With this section of the courtyard searched and secured, the Smokin' Bask Brigade turn their attention to the main house.
Lining up in standard formation, you examine the set of double stone doors that lead into they main building. They appear neither trapped nor locked.
On your right, you notice a small room that looks empty save for dust, debris and empty shelves built into the wall. This was likely a pantry used to store food and dry goods. In the west wall, a narrow door also leads into the main building.
Further south, near the south-east corner of the manor, a single stone door also leads into the house.
"Let's just take the closest door ... after checking them carefully for traps, of course!"
After thorough inspection, Indus and Sobekhotep determine the door to be safe. Pushing it open, you all enter the House of Pentheru.
The interior of the house is dark and cool compared to the bright sunbaked outer grounds. Tiny motes of dust flicker in the light coming in from narrow windows set high in the exterior walls. The house is eerily quiet, the only sounds heard are your own footsteps as you carefully enter. You feel a sudden chill, but that may just be the difference in the ambient temperature.
The outer doors lead into a small, unadorned vestibule from which you can see hallways leading west and south.
On your right, in the north-east corner of the house you can see though an open doorway into what you can only assume is the kitchen. Here, two stone tables sit against the western wall, while a third occupies the the southeastern corner. A small square wooden butcher's block stands in the northeast corner, now almost collapsed under its own weight. A stone oven sits in the middle of the north wall. A door in the east wall leads to the pantry you noticed earlier.
In the kitchen, a humanoid skeleton lies beneath the northwestern table, surrounded by smashed crockery.
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As he crosses the threshold, Sobekhotep offers-up a brief prayer.
"Whilst the former residents are long gone, this was still once a home. May Bes, God of Households, watch over us as we explore the remains of a hearth long grown cold."
He frowns as he regards the skeleton, attempting to determine whether it is animate or inanimate.
He then cautiously moves in to give the kitchen a cursory look.
After a few moments of careful study, Sobekhotep is confident that the skeleton is lifeless and harmless.
Moving closer, he notices that a pitted and rusted dagger is wedged between its ribs, making the cause of death obvious.
From his cursory inspection, the kitchen does not contain anything of particular interest or value.
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Sobekhotep sighs.
"When we have scoured this place of hostiles, I would hope that we can offer this poor individual a decent burial. Their soul may have ridden the River to Osiris' judgement hall, but seeing their former dwelling place left here like so much trash... disquiets me."
He then cautiously moves to check-out the room on the other side.
Agreed
"This place is a little too quiet. . ."
How about we continue with our search marching order? We'll have our high Perception guys, Indus and Sobek handling the trap detection. Seben and maybe Lueck can back up Sobek on the detect magic and alert the Bask to anything that registers.
"Ah, anything... life-threatening on those pantry shelves?"
At Seben's question, if the pantry door is opened, Lueck casts detect magic and detect poison on the pantry shelves and any contents.
Neither manual searching or Lueck's detection cantrips reveal anything threatening or even remotely interesting in the kitchen. Even the deceased skeletal remains continue to be quite inanimate.
With Sobekhotep and Indus taking the lead, the Smokin' Bask Brigade ventures into the southern room.
Hieroglyphs and images of fantastic beings cover the walls of this small room. A small stone shrine, dusty and thoroughly defaced, stands against the eastern wall. Through an open doorway in the west wall, you can see into a sand-covered atrium.
As you enter, you notice the translucent form of a beautiful Osirian female seemingly lost in silent contemplation before the shrine. Before you can speak, she turns and glides across the room and into the atrium, moving out of you field of vision.
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Sobekhotep frowns.
"I do not think... that was an actual ghost, or vision. There was a magical element to that."
A look of distaste crosses his face.
"Anyone who would desecrate a holy place like this is an abomination!"
He does his best to clean the long-forgotten shrine .
"I know not what god or goddess was worshiped here, but I offer up a prayer to whomever might be listening: You have not been forgotten. Please watch over us as we cleanse this place of its corruption."
The Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs on the walls offer praises to Abadar, Pharasma and Sarenrae, listing common prayers to each of the three gods. Beneath the crude graffiti and filth smeared on the shrine, images of the gods are also visible, with the carving of Abadar taking the most prominent position.
Indus takes a closer look at the hieroglyphs, then set to help Sobek restoring the shrine.
Indus examines the hieroglyphs, finding the same common religious prayers Sobekhotep did.
It looks like it will take Indus and Sobek quite some time to clean the shrine. Lueck will keep watch while they are focused on that chore.
While Seben and Lueck stand guard, the rest of the Bask Brigade set to work cleaning the shrine.
After a handful of minutes, Seben hears a soft, disembodied voice speak to her from the adjourning atrium.
