14.1.0.1 A Tale of The Mummy's Mask Report
General Summary
OPENING CEREMONY
The lottery's opening ceremony takes place in the Sunburst Market in the center of the living city of Wati, between the Grand Mausoleum and Abadar's Sanctum of Silver and Gold. An array of other adventuring groups have assembled, and the ceremony has attracted throngs of local people as well as street vendors.
The bustling desert city of Wati is near bursting with excitement. Adventurers from every corner of the Inner Sea region have assembled here beneath the hot Osirian sun to explore the tombs of the city's necropolis, waiting only to be assigned their first sites for exploration. Surrounding the participants, the public has gathered to observe the ceremony as well. There is a festival-like quality in the air, and numerous street vendors are hawking goods and refreshments to participants and spectators alike. Some merchants have even brought what can only be considered adventuring gear to sell as last minute convenience items to explorers, while others advertise that they'll buy recovered treasures and antiquities from those who visit their establishments.
In front of the imposing edifice of the Grand Mausoleum, an immense awning has been erected between decorated pillars in the market to provide shade for the priests of Pharasma overseeing the lottery. Beneath the awning, two urns sit atop a table elevated a few feet above the ground on a wooden stage constructed for the event. The high priestess of the Grand Mausoleum, Sebti the Crocodile, sits behind the table, while two acolytes confer with her at either side.
Numerous adventuring groups stand in small clusters near the stage, made up of multiple nationalities and races. Most keep to themselves, but some teams engage in quiet conversation with other teams, mostly speculating about what they'll likely face in the necropolis.
The ceremony begins when the high priestess of the Grand Mausoleum, Sebti the Crocodile, rises to her feet and looks over the crowd. Sebti seems surprisingly young to hold such a distinguished position, but she has a confident air of authority. After calling for silence, she begins with an invocation to the Lady of Graves, followed by a brief history of the founding of the necropolis.
"Let the lottery begin! Although many of you have requested specifi c sites to explore, we must leave these matters to fate. The Lady of Graves is a far better judge of destiny than we of this mortal sphere. The gates of the necropolis will open at sunrise tomorrow. Use this evening to prepare yourselves for the task ahead. Let these rules guide you in your endeavors in this holy place: remember how this came to pass, every slave's hut is a memorial, and honor the departed. May you go with the Lady's blessing."
The priests of the Grand Mausoleum have decided on a lottery to distribute access to the tombs to make the process impartial and subject to the dictates of fate, in keeping with Pharasma in religious tenets. The church
has mapped the necropolis and designated selected sites within it for exploration, dividing them into three pools, from the smallest and simplest of structures to the largest and potentially most complex. Each party of explorers is assigned three sites, one at a time, so that a group must complete its exploration of one site before gaining access
to another.
This process wasn't intended to simply be arbitrary. The church also seeks to avoid conflict between groups within the necropolis, the neglect of smaller sites in favor of those that might contain more wealth, and bribery and backroom deals with local officials to gain access to specific structures researched in advance. The Grand Mausoleum is dedicated to remaining neutral throughout the entire affair.
After Sebti returns to her seat, the two acolytes accompanying her each draw a wooden token from one of the urns on the table. The first token identifies the adventuring group, matching the token that group
received when it registered for the lottery. The second token determines which tomb is assigned to that group.
A single representative of the chosen group is then summoned to the stage to present the token his group received at registration to one of the acolytes. Once the group's identity has been confirmed, Sebti shows
the representative the location of that group's first exploration site on a map of the entire necropolis. She also gives the representative a smaller, sketched map that shows the site's location in relation to the necropolis
gates. Once a group has received its assignment, the process repeats with a new group.
