[Gameplay] 7. The Search for the Forgotten Pharoah

You exit the way you came, the invisible stalker not harassing you, then out of the Spiral Archives into the library proper, and out into Tephu. From there you find the inn you had your eye on, and rest for the night.

The next day is similar to the first, you pass early in the day through the city, back to the library, show your pass to the librarians, and then down into the Spiral Archives.

You've the tools you need to all make checks without penalties or Linguistics checks.

Research check: Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility), or Knowledge (religion); Knowledge bonus +3, can be made untrained.

Khepri had come through in a big way. As she first cast the spell to walk in the air she had been neverous, but as the time goes by she gets used to it, as does the fact the words on the paper now making sense.

Tabat takes a breath, but with Khadi's magical assistance, he feels more confident in his ability to see this through. He maintains his care in crossing the bridges, and reads the text with clarity not present yesterday. Still, he focuses his efforts on aiding Khadi as she seems to fall more easily into the research.

Iseret goes to work, studying the hieroglyphics again.

+2 for Iseret's Int modifier, +2 for beating the check by 10+. Total 9.
+2 for Khadi's Int. Total 3.

Library Knowledge points: 2/25

A large collection of tablets bound in cloth marked with the Sky Pharaoh’s winged pyramid hieroglyph contains a number of transcribed recollections of several courtiers at Hakotep’s court. These accounts make passing references to the Sky Pharaoh having access to stolen Shory magic.

---

A dusty, otherwise unremarkable scroll contains a lengthy passage about the burial of Hakotep I, with a passing reference to his tomb having wings. The scroll also contains a tantalizing fragment of the confession of a member of a group called the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather, who claimed that when the Sky Pharaoh was interred, his heart and funerary mask were stolen from his tomb before it was lost to the skies. These two objects supposedly contained the pharaoh’s soul, but his body was left behind in the tomb. This confession was extracted in –1560 ar, some 50 years after the pharaoh’s death. There are also references to considerable efforts by Hakotep’s successor, Pharaoh Djederet II, to round up members of the Sacrosanct Order for questioning. The results of the interrogations were recorded on a collection of scrolls called the Scrolls of Inquiry, but this collection is not held within the Spiral Archive.

Tabat, Khadi, and Iseret identify the Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather as a secretive sect of the priesthood of Nethys dedicated to the collection and preservation of knowledge (see the sidebar on page 15 for more details on the order).

"This is incredible," Tabat says as they read through the documents and piece the information together about the Sky Pharaoh and The Sacrosanct Order of the Blue Feather. "We need to discover where these Scrolls of Inquiry are being held, if they even still exist. Perhaps the location of Pharaoh Djederet II's resting place? And if this mask is one part of the Sky Pharaoh's soul, the other half - his heart - is out there somewhere as well...and the location of the Sky Temple." He takes a breath. "One more day in here? There are still a couple sections of the library I don't think any of us have gone through."

Iseret nods her agreement. "One more day, then," she says.

With one knowledge point remaining, I won't ask you to roll.

The next day you return, avoiding the guardians and carefully navigating the leather scroll bridges. You find the last information available in the Spiral Archives.

A curator's catalog reveals that the Scrolls of Inquiry were moved to another of the Inner Sanctum's libraries, a library known as the Dark Depository. Unfortunately, your pass from Muminofrah doesn't give you access to that collection, and Deka an-Keret has been reluctant to give you any access at all.

'Do we think we can ask Muminofrah for further aid?' She looks to Tabat as she asks. She had seemed taken with him, but she did not want to ask anything of him if he was uncomfortable.[/b]

Tabat sighs, "I hesitate to wonder what she would expect in return for such a favor...yet, I can try. She did hope that I would visit her again, which is an invitation if ever I've heard one. I could make the request and see how she reacts. Do you think it would be expected to bring another gift?"

"My impression was that you wouldn't need another gift. That first was because we were strangers. Now, as a paramour of sorts, perhaps she should be buying YOU gifts!" He chuckles.

"Well, let us pay her a visit then, and hope she doesn't find our lack of gift wanting. I will do what I can, as painful as that might be, to gain us entry to this Dark Depository."

That afternoon as you make your way back to the inn, Iseret and Jaware make eye contact with each other. They've both seen that your party is being followed. Jaware covertly alerts Khadi and Tabat to the woman. She's wearing studded leather, and carries a falchion and crossbow. Al most notable, a funerary mask covers her face.

At this point she's fifty feet behind you on a somewhat crowded street and isn't aware she's been spotted, unless you do something obvious like stare at her.

As they walk, Tabat lowers his voice while continuing to act casual. "What should we do? Could duck into an alley and wait for her."

'That is likely the best plan. If she means us harm she will likely see that as her moment.. if not well we can go from there'