Archaeological Expedition

Summary

Adventure: Archaeological Expedition
GM: Keith
Session: Winter 819
Night: Tuesdays
Location: Smiths
Level: Low

Party

• Minerva - Human Celestial Played by Jacqui (Primary Mil Sci)
• Kaitva - Dwarven Namer played by Anne Party Leader
• Elderan - Elf Air Mage Played by Ian
• Sylvestor - Elf Water Mage played by Justis (Scribe)
• Mort - Human Necromancer played by Beth (Secondary Mil-Sci)
• Eugene - Human Necromancer played by Sam
• Emrys? - Fire Mage human played by Paul

Employer: Jaffar, Arabi Ambassador for Seagate.

Mission: Exploring the Necropolis of Wati and recording the history for the Priests of Wati

Pay: Assorted Loot found by the party.

Scribe Notes

Winter 819

Archaeological Expedition

We meet up in guild meeting room 4 and 3/4, I thought to myself who would name a room that.

We introduced ourselves to each other, whilst a member of guild security stood in a corner. After we had finished introducing ourselves, we were introduced to a Merchant from Arabi. His name was Jaffar, he was also the Arabi Ambassador for Seagate.

He informed us that the Lady of Graves and the Priests of Wati, would like to learn the history of the Necropolis in Wati, and that they are hiring adventuring parties to investigate the ruins and record what they find.

He told us the best way to travel there would be on his magic flying carpet, family sized of course. 70 feet by 70 feet in size. But we would have to wait for tomorrow as there is a storm outside. The storm was being summoned by the Heavy Metal concert.

We discussed Party Leader, Mil-Sci and Scribe, before setting out to prepare ourselves for the season. The entire party went to Aaron to get Greaters @ rank 14. Basilic was also in the guild and was offering free rank 20 lessers.

The following day, we proceeded to meet our employer on the guild’s airstrip. Where he was unrolling an enormous carpet, Aurora was there and handed him a sum of money, before clambering onto the Carpet. The rest of us wondered what she was doing and when asked she said it was the perfect day to skydive. We all got on the carpet and took off zooming into the air, the carpet acting much like a cloud.

Aurora jumped off at about 40,000 feet in the air. I proceeded to train Eugene in hand-axe and shield as he hadn’t had time to rank between adventures and we were supposed to be on the cloud for a week. About 2 days in we figured out there was going to be a storm, and Eldoran attempted to help us outrun it with a mage wind. Needless to say we got caught in it, and she was a rough one too.

I attempted to persuade one of the Necro’s to act as a lightning rod.

 “We need some lightning protection.” – Jaffar
 “Hey Eugene I have a job for you, take this sword.” – Sylvestor

We did also happen to see some Air elementals playing and before we could hide from them, they came swooping down towards us. They bounced off the reflective shield that the carpet came with. Merging into one they questioned us on why we were flying through their airspace. Our Air mage replied in kind that it was the fastest way to travel. To which they agreed, then complained that everyone used the air to travel and it annoyed them.

We then traded some perfumes and the stench of our Necro (who we assumed hadn’t washed in months and was a Necro so smelled like the dead) for the Elementals to get us out of the storm as fast as they could.

All up it only took us 5 days to arrive in Arabi, we were escorted inside Jaffar’s estate, an enormous mansion, and shown to our wing, that’s right not rooms, an entire wing was dedicated to us, we had our own servants, and everything. We put the Necro’s together because they both smelt bad, the Ladies shared a room, and the elves shared a room

We had a visit around the town for a bit and saw two other adventuring groups.

 ‘’I’ll put my college in one room, and I will sleep in another.’’ – Eugene

 ‘’We’re very Elemental, aren’t we?’’ – Minerva
 ‘’Yes, very mental. “– Kaitva

We get told by Jaffar that we must register ourselves down in the competition, and that the registrations will take place in the market square where the other teams will also be registering.

We see only a few groups that spike our interests, one is a group from Tac, I don’t know, the other party members were acting like they were our rivals of some kind so when one of them tried to insult us. I believe we shut him down every time.

Another of these groups was a dark cloaked group who kept huddled up whispering amongst themselves. They reminded me of the ‘’traditional’’ Goth kids.

