[i]Ogochukwu you know that Djederet 2 was pharaoh of Osirion about 1600 AR (about 6000 years ago). The decree reads:
"By Royal Order of Pharoah Djederet 2...The High Priest of our blessed temple shall take this relic to our new city where the asp and the crook join and ensure it is never discovered. Treat it with reverence. But conceal it with your most trusted secrets and valuable treasures. Do not be tempted by its powers. Let our scandal remain forgotten until this obscenity can be undone."
Ogochukwu searches the area for anything else he may have missed, unwilling to believe that the tablet is the artifact referred to by the scroll.
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Ogochukwu you have the feeling that there is or was some secret deeper within the temple that this tablet refers to. You are almost certain it doesn't relate to the tablet of lost languages. You do not see anything else.
"This is ominous, friends." Ogochukwu says in regards to the scroll as he shares its contents
A series of cubicles encircle an open central space here, each separated from the common area by a curtain hanging from a rod over the doorway.
Ogochukwu begins searching through the cubicles.
Each of the cubicles appear to be small,private rooms, containing a bed frame and footlockers. The curtains, bed frames and footlockers are all dusty bu in good repair. The bedding, however, has rotted away. The cubicle in the centre is a privy.
Cymric helps Ogochukwu search the cubicles.
In one of the footlockers you find two potions of cure moderate wounds.
You should be able to use the treasure link as a party loot sheet
Heiroglyphs above the door read "High Priest Only- All others Forbidden."
The door has clearly recently been picked, however the door opens easily. This sparsely furnished room contains a bed frame bolted to the floor in the southwest corner next to a lacquered end table. On the opposite side of the room, a wooden desk has partially collapsed against the wall. Doors exit to the room to the north, east and south.
Eyeing the recently picked lock, Shukara frowns. "That settles it, someone definitely beat us here. Think it has anything to do with the people that ambushed us outside? Maybe they were buying time for someone else to loot the place first." She'll be exceptionally disappointed if that's the case; she'd been looking forward to the treasure they might find.
(Not being of a scholarly nature, the idea that the history they're discovering might be an even more valuable treasure is not one that occurs to her.)
She wanders around, looking at the wooden desk in particular to see if there are any drawers that might have goodies inside.
"I don't know Shukara, but I am nervous about it, for certain."
Ogochukwu joins Shukara in her search.
You can both tell that the door to the north has also been picked.
"In we go" Ogochukwu says and then opens the last door after checking for traps.
There is nothing remaining in the drawers, desks and tables, it looks as if they have been looted.
Opening the door you do not find any traps. The door opens into a short corridor which ends at another door.
Ogochukwu checks the next corridor and doorway for traps and then opens it.
As you walk down the corridor a scythe blade swings down at Ogochukwu
The door opens into an octagonal chamber is empty save for a large metal chest against the eastern wall. A series of hieroglyphs are inscribed on the wall above it. Stone doors are set in both the northern and southern walls.
The hieroglyphs read "The righteous and holy have no need of staff, rod, or ring. Place your faith in the Good Magister and walk without fear."
Ogochukwu winces as he inspects his injuries. "Ach. My eyes are just sharp enough. Do we have any healing potions or scrolls in our findings?"
Ogochukwu, you realise that the reference to the Good Magister refers to the Sanctum's high priest and to his control of magic, not his righteousness.
Cymric looks at Ogochukwu, and finally notices the wound, "I have a wand that will do the curing, my friend" and he taps him twice.
Shukara frowns, keeping a safe distance from the door. "'Walk without fear?' That makes me more afraid to walk in there, not less. Do you think it's some sort of magical affect?" She quickly scans the room with Detect Magic, standing just outside the doorway as she does so.
Nothing detects as magical.
Moving on into the room you find a set of stairs leading down, following them down you find yourselves in a small chamber. A stone bench sits against the eastern wall of this octagonal chamber. Black tiles line the floor, walls and ceiling. A short passage to the south ends at a gate of bronze bars.
Shukara cautiously makes her way down the stairs, peering about for any sign of, well, whatever it is she's supposed to not be afraid of.
Cymric follows Shukara down the stairs, checking out surrounding areas.
Ogochukwu stands beside Seeker at the front of the party, bardiche held ready
You all notice some faint, bloody footprints between the gate and the stairs leading back up to the upper floor.
"Strange. Blood, but no body at a dead end." Seeker signs, cautiously approaching the gate in dark hallway.
Ogochukwu inspects the gate for a way to get through
The gate is closed and locked, it looks as if it can be picked. Beyond the gate, through small chinks in the brass bars, a little further down the passageway you can see a figure but you can't really make out any details.
Cymric looks over the lock and attempts to unlock it.
"Maybe they locked it behind them?" Shukara signs back.
She hangs back as Cymirc starts unlocking the gate, although she looks worriedly through the bars at the figure. "Who do you think that is?"
Cymric manages to open the gate.
Moving into the next chamber you can see that stone doors exit to the east and west, each emblazoned with the black and white symbol of Nethys. It appears that the doors to the east have been picked.
Standing against the southern wall of the room is a statue of Nethys.
Ogochukwu checks the door on the left for traps and then tries to open it.
As you move towards the eastern door the statue starts to move
Cymric you recognise the creature as a graven guardian but you are unable to recall anything else about them.
Ogochukwu you recognise this creature as a graven guardian. They have damage reduction except against adamantine and they have spell resistance. They have a trait known as faith bound meaning they can't attack anyone openly displaying a holy symbol dedicated to the god the guardian is dedicated to (in this case you suspect this is Nethys)
Ogochukwu draws his adamantine flail in preparation.
Cymric steps to the back and prepares to begin a comedic routine to support the group.
"Adamantine?" Shukara looks down at her crossbow, shrugs, and puts it away. "Won't be doing any good with that then."
The guardian becomes entangled in Shukara's spell
The graven guiardian tries to break out of the entanglement.