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The scream. Oh, the scream. Senemheb has never heard such blood curdling noise. He just completely freezes. His tactical mind would want to press on and attack, and his primal mind just turn around and flee. But his legs and arms obey neither.
His weapon might not been made of any rare metals, so all it has to offer is the cutting edge of the blade. The occultist swings the bardiche in wide arc, targeting the closest vargouille.
"Books and scrolls are so easily destroyed, but the dead remain. Which is why studying the dead yields in so valuable results." Senemheb drones ominously. Djedefre's words make him pause for a moment. "True. I had forgotten most of Heshsharu's ramblings. You have a good memory, priest. But are we to expect a great number of these flying heads, then?"
"A sound idea. Just keep hold of that key. Once this floor is cleared, we can see what the chest holds." Senemheb nervously glances around, keeping guard in case some wing-eared severed heads are lurking about.
"Perhaps it was something else that killed him, than the other dead here." Senemheb's stance relaxes a bit, and he lowers his weapon. If this headless corpse was about to attack, it would have done so already. "If there is nothing else here, let's move on."
Senemheb stays behind Amal, likewise ready to strike with his weapon. What seems to be dead have attacked the party so often already, so why would this one be an exception.
Senemheb gives another look at the door, in case Djedefre had missed something.
But the only thing he is sure of, is that it's a door. Maybe.
"Fair enough." Senemheb nods. The stale air of the mausoleum didn't look very inviting. But it did look undisturbed, so perhaps valuables would still be within. "The mausoleum isn't going anywhere, if we investigate the upstairs first"
"Considering the amount of undead roaming about the estate, we best prepare meeting them here as well." Senemheb notes, and then silences himself to let Djedefre complete his ritual. "Unless the burial rites protected them against animating the bones, of course."
Unfortunately, no... Once upon a time the search function worked, so it was fairly easy to find the information I was looking for. Maybe I need to learn to take notes, instead...
”Fresh water, whenever they wanted. Valuable.“ Senemheb nods, approving the idea. ”But not the kind of wealth we could carry with us.“
"Adamantine? This is what it looks like, then? I've heard tales, but never seen with my own eyes..."
"Good work, Djehuti." Senemheb looks back to the sight of the scarabs burning and popping like snacks. "Next time we are back in town, we need to buy more supplies against swarms of such bugs."
When the door is opened, Senemheb is first hit by the disgusting smell, making him almost gag. But this is soon followed by alarm as the scarabs take flight and start swarming towards them. He quickly takes his vial of alchemists fire from his bag, and flings the liquid fiery death upon the bugs. "Fire! Use fire!"
Happy New Year!
"Whatever force keeps animating these bones? We must be wary of any corpses we encounter." And such a waste of good material... Senemheb puts the mace back to his belt, and picks the dropped bardiche from the ground. He then nods at Djedefre, preparing for whatever waits in the next area.
"Don't you dare spring up to un-life now..." he murmured in squatting down to reach. Though not before grasping for his cudgel again. "Hmm.." Senemheb grunts, and by instinct touches the satchel by his belt. But creating undead servants out of any of those three might rise a bit too much ire from his companions. Better leave these bones to rest. "I wonder if it was the plague that took these three..."
Senemheb shakes off snake blood and guts from the blade of his weapon, and follows Luke. "I wonder if the courtyard has nothing to offer but poison and misery. Let's investigate this quickly, and then head back."
"As you say, Jolanka." Senemheb is not sure if the woman is seeing some spirits in play here, or just suffering from the snakes poison and heat. But since she seems to be drawing attention from the snakes, he maneuvers into flanking, and strikes from there.
Oh, and Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays! 24th is the big day here, so I'm unlikely to post in a day or two.
Back on proper screen, so adjusted Senemheb's position on the map (he has reach with his weapon).
"More menaces of the desert!?"
No matter, Senemheb lifts his blade once again, and prepares hack the serpents.
"Were did the intruder go!?"
But no time to ponder that while the two snarling heads are in biting distance. Senemheb takes a few step forwards, and swings with his blade.
Senemheb, with his heavier armor, is struggling to keep up. But nonetheless, tries to stay together with the team.
** spoiler omitted **
"Can't remember finding a key here..."
Glad to see there's no inhabitants in that hornet's nest, Senemheb joins looking around the room. Djedefre's findings about about the chest are indeed remarkable. He can't really understand how the priest could spot the trap from the lock. But it is good to have such sharp eyes in the team. "But maybe the key is somewhere here upstairs. Or, is someone expert with traps and locks?"
"Quite the palace they had..." So many doors to open. But perhaps easiest to start with the first one. Senemheb sets himself next to the door, and nods to Luke - their chosen point man for this door.
Senemheb slides into the room after the frontliners, and slices the nearest skull with his Bardiche.
Senemheb peeks into the dining room.
"Luke, Amal... Would you mind going in first?"
"Looks like everyone here died a violent death. I wonder what happened." "We could ask them," Senemheb mentions. He is looking at the skeleton, not with pity nor with disgust, just mere interest. "But I hope we would find a corpse that really knows something of worth."
"This is Maat, goddess of justice, order, law, and truth." Senemheb points at the middle statue. "I don't recall seeing her in Akhentepi's tomb. Being in the center of the trio means the Pentheru's held her areas of concern as familial creeds." --- Senemheb shakes his head at the sorry sight in the lavatory. "I hate to think what happened to him..." Cold-hearter necromancer he may be, but that corpse he will not touch. There are, after all, some lines that should not be crossed.
