Tomb of Annihilation - Session 26.5
General Summary
Over the course of the next days, the party visits several friends, acquaintances, and businesses in the city to prepare for their journey. Among their first stops is the squat residence of Musharib, the artificer. The dwarf’s automaton servant, Jank, greets them at the door and leads them down into the workshop, where they hear the sounds of industry echoing off the narrow stone walls.
Greeting them, the albino dwarf hands them the second of the four Amulets of Proof Against Detection and Location they commissioned. The remaining two will be ready shortly.
He also has a number of new items for sale. Wakanga O'tamu has ordered that the adventurers be offered any ready item that Musharib has crafted as part of another commission. The original clients will need to be compensated for the item's cost, however. He declines to take any of their magic items in trade; he will need gold to compensate his customers. Browsing his selection, the group purchases a number of healing potions, a Potion of Invisibility, two Potions of Climbing, two spell scrolls of Identify, a Bag of Holding, and an Efficient Quiver.
At the bottom of his backpack, Dolan has found the two glass spheres they recovered from the kobold thief who tried to steal the Tablet of Ch'gakare back in Asturia, months ago. The artificer agrees to identify them for a fee of 150 gold. They turn out to be frostbite grenades that can be thrown as a ranged weapon.
Having previously told Musharib about their encounter with Nanny Pu'pu, they ask for his thoughts on how to safely dispose of the remaining tainted potions that the hag cooked up for them. Dolan and Ixtli still have theirs. He offers to take them off their hands, expressing interest in the magics used to create them and suggesting he might be able to use them to devise some way to protect against similar effects. This sounds reasonable to them, and they hand him the potions.
They also ask for suggestions on what to do with the spellbook they recovered from the mage who attacked the expedition camp. As he is not a wizard himself, the book has little value to him, but he suggests offering it to Merchant Prince O'tamu, or his son Gero.
The conversation turns to the destination of their upcoming journey: Omu, the Forbidden City, and the dungeon of Lar'lenek that Musharib spoke of previously. The bara named that terrible place the 'Tomb of the Nine Gods,' he tells them, after the nine guardian spirits of Omu. Lar'lenek slew the spirits out of petty vengeance for their supposed crime of 'trying to eclipse the glory of Ubtao.' The entrance to the Tomb is built into the face of the northern cliffs of Omu, marked by a tall stone obelisk.
Musharib further relates that his father and a few other survivors from Hrakhammar—their former home—escaped before the entrance was magically sealed. They were able to flee the depths of the dungeon using a hidden staircase that connected the second, third, fourth, and fifth levels.
He elaborates that it is now unlikely they will be able to enter the tomb easily. One of the stories from those who escaped told that Lar'lenek planned to create enchanted puzzle cubes to seal the doors. In a form of twisted humour, the bara wanted to etch the likeness of each of the guardian spirits on the cubes, tying a portion of their essence to the place where their earthly remains were to be locked away for the rest of time.
Ixtli asks whether the city was still inhabited when they escaped. No, he tells them, Omu was already a dead city. Lar'lenek's rage at what the people had done to Ubtao was so great that after he murdered Omu's guardian spirits, he enslaved the Omuans and forced them to carve the tomb under the cliffs surrounding the city. It was during the construction that Musharib's kin were also enslaved, and commanded to craft the brutal traps that would protect the halls. When the building work was done, Lar'lenek fed the captured Omuans into the death traps to test their efficacy.
The traps his people built were varied and insidious, and further enhanced by Lar'lenek's magic to satisfy his taste for puzzles, riddles, and tricks. The story he remembers most vividly from his father was about a false tomb designed to drown intruders in wine. The dwarf shakes his bearded head. "Wine!", he exclaims. The chamber was built with a checkerboard marble floor holding a gilded coffin seemingly bathed in sunlight. Opening the coffin would cause the entrance to the room to be sealed and immense amounts of elu vejo—a red wine favoured by wealthy Omuans—to be released into the chamber from the mouths of four huge stone heads.
