Ashira is not interested in cat booty, so she walks to the front of the group to light the way.
"De-no, never mind."
... yeah, I know, he's awesome.
Devon looks back over her shoulder at Eliyajah. With a quirked eyebrow, she turns back, still unaware of her wardrobe malfunction.
Your exploration of the site is now completed, and on your return to the living part of the city, you are directed back to the Grand Mausoleum to report on your findings.
The Pharasmin priests ask a great many questions, but seem less interested in the traps used to protect the ancient site than in the burial rites and any history you were able to uncover. They take copious notes to add to their own records and maps of the necropolis.
The High Priestess, Sebhti the Crocodile takes no notes, but simply listens, staring at you unblinkingly with dark eyes rimmed with green kohl. At the end she asks: "What were your general impressions of the site? And do you feel you explored it fully?"
Her tone is absolutely neutral, conveying neither approval nor disapproval.
"It was chock full of horrific traps. Your ancestors really didn't want anybody taking their stuff," Devon says, wearing the stuff that she took. She lets Ashira give the full report to her superior.
The High Priestess nods once Devon has finished speaking, and at the gesture one of the junior priests makes a note, carefully recording Devon's exact words, and passes the note to another of her companions, who countersigns it, before he passes it to yet another priest who delicately annotates it before carefully archiving it in a labelled scroll case.
"Anyone else?"
Ashira steps forward and kneels respectfully before Sebhti the Crocodile. "The tomb was expertly crafted, with secret passages, traps, animated statues and other objects, and a devastating magical trap. The dead were laid to rest respectfully, even the honoured craftsmen who died in the tomb's construction. Several ancient Gods were shown in statues and other symbols, but the Lady of Graves was present throughout the complex. Though the secret doors were difficult to locate, I believe we discovered them all."
They would never believe me if I told them about Say'ri's death and rebirth, or that her hawk is the spirit of Akhentepi. My faith has been tested, and I have been left shaken.
The High Priestess looks at Ashira, unblinking. Despite her youth (she is less than a decade older than Ashira) she has been High Priestess for over five years now; her nickname is 'The Crocodile' - and not for her love of swimming.
Her face breaks into a small (a very small) smile. "So, Acolyte Silthand... It seems to me that you have grown somewhat through your experiences. Would you simply return to your midwifery duties, now? Or are you keen to see more of what the Necropolis can teach you?"
Ashira pauses for a moment to really get an idea of what she wants. "High Priestess, I must admit myself a terrible adventurer. I fear that the Lady of Graves has been displeased by my actions, and has sent me signs of what may be to come. I see a future of pain, helplessness, and death. Yet I do care for these souls, these strange folk who have larger hearts than I expected. I do not wish for them to die because I was not there. I ask for your guidance, High Priestess. What would you have of me?"
The High Priestess gives another not-quite-a smile. "Some would say that a future of "pain, helplessness and death" is called "living", Acolyte Silthand. As for whether or not the Lady of Graves is displeased-" she trails off for a moment, and shakes her head. At the gesture, one of the junior priests who was carefully recording what was being said gathers up the notes and carefully passes them to her companion, who meticulously tears them up into thin strips before passing it to a third priest who dutifully burns the papyrus in a censer.
"It would not do for this to be recorded. Know that the Ruby Prince gave me little choice in the matter of opening up the Necropolis for exploration. To be more accurate, he gave me two choices: cooperate, and my priests would be allowed to accompany the adventuring parties; or refuse to cooperate, and see the Necropolis raided anyway."
"But be that as it may. From your account, you did not mistreat the bodies you found entombed there, you did not disturb their rest, and you did not desecrate any of the shrines or statues you found. I see no reason for our Goddess to be displeased with your actions."
She leans back, her eyes still fixed on Ashira. "As for what I would have of you, it is to return. A priestess of conscience is exactly who I need to be doing this role. But more than that: Pharasma is the Goddess of prophecy, and I believe you are fated to play a larger role in this than either of us can yet foresee."