We get to the front of the registering queue and we get number 72.

Once all the groups have their numbers, the High Priestess, Sebtee the Crocodile, opens the ceremony and explains things like the rules which are

 ‘’Remember How This Came to Pass: The Plague of Madness was unleashed upon the city of Wati while religious authorities were engaged in infighting. This rule is a reminder that the necropolis remains a holy place, and those who engage in needless conflict and banditry are not only criminals, but accursed. 

 Every Slave's Hut Is a Memorial: Every structure within the necropolis is a testament to the people who lived and died in the city. Explorers must not desecrate or vandalize standing structures and tombs, but preserve them as the memorials they were intended to be. Some structures may be trapped or decrepit, but willful and unnecessary destruction will not be tolerated. 

 Honor the Departed: The dead should be treated with dignity and respect. If the interred need to be disturbed to recover an antiquity or relic, they should be returned to their resting places carefully. It is understood that the ancient dead are often brittle, but there is no need for the contents of a sarcophagus to be summarily dumped on the ground. This rule does not apply to the undead or other abominations.’’

Then the lottery starts, when our number is called Kaitva goes to collect our lot. We get the Tomb of Akhentepi. As we passed the dark cloaked group, we got that they were pissed about something, Listening in I hear that they were mad they didn’t get ‘’The Temple’’ Later I inform the party to watch out for them. Minerva heads to the city library, to research and stumbles into the Pathfinder adventuring party, Merisiel and Kyra. They also mention Esren and Valeros.

Minerva meets Esren inside the library, and exchanges brief words with him mostly about why they were here. Then she goes to find information about Akhentepi. As it turns out he was a military commander dating back to well before AP.

We head home to rest for the evening, followed by heading to our tomb the next morning. We do our prep with spells. Then we open the tomb, inside we are greeted with a giant wheel blocking the doorway, we move this and open it up. When we D/A statues we get Illusionary aura, that reveal names. We enter a small room with a 50-foot pit in it, however we get attracted to a noise behind us. What we see appears to be a see-through scorpion where we can see its guts and everything. We make rather short work of it thanks to one of our Necro’s churning its guts. Causing at least half the party to be sick.

We climb down the pit into a 20 by 20 by 10 room. There are double doors at one end and a hole (that we climbed down) in the ceiling. We also find the dead body of some poor unfortunate soul who was left behind by their partner. We question him for a bit to find out what was in store for us beyond those two doors.

On the other side was a corridor that was littered with pressure plates which would trigger darts to fly out and hit anyone who stepped on the pressure plates. These however weren’t an issue as I managed to disable all ten pressure plates.

We enter an entry hall to what we assume is the tomb. There was nothing of interest in here, so we head into the room to our left. We are greeted by a massive floor to ceiling mirror. Several members of the party looked at it, others made sure to be looking away from it. Those who looked at it managed to resist being branded as a tomb robber.

We then followed the path out of the room which led to a smaller room where two giant spiders appeared. Very shortly the room was filled with Geysers, Fireballs, Starfire bolts and those spiders died quickly.

Moving onwards into the tomb we came across a room where about 30 small wooden and rag and string golems attacked us. Eldoran and I elected not to rush the golems.

 ‘’I’ve seen the size of Emrys’ balls, I’m not going in there.’’ – Eldoran

After swiftly defeating our foe, we went in to secure the loot

Inside the room was a group of funerary masks, and three weird potions. 10 pt. Healing, Healing and Enhanced Vision were the d/a’s we got, 2 books, heavy books weighing 25 pounds, but worth 300 sp were also claimed.

The chest we got them from also had a poison known as Green Blood Oil, and would deal 1 endurance damage.

