Ryan stands betwixt Kaurophon and Juraan, Nodding in readiness.
Kaurophon seems to ignore Kikinnin words. Instead he takes the dwarf's hand and joins the circle. When the circle is closed he presents a small black circular amulet, although it seems to have a moving swirl of color. With the words "Cinamon Occipitus" the space around you starts to swirl and transforms into something different.
The rocks of the cliff become open air and the stone in the ground becomes reddish. Soon the swirl ends and you can observe your new environment.
The sky seems to be made of flame, bathing everything in a reddish glow. Off in the distance looms a massive skull: a white monolith the size of a small mountain. Clouds of flame stream from the skull's single exposed eye socket and up into the sky. About a half-mile ahead stands a cluster of gently curving white pillars, almost as if giant rib bones had been stuck in the ground. In the distance looms a steep mountain ridge whose top seems to touch the fiery sky. It stretches around the entire horizon as if you were standing inside a vast bowl with a fiery lid. The ground is spongy and wrinkled. It's more like skin than dirt.
Kaurophon observes the skull, ribs and other landmarks for orientation "It seems I failed to bring us directly into the Cathedral of Feathers." he points to an ossaic forest in the distance "We have to cross that forest of bones, I estimate the Cathedral, were the first part of the Test lies, is 100 miles in that direction"
"Well.." says JJ looking around.
"It's a bit of a fixer-upper".
He releases the hands of Juraan and Marigold, taking out his staff as he does so. For a moment he pauses, a distateful look on his face.
"Okay, perhaps I should scout a little ahead of everyone here?" he suggests, albeit a tad reluctantly.
"I've done a bit of study of the abyss, and sure as dammed souls end up here, we will be facing the unexpected."
He turns to Kikinnin, seemingly slightly older and more sure of himself than he has been for a long time. "While I'm here, I will seem as evil as the locals. Before you lay down the wrath of Abadar on something that looks like me... Judge its actions or ask it something only I would know - you won't be able to rely on Abadar's sight to identify a real me from an evil simulacrum..."
"Umm should we expect evil simulcruma of you JJ? You preach temperance and then throw everyone under suspicion even if unintentionally." Ryan says reasonably as JJ seems to indicate all here will appear evil.
Turning to survey the area surrounding them he muses to no one in particular " Seems as if this demi-plane was once a titan of a cyclops"
"Certainly looks like it."
Turning to Kaurophon, Juraan asks: "Are we standing on what's left of some sort of once-living colossus?"
"I don't know Ryan... and I suspect that the rest of you won't react in quite the same way that I will. " says the lad.
"I'm not saying don't trust it at all, just use common sense as well."
"S-seem evil?" Marigold repeats, brow crinkling with sudden worry. "H-how, JJ? And wh-why? R-Ryan's right, you can't just s-say things like that l-like it's just...just a c-comment on the weather or s-something!"
Maxim shoots JJ and hard look;
"Let's jist stick together fir a change eh Surabar? Iffen' we're a sniff from the Abyss. best we have collective eyes an' ears open..."
As the young swordsman gives an ill portent of himself, unlike the others the gun-mage barely reacts;
"Tainted, touched or doppleganged don't mean apple-jack to me boy. Yer lookin' an' soundin' the same headstrong eijit to as always... An' there's comfort in that!"
"It was a chunk of Celestia, that broke during a battle between angels and demons. The skull you see is no other but the head of the colossal Mharah. Once champion of the cause of Adimarcus" Kaurophon points towards the far far skull at the middle of the plane.
"We should start moving. Unless you have the ability to fly we are going to need walking for at least four days to reach the Cathedral of Feathers" the planes' traveler points again to a far rock structure past an ossary forest.
As you walk some meters you notice the red flat ground is a fleshy, springy surface, warm and slightly damp to the touch. Nothing grows in the grayish-red substance. It can't be dug, only cut into chunks and removed.
The flats stretch unbroken in miles until reaching the forest of bones.
Kikinnin listens to JJ, pinching grains of salt between his gloved hands. When the others chime in, the black beard feels satisfied that his own stance on the matter has already been stated, so sets himself to the task at hand- the march. If worse comes to worse, Kikinnin doesn't worry overly so that he'll hesitate to put JJ down, same as any other corrupted soul, should it come to that.
"This place is nothing but corruption seeped into the lands. I can feel it, and it doesn't like me being here. Let's get this over with, so we can be gone at the soonest moment."
"Doesn't look like ambushes are AS likely as in the jungle.
"That's some small comfort, I suppose.
"Still, we'd best hike as fast as we can.
"The sooner we start the sooner we finish."
