Leela moves as though pulled involuntarily to Maitland's side. "May I assist you to feel more comfortable, Professor? I could cast a healing spell that may help you for a time, even if the curse is unbreakable..."

She continues. "We will continue this quest for you, as you ask." She considers a moment. "Are the spies all undead themselves, or will these minions take other forms? I have some protections against undead."

"I'm afraid nothing divine in nature will help having been cursed by the divine itself," Maitland begins but pauses glancing at Zydus, "but I hope in death my debt will be paid," they explain. "Anjara as I said before was a kingdom ruled by Seqenenre Ta'a whose orebears have ruled for a thousand years.  Unfortunately his great-grandfather, Sol-Ray Ta'a, was a rumored to have become a lich to cheat death. Controlling his own dynasty for nearly three hundred years unaposed until his own son, Seqenenre Ta'a grandfather seeking power, murdered Sol-Ray Ta'a and assumed the throne with the support of the priests of Sol-Aten who had begun to distrust king Sol-Ray Ta'a. The necomancer king had delved too deeply in the dark arts which were growing harder and harder to control for the priesthood. Although originally supported by the priests of Sol-Aten Seqenenre Ta'a's father was murdered by his own priests after he began to move the kingdom's worship more to himself than the cult of Sol-Aten. These priests had become more dangerously powerful, than before, " Maitland explains. "Seqenenre Ta'a's rule however began with the violent revolt against the temples of Sol-Aten that the young king was able to prove killed his father and older brothers who were set to inherit the throne.  Seqenenre Ta'a's was a simple priest of Aten but rose to his noble status as king after his family was all but wiped out! Seqenenre Ta'a then left the holy city of Sol to construct his own but not before Seqenenre Ta'a  put to death the priests implicated in his father's murder. Instead of wanting himself to be worshiped as a god like his father had done mistakenly. Seqenenre Ta'a turned the kingdom form the worship of Sol-Aten to simply Aten or honestly any divinebeing under Aten that did not cast doubton Aten. His wife Kurru, a priest of Aten as well,  became his he's head wife and he named their only child  Nefru-Nefru hier," Maitland pauses to cough. "Now as I said the dead are everywhere and their followers who wish to live forever as just as viscous and unknown," they finish. "Meneptah is from a time long before the riegn of Ta'a dynasty and sundered a lich far more powerful that Anjara has ever seen before or since," they add with a soft sigh. "My last journal," they say pulling a black leather bound book from their robes, "will be helpful. I...I had to be sure I could trust you all before imparting it," they add letting out a ragged breath as Zydus approaches again conjuring a cooling breeze. 

Leela takes the journal from Maitland, somehow resisting the urge to cast cure wounds on the professor as their hands touch briefly. 

"But Professor... why were you cursed? Is there a way we can avoid provoking the same curse?"

She holds the book out to Flintwick. "I think you had better take this." 

Flinkwick takes the journal he is offered to him. He silently waits for Maitland to reveal why he was cursed, though he as a feeling he knows why.

"I took something that did not belong to me and allowed it to be sold. I have spent my life trying to track down the object but never found it again in all my travels," Maitland explains. "The power of the curse is nothing like anyone religion or healer has ever seen. It was never been successfully broken and with each attempt, a divine person or healer tried I...I became this," they add gesturing at their frail frame. "I...I have lived a long life of service trying to right the wrongs of those who have taken objections from their rightful owners or the ancestors of those people. This deed of Barakah-Set is the final task I will gain peace which is all I desire now," they add taking another labored and ragged breath. "The journal has clues to finding the tomb but you will have to travel outside of Me'at Hawla into the hostile desert to seek it out," they finish as Zydus steps forward.

"I think we should allow the professor to rest," Zydus says with a soft expression, the softest you have ever seen the man give, and ushers you all towards the door.

Leela stops just before the door and turns back to Maitland. "It is regrettable that mistakes made in our youth can colour our lives forever. Your drive to atone for that error is admirable." She bows slightly in their direction. 

"You have spent so long looking for this lost object, the symbol of your curse, with so many more resources than we poor adventurers can offer. However, if chance is on our side and we stumble across it, in this expedition or another and will be able to continue your quest to return it to its rightful resting place, might we know what that object was?"

Quote from valeskah >>

Leela follows.

