[Pathfinder] Mummy's Mask, part 30: The Sightless Sphinx, part 3

The Sightless Sphinx


The Ruby Scarabs withdrew from the Sightless Sphinx after they had defeated the defenders of the first three chambers they entered, and set up a hidden camp beyond the broken wall that surrounded the ancient temple to the demon lord. They were able to rest that night undisturbed. The next morning Hutt prepared a spell to transport them to the capitol city of Sothis, where they could sell all of the items they had accumulated and acquire new enchanted objects to aid them in their quest to recover the remains of Chisisek.

Hutt's spell took all of the group, including Tetisurah and the bronze sentinel, to the outskirts of the great city, which only Hutt had previously visited. The rest of the party were impressed by the size and bustle of Sothis, and awed by the large structure in the shape of a scarab beetle that house the House of Law. They decided to visit the temple of Pharasma first, then the temple of Nethys, because the felt those places would be most likely to purchase the things they wanted to sell and help them find the items they wanted to buy.

Kaa was put in touch with a person named Rezillo who he was told could help them. Once Uto had negotiated the sale of all of the things they had claimed from the cultists, the Scarabs found themselves well supplied with coin and beginning to draw a bit of unwanted attention. That evening they met the cultured and knowledgeable Rezillo at an expensive eatery to talk about the enchanted objects they hoped to purchase. Rezillo was able to help them find everything they desired, for a fee.

Sula purchased new armor made of ironwood and was connected with someone who could reshape it to her taste, as its original form had been rather nautical in theme. Her new armor would remain with her when she assumed the shape of an animal, unlike the ankheg chitin armor she had previously worn, and she also acquired a garment that would let her become a beast more often than before. She also claimed two of the strengthening belts they had taken from the cultists, one for herself and one for Nyema. Uto purchased an enchanted shield and a scroll to resurrect the dead. Kaa acquired a magic ring that would protect him like armor and a pair of goggles that gave him keener sight, in addition to an adamantine sword. Azzaria bought an adamantine weapon too.

At the end of their second day in Sothis, Hutt transported the Scarabs back to meet Tetisurah. The sphinx seemed a little disappointed that they had returned so soon, as she was enjoying the experience of dunes she had never seen before. Then the whole party went back to the Sightless Sphinx. Kaa preceded the others in approaching the entrance, finding that the trap between the Sphinx's forelegs had been reset. After he disabled it and unlocked the doors a second time, he heard voices of new defenders preparing for the Scarabs' entry. He warned the others and everyone moved toward the doors, ready for a fight. Sula used the ring and collar she'd gained from the supply sledge to armor both herself and Nyema with skin as hard as tree bark.

Kaa opened the doors before his companions joined him. Two cultists were immediately visible inside the statue chamber. Kaa attempted to dissuade them from fighting by pointing out that he and his friends had slain the other cultists and girtablilu mercenaries whose remains they must have removed from the entry hall, but they fired flaming arrows at him in response. Two more cultists appeared from behind the reed curtains. Hutt approached the doorway and send tiny missiles flying unerringly at one of the cultists. The bronze sentinel took flight and Uto steered it toward the doorway. Kaa burned one cultist with lightning, and more of Hutt's missiles caused a cultist to explode. Nyema had run ahead of Sula, and was struck twice by one cultist's spear. Sula rushed in and used her own spear against the attacker. One of the remaining cultists was shouting information to someone else, though there was no one in sight. Kaa attacked him and he too exploded. Nyema and Azzaria eliminated the last man and Uto quickly gathered up all the equipment left behind when the cultists self-immolated. He distributed the healing potions the cultists had carried and Sula used one to treat Nyema's wounds.

The next room was empty, though the eye trap had been reset and Kaa had to disable it again. Azzaria jumped up on the sentinel's shoulder and checked over the low walls to make sure no one waited in ambush as they had on the Scarabs' first visit to that room. The next set of doors were both unlocked and free of traps, and they found no one waiting for them in the chamber where they had previously fought with two girtablilu. In one of the side passages they found chips in the stone where it had been struck by arrows, and stains on the floor of blood and other substances. The stains were not new, but they were relatively recent.

