Inferis nods to Ibrahim, "That sounds alright. Let's camp and regroup."
It is early evening, and the sky turns orange as it starts to sink below the horizon. Where do you hole up for the evening?
Inferis nods, "Let us just make sure that it is secure before drifting off to sleep."
Looking out through the ancient shutters, you can see the lights of various other recovery teams making their way out through the ancient streets of the Necropolis to the 'City of the Living'.
Throughout the night the ones on watch felt tiny eyes on them. On occasion they could hear something scritching at the door or the shutters. On occasion they could hear the faint screams and howls of undead out in the Necropolis; but they were far off. Nothing disturbed the sleepers that night.
Eventually the red gleam of dawn light seeped through the shutters, signalling that it was time to get up.
Inferis awakens from her rest and turns to her grimoire to regain her spells. Once complete, she turns to her companions, "Is everyone prepared? We should complete our examination of this house and be on our way."
There remains only the Western Courtyard and Family Crypt.
The western side of the estate forms an L-shaped yard mostly given to sand, sun-dried earth, and the ancient husks of dead trees. Stone benches line the walls of the yard, and a large tiled pool sits in the southwest corner, dried and partially filled with sand. A short flight of steps leads between a pair of pillars to a set of stone doors in the west side of the house. At the north end of the yard stands a squat stone building with columns at every corner.
This outdoor space was reserved for the family’s enjoyment, but the sandy courtyard is all that remains of a garden now deprived of water and care.
Inferis rubs her ring while she considers the team's prospects. "I think that we should check the western courtyard and then the family crypt."
After moving outside, see views the courtyard and attempts to scan the area for magic.
A rectangular stone building sits in the northwest corner of the estate. At each corner stand columns carved to resemble men and women with their arms crossed over their chests. It is clear that this is the Family Mausoleum.
A set of stone doors stands in the southern face of the building, carved
with bas-relief faces of two men. Hieroglyphs are carved into the doors just beneath the faces.
The faces on the doors are of Pentheru the Elder and Pentheru the Younger and match the faces on the statues outside the property gates. Two of the building’s four columns also depict the two men. The other two columns
depict women: the wives of father and son.
The Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs identify the building as the “crypt of the House of Pentheru” and warn, “May defilers be cursed by the gods until their day of judgment.”
The crypt’s stone doors are heavy, but open easily.
Inside, a wide stairway descends into darkness...
Inferis rolls:
Max rolls:
Max pauses and waves everyone to stop. In a whisper, "there is a giant whiptail centipede in the pool. Unless we wish to disbatch it, then we should keep at least ten feet from it."
Inferis sees the doors and comments quietly, "The faces on the doors are of Pentheru the Elder and Pentheru the Younger and match the faces on the statues outside the property gates. Two of the building’s four columns also depict the two men." Max interrupts with a smile, "The other two columns depict women: the wives of father and son." Inferis winks at Max, "The Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs identify the building as the “crypt of the House of Pentheru” and warn, “May defilers be cursed by the gods until their day of judgment.”
Having snuck by the centipede, the party begins to enter the crypt. Max steps up next to his companion and sings a soft tune which causes a glowing light to emanate from a copper piece in his hand.
Inferis steps up behind her companions and waves her hand. A group of glowing balls float down the passage way lighting the way.
|
The big man silently nods to Max's warning about the whiptail and gives it a wide berth as quietly as his scalemail allows. Having circled around the ornamental pool, Cerastes follows the eerie dancing lights into the darkness but places a prayer spell of light on his own shield also before getting too far. He concentrates on a detect magic spell as he proceeds and keeps his warhammer at the ready.
|
|
Ibrahim prepared the the orision spell (sacrificing detect magic) allowing him to mend and preserve the garment. With it secured in his pack he too avoids the whiptail centipede in the dry pool and makes his way with the others towards the Pentheru family mausoleum.
He draws his razor sharp scimitar as his eyes attempt to adjust from the bright morning sun to the deep shade colorfully illuminated by Inferis' fairy fire inside the crypt.
"Let us commence our exploration of this once noble house so the bones of its occupants can once again rest undisturbed."
Descending thirty feet, ahead you see a stone altar that sits upon a raised stone platform in the center of this square room.
Caryatid columns carved in the likenesses of male and female figures with their arms crossed over their chests and khopeshes or ankhs in their hands stand at each corner of the platform.
A human shape mummified with dirty rags lies on the altar with deathly stillness.
Empty torch holders are built in all four of the room’s corners.
Two stairways exit the room— one climbs to the south, while the other descends from this chamber to the north.
|
|
Ibrahim scans the room for signs of life or undeath. Little about this exploration into the house of Pentheru has lead him to believe this will be a tomb devoid of combat with the raised undead.
Better to call their bluff and still have the ability to retreat up the stairs should the fight turn sour then to be trapped in this tomb with the undead.
Ibrahim steps into the room and calls out in the tomb to no where in particular.
"Come out the fallen of Penthuru we shall dispatch your remains so you may move on to your next form. I have seen you move and you trick is tired and failed. Come rise so we may release you from undeath."
Max [npc'd] inches into the room as the dancing lights go out before him. Searching the room, Max checks for traps.
Max gives the thumbs up.
Abruptly, the bandaged figure rolled upright and reached out to Ibrahim with a hollow moan.
for a possible bludgeoning damage.