"But I am not cruel. I would not have you do something that brings you genuine distress. If you believe your calling to be midwifery, and nothing more, then I will release you from your duties. But I believe that if you take that path, you will regret it."
|
Say'ri stays quiet and lets the rest of the group do the reporting. Her recent experiences with life and death have left her a little awkward with Pharasmins, this only compounded the awkwardness of being an 'Old God' worshipper in a 'New God' temple. Horus and Pharasma had no quarrel, but no great love either, and Say'ri finds it easier to simply not speak in this case.
Ashira listens intently. Her knees are starting to hurt on the cold floor, but she wouldn't dare disrespect Sebhti the Crocodile.
"I have always believed that fate would guide me somewhere beyond a normal life. This is not what I expected, but I will go down the right path rather than the easy one. I will continue following these adventurers and furthering Pharasma's will. Thank you for your wise council, High Priestess."
The High Priestess nods once more, and the exchange is duly transcribed and recorded before being placed in a different scroll case.
"I have taken up enough of your time. I know that several of the surviving groups were planning to meet in the Tooth and Hookah, not far from here. You may care to join them and exchange stories and warnings. Fare well, Acoloyte Silthand. We will meet again." It is a simple statement of fact, not a question or a hope.
The girl who has been transcribing everything looks up at you. "The next part of the lottery takes place tomorrow. Be at the gates to the Necropolis for sunrise."
That leaves you the rest of the day to do as you please.
"Farewell, High Priestess." Replies Ashira as she rises to her feet. She follows the rest of the group out, then asks "Do you want to go to the Tooth and Hookah? I know the way, but it's not really a friendly environment. Lots of mercenaries and brutish types."
"I'm not really much for socialization," Devon mutters. As they step back out into the city, she draws her hood up over her head, trying to avoid attracting attention from her strange appearance. "But I'll defer to the group's decision."
The next morning sees you arrive bright and early at the gate of the Necropolis, along with those brave surviving souls who've decided to go back for more.
The numbers are severely diminished from the previous day: many would-be treasure seekers have learned the hard way that the Half-Dead City is no place of the half-hearted. In addition to yourselves, there are perhaps two dozen individuals in about six different groups; a roughly equal mixture of foreigners and native Osirians.
As before, you are called forward to receive a token, chosen at random from the lottery. This time, you are assigned somewhere near the far Northeastern side of the Necropolis, this time your site (a nobleman's house and grounds) is in the Southern district. It's a much shorter journey, along streets that are wide and paved with ancient, sand-scoured stone.
Sandstone walls ten feet high enclose your assigned estate, affording those who once lived inside some privacy. A two-story stone house is visible beyond the walls, adjoining the rear wall of the property. In the center of the estate’s southern wall stands a pair of tarnished bronze gates hanging partially open. A pair of statues (depicting two men with a regal bearing and dressed in loose, short robes and traditional Osirian head-cloths) flanks the gate.
Dusty hieroglyphs are carved into the wall at eye level to the left of the gate. Additional hieroglyphs in a smaller script are at the base of each of the two statues.
As you approach, it is easy to see that the bronze gates are decrepit and appear to have been broken open long ago.
Before heading through the gates, Devon makes a circuit of the estate's perimeter. Using her claws, she quietly scales the walls in numerous spots, getting a lay of the land and looking for any dangers lurking in the yard.
Devon and Say'ri's reconnaissance efforts reveal that the stone wall surrounds a relatively large house, with plenty of courtyard space and a few outbuildings.
It appears as though the main gate leads into a courtyard that is itself then gated in several different directions. There's no sign of anything moving, save for the sand that swirls around the courtyard in the incessant breeze.
"Looks clear. Should we try the front door or one of the side entrances?"
Devon climbs up on top of the wall on the west end of the estate. She lowers a rope down to help the others follow her before dropping nimbly to the ground on the other side. She first moves to check the small outbuilding to the north.
