The ancient lands of Osirion are blanketed by the sands of time, and eldritch secrets and vast riches lay just beneath the sun-blistered surface. As modern Osirion opens its vaults and tombs to outsiders for the first time in centuries, many of these lost treasures and secrets are now emerging, some more troublesome than others. Hakotep I, a now-forgotten pharaoh, was robbed upon his burial. A secret sect took his heart and his funerary mask, both containing a portion of his soul. Betrayed the chance to pass on into the afterlife during his burial, Hakotep has existed in a state between life and death for millennia. The recent rediscovery of one of these lost soul fragments has allowed the trapped pharaoh to once again work in this world to redress the wrongs committed against him, and a cult worshiping him as a god-king grows in the heart of Osirion. Can a group of heroes brave terrible guardians, foul cults, and the burning sands of the desert to stop the rebirth of this ancient tyrant?
Seven years ago, Pharaoh Khemet III, the Ruby Prince, formally opened Osirion's ancient tombs and burial sites to foreign explorers. Khemet III understood that adventurers who've traveled great distances in search of treasure typically do not return from whence they came to sell their discoveries. Instead, they typically sell or trade what they do not keep as quickly as possible at the closest civilized community with an economy strong enough to absorb an influx of valuable antiquities. The Ruby Prince's policy has attracted not only explorers to the desert nation of Osirion, but also countless scholars, private collectors, special interest groups such as the Pathfinder Society, and financial interests from all across the Inner Sea. A minor industry has sprung up just to support visiting explorers, and an even larger infrastructure has come into being to serve foreign investors and traders. Every opening of a major site has heralded an economic boom, for the local area and Osirion as a whole. Unlike many of Osirion's tombs and graveyards, however, the necropolis of Wati has remained largely untouched, in no small part because of local taboos and the protection of the Grand Mausoleum's priests. But Khemet III has now ordered the local authorities and church of Pharasma to open Wati's necropolis to exploration for the purpose of discovery, study, and economic stimulus. Partial Midwife District Legend Annotated Wati (OOC)
7: Golden Lake
8: Grand Mausoleum
12: Insula Mater
16: Sanctum of Silver and Gold
18: Shrine of Wadjet
19: Sunburst Market
The bustling desert city of Wati is near bursting with excitement. adventurers from every corner of the Inner Sea region have assembled here beneath the hot Osirian sun to explore the tombs of the city's necropolis, waiting only to be assigned their first sites for exploration. Surrounding the participants, the public has gathered to observe the ceremony as well. There is a festival-like quality in the air, and numerous street vendors are hawking goods and refreshments to participants and spectators alike. Some merchants have even brought what can only be considered adventuring gear to sell as last minute convenience items to explorers, while others advertise that they'll buy recovered treasures and antiquities from those who visit their establishments.
In front of the imposing edifice of the Grand Mausoleum, an immense awning has been erected between decorated pillars in the market to provide shade for the priests of Pharasma overseeing the lottery. Beneath the awning, two urns sit atop a table elevated a few feet above the ground on a wooden stage constructed for the event. The high priestess of the Grand Mausoleum, Sebti the Crocodile, sits behind the table, while two acolytes confer with her at either side.
With about a half hour to go before the opening ceremony, five Wati residents have formed a group and registered for the lottery with the priesthood of the Grand Mausoleum under the name The Scion's of Anubis. After receiving their token they peruse the market until the ceremony begins.
Welcome to the Mummy's Mask AP!
Please begin posting, there is about a half hour before the ceremony begins and you stand in the Sunburst Market.
Number Two:"You are number six." Number Six:"I am not a number, I am a free man!" Number Two:"Muh ha ha ha ha!"
Heru Gahiji casually walks from vendor to vendor, perusing through the various goods each one has to offer. The greatsword that rests in its sheathe on Heru's back made social encounters with the vendors awkward.
"So there are suppose to be artifacts within the Necropolis? Well I can't wait to get my hands on one. When is this lottery suppose to happen anyways?" He directed the question to the rest of the group, coming off a bit impatient.
Turning a brass lamp over and over in his hands Mbizi rubs the lamp with a smile, polishing it up a bit, Nothing, again!. Putting it back on the vendor's carpet he moves over toward Heru. "Did you not read the announcement Heru? You never do, do you?" He reaches into his pocket and produces a small piece of papyrus with stylized writing on it, he paraphrases, "The tombs of our ancestors are open to exploration. The wealth and treasures of the past will ensure the prosperity of the present and launch us into a flourishing future. Or something along those lines, its far to flowery for my taste." He folds it up and tucks it away. "Of course there are treasures there. All the noble lines of the past buried their dead with great treasures. Have you never heard of The Golden Katar of House Adeben, or the Clockwork Monkey of House Abubakarabubakar, or the fabled Flying Carpet of House Eyasi!" He looks around shaking his head in mock frustration with Heru. "Such treasures will surely be uncovered, and they must remain in Wati or Ossirion, we can not allow these foreign interlopers to put their pale hands on them and whisk them away to their cold north lands of Caledonia or Heldren!" He pauses, he's getting worked up, which he always does when speaking of outsiders.
