The Eye of Anubis: Book Six

[NeoTiamat]

Expedition Camp, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 26th, 761, 8:25 AM; Day 101 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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"A princely gift, madame," Charles says, bowing deeply. "I thank you. I shall certainly always remember the occasion of its giving."

"I don't doubt you will." The ageless crone said softly. "I see..... many things in the water.... some good, some ill, much more that does not part the veil so much as rend it asunder."

"But you know this..." The Lorelei laughed. "You have so many fates hanging upon you it is a wonder you are not born under... or mayhap you will be later.... and yet...."

"I have plans that do not involve your gruesome demise." The old woman's eyes gleamed and sparkled, in a way that was not quite natural. "And so... would you accept my blessing?"

[Nathan of the FoS]

"I have plans that do not involve your gruesome demise." The old woman's eyes gleamed and sparkled, in a way that was not quite natural. "And so... would you accept my blessing?"

Well, she certainly knows how to make the sales pitch, doesn't she? Aloud, Charles says, "If it please you, madame, to give a blessing which might forestall my gruesome demise, I would be very grateful."

[Rock of the Fraternity]

A handful of moments later, Lia returns from her packing and seeks out Samael Maleagant. "If you please," she says, "there is something I must say to the whole group. I have had ... a report on the Jackal's Ruse, where we are headed next. A very up-to-date report. It seems to me that it would be best if everyone knew about this now, before we arrive there."

[NeoTiamat]

Expedition Camp, The Kermanevar, Sebua
June 26th, 761, 8:25 AM; Day 101 of the Menetnashte Expedition
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Well, she certainly knows how to make the sales pitch, doesn't she? Aloud, Charles says, "If it please you, madame, to give a blessing which might forestall my gruesome demise, I would be very grateful."

"Gratitude... is always worth having..." The old one said simply, then spread her hands. The dark eyes blazed brightly, and you wondered for a moment if they didn't glow in the morning sunlight. Probably not, but you felt they should have. "Then upon all those present here.... I cast my blessing. Silence shall be your voice.... stealth shall be your weapon.... darkness shall be your demesnes.... Let your fate be hidden.... evermore."

It was a curious feeling. A slight slithering along the skin, a sense of cold and darkness engulfing you. You were no longer things of bright sunlight and bold day, but skulking things that hid under stones. It was a rather unpleasant feeling. It sunk deeply into your skin, fading from perception, until it was only a tiny spot of cold somewhere in your chest. Then that, too, faded away.

At least, until Khalil's back exploded.

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This was not something that happened very often. From a point in the small of the desert guide's back came a shattering sound as a burst of magical force knocked him forward. Tiny shards of crystal swept through the air, lacerating everything in sight, even as the most awful keening swept through the air. It was an inhuman sound of pain, pain mixed with a fury that made the blood run cold.

The Lorelei began to laugh, a pleasant, feminine sound that echoed throughout the entirety of Kermanevar. Except.... she was gone. The old woman was no longer there, leaving only her gifts behind.

In a heartbeat, it was over. Khalil was flat on his face, and from a smoking hollow in the back of his armor, you saw a... thing, you supposed it was. The smoking ruins of a box, the wood charred and blackened. Inside of it was a multitude of shards of blue crystal, embedded into the wood, Khalil's armor, and Khalil. There were other things inside the box as well.... multicolored string, now mostly blackened... symbols painted on the inside, largely destroyed.... and what appeared to be slivers of bone.

Faerie blessings appeared to be rather strange things.

24 Physical Damage, Reflex DC 17 for half. DR does apply. Khalil does not get a save and gets knocked prone by the force of the explosion.

Knowledge: Religion or Arcana to understand what the Lorelei did.

Knowledge: Arcana to figure out just what the crystal-thing was and why it just went boom.

[Kaitou Kage]

Kuzan's eyes widened in surprise, and he only barely got his arms in front of his face in time. Shrapnel flew all over, cutting through his skin and drawing a loud yelp from the priest. Bleeding, Kuzan called out an invocation to the gods and a burst of healing energy cascaded over the assembled party.

"The Lorelei," he murmured once he caught his breath, "Has a strange way of showing her blessing. Still...in her odd way, it seems helpful. The explosion and I guess the box will make it harder for outside forces to scry on us."

Mass Cure Light Wounds just cuz.

2 (dice) + 10 (caster level) + 10 (augment) = 22 healed. Yay!

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Lia barely has time to think 'An anti-divination? A shrouding?' before she is scythed down by crystal shards and goes flying. As consciousness wavers and her blood starts to stain the sand around her, she has time for one more thought: 'The thing in his armour ... A scrying focus or device of some sort, perhaps? A homing beacon ...?' Weakly, the Wizard starts to lever herself back to her feet, using her cane.
The rush of healing energy steadies her, however, and she stands tall, glaring at Khalil.

