The board has been down until today, so I'll give folks a few days to make their posts before I make my own post.
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The board has been down until today, so I'll give folks a few days to make their posts and to make Geography checks before I make my own post.
Amenhep noted perhaps a dozen slaves - if that is indeed what they are. The paladin saw four large riders leading the chain, and two outriders. It was difficult to be certain, but he wasn't entirely sure they were human, perhaps some kind of humanoid - though he doesn't believe they were big enough to be called giants or even ogres. Elliander wonders aloud what they'd do with the slaves, should they manage to free them from their captors.
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Fash slips into the shadows and into the room beyond the secret door, his eyes widening in surprise and more than a little awe at what he is seeing. The octagonal chamber is quite large, some sixty feet in diameter, with a domed ceiling about forty feet overhead. The bright, flickering radiance that illuminates the room emanates from a broad circle of fire on the floor, blazing from mystical runes scribed into the stone. Within this circle are three smaller ones, each defined by the same rime of flickering runes that glow with their own radiance, though not nearly so brightly. Halfway from the floor to the ceiling to the west, northeast and southeast are three balconies - each encased in a half dome of reflective, silvery metal - that overlook the chamber twenty feet up. Within the large circle, three immense, deformed creatures roam restlessly, their hideous faces etched in snarling anger, their claws slashing at the air in useless rage. In the westernmost smaller ring sits a human male with stringy black hair and clad in dark robes, a gnarled staff lying across his lap and with a wand clutched in one hand. Despite the presence of the enraged creatures that nearly surround him, his expression is dismissive and somewhat distant - as though his thoughts are focused on something else. Despite his stealthy entrance, the man turns his head in Fash's direction, his vague countenance becoming more alert and annoyed as he calls out to the gnome. "Who are you? Why do you disturb my study?" His voice rings with authority, though there is a whining, petulant edge to it as well.
---------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Morrow 84/84 [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Sobok 132/132 Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Vegeir 119/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Fash 68/68 [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring)
Moonday, the 5th day of Sarenith, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- The surrounding desert seems empty of any structures, but as the party starts looking for a place to camp for the night, the setting sun reflects the shallow waters of the Crook River to the southwest. But Francis and Amenhep spot something else in the glare. The cleric sees movement, a caravan of some kind? Amenhep's sharp eyes pick out more details though, even as the light fades and the river valley becomes cloaked in the shadows of dusk. In the distance, maybe five miles distant down in the river valley, Amenhep discerns four large figures that appear to be armored and carrying weapons leading a chain of smaller, ragged-looking figures that shuffle through the sand awkwardly. Two more armed figures range alongside the group, perhaps a half mile out - clearly a flanking pair of scouts. The paladin deems it likely that the formation and shuffling movement of the figures being herded along by the four soldiers is due to their being shackled together by metal chains, though he cannot be absolutely certain from here. If they are slavers though, and if the scouts are paying attention to their surroundings, it's possible they are aware of the party's presence too...
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the
However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
-------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Amenhep 58/58 Devin 59/59 Elliander 63/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 0 (of 10) damage this day] Francis 53/53 Nevitash 71/71
As Fash casts his second Knock spell, the metal blue door opens silently, revealing a passage just behind it. At the same moment, the gnome's magic affects the wall to his left, where the corridor seemed to come to a dead end. A large section of wall breaks away from the rest, revealing a secret door that the Knock spell also affected. Glimpsed beyond the narrow gap is what seems to be a very large room illuminated with flickering light...
The party begins moving southwest, roughly in the direction of the Crook River...
Seeing a dark blue line in addition to the green one that covers the entire region. The dark blue line reflects the information gleaned from Elliander's and Francis' History checks. Would you all like to use that as your current direction?
Francis and Elliander both recall that building monuments and pyramids especially require a lot of stone, and that many such structures are built in rocky areas such as canyons or rocky flats rather than in an area of sand dunes. There have been exceptions of course, but they are few and far between. They both deem that the dunes surrounding could be skipped as part of their search, though if they come up empty they could revisit the idea. It seems much more likely that a pyramid especially would be built in either the badlands to the west, or perhaps the hard-packed sand flats closer to hand in that same direction, or even the rocky hills north of the badlands.
Anyone can give me a History and/or a Geography check, so long as you have ranks.
There are no traps detected on the doors, though each of them presents a magical aura, same as the one they just passed through. Most likely an Arcane Lock spell wards them both.
The line is a fine idea if you want to do a systematic survey of every single hex going roughly N/NW, then S and finally E to where you started. Doing so would take upwards of three months after a rough count at 2 days per hex.
Moonday, the 5th day of Sarenith, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- The party travels during the morning hours, just as dawn paints the eastern horizon a lovely shade of pink and then again in the evening, as the sun sinks into the west with another blaze of beautiful colors. Midday is spent resting in whatever shade the heroes can make for themselves, so that they avoid the sun that blazes unmercifully down upon them from directly above. Thanks to Francis' magic, they are able to endure the awful heat of the day, and again the cleric's magic gives them plenty of water to drink. But still, traveling through the desert beneath that blazing sun tests their endurance. They head roughly northwest and take their time searching the sandy plains for signs of a hidden, or perhaps even buried, pyramid. But the adventurers find nothing for the efforts, and the first pinpricks of despair begin to creep into their souls. There is so much land to search, and the tomb may be quite obvious or it may indeed be difficult, if not impossible to find. Have the centuries and the harsh desert environment concealed it entirely? There is no way to know, and they can trust only to their gods, to luck, and their own survival skills to find out...