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The Tomb of Akhentepi The Heroes can enter the necropolis as soon as the gates open the following morning. Their first assigned site is an actual tomb that predates the Plague of Madness, located in the city's original cemetery in the eastern section of the necropolis. The tomb's location is marked on the map ofWati. Using the sketched map given to them at the opening ceremony, you have no difficulty locating the site, nor do the others from the table that have chosen to incarnate with you here. A rectangular stone mausoleum sits alone in what appears to have once been an actual cemetery. The trunks of a few dead trees poke out of the sand around the tomb, and a hot breeze whistles through their desiccated branches. A set of massive stone double doors is affixed to the northern side of the structure, beneath a facade bearing the likeness of an Osirian man. Windblown sand is heaped around the crypt, partially burying the doors that lead within. The name of the individual interred within the tomb, Akhentepi, is engraved upon the doors in Osiriani, along with the dates of his birth and death, indicating that the deceased was born in 2416 AR and died in 2488 AR, 11 years before the Plague of Madness decimated most of the city.The doors are 10 feet tall and made of solid stone, with no visible handles or hinges. A simple search of the doors reveals they were on hinges that swing outwards and it appears that someone took a crowbar to the door at one point.. and it was later resealed. It takes about an hour of backbreaking work to pry open the heavy stone doors.. but it is done! Tomb Antechamber
This rectangular room is empty save for some engravings and fixtures upon the walls, a pair of heavy stone doors to the north (that you entered from), and an immense stone wheel against the south wall. The air is stale, and a layer of dust and sand covers the floor, lying in a thicker layer to the south. All four walls bear sunk-relief engravings and hieroglyphs, while small stone faces are affixed to the walls at about shoulder height in each corner. The stone wheel to the south is engraved with a large spiral and is set in stone tracks in the floor and ceiling. The dust and sand in the room, as well as the stale air, indicate that nothing has entered this room for at least a few decades. The hieroglyphs on the walls are Ancient Osiriani and with the engravings, they describe the life of the tomb's enshrined occupant, Akhentepi, a celebrated military commander who presided over the troops garrisoned in Wati prior to the city's downfall. The hieroglyphs warn, "Akhentepi's tomb is well defended, and those who defile it tempt the wrath of the gods." An additional warning advises, " The only thing the Lady of Graves despises more than the grave robber is the unsuccessful grave robber," followed by a final admonishment to "turn back while you can." Lyndale identifies the spiral on the stone wheel as the symbol of Pharasma, and to recognize that two of the carved faces in the room's corners depict Pharasma. The other two faces you recognize as the likeness of Anubis, theancient Osirian god ofburials and mummification. Closer examination of the faces also reveals them to be decorative torch holders that once held iron balls of continual light, that have burned to dust thousands of years ago. Upper Shaft Room
This square room is starkly devoid of any markings or adornment. In the center of the chamber's floor, a square shaft 10' wide drops straight down into darkness. A faint musty odor rises from the pit. A single piton has been hammered into the stone floor by the northeast corner of the pit, and a length of knotted silk rope dangles from the a gear that was hammered into the wall above the shaft. Lower Shaft Room
Mirrored images of a warrior in side profile, facing inward, are carved on an ornate pair of stone doors in the west wall of this square room. The figure is depicted wearing padded armor, with a scarab-shaped shield on the arm facing the viewer, and a raised khopesh held aloft in the other. A crumpled humanoid body lies directly in front of the left door. A hint of decay hangs in the air, and a dried stain mars the stone floor under the body. A square shaft in the ceiling leads straight up into darkness that you just descended from. The carvings on the doors depict Akhentepi as a younger man. The body in front of the doors is mostly skeletal, with a thin layer of desiccated tissue, enough remains preserved that you can tell it was a elven male. He had a pouch with a few things in it that survived all this time. The Trapped Corridor
The walls of this ten-foot-wide corridor feature bas-relief carvings of great battles. Armies with spears and shields clash at the direction of generals, while other leaders direct troops from chariots that are ruthlessly overrunning their enemies. Engraved stone double doors stand at either end of the hallway. The engravings on the insides of both sets of doors show that Akhentepi is depicted as an older man riding in a chariot. He carries the same scarab shield, but his other arm points at his own reflected depiction on the opposite door. This hallway was trapped, triggered by a 5-foot-by-10-foot pressure plate on the floor in front of the western doors. It was a simple matter for the Trickster Sol to disarm it and recover all ten of the darts. Foyer
