Date

02/28/2008

Zhaji's notes

A few days later, after making some purchases in Thebes, the party returned to the pylon. Passing through, they headed toward the Temple of Osiris. Great stone sphinx statues, with various heads, flanked the road as the party neared the temple. Passing boldly through the statues granted everyone two boons; a bit of luck in the near future and some iron will. Hieroglyphics on each of the plinths read "O Mortal Beware! Approach not with haughty spirit or heart set upon wrongdoing. Great is the Power of Asar and His Brother. Even mountains must obey them!"

The party reached the temple. Brianna called out, "Yoo hoo", and the large gate opened inward. The party entered. Human guards flanked the party, but did speak or stop them. The party continued inward.

The party traveled along a fancy path through the gardens. The path was lined with male and female statues. When the party was about midway down the path, three ecclesiastics in various colors appeared on the far side of the path. Vandis said they looked suspicious because real ecclesiastics would be wearing pure white. One of them called out, "If you come to pay homage to Osiris, you are welcome. But if you are just curious, turn back now." Brianna said "We are not aggressive", and moved forward. The rest of the party followed. Once close, Brianna and Kress gave friendly greetings, and the three priests said they would lead the party to the high priest.

The party was lead to an area where acolytes were chanting. The party stood waiting for minutes. Brianna sensed that the priests were up to something. Zhaji determined that the chanting was a ritual spell that would improve the combat of the temple inhabitants, and worsen that of the good-at-heart. Brianna tapped the priest on the shoulder and asked, "Didn't you promise to take us to the high priest?" The priest said, "Yes, after the cleansing ritual".

Zhaji cast a silent and still Message spell, including the whole party. She quietly communicated to the others what she determined about the ritual. Mambo grabbed the priest and asked, "What you doing here?"