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the
However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
-------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Amenhep 58/58 Devin 59/59 Elliander 63/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 0 (of 10) damage this day] Francis 53/53 Nevitash 71/71
Argh!! Posted in the wrong place...
The door opens when Fash uses his magic, revealing a hallway beyond. The corridor is ten feet wide and thirty feet long. The far wall to the west is blank stone, but midway along the north and south walls are another two sets of blue steel doors, a mirror to the one that the party just came through. Other than these two other potential exits, the corridor is silent and empty.
The party travels during the morning hours, just as dawn paints the eastern horizon a lovely shade of pink and then again in the evening, as the sun sinks into the west with another blaze of beautiful colors. Midday is spent resting in whatever shade the heroes can make for themselves, so that they avoid the sun that blazes unmercifully down upon them from directly above. Thanks to Francis' magic, they are able to endure the awful heat of the day, and again the cleric's magic gives them plenty of water to drink. But still, traveling through the desert beneath that blazing sun tests their endurance. They head roughly northwest and take their time searching the sandy plains for signs of a hidden, or perhaps even buried, pyramid. But the adventurers find nothing for the efforts, and the first pinpricks of despair begin to creep into their souls. There is so much land to search, and the tomb may be quite obvious or it may indeed be difficult, if not impossible to find. Have the centuries and the harsh desert environment concealed it entirely? There is no way to know, and they can trust only to their gods, to luck, and their own survival skills to find out...
Fash doesn't see a lock or even a handle, though the hinges indicate the doors open inward.
The doors to the south appear to be crafted of a steel that has a faint bluish tint to it - perhaps a bit of adamantine? It's hard to be certain. What the party does determine is that they are warded with magic that belongs to the school of abjuration - most likely with an Arcane Lock spell.
Correct, you don't know where the tomb is, a search of the hex is required for that.
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- The party proceeds cautiously, but finds nothing that threatens and they eventually move aside the heavy purple curtains to reveal an empty room beyond. There is a passage that exits to the right and quickly bends to the north, revealing a flight of stone steps that empties out into a slightly wider corridor running east and west. There are double doors to the west, another set into the same wall through which the steps led a bit to the east, and then two regular doors at the end of the passage to the east and another in an alcove just to the north of that door. The only remarkable item of note in this corridor is the double doors immediately to the west, for they appear to be made of steel while the others are the more normal iron bound wooden doors. The area seems silent for the moment.
---------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Morrow 84/84 [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Sobok 132/132 Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Vegeir 119/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Fash 68/68 [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring)
Starday, the 3rd day of Sarenith, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- The party decides to go on foot, and after a week of harsh desert travel - mitigated by the magic wielded by Francis to allow the others to endure the ridiculously hot temperatures and creating much-needed water when needed - they reach a point where they can see the land ahead of them begin to change subtly. The endless sandflats they've been traveling through lie behind them for the most part, but continues to the north and northwest as enormous sand dunes as well. To the south and the southwest the ground hardens into trackless rock, and they know in that direction lies the Crook River, with its headlands somewhere further west - where they can just glimpse rocky hills and plateaus jutting up from the desert floor many miles away. It is somewhere in this general area that the tomb of the architect Chisisek can be found - according to their research - though exactly where can only be determined by carefully searching the area through which they are traveling. As the party prepares to make camp (or perhaps begin their nightly travel after resting during the day), they consider in which direction they will go...
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the
However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
-------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Amenhep 58/58 Devin 59/59 Elliander 63/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 0 (of 10) damage this day] Francis 53/53 Nevitash 71/71
So I am taking a road trip to Colorado and AZ on Saturday, and will be gone through October 7th, roughly two and a half weeks or so. I'm unlikely to post with the remainder of this week, as I'm trying to finish up stuff at work and home to leave everything behind for a bit. I'd imagine I'll be busy getting back too, so I'm going to figure I'll make my next post on the weekend of October 11th. I'll have a laptop and internet access now and then, but unless I'm mired in bad weather with nothing better to do (i.e. head out and enjoy the scenery) I don't anticipate posting anything substantial during that time. I might be able to answer questions though, or post something minor between now and then. We'll have to see. Thanks in advance for your patience folks, and we will resume this adventure very soon!
Love the discussions! And the idea of flooding a desert using a cantrip... :D So I am taking a road trip to Colorado and AZ on Saturday, and will be gone through October 7th, roughly two and a half weeks or so. I'm unlikely to post with the remainder of this week, as I'm trying to finish up stuff at work and home to leave everything behind for a bit. I'd imagine I'll be busy getting back too, so I'm going to figure I'll make my next post on the weekend of October 11th. I'll have a laptop and internet access now and then, but unless I'm mired in bad weather with nothing better to do (i.e. head out and enjoy the scenery) I don't anticipate posting anything substantial during that time. I might be able to answer questions though, or post something minor between now and then. We'll have to see. Thanks in advance for your patience folks, and we will resume this adventure very soon!
