THE HEROES OF DYVERS CHAPTER 7: CLARE'S ERRAND

Respen Seeks To Visit With Tokwan...With Reservation and a Good Deal of Tact

~ I wonder.... ~

Respen flashes back to what Dame Clare's instructions were in her mental message:

~ "Serindak is in trouble. He sent me a mental message about a week ago; he is helping me find an item of extreme importance.... It is an artifact known as the Helm of Selreen. Serindak went to seek the aid of a Sphinx known far and wide as Khubsheth The Prophet, hoping he might know something about where the helm could be or about who could have it. Khubsheth attacked him, forcing him into gaseous form. Serindak slipped past the Sphinx, and discovered that the statue that he rests in front of conceals a hidden passage, which leads to some sort of tomb. Serindak decided to explore the tomb, in hopes of finding something there that might be useful. The last mental message that Serindak sent to me was that he no longer cared to seek Khubsheth's advice, when he could have the counsel of the Dark Queen. Then, I suddenly lost contact and have not heard from him since. I can feel that his essence still exists, that he has not been destroyed, but I can no longer feel his thoughts, nor his blood connection. It's as if he no longer has a physical form. I am not sure what to make of that, except that it cannot mean anything good."

...Finding the Helm of Selreen is a far more important task, one that cannot be put aside. I would like for you to seek out this Khubsheth, and find out what happened to Serindak. I doubt he would attack one so amiable as you. I think Serindak probably fell victim to the prejudice borne of his eight-legged form. In that regard, I would surmise that you could succeed where he failed. The priority is to discover whether or not Khubsheth knows anything about the Helm of Selreen. If he does not, then your second priority should be to ask him about the tomb below the statue, and inquire as to what fate Serindak might have met by venturing into that place. The Perch of Khubsheth is at the base of a large, sandstone statue, in the Kingdom of Ull, in the hills just south of Kester. The statue is a remnant of a fallen kingdom; it is a depiction of the Sphinx Queen, Ankharet. I suspect that she might be the Dark Queen that Serindak was referring to, which probably means that she is some form of powerful undead being. "~

Snapping to, Respen listens to Tokwan as carefully as Tokwan obviously chose his words, and Dewydd chose his. He very much understated the risk everyone was taking, clearly not inclined to tell Tokwan the real reason for their being here. Respen preferred to remain silent, not particularly inclined to camels, but understanding that they might need them; the same with food and rations.

He contemplates asking Tokwan a question, or thanking him. He chooses instead to simply nod his appreciation.

~ I wonder why, if they knew this Khubsheth and had such a familiar relationship with it, why Tokwan wouldn't try to find out why the Sphinx reacted in such a fashion? And what the hell happened to the spider? Respen had never met Serindak before. However, he couldn't help but think Serindak being here and the Sphinx behaving so erratically were coincidences. ~

Tellerian Hawke said:

Taii Dan adds, "Our Chieftain has spoken, but if you have questions, you can ask me. It is my job to provide counsel to those who are seeking enlightenment. I don't offer this counsel to just anyone, but the Chieftain has shown you favor, therefore, I shall do likewise. Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

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Seeing the others without a plan, and considering it was his misfortune to be dragged into this grand errand, Respen turns to Taii Dan and speaks, "Indeed, we would be well-served and pleased to take up Chieftain Tokwan and Taii Dan on their offers of both assistance and counsel. The counsel first, if you are so inclined, as it will bear on our need of pack animals, rations, and the like. What's between this encampment and Khubsheth the Sphinx, in the way of physical or magical barriers? What kind of encounters might we expect between here and there?"

Respen watches Taii Dan, albeit unsuccessfully, for signs of deceit. [sblock= Rolz.org Roll] Sense Motive Roll = 7 [/sblock]

Continuing, Respen decides to query Taii Dan, "Taii Dan, with respect, might I ask you why, if your people had the relationship with the Sphinx that you did, why did you simply leave the Sphinx to this unusual behavior without investigating its source? Given your Chieftain's description of the Sphinx as, how did he put it, 'not his usual self', it would seem to me that you wouldn't have simply left his mercurial slaying of one of your people without so much as a question, even at your peril. That makes little sense. Can you provide more detail of this change? How long ago was it? Was their evidence of a slow slide to this state, or was it quick?"

Respen, thinking of Serindak, tip-toed around his existence, "Could the Sphinx have encountered someone, or something, that could have inspired this change? For that matter, are you certain it's still Khubsheth?"

Casually turning less serious to mask his interest, Respen finishes his thoughts, "And turning to more terrestrial counsel, have you encountered anything out of the ordinary between here and the Sphinx's perch? Anything unusual? Anything...perhaps...an aberration...or non-terrestrial? or Undead?"


To Taii Dan's undoubtedly quizzical look to his questions, Respen replies simply, "Implicit in your Chieftain's assessment of our being here is that we are here for a reason. That is true enough. I do have a quarry, of sorts. A mission. I am not at liberty to share much in detail, but I will tell you that I am hopeful to find your Khubsheth in more of a good humor than less of one. Your counsel, Taii Dan, toward that end is invaluable. Thank you for that counsel. Truly. "

Respen's Questions, Taii Dan's Answers...

Aust Thale said:

"What's between this encampment and Khubsheth the Sphinx, in the way of physical or magical barriers? What kind of encounters might we expect between here and there?"

"Taii Dan, with respect, might I ask you why, if your people had the relationship with the Sphinx that you did, why did you simply leave the Sphinx to this unusual behavior without investigating its source? Given your Chieftain's description of the Sphinx as, how did he put it, 'not his usual self', it would seem to me that you wouldn't have simply left his mercurial slaying of one of your people without so much as a question, even at your peril. That makes little sense. Can you provide more detail of this change? How long ago was it? Was their evidence of a slow slide to this state, or was it quick?"

