explore this Tomb together then trust is necessary between us in order to succeed. I must be open with them... "I was....careless and it led to the loss of a couple of priceless ancient scrolls. I find it is troubling me to no end."
Harmose lays a brotherly hand on Turel's shoulder. "How awful for you! I am so sorry that happened, Turel."
"Granted, I've only known you for a short time. But I've met few people more careful or reverent." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "Mistakes and mishaps befall us all. Sometimes with horrific consequences."
Like my death. And what the bastards did to me afterwards. Harmose shudders in memory.
"When I... came back, it was not all joy at first. I felt guilt, Turel. Guilt at ruining my family. Guilt at..." Harmose breaks off. "Sorry, this doesn't matter now. What matters is that like a phoenix I rose from the ashes and learned from the experience. It was horrible, but it changed me for the better."
"There's an old Orsirani saying, 'A hawk's first flight begins with a fall.' There's no bringing back the lost scrolls. There is only moving forward and learning to fly."
Regina takes Turel's hand in both of hers.
Why, dearie, we all make mistakes. I have made more mistakes in my time than you will ever know. Just don't let it happen again, or I'll turn you into a toad. She ends with an enigmatic smile.
Regina smiles at Harmose.
He and his sayings. I recall Father having quite a few as well, but most of his made no sense. Especially near the end.
I like that one, Harmose. I heard an older version that I just now came to understand:
A rock and a Roc can both fall from a steep cliff. Only one of them does anything about it. Get it?
Can she really turn him into a toad?
Huh. Her humor is as wicked as mine.
Harmose smiles back at Regina and laughs, "I like that one!"
It's nice to see her joking. And her smile lights up her face.
Message spell whispered to Regina:
"May I borrow your saying under the same terms that I allowed you to borrow mine?"
Is she joking? She is very hard to read...but it would be interesting to try do do so...
Turel resists the initial urge to pull away from the woman's warm touch and simply acknowledges her 'reprimand' with a small smile of his own. "Rest assured MiLady, I shall be more careful in the future. I do not relish being destined to populate the River Sphinx with my progeny!"
To Harmose (loudly, missing the point of the whispered message),
Of course, dear boy. Sayings, like kisses, are meant to be shared.
To Turel,
Oooh, he thinks I'm a MiLady!
Excellent, dearie. We'll get along just fine. Don't fret about it.
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Tuneya smiles to the sage as he obviously hit on her, but gives no sign she noticed. Mostly, because she is too busy being distracted by the map. The wonderful, glorious map! A map!
If she could have broken into spontaneous song while animals played instruments around her, she would have. Alas, she is not a druid, so she makes do with humming a lovely song she remembers from her childhood. Mostly entirely off-key and with half the notes in the wrong order, and probably entirely unrecognizable even to those utterly familiar with all versions of it.
Once she is back in the inn, she quickly orders a lintel soup and some clean water to drink, settling in to chat with the others.
She frowns as she hears what Turel has to say, then sighs and looks at him. "Accidents can be understood. Unfortunately, even the greatest bit of history is easily destroyed. Please try to avoid it in the future?" She then blinks at the toad comment, before smiling as she figures out the joke. "Plus, Regina might turn you into the wrong kind of toad, and then we'd have to ship you off to another nation."
She stretches a bit and sighs, then pulls out her journal and opens it to the map. "My own trip seems to have been more productive. I am not certain it's accurate, but it should make things easier."
Harmose raises an eyebrow when Regina speaks her response aloud, but his attention is immediately shifted with Tuneya's news.
"A map! Well done, Tuneya! " He joins the others clustering around the map to take a closer look, courteously leaving room if any of the ladies want to cut in front of him. "Does it give us any idea of what we might be facing in there?"
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Kema you used to be fun and full of life, what the hell happened to you, that stiff lifestyle doesnt suit you at all
As Camus aproaches Kema and raises a hand "I believe you are forgetting the posibilties. For instance I know you hate tomb raiders and this is the perfect posibilty for you to get rid of quite some bothersome ones"
Camus shows a smile trying to cheer up Kema
"First the trip will be dangerous, they may die, and for instance damn, I may even kill some myself if they piss me off enough!"
"Second, the ones that survive will be strong ones, people worth of the pharaos at the least" It may be not such a bad thing at the end, it may even be a trail of the godess you are so fond of "you know im not religious but I do believe in death, we a least should try to enjoy the time we have..."
