"From who? Your master? Stop speaking in obscurities and use clear statements for the remainder of this conversation," Argor commands as he weaves a spell to bolster the chance of the creature cooperating.
The succubus' eyes widen in recognition and allows the spell to wash over her. She takes a moment as the knots in her mind unravel.
"Thank you," she begins, and then tries to fight through the conditioning, forcing words out. "D-demons... took me. Tortured... Sh-sh-- shadows inside me. Blocked me... from my... fam-- famili-ar. Took... over... the ... serum. " She gasps, drained from the effort. Tears again begin to fall as her whole body shudders. The demonic wings flap and her tail writhes behind her.
Serum...but...
Argor's eyes narrow, "C...Cladissa?"
Recognition and remembrance lights up the darkly beautiful face as she looks up.
"Yes!" she shouts with elation. "My name is Cladissa..." Something catches in her throat but she squeezes her eyes shut, using her name as the key to unlock the imprisoned parts of her mind. She tries again. "Cladissa V-Velll" She pants, gathers her strength, and remembers another notch in the key and suddenly the words come out smoothly. "Cladissa d'Levigne le Velorryan!"
The triumph is fleeting. She stands and makes a move toward Argor, but again retreats from the runes. She looks down at herself in horror. "Oh, gods, this is real! I'm a-- it's not a dream!"
Argor shakes his head, replying, "Nothing that could explain this...though there are some lingering enchantments beyond my own. Tell us what happened," he adds to the form in the rune cage.
Cladissa runs her fingers through her hair as she looks around wildly. "My mind is still a mess. They were in it -- in me. The shadow demon from the wedding. The succubus from the party."
She shudders, hugging herself tightly. She appears on the verge of a breakdown, but the spell asserts itself and keeps her coherent. She sways a bit, then sinks back down to the floor. "I don't remember much. Lots of pain -- and gloating, taunting. I woke up from a nightmare and the shadow demon was in my room. Then-- nothing. I woke a few times. She said no one was looking for me. No one cared that I was gone."
She looks up at them, lower lip trembling. "How long did they have me?" she whispers.
The alluring woman looks confused. "I wasn't going on a retreat. What message?"
Realization strikes and she shakes her head in frustration. "Of course, I've disappeared before. It's a simple matter for them to leave a note, and none would be the wiser."
She hugs herself as she pulls herself to her feet, and paces around the constraining circle of runes. "This is bad, Argor. I was possessed. They used the serum against me, as some sort of experiment. They only let me go -- oh, gods, that was Roald, wasn't it?"
She spins around to face them, her modesty forgotten for a moment. "Was he badly hurt? I was so confused; I didn't know what was going on."
Argor folds his arms behind his back. "Allow us to do the questioning. If you are in fact Cladissa, you will understand the position we find ourselves in at the moment. We have been accosted by demons before, and your new form does little to assuage any concerns that, well, I for one, have. This could very easily be a some sort of elaborate con on the part of demons acting together for some common goal. As such, we must take every effort to confirm your identity, for the safety of ourselves, our loved ones, and the citizens of this city."
He turns to the attendant. "I would like you to go and Adril Hestram of the Pathfinder Society that I require his presence here, and see to it that he is granted access to this cell. Tell him it is of the utmost importance, and that he needs to make certain that an astute priest accompanies him."
He then looks to Rutai, saying, "Go and fetch Mr. Newblossom and Hrimnagel. They need to be present as well."
The imp nods and flies off, vanishing from sight to avoid harassment on his errand.
Argor returns his gaze to the creature within the rune prison. "I am not saying that I disbelieve your claims, nor that I believe them. This is a delicate situation that requires careful assessment. The identity you claim has been a companion of mine for quite some time. Before I can even begin to evaluate your proclamations, I need further proof. Speak to me of what it is you believe you have done to Roald, and then tell me what you can that only Cladissa and myself would be aware, something mundane and of little import."
As Nyugusk and Hrimnagel are enjoying some of Mr. Goodpies delicacies, there is a clatter of plates and silverware on the table as something collides there abruptly. A moment later, Rutai's form materializes, rising from a crouch as he stands from his hurried landing.
"Guys! Argor needs you guys quick at the offices of the Varlokkur! Something may have happened to Cladissa! He and Mettera are there now, talking to...well...it claims to be her. Anyway, he has sent for Adril, and wanted me to come get you two!"
He immediately flaps his wings and takes flight once again, and turns back to look at the duo. "What're ya waiting for!? Let's get going!"