In the chamber where they'd fought the last two girtablilu mercenaries, there were several sets of double doors leading out on all sides. Rather than open any of those, the Ruby Scarabs approached a set of doors that led out of the side passage where they found the stains. Kaa carefully opened the unlocked doors using an extendable tool from his pack, so that he could avoid standing directly in front of them. As he did so, he heard the sound of wings flapping from beyond the doorway, and several of the other party members heard a voice speak the words of a spell.

Kaa peeked cautiously around the corner to see a long, wide chamber with a high ceiling, its walls lined with alcoves containing standing sarcophagi in human forms. A smoky vapor exuded from the eye holes of these sarcophagi. At the far end he spotted two maftets hovering above the floor, their leonine legs dyed blue and their feathered wings colored red. Kaa shouted to them that they should leave and their lives might be spared, but they both refused. Hutt then cast a spell on everyone to give them greater speed and better defenses. Sula began to summon the lightning. Azzaria flew into the room, drawing a wand as she went. The maftets, a male and a female, rose up toward the ceiling and began casting spells on the scimitars they wielded.

Kaa detected no traps in the engraved floor of the chamber, so he moved into the room on foot. Uto steered the sentinel inside. As they entered, two of the sarcophagi burst open and creatures that clearly were not human emerged from them. Sula recognized them as bodak, a type of undead creature, but she could recall little else about them other than their immunity to electricity and resistance to fire and acid. As she tried to remember more, Hutt put his arm around Azzaria and magically transported both of them to the other end of the room to meet the maftets. Sula sent a bolt of lightning at the male maftet, but he nimbly it. Azzaria attacked the female, while the male suddenly vanished.

Bodak


The bronze sentinel had arrived near one of the two bodaks, and it now turned a baleful glare on the automaton, which Uto could see through the transparent porthole. He felt himself weaken under the creature's gaze and called out to his companions to avoid looking at the things. Then he activated one of the powers of Hakotep's mask to protect himself. One bodak charged Nyema, who had followed Sula when she moved into the chamber. Sula averted her gaze and moved away from the undead creature, but Nyema was affected by its gaze and ran out into the hall to seek solace from Tetisurah. The sphinx summoned a mist to hide the hallway from the bodak's gaze.

The female maftet fell to attacks from Azzaria and Kaa. Wings were heard closer to the center of the chamber as the male reappeared. One of the bodaks began to move toward the group at the far end of the hall. Uto flew the sentinel closer to the ceiling, concerned that if he got too close to one of the still closed sarcophagi it would open and release more bodaks. Kaa flew toward the sentinel, but as he passed by a sarcophagus it burst open and disgorged another bodak.

Sula tried again to strike the male maftet with lightning but he evaded the bolt. She realized she had no spell or weapon to fight the bodaks and retreated into the passageway to begin casting a spell to summon another creature that might harm them. Hutt attempted to transform the maftet into a duck but his spell failed to affect it. Kaa blasted two of the bodak's with fire from above. Azzaria took down the male maftet, and Kaa blasted the third bodak with cold while Uto stretched his prehensile hair out through the sentinel's porthole to touch it with harmful positive energy. Then Uto channeled more positive energy against the undead creatures. Hutt flew up near the ceiling and aimed missiles of force at the two bodaks nearest the bronze sentinel. Azzaria eliminated the third bodak. Uto attempted to drop the sentinel on one of the creatures while avoiding looking at it. The sentinel hit it a glancing blow and toppled over. Kaa's flames destroyed the second bodak and then the third, after the ice elemental Sula had summoned failed to hit it.

Taking great care not to get too close to the remaining unopened sarcophagi, the Scarabs removed two amulets from the bodies of the maftets, who had not exploded at death like the cultists. Then they considered what sort of other dangers they might meet and whether they should retreat from the Sightless Sphinx again to seek out more magic to defend against creatures like the bodaks.