Round 1__________
Players take their turn in order of posting. Enemies will go last.
Max(npc'd) levels his crossbow and fires at the mummy.
Inferis channels her energy to try and control the abomination. "Be still!"
Round 1__________
Cerastes_____
Startled, the big man releases Ibrahim's shoulder, "Your senses are keen my friend, I saw nothing!" With a mighty swing of his warhammer, the Oracle tries to gain the undead's attention away from the druid.
(npc) Max_____
Max(npc'd) levels his crossbow and fires at the mummy.
Inferis 'al Marris_____
Inferis channels her energy to try and control the abomination. use command undead. DC 13 will to negate. "Be still!"
Ibrahim the Sand Sage_____
A smile is clearly visible across Ibrahim s face as he brings his scimitar down to slash at the bandaged figure.
[b]"To be honest Cerastes I saw nothing as well, I was just guessing based on our previous encounters within this house of Pentheru.
Ra-Khefer_____
Ra swung on the creature, but missed.
Enemies______________
The creature attacked Cerastes!
for a possible damage plus grab. The creatures hand is stuck to Cerastes!
Fumble not confirmed, ordinary miss.
Round 2__________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Inferis moves to the side of the room and enchants, "Flear'nar!" as a cone of fire washes over the undead.
Round 2__________
Cerastes_____
The Oracle grunts from the solid blow and yells out in surprise, "The thing is stuck to me!"
Inferis 'al Marris_____
Inferis moves to the side of the room and enchants, "Flear'nar!" as a cone of fire washes over the undead.
move to C7 and cast burning hands
Ra-Khefer_____
Ra swung on the creature.
(npc) Max_____
What manner of creature IS this? He shouted as he shot at the creature again.
Hit! for piercing damage.
Enemies_________________________
The creature attacked Ibrahim!
for a possible damage plus grab. The creatures hand is stuck to Ibrahim!
Miss.
25
Round 3__________
Players take their turn in order of posting, enemies will go last.
Efreat screams, "This creature is not undead at all, but a monstrous former human, transformed by some vile sorcerous process into a monster known as an Adherer." Efreat decides to shift tactics and blast the creature with a black ray, "Kreash'roosh!"
Round 3__________
Cerastes_____
Cerastes releases the warhammer, leaving it stuck to the thing, and pulls his spear from its sheath on his back.
And was able to pull the spear away again without it being stuck.
Inferis 'al Marris_____
Efreat screams, "This creature is not undead at all, but a monstrous former human, transformed by some vile sorcerous process into a monster known as an Adherer." Efreat decides to shift tactics and blast the creature with a black ray, "Kreash'roosh!"
move action: move to C5
standard action: cast ray of enfeeblement.
Ra-Khefer_____
Ra yanks hard on his hammer to try to free it.
He swung it again, but missed.
Max_____
Max cocked his crossbow, fired but missed.
(npc) Ibrahim_____
Hit! for slashing damage.
Hit! for an extra slashing damage.
It takes alcohol, fire or a half hour wait to be freed from the adherer.
A quick search of the chamber reveals it had been looted long ago.
The stairs continue down into the earth beyond.
Preparation Chamber
The air in this chamber is cool.
The walls and ceilings are tiled with stone, but the floor is hard-packed earth, giving the area an unfinished quality.
A long stone table rests against the western wall, flanked by two large brass urns.
A flight of steps ascends to the south (which you just came down), while two passages lead north and east out of the room.
[Max NPC'd]Max scans the room looking for anything out of the ordinary.
|
|
Ibrahim reverently cleans his scimitar blade while the monsters severed arm still clings to his chest.
"Thank you old friend you have saved me once again."
Ibrahim stows the blade back in its sheath and begins working to remove at adherer's arm free from himself. After several struggling for several minutes he gauges the weight of the arm attached awkwardly to the front of his armor and waits for the natural decay of the limb to remove it.
Max prowled around the room stealthily, then turned to give you all two thumbs up.
Those of you with experience in archaeology and those whose deific patrons deal with the dead know that this was the preparation room, where mummification was practiced on the recently dead.
The two brass urns are empty now and weigh 200lbs each.
There are two other exits out of here, one North and one East.
After hearing Max's reply, Inferis adds "Well, north or east? I vote north."
Going north, you come to a T intersection going West and East.
The West end peters out in an unfinished corridor, while the East corridor eventually turns South into a larger chamber.
An earthy scent fills this large chamber.
The ceiling and walls are tiled with stone, but the ground is bare earth.
Stone benches are set against the east and west walls, and torch holders are mounted in the corners and on either side of a wide doorway to the west.
The beginnings of several shallow, rough passages have been started along the eastern wall and in the southwest corner, but the excavations are incomplete, ending in earth and rubble after only a few feet.
At the south end of the room, a short, wide flight of steps descends to a set of stone double doors.
Max, [npc'd] looks around in the room for traps.
Inferis focuses her energies and scans for magic.
Max cautiously probed ahead of everybody, while Cerastes and Ra trailed behind him. But he doesn't find anything.
Inferis concentrates, but detects nothing of the energies of magic.
Ibrahim doesn't see anything of concern either.
Then...
Max stopped.
"Hey, look at that! Hey kitty, kitty..."
You see a mangy housecat with red glowing eyes step out from a crack in the wall.