Mambo's notes

Welcome to Gametable v1.2-pre5.
Mambo: Me ready
Brianna: MA567
Mambo: 567 Adveture
Brianna: 2.3.3.5
Mambo: We are in the Gorge of Osiris
Mambo: We are going along towards a gauntlet of statues
Mambo: Me own BB
Mambo: We exit the tall tower.
Mambo: We see entrance to temple of Osiris
Mambo: We can not go past it for that might invite disaster.
Mambo: Good or ill creatures or people might be within.
Mambo: We botonists?
Mambo: "plant archeologists"
Mambo: Zhaji wants to fight them after tell them they are bad.
Mambo: As we approach where we are right now....
Mambo: Brianna invites Kress to walk beside her.
Mambo: Mambo walks behind her.
Mambo: The temple ahead is stern looking and stout. Resembles a castle or fortress. All land around is within archery range. Walls depict dieties.
Mambo: Wall around is 30ft high. Rounded wall sections. Walls slant inward as rise.
Mambo: Gates are closed. We see no one around.
Mambo: We are heading West.
Mambo: Go West young man!
Brianna: Oh, Cyrus!
Mambo: 2 rows of stone statues. Sphinxes.
Mambo: We think it is not worth it to go invisible as we might provoke good guardians, if any.
Mambo: We move up towards statues and pause in awe.
DM: http://www.yyci.com/amcy/DnD/Necropolis/Avenue%20of%20the%20Sphinxes.jpg
Mambo: On left = Man, Owl, Hippo, Wolf, Heron, Ram, Cobra, Vulture, Scorpian, Ibex
DM: http://www.yyci.com/amcy/DnD/Necropolis/Sphinx.jpg
Mambo: On the right are Bull, Jackal, Ibis, Frog, Baboon, Crocodile, Scarab, Goat, Falcon, Woman
Mambo: Man Sphinx is faded green paint. Bull is faded black.
Mambo: Special eyes have been set into the Sphinxes - gem stones.
Mambo: Zhaji pauses to detect magic. The aura of the whole is "strained, weak, and uncertain."
Mambo: Brianna leads on to gate.
Mambo: As we march boldly between the statues we are given two gifts.
Mambo: One single re-roll of die roll while in the temple area, your choice.
Mambo: And one +2 to next will save, your choice.
Mambo: To next one, not of your choice for will save.
Mambo: This because we passed boldly - otherwise effected in reverse.
Mambo: Statues are sandstone and have not been painted in 10 years.
Mambo: Carvings describe the exploits of each statue character.
Mambo: Brianna does a Decipher Script
Mambo: (Angel can read any language, if needed.)
Brianna rolls Brianna Decipher Script (d20 + 10): [13 + 10] = 23
Mambo: Angel can read it =
DM: Herkhamose V
Mambo: Name of Pharoh
Mambo: The engraved writing contains warning, "oh mortal beware"
DM: O Mortal, Beware!
DM: Approach not with haughty spirit or heart set upon wrongdoing.
DM: Great is the Power of Asar and His Brother.
DM: Even mountains must obey them!
Mambo rolls Know Archane (d20): [7] = 7
Brianna rolls Brianna Bardic Knowledge (d20 + 15): [7 + 15] = 22
Mambo: Asar is a name for Osiris. His brother is the Pharoh.
Mambo: We approach the gate. Brianna goes ahead to the gates. "You-hoooo! You-hoooo!"
Mambo: But before that she did look at the writing on the gates.
Mambo: 5 ft wide, 20 ft high. Slits are filled and barred.
Brianna: the narrow entryway is designed to protect the fortress from a-salt, since they can pepper attackers with arrows.
Mambo: glory scenes of each sphinx accompanying Orisis (the King) in battle.
DM: http://www.yyci.com/amcy/DnD/Necropolis/Temple%20of%20Osiris.jpg
Mambo: Writings on gate extol the glory of Osiris, etc, etc.
Mambo: As soon as any person "You-hooos!" the party can enter.
Mambo: All gates swing silently inward, and purfume of flowers greats us.
Mambo: Entryway opens into a courtyard.
Mambo: Interior structure of bright marble and guilted paintings. Can't be abandoned, too well cared for.
Mambo: We standing and looking into the courtyard, with Brianna in front to speak for us.
Mambo: Perhaps Zhaji and Vandis move up with us.
Mambo: Perhaps.
Mambo: Perhaps not.
Mambo: Guards appear on the bridge. They do not threaten us. They just watch us.
Mambo: Two guards had opened the doors.
Mambo: Briann leads us boldly forward.
Mambo: Straight in.
Mambo: Guards appear to be human.
Mambo: Two broad steps lead to entrance hall.
Mambo: Sandstone buildings.
Mambo: Brightly painted pillars of man or woman.
Mambo: We see that the columns alternate, male, female, and seem to look at us as we move forward. Religious scenes on the wall. Good against Evil.
Mambo: male painted black, female painted blue
Mambo: feral aromas detected under floral scents
Brianna rolls Brianna Listen (d20 + 10): [13 + 10] = 23
Zhaji rolls Skill (Listen) (d20 + 1 + 2): [20 + 1 + 2] = 23
Mambo rolls Listen (d20): [13] = 13
Kress rolls Listen (d20 + 6): [6 + 6] = 12
DM rolls Sk:Listen (d20 + 9): [7 + 9] = 16
Brianna rolls Brianna Decipher Script (d20 + 10): [12 + 10] = 22