We prepared to move further into the tomb

Once we secured that lot of loot, we went down the stairs, we were attacked by a Sand Elemental, which hurt the party a bit. Right up until I cast Geyser and obliterated it with the water which was ‘’Super Effective’’

Following this we continued downstairs and came to another two doors. One door led to what appeared to be an unfinished cavern, after checking for hidden apertures we managed to find a door, but we couldn’t open it from our side. From beyond this door, we could hear something big on lots of legs. We named it a Hippopottorpede

 ‘’A Hippo with a lightning bolt scar, and glasses, with 100 legs.’’ - Sylvestor

We then moved on to the other door which led down. Another door opened led to some stairs up. This door was warded, and we had dispelled it. Then we had stairs back up. At the top of these stairs was another door. We unlocked and opened it to reveal a larger room with a sarcophagus and four pillars on a raised platform. Eldoran walked up and knocked on the sarcophagus. It came alive. Then lightning started zapping him from the four pillars. Then the doors slammed close. Then water started to flood the room. The party was split in half, with Eugene and Kaitva, our Mechanicians on this side of the door. Eldoran and I were also here, leaving Minerva, Mort and Emrys on the other side.

We took a Mil-Sci timeout, Eldoran had to deal with the sarcophagus, I had to water breath people. Whilst our mechanician’s were to attempt to open the door.

The room filled up very quickly I did manage to get three water breathings off before the room was filled completely. Then with the swim speed of a water mage I went, and water breathed the last party member in the room. We then pulled a torch sconce lever, and the water drained and then the doors opened. Now reunited with the full party, we continued to clear the tomb pushing through as we did.

We came to potentially the last room after clearing all the loot, and opened the door…

 “There is a Sarcophagus on a raised platform…” – Gm describing room
 “Nope, I know where this goes. *Shuts Door*” – Sylvestor

We eventually went in and this was in fact the final room of Akhentepi tomb. We recorded the place then bolted out the door. With all the loot of course.

After arriving back in town, we heard everyone was gathered at a local tavern. So, Minerva went to go deal with the loot and records to hand in to the priests. The rest of us went to learn what sort of adventures the other groups had been up to. I as the party carouser, storyteller spy and what not decided to learn as much as we could. And did my absolute best to Make friends or at least friendly to everyone in the tavern. So, everyone got bought a round or two, and exchanged stories. Tac was not present, however.

Pathfinders – 5 members, Merisiel, Kyra, Esren, Valeros, Seoni. Sand Scorpions – 4 members, 3 rogues and a wizard, looking for a cleric/necromancer Daughters of the Desert – an all-female group Crypt finders – a group of tale spinning adventurers Dog Soldiers – A group of halflings and war dogs Scorched Hands – a group of cloaked people with holy symbols of the old god of magic. Wanting the temple in their luck of the draw.

talking to the Sand Scorpions, I asked what went wrong for them, and apparently they were in need of a Necromancer, and wondered if I knew where they could acquire one. I said that I could sell them one of our party members. Eldoran piped up

 "You can't do that to party members, not sell maybe rent." - Eldoran
 "HEY! That's ,y line." - Minerva

Loot

10 pt Healing Potion
A bunch of funerary masks.
Healing potion
Enhanced Vision
2 x books (300sp) 25lbs
5 x repossessed goods for Archaeology
Gold scarab Clasp - 100sp
Silver Hand Mirror
Onyx and Silver holy symbol of the lady of graves - 200sp
2 x vials of silversheen
masterwork longbow. rk 5, sc + 5
10 x cold iron arrows
wax sealed clay urn of perfume - 150sp
Magic padded armor of protection
1000 sp
Dark wood coffer - 100 sp
2 potons (darkvision, lesser restoration)
Ornate lapis and cornelia pendant - 140 sp
lapis lazuli and turquoise - 100 sp
Exquisite funerary mask - 1000sp

Calendar

Winter
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday		Reapsday		Sunday
	Samhain
Frost (7)
			1	Guild Meeting	2		3		4		5		6
	7		8		9		10		11		12		13
	14		15		16		17		18		19		20
	21		22		23		24		25		26		27
	28		29		30
Snow (8)
							1		2		3		4
	5		6		7		8		9		10		11
	12		13		14		15	Solstice	16		17	The Duke of Carzala's Winter Ball	18	Yuletide
	19	Days of Chaos	20	DoC 2	21	DoC 3	22	DoC 4	23	DoC 5	24	DoC 6	25	DoC 7
	26	DoC 8	27	DoC 9	28	DoC 10	29	DoC 11	30	Twelfth Night
Ice (9)
											1		2
	3		4		5		6	First Plough	7		8		9
	10		11		12		13		14		15		16
	17		18		19		20		21		22		23
	24		25		26		27		28		29		30