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"Let's finish this creature, Jabari! We don't need this to go on any longer" exclaims Omor. Omor moves around to the back of the centipede to get a more advantageous position during combat. Once behind the creature, Omor tries to bring it down with his dagger.
Omor grins slightly as his dagger finds a weak spot in the centipede's carapace.
Seeing the centipede bite down on Jabari, Omor moves up next to Jabari and does what he can to help with his wounds. He intones, "Lady of graves, please don't send for Jabari at this instant!"
All, sorry that the real life monster has been killing me this week. It looks like I have not stood in the way of progress too much from the posts. I'll pick up after the centipede goes.
Omor tries to be silent and waves his hands at the rest of the group. He then whispers hoarsely as he points to some sand that has been shifting, "Hey …. Look there! Something is moving in the sand, like a snake or a centipede." Omor unlimbers his dagger and tries to get Jabari to move to the front.
NP at all, thanks for letting us know. Hope you feel better!
Omor helps Idichi do some exploring in the side yard, trying to stay out of the middle of the yard and near the walls. He peers into the partially filled pool, trying to make sure that it is indeed only sand in the pit. He tries to pay special attention to the columns and building, especially if there are carvings or other writing on the outside.
"No, Idichi," responds Omor, "This is the first time I've seen such a thing. I have been instructed on the various ways that the dead sometimes hang on to this world rather than going to see the Lady of Graves but I've never seen one up close like this before. Do take good notes in case we run into this again or I become incapacitated with fear." After a brief pause, he continues, "Once again, though, I think my zeal to investigate may have put us in a bad position. If that were a trap like we saw in the Tomb of Akhentepi I may have set it off. " After an invitation with an extended arm, Omor invites Idichi. "Please do lead the way, just to be safe."
"CALM! CALM!" shouts Omor over the din of the approaching crowd. "I don't think there is a crowd at all, rather this is a bunch of sould left in the necropolis after their deaths, he declares. Then he continues, "If I remember my trainig correctly, you can probably help the souls along their trip the boneyard by sprinkling some holy water around the place they inhabit. " Omor walks around the square until he settles on the main gates and then splashes one of his bottles of holy water all over the doors. After the haunt has been dealt with, Omor looks around the rest of the courtyard.
Omor tries to think about what he might have been taught that would be applicable to their current situation.
I do think that High Septon Alkhatar might have taught on this, he thinks.
As he hears the commotion in the distance, Omor turns to face the noise. You don't expect a mob in the Necropolis; I wonder what they are all up in arms about, he thinks. He tries to listen to see what has the crowd started.
Omor unlimbers his longbow and knocks an arrow. "Jabari, do you want to secure the door? If there are lots of them, we may need to try to defend as small an area as possible."
"It looks like we have 3 choices, " says Omor. "We could go up the steps into the house or into either of the side doors. Personally, I say we do the house last."
Omor walks to the left and looks at the set of doors there. "Unless anybody objects, I say we go this way. "
If nobody wants to do anything else....
"Well, " starts Omor, "it does seem that this area has been fairly undisturbed for some time. Let's start new day off right." Omor moves forward into the courtyard, trying to take care to not disturb or otherwise break the bronze gates further. "Are you all going to join me?" he asks.
"Impressive, " declares Omor, "I bet this house was quite the sight to see when this part of the city was inhabited. It seems that the House of Penthru was quite wealthy indeed." Responding to Jabari, Omor notes "Jabari, I'd think that this house was abandoned at the same time as the rest of the city when the plague was unleashed on the ancient city. It's possible that either the family fled their home to avoid the plague or was killed along with many others if they were not so fortunate." Omor looks over the partially opened gates, trying to see if anybody has entered the house before the Relic Seekers.
Well, that is interesting, thinks Omor. It seems that the Scorched Hand will be back as their favored ruin has not yet been awarded. At one table, Omor sees a vendor selling a variety of weapons. He selects a flail with a weighted end and gets some additional arrows to complement what they found in the last tomb. He purchases them and leaves his leftover sling bullets with the vendor. "Do you all need anything while we are walking to the tomb? I know I thought I needed a few additional things after our foray into the Tomb of Akhentepi and I will be better prepared this time, " notes Omor to the rest of the Relic Seekers.
