March 19th, 2021

Prof. Nemesio Sánchez tells you that he has offered to help

Larkin on a number of occasions, only to be ignored or
rebuffed each time. His suspicion is that Larkin wishes to loot
the site without interference. There are no legal restrictions in
Peru to prevent foreigners from doing this—a fact that
frustrates Sánchez deeply. Sánchez refers to people who
would remove his country’s treasures in such a manner as
Sánchez believes his only recourse is to identify the exact
location of the pyramid and get there first, although time is
running out. To this end, Sánchez and one of his students,
Trinidad Rizo, have been going through the university library
and archives for any possible information about the pyramid.
They have found an old document dating from the mid-16th
century, written by a conquistador by the name of Gaspar
Figueroa, which may refer to the site in question. The
document is difficult to read, so Rizo has been working on a
summary that picks out the pertinent details. She has almost
finished it, but has had to stop for the moment to look for a related artifact in a storeroom under the
museum. In fact, Rizo should be along soon to join the meeting; she
has just gone to fetch the artifact and will be back at any moment.
While you wait for Rizo to arrive, Sánchez answers your questions
about Peruvian history and archaeology. He is a rationalist and does
not believe in kharisiri, ancient gods, or other aspects of what he
considers to be folklore. When mentioning kharisiri may be real, his
reaction is polite amusement.
After some time, Sánchez apologizes for how long it is taking Rizo.
You offer to go with Sánchez and help to find her. He suspects that
she has simply found something interesting and lost track of time. He instead chooses to wait with
Jackson in the event she returns while you go looking for her. He suggests searching the storeroom,
located in a basement under the museum.
Approaching the quiet and dimly lit storeroom, you find an open door and a cavernous and oblong
shaped room, filled with evenly spaced rows of floor-to-ceiling shelves. Most of the shelves are
packed with crates, boxes, and bags containing a huge variety of artifacts of historical interest. The
shelves and containers are all neatly labeled, and everything is clean and well kept. Between the dim
electric lighting and the packed shelves, it is difficult to see very far in the storeroom.

Rizo is found in the storeroom, half-buried under a pile of artifacts that have been pulled off the
shelves. She is emaciated, almost mummified, and there is a large disc of torn, bloody flesh on her
upper chest. Her shriveled face is frozen in a mask of terror, eyes still wide and staring.
You notice Rizo’s notebook poking out from one jacket pocket—this contains her notes on Final
Confessions of Gaspar Figueroa, a conquistador from the 1650s who stumbled across a pyramid
while looking for treasures to loot. He was the only survivor escaping the pyramid.
Lying next to her body is a small wooden crate, which has been smashed into pieces. The way the
top has been pulled off the crate indicates that the damage is not entirely due to a fall from the
shelves and that someone has forced it open. The remains of the crate are packed with straw, and
poking out from the mass is a section of what appears to be a large piece of worked gold. You see
what appears to be the freshly burned remains of skin on the gold, although the item is cold to the
touch.
Meanwhile, Elias and Sanchez face down the actual attacker, de Mendoza, a Kharisiri. De Mendoza,
having left the scene of Rizo’s murder early, attempts to attack Sanchez but is stopped before he
makes a killing blow. De Mendoza escapes leaving Sanchez wounded. Sanchez thanks you for
saving his life. The authorities are called and after questioning, Sanchez manages to have the state
of mind to tell you about the Golden Ward you found in the storeroom.
The Golden Ward
A single length of worked gold, around 2 feet (60
cm) in length, 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide, and one-third
of an inch deep (1 cm). Both of its ends are rough,
as though the piece was ripped or broken from a
larger design. It weighs a little less than 25 pounds
(11 kg), making it too heavy for most people to
wield in combat situations.
The piece is largely a straight band, although four
sections jut out at right angles into short spurs or squared off spirals. The surface is imprinted with a
series of nonrepeating geometric shapes, mostly squares and rectangles, with no obvious meaning to
them. None of these shapes resemble any known form of writing.
After reading the notes and discussing the Golden Ward, Jackson assumes the kharisiri were “born”
when the ward was damaged. He goes on to speculate that restoring the section of the ward in the
Pyramid will have some effect on the kharisiri, or at least on whatever source created them.
Later that Evening
After the attack, you take Prof. Sanchez home and set up watch
at his residence. You suspect De Mendoza or worse may return
to finish the job. Your instincts prove right. Later that evening
you are attacked by kharisi, among them is De Mendoza. The
battle is a frenzy of blood and gunfire. In the end, the house is
set ablaze, the Kharisi are killed and unfortunately so too is Prof.
Sanchez.
Lima police approached the scene before you had an opportunity
to put out the fire. A gas line must have caught fire soon after
you fled the scene. A huge explosion set the night sky alight.
Fire rained down on nearby homes and soon a raging inferno is
left in your wake.
 You are able to evade the police, but the carnage
left behind was all over the local morning papers
that morning.

With the need for vengeance high. You were

determined to see Larkin pay for this. You
descend on Hotel Espana and attack Larkin
head on.

He, however, is prepared for you. During the attack, Larkin’s

presence changes. A dark raw power consumes him. He stands
straight, powerful, the physical weakness that normally plagued him
is gone. His voice is strong and deep. His eyes are black. The
battle harrows your mind and pushes your body to its limits. Despite
this supernatural possession Larkin is ultimately defeated.
In the aftermath, you discover Larkin bore a strange spiral tattoo
across his chest. It’s unfamiliar to you but even as you stare at his
lifeless body you can feel the negative energy of this symbol calling
to you. You never figured out whether Larkin was indeed Oberst
Weinreich reborn, but you say a prayer in the hopes that this traitor’s
reign of evil has finally been brought to an end.