[Pathfinder] Mummy's Mask, part 57: The Sky Pharaoh's Doom

With the serpent destroyed Kaa took out a magic rod he carried and checked the pile of remains for any metals or gems, retrieving a large faceted ruby. Hutt then suggested that perhaps one of the secret doors the party had opened previously would bypass other obstacles and it might be wiser to use that than to go through the stone block. Eager to preserve their resources, the other Scarabs agreed and Shendakut went along with them.

This secret door took the Scarabs to a long darkened hall containing a broad pillar. Torches came to light as they entered, revealing paintings on the walls of charioteers. Suddenly they heard a shout and a chariot appeared swooping down on them, drawn by a pair of manticores and bearing a masked figure with a bow. Hutt immediately erected an iron wall across a portion of the room. As the chariot flew overhead, the Scarabs realized that the manticores appeared insubstantial. The archer fired on Kaa, striking him with multiple arrows.

Azzaria transformed into a dragon and leaped to the top of Hutt's iron wall. Kaa breathed a gout of acid at the charioteer. Uto sent two spirits to attack the manticores but one of the spirits suddenly vanished. Hutt took a moment to examine the charioteer, and Shendakut explained that this was General Tawaret, a might warrior. In response, Hutt created a small structure of force over the entrance to the chamber.

Kaa breathed flames at the charioteer and found that more effective than acid. Hutt tried plying his wand against the manticores but his missiles had no effect on them, leading him to suspect they were illusory. The chariot swooped into Hutt's structure and the woman riding it sent a burst of cold at Sula before exiting, after which Sula took the shape of a dinosaur again. Azzaria leaped into the chariot and grappled the general while the chariot flew over Sula and blasted her with a chill energy again. Hutt erected a second iron wall in front of the chariot. Kaa jumped on top of this wall and sent more fire at the woman who was struggled to get free of Azzaria. Sula snapped at the chariot but missed. Azzaria was unable to hold the woman and then attempted to order the chariot to land but it didn't obey her command. It flew upward but wasn't able to clear the iron wall safely. Uto then enlarged himself to attack the general. Kaa and Sula joined him as the collision with the wall dislodged the woman from the vehicle and she fell, nearly cut in two by Kaa.

Hutt found an assortment of magical objects on the general's body while the Scarabs treated the wounds dealt them by Taweret. Kaa complained that he needed rest, but first he wanted to have a go at flying the chariot. Despite Kaa's complaint, the Scarabs decided not to leave as they feared that Hakotep would be able to prepare more defenses against them if they departed to recuperate.

At the far end of the chariot room they found a pool of water framed by statues of peasant women bearing water jars. The place felt like an oasis. They noticed that the water pouring from the water jars didn't actually touch the pool. Hutt discerned that the water in the pool was magical and would cause a spellcaster to forget some of their spells. The statue was also magical, enchanted to cause the water to teleport out of the jug and back into it again. As Kaa passed the statue he suddenly felt extremely thirsty. Despite this he disabled a trap, then looked around a corner using a mirror to see more water and a large chamber containing more statues.

The floor of this room was covered in glyphs praising Hakotep, intermingled with curse magic that had been forgotten after the pharaohs ceased to rule Osirion. A stone block door was engraved with falcons holding lotus blossoms in their claws, which Uto recognized as a symbol associated with Hakotep. Kaa was still extremely thirsty, and Uto realized that he had been afflicted by a curse, which Uto cast a spell to break. Fortunately the curses inscribed on the floor did not affect the Scarabs. Kaa then discovered a secret door.

This secret door when opened led into a chamber with its floor covered in yellow metal. The chamber was occupied by four statues bearing vulture heads and holding spears. Kaa warned that the spears were part of a trap. The room also held a sarcophagus, which was neither locked nor trapped nor occupied. Kaa attempted to disable the spear trap he failed and everyone was struck by lightning but it did little harm. The party then went back to the stone block door, and in a short while the passphrase had been discovered and the block lowered.

