[Gameplay] 2. The House of Pentheru

"Again!?" Tabat growls, his hand gripping tighter around his weapon.

'Hey I was brought back to blast undead. I' m letting you all save you energy for more snakes. ' Khadi teases Abenor, though she is clearly happy she's able to help out this time.

As the screaming and noises start up again she braces herself.

Abenor is walking behind, trying not to wander off and fall into a trap.

Tabat relaxes slightly when he realizes he's not about to have his kind fried by magic. "What befell this place was a tragedy," he says, "I find myself curious as to who did this. The poor people here must have been seriously out-matched to fail in defending an estate such as this."

Tabat shakes it off, and anyone else entering the room will suffer Lesser Confusion if they enter the foyer where the Haunt is.

I think that Khadi might be the only one who would be close and she also made her save, so the others are warned.

Tabat heads back the way they came. "Some sort of magic at work in that room, best to steer clear if we can. Let's circle back around?" Unless there are objections, Tabat will lead them back up the eastern hall to the shrine room, then head west into the central square, allowing Iseret to clear the way of traps before him.

Abenor seems to accept that this whole mission is going to be Tabat leading the way and often taking the hit for themselves as they stand at the back. "I realized we never talk, people. I knew Khadi before, but did you all meet here in the tombs or have you known each other before?" he asks as he follows the group, keeping one eye ready for possible danger coming into their way.

"I was a last-minute addition to the group. I think they all assembled just to take a run at the lottery - everyone was scrambling to form groups, unless they already had one." He looks back, "Is that right Iseret? Khadi, Jaware? I happened across them during a tavern incident - saw on of their members go his own way and liked how they handled the situation so I asked to join."

It was almost that way. I came from the capital to try my luck at the lottery. For two days I waited in the harbor, looking for people who seemed like good company to stick their necks out with me for glory and riches in the Necropolis. By sheer luck I found Bernard. After that the others joined us. We met Tabat a few hours before the draw, and he was still late to meet us at the tomb as he had to go get his gear before accompanying us.

Central Room

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.

A sandstone statue of a beautiful woman stands to one side. She turns to the movement, and says, "Greetings" in common.

Tabat pauses in his tracks and turns cautiously to the statue. "Greetings," he says back, "Who might you be?"

The creature replies, "I am Heshsharu, the spirit of the house. It has been very lonely here, for so long. Will you speak with me?"

'Yeah, the old man an me were both looking to start up a group to explore, and after some spats ended up as group together. We let him think he's in charge.' Kadi winks as they enter into the next room.

The duskwalker is clearly surprised to see something sentient in this place before grinning. 'Of course friend! Sorry if we are intruding, we were not aware there was anyone still living here.'

Heshsharu tries to smile, her sandy face crumbling a little as it reshapes into a mirror of Khadi's grin. "Living? I should think not, in the common way of speaking of such things. Not in a very very long time. What is the passage of time like for you, mortal?"

As the conversation between the creature, Heshsharu, and Khadi continues, Tabat narrows his gaze and focuses on the sandy figure. "To each of us the passing of time can seem different. This household, however, appears to have fallen lifetimes ago for some of us. What can you tell us about what happened here?"

'Apologies I wasn't sure how to word it. Maybe not living but..well you are aware and talking to us yes? I don't know much of the passage of time.. well apparently its passed for me one already, but Tbaat is right. It has been a longtime since.. whatever happened here happened.'

Heshsharu begins to grow fidgety with the half answers. "Tell me what it feels like to be plodding toward your own inevitable deaths?"

'Well that's a weird way to put it. Khadi furrows her brow. 'I mean, we don't consider our deaths really. We just live life as to the fullest, and prevent it for as long as possible. The question unsettles the duskwalker and she starts to consider if there is more to the creature then just being a spirit of the house.