The Empty Treasure Room
Two Days Ago:Katapesh is in flames. Rune-etched aluum golems stride through the wreckage, firing their soul-scream gems at dive-bombing efreet. A squadron of zephyr guard crouches behind cover as a fireball explodes against a minaret. Everywhere are screams and the laughter of genies. Atop a pile of rubble stands Cheeho the Talking Pug, his jaw set, a tiny fez cocked atop his head. Behind him, a group of armed citizens and zephyr guard gather their courage. "For Katapesh!" barks Cheeho. "CHARGE!" Now:Morgiana, Ibn Abadar, Jhanka'ar Tendwa, and Sharif al'Farouk tumble out of the interdimensional corridor into a large chamber with walls of brass. Coins and gems are scattered across the floor. Immediately, four brass automatons step out from behind curtains of flame to attack the intruders. After deafeating the brass men, the group takes a moment to assess their surroundings. They appear to be in some sort of treasure chamber, though long since emptied of treasure. The Scroll of Kakishon has disintegrated into ash -- there is no way back there now. Exploration reveals that the chamber is just one among a labyrinth of chambers, all connected by curtains of flame that sometimes burn and sometimes do not. After much trial and error, and cryptic hints from a strange Garundi man who appeared as a reflection in the brass walls, the heroes find their way out of the maze of treasure chambers. They are briefly diverted by a trap that drops Sharif and Jhanka'ar into a giant, spinning, magnetic cylinder, but with Morgiana's help they disarm it and escape. Soon they arrive at a room occupied by azers. Spying on them reveals that the azers are employed by someone named "Sammander" to break into this place and steal something called the "Jewel of the Padishah". Morgiana steps out to parley, and the azers insist that she must speak with their leader, whom they call "Grovth." The azers part ranks, and a hideous, corpse-skinned creature with foul smoke leaking from its eye sockets shambles forward. "I am Grovth," it says. |
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