"Ah, Ionaeus...you and your band of assorted misfits all managed to make it out it back alive, I see. How...fortunate." she purrs at Indus. Then she notices Sobekhotep and the symbol of Nethys among his many holy tokens and inclines her head in his direction. "I must admit, I'm surprised to find a fellow worshiper of the All-Seing Eye as a member of such a group as this. Please, feel free to join us for a drink. Surely, you must be in dire need of intelligent conversation."
Seben takes a sip of the fine wine curated by Farhaan. She doesn't even look up at Hypaxes, but instead keeps chatting with Luek, though perhaps a bit more loudly than she should.
"You even run into someone for the first time and just know instantly that you're going to get along famously?"
She gives a wicked grin. "This is not one of those times..."
-----
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Calling on Ptah's Guidance, Sobekhotep inspects the weapon.
"Ah, a Rapier of the Agile Dance. That is a nice find."
He then smiles awkwardly.
"I am afraid that I do not personally know any of the current dog breeders in the city, but I will ask my colleagues if they (or their information networks) know anyone of good character, and impeccable breeding standards."
To Falto with a wry smile: "I commend your amazing good fortune then and would recommend you sponsor a round of drinks for all so that we can toast your deeds and generosity, to further enhance your deserved reputation."
Indus is in the middle of telling about their foray into the crypt when Velriana makes her entrance.
"I thought I detected the heavy scent of cheap parfume. I should have known you were nearby, dear Velriana," Indus says with a tone that makes it clear that his 'dear' is insincere.
"Yes, we are alive, as you can see. Despite not having quite the same financial backing as you, a bit of skill and luck saw us true. And all of your hench... fellow party members are still with you? No unfortunate 'accidents' like last time?"
Seben's eyes sparkle with delight as Indus hurls sarcastic shade at Hypaxes.
Then she mouths silently to Lueck and the others at the Bask table,"They know each other!?"
"Accidents? Please...As if any site these timid Pharasmins have deigned to open for exploration could pose a serious threat. And this preposterous lottery they would have us believe is random. I expressly petitioned the High Priestess for a site I know to be sacred to our god, but she refused. And where does she send us instead? To the ruins of a brothel!" Velriana fumes.
"We found a nest of zombies in the basement, but Khelru blasted them all to bits by channeling the blessed energy of Nethys, didn't you my dear..." Azaz, the young Osiriani mage, says as leans up against the dark-skinned cleric, stroking his arm lovingly. The priest of Nethys says nothing and maintains a stoic appearance of disinterest, but he lays his arm over Azaz's shoulder in response to the display of affection. Besides them, the half-elf Idorii rolls her eyes and fiddles with her kukri.
Velriana turns to Sigrun, noticing her collection of notes. "You're gathering tales from the different teams, I see...I don't suppose anyone mentioned "the Erudite Eye", have they?" she asks in a much more ingratiating tone. The Ulfen bard shakes her head.
Just then, Farhaan steps up on a stool in front of the bar. Behind him, a bright red piece of cloth covers the object he had delivered earlier.
"Everyone, if I may have your attention for a moment!" he says loudly, his powerful voice silencing the entire room within seconds.
"I welcome you all here in my humble establishment! As a former adventurer, it gives me great pleasure to hear so many stories told of dangers and delves beyond the walls of the Necropolis. I am especially pleased by the many daring deeds performed by the team sponsored by the Tooth and Hookah, who have acquitted themselves marvelously and returned laden with piles of gold and treasure. The Smokin' Bask Brigade, I salute you! he says, gesturing towards your table.
"But no toast without something to wash down the praise. And it just so happens that the Smokin' Bask Brigade have generously provided this humble establishment with a drink dispenser fit for real heroes. I give you: THE COBRA'S KISS!" he says, as he yanks the cloth away to reveal the head of the Iron Cobra, now slightly modified.
The metal head has been mounted on a square wooden plate with an indenture for a shot glass under the cobra's open mouth. Farhaan grabs a glass and places it under the cobra's fangs. The eyes glow briefly red and golden liquid streams from the the fangs to fill the glass.
"The finest dwarven fire whisky, straight from Highhelm! First glass is free for anyone who entered the Necropolis today, then it's a gold piece per glass!"
The crowd erupts in a thunderous cheer, while Velriana Hypaxes' annoyed glare is every bit as menacing as the cobra's.
When Farhaan makes his announcement, Seben lets out a 'whoop' and a cheer.
(I am assuming so does the crowd at the mention of free booze, but if not, we'll just add that to Seben's faux pas list as she's suddenly left cheering by herself. . .)
---
Once everyone have had a chance to pour a shot of the Cobra's Kiss, Farhaan addresses the assembly again.
