Tahonikepsu takes a bite out of the troop of Ugly Zombies, spitting out the foul rotting flesh. A moment later, her eyes glow blue, electricity crackling around her teeth.
After taking the massive hit from Kash, the troop of ghasts reels and stumbles toward the flighty magus.
Tearing and Gnashing at everything and everyone they can reach, the ghasts rip flesh and pull armor aside, swarming over every inch they can reach.
Initiative! Bold may go!
Green Dudes
MONOLITH
Gunari
Ardelaneu
Seldanna
Kan-yeh
Giant Skeleton
Jaswinder
Pratvah
Khash'telek
Tehonikepsu
Ghast Troop
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Seeing the ghasts attaching Khash'telek, Seldanna flies over to provide him some luck. With a gesture and a quick glance, the witch sends a hex of fortune down upon him.
Creature reroll any ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check, taking the better result. He must decide to use this ability before the first roll is made. At 8th level the duration of this hex is extended by 1 round. Once a creature has benefited from the fortune hex, it cannot benefit from it again for 24 hours.
Khash's swing is almost enough to destroy the group of undead, but not before they can paralyze him. Ardelaneu's holy might channeled through Gamin is enough to cut them down before any of the others can get close enough to do damage.
With the undead defeated, a loud telepathic laughter echoes through your heads. "And they say you can never go home again." it whispers, a mischievous tone evident in her matronly voice.
Amenopheus and Torch return via Flying Carpet. Other than Scorched Eyebrows, and singed robes, they look effectively untouched. Dhara returns shortly after, knuckles bruised but bandaged. Sinuhotep calmly returns to the gathering of Sages, before speaking. "Who or What do you think caused that?" Tahonikepsu shrugs her massive purple shoulders, before transforming back into her more familiar humanoid form. "That might very well be exactly what we are here to purge from the very jewels that we carry." Dhiara, almost silent until now, touches the sage jewel that she carries. "I feel almost as if the Topaz is pulling me forward. Perhaps we should follow it to find what we seek?"
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Seldanna flies back down to the ground near the rest of the group, wiping some strands of sweat-soaked red hair off her brow. "Yes, that was...interesting! What was that big thing, by the way? Although it's gone now and hopefully we'll never see one again, so perhaps it's best not to know."
The witch then offers healing hexes to anyone who would like them, advising those that aren't already aware that they can only receive one a day.
The young redhead then puts a hand onto her stomach and grimaces. "Any of that food from this morning still lying around? I can't believe it but I'm totally starving!"
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"CAAAAAAWWW! What I miss? Everyone alive?" Lonan flies back down onto the witch's shoulder, looking around and doing a head count of the group. He looks almost disappointed that everyone is still present and accounted for.
Pratvah 'tongue flicks' in Seldanna's general direction as Jaswinder is in the middle of attending to her wounds.
I'm really hungry, too! Can I eat the bird?
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"I dunno if this will help, but... says Gunari as he starts conjuring a round of beers. He takes a deep draught of his, even though he just drank two, though in his defense they were turned into healing elixirs. "If anyone worships the Drunken Hero, you are welcome to a chalice or two. They hold the healing power of Cayden Cailean, which, granted, isn't much, but is better than nothing.
"Oh, and here you go!" he says, pulling out some of the food he acquired this morning.
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"That was bracing! Nothing better than hacking the living dead to pieces, eh Arde?" Gamin crows as the aasimar lands heavily on his feet.
"Thank you Gunari, but maybe another time. There is still work to do." The lack of wounds, thanks to the energy of the monolith, made it irrelevant. "Is there anything left? No other abominations to put down?"
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"Dere be plenty of abominashuns ta destroy mistah paladin mon. Dis feel like just a tease, jast a little preview of what we be comin' ta deal with" laughs Kan-Jeh with ease, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension out. Taking a rod out, he begins to focus inwardly, letting his mind's eye sculpt the things he wants to be. The power is amplified by his rod, and soon the Zenj seems to be a little more... Heroic?
Looking at the starving woman, he winces at the thought that he did not bring any rations or food items, thinking it would be a "quick trip". "Hey Cah-pet Jaswindah! Ya let me know nest time ya snake needs a little some-ting. Kan-Jeh got dis wand of infernal healin', jast for this sort of situashun."
He looks back at Seldanna, then at Torch. "Hey Grandmastah Torch, ya got any food on ya? Ya look like you take ya creatcha comforts pretty serious mon."
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"Dere be plenty of abominashuns ta destroy mistah paladin mon. Dis feel like just a tease, jast a little preview of what we be comin' ta deal with" laughs Kan-Jeh with ease, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension out.
"I've noticed they seem to multiply two for every one I strike down." For once a smile crosses the aasimar's face. "I am told it is good for job security."
