Chapter 11: Curse of the Pharaohs

[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. Late Afternoon, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





In the low-ceilinged secret passage beyond the false tomb, Zahra the amazon guards the rear flank as scholarly Amethu cranes his neck to watch Xorzen advance alone.

The pale, hawk-masked monk cautiously approaches a magnificent door depicting a royal embrace cast in stone to outlast eternity.



Suddenly, impossibly, a shimmering, translucent, ghost-like figure of a woman appears before them!
By her raiments and regal bearing it is clear she is Ankhara, beloved of Xuthalhotep, queen of Ancient Verulia!



Tall, erect, commanding; the looming spectral image of the long-dead monarch elegantly raises one lithe hand, gesturing the mortals to halt their treasonous advance.

"Go no further, lest the Curse of the Pharaoh overtake thee! Turn back! Only death awaits thee here!" she warns darkly in the ancient language of the lost kingdom.
Then, glaring directly at Amethu, Xorzen and Zahra, she frostily demands, "Verulians, obey thy rightful queen."
Amethu quietly translates her commands into the common tongue of the outland barbarians.



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,
  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."

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

Despite her years of training, and her determination to see this through, Zahra drops to one knee at the command of the spectre. She bows her head slightly and waits.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen does not kneel.

He holds his palms towards the apparition and replies.

"My queen, we are but thine humble Verulian servants. We doth seek out the mighty magicks of the pharaoh, not for ourselves, but to defeat thy malevolent usurper known as Zargoth. Will thow not help us?"

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri looks to Xorzen while he makes his speech, then looks back expectantly to the queen. After a moment, noticing Zahra kneeling, he places his palms together and bows his head slightly in the queen's direction.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako stands silently in the back as his devoted comrades make their plea to their diety.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin interposes himself between the apparition and the rest of the party. He asks one of the Verulians to translate for him.

"You are queen here no longer, shade, if ever you were.
Go to your rest and leave the living in peace."

[ravenn4544]

Amethu bows in respect to the queen. He nods at Xorxen's words. "We do indeed seek to rid the world of such horror"

[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. Late Afternoon, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





In the age-old crypts beneath the Great Pyramid of Khemsa, a ghostlike phantom of regal Ankhara, timeless queen of lost Verulia, commands the tomb invaders to halt.

With one exception, the explorers comply. Mako and Loche keep back. Kiri bows before the shimmering monarch. Zahra the amazon kneels and lowers her head, averting her red eyes from the breathtaking majesty out of the distant past.

Xorzen of Osorus holds forth empty palms in supplication and pleads, "My queen, we are but thine humble Verulian servants. We doth seek out the mighty magicks of the pharaoh, not for ourselves, but to defeat thy malevolent usurper known as Zargoth. Will thou not help us?"

Amethu of Uthoth nods. "We do indeed seek to rid the world of such horror."

Ankhara, once queen of Verulia, sneers at these brazen, presumptuous servants. "This is why thou disturbs our eternal slumber? Why thou dares set foot within this hallowed ground? Why thou defies thy queen's behest?! Arrogant peasants, we no longer care for the puny events of Men. The holy artifacts art our own, to use forever in the afterlife as we see fit, far beyond this base, fleeting world. Turn back now!"

Then Garrin the holy warrior advances upon her, interposing himself between the apparition and his companions. "You are queen here no longer, shade, if ever you were. Go to your rest and leave the living in peace."

The beautiful queen of ruins understands his intent if not his words. "Atlantean cur!" she snarls. And then suddenly before their astonished eyes, her striking visage transforms into some ripe carrion... a living, decaying cadaver!



The explorers' beleaguered senses struggle to take it all in. There is the stench of a mortuary and the lurching queasiness of vertigo, as she keeps changing, shifting, becoming.

Then she opens a mouth alive and crawling with festering maggots and releases a deafening, piercing scream. The adventurers feel an icy, death-like chill upon their very souls as her bloodcurdling shriek fills the catacomb, their ears and verily, their world.


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,
  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."

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)

[ChubbyPixie]

Alarmed and confused at this exchange in a language he doesn't comprehend, Kiri quickly discerns that the time for paying respects is over. Seeing no way to rush past Xorzen in these confines, he instead casts a solitary Magical Missile at the thing. Magic Missile (at Level 2 Strength): [1d4+1] = 2+1 = 3

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra listens to the exchange, still kneeling. When the Queen shifts, she springs to her feet, grabbing her mace. She moves forward, ready to engage this horror.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

The eastern utters an incantation in his native tongue and disappears from sight.

Casts Invisibility and moves north just around the corner out of the line of fire.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin draws his longsword and attacks the foul imitation of ancient royalty.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 8+1 = 9; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 6+1 = 7; lg - [1d12+1] = 9+1 = 10

[ravenn4544]

Amethu stumbles back at the transformation of his queen to horrifying undead. "What have we done?" he whispers. Amethu can think of nothing but to prostrate himself before this queen and beg for mercy. He speaks of his long faith and dedication to the queen and her legacy - he begs for her to forgive their transgression!

Turn Undead: [1d20] = 10

[OGRE MAGE]

Not surprised at all that something else has decided to try to kill them in here, Xorxen lunges at the abomination with his magical javelin, landing a perfect blow if he can.

Javalin Attack [1d20+1] = 20+1 = 21 Damage [1d6+2] = 3+2 = 5

[Inferno]

Beyond 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. Late Afternoon, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





In ancient times, it was said that Ankhara, bride of Xuthalhotep and queen of Verulia, was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Now she has become like unto a thing of Death.



Her red, baleful eyes glare with burning malice. Her rotten grey flesh reeks of a charnel house. And her shrieking wail pierces the very hearts of mortal men! (everyone loses 2hp!)

At the startling transformation, Amethu stumbles back and prostrates himself before the terrible queen of tombs.

The magic spells of Mako the conjurer and Kiri Khutan are disrupted by the hellborn shriek of deathly Ankhara.

Mako lunges ten feet to the north, taking cover behind the ancient stone wall, as Zahra grips her iron mace and charges into battle alongside Xorzen and Garrin.

In one motion, Garrin the Atlantean draws steel and swings his blade at the throat of Ankhara's intangible shape! The sword passes right through her neck without harm!

But Xorzen thrusts his enchanted javelin true, stabbing deep into her shoulder! He feels physical resistance as if from a material form! And she shrieks louder in pain and hate.


Actions?!


Map Detail:



Map:

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


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 1, Monsters: [1d6] = 2 Monsters win.
Ankhara: damage: [1d3+1] = 1+1 = 2

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 8/11, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 15/26, Laying Hands: 0/1, Torch
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/14, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 10/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 8/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl,
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 7, HP: 13/16, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 13/21, 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."

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 attempts to swing his blade again at the foul creature.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 5+1 = 6; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 2+1 = 3; lg - [1d12+1] = 2+1 = 3

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra matches the creature's shriek with one of her own- full of fury and defiance. She attacks.

att [1d20+2] = 8+2 = 10
mace [1d6+3] = 5+3 = 8

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako stays behind the corner.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu reels back as the Queen brushes off his prayers for benevolence. He yet is able to raise a weapon against this mythological figurehead come to life.

[ChubbyPixie]

Wincing, Kiri will clutch his ears then set his pack down and root through it to find the magical gauntlets he’s been not wearing due to the heat. Having seen normal weapons pass right through the ghost queen, he intends to prepare an improvised weapon to thump her with in the case a space to reach her opens up.