A faded tapestry hangs on a wooden frame on the western wall of this chamber. Faded and delicate, the tapestry depicts a middle-aged man, accompanied by a woman and two children, with a small estate in the background. To either side of the tapestry are two small pedestals, upon which sit two dead and preserved animals. Stone double doors exit the chamber to the north, south, and east(you came from the east). The tapestry is a portrait of Akhentepi, his wife, and two children, depicted standing before their family home. Archmage Dhund hala studied the tapestry and discerned several symbols and hieroglyphs that suggest that Akhentepi's family befell some tragedy, possibly murder or sickness, and he was left widowed. She also infered that the family is probably interred somewhere else and that this tomb was prepared much later, after Akhentepi's continued successful military career. Heirophant Lyndale Dackery discovered that the animals on the pedestal are mummified cats, Akhentepi's former pets. They were strangled and then mummified so they could accompany their owner to the Boneyard and his soul's final destination. By flip of a golden coin the explorers choose to go through the north doors first. Chariot Chamber
A brightly painted chariot sits in the center of this chamber. Beyond the chariot, a large canvas stretches between two stone columns. The skins of several animals-antelopes, great cats, and crocodiles-now faded and deteriorated with age, are tacked to this canvas. A wooden chest, lacquered white and trimmed with gold inlay, sits in the southeast corner. In each corner of the room a small stone shield is molded into the masonry at shoulder height. An open hallway leads to the east, and a set of stone double doors leads back south. The chariot is a light chariot, one of Akhentepi's favorite possessions from his younger days. It was fully restored and painted outside of the tomb, then disassembled, brought here piece by piece, and reassembled in this chamber. Time has still taken a toll on the chariot, such that using it as a vehicle would be dubious at best, though a Make Whole prayer would fully restore it. The animal skins are trophies from Akhentepi's hunting expeditions, and have no real value, having suffered the ravages of time. The shield devices in each of the corners are more burned out torch holders. Trickster Sol examines the small chest, disarming a poisoned blade trap and pocketing the trap for later use. the chest is a work of art and worth 200 gold in the market, it contained a trio of potions, two cure light wounds and one of dark vision that sol drank as she was the only one of the three that could not see in the darkness. Also inside the chest were two books made of thin golden sheets. The first is a brief biography of Akhentepi, and the second is a list and description of the various military campaigns conducted by the nation of Osirion between 2350 and 2450 AR. Each book weighs 25 pounds and is worth 300 gp in the market. The chariot is nice, if deconstructed and transported out, then reassmebled and made whole (mending is not powerful enough, as its too ancient) it could worth a couple of hundred gold. There is a chariot race in a couple of weeks.. The thought was to use this and enter... then sell it off afterwards. The Hall of Judgement
Four funerary masks hang on one wall of this short hallway, staring down as if in judgment at anyone standing in the corridor. Heirophant Lyndale decided to head down the open hallway and as the others were exploring the chest and chariot. These masks appeared to be some form of trap, he decided they are simply decorations. From west to east, the masks depict the gods Pharasma, Abadar, Sekhmet, and Osiris. He placed the mask of ( ) upon his face and placed the others into the treasure sack (each mask worth roughly 75gold). The three of them moved in tandom into the next chamber to the east. The Trophy Room
A table displaying a three-dimensional diorama occupies much of the north side of this room. Three shields with different designs are displayed upon a rack against the east wall, while various weapons hang from another rack along the south wall. Arrayed around the room are five small chests and a clay urn. With a sculpted landscape and tiny stone and wooden statues, the diorama depicts an ancient battle between the city of Wati and an unidentified enemy. Tiny soldiers animated and tried to attack the explorers, it was a very simple matter for Archmage Hala to burn them to a cinder with her magical fire darts. The rack to the east proudly displays three shields.
The shield on the right is a light wooden shield identical to the shields carried by the soldiers in the diorama. It bears Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs that spell the name "Akhentepi," marking those soldiers as under the command of Akhentepi.
The light wooden shield on the left does not appear to be Osirian in origin, and Hala recogonized it was a style still in use by the tribes in the Mwangi Expanse far to the south.
