The Eye of Anubis: Book Four

[NeoTiamat]

The Necropolis of Phiraz
May 24th, 761, 5:20 PM; Day 68 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Did you hear what he said?" he asked Judge al-Shirazi in hushed tones, "Something about an Ibn Say...and then he cut off. Do you recognize the name?"

Judge al-Shirazi frowned for a moment, considering the implications of the gravekeepers statement. "Ibn Sayyid, mayhaps? There was a prominent general of Phiraz of that name, oh, two or three centuries ago. He is buried with full honors in the Necropolis."

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He made eye contact with the man; sincere. "Now, if you would prefer to talk about it apart from this...crowd, I am amenable to this. I know how it can seem when there are many against one... I promise that I am an understanding person with which to talk, and a good person for being an advocate...but I cannot help you if you will not speak at all."

"I..." The gravekeeper just seemed to crumple. "H-h-he said he'd kill me if I spoke. A t-t-tall man, in foreign dress."

He grabbed Otto's lapel. "I don't know anything, not really. Just told to keep people out at n-n-night. He'll kill me. He said he will, he can. You can protect me, r-r-right?"

[yalenusveler]

"Judge, Ibn Sayyid was before the revelation of the prophet, yes?" Andre spoke, his expression souring. He was not particularly fond of where this particular line of thinking was taking him. As a student of history, it was never a pleasant thought to be fighting it.

[The Whistler]

He grabbed Otto's lapel. "I don't know anything, not really. Just told to keep people out at n-n-night. He'll kill me. He said he will, he can. You can protect me, r-r-right?"

Otto's face turned somber; he glanced up at the group with a look that said There's your proof, or something like it. Then, turning back to the gravekeeper:

"A bad man, this, if it is the one for which we are investigating. If it is this one, then we are to drive him from the city, after which he shall do no more harming within it. Until we do this...and providing that you are *up front* in your telling of facts of which you are aware..." (a somewhat pointed look, here) "...I shall do my utmost to be keeping you safe. As, I am sure, will the rest of my party...and our combined 'utmosts' are considerable."

He gestured at Ishaq indicatively--briefly thanking fate for allying him with a man built like the side of a house--and gave the collected Expedition members another significant look, this one translatable as Don't leave me hanging here.

Back to the gravekeeper; a bit more conversational. "Now, we start with a background, yes? Aside from tallness and foreign-ness of dress, did the man who told you these things have other distinguishing features about him?"

[Nathan of the FoS]

Charles, seeing that Otto has volunteered to be the friendly face in the party, falls into the role of "bad cop" with brio, tapping the scroll of authority against the heel of his palm with a distant look of displeasure as he leans in to listen to what Judge al-Shirazi has to say about Ibn Sayyid.

Crossing to where Otto is talking to the caretaker, he says, "The Prophet will exert his authority to protect an honest servant who does his best to help apprehend an enemy to Purity, I'm sure." A glance toward the Confessors communicates clearly what the Prophet will do to someone found aiding the forces of darkness. "Throw yourself on his mercy, tell all, and all may yet be well."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"I..." The gravekeeper just seemed to crumple. "H-h-he said he'd kill me if I spoke. A t-t-tall man, in foreign dress."

He grabbed Otto's lapel. "I don't know anything, not really. Just told to keep people out at n-n-night. He'll kill me. He said he will, he can. You can protect me, r-r-right?"

Lia cackles like an old witch, then coughs for maybe a full minute before wheezing at the gravekeeper: "Was it a man with a hat, sir gravekeeper? Yes? If so, I for one shall be more than glad to protect you against him. He's scum, that one, and needs to be put in irons until the end of time. Or until he dies, whichever happens first. And if he threatened you, well, you'll be safer with us than on your own."

[NeoTiamat]

The Necropolis of Phiraz
May 24th, 761, 5:22 PM; Day 68 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"Judge, Ibn Sayyid was before the revelation of the prophet, yes?" Andre spoke, his expression souring. He was not particularly fond of where this particular line of thinking was taking him. As a student of history, it was never a pleasant thought to be fighting it.

"By some fifty years, yes." The Judge seemed less than thrilled by the possibility of heading for an ancient tomb. "But it seems to be likely where to look next for your mysterious friend."