"Necromancy is the school for dealing with the dead. And skulls of the deceased might sometimes have something useful to say." Senemheb then looks at the satchel at his side. "But only sometimes..." While Jolanka is inspecting the crossbow, Senemheb brings the scale mail up for a better look. "And if no one else would like to dress in Qadiran styles, I could give this a try."
the +1 scale mail would be a direct upgrade to Senemheb's non-magical one.
"...uhh.." Waking up on a cold floor is never pleasant, and even less when one's head feels like it took a hit from a bag of wet sand. "So, we beat the creature, I hope?" Senemheb mutters, collecting himself from the floor. And looking at the others, this seems to be the case.
"I believe I have all my ancestors accounted for." Senemheb says, hazily remembering the creature's words before it sent him to painful slumber. "But perhaps I could add a head or two to my collection. In case I'd like second opinions."
Ugh... Don't want go near this thing..
(I remember on PFS game with two of these buggers. Would've been a TPK if not for the elf in the party)
Same, forums seem to work (plus my old digital purchases), but can't login to the store.
Remembering Djehuti's warnings about the creature, Senemheb does not approach it. Instead he brings up the skull from his satchel, and presents its empty stare towards the sandman. "Yes, it is not polite to attack the guests of the house."
Ugh, I'm swamped with work at the moment. Cannot switch my head to gaming mode. But I'll try to check daily if there's anything urgent
-- Senemheb's gaze follows where Djehuti is pointing. "Maybe the route up is somewhere else." They would surely find it faster if they'd split up to search. But perhaps it's better to stick together.
"Thank you, Amal..." Senemheb pushes himself up with the help of the young warrior. He still feels feverish, but perhaps the worst has passed. "I'll survive. This malady at least." Of course there's no telling what surprises are still lurking in this-plague ridden house. Thus far every room has hidden a monster, or a... whatever this ghostly disease is. "Just go on. I'll follow," he says, and stands up straight. That is of course merely a pathetic attempt to look stronger than he feels. Luckily his weapon doubles up as a crutch for the weakest moments.
"I'm feeling a bit better, thank you." Senemheb says. He sounds still weary but clearly getting better.
In tandem with the ghostly woman touching her beloved's forehead, Senemheb touches his. "I.. uhh..." Heavily breathing he leans to a wall to take support to stay up. The silvery trinkets almost slide out from his hands as he struggles to keep his fist closed.
He slides down and collapses to the floor. Face turning a shade of red, he hastily removes his headwear to cool down. "And the fish..." his voice is already raspy, turning into a whisper. "...we don't really eat it. Just.." "...feed to foreigners."
"Are condolences in order?" the Taldan asked the maybe-necromaner. "Not sure what's custom when the one biting the dust is already dead..." "It was a tool, no more. No need to shed tears when they break." Although having an undead servant for slightly longer could have been useful. On the other hand, what the centipede did to the skeleton could have happened to Senemheb. Better this way. "It served it's purpose. It took the hit for me.Senemheb watches Djedefre tend the Taldan, who seems to have escaped the monster without greater harm. "You seem to be a strong man, Luke, to withstand the monster's venom. Or is it what passes for food in the north that makes you immune to lesser poisons?" He considers going back to raise another skeleton, but since he sensed some hostility from his companions on necromantic practices he decides to wait and see what the future holds. Casting a final look on the broken bones of his late servant, he sighs and follows the cleric into the parlor.
Stepping in, he immediately notices a glint of silver amongst the rubble, and moves to investigate closer. One treasure leads to another, and it seems there is still some valuables left in here. "Oh, look at these... I think this one might be magical, even" Senemheb picks up the ring, and presents it to the spellcasters.
"Just a dead one." Senemheb shrugs, and almost lets the matter be. But then decides otherwise. "And let me be clear. Grandfather Rashid was a scholar, an adventurer, and perhaps a necromancer. But now he is dead. Not undead. Merely dead." he wags his finger at Luke on top the lecture. "And I am merely... OOHH - IT'S HUGE!" whatever Senemheb's train of thought was, the appearance of the giant centipede drove that away. First instinct is to direct the newly raised skeleton to lead the assault. And while the undead slowly approaches the centipede, Senemheb catches up quickly and draws his heavy blade to strike the enemy.
"Is this... Something else you've animated?" He points at the skull that Senemheb is holding. "Animated? No. But related." Senemheb pats the satchel where the skull now lies. The work has now been done, and he doesn't have the patience to listen to the old man's yapping. Luckily the thick leather is quite soundproof. "And he's the one raising the skeleton, so unfortunately I cannot give any details how it's done." he gives an apologetic shrug to Djehuti. "But we've done this before. It will obey me." And as to prove the words, the skeleton starts its slow march towards the garden. For a moment, Senemheb just watches it's stride, and then follows it. "Do you see anything in there?" he asks the others.
"Good. Then do so." At first nothing seems to happen. Both Senemheb and the skull stare silently at the skeleton. But then... some movement. First just bone fingers, scraping the earth around them. Then the hand and the arm, and they start pushing the rest of the skeletal body to a standing position. Soon, the skeleton is standing upright, right beside it's animator. At this point, Senemheb puts away the skull, and turns towards the other. "This one serves us now."
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