"Kems are you really happy now?..." Camus says with real concern and seriousness, as not any normally sees him
I'm pretty sure that f$@@ing aristocrat is not making you happy, i can bet my life on it
Clears his throath
"I mean emr... does this completely logical explantion, makes sense to you in a way that makes you happy?" "hehe... Hahaha"Camus say quite nervous with a dorky smile on his face
Camus what the hell get a grip on yourself!
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After talking with Kema Camus goes back to the party in order to bring the news and any other information Kema may give him.
But when he goes back he seems quite happy, more than normal and with a dorky smile on his face he cant help to mask.
Turel's shoulders slump as the ladies's words remind him of the accident . I must not be bitter or resentful from their chastisement. It is only the truth.
"Yes, I shall be more careful in the future." He replies to them. "Should I need help, I shall request such immediately."
The appearance of the map proffered by Tuneya draws his interest. He looks it over with a great deal of interest. "It looks like we will need rope to descend into the Tomb. Fortunately I do have some rope. The rest of the place seems to be laid out in a logical way, but there is no telling how accurate this map is currently." He nods in reply to Aleris' observations, "Also no telling what is buried in there."
Regina, needing a little respite from social interaction, makes her way to the Whispering Stone for a quiet drink at the bar.
Despite herself, she involves herself in a conversation about Ancient Osirion, the proper mixture of Tepache (roasted cinnamon is the key), and a manifestation of Nethys in the Asp district (both agreed it was a hoax) with the proprietor, Teht Blackblossom.
Teht, dearie, I really must be going. But your Tepache is the best in town.
Not being especially familiar with arcane magicks, Aleris seems both amused and impressed with the magical scent-removal process. "Is there anything that you can't do with magic?" she laughs.
"Is that a challenge?" Harmose asks, with a grin. "I'm sure that we can find some things that I can't do with magic if we try hard enough."
As Harmose moves closer to make sure that all trace of dog-smell is removed, she can't help but notice a rather earthy, but pleasant scent, and the barest hint of...
Cinnamon...he smells like cinnamon...
"Oh, not a problem," she comments as she takes the offered arm. "I used to be told that I ask too many questions, but most of the people that I've met since leaving home didn't seem to mind."
You're right. I don't mind at all, not when it's you doing the asking...
"Perhaps it's time to turn the tables. Maybe ask a few questions of my own on the walk home? Let's start with this..." Harmose points to Aleris's tattoo of Shelyn's songbird. "What's the story of this tattoo?"
"You've heard a bit from me about Horus, the god of the hawk and falcon, lord of the sky. You already know that I was dedicated to him young. It's only fair you tell me the story of how you chose Shelyn. Or did she choose you?"
Harmose sees the smile on Camus's face.
I know that look. That's the 'She likes me!' look. It surprised Harmose to find that he didn't mind. Good for Camus. There has to be some women out there that would put up with him... Perhaps he's actually found one?
"So, Camus. How did your visit with your friend go? Tell us all about it."
When he hears Camus talk about Kema, Harmose runs a sense motive check on Camus:
How badlly is Camus crushing on this girl, Kema?
Tuneya nodded, looking over the map. "Those stairs at one side... the map is incomplete. Unfortunately, this is all I found. We'll have to be careful... there's stuff we don't know down in that tomb."
She then stands, heading off to have a nice chat with Terhk before heading to bed. Overall, just random, friendly conversation.
As the day ends Camus, and just before going back, Camus goes to Kema one more time but now to catch up on the old times. While telling her his last adventures and hearing a little bit about hers.
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Camus is back with thee party and gives out the details of what he has found, he tried to show poker face but but he is not good at it
Camus blushes quite noticeably at Harmose question: " I -DONT- KNOW WHAT- YOU- ARE- TALKING- ABOUT- EVERYTHING- WAS- FINE" The worst poker face ever, Camus talks like a robot.
Camus then listens to Aleris.
"Thats interesting indeed, but dont you find a little bit rash to just get into a religion just because some believer were nice to you?"
.
"As a result, elves are forbidden entry to the city and most other outsiders or unusual peoples aren't welcome there either." She pauses for a moment to let the implication of her words sink in before continuing, quietly. "Even amongst all of the lottery participants today, I've stood out from many of them. In Sevenarches, even more so. Being native-born granted me some time, but I would have surely been...asked...to leave once I came of age. So to save them the trouble, I left of my own free will."
At this point in her narrative, Harmose gives Aleris's arm a gentle squeeze. He lets her continue her story without interruption.
