Setesh groans.
"I feel like I have been on an all-night bender, with fermented embalming fluid..."
You three look gross. Perhaps you should visit a temple... Where you´ve been last night?
As Tunar comes to meet up with everyone he groans, whether from his hangover or the newly formed sores on his body, is a mystery even to him.
"I was out having myself a much needed drink, my personal supply of ale wasn't quite up to the task... and you aren't exactly sunshine either." Tunar grumbles back at Leto, wincing slightly at his headache. "What are these from? It was the magic of the tomb, right? That blasted place."
"Let's have a look at you all then. How do you feel? Any strange symptoms? Tongue out please. Hmmm..."
You believe that the three are afflicted with some sort of infection from the undead cats. Setesh seems worse than the others. With his symptoms you think he might be suffering from two separate infections.
"It looks like you three caught something from the pack of cats. You'll need some rest for your bodies to naturally fight it off. I'd advise taking it easy so you can recover.
"Setesh, you seem to be in even worse shape. Perhaps your mutating chemicals interacted with whatever infection is afflicting you three."
This...whatever it was...I need some ability to recover from the effect of the cats. I already feel my mind and body tiring.
Probably it was the cats. Told you they contract diseases. I say we bring you to a temple. Best take a cape or something to hide this stuff, we don´t want some folks on the streets think you caught something in the necropolis...then go to the temple of Pharasma for help.
You're confident that in the bustling streets a cloak would be more than enough to cover them up and sneak them into the temple. There are no shortage of people in Wati, at all times of day, covering themselves to avoid the elements.
"Setesh, you seem to be pretty knowledgable about alchemical items and remedies. Do you think you feel well enough to make some antiplague to help everyone recover more quickly? Directly excising the diseases is unfortunately beyond my grasp." After spending the morning tending the aches and pains of the afflicted, Nevai went down to the inn's dining room and motioned Leto over to join him for some late breakfast.
"While I'm tending the sick, do you think you could run a few errands? Talk to Micah, and see what you two can find out about our next venture. When, where, that sort of thing. Also, if you can, please stop by later this afternoon and I'll have a list of things I need from the market; I just need to find the spare time to make the list. I'll be trying to keep our friends off their feet, but somehow I doubt they'll be willing to take the rest their bodies need."
Setesh nods.
"That is certainly something that I should be able to whip up; I had to make rather a lot of it in my former career... when applied topically, it helped to limit decay during the early stages of mummification."
"I'll pass on the temple, already have had enough magic to fill me a lifetime. I'm sure some mundane aid will suffice."
Tunar spends some some time shopping with Micah before going back to the Inn for drinks, downing an Antiplague at some point
Thea will hang out with Micah while he handles the buying and sellings. She'd like to improve her understanding of what these type of items go for on the open market. She'll also buy a couple flasks of alchemical fire for dealing with those pesky swarms. A scroll of Knock could be useful too.
Almathea will also hunt down a wizard to two to learn a couple spells from. Command Undead and Summon Monster II.
You easily find a wizard available and willing to let you borrow their spellbook.
Leto will stock up on arrows and blunt arrows, buy a new healing potion, 2 antiplague potions and 1 antitoxin.
Almathea will also check in at the Temple. She'd like to report the undead and creatures that they found hiding.
After another day of rest...
During her trip to the Temple, Almathea will of course draw and ask about our next lot. She will invite any member of the group that is interested to join her for that. She is rather eager to see what they will get next and hopes for a more lucrative and less dangerous tomb.
The Grand Mausoleum stands before Almathea, as large as ever. Two priests greet you at the entrance and usher you to the same office as before. The priest rises from her seat again as you enter,
Peace be upon you, please come in, come in. Her smile is welcoming as she waves her hand to welcome you into the room. The Southern Osirian Trading Company, I see you were successful? The priest is quite curious about what the location you covered was and anything you learned. If you are at all willing, she continues to question you for nearly two hours before realizing that she should give you your next token. You know...I'm sure the temple would be willing to pay for an account of this...Pentheru and his life. Not directly, of course, but perhaps a collector and friend of the temple might be contacted? But, I understand if you're in a rush to head to your next destination. This final token will be your last.
She reaches over into the urn and pulls out a wooden token. Interesting, I believe this is... She looks down and flips through her ledger, Yes...a temple. She licks her finger and turns the page.We believe it was a temple dedicated to Nethys, though perhaps originally Thoth. The records are quite unclear. Here, we have prepared a map, as per usual.
Erei will join Almathea at the temple. He's more interested in finding someone to cast Remove Disease directly than he is in chatting, at least for the time being.
Almathea can't hide her excitement at having drawn a temple for their last lot. A temple to a god of magic? Not to mention the same deity that I worship? This must surely be a sign a good run. I wonder what sort of magical items might have been left behind?
"Thank you priestess. Perhaps after this next run we will have more time to sit down and give a fuller account of our adventures for either a collector of such things or for the temples own records."
Thea will happily wave the map at the others when she meets back up with everyone.
"We got a good one this time I think. The priestess said it's a former temple dedicated to Nethys."
