Comparing versions of The Tomb of Nergal-Salim
Showing changes between February 24, 2023 at 12:44:18 pm (crossed out) and February 24, 2023 at 12:46:06 pm (underlined)
Soon after, entering the valley of the tomb the heroes find themselves in need of rest their magics depleted by the encounter with Ibrim and his men. They take shelter in an abandoned temple to Nabar, a god Myra mocks before spending the night wracked with strange and troubling dreams. Wilkin finds runes upon the wall containing the magic of reading other languages and marks it so other travellers may more easily find it.
Part way through their slumber they are interrupted by the arrival of a band of kynocephali, dog-headed men who demand food in return for not attacking. As they now have spare horses they trade two to the kynocephali in return for avoiding needless conflict.
The next morning, refreshed, they find the tomb of Nergal-Salim and crack open its doors with a crowbar, releasing the stale air within. The ante-chamber revealed has a door leading further inward and two one-way doors that cannot be opened from within the ante-chamber. Fearing some form of attack they block them with divans found within and then push on.
There is a large reception hall filled with art and ancient furnishings and opposite another pair of ornate doors. Opening those they discover what appears to be the tomb-chamber. It holds a large sarcophagus at the centre and six smaller standing against the walls around it. Garsa enters cautiously, but not cautiously enough for the floor tips to drop him into a spiked pit which takes his life.
another Shinakan has been slain,slain as had each of Myra and Wilkin's personal men-at-arms, parts of the room
Suspecting the tomb-chamber with the skeletons is a trap, they proceed to the hidden one, but are appalled to see rising from the sarcophagus the ancient mummy of Nergal-Salim, furious that his centuries spent with his spirit wandering among the stars have been interrupted. Battle ensues. Meanwhile, the doors the divans were placed against by the entrance rattle as more skeletons seek to emerge, cutting off any retreat.
Fagan battles the skeletons using a scroll of protection against metal to render their attacks ineffective while striking them down with his magical staff. They cannot stand against him, but his martial skills are slight and he needs the aid of the porters most of whom are slain before Fagan defeats the skeletons. Wilkin meanwhile seeks to flatter Nergal-Salim and for this is spared, but Marbek and the last remaining Shinakan are both slain by Nergal-Salim's dread grasp.
Myra has wounded Nergal-Salim badly with her Indomitable sword, but is struck in turn and afflicted with tomb rot, which renders ineffective a healing salve she had purchased and leaves her near dead. Wilkin snatches a wand off the wall and uses it on Nergal-Salim, only to discover it is a ritual object used to magically purify food and water.
Finally, Nergal-Salim who was greatly weakened by Myra's blow is slain by a magical missile and Myra's use of the magical dart taken from Ibrim. As he falls a great explosion is heard from the false tomb-chamber, where Hakkim had snuck off in search of treasure and had opened the sarcophagus there triggering an explosive trap that cost him his life.Former HirelingsThe handful of survivors, the heroes themselves and Fagan's man, retreated without laden with the tomb's treasure and made their journey back to civilisation, wounded and battered but enriched.