On the floor of the next large chamber a painted figure held a platter of offerings. An archway with a very low opening appeared to be intended for the use of servants as it would force them to bow while passing through it. An inscription on the floor commanded visitors to bring gifts or abase themselves before the Sky Pharaoh. The Scarabs paused for a few moments to prepare themselves. Azzaria hung a feather token on Sula, and Sula cast spells on Nyema to enlarge her and add acid damage to her bite, as well as to guard both of them against death magic. Kaa disabled a trap that would have caused wracking pain, then headed into the room.

A horn sounded as they entered, followed by a voice commanding them to approach. They found themselves surrounded by eight huge statues with the heads of vultures. More statues with heads of baboons stood around a dais. Painted falcons of increasing size covered the floor. On the tall dais a figure sat on a regal throne. They all knew it must be Hakotep himself. 

As Kaa spoke an insult to the pharaoh, Hakotep cast a spell, sending four miniature meteors to explode around the tengu. The baboon statues moved forward. A blue ray of frigid cold shot from the pharaoh toward Uto. Sula told Nyema to attack one of the baboon-headed statues, which Azzaria had identified as golems. Hutt sent a swarm of screeching monkeys to scramble all over Hakotep. Sula moved up to join Nyema in attacking one of the golems. Hutt took cover behind a pillar, and his summoned monkeys snatched the royal flail away from the pharaoh.

Hakotept sent out a series of multicolored rays at his enemies. Sula was struck by lightning, Nyema was very nearly turned to stone, and the monkeys disappeared but left the flail behind. Azzaria destroyed one of the golems. Kaa used a gem against the pharaoh that caused the same effect as the spell the pharaoh had just cast, but it had no effect on the undead ruler. Hakotep ordered one of the golems to use magic against Kaa, and a scarab crawled out of the golem's chest and created a glowing symbol that tried to shatter Kaa's bones. Hutt used his wand to hasten the Scarabs then dropped the wand on the floor. Shendakut charged forward and pounced on one of the golems. Uto cast a spell of healing on everyone, which healed Sula entirely of the wounds she had received.

Hakotep raised his crook and flail across his chest, which caused Uto's spell to rebound from him, but it still healed the Scarabs. Then bolts of lightning shot out of his body in all directions. Nyema was stunned by the lightning but Sula's dinosaur form resisted the magic. Azzaria was surrounded by images of herself and used her water kopesh to flow up to the throne. Kaa directed a flying kick at a golem. The golem he faced opened its chest cavity and Kaa suddenly felt unnatually weary. Hutt flew up and cast a spell of disintegration on a golem, which didn't turn to dust but did begin to slow its movements.

Shendakut attempted unsuccessfully to grab Kaa, then turned on the pharaoh and grabbed a golem. The golem Sula faced deserted her to protect Hakotep. Both Azzaria and Kaa attacked it as it passed by them. Hakotep cast another spell. Sula and a recovered Nyema took on the golem that Hutt had slowed. Hutt shielded himself and backed away toward the cover of the pillar, while Uto attempted to dispel some of Hakotep's magical protections. The spell the pharaoh had just cast caused Uto's magic to rebound on him, and Uto lost his ability to fly.

Hakotep cast yet another spell and Sula was paralyzed. Nyema stood guard over her. Azzaria attacked him and his magic deflected her attack back at her, but because she was also under the effect of displacement magic the attack didn't harm her. Kaa destroyed the last remaining golem and then turned his attention toward Hakotep. Hutt fired off several missiles at him but they were deflected back at him, though they bounced off his magical shield. Uto cast another healing spell on the Scarabs. Hakotep got to his feet, apparently preparing to retreat, and cast another spell. Azzaria and Kaa both attacked him. Nyema snapped at him as he moved near her but his magic forced her to bite herself. Azzaria grabbed his crook from him and tossed it aside. Sula, freed of her paralysis, called Nyema to attack but it was once again deflected back at her. Uto then tried to dispel the magic. Hakotep took flight and attempted to recover the crook, then directed his bone shattering spell at Hutt. Azzaria used her kopesh to pull herself to Hakotep's side and attacked him repeatedly, suffering wounds as her own blows bounced back on her.

Shendakut flew upward. Hutt used a telekinesis spell to grab the crook and pull it out of Hakotep's reach. Sula and Nyema had also moved up to attack Hakotep, and now Hutt cast a spell on him that would restore life to the dying but would harm an undead thing like the Sky Pharaoh. This was too much for Hakotep, and his unliving existence came to an abrupt end.

