The Road to Bisu (Part One)

Personal Sacrifice Chamber (#7/31; #219/365)

"This is a bare-walled stone chamber, with what looks like some sort of dusty marble desk in the middle of the floor. Upon the desk are a large number of clay jars, along with a flat stained block of slate, and an ancient bronze knife covered in dried blood. As you stare at this, a pale glowing form begins to materialize behind the desk, what looks like the ghost of a Djaratian girl in ceremonial robes. She sees you and begins to speak in an archaic language."

Contents: The GHOST is Khem-Tepjiri, a guardian spirit of this room. Unfortunately she only speaks Djaratian; if the Heroes cannot understand her, she will become enraged and curse them (anyone Cursed by the Ghost loses 2 LUCK and 1 SKILL). She will then attack them immediately, along with the sacrificial knife, which animates, and an invisible POLTERGEIST will start hurling clay jars about.

If the Heroes can understand Djaratian, Khem-Tepjiri will explain that they must sacrifice some aspect of themself using the bronze knife, and leave it behind in a clay jar. Refusal to do so means the Hero must leave the Road to Bisu via the bronze door, or Khem-Tepjiri will become enraged, as per above.

The actual nature of the sacrifice is entirely up to the penitent. Examples of sacrifices that may be given include:

Lock of hair: No effect

Blood: -1 STAMINA

Finger: -1 STAMINA, -1 SKILL

Toe: -1 STAMINA, -1 SKILL

Tooth: -2 STAMINA (could be a bit messy)

Nose: -1 STAMINA, -4 to all social tests

Ear: -1 STAMINA, -1 to all Awareness tests

Eye: -2 STAMINA, -2 SKILL, -1 LUCK

After the Heroes have made a sacrifice each, the Poltergeist will place their sacrifice in a clay jar and take the jar to the Sacrifice Storage Chamber below. The Heroes must record the words Ritual Chosen as a title on their Adventure Sheet and are then free to chose their way onward via one of the Cleansing Chambers, one at a time. Khem-Tipjiri will outline the contents of each chamber as the Test of Salt, the Test of Heat, etc.

If the bronze knife animates and is defeated, it becomes a normal bronze knife, equivalent to a dagger, but probably worth a lot more to a collector of Djaratian antiquities. There is nothing else here, other than a lot of clay pots, and the cutting slate.

Stats:

Khem-Tepjiri, GHOST, SKILL 9 STAMINA 8, Ghostly Touch (see Beyond the Pit, p. 58).

1 POLTERGEIST, SKILL 9, STAMINA 0, Attacks: 1 per Hero, Flings clay pots (1 STAMINA damage), does not take damage. Disappears if successfully Warded or Banished  by a Priest.

ANIMATED BRONZE KNIFE, SKILL 6 STAMINA 4, as per Dagger,

Sacrifice Storage Chamber (#8/31; #220/365)

"This cramped room contains mouldering wooden shelves covered in clay pots, some of which appear to be slightly bloodstained. From one rather large pot on a lower shelf, you think to hear a steady tapping sound."

Contents: This is where the sacrifices made by the Ritual Chosen are stored. Different penitents make different sacrifices depending on their personal reasons for embarking upon the Road to Bisu; thus the canopic jars contain a wide variety of contents. Roll a die on the table below to determine the contents of any canopic jar the Heroes open:

1. Dried blood.

2. Heart. This may seem self-defeating until one learns of the sadistic Djaratian Sand Emperor Varnonkhamen, who would steal the hearts (or other bits) of his enemies, reanimate the enemies as Zombies, and command them to embark upon the Road to Bisu; succeed and they would regain their heart and their life. None succeeded.

3. Finger.

4. Toe.

5. Lock of hair.

6. Tooth. (1 in 6 chance it belongs to a Goblin)

The tapping noise is coming from a large jar that contains the ANIMATED LEFT HAND of the undead Magister Nimquarlotep, a victim of the Sand Emperor Varnonkhamen. The Magister is a Lich, trapped somewhere within the Road to Bisu, and the left hand (decaying, mummified, covered in dried bandages) wishes to reunite with him. The Animated Hand will accompany the Heroes, indicating which direction it wishes to travel in to reach the Magister; they may think the hand is guiding them to safety unless one of the Heroes can communicate with the dead (hand). The hand will defend itself if attacked.

Each jar also contains a ivory chit (worth 1GP) embossed with a number (roll a d10 if you have one, two times to determine the number.)

Stats:

ANIMATED HAND, SKILL 6 STAMINA 2, Damage as per Unarmed Human.

