The key slides easily into the lock, clicking into place. A distant gear whirs to life but nothing else happens. Nearly holding her breath, Shalina turns the key.
Without any sound the metal door slides open, revealing a small metal room. There is no furniture and it is barely big enough for all of them to stand in. Poking her head in, Shalina sees a series of labeled buttons on the wall.
Control Room
Gem Lab
Kiln
Entrance
Cistern
Shalina looks at the buttons. "We're in the Cistern and we were at the Entrance, Kiln, and that other place must have been the Gem Lab." She shudders involuntarily again as she remembers the mutants they'd fought. "Each of those levels also had a door like this." Turning to the others with an excited gleam in her eyes she asks, "Do you think this is like the dumbwaiter but actually made for people?"
"Everybody in!" she orders eagerly. "There's a place called the Control Room that we didn't come across yet. Let's try it." Then she considers the key and the fact that she doesn't want anyone following them. "I'm going to remove the key once everyone is inside and take it with us."
Everyone is a bit closer to each other than they'd like in the box but Shalina barely notices as her finger hovers just over the button for the Control Room. "Ok everyone, let's see if this works." With child-like glee, she pushes the button and holds her breath.
Crowded together, they watched Shalina press the button. There is a loud click, and the door slides shut. Then...nothing.
After a few moments, Berd says, "Now what?"
Partell speaks up, voice a bit panicky, "What if we get stuck in here?"
Then, before Shalina can answer, gears and wheels start to turn, grating in the silence. The entire room shifts and jerks and there is the sensation of movement.
"Wow, A dumbwaiter for people, a bunch of people!" Berd says, looking around as if there was anything to see except gleaming metal. 'I wonder how it works..."
After days of climbing around rusty, dank shafts by rope, the slow steady ride is disconcertingly easy. Finally, after a long climb, the movement ceases. Without prompting, the door slides open, smooth and sure. Ahead of them is one of the strangest rooms Shalina has ever seen.....
It is a long, narrow chamber, leading to a distant door. Along the sides are large metal arches, some broken, some rusted, others still standing shining as if brand new. Under the arches are...images of other lands.
Just from where she stands she can see rippling oceans, blowing dunes, a busy cityscape. There is no sound, no smells, just the images of distant lands.
'What is this?" Tekk asks, wary.
Shalina doesn't answer Partell before they start moving but she sings softly as they move to hopefully calm any feelings of claustrophobia.
"Carry on my wayward son,
For there'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Now don't you cry no more"
She steps cautiously out of the dumbwaiter for people and looks at the intact arches critically. "I don't think those are just images. I would stay away from touching them and definitely don't lean against one unless you're holding onto someone." Specifically to Tekk she says, "You know our rule about door thresholds, it definitely holds true for those pictures. I can't be sure but they seem too realistic..."
Shalina inches forward, senses on high alert for possible traps.
She detects no traps as she presses forward, going slow. Alongside of her Travoc is doing the same, obviously casting Detect Magic.
Shalina can see most of the arches are actually broken, with no images below them, just normal empty arches. A few are cracked and the images flicker on and off.
The others are picture perfect, clearer then the best mirror. It as if she is there. She recognizes no places, but can clearly see they span Golarion. One is that of a glacier filled mountain pass, another a busy bay full of ships. Those that show cities and people, the citizens do not react obviously unable to see this window onto them.
The only pattern is most of the places are either population centers or militarily strategic locations.
Shalina pauses at one of the more pristine images. "Why would someone build something like this? Are these possible targets of whatever weapon used to exist here?"
She continues her steady approach on the door at the end of the hallway. "Hopefully we'll find more answers behind that door."
Shalina finds the door which is sealed and locked just like the lifting dumbwaiter. With everyone crowding behind her, she inserts the key and turns.
There is a clanking and turning sound as the key opens a series of locks. The door then lifts slightly and pulls away, revealing a huge room, cavern out of the stone of the mountain.
It is square with high ceiling, stretching up. And it is dominated by a strange...cylinder device. Like a giant gun or cannon pointed at the far wall. In the middle of the large metal tube, a light is glowing, bright red.