He then flies over and lands on Nyugusk's back, using his claws to take a firm grip on the orc's garments. "I'll hang with you and make sure you guys get to the right spot. Less likely to be bothered if people think I'm your familiar."
Cladissa nods, understanding, even though a wave of despair crashes over her. Argor helped her push through the mental block, but he has not extended his trust. She desperately yearned for comfort and sympathy, but the realisation settled in that she would receive none from him. Mettera, perhaps, but not in Argor's presence. She would have to endure until Hrim and Nyug arrive.
Feeling exposed under Argor's stare, Cladissa backs away and covers herself with her new wings, desperately missing the soft feathers. Her new form threatens to distract her, the skin, the curves, the-- she forces herself to focus.
"I don't know what I did to Roald. The first thing I remember I was on top of him. He was tied down, in a bed. He looked ill, I felt... good. Though I can guess what might have happened, I don't recall doing it." She looks away, horribly embarrassed. Tears again begin to fall.
After a moment to compose herself, she looks at Argor, thinking on something that the two had shared. Benign, but perhaps enough to sway him. Then her eyes widen. "When you had your mind wiped by the allips, and I nursed you back to health. You said you were in my debt. I never once called you on that, even though we had our... difficulties. Because it's not about who owes whom. I'm not even saying you owe me now. You don't." Her tears resume, and her voice is thick with emotion. "Because I'm really scared right now, and I need to show to myself that I -- I'm still good."
|
Mattera made a movement with his finger as if he were making a mental list. "Talking to Roald might help shed some light on this issue. I'd been meaning to talk to him anyway. The more witnesses we get in on this, the better we'll get to the root of the issue."
He hesitated for a moment, as if he weighing his words. "The fault of a person under mind control is merely that they were weak enough to succumb to it, and that is still nothing to be ashamed of when caught unawares."Though he wasn't lying, he offered this piece of solace to see how she would react. He began studying her form, for purely business related issues checking to see if anything were off or something that might clue him in to her identity.
While her height had remained the same, the creature before them was far more voluptuous than the slight frame the tian remembered. There was some definite enhancements, either by infernal power or by the serum he couldn't tell. After a few seconds of study, he leaned over to his employer and whispered in his ear.
Argor nods when Mettera mentions speaking with Roald. "Indeed. Perhaps you could go and check on the man."
He tightens his fists behind his back as the creature recalls one of the more embarrassing moments of his life. "Indeed. And trust me, the only reason I have entertained the idea of this potential charade is my concern for Cladissa's potential wellbeing. If, in fact, this is her...your...new form, then we will just have to find a way to make it work. What concerns me most of all, is the fact that if what you are saying is true...then we are all at risk, as well as those around us, of further possessions."
At Mettera's observation, he nods his acknowledgment and simply shrugs as he replies:
Mettera's words stung. She'd been called weak before, and had believed it for so long that it came as second nature to her. So she accepted that had she been able to fight it off, her body would not have been used to harm others. She could have avoided all this, if she had been stronger, more aware. It's her fault, she hears in his voice, and she lowers her head, unable to look at him.
Argor's words ring in her ears, with all his practical, self-serving concerns, and for her "well-being," but only if she can prove that she truly is Cladissa. She wonders how she should be acting, as if there were a normal response to this. As if any reaction couldn't be a ruse to further fool them. A growing numbness creeps over her; her mind coping by shutting down huge sections and refusing to think. She sinks back down to the floor and pulls her knees back up, hugging herself tightly. She rocks back and forth, hiding her face and avoiding their stares.
Then, in a quiet, muffled voice, she asks softly, "Could you find Cole for me?"
Nyugusk, Hrimnagel and Hestram arrive at the holding facility almost simultaneously.
The Ulfen Venture Captain takes in the scene dubiously. "Ain't I the one does the summonin'? What the hells is going on here?"
Argor looks to the attendant, "Give us some privacy."
Once the attendant leaves and the room consists of only Pathfinders, Argor explains, "This individual claims to be Cladissa. She claims that she was possessed and kidnapped by a shadow demon and succubus, the very ones we combated before. She says they were able to manipulate the serum and tut her into this," he says, gesturing towards the form in the circle of runes. Rutai flits over to Argor's shoulder as he continues, "Obviously, given the nature of our past experiences with these sort of creatures, as well as their devious nature, I felt it wise to bring everyone together to ensure a thorough examination before any decisions were completed that could endanger anyone else."
