Post by venger on Oct 22, 2014 23:34:05 GMT -5
With their masters defeated, the mortal minions of Set retreated in panic while their infernal allies set the courtyard ablaze with hellfire.
Battle-weary, our heroes gathered the fallen and Dariel began the evacuation to the White Tower. There, in the safety of the Room of Healing, the party rested from the long battle and took stock of casualties.
Everyone was near exhaustion and injured to some extent. Colby was dead, burnt beyond recognition; Khonsu Khaibet and Friedrich were dead, re-animated by evil necromancy and then destroyed by holy power. Mary was undead and magically Sunk into the temple courtyard. Grimstone was gone, taken (somewhere terrible no doubt) by the fiend Metu-En-Neteru. Finnious was reduced to a drooling idiot by mind-affecting magicks. Youssef and Tirian were pale and drawn, having felt the soul-sucking touch of the undead. And while the Heart of Law filled Azhbar with an unnatural vigor, the toll it took on his mortal body was terrible indeed.
Only Dariel, still resplendent in his gleaming armor, seemed unscathed by the grueling conflict.
Healing potions were doled out from the ever-dwindling supply and Dan used a scroll to Heal Finnious of his mental enfeeblement. A hearty Heroes’ Feast was served from the lion-engraved soapstone platter and, thus fortified, Dariel returned the party to the Temple of Set.
The temple complex and the courtyard continued to smoke and smolder, but of the pit fiends there was no sign. The sphinx-golems lining the path to the temple had returned to their stone perches and those slaves who had not fled into the desert milled about uneasily in the yard by the smithy.
A glowing falcon flew forth from the temple, hailing the party as triumphant heroes. Enduring the scrutiny of the paladins, the falcon proclaimed itself an emissary of the god Horus and mortal enemy of Set.
In prophetic tones the Falcon of Horus cryptically announced that the Fifteen Age of Man was at hand.
Since the beginning of history humanity has measured time in Ages. Ages of Glory, Ages of Dreams and even of Great Sorrows marked the human tally of years, giving a sense of order to the events of past millennia. But one age has yet to occur-- an age of darkness, of decay and of writhing doom. Witty bards and wrathful priests know it as the Age of Worms, weaving it into the peripheries of their passions plays as a mythic era of destruction that could begin at any time. Astrologers, diviners and the servants of Fate know more… and the canniest among them fear that the Age of Worms may have already begun.
More practically, the divine falcon explained the nature of the Spark Incarnate. And more importantly, how it could be vanquished by swapping the sun and moon spheres (obviously) in the ritual chambers adjoining the temple. There was some grumbling amongst the party as to the timing of this revelation, but a “better late than never” sentiment prevailed. Hefting the stone orbs was a simple task and the temple structure seemed to groan audibly as the Spark was utterly destroyed, no longer able to convey the intangible tributes of sacrifice through infernal conduits so that Set might feed upon their power.
Mary was unearthed with the magical wand obtaining from the Mud Sorcerer’s Tomb and restored to life from unlife with a prayer scroll prepared by Dan. Friedrich’s consecrated ashes were collected in a flask.
The Falcon of Horus warned that the minions of Set were numerous and would soon return in force to reclaim their temple. Thus followed a hurried, but systematic looting of the temple complex and its slaughtered inhabitants, during which it became evident that the wizard’s laboratory had been ransacked and some fleeing Set-worshippers had absconded with valuables from the temple’s treasure vault.
Despite this, a substantial amount of coin, jewelry and object d’art remained and a search of the dragon stables turned up another sizeable hoard of mixed coins and gems.
Weapons of surprising quality were discovered on the bodies of the fallen and investigation of the smithy turned up a master sword-smith of Far Eastern origin, eager to league with our heroes in exchange for his freedom.
The keen logistical minds of the party’s warriors could recognize from the stockpiles of supplies and equipment that a large force of soldiers was being fielded by the Set worshippers.
Within the inner sanctum of the High Priest Habtu, much was revealed about the evil machinations of the Settites.
Correspondences between the High Priest and the Sepat Governor of Inny showed the governor to be secretly in league with these powerful agents of Set and, through bribery, deceit and other nefarious means, to have convinced several other governors to join him in revolt, his eventual plan to assume the role of Vizier of Middle Aegypt.
Notes specified the whereabouts of several of the lich’s soul objects: the Cleaver of Set, the scimitar “Bloodied Moon,” the Serpent-Ankh and the Book of Eternity being located outside of the tomb.
It seemed even the followers of Pneusset dared not enter the tomb for fear of the traps and powerful guardians within.
Also of note:
An Achaen war-machine was purchased for the staggering sum of seventy-thousand gold.