Salt Cleansing Chamber (#9/31; #221/365)

"This is a bare, square room, empty of everything save a dusty paved floor and an exit opposite you. However, as you stand here, the air around you changes. It appears to be full of swirling clouds of tiny white crystals."

Contents: The Cleaning Chambers are where the Ritual Chosen are stripped of impurities before embarking upon the Road to Bisu. The type of cleansing depends purely on the whim of the penitent, though some may be ordered or commanded to undergo a specific process, or possibly several, in a sacred sequence.

This is the Cleansing Chamber of Salt. Upon entering, a SALT SPIRIT materializes and engulfs the sacrifice, stripping all excess salt from the surface of their body, before dematerializing. The sacrifice will feel slightly weakened and shaky, and must reduce their SKILL score by 1 for 10-20 minutes.

Anyone who is not a Ritual Chosen will be instantly attacked, however, the Salt Spirit can be appeased by offerings of honey, sweet fruit or sweet liquids. A flask of Shroomshine Grog would also work.

Stats:

SALT SPIRIT (also known as the PEI-KHEM), SKILL 8 STAMINA 7, Wind Blast (as per Sling. Anyone fighting a Salt Spirit must reduce their SKILL by 1 due to the blinding salt, and all blows on the Salt Spirit only cause 1 STAMINA due to its shifting form. Anyone hit by the Salt Spirit suffers from magical hunger (-1 SKILL for 1-6 hours, meals consumed in this time restore half STAMINA only, must drink full waterskin every hour for 1-6 hours or lose 2 STAMINA each time. Effects cured by a healing potion (that will have no other effect)). See The Warlock Returns issue 6.

Heat Cleansing Chamber (#10/31; #222/365)

"This is a bare, square room, empty of everything save a dusty paved floor and an exit opposite you. However, as you stand here, the air around you changes. It appears to be getting warmer!"

Contents: The Cleaning Chambers are where the Ritual Chosen are stripped of impurities before embarking upon the Road to Bisu. The type of cleansing depends purely on the whim of the penitent, though some may be ordered or commanded to undergo a specific process, or possibly several, in a sacred sequence.

This is the Cleansing Chamber of Heat. Upon entering, a hazy SHIMMERA materializes and engulfs the sacrifice, stripping all excess moisture from the surface of their body, before dematerializing. The sacrifice will feel physically drained and must reduce their STAMINA score by 2.

Anyone who is not a Ritual Chosen will be instantly attacked, however, the Shimmera can be appeased by offerings that create or produce heat, such as a torch, candle, lantern, Yokka Egg, and so on.

Stats:

SHIMMERA, SKILL 9 STAMINA 10, Heat Blast (as per Dagger). All opponents must reduce their SKILL by 2 for this battle, and only inflict 1 STAMINA damage per successful hit.

Water Cleansing Chamber (#11/31; #223/365)

"This is a bare, square room, empty of everything save a dusty paved floor and an exit opposite you. However, as you stand here, the air around you changes. It appears to be getting wetter and more humid."

Contents: The Cleaning Chambers are where the Ritual Chosen are stripped of impurities before embarking upon the Road to Bisu. The type of cleansing depends purely on the whim of the penitent, though some may be ordered or commanded to undergo a specific process, or possibly several, in a sacred sequence.

This is the Cleansing Chamber of Water. Upon entering, a Lesser Water Elemental materializes and engulfs the sacrifice, stripping all excess dirt and grime from the surface of their body, before dematerializing. The sacrifice will feel an odd sense of foreboding and must reduce their LUCK score by 1.

Anyone who is not a Ritual Chosen will be instantly attacked, however, the Water Elemental can be appeased by offerings of Holy Water in a flask or vial.

Stats:

LESSER WATER ELEMENTAL, SKILL 9 STAMINA 10, Water Blast (Small Claw), Light Armour.

Dust Cleansing Chamber (#12/31; #224/365)

"This is a bare, square room, empty of everything save a dusty paved floor and an exit opposite you. However, as you stand here, the air around you changes. It appears to be dustier and hazier."

Contents: The Cleaning Chambers are where the Ritual Chosen are stripped of impurities before embarking upon the Road to Bisu. The type of cleansing depends purely on the whim of the penitent, though some may be ordered or commanded to undergo a specific process, or possibly several, in a sacred sequence.

This is the Cleansing Chamber of Dust. Upon entering, a Dust Devil materializes and engulfs the sacrifice, stripping all excess moisture from the surface of their body, before dematerializing. The sacrifice will feel irritable and unsettled, and must reduce their Attack Strength by 1 for their next battle, or suffer a -1 penalty to their MAGIC characteristic the next time they try to use it.

