"Urgh, let's agree not to do that again ..., Indus says, trying to shake the shock of both the javelin and the strange magic aside.
Assuming Seben shares her findings, Indus makes a mental note of the place. "It seems strange to have a recent trap in a random place. Maybe we should return another time and investigate this place further."
With that, Indus indicates he's ready to move on.
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As the Bask prepares to exit the necropolis, Seben remains ill at ease.
She has no evidence of any kind, but her thoughts keep drifting back to Hypaxes and the verbal spar she had with Indus back at the Tooth and Hookah.
The Scorched Hand well know the value of the ancient treasure in the necropolis. If they can deter the other adventurers from signing up, they can keep it all to themselves. . .
The Sacred Ibis lands next to the mechanism that fired the javelin. He looks unusually thoughtful, pecking at it for a time before returning to the sky.
Without further incident, the Smokin' Bask Brigade make their way past the gleaming black surface of Pharasma's Needle and out of the Necropolis main gate.
The guards posted there give you a curious glance, obviously not expecting any of the exploration teams to be back so soon, but they do not question or challenge you.
Being back in the bustling living part of Wati is a stark contrast to the relative silence of the Necropolis. Aware of the time constraint, you move through the Midwife district in search of healing for Diorio.
Indus shrugs, having no preference for which temple to visit.
"Should we split up to cover more ground? I want to buy a few items ... including something to help against other venomous foes."
"Should we split up to cover more ground? I want to buy a few items ... including something to help against other venomous foes."
.
"Good thought," says Seben. "You hit the market. I'll go with limpy here to the temple."She smiles at Diorio.
"Let's all meet back here--as soon as we can."
Assuming she is out of sight of prying eyes, Seben transforms her clothing into the attire of a simple devotee of Pharasma. Nothing over the top to suggest she is a cleric or zealot, just a fan, something in line with the general population. . . Something that covers her "Never Split the Party" tattoo.
Lueck will look for a temple to Sehkmet. He'd like to confer with some of his brethren about the haunts. If Sehkmet is too old of a god to have an active temple, he'll still wander around looking for one and regroup with the others later.
"Is there something that will help us against the haunting of the place?", Indus asks, before they split up.
"Is there something that will help us against the haunting of the place?", Indus asks, before they split up.
"I will see if I can find a temple to my patron here and ask my fellow devotees how to overcome such things by Sekhmet's grace."
"Limpy" hobbles along after Seben at best speed, looking forward to the ache in his joints and general feeling of malaise being gone.
Splitting up outside the Grand Mausoleum, the Smokin' Bask Brigade go their separate ways for a brief time.
You enter the busy temple and are quickly recognized as one of the competing teams exploring the Necropolis. In moments, you are ushered into a private room and attended by an acolyte. Shortly after, Sabu the Scribe arrives.
Once you explain your situation and healing needs, the acolyte quickly casts the necessary spell to restore Diorio's mobility. After a quick consultation with Sabu, he also channels positive energy, healing you of all minor wounds without additional charge.
You get the feeling that you are not the first team to seek medical attention related to the exploration and that your performance in the first round have earned you a favorable status.
Wandering the stalls of the marketplace, you quickly find the equipment you need.
You wander the city, but find no sign of a temple or shrine dedicated to your goddess. When asking around, you are ignored or met with blank stares.
Seben quickly hands Sabu the 50 gp. She still feels pretty bad for suggesting Diorio act as our fishing bait.
"Alright," she says. "As soon as the others get back, let's get back to it."
When Lueck returns, he is dusty and dejected. He tells the others "I didn't realize Sehkmet was so... forgotten here. Just preaching will never be enough to revitalize her name. It will take so much more. Something truly epic."
As the restorative energies wash over Diorio, the immediate affect on his joints and limbs astounds him. He stands up and whirls his arms around laughing. He enters into a deep lunge and marvels that the ache is gone.
"Amazing! Thank you priest, and thank you Seben. It was a terrible feeling, being crippled, and you have lifted that from me. Thank you."
Indus returns to the agreed upon rendezvous point, some coins lighter but with a slightly heavier backpack.
"Everyone good to head back in?" he asks with a smile.
Lueck seems to take comfort in Sobek's reassurance. When Indus returns, the tiny priest hefts his axe and sqeaks "Ready. Let's do this."
Seben nods grimly in agreement.
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Seben nods grimly in agreement.
With all assorted errands taken care of, the Smokin' Bask Brigade reenters the necropolis shortly after noon.
This time, nothing impedes your progress back to the house of Pentheru. The positive energy still holds the haunt at the gate in check, allowing you to reenter the compound without incident.
In the garden, the enormous carcass of the centipede has attracted a cloud of flies and other minor vermin - the gluttonous carrion eater turned feast itself in a twist of fate.
At the north of the gate, the small crypt building stands as you left it a couple of hours ago.
"That sounds like a good idea, Sobek. Whatever awaits inside will also be there when we've taken a look around."
"Yeah," Seben says, not entirely unhappy to be putting off a terrifying task, "Good thought. Let's not have anything follow us when we head down."
Moving carefully in the familiar marching order, the Smokin' Bask Brigade moves from the western garden to the eastern part of the exterior grounds.
A spacious yard fills the compound east of the house.
To the east, several small stone outbuildings have been built right into the compound’s outer wall.
A well stands between two of these outbuildings, opposite a stone table and benches that sit in the shadow of the house.
To the west, two sets of steps, both flanked by columns, lead up to doors into the main house.
To the northwest, an open doorway leads into an extension of the house, next to a small structure with a domed roof.
P.S. If/when we inspect the well, once we're satisfied nothing is immediately jumping out of it, Seben will cast light on the tip of her rope and then slowly lower it down the well so we can get a good look at whatever might be down there and ascertain the depth.
"Good idea to check the well. Just don't ask me to go down it first! I have heard too many stories that steal my courage away."
When the party is ready Diorio will approach the well with crossbow ready and peer over the edge ready to shoot anything that twitches, pulses, oozes, flutters, or shimmies.
Lueck grips his axe tightly in case anything flies up out of the well.
As Seben begins to lower the rope, Lueck nods approvingly, but says "If this doesn't work, I can climb down the side of the well and give it a good look."
The harsh sun and lack of irrigation has left nothing but hot sand in the yard. All is quiet as the group moves to investigate the well.
From above, you can see that it is long dry. The light from Seben's rope reveals nothing but sun-baked stone and sand at the bottom.
Lueck considers climbing down, but at Sobek's comment he hesitates. Instead, he leans over and mutters orisons in seeking lore from his patron.
Lueck will cast detect poison and detect magic as far down the well as they will reach.
Lueck takes advantage of the offered rope to make his way down to the bottom of the well.
While the rest of the group stand guard, the brave battle cleric decends into the well.
After careful inspection, you find nothing but dry sand at the bottom of the well.
Lueck spends a couple of minutes sifting his webbed hands through the sand, looking for anything that may have been dropped in the well. Eventually, he climbs his way back up to the rest.
"I found nothing except more sand down there. I think it would take some considerable labor to get enough sand out to make it functional again, or find anything that may have been dropped down there long ago."
- the southernmost outbuilding
- the outbuildings in the north-east corner
- the domed building
- the extension to the main house
- the stone table and benches
- the doors leading into the main house
"Let's look around those tables and benches where we slew the mighty insect to start."