So he reaches into his pocket and removes a slender piece of petrified wood, the tip is burned from acid, stained orange from the effects. This, his pestle he uses in making his extracts and concoctions gives him a center, a focus at times. Calming down he smiles, "We don't have much time. I need to ready my face paint." So he seats himself on a broken hunk of stonework and takes out his white paint made from camel urine and monkey skull bone, and with a small steel mirror in the other hand carefully applies his face paint markings while there is time.
Mbizi (Mmmm-bee-zee) is hard of hearing on his left side, FYI.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
Salthus wanders around the market with his companions. He is not in his usual dark robes though you can see them rolled up and attached to his pack. He is dressed more in the Keleshite way today a white open robe with a scarf like covering draped down over his front and the slightly pointed boots they prefer. It is hard to tell under the lose fitting robes but he appears to have a delicate build. On his back is his short bow with arrows at his hip like a scabbard. On his finger is a well polished ring, simple but well crafted. His hair hangs over his shoulders the color of honey with his skin tan from days in the sun with his bow. His light orange eyes and pointed ears taking in everything at the tables.
Searching for anything of value the elf listens to his friends discuss the opening of the lottery. "I just know we are not going to be picked! If they do we need to make sure we check every corner, every crevice! You never know what history or power might have been hidden. I hope just we get picked. We do not want these strangers getting their hands on our history. Their knowledge and power should be ours!"
Anhotep follows along with his fellows, occasionally picking something up to examine from a local stall, but always shaking his head and putting it down. Now was not a time to be shopping. He did not want to get distracted from the lottery.
"But it shall be no walk in the oasis if we are chosen," the oracle cautions. "Those treasures that you named, Mbizi, will not be left out in the open for us to take. The families that buried them with their relatives no doubt have left traps and tomb guardians to discourage just such people as us from disturbing the resting places of their dear departed. We must proceed with caution, and always show respect for the dead whose tombs we disturb."
NOTE: the skin should be darker, but I couldn't manage to adjust the image to reflect that.
Mbizi looks up, half his face painted with white markings, "You are right on that Anhotep. We don't do this to disrespect the dead, or to loot them like some common criminals. We are bringing history to light and preventing outsiders from steeling our heritage." He continues working, talking at he looks into his mirror. "I should be able handle any traps we might run across, and I've been working to make my mixtures more potent on undead and even constructs, don't forget we could find animated statues or living stonework even." He is nearly finished.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"That is if we get picked, They call it a lottery for a reason."
Heru removes his hood, revealing his nearly bald head. One long braided ponytail protruded from the back, looking almost like a rope. His stern face showed very little humor in it. He wore an airy style of scale mail that blended into his brown, almost mundane, cloth attire. wrapped around him was the strap of a large greatsword in it's sheathe, and a shortbow with the quiver mounted on his hip.
"I've been through every stand, hopefully they hurry up with the ceremony." He adds, looking up into the sky for almost no reason at all.
"I must admit," Anhotep says, "that even with the danger, I'm looking forward to see what the ancients were able to accomplish. And the reputed beauty of the tombs is legendary."
Finishing his painting Mbizi stands up packing his things. "I'm done here too. Come on, I know we are going to get picked, I can just feel it. Fate is fickle, but she loves an underdog, and that's us." He strides closer to the others, "I'll wager 1 gold dinar that we get picked in this lottery!" He starts toward the place where they need to be along with the others, having no further need to waste time around the markets.
"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." - Gandalf
J.R.R. Tolkien, Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring
"I am most curious about the inside of these tombs. Some of them are marvels of engineering. They with stand the rigors of the elements, fighting off wind, water, and the fire of the sun. I am afraid to take that bet, the gods may look unfavorably on us if we do. I hope you are right Mbizi, I hope you are right."
Seven years ago, Pharaoh Khemet III, the Ruby Prince, formally opened Osirion's ancient tombs and burial sites to foreign explorers. Khemet III understood that adventurers who've traveled great distances in search of treasure typically do not return from whence they came to sell their discoveries. Instead, they typically sell or trade what they do not keep as quickly as possible at the closest civilized community with an economy strong enough to absorb an influx of valuable antiquities. The Ruby Prince's policy has attracted not only explorers to the desert nation of Osirion, but also countless scholars, private collectors, special interest groups such as the Pathfinder Society, and financial interests from all across the Inner Sea. A minor industry has sprung up just to support visiting explorers, and an even larger infrastructure has come into being to serve foreign investors and traders. Every opening of a major site has heralded an economic boom, for the local area and Osirion as a whole. Unlike many of Osirion's tombs and graveyards, however, the necropolis of Wati has remained largely untouched, in no small part because of local taboos and the protection of the Grand Mausoleum's priests. But Khemet III has now ordered the local authorities and church of Pharasma to open Wati's necropolis to exploration for the purpose of discovery, study, and economic stimulus.
Partial Midwife District Legend