I am handwaving you getting to the starting spot, camels or not. If you go by river, I'll adjust your starting point accordingly. I don't want to bog things down to much here with the overland travel thing. It's meant to add some interesting spice to the adventure, but not to drag it into the quicksand and mire it. You can hire a guide in Tephu to help with the camels, though the charge is going to be high considering the risk. Probably 100gp/week would cover it. You can Ride camels without a roll UNLESS something happens that requires a roll. Combat for sure, trying to outrun a sandstorm or monsters, trying to get free of quicksand, etc. Anything that is stressful, in other words. You can make untrained Ride checks, of course. The guide can do the Handle Animal checks to keep the dromedaries moving along. Figure his/her skill modifier would be +8 or so. In fact, I'd allow that hiring a guide would presume he'd outfit you for travel to the degree that you'd be well prepared for the harsh desert. I'd guess that doing so would cost you an additional 250gp or so, allowing you to survive for a few months in the desert - though again, a magical way of getting water would be required.
No magic is detected, beyond that which glows on the teleportation disc. The other disc shows no signs of a magical aura. Neither does the statue detect magic, and neither does anything on the other side of the curtain. A closer inspection of the latter indicates space beyond the curtain, no sign of a wall immediately behind is noticeable - though it's difficult to be certain until it's drawn aside.
Lots of good questions! The map I've provided is what you know - which isn't much. Taking the river is certainly possible, to a point anyway. I'd have to change your location on the map. But... no way you get camels on a boat with a shallow enough draft for river travel. You'd be on foot once you disembark, with a lot of trackless miles to cover. You know there are hills and badlands to be found at the mouth of the river, as well as sand dunes further north mixed in with some stony ground. It's not all sandy desert, but its mostly sandy desert. The hills and badlands might have some grasses and such for the camels to graze on, but you simply don't know. Not many folk travel into that area of the desert, at least not in recent times. All equipment will have to be purchased in Tephu. You aren't likely to find much out there unless you happen onto a merchant caravan or something, which is possible at an oasis. There may or may not be one of those where you're headed, as they sometimes dry up and then come back again over time. Again, travel time depends on how you're going - on foot or by camel. and how lucky you get in finding what you're looking for. Figure you're looking at a journey of at least a couple weeks, and maybe a month or more if you have bad luck and/or are on foot. Wearing armor will impose penalties if you are forced to make CON saves to avoid heat exhaustion. That's about all I can tell you. Obviously magic will give you an advantage if you use Endure Elements, as you won't have to worry about making those saves whether you're in robes or wearing plate mail armor. Of course, there are sandstorms and quicksand to think about...
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Fash uses his magic to send word to Glorb, and the gnome answers him briefly, confirming that he knows exactly where to find the note and confirming he will 'bring a few friends' for protection just in case. He also wishes his friends good luck as they prepare to confront Vayne. The party makes themselves ready and Fash speaks the words on the parchment, touching the runes in the order as noted. Touching the last rune, all of them begin to glow with a soft blue light, and when they step upon the disk, the adventurers find themselves elsewhere as their stomachs give a small lurch and each of them experiences a moment of vertigo. The walls of this room are highly polished stone, with nary a seam to be found. A remarkable bit of craftsmanship, though very likely done with magic. Set upon the floor at opposite sides of the room sit two round, black discs of stone - the one upon which they are standing is twin to the one they stood on just a heartbeat earlier, blue glowing runes and all. The one opposite is cracked and crumbling into ruin, though the reason why this is so is not immediately obvious. In an alcove between the discs stands a statue of a handsome wizard in purple garments decorated with gold runes. A heavy curtain of deep purple fabric - in considerably good shape considering how long they've likely been hanging here - conceals the western wall. Loot recovered with final claims noted below:
---------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Morrow 84/84 [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 110 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 11 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Sobok 132/132 Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Vegeir 119/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 10 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes] Fash 68/68 [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 110 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 110 minutes; Invisible to Darkvision (when actively using magical ring)
Fireday, the 25th day of Desnus, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- The party takes a couple of days to reset and recuperate, taking the time to sell the items they've looted, purchase items that might serve them well, as well as outfitting themselves for the journey west of Tephu across the desert, into the area known as the Parched Dunes - one of the least hospitable regions of the great Osirian Desert. With the height of summer coming soon, the trek will be fraught with peril not only from the creatures and bandits that roam the rocky desert and sand flats, but also from the soaring temperatures that could easily cause heat stroke for those not well-prepared. Magical spells could surely help mitigate those issues though, and perhaps traveling at night as well. Camels are also a useful mode of transport, not only to carry their gear but also to assist the adventurers in covering more miles in a day than they would on foot. Once these important decisions are made, the party will be able to provision themselves accordingly and begin their trek to discover the location of Chisisek's tomb...
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the
However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
-------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Amenhep 58/58 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Devin 59/59 Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes; Heightened Awareness (+2 competence bonus to Perception checks) for 110 minutes] Elliander 63/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 0 (of 10) damage this day; Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Francis 53/53 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Nevitash 71/71 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes]
I looked back and saw that I invited folks to divvy up the loot from Soumral's character sheet. Please double check that you aren't claiming items twice. This would have been somewhere around February or March of this year. I thought you sold stuff around that same time, but other than the gear from the assassins I'm not seeing anything specific. Normally I keep a pretty accurate loot list in the Campaign tab, but I'm not seeing anything... At this point, I'm going to assume that stuff somehow fell between the cracks. The magical headband was cursed to seem like a +4 to INT, but was actually a -4 or something. Let's go ahead and say that, in addition to the stuff you want to claim from Soumral's character sheet, you can sell everything you've looted thus far and add an additional 2,000gp to each of your character sheets. Feel free to spend your gold to purchase magical items, as you can find whatever you want within reason here in Tephu. Get your character sheets updated please, before posting to my next post in the adventure thread, which sees your party headed off into the desert.
