OOC Discussion

[Tabs]

I'm a pedant about Ancient Egypt: inside the Great Pyramid is nothing, no hieroglyphs or statues.

Queen's Chamber



Spot Hidden 50% [dice]0[/dice]
Listen 25% [dice]1[/dice]
Arabic 30% [dice]2[/dice]

@Supercape, would Anthropology be of any use?

Anthropology 50% [dice]3[/dice]

[Supercape]

Oops sorry for dramatic licence. I hope you can roll with it!

Burton can fire some secret drawer or panel or the like, narrate as befits. Should you open it, a small amount if silvery dust therein which gives a queen but harmless feeling. Of course you may wish for the opening to give you a cough or sneeze and a bit to go up your nose. Harmless but you may wish to play up your hay fever or anxiety.

As I understand anthropology it's a bit more 'alive' than that, understanding active systems.

An archeology roll or occult roll can identify the powder as something toxic to otherworldly elements such as ghosts. A traditional ward; you might come to that conclusion by identifying the odd statue or engraving it is contained within
Narrative licence is yours!

[Supercape]

Pausing for a moment;

Cairo is coming to a close, I think - ready for the next chapters (the trip down the Nile, the trip through the Jungle, and then the main event!).

Can I have your guidance about anything else your characters would like to do at this juncture? The only obvious thing I can think of is hiring a boat, but honestly I think that is sufficiently mundane to happen off camera?

After we have wrapped it up current events, we can jump forward several weeks. In the interim you can choose what your character does in Cairo before setting off, and indeed when travelling south down the Nile. You may wish to study occult books, be taught a language, or gamble and drink your advance cash away in the more sordid areas of the city.

There is still time for a few more posts IC, but my inclination is its time to move on to the trek? (no objections if you guys want to linger).

[Mr. Handy]

I'd like to learn more of the Bantu language before we leave. If there's time, I'd also like to study the Sidhom fragments and the Arabic version of Pert Am Hru.

[Tabs]

Burton intends to return to the Queen's Chamber and speak the Ritual. He is leery of telling Baxter or Carstairs, feeling that they are too timid! If Mr. Handy or Priest do wish to come along, say so, and Burton will confess.

[Priest]

I do not think Baxter will return to the pyramid. However if Burton wishes too, Baxter will find plenty to occupy himself in the fleshpots of Cairo. I'm sure he can find trouble, it is his speciality.

[Supercape]

Ok putting this together, I hope, will be interesting!

Broadly speaking:

Castairs will be studying books (Occult, Cthullu Mythos, Losing Sanity, Maybe gaining Spells). Perhaps making an English copy of the Sidhom Fragments with Mr Sidhoms Help?

Whilst; Baxter is busying himself in the flea markets, gambling halls, and opium dens on Cairo? Perhaps with the Doctor, who likes cards.

Whilst; Burton and Singh sneak back to the Pyramids, to recite the chant?

If that is Ok with everyone, I shall proceed accordingly and ask for the following rolls (please post here).

Castairs:

INT x 3% roll for a crash course in Bantu (+1d5% skill, like a half skill check)
INT x3% to learn the spell "Dust of Sulemain" from a combination of Sidhom (who knows the spell) and the Sidhom fragments (if you wish).
1D4 Sanity Loss and Cthullu Mythos +2 from reading and translating the Sidhom Fragments with Mr Sidhom (gaining an English copy too)
Arabic Roll to successfully read and understand Pert Em Hru (and gain +3 Occult)

Baxter:

APP x5% roll to gain a female companion of your choosing (who if you wish can aide you and even come with you, or give you information, your call)
Luck roll to stay out of trouble (unless you deliberately want to fail) with thugs and jealous husbands.
Bargain roll to find some interesting and potentially useful artefact in the Markets abd Black Markets of Cairo (such as sample of the toad-poison-hallucinogen).
Fast Talk roll to get some interesting rumours / intervention (again of your choosing) whilst carousing with the various scum of Cairo.
Plus if you have any other thoughts, sing out.

Burton:

Persuade roll to get Sidhom to accompany you back to the Pyramids, or to lend him the Sidhom Fragments for an evening.
INT x3% or Arabic Roll to pronounce the chant correctly (whatever highest)
And we take it from there (no doubt sanity loss, knowledge increase will result...) Burton will probably have some extra time during the prepations and after his foolhardy chant, but need to see what happens.