The center shield is unusual in that it is a light steel shield shaped like a scarab; it matches the one borne by Akhentepi in the engravings on the doors in seen so far. It was later claimed by Heirophant Altir AL Hazarid.
The rack on the south wall holds a composite shortbow, a khopesh, and a spear-all of which belonged to Akhentepi and are each masterwork. The chests are of good craftsmanship but less ornate than the one found previously, none are trapped. Each was sealed with green wax and contained a sack of 100 gold and 42 silver pieces of ancient osirion coins as well as several scroll tubes holding papyrus records, private memos, expense ledgers, speeches, and private correspondence. Among the papers are discussions regarding the unfinished tomb of Akhentepi's mistress (somewhere deeper into the tomb). There is little else of interest in the papers, but to a collector or Osirionologist, these documents are worth 250 gp total if undamaged. There is a map of the Tomb Complex. The clay urn is also sealed with wax and contains nard, an expensive, oily perfume, worth 75 gp. At this point the explorers decided to haul the goods back towards the entrance and spend an hour disassembling the chariot to haul it back also to the entry chamber.
The Tomb of Akhentepi The Heroes can enter the necropolis as soon as the gates open the following morning. Their first assigned site is an actual tomb that predates the Plague of Madness, located in the city's original cemetery in the eastern section of the necropolis. The tomb's location is marked on the map ofWati. Using the sketched map given to them at the opening ceremony, you have no difficulty locating the site, nor do the others from the table that have chosen to incarnate with you here. A rectangular stone mausoleum sits alone in what appears to have once been an actual cemetery. The trunks of a few dead trees poke out of the sand around the tomb, and a hot breeze whistles through their desiccated branches. A set of massive stone double doors is affixed to the northern side of the structure, beneath a facade bearing the likeness of an Osirian man. Windblown sand is heaped around the crypt, partially burying the doors that lead within. The name of the individual interred within the tomb, Akhentepi, is engraved upon the doors in Osiriani, along with the dates of his birth and death, indicating that the deceased was born in 2416 AR and died in 2488 AR, 11 years before the Plague of Madness decimated most of the city.The doors are 10 feet tall and made of solid stone, with no visible handles or hinges. A simple search of the doors reveals they were on hinges that swing outwards and it appears that someone took a crowbar to the door at one point.. and it was later resealed. It takes about an hour of backbreaking work to pry open the heavy stone doors.. but it is done! Tomb Antechamber
This rectangular room is empty save for some engravings and fixtures upon the walls, a pair of heavy stone doors to the north (that you entered from), and an immense stone wheel against the south wall. The air is stale, and a layer of dust and sand covers the floor, lying in a thicker layer to the south. All four walls bear sunk-relief engravings and hieroglyphs, while small stone faces are affixed to the walls at about shoulder height in each corner. The stone wheel to the south is engraved with a large spiral and is set in stone tracks in the floor and ceiling. The dust and sand in the room, as well as the stale air, indicate that nothing has entered this room for at least a few decades. The hieroglyphs on the walls are Ancient Osiriani and with the engravings, they describe the life of the tomb's enshrined occupant, Akhentepi, a celebrated military commander who presided over the troops garrisoned in Wati prior to the city's downfall. The hieroglyphs warn, "Akhentepi's tomb is well defended, and those who defile it tempt the wrath of the gods." An additional warning advises, " The only thing the Lady of Graves despises more than the grave robber is the unsuccessful grave robber," followed by a final admonishment to "turn back while you can." Lyndale identifies the spiral on the stone wheel as the symbol of Pharasma, and to recognize that two of the carved faces in the room's corners depict Pharasma. The other two faces you recognize as the likeness of Anubis, theancient Osirian god ofburials and mummification. Closer examination of the faces also reveals them to be decorative torch holders that once held iron balls of continual light, that have burned to dust thousands of years ago. Upper Shaft Room
