Koshukhep gazed at the ruin of the mummy, and shook his head. There was no greatness in coming back to attack these people. It shamed its legacy, and added weight to its soul.
He went to see if there was anyone still in need of aid.
"Nice job all. But seriously, what's with all these undead?"
Torin pokes his head outside too see what's happening in the streets.
Djehuti nods at Torin. "A mummy does not attack randomly. I wonder if it was trying to recover an item being auctioned."
Izra, after first making sure that the mummy wasn't going to rise up again, let the shadows surrounding her flicker and fade, until she was once again visible in her fancy (if less-than-tactical) dress, holding the wand of healing in her hand. She frowned, then sketched the sign of Pharasma in the air over the fallen corpse.
"Who is injured," she asked, looking around.
"I'm fine... ish. That thing was just scary. For a while, anyway," Kwin said as he stared at the collapsed lump of smoldering remains. He nodded when Djehuti responded to Torin.
"Another team -- or someone besides the approved teams -- must've brought either a cursed or protected item here to make a quick gold. We need to find it fast and put it back where it's supposed to be."
"Otherwise, those monstrosities might just keep on coming." He cleared his throat nervously. "Not that... ah... I mind, of course. But some innocent bystanders might get hurt. Djehuti, any idea what's a likely artifact? Or how we figure out what it is?"
As the Mummy drops, Suri stares at it a second before turning back towards the others. She begins to walk back towards the group before dropping to her knees. While Ahmed moves quickly to catch her, the energy goes out of her and she sinks to the floor. Her skin cracks, showing her true form of fire underneath - a fire that starts to dim. "What-what's happening to me?" She asks, her eyes begging for an answer, but Ahmed can only stare in horror.
Mummy rot is both a curse and disease and can only be cured if the curse is first removed, at which point the disease can be magically removed. Even after the curse element of mummy rot is lifted, a creature suffering from it cannot recover naturally over time. Anyone casting a conjuration (healing) spell on the afflicted creature must succeed on a DC 20 caster level check, or the spell is wasted and the healing has no effect. Anyone who dies from mummy rot turns to dust and cannot be raised without a resurrection or greater magic. The save DC is Charisma-based.
An andoren woman steps forward. Some of you might have recognized her as a member of the Four Lanterns--a group of adventurers who were also at the auction that night. She is dressed in Andoren fashion, with knee length stockings, black shoes with silver buckles, a blue overcoat and a tricorn hat with a white feather.
She steps towards you in awe.
"Sweet gods, you destroyed that mummy like it was nothing." She then shakes her head to clear away her amazement.
"I don't understand it. We brought that mummy here. But we cast spells to detect undead. That mummy was not cursed. I'd stake my life on it."
Koshukhep gazed at the ruin of the mummy, and shook his head. There was no greatness in coming back to attack these people. It shamed its legacy, and added weight to its soul.
He went to see if there was anyone still in need of aid.
Djehuti frowns at the Andoren woman's words. "That was an un-animated mummy when you brought it here?" He murmurs a spell under his breath and looks around the room for any magical auras.
As he looks, he speaks to his companions. "There must be an animating force nearby. Ahmed, Izra- do either of you detect the presence of necromantic energy?"
The wizard nods her head. "I assure you, we were terrified of animated mummies. We were very careful."
Koshukhep rushed back to the others and the Four Lanterns member. "I hear the undead filling the city! Did someone unleash a curse while delving the necropolis?!"
He turned his gaze on Izra and Djehuti. "We cannot save all, but we can save some. Is there anything you know of that would help us stop this?"
Then he noticed Ahmed and Suri, and his ears flattened. "By the gods! You, Four Lantern...er. Have you a cleric who can aid her?" He pointed with one long, black claw.
Kwin frowned at Koshukhep's words. "This is not good. So very not good."
"Let's head to the church . If there's an organized resistance to the undead it will solidify there. Or maybe just head towards the necropolis itself? The deadites must just be swarming out of there."
Kwin shook his head. "This sounds big. We can't stop a whole swarm by ourselves. The church makes more sense. Maybe they have ways to deal with it. And help Suri."
Djehuti nods at Torin. "There is necromantic energy everywhere. If this is a curse, it is one of the most powerful I have ever heard of." He looks at the Four Lantern woman. "Help us find anyone living here and get to the Pharasmin temple. Are any of your companions or other explorers you know here? There will surely be undead between here and there, and we could use any help available."
"Yes, we're here." Another man says as steps forward with three others. "We're thankful for your help here, but if this panic is really city-wide, perhaps it's best if we let the proper authorities handle it."
"Whether you wish to get involved or not, this place is not secure. The Grand Mausoleum is surely the safest place in the city from an undead assault."
"Djehuti speaks wisely. How long before the city entire is swarmed by the dead? And you have seen that we dealt with the mummy. Sticking with us is not the worst path you could take."
"Aye, best you stay in hiding with the rest of the civilians. We really wouldn't want you amateurs getting in our way. Probably for the best if you just take your funny hats back to whatever soft, safe country you came from, as this city is full enough with cowards without you adding to the problem."
Torin spits on the ground.
"Let's go. We've got a city to save."