Heading out of town for a long weekend - I'll be back on Tuesday, though probably unable to post until later next week!
Heading out of town for a long weekend - I'll be back on Tuesday, though probably unable to post until later next week! Elliander, those suggestions all sound good to me, run with it! :)
Re-reading the Clockwork description, the Disable Device can only be used to bypass the key entirely - something I didn't allow before because you'd never encountered this creation. If you do in the future, you can now bypass the key to get it to work. You cannot override its primary function of serving as the librarian, it will not leave this building. And yes, you can all take a level!
Devin, go ahead and give a Disable Device check. This will be representative of the couple days of study you were doing on the construct, culminating in your attempt to reprogram it.
Wealday, the 23rd day of Desnus, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- Taking the night to rest and recover from the battle with the undead lynxes, the party sets into researching on the following morning - save for Devin, who figures he'd just wind up getting in the way. Even Nevitash helps out a bit, as does the 'librarian construct', and working together the adventurer/scholars make terrific headway throughout the entire day, led mostly by Amenhep and Elliander (Both had Knowledge Rolls of 28, which beats the DC).
On the following day, something seems to click for Francis, and the cleric spearheads the research throughout those eight or ten hours, until everyone's head is aching and eyes begin to swim from scanning the hundreds and thousands of words, hieroglyphs, sketches and all the rest of what has been written here.
Total Research Points Gleaned 33 (Needed 25) The PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the pyramid vanished into the sky. However, none know where the tomb now lies, or if it still soars through the skies over Osirion. However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory.
Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'. Their research finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, the scrolls proving to be both cumbersome and difficult to read, with most of the confessions meaning nothing to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom - the third and hopefully final library in their quest for knowledge. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." The party, however, is able to glean some knowledge from the corpse of Khenti using a Speak with Dead spell. And though the spirit of the long-dead scholar gives no further instruction on how to find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom, the question "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" elicits the answer of. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." The final question, "Where is Chisiek buried?" brings a strong response from the corpse. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The body of Khnenti even went so far as to turn its head to seek the eyes of the spellcaster, adding an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" After finding the third and final library, the PCs find the remainder of the journal of the Nethysian priest Khnenti, whose spirit they actually spoke with in the Dark Depository. According to the journal, with Hakotep’s ib and ka trapped in his heart and funerary mask, the third part of his soul, the ba, remained trapped within the pharaoh’s body in his pyramid. In order for the Sky Pharaoh to pass into the afterlife, the three parts of his soul — his ba, ib, and ka — must be rejoined. Khnenti goes on to speculate that reuniting Hakotep’s ivided soul might even return the Sky Pharaoh to life. The research also confirms that the architect Chisisek designed and built Hakotep’s pyramid. When construction was completed, Chisisek was killed and buried in a hidden tomb to preserve the pyramid’s secrets, but no plans of the pyramid seem to have survived. They do learn that the Sky Pharaoh’s pyramid was capable of flight, and when Hakotep’s body was entombed within, the pyramid vanished into the sky. However, none know where the tomb now lies, or if it still soars through the skies over Osirion. However, Francis found a text that confirmed that although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in a fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This is the same fresco that was hidden behind the false ceiling, and in studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb - sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house - is said to be located “across two bridges, where
Lastly, they find that the geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire - clear refence to the ancient people known as the Shory. Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt -------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Amenhep 58/58 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Devin 59/59 Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes; Heightened Awareness (+2 competence bonus to Perception checks) for 110 minutes] Elliander 63/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 0 (of 10) damage this day; Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Francis 53/53 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Nevitash 71/71 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes]
Freeday, 20th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- After the party spends a full day resting, with Gear using his healing magic to restore the strength of those that were affected by the glyph, they are ready to explore the temple. After breaking down the door to the collapsed chamber (G11), a search yields a skeletal hand - a rather large hand - after a half hour is spent clearing rubble. The magical aura still lays beneath the fallen stones, but the party has run into an issue. The ceiling is badly damaged and ready to collapse. Morrow does his best to shore up the walls using the wood available, and eventually they uncover a magical book. Taking the time to study it, they find it to be a tome that will magically enhance the mind (Tome of Understanding [+1 to WIS]) of whoever reads it cover to cover - a two day process. Digging through the putrid garbage in the other small chamber (G12) is nauseating work, quite literally. But eventually three bodies are uncovered, one of them wearing a gold holy symbol of Nerull studded with onyx gemstones (150gp value) beneath its rotted robes, while another carries a potion of Fly in a moldy pouch and a warhammer crafted of adamantine looped into its belt. It takes Fash some time, but eventually he finds that the lead sheet in the lid of the chest did more than conceal and bear the magical glyph of warding - it also has a small catch that reveals a recess behind it, allowing the gnome to access a very old scrap of vellum. It depicts words to be spoken and runes to be touched in order to allow one to access a teleportation circle that leads to an area of the ruins called the Halls of Beckoning. According to Shyrath's hateful writings of Vayne, this is where the Iuzite is hiding. Loot recovered:
---------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Morrow 84/84 [Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 100 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes] Reonnyn 82/82 [DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes] Sobok 132/132 Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes] Vegeir 119/119 [Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 7 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC) for 7 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes; Blindsight for 11 minutes; Fly (40' movement, good maneuverability) for 11 minutes] Fash 68/68 [Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes; Spider Climb [20' speed, cannot run] for 60 minutes; See Invisibility for 60 minutes; Invisible to Darkvision (using magical ring); Expeditious Retreat (base speed increased by 30') for 10 minutes
Moonday, the 21st day of Desnus, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- Nevitash feels a stab of icy terror in his gut, but the paladin's presence keeps him grounded, though the half-orc hesitates as he steels himself to stay and fight. Amenhep drives his spear at the badly wounded beast and pins it to the ground (13 damage)through its head, where it twitches for a moment and then lies still. The paladin steps swiftly to stand beside Francis and drives a strike at that one as well, opening a gash (12 damage) in its flank. Devin casts a spell to hasten his allies, and Elliander makes good use of the magic, connecting three times with his magical sword (51 damage total) to lay the monster low. = Success!