"Could the Sphinx have encountered someone, or something, that could have inspired this change? For that matter, are you certain it's still Khubsheth?"

"And turning to more terrestrial counsel, have you encountered anything out of the ordinary between here and the Sphinx's perch? Anything unusual? Anything...perhaps...an aberration...or non-terrestrial? or Undead?"


"Implicit in your Chieftain's assessment of our being here is that we are here for a reason. That is true enough. I do have a quarry, of sorts. A mission. I am not at liberty to share much in detail, but I will tell you that I am hopeful to find your Khubsheth in more of a good humor than less of one. Your counsel, Taii Dan, toward that end is invaluable. Thank you for that counsel. Truly."

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Taii Dan smiles, and replies, "Your questions are those of an astute and accomplished investigator, and I am pleased to see that you are not one of the usual clueless adventurers, wandering around out here with no sense of purpose, chasing your own tail in pursuit of mere riches."

Taii Dan says, "I'm sure you saw the top-section of the pyramid to the south of here, as you approached our camp? There is nothing between us and it, besides rolling sand dunes, and of course, whatever lives here in the desert. You're looking at 5 miles of travel, and the only real threat you might face would be a sand worm. Our glorious chieftain protects our campsite from the worms through the use of a spell. And I know that he has sold that spell to many adventurers in the past, and would sell it to you, as well. The usual charge is 10,000 gold pieces."

Taii Dan continues, "The Sphinx is an enigma; he is an earthly vessel of enormous, unearthly power, a conduit through which the gods themselves impart their knowledge to us. He is a sacred being. He is divine. And as such, he is beyond question. One does not ask the sky why it is blue, nor the clouds why they rain, nor the sun why it shines. One simply accepts the occurrences of these things. If he has chosen to test the strength of petitioners, then we must accept that decision. To question Khubsheth is to question the gods themselves. The change happened recently, and it was swift and sudden. Many of the tribesmen believe that it signifies a coming season of judgment for which we must all be prepared."

Taii Dan replies, "No one can change the unchangeable. One could not change Khubsheth, any more than one could change the color of the sky. Of course it's still him; he is not subject to mortal influences."

Taii Dan chuckles, "Undead beings are not uncommon here; the desert is a vast ocean of buried corpses, filled with travelers that it has swallowed up into death. Many forms of undead roam the desert at night, which is why my evening ritual includes casting wards upon the outer edges of our encampment. If you're traveling through the desert at night, it's a good idea to have a cleric with you."

Finally, Taii Dan says, "Khubsheth's will, and his disposition, are his alone; you will find him in whatever mood you are meant to find him in. You cannot escape your destiny. None of us can. It is better to face your destiny head-on, like a man; no one is without fear, but fear can be controlled. Use that fear as your WEAPON. Fear that is controlled becomes what we commonly call courage. And it is written, that cowards die a thousand deaths, but courageous men die only once. Good luck to you, friend Respen."

EVERYONE: What do you do?

I nod my thanks, gather my gear, and step out of the tent.

Sylvar finishes his current story, bows at the appropriate angle to the chief first, then offers a head nod to Taii dan. He gathers his gear (making sure to grab the bottle of spirits paid for by Tam) and follows Respen out the door.

Tam follows Sylvar out of the tent, also grabbing all his gear along the way, and smiles at seeing Friend Sylvar make sure he had his bottle of fine drink.

Duncan & Company

As Respen exits the tent, Duncan shushes Ebony by tapping the top of her helmet, waves to the twins and falls in step with Sylvar.

"So we learn anything useful?"

What Happens Next

Respen replies, "Oh yes, Duncan, we sure did."



The party stocks up on foodstuffs and waterskins, which the nomads freely provide, in lieu of the party's generous monetary donations to their chieftain.





The party, somewhat mounted, and well-stocked with food and water, are grateful to give their feet a rest as their camels take them slowly but steadily toward their intended destination. The trip is short, and uneventful. You surmise that the scarcity of wild beasts has to do with the proximity of the nomad camp, which is an effective deterrent against all but the mightiest of magical beasts.

After hours of toiling over dry wastes, you notice the terrain becoming much more broken with jagged hills and treacherous gullies. Soon, you arrive at the mouth of a narrow valley with sheer cliff walls: The Valley of the Queen.

The Valley of the Queen lies just inside the borders of the Barren Hills, about 5 miles south of the Nomad Camp. As the dry earth of the wastes begins to rise into the rocky hills, a narrow valley cuts into the stony hillside. The valley itself is about 1,200 feet long, and 350 feet wide, with steep walls that rise up to nearly 300 feet.

In the center of the ravine are the ruins of an ancient pyramid, which look crumbled and unapproachable; in front of the pyramid stands an ancient statue of a crowned Gynosphinx, slightly worn from millennia of desert winds, but otherwise unmarked. The colossal sculpture stands 150 feet tall, 75 feet wide, and 300 feet long, and is made from a strange, gray stone that seems almost luminescent in the bright sunlight. The stone is unlike any native to this area, and the workmanship is extremely fine. You surmise that during the dark hours, this statue probably glows brightly enough to illuminate the entire valley as if by torchlight.

The statue of the majestic female sphinx depicts her wearing a simple crown, and special attention has been paid to her facial details and muscular tone; she is shown with her paws extended in front of her, which form a shadowy alcove at the base of the statue, perhaps cloaking a doorway...

EVERYONE: What Do You Do?