Next: The Sightless Sphinx, part 4

[Movie Review] Avengers: Infinity War

Avengers: Infinity War
Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Chadwick Boseman, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olson, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Zoe Saldana, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Peter Dinklage, Gwyneth Paltrow, Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Samuel L. Jackson, Coby Smulders, William Hurt, Jacob Batalon, Winston Duke, Idris Elba

If that cast list is daunting, it's because literally almost everyone who's played a major lead role (and several important supporting characters) in a Marvel film since 2008 is in this movie. All but one of the Avengers, all of the Black Panther major cast, all of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange. The only missing characters are Hawkeye and Ant-Man. It's like we've had an entire comic book multi-title year-long crossover extravaganza dropped on our screens - and it's glorious.

It's a struggle to review this without spoilers, but I'll do my best. Marvel Entertainment has spent the past decade working up to this, slowly getting audiences acquainted with these characters while teasing the presence of Infinity War's villain in almost every film. The payoff had to be big, and it is. The film starts out with a surprising opening, then rapidly brings all of the heroes together and acquaints them with what they're up against. Naturally that villain has to be very big, and he is. I don't think it's a spoiler to state that it's Thanos, since they've been teasing him in movie after movie and he's mentioned in all the trailers.

Thanos is one of the biggest villains in the Marvel comics universe, and he's a major challenge for all of these characters we've come to know. They must fight harder than they've ever fought before - and oh, boy, do they fight. This film is full of massive, jaw-dropping combat scenes. The use of various characters' powers and abilities is inspired. I think I did spend a good third of the movie with my mouth hanging open.

But despite the vast battles, the movie makes time for intimate moments and gives every one of the main characters a chance to shine. There's a greater focus on certain characters, which I suspect will come into play in the next film. But no one was completely ignored. Best of all, Thanos isn't a typical revenge-obsessed villain; he's actually a fully developed character who is even sympathetic in some scenes, and he has a believable if misguided goal beyond "kill (insert name here)". He looks really good, too, like they spent a lot of time and effort making that character convincing even though he's probably 85% CGI. I'm not as disappointed with the DC films as some are, but I do admit that Thanos is a vast improvement over Steppenwolf from Justice League.

I noticed the music much more in this movie, too. I've heard Marvel being bashed for not producing really memorable scores, but I don't think anyone can say that about the score for Infinity War. It was another perfect piece in a very well-crafted movie.

My only problem with Infinity War is that its sequel isn't due to be released until next year, and I want to know what happens next now, not a year from now!

If you've enjoyed the other Marvel films and want to see a superhero film where the heroes truly have superpowers and are fighting against epic odds, you'll definitely want to see Avengers: Infinity War.

Be sure to stay for the after-credits scene. If you don't get it, ask me and I'll tell you what it means.

[Pathfinder] Mummy's Mask, part 29: The Sightless Sphinx, part 2

After they had eliminated the Forgotten Pharaoh cultists and girtablilu mercenaries who guarded the exterior of the Sightless Sphinx, the Ruby Scarabs took a few moments to search the bodies for anything of value before proceeding to the double doors that would take them inside the temple of Areshkagal. Some of the cultists they had faced were equipped differently than other cultists they had encountered previously, carrying well-made javelins and wearing breastplates. But as they had found in the past, the members of the cult carried little coin, though they did have curative potions. Each of them took a potion.

They had only just finished gathering up the spoils when three more girtablilu warriors confronted them. The warrior who took the lead warned them, "We are the guardians and we must defend this place from all." Uto then emerged from within the bronze sentinel, flying, and transformed into his living monolith form before addressing them. He attempted to persuade them that there was no need for them to keep defending those withing the demon lord's temple. When they wouldn't listen he tried to intimidate them into abandoning their post, but they refused to be swayed. Impatient with the conversation, Azzaria pulled a bead from her necklace and hurled it among the girtablilu, engulfing all three of then in flames.

Hutt followed Azzaria's attack by granting all of the his new comrades the ability to move much more quickly than normal. Azzaria became hard to perceive and surrounded herself with images of herself.  Sula took the shape of a huge macetail dinosaur and moved up to attack one of the girtablilu. One of the girtablilu warriors grabbed Uto in its pincer and was attacked by Azzaria. Its defensive attacks caused several of her images to disappear. Uto was also hard to see, his outlined blurred, which protected him when the girtablilu tried to sting him with its tail. The first warrior fell to the combined attacks of Azzaria and Sula.

