The asteroid field is very sparse as we come up on it that looks like a depopulated version of the one Fin and Etsuriko are used to. We pilot in closer around Ceres.

Kenari sees a strange obelisk in the distance and points it out over the tubes. Lenata brings the ship down to hover 30 ft above the surface.

Finn uses his dousing rod abilities to try and track the source of the horicalcum. He detects a small amount in the obelisk however. As we get closer we see carvings .

Kenari volunteers to hop down as Etsuriko complains that the boys should do it. Kenari “But they’ll screw it up! Come on, Etsuriko.”

We hop down to the surface. Not much but rock that doesn’t match what the obelisk is made from. Carvings on all 4 sides in different languages. How much you want to be it’s a warning? I’ll bet 5 silvers.

Etsuriko reads in odd, abstracted Latin and gets a queasy feeling in her stomach like it’s the ravings of a mad man.

Side 2: pictographic language like the Shou – incomprehensible content, so disjointed it’s creepy.

Side 3: Mulhorandi cartouches and hieroglyphs, divorced from discernable meaning.

Side 4: Similar to Dwarven runes yet jumbled.

It leaves her feeling sick and she drops to her knees. Could this have something to do with those Elder Gods? It’s all gibberish but seems to be similar gibberish.

Kenari looks around it and finds a small spring loaded door at the base under the Egyptian side. There are very tiny finely crafted magically charged inscriptions in and around the triggering mechanism.
I attempt to disable it and jump back as I short out the magical trap as best as I can tell. I open it up and there’s a small jar of carved stone with a jackyl head on the top – CANOPIC JAR. Sealed with a wax seal.
The jar is decorated with abstract patterns but no cartouches. Ef casts Detect Magic and it IS magic: the jar itself has a Gentle Repose effect on it. The container seems to generate it’s own Wall of Force effect around it so it’s like we can’t actually touch it. High caster level.
Kenari: This is all BAD MOJO.

Finn tries to read the Aura/Allignment of whatever is in the jar but fails. Vedis checks it psionically: traces of psionic energy permeating the whole thing and it wasn’t carved with tools. It was created with psionic means.

Ef: Who else could get here to do this? They don’t have ships.

Finn: You know what, I’m going to touch it.

Kenari fireman’s carries Finn over her shoulder and jumps off the side. Hold on!

Kenari ties a rope around Finn’s waist and stands back as he touches the Obelisk and does his psychometry: WILL SAVE

Finn faints delicately. “Well that was anticlimactic.” Etsuriko laughs. Kenari tugs at the rope. “You OK?”

Ef laughs and casts Locate Object to try and find the horicalcum. Lenata checks on Finn. He’s out cold. Lenata uses smelling salts and he sneezes and rolls over.
We debate over how best to wake him up as I drag him over to Lenata. Kenari and Etsuriko do Rock Paper Scissors. Kenari splashes him with holy water. IT WAS HIM! I SWEAR! Finn wakes.

FINN VISION: Like an HR Geiger painting but an image of the Canopic Jar like when the Ark closed at the end of Raiders. Orange vapors purposefully going inside it.

Vedis – It might be a coincidence, but the orange smoke crawling into the container is an image known in the Dreaming of THE CUP that the Queen of Thistles uses every few hundred years at the Damnation Cup. The chalice granted 100 wishes. Could it be a genie?

Lenata casts Read Magic and checks out the obelisk. She feels like she’s choking and drowning. She breaks the connection.
As she does a figure moves out of the dark 2 1/2 times her size. 12ft long catfish looking thing. ABOLETH. She’s telepathically contacted by it like it’s looking right through her. A massive OLD intellect and very powerful. It contemplates her and she wakes up.

Kenari asks Lenata if she’s OK and she explains her contact with a primordial ancient creature. Not magic, more Psionic creature.
VEDIS – That sounds like an ancient Aboleth to me. They’re mind flayer level psionic creatures. Ego to go with being ancient species. They enslave people too. Ancient form of life that once ruled many empires. All else is food or slaves to them and a disdain for the gods and the illthids in particular. They see themselves as the true masters of creation and are usually MUCH bigger.

We all debate about what to do and Kenari decides to put it back in the obelisk and we’re going to bury it with a Stone Shape spell. We plan on burying the slab with it too.