As they walk, she asks, "Does anyone else need healing? Riw maybe? If your wounds are not grievous, I will wait to see how much of my gift Maitland may need before I attend to your hurts."

 

 
Riw doesn't answer, just shakes his head and hold up his hand showing that he will be alright. He silently follows Leela and the others to Maitland's cabin and seemingly falls into his thoughts while listening to the professor. He also doesn't resist when Zydus asks the party to leave the room.

"I need no praise. My punishment is justice. The object i took for a member of the Myriad in the days I sought fortune and glory was called the caliace of Kektesh," Maitland replies to Leela in a ragged tone. "A bejeweled goblet made of gold encrusted with lapis lazuli, emeralds, and rubies. The caliace itself was used in the rituals of kingship in an age long ago. A gift from one of the first Anjaran dynastic kings,  Kektesh," they explain. "I...it was before I knew of the curse that all items beyond those blessed if taken would ruin your life as well as the lives whoever owns the object without the intention to return it," they finish.

"Please," Zydus speaks up again as the professor starts to cough again without stopping!

Leela nods in understanding. "May the Goddess grant you her peaceful rest this evening." She bows again and turns to leave. 

The evening passes as the corpse of the Lamia is disposed of the captain offers up a satchel to Leela and the party. Leela still has the beautiful and terrible beats spear that now seems inert. 

OOC; would the party like to take a chance to discuss the new info in-game or shall we progress to the following morning,  last whole day aboard the Gazer?

OOC Flinkwick would like a chance to Identify the spear for Leela. If the others want to discuss I am good to

Riw turns to the others with visible tireness in his eyes. "Forgive me my friends, I need a rest, this fight exhausted me, but I'm more than happy to discuss our next steps early in the morning!"

If no one objects he walks back to his cabin for a nice sleep.

"If we are taking the night, I can use this time to identify the spear and in morning we can reconvene and discuss things further"

Leela bows at the others. "A good night's sleep will help us to make sense of this new information. Flinkwick, I would be indebted to you if you can identify how this spear does its work."

Once returned to her cabin she takes time to commune with the Goddess, and as usual before she goes to sleep, she casts Locate Object in the almost nonexistent hope that her temple's moonstone icon is within 1000 feet of her. 

Flint focuses on the spear having cast identify as the spear lights up as Vicious Spear enchantment is made clear. It has a large ruby attached by the spears grip which is a Ruby of the War Mage that the Lamia must have used as a focus!

From her cabin Leela casts her spell and  reaches out but the magic doesn't resound against anything.  Leela knows the object isn't nearby. 

The evening passes the party wakes to fair winds and a pleasant breakfast. They gather in the communal area for their meal after a long rest able to discuss the events of the evening. 

Riw is up early, he looks well-rested after his sleep. He brought his map and a small bottle of ink with himself to the table and try to locate the points of importance Maitland mentioned last evening.

"From Me'at Halwa we should continue to the village of Dendor...Denda...yes, Dendarah!" - he mumbles, while carefully plunge one of his claws into the ink and connect the two villages on the map with a dashed line - "This is where we should find a local who can guide us to the tombs..." 

"I thank you for your insight into this weapon, Flinkwick. Is there one among us who can use the weapon and the spell focus best? I suppose the two can be separated now as the lamia's connection with it has ended, if they are more useful apart?"

Leela picks up the satchel handed to her last night and starts to delve through it. 

[if she needs an investigation score: 13 ]

"Has anyone heard how the Professor is faring this morning?"

"I do not have much use for either, I have a few focuses already, and well spears are not really my thing. I agree Riw aquiring a guide is a must in these lands."

Flinkwick slowly east some breakfast, while absent-mindedly flipping through Maitland journal

"I Have not heard anything on the professor this morning"

"I have to say, the severity of the curse placed upon Maitland worries me. It seems to resist all forms of healing." Leela shakes her head sadly.

"I wonder at the creatures we will face in the search for this book and relic, if this is the result of Anjara's attempts to protect its treasures. I do take comfort, though, that this does seem like a righteous quest and that we should not be faced with the same curse since we are acting for the treasures' family in this case. Goddess willing."

She continues to fossick through the satchel as she muses. 

"They might have angered some very powerful beings to receive a curse like this. I'm no expert in anything like that but even for it looked very serious. One bad choice and you ruin your whole life..." - Riw looks into the distance, he is seemingly disturbed by the current state of the professor.