"And now, for an event's that always a crowd-pleaser and favorite of our regular guests: Toothy's Tasty Treats!"
Scattered cheers break out as Farhaan continues to speak.
"For all you fresh faces here, let me explain the rules. Like all crocodiles, our trust mascot Toothy has a ferocious appetite. And she loves when our guest dangle bits of meat over her well for her to jump up and snatch."
Layla steps forward to display a bundle of pointed sticks while Amina carries a platter of cut meat round the room.
"The fee to feed Toothy is a silver piece for the meat and a gold piece for the betting pot. Whomever Toothy favors by snatching their meat wins the whole pot. As always, side bets among the spectators is permitted. Now, who's up for the first round?"
As Farhaan mentioned, it's one silver and one gold to enter. A random number of NPCs will also join.
Each participant has an equal chance of winning the pot. However, both players and NPCs can use various skills to increase their chances. Obvious skills include Animal Handling and Slight of Hand, but I'm open to creative skill uses, as long as it is within reason and backed by roleplay.
Anyone wishing to use a skill to increase their chances rolls a skill check vs a standard DC of 15. A success adds one extra lot to the drawing pool plus one extra for each 5 over the DC.
For example:
Marn, Seben, Indus and Falto all enter the game. Each pay 1 sp to play and the prize pool is 4 gp.
- Marn uses Animal Handling to increase his chances, rolling a 17 total.
- Seben also uses Animal Handling, rolling a 23 total
- Indus trusts his luck and does not try to increase his chances.
- Falto uses Slight of Hand to knock opposing bits of meat out of the way at the last minute, rolling a 12
The chances to win are now
Marn: 1+2
Seben: 3+4+5
Indus: 6
Falto: 7
"Accidents? Please...As if any site these timid Pharasmins have deigned to open for exploration could pose a serious threat. And this preposterous lottery they would have us believe is random. I expressly petitioned the High Priestess for a site I know to be sacred to our god, but she refused. And where does she send us instead? To the ruins of a brothel!" Velriana fumes.
"The priesthood of Pharasma is very wise, it seems..."
Indus' interest is piqued at the mention of the Erudite Eye, though he feigns disinterest.
When Farhaan shows off the metallic serpent turned to shots dispenser, Indus breaks into a hearty laugh and is one of the first in line for a shot.
Now, who wants to play Toothy's Tasty Treats?
When Farhaan calls for volunteers, Seben slowly raises her hand, looking apprehensive.
The cynical Sacred Ibis assumes someone will try to game the system. From his vantage point in the rafters, he keeps his eye on the competitors to see if he can identify any cheating. . .
Diorio will be content to keep a surreptitious eye on those watching the "game".
The crowd in the Tooth and Hookah murmurs with excitement as a total of six contestants gather around the well and select their morsels.
Besides Seben-en-Ra, both Marn and Falto enter the contest, each using their individual talents to increase their odds. In addition, two Humans and the Dwarf that Diorio has been playing Senet with also wish to try their luck.
On a signal from Farhaan, all contestants lower their meat morsels over the side of the well. The crowd hoots and hollars, as Toothy circles in the water. The feisty crocodile obviously knows the game well and puts on a bit of a show of false feints and sudden shifts before finally snatching the meat from Seben's pole.
The crowd cheers loudly as Farhaan hands over the gold prize.
The party continues in high spirits for much of the night and the early rays of the dawn sun are visible when the last guest leaves.
Indus wakes up early the next morning despite the party lasting half the night. After a splash of water in his face he gets dressed and goes down into the inn's shaded backyard bringing his newfound whip and spends the next hour practicing his aim and technique ignoring any curious onlookers that might gather.
Diorio, awakened by the distinct sound of a cracking whip, rouses himself to join Indus. While watching the whip in action, Diorio mentally runs through the motions of how he would deal with such an armed foe. His master's words rise up in memories: "Pain is irrelevant! Take the first lash and relish its motivating sting. Keep your sword arm free and close the distance quickly. Become a whip of steel as you flèche the final distance. Done right, your sting will be much deeper."
"Hey Indus! Were we not going to seek out an armourer today? I do not have the funds yet to purchase that enchanted rapier we gawked at last night, but I should be able to do something with my leathers. Let us eat some breakfast and find those rascals of yours to guide us."
Indus hadn't paid attention to the swordsmaster while practicing his weapon, but looks up with a smile. "Oh, hi Diorio! That sounds like a plan. If nothing else we get the relish the sights and smells of the city of the living, before we return to the city of the dead. Its smell is far more foul."