It must be boring to stand around while your companions work. I suggest you come out here and enjoy the lovely courtyard.
Almost without realizing that she's doing it, Seben lowers her bow and walks forward through the doorway.
Moving through the doorway and into the atrium, you see a square patch of earth and sand surrounded by a tiled walkway.
A balcony on the second floor overlooks the courtyard, and a square hole in the ceiling opens to the sky. Four columns in the corners of the atrium support the roof above, and the walls are decorated with symbols and hieroglyphs depicting animals, celestial creatures, and the sun
and moon.
In the middle of the sand-covered patch, a feminine shape rises from the sand and turns to face you.
Lueck notices Seben walking away. He frowns and says "Seben, where are you going? It isn't safe to wander alone." If Seben doesn't stop, Lueck will make sure the others have noticed too, and then follow behind, axe at the ready.
Diorio hears Lueck and then sees him follow Seben. He nudges Indus, draws his rapier and follows Lueck.
"Where's that silly girl off to now," Indus mutters under his breath.
Sensing trouble, he picks up his newfound flail from the ground, where he put it down to have his hands free while restoring the shrine, and sets off after the others.
Is Seben free willed at this point? Or is she under a compulsion? I.e. should I be playing along and just have her say something to the effect that she got bored and really loves the courtyard. Or can she be like, "holy crap!" (I'll have fun playing it out, either way)
Does she still see the female shape? And does anyone else see it? Or only Seben?
Seben was under compulsion to leave her post and enter the courtyard when the mysterious voice suggested that she do so. It seemed like a really, really good suggestion. But now that she has done that, she's back in complete control of herself.
And yes, you see the female shape very clearly. It's like a living sand sculpture that is examining you with keep interest. Right now, you are the only one who has entered the courtyard, so you're not really sure if the others see it.
Seben, who was practically dragging her bow on the ground, suddenly tightens her grip. Her lips tighten into a sharp line.
"Uh, guys?" she calls, with fear in her voice.
"I, uh, might have just walked into a trap." Seben seems unable to take her eyes off of whatever is in front of her.
"I sorta got pulled here. Magic, or something. Be careful!"
Then Seben switches tongues, testing out her Ancient Osiriani.
"Kathora-HO, Ma-Kaski-Ta" ("Hello, my Lady,") says Seben to whatever is in front of her, doing her best to sound casual, yet failing abjectly. "Jatika, May Who-na-ti-Pa." (Is everything alright?)"
Her knuckles have a death drip on her bow, but she keeps it lowered, no arrow knocked.
Seben (and anyone peering past her though the doorway) sees the figure tilt its head, regarding her with tranquil curiosity.
It looks as if some unseen force is sculpting the sand of the courtyard into an artist's representation of a beautiful woman. The sand shifts into a warm smile as she answers Seben's greeting.
"Visitors, and polite ones too...what a lovely surprise. What news do you bring from Wati and beyond?" she says in ancient Osiriani.
Seben gulps and forces herself to keep her bow down. She even tries to relax her hand as she stares back at the unwordly sand formation.
"We've travelled from far, so much news, I would think," says Seben. "What was the last you have heard?"
The sand ripples again as the female figure takes a solemn step forward.
"My spirit has been infused into this house for centuries. Time has passed like shifting shadows, blurred and blended. My mortal memories have faded and only fleeting images remain. A lovers touch. The face of a child. The voice of my mother singing."
"Centuries!?" says Seben, also taking an equal-sized step back (hopefully not tripping over Lueck as she does so...)
"That's.... a really long time. Is there anything you need that we can help you with?"
"How did you come to be infused with the house itself?"
"I perished in a horrible plague along with my entire family. Sickness and madness took them all, and left me alone here with only death and memories to keep me company. Outside these walls, life and time flows like a river, but I...WAIT...don't go! Don't leave me here alone..."
The figure stumbles forward and the sand rises to form an outstretched hand. For an instant, the serene features of her statue-like face distort to display emotions of grief and despair.
Seben stops in her tracks.
"I'm not going anywhere, don't worry." (Seben is worried...)
"I am sorry to learn you went through all of that," she says empathetically. She does, after all, know something about the horror of being dead... trapped in place.
"But you are right. It sounds as though much time has passed since you were outside these walls. I am pleased to report that, without minimizing the tragedy, much of the news is good. The plague is over and the city has survived."
Seben takes a chance. She gulps some air and lowers her bow to the ground entirely, releasing it so that her hands are empty.
When the shape moves towards Seben, Indus raises his flail to protect her, but then lowers it again, as Seben lowers her bow.
When Indus steps out, so does Lueck. Lueck doesn't approach. Instead, he lifts his holy symbol in his hand and looks for any reaction from the spirit.