The return of the Immortal King plunged the serpent-men into a civil war and the Set-worshipping purebloods were losing the conflict. Enigmatic notes on Yuanti blood purity accompanied these writings.
The twin sisters Hetepsi and Sehret were promised as tribute to vampires of the House of Night Wind’s Song.
A large investiture of resources was allocated to digging up a black obelisk or tower somewhere in the eastern desert.
A vile font of black water invoked a terrible vision that Haddiq would later describe as The End of all things, the death of stars and existence, orbiting… something that he could not see… some force or entity that saw him.
It is said in millennia past the ancestors protected the stars as they followed their courses, for there are wolves in the Outer Dark. Yet what manner of creature would consume the stars as though they were sheep in the field?
Looking deeper into the dark waters of the font, Paavo saw another vision; one of endless graveyards broken only by massive mausoleums, tremendous tombs and portentous pyramids. Light and shadow seemed reversed and the looming sky created a pit of fear within him. His point of view advanced rapidly- the horizon filled with fire and within that inferno a dark ovoid glistened. The vision faded and was almost gone, then came back as strongly. From the horizon, a blot of loathsome darkness rose like a moon. In the darkness, an inhuman skull leered as a wave of fear passed into him. His soul cringed and he knew that he had seen the dread moon of Sepulchre, Hurlothrumbo, the “Doom in the Sky”. A scream like a lost soul, not his own, ended the vision.
Gronk smashed somewhat ineffectually at the evil font with a mace he had acquired from a fallen Priest of Set. The stone did not yield.
Lest the forces of darkness return to the Temple and catch them in their weakened, wearied state; our heroes made preparations to depart.
Dariel would transport Haddiq and the remains of Colby, Friedrich and Khonsu Khaibet to the head of the river Nylle, and then southward to Istantar and the Grand Temple of Thoth, to present the evidence gathered and beg the revivification of their comrades.
The Falcon of Horus would lead the rest of the party, burdened with treasure taken from the Temple of Set, northward, to the Valley of Osiris and the vicinity of Aartuat, where Haidar and Nordel waited with the Ship of Earth & Sea…
Paavo: 592997
Dan: 313754
Youssef: 178663
Colby: 719400 10746
Haddiq: 183221
Gronk: 80075
Ahmed: 25901
Finnious: 164638 179668
Grimstone: 97282
Tirian of Asalbar: 200592
Vashalla: 90041
Bakenmut: 68955
Moram: 130037
The Heart of Law regains 7th level.
Battle-weary, our heroes gathered the fallen and Dariel began the evacuation to the White Tower. There, in the safety of the Room of Healing, the party rested from the long battle and took stock of casualties.
Everyone was near exhaustion and injured to some extent. Colby was dead, burnt beyond recognition; Khonsu Khaibet and Friedrich were dead, re-animated by evil necromancy and then destroyed by holy power. Mary was undead and magically Sunk into the temple courtyard. Grimstone was gone, taken (somewhere terrible no doubt) by the fiend Metu-En-Neteru. Finnious was reduced to a drooling idiot by mind-affecting magicks. Youssef and Tirian were pale and drawn, having felt the soul-sucking touch of the undead. And while the Heart of Law filled Azhbar with an unnatural vigor, the toll it took on his mortal body was terrible indeed.
Only Dariel, still resplendent in his gleaming armor, seemed unscathed by the grueling conflict.
Healing potions were doled out from the ever-dwindling supply and Dan used a scroll to Heal Finnious of his mental enfeeblement. A hearty Heroes’ Feast was served from the lion-engraved soapstone platter and, thus fortified, Dariel returned the party to the Temple of Set.
The temple complex and the courtyard continued to smoke and smolder, but of the pit fiends there was no sign. The sphinx-golems lining the path to the temple had returned to their stone perches and those slaves who had not fled into the desert milled about uneasily in the yard by the smithy.
A glowing falcon flew forth from the temple, hailing the party as triumphant heroes. Enduring the scrutiny of the paladins, the falcon proclaimed itself an emissary of the god Horus and mortal enemy of Set.
In prophetic tones the Falcon of Horus cryptically announced that the Fifteen Age of Man was at hand.
Since the beginning of history humanity has measured time in Ages. Ages of Glory, Ages of Dreams and even of Great Sorrows marked the human tally of years, giving a sense of order to the events of past millennia. But one age has yet to occur-- an age of darkness, of decay and of writhing doom. Witty bards and wrathful priests know it as the Age of Worms, weaving it into the peripheries of their passions plays as a mythic era of destruction that could begin at any time. Astrologers, diviners and the servants of Fate know more… and the canniest among them fear that the Age of Worms may have already begun.
