"You dog fnckers haven't seen the last of me. This ain't gonna stop me."
A struggle, apparently with himself ensues as Vass seems to be attempting to pull out Jon's sword, but he can't seem to get back control of Jon's body and the struggling finally ceases.
Jon (Ian):
Jon looks up at you with something familiar is in his eyes.
Cordoba moves carefully across the grease toward the door of the prison room. Gears click and rumble as the lenses sweep the room with blinding light. A few pages flutter slowly down, as yet unburned by the deadly trap.
Rackham makes a sweeping motion with his hands, and the remaining pages of the book flutter out of the way of the lasers and into the hallway.
What's left of the book dances toward Pulsifer's hand.
Languages roll for Pulsifer: (1d20+9=23)
Spoiler
From what you can tell there appear to have been chapters on each of them, though only a few pages from the end of the book remain.
There is also an interesting illustration.
Pulsifer holds out fold of paper that survived with a rather fiendish looking sketch.
You're clear. No need to go in anymore. I know it was tempting.
Amongst you, you have a lot of books, a seriously large gemstone, and a comatose half elf who has just evacuated his bowels into his leather armor.
Time to head for Katheer?
"Let's go to Katheer while the going is good. Book has an appointment he has to keep."
"Too right. Les get ourrofit."
I guess i need medical care...
I guess i need medical care...
You'll be fine. You just have a headache and you're covered in Aref's magic grease.
Jon
Rackham muses over the sheaf of pages.
"Quite interesting. This book, or what's left of it, appears to detail records on the demonic. Our mutual friend Vadatajs is mentioned."
He continues leafing through the small stack, pausing at the last page.
"Aref, come look at this. I can't make out some of the writings, and this sketch merits a look."
Rackham holds up the last page.
Hmmmm. 1d20 8=25 Arcana. Dis looks like something of the far realms, de area of unearthly horrors that a normal mind cannot imagine. A realm where madness rules and twisted forms of evil are spawned by de acidic thoughts of malevolent demonlords. I hope we are not to be facing dese horrors. I don't think I can read dese writings......(celestial is all I speak besides common and regional).
Hmmmm. 1d20 8=25 Arcana. Dis looks like something of the far realms, de area of unearthly horrors that a normal mind cannot imagine. A realm where madness rules and twisted forms of evil are spawned by de acidic thoughts of malevolent demonlords. I hope we are not to be facing dese horrors. I don't think I can read dese writings......(celestial is all I speak besides common and regional).
Between the two, the mages decide they are looking at a form of Sarkoran (the northern Empire that fell first to the Worldwound) although it is phoneticized in the common script. This is peculiar because Sarkoran used a unique and recognizable runic alphabet that some northern people still use today. Whoever wrote this understood Sarkoran but couldn't write it. Perhaps it was dictated....
Aref or Pulsifer, whoever gets here first:
In the case of this creature, Vass: while Demons lack souls and have only their physical forms, Vass is something that defies the very nature of the demonic, one that can shed its body and move, occupying the body of any intelligent or semi-intelligent being he defeats in a match of wills. This power is unique among demons, and while Vass does not seem to be in possession of any terrifying power, the horror such a being could wreak in the body of another, such as a King, is terrifying.
Where is he now (his essence if not his body itself), and what if he gets to Katheer?
What of Ryor's empty husk?
Jon looks around very suspiciously.
"Let's go! Civilization awaits!"
Alright we bring him.
Without finding some kind of parallel text or dictionary there’s not much Aref or Pulsifer can tease from the burnt pages. Everyone takes their turn looking at the atrocity in the last page Pulsifer snatches and a quiet consensus builds that it’s time to get the hell out of this place.
You all go back to the library and collect Ryor, dunking him in the cleansing pool to rinse off the filth, and build a travois to drag him out.
The Bhuka were digging out in the surgery the last time you looked, and when you return there you find the footprints of Bhodan and the Bhuka in the sand. There are no signs of any returning scorpions.
It’s a good room to rest before your trek across the desert...
Aref hears Drasheer braying outside.
The night drags itself nervously across the desert. Each of you sit through your watch wondering what has become of Vass.
The Deceiver prays to Pharasma for new spells at midnight.
Rackham murmurs litanies, contemplating every line and curve in his rosary.
Aref hears Drasheer braying outside.
