"Knowledge... do you know anything about Nex?" Ohrmizd is a tanned man of wavy black hair clad in a breastplate. A mithral shield with the Angelic ankh holy symbol of Sarenrae hangs from his left arm. The man is definitely not a pretty face, with scars that speak of more than one fight, but there is something fearsome on his ways and still when he talks he sounds as someone educated who knows how to behave "About the plane of Kakishon he created long time ago?"
Samuel knows a lot about the history of Nex, but nothing on the topic that is relevant, that Manuun hasn't told yet.
"I know of Nex. What is your interest in this, Ohrmizd? This was put to rest long ago."
"What do you know about the wizard? Who might know about his runes? If you know something he liked, perhaps the name of a loved one, or the name of whatever motivated him to create Kakishon, maybe pronouncing that name aloud while holding the scroll might let us decipher the scroll and see how to access the plane and its treasures" reasons Ohrmizd all out aloud.
"Scroll? What scroll are you trying to decipher? If you have a scroll you need deciphered, let me see it. "
"Fine, have a look" Ohrmizd smiles amused, showing the scroll to Samuel "Can you tell us what magical aura it has? You seem a knowledgeable sage, sure you know detect magic better than any of us, do you?"
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Samuel notes the scroll looks particularly old. "What did your detect magic reveal?" He carefully unfurls the parchment. "Ah, I have seen poor imitations that looked very similar to this."
Samuel takes four small weights and places them on the four corners to keep it open on the table that he made sure is free of ale. He then produces a magnifying glass and inspects the scroll in detail. He looks at Ohrmizd with a serious expression. "The craftsmanship of this parchment is unlike any other I have seen. This was not produced anywhere near here. Where did you find it?"
Is there damage to the scroll? Do I notice anything unusual about it?
Omari is not particularly amused by the practical joke that Ohrmizd is trying to set up. Before Ohrmizd can show Samuel the scroll, he interrupts: "Wait. This place is too public to be showing that around. Let us find a private room on the upper levels." He will lead the party (and Samuel) into the upper floors of the battle market, and find a private room where we cannot be spied upon. Once there, he will let Samuel proceed with examining the scroll. He will however, interrupt again if Samuel starts to Detect Magic.
"Beware - the aura is so strong is stuns those who view it. "
In the upper room, Samuel finishes his inspection with the magnifying glass. He retrieves his weights, stows the glass and allows the scroll to furl. He rolls it up and looks to his new acquaintances. "I must do this myself even though you are in agreement as to what it is. You believe this to be a major artifact if my reading between the lines is correct. So be it."
He grabs his mug of ale and downs a good portion of it.
I do dread this....
The scroll is undamaged and even though it looks really old and yellowed, even tattered on the edges, it is beyond sturdy. Nothing in danger of falling off, no tear, nothing. Looking at it through a magnifying glass reveals nothing new, the rune is plain and has no hidden details.
A look in the magic spectrum reveals more than one can take in. Not in detail, but in power. Samuel gets this lost in time and space look on his face while his brain reboots. The aura of the magic is that of conjuration magic.
Roryx chuckles.
"There's that too." Heshan added as he winced. "Every time we try to check on the scroll using magic, we receive a backlash that stuns us."
Samuel chuckles along with his new acquaintances. "Overwhelming. I have nothing to add to your knowledge of this at this time. I do wish to learn more of it, though." He carefully rolls up the scroll and returns it to Ohrmizd.
"This is most likely the greatest find in the last millennium. Do you care to sell it? What price would you give it?" Samuel is apparently still not completely recovered from the aura's effect on him. His eyes and expression show that.
Ohrmizd looks from side to side at the others "Mmmm... what about 10,000 gp, wait, no, did you say millennium? What about 100,000 gp?"
The Keleshite scans Samuel's auras, detecting evil, law, chaos, good, poison and magic on him "You seem clean of any taint other than magic. I guess you can come and help if you wished to. You might learn a thing or two about the scroll and this Kakishon"
"Right now, we were headed to the ruins of an ancient Temple of Nethys in order to profit the fumes there for a divination ritual that shall let Omari bring the knowledge of the gods to our mortal minds" the man sets his backpack and makes sure everything is packed for the trip, including a good goat cheese from Haldra and one rum bottle from Haleen's canteen "Failing that, our last hope is a contact from the Princess, but that will require us to travel to Katapesh's city"
An idea strikes his mind and looks at Samuel arching up an eyebrow "You are not pursued there by any gang of thugs, are you?"