= Hit!
Picking through the rubble that was dumped in the middle of the room, the party stares up at the now-revealed ceiling. Domed in shape, the entire ceiling is one vast illustration, a fresco that must once have been incredibly vivid. The painting is confusing however, consisting of several scenes surrounded by a mass of hieroglyphs and strange, geometric shapes. It seems that the fresco is telling a story of some kind, but it is not immediately evident as to what is being depicted. Perhaps some of the texts in the library will shed further light on the scenes.
Research Rolls for the Vault of Hidden Wisdom:
Research Rolls for Tomorrow: Francis: 19 (Nobility, includes the +5 for having ranks in the relevant Knowledge type AND +2 from the clockwork servant) Research Rolls for Following Day:
Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'... It takes several hours to go through everything, and truly the adventurers have no clue as to what time it us in the world outside of this ancient library by the time they've gleaned everything available. In fact, they're fairly certain that there isn't any more to learn in this particular place. Their research has finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, found in this very chamber. The scrolls are cumbersome and difficult to read, and most of the confessions recorded upon them are of no use to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides below for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." Of course, it seems likely to Francis that casting Speak with Dead might make their efforts much easier than that... Getting ready for his attempt to communicate with Khenti, Francis firsts casts Comprehend Languages, then casts Speak with Dead. "How would I find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom?" The corpse rises in response to Francis' spellcasting, gazing at the cleric with empty eyes as he asks his question. The voice of the corpse is like the fetid stench released from a deep grave as it responds. "Seek the Vault of Hidden Wisdom where the shadow's tip of the Tower of Ra's Glory touches the land as the sun rises on midsummer's day." He considers the other things that they wanted to know. Maybe.... "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" Again, the sepulchral voice speaks its answer to Francis' query. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." Francis asks "Where is Chisiek buried?" Again the raspy voice of the long-dead scholar speaks in answer to Francis' question. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The cleric is struck by the preciseness of the answer, and is not surprised when the corpse's empty eyes seem to bore into his own as it surprisingly continues to speak briefly, apparently in an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" And then the corpse seems to groan as it falls back into its crypt.
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt -------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Amenhep 58/58 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Devin 59/59 Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes; Heightened Awareness (+2 competence bonus to Perception checks) for 110 minutes] Elliander 63/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 0 (of 10) damage this day; Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Francis 53/53 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Nevitash 71/71 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes]
Waterday, 19th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- After camping for an extended period of time, perhaps even an entire twenty four hours - though it's difficult to be certain without seeing the sky above - the party is ready to move on after Gear does what he can to restore their strength using his divine magic. They find no change in the collapsed stairwell and hope that whatever army may be down there is stuck good - and if Shyrath's journals are correct, they certainly should be. It seems to the party, given that fact, that Iuz is not going to be happy with her boss, this mysterious and apparently cowardly Vayne hidden away in the Halls of Beckoning. They have gleaned from the notes that reaching this level of the ruins can only be accomplished by using the teleportation circle. How to use the magic isn't readily apparent, but surely Shyrath had the key? Maybe they just haven't found it yet... Surely she would keep it close to her? And likely well protected as well. The interior of the temple is quite musty and filled with debris where the walls and ceiling have collapsed in places. The staircase located in the interior of the pyramid (G7) spirals downward, well beyond the sight of the party. To the west of the spiral stairwell is a black altar (G8), its edges festooned with skulls and old black wax. A large fissure runs down the center of the altar, continuing through the back wall of the pyramid where the rubble descends into the dark waters of the lake (G6) back there. One of the keys carried by Shyrath opens a door leading into a small room (G9) with an oversized plush divan next to a shelf containing a few leather-bound ledgers. Despite the condition of the rest of the nearly-destroyed temple, this interior room is clean and lit by flickering flames from a gold brazier set in the northeast corner. Besides the thick ledgers, there is also an iron bound chest in the room that likely served as the private room of Shyrath. The doors opposite her room lead into a pair of storage rooms (G10) with a good number of arrows, four sets of artisan tools, a crate filled with torches (fifty or more in all) as well as a healer's kit. There is also a couple months' worth if rations, a couple barrels of water, one of ale (only half full) and a small crate that looks like it once held a dozen bottles of Ilymirth wine from Highfolk - though only four full bottles remain now, the others are discarded to one side of the box. The last intact door to the northwest is solidly stuck in its frame where the wall partially collapsed, buckling the frame badly. The adventurers are able to peer through a crack where the door buckled away from the frame and they can see a small chamber (G11) that has mostly collapsed, though there's a bit of space back there. Opening the door is going to be an issue though, if they want to go through the trouble of getting back there. Though the southwest portion of the temple has nearly all collapsed, the party can glimpse one chamber (G12) through the rubble opposite the intact door - though the stench that emanates from the room gives them pause. It looks as though there are a number of corpses in there, along with all sorts of garbage piled high. It seems that Shyrath and the demons used the room as a midden heap, perhaps after clearing out this temple when they moved in. Those peering in can see the bodies are much larger than man-sized, perhaps ogres or small giants of some kind. But digging through the garbage will require time and a strong stomach. Earlier, Reonnyn detected an aura of magic in the collapsed chamber (G11) behind the jammed door and another in the garbage heap (G12) - though he couldn't actually see either one as they both must be buried a bit - the first under some rubble and the latter beneath a solid layer of refuse. The halfling warlock didn't detect any magic from the chest in Shyrath's room, though that's only because of the thin lead sheet that covered the base of the lid, into which was carved the magical symbol that drained their strength. Loot recovered:
