¶ Session 037 - Much Ado About Mummies
¶ The Tomb of Blinding Runes and the Bone Tree Annihilation
The Soots found themselves knee-deep in the Drownyard's watery crypts, locked in a brutal contest with an ancient mummy and its magically mending sarcophagus. The vile mummy drew glowing runes in the air, blinding the party with brilliant flashes of cursed light. The creature even twisted the mind of the mighty Orc, Nitro, forcing her to temporarily flee in terror—a shameful first for the proud warrior! In a desperate bid for distraction, the cunning Investigator Otto deployed a truly legendary tactic: dropping his breeches to bare his backside to the undead abomination, to no reaction from the mummy.
Meanwhile, the tengu brawler Clutch unleashed a furious flurry of blows. His fists struck with such speed and magical heat that he caught the bandaged fiend on fire completely underwater. The beast soon vanished from sight, cloaked in an invisibility spell, and unleashed a devastating arc of lightning from its sarcophagus that scorched both Clutch and Otto. However, in a feat of raw, unbridled strength, Nitro hoisted the entire heavy stone tomb overhead and hurled it directly into a nearby bone tree. The resulting explosion of stone and splintered bone obliterated the invisible mummy instantly, leaving it a crumpled heap upon the shaking floor.
¶ The Crumbling Crypt and the Violet Veil of Rot
As the cavern walls shuddered and the Drownyard began to sink further into the earth, our heroes grabbed their rightful spoils and bolted. Otto deftly snatched a cursed-looking short sword from the white-gloved grasp of a ghostly apparition, while the party also claimed a golden mask of a high priest and a plain brass censer from the explosive wreckage. Fleeing the collapse, Clutch utilized his incredible power of flight to string a second rope across a treacherous canyon. This secondary rope allowed the ground-bound heroes to scramble across the chasm hand-over-hand.
Pushing onward, shadows leapt from the pillars of the lecture hall, swiping at our heroes as they desperately sprinted for the exit. Upon breaking the surface, the battered party was greeted by four lurching zombies drawn to their scent. Thinking quickly, Clutch used his magic to enchant a large bolt of purple cotton cloth to reek of rotting flesh. Huddling beneath the odorous purple shroud like a multi-legged phantom, the trio perfectly deceived the undead horde and slipped away into the dusk.
¶ The Eastgate Heist and the Missing Scribe's Slab
Racing the setting sun through the Precipice Quarter—lest they face the "kill-on-sight" wrath of the Eastgate night watch—our heroes arrived at the gates just as the iron portcullis began to fall. They clashed words with Guard Arsiella and her scribe, spinning a tale of their search for Thomas Aswold, the missing husband of their associate, Marge. The guards were already on edge, tracking visitors on a heavy stone tablet because their official logbook had been stolen.
Growing impatient, Nitro flashed demonic red eyes and growled to intimidate the guards into halting the gate's descent. Arsiella begrudgingly offered a clue, suggesting the party seek a magical portal at a Pharasmin site known as the Spiral Shrine. Insulted by the guards' bureaucratic arrogance, the party executed a flawless, spontaneous heist. Otto deployed his feline companion, Motto, to distract the scribe with sheer, unadulterated cuteness. While the guard set down his tablet to pet the cat, Clutch quaffed an invisibility potion. Remaining entirely unseen, the Tengu smoothly lifted the guards' makeshift stone logbook right out from under them. With their petty revenge secured, Motto gave the guard the slip, and the party strutted into the safety of the city.