This square room is starkly devoid of any markings or adornment. In the center of the chamber's floor, a square shaft 10' wide drops straight down into darkness. A faint musty odor rises from the pit. A single piton has been hammered into the stone floor by the northeast corner of the pit, and a length of knotted silk rope dangles from the a gear that was hammered into the wall above the shaft. Lower Shaft Room
Mirrored images of a warrior in side profile, facing inward, are carved on an ornate pair of stone doors in the west wall of this square room. The figure is depicted wearing padded armor, with a scarab-shaped shield on the arm facing the viewer, and a raised khopesh held aloft in the other. A crumpled humanoid body lies directly in front of the left door. A hint of decay hangs in the air, and a dried stain mars the stone floor under the body. A square shaft in the ceiling leads straight up into darkness that you just descended from. The carvings on the doors depict Akhentepi as a younger man. The body in front of the doors is mostly skeletal, with a thin layer of desiccated tissue, enough remains preserved that you can tell it was a elven male. He had a pouch with a few things in it that survived all this time. The Trapped Corridor
The walls of this ten-foot-wide corridor feature bas-relief carvings of great battles. Armies with spears and shields clash at the direction of generals, while other leaders direct troops from chariots that are ruthlessly overrunning their enemies. Engraved stone double doors stand at either end of the hallway. The engravings on the insides of both sets of doors show that Akhentepi is depicted as an older man riding in a chariot. He carries the same scarab shield, but his other arm points at his own reflected depiction on the opposite door. This hallway was trapped, triggered by a 5-foot-by-10-foot pressure plate on the floor in front of the western doors. It was a simple matter for the Trickster Sol to disarm it and recover all ten of the darts. Foyer
A faded tapestry hangs on a wooden frame on the western wall of this chamber. Faded and delicate, the tapestry depicts a middle-aged man, accompanied by a woman and two children, with a small estate in the background. To either side of the tapestry are two small pedestals, upon which sit two dead and preserved animals. Stone double doors exit the chamber to the north, south, and east(you came from the east). The tapestry is a portrait of Akhentepi, his wife, and two children, depicted standing before their family home. Archmage Dhund hala studied the tapestry and discerned several symbols and hieroglyphs that suggest that Akhentepi's family befell some tragedy, possibly murder or sickness, and he was left widowed. She also infered that the family is probably interred somewhere else and that this tomb was prepared much later, after Akhentepi's continued successful military career. Heirophant Lyndale Dackery discovered that the animals on the pedestal are mummified cats, Akhentepi's former pets. They were strangled and then mummified so they could accompany their owner to the Boneyard and his soul's final destination. By flip of a golden coin the explorers choose to go through the north doors first. Chariot Chamber
A brightly painted chariot sits in the center of this chamber. Beyond the chariot, a large canvas stretches between two stone columns. The skins of several animals-antelopes, great cats, and crocodiles-now faded and deteriorated with age, are tacked to this canvas. A wooden chest, lacquered white and trimmed with gold inlay, sits in the southeast corner. In each corner of the room a small stone shield is molded into the masonry at shoulder height. An open hallway leads to the east, and a set of stone double doors leads back south. The chariot is a light chariot, one of Akhentepi's favorite possessions from his younger days. It was fully restored and painted outside of the tomb, then disassembled, brought here piece by piece, and reassembled in this chamber. Time has still taken a toll on the chariot, such that using it as a vehicle would be dubious at best, though a Make Whole prayer would fully restore it. The animal skins are trophies from Akhentepi's hunting expeditions, and have no real value, having suffered the ravages of time. The shield devices in each of the corners are more burned out torch holders. Trickster Sol examines the small chest, disarming a poisoned blade trap and pocketing the trap for later use. the chest is a work of art and worth 200 gold in the market, it contained a trio of potions, two cure light wounds and one of dark vision that sol drank as she was the only one of the three that could not see in the darkness. Also inside the chest were two books made of thin golden sheets. The first is a brief biography of Akhentepi, and the second is a list and description of the various military campaigns conducted by the nation of Osirion between 2350 and 2450 AR. Each book weighs 25 pounds and is worth 300 gp in the market. The chariot is nice, if deconstructed and transported out, then reassmebled and made whole (mending is not powerful enough, as its too ancient) it could worth a couple of hundred gold. There is a chariot race in a couple of weeks.. The thought was to use this and enter... then sell it off afterwards. The Hall of Judgement
