Azghaad: thanks for the multiple contingencies.
However, Azghaad (without bonuses which I don't have with me) makes his knowledge roll and knows that weapons are not good for swarms. Effective weapons include splash and area of effect 'weapons'. He, of course, communicates this to others.
I'll roll to see about collateral damage but I really don't want you guys to go up in smoke. :)
However, feel free to have any sort of freak accident have happened to Azghaad. Maybe that was part of his deep fear. If you want to relate previous stories about your PC (anyone really), then by all means do so. I am always happy to read about PCs.
Game on!
I look forward to reading about Naomi's fear.
It's also a good time for someone to be afraid of 'creepy-crawlies'. Nothing like having flesh-eating cockroaches crawling over your body to trigger that phobia.
Game on!
Obviously uncomfortable with being yelled at, Azghaad started to react with anger of his own, then stopped and considered. A few moments pass before he continues, attempting to justify himself.
"I saw these moving, saw you over there channelling the power of Pharasma down on them and assumed hostility. I have been in too many situations in the last two days where lives depended on quick action.""Honor the Departed. I had understood that to apply only to the interred dead, not those moving. I understand that this is your area of speciality." these words seemed to hold special meaning for Azghaad "I am not disputing your mastery of your subject matter. I am disputing the lengths to which you seem to carry your veneration for the dead."
"Life is more important than death. The life of a Channeler of Dinve Power more than some itinerant architect. YOUR life, Mr Madu, is worth more to me than the life of some prose I don't even know - at least to me! It is CERTAINLY worth more than the preservation of that same prosaic's corpse! I recognise your god demands that one should put aside friendship when following rules. MINE DOES NOT."
"Should the situation arise again, I will try to restrain myself. I want a commitment from you that you will not endanger the lives of anyone in our party for a classification activity!"
Rubani looked vaguely confused as Azghaad gave his retort. He hadn't expected any reply beyond a meek apology, so clear was the wizard's offense to him. And yet as he listened his features grew increasingly somber as he realized that his outburst had been aggressive enough to warrant a retaliatory response. It had not been his intent to provoke his ally. Hearing the unfailingly friendly wizard address him as "Mr Madu" for the first time was uncomfortable. Somehow that hurt.
Pharasma, deliver me from irony.
"Mr Glyphstele... Azghaad. You are an intelligent man. I recall you speak six languages. Do you know what 'Madu' means? It means 'of the people'. It is not my given name. When we first met I introduced myself as a traveling cleric. That's what I do. I serve the people. They are my flock. I am their servant."
"But I am a Pharasmin priest. And my services do not end when the people meet theirs. I appreciate that you were only trying to protect the party, myself included. Really, I do. And I apologize for raising my voice at you. But the dead are every bit as important to my faith as their living counterparts."
The cleric started wading back out to the mummies.
"I refute the idea that life is more important than death. Neither holds any inherent greater value than the other, and I follow my vocation as both mortician and midwife with equal enthusiasm. Both make up only a small part of the soul's total journey; only two beads on the great string that makes up our existence. Yet they carry forward, our lives and deaths, into the great eternity. A toppled gravestone... a legacy tainted... a tomb robbed... and the living are beset by ghosts, wraiths, banshees, ghouls, shadows and more. A thousand names for a thousand all too mortal furies that obstruct the soul's passing. Furies that could be avoided if we just practiced some consideration for our deceased. A person's passing does not make him lesser, Mr Glyphstele. The influence of those who come before us shape our lives. We owe them much. And when we forget that... they may return to remind us. I honor the remains of the dead not just to commemorate the deceased, but to protect the living."
Having reached the mummies, Rubani started to gently nudge them along the water into their burial niche along with Naomi. Might as well utilize it while it still filled the room.
"The corpse in the tomb deserves as much care as the babe in the womb. One is sacred for the life lived, the other for a life not yet fulfilled. So I'm afraid I can't give you that commitment, Mr Glyphstele. But I can promise you that I will not let anyone be harmed in the service of a faith that is not their own. I merely ask that you let me die for mine, should the situation require it. Now, I'm going to put these unfortunate souls back into their resting place. These people's only reward for their lifework was death. They deserve this much."
After a few seconds work the cleric turned back towards the wizard, suddenly looking a lot less austere. There was one last thing he had to address.
"Oh, and um... My god has no opinion on matters beyond life and death. At least, I don't think she does. Certainly not on friendship. She's a very private person according to the textbooks. Doesn't see many people. Well, she sees billions of souls from every world every day, but that's not what I mean. Not very social, is what I mean. So uh... I think I'm free to make f-friends with whomever I choose. Wouldn't follow her if I wasn't."