Concerned that Hakotep would somehow regenerate, the Ruby Scarabs wondered how they could prevent that from occurring. They removed everything from his body, then carried it to the secret room they had opened earlier and placed it in the sarcophagus. Uto removed the funerary mask he had worn for so many months and placed it on ver the pharaoh's head. As they watched a ghostly figure rose from the sarcophagus and dissipated, accompanied by faint protests.

After Hakotep was dealt with, the Scarabs shut down all of the generators within the pyramid and set the bound Sehala free. Shendakut left to continue his eternal unlife in service to the god Set.

When the Scarabs returned to Wati to report their success to the priests there, they were sent off to an audience with the Ruby Prince, who asked them to deal with the remaining pyramids of Hakotep's generals. The other pyramids had all been grounded by the destruction of the crystal control pyramids, and the Scarabs were able to eliminate the undead warriors within them with the help of the Osiriani army.

Afterward they were showered with recognition and rewards by the Prince. Uto was given responsibility for looking after the earthworks as he had desired, to prevent anyone from discovering the magic that had been used to create the flying pyramids. Kaa kept the flying chariot of Tawaret for himself. Uto gifted Azzaria with the sand boat they had found so she could use it to return to her people. Kaa returned to his monastery to teach them about all the unusual traps he had encountered, and Sula said farewell to her friends and returned to her homeland to tell her family and friends about her adventures in Osirion.

Thus we come to the end of the Pathfinder Adventure Path: Mummy's Mask. 

[Pathfinder] Wrath of the Righteous, part 52: Many Labors

Respected Master;

We continue our efforts to cleanse Citadel Drezen and rebuild the surrounding town. To these ends the supplies Runa and Rhino brought are most welcome. Runa presented Jiro with a sack of apples she brought from the town where she was brought up. She is quite proud of them. Privately I find them less subtle in flavor than the fruit found in the orchards of Jinin, but they are nonetheless welcome after many weeks of army rations.

Rhino's arrival naturally caused some tension among the residents here who have been held captive or tortured by the demonic occupiers, but Irabeth's welcome of him allayed some of their fears.

Rhino

Joran Vhane tells us that he beliefs the work of cleansing the forge will be completed within the next fortnight, if a priest can be found who is capable of casting the necessary hallowing spell. Myself, Jiro, and Runa continue to be engaged in the effort to restore the forge to its former glory and beneficial use.

Rhino is remaining with us for a few days, joining Zosta in training the paladins and local militia in fighting techniques. It is most amusing to see him working alongside his sister and Bohgong. Despite his formidable appearance his presence has attracted more participants to the training sessions.

Though I was not witness to this event myself, I later learned that Bohgong and Rhino had worked together to create a special bow for Zero to use. I have not spoken much to Zero as he has been diligently searching the surrounding countryside for evidence of Arushalae's whereabouts, but when I was told by Zosta of the enchanted bow, it seemed that Zero was a bit confused by this gift, or perhaps not comfortable with being given it by a demon, even a redeemed one.

Another occasion I was also absent from involved Runa suddenly making a declaration to Rhino that she found him attractive. This tale was somewhat garbled in the telling as Zosta found it quite amusing and Jiro was confused by it. Runa herself has been little seen except at the forge, which is a source of great frustration to Zosta though I do not understand why.

Runa

Zosta is a source of a great deal of news for me, as I have been much occupied with copying spells and my Riftwarden studies. She tells that she accompanied Zero to the cell where Arushalae was imprisoned and he appeared somewhat wistful while there. One of the paladins with the army is a devotee of the goddess Desna to whom Arushalae is also evidently devoted, and this paladin proposes to make the cell into a shrine to the goddess.

After her occasion with Rhino, Runa asked Zero if he would permit her to join him on one of his patrols. He agreed, though it seems he found her too slow to suit his preferred method of patrolling. But during their time together Runa called out an apology, hoping that perhaps Nurah the halfing might be listening, and was rewarded with a response.

Nurah Dendiwhar

                                            
I will continue this missive later. Now I must rest. There is much to do.