At the end, he says, quietly, "I never knew you were an outsider, but that doesn't matter to me. Those druids from Sevenarches are fools. They have no idea what they're missing."
He smiles. "I also like your story of meeting the Glory of the Risen Rose. How fitting that your faith, your life and your art have all been voyages of discovery."
As they reach the doors of the Tooth and Hookah, Harmose adds:
"The Sczarni artist who did your tattoo did lovely work." He gives a mischievous smile. "But then you already knew I had a thing for tattoos, didn't you?"
Harmose raises an eyebrow at Camus's revelation. That poor boy. He's really smitten.
Feeling giddy after that talk with Aleris, Harmose says with a smile, "She must be someone special. Perhaps you should tell her how you feel."
Now, how do I say this -- politely?
"I should say, however, that I've noticed a certain roughness to how you approach a conversation. This is not without its merits -- candor is a rare and appreciated quality. But romance is not something to be rushed, not if you want more from this lady than a single one-night stand."
Harmose meets Camus's gaze. "Do you want more than that from her? If so... maybe I could help you refine your approach."
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Then Harmose looks at the time and realizes just how late it is. "Think on it, Camus. We can always discuss it in the morning, or at a later time."
To the group as whole, Harmose says his good nights. "Get a good night's sleep, all. Tomorrow, the Necropolis awaits!"
Late at night in the Tooth and Hookah, Harmose watches Wenet hop around the room. He scoops her up and lays back on his bed, with her on his chest. "What do you think of them all, Wenet? Did I pick a good team?"
The rabbit bumps her head against his hand, and he laughs and scratches her ears.
"Good. I like them too."
And with that, Harmose reaches over and blows out the candle on his bed stand.
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Turel stays in the common room long after the others have retired, staring at his cup of tea. Thoughts of what he discovered about himself and about his new clan...or his party...flood his mind. He stretches his arms out and runs through a meditation exercise designed to clear his mind. The results were decidedly mixed.
I wonder if I am on the right path...so far the gods have not said one way or another. Still to have crossed paths with such good people...far different than the women in my clan...perhaps...No I must not...by the Burning Sands! Being a eunuch would be so much simpler!
Rising to his feet, he downed the last of his tea before heading upstairs to his rom to catch some much needed sleep.
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Regina eats a sumptuous late night snack before quietly retiring to her bedroom to regurgitate it into her chamber pot.
Tomorrow it begins. I have the best team working for(*) me. Nothing can stop us. Pallid Princess, give me strength.
Tuneya sighed as she got back to the tavern. She looks to the sky for a moment, then shakes her head.
Pharasma, give me strength and wisdom. Tomorrow, I tread a path hidden from the sun and I will need your guidance in the shade.
She then turns and heads for bed.
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Everyone turns in for the night, after a busy day at the lottery, hanging with your contacts, doing research, and meeting fellow adventurers. Though there hasn't been any physical combat, many of you might find that it's been an exhausting day, and thankfully this night in Wati will be quiet, almost as if the whole city were holding its breath for whatever will happen tomorrow. No drunkards yelling and singing in the streets late at night, no wind noise blowing through buildings, even the cats in Wati seem to be quiet this night.
The gates will open at sunrise. Will you be there at the very moment the sun rises and the gates are opened? This would mean getting up very early and making all of your preparations, and hiking over to the gate while it is still dark. Or will you head into the Necropolis at a more reasonable hour sometime in the morning?
What time you choose will have no bearing on your trip to the Tomb of Akhentepi, which is more or less on the opposite side of the Necropolis from the gates where the Pharasmin watch will check your credentials and let you through. During the trip to the tomb, you will encounter no dangers or hostile opposition; there is only a slight wind blowing through the eerily quiet Necropolis. Buildings everywhere, streets between them, just like any living city, but not a single person anywhere to be seen. Sand and dust blowing around in little streams and circles, the scuffing of your footfalls and any possible conversation among yourselves being the only noise you hear as you travel the thoroughfares of the dead.
It will take you less than an hour to make your way through the Necropolis, following the maps the Pharasmin have prepared, to find the Tomb of Akhentepi. There, 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 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.
Turel looks around him as the members of the group Discoveries United makes their way towards the Tomb. As he makes sure all of his equipment is secured, including a pole that extends longer than himself, thoughts of his conversation with Bal Themm echo through his mind. "I do not think it wise to open the Necropolis to grave robbers. What has passed beyond must be allowed to rest in peace."
