Necropolis

Summary for 11-13 March 2005 compliments of Sean

 

Neutralising the Temple of Osiris                                             

1.     The guards on the east stable doors have been the first to willingly surrender when faced with an obviously superior opponent.  The damned devotees of Set were fanatical to the end. 

2.     The mention of slaves, including children, has Cadra riled up and wanting to “free the oppressed”.  Crayon on the other hand is more cautious as most of the spell casters are almost out of spells and the party has no means of escape except through the skill of arms.  Crayon offers council that the party should return to Aartuat.

3.     Debate amongst the party ensues and it is finally agreed to press on when the likelihood that the Temple of Osiris will be overrun again if you leave without neutralising all possible dangers.

4.     After questioning the two guards the party explores the grand hall to the east (rm 14N) and finds a single priestess singing in a small conservatorium directly to the east of the hall.  Q sneaks up on the priestess and saps her.  She and the two guards are tied up and placed in the secret room behind the inner sanctum sanctorum.  Time to go and kick some more evil butt!

5.     The party enters the stables to the east where the air is ripe with the smell of camel and swine.  Amongst the animals the anxious faces of 14 adults and 15 children confront you.  Thinking that the two overseers are allied to Set, the fighters rush them with weapons drawn.  Seeing the on rushing whirl of blades, the female slaves start wailing and the overseers immediately throw their hands in the air.

6.     After some discussion, with Khonsu acting as interpreter, the “slaves” indicate that they are not interested in rescue as they are in a beautiful spot with plenty of water, food and security.  However, they are grateful for the “overthrow” of the new priests.  While dubbed the “new priests” the slaves told the party that they had been in control for several years.

7.     The party is now on the move to clear any unsearched rooms or areas that were within the confines of the inner temple – you don’t want any nasty surprises sticking you in the back.

8.     In what are apparently guestrooms to the east, Q detects two mirrors as being magical.  For what purpose they are used is not known, although general consensus is that they are probably used for spying upon the room’s occupants.  The mirrors are left untouched.

9.     Several more rooms are investigated to the west, all appear to be simple priest quarters.  Above four of the rooms is a hieroglyph that Medinet translates as “the pure”.  Cadra suggests that the hieroglyph could refer to virgins and that the rooms may be reserved for virgins to be sacrificed – everyone knows what evil priests get up to in the foul rituals.  Each member of the party secretly thinks to themselves that there are better ways to sacrifice a virgin!

10.  One of the western doors is a heavy hardwood door bound with bronze.  Q steps forward to investigate using his locksmith ritual.  His senses flare as he detects a magical trap on the door.  You can’t go through the door so you decide to go around.  Cadra casts a Stoneshape in the wall to the south and you enter ready for whatever can be thrown at you.  Q hears a “click”, that could be a door shutting, so Q stands guard in the hole trying to detect anything invisible.  However, the room was devoid of life but contained several chests and a row of temple keys –including one that radiated magic!

11.  Q then sets to work on the chests.  After and hour of searching, de-trapping and lock picking, the party found an Invisible Stalker scroll, gold and jewellery along with written text on Set and religious items.

12.  Walking out of the trapped room and up the corridor towards the western stable doors the party is ambushed by a fireball unleashed be a priest hiding by the southern stairs.  Seeing the priest has a wand Hellyeah fires off a Silence spell – that should stop him!  Crayon is not so sure and dives into one of the small rooms of the “pure”, closing the door against future blasts.

13.  To the parties surprise the priest unleashed a second fireball from the wand, the silence had no effect, crafty bugger was standing in the area of a Minor Globe of Invulnerability previously cast.  This time Palmerin suffers the full effects of the fiery blast – bugger, Palmarin has the portable hole!

14.  Hellyeah made a desperate lunge for Palmerin, Alternate Reality has worked wonders in the past, he hoped he could get there before the priest unleashes the wand again.  The gravity of the situation caused a surge of adrenalin, and the party was quick off the mark. 