Kwin's eyes narrowed. "Waiting for 'the proper authorities' to handle an urgent situation is waiting for death." He nodded to Torin. "Right behind you, Short Round."
The Four Lanterns have enough shame to look embarrassed, and finally the wizard tells you, "We are scholars. Not heroes. I'm sorry. But, here, take this. It will clearly do you more good than it will do for us."
She hands you some items she had purchased that night.
• +1 dagger
• scroll of burning hands
• scroll of color spray
• scroll of grease
• scroll of shield
"Good luck."
Djehuti nods. "To you as well. Be safe." He turns to his companions and the people they had recovered from the rubble. "We should go. Time is not our ally."
Izra had been staring out into the night, her face growing stony with anger... and possibly fear, as well.
"We need to get to the inn, first," she said, "I will be precious little help in this getup." She indicated her dress and lack of other equipment with an impatient wave.
The Band heads off toward their gear back at the Grinning Crocodile. They take off running down the streets of the panicked city. As they do they do their best to ignore the screaming coming from all around them.
Suddenly Djehuti senses something. Before anyone else can he sees a shape that looks like a bunch of floating organs next to a cart of canopic jars. It seems to be feasting on some poor soul on the ground who is clearly no longer of this world.
+4 w/o panache
Djehuti: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Torin: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Suri: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Monster: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Izra: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Kwin: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Ahmed: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Koshukhep: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Guardians of long-abandoned tombs, tekenu are the result of a vile practice that instills the discarded piles of f lesh left over from the mummification process with an unholy awareness. Separated from the sacred organs placed in canopic jars, tekenus attempt to reconnect with their counterparts among the living by killing creatures so that they can absorb intestines, livers, lungs,and stomachs into their squirming forms—a process that grants the undead creature additional powers.
This is a small undead creature with resistance to nearly everything. This is a tough opponent, and running away may not be a bad idea.
Djehuti hisses and puts out his arms to stop his companions. He says in a low voice "A tekenu. They kill to absorb living organs, granting themselves greater powers with each new one they ingest. We should quietly back away and find a way around it."
Djehuti quickly pulls a scroll from his scroll case as he urges his companions to back away. "Back away, find us a way around. I will cover us."
The collection of cast-off organs rolls and squeezes against itself, forming a writhing mass of viscera that hovers in the air. It hovers towards the group eager for a new victim.
Djehuti: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
Torin: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Suri: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17
Monster: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Izra: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11
Kwin: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Ahmed: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Koshukhep: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Djehuti barks out the words on the scroll and a thick, oily black smoke billows up from all around him to fill the street. "Go, go!"
"But..." Kwin starts to protest, then considers Djehuti's depth of scholarly knowledge. If HE thinks we should run...
As the cloud of thick smoke forms, the kitsune turns in the direction of a merchant's tent he seems to remember.
Koshu delayed, looming behind Djehuti with his ears flat as he watched the thing come closer. After Djehuti had cast his spell, Koshukhep simply picked the elf up and sprinted away with him.
+2 vs undead, if that applies.
Torin flees with the rest.
"I can't believe we're running from a disembodied digestive tract."
The party takes to the side streets to evade the powerful undead monster. Luckily Kwin and Koshu are relatively familiar with the immediate area and are able to find their way back to the Tooth & Hookah.
Once there they notice that some of the patrons there are huddled together with chairs and other furniture barring the windows and doors. They also notice few dead bodies around in various states of decay.
Farhaan, the familiar proprietor of the tavern shouts out to you from behind a window, "Speak if you be alive!!"
"We are alive and have been staying here for weeks. We need to get in to get our gear. Let us in!"
"Thank the Lady. Let them in!"
Some patrons do just that and once the band is inside Farhan says, "We were attacked by some zombies earlier. They would have killed me if not for Toothy here."
And it's then the Band notices the tiny crocodile standing on the edge of the well, looking fierce and proud.
"Well all right," Kwin says with an approving grin. He reaches to give the crocodile a friendly pat on the head, then suddenly yanks his hand back as he gives the idea a second thought.
"What the heck was that thing, Djehuti? And why is it dangerous, why did you say we should retreat?"
Then he looks around to confirm the rest of the team made it back and no one's bleeding too profusely before bounding upstairs to grab his gear.
Koshu paused to toss Toothy a scrap of fancy kebab he had been saving from the auction. "A deed to make Sekhmet proud!"
Then he helped re-bar the way in after his friends had entered, before going to get his own things.
Toothy seems delighted by all the attention and the kebab. He even makes a noise that sounds almost like purring. For a tiny crocodile he seems oddly affectionate.
"What the heck was that thing, Djehuti? And why is it dangerous, why did you say we should retreat?"
"A tekenu, an animated swarm of cast-off organs not preserved after mummification. They strangle and poison victims and extract their organs to increase their own abilities. And they are difficult to affect with magic or weapons. It is a difficult thing to deal with in the best of times, and we are not at our best right now."
Suri leans on Ahmed as the two make their way with the others away from the tekenu towards the tavern. The two smile politely at the patrons and crocodile, but seem otherwise distracted. Ahmed makes Suri sit down, her skin further cracking to show flames underneath, and goes to speak with the others. "We should get moving soon. She will need help that we will not find here. And I suspect others in the streets will need help as well."