No one else heard Takumi's apparent hallucination. Dumont begins to head for the next door.
While the Pathfinders attempt to ascertain whether Takumi is being affected by a haunt, possessed, or simply particularly jumpy in the old, haunted mansion, Dumont opens the door to the adjacent room.
The long bookshelves in these dusty alcoves are filled with books. The smell of mildewed paper hangs in the air.
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Hope the elf hasn't gone soft in the head. He has been useful thus far, would be a shame for it to end like this. Faust gives Takumi an appraisal look before catching up to Dumont, his sword now in hand. The break always happens when you least expect it. Better to be ready than become a victim.
Seeing that his shambling brother just walked into a library, he speaks up. "Part of what we seek may be held within these tomes. I say it is at least worth a cursory search." Not to mention a font of knowledge previously lost to time and obscured by superstition. Such vast potential...
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"Either I'm losing my mind, or there is a ... presence that for some reason, is attempting communication with me. Allow me find out more."
Turning within, Takumi replies but aloud so that his teammates can hear. "Greeting. My humble name is Takumi Kamizo. We are here upon the request of the leader of the nearby town to conduct some investigation of this manor. May I in turn inquire into your identity? Do you reside here?"
While the others work with Takumi, Faust begins searching the library. He comes across a section of consecutive tomes that seem less moldy than the rest. Trying to pull one free reveals that they are all part of a single box carved to resemble books.
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Maria is intently focused on Takumi's conversation.
She isn't paying much attention to the library yet, though she does make a quiet comment in response to Faust, "even a cursory search of a library would take weeks to glean any real knowledge. I do sincerely hope that is all it takes, but with all those infected creatures outside I doubt this to be simply a research mission."
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How clever. But what do they do and why are they here? I'll have to remem- Hearing Takumi's dialogue, Faust instinctively adjusts his grip on his sword. That's not looking good. "This may get messy..." he mutters under his breath.
"Correct, however we don't need to delve into all of the texts to find something of use, a quick perusal of their titles, checking for patterns of use, etcetera, may prove useful. Now be a dear and hold this," he says as he hands Maria what is now an empty box. "See what happens when you check the library? The plot thickens!" In his hands are eight pristine scrolls.
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Would my Object Reading ability apply to the scrolls or the wooden book thing here?
Text for reference:
Object Reading (Su): At 2nd level, an occultist learns how to read information from items he examines. Examining an item in this way requires him to spend 1 minute handling the item. If the item is a magic item, the occultist learns its properties and command word as if he had successfully examined the item using detect magic and succeeded at a Spellcraft check. This ability does not reveal whether the item is cursed unless the occultist’s class level is equal to or greater than the caster level of the item. If the item has any historical significance, the occultist learns one piece of information about its past (as determined by the GM). Finally, if the item was last used no longer than 1 day ago per the occultist’s class level, the occultist learns one piece of information about the last creature to use the item. This information might be a glimpse of the creature’s appearance, a brief vision of what it saw while using the item, or perhaps its emotional state when it last used the item. The GM determines what information is gained in this way. This functions like the psychometry occult skill unlock (see page 196), but doesn’t require a skill check and can be used at will.
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"That is indeed astute. You can tell from my name that I am not from around this region," Takumi replies, intentionally phrasing his answers to clue the rest of his team what questions the voice is asking. "Losing memory of your identity after many years is indeed tragic. To find clues, perhaps you could share what you can remember? That would likely be of great assistance. Or perhaps, let us know your locaction? A face-to-face conversation might facilitate communications much better."
Takumi is intent of the inner conversation, more and more certain that he is not imagining the voice.
The voice seems to be sincerely lost, confused, and desperate.
Takumi listens to the voice in his head for a few moments.
Meanwhile, Faust searches the library. He eventually uncovers a box and has a discussion with Lydia. Other than the clever craftsmanship to disguise the chest as a row of books, Maria finds no other secrets within its construction. The two dhampir head into the library to perform their respective rituals. It is during this time that Takumi's summoned eagle returns to the celestial realms.
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Exactly what I was hoping for... While the vision is fresh in his memory, Faust plucks as many of the texts the couple used that he can find, paying particular attention to finding The Nine Secrets.
"These texts, especially this one," he says, holding up The Nine Secrets, "were referenced for what appear to be ritualistic purposes by the former residents of this estate. It is unclear whether it was divine, arcane, or something else entirely, however our answer is but a few moments away." Without further discussion he thumbs through it quickly to get an idea of what it was about.