A blush had entered the half-elf's cheeks. Azghaad's comment about "setting aside friendship" had hit Rubani hard. He didn't have many friends despite seeing many people as a traveling cleric. He would usually chalk this up to him being a member of the hybrid race, but it couldn't be denied that he had some trouble making social bonds. The wizard admitting some affection for him, even in anger, meant something to him.
Confronted with the insect swarm Rubani was at a loss as to what he should, or indeed could, do. He had squashed more than a few bugs in his time, but had never faced anything like this. Seeing Akhmose and Naomi attack with fervor he decided that he could at least assist them.
Round 1:
Rubani stepped up to his paladin ally (square E3) and without warning blessed him in the name of Pharasma. Even without any connection to the death goddess the dwarf felt somehow hardier.
Round 2:
Making his way over to his fellow Pharasmin (C3) Rubani did much the same to her as he did to the paladin previously, giving Naomi a small blessing from their shared deity.
It's also a good time for someone to be afraid of 'creepy-crawlies'. Nothing like having flesh-eating cockroaches crawling over your body to trigger that phobia.
A scream of terror erupted from Shalina which was highly uncharacteristic for her easy going, usually composed demeanor. As soon as the wall appeared to crawl its way toward her, the archaeologist was transported back to her childhood.
She remembered feeling something twisting inside her ear as she woke from sleep. Then she was instantly aware that something was hugely wrong as she felt wriggling against her hand, antennae moving against her cheek, and something slimy against her foot. She lay there as her young brain tried to figure out what was happening…was she dreaming or was she really awake? Slowly opening her eyes to look, she realized that she was covered with different types of bugs because her bed was full of them. Her seven year old mind went into flight mode and she couldn’t stop screaming. Scrambling out of bed she violently brushed the crawlies off her small body. She fled to the door but it was stuck and she couldn’t get it open in her panic. Trying to get as far away from her bed as possible, she climbed up on her dresser and sat there sobbing with her knees pulled up to her chest. She may have been physically out of their reach but she couldn't block out the sound they made as they constantly wriggled around below. By the time her parents had made their way in to her room she was inconsolable. She found out later that her brother had done it to her as a joke – at least that is what he had always held to. He had been ten at the time and Shalina felt it was no coincidence that this had happened days after she had beaten him in a race at their school in front of his friends.
Seeing more cockroaches in one place than she had ever seen before, Shalina was once again seven and chose to flee rather than fight. There was no way that she was going to let those things touch her. As she turned around to escape, the others could see that her eyes were unfocused and filled with fright. Unresponsive to anything else around her, Shalina pushed past Azghaad and Rubani. She ran from the room and kept running until she couldn’t hear the chittering of the cockroaches.
Azghaad started to deflate when Naomi chastised him, and looked down as he slooshed through the water to assist.
Rubani's retort took it further. Azghaad slowed, and eventually stopped, about the same time the Pharasmin reached the mummies. After that he just stared intently at his compatriot.
He was quiet, thinking.
"I see. Or, I don't, but I start to see why I don't. This interest of yours in life and death - it is alien to me. It doesn't contradict what I was taught, it is... orthogonal. Irrelevant." he finally responded, then continued, troubled.
"I suppose I've just been humouring you until now - You're an admirable man, someone I like, and you just happened to have this strange foible around the dead. But... but life and death are just as important to you as knowledge is to me. I'm going to have to think about this.. but I suppose I can accept that it means enough to you that you'd die for it, and that I should accept that decision. Even though, with my worldview, that decision is irrational."
Good RP everyone.
Recap coming tonight.
Game on!
Turn 032 is up.
Read the OOC.
Questions?
Game on!
INITIATIVE
ROUND 1
SHALINA PANICS
SWARM CRAWLS OVER...(Akhmose=1, Azghaad=2, Naomi=3)
, Akhmose
, Naomi
NAOMI FIRE ON SWARM AND 1/2 ON NAOMI
RUBANI VIRTUE ON AKHMOSE
AZGHAAD RETREATS
AKHMOSE ALKALI ON SWARM AND 1/2 ON AKHMOSE
ROUND 2
SHALINA STAYS AWAY
SWARM ON AKHMOSE
SWARM ON NAOMI
BTW, just curious... how many other games (online) are you playing?
I'll start: DMing 3 and playing in 3.
Akhmose's efforts to smash the insects proved ineffective against the overwhelming swarm. Having expended his only vial of alkali, he looked around for some way to damage them. As Azghaad yelled for retreat and grabbed Naomi, the dwarf realized how flammable that room was. A fire there would probably be effective, but might destroy unknown treasures--or were they just stores of grain or something? With no time to investigate, he took the wizard's advice and moved into the stairway as quickly as he could. As he fled the chamber, he looked for a flask of oil or bag of something expendable and flammable.
