Wallia says, "The Zargonese are a bunch of idiots, they attacked us and assumed we were Magi. We could stop by to mention it to them but I think we would get the best info from the Maidens. Those ladies are way more brutal. Or better yet, we give one to the Maidens and one to the Magi, so they cannot cook up a story between them."
"We know nothing about the Maidens' brutality. But in any event torture is a far cruder and less effective way of extracting information than using magic."
Wallia says, "Let's make a 10 GP wager on whose methods are more effective."
I agree with Brathas, to the magi we should go.
Wallia says, "You want to make it 15? I think we should have some fun with these damned heretics."
"I am not interested in torturing heretics for fun. What makes you any better than the Zargonites if that is your idea of a good time?"
Wallia says, "Fun as in to see which method is more effective. Call it an experiment, if you will. Well, I am better than the Zargonese because I help you guys stay safe. Honestly, I think currying favor with the Maidens is not a bad idea."
"Currying favor with the Maidens isn't a bad idea. But do you really think this is what they want? A worthless minion of the Priests? I think you'll look like a cat bringing a half-dead mouse to its master.
Torturing prisoners isn't right and it isn't effective. If you hate them that much, it would be more merciful to just kill them. I don't have a problem with that.
Interrogation is a pointless waste of time if we don't have anything specific to ask. You think that you can just break some fingers and say 'Tell us everything'? That these guys know all the passwords and traps, and Zargon's secret weakness, and will cave and actually tell the truth under torture?
Fine, convince half of us and I'll sit quiet and out of the way. Take as long as you like. I'll be here when my skills are needed for something actually worth doing. Like dealing with the gnolls or the imminent retaliation by the Priests."
Wallia says, "We can ask, where is Zargon exactly. How many followers do they actually have and the like. What kind of magic do they have? How powerful is this Zargon. I have been reading up on him in the book we found. Which can give us a baseline. I suggest breaking them up between the two factions so they do not cook up a story between the two. I am more concerned about the priests and the destroying the undead."
"Even if your victims tell you what they believe to be the truth - which I doubt - they will have no true comprehension of Zargon's power or that of the Priests. At best you'll get whatever the Priests have led them to believe.
If we could keep them locked up until we've slain this demon, there might be hope for rehabilitating them. But that means feeding them and we know how well that went with the goblin."
Wallia shrugs and says, "We could trade them to the Gnolls for the slaves as a third option... or if it is not worth the mediocre answers, then we should give one of them each to both of those groups and let them do what they want with them. We warn the Magi and curry favor with the Maidens, so we achieve both goals. I will probably get more info from the book anyway."
"Sure, I'm happy to let someone else deal with them. They can house them, kill them, interrogate them, not my problem."
Shakes his head To the magi we will drag the prisoners he says. He steps over, tosses one of them sleeping ones over his shoulder, and then begins to head out.
"Hello my friends!" Auriga beams. "Back again so soon? And what do you have here?"
After the situation is explained, Auriga calls three of his acolytes to take the prisoner.
"This man should not be allowed to defile our holy sanctuary... take him to the dormitory, and watch him until I arrive. I'll be along shortly."
After the man is taken away, Auriga turns back to the group.
"You came to the right man," he smiles. "There is a magical way that makes a man believe that you are his closest friend, despite all evidence to the contrary. Once we use such a spell, we can make use of him. He can become an agent of ours, without even realizing it."
"I hope none of you were hurt capturing this man?"
Wallia says, "This man led by an evil holy man accosted us in the hallway just o'er yonder and accused us of being you. A couple of his minions escaped. We figured it would be best to warn you of a possible incursion by the Zargonese. Increasing security mayhap be on the docket."
"Yes. Because we used magic, the Zargonites thought we were Magi. One managed to escape, though we slew their priest. I imagine they will seek revenge, but I will stand with you if that happens."
Brathas doesn't care whether we give one prisoner or two; he'll stay quiet if we go meet the Warrior Maidens.
I believe Fistep here received a scratch from one of their blades. Are they known to use deadly poisons or the like? Magi we have encountered some strange people in the last few days. There was a group wondering around with a large mushroom claiming it was a friend in need of healing. Have you discovered anything to addled the minds of the people so much.
At the news of the battle Auriga nods.
"Indeed, the use of magic is mostly limited to we Magi. The foul priests of Zargon have dark powers they can call on, though you seldom encounter more than one of them; they surround themselves with mundane guards. The goblins have one or two shamans, I think, but those are rare. It does not surprise me that they mistook you for us. Well, maybe a little; we don't usually use swords or axes. And with your dark skin and lack of masks, they might have mistook you for goblin sorcerers."
When Brathas mentions that he will come to the aid of the Magi, Auriga smiles.
"We appreciate the offer. I gather that you don't care to stand watch over our gates though? It's a shame you are not a member of our order. If you were I could send you a message from a great distance."