From their description of the city they saw in Kurat's vision, it sounds to him as if Omu has continued to deteriorate. His father never mentioned to him the magma fissure they saw in the vision.
Their next stop is to call on Rashaad's sister, Saadia al-Tahir. Returning to Daha Shabai fills them with a slight apprehension as they remember the circumstances of their previous visit: scaling the alabaster walls and sneaking into Rashaad's inner sanctum under the cover of darkness. But this time they are welcomed as honoured guests, and Saadia al-Tahir bids them to join her in the sitting room for a glass of Nizamish wine and conversation.
Dunch asks how she has been received in the city, especially given all that has happened of late. She has been at the receiving end of anti-Nizamish sentiment as much as others of her kind, she tells them. Daha Shabai has been... 'decorated' with rotten vegetables on more than one occasion, but thankfully there have been no serious incidents. While some of her brother's former associates have been reticent to accept her inheritance of his little empire, others have told her they are grateful. As much as Rashaad kept a clean image, some could see through the cracks and catch glimpses of what was truly behind the mask.
The conversation turns to their journey to Omu. "You require a ship?", she asks. "Of course. There were several that were seized as part of my brother's assets in Port Nyanzaru. If one of those vessels can serve you and help bring Rashaad to justice, then you shall have it.
"You can find the Masked Fortune at anchor in the Harbour Ward, although unfortunately, it is currently without a captain. The former commanding officer proved still to be loyal to my treacherous brother, so I had him removed from duty. But Dunch, I hear that you served as first mate aboard a similar vessel for many years. Perhaps you would be willing to assume command for your journey? If not, it may take some time to find someone suitable... and trustworthy."
Dunch asks first to look the ship over and have a conversation with the first mate and crew. "If any of them feel loyalties to your brother or the former Captain, it's better that they leave now while we can hunt down replacements in port. Also, this is likely to be a dangerous journey. They should have the choice to leave if they wish." Saadia readily agrees. To his question on the ship's weaponry, she tells him the Masked Fortune does not bear any arms. "Seemingly it did not need them since my brother was in league with the pirates. Fear not, if you feel you require the ship to be armed, I can make it so. I will talk with the harbormaster about mounting a ballista on the forecastle and a mangonel on the main deck. However, I cannot say how quickly this can be accomplished. I would guess that it will take at least a week, if not two, for the modifications to be made." Dunch asks that she send word to the Harbourmaster to begin as soon as possible.
Saadia also speaks to the adventurers of her brother and the al-Tahir legacy. During her tour of Fort Tajar, she found a door with a blue triangle symbol etched upon it. Inside were many secrets that her brother sought to hide, among them a small, metal lockbox containing many letters from Ras Nsi to members of her family across nearly a century. Notable among them was a command to her grandfather, Tariq, to destroy the Shrine of the Oracle, and another to her father to begin infiltrating the confidence of the merchant princes. Apparently, he succeeded with Ifan Talro'a.
"My brother and family have committed many terrible crimes against the people of Marakuru . Now Rashaad hides with serpent men in a ruined city plotting who knows what. He must be made to pay for all he has done, and I can think of none better than you to put an end to him." To their questions, she tells them there was no indication the letters what caused the relationship to form between the al-Tahir and Ras Nsi. Nor was there any mention of Lar'lenek.
Dunch asks if she found any record of creatures who might be serving Rashaad, such as Verog, the fey creature they battled in Orolunga. Verog was an ogre magi that had sworn fealty to her family long, long ago, she says. He was used in many ways, but primarily as a spy and assassin. Other than Verog, her brother bound a gen—a lesser genie—to his service when he first became a sha’ir. This gen serves as his familiar, similar to how Marakuran and Asturian wizards might have rats, owls, or cats as familiars.
"One last thing," she tells them. "Rashaad bears a ring, a powerful magical heirloom of my family, that he will undoubtedly use against you. If you can return that ring to me, I will know that his end has been accomplished. For this act, you may keep the Masked Fortune as your own." The ring was gifted to their family by a powerful djinn, she says, and can channel the power of the winds. It also allows Rashaad to fly and conjure lightning bolts.