Back to the gravekeeper; a bit more conversational. "Now, we start with a background, yes? Aside from tallness and foreign-ness of dress, did the man who told you these things have other distinguishing features about him?"

"His skin was ashen, and he wore great b-b-black lenses before his eyes,"
The gravekeeper babbled, terror unhinging his wits. "And he said that I was to keep people away from the old p-p-part of the Necropolis, and from the tomb of Ibn Sayyid, no matter what the rules. B-b-but I'm not a brave man, to fight him and the Confessors... Just don't hurt me..."

The Judge nodded somberly, stepping up to where the gravekeeper could see him better. "All is well, Citizen. You have done your duty by the Prophet."

[OOC: If there are no more questions and no objections, next post will move you guys to the Tomb of Ibn Sayyid.]

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Oh, so," Lia wheezes. "And have you heard or seen anything strange from that end of the cemetery since grey-skin threatened you, sir?"

[NeoTiamat]

The Necropolis of Phiraz
May 24th, 761, 5:25 PM; Day 68 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"N-n-no my lady." The gravekeeper shook his head vigorously. "But I do not go there any more, not if I can help it."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"What about in other places?" Lia insists. "Do you hear screaming underground? Are there footsteps in the dust where they shouldn't be? Lights and sounds you didn't dare mention before now?"

[NeoTiamat]

The Necropolis of Phiraz
May 24th, 761, 5:26 PM; Day 68 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"No, no, and no!" The gravekeeper's voice rose in a shout again. "I do n-n-not know anything! This is not my problem, I do n-n-not wish to die of it! I have seen nothing! Asking me more often will not make me see what I have not seen!"

[The Whistler]

"Hold, Miss." Otto held up a hand. "This man has been through enough, yes?" He gave the gravekeeper a she's always like this look.

"Now. We should hardly take this man with us while we investigate the tomb, should a thing untoward occur...May he be retained here with someone who is to be protecting him?"

[lostboy]

Khalil has been growing more and more uneasy as the conversation progressed. In the light of day the necropolis hadnt been so terrible so far, yet now it seemed as if Cavendish himself was here and they were about to walk into the Lions maw.

The desert guide takes a deep breath and squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, mentally trying to dismiss the sight of the mangled corpses from the museum, but to no avail, the image is lodged firmly in his brain.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Lia makes that rude throat-clearing noise again, but does back off. In fact, she limps over to Kuzan and stays by his side.
"Twitchy fellow," she whispers to the Rajian, her voice rough and hoarse. "I thought he might 'remember' more now that he has changed sides, so to speak, I certainly didn't mean to badger him ... anymore." Lia chuckles briefly, but the mirth soon turns into another bout of coughing, which she ends with a hasty gulp from a waterskin.
"I need to get out of all this wretched dust," she sighs. "Maybe the desert will be kinder. No dust there, just sand ..."

[NeoTiamat]

Ibn Sayyid's Tomb, The Necropolis of Phiraz
May 24th, 761, 5:30 PM; Day 68 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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After a few moments deliberation, it was decided that the gravekeeper would depart for the nearest station of Confessors, and protected thus. This was seen as preferable to parting their number, and with grateful cries, the gravekeeper departed, not even stopping to grab anything from his humble little cottage.

The Tomb of Ibn Sayyid was, from the surface, a very small and discreet little building. A stone mausoleum, carved in beautiful reliefs of conquest and valor, only strange roughening on one side of the tiny building, as though the rock there had been melted and the carving obliterated.

Of more immediate note was the massive lead door that at some bygone time had been bolted on the front of the mausoleum. To be fair, the door was a work of art in and of itself, with numerous relief carvings of the life of Ibn Sayyid. However, it had no lock, merely heavy bolts that fitted into the door-frame. Getting past it would be problematic.

[OOC: Spellcraft DC 23 to figure out what the roughening on the wall is.]

[Also, your current problem is a big leaden door. It's about six feet wide and eight feet tall. It has a Hardness of 6, 120 HP, and a Break DC of 33. It's also enchanted, DC 22 to identify with what. There are no obvious locks or hinges.]

[yalenusveler]

"Arcane Lock on the door...It'll be harder to break through. I can try to bring it down...but Cavendish is a pretty potent caster, I don't know if I can manage" Andre said, peering at the door to the tomb.