A couple of things here before we get too far into the next dungeon: - I'm not sure if GM's mention of the auction is a subtle way of telling us to hold on to all the treasure and sell it later or not. Do we have a place to store things? In theory, we have rooms in the inn but we havn't really established if it is private, rooms, common room, how secure we think the area is, etc... - Omor is going to use the metal shield but has no idea what it is about other than being magical. I need some insight into what to do about weight, ac, and the like (or tell me I need to use it in combat once or twice first). - I would like to do a bit of shopping before we dive in. Omor just needs a few minor items like a blunt melee weapon, a quiver, exta arrows, and the like. Do we want to RP this or can I just buy/sell? - Need to some of the items above decided on before we open the door to the house of penthru
Trying to get the rest of the group's attention before they split up, Omor whispers to the rest of the goup, "Did you find out anything new? I have two things to report. First, there is an auction in a few days time for all the relics recovered from the tombs. We may get a higher price for our things if we have a place to store our treasures until the time is right. Also, there is a ruin known as the Erudite Eye, which is apparently quite important and interesting to the band known as the scorched hand."
After the Relic Seekers get their assignment Omor shrugs, "Well, I guess we are not so lucky as to get the Erudite Eye. Based on what we found in the last tomb, the House of Pentheru could be very interesting for us indeed. Do be careful, though. There are sure to be traps and dangers, much like the other groups reported in all the tombs. I do hope we avoid nests of the walking dead. Those creatures should be well on their way to the boneyard." As they leave the square, Omor looks at the wares and various vendors hawking adventuring gear.
"Thanks for the tip, Vesorianna. I hope we see you at the lottery in the morning. May the Lady of Graves smile on you," says Omor as he tries to signal the Innkeep. Assuming he can get the Inn Keeper's attention, Omor asks for another cup of wine. "One more for me, please. " After getting his drink, Omor wanders around the room slowly until he comes upon a table with only women sitting around it. Seeing one of the group that looks like a cleric, he addresses her directly. "Greetings, blessed one! How has the lottery been treating you and yours?"
Omor keeps up the conversation, hoping to learn more while the leader of the Scorched Hand talks. "There is much of the city left to be explored. This is true. Do you know where the Erudite Eye is, relative to other landmarks in the Necropolis?" Omor tries to keep up the questions, hoping to learn more about what the other team is looking for.
Hearing that they must attend the new lottery to get access to the Erudite Eye, Omor thanks Velriana for the information. "Well, Velriana, it seems that we must attend this new lottery. Thank you for alerting me to the need here. I hope to see you there. Perhaps it is large enough that both of our teams will be given access. It is in the morning where we got the assignment for the last tomb? " Omor continues to make small talk with Velriana, hoping to get more information than he gives.
"Bah! Filthy things, I agree!" says Omor. "Once a person has started their journey to the Boneyard, keeping them bound to this planet is a horrid thing. Thank you much for sending those zombies on the way to the Lady of Graves." After hearing the leader of the group inject, Omor's curiosity is piqued. "Velriana, is it? Good to make your acquaintance. I have not heard of this Erudite Eye. Is there another lottery we must enter to gain access to this temple? Have you and the rest of the Scorched Hand already been given access?" he asks. I should make sure to tell the rest of the Relic Seekers about this, thinks Omor.
OK, so here is what I have so far: 604 GP and 2 SP in loose coin
Then in terms of people who get items to use Aya:
Does everybody's math agree?
After helping to impress the crowd with the stories of their exploits Omor spends some time at the inn, enjoying a little bit of fame and fortune. He tries to keep his wits about himself while finding what information he can about the other groups. I wonder if any of the other groups were as successful in finding relics and antiquities as were the Relic Seekers, he thinks to himself. Omor pays special attention to the priestly types, trying to get the attention of an Osirian with a two-toned mask on a cord around their neck. "I presume you were also so lucky as to get a tomb to explore in the lottery? Were you able to find other artifacts of antiquity as well?"
