| JoCa |
I've got a long way to go before I hit Chapter Six, but I've been reading through the HC anyway so that I can prep/foreshadow. While reading Chapter Six and the Test of the Smoking Eye, I came across the part in the HC where the text says the mummy only reacts in regards to the bebilith.
So if my players opt to choose the avoral door, the mummy pops in and tries to force them into the bebilith's lair? Am I reading that right?
Also, what if they rescue the avoral, fight the mummy, and win? Can they just take the lantern?
Thanks for the help!
| d.hull |
I'm reading through the Shackled City adventure path myself and had the same question. My answers would be:
First, when the PCs reach the Chamber of the Lantern and reencounter the mummy, if they chose the South Chamber (with Halalia the avoral guardinal) instead of the North Chamber (with Thathnak the bebilith), then the instructions that say "if the PCs have defeated the bebilith" and "if the PCs haven't defeated the bebilith) should be read with "the bebilith" replaced with "Halalia". That is, the mummy lord proctor attempts to stop the PCs if they have not fulfilled the terms of the test, which was, "Choose one door, slay the occupant behind it, then pass through the door on the other side."
Second, if the PCs haven't killed Halalia, yes, if they beat the mummy they can just take the lantern and continue the Test of the Smoking Eye. Later in the chapter it says that the mummys that administer the parts of the test don't communicate, and the next mummy lord proctor knows only that the PCs have reached him, but not the circumstances of how they got there.
| Tormak |
As I understand it, if you read the mummy's speech after the text, he says to "take care of rivals first, and enemies second." the bebilith, a demon free to roam in its room and kill mercilessly, would be a rival to the Demon Prince, and the Celestial, bound and trapped, locked away until you mess with it when you're ready, would be an enemy. These two things are representative of other demons and celestials out there that the ruler would need to contend with.
IMO it's then the theme of the test for them to kill the Bebilith and leave the Avoral. But I think it's perfectly fine to say the PCs just need to do at least one of the tings. And if they do neither, can simply kill the mummy.