Game Twenty-Three: Matt Finger Report

General Summary

There was magic in this world once, but they stole it all away.   The brothers briefly regrouped, securing their new ally and asked for some guidance as to any other interlopers as of late. What strangeities would they find in these dusty halls, so long unwalked by the living? Whispers of Atropals, Demi-liches, Dracoliches, and more fell from the lips of their new malicious mummy friend Kemat.   She was leading the brothers to the king, in her words. It had been quite some time since a king reigned in the area so they were quite curious what awaited them.   As they crept through the streets and buildings of the ancient city: it became more and more clear that it was a city of the dead. A veritable Necropolis. The only sources of movement were shambling, floating, slithering, undead creatures.   Through horses with mummified horses and chariots, they eventually came to an opulently adorned entry hall.   To one side was a trophy case including various heads and skulls of exotic and dangerous creatures. Lions, Manticores, Owlbears, etc.   Exotic weapons sat in another case: Covered in gold a variety of blades and implements of battle. A faded mural of this Pharoah ‘Ten-Ap’ illustrated his various victories over the powerful creatures. Apparently he had also once dueled a ninja and taken his blades as a souvenir.   More mundane trophies were to be found as well: Basically the greatest hits of Ten-Ap, during his life. The brothers noted them to be confiscated on the way out. Perhaps best not to anger potential allies before negotiations ever occured.   Padding over the faded purple carpets, Kemat beckoned the brothers to wait while she introduced them. While they waited, John and Tage poured over the murals in an attempt to glean some potentially useful information. The brothers listened in on her introductions, though they seemed mostly one-sided.   “More interesting people for you to meet, sire.”   The brothers clambered into the royal audience chambers.   Skeletons of various different races, a handful of zombies, a skeleton holding a large book, and a regally adorned mummy sat upon a fanciful throne. They took diplomatically appropriate poses and came closer to the throne.   The throne in question was kept in excellent repair: Constant upkeep and attention left it glistening amongst so much dusty and ancient ruins. It would be an excellent addition to the brotherhoods collection of treasures.   According to the personal scribe of the Pharaoh, it had been 723 years since their last new visitors.   Five years prior, “A sandstorm swept away the sands which had for so long enveloped the city in a seemingly eternal darkness and slumber. “ The brothers were able to determine that the inhabitants of the city had been locked into not only eternal death, but also a slumber of sorts leaving them incapacitated.   Tage proclaimed himself as a priest.   Ten-Ap indicated his delight at the appearance of someone who could lead his burgeoning armies of the dead to sweep over the region and bring it back into his control. Tage inquired as to his particular need for an army at the time, and his response was to ramble on about target cities which were no longer on the map. It had been quite some time indeed since he had seen the light of the sun.   Apparently he had only recently become the lord of the city, having slain the previous ruler. The right to ascension had been indicated to be one of battle. The ‘Recent’ events in his mind were in fact quite some time prior. While John attempted to gently explain how the world had changed, Ten-ap twitched and expressed his extreme discomfort with that notion. He also mentioned that the last group to penetrate the necropolis attempted to communicate the same thing. To their discomfort.   He mentioned the yellow-skinned ones, and John suggested they were searching for a secret once uncovered by the events in years prior. He also mentioned that the investigating party of Gith now served, and their baubles were dispensed as presents to those loyal.   Would the brothers challenge him for the right to sit on that very fancy throne? Or would they attempt a more diplomatic approach?   He offered a position in his army, and suggested that the brothers could be his eyes and ears in the outside world.   He suggested that “The throne” would not allow him to leave the city, but that was part of the bargain. Since the bargain had been struck, he had not heard the voice of the throne. Intriguing, since the throne did not appear to radiate any magical energies to John’s attempts at detection.   The brothers had a brief discussion in battle brother sign language. They decided that serving in an army was not quite the path for them, perhaps more of a leadership role.   John boldly proclaimed his formal challenge to the leadership of the city, casting his glove upon the ground and invoking the strength of generations.   As the challenged, he invoked the right to a champion. Should John lose, the other brothers would serve in his army: eternally.   His champion arrived, a mummified dragon-kin known as Asseth. The two squared off, gauging each other's strength. John sipped a cup of tea, growing in both stature and strength. The brothers' eyes were glued to the combat: Shaking in their boots. The dragon launched himself at John swinging with a Khopesh and his vicious back claws.   John responded with a powerful overheard hammering smash, striking with generations of power at the large creatures. Angered by his insolence, his khopesh was briefly stuck in a pillar as dust and stoned sprayed everywhere. As their furious melee continued, they gave each other strike for strike, as good as they got. Blood sprayed, bandages unfurled.   The brothers were enraptured as they gazed on, their fear and worry for John as well as their own fate resting on the results of this battle. In short order, the monstrous champion was defeated and the brothers returned to their senses.   “Hmm. You shall make a wonderful general.”   John explained that his time as an officer in someone else's army was past. He had no intention of joining the ranks of this mad-man’s Undead horde. He was open to an alliance of sorts, but the roles would be reversed. The brothers would be calling the shots and the undead legions would be under their thumbs. He was less-than-enthusiastic about this.   A new mummy entered the room, suggesting that the bargain with the throne was a permanent one. John asked some pertinent questions about this bargain, and as it turns out it wasn’t the city it bound the ‘Pharaoh’ to, but the throne itself. He claimed that he could not move beyond 100 feet of it lest he crumble into dust.   So, would John sit in the chair and become bound to it? They waited with bated breath, those who could breath at least as John weighed the options at hand.   Many questions were at hand, would the army be inherited with the chair? Signs pointed to yes. The scribe extrapolated on the information they had gleaned from their previous ‘visitors’ before their entry to the ancient city. The brothers compared the maps they had gotten to their own in search of additional information. A few locations of note were gleaned from this process. More ancient ruins to scavenge for treasure and relics of eras long gone.   John asked him to get out of the throne politely, and he did not do so. He offered membership in the Bandolier Brotherhood.   He suggested he had the power to create undead at will, and control vast numbers at a time. The bargain granted a great deal of power, and the brothers could certainly use that sort of thing in cementing their influence in the area. John appealed to him to perhaps serve as an ally, if not a vassal. Citing their polite and diplomatic actions rather than simply destroying all the unliving denizens of the city and taking their treasures before going on their way.   He would maintain his control of the throne but be operating under the umbrella of the Bandolier Brotherhood. Ultimately he accepted. He accepted the bandolier, had his scribe adorn him with it. The pact was sealed.   John asked him to imbue a team of horses with undeath, to pull a chariot and return the brothers to civilization in style. Skeletal Ash Worms, or dire pumas: Whatever the local animal trainers had at hand for skeletalification.   He also asked if there were any particular goods that he would rather the brothers did not pillage from the city, as they respected his desires to some degree as a show of good will.   They would leave him his trophies, and move on from the city. The option of a new undead form was open to them should they choose. Would any of them make this choice, freedom from the trappings of the flesh for eternal unlife while maintaining their free will?

Rewards Granted

28,500 gp skeletal Mounts (Ankhegs) 2 War Chariots