After the crowd quiets itself to a low rumble, Omor starts with a flourish. He smiles widely as he raises his arms and tries to get everyone's attention on himself. "The tale of the exhaulted Relic Seekers starts as any. We gathered in the square, seeking a place in the exploration of the Necropolis. We were blessed by the Ruby Prince and the Lady of Graves to win a slot in the lottery. Little did we know what we would face in the day ahead. After we got our tomb assignment at dawn, the four of us met at the tomb at dawn and began our recovery. We thought the tomb to be quite secure, having gathered many, many years of dust and dirt outside its doors. " After the introduction, Omor starts the story of exploration with a somber note. "Our first discovery was a grousome one indeed. At the bottom of a deep shaft into the tomb, we encountered the dried body of a person who proceeded the Relic Seekers into the tomb. Undoubtedly, he was a grave robber or other thief, acting without the blessing of the Prince. The Lady of Graves protects those under her charge and Being the goodly and righteous party that we are, the Relic Seekers none the less gave this person a proper burial and hope to speed his trip across the Boneyard." Continuing on to describe some of the treasure and conquests, Omor's voice picks up a much more excited note. "From there the Relic Seekers discoverd all sorts of wonders, left behind to both guard the tomb against intruders and to aid Akhentempi and his family in the afterlife. In one crypt inside the Tomb, there were animated guardians akin to moving statues set in place to kill unwary plunderers. The great combat prowess of the Relic Seekers and out magic made short work of these animated guardians. They also gave up many finely crafted weapons and antiquities that were placed in the tomb." "In another room, clearly set as a decoy or trap for the unwitting, a sarcophagus itself was animated by the power of magic. After awakening the magic and mecanical monstrsity, the Relic Seekers proceeded to blast the guardian with the power of magical fire and make that part of the tomb safe for further visits." "There are also wonders of history in the tomb. We found records and trophies that Akhentepi created or won during his life. In addition, we did find a complete and likely working chariot in the tomb, ready to carry Akhentempi and his family into the afterlife. There was also a great tapestry, showing the journey and conquests of the family while they were alive." After talking about the treasures he found, Omor shakes as if he were dirty and grimaces as he continues. "Not every challenge was due to magic. Down a crumbling stairwell we uncovered a nest of giant beetles, no doubt feeding on the refuse from the city above. Even living residents of the tomb were no match for all of our combat prowess." "And all this brings us to the mechanical snake, parts of which you see before us on the table. Here, I think our grand storyteller can pick up the tale as he was there to witness it." Omor makes a wild gesture and tries to hand off the rest of the presentation to Idichi with some showmanship.
"I'll have wine while I tell the story of the glorious and conquering Relic Seekers and their exploits in the Tomb of Akhentepi, " says Omor to the innkeeper. Omor waits a few minutes for the crowd to gather while he stands up and looks about the crowd. He sees several people that look like foreigners and a few halflings as well. He also takes a grip on some of his pouches as a few of the people look a bit unsavory.
Totally cool with you keeping the shortbow, Idichi. It's noted as needing a string so there is probably some small cost in getting it functional. Jabari - Do you want the longbow? I'll take a backseat to you on that if you are going to use it. Also good with you taking the Armor. I'm betting it will be important later in the story so keep it in your backpack if you upgrade..
I have updated the loot sheet so it has everything I think we found. If anybody discovers I'm missing something, please add it. Omor *Really* wants to keep the onyx and silver holy symbol of Pharasma. He'll get bent out of shape if the party tries to sell that item but everything else is negotiable. Outside that, Omor would use a bottle or two of Alchemist's fire, the potion of lesser restoration, and one of the bows. He'd also use the metal shield but recognizes that Jabari makes better use of it and won't stand in the way of a melee oriented person keeping the shield. I do feel like we should keep the Akhentepi’s Armour but have no particular interest in actually wearing it. For other items, take or sell the rest; Omor has little to no interest in anything not mentioned above. I can whip up a total once we agree on distribution.