Hutt cast a spell that left another girtablilu blind, but the scorpion-man refused to yield and crept toward Kaa. Nyema joined Sula in attacking one warrior and was stung for her efforts. Uto sent two of his ancestral spirits to attack the same foe. Uto was as usual absorbing some harm from his companions and thus suffering many wounds. Tetisurah moved closer to him to heal him. Kaa pummeled the blinded warrior with his fists. Azzara pounded the warrior that had stung Nyema and he collapsed. She then charged toward three more girtablilu who were approaching. Hutt sent a ball of flames into their midst, which stopped two of them from casting spells. But one of them managed to successfully summon a giant scorpion to aid them.

Another girtablilu grabbed Nyema but then released her. Weakened by the poison from the scorpion-man's sting, the lioness retreated, running to Tetisurah for aid. The sphinx healed her wound, but could do nothing to remove the poison, though she cast a spell on the lioness to aid her in withstanding the effect of the poison. Only one of the first trio of girtablilu warriors remained on his feet. The giant scorpion appeared near Azzaria and attacked her. Uto cast a spell on one of the approaching scorpion-men, setting him ablaze and also burning him with acid. Kaa stepped forward and sent a bolt of electricity at two of the warriors who hadn't reached the Scarabs yet.

Azzaria now faced both the giant scorpion and a girtablilu warrior. The warrior was already badly hurt. Hutt moved to attack the blinded warrior with his staff, while it stabbed at Kaa. Another warrior attacked the rougarou wizard. Uto flew the bronze sentinel over to the blind warrior and slammed both of the automaton's fists down on him. Hutt then engulfed the warrior in flames, and after his homonculous stabbed the warrior with its tiny spear, the girtablilu slumped to the ground. Sula's opponent also collapsed from his wounds after exerting one last unsuccessful effort to sting her, and Uto's spirit guardians finished him off.

Sula moved her huge form to attack another warrior. Uto blocked an attack on him by summoning a shield of stone, but was struck by a tail sting. Hutt was clawed and grabbed. His enemy pulled him close and squeezed him. Azzaria's opponents had eliminated all of her images and were becoming more successful at actually striking her. While Uto moved out of reach to cast a healing spell on himself, Tetisurah flew toward Azzaria and clawed one of her foes. Kaa sent more electricity at one of them, and then Azzaria dropped the girtablilu that Uto had set on fire and coated in acid. Still burning and sizzling, the warrior fell. Sula moved up to smash the giant scorpion with her club-like tail, which was also wreathed in flames. Azzaria hit the scorpion herself and it stopped moving. Then Uto called on the spirits to heal all of his comrades at once. In the space of a few minutes they had defeated six girtablilu warriors and a giant scorpion.

The leader of the girtablilu proved to have a few valuables which the Scarabs claimed, especially an ointment that could neutralize poison, remove diseases, or cure wounds. Uto used a wand he possessed to remove the effects of the poison from Nyema. The Scarabs then checked the tents that stood inside the broken wall around the Sphinx, finding that they had been the camp of the girtablilu mercenaries and contained nothing of value. While they investigated the tents, Tetisurah avoided getting too close to the grove of stone palm trees, which proved to have fronds made of sphinx bones.

The doors in the chest of the Sightless Sphinx proved to be constructed of the same sandstone as the rest of the structure. They were inlaid with ivory and lapis that reflected a little of the sunlight that could penetrate past the huge forelimbs of the Sphinx. Kaa immediately recognized that the doors were trapped and told the others to stay back while he examined it. He bypassed the deadly spell that would have triggered had they opened the doors, and unlocked the lock, but he found that the doors were also magically secured. Tetisurah used her magic to dispel the magical lock.

Beyond the doors lay a shadowed hall lined with pillars decorated with carved eyes. In the center of the chamber was a white stone statue of a six-legged faceless sphinx with dragon wings and a scorpion tail, a representation of Areshkagal. The chamber looked surprisingly clean for having stood in the desert for centuries. The walls were draped with reed curtains. Kaa noticed something beyond the curtains. As soon as he called this to the attention of the rest of the group, the curtains were swept aside to reveal two girtablilu and two cultists lying in waiting. One of the girtablilu warriors roared a battle cry.