At the wall, where any cannonball would shoot out, is a small stage and an archway. Like those in the hallway behind them, it flickers with images but this one is changing, like someone is flipping the pages of a book. A small man is hunched over a console near the gate. Between lies a low trough of water, bubbling and steaming.
Before Shalina can even say or step inside, Partell and Travoc push past her, "What is this place?" the dwarven druid asks, eyes alight.
Even as he speaks a roar fills the chamber, taking Shalina back to a cave full of panicking monks....gunfire.
The blast roars again, deafening her.
Travpoc falls to the ground, clutching a set of holes in his chest, red blood spurting all over the stone floor.
'Hello." Baskir says, voice muted in Shalina's battered ears, "I thought you'd be first. I'm proud of you, Shalina."
A cloud of black smoke hides his face, but Shalina can picture the grin and those pale, cold eyes.
"And once again, you find yourself fighting me and having not the slighest idea what is going on."
Shalina forces herself to keep her emotions in check as Travoc goes down. She kneels to check on him but fears he's beyond her help. Fastening her eyes on Baskir she grits her teeth and practically spits out her words. "What could you possibly have to be proud of me about. And how the hells did you get in here?"
With controlled seething she says snarkily, "By all means, enlighten me as to what you and your little friend are doing. You've obviously been waiting for me so please, go ahead and gloat. I have nothing but time."
The gunslinger pauses as if confused, 'As I said, you are the first one here. Well, apart from me." Then he grins, face finally appearing as the smoke dissipates.
"Time is the one thing you don't have." As Baskir speaks, his quick fingers open his gun, seeming to swab it out. The motion is practiced, born of long experience. The giant cannon thrums slightly louder, growing in intensity.
"As for how I got here, well, unlike you, I do my homework." he fingers a cord around his neck and draws out a key, a shinier copy of the one Shalina went through so much effort to find. 'I made sure I had it even before I got here."
As if reminded, he shouts over his shoulder, 'Urlic, I want that thing working!" The harassed little man (whom Shaline notes is wounded) nods and keeps feverishly working on the arch, images flickering past it, many different places, too fast for the eye to focus on.
Then he faces Shalina, 'I am not gloating, just passing the time. Is that not what friends do? As usual you need better ones."
Partell growls and takes half a step forward but Baskir holds up a hand, 'Now, now. Think on that, friend. As Shalina will tell you, rushing in without full knowledge is always a bad idea."
He grins, as if recalling a fond memory then continues, 'Besides, you are all going to let me leave. And thank me for doing it."
Shalina snorted, "You're not smart enough to do your homework. Obviously someone gave that to you and didn't trust you enough to do it the hard way. Was it that little weasel that sent you after the monks?"
As Baskir begins to clean and load his gun and speaks, Shalina hums a fast paced tune which will make her and all her allies faster.
She doesn't want to give Baskir or Urlic the time to finish what they started so she begins to think the time for talking is at it's end. "You're not cowardly running away this time." With the added speed coursing through her veins, she sprints towards Baskir in a zig-zag pattern and jumping over the water tank. Remembering what Berd had said when they first met, she draws her sword as she moves. This time there wasn't going to be a chance for him to take anyone else hostage and she's the one with the amulet. As she runs, she yells, "Stop Urlic!
Baskir looks up, honestly surprised. "You don't know? I was sent by the same people as you Shalina, the weirdos in the robes and cloaks. I guess they didn't trust you to do the job.."
As Shalina charges forward, roaring, Baskir moves back, re-loading his gun. The gunslinger is fast but not nearly as fast as Shalina's magically enhanced allies.
Sped up by magic Tekk charges first, sword raised overhead. He shouts to the heavens for streghtn to smite this evil man. As he runs Baskir coolly raises his guns and fires, the blast like a cannon. There is a loud crunching noise as the bullet hits Tekk and punches through his armor. The paladin doesn't falter or stop his movement, but Shalina can see the pain in his face.
Berd takes off, moving fast. As usual he avoids the direct fighting, sprinting up the room, past the giant cannon toward Urlic. 'Turn it off!" he shouts at the man. Under the arch the image of Rappan appears, the town where the adventurers had waited and Shalina had met Berd.
Shalina, blood pounding through her veins nearly flies over the ground, moving like a blur. Glaive in hand, she is soon standing behind a wounded Tekk.