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Gunari looks dumbfounded when Ardelaneu rejects the toast. 'I know there is work to be done... thirsty work at that!' he thinks, but holds back on stating this out loud. His years of diplomatic training may have finally paid off.
"Where we going next, Madam Dragon? I think we might ought to hurry, and strike while the iron is hot!"
While Dhiara closes her eyes, Jaswinder, Seldanna and Kan-yeh manage to find some useful relics that must have been lost from the original destruction of the city. Seldanna is able to identify the wand of cure moderate wounds with 40 notches carved into the side, a wand of restoration with 46 notches, and a +2 Khopesh with an inscription in ancient osirian hieroglyphics etched on the side.
Dhiara leads the other sages, following her Topaz like a divining rod. Shoving aside stones and digging through a bit of rubble reveals a set of stairs leading into the sands...
As the tunnels lead underground, Dhiara looks at the Emerald sage expectantly. "What are you looking at?" he quips before pulling off his backpack and rooting through it. "Well, they do call you Grandmaster Torch... so I was hoping..." Dhiara stammers through, her dark skin turning a lighter shade of pink. Torch immediately stops, turning back toward Dhiara downright flabbergasted. The other sages barely stifle chuckles as Torch stares her down. "You think that I would have a Torch in my bag, because of my NAME?!?!" he whispers, with barely contained rage.
Amenopheus smirks before interrupting. "What exactly were you digging in your bag for then?" Torch's face goes from angry red to white as he grumbles and pulls out 2 gray stones that glow with a soft light. Tahonikepsu bursts out in laughter as he hands one to Dhiara, before setting the first one floating around his head. "I supposed we *laughs* should call you *laughter* Grandmaster Ioun Torch instead?" she bursts out between fits of laughter.
Torch storms off into the twisting underground passages, grumbling about 'Nothing wrong with being prepared' before quickly turning a corner in the darkness.
Amenopheus lets out a light chuckle after Torch is out of sight. "There is quite a bit of exploration to be done underground here. I think we would have fewer than maybe... 6 hours? before the innate magic that is keeping this place stable starts to fail. We should split up to cover as much ground as possible. If you want to catch up with Torch, I recommend running to ensure that you can keep pace!"
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Gunari stammers as the wands are identified. "Well, we have a lot of extra healing now. Let's hope we don't need it."
Gunari pulls out the scrolls from GMT, and starts casting lucky number on everyone
"So, let's go look around. I don't think there will be room down here, at least most of the time, for a dragon, so perhaps we should bring a different sage down?"
Gunari shrugs his shoulders as he continues, in a sort of conspiratorial tone. "I mean, Dhiara is kind of cute, but we are pretty well stocked in melee combatants. Sinuhotep kind of gives me the creeps, and Amenopheus is pretty old. Still, he's been in tombs like these before, kind of the calling card of the scarab sages, don't you know? I say we bring him along."
Pratvah nestles around Amenopheus's feet.
He smells old and dusty.
Amenopheus smiles, and bows graciously toward Jaswinder and Seldanna. "Then I will be your Accomplice in investigating further. Speaking of Turbans, where did you get your fabric? It is very marvelous, and sometimes I feel a change could do me some good. Tahonikepsu? If you wouldn't mind keeping an eye on our little glowing friend, I think he could use a head wiser than his own to orbit around. Dhiara and Sinuhotep, if you two could stick together and investigate some of the other corridors, I believe it would benefit our common goals greatly."
Giving a little sidelong glance toward Gunari, he gives a slight wink with a smirk. "Well, if you wish for this Old Man's help. I hope that I will be able to hold up to your standards." looking back towards Khash'telek, he continues "And I wouldn't worry about Torch. I'm certain with Tahonikepsu pestering him while they explore, he will be doing his best to get this over with, if only to end the annoyance."
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Kan-Jeh eyes Torch's departure wearily. "If we be sure he ain't trying ta double cross us 'dis soon, Kan-Jeh be glad ta be with da Saphi-yah sage" he says, grabbing the ancient Osiriani blade as he looks to Ardelaneu in case he desires the blade.
"Ya know... I see da sword we found, and I read da inscription upon it. It be a gift from a lovah to anothah. Whoevah owned dis, dey were sahpposed tah return. Da sword is here. In da middle of the restless dead. Dey didn't return."
He sighs, looking a little sad, before continuing: "We should get on with our task. Dis sword isn't gonna find Tahiri on it's own."
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Jaswinder pulls out a similarly dull grey stone that has been ignited by heatless flame and sets it afloat above the snake.
"Pratvah hates it when I do this. She normally hunts vermin in the dark. I had to convince her it was best for when *she* might be on the menu."