As the group walks toward the Tooth and Hookah, Omor finds it difficult to contain himself. "I am very impressed with you all. The difficulties and surprises in the tomb were much greater than I expected when I signed up to explore the necropolis. You have my respect and I will follow any one of you to the Boneyard and back should that be asked of me." Once they arrive at the inn, Omor moves from the door and looks for the proprietor. He announces "Inkeep! Inkeep! A table for the Relic Seekers, if you will."
"Great aim and many thanks all. I do think we were prepared for a significant battle. This is a good omen and speaks to our prowess." Now that the danger has likely been taken care of, Omor looks around the tomb for other signs of historical or religious significance.
"Agreed, Aya, we should split whatever we have found in equal shares. Some of the items may be of special interest to the Pharaoh and his priests. We may want to allow them to examine what we have found."
I'm good with the plan as well. L2 should make dealing with the snake much easier. We'll leave a guard or two at the top of the tomb while part of the team shops? My info
Fervor 1d6 (touch to channel positive energy, heal friends or harm undead) +1 level 1 spell/day 3 skill points: Perception, Know (religion), 1 TBD Sheet will be updated tonight
Digging through all of the things that they found, Omor confirms with Idichi that he is open to the idea. "Yes, we could use both of the bottles of liquid fire we found on the previous explorer. We could toss one or both of them on the cobra from a distance and try to get it burning."
Jabari does seem unusually worried about fighting this cobra, thinks Omor. I wonder how we might get an advantage. "Yes, the iron snake does seem to be the last thing between us and completing our survey of the tomb. Jabari, We do have some treasure already. Would using that to fund some different equipment or weapons make this fight any easier for you? "
Omor chuckles and replies to Jabari. "OH, That's what I meant, Jabari. I am not adept at the manipulation of traps. I just wanted to give everybody the chance to stand back."
Omor gives his opinion to Idichi and the rest of the team. "We can certainly recover relics and antiquities like the items we found in the crates. That is our charge from the Pharoah. Most of those items have no particular interest to the dearly departed. The Lady's symbol is, of course, an exception and I'd like to use that in my supplications if everybody is fine with that." Then, getting more solemn and bowing his head slightly, he continues. "What we must be careful of is disturbing or desecrating the remains of the people who are interred here. Do use extreme care when opening a sarcophagus or other grave, either marked or unmarked. Likewise, if we find an unburied body, we should perform rites." After giving everybody a chance to ask questions, Omor continues. "I am ready to open the door. I presume we should stand back, just to be safe?"
"Yes, Idichi, we've seen many an unusual item or protection left behind for those in the tomb. Do be careful, though, some of the magic is quite dangerous." Omor helps Idichi investigate the magical aura that he found.
"Once we get close to the chests and artifacts, be respectful. If we must disturb the interred dead, I will try to make it right with the Lady of Graves."
"Thank you, Idichi. I do notice lots of things that look unusual or out of place. Look right here, " says Omor as he points to the start of an unusual crack. "I'm quite poor at the internals of traps and mechanical objects, though. That is not a skill that the Lady of Graves puts much value on. I do think you'll be superior to me in the finding of traps." After pointing to where he sees the door, Omor stands back a little bit to give Idichi room to work.
After Jabari brings down the last of the beetles, Omor relaxes slightly. "Is everybody OK?" he asks. Responding to Jabari, Omor notes"I've not seen anything there yet but we were a bit busy. Do you want to lead the way? I can ask the Lady of Graves to put a light on the front of you if you want to go in ready for battle." While they debate the next action, Omor looks down the stairs.
Omor grunts and lets out a small scream as the beetle sinks its mandibles into him. Once he gets himself out of combat with the creature, Omor invokes a prayer to his goddess. "Lady of Graves, heal your servant if it is not my time to meet you, " he intones. His hand is covered with a faint glow as he touches the area where the beetle bit him and the wounds close.
