In the Temple of the Shattered Sun the first order of business was to examine the great sword taken from Gerion’s lieutenant in the Pyramid of Ptah. Rebecca confirmed that it was a bound entity of benevolent aspect. It was clearly a very valuable artefact, but was too big for a human – even Jason – to wield. Its value could probably only be realised if sold to an evil sorceror, temple or another demon. Grettir took the pragmatic view that the best course would be to release the imprisoned entity and hope that it would be their friend. This was agreed and Paradoxides cast a spell to release it. It manifested as a shining rock on the Prime Plane, but when they boarded the Ship of the Dead and sailed into the Void it appeared as a winged and horned steed – a Shendu.
It could communicate telepathically to the magicians in the party. It thanked Paradoxides for its freedom. Its recollections of anything while it was bound into the sword were hazy and it had little to tell the party about Ptah, Sekhmet or the Pyramids. It did confirm that it had been bound into its former shape by Gerion. It did not recommend that they try to tackle Gerion directly who was extremely powerful in his own realm. The Shendu was happy to accompany them on their quest. It gave its name as Abu Bakr.
Their next step was to find out what was going on at the Pyramid of Sekhmet. They had left Samuel to keep an eye on the Pyramid of Ptah, so Paradoxides and the Shendu went to fetch him. They found him unconscious and near death, having been jumped by a poisonous spider. Luckily there were many healers on the boat and he was brought swiftly back to health. The Ship of the Dead was moored once more in the usual place with Esther, Miriam and Jacob to guard it. The rest flew out to the Ptah’s Pyramid and began to follow the trail that they surmised would lead them to Sekhmet’s Pyramid. There was no discernable path, so they relied on Girindor’s tracking abilities to stay on the trail. It was slow going and it would take them a week.
Along the way, they encountered a phase spider, which appeared out of a trap door in reality – as they do – to grab Ubaron. However, Ubaron proved a tougher morsel than it anticipated and he slew it before it could retreat to its lair in the Void. They also encountered another party of soldier demons, with a large wolf-headed leader, returning with an empty jar to the Pyramid of Ptah. These were supported by a couple of more fearsome flying demons. However, they had air support from Samuel and the Shendu who dispatched them. The wolf-headed leader and the soldiers were likewise slain. Grettir once more banished the gibbering lost souls who were carrying the urn. They found a gold token of Sekhmet on the body of one of the larger demons, which looked freshly minted.
A couple of nights later they encountered a young woman who was watching their encampment. She did not seem hostile and was quite open about being a shape-shifter who could turn into a gazelle. She gave her name as Sheba. She seemed quite interested in accompanying the party until she learnt that they were heading to what she described as the Dark Pyramid. She said that it was not a good place and she would not go there. She might see them on the way back. She did point them in the right direction and tell them that it was about a day’s trot for her.
Halfway through the following day Girindor reported that he could no longer detect the trail. They thought that they ought to be able to see the pyramid by now but there was no sign of it. Even Samuel could not see it. Abu Bakr said that it had been concealed from mortal eyes. What they could see in that direction were gathering storm clouds. They marched on under the Shendu’s guidance and eventually it loomed into sight.
There were guards – two ten foot tall dog-headed men. However, when Grettir stated their business – that they had come for an audience with Sekhmet – they bowed and led them inside to a waiting area. The Shendu remained outside. As they sat and waited a deep sense of foreboding grew amongst those of the party with senses for these things (most of them). Eventually Ellia spoke up and said that this felt all wrong and that they should depart this place. No-one argued. As they left they could see the storm clouds gathering outside and corruscating beams of light were starting to streak down from the heavens. Paradoxides cast an Astral Walk to return them to the Temple of the Shattered Sun. The Shendu came with them, which was just as well, since there was some sort of demonic attack in transit which it was able to fend off.
There was more discussion and speculation at the Temple as to what was going on. The consensus hypothesis was that the Essence of Ptah was being waylaid by demons and not reaching Sekhmet. This was increasing the ire of the already irascible goddess, who perhaps thought that Ptah was witholding his essence from her. Waking Ptah seemed the only way to break the impasse. Rebecca said that the appropriate ritual would require a great deal of power, but would be more likely to succeed in the physical presence of the God. Ubaron and Abu Bakr went to collect the Ship of the Dead, which was still in the Astral Realm. They had to battle demons to get there but returned with the ship and its crew. Rebecca herself would accompany this expedition along with three more Knights.
At the Pyramid Paradoxides dispelled his conjured stone wall and they entered. When they reached the door inscribed with the words “Ptah’s Purdah, Entry Forbidden”, Grettir pushed inside with Jason at his shoulder. They were in a large high chamber. At the far end was a recumbent figure of giant proportions. Immediately in front of Grettir was a large lion-headed Sphinx. Grettir made an attempt to negotiate but it pounced. He struck back with his Holy Spear; it flew up and he pushed on into the chamber. There were four Sphinxes in all. They were skilled in combat, they could fly and they had powerful magics. They were ferocious in their attacks, neither giving nor accepting quarter. Abu Bakr, who alone was really able to fight the sphinxes hand to hand in the air, slew one and downed another, but was himself struck down and killed, much to the dismay of Paradoxides who had formed a strong attachment to the Shendu. Ubaron blasted another with his wand of lightning bolts. With the aid of Paradoxides, Grettir pursued the last sphinx into an upper floor niche where he trapped and killed it. Each of the Sphinxes wore a large gold amulet with the sign of Sekhmet upon it. These were definitely the minions of the Goddess of Vengeance.
In case there should be any doubt Rebecca confirmed that the recumbent figure, eyes closed, beatific smile curving its lips, was indeed Ptah. She assembled all those attendant into a choir behind her for the Ritual of Awakening. She bade them all be ready to give up any reserves of power they had whether magical, holy or even their own lifeblood should it be needed, for there would only be one opportunity to wake the God. The Cardinal led a long ritual involving much chanting, the magicians gave up their mana, Grettir his ka, Girindor his stores of Earth Power. Then came a point when they could feel their own life-forces draining into the ritual. Just as the weaker members of the choir were on the point of collapse, the God stirred and his eyes flickered open. They all found themselves back at the Temple of the Shattered Sun, powers restored and all wounds healed and possessed of a great sense of euphoria. Rebecca declared a great feast of celebration for Ptah was awake once more.
A few days later the Cardinal called the adventurers together and thanked them for all their efforts. She had been in commune with Ptah. Ptah was now fully awake and had righted the wrongs committed during his long sleep. Sekhmet had been angry because she suspected a liaison between Ptah and the goddess Mut while she was pregnant. It was now her turn to be in purdah that she might have time to consider the consequences of her unreasonable and excessive wrath. It seemed that during Ptah’s purdah she had been delivered of a child. There was a new goddess in the pantheon called Astarte. Rebecca showed them a small shrine in a niche of the temple, it contained a small idol of a young woman that looked remarkably like Sheba, the shapeshifting girl they had met near to Sekhmet’s pyramid.
Rebecca told them that Ptah was delighted with all their actions and brave deeds and would in due course grant each of them a personal audience.
G-20
OE Date: May 695
Characters: Grettir, Paradoxides, Ubaron, Jason, Wilf, Trevillion, Girindor NPCs: Kolgrim, Samuel, Ellia, Esther, Miriam, Jacob, Rebecca
Real World: Jan 2011; Where: Surbiton
See also Ubaron’s Diaries