Next: part 53, A Breath of Fresh Air

[Pathfinder] Wrath of the Righteous, part 53: A Breath of Fresh Air

Respected Master Seimei;

I hope that you have received the parcel of letters I asked Rhino to carry to Kenabres on my behalf. This is my first missive to you since he departed from Drezen.

Rhino

These past weeks we have been diligent in working to make Drezen and its Citadel a safe place of habitation, removing all traces of its former foul overlords. The forge has been reclaimed from corruption and can now be purposed to create weapons and tools of good. Jiro has been using his magic to cause gardens to produce crops as though an entire year had passed, and I have lent my aid by causing the vegetables and grains to grow larger and be more fruitful.

While I have been occupied in learning the skills of the Riftwardens and aiding Aravashnial in training new potentials for the organization, Zosta has been training the residents of Drezen in defense techniques, as there are still occasional demons turning up that did not flee and were not within the Citadel when we took it.

Aravashnial

Rhino remained with us for some days before returning to Kenabres. During that time I heard rumors that Runa has formed an attachment to him. She appeared to attempt to kiss him when he parted from us, although I am not confident that I interpreted her actions accurately. My knowledge of the courtship customs of other peoples is rather limited. I have observed a change in behavior of Jiro and Zosta, also. They seem to look at one another more frequently when we are all together and often smile. It is curious. There has been a change in Bohgong's behavior as well.

The young treekin who has been caring for the garden Jiro created has at last been given a name, Gami, which seems to make it quite happy. The garden itself has become so popular with the residents of Drezen that Jiro and I have taken to using a magical sanctuary he created as a location for meditation rather than the garden. Gami is beginning to show promise as guardian and keeper of the garden.

I had not mentioned in my previous missive that Runa encountered Nurah the halfling while she went on patrol with Zero. At that time she recalled that while Nurah said little during their encounter, Nurah did say to her, "He is coming," She did not have an opportunity to ask who "he" is before Nurah disappeared. Aron then took it upon himself to leave coded messages in the countryside where Nurah might find them, encouraging her to come to safety within the Citadel. Aron has been very forgiving toward Nurah, despite her having left the very drug on which he had become dependent in his pack to tempt him.

Just before Rhino parted from us, Aron found a message he believed to be from Nurah, which he spent the entire night translating. Just as Rhino stepped through the portal to return to Kenabres, Aron raced up to where we all stood to bid Rhino farewell and exclaimed that Nurah's warning had actually been, "He is near," which was mean to convey that Xanthir Vang, creator of the elixir our enemies have used to make more powerful creatures, has nearly perfected this method of using the nahyndrian crystals. In addition to seeking out the redeemed succubus Arushalae, we must also seek out Vang, who is believed to lead the Blackfire Adepts from a stronghold somewhere to the southwest of Drezen. We must stop Vang before his elixir method can be passed on to his demonic allies.

Other dangers await us as well when we say farewell to Drezen. Drake riders have been seen, though they have not attempted to approach Drezen. We must eliminate the Templars of the Ivory Labyrinth as well as Xanthir Vang himself, or at least severely weaken their strength. If Drezen is to thrive and we are to reclaim more territory on behalf of the Crusade, we must have farmland, pasture, forest, and water that we need not spend all our resources defending from our enemies.

When we sally forth to pursue these quests, we will not be accompanied by any of our comrades who came with us from Kenabres to Drezen. Irabeth and Anevia must remain at the Citadel to continue to hold it at the behest of Queen Galfrey. Aron and Sosiel will remain as well, and Aravashnial must continue training the Riftwarden recruits.  We know that Zero will accompany us to seek Arushalae, but we do not yet know if he will continue in our company after she is found. We will be on our own and will have none to rely upon but ourselves. For this reason we are making ourselves as prepared as we are able before we set off. I will continue to write when I can, but I do not know how long it may be before I can send these letters.

In the meantime I am ever your faithful student. May Qi Zhong keep you safe and well.