"Oi...Does it detect as evil? Magical auras? Things only she would know?"
"She had some lingering enchantments about her upon our arrival. Neither of us were capable of the divine magics to detect the nature of her soul, hence why I requested a priest to be brought along as well. When I first began my line of questions, she could only speak of broken memories, until I ensorcelled her and forced her to speak clearly. Since that time, she has begun to converse with more clarity and does in fact have recollection of some mundane details that would be unlikely to have been sought after through hostile interrogations."
"Cladissa!" Hrim snaps his gaze toward Rutai. The Pathfinder journal falls from his fingers to the sitting room floor, "Let's go! Show us the way!"
She left a note. It wasn't like she hasn't wanted to be alone before. What has happened to her! Thoughts of concern and worry flood his conscious as he tries to keep up with Rutai.
======================================================================
Hrim settles down during Argor's dispassionate briefing. The deep gnome centers himself while taking in the entirety of the situation. A shadow in the room advises in a small thin voice, "There is no need for a priest, Argor. Count Ranalc can show me the shade of a soul and discern lies. Give me a minute, and prepare your questions that you want me to detect falsehood."
After a minute, Hrim pronounces, "This creature is as altruistic as Cladissa, which is far more than I can say for any of us. She does not radiate a black nature of Evil, like Rutai does. She also does not show the swirling taint of Chaos, that a demon of this shape would, or show the rigidity of Order, like Rutai, Argor and Mettera.
After a slight pause, "Argor, are you aware of any enchantments that could change the appearance of the soul? If yes, you could attempt to dispel any active magical effects to see if her true nature is being magically obfuscated."
"Now, I'm ready to discern any lies. Count Ranalc only provides me this power for a few seconds per day, so we need to be strategic with our questions. If she does not resist the effect, I will know if she deliberately and knowingly speaks a lie by discerning disturbances in her aura caused by lying. However, the power does not reveal the truth, uncover unintentional inaccuracies, or necessarily reveal evasions, so our questions must be strategic."
As they discuss questions, the deep gnome sighs and offers, "as a last resort, we can always torture her by attempting to hurt her with things that this demonic form should naturally resist, like electricity, acid, cold,and fire. We can always heal the damage, but I have no desire to inflict any injury on Cladissa."
Cladissa lifts her head when the other Pathfinders arrive. She gives them a weak smile, but she quickly wipes it off her face when she worries that it might be too alluring. She hangs her head again when they talk about her.
When Hrim speaks in his small, thin voice, she nearly jumps. She was so used to being aware of his silent, lurking presence as a patch of earthy, limestone scent that she had assumed he wasn't present. But all that was missing was his scent like the rest of her acute sense of smell.
That pang of loss quickly faded as he pronounced her to still have a good spirit.
She starts to look up again, but decides against it and stays in her position on the floor with her legs drawn up to her chest and her wings draped around her.
She stirs again when Hrim announces he will detect lies. She resolves to stay quiet and offer nothing as they work on the questions they plan to ask. She rises gracefully, keeping her wings and arms in place to ve ready for the tests.
While they discuss, she eyes the runes again, outlining the magic circle against evil that surrounds her. She had been too frightened to test it; terrified that it might be an actual prison for her just as it is meant for fiends. When Hrim said he still saw goodness in her, she felt like trying to cross its threshold. However, she stays put in the center and makes no move toward the boundary.
Argor looks curiously towards Hrimnagel's voice, "I do not think it necessary to resort to physical torture. I think that, given the fact that she has exhibited knowledge only the true Cladissa should be privy to, as well as a lack of an evil nature about her according to Mr. Avaldamon here, I believe the only further test necessary would be for her to test the runes themselves. If she can pass, then we can continue this discussion more appropriately at another local. If she cannot, then clearly there is something more amiss here."
Swallowing her fear, she moves to the edge of the circle. She closes her eyes, wondering what it will feel like, if the ward affects her. Would it be a solid wall, or a force pushing back against her? Would it hurt, or would she just be unable to move past it?
She slowly reaches our with her hand and feels...
Nothing.
She peeks, making sure her arm is truly beyond the barrier. She waves her arm around, unimpeded. Then she takes a step over the runes and puts her delicate foot on the floor outside the circle. Then the other foot.
Cladissa releases a breath she'd been holding, and her relief is so strong she almost collapses.
She looks at the men surrounding her. "Could I get some bloody clothes?" She fervently wished for her fur again.