When Ferrous mentions poisons, Auriga shakes his head.
"I have never heard of the Zargonites using poison. Not that they wouldn't do so if they could, but they lack the ability to make any. The Zargonites do not care much about learning."
"As to the madness..." Auriga sighs. He shakes his head.
"I wish I knew what causes it, but it is safe to say that almost everyone in the city below has gone mad. Some are worse than others. Most can manage to go about the tasks that are needed for survival, but they have little else. We magi seem to be immune to it... I suspect it is the rigorous mental discipline that is required in our studies that keeps our minds strong enough to be free of it. Even the Gormish and the Madaruans, who ought to be our allies, have gone mad in their need for violence. With our guidance they could be something much greater. But I'm afraid we Magi are the last sane ones in this city."
"I would like to blame the church of Zargon, but they are as mad as everyone else, maybe more. Perhaps it is simply the influence of Zargon himself? It is a mystery."
"The goblins seem unaffected though. Perhaps their evil makes them proof against it? I wish I knew."
"Auriga, it was nice talking to you. Just another quick thing to mention, there is a sizable number of Gnolls gathered at the exterior of the pyramid, they seemed to be preparing for something, maybe an incursion. We will see you tomorrow with your books."
Auriga looks confused.
"What is a gnoll? Some kind of demon?"
Wallia says, "They are like a cross between a hyena and a man or maybe a dog and a man. They are evil creatures and are very prevalent on the outside."
"You needn't worry about the creatures outside. Zynazyr placed a Wizard Lock on the exterior door."
Brathas is intrigued by the notion of being a member of the Magi.
"I am no wizard myself, but I have a great regard for learning and prefer to find clever solutions rather than the brute force approach when possible. Would it be possible for one such as I to join your order? What would be my obligations? Certainly if you could send me a message that you needed help against the Priests I would come.
I would like to continue exploring this place with my comrades, but perhaps in doing so I can be of assistance to you. There are many secrets of the past buried here that we have brought to light, such as those books. Our explorations may help you to return Cynidicea to its former glory."
"Demons?! No, gnolls are all too mortal. And while they are not terribly intelligent, I worry that the wizard lock will not keep out a determined effort to gain access. An alliance between your people and ours would seem to work to mutual advantage."
Aye though Gnolls may sometimes howl like a demon of the night they are but flesh and blood. Ferrous says grimly. They are fond of taking humans as slaves or food so be wary.
Wallia says, "We will see you fellas later with your books. Have a good 'un!"
"Demons?! No, gnolls are all too mortal...."
"Hmmm... more creatures from your time, before the surface world was destroyed? That would explain why I haven't heard of them," Auriga thinks for a moment. "It is strange that two groups of time travellers would appear here at almost the same moment, you and these gnolls. Perhaps if some force brought you here to this time to do good, some other counter-force would have to bring something evil to balance things."
"Are gnolls vulnerable to magic? If so, we could defend ourselves from them in the same way that we defend ourselves from the goblins and the Zargonites, along with the Gormish and the Madaruans. And a wizard lock should keep them out, unless they try to smash the pyramid down."
Auriga rubs his chin.
"Are you certain that they were gnolls? The could have been humans wearing hyaena masks. That is much more plausible, don't you think?"
At Brathas' suggestion, Auriga thinks for a moment and takes Brathas aside.
"The duties of membership are not onerous, though every member must pledge an oath to honour and obey the Great Usamigaras. And the occasional offering or tithe would not go amiss. Otherwise, your current explorations seem to be bearing fruit, so I would see no reason to require you to remain with us. We would need to give you some instruction in our ways, but as an initiate you don't need to know all our lore. It would take, perhaps an hour to get you started."
"We would give your friends pendants to indicate that they are our allies, even if they are not actually members."
"Yes, I do. Fate has brought us here, and I myself am an agent of commerce. I work for merchants in the world outside, solving problems that arise - sometimes with a light step and a swift hand, or a keen mind. Should I be able to return to my merchant house, perhaps I can establish trade between our worlds. If you speak truly, then the ways of Usamigaras are my ways as well. I will tithe from my finds from this point forwards."
Brathas turns to the others.
"I wish to become an initiate of the Magi. I will continue to explore the pyramid with you all, but I think it best we establish an alliance with the most reasonable of the factions. And they will then be able to communicate with us.
I will need to stay here for an hour or so to undergo the initiation. Zynazyr, Ana, I believe their ways are also agreeable to you, but if you do not wish to formally join, they would still welcome you as allies -- as they would Wallia, Ferrous, and Fistep."
Wallia says in a whisper, "Are you sure? These guys are a bit off. C'est la vie"
Zynazyr raises an eyebrow at the exchange between Brathas' and Auriga, wondering where Brathas is going with the conversation. He is caught off-guard when Brathas says he is becoming a member of their group. He pauses for a moment at the suggestion he too join. "I will give it some thought," he says.