¶ Guard Log Slab Maintained by Commander Arsiella Dei:
¶ Status: Heightened Alert
| Date | Name | Home of Record | Physical Description | Reason for Entry | Exit Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 06:00 | Rell Darmik | Flotsam Graveyard | Gaunt male, ash-stained beard, left eye clouded | Bone scavenging permit | 09:05 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 06:00 | Vask Renn | Flotsam Graveyard | Broad-shouldered, missing two fingers, carries hooked pole | Salvage partner to Rell | 09:05 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 06:20 | Sister Caldris Veil | Ascendant Court | Pale woman, black-veiled, eyes rimmed in silver ash | Investigate “voices beneath broken sanctum” — claims something below is “counting the dead incorrectly.” Claimed a sealed ossuary ties to a forgotten Starstone trial. | — |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 07:05 | Jorvan Klee | The Coins | Thin man, brass monocle, grease-stained gloves | Escorting tinker caravan | 07:10 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 07:05 | Mera Klee | The Coins | Short woman, shaved head, burn scars on neck | Caravan mechanic | 07:10 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 07:05 | Holg Bren | The Coins | Heavyset, soot-covered, carries crate of lenses | Caravan labor | 07:10 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 07:05 | Tamsin Vore | The Coins | Young woman, nervous twitch, ink-stained fingers | Caravan clerk | 07:10 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 07:45 | Lysa Dorn | Ivy District | Muscular woman, braided hair, stone dust on boots | Structural repair crew lead | 13:10 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 07:45 | Branik Feld | Ivy District | Bald, scar across jaw, limps slightly | Laborer | 13:10 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 08:20 | Seldean Marr | Wise Quarter | Tall elf, precise movements, carries mapping tools | Pathfinder survey searching for a lost archive connected to the Gooey Decimal System. Claims books below are “re-shelving themselves.” | 14:30 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 09:40 | Dren Kavos | Foreign Quarter | Wild-eyed, soot-marked skin, tangled beard | Street preacher ranting about “The Soots wearing borrowed faces.” | 10:00 (removed) |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 10:15 | Pelio Varn | The Puddles | Slender man, damp cloak, gold tooth | Deliver sealed crate marked as High Tide Whiskey shipment. Container radiates heat and emits a faint heartbeat when touched. | — |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 11:00 | Nella Hurn | Foreign Quarter | Small child, tangled hair, bare feet blackened | Claims to chase “a cat with too many eyes.” Patrol later found fresh tracks leading toward a tunnel not present on prior maps. | 11:10 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 12:30 | Teren Valis | Wise Quarter | Elderly scholar, hunched, ink-stained robes | Studying collapse geometry. Insists tunnels align with hidden routes beneath the Starstone Cathedral once used by failed aspirants. | 17:30 |
| 8 Gozran, 4721 AR – 13:45 | Malvek Thorne | Unknown | Tall, masked, black leather, gloved hands | Claims plague warden duty. Papers inconsistent with city registry. | — |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 13:45 | Isera Thorne | Unknown | Slight figure, porcelain mask, ash trailing from cloak | Silent companion to Malvek. Soot footprints reportedly drift upward against gravity. | — |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 15:05 | Corin Dath | The Puddles | Lean courier, waterlogged boots, twitchy | Delivered sealed message bearing symbol resembling a burned-out sun. Refused sender disclosure. | 15:20 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 15:40 | Veila Hurn | Petal District | Elderly woman, trembling, carries cracked map | Searching for family relic beneath Starstone approach tunnels. Map legend describes relic as “still beating.” | — |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 16:20 | Branik Feld | Ivy District | Bald, scar across jaw, limps slightly | Laborer departing shift | 16:20 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 16:20 | Lysa Dorn | Ivy District | Muscular woman, braided hair, stone dust on boots | Crew lead departing shift | 16:20 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 16:55 | Kelm Arros | Merchants’ Quarter | Guard patrol, armored, disciplined stance | Investigating shadow movement. Reports soot formed outline of a guard who died during the original Precipice collapse. | 17:20 |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 19:30 | Jastor Venn | Eastgate Barracks | Veteran guard, gray beard, missing ear | Final sweep patrol | |
| 9 Gozran, 4721 AR – 19:30 | Maye Joss | Eastgate Barracks | Veteran guard, frumpy attire, stern features | Final sweep patrol | — |
¶ High Society, Sweaty Cheese, and the Slumber of Legends
Seeking refuge and luxury after a day of near-death experiences, the party traversed to the wealthy and bougie Petal District. They secured lodgings at an absurdly posh establishment known as the "Blackstone under the Blackrock". Flaunting their wealth, and a skull ring that glowed with the presence of ghosts, the party rented three individual suites. Otto casually warned the front desk to ignore the smells coming from his room as he planned to stay up crafting potions.
Demanding only the finest turn-down service, they ordered a feast of "sweaty cheese" and glasses of High Tide Whiskey to be delivered directly to their doors. Retiring to their complimentary plush robes—which they fully intended to keep—our heroes finally rested their battered bones. They awoke the next morning vastly well rested and prepared to report their findings to Marge.