With that, he coils his whip at his belt and go to the small water font to splash water in his face to wash off the sweat from the heat even this early in the morning.
Lueck mutters to no one in particular "Where I come from, creatures like Toothy mostly eat gripplis..."
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Sobekhotep smiles and nods appreciatively when Seben wins the prize.
"Well done! Sobek and Bes must have blessed you!"
Not being particularly useful when it comes to gathering information, the best he can do is wish Indus and Diorio well.
Sobekhotep spends his time sight-seeing with Neith, and making sure that she is groomed as well as possible, including looking after her nails and teeth.
Diorio and Indus head out together, and soon find the site where the mentioned armorer's shop is located. It looks to be fairly new, with some last touches still needing to be done to store front.
There is a large sign leaning against the side of the building in the shape of a gleaming breastplate with the words "Menya the Whip - outstanding armors and shields" painted on it.
The shop is locked and a neighbor noticing your interest informs you that Menya is traveling to Sothis on business and that the shop is scheduled to officially open when he returns.
Seeing the armorer is still not open for business, Indus suggests they find the Plovers and that dog breeder instead.
Lueck goes around, trying to ask about Plovers.
Diplomacy
As it turns out, Lueck does not even have to go look for the Plovers. As he's walking towards the market after his usual morning swim in the river, he hears a youthful voice call out.
"Hey, you're Indus frog-man friend, aren't you..."
Looking in the direction of the voice, Lueck spots the tall boy know as Quickfingers heading towards him, his dirty blonde hair sticking out below his misshapen headwear, which resembles a mix between a turban and a floppy hat.
"They are called Grippli, not frog-men. Don't you know anything...?" chides the dark-skinned girl Nasira as she pops out from behind a merchant's stall and gives Quickfinger a half-hearted shove which he easily evades with a wide grin.
When Indus and Diorio arrive, they find Lueck surrounded by the entire gang of street kids, who have prevented him from asking anything by pelting him with questions of their own.
"Is it true that you eat bugs? Do you really like that? I ate a live bug once, just to try it, but it tasted weird and made my throat tickle when I swallowed it." gibbers the ever-hungry Jamal whom the others fittingly call Grub.
All the other plovers make faces at Grub and Quickfinger pull off his hat and pretends he's about to vomit into it, when the flock spot the two adventurer approaching.
Once the loud and animated round of greetings die down, Indus finally has enough calm to ask the youngsters if they know any reputable dog breeders.
To everyone's surprise, Farida the Mouse is the first to respond.
"Old Ibrahim and his wife Uma have a kennel full of those big, mean-looking dogs out in the Asp district. They are much sweeter than they look and Ibrahim can make them do all sorts of tricks. Uma always lets me play with the puppies and gives me bits of sweetmeat whenever I stop by." she says softly.
"Thank you very much, little Mouse. Lead us there, and I'll buy you all breakfast afterwards. I'm sure Grub could use something besides crickets," Indus says with a wide smile.
It's a relatively short walk to the dog breeder's home in the Asp District, and Ibrahim assures you that he has several combat-trained dogs available for Marn and his Dog Soldiers to purchase.
On learning of the financial support from his fellow adventurers, Diorio is a bit overwhelmed by the kindness, generosity, and faith shown to him.
He pledges to do his utmost to honor their support.
After a few days of leisure time spent recuperating and enjoying the comforts of the Tooth and Hookah, Sebti the Crocodile sends word for your team to report to the Grand Mausoleum for you second assignment inside the Necropolis.
When you arrive, Sabu the scribe greets you and presents you with a map marking a walled mansion with surrounding grounds located in the southern section of the Necropolis.
"Our records indicate that this site belonged to a minor noble named Pentheru the Younger. The entire family and household is believed to have perished during the Plague of Madness. Proceed with caution. Now, any questions before you depart?"
Indus also strokes his chin thoughtfully, trying to recall any bits of information that might be relevant.
Both Sobekhotep and Indus recall the history of the Plague of Madness in broad terms and Sabu is more than willing to fill in any blank spots in your shared knowledge.
Many of those not immediately taken by the fever succumbed to a murderous and cannibalistic madness that claimed the lives of countless others. In a matter of months, over 60 percent of the city's population perished in agonizing torment. Most of the fortunate survivors chose to flee Wati, seeking new beginnings in distant lands. Nevertheless, a resilient minority refused to abandon their beloved city, resolved to reclaim it from the clutches of despair. Even after the plague had run its devastating course, their hope of restoration was met with the harsh reality of crumbling livelihoods. The nearby cities of An and Tephu seized control of Wati's once-exclusive trade routes, and the beleaguered community grappled with recurring waves of undead emerging from the city's abandoned edifices, now transformed into grim tombs.