"Surprisingly I am not being actively pursued by anything at this time...that I am aware of." Samuel notes the rum bottle. "Very good. This temple, the fumes, and that scroll. Please count me in."
"Not to worry. At least you were not trapped in a tomb when you met." Heshan mentioned casually before clasping his hands together.
"Then it is settled. Welcome to our group of merry men."
"So be it, Heshan." Jafar finishes his liquid bread and grabs his pack. "Ready here."
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"Well, I'll not be ready quite that quickly Samuel. The first order of business is to start tending to Ohrmizd. Then, once we have a split for the rest of what we retrieved from that temple, I have a few orders to place with the local craftsmen. So let us meet after the morning service tomorrow at the temple of Erastil, and then we can go off to try the prophetic fumes. That will take several days, so pack for a week."
Omari looks at Ohrmizd "Now that we have the dust, this week's treatment will take perhaps 20 minutes. Come with me, we will find a room where we will not be disturbed."
Assuming Ohrmizd comes along, Omari will find a quiet room someplace on the upper floors and pray to Erastil . He will then cast Restoration on Ohrmizd.
***
For the rest of the day, Omari will visit craftsmen in town; he needs to place orders for new MW Studded Leather barding and Tusk Blades for Khedron
Ohrmizd accepts Omari's invitation, but he will pay personally for the diamond dust treatment "I will take that massage, but no happy ending, eh"
The Keleshite looks much better after the rejuvenating treatment.
---
Once everyone is ready, have placed their buy orders, and prepared their equipment. Ohrmizd will let Garavel know about their plans, have a good bye drink with Haleen, let Father Zastoran know in case he wants to come and check, and mount their donkey, Gara, with a few supplies for a couple of weeks.
The Keleshite looks at the sun and the stars and traces a path back to the Temple of Nethys. With firm steps, he starts to lead the way through the desert towards their destination.
Father Zastoran of course comes along to take a look.
The ruins are mostly like you remember them. The sand has shifted around a bit, as the wind blows from another direction in this season. There are again pests of different sizes, but unlike last time, they are only nuisances.
Entering into the dark still needs a rope, but also there are no new surprises. Well, one - taking the path straight to the altar you find that no serpent is summoned.
Come the dawn, Omari prays to Erastil for spells:
L0 (4) : Guidance, Detect Magic, Create Water, Light
L1 (4+1+1) Bless(domain), Divine FavorX2, Murderous Command,Lucky Number, Empty Slot
L2 (3+1+1) Featherfall (domain), Visualization of the Mind, Ancestral Communion, Tears to Wine, Page Bound Epiphany
L3 (2+1+1) Prayer (domain), Delay Poison (Communal), Dispel Magic, Empty Slot
L4 (1+1+1) Summon Natures Ally IV (domain), Freedom of Movement,Air Walk
He casts Lucky Number on himself immediately after receiving his spells for the day
****
Omari uses Air Walk to get Khedron down the shaft with the rope. He also uses Tears to Wine and shares it around . When he realizes the serpent trap has been disabled, he pauses and says "Something has disabled the serpent summoning trap. Ohrmizd, check for tracks, can you tell if someone has been here and how recently? "
"Serpent trap in the altar? That's a classic. To keep the non believers away from Nethys' holy places."
"Probably I disabled it with my presence." Father Zastoran tells with a chuckle.
"Nethys has snakes as his guards? He should advertise that to gain more followers." Heshan grinns.
Ohrmizd drinks the wine happily "Good one"
"You are a snakes charmer" Ohrmizd adds to Father Zastoran's words before going forward and trying to help Omari.
The place has collected some dust since your last visit. The most you find are your steps from the last visit. And some minor vermin. Nothing to worry about.
"Just some vermin." comments Ohrmizd "Nothing we have not seen in the Carrion's King throne"
The Keleshite will proceed past the altar and into the knowledge sauna, to help Omari perform the ritual.
The cavern behind the altar, reachable through the no longer secret door, is unchanged. In the midst of the hallucinogenic mist hangs the badly damaged barge. For those who take a deep breath and don't resist it turns into a splendid vessel, afloat on a sea of clouds.
Roryx avoids entering the evil sauna room - "This can be done without us entering there, right?" - he questions.