Hutt sent a missile of force at one girtablilu, while Kaa stunned the other with his blows. One of the cultists exploded in flames after Azzaria mortally wounded him. The second cultist stunned Hutt and kicked his homonculus aside. Uto healed the wizard by casting the spell through one of the bronze sentinel's portholes. Sula directed Nyema to attack the cultist, while she herself slew the second girtablilu. Tetisurah picked up Hutt and moved him out of reach of the cultist who had stunned him. Uto emerged from the sentinel just in time to see the cultist wound and stun Nyema. The half-orc shaman sent his invisible servant to remove the spear that had been dropped by the remaining girtablilu when Kaa stunned him, and the servant pulled the sword toward its master. Sula meanwhile moved to strike the cultist with her tail. Then Azzaria eliminated the stunned girtablilu warrior, following up by hitting the cultist, who exploded.

Uto healed Nyema's injuires and gave Azzaria a potion, and the group waited while Hutt cast a spell to repair the damage the cultist had done to his homonculus. Then they gathered up the items left behind by the dead, finding that the two cultists inside the first chamber had both worn enchanted amulets and belts in addition to having the cloaks and masks the Scarabs had come to expect.  The amulets and belts both granted greater strength to the wearer. Uto claimed one of the amulets and put it on the sentinel, while the other was offered to Hutt. Then the Scarabs discussed whether they should continue to explore the Sphinx or withdraw to recover and replenish their spells. They decided they would see what was beyond the next set of doors before making up their minds.

The next doors were not locked or trapped when Kaa examined them. They opened into a smaller chamber, the walls on each side not extending to the ceiling and decorated with carved eyes. The doors on the opposite side of this room bore an image of Areshkagal. Kaa realized that they eyes on the walls were a trap that would be set off if something interrupted their gaze, summoning something. With caution the tengu monk disabled this trap. But as he finished, two cultists wielding crossbows suddenly appeared at the tops of the short walls and fired on the Scarabs. Kaa was hit by a bolt.

Uto maneuvered the hulking bronze sentinel into the room, while Kaa vaulted over the wall to face his attacker. The other crossbowman fired on the sentinel but the bolt bounced off its bronze skin. Uto's hair extended out of the sentinel to grab the cultist. Sula pushed her way into the room past the sentinel and swept her tail over the low wall at the cultist Kaa faced but missed him. She then moved to the opposite side of the room to attack the other cultist. Azzaria moved into the room and fired her bow at the cultist as Sula hit him.

Kaa discovered that behind the wall was a narrow hall and a flight of descending stairs. After the cultist he faced exploded, Kaa went down the stairs and looked into the next room, a large chamber lined with pillars and occupied by two girtablilu, who immediately spotted the tengu and moved to attack him. The second cultist exploded as well, and Uto pulled open the doors to the next room. Sula and Nyema moved inside to attack the girtablilu. Kaa was stung by one of them but managed to withstand the poison. Sula was stabbed by a longspear. Hutt tried to blind one of the scorpion-centaurs but the spell failed to affect the target. Uto smashed the sentinel's hands on one warrior, while Sula also slammed him with her tail. Kaa punched the girtablilu with a flurry of flying fists, which made the warrior's attacks on him all miss their mark. Azzaria shot the same target, and Nyema clawed him which caused him to turn on her and claw her back. Kaa then struck him a tremendous blow and he toppled over. The other girtablilu had already fallen to a crushing blow from Sula's tail.

Uto's healing magic was now depleted, as were Hutt's spells, so the Scarabs decided it would be wise to withdraw and recuperate before exploring any more of the vast structure. The two cultists who had attacked from behind the walls both had the same kind of amulets and belts and the two they had met in the first room. Hutt told them he could teleport himself and four other people to the nearest city to sell their loot and purchase other items, so they decided to set up camp outside the Sphinx for the night and pursue that option the following day.

Before they made camp, Hutt examined the Sphinx and realized that it was warded against teleportation or divination spells. He might be able to get past the failing wards, but he would have to find a weakness to be able to teleport in or out of the temple. Hutt and Sula then combined their spells to create a hidden shelter, after which Uto used an enchanted spike they had previously acquired to further protect the camp. They would decide in the morning if they wanted to risk going away for a day to sell equipment.