I've recently had a lot of real life stuff come up. Desperately trying to keep posting in everything, though I think sometimes the quality or frequency has gone down.
Quality and frequency are just fine in this game. :)
@Akhmose: I'm glad we are on your 'keeper list'.
Game on!
Shalina came to her senses as she entered the room where she thought they were going to drown. She slowed to a stop and tried to piece together what had happened. She remembered checking the room ahead of the others, then the wall had appeared to move and now she was running away without the others. She turned around and started to move back to where she thought the others would be. Concentrating on what she had seen regarding the wall made her realize that there had been bugs…a lot of bugs. Shalina stopped. She didn’t know if she could go back. Had the bugs been abnormally large like the spider-things or fewer in number then it wouldn’t be a problem. However, those cockroaches were numerous and small enough to crawl inside clothing. Shalina started brushing off her arms subconsciously.
But it wasn’t just her. If it was just her, she would take the loot and leave – but there were four others. And they weren’t just acquaintances anymore. They had proved that they looked out for her and she had to go back to help them. Shalina very slowly made her way back. Each step she took resulted in an internal argument, a list of pros and cons about whether to face the bugs or run away.
In the end, she decided to face her fear and took a small step into the room. Her first instinct was to burn all the cockroaches with fire but quickly realized that wouldn't be an option without hurting Naomi or Akhmose.
"Does anyone have a blanket? We could use it to brush off the cockroaches." Without touching them, she added in her mind.
tag everyone
Hey guys,
One round at a time fights take forever if we don't 'gently push them along' so please get me some actions so I can recap either tonight or tomorrow morning.
Game on!
Azghaad left the room, shivering despite the heat. He didn't stop to see if anyone followed him until safely at the top of the stairs. There, trembling, he passed Shalina.
"Akhmose! Hold still... I'm going to try to scare them off!" with fire. The last was unsaid. Certainly a great many insects had an instinctive fear of fire - or at least great heat. A low level flame might well scare them off without seriously harming Akhmose...
"Close your eyes! Turn around! Take a deep breath, now!" he ordered. Akhmose's thick clothing might grant some protection, but if his eyeball burned he'd never see again, and a lung burn could kill him all too quickly. Sadly, there was little chance of his hair's survival.
"GET OUT! Please, trust me. RUN! Up here. Now!"
Azghaad waited, ready to lay down a wall of fire if the bugs started climbing.
Naomi shrugged off Azghaad's attempt to drag her out. Seeing the flames continue to burn, she stepped away from the fire-coated insects.
She brushed off as many of the roaches as she could and reached for another flask. "Its no good Azghaad. They'll continue to chase us. We need to finish them now." Aiming for a part of the swarm where she could minimize the damage to herself and companions, she dashed another flask of alchemist's fire in the thick mass of the insects.
Akhmose fled to the stairwell, trying fruitlessly to brush the bugs off. He could feel them all over him, seeking the joints and vents in his armor. He heard the wizard's command and he knew Agzhaad was doing the best thing he could do, and he had faced more dire threats already this day, but it still filled him with dread to stand still while the Agzhaad poured flame onto him. The dwarf closed his eyes, held his breath, and willed himself to be still while he waited for the blast of flame.
Turn 33 is up.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and.or suggestions?
Game on!
SHALINA COMES BACK
SWARM ON AKHMOSE AND NAOMI
NAOMI USES ANOTHER FLASK
AKHMOSE STANDS STILL
AZHGAAD FLAMES THEM OFF
1/2 ON BOTH AKHMOSE AND NAOMI, +50% ON SWARM
Naomi squashed the last few bugs under her feet and looked back up at the others. "Still alive. You too Akhmose?" Burns and bug bites cover the priestess's flesh. Her once fine robes are blackened and tattered. "At least it looks like we got them all. I wonder if there was some food or something among Akhentepi's grave good that was sustaining them. We'd better be careful."
As the others returned to the room, Naomi helped them all to go through the goods left behind in Akhentepi's tomb. Unsure of what to make of the silversheen, she took the most interest in the holy symbol of Pharasma, looking to see if the ancient symbol differed from those born by herself and Rubani. With the secret door uncovered, she mused "I'm not sure I can continue without rest of healing. I am sorely wounded and if we face more trouble ahead, I shouldn't endanger the rest of you without going forward whole."
