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I'd say it's a party item so whoever gains the most from it and makes the party stronger should use it. That said.... Neither of us have an item in the head slot. +4 to my wisdom takes it to 22 which would get me another first and second level bonus spell. Soumral's Int would go from 20 to 24, gaining additional second and third level bonus spells. She'd also gain two skills at maximum level. (Knowledge-Nobility and History) Basically Soumral gains more so it should probably go to her.
Now that we know what the mask is.... maybe one of us should use it? Looks like it would be helpful for Francis, Soumral, or Devin. ??
Francis agrees with Elliander. "I'm certain that I don't want to climb all that way up while fatigued. Let's see if we can barricade the doorway?"
Francis has the mask. He/they thought that it was probably evil and we were just keeping it away from the Cult of the Forgotten Pharaoh. Pretty sure that my attached CS is not current....
Francis hears Devin's words and calls for a hold. "Wait a bit. We're not in great danger. Elliander is hurt. Give me a moment to access the wound and cure it." He pulls out a wand while checking the wound and uses charges to heal it.
"My spiritual weapon spell might hurt it, but I can't be sure.... Anyway, the priests of Nethys must have a way to get by safely. Maybe wearing a mask of Nethys, or holy symbol? There must be some way to shut it down without destroying it or it would already be destroyed."
Francis stands by the golem, waiting for it to do something.... collapse? But nothing happens. "Well, I guess open it back up. We can all go up that way and enter the room? If it follows and attacks maybe keeping it down hill from our group can give us some advantage...." He moves by being careful not to touch the thing and climbs up the slope.
Francis studies the golem once it activates. Using the message he speaks quietly to the team, "Don't enter that room. I think that the golem is guarding something in there. Possibly to keep thieves out. Try closing the door."
Francis looks at both 'hidden' doors and wonders. Hearing the opinions he adds. "It is also possible that the easier to find door gets used more, possibly by people from the church. But we can over think any riddle from just about any angle if we try to understand it without the facts. Let's try opening that one," "and if there is nothing interesting or dangerous behind it, then also try the other one."
Francis carefully descends and removes his armor to put in Devin's Haversack.
Francis looks down the slope ahead, and at the bone pile, then turns and pulls out some of the rope they'd bought. "I'll bet the bone pile activates when someone stumbles into it! We've got this rope, may as well use it!"
Once Soumral joins him in the back of the group Francis quietly says, "Good job with that trap. I hope there aren't a bunch more ahead." Once they all are on 'level' ground Francis sighs when he hears what they can see ahead. "No surprise the worshipers of Nethys would desecrate the dead to create such an abomination. Since it is immune to magic and resistant to simple weapons the best I can do would be to enhance your strength Elliander. But I think I should delay until we see it move? No need to waste it if it doesn't activate." "Soumral? Did you see any aura on the door? Or more specifically the face on it? That might be what activates the golem."
With little to no skill at traps Francis stays back and waits. Once the suggestion is made to ascend to a safe distance he does that. And waits.
Francis looks around carefully, but knows he doesn't have the skill to easily spot traps. He casts Detect Magic and checks for any auras.
"If there are stairs built in to the side of the shaft I'm not sure that I'd want to trust them. I'm certain that the Deka would trap them. But let's go and find the shaft first."
"Well... If it's 500 feet down, we'll need some way to get down, and back up."
Francis discusses the various options with his companions. "Even if the other priests in the temple of Nethys have any information, the Deka certainly wouldn't let them speak of it. I'm going to go and discuss it with the brothers and sisters at the Temple of Pharasma. Amenhep could possibly check other temples in the city. Perhaps someone could try to locate representatives with the.... less reputable groups of the city? I'm sure a city of this size has a criminal organization. Be careful though. The Cult of the Forgotten Pharaoh probably worked with them, and are likely ahead of us. We don't want to give any of their agents any information. Remember, even if they don't know anything about the Dark Depositary, they might know someone that might know about it. A clue to another source of information might help." Francis goes by himself to the Temple of Pharasma. He asks for a private meeting with any of the priests or priestesses that are available.