"T-too bad we can't all just f-fly..." Marigold grimaces as the terrain under her feet seems to bounce and give just slightly, as though she were walking across an enormous patch of skin or a blood vein. "I c-could fly for a sh-short ways but n-not long enough to m-make a huge difference. And I c-couldn't carry anyone else with m-me, either..."
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Kikinnin stays close to the others, looking forward and to the rear, as his paranoia of such a plane grows. The strange sounds and shiftings do nothing to settle his nerves. In fact, quite the opposite. He finally realizes that he's holding his breath in long intervals, as if breathing the very air somehow welcomes something corrupt into his lungs.
He decides to speak, rather than stir the crazy between his ears.
"I'm surprised, and disappointed, that it's come to this. That our problems surrounding Cauldron run so deep, and the evil that continues to amuse itself might be so strong. I never imagined traveling to this... land. It mocks us." I don't like to made to feel so small. "Ryan, don't be slow to indicate if something riles you up. This world can't like your divine strength, I gather." Kikinnin turns to look over the others.
"JJ seems unusually comfortable here. I haven't decided how I feel about that, but I have to trust that his heart is incorruptible. I can still feel Abadar's Oversight here. That gives me comfort. The rest of you, do you still feel your magics flowing? I've never traveled like this, so I don't know what we should be expecting, other than raw hostility."
"Um...I g-guess I'm okay," Marigold responds after a moment's pause. "R-right now I d-don't feel much different than usual b-but I'm also not a p-proper priest or holy warrior like you or R-Ryan. M-maybe if I were, b-being here would make me feel w-worse than I do, I d-don't know."
She shivers and looks around, falling back into the habits of nervousness that had been so natural to her only a few short months ago. "B-but I can say that b-being here feels wrong. I think it'd feel w-wrong even if I were j-just someone picked off the street and d-dropped here. P-people like us shouldn't b-be here...but here we are j-just the same."
Maxim mulls the locale with interest, then pulls forth a stogie and lights it, before taking a puff;
"Cheroot seems to light the same... Tastes the same. So can't all be bad."
He shrug with a frown;
"I ain't feelin' up nor down, leastways no more than usual. Once I start throwin' spells or crackin' off shots I'll know iffin' things are a mite different regards rules o' engagement."
Kikinnin takes small comfort where he can, as his friends speak up, and affirm their wariness, same as him. The black beard encourages Kaurophon to lead the way. "You'll let us know what we should expect on our march, eh? You've already traveled this land. You know what roams here."
Kaurophon nods to the dwarf and takes the lead without answering, showing clearly he likes the Malachite warrior as much as he likes him. After few hours of walking through, you get glowingly used to the strange spongy reddish ground. You decide to make a stop to have some lunch.
After eating some, you resume your walk. From time to time you observe in the flat surface 5-foot to 10-foot-wide holes with caustic, bubbling red liquid-some times just a seepage, but other times what looks like a fountain. The ulcer fluid looks and smells like blood. "It is not blood, but it is very caustic. Try to avoid contact with those, it can slowly hurt your skin" advises Kaurophon. The seeping ulcers simply have a shillow pool of ulcer fluid around them but the fountain ulcers have a similar pool around them, but above the pool floats a pink mist-miniscule droplets of the ulcer fluid. It is difficult to see through the mist, and it could serve someone to conceal himself.
Just a couple of hours before bed time you find out a group of strange rounded creatures roaming the strange plains. The beasts are enjoying some chewing on the ground, tearing up great chunks with their massive jaws. They are still far away but they seem having noticed you and look into your direction suspiciously. The beasts look like massive terrestrial hippos, but with longer legs, and six of them instead of four. Their body appears swollen, and their tail is broad, flat, and fairly short. The beasts' mouth is tremendous, with massive tusks. Its yellow-brown flesh is mottled with sickly green warty growths.
Abyss Magical Beast. Neutral Huge.
These bloated, elephantine creatures roam in herds across the layers of the lower planes, particularly the Abyss and Carceri. Called thunder beasts for their rumbling bellows, intestinal sounds, and offensive breath, these creatures subsist on vegetation and ooze from which unwholesome growths spring. In turn, they are fed upon by many of the other creatures likewise inhabiting the place. Their flesh is rank, fibrous, and disgusting to all but demons and their ilk-and possibly even to them!
Although not carnivorous, the thunder beast is a notoriously surly and cantankerous creature, highly prone to unprovoked attacks and sudden charges against anything it perceives as threatening its personal territory. They begin their attacks by charging their targets. Against single targets, they usually utilize bite attacks. Against large numbers of foes they use trample. A thunder beast uses bull rush or overrun to reach and attack the largest creature it sees.
Additionally, you know they have a stunning deafening roar and a stench gas. They are immune to sonic attacks and poison, disease and similar effects.