Dunch immediately heads to the harbour to look over the Masked Fortune. He finds the ship in good order and her crew capable. The first mate, a Nizamish man in his late 40s named Yoral Krenn, tells him he is glad to be out from under the previous captain, particularly after learning of Rashaad's (and the captain's) association with the pirates. Dunch informs him of the coming armaments and instructs Yoral to oversee the mounting of the weapons, given his familiarity with the ship.
Assembling the crew on deck, Dunch lays out that anyone who is loyal to Rashaad needs to leave now, because testing him out on the water is not going to lead to a good outcome. After that, he gives them a general description of the planned voyage, and the high likelihood of pirate battle. He also tells the crew that should they meet and defeat any pirates with a price on their head, and can bring back evidence of their victory, every man on the ship will receive a share of the bounty.
The next stop on their itinerary is the Temple of Zann, where they apologize to Grandfather Zitembe for their role in his imprisonment. The old man smiles. "No apology is necessary, for it is all in service of Zann the Learned, my children. I promised that I would protect and restore the Shrine of the Oracle. This protection I also extend to Saja N'baza's faithful. Anyone who understands the ways of the Kimbala would have no doubt that they could not be responsible for the atrocities committed against the people of Port Nyanzaru. If being taken into custody is what was demanded of me by the merchant princes—and by Zann—then I hope I have borne my imprisonment with wisdom and humility.
"Marvellous Zann assured me that the true culprits would be found, and indeed they were. Learned Zann has truly blessed you, for you have altered the fates of the people of Marakuru by the actions you have taken... and have yet to take. We are truly blessed to have you among us!"
Ixtli tells the priest of their journey and experiences, and confirms to him the existence of Kurat. He also asks of the significance of the golden amulet they recovered from Szola, the yuan-ti alchemist. Gazing at it, Grandfather Zitembe's face wrinkles in disgust. The amulet is a holy symbol of the yuan-ti deity Dendar, the Night Serpent, he tells them. Legends say the Night Serpent came into being before recorded history, spawned from the feverish dreams of the first intelligent creatures. She subsists and grows stronger by feeding on the fears that plague the folk of the world. Her followers believe that Dendar is a harbinger of the end of things, which will come when she amasses enough power to consume the world. Another legend concerning her speaks of an iron door to the underworld behind which she lurks; when the time is right, she will tear it down, then eat the sun, plunging the world into darkness before she finally devours it.
Yuan-ti worshippers of Dendar are led by 'nightmare speakers' who honour their deity through acts of terror and receive magical power in return. Rather than killing enemies, followers of the Night Serpent prefer to threaten and torture them, the better to feed and strengthen the goddess.
Dunch receives this news with some trepidation, asking if Dendar the Night Serpent is the same creature that the Aldani previously followed—Pachakutek. Grandfather Zitembe does not believe so. Legends of the Night Serpent have come to his ears from many nations outside of Marakuru, but tales of Pachakutek are unique to the Aldani. They tend to describe the creature as less of a 'snake' and more of a 'worm'.
Ixtli also asks of the artifact that Merchant Prince Jobal Maladitso told them the Company of the Yellow Banner hoped to find in Omu—the Eye of Zaltec. "I have only heard stories of the Eye of Zaltec," Grandfather Zitembe replies. "It was said to be a lustrous ruby, greater than the size of a grown man's fist, that was carved into a dagger-like point. The Eye was used by an ancient human civilization—some say the first—to conduct countless sacrifices and blood rites. As the story goes, the magic contained in the blood of all those sacrifices could then be used to resurrect the ancient dead.
"None of the stories say where the Eye of Zaltec now rests, but it sounds like this Company of the Yellow Banner believed that it was in the possession of the Marakuran royal family. Interesting that this one family managed to obtain so many dark relics. I wonder how they were able to do this? Provided the story is true, that is!"
"Considering what the legends say of this Eye of Zaltec," Dunch asks, "is this artifact something to be preserved, or maybe something to be destroyed?"