Suddenly, she looks like the old Cladissa, with her familiar striped fur and feathered wings.
She gasps in delight and holds up her arms. "Oh, thank the gods!" she exclaims.
She immediately looks crestfallen when she runs her hand up and down her arm. "It-- it's only an illusion. It's not real."
Hrim removes the magic bracelets that have stopped functioning since he attuned to his new archery bracers. A shadow of small hands gently pulls Cladissa's hands to him, so he can set the pair of magic bracelets in them. His small, thin voice says, "they are called Sleeves of Many Garments and will let you dress however you wish, instantly. Please keep them as a gift, Cladissa."
"Thank you," she says, voice trembling, as she accepts the sleeves. She wills a version of her standard adventuring outfit over her form.
"Well, with this illusion up, I can at least go outside without stirring a panic... or anything else. Could you keep this quiet? At least until I fix this? Nyug, did you figure out anything more with the serum? You got that sample of blood I left for you, right?"
She then catches Argor's face and guesses what he's probably thinking. She shakes her head. "Or, maybe I shouldn't be told anything about the serum until you're more sure about me."
"We need to fully understand what was done to you, to prepare ourselves for future threats," Argor says as he turns to lead the group out. "Also, given this recent attack on us directly, we need to take further measures to ensure our safety against these kinds of threats."
Once outside he adds, "Let us go to the Sanctum and determine what course of action to take."
"Far as I can see, you don't need me. Want me to call in a favor and get the charges dropped?" Hestram says.
"In any case, Argor is right. If you've pissed off some demons that badly, I'd recommend operating under the buddy system. Maybe move back in together. It's up to you, but the Society would be disappointed to lose it's best Absalom agents."
Cladissa shakes her head and nervously chews a nail. She looks at Hestram, frowning. "No, that wouldn't be fair to Roald." She again looks on the verge of tears. "Does he know it was me?
She follows dutifully, head down and feeling miserable to wherever Argor leads.
"Cladissa has little to worry about in that regard, as this is clearly a case of possession. The fact that any crimes committed my have been performed by her body, it was merely a tool in those times under the direction of another malicious entity. It would be like trying to accuse the sword of a crime. However, it would be wise to use your influence to maintain your good name, and reduce any potential tarnish, through no fault of your own, to the Society," Argor says as they reach the Sanctum.
He turns to Hestram, "I agree that proximity would quite possibly be the best protection at this juncture, but we also need to understand what it is these demons are capable of in regards to the serum. If you could try and learn what you can about any known secrets of its properties the leaders are still withholding, it may prove quite useful in that endeavor. Meanwhile, Cladissa willing, I feel more thorough examinations, need to be performed," he concludes as he turns to Cladissa expectantly.
A nearby shadow asks in a small, thin voice, "what happened to Roald?"
Cladissa startles when Hrim's voice appears out of nowhere. She sniffs, but cannot detect anything.
She looks at the patch of shadow she guesses the voice came from, and hemms, "I don't know. I was sort of on top of him when I woke up. I don't know what the demons were doing to him before they let me go."
Cladissa looks at Argor suspiciously, but wills away the illusion once in a private room in the Sanctum. She leaves a modest shift dress covering her.
When she steps in front of a mirror, she sees her new reflection for the first time. Her breath catches in shock. If ever beauty could be described as frightening, this was it. Take away the horns, wings and tail, she would be indescribably gorgeous. With the demonic features, she was the forbidden fruit; the siren to lead men to their doom.
Cladissa recoils in horror.
Once within the privacy of the Sanctum's research facilities, Argor observes quietly as Cladissa's form again reverts to its newfound state.
As she, and he, composes themselves, he clears his throat and states, "Cladissa, we must learn what it was those demons did to you, every detail, as well as what it is they know of the serum. If you would allow me to, I can cast the same spell as earlier, and hopefully circumvent any blocks they have placed on you to keep you from willfully divulging information. Are you compliant with this plan?"
Argor's words buzz in the background initially as she stares at herself. Then she blinks and looks at him. "Hmm? Oh, I suppose. I was unconscious most of the time, I assume. You still haven't told me how long it's been."
"I am uncertain. None at the Jabberwocky manor informed me of your leave, and I was busy with preparations with a trial," Argor replies.
He then acquires a bit of honeycomb and a serpent's tongue, and looks to her once more. "Are you prepared?"