15.  Khonsu makes towards the priest, Hellyeah casts his spell and the ripples of the time/space continuum are slightly changed – in this new reality Palmerin ducked.  Seeing the hulking figure of Khonsu almost upon him the priest moves upstairs and the chase is on.

16.  Cadra starts running but it’s like a dream – the one where you try to run but seem stuck on the spot.  But this is no dream it is a nightmare.  The DM declares that no one can run or sprint to increase base movement while in combat – you might fall on that weapon!

17.  Q quaffs a potion of speed and breaks the dwarven world record for speed walking (he better look out for the drug testers).  Before long he catches the priest and starts wailing on his sorry hide at an amazing 6 attacks a round.  The other party members make their way up the stairs except Hellyeah who guards the stairs and Cadra who, although walking at top speed (ie very slow), just can’t make any headway.

18.  In quick time the priest is lying dead on the floor, but not before an equally evil and devious priest of Set tries to Slay Living on Q.  He resists easily, dwarves are not the best target for magical attacks given their innate resistance to magic.  In quick time you have a pair of dead priests/wizards – a matching Set!

19.  Ballard then tracks the movements of both priests and the top floors are scouted and searched.  The area looks long deserted with dust and decay all around.  Many lockable bedrooms are searched and it is decided to transfer the prisoners from the sanctum sanctorum.  The three prisoners are offered food and water but the priestess is defiant to the last.  They are bound and the doors locked with some of the keys previously discovered.

20.  The party decides to go down the eastern stairs to the cellars.  The cellars are explored with the use of the temple keys.  Two of the rooms appear in regular use and contain foodstuff.  The two other rooms are long disused.  The first containing religious paraphernalia of Osiris, including a ceremonial chariot and the second a mummification room.  After an extended search you decide that the area contains no hidden dangers and head up and around to the cellar stairs on the western side.

21.  One door opens into a short dead-end corridor, but Ballard’s amazing tracking skills lead you to believe there is a infrequently used passage here.Q uses his locksmithing genius to deactivate a trap and a secret entrance to the outside of the Temple of Osiris is found.  Now the party does have a means of easy escape. 

22.  The rooms contain cheese, beer and wine, creates of antique and expensive crockery (certain party members are reminded that you are there to liberate not loot the Temple).  Two rooms smell of mushrooms and are covered in a yellowy “mould”.  The bodies of several dead priests are seen but the party does not enter and declares to come back when better prepared. 

23.  Both cellars are clear and the party leaves to complete the search of the inner temple.  A room appearing to be the vestry is entered that is the other side of the concealed door blocked by the silver sphere in the sanctum sanctorum. 

24.  Given the shape of the secret room behind the sanctum sanctorum, it is decided that Hellyeah should use his last remaining Find Secret Portals and Doors spell.  To his surprise, not one but three secret doors in the hallway give a faint magical radiance.

25.  The doors are trapped and appear to be opened by putting one hand and the fingers from the other in a series of holes.  The party is not willing to randomly risk their own digits so Cadra drags in a dead body left over from the epic battle with the priests of Set.  After Q places the dead hands and fingers in the holes for several combinations, the evidence of poison in use and several new hands loosing their digits, the correct combinations are discovered; whole left hand and right hand small holes 7,8,9,10 (four fingers) for the first door. and whole right hand and left hand holes 5,6,7,8 (four fingers) for the second door .

26.  The first door leads to a personal cache of supplies, water, travelling clothing and spell components, some of which Crayon and Palmerin liberate.  The second door leads to a strange steel door, with a steel bar that is heavily warded by magic and a strange stone protruding from the wall, also magically warded.  The problem is that the door appears to be designed to keep something in, not out!

27.  It’s too worrying, so the party decides to check out the third secret door.  After some investigation a narrow slot appears to be the means of opening the door.  After some consideration Palmerin suggests that the Cleaver of Set would fit the slot.  After entering and removing the Cleaver of Set the door opens to darkness that takes four continual lights to breach.  A narrow 2-foot wide tunnel with a smooth floor and then some stairs that lead steeply down into the dark are revealed.