Before she can strike Baskir speaks, 'Easy! You touch me and I use this thing." In one hand is the gong piece Shalina was sent here to find. "Unless I say otherwise, I use this and Rappan and everyone in it, is wiped off the map. You really want innocent people killed by your bad choices, again?"
Here is a simplified list of events that happen in the fight!
1. Baskir moves back, readies action.
2. Tekk charges forward
3. Tekk gets shot, is hit and loses 22 points of damage
4. Berd moves up other side toward Urlic
5. Shalina ran forward and CAN attack
"I'm sorry, I'm not good enough." She may have been looking at Baskir but it was directed at Tekk. Baskir would just keep hurting people, leaving a wake of destruction and misery whereas Rappan would disappear quickly - or so she hoped. She couldn't stand down, not this time. Plus, she trusted Berd and Partell to shut down the machine.
Past reason, allowing herself to become wrath, she embraces her rage and lashes out at Baskir. Her first attack attempts to sever the arm holding the item he had threatened Rappan with. Her second and third attacks were to make him bleed as much as possible.
Behind them Partell grabs Travoc and drags the dead druid out of the room. He doesn't come back.
Tekk nods to Shalina's refusal of the deal. He too is thinking of Fylor and his fate when trusting one of Baskir's 'deals'.
Baskir shrugs, nonchalantly and raises his guns. "Very well. Everyone dies. I'm all right with that."
He fries two shots directly at Tekk, smoke billowing. The bullets rips through the paladin, making him gasp in pain. With a clatter of armor Tekk falls to the ground. Blood pours out of him but Shalina doesn't think he is dead.
Hands like a blur, Baskir reloads again and a third shot rips into Shalina's shoulder. The bullet smashes into her shoulder bone, making her entire arm flare into fiery pain.
At the arch Shalina can overhear Berd shouting, "We have to turn it off."
"No..no..." Urlic says, shaking his head feebly, "He will kill my family...He said..."
Berd grabs the man by the shoulders, shouting "He will do it anyway. Look at my face!" He turns his battered face to the panicked man, revealing the tortured and melted flesh. "This is what happens to those in his way. Turn it off!"
1. Baskir shoots at Tekk, twice
2. Tekk is horribly wounded
3. Shalina is hit for 23 points of damage
4. Tekk stabilizes
Shalina's ire causes her to push her attack on Baskir. That seemed to be the only way that they may survive. If she stopped to heal Tekk now, they'd all die. However, as she attacked the gunslinger she made sure she kept herself between him and Tekk.
Shalina's blows slash Baskir's chest and shoulders, slicing huge wounds. It looks like maybe she punctured a lung. With savage satisfaction she sees the grin slide off the gunslinger's face as he sees death in Shalina's face. He wavers a bit but remains standing.
Biting his words he says, "One for you..." and fires a shot at Shalina. The bullet hits her in the chest, and she feels it bounce off her ribs. The pain is unreal but Shalina grits her teeth and remains upright.
Then he adds, 'And one for Rappan." He raises the gong piece high and squeezes it with his hairy fist.
The massive cannon shaped flares to life, the red light pulsing. Baskir's face grow white as the cannon starts to rumble and shake. "Ooh Sh-"
With a blinding flash of white light the laser explodes. The force pushes at Shalina as if someone tackled her. It throws her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her. She notices, through the haze of confusion the same has happened to Baskir.
Between them, on the floor, is the cracked gong piece, knocked free by the blast.
Shalina stands up, ribs sore and ears ringing. But her focus is still Baskir. She sees the gong piece on the floor but as long as she can keep the gunslinger from it, she doesn't feel like she has to pick it up. Her muscles tense, ready to close the distance between herself and Baskir...again.
Standing, Shalina sees Baskir does the same. The gunslinger looks woozy, and blood trickles over his pale face. Punch-drunk, he limps quickly up the stairs in front of the arch.
There is no smile as Baskir feels the entire Tower shake as the laser continues to thrum loudly. Faced burned, body battered, wheezing from Shalina's blows he croaks, 'Well, maybe I didn't get to shoot you, but by the Gods I killed you! That thing will blow this place sky-high and everyone in it." he turns to face the archway, pointing a gun lazily at Urlic. "Good bye."