Next: part 30, The Sightless Sphinx, part 3

[Pathfinder] Mummy's Mask, part 28: The Sightless Sphinx, part 1

Slight revision of the conclusion of part 27, to allow for introduction of a new player-character.

As the Ruby Scarabs made their way in the direction Erayu of the maftets had indicated would take them to the Sightless Sphinx, they came across a set of tracks crossing the dunes. Sula examined them and determined they represented two laden sledges being drawn by a pair of large reptiles that walked with a gait similar to a crocodile. The tracks were headed in the same direction as the Scarabs. Sula assumed the shape of a falcon and flew ahead to gather information. She saw that there were indeed two sledges loaded with supplies, hauled by a pair of large reptiles she didn't recognize. But she did recognize the gilded masks worn by the four people who accompanied the lizards. She circled over the sledges to see as much as she could before returning to her friends. In addition to an assortment of crates, boxes, and jars that probably held water, her sharp sight was attracted by a small golden cage on the front sledge. Inside the cage was a tiny metal figurine in the likeness of the jackal-headed Osirian god Anubis. But to her surprise, the figurine was moving, like the tiny people she and her comrades had encountered in the tomb of Akhan-tepi in Wati's Necropolis. Before she flew back to the others, she also noted that the rear sledge held a sarcophagus. Could it be the stolen sarcophagus of Chisisek?

When Sula rejoined the other Scarabs she told them everything she had seen, including the sarcophagus and the tiny cage. The masks the people had worn meant they were members of the Cult of the Forgotten Pharaoh. That made it simple for the Scarabs to decide to attack them and prevent the other cultists from gaining whatever supplies the sledges carried. Because the sledges were avoiding the ridges of the dunes and couldn't move quickly, it wouldn't be difficult for the Scarabs to get ahead of them and carry out an ambush. After discussing the possibility of making a two-pronged attack with Uto and his bronze sentinel bringing up the rear, they decided they would all attack from the front.

They positioned themselves at a point where the sledge drivers would have to decide whether to go right or left to remain below the tops of the dunes. Sula prepared Nyema for battle by armoring her with bark and casting a spell on her claws that would cause anyone wounded by them to bleed profusely. Sula herself abandoned her falcon form and resumed her natural shape. As the cultists approached the place where the Ruby Scarabs awaited them, they called out to the Scarabs to stop. Kaa stepped forward and asked them to allow the Scarabs to look inside the sarcophagus, but the cultists responded by calling the Scarabs bandits. Azzaria surrounded herself with six duplicates of herself, leading one of the cultists to fire his bow at her. Another cultist freed the reptiles from their traces and one of the beasts moved toward her.

The bronze sentinel suddenly appeared from between the dunes, flying over to land behind Azzaria. Uto spoke from within it, telling the cultists that it wasn't necessary to fight, but they didn't listen. Kaa sent a bolt of lightning at one cultist, and Sula followed with a lightning bolt of her own. Behind the rear sledge, a magical portal unexpectedly appeared, disgorging a man-like figure with the head of a jackal like the figurine of Anubis in the cage - but this being's head was not a mask. This jackal-headed person let out a howl as he arrived. The cultist nearest to him turned and fired on him.

Azzaria snarled in rage and her body became difficult to see and began to move with greater alacrity. The lizard that had moved toward her attacked the bronze sentinel instead. Uto used the sentinel's controls to have it strike the lizard with its fist. Meanwhile Kaa dispatched the second reptile. The remaining lizard grabbed the sentinel in its teeth and began to shake it, but because it wasn't actually biting Uto, this didn't disrupt his spellcasting as much as it might have. Nyema charged one of the cultists who stood by the front sledge and began to maul him. A blast of electricity shot from the direction of the jackal-headed person to strike the cultist Nyema attacked, forking to avoid the lioness. The cultist who had fired on the jackal-man charged toward him. The tiny Anubis figure began to bite the cage in an effort to get free of it.

