Aartuat and Beyond
The Village of Aartuat.
After signing-in with the desk sergeant at the caravanserai most of the Party moved out to explore the village while Biscuit decided to head for the dunes and a sand-bath!
First stop, at Allowain's insistence, was the merchants where soft cushions and horse-lineament were purchased as well as several bottles of rice wine. The Party noted the merchant, Hept-F-Hra's interactions with his youngest son, who wandered into he shop, with some disapproval. After the merchants, they went to check out the tavern, The House of Horus' Fortune, which proved a fine hospitable tavern where several drinks were taken as they soaked up the local atmosphere, attempted to discern any rumours flying around (mainly concerning them and also the disappearance the night before of one of the local shepherds) and also locate their contact Khonsu-Khaibet. Valentine also popped across to road to The House of All Neteru, where he met Atmu-thoth-rahat, the dealer in religious items that had been mentioned to them. Returning to the tavern to finish their drinks, he discovered that Biscuit had rejoined them from his ablutions and was busy downing the local brew at a rate of knots. Having secured directions to Khonsu-Khaibet's cottage, they returned to the caravanserai and after an indifferent meal went to check out the accommodations there, which were basic to say the least. Fallanthey was unwilling to stay the night there not liking the look of the dingy straw-filled mattresses and they decided to take rooms at the tavern, where Jormungadr helped the local entertainers while away the evening.
Heading southwards, following the stream it led them to a narrow valley dominated by large pool surrounded by heavily cultivated land and fruit trees. As they passed by the pool a huge demoncroc launched itself out of the water at them and nearly proved the end of Biscuit and Allowain before it was slain. Somewhat shaken by this unexpected attack they went on to to meet the priest of Hapy in his cave nearby. Merha-Aptut seemed shocked by what had occurred outside his home, but commented that many strange and unsettling things had been happening in the region recently. He asked that they remove the vile corpse form polluting the sacred pool, which the Party readily agreed to. After spending some time discussing what clerical services he could provide,and Valentine putting in an order for a wand of cure light wounds, the Party departed back to the village.
Stopping by the slain demoncroc they dragged the corpse out of the sacred pool. While doing this Biscuit suggested they cut the beast open. This they did, finding not only human remains, presumably of the missing shepherd, but also three small statuettes.
Ambush in the Desert
Returning to Aartuat, the Party split up. Allowain headed to the Carvanserai to report finding the missing shepherd's body inside the demoncroc, Biscuit headed to the merchant's to restock on rice wine while Valentine and the others headed to The House of All Neteru to get the statuettes they had retrieved from the demoncroc checked out. Atmu identified that all of the statuettes were tainted by evil, one in particular he recommended should be destroyed as soon as possible, while he suggested the others may prove useful - if certain precautions were taken. As the precautions involved encasing the statuettes in very expensive pure gold caskets, Valentine, after consulting the others, eventually decided to sell them instead Allowain meanwhile accompanied some troopers back to the Pool Of Hapy to investigate the scene and retrieve the shepherd's body.
They spent a pleasant evening in The House of Horus's Fortune and early next morning set off northwards towards the Gorge of Osiris. They had traveled four or five miles across the rocky scrub land that made up the edge of the desert sands when suddenly a flame strike slammed down on them!
As the most of the Party scatted for cover, Jormungadr opted for the dramatic death scene, and crossbow bolts rained down on them form the surrounding high ground. Biscuit and Allowain tried to get to their assailants, however Biscuits failures to jump up to attack them caused their opponent's some ribald amusement. Fallanthey, taking cover in some nearby scrub so she could quaff a potion, suddenly found herself plunged into deeper darkness. Valentine meanwhile had other problems as a summoned fiendish ape appeared and attacked him.
Allowain and Biscuit finally manged to get among their foes and laid into them, assisted by a celestial hippogriff summoned by Jormungadr. Fallanthey, as another flame strike detonated around her cast fly and rose up out of the deeper darkness and retaliated casting a lightning bolt at her assailant.