As he raises a foot a clear voice rings out. 'Baskir, remember me? Do you remember this face?"
Suddenly Berd, unnoticed till now surges forward, vaulting up the stairs. Even as the mutilated man does so, Urlic slaps some panel and the image changes from dusty Rappan to an endless vista of fire and smoke. Hellish pillars of flames dot distant landscape, wreathed in smog.
Baskir opens his mouth slightly, and Shalina sees a flicker of recognition cross his face. The gunslinger rasies the gun and Shalina can see Berd's eye light with a life she has never seen before. The man, grinning madly grabs Baskir around the middle and both topple into the burning image before them. Even as they fall into it, flames ignite on the grappling figures, creating hellish halos of light and heat. Soundlessly they vanish into the other place.
The entire Tower rocks and reels as the rumbling, crumbling sound grows louder.
Shalina's mouth stands agape for a second until the tower rumbling spurs her to action. There would be time to mourn another friend's passing once they were free of this place. At least Berd had accomplished what he'd set out to do. She rushes to Tekk's side and hums somewhat desperately before releasing as much healing as she can harness into his body. "Tekk! Wake up! We need to go, now." She drags him to his feet and moves towards Urlic but first she stoops and picks up the gong piece.
"Urlic! Can you get us out of here with that contraption?"
Even as Shalina scoops up gong piece and tries to cure Tekk, the entire Tower shakes. Dust falls fromt he cieling as stones grind and crack. All around there is a weird rushing noise like wind, but she feels no breeze.
Here and there throughout the chamber points of light appear, flashing forming...little portals to other places. Images flicker past them. Reality itself is becoming undone. Unconstrained by the arches the new portals crackle and flicker with energy.
Tekk's eyes flicker open, 'What...what happened?" He does get to his feet, barely.
Urlic looks at the arch, messing with an array of knobs and buttons, "Only if you want to go to Rappan." At his words the archway flickers again and shows the dusty streets of the small town."
He makes a sad face, "I'll have to stay behind to operate the arch." He raises a hand, "Your friend...he convinced me to do the right thing. He told me, if I had a chance, to tell you, 'Thank you for the second chance.'. The woudned man sadly smiles, 'he said you'd know what it means."
Without pausing he adds, "My family, Baskir threatened my family. Can you please help them? They live in Sothis..just make sure they are safe and...and tell them I love them. Now hurry, before this place collapses entirely!" Tears run down the man's face.
Shalina smiles warmly at Tekk, "Glad you're back on your feet. There's much to tell you but now's not the time. Another magical tower collapsing and all, certain death if we don't leave now. You know the drill."
She drags the paladin near the portal ready to push him through if necessary. She smiles at what he says about Berd.
Before stepping through she gives the small man a hug. She wants to ask him why he's here and why Baskir needed him specifically but she knows there isn't time for a whole backstory. "Rappan will do nicely. Thanks for your help and for listening to Berd. You'll be remembered as heroes to everyone I meet. I promise I'll find your family. What are their names?"
"Eshe and Deka Themis, my wife and daughter." he says, breathless.
Knowing there is no time, Shalina drag Tekk the gate. It is like passing through a flimsy gauzy curtain, as time and space flow and pass over the pair. Soft and cool, it passes them from the dark shaking Tower tot he blinking bright sun instantly. With a feeling of seasickness they drop to the sandy dirt outside Rappan.
Beside her Tekk nosiely throws up, and rolls over. "I find myself being woken up by your healing more often then I'd like. Where is Berd?' he shades his eyes against the sun, looking around. to the West a huge cloud of dust and shadow is rising from the distant mountains.
Shalina sprawls on the ground beside Tekk completely exhausted. She turns her head and gives Tekk a huge grin, "At least you're still waking up. And it means that you are the fearless protector that you feel is your duty to be."
"Berd deserves a celebration toast when we get back into Rappan because he is truly the hero of the day. After Baskir shot you, he then tried to activate the weapon to destroy Rappan. It started to malfunction but not before Urlic, because of what Berd said, changed the destination of the portal to somewhere with a lot of fire." This is where a few tears silently streak down Shalina's face knowing that she would never see Berd again. "Berd sacrificed himself by tackling Baskir into the flames. He's gone but not before doing something heroic to redeem his past choices. He's at peace now and so is Fylor because Baskir is dead. Or at least somewhere very, very uncomfortable."