Mambo: Brianna hears deep chanting, thinks there is a reglious ceremony, "Let only the truely faithful approach along the way." Cloud of strong, uncertain magic everywhere.
Mambo: 3 Eccesiastics appear at the end of the Hall.
Mambo: Eclesiastics
Mambo: The middle figure is male.
Mambo: Two flanking are female.
Mambo: Middle figure is male, clad in black. Woman on left wears a red gown. Woman on right wears a blue gown.
Brianna rolls Brianna Bardic Knowledge (d20 + 15): [12 + 15] = 27
DM rolls Sk:Knowledge (Religion) (d20 + 13): [7 + 13] = 20
Mambo: Vandis says these are not legitimate, otherwise they would be wearing pure white, if serving Osiris.
Mambo: Priest says, "If you come to pay homage to Osiris, you are welcome, but not if you are just curious. No aggressors may pass here" or some such.
Mambo: Brianna says, " I am not agressive." and she marches forward.
Mambo: If we had been hostile, the columns would have attacked us, perhaps. Perhaps.
DM: http://www.yyci.com/amcy/DnD/Necropolis/Animated%20Columns.jpg
Mambo: When we get close enough - Kress says, "Greetings!"
Mambo: They were an illusion. The columns apparent animation would have been an illusion.
Mambo: Trio of priests escort us to Area 5, and we perhaps chat with them along the way. Perhaps. Perhaps.
Mambo: In Area 5, we see a ceiling that used to be green, but is darkened with the smokes of time, walls show Pharohs being welcomed. Floor is green and black marble squares.
DM: Tcheripep
DM: Khenu
DM: Hem-neter-tepi
Mambo: Is the priest in black. A khenu is a profit, he wants to introduce us to head priest.
Mambo: Hem
Brianna: prophet
Mambo: Columns guilded and painted brightly. Then there are bronze doors witih group of clerics in front of doors. They are busy doig religious chanting and things.
Mambo: We are told to stand solemnly and listen to the chanting and wait and wait.
Brianna rolls Brianna Sense Motive (d20 + 11): [20 + 11] = 31
Mambo: Brianna does a sense motive.
Mambo: They want us to wait 10 minutes.
Brianna rolls Brianna Sense Motive (d20 + 11): [9 + 11] = 20
Mambo: We bhave respectfully so far, nevertheles.
Mambo: Brianna gets the idea something is fishy here.
Mambo: Brianna comes up and respectfully taps him on the shoulder.
Zhaji rolls Skill (Spellcraft) (d20 + 25): [15 + 25] = 40
Mambo: Zhaji rolls spellcraft.
Mambo: Zhaji realizes they are not casting spell per se, it is a special ceremonial chant, invocational ritual magic.
Mambo: Zhaji senses that once complete, all the temple inhabitants will be +1 and all good characters will be -1.
Mambo: Will complete in 10 minutes.
Mambo: Brianna taps him on shoulder and he looks up bennevolently and also hinting that she should not interrupt.
Mambo: There are 27 people in this room beside us, now.
Mambo: Brianna ask about Hem-nep.
Mambo: Priest says - have to finish ritual first.
Mambo: Zhaji says, "Seems like an anti-prayer ritual to me."
Kress rolls Initiative (d20 + 9): [5 + 9] = 14
Brianna rolls Brianna Initiative (d20 + : [16 + 8] = 24
Zhaji rolls Initiative (d20 + 5): [18 + 5] = 23
Mambo: Brianna - that's judgemental.
Mambo: Kress, "Anti-prayer!!"
Mambo rolls Initiative (d20): [18] = 18
Mambo rolls Angel - Initiative (d20 + 4): [10 + 4] = 14
Mambo rolls BB - Initiative (d20): [11] = 11
Zhaji rolls d20: [20] = 20
Mambo: We are +1 still this month, per Vandis.
Mambo: Priest says he is doing purification.
Mambo: Brianna asks who he is purifying?
Mambo: He says to just relax and let it in.
Mambo: Mambo - "Me, no understand. What going on?"
Mambo: Brianna _ I personally think, sir, that we are pure and ready to go.
Mambo: Zhaji - casts Message, silently.
Mambo: To everyone in party?
Mambo: 100 foot range and point finger at each of us in turn.
Mambo: We are messaged. She whispers - they are casting a ritual spell that will aide evil and hurt good, like a reverse prayer. Not that that particularly bothers me.
Mambo: Priest is next.
Mambo: Vandis, ahhh, let's just find out what's going to go on.
Mambo: Zhaji whispers that Vandis is not concerned.
Mambo: Priest delays.
Mambo: Mambo attempts a grapple on the priest.
Mambo: Me don't do anything if it take too long.
Mambo: Kress does a True Seeing with his item.
Mambo: Things appear as appear.
Mambo: Nothing new.
Mambo: We may have a guest player one of these nights, one of these crazy old nights, gonna find out...
Mambo: Brianna can game next week.
Mambo: We will do this battle next week. Yes!
Mambo rolls Grapple (d20 + 34): [2 + 34] = 36
Mambo: Mambo grapples and grabs Priest successfully. I realize he is wearing fairly intense armor under his robes. Full plate armor under robes. Mambo: He clanks around as I pick him up. I'm hovering with him.
Mambo: "What you doing? You bad man?"
Mambo: He says he can't breathe.
Mambo: Me lifting him up in air with me.
Mambo: Me shake him for answers.