"Let me see." Heshan looks around to see any passageway that could lead them around the mists.
[/dice=Perception]1d20[/dice]
"Let me see." Heshan looks around to see any passageway that could lead them around the mists.
"Slow your roll Orhmizd. First we take 5 minutes to check the rest of the complex, we have the time, let's not get a nasty surprise."
Assuming that Ohrmizd will wait, we will spend a two minutes walking through the un-misted area of the complex to make sure we don't have any surprise company...
Further assuming no unwanted company, Omari will cast Communal Delay Poison, giving himself, Ohrmizd and Samuel 2 hours of protection, Roryx 1 hour. After, he will enter the misted area and meditate , using the mists as the incense material component. Then he asks Ohrmizd to cast Heroism on him as he casts Ancestral Communion. After that he asks Ohrmizd to use Guidance on him as he casts Page Bound Epiphany...
1d20+7 temporary Ranks +3 trained + 5 untyped (Visualization of the mind) +6 insight (Ancestral Communion) +2 Enhancement (Tears to Wine) +7 Circumstance (Page-Bound Epiphany) +2 Moral (Heroism) +2 Luck (Lucky Number) +1 Competence (Guidance)
Omari has another 30 minutes, which he spend first telling everyone all he has learned, and then he disarms himself and has Roryx bind him with rope. Delay Poison will then cease to have effect, and Omari will be having 2 hours of hallucinatory visions...
We can camp here in the complex and repeat this over the next several days to checks for K Planes, K Local, K Geography, K Nobility, K Religion and K Arcana (Nex being a wizard type ...).
After staying or going again and again into a state of an expanded mind, the relevant bits and pieces form all areas of knowledge come together.
This Scroll of Kakishon is very likely one of Nex’s most ancient creations, and one of his first after transcending the typical mortal ken of magic and passing into the workings of the quasi-divine. This scroll is not only a map of the hidden realm of Kakishon, but is also the doorway through which one can travel to the legendary realm, yet only if the proper secret words and rituals of opening are known. The keeper of the Scroll of Kakishon controls the only point of entrance into and out of the mysterious realm. Nex is said to have used the realm as a place to experiment with his more outlandish theories, and what is hidden within could rival or even exceed the wonders the world knows today in his kingdom to the south.
Samuel watches as Roryx binds Omari. "Delay...Oh my. Is he prone to violence?" He then looks at Ohrmizd and notes his scimitar. "Know that whatever you may see or hear is not real and will pass." He takes the coffee cup and bottle of whiskey out of his backpack. "Might as well make this as enjoyable as possible." He then produces his pipe and tobacco. He offers the cup to anyone who will join him as he blows smoke rings. "Keep us straight, Heshan."
Omari replies to Samuel's comments "You have been temporarily protected by the Horned Lord's grace, but I assure you, with 2 hours exposure, those fumes are potent to drive you to madness, attacking others around you or injuring yourself... You might want to take similar precautions as I am."
Trusting Omari knows more about these fumes than he does, Samuel says "So I am to assume this is not the magical fungi I played with as a youth. Please bind me as well but leave enough slack so that I may enjoy my whiskey and pipe."
Ohrmizd joins in into the ritual, fully. The bacchanal of smoke, wine, visions and godly insight, lasts for more than an hour. As the group emerges out of the smoke, the Keleshite seems half gone "Promise here and know that what happened there inside will never be revealed. We will never talk about this again."
The man cleans the sweat, puts his clothes and hair on place, and tries to refocus himself "Things are much more clear now though"
Staring at the scroll he whistles "Wow, so, this is not only a map, but it holds the only entrance to that plane of Nex. We still do not know the words to use it, but this is sure worth a good pile of coin"
"We should either ensure custody of this item so it never falls in the wrong hands, or return it to the hands of its rightful owner in Nex" he blinks pensive while looking at the scroll "Of course... we could also sell it for a tone of coins if we find the right hands for it..."
"Moral decisions ahead... but what to do?" Ohrmizd looks at the rest of the party, his reasons still impaired by the recent fumes.
Samuel watches as Roryx binds Omari. "Delay...Oh my. Is he prone to violence?" He then looks at Ohrmizd and notes his scimitar. "Know that whatever you may see or hear is not real and will pass." He takes the coffee cup and bottle of whiskey out of his backpack. "Might as well make this as enjoyable as possible." He then produces his pipe and tobacco. He offers the cup to anyone who will join him as he blows smoke rings. "Keep us straight, Heshan."