Akhmose turned away just as the blast of flame enveloped him, burning away the insects. His beard was spared but it burned away the hair on top of his head. He gritted his teeth against the pain and breathed a sigh of relief that the insects were dead. "Thank you friend, but next time I hope you can learn a water spell."
Insect bodies crunched under Rubani's feet as he hurried over to Akhmose and Naomi. His holy symbol was already glowing and a flash from the Plane of Positive Energy soon followed. He anxiously looked over the two holy warriors' injuries.
"Well. This could certainly have gone better."
Blisters shrank and bites closed upon contact with the light (Sorry Akhmose, but it will take stronger magic than this to restore your hair.), but the cleric could see that his companions were still in rough shape.
"I'm not sure I can continue without rest of healing. I am sorely wounded and if we face more trouble ahead, I shouldn't endanger the rest of you without going forward whole."
"Heh. Then we are in agreement," the half-elf said as he put a hand on her shoulder and let his magic flow. "I too think that the moment the mighty Naomi Zeitoun falls we are all doomed. After all, when giants such as yourself ask for respite we peons must be due a break."
"But seriously," he continued with a wistful smile, "that was my last spell for the day. The Plane of Positive Energy is also closed off for me now. I have nothing more to offer in the way of healing. And considering that that's all I've been good for down here," he added bashfully, "I'm not opposed to halting our little expedition here for now."
Looking over the group to gauge the party's willingness to continue, the cleric had to ask something of the wizard and bard. Concerned as he was about Akhmose's and Naomi's wounds he was equally concerned about the panicked state of Shalina and Azghaad during the fight.
"Mr Glyphstele, Miss Sekh-at... are you two... alright?"
Unfamiliar as he was with them that was all he could ask for fear of offending someone.
Action 1:
Shalina continued to hang around by the room’s entrance while the others dealt with the remaining cockroaches. Once she was certain that there was no more crawly movement, she took a couple of steps into the room.
Action 2:
"But seriously," he continued with a wistful smile, "that was my last spell for the day. The Plane of Positive Energy is also closed off for me now. I have nothing more to offer in the way of healing. And considering that that's all I've been good for down here," he added bashfully, "I'm not opposed to halting our little expedition here for now."
Shalina nodded her agreement. ”I think it best that we rest and come back recharged. I do not believe that things will get easier but more difficult. If we are already at the end of our resources for the day then it may not be prudent to continue.”
Looking over the group to gauge the party's willingness to continue, the cleric had to ask something of the wizard and bard. Concerned as he was about Akhmose's and Naomi's wounds he was equally concerned about the panicked state of Shalina and Azghaad during the fight.
"Mr Glyphstele, Miss Sekh-at... are you two... alright?"
Shalina’s ashen face blushed in sharp contrast as Rubani made his inquiry. She had no doubt that he was questioning her actions during the fight, she was too, but he was too polite to ask directly. Unfortunately, she had no excuse. ”Thank you for your concern, Rubani. As you can see, I am fine - no cuts, bites, burns, or scratches - which is more than I can say for the others. You have graciously helped Naomi so maybe I can help our paladin friend.” She kept talking as she moved over to Akhmose. ”Alas, I have an issue with more than ten bugs in a place at once thanks to something that happened when I was fairly young. I must apologize for my cowardice but I honestly do not remember running away. Sadly all I recollect is gut wrenching fear which has now been replaced by feelings of humiliation and an overwhelming urge to punch my brother.”
She began humming softly as she touched Akhmose’s arm. She continued to hum quietly as she watched the dwarf’s burns become less red.
"As for where to spend the night, may I suggest my uncle's house? We will be safe and left alone so that we can better examine the items we have acquired. Of course, if you all have a place already arranged then that will work too. Just giving it as an option."
tag everyone
"Heh. Then we are in agreement," the half-elf said as he put a hand on her shoulder and let his magic flow. "I too think that the moment the mighty Naomi Zeitoun falls we are all doomed. After all, when giants such as yourself ask for respite we peons must be due a break."
Naomi blushes bright red at Rubani's words. "A dare say, that has to be the first time, I have ever been accused of being a giant Rubani." She casts her eyes down. "But thank you. And thank you for the healing as well. It is good to be among companions who care. It has not always been so for me."
After Shalina finishes healing Akhmose and suggests her uncle's house for a rest, Naomi nods her agreement. "I had been thinking of camping back by the shaft, but your suggestion sounds far more comfortable Shalina. I agree."
Azghaad is obviously troubled, a stricken look on his face. The moment his fire is out he peers into the room, his eyes darting from place to place and his breath held.