He takes out a Wayfinder and uses it on himself.
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Seldanna listens to Kan-Yeh's melancholy comments about the found sword. "Yes, that is rather sad...although at least they found someone who loved them enough to have given them the sword with the message in the first place. I don't mean to be glum but if I died out here I'm not sure who would miss me, well except maybe for Lonan, and even then I'm not really sure. The books and scrolls I spend most of my time with surely wouldn't."
Reflecting on her life for a moment, the young witch absent-mindedly reaches down and activates her own Wayfinder as well.
Lonan doesn't seem to notice his mistress' words but does pick up on Jaswinder's comment. "Something down there eats snakes? You think it likes bird?"
Not waiting for the answer, the raven hops down into the back of Seldanna's hood.
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"I still have my darkvision up. Any other buff spells you all wanna cast before we go down? I expect this might take a while." says Gunari. "Seldanna and Khash, either of you use area affect elemental energy spells? I might put up a resist or protection spell, so you can drop them on me of you do. If not, I'll go with fire, since I reckon Amenopheus can cast a fireball or two."
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Seldanna smiles back at Kan-Jeh, clearly not a familiar expression for the young girl, nevertheless it seems to suit her, softening the features on her attractive but generally serious face. "Yes, I suppose proper introductions are not misplaced considering we almost died together out here in the desert. I am Seldanna Marzanna. 'Raven-lady?' Yes I suppose it might sometimes seem a little unclear who's the boss around here between Lonan and I." The witch seems to instinctively pause, expecting a blunt interruption from the raven, which doesn't come.
"He has been the closest thing I have to a true friend, even if he and I don't always see eye to eye. I spent my youth being raised by a hag in the woods after my parents...well, after I found myself all alone. I guess I've always found my own company more comfortable than being with others and it's not always a blessing having these somewhat unnerving powers. Anyway, even though I've been a Pathfinder for quite awhile now, my recent...well, ah death, has caused me to think a little bit more on what this all means." Evidently not all that comfortable with social chit-chat, the witch clears her throat and leaves it at that, nervously fiddling with her various magical items and scroll to make sure they're all in order.
He smells like the Raven. But, fruitier.
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Gunari sputters at the concept of drinking tea. 'Remember, stay diplomatic. They are your teammates, and will help you to stay alive, Gunari. Don't offend them until after you've completed this adventure!' thinks the Varisian, remembering his diplomatic and Pathfinder training.
He quickly checks his provisions, and realizes that the gingered whisky in his hip flask probably doesn't count as "tea". "Sorry, my friend. Always seemed a little too much like medicine to me." replies Gunari. "I will try and remember to pick some up when we are back in town. You brew that with water, right?"
Air Bubble: Everyone (Boooooo)
As Jaswinder and Gunari bicker, Amenopheus laughs, following his sage jewel through the darkness. He casually walks the corridors almost like he remembers the way forward. The looming 15 foot ceilings tower above his frail body, before he makes a last turn to a corridor ending in a large stone door. Crumbling wax is jammed into the crevices around the edge, and ancient dusty carvings in Ancient Osiriani form a neat square at about eye level.
"Hmm. I think this might be the way forward, but it looks like it has been sealed up. The runes read 'Laboratory: Aryana Tahari' I can almost remember... This is most certainly the correct place for the ritual."
Taking as step back, Amenopheus looks to Gunari and Jaswinder at the lead. "I don't want to be a bother, but my strength isn't what it used to be. Perhaps a hand with the door?"
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Gunari moves towards the front of the group, as is his norm. "Sir Ardelaneau, would you like to take point, or should I?" he asks. "I mean, when we can, we should march side by side. You sure you don't want a beer?"
"I am sure. We will raise a toast to our victory afterwards." Ardelaneu nods. "You and I are probably best protected from the evils that lurk below."
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”Jaswinder, you sure it wouldn’t be safer to be behind Ardelaneu and myself?” asks Gunari. ”We are protected by steel and the love of our gods. But mostly steel.”
Gunari will help with the door.
”Amenopheus, how big do you think these vaults are? You think it will be taking a long time down here? Just wondering if I should be saving some of Cayden’s blessings, you know.”
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Kan-Jeh flexes his muscles before putting his shoulder into the door.
"Death don't have a lotta meaning Seldanna girl. Whatchu leave behind and where ya go, those are important" he replies, clearly putting more thought into replying to the shy girl than effort into the door.
"Met'inks ya ain't be having friends dat ain't a bird 'cause ya thinkin' of many t'ings seriously. Ya should try ta be more like Kan-Jeh. And Kan-Jeh should put some t'inkin' in what he does. Like right now, Maybe Kan-Jeh should check da door fer traps" he adds with a wink before actually taking some time to inspect the centuries-old door.