---------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Morrow 84/84 [8 STR Damage; Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 100 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes] Reonnyn 82/82 [8 STR Damage; DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes] Sobok 132/132 Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes] Vegeir 118/119 [8 STR Damage; Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 7 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC) for 7 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes; Blindsight for 11 minutes; Fly (40' movement, good maneuverability) for 11 minutes] Fash 68/68 [8 STR Damage; Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes; Spider Climb [20' speed, cannot run] for 60 minutes; See Invisibility for 60 minutes; Invisible to Darkvision (using magical ring); Expeditious Retreat (base speed increased by 30') for 10 minutes
Moonday, the 21st day of Desnus, 4714 AR
---------------------------------------------- Amenhep sets his spear, anticipating the ubashki to pounce at the party and Devin does the same. Elliander sends two fiery rays at the undead cats - which almost seems to immolate one of them (21 & 25 = 46 fire damage), though it comes through the scathing fire still intact, if barely. Francis steps forward boldly and channels his divine power to bring harm to the undead creatures - a fact he quickly establishes with a glance through the eyes of the magical mask that adorns his face - and though the badly burned cat resists the cleric's holy energy, the other catches it full blast (13 damage to Red, 6 damage to Blue). = Success!
Undeterred by the damage taken, the undead monsters stalk forward, heads lowered and moving with feline grace, mirroring their living cousins. They skirt the rubble and move in on the party, pinning Francis between them, and close enough for everyone to smell the strong scent of death and the faintly nauseatingly sweet smell of herbs used during the mummification process when they both utter hellish yowls that put the bone-chilling screams of pumas to shame! rounds duration
Frightened:
A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape.
Frightened is like shaken, except that the creature must flee if possible. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear.
Research Rolls for the Vault of Hidden Wisdom:
[b]Research Rolls for Tomorrow: Francis: 19 (Nobility, includes the +5 for having ranks in the relevant Knowledge type AND +2 from the clockwork servant) Research Rolls for Following Day:
Knowledge Gleaned about the Forgotten Pharaoh:
The funerary mask they recovered in Wati, known only to them as the Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh actually belonged to Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, who ruled Osirion during the Second Age over six thousand years ago. References to Hakotep as the Sky Pharaoh recounted his ability to 'ride the stars by night'. Thanks to a few other obscure clues in the library, combined with their knowledge of history and the arcane, the party suspected this might refer to magic once possessed by the Shory, an ancient people said to have created great cities that flew through the skies thousands of years ago. The hidden Spiral Archive library revealed that Hakotep was involved in some ancient war, and he was convinced that an attack was coming from enemies who 'lived in cities in the clouds' - further solidifying the idea of Shory involvement. Apparently the Sky Pharaoh was seeking to find a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy, and there was evidence that he actually found this weapon - but the only details the party found were the remains of papyrus scraps depicting confusing geometrical patterns. A scroll was found describing Hakotep's tomb as 'having wings', part of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, which also claimed that the Sky Pharaoh's heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was 'lost to the skies'. This document indicated that these two items possessed pieces of Hakotep's soul, which were separated from his physical body. Hakotep's successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, ordered that members of this order were to be rounded up and questioned - but those scrolls were to be found in yet another secret library known as the Dark Depository. Having now found this second library, the adventurers have yet to find these Scrolls of Inquiry as they were called, but they located the journal of a Priest of Nethys who was either a member of the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather or doing very similar research. The priest's name was Khnenti, and he was apparently obsessed with the mystery of the Sky Pharaoh. Khnenti wrote extensively about the funerary mask of Hakotep I, and that it also contains a portion of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, specifically his ka, which apparently fuels the magical abilities of the mask. It was also noted during their search of the room that all of the sarcophagi in the chamber they're resting in contain the remains of those that were being punished by being embalmed and mummified while still alive for various crimes involving the search for knowledge that had been deemed as protected by order of the pharaoh. And, in fact, the occupant of one of these sarcophagi was none other than Khnenti himself - a contemporary of Pharaoh Djederet II and apparently during the time period when the Scrolls of Inquiry were purportedly written. It is apparent to the party that these scrolls, and perhaps more information, are still to be found somewhere in the Dark Depository - perhaps in one of the other rooms they've yet to explore. As well, they hope to find the location of this Vault of Hidden Wisdom, where Khnenti indicated he stored his most precious research on Hakotep, including the Sky Pharaoh's 'darkest secrets'... It takes several hours to go through everything, and truly the adventurers have no clue as to what time it us in the world outside of this ancient library by