"I'm sorry Naomi, and you Akhmose. I just didn't know what else to do. I banked the fire down and did my best to keep it off anything flammable. Are you sure you're alright? Please, check your vials - carefully. If they're hot we need to carefully remove them. Once that's done and we can be sure the glass won't shatter THEN we can get Rubani to summon water to help with the pain."
"I think we're okay - I can't see a fire or smell smoke in the room. We have to be careful in a situation like that. Remember: 'Fire is everybody's ally, and nobody's friend'" this last is quoted like scripture. "I think we go through everything - carefully! Any hint of spark or fire, we stamp it out and withdraw. Does anyone have any sand? If not, perhaps we'll need to use Rubani's water again..."
Azghaad trails off into general fire safety precautions.
Azghaad nods at Naomi's words. Once the others have finished speaking he adds his words to theirs.
"We are approaching sunset. I for one have no desire to be in this area when darkness falls. I suggest we take what we have found, and leave - I think there is time to do so, just. I don't have any spells of healing, but I do have a spell to lighten a load. We can seal up this secret door and return tomorrow."
"It seems to me that we need to expect that less legal groups might be creeping through Wati tonight looking for leavings in these tombs. I don't want to leave anything of historical significance. "
Akhmose thanks his companions for the healing. "That's enough peril for one day for me. We have all taxed our energies. Your uncle's house sounds delightful right now."
Akhmose begins packing up the most valuable items for transport. "It would be prudent to put most of these objects in boxes, or under sheets or blankets, so as not to draw undue attention."
OOC: OK, I'd like to recap tomorrow. Can I get a firm course of action (I'll take OOC even). Please address the following:
- loot;
- entrance to tomb;
- any special way/manner of going back to town;
- where you will go; and
- where you will stay the night.
Remember that the 'explorer teams' had 'promised' to have a few drinks and share 'lessons learned' at the "Tooth and Hookah", a local tavern. Will you go tonight?
Questions?
Game on!
OOC: So about that coffin with a taste for pint-sized holy warriors. I couldn't find the right moment to mention it in-game, but wasn't it inlaid with gold? Should we go over the broken pieces of that thing before we head out?
And yeah, I'm up for Naomi's suggestions. As for what we hand over to the Pharasmins, it's been my understanding that we just have to prove that we have fully explored our allocated site. Which should be doable with the notes and sketches of the place Azghaad and Akhmose have made throughout. Speaking of, should we even be talking to the church right now? Shouldn't we wait to do so until we have finished with this site and need to ask for another?
Please correct me if there's something I've misunderstood, Fabian.
Rubani needs to make one stop though before going to the tavern. He needs to bury that poor sod we found dead in the shaft. Do you have any suggestion as to the most appropriate place to do so, Fabian? 'Cause I was thinking that Rubani is of the opinion that what with this guy dying inside the tomb he should be buried as close as possible. That will be a part of my next post.
ooc: No worries, I'll recap but leave room for people to express themselves.
It will probably be a turn recap that leaves at least three places for input.
It looks like we'll have a few turns for people to RP in and around town, which is great. This is one of the reasons why I chose to DM this particular game.
Game on!
ooc: You do not need to see the priests until you are ready fro your next assignment. All you need to do is show that you've explored your previous assignment thoroughly; you do not need to give them anything.
The previously animated sarcophagus was indeed valuable so you'll be able to recover something but don't forget that the poor thing took a beating from the skinny wizard with the giant warhammer. :)
We'll IC the loot distribution since those are always fun.
Too beat to recap tonight but I'll do so tomorrow.
Game on!
"Augh... my back is killing me."
The cleric stood up and arched his back. An audible 'pop' could be heard. He was standing in a shallow grave, one dug right next to the tomb of Akhentepi. His chain shirt was discarded as was most of his regular clothing, leaving his torso bare. His thin frame did, however, have a healthy coating of dirt. With the sun setting Rubani had no need for the usual protection that his desert garb provided. The cold of the desert night hadn't set in either. Really, it was the perfect time for a little manual labor. Too bad that the half-elf was so ill suited for it.
He leaned back in the grave, head and shoulders the only parts of him visible above ground.
"*Groan* This is why I was never much use back at the mine. I've seen Caydenite pamphlets with stronger backs than me."
At this height his eyes were level with the bundle laying next to the hole. It was his clerical vestments and swaddled inside them was the corpse the party had come upon when they first entered the tomb. The deceased's dried head was poking out from the fabric. The empty eye sockets were staring at the cleric. He stared back and gave it a little smile. He had positioned the head like this purposefully when he first started digging. He found it motivating. Working with someone staring over one's shoulder was rarely pleasant, but it did put some drive into you.
