The Forgotten City XXXI

After giving the muskrats their space to eat the dead rodents of unusual size, they decided to check the hallway that remained that was neither infested with rats, nor the nest of the muskrats. They found a thicket of branches that seemed intentional rather than natural and after clearing them out of the way came to the base of a cliff and a grove of acacia trees. The Jiam grinned ear to ear and said "heck yes my dudes, this plant has many uses and will help us make lasting inks and also increase the biodiversity of our gut microbiome." He hugged the nearest tree before scurrying up into the crown to get a better view of the nearby cliff face and retrieve some acacia seeds.

Meanwhile Riven moved deeper into the desert to get a better sense of their position and found that they were at the south western end of the rise on which the Rexan citadel sat.

After getting their bearings in the noonday sun, they decided to continue exploring the citadel until the sun was low enough to return to the cave and let Khufu rest. They skirted the muskrats who had made substantial progress in cleaning up the rat carcasses. They returned to the sealed door in the chamber of Palladius Philiponos, Marshall of the Legion. Riven peeled back the white wax seal, muttering repeatedly how satisfying the tactile experience was, and once done Elissa used her spear to gently push open the door waiting for some trap or poison to be sprung, but nothing happened. When they entered they were impressed by the lustrousness of the frescoes untouched since the tomb was sealed, the white ivory un-yellowed by age and the fine white marble all inlaid with gold. Khufu made a low whistle and began talking about the regional sources for such white marble and the impracticality and expense of bringing it to this location. Antonious began speaking over the dwarf reading out the name and title of the interred man: [FILL ME LATER ;) ]. As Antonious finished they heard Khufu saying "Hmm. Keb, definitely, but maybe at the apprentice level."

Antonious delicately suggested that they not disturb the remains while the rest of the party looked askance at the mummified saintly legs sticking out above his shoulders, but they agreed and checked in an overlooked hallways to the right of the stairs and find an abandoned guard room and an elderly Yafwadi with rheumy eyes. Neither expected the other and before The Jiam or Elissa could distract the man, he noticed the agitated Palladin who brought flame and accused them of not being of the Nosophiles to the place and battle began.

Antonious missed the man on his first strike, and he missed in retaliation, Riven was unable to hit her mark in the constrained space. The Jiam loosed a stone and Elissa charged him and both hit, felling him. Riven methodically searched him finding his scimitar and a key while Elissa tossed the room in a thorough way that Alex would respect. She found 15 scrolls and a chest with a lock. She asked Riven and The Jiam if they knew how to pick a lock, but Riven simply tested the key and it worked. The chest was filled with silver pieces in the Arahani style, which Riven noted were the same coin the bearmen had been paid. Elissa stuffed the chest into a sack with the lock and the key.

They decided to return to the cave to rest and resupply and returned up the stairs, un-spiked the door and rested and snacked in the grove of date palms until the sun became low enough to travel safely.

As they trekked through the desert in the low light of evening, Riven's hair stood on end. "Something is there!"  

Cave Interlude

While the newer members of the group were exploring the citadel, a group of Neshites who followed the Law of Ator and consisted partly of those slaves who had been freed by La Compagnia arrived to trade food stuffs and offer support to the group in their attempts to explore Paruhatpa and undermine the influence of the Nosophilae .

Theo, delighted to minister to fellow Ouranics invites them to the section of the cave with the statue of Ator and they mentioned that long ago their ancestors had inhabited caves like this but had been driven out by demon-men who swarmed up from the valley and took them captive. They had become nomadic but had settled near an oasis up along the cliffs. Alex asked them if they had a healer in their village who might help Theo with his broken arm, but they lamented that slavers had created a significant institutional knowledge debt within their org. Alex told them that they would be happy to trade herbs and spices both medicinal and culinary that might grow in the oasis and suggested that some of La Compagnia would be interested in returning to meet their leader and see what needs the community might have. They seemed pleased at the prospect.

They said that their chief had been pleased with the return of the slaves, but was lamenting that his son had recently been taken into the valley, but the folk of the village had a taboo against entering because one's very soul might be taken from them in such a place.

Kegho gruffly stated that "if Kegho am lose soul, Kegho am beat one out of next idiot bothers Kegho. Kegho am help." The Neshites nodded in awe at the Barbarian's wisdom which was both simple and deep.