Seeing as there is no...LIFE here, he could not help but agree with that.
Once the party has arrived in front of the Tomb, he stops and looks around him, gazing both up and down and stretching all of his senses outwards, expecting the worst to occur here. An ambush...or something even worse...?
Regina arriives early, dears.
Camus wakes up thinking on Harmose last words, he could barely get some sleep. He was torn between his pride and the posibility of showing kema some different colors. The fashion guys may be right, he know how to talk to people, maybe I can learn a couple of things from him...this situation does look oddly familar...
Camus is way too distracted to notice something meaningful
Harmose wakes before dawn with a rabbit hopping on his chest. "Oof! Wenet!"
He opens his eyes blearily to see the rabbit staring down at him. As he starts to close his eyes again, she nudges him with her nose. Twice. "Okay, okay. I'm getting up."
Still yawning, Harmose dresses, scoops Wenet back into her tattoo, and goes down to meet the others. Though he could really use some coffee, the excitement of the others is contagious and he wakes quickly.
Once the Pharasmin officials let them in to the Necropolis, Harmose's senses go on edge. The dead. I can feel them all through this part of the city. He shudders, and remains very watchful.
Only when they arrive at the tomb itself does he relax, momentarily distracted by the sight of Aleris, her white hair lit by the soft colors of the sunrise. Well, there's at least one lovely sight in amongst all these ruins.
Then he remembers where he is, and turns his gaze firmly back to the ancient tomb.
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Tuneya sighed as she woke up early, reaching up to rub her eyes. It was pure habit; she got used to it during her years studying archaeology, as they preferred not to be outside during the heat of the day, so they tended to work to get inside a tomb before the sun even rose.
She sighed as she trudged out to the tomb, careful to keep her kit on hand. She spend the morning preparing bomb mixtures for mixing in the field, and had mixed up Heightened Awareness, Bomber's Eye, and Anticipate Peril extracts. Just in case.
She also brewed up something else, but tried to keep it secret. A little slice of addictive heaven she liked to keep in hand... just in case her darker side needed to play. It was something she hated to use... that lovely rush of giving in to a different version of yourself was just so pleasant! And so dangerous, once her mind returned. Then she carefully secreted it in a pocket; she didn't care if people saw that she had a potion, as she is an alchemist, but didn't want them to pay too much attention to this one.
On the trip out to the Necropolis, she frowned as she thought more about it. Those few times she had used it in the past. Izola's frightened look the first time. The arguments the couple had on several occasions about the mixture and how Izola hated the side of Tuneya it brought out. Though, Izola always accused it of creating that side. In the end, Tuneya had promised to only use it when emergencies hit, and had further promised to not use it outside of archaeological digs. Tuneya knew she would have to retire from entering tombs... and she planned to put the mixture away on that day.
She then pushed her mind from it; today, she was entering a tomb, and might need it. Tomorrow, if they were not, she would not mix it. Even this far away from her love, she was not going to break her promise.
Tuneya looked around a bit as she journeyed out, and nodded. The quiet, the lack of life. Some part of her suspected this entire area was blanketed with Pharasma's presence... but that the power of other gods rested below the surface. Once there, she nodded to the others and gave another glance around, before sighing to herself. It was probably time to begin.
Tuneya then looked to Aleris, grinned, and pulled out a bomb vial. Twirling it between her fingers, she couldn't help but joke, "Not me. But if we need to blast our way in, I've got us covered."
She then looks to the front door. "Once we have the door open, please let me step inside first if there's no threats? There's a ritual I do. It may be superstitious nonsense, but I feel it is a good luck charm. Camus, I apologize if it makes you uncomfortable when I do it."
Turel does not immediately respond to Aleris, as he is still not sure the place was free of dangers. Once he is satisfied the place is safe, he turns to Aleris, marveling on her beauty. Such a vision of loveliness... He then givers her an unexpected smils and replies softly, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did," flexing his arms and curling his fingers together. "Digging using my hands should not take long, assuming the sand is not too packed together."
After Tuneya makes her request, he gives her a nonplussed look. "I see no reason why not. Feel free to perform your ritual Tuneya, but we should make sure nothing lurks inside first."
"If you wish to be first inside, Tuneya, then of course you should. You're the trained archaeologist here. Do what rituals you need to do," Harmose says quietly.
When he hears Turel's offer to dig the sand personally, Harmose is impressed. "Maybe I can help a little as well? Provided that I can do so without slowing you down, Turel."