the time they've gleaned everything available. In fact, they're fairly certain that there isn't any more to learn in this particular place. Their research has finally revealed the Scrolls of Inquiry, found in this very chamber. The scrolls are cumbersome and difficult to read, and most of the confessions recorded upon them are of no use to them. One transcript, however, does contain some useful information (OOC - see Player Handout #2 in the Google Slides below for details). After hearing the others tell of this, Devin realizes he may have heard something about that. The half-orc bard recalls he heard some months earlier. The story went that an important and high-ranking priestess of Nethys was said to have discovered an artifact of some kind beneath Azghaad's Spire in Sothis. Her name, as he recalls, was Serethet - and soon after the discovery that had all the treasure hunters and nobility in the capital city of Osirion buzzing with excitement, the priestess disappeared. There were rumors that she had fled Sothis after being summoned to an audience with the Ruby Prince himself. Besides the grim contents of the scrolls, the party also discovered a collection of architectural plans detailing a series of tomb designs of incredible complexity. Each plan is labeled with a double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house. It didn't take long to cross reference the hieroglyph as the signature of a very famous architect from the First Age of Osirion, a talented man called Chisisek. There is also a note mentioning a meeting between Chisisek and the Sky Pharaoh, but nothing more is found on this topic here. It appears that the interred priest Khnenti possessed further research on Hakotep and the architect both, but these can only be found in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom. The location of the Vault is secret, but there is a notable clue that "worthy scholars can find the entrance by casting their eyes from the summit of the Tower of Ra’s Glory at dawn on midsummer’s day." Of course, it seems likely to Francis that casting Speak with Dead might make their efforts much easier than that... Getting ready for his attempt to communicate with Khenti, Francis firsts casts Comprehend Languages, then casts Speak with Dead. "How would I find the Vault of Hidden Wisdom?" The corpse rises in response to Francis' spellcasting, gazing at the cleric with empty eyes as he asks his question. The voice of the corpse is like the fetid stench released from a deep grave as it responds. "Seek the Vault of Hidden Wisdom where the shadow's tip of the Tower of Ra's Glory touches the land as the sun rises on midsummer's day." He considers the other things that they wanted to know. Maybe.... "Why is the Temple of Nethys hiding information about Hakotep?" Again, the sepulchral voice speaks its answer to Francis' query. "The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, a sect of the Temple of Nethys, sought to learn the secrets held by Sky Pharaoh Hakotep I, where he lay interred in his tomb. But the knowledge they gleaned was deemed too dangerous by Pharaoh Djederet II and the Order was charged with keeping it secret from all except themselves. For not even the Pharaoh, himself a worshipper of Nethys, would see valuable knowledge destroyed." Francis asks "Where is Chisiek buried?" Again the raspy voice of the long-dead scholar speaks in answer to Francis' question. "Chisiek's tomb lies in the Parched Dunes, north of the source of the Crook River in the foothills of the Barrier Wall within a steep-sided ravine at the western edge of a valley hidden from those that are not seeking it carefully." The cleric is struck by the preciseness of the answer, and is not surprised when the corpse's empty eyes seem to bore into his own as it surprisingly continues to speak briefly, apparently in an addendum to its final answer. "Find the tomb of the architect who built the Sky Pharaoh's sacred pyramid. Finish my work!" And then the corpse seems to groan as it falls back into its crypt.
Player Handout - Mask of the Forgotten Pharaoh Player Handout - Scrolls of Inquiry Excerpt -------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Amenhep 58/58 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Devin 59/59 [Heroism (+2 morale bonuses on most d20 rolls) for 220 minutes; Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes; Heightened Awareness (+2 competence bonus to Perception checks) for 110 minutes] Elliander 63/63 [Armor Crystal - DR 1, has absorbed 0 (of 10) damage this day; Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Francis 53/53 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes] Ubashki Red (Wounded, -13 HP); Blue (Wounded, -52 HP) Nevitash 71/71 [Tears to Wine (+2 to INT & WIS skill checks) for 110 minutes]
I believe I'm waiting on actions, I'll check back again later this week!
Francis, Elliander and Nevitash have heard of these creatures - the ubashki, deathless guardians of Osirion's pre-Keleshite emperors for the most part, but also used to protect important sites. Nevitash is well-versed in these undead guardians, knowing that Ubashki were prized for being stealthy, agile, and preternaturally perceptive sentries that made for effective spies and watch guards for the tombs of Osirian god-kings. Emperors often filled their crypts with the bodies of strangled and mutilated cats before they themselves were entombed, believing that a feline’s suffering in life would translate to strength in undeath. Whether or not such theories were true is up for debate in the inquisitor's opinion, but those felid creatures that did rise from death with their masters were indeed beasts to be reckoned with, and a sizeable pack of the mummified things could very well spell the end for would-be tomb raiders. Ranging from tiny housecats to desert-roaming mountain lions, the feline enshrined with a deceased pharaoh varied in type depending on the predilections of its master, but all were known to be significantly more powerful than their living iterations. In any case, Francis is aware that these ubashki, like mummies in general, are particularly vulnerable to fire and possess the usual traits common to all undead. In addition to this, Elliander is aware of the notorious Ubashki rot that they deliver with their bite - a particularly nasty disease that requires strong magic to cure. Nevitash is aware of these facts, and more. The Ubashki rot acts quickly, draining the victim's strength and causing confusion and mental fatigue (STR and WIS damage), a curse and disease both - and each must be treated with magic or the victim will most certainly die horribly. The half-orc also knows that the yowl of these undead cats causes unreasoning fear to steal into the souls of their victims, causing them to run in fear, making them easy prey...