Anyone who is not a Ritual Chosen will be instantly attacked, however, the Dust Devil can be appeased by offerings of something sparkly and luminous, such as phosphorescent fungi or mould, or a Glowstone.

Stats:

DUST DEVIL, SKILL 7 STAMINA 7, Wind Blast (as per Sling), all hits only cause 1 STAMINA damage to the DUST DEVIL. Can execute a charge attack once per battle; opponent must Test for SKILL or be sucked into the whirlwind and get battered about, losing 2 STAMINA and be knocked unconscious for 10-60 minutes.

Bone Pit (#13/31; #225/365)

"The corridor ends in a shallow pit, full of the bleaches bones of various creatures, including humans."

Contents: The corpses of dead Heroes, adventurers, looters, tomb-robbers, and others, who perish while on the Road to Bisu, are thrown here, after being stripped of equipment. Anyone who spends an hour searching here may find:

1. Bone Rat, 2-7 of the little undead horrors, attack immediately

2. Minotaur Horn, still attached to a skull

3. Banshee Tooth, only one in a skull

4. Giant Tooth, only one left in a huge skull

5. Deathling, 1, one tiny humanoid skeleton in decaying bandages, armed with a sharpened bone needle. Will automatically join any party with a Necromancer and act as a Familiar, otherwise will attempt to flee.

6. Bone Spider, 1-3 skeletal stalkers will shamble from the pile and attack

Stats:

BONE RAT, SKILL 5 STAMINA 4, Small Bite 

BONE SPIDER, SKILL 6 STAMINA 6, 2 Attacks, Large Bite, Light Armour

DEATHLING, SKILL 6 STAMINA 3, Dagger, -1 to Damage Roll

Guardian of the Ritual Chosen's Possessions (#14/31; #226/365)

"This large stone chamber contains a huge monster that appears to be half dragon and half golden-maned lion. It is wearing a pair of spectacles and is in the middle of devouring a bloody chunk of meat. On a low bench in front of it are a folded series of papyrus scrolls, next to an inkwell and a quill, while behind the creature is a large entrance to another darkened room that appears to be full of shelves, crammed with gear and equipment.

The creature mutters to itself, 'It would have to be while I am eating' and turns to face you. 'Right, you lot Heroes? I need names please, now!"

Contents: The creature is Feruginean, a DRACON bound to be a guardian of the chambers in exchange for a prior debt. Heroes passing through the cleansing chambers, regardless of whether they are Ritual Chosen or not, must give their name to the Dracon, who will click his claws, animating the MAGIC QUILL, which will record their name in the papyrus Ledger of Heroes, in Djaratian. (The Dracon speaks Allansian, Djaratian and several other languages.)

The Hero will then be given an ivory chit to be carried at all times. The chit is worth 1GP and bears a two digit number (roll a d10 twice to generate this). If the Hero is slain while on the Road to Bisu, their body is dumped in the Bone Pit, their gear and accoutrements are stored on the shelves in the chamber behind the Dracon, and the ivory chit returned to the canopic jar that contains their sacrifice if a Ritual Chosen, or back here, if not.

Enterprising Heroes may present chits from the Storage Chamber to claim the belongings of a lost comrade, ancestor or colleague. To randomly determine such belongings conferring to a given chit, assume starting adventuring gear and modify by rolling on the Rich Humanoid column of the Creature Treasure Table in the Encyclopedia Arcana: Volume 1 (p. 30). Names can be generated for the Ledger of Heroes using the Random Name Generator in the same volume (p. 159).

The Dracon will defend itself if attacked or if the Heroes attempt to intrude upon the Road to Bisu without a chit, or if they try to enter the storeroom. The quill will animate fully at this point and is identical to a Magic Paintbrush in effect. However, Feruginean is nearing the end of his service, and if the Heroes can find a potential replacement to be trained to do his job, may be amenable to alternative arrangements.

Stats:

Feruginean the Guardian DRACON, SKILL 10 STAMINA 17, 2 Attacks, Large Bite and Claw, Light Armour, +1 to the Damage Roll.

Has gold-rimmed spectacles worth 10GP, a chunk of meat worth 1 Provision, and the Ledger of Heroes (in Djaratian, a list of all Heroes who have embarked upon the Road to Bisu)

ANIMATED QUILL, SKILL 7 STAMINA 8, as per a Magic Paintbrush (Return to the Pit, p. 19).