Francis accepts the news with barely more than a shrug. "The Deka gave access to the Library grudgingly with the order of Muminofrah. I'm sure she would have done her best to refuse access to the Dark Depository, possibly even continuing her lies to the extent of the very existence of it. I think we should avoid the church of Nethys and ask any other resource we can find around the city. Any organization of Magi or a group that cares for history might have a reference to it."
Francis hears Elliander but it is almost like a voice in a crowd. He is thinking of the race. It had been dangerous enough without the snipers, but with them.... "I just wonder who was behind the snipers. Somebody could have been killed. Not likely us with our skills and magic, but still. Is it possible that she would have tried? I know she doesn't want us to find out more, not likely that she wants us to have access to the Dark Depository!" "Oh, sorry. I doubt there's anything more that we could find at the library, and Deka An-Keret would block anything helpful from the temple, if she even let's any of the other clergy in on her secret! But, checking with arcane casters? That might work. I'd bet good coin that there are some that dislike the strangle hold the Deka has on information, especially with something like the 'Great Library'!"
"Another good point Brother Nevitash. Perhaps she is distracted from the proper work that she should be doing. In that case Brother Amenhep absolutely has to attend her. Don't spurn those that need the divine guidance. She needs to know how critical our mission is here, stopping an army of undead from rising and sweeping across the desert sands of Osirion, killing everything in its path!" "She's probably not sinister, but likely unguided. Brother Amenhep, you have to accept this quest! Meet with her and get her full sponsorship!"
Francis steps up beside Amenhep, putting a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Brother, We may not worship the same God, but I think I understand enough of Ra to answer you. Isn't one of Ra's concerns in the mortal realm the rulership of the people, and the nobility? Muminofrah may have an interesting view on things, but she is the ruling nobility that is helping our quest. Perhaps you should spend the time with her teaching her about yourself, your faith and your God. That's what I would do if she had chosen me." "You never know where the challenges in your life came from or what can come from them when you face them."
Seeing Elliander badly hurt Francis moves to him to assess his wounds. Seeing the wounds from the poisoned bolts/arrows Francis pulls his wand of lesser restoration and tries to help.
If I failed #12?:
Francis pulls the bolt and channels energy to provide a little healing for himself, Nevitash and the camel....
If there was time to use a second charge from the wand?:
If Con damage could be noticed?:
Francis pulls and uses his wand of Lesser Restoration on Nevitash.
Nobody thought to cast Bull's Strength on the camels? Casting Memory Lapse on a driver might be fun.... Might confuse him since he'd have no idea where he was or how he got there!
I thought I had posted that I'd be away.... Sorry. Good thing West knew what was going on from another game where I did post! I will try to read and catch up tonight, and maybe post!?! For details on what happened, I got a scratch on my right leg, barely even bled.... There was strep in the house. Everybody other than me had it at least twice, and, the cut got infected. The short of it is that the infection turned into necrotizing fasciitis. 7 surgeries and 6 weeks in the hospital and some interesting/fun physical and occupational therapy later and I'm recovering. The surgeon leading the team told us that if we'd been three hours later in the ER they wouldn't have even tried to save my leg. Six hours later and I'd've been dead. Fun stuff. NOT!!! From the linked CDC site: "See a doctor right away if your skin becomes red, warm, swollen, or very painful soon after an injury or surgery." Bright red, very warm, very swollen AND very painful is a perfect description of my leg when we went in to the ER.
Francis stares at the petrified.... whatever. He doesn't have the knowledge but is good at listening. "Right. Shall we go immediately to request audience with Muminofrah again? Doubtful we'll get in immediately whenever we ask." "I wonder though. The details that we found indicate that the church of Nethys deliberately hid the information that we seek. If perhaps we.... politely discuss this with Deka An-Keret again? Maybe if we point out that we don't want to disgrace her temple and only want to stop the cult?" "Unless.... Amenhep? I know you're willing, but what do you think?"