Kaurophon points to the creatures "Roaming beasts. If we approach more they might attack us. Perhaps we should take a detour, but doing so will take us a few hours and put us even further behind in the race for the plane. What do you prefer we do?"
Marigold pauses, thinking she'd read about a creature like this in a book once. But she can't quite put her finger on it.
"Um...they l-look dangerous and I'd rather not f-fight if it can be avoided," she remarks. "We'll need our st-strength for these trials, after a-all..."
Kikinnin nods at the halfling lass's observation. "Avoiding danger is wise. I am not enthusiastic about engaging."
The black beard turns to Kaurophon. "If you're suggesting that we're already behind, why'd you give us time to recuperate? You're hard to understand. I'd inquire as to your knowledge of who we're racing, and where you think they are, at present."
Kourophon looks at Kikinnin a bit unnerved "Rivals, yes. Some demons dream of ruling Occipitus themselves and remaking the place as a plane of pure evil. I know of at least two such groups-one led by a succubus and another led by a renegade rakshasa. They're close to finding the first part of the test. If we are to take the detour, let's make it fast"
Maxim eyes the distant beasts with a concerned frown;
"I ain't fir lockin' horns with them critters neither. Best we avoid 'em as prevailin' wisdom would dictate..."
The dwur lets his words linger as he looks at JJ before continuing;
"...'Sides Kourophon, surely it ain't about whose partakin' in this race... its about who finishes. Let these rivals do the hard yards, then swoop in at the death fresh and readied, an' claim the spoils!"
"N-normally I'd say that's not very sp-sportsman-like, but...well, a s-succubus and a r-rakshasa? They'd p-probably jump at the chance to d-do it to us if they h-had the opportunity," Marigold chimes in.
"Sage words Maxim" profits Kaurophon to say "Just let's try they do not get too far. Ok. We get the detour"
Trying to avoid any encounter with the roaming beasts of the plane, the group takes the long path along the ulcer fountains landscape. It takes the group the rest of the day to avoid them.
After a few hours of camp, you sleep have breakfast and depart once more, walking for the long journey. After one day in the plane, the landscape starts to become monotonous and tedious, with nothing more than the red ground and the ulcers in the closeness. You camp once more to pass the night.
The next day you are about to access the ossary forest...
...when among the mists of one of the fountains the gaseous form of a creature becomes a physical fiend of armored flesh, scaly and moisty!
Guided by a sixth sense, JJ and Ryan react to the movement, while a bit slower Marigold and Juraan notice it too.
The fiend large, toothy mouth gapes below a pair of hungry, reptilian eyes!
New occipitus map available!
Marigold normally prided herself on having a fairly strong stomach - especially after spending so much time in her present company - but the stench of the demon is just too much. Her color turns a sickly sort of green as her stomach begins to churn unpleasantly...
____________
Staggering from the stench of this new threat, Juraan steps back a few feet and casts a spell: « დაჩქარება » . .
:
As the fell creature materialise, Maxim feels the bile rise in his throat but swallows it down through gritted teeth!
"Hell's Teeth he's a ripe one!"
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Kikinnin stumbles in place, as he smells something awful, before he sees something awful... "Maxim, for the love of... light a match... oh..."
The black beard sees the large lizard lummox, and squints the tears from his eyes. "Sorry, Bror. I should've known you couldn't reach such depths in your bowels... this thing is right at home here."
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JJ feels sickened as the creature appears, as much as Marigold, Juraan and Kikinnin.
All of a sudden JJ stops following Kaurophon and runs against one of the closer ulcers, the young man jumping on a charge over the mist of red vapors holding alakast with both hands.
There is a flash of light were Alakast impacts on a creature that you hand not realized before.
Ryan quickly reacts stepping forward and raising his voice to give JJ some inspiring words "Abadar shall help you bring order where only lies chaos JJ!"
On his approach, he also starts to feel the horrible stench.
The demon is forced to step back due to the strength of JJ's push then calls for unholly power that forms a cold, cloying miasma of greasy darkness taking you all.
Marigold continues to cough and gag at the horrible stench but manages to keep enough presence of mind to call on Sarenrae's blessings for the group!
____________
Kikinnin stands ready to engage, the swiftness of the others catching him off-guard for a moment, while his stomach pulls at his lower half like an insecure whelp.
Moving next to Kikinnin, Ryan touches his shoulder "Abadar grants thee the strength of the bull " +4 strength for 10 minutes
Kikinnin digs in his back leg, facing down the hezrou with a confidence that suprises the dwarf a little. Standing up to that horse of a Nab was daunting enough, this one is a pony by comparison.
"Thanks, Ryan, praise Abadar."
