Hoethet the Swordmaster said 'Let the winds of battle buffet you toward your goal.' I have once more confirmed the wisdom of Hoethet.
Weeks of seeking Sootootma had led us nowhere. We traveled the Nome from Kharga to Fokhara and from Kom Ombos to Dhakala following every hint of the old bird. It is now clear that much of the information we came across was of Shefdu's own making. He skillfully directed us away from Hierakonpolis just days before he personally led the attack there. We found ourselves outside the gates of Eleithiopolis when the battle raged across the Nile. Our presence did offer the chance to fight an Eater of the Dead warband that came from the quiet city, though we did not manage to destroy all of them.
We entered an area of Ankhara which had not been pillaged by the warbands that came to the rediscovered City of the Dead in the time before the Rise of Khepri during the Second Battle of Ankhara. Other warbands had also received word of a Dark Harbinger with some artifact of great power that was sought by unknown foreign monsters. Moving through the tombs towards us was the unmistakable form of a Typhon Aspect of the Hunter Harbinger. His warband fanned out away from us probably searching for the alleged artifact we had all come seeking. The Typhon bellowed his name, Neper-Hotep, encouraging us to flee in fear of him. Ra-Sobek, the Beloved, and Sakharra, my Heru heroine and longtime advisor, charged into combat with Neper-Hotep. I held back and called for them to leave the beast to me. As with all Typhon Harbingers I meet, I asked if he had killed Shefdu Sootootma, Scribe of the Dawn. The answer he gave was a snarling 'yes.' I uttered the challenge of Provocation and the beast and I were locked in combat. It was over quickly. Neper-Hotep was dead and his Ka was mine. Master Sootootma's murder was avenged although his resurrected form still roams the land. This too will soon be ended.
Sakharra and Ra-Sobek came to my aid as the assassin from Neper-Hotep's warband charged from a nearby tomb. The Typhon was quickly put down and dropped a quiver he had likely found in the tombs. As I studied the quiver, the Ptah-worshiping limb of Set, Chike, attacked me from behind. He took the quiver and no doubt went off to find others to pillage. Chike is Harakhty's frequent pawn in dealing with non-Heru members of the Horus Faction. This unprovoked attack on me was likely a message from Harakhty of his displeasure with my absence at recent large battles. We are all brother-Ægyptians, yet I am close to committing fratricide against one or both of these fellow Horus Faction members...
Despite my encounter with Chike, the rest of my warband came away from Ankhara relatively unscathed. Shai, my Basti Mistress of Words, found an enchanted axe we have discovered is called 'Souldrinker.' The Mallets under my To-Tanem champion, Lazuli, defeated a massive Olympian monster and recovered a 'Circlet of Thoth'- this will go to Shai to enhance her spellcraft since Nefibi (my Tethru Mistress of Words) is already very formidable with a spell. Finally, Sakharra discovered an ancient chariot after battling an Abomination. This was the 'Chariot of the Western Winds.' It will make a welcome addition to our ranks as soon as we find crew and horses for it.
Weeks of seeking Sootootma had led us nowhere. We traveled the Nome from Kharga to Fokhara and from Kom Ombos to Dhakala following every hint of the old bird. It is now clear that much of the information we came across was of Shefdu's own making. He skillfully directed us away from Hierakonpolis just days before he personally led the attack there. We found ourselves outside the gates of Eleithiopolis when the battle raged across the Nile. Our presence did offer the chance to fight an Eater of the Dead warband that came from the quiet city, though we did not manage to destroy all of them.
We entered an area of Ankhara which had not been pillaged by the warbands that came to the rediscovered City of the Dead in the time before the Rise of Khepri during the Second Battle of Ankhara. Other warbands had also received word of a Dark Harbinger with some artifact of great power that was sought by unknown foreign monsters. Moving through the tombs towards us was the unmistakable form of a Typhon Aspect of the Hunter Harbinger. His warband fanned out away from us probably searching for the alleged artifact we had all come seeking. The Typhon bellowed his name, Neper-Hotep, encouraging us to flee in fear of him. Ra-Sobek, the Beloved, and Sakharra, my Heru heroine and longtime advisor, charged into combat with Neper-Hotep. I held back and called for them to leave the beast to me. As with all Typhon Harbingers I meet, I asked if he had killed Shefdu Sootootma, Scribe of the Dawn. The answer he gave was a snarling 'yes.' I uttered the challenge of Provocation and the beast and I were locked in combat. It was over quickly. Neper-Hotep was dead and his Ka was mine. Master Sootootma's murder was avenged although his resurrected form still roams the land. This too will soon be ended.
Sakharra and Ra-Sobek came to my aid as the assassin from Neper-Hotep's warband charged from a nearby tomb. The Typhon was quickly put down and dropped a quiver he had likely found in the tombs. As I studied the quiver, the Ptah-worshiping limb of Set, Chike, attacked me from behind. He took the quiver and no doubt went off to find others to pillage. Chike is Harakhty's frequent pawn in dealing with non-Heru members of the Horus Faction. This unprovoked attack on me was likely a message from Harakhty of his displeasure with my absence at recent large battles. We are all brother-Ægyptians, yet I am close to committing fratricide against one or both of these fellow Horus Faction members...
Despite my encounter with Chike, the rest of my warband came away from Ankhara relatively unscathed. Shai, my Basti Mistress of Words, found an enchanted axe we have discovered is called 'Souldrinker.' The Mallets under my To-Tanem champion, Lazuli, defeated a massive Olympian monster and recovered a 'Circlet of Thoth'- this will go to Shai to enhance her spellcraft since Nefibi (my Tethru Mistress of Words) is already very formidable with a spell. Finally, Sakharra discovered an ancient chariot after battling an Abomination. This was the 'Chariot of the Western Winds.' It will make a welcome addition to our ranks as soon as we find crew and horses for it.
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