Heshan very much stays outside of the fumes, though he did give a friendly wave of encouragement instead.
"I would do so, but I would rather not lose my mind in there with no protection."
"Wise, Heshan." Jafar exits the fumes. "Do what ye must and have some whiskey while you are at it. And stop that growing thing." Samuel looks up at Heshan as he grows larger .
Shaking his head, Roryx securely binds anyone who requests so. He will however avoid the fumes, if possible.
"We should either ensure custody of this item so it never falls in the wrong hands, or return it to the hands of its rightful owner in Nex" he blinks pensive while looking at the scroll "Of course... we could also sell it for a tone of coins if we find the right hands for it..."
"Do we know exactly what the rightful owner was using it for?" - the magus piped in - "That will play a part on our decision, as outlandish experiments is not very specific"
"Wise, Heshan." Jafar exits the fumes. "Do what ye must and have some whiskey while you are at it. And stop that growing thing." Samuel looks up at Heshan as he grows larger .
"Oh?" Heshan perked up one side of his lips. "I did not know you drank. Though I may not need the effects for some stimulation at the moment." The sight of the growing Samuel was more than enough to convince him to look the other way for the moment.
Omari holds on against the effect of the fumes to grind out "I propose we table the moral discussion until we aren't seeing pink butterflies..." and then adds "Oooh pretty!" in a decidedly different tone of voice.
***
Later, after the fumes have worn off, untied and stretching, he picks up the thread of the discussion: "Ok, so the scroll is a doorway to Kakishon, a hidden realm that was property of a ancient wizard so mighty that even I have heard of him: Nex. From what I know, he is long gone in the mists of time. So, we are the rightful owners, having spent the blood to retrieve said scroll from under that damned temple. It is our rightful plunder. I would hesitate to sell such a potent relic, for fear it could be turned to evil. However, unless we can find the rituals to use the scroll, it is only valuable as an antiquity. Perhaps Princess Almah's friend Rayhan might now such secrets..." Omari casts a slightly suspicious eye on Father Zastoran "I presume that you do not know such secrets. So, let us repair to Kelmarane. There we can plan and provision a trip to Katapesh to see Rayhan. We can take a week to attend our own business, and I can fully restore Ohrmizd. In the meanwhile, remember 'Loose lips sink ships' and we do not discuss this matter where others could overhear."
"Understood. We go visit this Rayhan in Katapesh and try to find something useful about the scroll. It will also be a good chance to buy new supplies and equipment we do not find in Kelmerane" with that Ohrmizd assumes there is nothing else they want to do in the temple, and starts the trip back to Kelmerane.
During the trip he approaches Jafar while looking at the sky "Ah, my friend, have you ever seen a mantle bluer than this one?" and observing his clothes and staff he inquiries "Where did you made your studies?"
Jafar looks up and agrees with Ohrmizd."Nice. It has been some time. My studies took place in Katapesh. I eventually was taken in by a mentor who set me in the direction I now pursue. Can we trust this Rayhan? If word gets out about the scroll we will certainly be targeted."
"I do not know him, but the Princess seemed to trust him. Have you heard of him in Katapesh?" Ohrmizd takes a halt on their advance through the sands to take a sip and eat some of the goat cheese he will offer to Jafar and the others "So you studied in the College of Dimensional Studies? And what is this new direction Jafar? Is it going to make you rich?"
Rayhan isn't a public figure and Ohrmizd wasn't frequenting the social circles of Rayhan back in the days in Katapesh.
"We can only trust the princess' judgement on him," Heshan shrugs. "But it seems like the man is our best bet on figuring out that scroll. Though..." Heshan smiled slightly as he looked at Samuel. "If this is a portal, you could be our most knowledgeable man."
Once the party is sober again, they return to Kelmarane.
The new findings make the topic even more interesting and Princess Almah insists on visiting her Friend Rayhan in Katapesh. She writes a letter of introduction that she hands to the group.
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Samuel replies to Ohrmizd "Pursuit of knowledge and the arcane. It has kept my needs met. I doubt it will ever make me rich and that is not my goal."
"Yes, Heshan. I have some thoughts on how to determine the trigger or triggers. Give me time to study this."