Vedis and Ef Utan take 1st shift. – WILL SAVES. Vedis gets a shocked look, takes a few steps and falls down on her knees clutching the side of her head. She just got scanned HARD. Ef Utan wasn’t as he’s not psychic like she is.
Ef casts Detect Magic but can’t detect anything anymore. Whatever it was has passed. Overwhelming malevolence.

2nd shift – Lenata and Melchior show up as Vedis nurses a headache.

Next morning we discuss options and plan on Consecrating and maybe Magic Circle Against Evil turned inward on the canopic jar.

Consecrate – no visible effect. Etsuriko makes the circle with ghost powder as Lenata casts stone shape to sink it into the ground along with Magic Circle Against Evil and Dimensional Anchor on it.

~~

We then discuss the days we need to take looking for the horicalculm. The compass continues to point at my bag with the time machine in it. It shouldn’t be able to point at it in the bag. I take out the machine and it still points at it. MAGIC.
We debate about scrying effects on the other time machine and Regie and Van Helsing.

The next 3 days: A small amount on an asteroid. We find the source and it’s not ore, it’s refined. It’s been cast in the form of a small circular disc. The symbol on the front looks like a clockwork heart. Magic is almost like portals at Sigil. It’s weird.. it doesn’t go anywhere but it feels like a portal in Sigil. Specifically a portal.
There are stories that once there was a god of portals and when he was worshipped in sigil the Lady ended it. The clockwork heart symbol was the holy symbol for Araskar the God of Portals. Divine energy.

Ef Utan and Finn look at each other and say “Fell.” Blue skinned white haired Daboo that speaks and walks on the ground unlike the others. He became a cleric of Aoskar. He runs a tattoo shop at the Lady’s Ward. Nobody knows why the Lady let him live.

Finn puts the chain around his neck as Ef says “You might want to keep that hidden.”

Do I own a house in every Sigil? Because if I don’t I want to go back to OUR Sigil. – Etsuriko.

Lenata thinks she can use Scry and the tiny time machine as a focus. Not 100% sure if the model will be consumed in the casting or not.

Finn casts Augury to see if it’s a good idea or not. Nah. We agree to spend some more time getting some more horicalculm before we leave to head back to Swansea.
We need as about half the weight of a daggers worth to make a tuning fork out of it. “I know a guy in Sigil who can make it” – Etsuriko.

Finn thinks he might pray to the god of portals. What? To someone other than yourself? You’re going to turn out just like that asshole Tavist! – Ef Utan.

Kenari offers to help with the prayers as she’s curious. Melchior goes into his quarters to pray to Murlynd out of protest. Lenata offers to watch and assist.

Nothing happens. Waa Waa.

Finn – Are gods able to be ressurected through new found faiths? 30 years ago Orcus the Demon God of Undead returned to life by sucking up the divine energy of other gods. Finn offers to spread the word of the god across the dimensions.

We head back to Swansea. We check the tuning forks and the one that’s been shifting – the metal is different now. It’s now got the faintest highlight of orange to it now. It’s more RED than Orange. NUMBER #29.

We agree to use the new key instead of heading back to Swansea.

WE’RE BACK IN GREYSPACE. We discuss where a portal to Sigil might be and head to Greyhawk. Day 1/2 in a small Elven navy ship comes up along side us.
We put up a fleet associated pennant with Rock of Braal colors etc. Lets pull over for the cops as Kenari scoops all the keys into her bag along with any contraband.

Higher rank elegant Elven plate and gadabouts as three of them come over and board us and the ship parks 100 ft over. They take off the gadabouts and 3 DROW look at us quizically. Who’s in charge?
Sub-Commander Taal. What brings your ship here into our space?

Finn speaks to them in Abyssal and realizes he made a horrendous mistake. License and Registration please.

They look at our papers quizically. YOU’RE Captain Valentine? Most of the stories say you’re a man.

Depending on who you ask she does have a huge set of balls. – Ef Utan.

Best of luck to you down there if you’re heading to Greyhawk. No one but the brave and the foolhardy make those trips these days. 60 years now the Greyhawk Wars have been raging (ended 40 years ago for us).