Some things are better left buried.
The winds uncovered the tomb of someone known as Tahrik, a once powerful man able to rule through others using the power of words. The winds now carried Tahrik's words, and they were bringing people under his sway again. Zaid organized the tomb cleansing party: His servant Clink, the holy one Razkan, quiet Flyga, clever Sikander, and Shokran and Khazera, two visitors from beyond the desert, perhaps here by providence.
The group of tomb cleansers hurried across the wastes towards Tahrik's tomb. After stopping at an oasis for the night, one of the group saw a band of tomb raiders pass in the early morning. Before the cleansers could depart the oasis, a gnoll arrived with a warning: "Do not heed the whispers." The gnoll warned that those who go to the tomb are changed, no longer living or dead. Shokran used some of the camp remains to make earplugs for himself. The rest of the group followed his example.
When the cleansers reached the tomb entrance, they found the raiders' camp in some disarray. It seemed they left in the middle of their meal. The food seemed rotten; the water seemed stale. Shokran found the food with honey seemed fine, delicious smelling. The wind blew the words of Tahrik to the group, bidding them to join the whole. As a devout follower of the Radiant Songbird, Shokran declared the camp a lie, the food a lie, and the wind a lie. Sikander and Khazera studied the statues at the entrance of the tomb. Sikander told the group the statues represent the power of Tahrik over man and beast, for he could charm either to serve his bidding with equal skill.
The cleansers entered the tomb. They found one of the raiders who offered them a cup of the honey. Clearly, the tomb raiders had fallen to Tahrik's words. Khazera spotted a second raider hiding behind a fallen pillar. Clink took the cup and dumped it on the floor. Incensed at this "sacrilege," the tomb raiders attacked. The raiders fell quickly, including the one Shokran bit. He discovered their insides were full of sickly-sweet honey. He spat it out and warned everyone not to bite the raiders.
After the cleansers felled the first few of the raiders, small blobs of honey emerged from them, continuing the fight. Only fire seemed effective at preventing the honey from emerging from the dead bodies. As the fight turned into a chaotic fight across the main entrance chamber, wave after wave of the possessed raiders attacked the group. Several of the cleansers were injured, but they survived and were victorious. Two raiders fled to warn their master. Soon after, the remains of the honey spoke with the voice of Tahrik. It offered a truce. It invited each of the cleansers to join him. They all refused.
After a rest, the cleansers pressed on, finding a chasm. A raider had withdrawn the plank bridge used to cross the chasm. After some of the group failed their half-hearted attempt to trick the raider into returning the plank bridge, Flyga's familiar helped the group build a rope bridge to cross. On the other side, the possessed raiders were too distracted to notice the group. Shokran snuck up on the lone raider and released him from Tahrik's chains. This act alerted Tahrik who ordered his remaining minions to attack.
The muddled raiders were no match for the spells, arrows, and crushing flail attacks of the tomb cleansers. Soon, the tomb cleansers cornered Tahrik. After hearing his pleas and offers for greater wealth or knowledge, the cleansers completed the work Zaid had set for them, destroying Tahrik for good.
After collecting a few minor items and some vials of Tahrik's honey, the tomb cleansers departed to tell Zaid the cleansing was complete.