It took almost half a millennium for Wati's fortunes to reverse thanks to the church of Pharasma. With the tacit permission of Osirion's Keleshite sultan, the Pharasmin priest Nefru Shepses marched on Wati in 2953 AR with a small army of alchemists, masons and morticians under his banner, intent on consecrating the entire city to the Lady of the Graves. Over the next 30 years, Nefru Shepses and his followers built the Grand Mausoleum, recovered the bodies of those slaughtered in the Plague of Madness from their makeshift graves and walled off the portion of the city that had been abandoned. This created the necropolis you have already visited.
You may recall seeing the events of Nefru Shepses crusade depicted on the walls on the necorpolis when you entered for the first time.
"Sadly no. All we know is that Pentheru belonged to the landed gentry class, as a few records of the family's land ownership survived. Since there were no survivors from the family, those land holdings have long since passed to new owners." Sabu replies.
Many minor Osiriani nobles owned sections of farmland around cities and were responsible for its administration, overseeing the farmers who worked on the land, the distribution of grain and ensuring proper taxes were paid to the local authorities and the Keleshite sultan in Sothis that ruled Osirion at the time.
The name Pentheru the Younger implies that Pentheru inherited the land, house and title from his father. You can reasonably expect the manor to be large enough to hold several generations of family, guards and servants, and likely have it's own family crypt on the property.
"Scouting"
Seben stays quiet trying to mask her disappointment in the selection. She is doubtful that this "Pentheru the Younger" will produce any meaningful leads on Hakotep. But her only choice is to grind through it to hope the Bask will get another selection from Sebti.
Plague of Madness, how bad can it be. . .?
Indus notices Seben's quiet mood and leans in. "Are you okay, Princess?" he asks in a low but cheerful tone to try to lift her spirits.
Before the group heads out to face their next challenge, Diorio spends time with his new blade, getting to know its balance, reach, weight, quickness.
Indus notices Seben's quiet mood and leans in. "Are you okay, Princess?" he asks in a low but cheerful tone to try to lift her spirits.
.
Princess!? For a second, Seben turns bright red. She's been made.Holy crap, does he know?
No wait. He's just messing with me. Cause I wore that ridiculous get up the other night at the Tooth and Hookah. Or maybe that's his way of saying I can't handle what's coming next.
Or he's a seer and sees right through my lies, or. . .
Or maybe it's a compliment?
"Ha! Princess of dirt, maybe. I'm, uh, fine. Let's just get this over with. Something tells me we might soon be longing for the good old days of Ahkentepi." She taps the but of the spear she 'borrowed' from the general's tomb and decides to use it as a walking stick for the trip to the necropolis.
Stepping forward, Seben gloomily draws inwards into herself as she tries to recount all of her prior conversations with Indus.
Marn and the Dog Soldiers are thrilled to learn that they can acquire new dogs before going back into the necropolis and gladly sell the magic blade to Diorio at the discounted price.
Thus a bit better armed, the Smokin' Bask Brigade move cautiously into the necropolis for the second time. Now you all know the kind of dangers that lurk within.
With the Ibis flying overwatch, you carefully make your way through the dusty streets of the dead city. Whether by luck or caution, the trip to your destination is uneventful. It takes you little more than an hour to reach the location marked on your map and it is not yet midmorning when you find yourselves at the gates of a walled manor compound.
Sandstone walls ten feet high enclose the 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 flanks the gate.
Dusty hieroglyphs are carved into the wall at eye level to the left of the gate.
Lueck will walk up to the wall (let's say about 10' to the left of the gate), and climb up carefully until he can peek over the top.
Perception
With little effort, the agile grippli cleric scurries up the wall, his adhesive hands and feet easily gripping the sandstone. For a few moments, he hands motionless as he observes the grounds beyond.
As you carefully make your way up the wall, you can see more of the impressive manor inside the estate. Two stories tall, it's richly decorated with carvings, pillars and narrow windows to let the sunlight into the interior of the building.
Your vantage point lets you see into a small courtyard just beyond the gates, the ground covered in dust and sand.
To the north, a small flight of steps leads up to a pair of ornate doors in the south wall of the house between another set of columns.
To the east and west stand a pair of columns, once brightly painted and now bleached from the sun, which support stone archways leading to other sections of the property. Tarnished bronze gates hang open under both arches.
Through the eastern gate, you can see more empty courtyard. To the west, you can peer into the bottom half of an L-shaped yard that was once a garden. Now, it is 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 huge centipede lounges upon the warm sand in the pool, apparently relaxing in the sun. Its long double tails whisk lazily from side to side. It does not appear to have noticed you.