"You know, the twilight hour is upon us. It's a time of some significance for many faiths, not least for my own. It represents the end of one life, with the promised sunrise representing birth and the beginning of another. To be buried at such a fated hour... I'm glad to be able to give you such a burial."
Rubani turned around and, with some effort, climbed out of the grave. It was deep enough now. He discarded his spade and gingerly lifted the bundle up into his arms.
"Of course, sunset symbolizes something entirely different for other, more... necrotic faiths. There, twilight is an intersection of light and dark, life and death. And especially life in death. I've heard rumors that such concepts are not foreign to this necropolis..."
The cleric looked around him. The ancient cemetery city was silent as the proverbial, and very literal, grave.
"I hope I'm not leaving you in bad company."
Having made it back into the hole he unwrapped the corpse and spent a few minutes arranging it as respectfully as possible. What with the presumed tomb robber's shattered legs this proved difficult. Eventually, however, the half-elf was satisfied and could bask in the sight of an hour-long job adequately well done: a stray cadaver in a respectable grave. All that was left was filling the hole. Although there was one other thing.
"Oh, right! I almost forgot. This burial wouldn't be complete if I left this out. Now I know what you're thinking. 'What is this silly cenobite going on about now? Can't you just dump some dirt onto me, say some pretty and empty words over my landfill and be done with it? Why do you have to stall a dead man's rest?' But no, it's something I think you might like. You see, I've got a present for you. Ta-da."
Rubani held up an item for non-existent eyes to see. It was a large tribal shield, big enough to cover most of the half-elf, to say nothing of the deceased.
"It's a Mwangi shield. We found it inside the tomb, not too far from where your journey ended. Not sure how it wound up in the possession of old Akhentepi. Probably through some battle against the jungle natives. Quite nice, isn't it? Not worth much, I'm afraid. At least not monetarily. It has some history behind it though. Who knows? Maybe this was the chosen shield of some great Mwangi tribal chief utterly unknown to us today. Maybe some surviving tribe still bemoans the loss of this shield even now. Heh. Probably not. But maybe. See, that's the funny thing about history. It's relative. It shifts and changes depending on what is and is not recorded. And especially depending on who's doing the recording. With a few letters written, a few scrolls preserved, a name not forgotten... and this shield would be worth thousands. But instead? It's not even worth the energy required to drag it out of the tomb. I had to smuggle it among the rest of the stuff we carried out of the place, hoping that none of my companions saw it and started asking questions."
The cleric gave the corpse a tired smile.
"See, this is kinda why I'm doing this. Why I do what I do. Because all of this applies to people too. They get forgotten too. They get... devalued. Heh. Anyway, hope you like it. I have no idea what you were hoping to find when you broke into that tomb, but hopefully this fits the bill somewhat. Think of it as a burial gift, in the vein of the Ancient Osirian tradition. And don't worry. I don't think Akhentepi will miss it."
With that, Rubani placed the shield over the corpse, climbed out of the grave, and started shoveling dirt into the hole. He was using the same shovel that he had smacked into a giant scorpion only yesterday. He could see the resultant dent on it. How time flies. With the grave filled he took a few minutes to catch his breath. He needed that. Then he washed himself clean of all soil with the ice cold conjured water that his deity blessed him with. His clerical vestments were fortunately not too dirtied from being used as a corpse shroud. Just a bit wrinkled and dusty, but they had survived far worse. So he slipped them on and finally recited a standardized Pharasmin prayer for the unknown dead.
A few minutes later the half-elf was back in his ratty traveling robe and walking through the Necropolis. He was going to meet up with his party, now that he had fulfilled his duty. Although, strictly speaking, he had gone a fair bit above the call of duty. Rubani came to a halt on the winding cemetery road, and without warning laid his head forward into his palms.
Sweet mother of souls, I've just spent over an hour talking to a carcass. I need some social activity. Where's that tavern?
"Augh... my back is killing me."...
Skip? These are the highlights. :)
Very nicely done! Thank you.
Game on!
Good turn.
Turn 034 is up.
This should provide plenty of RPing.
Read the OOC.
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions?
Game on!
Akhmose sat at the table with his companions. He was glad to be out of danger, and back among the living, but a little rattled at how close they had come to death. He rubbed his head where the hair had burned off. He greeted Rubani when he arrived. It looked like the half-elf's boots were dirty, but they had almost been drowned, shocked, buried alive, eaten by bugs, and killed by various creatures, so that was no big surprise. He turned his attention to the Cryptfinders, hearing their raucous tales. He sat and listened for a while, and then tried to speak to the cleric about the mummy. "Tell me, what was the mummy like? If we meet the restless dead, I'd like to be prepared."