Seeing Jabari defeat the other beetle, Omor updates the Relic Seekers on the battle plan. "Jabari, I'll back up so you can take over," he says. Omor lashes out with his dagger, then gets ready to back out of his part of the battle.
Omor continues to defend the hallway from the beetles that might be down there, waving his dagger in front of himself carefully. "I've got this tunnel covered, " reinforces Omor. "Help Jabari make quick work of the other beetles!"
"That is a good move, Jabari. You can move them up the stairs if you want to let the rest of the Relic Seekers use their blades. I will block the side passage so we don't have to fight them all at the same time." Omor moves into the tunnel behind the concealed door to block the entrance to the room. Lady of Graves, protect me now. he thinks.
Omor picks up a small rock from the rubble that is in the tunnels and says a small prayer to Pharasma. The rock begins to glow, shining as much light as a torch. Just in case there is something mean down the stairs, Omor pulls a dagger out of its sheath and holds it in his left hand. "Here we go, " Omor announces as he pitches the rock down the stairs. Let's hope it's nothing as scary as last time, he thinks. Then, switching his dagger back to his righ hand, he warns the group "Get ready. You never know what this could be. " as he braces for the worst.
"Yes, Jabari, we have some bottled fire from a find earlier in the tomb. " Omor digs through his pack and finds one of the bottles and hands it to Jabari. He holds on to the other one just in case.
"Earlier in the day, we also attracted some attention by throwing a lighted rock down a passageway. That gave us some time to be ready for whatever it was that came out of the ground. Do you want to try that again?" he asks.
"That is a wise move, I think, " agrees Omor. "Not allowing something to sneak up on us is a very good course of action." As Omor moves down the short hallway and the stairs, he takes in his surroundings. "This is very odd, " he observes. "Perhaps the builders wanted to extend the tomb this direction but had their construction interrupted. " Omor continues to examine the walls, looking for clues.
"Jabari, let me know when you are ready and I can ask the Lady of Graves to look over you. The rest of us can pile in and help with the cobra by attacking from behind."
"Agreed, Aya," replies Omor. "Last time we touched a sarcophagus, it woke up and tried to eat us. Let's be a bit more careful this time around." Then turning to Jabari, Omor catches him up on current history. "I have been concerned about the desecrated dead as well but we have seen little of those abominations so far. It's mostly been traps left behind by Akhentepi or his sorcerers to keep grave robbers from this place. We just happen to run afoul of them."
Omor collects up his things and starts moving back to the hallway that he and Aya retreated from. He points to the corner where the metal snake is sitting. "Look there, Idichi and Jabari. That's the snake creature we have been talking about. Given what we have seen so far today, it makes me worried about another guardian or trap." He draws his dagger just to be safe.
After Jabari and Idichi finish their introductions, Omor replies. "And I am Omor Al'Jamous, servant of both Pharasma and the Pharaoh Kemet. May the Lady of Graves smile on both of you," he says as he makes a sign of blessing over the two of them. "Welcome to the Relic Seekers as associate partners. Please make yourselves welcome as we have a short meal. It has been quite the morning, " he continues, explaining what they have seen so far today. After hearing of the Iron Cobra, Omor nods. "We have seen much left behind by Akhentepi to preserve the sanctity of this place. I was very afraid we would find much in the way of blasphemous creatures here but we have been fortunate to not see any. Like you, I take the reposed dead seriously and want to keep their honor in place."
As he hears the sound of footsteps from behind them, Omor rises to his feet and draws his dagger. "Aya, did we leave the door at the top of the shaft open? " he asks. "I thought we were supposed to be down here alone. " Seeing the two men arrive, Omor relaxes a bit and re-sheathes his dagger when the metal clad warrior sheathes his sword. "Yes, we didn't expect to see you down here. Your ancestors have left us in some interesting situations and I'm surprised you have not run into any of them." "Are you looking to join the glorious association of the Relic Seekers? We do happen to have some openings. We split costs and profits equally and expect you'll use your talents to the fullest extent possible."
Welcome aboard Idichi and Jabari! Hopefully, we'll get you integrated quickly and we can be back to our normal adventuring business.
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