With the siphon trying to get away the hunters bear down on their prey, bringing it down. The siphon tries to keep itself solid but its form begins to falter and it fades into the pool. Those who are magically inclined in the group can still feel the siphons presence in the pool as they did not try only lethal blows on the creature.
The other creatures are twitching and Alþórel can feel the pulse of thought still emanating from them although they are not thinking about much at the moment having the lights knocked out of them.
The group now needs to think about what they can try with this siphon pool and the minions. However, their capture appears to have worked so they are one step closer.
There were some thoughts that Alþórel was able to draw from the centaur, taking them closer still. They are bridging themselves ever closer to their answer that is only a grasp away.
Al nods convulsively "Time may be short. My mind reading revealed this: 'Must hold... the world needs only.. short time... purpose will be served... stop them...send him!'. When I misled the creature it thought ' How? This world yet stands! He can not have made it back yet? Could he?'"
The mage looks grim "This world had a purpose - to send some 'him' somewhere. The destruction of this world is a byproduct of that - though I doubt the inhabitants will see it that way."
"Hmph." Elise grunts and heads back to her mark, kneeling down to tie him up. She wasn't really sure if tying up a water-elemental-thingy would work but it had seemed solid enough. Put it in a bucket maybe? she amused herself with the thought before Al's questions nestled themselves back. "Who is *him*? I'd guess it would make sense if it was Tar looking for a way back. Or Aroden being banished someplace nastier - but then a link back home wouldn't really make sense would it?"
"Uncle Al, do you need my assistance in penetrating their consciousness since I have an understanding with powers of the mind, and group magic is more powerful than individual magic?"
Nethan looks to Elise, "Him could be anything from the fragments/bloodstones of Aroden we have found, the Death Knights we have fought, the original owners of the Bloodstone Compass, Chief Sarangeral, someone we met but forgot or not thinking of as a candidate, or someone or something we have yet to meet?"
While waiting for a reply, Nethan uses one point of Legendary Power from his Legendary Crystalline Focus to himself 22 points.
"I don't think it is about corruption? It will be about power, Aroden's ultimate and permanent destruction, and maybe the Tyrant's resurrection? Irregardless, definitely surgence in power!"
The centaur shakes its head when it is eventually roused. The creature while transparent because of the water around its torso you can see that it partly alive. An undead contraption moving it from within, the skeleton. Somewhat similar to the creatures that the group saw in the dimensional pocket when they found Kizutena.
It glowers at the group before spitting out, "To feed that energy to him, that is their only purpose! Those beings." Though the centaur clams up after saying that and eyes Amelia's weapons.
"These undead beings are a form of a constructed servant. I don't think we will get anything out of them unless we take control of them, fool them into believe we are Tar, or Force it out of them."
Nethan walks up to Al and whispers in his ear, "Try to bluff them into giving you more information?"
Al whispers back "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I'm not sure what to say..."
Nethan nods with a smile, "You are a better bluffer than I and necromancy is an opposition school for me. I will help you the best I can."
"Tar-Baphon made this world like some sick cattle farm?" Elise bursts out. It was what they had suspected for a while, but it still felt wrong to hear it out loud. With her brows furrowed and fury emanating from her whole being she being she dragged the centaur up to her eye level. "The siphons - *how* do they transfer that energy to him? Where is *he*?"
Nethan shrugs and states to himself, ::"Not sure intimidation will work but worth a try?!":: "ANSWER THE QUESTIONS OR I WILL MAKE SURE YOU ALL FAIL YOUR MISSIONS!"
Nethan starts to cast a fireball to enhance the intimidation but will stop the incantation before the spell is cast or wasted.
The other creatures rouse as there is shouting from Elise and Nethan. The questions come as a barrage though between the three interrogators they manage to break what little spirit the creature had left.
" 'He' is the king! He has been feeding to regain his power, to return to the plane is rightfully his. The king is not far beyond this realm, the siphons move all the energy left behind by the seeds to the shell that surrounds this realm. The shell protects this place but is also a buffer. As that shell has grown strong enough the king now takes what he needs from it as the realm has served its purpose. Any surplus is a boon for him." The centaur mummers and looks to brace itself anticipating further questions. It splutters out something extra. "Most of the energy is being used to take the life force of his greatest foe, now that they can pierce his soul."
Nethan waits to see if the interrogatories respond to Amelia without further intimidation.
"Uhum." Elise responded to the flow of information, unsure what to do with it. She shoots a sideways glance at Al - hopefully he'd be able to explain - though she had her hunches. And it really didn't take an the-gods-know-how-old wizard to figure out that this all sounded quite bad!
Nethan whispers in draconic into Elise's ear ...
All the creatures quizzically look at each other then the centaur reels in fear without an answer to the questions that Amelia asks. It tries to answer with something. "I don't know where his foe is trapped only that it always feels nearby. The siphons bring energy to the master..."
One of the other creatures attacks the centaur, stopping it elaborating. Then they silently stare back.
[ooc] Hopefully this is enough of a nudge for another clue! If nothing springs to mind though we can go off to the entrance you came to this plane though![ooc]
When he hears the centaur's words, Dreyyn looks to see if he can see any lines of magical energy leading anywhere.