She stifles a sound of frustration. "They took me the night after I had lunch with Mettera, if that helps. I'm tired and very hungry, but we can start." She accepts the spell one more time.
Argor begins the weaving of the enchantment, speaking the suggestion as he does so, "Tell us everything you can recall from both your memory and subconsciousness about your time in the captivity of the demons: what they did to you, what they said, and what they know of the serum."
A shadow says, "three weeks. I think it's been three weeks."
When he'd first arrived, shortly behind Hrimnagel (and smelling heavily of chemicals) the Transmogrifying Lotus just stood there, mouth agape.
"Cladissa...that's really you? Then that note--we were deceived, weren't we?! Dammit another failure." Shaking a pincered 'fist' at the heavens, Nyugusk laments, "Irori, is everything I do a failure? We didn't discover that our home had been breached by demons. We failed to suspect the note was a fake...I'm so sorry..." Nyugusk begins to sob, his voice thick with sorrow and self-reproach.
When Cladissa asked for Cole, Nyugusk nodded dumbly. He raced back to the manor and found the cat nervously pacing Cladissa's chamber. Nyug tried to coax Cole into his arms, but Cladissa's familiar kept his distance. The cat seems so distraught! Perhaps the presence of another familiar would help Cole feel at ease? I could hack up Huk Huk! He coughs until the bruise-colored cross between an armodillo and a flesh golem comes crawling out of his throat. "Huk Huk, can you let Cole know it's OK? That we're taking him to Cladissa?"
The cat's back archs and his hair stands on end as Huk Huk crawls toward him, looking even more wary than before. Finally in exasperation, Nyugusk manages to grab the cat with his accordion-arm, and carries it back cradled snugly in his arms, while Huk Huk sits atop his shoulder (seeming to enjoy the breeze and the smells of the city as they race back across Absolom).
When he enters the room with the others, Nyug loosens his grip and lets Cole go free. "There you go!"
When Nyug began to sob Cladissa tears up herself, but she doesn't try to console him. As traumatized as she was, she couldn't muster the effort.
When he returns with Cole, the cat meows loudly and fades into an eerie mist, his yellow eyes staring intently at the demonic-looking creature. Cladissa cries and drops to her knees in front of the cat-shaped shadow. "No, Cole, it's me!" she cries as she reaches out with her empathic link. After a moment of silent communication between the two, the cat rematerializes in her arms and she spends some time just embracing her familiar as he purrs.
When Argor finally clears his throat and begins the spell, she takes a seat and, still cradling Cole, lets the magic take effect.
The suggestion compels her and the words flow out, though she manages to nod in the direction of Hrim's voice that she caught his answer to her question.
"I woke up in the middle of the night from what had seemed like a bad dream. The shadow was there in my room, on top of me. It said, 'Boo' and before I could react it forced its way inside me."
She furrows her brows as she puzzles through the next set of memories. "From there, it was like seeing through a scrying pool -- I can guess they were my eyes, but removed. I was not in control. I now remember seeing my hands write something, and then flying through the night. I know I was still in Absalom, but I don't know exactly where I was taken. The building was rather nondescript from the air. I landed inside a courtyard but I was immediately gagged, blindfolded and bound. Even my ears were covered.
"From there, I was magically moved. I know that much. Then next time I could see, I was in a dungeon of some sort. I only ever saw the succubus from then on, though I could tell the shadow demon still was inside. At times he let me have feeling and control."
She swallows hard and Cole mrows as painful memories come to the surface. "She knew about us. That we were augmented in some way. She wanted to know how. She tortured me, and I told her about the serum.
"She bled me nearly dry, and disappeared for a time while I recovered. When she came back, she was disappointed. It was more of a conversation between the succubus and the shadow, but apparently the formula they pulled from my blood didn't work on demons. Then she got a cruel look as she said she might as well put it back, since it worked so well on mortals."
Argor listens intently as Rutai takes notes. When she pauses, he nods and says, "And then?"
More memories push through and Cladissa cries in anguish. She doubles over, clutching her stomach. As much as she wants to crawl into the fetal position, the magic compels her to keep talking.
She glares daggers at Argor as she bites out the next words. "Then she charmed me. Made me love her. Want to be just like her.
"Through suggestions and charms, they had me focusing on becoming like her. When the magic didn't work, they tortured me further. Inside and out, they controlled me. So when they injected the grayish substance they pulled from me, I was ready for it. I knew what I wanted."
A shadow asks, "uh... What did you want, Cladissa?"