Francis is surprised that the others didn't have a writ of passage. How had they gotten in? "Wouldn't it be safer to just join us and try to get out with our paperwork?"
Francis considers the long, dry day they had just completed in this "library". They had been successful, or at least partially. But.... "Well. I'd say we found a lot more than the illustrious Haty-a Deka An-Keret ever wanted us to find. The church of Nethys, or at least part of it, is deliberately hiding critical information. Putting that aside for now.... A flying tomb? And I wish we'd found more information about the heart, and the mask. Could that mask. ??" He stops, realizing they aren't in a private setting. "So, Amenhep? Are you up for charming Muminofrah some more? 'Cause I'm pretty sure that the Haty-a will say that the 'Dark Depository' is another myth, just like she lied about not knowing anything about the Sky Pharaoh."
Francis stands up straight after letting his disappointment show over the size of the 'spiral'. "As a fellow follower of the Lady of Graves I am surprised to see you here. How did you get permission from the illustrious Haty-a Deka An-Keret...." He pauses his statement and shakes his head. "Pardon my bluster. I'm just a bit annoyed with the a fore mentioned.... Lady. I realize that Pharasma and Nethys aren't similar Deities, but the way we were treated was criminal. All we are trying to do is prevent all of the dead in this area from being raised as undead monsters and loosed on the general population! When it happened in Wati at least they were mostly contained in the Necropolis. Here? The people would be massacred and then they'd add to the army of undead. But her answer is that the stories of Sky Pharaoh Hakotep 1 are all fantasy. If I weren't dedicated to stop the abominations of undeath I'd just get on a boat back to Sothis and let this city die!..." "Sorry again. You asked for introductions. I am Francis Thrannel, Theologian of Pharasma. Elliander Celandi, staunch warrior and Duskblade, Amenhep, Warrior of the Holy Light of Ra, and last but certainly not least, Soumral Malyarin, Esteemed Practitioner of the Arcane Arts." He looks around at the shelves of books and apparently dangerous walkways and paths. "So obviously the haty-a still doesn't want us to find anything. Any ideas how to better our chances? I'm worried that I might fall if I try to cross any of these 'bridges'. And there's so much to cover. Does anyone see any organization to any of this? Or any more blockades in our way to finding the needle that we need in this ridiculous haystack?"
Francis stops at the entrance to the spiral, concerned about the search. He isn't really scared of heights, but knows that he isn't really a good climber.... Noticing the strangers already searching the shelves he quietly reminds them, "The cultist's might still be searching. Those might be associated with them." He mutters to himself, "A ring of featherfalling would sure help me feel more comfortable!"
Francis steps up as the guardian makes itself known. "No guardian of Nethys. She was commenting about a bad phrase that the scribe spoke before letting us in here. We are not trespassers. We have written permission to be here, to seek information about the Sky Pharaoh Hakotep 1 and prevent the release of a dreadful curse. Our permission is recorded in a letter from Haty-a Deka An-Keret. You may review it to confirm my words." He holds the letter out to be seen.
Francis considers the haty-a's body language, certain that she normally wouldn't have given that much information. She was an experienced political leader, unlike him. He stays quiet though until he is back with his friends, and out of any possible earshot. He motions everyone to gather close so his voice won't carry. "There's more to this Soumral. She knows what we might find. And I think there's something dangerous about the information that we seek. The haty-a shut me down even though I offered her total control of the information and an option to claim the victory for her church. But, I read something on her face that her make-up and political experience couldn't cover. I don't know what we'll find, but I feel that it is something that she fears. Don't discuss anything that we find if there is anyone around to hear it."
Francis holds his hands up as the guards approach. "I'll leave then." He turns to leave and walks out with a dignified step. Without pausing he adds, "I don't 'honey' my words. I find honesty more important. Thank you for your time."
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