28.  The party decides that the darkness must lead to at least one powerful undead creature.  You decide to leave it for later and set off to search the rest of the temple.

29.  You go to the western stables and two more guards surrender quickly rather than die when faced with your combined might.  The guards appear to be mercenaries and one is willing to spill his guts.  You get the idea that there are only 6 more guards left in the temple as “Sergeant Rahtu” has taken the other 15 guards into the desert on a secret mission.  Crayon wins over the two guards by the payment of their “back pay” and a three-month advance.  The guards agree to help you win over the other guards.

30.  Emboldened by the knowledge, you decide to make your control of the temple official and take the two guards to the battlements.  Two further patrols are encountered and they are quickly won over with their “back pay and advance”.  The guards put their money away greedily and salute their new masters.

31.  The party is lead to the gatehouse and the now familiar script is repeated and all remaining guards are now waiting their new orders.  Those orders are –do not let anyone into the temple without out your approval.   The guards say that Sergeant Rahtu will not be happy.  The party tells the guards that he will just have to wait.

32.  Now that you are in control of the Temple of Osiris you head back to the upper stories for a well earned sleep and some meditation for spells in the morning.  Feeling refreshed and "loaded" you head for the secret “undead” cellar.

33.  Ballard pitons the table from the inner temple and securely “Ballards” (common term for a bastard of a knot to get undone, that will never come undone by itself, and an absolute bastard to escape from!) a rope to it.  The party members cast many protective and detecting spells in preparation.  With the rope around your waists, you descend into the darkness, needing the four continual lights to barely break the oppressive and looming darkness.

34.  Q drools when he sees his gear lying in the middle of the small room, especially the +2 Ring of Protecting winking at him!  Cadra shouts a warning – “the room is magically trapped”, the Find Traps spell works again.  Cadra concentrates on the room and also declares that the expensive looking figurine in the back recess is also magically trapped.

35.  The lure for loot is too strong, so Medinet casts a Dispel Magic into the room that dispels the magical effects on the room and on the diamond studded white monster figurine.  The magical traps remain on the other three figurines (ruby studded black serpent figurine, and emarld studded blue demon figurine).  Q and Cadra are concerned that the Dispel Magic may only suspend the powerful magic so commit themselves for two rounds to clear the treasure.  Good job they are both so bloody strong, in concert Q and Cadra are able to liberate:

·       10 small sacks of gold and silver

·       3 flasks (magical)

·       1 pharos ointment (magical)

·       4 amulets (magical)

·       2 scarabs (magical)

·       12 scrolls

·       6 sticks of incense (magical)

·       2 sacrificial daggers (magical)

·       1 ivory sceptre

36.  Cadra, always the enterprising dwarf, also moves the diamond studded white monster figurine into the narrow corridor.  Cadra concentrates on his Find Traps spell again and, as feared, discovers that the magical traps have reappeared in the room and upon the figurine.  Happy with your efforts you head back up the stairs – leaving the trapped figurine for some wondering child to ignite!

37.  The party returns to the sanctum sanctorum.  Where was that powerful evil that Hellyeah detected previously?  Hellyeah casts a Detect Evil and proceeded to scan the temple.  He discovered a strong source of evil in the same steeply downward direction.  Meanwhile Q returned up stairs to collect his gear and to bring the female priest prisoner back to the party.

38.  You decide that Medinet should cast a Speak with Dead so you can speak to the dead high priest about the barred steel room and the mystical magic boat.  The spirit of the high priest returned to its lifeless corpse and Medinet commands the spirit to speak in answer to his questions.  The spirit entered into a rambling diatribe about the glory of Set and forced Medinet to get rough with the corpse in an attempt to get the spirit to answer his questions.

39.  After twenty minutes of almost nonsensical ramble Medinet has managed to glean answers, of sort, from the following questions: 

·       How do you activate the magical boat?

