[Gameplay] 8. Vault of Hidden Wisdom

Continuing to research.

The second day of research reveals:

• Although none know the location of Chisisek’s tomb, his funeral was commemorated in the fresco in the Vault’s rotunda by the greatest artist of the age, Hor-hepu. This last clue is tantalizing, for the PCs might not have found a fresco depicting Chisisek’s funeral in the Vault of Hidden Wisdom. Hor-hepu’s fresco is the one that is actually hidden behind a false ceiling in the rotunda.


• By studying the fresco painted on the true dome of the rotunda, the PCs learn that Chisisek’s tomb, sealed with his double hieroglyph of an owl inside a house, is said to be located "across two bridges, where the sphinxes ponder the crook, the scarab, and the sun." At least one of you recognizes this as a reference to the area between the Crook and Scarab rivers and the Pillars of the Sun mountains—a desert region called the Parched Dunes—though the tomb’s exact location is not pinpointed.


• The geometric shapes on the fresco are far more than just design elements; they represent a fantastic weapon of vast size used against winged cities populated with strange figures bearing weapons that launch black fire. A character who succeeds at a DC 25 Knowledge (arcana) or Knowledge (history) check can identify these cities and figures as the Shory.

"Even more important, we now know where to look for Chisisek's tomb, and from there we may learn more of the Pyramid, and how to stop what is happening."

With the knowledge that your search to uncover this mystery leads you to seek Chisisek's tomb, you'll likely want to prepare for a desert journey and search.

In order to assist you in this venture I offer:

Congratulations, you advance to level 9!

I'll leave this thread up for a while so you can discuss all of this, and in a few days I'll start a new thread for Chapter 9. The Parched Dunes.

"Andromeda is waiting back at the entrance of this place," Tabat says. "I think she will be happy for some real exercise, assuming we are bound for the desert."