Nomen Infernale: XVII Report

At the doorway Alex and Riven conclude that the door is not trapped, but there is also no obvious way to open it. While searching, Riven catches snatches of a sound that reminds her of the chittering of an insect’s wings or possibly cloth rubbing together. Nuru examines the door and notes that it has been opened and shut, but that there is nothing obvious in the stonework to suggest how and surmises that there is a button or lever somewhere else. The mention of a lever triggers something in Kegho as he remembers a gate in the temple of Naiea. He screams “No more levers!” and kicks the door with the force of a man half-mad. He only manages to injure himself. While Alex and Theo discuss the relief of Amen-Re, the falcon-headed god of the the Ma’abar with the disk of Aelos as his halo and Cyn and Theon sitting off his shoulders and who was the Ma’abar god of law and order, the other barbarian smirks and feels the need to test his manliness against Kegho’s: he kicks the door, cracking it inward with the raw power of his Rhenish thews. A brief look of irritation on the Ashkuz’s face gives way to raucous laughter “I loosened it up for you, friend.” While everyone else holds their breath to see if Keg and Asbjørn will fight, Alex fishes around for his last flask of oil, and Riven listens, hearing the rustling sound become more like that of a sail unfurling.

The group works their way into the now open hallway. As they turn a corner they begin to see an impressive mosaic on the floor, but their view is soon obstructed by a hideous creature of the necromantic arts: an amalgamation of several human corpses, including two additional skulls on its shoulders in a mockery of the relief of Amen-Re, glowing red eyes, bat wings, and a scorpion tail. Riven takes her time to line up a shot hoping not to hit her companions crowded into the narrow hallway. “Oh I think the wings are that rustling sound I heard.” she comments to Fredo, the nocked arrow, almost idly. Theo prays that Ator might turn away the wicked undead, but in the profaned barrows of the Ma’abar gods his voice goes unheard. Teleptyon Marathonos turns Fredo and Miles into foci of Ar. The horror and Kegho strike at each other at the same time wounding each other, but Kegho manages to destroy the central head. Riven fires but Fredo flies right through the space where the now-obliterated head had been. Keg takes another swing and hits with Skullcleaver. The horror spreads its wings and flaps hard sending a rush of wind and grave dust down the hallway at La Compagnia. From the center of the room it shrieks and its call is answered by ghouls. Kegho is scratched and begins to feel his body stiffen. He falls to the floor and the first ghoul attempts to drag him away to slowly eat him later. Asbjørn pulls him free and unceremoniously tosses him in a corner so that he can return to the fray. Theo calls upon Ator’s Hammer and its first swing obliterates the ghoul with a strike to its right ear. Riven looses Miles down the hall at the horror but again misses. Teleptyon sends a bolt of Ar at the horror but overextends himself and risks madness. Alex slips into the shadows near Teleptyon to knock him unconscious if he has another episode like he did with Abet. A ghoul injures Nuru but he is able to shrug off its venom with his Keb constitution. With Riven’s covering fire, Asbjørn and Nuru are able to form a shield wall. Theo swings the Hammer at another goal and as it is dodging the strike, Asbjørn cuts it in half diagonally. From his corner Kegho silently rejoices at what sounds like winning. Another attacks Asbjørn who manages to dodge both claws and its bite. Riven sends Jessica flying true into the cadaverous chest of the abomination, but it merely glances down and breaks the shaft of the arrow, entirely unfazed by the mundane weapon. Riven screams “I will avenge you!” but is unable to do so before a blow from Ator’s Hammer and Asbjørn’s accursed blade Lullaby finishes the horror.

Theo begins the arduous task of placing the creatures and bits of the horror into sarcophagi. Alex begins reading the various names on them and discovers the son and wife of Adom-Shai, but not the man himself. Theo heals Kegho who has begun to come around from the ghoul venom. The floor mosaic and the wall decorations hold little information for the Oameni and he moves to the southern door which is marked with the cartouche of Adom-Shai. Riven and Alex are unable to find traps or a mechanism to open the door. The craftsmanship is so fine that Alex cannot even slip a shim from his legitimate business lockpicking set, between or below the doorway to check for a bar. Nuru approves of the stonework and much like the entry door asserts that it is too fine to be human work, that it is likely imbued with magic and that it is likely opened with a trigger elsewhere. Alex searches the sarcophagi of the mother and son to no result. Asbjørn tries to kick the door in again but is stymied by the quality craftsmanship. They decide to head outside to eat fresh food and rest under the stars. Alex calls Zahur Nahi from the main camp with the agreed upon warble of the Xianese Sandwich Tern. He is pleased to see that the party has survived and begins to tell a local tale of the tomb of Adom-Shai.