Godsday, 18th day of Planting (i.e. April), 597 C.Y.
------------------------------------------------- Sobok disdains the use of fire to weaken the beams, feeling confident in his own strength and the weapon itself. Sure enough, it doesn't take the dragon shaman long to hammer the blade through the thick beams, and in so doing the heavy wood slamming up against the fracture rock walls serves to hasten the inevitable collapse of the entire stairwell. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of tons of rock begin to bounce, slide and then cascade down and down, into the yawning shaft. Plumes of dust rise upward, choking those that stand too close, but the adventurers smile as they hear the heavy rumbling beneath them continue for quite some time - long enough in fact to make them a bit nervous that this entire cavern might drop beneath their feet. In fact, the pool that had filled the west end of the cave is gone within minutes, leaving behind blind fish and other strange crustaceans to wriggle or scamper away into hiding. Apparently a new channel must have opened up, drawing the water away from the pond that had formed since the last cataclysm that caused such devastation to this entire cavern, as well as the ancient temple of Nerull. But after a time, the rumblings fade away entirely and silence reigns once again. The party decides to camp here, for it seems that there are no nearby threats to disturb their rest. At least, they hope that's the case. In addition, there is still the rest of the ruined temple to explore once magic has restored the strength of those that were drained by magical symbol. Using their magic, the potions and scroll are identified, as is the jar with the thick paste. Loot recovered:
---------------------------------------------- PC Health / Adventure Notes: Morrow 84/84 [8 STR Damage; Darkvision 120' & Blindsight 60' (Norebo's Hand); Keen Edge (Crit range for Norebo's Hand is 17-20) for 100 minutes; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Fash and Gear) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes] Reonnyn 82/82 [8 STR Damage; DR 2 / Cold Iron; +1 luck bonus to all saving throws, ability checks and skill checks (Luck Stone); Darkvision (Invocation); +2 to Fort Saves (Invocation); +6 to Bluff, Diplomacy & Intimidate checks (Invocation); Seeming (as Disguise Self) for 10 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Fash, Morrow and Gear) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes] Sobok 132/132 2 Negative Levels (-2 to attack rolls, saves, skill and ability checks as well as effective level for spells/special abilities); Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes] Vegeir 118/119 [8 STR Damage; Divine Power (+18/+13/+8 BAB, +6 STR, +10 THP) for 20 hours; Greater Magic Weapon (extra +1 enhancement bonus to attack/damage to Holy sword) for 7 hours; Magic Vestment (+2 AC) for 7 hours; Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Fash) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes; Blindsight for 11 minutes; Fly (40' movement, good maneuverability) for 11 minutes] Fash 68/68 [8 STR Damage; Darkvision & Lowlight Vision; Cloak of Shadow (grants 20% miss chance (can Hide as though concealed), only True Seeing or sight in magical darkness can overcome this ability); Telepathic Bond (telepathy between Reonnyn, Morrow and Gear) for 100 minutes; Message (allows whispered communication up to 400' distance with line of sight) for 60 minutes; Spider Climb [20' speed, cannot run] for 60 minutes; See Invisibility for 60 minutes; Invisible to Darkvision (using magical ring); Expeditious Retreat (base speed increased by 30') for 10 minutes
Sobok deems that his glaive would be the perfect weapon to bring down those beams, especially given its magical nature. It would not only allow him to easily reach the beams without exposing himself to the intended consequences of bringing down the rock walls and causing the avalanche that the party hopes will entirely block the shaft, but the weapon will also be protected from damage as it's much more than a mundane glaive.
There aren't really any boulders that are round enough to roll down the steps, and carved as they are from the natural rock they tend to be quite irregular in size and shape. The shoring beams run vertically along the core pillar of stone around which the steps rotate on their way down into the depths. There is some distance in the gap, perhaps three feet or so, to accommodate the thick wooden beams that measure some three feet wide and two feet thick. If those beams are indeed providing stability to the fractured rock walls of the stairwell, their destruction near the top could very well cause a chain reaction of sorts that would carry all the way down to the bottom. A catalyst of some kind might be required, but it doesn't seem like it would take much to cause further damage to the rock to get that going, like a landslide starting at the top of a mountain peak. Based on their own map of the outpost they've traveled from, Fash and Reonnyn are fairly certain that the room they've narrowed down is correct. The fact they used it to rest and recuperate is certainly concerning, but after further thought, their safety shouldn't have been too surprising. After all, Vayne is apparently quite paranoid and holed up in these 'Halls of Beckoning', and Shyrath certainly hated him enough that she likely kept contact with her leader to a minimum - especially after being delegated to guarding this place.
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