For Ana, for whom magic tends to be an afterthought to martial skill, joining the magi requires some thought, but she is amiable to allying with them.
Brathas, I respect your choices, but it is not mine he says with a shrug, But I'm willing to ally with the magi
Wallia says, "Let's go to the Maidens while Brathas does his thing."
While Brathas remain with the magi, the others retrieve their other trussed-up captive from the hallway and head off to the Madaruans.
Auriga leads the new convert(s) toward the altar. A number of other acolytes gather around.
"As you may already recall," Auriga begins, "Usamigaras is an immortal dedicated to Magic, Medicine, and Commerce. Also... of Guile. Usamigaras believes in gaining what you wish through cleverness instead of force. Above all we value the virtues of Knowledge, Insight, Ingenuity, and Reason. Among the Immortals Usamigaras commonly serves as their messenger."
"Usamigaras' holy symbol is called a cadeuceus. Here you can see that it represents a pair of serpents entwined around a staff. The serpent represents hidden knowledge and magical healing. As you know, we are also astronomers, and the constellation of the Northern Serpent is the most sacred of all to us. We watch the skies for portents but the most important ones of all occur in that constellation. My title in the church is the Master Auspex and I supervise this sacred duty. The five-pointed star is also a symbol of ours, though not as sacred as the cadeuceus."
"In the city below we have a walled temple. There are about fifty members of our sect. If the Zargonites came upon us in all their strength and with their goblin allies, they might overcome us, but then they would be easy prey to the Gormish and the Madaruans. So there is a kind of guarded truce in place. Though we typically disguise ourselves when we venture out into the city. Our high priest is named Baltsaros, but you likely will not meet him for some time. In the meantime, you will report to me for any instruction."
Auriga goes on to explain some of the salient ideas behind Usamigaras-worship.
"Now," says Auriga after having finished his lecture. "If you are ready, place your right hand on the top of the altar, and repeat after me:"
"I, (your name), do hereby pledge to serve and obey the Great Usamigaras."
You feel a cold tickling in the palm of your hand upon the altar. When you lift it, you see a silver five-pointed star is now etched onto your palm.
Auriga smiles as you examine the silvery marks on your palms.
"And from me, may I say... Welcome!"
Auriga takes you to the dormitory and introduces you to the various acolytes of the order. The dormitory is accessed by South hallway, but can only be accessed when the statue has not moved in position. When the statue slides back (as it did when you first arrived), it blocks the route.
|
While Brathas (and maybe Zynazyr) remain with the Magi, the others return to the turntable and head to the other side. When they reach the portcullis, voices from the arrowslit call out.
"Halt! State your name and purpose!"
Another voice speaks from the Arrowslit. "Wait... it's those weird guys. Better get Pandora."
After a moment, The door beyond the portcullis opens, and on the far side of the bars you can see Pandora, along with some other warrior women. They have weapons drawn and eye you warily.
"Well, hello there," Pandora drawls. "It's you again. Well, some of you anyway. Took some losses, did you? It happens."
She looks you over curiously.
"What is it this time? And who's the guy that's all tied up?"
Upon arriving at the Maduruan camp, Wallia pushes the captive Zargonese prisoner and says, "Followers of the great goddess of Madurua, We have brought you a gift."
Wallia smiles and says, "My comrades and I were exploring the pyramid looking for food and we were bushwhacked by a group of Zargonese scum. We were able to take this one prisoner and we thought the Warrior Maidens would be the best group to deal with them."
""I, Brathas, do hereby pledge to serve and obey the Great Usamigaras."
He looks at the star on his palm.
"I am grateful for the blessings of Usamigaras, and will try to honor his precepts of Knowledge, Insight, Ingenuity, and Reason. Is my parakeet mask acceptable or should I wear a different one?"
Ferrous shifts uneasily under the gaze of the fierce women warriors. Content to let Wallia speak for now.
Auriga smiles and nods.
"Allow me to present you with this," he says as he pulls a silver mask from a bag. It resembles the others that the acolytes are wearing; it is a representation of Usamigaras wrought in silver.
"You needn't wear it at all times. Many of our order take them off when they must go 'incognito' within the city. But certainly if you are participating in ceremonies you should wear it, or at any time you wish to be known as one of us."
The mask is wrought of silver and is worth 20 gp.
Pandora blinks, surprised. She looks over the Zargonite.
"Well, well. Oh, we can find a use for him, I'm sure. If he knows the time the next sacrifice to will occur, that would be useful information. Very useful indeed!"
She looks back at Brathas.
"What do you want for him?"
She looks back at Brathas.
"What do you want for him?"
Ferrous looks up at Pandora. We offer him as a gift fierce Pandora. We wish to maintain our friendly terms with the Madaruans and only ask that if you do retrieve any useful information from this Zargonite that you share what you learn with us. So that we may continue to fight this evil united.