Irabeth Tirabade

Anevia Tirabade

Aron Kir

Sosiel Vaenic

Horgus Gwerm

Next: part 54, Into the Marchlands

[Pathfinder] Kingmaker Reboot: Introduction

About seven years ago our gaming group began playing through the Pathfinder Kingmaker Adventure Path, led by a GM who was fairly new to the group. Unfortunately our GM experienced many health crises and family issues, and the campaign was frequently interrupted by many hiatuses, some of them lasting as much as a year. Eventually it became apparent that our GM wasn't going to be able to continue running this campaign. None of the other members of the group who also GM waned to give up being players to take over the GM role mid-campaign, and so the Kingmaker campaign came to an end.

Recently the GM of our just-concluded Mummy's Mask campaign has decided he'd like to run Kingmaker himself. Kingmaker is an unusual Adventure Path because it requires the characters to run a kingdom. This involves some bookkeeping during the characters' down time. Some of the players in the group enjoy that, while others find it dull. To alleviate some of that lack of interest, the current GM has spent a month or two working out a different method of doing the kingdom-building bookkeeping that should allow all of the players to be involved - previously it was one player who did most of the work, along with the former GM.

In addition to trying to make the paperwork aspect of the campaign more enjoyable for everyone, the current GM wants to make the party a more cohesive group that starts out with the intent of filling certain roles. This kingdom-building aspect of the campaign intends that each character will fill a predefined role in the rulership of the kingdom, from the ruler to chief priest, magister, treasurer, warden, and even spymaster and assassin. Not every one of those roles has to be filled by a player-character, but at least some of them should be. In our previous run-through of this Adventure Path our party were just random characters we came up with, without any choices made to ensure they were suited to fill any of the kingdom leadership roles. We also didn't make any effort to create a group of people who were well suited to cooperate with each other. There was a campaign, and we made our characters fit into it even if their skills and personalities weren't really suited for the situation they found themselves in.

This time we're trying to make a greater effort to build a cohesive group and think about what kingdom roles they could fill before we start. We'll have a "Session Zero" during which we'll build an association between the characters and possibly try out several characters before deciding which one to play for the rest of the campaign. I'm considering playing a paladin, the one core Pathfinder/D&D class that I've never tried in my 25+ years of tabletop roleplaying.

I've been watching quite a few videos on YouTube recently about improving your gaming experience, particularly videos from Taking20 and How to Be a Great Player. I'm trying to take to heart some of their suggestions, especially to give my character some relationships in the world instead of making her an orphan or a loner, and to treat her more like a real person by speaking about her in first person instead of third person during gaming sessions.

It will be interesting to re-play a campaign I've already played through 3/4 of. But it will also be fun to do it with a different GM and a different perspective on how the party is formed and how I play my character. I'm looking forward to it. I'll make another post when we have our Session Zero.

[Pathfinder] Mummy's Mask, part 56: The Sky Pharaoh's Queen

Undeterred by the flash or purple lightning, Kaa examined the room cautiously from the doorway to determine whether it was a trap or contained an enemy. Curiously, the floor of the small circular chamber was covered in glyphs beneath a layer of a green sticky-looking substance. While Kaa conducted his examination, Uto and Azzaria moved into the passageway that led to the odd room.

While Kaa was looking into the room, he realized that above him hung a cloud-like shapeless blob, which pulsated in a manner that made him think it was some sort of living creature, though he had no idea what it was. When the creature pulsed, all of the metallic items on his person were drawn toward it. Kaa was lifted off the floor and pulled upward by this force. He managed to pull free of it and fell to the floor unharmed. The pulsating monster then tried to surround him with its substance.

Hutt had joined Uto and Azzaria in the passage and he looked into the room to see what was trying to swallow Kaa. The strange creature revived a memory, and he warned the others that it was a kind of ooze creature from the realm of Chaos, which meant that ordinary weapons would be almost useless against it. Hut also remembered that it would split and form smaller versions of itself if cut with edged weapons. Nevertheless, he followed his custom of casting a spell to grant more speed to his companions.

Azzaria meanwhile shouted for Sula to come and join them. Sula was reluctant to abandon her current form as a huge dinosaur and put only her head out into the corridor, calling out to the others to ask them what was happening. While this exchange took place Kaa used the enchanted shirt her wore to slip free of the ooze's grip. The ooze pulsed again and this time it was Uto who was pulled toward the creature by his metal equipment. Hutt took out a wand and fired several force missiles at the ooze, and Azzaria assumed the form of a dragon to breathe on it. Kaa directed a blast of frigid cold at it. The ooze grabbed hold of Uto, but Hutt used a spell to teleport himself and Uto away from its reach.