Marigold quickly reacts casting prayer while the demon appears.
Juraan reacts as well quickly casting haste on everyone but Kaurophon whom is out of his range.
Ryan walks up to Kikinnin and touches him with extra Abadar's strength.
JJ tumbles around the ulcer liquids trying to avoid its caustic nature and the demon's reach.
He then attempts to hit the demon with Alakast, but he reaches it out of balance.
Although it seems he will fail this time, Ryan's advise and Juraan's haste help JJ's find a weakness in the fiend's skin crushing it with more holy light!
The demon retaliates against the young man, with both claws and mouth.
JJ dodges the mouth of the beast and one of the claws finds the elven chainmail, but the other claw reaches him in the head, crushing and holding the boy a couple of inches over the ground.
Kaurophon looks at the demon and points it with his staff "That is unacceptable" and says some arcane words making some glitter dust appear over JJ's attacker who gets blind.
AC = 27
HP = 82/94
Weapon Equipped = +2 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Hasted, Bull's Strength, Sickened
For his sickness, Kikinnin doesn't hestitate to draw from Abadar's Well to see the demon well and truly smited for daring to engage his crew.
As Kaurophon complains about JJ's injury, Ryan couldn't agree more, grasping the key at his neck.
"What ails you, let it instead ail me"
Immediate Action:Sacrificial Bond(1/day) - transfer damage to you along with any associated effects
As he speaks the words JJ looks much better even as Ryan gasps and grabs his head at the sudden pressure assaulting him, through gritted teeth...
"Sana me Abadar"
converting Dispel Magic to Cure Serious Wounds
Ryan quickly reacts to the creature's grapple transferring the pain and its nauseatic effects to himself.
The young man is released, jumping back into the solid ground while the blind and armless creature falls back into the caustic blood-like liquid of the ulcer and sinks inside to never return.
Kaurophon coughs "You might past the Test after all" while Ryan converts a spell to quickly heal himself.
The half-fiend points again towards the ossary forest "We should press on, it is taking us too long to reach the Cathedral of Feathers"
"Agreed" says Juraan shakily, as he silently struggles to keep the contents of his stomach where they belong...
"I'm g-glad that ended q-quickly..." Marigold remarks, surveying the damage the demon had done - thankfully not a lot in the grand scheme of things. She quickly sets to work mending what wounds she can.
"A-anyone still hurt?"
Maxim also looks green around the gills for a short period after the creature is put down.
He nods in agreement at the motion to press on.
After recomposing yourselves, you start walking once more behind Kaurophon. Soon you enter in the Ossaic Forest, a large extension occupied by a chalky, crumbling substance, a collection of gently curving columns that pierce the spongy surface of the layer. Trying to fit the pattern to your Golarion eyes, they look like massive rib-bones thurst into the air.
You walk during hours through the ossaic forest until you get tired and need a stop to have dinner and take a sleep. Although the forest is cramped with bone-like columns, you find a small patch with slightly less of them and set camp there. "There is not much to make a bonefire here, but I can provide perhaps some magical fire if you wish to cook" states Kaurophon.
Kikinnin is guarding the camp while the others sleep when...
JJ suddenly wakes up due to a preternatural sixth sense and looks around alarmed while picking up Alakast and hurrying up Kikinnin "What was that noise? Some more demon is approaching!"
The dwarf though has heard or seen nothing. All others keep placidly sleeping.
The warmth and protection of Maxim's Tiny Hut gives extra time for JJ and Kikinnin to react. JJ insists "There is something outside, we must wake up everyone Kikinnin"
The noise of JJ's talk starts to wake up everyone around.
Marigold blinks sleepily and looks up. "Wh-what...? What's going on?" she mumbles as she begins to extricate herself from her bedding. "S-something outside?"
As the other wake him up Ryan reaches for his shield with a longing look at the breastplate laying beside his bedroll. Shield and mace in hand, Ryan ask "What's coming?"
JJ sets his ioun torch orbiting into his head and it ignites with a warmthless flame "I am coming out to see" and he comes out of the Tiny Hut armed with Alakast and his elven chainmail.
While JJ riles himself up, Kikinnin gives a firm boot thump to each of the sleepers, saying nothing, but expecting his abrupt kick to speak volumes.
He looks at JJ sternly, hoping the boy will at least keep his volume hushed, as he indicates they are no longer alone in the vicinity.
"What's that mess?" says Kaurophon while he stands up from the column he was sit on and picks up his cane without undraping his tunic.
As soon as JJ gets out of the hut he shouts "Chaos beasts!!!"
Chaos beasts are amorphous chaotic outsiders, with an average resistance to magic and a touch that might cause a body to randomly and chaotically change shape.