The hound archon slashes furious at the beatific one with his sword, but his swings are clumsy and fail to hit any vital areas.
Daxter's cold touch is another matter. It spreads throughout her body, turning her lips a dark blue and she begins to shiver violently. A few seconds later, she collapses on the ground, her many limbs splaying in all directions. The hound archon pokes her a few times to make sure she is dead and pats the wizard on the back and gives him a "thumbs up" sign.
** spoiler omitted **
Daxter pulls his knife. He produces the leftover blessed oils he had saved. He coats the blade in it and proceeds in slitting the foul creature's throat.
CDG
2d4 damage
Black, viscous blood pours over Daxter's weapon, hands, and legs as he cuts the beatific one's throat. She gives a final death rattle, then stops twitching.
Jalissa, the acolyte whom you saved from the pit, comes forward after the fight is over. She speaks in Vudrani, "Thank you for everything you have done. Our group has little to offer you in thanks except this ..."
She pulls out a small green and pink glistening object she has been cleaning with her filthy robes. It is in the shape of a perfect lotus flower, and is formed with pink jade. "This is a padma blossom, a relic of my order. I was able to ... conceal it ... on my body when we captured. The Dhalavei cultists never found it. It offers calm and is wonderful for meditation."
She holds it out to all of you, "I can't bring your friend back, but perhaps I can sooth your grief a bit."
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Ursus holds the delicate trinket in one hand pondering it.
"You can keep it. Mine is the strength of the wild - the power of the savage beast. Calm has no more place in me than it does in a crashing waterfall or an erupting volcano", the Ulfen says as he hands the jeweled flower back. "And there is nothing to grieve. The half-orc was a great warrior who died fighting a worthy foe. That is as much as any man could ever ask for", Ursus explains. "We should honor his life. Not mourn his death".
"About a day from here is the village of Leckumgee. It is safe there and within it we can get some proper food and rest. You can show me personally how grateful you are once we get there", the big warrior says with a lecherous smirk.
** spoiler omitted ** He says with what can only be a slight smile.
Jalissa nods in agreement at Daxter's words, although she doesn't quite know what to do with Ursus' looks.
Having explored all of the cult's headquarters, you collect your possessions and the body of your fallen comrade and head for the exit.
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Takuma is the last one leaving the room. He look at the multi-headed female body. He was a good adversary, besides his evil intentions. He makes a precise move that removes the blood from his katana and sheathe it. Then, he put his right hand in a praying prosition in front of the body and left the room.
It feels strange, traveling back through land you so recently trekked through, on the one had proud that you have accomplished what you said out to do, on the other, sad that it cost the life of a friend.
You camp briefly for the night near the bottom of the cliff, making sure that you are far enough away that you can't see the cave entrance anymore. The next day you descend out of the highlands and meet back up with Bala and the elephants. He seems happy to see you, but immediately checks his reaction when he sees the body of the half-orc. A half hour later, everyone is riding one of the elephants and you slowly make your way back to Leckumgee and from there back to the capital of Niswan.
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Ursus greets Bala and the elephants warmly. He tells them, in great detail, about the masters of the cult and how each of them was defeated.
On the ride to Leckumgee the Ulfen starts the same sea chant he sang during the sea voyage to Jalmeray. Him companions still couldn't understand his words but sang them just as fiercely.
"The famous son
of Golarion falls back,
fainting from the serpent
fearing not attack.
All mankind
must abandon home
when Miðgarð's Buckler
strikes in wrath.
The sun will go black
earth sink in the sea,
heaven be stripped
of its bright stars;
smoke rage
and fire,
leaping the flame
lick heaven itself".
During the ride home, Daxter will converse in Vudrani with Jalissa. Just small talk at first and then about the visions he saw when the ghost looked at him. It is clear they bother him as he is not used to feeling anything but contempt and anger when it comes to most people.
The Vudrani woman listens very carefully to Daxter's words. "Yes, this is true of many people, even in our land. Anger can be a difficult companion when you live with him every day. Even though I have renounced violence, I still see it in myself. It is just that I do not wish to pass it on to others, as I feel that is doing an injustice to their souls and their chance for reincarnation. Anger and violence also seem to beget more violence and anger. It is a snake eating its own tail."
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The next day, you return to the village of Leckumgee, which seemed to be in the middle of a trial. The villagers who joined the cult were being held accountable for all the atrocities committed there in the past few months, and it didn't look like it would go very well for them. When you let everyone know that the cult leaders had been eliminated, everyone seemed very relieved, and sentences were handed out the next morning. Justice in the jungles of Jalmeray seems to be a rather swift and final affair.
Ursus said his "farewells" to a number of the young (and not so young) women of the village and you were on your way again. Despite your worries, the rest of the trip back to Niswan proceeded without too much trouble. You met a tobongo, a type of tropical treant on the second day, who pleaded with you to help him clear out a particularly nasty pack of leucrotta. Aquila and Farouq immediately volunteered the group, of course, and a day later, the last of the evil creatures turned tail and fled.
Back in the capital, you presented the documents gathered in the cult temple to Lord Raheem Pandisar. He seemed greatly pleased with your results and handed over the promised payment without hesitation. He was soon joined by his son Agni Pandisar, who was terribly happy to see you. It seemed that a few rogue Dhalavei cult members had abducted him not eight days before in an effort to stop your investigations. When they didn't receive instructions from their leaders, however, they simply abandoned the cellar where they had been hiding Agni and disappeared into the masses of Niswan. The young nobleman was able to free himself soon thereafter.
Both son and father were very sad to hear about the death of Montesquieu, and in thanks for your excellent service to the government, had one of the Thakur's djinni vizier allies bring him back to life using powerful wish magic.
With your newly amassed wealth, it was easy enough to hire a boat to take you back to Absalom and your duties in the Pathfinder Society. Even though he showed no outward signs of change, Montesquieu spent much of the trip above decks staring at the sky. During a particularly bad storm one night off the coast of Qadira, the half-orc climbed a gunnel and shouted into the wind, pleading with it to spare the ship and see you all to safety. Within a few minutes, the winds began to abate and you docked in Katheer the next day. Daxter wondered aloud if somehow some of the djinni magic had rubbed off on the Taldan, but there was no way to know for sure.
Now you are back to your familiar surroundings in Absalom. Tomorrow, Venture-captain Dreng has asked you to recount your tales and findings to a chronicler, so that they may be recorded for posterity. Even though it is somewhat comforting to be back home, you can still smell the Vudrani spices of Jalmeray in your clothes, and part of you wishes you could see the incredibly tall spires of Niswan once again. Perhaps, one day, you shall, but that is a story for another day.