Grandfather Zitembe frowns in thought. His interpretation of the stories of the Eye are that the gem could perform the resurrection of creatures that have been dead for a very long time, far longer than what the most powerful spell could achieve. However this power came at the expense of the many, many lives that it took in sacrifice.
That said, as a follower of Zann, he is loath to encourage the destruction of any historical relic, even ones with repulsive aspects such as the Eye of Zaltec or the Black Opal Crown. He comments that perhaps the legends aren't true, or, if true in part, the powers of the Eye may not be as fantastical as the legends tell. For if they were true, and the Eye is indeed somewhere within Omu, would not Lar'lenek have tried using its magic to resurrect Ubtao? Or, perhaps the powers of the relic would not work on a god? Until the artifact is found, the truth will remain hidden.
To arrange provisions and other necessities for their trip, they meet with Merchant Prince Jobal Maladitso, who holds the monopoly on supplying jungle expeditions. This second meeting reinforces to them both the man’s boundlessly jovial attitude and his need to display his great wealth through his opulent clothes, furnishings, and mansion.
Dunch describes the crew complement of the Masked Fortune—30—and his estimate of how many Asturian troops might accompany them. It will take seven to ten days to arrange the necessary goods, Jobal says, and promises to have their provisions sent to the docks for loading when ready.
Dunch also asks him about the Company of the Yellow Banner. The inquiry brings a particular sparkle to the jocular Prince's eye. He relates that he personally financed a portion of the Asturian Company's campaign after they approached him, as he has done for many who attempted the journey to the Forbidden City before them. Though none has ever returned, he still hopes that someday a group will succeed. Many riches were lost in the fallen capital, and he knows that one day his investments will pay off.
After prattling on about many, many other non-relevant expeditions he has 'participated' in over the years, he returns to the subject of the Company of the Yellow Banner. Jobal was interested in their tale of the Eye of Zaltec and wanted to help the Company recover it. They were led by a lesser Asturian noble named Lord Brixton Ardabrent, who said he had learned of the Eye from an ancient text in the Great Library in Rabanastra.
After securing their supplies, the Company hired a ship to take them to Kitcher's Inlet, where they planned to follow the River Olung down to Lake Luo before cutting southwest into the jungle toward Omu. It has been just over a year since he last saw Lord Brixton, and he assumes that the Company of the Yellow Banner met the same fate as all the others who sought the Forbidden City.
Later, Dunch climbs to the Asturian camp to tell them that they have secured a ship for their journey. He also takes the opportunity to look in on General Voss, asking him if he has ever heard of the Company of the Yellow Banner or Lord Brixton Ardabrent. The old soldier has heard of the Ardabrent family by name, but has no personal experience with them. The Company of the Yellow Banner is unknown to him.
The adventurers also inform Wakanga of having secured the use of the Masked Fortune, and he promises to tell the other Merchant Princes. As for the spell book, somewhat to their surprise Gero offers to buy it from them for 1500 gold, an offer they accept.
Dolan spends a few days drawing a map of Omu based on the vision of the city they received from Kurat. As he works, he beseeches the Oracle to reveal the location of her Shrine within the Forbidden City. She indicates that it was in the north, outside the circular walls that enclosed the Royal Palace and its grounds.
Anticipating that the poison attacks of Szola were a hallmark of future yuan-ti encounters, the adventurers purchase doses of antitoxin from one of the many alchemists in Port Nyanzaru. Dolan also buys a number of diamonds, expecting they will be needed in the casting of future Revivify spells.
Ixtli spends a few days training with Yollotl, endeavouring to learn some of the secret techniques the reborn shadow has acquired by the grace of Bahamut.
One evening, Dunch seeks out his former captain, Anton Radovich, to ask his advice before taking his first command. He also asks if the Brazen Pegasus can spare a crewman to join him on the Masked Fortune—someone Dunch knows and can trust.
The next day, Dunch returns to the Masked Fortune and introduces to the First Mate the new crewmember: a deckhand named Mattis who can familiarize the crew with Dunch's command style and expectations. The half-orc also converses with Yoral in more detail about their voyage, and the course he would like them to take to the southern coast. Their journey is about to begin.