Shalina watched the others leave her uncle’s in order to run a few of their own personal errands. She hadn’t known that the groups would be gathering at the tavern later which could be problematic but it’s not like she couldn’t go with the others.
Namrut asked her a few more questions about the different rooms where they had found the different items. She knew his expertise would be able to make more sense of what they had found based on the context of how the rooms had been laid out. He roughly mapped on a piece of paper as she verbally walked him through the tomb.
When they got to the last room, Shalina’s anger at her brother returned. “That leperous goat almost cost our group some lives. His prideful arrogance put people at risk yet again. Thanks to what he did when we were children, I was unable to help the others when I should have. And you know that I still have not forgiven him for putting our parents in danger during one of his schemes. There is a good chance that he will come around looking for your help with everything that is going on. You cannot help him.” She locked eyes with her uncle before speaking again. “If you help him then I am done. I walk away.”
Namrut stood there and listened to his niece's tirade but gave no indication of agreement one way or the other. He knew his niece well enough to know that she meant what she said so he would need to be careful if Shanun happened to come around with anything interesting. It was no secret that Shanun wasn’t his favorite person either. You didn’t treat family, especially your parents, the way that boy had treated his. But business was business.
Shalina knew she had to leave to meet up with the others at the tavern so she turned to go, having said her piece. She reached the door when she heard her uncle’s voice behind her. “You know that he will be there tonight.” Without turning around Shalina replied, “I know. I plan to”…she flexed her fingers…”say hello.”
Shalina made her way to the Tooth and Hookah, moving easily through the streets of her youth. When she reached the establishment, she paused and took a deep breath before opening the door. As she entered, she scanned the room. She saw Akhmose and Rubani at one of the tables but strode past them as she spotted Shanun sitting in the darkened, back corner...how appropriate. She moved purposefully towards her brother which made it easy for him to see her coming. He quickly masked a look of surprise with a fake smile and he rose as if meaning to hug Shalina. “Sister, how great to se-“ His sentence was abruptly caught off as Shalina punched him in the jaw. His group clumsily stood up, their reactions slowed by their surprise at this seemingly unprovoked attack but Shanun motioned to them to sit back down as he rubbed his jaw.
Shalina glared at her brother and spoke through clenched teeth. “Stay away from me and stay away from uncle…I know you have no problem staying away from our parents since they are no longer of any use to you! You are nothing but a self-centered thug and regardless of you being family, you are dead to me.” Looking past him to the rest of his group she said, “I would watch my back if I were you.”
Shalina turned to leave but kept her instincts sharp and her hand near her dagger in case one of Shanun’s group members decided to try to defend his honor – like he had any. Her brother knew better than to escalate things. He had tried to once and had the scar and a slight limp as a constant reminder of how wrong he had been. As she walked away she thought she heard him say something but couldn’t make out what it was in the din of the tavern.
Shalina flopped into a chair besides Rubani so that she could keep an eye on her brother in the back. “I need a drink…or three.” Motioning to the barmaid, a tankard was soon in Shalina’s hand.
ooc: Good stuff everyone. I'll RP some later today.
Shalina: is your brother part of an 'explorer group'?
Rubani arrived at the Tooth & Hookah fashionably late and very tired. It had been a long time since he had pushed himself as hard as on this first day of excavation. When the body is in mortal peril it tends to go on auto-pilot, burning through resources to protect itself. What with the group having been in near constant danger throughout the tomb of Akhentepi, it was thusly only now that the cleric felt the impact of today's struggles. And the cumulative weight of it all hit him hard. Shoveling over 100 cubic feet of dirt afterwards also hadn't done any favors for the scrawny half-elf.
He managed to send Akhmose a tired if honest smile as the paladin waved him over to the party's table, and promptly found himself a seat to get comfortable. And immediately found that he was anything but. Rubani relished the opportunity to relax, but was only now realizing the nature of his company for the evening. No, he wasn't objecting to the table manners of any of his comrades; if anything their virtues were only amplified to him here in this tavern. The other tables, however, were overwhelmingly occupied by... well, grave robbers. State sanctioned grave robbers admittedly, but that didn't help matters.
Sigh. Get over it, Rubani. You've been over this. The lives endangered takes precedence over the deaths defiled. You're here so that whatever poor fool that would otherwise take your place in this lottery doesn't find his death in those crypts.
His gaze went from the other parties to his own. And hopefully I can help protect these glorious numpties too, he added.
Trying to settle in, Rubani ordered himself a hot glass of karkadé. The red tea quickly calmed him, and soon he was sitting back in his chair, sipping on his drink and listening to Akhmose's conversation with a neighboring group.