She slowly gets into a sitting position as she observes the destruction of the place where they had been only moments before. "Urlic stayed behind so that we could leave. I promised I'd find his family and make sure they're safe. Baskir threatened their safety so that he would help him with the machine. So I'm...we're off to Sothis next. And I think that brings you up to speed from while you were unconscious. But before we figure out any travel plans, a few drinks for the fallen."
Before they get to their feet, Shalina asks Tekk something that had been gnawing at the back of her mind since the previous night when he admitted his frustrations of not being able to protect her. "Why do you feel like it's your duty to protect me? Did we enter into some agreement that I'm not aware of?" She looks at him expectantly. "Don't get me wrong. I love that you protect me but I would hope that it's because we're friends and not because you feel you have to. Otherwise there may come a time when you begin to resent me and I don't want that to happen." She looks at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "Because I'm not going to stop getting into trouble any time soon."
Tekk ponders all of this, digesting it. "How long was I out for? Seems like a lot happened."
When Shalina asks him he stands up, looking like a beaten and weary man. He turns his sunburned face away from Shalina, and faces the empty Mana Wastes. In the distance the smoke and ruin to he Tower rises high into the clear sky.
"You know my past, why I was banished to the Oasis and exiled from Sothis. I killed a woman that I should not have. Is it chance that the gods have given me a second chance and a second woman to protect? You are a friend Shalina, and a worthy ally, but you are also a charge from Toth himself, and my last chance at redemption. If I fail again....well, I will not fail."
Shalina smiles, "Not a super long time but things are always happening when we're involved. I'm glad that Berd found his redemption and I'm glad we were a small part of it. I will miss having him along even if I won't miss your bickering."
She watches him from behind. She mentally kicks herself for forgetting momentarily that his troubles had all started in Sothis. Curious at his choice of words she presses, "Why do you think I'm a charge from Toth? Just because I happened to stumble into your oasis doesn't mean that because there were more before me, right? And for the record, I don't believe this would be your last chance at redemption. That places too much value and pressure on me." She pauses before asking quietly, "Are you going to be ok with going back to Sothis or is this where we part company?"
Tekk turns and faces her, "The heart of Toth is known to mortals, that of the Great Scholar beyond our mortal ken. But I have spent many years in penance for my sins. To me, it seems clear and I see the hand of the divine in you coming into my life and requesting my help. It is as clear as if he stood in front of me and handed me a book written in my own blood."
At her last question he nods, "Yes, we can go. Perhaps traveling there, with you, will purge old poisons. But first let us look at Rappan...something doesn't look right."
He points at the small town and indeed, it seems very quiet, with no one in the streets or the shops. There is smoke from chimneys that points to life but no other sign.
"It must be nice to know something so completely. Admittedly I'm not that sure about anything."
Shalina's eyes sparkle, "Oooo, maybe I'll get to be your protector in Sothis. There's a turn of events I bet you didn't think of."
Her face grows serious as Tekk draws her focus to Rappan. "At least there's some signs of life. Maybe everyone left for the Gates?" she asks hopefully. "But you're right, we should investigate further."
Tekk smiles then the first time since they fell out of the arch. "Perhaps. Maybe for once I'll carry you out of some danger."
"Will you allow me to scout quietly ahead without you?"
Tekk shakes his head, and despite looking like death warmed over he says, 'No, I need to protect you."
She grinned, "I figured as much. But I'll have to do something about your current health. You won't be much of a protector when it looks like a stiff wind will blow you over." Humming a now familiar tune to the paladin, Shalina releases healing energy into him.
Considering their options she says, "Let's try the temple of Sarenrae. Hopefully they'll know what's going on and will be willing to open their doors to us. I don't think the same would hold true for the people's dwellings."
Together they move toward the temple, the empty looking town getting creepier by the minute. The Temple, like most of the Dawnflower's is a set of walls, enclosing a hidden courtyard. Sarenrae services are meant to be held in the open air.