PS: If Castairs and / or Baxter wishes, you guys might spot Burton and Singh sneaking out. Either this raises suspicions, or you could follow them...



PS: The powder that Burton found is indeed the Dust of Sulemain, 3 doses worth, but somewhat old and reduced in potency (1D10 rather than 1D20 damage to other-planar beings). If Castairs learns the spell, he can recognise this powder, otherwise it will need an Occult roll to recognise.

[Tabs]

Burton to convince Sidhom: Persuade 50% [dice]0[/dice]

Poo! Oh, I hate dice.

Arabic or INT x3 [dice]1[/dice]

[Supercape]

Ok so Burton thinks he has memorised the chant properly, but there are one or two errors crept in. That said, for the purposes of story, the chant will still do its thing, its just that there may be side effects from mispronouncing the chant.

For Burton's expedition would you like it done on a separate thread or part of Chapter 1?

[Supercape]

PS I forgot to mention - once Castairs develops his photographs, he finds the cracks he spotted in the Queens chamber are oddly blurred and fuzzy, despite the photograph otherwise being perfectly taken!

[Mr. Handy]

Percy is probably too preoccupied with his nose in books to notice Burton leaving.

[Tabs]

I must have watched Evil Dead II 30 times back in my teenage years.

The game: I think Burton should have his own thread. We'd be done in a few days? and Mr. Handy and Priest can post in the main thread as well--I'll remain quiet in case Burton is--er--delayed, permanently.

[Supercape]

So done

Might be worth noting what Burton and Singh are taking (other than Burtons memorised chant). Also, Priest may want to comment if Baxter had followed / noticed them, or if he is simply getting drunk and visiting houses of ill repute etc etc...

[Priest]

It is possible, actually quite likely, that Baxter will notice the pair creeping away from the hotel and having his curiosity piqued will follow them to see what they are up to. However he will not follow them into the pyramid as there is nothing in there to raise his interest. So once he relises their destination he will continue to a little cafe in a seedier part of Cairo and proceed to do what Baxter does best - drink and chase the ladies.

App x5 = 40 http://orokos.com/roll/308549: 1d100 13
Bargain Bargain roll 05%: 1d100 15
Fast Talk Fast Talk 15%: 1d100 31
Luck Roll Luck Roll 45%: 1d100 52

Failed everything except appearance. So finding female company was no problem but it seems she came with trouble attached, and no doubt while trying to dodge that trouble Baxter had little time for anything else.
I leave it to you to detail just what that trouble was and the outcome.

[Tabs]

For his excursion Burton will take his pistol, Bowie Knife, chalk, compass and the silvery dust of course; Singh his tulwar and Kirpan; and both a lantern and water flask.

I like the moon phases BTW. Can the site show the 1880s?

[Supercape]

Yes, any time from 1CE onwards, I think! I'm not normally that pedantic, but why not!

[Supercape]

Feel free to make up some arabic chant of your liking. Float in a Cthullu reference (which you don't understand) if it takes your fancy!

Technically this is a spell, so it will take 3 magic points from you. However, I doubt this will be particularly pertinent, as you have no other spells to cast!

[Supercape]

Burton and Singh lose 1/1D6 Sanity from the awful trip through the gate. Burton also takes 1 Damage from a hideous cold and lack of oxygen, as if he had been momentarily cast through the coldness of outer space (or something else ghastly). Thats for mispronouncing!

in the chamber itself, Burton can make a history roll to realise that the engraved tablets are so precisely carved - that ancient Egyptian tools could not have (or at least would be extremely unlikely to) create such work. Even by modern standards, the detail is outstanding.

I suppose you could try a 1% Language (Egyptian Heiroglyphics) roll to read the works!

Singh Fails his Sanity Roll and loses 2 Sanity. Sheet updated accordingly.

[Tabs]

Sanity loss [dice]0[/dice]

History 20% [dice]1[/dice]

Hieroglyphics 1% [dice]2[/dice]

I forget the rules, does Burton go temporarily insane?

[Tabs]

It's 10 or 20% I think and Burton lost 5 from 75--where's a calculator--that's less than 10%.