Erei is easily able to find a priest available to cast spells. They request a donation, but claim to not require it. Though, given the motherly nature of the priest, along with her rambling, you get the sense that this "request" is much less of a request than it sounds like.
Normally citizens donate one hundred and fifty gold for a spell like this. But it's quite alright if you can't pay. We deal with all kinds here, rich and poor. Aren't you one of those adventurers? She continues to ramble as she treats your wounds.
"Sounds like you managed to get something perfect for your expertise. A deity that mixes divinity with the arcane can inspire his followers to exceptional feats of magic. I'm glad we'll have someone knowledgeable about that sort of thing as we explore."
Erei smiles and nods, playing his part, but making the smile just overly wide enough to imply that he finds this charade ridiculous. Yes, I have prospered greatly due to the generosity of this town and I would be more than happy to give back to it.
He then digs for the 150 gp and either passes it to the priest or places it in a donation tray if one is available.
The old priest continues to dote on Erei, never breaking character. He is ushered from the room once they determine he's been cleansed of the disease. Come back again, child. We're always happy to serve.
The night passes easily for most of you. Tunar feels a bit itchy, but it seems likely that his affliction will pass in the morning. Setesh seems to be getting better. He's still a little itchy, like Tunar, but his fever is also going down.
Setesh wakes up in the morning, feeling like his fever has broken.
Nevai is confident that Setesh's rash, at least, will go away. It might be uncomfortable until the skin clears up, but the splotches certainly don't look like they'll be spreading. Now that his fever has broken, he should recover fine.
"Fortunately, it looks like you're all on the mend. Luckily, I've picked up a few things here and there, tending to the various illnesses a traveling caravan tends to pick up. You'd be amazed at how often my youngest manages to find himself covered in strange muck, which inevitably results a new rash, fever or spots spreading among my caravan. I'm sure we'd have been cast out by now if it weren't for my skill in treating them," Nevai chuckled as he boiled the cloths he had been using to tend to the sick. After declaring the sick well enough to go out again and giving them a stern warning to try not to strain themselves, Nevai packed up his gear and waited for everyone to be ready to head to the temple.
It appears that either all of the groups are out in the necropolis again, or haven't yet returned. And, of course, no one else in town is willing to admit to ever having set foot inside the place.
Almathea is quite eager to get going in the morning, wanting to see the ancient temple.
"Should we leave at least a small handcart by the entrance of the temple this time. You know, just in case we find a lot this time?"
Tunar meets back up with the group, still scratching slightly, but feeling much better as he admires his new cloak.
"That's not a bad idea, I don't really feel like having to drag any more giant vases about. So what's so special about this temple?"
While talking Tunar does some basic stretching to limber up.
"Well, given that it is a temple dedicated to the god of magic, who knows what wondrous items could have been left behind in everyone's rush to leave? Plus it certainly sounds a lot more historically interesting that just an ordinary tomb and who knows what the current temples in town would pay for artifacts from a long unreachable temple? Plus, since it is a temple and not a tomb, perhaps there will less undead creatures residing in it."
"Also, as a follower of Nethys myself, I am just rather excited to see an ancient temple dedicated to him."
"If you'd like we can rededicate the temple to him. Holy water is good for simple annointments, but I'm guessing a god of magic would prefer something a bit flashier. Perhaps a full consecrate spell? I could prepare it myself, but my power comes from Horus, not Nethys. If you wanted, you could probably pick up a scroll from the active temple to Nethys in town, and I can cast it on your behalf?"
"Also, I'm not terribly certain we'll find less undead there. After all, Nethys venerates all magic, and necromancy is no less magic than any other school."
The sun beats down on the lonely, silent streets of the necropolis. Dust and sand now cover the once-bustling streets, and buildings that were once homes and shops are gradually disintegrating into rubble after centuries of neglect. Scattered throughout the ruins is the occasional palm tree or shrub, kept alive by the broken remnants of a long-abandoned irrigation system.
As you pass through a series of ruined buildings you notice several men peeking out behind some of the rubble within one of the buildings. They duck behind the debris seemingly hoping that none of you noticed them. Rocks fall from the second floor of a nearby building and you see a man step back suddenly from up above.
Six raggedly dressed thugs pop up from the rubble and aim longbows in your direction aiming at each member of the party. They don't seem to be pleased that you are unsurprised.
They are surprisingly inaccurate.
Three men from up above drop nets down on Almathea, Erei, and Leto.
Almathea is entangled.
Setesh chases after the guy that just tried to shoot him.
Leto shoots the guy holding Almatheas net.
Pesky thieves and slavers! Think you can ambush us?
As the arrows started flying, Nevai moved towards cover and drew his crossbow, then fired a shot at Leto's target.
,
Tunar growls as an arrow finds its place in him. Before moving after the scoundrel that shot him, drawing his Greatsword as he moved.
"Come here you bloody fool, shoot me will yah!"
If the enemy holding Almathea is attackable, Erei will attempt to stab him with his longspear. If not, he will move to keep just behind Tunar and Setesh.