Khemia Occulta VII: The Treasures of the Djeti

The company passed through the broken stone door to the south into a frescoed room. Teleptyon and Theophilus began studying the murals and comparing their knowledge to create a clear narrative from the art. Alexandru cautiously crept toward a stone door to the east from which light flickered in various shades of flame and a continuous hissing sound came. Asbjørn Þórsteinnsson was distressed by the cautiousness of it all and barged through the cracked door to a room with a flaming pit in the center. He saw gems and runnels of something that looked like molten gold in the pit as well as charred bones of various sizes. Alex no longer felt checking the eastern door for traps was useful and began assessing the southern stone door. As he and Kegho opened the southern door to find a short hallway to a plain wooden door, Theo and Tele relayed their findings.

At some point in the third age, the Apophians of the Djeti Empire had brought to heel nations of many races including Dhenian Alvi, Oameni, Human, and Kazma. They had brought diplomatic gifts—more likely tributes—to the Djeti. The Djeti sacrificed captured Myrmex and slaves of their vassal races to their dark gods including Akhen-At-Im and The Asp of Shadow.

Kegho called Ükhilflin from the caverns, but she was followed by an angry band of Mycetons, the 'shroomite goblins that infested the cave system. Kegho split the closest myceton along its vertical axis, which terrified and scattered the remaining goblinoids. Asbjørn, hearing the clamor ran from the sacrificial fire room, but the mycetons had already fled.

Assuming, that the locked wrought-iron door was guarding the tributary gifts of the Djeti empire, Theo asked the legitimate business Oameni to assess the locking mechanism on the door. With an assist from Kegho and Theo, and much to his own surprise, Alex was able unlock the advanced Third Age lock.

As the door opened the three saw a splendid room with mural covered walls and marbled floors. A coffer sat on a far wall and the room contained a bronze-like statue of a nobleman, about one and a quarter meters tall, a pedestal containing a gem the size of Asbjørn's fist, etched on every facet by Khemite hieroglyphs, assorted valuables and a scroll case containing four scrolls in the Khemite script.

The room seemed to be easily fortified and the party stopped to eat and rest. The priest blessed the food and they began to tuck-in, but another band of mycetons came into the room, seeming interested primarily in blessed comestibles. Brother Theo was filled with pity and before Teleptyon could stop him, Theo began tossing food to the pitiable creations of Nekhtebu. Their chittering brings more and more mycetons, all demanding food of their own. Theo tries to distract them with the Djeti idol he had stolen from their caverns, but they had moved on, and began aggressively clutching at his pack.

Alex thought they could corral them toward the sacrificial fire pit and kick them in, but Teleptyon decided to test his fingernail, dripping with venom on the nearest creature. The mage scratched at its mucilaginous skin and felt a deep sense of relief as the venom passed out of his finger and into the goblinoid. The Myceton's veins began to blacken and it collapsed seizing to the floor. The other nearby 'Shroomites turned on Tele. Asbjørn, liking the idea of chucking mushroom people into a fire pit, began wrestling one to the floor. Tele was barely missed by another. Keg exploded a Third Age creation with his Third Age axe in that Third Age tomb. Tele struck another with his staff, caving in its spongy chitinous skull. One attempted to flee, but Alex and Teleptyon both strike simultaneously, felling it. Alex heared another scrambling in the dark and using his Oameni hearing, impaled it. Asbjørn continued with his plan to throw the creature into the fire pit. The company had no way of knowing if their sacrifice had affected any spiritual balances, but as the last Myceton of the group sizzled deliciously, they remembered how hungry they were and returned to the treasure room to eat and rest.

Alex and Ükhilflin took the first watch, and--true to form--the party was attacked on Alex's watch: an ooze the color of saffron rice began bleeding under the doorway, the floor and the edge of the iron door hissing and dissolving in its wake. Alex grumbled that needed to stop offering to take watch, and woke Kegho who was snoring heartily on the table braced against door. By the time Kegho was awake an amorphous mass filled with the warped images of bones was in the room. Alex attempted to burn it, but missed.

Alex woke the rest of the part and Asbjørn hopped to attention and struck it with a sword. The metal sizzled as it was etched by acid and the jelly splattered forming three new, equal jellies. Alex continued trying to burn them. Ükhilflin shied away from them, not wanting to burn her mouth. She attempted to mark one, but the jelly seemed unphased by dog urine. Teleptyon, now deeply curious about the properties of his snake finger attempted to scratch at one, but missed. One attacked, but missed Asbjørn. Kegho delivered a mighty strike of his blade to one, but merely succeeded in splitting it into four and etching the edge of his blade. Another attacks Teleptyon but missed him. Alex jabbed at one with his torch and it finally sizzled out of existence. On seeing that the rest of the company pulled out torches. Another assault on Tele missed, but one successfully burns Theo's leg. In response, Theo poured lamp oil on it and Asbjørn raked it with a torch, setting the oil, and the jelly it aflame. Theo was attacked again, but narrowly dodged. He lit another on fire. Tele also lit one on fire, but another caught him, sending searing pain which caused him to drop his torch. Kegho is attacked, but dodged and riposted with fire. Alex continued lashing out with the torch. Teleptyon takes another blow and is stunned by the fumes from his own burning flesh. Asbjørn poured oil on the one that had attacked Tele and lit it on fire. Alex put down another but not before it could take a parting shot at him. With most of the jellies burning or dead, Theo begins healing Tele and himself. Alex, Kegho and Asbjørn continued attacking while Theo and Tele moved away from the remaining jellies.