Travelling between planes, in the air.  The rudder is the key to moving it.  Boat goes down to the water (osirum?).  Not be able to overcome the glory of Set. Steering oar is how you get boat to go up and down. Boat in pocket? Amulet being the key works as pin on oar.

·       What is behind the locked and barred door in the secret area behind the inner sanctum?

People travelling from “this room to that room” (possibly silver sphere that disappeared?).  He trapped “demon of Set” in room.  Not there?  Sending the thing to sleep – sigils.

·       Describe how we would get through the steel door without setting off the magical effects?

People in there are asleep and it can do what it wants.  Fiend of Set, trapped, can’t get out (point of defence?).  Poisoned those he found (dead priests in cellar?)

·       Why did he trap the demon?

Getting the fiend to work for him, increasing his power, used against Raotep.  Knows were our items of Set are – being held close by.

·       Where are the nine evil items of Set?

I.                 Cleaver of Set – himself (obtained)

II.               Bloodied Moon – Captain of Guard (obtained)

III.             Serpent Ankh – Priest from village (obtained)

IV.            ? – Shrine of Set – water (osirum?)

Others – looking through the pillars, gorge and Raotep’s eternal house.

40.  After your twenty minutes had elapsed the high priest’s spirit refused to return to the netherworld, and the hereto lifeless corpse rose as a Revenant.  Although he stared evilly into Cadra’s eyes, the high priest’s animated corpse proves no more of a match than when alive and is quickly dispatched. 

41.  You review Crayon’s prophecy: “when the ship of the desert offers to sail you to the cavern of wonders, look instead to the demons on the walls.”  The party agrees that you have already dealt with the “demons of the walls” and that it is time to investigate the boat.  After many minutes of discussion on the meaning of the high priest’s ranting diatribe and inspection of the boat from afar, Cadra mumbles something about growing old, and against the better judgement of the rest of his companions, climbs into the boat!  Nothing happens.

42.  After careful examination of the steering oar and the inserting of different objects that could be the “amulet” you discover that the Ibex fits where the steering oar goes.  By moving the oar up and down you are able to raise and lower the boat.  Everyone piles into the boat and Cadra acts as the ferrydwarf (as opposed to the ferryman).

43.  The boat travels downward and joins a fast moving stream that hurtled you all along.  After several hundred feet the stream opens into a wide cavern.  There is a stink in the air and the water looks putrid.  As you survey the surroundings the boat is suddenly attacked by four 30’ long Demon Hippodiles what looked like a cross between a hippo and a crocodile).

44.  Luckily, two of the Demon Hippodiles are unable to approach the boat because of the Magic Circle against Evil scroll that Crayon had previously activated.  But the other two are able to smash into the rear of the boat, emanating a fearful aura that surprisingly have a dreadful effect on Cadra, causing him to flee to the other end of the boat.  Thankfully Crayon is on hand to calm Cadra’s nerve (Remove Fear) and Cadra sheepishly returns to the fray.

45.  Hellyeah is hit and the gaping maw slams shut on his body – effectively trapping him.  Thankfully his Stoneskin stops the massive incisors ripping into his ripe elf flesh. 

46.  Careful not to break the Magic Circle, Ballard activates the Water Walk function of the Boots of Hapy and springs out of the boat onto the water (6’ above it actually) and commences battle with slashing blows from his double-handed sword.  With his back turned, Ballard is open to attack and is trapped in a Demon Hippodile’s jaws.  Ballard tries repeatedly to force the jaws open using his prodigious strength.  Damned slippery beast!  Unable to get any leverage, each attempt fails. 

47.  Meanwhile, Q launched himself bodily on to the back of the Demon Hippodile that was attacking Hellyeah, plunging one dagger into its back as an anchor point and repeatedly stabbing it with his second dagger.

48.  The Demon Hippodile unsuccessfully trying to disembowel Hellyeah makes a move to dive with Hellyeah still clenched in its mouth.  Desperately, he remembers that he has three wands in his belt pouch – if he can just reach!  Not able to see where his hands are (trapped next to his body inside the Hippodile’s mouth), being shaken and worried about being drowned, Hellyeah felt around for the wands.  Meanwhile Crayon is changing form into a giant eagle and leaps into the air of the large cavern.

