[Gameplay] 2. The House of Pentheru

Tabat releases his held attack, charging forward and striking with as much power as he can muster.

Tabat hits the hairy spider hard, but it's not quite dead.

Spider: 2/13 hp

Iseret draws her short sword and assumes a defensive stance.

"Yep. I get how this’ll go." says Abenor as she unsheats his shortsowotd and attacks the spider in the eye.

Jaware with his pride hurt by his careless attack not being able to kill the spider decides to attack with (almost) everything and destroy the spider.

Abenor tries a hefty swing but failed to connect.

Jaware threads the needle, firing between the combatants and piercing the creatures brain.

Combat is over.

There is nothing in the pantry worth noting.

You've explored half of the outer compound. You could enter the house now, or go see about the other side of the yard.

Tabat gestures to the door nearest them. "Shall we head inside?" he asks. If they are in agreement, he will push the door open once Iseret confirms it seems safe.

Iseret nods and moves to check the door.

Abenor follows the others, keeping all of his senses open for any kind of "surprise" monsters, checking the environment to see if any creatures lurking around.

Avoiding the suspicious snek under the stone table, you enter from the formerly solifugid haunted pantry into the kitchen.

Two stone tables sit against the western wall of this room, while a third occupies the southeastern corner. A small, square wooden butcher’s block stands in the northeast corner, now almost collapsing under its own weight. A stone oven sits in the middle of the north wall. A humanoid skeleton lies beneath the northwestern table, surrounded by smashed crockery. A door to the east and an open doorway to the south exit the room.

Iseret examines the skeleton under the table. Can she tell about how long it has been here?Does it appear to be trapped? Human, elven, halfling, dwarf, other?

The skeleton beneath the table likely died millennia ago. A pitted and rusted dagger is still wedged between the skeleton’s ribs.

Abenor having seemed to check the room rather thoroughly, Tabat gestures to the south and heads to the next room in that direction. He keeps his khopesh drawn, just in case.

Khadi does a quick cursory glance over the skeleton and dagger with detect magic, just to be sure its nothing special. If not she leaves the skeleton be with another muttered prayer.

After Abenor and Kari confirm there is nothing of value or further of interest in the kitchen, Tabat leads you south to a chapel.

Hieroglyphs and images of fantastic beings cover the walls of this small room. A small stone shrine, dusty and thoroughly defaced, stands against the eastern wall.

South of that room is a stone privy built into one wall of a tiny room, and a stone table with a basin stands against the other wall. A large mirror once hung above the table, but it was shattered ages ago. The floor is covered in broken glass and dead scarab beetles. A headless corpse sits upright on one of the privies.

To the west of the chapel is an open area. A tiled walkway surrounds a square patch of earth and sand in this high atrium. A balcony on the second floor overlooks the courtyard, and a square hole in the ceiling opens to the sky. Four columns in the corners of the atrium support the roof above, and the walls are decorated with symbols and hieroglyphs depicting animals, celestial creatures, and the sun and moon.

Tabat will move closer shrine and inspect it more closely, wondering to whom the people of this household may have prayed.

With a little effort at cleaning away the mud and filth defacing it, together you're able to pick out the household chapel is dedicated to Abadar, Pharasma, and Sarenrae. The Ancient Osiriani hieroglyphs on the walls off praises to the three gods and list several common prayers to each. The small altar serves all three dieties, though the carvings place Abadar in the most prominent position.

"Interesting. The worship of foreign gods was less common in the distant past. The Cult of Sarenrae is particularly socially complex on Osirion, due to its ties to Kelesh and Qadira. Sarenrae was only really popular during the foreign occupation. This would partly explain the signs of conflict and the haunt at the entrance gate." Jaware ponders.

"Perhaps the attack had a background of religious conflict..."

"Good observation, Jaware," Tabat says with a nod of respect. "Perhaps those who lived here were foreigners. Osirion has not always been so kind to those from outside our borders."

He stands, looking around the rest of the room before heading south, once more.

A large tiled pool sits in the center of this chamber, surrounded by sloping tiled floors. A few steps descend into the basin, which has accumulated a deep layer of sand on its bottom. Faded murals on the walls depict scenes of life along a river, with recurring themes of running water and aquatic life running through the artwork. In the northeast corner, a tarnished bronze spigot juts from the wall just above head level. Archways lead north and west, and a stone door stands in the eastern wall.