Chapter 11: Curse of the Pharaohs

[ravenn4544]

Amethu waits patiently for terror to be unleashed in the tomb...

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen has never had the desire to covet riches or idolize magic items. He is startled slightly by Loche's maniacal reaction to the pile of gold and jewels.

The monk stays out in the hallway to protect the groups rear, still uncertain that there wont be a deadly trap sprung inside the room.

"There is no needeth to take thy pharaohs gold! We are here for items that will help us to take down the one who shant be named, nothing more!"

"Greed and the lust for gold has undoubtedly killed many a mighty man inside this place."

[Inferno]

Tomb of Xuthalhotep, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Midday, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





Nearly blinded by the shimmering reflected light of the dazzling treasure hoard, Amethu, Mako and Xorzen wait at the threshold of the tomb. The rest of the explorers cautiously enter, assuming each step to be their last.

With Kiri following in his footsteps past riches beyond measure, Loche laughs and fills his pockets with gold coins. "Ha! We've dane it, lads!"

Garrin discovers golden swords, shields and armor, all forged before the foundations of Atlantis were laid by his forefathers.

Zahra raises her torch and finds no other light source beyond their own in this astonishing treasure vault of the ancients. Her torchflame is reflected in the twin golden sarcophagi that hold the preserved remains of Xuthalhotep and Ankhara as they wait out the passing of eternity.





Actions? (...and those that entered the tomb, please roll a Save on 1d20. Please post your actions regardless of the outcome. Thanks)




Map Detail:



Map:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/11, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 17/26, Laying Hands: 0/1, Torch
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light spell
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 7, HP: 15/16, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 15/21, Torch

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (All except Amethu and Zahra): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Light (Mako): Duration: 19 rounds.

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin concentrates on the items in the room, trying to determine if any are cursed.

Uses Detect Evil on items in the room.
Saving throw [1d20] = 3
Crap.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"Please hurry, but be careful. I have an uneasy feeling about this room. Get what we need and leave the rest." he says standing at the doorway.

[Urson]

Zahra

attribute check [1d20] = 4

Zahra crosses to the weapons and begins collecting them. We can sort them outside. I agree this is a place to leave quickly!

[ChubbyPixie]

Save: [1d20] = 17
"Yes, we must not loot the place, Loche. That, I suspect, will only bring the pestilence warned about on the door," says Kiri. "Our goal is to defeat he who shall remain unnamed - only then may we say that we have 'done it,' I think."

He will look over the weapons Zahra is collecting to see if they seem to fit the description of the artifacts they are to gather. "Somehow I suspect the items we seek are in there," he says, indicating the king and queen's sarcophagi.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen stays put in the doorway, outside of the room. He readies his javelin for whatever is about to imminently pop up and attack.

”Heedeth thine warnings of your friends, master thief!”

[Inferno]

Tomb of Xuthalhotep, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Midday, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





"Get what we need and leave the rest!"

Mako and Xorzen cry urgent warnings from beyond the threshold. Admonished, Loche the Pict sheepishly empties his pockets of ancient coins. Most of them anyway.

Kiri and Zahra race to assess the glimmering weapons of the unsealed treasure vault, expecting certain doom to descend upon them at any moment.

Garrin's divine powers detect no supernatural evil lurking in the crypt of the pharaoh. However, his earthly senses do perceive something. A shimmering greatsword feels wrong in his hand. On a hunch, he tests it against a wall-mounted shield and the long blade shatters! The son of Atlantis examines the splintered sword and realizes it is forged of lead, painted gold.

Seeing this, Loche bites one of the remaining gold coins from his pockets and it bends easily between his clenched teeth. "A fake! Tis a false tomb! We've bin fooled!" cries the thief in angry indignation at having been robbed of that which he had rightfully stolen.


Actions?!


Map Detail:



Map:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Loche: [1d20] = 11 Fails.
Only Garrin makes a Save vs Int on 1d20-5 and discovers the deception.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/11, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 17/26, Laying Hands: 0/1, Torch
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light spell
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 7, HP: 15/16, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 15/21, Torch

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (All except Amethu and Zahra): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Light (Mako): Duration: 18 rounds.

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[ravenn4544]

Amehthu ponders the events as he strokes his amulet. "A false tomb is indeed a possibility. Perhaps a search for secret doors/exists in the tomb would be fruitful? Under the sarcophagus? In the walls?.."

[ChubbyPixie]

“Hmm. Yes...” says Kiri. If he’s irritated by the ancient deception, he doesn’t show it. He approaches one of the sarcophagi and tests it to see if it seems moveable.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"No, no, no! It can not be true. This must be the tomb. Cursed you Xuthalhotep!" he says into the back of his right hand where the strange symbol still resides.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin helps search for secret or hidden doors and passages. He also helps search the sarcophagus.

[OGRE MAGE]

Unfazed by the discovery of the false treasure, Xorxen finally decides that it might be safe to enter the room.

He says nothing, but begins searching the rooms walls and floors for any hidden doors or compartments.

[Scott308]

Loche

Disappointed that his treasure find was a fake, Locke begins searching the walls, hoping to find a hidden room where the real treasure resides. Eh! Gotta be a hidden treasure room somewhere, innit?

[Urson]

Zahra

When the deception is revealed, Zahra goes on high alert, trying to look everywhere at once.

A false tomb would be excellent bait for a trap!

[Inferno]

The False Tomb, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Midday, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





Mako of Khitai cries out in bitter anguish, cursing the ancient pharaoh Xuthalhotep. He glares at the blemish on his hand, a stigmata he has borne since he drank of the font of the oracle near the zenith of the Great Pyramid.

Zahra refuses to succumb to despair. The fierce amazon remains ever vigilant.

Garrin of Argos and Kiri of the distant East slowly approach the gleaming twin sarcophagi.



They stand aside one magnificent coffin and gently try to move it. They find it lighter than they expected. Perhaps it is carved of wood and merely painted gold. Beneath it, nothing is uncovered.

Xorzen the Verulian and Loche the Pict methodically tap the walls in search of concealed doors or secret passageways. They find an expanse of wall that makes a hollow sound when tested. Its decorated surface betrays neither seams nor cracks.





Actions?!



Map Detail:



Map:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/11, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 17/26, Laying Hands: 0/1, Torch
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light spell
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 7, HP: 15/16, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 15/21, Torch

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (All except Amethu and Zahra): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Light (Mako): Duration: 16 rounds.

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Urson]

Zahra

The albino continues her 'sentry duty', letting the Thieves and Wise ones look for an exit or a trap.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu continues sentry as well as he ponders the mysteries of the tomb... What item are we seeking that can serve to defeat the evil pharoh?

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri looks down at his grandfather amulet. “We haven’t talked in a long time grandfather. I’ve been busy. What do you make of all this? What is next for us?” His grandfather scowls back at him, then - Kiri is sure - his eyes flicker over to the hollow wall. Kiri nods. ”Thank you, grandfather,” he says. The old man almost always says the most obvious thing, he thinks.