49.  Somehow Hellyeah reached a wand with the fingers of his left hand (rolled 01 with a 07% chance).  But which one?  As Medinet unleashed a Flamestrike and Q treating the Demon Hippodiles ack as a pin cushion for his dagger, Hellyeah spoke the command phrase for what he hoped to be the Wand of Burning Hands – “burn you bastard” and held his breath.  If he had one of the other wands Hellyeah was in for a long underwater swim.

50.  Success, Hellyeah’s luck was in and he felt the heat on the trapped part of his body as the flames shoot forth down the foul beast’s throat.  One last stab from Q and the beast dies, leaving Q treading water while an oar is placed near him for him to shimmy up and into the boat on.  Another hippo looks about to dive so Q launches himself onto it’s back and stabs it to death, and is then dragged 10 feet down into the dark and murky depths.

51.  Medinet was in his element, a 1000 years believing you are the god of the dead has its upside.  After deftly jumping an attempted kick form the bound priestess; he unleashed a Blade Barrier against two of the remaining Demon Hippodiles.  One is minced and the one with Ballard clamped in its jaw started to decent to the lake bottom, intent on drowning the hapless Baron.  Thinking laterally, Medinet placed his hand in the water and cast an Animate Dead to create a zombie Hippodile to attack the one taking Ballard to a watery grave.

52.  Ballard was in trouble and Palmerin believed he was the one to save him.  Activating his sustain without air ioun stone, a free action and light springing forward from the Arm of Edor, Palmarin jumped overboard and started plunging immediately to the bottom of the lake (free action though water = fall as if in air).  Q, left underwater by a sinking hippo, managed to grab Palmerin for a fast ride to the bottom, and acts as a sort of chute to slow Palmerin down, halving the damage Palmerin took when he hit the bottom.

53.  As the Demon Hippodile dove, Hellyeah cast some magic missiles into the tail of the fast disappearing beast, but a wild surge of primal magic occurred.  Watch out, but Hellyeah’s luck was in again!  The wild surge resulted in a switch in consciousness between the Demon Hippodile and Hellyeah. 

54.  This was a strange turn of events.  Palmerin and Q attacked Hellyeah new Demon Hippodile body, the Demon Hippodile tries to use Hellyeah’s body to throw Medinet overboard.

55.  Hellyeah was now in control and was very conscious of Ballard struggling for breath.  In his new Hippodile body, he grabbed Ballard in his mouth and made a rush straight for the surface, reaching it just as Ballard’s body refuses to operate any longer without fresh air in his lungs.  Given the damage he was suffering from his companions beating into the Hippodile body, Hellyeah was concerned that if Palmerin and Q continue to rip in the Hippodile it may die and he may never get back to his own body.  By rolling on its back, Hippodile Hellyeah is able to get across that the Demon Hippodile has surrendered, resulting in Q delaying further attacks.

56.  Back on the boat, Cadra steps in to restrain Hellyeah from attacking Medinet.  Even though Cadra is immensely strong with his Braces of Ogre Power, the possessed and weak elf body is somehow able to shake off his restraint; even in spirit the Demon Hippodiles are slippery, although Crayon mutters something under his breath about dwarves being no match for elves.

57.  In no time the status quo returned with Hellyeah back in his own body and the remaining Hippodile is quickly dispatched by Q and his dagger.  Palmarin on the bottom of the lake decides to explore the lairs of the Demon Hippodiles with expectation of hidden treasure!  But the underwater lairs are empty and a rope is lowered for Palmerin to climb back into the boat (Crayon makes another mental note: Palmerin in Plate Mail and free action = nice emergency anchor) Q swims to the boat and you make your way to the temple on the small island ahead.  Crayon in the form of a giant eagle (is he a wonder-twin?) has been circling the combat, and now comes in to land on the side of the boat.