Now though, the iron door is shut. There is no sound of life outside, no sign or notice and no one keeping watch, as far as they can see.
Now that things have settled after their last battle, Shalina pulls out the gong piece that Baskir had dropped. Realizing that Tekk had been unconscious at this point she says, "Baskir dropped this after he tried to use it. It's curious that he managed to activate it somehow even though it was to disastrous results. Someone obviously has been working with him. I guess it's appropriate that we're going to a temple to Sarenrae because the monks we encountered also worshiped her. But I think it's time to try to find out more about what I've been tasked to collect." Stopping in her tracks and digging out a scroll, she reads the words off the paper and directs the magic at the piece.
____________
Standing outside the door, Shalina looks for a door knocker or bell to ring.
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Tekk nods, "If it operated that cannon....it can't be anything trivial."
Shalina casts her scroll on the broken gong piece. Like the others it is worn from millennia, although the edges are still sharp as knives.
At first nothing happens and then the fragment gets a bit hot in her hand.
'Anything?" Tekk asks then says, 'Maybe it is too powerful..."
Suddenly Shalina feels a pressure building in her mind, a terrible force pressing out, splitting her skull. The world goes white in pain and light as she drops to her knees, the pain overwhelming. Her skull is ripping open, she is dying. Far in the distance she can hear Tekk shouting, all fades before the blazing spear of pain....
Her vision swims into view but it seems different. The colors overly bright, everything seeming to pulsate. Like a dream, it all seems otherworldly. There is no pain here, wherever here is. The colors fade a bit, allowing her to see around herself.
She is the middle of a large square, crowded with people. They seem to be shouting, but she can hear nothing. Flames, giant ones dance in the distance. She in a burning city, she realizes, a city at war. The people are armed, some fighting others. Turning she sees the far distant curve of a massive black shape, alien and wrong. Sothis, the bard realizes in the way of dreams, that is the Black Dome itself.
The mages waver as if underwater. It comes back and she in a smaller settlement, the fires dim now. Now there are figures in robes, cheering in victory. At their feet are dark-robed bodies, slain foes. They are being fed to giant pyres, sending dark oily smoke to the heavens.
To the side, more robed figures, those of the victors, stand around a roaring fire. As if walking, but not walking, Shalina moves toward it, the world shifting around her.
A figure holds a round object in a pair of tongs and lowers it into the fire. Men and women, warriors all, raise weapons and chant. To the side a few of the dark robed ones are chained and forced to watch. Shalina can see utter hate and despair on their faces.
Then the figure pulls the object from the burning forge, and it glows white hot with heat. With a shock Shalina realizes it is the gong she has been painstakingly reassembling. Then, with a quick motion the figure dunks the white hot metal into the River Sphinx, the lifeblood of Osrion.
Huge gouts of steam fill her vision but she can still see the water churn and boil. Then the item is pulled back out and it is shattered into the same pieces Shalina has seen before. The figure holds the broken parts about his head in triumphant victory.
The vision fades then, fades to utter blackness. The pain returns, endless pain, racking her body. Every bone is breaking, her blood boiling....
Out of the darkness she can hear a voice calling her name. 'Shalina....Shalina..."
Then the darkness recedes and she is back, lying on the ground, facing the bright sky. The pain retreats, slowly.
'Shalina!" Tekk is leaning over her, her head in his hands. 'Are you awake?"
By her head the cracked ioun stone is flying in frenzied motion, flashing bright lights. Only slowly does it return to stillness.
Tears caused by the pain silently streak down her cheeks. "Owww," she moans. "What happened?" Then she adds with a hint in of fear in her voice, "I'm not so sure that this thing should be put back together. What could they possibly be thinking?"
"You screamed and fell over." Tekk says, looking worried, "Your whole body starting jerking. It looked like you had a seizure. I called for you...and you came back." He pauses then says, 'Did you see something/"
Even as he speaks, the temple door opens a halfing steps out. He is wearing the robes of a priest of Sarenrae, and has a shock of unkempt redhair.
'Is someone hurt I heard you calling for help?" His bright face falls, 'I still do not have a cure, if that is what you need."