On hearing all this Sula decided to resume her natural shape and go out to see what was happening, leaving Nyema behind in the shrine with Shendakut. But when she saw the creature she was uncertain what weapons she had to combat it, and instead drew out a curative wand to heal any of her comrades who were injured. The ooze rushed at Azzaria, now in the form of a silver dragon, and Azzaria slashed it with her claws to no visible effect. Meanwhile both Kaa and Uto attacked it with cold magic. The ooze engulfed Azzaria, but more cold overcame it and it went flaccid, releasing Azzaria from its grasp.

With the ooze no longer a threat, the Scarabs looked at the glyphs on the floor of the ooze's chamber while Uto healed their injuries. Kaa found himself unable to read the markings, but Hutt was able to decipher something about the gods of the Dark Tapestry, which he explained was the realm between the stars where the ooze had come from. There was nothing else of interest to the Scarabs in the room so they collected Nyema and Shendakut and moved on.

At the end of the next passage they followed they found another stone block in a doorway. This one had handholds carved into its surface. Kaa and Uto combined their strength to pull on these and the block descended slowly. When it was flush with the floor Kaa set his immovable rod on it to hold it down.

In the room beyond this door the Scarabs saw torches in sconces on the walls and a long shallow pool beyond a low archway. The room widened out to reveal two ornate thrones on a dais, as well as two basalt statues engraved with strange sigils that had octopi in place of heads. Beyond the arch there was only inky blackness. Kaa immediately began to check the area for traps.

Suddenly three tentacled creatures  appeared, two from the pool and one flying through the wall from behind Hutt. Their very presence was frightful and Nyema began to cower and snarl. Then a woman with wings of darkness also appeared and Shendakut exclaimed, "The queen!" Uto used his ram ring against one of the tentacled creatures, pushing it beyond Hutt. Hutt warned that these creatures weren't corporeal and couldn't be affected by ordinary weapons, and that they were also capable of draining energy from their victims. He followed by casting a spell of flight on every one of the Scarabs and Shendakut. Azzaria also cast a spell on all but Nyema and Shendakut to protect them from death magic. Sula again assumed her dinosaur form and Kaa sent a line of fire at one of the creatures and the queen.

The queen responded by casting a spell of her own at the Scarabs, but it seemed to have no effect. While one of the creatures turned on Kaa, Uto flew toward the queen, suffering an attack from a second creature as he passed. He touched the clearly undead queen with a spell of healing that was harmful to her unliving nature. Then Hutt cast a spell that stopped the passage of time for everyone but himself. During this brief interlude, he slipped behind a sarcophagus, shielded himself, and cast a fire spell that would be set off later against the queen.

The passage of time resumed a moment later and Azzaria slashed the creature that opposed her with a weapon enchanted to harm such beings. Uto took out a scroll and read the spell from it, and the serpent armband he wore came to life to bite the queen and deliver the magic, which didn't appear to take effect. Hutt cast a spell against her that deprived her of some of her magical enhancements. Azzaria slew one of the tentacled monsters.

Sula flew to the queen and clamped her in her toothy jaws while Kaa pounded another monster with his fists and feet. An orb suddenly flew across the room to the queen. Hutt attempted unsuccessfully to transform one of the monsters into something else. Shendakut cast a spell at the queen that shrouded her in a green glow while Sula held her pinned. Kaa eliminated a second monster, leaving only the one Azzaria faced. The queen wriggled free of Sula's jaws, but Azzaria took out a mace designed to harm undead and struck her with it and a moment later Sula grabbed the queen a second time. Kaa then sent a flock of blood crows flying at the queen and she ceased her unnatural life.

With the queen destroyed, Uto eliminated the last monster. The room beyond the archway was no longer dark. Kaa found no traps near the sarcophagus or the dual thrones. When examined the sarcophagus proved to have been made to house the queen, but it was constructed of a metal that none of the Scarabs recognized, something that had possibly originated from beyond the stars.