Four funerary masks hang on one wall of this short hallway, staring down as if in judgment at anyone standing in the corridor. Heirophant Lyndale decided to head down the open hallway and as the others were exploring the chest and chariot. These masks appeared to be some form of trap, he decided they are simply decorations. From west to east, the masks depict the gods Pharasma, Abadar, Sekhmet, and Osiris. He placed the mask of ( ) upon his face and placed the others into the treasure sack (each mask worth roughly 75gold). The three of them moved in tandom into the next chamber to the east. The Trophy Room
A table displaying a three-dimensional diorama occupies much of the north side of this room. Three shields with different designs are displayed upon a rack against the east wall, while various weapons hang from another rack along the south wall. Arrayed around the room are five small chests and a clay urn. With a sculpted landscape and tiny stone and wooden statues, the diorama depicts an ancient battle between the city of Wati and an unidentified enemy. Tiny soldiers animated and tried to attack the explorers, it was a very simple matter for Archmage Hala to burn them to a cinder with her magical fire darts. The rack to the east proudly displays three shields.
The shield on the right is a light wooden shield identical to the shields carried by the soldiers in the diorama. It bears Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs that spell the name "Akhentepi," marking those soldiers as under the command of Akhentepi.
The light wooden shield on the left does not appear to be Osirian in origin, and Hala recogonized it was a style still in use by the tribes in the Mwangi Expanse far to the south.
The center shield is unusual in that it is a light steel shield shaped like a scarab; it matches the one borne by Akhentepi in the engravings on the doors in seen so far. It was later claimed by Heirophant Altir AL Hazarid.
The rack on the south wall holds a composite shortbow, a khopesh, and a spear-all of which belonged to Akhentepi and are each masterwork. The chests are of good craftsmanship but less ornate than the one found previously, none are trapped. Each was sealed with green wax and contained a sack of 100 gold and 42 silver pieces of ancient osirion coins as well as several scroll tubes holding papyrus records, private memos, expense ledgers, speeches, and private correspondence. Among the papers are discussions regarding the unfinished tomb of Akhentepi's mistress (somewhere deeper into the tomb). There is little else of interest in the papers, but to a collector or Osirionologist, these documents are worth 250 gp total if undamaged. There is a map of the Tomb Complex. The clay urn is also sealed with wax and contains nard, an expensive, oily perfume, worth 75 gp. At this point the explorers decided to haul the goods back towards the entrance and spend an hour disassembling the chariot to haul it back also to the entry chamber.
Rewards Granted
XP: 1068 Awarded to Archmage Dhund Hala, Heirophant Lyndale Dackery, Trickster Sol.
- Tapestry: if made whole, worth 400 gold to a collector.
- Gilded Light Chariot: If made whole, worth 200 gold and is eligable to run in the chariot races next week.
- Ornately carved wooden chest: worth 200 gold.
- Golden book of a brief biography of Akhentepi worth 300 gold.
- Golden book with a description of the various military campaigns conducted by the nation of Osirion between 2350 and 2450 AR also worth 300 gold.
- Funerary Mask of Pharisma worth 75 gold
- Funerary Mask of Abadar worth 75 gold
- Funerary Mask of Sekhmet worth 75 gold
- Funerary Mask of Osiris worth 75 gold.
- Masterwork Light Wooden Shield of Akhentepi worth 200 gold to a collector.
- Masterwork Light Wooden Shield of a tribe from the Mwangi Expanse worth 200 gold to a collector, more to the tribe if they still exist.
- Akhentepi's Scarab Shield from the carvings worth 4399 gold.
- Masterwork Composite Shortbow worth 375 gold.
- Masterwork Khopesh worth 320 gold.
- Masterwork Spear worth 302 gold.
- Records from the time of Ankhentepi worth 250 gold.
- Clay urn of Nard worth 75 gold.
- Gold Coins: 500
- Silver coins: 210
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