Orisons:
- Create Water
- Guidance
- Light
- Virtue
1st:
- Bless
- Liberating Command
- Protection from Evil
- (Domain) Deathwatch
Ashira follows behind, nervous about this next expedition. She's prepared a spell specifically in case Say'ri gets trapped in an animated sarcophagus.
After she sets foot on the other side of the wall, Ashira will cast Deathwatch to spy the living, dead, and even CONSTRUCTS.
Eli unleashes his powers of observation on their surroundings and shares his findings. "Why bother with space for a garden when all you got is sand? Or, eh, did this used to be not desert? Eh, was this once not all sandy and desert-y?"
Other than babbling, the wizard keeps an eye out for tracks once they get over the wall. Foggert sits on his master's shoulder and keeps an eye out for trouble.
The route Devon has chosen drops you into the western side of the estate, which forms an L-shaped yard mostly given to sand, sun-dried earth, and the ancient husks of dead trees. Stone benches line the walls of the yard, and a large tiled pool sits in the southwest corner, dried and partially filled with sand. A short flight of steps leads between a pair of pillars to a set of stone doors in the west side of the house. At the north end of the yard stands a squat stone building with columns at every corner.
Eli can see that this was once upon a (long) time ago, a garden; but time and the sun have dried up the water and killed the plants.
More significantly, both Eli and Ashira can spot something moving in the sand of what was once the pool. They are able to cry out an alarm as something emerges from the sand, monstrous and bristling with a multitude of legs and a whiplike tail.
"Big bug!" Devon shouts. She unslings her spear from her back, steps closer, and hurls it at the centipede.
"Oh that is a REALLY BIG BUG!!" Yells Ashira in fear, already regretting that part about pain and death as 'living'. Having no real magic to deal with insects, Ashira draws her sling and loads it.
"Gee, darn, I count well over a hundred legs on that one!" Something the wizard did not do was to take a moment to aim.
The elephantine centipede hisses as it is struck by Devon's spear; it rears up, delivering a nasty bite to Say'ri, who feels the sting of poison in her veins.
Its tail lashes out and catches Devon unawares, snapping around her ankles and dragging her to the ground.
Devon 20/20, 3 non-lethal, Prone
Say'ri 13/24, -1 Dex, poisoned 1/6 rounds
Centipede - 8 damage
Ashira looks at her loaded sling and gives a bit of a grimace. She drops the sling and instead goes over to Devon and helps her get up. "Keep it up, Devon. Say'ri can't do this on her own!"
Devon grunts as the fall knocks the wind out of her, but Ashira helps her to her feet. She nods in thanks, then darts forward, tumbling under the centipede's reach. "Say'ri! Step to your right! Let's flank it!"
Eli draws a single letter of power in the air. Immediately after, his fingertips start dripping some sort of shadowy ink which dissipates the moment it stops being in contact with his body. Out of nowhere heaps of sand appear and surround the gigantic centipede on all sides, taking Devon and Say'ri out of its sight. "The sand, t'is fake. Act as one, sisters, act as one and strike!"
Say'ri takes advantage of the illusionary cover to move to one side, but holds off on her attack for now, to make best use of Eli's magic.
The centipede hisses as the sand seems to erupt around it; it moves this way and that, swaying, as it tries to scent its foe.
Devon steps to flank the centipede and lashes out with her claws.
With his companions now safe and sound, Eli lets the illusion go. As he starts to conjure forth a glob of caustic peat, the sand slowly starts to dissipate.
Ashira heads over to where she left her sling and picks it up.
Battered, but still ravenously hungry, the centipede redoubles its assault. Its jaws catch Devon in a murderously tight grip, biting deeply into the catgirl's arm at the shoulder. Fortunately she is able to fight off the effects of the poison.
The thing's tail whips towards Say'ri, but she is able to dodge. She too fights off the effects of the poison, taking no further damage.
Devon 6/20, 3 non-lethal
Say'ri 13/24, -1 Dex
Centipede - 21 damage
Say'ri crunches the centipede very satisfyingly dead! Its myriad legs twitch for a few moments but then fall still.