"Always seems close..." Al looks thoughtful "Part of the plane? Is the life this place sustains drawn from Aroden? Or simpler. Could it be the pool holds a fragment?"
He looks up at the others "I think we should drain the pool."
"We already have the fragments Uncle Al and we will find a siphon stone if we drain the pool. Although, the pools may still be portals to the other demiplanes?" Nethan pauses, But what the frak? There are other pools to experiment on if draining the pools comes up empty." Nethan pauses again and looks at the pond, "So what now, fireball it to only ash and dust remain?"
"That seems reasonable." Al had a thought "Could it be colour magic itself?"
Nethan nods, "It's plausible?!"
Nethan casts detect magic on the water in the pool to see if it is colored magic.
Dreyyn concentrates as hard as he can. He does not sense much but he feels the pull of colour magic going up and out of the lake where the siphon is. His magic is still unfocused and unable to detect a precise location but can at least feel what the centaur was saying is true.
The creatures hold still while the party considers torching the pool, the group can see the water creatures all tense up as if ready to pounce.
"I think it says the truth. I can feel the magic going up. Can you see it? Maybe with magic?"
Nethan whispers to Uncle Al and Dreyyn, "Do we have anything in which we can pierce the mind of the siphon and take control? Perhaps, we can just open a portal that we can safely transport through including the bloodstones?"
Nethan tries to unwind the fabrics of the colour magic. Since he is versed in Golarion magic it seems possible.
There are traces of all different colour magic as different strands, the one that is the thickest to Nethan's eyes is the black one. It feels as shades now, something Nethan has not experienced before. The varies shades of black intertwine into a beautiful string that is almost begging to be pulled.
The strands all wind down to a certain point in the sky. The magic is going to that point and then disappearing into nothing. It seems like a good point to breach into wherever that leads Nethan surmises. Nethan can also guess he can be dragged along by that black strand, it is quite strong, similar to the pure magic he saw in the sewers before.
"Uh-hum." Elise glances in the general direction of the wizards but decides to do let them do their thing. Instead she decided to deal with the rebellious critter. Grabbing the one that attacked the centaur she started to drag it away from the others.
"Captives should behave." she noted sourly. "And it is rude to interrupt when someone is talking. If your existence have any value, you stay here." She dropped the creature to the ground again.
"Hey everyone group up for a huddle and we can keep a watch over our subdued?" Nethan waits for everything to gather and then begins to whisper, "I see black colour magic leading to the sky and it appears it has strength to it so we can use it to pull us into I am guessing the next demiplane. We need to get the bloodstones just in case it is one way. But I have been thinking to cover us with black colour magic to either fool the black magic we are supposed to be there and act as both a vehicle and a pass to move on from this plane?" Nethan looks at Uncle Al and Elise, "What do you two think since you casters as well?"
Al joined the huddle
"I'm a little worried - given that it is draining life. On the other hand, if it is just the magic going into the sky, presumably the siphon is the drain. I think it is worthwhile. Probably also worth us tying ourselves together and taking some simple precautions."
He nods "Well done to both of you, Dreyyn and Nethan."
Nethan nods and whispers, "I am making an educated guess that if we cover ourselves in Black Colour Magic, it will protect us like being encased in a shell. Therefore immune to the effects of the drain. Every time I cast Black Colour Magic on myself, I feel no ill effect. At least, thus far anyway. Now the real question, is do we need to purchase black colour magic beakers or can I cover us with the power I have?"
"It's an idea." Elise agrees, gazing into the sky. She wasn't so sure about this - the whole plan was way outside of her comfort zone - but it was the most promising lead they had. With a frown she quizzed the mages. "Are there other strands of colour magic?" she closed her eyes and tried to summon what she knew of Red. Maybe I can feel it?
Nethan can see that the line of black magic is the strongest to his eyes but he does see strands to the other colours. Albeit it is rather faint in comparison. He suspects he can shroud the whole group in black colour magic if he wishes to drag them all along the black line.
Elise feels the same as Dreyyn. A small tug of colour magic, perhaps with a bit of guidance she can be drawn to the red colour that she can sense ever so slightly.
Nethan nods and whispers, "I do see the other colors as well but they are faint compared to black. I can shield us all with black colour magic but if you all feel we should traverse another colour, I can probably coach you how but the colour we choose should cast their colour magic over all of us to, in theory, fool any protection magic."
"Mmm - I can *almost* feel it. Where is Red?" Elise asks reaching out in the air. Opening her eyes again she gazed to the sky. "Though if you are sure bringing all of us along the black one; I'd say we go for that. We might not have too much time spent fondling air."
Nethan shakes his head, "I didn't mean we split up. I meant if you, including myself, all chose a different colour instead of black, the person with that colour casts their colour magic on us all and then they take us with them along their colour strand. In other words, they steer and the rest are passengers along their colour strand." Nethan pauses, "Hmm, I wonder?" Nethan takes out the bloodstone compass and faces it to each strand while watching the gauge for results.
"I don't think mind can work on many people."
Nethan shakes his head, "Nay, I have the same amount of colour magical power as you all do. I will show you how to cover all of us with the power you all have."