Though Kaa found no traps, he did discover a hidden compartment, and a very thin wall disguising another chamber, which they decided to leave for a moment. The queen's remains were searched and valuables removed. Another message wall bore the message, "Soon, my beloved." The room beyond the arch featured a painting of an octopoid creature on the floor and statues of hideous bloodstained monstrosities. Uto detected a strong aura of magic, which Hutt identified as evocation. Then the Scarabs decided to break through the thin wall to see what lay there and Kaa punched a hole through to reveal a small crypt.

Within this crypt stood a single sarcophagus, an image of a woman painted in black on its top. In this image the woman wore a pectoral marked with unusual symbols that were unfamiliar to the Ruby Scarabs. The sarcophagus was not equipped with any traps. The identifying cartouche bore the name Neferesis, who Uto thought was likely a relative of the queen, perhaps her grandmother. This grandmother had been a powerful oracle. The sarcophagus did have a protective magical aura. When opened it revealed no corpse, but instead held two canopic jars that had been the source of the magic. One jar had a lid in the form of a jackal head, the other was in the form of an octopus. Hutt told his companions that the octopus jar was a type known as a preserving flask that could store alchemical extracts, while the jackal would preserve a powerful undead creature. If the creature preserved by the jar died it would disinegrate, but the creature could also regenerate from the jar.

After the party left the hidden room and went toward the pool, a lovely feminine voice spoke to them and the water rippled. Fortunately Uto was able to see past the magic to warn the others it was only an illusion. The alien metal sarcophagus was empty. Uto decided to destroy the contents of the jackal jar, a course of action with which Azzaria and Sula agreed. When the jar was opened they heard a scream as a human lung turned to dust.

The floor of the pool was set with small diamonds, but the Scarabs disregarded these as Kaa opened a secret doorway. Beyond they could see walls covered in glyphs and smelled the scent of sour wine. A column of light filled with swirling limbs and tentacles presented itself, which Hutt confirmed was another teleportation circle like the one they had encountered earlier. As there was no other exit from the area they were currently in, the Scarabs made use of this circle to exit the area.

They emerged into a small square room without doors, its walls bare but a writhing serpent painted on the floor. Hutt detected an aura of transmutation on this mural. Kaa searched the walls for a hidden panel or trigger while Uto and Hutt looked at the glyphs on the floor, which read, "Speak my name and I vanish." Shendakut was amused by this riddle, remarking that it was old when his father was young. When the Scarabs asked him to explain, he told them that while the answer to the riddle was "silence", this riddle was a trick. He then said, "Walls," and the walls around them disappeared.

The Scarabs now saw an exit to the north and a stone block to the east. The room was also occupied by four pillars, around one of which was coiled what at first appeared to be an enormous shed snakeskin. But the snakeskin quickly proved to be a huge creature. Kaa flew at it feet first. It bit him and a dark energy flowed from it into his body. Then it wrapped itself around him and squeezed. Azzaria drew her weapon and was propelled toward the giant serpent on a wave of water, but her attack missed. A cloud of dust emanating from the serpent drained moisture from Sula's body, leaving her weakened. Sula sent Nyema into a far corner to safety and assumed the form of a cloud of desert sand to escape this draining effect.

Hutt called out that the creature wasn't a living thing and also possessed an ability to drain energy, but it was vulnerable to weapons that were enchanted or made of silver. Then he used his own magic to teleport Kaa away from the monster. Uto moved to Kaa to heal him. Kaa then blasted the serpent with flames. Sula took cover by a pillar and resumed her true form while Kaa retreated to the stone block where Shendakut stood. Kaa blasted the serpent with acid, then realized it was rapidly healing from any harm. Azzaria had been badly injured by the monster. Sula stepped out from behind the pillar and called down a burst of intense sunlight on the serpent, rendering it blind. Hutt hastened Sula and Azzaria with his wand while Uto healed himself and Azzaria. Kaa set off another blast of fire, Azzaria struck the serpent, and Sula brought down another searing sunbeam, and with their combined attacks the serpent was transformed into a cloud of snakeskin particles.

Next: part 57, The Sky Pharaoh's Doom