The session started with the Nkosi, in their catfolk form, springing into action. One rushed at Nix, placing him in a headlock to keep him from continuing to place color staves into the empty scabbards. The others threw knives at Zephyr, Belladonna, and Aswan. Two others charged; scimitars raised, slashing at Aswan and Zephyr. Nore asked for his manacles to be removed so he could help. No one removed them.
Inside the treasure room, sand was pouring from the ceiling, and ceiling tiles continued to fall. Karwl resigned to dying inside the trapped room, sat down; perhaps to mediate.
Zithgar scrambled this way and that looking for something, anything, in the room that would stop the deluge of sand. Within a round or so, the sand had knocked Zithgar to prone and was filling his mouth and nose. He was beginning to panic.
The battle continued out in the main fountain room. Two rounds later, Nore, using his rogue skills, was able to slip the manacles. He drew his scimitar and plunged into the Nkosi.
In the fight, Nix was placed in a headlock, and he bit deeply into the arm of the Nkosi. The Nkosi returned the favor and bit Nix’s neck.
Things were looking grim for the party, as Aswan was knocked on unconscious and Nix and Belladonna were being charged.
Aswan, still cursed, begins to die. As he begins to make death saves, an ominous voice entered his head; “Give up your will and join me. I have things for you to do.”
Belladonna summoned magical cats, and strategically placed them around the Nkosi. Back in the sand trap room, Karwl pulled Zithgar’s head out of the sand so he could breathe but then had to immediately roll out of the way as a huge chunk of ceiling fell on her, damaging her in the process.
The magical cats were triggered, damaging many Nkosi and killing a couple. Belladonna headed for the treasure room door and noticed a keyhole, the same type as the open sarcophagus.
Zephyr rushed over to Aswan to heal him and tossed the key to Belladonna. Nix finished off the Nkosi that had him in a headlock, and Belladonna opened the treasure room door. Sand poured out, along with a shanked Zithgar. Karwl crawled shortly as the last of the Nkosi were killed. As Aswan was healed, he heard the familiar voice in his head; “You are only delaying reality. Come see me deeper within.”
The party turned on Nore and demanded that he come clean with what he knows.
After much berating, Nore explained that he was not a tomb raider or adventurer.
Instead, he was a recruiter and logistical agent for SPUR (Society of Preservation of Unusual Relics). He explained that SPUR are the field agents of the Magaambombya University” (pronounced “Ma-Ga-aaammmmm-Bomb-Bay”). The field agents, find adventurers to help retrieve unusual relics for study at the Magaambombya University. [DM NOTE: this is a deep plot hook – see Session 1 Recap.]
Nore explained that the University as having been established by a Runelord named Ja’Tembe (pronounced “Ja-TEM-be”). He further explained that the university researches and seeks the lost arcane secrets of the Magacrory with the goal of making sure that no person ever challenges the Gods again. He added that they are different from the Sand Dragons because the Magaambombya are using Druids to maintain balance.
He explained that after the Purge, hundreds of incredibly powerful relics, which were in the possession of the Runelords of the Magegracy, were scattered across the Southlands. Many were taken by nefarious individuals. Others were protected by groups and kings, and others were simply lost.
Nore further explained that powerful magical creatures have tried to become Gods, including Tiberesh; whose tomb the party was in right now. He shook his head and said, “Did no one learn anything from the Purge? The Gods will not allow mortals to overthrow them.”
There was an intense exchange between Zithgar and Karwl about touching items in tombs and temples.
Nore listened to the argument and then asked the party not to deliver the cat idol tomb chamber of this pyramid, but Aswan ignored him and tried to rally the party to continue its push deeper into the tomb.
Nix lead an effort to get the rest of the color staves into the matching scabbards, and when the last one was placed, two secret doors slide open, revealing a chamber with an obelisk in the middle of the room and four statues in the four corners.
- Northeast = a statue of a naked man grasping a jug that he is pouring toward the obelisk
- Northwest = a statue is that of an armored, grey falcon-headed humanoid, holding a spear that is aimed at the obelisk.
- Southeast = a statue of a robbed man holding open a jar in one hand with the lid in the other.
- Southwest = a statue of a gaunt man, pulling part his own sternum to reveal his heart.
This time the party was very cautious about rushing into a room. They went and took coins from the treasure room and tossed them into the new chamber. While looking for coins, Belladonna noticed a very interesting gold plate that had a naked man trying to grasp an escaping fish in his hands.
This sparked her curiosity, and she continued to search and also found two other gold plates; one with a man holding a snake that is biting him.
She also found a gold plate with a spear and sword carved into it and a gold plate with a black panther, standing on two legs, waiting on a seated pharaoh.
Puzzled, the party went back to the new room and threw a dead Nkosi inside.
Nothing happened.
The party took a short rest.
After the short rest, the party explored a hallway to the south, and Aswan saw a hooded figure, that looked a lot like the Sand Dragons they had encounter a few hours earlier, hiding behind a pillar in what appeared to be room for sacrificing humans. After some banter between the two, the Sand Dragon slipped out a door to the south.
Some of the party members entered the room and saw dead bodies staked into the pillars and two coffins mounted on the ceiling with bodies spiked into the coffin. Nix climbed up to one and removed the stake, which released two swarms of beetles and maggots, one of which immediately swarmed Aswan. Zephyr cast fire on Aswan, and Zithgar hammered at him with his new +1 hammer and eventually killed them. Karwl kicked, punched, and stomped the other swarm to death.
The session ended.