While their friends dealt with the bandits on the rise to the south, Jormungadr cast invisibility on Valentine, but this proved little problem to the ape who sniffed the air and then attacked the cleric. , Valentine instructed Jormungadr to grab his ankle and cast dimension door, taking them away from the ape and among their assailants to the north.
After a fearsome battle all of the bandits, save one Biscuit instructed to flee were dead. After Valentine cast detect magic, the Party began to search the bodies. Most of the bandits appeared to be little more than common thieves, though each had shiny new gold coins in their purse, however three were better armed and equipped. One, obviously the bandits leader, had several magic items, including on amulet of a blood red moon that radiated a palpable aura of evil. Two of the others, a cleric and a sorcerer, also had several magic items the cleric also possessing an ankh fashioned from a twisted metal serpent that also radiated evil.
Deciding that they had best get these two evil items checked out they decided to return to the village and another consultation with Atmu was arranged. He advised that that both these items were extremely powerful evil artifacts and should be kept hidden and secured. Following this, after reporting the encounter to the desk sergeant at the caravanserai and receiving a reward for dispatching the bandits, they party returned to the inn and spent a quite night resting - apart from Fallanthey who was pressed into casting identify on as many of the magic items they had retrieved as possible.
The Pylon of the Duat
After a couple of days rest and recovery the Party headed out for te Gorge of Osiris once more. Just after midday. Valentine announced they were nearing their destination as a series of rising cliffs rose out of the scrub-land. Rounding a prominent spur of the high ground they saw that the entrance to the Gorge was blocked by a stone fortress dominated by a massive hieroglyphic covered pylon in which a dark entrance-way looked not at all inviting.As ever, while the others pondered their actions, Biscuit charged forward and called out. There was no answer, but listening carefully he though he could hear beasts moving about. He moved in carefully using his darkvision to pierce the gloom. Seeing the half-orc disappear into the interior, the others moved up to the entrance way.As Biscuit got about 30 feet in a deep sonorous voice called out to him in the language of Khemit. Not understanding, the monk called back to Valentine asking him to translate. Valentine moved forward and advised that the figure a jackal headed humanoid whom Valentineidentified as the god Anubis, appeared to be basically asking who they were so he might "discharge his duty to Osiris", but somewhat oddly, also seemed to think they were in fact dead!
Biscuit responded that they weren't dead and Valentine helpfully added that they wanted to "pass through". Anubis agreed to help them "pass though" and raised a finger, pointed and cast destruction on Biscuit .
Surviing the spell, Biscuit charged forward. Jormungadr and Fallanthey cast light on a coin and an arrow respectively firing them in to illuminate the darkness. However as they moved forward, they were suddenly cut off as Anubis cast blade barrier. Biscuit was left facing the figure of Anubis alone - or so he though as two wolfweres emerge out of the darkness behind the god and attacked him. Then the god reached out and touched him casting slay living. Surviving this second onslaught, Biscuit withdrew, taking even more damage as he passed through the blade barrier.
Leaving the Pylon the Party set up camp nearby and discussed their options, eventually lacking any ideas Valentine decided to cast a divination spell if they rested overnight. Next morning after casting the divination, Valentine came back with the cryptic advice "Give the god his due and heal the broken mind!
Puzzling over this crptic advice, they headed back into the Pylon once more and as Anubis once more appeared, tried talking their way through again. This approach, somewhat predicably ended badly when Anubis's offer of helping them seemed to primarily consist of killing them!
This time Anubis was joined by a veritable menagerie of were-creatures who attacked furiously. A free-for-all melee ensued to the accompanyment of spells flying everywhere. Swords flashed, teeth bit and fists flew in the gloom, illuminated by the detonation of flame strike and fireball spells round them. Fallanthey was badly injured and withdrew to take a potion while Valentine, subjet to multiple assaults was struck down and lay dying. A giant eagle summoned by Jormungadr only added to the general chaos.
Suddenly, Allowain had an idea and tumbling through the combatants towards Anubis used a scroll of heal on him. Suddenly the god stopped casting spells, dropped the glamour around him and removing the jackal headed mask stood looking confusedly around him asking what was going on. Seeing this, the surviving were-creatures fled the scene, allowing Valentine to be healed of his wounds.