Azzaria and Kaa flanked the cultist nearest to the sentinel. The cultist shouted at the lizard to drop the bronze construct and attack Kaa instead. Uto summoned lightning to strike the man twice, and when Kaa also brought electricity to bear on the reptile it released its jaws from the sentinel. Nyema continued to savage the man she had charged while Sula hit one of the other cultists with lightning and moved closer. Uto slammed the sentinel's hands down on the lizard. Tetisurah, who had hung back, now moved to cast a healing spell on Kaa, who had taken some serious wounds from the cultists. The tiny Anubis broke free of the cage.

Azzaria looked toward Sula and called out to her that since the jackal-man appeared not to be an enemy perhaps she should help him. The cultist who was directing the remaining lizard shouted desperately for it to finish off the bronze sentinel, but the lizard was too wounded. While Azzaria ran toward the jackal-man, Uto slammed the lizard again and told Kaa to hit the cultist. The lizard fell over. Tetisurah cast another healing spell on Kaa, then flew back to the sledge that held the sarcophagus.

Abruptly the jackal-man appeared next to the first sledge, and the cultist who had been attacking him found himself facing the tiny Anubis. He was even more surprised when it stabbed him with a tiny spear it had retrieved from one of the chests on the sledge. He turned and moved toward the approaching Azzaria, who was accompanied by her three remaining duplicates. When the cultist attacked her another image vanished. The cultist Nyema had mauled collapsed in a pool of blood. The man facing Azzaria suddenly cried out and exploded in a burst of fire. Now only a single cultist remained on his feet. Kaa tried to grapple him but failed to achieve a hold. Sula ran up with her spearhead crackling with electricity to stab the masked man. Kaa grabbed him, and Uto brought the sentinel's heavy bronze hand down on him. Azzaria then ran up to hit the man and he too died in an explosion of flames.

With the cultists all dead, Uto channeled divine healing to his companions and extended it to include the jackal-man. Azzaria was the first to introduce herself to him. The jackal-headed man told the Ruby Scarabs that his name was Hutt, of the Fang clan of rougarou people, who were all like him. The cultists had slain all of his comrades and stolen his homonculus, Little Anubis, and he had been pursuing them to recover the homonculus and take revenge. Uto then climbed out of the sentinel to introduce himself, followed by Kaa and Sula also telling him their names. Uto explained briefly what the Ruby Scarabs were doing and who the cultists were, and offered Hutt the opportunity to join them in their attack on the cultists they expected to find at the Sightless Sphinx. Hutt was willing to join them.

Kaa searched the containers on the first sledge while Hutt looked on, using his special ability to detect enchanted objects. Some of the things on the sledge were clearly supplies for the cult, but there were also items that were clearly stolen funerary goods. Among the enchanted objects that Hutt identified were a kopesh, a ring, the sarcophagus itself, a ring worn by the mummy inside the sarcophagus, a collar worn by the mummified cat with her, and another object inside the cat. Tetisurah was disappointed that the sarcophagus didn't belong to Chisisek.

Hutt revealed that the kopesh could create a wave of force against an enemy, and also granted the bearer the ability to wield it as if they had been trained in the use of such a blade. Azzaria claimed the weapon. The first ring Kaa had found proved to hold powers that would benefit him but not any of the other Scarabs, so they gladly allowed him to take possession of it. The ring and collar in the sarcophagus were meant to aid any person with a familiar or companion animal, so Sula was encouraged to use them for herself and Nyema. Uto removed the object from inside the cat mummy, a sphere of marble which when swallowed offered more benefits to a companion like Nyema. Kaa had also found a spellbook written on stone tablets that were unusually light; because none of the Scarabs could read the book they gave it to Hutt. Uto took charge of the enchanted sarcophagus, which could be made small enough to hold only an object the size of a cat, but could be enlarged to the size of a person and would then carry objects that weighed more than the bronze sentinel.