Meanwhile, Dumont has taken a seat in a nearby chair and waits with an otherworldly patience for his brother.
With the assistance of his visions, Faust eventually finds the tome that he is looking for. However, his eagerness comes at a price as a needle jabs deeply into his thumb as he opens the book.
Faust feels a mild lethargy spread through his body, but his adrenaline seems to burn most of it away .
Inside he finds a book of rather perverse rhymes.
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Lydia sorts out the contents of the scroll box, then distributes them to whoever she suspects would be most able to use them:
She keeps the scrolls of alarm, comprehend languages, and obscuring mist for herself.
She gives the scrolls of disguise self and jump to Takumi (or rather, places them in his unresisting hands while his mind is otherwise occupied).
She gives the mount scroll to Shalendra. "Use this if you need a quick escape. Or maybe bait," She advises her.
Finally, she gives the scrolls of charm animals and shield of faith to Faust. "These look like minor priestly benedictions, but if anyone can corrupt them, I imagine it's you. Now let me see that book...."
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Takumi is still distracted by the voice in his head. While he senses no guile or deceit from the ethereal being, the naturally reticent elf is cautious to reveal too much.
"My condolences to the state that you have found yourself in, but with the humblest apologies, I am uncertain what assistance we can be. If this is indeed your home, and have been for many years, yet you are unable to control where and when you manifest, I know not what we can do in the short time we have been here. The group of us were sent merely to investigate the strange happenings in this area, and this manor seems to be epicenter. Within this estate, we have come across a number of artifacts: daggers, vials, books, scrolls, inscriptions. Would you have a clue what might help you with your phantom state?"
Turning to Shalendra but with half a mind still tuned internally, he replies, "I am as yet uncertain. What I've gathered is that this being have been residing here for a long time but have lost all memory of its identity. It is unable to control when and where it manifests within the manor. It has asked if we have found, and here I quote, anything that might illuminate its darkness?"
While Faust can make no sense of the perverse rhymes in the book, Lydia seems to have a better grasp of the code hidden in the poetry. She determines that it is reference text on devils and diabolist rituals.
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Shalendra takes her place in line and thinks of any males they have seen in paintings, and around the mansion.
"There were the remains of the adolescent in the mausoleum, and paintings of both Baron Marcius Sarini; Marcius’s father, Baron Lucius Sarini. Do any of those ring a bell to your friend Takumi?"
Dumont moves onward, opening the next door.
The floor, walls, pillars, and fireplaces of this majestic ballroom are all made of polished marble. On the north side of the room, a grand staircase with divided flights leads up to a balcony overlooking the ballroom floor. An angel of black marble is standing menacingly on a platform behind the middle landing of the staircase.
Two giant centipedes, dripping with demon's bile, wander in the center of the ballroom. They turn toward the door with a hiss as it opens.
Combat! Round 1. Bold may act.
Takumi
Abyssia
Lydia
Shalendria
Maria
Centipedes x 2
Faust
While others position themselves defensively, Takumi assaults one of the centipedes with a barrage of magical force.
Combat! Round 1. Bold may act.
Takumi
Abyssia
Lydia
Shalendria
Maria
Centipede Red (-4 hp)
Centipede Blue
Faust
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Maria dives through the doorway, tucking into a roll as she slips past her teammates. Coming to the end of her move into a crouch, she knocks an arrow to her bowstring, points at the nearest evil centipede and fires.
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"Well it makes sense, they are breeding outside and probably have been for a while. Probably throwing the whole ecosystem off!"
Maria's arrow just barely grazes the chitin plates protecting the giant centipede's body.
The centipedes rush toward the mermaid, their envenomed mandibles gnashing hungrily. Fortunately for Abyssia, they cannot penetrate her armor. Out of nowhere, two small arrows sprout from Maria's arm. A soft, snuffling chuckle draws your attention to the balcony above you where a small figure pulls back from the railing.
Combat! Round 1/2. Bold may act.
Takumi
Abyssia
Lydia
Shalendria
Maria (-7 hp)
Centipede Red (-4 hp)
Centipede Blue
Mite Red
Faust
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Maria lets out a gasp of pain and darts back behind her allies to get a better angle against the new threat. "Up above! Another Mite!"
She rips the arrows from her arm and drops to one knee to minimize her profile. Blood slowly dripping from her elbow she takes aim at the railing and fires, more worried about the return shots than anything else.
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