Shalina slowly sits up. "Too much, I saw too much. And the pain, so much pain." She picks up the ioun stone, "Was this you or did it do that on its own?"
She gratefully turns her attention to the halfling so that she can ignore how close to death she may have actually been. "Cure? Cure for what? Is that why the town looks so different?"
The halfling makes an incredulous face, "Do you not know? Everyone in town knew...are you back from the Tower?" His face brightens, "Are the adventurers coming back? Thank the gods, maybe one of them will be a healer of sufficient power to do what I could not."
"How long have we been gone? There wasn't any sickness when we left." Then her voice gets quiet, "I'm not sure if anymore will be coming back with the implosion and all. What's going on?"
The priest looks at her, "The illness began only a few days ago, just as everyone was leaving. What do you mean, what implosion?"
Shalina points to the cloud of destruction in the distance that still hangs in the air, too large to have dissipated already. "That implosion. The Tower crumbled in on itself, quite violently. We barely escaped."
She thought that the illness sounded suspicious. "Does anyone know how the sickness began? None of the people we met showed any signs of regular illness." Images of the mutants flickered through Shalina's mind but she quickly banished them from thought.
The priest's face pales as he looks at the distant dust cloud, hanging int he air. 'Come..come inside. You need attended to."
Tekk and the halfling help get Shalina inside, her joints still slightly pained. The halfling leads them to a small side-room, obviously a sickroom of some type. They lay the bard onto a divan and the halfling washes her face and gives them both water to drink.
The halfling himself sips from a hip flask, and it smells stronger then water. 'I...I suppose you are all the help that is going to come."
He leans back and goes on, "As I said, just as the adventurers were leaving, some happened to the food and water, poisoned it, make it toxic. Food went rancid all over town, no matter how well stored. Water became greasy and unusable." he points to their water. 'I just created that myself. It is still good but it'll turn soon."
He shakes his head, "I don't know what is causing it. I have tried to...call for help but they have not come. Something is wrong. A caravan is coming but without food or water, we won't last long enough."
"Who have you called for help?"
"Does anyone here in Rappan have any idea what happened or who may have caused the food and water supply to deteriorate? Is it magical in nature? Do you know where the source of the problem is? I'd be willing to help but I need more information."
The priest wavers as if debating to keep a secret. After a moment he says, in a rush, 'It is a secret order that lives near here. Every priest who comes here is given this rune and told that, in case of emergency, the monks will come." he shows Shalina an old disc with a Angelic dove above an ankh, printed on it. 'I have used it but I have got no reply.'
'As for the poisoning, I don't know. I am guessing it is magical but I have detected nothing. It must be in town I guess, there is nothing around but the empty wilds." He wrings his hands in worry, "I don't know what else to do."
Then he says, "I can at least do this."
Shalina sits bolt upright at his mention of monks and immediately regrets her actions as the pain intensifies and she winces. "Do you know roughly where the secret order is? I have a feeling they may be in grave danger."
She tries to look reassuring. "I'll take a look around Rappan and see if I can find anything but there is still a good chance that the source may be elsewhere."
Shalina breathes a sigh of relief as some of her pain is alleviated by the halfling's touch. She smiles more readily, "Thank you...? What's your name? I'm Shalina and this is Tekk."
The halfling hangs his head, the red locks tumbling, 'I am sorry. I don't know. If I did, I would go myself."
'My name is Sim, Sim Underhill. Nice to meet you too."
She pats his arm, "It's ok, Sim. If you don't know, you don't know. There's no need to apologize."
"So why is everything shut up tight in Rappan if it's just the food and water that's affected? Why are people hiding in their homes and not out in the streets?"
The halfling sighs, "They are scared. No one knows what is causing it or what will happen next. I have also heard some wild rumors that some people have gone missing, but I am sure that is just panic."
Shalina furrows her brow in thought as well as concern. "It may not be just stories. Rappan is a small town so if there are people missing then it may be true. Do you know anyone specifically that was supposed to have gone missing? Why do they think they're missing and not just gone off to try their luck along with all the other adventurers a couple days ago?" Then she realizes how callous that may sound and she blushes before stammering, "Ss..sorry. I didn't mean..." She starts again, "In your opinion, where's the best place to start looking?"