When wounds had been healed and items had been distributed, the Ruby Scarabs resumed their journey toward the Sightless Sphinx. Sula had seen a large structure in the distance when she spied on the cultists. It took three or four hours for the group to reach their destination. When they approached, they saw an enormous structure in the form of a six-legged sphinx, its face missing. They knew from their conversation with Erayu that it represented not a sphinx but the demon lord Areshkigal, lord of portals and riddles. The vast edifice had a large door hewn into its chest. It was approached by a broad avenue flanked by statues of actual sphinxes, each of them as broad as ten men lying head-to-foot. The Sightless Sphinx's forelimbs were longer than the avenue was wide, and the avenue could have held two of the sphinx statues place head to tail.

The temple of Areshkigal was surrounded by a broken stone wall, and on one side they saw the unnatural shadow Erayu had described, which could not have been cast by the structure itself because the sun was at the wrong position to create such a shadow. Sula volunteered to fly over the structure in falcon shape to find out what other objects or beings might lie on the other side of the Sphinx. She observed a pavilion which held a giant scorpion, as well as one of the girtablilu scorpion-centaurs they had encountered in the desert. There were a number of cultists lounging under the shade of a grove of palm trees that appeared to be made of stone, and in the shadowed area she saw a scaffolding on which two more scorpion-centaurs appeared to stand watch over a brass spyglass.

When Sula had reported her information back to the rest of the party, they decided they would camp a distance away out of sight to rest before taking on the cultists. Hutt created a magical shelter for them to sleep in. In the morning Hutt suggested that they could use the cultist equipment they had acquired to try to convince the cultists that they were delivering the supplies from the sledges, but they soon decided they preferred to make a direct assault. After everyone had prepared, a spell was cast on Sula that allowed her to communicate what she saw back to the others while she flew overhead as a falcon. The rest of the group followed her directions to creep up behind the sphinx statues along the avenue, out of sight of the guards. But as they crossed from the avenue toward the broken stone wall, one of the girtablilu spied them and shouted a warning to his comrade, who then ran to strike a gong and alert the rest of the camp.

Azzaria raced forward through a gap in the wall, pulling a bead from the necklace she wore and hurling it among the stone palm trees. It exploded in a ball of fire, burning several cultists. Overhead, Sula summoned a column of flames on the same spot. Uto walked the bronze sentinel past the wall and used its hands to eliminate a cultist. Another cultist had climbed on top of the wall when the gong rang, and Azzaria moved to face him when he jumped down. Nyema ran around the nearest section of wall to join Azzaria, but by the time the lioness reached the spot Azzaria had already eliminated her foe and he exploded. One of the girtablilu scorpion-centaur people appeared nearby and Sula struck it with lightning. Sula spied the giant scorpion approaching and blasted it as well. Uto followed her example by inflicting a burst of electricity on the scorpion-centaur, while Kaa moved among the palms to fiercely pummel one of he cultists who had managed to escape the flames. Only two men were left of the five who had been there when Sula first flew overhead.

A flurry of hailstones and snow appeared over the scorpion-centaur, summoned by Hutt. The scorpion-man rushed the rougarou wizard. A second scorpion-centaur appeared near the trees. Azzaria took out a wand and aimed it at the giant scorpion as it neared. Nyema pounced on one of the two remaining cultists, and he disappeared in a burst of fire. Kaa slew the last cultist, while Uto sent more lightning against the scorpion-centaur facing Hutt. The scorpion-centaur grabbed Hutt in one of its pincers. The second scorpion-warrior moved up to Nyema, stabbing her with his spear, and as the giant scorpion grabbed Azzaria, Sula attacked the huge scorpion and it expired. Kaa flanked the warrior attacking Nyema and was stung by his scorpion tail. Hutt escaped the pincers of the first warrior by exchanging places with his homonculus. His attacker turned on Uto inside the bronze sentinel, but the shaman blocked his blows with a shield of stone. Tetisurah then joined the battle and slew the girtablilu warrior.

A third scorpion-centaur arrived, dodging the icy area Hutt's spell had created and running toward the bronze construct. Sula met him with lightning, as did Uto. Kaa's opponent died. Tetisurah flew up and landed by Azzaria to heal her. The scorpion-centaur who had just arrived moved to attack Azzaria, and the sphinx pounced on him, killing him. When his brother-in-arms died, the remaining girtablilu warrior ran back toward the unnatural shadow at the side of the Sightless Sphinx.

Next: part 29, The Sightless Sphinx part 2