Chapter 11: Curse of the Pharaohs

[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





Amethu unfurls a papyrus scroll recovered from the site of the ages-old massacre of the sect of Sutehk and reads its mystical hieroglyphs aloud. The scroll's arcane effects are as mysterious and unknowable as the masked sorcerer-priest himself.

Meanwhile, Loche discovers the stone door is booby-trapped!



Beneath its magnificent carving of the eternal embrace of Xuthalhotep and Ankhara, the Pict thief and Xorzen the Verulian crouch. They painstakingly, methodically work to jam the secret trigger mechanism hidden under the door, rendering the portal safe to open. They know not what the trigger would unleash, but are certain they've thwarted it.

Then Loche picks the doorlock with a long wire hook and a skeleton key he once lifted off a Zingaran pirate. Hearing the tumblers hit home, he withdraws his expert tools and then himself as he stands back and grunts, "All clear, boyos."


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: 6/11, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 13/26, Laying Hands: 0/1, Torch
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/14, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 8/18
  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: 11/16, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 11/21, 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]

“It’s safe?” says Kiri. He cautiosusly moves to the door.“Everybody ready?” he adds. Assuming everyone seems prepared, he will stand to the side and push the door open.

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra nods, and adjusts her grip on her mace.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin enters the room, sword and shield ready.

[Scott308]

Loche

His task accomplished, Loche will stand aside and let the bruisers enter the room first.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako waits until a few have entered before moving down the hall to the newly opened door.

[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



The explorers of the Great Pyramid gird themselves for whatever lies beyond the magnificent stone door. Then they push it open.



There is a rush of air as the chamber is unsealed after countless centuries. Garrin advances over the threshold, into the majestic tomb of Xuthalhotep and Ankhara!

The walls themselves venerate their exalted names unto eternity.



The adventurers' hungry eyes drink in the earthly splendor entombed with the royal couple; opulent goods for their everlasting lives in the worlds beyond this one. But no weapons, nor legendary artifacts of power, are visible.

In the northern alcove of the sumptuous crypt lie a matched pair of massive golden sarcophagi, glimmering in the reflected torchlight.





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: 6/11, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 13/26, Laying Hands: 0/1, Torch
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/14, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 8/18
  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: 11/16, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 11/21, 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

Zahra enters the room cautiously, studying the floor for any sign of traps. Her head moves side-to-side constantly, ready for attack.

If she needs an attribute check while looking for trap triggers:
attribute check [1d20] = 2

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen gets to work checking the walls, floor, and ceiling of this place, in that order, for any hidden doors or compartments. The masked monk is certain that the group must have finally found the chamber they have been searching for all this time.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin enters the room as well. He helps check for hidden doors. If the sarcophagi are cleared of traps, he opens the first one.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu notices he has been holding his breath and exhales slowly. He waits outside the sacred tomb for the others to first complete their search...

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako waits outside the door with Amethu.

[Scott308]

Loche

Eyes agog at the riches on display, Loche manages to wander over to the eastern sarcophagus and begin searching for traps.

Find/ Remove Traps (30%): [1d100] = 7
Find/ Remove Traps (30%): [1d100] = 47

[ChubbyPixie]

If the sarcophagi seem untrapped, Kiri will help lift the lid off one of them, ready to leap back should anything spring out. “Ok. We made it all this way. Don’t anybody die now, guys.” He keeps his eye out for the magic shield in particular.

[Inferno]

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





Was it real? Had the explorers of the Great Pyramid found the true tomb of Xuthalhotep at last?!

Knowing all too well the penchant the ancient Verulian architects had for architectural treachery, cunning secret doors and diabolical traps, they enter slowly and with caution. They painstakingly scan for devious clockwork devices of death and passageways hidden within the majestic stonework. Times ticks past in wordless, tense searching, and nothing furtive is found.

But upon the wall above the magnificent sarcophagi they find a hieroglyphic epitaph some of them have seen before. Xorzen and Zahra can translate from Old High Verulian:

• • 'My name is Xuthalhotep, pharaoh of pharaohs!
    Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!'

As Amethu and Mako look on in breathless anticipation from the hallway, Loche reaches the eastern of the twin golden sarcophagi and carefully, expertly examines it. Confirming it to be free of traps, the Pict thief nods gravely at Garrin and silently steps back.

The son of Atlantis advances with Kiri and slowly places his iron-clad hand upon the surface of the massive shimmering lid. Suddenly, the two warriors throw it open!



Within lies the ageless, lifeless remains of the most beautiful woman of the ancient world: Ankhara, queen of Verulia.

Her mummified cadaver is still wrapped in strips of cloth to preserve it for her journey through the unimaginable gulfs of eternity. But during the countless centuries, her golden death mask must have slipped from its place upon her once-ravishing features.



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: 6/11, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 13/26, Laying Hands: 0/1, Torch
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/14, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 8/18
  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: 11/16, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 11/21, 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

The Amazon joins the two at the sarcophagus. She bows her head briefly, in respect for the queen.

Please, look at her mask and make sure it isn't trapped. I would like to put it back on her face- but I'm wary of a more subtle booby-trap.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen carefully searches the inside of the sarcophagus, looking for traps or treasure. He will do the same to the next if the other lid is removed.

"Mayhap thy treasures rest beneath the bodies?"

Without touching the body, he attempts to lift any part of the interior bedding up to look below it.

[Scott308]

Loche

Loche will check the other sarcophagus for traps.

[ChubbyPixie]

“Hmmm. No shield.”

Kiri will leave the queen in peace while the others search. If the king’s sarcophagus is found to be untrapped, he’ll help lift its lid next.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"I don't know about you Amethu but I've seen enough in this place to heed its warning. I dare not step inside the tomb and be cursed further. I only pray the other's curse doesn't consume me as well."