Aref will go and examine Drasheer, dragging out one of the brawny members of the party (Syd most likely)in case something is wrong....
"Drasheer, my friend, I am here! We will be going on the morrow to a city and you will be given drink and much food to fill your empty belly, friend."
You build a small fire. Watches pass uneventfully, in the physical world. Metaphysical watch, now that's something different.
Everyone notices that Jon doesn’t seem to do much sleeping; he has dark circles under his eyes by morning. It doesn't seem to worsen his usual serious humor however.
Pulsifer watches first. Slipping beads between his fingers silently.
Pulsifer:
Aref:
Cordoba:
Jon:
Syd
During your watch you begin to feel a slight dizziness, and then a presence in your mind. It starts to wander, sorting through memories going slowly back from today, and you quickly realize what’s happening. Your memories slowly become occupied with nightmarish recollections involving people you knew and places you visited, recollections that seem totally real yet you know they’re not. Whipersnipt... friends dying at the hands of the pastor. Fishing in the gulf... filleting a shipmate alive. The feeling is so intense you feel helpless, you feel paralyzed, you can’t even speak; but after some time you find and grapple with the presence slowly forcing it out. Vass. You hear his snarl in Ryor’s voice. You hear another voice, deeper, grating, wet like blood gushing from a cut throat. Then he’s gone. When you awaken you find you’ve drawn your kukri and Jon is standing over you with his sword raised.
In the middle of Syd's watch the clatter of Jon's armor and the sound of his blade drawing wakes everyone.
Jon is standing over Syd ready, it seems, to cut his head off. He and Syd eye each other nervously.
Morning – Pharast 27th, 4708
It has been two weeks since the first of you was captured.
Not everyone is well rested this morning but prayers are complete, spells replenished, and blades are cleaned and sharpened. You are in the surgery and a fresh desert breeze gently brushes sand through the Bukha tunnel and in onto the temple floor.
Jon and Syd eye each other a moment longer....
"We should wait for nightfall before heading out. Saves us from having to endure the anvil of the sun."
"We should wait for nightfall before heading out. Saves us from having to endure the anvil of the sun."
There's still a lot of good light colored cloth that you can salvage from the clothing of the dead that you have lined up in the surgery. Aref is already dressed for desert travel.
suddenly,Jon gives Syd a deep hug
"oh man,i miss my home."
suddenly,Jon gives Syd a deep hug
"oh man,i miss my home."
Rackham gives the pair a raised eyebrow, but says nothing.
"Gerrof!" Syd says uncomfortably and gently shoves Jon off. "We're all aways from out beds, but there's no need for none of that!"
He looks round at the group, "I int one fer dreams, but that fella Vass, 'e was... in me 'ed. Made me see fings that never 'appened, do fings I never did. Like a nightmare."
He looks at Jon, "An' I wake up, and there's Jon 'ere lookin' like 'e's gonna gut me like a cod."
Aref admonishes the party not to wait: “Egzept for a dangerouz band of dunez most of ze path to Katheer haz de shelter, mesas here, gulleys later, so ve can stop and rest in de shade before noon. Also ze water here and dere. But in the middle, the dunez, zis is a terrible stretch vith many sand sharks. Ze Blight ve call it. But if ve vait here Vass vill continue his harassing us or bring trouble to us. And carrying dis stone <he pats his bag> vorries me.”
After scavenging the water-skins and white robes of the unfortunates lined up in the surgery, the party faces south-east, to the right of the morning sun and puts the Dead God’s Temple behind. As you walk Aref shows everyone how to wrap their heads leaving only a slit to shield the eyes from sun and sand.
He and Drasheer wind through the boulders and scrub that speckle the valleys between the mesas, leading you toward the city of gold.
“All ze northern sandz rest on ze plain zat rises up from ze sea to great mountains and Katheer iz built on the wallz of a great valley zat cuts through. Ages ago ze river vandered ze plain and cut thousandz of towerz and valleyz and you can find zem as far as 100 miles north and south.”
“Ze Blight, Zis has ever been part of Katheer’s last defense against invasion from de north. Dere ve valk gently, drag ze feet like ze blowing sandz or ze sharks vill come. Or ve can go around it.”
So, through The Blight or around it?
"I'd advise going around. I've heard of things worse than landsharks in those sands. Worms like buildings, and sand that lives."
Aref: "Ve have doze too... Yes."