More practically, the divine falcon explained the nature of the Spark Incarnate. And more importantly, how it could be vanquished by swapping the sun and moon spheres (obviously) in the ritual chambers adjoining the temple. There was some grumbling amongst the party as to the timing of this revelation, but a “better late than never” sentiment prevailed. Hefting the stone orbs was a simple task and the temple structure seemed to groan audibly as the Spark was utterly destroyed, no longer able to convey the intangible tributes of sacrifice through infernal conduits so that Set might feed upon their power.
Mary was unearthed with the magical wand obtaining from the Mud Sorcerer’s Tomb and restored to life from unlife with a prayer scroll prepared by Dan. Friedrich’s consecrated ashes were collected in a flask.
The Falcon of Horus warned that the minions of Set were numerous and would soon return in force to reclaim their temple. Thus followed a hurried, but systematic looting of the temple complex and its slaughtered inhabitants, during which it became evident that the wizard’s laboratory had been ransacked and some fleeing Set-worshippers had absconded with valuables from the temple’s treasure vault.
Despite this, a substantial amount of coin, jewelry and object d’art remained and a search of the dragon stables turned up another sizeable hoard of mixed coins and gems.
Weapons of surprising quality were discovered on the bodies of the fallen and investigation of the smithy turned up a master sword-smith of Far Eastern origin, eager to league with our heroes in exchange for his freedom.
The keen logistical minds of the party’s warriors could recognize from the stockpiles of supplies and equipment that a large force of soldiers was being fielded by the Set worshippers.
Within the inner sanctum of the High Priest Habtu, much was revealed about the evil machinations of the Settites.
Correspondences between the High Priest and the Sepat Governor of Inny showed the governor to be secretly in league with these powerful agents of Set and, through bribery, deceit and other nefarious means, to have convinced several other governors to join him in revolt, his eventual plan to assume the role of Vizier of Middle Aegypt.
Notes specified the whereabouts of several of the lich’s soul objects: the Cleaver of Set, the scimitar “Bloodied Moon,” the Serpent-Ankh and the Book of Eternity being located outside of the tomb.
It seemed even the followers of Pneusset dared not enter the tomb for fear of the traps and powerful guardians within.
Also of note:
An Achaen war-machine was purchased for the staggering sum of seventy-thousand gold.
The return of the Immortal King plunged the serpent-men into a civil war and the Set-worshipping purebloods were losing the conflict. Enigmatic notes on Yuanti blood purity accompanied these writings.
The twin sisters Hetepsi and Sehret were promised as tribute to vampires of the House of Night Wind’s Song.
A large investiture of resources was allocated to digging up a black obelisk or tower somewhere in the eastern desert.
A vile font of black water invoked a terrible vision that Haddiq would later describe as The End of all things, the death of stars and existence, orbiting… something that he could not see… some force or entity that saw him.
It is said in millennia past the ancestors protected the stars as they followed their courses, for there are wolves in the Outer Dark. Yet what manner of creature would consume the stars as though they were sheep in the field?
Looking deeper into the dark waters of the font, Paavo saw another vision; one of endless graveyards broken only by massive mausoleums, tremendous tombs and portentous pyramids. Light and shadow seemed reversed and the looming sky created a pit of fear within him. His point of view advanced rapidly- the horizon filled with fire and within that inferno a dark ovoid glistened. The vision faded and was almost gone, then came back as strongly. From the horizon, a blot of loathsome darkness rose like a moon. In the darkness, an inhuman skull leered as a wave of fear passed into him. His soul cringed and he knew that he had seen the dread moon of Sepulchre, Hurlothrumbo, the “Doom in the Sky”. A scream like a lost soul, not his own, ended the vision.
Gronk smashed somewhat ineffectually at the evil font with a mace he had acquired from a fallen Priest of Set. The stone did not yield.
Lest the forces of darkness return to the Temple and catch them in their weakened, wearied state; our heroes made preparations to depart.
Dariel would transport Haddiq and the remains of Colby, Friedrich and Khonsu Khaibet to the head of the river Nylle, and then southward to Istantar and the Grand Temple of Thoth, to present the evidence gathered and beg the revivification of their comrades.
The Falcon of Horus would lead the rest of the party, burdened with treasure taken from the Temple of Set, northward, to the Valley of Osiris and the vicinity of Aartuat, where Haidar and Nordel waited with the Ship of Earth & Sea…
Paavo: 592997
Dan: 313754
Youssef: 178663
Colby: 719400 10746
Haddiq: 183221
Gronk: 80075
Ahmed: 25901
Finnious: 164638 179668
Grimstone: 97282
Tirian of Asalbar: 200592
Vashalla: 90041
Bakenmut: 68955
Moram: 130037
The Heart of Law regains 7th level.