(Reflex save 12, so I'm at almost full hp after Kuzan's helpful spell. Interesting twist at the end, there ...)

[yalenusveler]

Andre moved to get to cover, but a moment too late, crystal shards striking him, drawing blood. He looked rather the worse for wear for it, blood streaming from several cuts on his face, and quite a few on his arms as well. Thankfully, Kuzan's spell seemed to undo the worst of it.


"A rather fortunate blessing from the Oracle. Divination obscured. A rather useful blessing I would think." Andre smiled, licking a bit of blood from the corner of his mouth,followed by a wince as perhaps the taste didn't agree with him as well as it did the Oracle. "However, now there's matter of the revelation." He looked to Khalil not rushing to heal the man just yet. "A magical overload. The question is..were you aware of being tracked, or are you the poor unfortunate? I hope for the second. Or perhaps a far more pleasant third."

Andre looked chillingly ready to deal with the situation if it was the first option, and the answer wasn't to satisfaction.

[lostboy]

For the second time in less than a day, Khalil ends up on the floor in a smoking mess. Fortunatley this time he isnt dying, groaning he reaches behind to his back wondering what the hell just hit him. Then his hand stops and a puzzeled expression crosses his face.

The expression dissolves into one of shock and realisation. Pulling the smoking box free of his armour he looks at it for a second before viciously throwing it down with a snarl. "Lying, miserable, cheating, scum....." the tirade continues in Akiri for a few moments until the desert guide runs out of words to swear with.

"A magical overload. The question is..were you aware of being tracked, or are you the poor unfortunate? I hope for the second. Or perhaps a far more pleasant third."

"Of course I wasnt aware you fool." Khalil snaps, still seething over the burnt remains. Taking a deep breath to calm himself he continues, "I was paid to courier the box, and no I didnt ask what was in it, or what it did. I was assured however that it posed no danger to either myself or the expedition, although it appears trust is a foolish commodity to have these days."

Groaning slightly he gets to his feet, stretchiing to test the dmaage to his back still throwing a dirty glance at the box.

[Nathan of the FoS]

Perhaps it's just that he is standing closest to the Lorelei and gets the slightest hint from the motion of those strangely beautiful eyes, or his native instinct for avoiding trouble, or even (as he would claim) his finely honed and cat-like reflexes, but Charles is prone in the dirt before the explosion sends crystal and bone flying and recieves no injury worse than sand in his trousers.

Raising his head, he gives Khalil a speculative look. "A beacon, you say, Professor? Fascinating." Standing, he moves to Khalil and offers him a hand. "Who paid you to carry the box, M'sieur al-Atim?" His tone is friendly, but the slightest tinge of menace underlies the amiability.

Reflex 24, sense motive 17

[lostboy]

"Who paid you to carry the box, M'sieur al-Atim?"

Khalil accepts the hand and looks at Charles with a fairly incredulous look as he stands. "Do you really think that whoever gave me this would have told me his real name?"

Khalil looks around for a second then seeing that the suspicion in the others eyes hadnt gone away, continues with a sigh. "Look I'm certain he gave me a false name, he even admitted as much, all I know is that he found me in Port-a-Lucine, and he was fat, a fat, lying...." The desert guide bites his lip before he descends into another rant.

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Look I'm certain he gave me a false name, he even admitted as much, all I know is that he found me in Port-a-Lucine, and he was fat, a fat, lying...." The desert guide bites his lip before he descends into another rant.

"Perhaps a more ample description? And the false name?" Charles prompts. "To whom were you to give it?"

[lostboy]

"Perhaps a more ample description? And the false name?" Charles prompts. "To whom were you to give it?"

Khalil shrugs, "He was fat, thats all I rememeber, Id never seen him before, and I cetainly havent seen him since. Who was I suppsoe to deliver it to? Well thats the question, I have no idea, they were suppsoed to find me."

With everyone still staring at him, exasperation builds into anger again.

"Look im not trying to kill all of you, nor am I intentionally spying on you, I dont know what this is, was, or whose it is, I was paid to carry it thats it. Someone was going to bring a key and take it off my hands and pay me the rest of my damn money. Not that thats happening now.". He says the last with a resentful look, and kicks the box sulkily.

[Nathan of the FoS]

"Disappointing," Charles says drily. "You did say he gave you a name? A name admittedly false, but a name nonetheless?"

[Rock of the Fraternity]

"Cavendish," Lia says. "He is well-capable of disguising himself, as well as befuddling the minds of his victims."

[Kaitou Kage]

"It must be terrible for you," Kuzan muttered under his breath. He turned and walked away from the scene. Someone would fill him in on the details, he was sure.