FRIDAY, MARCH 6TH - KINGDOM OF KESHANAR : SESSION 5 RECAP
We left off last session with the siblings having just defeated the Aberration of Sobek, it’s body sinking down to be left partially submerged in the cloudy water of the pool. All of the party was battered and had exhausted their spell slots to make it this far. Khephri decided she wanted a trophy or two for their victory, so she began to remove several of the teeth of the monster. As she did so, Kharu and Zafira investigated the room, looking for anything of value and the dagger they were sent to retrieve.
After some time Khephri had fetched her prizes and was turning to check on the progress of her brother and sister when she saw movement outside the archway of the room. Without thought she scooped up her crossbow from where she had dropped it on the ground during the battle and fired a shot in the direction she had seen the shadow. The sound of the crossbow firing startled her siblings, but the Paladin was rewarded with the sound of the quarrel striking something. There was a pained sound from beyond the portal and she drew her sword moving to place herself between the threat and her family.
“Come out,” Khephri called out. “We know you are there!”
“Peace,” a voice called from beyond the doorway. Part of the shadows detached themselves from the corridor outside and stepped through the portal, the being’s hands were raised to show they post no threat.
“I mean no harm. I was sent here to help,” the figure said. Pushing back his hood he revealed human features. A male approximately thirty years old, dark hair, and non-descriptive features.
“I am Bek.”
“Why are you following us?” Kharu asked his hand twitching as he thought about summoning the Eldritch energies.
Zafira moved slowly around the edge of the room, trying to get a clear line of sight on this stranger in case he decided to attack.
“I was hired by Ulrik to follow after you and ensure that you were successful in your search,” Bek replied, slowly lowering his hands.
The Paladin lowered the tip of her khopesh, but did not put it away.
“We do not know an Ulrik,” Khephri said, eyeing him warily.
Eyeing the finest of their garb,, a slight smirk appeared on his face. “No, I don’t imagine you would.”
“You said that this Ulrik had hired you to follow us and make sure that we found what we were looking for. What do you know of what we seek?” Kharu said.
“All I know is that the item is important to the Pharaoh and I was paid very well to ensure that his interest are met successfully,” Bek replied.
“Then perhaps you would like to lend a hand in locating it,” Khephri said snidely.
“Well there’s a little matter of this quarrel sticking in my leg,” Bek said gesturing at the wound he had received.
Khephri came over, examined the wound, and then roughly pulled it out, causing the man to grimace with pain. She then applied a bandage to it to stop the bleeding.
The group began checking the pool, but the cloudy water prevented them from searching as effectively as they might. Zafira then decided to wade into the water and feel around to see if she could find anything. She moved out to the center of the pool, using her feet to feel around the bottom that she could not see. She felt several items beneath her, but could not tell what they were.
After several minutes, she finally decided to dive down below the water and grab, whatever was down there. She felt around with her hands and found what felt like a humanoid form, but it felt like it was made of stone, perhaps a statue of some kind.
She re-emerged from the water and told her party that she had found something, but would need a rope in order to pull it free. Khephri wrapped one end of her rope around her waist and tossed the other end to Zafira. Catching the loose end of the rope, she held it in her hand as she went down below the water again. Feeling around she found what appeared to be the statue again. She threaded the rope through and under it, tying it off securely. Making her way back out of the water to the shore she took an end of the rope, and with the help of everyone they began to pull.
Soon the figure emerged from the water. It did in fact look like some sort of roughly shaped statue. Humanoid informed with its hands clasped to its chest. They moved to investigate the strange figure and found that it appeared to be the calcified remains of some victim of the creature they had just slayed.
”Stand back”, Khephri said, pulling her warhammer from its place on her belt. Several blows cracked the hard shell, exposing the withered tattered remains of some humanoid. In its hands, it clasped an odd looking dagger in a scabbard. The Paladin pride free and showed it to her companions.
“Is this it?” Zafira said looking from her siblings to Bek.
Bek shrugged. Ulrik had only mentioned a dagger, not given a detailed description that would allow him to identify it.
Kharu moved closer to take a look at the weapon. The sheath appeared to be bronze and bore inscriptions in the old tongue of Keshanar. The Pammel of the weapon was shaped to resemble a crescent moon very similar to the one his sister wore around her neck. She was a worshiper of Khonshu.
Taking the dagger from his sister, the Warlock pulled it from its sheath to examine the blade. He had expected metal, but was surprised to find it appeared to be some sort of dark gray stone. The edges of the blade were serrated in a strange pattern. It appears to have been shipped away to make a cutting edge on both sides.
Invoking the Eyes of the Rune Keeper ability he received through his pact,, his eyes took on a strange, distant, look changing colors slightly as he glanced at the blade and then at the scabbard. The inscription on the scabbard read,
‘I am The Dagger of Eternal Night,
The Key to Lost Treasures,
Keeper of Secrets,
Blade of the God of Night, Khonshu”
Kharu looked up at his siblings, his eyes returning to normal. He relayed to them what he had read from the scabbard.
Khephri took the dagger and tucked it behind her belt. As she touched the hilt something felt wrong. She couldn’t quite place what the feeling was. It wasn’t painful, just odd and uncomfortable.
“There is something wrong with this blade,” she said aloud.
Zafira looked from her sister to the dagger. “May I see it?”
Khephri removed the weapon from her belt and handed it to her sister.
Zafira took the dagger and as her hand touched the cold steel of the weapon she felt as if she was being pulled out of herself. The room and her siblings faded and she found herself standing in an oasis in the desert, a full moon casting a silvery beam of light down onto the small pool of water below. A figure materialized from the moonlight.
“Daughter,” the tall figure said in voice that carried weight and warmth. His skin was a silvery blue tint, his eyes a deep gray. His white hair was pulled back over his ears to cascade down his back.
“You have the Dagger of Eternal Night.” Khonshu said.
Zafira knew him at once and went down to one knee, her head bowed.
“Rise child,” the god said. “How came you by the dagger?”
Standing, Zafira told him of their search for the blade, a quest from the Pharaoh. She asked what the dagger was a key to.
“It was was used to defeat the Champion of Set. Long ago the Chosen of Horus, Osiris and my own joined together to stop the Cult of Set and his champion. Once defeated, the champion’s body was destroyed and the armor, shield and spear of Set were hidden away, sealed behind magical seals, locked by the power of the dagger.”
“Why would the Pharaoh want it?” she asked.
“His mind is closed to me,” Khonshu replied. “His motives are unknown.”
Zafira grew concerned. “Should we give it to him?”
“The dagger has come to you,” her god said clasping his hands behind his back. “If you do not trust him you should not give it to him. We cannot risk it falling into the hands of the Foe or his followers.”
“I understand,” Zafira said. The image faded and she was back in the room with her siblings and Bek.
She imparted all she had learned with them, not missing any details. The others took it in, wondering now what their next step should be. Do they give the dagger to Arislene to give to the Pharaoh, or hide it away and keep it safe? They began to debate what they should do as they made their way back to the city.
This is the end of the first part of our recap. Check back soon for the final part of Session 5. As always thanks for your support and reading about our adventures. We will see you back here soon, in The Maze.