Although the PCs may initially travel to the House of the Beast to destroy the Carrion King, the adventure itself doesn’t truly end until they discover the Scroll of Kakishon hidden in Shirak’s tomb. The full ramifications of this ancient item are explored in the next adventure, “The Jackal’s Price.” For now, the scroll itself should be something of a mystery to the PCs. The scroll is a rectangular sheet of pale parchment, 16 inches by 22 inches in size. On one side, the parchment is blank and rough—bits of hair still cling to it. On the other side, the parchment is smooth as glass and depicts only a single huge and relatively complex rune. This is the Mark of Kakishon, and until it can be properly deciphered and awakened, the scroll cannot be used.
Unfortunately, the methods for wakening the ancient artifact are quite obscure, and the quest to decipher this method is what drives the next adventure. Attempts to detect magic on the scroll reveal only that it radiates overwhelming Conjuration (creation and calling) magic, while attempts to damage the scroll should be universally met with failure. It can’t be torn, folded, burnt, dissolved, or otherwise harmed by anything the PCs might possess at this time. “The Jackal’s Price” details the ramif ications of the scroll, including Almah’s reaction to the PCs’ return to Kelmarane with what would appear to be a potent and powerful artifact in their possession.
Of course, before the PCs can turn their attentions to deciphering this mystery, they’ll need to escape the House of the Beast. Depending on what guardians remain alive and mobile on the levels above, this may be a simple task or it could be a harrowing gantlet.
Certainly, if Zayifid still lives, he immediately attempts to claim the Scroll of Kakishon as his own as soon as the PCs emerge from area J1 into I2. If the PCs manage to sneak out without Zayifid noticing, he can become a recurring villain that follows the PCs and attempts again and again to steal the scroll—see “The Jackal’s Price” for advice on how to handle this. In any event, life is destined to swiftly become quite complex for the new keepers of the Scroll of Kakishon!