"Tell me, what was the mummy like? If we meet the restless dead, I'd like to be prepared."
A mummy? Does the Necropolis truly hold such fierce guardians?
The cleric was momentarily distracted by the tavern door opening again, admitting none other than the party's bard. He nearly called her over to the table, when he noticed that the usually so animated young woman was looking unusually grim. Had she been in some sort of altercation with her uncle, he wondered? Rubani watched as Shalina made her way over to another lottery team, and strained his elven ears to hear what this was all about.
“Sister, how great to se-“
Sister? Hang on, she mentioned something about a brother...!
Then the punch fell, and Rubani chocked on half his tea and spilled the other half.
This was a side of Shalina the cleric had never been introduced to, and he looked at her wide-eyed as she took her seat next to him, red karkadé still dripping from his chin.
"Um... Forgive me if I'm prying, Miss Sekh-at, but... Would I be correct in assuming that this is the... 'bug brother' that you mentioned?"
Trying to settle in, Rubani ordered himself a hot glass of karkadé. The red tea quickly calmed him, and soon he was sitting back in his chair, sipping on his drink and listening to Akhmose's conversation with a neighboring group.
"Tell me, what was the mummy like? If we meet the restless dead, I'd like to be prepared."
A mummy? Does the Necropolis truly hold such fierce guardians?
Falto turned the dwarf as if sizing him. He combed back his greasy hair with his hands and boasted, "Aye, a mummy. She came at us as soon as we entered the final chamber after having survived two death traps. My partners were beat, hurt, and caught by surprise. It was only due to my oil flasks that we were able to defeat her. She went up in smoke like dry tinder."
He pulled out some burned bandages and showed to the astonishment of those around him, "See here; this was the only left of her."
And so they did. They gathered all the treasures found so far and packed them as carefully as possible. It took a while to get them out of the tomb, especially climbing the 60 foot deep shaft. But with time, they exited the crypt and locked things up behind them.
Azghaad walked from his small suite, mind turning over and over the problems he faced. His seneschal had reported on all that had happened, and the whole Household had listened intently as he recounted his adventure. All had seemed excellent until the small voice of his cook had left a nagging seed.
"Can you trust this Namrut?"
He'd tried to justify his decision, but cold reason had shown he'd simply left everything with a man he didn't know. He'd done it because Namrut was vouched for by Shalina, who he'd only known for a day.
He found himself struggling to justify his decisions with words like "feelings" and "comradeship".
His Household had shown confidence in his decisions, of course. But then, they had to.
He had pointed out a Nethian priest should be above paranoia over mere money, but that had led to his seneschal showing him his finances. He was, sadly, overcommitted. Funds he had thought would last for weeks were all but gone.
Did I make a mistake? I know I'm new to all this. Am I being conned? Surely not. No, no, I can trust Shalina.
Azghaad entered the tavern, standing tall in the doorway as he looked from face to face. His hand touched his small purse for reassurance as he recognised the Sand Scorpions. He made a mental note to talk to the Dog Soldiers, then saw the Cryptfinders and their actual honest-to-nethys nexian enchanter.
Striding over to the table he passed others and joined the throng hanging on the exciting tales of action and adventure. Reluctant to seem inexperienced as Akhmose questioned Falto he looked at the group.
He bowed first to the Enchanter, then to the Channeler, then merely nodded to the others. He then turned again to the Nexian and introduced himself.
"I am Azghaad Glyphstele, of clan Ghostgrove, member of the Grave Guard. I do not want to pull you away, but I would like to talk with you before you leave. Perhaps I can buy you a drink when you are next thirsty?"
Bowing again to the Cryptfinders he backed away a few steps, spun on his heel and strode to the Grave Guard table.
Delightedly he noted Shalina was already there, and sat beside her.
After first greeting all his comrades and waving for a drink he spoke quietly to his neighbour.
"Shalina, might I have a word? I have a dilemma..."
Speaking quietly - for this was a serious and delicate matter - Azghaad raised his issue.
"It was very kind of your uncle to invite us all to stay. Staying together would make it easier for us to set out tomorrow. Obviously I take Hospitality very seriously. I cannot help thinking that your uncle assumes I am some lone wanderer, rather than the leader of a small Household. I don't feel I can abandon them, I'm not sure your uncle has the space to hold us all, and I don't wish to insult him by refusing his hospitality. I was hoping you might be able to offer some insight."
"Additionally, I noted that he is obviously an educated man and you yourself are Gifted. Is your uncle inclined to the Arcane Arts?"